F1 news LIVE: ‘Race control too easy to influence’ as Red Bull’s Juri Vips sorry for using racist language

F1’s race control remains too easy to manipulate during a grand prix, claims Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, after he was apparently forced into the pits by the gamesmanship of Esteban Ocon in Montreal last weekend. The ability to influence race control came under scrunity as Max Verstappen’s infamous win over Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi last year and Magnussen believes it was susceptible to outside pressure when Ocon said over radio that damage on the Haas was potentiall dangerous and needed fixing in the pits, with an FIA order soon following.

Meanwhile Formula 2 driver Juri Vips has been suspended by Red Bull after using racist language during a live gaming stream. The 21-year-old Estonian has been stood down from all team duties pending an investigation to the incident.

Vips, currently in his third F2 season, took to his Instagram account to apologise for his “unacceptable” language. He said: “I wish to unreservedly apologise for the offensive language used during a live gaming stream earlier today. This language is entirely unacceptable and does not portray the values and principles that I hold. I deeply regret my actions and this is not the example I with to set. I will co-operate with the investigation fully.”

Follow all the latest F1 news and build-up to the British Grand Prix below.

Latest F1 news

• Red Bull suspend Juri Vips over use of racist language

• Christian Horner reveals ‘element of theatre’ in Netflix scene

• Race control still too easy to influence, says Magnussen

Rival F1 team boss behaviour “pitiful” and “disingenuous” says Wolff

Wednesday 22 June 2022 16:56 , Lawrence Ostlere

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has slammed the behaviour of rival Formula 1 team bosses as “pitiful” and “disingenuous” amid the row over porpoising at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Following the FIA’s intervention to solve safety concerns expressed by a number of drivers, most vocally Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, over the ‘porpoising’ issues, Mercedes has found itself in the middle of a heated debate.

During Friday’s qualifying they ran with a second floor stay as allowed by the FIA’s pre-event technical directive but rival teams questioned whether or not the team had had advance notice of the changes to get them ready in time – something which Mercedes denied. Then it ws claimed that the stay was actually illegal as the FIA had not changed the regulations to allow it and it was removed for Saturday after Mercedes said it had not delivered any improvement.

Wolff believes that rival teams are briefing their drivers to play down safety concerns so as to not encourage the FIA to intervene even quicker and the disagreements between Mercedes and its rivals are understood to have reached a head in a meeting of team principals with Wolff expressing his anger at others for playing political games.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has slammed the behaviour of rival Formula 1 team bosses as “pitiful” and “disingenuous” amid the row over porpoising at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Following the FIA’s intervention to solve safety concerns expressed by a number of drivers, most vocally Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, over the ‘porpoising’ issues, Mercedes has found itself in the middle of a heated debate.

During Friday’s qualifying they ran with a second floor stay as allowed by the FIA’s pre-event technical directive but rival teams questioned whether or not the team had had advance notice of the changes to get them ready in time – something which Mercedes denied. Then it ws claimed that the stay was actually illegal as the FIA had not changed the regulations to allow it and it was removed for Saturday after Mercedes said it had not delivered any improvement.

Wolff believes that rival teams are briefing their drivers to play down safety concerns so as to not encourage the FIA to intervene even quicker and the disagreements between Mercedes and its rivals are understood to have reached a head in a meeting of team principals with Wolff expressing his anger at others for playing political games.

‘It was proper racing’ says Verstappen on battle with Sainz

Wednesday 22 June 2022 16:37 , Lawrence Ostlere

Max Verstappen won the Canadian Grand Prix and extended his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship to 46 points after withstanding a late onslaught from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

Verstappen was looking set for a relatively stress-free afternoon in Montreal, leading comfortably in the opening stages but a crash from Yuki Tsunoda brough the safety car out allowing Sainz to pit and close up behind the Red Bull. The pair then engaged in a fascinating 16-lap battle to the chequered flag with Verstappen holding onto first to win by just 0.993s.

“It was a tough race,” said the world champion, “I expected to have a little bit more pace, but we seemed to lack a little bit compared to Carlos… It was a bit more difficult than I expected.

“We did our strategy, and I think for us it worked, that was the right one to do. At that second stop, of course I had the fresher tyres and I was closing in on Carlos, but I wasn’t sure if I’d actually fully close that gap to the end of the race.

“But then the Safety Car came out and I was also not very happy with that, because then I knew of course he had fresh tyres behind me, and already with I think a little bit more pace compared to me… But the last 15, 16 laps, we were flat-out pushing to the limit, and I knew of course that I couldn’t make a mistake. But it was good racing. It’s always more enjoyable to be able to really push in a Formula 1 car instead of just saving your tyres.

“It was proper racing, proper pushing. I had my moments where I had a bit of oversteer, then I looked in the mirror and I saw Carlos having the same amount of moments! So it was really on the edge but that’s good to see.”

Canada GP a ‘frustrating’ race for Leclerc

Wednesday 22 June 2022 16:21 , Lawrence Ostlere

Charles Leclerc was able to mitigate the damage caused by his lowly start by finishing fifth in the Canadian Grand Prix, but was left ruing a “frustrating” race.

