List of All Articles with Tag 'f1'

Damon Hill insists Lewis Hamilton has to be “cold-blooded” in contract negotiations with Mercedes with a new deal yet to be penned. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, who has won six of his seven titles with Mercedes, has been with the Silver Arrows since 2013 and while both Hamilton and team boss Toto Wolff maintain a fresh contract is an inevitability, the deal has still not been completed. The 38-year-old, an eight-time winner at his home grand prix at Silverstone where the F1 paddock roll into this weekend, was heavily linked with Ferrari a few months back but quickly downplayed suggestions a switch to the Scuderia was in the works. And 1996 F1 world champion Hill, while appreciating the “romance” of such a move, insists switching allegiance would represent a “huge risk.” “Any driver who doesn’t know what the options are is missing an opportunity,” Hill tells The Independent, ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix. “But would he really go to Ferrari? From a strategic point of view, it would be a huge risk to go to Ferrari. Everyone would love to be in red and win, see what happened with Nigel [Mansell]. “It’s a romance really but you’ve got to be cold-blooded about it. He’s not going to go to Red Bull either.” Elaborating on why a new contract has been so long in the pipeline, Hill said: “As I understand it, the contract won’t just be a racing contract – it will be a full Mercedes ambassadorial contract. “That requires a different board to sign off on it, can’t just be signed off by Toto. There’ll be some board meetings in Germany.” Red Bull have won all nine races so far this season and are cruising to another double title win, with Max Verstappen 81 points ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez in the world championship. Hill, himself a British GP winner in 1994, now believes the most exciting storyline in 2023 is whether Christian Horner’s team can do the unprecedented and win every grand prix, with 22 races in total on this year’s calendar. “Can they win every race? It’s never been done before – they’ll be sitting there thinking ‘we can’t count on it, but we’d love to do it.’ “My experience tells me that something will prevent that – Fernando [Alonso] or Lewis will win again. But if they don’t, Max could win everything frankly. “What an achievement that would be and how tense would that make the last few races.” Red Bull, however, will need to break a Silverstone hoodoo this weekend – they have not won the British Grand Prix since 2012 with Mark Webber. Verstappen was foiled by a mechanical issue during last year’s thrilling race, won by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz after a lengthy stoppage following Zhou Guanyu’s upside-down crash, and should something similar with the Dutchman happen this year, Horner will turn to Perez to bring home the trophy. Yet the Mexican has struggled in recent months since winning in Azerbaijan at the end of April, though did have something of a return to form with second place in last week’s race in Austria. Nevertheless, Hill says Perez should be looking over his shoulder. “I think he’s already under pressure,” he says. “They cannot afford to have a car that good and not have two cars right up there for the championship. Pressed on who could replace Perez should Red Bull, as has been customary in the past, look to ruthlessly move on from Perez when his contract expires at the end of 2024, Hill added: “Is Daniel Ricciardo fit enough to come back? “That’s what the noises are. Maybe that plan is simmering away. I think they’d want a fresh face. “Possibly Lando [Norris]. He’s still got a few more years left at McLaren – I was surprised when he signed such a long-term deal [until end of 2025]. It’s a long time, I’d have done three years tops. “If you’re that confident in yourself, you need to be able to move when the time is right.” Hill was speaking at the Damon Hill Festival of Karting at Daytona Sandown, which raised funds for Halow – a charity which supports young people with learning disabilities and autism. Hill is a co-founder of the Halow project. Read More Why is Brad Pitt filming at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix? It hurts – Lando Norris reflects on his ‘toughest season’ ahead of British GP David Coulthard looks at the key issues surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s next deal F1 release 2024 calendar with radical change to start of the season F1 descends into farce again after results shake-up – the FIA has to be better Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz demoted after Austrian Grand Prix penalty chaos

