On the back of Ferrari’s strongest Friday – and Red Bull’s weakest – for many months in Hungary, cynical observers questioned just how Ferrari would manage to end up being beaten to pole position on Saturday. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free As it turned out, those expectations were well founded. But it was not Max Verstappen who denied Carlos Sainz Jnr and Charles Leclerc pole position at the Hungaroring and nor was it Sergio Perez. It was not even the man with the most poles in the history of Formula 1 – Lewis Hamilton. Instead, Ferrari were stunned by George Russell , who delivered a fantastic final lap to deny Sainz and take a shock maiden pole position of his career, despite not setting a single fastest sector in the process. For Mercedes, it was a stunning turnaround from their poor Friday – and no one was more stunned than the team themselves. “It’s a total unknown,” Russell admitted. “We’ve turned the car upside down since yesterday.” … [Read more...] about Is Mercedes’ mystery “big step forward” enough for Russell to beat Ferrari? · RaceFans
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Is this the year Williams break free from the back of the grid? · RaceFans
What kind of a Formula 1 team is Williams Racing? Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free For the last two-and-a-half years, Williams Grand Prix Engineering, formerly owned by its founder family, has been in a state of transition. Its new owners, American investment firm Dorilton, have invested considerable time, effort and funds to rebuild neo-Williams in their own image. Through swanky promotional films with Hollywood actors or hosting public exhibitions during grand prix weekends to bring the team to the fans, Williams has sought to write a new narrative for itself while still proudly embracing its illustrious heritage. But while the team appears to have clarity over how it wishes to present itself, it has struggled to find its footing on the race track in that same time. Rooted to the rear of the grid, sucked into the black hole that tends to hold down any team that falls to the back of the field, Williams would have been disappointed with their 2022 … [Read more...] about Is this the year Williams break free from the back of the grid? · RaceFans
Analysis: How Albon made the most of his second F1 chance with Williams
Listen to this article Like Pierre Gasly before him, Albon found life difficult as Max Verstappen's teammate, especially given the Dutchman's particular driving style which the team had developed the car around. While the Thai driver was retained by the Red Bull family as Sergio Perez came in to replace him, a season in the DTM only made him more determined to prove his worth. Albon admitted being nervous going into 2022, but off the back of solid performance on track and signing a new multi-year deal at Williams, those early nerves made way for a sense of calm. "I’d say there's a sense of calmness with everything," Albon told Motorsport.com in an exclusive interview. "I guess the last two years, one of those years being very stressful, and the other one being nervous, and I guess gearing up for the year I didn’t know what to expect. "I’ve signed a contract which is maybe one of the best feelings, long-term. It's a privilege in Formula 1, if I’m honest. I’m feeling very … [Read more...] about Analysis: How Albon made the most of his second F1 chance with Williams
Lyle Lovett found peace on the seat of a Harley
WHEN Lyle Lovett went to Trinity Lutheran Church in Klein last Sunday -- it's the church his family has attended forever -- several members congratulated him on headlining the upcoming RodeoHouston. "I could tell from the greetings that, finally, because I'm playing the rodeo, I'm doing OK. This (music career) might work out," he says with a grin. The 43-year-old singer-songwriter, who has won several Grammy Awards and acted in movies (he's a favorite of director Robert Altman 's), is thrilled about performing at the rodeo for the first time, on Feb. 19. But if music is Lovett's passion, motorcycles rank a close second. When Lovett was 7, his family vacationed in Galveston. His father rented a small Honda sport bike, and they took a ride on the beach. "It was exhilarating. I had never felt anything like it," he recalls. "And I felt comfortable and safe, because I had my arms around my dad." Ever since that day on the beach, Lovett has held intense feelings about … [Read more...] about Lyle Lovett found peace on the seat of a Harley
George Russell discusses lack of F1 privacy as fame comes as career consequence
George Russell used the example of his Mick Schumacher radio comments in Singapore as proof there is zero privacy in F1. Mercedes driver Russell collided with Haas racer Schumacher at Turn 1 during the 2022 Singapore GP, a difficult outing for Russell as he lapped outside of the points at that stage. His “Schumacher is defending like it’s the race of his life, crikey” comment did not sit well with some, Russell believing that now that he is competing with a front-running team, it shows that nothing is safe from the public. This then is a fact which he is working to grow accustomed to, as his dream was always to be a racing driver, not to be famous. “These are things that are part of the experience when you are at the front,” said Russell, as per Motorsportweek.com. “Everything is under the microscope and that kind of comment last year [in 2021] would not have been picked up on. “But I think there are two parts of it: one, it’s fighting your case; but two, it’s you just … [Read more...] about George Russell discusses lack of F1 privacy as fame comes as career consequence
Aston Martin: ‘No war of words from our side’ over Red Bull copying allegations
Introducing a green Red Bull as it was dubbed at the Spanish Grand Prix, Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack says they “anticipated” accusations of copying – but that there was never a “war of words” with Red Bull. Aston Martin raised eyebrows at the Barcelona race when they hit the track in their upgraded AMR22, the revised car showing a resemblance to the race-winning Red Bull RB18. Team boss Christian Horner told the media it was “no coincidence” the AMR22 resembled the RB18 given Aston Martin had employed several former Red Bull personnel, including technical director Dan Fallows. He added that while “what they take in their head, that’s fair game, that’s their knowledge, what isn’t fair and what is totally unacceptable, which we wouldn’t accept, is if there has been any transfer of IP at all.” Nothing, though, came of that with chief technical officer Andy Green saying: “The FIA came in and did a thorough investigation, examined all the data leading up in the history of … [Read more...] about Aston Martin: ‘No war of words from our side’ over Red Bull copying allegations
Juan Pablo Montoya predicts we will see ‘a different Lewis Hamilton’ in 2023
Juan Pablo Montoya believes “a different Lewis Hamilton” will be on show in 2023, if Mercedes are onto a winner with the W14. Hamilton went a full season without a win for the first time in his Formula 1 career last year, with Mercedes struggling for pace compared to Ferrari and Red Bull alongside their issues with porpoising on the W13. While he still took nine podium finishes, Hamilton used the first part of the season to take experimental setups on his car as the team searched for solutions, while team-mate George Russell racked up consecutive top-five finishes. Russell would outscore Hamilton over the course of the season, though, as the younger Mercedes driver earned his first pole position and victory in Formula 1 in Hungary and Brazil respectively. Montoya praised Hamilton for his pragmatic approach to driving and not pushing too hard when he didn’t need to last season, but he predicted the seven-time World Champion will be back to his best again in the year ahead. … [Read more...] about Juan Pablo Montoya predicts we will see ‘a different Lewis Hamilton’ in 2023
Texas lawsuit stokes fear among abortion rights advocates
Abortion rights advocates delivered a stark warning to the Biden administration's top health official in a private meeting last week: It's time to take seriously "fringe" threats that could wind up blocking abortion access across the country. Driving their anxiety is a Texas lawsuit brought by conservative groups seeking to revoke the decades-old government approval of a key abortion drug. The suit has been widely ridiculed by legal experts as rooted in baseless and debunked arguments. But in recent weeks, abortion rights advocates and some in the Biden administration have grown increasingly concerned that the case is likely to be decided entirely by conservative judges who might be eager for a chance to restrict abortion access even in Democrat-led states where the procedure has remained legal since the fall of Roe v. Wade. "It's hard to really comprehend the full and terrible impact if what the plaintiffs have asked for in that case is actually granted," Liz Wagner, senior … [Read more...] about Texas lawsuit stokes fear among abortion rights advocates