Formula 1
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Verstappen handed warning for VSC incident in Azerbaijan GP
Max Verstappen has avoided punishment for overtaking under a virtual safety car after the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The world champion and several other F1 drivers were investigated for overtaking under virtual safety car conditions after the finish of a thrilling race in Baku.The VSC came out for a crash on the penultimate lap between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz, who tangled on the run...Keep reading -
Stella: Norris help 50% of Piastri Baku win, as McLaren takes lead in constructors’
McLaren Formula 1 team boss Andrea Stella believes Lando Norris blocking Sergio Perez played a crucial part in Oscar Piastri's Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory.Piastri was shadowing Ferrari's leader Charles Leclerc in the first stint of a one-stop race when third-placed Sergio Perez attempted to undercut the McLaren driver by being the first to pit on lap 14. Rather than responding immediately...Keep reading -
Piastri ignored race engineer on overtake that won Azerbaijan GP
Oscar Piastri says his winning pass on Charles Leclerc in Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix came right after his race engineer urged him to bring in his new tyres cautiously.Piastri made his winning move on lap 20 of the 53 lap one-stop race, right after the only pitstop sequence, with the McLaren driver and Leclerc fighting tooth and nail for the rest of what turned out to be punishing hard tyre...Keep reading -
Bearman knew Hamilton “wasn’t going to put me in a wall” in Azerbaijan battle
Haas driver Ollie Bearman says he sensed Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton “wasn’t going to put me in a wall” during their late battle in Formula 1’s 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.Bearman had been leading Hamilton up the order to the fringes of the points for 23 laps during the second half of the Baku race, where they were both ultimately boosted to points-scoring positions by Sergio Perez and...Keep reading -
Colapinto hopes Baku points prove he 'deserves' F1 seat
Franco Colapinto hopes his points finish in Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix shows his talent and that he is deserving of a berth at Williams, after it let Logan Sargeant go prematurely.Colapinto’s achievements in Baku – making the Q3 cut and finishing eighth to score four points – were things Sargeant never managed in 2024, where his bruising one-and-a-half seasons in F1 with the...Keep reading -
Norris surprised to finish ahead of title rival Verstappen in Azerbaijan GP
Lando Norris says he was surprised to finish ahead of title rival Max Verstappen from 15th in Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and was happy to play "a small part" in team-mate Oscar Piastri's win.Norris only qualified 17th after seeing his final Q1 lap ruined by an unfortunately timed yellow flag, which eventually forced him to back off rather than complete the lap.He moved up to 15th thanks to...Keep reading -
Verstappen among drivers under investigation for overtaking under virtual safety car
Max Verstappen and several other Formula 1 drivers are under investigation for undertaking under virtual safety car conditions after the finish of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.In Baku the VSC came out for a crash on the penultimate lap between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz, who tangled on the run down to Turn 3.Their accident littered debris at that part of the track which drivers had to weave...Keep reading -
Leclerc rues not defending harder against Piastri Azerbaijan Turn 1 move
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc admitted he didn't defend well enough against Oscar Piastri as he lost an Azerbaijan Grand Prix win to the McLaren driver following a scintillating duel.Leclerc started on pole for the fourth consecutive time on the streets of Baku, but after the only pitstop sequence of the race second-placed Piastri made an audacious lunge into Turn 1 on lap 20 to snatch the lead...Keep reading -
Sainz and Perez clash at Azerbaijan Grand Prix leaves teams squabbling
Ferrari and Red Bull were left blaming one another for the late incident that saw both Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez crash out of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as the stewards deemed it a racing incident.With the pair squabbling over third place coming out of Turn 2 on the penultimate lap, they had a coming together that resulted in both cars hitting the barriers and bringing out a virtual...Keep reading -
F1 Azerbaijan GP: Piastri beats Leclerc after thrilling Baku battle
