Motorsport

Subterms

    More stories

    • 238 Shares139 Views

      in Motorsport

      Lewis Hamilton bounces back from US GP disqualification to finish second in Mexico but yet again trails champ Verstappen

      by

      LEWIS HAMILTON’S end-of-season revival continued with a second-place finish in Mexico.The Brit, who was second the previous weekend in Austin at the US GP — only to be disqualified for a worn skid-block — was again the best-of-the-rest behind winner Max Verstappen.
      Max Verstappen claimed his 16th win of the seasonCredit: Reuters
      However the Dutchman was left fuming with race control at one pointCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton finished secondCredit: AFP
      Kevin Magnussen’s fiery crash led to a red flag
      The Dutchman has now won 16 of this season’s 19 races in a relentless display of crushing domination.
      But there are green shoots of optimism in the Mercedes garage that maybe next year the team will be fighting him for victories.
      Verstappen’s victory came as his team-mate Sergio Perez suffered a first-lap crash that left him fighting for his Red Bull future.
      And Haas’ Kevin Magnussen had a 140mph shunt into the barriers that saw the race stopped as marshals fixed them.
      READ MORE IN F1
      Verstappen made a great start and split the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who started ahead of him, as they powered into turn one.
      He started to inch ahead while his team-mate Perez tried a bold move down the left-hand side of the track.
      But there was not enough room for the Mexican, too late on the brakes, leaving Leclerc with nowhere to go.
      The Ferrari man was squeezed by Perez and the front wing pierced the Red Bull, ripping open the bodywork and sending the Mexican bouncing into the run-off area, sparking a huge collective groan from the home fans.
      Most read in Motorsport
      He did limp back to the pits but his team decided to retire his car.The incident left Leclerc with a damaged front wing which played into Verstappen’s hands as he pulled out a 1.5-second lead by the end of the first lap.
      Ferrari were the last of the front runners to pit and, when Leclerc stopped for fresh tyres on lap 32, Verstappen had amassed a whopping 17-second lead.
      But this race was flipped on its head on lap 33 when Magnussen slammed into the barriers when his rear suspension broke.
      Magnussen climbed from his cockpit with a sore wrist but the stewards red-flagged the race to repair the barriers.
      Fuming Verstappen snapped over the team’s radio: “That’s a joke! Red flag for what? I saw the car was a bit on fire but it’s already all cleared.”
      The stewards opted for a standing restart but Verstappen shot away from the chasing pack as Hamilton took his time to size up a move on Leclerc.
      The seven-time world champion took his opportunity on lap 40 into turn one, taking advantage of the DRS to breeze past the Ferrari and into second place.
      However, Hamilton was no match for Verstappen’s pace as the Red Bull man left the rest of the field for dust.
      Lando Norris produced the drive of the day with a sensational performance from 17th to fifth.
      Like Mercedes’ improved performance, McLaren’s late form has been one of the talking points of the season.
      Meanwhile, Perez’s DNF will only turn up the heat on speculation that he could get the boot at the end of the year — despite Red Bull insisting they will stick with him.
      The Mexican said: “I had a tremendous start and the gap was there.“I would be really disappointed being on the podium knowing I had a chance for the lead and did not take it.
      “I totally went for it. I am very sad with the result but on the other side, I am really proud of myself because I went for it.”
      His team-mate Verstappen said: “It’s been incredible. Of course Checo retired on Lap 1 but the crowd stayed and they have been amazing. Incredible.
      “We are experiencing an incredible season. Today, we started P3 but the pace of the car was very, very good.
      “We tried to do a different strategy to everyone else but unfortunately with the red flag we couldn’t show it, but nevertheless with the hard tyres we were very strong.”
      Read More on The Sun
      Hamilton said after the race: “I feel fresh, we weren’t having to push crazy hard out there. But this is a great result considering we started sixth.
      “Really proud of the team. This is a really difficult couple of weeks and to bounce back after a difficult weekend last weekend with the end result, this is really well done.” More

