Verstappen retains F1 world title after dramatic Japan win

SUZUKA, Japan -- Max Verstappen was declared Formula One world champion Sunday after winning a dramatic rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Verstappen crossed the line first and he was then awarded the title when second-place finisher Charles Leclerc was given a five-second penalty, dropping him to third.

The result gave Verstappen an unassailable 113-point lead in the championship, making him only the third driver after Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel to clinch the title with four races to spare.

Ferrari's Leclerc finished the race second in front of Red Bull's Sergio Perez, but he was hit with a penalty after squeezing Perez wide and leaving the track in a late surge for the line.

Verstappen was informed he had retained his title midway through the post-race TV interview, and even the driver himself was not sure if he had sealed the deal.

"It's a crazy feeling of course as I didn't expect it when I crossed the line," said a shell-shocked Verstappen.

"Was it going to be half points? I didn't know how many points I was going to get. I was happy with the race we had."

The race got off to a chaotic start in heavy rain, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Williams' Alex Albon exiting on the first lap prompting a safety care.

A red flag soon followed and forced the drivers to wait for more than an hour before the action restarted, again under a safety car.

Verstappen resumed with a lead over Leclerc and Perez, and extended it as conditions gradually improved.

Verstappen has won 12 of 18 races in 2022 and thanked his team for an "incredible" year.

"The first (championship) is a little more emotional, the second one is beautiful," he said.

"It's been a special year, and you need to remind yourself as these kind of years you don't have very often."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said Verstappen had "grown" as a driver.

"Carrying that number one this year, he's done it with a lot of pride," he said.

Agence France-Presse

F1: 'Untouchable' Verstappen cruises in Belgium to tighten grip on second title

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium -- World champion Max Verstappen blew away his rivals with a commanding performance at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday to take a significant step towards a second successive drivers' title as Red Bull celebrated a 1-2 with Sergio Perez finishing a remote runner-up.

The 24-year-old Dutchman, who started from 14th on the grid, scorched through the field with devastating pace and elan to deliver crushing proof of his and Red Bull's superiority.

"It's been a weekend that I couldn't have imagined before," said Verstappen, who pulled 93 points clear of Perez in the drivers' standings.

Among those blown away by Verstappen's stunning show of superiority was his teammate.

"Max was flying – he was on another planet. He was untouchable," said Perez.

Verstappen has now won nine of this season's 14 races - this was the 29th of his career and completed a hat-trick of summer victories in Europe. 

In front of a packed crowd at the spectacular Spa-Francorchamps circuit, including many fans from the nearby Netherlands, Verstappen came home 17.841 seconds clear of the pack with race pole-sitter Carlos Sainz finishing third for Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc, Verstappen's nearest challenger going into the race, struggled in the other Ferrari after starting 15th. 

He was handed a five-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane and had to battle past Alpine's Fernando Alonso on the last lap to snatch sixth behind the Mercedes of George Russell and Fernando Alonso.

Lewis Hamilton retired on the opening lap after his Mercedes collided with Alonso's car.

- Flying Verstappen -

Verstappen was one of eight drivers to be relegated down the grid after taking new power-unit or gearbox components.

In spite of being quickest in qualifying he started 14th but quickly carved his way through the field to install himself in the easy chair up front.

The race began in bright and dry conditions following official confirmation that Belgium's place on the calendar was secure for next year at least with a one-year contract extension.

When the lights went out, Sainz made an excellent start, while Perez was slow to move and passed by Alonso, Hamilton and Russell. Verstappen rose smoothly from 14th on the grid to eighth.

As the field climbed through Les Combes, Hamilton collided with Alonso as he attempted to complete an impetuous pass, the Mercedes rising over the Alpine and falling violently. Both men continued, but Hamilton's race was done.

Alonso called Hamilton an "idiot" over the radio and the Briton later took full responsibility. 

"He was in my blind spot, I didn't give him enough space. It is my fault," Hamilton said.

This unscripted exit left the seven-time champion still searching for a first win of the season.

Shortly after, Nicholas Latifi went wide in his Williams and spun, taking out Valtteri Bottas's Alfa Romeo. 

A safety car was deployed and the field settled with Sainz leading Perez, Russell and Alonso.

Soon after the resumption, Verstappen cut his way through to reach third and a podium finish by lap eight.

The impatient Dutchman surged past Perez on lap 12 as Alonso pitted, leaving the two Red Bulls leading ahead of Russell and Vettel, a near-perfect scenario for the Milton Keynes-based team that made light of Verstappen's grid penalty.

Perez pitted after 14 laps, re-joining third in front of Leclerc as Verstappen came in from the lead on lap 15. He came out ahead of Perez.

The defending champion was in imperious mood and on lap 18, after following Sainz uphill from Eau Rouge, swept past to lead on the Kemmel straight.

Remarkably, to the delight of the orange-clad hordes packed into the circuit, Verstappen had demolished the field before half-distance.

Three laps later, Perez passed Sainz for second.

Further pit-stops shuffled the pack briefly, but Red Bull reigned supreme.

"It was quite a hectic first lap to stay out of trouble," said a composed Verstappen. "But once we settled in after the safety car, the car was really on rails."

He added that he knew his car was ‘super-competitive’ from the start of the weekend. “I could tell from the ‘get-go’ that we could get an amazing result.

"Now, of course, I am enjoying the moment, having a good time, but even with this amazing weekend, we are still focused on what we can achieve and we want more."

He will be counting on another big points pay day next weekend when the F1 circus pitches up at Zandvoort for his home Dutch Grand Prix.

Agence France-Presse

F1: Rain man Verstappen takes pole position for Canadian Grand Prix

MONTREAL, Canada -- World champion and series leader Max Verstappen drove expertly in difficult wet conditions in his Red Bull on Saturday to secure pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix.

In an intriguing and entertaining qualifying session, the 24-year-old Dutchman clocked a best lap in one minute and 21.299 seconds, beating nearest rival two-time world champion Fernando Alonso of Alpine by seven-tenths of a second.

