Magazine: F1 French GP review, FE Puebla, and W Series preview

The latest battle in the Formula 1 world championship contest was close and hard-fought throughout. There was little to choose between Mercedes and Red Bull, leaving Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in a duel that was only decided on the penultimate lap.

Our Grand Prix Editor Alex Kalinauckas explains how Red Bull’s two-stop strategy helped Verstappen make up for his early error and why Mercedes didn’t try the same thing. He also points out that, if the RB16B can win on a track traditionally kind to the Silver/Black Arrows, then the title fight really is on.

Events in Mexico during the Formula E encounters also took some explaining and Matt Kew was there to see Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein’s bad luck, which struck in controversial circumstances.

Penske’s IndyCar misfortune also continued last weekend. Josef Newgarden dominated at Road America and looked set to score the famous team’s first win of the season, only for gearbox problems to intervene. David Malsher-Lopez’s reports on how Chip Ganassi’s Alex Palou took victory – and a handy points lead.

There’s also action from all the other major international categories, including the DTM season opener at Monza, the inaugural Pure ETCR event at Vallelunga, and Marc Marquez’s first MotoGP win since his comeback following his serious 2020 crash.

After an even longer hiatus, W Series returns at the Red Bull Ring this weekend. Megan White talks to Jamie Chadwick about her chances of retaining the title and the likely challengers in 2021.

The significance of Karun Chandhok joining the board of Motorsport UK leads our National section, which includes news and reports from the recent Silverstone, Cadwell Park, Oulton Park, Knockhill and Brands Hatch events.

Stefan Mackley also looks at a new way of making the most of driver data, while Stephen Lickorish wonders how one national racer has been able to continue competing despite a surprising number of points on their licence…

Want Autosport magazine delivered to your door each week? Subscribe today and never miss your weekly fix of motorsport: www.autosportmedia.com/offer/article