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F1 2022

Red Bull’s punishment isn’t just unfair – it could ruin F1 forever​

Today, the FIA proved to the world once again that they do not have what it takes to adjudicate over their own sport. Red Bull Racing, found to be guilty by an FIA investigation of a “minor breach” of the budget cap last season, have been punished under the terms of an ‘Accepted Breach Agreement’ (ABA) with a $7m fine and a minor development penalty on next season’s car.


Red Bull fans have been quick to point out what they believe to be the key word – “minor”, meaning that the team overspent by 5 per cent or under of the total budget cap. Whilst this is easily written off for some, others (including myself) are not so easily distracted from the fact that this is blatant cheating. A reminder: the budget cap for the 2021 season was a massive $145m, with this “minor” breach seeing Red Bull having used an extra $2.2m denied to other teams. It begs the obvious question – why have a cost cap if you can break it and face such minor penalties?

Now, within the wider context of the cash-soaked sport, it is a fairly menial sum of money by which Red Bull have overspent, but F1 is defined by the tightest of tight margins and milliseconds. Few will need reminding that Max Verstappen won the 2021 championship on the final lap of the final race by a little over two seconds. I can scarcely believe I’m having to spell it out, but in my book (and evidently and rather dumbfoundingly, not in the FIA’s), cheating is cheating. Who knows how many hundredths of a second those extra millions shaved off that car’s times last season? Any competitive advantage gained by any extra spending should be scrutinised by the penny and punished under one clear and coherent set of guidelines.

Instead, we’ve been left in limbo, given only a rather vague list of potential punishments and the FIA stunningly allowing Red Bull to reach an ABA. And so the cheating team has been allowed to accept a more lenient punishment on the basis that they acknowledge they broke the rules. This is insane: it encourages teams to be dishonest to get themselves to the negotiating table. I say we were left in limbo, we weren’t really – we all knew what was coming. Much of the last weeks’ discussion has been dominated by just how meek the response will be to this breach of the rules.

Another important point to remember is that ABA represents Red Bull’s admission that they did indeed overspend, something that team principal Christian Horner has fervently denied up until now. So, to get this straight, the FIA have conducted an investigation and found the team to be cheating, failed to punish them, before the team denied it and then admitted it (but only with the assurance that a lesser punishment will be doled out).

Aside from a rightful break from negotiations following the death of Dietrich Mateschitz last weekend, how bizarre is it that we have had to wait this long for the governing body to mull over a punishment. In what other sport would we see this? This could have been so black and white: you overspend, you pay the price with a heavy fine and the deduction of unfairly won championship points. Instead, we are left with no points deducted, no major fine and crucially, no clear deterrent to Red Bull or other teams that discourages future abuse of such an important rule.


Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton will of course be most upset, adding insult to injury with that controversial final lap in Abu Dhabi still fresh from last season. And remember in the Interlagos sprint race when Hamilton was penalised for having his wing 0.2mm over regulation? He was put to the back of the grid. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve no issue with this, if the rule states no larger than 85mm, then 85.2mm breaks the rules. Cheating is cheating. But as much sympathy as Hamilton and his team deserve from this ever-so-predictable scenario, it’s the sport as a whole that loses out the most with a call such as this.

In this instance, the benefits of Max’s title win very obviously outweigh the meagre $7m fine and 25 runs in the wind tunnel (instead of 28) they have received for breaking the rules; if every team knew they could get off this lightly, you’d bet the house that they would all take that chance. This ruling marks yet another opportunity spurned for the FIA to truly stamp their authority with a just and fair decision. The sport will keep moving of course, taking another abominable kick to the teeth in its stride, as it always has. But it is tricky, and massively disheartening, to see a way forward long term, given that a blatant instance of cheating has been allowed to stand.
 

FP1 Mexico City​

Carlos Sainz topped FP1 for the Mexican Grand Prix, but the top six drivers were covered by only 0.192s as teams looked closely matched. Charles Leclerc followed just behind his team-mate, ahead of Red Bull pair Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen, with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso rounding out a tight top six.


The dominant topic of conversation in Mexico City has been Red Bull’s punishment for breaching the 2021 cost cap, with the FIA fining the team $7million alongside a 10% deduction in time allowed in their wind tunnel to test new aerodynamic parts, which team principal Christian Horner predicts could cost them up to half a second per lap in 2023.

But in terms of on-track action, FP1 would be a key session for the drivers. With FP2 being reserved for a 90-minute tyre test for Pirelli’s 2023 tyres, first practice represented the best opportunity for the teams to perfect their setups in representative conditions on Friday. Like in Austin, there were several driver swaps to note, with Logan Sargeant given another chance behind the wheel at Williams as he looks to build the FIA Super Licence points required to race alongside Alex Albon next year, taking on the Thai-British driver’s FW44 for the session.

Meanwhile, incoming AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries took the wheel of George Russell’s Mercedes as they fulfilled one of their ‘rookie’ FP1 slots for the season, with Pietro Fittipaldi filling in for Kevin Magnussen at Haas. At AlphaTauri, Red Bull junior Liam Lawson took over Yuki Tsunoda’s seat for the second time this season, while Alpine junior Jack Doohan, son of motorcycle racing legend Mick, ran in Esteban Ocon’s A522. Red Bull seemed unperturbed in their on-track performance early on, however, with Verstappen and home hero Perez – who received a rapturous reception as he left the pits – more than a second ahead of the chasing pack in the first 15 minutes of the session, Verstappen clocking a 1:22.291.

Lawson struggled early on though, reporting that his brakes were “completely gone” as he looked to slow down for Turn 1 – the heaviest braking zone on track. After initially running on hard tyres, the field made the switch to softs and Leclerc set a new benchmark by setting a 1:21.546. This was still more than three seconds slower than the 1:18.341 set by Valtteri Bottas in FP1 last season, perhaps a sign that the altitude and thinner air in Mexico have highlighted the biggest differences between the current and previous iterations of Formula 1 cars so far, with the 2022 challengers’ ground effect aerodynamics relying on air running underneath the car to generate downforce.

But it was not long before the drivers began to find more time, Leclerc dropping into the 1:20s with his second soft tyre run and others following suit in making big leaps compared to their quickest laps on hards. One driver unable to make the most of soft tyres was Zhou Guanyu, who found himself stranded at the end of the pit lane as he could not upshift to get moving on track. Due to having narrowly passed the pit exit line, his Alfa Romeo mechanics were unable to rescue him, leaving Zhou sat helplessly into his car until marshals were able to pull him back into the pit lane a couple of minutes later.

A rare but harmless spin came for Verstappen at Turn 11, losing control as he tried to wrestle his car through, before the session was red-flagged shortly afterwards as Fittipaldi stopped his car at Turn 2, with a smoking power unit at the back of his Haas. The hiatus only lasted around five minutes, but both Ferrari drivers led the way as the field looked to make the most of what was available to them in FP1. Drivers largely opted for FP2-style long run simulations towards the end of the session, with the Pirelli tyre test to come in the later session and squandering their usual chances to take in a longer stint. Another lock-up for Lawson into Turn 4 showed his brake issues had not eased, before stopping altogether as his AlphaTauri’s left-front brake overheated, before catching fire as marshals made their way over. This ended the session in earnest, but if the tightness of lap times from FP1 continue into Saturday, it could well be a closely-fought weekend…

FP1 classification

1 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari 1:20.707
2 Charles LECLERC Ferrari +0.046
3 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull Racing +0.120
4 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull Racing +0.120
5 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes +0.142
6 Fernando ALONSO Alpine +0.192
7 Valtteri BOTTAS Alfa Romeo +0.376
8 Lando NORRIS McLaren +0.413
9 Pierre GASLY AlphaTauri +0.603
10 Sebastian VETTEL Aston Martin +0.818
11 Daniel RICCIARDO McLaren +1.055
12 Guanyu ZHOU Alfa Romeo +1.113
13 Lance STROLL Aston Martin +1.158
14 Mick SCHUMACHER Haas F1 Team +1.245
15 Nicholas LATIFI Williams +2.205
16 Liam LAWSON AlphaTauri +3.154
17 Logan SARGEANT Williams +3.539
18 Nyck DE VRIES Mercedes +3.875
19 Jack DOOHAN Alpine +3.908
20 Pietro FITTIPALDI Haas F1 Team +6.059
 
1%er said:

Red Bull’s punishment isn’t just unfair – it could ruin F1 forever​

Today, the FIA proved to the world once again that they do not have what it takes to adjudicate over their own sport. Red Bull Racing, found to be guilty by an FIA investigation of a “minor breach” of the budget cap last season, have been punished under the terms of an ‘Accepted Breach Agreement’ (ABA) with a $7m fine and a minor development penalty on next season’s car.


Red Bull fans have been quick to point out what they believe to be the key word – “minor”, meaning that the team overspent by 5 per cent or under of the total budget cap. Whilst this is easily written off for some, others (including myself) are not so easily distracted from the fact that this is blatant cheating. A reminder: the budget cap for the 2021 season was a massive $145m, with this “minor” breach seeing Red Bull having used an extra $2.2m denied to other teams. It begs the obvious question – why have a cost cap if you can break it and face such minor penalties?

