The 2021 Formula 1 season continues as we head down to Mexico for the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix. The home race for Red Bull driver Sergio "Checo" Perez comes in the midst of a heated battle between his teammate Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton for the drivers championship. Meanwhile, the F1 world is abuzz amid a boost of interest following the 2021 United States Grand Prix, which was won by Verstappen. As for this week, coverage opens up Friday for free practice before qualifying on Saturday and the Sunday race on Network TV. Here's a full rundown of how to watch all of this weekend's action, from TV options to a free trial live stream option in fuboTV.
This year's support schedule features the final two rounds of the 2021 W Series Championship for female racers. In addition to practice and qualifying sessions, the two W Series races will be staged after F1 qualifying on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning. Also in action will be the young drivers in the FIA Formula 4 Championship, who will also race twice over the course of the weekend. F course, there's a chance that Hamilton or Verstappen may find an extra couple of tenths in qualifying and secure pole position, but it looks like it will come down to the skills of the drivers again. Perez was quickest in final practice for Red Bull but how representative will that be?
It's hard to say, given that both Verstappen and Hamilton had quick laps deleted for track limits infringements. It is Verstappen's ninth pole of the season and 11th of his career, ending a run of three races without starting from the front and setting up another juicy battle with title rival Hamilton after they clashed in a heated practice session on Friday. The first two practice sessions completed on Friday have given the F1 teams and fans a real idea of the conditions on the brand new Jeddah Corniche Circuit, which had never seen any kind of racing on it before this weekend.
Mercedes had been expected to have a slight edge at the Circuit of the Americas and they certainly began the weekend with a dominant showing in first practice. But Hamilton said he felt the team had "gone backwards" since then, struggling with the car's setup in the remaining practice sessions. With only 6 Grand Prix remaining to decide the winning driver and the team in the 2021 formula 1 season, the action moves onto the United States as Austin finally hosts the festivity of rigorously fast cars. The second of the back-to-back races at the Red Bull Ring saw Verstappen pick up where he left off, delighting the Austrian crowd with pole position and then leading every lap of his team's home grand prix. A huge number of Dutch fans also mad there way to Austria to watch their hero dominate proceedings.
Hamilton earned the 100th pole position of his career in Barcelona, but duly gave up first position on the first corner of the grand prix, having no option but to sacrifice the spot to an aggressive move by Max Verstappen. Using the links above you can find the full weekend schedule, including details of practice and qualifying sessions, support races, press conferences and special events, plus the latest news headlines, circuit information and F1 race results. As they have been for the past handful of races, there is very little to separate championship contenders Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen leads by just six points with six rounds remaining. Coming into this weekend the though was that the Mercedes should have the edge over the Red Bull. Has that been the case from the three practice sessions we've seen so far?
There has been little to separate Hamilton and Verstappen and even Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas look closely matched. Channel 4's commentator called the inaugural Saudi GP "an incredible day of confusion," which is an understatement – this will go down as one of the most contentious races of all time. But it delivered on thrills and means a final race of the season with the two leading drivers tied on points, as the incredible 2021 season reaches its conclusion. The drama dutifully returned on the street circuit of Azerbaijan's capital, with a joint-record four red flags brought out during Saturday's qualifying session. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc managed to grasp pole position for the second race in a row but failed to keep it beyond lap two, when he was overtaken by Lewis Hamilton. After that the Monegasque went backwards down the order but recovered to fourth.
The race returned after being cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a 20% risk of rain for qualifying and 40% for the race. From this race onward, any practice times set during waved yellow flags would be deleted. The final two rounds of the 2021 W Series were held as support races for the Grand Prix. This was the ninth time that Austin has hosted a Formula One Grand Prix.
Some restrictions on paddock access related to the COVID-19 pandemic were lowered starting from this event. Max Verstappen qualified as quickest for the 12th time in his F1 career and scored pole position for tomorrow's USA Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver will start from P1 for 9th time this season. Another exciting element of the 2021 F1 season was the debut of Sprint Qualifying. The 100km races determined the starting grid for Sunday's grands prix and awarded championship points to the top three drivers. It was "won" by Max Verstappen, who had qualified on pole, with a delighted George Russell in the Williams finishing behind him after a sensational lap on Saturday.
Meanwhile Stroll was by the accident ahead and drove into the side of Leclerc. After a safety car, teams were told there would be a standing start from the grid, but just beforehand all the drivers except leader Hamilton dived into the pits for slick tyres, as the track was drying. You can also watch Formula 2, Formula 3 and Porsche Supercup coverage. The teams have started launching their cars already, and there will be a closed shakedown in Barcelona between February 23 and 25. It won't be covered like a full test, but we will find out what the best lap time are at the end of every day. In the end it was Max who won his first title, passing Lewis on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi grand prix following a controversial interpretation of the existing safety car rules in the FIA Sporting Regulations.
