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  • Verstappen beats Sainz to claim first Canadian Grand Prix victory

    Verstappen beats Sainz to claim first Canadian Grand Prix victory

    Max Verstappen capitalized on old tyres through a 16-lap dash to the finish to outlast Carlos Sainz Jr. and win the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday, June 19.

    The 24-year-old Dutchman, who won last weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit, commenced the weekend on a strong note by winning the pole on wet, slick conditions on Saturday. During the main event and on dry, sunny conditions on Sunday, Verstappen, who endured the event through a two-stop strategy along with a majority of competitors, spent the majority of the event battling Fernando Alonso and Sainz for the lead. He was leading by Lap 49 of 70 and appeared to have the event under his control when a Safety Car was deployed on the track due to Yuki Tsunoda wrecking in Turn 2. Despite having the field stacked up behind him for a 16-lap shootout, Verstappen’s Red Bull RB18 managed to fend off repeated attacks from Sainz’s Ferrari F1-75, which had fresher tyres, through the 14-turn circuit to emerge victorious for a second consecutive weekend and by nearly a second over Sainz.

    The victory at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was Verstappen’s first in Canada, the sixth of the 2022 Formula One season and the 26th of his career as he extended his lead in the drivers’ championship standings to 46 over teammate Sergio “Checo” Perez, who retired early in the event due to a suspected gearbox issue.

    “The Safety Car didn’t help, overall [Ferrari] were very quick,” Verstappen said. “Following is tricky around here but I could see [Sainz] pushing, charging, pushing, charging. The last few laps were very fun…Overall in the race, we seem to struggle a little more for pace compared to [Ferrari], so I think already, with the last [pit] stop I did, if it would’ve gone to the end, it would’ve been a close call, I think, to really fight him, but I was also not entirely happy with the Safety Car because he came out behind me with new tyres. I gave everything I had in those last [16] laps, which are very enjoyable with an F1 car to go flat out. The gap, I think, never really got bigger than eight-tenths, so it was a tough one. Of course, it’s a good sign [to extend the championship lead], but still a lot of races to go. A lot of things can go wrong, so we just have to keep focused and keep on doing what we’re doing, but [I] always try to look where we can improve.”

    Sainz, coming off his early retirement in Azerbaijan due to a mechanical issue that also affected his teammate Charles Leclerc, settled in the runner-up spot for the fifth time in his career, which marked his fifth podium result of the season and his 11th podium result overall as he continues his pursuit for his first F1 victory. 

    “I was pushing flat out, I wasn’t leaving any inch to the walls under braking,” Sainz, who started third and earned a bonus point for setting the fastest lap of the event, said. “I tried everything to pass Max but the positive thing is we were quicker, we were faster in the race. We were very close to winning today so I’ll take the positives…Honestly, all race, I had been quicker than [Verstappen]. For the first time this year, I felt like I was the fastest man on the track at all times, which was encouraging and it does give me confidence, but disappointed not to have gotten that first win because it was very close. I was two-, three-tenths quicker every lap, but around here, if you wanna pass, you really need to have a second six-tenths, which I didn’t have into the Red Bull today. There was no way [for a lunge] because the Red Bull is quick. It’s a quick car and doesn’t have any real weaknesses. I tried everything. I didn’t leave anything. I want my first win as much as everyone does at home, and so, you can imagine I was leaving everything out there…Everything I could, but it was just not enough, but I will keep trying.”

    In the midst of the two-car battle for the lead, Sir Lewis Hamilton claimed his second podium result of the season after finishing in third place while trailing the leaders by more than seven seconds. The podium result was the 184th overall for Hamilton and his first since finishing in third place at Bahrain International Circuit in March.

    “We’ve had such an awesome crowd, and it’s quite overwhelming to get this third place,” Hamilton, who started fourth, said. “We remain vigilant, never give up and it’s something I’m inspired by. We’re getting closer. I could just about see them [the front runners] at the end! Honestly, I’m ecstatic…Honestly, [this is] one of the best feelings of the year. To be back [on the podium], especially in Montreal where I got my first win 15 years ago. To be back up there, to feel the atmosphere from the crowd was pretty special. And then, just to kind of be in the race, to see the guys ahead and see that there’s potential, feel some of the potential of the car, that’s a real positive for us. Apart from Barcelona, I think this is the best race pace we’ve had…I’m glad I did everything I could to get ahead.”

    George Russell extended his top-five steak through the first nine consecutive events in his first season competing for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team by finishing in fourth place while Charles Leclerc, who started at the rear of the field after his Ferrari F1-75 underwent raft of power unit changes, carved his way to a fifth-place result.

    Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso, who started on the front row with Verstappen, came home in sixth and seventh followed by Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and rookie Guanyu Zhou. Alonso, however, was given a five-second penalty and demoted from seventh to ninth after he was deemed weaving to fend off Bottas during the penultimate lap. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll claimed the 10th and final points-paying result at his home track, thus recording a single point of the day for the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team.

    The first competitor to finish outside of the points was McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo followed by Sebastian Vettel, Alexander Albon, Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris, who endured an early slow pit stop from his pit crew. Nicholas Latifi, the second Canadian competitor in the event, settled in 16th followed by Kevin Magnussen, who qualified in fifth place but pitted early following an early battle with Hamilton that damaged his wing and was given the black-and-orange flat to pit, which he never recovered for points.

    Yuki Tsunoda, who started at the rear of the field due to an engine change to his AT03 and had methodically worked his way towards the top-10 points-paying results, ended up in 18th place after wrecking against the barriers in Turn 2 on Lap 49. Prior to his incident, he had just exited pit road with cold hard tyres and was carrying too much speed entering the corner when he went dead straight into the barriers.

    Mick Schumacher, who qualified in sixth place and was aiming for his first points result this season, retired in 19th place after he parked his Haas VF-22 in Turn 9 on Lap 20 due to a mechanical issue.

    Sergio “Checo” Perez was the first retiree of the event in 20th place after he pulled his Red Bull RB18 off the course in Turn 8 due to a suspected gearbox issue, an issue that spoiled Perez’s three-race result on the podium, including the Monaco Grand Prix victory.

    Results:

    1. Max Verstappen, 25 points

    2. Carlos Sainz, 19 points

    3. Lewis Hamilton, 15 points

    4. George Russell, 12 points

    5. Charles Leclerc, 10 points

    6. Esteban Ocon, eight points

    7. Valtteri Bottas, six points

    8. Guanyu Zhou, four points

    9. Fernando Alonso, two points

    10. Lance Stroll, one point

    11. Daniel Ricciardo

    12. Sebastian Vettel 

    13. Alexander Albon

    14. Pierre Gasly

    15. Lando Norris

    16. Nicholas Latifi

    17. Kevin Magnussen

    18. Yuki Tsunoda – Retired

    19. Mick Schumacher – Retired

    20. Sergio Perez – Retired

    With his victory in Canada, Max Verstappen continues to lead the drivers’ standings by 46 points over teammates Sergio Perez, 49 over Charles Leclerc, 64 over George Russell, 73 over Carlos Sainz and 98 over Lewis Hamilton. 

    In addition, Red Bull Racing RBPT continues to lead the constructors’ standings by 76 points over Ferrari, 116 over Mercedes, 239 over McLaren Mercedes, 247 over Alpine Renault and 253 over Alfa Romeo Ferrari.

    Next on the 2022 Formula One schedule is Silverstone Circuit for the British Grand Prix, which will occur on July 3.

  • Perez inks two-year contract extension with Red Bull Racing

    Perez inks two-year contract extension with Red Bull Racing

    Two days after winning the biggest event of his Formula One career, Sergio “Checo” Perez has another two reasons to celebrate after signing a two-year contract extension to remain with Oracle Red Bull Racing, a new deal that will launch in 2023.

    The 32-year-old Perez from Guadalajara, Mexico, is currently in his second full-time campaign with Oracle Red Bull Racing, where he is coming off his first victory of the 2022 Formula One season at Circuit de Monaco for the Monaco Grand Prix. To go along with Monaco victory, he has achieved three runner-up results and is currently in third place in the drivers’ championship standings, where he trails teammate Max Verstappen by 15 points.

    “For me, this has been an incredible week, winning the Monaco Grand Prix is a dream for any driver and then to follow that with announcing I will continue with the Team until 2024 just makes me extremely happy,” Perez said. “I am so proud to be a member of this Team and I feel completely at home here now. We are working very well together and my relationship with Max, on and off the track, is definitely helping drive us forward even more. We have built tremendous momentum as a Team and this season is showing that, I am excited to see where that can take us all in the future.”

    Perez joined Red Bull Racing in 2021 following a seven-year run with Racing Point that was renamed from Force India during the midway point of the 2018 F1 season. Six races with his new team, he notched his first victory of the season and the second of his F1 career at the Baku City Circuit for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix following a two-lap shootout. He went on to achieve four additional podium results, all third-place finishes, and a total of 16 top-10 points-paying results throughout the 22-race schedule before finishing in a career-best fourth place in the 2021 drivers’ championship standings.

    The 2022 season marks Perez’s 12th season in F1 competition in a career highlighted with previous starts with Sauber, McLaren and Racing Point. Making his F1 debut in 2011 with Sauber, he achieved his maiden podium result during the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit after finishing in second place behind Fernando Alonso. Eight year later, he rallied from an opening lap collision that dropped him to last place to score his maiden F1 victory at Bahrain International Circuit for the Sakhir Grand Prix. By then, he became the first Mexican competitor to win in F1 since Pedro Rodriguez won the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix and he recorded the first victory for Racing Point that has been rebranded as the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team.

    Through May 2022, Perez has achieved three career victories, one pole, 19 podium results, 165 laps led, an average-finishing result of 9.7 and 1,006 points in 220 career starts in Formula One. His three victories make him the most successful Mexican competitor in F1 competition.

    “Since joining Oracle Red Bull Racing, Checo has done a fantastic job,” Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, said. “Time and again he has proved himself to not only be a magnificent team player but as his level of comfort has grown he has become a real force to be reckoned with at the sharp end of the grid. This year he has taken another step and the gap to World Champion Max has closed significantly, evidenced by his superb pole position in Jeddah earlier this year and by his wonderful win in Monaco just last weekend. For us, holding onto his pace, race craft and experience was a no-brainer and we are delighted that Checo will continue to race for the team until 2024. In partnership with Max we believe we have a driver pairing that can bring us the biggest prizes in F1.”

    Perez’s extension with Red Bull Racing finalizes the team’s driver lineup for the next few seasons, with Verstappen, the reigning Formula One champion, inking a five-year contract extension in March to remain with Red Bull through 2028.

    With their futures set, both Perez and Verstappen set their focus for the next scheduled Formula One event at the Baku City Circuit for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which will occur on June 12.

  • Perez capitalizes for first Monaco Grand Prix victory

    Perez capitalizes for first Monaco Grand Prix victory

    In a season filled with trials, challenges and late misfortunes, Sergio “Checo” Perez capitalized through two rain delays and a well-executed pit strategy to earn his redemption after winning the rain-shortened Monaco Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco on Sunday, May 29.

    The 32-year-old Perez from Guadalajara, Mexico, rolled off the grid in third place and with an intact Red Bull RB18 despite wrecking his car during Saturday’s qualifying session with Carlos Sainz. With the event red-flagged due to steady precipitation, the event commenced under a cautious pace before rolling under way on the third lap. In the early stages of the event, Perez raced in the top five while Leclerc dominated at his home track. 

    Then on Lap 18, Leclerc pitted before Perez pitted on Lap 23. This allowed Perez to cycle his way into the lead ahead of Sainz and Verstappen, who pitted during the same lap as Perez, while Leclerc was mired back in fourth place. Once the event was thrown under caution due to Mick Schumacher wrecking on Lap 27 in the Swimming Pool corner, which ripped the rear end of Schumacher’s Haas VF-22, the field was then brought back to pit road on Lap 30 to give the safety workers time to repair the barriers. 

    Once the event restarted on Lap 33 following another delay, Perez retained the lead ahead of teammate Verstappen and the two Ferraris, including Sainz. By then, the event was placed under a two-hour clock schedule for completion. Despite being challenged by Sainz in the final minutes of the scheduled clock, Perez was able to maintain the advantage and claim the checkered flag on Lap 64, 13 laps shy of the scheduled distance, for the win.

    With the victory, Perez notched his third career win in Formula One, thus becoming the most successful Mexican competitor in F1 competition. He also notched his first victory at Monaco and his first Grand Prix victory since winning at Azerbaijan’s Baku City Circuit in June 2021.

    “It’s a dream come true, as a driver you dream of winning here,” Perez said. “After your home race, there is no more special weekend. With the graining, to not make any mistakes, to keep Carlos behind was not easy. It’s a massive day for myself and my country.”

