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F1 LIVE: Lewis Hamilton move to Red Bull dismissed for one clear reason

Christian Horner insists Red Bull won’t be moving to sign Lewis Hamilton for next year, adding that he “can’t see where we would be able to accommodate Lewis.”

Red Bull are the standout team in Formula 1 right now, having won both the Drivers and Constructors’ World Championship last year at a canter. They have produced an even quicker car this season, earning one-two finishes in the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, leaving their rivals for dead in qualifying and race-pace.

Yet Hamilton, whose deal at Mercedes expires at the end of the season, has not win in his last 25 races and while a fresh contract isn’t penned, rumours continue to swirl about his future in the sport. Former team principal Eddie Jordan believes Hamilton needs to move to Ferrari, but Red Bull boss Horner ruled out signing the seven-time world champion and is satisfied with his current driver pairing of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Elsewhere, Eddie Jordan insists Hamilton needs to move to Ferrari, Nico Rosberg insists Max Verstappen should be “more gracious” after the Red Bull driver showed his irritation post-race and Fernando Alonso poked fun at George Russell after podium swap.

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F1 news: Lewis Hamilton move to Red Bull ruled out by Christian Horner - for one reason

Friday 24 March 2023 17:45 , Kieran Jackson

Christian Horner insists Red Bull won’t be moving to sign Lewis Hamilton for next year, adding that he “can’t see where we would be able to accommodate Lewis.”

Red Bull are the standout team in Formula 1 right now, having won both the Drivers and Constructors’ World Championship last year at a canter.

They have produced an even quicker car this season, earning one-two finishes in the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, leaving their rivals for dead in qualifying and race-pace.

Yet Hamilton, whose deal at Mercedes expires at the end of the season, has not win in his last 25 races and while a fresh contract isn’t penned, rumours continue to swirl about his future in the sport.

Former team principal Eddie Jordan believes Hamilton needs to move to Ferrari, but Red Bull boss Horner ruled out signing the seven-time world champion and is satisfied with his current driver pairing of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Lewis Hamilton move to Red Bull ruled out - for one clear reason

F1 news - Joann Villeneuve interview: ‘You still feel the deception and the betrayal’

Friday 24 March 2023 17:17 , Kieran Jackson

Exclusive by Kieran Jackson

Amid the plethora of sub-plots to emerge in Formula 1, one constant year-on-year is the often chaotic dynamic between team-mates. Even as recently as Sunday in Saudi Arabia, with a bubbling of tension between Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, respect can quickly shift to animosity. One manoeuvre, one incident, one moment can change everything.

Sky’s new documentary, Villeneuve Pironi: Racing’s Untold Tragedy, tells the story of Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi in Formula 1. The pair were team-mates at Ferrari and, during the early stages of the 1982 season, their relationship soured. The consequences were devastating, with Canadian hero Villeneuve killed in Zolder, Belgium, after colliding with a car in qualifying as he pushed for pole above his team-mate. It was a heartbreaking, sudden end to a short tale, symbolising hostility and bitterness.

But more than anything, as Gilles’ wife Joann says in the film’s opening lines, it is a story about betrayal. A very deep betrayal.

The events of 40 years ago, having spurned numerous requests to tell the tale on the big screen, had to be addressed. The time was now for Joann and her family – including Gilles’ son, 1997 F1 world champion Jacques – to speak out.

“I have to say it brings up emotions that are not very comfortable,” Joann tells The Independent. “I always refused in the past, but this was the right time to do it.”

Joann Villeneuve interview: ‘You still feel the deception and the betrayal’

F1 news: Nico Rosberg slams Max Verstappen’s reaction to finishing second in Saudi Arabia

Friday 24 March 2023 16:51 , Kieran Jackson

Nico Rosberg insists Max Verstappen should be “more gracious” after the Red Bull driver failed to hide his irritation at coming second in Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The reigning world champion, who won the first race of the season in Bahrain, started P15 on the grid after a drive shaft failure scuppered his qualifying on Saturday.

However, the Dutchman stormed through the field in his rapid Red Bull, finishing second behind team-mate Sergio Perez.

Despite another Red Bull one-two Verstappen was unhappy in the post-race press conference, emphasising that he is “not here to finish second.”

Rosberg, the 2016 world champion with Mercedes, was decidedly unimpressed by Verstappen’s reaction in light of the team’s success in Jeddah.