“It was very frustrating actually,” the 24-year-old told Sky Sports F1. “The last part was nice but obviously the very first part I was stuck in a DRS train and couldn’t do anything.

“Then in the middle part of the race I found myself stuck behind Esteban [Ocon] on much newer tyres so he had very good traction and that was enough to keep me behind.

“Then we had a slow pit stop and fell behind another DRS train, but the end was quite fun. I had to be aggressive to get more points and fifth is the best we could manage.

“Overall the feeling was good and that’s a good sign. Whether it would have been enough to Red Bull I don’t know, but it has been close all season and I felt like Carlos [Sainz] was quite strong today. This shows that it would have been close.”

Can Max Verstappen be stopped in his bid for a second straight F1 title?

Wednesday 22 June 2022 16:02 , Lawrence Ostlere

Max Verstappen raced to victory at Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix to extend his championship lead to 46 points.

With Formula One returning to Montreal for the first time in three years, it was the Red Bull of Verstappen which took the chequered flag to move 46 points clear at the top of the standings.

Carlos Sainz was fast in the closing stages following a period behind the safety car but could not find a way past Verstappen and had to settle for second place, the pair joined on the podium by Lewis Hamilton - the man who Verstappen beat to his maiden world title in 2021.

Here we look at the factors which might stand in the way of Verstappen charging to his second title in succession:

Can Max Verstappen be stopped in his bid for a second straight F1 title?

‘We deserved more than ninth,’ says Alonso

Wednesday 22 June 2022 14:47 , Lawrence Ostlere

Fernando Alonso threatened a massive upset after finishing qualifying on the front row in P2 alongside Red Bull’s Max Verstappen but engines issues and a bit of misfortune with the virtual safety car cost the Alpine valuable time during Sunday’s race before a five second penalty for weaving dropped the two-time world champion down to P9 after the race.

“Yeah, we were unlucky once more with the VSC,” said Alonso. “I was just on the start-finish line when it came and I was just entering the pits when it ended so we decided to stay out, so I was a little bit unlucky there. But the biggest problem was the engine, we had an engine problem in Lap 20 or something like that.

“I was losing, like, one second a lap with the engine deployment, and from that moment we forgot about the podium, or retiring the car, we were just staying on the DRS train with the cars in front just to defend. But it was very difficult to stay with Esteban [Ocon] or Charles [Leclerc] because on the straights we were losing one second.

“I think this weekend we deserved better than ninth position,” he added, “but it’s still good for both cars to score points in the end. We ultimately lost a big opportunity to fight for a potential podium as I felt like I had the pace to do so.”

Wolff pleased with Mercedes progress in Canada

Wednesday 22 June 2022 14:33 , Lawrence Ostlere

Toto Wolff is pleased with the progress Mercedes have made in Canada this weekend, and believes Lewis Hamitlon and George Russell could be competitive enough to challenge for the win at Silverstone next time out.

“They were both very good,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1. “We showed good pace today. In terms of performance they were both good in the race on different setups. The hairpin is where hey put new asphalt and we suffered less from stiffness there. I don’t think that’s the case [that we’re back], we need to keep working.

“We need to develop the car in a different window than we had. We had it really low on the ground and that clerly wasn’t working. You can’t drive it there, so we lift it and lift it and lift it, but then you lose downforce. It’s always a compromise. We need to own the problem and that’s what we’re doing. Before you embark on next season’s car you need to understand the problems first.

“Within the team Lewis was always positive. How the two work together is astonishing. I’m happy for him because he had the bad luck on his side so far this season, and he could have been on the podium a few times but safety cars stopped it. If we are able to run the car low then we can be competitive at Silverstone. So let’s see.”

Red Bull suspend junior driver over racist language

Wednesday 22 June 2022 14:16 , Michael Jones

Red Bull has suspended Formula 2 driver Juri Vips after he used racist language during a live gaming stream.

The reigning world champions have stood down the 21-year-old from team duties with an investigation surrounding the Estonian and the incident on Tuesday set to take place.

“Red Bull Racing has suspended junior driver Juri Vips from all team duties with immediate effect, pending a full investigation into the incident,” read a statement on Red Bull Racing’s official Twitter account.

“As an organisation, we condemn abuse of any kind and have a zero-tolerance policy to racist language or behaviour within our organisation.”

Red Bull suspend junior driver over racist language

Verstappen moves above Clark and Lauda

Wednesday 22 June 2022 14:04 , Michael Jones

Max Verstappen’s victory in Montreal is significant not only in terms of the 2022 drivers’ championship but it also moves the 24-year-old to 26 career race wins and puts him above the legendary World Champions Jim Clark and Niki Lauda on the all time greats list.

A victory at Silverstone next time out will see Verstappen draw level with Jackie Stewart too.

