Tag: Formula One

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen suggested he could quit Formula One at the end of the season after enduring another frustrating race on Sunday in Japan.

The Red Bull driver finished eighth in Suzuka, ending his four-year reign as Japanese Grand Prix champion in ruthless fashion.

He told the BBC that he was “not enjoying the whole formula behind” this season’s championship, which has brought in sweeping new regulations.

“You just think about, is it worth it?” he said. “Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport?”

Verstappen has repeatedly railed against the new regulations, which see a 50-50 split between conventional and electrical power.

He labelled his car “undriveable” after qualifying in a lowly 11th for the Japan race. When asked if he could walk away from the sport, he replied that he was “thinking about everything inside this paddock”.

“It’s really anti-driving. Then at one point, yeah, it’s just not what I want to do,” he said. “And of course, you can look at it and make a lot of money. Great. But at the end of the day, it’s not about money any more because this has always been my passion.”

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Max Verstappen sought a change of scenery by competing in a four-hour race in Germany before the Japanese Grand Prix.

He will not compete again in F1 until the Miami Grand Prix on May 3, after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races scheduled for April were cancelled because of the war in the Middle East.

When asked how he would fill his time during the break, Verstappen answered: “I’ll do some more racing, some stuff that makes me smile.

“And at the same time speak to the team as well, to try and find more pace and some more stable balance because this is not sustainable for us as a team,” he added.

Verstappen is in ninth place in the championship standings, 60 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes after three races.

He finished sixth in the season opener in Australia and retired from the grand prix in China because of a cooling issue.

“I want to be here to have fun and have a great time and enjoy myself. At the moment that’s not really the case,” he said. “I’m trying. I keep telling myself every day to try and enjoy it. It’s just very hard.”

READ: Youngest F1 title leader Antonelli to keep ‘raising bar’ after Japan win

Lando Norris claimed his maiden Formula One world drivers’ title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, ending Max Verstappen’s four-year reign.

The Briton finished third in the season-closer behind race winner Verstappen and the other title challenger, McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, to claim the crown by two points.

Norris, in tears on the team radio, said: “Thanks so much. I love you mum, I love you dad.”

“That was exciting, a little too exciting, awesome,” said McLaren team principal Zak Brown.

Norris becomes Britain’s first world champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2020 with this 13th drivers’ crown for McLaren.

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The 26-year-old’s success comes over half a century after Emerson Fittipaldi claimed the British marque’s first drivers’ title in 1974.

A galaxy of F1 greats followed – James Hunt (1976), Niki Lauda (1984), Alain Prost (1985, 1986, 1989), Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990, 1991), Mikka Hakkinen (1998, 1999) and Hamilton in 2008.

McLaren, headed by team principal Andrea Stella and CEO Brown, secured back-to-back constructors’ titles in Singapore last month.

Sunday’s season-closer was the first time the title was decided by a contest involving more than two drivers since a four-way scrap at the final race in Abu Dhabi in 2010.

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LONDON: Christian Horner was sacked on Wednesday by Red Bull after 20 years at the helm of the Formula One outfit.

The 51-year-old has been in charge since the team was formed in 2005 and led them to eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ crowns.

Dutchman Max Verstappen has won the past four drivers’ titles for Red Bull, matching the achievement of Sebastian Vettel, who dominated for the team from 2010 to 2013.

Horner’s dismissal as CEO and team principal comes 17 months after he was accused by a female colleague of “inappropriate behaviour”.

The Englishman was twice cleared over the claims by the Formula One team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH, and his wife, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, stood by him.

But there have been rumblings of discontent within the team, with several high-profile departures, while form on the track has nose-dived.

“Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today (Wednesday) and has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Red Bull Racing,” said a statement from Red Bull GmbH.

Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of corporate projects and investments, paid tribute to Horner, thanking him for his “exceptional work”.

“With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1,” he said.

“Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.”

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Horner’s departure comes amid speculation that Verstappen may be tempted to jump ship to Mercedes.

Although the 27-year-old Dutchman won the title last year, he only topped the podium twice in the final 14 races of the season.

Red Bull have won only two races this season, with McLaren taking their place as the team to beat.

Verstappen is languishing 69 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri at the halfway point of the campaign and finished a disappointing fifth at Sunday’s British Grand Prix, having started on pole.

He showed frustration with his Red Bull during the race, saying: “This car is just so difficult to drive.”

Other key figures responsible for the team’s previous dominance have left since last year including design guru Adrian Newey, who signed for Aston Martin, and Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, who joined Sauber.

Max Verstappen’s father Jos, a former F1 driver, had expressed his dissatisfaction with Horner even after he was cleared of the charges of inappropriate behaviour.

He warned the team was in danger of being “torn apart” if Horner remained.

Mekies, who has been promoted from Red Bull’s second team, Racing Bulls, has had a long career in Formula One, previously working as racing director for Ferrari.

“The last year and a half has been an absolute privilege to lead the team with Peter (Bayer),” the 48-year-old Frenchman said in a statement.

“It has been an amazing adventure to contribute to the birth of Racing Bulls together with all our talented people.

“The spirit of the whole team is incredible, and I strongly believe that this is just the beginning.”

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SAKHIR: World champion Max Verstappen claimed his maiden season-opening victory and first at the Sakhir circuit on Sunday when he led Sergio Perez home in a dominant Red Bull one-two at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The defending double world champion led from start to finish, bar the pit stops, to establish himself as a strong favourite for a third consecutive drivers’ crown this year.

It was his first win in the Gulf state at the 10th attempt.