The first race of the 2024 season will be held on a Saturday night in Bahrain as Formula 1 released the calendar for next year. Bahrain, which has hosted the season-opener since 2021, has usually hosted its grand prix on a Sunday as is customary in the sport, but due to Ramadan next year’s race will be on a Saturday night. Sunday is considered a “feast day” during the Islamic festival, which sees the world’s almost two-billion Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset during the other six days of the week. The second race in Saudi Arabia will also be on a Saturday, meaning there will be three out of the record-breaking 24 races held a day earlier than usual, with Las Vegas set for a Saturday night lights out. The Chinese Grand Prix – not held since 2019 due to Covid-19 restrictions – is set to return in Shanghai on April 21, while there are no brand new additions to the calendar, with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps extending its contract for another season after potential plans for a race in South Africa fell through. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone will be held in its traditional slot on Sunday 7 July and the season will climax, as usual, with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina on December 8. 2024 CALENDAR IN FULL: February 29-March 2: Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir March 7-9: Saudi Arabia Grand Prix at Jeddah March 22-24: Australia Melbourne April 5-7: Japan Grand Prix at Suzuka April 19-21: China Grand Prix at Shanghai May 3-5: Miami Grand Prix at Miami May 17-19: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola May 24-26: Monaco Grand Prix at Monaco June 7-9: Canada Grand Prix at Montreal June 21-23: Spain Grand Prix at Barcelona June 28-30: Austria Grand Prix at Spielberg July 5-7: British Grand Prix at Silverstone July 19-21: Hungary Grand Prix at Budapest July 26-28: Belgium Grand Prix at Spa August 23-25: Netherlands Grand Prix at Zandvoort August 30-September 1: Italy Grand Prix at Monza September 13-15: Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku September 20-22: Singapore Grand Prix at Singapore October 18-20: USA Grand Prix at Austin October 25-27: Mexico Grand Prix at Mexico City November 1-3: Brazil Grand Prix at Sao Paulo November 21-23: Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas November 29–December 1: Grand Prix at Qatar Lusail December 6-8: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina

Formula One bosses have announced the longest calendar in the sport’s history with a record-breaking 24 races scheduled for next season. The campaign will open on a Saturday in Bahrain on March 2 and end more than 10 months later in Abu Dhabi on December 8. The British Grand Prix will take place at Silverstone on July 7, avoiding a clash with the men’s Wimbledon final, and the concluding day of golf’s Open Championship at Royal Troon. The Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai is also pencilled in for its first F1 race since 2019. F1 races traditionally take place on a Sunday, but next year’s schedule kicks off with back-to-back Saturday night races, first in Bahrain and then in Saudi Arabia, to accommodate Ramadan. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “There is huge interest and continued demand for Formula One, and I believe this calendar strikes the right balance between traditional races and new and existing venues. “Our journey to a more sustainable calendar will continue in the coming years as we further streamline operations as part of our Net Zero 2030 commitment. “We have plenty of racing to look forward to in 2023, including the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, and our fans can look forward to more excitement next season.” 2024 Formula One Calendar March 2 – Bahrain Grand Prix (Sakhir)March 9 – Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Jeddah)March 24 – Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne)April 7 – Japanese Grand Prix (Suzuka)April 21 – Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai)May 5 – Miami Grand Prix (Miami)May 19 – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (Imola)May 26 – Monaco Grand Prix (Monte Carlo)June 9 – Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal)June 23 – Spanish Grand Prix (Barcelona)June 30 – Austrian Grand Prix (Spielberg)July 7 – British Grand Prix (Silverstone)July 21 – Hungarian Grand Prix (Hungaroring)July 28 – Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps)August 25 – Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort)September 1 – Italian Grand Prix (Monza)September 15 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Baku)September 22 – Singapore Grand Prix (Marina Bay)October 20 – United States Grand Prix (Austin)October 27 – Mexico City Grand Prix (Mexico City)November 3 – Brazilian Grand Prix (Interlagos)November 23 – Las Vegas Grand Prix (Las Vegas)December 1 – Qatar Grand Prix (Lusail)December 8 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Yas Marina) Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Lando Norris admits this has been the toughest season of his Formula One career – and he is not prepared to wait another five years before he can fight to be crowned champion of the world. Norris heads into his home race at Silverstone off the back of his best result of 2023 – an upgraded fourth in his updated McLaren