Formula 1

McLaren wanted a Mercedes Formula 1 engine supply so it could give itself “nowhere to hide” as it bids to establish itself as a leading team again. During the Russian Grand Prix weekend McLaren and Mercedes announced they would reunite in 2021, once McLaren’s current Renault engine deal ends. It will mark the end of

Mattia Binotto has suggested the crucial recent car upgrades that transformed Ferrari into Formula 1’s form team were a result of bringing forward development work planned for 2020. Ferrari brought a major aerodynamic package including a new nose, floor and diffuser to the Singapore Grand Prix that appears to have eliminated its dependency on power-sensitive

Last weekend’s Russian Grand Prix was the latest Formula 1 race to feature a virtual safety-car period that turned the expected outcome on its head. What would otherwise have been a comfortable Ferrari win was scuppered when Sebastian Vettel stopped on track and triggered the VSC, allowing Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to pit and rejoin ahead

George Russell says he would ‘bet his house’ on the Williams Formula 1 team not repeating its 2019 mistakes next season. Williams missed much of winter testing at Barcelona due to late build complications with the FW42, and the car has been the least competitive in the field ever since – having scored just one

Formula 1’s leading teams are supportive of an idea to publish some car part designs online for rivals to use but feel the proposal would need time to work properly. The sweeping rule changes planned for 2021 have included standardising some parts to lower costs but this has been met with opposition by teams, with

Formula 1’s 2020 calendar has been officially signed off by the FIA, following a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council on Friday. The 22-race schedule, which is the biggest in F1 history, will begin in Australia on March 15 and conclude in Abu Dhabi on November 29. The two new events being added to

Williams believes the delayed arrival of a new Formula 1 steering wheel is still of value to Robert Kubica, even though it did not appeared until after the summer break. Kubica pushed for more controls to be moved to the left-hand side of the steering wheel at the start of the season, because his injured

The Williams Formula 1 team says a wheel-retention issue caused George Russell’s Russian Grand Prix retirement, and reiterated a lack of spares led it to stop Robert Kubica’s sister car. Russell crashed on lap 27 of 53 at Sochi under virtual safety car conditions, shortly after making a pitstop. Williams then decided to call Kubica

Formula 1 has responded to suggestions from a Spanish entity that it is planning an entry for 2021 by stating it is in “no serious discussions” with potential new teams. A press release was issued earlier on Thursday on behalf of a prospective team with links to F2 outfit Campos Racing and MIM, the Monaco-based

A new team linked to Campos Racing has targeted entering Formula 1 in 2021 with ex-Mercedes protege Pascal Wehrlein as one of its drivers. Eponymous team owner Adrian Campos and his co-owner Salvatore Gandolfo want to use F1’s major rules overhaul in 2021, including a budget cap, to enter a Spanish team. It intends to

Renault Formula 1 boss Cyril Abiteboul insists catching McLaren in the constructors’ championship is still possible despite recent grands prix being a “poor reward” for the car’s pace. In last weekend’s Russian GP, Daniel Ricciardo had to retire after sustaining damage in first lap contact with Antonio Giovinazzi while from seventh on the grid Nico

Sebastian Vettel’s refusal to adhere to instructions from his Ferrari Formula 1 team during last weekend’s Russian Grand Prix evoked a sense of deja vu. At Sochi, Vettel was told by Ferrari to allow his team-mate Charles Leclerc past after gaining the lead from the polesitter at the start, but refused to do so –

Max Verstappen reckons Red Bull’s strong form early in the Russian Grand Prix weekend did not carry into the race because it had less room to improve than its rivals. Verstappen had outpaced his nearest rival, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, by three tenths of a second in Friday practice at Sochi, and looked able to match

Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has explained why Daniil Kvyat was not specifically singled-out by the refusal to allow a special helmet design at the Russian Grand Prix. Kvyat was upset that his request to run in a different coloured design for his home race at Sochi was declined by the FIA – even

Max Verstappen’s father Jos has urged Red Bull to make changes at the team to avoid another “lost year” in 2020. On the back of a frustrating second half to this season, the former grand prix driver has hinted at impatience from himself and his son about the lack of progress being made. In an