    • 213 Shares159 Views

      in Motorsport

      F1 Mexico Grand Prix LIVE RESULT: Magnussen car on FIRE after 140mph crash, Lewis Hamilton seals SECOND

      by

      MAX VERSTAPPEN has won the Mexico Grand Prix ahead of Lewis Hamilton.The lively race was halted mid-way through following Kevin Magnussen crashing out with his car in flames.
      Hamilton picked up second with Charles Leclerc third.
      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
      Red Bull domination continues
      Max Verstappen continues to flourish at the Mexico Grand Prix.
      He has won this race, for the third time in a row, for his fifth win in the country.
      It certainly seems to be one of many circuits he enjoys.
      Credit: AFP
      Credit: AFP
      Lando is a firm fans’ favourite
      Lando Norris is voted as the ‘driver of the day’ once again.
      Finishing in fifth spot from where he started, nobody will argue.
      This is fast becoming the ‘Lando Norris award’.
      Credit: @F1
      Verstappen keeps setting the pace
      Max Verstappen has broken his own record for wins in a season.
      The Red Bull driver just keeps rewriting the script in Formula 1.
      Credit: @F1
      Mexico Grand Prix results
      Another exciting F1 race in Mexico City today.

      Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
      Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
      Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
      Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
      Lando Norris (McLaren)
      George Russell (Mercedes)
      Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri)

      Fantastic drive by Lando Norris, starting in 18th place and finishing in 5th place.
      Max Verstappen wins the Mexico Grand Prix
      Lap 69/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Russell makes a slight mistake on the corner as he gets out of position and Norris jumps on the chance.
      Rare to see anyone taking a place on that bend but Lando Norris has proved us all wrong.
      The McLaren now sits in fifth place.
      Credit: Splash
      Lap 67/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Norris is in the slipstream of Russell now.
      Using DRS he looks to take his chance but the Mercedes is trying his best to hold him off.
      Still plenty of time for the McLaren to make its move.
      Lap 65/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      All the main battles now are taking places behind the front three.
      As it stands, Ferrari have third and fourth positions.
      Verstappen is just enjoying a little Sunday drive now as he looks a certain for a 16th win of the season.
      Meanwhile, Norris is on the team radio saying “I know Russell is all or nothing, we just have to be patient.”
      Lap 63/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Lando Norris is putting himself in line for ‘driver of the day’ again.
      He has moved up to sixth spot as he takes Ricciardo.
      The McLaren will be looking to get George Russell in his sights now.
      Lap 61/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      As we head into the final 10 laps of the race, only three drivers have bowed out of this race.
      Perez, Magnussen and Alonso are all retired.
      Fernando Alonso opted to go for the less dramatic exit route as he just drove into the pit lanes.
      Credit: Getty
      Lap 59/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Verstappen has moved to 11.7 seconds ahead of Hamilton.
      Leclerc will be looking to start putting in some faster lap times to take on the Mercedes who has older tyres.
      The Ferrari is out on hard compounds while Hamilton is on medium tyres.
      Lap 57/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Lando Norris is driving like a demon at the moment.
      He has got himself up to 8th spot now and has his teammate in his sights.
      Norris will be looking to catch Ricciardo in 6th spot now.
      On the team radio, Piastri is told to let Norris pass unless he feels he has enough to take on the Australian.
      Piastri lets Norris go by, which the British driver acknowledges on the team radio with a ‘thank you’.
      Lap 55/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Tsunoda is still raging about how his race has been ruined by that coming together.
      There will be no love lost between him and Piastri after the race.
      Sergio Perez is the Red Bull enclosure, forced to watch this race, not how he expected his day to go.
      Lap 53/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Hamilton is 4.7 seconds ahead of the Ferrari of Leclerc.
      He must realise it is just about holding onto this position unless Verstappen makes a monumental error.
      The Dutch driver has a 9.7 seconds lead on the Mercedes.
      Lap 51/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Tsunoda is able to get straight back onto the circuit but is all the way down in 16th place now.
      He is not a happy bunny, as he goes onto the team radio, every other word is bleeped out.
      Meanwhile, Russell is starting to put some pressure on Sainz in fourth.
      Credit: Splash
      Lap 49/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Verstappen’s lead now stands at 7.2 seconds, sending a big message to Hamilton’s idea of creating some pressure.
      Piastri and Tsunoda come together as the latter tried to take him in seventh place but the McLaren holds him off.
      A few corners on, the two come together again, sending Tsunoda spinning off the track.
      Lap 47/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Lando Norris is trying to work his way up the field now.
      Some good driving skills there to get passed Ocon up into 11th.
      There were millimetres between the two cars on that corner.
      Lap 45/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Max Verstappen is just focussed on what he is doing and not anything going on behind him.
      He seems to just be putting in faster and faster laps.
      The Red Bull driver has extended his lead to 4.5 seconds now.
      Piastri, Ricciardo and Russell are having a great battle for fifth, sixth and seventh positions.
      There is just 1.5 seconds separating the three drivers.
      Lap 43/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Some ballsy driving from the Mercedes’ driver to get passed Leclerc.
      Lewis Hamilton will want to put some pressure on Verstappen now.
      Currently, the Red Bull has a 3.6 second lead.
      Lap 41/71 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
      Russell is complaining of Sainz weaving in front of him.
      Hamilton almost ends up on the grass as he looks to take on Leclerc.
      A load of dust and sparks are thrown up in the air as he edges ahead of the Ferrari.
      Credit: Getty
      Lap 39/71 – Verstappen leads, Leclerc second
      If anyone ordered entertainment, we certainly have had it in Mexico today.
      Most of the Mexican fans seemed to lose interest once Sergio Perez crashed out on the first corner.
      George Russell is now in fifth position so he has benefited from this restart.
      Lap 37/71 – Verstappen leads, Leclerc second
      We have our second ‘lights out’ of the day which is rare.
      This is like two mini races in Mexico City today.
      Hamilton tried to take Leclerc on the first corner but the Ferrari driver managed to hold him off.
      Mexico Grand Prix restarts
      Drivers return to the track
      Race to resume shortly
      The race is due to begin with a standing start in the next five minutes or so.
      Fortunately, Magnussen is okay and the track has been cleared.
      A lot of fans here in Mexico have started to leave now Sergio Perez is out of this race.
      Magnussen’s car was looking in a right state.
      Credit: @F1 More

