Back in the heart of Texas and a race track carved out of the scrubland, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/motor-racing-lewis-hamilton-wins-mexico-grand-prix-258410">Lewis Hamilton</a> was hit by the pioneering spirit on Thursday and declared that he wanted to be the man to lead Mercedes into uncharted territory.

Earlier, on a chilly day in the Texas capital, Formula One presented a dramatic overhaul of the sport by unveiling the car of the future along with regulations aimed at producing closer and cheaper competition from 2021.

While other drivers stared cautiously out into the unknown, Hamilton, who can clinch a sixth world driver's crown at the US&nbsp;Grand Prix on Sunday, sounded like he was ready to saddle up and get to work.

"I always love a challenge," Hamilton said. "This team has shown it is in the best position to react to changes.

"The team is approaching it in an exciting way as a challenge. It is going to be an interesting time.

"Sometime next year my mindset will be to switch into 2021 and wanting to be the pioneer in that era."

Of more immediate concern, Hamilton is focused on becoming only the second six-times Formula One world champion and may not need to score even a point in Austin to get the job done.

The Briton is the most successful driver in US&nbsp;Grand Prix history, his six wins including five in Texas, and he has every intention of adding to the tally after winning in Mexico last weekend.

If Hamilton finishes eighth on Sunday then the title is won regardless but he will not need to score any points at all to continue as champion if team mate and sole rival Valtteri Bottas does not win.

Austin is a favourite track for the 34-year-old and he will also be fancied to round up his Texan win tally to six on Sunday although he is taking nothing for granted.

"There's still three races and anything can happen so nothing is a given," said Hamilton. "It is a good hunting ground in general so I am going to be pushing very hard this weekend."

While winning driver's and constructors' titles have become old hat for Hamilton and Mercedes. the status quo is expected to be turned on its head when the new regulations come on line.

It will be uncharted territory for drivers and teams, who will be operating under a budget cap of $175 million, about half the amount that some of the top outfits such as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-blames-mercedes-strategy-for-singapore-result-251434">Mercedes</a>, Ferrari and Red Bull spend at present.

"When there is a challenge such as a whole new massive change in the regulations that is a huge challenge for me to use my skills to help steer the team in the right direction," said Hamilton. "I don't particularly see myself going somewhere else.

"I love being part of Mercedes. I love being part of the brand. I love being part of the history."

Back in the heart of Texas and a race track carved out of the scrubland, Lewis Hamilton was hit by the pioneering spirit on Thursday and declared that he wanted to be the man to lead Mercedes into uncharted territory.

Back in the heart of Texas and a race track carved out of the scrubland, Lewis Hamilton was hit by the pioneering spirit on Thursday and declared that he wanted to be the man to lead Mercedes into uncharted territory. Earlier, on a chilly day in the Texas capital, Formula One presented a dramatic overhaul of the sport by unveiling the car of the future along with regulations aimed at producing closer and cheaper competition from 2021. While other drivers stared cautiously out into the unknown, Hamilton, who can clinch a sixth world driver's crown at the US Grand Prix on Sunday, sounded like he was ready to saddle up and get to work. "I always love a challenge," Hamilton said. "This team has shown it is in the best position to react to changes. "The team is approaching it in an exciting way as a challenge. It is going to be an interesting time. "Sometime next year my mindset will be to switch into 2021 and wanting to be the pioneer in that era." Of more immediate concern, Hamilton is focused on becoming only the second six-times Formula One world champion and may not need to score even a point in Austin to get the job done. The Briton is the most successful driver in US Grand Prix history, his six wins including five in Texas, and he has every intention of adding to the tally after winning in Mexico last weekend. If Hamilton finishes eighth on Sunday then the title is won regardless but he will not need to score any points at all to continue as champion if team mate and sole rival Valtteri Bottas does not win. Austin is a favourite track for the 34-year-old and he will also be fancied to round up his Texan win tally to six on Sunday although he is taking nothing for granted. "There's still three races and anything can happen so nothing is a given," said Hamilton. "It is a good hunting ground in general so I am going to be pushing very hard this weekend." While winning driver's and constructors' titles have become old hat for Hamilton and Mercedes. the status quo is expected to be turned on its head when the new regulations come on line. It will be uncharted territory for drivers and teams, who will be operating under a budget cap of $175 million, about half the amount that some of the top outfits such as Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull spend at present. "When there is a challenge such as a whole new massive change in the regulations that is a huge challenge for me to use my skills to help steer the team in the right direction," said Hamilton. "I don't particularly see myself going somewhere else. "I love being part of Mercedes. I love being part of the brand. I love being part of the history."

Hamilton hit by pioneering spirit as F1 charts new course

Lewis Hamilton won the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-in-no-hurry-to-win-formula-one-title-in-mexico-255719">Mexican Grand Prix </a>for Mercedes after a first-lap scare on Sunday but the Briton will have to wait another week to wrap up his sixth Formula One world championship.

Hamilton's 10th win of the season and 83rd of his career was also a 100th for Mercedes as a constructor.

The victory stretched his lead over third-placed Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas to 74 points, making the title a mere formality that will surely be secured in Texas next weekend.

"We came here thinking we were on the back foot, knowing it was a difficult race for us, but we pulled through," said Hamilton, who had not finished on the podium in Mexico for the past two years despite taking his 2017 and 2018 titles there.

"I had quite a bit of damage on my car so the race was quite a bit of a struggle," said Hamilton, referring to the consequences of an opening lap clash with Red Bull's Max Verstappen that he described as 'hair-raising'.

"I don't mind (not taking the title in Mexico).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/valtteri-bottas-wins-japanese-grand-prix-for-mercedes-255605">Bottas</a> now has to win in Austin with the fastest lap to stay in the mathematical reckoning while Hamilton need score only four points, an eighth-place,&nbsp;&nbsp;to be sure of the title whatever his teammate does.

Ferrari's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sebastian-vettel-ends-long-wait-for-victory-with-singapore-triumph-251252">Sebastian Vettel </a>was a close second with team mate Charles Leclerc, who started from pole position and set the fastest lap but was undone by a two-stop strategy and a problem pitstop, fourth.

Hamilton made his car's hard tyres last for 48 laps to the finish on a one-stop strategy despite questioning the wisdom of that approach.

Without regular race engineer Peter 'Bono' Bonnington for the first time in seven years, Hamilton suggested he had pitted too early,&nbsp;&nbsp;with chief strategist James Vowles having to reassure him over the radio that the win was possible.

Bottas, who crashed heavily in qualifying and started sixth after a lengthy car rebuild, said he could not have done much more on a slow-burning afternoon that was all about tyre management.

"I enjoyed it, considering yesterday. It's a good result," he said.

Mercedes have already secured the constructors' title for the sixth year in a row, and are also sure of an unprecedented sixth successive championship double.

Both Mercedes drivers lost out at the start, with Vettel squeezing out Hamilton, who had lined up third behind the two Ferraris but had to take avoiding action.

Four-times champion Vettel apologised to Hamilton, saying he had not seen him in his mirrors and was trying to get into Leclerc's slipstream for a tow down the straight.

Hamilton tracked across the grass runoff, wrestling with the steering wheel to prevent a race-wrecking spin, and returned in fifth place with Bottas losing a place to seventh.

As Leclerc led Vettel away, Red Bull's British-born Thai rookie Alexander Albon made the most of the mayhem to catapult himself into third place.

Verstappen, who was stripped of a pole on Saturday after failing to slow for warning flags, dropped to the back after contact with Bottas left the 22-year-old limping back to the pits on a wheel rim after a right rear puncture.

The Dutchman, winner in Mexico for the past two years, carved his way back through the field to sixth at the chequered flag with Albon fifth.

"Lewis was just cruising for most of the second stint up to the point where the pack was arriving, and then I guess he had enough tyres left," said Vettel of an afternoon on which he overruled the team on strategy and stayed out.

"It was a good race, but here and there maybe with a strategy we could have been a bit sharper."

Mexican Sergio Perez was seventh for Racing Point, to cheers from the sellout crowd.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo was eighth for Renault with Frenchman Pierre Gasly ninth for Toro Rosso and German driver Nico Hulkenberg taking the final point for Renault.

Russian Daniil Kvyat finished ninth on the track but was handed a 10-second time penalty after colliding with Hulkenberg and sending him spinning into the wall.

Lewis Hamilton won the Mexican Grand Prix for Mercedes after a first-lap scare on Sunday but the Briton will have to wait another week to wrap up his sixth Formula One world championship.

Lewis Hamilton won the Mexican Grand Prix for Mercedes after a first-lap scare on Sunday but the Briton will have to wait another week to wrap up his sixth Formula One world championship. Hamilton's 10th win of the season and 83rd of his career was also a 100th for Mercedes as a constructor. The victory stretched his lead over third-placed Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas to 74 points, making the title a mere formality that will surely be secured in Texas next weekend. "We came here thinking we were on the back foot, knowing it was a difficult race for us, but we pulled through," said Hamilton, who had not finished on the podium in Mexico for the past two years despite taking his 2017 and 2018 titles there. "I had quite a bit of damage on my car so the race was quite a bit of a struggle," said Hamilton, referring to the consequences of an opening lap clash with Red Bull's Max Verstappen that he described as 'hair-raising'. "I don't mind (not taking the title in Mexico). Bottas now has to win in Austin with the fastest lap to stay in the mathematical reckoning while Hamilton need score only four points, an eighth-place, to be sure of the title whatever his teammate does. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was a close second with team mate Charles Leclerc, who started from pole position and set the fastest lap but was undone by a two-stop strategy and a problem pitstop, fourth. Hamilton made his car's hard tyres last for 48 laps to the finish on a one-stop strategy despite questioning the wisdom of that approach. Without regular race engineer Peter 'Bono' Bonnington for the first time in seven years, Hamilton suggested he had pitted too early, with chief strategist James Vowles having to reassure him over the radio that the win was possible. Bottas, who crashed heavily in qualifying and started sixth after a lengthy car rebuild, said he could not have done much more on a slow-burning afternoon that was all about tyre management. "I enjoyed it, considering yesterday. It's a good result," he said. Mercedes have already secured the constructors' title for the sixth year in a row, and are also sure of an unprecedented sixth successive championship double. Both Mercedes drivers lost out at the start, with Vettel squeezing out Hamilton, who had lined up third behind the two Ferraris but had to take avoiding action. Four-times champion Vettel apologised to Hamilton, saying he had not seen him in his mirrors and was trying to get into Leclerc's slipstream for a tow down the straight. Hamilton tracked across the grass runoff, wrestling with the steering wheel to prevent a race-wrecking spin, and returned in fifth place with Bottas losing a place to seventh. As Leclerc led Vettel away, Red Bull's British-born Thai rookie Alexander Albon made the most of the mayhem to catapult himself into third place. Verstappen, who was stripped of a pole on Saturday after failing to slow for warning flags, dropped to the back after contact with Bottas left the 22-year-old limping back to the pits on a wheel rim after a right rear puncture. The Dutchman, winner in Mexico for the past two years, carved his way back through the field to sixth at the chequered flag with Albon fifth. "Lewis was just cruising for most of the second stint up to the point where the pack was arriving, and then I guess he had enough tyres left," said Vettel of an afternoon on which he overruled the team on strategy and stayed out. "It was a good race, but here and there maybe with a strategy we could have been a bit sharper." Mexican Sergio Perez was seventh for Racing Point, to cheers from the sellout crowd. Australian Daniel Ricciardo was eighth for Renault with Frenchman Pierre Gasly ninth for Toro Rosso and German driver Nico Hulkenberg taking the final point for Renault. Russian Daniil Kvyat finished ninth on the track but was handed a 10-second time penalty after colliding with Hulkenberg and sending him spinning into the wall.

