F1 news LIVE: Toto Wolff puts pressure on Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton on George Russell and testing latest

The 2022 Formula 1 season is upon us with pre-season testing set to begin this week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya following each team’s car launch. The acrimony of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has dissipated with the FIA confirming a number of changes.

While Lewis Hamilton is officially back after linking up with George Russell at Mercedes’ launch for their new W13 car. And the seven-time world champion has spoken candidly about his decision to commit to the sport once again after the controversial role of Michael Masi, who has been replaced as race director, following the chaotic 2021 F1 season finale which led to Max Verstappen clinching a maiden world title with Red Bull. Testing begins in Barcelona before switching to Bahrain as we begin to learn which teams have the early advantage as F1 prepares for a new era following the introduction of drastic new rules.

Reflecting on his decision to return, Hamilton said: “I never ever said I was going to stop. I love doing what I do, and it is such a privilege working with this large group of people and you feel like you are part of a family. There is nothing quite like it. It was a difficult time for me and a time where I needed to take a step back and focus on the present. I had my family all around me and creating great memories. I eventually got to a point where I decided I would be attacking again coming into another season and working with Toto and George.” Follow all the latest Formula One news and updates below:

F1 news

• Lewis Hamilton: ‘This has nothing to do with Max’

• Hamilton maintains ‘I don’t hold grudges’ amid Abu Dhabi controversy

• F1 car launches: Every team’s new livery and full gallery for 2022 season

• Daniel Ricciardo maintains Max Verstappen ‘deserved’ F1 title

• FIA confirm F1 2022 season start times

• Alpine launch 2022 livery

• Horner delivers verdict on ‘harsh’ Masi dismissal

‘It’s done’: Christian Horner keen to move on from Abu Dhabi controversy

12:45 , Jack Rathborn

Christian Horner is keen to move on from the Abu Dhabi controversy while defending Michael Masi’s role as Max Verstapped edged Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finale to the 2021 season.

“It’s done. He didn’t actually do anything wrong in accordance with the rules,” Horner said. “It’s a bit of a smokescreen as when you look back at the race, Mercedes had two opportunities to pit.

“There was a Virtual Safety Car and then there was a Safety Car. The driver was asking to pit on both occasions and they left him out.

“That’s what exposed him at the end of the race. Tactically we got it right and it’s those small margins.”

Christian Horner labels Michael Masi dismissal as ‘harsh’

12:30 , Jack Rathborn

Christian Horner insists Michael Masi’s dismissal as Formula 1 race director was ‘harsh’.

“It’s a difficult one,” Horner told Talk Sport. “It’s the FIA’s business. I think it is harsh, I think he was in a very difficult position last year.

“We felt a lot of the decisions went against us last year.

“When you look at what he has at his disposal in terms of resource, compared to what the teams have, it’s such a massive difference.

“It’s good to hear they are bringing in things like the VAR equivalent and one of the most experienced guys in Herbie Blash.

“I just think there was so much pressure put on the removal of Michael and that’s not right. That’s my personal feeling.”

Alpine unveil 2022 F1 challenger

11:56 , Jack Rathborn

French manufacturer Alpine unveiled their 2022 Formula One challenger in Paris on Monday, becoming the ninth team to take the wraps off their car for the upcoming season ahead of the first winter test later this week.

The Renault-owned team’s new A522 has been designed to the sport’s radical new rules, with the cleaner, swept-back aerodynamics and larger 18-inch wheels, aimed at improving wheel-to-wheel racing.

It also features a revised livery, with the pink colour scheme of new title partner and water technology company BWT mixed in with the team’s traditional blue.

Alpine’s target is to fight for the championship within 100 races of the start of Formula One’s new rules era, which will begin with the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20.

“In 2022, we want to show constant progress with comprehensive developments across all sites to ensure we are contenders for the title in the future,” said Alpine chief executive Laurent Rossi.

“We are going in the right direction and we want to carry on our climb to the summit.”

The outfit, who have finished fifth in the constructors’ standings for the last three years, recently beefed up their technical department and last week announced the signing of former Aston Martin team boss Otmar Szafnauer as new team principal in a move aimed at reversing their plateauing form.

The team, who head into 2022 with an unchanged driver line up of double world champion Fernando Alonso and Frenchman Esteban Ocon, returned to the top step of the podium last season, with Ocon handing them their first win since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix in Hungary.

“I’ve had the displeasure of racing against these formidable competitors,” said Szafnauer.

“I remember too well when they beat us in Hungary and didn’t put a foot wrong,” he said referring to Ocon’s win ahead of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel who finished second on the road but was later disqualified for a fuel irregularity.

Alpine displayed a 2022 show car at their Paris event but released images of their actual car, which is currently being readied for the first pre-season test in Barcelona which gets underway on Wednesday.

Fernando Alonso optimistic about 2022 F1 season with Alpine

11:36 , Jack Rathborn

Double world champion Fernando Alonso is heading into the Formula One season in optimistic mood, with the Spaniard hoping the new 2022 rules can deliver enough of a shake up to put his Alpine team in the fight at the front.

The 40-year-old returned to the sport last year, signing for the same Enstone-based outfit with whom he won his two titles in 2005 and 2006 when they ran as Renault.

But his sights had always been set on the 2022 rules overhaul, billed as the most sweeping in decades.

“I came back to the sport ... because of this regulation,” said Alonso, at the launch of Alpine’s 2022 challenger in Paris, when asked if the new rules could be a game-changer.

“So it has been one year and a half waiting for these cars.”

