F1 news LIVE: Bahrain Grand Prix practice as Max Verstappen says F1 ‘does not need to heal’

The Formula 1 2022 season is here, it’s practice day ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix to open up the year’s racing. Max Verstappen is the defending champion after a thrilling finale to the 2021 F1 season with Lewis Hamilton gunning to dethrone the Dutch-Belgian driver and break the record to land his eighth world title. The controversy of Abu Dhabi simmers as we approach the first race of the year, while the new rules and regulations add a wildcard, with Ferrari and McLaren ready to compete with favourites Mercedes and Red Bull. All the talking has been done now, with the Netflix series Drive to Survive adding extra spice to the off-season, with Verstappen not a fan and maintaining the sport does not “need to heal”.

In addition to new rules and regulations surrounding the cars, the fallout from Abu Dhabi led to more changes to the F1 hierarchy as race director Michael Masi was sacked, after Toto Wolff’s very public argument after watching Verstappen deny Hamilton and the Silver Arrows the title in that exhilarating final lap. A report into those events is expected to be published this weekend, with Masi operating in a new role after freestyling with the rules under extreme pressure at Yas Marina.

The game of bluff between the teams and drivers after testing in Barcelona and Bahrain finally ends, with Hamilton adamant Mercedes’ new W13 car is not in a position to compete for wins: “I’m sure everyone can figure that out - we are not the quickest at the moment,” he said. “Ferrari look to be the quickest, then perhaps Red Bull, and then maybe us or maybe McLaren, I don’t know. But we’re currently not at the top.” Follow all the build-up and practice updates from Bahrain ahead of the start of the F1 season:

Formula 1 news and Bahrain Grand Prix build-up

• Exclusive interview - Sergio Perez: ‘I looked in the mirror and thought, what am I doing here?’

• Exclusive interview - Mick Schumacher: ‘It’s nice for me to remind people of what my dad did - but I can create my own legacy too’

• Start times - Practice 1: 12:00, Practice 2: 15:00

Vettel warns Hamilton over what to expect from Verstappen

10:55 , Lawrence Ostlere

Sebastian Vettel has warned Lewis Hamilton that he expects Max Verstappen to flourish as Formula One’s defending world champion.

Hamilton and Red Bull driver Verstappen are set to renew their rivalry when the season fires up in Bahrain on Sunday.

Verstappen 24, will line up on the grid as the reigning champion for the first time in his career after he beat Hamilton at last December’s hotly-disputed finale in Abu Dhabi.

And Vettel, who won four consecutive titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, expects Verstappen to move to another level with title number one under his belt.

“From what I remember, it is a boost,” said Vettel, 34, ahead of his second campaign as an Aston Martin driver. “It takes a lot of weight off your shoulders and it is a great feeling to start the season as a world champion.”

Sebastian Vettel warns Lewis Hamilton over what to expect from Max Verstappen in 2022

Hamilton arrives ahead of practice

10:44 , Ben Burrows

Lewis Hamilton is in town.

The Mercedes driver has arrived at Bahrain International Circuit ahead of today’s practice sessions.

Hamilton was gloomy following pre-season testing about the outlook for his team this season so will be interesting to see how they go today.

Perez latest to criticise Drive to Survive

10:39 , Lawrence Ostlere

Sergio Perez also joined in on the criticism of Netflix’s Drive to Survive - saying the latest season of the show “went too far”.

Perez’s team-mate Max Verstappen refused to take part in the fourth season of the show and the Mexican said is likely to follow his lead next year.

Earlier, Verstappen criticised Drive to Survive for trying to create a rivalry between McLaren team-mates Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.

Perez said: “They tried to create too much drama, which the season already had. The season had enough drama, you know?

“They’ve probably gone too far in this last season. I thought it was going to be the best season, but to be totally honest I haven’t finished [watching] it.

“This year, I am definitely not going to do as much. It’s a lot of media. So if I can escape it and do less media then I will.”

Wolff opens up on mental health struggles

10:15 , Lawrence Ostlere

Toto Wolff has said “it’s ok to get help” after revealing the extent of his mental health struggles.

Revealing that he had been seeing a psychiatrist regularly since 2004, the Mercedes team principal has outlined the importance of seeking assistance if you are struggling.

Wolff, 50, has been involved in Formula 1 since buying a stake in Williams in 2009.

He joined Mercedes in 2013 and has since overseen a period of extraordinary success, winning eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships and helping Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to individual world titles.

However Wolff has explained that he has “suffered mentally”, even since that began, and feels it is important to be candid about his therapy.

Toto Wolff opens up on mental health struggles ahead of 2022 F1 season

Hamilton told to beat Verstappen ‘at his own game’

09:59 , Lawrence Ostlere

Lewis Hamilton should play Max Verstappen “at his own game” and should be more aggressive if he is to reclaim the drivers’ championship this season, Martin Brundle has said.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Brundle said Hamilton will need to “get his elbows out” and not allow Verstappen to have it all his way this season.

“I think Lewis will come back with more determination than ever and I think he’s going to have to get his elbows out with Max,” Brundle said.

“In the end, Max’s aggressive driving won him the world championship as far as I’m concerned.

“Everybody is going to have to play Max at his own game if they want to beat him. Mercedes and Lewis will be energised by that, but they’re going to have to go racing in a different and more aggressive way and play the same game - because Max isn’t going to change.”

Brundle predicts three-way fight for 2022 title

09:44 , Lawrence Ostlere

Martin Brundle believes Ferrari are capable of competing for the title alongside Mercedes and Red Bull this year.

Ferrari delivered an impressive performance in pre-season testing in Bahrain and have drivers in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz who look set to take the next step.

Brundle said he though Mercedes were “sandbagging” in Bahrain but says the performance of the Ferrari caught his eye ahead of the opening race this weekend.

