Lewis Hamilton – Page 15 – Racetrackmasters

Hamilton and Wolff to miss FIA Prize Giving Gala

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and driver Lewis Hamilton will not be attending Thursday’s FIA Prize Giving Gala in Paris. The event which is held after the end of every Formula 1 season requires the top three drivers in the championship to attend. This means championship winner Max Verstappen, first runner up Lewis Hamilton and second runner up Valtteri Bottas have to make an appearance for the event. However, Hamilton and his boss Toto Wolff confirmed they will not be attending the event despite Mercedes taking its eighth consecutive Constructors Championship title. According to article 6.6 of the Sporting Regulations Act, drivers finishing first, second and third in the Championship must be present at the annual FIA Prize Giving ceremony. This means that Hamilton will be in breach of the rule but it is not yet clear if the seven-time world champion will face any disciplinary action for missing the event. The Mercedes Formula one and Formula E team also missed the Tuesday photoshoot pre-Gala event. The Formula E team took both the drivers and constructors championship this year. This comes after Lewis Hamilton was denied the championship title by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen following a controversial last lap safety car. The Race Director’s instructions that allowed the lapped cars to overtake the Safety Car received a lot of criticism because initially the directives did not allow for such to happen. Verstappen had the upper hand after the Race Control instructions and went ahead to overtake Lewis Hamilton on the last lap winning the race and claiming the Drivers Championship title. After the race Mercedes protested the controversial move but was dismissed by the Race Stewards. The team recently announced they have no further intentions appealing the matter. This now means Verstappen can now receive the championship trophy this evening in the Gala event.

FIA to conduct investigations on controversial Abu Dhabi finale

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago06 mins

FIA World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday released a statement intending to investigate the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale which was plagued by controversy amid receiving criticism. The Formula 1 season finale served as a championship title decider between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen who were currently level on points as they headed to the final race. With Hamilton taking the lead after a move on Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, the Brit dominated the race and even extended the time margin ahead of Verstappen. However, things turned around on the final lap after a Safety Car was deployed following Nicholas Latifi’s crash. While Lewis Hamilton decided to stay out after the caution was out, Verstappen was called in by Red Bull for fresh soft tyres. Coming out, Verstappen found himself behind five lapped cars from the race leader. F1 Race Director Michael Masi later cleared the five cars between the title rivals to unlap themselves, a move that was controversial and widely criticised. Masi’s call left the race being a final lap showdown, and Verstappen running on fresher tyres pulled off an overtake on Hamilton claiming the race win and championship title. Mercedes tried to protest the controversial final lap events but the Race Stewards dismissed the matter leaving the team on crossroads on whether to appeal the race outcome officially. The FIA, in a statement issued on Wednesday evening said they recognised the fall-out from events in Abu Dhabi and the matter is “tarnishing the image of the championship” they also added that they will study what happened “with all relevant parties”, as proposed by President Jean Todt who is about to exit his post following the maximum 12 years in office. The statement read: “On Sunday, another FIA F1 World Championship season of competitive excellence concluded, and the credit goes to the participating drivers and teams. The FIA congratulates all of them for their performances in this year. It was a hard fight, and the best competition was displayed at each grand prix.” “The world watched every race with great anticipation, knowing in the end there could only be one winner. In this respect, many praised Max Verstappen for his victory, and Lewis Hamilton for his remarkable performance and sportsmanship after the closing event of the season.” “The 2021 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has prompted a large number of reactions from the F1 community and from motorsport in general, as well as in the public. The FIA’s primary responsibility at any event is to ensure the safety of everyone involved and the integrity of the sport.” “The circumstances surrounding the use of the Safety Car following the incident of driver Nicholas Latifi, and the related communications between the FIA Race Direction team and the Formula 1 teams, have notably generated significant misunderstanding and reactions from Formula 1 teams, drivers and fans – an argument that is currently tarnishing the image of the Championship and the due celebration of the first Drivers’ World Championship title won by Max Verstappen and the eighth consecutive Constructors’ World Championship title won by Mercedes.” “Following the presentation of a report regarding the sequence of events that took place following the incident on lap 53 of the grand prix and in a constant drive for improvement, the FIA President proposed to the World Motor Sport Council that a detailed analysis and clarification exercise for the future with all relevant parties will now take place.” “This matter will be discussed and addressed with all the teams and drivers to draw any lessons from this situation and clarity to be provided to the participants, media and fans about the current regulations to preserve the competitive nature of our sport while ensuring the safety of the drivers and officials.”

