Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa has launched legal action against F1 fund bosses and governing body.

Felipe Massa seeks compensation from F1 over 'crashgate' scandal

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen is having a dream Formula One season in 2023, cruising to his eight consecutive victory at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, July 31. The double-defending champion has been uber-dominant this season, not giving away even an inch to anybody including seven-time champion Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.

The Mercedes driver, however, took a cheeky dig at Verstappen on Sunday after that race when asked his thoughts on Dutchman's dominance.

"What do you want me to say?! I haven't spoken to him."

Hamilton then used a famous quote from Michael Myers' iconic movie Austin Powers: Goldmember to define Verstappen's season.

"He's having a smoke and a pancake," Hamilton said.

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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff also agreed that Verstappen has all the reasons to be 'cheeky.' Wolff made the comments about Verstappen's radio message during the Belgian GP. The Red Bull driver had so much time during the race that he got involved in a playful banter with his team on the radio during the race.

During the conversation Verstappen was heard saying that he might come in for a pit-stop to give his team a bit of practice.

"He's just driving circles around everybody else on merit. There's nothing else to say about that.

"We've got to watch that, and as much as that is annoying, that's just above the lot," added Wolff.

Verstappen had started the race at sixth place on the grid despite qualifying for the pole during the practice. The driver was given a five-place grid penalty, yet he managed to win the race with ease.

As for the rest, Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished second and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took the final place on the podium. Hamilton finished fourth while Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso finished fifth in the race. Britishers George Russell and Lando Norris took the next two places for Mercedes and McLaren, respectively.

Alpine's Esteban Econ and Pierre Gasly finished seventh and 10th with AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda taking the eighth place in final standings.

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Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen is having a dream Formula One season in 2023, cruising to his eight consecutive victory at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, July 31.

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen is having a dream Formula One season in 2023, cruising to his eight consecutive victory at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, July 31. The double-defending champion has been uber-dominant this season, not giving away even an inch to anybody including seven-time champion Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver, however, took a cheeky dig at Verstappen on Sunday after that race when asked his thoughts on Dutchman's dominance. "What do you want me to say?! I haven't spoken to him." Hamilton then used a famous quote from Michael Myers' iconic movie Austin Powers: Goldmember to define Verstappen's season. "He's having a smoke and a pancake," Hamilton said. Also Read: Ashes 2023: Usman Khawaja, Ricky Ponting question ball change after series ends at 2-2 Mercedes boss Toto Wolff also agreed that Verstappen has all the reasons to be 'cheeky.' Wolff made the comments about Verstappen's radio message during the Belgian GP. The Red Bull driver had so much time during the race that he got involved in a playful banter with his team on the radio during the race. During the conversation Verstappen was heard saying that he might come in for a pit-stop to give his team a bit of practice. "He's just driving circles around everybody else on merit. There's nothing else to say about that. "We've got to watch that, and as much as that is annoying, that's just above the lot," added Wolff. Verstappen had started the race at sixth place on the grid despite qualifying for the pole during the practice. The driver was given a five-place grid penalty, yet he managed to win the race with ease. As for the rest, Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished second and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took the final place on the podium. Hamilton finished fourth while Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso finished fifth in the race. Britishers George Russell and Lando Norris took the next two places for Mercedes and McLaren, respectively. Alpine's Esteban Econ and Pierre Gasly finished seventh and 10th with AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda taking the eighth place in final standings. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Lewis Hamilton makes CHEEKY remark about Max Verstappen's dominance after Belgian Grand Prix

Formula One leader Max Verstappen raced from sixth on the grid to a crushing eighth win in a row on Sunday with Sergio Perez a distant second to seal the Belgian Grand Prix one-two for rampant Red Bull. Red Bull's 13th consecutive victory made the team the first in the sport's 73-year history to win the opening 12 races of a season, one more than McLaren managed in 1988 with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

Verstappen extended his championship lead over Perez to 125 points -- the equivalent of five race wins -- after taking the chequered flag 22.3 seconds ahead of the Mexican who started on the front row.

"I knew we had a great car, it was just about surviving turn one," said the double world champion, who has now won in Belgium for three years in a row including from 14th on the grid last year. "From there onwards we made the right overtakes and moves."

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The Belgian-born Dutchman is heading for a third title with plenty of races to spare, the only real doubt being where he might seal it, and ripping up the record books as he goes.

The next race is his home Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August where he can equal Red Bull's now-retired quadruple champion Sebastian Vettel's 2013 record of nine successive wins in a season.

Charles Leclerc, who started on pole for Ferrari, completed the podium with Lewis Hamilton fourth and securing fastest lap for Mercedes.

The one-two was Red Bull's fifth of the season and so comfortable for Verstappen that his feisty radio chats with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase provided much more of a talking point.

They also showed his supreme confidence, even if some of it was not entirely serious.

"I could also push on and we do another stop? A little bit of pit stop training," Verstappen suggested with 14 laps remaining. "No, not this time," came the reply.

Lambiase had earlier told Verstappen sharply to "use your head a bit more" and questioned whether it had been sensible for the driver to push so hard on the tyres on his out lap after a stop.

"Max, please follow my instruction and trust it," Lambiase told his driver as early as lap 12 after his word had been questioned.

<h2>AGGRESSIVE START</h2>

Perez made an aggressive start from second on the grid, tucking in behind Leclerc through the tight, opening La Source corner and then blasting past on the Kemmel straight to seize the lead.

Verstappen was already up to fourth and chasing Hamilton.

He passed the seven-time world champion on lap six at Les Combes and pulled off a similar move on Leclerc three laps later at the same place to start the chase of Perez and a private Red Bull battle.

By lap 16, after both had pitted with Verstappen's stop half a second faster, the Dutch driver was right on Perez's tail and perfectly placed to blow past the Mexican on the Kemmel straight and pull away.

Perez never got another chance after that.

Fernando Alonso was fifth for Aston Martin, ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, McLaren's Lando Norris and Alpine's Esteban Ocon.

Lance Stroll was ninth for Aston Martin and Yuki Tsunoda took the final point for AlphaTauri.

Red Bull now lead Mercedes in the constructors' standings by a mighty 256 points.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri was the race's first casualty, the Australian rookie stopping by the side of the track after Ferrari's Carlos Sainz squeezed him against the wall at La Source on the opening lap.

"I don't know what he was doing. I was there and he just turned in like I didn't exist," said the Australian rookie who finished second in Saturday's sprint.

Sainz's sidepod was holed in the contact and the Spaniard dropped down the field before pitting to retire at the end of lap 23, with the car wheeled into the garage.

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Formula One leader Max Verstappen raced from sixth on the grid to a crushing eighth win in a row on Sunday with Sergio Perez a distant second to seal the Belgian Grand Prix one-two for rampant Red Bull.

Formula One leader Max Verstappen raced from sixth on the grid to a crushing eighth win in a row on Sunday with Sergio Perez a distant second to seal the Belgian Grand Prix one-two for rampant Red Bull. Red Bull's 13th consecutive victory made the team the first in the sport's 73-year history to win the opening 12 races of a season, one more than McLaren managed in 1988 with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. Verstappen extended his championship lead over Perez to 125 points -- the equivalent of five race wins -- after taking the chequered flag 22.3 seconds ahead of the Mexican who started on the front row. "I knew we had a great car, it was just about surviving turn one," said the double world champion, who has now won in Belgium for three years in a row including from 14th on the grid last year. "From there onwards we made the right overtakes and moves." ALSO READ: Women's World Cup: Series of upsets continue as Colombia stun Germany 2-1 The Belgian-born Dutchman is heading for a third title with plenty of races to spare, the only real doubt being where he might seal it, and ripping up the record books as he goes. The next race is his home Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August where he can equal Red Bull's now-retired quadruple champion Sebastian Vettel's 2013 record of nine successive wins in a season. Charles Leclerc, who started on pole for Ferrari, completed the podium with Lewis Hamilton fourth and securing fastest lap for Mercedes. The one-two was Red Bull's fifth of the season and so comfortable for Verstappen that his feisty radio chats with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase provided much more of a talking point. They also showed his supreme confidence, even if some of it was not entirely serious. "I could also push on and we do another stop? A little bit of pit stop training," Verstappen suggested with 14 laps remaining. "No, not this time," came the reply. Lambiase had earlier told Verstappen sharply to "use your head a bit more" and questioned whether it had been sensible for the driver to push so hard on the tyres on his out lap after a stop. "Max, please follow my instruction and trust it," Lambiase told his driver as early as lap 12 after his word had been questioned. AGGRESSIVE START Perez made an aggressive start from second on the grid, tucking in behind Leclerc through the tight, opening La Source corner and then blasting past on the Kemmel straight to seize the lead. Verstappen was already up to fourth and chasing Hamilton. He passed the seven-time world champion on lap six at Les Combes and pulled off a similar move on Leclerc three laps later at the same place to start the chase of Perez and a private Red Bull battle. By lap 16, after both had pitted with Verstappen's stop half a second faster, the Dutch driver was right on Perez's tail and perfectly placed to blow past the Mexican on the Kemmel straight and pull away. Perez never got another chance after that. Fernando Alonso was fifth for Aston Martin, ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, McLaren's Lando Norris and Alpine's Esteban Ocon. Lance Stroll was ninth for Aston Martin and Yuki Tsunoda took the final point for AlphaTauri. Red Bull now lead Mercedes in the constructors' standings by a mighty 256 points. McLaren's Oscar Piastri was the race's first casualty, the Australian rookie stopping by the side of the track after Ferrari's Carlos Sainz squeezed him against the wall at La Source on the opening lap. "I don't know what he was doing. I was there and he just turned in like I didn't exist," said the Australian rookie who finished second in Saturday's sprint. Sainz's sidepod was holed in the contact and the Spaniard dropped down the field before pitting to retire at the end of lap 23, with the car wheeled into the garage. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Formula 1: Max Verstappen makes light of Spa penalty to secure eighth straight win

Hungarian Grand Prix saw Red Bull's Max Verstappen winning his seventh consecutive Formula One race, with McLaren's Lando Norris coming second. The third place on the podium was won by Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. The three winners were at the podium, celebrating, when second-placed Norris accidentally broke Verstappen's winner's trophy.

Norris, during the traditional celebrations, slammed his bottle of champagne on the first step of podium a bit too hard. The trophy, which was kept on that step, fell on the floor and broke into a couple of pieces. Have a look at the video here:

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It's bwoken! 😮😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HungarianGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HungarianGP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/nTtgdfWX3o">pic.twitter.com/nTtgdfWX3o</a>
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The porcelain trophies awarded to Hungarian GP winners costs around $44,000 each and six months to make. Norris, who saw the trophy broke, continued to spray champagne over winners in celebrations.

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When asked about the incident during the post-race conference, Norris wasn't much concerned with it.

"Errr, Max just placed it too close to the edge? I don't know, it fell over I guess," Norris said.

"Not my problem, it's his!"

As for the race, Verstappen, who is in unprecedented form this season, won the race despite starting second on the grid behind Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, who started at the pole, finished fourth in the race behind top three. McLaren's Oscar Piastri took the fifth position and Mercedes' George Russell finished sixth. Two Ferraris driven by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. finished seventh and eighth, respectively. Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completed top ten.

With the latest win, Verstappen, who is a double-defending champion this season, took Red Bull to their record 12th consecutive win. With the victory in Hungary, Red Bull surpassed McLaren's 11 consecutive win record set in 1988. Red Bull, which has won every single race this season, also have a shot at winning most race in a single season if they manage to win Belgian Grand Prix on July 30.

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Hungarian Grand Prix saw Red Bull's Max Verstappen winning his seventh consecutive Formula One race, with McLaren's Lando Norris coming second. The third place on the podium was won by Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.

Hungarian Grand Prix saw Red Bull's Max Verstappen winning his seventh consecutive Formula One race, with McLaren's Lando Norris coming second. The third place on the podium was won by Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. The three winners were at the podium, celebrating, when second-placed Norris accidentally broke Verstappen's winner's trophy. Norris, during the traditional celebrations, slammed his bottle of champagne on the first step of podium a bit too hard. The trophy, which was kept on that step, fell on the floor and broke into a couple of pieces. Have a look at the video here: It's bwoken! 😮😂#HungarianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/nTtgdfWX3o — Formula 1 (@F1) July 23, 2023 × The porcelain trophies awarded to Hungarian GP winners costs around $44,000 each and six months to make. Norris, who saw the trophy broke, continued to spray champagne over winners in celebrations. Also Read: WI vs IND: 'He took the initiative...' - Kishan reveals Kohli backed him to bat at No. 4 after maiden fifty When asked about the incident during the post-race conference, Norris wasn't much concerned with it. "Errr, Max just placed it too close to the edge? I don't know, it fell over I guess," Norris said. "Not my problem, it's his!" As for the race, Verstappen, who is in unprecedented form this season, won the race despite starting second on the grid behind Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, who started at the pole, finished fourth in the race behind top three. McLaren's Oscar Piastri took the fifth position and Mercedes' George Russell finished sixth. Two Ferraris driven by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. finished seventh and eighth, respectively. Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completed top ten. With the latest win, Verstappen, who is a double-defending champion this season, took Red Bull to their record 12th consecutive win. With the victory in Hungary, Red Bull surpassed McLaren's 11 consecutive win record set in 1988. Red Bull, which has won every single race this season, also have a shot at winning most race in a single season if they manage to win Belgian Grand Prix on July 30. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Second-placed Lando Norris breaks Hungarian GP winner Max Verstappen's trophy - WATCH

Nyck de Vries spoke on Wednesday of his hurt at losing his AlphaTauri&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;seat to Australian Daniel Ricciardo after only 10 races and before he got a chance to race at his home Dutch Grand Prix. The 28-year-old was dropped by the Red Bull-owned team last week and replaced by eight times grand prix winner Ricciardo, 34, who had been filling a reserve role since leaving McLaren at the end of last year.

