Formula 1 Season 2022 - Start of New Era

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Leclerc says he expected Red Bull to be quicker after putting Ferrari on pole
Charles Leclerc was surprised Ferrari were able to beat Red Bull to pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Verstappen confident in car’s race pace after “hit-and-miss” qualifying
Max Verstappen believes Red Bull had a good car for the race after being beaten to pole position by Charles Leclerc for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Reaching Q3 is a “relief” for Alpine says Alonso as he urges development push
Fernando Alonso says qualifying in the top 10 for the first race of the new season was a “relief” for Alpine.

Bottas believes Alfa Romeo can fight any team besides Ferrari and Red Bull
Alfa Romeo are capable of fighting with “any team” on the grid aside from frontrunners Red Bull and Ferrari, says Valtteri Bottas.

Hamilton pleased FIA’s Abu Dhabi report acknowledges errors in title-decider
Lewis Hamilton welcomed the FIA’s admission that errors were made in the handling of last year’s championship-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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FIA chose to remove “pressure and stress” from Masi – Ben Sulayem
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the sport’s governing body replaced Michael Masi as race director due to the pressure he was under in the role.

F1 drivers to urge support for Ukraine war victims before Bahrain GP
Formula 1 drivers will unite on the grid ahead of today’s Bahrain Grand Prix to show their support for charities aiding victims of the war in Ukraine.

Magnussen thrilled by Haas pace but admits reliability concerns after hydraulics scare
Kevin Magnussen described his first Formula 1 qualifying session in over a year as a “roller coaster” after securing seventh on the grid for Haas.

Hamilton designed yellow helmet and livery tweaks to help fans identify him
Lewis Hamilton spent hours redesigning his helmet and car livery on his iPad to help fans recognise him more easily in races this year.

‘Ferrari certainly have the fastest engine at the moment’ – Perez
Ferrari have leapt ahead of the competition with their latest Formula 1 power unit, Sergio Perez believes, after the team took first and third on the grid for the season-opening race.

F1 drivers say new race director has made track limits “very clear”
Formula 1 drivers say the new track limits rules which have been imposed for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix are “very clear” after last year’s confusion.

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Leclerc leads Ferrari one-two as late Red Bulls failures put Hamilton on podium
Charles Leclerc led home team mate Carlos Sainz Jnr to claim a one-two for Ferrari in the Bahrain Grand Prix after Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez retired in the final laps.

Bahrain GP
Race Results
Pos No Driver           Car                     Laps Time 	  Gap       Pts
 1  16 Charles Leclerc  Ferrari                  57  1:37:33.584s  -         26
 2  55 Carlos Sainz Jr  Ferrari                  57  1:37:39.182s    5.598s  18
 3  44 Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes                 57  1:37:43.259s    9.675s  15
 4  63 George Russell   Mercedes                 57  1:37:44.795s   11.211s  12
 5  20 Kevin Magnussen  Haas-Ferrari             57  1:37:48.338s   14.754s  10
 6  77 Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari       57  1:37:49.703s   16.119s   8
 7  31 Esteban Ocon     Alpine-Renault           57  1:37:53.007s   19.423s   6
 8  22 Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri-Red Bull      57  1:37:53.970s   20.386s   4
 9  14 Fernando Alonso  Alpine-Renault           57  1:37:55.974s   22.390s   2
10  24 Guanyu Zhou      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari       57  1:37:56.648s   23.064s   1
11  47 Mick Schumacher  Haas-Ferrari             57  1:38:06.158s   32.574s
12  18 Lance Stroll     Aston Martin-Mercedes    57  1:38:19.457s   45.873s
13  23 Alex Albon       Williams-Mercedes        57  1:38:27.516s   53.932s
14   3 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes         57  1:38:28.559s   54.975s
15   4 Lando Norris     McLaren-Mercedes         57  1:38:29.919s   56.335s
16   6 Nicholas Latifi  Williams-Mercedes        57  1:38:35.379s 1:01.795s
17  27 Nico Hulkenberg  Aston Martin-Mercedes    57  1:38:37.413s 1:03.829s
dnf 11 Sergio Perez     Red Bull                 56  1:36:05.525s  1 Lap     Power Unit
dnf  1 Max Verstappen   Red Bull                 54  1:33:17.696s  3 Laps    Power Unit
dnf 10 Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri-Red Bull      44  1:13:54.365s 13 Laps    Fire
Fastest Lap: Charles Leclerc  1:34.570s

