F1 news LIVE: Lewis Hamilton set to change name and Mercedes’ ‘spaceship’ mirrors scrutinised
It’s race week as F1 returns with the Bahrain Grand Prix kicking off the 2022 season.
It promises to be one of the most exciting years in the sport to date after Max Verstappen’s thrilling win over Lewis Hamilton last year in Abu Dhabi to clinch his maiden world crown. The war of words between Christian Horner and Toto Wolff continues, with Red Bull and Mercedes likely to have company at the top of the grid after the new rules and regulations.
Ferrari impressed during testing in Barcelona and Bahrain, with the exciting prospect of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz able to challenge Hamilton, Verstappen, George Russell and Sergio Perez week to week. The problems for McLaren mean Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, who was ill all last week in Bahrain, may have to wait a little longer to move up into contention.
Follow all the live news this week and build-up to the season opener below:
F1 2022 - latest news
Lewis Hamilton set to change his name to include mother’s surname Larbalestier
Hamilton labels Max Verstappen ‘ruthless’
FIA to scrutinise Mercedes’ ‘spaceship’ mirrors
George Russell primed to break out as Mercedes star in 2022 F1 season
Lando Norris takes issue with Netflix’s retelling of Bahrain in Drive to Survive
Christian Horner aims dig at Toto Wolff over Monaco tax haven
17:58 , Luke Baker
The simmering rivalry between Christian Horner and Toto Wolff kicked up another notch, with Red Bull chief Horner taking a dig at the fact his Mercedes counterpart lives in the tax haven of Monaco.
“We are very different,” Horner told the Mail. “If I’m not at the race track, I’m in the factory. I’m not living as a tax exile in Monaco, running a team remotely. I am hands-on. My diary is full from the moment I arrive to the moment I leave, dealing with issues within the team. I have very much an open-door policy.
“I grew up in the sport. I was a race driver that turned my hand to running a team. I’m a racer at heart. Toto has come from a very different background. He has a financial background and is very driven by what the balance sheet says. Results dictate that performance.
“Does he share the same passion as a racer? I have no idea. Will he be here in 10 years’ time or will he have cashed in and be on his super yacht? I have no idea.”
Lando Norris takes issue with Netflix’s retelling of Bahrain
17:43 , Luke Baker
Drive to Survive season four has dropped and the world has been reacting to Netflix’s behind-the-scenes F1 documentary, which shows all the drama from last season.
And McLaren driver Lando Norris has taken issue with the way the series showed the relationship between he and new teammate Daniel Ricciardo at the 2021 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
“I watched episodes one and two,” Lando Norris told reporters. “I won’t spoil it as it’s the first proper introduction to Daniel, myself and us at McLaren. I think it’s good, gives you good insight.
“From my side it looks good, maybe not so much from the other side (Ricciardo’s) but there are obviously some comments here and there that may be out of place.
“When you are the person it’s about, you don’t agree with it so much because it can make you look like you said something at a time and place which is definitely not correct.”
Lewis Hamilton on abuse after British Grand Prix collision with Max Verstappen
17:28 , Luke Baker
Lewis Hamilton has also spoken out about his infamous British Grand Prix crash with Max Verstappen and the abuse he received online in the aftermath of the incident.
“There’s so many nice comments,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “And then trolling and all these different things.
“If I had sat and read all the comments after Silverstone, the racial abuse. I could’ve downward spiralled into a negative space. I don’t let that volatile medium control my life.
“You have to be careful because the way the media hype up the drama creates a narrative to the fans.”
Lewis Hamilton labels Max Verstappen ‘ruthless’
17:15 , Luke Baker
Lewis Hamilton has given his thoughts on his great rival Max Verstappen, calling the Red Bull driver ‘ruthless’.
“For me and Max, we’re seeing each other in the paddock, things are normal,” Lewis Hamilton told Sky Sports.
“We are two individual drivers who have a lot of common in the sense of how much we love doing what we do, driving.
“On the other side, we’re ruthless. He is ruthless, that’s how you have to be, I would imagine in business but hopefully with a bit of compassion.
“But we are fighters out there, there’s no friends on track.