    “When we saw the rain coming, we knew that it was all important to make sure we delivered the race with no mistake and that was critical today for us as a team, as a group, to deliver the results that we did,” Perez added. “It was just extremely special.”

    Sainz, who made a bold save on Lap 24 and was challenging Perez for his first win in F1 while having issues finding a way to overtake Perez’s Red Bull RB18, finished in second place for the second time of this year, the second time in a row at Monaco and the fourth time of his career. 

    “It was, it was, we did everything we had to, my out-lap stuck behind a lapped car cost me the race win,” Sainz added. “You can understand my frustration, it’s how sport is sometimes. Checo was unlucky in Jeddah, today he drove a great race…I think we did all the right choices.”

    Verstappen backed up his recent victories at Iola, Miami and Spain by finishing in third place for his fifth podium result of the season a year after winning the Monaco Grand Prix, thus placing both Red Bull Racing competitors on the podium.

    “I think today as a team, we did a really good job in terms of executing that strategy,” Verstappen said. “That basically guided Checo [Perez] to the win and got myself on the podium. I’m pleased with that. If you would’ve told me yesterday that I would finish in front of Charles [Leclerc], I would’ve told you you’re crazy. That was an incredible team effort.”

    Leclerc, who led the first 17 laps and was bitter with the pit call, settled in a disappointing fourth place at his home track followed by Mercedes’ George Russell. Lando Norris, who set the fastest lap of the event, came home in sixth place followed by Fernando Alonso, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Vallteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel.

    The first competitor to finish outside of the top-10 points-paying results was Pierre Gasly followed by Esteban Ocon, who crossed the finish line in ninth place but was given a five-second time penalty due to an on-track collision earlier in the event with Hamilton.

    Daniel Ricciardo settled in 13th followed by Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi and Guanyu Zhou while Yuki Tsunoda fell back to 17th after he went off the track twice in the closing minutes of the event. Alexander Albon retired in 18th place due to a mechanical issue.

    Following his vicious wreck on Lap 27, Mick Schumacher ended up in 19th place while teammate Kevin Magnussen retired due to a reliability issue.

    Results:

    1. Sergio Perez, 25 points

    2. Carlos Sainz, 18 points

    3. Max Verstappen, 15 points

    4. Charles Leclerc, 12 points

    5. George Russell, 10 points

    6. Lando Norris, nine points

    7. Fernando Alonso, six points

    8. Lewis Hamilton, four points

    9. Valtteri Bottas, two points

    10. Sebastian Vettel, one point

    11. Pierre Gasly

    12. Esteban Ocon

    13. Daniel Ricciardo

    14. Lance Stroll

    15. Nicholas Latifi, +1 lap

    16. Guanyu Zhou, +1 lap

    17. Yuki Tsunoda, +1 lap

    18. Alexander Albon – OUT, Retired

    19. Mick Schumacher – OUT, Retired

    20. Kevin Magnussen – OUT, Retired

    With his third-place result, Max Verstappen continues to lead the driver’s standings by nine points over Charles Leclerc, 15 over teammate Sergio Perez, 41 over George Russell, 42 over Carlos Sainz, 75 over Sir Lewis Hamilton and 77 over Lando Norris. 

    In addition, Red Bull Racing RBPT continues to lead the constructors’ standings by 36 points over Ferrari, 101 over Mercedes, 176 over McLaren Mercedes, 194 over Alfa Romeo Ferrari and 195 over Alpine Renault.

    Next on the 2022 Formula One schedule is Baku City Circuit for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which will occur on June 12.

  • Verstappen assumes championship lead with Spanish Grand Prix victory

    Verstappen assumes championship lead with Spanish Grand Prix victory

    Making another emphatic statement in his quest to defend his world championship, Max Verstappen completed a late overtake on teammate Sergio “Checo” Perez before sprinting away to win the Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday, May 22.

    The 24-year-old Dutchman driving for Oracle Red Bull Racing rallied from a rocky start early in the event, where he got loose and slipped into the gravel trap in Turn 4 while running in second place on the ninth lap. Through pit strategy, Verstappen, who led seven laps midway into the event, spent the majority of the event battling against Mercedes’ George Russell and teammate Sergio “Checo” Perez towards the front. After making his final pit stop on Lap 45 to remain ahead of Russell in the runner-up spot behind Perez, the latter, under team orders, was told to let his teammate overtake him, which he did on Lap 49. From there, Verstappen, who led a total of 24 of 66 laps, muscled away to claim the victory by more than 13 seconds over teammate Perez.

    The victory at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya marked Verstappen’s second career win in the Spanish Grand Prix since 2016, where he claimed his maiden F1 victory in his first event driving for Red Bull Racing. It also marked his fourth victory of the season and the 24th of his Grand Prix career. With initial points leader Charles Leclerc retiring in last place due to a turbo issue, Verstappen emerged with the lead in the drivers’ championship standings for the first time this season.

    “It was a tricky one,” Verstappen said. “I don’t know why I went off on Turn 4. I braked at the same point and suddenly, I just completely lost the rear [tyres]…Nothing, really, was lost because I was fighting with George [Russell]. My DRS stopped working. That was very frustrating at the time. I was very upset, but at that point, you have to try to live with it. I tried to do the best I could. We opted to go with a different route with the strategy and I think that also made us win today because once I was in clean air, I could do my own lap times again and I could actually pull a big gap on the cars around me. That was very positive. We have to be realistic. Without Charles’ retirement, he probably would have won the race. We are lacking in bit of pace, so we have to make that we keep on working to try and improve the car.”

    Despite expressing his frustration over the team’s order to, Perez, who pitted for a final time for soft tyres on Lap 54, managed to claim an extra bonus point for logging in the fastest lap of the event as he finished in second place for the third time this season. With that, Oracle Red Bull Racing managed to claim its second 1-2 finish of the season.

    “It’s a difficult one to digest,” Perez, who led 12 laps, said. “It turned out to be that the three stop [strategy] was a better strategy. I think I didn’t have a very optimize two stop [strategy]. At the end of the day, it’s a great team result…I’m definitely here to win. I think if I was on the three stop [strategy], I should have won the race.”

    After spending the majority of the event battling against Verstappen, George Russell, who led four laps, completed the podium in third place for his second podium result in his first campaign with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

    “We’re not back just yet, but we’re definitely on the right path,” Russell said. “It’s been six races worth of problem solving. We finally found the solutions to our problems and now, we can focus on brining more performance. This is the start of our season. I don’t think we’ll make any major strides for next week, but I think we will do in the coming races.”

