Lewis Hamilton launches fresh attack on FIA as Perez breaks silence on retiring

F1 preview: A lap at the United States Grand Prix

Max Verstappen heads into his first race as a three-time world champion and, while there is no more silverware to play for, there is still plenty at stake as drivers and teams jostle for position in the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.

Lewis Hamilton will be looking to close the gap on under-fire Sergio Perez after his Qatar Grand Prix retirement and the Mercedes team are locked in a tense battle with Ferrari to settle second place behind Red Bull.

Perez, in particular, will be fighting to prove he deserves to stay with the team for 2024 after securing just two wins this season compares to Verstappen’s haul of 14. The Dutchman can also equal his record for most wins in a season if he is victorious in Austin, and the 26-year-old will be confident after capping his championship triumph with a win in Lusail.

But behind him are the resurgent McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and with another sprint race coming up on Friday, the British team will be eager to continue their impressive form Stateside.

Express Sport is on hand to provide live updates throughout the day as we look ahead to the weekend’s action.

Verstappen relishing ‘fun’ Sunday

Max Verstappen has given his verdict on a difficult qualifying session at the Circuit of the Americas. The reigning world champion will start from P6 on Sunday.

“I knew in Turn 19 that it was going to be a close call,” Verstappen explained after the session. “I had a little mistake in Turn 1, so had to really push for it in the rest of the lap.

“I didn’t even understeer, I just tried to maximise the corner and I misjudged it by a little bit. It’s very fine margins when you are pushing to the limit. It’s unfortunate but it makes Sunday more fun.”

Hamilton delighted to be back at COTA

Lewis Hamilton was in great spirits after qualifying at COTA on Friday. He finished in P3 behind Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.

“I love being in the States,” Hamilton said, “This circuit is just incredible. It’s one of my favourites – right up there with Silverstone. It’s a legendary layout that every driver finds tricky. It’s bumpy, incredibly challenging each section.

“A big thank you to everyone at the factory. They have been pushing so hard to improve our car and we have taken a bit of a step closer to these guys this weekend, which I know everyone is working so hard for.

“I really do appreciate their efforts. Unfortunately, they are still a little bit ahead but we will give it another shot tomorrow.”

Andretti already have 2023 spec car

After confirming that the Andretti F1 entry is still coming along nicely, Michael Andretti has revealed that the team have already produced a 2023 spec car.

Speaking about their position to Sky Sports F1, Andretti explained: “Well, at the moment, we are still shooting for 2025.

“Our car is actually going to be in the wind tunnel next week, so we have a car already built up in the 2023 spec.

“So, we’re flat out. We’re building a team, so you know, at the moment, it’s 2025, could be 2026, but we’ll see.”

Jack Doohan to make FP1 outings for Alpine

Jack Doohan will drive in FP1 for Alpine at the upcoming rounds of the season in Mexico and Abu Dhabi, completing the team’s young driver quota for the season.

“It is a huge honour to be given the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car on a Grand Prix weekend for the second year in a row,” the young Aussie said after the news was confirmed.

“I am very grateful to BWT Alpine F1 Team for the chance to drive the A523 in Free Practice in both Mexico and Abu Dhabi.

“I have been working really hard with the team this year as their reserve driver, taking every opportunity to learn as much as possible for them and I feel prepared to step up and take over driving duties for the team.

“My sole focus is doing what is required of me by the team in order to contribute positively to the team’s outcome across the two grand prix weekends.”

Andretti boosted by FIA approval

Michael Andretti has explained that the Andretti F1 entry bid passed all of the FIA’s tests in a convincing fashion.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 in Austin, he said: “Thank you to the FIA and the president of the FIA for putting the expression of interest out there.

“It was very vigorous, it was a very tough thing to go through for our team and I’m proud to say we came out on top in every category, and we’re very proud of that.

“It definitely shows that we have the right to be here on the grid, and we’re excited about that.”

FP1 Report – Verstappen fastest in Austin

With the United States Grand Prix being a sprint weekend, FP1 was extra crucial in Austin on Friday afternoon, and there was plenty of drama to look back on. These were the key takeaways from the session.

Aston Martin the biggest losers – Both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso saw their sessions cut short by mechanical issues.

Oscar Piastri avoided a major shunt with a nail-biting save on the exit of the ‘flying esses’ in sector one, keeping his McLaren out of the wall.

Both AlphaTauri and Haas introduced major upgrade packages for this weekend and both teams reaped the rewards with their drivers showing impressive pace.

When the chequered flag waved it was Max Verstappen in P1, followed closely by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Mercedes also showed some impressive pace.

