Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took his third successive Formula One pole position on Saturday with Mercedes' world champion Lewis Hamilton joining the youngster on the front row for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who was fastest after the first flying laps in the final session of qualifying, made mistakes on his last effort and qualified third with Red Bull's Max Verstappen fourth.

Leclerc, 21, also started on pole in Belgium and Italy and won both races.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took his third successive Formula One pole position on Saturday with Mercedes' world champion Lewis Hamilton joining the youngster on the front row for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took his third successive Formula One pole position on Saturday with Mercedes' world champion Lewis Hamilton joining the youngster on the front row for the Singapore Grand Prix. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who was fastest after the first flying laps in the final session of qualifying, made mistakes on his last effort and qualified third with Red Bull's Max Verstappen fourth. Leclerc, 21, also started on pole in Belgium and Italy and won both races.

Charles Leclerc stuns with pole hat-trick in Singapore

Lewis Hamilton plans to have a private word with Ferrari's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/charles-leclerc-holds-off-mercedes-pursuit-to-give-ferrari-monza-win-248486">Charles Leclerc</a> after being squeezed off the track by the I<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/charles-leclerc-holds-off-mercedes-pursuit-to-give-ferrari-monza-win-248486">talian Grand Prix winner</a> on Sunday.

Stewards showed the 21-year-old Monegasque the black and white flag, equivalent to a yellow card in football, after he closed the door on Hamilton as Mercedes's five-times world champion tried to pass.

"He didn't leave me a car's width there, he pushed me off," exclaimed Hamilton over the team radio.

Speaking to reporters later, the runaway championship leader, who finished the race third, said he just wanted consistency from stewards.

"There was a rule put in place, and then it wasn’t abided by today and they used difference consequences for the rule today but I don't really know why that was the case," explained the Briton.

"I guess the stewards woke up on a different side of the bed this morning. I don’t know."

Hamilton nonetheless congratulated Leclerc on a job well done, the 21-year-old polesitter taking his second win for Ferrari in the space of eight days after a first triumph in Belgium.

"I gave him as much pressure as I could and we had a couple of close moments, we could probably talk about it in private together but it’s nothing major and we continue to race," he said. "I’m looking forward to many more races together."

Leclerc had led through the first corner, with Hamilton slotting into second and giving chase.

The two duelled, going wheel to wheel at times, until Hamilton's tyres faded.

Leclerc said he thought he had left enough room but acknowledged also that he had taken a more aggressive approach to his racing since losing out to Red Bull's Max Verstappen in Austria.

In that race, the Dutchman forced Leclerc wide but kept the win after a stewards' enquiry.

"I think since Austria it’s clear that we can go a bit further in the way that we defend and overtake," said the Monegasque.

"I believe that Austria helped me to change this approach and today it’s also thanks to this that I’ve managed to win. It was obviously very on-the-limit but I’m happy to race like this."

Lewis Hamilton plans to have a private word with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc after being squeezed off the track by the Italian Grand Prix winner on Sunday. Stewards showed the 21-year-old Monegasque the black and white flag, equivalent to a yellow card in football, after he closed the door on Hamilton as Mercedes's five-times world champion tried to pass.

Lewis Hamilton plans to have a private word with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc after being squeezed off the track by the Italian Grand Prix winner on Sunday. Stewards showed the 21-year-old Monegasque the black and white flag, equivalent to a yellow card in football, after he closed the door on Hamilton as Mercedes's five-times world champion tried to pass. "He didn't leave me a car's width there, he pushed me off," exclaimed Hamilton over the team radio. Speaking to reporters later, the runaway championship leader, who finished the race third, said he just wanted consistency from stewards. "There was a rule put in place, and then it wasn’t abided by today and they used difference consequences for the rule today but I don't really know why that was the case," explained the Briton. "I guess the stewards woke up on a different side of the bed this morning. I don’t know." Hamilton nonetheless congratulated Leclerc on a job well done, the 21-year-old polesitter taking his second win for Ferrari in the space of eight days after a first triumph in Belgium. "I gave him as much pressure as I could and we had a couple of close moments, we could probably talk about it in private together but it’s nothing major and we continue to race," he said. "I’m looking forward to many more races together." Leclerc had led through the first corner, with Hamilton slotting into second and giving chase. The two duelled, going wheel to wheel at times, until Hamilton's tyres faded. Leclerc said he thought he had left enough room but acknowledged also that he had taken a more aggressive approach to his racing since losing out to Red Bull's Max Verstappen in Austria. In that race, the Dutchman forced Leclerc wide but kept the win after a stewards' enquiry. "I think since Austria it’s clear that we can go a bit further in the way that we defend and overtake," said the Monegasque. "I believe that Austria helped me to change this approach and today it’s also thanks to this that I’ve managed to win. It was obviously very on-the-limit but I’m happy to race like this."

Lewis Hamilton wants a word with Charles Leclerc about Monza squeeze

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/italian-grand-prix-charles-leclerc-on-monza-pole-after-qualifying-mess-248314">Charles Leclerc</a> secured Ferrari’s first victory at their home Italian Grand Prix since 2010 on Sunday when he resisted race-long pressure from both Mercedes rivals to claim his second successive Formula One triumph.

The 21-year-old Monegasque, who dedicated his maiden win last Sunday to the memory of his late friend Anthoine Hubert, who was killed in an F2 race a day earlier, was exultant as a vast army of ‘tifosi’ in an estimated crowd of more than 150,000 celebrated deliriously.

"What a race!" said an exhausted Leclerc. "I have never felt so tired in a race. It was so difficult. For me, it is a dream to win here like this in front of the ‘tifosi’ – thanks to everyone!"

Lelcerc came home narrowly ahead of second-placed Valtteri Bottas and his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who pursued the victor for most of the race until his tyres let him down.&nbsp;

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LEC: "What a race! I'm very happy with this!"<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItalianGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ItalianGP</a> 🇮🇹 <a href="https://t.co/6bbRgU674A">pic.twitter.com/6bbRgU674A</a>
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After a late pit stop, Hamilton then claimed the fastest lap of the race.

Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel endured a torrid and disappointing day, finishing 13th after spinning off and taking a penalty for rejoining in a dangerous fashion.&nbsp;

Hamilton apologised to Mercedes and said his tyres "had gone off the cliff…. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to pull it off," he said.

The defending five-time champion now leads his Mercedes team-mate Bottas by 63 points in the drivers’ championship.

Daniel Ricciardo came home fourth ahead of his Renault team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, Red Bull new boy Alex Albon, Sergio Perez of Force India and Max Verstappen, who finished eighth after starting from 19th in the second Red Bull.

Local hero Antonio Giovinazzi came home ninth for Alfa Romeo ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren, who continued his impressive rookie season.

Charles Leclerc secured Ferrari’s first victory at their home Italian Grand Prix since 2010 on Sunday when he resisted race-long pressure from both Mercedes rivals to claim his second successive Formula One triumph.

Charles Leclerc secured Ferrari’s first victory at their home Italian Grand Prix since 2010 on Sunday when he resisted race-long pressure from both Mercedes rivals to claim his second successive Formula One triumph. The 21-year-old Monegasque, who dedicated his maiden win last Sunday to the memory of his late friend Anthoine Hubert, who was killed in an F2 race a day earlier, was exultant as a vast army of ‘tifosi’ in an estimated crowd of more than 150,000 celebrated deliriously. "What a race!" said an exhausted Leclerc. "I have never felt so tired in a race. It was so difficult. For me, it is a dream to win here like this in front of the ‘tifosi’ – thanks to everyone!" Lelcerc came home narrowly ahead of second-placed Valtteri Bottas and his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who pursued the victor for most of the race until his tyres let him down. LEC: "What a race! I'm very happy with this!"#F1 #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/6bbRgU674A — Formula 1 (@F1) September 8, 2019 × After a late pit stop, Hamilton then claimed the fastest lap of the race. Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel endured a torrid and disappointing day, finishing 13th after spinning off and taking a penalty for rejoining in a dangerous fashion. Hamilton apologised to Mercedes and said his tyres "had gone off the cliff…. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to pull it off," he said. The defending five-time champion now leads his Mercedes team-mate Bottas by 63 points in the drivers’ championship. Daniel Ricciardo came home fourth ahead of his Renault team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, Red Bull new boy Alex Albon, Sergio Perez of Force India and Max Verstappen, who finished eighth after starting from 19th in the second Red Bull. Local hero Antonio Giovinazzi came home ninth for Alfa Romeo ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren, who continued his impressive rookie season.

Charles Leclerc holds off Mercedes pursuit to give Ferrari Monza win

Charles Leclerc secured pole for Ferrari in the Italian Grand Prix in shambolic circumstances on Saturday when only two cars participated in the final qualifying showdown laps.

An unprecedented ‘cat-and-mouse’ procession as the teams crawled round the circuit, backing each other up to claim good slipstreaming positions, resulted in a farce that saw eight cars timed out by the chequered flag.

"A big mess," said Leclerc, who took pole ahead of defending five-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

The Monegasque and Carlos Sainz of McLaren were the only drivers to produce final qualifying runs after clocking lap-times on their first runs in Q3.&nbsp;

The stewards immediately declared that the shambolic failure at the end of the session was under investigation, the teams having failed to deliver a contest for the paying public.

"Today, to see so many people here feels amazing,” said a happy Leclerc, who claimed his maiden victory at last week’s tragic Belgian Grand Prix where he dedicated his win to the memory of his late friend Anthoine Hubert, who was killed in the previous day’s F2 race.

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"I am happy with pole, but disappointed at the end.

"Honestly, I have to be grateful we're on the front row to have a fight with the Ferraris," said Hamilton.

"It’s a bit of an anti-climax, but we just timed out."

Valtteri Bottas qualified third in the second Mercedes ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the second Ferrari, the two Renaults of Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg and Sainz, who was seventh.

Red Bull new boy Alex Albon was eighth ahead of Lance Stroll of Racing Point and Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo, both of whom failed to clock a time in Q3 when Raikkonen crashed. He was uninjured.

Bottas said he and Mercedes had been unlucky to be trapped in the bunched traffic.

"The yellow flag in the last corner meant we probably missed the pole."

Charles Leclerc secured pole for Ferrari in the Italian Grand Prix in shambolic circumstances on Saturday when only two cars participated in the final qualifying showdown laps.

Charles Leclerc secured pole for Ferrari in the Italian Grand Prix in shambolic circumstances on Saturday when only two cars participated in the final qualifying showdown laps. An unprecedented ‘cat-and-mouse’ procession as the teams crawled round the circuit, backing each other up to claim good slipstreaming positions, resulted in a farce that saw eight cars timed out by the chequered flag. "A big mess," said Leclerc, who took pole ahead of defending five-time champion Lewis Hamilton. The Monegasque and Carlos Sainz of McLaren were the only drivers to produce final qualifying runs after clocking lap-times on their first runs in Q3. The stewards immediately declared that the shambolic failure at the end of the session was under investigation, the teams having failed to deliver a contest for the paying public. "Today, to see so many people here feels amazing,” said a happy Leclerc, who claimed his maiden victory at last week’s tragic Belgian Grand Prix where he dedicated his win to the memory of his late friend Anthoine Hubert, who was killed in the previous day’s F2 race. 1979 F1 world champion Jody Scheckter presents @Charles_Leclerc with his #PirelliPolePositionAward 👏#ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1 @pirellisport pic.twitter.com/gkBoGa9CZS — Formula 1 (@F1) September 7, 2019 × "I am happy with pole, but disappointed at the end. "Honestly, I have to be grateful we're on the front row to have a fight with the Ferraris," said Hamilton. "It’s a bit of an anti-climax, but we just timed out." Valtteri Bottas qualified third in the second Mercedes ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the second Ferrari, the two Renaults of Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg and Sainz, who was seventh. Red Bull new boy Alex Albon was eighth ahead of Lance Stroll of Racing Point and Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo, both of whom failed to clock a time in Q3 when Raikkonen crashed. He was uninjured. Bottas said he and Mercedes had been unlucky to be trapped in the bunched traffic. "The yellow flag in the last corner meant we probably missed the pole."

Italian Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc on Monza pole after qualifying 'mess'

Charles Leclerc again set the pace for Ferrari as the Italian team led a crash-strewn first practice for their home grand prix at a soggy Monza on Friday.&nbsp;

The 21-year-old Monegasque, on a high after his first Formula One victory in Belgium last weekend, lapped the historic circuit near Milan with a quickest time of one minute 27.905 seconds.&nbsp;

Ferrari and Monza are both celebrating 90th anniversaries this weekend, with a big crowd already on Friday despite the wet weather.&nbsp;

The morning featured three red flags and was hardly representative, however, with McLaren's Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris second and third on the timesheets and the track drying towards the end after heavy overnight rain.&nbsp;

Five-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, last year's winner for Mercedes, set the fourth fastest lap of 1:28.730 while Leclerc's German teammate Sebastian Vettel was only eighth quickest and 2.6 seconds off the pace.&nbsp;

Hamilton goes into the weekend with a 65 point lead over teammate Valtteri Bottas and all bets on where he wins the championship rather than whether.

Alfa Romeo's former Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen and Racing Point's Sergio Perez both crashed in the treacherous conditions while others spun later on, including Bottas who ended the session ninth fastest.

Raikkonen was first off at Parabolica with half an hour completed, while Perez hit the wall heavily at the Ascari chicane.

Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly caused the final red flag when his car hit a kerb at the first chicane and briefly caused an obstruction, before being shoved clear by marshals.

British-born Thai racer Alexander Albon, who has traded places with Gasly, was fifth fastest for Red Bull with teammate Max Verstappen seventh.

Verstappen will drop to the back end of the grid due to engine changes, along with Gasly and Norris for the same reasons.

Charles Leclerc again set the pace for Ferrari as the Italian team led a crash-strewn first practice for their home grand prix at a soggy Monza on Friday. The 21-year-old Monegasque, on a high after his first Formula One victory in Belgium last weekend, lapped the historic circuit near Milan with a quickest time of one minute 27.

Charles Leclerc again set the pace for Ferrari as the Italian team led a crash-strewn first practice for their home grand prix at a soggy Monza on Friday. The 21-year-old Monegasque, on a high after his first Formula One victory in Belgium last weekend, lapped the historic circuit near Milan with a quickest time of one minute 27.905 seconds. Ferrari and Monza are both celebrating 90th anniversaries this weekend, with a big crowd already on Friday despite the wet weather. The morning featured three red flags and was hardly representative, however, with McLaren's Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris second and third on the timesheets and the track drying towards the end after heavy overnight rain. Five-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, last year's winner for Mercedes, set the fourth fastest lap of 1:28.730 while Leclerc's German teammate Sebastian Vettel was only eighth quickest and 2.6 seconds off the pace. Hamilton goes into the weekend with a 65 point lead over teammate Valtteri Bottas and all bets on where he wins the championship rather than whether. Alfa Romeo's former Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen and Racing Point's Sergio Perez both crashed in the treacherous conditions while others spun later on, including Bottas who ended the session ninth fastest. Raikkonen was first off at Parabolica with half an hour completed, while Perez hit the wall heavily at the Ascari chicane. Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly caused the final red flag when his car hit a kerb at the first chicane and briefly caused an obstruction, before being shoved clear by marshals. British-born Thai racer Alexander Albon, who has traded places with Gasly, was fifth fastest for Red Bull with teammate Max Verstappen seventh. Verstappen will drop to the back end of the grid due to engine changes, along with Gasly and Norris for the same reasons.

Charles Leclerc fastest in practice for Ferrari's home race

Lewis Hamilton on Monday predicted more success for his triumphant Ferrari rival <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ferraris-charles-leclerc-wins-belgian-gp-for-first-race-victory-247028">Charles Leclerc</a> and tipped the Monegasque driver as the favourite for this week's Italian Grand Prix at Monza. &nbsp;

After finishing second behind Leclerc at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, a race weekend overshadowed by the death of French Formula Two driver <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/family-and-motor-racing-teams-pay-tribute-to-anthoine-hubert-247020">Anthoine Hubert</a> a day earlier, Hamilton forecast that having finally secured his maiden win, Leclerc would now go on to claim more victories.&nbsp;

"Ferrari are going to have a happy weekend at Monza," said the defending five-time champion and current series leader.

"They are so much faster than us and Monza is all straights ... We will do our best, but it is going to be a tough job to match them."

Hamilton increased his lead in this year’s title race to 69 points ahead of re-signed Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who came home third, and was quick to praise 21-year-old Leclerc for his performance under pressure.

Leclerc, who started from pole and resisted intense Hamilton pressure as he chased him in the closing laps, dedicated his win to his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/family-and-motor-racing-teams-pay-tribute-to-anthoine-hubert-247020">late friend Hubert</a>.&nbsp;

"He did a great job," said Hamilton. "Even if we had different strategies, it would have been hard to have beaten him. He deserved to win."

Greatness

Leclerc, widely tipped as a future champion, performed with grace and humanity on and off the circuit during a stressful race weekend that saw him move within 12 points of his Ferrari team-mate and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in the drivers’ standings.

He has now out-qualified Vettel at six races in succession, leaving the German battling to retain his status as Ferrari’s lead driver.&nbsp;

On Sunday, Vettel was asked to pull over and allow Leclerc to pass mid-race on his way to finishing fourth. It is now more than a year since his last win, ironically at Belgium in 2018.&nbsp;

"I think his results speak for themselves really," added Hamilton, referring to Leclerc, who has delivered five podium finishes in his last seven outings.

"It's not easy for any driver to jump into a top team, let alone Ferrari... and then to be continuous from race one, out-perform, out-qualify and out-drive a four-time world champion is not easy to do.

"So I think that speaks for itself. He's been really unlucky in quite a few races this year. Could easily have been the third win today.&nbsp;

"So, there's a lot more greatness to come from him and I'm looking forward to seeing his growth and racing alongside him ... Today, it was fun, trying to chase him. He was just a little bit too quick."

While Leclerc finally seized a victory, another young driver impressed by finishing fifth —- Red Bull rookie Alex Albon climbing from 17th to secure a strong result in his first race with the team following promotion from Toro Rosso.&nbsp;

"I’ve been very impressed with Alex’s performance and he put in a great recovery drive in his first race," said Red Bull team chief Christian Horner of the London-born Thai racer.

His Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen made a poor start and retired after crashing on the opening lap.

"I had some good fun out there and I enjoyed this race a lot," said Albon. "I started off the weekend very nervous and if you had told me I’d finish the race fifth I’d be very happy, but I’m a bit more relaxed now."

Lewis Hamilton on Monday predicted more success for his triumphant Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc and tipped the Monegasque driver as the favourite for this week's Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Lewis Hamilton on Monday predicted more success for his triumphant Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc and tipped the Monegasque driver as the favourite for this week's Italian Grand Prix at Monza. After finishing second behind Leclerc at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, a race weekend overshadowed by the death of French Formula Two driver Anthoine Hubert a day earlier, Hamilton forecast that having finally secured his maiden win, Leclerc would now go on to claim more victories. "Ferrari are going to have a happy weekend at Monza," said the defending five-time champion and current series leader. "They are so much faster than us and Monza is all straights ... We will do our best, but it is going to be a tough job to match them." Hamilton increased his lead in this year’s title race to 69 points ahead of re-signed Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who came home third, and was quick to praise 21-year-old Leclerc for his performance under pressure. Leclerc, who started from pole and resisted intense Hamilton pressure as he chased him in the closing laps, dedicated his win to his late friend Hubert. "He did a great job," said Hamilton. "Even if we had different strategies, it would have been hard to have beaten him. He deserved to win." Greatness Leclerc, widely tipped as a future champion, performed with grace and humanity on and off the circuit during a stressful race weekend that saw him move within 12 points of his Ferrari team-mate and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in the drivers’ standings. He has now out-qualified Vettel at six races in succession, leaving the German battling to retain his status as Ferrari’s lead driver. On Sunday, Vettel was asked to pull over and allow Leclerc to pass mid-race on his way to finishing fourth. It is now more than a year since his last win, ironically at Belgium in 2018. "I think his results speak for themselves really," added Hamilton, referring to Leclerc, who has delivered five podium finishes in his last seven outings. "It's not easy for any driver to jump into a top team, let alone Ferrari... and then to be continuous from race one, out-perform, out-qualify and out-drive a four-time world champion is not easy to do. "So I think that speaks for itself. He's been really unlucky in quite a few races this year. Could easily have been the third win today. "So, there's a lot more greatness to come from him and I'm looking forward to seeing his growth and racing alongside him ... Today, it was fun, trying to chase him. He was just a little bit too quick." While Leclerc finally seized a victory, another young driver impressed by finishing fifth —- Red Bull rookie Alex Albon climbing from 17th to secure a strong result in his first race with the team following promotion from Toro Rosso. "I’ve been very impressed with Alex’s performance and he put in a great recovery drive in his first race," said Red Bull team chief Christian Horner of the London-born Thai racer. His Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen made a poor start and retired after crashing on the opening lap. "I had some good fun out there and I enjoyed this race a lot," said Albon. "I started off the weekend very nervous and if you had told me I’d finish the race fifth I’d be very happy, but I’m a bit more relaxed now."

Charles Leclerc destined for greatness, says Lewis Hamilton

Charles Leclerc dedicated his maiden Formula One race victory at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday to his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/family-and-motor-racing-teams-pay-tribute-to-anthoine-hubert-247020">late friend, Anthoine Hubert</a>.

The Ferrari driver led almost the entire race from pole to hold off Mercedes' defending fice time world champion Lewis Hamilton's dramatic late charge by one second.

His landmark success came a day after the death of 22-year-old Frenchman Hubert in Saturday’s tragic Formula Two race.

And Leclerc was quick to express his emotions as he steered back to the ‘parc fermee’, his steering wheel sporting a simple message ‘RIP Tonio.”

“My first victory in F1 and this one is for Anthoine,” he said on the team radio. “It feels good, but it’s difficult to enjoy on a weekend like this. But thanks guys, you are the best – it’s a dream come true."

Leclerc said he felt he could not enjoy his long-awaited first win.&nbsp;

"It has been a very difficult weekend since Saturday – I have lost a friend and I want to dedicate this victory to him. We grew up together and my first race I did it with Anthoine, Esteban (Ocon) and Pierre (Gasly).

"It’s just a shame what happened yesterday. I cannot enjoy my first victory, but it will definitely be a memory I will keep forever.”

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Valtteri Bottas took third in the second Mercedes ahead of last year’s winner Sebastian Vettel in the second Ferrari.

Hamilton’s strong finish almost carried him to within reach of a stunning late win, but the result still enabled him to enlarge his lead in the title race to 65 points ahead of Bottas.&nbsp;

"I gave it everything that I had,” said Hamilton.

"It was a really difficult race and&nbsp;there Ferraris were&nbsp;just too fast on the straights.&nbsp;Congratulations to Charles for his first win&nbsp;— he’s had it coming all year."

Red Bull new boy Alex Albon came home fifth for Red Bull, after luckless British rookie Lando Norris’s McLaren had stopped with one lap remaining, ahead of Sergio Perez of Racing Point, Daniil Kvyat of Toro Rosso and Nico Hulkenberg of Renault.

Pierre Gasly came home ninth on his return to the Toro Rosso team and Lance Stroll 10th in the second Racing Point.

Charles Leclerc dedicated his maiden Formula One race victory at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday to his late friend, Anthoine Hubert. The Ferrari driver led almost the entire race from pole to hold off Mercedes' defending fice time world champion Lewis Hamilton's dramatic late charge by one second.

Charles Leclerc dedicated his maiden Formula One race victory at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday to his late friend, Anthoine Hubert. The Ferrari driver led almost the entire race from pole to hold off Mercedes' defending fice time world champion Lewis Hamilton's dramatic late charge by one second. His landmark success came a day after the death of 22-year-old Frenchman Hubert in Saturday’s tragic Formula Two race. And Leclerc was quick to express his emotions as he steered back to the ‘parc fermee’, his steering wheel sporting a simple message ‘RIP Tonio.” “My first victory in F1 and this one is for Anthoine,” he said on the team radio. “It feels good, but it’s difficult to enjoy on a weekend like this. But thanks guys, you are the best – it’s a dream come true." Leclerc said he felt he could not enjoy his long-awaited first win. "It has been a very difficult weekend since Saturday – I have lost a friend and I want to dedicate this victory to him. We grew up together and my first race I did it with Anthoine, Esteban (Ocon) and Pierre (Gasly). "It’s just a shame what happened yesterday. I cannot enjoy my first victory, but it will definitely be a memory I will keep forever.” LEC: "On the one a hand a dream I've had since I was a child has been realised, but on the other it has been a very difficult weekend. I grew up with Anthoine and I want to dedicate my win to him"#F1 #BelgianGP 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/NWBM5rtDWY — Formula 1 (@F1) September 1, 2019 × Valtteri Bottas took third in the second Mercedes ahead of last year’s winner Sebastian Vettel in the second Ferrari. Hamilton’s strong finish almost carried him to within reach of a stunning late win, but the result still enabled him to enlarge his lead in the title race to 65 points ahead of Bottas. "I gave it everything that I had,” said Hamilton. "It was a really difficult race and there Ferraris were just too fast on the straights. Congratulations to Charles for his first win — he’s had it coming all year." Red Bull new boy Alex Albon came home fifth for Red Bull, after luckless British rookie Lando Norris’s McLaren had stopped with one lap remaining, ahead of Sergio Perez of Racing Point, Daniil Kvyat of Toro Rosso and Nico Hulkenberg of Renault. Pierre Gasly came home ninth on his return to the Toro Rosso team and Lance Stroll 10th in the second Racing Point.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc wins Belgian GP for first race victory

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/charles-leclerc-completes-ferrari-practice-sweep-hamilton-crashes-246869">Charles Leclerc</a> claimed pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix with a dazzling lap in a dramatic qualifying session on Saturday as Ferrari delivered a dominant front row lockout.

The Monegasque, who was quickest in two of the three practice sessions and is seeking his maiden victory in Formula One, clocked a fastest lap in one minute 42.519 seconds. He was 0.748sec clear of his Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

It was Ferrari's first lockout since the Bahrain Grand Prix in March and the 63rd in the team's F1 history, one fewer than Mercedes.

Defending five-time world champion and series leader Lewis Hamilton was third for Mercedes ahead of his team-mate Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen, who was fifth for Red Bull, and Daniel Ricciardo of Renault.

"That felt good," said Leclerc. "We were struggling a little bit more for race pace and we need to work on that, but I am sure we will be strong."

