Leclerc wins Bahrain GP as Verstappen retires near the end
Formula One champion Max Verstappen’s title defense turned into a nightmare when the Red Bull star retired near the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix and Ferrari clinched a 1-2 with Charles Leclerc winning ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton took an unexpected third place after Sergio Perez’s Red Bull also retired with the finish line in sight as the race finished under a yellow flag.
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Hamilton positive for COVID-19, will miss F1's Sakhir GP
FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020 file photo Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain gestures after taking the pole position after the qualifying session at the Formula One Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. World champion Lewis Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the Sakhir Grand Prix this weekend, his Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team said Tuesday Dec. 1, 2020. (Hamad Mohammed, Pool via AP, File)SAKHIR – Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix. The Mercedes team said it would announce a replacement driver later in the week. Hamilton is the third F1 driver to test positive for COVID-19 this season, following Sergio Perez at Silverstone and Lance Stroll in Germany.
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Hamilton clinches record 7th F1 title with win at Turkish GP
Hamilton now stands alongside F1 great Michael Schumacher on seven titles, having replaced the German driver at Mercedes in 2013. Vettel and Hamilton pitted for new tires on Lap 9, followed by Stroll, Perez and Verstappen three laps later. At the restart Hamilton tried to overtake Vettel but locked his tires, while Albon passed Hamilton and Vettel to move into fourth spot. Halfway through the race, Stroll and Perez were ahead of Hamilton but losing ground. Stroll came in for new tires on Lap 37 and Hamilton used DRS to get past Perez one lap later and take the lead.
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Hamilton chases F1 record again as Schumacher's son debuts
Officially, the German Grand Prix is on hiatus this year, and this race — a late replacement on the coronavirus-affected calendar — is called the Eifel Grand Prix after a nearby mountain range. As many as 20,000 fans could attend, making it the best attended race of the season apart from the Russian Grand Prix. NEW GENERATIONIt's been eight years since Michael Schumacher's last F1 race, and now his son will officially be part of an F1 race weekend for the first time. Michael Schumacher hit his head on a rock and sustained severe brain injuries which left him requiring constant care. When Hamilton and Michael Schumacher last raced together at the Nürburgring in 2011, there were six Germans on the grid including then-world champion Sebastian Vettel.
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4-time Formula 1 champion Vettel signs with Racing Point
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany steers his car during the Formula One Grand Prix at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept.6 , 2020. (Jennifer Lorenzini, Pool via AP)LONDON Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel will drive for Racing Point starting next season. The team said Vettel has signed for the 2021 season and beyond" but did not reveal the length of the contract. Vettel has won 53 grand prix races, a tally only surpassed by Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Its a new adventure for me with a truly legendary car company," Vettel said.
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Hamilton sets fastest lap in F1 history to take Monza pole
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after clocking the fastest time during the qualifying session for Sunday's Italian Formula One Grand Prix, at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. (Jennifer Lorenzini/Pool via AP)Lewis Hamilton set the fastest Formula One lap ever to grab pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, nudging Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas into second place by just 0.069 seconds on Saturday. Defending champion Hamilton raced around the 3.54 miles (5.79 kilometers) of asphalt at the so-called Temple of Speed in the fastest lap recorded in the sport at 164.267 mph (264.362 kph). That eclipsed Kimi Raikkonens one-lap record of 163.785 mph, set by the former world champion on his way to pole at Monza two years ago. But its a reality at the moment for us unfortunately.Vettel finished 17th after being hampered by traffic on his final lap.
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Bottas on pole for Silverstone GP ahead of teammate Hamilton
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland steers his car during the qualifying session at the 70th Anniversary Formula One Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit, Silverstone, England, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein,Pool)SILVERSTONE Valtteri Bottas edged out Mercedes teammate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton to claim pole position Saturday for Formula One's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. It gave Bottas his first pole since the opening race of the pandemic-delayed season in Austria, which he went on to win. Hamilton won the next three races from pole, including last weekend in the British GP, to extend his championship lead over Bottas to 30 points in his quest for a record-equaling seventh world title. Giuseppe Farina drove an Alfa Romeo to victory at Formula Ones first world championship race, here at Silverstone 70 years ago.
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Hamilton takes pole position for British GP ahead of Bottas
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after he clocked the fastest time during the qualifying session for the British Formula One Grand Prix at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020. (Will Oliver/Poolvia AP)SILVERSTONE Lewis Hamilton set a new track record at the British Grand Prix and clinched a record-extending 91st pole position on Saturday. He was .313 seconds ahead of Bottas and about 1 second faster than Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Earlier, Bottas posted the fastest time in third and final practice ahead of Hamilton and Verstappen in somewhat cooler conditions following Fridays stifling heat. We definitely miss the fans.Mercedes won the first three races, Bottas clinching the season-opener in Austria and Hamilton winning the next two in Austria and Hungary.
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The Latest: 3 more MotoGP races canceled because of virus
The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Three more MotoGP races have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. MotoGP says the races in Argentina, Thailand and Malaysia are off for this year. ___Britain has reversed course and now says spectators will not be able to attend sporting events in England because the coronavirus infection rate is rising. The Oval cricket stadium in London has been used as a test for fans returning in the last week. ___Formula One driver Sergio Perez says he might have contracted the coronavirus during a trip to Mexico between races in Hungary and Britain.
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Stroll quickest at 2nd British GP practice; Vettel struggles
Racing Point driver Lance Stroll of Canada steers his car during the second practice session for the British Formula One Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit in Silverstone, England, Friday, July 31, 2020. (Bryn Lennon/Pool via AP)SILVERSTONE Lance Stroll led the second practice for the British Grand Prix on Friday while struggling Ferrari had another bad day, with Sebastian Vettel spending most of it stuck in the team garage. Stroll finished fourth at the Hungarian GP two weeks ago for Racing Point, which uses Mercedes engines and has been showing good pace this season. There's a lot of heat coming from the cockpit, the championship leader Hamilton said right at the end of a session held amid hot and humid conditions. The second session was interrupted half way through when Albon span off the track and slammed backward into the crash barrier.
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F1's pandemic pause spurs Hamilton to race on for 2-3 years
The coronavirus has hit the Silverstone race with Sergio Perez forced out after testing positive on Thursday. After dominating the Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this month, Hamilton then accused Grand Prix Drivers Association director Romain Grosjean of failing to convince the grid to be united in kneeling before the race. But he also apologized to Hamilton for indicating that it might have been the wrong call. Romain originally reached out to me and we had a great conversation, added Hamilton. Red Bulls Max Verstappen and Ferraris Charles Leclerc are among those drivers who have stood rather than taking a knee.
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Sergio Perez out of Formula One British GP with coronavirus
All rights reserved.) Formula One driver Sergio Perez is out of Sunday's British Grand Prix after testing positive for the coronavirus. The Racing Point driver, who is Mexican, will now go into isolation. The race on Sunday will be the fourth in the pandemic-affected season that should have begun in March. ___More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports