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Charles Leclerc takes Baku pole ahead of Piastri: F1
Baku City, 14 Sept. 2024: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc powered to a fourth consecutive pole position at the Baku City Circuit, three tenths of a second clear of Oscar Piastri, with Carlos Sainz taking third in qualifying for the 2024 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in the second Ferrari. However, Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen only managed P6 and title Lando Norris exited in Q1 in an eventful session.
“It’s one of my favourite tracks of the season. I really like it,” said Leclerc after taking his 26th career pole. “In qualifying, until Q3, it was all about trying to stay as far as possible off the walls. And then in that last lap, I went for it a bit more. And the lap time came very nicely. I mean, the car felt really good and everything felt great. So, yeah, it’s amazing to be on pole.”
At the start of Q1 it was Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez who set the early pace, with the Mexican taking top spot with a lap of 1:43.436, just over two tenths clear of Verstappen. Leclerc then split the Red Bulls. with Piastri slotting into fourth place ahead of McLaren team-mate Norris.
Pérez went straight into a second run and an improved time of 1:43.436 returned him to the top of the order ahead of Sainz whose own second run netted him a time of 1:42.517. And with a third flyer on the same set of tyres, Pérez then lowered the benchmark to 1:43.213.
However, with five minutes left Leclerc moved well clear, posting a 1:42.775 to eclipse the Red Bull driver by more than four tenths of a second before Russell also demoted the Mexican. Pérez opted to sit out the final runs and though he slipped to P10 he eased through to Q2.
At the top of the Q1 order Leclerc’s mid-session 1:42.775 allowed him to keep hold of P1 ahead of Albon and Piastri, but in a shock end to the session, there was no place in the second session for the Australian’s McLaren team-mate Lando Norris. The Beiton’s final flyer appeared to be hampered by yellow flags and he slid out of the session in P17.
Verstappen and Pérez were again out on track early at the start of the second session and this time it was the Dutch driver who set the pace with a lap of 1:42.042 that put him 0.221s ahead of his team-mate. Piastri slotted into third place, with Russell fourth. Leclerc then managed to split the Bulls, 0.014s off Max, while Sainz slotted into fourth 0.2s behind Pérez.
And the top three held firm through the final runs. Pérez again opted out of the final laps and when Leclerc backed out of his attempt, Verstappen also chose to ease off at the end of his final flyer and he went through to Q3 in top spot thanks to his first run time ahead of the Ferrari.
At the other end of the order, Haas’ Oliver Bearman dropped out in P11 ahead of RB’s Yuki Tsunoda, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, the second Haas of Nico Hülkenberg, Aston Martin’s Lace Stroll and the second RB of Daniel Ricciardo.
In the first runs of the top 10 shootout, Leclerc put Ferrari on provisional pole, with the Monegasque driver posting a lap of 1:41.610 to take top spot, two tenths of a second ahead of Sainz, with Piastri third ahead of Russell. Pérez slotted into P5 thanks to an opening lap of 1:42.045 with Verstappen two tenths further back in sixth.
At the start of the final runs, there was a strange incident when Williams’ Alex Albon left the Williams garage with the airbox fan still in place. The Thai driver was forced to pull over at the pit exit where he manually dragged the fan out and threw it overboard. The delay would lead to an investigation for unsafe release and prevented him from crossing the line to start a final flyer.
Ahead of him, there was no stopping Leclerc. The Ferrari driver proved unbeatable in the final flyers, claiming a fourth straight Baku pole with a lap of 1:41.365, three tenths ahead of Piastri and almost half a second ahead of third-place Sainz.