Vettel was frustrated by traffic on his final run.&nbsp;

"At the end, it's good we secured the front row, but to fight for pole I was in the queue," he said

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A third career Pirelli Pole Position Award for <a href="https://twitter.com/Charles_Leclerc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Charles_Leclerc</a> ⏱️ 
 
And <a href="https://twitter.com/KeeganMKey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KeeganMKey</a> is there to do the presenting honours at Spa!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pirelli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pirelli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BelgianGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BelgianGP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/pirellisport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pirellisport</a> <a href="https://t.co/MFijJoq3ZF">pic.twitter.com/MFijJoq3ZF</a>
— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1167806343257964550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Referring to his crash in final practice in the morning, Hamilton said: "P3 was a terrible session for me and it's painful because I know how much it takes to build the part and put the car together.

"Ferrari have done a great job and I hope we can bring the fight to them."

Nico Hulkenberg was seventh in the second Renault ahead of Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo, Sergio Perez of Racing Point and Kevin Magnussen of Haas.

Hamilton has won eight of this year's 12 races to date to lead Bottas by 62 points in the championship while Leclerc is still hunting his first win.

Charles Leclerc claimed pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix with a dazzling lap in a dramatic qualifying session on Saturday as Ferrari delivered a dominant front row lockout.

Charles Leclerc claimed pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix with a dazzling lap in a dramatic qualifying session on Saturday as Ferrari delivered a dominant front row lockout. The Monegasque, who was quickest in two of the three practice sessions and is seeking his maiden victory in Formula One, clocked a fastest lap in one minute 42.519 seconds. He was 0.748sec clear of his Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel. It was Ferrari's first lockout since the Bahrain Grand Prix in March and the 63rd in the team's F1 history, one fewer than Mercedes. Defending five-time world champion and series leader Lewis Hamilton was third for Mercedes ahead of his team-mate Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen, who was fifth for Red Bull, and Daniel Ricciardo of Renault. "That felt good," said Leclerc. "We were struggling a little bit more for race pace and we need to work on that, but I am sure we will be strong." Vettel was frustrated by traffic on his final run. "At the end, it's good we secured the front row, but to fight for pole I was in the queue," he said A third career Pirelli Pole Position Award for @Charles_Leclerc ⏱️ And @KeeganMKey is there to do the presenting honours at Spa!#Pirelli #BelgianGP @pirellisport pic.twitter.com/MFijJoq3ZF — Formula 1 (@F1) August 31, 2019 × Referring to his crash in final practice in the morning, Hamilton said: "P3 was a terrible session for me and it's painful because I know how much it takes to build the part and put the car together. "Ferrari have done a great job and I hope we can bring the fight to them." Nico Hulkenberg was seventh in the second Renault ahead of Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo, Sergio Perez of Racing Point and Kevin Magnussen of Haas. Hamilton has won eight of this year's 12 races to date to lead Bottas by 62 points in the championship while Leclerc is still hunting his first win.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc takes pole position at Belgian GP

Charles Leclerc set the pace ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel to complete a practice clean sweep for Ferrari on Saturday even as championship leader Lewis Hamilton crashed.

The Monegasque, who was also fastest on the opening day of practice on Friday, lapped the 7-km long Spa-Francorchamps track in one minute, 44.206 seconds.

Vettel, hoping to end his victory drought that goes back to last year’s Belgian race, was 0.451 seconds off the pace.

Hamilton, who leads Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by 62 points in the overall standings, ended his session in the barriers.

The 34-year-old’s car snapped out of control under braking for turn 12 and ploughed into the tyre wall.

Hamilton’s car sustained heavy damage, including a wrecked front suspension.

But a Mercedes spokesman said the team should be able to get the car repaired in time for qualifying.

With Hamilton out, it was left to Bottas to lead the Mercedes charge.

The Finn, confirmed alongside Lewis Hamilton at the world champion team for another year on Thursday, was third but nearly half a second off the pace.

Daniel Ricciardo was an impressive fourth for Renault ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Sergio Perez, fresh from signing a new three year deal with Racing Point, was sixth ahead of Hamilton, whose time before he crashed was good enough for seventh.

Kimi Raikkonen led Alfa Romeo teammate Antonio Giovinazzi in eighth.

Pierre Gasly, demoted from Red Bull to Toro Rosso, rounded out the top ten.

Ferrari, still hunting for their first win of the year, have struggled around twisty tracks this season.

But their car has been better suited to high-speed layouts like Spa, which will host Sunday’s race.

That track and Monza, where Ferrari’s home Italian Grand Prix will be held the week after, have been singled out as the two best opportunities for the team to shine.

Charles Leclerc set the pace ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel to complete a practice clean sweep for Ferrari on Saturday even as championship leader Lewis Hamilton crashed.

Charles Leclerc set the pace ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel to complete a practice clean sweep for Ferrari on Saturday even as championship leader Lewis Hamilton crashed. The Monegasque, who was also fastest on the opening day of practice on Friday, lapped the 7-km long Spa-Francorchamps track in one minute, 44.206 seconds. Vettel, hoping to end his victory drought that goes back to last year’s Belgian race, was 0.451 seconds off the pace. Hamilton, who leads Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by 62 points in the overall standings, ended his session in the barriers. The 34-year-old’s car snapped out of control under braking for turn 12 and ploughed into the tyre wall. Hamilton’s car sustained heavy damage, including a wrecked front suspension. But a Mercedes spokesman said the team should be able to get the car repaired in time for qualifying. With Hamilton out, it was left to Bottas to lead the Mercedes charge. The Finn, confirmed alongside Lewis Hamilton at the world champion team for another year on Thursday, was third but nearly half a second off the pace. Daniel Ricciardo was an impressive fourth for Renault ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Sergio Perez, fresh from signing a new three year deal with Racing Point, was sixth ahead of Hamilton, whose time before he crashed was good enough for seventh. Kimi Raikkonen led Alfa Romeo teammate Antonio Giovinazzi in eighth. Pierre Gasly, demoted from Red Bull to Toro Rosso, rounded out the top ten. Ferrari, still hunting for their first win of the year, have struggled around twisty tracks this season. But their car has been better suited to high-speed layouts like Spa, which will host Sunday’s race. That track and Monza, where Ferrari’s home Italian Grand Prix will be held the week after, have been singled out as the two best opportunities for the team to shine.

Charles Leclerc completes Ferrari practice sweep, Hamilton crashes

Sebastian Vettel topped the times ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc as Ferrari set the pace ahead of Red Bull in Friday morning's opening free practice at this weekend's Belgian Formula One Grand Prix.&nbsp;

The four-time world champion clocked a best lap in one minute and 44.574 seconds to outpace Leclerc by two-tenths of a second, a performance that supported Italian hopes that their team can enjoy success on the high-speed Ardennes circuit.&nbsp;

In front of thousands of his 'orange army' of Dutch supporters, Max Verstappen was third, just under a second adrift of the lead and less than one-tenth of a second ahead of his new Red Bull team-mate Alex Albon, who was making his debut with the team following promotion from Toro Rosso.

Valtteri Bottas, who celebrated his 30th birthday this week with confirmation of a Mercedes contract extension for 2020, was fifth ahead of championship leader and defending five-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

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CLASSIFICATION - END OF FP2 
 
Another 1-2 for <a href="https://twitter.com/ScuderiaFerrari?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScuderiaFerrari</a> - but this time it's <a href="https://twitter.com/Charles_Leclerc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Charles_Leclerc</a> on top 
 
Hat-tip to <a href="https://twitter.com/SChecoPerez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SChecoPerez</a> - although his session ends with what looked like overheating issues<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BelgianGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BelgianGP</a> 🇧🇪 <a href="https://t.co/aJdlW8CWsH">pic.twitter.com/aJdlW8CWsH</a>
— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1167445762243989504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Both men were running Mercedes' upgraded power-unit for the first time, and Hamilton struggled with various issues including a throttle pedal problem and over-heating tyres in a frustrating session that saw him returning to the pits at regular intervals for adjustments and minor repairs.

Canadian Lance Stroll was seventh for Racing Point ahead of Daniel Ricciardo of Renault, Sergio Perez in the second Racing Point and Carlos Sainz of McLaren.

The session was run in mild and dry conditions with few interruptions apart from a brief use of the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) after the engine cover flew off Stroll's car on the Kemmel Straight and a spin for Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat.

Sebastian Vettel topped the times ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc as Ferrari set the pace ahead of Red Bull in Friday morning's opening free practice at this weekend's Belgian Formula One Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel topped the times ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc as Ferrari set the pace ahead of Red Bull in Friday morning's opening free practice at this weekend's Belgian Formula One Grand Prix. The four-time world champion clocked a best lap in one minute and 44.574 seconds to outpace Leclerc by two-tenths of a second, a performance that supported Italian hopes that their team can enjoy success on the high-speed Ardennes circuit. In front of thousands of his 'orange army' of Dutch supporters, Max Verstappen was third, just under a second adrift of the lead and less than one-tenth of a second ahead of his new Red Bull team-mate Alex Albon, who was making his debut with the team following promotion from Toro Rosso. Valtteri Bottas, who celebrated his 30th birthday this week with confirmation of a Mercedes contract extension for 2020, was fifth ahead of championship leader and defending five-time champion Lewis Hamilton. CLASSIFICATION - END OF FP2 Another 1-2 for @ScuderiaFerrari - but this time it's @Charles_Leclerc on top Hat-tip to @SChecoPerez - although his session ends with what looked like overheating issues#F1 #BelgianGP 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/aJdlW8CWsH — Formula 1 (@F1) August 30, 2019 × Both men were running Mercedes' upgraded power-unit for the first time, and Hamilton struggled with various issues including a throttle pedal problem and over-heating tyres in a frustrating session that saw him returning to the pits at regular intervals for adjustments and minor repairs. Canadian Lance Stroll was seventh for Racing Point ahead of Daniel Ricciardo of Renault, Sergio Perez in the second Racing Point and Carlos Sainz of McLaren. The session was run in mild and dry conditions with few interruptions apart from a brief use of the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) after the engine cover flew off Stroll's car on the Kemmel Straight and a spin for Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat.

Vettel leads the way as Ferrari dominate opening practice in Belgium

Charles Leclerc topped the times ahead of Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel in Friday afternoon's sweltering and crash-hit second free practice for the German Grand Prix.

In a session that suggested the Italian team's determination to recover competitive form was paying off, Leclerc was quickest in one minute and 13.449 seconds, outpacing the four-time champion by 0.124 seconds.

Vettel enjoyed his return to home soil and topped the morning session to the delight of German fans and his father Norbert who was supporting from the Ferrari pits.

Series leader and defending five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was third, 0.146 off the pace set by the Monegasque driver, but half a second ahead of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/know-why-mercedes-are-painted-different-for-german-grand-prix-238605">Mercedes</a> team-mate Valtteri Bottas in fourth.

Max Verstappen was fifth for Red Bull ahead of Romain Grosjean of Haas, Lance Stroll of Force India and Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo with Nico Hulkenberg ninth for Renault and Sergio Perez 10th in the second Force India.

Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Pierre Gasly was unable to clock a soft-compound time at the end of the session after crashing.

On a very hot afternoon, with an air temperature of 37 degrees Celsius and a track temperature of 50, Ferrari found the conditions to their liking again. Vettel topped the times in the morning and Leclerc in the afternoon, while Mercedes appeared to be keeping some performance in reserve.

But it was a disappointing day for Frenchman Gasly who, after an encouraging run in opening practice, lost control of his Red Bull in the final minutes of the afternoon session at the final corner and hit the barriers on the outside. The impact damaged the left side of his car, but he was unhurt.

"I lost it," he told the team, a blow to his fragile confidence only two weeks after his best result, fourth, at the British Grand Prix. Replays showed that the rear of his vehicle lurched away from him as he accelerated on exit from the corner.

The session was red-flagged for seven minutes and resumed with nine remaining.

Hulkenberg, hoping to retain his seat at Renault in 2020, lost power and pitted immediately while Leclerc requested a check on his Ferrari's brakes as the action continued. The team confirmed all was well.

"It is difficult to judge anything," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. "It is so hot it affects everyone. As far as engine cooling goes, we are OK here – Ferrari have looked very strong going through the corners..."&nbsp;

Charles Leclerc topped the times ahead of Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel in Friday afternoon's sweltering and crash-hit second free practice for the German Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc topped the times ahead of Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel in Friday afternoon's sweltering and crash-hit second free practice for the German Grand Prix. In a session that suggested the Italian team's determination to recover competitive form was paying off, Leclerc was quickest in one minute and 13.449 seconds, outpacing the four-time champion by 0.124 seconds. Vettel enjoyed his return to home soil and topped the morning session to the delight of German fans and his father Norbert who was supporting from the Ferrari pits. Series leader and defending five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was third, 0.146 off the pace set by the Monegasque driver, but half a second ahead of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas in fourth. Max Verstappen was fifth for Red Bull ahead of Romain Grosjean of Haas, Lance Stroll of Force India and Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo with Nico Hulkenberg ninth for Renault and Sergio Perez 10th in the second Force India. Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Pierre Gasly was unable to clock a soft-compound time at the end of the session after crashing. On a very hot afternoon, with an air temperature of 37 degrees Celsius and a track temperature of 50, Ferrari found the conditions to their liking again. Vettel topped the times in the morning and Leclerc in the afternoon, while Mercedes appeared to be keeping some performance in reserve. But it was a disappointing day for Frenchman Gasly who, after an encouraging run in opening practice, lost control of his Red Bull in the final minutes of the afternoon session at the final corner and hit the barriers on the outside. The impact damaged the left side of his car, but he was unhurt. "I lost it," he told the team, a blow to his fragile confidence only two weeks after his best result, fourth, at the British Grand Prix. Replays showed that the rear of his vehicle lurched away from him as he accelerated on exit from the corner. The session was red-flagged for seven minutes and resumed with nine remaining. Hulkenberg, hoping to retain his seat at Renault in 2020, lost power and pitted immediately while Leclerc requested a check on his Ferrari's brakes as the action continued. The team confirmed all was well. "It is difficult to judge anything," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. "It is so hot it affects everyone. As far as engine cooling goes, we are OK here – Ferrari have looked very strong going through the corners..."

German Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc on top with Sebastian Vettel as Ferrari shine during practice

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-wins-french-grand-prix-in-mercedes-one-two-229814&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiThcSUnKzjAhUC4nMBHfmPCy8QFjABegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1nBAPq6srnHbVBMVKo54Zk">Lewis Hamilton</a> is aiming to bounce back from a rare weekend of disappointment by winning his home British Grand Prix for a record sixth time this weekend - and in front of the biggest crowd at the historic Silverstone circuit in nearly three decades.

After suffering in the heat and rarefied atmosphere of Austria's Styrian Alps, where he finished a hot-and-bothered fifth two weeks ago, the defending world champion and his Mercedes team are expected to revel in the gentler undulations and a wider mix of corners in cooler conditions in central England.

A sixth victory overall and fifth in six years at a track he loves would also be his seventh in 10 races this year and extend his 31-point lead ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas in the drivers' championship.

"This is the race that has become the most anticipated event of the season for me and it is the weekend I always enjoy the most," said <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-takes-controversial-win-in-canada-after-sebastian-vettel-penalty-225869&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiThcSUnKzjAhUC4nMBHfmPCy8QFjAFegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0u-wCheGpvD5b5CE4MN42Z">Hamilton</a>, who was quick to celebrate Wednesday's confirmation of a new five-year contract that will keep the British Grand Prix on the Formula One calendar until 2024.

"Having the support of your country concentrated into one weekend really makes for the most incredible few days. It is difficult to count what you gain from all that positivity - everyone's energy is priceless," he said.

If he wins, Hamilton will move clear of fellow Briton Jim Clark and Frenchman Alain Prost, with whom he shares the current record of five wins.

After suffering their first defeat after an unprecedented run of eight victories, Mercedes are keen to restore their supremacy in the team's home event - both the car and engine factories are based close to Silverstone.

Mercedes 'in good shape'&nbsp; 
 
"The high temperatures in Austria exposed our vulnerability and meant we could not challenge to win," said team boss Toto Wolff.

"But, fortunately, the English summer is known for more moderate temperatures so cooling should not be such a major issue.''

"We've had some of our best performances this year on tracks with a wide range of corner speeds so, on paper, we should be in relatively good form," Wolff said.

His Ferrari counterpart Mattia Binotto played down their chances of a repeat of Sebastian Vettel's triumph last year, despite their stronger showing in Austria where Charles Leclerc finished second from the pole behind the triumphant Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

Four-time world champion Vettel has gone 17 races since last August without a win and lies 76 points adrift of Hamilton in the title race.

Victory in Austria lifted Verstappen ahead of the German and he and Red Bull, based at nearby Milton Keynes, with big local home support, may also be a major threat to Hamilton's home-coming dream after flying in from Los Angeles.

"Max has been the best in the world, arguably, over the last 12 months," said his team boss Christian Horner. "He is the coming man. This sport is crying out for more drivers like Max."

Beyond the top three teams, McLaren will seek to make an impression notably after confirming an unchanged driver line-up, including British rookie Lando Norris, 19, for next year.

Silverstone officials believe the allure of the drivers and an encouraging weather forecast will result in the biggest attendance since the days of 'Mansell-mania' in the early 1990s.

Last year's race-day crowd of 140,500 was the biggest of the season and Silverstone boss Stuart Pringle said he expects that to be beaten.

"This is going to be the largest since Mansell brought people here in their droves in 1992," he said.

The Silverstone circuit, once a wartime airfield, hosted the first World Championship <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-wins-monaco-grand-prix-in-the-spirit-of-lauda-221832&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiThcSUnKzjAhUC4nMBHfmPCy8QFjAGegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3hdcFGoNLNlu4YT1nvQt-h">Grand Prix</a> in 1950 and, along with Italy, has been an ever-present since.

The Italian race at Monza in September is expected to be re-confirmed for the future while events in Vietnam and the Netherlands are set to be part of a refreshed 21-race calendar in 2020.

Lewis Hamilton is aiming to bounce back from a rare weekend of disappointment by winning his home British Grand Prix for a record sixth time this weekend - and in front of the biggest crowd at the historic Silverstone circuit in nearly three decades.

Lewis Hamilton is aiming to bounce back from a rare weekend of disappointment by winning his home British Grand Prix for a record sixth time this weekend - and in front of the biggest crowd at the historic Silverstone circuit in nearly three decades. After suffering in the heat and rarefied atmosphere of Austria's Styrian Alps, where he finished a hot-and-bothered fifth two weeks ago, the defending world champion and his Mercedes team are expected to revel in the gentler undulations and a wider mix of corners in cooler conditions in central England. A sixth victory overall and fifth in six years at a track he loves would also be his seventh in 10 races this year and extend his 31-point lead ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas in the drivers' championship. "This is the race that has become the most anticipated event of the season for me and it is the weekend I always enjoy the most," said Hamilton, who was quick to celebrate Wednesday's confirmation of a new five-year contract that will keep the British Grand Prix on the Formula One calendar until 2024. "Having the support of your country concentrated into one weekend really makes for the most incredible few days. It is difficult to count what you gain from all that positivity - everyone's energy is priceless," he said. If he wins, Hamilton will move clear of fellow Briton Jim Clark and Frenchman Alain Prost, with whom he shares the current record of five wins. After suffering their first defeat after an unprecedented run of eight victories, Mercedes are keen to restore their supremacy in the team's home event - both the car and engine factories are based close to Silverstone. Mercedes 'in good shape' "The high temperatures in Austria exposed our vulnerability and meant we could not challenge to win," said team boss Toto Wolff. "But, fortunately, the English summer is known for more moderate temperatures so cooling should not be such a major issue.'' "We've had some of our best performances this year on tracks with a wide range of corner speeds so, on paper, we should be in relatively good form," Wolff said. His Ferrari counterpart Mattia Binotto played down their chances of a repeat of Sebastian Vettel's triumph last year, despite their stronger showing in Austria where Charles Leclerc finished second from the pole behind the triumphant Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Four-time world champion Vettel has gone 17 races since last August without a win and lies 76 points adrift of Hamilton in the title race. Victory in Austria lifted Verstappen ahead of the German and he and Red Bull, based at nearby Milton Keynes, with big local home support, may also be a major threat to Hamilton's home-coming dream after flying in from Los Angeles. "Max has been the best in the world, arguably, over the last 12 months," said his team boss Christian Horner. "He is the coming man. This sport is crying out for more drivers like Max." Beyond the top three teams, McLaren will seek to make an impression notably after confirming an unchanged driver line-up, including British rookie Lando Norris, 19, for next year. Silverstone officials believe the allure of the drivers and an encouraging weather forecast will result in the biggest attendance since the days of 'Mansell-mania' in the early 1990s. Last year's race-day crowd of 140,500 was the biggest of the season and Silverstone boss Stuart Pringle said he expects that to be beaten. "This is going to be the largest since Mansell brought people here in their droves in 1992," he said. The Silverstone circuit, once a wartime airfield, hosted the first World Championship Grand Prix in 1950 and, along with Italy, has been an ever-present since. The Italian race at Monza in September is expected to be re-confirmed for the future while events in Vietnam and the Netherlands are set to be part of a refreshed 21-race calendar in 2020.

Lewis Hamilton aims to bounce back with record sixth win at British Grand Prix

Formula One champions Mercedes say they are working hard to improve their cars' cooling systems for future races after struggling with overheating at the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/motor-racing-valtteri-bottas-wins-australian-grand-prix-for-mercedes-203820&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjLsOy0hpvjAhVO-2EKHctHDQsQFjAJegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw32Sx5-pT8tIWNAa6UGsZ8L">Austrian Grand Prix</a> at the weekend.

Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin explained in a team post-race debrief on Wednesday that the 2019 car is so tightly packaged that the radiators are too small to provide sufficient cooling in extreme conditions.

"We’ve got a lot of projects looking at this particular issue with the cooling, how we can improve that," he said.

"And that work started well before the race weekend in Austria and there’s a lot of people here busy with that. And we will get on top of that and make progress,"&nbsp;Shovlin said.

Sunday's race at Spielberg ended dominant Mercedes's run of 10 wins in a row, and eight out of eight this season.

Finland's Valtteri Bottas finished a distant third on a hot afternoon, with championship leader Lewis Hamilton fifth in a race won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen ahead of<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/its-quite-difficult-to-be-at-mercedes-level-says-ferraris-charles-leclerc-ahead-of-austrian-grand-prix-231066&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjLsOy0hpvjAhVO-2EKHctHDQsQFjAIegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3U8feXjuBIMXiBnlDWygkT"> Ferrari's Charles Leclerc</a>.

"It all really goes down to the fundamental design of the car, wherein the push for very, very tight packaging, we have ended up being undercooled overall," said Shovlin.

"Fundamentally the car doesn’t have big enough radiators. It’s meant that we are carrying this issue wherein the very hot races we will be struggling... to keep the power unit cool enough that we don’t do any damage to it,"&nbsp;Shovlin said.

Shovlin explained that opening up the bodywork improved matters but the temperature in Austria was 35 degrees Celsius, at the upper end of what could be achieved by that simple expedient.

"We were on the limit. When you get to that point you are really limited in your options. You can start to use lift and coast, which is where the drivers get towards the end of the straight and they back off the throttle," he said.

"They then brake a bit later and you have a period where the car is just coasting into the corner, the engine is not doing work and you can lose a fair bit of temperature like that,"&nbsp;Shovlin said.

The combination of having to lift and coast for some 400 metres of a 4.3-km lap, one of the shortest on the calendar, and turning down the engine meant performance was seriously compromised.

"It was (a tough afternoon). We had to manage lots of temperatures and we didn’t really run any of the good engine modes and (did) big amounts of lift and coast," Bottas said afterwards. So we couldn’t really race properly, attack or defend. It felt a bit like a survival game in the end to the flag," said&nbsp;Shovlin.

Formula One champions Mercedes say they are working hard to improve their cars' cooling systems for future races after struggling with overheating at the Austrian Grand Prix at the weekend.

Formula One champions Mercedes say they are working hard to improve their cars' cooling systems for future races after struggling with overheating at the Austrian Grand Prix at the weekend. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin explained in a team post-race debrief on Wednesday that the 2019 car is so tightly packaged that the radiators are too small to provide sufficient cooling in extreme conditions. "We’ve got a lot of projects looking at this particular issue with the cooling, how we can improve that," he said. "And that work started well before the race weekend in Austria and there’s a lot of people here busy with that. And we will get on top of that and make progress," Shovlin said. Sunday's race at Spielberg ended dominant Mercedes's run of 10 wins in a row, and eight out of eight this season. Finland's Valtteri Bottas finished a distant third on a hot afternoon, with championship leader Lewis Hamilton fifth in a race won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. "It all really goes down to the fundamental design of the car, wherein the push for very, very tight packaging, we have ended up being undercooled overall," said Shovlin. "Fundamentally the car doesn’t have big enough radiators. It’s meant that we are carrying this issue wherein the very hot races we will be struggling... to keep the power unit cool enough that we don’t do any damage to it," Shovlin said. Shovlin explained that opening up the bodywork improved matters but the temperature in Austria was 35 degrees Celsius, at the upper end of what could be achieved by that simple expedient. "We were on the limit. When you get to that point you are really limited in your options. You can start to use lift and coast, which is where the drivers get towards the end of the straight and they back off the throttle," he said. "They then brake a bit later and you have a period where the car is just coasting into the corner, the engine is not doing work and you can lose a fair bit of temperature like that," Shovlin said. The combination of having to lift and coast for some 400 metres of a 4.3-km lap, one of the shortest on the calendar, and turning down the engine meant performance was seriously compromised. "It was (a tough afternoon). We had to manage lots of temperatures and we didn’t really run any of the good engine modes and (did) big amounts of lift and coast," Bottas said afterwards. So we couldn’t really race properly, attack or defend. It felt a bit like a survival game in the end to the flag," said Shovlin.

Mercedes working on cooling systems in their cars after feeling the heat in Austria

Charles Leclerc refused to fuel any false optimism at the Austrian Grand Prix on Thursday and said Ferrari faced another hard weekend with dominant rivals <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-wins-french-grand-prix-in-mercedes-one-two-229814&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjlmoXau4vjAhVMwI8KHQfODdoQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Pa2ssOM4Bb3ut_ksXy2qg">Mercedes </a>chasing an 11th win in a row.

Formula One's oldest and most successful team arrived at the scenic Spielberg track 140 points adrift of the champions, who have won all eight races this year with Lewis Hamilton and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-grand-prix-valtteri-bottas-outpaces-lewis-hamilton-mercedes-rule-in-final-practice-229529&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjlmoXau4vjAhVMwI8KHQfODdoQFjACegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0OJ9R3pWBg-IyWqQiycx4x">Valtteri Bottas</a>.

