Formula 1 Season 2022 - Start of New Era

[genius83]

Verstappen beats battling Ferraris in Austria sprint race to secure pole position
Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix with a comfortable victory in the sprint race ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr.

Austrian GP
Sprint Session
Pos No. Driver            Team                   Laps Time       Gap
 1   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull                23  26:30.059s  -
 2  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari                 23  26:31.734s    1.675s
 3  55  Carlos Sainz      Ferrari                 23  26:35.703s    5.644s
 4  63  George Russell    Mercedes                23  26:43.488s   13.429s
 5  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull                23  26:48.361s   18.302s
 6  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault          23  27:01.091s   31.032s
 7  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari            23  27:04.598s   34.539s
 8  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes                23  27:05.506s   35.447s
 9  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari            23  27:07.222s   37.163s
10  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      23  27:07.616s   37.557s
11   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes        23  27:08.639s   38.580s
12   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes        23  27:09.797s   39.738s
13  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes   23  27:18.300s   48.241s
14  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      23  27:20.812s   50.753s
15  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull     23  27:22.184s   52.125s
16  23  Alex Albon        Williams-Mercedes       23  27:22.471s   52.412s
17  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull     23  27:24.615s   54.556s
18   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes       23  27:38.753s 1:08.694s
19   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes   21
20  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault           0

Here is the Championships Standings after Austrian Sprint Event:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver              Pts
 1  Max Verstappen      189
 2  Sergio Perez        151
 3  Charles Leclerc     145
 4  Carlos Sainz Jnr    133
 5  George Russell      116
 6  Lewis Hamilton       94
 7  Lando Norris         58
 8  Valtteri Bottas      46
 9  Esteban Ocon         42
10  Fernando Alonso      28
11  Kevin Magnussen      18
12  Pierre Gasly         16
13  Sebastian Vettel     15
14  Daniel Ricciardo     15
15  Yuki Tsunoda         11
16  Zhou Guanyu           5
17  Mick Schumacher       4
18  Alexander Albon       3
19  Lance Stroll          3
20  Nicholas Latifi       0
21  Nico Hulkenberg       0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team          Pts
 1  Red Bull      340
 2  Ferrari       278
 3  Mercedes      210
 4  McLaren        73
 5  Alpine         70
 6  Alfa Romeo     51
 7  AlphaTauri     27
 8  Haas           22
 9  Aston Martin   18
10  Williams        3

Verstappen expects ‘interesting battle’ with Ferrari in grand prix after sprint race pace
Austrian sprint race winner Max Verstappen says he expects the Ferrari drivers to challenge him in the grand prix tomorrow.

Vettel summoned to stewards over his ‘behaviour at a drivers’ meeting’
The stewards of the Austrian Grand Prix have summoned Sebastian Vettel to a hearing related to a drivers’ meeting which took place yesterday.

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Leclerc: “We can’t afford to do tomorrow what we did today”
Charles Leclerc says the fight between him and his team mate in the Austrian Grand Prix sprint race compromised his attempts to fight for the lead.

Russell urges return to single race director to address lack of “accountability”
George Russell says that Formula 1’s current system of rotating race directors is resulting in “no accountability” with the FIA and its stewards.

Vettel given a suspended €25,000 fine for storming out of drivers’ meeting
Sebastian Vettel has been given a suspended €25,000 fine for leaving yesterday’s drivers’ meeting without permission.

Hamilton: Haas fight shows “Ferrari power is too much for us at the moment”
Lewis Hamilton says the difficulty he had overtaking the Haas drivers in today’s sprint race shows Mercedes can’t overcome the straight-line speed advantage of Ferrari-powered cars.

Albon unhappy with “unfair” penalty for forcing Norris off
Alexander Albon says he received an “unfair” five second time penalty and two superlicence penalty points for forcing Lando Norris off the track during the Austrian Grand Prix sprint race.

[waleed80]

Ferraris straight line speed will let them down again and again and again

[genius83]

Leclerc survives late scare to hold off Verstappen for Austrian Grand Prix victory
Charles Leclerc passed Max Verstappen for the lead three times and managed a stuck throttle in the closing laps to win the Austrian Grand Prix.

