List of All Articles with Tag 'f1'

The 2023 Formula 1 season is heading into its final stretch of races and Red Bull have dominated throughout much like they did in the back end of 2022. This year sees 23 races held in a record-breaking calendar, as Max Verstappen is on the verge of three in a row following back-to-back World Championship triumphs. Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team have found further improvements so far this year following a disappointing 2022 season. Meanwhile Ferrari are struggling to match their strong start to 2022. There are new faces on the grid too - such as Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant - and all 20 drivers will be itching to get back on track after a three-month break with the official pre-season test in Bahrain before the first race of the season a week later. This year’s biggest shake-up so far came mid-season when AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries was dropped almost immediately after Silverstone as he failed to impress the higher-ups at Red Bull. He has been replaced by returning favourite Daniel Ricciardo. Here is everything you need to know. What is the 2023 F1 calendar? ROUND 1 —BAHRAIN Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir - 3-5 March ROUND 2 - SAUDI ARABIA Jeddah Corniche Circuit - 17-19 March ROUND 3 - AUSTRALIA Albert Park, Melbourne - 31 March-2 April ROUND 4 - AZERBAIJAN (sprint weekend) Baku City Circuit - 28-30 April ROUND 5 - MIAMI Miami International Autodrome, Hard Rock Stadium - 5-7 May ROUND 6 - EMILIA ROMAGNA CANCELLED Imola Circuit - 19-21 May ROUND 7 - MONACO Circuit de Monaco - 26-28 May ROUND 8 - SPAIN Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya - 2-4 June ROUND 9 - CANADA Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal - 16-18 June ROUND 10 - AUSTRIA (sprint weekend) Red Bull Ring, Spielberg - 30 June-2 July ROUND 11 - GREAT BRITAIN Silverstone Circuit - 7-9 July ROUND 12 - HUNGARY Hungaroring, Budapest - 21-23 July ROUND 13 - BELGIUM (sprint weekend) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - 28-30 July ROUND 14 - NETHERLANDS Circuit Zandvoort - 25-27 August ROUND 15 - ITALY Monza Circuit - 1-3 September ROUND 16 - SINGAPORE Marina Bay Street Circuit - 15-17 September ROUND 17 - JAPAN Suzuka International Racing Course - 22-24 September ROUND 18 - QATAR (sprint weekend) Lusail International Circuit, Lusail - 6-8 October ROUND 19 - UNITED STATES (sprint weekend) Circuit of the Americas, Austin - 20-22 October ROUND 20 - MEXICO Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 27-29 October ROUND 21 - BRAZIL (sprint weekend) Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo - 3-5 November ROUND 22 - LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Street Circuit - 16-18 November ROUND 23 - ABU DHABI Yas Marina Circuit - 24-26 November When and where does the 2023 F1 season start? The first race of the season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, takes place from Friday 3 March - Sunday 5 March at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Qualifying on Saturday 4 March starts at 3pm (GMT) with the race on Sunday also at 3pm (GMT). When is pre-season testing? Pre-season testing takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit the week before the first race, from Thursday 23 February - Saturday 25 February. Running will take place between 7am and 4:30pm (GMT) on each of the three days. There will be an hour’s break midway through each session for lunch. Each driver will have one-and-a-half days worth of time in the car. How can I watch it online and on TV? The Bahrain Grand Prix, as well as pre-season testing, will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky Sports subscribers can watch pre-season testing on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. What has been said? Max Verstappen has challenged Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes to raise their game and provide him with the championship battle that Formula One needs. Verstappen ran away with last season’s title, winning 15 of the 22 races, to secure his second championship with four rounds to spare. In contrast, Hamilton, in his under-performing Mercedes, endured the worst year of his career as he failed to win a race and finished 214 points adrift. But when addressing the prospect of renewing his rivalry with Hamilton at Red Bull’s season launch in New York, Verstappen, 25, said: “In the interest of the sport you always want the teams to be super-close. “I do think it was close last year, but as a team we executed a lot of things better than the others and that was why the points gap was so big. I never felt, apart from two or three races, that we absolutely dominated. But for the general interest of Formula One, everyone wants a title battle with multiple teams involved.” What are the driver line-ups for 2023? RED BULL Max Verstappen Sergio Perez FERRARI Charles Leclerc Carlos Sainz MERCEDES Lewis Hamilton George Russell ALPINE Esteban Ocon Pierre Gasly McLAREN Lando Norris Oscar Piastri ALFA ROMEO Valtteri Bottas Zhou Guanyu ASTON MARTIN Fernando Alonso Lance Stroll HAAS Kevin Magnussen Nico Hulkenberg ALPHATAURI Yuki Tsunoda Daniel Ricciardo/Liam Lawson WILLIAMS Alex Albon Logan Sargeant *italics represents new addition to the grid/change of team Read More F1 given new deadline by Felipe Massa’s lawyers – who label Lewis Hamilton title a ‘sham’ Red Bull chief apologises to Sergio Perez over ‘offensive remark’ The rise of Oscar Piastri: A genuine rival for Lando Norris at last Poignant Netflix film captures the many facets of legendary Schumacher What happened to Michael Schumacher and what’s latest health update? Schumacher’s F1 career highlights as Netflix documentary is released

