List of All Articles with Tag 'f1'

Max Verstappen appears set to return to form at the Japanese Grand Prix after posting a blistering time in the opening practice session. Verstappen’s record 10-race winning run and Red Bull’s unbeaten season came to a shuddering halt last weekend in Singapore, where the team admitted they did not understand their struggles with the car’s set-up around the street circuit. Lewis Hamilton warned on Thursday the Red Bull car would be “phenomenal” around the high-speed corner circuit at Suzuka and, while practice times must always be treated with caution, it appears the runaway championship leader could dominate again this weekend. Verstappen, who is closing in on a hat-trick of world titles, was the first car out on track and it took the Dutchman just a handful of laps to set the fastest time in every sector. He finished the opening running 0.626 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who clinched victory in Singapore. McLaren had been tipped to be the closest challengers to Red Bull this weekend with George Russell even suggesting they could be favourites. Lando Norris delivered an impressive final lap to clinch third for the British team, ahead of the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and home favourite Yuki Tsunoda in the AlphaTauri. Oscar Piastri, who extended his McLaren contract this week, claimed seventh just behind the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso. Red Bull will almost certainly clinch the Constructors’ Championship this weekend at the home race for their engine supplier Honda. But Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez finished only 11th and a massive 1.396sec adrift of the pace-setter. Mercedes pair George Russell and Lewis Hamilton struggled badly to repeat the impressive pace they showed last weekend, finishing a lowly 13th and 16th respectively. The second practice session gets under way at 1500 local time (0700 BST). Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lance Stroll to sit out Singapore Grand Prix after huge crash in qualifying ‘You can forget about that’ – Max Verstappen rules out another win in Singapore Lance Stroll crashes into barrier at 110mph in Singapore Grand Prix qualifying

The next edition of the British Grand Prix is on 5-7 July 2024 – and fans are eager to buy tickets for the popular F1 race at Silverstone. Round 12 of the 2024 Formula 1 season sees a return to the iconic Silverstone track, home to many memorable moments in the sport’s 73-year history. Max Verstappen won the 2023 grand prix with British drivers Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton – an eight-time winner at his home race – joining him on the podium. Here’s everything you need to know for this year’s sale: KEY DATES Thursday 14 September – Official camping and glamping released (11am) Monday 18 September – SRC (Silverstone Racing Club) Member priority ticket sale (10am) Wednesday 20 September – Official Campers Priority Ticket Sale (11am) Thursday 21 September – Enclosures, GA+, Abbey B and Hamilton A (11am) Friday 22 September – Grandstand tickets released (11am) Monday 25 September – General Admission tickets released (11am) General Admission tickets include single day, three-day (Fri-Sun) and a new four-day ticket which provides access to the launch party on Thursday evening. Prices come as cheap as £99 (Friday practice) for a single-day ticket, while a one-day ticket for qualifying are priced at £129 minimum. A ticket for the race will set you back at least £219. Four-day weekend tickets start from £359; three-day tickets from £259. You can buy a maximum of six tickets per purchase (child tickets are included in this number). You can add up to two age-related discounted tickets for each paying adult. Click HERE for more information on the official Silverstone ticket website. Hospitality options are also available with F1 Experiences. Read More Zhou Guanyu interview: ‘There is a lot of pressure in F1 – only winners stay in this sport’ Carlos Sainz interview: ‘All of us at Ferrari expected more – we haven’t done the best job’ Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top ‘Buzzin corner’: Sebastian Vettel reunites with F1 grid in Japan George Russell insists 2023 has been his ‘best season ever’ despite Singapore crash Lewis Hamilton says ‘something’s up’ at Red Bull – if Max Verstappen struggles again