Pérez, back on form on a circuit at which he has won twice in the past, put in a strong final flyer to claim fourth spot on the grid ahead of Russell, but Verstappen, could only manage sixth on the grid, alongside Hamilton and ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, the impressive Franco Colapinto of Williams and the unfortunate Albon.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:41.365 – –
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:41.686 0.321 0.317
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:41.805 0.440 0.434
4 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:41.813 0.448 0.442
5 George Russell Mercedes 1:41.874 0.509 0.502
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:42.023 0.658 0.649
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:42.289 0.924 0.912
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:42.369 1.004 0.990
9 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1:42.530 1.165 1.149
10 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:42.859 1.494 1.474
11 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:42.968 1.603 1.581
12 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:43.035 1.670 1.648
13 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:43.179 1.814 1.790
14 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:43.191 1.826 1.801
15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:43.404 2.039 2.012
16 Daniel Ricciardo RB/Honda RBPT 1:43.547 2.182 2.153
17 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:43.609 2.244 2.214
18 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:43.618 2.253 2.223
19 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:44.246 2.881 2.842
20 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:44.504 3.139 3.097 -
Max Verstappen pips Charles Leclerc to take pole for Sprint race
Spielberg, 30 June 2023: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took his sixth pole position of the 2023 F1 season just 0.048s ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with Carlos Sainz third in a tight Qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring in which track limits violations played a major role, with Sergio Pérez being ruled out in Q2 after exceeding the limits on all three of his flying laps.
At the start of Q1 Verstappen took an early P1 with a lap of 1:05.190, seven tenths of a second ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, and Pérez slotting into third. With a little under 12 minutes remaining the session was red-flagged when Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas spun at the exit of Turn 1.
The Finn eventually got restarted and headed back to the pit lane. During the stoppage, Verstappen’s initial lap was deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 10. After a six-minute delay, running resumed and Verstappen moved back to P1 with a lap of 1:05.116. That put him a little over two tenths clear of Carlos Sainz, with the Spaniard’s Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc 0.461 off the Dutchman in P3.
Pérez, who had stayed in his garage, dropped to P13 `but with a little under three minutes left he emerged from the pit lane and he vaulted to P2 on the timesheet with a lap of 1:05.177, 0.061s behind his team-mate and almost two tenths ahead of Sainz, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in P4 ahead of Leclerc.
At the other end of the timesheet and ruled out after the first segment were 16th-placed AlphaTauri drover Yuki Tsunoda followed by Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu, Williams’ Logan Sargeant, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, and Nyck de Vries in the second AlphaTauri.
At the start of Q2 Verstappen again set the early pace with a lap of 1:04.955. Pérez took P2, just under a tenth off his team-mate, but moments later both Red Bull drivers had their times deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 9. It meant that McLaren’s Lando Norris took over at the top of the timesheet with a lap of 1:05.038.
Verstappen jumped back to P1 with his next lap of 1:04.51, ahead of Sainz and Norris. Pérez then climbed to fourth place with a lap of 1:05.235 but after slipping to P6 Pérez then dropped back to P15 when his second flyer was deleted. Both Aston Martin drivers and Mercedes’ George Russell also fell foul of the white lines.
Pérez was quickly back on track for his final flyer and he jumped to P2 with a lap of 1:04.990. It looked like he was safe but within seconds his final flyer was deleted and for exceeding the limits in Turn 10. The Mexican plummeted back to P15 and elimination.
Verstappen eased through in P1 ahead of Sainz, Norris and Leclerc, bt the drivers ruled out of Q3 were Russell in P11, followed by Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Piastri, Bottas, whose final lap was deleted, and the unfortunate Pérez.
At the start of the top 10 shoot-out, Williams’ Alex Albon set the first time with a lap of 1:05.823, but Verstappen took provisional pole with a strong lap of 1:04.503. Leclerc slotted into P2, 0.206s behind the Dutchman, with Sainz in third place ahead of Norris.
