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      Max Verstappen sets fastest pace in French Grand Prix final practice with Lewis Hamilton back in third behind Bottas

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN set the pace in practice for the French GP – with Valtteri Bottas breathing down his neck.The Red Bull man, who leads the drivers’ championship from Lewis Hamilton, was just 0.008 seconds quicker than under-fire Bottas.
      Red Bull ace Max Verstappen is well placed to boost his title lead, but Lewis Hamilton was slower than Mercedes team-mate Valtteri BottasCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes are pondering ‘every option, to try to solve their problems after practice in FranceCredit: Getty
      Disgruntled Hamilton was third having swapped chassis with Bottas and admitted he was struggling at the Paul Ricard Circuit.
      He said: “It was quite a struggle this week for everyone.
      “Maybe it was because the inflated tyres, which are higher than ever before and we are all sliding around.
      “I am looking at every option and we have made lots of changes and done a lot of analysis but we won’t know if that works until we go out in P3.”
      Bottas, who has Hamilton’s chassis from Baku, added: “It is hard to say it is chassis or the track but there is a lot better feeling than two weeks ago.
      “We have started on the right foot and I feel pretty comfortable.
      “The balance is good and the tyres are working well.
      “I am confident with the car and I can trust it as well. It is going to be close.
      “We were expecting Red Bull to be strong. I am sure they have much more to come and so do we.”

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      Meanwhile, Merc boss Toto Wolff played down the suggestion that Hamilton and Bottas’s performance has swapped as a result of the chassis change.
      He said: “We swap parts around all the time and it is part of our planning.
      “It is good to get the feedback but we have a spare chassis, which is a new one, we can always use that.”
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      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      F1 French Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Latest updates as practice gets UNDERWAY – stream, TV channel, UK start time

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      THE FRENCH Grand Prix is HERE!Champion Lewis Hamilton will be aiming to bounce back with the Brit star slipping to four points behind leader Max Verstappen.

      Start times: Practice sessions from 10.30am BST today
      Qualifying: 2pm tomorrow
      Race time: 2pm Sunday
      TV channel: Sky Sports F1

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      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…

      RICCIARDO’S STRUGGLES CONTINUE
      It was another bad day for Daniel Ricciardo in practice.
      He was the 14th fastest, four places behind McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.
      He’s finished in P7, P6, P9, P6, P12 and P9 in the first six races of the season.
      Can the 31-year-old turn his form around in France?
      SHOCKER FOR ASTON MARTIN
      Aston Martin did not have a good FP2 ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix.
      Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll were 15th and 16th fastest, with only the Williams and Haas drivers going slower.
      It’s a far cry from two weeks ago, when Vettel finished P2 at the Azerbaijan GP.
      FINAL STANDINGS IN FP2

      KERBS CAUSING CHAOS
      Final element from FP2 is that Red Bull have asked to remove the kerbs that cost Verstappen some bodywork at Turn 2.
      A frank exchange between the team and race director, Michael Masi.
      Red Bull: “It is a huge penalty for going wide – penalty is around ÂŁ100,000.”
      Masi: “Teams have asked for physical limits, they were there in 2019…I will have a look at it”.
      FP3 IS DONE
      Verstappen leads and looks good.Bottas looks inspired and revived.Hamilton unhappy in third place and said so.Alonso a surprise in P4 but getting up to speed for Alpine.
      BOTTAS IS LOOKING STRONG IN FRANCE
      And boys does he need it. Questions about his future. Two races with no points. Down in sixth place in the championship.
      He knows he needs a win this weekend before the pressure builds.
      VERSTAPPEN TOPS FP2 PEREZ IN 12TH

      ALONSO REDISCOVERING FORM
      It has not been the return to F1 he wanted, as he has been soundly beaten by his teammate. But there are signs he is getting back up to speed.

      HAMILTON UNHAPPY
      He radios his team and says: “There is something not right with the car, man!”
      BOTTAS STILL LEADS HAMILTON
      Remember, there was that curious decision from Mercedes to swap their chassis over for this race.
      Unusual to do it. Even more strange to announce it. Perhaps a way to show there is no preferred driver? Or to give under performing Bottas a lift?
      CHARLES LECLERC GOING FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE POLES
      But this could be one race too much. Ferrari were fortunate in Monaco and Azerbaijan, but they are off the pace in France so far.
      They have some work to do if they are to catch the Mercs and Red Bull.

