formula 1

Giovinazzi claims F1 is ‘ruthless’ when ‘money rules’ following Alfa Romeo exit

Antonio Giovinazzi has claimed F1 can be “ruthless” when “money rules” after being dropped by Alfa Romeo for 2022. The Italian will be replaced by F2 contender Guanyu Zhou, who will become the first Chinese driver in the sport’s history and is believed to be heavily backed financially. The move brings an end to Giovinazzi’s association with Alfa Romeo and Sauber which began in 2017 when he stood in for Pascal Wehrlein at the start of the season before becoming a full-time driver in 2019. In a social media post after his departure was announced, Giovinazzi said: “F1 is emotion, talent, cars, risk, speed. But when money rules it can be ruthless. “I believe in the surprise of an unexpected result, of big or small victories achieved thanks to one’s commitment.” In a separate post, Giovinazzi added: “Unfortunately, we often struggle to find the right words to show our gratitude towards someone. “But I think there’s nothing more beautiful than being able to say thank you. “Thank you for everything and those team members who have supported me through all these wonderful years. “The biggest thank you is to my fans, who have always been close to me and made me feel their affection in every occasion.” Zhou’s announcement completes the grid for F1 2022, with Giovinazzi moving to Dragon Racing in Formula E. The Chinese driver will partner Valtteri Bottas next season, who makes the move from Mercedes.

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Mercedes requests right to review Hamilton-Verstappen incident in Sao Paulo GP

Mercedes confirmed they have requested the right to review the incident between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Hamilton had one of his great drives to climb from P10 – after suffering a five-place grid penalty due to a new engine – and take the chequered flag at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The result means the Brit has closed the gap on championship leader Verstappen ahead of the final three races. On lap 48 at Interlagos on Sunday, the two rivals were battling for the lead with Hamilton’s Mercedes appearing to narrowly edge ahead of the Red Bull, which was on the inside. Verstappen ran wide and the move forced both drivers off the track, with the Dutchman holding the lead for a few more laps before the seven-time world champion finally took the lead. While Hamilton took the lead and win anyway, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes Verstappen should have received a penalty. An investigation was deemed unnecessary after the FIA consulted footage provided by broadcast cameras – but Verstappen’s on-board footage could be reviewed by the FIA after Mercedes confirmed they have requested the right to review the footage themselves.

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F1 releases ‘missing’ Verstappen’s onboard footage

Formula 1 has released footage from Max Verstappen’s on-board camera in his first Turn 4 battle with title rival Lewis Hamilton. On lap 48 of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Hamilton attempted to overtake Verstappen around the outside of Turn 4, but found himself off the track with Verstappen, on the inside, pushing both cars extremely wide and into the run-off area. At the time, the stewards noted the incident but then quickly came to the decision that no investigation was necessary. Later, Hamilton would eventually make the move stick on Verstappen at the same corner and go on to win the race, narrowing the gap to 14 points behind the Red Bull driver at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. News emerged after the epic battle that the FIA did not have the on-board footage from Max Verstappen’s car to further assess whether an investigation was needed or not. Two days after the race, the missing footage has miraculously been found with Formula 1 posted an ‘all the angles’ video of Lewis v Max on their website. In the UK, Sky Sports also published the on-board footage via their Twitter account. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff called the decision not to penalise Max Verstappen as “laughable”, while Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner said the incident should form part of the “let them race” mentality. Asked in the post-race press conference about the incident, Verstappen said his worn tyres were to blame in running wide at the corner. Asked by Motorsport.com for viewpoint, Verstappen said: “We both, of course, tried to be ahead into the corner and so I braked a bit later to try and keep the position. “The tyres were already a bit worn, so I was really on the edge of grip. That’s why I think I was already not fully on the apex, so then it’s a safer way of just running a bit wide there. “In a way I was, of course, happy that the stewards decided that we could just keep on racing because I think the racing in general was really good.”