Austrian GP
Race Results
Pos No. Driver            Team                   Laps Time         Gap        Pts
 1  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari                 71  1:24:24.312s  -          25
 2   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull                71  1:24:25.844s    1.532s   19
 3  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes                71  1:25:05.529s   41.217s   15
 4  63  George Russell    Mercedes                71  1:25:23.284s   58.972s   12
 5  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault          71  1:25:32.748s 1:08.436s   10
 6  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari            70  1 lap                     8
 7   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes        70  1 lap                     6
 8  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari            70  1 lap                     4
 9   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes        70  1 lap                     2
10  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault          70  1 lap                     1
11  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      70  1 lap
12  23  Alex Albon        Williams-Mercedes       70  1 lap
13  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes   70  1 lap
14  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      70  1 lap
15  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull     70  1 lap
16  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull     70  1 lap
17   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes   70  1 lap
dnf 55  Carlos Sainz      Ferrari                 56  Engine
dnf  6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes       48  Retirement
dnf 11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull                24  Retirement
Fastest Lap:  Max Verstappen 1:07.275s

Here is the World Standings after the Austrian GP:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver              Pts
 1  Max Verstappen      208
 2  Charles Leclerc     170
 3  Sergio Perez        151
 4  Carlos Sainz Jnr    133
 5  George Russell      128
 6  Lewis Hamilton      109
 7  Lando Norris         64
 8  Esteban Ocon         52
 9  Valtteri Bottas      46
10  Fernando Alonso      29
11  Kevin Magnussen      22
12  Daniel Ricciardo     17
13  Pierre Gasly         16
14  Sebastian Vettel     15
15  Mick Schumacher      12
16  Yuki Tsunoda         11
17  Zhou Guanyu           5
18  Alexander Albon       3
19  Lance Stroll          3
20  Nicholas Latifi       0
21  Nico Hulkenberg       0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team            Pts
 1  Red Bull        359
 2  Ferrari         303
 3  Mercedes        237
 4  McLaren          81
 5  Alpine           81
 6  Alfa Romeo       51
 7  Haas             34
 8  AlphaTauri       27
 9  Aston Martin     18
10  Williams          3

Hamilton and Ricciardo criticise fans who cheered qualifying crash
Lewis Hamilton says it was “mind-blowing” some spectators cheered when he crashed during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix sprint race on Friday.

“I don’t agree”: How Schumacher lobbied for team orders throughout sprint race
Mick Schumacher felt Haas compromised their performance during Saturday’s sprint race in Austria by not swapping the running order of their drivers.

F1 raises concerns over “unacceptable” fan behaviour with Austrian Grand Prix promoter
Formula 1 has acknowledged concerns over the behaviour of some fans at the Austrian Grand Prix after reports of racist, homophobic and misogynistic abuse were posted on social media.

FIA directive will stop rivals using ‘miraculous disappearing skid blocks’ – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says some of their rivals have been using unconventional floor parts in order to comply with Formula 1’s technical regulations.

Perez surprised Russell “couldn’t control” his car better in collision
George Russell and Pierre Gasly have each been given two penalty points on their superlicences for collisions at turn four during the Austrian Grand Prix.

Mercedes brought Hamilton fan into garage after sexist abuse at Austrian GP
Senior Formula 1 figures have condemned the abuse some fans experienced during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

[genius83]

Austrian GP top three summoned to stewards over potential rules breach
The top three finishers in the Austrian Grand prix have been summoned to the stewards over a potential breach of the rules.

Leclerc, Verstappen and Hamilton given suspended €10,000 fines but keep results
Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, the top three finishers in today’s Austrian Grand Prix, have kept their finishing positions after an investigation by the stewards.

Herta to test for McLaren this week to prepare for practice outing
Colton Herta will test a McLaren Formula 1 car this week as the team consider running him in a practice session later this year.

Ferrari suspect mechanical problem caused Leclerc’s late-race throttle glitch
The throttle problem which jeopardised Charles Leclerc’s victory appears to have been mechanical rather than electronic in nature, his team believe.