"Of course, it hurts that the F1 chance I dreamed of for so long ended prematurely," de Vries wrote on Instagram in his first public comment on the dismissal. "But life is not a destination, it’s a journey, and sometimes you have to take the hard road to get where you want to be. "I am grateful for our privileged lives, proud of our journey and my family. This is just another experience; we move on and look forward to the next chapter."

The comments came a day after Red Bull team boss Christian Horner provided more details of the decision to bring back former Red Bull racer Ricciardo ahead of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. "There was a high expectation on him (de Vries) because whilst inexperienced in&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;he's obviously a very experienced driver," said Horner of the 2021&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;E champion and 2019 F2 champion. "I think there was a general feeling that Nyck wasn't quite hitting the mark. And then the question was 'What are the options if we were to switch things around?,'" he told the F1 Nation podcast.

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Horner said Ricciardo's post-British Grand Prix tyre test provided compelling evidence and Red Bull motorsport head Helmut Marko had called de Vries to tell him the bad news. "It all happened a little quicker than expected, bearing in mind we hadn't completed the test," said Horner. "He (Marko) was the&nbsp;one&nbsp;who had recruited him and he was the&nbsp;one&nbsp;who spoke with Nyck on about lap 11 of the test I think."

Horner confirmed he had not wanted to sign de Vries in the first place. "He's not a young driver... I just didn't see how it fitted within the junior programme. It was always a stopgap," he explained.

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Nyck de Vries spoke on Wednesday of his hurt at losing his AlphaTauri Formula One seat to Australian Daniel Ricciardo after only 10 races and before he got a chance to race at his home Dutch Grand Prix.

Nyck de Vries spoke on Wednesday of his hurt at losing his AlphaTauri Formula One seat to Australian Daniel Ricciardo after only 10 races and before he got a chance to race at his home Dutch Grand Prix. The 28-year-old was dropped by the Red Bull-owned team last week and replaced by eight times grand prix winner Ricciardo, 34, who had been filling a reserve role since leaving McLaren at the end of last year. "Of course, it hurts that the F1 chance I dreamed of for so long ended prematurely," de Vries wrote on Instagram in his first public comment on the dismissal. "But life is not a destination, it’s a journey, and sometimes you have to take the hard road to get where you want to be. "I am grateful for our privileged lives, proud of our journey and my family. This is just another experience; we move on and look forward to the next chapter." The comments came a day after Red Bull team boss Christian Horner provided more details of the decision to bring back former Red Bull racer Ricciardo ahead of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. "There was a high expectation on him (de Vries) because whilst inexperienced in Formula One he's obviously a very experienced driver," said Horner of the 2021 Formula E champion and 2019 F2 champion. "I think there was a general feeling that Nyck wasn't quite hitting the mark. And then the question was 'What are the options if we were to switch things around?,'" he told the F1 Nation podcast. Also read: The Open: McIlroy, Smith gather at Royal Liverpool Golf Course as veterans look to stamp authority Horner said Ricciardo's post-British Grand Prix tyre test provided compelling evidence and Red Bull motorsport head Helmut Marko had called de Vries to tell him the bad news. "It all happened a little quicker than expected, bearing in mind we hadn't completed the test," said Horner. "He (Marko) was the one who had recruited him and he was the one who spoke with Nyck on about lap 11 of the test I think." Horner confirmed he had not wanted to sign de Vries in the first place. "He's not a young driver... I just didn't see how it fitted within the junior programme. It was always a stopgap," he explained. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: 'Hurt' Nyck de Vries reacts after losing AlphaTauri seat to Australia's Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo hopes to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull once the Mexican's contract ends, team boss Christian Horner said on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Australian will be starting his&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;comeback with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri in Hungary this weekend after leaving McLaren last season and serving as Red Bull reserve. Ricciardo raced for Red Bull Racing from 2014-18, taking seven of his eight wins with the British-based team. Perez, who joined in 2021, has a contract to the end of 2024.

"He (Ricciardo) firmly wants to be pitching for that 2025 Red Bull seat. That's his goal and objective. By going to AlphaTauri I think he sees that as his best route for stating his case for 2025," Horner told&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One's F1 Nation podcast. Ricciardo has replaced under-performing Dutch rookie Nyck de Vries, who failed to score a point this year, at bottom-placed AlphaTauri with 12 of the season's 22 races remaining.

"At the moment, there's only something in place until the end of the season, so there are no thoughts or expectations beyond that," said Horner. "We've loaned him to AlphaTauri until the end of the year. Obviously, our drivers are going to be Max (Verstappen) and Checo (Perez) again next year, but it's always good to have talent in reserve."

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Red Bull have dominated the season, winning every race, but Verstappen is a hefty 99 points clear of Perez after winning eight of the 10. The Mexican's form has led to speculation that he too might not see out the full term of his contract.

Last week's axeing of De Vries was seen as particularly harsh since it came before the Dutch driver had a chance to race in his home race at Zandvoort in August but Horner said delaying the decision made no sense. He revealed also that the firing came about 11 laps into Ricciardo's impressive tyre test for Pirelli after the British Grand Prix.

"That would have meant obviously leaving him in the car until after the summer break," he said. "I think the situation was clear. It was a question of OK, what's the point in waiting? "If we've got to do something, we might as well get on with it and give Daniel 12 races to see what he's capable of."

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Daniel Ricciardo hopes to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull once the Mexican's contract ends, team boss Christian Horner said on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Australian will be starting his Formula One comeback with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri in Hungary this weekend after leaving McLaren last season and serving as Red Bull reserve.

Daniel Ricciardo hopes to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull once the Mexican's contract ends, team boss Christian Horner said on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Australian will be starting his Formula One comeback with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri in Hungary this weekend after leaving McLaren last season and serving as Red Bull reserve. Ricciardo raced for Red Bull Racing from 2014-18, taking seven of his eight wins with the British-based team. Perez, who joined in 2021, has a contract to the end of 2024. "He (Ricciardo) firmly wants to be pitching for that 2025 Red Bull seat. That's his goal and objective. By going to AlphaTauri I think he sees that as his best route for stating his case for 2025," Horner told Formula One's F1 Nation podcast. Ricciardo has replaced under-performing Dutch rookie Nyck de Vries, who failed to score a point this year, at bottom-placed AlphaTauri with 12 of the season's 22 races remaining. "At the moment, there's only something in place until the end of the season, so there are no thoughts or expectations beyond that," said Horner. "We've loaned him to AlphaTauri until the end of the year. Obviously, our drivers are going to be Max (Verstappen) and Checo (Perez) again next year, but it's always good to have talent in reserve." Also read: Tour de France: Jonas Vingegaard dominates Tadej Pogacar in close duel Red Bull have dominated the season, winning every race, but Verstappen is a hefty 99 points clear of Perez after winning eight of the 10. The Mexican's form has led to speculation that he too might not see out the full term of his contract. Last week's axeing of De Vries was seen as particularly harsh since it came before the Dutch driver had a chance to race in his home race at Zandvoort in August but Horner said delaying the decision made no sense. He revealed also that the firing came about 11 laps into Ricciardo's impressive tyre test for Pirelli after the British Grand Prix. "That would have meant obviously leaving him in the car until after the summer break," he said. "I think the situation was clear. It was a question of OK, what's the point in waiting? "If we've got to do something, we might as well get on with it and give Daniel 12 races to see what he's capable of." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Daniel Ricciardo out to replace Sergio Perez for 2025, says Red Bull boss Christian Horner

Daniel Ricciardo is back in Formula One. The driver, however, will race for AlphaTauri as a replacement for Nyck de Vries for the rest of the season. Ricciardo is associated with Red Bull Racing and and will join AlphaTauri on loan.

The news was confirmed on Tuesday and Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: "It is great to see Daniel hasn't lost any form while away from racing and that the strides he has been making in his sim sessions translate on track. His times during the tyre test were extremely competitive. It was a very impressive drive, and we are excited to see what the rest of the season brings for Daniel on loan at Scuderia AlphaTauri."

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Welcoming him to the team, Team Principal Franz Tost said, "I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team."

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Daniel is back! 👊<a href="https://twitter.com/danielricciardo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@danielricciardo</a>, on loan from <a href="https://twitter.com/redbullracing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@redbullracing</a>, will be racing for us for the remainder of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> season, starting from the Hungarian GP. 
 
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— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlphaTauriF1/status/1678776026879651842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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"There’s no doubt about his driving skills, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straight forward. The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner. I would like to thank Nyck for his valuable contribution during his time with Scuderia AlphaTauri and I wish him all the best for the future.”

In August last year, the eight-time racer had announced that he'll not be competing in the 2023 season for which he had joined Red Bull Racing as the third driver.

Speaking on his inclusion, Ricciardo said, "I’m stoked to be back on track with the Red Bull family!"

Ricciardo, last month, had told ESPN in a chat that he would like to end his career with a return to Red Bull Racing - a team he had quit in 2018. Overall, the Australian has 32 podium finishes and eight wins in his career in 232 starts.

A stint with AlphaTauri could certainly pave the way for Ricciardo to be one of the two drivers for Red Bull, especially with Sergio Perez struggling behind runway season leader Max Verstappen.

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Daniel Ricciardo is back in Formula One. The driver, however, will race for AlphaTauri as a replacement for Nyck de Vries for the rest of the season. Ricciardo is associated with Red Bull Racing and and will join AlphaTauri on loan.

Daniel Ricciardo is back in Formula One. The driver, however, will race for AlphaTauri as a replacement for Nyck de Vries for the rest of the season. Ricciardo is associated with Red Bull Racing and and will join AlphaTauri on loan. The news was confirmed on Tuesday and Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: "It is great to see Daniel hasn't lost any form while away from racing and that the strides he has been making in his sim sessions translate on track. His times during the tyre test were extremely competitive. It was a very impressive drive, and we are excited to see what the rest of the season brings for Daniel on loan at Scuderia AlphaTauri." Also Read: NBA: Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving signs five-year shoe deal with Chinese brand ANTA Welcoming him to the team, Team Principal Franz Tost said, "I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team." Daniel is back! 👊@danielricciardo, on loan from @redbullracing, will be racing for us for the remainder of the #F1 season, starting from the Hungarian GP. Read more 👇 — Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) July 11, 2023 × "There’s no doubt about his driving skills, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straight forward. The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner. I would like to thank Nyck for his valuable contribution during his time with Scuderia AlphaTauri and I wish him all the best for the future.” In August last year, the eight-time racer had announced that he'll not be competing in the 2023 season for which he had joined Red Bull Racing as the third driver. Speaking on his inclusion, Ricciardo said, "I’m stoked to be back on track with the Red Bull family!" Ricciardo, last month, had told ESPN in a chat that he would like to end his career with a return to Red Bull Racing - a team he had quit in 2018. Overall, the Australian has 32 podium finishes and eight wins in his career in 232 starts. A stint with AlphaTauri could certainly pave the way for Ricciardo to be one of the two drivers for Red Bull, especially with Sergio Perez struggling behind runway season leader Max Verstappen. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Daniel Ricciardo replaces Nyck de Vries in AlphaTauri, to compete at Hungarian Grand Prix

McLaren&nbsp;impressed with their new-found speed at Silverstone on Sunday but Lando&nbsp;Norris&nbsp;warned there would&nbsp;still&nbsp;be times when they looked painfully slow. Norris&nbsp;finished second behind Red Bull's runaway championship leader Max Verstappen for the team's first podium appearance in the 10th race of a season they started on the back foot. His&nbsp;McLaren&nbsp;teammate Oscar Piastri finished fourth.

"It was amazing to watch how good his car was in high speed," commented Mercedes' seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who finished third after chasing&nbsp;Norris&nbsp;to the chequered flag. "That&nbsp;McLaren&nbsp;is a rocket ship. At high speed it was insane."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/brad-pitt-respects-f1-and-thrills-drivers-at-silverstone-613740">Brad Pitt respects F1 and thrills drivers at Silverstone</a>

Norris&nbsp;felt the aerodynamically upgraded Mercedes-powered car was indeed very competitive, and almost on a par with&nbsp;dominant Red Bull on the high-speed parts of the circuit. "Towards the medium speed (areas) like Stowe, I would say we're close to being the best car on the grid," he said. "But we&nbsp;do&nbsp;have&nbsp;a poor car and I say poor, I would say pretty terrible, in the slow-speed corners. Extremely difficult to drive.