    Carlos Sainz rallied from spinning on the seventh lap to come home in fourth place in front of Sir Lewis Hamilton, who backed out of the throttle due to late overheating issues.

    Valtteri Bottas finished in sixth place for his fifth points-paying result in his first campaign with Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen followed by Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda.

    The first competitor to finish outside of the top-10 points-paying results was Sebastian Vettel followed by Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Mick Schumacher and Lance Stroll.

    Nicholas Latifi settled in 16th place, two laps behind the leaders, followed by Kevin Magnussen, whose strong start in the top 10 was spoiled by an opening lap collision with Hamilton that damaged his Haas VF-22. Alexander Albon, Latifi’s teammate at Williams Racing, ended up in 18th place after being hit with a five-second track limits penalty.

    Rookie Guanyu Zhou suffered his second consecutive DNF of the season after retiring in 19th place nearing the halfway mark of the event.

    Charles Leclerc, the championship leader who started on pole position, led the first 26 laps before falling off the pace and retiring in last place due to a turbo issue to his Ferrari F1-75.

    Results:

    1. Max Verstappen, 25 points

    2. Sergio Perez, 19 points

    3. George Russell, 15 points

    4. Carlos Sainz, 12 points

    5. Lewis Hamilton, 10 points

    6. Valtteri Bottas, eight points

    7. Esteban Ocon, six points

    8. Lando Norris, four points

    9. Fernando Alonso, two points, +1 lap

    10. Yuki Tsunoda, one point, +1 lap

    11. Sebastian Vettel, +1 lap

    12. Daniel Ricciardo, +1 lap

    13. Pierre Gasly, +1 lap

    14. Mick Schumacher, +1 lap

    15. Lance Stroll, +1 lap

    16. Nicholas Latifi, +2 laps

    17. Kevin Magnussen, +2 laps

    18. Alexander Albon, +2 laps

    19. Guanyu Zhou – OUT, Retired

    20. Charles Leclerc – OUT, Retired, 26 laps led

    With his victory, Max Verstappen leads the drivers’ standings by six points over Charles Leclerc, 25 over teammate Sergio Perez, 36 over George Russell, 45 over Carlos Sainz and 64 over Sir Lewis Hamilton. 

    Currently, Red Bull Racing RBPT leads the constructors’ standings by 26 points over Ferrari, 75 over Mercedes, 145 over McLaren Mercedes, 156 over Alfa Romeo Ferrari and 161 over Alpine Renault.

    Next on the 2022 Formula One schedule is Circuit de Monaco for the Monaco Grand Prix, which will occur on May 29.

  • Verstappen fends off Leclerc to win inaugural Miami Grand Prix

    Verstappen fends off Leclerc to win inaugural Miami Grand Prix

    Max Verstappen took another swing towards Charles Leclerc’s advantage in the drivers’ standings after fending off Leclerc during an 11-lap shootout to win the inaugural Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome on Sunday, May 8.

    The 24-year-old Dutchman, who qualified in third place behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, muscled his Red Bull Racing RB18 past Leclerc’s Ferrari F1-75 for the lead on Lap 9 of 57. From there, he made a one-stop pit strategy on Lap 26 work to his advantage as he led the remainder of the event. Despite the field being bunched for an 11-lap shootout following a Lap 41 on-track incident involving Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris, Verstappen managed to fend off Leclerc around the newly-designed 19-turn circuit around Hard Rock Stadium to etch his name as the first Formula One winner in Miami.

    The Miami victory marked Verstappen’s second consecutive victory in recent weeks after winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola Circuit in late April. It also marked his second F1 victory in the United States after he won the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, last October. By winning for the third time in 2022 and for the 23rd time of his Grand Prix career, Verstappen, driving for Red Bull Racing, trails Leclerc and Ferrari by 15 points in the drivers’ standings in his pursuit to defend his world championship.

    “It was an incredible Grand Prix,” Verstappen said. “Very physical as well, but I think we kept it exciting until the end. I’m incredibly happy with winning here at Miami. It was an incredible Sunday for us. A race like this is incredibly satisfying. I really think we had good pace on the medium tyre. That basically made the race because that’s where I opened up my gap because once we got on the hard tyres, we were very evenly matched. We were always trading lap times. Of course, I was not very happy that the safety car came out, but of course, these things happen at the end. You cannot do anything about it…It’s been really good. We’re closing the gap [in the championship standings]. Just a shame of our retirements [at Bahrain and Australia]. I could’ve been a lot better already in the championship, but we’ll keep hunting.”

    Leclerc, who qualified on pole position on Saturday and led the first nine events of the event, settled in second place for the second time this season.

    “It was a very difficult race physically,” Leclerc said. “We struggled quite a bit with the medium tyres, especially in the first stint and got overtaken. [Verstappen] made our race a bit more difficult from that moment onwards. On the hard [tyres], we were very competitive and towards the end, I thought I could get Max at one point, but today, they had the advantage in terms of pace. It was fun…We need to keep pushing. Upgrades will be very important throughout the year and I hope now we can do a step up from next race onwards. It’s been tight since the beginning of the season and that’s what we like to see.”

    Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz rallied from sustaining back-to-back DNFs during the previous two Grand Prix events and from wrecking during Friday’s practice session by fending off Sergio “Checo” Perez for third place as he grabbed his third podium result of the season and the ninth of his career. Sainz’s result marked the third time this season where both Ferrari competitors stood on the podium at the conclusion of a Grand Prix event. Perez, who dealt with power issues throughout the event and who locked up his tyres on Lap 52 while trying to pass Sainz, settled in fourth place.

    “I had to manage it and I fought through it, especially with Checo [Perez] at the end on the medium tyre,” Sainz said. “It was very difficult to get behind, but we managed to keep the podium, which is a decent result. It wasn’t easy at all. It’s been a tough race with the tyres. The car was sliding a lot. At the end, we got what we deserved. We just had a decent P3 and we can built it up from here. I want more, but it’s not bad.”

    Finishing behind both Red Bull and Ferrari competitors were the Mercedes’ competitors of George Russell and Sir Lewis Hamilton, with Russell extending his string of top-five results through the first five scheduled Grand Prix events and in his first full-time season with the Silver Arrow team. Russell’s top-five result occurred after he managed to overtake teammate Hamilton on Lap 54.