Sebastian Vettel was back in the Formula 1 paddock on Thursday as he unveiled a number of “bee hotels” at the Suzuka circuit. The four-time F1 world champion, who retired last year, is the leading voice in the sport on the environment and climate change – and continues to use his platform within the sport even after leaving the grid. Present at his favourite track in Japan, Vettel invited all the drivers and teams to turn two of the track on Thursday, where he has formed a set of specially-created insect hotels. The message behind the project is to spread the word of the importance of biodiversity in our ecosystems. Each team was able to customise and paint their hotel, while the kerb at turn 2 was painted yellow and black. “I want, with this project, to create awareness about the importance and the subject of biodiversity,” Vettel said. “[The bee is] the perfect ambassador for us around this project and idea to highlight the importance of biodiversity, because it stands not just for the bee but for all the other insects, so we see the bee as our ambassador. She will help us stress this very important message. “It’s very exciting and a lot of work and passion went into the project. Hopefully this is just the beginning of an initiative and projects around the world… standing up for biodiversity, which is not just insects, it’s all types of animals. “But it’s more than that as well: it’s all types of plants, all types of organisms, bacteria. And even more than that, we have to celebrate variety, not just in human beings, but also in nature – and we have to protect it.” Lewis Hamilton was full of praise for his former rival for passionately raising awareness for issues close to his heart. “It’s great to see that he’s found his purpose,” Hamilton said. “It’s great to have Seb back this weekend. He sat down and told all the drivers about these plans. “To be honest, in the history of the sport, I don’t know any other driver who’s ever been so outspoken and shown real compassion for the world outside of this little world that we’re living in. It’s really great that he’s utilising his platform. “I always just hope that with the things that he’s doing, for example, that he inspires the other drivers to do something here – maybe in their own lane. “But we all need to come together in this world to have a positive impact; to spread love, to spread compassion, to raise awareness for a lot of the problems – and there’s obviously millions of problems that we need to address – but biodiversity is for sure.” Read More Lewis Hamilton says ‘something’s up’ at Red Bull – if Max Verstappen struggles in Japan Lando Norris calls for ‘harsher penalties’ after Max Verstappen incident George Russell insists 2023 has been his ‘best season ever’ despite Singapore crash

Lewis Hamilton expects Red Bull to return to their imperious form of 2023 this weekend in Japan - insisting “something’s up” if that doesn’t prove to be the case. Red Bull had won 14 from 14 races prior to last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix but struggled in the twists and turns of the city-state, with both cars failing to qualify for Q3 and Max Verstappen finishing only fifth in Sunday’s race. However, a return to a more traditional track at Suzuka this weekend is expected to coincide with business as usual for Christian Horner’s team. Max Verstappen cannot secure his third-straight world title in Japan this weekend but is the favourite once again, with seven-time world champion Hamilton expecting Red Bull to be back on top by some margin. “I would think that if they’re [Red Bull] not 30 seconds ahead, like they have done in the past, then something’s up,” Hamilton said. “It was obviously a difficult weekend the last one but their car should be phenomenal here. They’ve been phenomenal all year long, their pace at pretty much every circuit. “It’s going to be great to watch that car in general. Normally, you’d come here and it’s beautiful to watch the laps that they do because the whole team and the drivers are doing an amazing job with the package they have. So it’ll be interesting to see how the weekend goes. “I hope we’ll be closer and I hope they’re not as fast as that 30-second gap they’ve had in the past.” Verstappen secured his second world title in Japan last year after a chaotic, wet race in Japan. The Dutchman, who has a 151-point lead in the drivers’ championship, emphasised he wasn’t overly bothered at his own record-breaking win-streak of 10 coming to an end in Singapore. “I have no emotion,” Verstappen said. “We stopped winning for one race. S*** happens! We won 10 in a row before that. “Of course I would have liked to win there as well. But I also know that there is always going to be a day where you have done that weekend where then you’re not winning or things go wrong. And yeah, unfortunately, it was that weekend. “We just move on and try again.” Read More Lando Norris calls for ‘harsher penalties’ after Max Verstappen incident Ferrari finally find their chief strategist – and it’s Carlos Sainz Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to miss Japanese Grand Prix Lando Norris calls for ‘harsher penalties’ after Max Verstappen incident Rising F1 star Oscar Piastri makes decision on McLaren future Carlos Sainz would be a ‘good fit’ for Audi seat in 2026, says Johnny Herbert

