Formula 1 Season 2022 - Start of New Era

[genius83]

F1 targeting “much better price” from new US TV deal in 2023
Formula 1 could split from US broadcaster ESPN next year as the series eyes a more lucrative rights deal.

F1’s 23-race calendar makes in-season tyre test logistics a “nightmare”
Formula 1’s growing schedule is making it harder for Pirelli to arrange in-season tests to develop new tyre compounds.

Mercedes’ uncompetitive start to season ‘feels like 2013’ for Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says their uncompetitive start to the 2022 season reminds him of the last campaign in which they failed to win the world championship.

[genius83]

McLaren’s poor performance not just down to brake duct fix
The compromises McLaren made to address its braking problem in pre-season testing are not the only cause of its uncompetitive start to the season, according to team principal Andreas Seidl.

Albert Park’s second sector “now basically a massive straight” after changes
Revisions to the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix have drastically changed the nature of the track, say Alpine’s drivers.

[genius83]

Schumacher’s Jeddah crash leaves Haas without spare car for Australian Grand Prix
Haas do not have a spare car to fall back on at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix due to Mick Schumacher’s heavy crash at the previous race.

Magnussen hopes Albert Park changes do not prove too “over the top”
Kevin Magnussen says he supports the track changes made to the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne but hopes they will not make overtaking “too easy”.

Typically warm, dry weekend expected in Melbourne for F1’s Australian return
Drivers will likely have a third dry race weekend in a row to start the season as Formula 1 returns to the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

F1 taking consequences of soaring freight costs “really seriously”
The soaring cost of transporting freight around the world will hit all Formula 1 teams equally, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has said.

Pirelli explains thinking behind ‘step’ in Melbourne tyre compound choice
Pirelli has made a departure from its recent tyre selection approach this weekend in the hope of creating more varied strategies at the Australian Grand Prix.

[saad2006]

Aston Martin and Mclaren are quite disappointing so far

[genius83]

Sainz leads Leclerc in Ferrari one-two ahead of Red Bulls in first practice
Carlos Sainz Jnr was quickest ahead of Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc during the first practice session of Formula 1’s return to Melbourne.

Australian GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No. Driver            Team	                Time      Gap    Laps
 1  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:19.806s  -      23
 2  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:20.377s 0.571s  20
 3  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:20.399s 0.593s  20
 4   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:20.626s 0.820s  22
 5   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:20.878s 1.072s  22
 6  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:21.004s 1.198s  27
 7  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:21.027s 1.221s  25
 8   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:21.155s 1.349s  23
 9  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:21.229s 1.423s  21
10  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:21.247s 1.441s  23
11  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:21.289s 1.483s  26
12  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:21.457s 1.651s  26
13   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:21.661s 1.855s  18
14  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:21.701s 1.895s  26
15  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:21.821s 2.015s  21
16  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:21.869s 2.063s  24
17  23  Alexander Albon	  Williams-Mercedes     1:22.754s 2.948s  24
18  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:23.186s 3.380s  17
19   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:23.924s 4.118s  24
20  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:24.349s 4.543s  15

Mazepin believes F1 comeback is not necessarily impossible
Nikita Mazepin hasn’t given up hope he may return to Formula 1 in the future after losing his drive following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Announce return to South Africa next, Hamilton tells F1 after Las Vegas joins calendar
Lewis Hamilton is keeping up his calls for Formula 1 to return to Africa following last week’s announcement of a new race in Las Vegas.

Vettel under investigation after moped ride on Albert Park track
Sebastian Vettel’s ride back to the pits on a moped may land him in trouble with the stewards.

Alonso and Tsunoda make final penalty-free power unit changes at third round
Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda have moved onto their third power units at the Australian Grand Prix.

Albert Park track changes will play into Red Bull’s hands, Leclerc predicts
Charles Leclerc believes the changes to the Albert Park for this year’s Australian Grand Prix will suit rivals Red Bull.

Sainz reprimanded, Stroll cleared but under investigation again
Carlos Sainz Jnr was given a formal reprimand for impeding a rival in first practice, while Lance Stroll was cleared over a similar incident.