    Valtteri Bottas, who was running in the top five throughout the event until he went wide in Turn 17, fell back to seventh place for his fourth result in the points as an Alfa Romeo competitor through the first five events. Alpine’s Fernando Alonso crossed the finish line in eighth place, but was penalized five seconds for making late contact with Pierre Gasly as he was demoted to 10th place. This elevated teammate Esteban Ocon, who also rallied from wrecking during Friday’s practice session and starting at the rear of the field when he did not post a qualifying time on Saturday, to eighth place. Meanwhile, Alexander Albon benefitted from the late 11-lap shootout and a series of carnages ensuing around him to finish in ninth place and collect a couple of points for Williams Racing.

    The first competitor who finished outside of the top-10 points-paying results was McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo followed by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda and Williams Racing’s Nicholas Latifi.

    Mick Schumacher, who was in position to record his first points of the season during the 10-lap shootout, fell back to 15th place after making late contact against Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, which sent Vettel airborne while Schumacher damaged the front wing of his Haas VF-22. Vettel, who started the event in pit lane along with teammate Lance Stroll due to fuel temperature issues, retired in 17th place.

    Kevin Magnussen, Schumacher’s teammate at Haas who was running outside of the top 10 in the closing laps, retired in 16th place on the final lap after making late on-track contact with Stroll.

    Lando Norris retired in 19th place after spinning and making contact with the barriers between Turns 8 and 9 following contact with Gasly’s AlphaTauri AT03 on Lap 40, which punctured Norris’ right-rear tyre drew a safety car on the track. Meanwhile, Gasly would also retire in 18th place prior to the 11-lap shootout and following his share of on-track contacts.

    Rookie Guanyu Zhou retired in 20th place, dead last, due to an early technical issue to his Alfa Romeo C42.

    Results:

    1. Max Verstappen, 26 points

    2. Charles Leclerc, 18 points

    3. Carlos Sainz, 15 points

    4. Sergio Perez, 12 points

    5. George Russell, 10 points

    6. Lewis Hamilton, eight points

    7. Valtteri Bottas, six points

    8. Esteban Ocon, four points

    9. Alexander Albon, two points

    10. Fernando Alonso, one point

    11. Daniel Ricciardo

    12. Lance Stroll

    13. Yuki Tsunoda

    14. Nicholas Latifi

    15. Mick Schumacher

    16. Kevin Magnussen, +1 lap

    17. Sebastian Vettel, +3 laps

    18. Pierre Gasly – Retired

    19. Lando Norris – Retired

    20. Guanyu Zhou – Retired

    With his runner-up result, Charles Leclerc continues to lead the drivers’ standings by 19 points over Max Verstappen, 38 over Sergio Perez, 45 over George Russell, 51 over Carlos Sainz and 68 over Lewis Hamilton.

    In addition, Ferrari continues to lead the constructors’ standings by six points over Red Bull Racing RBPT, 62 over Mercedes, 111 over McLaren Mercedes, 126 over Alfa Romeo Ferrari and 129 over Alpine Renault.

    Next on the 2022 Formula One schedule is Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix, which will occur on May 22.

  • Verstappen seals a dominant 1-2 victory for Red Bull Racing in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

    Verstappen seals a dominant 1-2 victory for Red Bull Racing in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

    Following his late retirement in Melbourne, Max Verstappen responded back with vengeance once again after grabbing a dominating victory in the third annual running of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola Circuit on Sunday, April 24.

    The 24-year-old Dutchman started the weekend by taking care of business by winning the spring qualifying event on Saturday and claiming the pole position over points leader Charles Leclerc. From there, Verstappen outlasted the wet conditions to lead all 63 laps and claim the checkered flag by more than 16 seconds over teammate Sergio “Checo” Perez, thus sealing a 1-2 victory for Oracle Red Bull Racing. 

    The victory at Imola marked Verstappen’s second consecutive win at the circuit, the second of the 2022 season and the 22nd career victory for the Dutchman in his early quest to defend his world championship. By earning a total of 34 points for winning his sprint qualifying event and the overall event, Verstappen now trails points leader Charles Leclerc by 27 points.

    “Coming into the weekend, of course, I didn’t expect something like this,” Verstappen said. “As a team, I think we executed everything very well. That’s always hard to do. Yeah, very pleased. Of course, to score the maximum amount of points. Also had the whole race win from the start. To the right calls with the tyres and also one-two [finish] at the end. Super happy. A lot of points scored. We also needed the points, so we looked like we were a bit more back on track. We have to try and keep this going…We can enjoy this Sunday for now.”

    The runner-up result for Perez marked his second consecutive runner-up result and podium result of the season as he now trails the lead in the drivers’ standings by 32 points.

    “It was a good result,” Perez said. “I think the rule number one of this conditions is to finish. It was so easy to make a mistake throughout the race. Going into the slick tyre, the warm-up phase and so on. That was going to be difficult, but it was great to get that victory [for Red Bull]…I think, given the start of the season we’ve had, it’s a great result for everyone back home.”

    Meanwhile, Lando Norris benefitted from a late spin involving points leader Charles Leclerc to snatch the final podium result by finishing in third place. The result marked the second consecutive season where Norris achieved a podium result at Imola as he also achieved the first F1 podium result of the season for the McLaren F1 Team. 

    “I think we won a lot in the start,” Norris said. “I had a perfect start, honestly. Probably the best one I’ve had in the wet. That put me ahead of the carnage. We won a lot in the beginning and we just had really good pace throughout. Not as amazing as the guys ahead, but I just managed it like I needed to do ahead of George [Russell] and that’s the way I needed to do. It was good. Fourth would’ve been amazing, but to be P3, to make the most of Charles’ mistake was just the icing on the cake on the pretty amazing weekend we’ve had so far. Super happy.”

    George Russell came home in fourth place followed by Valtteri Bottas, who notched his first top-five result with Alfa Romeo Racing. 

    Charles Leclerc, who was poised for a podium spot until he spun on Lap 53, settled for sixth place while Yuki Tsunoda, Sebastian Vettel, Kevin Magnussen and Lance Stroll finished in the top 10. The top-10 results for Vettel and Stroll recorded the first five points of the season for Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team.

    Alexander Albon settled in 11th followed by Pierre Gasly and Sir Lewis Hamilton, who qualified 14th and was never in contention for the win. Esteban Ocon and rookie Guanyu Zhou finished in the top 15 while Mick Schumacher and Daniel Ricciardo were the last two competitors to finish.