George Russell believes this season has been his best ever in terms of performance as he refused to dwell on his last-lap crash in Singapore. Russell put his Mercedes into the barriers as he chased down Lando Norris and race winner Carlos Sainz on the draining street circuit. The 25-year-old was visibly emotional afterwards following a strong weekend where he qualified second and held the edge over his team-mate Lewis Hamilton but is keen to move on quickly. “In terms of pure performance I feel that this has been my best season ever,” Russell said ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. “But I reckon there is over 60 points that we have lost this season for a number of different reasons. “I have got an objective this year to secure P2 in the constructors’ championship for the team. It was quite clear this year from the beginning that we were not going to be fighting for a championship and I don’t know if that’s had an impact on my mentality or not. “There is a reason for all mistakes and that is just pushing to the limit and in some instances pushing over the limit to try and achieve what is possible. I think when I look at my championship-winning years in junior formulas I was the driver who kept on getting results, it’s the long game. “I can assure you once we are in a position again to win a championship I will be back to the ways that I know how to win a championship.” Russell has no regrets over pushing to try and claim the victory over the ailing Sainz and Norris. “If I knew it was the last lap and I took it easy and Lewis overtook me I would equally be kicking myself,” Russell added. “We are on to the next one and it is behind us, in life you can let these setbacks dwell on you. You can overthink and let it consume you but ultimately that brings nothing. You have to have that moment when it knocks you down. “Shov (Mercedes’ chief race engineer Andrew Shovlin) called me Sunday evening and said ‘the only reason we were in that position to fight for a win was because of how incredibly you’d driven all weekend’. I'm not going to let a mistake of 2cm cloud my whole weekend George Russell “He said ‘you gave us that feeling of what it is like to fight for victory again so take that away from the weekend’. “I take the positives, really pleased with the overall performance. I’m not going to let a mistake of 2cm cloud my whole weekend.” Norris clipped the barriers just ahead of Russell but survived the impact and the Mercedes driver feels it played a part. “When Lando hit the wall, the thought process is so quick in your brain because I saw him hit the wall and I thought ‘Oh my God he hit the wall’ and then I hit the wall,” Russell added. “Either the distraction of him clipping the wall was a factor or I was following his tracks or it was just a silly mistake but it seems a bit too much of a coincidence.” Mercedes’ strong pace in Singapore may be hard to replicate around the high-speed corners at Suzuka – where Russell believes McLaren are best placed to challenge Red Bull. But Hamilton is excited to return to the Japanese circuit. “I don’t anticipate us having the performance we had in Singapore. We are continuing to try and push the envelope that we have,” Hamilton said. “It (Suzuka) is one of the favourites for all the drivers. It is that historic circuit and an incredible track to drive on. It is one of the greatest layouts that we get to experience in the calendar.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lance Stroll to sit out Singapore Grand Prix after huge crash in qualifying ‘You can forget about that’ – Max Verstappen rules out another win in Singapore Lance Stroll crashes into barrier at 110mph in Singapore Grand Prix qualifying

Lando Norris has called for stronger punishments to be dished out for blocking other drivers after Max Verstappen escaped grid sanctions at the Singapore Grand Prix. Verstappen was under three separate investigations following qualifying – one for stopping at the pit lane exit, one for impeding Logan Sargeant and another for getting in the way of Yuki Tsunoda in Q2 – but only received a 5,000 euros (£4,308) fine. Norris believes that more responsibility should be placed on the driver to avoid such incidents. “I think the blocking one on track should have been a penalty,” Norris said ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix. “If you block someone, it is not just down to the team – I know the team got a fine – but it should be down to the driver as well. “You have to look in your mirrors. You have nothing else to do the whole lap but look in your mirrors and it seems like a lot of people struggle to do that. “There should be harsher penalties for blocking. So