CHARLES LECLERC

APTOPIX F1 Miami Grand Prix Auto Racing Red Bull mechanics and crew cheer as Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands crosses the finish line to win the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at the Miami International Autodrome, Sunday, May 8, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Wilfredo Lee)MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — (AP) — Max Verstappen used an aggressive early pass on Formula One championship leader Charles Leclerc then controlled the inaugural Miami Grand Prix for his third victory of the season. The reigning world champion started third Sunday, but Red Bull quickly got the best of Ferrari for a second consecutive race. In Miami, Ferrari settled for second and third for Leclerc and Sainz. Perez was fourth for Red Bull and Mercedes showed much improvement with a fifth and sixth place finish for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Serena Williams ducked into Mercedes' hospitality and Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny arrived at the venue with Perez and spent most of pre-race at Red Bull with the Mexican driver.

Max Verstappen used an aggressive early pass on Formula One championship leader Charles Leclerc then controlled the inaugural Miami Grand Prix to pick up his third win of the season.

It's the first front row this season for Sainz, who has been outqualified by Leclerc in all five sessions. The race marks the first of two this year in the U.S. — which has not hosted two F1 races in the same year since 1984. He'll start third on Sunday; Leclerc and Verstappen have split the first four races, two wins apiece. “I just don't think I have the confidence in the car today,” Russell radioed his Mercedes team. Michael Andretti failed last year to buy an existing F1 team and has since applied for expansion to start a new two-car team.

Ferrari stormed to the front of the grid for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix as Formula One championship leader Charles Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. locked up the front row in Saturday qualifying.

Sergio Pérez looks around the top motor racing series in the world and sees a golden age for Mexican drivers.

Formula One champion Max Verstappen dominated at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix and Red Bull embarrassed Ferrari on its home soil.

Australia F1 GP Auto Racing Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car out of pit lane after a tire change during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (Simon Baker, Pool via AP) (Simon Baker)MELBOURNE, Australia — (AP) — Charles Leclerc has completed a dominant weekend in his Ferrari after converting his pole position into a comprehensive triumph in the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday. The 24-year-old Leclerc extended his lead in the drivers’ championship while claiming his second win of the season following victory in the season-opening race in Bahrain. But Verstappen never really challenged Leclerc, whose Ferrari was clearly the quicker car under race conditions in Melbourne. His teammate Carlos Sainz, who finished on the podium in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, had less luck in a testing weekend.

Charles Leclerc has completed a dominant weekend in his Ferrari after converting pole position into a comprehensive triumph at the Australian Grand Prix.

Riding high after a decisive victory for Ferrari in the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, Charles Leclerc’s belief in the team's prospects are growing by the race. A grand prix billed as a showdown between Leclerc’s Ferrari and the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez finished with the Monaco driver as a one-sided winner. The 24-year-old Leclerc extended his lead in the drivers’ championship to 34 points while claiming his second win of the season after victory in the season-opening race in Bahrain.

Saudi F1 GP Auto Racing Second placed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco, left, and first placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands stand at the podium after the Formula One Grand Prix it in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, March 27, 2022. After coming close, Leclerc congratulated his rival on the radio and then gave him a thumbs-up afterward. But it was a clever dummy by Leclerc, who dived straight back inside Verstappen on Turn 1 of the next lap. Leclerc missed out on a fourth career win, as Verstappen edged him by half a second, but remains top of the standings after two races. Leclerc held off Verstappen when the race restarted on Lap 21.

Leclerc missed out on a fourth career win, as Verstappen edged him by half a second, but remains top of the standings after two races. Verstappen overtook on the outside at the end of Lap 42. But it was a clever dummy by Leclerc, who dived straight back inside Verstappen on Turn 1 of the next lap. Perez started ahead of Leclerc, Sainz and Verstappen on the Jiddah circuit, which is about 11 kilometers (seven miles) from Friday’s attack. Perez got away cleanly from pole and Verstappen snaked past Sainz on the outside to move into third behind Leclerc.