      BITS FALLING OFF VERSTAPPEN’S CAR
      He runs over the kerbs and a part breaks off. Red Bull immediately radio race control to request the part is returned to the garage.
      That’s Red Bull wanting to protect their upgrades from prying eyes and to reattach it to Verstappen’s car.

      SPIN FOR MAZEPIN
      Death, taxes and spins for the Russian, as the Haas driver loses grip and slides around.
      DIZZYING PAINT WORK AT PAUL RICARD
      The red, white and blue painted lines is all rather striking but this track has so far served up two dull races in 2018 and 2019.
      Both of those won by Lewis Hamilton, who is going in search of his hatrick.
      FP2 IS GO IN FRANCE
      It was a Merc 1-2 in the morning session. Can Red Bull find a way back?
      DEFLATEGATE
      Lewis Hamilton’s rivalry with Max Verstappen has blown up with F1’s very own deflategate.
      Verstappen was sent crashing out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when his tyre burst without warning, sending him into a wall at 200mph.
      And Hamilton said: “Every weekend whenever there is a failure, they always put the pressures up – so that tells you something.
      “More often than not, [it’s] that the tyres are not being run at the pressures that are being asked. We didn’t have a problem with our tyres.
      “I think Pirelli have done a great job with the tyres this year, they’re more robust than before, and I think in this particular instance, I don’t think Pirelli are at fault.”
      But Verstappen shot back: “The only thing I can say is from our side the team did everything like they should have done. Pirelli cannot put the blame on us, and I think they have to look at themselves.”
      ALL EYES ON PIRELLI
      A major subplot following Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll’s crashes in Baku has been the Pirelli tyre failures that caused them.
      Both the teams and tyre manufacturer claim no fault in the high-speed smashes with Pirelli blaming lower pressures and errors in data simulations.
      Pirelli’s head of F1 and car racing Mario Isola said: “What happened in Baku is simply that the running conditions expected were different compared to the actual running conditions – and that created the failure.
      “When you have a lot of energy going into the tyres, with the pressure that is lower compared to the expectation, the result is that on the sidewall you have what we call standing waves.
      “Standing waves are putting a lot of energy into the inside shoulder of the tyre. And, at a certain point, the tyre breaks. That is what happened, and the reason why we had this situation in Baku.”
      LEW-SING OUT
      Lewis Hamilton has stated that Mercedes will look for a ‘long-term’ solution to the error that ended his Azerbaijan Grand Prix hopes.
      The Brit knocked his ‘magic’ steering wheel button that severely reduced his brakes at the restart in Baku, and moving the feature around the pad is no quick fix.
      Hamilton said: “I don’t even count it as a mistake.
      “You can’t always be perfect [but] a mistake is where you drive off the track through missing your braking point or hitting the wall. 
      “But it was an unforced error, really something we had that was sitting there that could have happened at any point and it unfortunately bit us pretty hard. But we learned from the experience and we move forwards.”
      SET YOUR WATCH
      The second and final session of the day gets underway in just over an hour from southern France.
      Stay with us for FP2 at 2pm.
      GROSJEAN KO
      Romain Grosjean was set to run this weekend in a Mercedes for an emotional final outing in an F1 car.
      The Frenchman missed the final weeks of last year when his Haas car was involved in a terrifying fireball crash in Bahrain.
      And he had been given the chance to enjoy a test with the Mercs at Circuit Paul Ricard.
      Yet Covid quarantine regulations and travel restrictions has meant a delay, with the team restating their commitment to giving Grosjean a proper send-off.
      VETTEL’S SPIN
      It was a rather hairy first practice in Le Castellet and chief among the incidents was Sebastian Vettel’s collision with the wall at Turn 10.