Britain’s Jessica Hawkins became the first female in almost five years to drive a modern Formula One car during a recent test in Budapest. The Aston Martin ambassador completed 26 laps in the Silverstone team’s 2021 machinery at the Hungaroring last Thursday. Hawkins, who recorded a best finish of second in 19 appearances in the W Series - the now-defunct all-female category - said: “I want to say a big thank you to everyone at AMF1 Team for having the trust in me, believing in me, and for giving me this opportunity. “It’s taken me every bit of blood, sweat and tears to get here. When I first heard it might be a possibility, I could hardly believe it. “I’ve had to keep it secret for months now - which was pretty hard. It’s been absolutely worth it and it’s given me really valuable insight.” Hawkins’ F1 appearance is the first meaningful one by a female driver since Colombian Tatiana Calderon took part in a number of tests for Alfa Romeo in 2018. It has been 47 years since a female - the Italian Lella Lombardi - took part in an F1 race, and eight years since Susie Wolff, who is married to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, competed in a Grand Prix practice session. The F1 Academy, a women-only feeder series, was launched by the grid’s bosses this year. Hawkins, 28, added: “Nothing will compare to the acceleration and braking of a Formula One car and, having looked at the data, I’m really proud of my performance. “I’ll keep pushing for more and, in the process, I want to inspire other women and let them know they should follow their dream no matter what it is.” Read More The rise of Oscar Piastri: A genuine rival for Lando Norris at last

A man working on construction for this November’s Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix has tragically died after suffering a “major laceration to the neck.” The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department were called to the Bellagio Fountains area on Saturday morning – at around 11:30am – after a worker was injured. The man, whose age has not been released, was transported to a local hospital but was later pronounced dead, as reported by ABC News. A spokesperson for the police confirmed the worker was involved in construction for the Las Vegas race circuit. The grand prix weekend is being held on the iconic Strip on 16-18 November. Further details are yet to be made public. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the incident, police said. The Independent has contacted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Formula 1 for further comment. Preparation for the Las Vegas race has seen numerous roads closed while construction takes place, with the project as a whole costing an estimated $560m. The 3.8-mile track passes a host of famous Sin City landmarks, including the Bellagio, Caesars Palace and the new MGM Sphere. F1 is returning to Vegas for the first time since 1982, when the Caesars Palace Grand Prix was held in the car park of the famous hotel. The race takes place at 10pm local time (6am GMT) on Saturday 18 November. Read More The rise of Oscar Piastri: A genuine rival for Lando Norris at last ‘Shocker of a race’: Christian Horner pulls apart Sergio Perez’s display in Japan Christian Horner reveals Max Verstappen ambition ahead of Japan victory

Much like most of the scenarios thrown up on his journey to the top echelons of motorsport, Oscar Piastri takes everything consummately in his stride. Strikingly level-headed and rational – notwithstanding an unflappable self-belief in his ability behind the wheel – a week which started with the 22-year-old signing a new contract with McLaren until the end of 2026 ended with his first podium in Formula 1 at Suzuka. It was quite a few days for the rookie Australian, whose meteoric rise through the ranks shows no signs of subsiding. What’s more, it was a weekend that fully justified Piastri’s bold a year ago, when the soap opera of his first forays into Formula 1 dominated the paddock. It was a storyline of dreams for Netflix’s Drive to Survive producers when Piastri, a test driver at Alpine, rebuked the Enstone-based team who’d announced his 2023 drive as a replacement for Fernando Alonso. We would later learn that the 2021 F2 champion had already penned a deal to join McLaren, with Zak Brown and the papaya targeting fresh blood following Daniel Ricciardo’s season of