“Some days we get it right, some days we get it wrong, but what’s important is when we get back out, we are human beings and we do keep respect.”
F1 Fantasy: How to play and top tips ahead of 2022 season
17:05 , Jack Rathborn
The new Formula One season is here, and that means F1 Fantasy is back.
The game will see millions of motor sport fans pick their fantasy selection of drivers for an imaginary $100m budget.
F1 Fantasy began four years ago and it has grown rapidly in popularity. The 2022 season will reward those players who are able to spot the early trends as F1’s fresh regulations shake up the grid.
F1 Fantasy: How to play and top tips ahead of 2022 season
F1 this weekend: Bahrain Grand Prix start time and how to watch on TV
16:50 , Jack Rathborn
The 2022 Formula 1 season begins with the Bahrain Grand Prix. After the dramatic end to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s title duel, anticipation is high as the pair, and the rest of the F1 grid, go back into battle on the track.
Reigning champion Verstappen, who secured his maiden world title in controversial circumstances on the final lap of last season, has renewed his Red Bull contract, and is again alongside Sergio Perez.
Hamilton, meanwhile, has been joined at Mercedes by compatriot George Russell as the German team look to maintain their place as the dominant constructor on the grid and the 37-year-old again seeks a record eighth Drivers’ Championship.
What time is the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend and how can I watch it?
Lewis Hamilton to change name to honour his mother
16:35 , Jack Rathborn
Lewis Hamilton has announced that he will change his name to honour his mother’s surname Larbalestier.
The 37-year-old, who begins his quest to win back the Formula 1 title from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Bahrain this weekend, spoke at the 2022 Dubai Expo.
And the Mercedes star confirmed he is now in the process of changing his name as he does not believe a woman should lose her surname after marriage.
“I’m really proud of my family’s name: Hamilton,” said the seven-time world champion at the 2022 Dubai Expo.
“Actually none of you might know that my mum’s [sur]name is Larbalestier. And I’m just about to put that in my name.
Lewis Hamilton to change name to honour his mother
Every F1 team and driver for 2022 season
16:20 , Jack Rathborn
The 2022 Formula 1 season is here with the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday, 20 March.
Each team has completed their testing and has their driver line-up set with the uncertainty surrounding the new rules and regulations adding an extra layer of intrigue.
The buzz and hype of F1 could not be higher after the tremendous 2021 season, which saw Max Verstappen edge out Lewis Hamilton to land a maiden world title.
Ferrari appear to have elevated their status heading into the new season, which could mean a more open constructors’ title race alongside Red Bull and champions Mercedes.
Here is every team’s line-up, their new car and livery ahead of the season opener this week.
Every F1 team and driver for 2022 season
George Russell primed to break out as Mercedes star in 2022 F1 season
16:00 , Jack Rathborn
Presumably not against each other, like when Hamilton and former teammate Nico Rosberg fell out so badly in 2015 and ‘16 — the last year Hamilton was beaten to the title until Verstappen ended his run last season.
Hamilton and Russell might have more work than envisaged, given how pre-season testing went this week. Red Bull and Ferrari appeared quicker and Mercedes struggled with “porpoising” — a new F1 term describing how cars bounce around on the track.
Mercedes have won eight constructors’ titles in a row, so it seems absurd to consider them panicking.
But there is genuine concern.
“We do seem a step behind our rivals and we do have a lot of work to do,” Russell said. “Red Bull are looking incredibly strong, Ferrari looking really solid.”
That’s precisely the kind of honesty Hamilton appreciates in Russell.
“He seems very genuine and he’s just focused on being the best team player he can,” Hamilton said. “It’s been seamless and we’re communicating a lot.”
Mercedes is a different world for Russell compared with his previous team, the modest Williams. But the meticulous-minded Englishman is in sponge-mode and absorbing all he can.
“They’re absolutely on top of every single detail,” he said. “It’s so impressive, from the simplest of things to the most technical. I really do feel like I’m at home.”
Russell joined the Mercedes junior program in 2017 before starting out in F1 with Williams, which uses Mercedes engines, in 2019.
He produced some impressive performances in a much slower car, particularly at the Belgian Grand Prix last year when he qualified second with outstanding driving in the wet.