    • 238 Shares99 Views

      in Motorsport

      Mexico GP SUSPENDED after Kevin Magnussen’s car bursts into flames after crashing out and driver taken to medical centre

      by

      FORMULA ONE’s Mexican Grand Prix has been suspended after Kevin Magnussen’s car burst into flames. The F1 star’s Haas car crashed into the barriers after a suspected suspension failure when driving over a kerb which saw him lose control and violently shunt into the wall.
      RED FLAG 🚩Flames pour out the back of Kevin Magnussen’s Haas after he collided with the barrier 😲Thankfully Kevin is out of the car 🙏 pic.twitter.com/sA2fS0OcaN— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 29, 2023

      Kevin Magnussen’s Haas burst into flames after crashing into the safety barriersCredit: Splash
      Magnussen’s Haas was in a sorry state following the crash
      The rear of the car burst into flames after the crash
      Magnussen exited the car without incident following the crash between turns 7 and 8.
      The car could be seen in a horrible state, with its rear wing in tatters and the front right wheel crumpled out of shape.
      However, as he sat on the side of the track the back of the car could then be seen on fire.
      After initially throwing up a yellow flag race control then upgraded this to a red flag in order to properly deal with the damage caused to the barrier.
      READ MORE IN F1
      Magnussen walked to the medical car to be taken to the medical centre for standards observations following the crash.
      In a statement Haas F1 said: “An update on Kevin: He’s at the medical centre and after a check-over is ok, but is being kept a little while longer just for observations.”
      There had been 33 laps of the 71 lap race at the Mexico City circuit completed at the time of the crash, with a further two completed under a safety car before the race was temporarily suspended.
      However, it was soon deemed safe for the remaining cars to get back underway at 3:13pm local time with the race resuming from a standing start.
      Most read in Motorsport
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
      Magnussen, 31, was not the first driver to retire from the race.
      Under pressure Red Bull driver Sergio Perez was forced to retire one lap into his home race after a hole was punched into his sidepod when trying to overtake Charles Leclerc on the outside of turn one.
      The racing incident echoed the crash Lewis Hamilton was involved in at the Qatar Grand Prix two race weekends ago.
      Haas confirmed Magnussen was okay shortly after the crashCredit: Splash
      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