McLaren's Oscar Piastri took a superb second career win in Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix after first passing and then holding off polesitter Charles Leclerc.Mercedes' George Russell joined them on the podium after a dramatic late crash between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz.Leclerc had taken his fourth consecutive Baku pole on Saturday and looked good value to finally convert it into a first...Keep reading -
Marko hints at post-Singapore target for second RB 2025 driver reveal
Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko says that the RB line-up will be revealed after next week's Singapore Grand Prix as the team is yet to announce Yuki Tsunoda's team-mate for 2025.Tsunoda was confirmed for a fifth season with the team formerly known as AlphaTauri earlier this year, but it remains unknown whether the team will choose to persist with Daniel Ricciardo for another season.If Ricciardo does...Keep reading -
F1 penalty points system set for winter review after Magnussen ban
The future of Formula 1’s penalty points system is set for a winter discussion between the championship’s stakeholders, which could lead to its alteration after Kevin Magnussen’s 2024 Baku ban.The system of drivers being suspended for a race if they hit a 12-point limit has been a key focus point for F1’s drivers since Magnussen reached 10 points for a series of sanctions during 2024’s...Keep reading -
Hamilton and Ocon set for Azerbaijan GP pitlane starts
Lewis Hamilton will start Formula 1’s 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the pitlane after Mercedes chose to change several components of his power unit.Hamilton, who had been set to start seventh for the Baku race, has now taken his fifth engine of the season – one more than the permitted allocation.Mercedes has also swapped the turbocharger and MGU-H and MGU-K components on Hamilton’s car.The...Keep reading -
Mercedes rues Albon’s fan issue, not floor change, for poor Baku F1 qualifying
Toto Wolff claimed his drivers' tyre preparation getting compromised by Alex Albon’s fan-addled Williams explained Mercedes’ poor 2024 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying, with its latest floor changes not blamed.After George Russell had led FP3 in Baku and Lewis Hamilton had been second and third in the two opening practice sessions on Friday, the two Silver Arrows ended up qualifying...Keep reading -
Gasly disqualified from Azerbaijan qualifying over fuel flow infringement
Alpine's Pierre Gasly has been disqualified from Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying for falling foul of the FIA's fuel flow regulations.After qualifying 13th in Baku, Gasly's car failed scrutineering as FIA sensors revealed the Frenchman's engine "exceeded the instantaneous fuel mass flow" during Q2.Gasly was thrown out of the results soon after, which is the latest setback for Alpine...Keep reading -
Leclerc at a loss to explain Azerbaijan GP qualifying record
Charles Leclerc has admitted there is no “magic answer” to his Baku brilliance after he charged to a fourth consecutive Azerbaijan Grand Prix pole position.The winner in Monza last time out, the Monegasque recovered from crashing out in FP1 on Friday to put his Ferrari on pole once again, having previously done so in the last three years.But Leclerc has been unable to translate any of those...Keep reading -
The F1 safety system calls behind Norris’s Azerbaijan qualifying exit
A split-second call to activate yellow flags for Esteban Ocon’s damaged Alpine was behind McLaren driver Lando Norris’s Formula 1 Baku Q1 qualifying exit.The incident meant title hopeful Norris was eliminated and qualified 17th in Baku on Saturday, which puts a potential big dent in his hopes of overhauling Max Verstappen in this season’s points standings.Read Also:
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Verstappen rues bouncing Red Bull that derailed Azerbaijan qualifying
World champion Max Verstappen says a set-up change that made his Red Bull car bounce was behind his muted qualifying session for Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.Verstappen looked to be in the hunt with the Ferraris and McLarens all weekend but struggled to wring a great lap out of his Red Bull RB20 when it mattered in qualifying.The Dutchman only managed sixth, 0.658s behind polesitter Charles...Keep reading -
Colapinto: Azerbaijan Q3 result “a dream come true”
Franco Colapinto dedicated his “dream” Azerbaijan Grand Prix ninth-place qualifying result to the Williams engineers who rebuilt his car following a shunt in free practice on Friday.Colapinto was promoted into a race seat after team boss James Vowles made the call to drop Logan Sargeant ahead of the Monza weekend, who himself had suffered a number of crashes throughout the season.“It was...Keep reading -
Albon: "Rush to get tow" behind Williams' airbox fan blunder which led to fine
Alex Albon put Williams' failure to remove his airbox fan down to a "rush to get the tow" at the end of Formula 1 qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix which earned the team a €5000 fine.The Anglo-Thai driver left the Williams garage with the fan still lodged in the intake above his head, forcing him to pull over at the pit exit in an effort to remove it.This prompted a discussion on what to...Keep reading -
