Formula 1 - Season 2021

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Ocon and Alpine agree contract extension until 2024
Alpine have announced Esteban Ocon has signed to the team through 2024, ahead of his home race at the French Grand Prix.

Warm but cloudy weekend with low chance of race day rain in France
The French Grand Prix is expected to be overcast for much of the weekend, with a slight chance of rain showers on race day.

Brawn urges fans to “keep an open mind” over new Sprint races
Formula 1’s head of motorsport Ross Brawn has urged fans to keep an open mind about the new ‘Sprint’ races which will be introduced next month.

Hamilton: Pirelli not to blame for Verstappen and Stroll’s tyre failures
Lewis Hamilton says Pirelli were not to blame for the failures which put two drivers out of the last race in Baku, and called for F1’s new tyre restrictions to be strictly enforced.

Verstappen: Pirelli “cannot put the blame on us” over Baku tyre failures
Max Verstappen has insisted neither Red Bull nor Aston Martin are to blame for the tyre failures he and Lance Stroll suffered during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Bottas swap chassis ahead of French Grand Prix
Both Mercedes drivers will use different chassis for this weekend’s French Grand Prix.

Schumacher expects “harsher consequences” if Mazepin repeats Baku swerve
Mick Schumacher says his team mate apologised for the last-lap swerve towards him on the final lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Verstappen and Stroll feel “lucky” tyre failures didn’t cause worse crashes
Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll say they were lucky their tyre failures in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix did not cause more serious crashes.

Vettel reluctant to declare total confidence in F1’s tyres
Sebastian Vettel said he doesn’t have complete confidence in the structural integrity of F1’s tyres following the failures at the previous round in Azerbaijan.

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Russell and Bottas say no decision yet on 2022 Mercedes seats
Valtteri Bottas and George Russell have denied rumours Mercedes have decided which of them will drive for the team in the 2022 F1 season.

Baku tyre failures caused by lower than expected running pressures, Pirelli confirm
Pirelli has confirmed the tyre failures which put Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix occured because their tyres were running at lower pressures than expected.

Pirelli increase tyre pressures for French GP and specify new “cooling curves”
Pirelli has increased the minimum starting tyre pressures for the French Grand Prix and detailed several new restrictions in line with updated rules which come into force this weekend.

How will Formula 1 decide if ‘Sprint’ races are a success? Ross Brawn explains
In less than a month’s time, the Formula 1 field will line up for its first ever ‘Sprint’ race, an innovation which has been hotly debated since RaceFans revealed the proposal in February.

Juan Manuel Correa returns to Sauber’s young driver academy
Juan Manuel Correa has returned to Sauber’s young driver academy, almost two years on from the horrific crash which cut short his progress through the junior formulae.

Mission Winnow logos removed from Ferrari’s cars again
Ferrari sponsor and Marlboro cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris has pulled the logos of its controversial Mission Winnow programme from the team’s cars, citing “mistrust and an abundance of scepticism towards our industry.”

McLaren urge FIA to reveal more details over cause of “safety critical” Baku tyre failures
McLaren have called for more information to be shared about the exact cause of the tyre failures suffered by drivers at two rival teams during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Bottas leads Mercedes one-two in first practice
Valtteri Bottas led a one-two for Mercedes in the first practice session for the French Grand Prix.

French GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No Driver             Car                   Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes              1:33.448s  -      23
 2  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:33.783s 0.335s  21
 3  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda        1:33.880s 0.432s  23
 4  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda        1:34.193s 0.745s  25
 5  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault        1:34.329s 0.881s  25
 6   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes      1:34.644s 1.196s  23
 7  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault        1:34.693s 1.245s  21
 8  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:34.699s 1.251s  20
 9   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes      1:34.707s 1.259s  21
10  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:34.847s 1.399s  22
11  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari               1:34.950s 1.502s  24
12  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:35.116s 1.668s  23
13   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:35.135s 1.687s  20
14  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:35.275s 1.827s  23
15   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:35.289s 1.841s  16
16  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari               1:35.342s 1.894s  23
17   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes     1:35.612s 2.164s  22
18   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari          1:36.651s 3.203s  24
19  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari          1:37.329s 3.881s  14
20  45 Roy Nissany        Williams-Mercedes     1:37.881s 4.433s  16

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Verstappen leads Bottas by tiny margin in second practice
Max Verstappen led Valtteri Bottas by just eight thousandths of a second as Friday practice at Paul Ricard came to an end.

French GP
Practice Session 2
Pos No Driver             Car                   Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda        1:32.872s  -      21
 2  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes              1:32.880s 0.008s  27
 3  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:33.125s 0.253s  23
 4  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault        1:33.340s 0.468s  25
 5  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari               1:33.550s 0.678s  23
 6  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault        1:33.685s 0.813s  23
 7  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:33.696s 0.824s  25
 8  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari               1:33.698s 0.826s  24
 9   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:33.786s 0.914s  26
10   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes      1:33.822s 0.950s  24
11  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:33.831s 0.959s  23
12  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda        1:33.921s 1.049s  24
13  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:33.955s 1.083s  25
14   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes      1:34.079s 1.207s  24
15   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:34.447s 1.575s  25
16  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:34.632s 1.760s  24
17  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes     1:35.266s 2.394s  25
18   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes     1:35.331s 2.459s  25
19  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari          1:35.512s 2.640s  24
20   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari          1:35.551s 2.679s  23

Horner unsure if higher tyre pressures will prevent further failures at French GP
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is unsure whether the higher tyres pressures which have been imposed for this weekend’s race will prevent a repeat of the failures which forced one of his cars out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

New contract for “top 10 driver” Ocon was an easy decision, says Rossi
Signing Esteban Ocon to a new, three-year deal was a “no-brainer”, says Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi.

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Bottas happier in car but unsure if chassis swap with Hamilton is responsible
Valtteri Bottas said he felt much happier at the wheel of his Mercedes at Paul Ricard during practice today following his sub-par performance at the previous race.

Aston Martin “surprised” by Pirelli’s claim low tyre pressures caused Baku crashes
Aston Martin CEO Otmar Szafnauer has insisted the team complied with Pirelli’s tyre pressure requirements prior to the failure which caused Lance Stroll’s crash in Baku.

F1 teams want alternative to kerbs which can “destroy a car”
Formula 1 teams want changes to the kerbs at the exit of turn two at Paul Ricard because of the damage they have caused to their cars.

Mercedes unlikely to choose between Russell and Bottas before end of season – Wolff
Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff says the team is unlikely to decide whether to keep Valtteri Bottas in its driver line-up until December at the earliest.

Soft tyre knowledge key to Ferrari’s surprise poles – Sainz
Ferrari achieved its surprise pole positions in the last two races because the team understood how to get the best out of Pirelli’s softest tyre compounds, says Carlos Sainz Jnr.

New track limits restrictions to be enforced at turn six
New track limits restrictions will be actively monitored at the exit of turn six for the rest of the French Grand Prix weekend.

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Verstappen emphatically fastest in final practice
Max Verstappen was comfortably the quickest driver in final practice for the French Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver ended the third session over seven-tenths of a second ahead of Valtteri Bottas.

French GP
Practice Session 3
Pos No Driver             Car                   Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda        1:31.300s  -      11
 2  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes              1:32.047s 0.747s  14
 3  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari               1:32.195s 0.895s  17
 4  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda        1:32.238s 0.938s  15
 5  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:32.266s 0.966s  14
 6   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes      1:32.336s 1.036s  14
 7  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault        1:32.624s 1.324s  15
 8  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault        1:32.681s 1.381s  16
 9  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:32.707s 1.407s  16
10   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes      1:32.759s 1.459s  14
11  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari               1:32.820s 1.520s  15
12  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:33.017s 1.717s  17
13  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:33.051s 1.751s  15
14   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:33.200s 1.900s  18
15   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:33.328s 2.028s  16
16  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes     1:33.364s 2.064s  16
17  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:33.424s 2.124s  17
18   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes     1:33.584s 2.284s  16
19  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari          1:34.143s 2.843s  14
20   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari          1:34.642s 3.342s  13

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Verstappen beats Hamilton to claim first pole position since Bahrain
Max Verstappen will start from pole for the first time since the season-opening race in Bahrain after beating championship rival Lewis Hamilton by over two tenths of a second in France.

