Formula 1 Foundational or worrying? How to judge F1’s 2021 question mark Despite winning a race, Alpine’s fifth in the constructors’ championship was a relative under-performance. Mark Hughes assesses the team’s year and how its claimed focus on next year has impacted its fortunes
Formula 1 How good was Ralf Schumacher? Mark Hughes’ verdict An extreme initial driving style, a lot of paranoia, a very famous brother but plenty of talent – Ralf Schumacher definitely deserved his place in Formula 1. In an article requested by The Race Members’ Club, Mark Hughes assessed Ralf’s F1 career
Formula 1 Why F1’s ‘Green Mercedes’ tumbled backwards in 2021 Mirroring Mercedes’ design concept worked wonders for Racing Point in 2020, but when the regulation changes hit that philosophy, what had become Aston Martin couldn’t recover
Formula 1 How Williams’ peaky F1 design gamble paid off The car that began Williams’ recovery was still largely the terrible 2019 design. Mark Hughes explains a technical gamble that swapped ‘consistent but slow’ for the chance of occasional highs
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: A random piece of luck settled F1 2021 title fight Mercedes had a clear edge when it counted at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but then happenstance left Lewis Hamilton a sitting duck. Mark Hughes unravels an incredible 2021 Formula 1 finale
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Expected major exits mark major F1 power shift As of next season, F1 technical matters are to be transferred from FOM to the governing body, the FIA, with Pat Symonds and Ross Brawn likely to depart
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Where Verstappen found his stunning pole pace Red Bull went into Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying seemingly off Mercedes’ pace, yet it and Max Verstappen turned things around and beat Lewis Hamilton to pole. This is how
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Who really has the edge after Abu Dhabi Friday? Is Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen in best shape after Abu Dhabi Grand Prix practice? It’s not as clear as the headline times suggest, and both Mercedes and Red Bull have puzzles to solve tonight
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Ferocious Verstappen made Saudi F1 on the edge Max Verstappen’s drive of startling ferocity in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix left Lewis Hamilton mentally exhausted and Formula 1’s officials struggling to keep up. Mark Hughes breaks it down
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Mercedes’ weakness can give Verstappen a lifeline Should Max Verstappen actually start the Saudi GP in third, he’s still in a great place if Mercedes’ glaring weakness carries over
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: What gives Mercedes its slender Saudi advantage Mercedes has its nose in front of Red Bull on the evidence of the opening two Formula 1 practice sessions in Saudi Arabia. But what’s making the difference? Mark Hughes gives his verdict in his Friday analysis
Formula 1 Will remaining 2021 F1 tracks suit Red Bull or Mercedes? Will the remaining circuits in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight be more suited to Red Bull or Mercedes? Mark Hughes gave his verdict on this week’s episode of The Race F1 Podcast
Formula 1 ‘It doesn’t matter’ – Verstappen’s dull but ideal media approach Max Verstappen has come into the Saudi weekend seemingly absolutely determined to deflect anything which could distract from his title mission if his super-bland answers in the press conference are any guide
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Frank Williams was a cunning, mischievous delight Veteran F1 journalist Mark Hughes shares his memories of the late Frank Williams, a man “everyone loved – they couldn’t not”
Formula 1 The Hamilton interview that set the stage for 2021’s mad ending As his instant classic 2021 Formula 1 duel with Max Verstappen nears its end, Lewis Hamilton discusses picking his battles with the Red Bull driver, taming Mercedes’ biggest ‘diva’ car yet and wanting George Russell to be F1’s next British champion in an extensive interview
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: The Red Bull problems that let Mercedes pummel it Lewis Hamilton was unstoppable in the Qatar Grand Prix, but in large part because Red Bull couldn’t show its full potential
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: The truth of Mercedes gains amid Red Bull claims In the war of words between Christian Horner and Toto Wolff, a lot of water has been muddied in assessing the relative form of the Red Bull-Honda and Mercedes and what may be behind it. Mark Hughes attempts to separate the propaganda from the data to see where the reality may lie
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Why both F1 title rivals are struggling in Qatar Neither Lewis Hamilton nor Max Verstappen are particularly happy after Friday practice at Formula 1’s inaugural Qatar Grand Prix. Mark Hughes digs into the data to find out why
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Why Mercedes was so much faster in Brazil The speed advantage was firmly back with Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 title battle continued in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Mark Hughes looks at why
Formula 1 Mercedes feels Hamilton wing case treated unusually harshly Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff feels that “a different modus operandi” to Formula 1 convention was followed in the process which led to Lewis Hamilton being disqualified from Interlagos qualifying
