Formula 1 Was Alonso really heading for pole? Mark Hughes’ view Fernando Alonso is pretty sure he was heading for Australian Grand Prix pole when his Alpine failed on him and crashed. Mark Hughes assesses that claim and Alpine’s progress
Formula 1 The epic F1 series Leclerc and Verstappen can add themselves to Should Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen’s early 2022 Formula 1 title fight play out across the full season, it will become the latest in a series of epic head-to-head duels in the championship’s history
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: How Red Bull and Ferrari compare in Melbourne New cars on a new track layout with a new surface around half its length, but Mark Hughes’s Friday analysis finds a very familiar-looking 2022 competitive order with Ferrari and Red Bull too close to call, and Mercedes struggling badly with porpoising
Formula 1 What upgrades have F1 teams brought to the Australian GP? Formula 1 teams have declared their Australian Grand Prix updates as part of the new ‘show and tell’ format introduced for the 2022 season. Mark Hughes explains what’s new and what it’s all intended to achieve
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: The key factors in Verstappen’s defeat of Leclerc There was very, very little to choose between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, Red Bull and Ferrari in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and Leclerc seemed to have it under control. Mark Hughes explains how and why that changed
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Where Perez beat Verstappen and Leclerc The first pole of Sergio Perez’s F1 career, in qualifying for the 2022 Saudi Arabian GP, came at the 215th attempt. It was an effort that had his closest challenger – Charles Leclerc – in awe considering how good his own lap had been
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Will errors hurt Ferrari enough to let Red Bull in? Ferrari looked strong again on one-lap pace in practice for the Saudi Arabian GP, as Charles Leclerc topped both sessions. Might he and Carlos Sainz regret the FP2 crashes that stopped them doing any long runs, though?
Formula 1 The Saudi GP upgrades F1’s latest ‘show and tell’ revealed Formula 1’s second Friday ‘show and tell’ reveals which teams have brought upgrades for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Mark Hughes runs through the changes declared by all 10 teams
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Sainz risks becoming Leclerc’s wingman Ferrari is revelling in its 1-2 – but Carlos Sainz is well-aware he was second-best to Charles Leclerc all weekend in Sakhir. Mark Hughes looks at why
Formula 1 Mark Hughes explains the roots of Red Bull’s defeat The disastrous end to Red Bull’s Bahrain Grand Prix could be traced back to decisions made in winter testing. The defeat it was already heading for was down to Ferrari brilliance and the tyre issues that still hamper Formula 1 racing
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: What pole fight reveals about Ferrari and Red Bull Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen’s Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying laps speak volumes about Ferrari and Red Bull’s relative strengths and the potential 2022 Formula 1 title rivals’ driving styles
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Only Ferrari can keep Red Bull in sight A lot is hanging on Ferrari in making the Bahrain Grand Prix a closely-fought one. It is the only team which looks it may have the pace to make Red Bull fight for it – as Mercedes is simply not in the mix
Formula 1 What first ‘show and tell’ reveals about F1 teams’ upgrades Formula 1 teams are compelled to reveal their upgrades – and details about them – at each grand prix for the first time. Mark Hughes explains what they’ve each brought to the Bahrain GP
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Red Bull usurps Ferrari as Mercedes trails Red Bull’s final-day Formula 1 testing upgrade moved it ahead of Ferrari as the team looking strongest. Mercedes is not currently in their league. More on that and the rest of Mark Hughes’ in-depth analysis of the Saturday times
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: How Ferrari and Mercedes really compare right now Mercedes reckons Ferrari is in great shape in Formula 1 testing. Ferrari reckons Mercedes is very deliberately hiding its pace via power unit tricks. Mark Hughes digs into the data to search for the true picture, and where Red Bull fits in
Formula 1 Who’s thriving, and who’s toiling, with F1 2022’s car demands F1 2022’s competitive order remains unclear – but some teams are clearly handling its biggest challenges better than others right now
Formula 1 F1 didn’t anticipate Mercedes’ ‘extreme’ 2022 sidepods – Brawn Ross Brawn has admitted F1 didn’t anticipate Mercedes’ “extreme interpretation” of the rules with its new sidepods which have caused a stir in Bahrain
Formula 1 New driver choice could show if Haas is still serious about F1 Now Haas has to replace Nikita Mazepin, its driver choice will show whether it’s serious about Formula 1 success or just a business asset its owner is happy to let drift, says Mark Hughes
Formula 1 Why new Aston F1 chief sees ‘blatant’ BMW-Sauber parallels as key BMW Sauber’s infamous development decision in 2008 disillusioned Mike Krack from Formula 1 with corporate targets overriding the racing realties. Now he’s back with Aston Martin and is keen to help them avoid a repeat as Mark Hughes explains
