Formula 1

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is likely to win the Belgian Grand Prix despite starting 15th, Mercedes driver George Russell says. The world championship leader qualified fastest at historic Spa-Francorchamps, 0.632 seconds clear, but has a grid penalty for excessive engine usage. Russell, who will start fifth, said: “Max is probably going to slice through and

Max Verstappen put in a stunning performance in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying – but Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will start the race from pole position. Red Bull’s Verstappen was a remarkable 0.632 seconds clear of the field but a grid penalty for using too many engine parts means he starts towards the back. Sainz won a

The dispute between McLaren and Alpine over the future of Oscar Piastri will go before Formula 1’s contract recognition board on Monday. Alpine laid claim to the Australian, but Piastri has said he will not drive for them. He is understood to have committed to McLaren. Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer said he was “very

Title rivals Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc will start the Belgian Grand Prix from the back of the grid. The Red Bull and Ferrari stars are two of six drivers to be penalised for using too many engine parts, with McLaren’s Lando Norris another. Verstappen, who leads Leclerc by 80 points in the championship, set

Audi is to make its debut in Formula 1 in 2026. Markus Duesmann, chairman of the Audi board, said on Friday that the German car company had officially registered as a power-unit manufacturer in F1. “If you think about Le Mans, DTM and Formula E, we have always been very active and very successful. We

Lando Norris says he feels no sympathy for team-mate Daniel Ricciardo following the Australian’s split with McLaren. Norris said: “I don’t feel like you have to have sympathy for any driver because they’ve not been able to do as good a job.” The 22-year-old Briton added that he “hated to say it”. “People will probably

Sebastian Vettel says Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali used a “very unlucky choice of words” when he said it was “very unlikely” a woman will be on the grid within five years. Italian Domenicali used the phrase “realistically speaking, unless there is something like a meteorite,” when discussing the issue. Aston Martin driver Vettel said:

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell said they believe a win for Mercedes is “close” as the Formula 1 season resumes at the Belgian Grand Prix. Mercedes have had a difficult season but progress in recent races culminated with their first double podium at the last race before the summer break in Hungary. Hamilton said he

Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali says he does not expect a woman to race at the top level of the sport in the next five years. Domenicali said it was “crucial to give the maximum possibility for women to come to F1 – we are totally dedicated to that”. But he added: “Realistically speaking, unless

Daniel Ricciardo will leave McLaren at the end of the season. The team said they and the Australian had “mutually agreed” the split, but McLaren admitted they had precipitated the move. The announcement is expected to be followed by confirmation that McLaren have signed Australian Oscar Piastri – the Formula 2 champion and Alpine reserve.

Formula 1 reconvenes at the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend – the end of its summer break marking the start of a hectic run of nine races in 12 weeks that will decide the 2022 World Championship, and much more besides. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen appears to be heading inexorably towards a second world title,

PA Media Bernie Ecclestone has denied fraud over an alleged failure to declare about $650m in overseas assets. The 91-year-old former Formula 1 boss indicated a not guilty plea to a charge of fraud by false representation at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. He is accused of failing to declare a trust in Singapore with a bank

Former F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne clinched the Formula E title for the departing Mercedes team at the season’s final race in South Korea on Sunday. Jaguar’s Mitch Evans needed to win and hope Vandoorne finished no better than eighth but the Belgian made sure of the title by finishing second to Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara in

Turning down a role as a fighter pilot in Tom Cruise film Top Gun: Maverick was “the most upsetting call that I think I’ve ever had”, says Lewis Hamilton. The British seven-time Formula 1 world champion said he accepted a part in the hit sequel to the original 1986 film. However, he had to pull

Charles Leclerc admits “emotions have run extremely high” in a tumultuous first part of the season for himself and his Ferrari team. “Whether it was in highs or lows, there was no race with no emotions,” Leclerc says. “It’s either win, or leading and then some problems occur or whatever. So it’s been a first

Williams have retained Alex Albon as their driver in Formula 1 for what they say is next season “and beyond”. The team announced on Tuesday that they had signed a “multi-year agreement” with the British-born Thai driver. Albon said: “The team are pushing hard to progress, and I am really motivated to continue on this

Oscar Piastri says he will not replace Fernando Alonso at Alpine next season – after the team said he would. Alpine announced on Tuesday afternoon that the 21-year-old would race “in line with the commitments made by the team to the young Australian”. But Piastri then tweeted that he had “not signed a contract with

Britain’s seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has joined the incoming ownership group of three-time Super Bowl winners the Denver Broncos. Hamilton has been brought into the group by Walmart boss Rob Walton, who is in the process of completing a reported $4.65bn (£3.81bn) takeover of the franchise. The Waltons are America’s richest family and