Formula 1 Season 2022 - Start of New Era

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Showers on Saturday could shake up qualifying in Hungary
Stormy weather could shape this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix as qualifying at the Hungaroring looks likely to be affected by rain.

Alonso prioritises new Alpine deal over replacing Vettel at Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso says he is more interested in extending his stay at his current team next year than taking Sebastian Vettel’s place at Aston Martin.

Doubt over whether to continue in F1 has been a distraction, Vettel admits
Sebastian Vettel says he confirmed his retirement plans to his Aston Martin team yesterday but began considering them years ago.

Hamilton ‘sad to lose an ally on the grid’ with Vettel retirement
Lewis Hamilton says he will regret “losing an ally” on the grid when Sebastian Vettel retires at the end of this season.

Verstappen predicts Ferrari will be “super-strong” at the Hungaroring
Max Verstappen expects tougher competition from Red Bull’s rivals Ferrari this weekend due to the layout of the Hungaroring.

F1 teams’ Hungarian GP updates confirmed including Haas’s “Ferrari copy”
Haas has drawn inspiration from Ferrari for the major upgrade it has introduced to its VF-22 this weekend.

‘It hurts me people like Charles and Max don’t have freedoms I had’: Vettel explains F1 exit
Last Wednesday, just over three weeks after his 35th birthday, Sebastian Vettel decided to call time on his Formula 1 career.

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Sainz leads Verstappen in opening practice session at Hungaroring
Carlos Sainz Jnr headed Max Verstappen in the opening practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring.

Hungarian GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap    Laps
 1  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:18.750s  -      26
 2   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:18.880s 0.130s  24
 3  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:19.039s 0.289s  26
 4   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:19.299s 0.549s  21
 5  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:19.606s 0.856s  28
 6  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:19.622s 0.872s  24
 7  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:19.710s 0.960s  25
 8   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:19.841s 1.091s  28
 9  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:20.348s 1.598s  30
10  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:20.377s 1.627s  27
11   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:20.383s 1.633s  26
12  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:20.414s 1.664s  25
13  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:20.456s 1.706s  28
14  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:20.695s 1.945s  27
15  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:20.810s 2.060s  23
16  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:20.834s 2.084s  28
17  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:20.921s 2.171s  24
18  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:21.027s 2.277s  25
19  88  Robert Kubica     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:21.179s 2.429s  20
20   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:21.413s 2.663s  27

Leclerc fastest in second Hungaroring practice as Norris splits Ferraris
Charles Leclerc ended Friday as the quickest driver around the Hungaroring as Lando Norris was second fastest ahead of Carlos Sainz Jnr.

Hungarian GP
Pracitce Session 2
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap    Laps
 1  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:18.445s  -      27
 2   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:18.662s 0.217s  29
 3  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:18.676s 0.231s  29
 4   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:18.728s 0.283s  26
 5   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:18.872s 0.427s  27
 6  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:19.049s 0.604s  30
 7   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:19.253s 0.808s  31
 8  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:19.355s 0.910s  28
 9  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:19.397s 0.952s  28
10  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:19.411s 0.966s  30
11  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:19.547s 1.102s  23
12  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:19.605s 1.160s  26
13  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:19.614s 1.169s  27
14  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:19.702s 1.257s  30
15  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:19.730s 1.285s  28
16  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:19.818s 1.373s  29
17  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:19.985s 1.540s  28
18   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:20.488s 2.043s  30
19  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:20.521s 2.076s  31
20  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:20.615s 2.170s  20

Hamilton expects “tough weekend” as floor damage cuts his race simulation short
Lewis Hamilton expects a difficult weekend for Mercedes after cutting his race simulation run short in practice due to damage.

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Norris “not expecting to fight for pole” despite strong start to weekend
Lando Norris doesn’t expect he will be a contender for pole position this weekend despite ending Friday practice second behind Charles Leclerc.