Perez gives Red Bull future verdict

Sergio Perez has given his verdict on his Red Bull future amid speculation linking him with an early exit from the Milton Keynes-based team.

The Mexican driver is just 30 points clear of Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship with Red Bull’s first-ever one-two finish now under serious threat.

Piastri not optimistic for United States GP

Oscar Piastri is concerned about McLaren’s performance level ahead of the United States GP. The rookie has been on the podium in back-to-back races.

“I think when I say we might not be as good as the last couple of weekends,” Piastri explained ahead of FP1. “I’m hoping that kind of means we’re in the fight with Ferrari and Mercedes.

“I’ve seen Mercedes have got some upgrades. So we’ll see what their performance is like. But I think the last couple of weekends, though Mercedes were quick in Qatar, we were probably second quickest behind Red Bull.

“And this weekend, I don’t think we will be, or if we are, it’ll be a lot closer with Ferrari and Mercedes.”

Kirkwood eyeing F1 opportunity

IndyCar starlet Kyle Kirkwood has his eyes on an F1 seat if Andretti’s F1 entry is approved. The young Floridian won his first race in the series at Long Beach in 2023.

“Yeah, I would hope that he would consider me,” Kirkwood explained when asked about the potential opportunity. “But I think for me right now, I’m extremely happy in the situation that I’m in. I love being US-based.

“I love being able to go to Florida and the time off that you get in IndyCar versus F1. I like the minimal amount of travelling that you have here in IndyCar.

“There’s a lot of things in F1 that take away from… it’s an extreme change from IndyCar to F1. That being said, I think growing up as a young kid in karting, was always the number one thing that you wanted to do.

“You always looked up to F1, especially being in Florida where it’s very South American and European based, in the karting scene.”

Tsunoda learning from Ricciardo at AlphaTauri

Yuki Tsunoda has explained that Daniel Ricciardo has helped him learn mental control during their short time as team-mates at AlphaTauri this season.

“More like emotion control and how he behaves in teams,” he told Motorsport.com. “He’s really good. That’s really key, especially when you drive 24 races a year and drive consistently.

“That’s the most important thing and he’s experienced so he probably knows what he can improve, what the team is asking for. So, he’s much more calm than me. That’s probably one of the things I want to improve now.”

Ocon reveals Alpine morale boost

Esteban Ocon believes that the arrival of seven new celebrity investors in the Alpine F1 team will make him perform better for the remainder of the season.

“Yeah, it does a lot,” Ocon replied when asked if their arrivals would boost morale in the team “As I said, it shows that people trust us, people believe in the project that we have, and that they believe we can achieve great things together.

“This is the thing that I was saying earlier, is that, as soon as there was an opportunity this year, even if we are not performing at our best level every race, we are taking the opportunity when it arrives, and we just need to create more of those opportunities ‘cause, if we do so, yeah, we are going to be able to perform.

“It’s very cool news that we are seeing, and it gives great confidence to the team for this weekend.”

Red Bull respond to Alonso links

Red Bull have rubbished reports linking the team with a shock move for Fernando Alonso to replace Sergio Perez.

A meeting between Alonso’s agent, Flavio Briatore, and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner reportedly took place in Qatar, sparking suggestions the 42-year-old Aston Martin star could be viewed as a potential replacement.

But according to the Daily Mail, a source inside Red Bull – when asked about the 42-year-old joining them – said: “Not a chance.”

Verstappen opens up Red Bull car to ‘test theory’

Max Verstappen has challenged anyone who criticises him over exceeding track limits to drive his car and see if they can do better.

The Dutchman is unhappy with the strict decisions taken by the race stewards and thinks there should be more leniency applied due to the design of F1’s circuits.

“I will happily let anyone else drive my car, and see if they can do better with track limits,” Verstappen told reporters.

“Some tracks have just a lot of runoff, so naturally you probably the limits a bit easier because we never really talk about track limits, for example, in Suzuka and that’s a bit more of an old school track.

“The latest track standards, they have a thing to do with it and it’s a bit of a shame – because I feel like with some of these new tracks that you’re more focused on a Quali lap to not go over a white line than actually finding the limit or just the pure enjoyment of pushing.”

Albon reveals Qatar fear

Alex Albon believes F1 drivers were at risk of being caught in a ‘wet bulb’ effect due to the conditions in Qatar.

Several drivers complained about heat exhaustion and feeling unwell as temperatures soared to 40C inside the cockpit. And Albon explained why he was particularly wary of causing serious harm to his body.

“It’s quite a serious situation where the humidity gets to a certain point and the heat gets to a certain point and your body can’t get rid of the sweat because it’s too humid for your skin to breathe,” Albon said.