Lewis Hamilton receives knighthood despite championship loss

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

Seven-time world F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton was knighted at Windsor Castle by the Prince of Wales on Wednesday. The 36-year old was awarded his knighthood and the title in the 2021 New Year Honours list when he equalled Michael Schumacher’s Formula One World Championship record. Seven-time champion! Sir Lewis Hamilton was accompanied by his mother, Carmen at the ceremony. He’s now the fourth Formula One driver to be knighted in history. This includes Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Stirling Moss, and Sir Jack Brabham. Despite Sir Lewis Hamilton missing the eighth title this season and finishing in P2 after a controversial call by Michael Masi. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the race claiming the championship title. However, Mercedes became eight-time consecutive constructor winners in Formula One despite losing the drivers championship win. On Thursday, Hamilton will attend the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony in Paris. The Brit will start fresh next season aiming to break the record with his new Mercedes teammate, George Russell in 2022.

Hamilton’s name missing in the Sports Personality of the Year short-list, Verstappen nominated

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is missing on the short list for the Sports Personality of the year. This comes as the 36-year old missed securing his eighth Formula 1 title in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last weekend. The BBC holds the Sports Personality of the Year event annually on December with an aim to celebrate and acknowledge successful sportsmen and women in Britain. However, this time round Hamilton’s name did not appear for the award despite winning twice in previous years. The Brit’s hopes of winning a record eighth title were shattered on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took the lead. The move was very controversial as a late Safety Car put Verstappen directly behind Hamilton after clearing five lapped cars between the title rivals to overtake the Safety Car. The Race Control intervention widely received criticism as it saw the title fight fall in Verstappen’s favor. With Hamilton’s name missing in the Sports Personality of the Year shortlist, Max Verstappen was nominated for the International World Sports Star gong. The award acknowledges the successes of sportsmen from overseas. Some of the athletes that were nominated for the Sports Personality of the Year awards were tennis player Emma Raducanu who won the United States Open. Raducanu is a close friend of Hamilton besides being a Formula 1 fan. Tokyo games Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley was also nominated next to boxer Tyson Fury and 100m breaststroke gold medalist Adam Peaty.

Lewis Hamilton set to receive knighthood award

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is set to receive a knighthood award on Wednesday at Windsor Castle Investiture. The 36-Year old will be knighted tomorrow, just days after completing the 2021 Formula 1 Season which saw him miss an eighth championship win in Abu Dhabi. Hamilton was beaten to the title by Red Bull driver Max Verstappen after a dramatic final race. Lewis Hamilton was also named in the New Year Honours list back in 2020 despite a long wait for the award considering he is one of the most successful sportsmen in the history of United Kingdom. Adding to the wait was the Brit’s pending tax cases which made him to get overlooked for the award nomination. However, he was finally awarded in the overseas category having relocated to Monaco in 2010. Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen were level on points after 21 races in 2021 and the title fight went down to the last lap of the final race, when the Red Bull driver overtook Hamilton, benefitting from a sudden change in decision by race officials to withdraw the safety car in the final lap.Though Mercedes registered a formal protest, it was rejected by race stewards, ensuring Verstappen won his debut world championship.Despite the loss, Hamilton was gracious in defeat as he congratulated his rival, with whom he clashed—physically and verbally—multiple times over the year. Hamilton was made a member of the order of the British Empire in 2008 after his first championship victory with McLaren.