Here is the Championships Standings after the Season Opening Bahrain GP:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver             Total
 1  Charles Leclerc     26
 2  Carlos Sainz Jnr    18
 3  Lewis Hamilton      15
 4  George Russell      12
 5  Kevin Magnussen     10
 6  Valtteri Bottas      8
 7  Esteban Ocon         6
 8  Yuki Tsunoda         4
 9  Fernando Alonso      2
10  Zhou Guanyu          1
11  Mick Schumacher      0
11  Lance Stroll         0
11  Alexander Albon      0
11  Daniel Ricciardo     0
11  Lando Norris         0
11  Nicholas Latifi      0
11  Nico Hulkenberg      0
11  Sergio Perez         0
11  Max Verstappen       0
11  Pierre Gasly         0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team         Total
 1  Ferrari       44
 2  Mercedes      27
 3  Haas          10
 4  Alfa Romeo     9
 5  Alpine         8
 6  AlphaTauri     4
 7  Red Bull       0
 7  McLaren        0
 7  Aston Martin   0
 7  Williams       0

“Reliability is so important” Hamilton tells team as Red Bull stoppages hand him podium
Lewis Hamilton thanked his team for the reliability of his car after taking an unexpected podium finish in the Bahrain Grand Prix when both Red Bull drivers retired.

Russell concerned Mercedes could be even further behind in race
George Russell is concerned Mercedes’ deficit to rivals Ferrari and Red Bull could grow further during today’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

Teams’ discussions with F1 race director should be broadcast – Horner
Discussions between the FIA Formula 1 race director and teams should be broadcast on television, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said, following criticism over the role they played in the outcome of last year’s world championship.

Ferrari ‘couldn’t have hoped for a better start’ to 2022 – Leclerc
Charles Leclerc says Ferrari ‘couldn’t have hoped for a better start’ to the 2022 Formula 1 season after securing a one-two victory in Bahrain.

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Double retirement a “very low day” for Red Bull – Perez
Sergio Perez described the Bahrain Grand Prix as a “very low day” for Red Bull after both he and team mate Max Verstappen retired from podium places in the closing laps.

Brawn pleased with first race after replacing F1’s ‘horrible old cars’
Formula 1 motorsport director Ross Brawn declared himself satisfied with the first race run under new technical regulations devised by his team.

Ocon collects penalty points and apologises to Schumacher after collision
Esteban Ocon apologised to Mick Schumacher after tangling with the Haas driver during the Bahrain Grand Prix.

“Aggressive” strategy Verstappen wanted wouldn’t have kept Ferrari behind – Horner
Max Verstappen believes Red Bull could have done a “better job” with their Bahrain Grand Prix strategy, but Christian Horner says the team just lacked pace.

Ferrari drivers say fighting each other for the title will be a “great problem to have”
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr welcomed the prospect of fighting each other for the world championship after finishing first and second in Bahrain yesterday.

Unexpected podium down to team’s hard work, not luck – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton says his unexpected podium finish in the Bahrain Grand Prix was down to Mercedes’ hard work, after the Red Bull drivers ahead of him retired with technical problems.

Magnussen thanks Haas for ‘great car I had nothing to do with’ after fifth on return
Kevin Magnussen said he couldn’t believe the opportunity he’d been given after taking fifth place on his return to Formula 1 with Haas.

Sainz “extremely close” to new Ferrari deal
Ferrari is poised to sign a new deal for Carlos Sainz Jnr to extend his stay at the team.

‘I’m hoping this is as bad as it gets but it might not be’ – Norris
Lando Norris admitted he’s “expecting pain” over the coming races after McLaren struggled to 14th and 15th place in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Point-less Red Bull “still the favourites” for championship – Ferrari
Ferrari are convinced Red Bull remain a serious threat for the championship despite their rivals failing to score in the opening race of the season yesterday.

Both Red Bulls retiring at end of race is “worst nightmare” for Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says seeing both his cars retire within the final three laps of the race was his “worst nightmare”.

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“I don’t want my mum’s name to be forgotten”: Hamilton explains decision to change name
Lewis Hamilton has explained why he decided to add his mother’s surname to his own name.