    Fernando Alonso retired in 19th place due to a sidepod damage to his Alpine A522. 

    Carlos Sainz Jr., coming off a two-year contract extension with Ferrari, ended up in 20th place, dead last, for a second consecutive event after being involved in an opening lap collision with Ricciardo.

    Results:

    1. Max Verstappen, 34 points

    2. Sergio Perez, 24 points

    3. Lando Norris, 19 points

    4. George Russell, 12 points

    5. Valtteri Bottas, 12 points

    6. Charles Leclerc, 15 points

    7. Yuki Tsunoda, six points

    8. Sebastian Vettel, four points

    9. Kevin Magnussen, three points

    10. Lance Stroll, +1 lap, one point

    11. Alexander Albon, +1 lap

    12. Pierre Gasly, +1 lap

    13. Lewis Hamilton, +1 lap

    14. Esteban Ocon, +1 lap

    15. Guanyu Zhou, +1 lap

    16. Nicholas Latifi, +1 lap

    17. Mick Schumacher, +1 lap

    18. Daniel Ricciardo, +1 lap, three points

    19. Fernando Alonso – Retired

    20. Carlos Sainz Jr. – Retired, five points

    Despite finishing in sixth place, Charles Leclerc continues to lead the drivers’ standings by 27 points over Max Verstappen, 32 over Sergio Perez, 37 over George Russell, 48 over Carlos Sainz Jr. and 51 over Lando Norris. 

    In addition, Ferrari continues to lead the constructors’ standings by 11 points over Red Bull Racing RBPT, 47 over Mercedes, 78 over McLaren Mercedes, 99 over Alfa Romeo Ferrari and 102 over Alpine Renault.

    Next on the 2022 Formula One schedule is the inaugural running of the Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, which will occur on May 8.

  • Sainz inks two-year F1 contract extension with Ferrari

    Sainz inks two-year F1 contract extension with Ferrari

    Scuderia Ferrari announced that Carlos Sainz Jr. has inked a two-year contract extension to continue to drive for the championship-winning organization through the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship season.

    The news comes as the 27-year-old Sainz from Madrid, Spain, is off to a strong start in his second season with Ferrari, where he has notched two podiums during the first three F1 events this season: a runner-up result at Bahrain and a third-place finish at Saudi Arabia in March. He is currently ranked in third place in the drivers’ standings.

    “I am very happy to have renewed my contract with Scuderia Ferrari, Sainz said. “I have always said that there is no better Formula 1 team to race for and after over a year with them, I can confirm that putting on this race suit and representing this team is unique and incomparable. My first season at Maranello was solid and constructive, with the whole group progressing together. The result of all that work has been clear to see so far season.”

    Sainz is currently campaigning in his eighth full-time season in Formula One that includes previous season starts with Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren prior to Ferrari. During his first season with Ferrari in 2021, he notched a career-best runner-up result during the Monaco Grand Prix in May, a total of four podiums and 20 top-10 points-paying results as he finished in a career-best fifth place in the final standings.

    Through 143 career starts in Formula One, Sainz has achieved a total of eight podiums, 570 points and an average-finishing result of 10.3.

    “I feel strengthened by this renewed show of confidence in me and now I can’t wait to get in the car, to do my best for Ferrari and to give its fans plenty to cheer about,” Sainz added. “The F1-75 is proving to be a front-runner, which can allow me to chase my goals on track, starting with taking my first Formula 1 win.”

    The decision for Ferrari to retain Sainz means that he will remain as a teammate to Charles Leclerc, the current championship leader who has won two of the first three events this season at Bahrain and Australia. Leclerc is currently competing with a Ferrari contract that also runs through 2024.

    “I have said several times that I believe we have the best driver pairing in Formula 1 and so, with every passing race, it seemed a completely natural step to extend Carlos’ contract, thus ensuring stability and continuity,” Mattia Binotto, Team Principal & Managing Director of Ferrari, said. “In his time so far with the team, he has proved to have the talent we expected from him, delivering impressive results and making the most of all opportunities. Outside the car, he is a hard worker with an eye for the smallest detail, which has helped the whole group to improve and progress. Together, we can aim for ambitious targets and I’m sure that, along with Charles, he can play a significant part in fuelling the Ferrari legend and will write new chapters in the history of our team.”

    With his new, extended contract official, Sainz is set to proceed towards his quests of winning his maiden Grand Prix event and World Championship title by competing at Imola Circuit on Sunday, April 24, for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

  • Leclerc dominates for second F1 victory of 2022 in the Australian Grand Prix

    Leclerc dominates for second F1 victory of 2022 in the Australian Grand Prix

    Charles Leclerc made another statement in his bid to win the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship after grabbing a dominant victory in the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit on Sunday, April 10, from pole position. 

    The 24-year-old Monegasque dominated from pole position despite being pressured by Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen from the start. When Verstappen fell out of the event due to a late mechanical issue, the race was all but wrapped up for Leclerc, who proceeded, defended his top spot through a number of safety car periods and cruised to the win over his rivals while also establishing the fastest lap of the event, thus claiming a single bonus point with the victory.

    The Australia victory marked Leclerc’s fourth Grand Prix career win in his 83rd F1 start and the second of the season as he extended his championship lead in the drivers’ standings from 12 to 34.

    “In Formula One, it’s the first [race] where we control a little bit the gap,” Leclerc said. “What a car today. I did a great job all weekend, but it was not possible without the car. This weekend, especially the race pace, we were extremely strong. The tyres felt great from the first lap to the last lap. We were managing the tyre really well. I’m just so happy. Incredible to win here. We are only at the third race, so it is difficult to think about the championship but we have a very strong car, a reliable car too. For now, we’ve always been there. Hopefully, it continues like this. If it does, we probably have chances for the championship. It’s great to be back in this position.

    Finishing in second place and more than 20 seconds behind Leclerc was Sergio “Checo” Perez, who notched his maiden podium result of the season after having potential podium results in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia evaporated.

    “[The start] was a bit tricky,” Perez said. “Getting my position, Lewis overtook me on the inside, he braked really late and had a really good Turn 1. My first stint was very poor in terms of degradation. We struggled quite a lot, but the hard, the Safety Car – we were unlucky where he lost two positions, which we recovered late there. It was a great result…Looking forward, we’ve been a bit unlucky the first two races.” 

    Settling in the third and final podium spot was George Russell, who fended off teammate Sir Lewis Hamilton to claim his second career podium result and first while driving for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.