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Hamilton’s domination not just down to new engine Lewis Hamilton was comfortably fastest in qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race. But how much of that was down to his new PU? Mark Hughes investigates
Formula 1 Why Vettel took a trip to Pedro Diniz’s farm this week Until this week, Sebastian Vettel and 1990s Formula 1 backmarker Pedro Diniz had never met. But Vettel went to Diniz’s farm ahead of the Brazilian GP. This is why
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Red Bull’s Mexico advantage was a different story Red Bull’s disastrous qualifying at the Mexican Grand Prix threatened to squander a perfect opportunity for Max Verstappen to take another step closer to the F1 crown. But a perfectly executed start on Sunday vanquished those Saturday demons as Mark Hughes explains in his post-race analysis
Formula 1 Four reasons for Red Bull’s shock Mexico qualifying defeat Red Bull looked untouchable in Mexican Grand Prix practice, yet it’s an all-Mercedes front row. Mark Hughes identifies the reasons behind the shock performance swing
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Where Mercedes is losing out in Mexico Friday in Mexico suggests that Red Bull’s pre-event status of hot favourite is fully justified. Mark Hughes looks at the scale of its advantage
Formula 1 A retiring Mercedes/Honda linchpin who deserved better in F1 Anthony Davidson will call time on his racing career next weekend, prompting Mark Hughes to reflect on his F1 career and explain why he thinks Davidson deserved better
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: The mirage at the core of F1’s blockbuster duel The US GP contest between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was entertaining – but it was not the blow-for-blow duel it may have looked like
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Verstappen’s brilliance enabled Red Bull’s boldness A perfectly executed strategy enabled Max Verstappen to double his Formula 1 championship lead at Austin. Mark Hughes explains how he did it in his post-race analysis
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: The truth behind latest Mercedes/Red Bull swing Is Mercedes’ diffuser stall trick not as good as it seemed? Or has Red Bull just underperformed lately? Mark Hughes looks at why Red Bull is back on top at Austin after struggling at Istanbul
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Red Bull is right back on Mercedes’ pace The focus may have been on Mercedes’ suspension trick on United States Grand Prix Friday, but the big news was that Red Bull was back to being a match for its arch-rival
Formula 1 Andretti/Sauber F1 deal hits complication but may yet happen The Andretti group’s bid to acquire a controlling interest in F1 operation Sauber has reportedly hit complications
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Verstappen right to worry about Mercedes’ trend The Turkish GP has served as proof of an unmistakable shift in the balance of power between Mercedes and Red Bull
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: All the ways Hamilton’s Turkish GP went awry It wasn’t just the tactical miscue that cost Lewis Hamilton places in the Turkish Grand Prix. Yuki Tsunoda, Sergio Perez and some tyre mismanagement weighed in too, as Mark Hughes explains in his full analysis of a weekend that sometimes baffled the Formula 1 teams
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Why Red Bull car concept isn’t working in Turkey The Turkish Grand Prix is proving to be one of the least competitive weekends of Red Bull’s 2021 Formula 1 season. Mark Hughes explains why its high-rake concept and the Istanbul surface aren’t gelling
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Verstappen risks losing a golden F1 opportunity Lewis Hamilton’s grid penalty for the Turkish GP should present the perfect chance for Max Verstappen to reclaim the Formula 1 points lead. But Friday at Istanbul Park was anything but straightforward for Verstappen and Red Bull
Formula 1 Gruelling 2022 calendar is F1 trying to pay off past excesses Formula 1’s ever-growing calendar is brutal, but it’s the consequence of unsustainable past excesses that began in the 1990s
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: McLaren’s epic route to its ‘Evo III’ F1 era McLaren’s latest renaissance is the latest in a rollercoaster Formula 1 journey that can be defined by three distinct eras – the first two of which raised the bar for what an F1 team could be. Mark Hughes explores each contrasting era and the prospects for the current one
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Guesswork in impossible dilemmas decided Sochi The Russian Grand Prix was settled more on guesswork in knife-edge decisions than pure merit as the weather put Formula 1 teams in an impossible position
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: How F1 2021’s most remarkable top three was made Mark Hughes takes you inside Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz and George Russell’s remarkable Russian Grand Prix qualifying laps, and explains why those who should’ve beaten them didn’t
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Why Russian GP might not be a Hamilton walkover On paper, Sochi looks like potentially Lewis Hamilton’s most comfortable Formula 1 weekend of the year. But there’s no guarantee that it will be