Formula One’s new rules, featuring a complete redesign of the cars, are aimed at delivering better racing.

Together with a more restrictive cost cap, they could put more teams in the mix at the front, if not completely reset the competitive order.

Renault-owned Alpine, however, are tempering hope with realism.

The team returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since the Australian Grand Prix in 2013, then racing as Lotus, when Alonso’s team mate Esteban Ocon took his maiden win in Hungary.

But they finished fifth in the overall constructors’ standings for the third year in succession.

Their target is to be in the championship fight within 100 races, starting with the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

The outfit recently beefed up their technical department and last week announced the signing of Otmar Szafnauer as their new team principal who joins from rivals Aston Martin.

At Monday’s launch, Alpine chief executive Laurent Rossi said progress and momentum would be key.

The team had to aim for at least fifth in the standings again, he added, cautioning that their form relative to competition would only become evident once they hit the track.

Alonso, who scored a podium last year and whose future beyond this season will hinge on how competitive the team can get, said he was confident they were ready to take on 2022.

“I’m more optimistic than last year probably because the new rules gives you that hope that everything can change and you (can) be competitive from race one,” he said.

Alpine F1: Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso unveil new A522 car

11:00 , Jack Rathborn

F1 launches: Which 2022 car is your favourite?

10:51 , Jack Rathborn

Lewis Hamilton reveals what George Russell can learn ahead of debut season with Mercedes

10:20 , Jack Rathborn

Lewis Hamilton is encouraging George Russell to learn and grow as much as he can in the Mercedes team.

Russell left Williams at the end of the last season to join Hamilton at Mercedes and replace Valtteri Bottas as the second seat for Toto Wolff. Seven-time champion Hamilton said he’d use his experience of knowing what it’s like to be on a team with a champion, his rookie season saw him line-up next to Fernando Alonso, to help Russell.

“I am excited to engage with him, to collaborate with him,” Hamilton said per GP Fans. “Hopefully, our styles aren’t too dissimilar. I know what it is like for him being in a position up against a world champion and I know the pressures that come with it, the expectations and the external feeling of what it is like.

Lewis Hamilton reveals what George Russell can learn ahead of debut Mercedes season

AlphaTauri confirm plans for Barcelona testing

10:12 , Jack Rathborn

AlphaTauri have become the latest team to confirm their running schedule for the three-day testing in Barcelona.

Otmar Szafnauer wants to be ‘the glue’ to holds Alpine together

09:50 , Jack Rathborn

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer wants to be “the glue” that holds his new team together in his first F1 season in charge.

Szafnauer is optimistic about leading Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, who sensationally won in Hungary last year.

“I’ll bring my style of collaborative leadership,” the Romanian-American said. “I heard Luca [de Meo, CEO of Renault Group] mention the glue that keeps us all together is very important and I do feel that the glue that keeps us all together pointing in the right direction is key to this.

“I try to bring a really strong glue, so my style of leadership, collaborativeness and trustfulness within the organisation.

“I’ve had the… I was going to say pleasure but I should say displeasure of racing against these formidable competitors.

“I remember too well when they beat us in Hungary and didn’t put a foot wrong, for that I congratulate them that they are such great competitors and group of racers.

“I look forward to joining them and helping them not just beat the Aston Martins of this world but everybody else on track.”

Toto Wolff underlines importance of Ferrari competing in 2022 F1 season

09:40 , Jack Rathborn

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has underlined the importance of Ferrari being “competitive” in 2022 despite affecting Mercedes’ chances of winning titles.

Wolff said: “The passion of everyone at Ferrari, and also for the Tifosi in Italy, it’s important to see the car is competitive.

“So I hope there will be a few teams this year able to win races and fighting hard on track.”

Toto Wolff maintains Ferrari ‘needs to be in the mix’ in 2022 F1 season

09:30 , Jack Rathborn

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff insists Ferrari “needs to be in the mix” in the 2022 F1 title race because "the greatest name” in Formula 1.

“As a fan, I love Ferrari,” said the Austrian. “They are the greatest name in Formula 1, and it cannot be Ferrari is not competing for race victories and titles.

“Winning championships is something different. Things have to come together to achieve that.

“But for all of us, fans of the sport, Ferrari needs to be in the mix, and we’ve missed them in the last few years.”

George Russell tipped to beat Lewis Hamilton ‘from the start’

09:20 , Jack Rathborn

Ralf Schumacher believes George Russell will “beat” Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton from the start of the 2022 season.

Russell has entered the team after Valtteri Bottas left at the end of the 2021 campaign to join Alfa Romeo. There were question marks over whether Hamilton would be Russell’s teammate after rumours suggested he wouldn’t compete following the drama at teh Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

But the British driver has confirmed he is taking part and while at the Mercedes 2022 launch the pair looked close, Schumacher is convinced there is an intrateam battle taking place.

George Russell tipped to beat Lewis Hamilton ‘from the start’

Max Verstappen ‘deserved’ to win F1 title, says former teammate Daniel Ricciardo

09:10 , Jack Rathborn

Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo says his former Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen “absolutely deserved” to win the F1 title.

The Australian said Verstappen’s rival Lewis Hamilton also earned the right to lift the trophy but that he thought it was unfair for people to say Verstappen didn’t deserve it.

The talk is based around the controversial circumstances of the last race of the season. Some cars were allowed to unlap themselves and others not which saw Verstappen overtake Hamilton on the final lap. The action has seen race director Michael Masi lose his job.