‘We deserved more than ninth’ says Alonso

Wednesday 22 June 2022 13:54 , Michael Jones

Fernando Alonso threatened a massive upset after finishing qualifying on the front row in P2 alongside Red Bull’s Max Verstappen but engines issues and a bit of misfortune with the virtual safety car cost the Alpine valuable time during Sunday’s race before a five second penalty for weaving dropped the two-time world champion down to P9 after the race.

“Yeah, we were unlucky once more with the VSC,” said Alonso. “I was just on the start-finish line when it came and I was just entering the pits when it ended so we decided to stay out, so I was a little bit unlucky there. But the biggest problem was the engine, we had an engine problem in Lap 20 or something like that.

“I was losing, like, one second a lap with the engine deployment, and from that moment we forgot about the podium, or retiring the car, we were just staying on the DRS train with the cars in front just to defend. But it was very difficult to stay with Esteban [Ocon] or Charles [Leclerc] because on the straights we were losing one second.

“I think this weekend we deserved better than ninth position,” he added, “but it’s still good for both cars to score points in the end. We ultimately lost a big opportunity to fight for a potential podium as I felt like I had the pace to do so.”

Alonso bemoans engine trouble and lack of luck

Wednesday 22 June 2022 13:43 , Michael Jones

After a stellar Q3 at the Canadian Grand Prix - where he finished second behind Max Verstappen - Alpine’s Fernando Alonso but could only finish seventh at the end of the race behind teammate Esteban Ocon.

Alonso was left ruing an engine issue which cost him speed in a straight line and a futher penalty for weaving dropped him down to ninth in what was a raceday to forget for the 40-year-old.

“On the safety car we were unlucky,” Alonso explained. “We decided to box just after the safety car ended. Other people behind us got lucky once more and overtook us.

“In Lap 20 or something I had an engine problem with the battery, I was clipping on the straights and losing eight tenths per lap. I had to overdrive in the corners to try to keep the pace and the DRS. It was a very difficult race.

“Still positive. The car was very quick this weekend. Without the engine problem we were P3 in the race ahead of Lewis. Without the engine problem that was still possible.”

Can Max Verstappen be stopped in his bid for a second straight F1 title?

Wednesday 22 June 2022 13:30 , Michael Jones

Max Verstappen raced to victory at Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix to extend his championship lead to 46 points.

With Formula One returning to Montreal for the first time in three years, it was the Red Bull of Verstappen which took the chequered flag to move 46 points clear at the top of the standings.

Carlos Sainz was fast in the closing stages following a period behind the safety car but could not find a way past Verstappen and had to settle for second place, the pair joined on the podium by Lewis Hamilton - the man who Verstappen beat to his maiden world title in 2021.

Here we look at the factors which might stand in the way of Verstappen charging to his second title in succession.

Can Max Verstappen be stopped in his bid for a second straight F1 title?

Max Verstappen details key to defending Carlos Sainz to land Canadian Grand Prix

Wednesday 22 June 2022 13:20 , Michael Jones

Max Verstappen revealed that finding the perfect racing line at the corner before the DRS zones was decisive in holding off Carlos Sainz to win the Canadian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was the dominant force all weekend in Montreal and looked set for a comfortable victory until a safety car after Yuki Tsunoda crashed out tightened up the field in the closing stages.

It ensured a 15-lap shootout to decide the race and - despite being on slightly older tyres, as well as his pursuant having the benefit of DRS speed boosts - Verstappen demonstrated his incredible driving skill to keep Sainz at bay.

The Ferrari had greater straight-line speed and the long back straight at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve enabled the Spaniard to use DRS to get up to the Red Bull’s rear wing but he was unable to get past at either the final corner or Turn 1 of the following lap.

Max Verstappen details key to defending Carlos Sainz to land Canadian Grand Prix

Brown reveals Andretti’s attempt at F1 entry is “meeting a lot of resistance”

Wednesday 22 June 2022 13:10 , Michael Jones

McLaren CEO Zak Brown recently revealed that the Andretti family’s attempts to enter Formula 1 are meeting lot of resistance but that he hopes in their bid may be accepted by the time the next set of new regulations comes into effect.

The Andretti team has made it very clear that they want to be a part of F1 as soon as possible with both Michael and Mario Andretti confident about the team’s resources and feel they can become a competitive force in F1.

The sport’s recent expansion and growth make the addition of an 11th team seem a reasonable next step, and Stefano Domenicali has already revealed that several parties are interested in joining F1.

But, with the newly implemented Concorde Agreement and entry fee (requiring new teams to pay an estimated $200 million), Domenicali has downplayed the importance of another team joining F1.

No team has entered F1 post-Concorde Agreement, there is no fixed timeline on when there will be a response to Andretti’s advances but Brown hopes the bid ‘isn’t dead’.

"I hope it’s not dead, but it certainly seems like it’s meeting a lot of resistance.” He told Sports Business Journal.

“I wouldn’t want to comment on what I think the right number is [for the entry fee] but what I would say is the value of an F1 franchise - from when the Concorde Agreement was signed to now - it’s grown rapidly.

“Ultimately, it’s up to F1 to decide what the right number to buy in is.”

