List of All Articles with Tag 'f1'

Max Verstappen has become just the fifth driver in Formula 1 history to clinch the world title on a Saturday – and the first in 40 years. The Dutchman, who has won every grand prix bar three this season, sealed his third straight world title after Sergio Perez crashed in the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday, leaving his team-mate nable to catch him with six races and two sprints to go. Verstappen has been unstoppable throughout 2023 and, despite his dislike of the sprint race format, secured his 2023 crown in the 100km dash around the Lusail International Circuit on Saturday night. It marks the end of a streak dating back to 1983 of drivers clinching the world title on a Sunday, the traditional day of a grand prix race. The last title-clincher on a Saturday was Nelson Piquet in 1983, who won the championship at the season finale in South Africa – with the grand prix held at Kyalami on a Saturday. The two previous winners – Piquet in 1981 and Keke Rosberg in 1982 – also claimed the title on a Saturday, with both seasons concluding at the Caesars Palace Grand Prix in Las Vegas, held on a Saturday. Prior to that, British driver Graham Hill secured the 1962 world title at the South African Grand Prix in East London, again on a Saturday. And 1959 champion Jack Brabham sealed his moment of victory on a Saturday too, at the United States Grand Prix, then held in Sebring, Florida. Saturday night racing, as well as the six sprint races this season, is making a return for a full grand prix next month as Las Vegas hosts the highly-anticipated street race on the famous strip at 10pm local time on Saturday 18 November. The 2024 season will also start with two Saturday night races – in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia – due to Ramadan. Sunday is considered a “feast day” during the Islamic festival, which sees the world’s almost two-billion Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset during the other six days of the week. Read More Piastri takes first F1 pole for Qatar sprint as Verstappen starts third F1 Qatar Grand Prix LIVE: Sprint race updates and results at Lusail Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and gives furious seven-word interview in Qatar

Max Verstappen has won the 2023 F1 world championship after Sergio Perez crashed in the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday night. Red Bull driver Verstappen, 26, has won an astonishing 13 out of 16 races this season as well as two of the four sprint races, which includes a memorable 12-race (including sprints) win streak from Miami in May to Italy in September. Needing to only finish in the top-six to seal the title in the shortened 100km dash at the Lusail International Circuit on Saturday night, Verstappen now cannot be caught by second-placed team-mate Sergio Perez with six races and two sprints to go, after Perez crashed in the sprint. After sealing the long-awaited title, the Dutchman becomes just the fifth man in the sport’s 73-year history to win three championships on the spin. He also becomes the first driver in 40 years to win the championship on a Saturday. Since winning the opening race in Bahrain, Verstappen has been borderline unstoppable. While Perez triumphed in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan – either side of Verstappen winning in Australia – the Dutchman displayed a statement of intent by winning from ninth on the grid in Miami in May. From that moment on, the 26-year-old was unstoppable, storming to a startling 10 victories on the spin, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive victories from 2013. Highlights include a terrific pole-snatching qualifying session in Monaco, denying Fernando Alonso, as well as impressive drives to first in Montreal, Austria and Budapest. He also tasted victory at July’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone – a race he had not previously won. And while his win streak ended surprisingly with a weekend to forget in Singapore last month, Verstappen soon returned to form a week later with a simple lights-to-flag win in Japan. Now, Verstappen will be eyeing four titles on the spin and the omens look good: out of the four drivers (Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton) to have won three in a row, all have gone on to make it four on the spin. This year, too, he can break his own record for most wins in a single season, set last year at 15. He is currently on 13 ahead of Sunday’s grand prix in Qatar and the five races that follow. Read More What time does F1 start tomorrow and how can I watch? F1 Qatar Grand Prix LIVE: Sprint shootout updates and results as Oscar Piastri claims pole Piastri takes first F1 pole for Qatar sprint as Verstappen starts third F1 Qatar Grand Prix LIVE: Sprint race updates and results at Lusail Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and gives furious seven-word interview in Qatar