Mercedes’ straight-line speed deficit due to drag levels, not power unit – Wolff
Mercedes believes its straight-line speed deficit to Ferrari and Red Bull in Bahrain was due to differences in drag levels between their cars.

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

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

Saturday
Practice Session 3   17:00 To 18:00
Qualifying Session   20:00 To 21:00

Sunday
Race                 20:00 To 22:00

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F1 to reveal calendar strategy as Domenicali says 30 promoters want races
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has caused a stir by indicating he has enough interest from promoters to fill 30 places on the calendar.

New-look Spa-Francorchamps for 2022 revealed after £20 million renovation
The operators of the Spa-Francorchamps have completed the first phase of the track renovations ahead of the 2022 season.

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No changes to three DRS zones at Jeddah for F1’s return with new cars
The FIA has not altered the DRS zones for the second race with Formula 1’s cars designed to its new rules for 2022.

Alfa Romeo working on fix for Bottas and Zhou’s “very poor” starts
Alfa Romeo is looking into how it can improve its performance at the start of races, after Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu lost more places than any other drivers on lap one in Bahrain.

No decision on Vettel’s return until Friday – Aston Martin
Aston Martin will wait until the first day of practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix before confirming whether Sebastian Vettel will return.

Alpine pair become first women to drive F1 cars in Saudi Arabia
Abbi Pulling and Aseel Al Hamad became the first women to drive a Formula 1 car in Saudi Arabia ahead of the series’ second race in the Middle Eastern nation this weekend.

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Magnussen ‘changed his mindset’ after disappointments followed dream debut
Kevin Magnussen says he’s learned to have more realistic expectations on his return to Formula 1 after a year away.

Safety changes to Jeddah F1 track are “tiny” and will make little difference – drivers
Formula 1 drivers say changes made to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit to improve safety ahead of this weekend’s race will make little difference.

Drivers welcome new guidelines placing onus on them to reverse illegal overtakes
Formula 1 drivers have welcomed new race control guidelines designed to simplify how incidents are resolved.

F1 likely to extend stay at Jeddah from three years to five before Qiddiya move
Formula 1 is expected to hold more races at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit than was originally planned before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix changes venues.

Hulkenberg to race for Aston Martin in Saudi Arabia in place of Vettel again
Nico Hulkenberg will spend a second race as substitute for Sebastian Vettel in this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Red Bull expect no repeat of fuel pressure problem behind Bahrain double retirement
Red Bull expect the fuel pressure problems which put both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez out of the Bahrain Grand Prix will not recur this weekend.

Hamilton urges Mercedes to match rivals’ “amazing performance” as soon as possible
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes must make progress with their car quickly after seeing the performance of their rivals in Bahrain.

Video screens being tested at Jeddah to improve visibility on blind corners
Formula 1 is testing whether video screens can be used to help address the problem drivers have encountered with poor visibility at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

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Leclerc quickest by a tenth from Verstappen in opening Jeddah practice
Charles Leclerc used the soft compound tyres to set the fastest time of first practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Saudi Arabian GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No Driver           Car                   Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  16 Charles Leclerc  Ferrari               1:30.772s   -     17
 2   1 Max Verstappen   Red Bull              1:30.888s 0.116s  24
 3  77 Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:31.084s 0.312s  22
 4  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari               1:31.139s 0.367s  14
 5  10 Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:31.317s 0.545s  28
 6  22 Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:31.505s 0.733s  26
 7  11 Sergio Perez     Red Bull              1:31.563s 0.791s  25
 8  31 Esteban Ocon     Alpine-Renault        1:32.026s 1.254s  26
 9  44 Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes              1:32.364s 1.592s  20
10  14 Fernando Alonso  Alpine-Renault        1:32.381s 1.609s  23
11   3 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes      1:32.506s 1.734s  24
12  18 Lance Stroll     Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:32.582s 1.810s  23
13   4 Lando Norris     McLaren-Mercedes      1:32.594s 1.822s  24
14  24 Zhou Guanyu      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:32.608s 1.836s  26
15  63 George Russell   Mercedes              1:32.839s 2.067s  19
16  27 Nico Hulkenberg  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:33.034s 2.262s  23
17  23 Alexander Albon  Williams-Mercedes     1:33.087s 2.315s  25
18   6 Nicholas Latifi  Williams-Mercedes     1:33.529s 2.757s  26
19  47 Mick Schumacher  Haas-Ferrari          1:34.429s 3.657s  22
20  20 Kevin Magnussen  Haas-Ferrari          No time set –      2

“Bad call on cooling” led to Aston Martin’s “critical” engine warnings in Bahrain
Nico Hulkenberg is confident the serious cooling problems both Aston Martin drivers encountered during the last race won’t resurface this weekend.