Now, within the wider context of the cash-soaked sport, it is a fairly menial sum of money by which Red Bull have overspent, but F1 is defined by the tightest of tight margins and milliseconds. Few will need reminding that Max Verstappen won the 2021 championship on the final lap of the final race by a little over two seconds. I can scarcely believe I’m having to spell it out, but in my book (and evidently and rather dumbfoundingly, not in the FIA’s), cheating is cheating. Who knows how many hundredths of a second those extra millions shaved off that car’s times last season? Any competitive advantage gained by any extra spending should be scrutinised by the penny and punished under one clear and coherent set of guidelines.

Instead, we’ve been left in limbo, given only a rather vague list of potential punishments and the FIA stunningly allowing Red Bull to reach an ABA. And so the cheating team has been allowed to accept a more lenient punishment on the basis that they acknowledge they broke the rules. This is insane: it encourages teams to be dishonest to get themselves to the negotiating table. I say we were left in limbo, we weren’t really – we all knew what was coming. Much of the last weeks’ discussion has been dominated by just how meek the response will be to this breach of the rules.

Another important point to remember is that ABA represents Red Bull’s admission that they did indeed overspend, something that team principal Christian Horner has fervently denied up until now. So, to get this straight, the FIA have conducted an investigation and found the team to be cheating, failed to punish them, before the team denied it and then admitted it (but only with the assurance that a lesser punishment will be doled out).

Aside from a rightful break from negotiations following the death of Dietrich Mateschitz last weekend, how bizarre is it that we have had to wait this long for the governing body to mull over a punishment. In what other sport would we see this? This could have been so black and white: you overspend, you pay the price with a heavy fine and the deduction of unfairly won championship points. Instead, we are left with no points deducted, no major fine and crucially, no clear deterrent to Red Bull or other teams that discourages future abuse of such an important rule.


Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton will of course be most upset, adding insult to injury with that controversial final lap in Abu Dhabi still fresh from last season. And remember in the Interlagos sprint race when Hamilton was penalised for having his wing 0.2mm over regulation? He was put to the back of the grid. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve no issue with this, if the rule states no larger than 85mm, then 85.2mm breaks the rules. Cheating is cheating. But as much sympathy as Hamilton and his team deserve from this ever-so-predictable scenario, it’s the sport as a whole that loses out the most with a call such as this.

In this instance, the benefits of Max’s title win very obviously outweigh the meagre $7m fine and 25 runs in the wind tunnel (instead of 28) they have received for breaking the rules; if every team knew they could get off this lightly, you’d bet the house that they would all take that chance. This ruling marks yet another opportunity spurned for the FIA to truly stamp their authority with a just and fair decision. The sport will keep moving of course, taking another abominable kick to the teeth in its stride, as it always has. But it is tricky, and massively disheartening, to see a way forward long term, given that a blatant instance of cheating has been allowed to stand.
Click to expand...
Andreas Siedl (in a Sky interview) described the FIA's punishments as "meek".

That's a great word for the situation.

I would have chosen "gutless", "cowardly", "complacent", "compliant" and "corrupt".

But, what do I know?
 
FIA afraid to give out punishment if he might hurt viewing figures on netflix or stop people turning up to races to support Max Verstappen

must keep the great white champion on a roll

call me a cynic but that what i'm reading from all of this
 
it just shite that a sport that was controlled by an aging slight dodgy viewpoint billionaire narcissist,

really sold its soul due to breaking the united states


fuck the rule book viewing figures

and F1 should get as much shite for visiting Texas as they do for the Saudi GP
 
Ax^ said:
it just shite that a sport that was controlled by an aging slight dodgy viewpoint billionaire narcissist,

really sold its soul due to breaking the united states


fuck the rule book viewing figures

and F1 should get as much shite for visiting Texas as they do for the Saudi GP
Click to expand...
The owner is a media company.

They'd sell their grandmas into slavery for one extra viewer in Uzbekistan and a race fee from the local politicians. So another shite street circuit in Tashkent.

I'm just disappointed that someone as authentic as Domenicali is traducing the sport for something as transitory as today's viewing numbers.
 

George Russell Tops Second Mexico City Practice as Charles Leclerc Crashes​

As was the case last weekend in the United States, the second session of the weekend was dedicated to a Pirelli tyre test, and only the drivers who sat out the opening session – Russell, Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen, Yuki Tsunoda and Alexander Albon – were able to run the 2022 tyres, and they were only able to do that in the first half of the session. Russell, who sat out the first session to allow Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team reserve driver Nyck de Vries a chance behind the wheel of the W13, hit the top spot with a best time of 1:19.970 early on, and he was eight-tenths ahead of Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Tsunoda, with BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Ocon completing the top three.

