Tag: Felipe Massa

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen had a tense battle during the opening lap of the F1 Sprint Race on Saturday; it was the closest the Red Bull pair have come to a collision; watch the Austrian Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 at 2pm on Sunday, with build-up from 12:30pm

Sergio Perez has admitted he “didn’t realise” Max Verstappen was alongside him after the pair almost made contact on the opening lap of the Austrian GP Sprint.

Perez took the lead at Turn One but came under pressure from Verstappen on the run towards Turn Three, moving over on his team-mate, who took to the grass and was forced to get out of the throttle.

Verstappen dived down the inside of Perez at Turn Three to retake the lead, and neither driver was happy with the other on the radio.

The championship leader said Perez “pushed him off” onto the grass while the Mexican questioned, “what is wrong with Max?”.

Rain was falling on the circuit at the start of the Sprint and Perez said the spray meant he didn’t see Verstappen in his mirrors.

“The visibility was a factor in it. Although it was raining a little bit, with these big tyres it is really difficult to see anything,” explained Perez to Sky Sports F1.

“I got a good start but I had a bad Turn One so I tried to protect my line but didn’t see Max was alongside me. He went onto the grass but then I think we both went a bit too much over the limit.

“We’ve spoken about it and it’s all fine, we will learn to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Verstappen: All good with Perez | ‘I trust his word’

Verstappen insisted there was no issue between himself and his Red Bull team-mate after the pair immediately discussed the incident in parc ferme.

“My start wasn’t good, I had a lot of wheel spin somehow,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. “But then I had a good run out of Turn One and was going to go fully alongside because of the traction I had out of the corner and suddenly I got squeezed onto the grass and almost lost the car.

“And again in the back of my mind with what happened today [Dutch driver Dilano van ‘t Hoff being killed in a Formula Regional crash at Spa] had I been stationary there or sideways it could have been a big shunt so at the time of course I wasn’t very happy.

“Then after the race you talk about it and Checo said he couldn’t see me so I trust his word of course about that. It’s super easy to create these kind of things. Immediately we walked in to have a little chat about it.”

In the press conference Verstappen was keen to play the incident down: “We spoke about it. When the moment happens, you don’t know why it gets to that. But after the race we talked about it and it’s all good.”

Horner: It got ‘tasty’ between drivers

There have been some tense moments between Verstappen and Perez over the last 12 months, but the pair have largely enjoyed a harmonious relationship.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also played down the incident as both drivers quickly spoke about the near-collision just moments after jumping out of their cars.

“They’ve spoken about it. I think Checo had Max maybe unsighted there on the right-hand side. Thankfully they didn’t collect each other and a 1-2 finish is a great result for the team,” said Horner.

“The rules are very fair, race hard but give each other space. At Turn One and Three it was OK, the bit in the middle was where it got a bit tasty – but maybe Checo didn’t see Max.”

Can Ferrari challenge Red Bull on Sunday?

Verstappen will start on pole position for the Austrian GP – which begins at 2pm live on Sky Sports F1 – while Perez begins the race from 15th after having all of his lap times deleted in Q2 on Friday.

The Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be second and third on the grid, so could put Verstappen under pressure on the first lap.

“I’m excited but also a bit keeping an eye on what’s going to happen,” Sainz told Sky Sports F1 after finishing third in the Sprint.

“We’re obviously happy we have qualified P2 and P3 and we’ve been strong all weekend but it’s only been on new tyres, it hasn’t been on a long run.

“We know where our weakness comes, it’s the long run, the degradation, the race pace so I’m still a bit waiting to see how the car feels tomorrow. If we manage those things well a podium is possible with both cars.”

Ferrari’s race pace was very strong last time out in Montreal, but they started out of position, so their performance went under the radar.

They brought a new floor and front wing to Spielberg and, if Canada is anything to go by, could stick with Verstappen for the whole race.

“Race pace looked quite good in Montreal. But again, consistency is where we need to focus so we really have to see on Sunday if we’ve got the same pace as in Montreal,” said Leclerc.

“Red Bull for now is quicker on race day, so it’s going to be difficult, but if we can put them in difficulty we’ll do it all.”

Sainz added: “I think in the starts you always attack, no? I attacked Max in Barcelona. You always go on the attack mode because in F1 you either attack or you get attacked.

“So, you better be the one attacking, which I think is what we all do in lap one and it’s in our nature as drivers and it’s true that it depends on who is in front of you.

“Like if it’s your team-mate or if it’s a car that is anyway going to be much quicker in the race then you, then you judge and you judge how much risk you are willing to take, which is natural also in in every driver, but the mindset is always to try and move forward at the start.”

Watch the Austrian GP live on Sky Sports F1 from 12.30pm on Sunday with lights out at 2pm.

Lando Norris qualified fourth for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix, behind Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen; Watch Austrian GP Sprint qualifying live on Sky Sports F1 at 11am on Saturday, followed by the Sprint at 3:30pm

Lando Norris says a mistake at the final corner cost him third place in Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.

Norris will start fourth for Sunday’s race but was just 0.077s behind third-placed Carlos Sainz as McLaren’s upgrades appeared to pay off.

Only Norris has the new parts as McLaren pushed hard to bring the developments to Austria. Oscar Piastri will have the upgraded car next week at Silverstone.

“I’m super happy, the guys have done a good job to get all the bits here this weekend and it’s paid off straightaway,” Norris told Sky Sports F1.

“A very good day from from start to finish. We had a few issues this morning, which meant we were even more limited on running. To get, let’s call it a new car, working as it should, the guys did a very good job. So P4, as a driver I’m complaining because I could have been P3 but I made a little mistake.”

Asked about his mistake, Norris added: “It’s difficult to commit at the last corner. It’s very tricky because you are kind of on the entry kerb, which makes the car very nervous and I just missed the apex by a little bit. As it compresses, if you miss it, you understeer badly.

“I just crapped myself, I thought I did track limits and I just had to back out of it. So it definitely cost me P3, which I’m a bit annoyed by because I would have loved to beat Carlos, but happy with P4.”

Norris explains why he is strong at Red Bull Ring

Norris took his maiden F1 podium at the Austrian Grand Prix in 2020 and also finished third a year later. It’s arguably his best track on the calendar and he feels the high-speed nature of the circuit is the reason behind his success.

“It just suits my driving style pretty well. My strongest point is high-speed corners. Against every driver I’ve been team-mates with, it has been my strongest suit – against Carlos and Daniel [Ricciardo],” he explained.

“There’s a decent amount of them here where you have to commit and find the limit yourself. Then you have these big braking zones. When I started F1 it was not my strongest point but I’ve turned it into something that’s quite strong.

“You have got three big braking zones and four high-speed corners here, so it’s a track that suits me well and I’m comfortable to push. It’s my most successful track, I love it.”

McLaren have not scored points in the last two events after a disappointing start to their season.

Norris admits the new car is “definitely a step forward” and gives him “more confidence in certain places”.

“I wouldn’t say it’s changed everything, it’s not like the characteristic is loads better. But at the same time, we didn’t expect it to be a lot better. We just expected a global improvement, which we’ve done,” said the British driver.

“Today we’ve managed to prove it, even on the short circuit, so it makes us look a bit better. Even if you doubled it and say, we’re half a second off, I think we’d still be happy with it.

“This track has also been, I’m always a negative guy, so this track has been good one for us. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself and say it’s amazing, I’d like to wait until Silverstone for that one. The team has done a good job to get everything here and to make such a big step, so it’s down to me on Sunday to turn it into some points.”

Leclerc suggests pole was possible

Charles Leclerc was only 0.048s from taking pole away from Max Verstappen as he gave it everything in the final two corners, visibly on the limit.

It wasn’t enough to repeat his Baku efforts, where he took pole in the first sprint weekend of the season, and the Ferrari driver is keen for more performance in race trim.

“There’s always something more. I think Turn Three was not ideal, Turn One I had quite a bit of snaps,” said Leclerc.

“We tried to add a bit more front wing for the last run in Q3 and it probably was a tiny bit too much. But it’s part of the game – very close to pole position, which is a good sign.

“But we all know that our weakness is the race. So we are waiting for the race to try and see if we confirm the positive signs that we have seen in Montreal.

“The team has done a great job by putting so much effort into bringing the upgrades earlier than what was planned. That helped us also to have a good feeling with the car today.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Austrian GP schedule

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

Max Verstappen won Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix with Fernando Alonso finishing second and Lewis Hamilton third; The trio of world champions shared generous praise for each other following the race; Verstappen moved 69 points clear at the top of the drivers’ standings

Lewis Hamilton says a 2021-style “super tight” Formula 1 world championship battle with Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso would be “sick”.

The sport’s only three active world champions finished on the podium in Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, with Verstappen claiming Red Bull’s 100th F1 win and Aston Martin’s Alonso holding off the Mercedes of Hamilton for second.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton has endured a frosty relationship with Alonso since the pair fell out when McLaren team-mates in 2008, while the Brit was involved in one of the most intense title battles in the sport’s history when Verstappen secured his maiden triumph in 2021.

However, with Verstappen’s dominant form leaving Alonso and Hamilton left fighting for the scraps of second place, more warmth appears to have developed between the Mercedes driver and his rivals.

“It’s just a privilege to be up here fighting these two, who have done incredible in their careers,” Hamilton said after the trio finished on the podium together for the second time this season, having also done so in Australia.

“This is quite an iconic top three – I don’t know if there’s been a top three like this ever before, I don’t believe there has.

“I’m really hoping at some stage we have a more level playing field in our cars and then we’ll have much more exciting races in the future.

“I’m happy to be back in the mix, and I’m just hoping at some stage we can be a bit more level so we can get back to some of the good races we had back in 2021.

“To have all three of us in a super-tight battle would be sick.”

Alonso ‘really enjoyed’ intense Hamilton battle

While Alonso began the afternoon with aspirations of ending Red Bull’s streak of seven wins to start the season, his task was swiftly altered when Hamilton took second away from him at the opening corner.

Alonso took advantage of his upgraded Aston Martin to battle back past Hamilton shortly after the opening round of pit stops, but ultimately lacked the pace to take the fight to Verstappen.

“It’s good, it’s great,” two-time world champion Alonso said. “I really enjoy these battles. This podium happened in Australia, I think last time, and now here.

“There is a lot of respect, a lot of talent, when you fight against Max, Lewis, you know that you cannot make a mistake because they will take advantage of that and they will not make a mistake.

“So if you want to beat them, you need to be tenth after tenth faster to close that gap, it’s not anything that will benefit.

“It’s a very intense battle, very fair, very respectful. Even the overtaking possibility that we had on the DRS for me when I passed Lewis, you know that you can trust what he’s doing – he will defend hard but within the limits.

“(It was the) same at the start – I guess when you start on the front two rows with these guys, there is a sense of awareness and respect that is not sometimes in other parts.”

Verstappen: Racing them one of the best things out there

Verstappen strengthened his grip on the world championship by extending his lead over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez to 69 points.

A fourth successive race victory for the 25-year-old Dutchman has put him firmly on course for a third successive drivers’ title, while a 41st career win saw him draw level with Ayrton Senna in fifth on the sport’s all-time wins list.

While Verstappen is building a special legacy of his own, he reserved some highly respectful words for the 41-year-old Alonso and 38-year-old Hamilton.