F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Start time, starting grid, how to watch & more
Charles Leclerc scored pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by 0.321s from Oscar Piastri and is the fourth consecutive time the Ferrari driver will have started from the front in Baku.While Piastri is in the hunt for victory in second, championship-chasing Lando Norris in the other McLaren will go from 17th after confusion between yellow and white flags saw him exit the fray in Q1.Carlos...Keep reading -
Bearman "an idiot" for error which cost Azerbaijan Q3 spot
Oliver Bearman says out-qualifying team-mate Nico Hulkenberg on his Haas debut at Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix doesn't outweigh his disappointment on missing out on the top 10.Bearman finished 11th in Q2, missing the Q3 shootout by just 0.128s to Williams driver Alex Albon.The young Briton, who is set for his second grand prix start on Sunday following a Ferrari cameo in Saudi Arabia, said a...Keep reading -
F1 team-mates' qualifying battles: Azerbaijan GP
After every F1 qualifying session, Autosport publishes each team's qualifying record in terms of team-mate duels.This record is based exclusively on qualifying results so that grid penalties don't alter the statistics.When a driver can't put in a representative lap time due to a technical issue or an incident, this will be mentioned in the table.Read Also:
Formula 1F1 Azerbaijan GP...Keep reading -
Norris suffers bizarre Azerbaijan Q1 exit
Lando Norris endured a first Q1 elimination of the season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix due to confusion over a yellow flag.Norris backed off during his last run after yellow flags were displayed in the final sector due to an incident involving Alpine's Esteban Ocon. However, it appeared that the flags had been removed by the time the McLaren driver arrived on the scene at Turn 16, with only a...Keep reading -
F1 Azerbaijan GP: Leclerc beats Piastri to pole, Norris only 17th
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has secured pole for Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a botched Q1 run left Lando Norris just 17th on the grid.A dominant Leclerc held off McLaren's Oscar Piastri by three tenths, with both his Q3 laps good enough for pole as the Monegasque driver extended his Baku pole streak, while Piastri managed to hold off the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.Sergio Perez confirmed...Keep reading -
Exclusive: F1 teams working without normal weather radar systems at Azerbaijan GP
Formula 1 teams are working without their usual weather radar system at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, because of a political dispute between the Azeri and French governments.Autosport understands that due to French nationals, including dual citizens, being advised not to travel to Azerbaijan in a travel warning issued by France’s Foreign Ministry last week, representatives from the...Keep reading -
Red Bull: Perez will support Verstappen if team orders issued in Baku
Red Bull boss Christian Horner insists that team orders between his two drivers are clear and that Sergio Perez "knows 100%" that he will be playing a support role to Max Verstappen this season.Confusion still reigns over McLaren's own 'Papaya Rules' and just how and when Oscar Piastri will aid Lando Norris in his bid to overhaul the 62-point gap to Verstappen at the top of the drivers'...Keep reading -
F1 Azerbaijan GP: Russell shades Leclerc in FP3 as Bearman crashes
George Russell shaded Charles Leclerc in FP3 for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as McLaren and Mercedes got on terms with Red Bull and Ferrari ahead of qualifying.Leclerc had showed good progress throughout the session and managed to sit on top of the order after beating an impressive lap from Oscar Piastri later in the session, but the Ferrari driver's lap was beaten by Russell's late 1m42.514s...Keep reading -
Sauber says Bottas still in the frame for 2025 drive
Valtteri Bottas could yet win the race for the final seat on the Formula 1 grid for next season as Sauber team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi said the current incumbent is one on the "top of the list".With Nico Hulkenberg long since confirmed as racing for Sauber in its final season before the full transition to Audi, his team-mate for the 2025 campaign has been a lengthy search for the...Keep reading -
Horner: FIA decision on McLaren, Mercedes wings will 'encourage' Red Bull to follow suit
After the Monza race, Red Bull and Ferrari wanted a definitive answer from the FIA over the legality of McLaren's and Mercedes' front wing designs, with the understanding that these were flexing significantly while on track.The FIA has been monitoring the levels of on-track flexing in the wings since the Belgian Grand Prix, and declared that all 2024 wings were legal within the bounds of the...Keep reading -