Verstappen will start his 150th race from the prime start place after claiming his 15th pole in pursuit of a 26th career victory. 

His pole ends a run of four in a row by title rival Charles Leclerc who starts Sunday's race from the back of the grid after taking a new power unit on his Ferrari.

"We stayed calm, we made no mistakes, so of course super happy with that, with pole position here - and also to be back here in Montreal," said Verstappen.

The 40-year-old Alonso put in a dazzling late lap to delight the crowd and outpace fellow-Spaniard Carlos Sainz of Ferrari who qualified third ahead of a reinvigorated Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.

"It feels great. It was an unbelievable weekend so far for us, thanks to the wet conditions. The car was mega," said Alonso.

Kevin Magnussen wound up fifth ahead of his Haas team-mate Mick Schumacher, Esteban Ocon in the second Alpine and George Russell in the second Mercedes.

- Firsts for Schumacher, Zhou -

It was Schumacher's best qualifying performance since arriving in Formula One last year.

Daniel Ricciardo was ninth for McLaren ahead of Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo, the Chinese driver reaching the top ten for the first time on a day of the unexpected.

After heavy rain overnight and through the morning, the temperature was only 11 degrees when Race Control declared the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to be an official 'wet track' for the session.

Another big crowd turned out, bedecked in colourful plastic ponchos and anoraks to greet the return of F1 after a Covid-caused three-year absence.

All 20 drivers went out immediately to test the conditions in the opening qualifying session, the entire field running on full-wet tyres. 

The track appeared to be wetter than it had been in final practice when Alonso was quickest.

Russell set the early pace before Verstappen and Sainz took over only for the Mercedes man to respond again before Magnussen went quickest for Haas.

As a dry line began to emerge, Valtteri Bottas took over on top as the times tumbled with dramatic affect, Sainz again taking his Ferrari top before running on at Turn Three and reversing to re-join the fray.

Amid the chaos, Verstappen stayed calm to go quickest again ahead of Alonso while, unexpectedly after shining in third practice, both Aston Martin men, local star Lance Stroll and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, were eliminated.

Out with them went AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly, Canada's second hope Nicholas Latifi of Williams and Yuki Tsunoda in the second Alpha Tauri.

The second session began with some drivers, including Sainz and Perez, trying intermediate tyres only for Alex Albon to go off at Turn Six in his Williams and then Perez to slide into the barriers, more heavily, at Turn three.

Perez's crash prompted a red flag to halt the action, wrecking his hopes of beating Verstappen in qualifying for a third consecutive weekend to boost his title bid.

The session resumed with nine minutes remaining, a wider dry line and everyone on intermediates except Leclerc who remained in the pits, knowing he will start Sunday's race from the back of the grid after taking a new power unit.

In a frantic finale, Verstappen pipped Alonso at the top while Bottas of Alfa Romeo, Albon, Perez, McLaren's Lando Norris and Leclerc missed the cut. 

Russell set an early marker in 1:24.006 before Verstappen flexed his might in 1:22.701. It was a statement lap.

On his second run, Russell gambled on taking slick tyres as the Dutchman trimmed his best time to 1:21.620 – a gamble that failed as he spun off at Turn Two. 

Agence France-Presse

Motorsports: Alonso teases 'big news' with coded Twitter message

Double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso hinted at an imminent 'big news' announcement in a teasing Twitter message posted in code on Wednesday to the Alpine driver's 2.8 million followers.

"BTV vras nduvrg ddwa. Eno iw giadt gby awa, Q’z xwptbvrg ewqf mn ndlr!!!!," wrote the Spaniard ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

The apparent gibberish was quickly decoded by online sleuths using the Vigenere cypher, a method of encrypting alphabetic text, with 'Alpine' as the key word.

The decoded tweet read: "BIG news coming soon. And to tease you all, I’m tweeting this in code!!!!"

Alonso's French team mate Esteban Ocon, the surprise winner in Hungary in the last race before the August break, joined in the fun.

"I mtb lsu pkmecoyt evpl hdzx sue lpnx yzj’zr enydcagiyv agvatvpg ewln," he replied, translated as "I bet you everyone will work out what you’re announcing straight away."

Alonso replied with the comment: "Lpi’a fie, wtb’f wep. Iprc’vp vwg 24 lofga gs wzgs vx ofi! (Let’s see, let’s see. They’ve got 24 hours to work it out!)

Alonso, 40, is expected to stay with Alpine next season after making a comeback in 2021 following two years out of Formula One.

Alpine boss Laurent Rossi revealed last month that the Spaniard's existing deal was a 'one plus one' -- 2021 plus an option the team can take up for 2022 -- and left little doubt he would be staying.

"He is as fast as ever. He is certainly extracting the most out of the car," Rossi told the BBC.

"The car is not incredibly fast and he still manages to get some super-hot laps and qualify the car very well. So far, so good." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Clare Fallon)

-reuters-

F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton positive for Covid-19

SAKHIR, Bahrain --  World champion Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain, Formula One's governing body FIA announced Tuesday.

"In accordance with COVID-19 protocols and public health authority guidelines in Bahrain he (Hamilton) is now isolating," said an FIA statement.

"The procedures set out by the FIA and Formula 1 will ensure no wider impact on this weekend's event.

Hamilton, who on Sunday won the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first of back-to-back races in the Gulf state, has already secured a record-equalling seventh world championship this season.

"He woke up on Monday morning with mild symptoms and was informed at the same time that a contact prior to arrival in Bahrain had subsequently tested positive," a statement from Hamilton's Mercedes team said.

"Lewis therefore took a further test and returned a positive result. This has since been confirmed by a retest.

"Lewis is now isolating in accordance with COVID-19 protocols and public health authority guidelines in Bahrain.

"Apart from mild symptoms, he is otherwise fit and well, and the entire team sends him its very best wishes for a swift recovery."

Mercedes added that Hamilton had been tested three times last week and returned a negative result each time as part of the sport's strict anti-virus protocols, the last of which was on Sunday afternoon at the Bahrain circuit.