“I remember back in the day I was watching these two already in Formula 1 racing each other,” Verstappen said.

“So, of course, I’m very happy now that I’m in F1 as well, racing them is probably one of the best things out there.

“When we can share a podium together, we’ve done it a few times, I think it’s great. I think they want to swap positions, of course, I’m happy in the middle at the moment.”

Max Verstappen is seeking to maintain Red Bull’s run of seven wins to start the 2023 F1 season; Fernando Alonso is targeting victory and starts second for Aston Martin; watch the Canadian GP live on Sky Sports F1 at 7pm on Sunday, with build-up from 5:30pm

Fernando Alonso is targeting victory at the Canadian Grand Prix as he thinks “Red Bull can’t do everything perfectly”.

Red Bull have won each of the seven races this season so far and Alonso has been their closest challenger at most events, standing on the podium five times.

Alonso, who last won 10 years ago at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, will start behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen in second place after Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg received a three-place grid penalty.

Hulkenberg had qualified second after being aided by rain and the timing of a red flag during Qualifying, but the German was demoted after being found to have not slowed down sufficiently when the red flag was initially deployed for Oscar Piastri’s crash.

Asked by Sky Sports F1, which step of the podium he is targeting, Alonso said: “First!…We will put some pressure on Max. I think he has been winning by 20 or 30 seconds every race, so hopefully a little bit closer than that – force an error or maybe a bad pit stop or something. Red Bull can’t do everything perfect, so maybe Sunday is the day.

“We didn’t see any [weaknesses with Red Bull]. This is outstanding what they are doing. We need to get better and learn from them. They are the best on basically everything – the pit stops, the starts, tyre warm-up, degradation, they have no weaknesses and Max has been driving outstanding all season. He’s a tough competitor but it’s a beautiful challenge.”

Verstappen taking nothing for granted

Verstappen will have a big opportunity to extend his 53-point lead in the championship over team-mate Sergio Perez, who starts from 12th.

Twelve months ago, the Dutchman took pole in a wet Qualifying in Montreal and went on to win the race, a performance he hopes to repeat on Sunday.

“We are doing a lot of things well. It’s very enjoyable to be part of the team but we can’t sit still and dream too much. We have to be on it in the race,” he told Sky Sports F1.

“There are still always critical moments where you have to work and do things well because if you make tiny mistakes they are there. Sunday is a different day and we don’t know what the weather will do fully, a lot of things can happen.”

The reigning world champion added: Fernando had a very good long run. The Ferraris were quite strong in the dry, including also Mercedes, so it’s a bit difficult to say at the moment [who will challenge Red Bull the most].”

Hamilton hoping to give Alonso ‘hell’

While Alonso has aspirations of keeping pace with Verstappen, the hunter could become the hunted with Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell looking to challenge him.

After Hulkenberg’s penalty, Hamilton and Russell will line up third and fourth respectively in a result that perhaps flattered them in the wet conditions, with both drivers having trouble getting their intermediate tyres up to temperature.

However, with no further rain expected on Sunday, Mercedes will be confident of delivering strong race pace having showed promising signs as Hamilton led a one-two from Russell in Friday practice.

“I’m hoping it is good tomorrow,” said Hamilton, who has won seven times at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, including his maiden F1 win in 2007.

“It’s difficult to gauge yesterday because we did our long run at the beginning of the session when the track was a lot slower and the others did it later on, so they’re like a second faster.

“So it’s really difficult to extrapolate whereabouts we stand, but we’re ahead of the Ferraris, Max will be gone most likely, but if I can hold on to Alonso and give him give him hell, that’s what I’ll do.”

Russell came from 12th on the grid to finish alongside Hamilton on the podium in Barcelona two weeks ago, and the Brit is confident he can achieve a similar result from an improved starting position in Mercedes’ upgraded W14.

“I think it’s the best qualifying of the year after Australia so you know we can absolutely fight for a podium tomorrow,” Russell said.

“We finished P3 from P12 in the last race. Now we’re saying P5 (now P4) and the car seems just as quick on Sundays. So yeah, looking forward to it.”

Sky Sports F1‘s live Canadian GP schedule

Sunday June 18
5.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Canadian GP build-up
6:55pm: The Grandstand with Daniel Ricciardo and Will Arnett (via red button)
7pm: THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
9pm: Chequered Flag Canadian GP reaction
10pm: Ted’s Notebook

Max Verstappen expecting a mixed up grid in Canadian GP Qualifying with wet weather expected; Mercedes fastest in Friday practice and Verstappen only sixth in lead Red Bull; Carlos Sainz feels Ferrari have more performance to come; Watch qualifying at 9pm on Sky Sports F1

Max Verstappen is anticipating plenty of surprises in qualifying for the Canadian GP with Saturday evening’s session set to be rain-affected.

The world championship leader was surprisingly off the pace in Friday’s only true practice session – Practice One having been curtailed by CCTV issues at the circuit – as he finished sixth while Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez was eighth.

Verstappen finished four tenths of a second off the pace set by Mercedes in Practice Two, as Lewis Hamilton topped George Russell, while the Dutchman was also behind both Ferrari cars and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.

Verstappen admitted Red Bull “didn’t have a good day” on a circuit finding the few “limitations” of the RB19, and with wet weather forecast throughout Saturday – qualifying takes place at 9pm UK time – he is predicting a shaken-up grid for Sunday’s race.

“(Saturday) is going to be very wet so that normally always brings a few surprises in qualifying and we will see what the weather will do on Sunday,” he said.

“We still have a bit of work to do. The car is not fantastic at the moment over the bumps, over the kerbs. I mean, it’s still not too bad, but we definitely need to fine-tune a few things.

“I think we didn’t have a good day, maybe they (Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin) had a good day.