Haas Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean has suggested his fellow drivers should be “more gentlemanly” on the first lap of races after he was pitched into the barriers in Russia. Grosjean was hit by Antonio Giovinazzi when the Alfa Romeo driver found himself with nowhere to go and Daniel Ricciardo to his right. Giovinazzi was

Ferrari became embroiled in a team orders controversy in Formula 1’s Russian Grand Prix after Sebastian Vettel failed to let Charles Leclerc past when asked by his team. Vettel gained the lead at the start with the benefit of a tow from team-mate Leclerc but did not hand the position back during a series of

Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton says he was trying to “do qualifying laps every lap” to keep pace with Ferrari in the first phase of the Russian Grand Prix. The championship leader trailed Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc during the opening stint at Sochi as Ferrari cemented its qualifying advantage and Mercedes committed to

Nico Hulkenberg says his Russian Grand Prix result feels “bitter” and was not what he and the pace of his Renault RS19 car deserved. Hulkenberg had the edge over team-mate Daniel Ricciardo all throughout the Formula 1 weekend at the Sochi Autodrom, and duly put himself sixth on the grid for the race as he

Sebastian Vettel feels he stuck to the Ferrari Formula 1 team’s pre-Russian Grand Prix agreement, despite failing to adhere to an order to hand Charles Leclerc the lead. Vettel started third, but overtook Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton off the line then drafted past polesitter Leclerc on the approach to the first braking zone at Turn 2.

Ferrari Formula 1 team boss Mattia Binotto insists that the Russian Grand Prix was running to plan before Sebastian Vettel’s MGU-K failure prompted the appearance of the virtual safety car. At the start, Ferrari’s tactic had been to allow Vettel to get a tow into the first corner from polesitter Charles Leclerc, while ensuring front-row

McLaren believes it can eventually fight Mercedes with the same engine in Formula 1 but it is “definitely not” a realistic target for 2021. The former works partnership will be reunited as a standard customer relationship after McLaren’s Renault deal ends next season. McLaren’s initial move away from Mercedes in 2015, to Honda, was sparked

Lewis Hamilton says recent Formula 1 qualifying laps have felt worthy of pole position but his front-row start for the Russian Grand Prix is still “quite an achievement”. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has taken all four poles since F1 returned from its summer break and Hamilton has been resigned to starting second in the last three

Mercedes is adamant its revived McLaren engine supply is not the “start of a works deal” and does not mean its own all-conquering squad will leave Formula 1. McLaren’s current deal with Renault will expire at the end of 2020, after which the British team will return to its former partner Mercedes following seven seasons

All Formula 1 drivers will be given two sets of 2020 tyres to test during Friday practice for next month’s US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. The FIA sporting regulations give Pirelli the option to provide tyres for Friday running, if the company wants to log more mileage. They can be used

Toro Rosso Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat says the rule that is preventing him from using a special helmet livery design at the Russian Grand Prix is “a joke”. Kvyat was told by the FIA that he cannot use a new white, red and blue helmet – in deference to the Russian flag – for

Ferrari believes its encouraging Russian Grand Prix practice pace has validated the performance of its latest Formula 1 aerodynamic package, and will not introduce any more major updates this season. The Italian team claimed a shock pole position and victory in Singapore last weekend having struggled at high-downforce tracks all season. After that result Ferrari

Max Verstappen says he does not want to be the deciding factor as Red Bull picks who should be his Formula 1 team-mate next season. Verstappen is currently partnered at the team by Alex Albon, who was promoted from the Toro Rosso junior outfit mid-season in a seat-swap with the underperforming Pierre Gasly. Red Bull

Charles Leclerc says he will “just shut up” instead of making negative radio comments to his Ferrari Formula 1 team after the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix. Leclerc voiced his frustrations at ending up behind team-mate and eventual race winner Sebastian Vettel during the concluding stages of last weekend’s race in Singapore. After talking through the

The latest edition of The Autosport Podcast considers the extent to which Sebastian Vettel’s surprise Singapore Grand Prix victory marks the rebirth of the four-time Formula 1 world champion. Vettel’s win came after he jumped team-mate Charles Leclerc in the pitstop phase, a result of Ferrari underestimating the power of the undercut when stopping Vettel