underachievement. It was a line of attack which carried much risk. Alpine beat McLaren to fourth in the constructors’ championship last year and many onlookers saw the switch as unwise from a competitive viewpoint. More pointedly, though, the impact it would have on Piastri’s moral standing in the sport was something emphasised by then Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer. The Renault-works outfit had invested millions of pounds into Piastri’s development, with countless test opportunities and financial backing through the junior series. But Piastri, managed by nine-time race winner and fellow Australian Mark Webber, was undeterred. He was set to be overlooked by Alpine for 2023 before Alonso’s surprise switch to Aston Martin and, feeling undervalued, he went on the search for other options fully aware he could ill-afford another season on the sidelines after not racing in 2022. A loan to Williams was on the table but McLaren, an eight-time constructors’ champion and giant of the sport despite their recent struggles, was his preference. The start was not smooth, though. McLaren acknowledged at the start of the year that they had not met their off-season development targets and the mood at the car launch at their impressive Woking HQ in February was decidedly pessimistic. Piastri’s F1 debut, in Bahrain, ended in retirement. But those early shortcomings were no fault of Piastri, despite a year on the sidelines. It is one of the more questionable rules of Formula 2 that the winner then cannot race in the series the next year, often leaving the champion in the wilderness. Brazilian racer Felipe Drugovich, last year’s champion, has acted as a reserve this year for Aston Martin and is struggling to find an F1 seat next year, though Williams has recently been mooted. This year’s F2 leader, Theo Pouchaire, is a test driver with Alfa Romeo but now looks set for a year without racing in 2024. It would make sense, it seems, to offer an exception should the champion not land a seat at the top table. Nonetheless, after scoring his first points following his home race at Albert Park, Piastri had to wait until Austria in July for a raft of game-changing upgrades which handed him and Lando Norris a shot at regular top-10 finishes. He has since scored in five of the last seven races, as well as a second-place finish in the sprint race in Belgium. Enough for McLaren to swiftly extend his deal. “It’s always nice to have a sense of security,” said Piastri. “It made sense from my point of view and from a team point of view. That longevity and continuation together – [it’s] nice confidence for us all.” It continues the Melbourne local’s meteoric ascent. He landed a junior role at Alpine, formerly Renault, by winning the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019. A year later, he won Formula 3 before his F2 victory in 2021. A decision at 15 years of age to relocate to the UK for his racing was reaping the rewards. Now, after a first podium following a front-row start at Suzuka, Piastri has emerged as genuine competition for Norris – long labelled the team’s No 1. “I think it exceeded most people’s expectations from what he’s been able to achieve already this season,” Norris said on Thursday, after Piastri penned his extension. “He’s pushed me a lot – it’s not a nice thing, it’s not what I want – but he’s done a very good job so congrats to him for [continuing for] another few years.” As the Brit hinted, the intra-team jousting is not something he has been used to in recent years. Crucially at this point, the pair get on well – both young, affable and with bundles of potential. But Piastri has emerged as a genuine rival to Norris at McLaren. The Brit’s regular links to the second seat at Red Bull, despite a contract at McLaren until the end of 2025, are likely to have accelerated Brown’s willingness to pin down Piastri. But should Norris stay, it is undoubtedly a driver pairing capable of race victories in the future, should they be given the tools to do so. In contrast to the start of 2023, it is now a time of much optimism for McLaren. The team signed ex-Red Bull chief Rob Marshall as their technical director in May. David Sanchez will join the engineering department in the new year from Ferrari. Andrea Stella, who replaced Andreas Seidl as team principal last year, works well in tandem with Brown. At this rate, they’re likely to haul in Aston Martin for fourth in the constructors’ championship too, with Alpine long left behind in sixth. “What!! So we are doing this for another 3 years???” comically tweeted Piastri’s mum, Nicole, after the new contract was announced last week. That looks set to be a minimum. Should Piastri’s progress continue at the current trajectory, the Australian will be in Formula 1 for a while longer yet. Read More Lando Norris claims McLaren on ‘an upward trend’ after double podium ‘Shocker of a race’: Christian Horner pulls apart Sergio Perez’s display in Japan Lewis Hamilton frustrated by Mercedes strategy in Japanese Grand Prix ‘Shocker of a race’: Christian Horner pulls apart Sergio Perez’s display in Japan Christian Horner reveals Max Verstappen ambition ahead of Japan victory F1 Japanese Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and results at Suzuka

