Tag: Michael

Daniel Ricciardo had previously said his return to the grid was motivated by sealing a return to Red Bull; watch the Dutch Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1, with the track action under way on Friday and Sunday’s race starting at 2pm

Daniel Ricciardo says he wants to spend the remainder of his career within the Red Bull family even if he fails to earn a promotion from AlphaTauri to the senior team.

Having been let go by McLaren at the end of last season, Ricciardo signed up as Red Bull’s third driver for 2023 before making a surprise early return to the grid in place of Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri.

Ricciardo has repeatedly made it clear his ultimate desire is to earn a return to Red Bull, but has now made it clear he would favour staying with AlphaTauri over a move to any other team.

“I made it clear to the big boys that now I’m back in the Red Bull family, it’s the only place I want to be and stay,” Ricciardo told Sky Sports at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix. “However much longer my career is, it’s where I want to, let’s say, end my career.

“I think going through a bit of change the last few years, it was all good and all part of the journey so to speak.

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Rachel Brookes looks back at Ricciardo’s career and his return to F1 with AlphaTauri

“But now coming back it feels like it’s the perfect way to kind of finish this second part of my career and of course the dream is to get back to the big team. But if it’s not that, I made it clear I want to be here.”

Ricciardo, who claimed seven of his eight F1 victories during his five seasons with Red Bull, produced impressive moments as he returned to the grid in Hungary and Belgium before the sport’s summer break.

Any change to the Red Bull driver line-up appears unlikely to come before the end of next season, with world champion Max Verstappen signed to a long-term deal and Sergio Perez’s contract running until the end of 2024.

It is at that point where Ricciardo hopes an opportunity could come, but his first task in mounting a case for his return is to outperform AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, who has also been talked about as a potential candidate to replace Perez.

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Mercedes’ George Russell reveals what he has been up to during the Formula 1 summer break, including a night out with Ricciardo

“It was really good to have a couple of races before the break,” Ricciardo added. “At first, when I got the news, in my head I was like, ‘OK, it would probably make more sense after the break. I get a few more weeks to kind of prepare and that’.

“But in the end I think having the two races was the best preparation because it gave me a lot to think about during the break and gave me a chance to catch up a little bit as well on race fitness and things like that.

“I’ve really been, let’s say been back in it now. I’m really loving it and I’m fully immersed. After Spa we did a debrief with the team and I was watching tons of on-boards and just trying to keep learning and figuring out where we’re at with the car.

“I did that for the first week after Spa and then switched off mentally, but physically I stayed pretty on shape.”

Chandhok, Hill surprised by Ricciardo comments

Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok and Damon Hill analyse Ricciardo’s comments:

“I think he’s definitely hoping for that promotion to the big team,” Chandhok said.

“For me, I was somewhat surprised to hear him say that he would be content with staying at AlphaTauri for the rest of his career.

“This is a driver who not very long ago was a world championship contender we thought.

“Clearly, the two years at McLaren and the time away has given him a perspective of, ‘I would rather be in F1 than not and if that means with a midfield team. I will take that’.”

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Check out some highlights from Ricciardo’s incredible career in Formula 1

Hill added: “He’s back in, he’s got a chance. You’ve got to be in it to win it, and he’s got a chance to show what he can do.

“I would not personally have said, ‘I’m just thinking Red Bull’. I would say, ‘I’m here to compete, and I want every opportunity that can come my way’.

“You can show your loyalty, but you don’t have to say, ‘I’m going to stay here for the rest of my life’.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Dutch GP schedule

SATURDAY AUGUST 26
10.15am: Dutch GP Practice Three (session starts 10.30am)
12.10pm: F2 Sprint Race
1.15pm: Dutch GP Qualifying build-up
2pm: Dutch GP Qualifying

SUNDAY AUGUST 27
8.55am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Dutch GP build-up
2pm: THE DUTCH GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Dutch GP reaction
5.30pm: Dutch GP highlights

Formula 1 returns after the summer break with the Dutch GP and all sessions will be live on Sky Sports F1 from this Friday. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW for just £26 a month for 12 months. Cancel anytime

Lando Norris’ long-term future with McLaren appeared to be in doubt before a stunning recent turnaround in form for the British team; the 23-year-old says he believes he can achieve his goal of winning a world championship, with the Woking outfit

Lando Norris has admitted leaving McLaren has been “in the back” of his mind but says a recent upturn in form has left him “confident” of winning Formula 1 world championships with the team.

In February 2022 Norris signed a long-term contract extension to remain with McLaren until the end of 2025, but the team’s failure to provide him with a competitive car following the agreement of the deal has led to much speculation over the 23-year-old’s future.

However, after Norris was able finish above ninth just once in the opening eight races of the 2023 season, major mid-season upgrades to the MCL60 have had a remarkable impact, enabling the British driver to take back-to-back second places in July.

Asked whether he agrees with McLaren chief executive Zak Brown’s belief that the MCL60’s newfound speed would convince Norris to “stick around”, he told Sky Sports F1: “Of course. I want to win races with McLaren. I want to win in papaya, I want to win championships.

“I want to achieve my success and I want to achieve my goals with McLaren. That’s been my target since I’ve come here, since I’ve entered Formula 1 with this team.

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After Lando Norris broke Max Verstappen’s trophy at the Hungarian GP, take a look back at his previous bottle-slamming celebrations on the podium

“I guess I’m a loyal guy from that point of view, that I’ve joined the team, they gave me a chance in Formula 1 and I want to deliver and achieve success for them.

“And I think it’s a cooler story at the same time, to go from where we were a few years ago, a team that was really struggling, to fighting back and being that first team to really come back from a long way and fight for championships and wins. I think it would be just a cool story to look back on in 10, 20 years.”

Before McLaren’s recent surge into podium contention, Norris had been talked about as a potential future team-mate at Red Bull for Max Verstappen, who has won eight successive races to leave himself all but assured of a third successive drivers’ title.

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Go onboard with Lando Norris as the McLaren driver overtook Max Verstappen at the start of the British Grand Prix to take the lead of his home race

Norris added: “But in the back of my mind, there’s that impatient game of, ‘do I stick it out for another few years, or is it time to look at something different?’

“But the more we achieve things like we have done over the past few weeks, the more I’m very confident with the decision I made to stay until 2025, and the more confident I am that we can achieve our goals together in the future.”

Norris expects McLaren to remain in podium contention

While Red Bull have delivered a historic run to win all 12 Grands Prix, along with three Sprints, going into the summer break, McLaren are now part of a fierce battle taking place behind Verstappen.

Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari have each at times appeared to be Red Bull’s nearest challenger, but the hierarchy has fluctuated with the arrival of upgrades and depending on the suitably of tracks to each team’s car.

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Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton treated the Silverstone crowd to an epic battle, following the safety car

Asked whether McLaren’s July performances had confirmed they will be in podium contention for the remainder of the season, Norris said: “I want to give a straight answer, yes. There’s definitely going to be some races that we’re going to struggle a lot more.

“The same with every team, every year – sometimes they’ll be like, ‘yeah, I’m definitely confident we can do it,’ and there’s going to be some where you’re like, ‘this just doesn’t quite suit us enough to confidently be there.’

“And we have two cars, two Red Bulls that basically should be one-two every single race this year. So it’s like kind of fighting for third place and if things happen with one of those two drivers, then maybe you’re fighting for second or first.

“But really, there’s only one spot that you’re kind of actually looking at, and you have two Mercedes who have been very consistent all season, and then you can never count out Ferrari and Aston, especially this year.”

‘Fans should be happy with McLaren progress’

Norris’ warning that there would be difficult races was proven to be wise, as the team endured a relatively disappointing weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix as he only managed seventh, and team-mate Oscar Piastri retired after a first-lap collision.

However Norris is adamant that he is, and the team’s fanbase, should be very happy with the progress that has been made,

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Lando Norris shows his frustration, as he struggles to build momentum at the Belgian GP

“I think they [McLaren fans] should still be very happy that we’re not fighting for 18th and 19th,” he said.

“I’m very happy, even if we were behind Mercedes now, I’m still very, very happy with the progress we ‘ve made.

“From where we were, I would say it’s one of the biggest turnarounds in the middle of a season for many, many years in Formula 1, and that’s a very good thing to have done.”

Formula 1 returns after the summer break with the Dutch GP and all sessions will be live on Sky Sports F1 from August 25-27. Stream the biggest sporting events with NOW

Max Verstappen overcame a five-place grid penalty to ease to victory at the Belgian GP: Sergio Perez came second to complete a Red Bull one-two, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completing the podium; Red Bull extended their record winning streak with a 13th successive triumph

Max Verstappen came from sixth on the grid to lead team-mate Sergio Perez home in a Red Bull one-two at the Belgian Grand Prix, as the team claimed a record-extending 13th successive victory.

Having been demoted from the pole position he claimed after receiving a five-place grid penalty for exceeding his gearbox allowance, Verstappen eased through the field to become just the second driver to win eight successive Formula 1 races.

Pole-sitter Charles Leclerc, who was overtaken by Perez on the first lap, held off the challenge of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to claim just his third podium of the season for Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso arrested Aston Martin’s recent slump to take fifth ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon produced a late overtake on Alonso’s Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll to claim eighth, while Yuki Tsunoda took a valuable final point for AlphaTauri in 10th.