Max Verstappen ‘deserved’ to win F1 title, says former teammate Daniel Ricciardo

Valtteri Bottas ‘cannot see’ George Russell beating Lewis Hamilton

09:00 , Jack Rathborn

Valtteri Bottas cannot see Lewis Hamilton’s new Mercedes teammate George Russell beating him in the 2022 season.

Russell joined Toto Wolff’s team ahead of the 2022 campaign, which starts in Bahrain in March, after Bottas left to join Alfa Romeo. Hamilton came close to winning a record eighth world title in 2021 and the Finnish star cannot see Russell taking the Mercedes crown from Hamilton.

“I don’t see anyone else beating Lewis in the near future in the same machinery,” he told SunSport. “George will adjust well because he has been with Mercedes for some years.

“But beating Lewis is not easy. I have experienced that... Every driver has form that is a little bit up and down, but his baseline for performance is just so high,” he explained.

Valtteri Bottas ‘cannot see’ George Russell beating Lewis Hamilton

Pierre Gasly ‘deserved’ to return to Red Bull and replace Sergio Perez

08:50 , Jack Rathborn

Pierre Gasly deserved to be back driving for Red Bull ahead of Sergio Perez in the 2022 season, according to pundit Tom Coronel.

Gasly was dropped by the team in 2019 and replaced with Alex Albon before Sergio Perez took the seat for the 2021 season. Perez has retained his place, alongside reigning champion Max Verstappen, while Gasly is now at AlphaTauri.

But Coronel believes Gasly has done enough to prove he should be back in Christian Horner’s line-up.

Pierre Gasly ‘deserved’ to return to Red Bull and replace Sergio Perez

Lewis Hamilton ‘excited’ to link up with George Russell

08:40 , Jack Rathborn

Lewis Hamilton is “excited” to link up with George Russell at Mercedes and insists he knows what he is going through challenging a world champion on the same team.

The seven-time world champion referenced his experience underneath Fernando Alonso at McLaren in 2007 as a rookie and believes their styles can mesh during the 2022 F1 season.

“I am excited to engage with him, to collaborate with him,” added Hamilton.

“Hopefully, our styles aren’t too dissimilar. I know what it is like for him being in a position up against a world champion and I know the pressures that come with it, the expectations and the external feeling of what it is like.

“I want him to learn as much as he can and grow as much as he can. I have no doubts he is going to be a strong competitor. I will be focusing to make sure I also do the job to the best of my ability.”

F1 car launches: Every team’s new livery and full gallery for 2022 season

08:30 , Jack Rathborn

Formula 1 teams are launching their new cars for the 2022 season, as a new era takes hold.

2022 sees F1 undergo a significant regulation change which has led to a completely new era of car design, meaning there is potential for the grid order to be shaken up and for backmarker teams to challenge further up the grid order. The new rules will require teams to have nailed the finer details of the transition in order to succeed.

The regulation change has been devised in order to increase the quality of racing in F1. The return of ground effect aerodynamics is designed to allow drivers to follow one another more closely and encourage more intense wheel-to-wheel racing, while a five-inch increase in the width of the Pirelli size is part of plan to allow drivers to push harder for longer.

Every F1 team’s new car and livery for 2022 season

Lewis Hamilton maintains George Russell ‘fits like a glove’ at Mercedes

08:20 , Jack Rathborn

Lewis Hamilton maintains George Russell “fits like a glove” ahead of their debut F1 season together with Mercedes.

“George, I don’t remember meeting him because I have a bad memory but we’ve all seen that picture of him as a kid when I was at McLaren,” said Hamilton.

“Of course, he has had an amazing run getting to Formula 1 and he was already a part of our team so I have seen him around engineering, seen him over time in the simulator and seen him at Williams.

“So he fits in and fits the position like a glove. So far, it is great.

“Honestly, I have learnt a lot over the years how to engage your team-mate, how to work as a team in helping the team achieve the ultimate goal. That is one of the reasons we have more world titles than any other team.”

‘It’s done’: Christian Horner keen to move on from Abu Dhabi controversy

08:10 , Jack Rathborn

Christian Horner is keen to move on from the Abu Dhabi controversy while defending Michael Masi’s role as Max Verstapped edged Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finale to the 2021 season.

“It’s done. He didn’t actually do anything wrong in accordance with the rules,” Horner said. “It’s a bit of a smokescreen as when you look back at the race, Mercedes had two opportunities to pit.

“There was a Virtual Safety Car and then there was a Safety Car. The driver was asking to pit on both occasions and they left him out.

“That’s what exposed him at the end of the race. Tactically we got it right and it’s those small margins.”

Christian Horner labels Michael Masi dismissal as ‘harsh’

08:01 , Jack Rathborn

Christian Horner insists Michael Masi’s dismissal as Formula 1 race director was ‘harsh’.

“It’s a difficult one,” Horner told Talk Sport. “It’s the FIA’s business. I think it is harsh, I think he was in a very difficult position last year.

“We felt a lot of the decisions went against us last year.

“When you look at what he has at his disposal in terms of resource, compared to what the teams have, it’s such a massive difference.

“It’s good to hear they are bringing in things like the VAR equivalent and one of the most experienced guys in Herbie Blash.

“I just think there was so much pressure put on the removal of Michael and that’s not right. That’s my personal feeling.”

Carlos Sainz not afraid of leading Ferrari title challenge

Monday 21 February 2022 19:00 , Jamie Braidwood

Carlos Sainz insists he does not fear the pressure of leading Ferrari a title fight in 2022 with the Scuderia tipped up as possible contenders.

“The pressure doesn’t scare me,” he told Speedweek.com, “because I’ve been dreaming about it my whole life.

