Max Verstappen has hinted he could retire from Formula One when his contract with Red Bull expires in 2028, saying: “I want to do other stuff”.
Verstappen retained the drivers’ championship in dominant fashion this campaign, posting 15 victories in 22 races – a new single-season record.
However, speaking before he claimed a record third straight victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, Verstappen highlighted F1’s impact on his family life and cast doubt upon his long-term future in the sport.
Asked whether he would continue in F1 when his current deal expires in six years, he told Sky Sports: “I don’t know after that, but it also probably depends how competitive we are in ’28.
“I’ve still got time. I don’t want to make drastic decisions now.
“I want to do other stuff. F1 is amazing and I’ve achieved a lot, and I’m very happy and proud about it, but it’s a lot of travelling and it’s a lot of races.
“At one point, what is more important? Is family more important, or is F1 more important? That’s when you need to make your mind up.”
Verstappen finished the season 146 points clear of second-placed Charles Leclerc in the drivers’ championship standings, having wrapped up his second world title with four races to spare.
Lewis Hamilton is “not concerned” about racing against Max Verstappen in future despite the two clashing in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
After a red flag on the opening lap in Sao Paulo, the restart saw the two familiar foes make contact heading into the second corner, forcing both off the track.
The incident dropped Hamilton from second to eighth, while Verstappen required a new front wing.
The world champion was handed a five-second time penalty for his part in the crash, which was reminiscent of a number of battles between the pair in their thrilling title battle last season.
Verstappen blamed his rival after the race, which Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell went on to win while the seven-time world champion followed up in second to earn a Mercedes one-two.
“It cost him the race win and it gave me five seconds,” Verstappen told Sky Sports. “It wouldn’t have mattered anything for my race.
“I thought we could race quite well together but clearly the intention was not there to race.”
Hamilton responded in the post-race press conference, saying: “I am not concerned.
“I think it’s natural when you have the success and the numbers on your chest that you become a bit of a target.
“But it’s okay, it’s nothing that I’ve not dealt with before.”
The clash with Hamilton was not Verstappen’s sole controversy from the race, after he refused to hand sixth place to Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who called Verstappen’s decision “disappointing” with the Mexican battling Charles Leclerc for second place in the drivers’ championship.
George Russell was lauded by team-mate Lewis Hamilton after winning the Brazilian Grand Prix, with the first-time Formula 1 race winner left “speechless” by his success.
Having won Saturday’s sprint race, Russell led from the start in an eventful race on Sunday, coming out on top after two restarts following safety cars at the Interlagos Circuit.
Russell had to fend off Hamilton – who had earlier clashed with Max Verstappen but come away largely unscathed and unpunished – after the second safety car, but there was no bad blood between the Mercedes duo at the end.
“What an amazing feeling,” said Russell after sealing Mercedes’ first win of the season. “Just a huge thank you to the whole team for making this possible.
“It has been an emotional rollercoaster this season. This was a tough race, I felt in control.
“Lewis was super-fast and when I saw the Safety Car, I thought this is going to be a really difficult end, he put me under so much pressure.
“I am speechless. On the in lap, all of these memories start flooding back, starting with my mum and dad at go-karting and going through to all of the support I have had from the rest of my family, my girlfriend, my trainer, my manager.
“The list is endless. I can’t thank them all enough, I am super proud.”
Hamilton said: “A huge congratulations to George. What an amazing drive he did today.
“He did an amazing qualifying yesterday, so he truly deserves it. To my team, so proud of everyone back at the factory and here. This is an incredible result.
“We’ve worked so hard through this year to get a 1-2 and to get a win, and so this is hugely deserved by everybody so a huge thank you.”
On his collision with old rival Verstappen, who received a five-second time penalty, Hamilton added: “What can I say, you know how it is with Max.”
The harmony in the Mercedes camp was not replicated in the other teams.
While Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was left infuriated by Verstappen, who refused to hand sixth place back to the Mexican after failing to overtake Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc also wanted Ferrari to concede Carlos Sainz’s place on the podium to boost his chances of finishing second in the world championship.
Leclerc will now head into the final race in Abu Dhabi on level points with Perez.
“I think we can be happy with that,” said Sainz. “It is a shame that Mercedes are so quick but congratulations to George.”