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Sergio Perez leads the Belgian GP after the opening lap, with Oscar Piastri already out following an early incident.

Verstappen gained two places on the opening lap as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri clashed at the first corner in an incident that eventually led to the retirement of both cars, before the Dutchman calmly eased past Hamilton, Leclerc and Perez to take the lead after 17 of the 44 laps.

From there, a brief rain shower that wasn’t strong enough to force any of the field onto intermediate tyres was the only threat to Verstappen extending his winning run, as he almost went off at the high-speed Eau Rouge.

With disaster averted, Verstappen eased into the distance, ignoring suggestions from his race engineer to drive more carefully as he opened up a 22-second gap to Perez by the time they took the chequered flag.

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Max Verstappen and his Red Bull engineer continue to squabble at the Belgian GP.

The 25-year-old, who appears all but certain to claim a third successive drivers’ title, extends his world championship lead over Perez to 125 points going into the sport’s summer break, having also won Saturday’s Sprint at Spa.

When the season resumes at his home race in Zandvoort in late August, Verstappen will have the opportunity to match Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine successive Grand Prix wins, which was also set in a Red Bull car back in 2013.

Along with extending the overall record they set in Hungary last time out, Red Bull now have the most successive wins within a season, having won all 12 races of the 2023 campaign.

Belgian GP result
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
4) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
5) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
6) George Russell, Mercedes
7) Lando Norris, McLaren
8) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
9) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
10) Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri

More to follow…

Max Verstappen recovers from losing the lead at the start to beat Oscar Piastri to victory in the Belgian Grand Prix Sprint; Pierre Gasly takes third for Alpine; watch the Belgian Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 at 2pm on Sunday, with build-up from 12:30pm

Max Verstappen won the Belgian Grand Prix Sprint after recovering from losing the lead during a chaotic wet start to beat McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at Spa.

After the contest, which was reduced from 15 to 11 laps because of rain delays, eventually began behind the Safety Car, half the field immediately pitted to swap the wet tyres they were obliged to start on.

Piastri, who started second, was one of those to pit immediately and took the lead from Red Bull’s Verstappen, who came in to switch to intermediates a lap later.

However, after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso spun into the gravel trap, another Safety Car interruption provided Verstappen with the opportunity to pass Piastri at the restart.

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Max Verstappen quickly retakes the lead from Oscar Piastri after the McLaren driver struggled with the Sprint Race restart at the Belgian GP.

The world championship leader, who extended his lead at the top of the standings to 118 points with the win, then eased into the distance to win by more than six seconds.

Pierre Gasly took third for Alpine after climbing three places amid the early pit stops, claiming a much needed positive result for the French team on the weekend they announced the sacking of team principal Otmar Szafnauer.

Lewis Hamilton, who followed Gasly forward from seventh at the start, finished behind the Alpine on track but was demoted to seventh after receiving a five-second penalty for causing a collision with Sergio Perez in a battle for fourth, which resulted in damage forcing the Red Bull to retire.

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Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez make contact as they go wheel to wheel through the Stavelot corner.

The beneficiaries of Hamilton’s penalty were Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who moved up to fourth and fifth respectively, while McLaren’s Lando Norris improved to sixth.

George Russell narrowly missed out on taking seventh from his Mercedes team-mate Hamilton, but took the final point, having passed AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo to deny the Australian his first points since returning to the sport earlier in July.

Verstappen will be looking to add an eighth successive Grand Prix victory in Sunday’s full length contest at Spa, but starts from sixth despite topping Friday’s Qualifying after incurring a five-place grid penalty for exceeding his gearbox part allowance for the season.

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Watch the wild scramble on the first lap of the Belgian GP Sprint as half of field enters the pit lane!

Belgian GP Sprint Result: Top 10
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull (8 points)
2) Oscar Piastri, McLaren (7 points)
3) Pierre Gasly, Alpine (6 points)
4) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari (5 points)
5) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (4 points)
6) Lando Norris, McLaren (3 points)
7) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes (2 points)
8) George Russell, Mercedes (1 point)
9) Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri
10) Esteban Ocon, Alpine

More to follow…

Max Verstappen has won the last seven races to open up a 110-point world championship lead; Red Bull are on a record 12-race winning streak; It’s a Sprint weekend! Watch Belgian GP Qualifying at 4pm on Friday live on Sky Sports F1

World Championship leader Max Verstappen will receive a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix after exceeding his gearbox allowance for the 2023 Formula 1 season.

While the FIA has yet to officially confirm the gearbox change and resulting penalty, Sky Sports News has learned Red Bull have taken the decision

The penalty will apply to Sunday’s race, for which Qualifying is taking place on Friday as Spa-Francorchamps hosts the third Sprint weekend of the season.

It means Verstappen will line up no higher than sixth on the grid for the Grand Prix.

Each F1 car is limited to four gearboxes over the season, and Verstappen is the first driver to require a fifth assembly this year.

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Verstappen says he has good memories at his second home circuit of Spa and hopes Red Bull can find the compromise for both dry and wet conditions

Verstappen’s stunning run of seven successive victories has enabled him to open a 110-point world championship lead, and the overtaking opportunities at Spa should provide him with a chance to extend that run despite the grid penalty.

Last year the Dutchman lined up 14th on the grid in Belgium due to engine penalties but came through the field to claim a commanding victory.

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Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Nico Rosberg believes Verstappen will be keen to break further records this season, ensuring his legacy in the sport stands the test of time

Rain is forecast to affect Friday’s qualifying session, which takes place at 4pm, as well as possibly Sunday’s race which gives Verstappen an additional challenge as he seeks to negate the impact of his demotion.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz on Thursday, Verstappen said: “The weather looks quite interesting with a lot of rain around.

“From our side we know that the car is quick and hopefully we can find a good compromise between possible rain or dry on Sunday.”

Verstappen recorded the biggest victory margin of the 2023 season last time out in Hungary as he finished 33 seconds ahead of Lando Norris’ McLaren.

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Verstappen wins in Hungary, making it a record 12th win in a row for Red Bull

Sky Sports F1’s live Belgian GP schedule

Friday July 28
8.55am: Formula 3 Practice
10am: Formula 2 Practice
12pm: Belgian GP Practice One (session starts 12.30pm)
1.55pm: Formula 3 Qualifying
2.50pm: Formula 2 Qualifying
3.35pm: Belgian GP Qualifying build-up
4pm: Belgian GP Qualifying
6pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Saturday July 29
8.55am: Formula 3 Sprint Race
10.30am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout build-up
11am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout
12.40pm: Formula 2 Sprint Race
2.30pm: Belgian GP Sprint build-up
3.30pm: BELGIAN GP SPRINT
5pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook

Sunday July 30
7.25am: Formula 3 Feature Race
8.55am: Formula 2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Belgian GP build-up
2pm: THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag – Belgian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

Next up is the Belgian GP, the final race before F1’s summer break – watch all sessions of the Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1 from July 28-30. Stream the Belgian GP and more with NOW.

Christian Horner says Red Bull were under F1’s cost cap last year as the FIA continue to work with teams regarding last year’s financial findings; watch the Belgian GP from Spa-Francorchamps live on Sky Sports F1 from July 28-30

Christian Horner has revealed Red Bull were “several million” below the F1 cost cap in 2022, amid ongoing fieldwork from the FIA into last year’s financial submissions from the teams.

Last year, Red Bull were found guilty of a “minor overspend” for the 2021 campaign and received a $7m fine plus a 10 per cent reduction to their wind tunnel time for this season.

Reports ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix claimed at least two F1 teams broke the cost cap last year, but Sky Sports News understands those allegations are completely unfounded.

The cost cap was introduced for the 2021 season and the current fieldwork is looking at the 2022 season, when the budget cap was $140m. The cap is $135m for this season and the following two campaigns up to and including 2025.

“Last year, Max [Verstappen] damaged one front wing and Checo [Perez] had a crash in Montreal, and again we had a very limited amount of development on the car,” Horner told Sky Sports F1.

“So we were several million below the cap last year, and because accident damage and development – they’re huge costs.

“Obviously this year, the biggest handicap we have is that lack of wind tunnel time, it’s significantly less runs in a week than any of our competitors, so we have to be very disciplined on where we focus our development.”

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Christian Horner says it was ‘incredible’ to win 12 races in a row and says it is a joy to work with Max Verstappen, ‘a sportsman at the top of his game’

On his thoughts about people who think Red Bull haven’t been punished enough this year after breaching the cost cap in 2021, Horner answered: “Believe me the lack of wind tunnel time we have compared to our competitors is a massive compromise. If wind tunnels don’t count, why don’t we get rid of them?

“It’s easy to throw shade when you’re not performing. It’s one of the things in F1 that will always continue to happen. I’m just incredibly proud of the job that our team is doing with the constraints and handicap we have, to be performing at the level we have this year.”

Wolff: We need to stop any breach of the cost cap

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he is “concerned” about potential breaches while George Russell says repeat offenders should be punished more harshly.

Toto Wolff says the cost cap auditors are communicating with the teams about their submissions.