at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. He made his debut in 2019, scoring six podiums and taking one pole position along the way, narrowly missing out on a maiden victory at a rain-hit Russian Grand Prix two years ago. But the 23-year-old from Glastonbury has endured a largely frustrating campaign in his under-performing McLaren. His strong finish in Spielberg marked the first time from the opening nine rounds that he has finished in the top five. “This has been my toughest season,” Norris said in an interview with the PA news agency ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix. “I have been on the rise and felt that glory and the podiums and then it drops off to the worst it has been for me. I want to win so much, but at the same time it feels so far away. “Everyone puts in the effort, and when I am not close to fighting for points, it takes a lot out of me. I don’t get anything out of it and it hurts. “And when I think I have been in F1 for five seasons, I feel like ‘damn’. Five years have gone by so quickly and before I know it I will have been here for 10. I don’t want to be in this position then.” Although Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso are regarded as the top three in F1, Norris is leading the chasing group. Norris effectively ended eight-time grand prix winner Daniel Ricciardo’s career by outperforming him during their two years together at McLaren. And Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is known to be an admirer of the young Englishman. Sergio Perez has struggled for form in recent races, leading some to question whether there might be a vacancy alongside Verstappen at Red Bull next year. Is Norris, who is contracted to McLaren until 2026, monitoring the situation at the grid’s all-conquering team? “You always monitor things,” he replied. “Every driver on the grid does. And I do think sometimes, ‘What would happen if I was in this position or that position?’ “But I am not the guy who wastes time thinking about it, or wishing for something else. I have kind of got to a point where I am just very happy to keep my head down. “When the time comes and something happens then something happens, but I don’t get carried away with any of that, as much as I daydream about things in life, like everyone does.” Norris’ strong display at Spielberg will have lifted the mood at McLaren’s Woking headquarters. And Norris wants to carry over his form from the Styrian Mountains by putting on a show for a crowd on Sunday that will touch 150,000 spectators – a large chunk of whom will be cheering on the popular McLaren man. “The experience of having a home race and the support of the fans, the cheers and the shouting, is such a cool thing,” Norris added. “In a way it makes me feel odd because I could never have ever imagined to be in that position, with people wearing my T-shirt and shouting my name. I am an introvert really, and not necessarily the best with crowds. “But it gets me because there are people supporting me and spending their weekend cheering me on. I feel like I want to deliver and make sure they have a good time.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 5 memorable races staged at Silverstone David Coulthard looks at the key issues surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s next deal Phenomenal circuit and incredible atmosphere – Mark Webber remembers Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton will head into this weekend’s British Grand Prix with only six months remaining on his £40million-a-season Mercedes deal. The PA news agency spoke to David Coulthard, 13-race Formula One winner and Channel 4 pundit for the broadcaster’s live coverage of Sunday’s race at Silverstone, to look at the key questions surrounding Hamilton’s next deal. When will Hamilton’s new contract with Mercedes be announced? Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed that 38-year-old Hamilton’s extension will not be announced at Silverstone this week, but for me, it is just a case of when they get it done. I am not aware Lewis is having a change of heart about whether he wants to go racing or not, and I don’t think Mercedes are having second doubts. Wolff said financial terms, and the duration of the next deal, have been agreed. So, why the hold-up? Mercedes will want a certain amount of time from Lewis for their partners. Mercedes will have sold sponsorship on obtaining access to their drivers. Some businesses will have signed up with the Silver Arrows because Lewis is there, rather than George Russell. Perhaps Lewis might be wanting to do fewer days or have fewer commitments? What Lewis will be signing up for goes way beyond him driving at a grand prix. It is about what rights he retains in terms of his image, and what rights he sells to the team. Mercedes are buying more than just Lewis’ driving services. They are buying his promotional image and his PR image. Could Hamilton join Ferrari, or even Red Bull? I don’t think there is any realistic chance that Lewis will leave Mercedes unless there is a major fallout. And I can’t see that happening. Who would the major fallout be with? Even if it was with Toto, Lewis’ relationship with Mercedes’ parent company Daimler is much longer than Toto’s emergence as team principal of Mercedes. How much longer will Hamilton go on for? I am sure there are quotes from drivers when they were younger, who said they could not see themselves racing into their late 30s and beyond. I am sure Lewis will have said something similar. But he’ll look at Fernando Alonso, and think ‘if Fernando, who is 42 this month, is still competitive, than why not me?’ However, the only reason for Hamilton to hang around is to try and win races and compete for championships. Scoring points will not change his life. He needs to see what Mercedes can show him that gives him the confidence he will be competitive next year, rather than having to stay around for another three seasons. How will Hamilton handle retirement? Lewis has had an incredible journey in life, with his achievements on the track, and his exposure off it. He has got a very healthy view of how it is being Lewis Hamilton – the Formula One driver that goes from country to country – and Lewis Hamilton – the individual, the personality, the celebrity. But none of those personality-driven events he goes to will ever give him the adrenaline buzz he gets from racing a Formula One car. Very few things in life will ever give him that feeling so when the time does arrive for him to retire, he has to be certain he is ready to stop. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 5 memorable races staged at Silverstone Phenomenal circuit and incredible atmosphere – Mark Webber remembers Silverstone It hurts – Lando Norris reflects on his ‘toughest season’ ahead of British GP

Lewis Hamilton and Co will this week descend on Silverstone for the British Grand Prix. Here, the PA news agency looks at five key races staged at the Northamptonshire venue. 1987 Nigel Mansell was forced to pit for a new set of tyres after reporting vibrations on his Williams. With 30 laps remaining he was the best part of half-a-minute behind his team-mate and fierce rival Nelson Piquet. The chase appeared impossible but, spurred on by his home crowd, Mansell smashed the lap record on nine occasions before catching and passing Piquet after an exquisite move at Stowe with only two laps left. The home crowd were euphoric and Mansell responded by leaping out of his Williams and kissing the tarmac. 1994 Michael Schumacher illegally overtook pole-sitter Damon Hill on the parade lap and was punished with a stop-and-go penalty – which he ignored. He was issued with a black flag – which should have resulted in his instant disqualification – but Schumacher kept driving before serving his stop-and-go punishment on lap 27. Hill went on to claim a crucial victory and was presented the winner’s trophy by Princess Diana. Schumacher finished second, but he was later disqualified and banned for two races. 1998 Schumacher was at the centre of controversy four years later after winning – while stationary in the pit-lane. Mika Hakkinen led from the start, but as the rain fell and conditions deteriorated, the Finn lost control of his McLaren and spun. The safety car was deployed, and while Hakkinen remained in the race, he had sustained damage to his front wing. His 40-second lead was wiped out and Schumacher looked odds-on to win. However, Schumacher had illegally passed Alexander Wurz under a yellow flag, which resulted in a stop-and-go penalty. But the haphazard stewards only announced his punishment with two laps left. At the end of the final lap, Schumacher entered the pits to serve his penalty, but had already crossed the start-finish line and won the race. The bizarre result stood despite McLaren’s protests. 2008 Lewis Hamilton arrived at his home race fourth in the drivers’ standings but left on top after storming to victory in one of his outstanding performances. In torrential rain, Hamilton blitzed the field, finishing the race almost 70 seconds ahead of second-placed Nick Heidfeld and lapped the entire pack up to third. Hamilton’s championship rival Felipe Massa spun five times. 2021 Hamilton sent Max Verstappen into the wall at Copse following a devastating 180mph collision. Verstappen was taken to hospital with concussion, while Hamilton was hit with a 10-second penalty. Hamilton served his punishment and fought back through the field, passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the final laps to take a remarkable, if not controversial, victory. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live David Coulthard looks at the key issues surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s next deal Phenomenal circuit and incredible atmosphere – Mark Webber remembers Silverstone It hurts – Lando Norris reflects on his ‘toughest season’ ahead of British GP

