Race Weekend Central

Lewis Hamilton Hit With 10-Place Grid Penalty for Turkish Grand Prix

2021 Azerbaijan GP Lewis Hamilton face Steve Etherington via Mercedes AMG F1

(Photo: Steve Etherington via Mercedes AMG F1)

Lewis Hamilton will receive a 10-place grid penalty for this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix, Formula 1 announced Oct. 8. As expected, Mercedes has elected to put new internal combustion engine and exhaust systems in Hamilton’s car for Sunday. Because Hamilton has crossed the threshold for engine changes this season, he will be forced to drop …

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F1 Midweek: Tires & the Turkish Grand Prix; Underwhelming Aston Martin

Lance Stroll Feature

(Photo: Aston Martin Media)

With Formula 1 returning to action this weekend after a rest weekend, there are a number of topics to consider as the teams turn laps in Turkey. The main focus for the weekend will no doubt center on the driver’s championship and the close race between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (246.5 points – 244.5). …

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F1 Review: Sir Lewis Hamilton Extends His Excellence at the Russian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton emerged victorious at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix. (Photo: Steve Etherington / Mercedes)

Lewis Hamilton celebrates at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, Sunday - (credit:Steve Etherington, Mercedes - AMG)

Lewis Hamilton started fourth, got squeezed heading into turn 1, fell back to seventh, and then started his climb through the Russian Grand Prix field.  By lap 2, he had taken sixth but could not make the gains that would be anticipated from his Mercedes in the early stages of the race. Instead, he held …

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Lewis Hamilton Scores 100th Career Win in Wet Russian Grand Prix

Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP, second placed Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing and third placed Carlos Sainz of Spain and Ferrari celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Russia at Sochi Autodrom on September 26, 2021 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Yuri Kochetkov - Pool/Getty Images)

(Photo: Yuri Kochetkov - Pool/Getty Images)

Following his first win in 2007, nobody could’ve ever guessed that, 14 years later, Lewis Hamilton would be not just setting but breaking his own Formula 1 records. After playing a great strategy call in the rain, Hamilton claimed his 100th career Formula 1 victory Sunday in the Russian Grand Prix. Passing Lando Norris after …

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F1 Midweek: Is F1 Sending a Message to Max Verstappen?

MONZA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 11: Second place finisher Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo di Monza on September 11, 2021 in Monza, Italy. Lars Baron/Getty Images

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

While Daniel Ricciardo celebrated by drinking the victory champagne out of his shoe at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend in Monza, Italy, the big story from the race – well, truly, the big story – is that Daniel Ricciardo won a race. A quick aside: Ricciardo’s win should not be cast aside too quickly. …

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F1 Review: Daniel Ricciardo’s Victory at the Italian Grand Prix Ends McLaren Drought

Daniel Ricciardo celebrates on the podium of the 2021 Italian Grand Prix Sept. 12.

(credit: McLaren Media)

For the second straight year, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza (Sept. 12) provided an upset winner.  Last year, Pierre Gasly benefitted from an unusual set of circumstances that placed him in second on a restart after a red flag – a position from which he jumped to the lead and then held on for …

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Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton Crash at Monza; Verstappen Penalized

Max Verstappen climbs over the car of Lewis Hamilton in a 2021 accident at Monza. (Photo: Mercedes/AMG/Formula 1))

Max Verstappen wound up atop Lewis Hamilton in this crash at the Italian Grand Prix, Monza, 2021 (Photo: LAT Images via Mercedes AMG F1)

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza waxed poetic Sunday (Sept. 12) as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, currently first and second in the Formula 1 standings, respectively, have been duking it out in points (and on the track) all year. As they battled hard for position, another climactic crash between the pair occurred, this time …

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F1 Review: Max Verstappen Peerless in F1’s Return to the Dutch Grand Prix

F1 Grand Prix Of The Netherlands

ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - SEPTEMBER 05: Race winner Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of The Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on September 05, 2021 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) // SI202109051288 // Usage for editorial use only //

By the end of the first lap, Max Verstappen had cleared Lewis Hamilton by almost two seconds and from then on, he faced no challenge in claiming the win at the Dutch Grand Prix. Formula 1 returned to Zandvoort, Netherlands for the first time since 1985 on Sunday (Sept. 5) and the scene surrounding Verstappen’s …

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Max Verstappen Wins Dutch Grand Prix, Retakes Championship Points Lead

Max Verstappen

(Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool)

After the rain-soaked farce of the Belgian Grand Prix last week, Formula 1 ventured to the Netherlands for the first time since the 1980s. In an orange-tinted homecoming for polesitter Max Verstappen, the Dutchman delivered his seventh win of the season in front of 70,000 fans Sunday at Zandvoort. The win helped the Red Bull …

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Slipstream Saturday: Max Verstappen Wins Pole for the Dutch Grand Prix

Max Verstappen

(Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool)

Max Verstappen ripped off a perfect lap to earn the pole for the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort on Saturday (Sept 4).  Lewis Hamilton pushed his Mercedes to the edge in an attempt to deny Verstappen’s bid to lead the field at his home GP but came up .038 of a second short.  Valtteri …

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F1 Midweek: The Belgian Grand Prix Debacle & Silly Season’s Answers

Rain cut short the Belgian Grand Prix to just a single lap in a race won by Max Verstappen. (Photo: Getty Images)

Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing RB16B and George Russell (GBR) Williams Racing FW43B behind the Mercedes FIA Safety Car. Belgian Grand Prix, Sunday 29th August 2021. Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

The Belgian Grand Prix last weekend stands as the shortest “race” in Formula 1 history, as well as the most pathetic excuse of an event.  Even a few days after the GP, the sport is dealing with the fallout and recognizing that how it handled things in Belgium was unacceptable. Many drivers voiced their opinions, …

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F1 Review: Max Verstappen Wins the Belgian Grand Prix That Wasn’t

Race winner Max Verstappen poses after the rain-shortened 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. (Photo: Getty Images)

SPA, BELGIUM - AUGUST 29: Race winner Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing, second placed George Russell of Great Britain and Williams and third placed Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on August 29, 2021 in Spa, Belgium. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202108290481 // Usage for editorial use only //

Max Verstappen earned his 16th Formula 1 win at the Belgian Grand Prix after turning just one lap at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on Sunday (Aug. 29).  There may be a prospect for confusion, a reason to question that one lap is the correct distance, but that is how the GP is officially scored. …

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