Gasly reveals how a phone call with Vettel put him on path to F1 debut
Pierre Gasly has revealed his gratitude for the help Sebastian Vettel offered when he was seeking an opportunity to race in Formula 1 six years ago.

F1 launches ‘Drive it Out’ campaign to tackle abuse at races and on social media
Formula 1 has launched a new campaign to call for greater respect between followers of the series and tackle abuse online and offline.

“Major caveats” over F1 rules need sorting before progress on Red Bull-Porsche deal – Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says a deal for Porsche to join the team as power unit suppliers cannot progress until Formula 1’s future engine rules are agreed.

Aston Martin: FIA had no concerns over novel rear wing design
The FIA raised no concerns over an unusual change to Aston Martin’s rear wing which the team introduced this weekend, the team has said.

Latifi stuns by topping wet final practice after Vettel crashes
Nicholas Latifi went fastest overall in the dying moments of a wet third practice session at the Hungaroring.

Hungarian GP
Practice Session 3
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap    Laps
 1   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:41.480s  -      17
 2  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:42.141s 0.661s  14
 3  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:42.381s 0.901s  19
 4   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:43.205s 1.725s  10
 5  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:43.434s 1.954s  13
 6  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:43.570s 2.090s  16
 7  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:43.589s 2.109s  15
 8   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:43.743s 2.263s  13
 9   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:44.178s 2.698s  14
10  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:44.655s 3.175s  20
11  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:44.832s 3.352s  11
12  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:45.156s 3.676s  18
13  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:45.570s 4.090s  17
14   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:45.624s 4.144s  11
15  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:45.638s 4.158s  17
16  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:45.691s 4.211s  17
17  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:45.850s 4.370s  17
18  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:45.930s 4.450s  20
19  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:46.091s 4.611s  18
20  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:48.240s 6.760s  11

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Russell grabs first F1 pole from Ferraris as car trouble leaves Verstappen tenth
George Russell secured his maiden career pole position in Formula 1 to deny a Ferrari one-two at the Hungaroring, while Max Verstappen fell to tenth on the grid.

Hungarian GP
Qualifying Session
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Laps
 1  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:17.377s  23
 2  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:17.421s  22
 3  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:17.567s  22
 4   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:17.769s  19
 5  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:18.018s  20
 6  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:18.078s  17
 7  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:18.142s  21
 8  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:18.157s  20
 9   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:18.379s  19
10   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:18.823s  21
11  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:18.516s  16
12  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:18.573s  16
13  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:18.825s  18
14  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:19.137s  16
15  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:19.202s  16
16  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:19.240s   9
17  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:19.256s  10
18   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:19.273s  10
19  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:19.527s   9
20   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:19.570s  10

Russell “over the moon” to seize first pole after “worst Friday of the season”
Hungarian Grand Prix pole winner George Russell says it was an “incredible feeling” to take his first pole position in Formula after he struggled practice yesterday.

Power unit fault “painful” for Verstappen after car’s pace surprises
Max Verstappen said the power unit problem which thwarted his final run in qualifying was “painful” after the team proved quicker than expected.

Wolff apologises to Hamilton for DRS failure as Russell takes first pole
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff apologised to Lewis Hamilton after he suffered a DRS failure during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

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Russell “should be able to win from that position” after first pole – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton believes George Russell can take Mercedes’ first win of 2022 after claiming a surprise pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Drivers are treated “like we are amateurs” over track limits disputes – Verstappen
Max Verstappen says Formula 1’s race direction team are too reluctant to take the views of drivers on board after further complaints over track limits during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix today.

Russell’s Hungary pole thanks to “unconventional” approach by Mercedes
The problems Mercedes have had extracting performance from their car have prompted them to try “unconventional” approaches which paid off with George Russell’s pole position in Hungary.