“It does seem like we might have a three-way fight this year,” Brundle told Sky Sports.

“Ferrari, having not been in the title fight last year - and I think the same with McLaren too actually - have benefited. But then Red Bull appear to have aced the aero a little bit better for now.

“But let’s see what Mercedes do when it matters. I’m confident to say they haven’t got it right yet, but you do know that they will be there or thereabouts.

With what we’ve seen, the Mercedes was porpoising perhaps as bad as any team when they lowered the car, but that’s the kind of thing you can fix, and they might just fix it straight away.”

Verstappen criticises Drive to Survive for Norris-Ricciardo scenes

09:29 , Lawrence Ostlere

Max Verstappen has explained why the scenes around McLaren team-mates Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo in Netflix’s Drive to Survive is the reason why he refused to be included in season four.

The relationship between Norris and Ricciardo is focussed upon in two episodes of the popular show and it is often conveyed to be a frosty one at times.

But Verstappen believes it is an example of the show “faking rivalries”. He told the BBC: “I watched two episodes, but I was not very impressed. It’s just not my thing, faking rivalries.

“Lando and Daniel are two great people I know - they have really great characters and immediately at the second episode it looks like they are not very friendly to each other, and for me that’s not correct and that’s why I’m also not a part of it.”

Mick Schumacher exclusive

09:12 , Lawrence Ostlere

Beneath a limited Haas car lies encouraging signs, remarkable consistency and a little frustration that Schumacher hasn’t yet been able to test himself more against his rivals.

“The target is always to be the best, it’s the same this season, even though maybe on paper we’re not going to be anywhere close to the championship fight,” he says.

“But crazy things have happened in the past and crazy things might happen again, you never know, and you always want to be in the fight.

“That’s what I enjoy, that’s what brought me to this sport, the enjoyment of fighting and speed and trying to beat the lap time.

“I think that battling is a big part of who I am and what I like to do. Obviously, I want to do that at the front and not the back [of the grid].”

Interview by Tom Kershaw:

Mick Schumacher: ‘I can remind people of dad while creating my own legacy’

George Russell ‘can challenge’ Lewis Hamilton this season

08:59 , Lawrence Ostlere

Mercedes have the best driver pairing ahead of the 2022 season, Martin Brundle has said, and has backed George Russell to challenge Lewis Hamilton on his first season with the team.

Russell has made the step up from Williams to join Hamilton at Mercedes and Brundle believes he will be able to hit the ground running as he is “talented” enough to live with Hamilton’s pace and work ethic.

“George can challenge Lewis this season,” Brundle told Sky Sports. “Watching the decision and patience you need to drive the cars - that’s going to be a key factor - George has got all the feel and touch and maturity he needs to make these cars sing.

“In my mind, Mercedes have the strongest driver pairing. George knows the team, he’s going home effectively, he knows what he’s stepping into. He will find Lewis’ relentless season-long, race-by-race, day-by-day, hour-by-hour commitment potentially soul-destroying, but I think he’s confident and talented enough to live with it.

“I see George as a fully fledged Mercedes works driver from lap one on Friday in Bahrain.”

Verstappen has sympathy for Mazepin

08:42 , Lawrence Ostlere

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has said he fells sorry for Russian driver. Verstappen told the BBC: “You always have to feel sympathy for Nikita himself - everyone, regardless of background, they work very hard from a very young age to be a Formula 1 driver.

“Of course you can have backing but you still need talent to drive these cars in Formula 3 and Formula 2. You need to be competitive and he definitely was that.

“At the moment it’s very complicated for him, but yeah let’s see hopefully in general the world can be at peace again.”

Haas boss ‘didn’t talk’ to Nikita Mazepin and sacked Russian in writing

07:55 , Lawrence Ostlere

Haas boss Guenther Steiner has confirmed that he did not speak to Nikita Mazepin when sacking the Russian, informing the driver that his contract had been ended in writing only.

The Formula 1 team announced that Mazepin would no longer be part of the team on 5 March after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The 23-year-old has since claimed that he only found out at the same time that Haas released their statement to the press.

F1 Fantasy: How to play and top tips

07:45 , Lawrence Ostlere

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.

How to play Fantasy F1 2022

Each player gets to pick five drivers and one constructor ahead of the first race of the season in Bahrain, spending a budget of $100m.

F1 Fantasy: How to play and top tips ahead of 2022 season

Bahrain Grand Prix schedule

07:44 , Lawrence Ostlere

It’s almost here: the 2022 F1 season gets underway this weekend, starting with tomorrow’s free practice sessions and drivers’ press conferences.

Friday

• Pre-race driver press conference - runs over two hours and finishes at latest 90 minutes before first practice

• One-hour free practice session

• Second practice two hours after the conclusion of FP1

• Drivers briefing 90 minutes after chequered flag falls for FP2

Saturday

• Team Principals’ press conference 1.5 hours before FP3

• Final practice with qualifying to follow a couple of hours later

Sunday

• Bahrain Grand Prix

Sergio Perez calls for F1 drivers to be allowed to race with Covid

Thursday 17 March 2022 18:56 , Jack Rathborn

Sergio Perez believes Formula One drivers should be able to race with Covid-19.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has been ruled out of the sport’s season opener here in Bahrain on Sunday after testing positive for the virus.

The Aston Martin driver will be replaced by his German compatriot Nico Hulkenberg.

Vettel, 34, is the second driver to contract coronavirus in the past week after McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo fell ill and missed testing. The Australian has since recovered and is fit it to take part in Sunday’s race.

Although mandatory testing has been scrapped by Formula One this season, teams are continuing with the process.

Sergio Perez calls for F1 drivers to be allowed to race with Covid