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Verstappen’s Button-esque new driving style Reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen appears to have adopted a new driving style as pre-season testing commences. Mark Hughes explains more
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: What the F1 2022 cars are really like trackside Watching the new F1 cars for the first time trackside leaves now doubt just how staggering the 2022 rule changes really are
Formula 1 Reading between the lines of Hamilton’s F1 retirement thoughts How seriously did Lewis Hamilton consider walking away from Formula 1 after 2021, and how might the feelings he still carries affect 2022? Mark Hughes gives his take on how Hamilton presented his off-season deliberations
Formula 1 Whiting’s calm, pragmatic sidekick Blash is just what F1 needs Charlie Whiting’s long-time assistant Herbie Blash is back in Formula 1’s race direction set-up as a ‘permanent advisor’. It’s a great decision, says Mark Hughes
Formula 1 Teams’ designs are already subverting 2022 F1 rules’ purpose The 2022 Formula 1 rules are specifically intended to make overtaking easier, but it already looks like teams’ designs are going to counteract that
Formula 1 Mercedes and Red Bull’s contrasting handling of Masi is key As the F1 Commission prepares to hear the FIA’s verdict on the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix controversy, Mark Hughes explains the subtle but significant differences in how Red Bull and Mercedes tackled their conversations with race director Michael Masi
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: McLaren’s unconventional 2022 suspension explained The launch of its 2022 car has revealed that McLaren has reversed a Formula 1 suspension convention change that was started by Red Bull in 2009. Mark Hughes explains how it’s different.
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Newey’s genius solutions to F1’s last big resets The lateral thinking Adrian Newey deployed in his designs for the previous biggest rule changes in Formula 1 history set standards everyone else had to scramble to follow. As we wait to see what Newey’s come up with on the 2022 Red Bull, Mark Hughes revisits Newey’s 1998 and 2009 game-changers
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: F1 drivers should decide their own strategy Formula 1 should put the onus on drivers rather than the pitwall to decide on strategy based on the available data, argues Mark Hughes
Formula 1 More Ferrari, less Dallara – Haas’s 2022 F1 design explained Haas has always had a unique design method compared to its Formula 1 rivals, and it’s a process that has changed again for its brand-new 2022 car
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: F1’s new engine freeze has a crucial difference The engine freeze concept returns to Formula 1 for 2022. The previous version was a success, but this time the consequences for anyone who’s got an element of their power unit wrong could be greater
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: The F1 cost cap’s loopholes and likely flashpoints Formula 1 is relying on fear of unspecified huge penalties and whistle-blowers to ensure grey areas in the cost cap rules aren’t exploited. But rules cannot control what people think about
Formula 1 Williams F1 team splits with its engineering director Williams has parted company with its Formula 1 engineering director Adam Carter, who had effectively taken technical control in the aftermath of Paddy Lowe’s 2019 departure
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: The make-or-break element in the 2022 F1 rules The new 2022 F1 car design regulations have been the big topic of discussion – but they may be only the second most important factor in determining whether the upcoming campaign is a success
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Hamilton/FIA stand-off has echoes of Senna Anyone with Formula 1 memories stretching back as far as pre-season 1990 may be feeling a sense of deja-vu as the current stand-off between the FIA and Lewis Hamilton plays out
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Where the 2021 F1 title was really won and lost Abu Dhabi was the final chapter but Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s 2021 Formula 1 title fight wasn’t just decided by one controversial race. Mark Hughes digs into where each of the rivals let points slip – and why – during this epic season
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: What happened in Hamilton’s ‘down years’ Why did it take Lewis Hamilton so long to follow up his maiden F1 title? Mark Hughes revisits the seven-time champion’s ‘wilderness’ era
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: How F1 2021 team-mates stacked up in qualifying Mark Hughes crunches the qualifying numbers from the 2021 Formula 1 season to see who triumphed in each intra-team battle
Formula 1 Vettel in full: Society, activism and why F1 risks ‘disappearing’ Sebastian Vettel speaks candidly about the issues that concern him most, from Formula 1’s slow response to the climate crisis to the poor human rights records of the countries that F1 visits
Formula 1 Car or driver? Inside Red Bull’s F1 title-winning 2021 gains Red Bull became the first F1 team in the hybrid era to produce a car capable of battling – and beating – Mercedes throughout a season. Mark Hughes examines how the team and Honda pulled it off, and if the RB16B deserves more praise than it sometimes got from its own team boss late in the year
Formula 1 How Ferrari recovered from its bruising 40-year F1 low After a miserable 2020 season, Ferrari took a big stride in its journey back to the front of the Formula 1 field in 2021. Mark Hughes details the improvements the team made this year