Leclerc quickest from Verstappen in second Australian practice
Charles Leclerc set the overall pace in the afternoon practice session ahead of Max Verstappen at the end of the first day of F1 running for the Australian Grand Prix.

Australian GP
Practice Session 2
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap    Laps
 1  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:18.978s  -      27
 2   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:19.223s 0.245s  22
 3  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:19.376s 0.398s  27
 4  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:19.537s 0.559s  22
 5  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:19.658s 0.680s  20
 6  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:19.842s 0.864s  25
 7  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:20.055s 1.077s  25
 8   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:20.100s 1.122s  24
 9  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:20.142s 1.164s  27
10   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:20.203s 1.225s  24
11  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:20.212s 1.234s  25
12  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:20.424s 1.446s  30
13  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:20.521s 1.543s  23
14  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:20.611s 1.633s  28
15  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:21.063s 2.085s  23
16  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:21.191s 2.213s  23
17  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:21.912s 2.934s  28
18  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:21.974s 2.996s  22
19   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:22.307s 3.329s  24
20   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes No time

“Frustrating” to be 1.2 seconds behind with a “decent lap” – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton says his Mercedes is not responding to set-up changes and he was frustrated to be over a second off the pace despite a clean lap.

Verstappen “a lot happier” with car after changes but Perez still puzzled by balance
Max Verstappen was encouraged by the progress Red Bull made on the first day of practice in Australia despite ending up second-fastest to Charles Leclerc.

Norris and Ricciardo cautious over McLaren’s pace after “best Friday so far”
McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo are keeping their expectations in check despite finishing both practice sessions at Albert Park in the top 10.

Porsche and Audi move closer to F1 commitment after meeting
The Volkswagen Group is inching closer to committing two of its brands to participate in Formula 1 after the proposals were discussed at a board meeting yesterday.

Vettel fined £4,100 for riding moped on track after practice
Sebastian Vettel has been fined for riding a moped on the track after the end of today’s first practice session.

Tsunoda collects second reprimand as Hamilton and Stroll are cleared
Yuki Tsunoda has been reprimanded for impeding Carlos Sainz Jnr during today’s second practice session.

[genius83]

Norris quickest in final practice as both Aston Martin drivers crash
Lando Norris was the fastest driver in final practice for the Australian Grand Prix in which both Aston Martin drivers crashed out of the session.

Australian GP
Practice Session 3
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap    Laps
 1   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:19.117s  -      12
 2  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:19.249s 0.271s  15
 3  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:19.265s 0.287s  17
 4  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:19.275s 0.297s  15
 5  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:19.419s 0.441s  17
 6   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:19.693s 0.715s  14
 7   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:19.809s 0.831s  16
 8  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:19.896s 0.918s  13
 9  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:20.008s 1.030s  17
10  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:20.071s 1.093s  12
11  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:20.096s 1.118s  16
12  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:20.133s 1.155s  14
13  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:20.205s 1.227s  14
14  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:20.692s 1.714s  17
15  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:20.836s 1.858s  16
16  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:20.958s 1.980s  16
17  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:21.025s 2.047s  14
18   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:21.050s 2.072s  14
19  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:21.636s 2.658s  11
20   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes No time   -        5

Albert Park’s new fourth DRS zone removed due to safety concerns
The FIA has removed the fourth DRS zone which was added to the Albert Park circuit for this weekend’s race.

F1 drivers told to keep single-file at Safety Car restarts
Formula 1 drivers have been forbidden from drawing alongside each other during Safety Car restarts.

Drivers positive after first impression of “big change” to Albert Park track
Formula 1 drivers largely praised the changes to the Albert Park for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, saying they expect it will improve the racing.

F1 drivers reminded to comply with fireproof underwear rules
Formula 1 drivers have been reminded of the need to comply with the sport’s regulations on fireproof underwear.

Leclerc denies Verstappen pole after car problem thwarts flying Alonso
Charles Leclerc took his second pole of the season in Australia after denying Max Verstappen with his final effort in qualifying.

