Max Verstappen heads to the 15th round of the season five points clear of Lewis Hamilton after the pair spectacularly collided at Monza a fortnight ago. The stewards deemed Verstappen "predominantly" responsible for the collision and handed him a three-place grid penalty, which will be applied in Russia. In the constructors' table, Mercedes enjoys a 14-point advantage over Red Bull, helped by Valtteri Bottas' charge from last to third in the Italian Grand Prix. Sochi has been hosting the Russian GP since 2014 but the race will move to Igora Drive near Petserburg in 2023, making this year's event the second-last to be held near the Winter Olympics site. Mercedes has been unbeaten in Russia since the country joined the F1 calendar at the start of the V6 hybrid era, with Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas sharing the six wins between them. 2021 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix session timings in different timezones Session GMT BST CEST ET PT …
Formula 1
F1 team bosses: We must listen to the fans’ opinions in survey
A Global Survey run by Motorsport Network and supported by the F1 organisation has provided an opportunity for fans around the world to air their views. It comes at a time when the sport is making the transition to new technical regulations in 2022, and other ideas are being mooted or even trialled. The experiment with a sprint weekend format – tried thus far at Silverstone and Monza – has generated mixed reactions. “We have to listen to the fans,” said Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer. “That’s what we’re all about, without fans the sport would be totally different. So we have to listen to them – they are our audience, and what we are here to do is pleas the audience. “You’ve got to use the data to make improvements. First you have got to understand the finer points of what the fans want, and then give it to them.” Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto agreed that the important thing was for the sport to pay full attention to the results. “Doing surveys is …
Netflix would ‘think about’ F1 buyout to stream races
With streaming services getting more involved in bidding against traditional television channels for live sporting rights, there has been speculation that F1’s broadcast plans could shift in the long term. Amazon has shown recent deals to stream exclusive football and tennis can work in attracting interest beyond movies and series, and F1 would be a logical sport to further drive up viewers. But while Netflix has enjoyed great success with its ‘F1 Drive to Survive’ series, the company is more cautious about areas of broadcast that move away from its traditional core. In particular, it is sceptical about wanting to broadcast news or live sports because there is no guarantee that the end product will be good enough. It wants full control over any content it produces. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Der Spiegel, Netflix’s CEO Reed Hastings said: “News is by its nature political, and it varies greatly from country to country. “It is difficult to produce news as a …
Haas confirms Schumacher and Mazepin for 2022 season
Schumacher and Mazepin both graduated from Formula 2 to F1 with Haas for the 2021 season, and were widely expected to continue for next year. In a statement made ahead of Mazepin’s home grand prix in Russia this weekend, Haas confirmed it would be running with an unchanged line-up next season. “We knew we wanted continuity behind the wheel in 2022 and I’m happy to confirm exactly that with Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin competing for Uralkali Haas F1 Team next year,” said team principal Gunther Steiner. “2021 has afforded both drivers the opportunity to learn Formula 1 – and as rookies – they’ve done a lot of that this year. “It’s been a tough season for sure with the package we’ve had, but at the same time they’ve both embraced the challenge and worked closely with the team to learn our processes and adapt to the rigours of a Formula 1 campaign and all that brings – both internally and externally. “Now as we look ahead to the 2022 season, we’re confident we can …
Hamilton’s pressure claim “shows he doesn’t know me” – Verstappen
Speaking ahead of this weekend's Russian Grand Prix , two weeks on from the second controversial crash of the season between the pair last time out at Monza, Hamilton said: "I remember what it was like when I had my first [title fight] and it definitely mounted up". The Mercedes driver also said when considering Verstappen's position as a first-time F1 world title contender, his attitude is to "empathise and understand" as "I was going through a lot of different emotions [with McLaren in 2007], and I didn't always handle it the best". When asked by Motorsport.com if he had any response to Hamilton's words when it was his turn to take part in the pre-event press conference at Sochi, Verstappen said: "Those comments, I mean it just shows you that he really doesn't know me. "Which is fine. I also don't need to know him – how he is fully. But I just focus on myself, and I really enjoy it out there in the front and hopefully of course we can do it for a very long time." …
Domenicali confirms Kyalami’s interest in F1 return
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has confirmed officials at Kyalami have registered interest in bringing the sport back to South Africa. Kyalami was a mainstay on the Formula 1 calendar from the 1960s through to the 1980s, with the final race there having been held in 1993 – and Africa has not hosted a Formula 1 event since. Domenicali said earlier in the year getting back to Africa was “very important” for the future of Formula 1 and, while he did not confirm exact nations, he said other countries on the continent have reached out about hosting a grand prix in the coming years. “We received interest from Kyalami to be back on the calendar,” Domenicali told CNN . “Of course, we have discussed with them in order to see if they are ready from the technical perspective, the financial perspective, to be inserted in the calendar, so discussions are there. “We have received other requests from other countries in Africa…in this moment, I need to keep it confidential.” F1 TV are …
F1: Haas confirm Mazepin and Schumacher as 2022 drivers · RaceFans
Haas have announced an unchanged driver line-up for the 2022 F1 season , retaining the two rookies which joined the team this year. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free The team has confirmed a second season for Nikita Mazepin on the eve of the Russian driver’s home race. Mazepin’s father runs the Uralkali company which joined Haas as its title sponsor this season. Mazepin will remain alongside Ferrari-backed team mate Mick Schumacher . Relations between the pair have been strained following a series of near-misses on-track, notably at Baku and Zandvoort. The duo tangled collided during the last round at Monza. Team principal Guenther Steiner said he valued consistency in their line-up after replacing both drivers 12 months ago. “We knew we wanted continuity behind the wheel in 2022 and I’m happy to confirm exactly that with Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin competing for Uralkali Haas F1 Team next year,” said Steiner. Haas has consistently been the …
Stewards reject Williams’ call for Azerbaijan incidents review – RaceFans
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix stewards have rejected a request from Williams to review their verdicts on five incidents which occurred in the race. The team requested reviews of incidents involving Sergey Sirotkin and Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Pierre Gasly, and Esteban Ocon and Kimi Raikkonen. They also called for the collision between Sirotkin, Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg to be reconsidered and queried Alonso’s driving after that collision. Williams asked for Sirotkin’s penalty to be reviewed taking into consideration how other incidents during the race had been handled. But following a preliminary hearing by teleconference the stewards ruled Williams had not presented any new evidence which merited them re-examining the incidents. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free “The stewards decide, unanimously, that there is no new significant and relevant element present, ‘which justifies a review of any of the five incidents referred to in the …
2022 Acura NSX Type S Looks The Business With Retro Motul Livery
The Acura NSX hasn't been getting a lot of attention following the world premiere of the Type S earlier this year, but the electrified supercar is now making the headlines courtesy of Motul. The French oil company has decided to mark the 50 th anniversary of its best racing oil with a special livery for the swan song of Acura's flagship car . Dressed to impress in white and red, the NSX Type S wears retro-flavored graphics and swaps out the original black alloys for striking HRE Vintage two-piece wheels finished in brushed gold. Mind you, it's only a digital livery, inspired by Motul-sponsored race cars of yore, an eye-catching look which certainly suits the mid-engined supercar in its ultimate form. Gallery: 2022 Acura NSX Type S with Motul livery 6 Photos Why did Motul decide to pick the NSX Type S? Because the company is an official sponsor of the Acura Grand Prix of Long …