Max Verstappen Tops Lewis Hamilton to Win 2022 Hungarian F1 Grand Prix
Jul 31, 2022
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 31: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB18 leads Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB18 during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 31, 2022 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
The Hungarian Grand Prix featured several lead changes, but it was Max Verstappen who came out on top in Sunday's Formula One race.
It's the eighth win of the year for Verstappen, who started in 10th place at the Hungaroring track. On the final laps, he narrowly held off Lewis Hamilton, who charged into second amid some late rain.
George Russell finished third after winning the pole in qualifying, while Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc fell out of podium contention.
Verstappen expanded his lead in the Formula One season standings after his second straight win.
Rare misstep from Verstappen this season. He doesn’t make those type of mistakes anymore. Might have bailed out Ferrari’s odd call for hard tires with Leclerc? #F1
Max Verstappen overtakes Charles Leclerc as Ferrari struggle to switch on their hard tyres, but then he has a small spin which hands the place right back to the Ferrari driver.
He also slows down Perez behind him and allows Russell to overtake his team-mate. #HungarianGP#F1
The talent of the reigning champion was still on display as Verstappen recovered well from the spin, eventually pulling into first place.
Despite some late rain, the Dutchman remained ahead to win yet another grand prix and continue his dominance of the 2022 Formula One season.
Hamilton, who began in seventh place, also showed his driving ability to climb up to the front for another podium finish.
This was the first time since early 2018 neither Verstappen or Hamilton started in top six. They're about to finish first and second. Undeniably the two best in the business right now, and I think quite comfortably.
Lewis Hamilton flying around the track and made up super pace to get into 2nd place for now with 5 laps left. Could have another 2nd and 3rd place podium for Mercedes #F1#HungarianGP
Sometimes you have to take your hat off to Max Verstappen. His pace was unbelievable today. Got some good fortune from Ferrari shooting themselves in the foot, but the rest was masterful.
Looking very likely like a double world champion now.
Once again, a major story from Sunday was the decision-making of Ferrari. The team has seemingly cost its drivers wins during multiple races this year, and it might have been the case in Hungary.
Leclerc led during the race but took three pit stops that slowed him down on the way to a sixth-place finish. Sainz was also in position to win before falling down the standings.
Sure, total Ferrari strategy implosion and the red car seems like a Saturday machine; but what a cool race by @Max33Verstappen and brilliant race by the Merc’s #F1#HungarianGP
"Tough one, really tough one," Sainz said on the radio at the end of the race.
The drivers will try to regroup during the summer break before returning to action in Belgium on Aug. 28. Verstappen will head into the 14th race (out of 23) with an 80-point lead in the driver standings.
Nelson Piquet Used Anti-Gay Language Toward F1's Lewis Hamilton in 2021 Interview
Jul 1, 2022
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JUNE 19: Third placed Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes attends the press conference after the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 19, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Amid the recent controversy over his use of a racial slur to describe Lewis Hamilton, reports emerged Friday that Nelson Piquet also used an anti-gay slur when talking about the Formula 1 star on a podcast recorded last year.
Per Sky News, Piquet made the comment to describe how Hamilton lost the 2016 F1 championship to Nico Rosberg.
"The [racist term] must have been [homophobic slur] at the time. He was pretty bad," Piquet said on the podcast, according to Sky News.
Comments Piquet made on a different podcast recorded last year in which he used a racial slur when talking about Hamilton came to light this week.
Per Mauricio Savarese of the Associated Press, Piquet used the term "neguinho," which translates to "little Black guy."
Piquet apologized to Hamilton for the racial slur in a statement issued Wednesday, via ESPN's Nate Saunders:
"I would like to clear the stories circulating in the media about a comment I made in an interview last year
"What I said was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term used is one that has widely and historically been used in Brazilian Portuguese for a synonym for 'guy' or 'person' and was never intended to offend. I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations.
"I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour. I apologise wholeheartedly to anyone that was affected, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is not correct. Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in that respect."
Saunders noted that Piquet has been banned from visiting F1 paddocks as punishment.