The session was red flagged just after the half hour mark when Leclerc, running the 2023 prototype tyres as part of Pirelli’s tyre test, crashed into the barriers at turn seven, the Scuderia Ferrari driver appearing to lose control of the rear of his car before spinning all the way into the outside tyre wall. Leclerc was able to get out of the car unscathed, but his session was over, and it cost everyone twenty minutes of track time whilst the F1-75 was recovered and the barriers repaired before the green flag was flown again.

Lewis Hamilton was the quickest of those who set a lap time on the 2023 tyres in fourth place, the Briton finishing just ahead of Oracle Red Bull Racing duo of Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen, while Leclerc’s best time prior to his crash was good enough for seventh, just ahead of his team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr. Valtteri Bottas, a previous winner in Mexico City, placed his Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN car into ninth place, but team-mate Zhou Guanyu did not have it as good, the Chinese driver ending twentieth and last. Zhou also caused a late red flag with a potential hydraulic failure that saw the session end two minutes early.

Pierre Gasly completed the top ten in the second AlphaTauri, the Frenchman just ahead of the driver he will replace at Alpine in 2023, Fernando Alonso, while Sebastian Vettel, the driver Alonso will replace at the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team next year, ended twelfth. Albon, who sat out the first session to allow his potential 2023 team-mate Logan Sargeant to participate to get some valuable running behind the wheel of the Williams Racing FW44, placed thirteenth ahead of the two McLaren F1 Team drivers, Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, while Lance Stroll ended sixteenth in the second Aston Martin.

Mick Schumacher ended seventeenth for the Haas F1 Team ahead of team-mate Magnussen, the Dane missing the first half of the session after his mechanics were forced to change his engine after a problem was identified whilst Pietro Fittipaldi was running in the opening session. Magnussen will take a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race as the engine is a new one outside of his allotted power units for the season. Bringing up the rear was Williams’ Nicholas Latifi in nineteenth, and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou. Final practice will take place on Saturday morning in Mexico prior to the all-important Qualifying hour that will set the grid for Sunday’s race.

Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Free Practice 2 Result

POSNO.DRIVERNATTEAMTIMEGAPLAPS
163George RussellGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:19.970 32
222Yuki TsunodaJAPScuderia AlphaTauri1:20.798+0.82830
331Esteban OconFRABWT Alpine F1 Team1:21.177+1.20731
444Lewis HamiltonGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:21.509+1.53932
511Sergio PérezMEXOracle Red Bull Racing1:21.579+1.60934
61Max VerstappenNEDOracle Red Bull Racing1:21.588+1.61834
716Charles LeclercMONScuderia Ferrari1:21.618+1.64813
855Carlos Sainz Jr.ESPScuderia Ferrari1:21.693+1.72334
977Valtteri BottasFINAlfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN1:21.993+2.02336
1010Pierre GaslyFRAScuderia AlphaTauri1:22.104+2.13436
1114Fernando AlonsoESPBWT Alpine F1 Team1:22.337+2.36731
125Sebastian VettelGERAston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team1:22.371+2.40132
1323Alexander AlbonTHAWilliams Racing1:22.447+2.47724
144Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren F1 Team1:22.738+2.76831
153Daniel RicciardoAUSMcLaren F1 Team1:22.763+2.79327
1618Lance StrollCANAston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team1:22.840+2.87023
1747Mick SchumacherGERHaas F1 Team1:22.879+2.90931
1820Kevin MagnussenDENHaas F1 Team1:23.316+3.34621
196Nicholas LatifiCANWilliams Racing1:23.320+3.35034
2024Zhou GuanyuCHNAlfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN1:23.369+3.39934
 
Is it worth considering that the extra motivation of a home GP, plus Max being willing to ease off a bit after securing the championship and let his team mate get one as a thank you for his support might make Checo the favourite for this race win? Hmm, I’m off to check some odds to think about putting a small wager on.
 

FIA opens can of worms with Red Bull F1 Cost Cap ruling​

Whoever thought that, with the FIA announcing Red Bull’s sentence for breaching the 2021 Formula 1 cost cap, this matter will be put to bed is extremely mistaken, a can of worms has just been opened. Red Bull breached the F1 cost cap. That is a fact established by F1’s ruling body, and they have been penalized as per the Accepted Breach Agreement (ABA) by paying $7-Million and having to reduce their wind tunnel time by 10% for 12 months.

