Nine F1 drivers took penalties accruing 150 places at the Italian Grand Prix while Ferrari prepare for a dogfight against Mercedes – McLaren merely seek a solutionLong bemoaned by fans, the application of grid penalties for replacing power unit components and gearboxes reached almost farcical levels at Monza. Nine drivers took penalties accruing 150 places and changing the qualifying results to such an extent that Lewis Hamilton on pole and Romain Grosjean, who crashed in the first session, were the only drivers to have retained their original positions. Such was the scale of the movement, Kevin Magnussen, who was knocked out in Q1, found himself in the top 10. Related: Lewis Hamilton out to push harder after seizing the initiative...
Formula One’s title rivals are expecting a fight to the finish, which may take its toll on the drivers but is exactly what fans and everyone else wantsLewis Hamilton is a driver who wears his heart on his race suit but after victory at Spa his usual exhilaration was tempered by a somewhat cold detachment. In the Ardennes there was a steely acknowledgement that he had won only a minor battle in what promises to be a long fight.Hamilton knows how tough this season’s title fight is going to be. He does so due to the competitiveness Ferrari showed in Belgium on what was expected to be a Mercedes track and because of how title rival Sebastian Vettel extracted everything...
Sebastian Vettel has a 14-point lead in his Ferrari but the second half of the racing year sees the majority of races favouring the Mercedes’ setup and Lewis HamiltonRefreshed, recharged and ready to go again, Formula One enters the second half of the season with the prospect of the remaining nine races proving just as enthralling as the first 11. Where better to reignite the fight than the magnificent challenge of Spa, where Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel will recommence a contest that is likely to go down to the last race?Vettel has the advantage, leading Hamilton by 14 points, but on race wins the pair are even with four apiece. Vettel deserves his lead. He is always at his...
Mercedes and Ferrari have identified the last race before the summer break as crucial but there will also be scrutiny for those not caught up in the title battleOnly one race remains before Formula One takes its annual rest for the summer – a break that after the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend may weigh heavier on some shoulders than others. The next few days will be potentially as instructive in the fight for the world championship as any we have seen thus far. Only a sliver separates Lewis Hamilton from Sebastian Vettel at the top of the table but Budapest has more import than just who will hold the lead when racing returns at Spa at the end of...
Decision to give Vettel a slapped wrist after he side-swiped Lewis Hamilton at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has possibly had a more negative effect than the collisionThe FIA might have declared case closed after taking no further action against Sebastian Vettel for his collision with Lewis Hamilton at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix but outside the boardroom it appears to be anything but. The ruling has served only to intensify the spotlight on the incident and its aftermath. Vettel issued his mea culpa to the investigation on Monday and was sent home with a slapped wrist. A decision as surprising as it was at odds with many principles the governing body promotes and which has raised further questions and more controversy.Vettel’s stop-go...