Drivers standings after Verstappen wins Canadian Grand Prix

Wednesday 22 June 2022 12:55 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here are the current drivers’ standings after Max Verstappen won the Canadian Grand Prix.

1) Max Verstappen - 175

2) Sergio Perez - 129

3) Charles Leclerc - 126

4) George Russell - 111

5) Carlos Sainz - 102

6) Lewis Hamilton - 77

7) Lando Norris - 50

8) Valtteri Bottas - 44

9) Esteban Ocon - 39

10) Fernando Alonso - 22

11) Pierre Gasly - 16

12) Kevin Magnussen - 15

13) Daniel Ricciardo - 15

14) Sebastian Vettel - 13

15) Yuki Tsunoda - 11

16) Zhou Guanyu - 3

17) Alex Albon - 3

18 ) Lance Stroll - 3

19) Mick Schumacher - 0

20) Nico Hulkenberg - 0

21) Nicholas Latifi - 0

Constructors’ standings after Red Bull win Canadian Grand Prix

Wednesday 22 June 2022 12:35 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here are the current constructors’ standings after Red Bull won their sixth successive race at the Canadian Grand Prix.

1) Red Bull - 304

2) Ferrari - 228

3) Mercedes - 188

4) McLaren - 65

5) Alpine - 61

6) Alfa Romeo - 47

7) AlphaTauri - 27

8) Aston Martin - 16

9) Haas - 15

10) Williams - 3

Binotto hopes Leclerc can ‘attack’ next few races

Wednesday 22 June 2022 12:15 , Michael Jones

Ferrari boss, Mattia Binotto spoke about the performance of Charles Leclerc in the Canadian Grand Prix and how the decision to take penalties for changes to his power unit was taken early in the week.

Leclerc started at the back of the grid in P19 but a battling race on Sunday sawy him fight through the pack to claim a P5 finish to limit the damage of taking on board the new equipment.

Binotto hopes the new gear on the car can allow Leclerc to “attack” over the next few races and help Ferrari claw back some of the 76-point deficit on Red Bull who have won the last six races on the bounce.

“It was something we decided very soon after Baku [to take the power unit penalty],” said Binotto. “So, it is something he has been aware of for many days, to adjust and prepare for the race weekend, he knew he would be starting from the back of the grid today on the race.

“So even his Friday, Saturday programme was focussed on the high-fuel runs to make sure he was prepared for the race itself. It is certainly a frustrating situation for a driver… The race would have required a lot of patience, which was certainly the case; you would like certainly to overtake but you cannot because there is a DRS train or because your tyres are worn.

“But finally, limiting the damage, starting from the back, finishing fifth is still a good race result and I know he’s got fresh power units for the next races certainly. We’ve got four races until the summer break – that will be important to him where he can attack, and let’s try to somehow recover some points if we can.”

Toto Wolff sends warning to Lewis Hamilton despite Canadian Grand Prix podium

Wednesday 22 June 2022 12:04 , Michael Jones

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has warned Lewis Hamilton that “one swallow doesn’t make a summer” after the seven-time world champion secured his first podium in nearly three months at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Hamilton will head into his home race at the British Grand Prix a week on Sunday with renewed rigour after he recovered from a back injury in Azerbaijan to finish third in Montreal - his best result since the opening round in Bahrain on 27 March.

Max Verstappen took the chequered flag to claim his sixth win in nine appearances and the sixth in succession for the world champion’s in-form Red Bull team.

Toto Wolff sends warning to Lewis Hamilton despite Canadian Grand Prix podium

Haas form a concern for Magnussen

Wednesday 22 June 2022 11:55 , Michael Jones

Perhaps the biggest losers at the Canadian Grand Prix who the duo from Haas. Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher qualified P5 and P6 respectively on Saturday and hopes of a double-points finish were high for the American team.

They were quickly dashed as Magnussen was forced into an early stop due to his front wing making contact with Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes on the opening lap and he could only recover to come home 17th.

Haas’ hopes of points then rested with Schumacher but his race ended early due to a power unit issue on lap 18. The German driver, who is still chasing his first points in Formula 1, described his retirement as “unfortunate,” while believing there are still positives for his team to take forward.

“We had a PU issue which was very unfortunate,” said Schumacher. “I think we were having a good race up to that point. Our feeling in the car was great and I think that the pace was looking not too bad either. Quite upsetting but hey, we still have a few more races to go.

“In terms of pace, yesterday but also today it looked very strong. It’s a good thing, we can take it away from here and, you know, put it into play for Silverstone.”

Kevin Magnussen admitted that Haas’s form of late is a concern - they have gone five races without picking up points.

“Yeah, it’s frustrating [how the race finished], four races or something we haven’t scored points so we want to try to get in the points soon,” admitted Magnussen.

“The FIA thought we had to pit [after the collision with Hamilton] with that. You know it was nothing, this was normal. You’ve got to be able to finish the race with a little bit of scratches on your car, you can’t have it in one piece. I get it if the whole front wing is hanging by one stay or whatever, but it was nothing, so I don’t get it.”