      TOP TEN IN FP1
      1. BOT – 1:33.4482. HAM – Three tenths back3. VER – Unable to put in clean hot lap on Softs4. PER – 1:34.193 on Hard tyre5. OCO – Joint-most laps on 25 with Perez6. RIC7. ALO8. GAS9. NOR10. TSU
      Credit: AP
      CHEQUERED FLAG
      That is the end of the first session and Mercedes will be quietly pleased with a one-two on the timesheets.
      Plenty more running to come and there is a strong feeling that those Red Bulls have a lot left in the tank.
      VERSTAPPEN GOES WIDE
      In chasing the FP1 honour, Max Verstappen has to bail at Turn 1.
      Mind you, no one has won the race after ‘winning’ first practice this season, so it’s maybe not the most prestigious of gongs…
      OCON ON FORM
      Esteban Ocon celebrating his new contract with Alpine and is sitting above Fernando Alonso after a quick lap.
      The Frenchman is fifth with Daniel Ricciardo, who really needs a good weekend, sixth.
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      Lewis Hamilton’s rivalry with Max Verstappen blows up as pair row over Pirelli tyre failures in Azerbaijan GP

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’s rivalry with Max Verstappen has blown up with F1’s very own deflategate.Verstappen was sent crashing out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when his tyre burst without warning, sending him into a wall at 200mph.
      Hamilton and Verstappen are fierce rivalsCredit: SPLASH NEWS
      Red Bull say they adhered to all the guidelinesCredit: RUETERS
      Tyre suppliers Pirelli say their investigation found no fault with the tyre and blamed “running conditions”, with the FIA responding by ramping up tyre pressures and checks for this weekend’s French GP.
      And while Red Bull say they adhered to all the guidelines, Hamilton cryptically suggested the problem WAS caused by Verstappen running lower pressures for more grip.
      And the world champion, who is second in the standings behind Verstappen, called on F1’s governing body to start policing it.
      He said: “Every weekend whenever there is a failure, they always put the pressures up – so that tells you something.
      “More often than not, [it’s] that the tyres are not being run at the pressures that are being asked. We didn’t have a problem with our tyres.
      “I think Pirelli have done a great job with the tyres this year, they’re more robust than before, and I think in this particular instance, I don’t think Pirelli are at fault.
      “At the end of the day, safety is always the priority and for me and for my team, there have been clear rules and guidelines as to where we have to operate.
      “So I was very surprised to see that [the FIA] had to clarify those, which obviously, you can take what you want from that.
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      “I’m happy that they have acknowledged that they need to clarify it but what’s really, really important from now is how they police it, because they’ve not been policing how the tyres are being used, tyre pressures, tyre temperatures, and we need to do better.
      “We need to see them really follow through and be really vigilant to make sure that it’s equal across the field.”
      Meanwhile, Verstappen hit back at his claim and adamant that Red Bull did nothing and that Pirelli should “look at themselves”.
      He added: “The only thing I can say is from our side the team did everything like they should have done. They followed all the guidelines with tyre pressures and stuff, so there was nothing to be found there.
      “[Pirelli] cannot put the blame on us, and I think they have to look at themselves.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      F1 French Grand Prix practice: UK start time, TV channel, live stream and race schedule from Circuit Paul Ricard

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      F1 heads to France with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen almost inseparable at the top of the world championship standings.In an incredible race in Azerbaijan, both drivers crashed out in the final three laps with victory in their grasp.
      Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen take their fight to France
      And that allowed Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez to pick up only a second ever race win.
      Following the race in Baku, Verstappen remains first in the world championship on 105 points, four points ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
      What time does the F1 French Grand Prix practice start?

      The F1 French Grand Prix race weekend takes place from Friday, June 18 to Sunday, June 20.
      FP1 in France commences at 10.30am UK time.
      This will be followed by FP2 at 2pm UK time.

      What TV channel is the F1 French Grand Prix practice on and can I live stream it?

      The F1 French Grand Prix is live on Sky Sports F1.
      Coverage commences at 10am on Friday, 10.45am on Saturday and 12.30pm on Sunday.
      To stream the race live, head to your Sky Go account.
      Non-Sky Sports subscribers can still watch all the action with a Now TV Day Pass from ÂŁ9.99.

