List of All Articles with Tag 'f1'

F1 returns to Abu Dhabi this weekend for the usual season-finale at the Yas Marina Circuit. Max Verstappen won the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix last week for his 18th victory of a record-breaking season. The Dutchman has now won six races in a row since Carlos Sainz’s victory in Singapore in September. Charles Leclerc finished second in Vegas after a terrific last-lap overtake on Sergio Perez, who despite dropping down to third place still sealed second in the world championship for Red Bull’s first-ever one-two finish in a Formula 1 season. Lewis Hamilton is still chasing his first win in nearly two years as Mercedes look to stave off Ferrari in the battle for second place in the constructors’ championship. Toto Wolff’s team are four points clear ahead of the final grand prix of the season. Follow live updates from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with The Independent Read More Lewis Hamilton takes aim at Christian Horner: ‘He’s stirring things!’ Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to miss first practice in Abu Dhabi Mick Schumacher returns to racing with Alpine in 2024

F1 will trial artificial intelligence at this weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi to regulate track limit violations. A common issue in the 2023 season has been cars crossing the white line at the edge of the track with all four wheels, resulting in lap times being deleted in qualifying and the race. Yet this weekend at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the sport’s governing body - the FIA - will use ‘Computer Vision’ technology that uses shape analysis to work out the number of pixels going past the track edge. The Austrian Grand Prix in July was a particularly difficult race to regulate, with just four people having to process an avalanche of some 1,200 potential violations which eventually changed the final result of the race hours later. While in Qatar in October, there were eight people assigned to assess track limits and monitor 820 corner passes, with 141 reports sent to race control who then deleted 51 laps. However, some breaches still went unpunished at October’s U.S. Grand Prix in Austin. Stewards said this month that their inability to properly enforce track limits violations at turn six was “completely unsatisfactory” and a solution needed to be found before the start of next season. Tim Malyon, the FIA’s head of remote operations and deputy race director, said the Computer Vision technology had been used effectively in medicine in areas such as scanning data from cancer screening. “They don’t want to use the Computer Vision to diagnose cancer, what they want to do is to use it to throw out the 80% of cases where there clearly is no cancer in order to give the well-trained people more time to look at the 20%,” he said. “And that’s what we are targeting.” Malyon said the extra Computer Vision layer would reduce the number of potential infringements being considered, with still fewer then going on to race control for further action. “The biggest imperative is to expand the facility and continue to invest in software, because that’s how we’ll make big strides,” he said. “The final takeaway for me is be open to new technologies and continue to evolve. “I’ve said repeatedly that the human is winning at the moment in certain areas. That might be the case now but we do feel that ultimately, real time automated policing systems are the way forward.” Additional reporting by Reuters Read More Lewis Hamilton says Red Bull chief is ‘stirring things’ over team move claim Toto Wolff and Fred Vasseur receive warnings over ‘swearing’ in Las Vegas ‘He’s stirring things!’ Lewis Hamilton takes aim at Christian Horner F1 2023 season race schedule: When is the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix? Why are Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen missing first practice in Abu Dhabi? Hamilton ‘made contact with Red Bull and Ferrari’ before signing new Mercedes deal

Lewis Hamilton has denied seeking a blockbuster move to Red Bull – and claimed it was instead Christian Horner who approached him. Hamilton accused Horner of being “lonely” and “stirring” the pot, following the Red Bull team principal’s claim ahead of this weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi that the British driver’s camp inquired about a seat alongside Max Verstappen at the grid’s all-conquering team. A front-footed Hamilton, who signed a two-year contract extension to remain at Mercedes until the end of 2025 in August, also said Verstappen would not want him as a team-mate. Asked if he approached Red Bull about joining them, Hamilton, 38, replied: “No. I did not. “I have checked with everyone in my team and nobody has spoken to them. However, he (Horner) did reach out to me earlier on in the year about meeting up. “I picked up my old phone which I found at home. It has my old number. I switched it on, and hundreds of messages came through, and one was from Christian to get together and have a catch-up at the end of the season. “He didn’t say (it was about driving for them). He