Like the rest of the teams, the Woking outfit only had Friday’s FP1 session during which to experiment before the set-up of the cars was locked in as parc ferme took effect for qualifying. With an eye on the predicted wet conditions, McLaren went for a higher level of downforce than its rivals with both […]
Hamilton tried to pass the Mexican heading into Stavelot, and they made side-to-side contact, with the left front wheel of the Mercedes hitting the Red Bull’s sidepod. The Mexican was subsequently forced to retire from the race due to bodywork and floor damage, while Hamilton received a 5-second penalty that dropped him from fourth to […]
Gasly’s opinion centres on the ongoing visibility problem F1 drivers face when running in the wet with the new ground effect generation of cars, which lift huge volumes of spray into the air and push it over a wider area. In the sprint race that Max Verstappen won on Saturday, Gasly ended up third behind […]
Hamilton was deemed by the FIA to have been at fault for a brush with Perez as they battled for position through Paul Frere in the damp opening section of the sprint race. The contact between the Mercedes and Red Bull left Perez with a hefty amount of damage, and the Mexican later retired from […]
The Mercedes driver also referenced Ayrton Senna’s famous quote about no longer being a racing driver if you don’t go for a gap. The Turn 15 incident led Perez to retire from the race with bodywork damage and triggered a five-second penalty for Hamilton after the stewards decreed that he was predominantly at fault. That […]
To reduce spray after a late downpour, five formation laps were run behind the safety car ahead of a rolling start. Although drivers reported conditions were clear for intermediate tyres, half the field stayed put for an extra lap on full wets. This was to avoid losing time to a double-stack pitstop and a delayed […]
It obliged Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll to switch from intermediates to medium rather than soft tyres on a drying track, with the Canadian subsequently crashing heavily on his final lap. Under sprint shootout rules, drivers are obliged to use medium tyres in SQ1 and SQ2, then softs in SQ3. However the rules also state that […]
After years where the accepted wisdom in F1 is that the route to success is a well-defined vision, stability, investment, and realism, Alpine going separate ways with two of its most senior figures seems a step in the opposite direction. It also comes against the backdrop of the team appearing to lurch from one decision to […]
In Q1 Hamilton was seen moving off the track through a wet Eau Rouge – Raidillon complex on driver’s left and rejoined the track directly ahead of team-mate George Russell, when both Mercedes drivers were on their out laps. Russell had to take avoiding action, while behind them the Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas was […]
In Q2, Magnussen hit the wall coming out of Speaker’s Corner and, with his damaged Haas, the Dane stuck to the racing line through the following corners, severely hindering Leclerc. The Monegasque driver made his displeasure known on the team radio and called for Magnussen to be penalised. Following a post-session investigation, the stewards slapped […]