Nico Rosberg slams Max Verstappen’s reaction to finishing second in Saudi Arabia

F1 news: Lewis Hamilton warns Mercedes over Red Bull innovation

Friday 24 March 2023 16:24 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes should not just adopt Red Bull-esque sidepods as it could make their troubled W14 car even slower.

Mercedes raised eyebrows at their 2023 car launch when they opted to persevere with their unique ‘no-sidepod’ design from last year, which saw the Silver Arrows relinquish their No 1 tag as they dropped to third in the pack behind Red Bull and Ferrari.

And the gap to Red Bull – who are the runaway team at the front currently – has grown after two races this season, with Christian Horner’s team earning a pair of one-two finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has acknowledged that a change in innovation is needed this season, with a new design in the works for the coming months, but seven-time world champion Hamilton warned his team about simply copying Red Bull’s flawless design.

“I think we have what we have and we’re going to continue to try to work on it and extract more from it, and then we’ll see how quick that can happen, or whether that’s possible with the concept we have,” Hamilton said in Jeddah at the weekend.

Lewis Hamilton warns Mercedes over Red Bull car innovation

F1 news: McLaren axe technical director James Key

Friday 24 March 2023 15:53 , Kieran Jackson

McLaren have parted ways with technical director James Key after a start to the season which has seen the Woking-based team fail to score a point.

Key, largely responsible for the car’s design, has come under increased scrutiny after a start to the 2023 campaign which has seen both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggle with reliability problems and a severe lack of straight-line speed.

New team principal Andrea Stella, who took over from new Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl in the off-season, has been evaluating McLaren’s pitwall operations alogngside CEO Zak Brown.

And Key’s removal comes alongside a host of changes, including replacing the role of technical director with three specialised roles.

Peter Prodromou will be the new Technial Director, Aerodynamics, while Neil Houldey is promoted to the new role of Technical Director, Engineering and Design.

McLaren axe technical director James Key after tough start to season

F1 news: F1 boss urged to correct ‘false’ Bahrain Grand Prix protest claims

Friday 24 March 2023 15:12 , Kieran Jackson

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has been urged to correct “false” claims about the arrest of Bahraini protestors prior to the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Reports emerged that four Bahraini political protestors were arrested near the Bahrain International Circuit on 5 March, speaking out against sportswashing of human rights abuses in the Gulf country.

Yet the Bahraini government deny that any arrests took place, a view shared by Formula 1, despite evidence first-hand by the protestors and the UK government confirming the arrests.

Now Domenicali has been urged by Paul Scriven, a Liberal Democrat life peer, to correct and respond to these “false” claims about the arrests, as well as speak out “regarding executions and the right to protest without risk of reprisals” in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

The two Gulf countries hosted the first two races of the 2023 season.

F1 boss Stefano Domenicali urged to correct ‘false’ Bahrain protest claims

F1 news: Lewis Hamilton move to Red Bull ruled out by Christian Horner - for one reason

Friday 24 March 2023 14:38 , Kieran Jackson

Christian Horner insists Red Bull won’t be moving to sign Lewis Hamilton for next year, adding that he “can’t see where we would be able to accommodate Lewis.”

Red Bull are the standout team in Formula 1 right now, having won both the Drivers and Constructors’ World Championship last year at a canter.

They have produced an even quicker car this season, earning one-two finishes in the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, leaving their rivals for dead in qualifying and race-pace.

Yet Hamilton, whose deal at Mercedes expires at the end of the season, has not win in his last 25 races and while a fresh contract isn’t penned, rumours continue to swirl about his future in the sport.

Former team principal Eddie Jordan believes Hamilton needs to move to Ferrari, but Red Bull boss Horner ruled out signing the seven-time world champion and is satisfied with his current driver pairing of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Lewis Hamilton move to Red Bull ruled out - for one clear reason

F1 news: Lando Norris reveals why he failed driving test in podcast with Tom Daley

Friday 24 March 2023 14:21 , Kieran Jackson

Lando Norris has amusingly revealed he failed his driving theory test first time round in a light-hearted podcast conversation with Tom Daley.

The McLaren driver, who is currently competing in his fifth season in Formula 1, appeared on Olympic diving champion Daley’s new podcast, Made With Love, and spoke about a variety of issues.

As well as divulging his theory test failure, Norris admitted he is more nervous driving on regular roads than the racetrack in F1.