just said about having a catch-up. “I replied to him (Horner) on my new phone. It was quite late on that I found his message. It was from earlier on in the year, and it was months later (that I replied). “I just said, ‘congratulations on the amazing season and I hope we are able to compete with you soon’, and he replied repeating the same thing. “If you really think about it, there are a lot of people here that like to drop my name in conversations because they know it will make waves and if you are a little bit lonely, and are not getting much attention, that is the perfect thing to do, just to mention my name. He is stirring things.” Hamilton is set to bring the curtain down on a second winless season. Verstappen has won the last three world championships and heads into the final round with a remarkable 18 wins from 21. Hamilton has described the Dutchman’s machine as the fastest ever seen in Formula One. “I would be more than happy to race against Max in the same car,” added Hamilton. “That would be wonderful. But I don’t think he wants me to be his team-mate.” Hamilton has been with Mercedes since 2013, and has said on numerous occasions that he could not envisage being at another team. He continued: “I have so much respect for (team principal) Toto (Wolff). “We have a great relationship. And I spoke to him when the story broke. I wanted my team to know because if people think those things (about leaving) it is never positive. Hopefully signing with them has shown my commitment to the team. “Let’s be realistic, every single driver here dreams of being in a winning car. In my younger days, when I had not had a lot of success, joining Red Bull would have been more attractive to me. “We have had two really difficult years, and if we were able to beat that Red Bull, that would be a way better feeling than just stepping into the best car. “That wouldn’t do much for me – stepping into a car that has been the most dominant of all time – but working with my team to beat them. That would be better for my legacy.” Read More Class action lawsuit filed over farcical start to Las Vegas Grand Prix Toto Wolff fuelled by ‘personal anger’ to help Lewis Hamilton win eighth title On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion ‘He’s stirring things!’ Lewis Hamilton takes aim at Christian Horner Toto Wolff and Fred Vasseur face punishment over ‘swearing’ in Las Vegas Why are Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen missing first practice in Abu Dhabi?

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Ferrari chief Fred Vassuer have been summoned to see the FIA stewards over their conduct in a heated press conference in Las Vegas last week. The team principals’ presser took place on Thursday night at F1’s newest race, after a first practice abruptly curtailed following a manhole cover incident, with Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari badly damaged in the incident. Vasseur was scathing of Formula 1 at the start of the press conference, labelling the incident “unacceptable” before adding “we’ve f***ed up the session for Carlos”. To add salt to the wounds, the damage sustained resulted in Sainz taking an extra power unit, thereby exceeding his season’s allocation and he received a 10-place grid penalty for the race on Saturday night. Wolff, however, defended the sport after being questioned about whether the incident was a “black eye” for Formula 1 – before adding “you’re speaking about a f***ing drain cover that’s come undone, that’s nothing.” Reports on Thursday state that the pair have been summoned due to swearing in the press conference and their conduct in positions of responsibility. Wolff and Vasseur will see the stewards on Thursday evening in Abu Dhabi. The FIA statement emphasised the use of “certain language”, adding that the purpose of the hearing is to see if there’s been a breach of the rules and “if so, what if any action should follow.” F1’s return to Vegas for the first time in 41 years started in farcical fashion last week when FP1 was cancelled after just eight minutes. Wolff said: “It is a Thursday night. We have a free practice 1 that we’re not doing, they’re going to seal the drain covers. Nobody is going to talk about that tomorrow morning.” Yet when prompted by a journalist saying it’s “absolutely rubbish”, Wolff erupted. “It’s completely ridiculous,” he said. “How can you even dare talk bad about an event that sets the new standards to everything? “And then you’re speaking about a f****** drain cover that’s come undone, that’s nothing. It’s FP1, give credit to the people that have set up this grand prix. That have made this sport much bigger than it ever was. “Have you ever spoken about someone or written a good word? You should about all these people that have been out here. Liberty [F1 owners] have done an awesome job and just because in FP1 a drain cover has come undone we shouldn’t be moaning.” Read More ‘He’s stirring things!’ Lewis Hamilton takes aim at Christian Horner Why are Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen missing first practice in Abu Dhabi? Hamilton ‘made contact with Red Bull and Ferrari’ before signing new Mercedes deal Guenther Steiner to produce new hit ‘workplace comedy’ show F1 Juniors broadcast an admirable idea – but all kids want to be is grown up Mick Schumacher returns to racing with Alpine in 2024