And in the final runs, the battle for pole on the short, high-speed Red Bull Ring was incredibly tight. Verstappen improved to 1:04.391. He had a nervous wait, however, as Leclerc was matching his sector times. But though the Ferrari driver got close, the Dutchman’s pace proved to be simply irresistible and he claimed his sixth pole of the season 0.048s ahead of the Ferrari driver with Sainz in third place.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:04.391
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:04.439 0.048
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:04.581 0.190
4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:04.658 0.267
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:04.819 0.428
6 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:04.893 0.502
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:04.911 0.520
8 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:05.090 0.699
9 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:05.170 0.779
10 Alex Albon Williams 1:05.823 1.432
11 George Russell Mercedes 1:05.428 1.037
12 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:05.453 1.062
13 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:05.605 1.214
14 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:05.680 1.289
15 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 2’06.688 1:02.297
16 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:05.784 1.393
17 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 1:05.818 1.427
18 Logan Sargeant Williams 1:05.948 1.557
19 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:05.971 1.580
20 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri 1:05.974 1.583 -
Verstappen wins 100th race for Red Bull; Alonso pushes Hamilton to third
Montreal (Canada), 18 June 2023: Max Verstappen scored a lights-to-flag win at the Canadian Grand Prix to seal Red Bull Racing’s 100thvictory in Formula 1, as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso shrugged off late-race brake issues to take P2 and restrict Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to the final step of the podium
“The 100th Grand Prix win for the team, that’s incredible,” said Verstappen afterwards. “I never expected to be on these kind of numbers myself as well, you know, so, yeah, we keep enjoying, we keep working hard. But today has been a great day again.”
When the lights went out at the start, championship leader Verstappen got away well from pole position to take the lead ahead of front-row starter Alonso. The Spanish driver, whose getaway was not the best, was passed into Turn 1 by Hamilton, with the second Mercedes of George Russell in fourth place.
Verstappen soon began to edge away from Hamilton and at the start of lap eight he was 2.4 seconds ahead of the Mercedes. The Virtual Safety Car was deployed when Logan Sargeant parked his Williams at the side of the track, but when the American’s car was removed and the caution ended Verstappen’s progress away from the pack continued and by lap 10 he was almost 3.5s ahead of Hamilton, with Alonso a second off the Mercedes in third place. Russell held fourth ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri sixth ahead of the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg.
On lap 12 the Safety Car was released when Russell overcooked his entry into Turn 9 and hit the wall. He limped back to the pits and the SC period prompted Verstappen to pit and switch his starting medium tyres for a set of hard compound Pirellis. Hamilton and Alonso also changed tyres during the SC phase, leaving Verstappen to emerge from his stop in the lead.
Behind the top three, both Ferrari drivers opted to stay out on starting medium tyres and they rose to P4 and P5 with Charles Leclerc ahead of Carlos Sainz. Behind them, Sergio Pérez in the second Red Bull also stayed out, on hard tyres, and he climbed to sixth place. The Safety Car left the track at the end of lap 16. Max held his lead ahead of Hamilton and Alonso, and the twin Ferraris kept Checo at bay as the race went green again.
At the front, Verstappen again began to draw away and by lap 20 he was again almost three seconds clear of Hamilton. The Mercedes driver was coming under increasing pressure from Alonso, however, and at the end of lap 22 the Spaniard pounced, using DRS to slip down the inside of the Briton’s car as they approached the final chicane to take P2.
The order at the front settled as the leaders worked their way through the stint on hard tyres, with Verstappen widening the gap to Alonso to 5.2 seconds by lap 33.
Further back, lead Ferrari driver Leclerc was now three seconds behind third-placed Hamilton. Sainz was two seconds off his team-mate and Checo held sixth, five seconds behind Sainz and seven clear of Ocon.
Pérez made his sole stop of the race on lap 38, moving to medium tyres and emerging in P7 behind Albon. Ferrari reacted by pitting Sainz on the following lap and after a 2.8 switch to hard tyres he rejoined ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon who was targeting a one-stop race. Leclerc then pitted from P4 on lap 40 and after taking on hard tyres he rejoined ahead of Sainz. Checo was on the hunt, though, and as Leclerc emerged from the pit lane, the Mexican passed Albon to take P6 just 4.5 seconds behind Sainz and on quicker tyres.
Hamilton also stopped on lap 40, heading back to medium compound Pirellis, while Alonso stopped on the next lap, fitting another set of hard tyres.
Verstappen made is final stop on lap 42, moving to medium tyres and once again he took the lead for his final stint.