“They came back with tonnes of questions to lots of teams and that shows how robust the process is, which is good,” said Wolff.

“Strong auditors are beneficial for F1. We need to stop any kind of unintentional or intentional breach of the cost cap. It’s like technical and sporting regulations.

Lewis Hamilton is “concerned” about potential breaches of the cost cap

“The big teams have thousands of people and various projects – commercial and non-commercial. For us it’s a bit easier because we have everything in one entity. The employees are all in one place and you can see where they have been attributed.

“It becomes more complex when you have more variety of subsidiaries. I’ve never been shy of saying with the 2026 regulations we should get rid of all of that overall.

“In the real world, it’s quite a challenge because we are making revenue and money with our engineering projects. That means we cannot assign a person who is working in F1, not even for a minute, into non-F1. But I think it’s the right thing to do for the sport to say ‘this is F1 and this is not F1’. The moment someone spends 10 seconds on an F1 project you should be fully in F1. That’s the way we need to go.”

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Sky Sports F1’s Craig Slater and David Croft believe it’s too early to confirm reports that three teams have breached cost caps rules

FIA respond to cost cap speculation

An FIA spokesperson said: “We would like to reiterate the ongoing process preceding financial regulation certification for the teams – none of which have been informed of their certification status.

“The auditing fieldwork is still ongoing and is scheduled to conclude in the upcoming weeks, after which there will be a period required for the finalisation of the review.

“There is not, and has never been, a specific deadline for certification, and any suggestions of delays to this process or potential breaches are completely unfounded – the Cost Cap Administration will formally communicate its findings according to the procedure set out in the Financial Regulations.

“The timeframe is intentionally not fixed in order not to prejudice the robustness and the effectiveness of the review.”

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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the Belgian Grand Prix

Sky Sports F1’s live Belgian GP schedule

Thursday July 27
2pm: Drivers’ Press Conference

Friday July 28
8.55am: Formula 3 Practice
10am: Formula 2 Practice
12pm: Belgian GP Practice One (session starts 12.30pm)
1.55pm: Formula 3 Qualifying
2.50pm: Formula 2 Qualifying
3.35pm: Belgian GP Qualifying build-up
4pm: Belgian GP Qualifying
6pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Saturday July 29
8.55am: Formula 3 Sprint Race
10.30am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout build-up
11am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout
12.40pm: Formula 2 Sprint Race
2.30pm: Belgian GP Sprint build-up
3.30pm: BELGIAN GP SPRINT
5pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook

Sunday July 30
7.25am: Formula 3 Feature Race
8.55am: Formula 2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Belgian GP build-up
2pm: THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag – Belgian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

Next up is the Belgian GP, the final race before F1’s summer break – watch all sessions of the Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1 from July 28-30. Stream the Belgian GP and more with NOW.

Lewis Hamilton narrowly beat Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to pole in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday; watch the Hungarian GP live on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday, lights out is at 2pm; F1 Juniors will be live on Sky Showcase and Sky Sports Mix from 1.30pm

Max Verstappen admitted he was surprised to be beaten to pole position by Lewis Hamilton at the Hungarian Grand Prix after Red Bull’s upgraded car delivered a “terrible” display.

The Dutchman’s streak of five successive poles was ended by just three thousandths of a second as Hamilton produced a brilliant lap to top Qualifying for the first time since December 2021.

Hamilton’s success was all the more surprising given Red Bull had brought a significant package of upgrades to Hungary for their RB19, which has been completely dominant in winning all 10 races so far this season.

Asked how his car had felt on Saturday, Verstappen replied: “Terrible. It doesn’t matter where you are on the grid, if it doesn’t feel good, it doesn’t feel good.

“The whole Qualifying I’ve been struggling a lot, well the whole weekend really, with the shift and balance.

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Lewis Hamilton pips Max Verstappen to claim a record ninth pole position at the Hungaroring

“There’s not much you can do really once you go into Qualifying, every time I got to the apex of the corner it was just not gripping up for me, and that’s probably the worst balance I can have in the car.

“I tried to correct a few things in Q3, but there’s only so much you can do. I thought my first lap wasn’t too bad but it still felt like I was driving on ice.”

Verstappen, who is 99 points clear of team-mate Sergio Perez at the top of the drivers’ standings, remains favourite to extend his run of six successive Grand Prix wins on Sunday, but was visibly frustrated at his team’s failure to maintain their recent perfect form.

“I think with the upgrades we brought as well to this weekend, it’s just extremely disappointing from our side,” he added.

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Highlights from Qualifying at the Hungarian GP

“We are P2, but looking at how the whole year has been, I didn’t expect this to happen.”

Verstappen was adamant that Red Bull missing out on pole on Saturday was not a reflection upon the upgrades, which included changes to the profile of the RB19’s sidepods, but rather a failure to find the best set-up for the Hungaroring.

“I don’t think so, because we’ve been trying a few things, the upgrade looks good – it’s just we didn’t nail the balance of the car, it’s as simple as that.”

Norris rues missed opportunity

Also disappointed to miss out on pole was Lando Norris, who provided further evidence of McLaren’s incredible leap forward after their recent upgrades by taking third.

Norris, who stunned the paddock by qualifying and then finishing in second at the British Grand Prix earlier in July, also ended within a tenth of a second of Hamilton.

“I think when you look at the big picture of where we’ve been, we’d take a P3 any day,” Norris said.

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McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri continue their good form by qualifying third and fourth in Hungary

“So I’m not like unhappy, I guess I’m just frustrated with my lap. Like I know Lewis made a few mistakes, Max wasn’t in the best confidence level, so there’s always like what else could you have done?

“But just on the lap, just a couple little things in the chicane, but many other things were like the best I’ve done all Qualifying. So it’s just how it is sometimes.”

Many, including Norris and McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, had warned that McLaren were unlikely to be able to maintain their Silverstone performance due to the slower nature of the Hungaroring, but Norris’ performance was backed up by team-mate Oscar Piastri taking fourth.

Despite the strong showing, the 23-year-old Brit maintained that Mercedes and Hamilton had a slight edge around the circuit on the outskirts of Budapest.

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Ted Kravitz is in the paddock as he reviews all the biggest stories from Qualifying at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix

Norris added: “I would say Mercedes probably always had the slight edge apart from on the mediums in Q2, but we were a little bit behind in Q1, we were a bit behind in Q3. Mercedes have looked good all weekend.

“Lewis is going to come over and say that they didn’t look good yesterday, but they didn’t put any softs on, so they looked bad, but actually they were very competitive already on the medium.

“They’re always good here, they were on pole last year. I just don’t think we had quite exactly what we needed to get pole. So therefore I am still happy with P3.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Hungarian GP schedule

Sunday July 23
7:20am: F3 Feature Race
9am: F2 Feature Race
11am: Porsche Supercup
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Hungarian GP build-up
1:30pm: F1 Juniors: Hungarian Grand Prix (Sky Sports Mix and Sky Showcase)
2pm: The HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

Daniel Ricciardo’s return and first F1 Juniors broadcast headline the Hungarian Grand Prix! Watch all the action live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend. Stream the Hungarian GP and more with NOW for £21 a month.

Daniel Ricciardo is back in F1 after replacing Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix; watch all sessions from the Hungarian GP live on Sky Sports F1; Lights out on Sunday at 2pm; F1 Juniors will be live on Sky Showcase and Sky Sports Mix

Christian Horner has explained the reasons behind Daniel Ricciardo’s return to F1 in place of Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri.

News broke two days after the British Grand Prix that Ricciardo would make a surprise mid-season return after sitting out the opening 10 races of the 2023 season having lost his seat at McLaren.

The Australian was in the middle of a tyre test at Silverstone when De Vries was told he would not drive for AlphaTauri from this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix – live on Sky Sports F1, with Sky F1 Junior coverage on Sky Showcase and Sky Sports Mix.

“Nyck is a very capable driver, a Formula E champion, a Formula 2 champion, he’s obviously got a lot of experience, he’s not a young driver as such from an age perspective,” Horner said on the F1 Nation podcast. “And I just didn’t see how it fitted within the junior programme. It was almost a stop-gap.

“It all happened a little quicker than expected, bearing in mind that we hadn’t completed the test. Helmut [Marko] spoke with Nyck and he was the one that obviously had recruited him. He was the one that spoke with Nyck about Lap 11 of the test, I think.”

Nyck de Vries had just 10 races at AlphaTauri before being dropped

He added: “It was becoming obviously a difficult situation for Nyck de Vries,” Horner explained. “But there was a high expectation on him because, whilst inexperienced in Formula 1, he’s obviously a very experienced driver.

“I think there was a general feeling that Nyck wasn’t quite hitting the mark. And then the question was, what are the options if we were to switch things around?

“And from a Red Bull Racing perspective, the most interesting option for me was to see how Daniel performs. So that was the decision that was made. It all happened pretty quick and here he is for the Hungarian Grand Prix.”

Ricciardo looking at 2025 Red Bull seat

The consensus is if Ricciardo outperforms Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri in the second half of the season, he will put pressure Sergio Perez for a Red Bull seat.