Lewis Hamilton insists Christian Horner is ‘stirring things’ after the Red Bull team principal claimed the Mercedes driver’s team approached him about a move earlier this year. A representative of Hamilton put out feelers about leaving Mercedes earlier this year, according to a report in the Daily Mail, with Red Bull and Ferrari both approached. However Hamilton, who has won six of his seven world titles at Mercedes, signed a new two-year contract with the Silver Arrows in September and in Abu Dhabi on Thursday denied Horner’s claim. “I know it’s [the story] has come from Christian, I don’t really understand what he’s been talking about,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “No one as far as I’m aware from my team has spoken to him. I haven’t spoken to Christian in years. “However he did reach out to me earlier on in the year about meeting up. But that’s it. I congratulated him on an amazing year and said ‘hopefully soon I’ll be able to fight against you guys in the near future.’ “That was it. I’m not really sure… I think he’s just stirring things. “There aren’t any confidential discussions. You know Christian… he loves that kind of stuff.” Horner told the Mail that he “can’t see Max and Lewis working out together”. Hamilton now has a deal until the end of the 2025 season with Mercedes while Max Verstappen has a long-term contract with Red Bull until 2028. “100% would be more than happy to race against him [Max] in an equal car,” Hamilton added. “Red Bull have done an amazing job and it is an incredible team. Any driver would love to drive with such a great group of people. “Moving from a car that’s not so great to a winning car from my perspective, that’s not a dream. The dream is always to start where we are and to build up to then winning. That’s why I’ve stayed with Mercedes.” Hamilton was heavily linked with Ferrari earlier in the season but put all speculation to bed when he penned a new £50m-a-year extension with Mercedes, a rise of approximately £10m. Hamilton has not won since December 2021 in Saudi Arabia. A week later, he lost the 2021 world championship to Verstappen on the final lap in controversial circumstances in Abu Dhabi. Mercedes have just won one race since, with George Russell’s first F1 victory in Brazil last year, while Hamilton has had 15 podiums since 2021 without a victory. Red Bull, meanwhile, have won 20 of the 21 races this season with Verstappen triumphant a record-breaking 18 times ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Read More Why are Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen missing first practice in Abu Dhabi? Hamilton ‘made contact with Red Bull and Ferrari’ before signing new Mercedes deal Guenther Steiner to produce new hit ‘workplace comedy’ show F1 Juniors broadcast an admirable idea – but all kids want to be is grown up Mick Schumacher returns to racing with Alpine in 2024 Lando Norris posts update from hospital after Las Vegas crash

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are among 10 drivers who will be absent from first practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Friday. Last year, Formula 1 implemented a mandatory programme in which each car has to be driven by a rookie – defined as a driver who has started two or fewer F1 races – in at least one practice session per season. A lot of teams and drivers have left it to the 22nd and final race of the season to sit out, with Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and Sergio Perez also missing out on FP1 at the Yas Marina Circuit. Formula E champion, 28-year-old British driver Jake Dennis, will fill in at Red Bull alongside F2 driver Isack Hadjar. Two British 18-year-olds will also be in the cockpit: Oliver Bearman will once again drive for Haas after making his F1 practice debut in Mexico last month, while Formula 3 runner-up Zak O’Sullivan will drive Alex Albon’s Williams car. Danish driver Frederik Vesti, currently second in the F2 standings ahead of this weekend’s finale in Abu Dhabi, takes Lewis Hamilton’s place. He also drove in George Russell’s car in Abu Dhabi. American driver Pato O’Ward will drive in Norris’ McLaren, while 2022 F2 champion Felipe Drugovich will fill in for Fernando Alonso on Friday. Israeli-Russian driver Robert Shwartzman replaces Leclerc at Ferrari . Jack Doohan and Theo Pourchaire, Alpine and Alfa Romeo junior drivers respectively, will also have a chance to impress in first practice. AlphaTauri are the only team not running a rookie driver on Friday, with Liam Lawson and Hadjar having driven in practice/race sessions already in 2023. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Williams’ Logan Sargeant are rookies anyway, so is not required to forgo a practice session this season. The purpose of the young driver programme is to give inexperienced drivers time out on track in an F1 car, as well as giving them the opportunity to build up the requisite super-licence points in order to compete in F1 in the future. Read More Hamilton ‘made contact with Red Bull and Ferrari’ before signing new Mercedes deal Guenther Steiner to produce new hit ‘workplace comedy’ show F1 Juniors broadcast an admirable idea – but all kids want to be is grown up

