2022 - A Look Ahead

Baku FP1: Perez retains momentum, signals intent.
Sergio Perez retained his momentum from his victory in Monaco a fortnight ago, and went fastest in FP1 for the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.
10 June, 2022
Jad Mallak

The Mexican was off to a flying start in Baku as he went fastest of all at the end of FP1 for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the scene of his first victory with Red Bull back in 2021.

Charles Leclerc was second fastest for Ferrari, while Max Verstappen took third, noting that Perez survived a close moment with the barriers while on his fastest lap.

Charles Leclerc was second fastest for Ferrari, while Max Verstappen took third, noting that Perez survived a close moment with the barriers while on his fastest lap.

‘Retaining Momentum’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/06...ignals-intent/


Azerbaijan Grand Prix Free Practice 1 - Results
10/06/2022 at 13:15
Michael Delaney

Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Sergio Pérez Red Bull 1:45.476s 21
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:45.603s + 0.127s 21
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:45.810s + 0.334s 25
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:46.012s + 0.536s 22
5 Fernando Alonso Alpine 1:46.571s + 1.095s 22
6 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:46.667s + 1.191s 21
7 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:46.696s + 1.220s 25
8 George Russell Mercedes 1:46.705s + 1.229s 24
9 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1:46.830s + 1.354s 25
10 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:46.917s + 1.441s 21

‘Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, round 8 of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship;’

https://f1i.com/news/444060-azerbaij...results-2.html


Red Bull believe they can “tune out” Verstappen’s latest DRS problem
2022 F1 Season
Posted on 10th June 2022, 13:49
Written by Keith Collantine

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is confident the team will be able to solve the latest DRS problem Max Verstappen suffered in the first practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

“Obviously we’ve seen it, we’ve got the data on it, we’ve got the comparison to Sergio’s wing so I think there’s some modifications that we need to do just to make sure we eradicate that for this afternoon,” Horner told Sky.

“Weight is always a critical factor and you’re chasing that, obviously, all over the car,” he said. “There was a difference between the cars so we just need to look at the set-up of it and the rigidity of it and hopefully we can get on top of it for this afternoon.”

‘DRS Tune Out’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/06/10/...t-drs-problem/


Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez take new power unit elements for Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Friday 10 June 2022 12:31
Ian Parkes

Red Bull team-mates Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have taken new power unit elements for their RB18s for this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

In particular, Verstappen has been handed a new internal combustion engine, MGU-H, MGU-K and turbocharger, while Perez has a new ICE and MGU-K.

For both drivers, it is only the second of each of the components to be used of the three allowed per season before penalties are applied.

‘Red Bull PU News’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...an-grand-prix/


2022 Azerbaijan GP FP1: Sainz complains about porpoising on Baku main straight
10 Jun 2022
Formula 1.

Carlos Sainz complains about porpoising as the Ferrari man drives down the main straight of the Baku City Circuit during first practice at the 2022 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

‘Main Straight Porpoising’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...894827062.html


Mercedes’ Barcelona upgrade “not working everywhere” – Hamilton
2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham
Posted on 10th June 2022, 12:25

Lewis Hamilton predicts the Baku City Circuit will ‘not be great’ for the Mercedes W13, but expects the team’s performance to be better than Monaco. Heading into another street circuit this weekend in Azerbaijan, Hamilton believes Mercedes should enjoy better performance in Baku compared to Monaco.

“Lots of work’s gone on,” said Hamilton. “I’m hoping that it’s not as bumpy as Monaco, but we will find out when we get out there today. And like everyone has been saying, it’s lower downforce. Should be better – I hope so.”

“We’re obviously stronger on smoother circuits – Barcelona was a lot better for us, for example,” he explained. “There’s more open circuits that aren’t as bumpy. This is a bumpier circuit, so not necessarily great for the characteristics within our car, but it might be smoother and might be okay.”

‘Smoother Circuits Stronger’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/06/10/...here-hamilton/


Lewis Hamilton admits Mercedes still suffering porpoising 'havoc' ahead of Azerbaijan GP
• 12:59, 10 Jun 2022
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer

While some teams on the grid have figured out how to reduce the bouncing their cars experience at high speeds this season, Mercedes are still yet to find a solution

It was a problem which had been pre-empted by Hamilton at the Friday morning press conference, when he said he expected the bouncy street circuit in Baku to work against them. The seven-time world champion is hoping a permanent solution might be found by the time the British Grand Prix comes around.

Team-mate George Russell echoed his pessimism over their prospects in Baku this weekend, as minor improvements made in the last two weeks will not "transform" their chances.

‘Mercedes Porpoising Havoc’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...-baku-27198593


2022 Azerbaijan GP FP1: Schumacher hit by leak in first practice
10 Jun 2022
Formula 1.

Mick Schumacher’s first practice at the 2022 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is disrupted by an apparent water leak on his Haas at the Baku City Circuit.

‘Micks’ Car Still Intact’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...024790397.html

Leclerc gives Red Bull food for thought but suffers late engine issues.
Friday 10 June 2022 16:03
Ian Parkes

Leclerc set a time of one minute 43.224s to finish a quarter-of-a-second up on Perez, with Verstappen 0.356s adrift, with the oscillations of the DRS on his RB18 no longer prevalent that had been a concern in FP1.

On the medium-compound tyres, Verstappen finished 0.030s behind Leclerc, with Perez 0.125s down, and that after the Monégasque had also been given a helping hand courtesy of a tow at one stage.

Once on the softs, Leclerc managed to find a six-tenths-of-a-second improvement, and with no tow on this occasion, albeit over the closing minutes complained several timess about issues with his power unit which the team are to investigate.

‘Charles Leclerc Suffers Late Engine Issues’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...engine-issues/


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Baku, Azerbaijan
10th June 2022, 16:10
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):
1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:43.224
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.248
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.356
4. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.918
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +1.050
6. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.091
7. George Russell Mercedes +1.324
8. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.343
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.385
10. Lando Norris McLaren +1.547

‘Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from FP2 ahead of this weekend’s 2022 F1 World Championship race from Baku’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second...and-prix-79216


Charles Leclerc: Ferrari's 'race pace was very strong' in Azerbaijan GP practice
10 Jun 2022
Formula 1.

Charles Leclerc thinks that his "race pace was very strong" during Friday's practice sessions for the 2022 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as the Ferrari driver aims for a positive weekend at the Baku City Circuit.

‘Ferraris’ Race Pace Strong’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...283454400.html


Lewis Hamilton suffers "sore" back as Mercedes fail with experiment
Friday 10 June 2022 17:08
Ian Parkes

Mercedes had suggested at the Spanish Grand Prix it was on top of the negative effects of this season's ground-effect cars but around the Baku City Circuit, the old failings returned.