My memories of Silverstone go back to 1995. When I first landed from Australia as an 18-year-old I wanted to go to there because it was the most famous race track in the world. I went straight from Heathrow to the gates to have a look at it. And the sheer scale of the venue – with all the racing teams set up around it – was awesome. I have lots of positive memories from racing there. I won at Silverstone in sportscars, in Formula Ford, in Formula Two – which was Formula 3000 back then – and I also managed a couple of victories in Formula One, too. I always enjoyed racing there. The atmosphere of the crowd is incredible and they are bloody knowledgeable. You really feel that as a driver. It is a phenomenal circuit and one that should never be taken off the calendar. It is the embodiment of what F1 is all about. Here are a handful of my Silverstone memories: Lewis Hamilton’s win in the torrential rain in 2008 Bloody hell. What Lewis did that day was just magical. He tore the field apart. I was on the front row, and spun on the first lap. Everyone made a mistake that day, but Lewis didn’t. With the sheer level of water – and because the cars were so light and nimble – you had to be on top of them to stay in charge. And Lewis’ skill and feel allowed him to take one of his biggest winning margins ever. He crossed the line 70 seconds clear of anyone else and lapped the field up to third. It was an exceptional display, and anyone that was there witnessed a bit of history. Fifteen years on, it remains one of his best performances. Winning my first British Grand Prix in 2010 This was one of the biggest memories of my life. There was a lot of tension going into that race because of the contradictions on the equipment I felt I was receiving compared to my Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel. I had a close start with Seb in Turn 1. He then made contact with Lewis, got a puncture – which I was heartbroken about – and after that I was racing Lewis to the flag. It was not a regulation victory – you always have to earn them and do the work – but I managed to have a clean day in front of a full house. I said to the team over the radio: “Not bad for a number two driver.” I just thought I would let them know I wasn’t a bad driver. Lewis Hamilton v Max Verstappen in 2021 The impact between Lewis and Max at Copse was big, and it was good that Max was alright. What we saw that day, was two gladiators marking their territories. It is what makes our sport so great – two legends taking each other to the wire in front of a full house at a daunting circuit. It was the first race back with a capacity crowd after Covid and the occasion was why that first lap was so feisty. There were 140,000 punters in, and Lewis was not going to back down. Lewis is probably one of, if not the cleanest drivers I ever raced against, alongside Fernando Alonso. They are both absolutely extraordinary in wheel-to-wheel combat. But it was a very optimistic move from Lewis. To this day, I don’t know how he did not retire with damage. Everything after that was a bonus and somehow the car stayed together and he got the job done and won. Zhou Guanyu’s horror crash Last year, Zhou had a lucky escape after he rolled on to his roof and was launched into the barrier at the first corner. For me, the Halo didn’t help. The upside-down car acted like a skateboard. It made Zhou go faster along the track. The cars are so much heavier than they used to be. They are now 850 kilograms – up from 600 kilograms – but still do the same speeds. That means a lot of the barriers are outdated and more exposed. On the back of the ticket it says motorsport is dangerous. Bad things have happened in the past, and unfortunately they will do in the future. The FIA must keep learning, and they know the weight of these cars is not something that’s good for the safety of the circuits. Mark Webber will appear as pundit for Channel 4 during their live coverage of the British Grand Prix on Sunday Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 5 memorable races staged at Silverstone David Coulthard looks at the key issues surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s next deal It hurts – Lando Norris reflects on his ‘toughest season’ ahead of British GP

Lewis Hamilton praised his own pit-stop calls as he completed a hat-trick of home victories by winning an entertaining British Grand Prix at a rain-hit Silverstone on this day in 2015. The reigning world champion recovered from another poor start to seal a 38th career win and remain on course to equal his hero Ayrton Senna’s haul of three Formula One championships that season. Home favourite Hamilton timed both of his pit-stops perfectly, firstly leap-frogging the fast-starting Williams pair of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas – who had jumped the Mercedes duo from the start – and then putting on the intermediate tyres as the heaviest of the rain came, thus placating a push from team-mate Nico Rosberg. “The race was very very tough,” said 30-year-old Hamilton, who took top place on the podium ahead of Rosberg (second) and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel (third). “It was very slippery off the