F-1: Lewis Hamilton wins Mexico Grand Prix

Valtteri Bottas jumped from third to first with an electric start to win the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and the Finn's Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Charles Leclerc could only finish sixth in the second Ferrari, meaning Mercedes clinched a record sixth successive constructors' world championship with their double podium finish.

"I'm happy, very happy," said Bottas. "Starting third isn't easy. I had a really nice start, managed to get the lead and then the pace was super good, I could really control the race."

Ferrari had enjoyed a front-row lock-out in a rare morning qualifying session <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-14-dead-nine-missing-after-typhoon-hagibis-hits-japan-rescue-operation-underway-255603">caused by Typhoon Hagibis</a> but their race unravelled right at the start.

Vettel twitched before the lights went out and his hesitation enabled the fast-starting Bottas to leapfrog from third into the lead.

"It was my mistake" admitted Vettel. "I lost momentum there. Mercedes had more pace than us, was a tough afternoon to maintain second."

Max Verstappen enjoyed a bullet start from fifth in the Red Bull and was overtaking Leclerc on the outside of turn two when the Monegasque drove into the flying Dutchman, causing him to spin.

"He just drove into the side of my car," complained an unhappy Verstappen.

Leclerc's front wing was damaged and with bits flying off in all directions -- one demolishing the wing mirror of Hamilton just behind -- he was forced to pit for a new nose at the start of lap four.&nbsp;

He rejoined in 18th position, fittingly a place behind Verstappen who appeared to be the helpless victim of their collision.

'What do I have to do'

Vettel, who escaped sanction for his false start, was left sandwiched between the two Mercedes and made the first strategic move when he dived in the pits for a new set of soft tyres on lap 17.

Bottas followed from the lead on the next lap to take a new set of mediums emerging ahead of Vettel, meaning both the Finn and the German would need to stop again before the end of the 53 lap race.

Hamilton was now in the lead and Mercedes tried to leave him out on a one-stop strategy. But on lap 22 Hamilton reported his front tyres were "dead" and was brought in for a fresh set of medium tyres, rejoining in third.

Hamilton began to close on Vettel who pitted for his final change to medium tyres on lap 32, rejoining in third.

Bottas took on fresh soft tyres five laps later leaving Hamilton again in the lead.&nbsp;

"Tell me what I have to do to win this race," pleaded Hamilton over team radio, convinced his tyres would not last the distance.

He came in again on lap 43, allowing Vettel back into second but with only a slim three-second cushion, which the Englishman proceeded to eat into by setting a new lap record.&nbsp;

Hamilton swarmed all over Vettel in the closing laps but was unable to get past and make it a Mercedes one-two.

Earlier Vettel had produced a perfect lap in the delayed qualifying session to outqualify his teammate for the first time in 10 races since the Canadian Grand Prix in June.&nbsp;

The day had been dubbed "Super Sunday" with qualifying and the race taking place back-to-back because of the track having been safely locked down Saturday as Typhoon Hagibis roared past.

Valtteri Bottas jumped from third to first with an electric start to win the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and the Finn's Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Valtteri Bottas jumped from third to first with an electric start to win the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and the Finn's Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. Charles Leclerc could only finish sixth in the second Ferrari, meaning Mercedes clinched a record sixth successive constructors' world championship with their double podium finish. "I'm happy, very happy," said Bottas. "Starting third isn't easy. I had a really nice start, managed to get the lead and then the pace was super good, I could really control the race." Ferrari had enjoyed a front-row lock-out in a rare morning qualifying session caused by Typhoon Hagibis but their race unravelled right at the start. Vettel twitched before the lights went out and his hesitation enabled the fast-starting Bottas to leapfrog from third into the lead. "It was my mistake" admitted Vettel. "I lost momentum there. Mercedes had more pace than us, was a tough afternoon to maintain second." Max Verstappen enjoyed a bullet start from fifth in the Red Bull and was overtaking Leclerc on the outside of turn two when the Monegasque drove into the flying Dutchman, causing him to spin. "He just drove into the side of my car," complained an unhappy Verstappen. Leclerc's front wing was damaged and with bits flying off in all directions -- one demolishing the wing mirror of Hamilton just behind -- he was forced to pit for a new nose at the start of lap four. He rejoined in 18th position, fittingly a place behind Verstappen who appeared to be the helpless victim of their collision. 'What do I have to do' Vettel, who escaped sanction for his false start, was left sandwiched between the two Mercedes and made the first strategic move when he dived in the pits for a new set of soft tyres on lap 17. Bottas followed from the lead on the next lap to take a new set of mediums emerging ahead of Vettel, meaning both the Finn and the German would need to stop again before the end of the 53 lap race. Hamilton was now in the lead and Mercedes tried to leave him out on a one-stop strategy. But on lap 22 Hamilton reported his front tyres were "dead" and was brought in for a fresh set of medium tyres, rejoining in third. Hamilton began to close on Vettel who pitted for his final change to medium tyres on lap 32, rejoining in third. Bottas took on fresh soft tyres five laps later leaving Hamilton again in the lead. "Tell me what I have to do to win this race," pleaded Hamilton over team radio, convinced his tyres would not last the distance. He came in again on lap 43, allowing Vettel back into second but with only a slim three-second cushion, which the Englishman proceeded to eat into by setting a new lap record. Hamilton swarmed all over Vettel in the closing laps but was unable to get past and make it a Mercedes one-two. Earlier Vettel had produced a perfect lap in the delayed qualifying session to outqualify his teammate for the first time in 10 races since the Canadian Grand Prix in June. The day had been dubbed "Super Sunday" with qualifying and the race taking place back-to-back because of the track having been safely locked down Saturday as Typhoon Hagibis roared past.

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas wins Japanese Grand Prix

World champion Lewis Hamilton felt Mercedes had the car to win the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday but strategic errors in the middle of the race cost him a chance of victory as the championship leader had to settle for a fourth-place finish.

Hamilton started alongside pole-sitter Charles Leclerc on the front row with the second Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull's Max Verstappen behind him.&nbsp;

After fighting off Vettel to slot in behind Leclerc on the opening lap, Mercedes opted to keep Hamilton out for longer than his rivals rather than attempt an undercut to claim the lead, but the plan backfired when he emerged from his pit stop behind the Ferraris and the Red Bull.

"It's not been the weekend we wanted at all. I was all over Charles in the first stint and I think we had the pace to win the race today," Hamilton told reporters after the Grand Prix finished with a Vettel-Leclerc Ferrari one-two and Verstappen completing the podium.

"We discussed the possibility of the undercut in the strategy meeting this morning and I wanted to take the risk but then Ferrari decided to box (pit), so we did the opposite and I stayed out.&nbsp;

"I pushed hard and the tyres were feeling good, but after a few laps they started to drop off real quick. We made mistakes tonight, but in this team, we win and we lose together.

"We don't point the finger at people, that's always been our philosophy and that won't change because of one race.&nbsp;

"We're fighting a Ferrari team who are super hungry and pushing very hard," he added of the Italian outfit, who have now won the last three races.&nbsp;

"It's on each one of us to do a better job. I believe we're the best team, but we've got to push on. We'll debrief tonight, put our heads back in the scrum, and then come back fighting at the next race."&nbsp;

Team principal Toto Wolff felt Mercedes could have made better calls during the race.

"The undercut was more powerful than everyone expected and it would have been the right strategy call for us," he said of the decision to keep Hamilton out for seven laps longer than the other front runners.&nbsp;

"Once we had missed the chance for the undercut, we were hoping to create some opportunities later in the race by offsetting our tyres, but that plan didn't work," he added.&nbsp;

"I think we had a car capable for pole yesterday and we had an opportunity to win today, but we made too many mistakes. We're aware that we didn't deliver to the standards that we set ourselves this weekend, so we will review it and see where we can improve for Russia."&nbsp;

Despite the disappointing result, Hamilton still extended his lead over Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas, who was fifth, to 65 points with six rounds remaining.

World champion Lewis Hamilton felt Mercedes had the car to win the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday but strategic errors in the middle of the race cost him a chance of victory as the championship leader had to settle for a fourth-place finish.