“We know our limitations with the car and probably on the track like it is now with the bumps and the kerbs, it’s definitely not suiting our package for now. But we will try to find a few improvements.”

Perez echoed Verstappen’s thoughts that Red Bull have plenty of improvements to make heading into Saturday.

“I think we have a good base and we just have to make sure we play a bit with the car,” Perez said.

“There is plenty for us to understand. Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin are looking good. We need to improve our ride as well.”

More to come from Ferrari but Leclerc feeling positive

Ferrari are the only team to arrive in Montreal with no updates to their car but the Italian team enjoyed a fruitful Friday as Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished third and fifth respectively.

Sainz led his team-mate at the top of the timesheet for much of Practice Two until the two Mercedes went fastest when completing their qualifying simulations later in the session than other teams.

Fernando Alonso then also slotted in between the two Ferraris, but his fellow Spaniard Sainz expects to have more performance on Saturday having not felt comfortable in the SF23 despite his good pace.

Sainz said: “We had a decent Friday. I’m still not feeling 100 per cent at home with the car, especially under braking I was struggling quite a bit, which we start to understand why now and we will try to make changes for (Saturday).

“We didn’t get it right with a couple of settings. We will try and get them better for (Saturday) and I’m sure we will be more competitive.

“We just need to make sure we nail all the sessions from now on. It will be tricky with the tyres always here between extreme (wets), inters, dry – the track dries pretty quickly. I think it’s going to be a challenging day and it will be all about making no mistakes and getting through it.”

Leclerc has struggled to gain confidence in his car this season and last time out in Barcelona suffered a Q1 exit and point-less finish having been plagued by handling issues.

But the Monegasque enjoyed a positive start to the Canadian GP weekend with it being one of the most comfortable sessions he has experienced so far in 2023.

“In terms of feeling, it’s among the good Fridays for us. I had a really, really good feeling with the car, so that’s positive,” Leclerc said.

“(Saturday) will be a completely new day and honestly I don’t think there’s much that we can bring from (Friday) to (Saturday), as it’s going to rain probably. It’s going to be very interesting, but it’s been a positive Friday.”

“[The long runs were] really good, so that’s positive. But it’s only Friday, so we need to wait and see. The feeling was good, pace looked really good. It’s been a positive Friday, now we just need to have a clean qualifying in very tricky conditions and then see what’s possible on Sunday.”

Aston Martin lacking data on car upgrades

Aston Martin were one of the teams to suffer most from Practice One being limited to just four minutes of track action as it cost them crucial laps to evaluate their major upgrade for Montreal.

The Silverstone-based team have brought a new sidepod design and updates to their floor and Alonso was frustrated at being unable to get a true read of their performance.

The Spaniard ended the day fifth in the timesheet, three tenths off Hamilton’s leading time having completed his qualifying simulations at a similar time to the Silver Arrows.

Sky Sports F1’s David Croft said: “I just get the feeling Mercedes are in the hunt with Aston Martin, who probably don’t understand perfectly the set-up on their car as yet with the new upgrades.

“Ferrari showing pace, and genuine pace over one lap. And for once, Verstappen and Perez are a bit off the pace.”

Sky Sports F1‘s live Canadian GP schedule

Saturday June 17
5.15pm: Canadian GP Practice Three (session starts at 5.30pm)
8pm: Canadian GP Qualifying build-up
9pm: Canadian GP Qualifying
11pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday June 18
5.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Canadian GP build-up
6:55pm: The Grandstand with Daniel Ricciardo and Will Arnett (via red button)
7pm: THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
9pm: Chequered Flag Canadian GP reaction
10pm: Ted’s Notebook

Lewis Hamilton says he is still “incredibly” hungry to succeed in Formula 1 and admits he is “enjoying” being the hunter for the short term.

Hamilton, who held talks with Toto Wolff regarding a new Mercedes contract following the Spanish Grand Prix, hasn’t won a race for over 18 months after enduring his first winless F1 season in 2022.

He made his F1 debut in 2007 as team-mate to Fernando Alonso at McLaren and the pair are now the two most experienced drivers on the grid.

“Through the ups and downs I think it’s been a pretty incredible journey. Back in 2006 I never thought I would be multiple world champion. I wasn’t even sure if I would get to F1,” reflected Hamilton.

“Every second and every decision I made on track, in my mind was the deciding factor of if I would get the opportunity and whether the door would be open for me, to get the hand up into the big league.

“That’s all I was focused on every single day when I was running, every mile I was putting in – thinking about crossing the line and how I could convince [then McLaren CEO] Ron Dennis to give me a chance. I thought if I win the championship, they would have no choice but to give me an opportunity. It’s pretty crazy.

“Getting here [to F1] , it’s a similar sort of thing. I have to really show what I can do and prove myself every weekend. I’ve been doing it a long time and I still feel very much related to that kid.

“I don’t know how, but it [still] feels so incredibly hungry to win and willing to sacrifice pretty much everything in order to get to where I need to be, and that’s not changed.”

Verstappen reaping rewards of red-hot Red Bull

Since controversially missing out on a record-breaking eighth world title at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton has had few chances to fight for the win.

Max Verstappen has largely dominated the sport since Ferrari and Charles Leclerc’s 2022 championship challenge faded, while Mercedes have struggled with their car concept.

Verstappen is in a position that Hamilton experienced for years when Mercedes were the team to beat, and the British driver explained what it’s like to be in the benchmark car.

“Once you get on top of the car and the car works in this window, and it’s consistent, it’s much easier to get it into that setup,” commented Hamilton.

“When you are with a car like I have, for example, you’re trying everything, every different setup and combination to try and eke out a little bit more performance.

“But when you have performance in hand, you are not necessarily always having to make risky choices throughout practice in order to get that extra half a tenth.

