Daniel Ricciardo could be replaced by Liam Lawson after next two races

Daniel Ricciardo could be replaced by Liam Lawson if he doesn’t show improvements over the next two races in Japan and China.

[autotag]Daniel Ricciardo[/autotag]’s status at the Visa CashApp RB F1 Team is murky after three races to start the 2024 season. Ricciardo finished 13th in Bahrain, 16th in Jeddah, and 12th in Melbourne. He isn’t on the same level as his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who has beaten him two out of three times, including a seventh-place finish for points in Australia.

Now, trouble could be brewing for the Australian driver. According to the NZ Herald, Ricciardo has been given an ultimatum: Improve in the next two races in Japan and China or be replaced by Liam Lawson starting in Miami. This would be a devastating blow to his chances of climbing the ladder as a 34-year-old driver.

Lawson is the reserve driver for Red Bull Racing and the RB F1 Team, so it wouldn’t be a shocking move. Ricciardo has been fast at some moments, but the mistakes are starting to pile up. The Australian driver needs to start seeing some improvements soon. If not, Lawson could be replacing Ricciardo next to Tsunoda by Miami.

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Formula 1 schedule: Start times, TV networks, and more in 2024

Check out the Formula 1 schedule for the 2024 season, including start times, TV networks, and more. Updated every week!

The Formula 1 schedule has undergone slight changes heading into the 2024 season. The season’s first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will be on a Saturday due to Ramadan. Also, China is set to return for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 restrictions. This means Formula 1 will have a 24-race schedule in 2024.

Below, you can check out the full Formula 1 schedule for the 2024 season, with start times and TV networks for each race.

Formula 1 schedule: Race dates, TV start times for 2024

Sunday, March 24: Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park Circuit (Midnight ET, ESPN2)

Sunday, April 7: Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka Circuit (1:00 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday, April 21: Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai International Circuit (3:00 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday, May 5: Miami Grand Prix, Miami International Autodrome (4:00 p.m. ET, ABC)

Sunday, May 19: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari (9:00 a.m. ET, ESPN2)

Sunday, May 26: Monaco Grand Prix, Circuit de Monaco (9:00 a.m. ET, ABC)

Sunday, June 9: Canadian Grand Prix, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (2:00 p.m. ET, ABC)

Sunday, June 23: Spanish Grand Prix, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (9:00 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday, June 30: Austrian Grand Prix, Red Bull Ring (9:00 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday, July 7: Britain Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit (10:00 a.m. ET, ESPN2)

Sunday, July 21: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring (9:00 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday, July 28: Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps (9:00 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday, August 25: Netherlands Grand Prix, Circuit Zandvoort (9:00 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday, September 1: Italian Grand Prix, Autodromo Nazionale Monza (9:00 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday, September 15: Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku City Circuit (7:00 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday, September 22: Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Street Circuit (8:00 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday, October 20: United States Grand Prix, Circuit of the Americas (3:00 p.m. ET, ABC)

Sunday, October 27: Mexican Grand Prix, Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez (4:00 p.m. ET, ABC)

Sunday, November 3: Brazilian Grand Prix, Autódromo José Carlos Pace (Noon ET, ESPN2)

Sunday, November 24: Las Vegas Grand Prix, Las Vegas Street Circuit (1:00 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday, December 1: Qatar Grand Prix, Losail Circuit (Noon ET, ESPN2)

Sunday, December 8: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit (8:00 a.m. ET, ESPN2)

What time is the F1 race on today?

You can watch the Formula 1 race today on ESPN2 as the sport travels to Albert Park Circuit for the Australian Grand Prix, which will kick off at Midnight ET on Sunday, March 24.

What time is F1 qualifying?

Formula 1 qualifying from Australia will be live at 2:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 23, with coverage on ESPN2. This is due to the race being at midnight on Sunday, which gives America a very late start time.

How can I watch F1 in the USA?

Every Formula 1 race during the 2024 season will be available on ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2 for residents in the United States of America. Practice and qualifying will vary by week, but every race is on TV or the ESPN App.

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Carlos Sainz to miss Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, replaced by Formula 2 driver

Ferrari announced on Friday morning that Carlos Sainz will miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis.

Ferrari has lost one of its drivers for the race weekend in Saudi Arabia. On Friday morning, Ferrari announced that [autotag]Carlos Sainz[/autotag] has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will require surgery. Sainz underwent successful surgery and remains in the hospital. In his place, reserve driver [autotag]Oliver Bearman[/autotag] will drive the No. 38 car.

Bearman currently competes full-time in Formula 2 for Prema Racing. The 18-year-old driver finished sixth in his first Formula 2 season but will be affected in 2024 as he won’t compete this weekend. Bearman is the first British driver to compete with Ferrari in Formula 1 since Eddie Irvine left the race team in 2000.