Behind the top six, Albon was doing a superb job of keeping Russell at bay. The Mercedes driver had recovered from his early crash and was attempting to wrestle seventh place from his fellow Briton. That battle ended on lap 54, however, when the damage Russell had shipped early on finally took its full toll and he was forced to retire. That left the way open for Ocon to reel in Albon and with 10 laps left the Alpine driver was just 0.4s off the Williams but could finds no way past.
The battle between Alonso and Hamilton was also hotting up and with the Spaniard nursing a rear brake problem, the Briton closed in and 10 laps from the flag the gap between P2 and P3 was down to 1.8s. Despite his mechanical woes, Alonso managed to find enough pace to rebuild the gap and he was soon more than two seconds ahead of the Mercedes.
At the front, Verstappen was in total control after 70 laps, he took his sixth win of the season ahead of Alonso and Hamilton. With two laps left, and with a significant gap behind him, sixth-placed Pérez pitted for a set of soft tyres and an attempt at the fastest lap. The Mexican delivered a 1:14.481 to add a point to the eight he scored for sixth place behind the two Ferraris.
Seventh place in the race went to Albon with the Briton defending well in the closing stages to keep Alpine’s Esteban Ocon in eighth. Ninth place went to Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin and the final point went to 10th-placed Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 70 1:33’58.348
2 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Mercedes 70 1:34’07.918 9.570
3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 70 1:34’12.516 14.168
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 70 1:34’16.996 18.648
5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 70 1:34’19.888 21.540
6 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 70 1:34’49.376 51.028
7 Alexander Albon Williams 70 1:34’59.161 1’00.813
8 Esteban Ocon Alpine 70 1:35’00.040 1’01.692
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 70 1:35’02.750 1’04.402
10 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 70 1:35’02.780 1’04.432
11 Oscar Piastri McLaren 70 1:35’03.449 1’05.101
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine 70 1:35’03.597 1’05.249
13 Lando Norris McLaren 70 1:35’06.711 1’08.363
14 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 70 1:35’11.771 1’13.423
15 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 69 1:34’15.291 1 lap /16.943
16 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 69 1:34’15.725 1 lap /17.377
17 Kevin Magnussen Haas 69 1:35’08.607 1 lap /1’10.259
18 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri 69 1:35’13.315 1 lap /1’14.967
George Russell Mercedes 53 1:13’07.798 Retirement
Logan Sargeant Williams 6 8’10.072 Retirement -
Max Verstappen on pole as Red Bull lockout front row: F1 season opener
Defending FIA Formula One world champion Max Verstappen took his first pole of 2023 with the quickest time in Qualifying for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Pérez took second place to as Red Bull locked out the front row. Charles Leclerc took third place, though the Ferrari driver missed the final run of Q3 as he opted to save a set of tyres for the race.
At the start of Q1, Leclerc was one of the first to kick off a flying lap but as the Ferrari driver began his lap a piece of his right wheel brow broke off and then, as he locked up into Turn 1, a second element flew off the underside of his car.
With debris on the racing line, the session was red-flagged with four minutes on the clock.
Following an eight-minute delay, the session resumed and the Red Bulls were quickly on track, along with the rest of the field. Verstappen climbed to the top of the timesheet with a lap of 1:31.295, but the Dutchman was almost immediately eclipsed by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and then by Leclerc. It was the Ferrari star’s team-mate Carlos Sainz who staked the biggest claim to top spot in the opening runs with the Ferrari driver taking P1 with a lap of 1:30.993.
In the final runs of the opening segment Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg and William’s Alex Albon all jumped into the top 10 but despite their advances, Sainz took top spot from Russell and Leclerc.
There was no place in Q2, though, for Williams’ Logan Sargeant. The Williams rookie was eliminated in P16 ahead of Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri, AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly who had his final time deleted for track limits in Turn 15.
In the opening runs of Q2, Verstappen took control, with the Dutchman taking P1 with a lap of 1:30.503, 0243s ahead of Pérez who slotted into P2. Verstappen’s lap left him 0.398s clear of third-placed Hamilton, with his Mercedes team-mate George Russell in fourth place ahead of Alonso and the Ferrari duo of Sainz and Leclerc.