Formula One defending champion Max Verstappen overtook Charles Leclerc three laps from the end of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for his first win of the season and 21st of his career.

Leclerc won last week's season-opening race in Bahrain in part by outlasting Verstappen in a wheel-to-wheel, back-and-forth passing battle in the early laps. Leclerc went on to win from the pole for Ferrari; Verstappen failed to finish as both Red Bull cars retired with fuel pump issues. Verstappen is 16 days older than Leclerc and the two began racing against each other in karts when they were just 12. He'd started from the pole and led 58 of the 71 laps until Verstappen ran him off course with three laps remaining. My opinion is not going to change.”So how does a new fan learn more about Verstappen, the son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen?

Formula One champion Max Verstappen says he has a good relationship with Charles Leclerc and expects a clean title fight against the Ferrari driver this season.

Max Verstappen loathes exaggerated rivalries and the Formula One champion won't be pulled into a manufactured feud with Charles Leclerc as he attempts to defend his title this season. Leclerc won last week's season-opening race in Bahrain in part by outlasting Verstappen in a wheel-to-wheel, back-and-forth passing battle in the early laps. Leclerc went on to win from the pole for Ferrari; Verstappen failed to finish as both Red Bull cars retired with fuel pump issues. Verstappen is 16 days older than Leclerc and the two began racing against each other in karts when they were just 12. Their relationship is just fine, Verstappen told The Associated Press on Thursday, debunking a report that Leclerc has “never forgiven” Verstappen for a 2019 incident in the Styrian Grand Prix.

It took three laps for Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc to show why he is a potential Formula One title contender, heading into this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Sure, the slick driver from Monaco won the season-opener in Bahrain last Sunday in style: from pole position and with the fastest lap. Verstappen overtook him three times on Laps 17-19, only for Leclerc to show poise, control and aggression to win his place back on each occasion.

The Bahrain Grand Prix attracted an average of 1.3 million viewers in the U.S. and peaked at 1.5 million viewers around 12:30 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET.

Charles Leclerc let Max Verstappen pass him twice to gain an advantage later.

It was quite the weekend in motorsports, which is typically the bit player on the massive stick-and-ball sporting landscape so eager for its own time in the spotlight.

Bahrain F1 GP Auto Racing Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco makes a pit stop during the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix it in Sakhir, Bahrain, Sunday, March 20, 2022. Hamilton had been lagging way behind in fifth when late drama on Lap 46 changed the race. Leclerc was leading comfortably from Verstappen when the back of Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri car caught fire forcing him to park it on the side of the track. From the restart, Leclerc got away and Verstappen started complaining about steering problems. ___More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Formula One champion Max Verstappen’s title defense turned into a nightmare when the Red Bull star retired near the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix and Ferrari clinched a 1-2 with Charles Leclerc winning ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton took an unexpected third place after Sergio Perez’s Red Bull also retired with the finish line in sight as the race finished under a yellow flag.

Lewis Hamilton believes fans will be in for an unusual surprise when the Formula One season starts next weekend and he begins his quest to wrestle back the title he agonizingly lost to Max Verstappen.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has ended a turbulent weekend with a stunning victory.

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas won the Turkish Grand Prix for his first victory of the season while Max Verstappen finished second to reclaim the overall lead from title rival Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton had the fastest qualifying time at the Turkish Grand Prix but a 10-place grid penalty prevented him from extending his record pole streak.

Lewis Hamilton roared back from a first-lap incident that sent championship leader Max Verstappen to the hospital and overcame a 10-second penalty to win the British Grand Prix and reignite his title defense.

(Maxim Shemetov, Pool via AP) (Maxim Shemetov)BAKU, Azerbaijan — (AP) — Charles Leclerc won his second consecutive pole position, again under the red flag because a crash stopped qualifying, to earn the top starting spot for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It brought an immediate end to the session and put Leclerc on pole for the second consecutive grand prix. “It feels very good, on the other hand it was with a red flag again, so I wish we had it under normal track, but at the end a pole is a pole," Leclerc said. Tsunoda's crash brought out the fourth red flag of the qualifying session and stopped any challenge to Leclerc. Lance Stroll and Antonio Giovinazzi both went off at the same corner in the first qualifying session before setting a time, and Daniel Ricciardo crashed in the second session.