Leclerc, in his first season with Ferrari, finished third and best of the rest in last Sunday's French Grand Prix.

"I think at the moment it's quite difficult. They seem very, very quick," said the 21-year-old Monegasque when asked whether Ferrari could give Mercedes a tougher time at the Red Bull Ring.

"They were extremely quick in Paul Ricard, especially in the race pace, so I think we are focusing on ourselves and trying to do the best job possible. But, to be honest, it's quite difficult to be at their level," Leclerc said.

Leclerc is still chasing his first career win, coming close in the second race of the year in Bahrain when he led from pole only to suffer engine problems.

The youngster has been on the podium three times and sounded more hopeful after Sunday's race, in which he had chased down Bottas to finish 0.929 behind the Finn.

"I think he was struggling quite a bit on the second set of tyres with some blistering. We weren't. I think we managed quite well our race so it shows that still everything is possible but it's just very difficult," he said.

"If they don't run into issues, it's a struggle for us to challenge them. So we are just trying to do the best in our races every time. On my personal side, it was good to have a good weekend after a few where I've been struggling a bit more," Leclerc said.

Also on the plus side, Leclerc said Austria was one of his favourite circuits with a short lap that reminded him of his days in go-karts.

"I just enjoy driving here," he said.

Asked about the championship, Leclerc said <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/sebastian-vettel-still-has-what-it-takes-at-ferrari-says-mark-webber-230801&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjm-tP3u4vjAhWHpo8KHQAIAdcQFjAAegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3RAdx1sQAqxNfpem9XRTIQ">Ferrari </a>would not give up until it was mathematically impossible to overhaul Mercedes.

Charles Leclerc refused to fuel any false optimism at the Austrian Grand Prix on Thursday and said Ferrari faced another hard weekend with dominant rivals Mercedes chasing an 11th win in a row.

Charles Leclerc refused to fuel any false optimism at the Austrian Grand Prix on Thursday and said Ferrari faced another hard weekend with dominant rivals Mercedes chasing an 11th win in a row. Formula One's oldest and most successful team arrived at the scenic Spielberg track 140 points adrift of the champions, who have won all eight races this year with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Leclerc, in his first season with Ferrari, finished third and best of the rest in last Sunday's French Grand Prix. "I think at the moment it's quite difficult. They seem very, very quick," said the 21-year-old Monegasque when asked whether Ferrari could give Mercedes a tougher time at the Red Bull Ring. "They were extremely quick in Paul Ricard, especially in the race pace, so I think we are focusing on ourselves and trying to do the best job possible. But, to be honest, it's quite difficult to be at their level," Leclerc said. Leclerc is still chasing his first career win, coming close in the second race of the year in Bahrain when he led from pole only to suffer engine problems. The youngster has been on the podium three times and sounded more hopeful after Sunday's race, in which he had chased down Bottas to finish 0.929 behind the Finn. "I think he was struggling quite a bit on the second set of tyres with some blistering. We weren't. I think we managed quite well our race so it shows that still everything is possible but it's just very difficult," he said. "If they don't run into issues, it's a struggle for us to challenge them. So we are just trying to do the best in our races every time. On my personal side, it was good to have a good weekend after a few where I've been struggling a bit more," Leclerc said. Also on the plus side, Leclerc said Austria was one of his favourite circuits with a short lap that reminded him of his days in go-karts. "I just enjoy driving here," he said. Asked about the championship, Leclerc said Ferrari would not give up until it was mathematically impossible to overhaul Mercedes.

'It's quite difficult to be at Mercedes' level', says Ferrari's Charles Leclerc ahead of Austrian Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel took the Formula One lead from Lewis Hamilton at last year's Austrian Grand Prix but the Ferrari driver has now fallen so far behind there can be no repeat at Spielberg this weekend.

After eight races, Ferrari's German lags his Mercedes rival by 76 points and cannot catch up until August, even if <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-takes-controversial-win-in-canada-after-sebastian-vettel-penalty-225869&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjWg4qXl4njAhUPUN4KHTJsCSEQFjADegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0rvE6UNqpmzUCXgcOd2HXv">Hamilton </a>had three retirements in a row -- unlikely for a man with only one since 2016.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/ferrari-plan-appeal-after-sebastian-vettel-second-place-canada-furore-226060&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjWg4qXl4njAhUPUN4KHTJsCSEQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2n4KwJF91EpL0BX_d4cHa3">Vettel</a>, who won all four of his world championships with Red Bull, has gone 16 races without a victory and made some costly errors, while Hamilton has won 14 of the last 20.

Questions have increasingly been asked about Vettel's performance under pressure while Hamilton speeds towards a sixth championship.

Australian Mark Webber, now-retired former Red Bull teammate, feels Vettel still has what it takes but needs better support and more ammunition from the oldest and most glamorous team.

"I think he needs a couple more lieutenants, he needs to have less responsibility in the team and just more reassurance that the Monday to Friday stuff is going to be dealt with," he told Reuters.

"Seb’s still has got it, but it’s a real challenge to stay ahead against a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-wins-french-grand-prix-in-mercedes-one-two-229814&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjOt-PGl4njAhWIYysKHduoDYgQFjACegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3S5-99uIdLXt5MPirOGswY">Mercedes-Lewis Hamilton</a> factor week in and week out,"&nbsp;Webber said.

Vettel is third overall, and best of the rest behind the Mercedes drivers, with teammate Charles Leclerc fifth and 24 points further adrift.

Formula One's most successful team have not won any title since 2008.

"I don't find the challenge now different to last year or the years before. We are in a better place than maybe 2015 and 2016 so I think 2017 and '18 have been a clear step in the right direction," Vettel said in France last Sunday.

"It's true that last year at this point we were more competitive but it is what it is now...what is important is to look back at these races and understand what we need to do better. I love racing, nothing has changed about that,"&nbsp;Vettel said.

TALK OF TESTING

This year's car was the talk of pre-season testing with its straight-line pace in Barcelona but is losing time overall to Mercedes through the corners. Correcting the problems will take time.

Ferrari should still have won in Bahrain but an engine problem thwarted <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-praises-ferraris-charles-leclerc-and-hopes-for-great-future-battles-207238&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjOt-PGl4njAhWIYysKHduoDYgQFjADegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2K0OzYc1vGZf0yf_mQVuAx">Leclerc </a>while leading from pole.

In Canada, Vettel also led from pole but ended up a controversial second after a time penalty for going off and rejoining in an unsafe fashion.

The German has been wearing the red overalls since 2015, dreaming of emulating great compatriot and idol Michael Schumacher, but the magic is wearing thin even as Leclerc's popularity grows.

The scrutiny, as ever, is intense and unsparing.

"Red Bull is like a Formula Three team compared to Ferrari. With Ferrari, there’s an article every day in the Gazzetta Dello Sport. It’s a religion there and being a driver is not easy," said Webber.

"If you look at when Ferrari executed the best, we go back to when it was Ross (Brawn) and Jean (Todt)," he said, referring to the golden years at the start of the century when Ferrari won six successive constructors' titles under foreign bosses. They had a big mix of culture and I think that's still a bit of a missing link,"&nbsp;Webber said.

So too is qualifying and single lap pace, with Vettel dangerous when starting off the front row but more vulnerable further back.

"Lewis is going to win the championship and Mercedes are going to win the constructors’ (title), it’s obvious. Mercedes are just too strong," said Webber.

"Ferrari just have not got enough bullets. It’s like a football team, Mercedes just keep getting a result. Ferrari need everything to line up,"&nbsp;Webber added.

Sebastian Vettel took the Formula One lead from Lewis Hamilton at last year's Austrian Grand Prix but the Ferrari driver has now fallen so far behind there can be no repeat at Spielberg this weekend.

Sebastian Vettel took the Formula One lead from Lewis Hamilton at last year's Austrian Grand Prix but the Ferrari driver has now fallen so far behind there can be no repeat at Spielberg this weekend. After eight races, Ferrari's German lags his Mercedes rival by 76 points and cannot catch up until August, even if Hamilton had three retirements in a row -- unlikely for a man with only one since 2016. Vettel, who won all four of his world championships with Red Bull, has gone 16 races without a victory and made some costly errors, while Hamilton has won 14 of the last 20. Questions have increasingly been asked about Vettel's performance under pressure while Hamilton speeds towards a sixth championship. Australian Mark Webber, now-retired former Red Bull teammate, feels Vettel still has what it takes but needs better support and more ammunition from the oldest and most glamorous team. "I think he needs a couple more lieutenants, he needs to have less responsibility in the team and just more reassurance that the Monday to Friday stuff is going to be dealt with," he told Reuters. "Seb’s still has got it, but it’s a real challenge to stay ahead against a Mercedes-Lewis Hamilton factor week in and week out," Webber said. Vettel is third overall, and best of the rest behind the Mercedes drivers, with teammate Charles Leclerc fifth and 24 points further adrift. Formula One's most successful team have not won any title since 2008. "I don't find the challenge now different to last year or the years before. We are in a better place than maybe 2015 and 2016 so I think 2017 and '18 have been a clear step in the right direction," Vettel said in France last Sunday. "It's true that last year at this point we were more competitive but it is what it is now...what is important is to look back at these races and understand what we need to do better. I love racing, nothing has changed about that," Vettel said. TALK OF TESTING This year's car was the talk of pre-season testing with its straight-line pace in Barcelona but is losing time overall to Mercedes through the corners. Correcting the problems will take time. Ferrari should still have won in Bahrain but an engine problem thwarted Leclerc while leading from pole. In Canada, Vettel also led from pole but ended up a controversial second after a time penalty for going off and rejoining in an unsafe fashion. The German has been wearing the red overalls since 2015, dreaming of emulating great compatriot and idol Michael Schumacher, but the magic is wearing thin even as Leclerc's popularity grows. The scrutiny, as ever, is intense and unsparing. "Red Bull is like a Formula Three team compared to Ferrari. With Ferrari, there’s an article every day in the Gazzetta Dello Sport. It’s a religion there and being a driver is not easy," said Webber. "If you look at when Ferrari executed the best, we go back to when it was Ross (Brawn) and Jean (Todt)," he said, referring to the golden years at the start of the century when Ferrari won six successive constructors' titles under foreign bosses. They had a big mix of culture and I think that's still a bit of a missing link," Webber said. So too is qualifying and single lap pace, with Vettel dangerous when starting off the front row but more vulnerable further back. "Lewis is going to win the championship and Mercedes are going to win the constructors’ (title), it’s obvious. Mercedes are just too strong," said Webber. "Ferrari just have not got enough bullets. It’s like a football team, Mercedes just keep getting a result. Ferrari need everything to line up," Webber added.

Sebastian Vettel still has what it takes at Ferrari, says Mark Webber

Valtteri Bottas outpaced Lewis Hamilton to top the times as Mercedes dominated again in final free practice for Sunday’s French Grand Prix.

The Finn, who lies 29 points adrift of the defending five times world champion in this year’s title race, clocked a best lap in one minute and 30.159 seconds, beating Hamilton by four-hundredths of a second.

On another very hot day, with a gusty wind, at the Le Castellet track 25km from the Mediterranean in the south of France, Bottas picked up where he left off on Friday afternoon by continuing to set the pace on a circuit that clearly suits his style.

Monaco's Charles Leclerc, adopted as a Frenchman by local supporters, was third-fastest ahead of his Ferrari team-mate four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, still prickling after the team had lost in their bid to review and overturn his penalty, and lost victory, in Canada.

Max Verstappen was fifth for Red Bull ahead of team-mate Frenchman Pierre Gasly with British rookie Lando Norris an impressive seventh for the resurgent McLaren team.

Daniel Ricciardo was eighth in the leading Renault ahead of Carlos Sainz in the second McLaren and one-time champion Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo.

In a relatively incident-free session, the Williams team continued to struggle with George Russell being forced to trundle back to the pits with a power problem.

Valtteri Bottas outpaced Lewis Hamilton to top the times as Mercedes dominated again in final free practice for Sunday’s French Grand Prix. The Finn, who lies 29 points adrift of the defending five times world champion in this year’s title race, clocked a best lap in one minute and 30.

Valtteri Bottas outpaced Lewis Hamilton to top the times as Mercedes dominated again in final free practice for Sunday’s French Grand Prix. The Finn, who lies 29 points adrift of the defending five times world champion in this year’s title race, clocked a best lap in one minute and 30.159 seconds, beating Hamilton by four-hundredths of a second. On another very hot day, with a gusty wind, at the Le Castellet track 25km from the Mediterranean in the south of France, Bottas picked up where he left off on Friday afternoon by continuing to set the pace on a circuit that clearly suits his style. Monaco's Charles Leclerc, adopted as a Frenchman by local supporters, was third-fastest ahead of his Ferrari team-mate four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, still prickling after the team had lost in their bid to review and overturn his penalty, and lost victory, in Canada. Max Verstappen was fifth for Red Bull ahead of team-mate Frenchman Pierre Gasly with British rookie Lando Norris an impressive seventh for the resurgent McLaren team. Daniel Ricciardo was eighth in the leading Renault ahead of Carlos Sainz in the second McLaren and one-time champion Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo. In a relatively incident-free session, the Williams team continued to struggle with George Russell being forced to trundle back to the pits with a power problem.