Verstappen says Drive to Survive paints “wrong picture” of Norris and other drivers
Max Verstappen says Lando Norris was made to look “a bit of a dick” in the latest season of the Netflix documentary series Drive to Survive.

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Albon reprimanded for impeding Schumacher in first practice
Alexander Albon has received his first driving reprimand of the 2022 season after the stewards judged he impeded Mick Schumacher during first practice.

F1 teams told Saudi Arabian GP will go ahead after attack causes explosion near circuit
Formula 1 team principals and drivers have been told the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will go ahead following an attack on an oil plant near the circuit.

Leclerc quickest on Friday but ends practice early after brushing the wall
Charles Leclerc was quickest in the second practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but ended his running early after brushing the barriers.

Saudi Arabian GP
Practice Session 2
Pos No Driver           Car                   Best lap   Gap    Laps
 1  16 Charles Leclerc  Ferrari               1:30.074s   -      15
 2   1 Max Verstappen   Red Bull-Honda        1:30.214s  0.140s  23
 3  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari               1:30.320s  0.246s  12
 4  11 Sergio Perez     Red Bull-Honda        1:30.360s  0.286s  24
 5  44 Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes              1:30.513s  0.439s  24
 6  63 George Russell   Mercedes              1:30.664s  0.590s  29
 7   4 Lando Norris     McLaren-Mercedes      1:30.735s  0.661s  26
 8  31 Esteban Ocon     Alpine-Renault        1:30.760s  0.686s  26
 9  77 Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:30.832s  0.758s  14
10  22 Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri-Honda      1:30.886s  0.812s  26
11  14 Fernando Alonso  Alpine-Renault        1:30.944s  0.870s  27
12  10 Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri-Honda      1:30.963s  0.889s  29
13  47 Mick Schumacher  Haas-Ferrari          1:31.169s  1.095s  27
14  18 Lance Stroll     Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:31.372s  1.298s  28
15   3 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes      1:31.527s  1.453s  23
16  27 Nico Hulkenberg  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:31.615s  1.541s  30
17  24 Zhou Guanyu      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:31.615s  1.541s  30
18   6 Nicholas Latifi  Williams-Mercedes     1:31.814s  1.740s  26
19  23 Alexander Albon  Williams-Mercedes     1:31.866s  1.792s  29
20  20 Kevin Magnussen  Haas-Ferrari          1:32.344s  2.270s  13

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Hamilton urges more action on human rights after letter from death row inmate
Lewis Hamilton has called on those in positions of power to do more to improve human rights in countries such as Saudi Arabia, where Formula 1 is racing this weekend.

Wittich warns F1 drivers not to back off in three corners ahead of qualifying
FIA F1 race director Niels Wittich has instructed drivers not to back off through the blind turns 23 to 25 ahead of qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

‘Leaving Saudi Arabia was not the right choice’ – F1 team bosses defend decision to race after attack
Formula 1 team principals have defended the series’ decision to continue with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix following the missile strike in Jeddah yesterday.

F1 team principals want talks over future of Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Formula 1 should discuss the future of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after this weekend’s race, team principals have said.

F2 drivers “happy to race” after assurances over security in Saudi Arabia
Formula 2 drivers have said they are satisfied with the security arrangements for this weekend’s round in Saudi Arabia, after a missile strike near the track yesterday.

F1 drivers explain why they agreed to race in Saudi Arabia despite “concerns” over attack
The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association has issued a statement explaining how they arrived at the decision to continue the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix following yesterday’s missile strike.