Lewis Hamilton’s representative touched base with Red Bull about the prospect of the seven-time F1 world champion partnering Max Verstappen – while the Brit also reportedly held talks with Ferrari. Hamilton, who has won six of his seven world titles at Mercedes, signed a new two-year contract with the Silver Arrows in September in a deal that will take him to the end of the 2025 season. Yet the 38-year-old, amid nearly two years without a race victory, put out feelers about leaving Toto Wolff’s team earlier this year – as revealed by Red Bull boss Christian Horner. “We have had several conversations over the years about Lewis joining,” Horner told the Daily Mail. “They have reached out a few times. Most recently, earlier in the year, there was an inquiry about whether there would be any interest. “He met John Elkann [Ferrari chairman] too. I think there were serious talks. It was around Monaco [in May]. There were definitely conversations, perhaps with Vasseur [Ferrari team principal] too. But certainly with Elkann. “But I can’t see Max and Lewis working out together. The dynamic wouldn’t be right. We are 100% happy with what we have.” The report adds that Hamilton’s representative is likely to be either his New York-based manager Penni Thow or his father Anthony. Hamilton was heavily linked with Ferrari earlier in the season but put all speculation to bed when he penned a new £50m-a-year extension with Mercedes, a rise of approximately £10m. Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell also signed a new deal until the end of 2025. “We have never been hungrier to win,” Hamilton said, after the contract was confirmed in August. “We have learnt from every success but also every setback. “We dream every day of being the best and we have dedicated the past decade together to achieving that goal.” Hamilton has not won since December 2021, in Saudi Arabia. A week later, he lost the 2021 world championship to Verstappen on the final lap in controversial circumstances in Abu Dhabi. Mercedes have just won one race since, with George Russell’s first F1 victory in Brazil last year, while Hamilton has had 15 podiums since 2021 without a victory. Read More Guenther Steiner to produce new hit ‘workplace comedy’ show F1 Juniors broadcast an admirable idea – but all kids want to be is grown up Mick Schumacher returns to racing with Alpine in 2024 Lando Norris posts update from hospital after Las Vegas crash Las Vegas Grand Prix dazzles on debut with usual dose of Max Verstappen reality Lando Norris explained issues with Las Vegas circuit before crashing at Grand Prix

Haas boss Guenther Steiner is in line to be a producer on a new “single-camera workplace comedy” show on US broadcaster CBS. Steiner is a fan favourite among F1 fans, with his X-rated moments on Netflix’s Drive to Survive giving the Italian-American team principal a cult following. Now he will act as a non-writing executive producer for a comedy show in the early stages of development, according to Deadline. The fictional show will be set in sport, with the protagonist set to play a role as a team boss, based on Steiner. CBS is one of America’s biggest broadcast networks and has produced comedy series’ such as The Big Bang Theory and Everybody Loves Raymond. Steiner told The Independent in March that he is “not good at acting”, insisting the perception of him in Drive to Survive is authentic. “I just do my job and if they film it all that’s fine,” he said. “It’s all very transparent. We sometimes make a meal of things but very rarely. It’s real – and we can do that because our owner [Gene Haas] lets us do it. “I think the fact he’s American means he’s more open. I think people like the honesty too.” Steiner’s Haas team are currently bottom of the F1 constructors’ standings with one race to go this weekend in Abu Dhabi. Read More F1 Juniors broadcast an admirable idea – but all kids want to be is grown up Mick Schumacher returns to racing with Alpine in 2024 Lando Norris posts update from hospital after Las Vegas crash

Mick Schumacher has been confirmed as a driver for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship next year. The 24-year-old has been present in the Formula 1 paddock this season as a reserve driver for Mercedes, driving in the simulator and providing cover for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. The German driver, son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, was dropped from his F1 race seat at Haas at the end of the 2022 season after two years but after experiencing a year without racing in 2023, Schumacher will race for Alpine in their Hypercar squad next season. “A new chapter is beginning for me with Alpine in the FIA WEC hypercar category,” Schumacher said. “The car is impressive, and I can’t wait to get started. “I’ve grown up with single-seaters, so driving a car with a closed cockpit and covered