Nico Rosberg advises George Russell on life as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate

Wednesday 22 June 2022 11:46 , Michael Jones

Nico Rosberg says George Russell’s “phenomenal” form will provide ultra motivation for Lewis Hamilton because the seven-time world champion “hates” losing to a team-mate.

Hamilton, 37, claimed his first podium in almost three months when he finished third at Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix – one place ahead of Russell in the other Mercedes.

But Russell, in his first season alongside Hamilton, is 34 points ahead of his more illustrious team-mate in the standings.

The result in Montreal on Sunday brought an end to a run of eight races – including Imola’s sprint round – where Hamilton has taken the chequered flag behind his compatriot.

Nico Rosberg advises George Russell on life as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate

Mercedes F1 push for FIA help on porpoising has “backfired” says Marko

Wednesday 22 June 2022 11:38 , Michael Jones

Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko believes Mercedes’ calls for the FIA to intervene on porpoising in Formula 1 has “backfired”.

Mercedes’ drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have been very vocal in asking the FIA to address the extreme bouncing on safety grounds leading to a technical directive from the governing body being issued ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.

The TD revealed plans to impose a vertical oscillating metric that would force teams to limit the bouncing of their cars, or risk having to raise ride height and on top of that teams are to be allowed to take extra measures to strengthen their floors – which included the addition of a second floor stay.

The FIA’s technical directive doe not strictly follow the right procedures in terms of making rule changes and caused uneasiness in the paddock over the weekend and Marko believes Mercedes’ lobbying will be to their own detriement.

The planned bouncing limit is expected to come into play later in the year, possibly in time for the British Grand Prix, and with the need to run Mercedes’ W13 close to the ground to deliver its maximum performance the team are at risk of being forced by the FIA to raise the ride height to avoid bouncing.

Marko, and the wider Red Bull team, do not see the need for the FIA to get involved and think Mercedes should be able to deal with the matter themselves. Speaking to Motorsport.com Marko said: “In German we say: ‘der Schuss ging nach hinten los’. So it basically backfired for Mercedes.

“I fully agree with Max [Verstappen], it is not correct to change something like this during the season. It can’t be the FIA who is making our set-ups. Changing the ride height means changing the set-up and the FIA can’t do that. My next point is that all of this is the result of one team having problems.

“That team should just sort out their own problems and not affect the other teams. I think there are too many parameters which are not clear yet so I think the FIA has to come up with another clarification.”

Binotto ‘not surprised’ by strong Sainz performance in Canada

Wednesday 22 June 2022 11:30 , Michael Jones

Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto believes Carlos Sainz is “gaining confidence” in the team’s car, after the driver took second place at the Canadian Grand Prix after engaging in a late battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Earlier in the season Sainz himself admitted having trouble adapting to the new car but the result in Montreal is his fifth podium finish of the season and was a great comeback after a DNF in Baku.

Sainz started the race from P3 on the grid - behind Verstappen and Fernando Alonso - but quickly overtook his countryman and at times was the fastest man on the track. But despite failing to reign in Verstappen in the dying laps Binotto believes that Sainz is getting “faster and faster”.

“Honestly, it was not a surprise [that Sainz was the fastest man on track],” said Binotto. “If you look at the race sim on Friday, Carlos was very strong already and we were very close to the Red Bulls.

“So, we knew we could fight; how much closer it would have been after Friday, no idea, but we know that our car is competitive. Carlos is gaining confidence with the car, he is driving faster and faster and it’s good to see that… he was certainly as fast, if not slightly faster, than Max.”

Vettel left frustrated by Canadian GP result

Wednesday 22 June 2022 11:22 , Michael Jones

Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel was disappointed with the end result of the Canadian Grand Prix after excelling in practice on Friday and Saturday, finishing in ninth, eighth and third in FP1, FP2 and FP3 respectively.

However, like teammate Lance Stroll, he failed to make it out of Q1 in qualifying and then lost out during the race on Sunday by pitting right before the first Virtual Safety Car came out, leaving Vettel frustrated at the weekend’s end.

“It just was not our day. We made an early stop to find some clear air, but then the Virtual Safety Cars came along at the wrong time,” said Vettel.

“That really compromised my race. At the end, I was on very old rubber, and I tried to hang on, but it did not work out. Lance was on fresher tyres, and the team asked me to let him past to attack Daniel, which I was happy to do.

“The result was frustrating – we had shown good pace this weekend and could have had a better result, but sometimes things do not go your way. Today felt like one of those days. Well done to the team for all their hard work and to Lance for scoring a point today.”

Stroll praises ‘great work’ by Aston Martin in Canadian GP

Wednesday 22 June 2022 11:13 , Michael Jones

Lance Stroll said he was “super-pleased” after finishing 10th in the Canadian Grand Prix on Sundya, with the Aston Martin driver taking the final points position his home race.

Stroll started the race in 17th but Aston Martin’s strategy allowed him to complete 47 laps on the hard tyre in his first stint moving him up the field to P8 where he had to defend against the pacey Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu.

Stroll fell down the field after pitting for the medium tyre but managed to pass the Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren on Lap 63 to secure a top-10 finish and claim his first points since Miami.