“You don’t have to push the bodywork as tight as possible, put the engine on the rim of the temperature because you have a little bit of breathing space.

“Then you don’t have to push the tyres as hard, so you can lift and coast a little bit more, which ultimately means longer stints. All these different things compound and the more you practice it, the easier it gets.

“But you still have a job to deliver, you still have to be focused and still can’t make mistakes, still have to make the right decisions and that comes with a lot of pressure.”

He continued: “For me, it was easy just to stay focused on the job in hand and focus on the things I can control and making sure the team is consistently pushing forward.

“I never got tired of it or comfortable. It’s a great feeling when you know you have got a car you can compete with. From our perspective, we know we are not fighting for a win, so it’s arriving hopeful that you can find a little bit of magic in the weekend.

“Every small decision, every position that you get in qualifying makes that difference and I would say I’ve been enjoying this more, for the short term.”

Hamilton: Sidepod change not my decision

Mercedes introduced a raft of upgrades at the Monaco Grand Prix last month, which appeared to pay off a week later in Spain as Hamilton and George Russell both finished on the podium.

One of the biggest chances was a move from their so-called no sidepod philosophy, to wider sidepods which are more in line with Red Bull.

“We have had a lot of input as a team over the past year. Those constant conversations of ‘why does that look like that and we look like this, have we tried that?’ We now have the wider sidepods more in the direction of Red Bull and it’s not been my decision to go that way,” said Hamilton.

“It’s been clear since we dropped the car back on the ground in the first test, it’s been the identical twin to last year’s car, except for the bouncing.

“We have taken note of where we are and where we have gone wrong, so are slowly chipping away back to the front. It’s just a long process.”

Sky Sports F1‘s live Canadian GP schedule

Friday June 16
6pm: Canadian GP Practice One (session starts at 6.30pm)
7.45pm: The F1 Show
9.45pm: Canadian GP Practice Two (session starts at 10pm)

Saturday June 17
5.15pm: Canadian GP Practice Three (session starts at 5.30pm)
8pm: Canadian GP Qualifying build-up
9pm: Canadian GP Qualifying
11pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday June 18
5.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Canadian GP build-up
7pm: THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
9pm: Chequered Flag Canadian GP reaction
10pm: Ted’s Notebook

F1 returns in Canada from June 16-18 with all sessions live on Sky Sports F1, including race coverage from 5.30pm on Sunday June 18

Charles Leclerc will start the Spanish GP from 19th after being knocked out of Q1 for the first time since 2019; Sergio Perez rues lack of confidence after surprise Q2 exit; watch the Spanish Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 from 12.30pm on Sunday with lights out at 2pm

Charles Leclerc was left adamant that there was “something off” with his Ferrari following a shock early exit in Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying.

Leclerc will start Sunday’s race in 19th having only managed to finish in front of Williams’ Logan Sargeant at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Usually one of the most accomplished drivers on the grid over one lap, Leclerc was out of sorts in the damp conditions, with his struggles even more bizarre in light of Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz claiming second place.

The Monegasque was at a loss as to what had change from final practice earlier on Saturday, during which he was happy with the feel of the upgraded SF-23.

“I don’t have the answer for now, the only thing I can say is that the left-hand corners were undriveable, the right hand corners the feeling was very similar to this morning,” Leclerc said.

“But there’s just something off in the left-hand corners that we need to analyse and understand, because it was very hard.

“I thought it was the tyres on the first set, but then went onto the second set and the feeling was exactly the same.

“I just had no grip at all in the left-hand corners from the rears. We’ll check the car and I will be very surprised if everything was fine.”

Leclerc, who is the only non-Red Bull driver to have taken a pole position this season, was knocked out in Q1 for the first time since the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix.

“So many moments and even during the first red flag I nearly lost it and put it in the gravel in the left-hand corner and these were just very, very weird behaviour so we’ll have to check.

“Even this morning in those conditions, in the tricky conditions of this morning. I was feeling really good with the car. So there’s something off.”

Ferrari later confirmed that they had been unable to carry out an inspection of the car on Saturday evening due to parc ferme regulations.

The Italian team are expected to provide further updates on Sunday morning, with Leclerc potentially facing a pit-lane start if changes are made to the car.

Perez hopeful of podium despite lack of confidence

Almost joining Leclerc in making a Q1 exit was Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who was also shown up by his team-mate Max Verstappen’s far superior performance, with the Dutchman comfortably claiming pole.

Since appearing to ignite a world championship contest with Verstappen by winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April, Perez’s form has significantly dropped off.

The Mexican failed to score points in Monaco last weekend after a qualifying crash that left him starting from the back of the grid, and another error cost him in Barcelona.

Having barely made it through to Q2, Perez was on a flying lap when he went into the gravel at Turn 5, ruining his tyres with no time left to pit for a fresh set, and leaving him 11th.

“I touched I think the wet patch and I just lost the car,” Perez said. “I managed to control it, get out of there but then the tyres were just too hot, simply too hot to do anything in the lap, unfortunately, but it is what it is.

“I was not very comfortable with the car to be honest. I had a good final practice, I think we managed to make some good progress, but all the way through qualy I was not that confident. So, I think things were looking a little bit tougher for us.”

Unlike in Monaco where overtaking is near impossible, Red Bull’s stunning pace, which has resulted in them winning each of the first six races of the season, should enable Perez to fight back through the field on Sunday.

“Hopefully we are able to recover and get into some points and hopefully get back into the podium positions,” Perez said.