French Grand Prix: Valtteri Bottas outpaces Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes rule in final practice

Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton set the pace in a Mercedes one-two in first free practice for the French Grand Prix on Friday with Ferrari's <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-praises-ferraris-charles-leclerc-and-hopes-for-great-future-battles-207238&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjqjLv5x_riAhVMpo8KHaVZAR0QFjACegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3DqGKeaHE4jbbB4DsbaG2U">Charles Leclerc</a> the best of the rest.

Hamilton, who arrived at the circuit late on Thursday after attending a memorial for fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld in Paris, lapped the Le Castellet circuit in one minute 32.738 seconds.

Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas was second, a mere 0.069 slower, with Leclerc 0.373 off Hamilton's time on a sunny and largely uneventful morning at the southern circuit.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who was on pole position in Canada two weeks ago but finished second in the race after a five-second time penalty that handed the win to <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-wins-monaco-grand-prix-in-the-spirit-of-lauda-221832&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjqjLv5x_riAhVMpo8KHaVZAR0QFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0DBehZbnKFQEZTCqYlbjz2">Hamilton</a>, was more than a second slower than the Briton.

Ferrari said they were assessing new parts during the session.

The Italian team have asked for a review of the Montreal decision, with the stewards meeting Ferrari's sporting director Laurent Mekies between the two practice sessions.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was fourth on the timesheets, 0.880 slower than Hamilton, with his car benefiting from a Honda engine upgrade.

French driver Romain Grosjean missed much of the session, completing just nine laps, after a water leak to his Haas.

Mercedes are favourites to chalk up their 10th win in a row this weekend, and eighth of the season, at a track where Hamilton won from pole last year when the French Grand Prix returned after a decade's absence.

Five-times world champion <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-snatches-dramatic-monaco-gp-pole-with-record-lap-221607&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjqjLv5x_riAhVMpo8KHaVZAR0QFjAEegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1hiWopdDkNqidBvr3RSdh6">Hamilton </a>leads Bottas by 29 points in the standings.

Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton set the pace in a Mercedes one-two in first free practice for the French Grand Prix on Friday with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc the best of the rest.

Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton set the pace in a Mercedes one-two in first free practice for the French Grand Prix on Friday with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc the best of the rest. Hamilton, who arrived at the circuit late on Thursday after attending a memorial for fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld in Paris, lapped the Le Castellet circuit in one minute 32.738 seconds. Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas was second, a mere 0.069 slower, with Leclerc 0.373 off Hamilton's time on a sunny and largely uneventful morning at the southern circuit. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who was on pole position in Canada two weeks ago but finished second in the race after a five-second time penalty that handed the win to Hamilton, was more than a second slower than the Briton. Ferrari said they were assessing new parts during the session. The Italian team have asked for a review of the Montreal decision, with the stewards meeting Ferrari's sporting director Laurent Mekies between the two practice sessions. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was fourth on the timesheets, 0.880 slower than Hamilton, with his car benefiting from a Honda engine upgrade. French driver Romain Grosjean missed much of the session, completing just nine laps, after a water leak to his Haas. Mercedes are favourites to chalk up their 10th win in a row this weekend, and eighth of the season, at a track where Hamilton won from pole last year when the French Grand Prix returned after a decade's absence. Five-times world champion Hamilton leads Bottas by 29 points in the standings.

Lewis Hamilton fastest in first French Grand Prix practice

Valtteri Bottas snatched pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday in an incident-packed qualifying session that saw Mercedes lock out the front row and Ferrari favourite <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/charles-leclerc-leads-ferrari-one-two-in-azerbaijan-grand-prix-practice-213807">Charles Leclerc</a> crash out.

The Finn lapped the six-km Baku street circuit in one minute, 40.495 seconds, just 0.059 seconds faster than teammate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

Sebastian Vettel, the sole Ferrari driver chasing pole after Leclerc crashed out in the second phase of qualifying, will line up in third place after his fastest lap was 0.302 seconds off Bottas’s pace.

Hamilton had been fastest after the first flying laps in the third and final phase but Bottas found the extra speed just when it mattered.

"It was a nice feeling getting it done on the last lap,” said the Finn, after the eighth pole position of his career and second in a row. The 29-year-old also started the previous race in China from the front.

"I managed to hit the sweet spot," added the Finn.

Hamilton’s second-fastest time gave Mercedes their third front-row lockout of the season, leaving the German marque well-placed to extend their streak of three straight one-two finishes in as many races.

"Ferrari have looked incredibly quick," said Hamilton, who won in Baku last year and leads Bottas by six points in the overall standings.

"This is a massively great result for us. We came here, we didn't have an upgrade so for us to lock out the front row, it puts us in a great position for tomorrow. Pace-wise we are closer in race trim," added the five-time champion.

Ferrari had started the session looking dominant after Leclerc had led every practice session.

However, the Monegasque -- fired up after being ordered to move over for Vettel in China and denied a maiden Formula One win by engine trouble in Bahrain -- hit the wall. He will still start ninth, however.

Red Flags

With the session running late after two lengthy red-flag delays, and with temperatures dropping and no slipstream, Vettel was unable to extract the lap time from his Ferrari.

"It was quite tricky, the track cooled down, it was difficult to find the right balance," he said. "In the end, I had a good lap but I had no tow."

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, fastest in the second phase of qualifying, was fourth ahead of Racing Point’s Sergio Perez -- the only driver to have stood on the Baku podium more than once.

Russian Daniil Kvyat was sixth for Toro Rosso ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi set the eighth-fastest time but the Italian will drop 10 places after being hit with an engine-related grid penalty. Teammate Kimi Raikkonen will, therefore, move up to eighth.

Robert Kubica brought out the first red flag, the Pole ploughing his Williams into the barriers at exactly the same spot as Leclerc in the opening phase.

That crash was the latest blow on a difficult weekend for struggling Williams with rookie George Russell striking a loose manhole cover in Friday practice and wrecking his car.

Several other drivers, including Vettel and Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, clipped the barriers or had close escapes at the same turn eight.

Bottas was on course for victory in Baku last year when a blown tyre three laps from the end handed it to Hamilton instead.

No driver has won from pole so far this season while retired champion Nico Rosberg in 2016 is the only driver to have converted pole to victory in Baku.

Valtteri Bottas snatched pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday in an incident-packed qualifying session that saw Mercedes lock out the front row and Ferrari favourite Charles Leclerc crash out.

Valtteri Bottas snatched pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday in an incident-packed qualifying session that saw Mercedes lock out the front row and Ferrari favourite Charles Leclerc crash out. The Finn lapped the six-km Baku street circuit in one minute, 40.495 seconds, just 0.059 seconds faster than teammate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton. Sebastian Vettel, the sole Ferrari driver chasing pole after Leclerc crashed out in the second phase of qualifying, will line up in third place after his fastest lap was 0.302 seconds off Bottas’s pace. Hamilton had been fastest after the first flying laps in the third and final phase but Bottas found the extra speed just when it mattered. "It was a nice feeling getting it done on the last lap,” said the Finn, after the eighth pole position of his career and second in a row. The 29-year-old also started the previous race in China from the front. "I managed to hit the sweet spot," added the Finn. Hamilton’s second-fastest time gave Mercedes their third front-row lockout of the season, leaving the German marque well-placed to extend their streak of three straight one-two finishes in as many races. "Ferrari have looked incredibly quick," said Hamilton, who won in Baku last year and leads Bottas by six points in the overall standings. "This is a massively great result for us. We came here, we didn't have an upgrade so for us to lock out the front row, it puts us in a great position for tomorrow. Pace-wise we are closer in race trim," added the five-time champion. Ferrari had started the session looking dominant after Leclerc had led every practice session. However, the Monegasque -- fired up after being ordered to move over for Vettel in China and denied a maiden Formula One win by engine trouble in Bahrain -- hit the wall. He will still start ninth, however. Red Flags With the session running late after two lengthy red-flag delays, and with temperatures dropping and no slipstream, Vettel was unable to extract the lap time from his Ferrari. "It was quite tricky, the track cooled down, it was difficult to find the right balance," he said. "In the end, I had a good lap but I had no tow." Red Bull's Max Verstappen, fastest in the second phase of qualifying, was fourth ahead of Racing Point’s Sergio Perez -- the only driver to have stood on the Baku podium more than once. Russian Daniil Kvyat was sixth for Toro Rosso ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi set the eighth-fastest time but the Italian will drop 10 places after being hit with an engine-related grid penalty. Teammate Kimi Raikkonen will, therefore, move up to eighth. Robert Kubica brought out the first red flag, the Pole ploughing his Williams into the barriers at exactly the same spot as Leclerc in the opening phase. That crash was the latest blow on a difficult weekend for struggling Williams with rookie George Russell striking a loose manhole cover in Friday practice and wrecking his car. Several other drivers, including Vettel and Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, clipped the barriers or had close escapes at the same turn eight. Bottas was on course for victory in Baku last year when a blown tyre three laps from the end handed it to Hamilton instead. No driver has won from pole so far this season while retired champion Nico Rosberg in 2016 is the only driver to have converted pole to victory in Baku.

Valtteri Bottas takes Baku pole after Charles Leclerc crashes

Charles Leclerc set a scorching pace on an incident-packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix Friday with Ferrari top of the practice timesheets after an early drain drama that wrecked George Russell's Williams.

The 21-year-old Monegasque lapped the six km Baku street circuit with the best time of one minute 42.872 seconds, 0.324 quicker than his German teammate Sebastian Vettel.

The Ferraris were comfortably clear of their closest challenger Lewis Hamilton, the champion and overall leader for Mercedes, who was 0.669 slower than Leclerc on a sunny afternoon.

Max Verstappen was fourth for Red Bull ahead of Hamilton's team mate Valtteri Bottas in fifth.

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After a severely shortened FP1, the drivers were itching to get out in FP2 
 
And it was <a href="https://twitter.com/ScuderiaFerrari?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScuderiaFerrari</a> who came out on top in Baku ⏱️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AzerbaijanGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AzerbaijanGP</a> 🇦🇿 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/NvD52nsFgY">pic.twitter.com/NvD52nsFgY</a>
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"I think we are pretty strong," said Leclerc, who scored his first Formula One points last year in Baku and in 2017 won a Formula Two race from pole position just days after his father’s death.

"I am confident with the track, the car felt good today and that’s all that matters."

Mercedes have opened the year with three one-two finishes in as many races, marking the strongest start to a season for any team since Williams in 1992.

Pre-season favourites Ferrari have managed only a pair of third-place finishes and are 57 points behind their rivals in the overall standings.

The Italian team marked themselves out as the ones to beat following Friday’s running, however.

Fired up after being ordered to move over for Vettel in China and denied a maiden Formula One victory by engine trouble in Bahrain, Leclerc looked like he had the edge on his rivals.

"The Ferraris are clearly very quick and it looks like they’re quite a bit ahead of us," said Hamilton, the five-times world champion who won last year in Baku and heads into Sunday’s race with two wins from three races.

"It’s unlikely that we’ll find seven tenths overnight but we’ll do everything we can to push the car in the right direction."

Drain Drama

Friday’s running was interrupted by a number of incidents.

The opening 90-minute session was abandoned with 12 minutes on the clock, and only the two Ferrari drivers setting a time, after Russell struck a loose drain cover that destroyed the underside of his car in a shower of debris.

"If that was 10-15mm higher, it was going straight into where I'm sat," said the Briton, who was unhurt but will need a new chassis for qualifying and the race. "It could have been much worse."

Replays showed Leclerc had driven over the cover first, with the governing International Automobile Federation confirming a broken mounting as the cause.

Friday’s second session ran the full 90 minutes but was still interrupted by red flags as drivers, eager to make up for lost track time, impatiently probed the limits of the unforgiving layout.

Canadian Lance Stroll, a 2017 podium finisher with Williams in Baku, was the first casualty when he clouted the barriers and broke the front suspension of his Racing Point car.

Daniel Kvyat’s session also ended with his Toro Rosso in the barriers, its front suspension mangled. The Russian, celebrating his 25th birthday, was still sixth.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz was seventh for McLaren ahead of Thailand’s Alexander Albon in the Toro Rosso.

Pierre Gasly, who spun multiple times, was ninth for Red Bull. The Frenchman missed a call to stop at the weighbridge at the end of the session and will start Sunday’s race from the pitlane as punishment for the offence.

Rookie Lando Norris rounded out the top 10 for McLaren.

Hamilton was nearly involved in an incident with Kevin Magnussen, the Dane’s Haas almost clipping the front wing of the Mercedes as the Briton overtook.

Hamilton leads the overall standings by six points from team mate Bottas with 18 of the season’s 21 races, including Sunday’s round in Baku, remaining.

Charles Leclerc set a scorching pace on an incident-packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix Friday with Ferrari top of the practice timesheets after an early drain drama that wrecked George Russell's Williams.