Hamilton sealed his seventh title in Turkey two races ago to equal the all-time record of Michael Schumacher

He then cruised to his 11th win this year and record-increasing 95th victory on Sunday in a race overshadowed by Romain Grosjean's horrific crash, which left the Frenchman receiving hospital treatment for burns after his car exploded in flames after ploughing into a barrier.

"It was such a shocking image to see," said Hamilton, who like all of the drivers had a near 90-minute wait for the restart after the opening-lap crash.

Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas were having to "live like hermits" earlier this season to avoid Covid-19, revealed Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after the team recorded two positive cases at the Eifel Grand Prix in Germany in October.

Wolff said both drivers were confined to their rooms. "They are the most restricted of the whole group, of the whole team," he said.

"It's certainly not a great situation for them because you need almost to live like a hermit -– and that is what they are doing.

"They are at home, they are not going out for dinners and they are not meeting other people. When we do de-briefs, by Zoom or Microsoft Teams, they are not sitting with their engineers in the room."

Agence France-Presse

F1: Hamilton claims record win and top spot in title race

BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Lewis Hamilton equalled one of Michael Schumacher’s many records on Sunday when he delivered a classic drive to become the first driver to complete a hat-trick of Hungarian Grand Prix victories.

The defending six-time champion, who won at the Hungaroring in 2018 and 2019, enlarged his overall total of Hungarian triumphs to eight, drawing level with Schumacher’s eight wins at the French Grand Prix, the most by any driver at a single race venue.

Driving with exemplary concentration and aplomb, Hamilton controlled a tactical race from lights to flag, making light of changing conditions to deliver his 86th win, five short of Schumacher’s record total of 91.

It was Hamilton's second win this season, following victory at the Styrian Grand Prix a week earlier, and lifted him to the top of the drivers’ championship by a single point ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas who won the opening Austrian Grand Prix.

“Round One was multiple different punches that I wasn't ready for,” said Hamilton, referring to the defeat in the season opener.

“But I have refocused and we’ve just been on point here right through the weekend.”

Max Verstappen was a remarkable second for Red Bull after his crew repaired severe damage to his car’s suspension on the grid caused when the Dutchman had crashed before the start. He held off a late attack by Bottas to stay second by fractions of a second. 

"It wasn’t how I wanted it, of course, but the mechanics did an amazing job to fix the car so to pay them back with second place is great,” said Verstappen. 

Bottas came home a frustrated third, just metres behind, but ahead of Lance Stroll’s Racing Point, Alex Albon in the second Red Bull and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.

"It was a pretty bad race, to be honest,” said Bottas. “I lost it at the start. I reacted to a light on my dash that went off – instead of the start lights so I had to do the start again.”

Sergio Perez was seventh in the second ‘pink Mercedes’ Racing Point ahead of Daniel Ricciardo of Renault, Kevin Magnussen of Haas and Carlos Sainz of McLaren. 

After an intense burst of pre-race drama, in which Verstappen crashed on his final lap to join the grid and a seemingly rushed ‘end racism’ gesture by many of the drivers, Hamilton was coolness personified.

Starting from the 90th pole of his career, he pulled clear to lead by three seconds on the opening lap, ahead of Stroll and Verstappen, all of them running on intermediate tyres in the tricky conditions.

Bottas jumped the start and was then bogged down and fell to sixth.

The champion pitted for slicks at the end of the second lap returning in fourth and was back on top by lap five with the two Haas cars of Magnussen and Grosjean in pursuit after a well-judged switch from wets to slicks.

- Stick or twist? -

View this post on Instagram

Today I raced for everyone out there who is pushing to make positive change and fight inequality, however, sadly, as a sport we need to do so much more. It is embarrassing that many teams have not made any public commitment to diversity or that we couldn’t properly find time to make a symbolic gesture in support of ending racism before the race. Today felt rushed and massively lacked organisation and effort, which in turn dilutes the message and makes it seem like there was something more important. It doesn’t matter if you stand or kneel, but we should be showing the world that F1 is united in its commitment to equality and inclusivity. F1 and the FIA need to do more. There is no quick fix for racial inequality, but it is certainly something that we can’t just acknowledge once and then move on. We have to stay focussed, keep highlighting the problem and hold those with the power accountable. #BlackLivesMatter #EndRacism

A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Jul 19, 2020 at 12:41pm PDT

After a fine start lifted him to fourth, Vettel followed Hamilton into the pits, but a tentative release by Ferrari cost him at least five seconds and dropped him to ninth.

By lap 20, Hamilton led Verstappen by 11 seconds and Stroll by 27 with Bottas fourth ahead of the two Haas men and Albon.

Bottas pitted on lap 34 shortly before Hamilton, 19 seconds clear of Verstappen, reported the first drops of anticipated rain. The Finn’s immediate speed enabled a perfect under-cut of Stroll who, after pitting, emerged in fourth.

Verstappen came in for hards and then Hamilton for fresh mediums on lap 38, staying ahead by 19.418 with Bottas closing on the Dutchman by lap 40.

Bottas then pitted and clocked a fastest lap, heaping pressure on Red Bull’s strategists: to stick or twist?

With 12 laps to go, Hamilton lapped Vettel’s Ferrari, leaving only three men behind him on the same lap. "These tyres don’t feel good," he had complained only seconds earlier.

Offered hard tyres at his final pit stop, Hamilton requested softs in a bid for fastest lap. "What’s going on," he asked his engineer Peter Bonnington. "Standby, Lewis, while I found out myself," came the reply as his crew ran into the pit-lane and back again.

Eventually, he pitted on lap 66, re-joining with a lead of 4.7 seconds in pursuit of fastest lap. He clocked it with 1:16.627 for a precious extra point and leadership of the championship

Agence France-Presse

Hamilton criticises F1 for staying silent on Floyd death

LONDON -- Six times Formula One motor racing champion Lewis Hamilton has criticised his sport for its silence on the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a white U.S. police officer knelt on his neck.

The death in Minneapolis triggered a wave of outrage and violent protests in the United States.