“It won’t evaporate and then your body is in panic mode because it’s getting too hot and it can’t sweat.

“It’s how a lot of people pass away – it sounds bad to say. Not to say that’s what happened, but I think something like that was quite close, if not was happening.”

Ocon wears Kelce jersey after Alpine investment

Esteban Ocon rocked up to the United States Grand Prix circuit wearing the jersey of NFL star Travis Kelce after he was part of the new investment in Alpine.

The French team have welcomed investment from Otro Capital, having sold a 24 per cent stake in the team to Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Kelce are joining forces to invest their hard-earned cash into the F1 team. And it seems Ocon is on board with the move.

The French wore the No 87 jersey of Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs as he arrived at the Circuit of the Americas.

Verstappen opens up on title celebrations

Max Verstappen says he didn’t hold any ‘major’ celebrations to mark his third world title triumph after sealing the Drivers’ championship at the Qatar Grand Prix.

The Dutchman is now a three-time world champion after winning the race at Lusail, but the 26-year-old said he kept things low-key after his title win was finally made official.

“Nothing major, just a little bit with friends,” Verstappen said, when asked if he celebrated with a party.

“It was also just nice to be home a little bit before heading into this triple-header. So yeah, nothing too crazy.”

Haas bring ‘white Red Bull’ to Austin

Haas are set to unveil their upgraded design which has been dubbed the ‘white Red Bull’ at their home race.

The team have struggled for pace all season and are currently ninth in the Constructors’ Championship.

But Guenther Steiner’s team will be hoping for an upturn in their results after bringing their final update to the car at the Circuit of the Americas, featuring a major change to the sidepods.

Ricciardo makes ‘beat up’ comment ahead of F1 return

Daniel Ricciardo says he is looking forward to being ‘beaten up’ by the Circuit of the Americas in Austin after missing five races with a broken hand.

The AlphaTauri star returns to the cockpit in place of Liam Lawson this weekend after his long lay-off, but the Australian isn’t concerned about any lasting effects from his injury.

“It’s good to be back. My hand is much better, and the simulator was a useful way of assessing it,” he said. “I tried it out in the week before Qatar, but I didn’t feel it was at full potential, so I spent the rest of that week in the UK, spending more time in the sim, and got to a point where I felt ready to go.

“My overall fitness is fine as I kept training as much as I could, although I obviously couldn’t do much with my left hand or arm for a while.”

“I’ve always enjoyed Austin,” Ricciardo added. “It’s very unique for a modern-day circuit, and the undulations and bumps mean it’s physical. It does beat you up, but I think I like that. I like the challenge.”

Hamilton tells drivers to toughen up after Qatar complaints

Lewis Hamilton has called out his fellow drivers, including team-mate George Russell, by insisting that they should be able to bear soaring temperatures after several complaints were made following the Qatar Grand Prix.

Williams driver Logan Sargeant retired from the race as he felt unwell in the cockpit, while Alpine’s Esteban Ocon reported throwing up inside his helmet due to the testing conditions at Lusail.

But Hamilton believes he and his colleagues simply need to get fitter and accept that extreme conditions are part and parcel of being an F1 driver.

“I’m going to be controversial as always,” Hamilton said in the Drivers’ press conference on Thursday. “Obviously I didn’t do the race, so didn’t get to feel the pain that the drivers felt. But I have obviously been here a long time. Malaysia was much hotter than that race and I know what it’s like to lose four or more kilos in the race and barely being able to stand afterwards.

“My feeling towards it is… this is an extreme sport. You don’t have marathon runners who are passing out after the marathon, saying you have got to make it shorter. This is an extreme sport and we are paid very highly for what we do and from my perspective when I’ve not been feeling great at the end of the race, I’ve just got to train harder and that’s how it’s been for me.”

Bottas mood improves after Qatar improvement

Valtteri Bottas says Alfa Romeo have been reinvigorated by their points finish in Qatar and says there is a ‘better vibe’ about the team.

Bottas came home in eighth ahead of Zhou Guanyu to score six points for the team, giving them 16 for the season and helping them rise to eighth in the Constructors’ standings.

Asked how it felt to finish in the points, Bottas said: “It really felt refreshing for everyone in the team because once you’re doing so many races and without any points for sure, it starts to eat everybody’s confidence a little bit.

“Like, you start to wonder, can you do it? And now, again, we proved for everyone in the team, yes, we can do it. If we get everything right, we can score. So definitely, yeah, a bit better vibe overall now and I hope that can carry for a bit better end of the season.”

Red Bull chief ‘boasts’ about 2024 car

Red Bull’s chief designer Adrian Newey has reportedly boasted that 2024 will be another dominant year for the team after securing back-to-back Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.