Perez has struggled recently, missing out on Q3 in the last five events and taking just one podium in that same period. Meanwhile, team-mate Max Verstappen is on a streak of six race victories.

Horner confirmed Perez is contracted for next year and the plan is to retain the Mexican alongside Verstappen at Red Bull.

Sergio Perez talks to Helmut Marko as questions continue about the Mexican’s future at Red Bull

“At the moment there is something in place [for Ricciardo] to the end of the season. There are no thoughts or expectations beyond that. Our drivers are going to be Max and Checo again next year,” said the Red Bull team principal.

“But it’s always good to have talent in reserve. Daniel is viewing AlphaTauri as pitching for that 2025 Red Bull seat. That’s his goal and objective. By going to AlphaTauri he sees that as his best route for 2025.”

On Ricciardo’s mindset ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Horner added: “First of all, he had to be clear did he want to do it? Stepping into an AlphaTauri is very different to driving a Red Bull car. It will certainly have its challenges.

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Craig Slater has more information about Daniel Ricciardo’s return to an F1 race seat, as he replaces Nyck De Vries for Alpha Tauri for the rest of the season

The thing we need to be sure of: was he up for that challenge of scrapping to get out of Q1? He seemed more than happy to go back into that situation to get back on the grid and be a Formula 1 driver again.

“What you have to remember is Daniel drove for us for five years and won seven races in that period – some incredible performances. He spent three years driving alongside Max and the margins between them at that stage were pretty fine.

“He made the decision to leave the team and explore other options that didn’t work out for him. But the underlining talent was there. Red Bull had a reputation for being hard on its drivers but every driver needs a different scenario, whether it’s an arm around the shoulder or a different approach. We take exactly the same approach with Sergio – supporting him with his moments of difficulty as well.

“The junior team, there are high expectations, but Daniel isn’t a junior driver. He’s already proven himself in the time he’s had with us. Therefore it was about trying to rediscover the form we know he is capable of.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Hungarian GP schedule

Thursday July 20
2pm: Drivers’ press conference

Friday July 21
8:55am: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12pm: Hungarian GP Practice One (session starts 12:30pm)
2pm: F3 Qualifying
2:45pm: F2 Qualifying
3:40pm: Hungarian GP Practice Two (session starts 4pm)
5:15pm: The F1 Show

Saturday July 22
8:45am: F3 Sprint
11:15am: Hungarian GP Practice Three (session starts 11:30am)
1:10pm: F2 Sprint
2:15pm: Hungarian GP Qualifying build-up (Sky Showcase)
3pm: HUNGARIAN GP QUALIFYING (Sky Showcase)
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday July 23
7:20am: F3 Feature Race
9am: F2 Feature Race
11am: Porsche Supercup
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Hungarian GP build-up
1:30pm: F1 Juniors: Hungarian Grand Prix (Sky Sports Mix and Sky Showcase)
2pm: The HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

Daniel Ricciardo’s return and first F1 Juniors broadcast headline the Hungarian Grand Prix! Watch all the action live on Sky Sports F1 from July 21-23. Get Sky Sports

Mercedes say their new front wing is expected to have a greater impact in the slow corners of the Hungaroring than it did at the free-flowing Silverstone layout; watch the Hungarian GP live on Sky Sports F1 from July 21-23

Mercedes technical director James Allison is expecting the team’s recently upgraded front wing to have a significant impact at the Hungarian Grand Prix, after the new part showed “promising signs” at Silverstone.

In an ongoing overhaul to the initial design of their troublesome W14, the latest addition to the car was a front wing for the British Grand Prix.

It initially appeared as though the new part had failed to deliver the sort of performance gains that had been hoped for, as McLaren leapfrogged the midfield to emerge as Red Bull and runaway world championship leader Max Verstappen’s closest challengers.

However, Allison has now explained the new front wing is geared towards improving performance in slow corners, of which there are few at Silverstone and plenty at the Hungaroring, where Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s next opportunity to drive the W14 comes.

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Highlights from the British GP at Silverstone, as Max Verstappen looked to secure a sixth consecutive race win

Asked in Mercedes’ post-race debrief whether the front wing had worked, Allison said: “It’s a bit too early to tell. The new front-wing is of course designed to make us go faster. That’s why we do all our things.

“The specific characteristics of this new front-wing that we are excited about, is that it should improve the balance and performance of the car through the slower range of the corners.

“Now, Silverstone is famous for lots of things but lots and lots of slow corners is not one of them. What we took as a comfort from Silverstone is that in the slower parts of the track, we were looking pretty decently competitive.

Mercedes technical director James Allison is hopeful over the impact of the team’s latest upgrade

“That’s a tick in the box for this new front-wing. But I guess it will only be when we get to Hungary, which is a track made up almost entirely of slower stuff, that we’ll get to know for sure.

“Early sings are promising, the new front-wing seemed to do what we expected and hopefully it will bring us more at tracks which have a wider range of slow corners.”

McLaren upgrades could be ‘useful’ for Mercedes

Similarly to Mercedes, McLaren have made major changes to the car they began the season with, and appear to have taken a major leap forward following upgrades brought to the previous two races in Austria and Britain.

Lando Norris finished fourth in Austria, but it was his and team-mate’s Oscar Piastri’s performance at Silverstone that really caught the eye, as the pair qualified second and third, respectively, behind Verstappen before backing up that display with impressive race pace.

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Relive Lewis Hamilton’s stunning fight for second at Silverstone with fellow Brit Lando Norris

Hamilton, who was unable to pass Norris in the closing stages of the race despite having theoretically better-performing softer tyres, described the McLaren as “a rocketship”, and Allison has admitted Mercedes’ technical team have taken note.

“We keep an eye on all the teams as they upgrade,” he said. “We take lots of photos and we try and figure out what changes from race to race. We note when something new or unusual comes along.

“The interesting and unusual thing about the McLaren upgrade is that its lap time effect is quite strong. It’s unusual to have a step of that size of relative competitiveness in the middle of a season and chapeau to them.

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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the Hungarian Grand Prix

“They’ve done a good piece of work there, but that also makes it interesting for us because we have the before and after shots and we know the lap time effect was big.

“So it’s well worth us paying more attention than we normally might to another competitor team’s upgrade because in this case, we know that whatever changed has made a meaningful difference to their lap time.

“It’s quite useful for us to know what that was and see whether it can play into our own thoughts of developing our own car.”

Further W14 upgrades can help next year’s car

While Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said after the race at Silverstone that the team had “no choice” but to “pretty soon” switch their focus to next year’s car, Allison believes there is still important work to be done on the W14.

“We are only just round about halfway through the season and there is plenty more development to come in these cars,” Allison said. “All of the teams will of course be turning their attention to next year and that will defang all of us a little bit in terms of the rate of which we can improve our cars.

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Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were left hugely impressed by the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, following the British GP at Silverstone

“There are absolutely improvements that we would like to make on our current car that we know will also carry into next year. So it doesn’t feel like throwing good money after bad. The feeling is that you are investing in both seasons with those upgrades.

“For us yes, you will see the upgrades coming for a little while longer. I suspect for the others too. What you will get in this next sequence of races is a little bit of yoyoing for position in a very closely packed bunch as upgrades make the difference for one team for a while, until someone else will come out of sequence with another upgrade a race or two later to even things back out.

“Where it will all settle down for the final quarter to one third of a season, we will see. Hopefully we will have our noses in front and be able to have a strong second half of the season.”

Watch Daniel Ricciardo’s return to the Formula 1 grid at the Hungarian Grand Prix from July 21-23, with every session live on Sky Sports F1.

Max Verstappen claimed a fifth successive pole position by topping British Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday; McLaren took a surprise second and third behind the Red Bull; watch the British GP live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase at 3pm on Sunday, build-up from 1:30pm

Max Verstappen has admitted he is unsure which of his Red Bull team’s Formula 1 rivals currently pose the biggest threat to his dominance.

Verstappen, who leads the world championship by 81 points from team-mate Sergio Perez, topped qualifying at the British Grand Prix on Saturday to claim a fifth successive pole position and will have the opportunity to seal a sixth-straight race victory on Sunday.

The Dutchman will also be looking to extend Red Bull’s streak of nine successive wins to start the season, with his victory at last year’s Abu Dhabi finale meaning a win at Silverstone will see them tie McLaren’s record of 11 straight triumphs.

Amid Red Bull’s early-season dominance, Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin have competed fiercely for podium finishes, and McLaren now appear to have joined that battle after their upgraded car enabled Lando Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri to claim second and third, respectively, behind Verstappen on Saturday.

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We take a look back at the story of a dramatic qualifying session as Lando Norris secured a sensational P2 at Silverstone

Asked by Sky Sports F1 who he considers to be the biggest threat, Verstappen said: “I don’t know.”

“I don’t mind, as long as they just keep shuffling around, they just keep stealing points from each other, so that’s great.”

The combination of Red Bull’s dominance and the inconsistency of the teams behind them has enabled the reigning constructors’ champions to build a 199-point lead over second-placed Mercedes.

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Aston Martin trail the Silver Arrows by just three points, with Ferrari only 21 points further back.

A torrid start to the season has seen McLaren score just 29 points, with the bulk of those coming when Norris took fourth in Austria last weekend.