Australian GP
Qualifying Session
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap
 1  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:17.868s  -
 2   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:18.154s 0.286s
 3  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:18.240s 0.372s
 4   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:18.703s 0.835s
 5  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:18.825s 0.957s
 6  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:18.933s 1.065s
 7   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:19.032s 1.164s
 8  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:19.061s 1.193s
 9  55  Carlos Sainz Jr   Ferrari               1:19.408s 1.540s
10  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        No Time
11  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:19.226s 1.358s
12  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:19.410s 1.542s
13  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:19.424s 1.556s
14  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:20.155s 2.287s
15  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:20.465s 2.597s
16  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:20.254s 2.386s
17   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:21.149s 3.281s
18   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:21.372s 3.504s
19  23  Alex Albon        Williams-Mercedes     1:20.135s 2.267s
20  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes No Time

Latifi blames Stroll as stewards investigate pair’s collision in qualifying
Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi are under investigation after the pair collided in the final minutes of the first qualifying session.

Alonso fears hydraulic failure in qualifying has cost him podium chance
Fernando Alonso said a hydraulic problem on his car caused his crash during Q3 while he was challenging for pole position.

Leclerc surprised to take pole at track where he has “struggled”
Charles Leclerc admitted he was “surprised” by Ferrari’s pace in qualifying after taking pole position for the Australian Grand Prix by almost three tenths over Max Verstappen.

Stroll handed inconsequential three-place grid penalty for Latifi collision
Lance Stroll has been given a three-place grid penalty for the Australian Grand Prix for causing a collision with Nicholas Latifi during qualifying.

Albon at risk of disqualification from qualifying over fuel sample
Alexander Albon’s qualifying result is in jeopardy as insufficient fuel was found in his car at the end of qualifying.

Verstappen says he has “unbelievable” inconsistency in grip on soft tyres
Max Verstappen again questioned the consistency of the grip from his tyres after qualifying second for the Australian Grand Prix.

Bringing updates for Mercedes “doesn’t make any sense” at the moment – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says it is not worth bringing updates for their W13 while they are still trying to understand the problems they have with it.

Albon disqualified over fuel sample, will be allowed to start race
Alexander Albon has been disqualified from the results of qualifying after the stewards ruled his car did not contain enough fuel for a test sample as required by the rules.

Ferrari “shouldn’t have these problems” fumes Sainz after Q3 “disaster”
Carlos Sainz Jnr did not hide his frustration after a series of misfortunes in qualifying left him only ninth on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix.

Perez in the clear after yellow flag investigation
The Australian Grand Prix stewards have taken no further action against Sergio Perez after investigating him for speeding under yellow flags in Q2.

New DRS zone which FIA removed was “much safer than Jeddah” – Verstappen
Max Verstappen criticised the FIA’s decision to remove the new DRS zone from the Albert Park circuit on safety grounds.

‘On one run I literally couldn’t see’: Low light taxes drivers in late end to qualifying
Visibility became a significant problem for Formula 1 drivers in the closing stages of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix after a series of disruptions.

McLaren’s leap forward in Melbourne down to tyres and track – Norris
Lando Norris is under no illusions that his fourth place on the grid in Australia shows McLaren have solved their problems with their car.

Leclerc and Zhou cleared, Tsunoda reprimanded for driving too slowly
Charles Leclerc has kept his pole position for the Australian Grand Prix after the stewards investigated whether he slowed excessively on an in-lap during qualifying.

[genius83]

Leclerc takes dominant Australian Grand Prix win as Verstappen retires
Charles Leclerc dominated the Australian Grand Prix to take his second victory of the season after Max Verstappen retired from second place with a technical problem.