Asked as to the worst point about another wretched day in the W13, Hamilton simply said the "bouncing" before stretching his back in discomfort. As to whether the 37-year-old was okay, he replied: "I'll get by, a bit sore. We're hitting some serious speeds at the end here and it's bouncing a lot"

In terms of the changes made during the interval, Hamilton revealed: "Yep, we tried something experimental on my car and it didn't feel that great, to be honest. But at least we tried it, we've got data on it, and hopefully for tomorrow we will probably revert back to what we changed."

‘Old W13 Failings Returned’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...prix-mercedes/


Mercedes’ porpoising problems “the same as in the last race” – Hamilton
2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Posted on 10th June 2022, 17:38
Written by Keith Collantine

“We tried something experimental on my car and it didn’t feel that great to be honest,” Hamilton explained. “But at least we tried it and got data on it and now we’ll go through it and hopefully for tomorrow we’ll probably revert back to what we changed.”

“I just can’t really tell you where 1.6 seconds or 1.3 seconds, whatever, is,” he added. “That’s a long way away. A lot of it’s on straights.” Russell admitted the team “weren’t as competitive as we would have liked” after a “tricky day” of running. The team has often found it difficult to gets its tyres into the optimum operating window on the first lap this year.

Russell believes even if Mercedes are able to get the most out of their tyres “we’re definitely not going to fully close that gap. They’re just too far ahead,” he said. “So that’s really 50% of our issue. The rest is just the lack of performance we have at the moment.”

‘W13 Porpoising Same As Last Race’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/06/10/...race-hamilton/


Porpoising caused huge water leak on Schumacher’s car during practice
2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Posted on 10th June 2022, 19:01
Written by Keith Collantine

Mick Schumacher says the huge water leak which forced him to stop during the first practice session was triggered by his car ‘porpoising’ at high speed.

The combination of long straights and a bumpy surface at the Baku City Circuit have caused some teams to experience more severe porpoising than usual. The problem seemed particularly acute for the Haas drivers.

Schumacher reported a problem with his car after experiencing a heavy jolt when he hit a bump while being passed by Yuki Tsunoda early in the session. He was told to stop by his team and pulled over with fluid gushing from the side of his VF-22.

‘Heavy Jolt from a Bump, Caused Huge Water Leak’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/06/10/...ring-practice/


Why Daniel Ricciardo 'couldn't drive straight' in Azerbaijan Grand Prix practice
Friday 10 June 2022 18:00
Ewan Gale

Daniel Ricciardo feels F1 drivers were made to look like they could not drive straight due to strong gusts of wind in practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The start-finish straight at the Baku City Circuit was subjected to extreme crosswinds during the first session of the weekend, with numerous cars seen darting to the right without the driver's input when emerging into the gaps between buildings.

The effect was especially strong when DRS was enabled, with Max Verstappen's Red Bull appearing near uncontrollable at one stage. "It was less tricky this evening but FP1 it was really windy," explained Ricciardo. "The gusts and everything... it looked like we couldn't drive straight.”

‘Wind Gusts and Extreme Crosswinds’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...prix-practice/


Fernando Alonso: Alpine must 'maximise' their car's potential in Azerbaijan GP qualifying
10 Jun 2022
Formula 1.

Fernando Alonso says that Alpine's car is "better on Saturday than Sunday," meaning the team must "maximise" their potential in qualifying for the 2022 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit.

‘EL PLAN: Car Potential Maximisation’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...948366770.html


Perez & Leclerc quickest in Friday practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
JUNE 10, 2022 in Motorsport

Sergio Pérez went quickest in the opening practice session for this weekend’s FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull Racing team-mate Max Verstappen.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the timesheet in the second practice session for this weekend’s FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Red Bull Racing Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen finished second and third at the Baku City Circuit.

‘Analysis & Both FP1 and FP2 Timesheets;

https://www.racecar.com/news/95814/m...jan-grand-prix

Charles Leclerc forgetfulness behind bizarre Ferrari power unit issue.
"It was just me that forgot that I had changed something which made me lose power but yeah, nothing weird." Charles Leclerc.
Friday 10 June 2022 20:30
Sam Hall

Charles Leclerc has revealed a forgetful mistake inside his Ferrari cockpit lay behind his power unit troubles in second practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Ferrari has suffered a number of PU problems recently, with the most damaging in the Spanish Grand Prix when Leclerc was forced to retire from the lead. Late in FP2 in Baku, the timesheet-topping Monégasque driver reported a loss of power over the team radio before making an alteration to the engine mode.

Asked if he was aware of what the problem had been, Leclerc conceded: "Actually, there were no power unit problems.

‘Bizarre Forgetfulness’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...er-unit-issue/


Fernando Alonso takes fourth, fifth in Friday practice sessions: “We’ll work overnight to ensure we keep this sort of pace tomorrow”
June 11, 2022
By Ashley Cline

BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Fernando Alonso was led only by the likes of Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Ferrari by the end of Friday running at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, earning fifth and fourth in Free Practice One and Free Practice Two, respectively. He had also set the fastest sector three time in the second session, further highlighting his pace and A522’s speed on the Baku City Circuit’s lengthy back straight.

After a “normal” Friday programme, Alonso said that there are a few elements of the set-up that need to be perfected to ensure that the performance found during practice will continue into qualifying.

“It is always tricky here in Baku with the windy and fast circuit conditions. But I think we had a normal Friday today and we were able to test some of our new items. We still need to optimise a few things on the setup of the car ahead of Qualifying tomorrow.”

‘EL PLAN: Work Overnight’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...pace-tomorrow/


Sergio Perez trying to prove he has a genuine title chance, Charles Leclerc hoping for better luck to get his championship charge back on track and Mercedes running out of opportunities... seven things to look out for at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Published: 20:00, 10 June 2022
By Kieran Lynch For Mailonline

Is Sergio Perez's title challenge legit? Not many seem to have benefitted more from the new regulations than Monaco GP winner Perez. Can Charles Leclerc get his title challenge back on track? The Monegasque driver has not had much luck in the last two rounds, in which he has only picked up 13 points when it looked like it could have been 50.

Chances running out for Mercedes. There is still hope within the Mercedes camp that they can mount a title challenge but time is running out and they mustn't be too far away from already focusing on next year's challenger. Daniel Ricciardo needs to find form quickly. Speculation surrounding the future of McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo is mounting after every race. Can Fernando Alonso cause a surprise? The normal contenders were up at the top end during Friday's two practice sessions, except for one man, Fernando Alonso.

Fears over porpoising. The Ferrari pair of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were also seen to be aggressively bouncing during practice for the Azerbaijan GP, and they, alongside Mercedes, could be particularly impacted by porpoising this weekend. Azerbaijan normally means chaos. Every year there is a squabble, collision, retirement or malfunction that sets the F1 agenda for the days that follow the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

‘Azerbaijan F1 Agenda’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ning-time.html


Extreme Baku track is proving a tougher challenge than usual for many drivers
2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Friday practice analysis
Posted on 10th June 2022, 22:21
Written by Will Wood

After its first five years as a host of the Formula 1 world championship, the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan has forged a reputation as a unique street circuit where chaotic races throw up unexpected results. “I mean, Baku’s hard enough normally,” said Lando Norris after ending his day as the tenth fastest driver. “But with the cars we have it’s worse over the bumps, it’s worse under braking, which makes it tricky. “Also the wind today – gusts of 35-40kph at times – it’s nasty when you’re inside the car. So it’s tough.”

