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George Russell set a dominant pace to end the opening day of practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ‌fastest ahead of runaway championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who completed a one-two at the top of the timesheets for Mercedes. The Briton, who was also quickest in the first session of practice, lapped the 6-km Baku street circuit in one minute, 43.347 seconds during the second hour of running. Italian Antonelli, sidelined by a hydraulics issue in the first session, was a sizeable 0.552 seconds off his teammate’s pace. But the 20-year-old, who leads Russell by 81 points in the ⁠standings after 14 rounds, was heavily compromised on track time, only coming out with less than half an hour of the second session remaining. Four-times champion Max Verstappen, second in the first session, fell back to third at the end of the day, with the Dutchman a whopping 0.827 seconds off Russell’s pace. Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fourth and fifth but over a second of...

French driver Isack Hadjar will make his racing return alongside Max Verstappen for Red Bull at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix ‌having recovered from the wrist injury that sidelined him from the last three races, the team said on Tuesday. New Zealander Liam Lawson, who had stepped in for Hadjar, will return to Racing Bulls. Japanese racer Yuki ⁠Tsunoda, who filled Lawson's seat alongside British rookie Arvid Lindblad, is set to step back into his reserve role. "Having made a successful recovery from his wrist injury, Isack will return to action at the Baku City Circuit on Thursday," Red Bull said in a statement. "The team would like to sincerely thank Liam for his professionalism, dedication and hard ‌work ⁠over the past three races. "Stepping in under challenging circumstances, he delivered some impressive performances and made a valuable contribution to the team." Lawson, who started ⁠last year as Verstappen's Red Bull team mate ...

Formula One will introduce a sprint race in Monaco for the first time next season as the championship unveils a record 10 sprint weekends on an expanded 24-round calendar. The iconic Monte Carlo street circuit, renowned for its narrow and demanding layout, will join the sprint schedule as Formula One continues to increase the number of shortened race formats across the season. The 2027 championship is scheduled to begin at Bahrain’s Sakhir Circuit on March 14, following pre-season testing at the same venue from February 24 to 27. Saudi Arabia will host the second round one week later on March 21, according to Formula One and governing body FIA. Portugal and Turkey have also been added to the calendar, with races scheduled for June 20 and October 3 respectively. Their inclusion comes at the expense of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort and the Barcelona round, both of which have been removed from the schedule.

Formula One championship leader Kimi Antonelli laid down the fastest lap of Friday’s second free practice session at the new Madrid circuit, edging Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in an intriguing opening day at the Spanish Grand Prix venue. The Mercedes driver, who had finished second to teammate George Russell in the opening practice session, responded strongly in FP2 by setting the benchmark time of 1:33.662. Antonelli’s lap put him 0.113 seconds clear of Leclerc, while seven-time world champion Hamilton was a further 0.036 seconds behind his Ferrari teammate, completing the top three. The session was briefly interrupted when Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad became the first Formula One driver to crash at the newly built Madring circuit. The British youngster lost control and brought out the red flags, bringing his session to an early end with 24 minutes still remaining. Despite the incident, Lindblad retained fourth place on the timing sheets, finishing 0...

Kimi Antonelli is increasingly being tipped as a potential Formula One world champion, but the Mercedes driver insists he is determined to block out the growing speculation and concentrate solely on his performances on track. The 20-year-old Italian arrived at the Spanish Grand Prix on Thursday still basking in the glory of a remarkable home victory at Monza last Sunday. Antonelli produced one of the standout drives of the season, charging from 19th on the grid to win the Italian Grand Prix after engine-related penalties had forced him to start near the back. With thousands of passionate Italian fans celebrating his breakthrough triumph, Antonelli described the occasion as the best day of his life — “so far”. The celebrations continued after the race, with the young Mercedes star admitting that eating spaghetti from the winner’s silver trophy was another memorable part of the experience. Antonelli also revealed that his phone had been flooded with messages following his vic...

Robin Räikkönen, the 11-year-old son of former Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen, has taken another major step in his young racing career after being recruited into Red Bull’s driver development programme. Red Bull confirmed on Wednesday that the Finnish youngster, who races under the nickname “Ace,” will become part of its junior programme from 2027, placing him within one of the most successful driver-development systems in Formula One. Robin has already attracted attention with his performances in karting championships and will now receive support and guidance from Red Bull as he continues his progression through the junior racing ranks. The programme has played a key role in developing several future Formula One stars, including four-time world champions Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, raising expectations around Räikkönen’s long-term potential. His father, Kimi Räikkönen, remains one of Finland’s most celebrated motorsport figures. Known around the world a...