Verstappen, Leclerc and Hamilton condemn ‘shocking, horrible’ abuse of fans
The top three finishers in today’s Austrian Grand Prix joined the criticism of the abuse some fans experienced at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Damage from Perez clash cost Russell “probably a second a lap” before pit stop
George Russell says that he lost ‘probably a second a lap’ with damage sustained during an opening lap clash with Sergio Perez in the Austrian Grand Prix.

[genius83]

Alonso avoids penalty after driving a lap on loose wheel as FIA rules pit stop was ‘normal’
Fernando Alonso kept his tenth-place finish, and the point for it, after the stewards ruled his team did not send his car onto the track in an unsafe condition following a pit stop.

Engine fault from lap 15 left Magnussen “praying to God it wouldn’t blow up”
Kevin Magnussen spent much of the Austrian Grand Prix wondering whether he would finish after a problem developed with the Ferrari engine in his Haas.

“Strange” tyre degradation cost Red Bull win to Ferrari – Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says the team need to understand the tyre degradation problems they encountered during yesterday’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Hamilton wearing Covid mask again as ‘a lot of people around me are getting sick’
Lewis Hamilton says he has resumed wearing a mask to protect against Covid-19 as more people around him have contracted the virus in recent months.

Ecclestone faces fraud charge on assets ‘worth over £400 million’
The Crown Prosecution Service in the United Kingdom says it has authorised bringing a charge of “fraud by false representation” against former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone.

Sainz concerned reaction to his engine fire was “a bit slow”
Carlos Sainz Jnr says the marshalling reaction to his engine fire during Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix needed to be faster.

[genius83]

“Very likely” Sainz’s engine failure was the same as Leclerc’s in Baku – Binotto
Ferrari suspect the engine failure which put Carlos Sainz Jnr out of Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix was a repeat of a problem which caused another retirement three races earlier in Azerbaijan.

Herta makes F1 test debut for McLaren at Algarve
Colton Herta, one of the leading American drivers in the IndyCar series, is testing for McLaren at the Autodromo do Algarve in Portugal this week.

Former F1 race director Masi officially leaves FIA
The FIA has confirmed its former Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has officially left, seven months after overseeing the controversial conclusion to last year’s world championship.

[genius83]

Point would have come sooner but we ‘lost our way with set-up a bit’ – Schumacher
After finishing with both cars in the points for two grand prix in a row, Haas has rediscovered the way to set up its car, says Mick Schumacher.

Ricciardo rejects speculation over early departure from F1
Daniel Ricciardo has insisted he will see out his McLaren contract, which runs until the end of the 2023 season, in Formula 1.

Herta felt “close” to consistently quick lap times on F1 test debut for McLaren
IndyCar race-winner Colton Herta felt he was close to lapping consistently at the limit after his two-day test for McLaren this week.

[genius83]

Mercedes explain why Russell was given older rear wing instead of Hamilton after crashes
Mercedes has explained why Lewis Hamilton received the team’s sole remaining new-specification rear wing after both drivers crashed during qualifying in Austria, despite taking a lower grid position than his team mate.

AlphaTauri “desperately” need upgrades after “disaster” weekend, urges Gasly
Pierre Gasly despaired at AlphaTauri’s lack of pace in Austria, saying the team needs to upgrade its car.

Hamilton told Leclerc ‘I didn’t want to clip you and send you off’ after Copse scrap
Lewis Hamilton told Charles Leclerc he was anxious to avoid hitting the Ferrari driver when they went wheel-to-wheel through Copse as they battled in the late stages of the British Grand Prix.

[genius83]

Herta’s professional approach and physical preparation impressed McLaren – Seidl
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl says the team were “quite impressed” by IndyCar driver Colton Herta after he completed a two day test with them this week.

FIA proposes 2023 rules changes to address “significant safety matter” of porpoising
The FIA is pressing ahead with plans to address the ‘porpoising’ phenomenon some cars have experienced this year, despite some teams claiming it is no longer a problem.

Tougher tests for F1 roll hoops in 2023 after Zhou’s Silverstone crash
The FIA plans to introduce “more stringent measures” for testing roll hoops on Formula 1 cars following Zhou Guanyu‘s shocking British Grand Prix crash.