Mercedes appeals rejected by F1 Stewards

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Formula 1 Stewards rejected two appeals lodged by Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton lost the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Verstappen won the last race of the season claiming his maiden Championship title after a controversial last minute move on Hamilton. The Dutchman was able to overtake the Mercedes driver on the final lap. Mercedes later launched a protest claiming that Verstappen initiated an overtake on Hamilton while the Safety Car was still on the track. The race stewards later dismissed the appeal citing that the pictures presented were inconclusive. Red Bull argued that Car 44 was not “overtaken” by Car 33, that both cars were “on and off the throttle” and that there were “a million precedents” under Safety Car where cars had pulled alongside then moved back behind the Car that was in front. Conclusions of the Stewards: The Stewards consider that the protest is admissible. Having considered the various statements made by the parties. The Stewards determine that although Car 33 did at one stage, for a very short period of time, move slightly in front of Car 44, at a time when both cars where accelerating and braking, it moved back behind Car 44 and it was not in front when the Safety Car period ended (i.e. at the line). The second appeal lodged by Mercedes was all about allowing lapped cars to overtake the Safety Car. After the Safety Car was brought out following Nicholas Latifi’s crash, Hamilton opted to stay on the track as Verstappen was called in to the pits for fresh tyres. Coming back to the track, the Red Bull driver was five lapped cars behind Hamilton. The Race Director later cleared the lapped cars to overtake the Safety Car, a move that directly landed Verstappen just behind Hamilton. Running on fresh soft tyres Verstappen had the advantage over Hamilton who had older tyres. The Race Stewards dismissed the protest stating that, Having considered the various statements made by the parties the Stewards determine the following: That Article 15.3 allows the Race Director to control the use of the safety car, which in our determination includes its deployment and withdrawal. That although Article 48.12 may not have been applied fully, in relation to the safety car returning to the pits at the end of the following lap, Article 48.13 overrides that and once the message “Safety Car in this lap” has been displayed, it is mandatory to withdraw the safety car at the end of that lap. That notwithstanding Mercedes’ request that the Stewards remediate the matter by amending the classification to reflect the positions at the end of the penultimate lap, this is a step that the Stewards believe is effectively shortening the race retrospectively, and hence not appropriate. Accordingly, the Protest is dismissed. The Protest Deposit is not refunded.

Mercedes lodges two appeals after controversial Verstappen win in Abu Dhabi

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

After Hamilton’s dramatic last lap overtake by Red Bull title rival Max Verstappen in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Mercedes has presented two appeals. Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday evening claiming his first World Championship title. This was after a dramatic last lap overtake on Hamilton at Turn 5 which brought a lot of controversy surrounding the situation under which the overtake was initiated. Mercedes presented their appeal to the FIA for Verstappen’s overtake on Hamilton under the safety car. They also presented another on safety car procedure itself questioning why only a number of lapped cars were allowed to overtake the Safety Car. Lewis Hamilton had dominated over the final race in the 2021 Formula 1 calendar which would decide the title champion as he was on level points with Verstappen. Stretching his lead over the Red Bull driver as the race progressed, it was certain the Briton would add one more championship title to the seven titles under his name. Fortunes changed after Williams’ Nicholas Latifi crashed bringing out the Safety Car on lap 53. With only five laps left, Red Bull took advantage of the delay to bring in Verstappen for fresh soft tyres. Meanwhile Hamilton opted to stay out and maintain the lead and track position despite running on old tyres. As Verstappen headed back to the track, there were five lapped cars between him and Hamilton. Still rallying behind the Safety car, the Race Director Michael Masi cleared the lapped cars to overtake the safety car despite disallowing the same initially. With the lapped cars out of the way, Verstappen was now trailing behind Hamilton and the battle to the chequered flag was imminent. Verstappen soon got to overtake Hamilton on Turn 5 maintaining the lead all the way to the finish.

Max Verstappen wins maiden championship title after a dramatic last lap overtake on Hamilton