wheels is a great opportunity to hone my driving skills.” Schumacher recently completed a test for Alpine in their A424 hypercar as he takes his first racing steps outside single-seater cars. It is thought that any endurance racing would be in tandem with his role as a Mercedes reserve again next year, though Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff is yet to formally confirm that Schumacher will be staying with the team. Schumacher added: “I sorely missed racing this year; it’s what I’ve loved to do since I was a kid, and it was sometimes difficult to watch the other drivers take to the track. “Endurance racing is a new challenge for me, and I’m sure we will share great moments together next year with Alpine.” Schumacher has been linked with the only F1 seat unconfirmed for next year - Logan Sargeant’s spot at Williams. However, it is likely that the American will be given another year at the wheel by Williams, particularly after his strongest qualifying performance of the season to date in Las Vegas at the weekend. Bruno Famin, vice-president of Alpine Motorsports, added of Schumacher’s addition: “With [team principal] Philippe Sinault, we wanted drivers who are not only fast and reliable but also showing a real team spirit and good racing acumen to best represent the Alpine colours in the premier category of the World Endurance Championship. “It might be [Schumacher’s] first foray into endurance, but his enthusiasm for the project and his will to join us are palpable. I’m sure he will be a real asset.” Schumacher will be present in the F1 paddock this weekend at the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

It’s Saturday night in Sin City, 9pm local time. One hour until lights out. Walking out of the media centre, across the car park of the Tuscany Suites and Casino, and up through the various security checkpoints, you arrive at the highly coveted, yet strangely downplayed open space that is the Formula One paddock. Halfway down, between the garages of Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo, lies the grid access lane: a portal to the forthcoming chaos. There is a chill in the air. A cool 15C temperature which, predicted all week, is about to play havoc with tyres in the 50 laps ahead. A pause for breath and then the steel-faced American bodyguard gives the go-ahead. On you stroll, pretending you belong here. Welcome to the curiously flummoxing experience that is the F1 pre-race grid. And this is not any old grid. This is Las Vegas: F1’s newest super-venue, where no multimillion-dollar expense has been spared (save a manhole cover or two). In the near distance are 20 cars all lined up in order, with at least a dozen mechanics and engineers per car. And in the gaps in between stand everyone else – the VIPs, the executives and the media – relishing or reeling in the madness of it all. Forty minutes until lights out. Effectively, there are two choices as a grid bystander: stay at the front of the pack, scrummaged in the melee to catch a glimpse of the A-listers, or head speedily to the back of the start-finish straight to rise up for air. Your route? By any means necessary. Down the middle, tiptoeing down the sides, most likely a zigzagging of both. Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll trots down alongside his wife to the back, where his son Lance starts in 19th. He exchanges a joke with Sky Sports grid walk pioneer Martin Brundle: “Don’t bother me today!” he says. Brundle, sporting a striking dark blue jacket for Vegas’s F1 reincarnation, laughs as he awaits his cue from a producer in his ear. This is his terrain. He may well hate this, but Brundle is now best known for his memorable grid walk encounters as opposed to his 15-year racing career. It started in 1997, when ITV first gained the rights from the BBC for F1 in the UK and executive producer Neil Duncanson first floated the idea. Before that, attempts to encapsulate the pre-race frivolities for audiences at home were caught up in old-school F1 management red tape. Yet as Bernie Ecclestone took the sport into the 21st century so the broadcasting access expanded – and Martin’s grid walk era was born. He was said to be reluctant at first. Now it is his unorthodox home away from home. A plethora of TV companies have followed suit. Today, we’ll let Martin and the rest of them get on with it. It is a striking juxtaposition to the grid: while the pressure is high on broadcasters to keep viewers entertained with minute-by-minute soundbites, the written media can stand back and absorb this whole… thing. Whatever this is. Milling around, with no real purpose other than the process of milling around. Looking at the grandstands to the side, where ticket-holding F1 fans record and capture every moment, and you think to yourself in the real, morally just world, they’re probably more deserving of this spot than you. Nonetheless, on you go. Engineers sit in the cockpit, toying with the complex intricacies of these 220mph machines, revving the engines so brashly it is hard to hear yourself speak. It is a baffling mish-mash of car-staring, celebrity-glancing and photograph-taking. “Portrait