World champion Lewis Hamilton felt Mercedes had the car to win the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday but strategic errors in the middle of the race cost him a chance of victory as the championship leader had to settle for a fourth-place finish. Hamilton started alongside pole-sitter Charles Leclerc on the front row with the second Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull's Max Verstappen behind him. After fighting off Vettel to slot in behind Leclerc on the opening lap, Mercedes opted to keep Hamilton out for longer than his rivals rather than attempt an undercut to claim the lead, but the plan backfired when he emerged from his pit stop behind the Ferraris and the Red Bull. "It's not been the weekend we wanted at all. I was all over Charles in the first stint and I think we had the pace to win the race today," Hamilton told reporters after the Grand Prix finished with a Vettel-Leclerc Ferrari one-two and Verstappen completing the podium. "We discussed the possibility of the undercut in the strategy meeting this morning and I wanted to take the risk but then Ferrari decided to box (pit), so we did the opposite and I stayed out. "I pushed hard and the tyres were feeling good, but after a few laps they started to drop off real quick. We made mistakes tonight, but in this team, we win and we lose together. "We don't point the finger at people, that's always been our philosophy and that won't change because of one race. "We're fighting a Ferrari team who are super hungry and pushing very hard," he added of the Italian outfit, who have now won the last three races. "It's on each one of us to do a better job. I believe we're the best team, but we've got to push on. We'll debrief tonight, put our heads back in the scrum, and then come back fighting at the next race." Team principal Toto Wolff felt Mercedes could have made better calls during the race. "The undercut was more powerful than everyone expected and it would have been the right strategy call for us," he said of the decision to keep Hamilton out for seven laps longer than the other front runners. "Once we had missed the chance for the undercut, we were hoping to create some opportunities later in the race by offsetting our tyres, but that plan didn't work," he added. "I think we had a car capable for pole yesterday and we had an opportunity to win today, but we made too many mistakes. We're aware that we didn't deliver to the standards that we set ourselves this weekend, so we will review it and see where we can improve for Russia." Despite the disappointing result, Hamilton still extended his lead over Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas, who was fifth, to 65 points with six rounds remaining.

Lewis Hamilton blames Mercedes strategy for Singapore result

Sebastian Vettel led Ferrari’s charge in practice for the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday but the German’s Formula One victory drought, already more than a year long, still looked set to continue.

The German, whose 52nd and last win came at the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix, was second and third fastest on the timesheets in Friday’s two sessions at the Marina Bay track.

Team mate Charles Leclerc, who eclipsed Vettel with successive wins in Belgium and Italy, was 19th in the first session after being sidelined by a gearbox failure and sixth in the second.

While Vettel was just 0.167 seconds off pace-setter Max Verstappen’s Red Bull over the first 90 minutes, he was nearly a second off the pace set by Mercedes' championship leader Lewis Hamilton in the floodlit night-time running.

Ferrari's car was aerodynamically well-suited to the flat-out blasts of the Spa-Francorchamps and Monza circuits but the twisty Marina Bay street track, with more corners than any other circuit, has shifted the balance away from the Italian team.

"I think Mercedes was very strong today," said Vettel. "Everybody could see that, not just on one lap and not just on the timing tables.

"I think overall they were a bit faster. On our side we can do better, we can improve the car so let's see."

Vettel has won four times in Singapore, the same as five-times world champion Hamilton with the pair the most successful drivers at the event.

His last win in the city state came in 2015, his first year with Ferrari.

The German heads into this weekend’s race off the back of a scrappy display at Monza, Ferrari's home race, where he spun off and was sanctioned by stewards for rejoining the track dangerously.

That was the latest in a series of mistakes going back to last year’s German Grand Prix and he is now 13 points behind Leclerc in the standings.

The German's current form has fuelled speculation, despite his statements to the contrary, that he might not see out his Ferrari contract which runs out at the end of 2020.

"Certainly not the best one right now,” said Vettel when asked if this was the worst point of his career. "But also it’s not the worst one either.&nbsp;

"I still love racing and I look forward to a lot of races this year to hopefully get in a better position and finish the season in the way we want.&nbsp;

"Then prepare for next year."

Sebastian Vettel led Ferrari’s charge in practice for the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday but the German’s Formula One victory drought, already more than a year long, still looked set to continue.

Sebastian Vettel led Ferrari’s charge in practice for the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday but the German’s Formula One victory drought, already more than a year long, still looked set to continue. The German, whose 52nd and last win came at the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix, was second and third fastest on the timesheets in Friday’s two sessions at the Marina Bay track. Team mate Charles Leclerc, who eclipsed Vettel with successive wins in Belgium and Italy, was 19th in the first session after being sidelined by a gearbox failure and sixth in the second. While Vettel was just 0.167 seconds off pace-setter Max Verstappen’s Red Bull over the first 90 minutes, he was nearly a second off the pace set by Mercedes' championship leader Lewis Hamilton in the floodlit night-time running. Ferrari's car was aerodynamically well-suited to the flat-out blasts of the Spa-Francorchamps and Monza circuits but the twisty Marina Bay street track, with more corners than any other circuit, has shifted the balance away from the Italian team. "I think Mercedes was very strong today," said Vettel. "Everybody could see that, not just on one lap and not just on the timing tables. "I think overall they were a bit faster. On our side we can do better, we can improve the car so let's see." Vettel has won four times in Singapore, the same as five-times world champion Hamilton with the pair the most successful drivers at the event. His last win in the city state came in 2015, his first year with Ferrari. The German heads into this weekend’s race off the back of a scrappy display at Monza, Ferrari's home race, where he spun off and was sanctioned by stewards for rejoining the track dangerously. That was the latest in a series of mistakes going back to last year’s German Grand Prix and he is now 13 points behind Leclerc in the standings. The German's current form has fuelled speculation, despite his statements to the contrary, that he might not see out his Ferrari contract which runs out at the end of 2020. "Certainly not the best one right now,” said Vettel when asked if this was the worst point of his career. "But also it’s not the worst one either. "I still love racing and I look forward to a lot of races this year to hopefully get in a better position and finish the season in the way we want. "Then prepare for next year."

Sebastian Vettel leads Ferrari's Singapore charge but Mercedes on top

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

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

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

Charles Leclerc holds off Mercedes pursuit to give Ferrari Monza win

Practice at Spa was brought to an abrupt halt on Saturday after Lewis Hamilton crashed his Mercedes into a wall.

The championship leader and defending five-time world champion was unhurt and climbed out of his car as the red flag came out to suspend the third free practice session.

Hamilton lost control of the car at high speed at the Les Fagnes chicane in a heavy collision with the tyre-protected barriers.

"I’m in the wall guys," said Hamilton. "Sorry."

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The championship leader is out of the car and confirms he is ok following his crash at Turn 12 👍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BelgianGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BelgianGP</a> 🇧🇪 <a href="https://t.co/k4LotqdLD7">pic.twitter.com/k4LotqdLD7</a>
— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1167748163496742913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
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His car appeared to be badly damaged around the front and the left front wheel and looked as if it may need substantial repairs, or a chassis change, for the Briton to take part in qualifying scheduled for later on Saturday.

Hamilton was taken back to the paddock while the car was transported away on the back of an open truck which showed severe damage to both front wheels.

Practice at Spa was brought to an abrupt halt on Saturday after Lewis Hamilton crashed his Mercedes into a wall. The championship leader and defending five-time world champion was unhurt and climbed out of his car as the red flag came out to suspend the third free practice session.

Practice at Spa was brought to an abrupt halt on Saturday after Lewis Hamilton crashed his Mercedes into a wall. The championship leader and defending five-time world champion was unhurt and climbed out of his car as the red flag came out to suspend the third free practice session. Hamilton lost control of the car at high speed at the Les Fagnes chicane in a heavy collision with the tyre-protected barriers. "I’m in the wall guys," said Hamilton. "Sorry." The championship leader is out of the car and confirms he is ok following his crash at Turn 12 👍#F1 #BelgianGP 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/k4LotqdLD7 — Formula 1 (@F1) August 31, 2019 × His car appeared to be badly damaged around the front and the left front wheel and looked as if it may need substantial repairs, or a chassis change, for the Briton to take part in qualifying scheduled for later on Saturday. Hamilton was taken back to the paddock while the car was transported away on the back of an open truck which showed severe damage to both front wheels.

Lewis Hamilton crash causes red-flag stoppage at Spa practice

Birthday boy Valtteri Bottas did not need a reason to celebrate but confirmation he would be staying at Formula One champions Mercedes next season gave him another excuse to party.

The Finn turned 30 on Wednesday and had already marked the milestone with a party a day earlier.

Mercedes’ decision to retain him alongside five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for another season, which was announced on Thursday but had been signed and sealed the weekend before, only made the celebrations sweeter.

“Obviously, 30, it happens only once in a lifetime,” the Finn told reporters at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Thursday shortly after the Mercedes announcement ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.

“There is always a good excuse to throw a party, but that’s a good excuse, it was good, I enjoyed it.

“I knew by then, everything was done by then, so it was actually nice to celebrate with the closest people.

“Another good excuse.”

Bottas bounced back strongly from a winless 2018 campaign, opening this season with victory in the first race in Australia.

He has taken two wins and a further seven podiums from 12 races this season, though his last victory was at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April and he has faded over recent races.

The Finn is second in the overall standings, 62 points adrift of Hamilton, who has won eight races, and facing a growing threat from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who is seven points behind him in third.

Ocon Competition

Once considered a shoo-in for the Mercedes drive on the back of his early season form, Botttas faced competition from Mercedes-backed 22-year-old Esteban Ocon for his seat over recent weeks.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told reporters at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the August shut down that they would choose either Bottas or Ocon to be Hamilton’s team mate next season.

Bottas' improved form convinced Mercedes to retain him, with Ocon signing to drive alongside Daniel Ricciardo for Renault.

Bottas said he had begun to put a back-up plan in place in case Mercedes chose not to retain him.

“To be honest, going to the summer break, and in this sport you know once you’ve not signed, anything can happen...

“So for sure I was trying to make a plan for something else but then things started to go the right way...”

Hamilton, who has enjoyed a far more harmonious relationship with Bottas compared to the bitter rivalry he was embroiled in with the Finn’s predecessor Nico Rosberg, said Mercedes had made the right decision.

“Continuity is always a great thing,” said the Briton. “I really enjoy working with him in general. We get on well both outside and on the track.”

Birthday boy Valtteri Bottas did not need a reason to celebrate but confirmation he would be staying at Formula One champions Mercedes next season gave him another excuse to party.