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Guanyu Zhou to replace Antonio Giovinazzi at Alfa Romeo for 2022

Guanyu Zhou will be the first Chinese driver to race in Formula 1 after signing with the Alfa Romeo Racing team to compete in 2022. The 22-year-old from Shanghai will replace Antonio Giovinazzi at the Sauber-run team and race alongside the experienced Valtteri Bottas, who will join from Mercedes-AMG. Zhou currently lies second in the standings in his third season of Formula 2 and, in a dual-campaign year, has won the Formula 3 Asia championship. He already has experience of Formula 1 from his time as a Renault and Alpine junior, and it’s rumoured that he brings a significant package of Chinese sponsorship. Alfa Romeo team principal Frédéric Vasseur said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Guanyu Zhou to Alfa Romeo Racing. He’s a very talented driver, as his results in F2 have shown, and we’re looking forward to helping his talent flourish even more in F1. “We’re also looking forward to welcoming all the new Chinese fans who will join the team: Alfa Romeo Racing is a historical brand and one that embodies the spirit of F1, and we will do our utmost to make the experience of our sport a great one in China.” This likely shows that Alfa Romeo is looking to grow its road car brand in China, which is the world’s largest market for new cars. Zhou said: “I dreamt from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I’m passionate about, and now the dream has come true. “It’s a privilege for me to start my F1 racing career with an iconic team, a team that has introduced so much young talent into F1 in the past. “To be the first ever Chinese driver in F1 is a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport history. I know a lot of hopes will be resting on me and, as ever, I will take this as motivation to become better and achieve more.” Giovinazzi will depart Alfa Romeo at the end of 2021 after 62 grands prix, leaving F1 without an Italian driver, despite the presence of Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri and Ferrari. Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said: “Alfa Romeo is extremely grateful to Antonio Giovinazzi for his strong contribution to the team over the years, not just from a sporting point of view. Antonio has embodied the Italian spirit of the brand, being an authentic ambassador every day.”

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Hamilton receives a fine for seatbelt infringement after Sao Paulo GP win

Lewis Hamilton has been fined for undoing his seatbelts on the cooldown lap after his victory in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Hamilton won from 10th place on the grid ahead of championship rival Max Verstappen, but came under investigation for a seatbelt infringement after seeing the chequered flag. The Mercedes driver was seen stopping to take a Brazilian flag from a track marshal, holding it aloft in the cockpit as he celebrated his third win at Interlagos. But the stewards called Hamilton to a post-race hearing for breaching safety regulations in relation to undoing seatbelts after the race has been completed. The FIA announced Hamilton had been hit with a €5000 fine for the incident, with a further €20,000 suspended until the end of 2022. A statement issued by the FIA read, as quoted by Motorsport.com: “The driver of car 44, Lewis Hamilton, undid his seat belts on the in-lap at the end of the race. “While the Stewards are sympathetic to the desire to celebrate, it is fundamentally unsafe to undo the seatbelts while the car is in motion. Slow speeds in these cars are very fast for an unrestrained occupant. “Further, Formula 1 drivers set the example for junior categories. It is critical that junior category drivers learn the importance of using all the safety devices of the car at all times.” It marks the second investigation Hamilton has faced over the Brazil weekend, with the seven-time world champion excluded from qualifying for a technical infringement. The DRS on Hamilton’s car failed the FIA’s post-session check, leaving him at the back of the grid for Saturday’s sprint race, where he recovered to fifth place. Hamilton’s victory over Verstappen has closed the gap between the pair in the drivers’ standings to 14 points ahead of next weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.

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Lewis Hamilton wins Sao Paulo GP after overcoming numerous grid penalties