Russell’s talent is no secret.
Toto Wolff reveals talk that stopped Lewis Hamilton ‘divorce’ from Mercedes
15:46 , Jack Rathborn
Toto Wolff has revealed how he convinced Lewis Hamilton to stay at Mercedes F1 at the end of the 2016 Formula 1 season.
While the season had been a successful one for the German team, taking both Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship victory, Hamilton had clashed with teammate Nico Rosberg on several occasions.
Rosberg eventually claimed his first world title ahead of Hamilton, who defied team orders during the final race of the season in a bid to steal it for himself.
Toto Wolff reveals talk that stopped Lewis Hamilton ‘divorce’ from Mercedes
F1 news: Franz Tost explains difficulty copying Mercedes design
15:30 , Jack Rathborn
AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost insists it would be difficult for ? to copy Mercedes’ zero-pods design as it would require a total rework of the car, which would be impossible under the $140million budget cap each team has for the 2022 campaign.
“It’s not just the sidepods,” Tost told motorsport-magazin.com. “That’s only one part of it.
“If you had to change something, you would have to change the whole aerodynamic philosophy.
“I don’t think we could make the effort because if you look at the cost cap, we are pretty much at the limit in our calculation at the end of the season.
“I don’t think we could make the effort to build a completely new car.”
George Russell on Toto Wolff phone call to step up to F1 big time
14:45 , Jack Rathborn
When Lewis Hamilton was ruled out of the Sakhir Grand Prix late in 2020, after contracting the coronavirus, it was Toto Wolff contacting George Russell this time.
“I got a phone call from Toto at 2 a.m.,” Russell said. “I was in the bathroom, which was slightly awkward.”
Russell stunned many observers with the level of his driving. He outshone the vastly more experienced Bottas, set the fastest lap, and could even have won if not for poor team decisions.
That driving was even more exceptional because, not only had he never raced in Hamilton’s car, he also has bigger feet and to fit in the car he had to go down a size and squeeze into size 10 racing boots.
Over two seasons in 2019 and ‘20, Russell beat his teammates in every qualifying.
It seems impossible he’ll blank Hamilton, the F1 record-holder with 103 pole positions.
But Hamilton rates Russel as “incredibly talented” and sees in him a similar drive to succeed.
“You see that picture of him when he was a kid, when I was at McLaren,” Hamilton said. “Of course he’s had an amazing run getting into Formula One. I have no doubt he’s going to be a strong competitor.”
Lewis Hamilton to change his name to honour his mother
14:31 , Luke Baker
Lewis Hamilton has announced that he will change his name to honour his mother’s surname Larbalestier.
The 37 year-old, who begins his quest to win back the F1 title from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Bahrain this weekend, spoke at the 2022 Dubai Expo.
The Mercedes star confirmed he is now in the process of revealed he was in the process of changing his name.
“I’m really proud of my family’s name: Hamilton,” said the seven-time world champion at the 2022 Dubai Expo.
“Actually none of you might know that my mum’s [sur]name is Larbalestier. And I’m just about to put that in my name. Because I don’t really fully understand the whole idea of why, when people get married, the woman loses her name. I really want her name to continue on with the Hamilton name.”
Lewis Hamilton to change name to honour his mother
Mercedes tried to ‘discredit’ Max Verstappen’s F1 title, Christian Horner claims
14:30 , Jack Rathborn
Christian Horner has accused Mercedes of using a “concerted campaign” in an attempt to “discredit” the achievement of Max Verstappen after the Dutchman claimed his maiden Formula 1 world title.
Verstappen pipped Lewis Hamilton to race and overall victory at the season ending 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix under controversial circumstances.
After a period behind the safety car, Verstappen was able to launch a Drivers’ Championship-winning move on the final lap of the season after a contentious ruling from race director Michael Masi.
Mercedes tried to ‘discredit’ Max Verstappen’s F1 title, Christian Horner claims
Christian Horner aims dig at Toto Wolff over Monaco tax haven
14:15 , Jack Rathborn
“We are very different,” Christian Horner told the Mail. “If I’m not at the race track, I’m in the factory. I’m not living as a tax exile in Monaco, running a team remotely. I am hands-on. My diary is full from the moment I arrive to the moment I leave, dealing with issues within the team. I have very much an open-door policy.