Verstappen isn’t yet totally convinced McLaren will remain in the battle at the front, particularly given the damp conditions at Silverstone on Saturday, but was pleased to see another team move into contention.

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McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri joined Karun Chandhok at the SkyPad to reflect on qualifying second and third respectively for the British Grand Prix

“Today, because of the weather, probably that shuffled around quite a bit,” Verstappen said.

“It’s really nice to see (McLaren do well). They had a really rough start to the year, but they kept on pushing, kept on bringing quite good upgrades, and I’m very happy for them that they had such a good qualifying.

“I think they needed it as well, and I can only imagine it’s a great boost for everyone within the team. You could see how happy everyone was in that garage. So great to see and nice for the drivers as well to finally have a competitive car, because I think also that will motivate you even more to do well.”

‘Five poles in a row is amazing’

Verstappen had claimed four consecutive poles during his intense 2021 title battle with Lewis Hamilton, but had never previously managed to string together five.

“To be on pole again is of course amazing,” he said. “I’m also not used to that, being on pole five times in a row, but it’s definitely a great feeling.”

It could have easily been different on this occasion with the wet conditions early in qualifying, along with a red flag that set up a one-lap shootout, left every driver in danger of being knocked out.

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Max Verstappen drove his Red Bull into the pit wall during first qualifying at the British Grand Prix

Verstappen’s challenge was heightened by the fact that during the red flag delay, in which the track dried out, he drove straight into the pit wall on his way out of the garage.

The contact resulted in heavy damage to his front wing, which meant the Dutchman was forced to head out last after his mechanics fitted a new nose.

“Luckily in the end Q1 all worked out even though I had my little pit lane incident,” Verstappen said.

“I just understeered into the wall, which was a bit odd. I just drove out and it didn’t grip, it just went straight.

“Then of course we had to put a new wing on that meant we were at the back of the line. So then my out lap was very crucial, I had to just push flat out, I had to pass a few cars and then still with a bit of traffic, managed to navigate my way through it.

“Luckily it worked out but it could have also easily been out in Q1.”

Sky Sports F1’s live British GP schedule (all F1 sessions on Sky Showcase)

Sunday July 9
8:10am: F3 Feature Race
9:50am: F2 Feature Race
11:50am: Porsche Supercup
1:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – British GP build-up
3pm: The BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook

Max Verstappen takes a fifth consecutive pole position for the first time in his career; Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finish second and third for McLaren; watch the British Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase at 3pm on Sunday, with build-up from 1:30pm

Max Verstappen claimed pole position for Red Bull at the British Grand Prix as McLaren produced a stunning qualifying performance to take second and third through Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

A thrilling session that played out on a drying track at Silverstone delivered a fitting finale as Britain’s Norris momentarily took provisional pole before Verstappen responded to prevent a major shock.

Verstappen, who leads the world championship by 81 points, claimed a fifth successive pole for the first time in his career, and will attempt to add a sixth successive race victory on Sunday.

Norris’ rookie team-mate Piastri achieved the best qualifying performance of his career to take third, with Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finishing behind him.

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There was a lucky escape for Lewis Hamilton as he managed to stay out of the barriers after spinning off in qualifying at Silverstone

George Russell followed in sixth, a place ahead of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who recovered from a spin in the opening stages of the session.

Alex Albon backed up strong displays throughout the weekend in practice to take eighth, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly rounding out the top 10.

Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate – and nearest title challenger – Sergio Perez failed to make it through to final part of qualifying for a fifth successive race as he made a Q1 exit.

British GP Qualifying result

1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Lando Norris, McLaren
3) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
4) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
6) George Russell, Mercedes
7) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
8) Alex Albon, Williams
9) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
10) Pierre Gasly, Alpine

More to follow…

Zhou Guanyu’s car flipped upside down and got caught behind tyre barriers in terrifying crash at 2022 British GP; Silverstone has now modified Turn One run-off area; watch every session from the British GP live on Sky Sports F1 and for free on Sky Showcase this weekend

Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu says he returns to Silverstone with “a bit more emotion than usual” a year on from his terrifying crash.

Zhou was involved in one of F1’s scariest accidents at last year’s British Grand Prix as his car was flipped over by contact at the start of the race, before hurtling through the gravel and then launching over the tyre barriers. It was then trapped in a small gap in front of the catch fencing and spectators.

After a nervous wait, Zhou was eventually recovered from the car and, incredibly, was cleared of any significant injuries.

The Chinese driver has not rewatched the incident since while Silverstone have made amendments to the Turn One run-off area to try and prevent a similar incident from occurring in future.

“For me even to think about what happened that day I have to proper wind back to what actually happened,” Zhou said ahead of this weekend’s race.

“At the minute it is off of my mind, it’s at the back, it’s in the past. Obviously it always feels a bit more emotion than usual coming back to Silverstone and I’m actually looking forward to it as last year was a good run before what happened on the Sunday. I like the track in general.

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“Thankfully not [had dreams of the incident]. What I did was after Sunday I was in the medical centre so I had a look at what happened because somebody hit me from behind. When this happened, I know what happened to make me flip and since then I’ve never watched any video of the incident since that day until now.

“It was a huge crash, of course a scary one, but nothing really distracted me after that.”

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Craig Slater explains how Zhou’s car was flipped upside down and over the barriers during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone

What’s been changed at Turn One?

The straight-ahead gravel part in the run-off in Turn 1 has been replaced with a 40x40m asphalt section.

It was Zhou’s car digging into the gravel trap that had caused it to then flip over the tyre barriers and into the catch fencing behind.

“They’ve taken some action in terms of the run-off area for Turn One. That is the right direction for us in case something happens,” Zhou said.

Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle said in April: “We’ve done a load of work this winter.

“There’s a big piece of asphalt out the front rather than the gravel.

“This is to stop them digging in. It’s the digging in bit that was the real issue there.”

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Damon Hill and Martin Brundle share what they think makes the British Grand Prix so special ahead of this weekend at Silverstone

Sky Sports F1’s live British GP schedule (all F1 sessions on Sky Showcase)

Friday July 7
8:40am: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12pm: British GP Practice One (session starts 12:30pm)
2.05pm: F3 Qualifying
3pm: F2 Qualifying
3:40pm: British GP Practice Two (session starts 4pm)

Saturday July 8
9:15am: F3 Sprint
11:15am: British GP Practice Three (session starts 11:30am)
1:10pm: F2 Sprint
2:15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: BRITISH GP QUALIFYING
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Saturday July 8
9:15am: F3 Sprint
11:15am: British GP Practice Three (session starts 11:30am)
1:10pm: F2 Sprint
2:15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: BRITISH GP QUALIFYING
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday July 9
8:10am: F3 Feature Race
9:50am: F2 Feature Race
11:50am: Porsche Supercup
1:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – British GP build-up
3pm: The BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook

Next on the F1 calendar is the big one, Silverstone. Don’t miss the British GP live on Sky Sports from July 7-9

McLaren reveal one-off livery for British GP at Silverstone; MCL60 to run in chrome in throwback to McLaren’s livery from 2006-2014 and last championship-winning car in 2008; Watch every session from the British GP live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend

McLaren have unveiled a special chrome livery which their cars will race in at this weekend’s British GP.

The livery is a nod to the iconic McLaren colours used from 2006 to 2014 and in which Lewis Hamilton won his maiden world championship in 2008.

The usual papaya colour McLaren have for 2023 is still visible on the sidepods, nose, top of the roll hoop and rear wing.

The livery will be on both MCL60 cars at Silverstone and drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will wear special race suits.

Norris will also have a special helmet design and bespoke race boots for his home grand prix.

The return to a chrome livery this weekend is part of McLaren’s celebrations for their 60th anniversary season and done in conjunction with team sponsors Google, which launched its Chrome web browser the same year as Hamilton’s first title.

McLaren chief executive Zak Brown said: “It’s no secret that racing fans love McLaren’s classic chrome livery. Google Chrome wanted to bring back elements of this iconic livery to celebrate our team’s history at the British Grand Prix, and we’re excited to be able to give our fans what they want.

“I’m sure this livery will bring back great memories for many of our fans, and I can’t wait to see it out on track at our home race.”

McLaren also celebrated their history with a ‘Triple Crown’ livery at this year’s Monaco and Spanish Grands Prix.

The Woking-based team arrive at Silverstone after a much-improved weekend at the Austrian GP which saw Norris finish fourth on Sunday and qualify in the top four for both the Sprint and grand prix.

McLaren introduced a big upgrade package to Norris’ car at the Red Bull Ring and are expected to bring further updates to Silverstone, where Piastri will also get to run the upgrades.

McLaren are currently sixth in the Constructors’ Championship on 29 points, 18 points behind fifth-placed Alpine.

Norris is 10th in the Drivers’ Championship while rookie Piastri is 14th.