A delighted Stroll praised the work done by his team, after a “challening” start to the season saying:

“We had a great strategy for this race, and I am super-pleased to have been able to score a point,

“We did a great job deciding to go long on the first set of tyres to make a one-stop race work, managing to keep a string of cars behind me. The overtake on Daniel [Ricciardo] was a nice bonus – we were on fresher tyres, so it was a pretty easy move.

“Things are certainly a lot more challenging this year, but I am pleased to have had a successful race today... It’s been incredible to race at home after such a long time away.”

Martin Brundle advises Carlos Sainz how he can overcome ‘final hurdle’ in F1

Wednesday 22 June 2022 11:03 , Michael Jones

Carlos Sainz needs “greater accuracy and consistency” if he is to take the next step and win his first Formula One race for Ferrari, according to Martin Brundle.

Sainz finished runner-up to Max Verstappen at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, the fifth time the Spanish driver had been second on the podium in his F1 career.

Sainz benefitted from a late safety car in Montreal that allowed him to push world champion Verstappen hard over the final 15 laps but he was unable to make the overtake as the first win of his F1 career eluded him.

Former driver and F1 pundit Brundle is convinced that Sainz has the ability to be a race winner and has backed the 27-year-old to win many more once he gets the first one under his belt.

Martin Brundle advises Carlos Sainz how he can overcome ‘final hurdle’ in F1

Race control still too easy to influence, says Magnussen

Wednesday 22 June 2022 10:57 , Lawrence Ostlere

Kevin Magnussen says F1’s race control is still to easy to influence, an accusation which had been levelled at the FIA following the controversial finish to last season’s championship.

The sport came under great scrutiny when team bosses Christian Horner and Toto Wolff were bending the ear of race director Michael Masi in the concluding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which saw Max Verstappen overtake Lewis Hamilton on the final lap in controversial circumstances.

Masi was sacked but race control remains easy to influence, according to Magnussen, who was sent to the pits to repair damages at the Canadian Grand Prix after the driver behind him, Esteban Ocon, had complained over race radio.

“I was just talking to Ocon now and he was joking how he told the FIA that it [Magnussen’s car damage] was really bad,” Magnussen said after the race. “If you know you can influence the FIA like that, you’re going to do it, aren’t you? Which he sort of did, and fair play. But you’ve got to let us drive with that s**t, it’s nothing. I just had a bit of contact, nothing serious. Scratched my front wing a little bit and then was told to pit.”

Carlos Sainz details what Ferrari must do to overhaul Max Verstappen

Wednesday 22 June 2022 10:54 , Michael Jones

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has pinpointed a time delta of five or six-tenths of a second to Max Verstappen to be able to defeat the F1 world champion.

The Spaniard was in hot pursuit of the Belgian-Dutch driver for the final 15 laps of the Canadian Grand Prix with a maiden victory in sight.

But despite three DRS zones available at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the Spaniard only twice came into range and was forced to settle for second.

Sainz detailed what it will take to stay with the Red Bull star and eventually surpass him

“Without the DRS it’s impossible because the DRS is still affecting you quite a lot, especially at this track that you cannot do different lines,” he said. “It’s all chicanes that you have nowhere to put your front wing to avoid the understeer and the overheating of the tyres.

“But, even like that, I was happy and confident to be in the dirty air and managed to stay, even with overheating, 16 laps in DRS. As soon as the DRS opened, it was all about cooling the tyres and regaining the battery to try and really drain it when catching him.

“As I said, I left everything out there. But compared to a Red Bull, we were quicker, I think the whole race.”

Max Verstappen revels in exciting finish to win in Canadian Grand Prix

Wednesday 22 June 2022 10:45 , Michael Jones

Max Verstappen was having a ball in his Red Bull as he held off a late charge from Carlos Sainz to win the Canadian Grand Prix and extend his championship lead.

With Formula One returning to Montreal for the first time in three years, it was the Red Bull of Verstappen which took the chequered flag to move 46 points clear at the top of the standings.

Sainz was fast in the closing stages but could not find a way past Verstappen and had to settle for second place, the pair joined on the podium by Lewis Hamilton – the seven-time world champion taking third for Mercedes.

His team-mate George Russell continued his record of top-five finishes all season as he took fourth ahead of Charles Leclerc, who recovered from starting 19th to claim a decent haul of points.

Max Verstappen revels in exciting finish to win in Canadian Grand Prix

‘Confusing’ Mercedes ‘fancy their chances’ at British Grand Prix, Martin Brundle claims

Wednesday 22 June 2022 10:34 , Lawrence Ostlere

Martin Brundle believes Mercedes “fancy their chances” at the British Grand Prix after Lewis Hamilton snatched a place on the podium in Canada last weekend.

Mercedes have endured a torrid season so far with Hamilton and George Russell already out of the championship fight after struggling with their cars ‘porpoising’ issues.

Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, a despondent Hamilton described his Mercedes as “so bad” after a dire practice session while Toto Wolff has previously referred to the car as a “s***box”.