“I grew up in the sport. I was a race driver that turned my hand to running a team. I’m a racer at heart. Toto has come from a very different background. He has a financial background and is very driven by what the balance sheet says. Results dictate that performance.
“Does he share the same passion as a racer? I have no idea. Will he be here in 10 years’ time or will he have cashed in and be on his super yacht? I have no idea.”
Fernando Alonso opens up on finding the ‘wow’ factor on final day of Bahrain testing
14:00 , Jack Rathborn
“The first day in Sakhir because we couldn’t get into a good dynamic, but the next two have gone well,” Alpine’s sporting director Alan Permane told AS.
“Especially on Saturday, we started to make progress with a set-up that allows us to turn porpoising on and off whenever we want.
“We know why it happens and what stops it. We know when it makes us faster or slower.
“If you look at other cars, Ferrari still keeps it in some circumstances. We’ve played with the suspensions, the camber, slipstreams and so on. And we’re significantly better.
“We weren’t too worried, the performance was there and we were happy.
“I’m not sure people believed us, but we hadn’t panicked. Nothing has changed. I still don’t know what the order of the grid is, but I know we are there.”
Lando Norris opens up on Drive to Survive inaccuracies on Netflix
13:49 , Luke Baker
“There’s a bit of me and Daniel going side by side in turn one when we are not even close and I claim he pushes me off, which is from a completely different race,” explained Lando Norris.
“There are things which may be a bit too much like that and I don’t agree too much with it. But on the whole, I think it’s just exciting and good for everyone.
“As long as they don’t overdo it and literally make someone look like they have done something they definitely haven’t, I think that’s too far. As long as they don’t do that, it’s good.”
FIA to scrutinise Mercedes’ ‘spaceship’ mirrors
13:37 , Luke Baker
Mercedes’ so-called ‘spaceship’ mirrors are set to be one of the topics under discussion when the FIA meets this week ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
The 2022 campaign brings with a raft of new regulations and car designs, with each team unveiling their new-look vehicles which will debut competitively at the Bahrain International Circuit, following weeks of testing, data analysis and further design tweaking.
Some of the most eye-catching of the new-look features was on the Mercedes W13, with wing mirrors mounted on the Side Impact Protection system and, according to Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto, designed to be utilised as an aerodynamic addition to the vehicle. That was in addition to the ‘disappearing’ sidepods which were much spoken about after testing.
That goes against the spirit of the sport and the intended use, some have suggested, and the design will be spoken about even if it doesn’t directly contravene legislation.
FIA to scrutinise Mercedes’ ‘spaceship’ mirrors after testing controversy
Lando Norris takes issue with Netflix’s retelling of Bahrain
13:30 , Jack Rathborn
“I watched episodes one and two,” Lando Norris told reporters. “I won’t spoil it as it’s the first proper introduction to Daniel, myself and us at McLaren. I think it’s good, gives you good insight.
“From my side it looks good, maybe not so much from the other side (Ricciardo’s) but there are obviously some comments here and there that may be out of place.
“When you are the person it’s about, you don’t agree with it so much because it can make you look like you said something at a time and place which is definitely not correct.”
Lewis Hamilton on abuse after British Grand Prix collision with Max Verstappen
13:15 , Jack Rathborn
“There’s so many nice comments,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “And then trolling and all these different things.
“If I had sat and read all the comments after Silverstone, the racial abuse. I could’ve downward spiralled into a negative space. I don’t let that volatile medium control my life.
“You have to be careful because the way the media hype up the drama creates a narrative to the fans.”
Lewis Hamilton labels Max Verstappen ‘ruthless’
13:00 , Jack Rathborn
“For me and Max, we’re seeing each other in the paddock, things are normal,” Lewis Hamilton told Sky Sports.
“We are two individual drivers who have a lot of common in the sense of how much we love doing what we do, driving.
“On the other side, we’re ruthless. He is ruthless, that’s how you have to be, I would imagine in business but hopefully with a bit of compassion.