Now Red Bull and their supporters will cry foul claiming that is too harsh while, on the other hand, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Co will insist it is not enough and won’t stop until Max Verstappen is stripped from his 2021 Title, and why not have a go at his and his team’s 2022 Titles. On our 50k-strong Facebook group as well as countless respected forums, and in comments sections, and the inevitable pouring of criticism and even outrage:
  • Isaac Odigbo: Corruption of the highest bidder…
  • Grahame O’Neill: Not harsh enough at all….FIA in Red Bulls pocket….
  • Jason Zippy Young: FIA what a joke, killing this sport , not enough , should be 70 million , stripped of 2021 championship , banned from f1 for 12 months , redbull has dominated 2022 because of this overspend and will dominant 2023 season makes my blood boil , not a fair sport at all , I thought the idea of cost cap was to bring all teams closer and provide sponsors and public with better racing , again FIA a complete joke… enough said , time to find a better sport to watch for 2023…
  • Elaine Bradley: This just shows for RB cheating is okay because they can afford the fine. This isn’t a penalty, it’s another gift from the FIA. What a joke.
  • Darren Dunn: Goes to show cheating to win will only cost you 7 million in pocket change .
  • Mark Scott Webster: Thank you FIA for continuing your tradition of making a MOCKERY of yourselves, your decision making and your fierce incorruptible passion for the good of the sport
  • Suzan Ellis: Red bull has cheated fact… and has spoiled my enjoyment of watching F1..between them and Micheal Massy cheating decisions i have now made my own decision to stop watching the sport altogether and expect i wont be the only one..such a shame but i cant bear to watch injustice when that happens you have lost respect.

And there is much more negative feedback, very little if any praising the sentence Red Bull received from the FIA. Check the post on our Facebook GrandPrix247 fan page. The biggest problem in this situation is not what Red Bull did and other F1 teams didn’t do, but the cost regulations themselves firstly, and more importantly the principle of a cost cap in itself secondly. All those fancy words written by legal minds in a way to make it impossible for any two lawyers to agree on the same interpretation, will be gibberish to the average reader, and more importantly are filled with grey areas and loopholes that allow an ABA such as the one Red Bull and the FIA signed possible. Notably, all teams have signed up for those regulations after extensive discussions with the FIA and Formula 1 while being fully aware of the aforementioned loopholes and grey zones; I dare say they consciously wanted them in there.

Why? Because all the teams know that they could’ve been in Red Bull’s situation, or could be in the future and they would want that leeway to get out of the problem like the energy drinks outfit did. But as long as they aren’t in trouble, Zak Brown and Toto Wolff can lecture us all they can about transparency, cheating and being law abiding F1 citizens, while Christian Horner will stick to his narrative that sick leaves and some sandwiches were behind the F1 cost cap breach. I am no legal person, but all the legal crap that preceded Red Bull’s sentence is just there to cover the asses of the FIA and whichever team in breach of the regulations under the ABA. This time it was Red Bull, next time it will be any other team.


The FIA acknowledged that had Red Bull correctly applied tax credit – whatever the hell that means – the breach would’ve been £432,652 ($0.5m), or 0.37% instead of the announced £1,864,000 ($2.2m) or 1.6%. So other teams may have been in excess but applied proper tax credit and ended up being in the safe zone which means it’s just how you present the data and not the data itself that matters, and before everyone starts blasting this statement bear in mind it is a calculated guess based on life experience of how accountants and lawyers twist the facts. The letter of the regulations may have been followed when reaching this Red Bull/FIA conclusion but in the end of the day it doesn’t make sense because a straightforward assessment tells you that you can build a B-spec F1 car with the $2.2-Million Red Bull overspent, which should consequently necessitate a much more painful penalty. So to all those taking sides, just keep in mind that this time it was your team in the safe zone, next time they won’t be and then you will be running the Red Bull narrative. Such is the level of hypocrisy we suffer in F1 these days.

Secondly, The Elephant in the room
This brings me to the elephant in the room, the principle of the F1 cost cap itself. It should not be there; plain and simple as it contradicts all the ethos of F1. You either go big in F1 or go home. Teams that are pro cost cap are other big teams blowing their huge budgets on underwhelming performances or teams who blame their failure on others spending more money. Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes spend almost the same amount of money and that wasn’t the key behind their successes, and while the cost cap has been around for two seasons now, McLaren are still unable to break into the top three.