Hamilton responded to Piquet's use of the racial slur on Twitter, calling it "more than language" and saying it's time to get these "archaic mindsets" out of the sport.
It’s more than language. 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.
According to Sky News, Piquet's honorary membership with the British Racing Drivers' Club has been suspended after his comments came to light.
The British Racing Drivers' Club owns the Silverstone circuit, which is hosting the British Grand Prix on Sunday.
Formula 1 and Mercedes, Hamilton's racing team since 2013, condemned Piquet's use of a racial slur. Charles LeClerc also issued a statement in support of Hamilton.
Piquet, 69, competed in Formula 1 for 13 years from 1978 to 1991.
Lewis Hamilton on Nelson Piquet Racial Slur: Older F1 Voices Shouldn't Have Platform
Jun 30, 2022
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JUNE 19: Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 Team, Mercedes-AMG F1 W13 E Performance celebrates during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 19, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Paolo Pedicelli ATPImages/Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton believes Formula One should embrace a younger generation following the news of former driver Nelson Piquet using a racial slur to describe Hamilton, per ESPN's Nate Saunders.
"I don't know why we are continuing to give these older voices a platform," Hamilton said, noting that Piquet's comments were "nothing really particularly new for me."
He continued:
"If we're looking to grow in the U.S. and other countries, South Africa, and grow our audience and look into the future and give younger people a platform that is more representative of today's time and who we are trying to be and the direction we are going. It's not just about one individual, it's not just about one use of that term—it's the bigger picture."
[...]
"These old voices ... whether they're subconscious or consciously ... do not agree people like me should be in a sport like this, do not agree women should be here."
The reaction comes after Piquet, 69, used a Brazilian Portuguese racial slur during a podcast last November. He was criticizing Hamilton after a collision with Max Verstappen, who is dating Piquet's daughter.
Piquet apologized in a statement Wednesday after his comments came to light, but Formula One has banned him from visiting the paddock, per Saunders.
Hamilton is one of the most successful F1 drivers in history, having won seven world championships, but he said he regularly faces discrimination from former competitors.
"I don't think in the last couple of weeks—I don't think a day's gone by where there's not been someone who's not been in our sport or relevant for decades, saying negative things or trying to bring me down, but I'm still here, I'm still standing strong," he said.
The 37-year-old initially responded to the news of Piquet's slur by tweeting on Tuesday, "these archaic mindsets need to change."
Bernie Ecclestone, 91, and Sir Jackie Stewart, 83, have also made headlines lately for comments about or tangential to the star driver, with Stewart notably calling on Hamilton to resign.
Regardless, Hamilton continues to work to improve diversity in the sport through his Hamilton Commission.
Nelson Piquet Issues Statement After Directing Racial Slur at Lewis Hamilton
Jun 29, 2022
GP3 Series - Round 4..Silverstone, Northamptonshire, UK..Sunday 8 July 2018..Nelson Piquet Father of Pedro Piquet (BRA, Trident) (Photo by Joe Portlock/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images)
Former Formula One driver Nelson Piquet has issued an apology for his use of a racial slur aimed at Lewis Hamilton, via ESPN's Nate Saunders:
"What I said was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term used is one that has widely and historically been used in Brazilian Portuguese for a synonym for 'guy' or 'person' and was never intended to offend. I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations.
"I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour. I apologise wholeheartedly to anyone that was affected, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is not correct. Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in that respect."
The comments were made in Portuguese on a podcast in November, criticizing Hamilton after a collision with Max Verstappen during the Silverstone Grand Prix. Verstappen is dating Piquet's daughter.
Piquet's words recently surfaced, with some noting the use of a Portuguese slur.
"Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and has no part in society," F1 said in a statement. "Lewis is an incredible ambassador for our sport and deserves respect.
Piquet has been banned indefinitely from visiting the F1 paddock as a result of his comments, per Saunders.
Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One champion, provided his thoughts on Twitter:
It’s more than language. 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.
He also wrote a message in Portuguese, which translates to: "Let's focus on changing the mindset."
The Mercedes F1 team also condemned the comments in a statement.