Christian Horner knew Max Verstappen was ready to return to winning ways from his aggression in a game of padel tennis as the Dutchman moved to the brink of a third world title with victory at the Japanese Grand Prix. Verstappen was imperious around the high-speed corner circuit at Suzuka, beating McLaren’s Lando Norris by over 19 seconds as Red Bull sealed the constructors’ championship with a record six races to spare. The 25-year-old’s record 10-race winning run and Red Bull’s unbeaten season was ended in Singapore a week ago, but he hit back in style. Verstappen is now within touching distance of a hat-trick of world titles, extending his lead over team-mate Sergio Perez to 177 points, and could even win it in the Saturday Qatar sprint race in two weeks’ time. “I played padel tennis with Max on Wednesday and he was properly fired up and made it clear ‘I want to win the race by 20 seconds’ and in fairness he came within 0.7 of a second of achieving that,” team principal Horner said. “You could tell from the very first lap in practice one that he was totally focused on this event. “It is a circuit that he loves and enjoys. It was an outstanding performance. His laps in qualifying yesterday, particularly that final lap has to be up there with one of the best laps of all-time in qualifying. “Max is absolutely at the top of his game, he is the best driver in F1 at this point in time. “He’s just got this inner hunger, determination and huge ability. He doesn’t get distracted by the trappings of F1. He is an out-and-out racer. If he is not racing in the real world he is racing in the virtual world. “He’s a winner and he loves winning. You’ve seen that competitive spirit at its utmost this weekend.” Red Bull are the first team in Formula One history to win the team championship with six races to spare as Verstappen’s victory moved the Milton Keynes-based team 318 points clear of second-placed Mercedes in the standings. It is Red Bull’s sixth constructors’ title since their debut season in F1 in 2005. They clinched it at the track owned by their engine supplier Honda, with Horner paying tribute to the entire team. “To achieve this sixth constructors’ championship is beyond our wildest dreams. Coming into the season I don’t think we could have ever dreamt of having a year like this,” Horner added. “Last year was a very strong year for us but to have kept that momentum rolling through the year that we have had is testimony to all the men and women in the team that have worked tirelessly. “To repeat a season like this, to do better than we are doing is impossible. We are riding a wave and we want to ride that wave as long as we can. “It is very fitting that we have won the championship here on the 75th anniversary of Honda at their circuit at Suzuka.” While Verstappen coasted to the win, it was a tough day for Perez, who broke two front wings and was handed two penalties before retiring on lap 15. He then came back into the race briefly on lap 40 before retiring again, with the team keen for him to serve his outstanding penalty rather than suffer in Qatar. “It was just a disastrous weekend,” Perez said. McLaren showed further signs of their progress by comfortably beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to seal second and third – with Oscar Piastri picking up his first F1 podium. “Another amazing day for us. A P2 and P3, so we couldn’t have asked for anymore,” Norris said. “We are pushing, we are getting there. The progress we’ve made is pretty outstanding.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 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

Lewis Hamilton criticised Mercedes’ tactics and suggested he and George Russell needed to “work as a team” after on-track battles throughout the Japanese Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion finished fifth at Suzuka, two places ahead of Russell in a race where the pair scrapped repeatedly and aired frustration over the team radio. After an early coming together where Russell surged past Hamilton before swiftly losing the place again, the 38-year-old pushed his team-mate off track in a second scrap and they then disagreed over how to defend their places against Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Russell was struggling on his tyres having attempted a one-stop strategy, while others around him deployed a two-stop, and Hamilton urged his team to let him through. The 25-year-old resisted on the radio before being told “this is an instruction, George” and allowing Hamilton to pass. Hamilton was then told to stay within DRS range to help his team-mate defend against Sainz, as the Spaniard had done to thwart Russell a week ago in Singapore. “We should have swapped around earlier and I should have got as far ahead as possible to get the gap as big as we could to the Ferrari,” Hamilton said. “Because he (Russell) was trying to