The chrome is a throwback to the livery that was on the McLaren from 2006-2014, including when Lewis Hamilton won his first world championship in 2008

Sky Sports F1’s live British GP schedule

Thursday July 6
6pm: The F1 Show

Friday July 7
8:40am: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12pm: British GP Practice One (session starts 12:30pm)
2.05pm: F3 Qualifying
3pm: F2 Qualifying
3:40pm: British GP Practice Two (session starts 4pm)

Saturday July 8
9:15am: F3 Sprint
11:15am: British GP Practice Three (session starts 11:30am)
1:10pm: F2 Sprint
2:15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: BRITISH GP QUALIFYING
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday July 9
8:10am: F3 Feature Race
9:50am: F2 Feature Race
11:50am: Porsche Supercup
1:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – British GP build-up
3pm: The BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook

Next on the F1 calendar is the big one, Silverstone. Don’t miss the British GP live on Sky Sports from July 7-9

Red Bull are seeking to continue their dominant start to the F1 season at Silverstone, where they have failed to win for the last 10 years; Watch all sessions live on Sky Sports F1 – with Qualifying on Saturday at 3pm and lights out for the Grand Prix on Sunday at 3pm

Formula 1 returns to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix with the chasing pack seeking to end Max Verstappen’s streak of five successive race wins.

Verstappen produced another sublime display of driving to win both the Sprint and Grand Prix in Austria last weekend, extending his world championship lead over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez to 81 points.

Red Bull have now won all nine races this season, but face a significant challenge to keep that streak going at a Silverstone circuit where they have failed to win for the last 10 years.

A potentially resurgent Ferrari and a Mercedes team looking to bounce back with new upgrades at Silverstone will be giving their all to deny Red Bull, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso continues to chase an elusive 33rd F1 victory.

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A look back at all of Lewis Hamilton’s eight record-breaking British Grand Prix wins at Silverstone.

Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will undoubtedly be buoyed by the spectacular home support they’ll receive throughout the weekend, while McLaren’s Lando Norris will also be looking to build on a season-best P4 in Austria.

The atmosphere at Silverstone promises to be as special as ever, with the circuit hosting a launch party on the eve of the event for the first time, which coincides with a special edition of Sky Sports’ The F1 Show on Thursday evening at 6pm.

Every session from Silverstone is live on Sky Sports F1, along with coverage of the F2, F3 and Porsche Supercup events also taking place throughout the weekend.

Qualifying begins at 3pm on Saturday, with build-up from 2:15pm.

Build-up to Sunday’s Grand Prix begins at 1:30pm, ahead of lights out at 3pm.

Sky Sports F1’s live British GP schedule

Thursday July 6
6pm: The F1 Show

Friday July 7
8:40am: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12pm: British GP Practice One (session starts 12:30pm)
2.05pm: F3 Qualifying
3pm: F2 Qualifying
3:40pm: British GP Practice Two (session starts 4pm)

Saturday July 8
9:15am: F3 Sprint
11:15am: British GP Practice Three (session starts 11:30am)
1:10pm: F2 Sprint
2:15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: BRITISH GP QUALIFYING
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday July 9
8:10am: F3 Feature Race
9:50am: F2 Feature Race
11:50am: Porsche Supercup
1:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – British GP build-up
3pm: The BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook

The 2023 Austrian GP marked the first time Red Bull were racing at their home event since the death of co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz; Max Verstappen won the race and Sergio Perez was third; Watch the British GP live on Sky Sports F1 from July 7-9

Christian Horner says Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz was in the back of his mind when deciding whether to pit Max Verstappen for the fastest lap of the race at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was dominating Red Bull’s home event and had more than a pit stop’s gap to Charles Leclerc in second place.

Initially, Red Bull were reluctant to pit the championship leader but Verstappen came in for soft tyres and set the fastest lap on the final lap to take the bonus point.

“It was an outstanding weekend. Max has had tremendous pace all weekend. The strategy we took was slightly different to our competitors so it meant he had to make the overtakes on track as well,” said Horner. “I think he was waving at Charles as he passed him! So a stunning weekend.

“It’s the first time we have been here since Dietrich’s passing. It felt very poignant that it was a great team performance today. We decided to go for the fastest lap on the last lap, despite the risk involved of fluffing a pit stop – it was at the back of my mind, his mantra was always, ‘No risk, no fun’.

“The mechanics have been in such great form that it seemed a low-risk thing in the end.”

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After winning the Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen says he wanted to go for the extra point, while Sergio Perez says that the ‘stupid’ track limits affected everybody

He added: “Coming into the circuit this weekend it was very weird not to have him with us. You feel his presence everywhere – whether it’s the hotels you stay in or the investment he made.

“I remember the delight he had in bringing this Grand Prix back to Austria and the passion he had for racing. Whilst he’s not here in person, his presence you can feel it everywhere and looking back here today it would be one he really enjoyed.”

Verstappen didn’t see extra pit stop as a risk

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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner reflected on both of his drivers’ performances this weekend after a great result from the team

Verstappen leads Sergio Perez by 81 points in the championship after picking up every point possible in Spielberg.

The Dutchman says the “car was on fire” and wasn’t worried about Red Bull potentially getting the pit stop wrong.

“To me, it was not a risk but maybe the team were a bit more nervous. I saw the gap and was like, ‘we have to pit. I want to go for the fastest lap’,” he said.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez gave Red Bull their fifth double podium of the 2023 F1 season

“From the outside maybe it looks like a big risk but when in the car for me it didn’t feel like a risk at all.”

Horner confirmed team manager Jonathan Wheatley and Verstappen’s engineer Gianpiero Lambiase were “up for it” after a discussion.

“There was a bit of a discussion of risk versus reward because we thought let’s cool the tyres down and do it the easier way of not taking a pit stop, in which 400 things can go wrong in,” Horner said. “Max was making his opinion quite clear that the tyres were f****d. He was quite focused.

“Then you start looking at your risk, do we take the risk on a below-par set of tyres? Or is it actually less risk to take the pit stop and put on a set of softs? In the end, we said ‘let’s take the risk’ and he still had three seconds margin over Charles when he came out of the pit lane.”

Next on the F1 calendar is the big one, Silverstone. Don’t miss the British GP live on Sky Sports from July 7-9

Max Verstappen leads Sergio Perez in Red Bull one-two following thrilling battle between team-mates on opening lap of Sprint; Carlos Sainz takes third for Ferrari; watch the Austrian Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 at 2pm on Sunday, with build-up from 12:30pm

Max Verstappen claimed victory in the Austrian Grand Prix Sprint after seeing off the bold challenge of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez during a thrilling first-lap battle.

World championship leader Verstappen started ahead of his team-mate on the front row but there was almost embarrassment for Red Bull at their home Grand Prix as the duo twice came close to making contact on the opening lap.

Perez got off the line better than Verstappen and passed the Dutchman into the first corner, before Verstappen hit back at Turn 3, with both coming on team radio to express their dissatisfaction at each other’s driving.

Perez, who has been on a dismal run of form since winning two of the first four races in a strong start to the season, lost a place to Nico Hulkenberg on the exit of Turn 3, but would later regain the position to ensure a Red Bull one-two.

Carlos Sainz advanced from fifth to claim the final podium spot, with Lance Stroll holding off Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso for fourth.

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Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris got into a thrilling battle on lap 15 of the Sprint in the Austria Grand Prix.

Hulkenberg, who was the highest finisher of the cars that chose to switch from intermediate to dry tyres in the closing stages on the drying track, took sixth.

Esteban Ocon held off Mercedes’ George Russell, who benefited from being the first driver to switch to slicks, for seventh in a thrilling battle to the line.

The Brit secured the final point available in the 24-lap contest, with Verstappen taking his world championship lead over Perez to 70 points with victory.

The Dutchman will have the opportunity to further extend his advantage in Sunday’s race, as he starts on pole with Perez only 15th on the grid.

Austrian GP Sprint Result: Top 10
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull (8 points)
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull (7 points)
3) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari (6 points)
4) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin (5 points)
5) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin (4 points)
6) Nico Hulkenberg (3 points)
7) Esteban Ocon, Alpine (2 points)
8) George Russell, Mercedes (1 point)
9) Alexander Albon, Williams
10) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

More to follow…

Lando Norris was demoted from ninth to 13th at the Canadian Grand Prix after being given a five-second penalty for “unsportsmanlike conduct”; Watch the Austrian GP Sprint Shootout live on Sky Sports F1 at 11am on Saturday, followed by the Sprint at 3:30pm

McLaren have lodged a petition for a right of review against the five-second penalty Lando Norris was given for “unsportsmanlike conduct” at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Norris finished the June 18 race in ninth, but was demoted to 13th after the controversial penalty was applied following the chequered flag.

The Brit was adjudged by stewards to have driven in an ‘unsporting manner’ when a Safety Car was deployed following George Russell’s crash on lap 12.

Norris was behind team-mate Oscar Piastri on track, and was deemed to have slowed his pace in order to avoid losing time as McLaren pitted them both on the same lap.

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Highlights of the Canadian Grand Prix, the eighth race of the season

With Safety Car conditions prohibiting overtaking, Norris was able to back off the throttle but maintain track position over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Williams’ Alex Albon, who were stuck behind the McLaren.

The FIA confirmed on Saturday the first part of McLaren’s hearing will take place on Sunday morning at 8:30am at the Red Bull Ring ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, where the stewards are present this weekend.

