F1 LIVE: Red Bull wait on budget cap announcement as Max Verstappen eyes ‘perfect weekend’

Lewis Hamilton believes the integrity of Formula 1 would be damaged if a team were found to have broken the budget cap – insisting it is “imperative” that any breach is suitably punished.

The sport’s governing body, the FIA, has delayed its findings into whether any of the grid’s teams have broken the financial rules until Monday (10 October). It was anticipated that the FIA would reveal on Wednesday (6 October) those that failed to comply with last season’s £114million cap.

Red Bull faced unproven allegations at the Singapore Grand Prix that they exceeded F1’s costs cap last term – bringing into the spotlight the legitimacy of Max Verstappen’s already controversial championship win over Hamilton.

The situation will now continue beyond the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend following the delay, with Hamilton keen for any wrongdoing to be correctly punished.

Follow F1 updates with the Independent ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix

F1 NEWS AND UPDATES

• Red Bull forced to wait as FIA delay verdict on F1’s budget cap to Monday

• What is the F1 budget cap and what are the potential penalties?

• Lewis Hamilton: ‘It’s imperative’ that any F1 budget-cap breaches are punished

• What Max Verstappen needs to clinch the F1 world title in Japan this weekend

• What are the timings for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix?

F1 news: Red Bull forced to wait as FIA delay verdict on F1’s budget cap

Thursday 6 October 2022 18:28 , Kieran Jackson

The FIA have delayed announcing their highly-anticipated findings on the 2021 F1 budget cap until Monday.

News was expected yesterday regarding the verdict, with Red Bull and Aston Martin facing unproven allegations that they are in breach of last year’s $145m (£115m) budget, though Christian Horner insists he is “absolutely confident” in Red Bull’s submission.

However as the clock ticked past midnight in Japan - where drivers and teams are gearing up for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend - F1’s governing body confirmed they have pushed back the announcement to Monday, describing the process as “long and complex.”

The FIA said: “The analysis of financial submissions is a long and complex process that is ongoing and will be concluded to enable the release of the Certificates on Monday, 10 October.” By Monday, Max Verstappen could be a two-time world champion - he will claim the 2022 Drivers Championship if he wins and sets the fastest lap at Suzuka.

Red Bull forced to wait as FIA delay verdict on F1’s budget cap

F1 news: Nyck de Vries gives update on F1 future for next season

Thursday 6 October 2022 17:57 , Kieran Jackson

Nyck de Vries has said that it is “not a given” that he ends up with a drive in Formula 1 for the 2023 season. De Vries, currently one of Mercedes’ reserve drivers, made his debut in F1 at the Italian Grand Prix earlier this year for Williams, recording a commendable ninth-placed finish.

The 27-year-old may be in line for a more permanent place on the grid next season, with the Dutch driver heavily connected with a move to AlphaTauri that could allow Pierre Gasly to depart for Alpine. De Vries insists, though, that nothing is yet decided about his future, even if he is hopeful that the right “opportunity” will come up.

“It’s not a given,” De Vries, already a championship winner in Formula 2 and Formula E, told Sky Sports of a place on the 2023 grid.

“My appearance in Monza helped and boosted my reputation in a short time, but it’s not up to me to decide whether I should be in a car or not. I hope that time will come to me, and it will materialise in an opportunity. To get an opportunity in Formula 1 everything has to be right, and it’s very much about timing and momentum.”

Nyck de Vries gives update on F1 future for next season

F1 news: Daniel Ricciardo won’t be rushed into decision over next move in F1

Thursday 6 October 2022 17:28 , Kieran Jackson

Daniel Ricciardo insists he won’t be rushed into any decision regarding his F1 future with the 33-year-old still without a seat for next year.

The popular Australian is looking for his sixth team in Formula 1 after McLaren decided to end his contract a year early, with Oscar Piastri instead partnering Lando Norris in 2023.