Piquet, 69, won three Formula One titles in the 1980s before retiring from the organization in 1992. His son, Nelson Piquet Jr., has competed in Formula One and Formula E as well as stock car racing.
Canadian F1 Grand Prix 2022 Results: Max Verstappen Earns Win Ahead of Carlos Sainz
Jun 19, 2022
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JUNE 19: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB18 leads Fernando Alonso of Spain driving the (14) Alpine F1 A522 Renault during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 19, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Lars Baron - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Carlos Sainz made things interesting, but Max Verstappen was not to be denied.
For the sixth time this season, Verstappen took the checkered flag, winning the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday.
He had to hold off a stiff challenge from Sainz, who pushed him but couldn't overtake him before finishing second. And Lewis Hamilton finished third, reaching the podium for the second time this season.
The race came down to Verstappen and Sainz battling it out in the final 15 laps.
"It was really exciting at the end," Verstappen said in his post-race interview on ESPN. "I was giving it everything I had. Of course, Carlos was doing the same. Following is tricky around here, but I could see he was pushing, charging, pushing, charging. ... The last few laps were a lot of fun."
Sainz came very close to overtaking Verstappen on several occasions but couldn't quite pull past him.
"I tried everything to pass Max today," he said after the race. "But today we just didn't have enough pace delta to get close enough in the hairpin. ... But the positive thing is that we were quicker, we were faster in this race, just needed that little bit more to overtake him here."
While it was ultimately a frustrating result for Sainz, who's still seeking his first career F1 victory, it was a better afternoon for Hamilton, who reached the podium for the first time since Bahrain.
LEWIS: "It's quite overwhelming to get this third place, it's been such a battle this year, but we continue to stay so vigilant and focused...
George Russell and Charles LeClerc rounded out the top five.
The safety car was required in the 50th lap, as Yuki Tsunoda went straight into the barrier. That made things interesting, though Verstappen staved off the drama, navigating an older pair of tires than Sainz had to secure the win.
He now holds a 46-point lead over Sergio Perez in the drivers' championship, while Red Bull is 76 points clear of Ferrari.
Up next is the British Grand Prix on July 3 at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN.
Lewis Hamilton Discusses Back Injury; Mercedes Star's Status for Canadian GP TBD
Jun 12, 2022
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - JUNE 12: Fourth placed Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes climbs from his car after complaining of pain during the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on June 12, 2022 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton could miss time after dealing with a back injury in Sunday's Azerbaijan GP.
The seven-time Formula One champion finished fourth in the latest race, but it didn't come easy.
"I was just holding and biting down on my teeth due to the pain, and the adrenaline [helped], I cannot express the pain that you experience, particularly on the straight here," Hamilton told Sky Sports after the race (h/t Haydn Cobb of Motorsport).
"At the end you are just praying for it to end," he added.
The superstar was in clear pain getting out of his car:
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said after the race the injury could "definitely" cause Hamilton to miss next week's event in Canada (h/t Jonathan Noble of Motorsport).
"He's really bad," Wolff said of Hamilton. "We have just got to find a solution. At this stage I think he is maybe the worst affected from all drivers. But pretty much everyone, as far as I understood from the drivers, said that something needs to happen."
The bouncing was an issue for several drivers, with a helmet cam from Charles Leclerc showing the extent of the problem.
Mercedes drivers Hamilton and George Russell took the brunt of it, with Hamilton suggesting the team lost over a second per lap because of the bouncing. Max Verstappen cruised to the easy win in Azerbaijan ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in second.
Hamilton is now in sixth place after the latest race, 88 points behind Verstappen for first.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 Team Change Logo to Pride Colors for Next 3 Races
Jun 8, 2022
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - MAY 29: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes walks in the Paddock ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 29, 2022 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
In celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Mercedes has announced its Formula One team, which includes seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, will feature the three-pointed star logo outfitted in Pride colors on its cars for the next three races.