Australian GP
Race Results
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Laps Time         Gap      Pts  Retirement
 1  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari                58  1:27:46.548s  -        26
 2  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull               58  1:28:07.072s   20.524s 18
 3  63  George Russell    Mercedes               58  1:28:12.141s   25.593s 15
 4  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes               58  1:28:15.091s   28.543s 12
 5   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes       58  1:28:39.851s   53.303s 10
 6   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes       58  1:28:40.285s   53.737s  8
 7  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault         58  1:28:48.231s 1:01.683s  6
 8  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     58  1:28:54.987s 1:08.439s  4
 9  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull    58  1:29:02.769s 1:16.221s  2
10  23  Alex Albon        Williams-Mercedes      58  1:29:05.930s 1:19.382s  1
11  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     58  1:29:08.243s 1:21.695s
12  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes  58  1:29:15.146s 1:28.598s
13  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari           57  1:27:48.811s  1 Lap
14  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari           57  1:27:50.476s  1 Lap
15  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull    57  1:27:52.859s  1 Lap
16   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes      57  1:27:57.031s  1 Lap
17  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault         57  1:28:17.069s  1 Lap
dnf  1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull               38  1:00:05.738s 20 Laps        Power Unit
dnf  5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes  22    34:43.344s 36 Laps        Spun off
dnf 55  Carlos Sainz Jr   Ferrari                 1     1:39.027s 57 Laps        Spun off
Fastest Lap Charles Leclerc 1:20.260s

Here is the World Standings after Australian GP:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver             Points
 1  Charles Leclerc      71
 2  George Russell       37
 3  Carlos Sainz Jnr     33
 4  Sergio Perez         30
 5  Lewis Hamilton       28
 6  Max Verstappen       25
 7  Esteban Ocon         20
 8  Lando Norris         16
 9  Kevin Magnussen      12
 9  Valtteri Bottas      12
11  Daniel Ricciardo      8
12  Pierre Gasly          6
13  Yuki Tsunoda          4
14  Fernando Alonso       2
15  Zhou Guanyu           1
15  Alexander Albon       1
17  Mick Schumacher       0
17  Lance Stroll          0
17  Nico Hulkenberg       0
17  Nicholas Latifi       0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team          Points
 1  Ferrari         104
 2  Mercedes         65
 3  Red Bull         55
 4  McLaren          24
 5  Alpine           22
 6  Alfa Romeo       13
 7  Haas             12
 8  AlphaTauri       10
 9  Williams          1
10  Aston Martin      0

Leclerc says title fight is on as Melbourne win hands him 34-point lead
After scoring his second victory in the third race of 2022, Charles Leclerc says the championship fight is on.

McLaren told Ricciardo to stay behind Norris due to fuel worries
Lando Norris took fifth place in the Australian Grand Prix despite losing multiple seconds per lap as McLaren urged him to lift-and-coast to save fuel.

Tenth an “unimaginable” result for Albon after strategist predicted 19th
Alexander Albon described his first point for Williams as “completely unimaginable” after the team’s strategist predicted both cars would finish at the back.

Alonso “speechless” after missed chance for podium finish
Fernando Alonso says Alpine missed a chance to score a podium finish in Australia after a series of misfortunes.

Second retirement in three races is “unacceptable” – Verstappen
Max Verstappen said his second retirement in the third race of the year was “unacceptable” following his latest technical problem in the Australian Grand Prix.

Stewards urge new Safety Car guidance to avoid “unfortunate incident” after near-miss
The FIA stewards have recommended drivers be given additional guidance on how to avoid incidents during Safety Car periods following a near-miss in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.

Verstappen’s frustration over latest retirement “totally understandable” – Horner
Christian Horner says that Red Bull “can’t accept DNFs” after Max Verstappen retired from second place in the Australian Grand Prix.

Hamilton says overheating stopped him fighting Russell for third place
Lewis Hamilton says he was unable to attack his team mate for third place in the closing stage of the Australian Grand Prix because his car was overheating.

‘We should have been fighting for a win’ rues Sainz after early retirement
Carlos Sainz Jnr says problems on Saturday and Sunday in Melbourne cost him the chance to fight for victory.

Stroll handed penalty point for weaving on straight
Lance Stroll has been given his eighth penalty point after the stewards determined he broke the rules while defending his position from Valtteri Bottas during the Australian Grand Prix.

Removing fourth DRS zone at Albert Park was “unnecessary” – Symonds
Formula 1 technical director Pat Symonds criticised the decision to remove the fourth DRS zone which was added to Albert Park for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

[zia1288]

I think reliability is going to be the major cause in deciding both championships

[genius83]

Hamilton won’t remove “welded in” earrings despite FIA’s reminder to drivers
Lewis Hamilton says he is unable to comply with the FIA’s demand that drivers remove all body piercings.