The F1 cost cap is wrong, cannot be policed properly and will always be the cause of controversy in our beloved sport, every year at this time – ten months after the ‘final whistle’ blew on the previous season! A final word on the true victims in this situation we find ourselves in, Formula 1, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton. While the sport has to suffer from all this contention, their 2021 epic season has taken a back seat. These two have delivered one of the most tantalizing battles F1 has seen in years, and instead Verstappen’s maiden Title is being tarnished, while Hamilton’s immense efforts to deny him that – something he should hold his head up high for – has also been sidelined. Sad that Lewis, a living legend of the sport, and Max, a legend-in-the-making have to suffer all this injustice. – Jad Mallak, Editor

Paul Velasco: A slap on the wrist for Red Bull, a punch in the face for F1
While the FIA may pat themselves for a job well done, thinking this matter (like Abu Dhabi 2021) is done and dusted… sorry to say, it is definitely NOT, unless, of course, they live in their own tiny bubble. Perhaps they think they do? The delays by the FIA, the leaks, the uncertainties, and the speculation has resurrected the ghosts of 2021 while triggering another wave of social media carnage as the digital maggots feast on the sumptuous banquet of controversy that this has fired off this past week, to the detriment of the sport.

The FIA, under the new era of leadership by president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, was and is a cumbersome organization that looked in comfortable disarray from the outside, but that disarray is getting messier, faster, the disdain (and sadly, hate) directed at the organisation is fueled by their own mishandling of some very crucial matters, in the intense spotlight that F1 attracts. For the F1 Cost Cap to work, the penalties had to be draconian, but when a sport allows teams to write the rules, every loophole imaginable will be found. In the end, FIA painted themselves into a corner when it came to sentencing with few options.

The most sensible, and perhaps saving grace ruling would have been Red Bull stripped of all points for their ‘accounting error’ and all the money that goes with that, while allowing Max Verstappen to keep the title, because of overspending on catering or worker benefits, or whatever they blew money on, did not impact his performance over the course of that incredible year.

Steiner: Just a little bit of mayhem going on
The FIA and their official/s erred massively at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, what should have been F1’s greatest race will forever be tarnished by the folks who wear the shirt with FIA embroidered on it, a shame for the greatest drivers of this era, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, deserved far better after a season where they gave it all, and nearly more. That season is further sullied by the handling of this entire F1 Cost Cap farce, the expense of this failed noble attempt to reign in the most competitive teams in sport has flopped massively at the first hurdle, no matter if all teams signed up to this joke, we can all see they were wrong, it is wrong.

F1 is fast descending from the King of Sports to the charade that is WWE, as the rule-makers live in an alternative reality as they lose respect from everyone across the board be it for the handling of Abu Dhai 2021, the current F1 Cost Cap fiasco and last Sunday, their bumbling of the Haas-Alpine protest. Which prompted Haas team principal Guenther Steiner to reveal, to Sky F1, the kind of sentiment permeating in the paddock right now in Mexico: “It shows again, there’s no consistency. Our whole point was they need to be consistent, which wasn’t there. “There is just a little bit of mayhem going on. It is frustrating if the race director doesn’t know the rules!” declared Steiner; which pretty much sums up where the FIA stands right now.
 

Mick Schumacher’s future at Haas in “last details” of being decided, says Guenther Steiner​

Haas have the only vacant seat still remaining in the F1 2023 driver line-up and are considering whether to stick with Schumacher or replace him. The son of Michael Schumacher will see his current contract expire at the end of this season and has no guarantee of staying at Haas, and no options elsewhere with other teams. "We will get to a decision, hopefully soon,” team principal Steiner said. “But nothing is decided 100 percent yet. We are just going through the last details of what we have to sort out, and then we will make a decision. It's a job I need to do. When it's done, it's always nice to tick things off the list. When you get something done you can then focus on the next thing. This is an important decision for the team, and there is enough to focus on [elsewhere] to get better."

Kevin Magnussen is signed up by Haas long-term. The team have publicly considered Daniel Ricciardo as a replacement for Schumacher but the veteran Australian closed the door on the possibility. Nico Hulkenberg remains in the frame to get the nod. Schumacher is 16th in the F1 standings entering the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix.
 

Russell and Hamilton top final practice in Mexico City​

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton enjoyed an impressive final practice ahead of this afternoon's Mexican Grand Prix qualifying, the Mercedes drivers convincingly leading their rivals in the session. The duo clocked in almost half a second clear of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, with all times set on the soft tyre. Mercedes' gain appeared to be Ferrari's gain, as the Italian outfit closed out its practice as the third fastest team among the frontrunners with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz setting the fourth and sixth quickest laps. The paddock at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was still alive on Saturday morning with the sound of Red Bull's rivals venting their comments on the bulls' cost cap breach, and the debate is likely to rage on. So when FP3 rolled around, it offered a welcomed respite to the endless discussions. However, there were some minor worries among the teams when the session kicked off, with an overcast sky and a 40 percent chance of rain.