It leaves Ricciardo currently without a drive next year, with options limited, and the ex-Red Bull driver previously hasn’t ruled out taking a year sabbatical away from the sport after eleven-and-a-half straight seasons.

There is currently a vacant seat at Alpine - though Ricciardo’s departure from Renault at the end of 2020 means a return is unlikely - while Haas could also be an option should Mick Schumacher’s contract at the team not be renewed. Williams are also looking for a replacement for Nicholas Latifi - and a spot could open up at AlphaTauri.

Yet Ricciardo insists he won’t rush his decision, as speculation mounts that he could take up a reserve role with Mercedes.

Daniel Ricciardo won’t be rushed into decision over next move in F1

F1 news: Max Verstappen reveals what he needs to win F1 world title in Japan

Thursday 6 October 2022 16:58 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen insists he needs the “perfect weekend” at the Japanese Grand Prix if he is to claim his second F1 world title at Suzuka.

The Red Bull driver has won 11 of 17 races so far this season and has a 104-point lead to Charles Leclerc with just five Grands Prix remaining. The 25-year-old will win the World Championship this Sunday if he wins the race and sets the fastest lap, while a race win alone would secure the title if Leclerc finishes lower than second.

There are a possible 138 points available until the end of the season – five race wins at 25 points each, a fastest lap point at each and eight points for the sprint race winner in Sao Paulo.

Yet Verstappen admitted in the pre-race press conference that he wasn’t focused too much on permutations and instead was looking to simply perform to the best of his ability.

Max Verstappen reveals what he needs to win F1 world title in Japan

F1 news: George Russell convinced Mercedes will have ‘complete car’ in 2023

Thursday 6 October 2022 16:28 , Kieran Jackson

George Russell is confident that Mercedes will craft a “more complete” car for the 2023 Formula 1 season after a shift of “philosophy” in development.

Russell has produced a series of strong performances in his first season in the Mercedes fold, but has struggled to regularly challenge Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who is set to secure a second consecutive world title with several races to spare.

The 24-year-old British driver sits fourth in the Drivers’ Championship standings, 33 points ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. Significant challenges with their W13 car mean that Mercedes are yet to win in 2022, with the team’s eight-year dominance of the Constructors’ Championship at an end. That has necessitated a shift of strategy and Russell has “every confidence” that he and his team will be more competitive next season.

“We have a philosophy that we’re going to be trying to adopt in our development and I’m very confident that is the correct one – but, equally, it doesn’t mean that we can necessarily achieve it,” said Russell after finishing 14th on an incident-plagued weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix.

George Russell convinced Mercedes will have ‘complete car’ in 2023

F1 news: ‘I’m not planning on going anywhere’: Lewis Hamilton could race for another five years

Thursday 6 October 2022 15:58 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton has hinted he could race for another five years after Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed the pair had recently spoken about his future. The seven-time world champion has one more year left of his Mercedes deal at the end of the current season.

Hamilton, 37, holds the record for the most wins, pole positions and podiums in Formula One history and is tied with Michael Schumacher for the most drivers’ championships. But he appears to be far from finished, Wolff revealing last weekend that “we sat down and he says ‘look, I have another five years in me, how do you see that?’”

Asked ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix if that was his plan, Hamilton replied: “I haven’t spoken to him (Wolff) about his comments but I can’t say just yet. Possibly, yes, I’m feeling good. I love what I’m doing. We have a lot of work to do, a lot to achieve still. So I’m not planning on going anywhere, any time soon.”

Wolff hailed Hamilton as the “shining star on and off track” in F1 and it was with one eye on his future out of the car where the Briton explained why he wants to remain in the sport for well beyond an additional five years.

Lewis Hamilton hints he could race for another five years

F1 news: FIA findings and punishments could be ‘game over’ for F1 cost-cap

Thursday 6 October 2022 15:29 , Kieran Jackson

Ferrari racing director Laurent Mekies emphasised the importance of the FIA findings and possible punishments for the future of F1’s budget cap.

