Formula 1 Mark Hughes: What made Red Bull-Honda unbeatable in Austria Max Verstappen might have been half a lap clear of Lewis Hamilton in the Styrian Grand Prix if they hadn’t been managing their tyres. Here are the factors that have allowed Red Bull to pull clear
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Red Bull edge is showing stresses at Mercedes As the championship struggle between Red Bull-Honda and Mercedes intensifies, are we beginning to see a new dynamic to their competition?
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Why Hamilton’s right to fear Red Bull in Austria Mark Hughes’s analysis of the two Formula 1 Friday practice sessions ahead of the Styrian Grand Prix suggests Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will once again face an uphill struggle to stop Red Bull
Formula 1 The Austria marsh where Mario Andretti nearly died A rarely-noticed piece of marshland at what’s now the Red Bull Ring was the scene of a crash that could’ve claimed the life of a future Formula 1 legend. Mark Hughes tells the story
Formula 1 Sainz: Ferrari’s key F1 weakness dates back years The biggest problem with Ferrari’s Formula 1 car has been a design trait at the team for years, reckons Carlos Sainz. Mark Hughes explains what Sainz is pinpointing
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Boldness, pace and Perez led to Red Bull’s win Red Bull’s French Grand Prix pace advantage and Sergio Perez’s competitiveness gave it the confidence to be aggressive, but it also needed help from a Mercedes mystery to pull off Max Verstappen’s Paul Ricard win
Formula 1 High-rake is giving Red Bull a key advantage over Mercedes Red Bull’s high rake concept allowed it to have a decisive advantage over Mercedes in Formula 1 qualifying at the French Grand Prix as Mark Hughes explains
Formula 1 Mercedes has slight edge as tyre tweak creates new headache Between higher tyre pressures, a new surface and vicious kerbs, all the Formula 1 teams are struggling at Paul Ricard. But amid those problems, Mercedes looks – marginally – quickest, as Mark Hughes explains
Formula 1 Why F1 teams want to run lowest tyre pressures they can Amid the suggestions Formula 1 teams are running lower tyre pressure than Pirelli recommends. Mark Hughes explains the advantage the team would get from doing so
Formula 1 How F1 teams surprised Pirelli with legal tyre workarounds There was no actual cheating behind the Formula 1 tyre controversy that led to the Baku blow outs, but there was a loophole that created something outside Pirelli’s expectations
Formula 1 Sainz hints F1 rivals’ tyre tricks have hurt Ferrari in races Ferrari’s been more competitive in qualifying than races in the 2021 Formula 1 season. Carlos Sainz thinks the tyre blow-out controversy might reveal why
Formula 1 Hamilton defends Pirelli, urges stronger checks on F1 teams Lewis Hamilton has backed Pirelli regarding the Baku blowous, and has urged F1 to be more “vigilant” in policing how teams run the tyres
Formula 1 Why has Aston Martin been quick when Mercedes is slow? The Aston Martin and Mercedes Formula 1 cars have a lot in common. Yet Aston Martin’s 2021 peaks have coincided with Mercedes’ troughs. Mark Hughes considers some theories for why
Formula 1 Key details of Ferrari’s ambitious 2022 F1 engine revealed Ferrari has recently chosen the more innovative of two projects for its 2022 power unit. But The Race understands that this will not feature the split turbo technology currently used by Mercedes and Honda
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Red Bull so nearly got zero from its strongest GP Red Bull had pace to spare at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and both its drivers were in brilliant form. Yet it was agonisingly close to scoring zero points and losing huge championship ground to Mercedes
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Baku an open goal for Red Bull as Mercedes toils Mercedes’ Baku problems are real and it faces a nightmare qualifying. Ferrari runs into huge tyre problems after very few laps. It all looks great for Red Bull
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Why F1 may have another shock contender in Baku Ferrari was able to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull at Monaco, and Mark Hughes wouldn’t be surprised if McLaren (and Lando Norris in particular) can do the same at Baku
Formula 1 Cracked wheel hub to blame for Leclerc missing Monaco race Ferrari has discovered the reason for the driveshaft problem that caused polesitter Charles Leclerc to retire before the start of the Monaco Grand Prix
Formula 1 Mosley’s rise from amateur racer to motorsport’s ruler After the death of former FIA president Max Mosley at the age of 81, Mark Hughes charts how Mosley rose from using amateur racing as a refuge from his family’s dark history to ruling the sport in tandem with Bernie Ecclestone
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Why Mercedes couldn’t match Ferrari or Red Bull Max Verstappen won the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, but Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz Jr could’ve beaten him. Mark Hughes explains why Mercedes was toppled by both Red Bull and Ferrari
Formula 1 Zero-margin Leclerc was set for pole regardless of crash Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas and Carlos Sainz Jr all feel Charles Leclerc’s Monaco qualifying crash cost them a realistic shot at knocking him off pole. Mark Hughes takes a detailed look at the sector times and car performance traits to see if they’re right