“I want to fight for grand prix wins and World titles and that’s what I’m looking forward to and that’s what I’m working towards.

“When I wake up and fall asleep, I have this wish in the back of my mind and I’m happy when the moment comes.

“We had the chance to fight for pole and win in Monaco last year and it was the first time in my career that I was in that situation. And I loved it, so I’m looking forward to the next opportunity.”

Alpine launch 2022 livery

Monday 21 February 2022 18:45 , Jamie Braidwood

Fernando Alonso: “It’s good to be back and I’ve been working hard to be ready for the new season. The build-up has been a long time coming after the rule change was delayed due to the pandemic. The car looks fantastic with the new regulations in place and I like the new livery.

“We have a new engine and we’re confident we had a good development in place for this new generation of car. We won’t know where everyone stands until Bahrain, but we’re excited to take the car for its first spin in testing this week. I hope the new regulations have worked and we get more exciting wheel to wheel racing this year.”

Alpine launch 2022 livery

Monday 21 February 2022 18:30 , Jamie Braidwood

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon: “I’m very excited, of course, to not only see the A522 for the first time but to drive it for the first time this week. It’s always a privilege to drive a new Formula 1 car for the first time, as you know all the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes at both factories in Enstone and Viry from all of the many talented people working in the different departments there.

“That feeling and responsibility is truly unique and very special. I feel prepared, I feel ready physically, so let’s hit the track and see what we’ve got in our hands this year.”

Alpine launch 2022 livery

Monday 21 February 2022 18:13 , Jamie Braidwood

This is the ‘flipped’ version that Alpine will carry over the first two races of the season.

Alpine launch 2022 livery

Monday 21 February 2022 18:13 , Jamie Braidwood

This is the ‘main’ Alpine livery - but the team will be using a flipped version for the opening two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Alpine launch 2022 livery

Monday 21 February 2022 17:54 , Jamie Braidwood

Here it is! Alpine have just launched their new livery for the 2022 season. Look at that pink!

Valtteri Bottas doubts George Russell can beat Lewis Hamilton

Monday 21 February 2022 17:45 , Jack Rathborn

Valtteri Bottas doubts George Russell can beat Lewis Hamilton due to the consistency of the seven-time world champion.

A former Silver Arrows teammate to Hamilton, Bottas maintains Russell does have the speed, but will ultimately come unstuck with

“I don’t see anyone else beating Lewis in the near future in the same machinery,” the Finn told The Sun. “George will adjust well because he has been with Mercedes for some years. But beating Lewis is not easy. I have experienced that.”

“Every driver has form that is a little bit up and down, but his baseline for performance is just so high. Even when he has a bad day it is not too bad. It is his consistency over the season.”

Mercedes and Red Bull could be playing catch-up in F1 in 2022, Ross Brawn believes

Monday 21 February 2022 17:30 , Jack Rathborn

Formula One motorsport executive Ross Brawn believes Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team could be off the pace when the new season starts.

Hamilton’s toxic championship battle with Red Bull rival Max Verstappen went down to the wire last year.

And Brawn, who has spearheaded a massive overhaul of the sport’s technical regulations, says Mercedes – winners of the past eight constructors’ championships – and Red Bull might have taken their eyes off the ball.

Mercedes and Red Bull could be playing catch-up in F1 in 2022, Ross Brawn believes

Toto Wolff ‘never worried’ Lewis Hamilton would retire from Formula 1

Monday 21 February 2022 17:15 , Jack Rathborn

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has said he was never worried that Lewis Hamilton would quit Formula One.

Hamilton will speak publicly for the first time since the contentious Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – and a day after Michael Masi was dropped as race director – when Mercedes launches its new car at Silverstone on Friday.

Hamilton said the race at Yas Marina on December 12 was “manipulated” after Masi seemed to bend the rules to allow the British driver’s rival Max Verstappen the chance to win the title following a late safety car.

Toto Wolff ‘never worried’ Lewis Hamilton would retire from Formula 1

Toto Wolff admits Abu Dhabi ‘impossible to forget’ for Mercedes

Monday 21 February 2022 17:00 , Jack Rathborn

Toto Wolff admits the crushing loss at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is “impossible to forget” for Mercedes.

Wolff said: “I think it’s in the past and with the measures that have been announced by [FIA president] Mohammed [Ben Sulayem], we need to put it aside.

“We are not going to forget it, that’s simply not possible but we need to look into 2022, and especially today, launching the car, this should be the moment, with the steps that have been taken by the FIA, embark with encouragement on the season.”

Lewis Hamilton’s Abu Dhabi frustrations ‘have nothing to do with’ Max Verstappen

Monday 21 February 2022 16:45 , Jack Rathborn

Lewis Hamilton has stressed that he harbours no ill-feeling towards Max Verstappen after the controversial end to the Formula One 2021 season.

The fallout of the dramatic and controversial final race in Abu Dhabi has spilt over into the new season, with race director Michael Masi belatedly stepping down.

Hamilton kept tight-lipped over the saga and initially refused to confirm he would return for the 2022 season, but the seven-time world champion cleared the air at Mercedes’ car reveal last week and insisted he does not blame Verstappen for what happened.

“This has nothing to do with Max,” Hamilton said. “Max did everything a driver would do given the opportunity he was given.

Lewis Hamilton’s Abu Dhabi frustrations ‘have nothing to do with’ Max Verstappen

Valtteri Bottas ‘excited’ for Alfa Romeo adventure after five years with Mercedes

Monday 21 February 2022 16:36 , Jack Rathborn

Valtteri Bottas is “excited” for his next challenge with Alfa Romeo after five years with Mercedes.

