Ferrari say they are lagging behind rivals Mercedes and Red Bull at the halfway point of pre-season testing. The admission from team boss Mattia Binotto came as Sebastian Vettel suffered the first mechanical failure of testing with an engine failure. Binotto said: “I am not as optimistic as last year so it means the others

The innovative steering system introduced by Mercedes for this season will be banned from 2021. Mercedes have been cleared to use the system for 2020 and technical director James Allison hopes it will “bring an advantage during the season”. But the rules are changing for 2021 in such a manner that the system would not

Mercedes believe a trick steering innovation which could give them an advantage in 2020 is within the rules. Technical director James Allison said it “introduces an extra dimension for steering which we hope will be useful”. He said governing body the FIA was aware of it. “The rules are clear about what’s permitted on steering

Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen was fastest on the second day of the first pre-season test, as Mercedes caused a stir with a new steering system. Raikkonen headed Racing Point’s Sergio Perez, Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull’s Alexander Albon. Mercedes, meanwhile, debuted their revolutionary steering system. “It allows the drivers an extra dimension of control

Lewis Hamilton started his 2020 Formula 1 campaign with a powerful statement of intent as he topped the first day of pre-season testing in Spain. Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas shared the driving for Mercedes and ended the day first and second fastest. The world champion was 0.337 seconds quicker than Bottas, who headed Racing

As Formula 1 prepares for a new season, we asked for your questions about what 2020 holds for the drivers, the sport and you… The sport Ian Bignall: Will the racing be improved this year or will tyre degradation still dominate how drivers manage their race? The two parts of this question are not necessarily

Gymnast Simone Biles won her third Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award while Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton and footballer Lionel Messi shared the men’s title. American Biles, 22, won five gold medals in Stuttgart last year to become the most decorated athlete at the World Championships. Briton Hamilton, 35, won his sixth drivers’ title.

Williams have begun their 2020 season with a recognition of the long haul they face before the team can return to competitiveness. Williams finished adrift of the field in 2019, their worst ever season, with a car nearly 1.5 seconds slower than the next slowest on the grid. Deputy team boss Claire Williams said 2020

The cars have been launched and testing is under way. Can Mercedes be stopped or will it be business as usual for world champion Lewis Hamilton? What do you want to know about the new F1 season? Send us your questions and our chief F1 writer Andrew Benson will answer some of the best ones.

Red Bull’s junior team has been rebranded as Alpha Tauri for 2020. The former Toro Rosso team is now being used to promote a new clothing line produced by the drinks giant. Team boss Franz Tost said the outfit was targeting a place in the top five of the constructors’ championship. Last year they were

Lewis Hamilton says he and Mercedes are as motivated as ever this year to continue their success. Mercedes’ new car is having its first run at a private test at Silverstone on Friday. Hamilton’s Finnish team-mate Valtteri Bottas will drive the car in the morning before the Briton, 35, takes over in the afternoon. “It

McLaren have unveiled their new car with the ambition of continuing the progress they showed last year. In 2019, they were the fastest team behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull and finished fourth, two places better than in 2018. Team boss Andreas Seidl said: “It is important to keep the positive momentum up and move

Former F1 driver driver Robert Kubica will race in the DTM German Touring Car Championship for BMW this year. The Pole, 35, returned to Formula 1 last year with Williams, eight years after a horrific rally accident left him with only partial movement in his right arm. Kubica will race a BMW M4 in the

The Vietnam Grand Prix is expected to go ahead on 5 April despite concerns over the coronavirus, says Formula 1’s managing director Ross Brawn. Vietnam’s inaugural race is being held in Hanoi, 100 miles from the border with China, the centre of the outbreak. The Chinese GP, which was scheduled for 19 April, was postponed

Max Verstappen described his first experience of Red Bull’s 2020 Formula 1 car as “very positive” after it ran at Silverstone on Wednesday. Red Bull conducted a private test limited to no more than 100km to shake down the new RB15 before the start of pre-season testing in Spain next week. “It is important to

Renault need to “regain confidence” this season after a tough 2019, their Formula 1 boss Cyril Abiteboul says. They fell from fourth to fifth in the world championship last season, which led to a significant staff reshuffle and their technical director’s exit. “Taking back fourth position in the constructors’ championship remains the objective,” Abiteboul said.

Lewis Hamilton says he feels “physically and mentally on another level this year” after a successful pre-season training programme. The six-time world champion’s comments came in an online message to fans before the debut of his new Mercedes later this week. Hamilton, 35, is aiming to win a seventh world title this season. He said

The Chinese Grand Prix is expected to be postponed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The race is scheduled to be held in Shanghai on 19 April and a decision is set to be made in the next few days. Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn has previously said it will look to reschedule