What we learned from Friday practice at the 2024 Azerbaijan GP
Charles Leclerc’s FP1 crash threatened to derail Ferrari’s optimism heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, but his chart-topping time in the second free practice session spared his blushes and put the Prancing Horse’s weekend back on track.The Monegasque overcooked it into Turn 15 and could not back out of hitting the wall, sapping at his running in a stop-start opening hour in...Keep reading -
Perez buoyed by Red Bull that feels "more together"
Sergio Perez says his Red Bull Formula 1 car feels "more together" after finishing a close second in Azerbaijan Grand Prix practice.Perez was pipped to the top spot in Friday's second practice session by just 0.006s by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, having also been on the pace in the morning.The Mexican has been under fire this year for struggling much more with the Red Bull RB20's balance issues...Keep reading -
Russell: Azerbaijan Friday 'not Mercedes' finest' after engine problems
Mercedes pair George Russell and Lewis Hamilton had contrasting fortunes during Friday’s free practice sessions for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.Russell needed a change of engine after early issues, which were compounded by further problems towards the end of the day.After FP1, Mercedes spotted an anomaly in the oil analysis it was conducting on Russell’s engine. It then decided to swap in a...Keep reading -
F1 Azerbaijan GP qualifying - Start time, how to watch & more
Charles Leclerc topped the Friday practice times for Ferrari ahead of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Here’s how and when to watch qualifying.The Italian GP winner bounced back from a crash in FP1 to top second practice by just 0.006s from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, as F1 sets off on the first of its flyaway races that mark the final third of the 2024 season.Lewis Hamilton put his Mercedes...Keep reading -
Norris says McLaren "quite a long way off" the pace in Baku
Lando Norris believes his McLaren team is a "long way off" the pace of its Formula 1 rivals in Azerbaijan after a muted practice performance.In Baku, Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri was fifth fastest, half a second behind pacesetter Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari, and a similar distance away from Red Bull's Sergio Perez and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.Norris only managed 17th after not setting...Keep reading -
F1 Azerbaijan GP: Leclerc fastest in FP2 by 0.006s over Perez
Charles Leclerc recovered from his FP1 crash to headline the second practice session at the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, pipping Sergio Perez by just 0.006 seconds.Ferrari repaired Leclerc's car after his Turn 15 shunt in the opening stage of Friday practice, but the Monegasque was annoyed on the radio and made his displeasure known about his rebuilt SF-24 F1 car, feeling that the steering was...Keep reading -
Horner: Aston Martin's unveiling of Newey 'premature'
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Aston Martin’s high-profile unveiling of Adrian Newey was “premature” as he is still under contract with the Milton Keynes team.Since it was announced Newey would be leaving Red Bull, speculation over his next destination was rife but he ultimately ended up signing a deal to be Aston’s new technical managing partner for a reported £30...Keep reading -
Oakes: Alpine now has "clear leadership" with Briatore and me
New Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes reckons that the Enstone squad was in need of someone to "take a bullet for the team" and fully commit to its management - and believes he has brought that quality.The Briton was installed as the team principal when former incumbent Bruno Famin stepped down, as Alpine sought to end a cycle of managerial upheaval over the past few seasons. Oakes followed...Keep reading -
Ben Hunt: Newey grounded by Red Bull after Aston Martin unveiling
The grandeur of Adrian Newey's unveiling at Aston Martin was baffling - especially while he remains an employee of Red Bull.It was reminiscent of when footballer Paul Ince posed for photographs in a Manchester United shirt while he was still a West Ham United player in 1989.The photograph was exposed by the media before Ince had signed and he was heavily criticised for doing so in advance of...Keep reading -
Colapinto crashes out of Azerbaijan GP FP1
Franco Colapinto brought out the red flag as he crashed in the first free practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with the Argentinian’s second Formula 1 race weekend for Williams beginning in inauspicious circumstances.Having replaced Logan Sargeant ahead of the Italian Grand Prix a fortnight ago, Colapinto impressed on his debut, finishing 12th after qualifying down in 18th place at...Keep reading -