Charles Leclerc will start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on pole position after a crash by Yuki Tsunoda halted qualifying early and stopped rivals from challenging his time.

Monaco F1 GP Auto Racing Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, during the start of the Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Sunday, May 23, 2021. Verstappen's second win this season and 12th of his career moved the Red Bull driver four points ahead of Hamilton overall. Verstappen finished 8.9 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. in second place and 19.4 seconds clear of McLaren's Lando Norris. It was the first time in five races this season that Hamilton and Verstappen have not finished 1-2, but Hamilton's chances were effectively ended when he qualifed a poor seventh on Saturday. But Mercedes could not fit Bottas' tires and his race ended.

Max Verstappen won the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time to take the Formula One championship lead from Lewis Hamilton.

Monaco F1 GP Auto Racing Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco waves during the drivers parade prior to the Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Sunday, May 23, 2021. Leclerc damaged the gearbox when crashing 18 seconds from the end of Saturday's qualifying. As drivers embarked on their warmup laps a short time earlier, Leclerc complained about the gearbox and went back to the garage. We will not make it to the grid," Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekie told race director Michael Masi on the radio. In a dramatic qualifying on Saturday, Leclerc won the first pole for Ferrari since 2019 despite crashing and also became the first driver from Monaco to take pole here.

Charles Leclerc's chances of winning his home race from pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix are over after he pulled out shortly before the start because of a gearbox problem.

Monaco F1 GP Auto Racing Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain walks near his team garage after the qualifying session at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Saturday, May 22, 2021. The Formula One race will take place on Sunday with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco in pole position. (Sebastien Nogier, Pool via AP) (Sebastian Nogier)MONACO — (AP) — Lewis Hamilton declined to publicly criticize Mercedes after a botched qualifying effort at the Monaco Grand Prix. Hamilton felt Mercedes struggled with tires. Mercedes tried to improve the car for qualifying but the effort did not work.

Lewis Hamilton was unhappy with his Mercedes team after a botched qualifying session at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Monaco F1 GP Auto Racing Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco, center, waves after the qualifying session at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Saturday, May 22, 2021. The Formula One race will take place on Sunday with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco in pole position. He then hopped a curb and finally came to a stop crashed into another barrier to bring the qualifying session to an abrupt end. “That crash ruined the chance for pole,” Verstappen said. Hamilton holds a 14-point lead over Verstappen after four races, but Verstappen has a great chance to narrow the gap at a Monaco track which notoriously difficult for overtaking.

Charles Leclerc has won the first pole for Ferrari since 2019 despite crashing with 18 seconds remaining to end qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The race was effectively decided when Verstappen overtook Hamilton on Lap 53 of 56 but went too wide on a turn and off track limits. Verstappen still had a few laps to catch Hamilton and he almost did, finishing .74 seconds behind the Mercedes driver. Verstappen took a superb pole position on Saturday, the fourth of his career, and started immediately ahead of Hamilton under floodlights at the desert track. Hamilton was 1.5 seconds behind Verstappen when Mercedes took the bold strategy to switch him to hard tires on Lap 14. Bottas came in for the same tire change three laps after Hamilton, and Verstappen came in on Lap 18 but again for medium tires.

Hamilton now stands alongside F1 great Michael Schumacher on seven titles, having replaced the German driver at Mercedes in 2013. Vettel and Hamilton pitted for new tires on Lap 9, followed by Stroll, Perez and Verstappen three laps later. At the restart Hamilton tried to overtake Vettel but locked his tires, while Albon passed Hamilton and Vettel to move into fourth spot. Halfway through the race, Stroll and Perez were ahead of Hamilton but losing ground. Stroll came in for new tires on Lap 37 and Hamilton used DRS to get past Perez one lap later and take the lead.