Hamilton, Formula One's first black world champion, spends much of his time in America and spoke out on the issue in an Instagram story on Sunday.

"I see those of you who are staying silent, some of you the biggest of stars yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice," wrote the Mercedes driver.

"Not a sign from anybody in my industry which of course is a white dominated sport. I’m one of the only people of colour there yet I stand alone," he added.

"I would have thought by now you would see why this happens and say something about it but you can’t stand alongside us. Just know I know who you...are and I see you."

In a second post, Hamilton added: "I do not stand with those looting and burning buildings but those who are protesting peacefully. There can be no peace until our so called leaders make change."

McLaren driver Lando Norris, Hamilton's compatriot, was one of those who did comment, adding a line to his profile on the Twitch streaming platform that said "sign the !BLM petitions #BLACKLIVESMATTER"

Canadian Nicholas Latifi, who is due to drive for Williams this season, said on Twitter 'This has to stop #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd."

Hamilton has spoken out before about the lack of diversity in motor racing.

"There really is the most minimal diversity within this sport and I really somehow want to be a part of shape-shifting that with Formula One," he said a year ago. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Lincoln Feast.)

-reuters-

F1: Hamilton wins Mexican Grand Prix, but waits for sixth title

MEXICO CITY -- Lewis Hamilton drove to a near-flawless victory, but not yet a sixth drivers' world championship on Sunday when he claimed his 10th win of the season for Mercedes at the Mexican Grand Prix.

The defending five-time title-winner produced the measured drive of a champion-elect to claim a well-judged triumph ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas who kept his own title bid alive for another week by finishing third.

Charles Leclerc, who started on pole position in the second Ferrari, finished fourth ahead of Red Bull's Alex Albon and Max Verstappen, who stormed through the field after an early pit stop, and local hero Sergio Perez of Racing Point.

Hamilton's victory was only his second since Formula One's European summer break in August, his second in Mexico and the 83rd of his career, but it was also Mercedes' 100th victory in F1 and extended his run points-scoring finishes to 30 races.

He now looks certain to clinch his sixth title at next weekend's United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, where he will need just four points.

"That was for Bono!" said Hamilton on his slow-down lap in reference to his absent race engineer Peter Bonnington. 

"Today's an incredible result and I have to say thank you to our team. We came here on the back foot, but we pulled through."

After winning his last two titles in Mexico without even finishing on the podium, it was ironic for Hamilton to win but know he has to wait for a sixth coronation.

Bottas, who survived a heavy crash in qualifying on Saturday, said: "Considering what happened yesterday, it's a good result… I don't think we could have done much more."

Hamilton added: "I don't mind not winning the title here. I can wait. I just love racing and I am happy to take each race as it comes."

Four-time champion Vettel said: "It was a long race with no break, but I think Lewis was just cruising for most of his second stint. I'm happy, but we could have had a sharper strategy."

The race began in warm and dry conditions, Leclerc making a clean getaway from his seventh pole, ahead of Vettel, as Ferrari enjoyed their 65th front row lockout, gifted by Verstappen’s qualifying penalty.

The Dutchman, angered by his Saturday demotion from pole for ignoring yellow flags when Bottas crashed, made an aggressive start and, as Hamilton recovered from being squeezed off-track by Vettel, banged wheels with him at Turn Two.

Both drivers had to regain control and, after another off-circuit excursion, re-joined down in fifth and eighth respectively. Their misfortune was a gain for Albon and Sainz who took third and fourth before Hamilton split them when he passed the Spaniard on lap four.

- 'Tyres are dead' -

By then, the first Virtual Safety Car (VSC) intervention, to clear debris, had been completed to be followed by another burst of ‘mad Max’ fury when he lunged into Bottas and picked up a puncture.

This led to his right rear tyre falling off the wheel -- and a pit-stop that left him to re-join 20th and last having switched from mediums to hards.

At the front, Leclerc pulled 2.3 seconds clear of Vettel by lap 15 before pitting, Ferrari responding to Red Bull’s decision one lap earlier to bring in Albon for new mediums. The Monegasque, thus committed to a two-stop strategy, re-joined fourth, behind Vettel, Hamilton and Bottas.

In a flux of varying strategies, Hamilton fought rear tyre-wear to stay close to Vettel, with Bottas 7.2 seconds adrift in third by lap 24 before the champion pitted for a set of hard compound tyres. 

Over 10 laps later Bottas pitted to be followed by Vettel, Leclerc regaining the lead ahead of Hamilton, but facing a second stop.

"My front tyres are dead," complained Leclerc, shortly before a slow second stop on lap 44 in 6.2 seconds. 

He came out fifth, rising to fourth when Albon pitted in 2.5 while Hamilton led the race, all the front-runners on hard tyres of varying ages as they approached the final laps.

Less than six seconds separated the top four with 14 laps to go with Vettel, Bottas and Leclerc in hot pursuit of Hamilton. A dramatic finish, governed by tyre wear, was in prospect.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Forest fire haze clears over Singapore ahead of F1

SINGAPORE- Singapore's skies were clearer Friday and air quality improved as smog from Indonesian forest fires drifted away, easing fears that this weekend's Formula One race may be affected.

Raging blazes in Indonesia have been spewing toxic haze over neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, with Jakarta deploying security forces and water-bombing aircraft to tackle them.

The Indonesian fires are an annual problem during the dry season when farmers use illegal slash-and-burn techniques to clear land for agriculture, but this year's are the worst since 2015.

Thick smog had been hanging over Singapore since last weekend, pushing air quality to unhealthy levels, obscuring the waterfront skyline and sparking fears that Sunday's showpiece F1 night race could be affected.

But on Friday the skies were largely clear, with only a light haze over the city, while air quality improved to a "moderate" level of around 60 on the National Environment Agency's scale.

A reading between 101 and 200 indicates unhealthy air quality.

The wind direction could however still change ahead of the weekend and push smog back over Singapore.

F1 organizers say they have a contingency plan if the haze worsens and have been stocking up on face masks to protect against pollution which spectators can buy at the circuit.