Max Verstappenhas seen numerous records fall his way this season and one of the most illustrious is up for grabs this weekend in Mexico, where a victory would take him to 14 for the season.
Such a win would see him become the driver to have won the most races in a single season, having joined Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel on 13 with his success in the United States.
That triumph was his ninth this season without starting in pole – surpassing Lewis Hamilton (eight) for the most such wins in a single campaign – and he will be full of confidence given a stellar record in Mexico, where he has prevailed three times (2018, 2019, 2021). Verstappen and Jim Clark share the record for the most Mexican Grand Prix wins.
Red Bull also have a team record in their sight, having now won eight races in a row to stand one shy of the nine victories in a row they secured in 2013, which is the sixth-longest winning streak for a team in F1 history.
While Verstappen and Red Bull are in search of further records, Hamilton is looking to avoid one as he is still in search of his first victory in 2022, and the Mercedes driver was strong in the United States.
The British driver has never finished a Formula One season in his career without a race win and has just three grands prix to ensure this is not the year when he stands winless for the first time.
Much of the attention will continue to be off the track, however, with Red Bull’s cost-cap breach in 2021 yet to be resolved and dominating debate, though a final outcome should be right around the corner.
The Mexican Grand Prix has seen 10 different drivers on pole position in the last 10 editions.
The last driver to win consecutive pole positions in this race was Ayrton Senna in 1988 and 1989, and it is highly unlikely that will change after qualifying on Saturday as 2021 pole sitter Valtteri Bottas is now at Alfa Romeo.
Leclerc’s late change
Charles Leclerc was Verstappen’s biggest threat early in the season, but a plethora of problems derailed the title ambitions of the Ferrari driver, with mistakes, bad luck and mechanical issues all plaguing his performances.
Some consistency has been found recently, however, with Leclerc finishing on the podium in each of his last five Formula One races – his longest such run in his career.
Red Bull have been found to be in breach of Formula 1’s budget cap regulations for the 2021 campaign, the FIA have confirmed.
However, no punishment has yet been handed down to the constructor for their offense, with the governing body stating they are “currently determining the appropriate course of action”.
A day after Max Verstappen took his second drivers’ championship crown at an incident-strewn Japanese Grand Prix, the FIA revealed the Dutchman’s team broke financial regulations during his first title-winning season last year.
The 25-year-old is unlikely to face serious sanctions, though, with the breach under five per cent, meaning it is considered “minor” and is likely to carry less severe penalties.
FIA completes review under the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Financial Regulations https://t.co/ShX1dIuttZ
Fellow constructor Aston Martin, also thought to have potentially breached the cap, have been found to have merely made only a “procedural” mistake in their financial report.
“The FIA Cost Cap Administration is currently determining the appropriate course of action to be taken under the Financial Regulations with respect to Aston Martin and Red Bull,” said a statement on Monday.
“Further information will be communicated in compliance with the regulations.”
Calls from Ferrari and Mercedes for Red Bull to face harsh sanctions if found in breach are only likely to increase over the close of the season, presenting F1 with more off-track drama after last year’s denouement.
Red Bull have reacted with “surprise and disappointment” after the FIA found the team to be in breach of Formula 1’s budget cap regulations for the 2021 season.
One day after Max Verstappen claimed his second world title at the Japanese Grand Prix, the FIA announced Red Bull were guilty of a “minor” breach of the rules in his first championship-winning campaign.
Monday’s FIA ruling was not accompanied by any punishment for the team, with the governing body stating they are “determining the appropriate course of action”.
Although Red Bull – who currently hold a 165-point lead over Ferrari at the top of the constructors’ standings – are unlikely to face serious sanctions, the team remain confident in their submitted financial reports.
A statement released by Red Bullsaid: “We note the findings by the FIA of ‘minor overspend breaches of the financial regulations’ with surprise and disappointment.
“Our 2021 submission was below the cost cap limit, so we need to carefully review the FIA’s findings as our belief remains that the relevant costs are under the 2021 cost cap amount.
“Despite the conjecture and positioning of others, there is of course a process under the regulations with the FIA, which we will respectfully follow while we consider all the options available to us.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was bullish in response to accusations Red Bull had overspent last month, declaring the team were “absolutely confident” they had not fallen foul of the regulations.