fight me he was damaging his tyres and I think it just made it all complicated. “The fact is we are not fighting each other in the team championship. As drivers it is not important where we are. “What is important is that one of us finishes ahead of the Ferrari and to keep the position. Today we really needed to work as a team.” We are not fighting each other in the team championship. As drivers it is not important where we are Lewis Hamilton Hamilton also disagreed with the team’s DRS strategy. “I don’t think that was a good idea at all,” he said. “When they suggested it to me I knew that they obviously thought of it from the last race but it made no sense. “I needed to get as far clear as possible. I was on my way, around two seconds ahead and they asked me to give George DRS and I had to come off the gas down the straight. “Then he got overtaken by Sainz. He then got past George and he was right on my tail which was not ideal.” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was absent for this race due to knee surgery, with his role divided among numerous other staff while the Austrian was on the intercom. The team’s lead to Ferrari was cut in the battle for second in the constructors’ championship – which Red Bull clinched at Suzuka with a record six races remaining. Max Verstappen stormed to victory, with McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on the podium ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Russell, who lost sixth to Sainz at the death, said he had no hard feelings over the battle with Hamilton. “The main goal is to finish P2 in the constructors’ championship,” Russell said. “The drivers’ championship is out of the window for me totally. Lewis is in a good place to fight for a good position. “The goal is to finish ahead of Ferrari this season and keep on working for next year. No issues on my side. “I viewed it as good, hard racing. Of course we lost a bit of overall time fighting each other. You are a bit frustrated on the radio but that is just part of racing. “We are not even going to discuss it, there is nothing to discuss. We have bigger fish to fry which is how do we make the car go quicker.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 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

Max Verstappen set a blistering pace to blow away the challenge of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris and take pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix. Verstappen’s record 10-race winning run and Red Bull’s unbeaten season came to an end in Singapore last weekend. The Dutchman topped all three practice sessions at Suzuka to suggest the Milton Keynes-based team had banished the issues that they experienced in the city-state. And Verstappen was imperious around the high-speed corner circuit – where Lewis Hamilton warned the Red Bull would be “phenomenal” – taking pole by a massive 0.581 seconds ahead of Piastri. Follow live updates from the Japanese Grand Prix with The Independent Read More ‘It’s real’: Lewis Hamilton in state of shock after Japanese GP qualifying Max Verstappen storms to Japanese Grand Prix pole ahead of impressive Oscar Piastri AlphaTauri confirm driver pairing for 2024 F1 grid

Lando Norris says Formula One drivers are never operating at 100 per cent and has called on the sport’s rule-makers to make the cars lighter. The McLaren driver, 23, is now in his fifth season in F1 and has emerged as one of the strongest drivers on the grid. But the British star admits he has some frustration with the cars and feels they limit how the drivers can perform. “It is frustrating. It feels like you drive so slow,” Norris said ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. “You just feel like you are not driving at 100 per cent. You still have to drive at 95 per cent as well as you can.” “There are still differences between drivers of achieving that, how you drive at 95 per cent. You still see differences between how Lewis (Hamilton) can do it and how a rookie can do it. “You never drive at 100 per cent in the race because if you have one slide you’re done. You are just managing your tyres and your temperatures. “It is just the way things are. I’m sure in other categories it is similar-ish but you just want to be able to race closer. “I would make the cars lighter, as simple as that. You make them quicker by being lighter, you then remove some of the aero stuff which is now what makes them so impressive. “You remove some of that and it stops dirty air as much and then you will be able to follow better.” Regulation changes set to come into effect in 2026 are expected to reduce the weight of the cars and also make the tyres thinner. Norris is hopeful this is the case and believes the onus is on each team to get the car right for when the new rules are introduced. It for this reason that Norris has huge admiration for Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s domination of the sport over the last two seasons, amid criticism that it is bad for F1. “They are doing a better job. That is what F1 is about,” Norris