[genius83]

Schumacher has made “big step” with points scoring races – Magnussen
Kevin Magnussen says his Haas team mate Mick Schumacher has “certainly taken a big step” after securing back-to-back points finishes in the last two races.

Ferrari believe their performance deficit to Red Bull is now “negligible”
Ferrari believe the performance deficit they had to the Red Bull cars earlier in the season has been effectively neutralised by a rear wing update.

Albon says his penalty points are ‘undeserved’ but his track record gives cause for concern
Halfway into the first year of his return to F1 racing, Alexander Albon is already halfway towards a one-race ban.

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

French GP
Friday
Practice Session 1   17:00 To 18:00
Practice Session 2   20:00 To 21:00

Saturday
Practice Session 3   16:00 To 17:00
Qualifying Session   19:00 To 20:00

Sunday
Race                 18:00 To 20:00

[genius83]

Why F1’s new, no-nonsense approach to track limits is only a partial success
When the FIA announced Formula 1 race director Michael Masi was to be replaced and his role shared between two new appointees, it was clear the sport’s bold new era in car design would be matched by similar changes in officiating.

Why Alfa Romeo’s CEO believes his team has “the best business model in Formula 1”
Having returned to Formula 1 in a branding deal with Sauber in 2018, Alfa Romeo re-committed to the team 12 months ago. The Italian brand has every reason to be pleased with the results since.

F1 should consult drivers on which tracks suit sprint races – Bottas
Valtteri Bottas says driver input would help pick which tracks are best suited to Formula 1’s sprint race format, which the series intends to expand to six rounds next year.

AlphaTauri drivers expect “real step up in performance” from “major upgrade”
Yuki Tsunoda says the major upgrade AlphaTauri is bringing to this weekend’s French Grand Prix should address their car’s weakness in high-speed corners.

De Vries to replace Hamilton in first practice at Paul Ricard
Nyck de Vries will make his second appearance in a Formula 1 practice session this weekend in France, taking Lewis Hamilton’s place at Mercedes.

FIA affirms three sprint races on 2023 Formula 1 calendar
The 2023 Formula 1 calendar will feature three sprint races again, the FIA has confirmed.

French GP will be one of 2022’s hottest races so far as heatwave starts to ease
Hot, sunny weather is expected across all three days of running during the French Grand Prix weekend with not a single drop of rain likely to fall onto the circuit across the event.

Verstappen fears for Spa: “I don’t want to end up driving only on street tracks”
Max Verstappen is concerned Spa-Francorchamps may drop off the Formula 1 schedule as the series chases more lucrative events on street circuits.

Hamilton says Mercedes have “a lot to come in the next races” from their car
Mercedes will continue to press on with their development push over the coming races, says Lewis Hamilton, following their recent gains.

Change circuits and “flat as a pancake” kerbs to solve track limits rows – Russell
George Russell says Formula 1 needs to make changes to circuits to solve the ongoing rows over drivers abusing track limits.

Red Bull’s set-up and package choice in Austria was “not correct” – Verstappen
Max Verstappen says Red Bull realised they hadn’t got the best out of their package in the Austrian Grand Prix after their defeat to Ferrari.

First images of new Mercedes aerodynamics appear at French Grand Prix
The first evidence of Mercedes’ latest aerodynamic upgrade has appeared at the French Grand Prix. The team has brought a reshaped nose for its W13 this weekend.

[genius83]

‘I’m deciding my future’: Ricciardo tells RaceFans he ‘still loves F1 more than anything’
When Daniel Ricciardo signed up to drive for McLaren, he would never have imagined the troubled situation he finds himself in halfway through his three-year deal.

Ferrari and customer teams expect better starts with new clutch
Ferrari-powered cars will race with a new clutch system from this weekend’s French Grand Prix in an effort to improve start performance off the grid.

Schumacher “agreed to disagree” with Haas over Austria team orders dispute
Mick Schumacher says he still doesn’t fully agree with his Haas team’s decision not to swap the running order of their cars during the Austrian Grand Prix sprint race.