“When I joined Mercedes. It was difficult for me to take the lead because of Lewis being there,” Bottas said.

“With him being in the team, it was always difficult for me to take that lead role. So now it is different and a fresh start for me — and having that lead role is a good feeling. A part of me is always going to miss working at Mercedes. Now I have started looking back at my time there, I have tried to take all the positive moments we had.

“There were great moments and I enjoyed working with Lewis and Toto, but I am also really excited for my new chapter. I’m sure with the experience I have with Williams and after five years at Mercedes, I will be able to help the team move forward.

“I feel really comfortable with my role. Yes, there is a responsibility and I have commitments to the team, but it is exciting.”

Monday 21 February 2022 16:26 , Jack Rathborn

Haas debut 2022 F1 car at Barcelona shakedown

Monday 21 February 2022 16:15 , Jack Rathborn

Haas have become the latest F1 team to debut its 2022 car on track.

Their VF22 car has been seen leaving the garage at Barcelona.

Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher will hope to improve on last season’s struggles with focus switching early to 2022 ahead of the new era under new regulations.

Toto Wolff reveals impact of F1 budget cap on Mercedes

Monday 21 February 2022 16:00 , Jack Rathborn

Toto Wolff has revealed the full extent of F1’s budget cap as Mercedes face their toughest challenge yet.

“It’s one side whether you can really change concepts technically. Sometimes when you embark on a direction, that’s it,” Wolff said.

“And then the added pressure of the cost cap makes it very difficult to then change the car fundamentally because everything is planned, every upgrade and their related costs are planned.

“Therefore, we are much more restricted with the budget cap in our ability to implement creative processes onto the car.”

Toto Wolff bemoans ‘extremely painful’ Mercedes F1 challenge

Monday 21 February 2022 15:45 , Jack Rathborn

Toto Wolff has bemoaned the “extremely painful” challenge facing Mercedes F1 in 2022.

The budget cap restrictions could present issues next season as the Silver Arrows attempt to extend their dominance in the constructors’ championship after landing an eighth successive crown in 2021.

F1’s cost cap has been reduced by $5m after initially coming in at $145 million last year, with the goal of evening out the grid and providing more competition.

“It has been very, very difficult to structure the company and the organisation in the right way to meet the cost cap at $140m,” Wolff said.

“Also in a high-inflation environment, and we are reducing by five million, we have a situation where you are not able to increase the costs and the payroll. That is extremely painful.

“On the other side, you have to decide very carefully where you invest your dollars in R&D.

“In the past, it was a little bit easier because you could follow various avenues chasing performance.

“Today you have to decide which one has the highest potential and then embark on it so it’s a totally different way of operating for the big teams.”

Valtteri Bottas lauds Lewis Hamilton’s ability to adjust to any conditions

Monday 21 February 2022 15:30 , Jack Rathborn

Valtteri Bottas insists George Russell’s biggest challenge will be to replicate Lewis Hamilton’s ability to adapt to any conditions and deliver.

“Another of his key strengths is his ability to adapt to different conditions, the skill to react to changes, be it set-up or whatever,” Bottas told the Sun.

“This and his race-craft. His tyre management is a special skill and all these things are combined with talent.

“And he puts in the work, which not many people see, so he is hard to beat. I can be proud that on my day, I’ve been able to beat him. But not consistently enough to beat him over a season.”

Carlos Sainz not afraid of leading Ferrari title challenge

Monday 21 February 2022 15:13 , Jack Rathborn

Carlos Sainz insists he does not fear the pressure of leading Ferrari a title fight in 2022 with the Scuderia tipped up as possible contenders.

“The pressure doesn’t scare me,” he told Speedweek.com, “because I’ve been dreaming about it my whole life.

“I want to fight for grand prix wins and World titles and that’s what I’m looking forward to and that’s what I’m working towards.

“When I wake up and fall asleep, I have this wish in the back of my mind and I’m happy when the moment comes.

“We had the chance to fight for pole and win in Monaco last year and it was the first time in my career that I was in that situation. And I loved it, so I’m looking forward to the next opportunity.”

George Russell eager to avoid ‘naive’ in-house fighting with Lewis Hamilton

Monday 21 February 2022 15:00 , Jack Rathborn

George Russell maintains he is eager to avoid getting into ‘naive’ in-house fighting with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes and prefers to focus on “working together”.

“It’s something I’ve not even thought about, to be honest, because my main goal is to make sure I have the teams and the car around me for developing the car in a quick direction to give us the best opportunity over the course of the next two, three, four years,” Russell said.

“We’ve seen the development rate, we hear rumours from all the other teams of how much they’re developing.

“You’ve got to remember Formula 1 developed this ruleset with the idea they [the cars] were going to be around four seconds slower, and we’re already hearing from every single team that they’re going to be far, far faster than that.

“Lewis and I need to work together, we can’t focus too much on each other because things are constantly changing and that’s why we need to take a step back.

“We hope Mercedes will still be the fastest team, the fastest car on the grid but there are no guarantees and we need to not be naive to that and to work together to ensure we are.”

Daniel Ricciardo always knew Max Verstappen would be world champion

Monday 21 February 2022 14:45 , Jack Rathborn

Daniel Ricciardo always knew Max Verstappen would be a world champion from their time together racing at Red Bull.

“Being team-mates with Max, I knew that we were pushing each other to a pretty high level,” the Australian said.