French GP
Qualifying Session
Pos No Driver             Car                   Time       Gap
 1  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda        1:29.990s   -
 2  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:30.248s   0.258s
 3  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes              1:30.376s   0.386s
 4  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda        1:30.445s   0.455s
 5  55 Carlos Sainz Jr.   Ferrari               1:30.840s   0.850s
 6  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:30.868s   0.878s
 7  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari               1:30.987s   0.997s
 8   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes      1:31.252s   1.262s
 9  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault        1:31.340s   1.350s
10   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes      1:31.382s   1.392s
11  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault        1:31.736s   1.746s
12   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:31.767s   1.777s
13  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:31.813s   1.823s
14  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes     1:32.065s   2.075s
15  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari          No Time
16   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes     1:33.062s   3.072s
17   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:33.354s   3.364s
18   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari          1:33.554s   3.564s
19  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes 2:12.584s  42.594s
20  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda      No Time

Drive to Survive is creating “avid” new Formula 1 fans – Brown
Netflix’s Drive to Survive series is creating new fans with more than just a passing interest in Formula 1, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown believes.

Todt expects full spectator attendance at British and Austrian grands prix
FIA president Jean Todt expects full attendance will be possible at some Formula 1 races from July.

Breakthrough in second practice key to French GP pole – Verstappen
Max Verstappen says that his Red Bull team had to make a “turnaround” in order to beat Mercedes to pole at the French Grand Prix.

Hamilton glad to disprove chassis change “myth” with second on grid
Lewis Hamilton said he was pleased to disprove rumours about his change of chassis by taking second on the grid for the French Grand Prix.

Paul Ricard win would show Red Bull can beat Mercedes anywhere – Horner
Red Bull CEO Christian Horner says his team can beat Mercedes anywhere if they can beat them in tomorrow’s French Grand Prix.

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Verstappen wins enthralling French Grand Prix with late pass on Hamilton
Max Verstappen stormed to victory in the French Grand Prix after passing Lewis Hamilton for the lead with one lap remaining.

French GP
Race Results
Pos No Driver             Car                   Laps Time          Gap
 1  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda         53  1:27:25.770s   -
 2  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes               53  1:27:28.674s     2.904s
 3  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda         53  1:27:34.581s     8.811s
 4  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes               53  1:27:40.388s    14.618s
 5   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes       53  1:28:29.802s  1:04.032s
 6   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes       53  1:28:41.627s  1:15.857s
 7  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda       53  1:28:42.366s  1:16.596s
 8  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault         53  1:28:43.465s  1:17.695s
 9   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes  53  1:28:45.436s  1:19.666s
10  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes  53  1:28:57.716s  1:31.946s
11  55 Carlos Sainz Jr.   Ferrari                53  1:29:05.107s  1:39.337s
12  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes      52  1 lap
13  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda       52  1 lap
14  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault         52  1 lap
15  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     52  1 lap
16  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari                52  1 lap
17   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     52  1 lap
18   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes      52  1 lap
19  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari           52  1 lap
20   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari           52  1 lap

Here is the Championships Standings after French GP:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver              Total
 1  Max Verstappen       131
 2  Lewis Hamilton       119
 3  Sergio Perez          84
 4  Lando Norris          76
 5  Valtteri Bottas       59
 6  Charles Leclerc       52
 7  Carlos Sainz Jnr      42
 8  Pierre Gasly          37
 9  Daniel Ricciardo      34
10  Sebastian Vettel      30
11  Fernando Alonso       17
12  Esteban Ocon          12
13  Lance Stroll          10
14  Yuki Tsunoda           8
15  Kimi Raikkonen         1
15  Antonio Giovinazzi     1
17  George Russell         0
17  Nicholas Latifi        0
17  Mick Schumacher        0
17  Nikita Mazepin         0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team          Total
 1  Red Bull       215
 2  Mercedes       178
 3  McLaren        110
 4  Ferrari         94
 5  AlphaTauri      45
 6  Aston Martin    40
 7  Alpine          29
 8  Alfa Romeo       2
 9  Haas             0
 9  Williams         0

Cooler race temperatures should suit Ferrari – Mekies
Ferrari racing director Laurent Mekies believes the cooler temperatures expected for this afternoon’s French Grand Prix will benefit their cars.

Todt not convinced by Formula 1’s ‘Sprint’ race plan
FIA president Jean Todt doesn’t believe Formula 1 needs the new Sprint race format which will be trialled for the first time next month.

“It was a wind-up”: Mercedes won’t wait until winter to name Hamilton’s team mate
Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff has clarified comments he made yesterday saying he was unlikely to select a team mate for Lewis Hamilton until December at the earliest.