Red Bull opted to keep its drivers in the garage for the final runs of Q2 and when the final times arrived, it was Leclerc who took top spot with a time of 1:30.282. Verstappen’s opening time was good enough to hold on to second place, while Russell took third ahead of Hamilton, Sainz and Alonso. That left Pérez with seventh place and the Q3 order was rounded out by Hulkenberg, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Stroll. Out went McLaren’s Lando Norris in P11, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunodo and 15th-placed Albion.
Verstappen again set the pace in the opening runs of the final segment. The Dutchman went purple in the first and final sectors to set a P1 time of 1:29.897, with Leclerc second on 1:30.000. Pérez slotted into third place, 0.234 off his team-mate, while Alonso took fourth place ahead of Russell.
Leclerc oddly opted to sit out the final runs, choosing instead to save a set of tyres for the race start, and that left the door open for Verstappen to stretch away from the field. The Dutchman obliged and thanks to a strong middle sector he found almost two tenths of a second to claim pole with a lap of 1:29.708. Pérez also found time to leapfrog Leclerc and take P2 to lock out the front row for tomorrow’s race.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:29.708
2 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 1:29.846 0.138
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:30.000 0.292
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:30.154 0.446
5 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:30.336 0.628
6 George Russell Mercedes 1:30.340 0.632
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:30.384 0.676
8 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:30.836 1.128
9 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:30.984 1.276
10 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:31.055 1.347
11 Lando Norris McLaren 1:31.381 1.673
12 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:31.443 1.73
13 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 1:31.473 1.765
14 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:32.51a0 2.802
15 Alexander Albon Williams – –
16 Logan Sargeant Williams 1:31.652 1.944
17 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:31.892 2.184
18 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:32.101 2.393
19 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri 1:32.121 2.413
20 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:32.181 2.473 -
Many values can be learned from Karting, it is a good education for life: FIA Chief
Bengaluru, 10 May 2022: Following the election last December of Emirati Mohammed Ben Sulayem to the position of FIA President, there have been a number of changes in the FIA Karting organisation chart. Felipe Massa left the CIK-FIA presidency, which he had held since 2018, to take up the post of FIA Drivers’ Commission President. Akbar Ebrahim from India is the new CIK-FIA President from February 4, 2022, with Britain’s John Ryan as Vice President. With Frenchman Alban Martinet succeeding Kay Oberheide as CIK-FIA Executive Secretary in October 2021, an entirely new team will take the reins for the 2022 season.
At 58 years of age, Akbar Ebrahim combines a great deal of experience in motor sport and business. In an interview at the end of March, he revealed extensive knowledge of the many aspects of karting today and a longer-term vision of its evolution in close collaboration with the main stakeholders of the discipline.
MR. PRESIDENT, COULD YOU START BY TELLING US ABOUT YOUR CAREER IN MOTOR SPORT?
I have mainly raced single-seaters. I raced in Formula 3 in India for a number of years and then raced in Formula Asia and Formula Ford before competing in British F3 and some F2 events. I also did the occasional rally and touring car race in India. After that, it was time for me to focus on my professional business career.
HAVE YOU STILL KEPT IN TOUCH WITH MOTOR SPORT?
Yes, I have. I started to set up structures to support and develop young talent in my country. That’s when I became more interested in karting. There was a lack of training structures to provide them with the technical bases concerning chassis, engines and tyres. I got involved in the concept of an academy for young people, particularly with regard to organisational aspects. I had the opportunity to experience driving a kart because I wanted to understand the whole process. Thanks to karting, young people who wanted to progress in motor sport could familiarise themselves with driving, of course, but also with teamwork, collaboration with technicians and other drivers, everything that is important for the future. I am convinced that karting is also a good education for life and that many values can be learned from it. The projects carried out in India have greatly increased the visibility of the sport and encouraged parents to consider karting for their children.
WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF KARTING COMPETITION TODAY?