Taylor was a Black emergency medical worker fatally shot by police serving a narcotics search warrant in her home on March 13. “Justice for Breonna Taylor,” Hamilton said during his interview after winning. The first F1 race on a Mugello track with super-fast corners usually used by MotoGP riders was incident-packed. Ferrari reverted back to an age-old burgundy livery for its 1,000th F1 race, reflecting the color first used by the famed Italian manufacturer. Verstappen, meanwhile, was angry with his team after a second straight retirement following the Italian GP last weekend, where Gasly won his first F1 race.

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland steers his car during the third practice session ahead of the Grand Prix of Tuscany, at the Mugello circuit in Scarperia, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. The Formula One Grand Prix of Tuscany will take place on Sunday. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, Pool)MUGELLO – Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas completed a sweep at the Tuscan Grand Prix when he posted the fastest time in third and final practice ahead of qualifying later Saturday. But Bottas test drove here with Williams back in 2012 and so far has looked more assured than Hamilton, who hasn't driven here before. Hamilton looked set to beat Bottas when he led on the first time split, only to fall back in the second and third sectors.

AlfaTauri driver Pierre Gasly of France steers his car during the Italian Formula One Grand Prix, at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, Pool)MONZA AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly claimed an unlikely victory at the Italian Grand Prix after a thrilling race which saw world champion Lewis Hamilton given a 10-second penalty and both Ferraris fail to finish at their home circuit on Sunday. The 24-year-old Frenchman finished 0.415 seconds ahead of McLaren driver Carlos Sainz and 3.358 ahead of Racing Point's Lance Stroll on a surreal-looking podium. All three drivers had never won a race and each had only one top-three finish to their name. Hamilton appeared on course for a comfortable victory from pole position but he was given the stop-go penalty for entering the pit lane when closed.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after clocking the fastest time during the qualifying session for Sunday's Italian Formula One Grand Prix, at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. (Jennifer Lorenzini/Pool via AP)Lewis Hamilton set the fastest Formula One lap ever to grab pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, nudging Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas into second place by just 0.069 seconds on Saturday. Defending champion Hamilton raced around the 3.54 miles (5.79 kilometers) of asphalt at the so-called Temple of Speed in the fastest lap recorded in the sport at 164.267 mph (264.362 kph). That eclipsed Kimi Raikkonens one-lap record of 163.785 mph, set by the former world champion on his way to pole at Monza two years ago. But its a reality at the moment for us unfortunately.Vettel finished 17th after being hampered by traffic on his final lap.

Race winner Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, right, speaks with second placed Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland after the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. (Stephanie Lecocq, Pool via AP)SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS SPA-Lewis Hamilton led from start to finish at the Belgian Grand Prix to clinch his 89th career win and move two behind Michael Schumacher's Formula One record on Sunday. I can imagine its definitely not the most exciting (race), Hamilton said. Hamilton is favorite to win a seventh title to tie Schumacher's record. When Hamilton crossed the line, the forest was eerily silent and the only sound was his engine.

Hamilton will start in pole position for race on Sunday. A superhero died last night so that was really weighing heavy on me today," Hamilton said. I woke up today to the saddest news of Chadwick passing away, Hamilton said. Hamilton, the only black driver in F1, explained the impact both Chadwick and his film character had on him. Ferraris lack of form was such that Leclerc, who won last year from pole position, was happy to qualify in 13th.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the second practice session prior to the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium Friday, Aug. 28, 2020. (John Thys, Pool via AP)SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS SPA-Red Bull driver Max Verstappen posted the fastest time in the second practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday. Verstappen was .048 seconds ahead of Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo and .096 ahead of Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver has won four of the first six races and leads the championship by 37 points from second-placed Verstappen. Tuscany region president Enrico Rossi said Friday that local health authorities have approved 3,000 fans for the Tuscan Grand Prix on Sept. 13.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain leads the pack out of the 1st curve during the Formula One Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, Spain, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020. The talk before the race was whether Mercedes' tires would be vulnerable in the searing summer heat of Spain, after experiencing problems in the past two races at Silverstone. After narrowly securing a record-extending 92nd career pole position Hamilton made a strong start on the long straight to the first corner. Track temperatures on the circuit were around 50 degrees C (122 F) and Mercedes was concerned about catching too much sun. These black overalls are hot, Bottas said during the race, throwing in an expletive for emphasis.