      F1 French Grand Prix schedule
      Friday

      Free Practice One (10.30am)
      Free Practice Two (2pm)

      Saturday

      Free Practice Three (11am)
      Qualifying (2pm)

      Sunday

      Race (2pm) More

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      George Russell ‘enjoying the curiosity’ of speculation he will be named as Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate

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      GEORGE RUSSELL is “enjoying the curiosity” of speculation that he will be named as Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate next season.The Brit is effectively on loan at Williams from Mercedes but his contract – along with Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas – is up in December.
      Russell is on loan at Williams from MercedesCredit: REUTERS
      Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton could have Russell as a team-mateCredit: SPLASH NEWS
      The 23-year-old is expected to replace the under-performing Finn but as yet says he has received no contract from Merc boss Toto Wolff.
      He said: “Obviously I’m aware of all of the speculation but right now I’m just enjoying driving race by race.
      “I want to get my future nailed down at some point. I’m just focused on this weekend, the French Grand Prix and then into Austria.
      “The summer break is usually when these things sort of happen. For most people the summer break is where you get things set in stone.
      “I’m just focused race by race and just enjoying the curiosity of what’s to come. It’s sometimes exciting not knowing what the future holds.”

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      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info

      While Russell might be enjoying the unknown, Bottas is trying not to get sidetracked by the speculation about his future.
      When quizzed by SunSport if he expects to remain with the team next season, he said: “My gut feeling at the moment? I haven’t really allowed myself to think about that too much, because that can become a distraction, I’ve learned that.
      “So it will come at some point. And so, for now the gut is not saying anything. I just want to win races and get the results that I’m aiming for.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      Lewis Hamilton turns heads with unusual outfit and boots as F1 star arrives to French GP in search of bounce-back win

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      LEWIS HAMILTON turned heads with his colourful outfit and wacky choice of boots as he arrived at the French Grand Prix in search of a bounce-back win.The reigning Formula One world champion, 36, has endured a tricky start to 2021, compounded by his shock blunder late in Baku earlier this month.
      Hamilton arrived for this weekend’s French GP in a bright green and black ensembleCredit: Splash
      Hamilton paired what seemed to be wellies with a green hoodie, black jacket and shortsCredit: Splash
      Hamilton wore his bright green and black boots for his pre-weekend press conferenceCredit: Getty
      After Hamilton could only finish seventh in Monaco, he slipped to 15th in Azerbaijan.
      With the race forced to restart with two laps still to race, the Brit pressed his ‘magic’ brake button, effectively switching off his brakes.
      The uncharacteristic gaffe caused him to run deep in turn one – with Hamilton going from first to last place.
      But Hamilton is ready to get back to his best at the Circuit Paul Ricard.
      And he rocked a colourful outfit ahead of the weekend’s first practice session as he arrived with pet pooch Roscoe.
      Hamilton paired a bright green hoodie with a black and green jacket and black shorts.
      The seven-time world champion capped off the outfit with what looked like wellington boots, again in a luminous green and black.
      Hamilton will hope the outfit lifts his spirits after back-to-back struggles in Monte Carlo and Baku.
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      Hamilton arrived at the Circuit Paul Ricard with pet pooch Roscoe on ThursdayCredit: Splash

      But Mercedes reckon they’ve got to the bottom of the issue and hope to put up more of a challenge to Red Bull this weekend.
      The team’s technology director. Mike Elliot. said: “We went into the Azerbaijan GP knowing we were going to have some issues but probably not quite expecting to be where we were come Friday.
      “What we put in place was a series of tests to try and get more understanding.
      “And actually out of that have come a couple of theories, one that is really promising.
      “The other thing to bear in mind is both this circuit and Monaco are probably outliers and actually we’d hope not to have some of the issues we’ve had in the next couple of races.
      “Fingers crossed, we will be in a better position.”
      Hamilton currently sits second in the standings, four points adrift of Max Verstappen – who retired in Baku after his tyre exploded.