The top level of competition is concentrated in Europe with the FIA Karting events and some private series. The organisation is of a high quality, and the standard of competition is impressive among very professional teams. Events are well attended and the media coverage is interesting. The collaboration with the promoter RGMMC provides very good results. The current categories are well defined and their stability is geared towards success. It is a good platform for drivers who aspire to pursue their careers in motor sport. Of course, the question of budgets remains if there is to be an increase in the number of participants. The FIA Karting Academy Trophy plays an important role in this area and its success is only growing. We have also increased the number of karts of the Academy from 2022 with the agreement of our partners.
It’s not a revelation to say that the lower echelons deserve our full attention. There is much to be done to broaden the base of the pyramid. The FIA has already started to invest in discovery and education programmes in countries without infrastructure on the African and Asian continents. I am convinced of the importance of these initiatives, whose success depends on the structuring of the programmes and their effectiveness on the ground.
Bridges must then be put in place towards the top level. This will be one of the priorities of my mandate. There is no shortage of ideas, but we must focus on viable solutions. I am fortunate to be able to count on the experience of my Vice-President John Ryan and his in-depth knowledge of the subject.
HOW WILL YOU START YOUR PRESIDENCY IN CONCRETE TERMS?
It is essential in my position to go to the competitions and meet the key players. I plan to attend many FIA Karting events to see how they are run on the ground. I want to establish productive contacts with the manufacturers and teams. I am well aware that this cannot be done effectively during a race weekend. I have therefore planned additional trips to establish close relations with the karting industry in order to understand the various issues. I also need to familiarise myself with the workings of the CIK-FIA working groups and team in Geneva under the responsibility of Executive Secretary Alban Martinet.
I am happy to have been chosen for this mission which includes many aspects. I am fortunate to take on this responsibility at a time when the FIA Karting is well structured with an excellent grasp of the top level and varied perspectives. It will be a significant support to diversify its actions towards new audiences.
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Verstappen overtakes Leclerc to win Emilia Romagna GP’s sprint race
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen came back on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to win F1 Emilia Romagna GP Sprint Race with Sergio Perez in third.
It was dry start to F1 Emilia Romagna GP Sprint race as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc got the lead at Turn 1 from pole-sitter Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who initially got away well but it wasn’t enough which allowed McLaren’s Lando Norris to be on par with him too.
But Verstappen kept second from Norris as Haas’ Kevin Magnussen remained fourth despite a small hit from McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo who lost out to Red Bull’s Sergio Perez for fifth. The Mexican tried an inside move but had to change line and go on the outside.
Alpine’s Fernando Alonso did not have a good start to drop to seventh from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in the points position, as Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas rounded out the Top 10. His teammate Guanyu Zhou did not last long.
In his fight against AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, the Frenchman’s front right tangled with the left rear of Zhou which send him into a spin onto the barrier. The safety car was deployed as the stewards noted no further action on either drivers for the incident.
Magnussen, meanwhile, was shown the black and white flag for weaving. The re-start worked well for Leclerc who continued to lead from Verstappen and Norris, as Perez passed Magnussen to fourth and Sainz passed Alonso for seventh.
The moves started to come through as Perez passed Norris for third as Sainz cleared both Magnussen and Ricciardo to be fifth. The Dane dropped to seventh from Bottas who had a drag race fight against Alonso to take eighth from the Spaniard.
Behind, Haas’ Mick Schumacher passed Vettel for 10th as the German came under pressure from Mercedes’ George Russell, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Amid all of this, Verstappen closed in on Leclerc out of nowhere.
He waited for couple of laps to eventually get through Leclerc to lead the F1 Emilia Romagna GP and win the first sprint event of 2022 at Imola. The Monegasque ended up second, nearly three seconds behind as Perez rounded out the Top 3.
Verstappen will start Sunday’s F1 Emilia Romagna GP from pole with Leclerc beside him and their teammates Perez and Sainz behind in third and fourth. McLaren’s Norris did well in fifth from Ricciardo, as Bottas and Magnussen got the last of the points in Top 8.