Birthday boy Valtteri Bottas did not need a reason to celebrate but confirmation he would be staying at Formula One champions Mercedes next season gave him another excuse to party. The Finn turned 30 on Wednesday and had already marked the milestone with a party a day earlier. Mercedes’ decision to retain him alongside five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for another season, which was announced on Thursday but had been signed and sealed the weekend before, only made the celebrations sweeter. “Obviously, 30, it happens only once in a lifetime,” the Finn told reporters at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Thursday shortly after the Mercedes announcement ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. “There is always a good excuse to throw a party, but that’s a good excuse, it was good, I enjoyed it. “I knew by then, everything was done by then, so it was actually nice to celebrate with the closest people. “Another good excuse.” Bottas bounced back strongly from a winless 2018 campaign, opening this season with victory in the first race in Australia. He has taken two wins and a further seven podiums from 12 races this season, though his last victory was at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April and he has faded over recent races. The Finn is second in the overall standings, 62 points adrift of Hamilton, who has won eight races, and facing a growing threat from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who is seven points behind him in third. Ocon Competition Once considered a shoo-in for the Mercedes drive on the back of his early season form, Botttas faced competition from Mercedes-backed 22-year-old Esteban Ocon for his seat over recent weeks. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told reporters at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the August shut down that they would choose either Bottas or Ocon to be Hamilton’s team mate next season. Bottas' improved form convinced Mercedes to retain him, with Ocon signing to drive alongside Daniel Ricciardo for Renault. Bottas said he had begun to put a back-up plan in place in case Mercedes chose not to retain him. “To be honest, going to the summer break, and in this sport you know once you’ve not signed, anything can happen... “So for sure I was trying to make a plan for something else but then things started to go the right way...” Hamilton, who has enjoyed a far more harmonious relationship with Bottas compared to the bitter rivalry he was embroiled in with the Finn’s predecessor Nico Rosberg, said Mercedes had made the right decision. “Continuity is always a great thing,” said the Briton. “I really enjoy working with him in general. We get on well both outside and on the track.”

Valtteri Bottas to remain at F1 champions Mercedes in 2020

Lewis Hamilton denied pole-sitter Max Verstappen to win a gripping Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Verstappen led until lap 66 of 70 when Hamilton took the lead helped by a brilliant pit strategy by his Mercedes team.

This was Hamilton's 81st Grand Prix triumph and it extended his lead in the Formula One drivers' championship.

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BREAKING: Lewis Hamilton wins the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HungarianGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HungarianGP</a> 🇭🇺 
 
Max Verstappen started on pole but finishes in P2 
 
Sebastian Vettel takes P3 after overtaking his team mate, Charles Leclerc<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/OK7JP6PRJi">pic.twitter.com/OK7JP6PRJi</a>
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&nbsp;

Lewis Hamilton denied pole-sitter Max Verstappen to win a gripping Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday. Verstappen led until lap 66 of 70 when Hamilton took the lead helped by a brilliant pit strategy by his Mercedes team.

Lewis Hamilton denied pole-sitter Max Verstappen to win a gripping Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday. Verstappen led until lap 66 of 70 when Hamilton took the lead helped by a brilliant pit strategy by his Mercedes team. This was Hamilton's 81st Grand Prix triumph and it extended his lead in the Formula One drivers' championship. BREAKING: Lewis Hamilton wins the #HungarianGP 🇭🇺 Max Verstappen started on pole but finishes in P2 Sebastian Vettel takes P3 after overtaking his team mate, Charles Leclerc#F1 pic.twitter.com/OK7JP6PRJi — Formula 1 (@F1) August 4, 2019 ×

Lewis Hamilton beats pole-sitter Max Verstappen to win Hungarian Grand Prix

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton hopes to be fully fit for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix after being laid low by a bug in Germany last weekend and then taking to his sickbed.

The Mercedes driver won from pole position last year at the Hungaroring, a track he has triumphed on a record six times in total.

The five-times world champion finished only 11th at Hockenheim, however, before being promoted to ninth after the Alfa Romeo drivers were demoted for clutch-related irregularities.

"I’ve slept literally the last three days. So I feel a lot better," he told reporters at a hot and sunny Hungaroring on Thursday.

"I’m hoping to be 100% by the weekend. I still feel I need a bit more rest. I’ve just been fighting off some sort of bug," the Briton added.

"I definitely feel I am in a much, much better-fighting shape for the weekend, so I can’t tell you how good that feels. I’m looking forward to getting back in the car, which is completely different to how I was feeling.

"Last Friday, getting in the car was not such a good feeling."

The rain-hit German Grand Prix weekend was a comedy of errors for Hamilton and Mercedes, even if neither found anything remotely amusing about it.

Hamilton started on pole, hit the barriers, made a chaotic pitstop and also spun.

At one point he suggested over the radio that the team should retire him -- something he ascribed on Thursday to purely wanting to save laps on the engine, with only three allowed all season, rather than giving up.

Asked to sum up the weekend in three words, Hamilton -- looking and sounding relaxed -- replied with a grin: "I'd rather not."

"I’m focused on this weekend now. I don’t have any negative feelings or carrying weight from that weekend," he added. "I’ll just try and focus 100% on this weekend. I don’t plan on looking back.

"It was just a bad day. It’s something I’m conscious of. It was just a difficult weekend and these things happen."

Thanks to the post-race stewards' decisions, Hamilton arrived in Hungary with a 41-point lead over Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas.

Another win will see him go into the August break with at least a 48-point advantage -- double the lead he enjoyed over Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel at the same point last year.

"I think the weather’s similar to the last time here so I’m definitely hopeful the car will be better this weekend," said Hamilton.

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton hopes to be fully fit for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix after being laid low by a bug in Germany last weekend and then taking to his sickbed.

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton hopes to be fully fit for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix after being laid low by a bug in Germany last weekend and then taking to his sickbed. The Mercedes driver won from pole position last year at the Hungaroring, a track he has triumphed on a record six times in total. The five-times world champion finished only 11th at Hockenheim, however, before being promoted to ninth after the Alfa Romeo drivers were demoted for clutch-related irregularities. "I’ve slept literally the last three days. So I feel a lot better," he told reporters at a hot and sunny Hungaroring on Thursday. "I’m hoping to be 100% by the weekend. I still feel I need a bit more rest. I’ve just been fighting off some sort of bug," the Briton added. "I definitely feel I am in a much, much better-fighting shape for the weekend, so I can’t tell you how good that feels. I’m looking forward to getting back in the car, which is completely different to how I was feeling. "Last Friday, getting in the car was not such a good feeling." The rain-hit German Grand Prix weekend was a comedy of errors for Hamilton and Mercedes, even if neither found anything remotely amusing about it. Hamilton started on pole, hit the barriers, made a chaotic pitstop and also spun. At one point he suggested over the radio that the team should retire him -- something he ascribed on Thursday to purely wanting to save laps on the engine, with only three allowed all season, rather than giving up. Asked to sum up the weekend in three words, Hamilton -- looking and sounding relaxed -- replied with a grin: "I'd rather not." "I’m focused on this weekend now. I don’t have any negative feelings or carrying weight from that weekend," he added. "I’ll just try and focus 100% on this weekend. I don’t plan on looking back. "It was just a bad day. It’s something I’m conscious of. It was just a difficult weekend and these things happen." Thanks to the post-race stewards' decisions, Hamilton arrived in Hungary with a 41-point lead over Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas. Another win will see him go into the August break with at least a 48-point advantage -- double the lead he enjoyed over Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel at the same point last year. "I think the weather’s similar to the last time here so I’m definitely hopeful the car will be better this weekend," said Hamilton.

Rested Lewis Hamilton hoping to be fighting fit for Hungary

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

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

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

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

Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes team revealed a special "retro" half-white livery for their cars being used to celebrate 125 years of motorsport at this weekend's German Grand Prix.

The cars to be raced by five-time world champion Hamilton and his team-mate Valtteri Bottas feature both white paintwork and silver, merging both in a "commemorative livery" for the event, which is sponsored by the team's parent company.

Sunday's race will also mark the team's 200th start as a manufacturer entrant in the world championship.

The front end of the W10 cars has been re-worked as a tribute to Mercedes' original colours and includes not only the white paintwork but also red numbers and old-fashioned logos.&nbsp;

The rear remains predominantly silver, the colour for which the team became famous as the 'silver arrows'.

Team boss Toto Wolff said,&nbsp;"The world's first car race was held from Paris to Rouen in 1894 and the winning machine had at its heart an engine manufactured to the design of Gottlieb Daimler.

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A special celebration deserves a special look... ❤ This is the story behind our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GermanGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GermanGP</a> livery! 👇 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Motorsport125?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Motorsport125</a> <a href="https://t.co/Yt0st2Otd2">pic.twitter.com/Yt0st2Otd2</a>
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"It was the start of a great motorsport tradition that continues to this day and we are incredibly proud to write the next chapter in this legacy."

His modern Mercedes team dominate Formula One and lead the constructors championship with 164 points ahead of Ferrari while Hamilton is 39 ahead of Bottas in the drivers title race.

According to Mercedes, the team started with white paintwork on their cars, but it had to be removed during a race meeting in 1943, to help the cars save weight.

In an official explanation, the team said the W25 car entered for the Eifelrennen at the Nurburgring held on June 3 was found to be over the weight limit of 750 kg.

"Allegedly, the team was able to bring the weight down to within regulatory limits by scraping off its white paint," said Mercedes.&nbsp;

"Without the white paint, the metal bodywork of the car was exposed, giving it a silver look: the first Silver Arrow was born."

Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes team revealed a special "retro" half-white livery for their cars being used to celebrate 125 years of motorsport at this weekend's German Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes team revealed a special "retro" half-white livery for their cars being used to celebrate 125 years of motorsport at this weekend's German Grand Prix. The cars to be raced by five-time world champion Hamilton and his team-mate Valtteri Bottas feature both white paintwork and silver, merging both in a "commemorative livery" for the event, which is sponsored by the team's parent company. Sunday's race will also mark the team's 200th start as a manufacturer entrant in the world championship. The front end of the W10 cars has been re-worked as a tribute to Mercedes' original colours and includes not only the white paintwork but also red numbers and old-fashioned logos. The rear remains predominantly silver, the colour for which the team became famous as the 'silver arrows'. Team boss Toto Wolff said, "The world's first car race was held from Paris to Rouen in 1894 and the winning machine had at its heart an engine manufactured to the design of Gottlieb Daimler. A special celebration deserves a special look... ❤ This is the story behind our #GermanGP livery! 👇 #Motorsport125 pic.twitter.com/Yt0st2Otd2 — Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) July 26, 2019 × "It was the start of a great motorsport tradition that continues to this day and we are incredibly proud to write the next chapter in this legacy." His modern Mercedes team dominate Formula One and lead the constructors championship with 164 points ahead of Ferrari while Hamilton is 39 ahead of Bottas in the drivers title race. According to Mercedes, the team started with white paintwork on their cars, but it had to be removed during a race meeting in 1943, to help the cars save weight. In an official explanation, the team said the W25 car entered for the Eifelrennen at the Nurburgring held on June 3 was found to be over the weight limit of 750 kg. "Allegedly, the team was able to bring the weight down to within regulatory limits by scraping off its white paint," said Mercedes. "Without the white paint, the metal bodywork of the car was exposed, giving it a silver look: the first Silver Arrow was born."