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago07 mins

Red Bull ace Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race at Yas Marina claiming his maiden Formula 1 Championship title. Verstappen won the final race of the 2021 Formula 1 Season after a dramatic last lap overtake on his title rival Lewis Hamilton who had dominated over the race after overtaking Verstappen on race start. Hamilton was leading the race with a considerable margin over Verstappen but a virtual safety car saw the Red Bull driver clear the time gap. However, a second controversial virtual safety car was effected and against all odds Verstappen landed just behind the leading Mercedes. With the title fight down to the last lap, Verstappen pulled off an overtake on Hamilton at Turn 5 leading all the way to the chequered flag. Disappointed Hamilton finished second ahead of Carlos Sainz who got Ferrari a podium after an impressive performance in the Sunday evening race. The fight was down to the wire from the race start as Hamilton who was starting from the second spot on the grid took the lead from Verstappen after a fast launch. Going through Turn 6, Verstappen would try to pull off an overtake on Hamilton from the inside forcing the Mercedes driver to run wide. Despite the efforts, Hamilton maintained the lead as the Race Stewards saw no need to investigate Verstappen’s move. As the race progressed, Verstappen could not keep up with Hamilton’s pace despite going in for the hard tyres on Lap 13. Heading back to the track, the Dutchman was held up behind Carlos Sainz stretching the time margin from Hamilton to eight seconds. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez who was leading the race at the time assisted the sister Red Bull recover the time by holding up Hamilton. Perez cost Hamilton six seconds by slowing down in the final sector. Once again, Hamilton took the lead after a slipstream on Perez and again extended the gap over Red Bull. Kimi Raikkonen was not so lucky on his final race in F1 after spinning off Turn 6 after a brake problem which forced his retirement. Williams’ George Russell also retired from his final race with the team after losing his drive. Antonio Giovinazzi’s retirement at Turn 9 saw both Red Bulls pit for hard compounds as the virtual safety car was out. Hamilton, on the other hand opted to stay out stretching the lead over Verstappen to 20 seconds. Running on brand new slicks, Verstappen’s Red Bull was faster and Hamilton was not gaining more time despite a strong lead. All fortunes changed for Red Bull after forcing Verstappen to pit for soft tyres during the virtual safety car which was brought out after Nicholas Latifi crashed on Turn 14. Being the last lap, Formula 1 race director Michael Masi cleared the four lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to overtake the safety car despite initially stating that it was not allowed. Verstappen was now trailing just behind Hamilton in the final lap and the battle to the chequered flag was on. Capitalising on the situation and on fresh soft tyres, Verstappen took the lead on Turn 5 all the way to the finish becoming the first Dutch World Champion. Despite a disappointing second place for Hamilton, Mercedes won its 8th constructors championship in a row. 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Results: Pos No Driver Nat. Car Time/Retired PTS Laps 1 33 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing 1:30:17.345 26 58 2 44 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team +2.256s 18 58 3 55 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari +5.173s 15 58 4 22 Yuki Tsunoda JAP Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda +5.692s 12 58 5 10 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda +6.531s 10 58 6 77 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team +7.463s 8 58 7 4 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team +59.200s 6 58 8 14 Fernando Alonso ESP Alpine F1 Team +61.708s 4 58 9 31 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team +64.026s 2 58 10 16 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari +66.057s 1 58 11 5 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team +67.527s 0 58 12 3 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team +1 lap 0 57 13 18 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team +1 lap 0 57 14 47 Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team +1 lap 0 57 15 11 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing DNF 0 55 NC 6 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing DNF 0 50 NC 99 Antonio Giovinazzi ITA Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN DNF 0 33 NC 63 George Russell GBR Williams Racing DNF 0 26 NC 7 Kimi Räikkönen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN DNF 0 25

Mercedes made change to a part of Hamilton’s power unit

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago01 mins

Lewis Hamilton run the Saturday’s Final Practice and Qualifying round of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on a new engine component. Hamilton’s car will also run on the new exhaust system for Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race. This was confirmed from the Technical Delegate’s Report from FIA. The report also indicates that Hamilton has previously used four exhaust systems throughout the 2021 Formula 1 Season. However, Hamilton will not be incurring any penalty as there is no limit of exhaust system use. “The exhaust system used by Lewis Hamilton is one of the eight new exhaust systems allowed for the 2021 Championship season and this is in conformity with Article 23.2a of the 2021 Formula 1 Sporting Regulations,” the note read.