Second in championship shows we took best possible result at every round – Russell
George Russell scored his first podium finish for Mercedes yesterday and rose to the unexpected heights of second in the world championship.

Masi was a “liability” for F1 and “disrespectful” towards drivers – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed he urged former FIA Formula 1 race director Michael Masi to take criticism of his approach on board ahead of last year’s controversial title-decider in Abu Dhabi.

How Vettel’s disastrous comeback weekend left Aston Martin questioning their car
Sebastian Vettel had little cause for cheer after a weekend to forget on his return to racing in Australia.

Matching Red Bull’s development rate will be “difficult”, warns Leclerc
Charles Leclerc says Ferrari face a challenge to develop their car as quickly as Red Bull can.

Monaco Grand Prix promoter insists race will stay on F1 calendar
The president of the Automobile Club de Monaco has dismissed reports the principality is at risk of losing its grand prix.

Two-degree temperature rise led to Hamilton’s “difficult position” radio message
The engine cooling problem which Lewis Hamilton said put him in a “difficult position” during the Australian Grand Prix was caused by a small rise in ambient temperatures.

@zia1288
Its not a far fetch thinking as we could already see every team and engine manufacturer is struggling with the new fuel formula for this season. This E10 or 10% Ethanol based fuel is causing serious headache for the whole grid and because of the season regulations and budget cap there is no easy solution for it either.

Alonso's Alpine and Tsunoda's AlphaTauri have already use their full quota of engine allocation in the first 3 races while there is still 19 or 20 races remaining. There will be a lot of grid penalties for every team and driver this season, and the next round will also hold the first Sprint event of the season in Imola. So qualifying on Friday, Sprint on Saturday and Race on Sunday, and the engines will run at close to max for more laps then in a normal weekend.

[zia1288]

As for Ferrari, I think they are running de-tuned engines to lessen the reliability issues.

What will happen when a team exhausts its budgetary allocation for the year? For example, Williams or Alpine run out of their budget in 18th race, what will happen next?

[genius83]

FIA responds to Verstappen’s criticism of Safety Car performance
The FIA has responded to Max Verstappen’s criticism of the performance of the Safety Car during last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

Wolff puts Mercedes’ odds of championship victory at “two to eight”
Mercedes’ chances of winning the championship are not good at present, team principal Toto Wolff admitted, but could change quickly if they can unlock more performance from their car.

How a missed set up window on Friday led to Haas’ worst race of the season in Melbourne
With 10 points for fifth place in the opening race of the 2022 season, Haas scored more points in one evening in Bahrain than they had over the 50 previous race weekends combined.

Gian Carlo Minardi takes FIA single-seater role formerly held by Masi
Minardi Formula 1 team founder Gian Carlo Minardi has been elected FIA single seater commission president by the World Motor Sport Council.

@zia1288
Yes, that is a possibility but this could be for some other reason then just fuel. As they are also suffering from porpoising and that could also effect the power unit life, so trying to control it they could be using de-tuning of engine.

F1 and FIA have shot in their own foot by not allowing at least 5 or 6 engines for the whole season and now they could still allow a unanimously increase of engine limit to avoid penalty galore from mid season to end part of season and it could become the championship deciding factor.

If team exhausts its budgetary allocation before the end of season, they will allow to continue to complete the season but they will be penalized in the form of prize money reduction for those races which they competed outside of budgetary allocation. They will also can't bring any new updates to the car after the budget exhaustion and only allowed to run the races with the same parts.

[genius83]

Why F1’s sprint race pole position fix is merely cosmetic
Formula 1’s sprint event format returns for a second season in this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Here is the Timing Schedule for this weekend's Emilia-Romagna GP with Sprint Race:

Emilia-Romagna GP
Friday
Practice Session 1   16:30 To 17:30
Qualifying Session   20:00 To 21:00

Saturday
Practice Session 2   15:30 To 16:30
Sprint Session       19:30 To 20:30

Sunday
Race                 18:00 To 20:00

[genius83]

Miami F1 track “95% complete” ahead of first race next month
The promoters of the Miami Grand Prix say the new track which will hold the race is almost complete.