Charles Leclerc set a scorching pace on an incident-packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix Friday with Ferrari top of the practice timesheets after an early drain drama that wrecked George Russell's Williams. The 21-year-old Monegasque lapped the six km Baku street circuit with the best time of one minute 42.872 seconds, 0.324 quicker than his German teammate Sebastian Vettel. The Ferraris were comfortably clear of their closest challenger Lewis Hamilton, the champion and overall leader for Mercedes, who was 0.669 slower than Leclerc on a sunny afternoon. Max Verstappen was fourth for Red Bull ahead of Hamilton's team mate Valtteri Bottas in fifth. After a severely shortened FP1, the drivers were itching to get out in FP2 And it was @ScuderiaFerrari who came out on top in Baku ⏱️#AzerbaijanGP 🇦🇿 #F1 pic.twitter.com/NvD52nsFgY — Formula 1 (@F1) April 26, 2019 × "I think we are pretty strong," said Leclerc, who scored his first Formula One points last year in Baku and in 2017 won a Formula Two race from pole position just days after his father’s death. "I am confident with the track, the car felt good today and that’s all that matters." Mercedes have opened the year with three one-two finishes in as many races, marking the strongest start to a season for any team since Williams in 1992. Pre-season favourites Ferrari have managed only a pair of third-place finishes and are 57 points behind their rivals in the overall standings. The Italian team marked themselves out as the ones to beat following Friday’s running, however. Fired up after being ordered to move over for Vettel in China and denied a maiden Formula One victory by engine trouble in Bahrain, Leclerc looked like he had the edge on his rivals. "The Ferraris are clearly very quick and it looks like they’re quite a bit ahead of us," said Hamilton, the five-times world champion who won last year in Baku and heads into Sunday’s race with two wins from three races. "It’s unlikely that we’ll find seven tenths overnight but we’ll do everything we can to push the car in the right direction." Drain Drama Friday’s running was interrupted by a number of incidents. The opening 90-minute session was abandoned with 12 minutes on the clock, and only the two Ferrari drivers setting a time, after Russell struck a loose drain cover that destroyed the underside of his car in a shower of debris. "If that was 10-15mm higher, it was going straight into where I'm sat," said the Briton, who was unhurt but will need a new chassis for qualifying and the race. "It could have been much worse." Replays showed Leclerc had driven over the cover first, with the governing International Automobile Federation confirming a broken mounting as the cause. Friday’s second session ran the full 90 minutes but was still interrupted by red flags as drivers, eager to make up for lost track time, impatiently probed the limits of the unforgiving layout. Canadian Lance Stroll, a 2017 podium finisher with Williams in Baku, was the first casualty when he clouted the barriers and broke the front suspension of his Racing Point car. Daniel Kvyat’s session also ended with his Toro Rosso in the barriers, its front suspension mangled. The Russian, celebrating his 25th birthday, was still sixth. Spaniard Carlos Sainz was seventh for McLaren ahead of Thailand’s Alexander Albon in the Toro Rosso. Pierre Gasly, who spun multiple times, was ninth for Red Bull. The Frenchman missed a call to stop at the weighbridge at the end of the session and will start Sunday’s race from the pitlane as punishment for the offence. Rookie Lando Norris rounded out the top 10 for McLaren. Hamilton was nearly involved in an incident with Kevin Magnussen, the Dane’s Haas almost clipping the front wing of the Mercedes as the Briton overtook. Hamilton leads the overall standings by six points from team mate Bottas with 18 of the season’s 21 races, including Sunday’s round in Baku, remaining.

Charles Leclerc leads Ferrari one-two in Azerbaijan Grand Prix practice

Ferrari should allow Charles Leclerc to race on level terms with four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel rather than favouring the German, their former driver Gerhard Berger said on Thursday.

The Austrian, who won 10 Grand&nbsp;Prix for three different teams between 1986 and 1997, told reporters it was too early in the season to favour Vettel over his young Monegasque teammate.

"I think it's an open game at the moment," the 59-year-old said at a lunch to promote the DTM (German Touring Car) series he now runs.

"Much as I like Sebastian, and much as I rate him, here is a boy who is capable of winning the championship.

"I don't think it's enough to say 'well this one is experienced, this one is not experienced so we take the card of the experience'. I think let it run."

Leclerc is a point adrift of Vettel in the championship after three races but was quicker in Bahrain, when he started on pole position and set the fastest lap, despite at one point being told to stay behind.

The 21-year-old would have won that race had he not been slowed by a loss of power with 10 laps to go.

In China last weekend he let the German past and ended up fifth with Vettel taking third.

New Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto made clear in Shanghai that Vettel would have priority in 50-50 situations, as the team's more obvious title contender, but warned that could change.

Berger, a teammate to the late triple champion Ayrton Senna at McLaren in the early 1990s, said he could not recall ever receiving team orders but understood they made sense later in the campaign.

"I think it’s a question of when it is (acceptable), and is it really giving somebody not even a chance to win the championship? And if you do it in the first or second race, I don’t agree," he added.

Leclerc, a Ferrari protege and Formula Two champion, has replaced Kimi Raikkonen at the Italian team.

Asked whether he felt Leclerc, who had a strong debut with Sauber last year, had been promoted too soon, Berger shook his head.

"Not at all," he said. "In all cases Ferrari always put the two quickest guys in the car and made sure that the lemon was squeezed to the maximum.

"For me that's also the right way to do it... I think it was just the right timing and the right decision."

Berger said he had been impressed by the change since Binotto took over in January and the contrast to life under predecessor Maurizio Arrivabene.

"I spent half of my Formula One race life in Ferrari," he said. "I didn't feel I could go any more to drink an espresso there because it was all like a strange club where either you are day and night with them or not one of them.

"We always felt part of the Ferrari family and suddenly we didn't feel it any more. And now I was in Bahrain and it changed again. I was there drinking my coffee and everyone was happy."

Ferrari should allow Charles Leclerc to race on level terms with four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel rather than favouring the German, their former driver Gerhard Berger said on Thursday.

Ferrari should allow Charles Leclerc to race on level terms with four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel rather than favouring the German, their former driver Gerhard Berger said on Thursday. The Austrian, who won 10 Grand Prix for three different teams between 1986 and 1997, told reporters it was too early in the season to favour Vettel over his young Monegasque teammate. "I think it's an open game at the moment," the 59-year-old said at a lunch to promote the DTM (German Touring Car) series he now runs. "Much as I like Sebastian, and much as I rate him, here is a boy who is capable of winning the championship. "I don't think it's enough to say 'well this one is experienced, this one is not experienced so we take the card of the experience'. I think let it run." Leclerc is a point adrift of Vettel in the championship after three races but was quicker in Bahrain, when he started on pole position and set the fastest lap, despite at one point being told to stay behind. The 21-year-old would have won that race had he not been slowed by a loss of power with 10 laps to go. In China last weekend he let the German past and ended up fifth with Vettel taking third. New Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto made clear in Shanghai that Vettel would have priority in 50-50 situations, as the team's more obvious title contender, but warned that could change. Berger, a teammate to the late triple champion Ayrton Senna at McLaren in the early 1990s, said he could not recall ever receiving team orders but understood they made sense later in the campaign. "I think it’s a question of when it is (acceptable), and is it really giving somebody not even a chance to win the championship? And if you do it in the first or second race, I don’t agree," he added. Leclerc, a Ferrari protege and Formula Two champion, has replaced Kimi Raikkonen at the Italian team. Asked whether he felt Leclerc, who had a strong debut with Sauber last year, had been promoted too soon, Berger shook his head. "Not at all," he said. "In all cases Ferrari always put the two quickest guys in the car and made sure that the lemon was squeezed to the maximum. "For me that's also the right way to do it... I think it was just the right timing and the right decision." Berger said he had been impressed by the change since Binotto took over in January and the contrast to life under predecessor Maurizio Arrivabene. "I spent half of my Formula One race life in Ferrari," he said. "I didn't feel I could go any more to drink an espresso there because it was all like a strange club where either you are day and night with them or not one of them. "We always felt part of the Ferrari family and suddenly we didn't feel it any more. And now I was in Bahrain and it changed again. I was there drinking my coffee and everyone was happy."

Ferrari wrong to use team orders so early, says former driver Berger

Charles Leclerc missed out on his first Formula One victory in Bahrain last weekend because of an unprecedented short-circuit in an injection system control unit, his Ferrari team said on Friday.

The 21-year-old Monegasque driver will be able to use the same power unit in China next week, round three of the championship.

Leclerc finished third at Sakhir after his car lost power with some 10 laps to go while he was leading the race comfortably.

Race winner Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas both overtook the youngster before the chequered flag, with the Leclerc salvaging a podium place thanks to the safety car being deployed for the last three laps.

Ferrari said the problem had never been seen before on that particular component.

Leclerc had also started on pole position for the first time in his Formula One career, and in only his second race with Ferrari.

Shanghai will be the 1,000th Formula One championship grand prix and Ferrari will be favourites to win despite champions Mercedes finishing one-two against the odds in the first two races of the season.

Charles Leclerc missed out on his first Formula One victory in Bahrain last weekend because of an unprecedented short-circuit in an injection system control unit, his Ferrari team said on Friday.

Charles Leclerc missed out on his first Formula One victory in Bahrain last weekend because of an unprecedented short-circuit in an injection system control unit, his Ferrari team said on Friday. The 21-year-old Monegasque driver will be able to use the same power unit in China next week, round three of the championship. Leclerc finished third at Sakhir after his car lost power with some 10 laps to go while he was leading the race comfortably. Race winner Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas both overtook the youngster before the chequered flag, with the Leclerc salvaging a podium place thanks to the safety car being deployed for the last three laps. Ferrari said the problem had never been seen before on that particular component. Leclerc had also started on pole position for the first time in his Formula One career, and in only his second race with Ferrari. Shanghai will be the 1,000th Formula One championship grand prix and Ferrari will be favourites to win despite champions Mercedes finishing one-two against the odds in the first two races of the season.

Unprecedented short-circuit cost Charles Leclerc victory in Bahrain

Formula One world champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=Lewis+Hamilton">Lewis Hamilton</a> praised Ferrari's young driver Charles Leclerc, who made his first F1 podium finish in the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Briton said that the young racing sensation deserved to win and hoped for great battles in future.&nbsp;

Hamilton said, "He thoroughly deserved the win today. He did an exceptional job all weekend, so really proud of him and I know it's a really tough experience to go through what he's going through, but he will learn. He's already so strong this weekend. He'll bounce back. He'll grow."

"This will be another layer to his young greatness already and I'm looking forward to many battles with him hopefully in the future," Hamilton added. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Leclerc emerged as a star when he took his first Formula One pole position with a stunning display in qualifying for the Bahrain GP on Saturday.&nbsp;

But in a dramatic twist, race leader Leclerc's engine started losing power with under 10 laps left and he faced a disappointment for a maiden F1 win.&nbsp;

Leclerc, who joined Ferrari ahead of this season, faced the undesired misfortune when a single cylinder of his car failed.&nbsp;

With the win, Ferrari's Leclerc would have become the third-youngest winner of an F1 race.&nbsp;

Although, he&nbsp;became the 50th driver to lead a race for Ferrari. He also became the sixth youngest driver in F1 history to stand on an F1 podium.&nbsp;

Instead, he was dropped to third as Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas finished first and second respectively.&nbsp;

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"We have been pretty lucky in an unlucky situation" 
 
Some <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MondayMotivation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MondayMotivation</a> from a driver wise beyond his years - even if <a href="https://twitter.com/Charles_Leclerc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@charles_leclerc</a> wasn't sure where he was going, he knew what to say 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/dDn6D9qiyT">pic.twitter.com/dDn6D9qiyT</a>
— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1112659748460081153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Leclerc is the second youngest pole sitter of all time. Vettel did it at 21 years and 73 days with Toro Rosso at Monza in 2008.&nbsp;

He will also be the first driver from Monaco to start at the front since the world championship started in 1950.&nbsp;

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton praised Ferrari's young driver Charles Leclerc, who made his first F1 podium finish in the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Briton said that the young racing sensation deserved to win and hoped for great battles in future.

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton praised Ferrari's young driver Charles Leclerc, who made his first F1 podium finish in the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Briton said that the young racing sensation deserved to win and hoped for great battles in future. Hamilton said, "He thoroughly deserved the win today. He did an exceptional job all weekend, so really proud of him and I know it's a really tough experience to go through what he's going through, but he will learn. He's already so strong this weekend. He'll bounce back. He'll grow." "This will be another layer to his young greatness already and I'm looking forward to many battles with him hopefully in the future," Hamilton added. Leclerc emerged as a star when he took his first Formula One pole position with a stunning display in qualifying for the Bahrain GP on Saturday. But in a dramatic twist, race leader Leclerc's engine started losing power with under 10 laps left and he faced a disappointment for a maiden F1 win. Leclerc, who joined Ferrari ahead of this season, faced the undesired misfortune when a single cylinder of his car failed. With the win, Ferrari's Leclerc would have become the third-youngest winner of an F1 race. Although, he became the 50th driver to lead a race for Ferrari. He also became the sixth youngest driver in F1 history to stand on an F1 podium. Instead, he was dropped to third as Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas finished first and second respectively. "We have been pretty lucky in an unlucky situation" Some #MondayMotivation from a driver wise beyond his years - even if @charles_leclerc wasn't sure where he was going, he knew what to say 👏#F1 pic.twitter.com/dDn6D9qiyT — Formula 1 (@F1) April 1, 2019 × Leclerc is the second youngest pole sitter of all time. Vettel did it at 21 years and 73 days with Toro Rosso at Monza in 2008. He will also be the first driver from Monaco to start at the front since the world championship started in 1950.

Lewis Hamilton praises Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and hopes for great future battles

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took his first Formula One pole position with a stunning display under the floodlights in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday.

Calm and composed ahead of only his second race for the Italian team, the 21-year-old Monegasque was 0.294 seconds clear of last year’s pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel who secured Ferrari's front row lockout.

Five-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was Ferrari's closest challenger in third for Mercedes, but the Briton was still 0.324 seconds off the pace with teammate Valtteri Bottas alongside in fourth.