Here's why Mercedes are painted different for German Grand Prix

Red Bull's Pierre Gasly was surprise fastest in first <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-aims-to-bounce-back-with-record-sixth-win-at-british-grand-prix-234864&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj_qNrSsq_jAhURQd4KHbnBCoAQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3pGSr1SfxCkPF_GvEdVI4V">British Grand Prix</a> practice on Friday with home favourite and championship leader Lewis Hamilton only fourth on the timesheets.

On an overcast and changeable morning at Silverstone, with a light sprinkling of rain during the latter part of the session, the French driver set a fastest lap of one minute 27.173 seconds, 0.456 quicker than Mercedes's Valtteri Bottas.

Bottas was fastest for much of the session, however, until Gasly's late effort when the conditions improved and the drizzle ended.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, winner in Austria at the end of June in a race that ended Mercedes' run of 10 successive wins, was third with five times Formula One world champion Hamilton nearly a second off Gasly's pace.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-wins-french-grand-prix-in-mercedes-one-two-229814&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj_qNrSsq_jAhURQd4KHbnBCoAQFjAAegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2r6a95rGTrdTEvXuh2Ixcv">Hamilton </a>has won four of the last five British Grands Prix and is chasing a fifth successive pole position in his home race.

He leads Bottas by 31 points in the standings after nine races this season.

Gasly finished seventh and lapped by his teammate in Austria and is under pressure to perform.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner suggested earlier in the week that the pressure of trying to match Verstappen was getting to Gasly and he should just focus on his driving and ignore social media.

Ferrari's <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/max-verstappen-wins-in-austria-after-thrilling-duel-with-charles-leclerc-231808&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiSkqD0sq_jAhVWbysKHcofDyUQFjAAegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1bPyVm20kylFqVGvnHDe29">Charles Leclerc</a> was fifth fastest, with teammate and 2018 race winner Sebastian Vettel a fraction slower in sixth.

Renault raised their hopes with Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo seventh and eighth while the McLaren pairing of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris were 10th and 11th with Toro Rosso's Alexander Albon ninth.

Romain Grosjean provided an immediate talking point by crashing his Haas in the pit lane exit, smashing the car's front wing.

Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen stopped on track, bringing out a red flag.

Red Bull's Pierre Gasly was surprise fastest in first British Grand Prix practice on Friday with home favourite and championship leader Lewis Hamilton only fourth on the timesheets.

Red Bull's Pierre Gasly was surprise fastest in first British Grand Prix practice on Friday with home favourite and championship leader Lewis Hamilton only fourth on the timesheets. On an overcast and changeable morning at Silverstone, with a light sprinkling of rain during the latter part of the session, the French driver set a fastest lap of one minute 27.173 seconds, 0.456 quicker than Mercedes's Valtteri Bottas. Bottas was fastest for much of the session, however, until Gasly's late effort when the conditions improved and the drizzle ended. Red Bull's Max Verstappen, winner in Austria at the end of June in a race that ended Mercedes' run of 10 successive wins, was third with five times Formula One world champion Hamilton nearly a second off Gasly's pace. Hamilton has won four of the last five British Grands Prix and is chasing a fifth successive pole position in his home race. He leads Bottas by 31 points in the standings after nine races this season. Gasly finished seventh and lapped by his teammate in Austria and is under pressure to perform. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner suggested earlier in the week that the pressure of trying to match Verstappen was getting to Gasly and he should just focus on his driving and ignore social media. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fifth fastest, with teammate and 2018 race winner Sebastian Vettel a fraction slower in sixth. Renault raised their hopes with Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo seventh and eighth while the McLaren pairing of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris were 10th and 11th with Toro Rosso's Alexander Albon ninth. Romain Grosjean provided an immediate talking point by crashing his Haas in the pit lane exit, smashing the car's front wing. Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen stopped on track, bringing out a red flag.

Red Bull's Pierre Gasly fastest, Lewis Hamilton fourth in first British Grand Prix practice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daimler must recall 60,000 Mercedes diesel cars in Germany after regulators found that they were fitted with software aimed at distorting emissions tests, the Transportation Ministry said on Saturday.

The model affected is the Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 produced between 2012 and 2015.&nbsp;

Daimler confirmed that the recall was ordered on Friday but said that it would appeal against the decision while continuing to cooperate with regulators.

The ministry said that it was expanding its investigation into further models.&nbsp;

Since rival Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating US emissions tests, the scandal has spread to other carmakers. Daimler has ordered the recall of 3 million vehicles to fix excess emissions coming from their diesel engines.

Germany`s Bild am Sonntag, which first reported the recall on Saturday, had reported in April that the German auto regulator was looking into suspicious software in the Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 CDI cars produced between 2012 and 2015, after tests showed they only meet emissions limits when a certain function is activated.

Daimler must recall 60,000 Mercedes diesel cars in Germany after regulators found that they were fitted with software aimed at distorting emissions tests, the Transportation Ministry said on Saturday.

Daimler must recall 60,000 Mercedes diesel cars in Germany after regulators found that they were fitted with software aimed at distorting emissions tests, the Transportation Ministry said on Saturday. The model affected is the Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 produced between 2012 and 2015. Daimler confirmed that the recall was ordered on Friday but said that it would appeal against the decision while continuing to cooperate with regulators. The ministry said that it was expanding its investigation into further models. Since rival Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating US emissions tests, the scandal has spread to other carmakers. Daimler has ordered the recall of 3 million vehicles to fix excess emissions coming from their diesel engines. Germany`s Bild am Sonntag, which first reported the recall on Saturday, had reported in April that the German auto regulator was looking into suspicious software in the Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 CDI cars produced between 2012 and 2015, after tests showed they only meet emissions limits when a certain function is activated.

Daimler to recall 60,000 Mercedes diesels in Germany over emissions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lewis Hamilton fastest in first French Grand Prix practice

German giant Mercedes-Benz said it wants to stop selling traditional combustion engine cars by 2039 and plans for its new vehicles sold worldwide by that time to be carbon-neutral.

Mercedes want to abandon combustion engines by 2039

Formula One championship leader Valtteri Bottas led both practice sessions for the Spanish Grand Prix on Friday with Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton a close second and Ferrari still off the pace.

The times dampened hopes of an immediate return to pre-season testing form for Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, who have been eclipsed by Mercedes in the first four races.

The reigning champions have notched up four successive one-two finishes, leaving Ferrari 74 points adrift in the constructors' standings.

"It's always an interesting day when you're bringing new parts to the car to get a feel for it and see if they bring the performance they should," said Bottas.

"The car felt really good today, completely different to how it was in winter testing, and it seems like our cornering performance has improved.

"The balance around the lap is also better, so it looks like we've taken the right direction since the winter

Bottas produced his quickest lap in the day's afternoon session, a time of one minute 17.284 seconds after a 1:17.951 in the morning.

Five-times world champion Hamilton was second on the timesheets, 0.049 slower than Bottas, while Leclerc was third and three tenths adrift but still ahead of Vettel who lapped in 1:17.673 on the same soft tyres.

Ferrari, who dominated pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, were using a new specification engine and hoping for a step up in the first race of the traditional European part of the campaign.

Vettel, third in the drivers' standings, is already 35 points behind Bottas.

"I think overall we've been seeing what we expected," said the German, who was struggling for grip in the slower corners. "Certainly not as happy as we wanted to be so still a lot of homework for us.

"I think engine-wise we're happy," he added. "Obviously it's Friday so a bit difficult to know what we are doing compared to other people...feeling-wise it's a different story."

Bottas, who leads Hamilton by a single point thanks to his fastest lap in Australia, had missed the last half hour of the first session due to an oil leak that shut down the car and had to be investigated.

Hamilton was unhappy with the performance of his car's tyres in the first session when he was fourth fastest and set his best lap on softs.

"Tyre prep terrible. Rear tyres are done," the Briton said over the radio. He said later that there was work to do on the balance of the car.

Romain Grosjean, who has yet to score a point this year, was fifth and sixth fastest respectively for the Haas team with McLaren's Carlos Sainz, the only Spanish driver now that Fernando Alonso has left, sixth in the morning.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, a winner in Spain in 2016, was only 12th fastest in the first session when his car had an oil leak, but moved up to fifth in the afternoon.

"I have a good feeling about the upgrades, which work for sure, and the tyres seem to be working quite well, too," said the Dutchman.

"The long runs were OK and we still need to find a little bit of pace, but we have the whole night to find it."

Canadian Lance Stroll provided the only incident of the first practice, crashing his Racing Point into the tyre wall at turn nine and bringing out red flags to close the session.

Formula One championship leader Valtteri Bottas led both practice sessions for the Spanish Grand Prix on Friday with Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton a close second and Ferrari still off the pace.