Pirelli told drivers Baku tyre failures were not caused by teams cheating – Perez
Formula 1 drivers said they felt reassured by a lengthy meeting with Pirelli on Friday to discuss the tyre failures suffered by two of them in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Tsunoda apologises to team after third qualifying crash in seven races
Yuki Tsunoda apologised to his AlphaTauri team after crashing out of qualifying for the third time at the seventh round of the season.

McLaren told Norris to abandon final Q2 run due to lack of fuel
Lando Norris was at risk of being eliminated in Q2 at the French Grand Prix as the team put too little fuel in his car for his final run.

Verstappen “still not happy” with Pirelli’s tyre failure explanation after meeting
Max Verstappen is still unhappy with Pirelli’s explanation for the tyre failure which cost him victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, following a lengthy meeting between drivers and the manufacturer yesterday.

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Hamilton unsure how Mercedes gave up lead to Red Bull
Lewis Hamilton said he didn’t understand how he lost his early advantage after finishing second in the French Grand Prix.

Verstappen expects Hamilton fight “like this for the rest of the season” after narrow win
Max Verstappen said he “had to work hard” to reclaim the lead of the French Grand Prix from Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap of the race.

Russell frustrated not to score despite beating a Ferrari in France
George Russell said he was frustrated to finish out of the points despite a strong race at Paul Ricard.

Leclerc says Ferrari must address “very bad” degradation after slump to 16th
Charles Leclerc admitted he was at a loss to understand the tyre degradation which led him to finish 16th in the French Grand Prix.

Hamilton believes he could have won with a two-stop strategy
Lewis Hamilton believes he could have won the French Grand Prix had he switched to a two-stop strategy as race winner Max Verstappen did.

Vettel suspects error cost him higher points finish
Sebastian Vettel says he was pleased with his recovery into the points during the French Grand Prix after going off early in the race.

Norris surprised by McLaren’s points haul as they re-pass Ferrari
Lando Norris says McLaren did not expect such a strong result in the French Grand Prix after he finished fifth ahead of team mate Daniel Ricciardo.

Why Perez didn’t get the penalty Mercedes were hoping for
After Valtteri Bottas lost third place to Sergio Perez with four laps to go in the French Grand Prix, Mercedes had an opportunity to bag a bonus point for fastest lap.

Hamilton: Mercedes “losing three-and-a-half tenths on straights” to Red Bull
Lewis Hamilton said there was no way he could keep Max Verstappen behind when the Red Bull driver caught him at the end of the French Grand Prix.

Red Bull “surprised” Mercedes left Hamilton vulnerable to Verstappen pit stop
Red Bull CEO Christian Horner says he was “surprised” Mercedes gave them the opportunity to get Max Verstappen ahead of Lewis Hamilton through the pits during the French Grand Prix.

Mercedes “don’t fully understand” reason for pit call which cost Hamilton win
Mercedes’ head of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin admitted the French Grand Prix was a race the team should have won.

Ferrari doubt they can fix tyre problem behind disastrous French GP this year
Ferrari arrived at Paul Ricard having taken back-to-back pole positions and a combined 36 points at the previous two rounds.

Why Verstappen and Bottas weren’t penalised for French GP track limits violations
Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas avoided penalties during the French Grand Prix despite failing to follow the race director’s instructions in how to rejoin the circuit after running wide.

Yas Marina changing track layout to aid overtaking at F1 season finale
Major changes are being made to two sections of the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Formula 1 season finale in December.

Wolff glad Bottas ‘spoke his mind’ over strategy on radio
Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff says Valtteri Bottas was right to challenge the team’s strategy call on the radio during the French Grand Prix.

Will Yas Marina’s three key changes put an end to F1’s follow-my-leader finales?
Yas Marina, the home of Formula 1’s season finales since 2014, will have a new look for this year’s race.

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Red Bull’s French GP win disproves accusations over tyres and wings – Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says the team’s victory in the French Grand Prix disproved any insinuations about their performance.

Wolff encouraged by ‘real progress’ from Bottas in French GP
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says he saw genuine progress at the French Grand Prix from Valtteri Bottas, whose place at the team for next year is in doubt.

Todt would “prefer less controversy” in Formula 1
FIA president Jean Todt says he would like to see less controversy in motorsport, following a series of disputes over Formula 1’s regulations.