Teams were eager to enjoy a full session after the disruption they suffered in Friday's extended FP2, so a flurry of cars headed out on track at the outset. However, Verstappen appeared in no hurry to get going. Nevertheless, traffic swelled as Hamilton and then Sainz - running on the softs - put the first benchmark times on the board. But Russell, who topped FP2, then picked up the baton, putting a 1m19.405s on the board that was half a second quicker than Sainz. Mick Schumacher was the session's first spinner, the Haas charger losing it through the Turn 9/10 sequence but keeping clear of the barriers. It became clear that the frontrunners were in quali-sim mode, including Verstappen who finally took to the track and duly went to the top with a 1m19.296s. The Dutchman pressed on and improved his time to edge Russell by 0.287s at the session's half-way mark. A great effort by Alex Albon pushed the Williams driver up to an impressive P7.

A bit of a lull in the running ensued, but things heated up again thanks to Mercedes, which slowly but surely was starting to stake its claim, the team's 'draggy' W13 working well in Mexico City's thin air. Purple sectors initially put Hamilton on top, but Russell fired back with a 1m18.399s that edged his teammate by 0.144s and Verstappen by 0.719s. Norris then made good use of a clear track to set the fourth quickest lap. Meanwhile, Verstappen improved his best time only marginally, Bottas leapfrogged up to P5, the Finn demonstrating that Alfa's recent upgrade is working. As the session entered its final minutes, Ferrari were perhaps wondering what a difference a day makes. Leclerc's final run was good only for P4 while Sainz concluded his session P6.

Mercedes thus topped the timesheet, with Russell taking bragging rights. Behind the duo, Verstappen was 0.477s adrift, with Leclerc, Perez and Sainz completing the top six. Norris was best of the rest in P7, edging Bottas, Tsunoda and Albon. It was a low-profile session for the Alpine team, with Ocon and Alonso clocking in P11 and P13. Both Aston Martin's were among the lower-tier runners, as were a frustrated Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, with brake problems creeping in once again at the AlphaTauri.

Results (Classification):
  1. George Russell Mercedes -1:18.399
  2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.144
  3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.477
  4. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.724
  5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.842
  6. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.902
  7. Lando Norris McLaren +0.918
  8. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.991
  9. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.483
  10. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.518
  11. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.561
  12. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +1.620
  13. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.638
  14. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.740
  15. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.931
  16. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +2.078
  17. Mick Schumacher Haas +2.199
  18. Nicholas Latifi Williams Racing +2.449
  19. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +2.587
  20. Kevin Magnussen Haas +2.872
 

Qualifying Results​


Q3
  1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:17.775
  2. George Russell Mercedes +0.304
  3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.309
  4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.353
  5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.576
  6. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.626
  7. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.780
  8. Lando Norris McLaren +0.946
  9. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.164
  10. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.235

Q2
  1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes -1:18,552
  2. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.008
  3. George Russell Mercedes +0.013
  4. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.014
  5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.063
  6. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.210
  7. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.529
  8. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.557
  9. Lando Norris McLaren +0.567
  10. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.720
  11. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.773
  12. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +0.924
  13. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.037
  14. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.120
  15. Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.281
Q1
  1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes -1:19.169
  2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.053
  3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.336
  4. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.354
  5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.397
  6. George Russell Mercedes +0.414
  7. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.537
  8. Lando Norris McLaren +0.688
  9. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +0.738
  10. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.776
  11. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.837
  12. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.087
  13. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.110
  14. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +1.114
  15. Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.124
  16. Mick Schumacher Haas +1.250
  17. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +1.250
  18. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.351
  19. Alex Albon Williams Racing +1.690
  20. Nicholas Latifi Williams Racing +1.998
 

Revised starting grid after penalties​

Pos.​
Driver​
Team​
1.​
Verstappen​
Red Bull​
2.​
Russell​
Mercedes​
3.​
Hamilton​
Mercedes​
4.​
Perez​
Red Bull​
5.​
Sainz​
Ferrari​
6.​
Bottas​
Alfa Romeo​
7.​
Leclerc​
Ferrari​
8.​
Norris​
Mclaren​
9.​
Alonso​
Alpine​
10.​
Ocon​
Alpine​
11.​
Ricciardo​
McLaren​
12.​
Zhou​
Alfa Romeo​
13.​
Tsunoda​
AlphaTauri​
14.​
Gasly​
AlphaTauri​
15.​
Schumacher​
Haas​
16.​
Vettel​
Aston Martin​
17.​
Albon​
Williams​
18.​
Latifi​
Williams​
19.​
Magnussen*​
Haas​
20.​
Stroll*​
Aston Martin​
 

Verstappen snubs Sky Sports after Kravitz comments​

Sky Sports viewers aren't hearing from Max Verstappen this weekend as the Red Bull charger has turned his back on the broadcaster's crews in Mexico due to comments made by pundit Ted Kravitz. Verstappen has apparently taken exception with Kravitz's portrayal of last year's controversial finale in Abu Dhabi, where Verstappen defeated Lewis Hamilton for the title.

