Race Weekend Central

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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Max Verstappen Rallies to Finish 2nd at Sochi

Second placed Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Russia at Sochi Autodrom on September 26, 2021 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

(Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Without looking at the starting grid, it can be easy to look at the results of the Russian Grand Prix as a disaster for Max Verstappen. The Dutchman finished second and lost the points lead to race winner Lewis Hamilton. In reality, however, Verstappen’s second was an absolutely astonishing result, as the 23-year-old driver had …

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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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Max Verstappen Changes Engines, Drops to the Rear for Russian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen Monaco Sam Bagnall/Getty

(Photo: Sam Bagnall/Getty Images via Red Bull Racing)

Max Verstappen will drop to the rear before the start of the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi due to an engine change and several other changes, Formula 1 announced Sept. 24. Red Bull Racing switched out the Honda internal combustion engine, put in a new turbo, MGU-H, MGU-K, energy store, control electronics and exhaust. As …

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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 Slipstream Saturday: Valtteri Bottas Wins Sprint From 1st, Max Verstappen to Inherit Pole at Monza

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing RB16B Honda during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo di Monza on September 11, 2021 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

(Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool)

After announcing earlier this week that he will depart from Mercedes at the end of the year, Valtteri Bottas looked like he had a weight off his shoulders, zipping around Monza to claim first place in qualifying and then leading every lap of the sprint race to collect an extra three points for his championship. …

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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 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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