Kimi Antonelli arrives in Madrid as Formula One’s man of the moment, but the 20-year-old Mercedes championship leader faces perhaps his most intriguing challenge yet as the Spanish capital prepares to host a Grand Prix at a brand-new circuit. Antonelli heads to the inaugural Madrid race on a wave of momentum after making history at Monza, becoming the first Italian since 1966 to win his home Formula One Grand Prix. His latest triumph has strengthened his position at the top of the championship and raised expectations ahead of another demanding weekend. The Madrid circuit, known as the Madring, will introduce drivers to a completely new challenge, highlighted by its spectacular banked corner, ‘La Monumental.’ With no previous race data available, teams will have to rely heavily on simulator work, preparation and their ability to adapt quickly once practice begins. The event will mark the second Spanish Grand Prix of the season following Barcelona’s Catalunya race and represe...

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed that he had already sensed Kimi Antonelli could produce something special at the Italian Grand Prix, even before the young driver completed his remarkable charge to victory on Sunday. Antonelli started the race from 19th on the grid at Monza but defied the odds to claim a sensational win, further strengthening his grip on the Formula One championship. Wolff said he had expected Mercedes to have a driver on the top step of the podium, particularly after George Russell inherited pole position following the race restart after a red flag. However, he also believed Antonelli possessed the ability to deliver an extraordinary performance despite his difficult starting position. “I thought one of the two (Mercedes drivers) was going to win,” Wolff said when asked what result he had anticipated before the race. “George, because he was on pole (at the restart after the race was red-flagged), or Kimi because he’s going to walk over water.” A...

George Russell has admitted that Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli is firmly in control of the Formula One championship after the Italian produced a remarkable victory at his home Grand Prix on Sunday. Antonelli started the race 19th on the grid but delivered a stunning recovery drive to claim his seventh victory in 13 rounds, strengthening his position at the top of the drivers' standings. The result extended Antonelli's championship advantage over Russell to 66 points, leaving the British driver with a significant deficit to overcome as the season progresses. Russell acknowledged that Antonelli deserves his commanding position but insisted he is not dwelling on the championship gap or contemplating a late-season comeback. “Definitely, Kimi is in control of it, and he deserves to be in control of it,” Russell said. “For me personally, I’m not even thinking about a fight or a comeback or anything. I’m just focused on taking it race by race and trying to maximise ever...

Lewis Hamilton has called for clearer written rules of engagement at Ferrari after an opening-lap battle with teammate Charles Leclerc cost both drivers valuable ground at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday. The Ferrari pair started alongside each other on the second row, but their aggressive fight through the opening lap ended with Hamilton being forced onto the gravel and tumbling from fourth to 10th. Leclerc’s race was even more costly. The Monegasque driver suffered a heavy crash at the end of the second lap, bringing his afternoon at Ferrari’s home race to an early conclusion. Speaking after the race, Leclerc acknowledged that he and Hamilton had pushed their battle too far on the opening lap. Hamilton, meanwhile, said the incident highlighted the need for Ferrari to establish explicit guidelines governing how its drivers are allowed to race one another. The Briton recovered to finish sixth, but the result left him 76 points adrift of Mercedes’ championship leader Kimi A...

Pierre Gasly produced a sensational qualifying performance at Monza on Saturday, upsetting the established favourites to secure the first pole position of his Formula One career with Alpine at the Italian Grand Prix. The Frenchman, who famously won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri, now known as Racing Bulls, delivered when it mattered most, edging Mercedes driver George Russell with his final flying lap. Gasly stopped the clock at 1:21.786, finishing just 0.060 seconds ahead of Russell to secure a remarkable pole on home soil of sorts. The Alpine driver lives in nearby Milan, making the achievement even more significant. The result marks a major breakthrough for both Gasly and Alpine, who have endured a difficult season but found the pace when it counted at one of Formula One's most historic circuits. It is also Alpine's first Formula One pole since the Renault works team was rebranded as Alpine in 2021, underlining the significance of Gasly's stunnin...

Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari fans an early reason to celebrate at Monza on Friday, setting the fastest time as the Scuderia secured a one-two finish in the opening practice session for the Italian Grand Prix. Leclerc posted a best lap of 1:23.008, edging teammate Lewis Hamilton by 0.173 seconds as Ferrari immediately showed strong pace at its home circuit. The result was greeted enthusiastically by the thousands of Ferrari supporters who had filled the historic Monza circuit, with the famous tifosi creating the traditional sea of red around the track. Mercedes' George Russell completed the top three, finishing 0.304 seconds behind Leclerc. Russell is level on points with Hamilton in the championship standings, adding further significance to the opening session. Red Bull's Liam Lawson was fourth fastest, continuing his stint as a replacement for the injured Isack Hadjar, while Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli finished fifth. Championship leader Antonelli faces a difficul...

Liam Lawson faced an unusual preparation challenge ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, having to familiarise himself with two distinctly different Formula One cars while waiting to discover which team he would represent. The uncertainty was finally resolved on Wednesday when Red Bull confirmed that Lawson would remain with the senior team for a second consecutive race. The New Zealander has been drafted in to replace injured French rookie Isack Hadjar, who will miss the Monza round as he continues his recovery. Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, will take Lawson’s place at Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls, continuing his role as the substitute driver for the second successive weekend. Lawson admitted that the uncertainty had forced him to maintain close contact with both sets of engineers since stepping in at last month’s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Asked which engineering group he had primarily been working with, Lawson said he had deliberately kept both options open ...

Isack Hadjar will miss a second consecutive Formula 1 race at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix as he continues his recovery from a wrist injury. Red Bull confirmed on Wednesday that Liam Lawson will once again replace the Frenchman at the senior team for the race at Monza, while Yuki Tsunoda will continue to fill Lawson’s usual seat at Racing Bulls.  Hadjar sustained the injury during the summer break and was forced to sit out last month’s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Although the 21-year-old had been hopeful of returning in Italy, Red Bull decided against taking any risks with his recovery. The team said Hadjar is making encouraging progress but will remain sidelined while his rehabilitation continues. Lawson, meanwhile, gets another opportunity alongside Max Verstappen after making an impressive return to Red Bull action in the Netherlands. The New Zealander qualified eighth and went on to finish seventh at Zandvoort, securing valuable points for the team.  Th...

Kimi Antonelli heads into a landmark home Italian Grand Prix at Monza carrying the weight of history, despite facing the daunting prospect of starting from the back of the grid. The Mercedes youngster, who celebrated his 20th birthday last week, arrives at the iconic “Temple of Speed” as the first Italian in 73 years to lead the Formula One world championship. Antonelli is also chasing the possibility of becoming Italy’s first F1 world champion since Alberto Ascari claimed his second title in 1953. After 12 rounds of the season, Antonelli has established a commanding 59-point advantage over Mercedes teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, putting him firmly in contention for a historic championship triumph on home soil. However, his Monza challenge has been complicated by his back-of-the-grid starting position, leaving him with a major recovery drive if he is to extend his championship lead. Behind him, McLaren’s reigning world champion Lando Norris has closed...

Formula One world champion Lando Norris secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday, edging Mercedes challengers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to put McLaren at the front of the grid for a third consecutive year at Zandvoort. Norris produced a timely qualifying performance as drivers rushed to complete their final flying laps ahead of forecast rain at the seaside circuit. The result marks Norris’ second successive pole position, following his top qualifying spot at the Hungarian Grand Prix before Formula One’s August break. The McLaren driver will now head into Sunday’s race with an excellent opportunity to claim victory, as the statistics strongly favour the pole sitter at Zandvoort. Every Dutch Grand Prix since the race returned to the Formula One calendar in 2021 has been won from pole position, meaning Norris will be looking to extend that remarkable sequence. Russell and Antonelli will start alongside the McLaren on the front rows, setting up an intr...

Williams team principal James Vowles has admitted he was concerned the Formula One team could lose both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz before the drivers committed their futures to the former champions. Vowles made the revelation ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix after Williams announced new contracts for both drivers this week, describing the extensions as “incredibly important” at a time when the team’s fortunes have taken a sharp downturn. Williams finished fifth in last year’s constructors’ championship but have struggled for consistency this season and currently sit ninth in the 11-team standings with just 11 points. Sainz has contributed six points, while Albon has scored five. The futures of both drivers had attracted attention amid Williams’ difficult campaign. Sainz, a four-time Formula One race winner during his time with Ferrari, had been linked with a possible move to Audi before agreeing a multi-year extension with Williams. The Spaniard said on Thursday that he had t...