Red Bull Racing

GEORGE RUSSELL believes that Max Verstappen is “whinging” about Formula 1’s new 24-race calendar… because he wants more money.The reigning world champion is unhappy with the new, longer schedule – and hinted that it could make him think twice about extending his current deal and staying in the sport.
George Russell joked about Max Verstappen’s ‘whinging’Credit: Getty
Verstappen is tied to a £40million a year contract with Red Bull up to 2028, when he will be 31.
Reacting to the extended schedule, the 25-year-old team-mate of Lewis Hamilton said: “I think it is a bit more logical the way that it is planned at least, I guess that is better for everyone.
“But more things will have to come together for me to make my mind up over whether I stay longer or not. But I think that these things are definitely not helping for sure.”
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Russell wasn’t taking Verstappen’s retirement threat all too seriously.
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He said: “I think he’s whinging because he wants more money!
“He’s the highest paid on this grid and rightly so for what he’s achieving but even so, I think it’s all a big tactic of his, that threat of retirement.”
Verstappen has won five consecutive races, with Red Bull having so far swept this season’s calendar.
Mercedes ace Russell, however, wants him to stick around.
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He added: “I hope he doesn’t (retire), I hope he stays for as long as I stay because I want to fight against the best drivers in the world.
“I’m head-to-head with Lewis at the moment and I want to be doing that with Max and Charles (Leclerc) etc and I think we’re in a really great place at the moment as a sport.”
On the extended schedule, Russell likened it to “working overtime”.
He said: “It is challenging, we can’t just keep adding more commitments, more races, there’s got to be a point where if you are adding something somewhere, something has got to be taken off.
“Maybe at the moment we’re just adding more races and not having less commitments, so you are just working overtime.”
This season’s F1 calendar consists of 23 races, compared to 19 as recently as 2015 – while the Covid-modified 2020 campaign had 17.
Next season’s schedule will see the Chinese GP finally make its return – with F1 stars having last raced in Shanghai back in 2019.
Formula 1 is finally set to return to China next yearCredit: EPA More

LEWIS HAMILTON earned a ticking off from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff as he was left for dust by Max Verstappen.The Dutchman blasted his way to his fifth straight win and took the fastest lap bonus point on the final lap.
Max Verstappen won again in AustriaCredit: Getty
Lewis Hamilton had another disaster dayCredit: AP
It was a clean sweep, having qualified on pole and taken victory in the sprint race the previous day.
Verstappen is simply unstoppable and now has an 81 point lead in the championship over Sergio Perez, who finished third, despite starting in 15th.
Verstappen said: “Most important was staying in front and doing my own race and follow our normal strategy. It was a great day, I enjoyed it a lot.
“I don’t like to think of [another title]. I have to keep working with the team. A lot of things can go wrong, but a lot of things went right this weekend.”
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Charles Leclerc was second in a much-needed boost for Ferrari while Lando Norris was fifth behind Carlos Sainz.
Hamilton was seventh, but was left unhappy after falling foul to the stewards, who punished him with a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.
Verstappen made a good start from pole and was able to cover off the threat of Leclerc and Sainz as the two Ferraris looked to make progress.
Hamilton was next in line but he did not have the pace to keep up with the front three.
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He quickly found himself in a battle for fourth with Norris, who was quick to report that the Mercedes man was sliding off track.
Hamilton was not happy and radioed his team saying “this car’s slow, mate”.
A few laps later he added, “I can’t keep it on the track, the car won’t turn”.
The seven-time world champion was soon hit with a five second time penalty by the stewards for running wide at the final turn.
Hamilton was unhappy and started questioning whether Perez was also being penalised.
In a series of radio exchanges, Hamilton vented his frustration saying “this guy’s been off every single time. Turn 10. Again”.
Meanwhile, Verstappen was not having any problems sticking between the white lines.
And when he pitted from the front on lap 25 for fresh tyres, it was the first time he had not been the race leader in the last 248 consecutive laps.
It was an impressive run that stretched from lap 47 in the Miami GP some five races ago.
However, it was not too long before he was at the front again. He passed Sainz on lap 26 and then sailed past Leclerc on lap 35.
While Verstappen was untroubled, Hamilton was unhappy and earned a rebuke from Merc boss Wolff over the team’s radio.
Hamilton again asked to find out why others were not being penalised, and Wolff cut in saying “Lewis the car is bad, we know. Please drive it.”
Hamilton served his penalty on his second pitstop and that killed off any lingering hope of an unlikely podium.
But there was a good fight for the final podium place as Perez and Sainz battled for third with the Mexican coming out on top.
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Yet there was time for a huge flex from Verstappen as he pitted on the penultimate lap for new tyres.
His Red Bull team executed the perfect pitstop and he was able to go and set the fastest lap on the final lap.
Red Bull put in another strong displayCredit: Reuters More