“It is a very vital test for the cost cap,” Mekies said in Singapore. “And, as we said, if we don’t pass that test, it’s probably game over, because the implications are huge.

“Should we talk about penalties now? Probably not. I know it’s probably what the people in the grandstands want to see and we respect that. But in fact we are much earlier in the process than that.

“Probably an even more key aspect of it is, is there a breach? Do we agree on the entity of the breach and that, as a result, confirm the rule everybody is obeying?

“So, I think what is very much crucial now is that the FIA fully enforce rules as they are written now. And then after the penalties are a different matter.”

F1 news: Abu Dhabi rivalry ‘popping back up again’ as Horner and Wolff needle each other

Thursday 6 October 2022 14:57 , Kieran Jackson

Mark Webber believes that the rivalry between Toto Wolff and Christian Horner is “popping back up again” as speculation continues about potential breaches of Formula 1’s budget cap.

The Mercedes and Red Bull team principals regularly clashed during the 2021 season throughout a closely-fought title rival between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

The Drivers’ Championship was eventually won in contentious circumstances by Red Bull’s Verstappen, with the ill-feeling between Wolff and Horner coming to a head during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after the controversial intervention of former race director Michael Masi.

Relations between the pair and the two teams have been rather more cordial this season with Verstappen cruising to a second consecutive crown and Mercedes’ largely uncompetitive, but rumours that Red Bull may have breached the 2021 budget cap have inflamed tensions.

Wolff suggested ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix that it was well known that Red Bull were being investigated over a breach, leading Horner to threaten legal action after what he described as “a completely unfounded allegation”.

F1 news: Ferrari chief reveals why he believes F1’s ‘credibility is at stake’

Thursday 6 October 2022 14:40 , Kieran Jackson

Mattia Binotto, team principal at Ferrari, fears that Formula 1’s “credibility is at stake” as the FIA prepares to announce if any teams have breached the budget cap.

Rumours in the last week have suggested that two manufacturers may have exceeded the cost cap limit, with Red Bull and Aston Martin both denying speculation that they had overspent. Mercedes and Ferrari have said that they believe that one team has marginally breached the cap and another by a more significant figure.

The sport’s financial regulations define a minor breach as one less than 5% of the cap, set at $145m (£114m) in 2021, and a material one as more than that. But Binotto is certain that even a minor breach should be taken seriously.

“It’s definitely a shame that we are talking about it in October of the following season, because at this point, apart from implications on last year’s championship, there are also implications for the current one,” the Ferrari team principal told Sky Italia.

“Let’s wait until Wednesday before making a judgement but, whatever amount we are talking about, it’s important to understand that even if it is four million, which falls into the category of what is considered a minor breach, four million is not minor.”

Ferrari chief reveals why he believes F1’s ‘credibility is at stake’

F1 news: What Max Verstappen needs to clinch the F1 world title in Japan this weekend

Thursday 6 October 2022 14:20 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen failed to claim his second world title in Singapore last weekend but his seventh-placed finish still means he is in prime position to wrap up the Championship at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old has a 104-point lead to Charles Leclerc at the top of the Driver Standings, with only the Ferrari man and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez (106 points behind) able to mathematically stop the Dutchman.

With the 2021 cost-cap saga being delayed to after this weekend’s Grand Prix, focus turns to action on track: here’s what Verstappen needs this weekend to wrap up a dominant title as F1 returns to Suzuka.

What Verstappen needs

Verstappen has won 11 races out of 17 this season and leads second-placed Leclerc by 104 points heading to Japan, the first of the five remaining races. There are a possible 138 points available until the end of the season – five race wins at 25 points each, a fastest lap point at each and eight points for the sprint race winner in Sao Paulo.

