Tomáš Enge

Portimao was used for F1 testing in the winter of 2008/09, and the teams have not returned since, although Mercedes ran a two-year-old W06 there on demo tyres for George Russell and Nicholas Latifi in April 2017.<br>The resurfacing also creates an extra challenge for Pirelli, as the Italian company now has to prepare for the four European venues that have been added to the 2020 calendar, with ...

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Binotto said ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix that while Vettel's was Ferrari's first choice, the pandemic led the Maranello squad to change its preferences.<br>"I think the virus and pandemic situation, which changed the entire world, not only our motorsport, our F1," he said.<br>"The budget cap has been changed by quite a lot, and is a lot more strict, the regulations have been postponed from ...

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<br>No team other than Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull has won an F1 race since the turbo hybrid era began in 2014, with an unofficial ‘Class A/B’ divide coming into effect over the ensuing six campaigns.<br>But the new $145m cost cap rule, which will come into effect from 2021 and reduce further over the following two seasons to $135m for 2023-2025, as well as other measures such as restricted ...

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As teams gear up for the first race of the F1 season at the Austrian Grand Prix next weekend, a number of outfits have already run private tests to try to get used to a new way of working.<br>Although all competitors are braced for logistical difficulties and work to take longer because of social distancing requirements, Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies says it is adjusting to life with a ...

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An eight-race European calendar has so far been confirmed following the coronavirus pandemic which will take place across 10 weekends with potentially more races - either as flyaways and/or again in Europe - also added later in the year.<br>Norris believes that while drivers will get up to speed with their machines within a handful of laps, the forces being placed on their bodies again could prove ...

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Graham Hill had got wind that his driving partner for the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours wasn't best pleased about sharing his Matra with a 43-year-old whose star was fading. So the double Formula 1 world champion, ever the joker, tried to trick Henri Pescarolo.<br>It was Hill's first test for the French manufacturer, and he decided to play up to his teammate's expectations as he clambered aboard.<br>The ...

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On Monday there was formal confirmation from Chase Carey that the intention is to begin with a behind closed doors race in Austria, but after that, everything remains vague.<br>All fans really gleaned from Carey's statement is that the intention is to run from July to December in Europe, Eurasia (which in F1 terms covers Azerbaijan and Russia), Asia, the Americas and the Middle East.<br>Apart from ...

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Ferrari was at the centre of controversy earlier this year when it was announced that it had reached a private agreement with the FIA to formally conclude an investigation into the legality of its engine.<br>The deal was struck because the FIA did not want a lengthy court case over the matter, having been unable to prove Ferrari broke the rules with the Italian outfit adamant it had been legal at ...

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<br>With teams having unanimously rejected a 2020 prototype tyre following a test in Abu Dhabi last year, the decision was made to stick with the 2019 construction and compounds.<br>While that means teams are in a unique situation of having the same tyres for a second year, Racing Point’s technical director says changes to the tyre pressures required to cope with the increase in car ...

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Just how good is Leclerc with a magic marker? Read on for answers to this and other questions you never thought you’d ask.<br>Being a top-flight driver in any series is about precision, timing, intuition, and knowing the track inside out. So what happens when you blindfold two top drivers in their respective series – Leclerc from Formula 1 and Newgarden from IndyCar – and challenge them to ...

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While the Milton Keynes-based outfit always knew that 2019 would be a transition year on the back of its switch to Honda, the team was also held back by early-season chassis headaches.<br>It took some time to get on top of the impact of front wing regulation changes for this year, and it was not until the Austrian Grand Prix that it was able to unlock the full potential of its car.<br>Red Bull ...

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Teams will shed the extreme cooling solutions used in Mexico for the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin, where air density is at a far more reasonable level. The altitude of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was a considerable factor throughout the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, with particular attention to the pervasive thinner air.<br>Mexico City stands at an altitude of 2250m, meaning that ...