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland steers his car during a practice session prior to the Formula One Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, Spain, Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. (Bryn Lennon, Pool via AP)MONTMELO Valtteri Bottas posted the fastest time in the first practice for the Spanish Grand Prix ahead of Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton on Friday. The Finnish driver was .039 quicker than championship leader Hamilton and about 1 second ahead of Max Verstappen, who leapfrogged Bottas into second place in the standings after winning last Sunday's race at Silverstone. The virus forced him to miss the last two races at Silverstone in England after he contracted it last month. There is a second practice session later Friday, where conditions are expected to be even warmer on the circuit located just outside Barcelona.

But both Hamilton and Bottas struggled with their tires to clear the way for Verstappen to take an unlikely win. Both Mercedes cars started on the medium tires, with Verstappen on the more durable hard tire. Verstappen sensed that the Mercedes cars were struggling and was soon hunting down Hamilton. Both Verstappen and Bottas came in with 20 laps remaining for a second time, while Hamilton remained out on wearing tires until lap 41 of 52. After Verstappen cruised to victory, Nico Hulkenberg finished seventh, while Sebastian Vettel was outside the points in 12th following an opening-lap spin.

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland steers his car during the qualifying session at the 70th Anniversary Formula One Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit, Silverstone, England, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein,Pool)SILVERSTONE Valtteri Bottas edged out Mercedes teammate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton to claim pole position Saturday for Formula One's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. It gave Bottas his first pole since the opening race of the pandemic-delayed season in Austria, which he went on to win. Hamilton won the next three races from pole, including last weekend in the British GP, to extend his championship lead over Bottas to 30 points in his quest for a record-equaling seventh world title. Giuseppe Farina drove an Alfa Romeo to victory at Formula Ones first world championship race, here at Silverstone 70 years ago.

When I heard his (Bottas' tire) went I looked at mine and it seemed fine.Charles Leclerc finished third for Ferrari with Daniel Ricciardo fourth for improving Renault and British driver Lando Norris fifth for McLaren. Hamilton set a track record and secured a record-extending 91st career pole and a record seventh at Silverstone on Saturday. Bottas qualified second ahead of Verstappen, who was racing in his 106th GP to equal his father Jos Verstappen's tally. Halfway through the race, Hamilton led Bottas by about two seconds and the British driver extended his lead comfortably as another Mercedes 1-2 finish looked certain. As he was last season, Verstappen looks the only driver capable of genuinely challenging Hamilton.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after he clocked the fastest time during the qualifying session for the British Formula One Grand Prix at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020. (Will Oliver/Poolvia AP)SILVERSTONE Lewis Hamilton set a new track record at the British Grand Prix and clinched a record-extending 91st pole position on Saturday. He was .313 seconds ahead of Bottas and about 1 second faster than Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Earlier, Bottas posted the fastest time in third and final practice ahead of Hamilton and Verstappen in somewhat cooler conditions following Fridays stifling heat. We definitely miss the fans.Mercedes won the first three races, Bottas clinching the season-opener in Austria and Hamilton winning the next two in Austria and Hungary.

Racing Point driver Lance Stroll of Canada steers his car during the second practice session for the British Formula One Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit in Silverstone, England, Friday, July 31, 2020. (Bryn Lennon/Pool via AP)SILVERSTONE Lance Stroll led the second practice for the British Grand Prix on Friday while struggling Ferrari had another bad day, with Sebastian Vettel spending most of it stuck in the team garage. Stroll finished fourth at the Hungarian GP two weeks ago for Racing Point, which uses Mercedes engines and has been showing good pace this season. There's a lot of heat coming from the cockpit, the championship leader Hamilton said right at the end of a session held amid hot and humid conditions. The second session was interrupted half way through when Albon span off the track and slammed backward into the crash barrier.