Leclerc takes a clean sweep of fastest practice times ahead of Verstappen in Jeddah
Charles Leclerc went quickest ahead of Max Verstappen for the third consecutive practice session ahead of qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Saudi Arabian GP
Practice Session 3
Pos No Driver           Car                   Best lap  Gap     Laps
 1  16 Charles Leclerc  Ferrari               1:29.735s   -      23
 2   1 Max Verstappen   Red Bull              1:29.768s 0.033s   12
 3  11 Sergio Perez     Red Bull              1:29.833s 0.098s   15
 4  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari               1:30.009s 0.274s   21
 5  77 Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:30.030s 0.295s   22
 6  31 Esteban Ocon     Alpine-Renault        1:30.139s 0.404s   16
 7  10 Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:30.148s 0.413s   11
 8  20 Kevin Magnussen  Haas-Ferrari          1:30.262s 0.527s   18
 9  14 Fernando Alonso  Alpine-Renault        1:30.296s 0.561s   17
10  22 Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:30.415s 0.680s   19
11  44 Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes              1:30.707s 0.972s   17
12  47 Mick Schumacher  Haas-Ferrari          1:30.765s 1.030s   16
13  24 Zhou Guanyu      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:30.946s 1.211s   20
14  63 George Russell   Mercedes              1:30.983s 1.248s   14
15  18 Lance Stroll     Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:31.067s 1.332s   18
16   3 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes      1:31.186s 1.451s   15
17  23 Alexander Albon  Williams-Mercedes     1:31.374s 1.639s   16
18  27 Nico Hulkenberg  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:31.424s 1.689s   18
19   4 Lando Norris     McLaren-Mercedes      1:31.529s 1.794s   17
20   6 Nicholas Latifi  Williams-Mercedes     1:31.992s 2.257s   13

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Perez snatches first career pole at 215th attempt in dramatic Jeddah qualifying
Sergio Perez took his first pole position of his Formula 1 career after pipping Charles Leclerc at the end of a disrupted qualifying session in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabian GP
Qualifying Session
Pos No Driver           Car                   Best lap
 1  11 Sergio Perez     Red Bull              1:28.200s
 2  16 Charles Leclerc  Ferrari               1:28.225s
 3  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari               1:28.402s
 4  33 Max Verstappen   Red Bull              1:28.461s
 5  31 Esteban Ocon     Alpine-Renault        1:29.068s
 6  63 George Russell   Mercedes              1:29.104s
 7  14 Fernando Alonso  Alpine-Renault        1:29.147s
 8  77 Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:29.183s
 9  10 Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:29.254s
10  20 Kevin Magnussen  Haas-Ferrari          1:29.588s
11   4 Lando Norris     McLaren-Mercedes      1:29.651s
12   3 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes      1:29.773s
13  24 Zhou Guanyu      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:29.819s
14  47 Mick Schumacher  Haas-Ferrari          1:29.920s
15  18 Lance Stroll     Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:31.009s
16  44 Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes              1:30.343s
17  23 Alexander Albon  Williams-Mercedes     1:30.492s
18  27 Nico Hulkenberg  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:30.543s
19   6 Nicholas Latifi  Williams-Mercedes     1:31.817s
20  22 Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri            No time set

Schumacher “in good condition” and being checked in hospital after huge qualifying crash
Mick Schumacher appears to be in good shape, his team have said, following a heavy impact with the barriers during qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Hamilton “had no rear end” and may start from pits after shock Q1 elimination
Lewis Hamilton was mystified by a handling imbalance which led to his elimination in the first round of qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Perez ‘couldn’t repeat Jeddah pole lap with 1,000 tries’
Sergio Perez says the lap which earned him the first pole position of his 11-year career was one of the best he has ever driven.

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Ferrari pair content with starting positions despite losing pole to Perez
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr say they are happy with their qualifying results despite being beaten to pole by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.

F1 ‘promised drivers it will reconsider safety of all events’ after Jeddah missile attack
Formula 1 told drivers it will reconsider the safety and security of all its events following the missile attack which occured yesterday, 10 kilometres away from the scene of this weekend’s race.

Schumacher says he’s “okay” after heavy crash puts him out of Saudi Arabian GP
Mick Schumacher will not take part in this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix following his heavy crash in qualifying.

Ricciardo handed three-place grid drop and penalty point for impeding Ocon
Daniel Ricciardo has been handed a three place grid penalty and one penalty point on his superlicence for impeding Esteban Ocon in qualifying.

“Aggressive” kerb Schumacher hit should be changed before race, says Norris
Lando Norris has called for immediate changes to the kerb Mick Schumacher hit when he crashed heavily in qualifying, which had already caused another major accident the day before.