“I knew that, whilst we were team-mates, [even though] we weren’t World Champion[s], I felt like, [with] the way we were driving, [it] could have given us the World title, in some of those years. At least one.

“So to see him do it after, for me, it’s not a surprise. For sure, it’s nice for me to know that we had a pretty close battle for those years [that] we were team-mates.

“But I didn’t really need to see him win the title to show that to myself. I feel like I really [have] felt that or known that for a while. It was kind of a matter of time for him to get a title, for sure.”

FIA confirm F1 2022 season start times

Monday 21 February 2022 14:45 , Jack Rathborn

Recap: FIA changes after Michael Masi controversy at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Monday 21 February 2022 14:30 , Jack Rathborn

• Michael Masi out as race director

• Remote race control to support race director

• Direct radio communication to race director removed

• Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich step in as co-race directors

• Pair to be assisted by Herbie Blash

Daniel Ricciardo maintains Max Verstappen ‘deserved’ F1 title

Monday 21 February 2022 14:15 , Jack Rathborn

Daniel Ricciardo maintains Max Verstappen “deserved” his title and that F1 should not be as divisive as it has been following the acrimony of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

“That was kind of, in a way, the shame with [what happened in Abu Dhabi],” he said as per RacingNews365.com.

“There was always going to be a winner and a loser last year, no matter how the last race ended, even if it was a boring last lap finish.

“But they both truly deserved a title. They’ve both done phenomenal races, they both come back, and so someone was always going to lose out, I guess.

“Obviously there’s the Lewis side, but there shouldn’t be a ‘Max doesn’t deserve it’ side, because he absolutely also deserved it.”

Ralf Schumacher ‘never understood why it took so long to replace Valtteri Bottas’

Monday 21 February 2022 14:00 , Jack Rathborn

Ralf Schumacher has hailed George Russell as an “exceptional talent” and a long overdue replacement for Valtteri Bottas.

“I think Mercedes have a super line-up now,” former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher said.

“There was always a push from us on Sky to change something there. I never quite understood why it took so long to replace Valtteri Bottas.

“I think George Russell is an exceptional talent. Whether he will develop like Lewis Hamilton did remains to be seen. We also have to remember Lewis is 37 years old and Mercedes have to think about the future.”

George Russell tipped ‘to beat Lewis Hamilton from the start’

Monday 21 February 2022 13:45 , Jack Rathborn

George Russell has been tipped ‘to beat Lewis Hamilton from the start’ by Ralf Schumacher.

“I thought it was interesting how gentle the two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, were with each other [at the launch],” Schumacher told Speedweek.

“The young Russell was very careful with his comments and emphasised he wants to learn a lot now.

“The tone was quite different when George replaced Lewis in Bahrain 2020 (Sakhir Grand Prix when Hamilton had COVID) and drove alongside Valtteri Bottas. But I’m convinced that internally it looks different, and I already believe he can beat Lewis from the start.”

F1 car launches: Every team’s new livery and full gallery for 2022 season

Monday 21 February 2022 13:30 , Jack Rathborn

Formula 1 teams are launching their new cars for the 2022 season, as a new era takes hold.

2022 sees F1 undergo a significant regulation change which has led to a completely new era of car design, meaning there is potential for the grid order to be shaken up and for backmarker teams to challenge further up the grid order. The new rules will require teams to have nailed the finer details of the transition in order to succeed.

The regulation change has been devised in order to increase the quality of racing in F1. The return of ground effect aerodynamics is designed to allow drivers to follow one another more closely and encourage more intense wheel-to-wheel racing, while a five-inch increase in the width of the Pirelli size is part of plan to allow drivers to push harder for longer.

Every F1 team’s new car and livery for 2022 season

Toto Wolff ‘never worried’ Lewis Hamilton would retire from Formula 1

Monday 21 February 2022 13:15 , Jack Rathborn

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has said he was never worried that Lewis Hamilton would quit Formula One.

Hamilton will speak publicly for the first time since the contentious Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – and a day after Michael Masi was dropped as race director – when Mercedes launches its new car at Silverstone on Friday.

Hamilton said the race at Yas Marina on December 12 was “manipulated” after Masi seemed to bend the rules to allow the British driver’s rival Max Verstappen the chance to win the title following a late safety car.

Toto Wolff ‘never worried’ Lewis Hamilton would retire from Formula 1

Mercedes and Red Bull could be playing catch-up in F1 in 2022, Ross Brawn believes

Monday 21 February 2022 13:00 , Jack Rathborn

Formula One motorsport executive Ross Brawn believes Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team could be off the pace when the new season starts.

Hamilton’s toxic championship battle with Red Bull rival Max Verstappen went down to the wire last year.

And Brawn, who has spearheaded a massive overhaul of the sport’s technical regulations, says Mercedes – winners of the past eight constructors’ championships – and Red Bull might have taken their eyes off the ball.

Mercedes and Red Bull could be playing catch-up in F1 in 2022, Ross Brawn believes

Toto Wolff admits Abu Dhabi ‘impossible to forget’ for Mercedes

Monday 21 February 2022 12:45 , Jack Rathborn

Toto Wolff admits the crushing loss at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is “impossible to forget” for Mercedes.

Wolff said: “I think it’s in the past and with the measures that have been announced by [FIA president] Mohammed [Ben Sulayem], we need to put it aside.

“We are not going to forget it, that’s simply not possible but we need to look into 2022, and especially today, launching the car, this should be the moment, with the steps that have been taken by the FIA, embark with encouragement on the season.”