or landscape?” I ask one VIP couple, who request a photo in front of Daniel Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri. “Let’s do both,” comes the response. Those “very important people” are identified by a pink pass dangling around their neck. But the real celebs are simply identifiable by the hordes of people around them, people desperate for that picture which will deliver hundreds upon thousands of likes on Instagram. They come in all shapes and sizes: DJ Steve Aoki, model Paris Hilton, LIV rebel golfer Ian Poulter. And, towering menacingly over them all, seven-foot-plus NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal. Fifteen minutes until lights out. Stumbling towards the front, a gap opens up around the outside of Charles Leclerc’s pole-sitting Ferrari, before it’s blocked off again. Instead, head down, you attempt to carve your own racing line through the chaos down the middle and bang: you’re in the shot of Brundle’s conversation with one star or another. Quick, act natural: hurry on through. As is procedure, the home national anthem of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” rings out. A loud horn then blares indicating a quickening of proceedings. Walking back into midfield again, you saunter past FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Is there any occasion he does not miss? Today I feel… Formula One. Bumping into recent interviewee Willy T Ribbs – “howdy partner” – is the last brief interaction. Any conversation on the grid is usually short-lived but now, 10 minutes until lights out, time’s up. FIA personnel rush the lot of you away, herding the cattle to the exit door. The process now is a delicate balancing act: walk slowly enough to take in every last second yet quick enough to avoid an ear-clipping from the racing bouncers. Mechanics frantically push tyre trolleys through the crowds back to the garages; one Williams staffer swears under his breath. Las Vegas 2023 is a far cry from the tranquillity of yesteryear at Budapest and Spa-Francorchamps. Eventually the grid is cleared and, quick as a flash, it's over. You can breathe. The drivers can breathe. Brief respite before the action out on track. Sharing the spotlight with the stars of yesterday and tomorrow is entertaining. A privilege. A taste of a different world, even if it is as a supporting act loitering in the background. Now though, the food chain is restored. The unparalleled uniqueness and flashiness of the F1 grid is perhaps unmatched in world sport. For half an hour you walk with the stars, real and fake, and then return to normality. But after a build-up saturated in speed and splendour, lights out is finally imminent. You’ve had your time: back to the laptop and coffee machine you go. Read More Christian Horner suggests Las Vegas Grand Prix solution to ‘brutal’ schedule Las Vegas Grand Prix dazzles on debut with usual dose of Max Verstappen reality How Formula 1 cracked America Christian Horner suggests Las Vegas Grand Prix solution to ‘brutal’ schedule ‘It happens’: F1 fail to apologise or issue refunds to Las Vegas fans F1 2023 official calendar: All 23 Grand Prix this year

Christian Horner has suggested that there are “lessons to learn” from Formula 1’s return to Las Vegas after describing the Sin City schedule as “brutal”. Red Bull enjoyed a successful weekend in Nevada, with Max Verstappen fighting back to secure a thrilling 18th win of the season. A glamorous occasion marked F1’s first race in Las Vegas in more than three decades as the sport sought to capitalise on a popularity boom in the United States with a third date on the calendar. But not all ran smoothly - second practice was delayed into the very early hours of Friday morning after a loose manhole cover forced the cancellation of the first session on the street circuit, while a race start time of 10pm local time also proved unpopular. And while recognising a need to satisfy global audiences with suitable start times, Horner believes that the schedule should be reconsidered ahead of next season’s grand prix. “There are going to be many lessons to learn,” the Red Bull team principal explained. “One of the things to look at is the running schedule because it has been brutal for the team and all the men and women behind the scenes. “Everybody is leaving Vegas slightly f*****! One way or another it has been a brutal weekend for everyone behind the scenes, and I think we need to look at how we can improve that for the future. “I think run it a little earlier in the evening because you are never going to keep every television audience totally happy. This is an American race. If you run it 8pm in the evening or something like that it would just be a bit more comfortable for the men and women working behind the scenes.” Verstappen’s victory was one of his best of a season that the Dutchman has dominated. The Red Bull driver beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and teammate Sergio Perez in a captivating three-way fight for first as a much-anticipated event delivered thrills on and off the track. F1 and Las Vegas have signed a ten-year deal in the hope of establishing the city as