Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says Formula 1 must work more closely with its new race directors to accelerate their improvement after they were parachuted into the role at the start of the season.
Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich are sharing the race directorship this year after the FIA restructured race control in the wake of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix scandal that saw the world title decided after some controversial decisions from then race boss Michael Masi.
An internal investigation found Masi was overworked in the role and lacked support. Doubling up the number of race directors is one of the governing bodyâs responses to the findings.
Continue reading on RACERSergio Perez narrowly beat Charles Leclerc in Saturdayâs final practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Mexicanâs best time, a 1m43.170s, was only 0.07s quicker than Leclercâs fastest lap. He was almost 0.14s up on the Monegasque in the first and third sector, the bulk coming along the straight time between Turn 16 and the finish line, but Leclerc halved the difference in the slower middle sector.
Max Verstappen was third and a further 0.2s adrift, though the Dutchman had to abort his first flying lap on soft tires near the end of the session due to yellow flags at Turn 3, flown for an errant Valtteri Bottas.
Continue reading on RACERMercedes team boss Toto Wolff says Formula 1 should look to American sport for guidance on capping driver salaries as debate about expanding the cost cap heats up.
Drivers are opposed to moves to cap their earnings as part of a broader push to keep team spending in check. A driver salary cap would be separate from the general cost cap, which currently excludes each teamâs three biggest earners.
On Friday in Azerbaijan several drivers spoke out against the idea, claiming it would be unfair to limit their earnings when the sport is bringing in more money than ever before on the back of a popularity boom. Sebastian Vettel described it as a strategy to boost team bottom lines.
Continue reading on RACERGeorge Russell is calling for talks with Formula 1 to find a way to reduce the propensity for porpoising with the current generation of cars after a painful afternoon at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Mercedes in particular has struggled with aerodynamic bouncing for most of the year, and although upgrades brought to the Spanish Grand Prix facilitated a strong weekend for the reigning constructorsâ champion in Barcelona, the porpoising has returned with a vengeance in Baku.
The problem is particularly bad in Azerbaijan, where the cars are flat out for more than 1.3 miles down the front straight, the longest single blast in the sport. The faster the cars go, the more energized the ground-effect floor becomes, sucking the cars closer to the ground until they bottom out, which causes the bouncing.
Continue reading on RACERCharles Leclerc took top spot in second practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of Sergio Perez. The Monegasque trailed the Mexican in the first hour but snatched top spot in the late afternoon with a 0.248s margin.
Leclercâs Ferrari was running with a much skinnier wing compared to FP1, and it showed in the sector times. Whereas earlier on Friday he was dominated in the first sector, by the end of the day he was quickest of all in that split â and without sacrificing performance in the slow and twisty middle sector, where his advantage was at its largest. In fact he was quicker than Perezâs Red Bull through all three splits by the end of the afternoon as well as at the speed trap.
But the day wasnât flawless for Leclerc, who in the final five minutes complained this his engine was losing power, though the team radioed back that it was nothing to be worried about.
Continue reading on RACERSergio Perez topped a blustery first practice hour at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of Charles Leclerc. Perez, who won in Baku last season, set a best lap of 1m45.476s to beat Leclerc by 0.127s.
The Red Bull Racing and Ferrari cars were generating lap time in dramatically different ways. Perez was fastest of all in the straightforward first sector, but Leclerc made is all back with a purple time in the second split, which comprises 11 of the trackâs 20 turns.
The last sector, comprising the flat-out run from Turn 16 to the first corner, went Perezâs way by 0.2s, setting the classification in his favor.
Continue reading on RACERLewis Hamilton has welcomed FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem walking back his comments stating that drivers shouldnât be using their F1 platform to advocate social and environmental causes.
Ben Sulayem singled out Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Lando Norris for using Formula 1 to âimpose [their] beliefsâ on the audience in an interview published last week, but in a tweet on Thursday he clarified that he believed the sport could be a force for positive change.
âAs a driver, I have always believed in sport as a catalyst of progress in society,â he wrote. âThat is why promoting sustainability, diversity and inclusion is a key priority of my mandate. In the same way, I value the commitment of all drivers and champions for a better future.â
Continue reading on RACERDaniel Ricciardo has rejected rumors that he could lose his McLaren race seat, reiterating his commitment to the team through to the end of next season.
Ricciardoâs tenure at McLaren has been the subject of intense speculation since the last two rounds in Spain and Monaco, where he was comprehensively beaten by teammate Lando Norris despite the latterâs struggle with tonsillitis and failed to score points, extending his run of dry races to six from seven grands prix.
Pressure was ratcheted up by team CEO Zak Brown declaring publicly that the Australian wasnât meeting expectations and then openly discussing exit clauses in his contract. But speaking ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Ricciardo said he retained the confidence of Brown and the team and was committed for the long haul.
Continue reading on RACERWorld champion Max Verstappen has hit out against the idea of a cap on Formula 1 driver salaries, arguing it would limit their ability to capitalize on the sportâs growing popularity and booming income.
F1 introduced a general cost cap last season for the first time in its history, but it excludes the three highest paid members of staff â typically the drivers and team principal.