Aston Martin, who were also thought to have breached the cap, were found to have merely made a “procedural” error in their reports.
Max Verstappen won the Formula One world title on Sunday with victory at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver claimed his second consecutive drivers’ standings triumph when a five-second penalty after the race confirmed his rival Charles Leclerc had been demoted to third place.
Ferrari’s Leclerc had crossed the line in second ahead of Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez, a result which would have prolonged the title race.
There had also been confusion over whether full points would be awarded after the normal race distance was not completed following a long delay due to heavy rain.
It meant several minutes passed before Verstappen – who had already conducted a post-race interview in parc ferme – was informed he had been crowned world champion.
“It’s crazy,” Verstappen told the crowd having been called back after the clarification he had indeed won the title.
“I have very mixed emotions, of course, winning the race and also, looking back now, winning the championship.
“What a year we’ve had so far. It’s been incredible, something I could never have imagined.”
Verstappen’s 2022 championship has been far more straightforward than his victory last year, when he moved ahead of Lewis Hamilton in a controversial last race of the season.
The Dutchman has already won 12 races, while his Red Bull team have won 14 of the 18 held so far.
This year there are still four races to come, with the United States Grand Prix up next on October 23.
Verstappen joins the likes of Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso in the group of drivers who have won back-to-back F1 crowns.
Red Bull are also on the brink of clinching the constructors’ championship, with that title – which they lost out on to Mercedes last year – likely to be settled in Austin.
Max Verstappen was delighted as he boosted his chances of sealing the Formula One World Championship this weekend after taking pole at the Japanese Grand Prix, although he will await the result of a stewards’ investigation.
The Red Bull driver claimed his fifth pole of the season after edging out Charles Leclerc by just 0.010 seconds, while the latter’s Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz completed the top three.
Stewards will be investigating an incident involving Verstappen and Lando Norris during the early stages of Q3, with the McLaren driver forced onto the grass to avoid contact on the slow lap after the reigning world champion darted left under acceleration at the exit of 130R.
The Dutchman’s time of 1:29.304s eventually proved enough as he increased his chances of wrapping up a second successive title this weekend in Suzuka, where F1 returns for the first time since 2019.
Leclerc and Sainz fell narrowly short in their quests to surpass Verstappen, who revealed his excitement at being back in Japan.
“It was pretty incredible to drive here again, especially in qualifying when you are on low fuel – these cars really come alive through the first sector,” Verstappen said.
“Of course, [I’m] very happy to be on pole, but also in general just super happy to be back here.
“It will be interesting first of all to see [what happens with] the weather [on race day]. Some say it will be dry, some say it will be raining at some point during the race. I’m quite confident we have a good car, so [I’m] excited for tomorrow.”
Leclerc added: “It’s a very tricky lap round here. If you are fast in the first sector, you miss out in the final sector. It’s so close with everyone, so we’ll try to have a good race from there.”
Max prevails in the closest qualifying of the season!
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:29.304
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.010s
3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.057s
4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.405s
5. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +0.861s
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.957s
7. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +1.018s
8. George Russell (Mercedes) +1.085s
9. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) +1.250s
10. Lando Norris (McLaren Mercedes) +1.699s
Max Verstappen is in the perfect position to clinch a second world title at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday by grabbing pole at Suzuka.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc just missed out on beating Verstappen’s earlier time with his final lap but the Red Bull driver held on by 0.01 seconds.
Verstappen made an error on his own final lap, running wide at Turn Two and losing some bodywork but held on.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took third ahead of the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez.
Verstappen will become champion if he wins the race with fastest lap, regardless of the results of Leclerc and Perez.
A win without fastest lap for the Dutchman would require Leclerc to be lower than second for Verstappen to put the title to bed.
Verstappen also faces an investigation by the stewards following a scary moment with McLaren’s Lando Norris during the final session.
Verstappen almost lost control of his car on the exit of the flat-out 130R while on a slow lap and trying to get out of Norris’ way. And when the Red Bull snapped sideways, Norris had to take to the grass to avoid him.
“I was driving quite slow and tried to accelerate,” Verstappen said, “but my tyres were quite cold so I had a snap.”