    • 188 Shares149 Views

      in Motorsport

      Racer rushed to hospital after horror smash on Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 understudy Liam Lawson’s return

      by

      SUPER FORMULA’S season finale weekend came to an abrupt halt after a horror crash that sent a racer to the hospital.Liam Lawson, who had been racing in Formula One as Daniel Ricciardo’s injury replacement at AlphaTauri, was making his return to the motorsport after his F1 stint.
      Two racers were involved in a big crash in Super FormulaCredit: X @MotorsportTV_UK
      Hiroki Otsu and Ukyo Sasahara collided at Suzuka’s 130RCredit: X @MotorsportTV_UK
      The contact saw both hurtle towards the barriersCredit: X @MotorsportTV_UK
      One of the cars damaged the catch fence which led to the race being red flaggedCredit: X @MotorsportTV_UK
      However, his race ended after just four laps as racers Hiroki Otsu and Ukyo Sasahara were involved in a violent crash.
      The race at Suzuka circuit in Japan was red flagged after the two cars smashed in the barrier and damaged the catch fence, which resulted in the decision to not restart the event.
      Otsu had attempted to overtake Sasahara at the famous 130R for 17th, but his Nakajima Racing car made contact with Sasahara’s TOM’S, sending both spiralling into the barriers.
      Sasahara’s car was also sent hurtling into the catch fencing behind the barriers with the impact tearing off the rear of his car.
      READ MORE IN MOTORSPORT
      The 27-year-old was taken to hospital after the incident and diagnosed with a concussion.
      Autosport report he is being kept in overnight as a precaution and won’t participate in Sunday’s finale.
      Further checks will be made on him in Tokyo before a decision is made on his participation in next week’s Super GT season finale.
      Replacement driver Otsu, 29, will also miss the Super Formula weekend despite walking away from the crash with only minor bruising because there is insufficient time to repair his car.
      Most read in Motorsport
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
      After the crash Otsu said: “In the early laps I passed several cars and it felt like I had the pace to go even further if I continued that way.
      “But while I was using the Overtake System I went side-by-side with another car [Sasahara], we made contact and crashed. 
      “As a replacement driver, my main priority was to return [Naoki] Yamamoto’s car in good condition, so I’m sorry for the team about the damage to the car.
      “Even though we didn’t do many laps I hope they were able to take something positive from it.”
      Repairs are set to be completed 8pm local time, allowing Sunday’s finale to proceed as planned.
      Following the red flag, the race results were rolled back to the end of lap three with half points awarded.
      Lawson lost ground in his title bid after finishing P6, with Tomoki Nojiri winning the race as Ritomo Miyata and Kakunoshin Ota completed the podium.
      Championship leader Miyata is 15 points ahead of Lawson in the standings. More

    • 263 Shares139 Views

      in Motorsport

      Rebecca Donaldson shows off her incredible figure in lime bikini on the beach after being linked to F1 star Carlos Sainz

      by

      REBECCA Donaldson appears to be in pole position as she takes to the beach for a swimwear shoot.The Scottish model, 28, wore a lime bikini and matching bag for Aussie brand Sea Level Swim.
      British model Rebecca Donaldson shines in a swimwear photoshoot for Sea LevelCredit: Sea Level Swim
      Rebecca won her first beauty pageant at just 17 years oldCredit: Capture Media Agency
      She was linked to Ferrari F1 driver Carlos Sainz, 29, after they were seen together in June.
      The UK based model briefly dated Kourtney Kardashian’s ex-husband Scot Disick.
      Last month, Rebecca’s lover Carlos was robbed of his £500,000 watch just hours after his third-place finish in the Italian GP.
      According to reports in Italy, the Ferrari driver was targeted by thieves near the Armani hotel in Milan around 8:30pm.
      READ MORE CELEB NEWS
      However, Sainz, who was still in his Ferrari kit, chased them with members of the public, who saw the robbery take place.
      The Spanish driver managed to catch the robbers and recover the precious Richard Mille watch while police have now arrested two suspects.
      Britain’s Lando Norris had his £144,000 Richard Mille robbed from him after England’s Euro finals loss to Italy.
      But the young racer never got the watch back and a man was found not guilty of robbery.
      Most read in Motorsport
      Rebecca has been linked to Ferrari F1 driver Carlos SainzCredit: Splash
      The pair were seen together in June More