many people do it. “It ruins your lap, ruins your qualifying. It put Yuki out in qualifying, he was P1 in Q1. “Nobody seems to care enough. It has happened a lot this season, it has happened to me quite a few times – especially with certain teams – but it is down to the driver to look in the mirror. “I will probably block someone this weekend now and make myself look stupid.” There should be harsher penalties for blocking. So many people do it Lando Norris Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were both among the cars held up by Verstappen’s wait at the pit exit and the seven-time world champion says there has to be more consistency in the decision making. “I didn’t really see them, I was in the pit lane when everyone stopped and I couldn’t see what was happening ahead,” Hamilton said. “We always push and work as closely as we can with the FIA to achieve consistency and there are some variations so we have to continue to work on that.” Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who also held up, added: “I was a bit surprised (there was not a stronger penalty), especially with the one in the pit lane as that could open some quite bad situations in the future. “It is always an open discussion with the FIA, trying to explain what our point of view is. I am sure we will have that discussion at the briefing.” Verstappen, who arrives in Japan with a 151-point lead in the drivers’ championship, feels that every incident has to be judged individually by the stewards. He said: “Every single instance is different. “The only thing I can say about Singapore is that I explained what happened when I was sitting in the car and the information that was given to me. “That is all I can do and it is up to the stewards to make that call.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lance Stroll to sit out Singapore Grand Prix after huge crash in qualifying ‘You can forget about that’ – Max Verstappen rules out another win in Singapore Lance Stroll crashes into barrier at 110mph in Singapore Grand Prix qualifying

Australian driver Oscar Piastri has signed a new deal with McLaren to keep him at the Formula One team until 2026. Piastri joined McLaren as reserve driver last year and made his F1 debut this season at Bahrain before he finished fourth at the British Grand Prix. The 22-year-old further showed his potential with a second-place showing in the sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix and will now continue alongside British racer Lando Norris at McLaren for the foreseeable future. “I am thrilled to be extending my partnership with McLaren for many years. I want to be fighting it out at the front of the grid with this team and I am excited by the vision and foundations that are already being laid to get us there,” Piastri said. “We’ve enjoyed some good moments together in my rookie season, but I’m excited to work together with everyone at MTC over the coming years to create some great moments.” McLaren chief executive Zak Brown said: “I’m delighted to be continuing our partnership with Oscar through to the end of 2026. “He’s an incredible talent and an asset to the team so it’s fantastic to be committing to each other in the long term. “Oscar is already proving what he can do out on track and has been instrumental in the turnaround we’ve had so far this season.” PA Read More Toto Wolff slams ‘moaning’ across F1 grid after Lewis Hamilton apology Carlos Sainz would be a ‘good fit’ for Audi seat in 2026, says Johnny Herbert ‘Level up’: Lewis Hamilton sends strong message to Mercedes engineers

Ex-F1 driver Johnny Herbert believes Carlos Sainz would be a “good fit” for a seat with Audi when they enter Formula 1 in 2026. Sainz, two weeks after securing pole position at Monza, stormed to a lights-to-flag victory in Singapore on Sunday to claim his second F1 victory. The Spaniard is under contract at Ferrari until the end of the 2024 season but has been linked with a move to Audi – who will take over Sauber/Alfa Romeo in 2026 when new engine regulations come into force – as the German powerhouse targets an impressive driver pairing. And former British Grand Prix winner and Sky F1 pundit Herbert insists Sainz, much like his rally world champion father Carlos Snr., has the right mentality to succeed at a new team like Audi. “If you’re trying to bring in your brand like Audi will be, your expectations have to be really high,” Herbert said. “You are trying to get the best and also the best of the future. Carlos has proved that he has got everything but he has got to be more consistent. “Monza was a sign that if he gets it right he can do it and would be a good fit. “Like his dad, he has the right mentality. He is very strong in the head and has a very good understanding about cars and that is what Audi will need. But I also think he will want to stay at Ferrari.” Last week, Alfa Romeo confirmed that Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will pair up for the third year running for the 2024 season. Bottas has a contract with the team until the end of 2025, while Zhou is on a shorter, year-by-year deal. Read More Ferrari finally find their chief strategist – and it’s Carlos Sainz Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to miss Japanese Grand Prix Max Verstappen makes prediction for Japan after his winning run ends

Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes need to “level up” in the fight to Red Bull and Max Verstappen in 2024. Verstappen is cruising to a third-straight F1 world title – though cannot secure the crown in Japan this weekend after an underwhelming fifth-place finish in Singapore – while Red Bull are an astonishing 308 points clear of Mercedes in the constructors’ championship. Hamilton, meanwhile, has not won in his last 38 races with his last victory coming in Saudi Arabia in December 2021 – and Mercedes have not won since George Russell’s victory in Brazil last November. Having ditched their ‘no-sidepod’ design at the start of the year, Mercedes have persevered with a more orthodox approach but remain way off Red Bull’s pace. Yet Hamilton, who recently signed a new deal until the end of the 2025 season, has urged the engineers and mechanics at Brackley to come up with the tools to take the fight to Red Bull next year. “I was just asked a question earlier, ‘would you rather take Max out of the equation or take Adrian Newey out of the equation?’” Hamilton said in Singapore. “And I was like ‘neither’. We just have to level up and do a better job. “They have done an exceptional job. You can’t fault them for the amazing work that they collectively are doing and have done. I would just want to level up all of us.” The 38-year-old, though in the midst of the longest winless streak of his career, remains optimistic and referred to a bleak period before his success at Mercedes for evidence that fortunes in Formula 1 can turn around. “I think people just seem to remember the seven years or eight years that we were competitive,” Hamilton added. “Don’t forget the years before that where I had pretty interesting cars at that time. So I’ve had years like last year and this year and, of course, when you are faced with adversity and faced with a challenge like we have, collectively as a team you learn more than you do when it’s smooth sailing up front.” Hamilton, who finished on the podium in Singapore, will be targeting a strong showing at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, a race he has won five times previously. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, however, will not be present in the paddock at Suzuka as he undergoes knee surgery. Read More Ferrari finally find their chief strategist – and it’s Carlos Sainz Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to miss Japanese Grand Prix Max Verstappen makes prediction for Japan after his winning run ends ‘He’s put himself on the market’: F1 pundit tips Liam Lawson for 2024 seat F1 2023 race schedule: When is the Japanese Grand Prix? Ferrari finally find their chief strategist – and it’s Carlos Sainz

Karun Chandok believes Williams should target Liam Lawson for a 2024 seat after the rookie’s impressive performance in Singapore. Lawson, who has replaced the injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri in the last three races and will also fill in this weekend in Japan, secured his first points-finish at the weekend by coming home ninth. It secured the New Zealander two points and AlphaTauri’s best-finish of the season but Ricciardo is likely to return in three weeks’ time in Qatar. However, the perceived underachievement of Logan Sargeant at Williams this season – he is still on zero points, while team-mate Alex Albon has earned 21 points – has led Chandok to believe that Williams boss James Vowles should approach Lawson about a full-time seat next year. “If I was Williams, I would definitely be looking at Liam Lawson,” ex-F1 driver Chandok told Sky F1. “You’ve got to have the conversation, haven’t you? Because you know, Albon’s out-qualified Sargeant on every occasion, he has had scored all the points so far at Williams. “If you are Williams, you should be shopping around and Liam Lawson had put himself on the market in a very good way.” While most teams have confirmed their driver line-ups for 2024, only Williams with Sargeant and AlphaTauri with both seats are yet to do so. It has been widely reported that AlphaTauri will this week, at a minimum, confirm Yuki Tsunoda’s seat for 2024 in what would be his fourth-straight season with Red Bull’s sister team. Lawson, who has been racing in the Japanese Super Formula series this season