In his post-US Grand Prix traditional 'Notebook' segment, Kravitz referred to last year's disputed showdown at Yas Marina as an event where Hamilton was "robbed" of the 2021 world championship. Now, everyone and their dog has voiced their opinion on the events that marked F1's season finale, where FIA race director Michael Masi took it upon himself to circumvent the normal safety car rules in the closing stages of the race to allow for a one-lap shootout between Hamilton, the race's then long-standing race leader, and Verstappen. Kravitz revisited the contentious epilogue while describing how it would have been great for Hamilton to defeat his nemesis, Max Verstappen, in Austin.

The Briton had indeed come close, leading the race with six laps to go until the Dutchman stole his thunder. "[Hamilton] doesn't win a race all year, and then finally comes back at a track where he could win the first race all year, battling the same guy who won the race he was robbed in the previous year, and manages to finish ahead of him," said Kravitz. "What a script and a story that would have been. But that's not the way the script turned out today, was it? Because the guy that beat him after being robbed actually overtook him, because he's got a quicker car, because of engineering and Formula 1 and design, and pretty much because of [Adrian Newey, Red Bull's Chief Technical Officer] over there."


The comments weren't Kravitz's first clumsy dig at F1's reigning world champion in Austin. Earlier in the weekend at the Circuit of the Americas, he also spewed a rather derogatory remark on Verstappen's confusing coronation in Suzuka, which actually had nothing to do with the Dutchman. "Verstappen is around the [Austin] paddock, he seems very happy with himself. He doesn't seem to be a driver capable of winning a championship in a normal way," said Kravitz.

Kravitz's comments were obviously repeated to Verstappen who, unimpressed decided to give Sky's commentators the cold shoulder this weekend in Mexico.
 

Entire Red Bull F1 team to retract Sky Sports engagement​

The entire Red Bull Formula 1 team is set to boycott Sky Sports after comments were made regarding Max Verstappen’s 2021 title. It was recently revealed that Verstappen himself would ignore Sky Sports, after learning about the remarks. Now, according to Press Association, the entire team is set to follow suit in protest of reporter Ted Kravitz’s comment, who stated that Lewis Hamilton was “robbed” of last year’s title.

“[Hamilton] doesn’t win a race all year, and then finally comes back at a track where he could win the first race, battling the same guy who won the race he was robbed in the previous year, and manages to finish ahead of him,” Kravitz said, speaking at last weekend’s US Grand Prix weekend. “What a script and a story that would have been. But that’s not the way the script turned out today, was it?”


Verstappen didn’t provide any interviews with the British broadcaster on Saturday after qualifying in Mexico, where he took his sixth pole position of the season. The boycott is now set to extend to the wider Red Bull organisation. Team Principal Christian Horner often joins Sky Sports from the pitwall during race weekends to provide the commentary team with updates from the ongoing session and various other matters. He also takes part in paddock interviews with the broadcaster throughout grand prix weekends, including following the qualifying and race sessions.

However, they appear to be on hold for the time being.
 
1%er said:

Entire Red Bull F1 team to retract Sky Sports engagement​

The entire Red Bull Formula 1 team is set to boycott Sky Sports after comments were made regarding Max Verstappen’s 2021 title. It was recently revealed that Verstappen himself would ignore Sky Sports, after learning about the remarks. Now, according to Press Association, the entire team is set to follow suit in protest of reporter Ted Kravitz’s comment, who stated that Lewis Hamilton was “robbed” of last year’s title.

“[Hamilton] doesn’t win a race all year, and then finally comes back at a track where he could win the first race, battling the same guy who won the race he was robbed in the previous year, and manages to finish ahead of him,” Kravitz said, speaking at last weekend’s US Grand Prix weekend. “What a script and a story that would have been. But that’s not the way the script turned out today, was it?”


Verstappen didn’t provide any interviews with the British broadcaster on Saturday after qualifying in Mexico, where he took his sixth pole position of the season. The boycott is now set to extend to the wider Red Bull organisation. Team Principal Christian Horner often joins Sky Sports from the pitwall during race weekends to provide the commentary team with updates from the ongoing session and various other matters. He also takes part in paddock interviews with the broadcaster throughout grand prix weekends, including following the qualifying and race sessions.

However, they appear to be on hold for the time being.
Click to expand...
That's totally ticketty-boo by me.

Fuck Red Bull. Fuck Whinger Spice. Fuck Joss Verstappen's son with his solar-illuminated rectum.

:)
 
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