McLaren will need to provide a “significant and relevant new element which was unavailable to the party seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned” in order to force a second hearing, which would be at a later date.

Williams have taken up the option of “any other concerned party” to join the hearing, with the team understood to feel aggrieved over Albon being held up by Norris’ actions.

Norris said after the race that the stewards’ decision didn’t “make sense”, while McLaren team principal Andrea Stella accused the stewards of attempting to use the incident to “set a new precedent”.

In a statement confirming their appeal on Friday evening, McLaren said: “We are very supportive of the FIA and the Stewards, and we trust them while they carry out what is a difficult job. We appreciate Stewards need to make decisions in a short timeframe, analysing complex scenarios and often with partial information and multiple elements to consider.

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Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz reflects on the Canadian Grand Prix

“In Canada, we were surprised by the penalty and uncertain as to the rationale behind the decision. We spoke to the Stewards immediately after the race to help understand the reasoning for the penalty.

“The FIA’s regulatory framework has tools and processes which allow them and the sport to deal with the operational complexity of Formula 1, especially for decisions which need to be made during the race. The “right of review” is one of those processes which showcases the strength of the institution in allowing decisions to be reviewed, should that be in the best interest of the sport and this is something McLaren fully embraces and supports.

“Given this provision, the team took the initial explanation onboard and decided to review the case in a calm and considered manner, performing comprehensive due diligence, which included looking at the precedents. After this careful and extensive review, we believe enough evidence exists to a submit a “right to review” to the FIA, which we have done so.

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Norris reflects on a successful qualifying session where he finished in P4 for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix

“We will now continue to work with the FIA closely, in the same constructive and collaborative manner in which we normally do, and will accept the outcome of their deliberations and decision.”

McLaren’s announcement came almost two weeks on from the incident in Canada and just hours after Norris had produced a brilliant performance to qualify fourth for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Watch Austrian GP Sprint Shootout live on Sky Sports F1 at 11am on Saturday, followed by the Sprint at 3:30pm. Lights out for Sunday’s race is at 2pm.

Mick Schumacher is Mercedes’ reserve driver for 2023; Schumacher has limited options to secure a full-time drive for 2024; Toto Wolff says other teams are “missing out” by overlooking German driver; watch the Austrian GP on Sky Sports F1 this weekend

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says other F1 teams are “missing out” on Mick Schumacher as the German driver struggles to find a full-time seat for the 2024 season.

Schumacher is Mercedes’ reserve driver this season after being replaced by Nico Hulkenberg at Haas at the end of 2022 following two difficult seasons with the American team.

Schumacher, son of seven-time world champion Michael, was criticised by Guenther Steiner for a series of expensive crashes last season, with the Haas team boss revealing in his book that Schumacher had cost in excess of £1.6m from big crashes in Saudi Arabia, Monaco and Japan.

Wolff, though, feels Schumacher was not in an environment to thrive at Haas and would expect him to perform well at the next team that signs him.

“I think teams are missing out, to be honest. I think he was burned last year,” Wolff said at the Canadian Grand Prix.

“You need to give and provide an environment and framework that is different to every driver, we are all different human beings.

“And whoever gets him will have a very good pilot.”

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David Croft and Craig Slater head to the pub to discuss when Lewis Hamilton will announce his contract, how long will Fernando Alonso be in F1 and the chances of Mercedes taking a win at Silverstone

Schumacher’s hopes of returning to the grid full-time in 2024 are looking slim with limited openings available.

A promotion at Mercedes will not happen as George Russell has extended his contract and Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of signing his own extension.

As things stand, the only openings in 2024 are at Alfa Romeo/Sauber, Williams, AlphaTauri and Haas – with a return to the latter almost certainly out of the question.

Wolff also says he cannot make a Mercedes customer team – Williams, McLaren and Aston Martin – take on Schumacher.

“I’m not even sure that we can facilitate [a seat], because every time we speak highly of him, somebody feels to say something negative,” Wolff said.

“Wherever I can speak highly and praise Mick, that’s what I’m doing.

“But at the end, it’s every team’s authority to decide on their drivers and I very much respect that.

“Our contracts with the teams, were never ‘you have to take our junior driver’, ‘you have to take our reserve driver’, because when I was at Williams, I also wanted to have my own choice.”

Wolff: Schumacher giving Mercedes tremendous advantage

Wolff also hailed the impact Schumacher is having in his role as reserve driver with Mercedes.

Hamilton and Russell praised the work the 24-year-old had done in the simulator on the Friday night of the Spanish GP which helped the team unlock more pace in the W14 and culminated in a double podium finish on the Sunday.

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Watch all of Mercedes’ overtakes at the Spanish GP as they secured a double podium finish and moved ahead of Aston Martin in the Constructors’ Championship

Wolff says having Schumacher’s experience to do simulator work on race weekends at European grands prix gives Mercedes a big advantage and reiterated he would have no hesitation in having Schumacher step up to cover should Russell or Hamilton be unavailable for a race.

“It’s great to have a mature, successful and experienced Formula 1 driver supporting us,” Wolff said.

“In the simulator with his feedback, that is a tremendous advantage on some of the European grands prix having him in the sim overnight and providing data for the Saturday is a super advantage for us.

“And on the other side is that, if George or Lewis were to have fish poisoning – well, Lewis can’t have fish poisoning, it would be avocado poisoning – then we know we have a super guy that would drive the car well.

“And as much as I like the situation for the benefit of the team, I would every day of the week prefer that Mick sits in a cockpit and actually races.”

Schumacher to drive dad Michael’s Mercedes at Goodwood

Michael Schumacher drives the Mercedes W02 car during the 2011 F1 season – Mick Schumacher will drive the car at Goodwood Festival of Speed in July

Mercedes confirmed last week that Schumacher will drive his father Michael’s W02 car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month.

Schumacher said: “It’s going to be spectacular to run in my dad’s 2011 car, the W02, even if it is only a short run.

“Just experiencing this generation of cars will be mega! Knowing that he raced this car makes it extra special, and there will be many emotions coming with it.

“I have been lucky enough to drive one of his Benetton cars and some of the Ferraris he raced, but this will be the first time behind the wheel of a Mercedes he drove.

“I am sure I will get out of it with a big smile on my face.”

The W02 was the second car designed and built by Mercedes after purchasing Brawn in 2009.

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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the Austrian Grand Prix

Sky Sports F1’s live Austrian GP schedule

Thursday June 29
2pm: Drivers’ Press Conference

Friday June 30
8.50am: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12pm: Austrian GP Practice (session starts 12.30)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.30pm: Austrian GP Qualifying build-up
4pm: Austrian GP Qualifying
6pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Saturday July 1
8.55am: F3 Sprint
10.30am: Austrian GP Sprint Shootout build-up
11am: Austrian GP Sprint Shootout
12.40pm: F2 Sprint
2.30pm: Austrian GP Sprint build-up
3.30pm: Austrian GP Sprint
5pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook

Sunday July 2
7.20am: F3 Feature Race
8.50am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Austrian GP build-up
2pm: The AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

Red Bull seek to continue their winning run in 2023 as they return to their home track for the Austrian GP – watch live on Sky Sports F1 from June 30-July 2. Get Sky Sports

Lando Norris crossed the line at the Canadian GP in ninth but a five-second time penalty for driving too slowly during the Safety Car period on Sunday in Montreal cost him and McLaren points; F1 returns with the Austrian GP live on Sky Sports F1 from June 30 to July 2

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has suggested Lando Norris’ penalty at the Canadian Grand Prix for “unsportsmanlike conduct” was down to stewards wanting to set a new precedent.

Norris received a five-second time penalty for slowing down too much behind the Safety Car, as he allowed a gap to open up to team-mate Oscar Piastri, therefore backing up cars behind him.

The punishment dropped Norris out of the points as he had crossed the line in ninth after a last-lap battle with Esteban Ocon.

“The driver slowed under the Safety Car to avoid a delay during a ‘double stack’ for his pitstop,” read the stewards’ verdict regarding their decision.

“During the Safety Car period the driver slowed to allow a gap to form between his team-mate in Car 81 [Piastri] and him. In doing so he delayed the cars behind.

“There was a significant difference in speed between Car 4 [Norris] and Car 81 [Piastri] between Turns 10 and 13 (approximately 50 km/h).

“Article 12.2.1.l of the ISC refers to ‘any infringement of the principles of fairness in competition, behaviour in an unsportsmanlike manner or attempt to influence the results of a competition, in a way that is contrary to sporting ethics’.”

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Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz reflects on the Canadian Grand Prix.

Stella says there had been no discussions about clamping down on double stacking in F1.

“We spoke to the stewards after the race because we thought this kind of speed under a Safety Car, or even a Virtual Safety Car, should not be a reason for infringement,” said the McLaren boss.

“There’s the possibility the stewards want to set new references. We will discuss with them. Ultimately, we trust their judgement but we are reviewing the behaviour of Lando because we come out of this race very surprised that this has caused a penalty.”

He added: “It’s one of those where you really need to look into a great level of detail before you express too strong opinions. So let me do the due diligence.

“We understand the position of the stewards. We understand that they may want to set a precedent so that there’s a kind of new way of interpreting the way you have to drive under a Safety Car. If that’s the approach, fine. But it’s a bit of a shame that we are involved in this setting of a new precedent.”