"Thanks guys! The car was amazing," Leclerc said over the team radio after his track record time of one minute 27.866 seconds.

"Today is a good beginning, I'll try and finish the job tomorrow," added the youngster, who was fastest in two of the three practice sessions before qualifying and can take his first F1 win on Sunday.

Leclerc, a rookie with Sauber (now Alfa Romeo) last season after winning the Formula Two title, is the second youngest pole sitter of all time. Vettel did it at 21 years and 73 days with Toro Rosso at Monza in 2008.

He will also be the first driver from Monaco to start at the front since the world championship started in 1950.

Ferrari, mysteriously off the pace at the season-opening race in Australia won by Bottas, were in a league of their own and restored to their position as race favourites.

The pole was the team's first since September’s Italian Grand Prix, when they also swept the front row but lost to Hamilton in the race.&nbsp;

"We have been focused on ourselves, we worked hard to understand the issues and I think the result of today somehow gives us confidence," team boss Mattia Binotto told Sky Sports television.

"This is great for the team, great for him. It will not be his last one."

Incredible pace

Vettel, who has more poles in Bahrain than any other driver, could put in only one run in the final pole-position shootout as the four times champion had to run twice in qualifying's second phase after being held up by traffic.

That forced the German to leave a bit of a margin in the fight for pole.

"Maybe I was a bit shy in the second sector," said the 31-year-old. "But in the end I think Charles did a very good job today, and he deserves to be on pole."

Hamilton said there was still plenty to fight for.

"They’ve shown incredible pace," said the Briton. "But it doesn’t mean they can’t be beaten. We’re going to work at it. We’ll just keep our heads down and try and see what happens."

Behind the top four, Max Verstappen qualified fifth for Red Bull ahead of Kevin Magnussen in the Haas, McLaren’s Carlos Sainz and Romain Grosjean, also for Haas.

Grosjean was later handed a three-place drop for impeding McLaren's British rookie Lando Norris in the first phase, lifting Kimi Raikkonen to eighth for Alfa Romeo and Norris to ninth.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo completed the top 10 for Renault, thanks to Grosjean's penalty, with Thailand's Alexander Albon 12th for Toro Rosso.

Ricciardo's German teammate Nico Hulkenberg, having been impressive all weekend, was a surprise early casualty and will line up 17th.

Fallen champions Williams unsurprisingly propped up the timesheets with rookie George Russell edging out experienced Pole Robert Kubica.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took his first Formula One pole position with a stunning display under the floodlights in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took his first Formula One pole position with a stunning display under the floodlights in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday. Calm and composed ahead of only his second race for the Italian team, the 21-year-old Monegasque was 0.294 seconds clear of last year’s pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel who secured Ferrari's front row lockout. Five-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was Ferrari's closest challenger in third for Mercedes, but the Briton was still 0.324 seconds off the pace with teammate Valtteri Bottas alongside in fourth. "Thanks guys! The car was amazing," Leclerc said over the team radio after his track record time of one minute 27.866 seconds. "Today is a good beginning, I'll try and finish the job tomorrow," added the youngster, who was fastest in two of the three practice sessions before qualifying and can take his first F1 win on Sunday. Leclerc, a rookie with Sauber (now Alfa Romeo) last season after winning the Formula Two title, is the second youngest pole sitter of all time. Vettel did it at 21 years and 73 days with Toro Rosso at Monza in 2008. He will also be the first driver from Monaco to start at the front since the world championship started in 1950. Ferrari, mysteriously off the pace at the season-opening race in Australia won by Bottas, were in a league of their own and restored to their position as race favourites. The pole was the team's first since September’s Italian Grand Prix, when they also swept the front row but lost to Hamilton in the race. "We have been focused on ourselves, we worked hard to understand the issues and I think the result of today somehow gives us confidence," team boss Mattia Binotto told Sky Sports television. "This is great for the team, great for him. It will not be his last one." Incredible pace Vettel, who has more poles in Bahrain than any other driver, could put in only one run in the final pole-position shootout as the four times champion had to run twice in qualifying's second phase after being held up by traffic. That forced the German to leave a bit of a margin in the fight for pole. "Maybe I was a bit shy in the second sector," said the 31-year-old. "But in the end I think Charles did a very good job today, and he deserves to be on pole." Hamilton said there was still plenty to fight for. "They’ve shown incredible pace," said the Briton. "But it doesn’t mean they can’t be beaten. We’re going to work at it. We’ll just keep our heads down and try and see what happens." Behind the top four, Max Verstappen qualified fifth for Red Bull ahead of Kevin Magnussen in the Haas, McLaren’s Carlos Sainz and Romain Grosjean, also for Haas. Grosjean was later handed a three-place drop for impeding McLaren's British rookie Lando Norris in the first phase, lifting Kimi Raikkonen to eighth for Alfa Romeo and Norris to ninth. Australian Daniel Ricciardo completed the top 10 for Renault, thanks to Grosjean's penalty, with Thailand's Alexander Albon 12th for Toro Rosso. Ricciardo's German teammate Nico Hulkenberg, having been impressive all weekend, was a surprise early casualty and will line up 17th. Fallen champions Williams unsurprisingly propped up the timesheets with rookie George Russell edging out experienced Pole Robert Kubica.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc storms to first F1 pole in Bahrain

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc edged out teammate and four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel to go fastest in Friday's opening practice for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix.&nbsp;

The Monegasque, in his first year with the Italian team, lapped with a best time of one minute 30.354 seconds, 0.263 quicker than Vettel, as the Ferraris set a scorching pace around the 5.4-km Sakhir desert track in the afternoon heat.

Valtteri Bottas, who won the season-opening race in Australia two weeks ago, was third quickest for Mercedes and 0.974 seconds off Leclerc's pace.

The Finn beat teammate Lewis Hamilton, who made a mistake on his quickest run and had to settle for fourth best, 1.247 seconds off the pace.

Ferrari tipped as pre-season favourites, were surprisingly slow in Australia but have the best record of any team in Bahrain with six wins from 14 races there.

Vettel has won at Sakhir for the past two years.

While Ferrari looked to be back on form, the track conditions in Friday's first session are unrepresentative of a race held in the late evening and under floodlights.

Max Verstappen was fifth for Honda-powered Red Bull after the team fixed a hydraulic leak shortly before the session started.

Teammate Pierre Gasly was sixth ahead of&nbsp;Carlos Sainz whose Renault-powered McLaren was fitted with new power unit elements.

Renault's Nico Hulkenberg was eighth ahead of Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat.

Kimi Raikkonen rounded out the top 10 for Alfa Romeo. Renault's Daniel Ricciardo, running a new chassis this weekend after retirement in the Australian season-opener, was 11th.

Fallen former champions Williams again propped up the time-sheets. British rookie George Russell, who survived a spin, was 19th ahead of Poland's Robert Kubica. Both drivers were 3.8 seconds off the pace.

Canadian Lance Stroll spun out early in the session gently nudging his Racing Point into the barriers while Alfa Romeo's Italian Antonio Giovinazzi banged wheels with Hulkenberg's Renault in the dying seconds.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc edged out teammate and four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel to go fastest in Friday's opening practice for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc edged out teammate and four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel to go fastest in Friday's opening practice for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. The Monegasque, in his first year with the Italian team, lapped with a best time of one minute 30.354 seconds, 0.263 quicker than Vettel, as the Ferraris set a scorching pace around the 5.4-km Sakhir desert track in the afternoon heat. Valtteri Bottas, who won the season-opening race in Australia two weeks ago, was third quickest for Mercedes and 0.974 seconds off Leclerc's pace. The Finn beat teammate Lewis Hamilton, who made a mistake on his quickest run and had to settle for fourth best, 1.247 seconds off the pace. Ferrari tipped as pre-season favourites, were surprisingly slow in Australia but have the best record of any team in Bahrain with six wins from 14 races there. Vettel has won at Sakhir for the past two years. While Ferrari looked to be back on form, the track conditions in Friday's first session are unrepresentative of a race held in the late evening and under floodlights. Max Verstappen was fifth for Honda-powered Red Bull after the team fixed a hydraulic leak shortly before the session started. Teammate Pierre Gasly was sixth ahead of Carlos Sainz whose Renault-powered McLaren was fitted with new power unit elements. Renault's Nico Hulkenberg was eighth ahead of Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat. Kimi Raikkonen rounded out the top 10 for Alfa Romeo. Renault's Daniel Ricciardo, running a new chassis this weekend after retirement in the Australian season-opener, was 11th. Fallen former champions Williams again propped up the time-sheets. British rookie George Russell, who survived a spin, was 19th ahead of Poland's Robert Kubica. Both drivers were 3.8 seconds off the pace. Canadian Lance Stroll spun out early in the session gently nudging his Racing Point into the barriers while Alfa Romeo's Italian Antonio Giovinazzi banged wheels with Hulkenberg's Renault in the dying seconds.

Charles Leclerc leads Ferrari one-two in opening Bahrain GP practice

New recruit Charles Leclerc kept Ferrari on top of the timesheets with a full race distance before lunchtime on the second day of Formula One's pre-season testing in Spain on Tuesday.

After teammate Sebastian Vettel led the way on Monday with the fastest time and most laps, Kimi Raikkonen's 21-year-old replacement slotted in seamlessly with a time not far off the German's best.

The Monegasque produced a best time of one minute 18.247 seconds and did 73 laps, compared with Vettel's Monday 1:18.161 and 72 laps, in partially cloudy conditions and an ambient temperature of 14 degrees Celsius.

Five times world champion Lewis Hamilton, working through the Mercedes testing programme, did one more lap than Leclerc however.

Ferrari's times have been quicker than anything from last year's weather-affected first four-day test at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Rule changes, with new aerodynamic regulations, were expected to make the cars around 1.5 seconds a lap slower. But the evidence so far has been that much of the lost time has been regained.

By the time the season starts in Australia on March 17 cars can be expected to be going even faster, but Pirelli's F1 tyre boss Mario Isola cautioned that the picture might be distorted.

He said the asphalt had been new for testing last year, with a very smooth surface that had evolved further.

"I believe the influence of the Tarmac is higher, and the (warmer) temperature is playing a big effect. We know that," he told reporters.

Ferrari-powered Haas were second fastest, with Denmark's Kevin Magnussen taking his turn and producing a best lap of 1:19.234.

Alfa Romeo were third with Italian newcomer Antonio Giovinazzi taking over from Raikkonen who tested on Monday and using harder tyres than others.

In terms of mileage, Red Bull did the third most with Frenchman Pierre Gasly putting in 69 laps in another strong showing for the new partnership with Honda.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who has joined Renault from Red Bull, did the least laps of the morning (28) but that was due to his rear wing flying off at speed.

He returned to the pits with the Renault engineers setting to work.

"On-track fun for Daniel. We're testing his reaction skills. They're good," the team said jokingly on Twitter. "Car and driver are back in the garage. Rear-wing assessing is in full flow."

Williams were again absent, with the team hoping to get their car to Barcelona for Wednesday's third day amid speculation that senior heads could roll as a result of the delay.

New recruit Charles Leclerc kept Ferrari on top of the timesheets with a full race distance before lunchtime on the second day of Formula One's pre-season testing in Spain on Tuesday.

New recruit Charles Leclerc kept Ferrari on top of the timesheets with a full race distance before lunchtime on the second day of Formula One's pre-season testing in Spain on Tuesday. After teammate Sebastian Vettel led the way on Monday with the fastest time and most laps, Kimi Raikkonen's 21-year-old replacement slotted in seamlessly with a time not far off the German's best. The Monegasque produced a best time of one minute 18.247 seconds and did 73 laps, compared with Vettel's Monday 1:18.161 and 72 laps, in partially cloudy conditions and an ambient temperature of 14 degrees Celsius. Five times world champion Lewis Hamilton, working through the Mercedes testing programme, did one more lap than Leclerc however. Ferrari's times have been quicker than anything from last year's weather-affected first four-day test at the Circuit de Catalunya. Rule changes, with new aerodynamic regulations, were expected to make the cars around 1.5 seconds a lap slower. But the evidence so far has been that much of the lost time has been regained. By the time the season starts in Australia on March 17 cars can be expected to be going even faster, but Pirelli's F1 tyre boss Mario Isola cautioned that the picture might be distorted. He said the asphalt had been new for testing last year, with a very smooth surface that had evolved further. "I believe the influence of the Tarmac is higher, and the (warmer) temperature is playing a big effect. We know that," he told reporters. Ferrari-powered Haas were second fastest, with Denmark's Kevin Magnussen taking his turn and producing a best lap of 1:19.234. Alfa Romeo were third with Italian newcomer Antonio Giovinazzi taking over from Raikkonen who tested on Monday and using harder tyres than others. In terms of mileage, Red Bull did the third most with Frenchman Pierre Gasly putting in 69 laps in another strong showing for the new partnership with Honda. Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who has joined Renault from Red Bull, did the least laps of the morning (28) but that was due to his rear wing flying off at speed. He returned to the pits with the Renault engineers setting to work. "On-track fun for Daniel. We're testing his reaction skills. They're good," the team said jokingly on Twitter. "Car and driver are back in the garage. Rear-wing assessing is in full flow." Williams were again absent, with the team hoping to get their car to Barcelona for Wednesday's third day amid speculation that senior heads could roll as a result of the delay.

Charles Leclerc keeps Ferrari on top in testing

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