Aston Martin’s new rear wing “doesn’t look like the step that we need” – Stroll
Aston Martin’s eye-catching new rear wing design doesn’t appear to brought a significant improvement in the car’s performance, says Lance Stroll.

Gasly wants ‘more accurate tools’ to police track limits after another early elimination
Pierre Gasly suspects an incorrect track limits call may have again led him to be eliminated in qualifying earlier than he should have been.

Medical data shows why FIA “needs to do something” to cut porpoising – Wolff
The FIA has received medical data which shows why it must act to reduce ‘porpoising’, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has said.

Masi says he received “death threats” over months after Abu Dhabi controversy
Formula FIA Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has revealed he received death threats in the months which followed his controversial decision which swung the outcome of last year’s world championship in Abu Dhabi.

Final penalty-free power unit change for Verstappen, Gasly to start from pits
Red Bull have fitted the third different power unit to Max Verstappen’s car this year after the problem which struck him during qualifying yesterday.

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Verstappen spins and wins from 10th on grid as Ferrari pair finish off the podium
Max Verstappen recovered from 10th on the grid to win the Hungarian Grand Prix despite a mid-race spin as Ferrari failed to finish on the podium.

Hungarian GP
Race Results
Pos No. Driver            Team                 Laps Time          Gap       Pts
 1   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              70  1:39:35.912s             25
 2  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              70  1:39:43.746s     7.834s  19
 3  63  George Russell    Mercedes              70  1:39:48.249s    12.337s  15
 4  55  Carlos Sainz Jr   Ferrari               70  1:39:50.491s    14.579s  12
 5  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              70  1:39:51.600s    15.688s  10
 6  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               70  1:39:51.959s    16.047s   8
 7   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      70  1:40:54.212s  1:18.300s   6
 8  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        69  1 Lap                     4
 9  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        69  1 Lap                     2
10   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 69  1 Lap                     1
11  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 69  1 Lap
12  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-RedBull    69  1 Lap
13  24  Guanyu Zhou       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    69  1 Lap
14  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          69  1 Lap
15   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      69  1 Lap
16  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          69  1 Lap
17  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     69  1 Lap
18   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     69  1 Lap
19  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-RedBull    69  1 Lap
20  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    68  2 Laps
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton 1:21.386s

Here is the World Standings after the Hungarian GP:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver              Pts
 1  Max Verstappen      258
 2  Charles Leclerc     178
 3  Sergio Perez        173
 4  George Russell      158
 5  Carlos Sainz Jnr    156
 6  Lewis Hamilton      146
 7  Lando Norris         76
 8  Esteban Ocon         58
 9  Valtteri Bottas      46
10  Fernando Alonso      41
11  Kevin Magnussen      22
12  Daniel Ricciardo     19
13  Pierre Gasly         16
14  Sebastian Vettel     16
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       431
 2  Ferrari        334
 3  Mercedes       304
 4  Alpine          99
 5  McLaren         95
 6  Alfa Romeo      51
 7  Haas            34
 8  AlphaTauri      27
 9  Aston Martin    20
10  Williams         3

Leclerc: We shouldn’t have reacted to Verstappen putting us under pressure
Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari shouldn’t have reacted to Max Verstappen’s second pit stop, which he believes was timed to put them under pressure.

Verstappen hails Red Bull’s “really good strategy” after winning from tenth
Max Verstappen credited the strategy calls of his Red Bull team after he drove from 10th on the grid to win the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Ferrari weren’t quick enough to win in Hungary regardless of strategy – Binotto
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto believes the team lost the Hungarian Grand Prix because they weren’t quick enough, not because of the team’s strategy.

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Verstappen condemns “disgusting” behaviour of fans burning Hamilton merchandise
Max Verstappen criticised fans for burning merchandise of his rival Lewis Hamilton, footage of which has circulated on social media in recent weeks.

