F1 Features

- Lewis Hamilton closed out Friday’s running in Singapore quickest for Mercedes, edging almost two-tenths of a second clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen under the lights in FP2.

Thursday in Singapore yielded two important announcements that will help define how the final few pieces of the Formula 1 driver market puzzle will fall into place for 2020.

- Media day at the Marina Bay Street Circuit brought about two driver announcements for 2020. Haas started the day by announcing that it would be retaining Romain Grosjean for next season alongside Kevin Magnussen, extending the Frenchman’s stint with the team into a fifth year.

Formula 1 leaves Europe and heads to Asia for the first race of the flyaway leg of the 2019 season with the prospect of a tight battle on the streets of Singapore.

Formula 1 delivered another brilliant spectacle as Charles Leclerc claimed a monumental victory at Monza on a day of contrasting fortunes for Ferrari’s drivers.

The word “Tifosi” is best-known in Formula 1 in reference to Ferrari’s loyal tribe of fans that follow the team all over the world, with its largest congregation appearing at Monza each year for the Italian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes – 9

- Charles Leclerc scored the second victory of his Formula 1 career on Sunday at Monza, soaking up heavy pressure from Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas to hold on for the win.

History almost repeated itself at Monza on Sunday.

- Qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix descended into one of the more farcical sessions in recent Formula 1 history as a cat-and-mouse game between the drivers to avoid giving their rivals a tow caused seven of them to miss out on a final flying lap in Q3.

It’s all a bit dull really. Grid penalties; stewards’ summons; blah blah blah. It’s all red tape that serves to detract from much of Formula 1’s lustre and allure.

- Charles Leclerc continued his recent good form by topping both FP1 and FP2 at Monza on Friday for Ferrari. Leclerc has now led eight consecutive sessions – including all three legs of qualifying at Spa – for Ferrari. He edged out Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton by just 0.068 seconds in FP2.

- The motorsport paddock reconvened still mourning the death of Anthoine Hubert last Saturday at Spa in the Formula 2 race. Hubert’s team, BWT Arden, will enter just one car to this weekend’s F2 round.

Having failed to win a race in the opening 12 rounds of the 2019 Formula 1 season, Ferrari heads to its home event seeking a second victory in as many races.

The 2019 Formula 1 season resumed following a summer hiatus at the Belgian Grand Prix on a weekend that was overshadowed by tragedy.

Saturday at Spa will go down as one of the darkest days in recent motorsport history as the death of Formula 2 racer Anthoine Hubert rocked the community to its very core.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes – 9

- The Spa-Francorchamps paddock returned to action on Sunday in Belgium following the tragic death of Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert on Saturday at the age of 22. The planned F2 Sprint Race was cancelled, but the Formula 1, Formula 3 and Porsche Supercup races went ahead as planned.

So cynical has the Formula 1 community become that even as Ferrari ran one-two with a clear straight-line speed advantage over Mercedes nearing the pit stop window in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, most were left wondering how it would throw the win away.

- Ferrari swept to a one-two finish in both FP1 and FP2 on Friday at Spa, showing the might of its engine and straight-lined speed advantage over the field. Sebastian Vettel led from Charles Leclerc in FP1 before they swapped for FP2.

- Thursday proved to be a day of announcements as both Mercedes and Renault finalised their line-ups for the 2020 season. Mercedes confirmed Valtteri Bottas would be continuing for next year as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate, prompting Ocon to be snapped up by Renault in place of Nico Hulkenberg.

12 months have passed since Sebastian Vettel last stood on the top step of the Formula 1 podium.

As the Formula 1 grid grows ever-younger and the likes of Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and George Russell – all 21 or younger – taste success, there are growing signs of a generational shift in the sport.

Red Bull has decided to roll the dice on its driver line-up at the mid-way point of the 2019 Formula 1 season by swapping Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon from the Belgium Grand Prix.