F1 Features

- The main driver news coming out of Thursday at the Circuit of The Americas was confirmation that Sergio Perez has re-signed with Force India for the 2019 season.

Lewis Hamilton could win the 2018 Formula 1 drivers’ world championship at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix in Austin.

Formula 1 makes its annual visit to the United States of America this weekend for the possible coronation of only the third five-time world champion in its history.

And so another bright talent of the Formula 1 world prepares to bid farewell to the grandest stage in motorsport.

One of the off-track highlights of attending the Japanese Grand Prix weekend at Suzuka is roaming around the fan area outside of the paddock, which is unrivalled for atmosphere in Formula 1.

Throughout Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 career similarities have been drawn to his boyhood idol Ayrton Senna.

The final round of qualifying for the 2018 Japanese Grand Prix marked a fitting reward for Honda’s toils over the past four years in Formula 1.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 10

With a final round-up from the paddock at Suzuka, Crash.net F1 Digital Editor Luke Smith brings you his paddock notebook.

“If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver.” It was perhaps fitting that a quote from Ayrton Senna, a driver with whom the Suzuka circuit is so synonymous, came ringing back during Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.

The term “best fans” has become something of a cliché in Formula 1 circles.

With all of the additional news and notes from Suzuka following qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, Crash.net F1 Digital Editor Luke Smith brings you his paddock notebook.

Twelves months ago at Suzuka, Ferrari completed its capitulation in the race for the Formula 1 championship as a retirement for Sebastian Vettel early on all but handed the drivers’ title to Lewis Hamilton.

Recapping all of the additional news and notes on Friday at Suzuka, Crash.net F1 Digital Editor Luke Smith brings you his paddock notebook.

You would have to possess a heart of stone not to have felt for Daniil Kvyat when he was bounced from Red Bull Racing back down to the Scuderia Toro Rosso junior leagues back in 2016.

- Formula 1 may have jetted across to Asia following last weekend’s Russian Grand Prix, but the big talking point on Thursday at Suzuka remained Mercedes’ use of team orders in Sochi.

Arriving in the Formula 1 paddock at Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, it was clear that the dust is yet to have truly settled from the team orders’ controversy that sparked last Sunday in Russia.

Running through the performances in the Formula 1 field following Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix, Crash.net F1 Digital Editor Luke Smith brings you his post-race driver ratings. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 9

- It was a better race than most expected in Russia - especially given the fact that there were no true overtakes whatsoever last year and the two fastest cars of the weekend were starting in the front row - but it ended with a bitter taste after the use of team orders by Mercedes.

After Mercedes stormed to a front row lock-out in Formula 1 qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix on Sochi on Saturday, it was somewhat predictable that the topic of team orders would be a major talking point after the chequered flag had fallen on Sunday afternoon.

Just when we thought things were winding down on the technical front for 2018, the two Formula 1 title protagonists unveiled a series of bold upgrades to their cars for Sochi.

- Relieved is the best word to describe Valtteri Bottas after his pole position in Sochi. The Finn didn’t try to hide the fact he needed a good result to get his confidence back. “It’s an important day”, he said after beating Lewis Hamilton by less than two-tenths of a second.

Saturday’s qualifying session for the Russian Grand Prix is unlikely to be remembered as one of the high points of the 2018 Formula 1 season.

With a recap of the news and notes from the Sochi Autodrom paddock on Friday, Julianne Cerasoli brings you her paddock notebook.