Lewis Hamilton scripted an epic win after a no-holds barred duel with Max Verstappen at the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil. Valtteri Bottas joined his team-mate on the podium. This was a must win race for the reigning world champion at the nineteenth race of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. With three races to go, Hamilton could not let Verstappen extend his lead in the drivers’ championship to more than a race win. The Brazilian weekend has been an uphill battle after Hamilton won qualification and was disqualified for a DRS technical infringement. Hamilton started last in the sprint qualification race and fought back to fifth position. The Briton started tenth in the race after a five-place grid penalty was applied for a new power unit component. Hamilton from tenth place on the grid fought hard to take his sixth win of the season and cut the gap to Verstappen in the drivers’ championship to fourteen points. The race at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace circuit in São Paulo took place under hot conditions with air temperatures at 23 degree C and track temperatures at 55 degree C. Kimi Räikkönen made a pit lane start after his rear-wing was changed. Verstappen had a good start from second position and led pole-sitter Bottas into Turn 1. Bottas for good measure went off the track at Turn 4 and Sergio Pérez was in second position. It was a Red Bull Racing 1-2 by end of lap 1. Hamilton had gained three places and slotted into seventh position. Lando Norris had suffered a puncture as he tried to get past the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz into Turn 1 and pitted and rejoined in last position. By the end of lap 4, Hamilton was let past by Bottas and was in third position. Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll came together withTsunoda suffering extensive damage. The Safety Car was deployed as debris had to be removed from the track. On the restart, both the Red Bull Racing drivers made a good getaway from Hamilton. Hamilton had a hard battle with Pérez and finally overtook the Mexican on lap 19. Hamilton was now 3.6 seconds behind Verstappen and it was going to be a straight fight for the win between the championship rivals. On lap 23, Stroll was the first driver to pit for the hard compound tyres and rejoined in nineteenth position. On lap 27, Hamilton pitted for the hard compound tyres and rejoined in sixth position behind Daniel Ricciardo and ahead of Sebastian Vettel. The undercut is powerful at this track and Verstappen pitted on the next lap but his gap to Hamilton was cut to 1.5 seconds. On the next lap, Pérez pitted and rejoined in fifth position. The Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed due to debris on the track from Stroll’s car. This handed Bottas an advantage as he pitted under the VSC and rejoined in front of Pérez in third position. Behind them the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Pierre Gasly and the Alpine F1 team drivers were battling for position. Norris had progressed through the field to get himself into the points. On lap 41, Verstappen pitted for another set of hard compound tyres and rejoined in fifth position behind Leclerc. Bottas and Pérez pitted in quick succession in the next laps. Hamilton stayed out for another three laps in the lead of the race before he pitted and rejoined behind Verstappen. The gap between the two drivers was 2.6 seconds. Hamilton got himself within DRS-range and on lap 47 made an overtake move which Verstappen thwarted aggressively. The stewards noted the incident before deciding no action was necessary. On lap 59, Hamilton finally battled past Verstappen and cruised to a win. With all the setbacks Hamilton suffered this weekend, it was an epic win. Verstappen finished in second position and still leads the championship by 14 points. Bottas finished in third position and helped Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team extend the lead in the constructors’ championship to 11 points. Pérez finished in fourth position as he pitted in the final laps for the soft compound tyres to take the point for fastest lap from Hamilton. Leclerc finished ahead of Sainz as Ferrari had a good haul of points to increase their lead to the McLaren F1 team for third position in the constructor’s championship. Gasly battled his way to seventh position ahead of the Alpine F1 drivers, Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso. Norris took the final solitary point after he battled his way from last position after the first lap incident. The epic duel between Verstappen and Hamilton will resume in Qatar next weekend (Nov 19-21 2021). The track at this new race on the Formula 1 calendar is an unknown quantity and adds more variables to this intense battle for the championships. 2021 F1 SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX – RESULTS POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME 1 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 71 Laps 2 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing + 10.496s 3 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team + 13.576s 4 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing + 39.940s 5 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow + 49.517s 6 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow + 51.820s 7 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda + 1 Lap 8 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team + 1 Lap 9 Fernando Alonso ESP Alpine F1 Team + 1 Lap 10 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team + 1 Lap 11 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team + 1 Lap 12 Kimi Raikkonen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen + 1 Lap 13 George Russell GBR Williams Racing + 1 Lap 14 Antonio Giovinazzi ITA Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen + 1 Lap 15 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda + 1 Lap 16 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing + 1 Lap 17 Nikita Mazepin RUS Uralkali Haas F1 Team + 2 Laps 18 Mick Schumacher…