“We’ve got our strong race pace, but everything is pretty close at the top so it’s going to be difficult to make some progress.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Spanish GP schedule

Sunday June 4
8.50am: F3 Feature Race
10.20am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Spanish GP build-up
2pm: THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag Spanish GP reaction
5.45pm: Indy NXT – Detroit GP
8pm: IndyCar – Detroit GP

Will Red Bull’s winning run in F1 2023 continue at the Spanish GP? Watch all the action live on Sky Sports F1 from 12.30pm on Sunday. Get Sky Sports

Formula 1 heads to Barcelona for the Spanish GP this weekend and it could be a pivotal point in the 2023 season.

The Circuit de Catalunya is arguably the most familiar to the drivers and teams, having regularly played host to testing sessions over the years. Several teams will be running upgrades on their cars this weekend, either for the first time or certainly running them for the first time in representative conditions.

“Barcelona is the best judge of a chassis – it’s all about chassis and aero there,” Sky Sports F1‘s Martin Brundle said.

So as the development war steps up, could we see F1 2023’s true pecking order begin to emerge?

Expect Red Bull to still lead the way

Traditionally, Barcelona has not been the happiest of hunting grounds for Red Bull. The team has won there only four times – in 2010, 2011, 2016 and 2022 – and last year’s victory was given a helping hand by Charles Leclerc suffering a Ferrari engine while leading.

But Red Bull are unbeaten in 2023 so far and have yet to have another car within 20 seconds of theirs when finishing a grand prix in race conditions.

Changes to the Circuit de Catalunya also appeal to the strengths of the RB19. The slow chicane in the final sector will not feature this weekend as F1 returns to the circuit’s original final two corners, and the high-speed right handers will help the Red Bull sling shot onto the long pit-straight where its straight-line speed advantage can be maximised.

“It’s a Red Bull weekend,” former Williams and McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya said on the latest Sky Sports F1 Podcast.

“It is 100 per cent a Red Bull track. It’s a high-speed track and the highlight of the Aston Martin is slow speed corners and they got rid of the slowest corners in the final sector.”

Sky Sports F1‘s David Croft added: “I don’t see how anybody at the moment [gets ahead of Red Bull]. It’s very fast in a straight line and very fast through high-speed corners.”

Red Bull are also reportedly set to have updates this weekend, with advisor Helmut Marko telling Austrian outlet oe24 that the team are “going to try something new in Barcelona.”

So while Red Bull are expected to remain out front, how will things shape up behind as Aston Martin, Mercedes and Ferrari duke it out in their upgraded machinery?

Mercedes look to get true read on W14’s upgrades

The big intrigue heading to Barcelona is how Mercedes’ upgrades to their W14 will truly perform.

Initially scheduled for the cancelled Emilia Romagna GP, Mercedes debuted their new bodywork, floor and front suspension in Monaco. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished fourth and fifth in Monte Carlo, although the unique nature of the street circuit meant it was difficult to assess their true performance. As Brundle put it: “It’s like racing in a washing machine.”

However, Hamilton, Russell and team boss Toto Wolff felt there were immediately positive signs from the updated W14 and will seek to confirm its true potential this weekend.

“We were in the mix with Aston Martin and with Ferrari. On a positive note, that may be encouraging because we have never been really good here,” Mercedes boss Wolff said after the Monaco GP.

“But we really need to be careful, we have to go to Barcelona and collect more data, it’s a new baseline. I don’t expect us to be clearing Aston Martin and Ferrari there either. It is more about understanding, okay, what does this car do now, and how do we need to set it up.”

Mercedes find themselves only a point behind Aston Martin in the battle for second in the constructors’ championship despite appearing to have the fourth-fastest car on pure pace so far in 2023.

Aston Martin to close up to Red Bull or fall back?

Aston Martin have had the second-quickest car so far this season and only Max Verstappen’s brilliance and some bad luck with rain intensity cost them a pole position and possibly race win in Monaco.

Fernando Alonso heads to his home race – and the venue of his most recent win in 2013 – with five podiums in six grands prix for 2023’s surprise team. Aston Martin will be introducing the second half of an upgrade that was initially due in Imola at the Spanish GP.

The question is whether these updates will offset the advances Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari have made and see them move closer to the championship leaders or be fighting to get on the podium at all.

“We have to see in a normal circuit, what is the package of Mercedes and the upgrades that Ferrari will bring apparently to Barcelona as well,” Alonso said.

“So we have to have our feet on the ground and as I said in Miami, it’s going to be a few weekends in the year that we will just be seventh and eighth and we have to accept that and some others that we will fight for podiums.

“So I will not get into Barcelona thinking that I will win, and disappoint anyone. We have to have our feet on the ground.”

Ferrari’s substantial upgrade to improve Sunday form?

Ferrari will be introducing a substantial upgrade to their inconsistent SF23 car, having had to delay its introduction with the Emilia Romagna GP’s cancellation.

While Leclerc has managed to fight for and claim a pole position in qualifying sessions, the Monegasque and Carlos Sainz have struggled to gain confidence in the car, and been critical of the “knife-edge” they find themselves driving on come race days.

Ferrari have already brought a new floor and diffuser to their car and this weekend’s update will include new bodywork.

“This week we will have a better view of the race pace,” team principal Fred Vasseur said. “Barcelona is more relevant and we will have a better view of the situation.

“I hope that we will do a step forward in Barcelona but it won’t be the end of the development for the car.”

Will Alpine make it five-team fight for podium spots?

The mood around Alpine has transformed in the last month. At the Miami GP, Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi was labelling performances “unacceptable” and “amateurish” and threatening prompt changes if the team’s form did not improve.

But Alpine’s upgrades have brought that upturn in form with the team sealing a double points finish in the USA before Esteban Ocon claimed a superb podium at the Monaco GP and Pierre Gasly got a season’s-best seventh place.

And the French outfit are bullish about getting among the fight for the final podium positions behind Red Bull.