Indonesia and Malaysia have been worst affected by haze from the fires, which are burning on Indonesia's Sumatra island and the Indonesian part of Borneo. Borneo is shared between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Thousands of schools have been forced to close in both countries amid mounting health concerns, while several airports have shut in Indonesian Borneo due to poor visibility.

On Friday more than 2,600 schools were closed in Malaysia, education authorities said.

The worst-affected state was Sarawak, on Borneo, where more than 1,000 schools were shuttered and air quality reached "hazardous" levels in one area bordering Indonesia, according to an official index.

Indonesia meanwhile had some success in "cloud-seeding" -- inducing rain using chemicals sprayed from planes -- with the technique producing a downpour over hard-hit Riau province on Sumatra, disaster agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Indonesian haze shuts down schools, sparks fears for Singapore F1

LUMPUR - Toxic haze from Indonesian forest fires closed thousands of schools across the country and in neighboring Malaysia Wednesday, while air quality worsened in Singapore just days before the city's Formula One motor race.

Illegal fires to clear land for agriculture are blazing out of control on Sumatra and Borneo islands, with Jakarta deploying thousands of security forces and water-bombing aircraft to tackle them. 

The Indonesian blazes are an annual problem, but this year's are the worst since 2015 and have added to concerns about wildfire outbreaks worldwide exacerbating global warming.

On Wednesday, air quality deteriorated to "very unhealthy" levels on an official index in many parts of peninsular Malaysia, to the east of Sumatra, with the Kuala Lumpur skyline shrouded by dense smog. 

Nearly 1,500 schools were closed across Malaysia due to the air pollution, with over 1 million pupils affected, according to the education ministry.

The two worst-affected states were Selangor, outside Kuala Lumpur, where 538 schools were closed, and Sarawak on Borneo, with 337 closures. Hundreds of schools in several other states in peninsular Malaysia were also affected. 

Borneo island is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. 

A growing number of Malaysians were suffering health problems due to the haze, with authorities saying there had been a sharp increase in outpatients at government hospitals -- many suffering dry and itchy eyes.

Indonesian authorities said hundreds of schools in hard-hit Riau province on Sumatra were shut, without providing a precise number, while about 1,300 were closed in Central Kalimantan province on Borneo. 

Poor visibility also caused the cancellation Tuesday of about 40 flights at three airports in Indonesian Borneo. 

SINGAPORE SMOG RACE? 

Air quality in Singapore worsened to unhealthy levels and a white smog obscured the striking waterfront skyline, featuring the Marina Bay Sands casino resort with its 3 towers and boat-shaped top level. 

The worsening pollution increased fears that this weekend's Formula One race may be affected. Organizers say the possibility of haze is one of the issues in their contingency plan for Sunday's showpiece night race, but have not given further details.

The city-state's tourism board said spectators would be able to buy masks as protection from the haze if conditions would not improve.

Assistance would also be provided on-site for spectators who feel unwell, the board's executive director of sports, Jean Ng, told the Today news portal.

"Various Singapore government agencies have been working closely with (the) race organizer... to ensure the delivery of the best race and entertainment experience possible while keeping a watchful eye on the health and well-being of everyone involved," she said.

The Indonesian government has insisted it is doing all it can to fight the fires, with President Joko Widodo saying during a visit to a hard-hit area on Sumatra on Tuesday that "we have made every effort."

But this year's fires have been worsened by dry weather and experts believe there is little chance of them being extinguished until the onset of the rainy season in October.

Indonesia's meteorology, climate and geophysics agency said Wednesday that over 1,000 hotspots -- areas of intense heat detected by satellite that indicate a likely fire -- had been sighted, most of them on Sumatra. 

The smog is also affecting endangered orangutans on Borneo, with dozens of the young apes at rescue centers contracting respiratory infections, according to the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

F1: Verstappen wins chaotic German Grand Prix

HOCKENHEIM, Germany -- Max Verstappen took full advantage of his rivals' calamities on Sunday to win an epic, rain-lashed and wildly-spectacular German Grand Prix for Red Bull ahead of Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.

The 21-year-old Dutchman secured his second win of the season and seventh of his career, finishing ahead of four-time world champion Vettel, who had started 20th and last on the grid.

New dad Daniil Kvyat of Toro Rosso was third as he secured only his third Formula One podium.

The race was a disaster for champions Mercedes who were celebrating their 200th Formula One start of the modern era and 125 years of motorsport, both defending five-time champion Lewis Hamilton and his team-mate Valtteri Bottas crashed and failed to score any points.

Hamilton eventually finished 11th after six pit stops but was then promoted to ninth following 30-second penalties for Alfa Romeo drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi.

Lance Stroll of Racing Point came home fourth to deliver his team's best finish ahead of Carlos Sainz of McLaren and Alex Albon of Toro Rosso.

"It was amazing, but really tricky out there," said Verstappen, who made four pit-stops and survived a complete 360-degrees spin. 

"To make the right calls, you had to be focussed. We put on the slick tyres and we had a 360! But it was alright."

Vettel, for whom the result brought redemption after he had crashed out while leading in heavy rain last year, said: "It was a long race and at some stages if felt like it was never-ending. I am just very happy."

Kvyat confirmed that he became a father on Saturday night when his partner Kelly gave birth to a daughter.

He said: "It is amazing to be back on the podium and incredible for Toro Rosso, after so many years."

After the record-breaking heat, the race began in steady rain with the field on full wet tyres behind a Safety Car through four formation laps before a standing start. 

The conditions did nothing to deter Hamilton who made a near-perfect start from his 87th pole position.

- Safety car interventions -

The race distance was reduced to 64 laps as the spray rose high in plumes throughout the pack, Vettel romping forward from 20th to pass six cars in the first five corners. Leclerc, in the other Ferrari, rose to sixth from 10th on the opening lap.

Hamilton led by two seconds from Bottas after lap one, Verstappen having made a poor start, as the field jostled for space and grip, Sergio Perez spinning backwards into the stadium entry wall and damaging his Racing Force.