a perpetual location for the motorsport, but Frederic Vasseur, Leclerc’s team principal at Ferrari, agrees with Horner that the timings require a rethink. “If we have to improve, it’s perhaps the timing,” Vasseur told Motorsport.com. ““It’s not an easy one to find, if you want to have a decent timing for Asia, Europe, East Coast, West Coast. “In the past, we had no issue because F1 was just for the European people, and we had to stick to the European timing, and it was okay. “Now it’s a worldwide project, and it’s much more difficult to find something fitting with the expectations of the 24-hour zone. But we will adjust it.” The Formula 1 season concludes in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Read More ‘It happens’: F1 fail to apologise or issue refunds to Las Vegas fans F1 2023 official calendar: All 23 Grand Prix this year Carlos Sainz handed ‘ridiculous’ penalty after drain cover crash at Las Vegas GP Five times a manhole cover stopped F1 in its tracks Las Vegas Sphere wears giant F1 helmet ahead of inaugural grand prix F1 clothing craze sweeps retailers ahead of Las Vegas Grand Prix

Formula One’s Las Vegas gamble came up trumps with one of the best shows of the season as Max Verstappen – chief critic of the £500million race – claimed victory on Saturday night. Here, the PA news agency dissects the key questions surrounding F1’s maiden extravaganza in Sin City. Did the Las Vegas Grand Prix live up to the hype? Formula One bosses were in crisis management mode in the early hours of Friday morning. First practice had been abandoned after eight minutes, and the delayed second running – which finished at 4am – was played out in front of empty grandstands. It was a catastrophic look for the event which F1 had billed for months as the greatest show on Earth. By the close of Saturday’s thrill-a-minute 50-lap race – which saw the lead change hand on five occasions – F1 chiefs were celebrating a triumph. Sin City had delivered on the hype, providing a 48-hour turnaround to savour for the sport’s relieved American owners’ Liberty Media. What went wrong in practice? A faulty drain cover tore a hole through Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. First practice was scrapped and fans were kicked out after witnessing only a handful of laps. F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali stopped short of an apology, while the organisers did not offer a refund, but a 200 US dollar (£160) voucher to spend on merchandise instead. The goodwill offer, which largely went down like a lead balloon, did not take into consideration money spent on flights and hotels. A lawsuit has since been filed seeking damages for the 35,000 spectators who were left feeling aggrieved. What were the other gripes? The scheduling on the Strip left much to be desired. Following the 4am finish to Thursday night’s delayed practice, qualifying concluded just after 1am, with Justin Bieber waving the chequered flag on Saturday’s race shortly before midnight. A jet-lagged paddock was forced to adjust to an effective Japanese time zone on America’s west coast. For three straight days, weary mechanics downed tools as the sun rose before they were required to return to the track only a handful of hours later. The travelling circus will now head to Abu Dhabi – a mind-boggling time swing of 12 hours – to do it all again for the sport’s fifth race in six frantic weeks. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner did not mince his words when he said: “Everybody’s leaving Vegas slightly f*****.” Will F1 make changes? The sport is already locked into a 24-round calendar next season which sees the Qatar Grand Prix immediately follow the race in Vegas. The running on the Strip took place at unsociable hours to avoid road closures during the day. F1 executives will need to reach an agreement with the city to bring forward the track schedule for its future visits. So, was it a success? Verstappen spent much of the weekend pouring scorn over the event, labelling it “99 per cent show and one per cent sport”. He also likened it to English football’s National League. But even prior to the triple world champion’s derisory comments, there had been plenty of negativity – much of it unwarranted. A former F1 driver said he had been bamboozled as to why the event was proving so unpopular before an engine had been fired up in anger. Of course, the celebrity-fuelled razzmatazz isn’t for everyone – particularly F1’s traditionalists – but there is little doubt that the race captured Vegas’ imagination. And as F1 continues to build on its sudden popularity surge across the Pond, Las Vegas – whether Verstappen likes it or not – will remain front and centre of Liberty’s plans. Read More Class action lawsuit filed over farcical start to Las Vegas Grand Prix Toto Wolff fuelled by ‘personal anger’ to help Lewis Hamilton win eighth title On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion Lando Norris posts update from hospital after Las Vegas crash Las Vegas Grand Prix dazzles on debut with usual dose of Max Verstappen reality ‘One of the best races’: Lewis Hamilton says Las Vegas GP proved critics wrong