The coronavirus has hit the Silverstone race with Sergio Perez forced out after testing positive on Thursday. After dominating the Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this month, Hamilton then accused Grand Prix Drivers Association director Romain Grosjean of failing to convince the grid to be united in kneeling before the race. But he also apologized to Hamilton for indicating that it might have been the wrong call. Romain originally reached out to me and we had a great conversation, added Hamilton. Red Bulls Max Verstappen and Ferraris Charles Leclerc are among those drivers who have stood rather than taking a knee.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix race at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, Hungary, Sunday, July 19, 2020. (Leonhard Foeger/Pool via AP)BUDAPEST Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix for the eighth time to equal Michael Schumacher's single-venue record and take the championship lead on Sunday. Hamilton's latest victory from pole position was as comfortable as the nearly 9-second margin over second-place Max Verstappen suggested. The British driver's 86th GP win moved him just five behind the German great Schumacher's F1 record of 91. Hamilton took a record-extending 90th career pole on Saturday to match Schumacher's record for seven poles on the 4.4-kilometer (2.7-mile) track nestled among rolling hills outside of Budapest.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain reacts after winning the qualifying for the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, Hungary, Saturday, July 18, 2020. The Hungarian F1 Grand Prix will be held on Sunday. (Mark Thompson/Pool via AP)BUDAPEST Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton beat Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas on Saturday to take pole position for the seventh time at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Earlier, Bottas led Hamilton by .042 seconds in overcast conditions for the third and final practice. Bottas won the season-opening Austrian GP and six-time F1 champion Hamilton clinched the Styrian GP the following week in Austria after a brilliant pole position in teeming rain.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Styrian Formula One Grand Prix race at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria, Sunday, July 12, 2020. (Mark Thompson/Pool via AP)SPIELBERG Lewis Hamilton won the Styrian Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday to clinch an 85th career win and move within six of Michael Schumacher's Formula One record. Most of Schumacher's wins were during a dominant spell with Ferrari, but his old team is struggling badly. For the second time in the past four races, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel crashed into each other and went out. Bottas won last weekend's season-opening Austrian GP on the same Red Bull Ring track in Spielberg at the foot of the Styrian mountains hence the name change.

(Joe Klamar/Pool via AP)SPIELBERG Ferrari is under pressure after just one race of the Formula One season and scrambling to push through aerodynamic improvements in time for Sunday's Styrian Grand Prix. Leclerc's second-place finish in that race was more about his composure amid crashes than the car's speed. It means that Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is facing increasing pressure, given that the team was already way behind Mercedes in the drivers' and constructors' titles in 2019. This is certainly not the grid position that a team like Ferrari should have and we have to respond immediately," Camilleri said. Albon was frustrated after Sunday's race, which proved doubly disheartening for Red Bull as Max Verstappen retired early when in second place.

World champion Lewis Hamilton, the only black driver in F1, wore a T-shirt with Black Lives Matter on the front and End Racism on the back. Hamilton attended a Black Lives Matter march in London and is setting up a commission to increase diversity in motorsport. Soccer players on fields in England and Germany have taken the knee together simultaneously before games in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and F1 drivers discussed what they should do during a drivers briefing on Friday evening. Mercedes is competing in an all-black car instead of the usual silver, while Hamilton and Bottas have End Racism written on the cars halo. Hamilton praised some drivers for speaking out against racism, but he still feels others need to do more and he raised that in their briefing.