"We're going to go to a couple of tracks coming up where I'm sure people are going to be saying, 'What&nbsp;have&nbsp;you&nbsp;done now?' Like, 'How has it got so bad all of a sudden?' "It's just this track’s allowed us to look after the tyres nicely, keep them in a good condition. Simple as that. So a lot of it is track-specific."

McLaren&nbsp;moved up to fifth overall in the standings, ahead of Renault-owned Alpine who failed to score a point at Silverstone with two retirements. Ferrari are fourth and 98 points further&nbsp;down the road. The podium was the team's first at Silverstone since Hamilton in 2010.

"I&nbsp;don't want to get too excited, but good things&nbsp;have&nbsp;come from the upgrade," said&nbsp;Norris."But there are still&nbsp;plenty&nbsp;of things which are miles away from, say, competing in certain places with a Mercedes and as a whole package competing even with a Red Bull. So a lot more&nbsp;work&nbsp;to be&nbsp;done from both of those areas."

Team boss Andrea Stella said the indications were encouraging but&nbsp;McLaren&nbsp;had also surprised themselves by being able to keep ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes. "I think we&nbsp;have&nbsp;to acknowledge that the improvement seems to be genuine here in terms of race pace," said the Italian, who added that the cooler temperatures also helped with tyre management.

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McLaren impressed with their new-found speed at Silverstone on Sunday but Lando Norris warned there would still be times when they looked painfully slow. Norris finished second behind Red Bull's runaway championship leader Max Verstappen for the team's first podium appearance in the 10th race of a season they started on the back foot.

McLaren impressed with their new-found speed at Silverstone on Sunday but Lando Norris warned there would still be times when they looked painfully slow. Norris finished second behind Red Bull's runaway championship leader Max Verstappen for the team's first podium appearance in the 10th race of a season they started on the back foot. His McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished fourth. "It was amazing to watch how good his car was in high speed," commented Mercedes' seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who finished third after chasing Norris to the chequered flag. "That McLaren is a rocket ship. At high speed it was insane." Also read: Brad Pitt respects F1 and thrills drivers at Silverstone Norris felt the aerodynamically upgraded Mercedes-powered car was indeed very competitive, and almost on a par with dominant Red Bull on the high-speed parts of the circuit. "Towards the medium speed (areas) like Stowe, I would say we're close to being the best car on the grid," he said. "But we do have a poor car and I say poor, I would say pretty terrible, in the slow-speed corners. Extremely difficult to drive. "We're going to go to a couple of tracks coming up where I'm sure people are going to be saying, 'What have you done now?' Like, 'How has it got so bad all of a sudden?' "It's just this track’s allowed us to look after the tyres nicely, keep them in a good condition. Simple as that. So a lot of it is track-specific." McLaren moved up to fifth overall in the standings, ahead of Renault-owned Alpine who failed to score a point at Silverstone with two retirements. Ferrari are fourth and 98 points further down the road. The podium was the team's first at Silverstone since Hamilton in 2010. "I don't want to get too excited, but good things have come from the upgrade," said Norris."But there are still plenty of things which are miles away from, say, competing in certain places with a Mercedes and as a whole package competing even with a Red Bull. So a lot more work to be done from both of those areas." Team boss Andrea Stella said the indications were encouraging but McLaren had also surprised themselves by being able to keep ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes. "I think we have to acknowledge that the improvement seems to be genuine here in terms of race pace," said the Italian, who added that the cooler temperatures also helped with tyre management. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Lando Norris believes McLaren can improve plenty after finishing second in British Grand Prix

Racing in rain and spray is now&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One's biggest safety concern and a trial of a mudguard-style device next week should be fast-tracked onto the cars if it works, drivers said on Thursday. The trial, at Silverstone, has been in the planning since last year but has acquired greater significance since the death last weekend of Dutch 18-year-old Dilano van't Hoff in a wet junior series race at Spa-Francorchamps.

McLaren and Mercedes will be providing the test cars,&nbsp;one&nbsp;with and&nbsp;one&nbsp;without the modification. "It's a huge safety issue at the moment and it needs to be addressed. We can't see anything in heavy wet weather," Aston Martin's Canadian Lance Stroll told reporters at the British Grand Prix. “I can recall many races over the past few&nbsp;years&nbsp;in&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One where you just cannot see anything when you are behind a car and it's extremely dangerous ... we shouldn't be racing in those conditions.”

"If it works, it (the mudguard) has to be put on the cars as quickly as possible. And if it doesn't work, we shouldn't be putting ourselves in situations where we're racing in conditions where we can't see."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-stan-wawrinka-sets-up-third-round-clash-with-novak-djokovic-following-win-over-tomas-etcheverry-612788">Wimbledon: Stan Wawrinka sets up third round clash with Novak Djokovic following win over Tomas Etcheverry</a>

McLaren's Lando Norris said the issue was "the biggest safety concern at the minute within&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One" and it was about time to do something. "It's a shame we had to see such a consequence for people to understand what can happen. I think it's something that needs to be done. "Actually seeing where we're going, that helps sometimes," he said sarcastically.

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen agreed and said drivers might as well close their eyes in some conditions. "There is zero visibility and it would be great if that could be improved significantly," said the Dane.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez said the device could be a big step forward. "Especially what happened last weekend, I think it's something that we've got to improve," he said. "For now, I think it's important that race directors let us race only when it's safe and the whole grid is able to see something."

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Racing in rain and spray is now Formula One's biggest safety concern and a trial of a mudguard-style device next week should be fast-tracked onto the cars if it works, drivers said on Thursday.

Racing in rain and spray is now Formula One's biggest safety concern and a trial of a mudguard-style device next week should be fast-tracked onto the cars if it works, drivers said on Thursday. The trial, at Silverstone, has been in the planning since last year but has acquired greater significance since the death last weekend of Dutch 18-year-old Dilano van't Hoff in a wet junior series race at Spa-Francorchamps. McLaren and Mercedes will be providing the test cars, one with and one without the modification. "It's a huge safety issue at the moment and it needs to be addressed. We can't see anything in heavy wet weather," Aston Martin's Canadian Lance Stroll told reporters at the British Grand Prix. “I can recall many races over the past few years in Formula One where you just cannot see anything when you are behind a car and it's extremely dangerous ... we shouldn't be racing in those conditions.” "If it works, it (the mudguard) has to be put on the cars as quickly as possible. And if it doesn't work, we shouldn't be putting ourselves in situations where we're racing in conditions where we can't see." Also Read: Wimbledon: Stan Wawrinka sets up third round clash with Novak Djokovic following win over Tomas Etcheverry McLaren's Lando Norris said the issue was "the biggest safety concern at the minute within Formula One" and it was about time to do something. "It's a shame we had to see such a consequence for people to understand what can happen. I think it's something that needs to be done. "Actually seeing where we're going, that helps sometimes," he said sarcastically. Haas driver Kevin Magnussen agreed and said drivers might as well close their eyes in some conditions. "There is zero visibility and it would be great if that could be improved significantly," said the Dane. Red Bull's Sergio Perez said the device could be a big step forward. "Especially what happened last weekend, I think it's something that we've got to improve," he said. "For now, I think it's important that race directors let us race only when it's safe and the whole grid is able to see something." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Visibility in wet is F1's biggest safety issue, say drivers ahead of British GP

McLaren&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;driver Lando Norris urged environmental activists on Monday not to put lives in danger with 'stupid and selfish' protests during this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Six "Just Stop Oil" campaigners ran on to the track after an opening lap crash at last year's race and the same group has disrupted cricket, horse racing, rugby and snooker in recent months.

Protesters scattered orange powder on the outfield at Lord's during the second Ashes cricket test in June. "There is a concern. It is a stupid thing to do to put your life in danger with cars driving around," Norris told reporters at McLaren's Woking factory at the reveal of a new&nbsp;one-off Google Chrome car livery for Silverstone. "It is a very selfish thing to do at the same time because of the consequences it has on the person that drives the car if something happened. "Everyone&nbsp;has a right (to protest) and I guess there are good ways of doing it and worse ways," added the 23-year-old Briton. "I hope people are smart enough not to do it. There are much safer ways to get just as much attention and do what they want to do."

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More than 140,000 spectators are expected on race Sunday at Silverstone. Those demonstrators involved in last year's protest at Silverstone&nbsp;were convicted in February of causing a public nuisance. Five of them ran on to the high-speed Wellington Straight after Alfa Romeo's Chinese driver, Zhou Guanyu, crashed and halted the July 3 race.

Cars were still driving back to the pit lane as marshals and police dragged the protesters away. "Going to a racetrack with cars coming at 200 mph is not the way to go about it," said Norris's Australian team mate Oscar Piastri. "They've had the consequences of their actions from last year, of course I hope it doesn't happen again. I'm sure Silverstone&nbsp;will have measures in place to stop it. "It's obviously a bit easier and less dangerous to jump onto a cricket field than a racetrack."

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McLaren Formula One driver Lando Norris urged environmental activists on Monday not to put lives in danger with 'stupid and selfish' protests during this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

McLaren Formula One driver Lando Norris urged environmental activists on Monday not to put lives in danger with 'stupid and selfish' protests during this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Six "Just Stop Oil" campaigners ran on to the track after an opening lap crash at last year's race and the same group has disrupted cricket, horse racing, rugby and snooker in recent months. Protesters scattered orange powder on the outfield at Lord's during the second Ashes cricket test in June. "There is a concern. It is a stupid thing to do to put your life in danger with cars driving around," Norris told reporters at McLaren's Woking factory at the reveal of a new one-off Google Chrome car livery for Silverstone. "It is a very selfish thing to do at the same time because of the consequences it has on the person that drives the car if something happened. "Everyone has a right (to protest) and I guess there are good ways of doing it and worse ways," added the 23-year-old Briton. "I hope people are smart enough not to do it. There are much safer ways to get just as much attention and do what they want to do." Also Read: NBA: Anthony Edwards signs rookie max contract with Minnesota Timberwolves More than 140,000 spectators are expected on race Sunday at Silverstone. Those demonstrators involved in last year's protest at Silverstone were convicted in February of causing a public nuisance. Five of them ran on to the high-speed Wellington Straight after Alfa Romeo's Chinese driver, Zhou Guanyu, crashed and halted the July 3 race. Cars were still driving back to the pit lane as marshals and police dragged the protesters away. "Going to a racetrack with cars coming at 200 mph is not the way to go about it," said Norris's Australian team mate Oscar Piastri. "They've had the consequences of their actions from last year, of course I hope it doesn't happen again. I'm sure Silverstone will have measures in place to stop it. "It's obviously a bit easier and less dangerous to jump onto a cricket field than a racetrack." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

F1: McLaren driver Lando Norris warns protestors not to risk lives at British Grand Prix

World champion Max Verstappen drew alongside Ayrton Senna in the Formula One record books with his 41st victory on Sunday when he drove his Red Bull to a flawless triumph at the Canadian Grand Prix.&nbsp;

The 25-year-old defending double champion and series leader led from lights to flag as he came home 9.570 seconds ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso with Lewis Hamilton finishing third for Mercedes for his team's 100th F1 win.&nbsp;

It was Verstappen’s second win at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, his sixth in eight races this year and his 41st&nbsp;overall, leaving him behind only four-time champions Alain Prost (51) and Sebastian Vettel (53), seven-time champions Michael Schumacher (91) and Hamilton (103).&nbsp;

"It's amazing to get the team's 100th&nbsp;win here. I never expected to be on these kind of numbers for myself so we have to just keep enjoying it and working hard, but this is a great day for us," said Verstappen.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nations-league-spain-beat-croatia-on-penalties-to-clinch-title-605870">Nations League: Spain beat Croatia on penalties to clinch title</a>

For Red Bull, this comprehensive victory was their eighth this year and 10th&nbsp;in succession &nbsp;– statistics that make the prospect of an invincible season appear ever more likely.&nbsp;

Alonso's podium was his sixth of the season as he continued to deliver competitive and revived form, aged 41.

Alonso said he was managing a brake issue at the end of the race.&nbsp;

"We hoped to challenge a bit more, but we lost a place to Lewis at the start and then battled all race. It was like 70 qualifying laps," he said.