More Mercedes changes detailed while McLaren and AlphaTauri bring most upgrades
Nine of the 10 Formula 1 teams have confirmed they have brought new parts for this weekend’s French Grand Prix.

Russell: No more “trial and error” for Mercedes
George Russell says Mercedes now have a “clear direction” in which to develop their car over the second half of the 2022 season after the team struggled to understand the W13 in the earlier races.

Sainz to take grid penalty for power unit parts change following Austria fire
Carlos Sainz Jnr will have a 10-place grid penalty for this weekend’s French Grand Prix after Ferrari exceeded his maximum allocation of power unit parts.

Leclerc narrowly leads Verstappen as practice begins at Paul Ricard
Charles Leclerc set the early pace around a hot Paul Ricard circuit in the opening practice session for the French Grand Prix weekend.

French GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap    Laps
 1  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:33.930s  -      23
 2   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:34.021s 0.091s  19
 3  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:34.268s 0.338s  21
 4  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:34.881s 0.951s  25
 5  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:34.979s 1.049s  21
 6  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:35.174s 1.244s  21
 7   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:35.232s 1.302s  21
 8  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:35.414s 1.484s  24
 9  19  Nyck de Vries     Mercedes              1:35.426s 1.496s  23
10   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:35.660s 1.730s  21
11  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:35.676s 1.746s  21
12  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:35.810s 1.880s  19
13  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:35.828s 1.898s  21
14   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:35.851s 1.921s  24
15  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:35.875s 1.945s  22
16  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:36.022s 2.092s  19
17  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:36.104s 2.174s  22
18  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:36.127s 2.197s  26
19  88  Robert Kubica     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:36.332s 2.402s  19
20   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:37.043s 3.113s  23

FIA must not “give way” to teams opposing 2023 porpoising rules changes – Seidl
The FIA must not back down in its efforts to reduce ‘porpoising’ by cars in 2023 following opposition from some Formula 1 teams, says McLaren’s Andreas Seidl.

Ferrari one-two, Verstappen half a second off in second French GP practice
Carlos Sainz Jnr led team mate Charles Leclerc in a one-two for Ferrari during the second Friday practice session for the French Grand Prix.

French GP
Practice Session 2
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time	  Gap    Laps
 1  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:32.527s  -      22
 2  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:32.628s 0.101s  22
 3   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:33.077s 0.550s  17
 4  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:33.291s 0.764s  20
 5  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:33.517s 0.990s  23
 6   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:33.607s 1.080s  21
 7  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:33.906s 1.379s  24
 8  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:33.928s 1.401s  24
 9   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:33.984s 1.457s  23
10  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:34.060s 1.533s  16
11  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:34.259s 1.732s  24
12  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:34.264s 1.737s  27
13   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:34.420s 1.893s  27
14  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:34.540s 2.013s  24
15  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:34.595s 2.068s  26
16  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:34.653s 2.126s  23
17  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:34.654s 2.127s  26
18  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:34.660s 2.133s  26
19  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:35.195s 2.668s  22
20   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:35.412s 2.885s  27

Mercedes ‘need to let De Vries go’ if we can’t get him into F1 – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised the job Nyck de Vries did for the team in practice today, but said they’re unlikely to be able to help him find a full-time race seat in Formula 1.

[genius83]

More porpoising could be a “good thing” for McLaren, says Norris
Lando Norris says the increase in porpoising he has experienced in recent races may show McLaren are “heading in the right direction” with their car development.

Hamilton says Mercedes are “further back than we were in the last race”
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes aren’t as competitive at Paul Ricard this weekend as they were two weeks ago in Austria.

[genius83]

Verstappen leads the Ferraris in final practice session before qualifying
Max Verstappen sent a statement of intent to Ferrari ahead of qualifying for the French Grand Prix by setting the fastest time by three tenths of a second in final practice.