after finishing third in Formula 2 last year, insisted post-race in Singapore that he wasn’t thinking too much about his future. “I have no idea, honestly,” the 21-year-old said, when asked about his future. “It’s tricky to get a full-time seat in this sport. But like I said, rather than looking at all those external things, it’s for me just focusing on every session, trying to maximise each time I’m in the car and try what I can.” Deputising mid-season and impressing does not always lead to a bright future in F1: Nyck de Vries finished ninth last year in Monza for Williams, filling in for Alex Albon, and subsequently secured a 2023 drive with AlphaTauri. However, the Dutchman was dropped after 10 races this season with Ricciardo replacing him. Read More Ferrari finally find their chief strategist – and it’s Carlos Sainz Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to miss Japanese Grand Prix Max Verstappen makes prediction for Japan after his winning run ends F1 2023 race schedule: When is the Japanese Grand Prix? Ferrari finally find their chief strategist – and it’s Carlos Sainz Lance Stroll cleared to race in Singapore after high-speed qualifying crash

The twitchiness on the Ferrari pit wall was palpable. With five laps to go at the end of Sunday’s thrilling Singapore Grand Prix, less than two seconds separated race leader Carlos Sainz in first to Lewis Hamilton in fourth. McLaren’s Lando Norris in second was closing in, within the critical one-second DRS range. The warning from Sainz’s race engineer Riccardo Adami was quick: “Lando, 0.8 (seconds) behind with DRS.” But the Spaniard was a step ahead, deploying a meticulous balancing act which ultimately secured his second Formula 1 victory. “Yeah, it’s on purpose,” he replied. At which point it all made sense. For a team chasing its first victory in over a year, often maligned for their clangers in the strategy department, all it took was a clear sense of thought and direction from the driver in the cockpit. Sainz was not overly concerned with Norris’ pace behind him. On the contrary, the double threat posed by Mercedes’ George Russell and Hamilton, lapping over a second-a-lap quicker on fresh tyres in third and fourth, was the main focus of his thinking. What a fine balancing act it was. Keep Norris close enough behind him – one-second – to give him a crucial speed boost on the straights to defend from Russell, but not so close that Norris himself could make a move for the top spot. In the end, it was a masterstroke which worked to perfection. “I knew more or less my pace versus Lando and how difficult it is to overtake here,” Sainz explained afterwards. “I knew he was on a hard and if George and Lewis were going to overtake, I would be dead meat also. So I needed him to hold on for as long as possible. “A couple of laps I was 1.2 or 1.3 seconds ahead of Lando so I slowed down a bit to give him DRS into turn seven, which was just enough for him to hold onto them and keep my race under control. Not easy, because you are putting yourself under risk and you cannot do any mistakes, but it was my strategy and it worked.” Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur, beaming after securing his first win at the helm of the Scuderia, confirmed the ploy was Sainz’s idea. “He knew he was more at risk with Mercedes than with Norris,” the Frenchman said. “With Norris we had the same tyres and almost the same pace from the lap one. We were not really at risk with Norris except if we lost the tyres, so it was a clever move from Carlos to keep Norris into the DRS.” It was fitting that Norris was the beneficiary, too. Sainz and the Brit were team-mates at McLaren for two years and are still close friends. Norris admitted that the DRS-boost was “very generous” and despite finishing 0.812 seconds behind first place, was delighted with a ninth career podium. Still, that first win continues to elude him. As for Russell? The desire, bordering on desperation, to win in the end was his undoing. A light tip with the wall derailed his Mercedes on the final lap, slamming into the wall. It was a harsh, dramatic conclusion to the 62-lap, high-humidity race for the Brit, with Hamilton instead taking the final podium spot. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insisted post-race that it would be an “arm round the shoulder” approach rather than any in-depth post-mortem. Quite right too, given Russell’s bold approach almost gave him a brilliant come-from-behind victory. But more so than Russell’s mistake and Sainz’s mastery, what Sunday really showed us – quite depressingly in a way – is what this season could have looked like. With Red Bull startlingly out of the picture – impacted by a lack of tyre grip and car balance on a notorious outlier of a circuit on the F1 calendar – the ensuing battle between Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes was enthralling to watch. The battle behind the No 1 team has been tight all year. Only this time, it was for first place. The Marina Bay Street Circuit spelled the end of Max Verstappen’s win streak and talk of an unprecedented perfect season for Red Bull. The flying Dutchman, who finished fifth after starting in 11th, can now not clinch his third world title in Japan this weekend, with his crowning moment likely to come a fortnight later in Qatar. Yet a return to a typical circuit at Suzuka will likely see Christian Horner’s team return to the top. Ferrari’s pace uptake in the last two races, having taken pole in Monza two weeks ago too, has undoubtedly created a sense of intrigue, a spark of something different in a season of Red Bull domination. Moving forward, though, there is plenty to learn and maintain for Ferrari after Sainz’s supreme Sunday drive. No more should chaos reign in the strategy department. No more should “Plans A-F” be bawled out over team radio, confusing drivers and spectators alike. No more should Sainz and Charles Leclerc sit idly by while choices on the pit wall dampen their aspirations. Sometimes it’s best to keep things simple – and leave the in-race decisions to the men behind the wheel. The team’s hunt for chief strategists was easier than they thought. Read More Carlos Sainz holds on for thrilling victory in Singapore as Red Bull winning run ends George Russell despondent after last-lap crash in Singapore Max Verstappen makes prediction for Japan after his winning run ends F1 Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and times at Marina Bay Lance Stroll cleared to race in Singapore after high-speed qualifying crash F1 Juniors broadcast an admirable idea – but all kids want to be is grown up

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff will be absent from this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix as he undergoes knee surgery. The 51-year-old is set to have an operation in his native Austria to restore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left leg. Wolff damaged his knee a number of years ago and blamed it for a cycling accident during Formula One’s summer break which left him with a fractured elbow. Wolff’s role will be divided between a number of the team’s staff – including driver development director Jerome D’Ambrosio, the Belgian who took part in 20 F1 races in 2010 and 2011, and Mercedes’ long-serving British chief communications officer Bradley Lord – often seen shadowing Wolff at the back of the garage. It is understood Wolff will be on the team’s intercom across the weekend. Mercedes will head to Suzuka perhaps fearing that their best shot at victory this year may have escaped them following Carlos Sainz’s triumph at the Singapore Grand Prix. Ferrari’s Sainz became the first non-Red Bull driver to win this season – ending the world champions’ unbeaten streak and Max Verstappen’s record run of 10 consecutive victories. Lewis Hamilton finished third, just 1.2 seconds behind Sainz, after George Russell – who at one point looked likely to win following Mercedes’ roll of the strategy dice – crashed out on the final lap. Verstappen qualified 11th and finished fifth, 21 seconds adrift of Sainz. But Hamilton fears Red Bull’s lack of speed on the streets of Singapore is because they have already turned their attention to next season. While Verstappen can now not be crowned champion of the world for a third time in Japan, it is possible he could clinch the title in Qatar on October 8 with five rounds still left. And asked if Red Bull’s blip provided him with hope Verstappen’s dominance could be coming to an end, Hamilton, 38, said: “If you think about it, they probably haven’t been developing their car. “McLaren brought an upgrade here. Other teams are still bringing upgrades, and they’re working on next year’s car. They would have definitely migrated to 2024 before us. “So it is just one of those things. They are so far ahead that maybe they’re not developing their car, while we are still pushing to develop our current one.” Verstappen, who warned in the build-up to Sunday’s city-state race that the high-downforce street track would not suit Red Bull, said he expects to be back on top in Suzuka. Wolff, who is likely to return for the Qatar GP, added: “They will be strong again. The track in Singapore was an outlier for us when we were dominant and I have no doubt they will be strong on conventional race tracks.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lance Stroll to sit out Singapore Grand Prix after huge crash in qualifying ‘You can forget about that’ – Max Verstappen rules out another win in Singapore Lance Stroll crashes into barrier at 110mph in Singapore Grand Prix qualifying