    • 225 Shares109 Views

      in Motorsport

      Lewis Hamilton admits F1 rival Sergio Perez in ‘difficult environment’ with Red Bull ‘not helping him at all’

      by

      LEWIS HAMILTON says he feels Sergio Perez has been put in a “difficult environment” because he does not have the full backing of everyone in his team.Hamilton was quizzed by Fox Sports ahead of this weekend’s Mexico Grand Prix with pressure forming on Red Bull’s Mexican driver.
      Sergio Perez has endured a difficult season at Red BullCredit: Reuters
      Lewis Hamilton believes the Red Bull driver has not had the full backing of his teamCredit: AP
      Perez was recently criticised by Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko, who apologised for his comments towards him.
      Perez, 33, is second in the drivers’ championship but faces uncertainties about his future even though the team are adamant he IS staying for next season.
      Hamilton has now waded in and said: “I think that his team is not helping him at all.
      “I know that Red Bull is made up of many members, but there are people who affect him psychologically and do not support him.
      Read More on F1
      “If I heard such negative things about myself every weekend it would be very difficult.
      “So he is in a very complicated environment for him, but I think he knows how to deal with it.
      “I haven’t experienced exactly something like what Sergio is going through, but as a driver I understand the psychological and mental pressures.
      “It is something very heavy that falls on you and it is very difficult to explain it in words.
      Most read in Motorsport
      FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
      “I think he has great support around him, he is taking care of himself very well.
      “I was very excited for him at the beginning of the season, because he was driving so well.
      “I even think that at some point he led the drivers’ championship and I thought ‘we are finally seeing the best of Checo’, but it is a very long year and a very long season.
      “This is a very demanding sport, but what I can highlight most about Perez is that he always recovers, gets up and keeps trying.
      “Something I can assure you is that Mexico is going to show itself this weekend.
      “When I was at Silverstone I was very motivated and it will surely be something that will happen to him.”
      Meanwhile, Max Verstappen says he has employed bodyguards this week to help him navigate a “really, really busy” paddock at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
      Hamilton has a similar figure who helps him navigate the crowds at each GP.
      When asked about it in Mexico, Verstappen, 25, said: “I mean, why not?
      “I have a bit more security here. But there are always a few countries around the world where it’s very busy, also here in the paddock.
      Read More on The Sun
      “For example, last year, it was really, really busy to get from your hospitality to the garage.
      “And it just helps also to make it a little bit smoother on track, off track, travel from your hotel, and stuff like that. [But] I feel very safe.” More

    • 225 Shares139 Views

      in Motorsport

      Max Verstappen leaps to F1 rival Lewis Hamilton’s defence as he pleads with FIA to make rule change