Sebastian Vettel also found the conditions a challenge. “It was incredibly windy during FP1, which meant it was very easy to lock a wheel under braking or run up an escape road,” said the Aston Martin driver. “I had a couple of lock-ups, but otherwise it was a pretty smooth day.” Esteban Ocon said little could prepare him for the impact of the bumps that got so bad at points in practice he felt as if he was “going to lose my helmet at the end of the straight” and far beyond the physical challenge drivers anticipate.

Mercedes have famously suffered from persistent porpoising problems more than most teams in 2022 and so it was no surprise when the first thing Lewis Hamilton had to say about his Friday when climbing out of his car was about his car’s bumpy ride. “The hardest thing about today was the bouncing, we’re hitting serious speeds at the end of the straight and bottoming out,” he said.

‘Baku Track Challenge’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/06/10/...-many-drivers/


Guanyu Zhou enjoyed 'every push lap I did' in Azerbaijan GP practice
10 Jun 2022
Formula 1.

Guanyu Zhou "enjoyed every push lap I did" during Friday's practice sessions for the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as the Alfa Romeo driver looks ahead to Saturday's qualifying session at the Baku City Circuit.

‘Enjoyable Push Laps’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...261023601.html


Azerbaijan GP: FIA Drivers Press Conference
10/06/2022
NEWS STORY

Zhou, we'll start with you. Welcome. You've raced here before in Formula 2. Podium, of course, last year, how different do you expect this track to be in a Formula 1 car? Zhou Guanyu: Yeah, I think it will be different, but there won't be any surprises compared to some other tracks I race, for example, in Bahrain, as tracks, Jeddah, for example. Of course, the speed will be massive difference.

Kevin, we'll come to you next. You haven't raced here for several years. What have you missed about Baku? Kevin Magnussen: I think it's an interesting race always. It's usually quite eventful, with lots of Safety Car chances. In the past, there's been loads of stuff happening. It feels like one of those races where you can hope for some special result.

Lando, coming to you. You've scored points in both of your previous visits to Baku. So do you come here full of confidence? Lando Norris: I would say so. Just off how we've been doing lately, this year. Barcelona was a decent race, could have been a little bit better and Monaco was a strong weekend for us. So, I'm hoping so. We always hope for...

‘Baku: Different Track, Interesting Race, Full of Confidence’;

https://www.pitpass.com/72734/Azerba...ess-Conference

'I'm excited for the race', says polesitter Leclerc after 2022 Azerbaijan GP qualifying.
Charles Leclerc topped a closely-fought qualifying session in Baku to claim pole position ahead of both Red Bulls for the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
June 11th 2022
Author Dominic Tobin

Charles Leclerc will start on pole position for tomorrow’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, posting a lap almost 0.3sec faster than anybody else after a close qualifying session. The Ferrari driver said that he didn’t expect to be able to beat the Red Bulls after they topped the first two qualifying sessions, but that his final lap came together to decisively claim pole.

He will have a Red Bull alongside him and one behind after Carlos Sainz was forced to pull out of his final flying lap to avoid hitting a barrier.

“It feels good,” said Leclerc. “This one I probably did not expect because I thought Red Bull was stronger but in the last lap everything came together. I’m really excited for tomorrow”.

‘Baku Excitement’

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...gp-qualifying#


2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Qualifying results.
11/06/2022 at 16:27
Andrew Lewin

Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:42.865s 1:42.046s 1:41.359s
2 Sergio Pérez Red Bull 1:42.733s 1:41.955s 1:41.641s
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:42.722s 1:42.227s 1:41.706s
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:42.957s 1:42.088s 1:41.814s
5 George Russell Mercedes 1:43.754s 1:43.281s 1:42.712s
6 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1:43.268s 1:43.129s 1:42.845s
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:43.939s 1:43.182s 1:42.924s
8 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:43.595s 1:43.376s 1:43.056s
9 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 1:43.279s 1:43.268s 1:43.091s
10 Fernando Alonso Alpine 1:44.083s 1:43.360s 1:43.173s

‘Full results from qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, round 8 of the 2022 Formula 1 season’;

https://f1i.com/news/444284-2022-aze...g-results.html


Red Bull detail issue that cost Sergio Perez shot at Azerbaijan GP pole.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has revealed a refuelling issue cost Sergio Perez a shot at pole position for Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Saturday 11 June 2022 17:20
Ian Parkes

Explaining what unfolded, speaking on Sky Sports F1, Horner said: "There was a small issue with the refuelling that just delayed him, unfortunately. It was just a numbers error.

"It was a shame for Checo because he didn't get the benefit of a tow but then he did have a perfect out lap, and you could see his performance was pretty mighty. With a tow, it would have been close but I still don't think we would have quite had the pace to have nailed Charles.”

"But a great performance from both the guys, with Checo carrying that performance from Monaco at a track he has always excelled at here, and without the benefit of any tow. A good lap from him."

‘Refuelling Issue Cost Perez’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...aijan-gp-pole/


Max Verstappen rues "tiny mistakes" in Azerbaijan GP qualifying struggle
Saturday 11 June 2022 16:55
Sam Hall

Max Verstappen has conceded that a number of "tiny mistakes" cost him a front-row spot for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Saturday 11 June 2022 16:55
Sam Hall

The F1 title leader and reigning champion qualified third at the Baku City Circuit after falling 0.347secs behind rival Charles Leclerc's one-minute 41.359s benchmark.

Verstappen is separated from the Ferrari driver by team-mate Sergio Perez after the Monaco Grand Prix winner registered a last-gasp effort to claim the front-row berth. "The start of the lap was good, then it went away from me a little with tiny mistakes," reflected Verstappen.

"So, not ideal but I was just struggling a bit to find front-to-rear balance over one lap. Not what I want but still, as a team, being second and third we have a good opportunity for tomorrow."

‘Opportunities in Baku for Red Bull’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...ying-struggle/


Mercedes 'all over the place' at Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Toto Wolff details problems.
TOTO WOLFF has explained the problems that Mercedes are facing in Baku.
16:00, Sat, Jun 11, 2022
By JACK MCEACHEN

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has explained the issues that Mercedes have been facing at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as he claimed their car is “all over the place” ahead of qualifying. Lewis Hamilton finished P8 in qualifying, but could yet be bumped down the order as he faces an investigation for driving unnecessarily slowly.

Both Hamilton and team-mate George Russell have suffered heavy proposing in Baku, as Wolff highlighted the issues that Mercedes have been facing. "The car is just all over the place with porpoising and bouncing, you name it", the Austrian told Sky Sports F1.

"It is never one thing... add to this we are maybe not the most efficient in terms of drag, we are losing more than a second to Ferrari in straight-line speed, all of that makes us just not competitive.