Here is the Timing Schedule for this weekend's Styrian GP:

Styrian GP
Friday
Practice Session 1   14:30 To 15:30
Practice Session 2   18:00 To 19:00

Saturday
Practice Session 3   15:00 To 16:00
Qualifying Session   18:00 To 19:00

Sunday
Race                 18:00 To 20:00

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Wet start expected for Styrian Grand Prix weekend
Weather conditions for the first of Formula 1’s two consecutive races at the Red Bull Ring are likely to be on the cool side, with a high chance of thunderstorms and rain early in the weekend.

F1 confirms major changes to Abu Dhabi track for season finale
Formula 1 has confirmed details of changes to the Yas Marina which are being made for this year’s season finale.

Vettel: UEFA wrong to block pride flag on political grounds
Sebastian Vettel has criticised the decision of football’s governing body UEFA to prevent a stadium in Germany from displaying the colours of the pride flag at a Euro 2020 match yesterday.

Silverstone to welcome full crowd for British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix will be held before a full crowd of fans, Formula 1 has confirmed, following a dispensation from the national government.

Ferrari launched “very big investigation” into cause of dire French GP result
Carlos Sainz Jnr says Ferrari is already hard at work on the causes of its poor performance in last weekend’s French Grand Prix.

No problems with Mercedes relationship after terse radio messages, says Bottas
Valtteri Bottas has denied the terse radio messages between him and Mercedes during the French Grand Prix indicated his relationship with the team has become strained.

Hamilton excited by full crowd for British GP but warns it may be “premature”
Lewis Hamilton has welcomed the news that Silverstone will be able to welcome a full crowd at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

Letting Verstappen pass immediately was essential to ensure French GP win – Perez
Sergio Perez says his team mate might not have won the French Grand Prix if he hadn’t let him pass immediately when the pair met on track during the race.

Alonso expects Yas Marina changes will make overtaking easier
Fernando Alonso is impressed by the planned track changes at Yas Marina, which he expects will make overtaking easier.

Hamilton begins Mercedes contract talks, wants Bottas to remain as team mate
Lewis Hamilton has confirmed he has begun discussions with Mercedes over a new deal to drive for them in the 2022 F1 season.

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FIA to force F1 teams to slow down their pit stops
The FIA will introduce new rules forcing F1 teams to slow down their rapid, two-second tyre changes during races.

F1 confirms return to Istanbul in place of cancelled Singapore GP
Formula 1 will return to Istanbul Park in Turkey for the 16th round of the world championship in October, the championship as announced.

Verstappen quickest from Gasly in first practice at Red Bull Ring
Max Verstappen led Red Bull stable-mate Pierre Gasly in the first practice session for the Styrian Grand Prix.

Styrian GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No Driver             Car                   Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda        1:05.910s  -      33
 2  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:06.166s 0.256s  32
 3  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:06.332s 0.422s  31
 4  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes              1:06.386s 0.476s  33
 5  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:06.397s 0.487s  35
 6  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault        1:06.519s 0.609s  35
 7  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault        1:06.551s 0.641s  34
 8  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes	1:06.584s 0.674s  32
 9  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:06.614s 0.704s  28
10  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari               1:06.629s 0.719s  35
11  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari               1:06.630s 0.720s  32
12   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes      1:06.669s 0.759s  37
13  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda        1:06.696s 0.786s  32
14   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:06.708s 0.798s  31
15  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes     1:06.848s 0.938s  31
16   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes      1:06.861s 0.951s  34
17   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes     1:07.180s 1.270s  30
18  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari          1:07.473s 1.563s  29
19  88 Robert Kubica      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:07.823s 1.913s  29
20   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari          1:08.081s 2.171s  30

Red Bull’s head of aerodynamics moves to Aston Martin as technical director
Red Bull has announced its head of aerodynamics, Dan Fallows, is to join rivals Aston Martin.

Mercedes queried FIA over pit stop procedures last month
The FIA introduced new rules to slow down Formula 1 teams’ pit stops following a query raised by Mercedes at least three weeks ago.

Rivals obviously trying to slow down Red Bull’s pit stops – Horner
Red Bull CEO Christian Horner believes new regulations on pit stops have been introduced to take away part of his team’s performance advantage.

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Verstappen quickest again, Bottas under investigation for pit lane spin
Max Verstappen remained on top in the second practice session for the Styrian Grand Prix.