Mercedes posted a video clip of what the redesigned logo will look like:
We’re proud to be running the @MercedesBenz Pride Star on our W13s for the next three races, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and raising awareness for Pride Month 🙏 pic.twitter.com/WbMNiC8L8O
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) June 8, 2022
Hamilton and George Russell comprise the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. The nose of their cars will feature the Pride logo for races at Azerbaijan (June 12), Canada (June 19) and Great Britain (July 3).
In addition to the star, Mercedes announced it has "a range of internal and external activities planned for Pride Month, as part of our Accelerate 25 programme to become a more diverse and inclusive team."
Hamilton and Russell will also display the Pride star on their racing helmets for each of the next three races to add "their voices to the global celebration of the LGBTQ+ community."
Sports leagues across the United States and Canada have built events and celebrations around Pride Month in recent years to show support to LGBTQ+ people around the world.
Per Ken Schultz of Outsports.com, 28 Major League Baseball teams have announced Pride Nights for individual games this month.
The WNBA has initiatives and activities planned for the entire month to "empower players, teams, fans and employees to share their voices and create a more inclusive environment around the game and in their communities."
On June 26, the NBA and WNBA will march and have a float in the New York City Pride March.
Hamilton previously wore a Pride helmet for races in Qatar and Saudi Arabia last November. He said he chose those races because of the countries' reported persecution of members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Brad Pitt Formula 1 Movie Acquired by Apple; Lewis Hamilton Attached as Producer
Jun 7, 2022
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - MAY 29: George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W13 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 29, 2022 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Clive Mason - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
The Formula One craze is coming to the silver screen.
Per Rebecca Rubin of Variety, Apple Original Films has acquired the rights to an F1 movie starring and produced by Brad Pitt.
Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is also attached as a producer.
F1 has seen its popularity in the United States explode in recent years. Its success in this country is largely attributed to the Netflix series Drive to Survive that debuted in March 2019.
Per David Hill of the New York Post, a recent Nielsen study showed Formula One is on track to have more than 1 billion fans worldwide this year.
According to Rubin, Pitt is going to play "a driver who comes out of retirement to compete alongside a rookie driver and the titans of the sport."
If the plot description of an aging movie star fighting to recapture his former glory against a young hotshot sounds familiar, there's a reason for that.
The movie is set to be directed by Joseph Kosinski, who is riding high amid the success of Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel to the 1986 original saw Tom Cruise return to the role that made him a Hollywood superstar.
Maverick has earned rave reviews and is already the third-highest grossing movie of the year with $308 million in just two weeks of release.
Ehren Kruger, who co-wrote Top Gun: Maverick, wrote the screenplay for the Formula One movie.
Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced both Top Gun movies, is also going to produce Pitt's untitled F1 movie. His production company has experience in the world of racing. The 78-year-old was a producer on Days of Thunder, another Cruise-starring vehicle from 1990.
It's unclear at this point when filming is going to begin on the project.
Spanish F1 Grand Prix 2022: Odds, Preview and Top Storylines
May 21, 2022
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the third practice session at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, Spain, Saturday, May 21, 2022. The Formula One race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen will continue their fight for the Formula 1 drivers' championship at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday.
The two drivers have traded wins over the first five races of the F1 season. Verstappen owns three victories, and Leclerc finished first on two occasions.
The pair of championship favorites are expected to compete for the win in Barcelona on Sunday. Leclerc put his Ferrari in pole position during Saturday's qualifying session, while Verstappen's Red Bull car landed second on the grid.
Their head-to-head showdown is far from the only notable storyline in play, however.
Mercedes has struggled to start the season but appeared to have gained more speed in qualifying. George Russell landed fourth on the grid, and Lewis Hamilton sits in sixth. Mercedes is third in the constructor's championship behind Ferrari and Red Bull despite its rocky start, although there is a 56-point gap to Red Bull in second.
The big question around the upcoming two weeks of racing in Spain and at Monaco is whether or not Mercedes' improvements are enough to help it challenge for wins and podium finishes alongside Ferrari and Red Bull.
Can Anyone Break Up the Leclerc-Verstappen Dominance?
Not even the teammates of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen have been able to challenge the two title favorites over the first five races of the season.
