Tag: Formula 1

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:

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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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Carlos Sainz releases statement after Lewis Hamilton news

Sainz posted on social media after the news that Lewis Hamilton is set to replace him at Ferrari in 2025.

With the shocking news that Lewis Hamilton is joining Scuderia Ferrari from 2025 onward, another Formula 1 driver is currently left without a seat with the move.

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has been with the Prancing Horse since 2021, but with Hamilton’s arrival in 2025, he’ll be left without a drive as Hamilton teams with his current teammate Charles Leclerc — at least in theory. Sainz is certain to be a well-regarded driver in the free-agent market for F1, and he seemed to imply as such on social media Thursday.

Sainz made his own statement in the wake of the news, and while he (like Hamilton on the other end) made sure to stress that he’s still driving for Ferrari in 2024, he’ll definitely have some plans in F1 after that.

Here is what Sainz wrote on social media in wake of the news:

“Following today’s news, Scuderia Ferrari and myself will part ways at the end of 2024. We still have a long season ahead of us and, like always, I will give my absolute best for the team and for the Tifosi all around the world. News about my future will be announced in due course.“

In his career at Ferrari, Sainz has won two races, netted 16 podium places and has scored 610.5 points.

There are a few options for Carlos Sainz in 2025, and he is sure to have suitors. Audi’s new F1 program taking over Sauber will be ready in 2026, and that could be an opportunity he can jump onto. There will be an opening at Mercedes with Hamilton gone, and additionally, many will be watching that second Red Bull seat currently occupied by Sergio Perez. All in all, Sainz is likely to find a suitor somewhere on the grid for 2025.

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Ferrari officially announces Lewis Hamilton signing for 2025

The news that shocked the motorsport world is now official — it’s Hammer Time in Maranello.

The Formula 1 world was shocked Thursday morning with news that F1 legend and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was set to make the jump to Scuderia Ferrari, and now, that news has been confirmed by both parties.

Both Ferrari and Mercedes have released statements confirming that Hamilton will race one more year with the Silver Arrows before heading to the Prancing Horse in 2025. Hamilton is set to replace Carlos Sainz, who has been at Ferrari since 2021.

Both Hamilton and Mercedes principal Toto Wolff released statements on the matter, with neither mentioning Ferrari by name but regardless remaining appreciative for the time with Mercedes. Additionally, both stressed that while the move is set to be complete in 2025, Hamilton and Wolff will push together for the 2024 season.

Here is what Wolff had to say about the move, per the statement from Mercedes:

“In terms of a team-driver pairing, our relationship with Lewis has become the most successful the sport has seen, and that’s something we can look back on with pride; Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history. However, we knew our partnership would come to a natural end at some point, and that day has now come. We accept Lewis’s decision to seek a fresh challenge, and our opportunities for the future are exciting to contemplate. But for now, we still have one season to go, and we are focused on going racing to deliver a strong 2024.”

And here is what Lewis Hamilton wrote, mirroring the statement in many ways:

“I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I’m so proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old. It’s a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. But the time is right for me to take this step and I’m excited to be taking on a new challenge. I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together. I am 100% committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows, one to remember.”

Ferrari, meanwhile, made a very succinct statement, though and interesting one — the team revealed on social media that it signed Hamilton to a “multi-year contract”, thus tying him down in Maranello for more than one year. How long exactly that is remains to be seen, but it means that this is not simply a retirement campaign for Hamilton — he’s here to compete.

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Lewis Hamilton expected to make shocking move to Ferrari in 2025

Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton is expected to shock the world and sign with Ferrari for the 2025 season.

Formula 1 is on the verge of a shocking transfer that could change the course of the sport’s future. On Thursday morning, multiple reports indicated that [autotag]Lewis Hamilton[/autotag], a seven-time Formula 1 champion, is on the verge of bolting Mercedes to join [autotag]Ferrari[/autotag] at the beginning of the 2025 season. Hamilton would replace Carlos Sainz on the famous race team.

The 39-year-old driver is considered one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers in history; however, he hasn’t won since 2021, when Mercedes battled against Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen in one of the closest championship battles yet. Hamilton hasn’t won a single time in the last 45 races, and while he would have one more season with Mercedes, his move would be clear-cut.

Hamilton believes Ferrari provides a better chance at winning races and an eighth Formula 1 championship than Mercedes. Ferrari has stepped up since the new car was introduced and was the only non-Red Bull team to win in 2023. Verstappen and Sergio Perez were no match for Sainz at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Nothing has been made official yet; however, Hamilton’s expected move to Ferrari would bring forth a new era of racing in Formula 1. A seven-time champion who wanted to end his career at Mercedes is set to form a superteam with Leclerc, a rising star. If this comes to fruition, this could be one of the most talented driver combinations in recent memory.

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Lewis Hamilton may reportedly join Ferrari in 2025, and F1 fans are stunned

What an absolute shock for F1 fans if these reports are true.

WHOA.

If you thought Lewis Hamilton would spend the rest of his storied F1 career with Mercedes — the team he’s been with since 2013, with whom he’s won six drivers’ world championships — you may be shocked to find out that’s reportedly not the case.

Per multiple reports on Thursday morning, Hamilton will leave the team for Ferrari to team up with Charles Leclerc in 2025, meaning Carlos Sainz will be out. What’s wilder is that Hamilton signed a new deal with Mercedes last summer, but the reports say that perhaps there was an exit clause in there.

Fans were absolutely stunned by the reports: