F1 LIVE: Nelson Piquet’s access to F1 paddock could be revoked after Lewis Hamilton racial slur

Follow all the latest news from the world of Formula One ahead of the British Grand Prix this weekend

(AFP via Getty Images)

F1 is back at Silverstone this weekend for the British Grand Prix after a weekend off following Montreal, where Max Verstappen tightened his grip on the championship.

Verstappen is now 46 points clear of his nearest challenger, his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who is a further three points up on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc after nine races. The Dutch world champion already has six race wins to his name this season and victory at Silverstone would only cement his place as a repeat champion-in-waiting. But Verstappen has bad memories from Silverstone lingering in his mind after a controversial collision with Lewis Hamilton last year sent him flying into the barriers at high speed.

Hamilton has won seven of the past eight British Grands Prix but the chances of him repeating the trick appear slim after such a difficult season, with Mercedes lagging well behind the pace of Ferrari and Red Bull. “I think there are lots of learnings from this weekend and improvements that we can make moving forwards,” he said after Canada. “I really hope, moving to Silverstone… It’s such an important race for us and for me, and so I just want to be in a battle with these guy. I think we’re better in medium and high-speed corners probably than we are in the low-speed corners, but we have bouncing, so I don’t know how it’s going to be through Copse and all those places.”

Follow all the latest F1 news below.

F1 news live

• F1 returns with the British Grand Prix this weekend
• Lewis Hamilton hoping for Mercedes improvements at Silverstone
• Formula One “racing towards” its target of making the sport net-zero carbon by 2030
• Nelson Piquet condemned for racist slur about Lewis Hamilton
• Christian Horner backs Mercedes to be “strong” at Silverstone

[28 June 2022 17:33 · Kieran Jackson]

Red Bull drop test driver Juri Vips over racist language

Red Bull has dropped test and junior driver Juri Vips after he used racist language during a live gaming stream.

The current constructors leaders had stood down the 21-year-old from team duties last week with an investigation surrounding the Estonian and the incident set to take place.

Now - on the same day three-time world champion Nelson Piquet was condemned for using a racial slur to describe Lewis Hamilton - Red Bull have acted and dropped Vips as test and reserve driver.

[28 June 2022 16:24 · Kieran Jackson]

UPDATE: Nelson Piquet’s access to the F1 paddock could be revoked if he doesn’t issue a public apology to Lewis Hamilton

Three-time world champion Piquet twice used racist language in an interview last November when describing the Mercedes star as he gave his verdict on Hamilton’s crash with Max Verstappen during last year’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Yet in a tweet on Tuesday, Hamilton responded saying it was time for these “archaic mindsets” to change - and added that he has been targeted “by these attitudes my whole life”.

“It’s more than language,” he wrote. “These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action.” In an earlier tweet, Hamilton wrote in Spanish: “Let’s focus on changing the mindset.”

It is understood that Piquet’s access to the paddock at F1 races could be revoked if he doesn’t issue a public apology to Hamilton, as reported by PA.

[28 June 2022 15:30 · Kieran Jackson]

Red Bull and Ferrari stand with Lewis Hamilton after Nelson Piquet’s racial slur

[28 June 2022 14:42 · Kieran Jackson]

When is the British Grand Prix this week?

The Formula One season heads to where it all began for round 10 of the 2022 campaign, as Silverstone hosts the British Grand Prix this weekend.

Last time out, Max Verstappen claimed his sixth victory of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix, holding off a late charge from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

Hamilton won last season’s race, after crashing with Verstappen in a memorable moment on the opening lap at Copse corner. It was the Brit’s eighth triumph on home soil.

Here is everything you need to know about the timings for this year’s Grand Prix

[28 June 2022 13:32 · Ben Burrows]

Lewis Hamilton calls for action after Nelson Piquet’s racial slur

Lewis Hamilton has called for action after comments where Nelson Piquet used racist language to describe him resurfaced.

Three-time world champion Piquet twice used racist language in an interview last November to describe the Mercedes star as he gave his verdict on Hamilton’s crash with Max Verstappen during last year’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Yet in a tweet on Tuesday, Hamilton responded and said it was time for these “archaic mindsets” to change - and added that he has been targeted “by these attitudes my whole life”.

[28 June 2022 12:54 · Kieran Jackson]

When and where is the next race?

The Formula One season heads to where it all began for round 10 of the 2022 season, as Silverstone hosts the British Grand Prix this weekend.

Last time out, Max Verstappen claimed his sixth victory of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix, holding off a late charge from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

The reigning world champion’s lead at the top of the Championship leaderboard is now 46 points from team-mate Sergio Perez, who failed to finish in Montreal.

Lewis Hamilton finished third - only his second podium of the season - while fellow British team-mate George Russell came home in fourth. Both the Silver Arrows and Ferrari - with Charles Leclerc having had a month to forget - will be striving to get back on the podium this weekend.

Here is everything you need to know.

[28 June 2022 12:05 · Kieran Jackson]

Fernando Alonso “could have five World Championship titles”, says Gerhard Berger

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso could have had five titles if he was in a stronger car, says ex-F1 driver Gerhard Berger.

The Spaniard, who turns 41 next month, qualified on the front row last time out in Montreal in a blast from the past in his Alpine. He won two World Championships with Renault back in 2005 and 2006 and Berger lauded Alonso’s ability in a recent interview.

“He’s a brilliant driver,” Berger told Motorsport-Magazin. Asked if he could bring home the championship if he was sitting in a Red Bull or Ferrari, the Austrian was clear: “Yes! I’m 100% certain!

“I have to say, with his talent, Alonso could have five world championship titles for me. After McLaren, he closed the doors a bit because, if he were in a Mercedes, he would have five world titles.”

Fernando Alonso could have had five world titles if he was in a stronger car, says ex-F1 driver Gerhard Berger.

(EPA)

[28 June 2022 11:17 · Kieran Jackson]

Christian Horner backs Mercedes to be “strong” at Silverstone

Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes Mercedes will be strong at this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

The constructors champions have struggled in the first nine races of this season, with the porpoising of the 2022 cars hampering the performance of both seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and new kid on the block George Russell.

Yet Horner - whose Red Bull team lead the constructors championship by 76 points - believes the Silver Arrows will bounce back and backed Ferrari to challenge too.

Asked by Autosport if he thought Mercedes would be a factor at Silverstone, Horner replied: “Definitely, I think they’ll be strong at Silverstone.

“I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t be. Paul Ricard, the same. I think Ferrari will be quick at Silverstone as well. It could be a more of a challenging circuit for us just due to the nature of this layout. It’s incredible that we’ve put a run of six race victories together [but] Silverstone could well be the most challenging.”

Christian Horner believes Mercedes will be strong this weekend at Silverstone

(Getty Images)

[28 June 2022 10:38 · Kieran Jackson]

Lewis Hamilton: Nelson Piquet condemned for racist slur about Mercedes F1 driver

Formula 1 and Mercedes have condemned racist language used by three-time world champion Nelson Piquet to describe Lewis Hamilton.

The interview, which took place in Portuguese back in November, discusses Hamilton’s win at last year’s British Grand Prix, when the seven-time champion collided with then-Championship leader Max Verstappen on the opening lap.

The Dutchman spun out and crashed into the barrier, causing uproar at Red Bull as Hamilton sprung back into the Championship race.

Yet Piquet, 69, believed Hamilton crashed into Verstappen on purpose and twice used the term “neguinho” to describe the Mercedes star.

[28 June 2022 10:15 · Kieran Jackson]

Formula One “racing towards” its target of making the sport net-zero carbon by 2030

Formula One says it is “racing towards” its target of making the sport net-zero carbon by 2030 following the announcement of new branding to promote the environmental drive from the British Grand Prix onwards.

It was announced in 2019 that F1 was aiming for net-zero as efforts to improve sustainability were ramped up.

That also includes a plan to have a 100 per cent sustainable fuel by 2026, when the next era of hybrid engines will be introduced.

The development of the fuel is likely to have an impact on the transportation sector, while F1 has also revealed other ambitions ahead of the sport’s return to Silverstone this weekend.