“The Mercedes team are so confusing for everyone at the moment, including themselves,” Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports column. “On Friday Lewis declared the car was undriveable, which is indeed exactly how it looked, and he strongly intimated that it was now about making the best of a bad job for the rest of the long season.”

‘Confusing’ Mercedes ‘fancy their chances’ at British GP, says Martin Brundle

Wolff pleased with Mercedes progress in Canada

Wednesday 22 June 2022 10:25 , Michael Jones

Toto Wolff is pleased with the progress Mercedes have made in Canada this weekend, and believes Lewis Hamitlon and George Russell could be competitive enough to challenge for the win at Silverstone next time out.

“They were both very good,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1. “We showed good pace today. In terms of performance they were both good in the race on different setups. The hairpin is where hey put new asphalt and we suffered less from stiffness there. I don’t think that’s the case [that we’re back], we need to keep working.

“We need to develop the car in a different window than we had. We had it really low on the ground and that clerly wasn’t working. You can’t drive it there, so we lift it and lift it and lift it, but then you lose downforce. It’s always a compromise. We need to own the problem and that’s what we’re doing. Before you embark on next season’s car you need to understand the problems first.

“Within the team Lewis was always positive. How the two work together is astonishing. I’m happy for him because he had the bad luck on his side so far this season, and he could have been on the podium a few times but safety cars stopped it. If we are able to run the car low then we can be competitive at Silverstone. So let’s see.”

Lewis Hamilton hopes George Russell can take on more Mercedes ‘experiments’

Wednesday 22 June 2022 10:14 , Michael Jones

Lewis Hamilton hopes to see Mercedes make fewer “experiments” with their car ahead of the British Grand Prix, with team-mate George Russell taking on more of a share over the remainder of the season.

The seven-time world champion claimed just his second podium finish of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend but was left frustrated by the Mercedes W13 car during practice.

Hamilton called the Mercedes “undrivable” and insisted their problems with ‘porpoising’ and ‘bouncing’ were “only getting worse” the more the team tinkered with the set-up of the W13.

Mercedes were eventually able to put Hamilton into position to finish third in Montreal, behind race winner Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, and the 37-year-old hopes the team have learned their lessons ahead of Silverstone.

Lewis Hamilton hopes George Russell can take on more Mercedes ‘experiments’

Norris ready for Silverstone

Wednesday 22 June 2022 09:59 , Michael Jones

After a difficult weekend in Canada with McLaren, Lando Norris is looking forward to returning to British shores and racing at Silverstone in a couple of week’s time.

He believes that the home fans will have a big impact on how McLaren fare in the race and is expecting to challenge for the points again.

“We have a few things in the pipeline for Silverstone and I cannot wait to get out there, in front of our home fans.” said Norris in an article for The Daily Telegraph.

“Just the drive into Silverstone is like nothing else, all that positive energy, from the marshals on the gates when you first arrive in the morning, to the fans waving union flags or wearing McLaren colours.

“You feed off the support. It makes a massive difference.”

Christian Horner claims ‘element of theatre’ in fiery team meeting filmed by Netflix

Wednesday 22 June 2022 09:44 , Lawrence Ostlere

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has claimed his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff brought “an element of theatre” into a meeting of F1 bosses that was reportedly filmed by Netflix for their Drive to Survive series.

It has been said that tensions at the Canadian Grand Prix spilled over when Horner, Wolff and the remainder of the team principles met with Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali to discuss the FIA’s controversial intervention on ‘porpoising’ regulations.

Wolff has accused other F1 bosses of “pitiful” and “disingenuous” behaviour in response to the FIA triggering a technical directive ahead of the Montreal race, which came following concerns over driver safety.

Horner opposed the changes and argued that Mercedes’ struggles with ‘porpoising’ and the bouncing of its W13 car at high speeds was down to its design, rather than the regulations.

Christian Horner claims ‘element of theatre’ in fiery team meeting filmed by Netflix

‘It’s been an awesome race for us’ says Ocon

Wednesday 22 June 2022 09:36 , Michael Jones

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was in an upbeat mood following the Canadian Grand Prix after finishing P6 – his seventh top-10 finish of the season.

The delighted Frenchman said his team should be “proud” of their performance in Montreal, believing they maximised their performance.

“It’s been an awesome race for us,” said Ocon on Sunday. “Compared to yesterday, we managed to get the car to work slightly better and that meant a lot because we maximised the potential today and finishing sixth and seventh [before the penalty to Fernando Alonso], with McLaren not scoring, is a big boost for us in the constructors’ championship.

“We can be pleased with that. A good start, I managed to overtake at the start and defend Charles [Leclerc] mid-race, but he was too quick in the end.

“It feels good to achieve a weekend like that with some big points that we deserve. It’s been quite a few weekends with outside factors happening but yeah it feels good for that one.”

Peerless Max Verstappen could race away with 2022 F1 title after superb Canada victory

Wednesday 22 June 2022 09:26 , Lawrence Ostlere

Once a late safety car had drawn them close together around the parkland streets of Montreal, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz were threatening to produce a thoroughey thrilling end to Sunday’s Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, as two men driving the fastest cars in the field set off on a 15-lap shootout for victory.