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“Can’t seem to improve, man”: How Hamilton’s “bolder” set-up gamble led to shock Q1 exit
Lewis Hamilton’s elimination in the first round of qualifying at Jeddah Corniche Circuit was undoubtedly the biggest surprise of the session.

F1 drivers want more safety changes at “the most dangerous place on the calendar”
Formula 1 drivers have called for more safety improvements at Jeddah Corniche Circuit following Mick Schumacher’s enormous crash in qualifying.

Verstappen mystified as tyre woes leave him fourth on grid but sees “potential” for race
Max Verstappen says he does not understand why a brand new set of soft tyres in Q3 did not offer the level of grip he expected in qualifying.

Schumacher hit wall at “around 270kph” in violent qualifying crash
Mick Schumacher has revealed he hit the wall in qualifying at an estimated 270kph in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

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Verstappen beats Leclerc to win intense Jeddah battle by half a second
Max Verstappen held on to beat Charles Leclerc to victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix following a dramatic late race battle between the pair.

Saudi Arabian GP
Race Results
Pos No Driver           Car                   Laps Time         Gap       Points
 1   1 Max Verstappen   Red Bull               50  1:24:19.293s  -          25
 2  16 Charles Leclerc  Ferrari                50  1:24:19.842s	   0.549s   19
 3  55 Carlos Sainz Jr  Ferrari                50  1:24:27.390s    8.097s   15
 4  11 Sergio Perez     Red Bull               50  1:24:30.093s   10.800s   12
 5  63 George Russell   Mercedes               50  1:24:52.025s   32.732s   10
 6  31 Esteban Ocon     Alpine-Renault         50  1:25:15.310s   56.017s    8
 7   4 Lando Norris     McLaren-Mercedes       50  1:25:15.417s   56.124s    6
 8  10 Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri-Red Bull    50  1:25:22.239s 1:02.946s    4
 9  20 Kevin Magnussen  Haas-Ferrari           50  1:25:23.601s 1:04.308s    2
10  44 Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes               50  1:25:33.241s 1:13.948s    1
11  24 Guanyu Zhou      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     50  1:25:41.508s 1:22.215s
12  27 Nico Hulkenberg  Aston Martin-Mercedes  50  1:25:51.035s 1:31.742s
13  18 Lance Stroll     Aston Martin-Mercedes  49  1:24:33.861s  1 Lap
dnf 23 Alex Albon       Williams-Mercedes      47  1:20:53.303s  3 Laps
dnf 77 Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     36  1:02:38.074s	14 Laps
dnf 14 Fernando Alonso  Alpine-Renault         35  1:00:16.549s 15 Laps
dnf  3 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes       35  1:00:25.430s 15 Laps
dnf  6 Nicholas Latifi  Williams-Mercedes      14    23:04.266s 36 Laps
dns 22 Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri-Red Bull     0
dns 47 Mick Schumacher  Haas-Ferrari            0
Fastest Lap: Charles Leclerc 1:31:634s

Here is the World Standings after the Saudi Arabian GP:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver             Total
 1  Charles Leclerc     45
 2  Carlos Sainz Jnr    33
 3  Max Verstappen      25
 4  George Russell      22
 5  Lewis Hamilton      16
 6  Esteban Ocon        14
 7  Sergio Perez        12
 7  Kevin Magnussen     12
 9  Valtteri Bottas      8
10  Lando Norris         6
11  Yuki Tsunoda         4
11  Pierre Gasly         4
13  Fernando Alonso      2
14  Zhou Guanyu          1
15  Mick Schumacher      0
15  Lance Stroll         0
15  Nico Hulkenberg      0
15  Alexander Albon      0
15  Daniel Ricciardo     0
15  Nicholas Latifi      0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team              Total
 1  Ferrari            78
 2  Mercedes           38
 3  Red Bull           37
 4  Alpine             16
 5  Haas               12
 6  Alfa Romeo          9
 7  AlphaTauri          8
 8  McLaren             6
 9  Aston Martin        0
 9  Williams            0

Verstappen relishes “tough” battle with Leclerc as stewards investigate final two laps
Max Verstappen enjoyed his “tough” battle with Charles Leclerc but the stewards are investigating the final two laps of the race which was won by the Red Bull driver.

“Every race should be like this” says Leclerc after Verstappen battle
Charles Leclerc described his late race battle for victory with Max Verstappen in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as ‘hard but fair racing’.