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Horner puzzled by Mercedes speed after Sao Paulo GP sprint race

Red Bull chief Christian Horner underscored once again the “mind-boggling” straight-line speed of Mercedes’ W12 after Valtteri Bottas’ win and Lewis Hamilton charge to P5 in Saturday’s sprint event at Interlagos. Bottas was able to fend off Max Verstappen in the 24-lap mad dash thanks to a lightening start and a well-managed soft tyre strategy. But Horner was especially impressed with Hamilton’s charge from last on the grid to fifth during which the Briton, thanks to his top velocity, was in “a different league”. “Lewis’ straight-line speed is just mind-boggling,” Horner told Sky F1. “We’ve seen this coming for a few races now. Turkey, it started to be there. In Mexico, we saw the straight-line speed, I think they were about 14 km/h quicker at the end of the straight than we were, so it’s no great surprise. “We saw yesterday that it’s phenomenal, especially with the size of the rear wing that they have on the car.” Horner hinted at a potential ploy exploited by Mercedes to blast down the straights and suggested that Red Bull had perhaps a few theories, confirming also that the team’s CTO Adrian Newey had visited the stewards at Interlagos to discuss Mercedes’ top speed advantage. “It’s something that is enabling the car to do that kind of speed,” he said. “Something must happen, because physics wouldn’t allow…. “The kind of horsepower delta that you would need to achieve that, would be pretty significant. So we’re obviously trying to understand what it is and go from there.”

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Verstappen tells the stewards to ‘have a fine dinner and expensive wine’ after €50,000 fine

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has urged the Sao Paulo Grand Prix stewards to enjoy ‘a nice dinner and expensive wine’ after being hit with a €50,000 fine. Verstappen was stung after being found guilty of breaking the International Sporting Code regarding parc fermé where he first inspected and then touched Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes following qualifying on Friday at Interlagos. While the stewards noted Verstappen meant no direct harm, the welter of video evidence ensured a punishment had to be meted out, with the Dutch driver hit firmly in the pocket. Asked about the sanction, tongue-in-cheek Verstappen said: “It’s quite a big fine so I hope they have a nice dinner, a lot of wine, good, expensive wine, that would be nice. “They can invite me for dinner as well, I’ll pay for their dinner, too.” Sat alongside Valtteri Bottas after being beaten by the Finn in the sprint, the Finn asked if he had to pay or the team, to which Verstappen replied: “I do have to pay.” Explaining his actions in parc fermé, Verstappen said: “Well, I was clearly looking at the wing. You could see on the video what I did exactly. “I was just looking at how much the wing was flexing at that point. It was nothing to do with the DRS.” On whether he and the team had any specific suspicions about the Mercedes wing, Verstappen made clear that Red Bull is in no doubt it is potentially illegal given its level of flexing. “There have been talks and things to look into because at a certain speed the wing is flexing,” said Verstappen. “At the beginning of the season, we had to all change the rear wings a bit because of the back-off but it seems like something is still backing off over there, that’s why I went and had a look.”

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Bottas wins Sao Paulo GP Sprint race as Hamilton finishes 5th after starting from the back of the grid