Hamilton said: "It's been a great weekend here for us and we are chipping away and making progress. It's an honour to be here on the podium with these two world champions."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Charles Leclerc came home fourth ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull with Alex Albon taking an excellent seventh in his revamped Williams.&nbsp;

Esteban Ocon was eighth for Alpine ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, who dropped to 13th&nbsp;with a five-second time penalty, and local hero Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin.&nbsp;

Perez recorded the fastest lap of the race to take a bonus point, but is now 69 points behind his team-mate in the drivers title race.&nbsp;

After Saturday's rain-swept qualifying, the race began in warm sunshine with Verstappen and Hamilton enjoying perfect starts, the Mercedes man firing past Alonso to take second.&nbsp;

The Aston Martin pushed to recover, holding off Russell, but by lap five Verstappen was 1.8 seconds clear of Hamilton with Alonso 2.7 adrift in third, having banged the wall at Turn Four.&nbsp;

Russell was fourth ahead of Ocon and Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg, who started fifth, before a Virtual Safety Car was deployed when Logan Sargeant pulled up and retired his Williams.&nbsp;

<h2>'I'm so sorry'</h2>

Hulkenberg made an early pit-stop after 12 laps, shortly before Russell smacked the wall at the exit of the chicane at Turn Nine causing a full Safety Car deployment on lap 13.&nbsp;

Russell limped back to the Mercedes pits for a new front wing and fresh tyres, the leaders all having dived in to switch to hard rubber, Hamilton and Alonso almost colliding as they exited their pits.

Racing resumed on lap 16, the leading trio scrapping immediately without positional changes before Verstappen pulled clear.&nbsp;

The Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz had worked through to fourth and fifth, on mediums, ahead of Perez, but they struggled for outright pace.&nbsp;

On lap 23, having stalked his foe, Alonso attacked and passed Hamilton with the aid of Drag Reduction System (DRS) going into the final chicane.&nbsp;

Russell, from last, fought back to eighth before he retired on lap 55.&nbsp;

"I'm so sorry everyone," said Russell. "Nothing more to say. Sorry."

Perez pitted from sixth after 40 laps, taking mediums, but was unable to make an impression on the top five and chose a late burst on softs to take fastest lap.

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World champion Max Verstappen drew alongside Ayrton Senna in the Formula One record books with his 41st victory on Sunday when he drove his Red Bull to a flawless triumph at the Canadian Grand Prix.

World champion Max Verstappen drew alongside Ayrton Senna in the Formula One record books with his 41st victory on Sunday when he drove his Red Bull to a flawless triumph at the Canadian Grand Prix. The 25-year-old defending double champion and series leader led from lights to flag as he came home 9.570 seconds ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso with Lewis Hamilton finishing third for Mercedes for his team's 100th F1 win. It was Verstappen’s second win at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, his sixth in eight races this year and his 41st overall, leaving him behind only four-time champions Alain Prost (51) and Sebastian Vettel (53), seven-time champions Michael Schumacher (91) and Hamilton (103). "It's amazing to get the team's 100th win here. I never expected to be on these kind of numbers for myself so we have to just keep enjoying it and working hard, but this is a great day for us," said Verstappen. Also Read: Nations League: Spain beat Croatia on penalties to clinch title For Red Bull, this comprehensive victory was their eighth this year and 10th in succession – statistics that make the prospect of an invincible season appear ever more likely. Alonso's podium was his sixth of the season as he continued to deliver competitive and revived form, aged 41. Alonso said he was managing a brake issue at the end of the race. "We hoped to challenge a bit more, but we lost a place to Lewis at the start and then battled all race. It was like 70 qualifying laps," he said. Hamilton said: "It's been a great weekend here for us and we are chipping away and making progress. It's an honour to be here on the podium with these two world champions." Charles Leclerc came home fourth ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull with Alex Albon taking an excellent seventh in his revamped Williams. Esteban Ocon was eighth for Alpine ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, who dropped to 13th with a five-second time penalty, and local hero Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin. Perez recorded the fastest lap of the race to take a bonus point, but is now 69 points behind his team-mate in the drivers title race. After Saturday's rain-swept qualifying, the race began in warm sunshine with Verstappen and Hamilton enjoying perfect starts, the Mercedes man firing past Alonso to take second. The Aston Martin pushed to recover, holding off Russell, but by lap five Verstappen was 1.8 seconds clear of Hamilton with Alonso 2.7 adrift in third, having banged the wall at Turn Four. Russell was fourth ahead of Ocon and Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg, who started fifth, before a Virtual Safety Car was deployed when Logan Sargeant pulled up and retired his Williams. 'I'm so sorry' Hulkenberg made an early pit-stop after 12 laps, shortly before Russell smacked the wall at the exit of the chicane at Turn Nine causing a full Safety Car deployment on lap 13. Russell limped back to the Mercedes pits for a new front wing and fresh tyres, the leaders all having dived in to switch to hard rubber, Hamilton and Alonso almost colliding as they exited their pits. Racing resumed on lap 16, the leading trio scrapping immediately without positional changes before Verstappen pulled clear. The Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz had worked through to fourth and fifth, on mediums, ahead of Perez, but they struggled for outright pace. On lap 23, having stalked his foe, Alonso attacked and passed Hamilton with the aid of Drag Reduction System (DRS) going into the final chicane. Russell, from last, fought back to eighth before he retired on lap 55. "I'm so sorry everyone," said Russell. "Nothing more to say. Sorry." Perez pitted from sixth after 40 laps, taking mediums, but was unable to make an impression on the top five and chose a late burst on softs to take fastest lap. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: Red Bull's Max Verstappen equals Ayrton Senna with Canadian Grand Prix victory

There has been a lot of speculations regarding Lewis Hamilton's next move as his contract with Mercedes is set to expire at the end of this season. There were strong rumours that the&nbsp;seven-time&nbsp;world champion is likely to move to Ferrari in a whopping deal.&nbsp;Since then, a&nbsp;lot has been said and written about it. Nonetheless, Ferrari team boss has denied all such claims.

It was reported earlier this week that Ferrari made a whopping £40 million offer to acquire the services of Hamilton. However, Ferrari team boss Fred&nbsp;Vasseur cleared the air ahead of this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

<h2>'We are not sending an offer to Lewis Hamilton'</h2>

"As a joke I could say that two weeks ago you were sending Sainz to Audi, one week ago you sent Leclerc to Mercedes - now I am alone," said Vasseur as per a report in Sky Sport.&nbsp;

He further asserted, "You know perfectly that at this stage of the season each week you will have a different story and we are not sending an offer to Lewis Hamilton, we didn't do it."

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-one-with-lewis-hamiltons-mercedes-contract-over-is-he-moving-to-ferrari-596070">Formula One: With Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes contract over, is he moving to Ferrari?</a>

On being asked if he had talked with Hamilton, or if he is planning to, Vasseur replied,&nbsp;"We didn't have discussions. I think every single team on the grid would like to have Hamilton at one stage, it would be bull**** to not say something like this.

"If I discuss with Hamilton, the last 20 years I discussed almost every single weekend with Hamilton, I don't want to have to stop to discuss with him because you are chasing me."

It is to be noted that Britain's Hamilton has not won a race since 2021, with Max Versteppen ruling every circuit since then. He desperately needs a winning car to challenge for a record eighth title. Thus, the upcoming races are very crucial for him and the veteran will surely analyse if Mercedes can provide him his next title or whether it is wise for him to have a last shot at somewhere else.&nbsp;

Interesting times ahead for Hamilton as he remains adamant to bounce back to winning ways and add more titles to his illustrious career.

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There has been a lot of speculations regarding Lewis Hamilton's next move as his contract with Mercedes is set to expire at the end of this season. There were strong rumours that the seven-time world champion is likely to move to Ferrari in a whopping deal.

There has been a lot of speculations regarding Lewis Hamilton's next move as his contract with Mercedes is set to expire at the end of this season. There were strong rumours that the seven-time world champion is likely to move to Ferrari in a whopping deal. Since then, a lot has been said and written about it. Nonetheless, Ferrari team boss has denied all such claims. It was reported earlier this week that Ferrari made a whopping £40 million offer to acquire the services of Hamilton. However, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur cleared the air ahead of this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. 'We are not sending an offer to Lewis Hamilton' "As a joke I could say that two weeks ago you were sending Sainz to Audi, one week ago you sent Leclerc to Mercedes - now I am alone," said Vasseur as per a report in Sky Sport. He further asserted, "You know perfectly that at this stage of the season each week you will have a different story and we are not sending an offer to Lewis Hamilton, we didn't do it." Also Read: Formula One: With Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes contract over, is he moving to Ferrari? On being asked if he had talked with Hamilton, or if he is planning to, Vasseur replied, "We didn't have discussions. I think every single team on the grid would like to have Hamilton at one stage, it would be bull**** to not say something like this. "If I discuss with Hamilton, the last 20 years I discussed almost every single weekend with Hamilton, I don't want to have to stop to discuss with him because you are chasing me." It is to be noted that Britain's Hamilton has not won a race since 2021, with Max Versteppen ruling every circuit since then. He desperately needs a winning car to challenge for a record eighth title. Thus, the upcoming races are very crucial for him and the veteran will surely analyse if Mercedes can provide him his next title or whether it is wise for him to have a last shot at somewhere else. Interesting times ahead for Hamilton as he remains adamant to bounce back to winning ways and add more titles to his illustrious career. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Ferrari have not made any contract offer to Lewis Hamilton, reveals team boss Fred Vasseur

Lewis Hamilton denied talking to Ferrari about a move to the Italian Formula One team and said on Thursday he was close to agreeing a new contract with Mercedes. The seven times world champion, the sport's most successful driver of all time, is out of contract at the end of the season and there has been speculation the 38-year-old could join Ferrari.

"My team is working closely behind the scenes with (team boss) Toto (Wolff), we are almost at the end of having a contract ready," the Briton told reporters ahead of the weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. "Having a team focus on that so I can just do my job, it's a much better position than I was in before because I remember I used to do all my negotiations on my own and it was very stressful. I don't have to do that any more."

Asked directly whether Ferrari had been in touch, Hamilton replied "no". Separately, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur said the team had not made any offer. "We didn't have discussions. I think every single team on the grid would like to have Hamilton at one stage. It would be rubbish to not say something like this," added the Frenchman.

Hamilton hoped the talks with Mercedes would be wrapped up "in the coming weeks". The Daily Mail reported on Monday that Ferrari were set to offer Hamilton a 40 million pound ($50.48 million) deal to partner Charles Leclerc.

Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport said there appeared to be a "foundation of truth" to the story. "When you are in contract negotiations there's always going to be speculation and I think ultimately unless you hear it from me, then that's all it is," said Hamilton. He suggested maybe the media had "just got bored" after last weekend's scheduled Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola was cancelled due to flooding.

Hamilton said Mercedes' current lack of form had not affected his decision. "It doesn't have a bearing because we're still a championship-winning team," he said. "It's just we've had the wrong car, there have been some decisions that have been made over the last two years that have not been ideal. "We are working our way through that... we have a new upgrade this weekend, the team have worked incredibly hard to bring this upgrade."

Leclerc appeared in the same session with Hamilton and winced when asked if he would welcome Hamilton as a team mate. "If I say yes, I imagine it being the title of every newspaper," he said. "I think anybody on the grid would love to have Lewis as a team mate as everybody will learn a lot from him," he added. "But I'm happy where I am and with Carlos it's a great relationship too."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ferrari-have-not-made-any-contract-offer-to-lewis-hamilton-reveals-team-boss-fred-vasseur-596455">Ferrari have not made any contract offer to Lewis Hamilton, reveals team boss Fred Vasseur</a>

<h2>HAMILTON HAILS VINICIUS JR ON RACISM CASE</h2>

Hamilton hailed Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr as 'incredibly brave' for his response to racist insults in Spain and said the incidents brought back painful memories from his own career in motor racing. Brazilian forward Vinicius called LaLiga and Spain racist when he took to social media to complain about the abuse he suffered from the crowd during a match in Valencia on Sunday.

"It's devastating to think that in 2023 we're still seeing these things and hearing these things," seven-times world champion Hamilton, the sport's only Black driver, said at the Monaco Grand Prix. "It really hits home for me, it really brings up emotions about things that I experienced, whether it's back in the UK or when I was racing in Italy or in France or in Spain. It can be so hurtful the things that people say. I think he's been incredibly brave.

"I think it's amazing what so many of these that are experiencing that on the pitch are doing in terms of standing tall, standing strong, continuing to be humble in their approach, not being reactive but being responsible when they are moving forwards because they know there's lots of young kids that are watching."

Mercedes driver Hamilton was granted honorary Brazilian citizenship last year, with the country's parliament highlighting his deep connection with the country where he won his first title in 2008. The Briton, who was team mate to Spaniard Fernando Alonso at McLaren in a tumultuous 2007 debut season, also experienced racist abuse in Spain when testing at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya in 2008.

Hamilton said sports needed to do more to tackle the problem. "We all need to continue to do more and if we see it, hear it, we need to do something about it," he said.