French GP
Practice Session 3
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap    Laps
 1   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:32.272s  -      23
 2  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:32.626s 0.354s  14
 3  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:32.909s 0.637s  20
 4  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:33.255s 0.983s  22
 5  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:33.293s 1.021s  25
 6  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:33.376s 1.104s  18
 7  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:33.505s 1.233s  18
 8  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:33.558s 1.286s  19
 9   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:33.669s 1.397s  16
10  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:33.751s 1.479s  19
11   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:33.788s 1.516s  17
12   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:33.841s 1.569s  16
13  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:33.869s 1.597s  18
14  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:33.872s 1.600s  20
15  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:33.911s 1.639s  19
16  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:34.031s 1.759s  23
17  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:34.122s 1.850s  18
18  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:34.177s 1.905s  20
19  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:34.222s 1.950s  12
20   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:34.536s 2.264s  11

Sainz and Magnussen to start from back of grid after taking fourth power units
Carlos Sainz Jnr and Kevin Magnussen will start the French Grand Prix from the rear of the field after taking grid penalties.

FIA’s floor change is needed to prevent cars bottoming out and crashing – Mercedes
Mercedes say there is a genuine safety concern behind the FIA’s move to change the design of cars’ floors for the 2023 Formula 1 season.

Verstappen concerned rise in Covid cases could lead to drivers missing races
Max Verstappen says it would be “very sad” if any F1 drivers are forced to miss races in the second half of the 2022 season.

Gasly praises AlphaTauri’s upgrade and declares he’s ‘going for Q3, 100 percent’
Pierre Gasly says he is aiming for a place in Q3 today in his upgraded AlphaTauri after being impressed by its performance in practice yesterday.

‘Too late in the day’ for FIA’s rules change to tackle porpoising in 2023 – Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says the rules changes the FIA have proposed to tackle porpoising in Formula 1 cars next year are too drastic and have been announced too late.

No big changes to Mercedes this year “but I’d be surprised if next year’s car looks the same”
Mercedes aren’t committed to keeping their radical sidepod design but are unlikely to make major changes to their W13 over the second half of the season.

Sargeant “deserves” Williams practice run, Piastri loan an option for 2023 – Capito
Williams team principal Jost Capito says American Formula 2 racer Logan Sargeant has shown he deserves a chance to drive for the team in a practice session later this year.

Norris avoids penalty for impeding Stroll while performing practice start
Lando Norris has avoided a penalty for impeding Lance Stroll after the stewards accepted the McLaren driver couldn’t see his rival.

Leclerc claims French Grand Prix pole position with a little help from Sainz
Charles Leclerc took pole position for the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard after team mate Carlos Sainz Jnr set him up with a slipstream in the final sector.

French GP
Qualifying Session
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap
 1  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:30.872s  -
 2   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:31.176s 0.304s
 3  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:31.335s 0.463s
 4  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:31.765s 0.893s
 5   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:32.032s 1.160s
 6  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:32.131s 1.259s
 7  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:32.552s 1.680s
 8  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:32.780s 1.908s
 9   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:32.922s 2.050s
10  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:33.048s 2.176s
11  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:33.052s 2.180s
12   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:33.276s 2.404s
13  23  Alex Albon        Williams-Mercedes     1:33.307s 2.435s
14  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:33.439s 2.567s
15  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:33.439s 2.567s
16  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:33.674s 2.802s
17  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:33.701s 2.829s
18   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:33.794s 2.922s
19  55  Carlos Sainz      Ferrari               No Time
20  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          No Time

Leclerc: Pole fight “would have been much more close” without Sainz’s help
Charles Leclerc praised Ferrari’s “amazing team work” after his team mate helped him claim pole position for the French Grand Prix.

Schumacher plans talk with stewards over Q1 elimination due to track limits error
Mick Schumacher says he plans to have discussions with FIA officials over the track limits violation which put him out in the first round of qualifying for the French Grand Prix.

Successful tow tactics answer ‘unfair criticism’ of Ferrari’s strategies – Sainz
Carlos Sainz Jnr says Ferrari’s successful slipstreaming strategy in qualifying shows they deserve more credit for their team tactics.

Hamilton: ‘I hoped we’d be three-tenths off them and it’s a second’
Lewis Hamilton admitted Mercedes are much further away from the pace of their main rivals than he expected at the French Grand Prix.

Ferrari’s slipstreaming tactic in qualifying was “a smart thing to do” – Verstappen
The slipstreaming tactics Ferrari used to help Charles Leclerc win pole position for the French Grand Prix were “smart”, said his rival Max Verstappen.

