Struggles look ominous for Ferrari leader as teammate Charles Leclerc goes past him in the F1 drivers’ championshipHis title hopes long gone, after a disastrous race in Monza, Sebastian Vettel now faces a battle just to beat his teammate. Charles Leclerc’s win put him ahead of the German into fourth. Vettel’s problem is that his touch seems to have deserted him. Much was rightly made of his unsafe return to the track but Vettel’s long-term issue was illustrated by the spin that precipitated it. The unforced error in losing the rear at Ascari was yet another mistake to add to the others that have increasingly blighted his performances. Related: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc delights Italian F1 GP crowd with Monza win...
A sixth world title – one shy of Michael Schumacher’s record – is odds-on for the Briton but elsewhere there’s all to play for, especially in F1’s midfield and for Alexander AlbonHaving enjoyed his best opening 12 races, Lewis Hamilton is in position to seal his sixth world championship with his most successful season. That the title, which will move him above Juan Manuel Fangio and behind only Michael Schumacher, is in his grasp is beyond doubt. He has already won eight races, to lead his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by 62 points, and Hamilton usually only improves on the run-in. Last year he won four of the first five races after the summer break; nine races remain, starting with...
For all the talk of social change in Saudi Arabia, the beneficiaries of a grand prix would be F1’s coffers and the country’s rulerWas it really only last year that Formula One’s owner, Liberty Media, was making its pious announcement that “grid girls” would no longer be a part of its stewardship of this most woke of all sports? “We feel this custom does not resonate with our brand values,” intoned F1’s managing director of commercial operations back then, “and clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms.”But which society? Formula One takes gazillions to race in so many different types of society. It feels difficult to apply any standard across the board. For instance, things that might be...
Lewis Hamilton’s win in Hungary after an unexpected change of tyres increased pressure on Valtteri Bottas while Carlos Sainz showed Red Bull what they’re missingHamilton’s drive to victory was superb but it was the Mercedes decision to opt for a second stop that really stood out. After they gambled on fresh tyres there was no real opportunity for Red Bull to react; their only hope lay in Max Verstappen making his rubber last and, valiant as his effort was, just trying to stay ahead pushed them over the edge. The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, described Hamilton’s driving as in “another dimension” but notably paid homage to his team’s strategists. With just over 20 laps remaining they might have settled...
The track drew praise from several drivers after Sunday’s British GP for encouraging competitive racing and it also benefited from the stewards allowing hard but fair racingWith the signing of a new contract to host F1 for a further five years there was a celebratory air at Silverstone. That F1 had done the right thing was confirmed in spades on Sunday, when the old airfield delivered a marvellous race. The drivers revelled in it and the opportunity for genuine racing it affords. F1’s problems in following closely have not gone away but they are negated on good tracks. Silverstone’s layout encourages a fight and several of the corner sequences give drivers the chance to come back during an attempted pass...