Four months after the opening race was called off amid last-minute pandemonium the Formula One season finally gets underway this weekend in Austria. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)SPIELBERG Four months after the opening race was called off at the last minute, the Formula One season finally gets underway this weekend on another continent and in a different-looking world. It is so important that we seize this moment, said Hamilton, the only Black driver to become F1 champion. F1 still hopes to rearrange some of the postponed races in order to finish the season with 15-18 of the scheduled 22. The 22-year-old Verstappen showed last season that he is closing the gap to Hamilton in terms of wheel-to-wheel driving.

PARIS Formula One announced an initiative on Monday aimed at tackling racism and encouraging more diversity within the series. F1 said in a statement that We Race As One will also address issues surrounding inequality, sustainability and the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to four F1 races being canceled and delayed the season's start from mid-March to July. We want our restart to show that as a sporting community we stand united against racism and we will do more to address inequality and diversity in F1, the statement said. The announcement comes after six-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton said he is setting up a commission to increase diversity in motorsports. Hamilton previously criticized F1 for staying silent on racism, prompting a flurry of support on Twitter from F1 drivers such as Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo.

Prevented from doing his day job by the coronavirus outbreak, Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is standing out during the pandemic through his passionate campaigning against racial injustice. The Mercedes driver took to Instagram on Monday in support of demonstrators who toppled a statue of a 17th-century slave trader in the English city of Bristol during one of the many global protests in the Black Lives Matter movement. All statues of racist men who made money from selling a human being should be torn down! Hamilton wrote on the social-networking site. I would have thought by now you would see why this happens and say something about it but you cant stand alongside us. The season is now scheduled to start on July 5 in Austria.

FILE - In this Sunday, May 6, 2018 file photo, the English Premier League trophy is displayed on the pitch prior to the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Huddersfield Town at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England. The league tested 996 players and club staff on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. F1 has been holding virtual races because the real series has not started this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league tested 996 players and club staff on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. In the second round, the number of tests available to each club was increased from 40 to 50.

Lars Baron/Getty Images(CNN) - Valtteri Bottas overtook pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel at the start and won the Japanese Grand Prix to help Mercedes clinch a record-tying sixth straight constructors' championship, a day after Typhoon Hagibis battered parts of the country. "I'm really proud to be part of the team, sixth title in a row is so impressive and proud of every team member here at the race. With the lack of pace, second is probably the maximum but I'm not happy with the very first start of the race. Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features, and videos"I like hard racing but I don't think this was hard racing. Leclerc responded: "I don't know what happened from the full situation from the outside, and this I need to look at."

The German, who had started in third, benefited from a strange Ferrari strategy which saw him leapfrog teammate Charles Leclerc, who had begun in pole position. First of all big congratulations to the team," said Vettel, who said he was surprised to come out ahead of the field. Ferrari tensionDespite the race doing no favors for team cohesion, Ferrari can enjoy its first one-two since 2017. There were, however, no huge celebrations between its two drivers after the race with Leclerc still visibly frustrated with how it ended. Leclerc and Verstappen are both tied on points in third, 32 points further adrift.

Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert died after a crash at the Belgian Grand Prix, the Fdration Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has confirmed. (CNN) - Charles Leclerc ended Ferrari's nine-year wait for victory at the Italian Grand Prix as he led from pole to take his second win in as many weeks. The 21-year-old Monegasque driver held off fierce competition from Mercedes pair Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton to seal the win, backing up his first Formula 1 victory at the Belgian Grand Prix. I've never been so tired," Leclerc told Sky after the win. "Congratulations to Ferrari and Charles, he did a great job," Hamilton told Sky after the race.

Sebastian Vettel was fastest during the final F1 practice session in Monza. (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)(CNN) - The final practice session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix was delayed by 10 minutes and cut short after a scary crash during Saturday's Formula 3 race. Delays to the Formula One practice were due to officials removing the damaged curb after the crash. READ: Charles Leclerc dedicates first F1 victory to Anthoine HubertREAD: Anthoine Hubert killed in crash at Belgian GPFerrari's Sebastian Vettel was fastest in the final practice session, 0.032 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen. In the final qualifying session, drivers sought to take advantage of the tow round Monza by slip streaming one another.