Behind the two Red Bulls, two-time champion Fernando Alonso continued to make light of his 41 years by storming his way to a rousing third place for Aston Martin in his first appearance with the team since succeeding the retired four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.

It was his record-increasing 356th race in Formula One in a career that started 22 years earlier, to the weekend, in Melbourne at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix.

Fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who he passed in a late scrap for a podium finish, finished fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Lance Stroll, racing in the second Aston Martin just weeks after cracking both wrists and breaking a toe in a pre-season cycling accident.

George Russell took seventh for Mercedes ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, who had started last, and Alex Albon who claimed a point for Williams finishing 10th.

Charles Leclerc, who won the race in 2022, failed to finish after engine failure on his Ferrari on the 41st lap.

‘What we needed’

“Thank you, guys,” said 25-year-old Verstappen. “It’s exactly the start we needed. I had a good start and first stint and then had a gap and just looked after the tyres.”

Verstappen made a clean, quick start to pull clear as Leclerc passed Perez for second while, behind them, Stroll hit his Aston Martin team-mate Alonso, under braking at Turn Four.

Both Mercedes had good starts and passed Alonso, Hamilton climbing to fifth ahead of Russell in pursuit of Sainz as Verstappen opened up a commanding lead.

By lap five, he was four seconds clear as Leclerc kept Perez at bay.

Gasly began the pit stops on lap 10, switching his Alpine from softs to hards, followed quickly by Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda with tyre degradation taking early effect.

Hamilton pitted from fifth on lap 13, prompting a classic scrap as Alonso battled past Russell to regain his original grid slot and climb to third when both Ferraris pitted. Russell followed.

Verstappen came in a lap later, switching to more softs and handing the lead to Perez, while luckless Australian rookie Oscar Piastri’s McLaren debut ended early with electrical problems.

The champion re-joined in second place and regained his lead on lap 18 when Perez pitted, elevating Leclerc to second until the Mexican passed him into Turn One on lap 26.

Hamilton pitted again on lap 31, for more hards, followed by Sainz and Russell, as the leaders prepared for their final stint while, at the back, a beleaguered Esteban Ocon of Alpine, hit with three time penalties for minor infringements, stopped again.

‘No power’

Perez and Verstappen then completed their second stops, the Dutchman re-joining with a 12-second lead.

Leclerc’s Ferrari lost power on the straight. He parked it safely, prompting a brief virtual safety car intervention, with 15 laps remaining, handing Red Bull the prospect of a cosy one-two, 23 seconds clear of third-placed Sainz in the second Ferrari.

“No, no, no,” wailed Leclerc. “Come on! What happened, guys? No power.”

All this left the two Spaniards scrapping for third, the old master squeezing through on lap 45 after the pair appeared to touch in a frantic and dramatic tussle ahead of the watching fifth man Hamilton.

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ABU DHABI: England cricket team attended the final race of the Formula One season here on Sunday, ahead of their upcoming Test tour of Pakistan scheduled from December 1 to 21. 

England players were spotted at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, enjoying the thrilling action, where Red Bull’s Max Verstappen dominated his opponents and took his record-extending 15th win of 2022.

England contingent has set up their training camp at Abu Dhabi to prepare for the historic three Tests against Pakistan on the latter’s home soil after 17 years.

GANG 🤩

England players at the Grand Prix today 🏎️🏏

They are in Abu Dhabi for a training camp ahead of the Pakistan Tests! pic.twitter.com/muHUiANuK9

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 20, 2022

Ben Stokes-led side will arrive in Pakistan on November 27 with the first Test set to begin on December 1 in Rawalpindi.

The second Test will take place in Multan on December 9, and the final match of the tour will be staged at the National Stadium in Karachi, commencing on December 17.

READ: Verstappen wins Abu Dhabi GP, Leclerc denies Red Bull one-two

SUZUKA: Max Verstappen won the rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, retaining his Formula One world championship in a dramatic manner.

Red Bull driver Verstappen was awarded the title only when his closest competitor Charles Leclerc was demoted to third place by a five-second penalty.

Verstappen clinched the title for the second time in a row after a dominant season in which he has won 12 of 18 races, including six of the last seven.

The outcome at Suzuka gave Red Bull driver an unassailable 113-point lead in the current championship, becoming only the third driver after Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel to claim the title with four races to spare.

An unbeatable lead for Max Verstappen 👑#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/AKlUPLDLgW

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022

Ferrari’s Leclerc had finished second on the track, keeping the title race alive, but cutting a circuit in the final circuit took a toll on his ambitions as he was awarded a five-second penalty, thus he and Pérez swapped positions.

The points scorers at Suzuka 👀#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/ENIVQpvikb

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022

“We’ve been absolutely on it, the whole year. A season where we had a difficult start but kept it cool, bounced back and never let go,” expressed Verstappen on his official Twitter account after victory and thanked his fans for their support.

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BERLIN: The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Volkswagen Herbert Diess has claimed that the company’s two premium brands – Audi and Porsche – have decided to join Formula One.

Diess, in an interview on YouTube, revealed the plans of two brands to join Formula One.

For months, there have been rumours that the two brands were in talks about forming a collaboration to compete at the top level of international motor racing. But Diess, however, has now approved the speculations with his revelations.

The German carmaking company, which has previously collaborated with Red Bull in the world rally championship but not in Formula One, did not say how it planned to enter the sport.

Audi has decided to launch a bid of roughly 500 million euros ($556.30 million) for McLaren, a British luxury sports car manufacturer, while Porsche plans to form a long-term collaboration with racing team Red Bull in the coming years.

It is pertinent to mention here that their entry into Formula One racing would likely take a few years.

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