    “We got to be in it to win it,” Russell said. “[We] Capitalized from other’s misfortunes. We got a little bit lucky today twice, but we’ll take it. There’s so much hard work going on to get us back to the front. To be standing on the podium, it’s special. We are never going to give up. We got to keep on fighting. We were a long way behind and yet here we are, on the podium. I think it’s gonna take some time until we can fight with these boys in red [Ferrari] and blue [Red Bull].  They look pretty exceptional at the moment, but it anyone can [fight them], Mercedes can.”

    McLaren’s Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo came home in fifth and sixth followed by Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly settled in eighth place followed by Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and William Racing’s Alexander Albon, who pitted for fresh tyres on the final lap to retain 10th place for a full circuit and record the first point of the season for himself and for Williams Racing.

    The first competitor to finish outside of the points was rookie Guanyu Zhou followed by Lance Stroll, who received a five-second time penalty for weaving earlier on the track to remain ahead of Bottas. Haas teammates Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen finished 13th and 14th, leaving Haas with no recorded points for the day, followed by AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda. Nicholas Latifi, the second driver for Williams Racing, finished 16th followed by Fernando Alonso, whose opportunity to finish in the points evaporated late after he pitted for fresh tyres while being shuffled towards the rear of the field, an issue that also affected Magnussen’s run in the top 10.

    Following a dramatic victory in Saudi Arabia in late March, Max Verstappen suffered his second DNF through the first three scheduled events of 2022 after retiring on Lap 39 due to the engine on his RB18 catching on fire, where he was forced to park in Turn 2.

    Sebastian Vettel, who was making his first start of the 2022 season after being sidelined for the first two events due to COVID-19, retired on Lap 24 after he got loose and spun in Turn 4 before making contact with the wall and ripping off the front wing of his Aston Martin AMR22

    Coming off back-to-back podiums, Carlos Sainz Jr. retired in 20th place, dead last, after he lost his Ferrari F1-75 in Turn 9 on the second lap, where he then cut across the grass, slid off into the gravel and got stuck in the gravel as he was unable to continue despite being dodged by the field.

    Results:

    1. Charles Leclerc, 26 points

    2. Sergio Perez, 18 points

    3. George Russell, 15 points

    4. Lewis Hamilton, 12 points

    5. Lando Norris, 10 points

    6. Daniel Ricciardo, eight points

    7. Esteban Ocon, six points

    8. Valtteri Bottas, four points

    9. Pierre Gasly, two points

    10. Alexander Albon, one point

    11. Guanyu Zhou

    12. Lance Stroll

    13. Mick Schumacher, +1

    14. Kevin Magnussen, +1

    15. Yuki Tsunoda, +1

    16. Nicholas Latifi, +1

    17. Fernando Alonso, +1

    18. Max Verstappen – Retired

    19. Sebastian Vettel – Retired

    20. Carlos Sainz – Retired

    Following the third event of the 2022 F1 season, Charles Leclerc continues to lead the drivers’ standings by 34 points over George Russell, 38 over Carlos Sainz Jr., 41 over Sergio Perez, 43 over Lewis Hamilton and 46 points over Max Verstappen.

    In addition, Ferrari continues to lead the constructors’ standings by 39 points over Mercedes, 49 over Red Bull Racing RBPT, 80 over McLaren Mercedes and 82 over Alpine Renault.

    Next on the 2022 Formula One schedule is Imola Circuit for the third annual Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which will occur on April 24.

  • Verstappen strikes back with a late victory in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

    Verstappen strikes back with a late victory in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

    Following a late mechanical retirement in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir, Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing struck back with vengeance and an early championship statement after claiming a late victory in the second annual Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Sunday, March 27.

    The reigning Formula One champion, who qualified in fourth place and raced towards the front for the entire event, battled and overtook Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on Lap 46 of 50 before proceeding to fend off the Monégasque over the final five laps to win by half a second under a safety car virtual caution and claim the first victory of the 2022 season for the Dutchman and Red Bull Racing.

    The victory was Verstappen’s 21st overall in Formula One competition and the first since winning the 2021 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit, where he claimed his maiden F1 title.

    “[The battle] was a tough one,” Verstappen said. “It’s not easy, especially in the beginning. To follow was quite difficult. It was very easy to open up the tyre and then you have no performance anymore, but I think once we swapped to the hard tyre, it went well. I think we played the long game on the tyres, especially after the last VSC [Virtual Safety Car period]. We had good tyre grip. We could make the most from that. Yeah, tough battle. I really enjoyed it with Charles. It’s not easy to get past him. At the end, we did it. We can be very proud. I’m sure [me and Perez] have plenty of races to make up for that. Patience is always key, especially when you want to fight for the championship. You have to fight hard, but of course, I think you need to score some good points. That’s what we did today. We raced hard, but of course, we also want to score the points. ”

    “Great racing between all the drivers, but particularly, Max and Charles again,” Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, added. “They did it last week in Bahrain. This weekend, more overtaking, more great close racing. A great motor race. You can see that they’re both great racers. That was absolute quality from two of the best guys out there. It was an enjoyable race. These cars, it does feel like you can follow a bit closer. The overtaking is a bit more possible. Max, he just played it cool, he waited for his moment and then, he struck and he made it stick. The season is very long. We need to be consistent. Today maybe, Red Bull was a tiny bit stronger, but we brought both cars home in good places. Good points for the team.”

    Leclerc, who notched a dominant victory at Bahrain a week ago, settled in second place after leading a race-high 30 of 50 laps. Despite falling one position short of the victory, Leclerc continues to lead the drivers’ standings over teammate Carlos Sainz Jr., who grabbed his second consecutive podium result in third place.

    “I really enjoyed [the battle with Verstappen], but obviously, disappointed with a second place,” Leclerc said. “We’ve been leading for the big part of the race and then to lose the lead at the end, it’s a shame, but it’s like this. We took a bit of a different approach this weekend with a bit more downforce compared to Max and Red Bull in general. It was extremely difficult for me to defend with the straight line speed they had. It’s like this, but it’s the way it is and now we need to keep working and hopefully, do a step forward in Melbourne.”

    Meanwhile, Sainz settled in third place for his eighth career podium in F1 competition as he was eight seconds behind the two leaders.