“I fully expect to be in front of Mercedes and with Ferrari at the next race,” sporting director Alan Permane said, while also confirming another upgrade will be on the Alpine in Barcelona.

“Max is too far away, and when Checo is on his game, he will be as well.

“Fernando is going to be very difficult but I don’t see why we can’t race with Ferrari and Mercedes, which we have done here (in Monaco) and in Miami as well.

“They were quicker than us ultimately, but we were in a race with them. That is where we are aiming for.”

F1 returns to a ‘traditional’ circuit

This weekend will also be the first time since the season-opening Bahrain GP that Formula 1 has raced at what could be termed a ‘normal’ race track.

The 2023 season has been frontloaded with grands prix on street circuits – Jeddah, Melbourne, Baku, Miami and Monaco.

But now the drivers and teams have a traditional F1 weekend to look forward to; three practice sessions on a predictably evolving circuit on which to dial in their car set-ups for qualifying and race day.

The old adage is that if your car works well in Barcelona, it will work well anywhere. If that trend continues, this weekend may well give a glimpse of how the rest of the season will pan out.

Sky Sports F1’s live Spanish GP schedule

Thursday June 1
2pm: Drivers’ Press Conference

Friday June 2
8.50am: F3 Practice
10.00am: F2 Practice
12pm: Spanish GP Practice One (session starts 12.30pm)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.45pm: Spanish GP Practice Two (session starts 4pm)
5.15pm: The F1 Show: Spain

Saturday June 3
9.25am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Spanish GP Practice Three (session starts 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Spanish GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: Spanish GP Qualifying
6.15pm: IndyCar – Detroit GP Qualifying

Sunday June 4
8.50am: F3 Feature Race
10.20am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Spanish GP build-up
2pm: THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag Spanish GP reaction
5.45pm: Indy NXT – Detroit GP
8pm: IndyCar – Detroit GP

Will Red Bull’s winning run in F1 2023 continue at the Spanish GP? Watch all the action live on Sky Sports F1 from June 2-4 Get Sky Sports

Charles Leclerc has defended Ferrari’s strategy decisions at the Monaco Grand Prix as rain caused havoc in the middle of the race.

Leclerc and team-mate Carlos Sainz were among the final drivers to make the switch from dry to intermediate tyres, when rain hit the streets of Monte Carlo with 25 laps to go.

Both drivers lost any chance of the podium as a consequence as they finished in sixth end eighth.

“We have done mistakes on strategy in the past. I don’t think this was a mistake,” Leclerc told Sky Sports F1. “In those conditions, you have more probability of having a safety car, with so many cars on slicks in the rain.

“So we were waiting for a safety car by someone making a mistake. That didn’t happen and that’s it. With the benefit of hindsight, stopping before was the right decision.”

Sainz surprised by timing of first pit stop

Sainz was left frustrated on the team radio following his first pit stop because he didn’t understand why Ferrari pitted him so early.

The Spaniard started on the hard tyres and reacted to the pit stop of Esteban Ocon, who he was battling with, by stopping on Lap 33 for the mediums.

He came out behind the Alpine driver and was forced to double stack behind Leclerc later in the race when switching to the intermediates.

“The first pit stop surprised me because I was on a very quick in lap on the hard tyre, thinking I was going to extend and overcut Esteban,” said Sainz. “We boxed and were one second behind which I didn’t get.

“With the pit stop and rain coming, I thought we were going to use the hard for a bit longer. The second stop was one lap too late but that was probably my fault, trying to compensate the frustration from the first stop by trying something differently and I got it wrong.”

Ferrari told Sainz to pit to stay ahead of Lewis Hamilton, but the 28-year-old said he “didn’t care” about the Mercedes driver on the team radio. Team principal Frederic Vasseur defended Ferrari’s decision to pit Sainz when they did.

“I think it was a good strategy because when we asked him to pit, it was to cover Hamilton. It was to avoid losing the position against Hamilton,” said Vasseur.

“It was the good goal because position is key on track. We would have been better off to extend if we were not at risk from Hamilton. But in this situation, I think it was the good call.

“Then we can discuss about when the rain came, it was a bet [gamble] from both sides but I have no regrets on this because we didn’t lose positions at this stage.”

Vasseur apologises for Leclerc grid penalty

Leclerc qualified third, but started sixth due to a three-grid place penalty for impeding Lando Norris in Q3 on Saturday.

Norris was on a flying lap and came across Leclerc in the tunnel, so had to abort his lap. The stewards deemed Leclerc at fault and Vasseur says Ferrari will learn from the mistake.

“Under the tunnel, Charles was not able to see in the mirror where was Norris, and if you tell him after the tunnel he can see where is Norris, and avoid to be on the line. Also, the line under the tunnel is not very clear,” explained Vasseur.

“But we made a mistake yesterday clearly and this cost us a lot because I think starting from P3 it could have been another race, but we have to learn from it.”

The Ferrari boss added: “He’s been a bit frustrated in Monaco for a couple of years now and for sure Saturday was tough.

“It was tough first to lose the pole position for one tenth or something like this, to lose the first row for two hundredths, and then the call.

“What can I do else than apologise on behalf of the team and to understand how we can do a better job, and to improve the communication between the pit wall and Charles in this condition, but on both sides.

“I think it’s also due to the circumstances where it’s happened, into the tunnel and so on. But, we have to avoid to try to find excuses because it’s the worst way if you want to improve, we just have to correct.”

Do Ferrari have a fundamental strategy problem?

Twelve months ago, Ferrari were in a title fight with Red Bull but their championship challenge slowly faded away when a run of reliability issues and strategy mistakes cost them key points.

Over the winter, their head of race strategy, Inaki Rueda, was moved to a factory role and in came Ravin Jain.