Valtteri Bottas denied Max Verstappen victory in the Sprint Qualifying race at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace on Saturday as Lewis Hamilton drove from twentieth on the grid to finish an amazing fifth. Bottas got the jump on Verstappen at the start and was able to get ahead of the Red Bull Racing driver heading into turn one, whilst behind him Carlos Sainz Jr. moved from fifth on the grid to run third, getting ahead of both Pierre Gasly and Sergio Pérez. Sainz then moved ahead of Verstappen at turn four, with the Dutchman running wide as a result, although the positions switched back a few laps later at turn one once he was able to use the drag reduction system down the main straight. Hamilton, who had started at the back after being disqualified from Qualifying for a DRS infringement, made up four places on the opening lap and then made light work of the midfield runners to enter the top ten, although once there he was made to work harder, particularly against the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel. Bottas, running on the soft tyres, was able to keep enough life in them until the chequered flag to deny Verstappen the win, even when the Red Bull driver got close enough to open his drag reduction system on his rear wing. Bottas took the chequered flag at the end of the twenty-four laps 1.170 seconds clear to take the three points. Bottas and Verstappen ended well clear of the battle for third, with Sainz able to keep Pérez behind him all the way to the chequered flag. Pérez had a few attempts at passing the Scuderia Ferrari driver but to no avail, so the final point on offer went the way of the Spaniard. Lando Norris was a man on a mission early on as he rose to fifth, but he was Hamilton’s final victim heading into turn one on the final lap, with the McLaren F1 Team racer being forced to settle for sixth. Hamilton’s fifth place will turn into a tenth place start for Sunday’s race thanks to his grid penalty for an unscheduled change of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) ahead of the weekend. Charles Leclerc ended seventh in the second Ferrari ahead of Gasly, with the Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda driver struggling at the start and losing out massively to fall to seventh. Once Hamilton was passed him, he fell back further from those ahead of him and ended down in eighth, while the top ten was completed by Alpine F1 Team’s Esteban Ocon and Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team’s Vettel. Ricciardo missed out on the top ten after a poor start, with the second McLaren driver ending eleventh, just ahead of the second Alpine of Fernando Alonso, who also failed to get a good getaway off the line in Brazil. Antonio Giovinazzi survived an incident with Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN team-mate Kimi Räikkönen at turn one that spun around the Finn to finish thirteenth, with the Italian ending ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda. Nicholas Latifi beat Williams Racing team-mate George Russell to sixteenth, while Räikkönen ended eighteenth after his spin, with the incident involving Giovinazzi not deemed serious enough to be investigated. The field was rounded out by Uralkali Haas F1 Team duo Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin. Bottas will start Sunday’s main race in São Paulo ahead of Verstappen, while Hamilton will have all the confidence in the world to move forward from tenth on the grid having made up fifteen places in just twenty-four laps on Saturday. After all, there are seventy-one laps to come on Sunday! 2021 F1 SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX – SPRINT QUALIFYING RESULTS POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME 1 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 24 Laps 2 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing + 1.170s 3 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow + 18.723s 4 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing + 19.787s 5 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team + 20.872s 6 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team + 22.558s 7 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow + 25.056s 8 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda + 34.158s 9 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team + 34.632s 10 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team + 34.867s 11 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team + 35.869s 12 Fernando Alonso ESP Alpine F1 Team + 36.578s 13 Antonio Giovinazzi ITA Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen + 41.880s 14 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team + 44.037s 15 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda + 46.150s 16 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing + 46.760s 17 George Russell GBR Williams Racing + 47.739s 18 Kimi Raikkonen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen + 50.014s 19 Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team + 61.680s 20 Nikita Mazepin RUS Uralkali Haas F1 Team + 67.474s After 

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Lewis Hamilton disqualified from Sao Paulo GP Qualifying after DRS infringement

Lewis Hamilton will start at the back of the pack for Saturday’s Sao Paulo Sprint after his Mercedes cars’ DRS mechanism was found in breach of technical regulations. FIA Technical Delegate Jo Bauer noticed that the Drag Reduction System (DRS) mechanism on Hamilton’s Mercedes seemed to open up more than the allowed gap of 85mm. The matter was referred to the stewards for investigation where is was deemed that the wing was in breach of regulations. Hamilton’s rear wing was impounded by the FIA following qualifying with Mercedes permitted to swap the wing for Free Practice Two on Saturday. Using a specialist tool, Hamilton’s rear wing was assessed and it was found that the rear wing did in fact open up more than the 85mm that is allowed and as such was in breach of Article 3.6.3 of the technical regulations. The stewards have therefore disqualified Hamilton from Friday’s qualifying and he will start at the back of the pack for Saturday’s Sprint Qualifying. This will surely hurt Briton’s hunt for a eighth title whose woe is compounded by a five-placed grid penalty for Sunday’s Grand Prix after an engine change. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was also called to the stewards office after he was witnessed touching the rear wing on Hamilton’s Mercedes during Parc Ferme conditions after qualifying. The Dutchman was fined fifty thousand euros with no further action taken. This promotes Verstappen to first for the Sprint, with Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas in second. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez will line up third ahead of the Sprint later on Saturday. Hamilton’s five-place grid penalty for the engine change will take place after the Sprint and will be applied for the Grand Prix grid on Sunday.

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Verstapen receives a £42,000 fine for touching Hamilton’s wing in parc freme

Championship leader Max Verstappen has been fined for touching Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes W12 in perf ferme conditions yesterday following the qualifying session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The talk of the paddock on Saturday morning was the on-going investigation of Hamilton’s DRS overtaking aid and Verstappen’s summons to the stewards for an alleged breach of the International Sporting Code. “The stewards also examined a fan video taken from across the track, CCTV video footage taken from pit lane and in car footage from car 14, car 33, car 44 and car 77. “In all, these videos gave a clear picture of what occurred in parc fermé following the qualifying session. Verstappen exits the car, then moves to the rear of his car. He then takes his gloves off and puts his right hand at the slot-gap of the rear wing of his car. He then moves to car 44 and repeats the exercise, touching the rear wing in two places, once on either side of the DRS actuation device, but on the bottom rear side of the wing, in the area of the slot gap and never near the actuator or the end fixation points.” “Clear, high definition video from the rear facing roll-hoop camera on car 44 shows that there is absolutely no movement of any of the wing elements on car 44 when Verstappen touches the back of the wing and the Stewards are satisfied, from watching all the videos, his body position and the video of the wing, that there was insignificant force when Verstappen touched the wing.” “It is clear to the Stewards that it has become a habit of the drivers to touch cars after qualifying and the races. This was also the explanation of Verstappen, that it was simply habit to touch this area of the car which has been a point of speculation in recent races between both teams. This general tendency has been seen as mostly harmless and so has not been uniformly policed. Nevertheless, it is a breach of the parc fermé regulation and has significant potential to cause harm,” read the FIA statement. “Considering the fact that no direct harm was caused in this case, in the opinion of the stewards, and that no earlier precedent of penalties for this exists – on the one hand; but that it is a breach of the regulation and has potential for serious consequences on the other, the stewards determine to take action in this case and order a fine of €50,000. The stewards further note that it is intended that all teams and drivers take notice that future breaches may incur different penalties from the stewards of those events.”

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Mercedes claims Verstappen ‘destroyed’ Hamilton’s rear wing – Marko

Mercedes have claimed that Max Verstappen damaged Lewis Hamilton’s rear wing in parc ferme conditions after qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix, according to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko. Hamilton was referred to the stewards over a possible Drag Reduction System (DRS) infringement following Friday’s qualifying session at Interlagos, with the hearing ultimately delayed until Saturday. Meanwhile, Verstappen was also summoned to the stewards over an alleged breach of the FIA International Sporting Code relating to parc ferme conditions, after fan footage appeared to show him touching the rear wing on Hamilton’s car after qualifying. As the F1 world awaits a verdict for both drivers, Marko says Mercedes have turned the tables on Verstappen and Red Bull. “The unbelievable thing is that Mercedes are now claiming that Max damaged Hamilton’s rear wing with his fingers,” Marko told F1-Insider. Although each case initially seemed to be separate, there has been speculation over whether Mercedes would use Verstappen’s actions as evidence in their hearing regarding Hamilton’s rear wing. However, former F1 driver turned pundit Karun Chandhok played down such suggestions of Verstappen causing any damage. “For those asking if Max could have manipulated the wing, let’s all be clear that the wings are designed to sustain hundreds of kilos of load without breaking,” wrote Chandhok on Twitter. “Andre the giant could sit on it! As fit and strong as Max is, I doubt he managed to bend the wing…”

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Verstappen summoned by FIA for ‘touching’ Hamilton’s car in parc freme