More below:

F1 news: Lewis Hamilton - ‘It’s imperative’ that any F1 budget-cap breaches are punished

Thursday 6 October 2022 13:59 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton believes the integrity of Formula 1 would be damaged if a team were found to have broken the budget cap – insisting it is “imperative” that any breach is suitably punished.

The sport’s governing body, the FIA, has delayed its findings into whether any of the grid’s teams have broken the financial rules until Monday (10 October). It was anticipated that the FIA would reveal on Wednesday (6 October) those that failed to comply with last season’s £114million cap.

Red Bull faced unproven allegations at the Singapore Grand Prix that they exceeded F1’s costs cap last term – bringing into the spotlight the legitimacy of Max Verstappen’s already controversial championship win over Hamilton. The situation will now continue beyond the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend following the delay, with Hamilton keen for any wrongdoing to be correctly punished.

“I think it’s imperative, honestly, just for transparency,” the seven-time world champion said in Suzuka. “I think we need to continue to have transparency for the fans, for the integrity of the sport. I don’t really know enough about it. I know obviously there’s lots of conversations that are going on in the background. No one truly knows.”

Lewis Hamilton: ‘It’s imperative’ that any budget-cap breaches are punished

F1 news: Nyck de Vries gives update on F1 future for next season

Thursday 6 October 2022 13:29 , Kieran Jackson

Nyck de Vries has said that it is “not a given” that he ends up with a drive in Formula 1 for the 2023 season. De Vries, currently one of Mercedes’ reserve drivers, made his debut in F1 at the Italian Grand Prix earlier this year for Williams, recording a commendable ninth-placed finish.

The 27-year-old may be in line for a more permanent place on the grid next season, with the Dutch driver heavily connected with a move to AlphaTauri that could allow Pierre Gasly to depart for Alpine. De Vries insists, though, that nothing is yet decided about his future, even if he is hopeful that the right “opportunity” will come up.

“It’s not a given,” De Vries, already a championship winner in Formula 2 and Formula E, told Sky Sports of a place on the 2023 grid.

“My appearance in Monza helped and boosted my reputation in a short time, but it’s not up to me to decide whether I should be in a car or not. I hope that time will come to me, and it will materialise in an opportunity. To get an opportunity in Formula 1 everything has to be right, and it’s very much about timing and momentum.”

Nyck de Vries gives update on F1 future for next season

F1 news: Aston Martin boss ‘surprised’ to be named in potential cost-cap breach

Thursday 6 October 2022 13:14 , Kieran Jackson

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack believes his team haven’t done anything “majorly wrong” with their finances ahead of the FIA’s findings surrounding F1’s 2021 cost-cap.

Aston were named, alongside Red Bull, as one of two reported teams to have failed to comply with last year’s budget of $145million (£114m).

“It’s a process where you give your submission, and then the FIA is analysing this, and comes back with questions,” Krack said in Singapore.

“And this process is still going on. So we don’t really know what will be the result. There is a discussion going on. We have questions about interpretation, they have questions about interpretation.

“And we were surprised to read our name in this thing. So, let’s see. We don’t think that we have done anything majorly wrong.”

F1 news: When is Japanese Grand Prix this week?

Thursday 6 October 2022 12:58 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen has another opportunity to claim his second world title this weekend as Formula 1 returns to Suzuka for the first time since 2019 for the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Red Bull star – 104 points clear of Charles Leclerc in the standings – will be crowned champion in Japan if he wins and sets the fastest lap on Sunday.

Verstappen is looking to bounce back after a disappointing weekend in Singapore, finishing seventh, while his team-mate Sergio Perez claimed victory. Leclerc came home second, with Carlos Sainz in third.

Lewis Hamilton also endured a difficult Sunday in the rain of Singapore, finishing ninth after crashing into the barriers, while Mercedes team-mate George Russell came home in last place. Hamilton, still looking for his first win of the season, is a five-time winner in Japan.

Here is everything you need to know.

When and where is the next race?

Formula 1 returns to the famous Suzuka circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend - and it’s an early start for European fans.