Formula One championship leader Valtteri Bottas led both practice sessions for the Spanish Grand Prix on Friday with Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton a close second and Ferrari still off the pace. The times dampened hopes of an immediate return to pre-season testing form for Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, who have been eclipsed by Mercedes in the first four races. The reigning champions have notched up four successive one-two finishes, leaving Ferrari 74 points adrift in the constructors' standings. "It's always an interesting day when you're bringing new parts to the car to get a feel for it and see if they bring the performance they should," said Bottas. "The car felt really good today, completely different to how it was in winter testing, and it seems like our cornering performance has improved. "The balance around the lap is also better, so it looks like we've taken the right direction since the winter Bottas produced his quickest lap in the day's afternoon session, a time of one minute 17.284 seconds after a 1:17.951 in the morning. Five-times world champion Hamilton was second on the timesheets, 0.049 slower than Bottas, while Leclerc was third and three tenths adrift but still ahead of Vettel who lapped in 1:17.673 on the same soft tyres. Ferrari, who dominated pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, were using a new specification engine and hoping for a step up in the first race of the traditional European part of the campaign. Vettel, third in the drivers' standings, is already 35 points behind Bottas. "I think overall we've been seeing what we expected," said the German, who was struggling for grip in the slower corners. "Certainly not as happy as we wanted to be so still a lot of homework for us. "I think engine-wise we're happy," he added. "Obviously it's Friday so a bit difficult to know what we are doing compared to other people...feeling-wise it's a different story." Bottas, who leads Hamilton by a single point thanks to his fastest lap in Australia, had missed the last half hour of the first session due to an oil leak that shut down the car and had to be investigated. Hamilton was unhappy with the performance of his car's tyres in the first session when he was fourth fastest and set his best lap on softs. "Tyre prep terrible. Rear tyres are done," the Briton said over the radio. He said later that there was work to do on the balance of the car. Romain Grosjean, who has yet to score a point this year, was fifth and sixth fastest respectively for the Haas team with McLaren's Carlos Sainz, the only Spanish driver now that Fernando Alonso has left, sixth in the morning. Red Bull's Max Verstappen, a winner in Spain in 2016, was only 12th fastest in the first session when his car had an oil leak, but moved up to fifth in the afternoon. "I have a good feeling about the upgrades, which work for sure, and the tyres seem to be working quite well, too," said the Dutchman. "The long runs were OK and we still need to find a little bit of pace, but we have the whole night to find it." Canadian Lance Stroll provided the only incident of the first practice, crashing his Racing Point into the tyre wall at turn nine and bringing out red flags to close the session.

Valtteri Bottas leads Mercedes one-two in Spanish GP practice

Valtteri Bottas won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday to retake the Formula One world championship lead from team mate Lewis Hamilton after a stunning fourth successive one-two finish for Mercedes.

The Finn, who started on pole position, crossed the line 1.524 seconds ahead of Hamilton to make up for the agony of 2018 when he was denied victory in Baku by a late puncture.

The pair are now separated by just one point with 17 races remaining, with Mercedes 70 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors' standings.

"It was actually a tough race," said Bottas, who went side-by-side with Hamilton on the opening lap and showed plenty of grit and determination in fending off the Briton to hold position.

"Lewis was putting pressure all the time, I could not do any mistakes," added the 29-year-old who came under renewed threat from Hamilton in the dying laps.

Sebastian Vettel in his Ferrari was a distant third as the Italian pre-season favourites again failed to convert their promise into a result.

The win around the streets of capital Baku was the fifth of Bottas’ career and he became the first driver this season to win from pole.

Like Hamilton, he now has two wins and two second places from the first four races but is ahead thanks to the extra point he scored for setting the fastest lap on his way to victory in the Australian season opener.

"I was too friendly at turn one and basically gave it to him," said Hamilton.

Mercedes are the first two-car team in Formula One's 70-year history to open a season with four straight one-twos.

Max Verstappen was fourth for Red Bull ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

The Monegasque, the pole-position favourite who started eighth after crashing in qualifying, led the race at one point after staying out longer than rivals on softer tyres.

While he ultimately had to settle for fifth, Leclerc took the extra point for fastest lap after making a second stop for fresh tyres with a comfortable buffer to those behind and no risk of losing position.

Sergio Perez was sixth for Racing Point ahead of McLaren's Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris.

Lance Stroll gave Racing Point a double points finish with ninth place, while Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen took 10th after starting from the pitlane.

The main surprise of the day was the lack of upsets, with no safety car on track for the first time and no major crashes on unforgiving streets that have given the race a reputation for unpredictability.

The most notable incident involved Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat, with the Australian running straight onto the runoff while trying overtake the Russian.

He then reversed his Renault into the Toro Rosso, which had also failed to make the corner. Both drivers retired shortly after, with the incident being investigated by stewards.

Pierre Gasly's Red Bull lost power in the late stages of the race, parking down an escape road but prompting the deployment of the virtual safety car as marshals moved it.

Robert Kubica, who started from the pitlane after a qualifying crash, was hit with a drive-through penalty for leaving the garage too early.

Valtteri Bottas won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday to retake the Formula One world championship lead from team mate Lewis Hamilton after a stunning fourth successive one-two finish for Mercedes.

Valtteri Bottas won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday to retake the Formula One world championship lead from team mate Lewis Hamilton after a stunning fourth successive one-two finish for Mercedes. The Finn, who started on pole position, crossed the line 1.524 seconds ahead of Hamilton to make up for the agony of 2018 when he was denied victory in Baku by a late puncture. The pair are now separated by just one point with 17 races remaining, with Mercedes 70 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors' standings. "It was actually a tough race," said Bottas, who went side-by-side with Hamilton on the opening lap and showed plenty of grit and determination in fending off the Briton to hold position. "Lewis was putting pressure all the time, I could not do any mistakes," added the 29-year-old who came under renewed threat from Hamilton in the dying laps. Sebastian Vettel in his Ferrari was a distant third as the Italian pre-season favourites again failed to convert their promise into a result. The win around the streets of capital Baku was the fifth of Bottas’ career and he became the first driver this season to win from pole. Like Hamilton, he now has two wins and two second places from the first four races but is ahead thanks to the extra point he scored for setting the fastest lap on his way to victory in the Australian season opener. "I was too friendly at turn one and basically gave it to him," said Hamilton. Mercedes are the first two-car team in Formula One's 70-year history to open a season with four straight one-twos. Max Verstappen was fourth for Red Bull ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque, the pole-position favourite who started eighth after crashing in qualifying, led the race at one point after staying out longer than rivals on softer tyres. While he ultimately had to settle for fifth, Leclerc took the extra point for fastest lap after making a second stop for fresh tyres with a comfortable buffer to those behind and no risk of losing position. Sergio Perez was sixth for Racing Point ahead of McLaren's Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris. Lance Stroll gave Racing Point a double points finish with ninth place, while Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen took 10th after starting from the pitlane. The main surprise of the day was the lack of upsets, with no safety car on track for the first time and no major crashes on unforgiving streets that have given the race a reputation for unpredictability. The most notable incident involved Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat, with the Australian running straight onto the runoff while trying overtake the Russian. He then reversed his Renault into the Toro Rosso, which had also failed to make the corner. Both drivers retired shortly after, with the incident being investigated by stewards. Pierre Gasly's Red Bull lost power in the late stages of the race, parking down an escape road but prompting the deployment of the virtual safety car as marshals moved it. Robert Kubica, who started from the pitlane after a qualifying crash, was hit with a drive-through penalty for leaving the garage too early.

Valtteri Bottas wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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

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

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

Valtteri Bottas takes Baku pole after Charles Leclerc crashes

Hamilton peerless, Vettel favoured: Major takeaways from Chinese Grand Prix

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=Lewis+Hamilton">Lewis Hamilton</a> won the 1,000th Formula One grand prix Sunday after grabbing the lead from Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas at the first corner and powering to victory in blustery Shanghai.

Hamilton, who started from second on the grid, took the world championship lead after romping home to win the Chinese Grand Prix by more than 6.5 seconds from Bottas, with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel third.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull was fourth and Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari was fifth.

This was world champion Hamilton's sixth victory at the Chinese Grand Prix and second in a row this season.

"To have a one-two (for Mercedes) is really special in the 1,000th grand prix but the start was where it made the difference and the rest is history," said the Briton.

Hamilton was pipped for pole position by Bottas by just 0.023 seconds in qualifying and had said that he was "struggling with the car".

But the Finn laboured out of the blocks, allowing Hamilton to nip in and grab the lead at the first corner.

"I lost it on the start, honestly, shame about the start, I got some wheel spin on the start line," said Bottas, who also relinquished his hold on the standings after three races.

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Your top three in China! 
 
Seb's first podium sine Abu Dhabi 2018 🏆<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChineseGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChineseGP</a> 🇨🇳 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Race1000?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Race1000</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rw9E4d5jPD">pic.twitter.com/Rw9E4d5jPD</a>
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Talented 21-year-old Leclerc meanwhile pulled off the same trick at the start at the expense of his team-mate Vettel, darting into third.

There was more early drama when Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat tangled with both McLarens of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, earning the Russian a drive-through penalty.

On lap 11, four-time world champion Vettel leapfrogged back in front of Monaco's Leclerc into third following radio orders from Ferrari telling the youngster to let him pass.

"We do our job, stay focused," Leclerc -- agonisingly denied victory last time out in Bahrain after his Ferrari lost power late on -- was informed on team radio after he briefly protested.

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HAMILTON: "It wasn't the most straightforward of race weekends... to have a 1-2 together in the 100th race is really special!"<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChineseGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChineseGP</a> 🇨🇳 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Race1000?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Race1000</a> <a href="https://t.co/6AiUQSGmhr">pic.twitter.com/6AiUQSGmhr</a>
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Back at the front, the 34-year-old Hamilton began pulling away, establishing a more than five-second gap on Bottas with a third of the race gone.

With five-time world champion Hamilton -- winner in Bahrain two weeks ago -- serene up top, the real battles unfolded behind him.

Vettel, under pressure after a number of unforced errors going back to last season, went wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen after both pitted for fresh tyres.

Vettel, Bottas and then Toro Rosso's Alexander Albon, who missed qualifying after a nasty crash in final practice, all exchanged fastest laps.

On lap 38 of the 56 it was Leclerc and Bottas who had a skirmish in the compelling battle for second.

Leclerc then pitted and was momentarily held up by a comparatively sluggish change of tyres.&nbsp;

Nico Hulkenberg, who qualified eighth for Renault, saw his race come to an early conclusion after the team retired his faltering car.

Norris and Kvyat were also forced out before the end.

The fourth race of the season takes place on the streets of Baku, in Azerbaijan, in a fortnight.

Lewis Hamilton won the 1,000th Formula One grand prix Sunday after grabbing the lead from Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas at the first corner and powering to victory in blustery Shanghai.