LEWIS HAMILTON has suggested a radical rule change to Formula One in order to close the gap to runaway championship leader Max Verstappen. Two-time world champion Verstappen has won six out of eight races this season, with only Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez able to claim race wins over him this season.
Lewis Hamilton has suggested a radical rule change to bridge the gap to Max VerstappenCredit: Getty
Hamilton has been chasing the Dutchman’s tail all seasonCredit: Splash
The dominance of Red Bull since the return of ground effect car designs has been plain to see, but Hamilton has lobbied for a radical change to level the playing field.
Speaking ahead of the weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix – Red Bull’s home race – Hamilton suggested selecting a set date to allow teams to work on next season’s car development.
He said: “Red Bull are already focusing on next year because they’re so far ahead and don’t need to change this year’s car.
“So the FIA should set a time when everyone is allowed to start developing next year’s car. 
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“Say August 1, so that no one can get an advantage, because that sucks.”
When Hamilton was quizzed about his own era of domination at Mercedes, which saw him win six world titles from seven, he replied: “We never started as early as them.
“It needs to change because what we have now is why you get dominance for so long, and they keep allowing it to happen. 
“Ferrari were ahead and the same thing happened there, the same with Red Bull and Seb (Vettel) back in the day.
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“They start earlier so they are always ahead.”
However, Verstappen – who is well on his way to a third title in a row – hit back at the suggestion.
The 25-year-old shot back by saying: “We were not talking about this when he was winning his championships, right, so I don’t think we should now.
“That is how Formula One works. When you have a competitive car it is great, but at some point you have to look ahead to the following year.
“A lot of things in life are unfair. You just have to deal with it.”
Hamilton, 38, recently made a shock appearance in a Stormzy music video.
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AMID all the celebration over Red Bull’s 100th win and Max Verstappen equalling Ayrton Senna’s record of 41 victories, there was a wonderful humble interview with Adrian Newey.Much was made about Verstappen being on the podium with fellow multiple champions Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.
Adrian Newey has designed F1 cars responsible for 200 victoriesCredit: Rex
Fernando Alonso, Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey, Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ ace Lewis Hamilton are all legendsCredit: AFP
Combined they have a total of 11 world titles, but to their right stood a man who has designed cars that have won 13 titles.
With Red Bull’s victory in Canada, he can now lay claim to having designed F1 cars that have achieved an incredible 200 wins.
“It’s been an amazing journey,” said Newey. “My dream always from a kid was to be in engineering and motor racing.
“So when I got my first job in motor racing and got my first salary, that was really the big moment. Everything else has been a bonus.”
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Newey’s first job in F1 came in 1988 when he was signed as chief designer for the March f1 team.
But his first win came at the 1991 Mexican GP with Nigel Mansell’s first place for Williams.
He added: “They’re [the wins] obviously all special. The ones that of course stand out are the first one in Mexico, and then the ones where the championship has gone down to the wire.
“You can argue that is the end of the championship, so, of course, it’s that race – Abu Dhabi with Sebastian [Vettel] against Fernando, 2010] and then Max against Lewis [Hamilton, 2021].”
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The crucial part of the interview on Sky F1 came when he was asked about when he would call time on his career.
Newey is now 64 and he gave a surprising answer, saying the “countdown” to his F1 retirement had “realistically” started.
He said: “I’m lucky enough to be doing what I have always wanted to do and enjoy the job. I’ve loved it.
“Of course, my career can’t go on forever, so I think as long as the team want me and I keep enjoying it, I’ll keep going.
“But that’s got to be…realistically, it’s on a countdown. Exactly when that day is, I don’t know.”
Put simply, Red Bull – and indeed Vettel and Verstappen’s successes are down to Newey’s car designs – and that makes him in my eyes the most important man in F1.
To hear him even mention retirement will be a concern for all those at Red Bull.
But for the rest, and I mean this in the nicest sense, it could be somewhat of a blessing, as others get the chance to win again.
Another FIArce
IT would not be a proper F1 race weekend without some bizarre decision from the FIA and in Montreal Lando Norris fell victim.
Brit Lando Norris picked up a bizarre penalty at the Canadian GPCredit: Getty
Inexplicably the stewards delved into their unfathomable rulebook to pluck out a five-second penalty for “unsportsmanlike conduct”.
Only I am not even sure the crime exists within the rules. Surely, they aren’t making it up as they go along again?
Claws for concern
THEY say Red Bull “gives you wings” but I am not sure they mean the ones Max Verstappen picked up in Canada.
On his way to glory, Verstappen struck a bird midway through the race, which got lodged in the cooling ducts for his brakes.
It had to be removed by one of the mechanics after the race, who pulled out half a bird’s carcass with a wing attached.
Ricc to what you are best at
IT really is depressing watching the supremely talented Daniel Ricciardo reduced to performing TV stunts for a living.
The Aussie, who for reasons unknown to himself, turned down the chance to drive in F1 this season to become Red Bull’s reserve driver and marketing clothes-horse.
In Canada he was co-hosting a live watch-a-long with the race alongside Canadian actor Will Arnett, which Sky F1 dubbed “Gogglebox for F1”.
Please, Daniel, get back to racing cars, it’s what you are best at…
Jor-dropping MotoGP title hunt
IF you are finding F1 a procession, maybe switch on the MotoGP, for it was another thriller.
In Germany at the Sachsenring, Jorge Martin crossed the line just 0.064 seconds ahead of world champion Francesco Bagnaia.
Martin is now just 16 behind Bagnaia in the championship.
Honda woes rise
MORE worrying times for Honda after Marc Marquez’s inexplicable crash during warm-up for the German MotoGP.
The Spaniard slid off track and crashed into Johann Zarco during last Friday’s practice.
The collision ripped the Pramac Racing bike in two. It has led to concerns about the Honda machinery.
LCR Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami said: “I couldn’t see anything wrong with his riding. The speed was good. I didn’t see, from behind, that he did anything wrong.
“But he lost the rear. The bike doesn’t stop that spin. I was scared because we use the same bike!

“It’s going downhill and I was losing it, a couple of times, having the same feeling.
“It was difficult to manage. The bike had less grip. We need to find a solution for a safer bike.” More