First and second practice takes place at 4am and 7am (BST) respecively on Friday, before third practice at 4am on Saturday and qualifying at 7am (BST).

The race on Sunday starts at 6am (BST).

When is the Japanese Grand Prix?

F1 news: Max Verstappen reveals what he needs to win F1 world title in Japan

Thursday 6 October 2022 12:38 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen insists he needs the “perfect weekend” at the Japanese Grand Prix if he is to claim his second F1 world title at Suzuka.

The Red Bull driver has won 11 of 17 races so far this season and has a 104-point lead to Charles Leclerc with just five Grands Prix remaining. The 25-year-old will win the World Championship this Sunday if he wins the race and sets the fastest lap, while a race win alone would secure the title if Leclerc finishes lower than second.

There are a possible 138 points available until the end of the season – five race wins at 25 points each, a fastest lap point at each and eight points for the sprint race winner in Sao Paulo.

Yet Verstappen admitted in the pre-race press conference that he wasn’t focused too much on permutations and instead was looking to simply perform to the best of his ability.

Max Verstappen reveals what he needs to win F1 world title in Japan

F1 news: Daniel Ricciardo won’t be rushed into decision over next move in F1

Thursday 6 October 2022 12:14 , Kieran Jackson

Daniel Ricciardo insists he won’t be rushed into any decision regarding his F1 future with the 33-year-old still without a seat for next year.

The popular Australian is looking for his sixth team in Formula 1 after McLaren decided to end his contract a year early, with Oscar Piastri instead partnering Lando Norris in 2023.

It leaves Ricciardo currently without a drive next year, with options limited, and the ex-Red Bull driver previously hasn’t ruled out taking a year sabbatical away from the sport after eleven-and-a-half straight seasons.

There is currently a vacant seat at Alpine - though Ricciardo’s departure from Renault at the end of 2020 means a return is unlikely - while Haas could also be an option should Mick Schumacher’s contract at the team not be renewed. Williams are also looking for a replacement for Nicholas Latifi - and a spot could open up at AlphaTauri.

Yet Ricciardo insists he won’t rush his decision, as speculation mounts that he could take up a reserve role with Mercedes.

Daniel Ricciardo won’t be rushed into decision over next move in F1

F1 news: George Russell convinced Mercedes will have ‘complete car’ in 2023

Thursday 6 October 2022 11:58 , Kieran Jackson

George Russell is confident that Mercedes will craft a “more complete” car for the 2023 Formula 1 season after a shift of “philosophy” in development.

Russell has produced a series of strong performances in his first season in the Mercedes fold, but has struggled to regularly challenge Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who is set to secure a second consecutive world title with several races to spare.

The 24-year-old British driver sits fourth in the Drivers’ Championship standings, 33 points ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. Significant challenges with their W13 car mean that Mercedes are yet to win in 2022, with the team’s eight-year dominance of the Constructors’ Championship at an end. That has necessitated a shift of strategy and Russell has “every confidence” that he and his team will be more competitive next season.

“We have a philosophy that we’re going to be trying to adopt in our development and I’m very confident that is the correct one – but, equally, it doesn’t mean that we can necessarily achieve it,” said Russell after finishing 14th on an incident-plagued weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix.

George Russell convinced Mercedes will have ‘complete car’ in 2023

F1 news: ‘I’m not planning on going anywhere’: Lewis Hamilton could race for another five years

Thursday 6 October 2022 11:38 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton has hinted he could race for another five years after Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed the pair had recently spoken about his future. The seven-time world champion has one more year left of his Mercedes deal at the end of the current season.

Hamilton, 37, holds the record for the most wins, pole positions and podiums in Formula One history and is tied with Michael Schumacher for the most drivers’ championships. But he appears to be far from finished, Wolff revealing last weekend that “we sat down and he says ‘look, I have another five years in me, how do you see that?’”