added. “It is not just about the driver; F1 is one of very, very few sports in the world where there is so much talked about the driver but it is very much a team sport.” “It is not just who is the best driver, it does not work like that. It is about the machine and the driver. “That is the competition of F1, it is who can build and design the best cars. At the minute Red Bull are doing it, so hats off to them.” Norris disagrees with the opinion that people will turn away from F1 if Verstappen keeps winning, making the comparison with Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. “People do not find F1 boring,” Norris said. “Of course you want excitement for the win. That is the pinnacle of it, like Lewis against Max in 2021. That is probably the most exciting season in a very, very long time. “When Usain Bolt was winning every race, it’s boring because you want to see a close win. “But do you stop watching that because Bolt is winning? You don’t, you watch it because you are still like, ‘he is doing an amazing job and congratulations to him’. “People shouldn’t stop watching because someone is doing so well.” Read More Max Verstappen storms to Japanese Grand Prix pole ahead of impressive Oscar Piastri Max Verstappen pips Oscar Piastri to pole after tense qualifying for Japanese GP A sudden drop off or just a blip? Max Verstappen provides the answer ‘It’s real’: Lewis Hamilton in state of shock after Japanese GP qualifying Max Verstappen storms to Japanese GP pole ahead of impressive Oscar Piastri Max Verstappen pips Oscar Piastri to pole after tense qualifying for Japanese GP

Lewis Hamilton admits he is staggered by how far Mercedes are still behind the Red Bulls after Max Verstappen blew away the field to take pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix. Verstappen hit back in style after seeing his record 10-race winning run and Red Bull’s unbeaten season ended in Singapore a week ago by finishing a massive 0.581 seconds clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Lando Norris was third in the second McLaren ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez. But Mercedes struggled again, with Hamilton qualifying seventh and George Russell eighth – the seven-time world champion over a second adrift of Verstappen’s pole lap. The Dutchman and Red Bull have dominated the sport over the last two seasons and Hamilton admits the gap that still exists between the two teams is a major concern. “We as a team really need to when we go back and do the debrief – I hope the team already realise – but a second gap is huge. And it is real,” Hamilton said. “To be two years in and still be a second down to the Red Bulls is not a good showing and we need to make sure we work hard over the winter to get back at least half that gap before next year. “We have a very peaky car. It is like trying to balance a knife on its tip. “It is never perfectly balanced, it is one way or the other. You try and get it as close as you can to the middle but it is very hard to do each weekend.” Verstappen topped every practice session but Norris and Piastri had closed the gap in P3 to hint at a fight for pole at Suzuka. But it never materialised thanks to Verstappen’s incredible pace on new tyres in the final session. To be two years in and still be a second down to the Red Bulls is not a good showing and we need to make sure we work hard over the winter to get back at least half that gap before next year Lewis Hamilton McLaren impressed again – especially Piastri who had never even been to Japan before this week. “It’s been a very good day for us. A P2 and a P3 – a great job by Oscar today and as usual, by Max – but a good day,” Norris said. “I was pretty happy with my laps. It’s a tricky circuit; not easy to put everything together but it’s so quick around here and the smallest mistake can take a big amount of lap time. “I’m happy. It’s been a good day and good positions for tomorrow.” Mercedes are unlikely to be in the fight with Red Bull or McLaren but are set for a scrap with Ferrari as they tussle over second position in the Constructors’ Championship – which Red Bull are almost certain to clinch on Sunday. Leclerc delivered a strong lap for the Scuderia to line up on the second row – although he does face an investigation for exceeding the maximum lap time – while Singapore-winner Carlos Sainz starts sixth. “I hope we can have a good battle with Ferrari tomorrow,” Hamilton said. “They had an upgrade this weekend so they are a little bit ahead of us and it is not an easy track to overtake. “But I am still going to give it everything and hope I can give them a run for their money tomorrow.” Yuki Tsunoda, who was confirmed to be driving for AlphaTauri next season alongside Daniel Ricciardo, delighted his home fans by qualifying ninth. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 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