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After years of speculation about possible street races or a move to Assen, it was the race's original home of Zandvoort that finally got a deal together earlier this year for a grand prix in 2020.<br>But despite the success of securing a spot on the calendar, confirmation of the plans was just the start of its challenge – with the track needing some safety tweaks, infrastructure changes and some ...

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Current Williams reserve driver Nicholas Latifi remains the favourite to take the seat, which would make Russell the senior driver on the line-up in only his second year.<br>However, Hulkenberg is the obvious choice should the team be in a position to hire a driver who doesn't bring a budget.<br>Russell says he just wants a quick teammate against whom he can further a reputation.<br>"My preference ...

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Hamilton has amassed a healthy points lead in the championship because of Mercedes' strong start to the season but his team has come under increasing threat in the last few grands prix.<br>Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has claimed back-to-back wins in Belgium and Italy as the high-speed circuits there played to the strengths of his team's inconsistent 2019 car.<br><br>Read Also:<br><br>Mercedes ...

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Fans watching from Parabolica in 1987 witnessed leader Ayrton Senna disappear in a cloud of dust as he ran wide at the corner. Senna had gone the entire race without a tyre change and was in front when he ran into the gravel with eight laps remaining. He recovered, but not before Nelson Piquet passed. The Williams would finish 1.8s ahead of Senna’s Lotus.<br><br>Podium: race winner Nelson ...

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Bottas made his competitive rallying debut aboard a Ford Fiesta WRC in January’s Arctic Rally and has since tested M-Sport’s Fiesta R5.<br>Toyota Gazoo Racing sporting director Kaj Lindstrom told Motorsport.com that Bottas’ outing in the Yaris was just for fun.<br>Lindstrom joked: “There is no contract. He was happy in the Arctic Rally, but we have the best car and he wanted to try ...

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The Spaniard is currently free of racing commitments, with his failed Indianapolis 500 assault with McLaren and tenure with Toyota in the FIA World Endurance Championship having now finished.<br>Amid uncertainty about the future of Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari, recent speculation has linked Alonso with a potential return there next year – and sources have suggested the Spaniard's representatives ...

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The Stewards received a petition from Scuderia Ferrari for them to review, in accordance with Article 14 of the FIA International Sporting Code, the following decision made by the Stewards at the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix Competition: Document 42 – 2019 Canadian Grand Prix. The Stewards, summoned the team (Document 47) and held a hearing at 14:15 on Friday 21st June, 2019.<br>The Stewards heard ...

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With a deadline looming for the Italian team to confirm its appeal against Vettel's five-second penalty that cost him the win in Montreal, it is believed that the Italian outfit is considering an alternative action plan rather than pushing on with its original intention.<br><br>Read Also:<br><br>Why right Vettel penalty shows what's wrong with F1<br>Vettel: F1 now "not the sport I fell in love ...

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Last year, the two-time world champion won the Le Mans 24 Hours alongside his farewell F1 season, and has added Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring World Endurance Championship victories to his CV since walking away from grand prix racing.<br>Alonso, who is preparing for his second attempt at the Indianapolis 500 next month, has also tested Toyota's Dakar machine.<br>Despite previously ruling out ...

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Kubica has battled handling difficulties with his F1 car since the season-opening Australian GP, where he struck a kerb in first practice and damaged the floor.<br>Williams data suggested Kubica’s repaired car was displaying different aerodynamic behaviour despite running the same set-up as rookie teammate George Russell in Bahrain.<br>After a strong opening stint in the race, in which he got ...

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Ocon and Leclerc came up through the karting ranks together, and the Force India driver sees the promotions of the Monegasque driver from Sauber to Ferrari and Pierre Gasly from Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing as symbolic of a changing of the guard in F1. “I think Charles will fight for the title next year, for sure,” he said. “At least it won’t be a surprise to me. “You will see ...

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The progress has given the team a strong foundation ahead of the arrival of current Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen in 2019. Sauber's technical director Simone Resta is now well established, and the signs are promising for its future judging by the rate of development the team has had this year. Sauber C37 new bargeboads comparison, captioned Photo by: Giorgio Piola The team has ...

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