Ferrari were ‘very fast but chose the wrong tyres’ – Verstappen
Max Verstappen is convinced Ferrari’s tyre strategy cost them victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Verstappen’s qualifying power unit was three laps from race day failure – Horner
The power unit problem which spoiled Max Verstappen’s qualifying effort on Saturday spared him a failure which would have put him out of Sunday’s race, Red Bull has revealed.

Hamilton: Different tyre compound at start could have helped me beat Verstappen
Lewis Hamilton believes he may have been able to fight Max Verstappen for victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix had he started on soft tyres rather than mediums.

Penalty for hitting Stroll was “completely fair” – Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo had no complaints over his penalty for colliding with Lance Stroll during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton sees potential for wins in second half of season
Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes were quick enough to challenge for victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix and could contend for wins over the remainder of 2022.

Hamilton might have won if we hadn’t “screwed up” with DRS – Wolff
Lewis Hamilton could have been in a position to win the Hungarian Grand Prix if a DRS fault hadn’t compromised him in qualifying yesterday, says Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

Alonso to join Aston Martin in 2023 on “multi-year” deal
Fernando Alonso has pounced on the opportunity to join Aston Martin for 2023.

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Verstappen’s Hungary win “right up there” with his best – Horner
Max Verstappen’s drive to win the Hungarian Grand Prix ranks among his best victories in Formula 1, says Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

Red Bull and Honda agree two-year extension to engine support deal
Red Bull will continue to receive technical support from Honda in running their Formula 1 power units until the current engine regulations are replaced.

Sargeant to make F1 practice debut in home round at COTA
Williams junior driver Logan Sargeant will make his debut in an official Formula 1 practice session at his home round of the championship, the United States Grand Prix.

Hamilton joins group buying into Denver Broncos NFL team
Lewis Hamilton has joined a group which is buying into the Denver Broncos American Football team.

Alpine confirm Piastri to make F1 race debut in 2023
Oscar Piastri will make his debut as a Formula 1 driver in 2023, Alpine have confirmed.

[genius83]

Okay, guys its popcorn time first in IndyCar their current series champion Alex Palou announced that he will be going to McLaren from his current team Ganassi, and it started a legal war in IndyCar between both parties.

Now with Alonso's announcement of joining Aston Martin next season has started a dramatic situation where the driver who was supposed to replace him Oscar Piastri doesnot want to drive for Alpine.

Oscar is Alpine's academy driver but his contract with them have rumour to have a clause which says that Alpine needs to have a seat for him by 31st July which was not available as Alonso was part of Alpine's team on that date. Alonso's announcement on 1st of August of leaving Alpine to join Aston Martin have left Alpine in a serious problem.

Piastri makes shock announcement he will not debut in F1 with Alpine next year
Oscar Piastri has issued a statement denying he will make his Formula 1 debut for Alpine next year, hours after the team claimed he would.

[genius83]

Gasly pleased FIA is considering “different options” for track limits policing in 2023
Pierre Gasly had a lengthy discussion with Formula 1’s race directors about track limits policing after his qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix was ruined by a deleted lap time.

Ricciardo eager for summer break after “not the six months I wanted”
Daniel Ricciardo is eagerly anticipating the month-long break between the Hungarian and Belgian grands prix after a disappointing start to his second season at McLaren.

Albon to stay at Williams on new, “multi-year” deal
Williams have extended their contract with Alexander Albon who will remain at the team in 2023 as part of a new, multi-year deal.

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“Guenther has a unique style…” Schumacher on points, pressure and his team principal
Daniel Ricciardo may have an earned reputation for having the cheeriest disposition of the current crop of Formula 1 drivers, but since joining the series last season, Mick Schumacher has quickly gained a reputation for being one of the more wholesome personalities on the grid.

‘A shame’, ‘just about money’: F1 drivers fear Spa’s next grand prix will be its last
While the 2023 Formula 1 calendar has not yet been officially confirmed, many drivers have already expressed disappointment over the widely-expected loss of the Belgian Grand Prix.