That required a Safety Car intervention for three laps, during which the leaders pitted for intermediates, before racing resumed.

After 25, Verstappen pitted for medium compound slicks, a gamble by Red Bull. The Dutchman complained vigorously about his tyres before spinning at the final corner and recovering.

Another Virtual Safety Car was then deployed briefly, as Hamilton pitted for softs from the lead, before Leclerc went off at Sachs Curve. 

The Monegasque screamed aloud as Vettel pitted, returning to ‘inters’, before Hamilton went off, snapping his front wing.

The Englishman recovered, cutting across the circuit into the pit lane. He was repaired and fitted with 'inters' before re-joining fifth behind Verstappen, Hulkenberg, Bottas and Albon.

Hamilton was given a five-second penalty for missing a bollard at the pits entry, but he was soon back to third behind the Dutchman and Bottas.

Hulkenberg slid off at the final corner to instigate another Safety Car outing that heralded Verstappen, and Vettel, in 10th, pitting for fresh inters. 

Racing resumed on lap 46, Verstappen pulling clear before pitting for slicks, followed by Bottas, Sainz, Gasly and Albon.

Hamilton led before he pitted on lap 47, leaving Stroll, who pitted for slicks under the Safety Car, to lead before Verstappen passed him. Hamilton fell to 12th, having taken his penalty.

"How's this gone so bad?" asked Hamilton.

Mercedes' nightmare was not over and their anniversary weekend ended with Bottas spinning at Turn One. 

Out came the Safety Car for a fourth time as Hamilton pitted again -– leaving him to make a failed bid for a top ten finish.

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F1: Hamilton sweeps to German pole after Ferrari falter

HOCKENHEIM, Germany - Formula One leader Lewis Hamilton seized pole position for Mercedes in their 200th race at the German Grand Prix on Saturday after both Ferrari drivers were sidelined by engine problems.

The five-times world champion lapped the 4.5km Hockenheim circuit in one minute 11.767 seconds for a record-extending 87th career pole and his fourth of the season.

The Briton was comfortably quicker than Max Verstappen, who will start alongside the 34-year-old on the front row in his Red Bull.

Valtteri Bottas, 39 points behind Hamilton in the standings after 10 of 21 races, qualified third in the other Mercedes.

"Lewis, this is Toto. You never stop to amaze us," team principal Toto Wolff, whose employers are also celebrating their 125th year in motorsport with a retro livery and team clothing, told him over the team radio.

Ferrari, who had been fastest in both Friday and Saturday practice with Charles Leclerc, could only lick their self-inflicted wounds.

It all went wrong when it mattered for the sport's most successful and glamorous team, with home favourite Sebastian Vettel the first casualty when he failed to set a time in the opening phase.

The German, hoping for a happier homecoming than last year when he crashed out of the lead from pole, will start last after a problem with the air flow to the car's turbo.

Leclerc then failed to make it out of the pits in the final top 10 shootout due to a fuel system issue. "It's a difficult day for the team, I hope it will be a very positive day tomorrow," the 21-year-old Monegasque Leclerc told reporters.

"I felt great in the car and the car felt great today and all weekend so it's a shame it ends up like this."

SORE THROAT

Hamilton, who revealed a sore throat had left him uncertain about even taking part in qualifying, was glad to pick up the pieces.

"I don't know really how we did it today," declared the 34-year-old, who will be chasing his eighth win in 11 races on Sunday.

"It's such an important race for us, it's just incredible to celebrate this week in this way. The car's been feeling good. If (Leclerc) had been able to complete a lap, I think it would have been close between us."

Bottas, itching to hit back after an ill-timed safety car dashed his victory hopes at the last race in Silverstone, had been faster than Hamilton in final practice but failed to match his team mate when it mattered.

"A disappointing qualifying, I couldn't find the grip I found in FP3," said Bottas. "Obviously I'll try to come up from the third place."

The race at Hockenheim has been won from outside the front row only twice since the track was redesigned in 2002, one of those being Hamilton from 14th last year.

That should boost Verstappen's hopes of challenging for his second win in three races.

"We could have been closer," said the Dutchman who won in Austria last month, dealing Mercedes their only defeat so far this season. "I went a bit wide and bottomed out, but it's a good result."

Behind the top three, Frenchman Pierre Gasly, who crashed heavily in Friday's practice, was fourth for Red Bull.

Kimi Raikkonen was fifth for Alfa Romeo ahead of Romain Grosjean in the Haas and McLaren's Carlos Sainz.

Sergio Perez was eighth for Racing Point ahead of Germany's Nico Hulkenberg who will start his home race alongside Leclerc in ninth.

Lance Stroll, in the other Racing Point car, made it out of the opening phase of qualifying for the first time this season. The Canadian will start 15th. 

(Editing by Alan Baldwin/Christian Radnedge/Ian Chadband)

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Hamilton wins Formula One's 1,000th race

SHANGHAI -- Lewis Hamilton won the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday to retake the overall lead from Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas in Formula One's 1,000th world championship race.

Bottas, who had started on pole but lost out to five times world champion Hamilton into the first corner, finished second for his team's third one-two finish in as many races this season.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel took third place, the German's first podium appearance of the campaign, with Red Bull's Pierre Gasly taking the fastest lap.

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F1: Hamilton baffled by his car's behavior

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton said he was baffled by the behavior of his Mercedes after lapping slower than team mate Valtteri Bottas in Chinese Grand Prix practice on Friday.

The Briton, a 5-time winner in Shanghai, suffered a spin on cold tyres and ended the day some seven-tenths of a second slower than the Finn.

"I'm just focusing on trying to figure out what the hell is going on with my car," the Formula One website quoted him as saying.

"I was struggling with the car today, so we've got work to do, particularly on my side as Valtteri looked much more comfortable in the car.

"We're going to work hard tonight to find some tweaks and hopefully come back stronger tomorrow; the car has the pace in it to compete at the front, we just need to find the right set-up."

Mercedes have finished the first two races of the season one-two, with Hamilton triumphant at the last round in Bahrain two weeks ago.