Mercedes’ lack of performance at Paul Ricard “a slap in the face” – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff didn’t think it was possible they would end qualifying for the French Grand Prix so far behind Ferrari and Red Bull.

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Race directors’ talk was “very useful” for drivers to understand penalties – Sainz
Formula 1 drivers praised the steps taken by the series’ race directors to explain recent penalty decisions at a meeting on Friday.

Ocon suspects his car has a “fundamental” problem after “terrible qualifying”
Esteban Ocon was at a loss to explain how he went from scoring his best race result of the season so far at the Red Bull Ring to enduring a “terrible” qualifying session at the next race.

F1 “slow” to adopt sustainable fuel says Vettel after latest demo run
Sebastian Vettel believes his demonstration runs in cars using sustainable fuel show Formula 1 is being too slow to adopt a technology which is ready for introduction.

Gasly “extremely disappointed” after setting Q3 target but dropping out in Q1
Pierre Gasly was frustrated and bemused to drop out in the first round of qualifying for the French Grand Prix after aiming to reach Q3.

Alonso worried by half-second gap to Norris’s “unreachable” McLaren
Fernando Alonso admitted he was concerned to find himself so far behind Lando Norris’s McLaren after qualifying for the French Grand Prix.

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Verstappen grabs win and points boost after Leclerc crashes out of the lead
Max Verstappen won the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard after Charles Leclerc spun out and crashed while leading the race.

French GP
Race Results
Pos No. Driver            Teams                 Laps Time         Gap        Pts
 1   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull               53  1:30:02.112s  -          25
 2  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes               53  1:30:12.699s   10.587s   18
 3  63  George Russell    Mercedes               53  1:30:18.607s   16.495s   15
 4  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull               53  1:30:19.422s   17.310s   12
 5  55  Carlos Sainz      Ferrari                53  1:30:30.984s   28.872s   11
 6  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault         53  1:30:44.991s   42.879s    8
 7   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes       53  1:30:54.138s   52.026s    6
 8  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault         53  1:30:59.071s   56.959s    4
 9   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes       53  1:31:02.484s 1:00.372s    2
10  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes  53  1:31:04.661s 1:02.549s    1
11   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes  53  1:31:06.606s 1:04.494s
12  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull    53  1:31:07.560s 1:05.448s
13  23  Alex Albon        Williams-Mercedes      53  1:31:10.677s 1:08.565s
14  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     53  1:31:18.778s 1:16.666s
15  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari           53  1:31:22.506s 1:20.394s
dnf 24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     47  Retirement
dnf  6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes      40  Collision
dnf 20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari           37  Collision
dnf 16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari                17  Spun off
dnf 22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull    17  Retirement
Fastest Lap: Carlos Sainz 1:35.781s

Here is the World Standings after the French GP:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver              Pts
 1  Max Verstappen      233
 2  Charles Leclerc     170
 3  Sergio Perez        163
 4  Carlos Sainz Jnr    144
 5  George Russell      143
 6  Lewis Hamilton      127
 7  Lando Norris         70
 8  Esteban Ocon         56
 9  Valtteri Bottas      46
10  Fernando Alonso      37
11  Kevin Magnussen      22
12  Daniel Ricciardo     19
13  Pierre Gasly         16
14  Sebastian Vettel     15
15  Mick Schumacher      12
16  Yuki Tsunoda         11
17  Zhou Guanyu           5
18  Lance Stroll          4
19  Alexander Albon       3
20  Nicholas Latifi       0
21  Nico Hulkenberg       0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team            Pts
 1  Red Bull        396
 2  Ferrari         314
 3  Mercedes        270
 4  Alpine           93
 5  McLaren          89
 6  Alfa Romeo       51
 7  Haas             34
 8  AlphaTauri       27
 9  Aston Martin     19
10  Williams          3

“Totally wrong” Virtual Safety Car message cost me third place – Perez
Sergio Perez says he lost third place to George Russell when the French Grand Prix restarted because he was given incorrect information about the Virtual Safety Car period ending.