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Lewis Hamilton denied talking to Ferrari about a move to the Italian Formula One team and said on Thursday he was close to agreeing a new contract with Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton denied talking to Ferrari about a move to the Italian Formula One team and said on Thursday he was close to agreeing a new contract with Mercedes. The seven times world champion, the sport's most successful driver of all time, is out of contract at the end of the season and there has been speculation the 38-year-old could join Ferrari. "My team is working closely behind the scenes with (team boss) Toto (Wolff), we are almost at the end of having a contract ready," the Briton told reporters ahead of the weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. "Having a team focus on that so I can just do my job, it's a much better position than I was in before because I remember I used to do all my negotiations on my own and it was very stressful. I don't have to do that any more." Asked directly whether Ferrari had been in touch, Hamilton replied "no". Separately, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur said the team had not made any offer. "We didn't have discussions. I think every single team on the grid would like to have Hamilton at one stage. It would be rubbish to not say something like this," added the Frenchman. Hamilton hoped the talks with Mercedes would be wrapped up "in the coming weeks". The Daily Mail reported on Monday that Ferrari were set to offer Hamilton a 40 million pound ($50.48 million) deal to partner Charles Leclerc. Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport said there appeared to be a "foundation of truth" to the story. "When you are in contract negotiations there's always going to be speculation and I think ultimately unless you hear it from me, then that's all it is," said Hamilton. He suggested maybe the media had "just got bored" after last weekend's scheduled Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola was cancelled due to flooding. Hamilton said Mercedes' current lack of form had not affected his decision. "It doesn't have a bearing because we're still a championship-winning team," he said. "It's just we've had the wrong car, there have been some decisions that have been made over the last two years that have not been ideal. "We are working our way through that... we have a new upgrade this weekend, the team have worked incredibly hard to bring this upgrade." Leclerc appeared in the same session with Hamilton and winced when asked if he would welcome Hamilton as a team mate. "If I say yes, I imagine it being the title of every newspaper," he said. "I think anybody on the grid would love to have Lewis as a team mate as everybody will learn a lot from him," he added. "But I'm happy where I am and with Carlos it's a great relationship too." Also Read: Ferrari have not made any contract offer to Lewis Hamilton, reveals team boss Fred Vasseur HAMILTON HAILS VINICIUS JR ON RACISM CASE Hamilton hailed Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr as 'incredibly brave' for his response to racist insults in Spain and said the incidents brought back painful memories from his own career in motor racing. Brazilian forward Vinicius called LaLiga and Spain racist when he took to social media to complain about the abuse he suffered from the crowd during a match in Valencia on Sunday. "It's devastating to think that in 2023 we're still seeing these things and hearing these things," seven-times world champion Hamilton, the sport's only Black driver, said at the Monaco Grand Prix. "It really hits home for me, it really brings up emotions about things that I experienced, whether it's back in the UK or when I was racing in Italy or in France or in Spain. It can be so hurtful the things that people say. I think he's been incredibly brave. "I think it's amazing what so many of these that are experiencing that on the pitch are doing in terms of standing tall, standing strong, continuing to be humble in their approach, not being reactive but being responsible when they are moving forwards because they know there's lots of young kids that are watching." Mercedes driver Hamilton was granted honorary Brazilian citizenship last year, with the country's parliament highlighting his deep connection with the country where he won his first title in 2008. The Briton, who was team mate to Spaniard Fernando Alonso at McLaren in a tumultuous 2007 debut season, also experienced racist abuse in Spain when testing at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya in 2008. Hamilton said sports needed to do more to tackle the problem. "We all need to continue to do more and if we see it, hear it, we need to do something about it," he said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Monaco GP: Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes deal is close, no Ferrari talks; opines on Vinicius Jr's racism case

High-flying Aston Martin will be powered by Honda engines from 2026 in what the Formula One team says is "the last piece of the jigsaw".

This represents a return to F1 for Honda, who left in 2021 but retain links with Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

The tie up, announced on Wednesday, comes in the run-up to this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix with Aston Martin a surprise second to world champions Red Bull in the constructors' standings.

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That lofty position is in no small part down to Fernando Alonso, the two-time former champion who has made the podium in four of this season's five races as he revels in his switch from Alpine.

Hailing the Honda link-up, Martin Whitmarsh, Group CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, said: "Our future works partnership with Honda is one of the last parts of the jigsaw puzzle slotting into place for Aston Martin’s ambitious plans in Formula One."

Aston will continue to be powered by Mercedes power units until 2026 when there is a sizeable shift in F1's technical landscape.

"One of the key reasons for our decision to take up the new challenge in F1 is that the world’s pinnacle form of racing is striving to become a sustainable racing series, which is in line with the direction Honda is aiming toward carbon neutrality," said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe.

"Honda and our new partner, the Aston Martin F1 Team, share the same sincere attitude and determination to win, so starting with the 2026 season, we will work together and strive for the Championship title."

From 2026 Red Bull and AlphaTauri are linking up with Ford when the existing hybrid power units will rely more on electric energy using 100 percent sustainable fuel.&nbsp;

Audi are also joining the F1 grid from 2026 in a deal to power the Sauber team, currently racing as Alfa Romeo. The other constructors are Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault (Alpine).

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High-flying Aston Martin will be powered by Honda engines from 2026 in what the Formula One team says is "the last piece of the jigsaw". This represents a return to F1 for Honda, who left in 2021 but retain links with Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

High-flying Aston Martin will be powered by Honda engines from 2026 in what the Formula One team says is "the last piece of the jigsaw". This represents a return to F1 for Honda, who left in 2021 but retain links with Red Bull and AlphaTauri. The tie up, announced on Wednesday, comes in the run-up to this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix with Aston Martin a surprise second to world champions Red Bull in the constructors' standings. Also Read: 2023 NBA East Finals: Tatum leads Celtics past Heat in Game 4 to keep series alive That lofty position is in no small part down to Fernando Alonso, the two-time former champion who has made the podium in four of this season's five races as he revels in his switch from Alpine. Hailing the Honda link-up, Martin Whitmarsh, Group CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, said: "Our future works partnership with Honda is one of the last parts of the jigsaw puzzle slotting into place for Aston Martin’s ambitious plans in Formula One." Aston will continue to be powered by Mercedes power units until 2026 when there is a sizeable shift in F1's technical landscape. "One of the key reasons for our decision to take up the new challenge in F1 is that the world’s pinnacle form of racing is striving to become a sustainable racing series, which is in line with the direction Honda is aiming toward carbon neutrality," said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe. "Honda and our new partner, the Aston Martin F1 Team, share the same sincere attitude and determination to win, so starting with the 2026 season, we will work together and strive for the Championship title." From 2026 Red Bull and AlphaTauri are linking up with Ford when the existing hybrid power units will rely more on electric energy using 100 percent sustainable fuel. Audi are also joining the F1 grid from 2026 in a deal to power the Sauber team, currently racing as Alfa Romeo. The other constructors are Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault (Alpine). WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Honda engines to power Aston Martin from 2026

Alpine's Pierre Gasly moved away from the risk of a&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;race ban on Monday after dropping two of the 10 penalty points accrued for a series of minor offences over the past year. Twelve points in a 12-month period triggers an automatic suspension. The first two of Gasly's points were collected when he was driving for AlphaTauri at the Spanish Grand Prix on May 22 last year and collided with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll.

The cancellation of last Sunday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola removed the risk of Gasly incurring any more points before the&nbsp;ones from Spain expired. The Frenchman, who reached his tally of 10 in Mexico last October, still has more penalty points than any other driver on the starting grid.

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Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;stewards have adopted a new approach to penalty points this season, restricting them to examples of unsafe driving rather than breaches of the sporting rules such as exceeding track limits. Four of Gasly's 10 to Monday were for collisions, two for speeding after red flags were waved, two for being too far behind the safety car and the others for repeatedly exceeding track limits and gaining an advantage by going off.

The showcase Monaco Grand Prix is next up this weekend.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly moved away from the risk of a Formula One race ban on Monday after dropping two of the 10 penalty points accrued for a series of minor offences over the past year.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly moved away from the risk of a Formula One race ban on Monday after dropping two of the 10 penalty points accrued for a series of minor offences over the past year. Twelve points in a 12-month period triggers an automatic suspension. The first two of Gasly's points were collected when he was driving for AlphaTauri at the Spanish Grand Prix on May 22 last year and collided with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll. The cancellation of last Sunday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola removed the risk of Gasly incurring any more points before the ones from Spain expired. The Frenchman, who reached his tally of 10 in Mexico last October, still has more penalty points than any other driver on the starting grid. Also Read: Tennis: French Open comes up with unique ploy, offers players tool to filter out online abuse Formula One stewards have adopted a new approach to penalty points this season, restricting them to examples of unsafe driving rather than breaches of the sporting rules such as exceeding track limits. Four of Gasly's 10 to Monday were for collisions, two for speeding after red flags were waved, two for being too far behind the safety car and the others for repeatedly exceeding track limits and gaining an advantage by going off. The showcase Monaco Grand Prix is next up this weekend.

Motor racing: Risk of Formula One race ban recedes as Alpine's Pierre Gasly sheds penalty points

McLaren have urged&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;to change the cost cap rules to help teams promote sustainability without compromising performance. McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown said on Thursday that teams should not have to choose between spending on car performance and sustainability initiatives that were currently included in the cost cap.

"We strongly believe in the cost cap and wouldn't want to see anything that undermines its integrity," said the American in a statement as the team published their annual sustainability report. "But current regulations have created some unintended barriers when it comes to investing in sustainability.

"To unlock our sport's potential to drive the development of more sustainable technologies that can spark positive changes on a global scale, we need a genuine step change," he added.

Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;introduced a cost cap in 2021 to rein in spending and level the playing field between the big teams and smaller outfits. This year's cap is set at $135 million, but teams are allowed some exceptions and an additional allowance for there being more than 21 races.

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Brown said&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;needed financial, technical and sporting regulations that enabled teams to innovate and invest in sustainability. The current 'Concorde' agreement, which sets out the terms and commercial arrangements under which the teams race, runs through 2025 but rights holders Liberty Media are keen to draw up a new&nbsp;one&nbsp;before then.

"What we’d like to see is some adaptation of the financial regulations that allow you to clearly invest in sustainability," Brown told reporters. McLaren sustainability director Kim Wilson said new regulations for 2026 offered a big opportunity. That could be requiring a proportion of the car to be made from sustainable materials and how events are organised.

"Although they say 2026 we’ve got quite a small window to be able to come together collaboratively to find these pathways to building sustainability into the regulations," said Wilson. "So we’ve really only effectively got until next summer I think. That’s why its urgent we need to act now."

McLaren's sustainability report recorded a 9% reduction in air freight emissions over two years as a result of transporting more race equipment by sea. The team also reported a 22% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions against a 2019 baseline.

McLaren have urged Formula One to change the cost cap rules to help teams promote sustainability without compromising performance. McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown said on Thursday that teams should not have to choose between spending on car performance and sustainability initiatives that were currently included in the cost cap.

McLaren have urged Formula One to change the cost cap rules to help teams promote sustainability without compromising performance. McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown said on Thursday that teams should not have to choose between spending on car performance and sustainability initiatives that were currently included in the cost cap. "We strongly believe in the cost cap and wouldn't want to see anything that undermines its integrity," said the American in a statement as the team published their annual sustainability report. "But current regulations have created some unintended barriers when it comes to investing in sustainability. "To unlock our sport's potential to drive the development of more sustainable technologies that can spark positive changes on a global scale, we need a genuine step change," he added. Formula One introduced a cost cap in 2021 to rein in spending and level the playing field between the big teams and smaller outfits. This year's cap is set at $135 million, but teams are allowed some exceptions and an additional allowance for there being more than 21 races. Also Read: Florida judge rules in favour of Tiger Woods over NDA dispute against ex-girlfriend - Report Brown said Formula One needed financial, technical and sporting regulations that enabled teams to innovate and invest in sustainability. The current 'Concorde' agreement, which sets out the terms and commercial arrangements under which the teams race, runs through 2025 but rights holders Liberty Media are keen to draw up a new one before then. "What we’d like to see is some adaptation of the financial regulations that allow you to clearly invest in sustainability," Brown told reporters. McLaren sustainability director Kim Wilson said new regulations for 2026 offered a big opportunity. That could be requiring a proportion of the car to be made from sustainable materials and how events are organised. "Although they say 2026 we’ve got quite a small window to be able to come together collaboratively to find these pathways to building sustainability into the regulations," said Wilson. "So we’ve really only effectively got until next summer I think. That’s why its urgent we need to act now." McLaren's sustainability report recorded a 9% reduction in air freight emissions over two years as a result of transporting more race equipment by sea. The team also reported a 22% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions against a 2019 baseline.

Formula One: McLaren urge for cost cap changes to promote sustainability

The Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix at Imola will not be held this weekend due to extreme weather in the northern Italian region, organisers said on Wednesday. At least three people died and thousands were evacuated from their homes as devastating floods hit the Emilia Romagna region, authorities said on Wednesday.

Transport Minister Matteo Salvini had earlier called for the race to be postponed "to concentrate all efforts on coping with the emergency". The race was scheduled to be the sixth round of the season and the first in Europe. "The decision has been taken because it is not possible to safely hold the event for our fans, the teams and our personnel and it is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region," organisers said. "It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time... We also want to pay tribute to the work of emergency services who are doing everything they can to help those in need."

Formula One personnel were asked to leave the circuit on Tuesday amid fears of flooding as water levels rose in the Santerno river that runs alongside the track. The paddock remained closed on Wednesday. Cars were not due to be on track until Friday but advance team and technical personnel had arrived to set up the garages and hospitality.