Norris: It doesn’t make sense to me

Lando Norris lost ninth place at the Canadian GP due to unsportsmanlike conduct during the safety car period

There have been instances of this incident in the past. In 2017, Lewis Hamilton created a gap to team-mate Valtteri Bottas at the Bahrain Grand Prix during a Safety Car and was given a five-second time penalty as he held up Daniel RIcciardo.

Norris revealed he did not know about his penalty until after the race in Montreal.

“It doesn’t make sense to me. I was three or four seconds behind my delta which everyone quite often is. It was too early to box than what we were planning to do, so I wasn’t planning to box. Then I got a call just before the pit entry. So I’m surprised. The guys didn’t tell me until after the race,” he said.

“You go slow and you speed up. You want to keep the temperature in the tyres, so everyone leaves a gap. It wasn’t like I was 10 seconds behind my delta.

“If it’s because of the delta difference then most people should be given penalties for the last three or four years. So I’m a bit confused. I slowed down to try and warm up the tyres a bit then as soon as they told me to box I pushed and tried to go as fast as I can.”

On the latest episode of the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Ted Kravitz and Claire Cottingham discussed the incident.

“Lando could have argued, if it had gone to a hearing after the race, that he didn’t want to inconvenience Alfa Romeo-Sauber, who are behind McLaren in the pit box. And if they were going to bring in Zhou or Bottas, then he didn’t want to be in their way,” said Kravitz.

Cottingham added: “The excuse doesn’t matter because he slowed down on track, so he had to take a penalty for that. Remember when Guenther Steiner talked about having consistent stewards in Spain after an incident in Monaco, it’s that question again of inconsistency in terms of how some of the penalties come through.”

Listen to the full podcast to hear Kravitz and Cottingham give their reflections on Red Bull’s 100th F1 win and whether Lando Norris was unsportsmanlike in Montreal.

Don’t miss an episode of the Sky Sports F1 Podcast. Subscribe now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Spreaker

Red Bull seek to continue their winning run in 2023 as they return to their home track for the Austrian GP – watch live on Sky Sports F1 from June 30-July 2. Get Sky Sports

Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle delivers his expert verdict on the Canadian GP following a landmark weekend for Max Verstappen and Red Bull, which also delivered an intriguing battle between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

On the face of it, the Canadian Grand Prix was simply another Max Verstappen and Red Bull domination, his Ayrton Senna-equalling 41st and Red Bull’s 100th F1 victory both remarkable numbers considering their reasonably short participation in the 73-year history of F1.

The podium was peak F1 at the moment because three great champions in Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen were joined by Adrian Newey representing the Red Bull team, on a day when he was celebrating 200 F1 victories for ‘his’ cars at Williams, McLaren, Red Bull and Toro Rosso.

The only real challenge Verstappen faced was collecting an unlucky bird, which sat alongside a brake duct rather than in it or any other cooling duct, and a trip over a nasty kerb – which earlier had spat out George Russell – which he said on the radio with giggles all round that it nearly knocked him out. He’s on top of his game and things are falling well.

Wet qualifying offers tyre warning

The Montreal circuit usually throws up some special challenges, not least because it’s slippery, bumpy, fast in places, and lined with walls and high kerbs. And the weather can be challenging.

A wet, albeit temporarily almost dry, qualifying served up some thrills and surprises for a nicely scrambled grid. There was a two-lap window to fit dry tyres in Q2 which the likes of Alex Albon in his Williams and a few of the other usual suspects anticipated well, but Sergio Perez in his Red Bull and Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari simply did not.

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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez both missed out on Q3 after qualifying in 11th and 12th respectively.

It was a good reminder for those who want to stop tyre warmers and use F1 cars to heat them up instead, that such moments will disappear if they are banned. Nobody will venture out on cold slicks in anything like those conditions, and nor will they in a race either until it’s certain they can stay on the track and generate heat rather than smash the cars to pieces.

There are better ways to be environmentally friendly rather than fuelling an F1 car for a few extra laps to heat the tyres every run rather than directly applying a very efficient blanket system which heats specifically the tyre and wheel.

Norris unfortunate as stewards face tough weekend

All weekend the race stewards were as busy as the drivers reviewing penalties for blocking and other indiscretions. I feel for the drivers in those conditions, keeping your own car out of the wall and trying to find good speed when every braking zone, corner entry and exit, and even gentle kinks on a straight is a new adventure every lap. To then see other drivers in your mirrors through the spray and get out of the way while trying to find a clear lap for yourself is quite the challenge.

There were some very clear blocks which looked unnecessary despite all the above, not least Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari, for which he took a three-place grid drop.

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Pierre Gasly was furious with Carlos Sainz for impeding him and contributing to his exit from Q1, while the Ferrari driver criticised the Frenchman for shouting his frustrations over team radio.

The stewards were being firm with the rules. I often speak to them to understand these things and they always have data and rationale to go with their calls, there’s no shooting from the hip involved. But, as with any referee system, there’s a human judgment call.

In the race, Lando Norris took a five-second penalty for backing off under the Safety Car to build a gap to his team-mate Oscar Piastri ready for a double-stacked pit stop. I felt sure there was a clear rule about that so that a driver can’t disadvantage all those behind while making their own pit stop faster, but the stewards had to use an umbrella rule about ‘unsporting behaviour’ to nail him.

Even rival team managers were telling me post-race that it’s been normal and accepted behaviour to build a small gap behind the Safety Car before a double team pit stop for a few years now, which indeed was Lando’s firm view.

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Check out the funniest moments from the 2023 Canada Grand Prix.

Of course like any sport you need rules and a firm referee otherwise you quickly have chaos and anarchy, but I can’t help but feel our constantly evolved and complex rules are ready for a tidy-up and rationalisation.

Nico Hulkenberg would have felt that way after he lost a remarkable front-row starting position in his Haas because he got caught out in ‘mini sectors’ when judging his speed under red flag conditions, which had just helped him secure that second place on the grid when others had to abandon their laps.

When you see his onboard camera he was being very cautious and reasonable, but he did breach the regulations and for precedent and consistency they have to be applied while also considering his mitigating circumstances. Frustrating, but the stewards were doing their job diligently.

Aston Martin, Mercedes progressing in face of Verstappen excellence

The start of Sunday’s race saw Hamilton pass Alonso and they tried to stay with Verstappen as best they could. Russell in the second Mercedes was just about hanging on in fourth and well behind them a queue was forming behind Hulkenberg’s Haas, which was back to reality in race trim on a dry track.

When Russell collected the wall on lap 12 the resultant Safety Car brought 13 of the 19 remaining cars into the pits for fresh tyres. Those fast cars out of position on the grid, being both Ferraris in the hands of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, and Perez’s Red Bull elected not to pit and to favour track position instead. This would turn out to be the right decision as they finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively from 10th, 11th and 12th on the grid.

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George Russell collided with the barriers as he was forced to limp back to the pitlane in his Mercedes.

It was a very decent recovery although all three cars really should have been in the fight up front. Ferrari had looked very strong in the long runs on Friday and Perez has the same equipment as Verstappen. Perez impressively won two of the first four races this season, importantly with Verstappen second to him each time, but it has all fallen apart since Max came from ninth on the grid in Miami to comfortably beat pole-sitting Sergio.

Perez will need all his maturity and experience, along with team and family support, to turn his head around and start delivering his speed and potential. I suspect only Alonso and Hamilton would have the head to cope with Verstappen at this moment and I doubt Red Bull would want that volatility in their team. The team’s perfect scenario would be Sergio to finish a close second to Max every race, and win when Max can’t.

The trouble is that, as Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon found out, fine young drivers get buried alongside the Dutchman’s speed. At the same time, Red Bull can’t have Perez off form when Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin inevitably home in on them. That’s why they’ll support him all the way.

Russell caught a kerb badly in Turn Eight which directed him into the outside wall with some ferocity, front and rear. He nursed it back to the pits and Mercedes fixed what they could and sent him on his way. That Mercedes rear suspension is mighty strong, as Alonso also proved when whacking the wall in his Aston Martin which uses the same design.

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Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso almost collided in the pitlane as they battled over second place before the Aston Martin driver completed the overtake on lap 22.

Russell would eventually retire having recovered back to eighth position, ironically not for a reason connected with his crash.

The fans’ deserving driver of the day was Albon in the heavily updated Williams. He had pitted only once on lap 12 and so did a stellar job to coax those tyres home after 58 more laps and keep Esteban Ocon, the two McLarens, Valtteri Bottas and a fast-closing Lance Stroll in his Aston Martin behind for seventh place.

Stroll drove a fine race from 19th on the grid to steal ninth away from Bottas literally at the finish line.

The Ile Notre Dame venue is looking rather tired and left behind by today’s F1, but massive and well-informed crowds line the challenging circuit every day and it often delivers a fascinating weekend.

When Alonso says he had to drive 70 qualifying laps to keep Hamilton behind him that’ll do for me. And he was less than 10 seconds behind Verstappen at the finish despite having to manage what turned out to be a phantom fuel issue, which is progress compared to the early races this season.

On to Austria.

MB