Race Weekend Central

Charles Leclerc Finds Redemption in Bahrain, Reliability Undermines Red Bull

Leclerc Bahrain 2019

(Photo: FIA)

Two years after engine troubles cost him the Bahrain Grand Prix by only three laps, Charles Leclerc has found redemption in Sakhir. He won the Formula 1 season opening grand prix and led every lap in the process. Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz followed him home in second place, with Lewis Hamilton rounding out the …

Read more

Felix Rosenqvist Takes Pole in Texas

2021 Indycar Indianapolis Felix Rosenqvist Chris Jones Indycar Media

(Photo: IndyCar Media)

Felix Rosenqvist secured his second ever pole position in the NTT IndyCar Series by setting the fastest lap in Saturday’s (March 19) single-car qualifying session for the 2022 Xpel 375 at Texas Motor Speedway. Only the 11th of 27 cars to take the track for two-lap runs, Rosenqvist’s pole time looked to be under threat …

Read more

Scott McLaughlin Holds off Charging Alex Palou, Takes Maiden IndyCar Victory

Scott McLaughlin IndyCar

(Photo: James Black Courtesy of Penske Entertainment)

Scott McLaughlin is the NTT IndyCar Series’ newest winner after dominating the opening round of the 2022 season in St Petersburg, Florida. McLaughlin controlled the race from the drop of the green flag, holding off early pressure from Colton Herta and withstanding a massive charge from defending series champion Alex Palou in the race’s closing …

Read more

Slipstream Saturday: The F1 Barcelona Test – Pace, Porpoising, Power, & Politics

2022 Barcelona Pre Season Test, Day 3 Wolfgang Wilhelm

2022 Barcelona Pre-Season Test, Day3 - Wolfgang Wilhelm

With the first pre-season test for the Formula 1 season over, it is time to look at some of the storylines that emerged from Barcelona.

F1 Title Decided in 1-Lap Sprint, Mercedes Protests Results

Formula 1's Lewis Hamilton congratulates Max Verstappen after 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lars Baron Getty Images

(Photo: Lars Baron/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool)

Max Verstappen’s breakout Formula 1 title campaign ended on the top step of the podium under the Dutch flag after a controversial, but nail-biting, one-lap sprint to decide the championship. However, that sprint is now under protest from Mercedes. From the race’s start, Lewis Hamilton was on his usual form, maintaining a healthy lead over …

Read more

2021 F1 Championship Drama Heads to Abu Dhabi

F1 Grand Prix Of Abu Dhabi Previews

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 09: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP and Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing talk in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 09, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Antonin Vincent - Pool/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202112090231 // Usage for editorial use only //

Formula One’s long, competitive, controversial, and tense 2021 campaign will come to a close under the lights of Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday (December 12). Championship protagonists Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will enter the weekend tied in points, with 369.5 apiece. This is a development nearly 50 years in the making, as …

Read more

Hamilton and Verstappen Level After Tumultuous Trip to Saudi Arabia

2021 Saudi Arabia Formula 1 Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Collide, Lars Baron Getty

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - DECEMBER 05: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing RB16B Honda and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W12 collide during the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on December 05, 2021 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202112050202 // Usage for editorial use only //

For only the second time in the history of Formula 1, the championship contenders will enter the final round of the season level on points. The points total for both drivers, after 21 races, sits at 369.5. Whoever finishes ahead of the other in Abu Dhabi will be the champion. The last time drivers entered …

Read more

F1 Midweek: China’s Motorsport Conundrum, Pt. 2

2019 Chinese Grand Prix, Sunday Lat Images

2019 Chinese Grand Prix, Sunday (credit: LAT Images/Mercedes AMG)

My first visit to China, in March of 2018, was a 10-day trip to Shanghai. Of those 10 days, seven were allocated to business meetings and interviews with foreigners who had founded or worked for various companies both in Shanghai and in other Chinese megacities. At that time, I had been to six NASCAR events …

Read more

F1 Midweek: Where Are the Chinese Drivers?

2021 Italy F2 Theo Pourchaire Guanyu Zhou Christian Lundgaard podium Florent Gooden DPPI Alfa Romeo Racing

(Photo: Florent Gooden/DPPI via Alfa Romeo Racing)

With his deal to drive for Alfa Romeo in 2022, Shanghai’s Guanyu Zhou became the first full-time Chinese driver in Formula 1 when it was announced on Nov. 15. Zhou, currently in his third season of Formula 2, has four wins to his name and is a championship contender for 2021. He also won the …

Read more

Fernando Alonso Stretches Strategy, Takes 3rd Place in Qatar

2021 Qatar Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton Verstappen Fernando Alonso Podium Lat Images

2021 Qatar Grand Prix, Sunday - LAT Images

More than 100 races after his last visit to the podium, Fernando Alonso and Alpine gambled on tyre strategy in Qatar to take home a third-place finish. Despite the magnitude of the result for Alonso and Alpine, he admitted he had been aiming even higher. “Finally we got it!” Alonso said. “Honestly, I thought to …

Read more

Lewis Hamilton Takes Pole, Red Bull Down on Pace in Qatar

Lewis Hamilton wins pole in Qatar, LAT Images

(Photo: LAT Images via Mercedes AMG F1)

Lewis Hamilton made good work of Saturday’s (Nov. 20) qualifying session in Qatar to take his 102nd career pole position. Title rival Max Verstappen will start from second place, with Valtteri Bottas lining up third on the grid. Hamilton was quick to admit that his confidence wasn’t at a pole position level from the start …

Read more