‘All Over the Place’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...George-Russell


Hamilton reacts as stewards investigate qualifying incident
‎11‎ ‎June‎ ‎17‎:‎25
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Hamilton gives his view on qualifying incident "I don't really have a concern," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.

"Firstly, I was offline, and you have to be within a delta time. I was within my delta time, so I wasn't below that out-lap pace. "So, within that delta time, I should be able to drive the speed I want, and I was offline, so I wasn't holding anyone up, but I was trying to get a tow, because we're so slow in a straight line.”

"And the guys behind didn't want to go by, so then I just went off and did my lap." Hamilton – who qualified in P7 – is not the only driver set to face the stewards. Haas duo Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher also found themselves under investigation for a pit exit incident.

‘Race Stewards Investigations’;

https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-r...fying-incident

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff 'hopes' for Ferraris and Red Bulls to crash at Azerbaijan GP.
Toto Wolff has confessed Mercedes have to hope the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz crash with the Red Bull pair of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen if they are to claim a first race win of the season in Azerbaijan
Sat, Jun 11, 2022, 18:45
By CHARLIE MALAM

MERCEDES are low on hope for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday. "If you look at it through rose-tinted glasses you can say hopefully four of them crash out in Turn One and then you can win the race.” Toto Wolff.

Toto: “On pure pace, it's realistic to finish fifth and sixth. Absolutely strategy can play a big role. We can recover good positions if you're on the right strategy. We can gamble because when you're the hunter it's a different situation."

Hamilton said despite Mercedes' struggles that there is "lots to look forward to" ahead of "a tricky and chaotic race" in which there is "lots that can happen".

‘Lots to look forward to, in the W13’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...x-Baku-F1-news


Wolff jokes: If the four in front crash Mercedes can win!
11/06/2022, ‎18‎:‎25

Toto Wolff has given his take on what Mercedes can achieve in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and joked that they could win if the four cars ahead crash out at Turn 1.

"I think the position was to expect third quickest on the road," Wolff told Sky Sports F1. "Gasly, he [has] had some really good races and that was probably one of these. So in terms of position [I expected it], but the gap is big.

"It's a long lap time, and we are lacking pretty much everywhere. I wish I don't need to look at these kinds of overlays in the future anymore."

‘W13 Overlays Depressing’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-joke...rcedes-can-win


Toto Wolff reveals Lewis Hamilton George Russell difference behind "dangerous" porpoising
Saturday 11 June 2022 18:10
Sam Hall

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed that "experimental parts" cost Lewis Hamilton pace and created "dangerous" levels of porpoising in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Hamilton was out-qualified by Russell for the third consecutive race, with the two Britons lining up fifth and seventh on the Baku City Circuit.

Such was the startling lack of pace from the seven-time F1 champion's W13 he even required a tow from Russell to escape Q2.

‘W13 Experimental Parts, Created Dangerous Porpoising Levels’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...us-porpoising/


Mercedes ‘experiments going wrong’ for Hamilton versus Russell.
17:57 Sat, 11 Jun
The Race
By Valentin Khorounzhiy and Mark Hughes

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has attributed Lewis Hamilton’s run of qualifying defeats to team-mate George Russell to “experiments going wrong” on Hamilton’s side of the garage. But speaking to the media after Saturday’s Baku action, Wolff clarified that the pair were running slightly different specifications of the W13 in qualifying.

“Lewis has been trying some quite experimental parts of the car, and there was a different floor solution on his car that didn’t work,” he explained. “The car was porpoising more and bottoming out to a degree that it became dangerous, and couldn’t extract the performance, so yes, it was a different spec.”

Asked about Russell beating Hamilton in each of the three past qualifying sessions, he said: “I think it’s too early to try to identify a pattern – I’m very close to it and I see one session one is faster, than the next session the other one is faster. “And because the car is on a knife’s edge, if you put the foot wrong, in terms of experiments on the car – which need to be done for us to actually learn how to perform well with the car – there’s two-three tenths immediately between that.

‘W13 Knife Edge’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/merce...ersus-russell/


Mercedes: The gap is too big.
11 June, 2022
Paul Velasco

Mercedes have all but thrown in the towel ahead of Sunday’s 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with team boss Toto Wolff and superstar driver lamenting the lack of pace in the W13 after a dismal qualifying for the reigning Formula 1 World Champions.

After Barcelona some dared run the headlines that Mercedes were back, we were optimistic they had found a solution for their awkward 2022 car. Monaco an anomaly was to be ignored, but in Baku with the power straights and the unforgiving twisty bits, Hamilton and Russell simply did not have the ammo.

That ‘progress’ was an apparition. The Silver Arrows were more like Silver Toothpicks around the ancient city. Furthermore, Hamilton’s poor form relative to teammate George Russell continued, on Saturday the younger driver was again a couple of tenths up on the seven-time F1 World Champion; the pair were fifth and seventh on the timing screens.

‘W13, is No Ammo!’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/06...f1-qualifying/


Wolff: 'No emotions' involved as Mercedes fight to recover
‎10‎ ‎June‎ ‎12‎:‎10
Author Thomas Maher

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says he finds it "boring" to watch his team be unable to get involved in the 2022 championship fight.

Toto Wolff has said Mercedes mustn't believe that they are out of the woods with their troublesome W13, just because the car performed strongly in Barcelona.

It was the first properly competitive showing from Mercedes since the season began, with the recalcitrant W13 unable to challenge Red Bull or Ferrari at the other six races of the season.

‘Wolff Watching the Recalcitrant W13, is Boring’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-no-e...ght-to-recover


Wolff jokes Mercedes can win ‘if the top four all crash out!’
Date published: June 11 2022
Editor

Toto Wolff has jokingly pointed out Mercedes could still win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix if the “top four drivers crash out”. With such a huge gulf between the ‘best of the rest’ and the leading Ferraris and Red Bulls, Wolff joked it would take pretty unusual circumstances for a Mercedes victory in Baku on Sunday.

“I think the most we expected today was to be third quickest on the road, but [Pierre] Gasly put in a really strong lap to get between us,” Wolff said after the session as he spoke to Sky F1’s Karun Chandhok as the broadcaster analysed Mercedes’ performance.

“For tomorrow, if you look at it through rose-tinted glasses you can see hopefully the four of them ahead come together in Turn 1 and then we can win the race!” he joked.

‘Wolffs’ Rose-Tinted Glasses: Four Cars Come Together at Turn1!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...aijan-chances/


Schumacher still on Mercedes radar says Wolff
JUNE 11, 2022
GrandPrix.com

Toto Wolff has leapt to the defence of Mick Schumacher, suggesting the struggling young German could even have a future at Mercedes. "Why not?" the Mercedes boss said at Baku.

Rather than warn Mick that further crashes are unacceptable, Wolff says he would "just let him go - with the possibility that he will be in the wall again. "But he has to learn that," Wolff insisted. "You have to trust him."