Drinks failure caused Hamilton to lose “around 3kg” in hot French Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton‘s drinks bottle system failed during a French Grand Prix that was among one of the hottest races of the season.

“I need to not put cars in the wall” says Leclerc after race-losing crash
Charles Leclerc took responsibility for the crash which put him out of the French Grand Prix while he was leading.

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No link between Leclerc’s crash and Austrian GP throttle problem – Ferrari
Charles Leclerc’s crash while he was leading the French Grand Prix was not caused by a repeat of the throttle problem he experienced during the previous race, says team principal Mattia Binotto.

Verstappen says his points lead over Leclerc is “bigger than it should be”
Max Verstappen says his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship standings is greater than it should be following his latest victory in France.

How Russell took advantage of a Virtual Safety Car glitch to pass Perez
Sergio Perez was left fuming after what he believed was an error with the FIA’s Virtual Safety Car system led to him losing the final place on the podium at the French Grand Prix.

Ferrari defend “proper and right” decision to pit Sainz after he passed Perez
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is sure the team made the correct decision to pit Carlos Sainz Jnr in the closing stages of the French Grand Prix, even though he had just moved into third place.

Wolff explains radio messages to calm “upset” Russell after Perez clash
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said he spoke to George Russell on the radio during the French Grand Prix to urge his driver to drop his complaints over an incident with Sergio Perez at the Mistral chicane.

Red Bull’s championship advantage ‘phenomenal’ after late start on 2022 car
Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s mid-season lead in the Formula 1 championships is ‘beyond the wildest expectations’ of team principal Christian Horner.

Stroll ‘caught me by surprise hitting the brakes again’ at final corner – Vettel
Sebastian Vettel said he nearly ran into the back of his team mate on the final lap of the French Grand Prix when the other Aston Martin suddenly slowed.

Russell insists the “letter of the law” showed Perez should have given up third place
George Russell insisted Sergio Perez should have given up his position when he cut the chicane as the pair fought for position during the French Grand Prix.

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Zhou accepts penalty for Schumacher collision, rues fifth retirement of season
Zhou Guanyu accepted the stewards’ decision to penalise him for his collision with Mick Schumacher in yesterday’s French Grand Prix, before he suffered yet another technical failure.

Magnussen will be only Haas driver to use team’s major upgrade in Hungary
Haas will only have one example of the major new upgrade for its VF-22 available for use at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

French GP is ‘part of our DNA and clearly deserves a place on the calendar’ – Gasly
Pierre Gasly says he “tried to enjoy every second” of last week’s French Grand Prix, which is expected to be the last for the foreseeable future.

Television broadcast gave “nonsensical” impression of Sainz radio call – Ferrari
Ferrari say the broadcasting of their radio messages during last week’s French Grand Prix gave viewers an incorrect impression of the discussion around Carlos Sainz Jnr’s strategy.

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

Hungarian GP
Friday
Practice Session 1   17:00 To 18:00
Practice Session 2   20:00 To 21:00

Saturday
Practice Session 3   16:00 To 17:00
Qualifying Session   19:00 To 20:00

Sunday
Race                 18:00 To 20:00

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Hamilton and Russell ‘out-performing a car that’s not good enough’ – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said his drivers are out-performing their car after they scored their first double podium finish of the season in France.

Mercedes expect Hungarian GP will ‘expose our qualifying weakness’
Mercedes expect they will find it difficult to replicate the double podium finish they scored at Paul Ricard when Formula 1 moves to the Hungaroring this weekend.

McLaren looking into why their starts are “more inconsistent” this year
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said the team will take a close look at why its drivers are finding it difficult to perform consistently strong starts.

Vettel messaged Leclerc to offer sympathy over Paul Ricard crash
Charles Leclerc says Sebastian Vettel sympathised with him after he crashed out of the lead of last week’s French Grand Prix.

The tough lesson of 2019 behind Haas’s cautious development of its best car in years
The risk Haas took last season to forgo any development work on their 2021 car to focus all their efforts on their new car for the radical rules changes in 2022 was a bold gamble.

Vettel announces he will retire from Formula 1 at the end of 2022
Four-times Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has announced he will retire from the sport at the end of the 2022 season.