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The Grand Prix, a home race for Ferrari, was scheduled to be the first triple header of the season, with Monaco and Spain following on successive weekends. Red Bull have won every race so far and double world champion Max Verstappen is 14 points clear of team mate Sergio Perez.

Italy's civil protection agency had issued a red alert weather warning for the region on Monday. Torrential rain caused extensive flooding and killed at least two people in Emilia Romagna earlier this month.

The Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix at Imola will not be held this weekend due to extreme weather in the northern Italian region, organisers said on Wednesday.

The Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix at Imola will not be held this weekend due to extreme weather in the northern Italian region, organisers said on Wednesday. At least three people died and thousands were evacuated from their homes as devastating floods hit the Emilia Romagna region, authorities said on Wednesday. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini had earlier called for the race to be postponed "to concentrate all efforts on coping with the emergency". The race was scheduled to be the sixth round of the season and the first in Europe. "The decision has been taken because it is not possible to safely hold the event for our fans, the teams and our personnel and it is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region," organisers said. "It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time... We also want to pay tribute to the work of emergency services who are doing everything they can to help those in need." Formula One personnel were asked to leave the circuit on Tuesday amid fears of flooding as water levels rose in the Santerno river that runs alongside the track. The paddock remained closed on Wednesday. Cars were not due to be on track until Friday but advance team and technical personnel had arrived to set up the garages and hospitality. Also Read: Tennis: Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek to renew rivalry in Italian Open quarter-finals The Grand Prix, a home race for Ferrari, was scheduled to be the first triple header of the season, with Monaco and Spain following on successive weekends. Red Bull have won every race so far and double world champion Max Verstappen is 14 points clear of team mate Sergio Perez. Italy's civil protection agency had issued a red alert weather warning for the region on Monday. Torrential rain caused extensive flooding and killed at least two people in Emilia Romagna earlier this month.

Formula One: Italian GP called off due to bad weather

Alpine boss Laurent Rossi has warned the Renault-owned&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;team he will make changes before the end of the season if performance does not improve. Alpine ended last year fourth but are now sixth with French drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly scoring just 14 points from five races. To rub salt in the wounds, Aston Martin have gone&nbsp;from seventh in 2022 to second with 102 points, and former Alpine driver Fernando Alonso is revitalised with four third-place finishes.

"The team managed to get fourth (in 2022). They have the means to get fourth, more so than others. I want them to be fourth. If they don’t, it’s going to be a failure," Rossi told the official website. "If they fail by giving 500% best and turning this ship around, there will be extenuating circumstances and it bodes well for the future. "If not, it’s the rule of business, there’s going to be consequences. And I won’t wait until the end of the year. The trajectory is not good. We need to fix the mindset of the team ASAP," added the Frenchman.

Rossi made clear Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer, who joined in February 2022 from Aston Martin, was in the hot seat. "He is responsible for the performance of the team. That's his job," said Rossi. "There is no hiding here... the buck stops with Otmar."

Rossi said Ocon and Gasly were "doing their share of the job" and there was 'zero risk' of Renault walking away. Alpine started the season with a target of defending fourth place and closing the huge gap to Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes.

Champions Red Bull have already scored more points than Alpine managed in all of last season while third-placed Mercedes and fourth-placed Ferrari are also a long way down the road.

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McLaren, who have former Alpine reserve Oscar Piastri in their line-up after the Australian rejected the French team, are fifth. "We started the season behind development targets," said Rossi. "We were lacking performance compared to where we wanted to be to cement P4. We have made a lot of mistakes, too many mistakes, over the weekend.

"When you compound that relatively lower performance and lack of operational excellence you end up in a difficult position."

Ocon had three-time penalties in the Bahrain season-opener, the pair collided in Australia and in Azerbaijan suffered a catalogue of problems including Gasly's car catching fire in practice and then crashing in qualifying.

Alpine boss Laurent Rossi has warned the Renault-owned Formula One team he will make changes before the end of the season if performance does not improve. Alpine ended last year fourth but are now sixth with French drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly scoring just 14 points from five races.

Alpine boss Laurent Rossi has warned the Renault-owned Formula One team he will make changes before the end of the season if performance does not improve. Alpine ended last year fourth but are now sixth with French drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly scoring just 14 points from five races. To rub salt in the wounds, Aston Martin have gone from seventh in 2022 to second with 102 points, and former Alpine driver Fernando Alonso is revitalised with four third-place finishes. "The team managed to get fourth (in 2022). They have the means to get fourth, more so than others. I want them to be fourth. If they don’t, it’s going to be a failure," Rossi told the official website. "If they fail by giving 500% best and turning this ship around, there will be extenuating circumstances and it bodes well for the future. "If not, it’s the rule of business, there’s going to be consequences. And I won’t wait until the end of the year. The trajectory is not good. We need to fix the mindset of the team ASAP," added the Frenchman. Rossi made clear Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer, who joined in February 2022 from Aston Martin, was in the hot seat. "He is responsible for the performance of the team. That's his job," said Rossi. "There is no hiding here... the buck stops with Otmar." Rossi said Ocon and Gasly were "doing their share of the job" and there was 'zero risk' of Renault walking away. Alpine started the season with a target of defending fourth place and closing the huge gap to Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Champions Red Bull have already scored more points than Alpine managed in all of last season while third-placed Mercedes and fourth-placed Ferrari are also a long way down the road. Also Read: Messi to play in Saudi, say sources close to deal McLaren, who have former Alpine reserve Oscar Piastri in their line-up after the Australian rejected the French team, are fifth. "We started the season behind development targets," said Rossi. "We were lacking performance compared to where we wanted to be to cement P4. We have made a lot of mistakes, too many mistakes, over the weekend. "When you compound that relatively lower performance and lack of operational excellence you end up in a difficult position." Ocon had three-time penalties in the Bahrain season-opener, the pair collided in Australia and in Azerbaijan suffered a catalogue of problems including Gasly's car catching fire in practice and then crashing in qualifying.

Formula One: Alpine F1 boss Laurent Rossi warns team of 'consequences' of failure

Red Bull's&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;leader Max Verstappen put in the fastest time right at the chequered flag on Friday in a chaotic sole practice for the new format Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint weekend. The double world champion, last year's winner in Baku, lapped the fast street circuit with a best time of&nbsp;one&nbsp;minute 42.315 seconds with his final effort on the soft tyres. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who has never won in Baku but will be chasing his third successive pole in Azerbaijan in later qualifying for Sunday's grand prix, was second on the timesheets.

The Monegasque ended up 0.037 seconds slower, after going top in the dying seconds, with Red Bull's Sergio Perez third and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz fourth. Perez has the best record of any driver on the starting grid in Baku with a victory in 2021, second last year and two third places. The hour-long session was halted after 15 minutes when Pierre Gasly's Alpine caught fire with the Frenchman pulling over as smoke billowed from the airbox and marshals extinguished the flames.

Alpine blamed a loss of hydraulic pressure and ended the session for Gasly's team mate Esteban Ocon as they carried out checks on the rear of his car. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz had already hit the wall at turn five, without serious damage, while AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda limped back to the pits on three wheels and a rim after an early puncture when he also hit the wall and spun.

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The car's rear wing and diffuser looked badly damaged. Haas's Kevin Magnussen had also stopped on track when the red flags came out. "It looks like we lost fuel pressure on the straight," team boss Guenther Steiner told Sky Sports television. "It stopped the engine and everything." The session resumed after a 13 minute break.

McLaren's Lando Norris was fifth fastest in an upgraded car, ahead of AlphaTauri's Nyck de Vries and the Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso -- the latter chasing his fourth successive podium finish this weekend. Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton was 11th fastest for Mercedes, with the Briton complaining about his car's brakes and the lack of grip, while team mate George Russell was only 17th but neither did low fuel runs.

Friday's practice was the sole such session of the weekend with Saturday now featuring a qualifying 'shootout' for the following sprint race, which is now a standalone&nbsp;event rather than determining Sunday's grid.

Red Bull's Formula One leader Max Verstappen put in the fastest time right at the chequered flag on Friday in a chaotic sole practice for the new format Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint weekend.

Red Bull's Formula One leader Max Verstappen put in the fastest time right at the chequered flag on Friday in a chaotic sole practice for the new format Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint weekend. The double world champion, last year's winner in Baku, lapped the fast street circuit with a best time of one minute 42.315 seconds with his final effort on the soft tyres. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who has never won in Baku but will be chasing his third successive pole in Azerbaijan in later qualifying for Sunday's grand prix, was second on the timesheets. The Monegasque ended up 0.037 seconds slower, after going top in the dying seconds, with Red Bull's Sergio Perez third and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz fourth. Perez has the best record of any driver on the starting grid in Baku with a victory in 2021, second last year and two third places. The hour-long session was halted after 15 minutes when Pierre Gasly's Alpine caught fire with the Frenchman pulling over as smoke billowed from the airbox and marshals extinguished the flames. Alpine blamed a loss of hydraulic pressure and ended the session for Gasly's team mate Esteban Ocon as they carried out checks on the rear of his car. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz had already hit the wall at turn five, without serious damage, while AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda limped back to the pits on three wheels and a rim after an early puncture when he also hit the wall and spun. Also Read: Three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray hopes to play French Open despite early Madrid exit The car's rear wing and diffuser looked badly damaged. Haas's Kevin Magnussen had also stopped on track when the red flags came out. "It looks like we lost fuel pressure on the straight," team boss Guenther Steiner told Sky Sports television. "It stopped the engine and everything." The session resumed after a 13 minute break. McLaren's Lando Norris was fifth fastest in an upgraded car, ahead of AlphaTauri's Nyck de Vries and the Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso -- the latter chasing his fourth successive podium finish this weekend. Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton was 11th fastest for Mercedes, with the Briton complaining about his car's brakes and the lack of grip, while team mate George Russell was only 17th but neither did low fuel runs. Friday's practice was the sole such session of the weekend with Saturday now featuring a qualifying 'shootout' for the following sprint race, which is now a standalone event rather than determining Sunday's grid.

Azerbaijan GP: Red Bull's Max Verstappen fastest in chaotic Baku practice

Formula One's Saturday&nbsp;sprint&nbsp;races will become standalone events with a new 'Shootout' qualifying session replacing final practice at six grands prix in 2023, starting with Azerbaijan this weekend. The FIA Formula One commission, which includes the 10 teams, voted unanimously for the change at a meeting in Geneva on Tuesday. The decision was approved by an e-vote of the World Motor Sport Council.

The changes mean Friday's qualifying, which follows an hour-long opening practice session, will set the grid for Sunday's main grand prix instead of the Saturday&nbsp;sprint. There will be a half-hour 'Sprint&nbsp;Shootout' qualifying on Saturday morning to determine the starting order for the same day's 100km&nbsp;sprint&nbsp;race, which offers points for the top eight finishers but no longer sets the grid for Sunday.

This qualifying will be divided into three parts with the first phase lasting 12 minutes, the second 10 minutes and final top 10 shootout eight minutes.

Drivers will have to use new medium compound tyres in the first two phases and softs for phase three. The change is aimed at adding excitement and "delivering more jeopardy". It could mean drivers having only one lap to secure pole position in the final phase of qualifying, depending on the length of track and traffic.

The number of&nbsp;sprint&nbsp;races has doubled since being introduced last season. Formula One argues that separating the&nbsp;sprint&nbsp;from Sunday's action will improve the show by allowing drivers to race freely without risk to their start position for the main grand prix.

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The sport says television viewing figures have gone up on Fridays when there has been competitive action to watch rather than just practice. "The FP3 (third practice) session on Saturday morning became almost worthless because nobody was watching it, the teams couldn't do any changes on the car except trying the tyre out for the race so there was no real interest," Haas team boss Guenther Steiner told Reuters last week.

"So I think that is a good addition to the weekend to put a&nbsp;sprint&nbsp;qualifying in." Apart from Baku, the other&nbsp;sprint&nbsp;races this season will be in Austria, Belgium, Qatar, Austin and Brazil.

Formula One's Saturday sprint races will become standalone events with a new 'Shootout' qualifying session replacing final practice at six grands prix in 2023, starting with Azerbaijan this weekend.

Formula One's Saturday sprint races will become standalone events with a new 'Shootout' qualifying session replacing final practice at six grands prix in 2023, starting with Azerbaijan this weekend. The FIA Formula One commission, which includes the 10 teams, voted unanimously for the change at a meeting in Geneva on Tuesday. The decision was approved by an e-vote of the World Motor Sport Council. The changes mean Friday's qualifying, which follows an hour-long opening practice session, will set the grid for Sunday's main grand prix instead of the Saturday sprint. There will be a half-hour 'Sprint Shootout' qualifying on Saturday morning to determine the starting order for the same day's 100km sprint race, which offers points for the top eight finishers but no longer sets the grid for Sunday. This qualifying will be divided into three parts with the first phase lasting 12 minutes, the second 10 minutes and final top 10 shootout eight minutes. Drivers will have to use new medium compound tyres in the first two phases and softs for phase three. The change is aimed at adding excitement and "delivering more jeopardy". It could mean drivers having only one lap to secure pole position in the final phase of qualifying, depending on the length of track and traffic. The number of sprint races has doubled since being introduced last season. Formula One argues that separating the sprint from Sunday's action will improve the show by allowing drivers to race freely without risk to their start position for the main grand prix. Also read: Achraf Hakimi's wife Hiba Abouk demands WHOPPING amount in divorce lawsuit The sport says television viewing figures have gone up on Fridays when there has been competitive action to watch rather than just practice. "The FP3 (third practice) session on Saturday morning became almost worthless because nobody was watching it, the teams couldn't do any changes on the car except trying the tyre out for the race so there was no real interest," Haas team boss Guenther Steiner told Reuters last week. "So I think that is a good addition to the weekend to put a sprint qualifying in." Apart from Baku, the other sprint races this season will be in Austria, Belgium, Qatar, Austin and Brazil.