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      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      Toto Wolff reveals ‘mid-life crisis’ before Mercedes F1 career and thoughts of quitting amid Covid mental health strife

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      MERCEDES chief Toto Wolff has revealed he considered walking away from Formula One while struggling during the coronavirus lockdown.Having put together a hugely successful record as team principal of the seven-time double world champions, the Austrian has opened up on how he very nearly didn’t get into motorsport at all.
      Toto Wolff is guiding Lewis Hamilton in their latest world title bidCredit: PA
      After a career behind the wheel, the 49-year-old opened up on a ‘mid-life crisis’ he experienced before getting involved with the Williams F1 team just over ten years ago.
      Wolff told a University of Oxford discussion, via GPfans: “I found out that as someone who is more in the spotlight in front of a camera representing fantastic brands such as Mercedes and Petronas, I need to be authentic.
      “But I have also seen that when I see people that have, let’s say, more visible roles, you tend to think they are happy and have everything in their lives.
      “Good relationships, money and success… The truth is, that is not a universal rule.
      “I myself, before I joined F1, I had a real mid-life crisis. I didn’t know whether I should stay in finance or whether I should do something else and I found myself at the Monaco Grand Prix, by sheer coincidence.
      “For me, everybody who was there working for the teams was living just the perfect life, so fast forward 20 years and I find myself in the same situation.
      Covid came and I didn’t know if I wanted to continue in the sport, if I was a one-trick pony.Toto Wolff
      “We just need to understand that we all have bad days, bad weeks or bad months where we need to spend time with ourselves and comprehend what makes us happy and not.
      “I think this reflection helps you better understand how you want to structure your life.
      “Like many other people, I’ve struggled from mental health issues and I have a great team.
      “This is not a universal, ‘I am pathologically ill’, it is more that I acknowledge that all the best people I have worked with, they have down time.
      “And if they have a great group around them, the group will carry the ball. For me, that was last year.
      “Covid came and I didn’t know if I wanted to continue in the sport, if I was a one-trick pony or whether finance was where I wanted to come back [to].

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      “And for months, I couldn’t find an answer to my question and then you are not your best self.
      “In order to protect the organisation, in order to create the best possible framework, you need to look after yourself.”
      Wolff is guiding Lewis Hamilton towards a potential record-breaking eighth championship.
      And he paid tribute to the work of the entire Mercedes team in ensuring everyone is able to look after their mental health.
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      He continued: “This is something my technical director [James Allison] used when I said, ‘I am just not the best me and I will come back in a few days’.
      “He said, ‘Take all the time because when you come back, you need to sprinkle your magic dust. If you don’t feel like you can at the moment then that is okay, we will carry the ball’.
      “That is something that I found really reassuring and showed that the organisation that we have all been a part of is really strong, that if you need to put yourself out for a moment, someone else is going to carry the ball.”
      Contact the Samaritans
      If you have been affected by mental health issues and just want to talk, contact The Samaritans on 116 123. They are available for free at anytime.
      Or email https://www.samaritans.org/

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      Lewis Hamilton rules out move into politics after F1 career as Mercedes star says ‘I’m just trying to make contribution’

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has distanced himself from a future career in politics despite his continued success as a campaigner for equality.At 36, the beknighted Formula One world champion’s racing career is in its final stretch and speculation continues over what he will dedicate his time to when he lets go of the steering wheel.
      Lewis Hamilton has not been afraid to discuss political issues in recent yearsCredit: Getty
      The Brit has been invigorated by the increased calls for racial justice since the police killing of George Floyd in the United States.
      F1 has been compelled to enhance its own anti-racism message as a result with Hamilton regularly donning T-shirts in support of Black Lives Matter and the Justice for Breonna Taylor movement in the paddock.
      But he will not be pulling on a rosette and seeking election after he calls it a day in F1.
      Hamilton laughed when asked about the move by Corriere della Sera, and said: “No! I’m not good at politics.
      “I’m just trying to make my contribution, to find a way to get messages across.
      “To make sure my five-year-old nephew, and those of his generation, don’t live what we have. So that they find a more open world.”

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      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Hamilton is one of a growing number of sports stars getting involved in how society operates, alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford.
      Yet many of the great and the good stay away from potentially volatile political topics, something which the Mercedes star understands but feels shows a disconnect to the real world.
      Hamilton added: “Many don’t talk because they don’t know enough, and I respect them.
      “But I also don’t see why they can’t learn.
      We live in times when everyone comments on everything, sometimes without even trying to understand. Lewis Hamilton

      “We live in times when everyone comments on everything, sometimes without even trying to understand.
      “I was reading reactions to the war between Israel and Palestine, the majority are people who have never set foot in those places or who have not read anything.
      “There are those who say who cares and those who are worried, I feel responsibility.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More