GP report: Formula 1's subdued farewell
Sebastian Vettel made history in Brazil, while Felipe Massa bade farewell to Ferrari and Mark Webber to the sport. But with such an uncertain winter ahead, says MARK HUGHES, this was a strangely subdued affair
Sebastian Vettel did his victory donuts on-track after equalling Alberto Ascari's nine-race consecutive world championship grand prix victory record. Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber drove his last ever F1 slow-down lap with his helmet off. Felipe Massa drove in from his own semi-donuts after his last race for Ferrari, still seething at the FIA for his drive-through penalty for repeatedly putting all four wheels inside the white pit-entry lines at the top of the hill.
As the last engine - Massa's - was shut down in the collecting area, Formula 1 bade farewell to the V8 formula.
How F1 teams and personnel react in pressurised situations
OPINION: The pressure is firmly on Red Bull and Mercedes as Formula 1 2021 embarks on its final double-header. How the respective teams deal with that will be a crucial factor in deciding the outcome of the drivers' and constructors' championships, as Autosport's technical consultant and ex-McLaren F1 engineer explains
Why Ferrari is sure its long-term Leclerc investment will be vindicated
Humble yet blisteringly quick, Charles Leclerc is the driver Ferrari sees as its next world champion, and a rightful heir to the greats of Ferrari’s past – even though, by the team’s own admission, he’s not the finished article yet. Here's why it is confident that the 24-year-old can be the man to end a drought stretching back to 2008
The downside to F1's show and tell proposal
Technology lies at the heart of the F1 story and it fascinates fans, which is why the commercial rights holder plans to compel teams to show more of their ‘secrets’. STUART CODLING fears this will encourage techno-quackery…
How getting sacked gave Mercedes F1’s tech wizard lasting benefits
He’s had a hand in world championship-winning Formula 1 cars for Benetton, Renault and Mercedes, and was also a cog in the Schumacher-Ferrari axis. Having recently ‘moved upstairs’ as Mercedes chief technical officer, James Allison tells STUART CODLING about his career path and why being axed by Benetton was one of the best things that ever happened to him
The remarkable qualities that propelled Kubica’s F1 comeback
It’s easy to look at Robert Kubica’s second Formula 1 career and feel a sense of sadness that he didn’t reach the heights for which he seemed destined. But as BEN ANDERSON discovered, performance and results are almost meaningless in this context – something more fundamental and incredible happened…
The humbling changes Ricciardo made to deliver the goods for McLaren
From being lapped by his own team-mate in Monaco to winning at Monza, it’s been a tumultuous first season at McLaren for Daniel Ricciardo. But, as he tells STUART CODLING, there’s more to the story of his turnaround than having a lovely summer holiday during Formula 1's summer break...
The potential benefits of losing the F1 constructors' title
As the battle continues to rage over the F1 2021 drivers' championship, teams up and down the grid are turning their attentions to the prize money attributed to each position in the constructors' standings. But F1's sliding scale rules governing windtunnel and CFD use will soften the blow for those who miss out on the top places
The invisible enemy that’s made Hamilton’s title charge tougher
After winning his past few Formula 1 titles at a canter, Lewis Hamilton currently trails Max Verstappen by eight points heading into the final double-header of 2021. Although Red Bull has been his biggest on-track challenge, Hamilton feels that he has just as much to grapple with away from the circuit
We rate the drivers after the Brazilian GP
Stats: Webber's final F1 tally