Sainz will have time to recover before the following Formula 1 race as the sport heads to Australia in two weeks. Ferrari hopes Sainz will be fully healthy by then and re-join his teammate Charles Leclerc. In the meantime, it’s an opportunity for Bearman to prove his worth at only 18 years old and Ferrari has realistic expectations for the young driver in Saudi Arabia.

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Former Formula 1 driver predicts Max Verstappen will join Mercedes

One former Formula 1 driver predicts that Max Verstappen will join Mercedes in 2025. Will Verstappen leave Red Bull for its rival team?

[autotag]Max Verstappen[/autotag]’s future at Red Bull Racing has been a topic of conversation, as Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, has been feuding with the race team. This comes as Red Bull Racing closed Christian Horner’s investigation without consequences. In fact, one former Formula 1 driver believes Verstappen might be on his way to an arch-rival.

According to F1-Insider, former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger believes Max Verstappen will join Mercedes. Berger also predicted that Horner would stay while Helmut Marko and Adrian Newey quit Red Bull. If Berger’s prediction came true, this would be a significant development, as Red Bull has been the class of the field over the last two years.

Should Verstappen leave Red Bull for Mercedes? It would be very shocking as the three-time Formula 1 champion has been very successful with his current race team. Red Bull is faster than Mercedes, so it would be puzzling to see Verstappen leave. It appears unlikely on the surface, but the Formula 1 world will keep buzzing until Mercedes announces Lewis Hamilton’s replacement.

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Bahrain GP results: Verstappen coasts to victory again, Perez follows

It’s looking like another rough F1 season as Max Verstappen dominated again in in the desert to open the season Saturday.

The reigning champion will not be denied.

The Bahrain Grand Prix was held on Saturday and not Sunday, but the song remained the same regardless of the day — Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was crowned the winner, and he won by a lot.

Verstappen finished the race 22 seconds ahead of teammate Sergio Perez to take both the first win of 2024 and his eighth win in a row going back to last season, two away from tying his own record. The podium was rounded out by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who had a great race in competition with his teammate Charles Leclerc — see how the full race turned out below:

Image

The race was a rather droll affair all around, as Verstappen’s dominance was combined with a lack of safety cars or retirements from the entire grid. The two most interesting elements of the day both came from in-fighting via Ferrari and Visa Cashapp RB.

Leclerc appeared to have a massive problem with brake imbalance across the race, locking up constantly at hard-braking corners. This not only led to him dropping from second to fourth by the end of the race, but it allowed Sainz to take advantage, overtaking Leclerc twice to end up on the podium.

Meanwhile, the VCARB cars of Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo were in the spotlight due to team orders to swap the two cars while Tsunoda was fighting Kevin Magnussen of Haas for 12th place. Tsunoda initially ignored the order but eventually completed the swap, but he also appeared to divebomb Ricciardo during the in-lap when the race was over.

Red Bull’s next race is in Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix next Saturday, and it will likely be more of the same as Verstappen pilots by far the fastest car on the grid.

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Starting lineup for the 2024 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix

See the full qualifying results and starting lineup for the Formula 1 season opener in Bahrain.

Will 2024 be another dominant year for Max Verstappen? That’s been the question on the minds of Formula 1 fans all winter, and while the three-time champion took pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, there are indications that Verstappen could be in for a fight when the lights go out for race start.

Verstappen edged Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who will start second, ahead of George Russell, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez.

You can see the full starting lineup for Saturday’s race below.

The 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix will start at 10:00 a.m. ET Saturday on ESPN2. You can stream the race on Fubo.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch the Bahrain Grand Prix on Fubo” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=FTW&subId2=2023%20-%20General”]

Bahrain GP Qualifying: Verstappen takes pole, Ferrari not far behind

A tight qualy saw the reigning champion place first yet again, but the pace of the Ferraris could be something to watch on Saturday.

Our first qualifying session of 2024 has concluded, and the reigning champion of the last three years is starting right where he left off.

It was once again Max Verstappen at the top of qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday, turning in a Q3 time of 1:29.179 to take pole position. He’ll start ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell at the top of the grid.

It was Ferrari who topped Q1 and Q2, however. It was Carlos Sainz who topped Q1, a session that spelled disaster for the Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who finished 19th and 20th, respectively. The Kick Saubers of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu were also eliminated in Q1, while the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton barely survived in 10th to move on to Q2.

Leclerc finished first in a Q2 session that ended up being a nail-biter for the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who finished ninth and 10th — they’d end up placing seventh and eighth in Q3. Nico Hulkenberg of Haas had an impressive lap to place sixth in Q2 and he ended up 10th in Q3, starting in a points place on the grid Saturday.

In the end, though, it was Verstappen who took the crown. He ended up 0.228 seconds ahead of Leclerc in P2 and 0.306 seconds ahead of Russell in P3, making it a close qualy. Verstappen’s teammate in Sergio Perez didn’t perform as admirably, finishing fifth behind Sainz.