For his part, Norris saw the incident very differently, insisting it was “quite clear” Verstappen had tried to defend his position on track.
“People always overtake before the last corner – as much as everyone always agrees to it. Everyone always does it. It doesn’t matter, he probably would’ve done the same in my situation, but I wouldn’t have swerved at him if I was in his situation,” he told Sky Sports.
Asked if he would expect penalty if he was in Verstappen’s situation, Norris said: “Oh yeah, for sure.”
Despite concerns over the investigation, Verstappen said he had enjoyed F1’s return to the fabled Suzuka track for the first time since 2019, after a break because of the pandemic.
“It was incredible to drive here again,” Verstappen said. “These cars really come alive in the first sector.
“I lost a part of the [floor] duct in the second lap, which is why I couldn’t improve, but the first lap was enough.”
It was Verstappen’s first pole for three races and his fifth of the season. He will be bidding for his 12th win of the year on Sunday, which would be one short of the record for a season held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon grabbed fifth place with his final lap, jumping ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes and the Frenchman’s team-mate Fernando Alonso.
George Russell in the second Mercedes was eighth, followed by an impressive ninth from Sebastian Vettel in the Aston Martin on his final appearance at his favourite track and Lando Norris’ McLaren completing the top 10.
Progress for Alpine; difficulties for Mercedes
Esteban Ocon continued Alpine’s strong weekend with fifth place on the grid
The Alpine was upgraded with a new floor in Singapore last weekend. The team were optimistic that it was a significant step forward but Alonso said it would be this race in Japan before its true potential would show.
On that basis, Alpine have reason to be happy – the car has looked quick all weekend, and Alonso was faster than Red Bull’s Perez for much of qualifying before dropping down the order a little in the final session, and allowing Ocon to end up the faster of the two drivers with an excellent lap from the Frenchman.
Mercedes suffered for the high drag levels of their car and Hamilton and Russell said they were losing in the region of 0.6-0.8secs on the straights to the front-runners
“The car felt really good today,” Hamilton said. “I was really happy with the balance, just slow on the straight.
“We’ve had a really draggy car all year. We are losing at least 0.6secs on the straights compared to the other guys but through the corners it was still a fun lap to drive.”
Russell added: “We’re losing a huge amount of lap time on the straights compared to our rivals.
“This is the first circuit that has long straights but also has high downforce. Normally the circuits with the long straights – Spa, Monza, even Silverstone – you run low downforce, and the high-downforce circuits have short straights and you don’t really see that defect in the straight-line speeds. That weakness has truly been exposed here.”
It was an emotional session for Vettel, who is having his last race on a track he loves and where he has won four times, after his decision to retire at the end of the season.
He said in Japanese over the radio: “Arigato gozaimasu, Suzuka,” which translates as thank you very much, as he returned to the pits.
Victory and the fastest lap for Max Verstappen in Japan on Sunday will seal the Formula One title for the Red Bull ace and continue a record in the land of the rising sun.
The Japanese Grand Prix has been the venue where championship winners have been crowned the most, happening on 12 occasions – the last of which was Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull in 2011.
Verstappen, who will also win the title if Charles Leclerc finishes third or lower and team-mate Sergio Perez finishes second or lower without the fastest lap, can clinch the title with four races to spare – only Michael Schumacher in 2002 (6) and Nigel Mansell in 1995 (5) have been crowned champion sooner in the season.
A further honour also awaits Verstappen in Japan, where a win would be the 23rd different venue where he has topped the podium, surpassing Schumacher (22) and behind only Lewis Hamilton (31).
Regardless of Verstappen’s exploits in Japan, the title is a near certainty to be heading his way and it would require a remarkable sequence of events for the situation to change.
The budget cap situation is the biggest threat, with the FIA set to announce results for the 2021 season on Wednesday, although any outcome is unlikely to be final and arguments are expected to rumble on within the paddock.
Leclerc’s pole problem
Charles Leclerc has taken pole position and failed to win the race on seven occasions in 2022, the most recent coming in Singapore last weekend where Sergio Perez won ahead of the Ferrari driver.
Another pole without a win in 2022 would equal the highest tally in a single season, set by Mika Hakkinen in 1999 and Nico Rosberg in 2014.