start but it made it more exciting when I was chasing down the Williams and it was very hard to get close and overtake. “I got close enough on the first pit-stop and I came out ahead and then the rain came and I lost temperature on the front tyres. For the first time in my F1 career I made the perfectly right choice in terms of, I’m coming in now. So I feel extremely happy about that.” The win was Hamilton’s fifth of the season, moving him 17 points clear of Rosberg at the top of the standings, and he would go on to be crowned world champion again that year. Since then, Hamilton has won the British Grand Prix a further five times – taking his overall tally to eight, three clear of Jim Clark and Alain Prost – and improved his number of world titles to a record-equalling seven. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

McLaren boss Zak Brown has called on Formula One’s governing body to ensure the track-limits fiasco which overshadowed the Austrian Grand Prix never happens again. Drivers were penalised throughout the weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg for crossing the white lines – with the final classification for Sunday’s race only settled five hours after the chequered flag. Eight of the 20-strong grid were dealt post-race sanctions by the FIA, with Lewis Hamilton demoted from seventh to eighth. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz slipped two places to sixth, while Frenchman Esteban Ocon was handed an extraordinary half-a-minute’s worth of combined penalties for track-limit infringements. Earlier in the weekend, world champion Max Verstappen accused race director Niels Wittich of making the grid’s stars look like “amateurs”. In all, more than 100 laps were deleted during Sunday’s race. “It definitely wasn’t ideal what happened, and that’s stating the obvious,” said Brown. “Where we need to do a better job is that we knew this was going to be a problem on Friday and yet we just kind of watched it happen. “We need to make sure it never happens again, and that we do a proper debrief and understand how we could have prevented it in the first place or handled it differently.” McLaren driver Lando Norris benefited from Sainz’s post-race penalty to be promoted to fourth to take his best result of a difficult season for the British team. Brown, speaking at the reveal of a one-off livery for McLaren’s home race at Silverstone this weekend, continued: “I’ll take my hat off to the FIA for addressing the issue and I think it would have been easy to say, ‘this is going to cause a lot of noise, let’s just kind of get it right next time’. “For them to put their hands and say there were some penalties that needed to be addressed, I thought that was a brave decision. “But we can’t have it again. We can’t have a race and then five hours later you have that degree of change in the result.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lando Norris says Just Stop Oil protest at Silverstone would be ‘stupid’ Don’t put your life in danger – British GP boss has stark warning for protesters Max Verstappen refuses to ponder title hat-trick despite another emphatic win

Lando Norris has told Just Stop Oil campaigners that they would be “stupid and selfish” to put lives in danger by protesting at the British Grand Prix. The climate activists have already targeted the Lord’s Ashes Test, the Premiership rugby final and the World Snooker Championship so far this year. Speaking ahead of Sunday’s race, British driver Norris, 23, said: “Of course, it is a concern because is a stupid thing to do to put your life in danger with cars driving around. “It is also a very selfish thing to do because of the consequences it could have on the person that drives the car. “Everyone has a right to protest and I guess there are good ways of doing it and worse ways. “I just hope people are smart enough not to do it. There are much safer ways to get just as much attention.” Five protesters invaded last year’s British Grand Prix after they stormed the Wellington Straight – the fastest point of the Northamptonshire track – before sitting down during the opening lap. The contest had already been suspended following Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu’s high-speed crash, but a number of cars sped by the group before they were dragged away by marshals. The protesters were handed suspended jail sentences in March. Silverstone has worked alongside Northamptonshire Police to beef up security ahead of this year’s event, with a record 480,000 people expected to attend over the weekend, and more than 140,000 fans in place for the race. Speaking to the PA news agency earlier on Monday, Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle said: “The fundamental difference here is that you are not putting your life in danger when you run on the pitch at Lord’s. “You are not putting your life in danger when you sit on a snooker table or protest at a flower show. “A motor racing track is not the place to go. It is extraordinarily dangerous and people will be putting