Max Verstappen has been summoned to the stewards’ office in Sao Paulo in the wake of the investigation surrounding the rear wing and DRS of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes. On Friday after qualifying, the stewards called representatives from Mercedes to their office to explain an alleged breach of the technical rules of car #44 as noted by FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer. In Bauer’s post-session check, it was noted that the gap between the two rear wing lower and upper planes exceeded the authorized maximum 85mm when DRS was open. The same check was conducted on 13 other cars after qualifying but car #44 was the only one that was found not to be in conformity. After a lengthy wait on Friday evening, the stewards opted to adjourn the investigation until Saturday morning as they awaited “further evidence that will not be available until the morning”. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Verstappen was also placed under investigation over a potential breach of parc fermé rules. In footage from an amateur video taken just after qualifying that was published on social media, Verstappen is seen touching his car’s rear wing in several areas and then walking over to Hamilton’s Mercedes and doing the same thing as if to compare the two cars’ wing elements. Verstappen is facing an “alleged breach of Article 2.5.1 of the FIA International Sporting Code”. Article 2.5.1 of the ISC states: “Inside the Parc Fermé, only the officials assigned may enter. No operation, checking, tuning or repair is allowed unless authorised by the same officials or by the applicable regulations.” The end result is that both title contenders are at risk of a sanction from the FIA that could set back either driver or both for Saturday afternoon’s 24-lap Sprint Qualifying event that will determine the grid for Sunday’s race.

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Lewis Hamilton under investigation for DRS breach after Sao Paulo GP Qualifying

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton faced a stewards’ investigation and possible demotion to the back of the field on Friday after qualifying fastest for the sprint race that will decide the Sao Paulo Grand Prix starting grid.The seven-times F1 world champion dominated the session at the Brazilian city’s atmospheric Interlagos circuit but the rear wing element on his Mercedes then failed a technical inspection. A team representative was summoned to see the stewards. The Briton, 19 points adrift of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with four races remaining, made the most of a new engine to clock a best time of one minute 07.934 seconds in front of a cheering crowd. Verstappen was second and 0.438 slower, a considerable margin around one of the shortest laps on the calendar. “Let’s go,” exclaimed Hamilton over the team radio on a cold and windy afternoon with brooding dark clouds overhead. The Briton is sure to have a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s main race as result of his engine change but can take three points on Saturday, with the top three scoring in a 3-2-1 system. “We’re working so hard to try and get this car right and it’s been tough. So to finally get the car feeling like it did today feels great,” said Hamilton. “A lot of the times we get it wrong, I get it wrong, and today I got it right and the car was really nice to drive. It was everything I wanted,” added a beaming Hamilton. That mood might have changed, when a merc team representative was summoned to the Stewards after they received the following report from FIA F1 Technical Delegate, Jo Bauer regarding the #44 Mercedes: “The uppermost rear wing element adjustable positions were checked on car number 44 for compliance with Article 3.6.3 of the 2021 Formula One Technical Regulations. “The requirement for the minimum distance was fulfilled. But the requirement for the maximum of 85mm, when the DRS system is deployed and tested in accordance with TD/011-19, were not fulfilled.”

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formula 1

Lewis Hamilton handed a five-place grid penalty in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton will take a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix in another blow to the Briton’s hopes of winning a record eighth Formula One world championship this season. The Mercedes driver is 19 points adrift of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who is building momentum with four races remaining. Formula One’s governing body confirmed on Friday that Hamilton had taken a new engine, his fifth of the 22-race campaign. Drivers have three engines to last the season, with any more triggering a penalty of 10 places for the first time the limit is exceeded and then five places for subsequent engines. Hamilton collected a 10 place grid penalty after taking his fourth engine in Turkey in October and started Friday practice at Interlagos with his fifth. Red Bull are favourites to win at Interlagos, with Dutch 24-year-old Verstappen chasing his third win in a row and 10th of the season. He won the last pre-pandemic race at the Sao Paulo circuit in 2019. Verstappen started the Russian Grand Prix in September from the back of the grid, finishing second, due to power unit penalties. Team boss Christian Horner saw no need for Red Bull, who are only a point behind Mercedes in the constructors’ championship, to take any further engine penalties. “It’s entirely understandable that Mercedes would strategically decide to take that penalty here, which they will incur on Sunday,” he told Sky Sports television. “We’re just focused on ourselves and do the best job we can. “All things being normal, we expect to get to the end of the year with the combustion engines that we have. “Obviously we lost one following the crash at Silverstone (in July between Hamilton and Verstappen) but with the penalty we took in Sochi that got us back into good shape.”