“But we are fighters out there, there’s no friends on track.
“Some days we get it right, some days we get it wrong, but what’s important is when we get back out, we are human beings and we do keep respect.”
F1 news: Toto Wolff reveals kitchen chat prevented Lewis Hamilton ‘divorce’
12:48 , Jack Rathborn
“We met at the Christmas party in my home in Oxfordshire that December, reluctantly,” Toto Wolff told the Times. “I said we need to decide whether we want to work together or not. ‘You want to win as a driver, I want to win as a team’.
“Sometimes our different agendas are going to lead to conflict and we need to decide whether we can cope with that situation. We were in my kitchen. I said to him, and Susie didn’t much like this analogy, that even though Susie and I might disagree about something, it would never come into my mind to divorce.
“‘And it’s the same with you Lewis,’ I said. ‘I don’t want a divorce. You’re the best driver. I want you in our car and we want to provide you with the best car.’ We kind of went into this discussion at loggerheads and then, after four or five hours in the kitchen, we found ourselves on a totally different level.
“A purely business related relationship had become a personal relationship. He’s a friend. Doesn’t mean we don’t argue anymore but now, Lewis’s success is the team’s success, and the team’s success is Lewis’s success.”
‘I didn’t deserve it’: Nikita Mazepin opens up on F1 exit and slams Haas decision
12:26 , Jack Rathborn
Russian driver Nikita Mazepin claims he only discovered he had been dropped by Haas when the Formula One team released the press release of their decision to terminate his contract.
Mazepin was speaking at a press conference on Wednesday after Russian company Uralkali announced that they would be seeking a full refund from Haas after their title sponsorship was also cut ahead of the 2022 season.
Uralkali are owned by Mazepin’s father Dmitry, who is an associate of Vladimir Putin, and the company criticised Haas for making their decision based on “geopolitical reasons” in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
‘I didn’t deserve it’: Nikita Mazepin opens up on F1 exit and slams Haas decision
The secrets behind Mercedes’ ‘disappearing’ sidepods at F1 testing
11:53 , Jack Rathborn
Mercedes have created controversy already on day one of Formula 1 testing with the “extreme” innovation to making the sidepods on their 2022 car “disappear”.
On Day 1 testing in Bahrain, Lewis Hamilton drove the latest version of the W13, which has an extremely minimal sidepod treatment broke cover.
It was a development long in the making after senior team figures have leant on the focus put into the car’s cooling requirements.
The secrets behind Mercedes’ ‘disappearing’ sidepods at F1 testing
Lewis Hamilton left with ‘some scars’ after controversial end to 2021 F1 season
11:47 , Jack Rathborn
The ending to the 2021 F1 season has left “some scars” on Lewis Hamilton after he lost out on a record-breaking eighth championship title to Max Verstappen on the final lap of the season, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has revealed.
The conclusion to the most dramatic and unpredictable F1 season in years is featured in the final episode of the latest season of the popular Netflix series Drive to Survive.
It shows the controversial closing stages to the season-ending race as Verstappen passed Hamilton after benefitting from a late safety car and the decision of former race director Michael Masi to let some but not all of the cars to unlap themselves, setting up a final-lap shoot-out for the title.
Lewis Hamilton left with ‘some scars’ after controversial end to 2021 F1 season
Drive to Survive review: F1 fans will be gripped by a series still way ahead of the pack
11:41 , Jack Rathborn
“Stay calm – we will get the f***ers.”
Barely a minute into season four of Drive to Survive and we’re all in. A compilation of crashes, expletives, explosions and wry smiles from some of the most recognisable faces on the planet, grimaces and sharp-tongued utterances from some of the richest people. The retelling of one of the most remarkable campaigns in all of sport has not even begun, and yet already the compulsion is to tell it to shut up and take our money.
On Friday, 11 March, Netflix will throw open the doors of Formula One’s 2021 season with the expectation that it will break the records set by the previous three. To have bared real-time witness to the rollercoaster that culminated in Max Verstappen’s maiden title in remarkable fashion was to have watched something very special. And throughout a year where the narrative turned just as sharply as the cars on the track, the anticipation of the newest offering of Drive to Survive was almost too great to comprehend.