Mercedes ‘need more grip and more power’ – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes need to find more all-round performance after his 10th place finish in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Albon gets three-place grid penalty, no action on Sainz and Perez yellow flag incidents
Alexander Albon will have a three-place grid penalty for the Australian Grand Prix after the stewards ruled he caused a collision in today’s race.

Perez “had the race under control” until “bad luck” with Safety Car
Sergio Perez said “bad luck” with the timing of the Safety Car cost him a likely win in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Gasly was “screaming with pain” from intestine over last 15 laps
Pierre Gasly says he was in severe pain over the final laps of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which he finished in eighth place.

Unhappy Sainz wants to know why FIA “didn’t allow” earlier position swap with Perez
Carlos Sainz Jnr wants the FIA to explain why he had to wait until after a Safety Car period had ended to regain a position Sergio Perez had incorrectly taken from him.

Red Bull’s late start on 2022 car makes Jeddah win particularly special – Horner
Red Bull’s victory in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is particularly special because the team started work on its 2022 car later than its rivals, says its principal Christian Horner.

“Communication problem” with front jack operator caused double penalty for Zhou
Alfa Romeo has explained the pit stop mix-up which led to Zhou Guanyu being penalised twice.

How Hamilton missed vital chance to pit when others came in
Lewis Hamilton’s efforts to salvage a decent points haul from 15th on the grid were undone when he missed a vital opportunity to pit during a Virtual Safety Car window.

Alpine won’t allow Alonso and Ocon to fight during last 20 laps of race
Alpine are happy to allow Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon to continue to fight each other on track but won’t hesitate to call off future scraps if it risks costing the team points.

Schumacher’s 33G Jeddah crash leaves Haas with repair bill of ‘up to $1 million’
Haas face a repair bill of up to £760,000 ($1 million) as a result of Mick Schumacher’s heavy crash during qualifying for last weekend’s race.

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Ricciardo hoping Bahrain turns out to be a ‘bogey track’ for McLaren
Daniel Ricciardo is hoping McLaren’s poor form in the season-opening race turns out to be a one-off following their first points score of the season in Jeddah last weekend.

F1 needs changes to stop DRS “cat-and-mouse games” – Horner
Formula 1 should change DRS zones where necessary to prevent drivers slowing excessively as they approach detection points, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said.

F1 intends to keep racing in Saudi Arabia despite missile attack
Formula 1 intends to return to Saudi Arabia despite the concerns drivers expressed about the race following Friday’s missile attack near the circuit.

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New chicane added to Red Bull Ring but F1 will bypass it
The Red Bull Ring will have a different look when Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 visit the circuit in July.

Mercedes “a second per lap” off Red Bull’s pace – Russell
Mercedes is a second behind Red Bull on qualifying and race pace, said George Russell after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

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Vettel will return to race for Aston Martin at Australian Grand Prix
Aston Martin has confirmed Sebastian Vettel will return to race in the Australian Grand Prix, after missing the first two races of the season.

F1 confirms new Saturday night race in Las Vegas from 2023
Formula 1 will add a third round of the world championship in the USA next year.

342kph along the Strip: First look at F1’s new Las Vegas street circuit
Formula 1 has revealed the first details of the new street race in Las Vegas which will hold America’s third round of the world championship from next year.

Saturday 10pm start is ‘perfect time slot’ for Las Vegas Grand Prix – Domenicali
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says holding the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday night is the “perfect” time slot for the race.

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Official Formula 1 NFT game F1 Delta Time closes three years after launch
Official Formula 1 NFT (non-fungible token) game F1 Delta Time has closed after its publishers, Animoca Brands, said their licence had not been renewed.

New Las Vegas Grand Prix could push F1 beyond 23 races in 2023
The 2023 Formula 1 calendar will hit a new high of 24 races unless one or more of this year’s events do not return.

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Fourth DRS zone added for F1’s return to Albert Park circuit
The Australian Grand Prix will be the first to feature four separate DRS zones around the lap this weekend as F1 returns to Albert Park.

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

Australian GP
Friday
Practice Session 1   08:00 To 09:00
Practice Session 2   11:00 To 12:00

Saturday
Practice Session 3   08:00 To 09:00
Qualifying Session   11:00 To 12:00

Sunday
Race                 10:00 To 12:00