Lewis Hamilton won the 1,000th Formula One grand prix Sunday after grabbing the lead from Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas at the first corner and powering to victory in blustery Shanghai. Hamilton, who started from second on the grid, took the world championship lead after romping home to win the Chinese Grand Prix by more than 6.5 seconds from Bottas, with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel third. Max Verstappen of Red Bull was fourth and Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari was fifth. This was world champion Hamilton's sixth victory at the Chinese Grand Prix and second in a row this season. "To have a one-two (for Mercedes) is really special in the 1,000th grand prix but the start was where it made the difference and the rest is history," said the Briton. Hamilton was pipped for pole position by Bottas by just 0.023 seconds in qualifying and had said that he was "struggling with the car". But the Finn laboured out of the blocks, allowing Hamilton to nip in and grab the lead at the first corner. "I lost it on the start, honestly, shame about the start, I got some wheel spin on the start line," said Bottas, who also relinquished his hold on the standings after three races. Your top three in China! Seb's first podium sine Abu Dhabi 2018 🏆#ChineseGP 🇨🇳 #Race1000 pic.twitter.com/Rw9E4d5jPD — Formula 1 (@F1) April 14, 2019 × Talented 21-year-old Leclerc meanwhile pulled off the same trick at the start at the expense of his team-mate Vettel, darting into third. There was more early drama when Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat tangled with both McLarens of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, earning the Russian a drive-through penalty. On lap 11, four-time world champion Vettel leapfrogged back in front of Monaco's Leclerc into third following radio orders from Ferrari telling the youngster to let him pass. "We do our job, stay focused," Leclerc -- agonisingly denied victory last time out in Bahrain after his Ferrari lost power late on -- was informed on team radio after he briefly protested. HAMILTON: "It wasn't the most straightforward of race weekends... to have a 1-2 together in the 100th race is really special!"#ChineseGP 🇨🇳 #Race1000 pic.twitter.com/6AiUQSGmhr — Formula 1 (@F1) April 14, 2019 × Back at the front, the 34-year-old Hamilton began pulling away, establishing a more than five-second gap on Bottas with a third of the race gone. With five-time world champion Hamilton -- winner in Bahrain two weeks ago -- serene up top, the real battles unfolded behind him. Vettel, under pressure after a number of unforced errors going back to last season, went wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen after both pitted for fresh tyres. Vettel, Bottas and then Toro Rosso's Alexander Albon, who missed qualifying after a nasty crash in final practice, all exchanged fastest laps. On lap 38 of the 56 it was Leclerc and Bottas who had a skirmish in the compelling battle for second. Leclerc then pitted and was momentarily held up by a comparatively sluggish change of tyres. Nico Hulkenberg, who qualified eighth for Renault, saw his race come to an early conclusion after the team retired his faltering car. Norris and Kvyat were also forced out before the end. The fourth race of the season takes place on the streets of Baku, in Azerbaijan, in a fortnight.

Lewis Hamilton wins Formula One's 1,000th race

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

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

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

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

Valtteri Bottas won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix for Mercedes with the fastest lap on Sunday and in the process achieved a Formula One first, while also ignoring team instructions to play safe.

The Finn was the first driver since the 1950s to win a point for the fastest lap, under a new rule introduced this year, and also the only one ever to score more than 25 points in a race on more than one occasion.&nbsp;

The only other race in which drivers have been able to score more than the maximum allocated for a victory was the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when double points were handed out for the first and only time.

Bottas finished third in that race at Yas Marina for Williams, behind winner Lewis Hamilton and now-retired Brazilian Felipe Massa, and banked 30 points. On Sunday he scored 26.

A point for fastest lap was awarded between 1950 and 1959 but in those days a win was worth only eight points.

The Finn said he had been determined to get the maximum score, despite the risk of trying to set a fastest lap on worn tyres and being told before the race not to try and get it if in a podium position.

Bottas pulled it off on the penultimate lap of the race to deny Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

With 21 races, and therefore an extra 21 points available so long as the fastest lap is set by a driver finishing in the top 10, the tweak to the scoring system has become an important consideration.

Team bosses agreed it had added something to the show.

"It's exciting," said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. "We were even debating do we take it with Pierre (Gasly), because he’s not in the top 10, to try and take it off Mercedes. So you’ve got all kinds of dynamics.

"Max had a go at it, he had it in the bag for a couple of laps and then Valtteri does a 1.25 (1:25.580) or something and OK we can’t do that.

"I thought it added an extra strategic dynamic which was really quite interesting."

Gasly finished 11th and out of the points. Had he been able to go fastest, he would have been credited with the best lap but the point -- which is also valid for the constructors' championship -- would not have been awarded to anyone.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff agreed the novelty provided another element, even if he had some reservations.

"In the morning meeting when we talked about strategy, I forbade them to go for the fastest lap if we were running first, second or third," he added.

"They ignored me. All of them.

"At the end I'm very happy. Collecting that extra point I think is good. It's entertaining. It's a great new part of the spectacle."

Valtteri Bottas won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix for Mercedes with the fastest lap on Sunday and in the process achieved a Formula One first, while also ignoring team instructions to play safe.

Valtteri Bottas won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix for Mercedes with the fastest lap on Sunday and in the process achieved a Formula One first, while also ignoring team instructions to play safe. The Finn was the first driver since the 1950s to win a point for the fastest lap, under a new rule introduced this year, and also the only one ever to score more than 25 points in a race on more than one occasion. The only other race in which drivers have been able to score more than the maximum allocated for a victory was the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when double points were handed out for the first and only time. Bottas finished third in that race at Yas Marina for Williams, behind winner Lewis Hamilton and now-retired Brazilian Felipe Massa, and banked 30 points. On Sunday he scored 26. A point for fastest lap was awarded between 1950 and 1959 but in those days a win was worth only eight points. The Finn said he had been determined to get the maximum score, despite the risk of trying to set a fastest lap on worn tyres and being told before the race not to try and get it if in a podium position. Bottas pulled it off on the penultimate lap of the race to deny Red Bull's Max Verstappen. With 21 races, and therefore an extra 21 points available so long as the fastest lap is set by a driver finishing in the top 10, the tweak to the scoring system has become an important consideration. Team bosses agreed it had added something to the show. "It's exciting," said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. "We were even debating do we take it with Pierre (Gasly), because he’s not in the top 10, to try and take it off Mercedes. So you’ve got all kinds of dynamics. "Max had a go at it, he had it in the bag for a couple of laps and then Valtteri does a 1.25 (1:25.580) or something and OK we can’t do that. "I thought it added an extra strategic dynamic which was really quite interesting." Gasly finished 11th and out of the points. Had he been able to go fastest, he would have been credited with the best lap but the point -- which is also valid for the constructors' championship -- would not have been awarded to anyone. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff agreed the novelty provided another element, even if he had some reservations. "In the morning meeting when we talked about strategy, I forbade them to go for the fastest lap if we were running first, second or third," he added. "They ignored me. All of them. "At the end I'm very happy. Collecting that extra point I think is good. It's entertaining. It's a great new part of the spectacle."

Fastest lap point helps Valtteri Bottas make F1 history

Valtteri Bottas capitalised on a late pitstop to upset his world champion team mate Lewis Hamilton and clinch the season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday.

Starting second behind pole-sitter Hamilton, Bottas got the jump on the Briton during a typically messy start at Albert Park and ended up cruising to his fourth win by some 20.80 seconds after delaying a tyre-change.

Runner-up Hamilton, who switched to the medium compound tyres seven laps earlier than Bottas, had to battle to hold off third-placed Max Verstappen and was fortunate the Red Bull driver took a skid in the grass late on to lose vital seconds.

Bottas, who claimed his first race win since Abu Dhabi in 2017, added icing to the cake by clinching a bonus point for the fastest lap at the lakeside circuit in one minute 25.580 seconds.

"I don't know what just happened. The start was really good, it was definitely my best race ever," said the Finn.

"I just felt so good and everything was under control. The car was so good today so truly enjoyable, I need to enjoy today.

"I'm just so happy and can't wait for the next race."

While Hamilton was forced to sweat, the Silver Arrows will have been thrilled that their raw pace was enough to blitz the chasing pack.

"It was a good weekend for the team," said Hamilton. "Valtteri drove an incredible race today so he deserved it."

For Ferrari, however, it was a sobering day as fourth-placed Vettel and fifth-placed new boy Charles Leclerc were reduced to fighting each other for a minor position.

In the midfield battle, Kevin Magnussen was sixth for Haas ahead of Renault's seventh-placed Nico Hulkenberg.

It was a disastrous Renault debut for home hope Daniel Ricciardo as he rolled wide into the grass straight out of the grid and destroyed his front wing over a bump.

He was forced to pit immediately to replace it and ended up retiring midway through the race.

McLaren driver Carlos Sainz also retired after easing into pit lane on the 11th lap with his car on fire.

Haas, who lost both cars due to botched tyre changes in last year's race, showed they were not free of their pit-stop gremlins, as a poor stop caused Romain Grosjean to lose two places.

Grosjean later was forced to retire with a reliability problem.

Prior to the start, drivers and officials stood for a minute's silence at the grid in tribute to the late F1 racing director Charlie Whiting and in remembrance of victims of a mass shooting at two mosques in New Zealand on Friday.

Valtteri Bottas capitalised on a late pitstop to upset his world champion team mate Lewis Hamilton and clinch the season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday.

Valtteri Bottas capitalised on a late pitstop to upset his world champion team mate Lewis Hamilton and clinch the season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday. Starting second behind pole-sitter Hamilton, Bottas got the jump on the Briton during a typically messy start at Albert Park and ended up cruising to his fourth win by some 20.80 seconds after delaying a tyre-change. Runner-up Hamilton, who switched to the medium compound tyres seven laps earlier than Bottas, had to battle to hold off third-placed Max Verstappen and was fortunate the Red Bull driver took a skid in the grass late on to lose vital seconds. Bottas, who claimed his first race win since Abu Dhabi in 2017, added icing to the cake by clinching a bonus point for the fastest lap at the lakeside circuit in one minute 25.580 seconds. "I don't know what just happened. The start was really good, it was definitely my best race ever," said the Finn. "I just felt so good and everything was under control. The car was so good today so truly enjoyable, I need to enjoy today. "I'm just so happy and can't wait for the next race." While Hamilton was forced to sweat, the Silver Arrows will have been thrilled that their raw pace was enough to blitz the chasing pack. "It was a good weekend for the team," said Hamilton. "Valtteri drove an incredible race today so he deserved it." For Ferrari, however, it was a sobering day as fourth-placed Vettel and fifth-placed new boy Charles Leclerc were reduced to fighting each other for a minor position. In the midfield battle, Kevin Magnussen was sixth for Haas ahead of Renault's seventh-placed Nico Hulkenberg. It was a disastrous Renault debut for home hope Daniel Ricciardo as he rolled wide into the grass straight out of the grid and destroyed his front wing over a bump. He was forced to pit immediately to replace it and ended up retiring midway through the race. McLaren driver Carlos Sainz also retired after easing into pit lane on the 11th lap with his car on fire. Haas, who lost both cars due to botched tyre changes in last year's race, showed they were not free of their pit-stop gremlins, as a poor stop caused Romain Grosjean to lose two places. Grosjean later was forced to retire with a reliability problem. Prior to the start, drivers and officials stood for a minute's silence at the grid in tribute to the late F1 racing director Charlie Whiting and in remembrance of victims of a mass shooting at two mosques in New Zealand on Friday.

Valtteri Bottas wins Australian Grand Prix for Mercedes

Five-times champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=Lewis+Hamilton">Lewis Hamilton</a> dominated Friday practice at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, topping the timesheets for Mercedes in both sessions to deliver an ominous warning to his Formula One title rivals.

After pipping Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel with a lap of one minute 23.599 seconds in first practice, the Briton shaved almost a second off that time in the second session, his quickest lap timed at 1:22.60.

His Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas was 0.048 seconds off the time of Hamilton, who had a yawning 0.800 seconds gap to Max Verstappen in third, with Red Bull's other driver, Pierre Gasly, a further 0.042 seconds behind in fourth.

Vettel was fifth fastest after taking a skid into the grass and complaining of a reliability problem, while new teammate Charles Leclerc posted the ninth fastest time after he too spun into the grass in the dying minutes of the session.

It was a more encouraging session for Kimi Raikkonen and Alfa Romeo, the team formerly known as Sauber. The Finnish former world champion was sixth fastest in the second session, giving them hope of being the best of the midfield racers.

Raikkonen was quicker than both Renaults, with Nico Hulkenberg and home hope Daniel Ricciardo seventh and eighth.

Ricciardo, who switched from Red Bull last season, improved after an underwhelming start, clocking only the 17th fastest lap in the opening session earlier on Friday.

British-born Thai debutant Alexander Albon had a tough day, crashing his Toro Rosso to lose his front wing and causing a brief halt in the first session before spinning off track several times in the second.

Williams appear set for another season of toil as their Polish driver Robert Kubica, returning to Formula One after an absence of more than eight years, was 20th in second practice, one place behind rookie teammate George Russell.

Five-times champion Lewis Hamilton dominated Friday practice at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, topping the timesheets for Mercedes in both sessions to deliver an ominous warning to his Formula One title rivals.

Five-times champion Lewis Hamilton dominated Friday practice at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, topping the timesheets for Mercedes in both sessions to deliver an ominous warning to his Formula One title rivals. After pipping Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel with a lap of one minute 23.599 seconds in first practice, the Briton shaved almost a second off that time in the second session, his quickest lap timed at 1:22.60. His Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas was 0.048 seconds off the time of Hamilton, who had a yawning 0.800 seconds gap to Max Verstappen in third, with Red Bull's other driver, Pierre Gasly, a further 0.042 seconds behind in fourth. Vettel was fifth fastest after taking a skid into the grass and complaining of a reliability problem, while new teammate Charles Leclerc posted the ninth fastest time after he too spun into the grass in the dying minutes of the session. It was a more encouraging session for Kimi Raikkonen and Alfa Romeo, the team formerly known as Sauber. The Finnish former world champion was sixth fastest in the second session, giving them hope of being the best of the midfield racers. Raikkonen was quicker than both Renaults, with Nico Hulkenberg and home hope Daniel Ricciardo seventh and eighth. Ricciardo, who switched from Red Bull last season, improved after an underwhelming start, clocking only the 17th fastest lap in the opening session earlier on Friday. British-born Thai debutant Alexander Albon had a tough day, crashing his Toro Rosso to lose his front wing and causing a brief halt in the first session before spinning off track several times in the second. Williams appear set for another season of toil as their Polish driver Robert Kubica, returning to Formula One after an absence of more than eight years, was 20th in second practice, one place behind rookie teammate George Russell.

Lewis Hamilton dominates practice as Mercedes lay down marker

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has poured cold water on the prospect of challenging Mercedes and Ferrari early in the Formula One season despite a "positive" start with new engine partner Honda.

Powered by Renault last year, Red Bull finished a distant third behind winners Mercedes and runner-up Ferrari in the constructors' championship.

But with the Honda-powered RB15 car having a positive winter testing, Red Bull are tipped to improve.

Four days before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Horner said his team still had plenty of ground to make up, however.

"We've got an exciting new partnership with Honda starting this weekend so it's off to a positive start but we have to keep expectations realistic," he said at the F1 season launch at Melbourne's Federation Square on Wednesday.

"There's a big gap to close from Mercedes and Ferrari.

"But we're confident that we can do that during the course of the year."

With Daniel Ricciardo having switched to Renault, Red Bull's 21-year-old driver Max Verstappen is now the effective team leader on track and is rated a title contender in his fifth season.

"It was very nice to experience the car, with the new partnership with Honda," Dutchman Verstappen said of pre-season testing. "It's very exciting times for us."

Pierre Gasly, who graduated from feeder team Toro Rosso, has replaced Australian Ricciardo.

The Frenchman had two crashes during testing as he got up to speed with the RB15 and said he still had plenty to learn as he embarks on his second season in Formula One.

"It's an amazing opportunity," he said at the launch. "It's probably the best place to be in Red Bull, with (these) guys next to me."

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has poured cold water on the prospect of challenging Mercedes and Ferrari early in the Formula One season despite a "positive" start with new engine partner Honda.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has poured cold water on the prospect of challenging Mercedes and Ferrari early in the Formula One season despite a "positive" start with new engine partner Honda. Powered by Renault last year, Red Bull finished a distant third behind winners Mercedes and runner-up Ferrari in the constructors' championship. But with the Honda-powered RB15 car having a positive winter testing, Red Bull are tipped to improve. Four days before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Horner said his team still had plenty of ground to make up, however. "We've got an exciting new partnership with Honda starting this weekend so it's off to a positive start but we have to keep expectations realistic," he said at the F1 season launch at Melbourne's Federation Square on Wednesday. "There's a big gap to close from Mercedes and Ferrari. "But we're confident that we can do that during the course of the year." With Daniel Ricciardo having switched to Renault, Red Bull's 21-year-old driver Max Verstappen is now the effective team leader on track and is rated a title contender in his fifth season. "It was very nice to experience the car, with the new partnership with Honda," Dutchman Verstappen said of pre-season testing. "It's very exciting times for us." Pierre Gasly, who graduated from feeder team Toro Rosso, has replaced Australian Ricciardo. The Frenchman had two crashes during testing as he got up to speed with the RB15 and said he still had plenty to learn as he embarks on his second season in Formula One. "It's an amazing opportunity," he said at the launch. "It's probably the best place to be in Red Bull, with (these) guys next to me."

Motor racing: Red Bull has big gap to close from Mercedes, Ferrari, says boss Christian Horner

'A great first date' - Hamilton delights as new Mercedes makes track debut

Police in northern California is conducting a probe following outrage over the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old rapper who was found sleeping in his car outside a Taco Bell.

According to the Vallejo Police Department, the February 6 shooting took place after employees at the fast-food outlet late that evening called to report a Mercedes parked in the drive-thru line with a man slumped over in the driver's seat.

In a statement, police said officers responded to the call and as they approached the locked vehicle, they noticed that the driver was unresponsive and had a gun on his lap. They added that the car's transmission was in drive.

As police assessed the situation and tried to prevent the vehicle from moving forward, the statement said, things turned deadly.

"The driver ... Suddenly began to move," the police report said. "The officers told the driver to keep his hands visible, however, the driver quickly reached for the handgun on his lap.

"In fear for their own safety, the officers discharged their weapons at the driver." It was unclear how many bullets were fired.

McCoy was pronounced dead at the scene.

His family has challenged the police version of events, describing the shooting as an "execution" and a clear case of racial profiling.

"There was no attempt to try to work out a peaceful solution," Marc McCoy, Willie's older brother, told the Guardian.

"The police's job is to arrest people who are breaking the law — not take the law into your own hands. You're not judge, jury and executioner ... We're never going to get over this."

McCoy's shooting follows a string of similar incidents of alleged police brutality in the US in recent years.

And this is not the first time the Vallejo Police Department has come under scrutiny following complaints of excessive force.

In 2017, a video of an officer straddling a man on the ground and punching him in the face several times prompted an uproar. Another video last year showed a Vallejo police officer repeatedly hitting a man with his flashlight as he was being restrained and handcuffed by another officer.

Vallejo police did not respond to an AFP request for comment on the McCoy case and McCoy's family could not be immediately reached.

Police in northern California is conducting a probe following outrage over the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old rapper who was found sleeping in his car outside a Taco Bell.

Police in northern California is conducting a probe following outrage over the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old rapper who was found sleeping in his car outside a Taco Bell. According to the Vallejo Police Department, the February 6 shooting took place after employees at the fast-food outlet late that evening called to report a Mercedes parked in the drive-thru line with a man slumped over in the driver's seat. In a statement, police said officers responded to the call and as they approached the locked vehicle, they noticed that the driver was unresponsive and had a gun on his lap. They added that the car's transmission was in drive. As police assessed the situation and tried to prevent the vehicle from moving forward, the statement said, things turned deadly. "The driver ... Suddenly began to move," the police report said. "The officers told the driver to keep his hands visible, however, the driver quickly reached for the handgun on his lap. "In fear for their own safety, the officers discharged their weapons at the driver." It was unclear how many bullets were fired. McCoy was pronounced dead at the scene. His family has challenged the police version of events, describing the shooting as an "execution" and a clear case of racial profiling. "There was no attempt to try to work out a peaceful solution," Marc McCoy, Willie's older brother, told the Guardian. "The police's job is to arrest people who are breaking the law — not take the law into your own hands. You're not judge, jury and executioner ... We're never going to get over this." McCoy's shooting follows a string of similar incidents of alleged police brutality in the US in recent years. And this is not the first time the Vallejo Police Department has come under scrutiny following complaints of excessive force. In 2017, a video of an officer straddling a man on the ground and punching him in the face several times prompted an uproar. Another video last year showed a Vallejo police officer repeatedly hitting a man with his flashlight as he was being restrained and handcuffed by another officer. Vallejo police did not respond to an AFP request for comment on the McCoy case and McCoy's family could not be immediately reached.

US police under scrutiny after rapper shot dead in car

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