Scott Mitchell-Malm

Formula 1

Russell needs to prove his theory about stark Hamilton contrast

George Russell returns to the scene of his only Formula 1 victory so far in Brazil this weekend very much on the losing side of Mercedes' intra-team battle. Does his theory about the points deficit to Lewis Hamilton stack up?

Formula 1

What F1's new pitlane blocking rule doesn't fix

Formula 1 has taken action to prevent a repeat of the pit exit traffic jams that have caused controversy in recent qualifying sessions. But it's not a permanent or universal fix

Formula 1

Why would Alonso be so annoyed at Red Bull rumour?

Fernando Alonso usually doesn't mind being at the centre of the rumour mill - so, even if it was baseless, why did the speculation of a 2024 move to Red Bull get to him?

Formula 1

Alonso threatens ‘consequences’ over Aston/Red Bull rumour

An extremely unimpressed Fernando Alonso has found himself at the centre of a sudden rumour frenzy in the lead-up to the Brazilian Grand Prix

Formula 1

Main concern over Audi F1 entry isn't unthinkable quit rumour

Amid rumours it's considering pulling the plug on its Formula 1 project, what is happening with Audi? Scott Mitchell-Malm has the latest

Formula 1

The damning admission that Haas ‘can’t compete in F1’ like this

Haas heads to the scene of one of its biggest moments in Formula 1, experienced just 12 months ago, on the receiving end of a damning admission

Formula 1

Red Bull’s ‘intention’ for Perez leaves familiar wiggle room

Red Bull’s stated “intention” of keeping Sergio Perez in 2024 leaves some wiggle room that is familiar in the context of recent Formula 1 driver decisions

Formula 1

The key difference to McLaren that makes Ricciardo's revival real

Red Bull called Daniel Ricciardo's Mexican Grand Prix performance "remarkable". And all the evidence suggests it won't be a one-off. Scott Mitchell-Malm explains why the AlphaTauri lets Ricciardo perform how he couldn't at McLaren

Formula 1

Perez's Mexican GP implosion couldn't be timed worse

There is no good time to have an airborne crash at the first corner of your home Formula 1 race. But no moment could be worse than the one Sergio Perez has endured

Formula 1

Norris is gutted about his 'silly' Q1 error - and he should be

Lando Norris' Mexican GP is now likely a question of damage limitation - and though Q1 circumstances weren't ideal, he knows most of the blame is on him

Formula 1

What's made Ricciardo a Red Bull-level Perez-beater in Mexico

Daniel Ricciardo's Sergio Perez-beating Mexican Grand Prix qualifying couldn't be more ironically timed. But just how good was it and what's behind Ricciardo's supreme weekend so far?

Formula 1

Verstappen among six F1 drivers summoned to Mexico stewards

Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are among those who will visit the Mexican Grand Prix stewards after qualifying

Formula 1

Albon right with Verstappen again in final Mexican GP practice

Alex Albon split the two Red Bulls in the final practice session for Formula 1’s Mexican Grand Prix to raise hopes of a mighty Williams surprise in qualifying

Formula 1

Red Bull claims about ‘made up’ driver rivalry miss the point

Red Bull is adamant that any perceived tension between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is a media-stoked mirage. This is partly true - but it ignores the real reason for why Perez's status at Red Bull is a contentious matter

Formula 1

Ferrari protege's FP1 debut echoed some of F1's best talents

Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Lando Norris all sprang to mind at different points as Ferrari's teenage protege Ollie Bearman made his grand prix weekend debut with Haas

Formula 1

F1 drivers suspect more illegalities among unchecked cars

Several Formula 1 drivers including the disqualified Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc believe it likely that more cars were in an illegal condition in the United States Grand Prix

Formula 1

The verbal game between two of F1's most quotable drivers

McLaren and Aston Martin are major F1 2023 rivals in the standings (if not on track) - and after Fernando Alonso suggested his former team was being "overconfident", the equally-blunt Lando Norris hasn't let it go

Formula 1

The significance of Hamilton's now likely-doomed 2023 quest

Lewis Hamilton's disqualification from second place at Austin took much of the momentum out of his pursuit of an unlikely success - one that would've nicely framed the quality of his season

Formula 1

Does Hamilton DSQ undermine Mercedes' upgrade optimism?

There was surely a clear contrast in the Mercedes camp between the vindication Lewis Hamilton expressed after finishing second on the road at Austin and the deflation felt hours later following his exclusion. That needn't necessarily take the shine off Mercedes' optimism about its upgrade, though

Formula 1

Unknown legality of other F1 cars in US GP exposes awkward reality

The disqualifications of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from the United States Grand Prix raise an uncomfortable thought: how many other Formula 1 cars were illegal, but weren’t caught?