Aston Martin’s porpoising “does not allow us to exploit the progress the guys have made”
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack admits there is a sense of frustration at the team on how their progress is being constrained by the problems they have experienced with ‘porpoising’.

[genius83]

Leclerc robbed of watch in Viareggio
Charles Leclerc was the victim of a robbery in Viareggio, Italy yesterday in which his watch was taken, Ferrari has confirmed.

F1 alters configuration of Imola’s DRS zone again
Formula 1 has changed the configuration of the single DRS zone at Imola for the third year running since the track returned to the calendar.

[genius83]

Ferrari extend Sainz’s contract to end of 2024 season
Carlos Sainz Jnr will race with Ferrari until at least the end of the 2024 season after signing a contract extension with the team.

Hamilton linked to deal to buy Chelsea football club
Seven-times Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton could become one of the new owners of the Chelsea football club.

Rain expected to complicate F1’s first sprint weekend of 2022
The first sprint event of the 2022 season is set to prove even more challenging for Formula 1 drivers due to the risk of rain during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend.

Sainz was “laughing at home” at reports his Ferrari future was in doubt
After confirming a new two-year deal to drive for Ferrari today, Carlos Sainz Jnr said he was amused by reports published elsewhere earlier this week which suggested his future at the team was in doubt.

[genius83]

Leclerc leads one-two for flying Ferraris in wet first practice at Imola
Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari one-two at the top of the times in a wet first practice session in Imola ahead of Friday evening’s qualifying session.

Emilia Romagna GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap     Laps
 1  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:29.402s  -       24
 2  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:30.279s  0.877s  25
 3   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:30.867s  1.465s  20
 4  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:32.439s  3.037s  23
 5  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:32.988s  3.586s  22
 6  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:33.012s  3.610s  17
 7  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:33.160s  3.758s  13
 8   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:33.365s  3.963s  22
 9  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:33.611s  4.209s  18
10  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:34.262s  4.860s  21
11  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:34.615s  5.213s  19
12  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:35.104s  5.702s  19
13  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:35.420s  6.018s  14
14   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:35.502s  6.100s  12
15   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:35.625s  6.223s  14
16  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:36.033s  6.631s  22
17  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:36.461s  7.059s  16
18  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:36.464s  7.062s  17
19  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:37.450s  8.048s  21
20   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:39.698s 10.296s  14

Failed part which caused Verstappen’s latest retirement ‘had done over 10,000km’
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says they have corrected the failure which caused Max Verstappen’s retirement from the Australian Grand Prix.

Alonso going into weekend “blind” with only example of Alpine’s new floor
Fernando Alonso will run the only example of a new floor which his team has brought for this weekend.

Verstappen urges TV interviews change as drivers criticise F1’s new weekend format
Formula 1 drivers are unhappy that changes to the structure of grand prix weekends this year have increased the demands on their time.

Mercedes’ Imola upgrades won’t bring “ground-breaking” improvement – Hamilton
Mercedes have brought a series of upgrades for their car this weekend but Lewis Hamilton says they are unlikely to transform its performance.

Haas won’t hurry new sponsorship deals after Uralkali split
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says the team is taking extra care with its choice of partners after splitting from former title sponsor Uralkali.

Verstappen: “Difficult to say” whether Red Bull have fixed “unexpected” reliability problems
Max Verstappen is unsure whether Red Bull have got to the bottom of their reliability problems after retiring from two of the first three races this year.

Racing rules clarification issued to F1 drivers post-Abu Dhabi published in full
The FIA has published the updated Formula 1 driving standards guidelines which were issued ahead of the 2022 season.

Gasly “wasn’t a big fan” of F1’s first three sprint races
Pierre Gasly admitted he wasn’t keen on Formula 1’s sprint race format after its introduction last year.

Finding watch thieves ‘won’t be as smooth as what I’ve read’ – Leclerc
Charles Leclerc expects it will be difficult for police to locate the thieves who robbed him of a watch in Italy three days ago.