“I’ve never been so sad in my life,” Norris told Daley, when reflecting on failing his theory.

“I feel like that’s when you need more brains and that’s just what I struggled with at the time. But second time and practical I passed, with flying colours.

Lando Norris reveals why he failed driving test in podcast with Tom Daley

F1 news: Lewis Hamilton makes astonishing Red Bull claim after Saudi Arabian GP

Friday 24 March 2023 13:55 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton said Red Bull have built the fastest Formula One car he has ever seen after Sergio Perez saw off Max Verstappen to win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Perez cantered to victory from pole position at the circuit on the Jeddah Corniche as Verstappen blasted his way from 15th to second following a mechanical failure in qualifying.

George Russell originally took third place after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was demoted a position following a controversial post-race 10-second penalty but Alonso was reinstated in third at 1am local time following a successful appeal by Aston Martin.

Hamilton finished fifth, moving up two places from his qualifying position of seventh.

Red Bull have moved to another stratosphere this year, and their crushing one-two finish – a fortnight after they ruled the season-opener in Bahrain – will be a cause of major concern for Formula One bosses ahead of a record 23-round campaign. Red Bull have now won 12 of the last 13 races staged.

More below:

Lewis Hamilton makes astonishing Red Bull claim after Saudi Arabian GP

F1 news: Why are Red Bull so quick – and can anyone stop their F1 title charge?

Friday 24 March 2023 13:29 , Kieran Jackson

Comment by Kieran Jackson

Come on then, who’d have thought this was how it’d turn out already? No, really. Red Bull’s margin of victory in last year’s Constructors’ Championship was a mammoth 205 points but in 2023, that could well be surpassed. In fact, never mind surpassed: ridiculed and knocked out the park.

Just two races down and after a pair of comfortable – bordering on effortless – one-two triumphs, the gap is 49 points to Aston Martin in second. The only point Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen have missed out on was the fastest lap in Bahrain. There’s 21 grand prix left; 27 races including sprints. The signs, for the rest of the pack, are nothing but scarily ominous.

There can be no doubt where most of the acclaim should be directed. Superstar designer Adrian Newey has created arguably his greatest beast yet; the RB19 was described as an evolution of 2022’s all-conquering machine and boy has that proved an underestimation.

Swap evolution for upgrade. Double upgrade. Aerodynamically supreme, as illustrated by the unstoppable surge in speed down the straights with DRS, this breed of car is lightning through the corners too. Their dominance in Saudi Arabia over the weekend was monumental: they topped all five sessions including practice.

Not that he needs an invitation, Christian Horner was basking in the prospect of his team’s greatest ever season.

Why are Red Bull so quick – and can anyone stop their F1 title charge?

F1 news - Joann Villeneuve interview: ‘You still feel the deception and the betrayal’

Friday 24 March 2023 12:54 , Kieran Jackson

Exclusive by Kieran Jackson

Amid the plethora of sub-plots to emerge in Formula 1, one constant year-on-year is the often chaotic dynamic between team-mates. Even as recently as Sunday in Saudi Arabia, with a bubbling of tension between Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, respect can quickly shift to animosity. One manoeuvre, one incident, one moment can change everything.

Sky’s new documentary, Villeneuve Pironi: Racing’s Untold Tragedy, tells the story of Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi in Formula 1. The pair were team-mates at Ferrari and, during the early stages of the 1982 season, their relationship soured. The consequences were devastating, with Canadian hero Villeneuve killed in Zolder, Belgium, after colliding with a car in qualifying as he pushed for pole above his team-mate. It was a heartbreaking, sudden end to a short tale, symbolising hostility and bitterness.

But more than anything, as Gilles’ wife Joann says in the film’s opening lines, it is a story about betrayal. A very deep betrayal.

The events of 40 years ago, having spurned numerous requests to tell the tale on the big screen, had to be addressed. The time was now for Joann and her family – including Gilles’ son, 1997 F1 world champion Jacques – to speak out.

“I have to say it brings up emotions that are not very comfortable,” Joann tells The Independent. “I always refused in the past, but this was the right time to do it.”

Joann Villeneuve interview: ‘You still feel the deception and the betrayal’

F1 news: Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has no problem with Red Bull’s dominance

Friday 24 March 2023 12:23 , Kieran Jackson

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has sided with rival Christian Horner in defending Red Bull’s dominant start to the new season.

Sergio Perez led home team-mate Max Verstappen at Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Red Bull secured their second crushing one-two finish in as many races.