Here are how the full qualifying results from Bahrain shaped out for the first race of 2024:

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Formula 1 Testing: Red Bull, Verstappen dominate field in Bahrain Wednesday

It’s just testing, of course, but the first look of the 2024 F1 season has Red Bull on top by a large margin.

It’s important to remember that Formula 1 testing is just testing. That being said, Red Bull and Max Verstappen made sure to sweep the field anyway on the first day of testing in Bahrain on Wednesday.

While it’s hard to tell exactly what fuel loads teams are running, whether they are on a fast lap or a slow lap or trying to figure out specific aspects of the car (among a slew of other things), Verstappen cleared the rest of the grid during testing by running the most laps of any driver (143) and finishing 1.140 seconds clear of the second-place Lando Norris. The display comes after Red Bull put out a drastically different car design heading into the season, so teams will certainly be on watch after Verstappen’s dominant 2023 campaign.

Not every driver participated in testing. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton did not run on Wednesday, but they’re set to run on Thursday.

Haas ran the most laps with 144 on the day (though both drivers finished at the bottom of the standings). Williams ran the least amount of laps, with just 61 between Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant.

Here’s what the order for Bahrain testing looked like after Day 1:

  1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull, 143 laps) [1:31.334]
  2. Lando Norris (McLaren, 73 laps) [1:32.484]
  3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari, 69 laps) [1:32.584]
  4. Daniel Ricciardo (Visa Cashapp RB, 52 laps) [1:32.599]
  5. Pierre Gasly (Alpine, 61 laps) [1:32.805]
  6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin, 54 laps) [1:33.007]
  7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari, 64 laps) [1:33.247]
  8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin, 77 laps) [1:33.385]
  9. Oscar Piastri (McLaren, 57 laps) [1:33.658]
  10. Zhou Guanyu (Kick Sauber, 63 laps) [1:33.871]
  11. Logan Sargeant (Williams, 21 laps) [1:33.882]
  12. George Russell (Mercedes, 112 laps) [1:34.109]
  13. Yuki Tsunoda (Visa Cashapp RB, 64 laps) [1:34.136]
  14. Valtteri Bottas (Kick Sauber, 68 laps) [1:34.431]
  15. Alexander Albon (Williams, 40 laps) [1:34.587]
  16. Esteban Ocon (Alpine, 60 laps) [1:34.677]
  17. Kevin Magnussen (Haas, 66 laps) [1:35.692]
  18. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas, 82 laps) [1:35.906]

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Formula 1 makes changes to sprint weekends, DRS usage and more

Formula 1 is tweaking some of its rules for the upcoming 2024 season.

The sprint race format is back for the 2024 Formula 1 season, but it’ll look a little bit different this time around.

Formula 1 is making a number of small tweaks for the 2024 season, per Chris Medland of RACER. Among them include changes to Formula 1’s sprint format, the amount of power units allotted per F1 driver and when the cars’ Drag Reduction System is allowed to be activated on race day.

The first big change comes to the sprint race format. Previously, a single practice would be held on Friday, and that would be followed by the qualifying for the regular race on Sunday — Saturday would then have sprint race qualifying and then the sprint race on Saturday. Now, sprint qualifying has been moved to Friday and the actual grand prix qualifying has been moved up to Saturday after the sprint race.

Additionally, there are two more technical rule changes. F1 is increasing the number of allotted power units per driver to four power units per driver for the next two years. Drivers were initially allowed just three, but 2023 saw a temporary change to four that has now become permanent for the next two seasons.

Finally, rules regarding F1’s DRS usage have been tweaked. Traditionally, DRS on the cars was allowed to be active after two laps of racing after a race start. That number has been decreased to one lap for 2024, meaning that drivers will have less time to build a one-second gap for the first laps of racing.

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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner under investigation for misconduct

Horner is currently being investigated by Red Bull through an external body for what is described as “inappropriate behavior” toward a female employee.

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner is under investigation for “inappropriate behavior”, according to multiple sources.

Horner is being investigated by Red Bull — the energy drink maker that serves as a parent company for the racing team — over allegations of misconduct toward a female employee. While the nature of the allegations remain unknown at the time of writing, the Associated Press reported Monday that the allegations relate to his “aggressive management style.”

Horner himself said simply to Dutch publication De Telegraaf that he “completely” denies the claims from the allegations. Red Bull put out a statement in reference to the investigation, which reads thus:

“After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation. This process, which is already underway, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister. The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”

As it stands, Horner remains the team principal for Red Bull Racing while the investigation goes on. Despite that, though, British newspaper The Times wrote Monday that Horner’s job status is “under serious threat” with the allegations.

The Formula 1 season is set to get underway on Feb. 21 with testing — Red Bull Racing is set to launch their car before then on Feb. 15.

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