Red Bull have won 16 out of 17 races this season and Max Verstappen will equal the record for most wins in a season if he wins the United States Grand Prix in Austin. And former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan has given an insight into how confident Red Bull and Newey are feeling about their car design.

“I was at a function the other night with Adrian Newey, we’re cyclists, we cycle a lot together in Cape Town,” Jordan told talkSPORT.

“And Adrian tells me that he feels that the evolution of what they’ve got at the moment is going to be so difficult for anyone to catch up with.

“So please, folks out there, prepare yourself either for a boring time or an exciting time dependent whether you’re a Red Bull fan. It’s going to be similar and Max is going to be so good.”

Verstappen slams ‘bulls***’ rumours’ as Red Bull civil war dismissed

Max Verstappen has brandished the rumours surrounding the Red Bull camp as ‘bulls***’ after reports emerged claiming a rift between team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko.

Reports surfaced earlier in the week that Horner was looking to phase Marko out of the limelight at Red Bull with relations strained after the 80-year-old’s derogatory comments about Sergio Perez earlier in the season.

“From the outside, people are basically trying to talk BS,” Verstappen said.

“The mood in the team is very, very good and everyone knows exactly what their role is and of course, it was sad times last year when Dietrich [Mateschitz] passed away.

“But we have tried to keep that legacy, keep it moving forward and everyone that we have right now in the team is important to the success that we are having. That is why there are no changes for the future, and I think that basically explains it.”

Leclerc left red-faced as he ‘forgets’ Ferrari milestone

Charles Leclerc was left embarrassed ahead of the United States Grand Prix after forgetting that Sunday’s race will mark his 100th in Ferrari colours.

The Monegasque driver was therefore left without a commemorative helmet design for the occasion.

Instead, the 26-year-old will be donning an American football-inspired design for the latest outing at the Circuit of the Americas with an all-green base and pitch markings etched into the sides of the helmet. On top of the new lid are are words “touchdown in Austin”.

Writing on his social media platforms, Leclerc confessed: “I forgot this was my 100th GP with @scuderiaferrari, so this special helmet design doesn’t make sense but it’s beautiful. Look at that greeeeeeen.”

Russell blasts ‘obscene’ fine system as drivers face huge bill

George Russell has backed Lewis Hamilton after his Mercedes team-mate was fined heavily for crossing the track in Qatar. The British driver has pledged to raise the issue with the FIA after they revealed a new fine structure this week.

Under the previous regulations, the maximum possible fine a driver could receive would be £217,000 (€250,000), but after the latest meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, that threshold has been bumped up to an eye-watering £870,000 (€1m).

This has naturally provoked a strong response from some of the drivers with Russell, who is currently the chair of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, making his stance known on the matter.

“I think it’s pretty ridiculous that a driver could be fined €1m,” Russell said when asked about the FIA’s new fines.

“In my first year of Formula 1, I was on a five-figure salary and actually lost over six figures in that first year from paying for my trainer, paying for flights, paying for an assistant. And that’s probably the case for 25% of the grid.”

Perez speaks out on retirement

Sergio Perez has laughed off speculation that he could retire from F1 at the end of the season and insists he is committed to staying with Red Bull for 2024.

The Mexican, 34, was rumoured to be considering an announcement at his home race in Mexico City next month, but the struggling Red Bull star has dismissed any suggestion he could leave.

“I’m just laughing at it,” Perez said, as reported by Sky Sports F1. “There’s nothing I can do, I’m fully focused on the job.

“That really sums up my season. A guy says something about me, then all of a sudden it becomes true. But I have a contract for next year, and no reason to not complete that contract. I’m going to give my very best to it, I’ve done a commitment.

“I have zero doubts that I will be back to my best level, and that is my only target I have in mind. I do not even think about retirement or anything like that, because that’s just the easy route.”

Hamilton attacks FIA after reopening investigation

Lewis Hamilton has attacked the FIA’s ‘poor communication’ for the reason behind their botched message after reopening an investigation into his actions at the Qatar Grand Prix.

The 38-year-old was fined £43,350 after crossing the live track while the race was under safety car conditions, but he could face further punishment after the FIA decided to reassess their decision based on Hamilton being a role model.

When asked about their decision to reopen the investigation, Hamilton said: “No, I don’t think I was singled out. Ultimately, it’s just poor communication.

“I don’t think what they said is exactly what they meant. What they mean is they are going to look into how they can tackle those sort of things moving forward to make sure it doesn’t happen.

“I think there was a karting incident recently where a kid was hit, so we really need to make sure that we’re continuously focusing on safety and that’s at the root of it. I think they probably need to speak to their PR agent to do a better job.”

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