Asked ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix if that was his plan, Hamilton replied: “I haven’t spoken to him (Wolff) about his comments but I can’t say just yet. Possibly, yes, I’m feeling good. I love what I’m doing. We have a lot of work to do, a lot to achieve still. So I’m not planning on going anywhere, any time soon.”

Wolff hailed Hamilton as the “shining star on and off track” in F1 and it was with one eye on his future out of the car where the Briton explained why he wants to remain in the sport for well beyond an additional five years.

Lewis Hamilton hints he could race for another five years

F1 news: Cost-cap figure and punishments

Thursday 6 October 2022 11:18 , Kieran Jackson

A reminder of what’s at stake with this ongoing cost-cap drama:

Formula 1 installed the sport’s first-ever budget cap in 2021, set at $145m (£114m).

Minor breach = overspend of less than 5%. Penalties could be:

- Deduction of Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship points

- Suspension form one of more stages of a competition

- Limitations on ability to conduct aerodynamic or other testing

- Reduction of the cost cap

Major breach - overspend of more than 5%. Penalties could be:

- Deduction of Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship points

- Suspension form one of more stages of a competition

- Suspension from an entire competition

- Exclusion from the Championship

- Reduction of the Cost Cap

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won last year’s World Championship by eight points to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

F1 news: F1 managing director Ross Brawn in 2019: ‘breach financial rules, lose your championship’

Thursday 6 October 2022 10:58 , Kieran Jackson

Formula 1 managing director and ex-Ferrari boss Ross Brawn warned back in 2019 - at the official launch of the sport’s new financial model and cost-cap plans - that teams who “breached financial regulations will be losing their championship.”

Three years ago, at a press conference in Texas, Brawn said: ‘Financial regulations are the dramatic change in F1.

“We’ve tried for these in the past, and we’ve not been successful. I think the crucial thing about the financial regulations now is that they are part of the FIA regulations.

“So the sanctions for breaching financial regulations will be sporting penalties of some sort, depending on the severity of the breach.

“Whereas before we had the resource restriction, which was a gentlemen’s agreement between teams – well there’s not many gentlemen in the paddock I’m afraid, and that was a failure.

“But this has teeth. If you fraudulently breach the financial regulations, you will be losing your championship. So it has serious consequences if teams breach these regulations.”

F1 news: Ferrari chief reveals why he believes F1’s ‘credibility is at stake’

Thursday 6 October 2022 10:40 , Kieran Jackson

Mattia Binotto, team principal at Ferrari, fears that Formula 1’s “credibility is at stake” as the FIA prepares to announce if any teams have breached the budget cap.

Rumours in the last week have suggested that two manufacturers may have exceeded the cost cap limit, with Red Bull and Aston Martin both denying speculation that they had overspent. Mercedes and Ferrari have said that they believe that one team has marginally breached the cap and another by a more significant figure.

The sport’s financial regulations define a minor breach as one less than 5% of the cap, set at $145m (£114m) in 2021, and a material one as more than that. But Binotto is certain that even a minor breach should be taken seriously.

“It’s definitely a shame that we are talking about it in October of the following season, because at this point, apart from implications on last year’s championship, there are also implications for the current one,” the Ferrari team principal told Sky Italia.

“Let’s wait until Wednesday before making a judgement but, whatever amount we are talking about, it’s important to understand that even if it is four million, which falls into the category of what is considered a minor breach, four million is not minor.”

Ferrari chief reveals why he believes F1’s ‘credibility is at stake’

F1 news: Abu Dhabi rivalry ‘popping back up again’ as Horner and Wolff needle each other

Thursday 6 October 2022 10:22 , Kieran Jackson

Mark Webber believes that the rivalry between Toto Wolff and Christian Horner is “popping back up again” as speculation continues about potential breaches of Formula 1’s budget cap.