Abu Dhabi GP: Mercedes dominance continues as Hamilton tops FP3 – Results

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton remained unbeaten in the Third Free Practice of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton topped the timesheets in the final practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with 1m 23.274s. His title rival, Max Verstappen was second fastest just two tenths of a second off the benchmark time as Valtteri Bottas rounded out the top three fastest lap times in the afternoon session. The conditions at Yas Marina Circuit were at 39 degrees for the track temperatures and 26 degrees for air temperature. Pirelli tyre options were the soft compound C5, medium compound C4 and hard compound C5. Verstappen was the first driver to set a time benchmark of 1m 24.997s on the medium tyre compound using the low downforce wing. Bottas went after Verstappen but only managed 1m 25.290s on the soft compound tyres which was a third of a second off Verstappen’s time. Lewis Hamilton experienced delays after coming in a little later than the other drivers as his mechanics raced against time working on the brakes. The Briton later set a benchmark time of 1m 24.241s on soft tyres. However, Hamilton’s lead was shortlived as Bottas made a flying lap recording 1m 24.238 in the sister Mercedes beating the benchmark time with just 0.003s. Lewis Hamilton later set a jaw breaking flying lap recording 1m 23.274s widening the margin over Bottas with 0.8s. Red Bull’s Verstappen recorded 1m 23.488s which was two tenths of a second slower than Hamilton after his flying lap on the softs after the team made changes to his rear wing. In the closing stages of the session, Hamilton’s time remained at the top of the timesheets. Verstappen taking P2 and Bottas P3, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez came in P4 late in the session with 1m 24.047s. Yuki Tsunoda continued his good form which landed him P5 ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris who put quite an impressive performance despite a slow weekend start on Friday. Pierre Gasly in the second AlphaTauri came in P7 as Carlos Sainz marked the first Ferrari at P8. Daniel Ricciardo was impressive today after finishing P9 for McLaren as Charles Leclerc rounded out the top ten. 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP3 Results: Pos No Driver Nat. Team Time Gap Laps 1 44 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1:23.274 22 2 33 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing 1:23.488 +0.214s 23 3 77 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1:24.025 +0.751s 21 4 11 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing 1:24.047 +0.773s 20 5 4 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team 1:24.106 +0.832s 16 6 22 Yuki Tsunoda JAP Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1:24.223 +0.949s 21 7 10 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1:24.251 +0.977s 22 8 55 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari 1:24.595 +1.321s 19 9 3 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team 1:24.733 +1.459s 15 10 16 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari 1:24.758 +1.484s 20 11 18 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1:24.821 +1.547s 21 12 31 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team 1:24.834 +1.560s 17 13 7 Kimi Räikkönen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN 1:25.037 +1.763s 22 14 99 Antonio Giovinazzi ITA Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN 1:25.048 +1.774s 17 15 14 Fernando Alonso ESP Alpine F1 Team 1:25.094 +1.820s 19 16 5 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1:25.115 +1.841s 24 17 63 George Russell GBR Williams Racing 1:25.220 +1.946s 21 18 6 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing 1:25.322 +2.048s 18 19 47 Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1:25.340 +2.066s 17 20 9 Nikita Mazepin RAF Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1:26.332 +3.058s 18

Abu Dhabi GP: Hamilton fastest in second practice as Raikkonen crashes out – Results

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Lewis Hamilton put Mercedes on the top spot after setting the fastest lap in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix second free practice. Running on the soft tyre compound, the seven-time world champion set a time of 1m 23.691s on the revamped Yas Marina track being the only driver in the 1m 24s. Hamilton’s title rival Max Verstappen ended the session ranking P4, six tenths of a second off the benchmark time. In the early stages of the session, most drivers opted to run on medium tyres and Hamilton topped the time sheets with 1m 24.9s. Verstappen tried to beat the time but got his time deleted for exceeding track limits. The Red Bull driver later tried his luck again recording 1m 25s. Another driver who got his lap time deleted was Fernando Alonso after trying to be as fast as his teammate Esteban Ocon who was the second fastest. Valtteri Bottas finished third just three tenths of a second slower than his teammate. With darkness setting in on the track, the drivers had a brief experience of track conditions as they head to the Qualifying round on Saturday and the race on Sunday. Sergio Perez was the fifth fastest driver behind Verstappen in the sister Red Bull as Fernando Alonso finished P6 despite his lap time getting deleted earlier on. Yuki Tsunoda put an an impressive performance for AlphaTauri after being the seventh fastest as his teammate Pierre Gasly was down in 10th. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished P8 and P9 respectively. Daniel Ricciardo led McLaren in 11th place with Lando Norris finishing 13th as Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi separating the duo in 12th place. Sebastian Vettel was the fastest of the Aston Martins at P14 ahead of Lance Stroll. Kimi Raikkonen was P16 despite bringing out red flags in the closing stages of the session after crashing heavily into the barriers at Turn 14. George Russell on his first stint of the day finished P17 for Williams ahead of his teammate Nicholas Latifi in P18. Mick Schmacher led Haas in P19 six tenths of a second clear of Nikita Mazepin. 2021 F1 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX – FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (2) POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME 1 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m23.691s 2 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team 1m24.034s 3 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m24.083s 4 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing 1m24.332s 5 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing 1m24.400s 6 Fernando Alonso ESP Alpine F1 Team 1m24.495s 7 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m24.532s 8 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m24.557s 9 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m24.844s 10 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m24.940s 11 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team 1m24.959s 12 Antonio Giovinazzi ITA Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m25.108s 13 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team 1m25.153s 14 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m25.195s 15 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m25.385s 16 Kimi Raikkonen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m25.440s 17 George Russell GBR Williams Racing 1m25.549s 18 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing 1m25.687s 19 Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m25.748s 20 Nikita Mazepin RUS Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m26.336s