Drive to Survive review: F1 fans will be gripped by a series way ahead of the pack
Lewis Hamilton makes Max Verstappen ‘bully’ claim in Drive to Survive
11:09 , Jack Rathborn
Lewis Hamilton has suggested Max Verstappen races like a “bully” after opening up on their F1 rivalry in the latest season of Drive to Survive.
Hamilton and Verstappen’s battle for the drivers’ championship led to one of the most thrilling seasons in F1 history and is documented in the latest instalment of the popular Netflix show.
The title race went down to the wire at the controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but the season was packed with incident in one of the most unpredictable campaigns in years.
The rivalry was also lit up by several clashes on the track, such as when both drivers crashed out after colliding at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
Lewis Hamilton makes Max Verstappen ‘bully’ claim in Drive to Survive
Why Max Verstappen doesn’t appear in Drive to Survive season 4
11:00 , Jack Rathborn
The new season of Drive to Survive will be released soon but Red Bull driver Max Verstappen will not be part of it.
The story arc of the fourth edition of the documentary is almost certainly going to revolve around the Dutchman’s title race with Lewis Hamilton.
Netflix bosses will focus on the pair who headed into the final race of the season on equal points to set up a thrilling end to the campaign in Abu Dhabi.
Why Max Verstappen doesn’t appear in Drive to Survive season 4
Ferrari call for ban on Mercedes' 'spaceship mirrors' following zero pods controversy
10:52 , Jack Rathborn
Ferrari are unhappy with the “spaceship mirrors” on the Mercedes car in the latest complaint to be aired surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s team at pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The Mercedes W13 has been the subject of considerable debate after the team unveiled a different set up ahead of the 2022 F1 season, which begins next weekend.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner claimed that the non-existent sidepods on the Mercedes car are “illegal” in an interview on Thursday, before withdrawing his comment 24 hours later.
Ferrari call for ban on Mercedes' 'spaceship mirrors' following zero pods controversy
‘It doesn’t look as good’: Lewis Hamilton fears Mercedes will not be in contention for 2022 F1 title
10:43 , Jack Rathborn
Lewis Hamilton fears he will not be in contention to battle for a record-breaking eighth world championship.
Just one week out from the season-opening race in Bahrain, a downbeat Hamilton said Mercedes are behind Max Verstappen’s Red Bull team and Ferrari in the pecking order.
The 37-year-old was speaking just moments after his final action in testing before next Sunday’s curtain-raiser.
Lewis Hamilton fears Mercedes will not be in contention for 2022 F1 title
Christian Horner caught telling Lewis Hamilton to ‘shut the f--- up’ in Drive to Survive scene
10:37 , Jack Rathborn
Christian Horner was caught telling Lewis Hamilton to “shut the f--- up” in the opening minutes of the latest season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive.
The latest instalment of the highly awaited documentary series dropped on Friday morning and focuses around one of the most exciting title races in F1 history.
It documents Max Verstappen’s thrilling championship victory, which saw the Red Bull driver beat Hamilton to a record-breaking eighth title on the final lap of the season.
Lewis Hamilton told to ‘shut the f--- up’ in Drive to Survive scene
F1 news: Franz Tost explains difficulty copying Mercedes design
10:09 , Jack Rathborn
AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost insists it would be difficult for ? to copy Mercedes’ zero-pods design as it would require a total rework of the car, which would be impossible under the $140million budget cap each team has for the 2022 campaign.
“It’s not just the sidepods,” Tost told motorsport-magazin.com. “That’s only one part of it.
“If you had to change something, you would have to change the whole aerodynamic philosophy.
“I don’t think we could make the effort because if you look at the cost cap, we are pretty much at the limit in our calculation at the end of the season.
“I don’t think we could make the effort to build a completely new car.”
Formula 1 is back: Race week in Bahrain
09:50 , Jack Rathborn
First stop: Bahrain!#BahrainGP 🇧🇭 #F1 pic.twitter.com/e3nipQiIpb
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 14, 2022
George Russell on Toto Wolff phone call to step up to F1 big time
09:41 , Jack Rathborn
When Lewis Hamilton was ruled out of the Sakhir Grand Prix late in 2020, after contracting the coronavirus, it was Toto Wolff contacting George Russell this time.