“It’s the biggest sport in the world”: Hamilton explains why he joined Chelsea takeover bid
Lewis Hamilton says his childhood passion for football motivated his interest in joining a bid to take over the English Premier League side Chelsea.

[genius83]

Verstappen claims sprint race pole as five red flags fly in chaotic qualifying
Max Verstappen will start Saturday’s sprint race from pole position after enduring a chaotic qualifying session at Imola.

Emilia Romagna GP
Qualifying Session
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap     Laps
 1   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:27.999s  -       22
 2  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:28.778s 0.779s   22
 3   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:29.131s 1.132s   22
 4  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:29.164s 1.165s   21
 5  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:29.202s 1.203s   26
 6   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      1:29.742s 1.743s   21
 7  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:29.808s 1.809s   25
 8  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:30.439s 2.440s   23
 9   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:31.062s 3.063s   25
10  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               No time            13
11  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:20.757s 1.964s   16
12  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:20.916s 2.123s   16
13  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:21.138s 2.345s   15
14  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:21.434s 2.641s   16
15  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:28.119s 9.326s   14
16  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:20.474s 1.678s   11
17  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:20.732s 1.936s   11
18   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:21.971s 3.175s   13
19  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:22.338s 3.542s    9
20  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     No time

“Hectic, long qualifying” leaves Verstappen pleased, Leclerc frustrated
Max Verstappen said he was “very pleased” to claim pole position for tomorrow’s sprint race after a qualifying session which was disrupted by five red flags.

Hamilton says Mercedes “underperformed as a team” after qualifying 13th
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes “underperformed as a team” after neither of the team’s cars made it into the top 10.

@All
Remember this season in Sprint Race top 8 finishers will get points which is as follows:

1st -----> 8 Points
2nd -----> 7 Points
3rd ------> 6 Points
4th ------> 5 Points
5th ------> 4 Points
6th ------> 3 Points
7th ------> 2 Points
8th ------> 1 Point

[genius83]

Russell fastest for Mercedes in dry final practice session at Imola
George Russell used soft tyres to set the fastest time of the second and final practice session for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Emilia Romagna GP
Practice Session 2
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Time      Gap     Laps
 1  63  George Russell    Mercedes              1:19.457s  -       32
 2  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull              1:19.538s 0.081s   33
 3  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari               1:19.740s 0.283s   35
 4  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:19.992s 0.535s   34
 5  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault        1:20.174s 0.717s   29
 6  55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari               1:20.258s 0.801s   31
 7   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull              1:20.371s 0.914s   36
 8  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:20.381s 0.924s   35
 9  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull   1:20.439s 0.982s   37
10  24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:20.498s 1.041s   32
11  23  Alexander Albon   Williams-Mercedes     1:20.591s 1.134s   34
12  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari          1:20.740s 1.283s   30
13  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari          1:20.977s 1.520s   29
14  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:21.149s 1.692s   38
15   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:21.155s 1.698s   38
16  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault        1:21.179s 1.722s   30
17   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes     1:21.263s 1.806s   31
18   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes      1:23.821s 4.364s    6
19   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes      No time     -       0
20  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    No time     -       0

F1 teams peel off paint in bid to reduce weight
Formula 1 teams are increasingly leaving large parts of their cars unpainted as they strive to reduce weight and improve performance.

Ferrari’s Russian test driver Shwartzman will use Israeli licence for F1 appearances
Ferrari’s Russian test driver Robert Shwartzman will use an Israeli licence to make any appearances for the team in Formula 1.

Sprint race pole-winner Verstappen “not a fan” of the format
Max Verstappen will start today’s Emilia-Romagna sprint race from pole position but admits he isn’t keen on the format Formula 1 introduced last year.

Bahrain test woe made McLaren “look definitely worse than we actually are” – Seidl
McLaren believe their poor pre-season test in Bahrain made their car look less competitive than it is, having performed more competitively in the races since then.

“Incorrect switch position” caused Albon’s brake fire in qualifying
Williams have revealed Alexander Albon’s dramatic brake fire and explosion in qualifying occured because of an incorrect switch setting.