Mercedes unsuccessfully attempted to protest the decision and later decided to withdraw an appeal. And in the aftermath, there were calls from some fans for Formula 1 race director Michael Masi to step down or for the FIA to dismiss him from the role. But notably, both of those "pole positions" were earned via the sprint qualifying race format.
So in his last five starts from pole in traditional fashion, Verstappen has a high, low, and average finish of 1.0 — another way of saying he hasn't lost. In addition to Sunday's race telecast, qualifying and all three practice sessions will air on ESPN networks on Friday and Saturday with streaming of all sessions and the race on the ESPN App. The race and qualifying telecasts will air commercial-free with sponsorship from Mothers Polish. ESPN Deportes will air the race, qualifying and the three practice sessions in Spanish. Verstappen, who leads the drivers' championshipby just six points from Hamilton with six races remaining, had insisted just hours earlier that they had buried the hatchet following a series of high-profile clashes this season.
Further back, Williams' George Russell fell to 15th when his only lap time in Q2 was deleted. The young Briton starts from the back of the grid in any case due to an engine change earlier in the weekend. But there should be some great racing all the way down the grid on a track that usually provides some decent action. Hamilton will line up second on the grid alongside the man he trails by six points in what continues to be an enthralling drivers' championship. And it promises to be a cracker of a race, with the seven-time world champion the filling in a Red Bull sandwich with Sergio Perez, much to the crowd's delight, producing an excellent qualifying performance and even holding provisional pole for a while.
The US Grand Prix will be streamed on Star Sports 2 and its respective HD channel. If you do not own a cable connection, the live-action from the race tracks can be viewed on Disney+ Hotstar. Given that the difference between GMT and IST is 5 hours and 30 minutes, all the racing action will be held at night or late evening for race fans in India.
On Friday, tempers flared between the two drivers during practice. Verstappen and Hamilton went side-by-side, which is very rare during a practice session, down one of the straightaways at COTA. The move certainly irritated Verstappen who could be heard calling Hamilton a "stupid idiot" over his team radio. Red Bulls' Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton are locked in a close battle for the F1 drivers championship. Both of them will look to improve their place in the standings with a victory on Sunday in the 2021 United States Grand Prix.
The race will be 56 laps of the 3.426 mile Circuit of The Americas Sunday. The weekend will include three days of events and entertainment to enjoy. At turn three, Esteban Ocon's Alpine was squeezed between Mick Schumacher and Antonio Giovinazzi, damaging his suspension and bringing out the safety car.
But there was only so much one could do in the early practice session. Much of the first hour was tentative from the drivers, who looked uncertain to test even the heavier tyres on a wet track, while Sauber's Charles Leclerc caused a red flag when he spun gravel on to the circuit. You'll get comprehensive IndyCar Series coverage as well when the next season starts in February 2022. Sky also recently aired the Race of Champions, a fun off-season tournament uniting racing drivers from different series in identical vehicles, on its sports service. Every car will be built to a completely new spec, a number of drivers are moving teams, and we have one new rookie and a returning familiar face on the grid next time out. Meanwhile Daniel Ricciardo qualified seventh, one ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris, after making an early statement in Q1 with the fastest time of all drivers on their first flying lap attempt.
What Time Is F1 Qualifying Usa Ricciardo struggled in Q2 and was one of many drivers to have their lap time scrubbed out for exceeding track limits on Turn 19 this weekend, but rebounded to outqualify rising star Norris again. Perez is one of just six Mexican drivers in F1 history and has always been adored by race fans in his home country, even when he was in teams and cars that were nowhere near the front. His best finish here is seventh, which he has done twice. Bottas and Hamilton again a long way ahead on the track of the other cars, so Red Bull will be setting their lap times a good seconds later. The US Grand Prix 2021 will be held at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin from Friday, October 22, 2021. The circuit is 5.513 kilometres long and consists of 56 laps.
The particular Grand Prix was called off due to the hiatus caused by COVID-19 pandemic last year. Lewis Hamilton has been the most successful driver in the previous decade, having won 5 of the last 8 races in the States. Plus SiriusXM's exclusive pre- and post-race show, offering listeners the latest team news, a recap of qualifying results, driver interviews, and an in-depth look at that weekend's circuit. To Bottas' credit, he got pole position and won the race with relative ease.
Hamilton finished right behind him in second, however, meaning the champagne could be uncorked as he became the second driver ever to win six championships. Indianapolis became the host in 2000 and would host a total of eight times. Michael Schumacher won five of the eight races for Ferrari, with the 2005 race standing out in particular.
Seven teams withdrew from the race as they were running Michelin tyres that had safety issues, leaving only six cars to compete. The stewards initially held the backmarkers, who sat between Hamilton's lead car and Verstappen in second, behind the safety car. But with the Williams wreckage cleared away, just before the safety car pulled off the circuit on the penultimate lap, the backmarkers were released, moving Verstappen directly up to the leader's rear wing. Verstappen complained of having worn tyres with five laps to go, but he couldn't pit without losing second place to Ocon. Hamilton nursed his own car home to take the win, with Verstappen 7sec behind – his time penalty making no difference to the order. Completing the excitement, Bottas passed Ocon metres before the chequered flag to complete the podium.