F1 Azerbaijan GP: Verstappen tops opening practice as Leclerc, Colapinto crash
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen headed an incident-packed first practice session for Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which was red flagged for crashes by Charles Leclerc and Franco Colapinto.Baku's high-speed layout offers low grip at the best of times as a one-off street circuit, but a light rain shower in the morning washed away what little grip F2 cars had attempted to lay down in...Keep reading -
Red Bull explains "subtle" floor upgrade for Azerbaijan GP
Red Bull has introduced a revised floor for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as it seeks to arrest its current slide and defend its Formula 1 championships.The team has managed just two podium finishes in the last six races, as its form nosedived in recent races. This has put the team's retention of the constructors' title under scrutiny from McLaren and Ferrari, while a fourth drivers' title for Max...Keep reading -
Why McLaren's team orders solution has invited more confusion
Oscar Piastri is willing to give up Formula 1 race victories to Lando Norris. Except, it won't come to that.Norris is thankful McLaren is now showing "bias" towards him in the 2024 world championship but doesn't want to be "given" the title.The intra-McLaren Monza battle can happen again, but not exactly as it did in Italy.McLaren's Baku weekend began exactly how Monza ended: focused on its...Keep reading -
F1 drivers call for rule rethink in the wake of Magnussen’s Baku ban
Formula 1's penalty point system "need to be reviewed" in the wake of the incident that triggered Kevin Magnussen's one-race ban for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix - which other drivers described as "harsh".Magnussen made contact with Pierre Gasly at the Variante della Roggia during the Italian Grand Prix in a bid to make an overtake, ultimately forcing both to take to the run-off cutting the...Keep reading -
Verstappen: I could think about driving a Newey-designed Aston Martin
Max Verstappen has refused to rule out an Adrian Newey reunion at Aston Martin in the future.Design guru Newey was behind the Red Bull cars that delivered Verstappen’s three drivers’ championships, but his departure was confirmed earlier in the year and he has now signed for Aston.He will take on the role of technical managing partner from next year, signing a deal worth a reported £ 30...Keep reading -
Mercedes ditches problematic floor upgrade for Baku
Mercedes will not run its problematic floor first introduced at Spa at any point in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as it assesses whether this has caused its post-Belgium victory form dip.Mercedes entered 2024's recent summer break on the back of three wins in four races – including an on-the-road 1-2 at Spa – but the Belgian victory eventually handed to Lewis Hamilton came after it had chosen not...Keep reading -
Sainz: Ferrari race execution keeping it in F1 constructors' title hunt
Carlos Sainz reckons Ferrari's execution of races and strategy has kept it in the Formula 1 constructors' title hunt, despite a "poor" middle part of the season.Amid expectations that McLaren will surpass Red Bull in the constructors' championship standings owing to their respective performance shifts and current eight-point difference, Ferrari also remains involved in the title battle as it only...Keep reading -
Alonso fears he 'doesn't have time' to benefit from Newey's influence
Fernando Alonso says he played a role in trying to convince Formula 1 design legend Adrian Newey to join Aston Martin, though he admits he might run out of time to benefit from his work.After months of speculation Aston Martin announced on Tuesday it had signed Newey to work on its 2026 car project from March 2025 onwards, with Newey set to leave Red Bull after finishing off his RB17 hypercar...Keep reading -
Piastri accepts McLaren team orders but says he's still free to race Norris
Oscar Piastri is ready to look at the "bigger picture" and help Lando Norris in his Formula 1 drivers' title fight but insists he will not be simply pulling aside to let his McLaren team-mate past.Team boss Andrea Stella confirmed on Thursday that, heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend, Piastri had agreed to back Norris as he looks to hunt down Max Verstappen – but only in specific...Keep reading -
Norris: Piastri won't have to hand me F1 race wins
McLaren driver Lando Norris says team-mate Oscar Piastri won't have to give up Formula 1 race wins to support his title bid.McLaren has come out backing Norris as he aims to overturn Max Verstappen's 62-point lead in the drivers' championship, with Red Bull's downturn in form offering the Briton a realistic chance of snatching the world title away from the Dutchman over the remaining eight...Keep reading