Alonso waits for record
Fernando Alonso set the record for most Grand Prix stats in F1 last weekend (350) but is still waiting to take the record for the most F1 finishes – missing the opportunity to set the record in the last two races.
Alonso is tied with Kimi Raikkonen for the most races finished (378) and has suffered back-to-back DNF’s in Italy and Singapore, with Lewis Hamilton (276 finishes) now threatening to leapfrog him if that trend continues.
Max Verstappen could seal the world title in Japan, while Lewis Hamilton will be aiming for his first pole position of the season in Sunday’s race.
Verstappen’s run of five victories came to an end in Singapore last weekend, but Red Bull’s winning streak goes on as the world champion’s team-mate Sergio Perez claimed a superb victory in mixed conditions.
Heading into this week’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Perez is still mathematically in title contention, as is Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished second in Singapore.
But with a 104-point lead in the standings and only four more races on the calendar after this weekend, if Verstappen is able to outscore Leclerc by eight points and Perez by six in Japan, he will seal his second world championship.
Ferrari lacking race pace
Leclerc took his ninth pole position of the season in Singapore — a tally which now cannot be beaten this season, but once again the Monegasque driver was unable to show the same speed during the race.
The Ferrari star lost the lead at the start as Perez beat him to the first corner, and although the pair came close a couple of times, the Mexican took a fairly comfortable victory in the end.
That means Leclerc has now failed to convert any of his last seven pole positions into race victories.
Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz, despite finishing third in the second Ferrari, struggled for pace throughout and quickly dropped out of contention.
Ferrari’s main problem has been keeping the tyres alive, and that’s a weakness that could really hurt them in Japan.
The Suzuka circuit features long sweeping curves and many high-speed changes of direction which tortures tyres.
Hamilton could be hot in qualifying
Mercedes will have been looking forward to the visit to Suzuka for some time, as the track should be ideal for their car.
The Silver Arrows revel in long corners where the car’s trait of keeping its tyres cool give it an advantage, particularly over a long distance.
So team boss Toto Wolff and drivers Hamilton and George Russell will have been gutted to see rain forecast for much of the weekend.
A wet track totally changes the characteristics of the circuit and would negate Mercedes’ strengths, as we saw last week when they struggled for grip in the rain.
But Saturday’s forecast is dry and after missing out on pole position by just 0.05 seconds in Singapore, Hamilton will quietly fancy his chances of taking a first pole of the season.
Prediction
For once, Verstappen was far from perfect in Singapore, fluffing the start, going off the track shortly after a safety car restart and almost colliding with a competitor, but the Dutchman is a deserved favourite to put that behind him and win in Japan.
However, team-mate Perez has won both rain-affected races this year and the confidence boost last week will have given him could well carry him to the top three at Suzuka.
Perez has eight podiums from 17 races this year — all either first or second-place finishes — and he he will be aiming to add to that tally this weekend.
Sergio Perez won last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix
Lance Stroll is another who enjoys wet conditions, as his season-best sixth place at Singapore showed and the Canadian Aston Martin driver is available at 11/10 for a seventh points finish of the season.
Saturday is expected to be the one dry day of the weekend and, while Hamilton has not added to his career tally of 103 pole positions this year, this looks to be one of his better chances and he is available at 10/1 to earn top spot on the grid.
Lewis Hamilton has stated that he “feels for the fans” after Max Verstappen’s dominance of the F1 championship battle this season.
The Red Bull ace tops the standings by a whopping 116 points heading into Sunday’s race at Singapore, where he can clinch the crown if a series of permutations are met.
It is unlikely that Singaporewill be the race where Verstappen wins the title, with a more likely scenario seeing him crowned champion the following week in Japan.
Either way, a second title in a row for Verstappen is inevitable and Hamilton has declared it is “never great” when the battle is concluded prematurely.
“I definitely feel for the fans because for everyone and even for us, last year, going right down to the wire, that was intense for everybody. So, it’s never great when the season finishes early,” he said at a news conference on Thursday.
“Even when I’ve experienced having it finish early in places like Mexico. For you as the one individual, it’s great but for the actual sport it’s not spectacular.
“I’m really grateful to have had 2008 right down to the last 17 seconds, and obviously last year, pretty much the same thing. Let’s hope for the future, it’s a bit better.”