“I got a phone call from Toto at 2 a.m.,” Russell said. “I was in the bathroom, which was slightly awkward.”
Russell stunned many observers with the level of his driving. He outshone the vastly more experienced Bottas, set the fastest lap, and could even have won if not for poor team decisions.
That driving was even more exceptional because, not only had he never raced in Hamilton’s car, he also has bigger feet and to fit in the car he had to go down a size and squeeze into size 10 racing boots.
Over two seasons in 2019 and ‘20, Russell beat his teammates in every qualifying.
It seems impossible he’ll blank Hamilton, the F1 record-holder with 103 pole positions.
But Hamilton rates Russel as “incredibly talented” and sees in him a similar drive to succeed.
“You see that picture of him when he was a kid, when I was at McLaren,” Hamilton said. “Of course he’s had an amazing run getting into Formula One. I have no doubt he’s going to be a strong competitor.”
George Russell primed to break out as Mercedes star in 2022 F1 season
09:37 , Jack Rathborn
Presumably not against each other, like when Hamilton and former teammate Nico Rosberg fell out so badly in 2015 and ‘16 — the last year Hamilton was beaten to the title until Verstappen ended his run last season.
Hamilton and Russell might have more work than envisaged, given how pre-season testing went this week. Red Bull and Ferrari appeared quicker and Mercedes struggled with “porpoising” — a new F1 term describing how cars bounce around on the track.
Mercedes have won eight constructors’ titles in a row, so it seems absurd to consider them panicking.
But there is genuine concern.
“We do seem a step behind our rivals and we do have a lot of work to do,” Russell said. “Red Bull are looking incredibly strong, Ferrari looking really solid.”
That’s precisely the kind of honesty Hamilton appreciates in Russell.
“He seems very genuine and he’s just focused on being the best team player he can,” Hamilton said. “It’s been seamless and we’re communicating a lot.”
Mercedes is a different world for Russell compared with his previous team, the modest Williams. But the meticulous-minded Englishman is in sponge-mode and absorbing all he can.
“They’re absolutely on top of every single detail,” he said. “It’s so impressive, from the simplest of things to the most technical. I really do feel like I’m at home.”
Russell joined the Mercedes junior program in 2017 before starting out in F1 with Williams, which uses Mercedes engines, in 2019.
He produced some impressive performances in a much slower car, particularly at the Belgian Grand Prix last year when he qualified second with outstanding driving in the wet.
Russell’s talent is no secret.
George Russell's turn to show Mercedes boss what he can do in F1
09:31 , Jack Rathborn
Eight years after emailing Toto Wolff as an audacious teen keen to showcase his driving talent, George Russell has a chance to show the head of the Mercedes F1 team exactly what he can do on the track.
His opportunity comes next Sunday when the Formula One season begins in Bahrain. Coincidentally, that is where Russell drove brilliantly as a one-off replacement for Lewis Hamilton in late 2020.
They are now teammates after Russell replaced Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes and it’s his turn to learn from a multiple world champion.
“That’s incredibly inspiring and motivating for me to try and reach the heights that Lewis has achieved,” the 24-year-old Russell said
Bottas never won the world title and only rarely pushed Hamilton. Russell might do better but circumstances could play a part.
For while Mercedes say their drivers are free to compete against each other, it seems logical that Russell’s task will also be helping Hamilton to wrestle back the title he narrowly lost to Max Verstappen on the last lap of 2021.
“Lewis is a fighter and his absolute priority is to be the best version of himself when he hits the track in Bahrain,” Russell said. “He knows what it takes.”
Although Hamilton missed out on a record eighth title, which would have moved him ahead of Michael Schumacher, he has long been an inspiration to Russell for his endless work ethic.
“It always amazes me how someone so talented and successful as Lewis continues to strive for more,” Russell said. “I think we can really work well together to push the team forward.”