Red Bull have now won 12 of the last 13 races, with Lewis Hamilton describing their machine as the fastest he has ever seen.

However, there are fears that Red Bull’s superiority could prove a turn-off for Formula One fans, undoing the sport’s dramatic surge in popularity in recent years.

But Wolff, who oversaw Mercedes’ run of eight consecutive constructors’ world championships, said: “We have had those years where we were as strong, but it is a meritocracy.

Mercedes chief has no problem with Red Bull’s dominance

F1 news: Lando Norris ‘put in headlock and robbed of £144,000 watch’ after Euro 2020 final

Friday 24 March 2023 11:58 , Kieran Jackson

Lando Norris was put in a headlock and robbed of his £144,000 watch after the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, a court heard on Monday.

The Formula 1 star, then 21, was accosted in a car park outside the stadium by two men, with one gripping him in a headlock and the other ripping the Richard Mille 67-02 designer watch – one of only five in the world – from his wrist.

Liam Williams, 25, of Bootle in Merseyside, is accused of being the man snatching the watch, with Harrow Crown Court hearing that Williams allegedly left DNA on the McLaren driver’s wrist.

Williams has pleaded not guilty to one count of robbing Norris outside Wembley on 11 July 2021, when England lost on penalties to Italy in the final of the European Championships. He appeared in court on Monday wearing a navy blue t-shirt and grey ripped jeans.

In his statement given on July 12, Norris told police he parked his orange £165,000 McLaren GT sportscar in a VIP ‘Yellow’ car park outside the stadium travelling to the game with a friend called Max.

Norris ‘put in headlock and robbed of £144,000 watch’ after Euro 2020 final

F1 news: Nico Rosberg slams Max Verstappen’s reaction to finishing second in Saudi Arabia

Friday 24 March 2023 11:45 , Kieran Jackson

Nico Rosberg insists Max Verstappen should be “more gracious” after the Red Bull driver failed to hide his irritation at coming second in Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The reigning world champion, who won the first race of the season in Bahrain, started P15 on the grid after a drive shaft failure scuppered his qualifying on Saturday.

However, the Dutchman stormed through the field in his rapid Red Bull, finishing second behind team-mate Sergio Perez.

Despite another Red Bull one-two Verstappen was unhappy in the post-race press conference, emphasising that he is “not here to finish second.”

Rosberg, the 2016 world champion with Mercedes, was decidedly unimpressed by Verstappen’s reaction in light of the team’s success in Jeddah.

Nico Rosberg slams Max Verstappen’s reaction to finishing second in Saudi Arabia

F1 news: McLaren axe technical director James Key

Friday 24 March 2023 11:41 , Kieran Jackson

McLaren have parted ways with technical director James Key after a start to the season which has seen the Woking-based team fail to score a point.

Key, largely responsible for the car’s design, has come under increased scrutiny after a start to the 2023 campaign which has seen both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggle with reliability problems and a severe lack of straight-line speed.

New team principal Andrea Stella, who took over from new Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl in the off-season, has been evaluating McLaren’s pitwall operations alogngside CEO Zak Brown.

And Key’s removal comes alongside a host of changes, including replacing the role of technical director with three specialised roles.

Peter Prodromou will be the new Technial Director, Aerodynamics, while Neil Houldey is promoted to the new role of Technical Director, Engineering and Design.

McLaren axe technical director James Key after tough start to season

F1 news: Lewis Hamilton move to Red Bull ruled out by Christian Horner - for one reason

Friday 24 March 2023 11:38 , Kieran Jackson

Christian Horner insists Red Bull won’t be moving to sign Lewis Hamilton for next year, adding that he “can’t see where we would be able to accommodate Lewis.”

Red Bull are the standout team in Formula 1 right now, having won both the Drivers and Constructors’ World Championship last year at a canter.

They have produced an even quicker car this season, earning one-two finishes in the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, leaving their rivals for dead in qualifying and race-pace.

Yet Hamilton, whose deal at Mercedes expires at the end of the season, has not win in his last 25 races and while a fresh contract isn’t penned, rumours continue to swirl about his future in the sport.

Former team principal Eddie Jordan believes Hamilton needs to move to Ferrari, but Red Bull boss Horner ruled out signing the seven-time world champion and is satisfied with his current driver pairing of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Lewis Hamilton move to Red Bull ruled out - for one clear reason