Styrian GP
Practice Session 2
Pos No Driver             Car                   Time      Gap    Laps
 1  33 Max Verstappen     RedBull-Honda         1:05.412s  -  	  37
 2   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes      1:05.748s 0.336s  35
 3  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault        1:05.790s 0.378s  35
 4  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:05.796s 0.384s  35
 5  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault        1:05.827s 0.415s  39
 6   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:05.934s 0.522s  38
 7   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes      1:05.994s 0.582s  39
 8  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:06.079s 0.667s  36
 9  11 Sergio Perez       RedBUll-Honda         1:06.089s 0.677s  36
10  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:06.145s 0.733s  37
11  55 Carlos Sainz Jr.   McLaren-Mercedes      1:06.147s 0.735s  39
12  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes              1:06.251s 0.839s  32
13  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari               1:06.270s 0.858s  39
14   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:06.297s 0.885s  41
15  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:06.451s 1.039s  39
16  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes     1:06.628s 1.216s  39
17  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari          1:06.886s 1.474s  29
18   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari          1:07.404s 1.992s  30
19   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes     1:07.669s 2.257s  32
20  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda       -         -       0

Hamilton never tells me who he wants for a team mate – Wolff
Lewis Hamilton has never indicated a preference for who his team mate should be, according to Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff.

Bottas expects no penalty for “normal mistake” after spinning in pits
Valtteri Bottas doubts the stewards will penalise him for his bizarre spin in the pit lane during second practice.

Hamilton expects bigger deficit when Red Bull “turn that engine up”
Lewis Hamilton ended second practice at the Red Bull Ring within four-tenths of a second of championship rival Max Verstappen, but suspects the gap will grow tomorrow.

Bottas given three-place grid penalty for “potentially dangerous” pit lane spin
Valtteri Bottas has been given a three-place grid penalty for spinning in the pit lane during today’s second practice session at the Red Bull Ring.

Pirelli to test new, more robust rear tyres next week
Pirelli will bring a new specification of rear tyre for Formula 1 teams to test at the Austrian Grand Prix next week.

[genius83]

Hamilton leads Verstappen as Styrian Grand Prix practice ends
Lewis Hamilton led the final practice session at the Red Bull Ring ahead of Max Verstappen.

Styrian GP
Practice Session 3
Pos No Driver             Car                   Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:04.369s  -      18
 2  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda        1:04.573s 0.204s  16
 3  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes              1:04.832s 0.463s  24
 4  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda        1:05.026s 0.657s  21
 5  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:05.150s 0.781s  23
 6  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:05.298s 0.929s  22
 7  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari               1:05.340s 0.971s  21
 8  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault        1:05.400s 1.031s  24
 9  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:05.445s 1.076s  17
10   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:05.492s 1.123s  19
11  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:05.556s 1.187s  23
12  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault        1:05.676s 1.307s  21
13  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari               1:05.698s 1.329s  22
14  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes     1:05.863s 1.494s  23
15   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:05.942s 1.573s  25
16  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari          1:05.992s 1.623s  24
17   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes      1:06.116s 1.747s  20
18   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes     1:06.119s 1.750s  21
19   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes      1:06.654s 2.285s  19
20   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari          1:06.692s 2.323s  22

Igora Drive to replace Sochi as home of Russian Grand Prix in 2023
Next year’s Russian Grand Prix will be the last to take place at its current home in Sochi before the race moves to a recently-built circuit near St Petersburg.

Gasly makes final penalty-free MGU-K change
Pierre Gasly has become the first driver to reach his maximum allocation of MGU-Ks for the season.

Tsunoda plans to follow Gasly’s “clever” approach to avoid qualifying crashes
Yuki Tsunoda says he needs to change his approach to qualifying after his crashes in the last two rounds.

Pirelli confident new tyre for British Grand Prix will prove “more robust”
Pirelli hopes to introduce a revised tyre construction in time for the British Grand Prix in order to reduce the likelihood of failures like those seen in Azerbaijan.

Steiner learned of Schumacher’s ill-fitting seat from his mother
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner was unaware of Mick Schumacher’s discomfort in his car until the driver’s mother told him about it.

[genius83]

Verstappen flies to pole as Bottas penalty puts Hamilton second
Max Verstappen will start the Austrian Grand Prix from pole position ahead of his championship rival Lewis Hamilton.

