Max Verstappen beat Carlos Sainz to top spot in final practice at the French Grand Prix.
Verstappen’s best lap of 1m 32.272s covered Sainz by a comfortable 0.354s margin, while Charles Leclerc struggled with degradation in third, 0.637s off the pace.
The Dutchman’s supremacy was such that even his quickest time on the medium compound would have put him second in the final order – and it would’ve been quick enough to keep top spot before Sainz set a second time on softs after two cool-down laps.
Continue reading on RACERFerrari dominated second practice at the French Grand Prix, with Carlos Sainz leading Charles Leclerc in the top two spots. Max Verstappen was more than half a second adrift in third.
Sainz, who will start the race no higher than 10th thanks to a power unit change penalty, set a session-best time of 1m 32.527s to edge his teammate by just 0.101s. The Spaniard set his quickest lap on his second flyer on the soft tire despite the sweltering track temperature of 131 degrees F.
Verstappen had no answer to Ferrari’s one-lap pace and elected to skip straight to his long-run work afterwards. He ended the hour 0.55s off the pace and complaining of understeer in his RB18, the same problem having afflicted him in the first session earlier in the day.
Continue reading on RACERCharles Leclerc topped first practice from title leader Max Verstappen at the French Grand Prix.
Leclerc’s Ferrari, equipped with a new floor along with its low-drag rear wing, looked most at home on the sizzling-hot Circuit Paul Ricard, where track temperatures soared to 140 degrees F. His best lap of 1m 33.930s was quick enough to pip Verstappen by 0.091s despite a slow middle sector — which is defined by the long back straight and chicane — losing him a couple of tenths.
Verstappen, however, appeared to have considerably more pace available to him. His fastest lap of soft tires comprised the fastest times through the first two sectors before he made a mistake in the final sector. The Dutchman’s Red Bull RB18, which was struggling with understeer all session, drifted wide at the long Turn 11, which probably cost him in the vicinity of 0.3s.
Continue reading on RACERMcLaren signs Rob and Michael to its driver roster but won’t say for which category. Mike Krack gets a visit from a mysterious Australian at 3am.
Rosberg X Racing extends its championship lead as its title rivals struggle for consistency over two tough rounds in Sardinia.
James, Freya and Michael wrap up the Neom Island X Prix double-header by debating what goes into a good Scandinavian breakfast, whether being flat is a real emotional state and who got stuck in the goo, which is a technical racing term.
Charles Leclerc is a winner for the first time in three months after dominating the race on Red Bull’s home turf at the Austrian Grand Prix. Featuring Scott Mitchell from The Race.
Fernando Alonso has the greatest race of his career, while Charles Leclerc also partakes in the grand prix.
Charles Leclerc scored a crucial victory over Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix to spark new life in his title campaign.
Ferrari enjoyed a dominant afternoon and was on track for a decisive one-two finish, but Carlos Sainz retired with a spectacularly exploding power unit 11 laps from the finish.
Sainz’s fiery retirement came as he attempted to pass Verstappen for second place and secure the team a much-needed reprieve from a run of bumbling performances. Instead his burnt-out wreckage in the run-off zone at Turn 4 triggered a virtual safety car that enlivened what had looked like a commanding Leclerc victory.
Continue reading on RACERMax Verstappen dominated the Austria sprint race ahead of the squabbling Ferrari drivers to inch open his world championship lead.
Verstappen got away cleanly from the line, while Carlos Sainz followed him into the first corner from third on the grid, jumping teammate Charles Leclerc, who started on the front row.
The Spaniard attempted to challenge the Dutchman into Turn 3 but went deep, and Leclerc took his opportunity to cut down his inside and get the better exit. The Monegasque was later on the brakes on the inside of Turn 4 and took the place back, demoting his teammate to third.
Continue reading on RACERCarlos Sainz narrowly edged Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to top final practice at the Austrian Grand Prix. The Spaniard’s fastest lap, a 1m08.610s, was just 0.05s quicker than Leclerc’s best effort, both on the soft tires. Pole-getter for today’s sprint, Max Verstappen was third and 0.168s off the pace.
The Ferrari teammates were among the most prolific lap-setting teams despite the fundamentally dead-rubber nature of the hour run under parc ferme conditions, accumulating 82 laps between them, or more than a race distance in total.
Verstappen’s session was somewhat more subdued, the Dutchman completing only 32 laps mostly on medium tires, on which his quickest time was set. He broke out a used set of softs at the end of the hour but got caught in traffic and opted against pursuing a flying lap.
Continue reading on RACERMax Verstappen will start the Austrian Grand Prix sprint race from pole after pipping Charles Leclerc to top spot by just 0.029s. British Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz qualified third and just 0.082s off the pace.
Verstappen left his best until last. Not only was the Red Bull driver one of the last across the line, but his first two sectors weren’t improvements on his previous laps, with the fine difference all coming at the final split.
“At the end it was a very tight qualifying,” he said. “It’s a very challenging track as well to get everything right.
Continue reading on RACERMax Verstappen led a disrupted first practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix ahead of qualifying later today.
Verstappen looked comfortable at the head of the field for much of the crucial hour and ended his program 0.255s quicker than Charles Leclerc, with a best lap of 1m 6.302s. But no driver squeezed their complete programs into the 60-minute session thanks to two red flags that interrupted running.
The first was for Lando Norris, who parked his McLaren at the side of the road after reporting smoke emanating from beneath his seat, ending his session.
Continue reading on RACERCarlos Sainz wins his first grand prix from his first pole position, but another questionable Ferrari strategy leaves Charles Leclerc cold. Featuring Julien Billiotte, F1 reporter, Autohebdo.
It’s the second and third round of the Extreme E championship and Off Track previews the Island X Prix. Fraser McConnell gives his analysis of the Sardinia course, and James, Michael and Freya pick their favourites ahead of the double-header.
Grass. Cream. Garboldisham. Crowds. The South Downs. Ovaltine. Cream. Heaps of cream — cream and lawnmowers. Summer holidays in creamy Cromer. Vaulting over a stile in the country lane. Catching sticklebacks in an old tin can. Honestly, nanny, I never touched them. Piano lessons with Mrs Duckworth. Father’s hands on the steering wheel. Sit up straight! Going faster and faster. Locked in the cupboard for being rude to Mrs Howlett. Take the Wolseley for a run. England. Elgar. South Downs. Bath olivers. Oh, play the game. Elbows off the table. Who’s a brave soldier, then? Daddy’s hands all steamy and starchy. England and cream. Creamy old England. Custard creams. Strawberries and cream. English cream. Creamy England. England. Cream. The cream of old England.
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Carlos Sainz won the first Formula 1 race of his career in a sensational British Grand Prix.
Sainz endured a roller-coaster afternoon to claim his maiden win. He started on pole and held the lead with a robust defense on Max Verstappen at the first turn, but he didn’t have the Dutchman’s pace early in the race, and a mistake on lap 10 at Becketts gifted Red Bull Racing first place.
He got the lead back just two laps later when Verstappen dropped deep into the midfield with a puncture and bodywork damage, but now his teammate, Charles Leclerc, was the one applying pressure, with the Monegasque desperate to get past before the charging Lewis Hamilton caught them.
Continue reading on RACERPure’s F1 fanatic, Matt Oostveen, is joined by former F1 driver, Alex Yoong and F1 journalist Michael Lamonato to dissect all the action on the track and in the pits during the British GP and what it all means for the championship.