Formula 1 Terse Hamilton frustrated with Mercedes’ handling of Monaco Lewis Hamilton believes his disastrous seventh place in Monaco Grand Prix qualifying was avoidable if Mercedes had made better decisions after practice
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: The ‘gold dust’ behind Ferrari’s epic Monaco start Ferrari clearly ran closer to its true pace than Mercedes and Red Bull on Thursday in Monaco, but that doesn’t account for the whole gap
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Why Montoya and McLaren never worked in F1 Juan Pablo Montoya is back under the McLaren umbrella this week for the first time since he split with its F1 team mid-season in 2006. Mark Hughes explains why that partnership – and Montoya’s F1 career – fell apart
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: The many reasons Red Bull lost the Spanish GP Max Verstappen’s Spanish Grand Prix defeat was largely down to trying to one-stop, but there were a lot of factors that played into it – and masked the fact that there’s still very little to choose between Red Bull and Mercedes on performance
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Mercedes’ Friday advantage is very deceptive The headline Friday times suggested Mercedes has the Spanish Grand Prix edge and Red Bull is in trouble. But the deeper data – and a long run by Sergio Perez in particular – suggests Barcelona is actually very finely poised
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: The Sainz/Leclerc contrast on display in Portugal Carlos Sainz’s standout qualifying in Portugal showed how he brings a different dimension to Ferrari next to the instinctive Charles Leclerc
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: How Mercedes vs Red Bull is shaping up at Algarve Mercedes looks slightly ahead at Portimao, but Red Bull is close enough for the drivers, rather than the cars, to make the difference
Formula 1 Gasly risks wasting his greatest F1 opportunity yet Pierre Gasly and AlphaTauri could have fought for podiums at both Formula 1’s 2021 grands prix so far. Instead they’ve barely scored any points. “It’s important we deliver – now,” says Gasly, and Mark Hughes agrees
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Mercedes can’t expect Russell not to attack Bottas George Russell was always going to attack Valtteri Bottas when presented the chance, and it shows Mercedes may have kept in him reserve too long
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Verstappen and Hamilton swapped roles at Imola At Imola it was Max Verstappen who was flawless in victory, Lewis Hamilton who over-reached. Mark Hughes delves into their battle and every other aspect of an incredible Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Formula 1 Responsive Red Bull vs stable Mercedes – How top two compare The Imola pole battle proved Formula 1 2021 is a genuinely super-close Mercedes vs Red Bull fight. Mark Hughes explains how the two cars’ different strengths are emerging
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Mercedes’ Imola gains real, but may not be enough After a tough start to the season, Mercedes’ improvement in Imola appears genuine. However, Mark Hughes’ Friday analysis suggests Red Bull can’t be counted out yet
Formula 1 The Porsche lessons informing Renault’s F1 engine recovery Renault has revolutionised the Formula 1 engine world more than once, but those days are long gone. A major revamp of its Viry base – with inspiration from a surprise source – hopes to change that
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Ferrari’s missed chances to topple Mercedes Red Bull’s current pace edge over Mercedes isn’t the first time Formula 1’s dominant force was been put on the ropes by a rival. Mark Hughes explains how Ferrari produced Mercedes-beating cars for 2017 and ’18, and why it couldn’t convert its advantages into championship success
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: How F1 rule changes have hurt low-rake Mercedes Mercedes is increasingly convinced that Formula 1’s 2021 rule tweaks have hurt its design philosophy – deliberately or otherwise – and Aston Martin has become ‘collateral damage’ too. Mark Hughes assesses Mercedes’ theory that low rake is now a disadvantage
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Mercedes won with a Red Bull-style gamble The Bahrain Grand Prix only came down to that controversial finish because Mercedes gambled itself into an against the odds lead, as it adapted perfectly to being slower than a Formula 1 rival for the first time in years
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: The hints of more to come from Alonso and Alpine Ninth on the Bahrain Grand Prix grid for Fernando Alonso and Alpine was a surprise given his poor practice pace on his Formula 1 return. There’s evidence to suggest things will rapidly get even better
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: What Mercedes’ gap to Red Bull really looks like Red Bull is clearly the fastest Formula 1 car at the Bahrain Grand Prix, but how far away is Mercedes really? Mark Hughes answers that question and assesses the rest of the field in his full analysis of Friday practice pace
Formula 1 ‘I’ve always pictured myself at Ferrari’ – Sainz interview Carlos Sainz Jr speaks exclusively to The Race about his Ferrari premonition, his wet weather talent, his expectations of Ferrari in 2021 and how he expects to match up to Charles Leclerc