Despite all the noise about Schumacher's future, the Mercedes boss thinks the 23-year-old can still "go a long way" in F1. "With or without the Schumacher name, Mick has the kind of strengths that mean he will always be on our radar," said Wolff.

‘Wolffs’ Rose-Tinted Glasses: Let Mick $chumacher, the Two Million Dollar Demolition Man, in the future, drive Mercedes F1 cars into walls, to learn!’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/schum...ays-wolff.html

Ferrari suffer disastrous Azerbaijan Grand Prix with double DNF.
Ferrari suffered a disastrous Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both retired by lap 20 of the 51-lap race.
Sunday 12 June 2022 12:50
Ian Parkes

Sainz was the first to exit on lap nine, pulling off track into the run-off area at turn four with a hydraulic failure while running in fourth position.

Eleven laps later, whilst leading the race at the Baku City Circuit on strategy ahead of Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, Leclerc was heading down the main straight when his power unit blew on his F1-75.

It means for the second time in three races Leclerc has retired while leading after a turbo failure brought a premature end to his Spanish Grand Prix in May.

‘Double DNF’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...th-double-dnf/


“It hurts” says Leclerc after second retirement from the lead in three races
2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Posted on 12th June 2022, 13:19
Written by Keith Collantine

Charles Leclerc admitted it “hurts” to retire from a race while leading for the second time in three rounds. The Ferrari driver pulled into the pits with smoke billowing from the rear of his car on the 20th lap of the race. Ferrari confirmed he had suffered a power unit failure while leading, as he also had in the Spanish Grand Prix three weeks ago.

“It hurts,” Leclerc told Sky. “We really need to look into that for it to not happen again. I [can’t] really find the right words to describe. Obviously it’s very, very disappointing. We really need to look into it.”

“We’ve been fast and we didn’t have particularly big problems in the first part of the season,” he said. “Now it seems that we have a bit more compared to the beginning of the season. But we didn’t change massive things, if anything we made the thing better. So it’s difficult to understand for now but we will have to analyse. Obviously I don’t have the full picture of what happened today, just personally again it hurts.”

‘It Hurts’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/06/12/...n-three-races/


Leclerc’s exit caps Ferrari’s dreadful day in Baku
Date published: June 12 2022
Jon Wilde

Ferrari’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix turned from bad to absolutely dreadful as Charles Leclerc joined his team-mate Carlos Sainz in retirement.

Sainz was the first driver to exit in Baku as he headed down an escape road on lap nine while running fourth, quickly announcing over the team radio that “something failed” and he was unable to rejoin the track.

Subsequently diagnosed as a hydraulic problem, the Spaniard was joined on the sidelines 11 laps later as Leclerc’s power unit was billowing smoke along the straight and he coasted into the pits. “Problem, problem, engine” were the Monegasque’s initial words as his World Championship hopes suffered another devastating blow.

‘Problem, Problem, Engine’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...an-retirement/


Ferrari suffer Azerbaijan GP horror-show as Charles Leclerc joins team-mate Carlos Sainz in failing to finish the race after his engine failed... leaving way clear for Red Bull do dominate Baku race. Ferrari suffered a horror-show at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday
Published: 13:00, 12 June 2022
By Abdi Rashid For Mailonline

Leclerc came into Sunday's race in high spirits after claiming his sixth pole position in eight races this year. However, the 24-year-old was forced into retirement after 20 laps due to an engine failure as plumes of smoke started to come out of his Ferrari.

Shortly after retiring, Leclerc said: 'It's hard to find the words, it hurts! I lost power. I don't know what happened. I did not talk to anyone yet [to know more]. I'll try my best to win the next one.

'The motivation will stay the same, no problem in that, but yeah it hurts.” Team-mate Sainz misfortunes this year continued as he was forced to pull out after just nine laps due to a brake by wire failure.

‘Ferrari Horror Show’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...nish-race.html


Charles Leclerc: Engine blowout in Azerbaijan GP 'more than frustrating'
12 Jun 2022
Formula 1.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc says that his engine blowout and retirement from the 2022 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is "more than frustrating."

‘Frustration, more than frustrating’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...761717747.html


F1 2022 results: Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Baku)
Date published: June 12 2022
Editor

Red Bull have clinched an easy 1-2 on the streets of Baku, with Max Verstappen coming home as race winner ahead of Sergio Perez.

The duo came through to win with ease after Ferrari suffered two separate mechanical failures with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Red Bull scored maximum 26 points, courtesy of Perez also finishing with the fastest lap.

Results: 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 51 Laps
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing
3. George Russell Mercedes
4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
5. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri
6. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin
7. Fernando Alonso Alpine
8. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren
9. Lando Norris McLaren
10. Esteban Ocon Alpine

‘Red Bull Maximum Points’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-202...and-prix-baku/

“We asked them to race each other cleanly” – Red Bull’s Christian Horner.
"That’s what they did. They’re doing a great job for the Team and we’re very proud of what the whole team has achieved today.” Christian Horner.
June 12, 2022
By Nick Golding

Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal, Christian Horner, was “very proud” of his side at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix where Max Verstappen claimed victory with Sergio Pérez in second.

Horner was very pleased with the performance, but was disappointed that the fans didn’t get to see a red versus blue battle. “It’s a fantastic result for us today on a track that never fails to deliver the unexpected. I think it’s a shame that the fans didn’t get to see how the strategy would have played out today.”

“Ferrari stopped very early under that virtual safety car, and with us going onto the hard tyre that much later, I think that would have given us the advantage towards the end of the race. But we managed to capitalise on the events within the race with both drivers driving fantastically.”

‘Red Bull Very Proud’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...istian-horner/


Christian Horner accuses Mercedes of 'bitching' over porpoising health concerns
Sunday 12 June 2022 16:25
Ewan Gale

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has accused rivals of pushing for drivers to "bitch" about issues related to porpoising.


Asked what he would do as team principal if his drivers were driving a car with such violent porpoising, he replied: "Tell them to bitch as much as they could over the radio and make as big an issue out of it as they possibly could. It is part of the game.” On whether that is what he believes rivals are doing, Horner insisted: "Of course it is.”

“But I think that is more for the technical guys because there are certain cars that have some issues and certain cars with very few issues. It would seem unfair to penalise the ones who have done a decent job versus the ones who have perhaps missed the target slightly."

‘Bitching is part of the game’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...alth-concerns/


F1 takeaways: Red Bull continue to capitalize as Ferrari's unreliability persists
June 12, 2022, ‎2‎:‎16‎ ‎PM
Jonathan Brazeau

Ferrari's pain was once again Red Bull's gain. As Ferrari sustained a disastrous double DNF day, the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez sprinted away for a 1-2 finish through the streets of Baku at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Mercedes driver George Russell rounded out the podium in third.

Leclerc has been sparkling on Saturdays this season qualifying on pole six times including the past four races. If only his Sundays were similar. Despite those four consecutive poles, Leclerc has been unable to convert any of them into victories — although more often than not through no fault of his own.