lives at risk if they go there, and any sensible, right-thinking person can extrapolate what the ultimate risk here is. “My strong, strong message is: ‘Do not put your life in danger. This is not the place to go and sit on a floor’. It is absolute madness if someone climbs on to a live racing track. “We have no specific intelligence, but we will plan for the worst and hope for the best.” Lewis Hamilton is gearing up for his home race following a disappointing Austrian Grand Prix where he finished seventh and was then demoted to eighth after a post-race penalty for exceeding track limits. Hamilton was also dealt a public rebuke by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. The Austrian told Hamilton to “just drive the car” following a number of complaints by his driver over the radio. “There are days when I can say I’m truly proud of myself, and days like today when frustration takes over,” said Hamilton on his Instagram account. “In a race it can feel like you’re hanging off a cliff and losing the strength to hold on. “It’s confusing for us to have such strong performances one day and then be nowhere the next. “But when you really care about what you’re doing, you brush it off and keep fighting. Heads down for Silverstone.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Don’t put your life in danger – British GP boss has stark warning for protesters Max Verstappen refuses to ponder title hat-trick despite another emphatic win Toto Wolff plays down impact of ‘just please drive it’ remark to Lewis Hamilton

The boss of Silverstone has warned Just Stop Oil campaigners that they will be putting lives at risk if they protest at the British Grand Prix. The climate activists have already targeted the Lord’s Ashes Test, the Premiership rugby final and the World Snooker Championship so far this year. Speaking to the PA news agency ahead of Sunday’s race, Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle said: “The fundamental difference here is that you are not putting your life in danger when you run on the pitch at Lord’s. “You are not putting your life in danger when you sit on a snooker table or protest at a flower show. “A motor racing track is not the place to go. It is extraordinarily dangerous and people will be putting lives at risk if they go there, and any sensible, right-thinking person can extrapolate what the ultimate risk here is. “My strong, strong message is: ‘Do not put your life in danger. This is not the place to go and sit on a floor’. It is absolute madness if someone climbs on to a live racing track.” Five protesters invaded last year’s British Grand Prix after they stormed the Wellington Straight – the fastest point of the Northamptonshire track – before sitting down during the opening lap. The contest had already been suspended following Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu’s high-speed crash, but a number of cars sped by the group before they were dragged away by marshals. The protesters were handed suspended jail sentences in March. Silverstone has worked alongside Northamptonshire Police to beef up security ahead of this year’s event, with a record 480,000 people expected to attend over the weekend, and more than 140,000 fans in place for the race. Pringle added: “We have no specific intelligence, but we will plan for the worst and hope for the best. If somebody is minded to invade a flower show then they are probably minded to invade a motor race because we have many more global viewers. “But there are plans in place. We will have a much more visible police presence around the event and we hope that fans help us to try and spot people who are planning to disturb people’s fun.” Lewis Hamilton is gearing up for his home race following a disappointing Austrian Grand Prix where he finished seventh and was then demoted to eighth after a post-race penalty for exceeding track limits. Hamilton was also dealt a public rebuke by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. The Austrian told Hamilton to “just drive the car” following a number of complaints by his driver over the radio. “There are days when I can say I’m truly proud of myself, and days like today when frustration takes over,” said Hamilton on his Instagram account. “In a race it can feel like you’re hanging off a cliff and losing the strength to hold on. “It’s confusing for us to have such strong performances one day and then be nowhere the next. “But when you really care about what you’re doing, you brush it off and keep fighting. Heads down for Silverstone.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen refuses to ponder title hat-trick despite another emphatic win Toto Wolff plays down impact of ‘just please drive it’ remark to Lewis Hamilton Austrian Grand Prix to remain on F1 calendar until at least 2030