Max Verstappen’s coronation as Formula Oneworld champion is imminent and could be marked as early as Singapore.
On the back of five victories in a row, Verstappen has opened a whopping 116-point gap at the top of the standings with six races remaining in 2022.
Verstappen will be crowned as champion if he wins under the lights in Singapore alongside clinching the fastest lap but would need Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to finish eighth or lower and team-mate Sergio Perez to finish fourth or lower.
Given the sequence of requirements for Verstappen to win on Sunday, the following week’s race in Japan stands as the most likely to see the Red Bull ace secure his title, but individual records are also up for grabs.
A victory would also mark Verstappen’s 12th of the season, putting him behind only Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel (both 13) for the most wins in a single season.
Qualifying will likely be vital to any hopes of another Verstappen win, with 66.7 per cent of race winners in Singapore starting from pole – Vettel being the last to win in 2019 when not starting from the front.
Mathematically, three drivers are still able to usurp Verstappen from his throne, George Russell also within distance alongside Leclerc and Perez, but the dominance of Red Bull this season makes any late turnover nigh-on impossible.
With six races remaining in 2022, Lewis Hamilton is without a victory this season and it could see the British driver fail to win a race in a campaign for the first time.
Mercedes have strong history in Singapore, however, securing more wins at the circuit than any other team (four), though Red Bull and Ferrari (both three) could equal that tally this weekend.
Spare seats
Alfa Romeo’s new deal for Zhou Guanyu leaves three remaining seats on the grid for 2023, with Williams, Haas and Alpine yet to fill their quota for next year.
Pierre Gasly and Daniel Ricciardo are the two on the grid that could be on the move, with Ricciardo set to leave McLaren and Gasly heavily linked with Alpine, which would result in a seat up for grabs at AlphaTauri.
The triple-header to follow the resumption of the 2022 Formula One season concludes in Italy this weekend, with Max Verstappen aiming to inflict another stinging result on Ferrari.
Back-to-back wins in Belgium and the Netherlands have seen the Red Bull ace strengthen his grip on the title, with Verstappen remarkably securing 102 out of the last 104 available only missing out on the fastest lap in France and Hungary.
Perhaps surprisingly, Verstappen’s plethora of victories in F1 have not yet included triumph on Ferrari’s home soil in Italy which has seen four different winners in each of the last four races (Lewis Hamilton in 2018, Charles Leclerc in 2019, Pierre Gasly in 2020 and Daniel Ricciardo in 2021).
While the title race looks done and dusted, Ferrari will be determined to secure bragging rights at Monza to provide a boost to a team that has sustained persistent problems this season most recently with Carlos Sainz’s woeful pit stop last weekend.
Ferrari have taken 21 pole positions in the Italian Grand Prix, more than any other team, and have won on 19 occasions most recently with Leclerc three years ago.
The Monaco-born driver will have fond memories of that triumph and will hope it presents a platform to propel better results in the remainder of the season to at least apply some pressure to Verstappen.
Mercedes mess
Mercedes looked on course for a first victory of the season in the Netherlands last weekend, Lewis Hamilton leading the way with George Russell tucked in behind and Verstappen sitting third before a questionable call.
Russell requested a pit stop and a change for soft tyres, something that was approved and resulted in Verstappen, having also taken softs, finding himself in striking distance of Hamilton and having no problems leapfrogging his former title rival.
Hamilton was understandably furious after the race, with Mercedes fumbling what may well be their best chance of a win in 2022.
In his farewell stint with Alpine ahead of his move to Aston Martin for next season, Fernando Alonso is set to equal Kimi Raikkonen’s record of 350 races in Formula One with nobody else having raced in more.
That record is destined to fall Alonso’s way in the future, and he could snatch another off the Finn, as his next race finish would be his 279th in Formula One putting him ahead of Raikkonen.
Mercedes driver George Russellbelieves Max Verstappen will win Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix despite starting 15th on the grid, and doubts his own chances of a podium finish.
Defending Formula One drivers’Â champion Verstappen put in the fastest lap in qualifying on Saturday, but the Red Bull ace is among those who have been pushed to the back of the grid after being issued with penalties.