Formula One gives green signal to new standalone sprint format

A spectator at the&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;Australian Grand Prix suffered a cut to his arm when struck by a piece of debris from Kevin Magnussen's car, putting the spotlight on organisers' safety protocols. Will Sweet told Australian radio station 3AW he was standing with his fiancée on a packed hill just off turn two at Albert Park during Sunday's race when the Danish Haas driver's car hit the track-side barrier sending his tyre and debris flying into the air.

"It slapped me in the arm and I was just standing there bleeding," he said. "My arm was covering where my neck would’ve been, but if that had hit my fiancée, it would’ve got her right in the head. "I realised how big it was and how heavy it was. Part of it was shredded and really sharp, if it hit me in a different angle, it could’ve been horrendous," he added.

Australian media published a picture of Sweet holding a large piece of debris with blood trickling down his forearm and another showing him having treatment from a medical official at the track. Sweet said the area he was standing was packed, with young children around, and that no race officials came to assist him.

"No&nbsp;one&nbsp;even came and looked," he said. "My fiancée was pretty spooked by it and borderline shell-shocked."

Video of the incident involving&nbsp;Kevin Magnussen:

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The incident involving Kevin Magnussen that led to our third restart of the day! 💥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusGP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/PLxHFsZMhK">pic.twitter.com/PLxHFsZMhK</a>
— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1642493831911288833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Sweet added that the debris from Magnussen's car had flown "straight up, way over the fence" and into the crowd. Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) boss Andrew Westacott said it looked like a "freak&nbsp;one-off" incident but that organisers would investigate.

"The debris fences are consistent around the world. We’re compliant with our FIA regulations," he told Australian media on Monday. At the 2001 Australian Grand Prix, a track marshal was killed when hit by the wheel of Jacques Villeneuve's car following a crash with Williams' Ralf Schumacher.

The AGPC is already under scrutiny after some fans invaded the track near the end of the race. Late on Sunday,&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;stewards ordered the AGPC to urgently produce a "remediation plan" in response to security and safety failures.

The AGPC allow fans to enter the track once the race is over for the podium celebrations. Westacott said the AGPC had already started an investigation. "This was clearly a breach of what is a very robust protocol, a protocol that’s been developed and improved every year," he added.

Organisers said a crowd of 131,124 attended Albert Park on Sunday and a record total of 444,631 spectators across the race week&nbsp;

A spectator at the Formula One Australian Grand Prix suffered a cut to his arm when struck by a piece of debris from Kevin Magnussen's car, putting the spotlight on organisers' safety protocols.

A spectator at the Formula One Australian Grand Prix suffered a cut to his arm when struck by a piece of debris from Kevin Magnussen's car, putting the spotlight on organisers' safety protocols. Will Sweet told Australian radio station 3AW he was standing with his fiancée on a packed hill just off turn two at Albert Park during Sunday's race when the Danish Haas driver's car hit the track-side barrier sending his tyre and debris flying into the air. "It slapped me in the arm and I was just standing there bleeding," he said. "My arm was covering where my neck would’ve been, but if that had hit my fiancée, it would’ve got her right in the head. "I realised how big it was and how heavy it was. Part of it was shredded and really sharp, if it hit me in a different angle, it could’ve been horrendous," he added. Australian media published a picture of Sweet holding a large piece of debris with blood trickling down his forearm and another showing him having treatment from a medical official at the track. Sweet said the area he was standing was packed, with young children around, and that no race officials came to assist him. "No one even came and looked," he said. "My fiancée was pretty spooked by it and borderline shell-shocked." Video of the incident involving Kevin Magnussen: The incident involving Kevin Magnussen that led to our third restart of the day! 💥#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/PLxHFsZMhK — Formula 1 (@F1) April 2, 2023 × Also Read: NCAA BK Women: LSU's Reese throws savage SHADE at Iowa's Caitlin Clark in John Cena style - WATCH Sweet added that the debris from Magnussen's car had flown "straight up, way over the fence" and into the crowd. Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) boss Andrew Westacott said it looked like a "freak one-off" incident but that organisers would investigate. "The debris fences are consistent around the world. We’re compliant with our FIA regulations," he told Australian media on Monday. At the 2001 Australian Grand Prix, a track marshal was killed when hit by the wheel of Jacques Villeneuve's car following a crash with Williams' Ralf Schumacher. The AGPC is already under scrutiny after some fans invaded the track near the end of the race. Late on Sunday, Formula One stewards ordered the AGPC to urgently produce a "remediation plan" in response to security and safety failures. The AGPC allow fans to enter the track once the race is over for the podium celebrations. Westacott said the AGPC had already started an investigation. "This was clearly a breach of what is a very robust protocol, a protocol that’s been developed and improved every year," he added. Organisers said a crowd of 131,124 attended Albert Park on Sunday and a record total of 444,631 spectators across the race week

Australian Grand Prix: Fan left bleeding after hit by car debris

Mumbai witnessed a thrilling F1 spectacle with more than twenty thousand fans lining Up the Bandra Bandstand to satisfy their need for speed. 13-time Grand Prix Winner David Coulthard dazzled F1 fans in Mumbai and also spoke to Wion Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo on India's F1 journey.

WION Exclusive: David Coulthard on India's F1 journey

UK MPs have urged Formula 1 to set up an independent inquiry into the links between grands prix and human rights violations. Watch the video to know more.

MP and Human Rights Campaigners Call for F1 drivers to use their platforms "For Change"

Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;drivers are unhappy with a rule change barring them from making unauthorised 'political statements' at races and will discuss it as a group, Red Bull's Sergio Perez said on Friday. The governing FIA updated the International Sporting Code last December with a clause requiring prior written permission for drivers to make or display "political, religious and personal statements or comments".

Mexican Perez told reporters at his world champion team's livery launch in New York that drivers needed to be able to speak freely. "We haven't discussed (it) with the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers' Association) but it's something that we don't feel comfortable with because we want to be ourselves and we want to be able to express ourselves in any way that we want," he said. "We all have different views, different beliefs in religion ... I get the political side but we all should be free to express ourselves the way we want. "I just struggle to think that they will be able to control what you are able to say or not to say. That to me is not correct. But we will discuss that."

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Several drivers, notably Mercedes' seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton, have used their profile and platform to address issues. In Hamilton's case, the Briton has spoken out about racial injustice and reported human rights abuses in some of the countries&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;visits. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told reporters separately that he felt "sport should never be used as a political tool.

"Sport in many ways is there to entertain but also to have an element of escapism within it," he added. Horner said Red Bull had always allowed their drivers freedom to speak out but it was a question of finding a balance.

"In the world that we live in today, everybody has a voice and that shouldn't be suppressed, but of course it does have to be done&nbsp;responsibly," he said. "We don't want a load of robots without opinions going racing."

Formula One drivers are unhappy with a rule change barring them from making unauthorised 'political statements' at races and will discuss it as a group, Red Bull's Sergio Perez said on Friday.

Formula One drivers are unhappy with a rule change barring them from making unauthorised 'political statements' at races and will discuss it as a group, Red Bull's Sergio Perez said on Friday. The governing FIA updated the International Sporting Code last December with a clause requiring prior written permission for drivers to make or display "political, religious and personal statements or comments". Mexican Perez told reporters at his world champion team's livery launch in New York that drivers needed to be able to speak freely. "We haven't discussed (it) with the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers' Association) but it's something that we don't feel comfortable with because we want to be ourselves and we want to be able to express ourselves in any way that we want," he said. "We all have different views, different beliefs in religion ... I get the political side but we all should be free to express ourselves the way we want. "I just struggle to think that they will be able to control what you are able to say or not to say. That to me is not correct. But we will discuss that." Also read: Ford officially returns to F1 in a new partnership with Red Bull Several drivers, notably Mercedes' seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton, have used their profile and platform to address issues. In Hamilton's case, the Briton has spoken out about racial injustice and reported human rights abuses in some of the countries Formula One visits. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told reporters separately that he felt "sport should never be used as a political tool. "Sport in many ways is there to entertain but also to have an element of escapism within it," he added. Horner said Red Bull had always allowed their drivers freedom to speak out but it was a question of finding a balance. "In the world that we live in today, everybody has a voice and that shouldn't be suppressed, but of course it does have to be done responsibly," he said. "We don't want a load of robots without opinions going racing."

F1 drivers must be allowed to speak out freely, feels Red Bull's Sergio Perez

The quest to leave Nigeria at all cost has made Nigerians resort to study visas even when the degree is not the target but the trend seems to be hitting a brick wall as the number of F1 visa denials to Nigerian applicants reaches a record high. WION’s Louisa Olaniyi explains.

F1 visa denial to Nigerian applicants on a record high

Formula One will have 23 races this season, still a record and one more than last year, with the sport facing a four-week gap in April after deciding not to replace the cancelled Chinese Grand Prix.

The race in Shanghai, originally scheduled for April 16 as the fourth of 24 rounds, was axed last month for the fourth year in a row due to strict local measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Formula One had said then that it was assessing alternative options, with various venues touted in the media including Portugal's Portimao circuit that was used as a replacement in 2020 and 2021 for races cancelled during the pandemic.

"Formula One can confirm the 2023 season will consist of 23 races. All existing race dates on the calendar remain unchanged," the sport said on Tuesday.

That will leave a gap between round three, Australia's race in Melbourne on April 2, and Azerbaijan's Grand Prix in Baku on April 30.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/f1-drivers-barred-from-making-political-statements-after-president-finds-motorsport-too-woke-544920">Read more:&nbsp;F1 drivers barred from making political statements after president finds motorsport ‘too woke</a>

Sources told Reuters the Chinese GP organisers had sought a reinstatement after Beijing relaxed COVID-19 controls but that was ruled out for logistical reasons.

Bringing the race in Baku forward by a week was also considered.

The 2023 calendar features the return of Qatar in October, a debut night race in Las Vegas in November and six sprint weekends.

Red Bull's Dutch driver Max Verstappen will be chasing his third championship in a row when the season starts in Bahrain on March 5 after pre-season testing at the Sakhir circuit in late February.

The season ends in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 26.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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Formula One will have 23 races this season, still a record and one more than last year, with the sport facing a four-week gap in April after deciding not to replace the cancelled Chinese Grand Prix.

Formula One will have 23 races this season, still a record and one more than last year, with the sport facing a four-week gap in April after deciding not to replace the cancelled Chinese Grand Prix. The race in Shanghai, originally scheduled for April 16 as the fourth of 24 rounds, was axed last month for the fourth year in a row due to strict local measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. Formula One had said then that it was assessing alternative options, with various venues touted in the media including Portugal's Portimao circuit that was used as a replacement in 2020 and 2021 for races cancelled during the pandemic. "Formula One can confirm the 2023 season will consist of 23 races. All existing race dates on the calendar remain unchanged," the sport said on Tuesday. That will leave a gap between round three, Australia's race in Melbourne on April 2, and Azerbaijan's Grand Prix in Baku on April 30. Read more: F1 drivers barred from making political statements after president finds motorsport ‘too woke Sources told Reuters the Chinese GP organisers had sought a reinstatement after Beijing relaxed COVID-19 controls but that was ruled out for logistical reasons. Bringing the race in Baku forward by a week was also considered. The 2023 calendar features the return of Qatar in October, a debut night race in Las Vegas in November and six sprint weekends. Red Bull's Dutch driver Max Verstappen will be chasing his third championship in a row when the season starts in Bahrain on March 5 after pre-season testing at the Sakhir circuit in late February. The season ends in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 26. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

New F1 season to have 23 races, no replacement for Chinese Grand Prix named yet

Formula One drivers have been barred from making any “political statements” during the event without securing written permission from the sport’s governing body from the next season.&nbsp;

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) on Tuesday released the updated version of the International Sporting Code which stated that "the general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments" will be considered a violation under "the general principle of neutrality promoted by the&nbsp;FIA&nbsp;under its statutes."

Henceforth, drivers will now be penalised if found to be in breach of the rules unless the FIA has granted previous approval in writing.

The decision comes in the wake of what is perceived as a rise in activism in the sport in recent years, with Mercedes superstar Lewis Hamilton leading the charge.

The Mercedes superstar has worn "Black Lives Matter" and "Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor" on his shirts in the past.