Max Verstappen only needs to finish in the top six in the Saturday sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix to secure the 2023 F1 drivers’ title. The Red Bull driver has dominated this season, winning 13 of the 16 races as well as two of the three sprints. PREVIEW: How Qatar plans to make F1 grand prix their ‘new World Cup’ He most recently won in Japan, having previously failed to finish on the podium for the first time in 2023 after a mysterious drop in performance in Singapore. Nonetheless, Verstappen’s current total of 400 points puts him 177 points clear of team-mate Sergio Perez with 180 points left on the table. Here’s how Verstappen can secure title No 3 in Qatar: How can Max Verstappen win 2023 F1 world championship? It’s quite simple – Verstappen only needs three more points between now and the end of the season in Abu Dhabi. Recent history suggests that will come in the next race, which is the Saturday sprint race (100km dash) around the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. As a result, Verstappen only needs to finish sixth or higher – regardless of where Perez finishes – to secure his third-straight world title. Though an unlikely set of circumstances, a seventh-place finish would be enough if Perez comes second, while eighth would also secure the title if Perez finishes third. Verstappen could secure the world title without scoring in the points, too. If Perez finishes fourth or lower in the sprint race, Verstappen will be the champion regardless of where he finishes. If Perez wins the sprint and Verstappen fails to score a point (top eight-finish), then Verstappen would still be crowned champion if he finishes eighth or higher during Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix. Verstappen will leave Qatar as the champion if he has a points advantage of 146 points or more. What are the timings for the Qatar Grand Prix? The next race weekend of the 2023 season, the Qatar Grand Prix, takes place from Friday 6 October – Sunday 8 October as F1 returns to Lusail for the first time since the inaugural race in 2021. The schedule is as follows: first practice takes place at 2:30pm (BST) on Friday before qualifying for Sunday’s grand prix at 6pm. On Saturday, the sprint shootout which determines the grid for the sprint race takes place at 2pm before the sprint race itself at 6:30pm (BST). The 2023 Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday starts at 6pm (BST). Read More Adrian Newey reveals ‘emotional’ Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton regret Christian Horner admits ‘keeping an eye’ on Lando Norris amid Red Bull link Christian Horner reveals Max Verstappen ambition ahead of Japan victory Piastri takes first F1 pole for Qatar sprint as Verstappen starts third What is a sprint race in F1 and how does new qualifying shootout work? F1 Qatar Grand Prix LIVE: Sprint race updates and times at Lusail

Max Verstappen will begin his quest to win the world championship from third for Saturday’s sprint race in Qatar as Oscar Piastri took a surprise pole position. Piastri saw off team-mate Lando Norris as McLaren secured a front-row lockout. Lewis Hamilton was knocked out of Q2 and qualified only 12th in his Mercedes for the 19-lap dash, which gets under way at 8:30pm local time (6:30pm BST). Verstappen will wrap up his third consecutive title if he finishes sixth or better, or if Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez fails to finish inside the top three in the sprint at the Lusail International Circuit. Perez qualified only eighth on yet another scruffy outing for the struggling Mexican. A day after taking top spot for the start of Sunday’s 57-lap main event, Verstappen, who has dominated all year, saw his first lap in Q3 deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 5. And the 26-year-old Dutchman was unable to do enough on his final run to usurp Piastri, finishing two tenths behind the rookie Australian. Norris was in the running for first place but he ran wide at the last corner and failed to improve on his earlier effort. George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes – four tenths behind Piastri – and ahead of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who took fifth and sixth respectively for Ferrari. Sprint qualifying at a windswept Lusail – 18 miles north of Doha – was delayed amid fears over the safety of the tyres. The running had been due to start at 4pm local time (2pm BST), but was delayed by 20 minutes following revisions to the track limits. The drivers took part in an additional 10 minutes of practice to familiarise themselves with the changes made to the track at turns 12 and 13 prior to qualifying. Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, said “a separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords” were discovered on the Pirelli tyres following yesterday’s one-hour running. The federation believe the problem is likely to have been caused by a number of the high kerbs used at the circuit. An emergency summit was staged in the build-up to qualifying with the drivers assured they would not be put in harm’s way. Additional analysis will take place following today’s sprint race and further action – which will include three mandatory tyre stops – may be taken for Sunday’s grand prix. Lance Stroll shoved his British performance coach and stormed out of a television interview after he was eliminated from Q1 in Friday’s running. And the under-pressure Canadian fell at the first hurdle again on Saturday, one place better off in 16th. Stroll’s Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso, who also saw his best effort in qualifying chalked off for exceeding track limits, lines up in ninth. Read More Angry Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and storms out of interview Max Verstappen fastest in Qatar practice as he closes in on world championship Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Piastri takes first F1 pole for Qatar sprint as Verstappen starts third F1 Qatar Grand Prix LIVE: Sprint race updates and times at Lusail

Qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix has been pushed back amid fears over the safety of the tyres. The running had been due to start at 4pm local time (2pm BST), but it will be delayed by 20 minutes following revised track limits at the Lusail International Circuit. The drivers will instead take part in an additional 10 minutes of practice at 4pm to familiarise themselves with the changes made to the track at Turns 12 and 13 prior to qualifying. Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, said “a separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords” were discovered on the Pirelli tyres following yesterday’s one-hour running. The FIA said the problem is likely to have been caused by a number of the high kerbs used at the circuit. Additional analysis will take place following today’s 19-lap race, and further action – which will include three mandatory tyre stops – may be taken for Sunday’s grand prix which runs for 57 laps. Max Verstappen will be crowned champion of the world for a third time if he finishes sixth or Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez fails to finish outside the top three in Saturday’s sprint. Read More What is a sprint race in F1 and how does new qualifying shootout work? F1 Qatar Grand Prix LIVE: Sprint race updates and times at Lusail Max Verstappen takes pole in Qatar as he closes in on third world title

Max Verstappen took pole position for Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix as the indomitable Dutchman closes in on his third world title. Verstappen will be crowned champion of the world if he finishes at least sixth in Saturday’s 19-lap race at the Lusail International Circuit. And the Red Bull driver started his quest to become just the 11th driver in history to win the title on more than two occasions in typically irresistible fashion by clocking the fastest time in qualifying. In terms of the championship mathematics, Verstappen’s pole lap for Sunday’s main event will be redundant if he secures three points in Saturday’s sprint – the starting order for which will be determined by a second qualifying session here on Saturday afternoon – or Sergio Perez fails finish inside the top three. The probability of both are high. As Verstappen raced to top spot, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton securing second and third on the grid for Mercedes, Perez failed to make it out of Q2. Follow live updates from the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent Read More How Qatar plans to make F1 grand prix their ‘new World Cup’ F1: How can Max Verstappen win 2023 world championship in Qatar? Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher

A furious Lance Stroll shoved his British personal trainer and then stormed out of a television interview following his dismal qualifying session for the Qatar Grand Prix. After he failed to make it out of Q1 – finishing more than a second behind Fernando Alonso in the other Aston Martin – Stroll took aim at his performance coach, Henry Howe. Stroll ignored Howe’s request to exit the front of the garage. Howe attempted to restrain Stroll only for the Canadian to angrily push him out of the way. Stroll, 24, then faced the media and provided six words to three questions about his performance which leaves him 17th on the grid. Asked to describe his emotions, Stroll replied: “S***.” Quizzed on what is not clicking for him behind the wheel Stroll added: “I don’t know.” And when he was challenged as to how he would handle the remainder of the weekend, Stroll simply said: “Keep driving,” before he walked off. Stroll, the son of Aston Martin’s fashion billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll, has been blown away by team-mate Alonso this season. Alonso, who qualified fourth for Sunday’s race here, has scored 174 points to Stroll’s 47. He has claimed all of Aston Martin’s seven podiums this year while Stroll has managed only three points from his last seven appearances. Read More Max Verstappen fastest in Qatar practice as he closes in on world championship Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher

Lance Stroll pushed his personal trainer in the Aston Martin garage and was visibly furious in his interview following qualifying at the Qatar Grand Prix on Friday. The Canadian had just been knocked out in Q1 of qualifying and will start Sunday’s grand prix in 17th place. But as he emerged from his car in the garage, the 24-year-old walked to the back of the garage before seeming to shove his personal trainer in front of the cameras. His anger was clear to see and was still visible in his interview afterwards. Asked about his emotions right now, Stroll replied: “Yeah s***!” Then questioned on what’s not gone right, he said “I don’t know” before ending the interview with “keep driving” when asked about the rest of his weekend. Sky F1 pundit Naomi Schiff described Stroll’s conduct as “completely inappropriate” Max Verstappen qualified on pole, with George Russell alongside him on the front row and Lewis Hamilton in third. Stroll’s team-mate, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, qualified fourth on the grid. Read More F1 Qatar Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying updates and results at Lusail How Qatar plans to make F1 grand prix their ‘new World Cup’ How can Max Verstappen win 2023 F1 world championship in Qatar?