But when the leader slowed on the straight to hand back the place, Hamilton ran into the back of the Red Bull, causing damage to his front wing – a result of poor communication between teams and race control, it is thought. Both cars were able to continue and Verstappen yielded again but immediately re-took the position at the next corner. Norris led for much of the race, and regained the advantage shortly after a late stop for a set of fresh rubber.
But rain began to fall on part of the track with around five laps to go, and while its increasing intensity meant most drivers pitted for treaded tyres, Norris believed he could stay out on slicks and overruled the team's request for him to do the same. The Dutchman was later penalised for the incident, with a three-place grid penalty to be applied at Sochi. With both those cars retired, McLaren swept to a very popular one-two victory, with Ricciardo taking the win and finally showing his form of old.
Bottas drove superbly through the field to clinch third place on the podium. One key regulation change this year means that every regular driver has to sit out at least one FP1 session during the season, to encourage teams to evaluate up-and-coming talent or give their test and reserve drivers some on-track experience. So we should get to see Oscar in a Formula 1 car at least once this year.
Grand Prixuntil a shaky final lap was eclipsed by Verstappen and Hamilton. The Austin crowd was packed with fans from Mexico who cheered him around every lap in a sneak preview of what's to come this weekend. Mexico's favorite racing son is back, this time with a chance to win his home race at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday, while his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamiltonbattle for the season championship. Tempers flared between the championship rivals in the second practice session on Friday, with Verstappen calling Hamilton a "stupid idiot" and brandishing a middle finger in his direction after an intense clash on-track. Red Bull suffered a late scare when they spotted a crack on Verstappen's rear wing just before qualifying, deciding to "beef up" both cars just prior to the session in the words of team principal Christian Horner. Finally, the supercars from Formula 1 Pirelli Hot Laps will also be taking guests on flying laps of COTA several times over the weekend.
His championship rival, Lewis Hamilton, has neither had his desired pace from the Mercedes nor the strategic support of his teammate. However, the seven-time world champion will look to cause 'an upset' in Brazil, the same track where he famously won his first title in 2008. Formula One will no longer set aside time for drivers to take the knee ahead of races and will instead focus on "inclusive action".
For those on a budget, once again there are extended highlights of all F1 races on Channel 4, with additional live coverage of the British Grand Prix in July. A last-minute rights deal meant the Channel 4 also showed live coverage of the Abu Dhabi finale, though using the Sky Sports F1 feed and commentary. Highlights were also available on the channel's on-demand service, All 4. Sadly for Bottas, a puncture on lap 33 dropped him out of the race from third position.
Both Williams cars later suffered punctures, though Perez had pitted to avoid the same fate to finish fourth. The final podium was Hamilton, Verstappen and then Alonso, in a brilliant drive for Alpine. Verstappen started seventh but made a storming start to reach fourth by turn one, but Hamilton capitalised on pole position and kept his lead. By lap five, Vesrtappen was up into second place, driving the doors off his Red Bull , with Bottas and Perez also driving through the field to make up for lowly grid positions.
This race will go down in history for all the wrong reasons. It's the new shortest ever F1 grand prix, lasting just three laps over eight minutes, all run behind a safety car with no overtaking, due to torrential rain. After a poor qualifying performance in San Marino, Valtteri Bottas earned a spot at the front of the grid for the Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimão. Both Mercedes started well, with Bottas building a comfortable lead over second-placed Hamilton until a crash between Alfa Romeo teammates Antonio Giovanazzi and Kimi Raikkonen brought out the safety car. The result was controversial and a fitting end to a rollercoaster of a year; one shaken up by the coronavirus pandemic, with races cancelled and replaced due to restrictions, but also easily one of the most exciting and dramatic we've seen in decades.
It's more than 40 years since two drivers had entered the final round on equal points, and many believe Verstappen and Hamilton's titanic battle to be one of the all-time great F1 rivalries. A drenched track in Austin, Texas meant most drivers were prevented from posting more than a handful of laps in the second session, yet Hamilton still came out and made the fastest time in his first attempt. Sky has exclusively held rights to live, uninterrupted coverage of every grand prix since 2013 in the UK, and runs a dedicated channel, Sky Sports F1, for the purpose.
Commentary comes from David Croft and Martin Brundle (who also call the action on F1 TV's English-language world feed), with Simon Lazenby, Natalie Pinkham and Rachel Brooks sharing hosting duties. Lewis also congratulated Max in his post-race interview, and he and his dad Anthony were also seen hugging and chatting to the new world champion moments after the chequered flag. It will debut as part of the 2021 championship on November 21 and will return to the schedule in 2023 on a 10-year deal. Losail International Circuit will host the event until 2023 when it will move to a new purpose-built circuit.