Expanding expenditure controls to the drivers has long been mooted, with $30 million to cover a roster of two drivers informally proposed in 2020. The sport has yet to pursue it vigorously, with the question of how to deal with drivers already signed up on hefty salaries proving a tricky one to tackle, but the dramatic rise in inflation and ensuing spending squeeze has resharpened focus on its introduction in recent weeks.
Continue reading on RACERMax Verstappen dominated final practice at the British Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez.
Verstappen had only two stints on track on the soft tire but blitzed the field easily with his second set of the red-walled rubber to set a time of 1m27.901s, which was 0.41s quicker than Perez in a strong rebound for Red Bull Racing after a difficult Friday setting up its upgraded car.
Ferrari was the next-best team, but Charles Leclerc was 0.447s off the pace, almost all of which was lost along the straights, with the red car otherwise a match through the corners.
Continue reading on RACERSergio Perez won a chaotic Monaco Grand Prix in mixed-conditions after polesitter Charles Leclerc conceded the lead in a series of strategic bungles.
The race started 65 minutes late thanks to a burst of heavy rain during the start procedure, and race control got action underway with a rolling start behind the safety car to keep the field on the full wet tire.
Leclerc led Carlos Sainz, Perez, and Max Verstappen easily at the start, but the track was drying quickly, and the timing of the switch to intermediates was looming as the major flashpoint of the race.
Continue reading on RACERSergio Perez blocked Charles Leclerc from whitewashing practice at the Monaco Grand Prixby setting the fastest time in FP3.
The Mexican went to the top of the time sheets by just 0.041s with a lap right at the death of the hour-long session to fire a warning shot across Ferrariâs bows ahead of qualifying.
Perez and Leclerc traded quickest times for the final 10 minutes of the session as they squeezed the final drops of performance from the soft Pirelli rubber.
Continue reading on RACERCharles Leclerc swept Friday practice by leading a Ferrari one-two in second practice at the Monaco Grand Prix.
The home favorite set a time of 1m12.656s to edge teammate Carlos Sainz by just 0.44s. His best effort was also less than a second slower than last yearâs FP2-topping time, suggesting this yearâs new-generation car isnât as maladapted as feared.
The two Ferrari drivers were in a class of their own on single-lap pace, with Sergio Perez 0.379s off the pace as the next quickest driver. The Mexican bested Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen by just 0.68s.
Continue reading on RACERCharles Leclerc narrowly beat Sergio Perez to the top spot in opening practice for the Monaco Grand Prix. The Monegasqueâs best lap of 1m14.531s was just 0.039s quicker than the Mexican, with both setting their times on the medium compound in the final 10 minutes of the session.
Carlos Sainz completed a tightly knit top three, just 0.07s behind his Ferrari teammate, but the Spaniard left time on the table. He was set for the fastest lap, complete with purple sectors at the first two splits, when he encountered traffic exiting Swimming Pool and had to abandon the effort, leaving him fractionally adrift.
Both Ferrari drivers complained of bouncing early in the session, but some setup changes halfway through seemed to improve matters, with Leclercâs floor coming off the car for a time for further configuration work.
Continue reading on RACERMax Verstappen has taken the lead of the Formula 1 world championship by six points with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix after Charles Leclerc retired with a power unit problem.
Polesitter Leclerc was cruising with a comfortable 13-second lead when an âunidentified PU issueâ forced him to limp back to the pits for his first DNF since last yearâs Hungarian Grand Prix.
But it was George Russell, not Verstappen, who inherited the lead when Leclerc abandoned the field.
Continue reading on RACERCharles Leclerc swept the first two practice sessions at the Spanish Grand Prix ahead of George Russell on another potentially promising practice day for Mercedes.
Leclercâs soft-tire run came in at 1m19.670s, which was just 0.117s quicker than Russellâs best effort and 0.2s quicker than Lewis Hamilton. Itâs the second consecutive round Mercedes has looked competitive during Friday practice, after Russell topped FP2 in Miami two weeks ago, albeit before the car mysteriously fell away from Saturday onwards.
More promising this weekend at least is that the W13 was fastest in the speed trap, the team having struggled with straight-line performance for much of the year to date. Russell also said the car felt improved compared to Miami, another sign of potential light at the end of the tunnel.
Continue reading on RACERCharles Leclerc led Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz to the top of the time sheet in first practice at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Title leader Leclercâs best time of 1m19.828s was 0.079s quicker than his teammateâs fastest attempt despite the Monegasque complaining of light traffic on his flying lap on softs.
Both Ferrari cars are running in heavily upgraded configuration for the first time this season, with the floor being the principal area of focus as the team seeks to close its estimated 0.2s gap to Red Bull Racing.
Continue reading on RACERMax Verstappen won the inaugural Miami Grand Prix after surviving a late-race battle with Charles Leclerc to slash his championship deficit again.
Leclerc started from pole and held first off the line but Verstappen launched to second around the outside of Carlos Sainz, boxing in the Spaniard behind the lead Ferrari, forcing him to concede and instead focus on holding back Sergio Perez from fourth.
The Red Bull Racing carâs straight-line speed then became decisive. Verstappen latched onto the back of Leclerc on lap eight and dragged him through the final sector. The benefit of DRS made for an easy move into Turn 1 at the start of the following lap.
Continue reading on RACER