That was a lucky win, however, with the victory falling into his lap after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc suffered an engine problem with 10 laps remaining.

Bottas, winner in Australia, leads the championship by a point due to the extra point awarded for the fastest lap in Melbourne.

The Finn was fastest overall in Friday practice, with Hamilton fourth.

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F1: Hamilton ends season with a win in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI -- Five times world champion Lewis Hamilton signed off in style on the Formula One season on Sunday with victory in Abu Dhabi, his 11th win of the campaign, and a points record.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel finished second with Red Bull's Max Verstappen third.

"I am so happy right now," said Hamilton after Hollywood actor Will Smith brought down the checkered flag at the floodlit Yas Marina circuit on Hamilton's 73rd career win.

The Briton, who has won 51 of the 100 races in the V6 turbo hybrid era, became the first driver to score more than 400 points in a season with a final tally of 408.

His victory also left him 18 wins away from Michael Schumacher's all-time record.

Two times world champion Fernando Alonso, in his farewell race with McLaren, had hoped to sign off in the points but finished 11th.

With both championships already won, Hamilton taking his in Mexico with two races to spare and Mercedes sealing their fifth successive constructors' and drivers' double in Brazil, Sunday's focus was on the race and those moving on -- particularly Alonso.

Hamilton, Vettel and the Spaniard -- three great champions -- spun their cars in a cloud of smoke at the end of their slowing down lap, before stepping out for hugs and words of mutual respect.

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F1: Hamilton opens 40-point lead with Singapore victory

SINGAPORE -- Britain's Lewis Hamilton eased to victory from pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday as the Mercedes driver extended his championship lead over Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel to 40 points with six rounds remaining.

Hamilton held off a mid-race challenge from Red Bull's Max Verstappen to register a record-equalling fourth triumph at the floodlit Marina Bay Street Circuit track, while Vettel finished third to slip further behind in the title race.

"Great job everyone, what a weekend... keep pushing, keep pushing, we've got this," Hamilton told his team over the radio soon after crossing the line.

Hamilton's 69th overall victory was his seventh of the season and it was built on the foundations of a stunning qualifying lap on Saturday, when he stormed to pole in a car deemed inferior to the Ferraris and Red Bulls on this circuit.

For Vettel and Ferrari, it was another disappointing weekend after the car showed plenty of pace through all three practice sessions, the German's cause not helped by a questionable strategy and a poor pitstop.

Hamilton won this race from the third row a year ago when Vettel, Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen collided on the opening lap but there was no repeat of such drama this time after the drivers got off to a clean start at the head of the field.

There has, however, been a safety car period in all 10 races in Singapore since it joined Formula One in 2008 and it was deployed on the opening lap after Sergio Perez pushed his Force India team mate Esteban Ocon into a wall after Turn Three.

"Sorry guys there was no room," Perez told his team over the radio.

Vettel got past Verstappen before the safety car emerged and slotted in behind Hamilton, but his race unravelled when the German pitted first on the 14th lap but got stuck in traffic and overtaken by the Dutchman when he made his stop for fresh tyres.

Hamilton was cruising up front but suffered a mini-crisis on the 38th lap when he got stuck in a queue of tail-enders, which allowed Verstappen to get right up behind him.

The Dutchman had a look up the inside as Hamilton struggled to pass the back markers but the Briton just stayed ahead and was able to pull clear all the way to the chequered flag once he had a clear track ahead of him.

Hamilton's team mate Valtteri Bottas held off a prolonged late challenge from Raikkonen in the other Ferrari to claim fourth place, the pair finishing just ahead of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, who was closing in on them in the final laps.

McLaren's Fernando Alonso came home in seventh, with Renault's Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg claiming eighth and 10th respectively, either side of Sauber's Charles Leclerc.

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Formula 1: Kimi Raikkonen tops Singapore practice as Sebastian Vettel toils

SINGAPORE—Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest practice time for the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday but the Finn's teammate, Sebastian Vettel, suffered a frustrating start to the weekend in his bid to overhaul championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton opened a 30-point cushion over Vettel with a surprise win in Monza two weeks ago and while Ferrari are regarded as having a superior car, the Briton set the second-fastest time of the day just 0.011 seconds back in his Mercedes.

Vettel has been criticized for dropping points due to some poor tactical driving this season but there was little he could do looking on from the Ferrari garage after his car suffered a radiator fluid leak midway through the second practice session.

Raikkonen lapped the 5.063 km Marina Bay Street Circuit in 1:38.699 seconds, with Hamilton just behind as the rejuvenated Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo finished third and fourth respectively half a second further back.

Vettel's troubles began during the frantic middle sector of the second session as drivers looked to set their fastest laps on the high-grip hyper-soft tires before switching to slower compounds for race simulations.

The German was on course to challenge Raikkonen and Hamilton's best times before he clipped the wall on the final bend, causing him to abort his lap and dart into the pits with a fluid leak. He sat out the remainder of the session.

Valtteri Bottas was fifth fastest in the second Mercedes, ahead of Renault's Carlos Sainz, Haas' Romain Grosjean, McLaren's Fernando Alonso and Vettel down in ninth place after completing just 12 laps.

RED BULL JOY

In the first session of the day, Red Bull enjoyed a welcome return to the top of the timesheets after a few quiet races with Ricciardo and Verstappen securing a one-two for the team in the baking afternoon heat.

The demanding 23-turn circuit has traditionally favored the Red Bulls and Ferraris, so it was no surprise to see Vettel and Raikkonen clock the next quickest times as Mercedes opted to concentrate on long runs instead of qualifying simulations.

Ricciardo has failed to finish the last two grands prix since Formula One returned from its summer break but the Australian again showed his street circuit prowess by clocking one minute, 39.711 seconds in the scorching Singapore sun.

Dutchman Verstappen lapped in 1:39.912 to edge out Vettel by 0.085 seconds but the German will be looking for an improved third practice session and qualification on Saturday as he seeks to rein in Hamilton with seven rounds remaining.

"We can recover most of it tomorrow so we are not that worried," Vettel told Sky Sports. "It looks like being close but we won't really know until Sunday."