      by

      MAX VERSTAPPEN has called on the FIA to make a change after Lewis Hamilton was disqualified at last week’s US Grand Prix.Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had finished P2 and P6 respectively before they were disqualified after being found to have run illegal floors.
      Max Verstappen called on the FIA to make a change following the US GP disqualificationsCredit: Rex
      Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both disqualified for running illegal floorsCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
      Verstappen said more cars should be checkedCredit: Getty
      The skidblock, or planks, that run along the centre of the car which are designed to protect it from scraping along the floor have to be a certain thickness.
      Hamilton claimed his penalty came after his rear end skidblock failed to make the minimum requirement by 0.05mm.
      The seven-time F1 champion fumed ahead of the weekend’s Mexican GP that more cars should have been checked due to his belief that more than 50 per cent of the cars would have been illegal.
      Martin Brundle was critical of the FIA ruling following the race.
      READ MORE IN F1
      And this sentiment was echoed by champion Verstappen.
      Speaking to media ahead of the race in Mexico, the reigning champion said: “Of course nobody tries to do it on purpose, but because of the Sprint format, you only have one practice session to nail everything.
      “Once you are in the wrong [set-up], there’s nothing you can do, the only thing you can is bump on the tyre pressure – but then you’re driving around on balloon tyres.
      “It is not what you want to see for them, but also as a team, we know that dropping the car gives you that performance, but it is because of the whole format that you put yourself in that position because normally, I don’t think anyone would in a normal weekend.
      Most read in Motorsport
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
      “The problem is that it is just impossible to check everything but the thought process from every team is that no-one wants to be illegal, no-one sets the car up to be illegal.
      “With the random checks that get carried out, I mean sometimes it is the top four, sometimes it is in the middle of the field, that is just how it goes.
      “You can’t check every car for every single part, otherwise we need 100 more people to do these kind of things, but I think the only thing is that if you check one car, and it is illegal, you should check the other one as well.”
      Verstappen, 26, has reportedly been assigned bodyguards during his time in Mexico City owing to fans blaming him for the struggles of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez this season.
      The Dutchman – now a three-time F1 champ – is well known to not be a fan of the Sprint race format.
      F1 bosses are considering “radical” new plans to spruce up the weekends when they come around, including a reverse grid race.
      However, Hamilton has previously been critical of such an idea, while now-retired four-time F1 champ Sebastian Vettel did not mince his words and labelled it “bulls***” in 2019.
      In the week since the US GP in Austin, Texas, Hamilton has thrown a party for his beloved dog Roscoe and announced a new career move with a non-alcoholic spirit called Almave.
      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

    • 263 Shares109 Views

      in Motorsport

      Lewis Hamilton fumes that half of his F1 rivals got away with ‘ILLEGAL’ cars after Grand Prix result ‘tainted’ the sport

      by

      LEWIS HAMILTON says the decision to strip him of second place in last Sunday’s US GP has “tainted” the sport.The seven-time world champion felt that all the good progress F1 has made to crack the States was partially undone following the confusing ruling hours after the chequered flag in Austin.
      Lewis Hamilton was left dismayed by the FIA’s rulingCredit: Rex
      Hamilton and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc were disqualified after measurements on the skid blocks under their cars exceeded the maximum wear limit.
      The sport’s governing body, the FIA checked only four cars and two failed the test, earning an instant disqualification, much to the confusion of fans across the globe.
      Hamilton said: “The sport really had such an amazing weekend, such a great turnout and great race and then everytime we step forward with the sport, something like that really taints it.
      “So going forward, we really need to do something and hopefully they will learn in the future.
      READ MORE ON F1
      “Rather than checking everybody and over 50 per cent of the cars failing – and I would have put all my money on it – maybe we could change the skid or the floor on the Saturday night so you don’t have this ridiculous event afterwards.”
      Hamilton claims the skidblocks, used to keep the cars off the ground – and provide the sparks on TV, have little if any performance.
      He added: “There are far more drivers’ cars that were illegal and the skid block is not a performance element.
      “Of course if you have a flat surface, everyone is going to go as low as possible, it is just that some cars handle the bumps better than others.
      Most read in Motorsport
      FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
      “We have had a very stiff and bumpy car for two years and ultimately it failed the regulation.
      “It was just terrible over the kerbs, if we would have raised the car it would have passed the test.”
      Hamilton team-mate George Russell added: “We did all of the standard checks after FP1 and the plank looked absolutely fine.
      “So there was no reason after the practice session to make any changes, but obviously, we got that very wrong.”
      Lando Norris, who was promoted to second place in lieu of Hamilton’s disqualification, felt the FIA should have checked all the cars.
      Norris’ McLaren DID pass the same check as Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars, and said: “They should have done [the whole grid]. It can always bite you one day.
      “It’s unlikely that two cars are that different. So if one car is illegal, then there is a high chance that the other car is.”
      Lando Norris was promoted to P2 after Hamilton’s disqualificationCredit: Splash More