This time Leclerc's engine blew up with plumes of smoke emerging from the rear of his vehicle on Lap 20. It's the second time in three races Leclerc had to bow out while comfortably in the lead after engine failure three weeks ago in Spain ruined what was looking like a sure win. Leclerc's demeanour after the race was telling; he didn't appear frustrated but rather defeated as he was practically at a loss for words.

‘Demeanour and Word Loss’;

https://www.sportsnet.ca/auto-racing...lity-persists/


Horner: Perez ‘unusually’ grained the rear tyres in Baku
Date published: June 12 2022
Jamie Woodhouse

Although Sergio Perez said his performance dropped off in Baku when his rear tyres got cold, Christian Horner felt his driver had grained them. Perez took the lead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc into Turn 1, but when the Virtual Safety Car was deployed following Carlos Sainz’s stoppage Ferrari pitted Charles Leclerc, while Red Bull stayed out.

That, to Perez’s mind, was a mistake. “To me, it’s first of all the communication wasn’t tidy today with the team,” Perez told Sky Sports F1 when asked why his pace dropped off during the race.

Later told not to fight his team-mate Max Verstappen, the Dutchman took the lead from Perez, going on to claim victory while Perez finished P2, just short of 21 seconds adrift. “We should have ‘boxed’ on the Virtual Safety Car and our race would have looked very different,” Perez stressed.

‘Perez’s Unusual Grained Tyres’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...erez-graining/


“We had incredible pace in the car” – Max Verstappen
June 12, 2022
By Nick Golding


Max Verstappen extended his championship lead to twenty-one points, after an imperious performance saw Verstappen claim victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Dutchman quickly made his way past Charles Leclerc early on, before hunting down his team-mate prior to the first round of pit-stops. The Dutchman’s RB18 was in a league of its own, as the reigning World Champion cemented his place as the championship favourite.

Verstappen did fall behind Leclerc after his first stop, due to the Scuderia Ferrari driver pitting under a Virtual Safety Car. However, neither Oracle Red Bull Racing driver had to find a way past Leclerc, as the Monegasque driver suffered yet another power unit failure and retired from the race.

‘Incredible Pace’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ax-verstappen/


Verstappen Rides Luck To Red Bull One-Two In Baku As Ferrari Implode
12/06/2022, 17:56
Hamad I Mohammed

Max Verstappen rode his luck to an unchallenged first Baku win on Sunday, opening up a commanding championship lead after Ferrari’s challenge imploded at the Azerbaijan Formula One Grand Prix.

The Dutchman eased across the line 20.8 seconds clear of Sergio Perez who, ordered not to fight Verstappen, completed a one-two for Red Bull.

The win was Verstappen’s fifth from eight races this year and made him the sixth different Baku winner from six races. He extended his overall championship lead to 21 points over Perez, winner in Monaco two weeks ago, who has moved up to second.

‘Riding Luck, One-Two’;

https://iafrica.com/verstappen-rides...rrari-implode/

Lewis Hamilton "worried every time" he will drive his Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton has declared himself "worried" every time he now steps into the cockpit of his Mercedes.
Monday 13 June 2022 04:00
Ian Parkes

The seven-time champion has conceded to undergoing extreme cryotherapy treatment in an attempt to get himself fit ahead of the race in Baku, as well as acupuncture and physio. But his concerns with the over-aggressive porpoising of his W13 means there is trepidation about driving again.

Asked whether he was worried for Canada, Hamilton replied: "I'm worried every time I'm going to get back in the car. "Of course, I always want to get into the car. I just don't want to have that bouncing again. I'll do anything to avoid having that."

Hamilton, though, has suggested Mercedes may have to adopt a different philosophy with its car given its new renowned 'zero-sidepod' idea that may lie at the heart of its woes. "All the drivers are discussing it in the drivers' briefing, and ultimately none of us want to continue having the bouncing for the next four years with these regulations," said Hamilton. "I'm sure the teams will be working at it.”

‘Woeful Zero-Sidepod W13 Bouncing Worries’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...ving-mercedes/


Wolff: Hamilton ‘definitely’ a doubt for Canadian GP.
Such is the back pain Lewis Hamilton is suffering, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says his driver may miss the next race in Canada.
Date published: June 12 2022
Jamie Woodhouse

The subject of porpoising and its impact on the health of drivers became a major talking point at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This bouncing phenomenon is something that has followed Mercedes around the calendar so far, this after Formula 1’s move to ground-effect aerodynamics for 2022. But across large parts of the grid, its severity in Azerbaijan was a huge cause for concern.

Asked by Sky Sports F1 if he was relying on adrenalin to finish the race, Hamilton replied: “Yeah, that’s the only thing, just like biting down on my teeth through pain and just adrenalin. I can’t express the pain you experience, particularly on the straight here. And at the end, you are just praying for it to end.”

Hamilton was seen struggling to climb out of the cockpit post-race and with the first Canadian Grand Prix since 2019 coming next weekend, Wolff is not so sure Hamilton will be able to compete. Asked if Hamilton’s participation in the Canadian Grand Prix was in doubt, Wolff told reporters: “Yeah, definitely. I haven’t seen him and I haven’t spoken to him afterwards, but you can see this is not muscular anymore – it goes properly deep into the spine and there are some consequences.”

‘Back Pain, Deep in the Spine’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...s-canadian-gp/


F1 rule stopped Lewis Hamilton being helped out of Mercedes despite obvious back agony.
Lewis Hamilton was left in severe pain after racing around the bumpy street circuit in Baku, but a specific F1 rule meant he could have no help in clambering out of his Mercedes
17:35, 12 Jun 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Lewis Hamilton risked incurring the wrath of Formula 1 stewards if he accepted help getting out of his Mercedes at the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – despite the agony he was in.

After practice on Friday he complained that he felt "sore", before later revealing that he had needed physiotherapy and acupuncture as his back was in "a real mess". The race was the worst part, though, as 51 continuous laps had the Briton complaining that the pain was "killing" him.

After stopping his car in Parc Ferme, Sky Sports cameras captured live the struggle he had getting out of his Mercedes . When he eventually clambered out of the cockpit, he sat on the side of the car's halo and held his back, making little attempt to mask his discomfort.

‘F1 Agony Rule’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...-rule-27213024


‘You’re just praying for it to end’ – Lewis Hamilton suffers back pain after Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Sunday 12 Jun 2022 5:57 pm
Callum McAvoy

Lewis Hamilton has described the physical agony he suffered during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Mercedes’ ‘porpoising’ problems continue. Hamilton was voted Driver of the Day after finishing fourth in Sunday’s race that was won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after both Ferraris retired through mechanical issues.

“I can’t express the pain that you experience particularly on the straight here and at the end you’re just praying for it to end. But we’re in such a good position still, third and fourth is a great result for the team. They did a really good job with the strategy and once we fix this bouncing we’ll be right there in the race.”

‘We’re losing at least a second because of the bouncing for sure. I’ll be at the factory tomorrow; we’ve got to have some good discussions and keep pushing.’