Sauber's Charles Leclerc continued to show the sort of form that encouraged Ferrari to sign him as Raikkonen's replacement for next season by finishing ninth in an opening session that ended on a sour note when he crashed into a wall at Turn 13.

The 20-year-old apologized to his team on the radio as he left his car stranded in an escape road with two minutes left in the session, a sight that will disappoint his future employers, who will hope he does not make similar mistakes next season. (Reporting by John O'Brien Editing by Keith Weir and Toby Davis)

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F1: Verstappen wins in Austria as Hamilton fails to finish

SPIELBERG, Austria -- Max Verstappen won Red Bull's home Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, while Lewis Hamilton suffered his first race retirement since 2016 and lost the Formula One championship lead to Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

The victory was the 20-year-old Dutch driver's first of the season, fourth of his career, and came in front of an army of orange-shirted fans packing the grandstands and then flooding onto the track at the finish.

Kimi Raikkonen was a close second, with teammate Vettel third to claw back the overall lead by a single point from Hamilton, their Mercedes rival whose record run of 33 successive scoring finishes came to an end.

"It was amazing, very hard to manage the tyres, lot of blistering, but we managed to hang on," said Verstappen. "It was amazing to win at the Red Bull Ring with so many Dutch fans here.

"I needed to catch up with the points, today was a very good day for me, and I hope we can continue like this."

Vettel, who started sixth after collecting a three place grid penalty, now has 146 points to Hamilton's 145 after nine rounds and with the Briton's home race at Silverstone next weekend.

Hamilton had already been on the back foot before he stopped on lap 64, his car suffering lost fuel pressure while he was in fourth place, after a glaring strategy error by Mercedes had cost him the lead.

On a bleak afternoon for the champions, who had not been beaten at the Red Bull Ring since Austria returned to the calendar in 2014, Hamilton's team mate Valtteri Bottas retired with a mechanical failure.

Verstappen took the lead after Mercedes kept Hamilton out during a virtual safety car period that followed Bottas's retirement on lap 14, with all the others behind the Briton pitting for fresh tyres.

Mercedes' chief strategist James Vowles came on the radio as the bearer of bad news, admitting his error as Hamilton struggled to comprehend what had happened.

"I'm fourth now," exclaimed the driver.

"I'm not going to be able to pass anyone. We have thrown away the win," Hamilton added a while later.

"This is James, I have thrown away the win today," replied Vowles. "Passing is possible. I'm sorry."

France's Romain Grosjean scored his first points of the season with a bang, finishing a lapped fourth for the U.S.-owned Haas team, who also had Denmark's Kevin Magnussen taking the checkered flag in fifth.

Esteban Ocon was sixth for Force India, ahead of Mexican team mate Sergio Perez, with McLaren's Fernando Alonso completing a remarkable afternoon with eighth place after starting in the pit lane.

Sauber duo Charles Leclerc and Marcus Ericsson finished ninth and 10th.

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Vettel wins tense Bahrain Grand Prix for Ferrari

MANAMA - Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel held on by the skin of his teeth to win a tense Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix in his 200th race start on Sunday.

His tyres fading, the championship leader took the chequered flag only 0.6 seconds clear of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas who piled the pressure on in the final 10 laps.

Bottas's team mate and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, who had started ninth after a five place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change, finished third.

Vettel now leads Hamilton by 17 points after two of the 21 races.

The win under the floodlights was the 49th of Vettel's grand prix career and an unprecedented fourth at the Sakhir desert circuit.

It also made the 30-year-old, who won in Melbourne two weeks ago, the first Ferrari driver since compatriot Michael Schumacher in 2004 to win the first two races of a season.

"These tyres were done, done, in the last 10 laps," a jubilant Vettel told his team over the radio after crossing the line.

He had earlier told his team that everything was under control but that, he recognised later with a smile, was not at all the reality.

"With Bottas' pace I thought he would catch me. I tried to keep it as clean as possible. Our plan worked but just, Bottas had a bit of a sniff but ran out of laps," said the four times champion.

INJURED MECHANIC

Vettel had led from pole position, with Bottas slotting into second place at the start from third on the grid, but ended up having to battle the Mercedes pair alone.

Mercedes’ decision to go for the more durable medium tyres and a one-stop strategy, compared to Ferrari’s move to bolt on softer rubber in anticipation of a two-stop race, brought the evening alive.

Drama in the pits, when team mate Kimi Raikkonen was brought in to test the strategy, decided Ferrari in favour of keeping Vettel out.

Raikkonen was given the green light to exit before his left rear tyre had been changed, with the Finn's car then hitting a mechanic who was taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg while the driver retired.

Hamilton could take some consolation in equalling Raikkonen's all-time record of 27 successive points finishes.

"I started ninth so third is not bad at all," said the Briton. "It's damage limitation."

Both of the Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo retired within the first five laps.

Verstappen suffered a rear-left puncture after making contact with Hamilton as he tried to pass the Briton, and limped back to the pits.

"Going into the corner I was ahead and then of course you always try to squeeze each other a bit," said the 20-year-old.

"But I think there was still enough space on the left. He drove into my left rear and gave me a puncture and also destroyed the diff."

GASLY FOURTH

The energy drink company's other team Toro Rosso celebrated a remarkable day, however, with fourth place for French driver Pierre Gasly.

That represented a stunning turnaround for Honda, Toro Rosso's engine partners after three nightmare years at McLaren.

Danish driver Kevin Magnussen was fifth in the Haas ahead of Nico Hulkenberg for Renault.

Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne gave McLaren, now with Renault engines, a second successive double points finish in seventh and eighth respectively to lift the team to third overall. But they finished a lap down.

There were also celebrations at Sauber, with Sweden's Marcus Ericsson finishing ninth for his first points since 2015 and the Swiss team's first of the season, but gloom at Williams whose drivers finished last.

The former champions are now the only team yet to score points this season after Force India's Esteban Ocon secured 10th place.

(Editing by Alan Baldwin/Pritha Sarkar)

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