FORMULA 1 (Page 79)

Andrea Kimi Antonelli revealed Lewis Hamilton paid him an uplifting visit following the Formula 1 rookie’s poor showing in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. Antonelli was outqualified by Mercedes team-mate George Russell for the eighth time in a row on Saturday, again failing to emerge out of Q1 as he tookContinue Reading

As McLaren’s intra-team title rivalry heats up, these are the three key phases that enabled Oscar Piastri to defeat Lando Norris in a closely contested Belgian Grand Prix.Piastri’s Eau Rouge braveryThe main turning point of the race was obviously the rolling start after four laps behind the safety car, withContinue Reading

Heavy rain in the morning triggered flashbacks of 2021 for many in the Spa-Francorchamps paddock. Back then, unrelenting rain in the Ardennes resulted in a “race” of just two laps behind the safety car. Four years on, a repeat of that scenario was avoided – but the race was farContinue Reading

In the 80-minute interregnum between FIA race control red-flagging proceedings in Belgium at the end of the formation lap behind the safety car and the race finally getting under way – albeit under neutralised conditions again – there was plenty of time for commentators and fans alike to tap theirContinue Reading

It’s well known that an often-brutal power struggle has been in raging behind the scenes at Red Bull for the past 18 months. But who was it who finally won out and pulled the plug on Christian Horner?Step forward Oliver Mintzlaff, one of the company’s three CEOs appointed as part ofContinue Reading

Following the Belgian Grand Prix, it’s clear that Max Verstappen will be in the top three of the championship standings during the summer break.After the sprint weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, the Dutchman is on 185 points, while fourth-placed George Russell has 157 points to his name after a poor Mercedes showingContinue Reading

George Russell has revealed he is set to have a “big meeting” this week with Mercedes to try to understand its recent drop in performance in Formula 1.After making an early pass on Williams’ Alex Albon to take fifth place, Russell was unable to close the gap to Max VerstappenContinue Reading

It was just rightFernando Alonso: “We know that safety is priority, we even spoke about that on Friday, at the previous briefing. And I think at the beginning it was not raceable conditions with visibility, so I think the race started at the right time, to be honest.”Gabriel Bortoleto: “SafetyContinue Reading

Heavy rain was forecast for the Sunday of the Belgian Grand Prix, tempting several Formula 1 teams to adopt higher downforce settings – even if that meant breaking parc ferme rules and starting from the pitlane. For the majority this came at a cost, but not to Lewis Hamilton asContinue Reading