Prior to the Monaco GP weekend, Leclerc told Sky Sports F1‘s Martin Brundle that Ferrari are in a better position, strategically, compared to last year.

Asked about the 2022 Monaco strategy mistake, which cost Leclerc the win, the Monegasque answered: “Of course, you learn from mistakes and as a team, we have changed quite a lot of things in terms of taking decisions.

“We are in a much better place and I’m confident this won’t happen again.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Spanish GP schedule

Thursday June 1
2pm: Drivers’ Press Conference

Friday June 2
8.50am: F3 Practice
10.00am: F2 Practice
12pm: Spanish GP Practice One (session starts 12.30pm)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.45pm: Spanish GP Practice Two (session starts 4pm)
5.15pm: The F1 Show: Spain

Saturday June 3
9.25am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Spanish GP Practice Three (session starts 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Spanish GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: Spanish GP Qualifying
6.15pm: IndyCar – Detroit GP Qualifying

Sunday June 4
8.50am: F3 Feature Race
10.20am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Spanish GP build-up
2pm: THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag Spanish GP reaction
5.45pm: Indy NXT – Detroit GP
8pm: IndyCar – Detroit GP

Will Red Bull’s winning run in F1 2023 continue at the Spanish GP? Watch all the action live on Sky Sports F1 from June 2-4 Get Sky Sports

Carlos Sainz fastest for Ferrari in first Monaco GP practice; Fernando Alonso second for Aston Martin as Lewis Hamilton takes third in updated Mercedes; Max Verstappen struggles to sixth as Red Bull struggle; watch Practice Two live on Sky Sports F1 from 3:45pm on Friday

Carlos Sainz topped first practice at the Monaco Grand Prix for Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton taking an impressive third as Mercedes debuted major upgrades.

Fernando Alonso took second for Aston Martin, while world championship leader Max Verstappen could only manage sixth as Red Bull struggled at Formula 1’s most famous circuit.

The Dutchman’s team-mate Sergio Perez was fourth, heightening hopes for Red Bull’s rivals of ending the reigning constructors’ five-race winning streak to start the season.

Charles Leclerc, who has taken pole for Ferrari for the last two years at his home race, was fifth.

Mercedes, whose W14 hit the track for the first time with long-awaited upgrades, will be buoyed by Hamilton’s third place, but the seven-time world champion’s team-mate George Russell struggled to 15th.

As is always the case at the stunning and high-risk street circuit, there was drama and incident, with several drivers escaping contact with the barriers before crashes for Nico Hulkenberg and Alex Albon resulted in red flags.

The latter incident, a heavy shunt for Williams’ Albon at the opening corner Sainte Devote, saw the session come to a premature end with three minutes left on the clock when it occurred.

‘Red Bull have serious competition this weekend’

After the cancellation of last weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix due to severe flooding in northern Italy, there was even greater intrigue than usual as Formula 1 returned to Monaco.

Along with the usual glitz and glamour that Monaco brings to the calendar, there was mystery surrounding Mercedes’ upgrades, and excitement that Ferrari and Aston Martin may be able to outpace Red Bull for the first time this season.

The last element, perhaps the most crucial to ensuring that excitement remains throughout the weekend, looks to be in play, with Sainz and Alonso showing impressive early pace.

Ferrari have shown impressive form at Monaco in recent years, and Sainz’s 1:13.372, which was more than 0.3s clear of Alonso in second, suggests they will be a major threat for pole position on Saturday.

Alonso, who has secured four podiums in his first five races with Aston Martin, has been open about his belief that this weekend he can claim a first F1 victory in more than a decade, and will be encouraged by a solid opening 60 minutes.

After a dominant start to the season which has seen him win three races and amass a 14-point world championship lead over Perez, Verstappen cut an extremely frustrated figure as he struggled from the off and demanded early set-up changes.

He reported that his car felt “a little better” afterwards, but was warned over radio that he would have to “live with” the discomfort for the remainder of the session, and was visibly irritated as he failed to make a chicane.

“Red Bull will home in on where they need to be,” Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle said. “The story of FP1 is that Red Bull have got some serious competition this weekend.”

The constant danger of the Circuit de Monaco was highlighted as Hulkenberg lost control of his Haas at the Nouvelle Chicane, spinning, hitting the barrier and suffering a puncture.

The German was able to limp back to the pits but debris left on track led to a brief red flag stoppage to allow the track to be cleared.

Mercedes finally unveil W14 upgrades

All eyes had been on the Mercedes garage since the team began setting up on Thursday morning, with the Silver Arrows finally moving on from the ‘zero-sidepod’ concept they have pursued since the start of last season.

Photos of the new bodywork, which is accompanied by a new floor and front suspension, emerged on Thursday, but the car was finally revealed in full form shortly before practice began on Friday.

Initial assessments were made, but ultimately how the W14 performed on track is what team, drivers, and fans were waiting to see.

The results were somewhat confusing, with Hamilton settling quickly and sitting at the top of the timesheet for a period of the session before finishing third.

In contrast, Russell was uncomfortable from the start, and twice returned to the garage for significant set-up changes.

Despite the changes, he remained uncomfortable, explaining over radio that he was lacking “confidence”.

Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin explained to Sky Sports F1 after the session that the British duo had been running different set-ups.

“We haven’t seen major problems which is a useful start to it,” he said. “We were doing some comparisons on set-up across the cars so I think we have a good direction there – Lewis appeared to be in a happier place than George.

“One of the tricky bits with Monaco is the track evolves so much. It’s one thing having the car in a good spot in FP1, you need to keep it there in FP2, FP3 and into Qualy. That’s a lot easier said than done. It’s a good start but we’re certainly wary of the many ways you can get Monaco wrong.”