Formula 1 Tag

By FIA Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel beat Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen by just under four hundredths of a second to clinch top spot in a tight final practice session for the Italian Grand Prix that saw the top five drivers separated by just 0.270s. Track time in the session was abbreviated by 10 minutes as circuit works remove a kerb from the outside of the Parabolica curve and to repair fencing following an incident in the earlier FIA Formula 3 race in which Alex Peroni’s car had been flipped intoRead More

By FIA Charles Leclerc continued to the lead the way in practice for the Italian Grand Prix, edging Lewis Hamilton by 0.068s to take top spot in the afternoon session at Monza. The Monegasque driver went quickest in a rain-affected morning session and as the weather again made conditions tricky midway through in the afternoon session Leclerc made good use of largely dry conditions early on to undertake his qualifying simulation. With softs tyres on board the Ferrari youngster posted a best time of 1:20.978 to take top spot. Leclerc’s FerrariRead More

By FIA Charles Leclerc topped a rain-affected first practice for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix that was interrupted by red flags on three occasions. Leclerc, who last weekend in Belgium became Ferrari’s youngest grand prix winner, claimed top at the end of the damp session as the field moves to slick tyres at the end of the session. The Monegasque driver set a best time of 1:27.905 to beat McLaren’s Carlos Sainz by three tenths of a second, with the Spanish driver a further two tenths ahead of team-mate Lando Norris.Read More

By FIA Charles Leclerc took an emotional first Formula One win at Spa-Francorchamps and immediately dedicated his maiden victory to childhood racing rival Anthoine Hubert who tragically lost his life in a crash in Saturday’s FIA Formula 2 race at the Ardennes circuit. “On the one hand I’ve got a dream since being as child that has been realised. But on the other hand it has been a very difficult weekend since yesterday,” he said after defying late pressure from championship leader to take the win. “We have lost aRead More

By FIA Charles Leclerc beat team-mate Sebastian Vettel by seven tenths of a second to claim pole position for tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix as Ferrari locked out the front row ahead of Mercedes at Spa-Francorchamps. Quickest across the first two qualifying segments, Leclerc stretched the gap back to his rivals in the final top-10 shoot-out to claim his third career pole with a lap of 1:42.519, a massive 0.748s ahead of Vettel who chiefly lost out to his young team-mate in the middle sector of the 7km circuit. Mercedes’s LewisRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Sergio Perez is set to remain at Racing Point after signing a three-year extension that goes through the 2022 Formula 1 season. The 29-year-old Mexican has been a fixture on the team for the past six seasons, with memorable performances that has brought five of his eight career podiums. Additionally, the extension will see Racing Point return the same driver lineup next year with Perez alongside teammate Lance Stroll. “I’m very excited to extend my partnership with the team for the next three years,” Perez said.Read More

By FIA Charles Leclerc topped the timesheet in the second free practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix, eclipsing Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel by more than six tenths of a second and running more than eight tenths quicker than the third placed Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas. After being edged out of P1 by Vettel in the morning session Leclerc quickly moved to the top of the order in the afternoon, going quickest in the early phases run on medium-tyres. Vettel was the first to move to soft tyres and attemptRead More

By FIA Sebastian Vettel outpaced team-mate Charles Leclerc by two tenths of a second to head a Ferrari one-two in the opening practice session for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. Ferrari, which won here last year courtesy of Vettel, are again tipped as potential winners of this race and four-time champion Vettel established the team’s credentials midway through the morning session at Spa-Francorchamps, edging out Leclerc after the Monegasque racer had earlier displaced Red Bull’s Max Verstappen from top spot. Vettel’s 1:44.574 was 0.210 clear of Leclerc’s best time andRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Valtteri Bottas has been retained by Mercedes for the 2020 Formula 1 season. The 30-year-old Finn currently has earned five victories and 10 pole positions since joining the German outfit in 2017. Additionally, he sits second in the championship standings. “I am very happy and proud to be part of the team for a fourth season and wish to thank every team member and the board of Mercedes for their trust and belief in me,” Bottas said. “My performances have been getting better and better eachRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Esteban Ocon is set to return to Formula 1 after signing a two-year deal with Renault, replacing Nico Hulkenberg for the 2020 season. The 22-year-old Frenchman will team alongside Daniel Ricciardo and moves over to the French squad after spending this campaign in a reserve role with Mercedes. However, after Mercedes opted to retain veteran Valtteri Bottas it allowed Ocon to be released for an opportunity to join Renault. Ocon has 50 F1 starts under his belt, with his most recent drive coming with Racing PointRead More