Mercedes rules out having a new power unit for Lewis Hamilton

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Mercedes announced they have no plans to issue Lewis Hamilton with a fresh power unit for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale. Lewis Hamilton will not be having a new Internal Combustion Engine this weekend which will mark the end of the 2021 Formula 1 season. Hamilton has already used five engines in the 2021 campaign which exceeds the permitted engine allocation which is three. The 36-year-old had to incur grid penalties in the Turkish and Sao Paulo GPs for the extra two engines used. Word had been going round that Mercedes may be in consideration of having a new ICE on Hamilton’s car giving him an edge in performance over Max Verstappen. The two title rivals are currently equal on points as they head to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale. Mercedes engineer Andrew Shovlin shut down the engine change allegations in an interview with Sky Sports. “Not on the plan… If we do that, something has gone wrong. It wouldn’t feel like a good idea. That would only be if we suffer a big problem, and even that wouldn’t be Plan A if we did lose an engine,” Shovlin said. There has been a lot of talk over the ICE that Hamilton used in Brazil, as Red Bull boss Christian Horner described it as ‘unraceable’ after Mercedes dominance in Brazil and Jeddah rounds. “It’s not as big a deal as it’s perhaps being made out to be, I think Red Bull were inferring it was a huge difference and I think Toto did the same at one point. It’s a useful step in the right direction,” Shovlin added. “Whether we had it in, or not, at the last race, it’s not going to cover the kind of gap that we were seeing to Max over a single lap. But it’s a step in the right direction.”

Helmut Marko ‘sorry’ for comments made after Hamilton-Verstappen contact in Jeddah

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Helmut Marko has admitted he was wrong after comments he made on Hamilton’s ‘brake test’ claim in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko admits he was wrong after claiming that Max Verstappen had not braked excessively causing Lewis Hamilton to run into the back of the Dutchman’s car in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The clash which happened on lap 37 back straight between F1’s title rivals was a major talking point after the eventful race in Jeddah. Ahead of the stewards’ decision to hand a 10-second penalty to Verstappen for “erratic” driving and causing the incident, a furious Marko claimed that Red Bull’s data would prove that Verstappen had not brake-tested his rival as Hamilton had alleged in the heat of the moment. “Our engineers are preparing, we can prove Max was constant with his braking, he didn’t brake test like Hamilton said,” said the Austrian, according to Autosport. “Then he crashed into our car,” Marko insisted. “He unfortunately put two cuts in the rear tyre, that was so severe that we couldn’t attack anymore. We had to take speed out.” However Marko has come to apologise for the comments he made claiming the information given by the engineers was wrong. “At the time of the television interview, I passed on exactly the information that I had previously received from the engineers. They obviously weren’t right, so I’m sorry,” Marko now tells F1insider. “Hopefully the sad chapter of Saudi Arabia has now closed,” he adds. “In any case, we’re just looking ahead. We want to win in Abu Dhabi and so win the title. “We will do everything for this, but we will not take any unfair actions. In Saudi Arabia we already had the pace to keep up with Hamilton. The route in Abu Dhabi should be more accommodating to us.”