Styrian GP
Qualifying Session
Pos No Driver             Car                   Time      Gap
 1  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda        1:03.841s  -
 2  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:04.067s 0.226s
 3   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes      1:04.120s 0.279s
 4  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda        1:04.168s 0.327s
 5  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes              1:04.035s 0.194s
 6  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:04.236s 0.395s
 7  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari               1:04.472s 0.631s
 8  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda      1:04.514s 0.673s
 9  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault        1:04.574s 0.733s
10  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:04.708s 0.867s
11  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes     1:04.671s 0.830s
12  55 Carlos Sainz Jr.   Ferrari               1:04.800s 0.959s
13   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes      1:04.808s 0.967s
14   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:04.875s 1.034s
15  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:04.913s 1.072s
16   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes     1:05.175s 1.334s
17  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault        1:05.217s 1.376s
18   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:05.429s 1.588s
19  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari          1:06.041s 2.200s
20   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari          1:06.192s 2.351s

Tsunoda given three-place penalty for impeding Bottas
Yuki Tsunoda has been given a three-place grid penalty for the Styrian Grand Prix for impeding Valtteri Bottas during the final stage of qualifying.

“Harsh” grid penalty provoked by rival teams – Bottas
Valtteri Bottas said his three-place grid penalty for the Austrian Grand Prix was provoked by complaints from his team’s rivals.

Ricciardo mystified to become “one second slower” overnight
Daniel Ricciardo said his loss of pace in qualifying for the Styrian Grand Prix was a mystery.

Verstappen relieved first Q3 lap was “good enough” for pole position
Max Verstappen was relieved to take pole position for the Styrian Grand Prix after failing to improve on his second run in Q3.

Russell says points are “definitely on the table” after narrowly missing Q3
George Russell believes he has a realistic chance of ending Williams’ point-less run after qualifying 11th for the Styrian Grand Prix.

[genius83]

Jumping the queue in qualifying was a mistake, Hamilton admits
Lewis Hamilton admitted his decision to overtake a series of rivals before beginning his final lap in qualifying spoiled his final attempt to take pole position.

Red Bull’s reaction to questions over reliability fixes is “weird” – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has called attention to how rivals Red Bull have responded to questions relating to their power unit.

Leclerc: DRS problem explains part of daunting qualifying deficit to Norris
Charles Leclerc was satisfied by his performance in qualifying for the Styrian Grand Prix but disappointed by his deficit to McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Wolff ridicules rival’s “whinge” over Bottas’ pit lane spin
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff ridiculed complaints made in response to Valtteri Bottas’s spin in the pit lane, which earned the driver a grid penalty.

[genius83]

Passing Norris early is Perez’s “main target” for race
Sergio Perez says he needs to pass Lando Norris early in the Styrian Grand Prix to join the fight with the race leaders.

Williams preparing backup plan in case Mercedes sign Russell
Williams is making contingency plans to hire a replacement for George Russell if Mercedes offer their junior driver a place at the world championship winning outfit.

[saad2006]

[genius83]

Verstappen dominates Styrian GP to extend points lead over Hamilton
Max Verstappen led every lap of the Styrian Grand Prix to take his fourth win of the season ahead of championship rival Lewis Hamilton.

Styrian GP
Race Results
Pos No Driver             Car                   Laps Time         Gap    Retirement Points
 1  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda         71  1:22:18.925s  -                 25
 2  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes               71  1:22:54.668s 35.743s            19
 3  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes               71  1:23:05.832s 46.907s            15
 4  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda         71  1:23:06.359s 47.434s            12
 5   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes       70  1:22:24.281s  1 Lap             10
 6  55 Carlos Sainz Jr.   Ferrari                70  1:22:31.243s  1 Lap              8
 7  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari                70  1:22:43.757s  1 Lap              6
 8  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes  70  1:22:59.121s  1 Lap              4
 9  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault         70  1:23:00.099s  1 Lap              2
10  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda       70  1:23:00.774s  1 Lap              1
11   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     70  1:23:03.208s  1 Lap
12   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes  70  1:23:08.210s  1 Lap
13   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes       70  1:23:09.506s  1 Lap
14  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault         70  1:23:10.959s  1 Lap
15  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     70  1:23:17.947s  1 Lap
16  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari           69  1:23:01.861s  2 Laps
17   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes      68  1:22:22.430s  3 Laps
18   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari           68  1:22:30.819s  3 Laps
dnf 63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes      36    44:25.454s 35 Laps Retirement
dnf 10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda        1     2:03.661s 70 Laps Collision
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton 1:07.058s