F1 makes £40.6 million profit in second quarter of 2022
Formula 1 reported its fourth consecutive quarter of profit as the series’ revenues continue to recover following the pandemic.

F1 planning year-round activities for Las Vegas race facility
Formula 1 is exploring ways to ensure the facility it is building to host next year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix will be used for other activities during the year.

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Hamilton’s priority ‘winning another title’, not following Vettel into retirement
Lewis Hamilton isn’t reconsidering his Formula 1 future in the wake of Sebastian Vettel’s decision to retire from the sport.

F1 teams can ‘get around technical directive on skid blocks a little bit’
Alpine are hoping a technical directive on skid blocks which will come into force at the next race plays in their favour.

Ricciardo’s recipe for his TV show is ‘F1 reality but with a bit of Hollywood’
Daniel Ricciardo has revealed more details of his upcoming television series, set in the world of Formula 1, in an interview for RaceFans.

FIA to submit new 2023 technical regulations to tackle porpoising this week
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has confirmed the sport’s governing body will seek approval of revised technical regulations for the 2023 Formula 1 season this week.

Las Vegas race date leaked, indicating race start times outside USA
The date of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, one of multiple new rounds being added to the 2023 Formula 1 calendar, has been revealed in a letter leaked on social media.

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Aston Martin expect rivals will copy novel rear wing by Singapore GP
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack anticipates that rival Formula 1 teams will copy their innovative rear wing design by October’s Singapore Grand Prix.

The making of the F1 newcomer who stunned the sport by saying ‘no’ to Alpine
Formula 1 is a busy and intense world. While so much interaction can be done online these days, real-world connections still count.

Mercedes ‘not close enough to Ferrari and Red Bull to really fight them yet’ – Wolff
Mercedes should not think their double podium at the Hungarian Grand Prix indicates the level they will compete after after the summer break, their team principal Toto Wolff has said.

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F1’s 2026 power unit regulations approved by FIA’s World Motor Sport Council
The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council has today approved the first draft of the new Formula 1 power unit regulations due to come into effect in 2026.

New measures to curb porpoising to be introduced in 2023
The FIA have confirmed the technical regulations for the 2023 Formula 1 season will be changed in a bid to reduce ground effect porpoising.

Here is the Timing Schedule for next weekend's Belgian GP:

Belgian 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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Haas to run Giovinazzi in two practice sessions after Ferrari request
Haas has accepted a request by its engine supplier Ferrari to run Antonio Giovinazzi in two practice sessions this year.

Verstappen first to test F1 car at renovated Spa circuit
Max Verstappen had the opportunity to explore the refreshed Spa-Francorchamps at the wheel of a Formula 1 car ahead of this weekend’s race at the Belgian track.

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McLaren confirm early exit for Ricciardo at end of season
Daniel Ricciardo will depart McLaren at the end of the season, one year before his contract was due to expire, the team has confirmed.

Departing Ricciardo “never got fully comfortable” in McLaren’s cars
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl has admitted his team haven’t been able to give Daniel Ricciardo the confidence he needed to push their cars to the limit, as they confirmed he will leave them a year early.

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Decision to drop Ricciardo early “a sad day” for McLaren – Brown
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said it was “a sad day” for the team when it announced Daniel Ricciardo will leave them at the end of the year, less than 12 months after he won for McLaren at Monza.

F1 needs less practice, more points-paying sessions at race weekends – Domenicali
Formula 1 could reduce the number of practice sessions it holds during a race weekend from three to one if the CEO Stefano Domenicali’s new proposal wins backing.

F1’s rising popularity shows Abu Dhabi controversy did no damage – Domenicali
The controversial conclusion to last year’s world championship did not damage Formula 1’s reputation or popularity, says the series’ CEO Stefano Domenicali.

“Discussions are still on” to keep Belgian Grand Prix on F1’s 2023 calendar
The fate of the Belgian Grand Prix is not yet sealed, despite speculation the race will not appear on the 2023 Formula 1 calendar.