Alonso started fifth but ended up ninth from Schumacher in the Top 10 as Russell could only manage 11th from Tsunoda, Vettel and Hamilton with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll rounding the Top 15 runners and starting order for Sunday’s race.
Much like those around him, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon couldn’t do much to be 16th from AlphaTauri’s Gasly who recovered to pass Williams pair of Alexander Albon and Nicholas Latifi.
DNF: Zhou.
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Russell ends on top in dry FP2 of Emilia Romagna GP
Mercedes’ George Russell was fastest in dry FP2 of F1 Emilia Romagna GP from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
It was mostly dry in FP2 of F1 Emilia Romagna GP after the wet running on Friday. Rain, though, is predicted for Saturday’s sprint race and also Sunday’s grand prix which makes the dry running less valuable from the weekend point of view.
Still, F1 teams and drivers got good amount of track time apart from McLaren duo Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, with both facing separate issues during the course of FP2. While the Brit could do couple of laps before he was hit by brake problems.
Teammate Ricciardo didn’t run at all after McLaren found some issue with his power unit ahead of the session. It was same for Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas who sat out after his side found out engine issue as well before the session.
On track, it was mixed strategy as Mercedes’ George Russell led the way with a 1m19.457s lap on the soft compound, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez (1m19.538s) in second and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (1m19.740s) third – where the Mexican set his best time on medium tyre.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (1m19.992s) slotted in fourth from Alpine’s Fernando Alonso (1m20.174s), with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz (1m20.258s) in sixth, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (1m20.371s) seventh where the latter duo set their best time on the medium compound.
AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda (1m20.381s) and Pierre Gasly (1m20.439s) slotted in eighth and ninth, with Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou (1m20.498s) rounding the Top 10 where the Frenchman set his best time on the medium compound.
Williams had a better session with Alexander Albon in 11th from Haas pair of Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher, with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in 14th from his teammate Sebastian Vettel – the two Germans used medium tyres.
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was 16th from Williams’ Nicholas Latifi, with McLaren’s Norris in 18th after the team managed to fix up his issue for couple more laps. His teammate Ricciardo and Bottas didn’t get any laps under their belt ahead of the sprint race.
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Leclerc leads Sainz in a wet FP1 session of Emilia Romagna GP
Ferrari ended up 1-2 in a wet FP1 of F1 Emilia Romagna GP with Charles Leclerc ahead of Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen P3.
It was a wet start to F1 Emilia Romagna GP in Imola with several drivers going off in the opening moments on the wet tyres. By the end of the session, they moved to intermediate compound but they still kept on going off due to damp conditions.
After the races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia, this was their first time on a wet circuit with the 2022 generation of F1 cars. This was also the first chance for teams and drivers to try out the wet and intermediate tyres.
Pre-session, the FIA updated about new ICE, TC, MGU-H and MGU-K for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, while Williams’ Alexander Albon took a new ES and CE. There were loads of offs as mentioned above with some having multiple.
The two Ferrari drivers were among the multiple list with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz having moments, with McLaren’s Lando Norris even calling out the red flag. Fortunately, the Brit managed to drive back onto the track after brief beached moment.
The likes of Williams’ Nicholas Latifi, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen had moments along with Alpine duo of Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso. Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas had a spin post the chequered flag but managed to not hit the barrier.
In terms of the standings, Ferrari ended up 1-2 with Leclerc (1m29.402s) leading from Sainz (1m30.279s), while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (1m30.867s) in third from Haas pair of Magnussen and Mick Schumacher in the Top 5.
The other Red Bull of Sergio Perez slotted in sixth from Alpine’s Alonso with Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda and Mercedes’ George Russell in the Top 10. Alfa Romeo’s Bottas was 11th from AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly.
Behind him was Alpine’s Ocon in 13th with McLaren pair of Norris and Daniel Ricciardo in 14th and 15th. Aston Martin’s Stroll was 16th from Williams’ Albon, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou and Williams’ Latifi.
Among the 20 runners, Hamilton set his time on the wet compound after he complained of lack of grip due to lack of downforce all-through the session. With no more practice run before qualifying later, it leaves teams with little chance to change things due to the restrictions of F1 sprint weekend.