Here is the Championships Standings after the Styrian GP:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver             Total
 1  Max Verstappen      156
 2  Lewis Hamilton      138
 3  Sergio Perez         96
 4  Lando Norris         86
 5  Valtteri Bottas      74
 6  Charles Leclerc      58
 7  Carlos Sainz Jnr     50
 8  Pierre Gasly         37
 9  Daniel Ricciardo     34
10  Sebastian Vettel     30
11  Fernando Alonso      19
12  Lance Stroll         14
13  Esteban Ocon         12
14  Yuki Tsunoda          9
15  Kimi Raikkonen        1
15  Antonio Giovinazzi    1
17  George Russell        0
17  Nicholas Latifi       0
17  Mick Schumacher       0
17  Nikita Mazepin        0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team         Total
 1  Red Bull      252
 2  Mercedes      212
 3  McLaren       120
 4  Ferrari       108
 5  AlphaTauri     46
 6  Aston Martin   44
 7  Alpine         31
 8  Alfa Romeo      2
 9  Haas            0
 9  Williams        0

Verstappen encouraged by strong pace on worn tyres in crushing win
Max Verstappen was encouraged by his car’s pace in the latter stages of the Styrian Grand Prix following his crushing win in the race.

Hamilton says Mercedes need an upgrade to fight Red Bull after Styrian GP defeat
Lewis Hamilton urged his Mercedes team to find more performance from their car after Max Verstappen beat him to victory in the Styrian Grand Prix.

[genius83]

Red Bull haven’t sacrificed 2022 to win the title this year – Verstappen
Max Verstappen does not believe Red Bull have sacrificed development on next year’s car to increase their chances of winning the world championship this year.

Red Bull’s oil supplier deserves credit for speed boost – Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner rebuffed further claims by Lewis Hamilton that the team has introduced an upgrade to its power unit this year.

Russell encouraged by ‘truly quick’ pace despite ‘cruel’ retirement
A dejected George Russell blamed a “very rare” problem on his Williams for costing the team a points finish in the Styrian Grand Prix.

Leading quicker rivals was “fun” but it couldn’t last – Norris
Lando Norris enjoyed leading two quicker rivals in the opening stages of the Styrian Grand Prix, but admitted he had to let them past eventually.

Ricciardo left “really low” after power unit glitch eradicates his flying start
Daniel Ricciardo’s flying first lap in the Styrian Grand Prix was cancelled out by problem with his power unit six laps into the race.

Leclerc had ‘one of my best drives apart from lap one’
Charles Leclerc says finishing seventh in the Styrian Grand Prix was a “bittersweet” result after his first lap collision with Pierre Gasly forced him to change his front wing.

‘Wacky set-up direction’ may have hurt Mercedes’ race pace
A “radical” change in set-up developed by Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes’ simulator may explain their deficit to Red Bull in the Styrian Grand Prix.

No need to investigate collision between Leclerc and Gasly – Masi
Formula 1 race director Michael Masi says there was no need to investigate the contact between Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly which ended the AlphaTauri driver’s race.

F2 points leader Zhou to make F1 practice debut on Friday
Formula 2 championship leader Guanyu Zhou will make his first appearance in an official Formula 1 practice session at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Mercedes will “analyse the facts” of any gains from Red Bull’s new engine
Mercedes will look into any potential gains Red Bull may have made with their second power unit, said team principal Toto Wolff, after Lewis Hamilton repeated his claim they have introduced an upgrade.

Tsunoda wants Ferrari fight after scoring in Styrian GP
Yuki Tsunoda is “100%” convinced he would have finished higher in the Styrian Grand Prix had it not been for his grid penalty, and that he needs more points-scoring races for AlphaTauri to take the fight to Ferrari.

Verstappen’s post-race burn-out celebration “will not be tolerated” again
The post-race burnout Max Verstappen performed after the Styrian Grand Prix will not be allowed in future, the FIA’s race director Michael Masi has confirmed.

[genius83]

Cryptocurrency platform to sponsor F1’s new Sprint races
Formula 1 has announced cryptocurrency platform Crypto.com as the partner for its new series of Sprint races which will begin at next month’s British Grand Prix.

Horner’s scepticism proved correct as Mercedes confirm they will upgrade 2021 car
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff’s indication the team would not bring any further updates to its car this season was met with a sceptical reaction by his opposite number at Red Bull, Christian Horner.

Igora Drive building new track extension for first F1 race in 2023
An extension is being built to the Igora Drive circuit near St Petersburg ahead of its first Russian Grand Prix in 2023.