F1 2022
09:13 , Jack Rathborn
Mercedes tried to ‘discredit’ Max Verstappen’s F1 title, Christian Horner claims
09:07 , Jack Rathborn
Christian Horner has accused Mercedes of using a “concerted campaign” in an attempt to “discredit” the achievement of Max Verstappen after the Dutchman claimed his maiden Formula 1 world title.
Verstappen pipped Lewis Hamilton to race and overall victory at the season ending 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix under controversial circumstances.
After a period behind the safety car, Verstappen was able to launch a Drivers’ Championship-winning move on the final lap of the season after a contentious ruling from race director Michael Masi.
Mercedes tried to ‘discredit’ Max Verstappen’s F1 title, Christian Horner claims
Christian Horner aims dig at Toto Wolff over Monaco tax haven
09:02 , Jack Rathborn
“We are very different,” Christian Horner told the Mail. “If I’m not at the race track, I’m in the factory. I’m not living as a tax exile in Monaco, running a team remotely. I am hands-on. My diary is full from the moment I arrive to the moment I leave, dealing with issues within the team. I have very much an open-door policy.
“I grew up in the sport. I was a race driver that turned my hand to running a team. I’m a racer at heart. Toto has come from a very different background. He has a financial background and is very driven by what the balance sheet says. Results dictate that performance.
“Does he share the same passion as a racer? I have no idea. Will he be here in 10 years’ time or will he have cashed in and be on his super yacht? I have no idea.”
Fernando Alonso opens up on finding the ‘wow’ factor on final day of Bahrain testing
08:42 , Jack Rathborn
“The first day in Sakhir because we couldn’t get into a good dynamic, but the next two have gone well,” Alpine’s sporting director Alan Permane told AS.
“Especially on Saturday, we started to make progress with a set-up that allows us to turn porpoising on and off whenever we want.
“We know why it happens and what stops it. We know when it makes us faster or slower.
“If you look at other cars, Ferrari still keeps it in some circumstances. We’ve played with the suspensions, the camber, slipstreams and so on. And we’re significantly better.
“We weren’t too worried, the performance was there and we were happy.
“I’m not sure people believed us, but we hadn’t panicked. Nothing has changed. I still don’t know what the order of the grid is, but I know we are there.”
Lando Norris opens up on Drive to Survive inaccuracies on Netflix
08:35 , Jack Rathborn
“There’s a bit of me and Daniel going side by side in turn one when we are not even close and I claim he pushes me off, which is from a completely different race,” explained Lando Norris.
“There are things which may be a bit too much like that and I don’t agree too much with it. But on the whole, I think it’s just exciting and good for everyone.
“As long as they don’t overdo it and literally make someone look like they have done something they definitely haven’t, I think that’s too far. As long as they don’t do that, it’s good.”
Lando Norris takes issue with Netflix’s retelling of Bahrain
08:24 , Jack Rathborn
“I watched episodes one and two,” Lando Norris told reporters. “I won’t spoil it as it’s the first proper introduction to Daniel, myself and us at McLaren. I think it’s good, gives you good insight.
“From my side it looks good, maybe not so much from the other side (Ricciardo’s) but there are obviously some comments here and there that may be out of place.
“When you are the person it’s about, you don’t agree with it so much because it can make you look like you said something at a time and place which is definitely not correct.”
Lewis Hamilton on abuse after British Grand Prix collision with Max Verstappen
08:00 , Jack Rathborn
“There’s so many nice comments,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “And then trolling and all these different things.
“If I had sat and read all the comments after Silverstone, the racial abuse. I could’ve downward spiralled into a negative space. I don’t let that volatile medium control my life.
“You have to be careful because the way the media hype up the drama creates a narrative to the fans.”
Lewis Hamilton labels Max Verstappen ‘ruthless’
07:55 , Jack Rathborn
“For me and Max, we’re seeing each other in the paddock, things are normal,” Lewis Hamilton told Sky Sports.
“We are two individual drivers who have a lot of common in the sense of how much we love doing what we do, driving.
“On the other side, we’re ruthless. He is ruthless, that’s how you have to be, I would imagine in business but hopefully with a bit of compassion.
“But we are fighters out there, there’s no friends on track.
“Some days we get it right, some days we get it wrong, but what’s important is when we get back out, we are human beings and we do keep respect.”