By Alan Baldwin DOHA Max Verstappen lapped fastest on Friday in the only practice session for a Qatar

Max Verstappen is on the verge of securing his third straight world championship as Formula 1 returns to the Middle East for the Qatar Grand Prix. The Dutchman only needs three more points to clinch the 2023 title, meaning he only needs to finish sixth or higher during the Saturday sprint race in order to seal his crown. Verstappen was back to his usual ruthless best last time out in Japan, after his first podium-less race of the season a week earlier in Singapore. How Qatar plans to make F1 grand prix their ‘new World Cup’ Sergio Perez endured a weekend to forget in Suzuka, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured a memorable double podium for McLaren. Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and is now just 33 points off Perez in the championship standings. Norris, meanwhile, has drawn level with George Russell in seventh place in the standings with six races and three sprints to go in 2023. F1 raced in Qatar for the first time towards the end of the memorable 2021 season, when Hamilton came home in first place at the Lusail International Circuit. A race did not take place in 2022 as Qatar was focusing on hosting the FIFA World Cup. F1 has signed a 10-year deal from 2023 to host a race in Qatar every year. Follow live updates from the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent Read More How Qatar plans to make F1 grand prix their ‘new World Cup’ F1: How can Max Verstappen win 2023 world championship in Qatar? Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher

By Alan Baldwin DOHA Sergio Perez's hopes of winning this year's Formula One title are long gone, even

Fernando Alonso has hailed Max Verstappen as Formula One’s best driver since Michael Schumacher – with the Dutchman on the brink of clinching his third world crown. The 26-year-old needs to score only three points in Saturday’s sprint race in Qatar to complete a hat-trick of world titles. Lewis Hamilton has won a record 103 races and stands on seven world titles with Schumacher. But Alonso, 42, omitted the British driver when asked if Verstappen must now be ranked alongside the sport’s modern-day greats. “I’ve only been wheel-to-wheel with Michael, but with Michael maybe, yes,” said the double world champion. “And for the next few years he will keep adding championships so we will compare him with Michael even closer in the future.” Following a Red Bull blip in Singapore, Verstappen returned to his all-conquering best at the last round in Japan to take his 13th win from the 16 rounds staged so far. Since Verstappen claimed his maiden title, at Hamilton’s expense, at the controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi race in 2021, Verstappen has won 28 of the 38 races staged – including a record run of 10 straight victories earlier this year. Hamilton, third in the championship in his Mercedes and 210 points adrift of Verstappen, said: “I wouldn’t rank him because ranking people is an opinion-based thing. “But he has earned his position, and he has done an amazing job with the package he has. Him and the team have been phenomenal and faultless this year. “They have raised the bar and as a team we have to look at that, and look at the areas where we can be better and match that and compete. “I do hope at some stage we can fight them and have them defending, but they should enjoy the moment because they have worked for it.” Verstappen will be the first driver to clinch the championship in a sprint race if he finishes sixth or higher in Saturday’s 19-lap dash at the Lusail International Circuit. He will become the 11th driver to have won more than two world titles, emulating the likes of Sir Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna with three. His dominance has been compared to Schumacher’s stranglehold on the sport at the turn of the century. Verstappen said: “Michael’s achievements were incredible, but when he was achieving these kind of things it was seen as normal because it was an amazing driver with an amazing team and everything came together. Maybe people got bored of it? But it was incredible to have achieved those kind of things. “I don’t think about reaching seven. We will see year-by-year what happens, but I am very proud. I live in the moment and I want to achieve more. “I know when I stop racing I will be able to look back and I will be able to appreciate it more but it wasn’t something I ever thought was achievable when I was a little kid.” Read More Max Verstappen pips Oscar Piastri to pole after tense qualifying for Japanese GP Lando Norris narrows gap on Max Verstappen at final practice in Japan Max Verstappen returns to form in Japanese Grand Prix practice Aston Martin boss reacts to Andretti’s bid to become 11th F1 team How can Max Verstappen win 2023 F1 world championship in Qatar? British F2 star to make F1 debut with Haas