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Daruvala reflects on positive three-day F2 test at Barcelona
Jehan Daruvala speaks on a positive three-day FIA Formula 2 (F2) Championship test at Barcelona with Prema Team.
By Darshan Chokhani
Barcelona, 15 Aprill 2022: Following the completion of the two rounds of the 2022 F2 season, the teams had a three-day in-season test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya before the third round to take place next weekend at Imola.
The first day saw Daruvala end up 15th in the standings after setting the best time of 1m29.909s with 51 laps done. Teammate and fellow Red Bull driver Dennis Hauger (1m30.439s) was 19th with 52 laps done.
The second day saw Daruvala in 10th with a best time of 1m30.057s lap where he did 64 laps in all, whereas teammate Hauger (1m30.169s) was 13th with 62 laps in his kitty. The day saw damp conditions in afternoon.
The final day had Hauger finish ahead of Daruvala, with the Norwegian completing 48 laps to be fifth after setting a 1m27.945s lap. At the same time, Daruvala was seventh with a best time of 1m28.019s and 52 laps.
“We got three good days overall in Barcelona with the tyres we had,” said Daruvala. “We had two options and six primes, so when the track conditions were closer to what we will have for the weekend, we used options.
“The pace was there on both the long and short runs, and the car felt good. Compared to Jeddah, it’s completely different for everyone. There is going to be a lot of degradation when we come back here, and it’s going to be interesting. I think we learned a lot over the last few days and it will definitely help us for the weekend.”
Teammate Hauger added: “Day 1 was quite messy overall, but in the other days I feel we made great steps, both on me for the driving and in terms of our feel with the car and everything.
“Then the engine broke down in the last afternoon, but driving wise, in performance mode we managed a good step, which is a confidence boost ahead of the next round. We also had something tested out and that is good as well. Overall, a lot of positive things to take away into the next rounds.”
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Mohammed Ben Sulayem from UAE elected President of FIA for four years
Paris, 17 Dec 2021: Former Rally driver Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been elected President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) following the FIA Annual General Assembly gathered here on Friday with overwhelming majority.
Ben Sulayem received 61,62% of the votes from FIA Member Clubs to Britain’s Graham Stoker’s 36,62% and abstenstions were 1,76%, and will therefore succeed Frenchman Jean Todt, who was President since 2009 and served the maximum three terms possible.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, 60, from United Arab Emirates, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organisation (EMSO) since 2005, was FIA World Motor Sport Council Vice-President for Middle East. He was 14-time FIA Middle East Rally Champion, winning 61 international events from 1983 to 2002. He campaigned under the banner “FIA for Members”, committing to double motor sport participation worldwide, strengthen diversity and inclusion and be a leading opinion-former on sustainable mobility.
Elected for a four-year term, he appointed Carmelo Sanz de Barros as President of the Senate, Robert Reid as Deputy President for Sport and Tim Shearman as Deputy President for Mobility.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, new FIA President, said: “I am very honoured to have been elected FIA President at the conclusion of the Annual General Assembly in Paris today. I thank all the Member Clubs for their esteem and trust. I congratulate Graham for his campaign and his engagement to the Federation. I wish to express my infinite gratitude in the name of the FIA and that of its Members to Jean Todt for all that has been achieved over the past 12 years. I am committed to pursuing the important work and make motor sport and mobility take further steps forward.”
Jean Todt, former FIA President, said: “A chapter has come to an end. We can be collectively satisfied of our achievements in motor sport and safe and sustainable mobility over the past 12 years. I would like to warmly thank my team, our administration and all our Member Clubs for their unwavering commitment, enthusiasm and resilience. I congratulate Mohammed on his election as FIA President and wish him, his team, and the Federation the best of success for the years to come.”The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation of the world’s leading mobility organisations. Founded in 1904, with headquarters in Paris and Geneva, the FIA is a non-profit organisation. It brings together 245 Member Organisations from 146 countries on five continents. Its Member Clubs represent over 80 million road users and their families