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formula 1

Sao Paulo GP: Hamilton tops in FP1 ahead of Verstappen(Results)

Lewis Hamilton was quickest in the first and only practice ahead of Sao Paulo Grand Prix qualifying – but Mercedes and Red Bull had different approaches to the session. Hamilton, who has a five-place engine penalty to overcome on Sunday after a new ICE was fitted to his W12 car, was three tenths quicker than rival Max Verstappen. However, Red Bull seemed more focused on race pace compared to Mercedes, where one-lap pace was of more importance. The data collected from AWS suggested the gap between Hamilton and Verstappen was much closer, just o.50s heading into qualifying. Sergio Perez completed the top three with Valtteri Bottas behind in P4. Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completed the top 10. There was an even greater importance placed on a cool, overcast FP1 session, with drivers and teams restricted to just one hour of practice before being thrown straight into qualifying later on Friday afternoon – Formula 1 completing its third and final sprint weekend of the 2021 season. As the cars hit the track for the first time, confirmation came from the FIA of a fifth ICE element being fitted to Lewis Hamilton’s W12, which will result in a five-place grid drop for the seven-time World Champion for Sunday’s race. But it wasn’t the new engine causing Hamilton problems in the early stages of FP1, it was the front suspension instead. In the opening runs, Hamilton asked via team radio for a “solution to be found” as he bobbled and bounced around the Interlagos circuit. He found himself eight tenths down on title rival Verstappen, who set the opening benchmark at 1:10.189, a slender 0.020s ahead of Red Bull team-mate Perez. As we approached the halfway stage of the session, Lance Stroll reported spots of rain dropping on the circuit, keeping the paddock on their toes ahead of qualifying. Even though the clouds looked particularly dark and brooding, it was still dry enough for drivers to continue with their dry tyre running for the rest of the session. Verstappen re-emerged on the soft tyre compound for a qualifying sim run and promptly ate five tenths out of his previous best time by the time he had completed the second sector. He crossed the line with a 1:09.417 to his name, Perez still falling just short of the target by being 0.075s behind. In the other Mercedes, meanwhile, Bottas was struggling to make an impression on Verstappen’s leading time. He had to abort his first attempt at a hot lap and, on his second, already found himself two tenths down in the first sector. Traffic in the middle sector did nothing to help his cause and he could only manage a 1:09.857 to sit nearly five tenths off the pace. With 16 minutes of the session remaining, Hamilton, complete with front suspension tweak, put pedal to the metal for his qualifying sim attempt. He all-but matched Verstappen through the first sector, but the gap would slowly increase to three tenths by the time he crossed the finish line. It provided further evidence that Red Bull were the ones to beat heading into Friday afternoon qualifying. Bottas would try to discredit it as he surprisingly went fastest in the first sector on his latest effort and, while still unable to topple Verstappen, he did move above his team-mate and to within a tenth off the pace. 2021 F1 SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX – FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (1) POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME 1 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m09.050s 2 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing 1m09.417s 3 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing 1m09.492s 4 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m09.567s 5 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m09.880s 6 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m10.124s 7 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m10.142s 8 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team 1m10.145s 9 Fernando Alonso CHI Alpine F1 Team 1m10.201s 10 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m10.352s 11 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m10.374s 12 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m10.413s 13 Kimi Raikkonen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m10.443s 14 Antonio Giovinazzi GBR Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m10.587s 15 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team 1m10.610s 16 Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m10.885s 17 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing 1m10.902s 18 George Russell ISR Williams Racing 1m10.938s 19 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team 1m10.990s 20 Nikita Mazepin RUS Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m11.342s

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