‘Praying for it to end’;

https://metro.co.uk/2022/06/12/f1-le...o=newsnow-feed


'Lewis Hamilton is just built different' - Mercedes driver praised as he struggles through back pain
Sunday 12 June 2022 14:30
Ronan Murphy

Lewis Hamilton was in major pain at the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with many F1 fans left worried about his health. Hamilton visibly struggled to get out of his Mercedes at the end of the 51-lap race after earlier radioing his team to tell them that his back was "killing" him.

Race fans were shocked by footage of Hamilton after the race, with the driver barely able to get out of his car due to the back pain caused by extreme porpoising on the street circuit in Baku.

Many praised Hamilton's perseverance, which saw him named 'Driver of the Day' but other F1 fans believe the seven-time champion should have not been put into a position where his back could be damaged so badly.

‘W13 Bouncing, “Killing Him”.’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...rix-back-pain/


Wolff admits reserve drivers could be on standby amid Hamilton back pain.
Toto Wolff has some concerns about how the bouncing that is affecting Mercedes' cars is impacting Lewis Hamilton in particular, with the seven-time World Champion reporting back pain during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.
13/06/2022, ‎07‎:‎00
Author RacingNews365 Staff
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Wolff acknowledges that the impact of the bouncing has been "really bad" for Hamilton, and believes that a solution for the problem needs to be found. "We've just got to find a solution," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365.com.

"At that stage I think he's maybe the worst affected from all drivers, but pretty much everyone – as far as I understood from the drivers – said that something needs to happen, but I couldn't give you an explanation for what that is."

"He's the one that is probably the worst affected, but generally it also affects George [Russell] and many others. So the solution could be to have someone on reserve, which we anyway have at every race, to make sure that our cars run."

‘Reserve Driver Available Every Race’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-admi...lton-back-pain


6 drivers who could replace Lewis Hamilton with Brit ace a doubt for Canadian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton could miss next weekend's Canadian Grand Prix due to the back pain caused by porpoising during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, according to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff
19:15, 12 JUN 2022
BY Nick MurphySports Reporter

Mercedes have six possible replacements for Lewis Hamilton if the British ace misses next week's Canadian Grand Prix, as has been suggested by team principal Toto Wolff. Wolff hinted after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that Hamilton, 37, could skip F1's return to Montreal as he continues to battle with back problems caused by the Mercedes' extreme porpoising.

David, son of former Williams and Toyota star Ralf, is currently competing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series, where admittedly he's not having the best of seasons.

But crucially, he is driving for Mercedes. That means there's a small chance - about the size of one of F1's marbles - that he could get the nod to replace Hamilton in Canada. Fingers crossed.

‘Small, Size of an F1 Marble, Chance’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...ts-f1-27213230

Binotto: Not surprised, certainly concerned, somehow disappointed.
“I cannot blame the team, because I know what has been the effort they have put in order to address the performance from the past. I know it’s a long journey.” Mattia Binotto.
13 June, 2022
Jad Mallak

Ferrari entered the 2022 Formula 1 season with a decent piece of kit with the F1-75, that has proved to be the fastest car on the grid, especially in the hands of Charles Leclerc, evident by his six pole positions so far this season.

“I would rather prefer to have good performance and try to fix reliability rather than vice versa,” a defiant Binotto added. His last statement somehow makes sense, as with the power unit design being frozen until 2025, only reliability-related upgrades are allowed.

Ferrari don’t seem to know what exactly happened with their drivers, as when asked if they have pinpointed what went wrong, Binotto revealed: “Honestly not, we still need to analyse and understand. Looking at the two cars, they had different problems. Carlos mentioned where it was coming from. We’ll look at the hydraulic system and hopefully we’ll identify it. Charles had a different issue, certainly engine related.”

‘Mattia Binotto; Analyse and Understand’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/06...-disappointed/


Azerbaijan GP: Charles Leclerc 'hurt' after Ferrari engine failure as Mattia Binotto urges patience
Last Updated: 12/06/22 5:38pm
By Megan Wellens

Charles Leclerc was disconsolate after retiring from the Azerbaijan GP; Max Verstappen won to extend his world championship lead; Carlos Sainz also retired on a dismal day for Ferrari

Charles Leclerc has pleaded with Ferrari to solve their engine woes after revealing the "hurt" caused by his latest retirement at Sunday's Azerbaijan GP.

"It hurts. We really need to look into that for it not to happen again. I can't really find the right words to describe this," said Leclerc, who dropped below Perez to third in the world championship standings.

‘Disconsolate Charles Leclerc, Patient Mattia Binotto’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...urges-patience


Ferrari felt 'very strong' ahead of Leclerc DNF – Binotto
13/06/2022 at 09:48
Phillip van Osten

Mattio Binotto believed that proper tyre management of the low-degrading hard compound could have perhaps allowed Leclerc to keep the Dutchman at bay. "Indeed it was still a very long race, we needed to manage the tyres to the end," he said.

"The tyre degradation on the hard what we saw was very little. So if we could have made the hard survive, it would have been the right call, but obviously, we do not have the answer to that.”

"We will get the numbers and I'm pretty sure everybody will have a look at it to have a forecast of how the race would have finished. But we felt very strong, certainly in the lead with a strong tyre. And Charles was very happy with the car behaviour."

‘Tyre Degradation’;

https://f1i.com/news/444661-ferrari-...f-binotto.html


No clear answer for Ferrari
13/06/2022
NEWS STORY

Suffering its first double DNF of the season, Mattia Binotto admits concern at the reliability that threatens his team's championship hopes. "Is that something we had in the past? I don't think so, but maybe yes, and we do look as well at what happened to our customer teams.”

"But I don't think only with the telemetry data we can have a clear answer to the problem. The components will be shipped back to Maranello and as usual, disassembled to try to understand and to fix them as soon as possible. Is it something which is down to quality, reliability, whatever else, usage? I don't know yet," he admitted. "But I think it's no doubt that when you've got so many reliability problems, there is a concern.”

"In terms of performance, the redesign of the full power unit, we made a fantastic job," he insisted. "But that means as well that overall, in terms of product, there is still very little experience and certainly I think in terms of reliability, still there is progress which is required."

‘Reliability Problems a Concern’;

https://www.pitpass.com/72777/No-cle...er-for-Ferrari


Ferrari target 'quick fixes' after woeful Azerbaijan reliability
Monday 13 June 2022 14:09
Sam Hall

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is hopeful the Scuderia can discover some 'quick fixes' following its horror show in Azerbaijan.

A hydraulic problem for Carlos Sainz and a power unit failure for Charles Leclerc forced Ferrari into its first double retirement from a lack of reliability since 2009.

There were additional problems for Ferrari-supplied Haas and Alfa Romeo as Kevin Magnussen and Zhou Guanyu also suffered with suspected PU problems.