    “[It was] A better feeling with the car than in Bahrain,” Sainz said. “I think I did a step forward in the right direction. I also know exactly where I’m lacking and where I need to improve with the car. Apart from that, I think we are gonna get there. While I’m not feeling 100%, I’m still getting good points, finishing in the podiums. It’s coming. As soon as I put a car a bit more to my liking and I adapt a bit to my driving, I think [a win] will come and we are gonna be in a strong place.”

    Perez, who became the first Mexican competitor to start on pole position after claiming the top qualifying spot on Saturday and who led the first 14 laps before losing the lead during the first virtual safety car period for Latifi’s accident, settled in a disappointing fourth place with a potential podium and victory evaporating from his grasp while George Russell claimed his second consecutive top-five result of the season in fifth place.

    Esteban Ocon claimed sixth place in front of Lando Norris, who managed to secure the first points of the season for the McLaren F1 Team. Pierre Gasly, who finished dead last at Bahrain, came home in eighth place in front of Kevin Magnussen, who earned points in his first two events since reuniting to Formula One and with Haas.

    Meanwhile, Sir Lewis Hamilton, who qualified in 15th place but methodically carved his way into the top 10, settled in 10th place and collected a single point during the event after making a late pit stop following the second virtual safety car period.

    The first competitor to finish outside of the points was rookie Guanyu Zhou, who received two different penalties during the main event: the first for cutting a corner following an early battle with Albon and the second for failing to serve the penalty while pitting. Nico Hülkenberg, who filled in as an interim competitor for Sebastian Vettel and the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team, finished 12th. Teammate Lance Stroll ended up in 13th place, the only competitor to finish a lap behind the leaders, after he was involved in a late on-track collision with Alexander Albon, who was unable to finish late in 14th place.

    Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo all retired in 15th, 16th and 17th due to mechanical issues along with 18th-place finisher Nicholas Latifi, who wrecked and retired on Lap 16.

    Prior to the event, there were two competitors who did not participate in the Grand Prix. The first was Yuki Tsunoda, who stalled his AlphaTauri during the formation lap and retired due to a suspected drivetrain issue. The second was Mick Schumacher, who was involved in a vicious accident during his qualifying session on Saturday and was flown to a local hospital, where he was evaluated without any serious injuries but resulted with Haas electing to field one car for Magnussen for the main event. 

    Results:

    1. Max Verstappen, 25 points

    2. Charles Leclerc, 19 points

    3. Carlos Sainz Jr., 15 points

    4. Sergio Perez, 12 points

    5. George Russell, 10 points

    6. Esteban Ocon, eight points

    7. Lando Norris, six points

    8. Pierre Gasly, four points

    9. Kevin Magnussen, two points

    10. Lewis Hamilton, one point

    11. Guanyu Zhou

    12. Nico Hülkenberg

    13. Lance Stroll, +1 lap

    14. Alexander Albon – Retired

    15. Valtteri Bottas – Retired

    16. Fernando Alonso – Retired

    17. Daniel Ricciardo – Retired

    18. Nicholas Latifi – Retired

    19. Yuki Tsunoda – Retired

    Following the second event of the 2022 F1 season, Charles Leclerc continues to lead the drivers’ standings by 12 points over teammate Carlos Sainz Jr., 20 over Max Verstappen, 23 over George Russell, 29 over Lewis Hamilton and 31 over Esteban Ocon. 

    Ferrari continues to lead the constructors’ standings by 40 points over Mercedes, 39 over Red Bull Racing RBPT, 62 over Alpine Renault and 66 over Haas Ferrari.

    Next on the 2022 Formula One schedule is the return of the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Australia, which will occur on April 10.

  • Verstappen inks long-term contract extension with Red Bull Racing

    Verstappen inks long-term contract extension with Red Bull Racing

    The reigning Formula One world champion Max Verstappen has signed a new long-term contract extension to remain with the Oracle Red Bull Racing team through the 2028 F1 season, a deal that will commence following his initial contract that spans through 2023.

    The 24-year-old Verstappen, who competes under the Dutch flag, is coming off his finest season to date, where he claimed 10 Grand Prix victories and won his maiden Formula One World Championship following a year-long battle and final lap duel with seven-time champion Sir Lewis Hamilton in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit in December. In doing so, he became the first Dutchman to win a Formula One title and he delivered the fifth drivers’ championship for Red Bull Racing, a team that has competed in F1 since 2005.

    “I really enjoy being part of the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team, so choosing to stay to the 2028 season was an easy decision,” Verstappen said. “I love this Team and last year was simply incredible, our goal since we came together in 2016 was to win the championship and we have done that, so now it’s about keeping the number one on the car long-term.”

    Verstappen, who made his Formula One debut with Scuderia Toro Rosso at age 17 in 2015, claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory in his first start with Red Bull Racing at the Spanish Grand Prix in May 2016. In doing so, he became the youngest F1 Grand Prix winner at the age of 18 years and 228 days old. From 2016 through 2020, the Dutchman notched 10 Grand Prix victories, three poles, 42 podiums and two third-place results in the final driver’s standings (2019 and 2020).

    Entering the 2022 season, Verstappen has recorded 20 victories, 13 poles, 60 poles and an average-finishing result of 7.0 in 141 career starts in Formula One. In addition, Red Bull Racing, which enters their first season with the newly formed Red Bull Powertrains division after taking over Honda’s engine programme and with Oracle as a title sponsor, have 75 career victories along with 73 poles and 206 podiums as they look to capture their sixth drivers’ championship and first constructors’ title since winning four in a row (2010-2013).

    In capturing his maiden F1 world championship in 2021 along with a career-high 10 victories, Verstappen will sport the number 1 instead of 33 on his Red Bull RB18 car as he looks to defend his title.

    “To have Max signed with Oracle Red Bull Racing through to the end of 2028 is a real statement of intent,” Christian Horner, CEO/Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, said. “Our immediate focus is on retaining Max’s World Championship title, but this deal also shows he is a part of the Team’s long-term planning. With the Red Bull Powertrains division working towards the new engine regulations for 2026 we wanted to make sure we had the best driver on the grid secured for that car.”

    Verstappen will continue to compete alongside teammate Sergio “Checo” Perez, who enters his 12th full-time season as an F1 competitor with his second as a Red Bull Racing competitor. Perez, a 32-year-old veteran who competes under the Mexican flag, is also coming off a productive season, where he won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June, notched a total of five podiums and finished in fourth place in the 2021 drivers’ standings.

    Verstappen’s quest to defend his F1 world championship commences on March 20 at Bahrain International Circuit for the 2022 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.