Verstappen, courtesy of his qualifying efforts, starts at the front of the queue of those handed engine penalties. Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris and Zhou Guanyu line up behind him, with Mick Schumacher at the back after a gearbox penalty.
That gives Verstappen plenty to do if he is to extend his lead at the top of the championship in the first race after the mid-season break, but Russell is still expecting him to finish top of the pile.
“I think Max will probably still win the race. I don’t know where he is going to be starting, but with the pace he has got he will probably still win the race,” Russell said.
“And Charles [Leclerc] as well, he will probably still come through. So, I think it is unlikely that we will be on the podium tomorrow in all honesty, because we’ve still got Carlos [Sainz] and Checo [Perez] there and Max is going to slice through the field pretty quickly.
“We will need to look overnight, try and understand it. Qualifying is out of the way, which has been our weak point, and we’ll try and be faster tomorrow.”
While Verstappen is hopeful of a podium finish, his priority is to survive what is set to be a thrilling first lap at Spa with plenty of cars out of position, before eyeing a finish further up the field.
“I think with the pace we have in the car, I want to move forward, and I want to be at least on the podium,” Verstappen said.
“I mean survive, of course, lap one that’s the most important. Then after that I need to pass a few cars before of course you get into a competitive position.”
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz starts the race on pole ahead of Sergio Perez, with Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton on the second row while Russell and Alex Albon complete the top six.
Formula 1 is nearly ready to go racing again after a short summer break, with Max Verstappen having one hand on the drivers’ title heading into the second half of the campaign.
Back-to-back victories for the Dutchman before the mid-season recess saw him extend his drivers’ championship lead at the top of the table to 80 points with nine races to go.
The reigning champion’s superb win from tenth on the grid in Hungary has also pushed Red Bull 97 points clear in the constructors’ standings, piling the pressure on a faltering Ferrari outfit.
A catalogue of mechanical and strategic errors from the Scuderia appears to have handed Red Bull the title. Still, after some time to clear their heads, a Ferrari fightback could get underway at historically one of their favourite tracks.
Leclerc chasing Belgium bounty
The Italians have taken the chequered flag 14 times at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps, which has received an €80m facelift despite this potentially being its final F1 appearance.
Charles Leclerc was the last Ferrari driver to win in Belgium in 2019 and is in desperate need of a repeat result, having managed just one podium finish in his previous eight races.
For a driver with seven pole positions to his name, Leclerc can count himself unlucky to not have more points to his name, especially given Ferrari have a car equal, if not better, than Red Bull.
The improvements made by the Maranello-based outfit have largely negated Red Bull’s previous straight-line speed advantage, and there shouldn’t be much between the duo around the power-hungry Spa circuit.
Verstappen hoping to be signing in the rain again
Whether we see Red Bull and Ferrari go flat out and engage in another thrilling battle could depend on the weather.
Showers are forecast for all three days of action in Belgium, bringing back bad memories of last year’s washout race, which lasted two laps and was won by Verstappen, who is the favourite to win this year’s edition.
The world champion’s tainted 2021 victory kept up Red Bull’s impressive record of having at least one car on the podium in 11 of the last 13 years.
Mercedes in the mix
Lewis Hamilton will hope he can kickstart his season in Belgium this weekend
Red Bull will expect to maintain that record of top-three finishes, but both they and Ferrari face the added complication of a rejuvenated Mercedes team.
The Silver Arrows signed off for the summer on a high with back-to-back double podium finishes, coupled with a first pole position of the season from George Russell at Hungary.
The Brackley-based outfit have made steady improvements since a poor start to the year and are looking to kick on in the second half of the season, with Lewis Hamilton now having a realistic chance of continuing his streak of at least one win in every year he’s been in F1.
Mercedes expect to be even closer to the top two in Belgium, courtesy of new technical regulations introduced for the final nine races relating to porpoising or bouncing, believing they will hinder the advantage Ferrari and Red Bull previously enjoyed in that regard.
Prediction
The improvements made by the Silver Arrows and incoming rule changes muddy the waters when it comes to the fight for first, but if Ferrari can stop shooting themselves in the foot, they look the class of the field.
Leclerc hasn’t always handled the pressure well this season, but with the drivers’ title now an unrealistic goal, he could race with a bit more freedom at the scene of his maiden win in Formula 1.
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