Formula 1

Ricciardo's return comes at the worst time for Perez

Daniel Ricciardo's return from injury comes just as Sergio Perez's performances in the F1-dominating Red Bull look as shaky as ever

Formula 1

What went on in low-grip sole Qatar GP practice

F1 championship leader Max Verstappen led the two Ferraris in the Qatar GP weekend's sole practice session - as Fernando Alonso impressed in the Aston

Formula 1

Hamilton's Andretti F1 stance that 'people won't be happy' about

Even after the FIA's green light, Andretti faces an uphill battle to secure a genuine spot in F1 - but it has an enthusiastic supporter in Lewis Hamilton

Formula 1

Why Tsunoda fears Red Bull 'misunderstanding' over Aston links

It is very important to Yuki Tsunoda that the prospect of Honda advocating for him to have an Aston Martin seat in the future doesn't give Red Bull the wrong idea

Formula 1

Why Hamilton's smashing Russell in a season of inseparable pace

Can it be true that George Russell is having his "best ever" F1 season in a year where Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton has been convincingly better than him? Perhaps, but there's probably also a lesson in how best to operate

Formula 1

Aston Martin's Le Mans plan can solve its F1 driver problem

Aston Martin's commitment to a top-level sportscar racing programme offers a potentially neat solution for its Formula 1 team - which needs to explore alternatives for a highly coveted seat to maximise its potential

Formula 1

Lawson's last big F1 chance to make a 2024 case

Daniel Ricciardo will miss this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix as he continues to recover from the hand injury he sustained in the Netherlands just over a month ago, giving Liam Lawson one last chance to impress in the AlphaTauri Formula 1 car before what is currently set to be a year on the sidelines

Formula 1

F1 enters the worst-case scenario over Andretti Cadillac entry

F1 might be another step closer to getting an 11th team now the Andretti Cadillac entry has FIA approval, but this isn't the final phase of the process - it's the next stage of a complicated impasse. That means it's diving head-first into the worst-case scenario, as Scott Mitchell-Malm explains

Formula 1

Andretti F1 entry gets FIA approval but now faces key hurdle

Andretti’s bid for a new Formula 1 entry has been approved by the FIA but still needs to clear “commercial discussions” with F1 itself to get on the grid

Formula 1

What you need to know about the driver Toyota's given McLaren

McLaren adding Toyota's WEC and Super Formula star Ryo Hirakawa to its F1 reserve pool has raised eyebrows. Sam Smith (and Nick Cassidy) explain why Hirakawa deserves respect, and Scott Mitchell-Malm looks at what's in it for McLaren

Formula 1

An unusual Haas upgrade ends its 'lipstick on a pig' situation

Haas will soon introduce its biggest ever in-season upgrade for one of its Formula 1 cars. Off-track, it's just completed a project that brings something else up to modern standard at last

Formula 1

'I hate to find excuses' - Leclerc's role in volatile Ferrari year

Charles Leclerc rarely needs a second invitation to express where he thinks his shortcomings are. That's the case as he sits down with Scott Mitchell-Malm to reflect on a 2023 Formula 1 season that has fallen short of his and Ferrari's expectations, but has not dimmed his 'belief in the project'

Formula 1

Honda has a problem to fix for its 2026 F1 engine project

Because Honda hasn't 'really' left Formula 1, you might think its build up to its 2026 engine project with Aston Martin might be smooth. But the manner of Honda's last F1 pullout means there are complications

Formula 1

What stands in the way of Lawson-to-Williams F1 crowd-pleaser

With Red Bull not giving Liam Lawson a 2024 race seat at either of its Formula 1 teams, a loan move to Williams seemed logical. But as negligent as it would be for Lawson to be sidelined, a deal that suits both Red Bull and Williams looks unlikely

Formula 1

Aston Martin's painful F1 contrast - and why it matters

The Formula 1 season so far can be evenly split into two eight-race chunks. And they could hardly contrast more starkly for McLaren and Aston Martin as Scott Mitchell-Malm explains:

WEC/Le Mans

Vettel considering 2024 racing return with ex-F1 superteam

Four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastien Vettel is considering a return to full-time racing in 2024 and could be a part of an ex-F1 superteam

Formula 1

Alonso's vocal annoyance can't be separated from Aston decline

Fernando Alonso was in fiery form on team radio and afterwards at the Japanese Grand Prix - at a time when Aston Martin is unable to get anywhere near its early-season pace

Formula 1

An unusual Williams 'third car' F1 rule breach explained

A relentlessly bad Japanese Grand Prix weekend for Logan Sargeant included a time penalty earned pre-race for a very rare offence

Formula 1

Alpine created needless tension with 'complete joke' Gasly order

Alpine’s claim that swapping its Formula 1 drivers on the final lap of the Japanese Grand Prix was in “the best interest of the team” did not chime with what Pierre Gasly viewed as a “complete joke” of a situation

Formula 1

Mercedes was right to deny Russell's Hamilton team order wish

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton had multiple team radio disagreements during the Japanese Grand Prix. But in the end, Mercedes intervention was the right one