Verstappen is coming off consecutive victories at Imola and Miami. He also won in Saudi Arabia in the second race of the year. The Red Bull driver did not finish in the other two races in Bahrain and Austraila, and Leclerc took first in those events.
Leclerc has finished in either first or second place in four of the five events. A bad break in strategy and then a spin following an overly aggressive move at Imola cost him a podium spot, and he landed in sixth place.
Leclerc and Verstappen's teammates, Red Bull's Sergio Perez and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, may serve as the biggest threats to the championship hopefuls.
Sainz is one of two Spaniards racing in his home Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso is the other, but his Alpine-Renault has struggled to begin the season.
Sainz owns three podium finishes in 2022 but did not finish in the other two races. Perez either landed in second or fourth place in each of the last four events following an 18th-place finish in Bahrain after a car failure on the last lap.
Unless Sainz or Perez benefit from a different strategy, or catch Leclerc and Verstappen sleeping on the start, the duo will likely be fighting it out for the last spot on the podium.
Does Mercedes Have Enough Power To Contend With Red Bull and Ferrari?
Mercedes has not been in the upper echelon of the Formula 1 table through five races.
George Russell has been a constant fixture in the top five, but he only has one podium finish.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton struggled at Imola and in Saudi Arabia. He rebounded with a sixth-place run in Miami, but that is still not up to the lofty standards he has set inside the Mercedes in years past, included a second-place overall finish last season.
Russell and Hamilton showed positive signs during qualifying on Saturday, though, as they landed in fourth and sixth place on the grid.
Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari were the only teams to place drivers on the first three rows of the starting grid.
The strong qualifying runs may be indicators for what's to come for Mercedes on Sunday, when the goal should be for Russell and Hamilton to challenge for podium finishes.
Mercedes might not have enough power to catch the two best cars on the circuit yet, but Sunday could help them close the gap and set up chances to win in the coming weeks at Monaco, Azerbaijan and Canada.
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Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Lewis Hamilton, David Beckham Take Photo at F1 Grand Prix
May 8, 2022
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA - MAY 04: IWC brand ambassador and seven-time World Champion quarterback Tom Brady and IWC brand ambassador and seven-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton during The Big Pilot Challenge, an entertaining charity golf challenge organized by IWC Schaffhausen at the Miami Beach Golf Club on May 4, 2022 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for IWC Schaffhausen)
It would be difficult to capture more
star power from the sports world than Tampa Bay Buccaneers
quarterback Tom Brady did in a photo Sunday at the Miami Grand
Prix.
The NFL superstar posted a picture of
himself alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan, soccer legend David
Beckham and seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton:
That's a lot of championships standing
side by side. Along with Hamilton's F1 titles, Brady has won seven
Super Bowls, Jordan captured six NBA titles and Beckham secured 10 league
trophies.
The photo helps showcase the rapid
growth of the sport's popularity in the United States, which has
coincided closely with the smash-hit Netflix documentary Formula 1:
Drive to Survive, a behind-the-scenes series that debuted in 2019.
It's the first time Miami has hosted an
F1 race as part of a 10-year deal, and the racing series is adding a
Las Vegas night race to its schedule in 2023. The U.S. Grand Prix, which has taken place in Texas since 2012, has been held on 50 occasions since 1908.
Hamilton explained Wednesday he was
surprised by how long it took F1 to catch on in a sport-rich country like the U.S., but he's happy that's started to change and believes the Miami event can become a hallmark event similar to
NASCAR's Daytona 500 in Florida.
"At one stage we didn't have a
Grand Prix here, then we only had one Grand Prix. Now we're
expanding. I think this is going to be like our Super Bowl,"
Hamilton said. "I am so happy to be in Miami. This is the
sport's first time here and the anticipation of this event has just
skyrocketed."
Getting public support from the likes
of Jordan, Brady and Beckham, an Englishman who now co-owns the Inter
Miami soccer club in MLS, provides a major boost to those efforts.
The Miami Grand Prix green flag is
scheduled to wave Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