Valtteri Bottas doubts George Russell can beat Lewis Hamilton

Monday 21 February 2022 12:30 , Jack Rathborn

Valtteri Bottas doubts George Russell can beat Lewis Hamilton due to the consistency of the seven-time world champion.

A former Silver Arrows teammate to Hamilton, Bottas maintains Russell does have the speed, but will ultimately come unstuck with

“I don’t see anyone else beating Lewis in the near future in the same machinery,” the Finn told The Sun. “George will adjust well because he has been with Mercedes for some years. But beating Lewis is not easy. I have experienced that.”

“Every driver has form that is a little bit up and down, but his baseline for performance is just so high. Even when he has a bad day it is not too bad. It is his consistency over the season.”

F1 news: Mercedes-AMG test out W13 at Silverstone

Monday 21 February 2022 12:15 , Jack Rathborn

Lewis Hamilton’s Abu Dhabi frustrations ‘have nothing to do with’ Max Verstappen

Monday 21 February 2022 12:00 , Jack Rathborn

Lewis Hamilton has stressed that he harbours no ill-feeling towards Max Verstappen after the controversial end to the Formula One 2021 season.

The fallout of the dramatic and controversial final race in Abu Dhabi has spilt over into the new season, with race director Michael Masi belatedly stepping down.

Hamilton kept tight-lipped over the saga and initially refused to confirm he would return for the 2022 season, but the seven-time world champion cleared the air at Mercedes’ car reveal last week and insisted he does not blame Verstappen for what happened.

“This has nothing to do with Max,” Hamilton said. “Max did everything a driver would do given the opportunity he was given.

Lewis Hamilton’s Abu Dhabi frustrations ‘have nothing to do with’ Max Verstappen

Valtteri Bottas ‘excited’ for Alfa Romeo adventure after five years with Mercedes

Monday 21 February 2022 11:45 , Jack Rathborn

Valtteri Bottas is “excited” for his next challenge with Alfa Romeo after five years with Mercedes.

“When I joined Mercedes. It was difficult for me to take the lead because of Lewis being there,” Bottas said.

“With him being in the team, it was always difficult for me to take that lead role. So now it is different and a fresh start for me — and having that lead role is a good feeling. A part of me is always going to miss working at Mercedes. Now I have started looking back at my time there, I have tried to take all the positive moments we had.

“There were great moments and I enjoyed working with Lewis and Toto, but I am also really excited for my new chapter. I’m sure with the experience I have with Williams and after five years at Mercedes, I will be able to help the team move forward.

“I feel really comfortable with my role. Yes, there is a responsibility and I have commitments to the team, but it is exciting.”

Haas debut 2022 F1 car at Barcelona shakedown

Monday 21 February 2022 11:30 , Jack Rathborn

Haas have become the latest F1 team to debut its 2022 car on track.

Their VF22 car has been seen leaving the garage at Barcelona.

Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher will hope to improve on last season’s struggles with focus switching early to 2022 ahead of the new era under new regulations.

Toto Wolff reveals impact of F1 budget cap on Mercedes

Monday 21 February 2022 11:15 , Jack Rathborn

Toto Wolff has revealed the full extent of F1’s budget cap as Mercedes face their toughest challenge yet.

“It’s one side whether you can really change concepts technically. Sometimes when you embark on a direction, that’s it,” Wolff said.

“And then the added pressure of the cost cap makes it very difficult to then change the car fundamentally because everything is planned, every upgrade and their related costs are planned.

“Therefore, we are much more restricted with the budget cap in our ability to implement creative processes onto the car.”

Toto Wolff bemoans ‘extremely painful’ Mercedes F1 challenge

Monday 21 February 2022 11:00 , Jack Rathborn

Toto Wolff has bemoaned the “extremely painful” challenge facing Mercedes F1 in 2022.

The budget cap restrictions could present issues next season as the Silver Arrows attempt to extend their dominance in the constructors’ championship after landing an eighth successive crown in 2021.

F1’s cost cap has been reduced by $5m after initially coming in at $145 million last year, with the goal of evening out the grid and providing more competition.

“It has been very, very difficult to structure the company and the organisation in the right way to meet the cost cap at $140m,” Wolff said.

“Also in a high-inflation environment, and we are reducing by five million, we have a situation where you are not able to increase the costs and the payroll. That is extremely painful.

“On the other side, you have to decide very carefully where you invest your dollars in R&D.

“In the past, it was a little bit easier because you could follow various avenues chasing performance.

“Today you have to decide which one has the highest potential and then embark on it so it’s a totally different way of operating for the big teams.”

Valtteri Bottas lauds Lewis Hamilton’s ability to adjust to any conditions

Monday 21 February 2022 10:45 , Jack Rathborn

Valtteri Bottas insists George Russell’s biggest challenge will be to replicate Lewis Hamilton’s ability to adapt to any conditions and deliver.

“Another of his key strengths is his ability to adapt to different conditions, the skill to react to changes, be it set-up or whatever,” Bottas told the Sun.

“This and his race-craft. His tyre management is a special skill and all these things are combined with talent.

“And he puts in the work, which not many people see, so he is hard to beat. I can be proud that on my day, I’ve been able to beat him. But not consistently enough to beat him over a season.”

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell side by side at Mercedes W13 launch

Monday 21 February 2022 10:30 , Jack Rathborn

George Russell eager to avoid ‘naive’ in-house fighting with Lewis Hamilton

Monday 21 February 2022 10:15 , Jack Rathborn

George Russell maintains he is eager to avoid getting into ‘naive’ in-house fighting with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes and prefers to focus on “working together”.

