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
Formula 1 Verstappen vs Hamilton: 10 key moments from the story so far A proper Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen rivalry has been brewing since Verstappen first stepped into a Formula 1 car as a 17-year-old. Mark Hughes takes an in-depth look at their flashpoints and duels so far
Formula 1 Senna, Schumacher, Alonso, Hamilton – Deposing an F1 great Are we about to see the Lewis Hamilton/Max Verstappen F1 era transition unfold? Here’s a look back at how the baton was previously grabbed from Ayrton Senna by Michael Schumacher, then by Fernando Alonso then Hamilton
Formula 1 Ricciardo is a formidable F1 career obstacle for Norris Beneath Daniel Ricciardo’s Honey Badger smile is a ruthless and insanely competitive operator. Lando Norris will not have encountered anything like his new McLaren Formula 1 team-mate before
Formula 1 Former Lotus F1 driver Dumfries dies aged 62 Ayrton Senna’s 1986 Lotus Formula 1 team-mate Johnny Dumfries – or the Marquess of Bute, to give him his correct title – has died at the age of 62. Mark Hughes looks back at a career undersold by his brief F1 stint
Formula 1 How Russell usurped Ocon as Mercedes’ Hamilton successor Once heir apparent to a Mercedes Formula 1 seat, Esteban Ocon has had to watch from the sidelines as George Russell jumped him in the queue – as Mark Hughes explains
Formula 1 Mercedes flatlines, Red Bull soars – Mark Hughes’ analysis A final Formula 1 test day full of surprises has shaken up the expected order heading for the season-opener, as Mark Hughes explains in his full analysis of the Sunday times
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Who’s really fastest in F1 testing? Forget the headline times from Formula 1 testing. Mark Hughes delves into fuel loads, tyre choices and track conditions to estimate the real pecking order
Formula 1 Mercedes really was a handful – Mark Hughes’ day one verdict Red Bull looked genuinely good, Mercedes’ troubles were real, and there was reason for McLaren, Alpine and AlphaTauri to be happy. Here are Mark Hughes’ conclusions from day one of 2021 Formula 1 testing
Formula 1 Why Ferrari is playing catch-up with its once-leading F1 chassis Ferrari’s 2021 design is playing catch-up with Mercedes – but just four years ago it was the Scuderia that was F1’s chassis and aero trendsetter
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: 2021 Ferrari odds-on to restore F1’s ‘big three’ Ferrari is unlikely to fight for wins in 2021 – but the nature of its ’20 shortcomings should make getting out of the F1 midfield a straightforward task. Here’s Mark Hughes’ take on its prospects ahead of its car launch on Wednesday afternoon
Formula 1 Williams mirrored McLaren’s fall – can it match its rise? Formula 1’s former superteams Williams and McLaren were fighting over last place just a few years ago. McLaren has since flourished. Can Williams do the same?
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Williams is rebuilding, but won’t write 2021 off Williams has in many ways cleared house. But new owners have given the team fresh hope even if 2022 is the ultimate goal for its F1 recovery fully starting
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Will Haas spend 2021 alone at the back? A pair of rookies and a car that won’t be developed in-season means anything Haas can get out of the actual F1 races in 2021 is a bonus
Formula 1 Aston’s bonus ‘Mercedes copy v2′ F1 car can be spectacular The ‘pink Mercedes’ plan was supposed to be for 2020 only, but what’s now Aston Martin gets a second year with the car plus a game-changing upgrade – as Mark Hughes explains
Formula 1 Alonso’s arriving into a team full of ambiguity and uncertainty Renault’s late-2020 progress should bode well for Alpine and Fernando Alonso’s 2021 Formula 1 campaign. But another winter shake-up and more confusion was the last thing this team needed
Formula 1 The 2021 hurdles that can stop Mercedes – but probably won’t Rule changes that could hit its design philosophy hard. Signs of progress from Red Bull, Honda and Ferrari. The impact of team ownership changes and the uncertainty over Lewis Hamilton’s longer-term future. Mercedes has some headaches for 2021. But will they actually make any difference?
Formula 1 How Leclerc swung Ferrari away from Vettel Carlos Sainz Jr goes into life at Ferrari with Charles Leclerc having emphatically established himself as the team’s future hope. Mark Hughes explains just how he did that, and abruptly ended Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel era
Formula 1 What Ferrari’s third F1 reshuffle in eight months really means The latest reorganisation of the Ferrari Formula 1 technical department is the third in eight months, but that’s not as alarming as it sounds – in fact this is a sign of a crisis easing
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: A lot riding on Red Bull-Honda’s last hurrah The success of the RB16B is a significant matter of pride for Honda – and for Red Bull, a question of hanging on to its generational talent
Formula 1 Why Alfa’s still not benefitting from its key 2019 purchase Alfa Romeo has possession of a driver-in-loop simulator but its 2021 F1 car “hasn’t really benefitted” from its use
Formula 1 Why Alfa Romeo stood still while its F1 rivals progressed Sauber’s 2021 F1 car – which is revealed on Monday – may be the last chance to move forward in its Alfa Romeo era, which so far has produced little momentum
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Expect AlphaTauri shocks, but not in its design No 2020 result shocked F1 more than Pierre Gasly’s win, and AlphaTauri will surely spring more surprises – just not with the AT02’s design, which is revealed on Friday
Formula 1 How McLaren risks controversy or compromise with 2021 car McLaren is changing from Renault to Mercedes engines at a time when Formula 1 chassis are supposed to be frozen. That might lead to controversy over how much it’s been allowed to alter
Formula 1 Why Red Bull’s exit from F1 customer ranks may be permanent Red Bull’s takeover of Honda’s F1 engines is no simple hybrid-era stopgap but a ‘long-term’ solution, according to Christian Horner
Formula 1 Why Hamilton’s new deal may usher in F1’s Verstappen era Lewis Hamilton’s new Mercedes Formula 1 deal only being for one year raises a host of 2022 driver market possibilities. And one of them is that F1’s about to swap an era of Hamilton domination for an era of Max Verstappen domination
Formula 1 The F1 embarrassment Aston Martin’s new team must atone for Thanks to the likes of Toyota and Jaguar, Aston’s F1 debut isn’t the series’ best-known manufacturer flop. But it might well be the biggest
Formula 1 Mark Hughes: Brivio’s taking on a huge challenge at Alpine There are still big question marks over the Alpine Formula 1 team’s technical line-up, structure and culture, says Mark Hughes. Davide Brivio will have a lot on his plate