‘Ferrari’s Additional Problems’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...x-reliability/


Ferrari throwing away F1 title as Mercedes issues reach critical mass - What we learned at the Azerbaijan GP
Monday 13 June 2022 12:15
Ewan Gale

Ferrari reliability will prove costly in championship battle. Oh Ferrari, what happened again? More heartbreak for Leclerc who was forced into retirement from the lead for the second time in three races after suffering from gremlins at the Spanish Grand Prix two races ago.

Mercedes porpoising hits critical level. Lewis Hamilton was barely able to climb from the cockpit of his W13, holding his back as he straddled the halo. The seven-time champion was in clear discomfort when talking to the media post-race, grimacing his way through questioning, still holding his back.

F1's latest political battle takes centre stage. Russell's complaints about porpoising led to a debate in the drivers' briefing in Baku over whether tweaks could be made to the technical regulations going forward. Horner suggested that teams were urging their drivers to "bitch" about the issues, implying that those struggling to get to grips with the problem were seeking an easy way out.

‘Title throwing, Porpoising Critical’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...at-we-learned/

FIA warned against leaving F1 drivers 'with a walking stick at 30'.
Pierre Gasly has warned that F1 drivers could end up with a walking stick by the time they are 30 if the FIA backs them into a corner over health and performance.
Monday 13 June 2022 09:30
Ewan Gale

Throughout the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, cars bounced viciously down the longest flat-out section on the 22-race calendar, with numerous drivers complaining of back issues, most notably Lewis Hamilton.

Gasly, whose AlphaTauri was another car badly affected, said: "I need to find someone to give me a massage. Really, I am extremely tight. Every morning, my cervicals [first seven bones in the spine] and my upper body, I have never been as tight driving an F1 car and it has never been brutal as this track from the first race I have done in F1.”

"Obviously, it is car set-up related. We knew coming here we went quite aggressive but it was pretty intense." Gasly added: "It is not healthy, that is for sure. I have had physio before and after every session, just because my discs are suffering. With literally no suspension, it is going through your spine.”

‘Physio Before & After’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/84...walking-stick/


Gasly fears F1 drivers 'will end up with canes' due to porpoising
13/06/2022 at 17:08
Phillip van Osten

AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly is urging the FIA to save drivers "from ending up with a cane" due to the potential physical effects of F1 cars' porpoising. "The team is asking me, 'OK, we can compromise the set-up?' and I'm compromising my health for the performance. And I'll always do it, because I'm a driver and I always go for the fastest car I can.”

"But I don't think FIA should put us in a corner where you got to deal between health and performance," he said. "That's the tricky part of it, and clearly not sustainable. So that's what we discussed at the drivers' briefing and kind of alerted them on this problem, and try to ask them to find solutions to save us from ending up with a cane at 30 years old."

"Also sometimes the car is moving on its own, just because the steering is shaking," Gasly said. "At such speed, it's not easy. I don't think they can fix something until the end of the year. But hopefully for next year."

‘Shaking Steering, Moves Car on its Own’;

https://f1i.com/news/444728-gasly-fe...orpoising.html


Gasly says focus on minimising mistakes paid off after “perfect weekend”
2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Posted on 13th June 2022, 10:52
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

Pierre Gasly says he insisted his AlphaTauri team focus on avoiding mistakes before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he scored his best result of the season so far. Ahead of the Baku race, Gasly told his team they had to cut out the errors. “Coming into this weekend I really insisted, from all of us, to focus on minimising the mistakes and just execute the best weekend we could with the package we had,” he said. “And that’s what we did: P6 in quali, P5 in the race.”

Gasly ran fourth at one stage but was unable to keep Lewis Hamilton behind after the Mercedes driver used a late Virtual Safety Car period to fit a fresh set of hard tyres. Gasly did not have another set left for the race.

Gasly’s race engineer Pierre Hamelin advised him not to get drawn into a prolonged battle with Hamilton. “I think we knew that the target at the start of the race would be we’ll see what happens with Lewis but, if they were faster than us, not to waste too much time or kill our tyres too much,” Gasly explained.

‘Minimising Mistakes, Cutting Out Errors, P5 Result’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/06/13/...rfect-weekend/


AlphaTauri’s Guillaume Dezoteux: “We’ve got mixed emotions here in Baku today”
June 12, 2022
By Jordi Wood

Guillaume Dezoteux, AlphaTauri’s Head of Vehicle Performance explained the team’s “mixed emotions” following the weekend.

“We are all extremely happy to achieve a great, and well-deserved, fifth place with Pierre. However, we are very disappointed for Yuki, who lost a possible sixth position due to mechanical damage around the rear wing DRS mechanism and flap. The race was intense and following a strong first stint on the medium tyre, we decided to use the opportunity of the first Virtual Safety Car period to pit both cars and switch to hard tyres“.

“For Yuki, the mechanical damage meant we were forced to stop and repair the issue, losing many positions,” Dezoteux explained. “We apologise to him, he did a fantastic job this weekend and deserved this result. Anyway, this weekend boosts our morale. We have been able to close the gap to sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship and the target is to confirm this good form in Canada next week”

‘Mixed Emotions’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...in-baku-today/


Pierre Gasly: 'Top five is a really incredible result' in Baku
12 Jun 2022
Formula 1.

A highly satisfied Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri reflects on his P5 finish in the 2022 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, after the Frenchman endured an "endless" final stint in Baku.

‘Incredible Result’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...262617926.html


“I tried to defend against Lewis the best I could” – Pierre Gasly
June 12, 2022
By Jordi Wood

Scuderia AlphaTauri‘s French driver Pierre Gasly, fought Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team‘s oldest statesman Lewis Hamilton for fourth-place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Unfortunately, Hamilton was much too fast for the Frenchman.

Gasly’s team decided not to change tyres when a late Virtual Safety Car, the second of the race, was implemented. Hamilton on the other hand, did pit for fresh tyres making Gasly an easy target. Despite just missing out on fourth, Gasly was extremely pleased with fifth-place and enjoyed his battle with Hamilton.

“It’s been pretty incredible for us today. Finishing in the top five is really good, especially considering how the start of our year has played out. We’ve not had that much luck so far, so it was important to get a clean weekend, which is what we’ve achieved here in Baku.”

‘Tried to Defend P4’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-pierre-gasly/


Gasly reflects on battle with Hamilton after 'perfect' weekend
‎12‎ ‎June‎ ‎17‎:‎35
Author Luke Murphy
Co-author Dieter Rencken

After taking fifth place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly believes he stood no chance of holding back Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages of the race. Speaking after the race, Gasly argued that fighting with Mercedes was a testament to how well-executed their race weekend was.

"It's been pretty much the perfect weekend from our side and it came right on time," Gasly told media, including RacingNews365.com. "After the start of the year where we've been quite unlucky and had a lot of incidents and mistakes.

"Coming into this weekend [we] really needed to focus on minimising the mistakes and just execute the best weekend we could with the package we had. That's what we did; P6 in qualifying, P5 in the race.

‘Fighting Mercedes, a Testament to a well-executed race’;

https://racingnews365.com/gasly-refl...erfect-weekend