Max Verstappen set a blistering pace to blow away the challenge of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris and take pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix. Verstappen’s record 10-race winning run and Red Bull’s unbeaten season came to an end in Singapore last weekend. The Dutchman topped all three practice sessions at Suzuka to suggest the Milton Keynes-based team had banished the issues that they experienced in the city-state. And Verstappen was imperious around the high-speed corner circuit – where Lewis Hamilton warned the Red Bull would be “phenomenal” – taking pole by a massive 0.581 seconds ahead of Piastri. Norris had narrowed the gap to Verstappen, who is closing in on a hat-trick of world titles, in final practice to raise hope of a challenge for pole. But Verstappen was dominant in the final qualifying session on brand new tyres, blowing away the competition from the two McLarens. “Incredible weekend so far, especially in qualifying when you can push it to the limit. It felt really nice,” Verstappen said on track. “We had a bad weekend in Singapore. I felt this was going to be a good track. From lap one it has been really nice.” Piastri, in his debut season in Formula One, had never even been to Japan before this week but got the edge on his McLaren team-mate to line up on the front row. Red Bull will almost certainly clinch the Constructors’ Championship on Sunday at the home race of their engine supplier Honda. Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez finished fifth, over seven tenths adrift of the pace-setter. Hamilton and George Russell were well off the pace for Mercedes, who are battling with Ferrari to finish second in the Constructors’ Championship, and will line up seventh and eighth on the grid. Ferrari, who are running a new floor at Suzuka, took fourth via Charles Leclerc, while Singapore-winner Carlos Sainz finished sixth. Yuki Tsunoda was confirmed by AlphaTauri to be driving alongside Daniel Ricciardo in 2024 and delighted his home crowd by making the top-10 shootout, finishing ninth. Q1 was red-flagged with just over nine minutes remaining when Williams’ Logan Sargeant oversteered out of the final corner and slid heavily into the barriers. The American, who is yet to be confirmed by Williams for 2024, quickly jumped out of the car and made his way across the track and back to the pit lane. Williams Team Principal James Vowles told Sky Sports: “It is heartbreaking for Logan.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lando Norris narrows gap on Max Verstappen at final practice in Japan Max Verstappen returns to form in Japanese Grand Prix practice Lance Stroll to sit out Singapore Grand Prix after huge crash in qualifying

AlphaTauri will retain Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo for the 2024 Formula 1 season. Red Bull’s sister team had a difficult choice between the duo and Liam Lawson, who has impressed filling in for the injured Ricciardo in the last three races. But the New Zealander will return to Red Bull in a reserve role - with Ricciardo’s full-time return to F1 confirmed. Tsunoda, competing at his home race in Japan this weekend, will race with the Faenza outfit for a fourth consecutive season. Eight-time race winner Ricciardo replaced the axed Nyck de Vries after 10 races this season before injuring his hand in Zandvoort. It remains to be seen whether Ricciardo will return in Qatar in two weeks’ time - if so, this weekend at Suzuka would be Lawson’s final race for the team. The 21-year-old achieved the team’s best-finish with ninth at last Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix. Read More F1 Japanese Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying updates and times at Suzuka A drop off or just a blip? Max Verstappen provides the answer in Japan practice How to buy tickets for the 2024 British Grand Prix at Silverstone

Max Verstappen is looking to bounce back at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend after his incredible 10-race win streak ended in Singapore following Carlos Sainz’s thrilling victory. The Ferrari driver held off Lando Norris, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages to claim his 2nd Formula 1 victory - and the first non-Red Bull win since Russell’s triumph for Mercedes in Brazil last November. PREVIEW: A sudden drop off or just a blip? Max Verstappen provides the answer Norris earned the ninth podium of his career after coming home second while Russell will be eager to get back in the cockpit after a last-lap crash saw him lose a spot on the podium, taken by Hamilton. Verstappen finished fifth, with Charles Leclerc fourth. Last year at Suzuka - a dramatic race that took place in heavy rain and saw a close call with Pierre Gasly and a recovery vehicle - saw Verstappen’s win clinch his second world title. However, the Dutchman cannot win the 2023 world championship this weekend. Follow live updates from the Japanese Grand Prix with The Independent Read More A sudden drop off or just a blip? Max Verstappen provides the answer Lewis Hamilton says ‘something’s up’ at Red Bull – if Max Verstappen struggles in Japan George Russell insists 2023 has been his ‘best season ever’ despite Singapore crash