Magnussen relieved to take fourth after “lucky” gravel trap escape
Kevin Magnussen admitted he thought his qualifying session was over when he spun into a gravel trap in Q3.

Norris says front row start was within reach before Q3 crash
Lando Norris says he could have challenged Charles Leclerc for second on the grid for the Imola sprint race before he went off at the end of the session.

[waleed80]

Red Bull is coming back finally. Interesting

[genius83]

Verstappen passes Leclerc to win Imola sprint race after poor start
Max Verstappen won the sprint race and claimed pole position for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix after passing Charles Leclerc in the closing laps.

Emilia Romagna GP
Sprint Session
Pos No. Driver            Team                  Laps Time       Gap
 1   1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull               21  30:39.567s  -
 2  16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari                21  30:42.542s  2.975s
 3  11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull               21  30:44.288s  4.721s
 4  55  Carlos Sainz Jr   Ferrari                21  30:57.145s 17.578s
 5   4  Lando Norris      McLaren-Mercedes       21  31:04.128s 24.561s
 6   3  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren-Mercedes       21  31:07.307s 27.740s
 7  77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     21  31:07.700s 28.133s
 8  20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas-Ferrari           21  31:10.279s 30.712s
 9  14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine-Renault         21  31:11.845s 32.278s
10  47  Mick Schumacher   Haas-Ferrari           21  31:13.340s 33.773s
11  63  George Russell    Mercedes               21  31:15.851s 36.284s
12  22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri-Red Bull    21  31:17.865s 38.298s
13   5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin-Mercedes  21  31:19.744s 40.177s
14  44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes               21  31:21.026s 41.459s
15  18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin-Mercedes  21  31:22.477s 42.910s
16  31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine-Renault         21  31:23.084s 43.517s
17  10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri-Red Bull    21  31:23.361s 43.794s
18  23  Alex Albon        Williams-Mercedes      21  31:28.438s 48.871s
19   6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams-Mercedes      21  31:31.584s 52.017s
DNF 24  Zhou Guanyu       Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      0

Here is the World Standing after the Emilia Romagna Sprint Session:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver              Pts
 1  Charles Leclerc      78
 2  Carlos Sainz Jnr     38
 3  George Russell       37
 4  Sergio Perez         36
 5  Max Verstappen       33
 6  Lewis Hamilton       28
 7  Lando Norris         20
 8  Esteban Ocon         20
 9  Valtteri Bottas      14
10  Kevin Magnussen      13
11  Daniel Ricciardo     11
12  Pierre Gasly          6
13  Yuki Tsunoda          4
14  Fernando Alonso       2
15  Zhou Guanyu           1
16  Alexander Albon       1
17  Mick Schumacher       0
18  Lance Stroll          0
19  Nico Hulkenberg       0
20  Nicholas Latifi       0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team             Pts
 1  Ferrari          116
 2  Red Bull          69
 3  Mercedes          65
 4  McLaren           31
 5  Alpine            22
 6  Alfa Romeo        15
 7  Haas              13
 8  AlphaTauri        10
 9  Williams           1
10  Aston Martin       0

Brawn unmoved by Russell’s criticism of “processional” sprint race
Formula 1 motorsport director Ross Brawn said the opinions of front-running drivers on sprint races matter more after George Russell called today’s event “processional”.

Verstappen says Leclerc “ran out of tyres” before end of sprint race
Max Verstappen says he was able to pass Charles Leclerc to win the Emilia-Romagna sprint race because the Ferrari driver ran into trouble with his tyres.

Sainz “made up the maximum he could” in climb from tenth to fourth
Carlos Sainz Jnr says he made up the most places he could have hoped to in the sprint race after a crash in qualifying meant he started 10th.

Binotto confident Sainz will manage the pressure of being in a title-contending team
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says Carlos Sainz Jnr will learn how to manage the pressure that comes with racing for a championship-contending team.

Mercedes can’t claim to be championship contenders at the moment, says Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says that the reigning eight time constructors’ champions can no longer consider themselves among the title contenders in 2022.