Hamilton finally sells New York penthouse for £37m

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

Lewis Hamilton has sold his New York City penthouse for a whopping $49.5 million (£37.26 million) – bagging himself an impressive $5.6 million (£4.22 million) since purchasing the lavish hotspot in 2017. The racing driver, 36, listed the property for $57 million (£42.90 million) in February 2019, before dropping his price for a mystery buyer who went incognito through a Seattle shell company, as stated in property records. According to the listing, the penthouse is ‘the crown jewel of the building, an enclave of exclusivity in the heart of Northwest Tribeca’. Measuring over 12,000 interior and exterior square feet, the penthouse features five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two half bathrooms, 20 foot soaring ceilings, multiple terraces, a plunge pool, and two dedicated parking spaces. With neighbours including The Weekend, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebel Wilson and Meg Ryan, it occupies three levels with direct building elevator access and a separate and private elevator. The building was a 19th-century book bindery factory including pine beams with steel fittings and seventeen restored windows. The windowed Christopher Peacock kitchen is outfitted with a Calacatta marble island, dual dishwashers, six-burner Wolf range with grill top, side-by-side 36-inch-wide Subzero refrigerator/freezer, and a Gaggenau wine refrigerator. For the exclusive occupants of the building, there’s a 70-foot indoor swimming pool, a fitness center and Turkish bath, a 5,000-square-foot landscaped roof terrace and lush central courtyard. The Hertfordshire native won’t be homeless in New York, since he also owns another bachelor penthouse at nearby Vestry St, which he splashed $40.7 million (£30.64 million) on back in 2017.

Lewis Hamilton and Brad Pitt join forces to work on a racing movie

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago01 mins

Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton are joining forces for a new racing movie which is to be directed by Joseph Kosinski. Both Pitt and Kosinski have been looking to film a racing movie for a while, and almost worked together on an adaptation of the book ‘Go Like Hell’, though that fell through and eventually become ‘Ford v Ferrari’. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Paramount, MGM, Sony, Universal, Netflix, Apple, Amazon and Disney are all bidding to win the rights to the movie. Hamilton himself has has previously produced Cars 2, Cars 3 and Zoolander 2, but is yet to make a foray into acting, other than the odd cameo role. Jerry Bruckheimer is to serve as producer and Ehren Kruger will be the screenwriter for the as yet untitled project.

Hamilton describes Verstappen ‘over the limit’ after Saudi Arabian GP chaos

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton lashed out at title rival Max Verstappen after Sunday’s gripping Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, describing the Dutchman as “over the limit”. Hamilton won a chaotic race under lights on the Jeddah street circuit but only after several close run-ins with Red Bull’s Verstappen. “I really had to try and keep my cool out there which was really difficult to do,” said Hamilton. “I have raced a lot of drivers in my 28 years of racing, I have come across a lot of characters. There’s a few that are over the limit, the rules don’t apply.” “He’s over the limit for sure. I have avoided collision on so many occasions with the guy,” the seven-time world champion continued. “I don’t mind being the one who does that because you get to live another day. It doesn’t matter for him if we don’t finish. It does for me.” The tense battle culminated in a late collision when Hamilton, apparently unaware that Verstappen had been ordered to give up the lead after an illegal manoeuvre shortly before, hit the Red Bull as it braked in front of him. Red Bull maintained that Verstappen was simply following instructions while Mercedes insisted that the Dutchman was ‘brake-testing’. “I don’t understand why he hit the brakes quite so heavily so I ran into the back of him,” said Hamilton. “I didn’t get the information. It was very confusing.” A visibly annoyed Verstappen, however, denied any wrongdoing in the incident. “I slowed down, I wanted to let him by, I was on the right but he didn’t want to overtake and we touched,” said Verstappen. “I don’t really understand what happened there.” Stewards, who gave Verstappen a five-second penalty for an earlier incident, were investigating the decision. “It was quite eventful! A lot of things happened, which I don’t fully agree with, but it is what it is,” said the 24-year-old Dutchman. He later stormed off the podium, refusing to take part in the traditional end of race champagne spraying with Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas who took third. The two drivers are now level on points as they head to the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi next weekend, although Verstappen has the advantage of having won more races. “It’s a straight fight as it has been all year,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. “The form is with Mercedes but Max has fought like a lion this weekend, he has given it everything.” Hamilton has now won three races on the bounce and is primed to become the first man to win eight world titles, one more than the record he currently shares with Michael Schumacher. “I am personally chilled,” he said. “I feel like I am in the boxing ring and I am ready to go.”