The Mercedes and Red Bull team principals regularly clashed during the 2021 season throughout a closely-fought title rival between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

The Drivers’ Championship was eventually won in contentious circumstances by Red Bull’s Verstappen, with the ill-feeling between Wolff and Horner coming to a head during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after the controversial intervention of former race director Michael Masi.

Relations between the pair and the two teams have been rather more cordial this season with Verstappen cruising to a second consecutive crown and Mercedes’ largely uncompetitive, but rumours that Red Bull may have breached the 2021 budget cap have inflamed tensions.

Wolff suggested ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix that it was well known that Red Bull were being investigated over a breach, leading Horner to threaten legal action after what he described as “a completely unfounded allegation”.

Abu Dhabi rivalry ‘popping back up again’ between Christian Horner and Toto Wolff

F1 news: Red Bull forced to wait as FIA delay verdict on F1’s budget cap

Thursday 6 October 2022 09:58 , Kieran Jackson

The FIA have delayed announcing their highly-anticipated findings on the 2021 F1 budget cap until Monday.

News was expected today regarding the verdict, with Red Bull and Aston Martin facing unproven allegations that they are in breach of last year’s $145m (£115m) budget, though Christian Horner insists he is “absolutely confident” in Red Bull’s submission.

However as the clock ticked past midnight in Japan - where drivers and teams are gearing up for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend - F1’s governing body confirmed they have pushed back the announcement to Monday, describing the process as “long and complex.”

The FIA said: “The analysis of financial submissions is a long and complex process that is ongoing and will be concluded to enable the release of the Certificates on Monday, 10 October.” By Monday, Max Verstappen could be a two-time world champion - he will claim the 2022 Drivers Championship if he wins and sets the fastest lap at Suzuka.

Red Bull forced to wait as FIA delay verdict on F1’s budget cap

F1 news: What Max Verstappen needs to clinch the F1 world title in Japan this weekend

Thursday 6 October 2022 09:44 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen failed to claim his second world title in Singapore last weekend but his seventh-placed finish still means he is in prime position to wrap up the Championship at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old has a 104-point lead to Charles Leclerc at the top of the Driver Standings, with only the Ferrari man and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez (106 points behind) able to mathematically stop the Dutchman.

With the 2021 cost-cap saga being delayed to after this weekend’s Grand Prix, focus turns to action on track: here’s what Verstappen needs this weekend to wrap up a dominant title as F1 returns to Suzuka.

What Verstappen needs

Verstappen has won 11 races out of 17 this season and leads second-placed Leclerc by 104 points heading to Japan, the first of the five remaining races. There are a possible 138 points available until the end of the season – five race wins at 25 points each, a fastest lap point at each and eight points for the sprint race winner in Sao Paulo.

More below:

What Max Verstappen needs to clinch the F1 world title in Japan this weekend

F1 news: Lewis Hamilton - ‘It’s imperative’ that any F1 budget-cap breaches are punished

Thursday 6 October 2022 09:26 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton believes the integrity of Formula 1 would be damaged if a team were found to have broken the budget cap – insisting it is “imperative” that any breach is suitably punished.

The sport’s governing body, the FIA, has delayed its findings into whether any of the grid’s teams have broken the financial rules until Monday (10 October). It was anticipated that the FIA would reveal on Wednesday (6 October) those that failed to comply with last season’s £114million cap.

Red Bull faced unproven allegations at the Singapore Grand Prix that they exceeded F1’s costs cap last term – bringing into the spotlight the legitimacy of Max Verstappen’s already controversial championship win over Hamilton. The situation will now continue beyond the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend following the delay, with Hamilton keen for any wrongdoing to be correctly punished.

“I think it’s imperative, honestly, just for transparency,” the seven-time world champion said in Suzuka. “I think we need to continue to have transparency for the fans, for the integrity of the sport. I don’t really know enough about it. I know obviously there’s lots of conversations that are going on in the background. No one truly knows.”

Lewis Hamilton: ‘It’s imperative’ that any budget-cap breaches are punished