Domenicali sees no need for Andretti or other new team to join F1
Formula 1 doesn’t need Andretti or another new 11th team entering the sport, CEO Stefano Domenicali believes.

Alonso will see out Aston Martin’s five-year plan to fight for championships – Krack
Aston Martin expect new signing Fernando Alonso will remain with them long enough to fight for the world championship.

No repeat of Belgian GP wash-out expected but Friday could see rain
After last year’s Belgian Grand Prix was washed out due persistent heavy rain, fans attending the Spa-Francorchamps circuit this weekend should get to enjoy an actual race this year.

French GP promoter aims for F1 return after 2023 on “rotation” deal
The promoters of the French Grand Prix have acknowledged the race will not feature on the 2023 Formula 1 calendar but hope it can return in subsequent seasons.

Aston Martin “seemed to really want me” compared to Alpine – Alonso
Fernando Alonso says he grabbed the opportunity to join Aston Martin as the team appeared more eager to sign him than Alpine.

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Hamilton still “deeply in love” with F1 and says a win is “definitely” possible this year
Lewis Hamilton says he remains committed to Formula 1 and is convinced he can score a win this year before the season is over.

Ricciardo still has “fire” to succeed in F1 despite losing McLaren drive
Daniel Ricciardo says he still has the “fire” to race in Formula 1 despite having his contract with McLaren terminated with one year left to run.

F1 shouldn’t have sprint races every weekend like Moto GP, say drivers
Formula 1 drivers don’t want the series to adopt Moto GP’s plan of holding sprint races every weekend.

Avoid language which may discourage women from entering motorsport – Vettel
Sebastian Vettel warned against discouraging women from entering motorsport after Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said he doesn’t expect a female driver to join the series within the next five years.

Audi confirms 2026 F1 entry as engine manufacturer
Audi’s entry into Formula 1 in 2026 has finally been officially confirmed.

Title rivals bring Belgian GP updates while McLaren make most changes to car
All 10 Formula 1 teams have brought updates for their cars to the first race after the summer break.

Audi and Porsche F1 engine programmes will be “completely separate”
Audi says that its Formula 1 power unit programme will be entirely exclusive from Porsche’s, if its fellow Volkswagen Group brand also joins the world championship.

Alfa Romeo to split from Sauber after 2023 season amid Audi deal rumours
Alfa Romeo have confirmed they will end their partnership with Sauber, which runs their Formula 1 team, at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

Audi’s jibes at Mercedes whet appetites for their rivalry resuming in F1
Audi and Mercedes won’t face each other on the Formula 1 grid until 2026 at the earliest. But the Ingolstadt manufacturer is already shaping up to renew hostilities with its domestic rival.

Verstappen, Leclerc and four others to take power unit change penalties at Spa
Championship rivals Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc take grid penalties for exceeding their power unit parts allocation at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Sainz leads Ferrari one-two as rain ends first practice early at Spa
Carlos Sainz Jnr topped the times ahead of Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc during a first practice session which was interrupted by a red flag and ended in a rain shower.

Belgian GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap    Laps
 1  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:46.538s  -      16
 2  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:46.607s 0.069s  16
 3   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:46.755s 0.217s  10
 4  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:47.396s 0.858s  13
 5  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:47.437s 0.899s  13
 6  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:47.835s 1.297s  15
 7   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:48.081s 1.543s  14
 8  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:48.310s 1.772s  16
 9  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:48.420s 1.882s  10
10  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:48.474s 1.936s  13
11   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:48.485s 1.947s  13
12  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:48.672s 2.134s  14
13   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:49.470s 2.932s  14
14  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:49.664s 3.126s  16
15   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:49.813s 3.275s  12
16  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:50.315s 3.777s   5
17  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:50.982s 4.444s   9
18  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:51.259s 4.721s  14
20  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    No time            2

[genius83]

Verstappen leads Leclerc by eight-tenths in second practice
Max Verstappen was comfortably fastest of all in second practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, leading title rival Charles Leclerc by eight tenths of a second.