“It’s something I’ve not even thought about, to be honest, because my main goal is to make sure I have the teams and the car around me for developing the car in a quick direction to give us the best opportunity over the course of the next two, three, four years,” Russell said.

“We’ve seen the development rate, we hear rumours from all the other teams of how much they’re developing.

“You’ve got to remember Formula 1 developed this ruleset with the idea they [the cars] were going to be around four seconds slower, and we’re already hearing from every single team that they’re going to be far, far faster than that.

“Lewis and I need to work together, we can’t focus too much on each other because things are constantly changing and that’s why we need to take a step back.

“We hope Mercedes will still be the fastest team, the fastest car on the grid but there are no guarantees and we need to not be naive to that and to work together to ensure we are.”

Daniel Ricciardo always knew Max Verstappen would be world champion

Monday 21 February 2022 10:00 , Jack Rathborn

Daniel Ricciardo always knew Max Verstappen would be a world champion from their time together racing at Red Bull.

“Being team-mates with Max, I knew that we were pushing each other to a pretty high level,” the Australian said.

“I knew that, whilst we were team-mates, [even though] we weren’t World Champion[s], I felt like, [with] the way we were driving, [it] could have given us the World title, in some of those years. At least one.

“So to see him do it after, for me, it’s not a surprise. For sure, it’s nice for me to know that we had a pretty close battle for those years [that] we were team-mates.

“But I didn’t really need to see him win the title to show that to myself. I feel like I really [have] felt that or known that for a while. It was kind of a matter of time for him to get a title, for sure.”

Recap: FIA changes after Michael Masi controversy at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Monday 21 February 2022 09:45 , Jack Rathborn

• Michael Masi out as race director

• Remote race control to support race director

• Direct radio communication to race director removed

• Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich step in as co-race directors

• Pair to be assisted by Herbie Blash

Daniel Ricciardo maintains Max Verstappen ‘deserved’ F1 title

Monday 21 February 2022 09:30 , Jack Rathborn

Daniel Ricciardo maintains Max Verstappen “deserved” his title and that F1 should not be as divisive as it has been following the acrimony of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

“That was kind of, in a way, the shame with [what happened in Abu Dhabi],” he said as per RacingNews365.com.

“There was always going to be a winner and a loser last year, no matter how the last race ended, even if it was a boring last lap finish.

“But they both truly deserved a title. They’ve both done phenomenal races, they both come back, and so someone was always going to lose out, I guess.

“Obviously there’s the Lewis side, but there shouldn’t be a ‘Max doesn’t deserve it’ side, because he absolutely also deserved it.”

Ralf Schumacher ‘never understood why it took so long to replace Valtteri Bottas’

Monday 21 February 2022 09:15 , Jack Rathborn

Ralf Schumacher has hailed George Russell as an “exceptional talent” and a long overdue replacement for Valtteri Bottas.

“I think Mercedes have a super line-up now,” former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher said.

“There was always a push from us on Sky to change something there. I never quite understood why it took so long to replace Valtteri Bottas.

“I think George Russell is an exceptional talent. Whether he will develop like Lewis Hamilton did remains to be seen. We also have to remember Lewis is 37 years old and Mercedes have to think about the future.”

George Russell tipped ‘to beat Lewis Hamilton from the start’

Monday 21 February 2022 09:00 , Jack Rathborn

George Russell has been tipped ‘to beat Lewis Hamilton from the start’ by Ralf Schumacher.

“I thought it was interesting how gentle the two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, were with each other [at the launch],” Schumacher told Speedweek.

“The young Russell was very careful with his comments and emphasised he wants to learn a lot now.

“The tone was quite different when George replaced Lewis in Bahrain 2020 (Sakhir Grand Prix when Hamilton had COVID) and drove alongside Valtteri Bottas. But I’m convinced that internally it looks different, and I already believe he can beat Lewis from the start.”

Lewis Hamilton maintains: ‘I don’t hold grudges’

Monday 21 February 2022 08:50 , Jack Rathborn

“I don’t hold any grudges with anybody,” Lewis Hamilton says.

“I don’t think that’s ever a good thing to carry around with you, so I move forwards.

“I don’t dwell on the past. I feel fresh, I feel centred and fully focused.

“I don’t have anything holding me back this year. Not that I did last year, but I’m not letting that experience be one of those.”

F1 car launches: Every team’s new livery and full gallery for 2022 season

Monday 21 February 2022 08:39 , Jack Rathborn

Formula 1 teams are launching their new cars for the 2022 season, as a new era takes hold.

2022 sees F1 undergo a significant regulation change which has led to a completely new era of car design, meaning there is potential for the grid order to be shaken up and for backmarker teams to challenge further up the grid order. The new rules will require teams to have nailed the finer details of the transition in order to succeed.

The regulation change has been devised in order to increase the quality of racing in F1. The return of ground effect aerodynamics is designed to allow drivers to follow one another more closely and encourage more intense wheel-to-wheel racing, while a five-inch increase in the width of the Pirelli size is part of plan to allow drivers to push harder for longer.

Every F1 team’s new car and livery for 2022 season

Lewis Hamilton: ‘This has nothing to do with Max’

Monday 21 February 2022 08:37 , Jack Rathborn

“This has nothing to do with Max,” Hamilton told reporters at the Mercedes W13 launch event.

“Max did everything a driver would do given the opportunity he was given.

“He is a great competitor and we will go into another battle like we did last year and conduct ourselves. We will obviously grow from our races and experiences we had last year also this season.

“I have no issues with him.”