Sainz, the Ferrari driver who through a combination of poor fortune and fundamental errors has fallen by the wayside in this season’s title fight already, was clambering all over Verstappen’s gearbox in the final portion of the race as he hunted his first victory in the top tier of motorsport. Separated by less than a second, on fresher tyres, and with the marginally quicker car on the day, the 27-year-old Spaniard seemed destined to pass his former teammate and step onto the top step of the podium for the first time in his eight-season career.

On each tour of the circuit before the chequered flag was waved, Sainz was able to use the assistance of F1’s DRS system to draw himself in towards Verstappen’s rear wing along the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve’s long back straight. With the straight-line speed advantage afforded to him by DRS, making a pass just once in 15 attempts should have been possible.

Peerless Verstappen could race away with 2022 F1 title after superb Canada victory

Lando Norris ‘a bit conflicted’ over F1’s plans for porpoising

Wednesday 22 June 2022 09:13 , Lawrence Ostlere

Lando Norris is “conflicted” about FIA‘s plans to introduce changes to reduce or eliminate the “porpoising” problem affecting this season’s cars, but added that driver safety was paramount.

F1 introduced a radical rules overhaul this year that has seen cars generate a significant chunk of their downforce from the underside of the floor.

This has led to the “porpoising”, in which the cars bounce dramatically at high speeds, like the motion of a porpoise through water.

Concern reached new levels at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton struggled to get out of his Mercedes at the end of a punishing race.

Lando Norris ‘a bit conflicted’ over F1’s plans for porpoising

Mercedes believe porpoising issues ‘solved’ amid Red Bull fury at FIA intervention

Wednesday 22 June 2022 08:57 , Lawrence Ostlere

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff believes their struggles with ‘porpoising’ have been “solved” as Red Bull reacted furiously to the intervention of the FIA at the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend.

Wolff has said his team worked out a solution for the issue at the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona only to struggle with the low ride of the W13 on the bumpy street tracks in Monaco and Azerbaijan.

It led to both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell suffering from physical pain as a result of the ‘bouncing’ and, in response, triggered a technical directive from the FIA over concerns of driver safety ahead of the Montreal race.

Wolff’s Red Bull counterpart, Christian Horner, has accused Mercedes and their drivers of overplaying their safety concerns as an excuse for poor performance and said the FIA’s intervention was “overtly biased” in the team’s favour.

Mercedes believe porpoising issues ‘solved’ amid Red Bull fury at FIA intervention

Lewis Hamilton warns Mercedes against ‘too many experiments’ before British Grand Prix

Wednesday 22 June 2022 08:36 , Lawrence Ostlere

Lewis Hamilton has said he hopes his team avoid ‘too many experiments’ ahead of next month’s British Grand Prix, as the Mercedes driver looks to capitalise on his joint-best finish of the season.

Seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton missed out on the title last year on the final lap of the season, in a controversial finish involving eventual champion Max Verstappen. While the Red Bull man leads the drivers’ standings with six wins from nine races so far in 2022, Hamilton has been struggling.

The Briton has scored just two podiums, with third-placed finishes in the season-opener in Bahrain and last weekend’s Canadian GP. Still, Hamilton is keen to build on Sunday’s result as he prepares for the British GP, where he has more race wins than any driver in F1 history.

The 37-year-old’s eight victories at Silverstone also make the track Hamilton’s joint-favourite, alongside the Hungaroring in Hungary.

Lewis Hamilton warns Mercedes against ‘too many experiments’ before British GP

Vips apologises on Instagram

Wednesday 22 June 2022 08:23 , Lawrence Ostlere

Vips said: “I wish to unreservedly apologise for the offensive language used during a live gaming stream earlier today.

“This language is entirely unacceptable and does not portray the values and principles that I hold.

“I deeply regret my actions and this is not the example I with to set. I will co-operate with the investigation fully.”

Vips became the first Estonian driver to take part in a Formula 1 race weekend in May when he took over from Sergio Perez in the Red Bull RB18 in the first practice session at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s Juri Vips under investigation over use of racist language

Wednesday 22 June 2022 08:13 , Lawrence Ostlere

We start with the news that Formula 2 driver Juri Vips has been suspended by Red Bull after using racist language during a live gaming stream.

The 21-year-old Estonian has been stood down from all team duties pending an investigation to the incident on Tuesday.

A statement on Red Bull Racing’s official Twitter account read: “Red Bull Racing has suspended junior driver Juri Vips from all team duties with immediate effect, pending a full investigation into the incident.

“As an organisation, we condemn abuse of any kind and have a zero-tolerance policy to racist language or behaviour within our organisation.”

Vips, currently in his third F2 season, took to his Instagram account to apologise for his “unacceptable” language.

F1 news today

Wednesday 22 June 2022 08:09 , Lawrence Ostlere

Follow all the latest news and updates from the world of Formula One.