In 2021, several drivers joined Hamilton to take a knee before each race in a symbolic gesture against racism.

Recently, retired star Sebastian Vettel had also expressed solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community with his wardrobe.

In a recent interview to racing news outlet GrandPrix247 during this year's Monaco GP, FIA president Ben Sulayem had described motorsport as "too political".

An FIA spokesman said the update was "in alignment with the political neutrality of sport" as enshrined in the International Olympic Committee code of ethics, reports the Guardian.

According to the FIA's new rule, players have been forbidden from displaying “political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA."

(With inputs from agencies)

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Formula One drivers have been barred from making any “political statements” during the event without securing written permission from the sport’s governing body from the next season.

Formula One drivers have been barred from making any “political statements” during the event without securing written permission from the sport’s governing body from the next season. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) on Tuesday released the updated version of the International Sporting Code which stated that "the general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments" will be considered a violation under "the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA under its statutes." Henceforth, drivers will now be penalised if found to be in breach of the rules unless the FIA has granted previous approval in writing. The decision comes in the wake of what is perceived as a rise in activism in the sport in recent years, with Mercedes superstar Lewis Hamilton leading the charge. The Mercedes superstar has worn "Black Lives Matter" and "Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor" on his shirts in the past. In 2021, several drivers joined Hamilton to take a knee before each race in a symbolic gesture against racism. Recently, retired star Sebastian Vettel had also expressed solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community with his wardrobe. In a recent interview to racing news outlet GrandPrix247 during this year's Monaco GP, FIA president Ben Sulayem had described motorsport as "too political". An FIA spokesman said the update was "in alignment with the political neutrality of sport" as enshrined in the International Olympic Committee code of ethics, reports the Guardian. According to the FIA's new rule, players have been forbidden from displaying “political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

F1 drivers barred from making political statements after president finds motorsport ‘too woke’

The Australian Grand Prix will remain in Melbourne until at least 2037 with a new deal to be the season-opening race on at least four occasions and Saudi Arabia to kick off the 2024 campaign, the Victoria state government said on Thursday. The deal for a further two years at Albert Park follows a 10-year extension announced in June.

"Part of the deal will see Melbourne host the first race of the&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;season for at least four years between 2023 and 2037," the government said in a statement. It added that Saudi Arabia would host the 2024 opener "out of respect for Ramadan". This year’s Australian Grand Prix drew a record crowd of around 419,000 over the course of the weekend and the government said next year, with&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;Two and Three included on the programme, was set to be even bigger. "The demand for next year’s (race) has already reached fever pitch, with event organisers eyeing record attendance numbers after tickets for the main race day sold out in only three-and-a-half hours after they went on sale," it said.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive Andrew Westacott said he will stand down after next year's race, which is scheduled from March 30-April 2.

The Australian Grand Prix will remain in Melbourne until at least 2037 with a new deal to be the season-opening race on at least four occasions and Saudi Arabia to kick off the 2024 campaign, the Victoria state government said on Thursday.

The Australian Grand Prix will remain in Melbourne until at least 2037 with a new deal to be the season-opening race on at least four occasions and Saudi Arabia to kick off the 2024 campaign, the Victoria state government said on Thursday. The deal for a further two years at Albert Park follows a 10-year extension announced in June. "Part of the deal will see Melbourne host the first race of the Formula One season for at least four years between 2023 and 2037," the government said in a statement. It added that Saudi Arabia would host the 2024 opener "out of respect for Ramadan". This year’s Australian Grand Prix drew a record crowd of around 419,000 over the course of the weekend and the government said next year, with Formula Two and Three included on the programme, was set to be even bigger. "The demand for next year’s (race) has already reached fever pitch, with event organisers eyeing record attendance numbers after tickets for the main race day sold out in only three-and-a-half hours after they went on sale," it said. Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive Andrew Westacott said he will stand down after next year's race, which is scheduled from March 30-April 2.

Australia extends Formula 1 deal, Saudi Arabia to kickoff 2024 season

Max Verstappen's home Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort will stay on the Formula One calendar until 2025 after a contract extension was announced on Thursday. The sport returned to the seaside circuit in 2021 on an initial three-year deal but Verstappen's huge local popularity has made it a sell-out event. The 25-year-old Red Bull driver this year became a double world champion and won in front of his home crowd in 2021 and 2022.

Next year will see two Dutch drivers on the grid, with rookie Nyck de Vries set to debut for the Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri team.

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"The Dutch Grand Prix has quickly established itself on the calendar as a fan favourite, bringing incredible energy and a great fan experience every year," said Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali in a statement.

"The sold-out events in the last two years have raised the bar in terms of organisation, entertainment, and sustainability, and we are delighted to extend our relationship with them.

"There is a huge demand to host F1 races so it is a testament to what the team have done to cement Zandvoort on the calendar until 2025, and we can’t wait to return next summer."

Tickets for the Aug. 27 race have already sold out.

The Dutch Grand Prix's sustainability efforts mean 99% of general admission ticket holders access the circuit via public transport, bicycle, or on foot.

"It is unique that we are on the calendar with world cities like Las Vegas, Monaco, and São Paulo," said Dutch Grand Prix sporting director Jan Lammers.

"We need and want to put on the F1 event of the future, which is not necessarily bigger but better, more engaging, more innovative, more sustainable, and more inclusive."

Max Verstappen's home Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort will stay on the Formula One calendar until 2025 after a contract extension was announced on Thursday. The sport returned to the seaside circuit in 2021 on an initial three-year deal but Verstappen's huge local popularity has made it a sell-out event.

Max Verstappen's home Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort will stay on the Formula One calendar until 2025 after a contract extension was announced on Thursday. The sport returned to the seaside circuit in 2021 on an initial three-year deal but Verstappen's huge local popularity has made it a sell-out event. The 25-year-old Red Bull driver this year became a double world champion and won in front of his home crowd in 2021 and 2022. Next year will see two Dutch drivers on the grid, with rookie Nyck de Vries set to debut for the Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri team. ALSO READ: Big blow! Chinese F1 Grand Prix cancelled for fourth successive year "The Dutch Grand Prix has quickly established itself on the calendar as a fan favourite, bringing incredible energy and a great fan experience every year," said Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali in a statement. "The sold-out events in the last two years have raised the bar in terms of organisation, entertainment, and sustainability, and we are delighted to extend our relationship with them. "There is a huge demand to host F1 races so it is a testament to what the team have done to cement Zandvoort on the calendar until 2025, and we can’t wait to return next summer." Tickets for the Aug. 27 race have already sold out. The Dutch Grand Prix's sustainability efforts mean 99% of general admission ticket holders access the circuit via public transport, bicycle, or on foot. "It is unique that we are on the calendar with world cities like Las Vegas, Monaco, and São Paulo," said Dutch Grand Prix sporting director Jan Lammers. "We need and want to put on the F1 event of the future, which is not necessarily bigger but better, more engaging, more innovative, more sustainable, and more inclusive."

Dutch Grand Prix set to continue on F1 calendar till 2025

Azerbaijan's Baku City circuit will host the first of&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One's six sprint races next season, the sport said on Wednesday. The others will be held in Austria, at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps, Qatar, Austin's Circuit of the Americas and Brazil's Interlagos. Azerbaijan's race weekend is April 28-30, with the Austrian race at Spielberg from June 30 to July 2. Spa is July 28-30, Qatar Oct. 6-8, Austin Oct. 20-22 and Brazil Nov. 3-5. Baku, Spa, Qatar and Austin will be hosting sprints for the first time.

Qatar was absent from this year's calendar due to the country hosting the soccer World Cup. Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;is doubling the number of sprint race weekends, with three held this year at Italy's Imola, in Austria and Brazil. The sprint format involves qualifying on Friday for a 100km race on Saturday, with points awarded to the top eight, that sets the grid for the main grand prix on Sunday. Pole position is awarded to the fastest driver in Friday qualifying rather than who starts Sunday's race at the front of the grid.

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The same format will continue next year, although&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;is considering changes for the future including turning Saturday into a stand-alone&nbsp;race. Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;said the choice of locations was based on research into which tracks offered the best overtaking opportunities, close racing and high-speed sections. "We have seen a hugely positive reaction to the F1 Sprint events during the first two years of its running," said F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali. "The introduction of the F1 Sprint has created a race weekend that includes three days of competitive racing action and brings more entertainment to fans of the sport as well as additional value for key stakeholders including teams, broadcasters, partners, and host venues."

Baku promoter Arif Rahimov said in May that he wanted to host a sprint weekend to create more excitement. "We're a market where most of the fans are not as educated in the sport itself so when you say that we have two races...that will definitely increase the attendance on a Saturday and give them more value for money," he said then. "I'm a big proponent of it. I really like the idea. I think it's good just to mix things around a little bit throughout the years. Things get boring and people just get too used to the same format and then they lose their interest."

Azerbaijan's Baku City circuit will host the first of Formula One's six sprint races next season, the sport said on Wednesday. The others will be held in Austria, at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps, Qatar, Austin's Circuit of the Americas and Brazil's Interlagos.

Azerbaijan's Baku City circuit will host the first of Formula One's six sprint races next season, the sport said on Wednesday. The others will be held in Austria, at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps, Qatar, Austin's Circuit of the Americas and Brazil's Interlagos. Azerbaijan's race weekend is April 28-30, with the Austrian race at Spielberg from June 30 to July 2. Spa is July 28-30, Qatar Oct. 6-8, Austin Oct. 20-22 and Brazil Nov. 3-5. Baku, Spa, Qatar and Austin will be hosting sprints for the first time. Qatar was absent from this year's calendar due to the country hosting the soccer World Cup. Formula One is doubling the number of sprint race weekends, with three held this year at Italy's Imola, in Austria and Brazil. The sprint format involves qualifying on Friday for a 100km race on Saturday, with points awarded to the top eight, that sets the grid for the main grand prix on Sunday. Pole position is awarded to the fastest driver in Friday qualifying rather than who starts Sunday's race at the front of the grid. Also read: Former Formula One driver Patrick Tambay passes away at 73 The same format will continue next year, although Formula One is considering changes for the future including turning Saturday into a stand-alone race. Formula One said the choice of locations was based on research into which tracks offered the best overtaking opportunities, close racing and high-speed sections. "We have seen a hugely positive reaction to the F1 Sprint events during the first two years of its running," said F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali. "The introduction of the F1 Sprint has created a race weekend that includes three days of competitive racing action and brings more entertainment to fans of the sport as well as additional value for key stakeholders including teams, broadcasters, partners, and host venues." Baku promoter Arif Rahimov said in May that he wanted to host a sprint weekend to create more excitement. "We're a market where most of the fans are not as educated in the sport itself so when you say that we have two races...that will definitely increase the attendance on a Saturday and give them more value for money," he said then. "I'm a big proponent of it. I really like the idea. I think it's good just to mix things around a little bit throughout the years. Things get boring and people just get too used to the same format and then they lose their interest."

Azerbaijan's Baku City circuit to host first of Formula One's six sprint races next season

Former&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;driver Patrick Tambay, the Frenchman who replaced Gilles Villeneuve at Ferrari after the Canadian great's fatal accident in 1982, died on Sunday at the age of 73, his family said. Tambay had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for some years. Winner of two races with Ferrari, the 1982 German Grand Prix and 1983 San Marino Grand Prix, Tambay had five career pole positions and finished fourth in the 1983 world championship.

He started 114 championship Grand Prix in a career full of race retirements, competing also for McLaren in 1978 and 1979 after a debut in 1977 with Teddy Yip's Hong Kong-owned Theodore Racing team.

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Tambay retired in 1986 after two years at Renault and a final season with Haas Lola. "We are all truly saddened by the news of the passing of Patrick Tambay. He was&nbsp;one&nbsp;of the true stars of the 80s winning two races with the Scuderia and contributing to winning the manufacturers’ titles in 1982 and 1983," Ferrari said.

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Former Formula One driver Patrick Tambay, the Frenchman who replaced Gilles Villeneuve at Ferrari after the Canadian great's fatal accident in 1982, died on Sunday at the age of 73, his family said.

Former Formula One driver Patrick Tambay, the Frenchman who replaced Gilles Villeneuve at Ferrari after the Canadian great's fatal accident in 1982, died on Sunday at the age of 73, his family said. Tambay had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for some years. Winner of two races with Ferrari, the 1982 German Grand Prix and 1983 San Marino Grand Prix, Tambay had five career pole positions and finished fourth in the 1983 world championship. He started 114 championship Grand Prix in a career full of race retirements, competing also for McLaren in 1978 and 1979 after a debut in 1977 with Teddy Yip's Hong Kong-owned Theodore Racing team. Also read: In pics | Fans pray for Pele's health as daughter says he was never on end-of-life care Tambay retired in 1986 after two years at Renault and a final season with Haas Lola. "We are all truly saddened by the news of the passing of Patrick Tambay. He was one of the true stars of the 80s winning two races with the Scuderia and contributing to winning the manufacturers’ titles in 1982 and 1983," Ferrari said.

Former Formula One driver Patrick Tambay passes away at 73

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