F1 Features

It was around mid-season when many members of the Formula 1 paddock started to try and work out when – not if – Lewis Hamilton would wrap up his sixth world championship, and if it would come any earlier than in recent years.

- It is rare that the expectation of a close fight for the pole was fulfilled like on this Saturday in Austin.

- On a day of not so many headlines in Austin, Sebastian Vettel stole the show when said to Sky he could smell marijuana from his car during the practice sessions.

- The back-to-back meant that nobody was prepared for temperatures below 10C during Thursday's duties ahead of the United States Grand Prix. When everybody packed for these two races, the predictions showed it would be even 20C warmer - and it was, until Tuesday morning.

Formula 1 drivers have had their say on the sport’s regulation overhaul for the 2021 season, with overwhelmingly positive reactions being formed up and down the grid.

Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of becoming just the second driver in Formula 1 history to win six world championships, which he can seal at the United States Grand Prix.

Formula 1 heads to Texas for the second race in the space of a week at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix. After winning last time out in Mexico, Lewis Hamilton stands on the cusp of wrapping up his sixth drivers world title, which can be sealed in the US if he scores four points.

Lewis Hamilton stands on the brink of becoming just the second driver in Formula 1 history to win six or more world titles after triumphing at the Mexican Grand Prix. 

The relationship between a driver and his race engineer is arguably the most important in all of Formula 1. Many great partnerships have been forged over the years. Think Felipe Massa and Rob Smedley at Williams and Ferrari, or Sebastian Vettel and Guillaume Rocquelin at Red Bull.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes – 9

Mexico has not been a happy hunting ground for Mercedes in recent years.

- Some things only happen in Mexico: Lewis Hamilton said he felt uncharacteristically engaged by the parade lap, and decided at that moment he needed to win this Sunday’s race.

Upon my first visit to Mexico City for the Mexican Grand Prix, one of the most immediate and impressive signs that Formula 1 was in town came courtesy of an enormous billboard in support of Sergio Perez close to the airport.

- It was one of those longer than needed Saturdays, with Max Verstappen’s penalty taking more than three hours to be confirmed.

Max Verstappen has a habit of losing pole position in Mexico by tiny, tiny margins. In 2017, it was 0.086 seconds. In 2018, it was 0.026 seconds. And this time around, it was the result of eight words.

- Very few races in the calendar have such buzzing Fridays as the Mexican Grand Prix.

Thursday’s FIA press conference in Mexico touched on topics that would have been more fitting for an edition of Question Time . Chat about tyres, team orders and updates was largely shelved for a discussion centred on environmentalism and, at one stage, politics.

- If people are wondering why a F1 driver like Lewis Hamilton is raising attention to the world’s environmental issues, the answer was given this Thursday in Mexico City.

Lewis Hamilton can move a step closer to Michael Schumacher’s all-time Formula 1 record at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, though his celebrations may be put on hold.

Lewis Hamilton heads into this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix with his first opportunity to wrap up the 2019 Formula 1 world drivers’ championship, but it will not prove an easy task.

While Mercedes may have wrapped up the constructors’ championship with four races to spare this season, such a convincing victory does not tell the story of how close some of the races have been in 2019.

Formula 1 heads to the Americas for the first of a double header as we enter the final four races of the 2019 season at the Mexican Grand Prix.

There are just a handful of spots left up for grabs as the jigsaw puzzle of the 2020 Formula 1 grid continues to take shape.

A little over 12 months ago, Carlos Sainz’s future in Formula 1 looked unclear. Despite impressing through his first full season with Renault, he was only third-choice at best for the team as it pushed to sign Daniel Ricciardo or Esteban Ocon to partner Nico Hulkenberg for 2019.