It was long after the chequered flag was waved at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday when Lando Norris, buoyed by a positive weekend in his upgraded McLaren, posted a selfie of his bare hand. A high-five for P5. Little did he know that, in the end, a finger needed to be withdrawn. Another Instagram picture comically corrected the initial post. Because Norris had actually recorded his best result of the season in claiming fourth, after a shaking-up of the final classification of Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix due to a raft of time penalties. Twelve drivers – including Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz – were punished retrospectively, after 83 lap times in Sunday’s race were deleted due to the exceeding of track limits. The scenario, which only concluded five hours after the race finished, has once again placed the spotlight on the FIA, the governing body of Formula 1. An appeal from Aston Martin triggered the farcical scenes to sign off a weekend in Spielberg typified by the absurdity of the track-limits issue at the final two corners of the track. The only salvation was that the podium and Max Verstappen’s win remained unchanged. Qualifying on Friday was dominated by cars continuously extending the limits of the car beyond the white line. Sergio Perez, incredulously, fell foul three times in Q2, even after a host of warnings from his engineer and subsequently missed out on the top-10 shootout. Sprint day on Saturday seemed less impacted by the issue, but only because of the wet conditions resulting in the drivers being more conservative in their driving style on the approach to turns 9 and 10. Come the grand prix a day later, the number of warnings, black-and-white flags and then time penalties rather overshadowed what was actually an enthralling 71-lap race. Hamilton, exuding disbelief at the situation over team radio, was aghast at the notion that only he was being punished. Ultimately with the late result change, nobody escaped. Esteban Ocon, for instance, had an astonishing 30 seconds added to his final time, seemingly driving a completely different configuration altogether. There are a few problems at play here. Firstly, the issue of cars consistently crossing the white line at the end of the lap. The Red Bull Ring, which has been a fixture on the F1 schedule since 2014 and on Sunday extended its contract until 2030, is the shortest track on the calendar. A fact which should encourage captivating battles, both on track and on the timesheets. Instead, it is the circuit most prone to ignominy with the deletion of lap times. Practically, it can be avoided too. Last year, a gravel trap on the outside of the final turn – as opposed to sections of run-off area – was recommended by the race director. Such an addition would encourage drivers to be more cautious on the approach and thus more likely to stay within the white lines. Such an improvement must be made next year. Yet more so than the track-limits discussion itself, what is particularly concerning for the sport in the long-term is the changing of the result hours after the race has ended. We have been here before, too. In March, the second race of the season in Saudi Arabia saw Fernando Alonso’s third place reinstated past midnight local time, rendering George Russell’s experience on the podium redundant. A fortnight later in Australia, a chaotic race saw post-race appeals drag the race result into uncertainty for a matter of weeks, with Ferrari appealing a late penalty for Sainz. The FIA and F1, two distinctly different enterprises but reliant in many ways on one another, are not the best of friends at the moment. Ideally, they would work perfectly in harmony but on the contrary, the divide is stark, as illustrated by Formula 1 calling out FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the off-season for opining on F1’s market value in the wake of takeover rumours from Saudi Arabia. All of it points towards a situation where the whole operation and system of work must improve. There is an argument that it could be completely scratched and revamped – and perhaps both parties could work towards this after the 2023 season. But something has to change. The net result of more ridiculous scenes such as Sunday night’s result change will be spectators turning away from the sport. The influx of fans in the past few years, due to Netflix, the 2021 season and more races than ever before, will be completely undone if those watching cannot fully trust the finality of the chequered flag. The sport’s marketeers have done so well to be ahead of the curve as it enjoys a period of unprecedented popularity. Now the executives themselves must improve their processes in correlation. Read More Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz demoted after Austrian Grand Prix penalty chaos Max Verstappen refuses to ponder title hat-trick despite another emphatic win San Luis Obispo: Why you should visit California’s last sleepy stretch of coast, hidden in plain sight Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz demoted after Austrian Grand Prix penalty chaos F1 Austrian Grand Prix LIVE: Race latest updates and results from Red Bull Ring Lewis Hamilton: 18 months, 13 podiums and an elusive race victory