Belgian GP
Practice Session 2
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap    Laps
 1   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:45.507s  -      20
 2  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:46.369s 0.862s  21
 3   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:46.589s 1.082s  17
 4  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:46.635s 1.128s  16
 5  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:46.649s 1.142s  20
 6  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:46.893s 1.386s  18
 7  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:46.975s 1.468s  19
 8  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:47.042s 1.535s  22
 9   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:47.255s 1.748s  18
10  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:47.346s 1.839s  15
11  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:47.520s 2.013s  15
12  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:47.617s 2.110s  21
13  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:47.658s 2.151s  16
14  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:47.782s 2.275s  19
15   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:47.867s 2.360s  19
16  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:47.944s 2.437s  21
17  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:48.208s 2.701s  19
18  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:48.419s 2.912s  21
19   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:48.612s 3.105s  14
20  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:49.941s 4.434s  23

Piastri should have had “more integrity” over Alpine deal – Szafnauer
Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has criticised their reserve driver Oscar Piastri for lacking “integrity” in his dealing with the team.

[genius83]

Perez quickest in final practice as Leclerc spins into barriers
Sergio Perez heads into qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix having set the fastest time in final practice ahead of team mate Max Verstappen.

Belgian GP
Practice Session 3
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap    Laps
 1  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:45.047s  -      19
 2   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:45.184s 0.137s  19
 3  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:45.824s 0.777s  13
 4   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:45.965s 0.918s  20
 5  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:46.061s 1.014s  16
 6  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:46.071s 1.024s  19
 7  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:46.120s 1.073s  12
 8   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:46.166s 1.119s  18
 9  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:46.601s 1.554s  24
10  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:46.604s 1.557s  19
11   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:46.646s 1.599s  18
12  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:46.769s 1.722s  20
13   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:46.811s 1.764s  20
14  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:46.836s 1.789s  20
15  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:46.881s 1.834s  20
16  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:46.975s 1.928s  16
17  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:46.982s 1.935s  13
18  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:47.035s 1.988s  23
19  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:47.089s 2.042s  20
20  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:52.494s 7.447s   6

Mercedes ‘not very quick but we often find this on Friday’ – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton said Mercedes lacked pace on the first day of practice at Spa-Francorchamps, but that was not unexpected given their form on Fridays this year.

Mercedes can fight for second ahead of Ferrari in both championships – Russell
George Russell believes Mercedes can set their sights higher in the championship fights following their improved form in recent races.

“We’re not seeing the real Daniel Ricciardo at the moment” – Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner sympathises with his former driver Daniel Ricciardo, who will leave his current team a year before his contract was due to expire.

FIA reaffirms “commitment” to women competing in F1 after Domenicali comment
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has reaffirmed the governing body will “actively encourage” more women competitors in formula racing following comments by Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.

“Thankful” Piastri indicated he was happy to get 2023 Alpine seat – Szafnauer
Oscar Piastri indicated he was pleased to be given the chance to make his Formula 1 debut for Alpine before later turning it down publicly, according to team principal Otmar Szafnauer.

We’ll know in two years whether to regret letting Alonso get away – Szafnauer
Alpine was not caught unaware by Fernando Alonso’s abrupt announcement following the last race that he will not continue to drive for them next year, according to team principal Otmar Szafnauer.

F1 stewards clarify grid drop rules following ‘unprecedented’ Leclerc penalties
The Belgian Grand Prix stewards have issued a clarification explaining why Charles Leclerc will be made to start from the back of the grid following a series of accumulated grid penalties.

Belgian Grand Prix qualifying delayed due to barrier repairs
The qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps has been delayed after a crash in a support race series damaged a barrier.