Carlos Sainz acknowledged his crash in Q3 at the Singapore Grand Prix left Ferrari facing an uphill battle, with team-mate Charles Leclerc also seeing his time ruled out.

Sainz crashed at the final corner, losing control of his car before he started a flying lap, while Leclerc exceeded track limits at Turn 2 in a one-lap decider on Saturday.

Leclerc and Sainz will start in P9 and P10 respectively in Singapore on Sunday, with Ferrari currently third in the competitive constructors' championship standings.

Both drivers attributed their poor performance to tyre temperature.

"When we get out of the garage with front tyres that are too cold, then you arrive in the first corner and you lock up, so I don't know what's gone on," said Leclerc.

"I don't have the answer yet, the team don't have the answer yet, but we need to look into it because we paid the price today."

Sainz echoed a similar sentiment as he apologised to the Ferrari team for his crash.

"A very strange one. I clearly underestimated, or overestimated in this case, the grip that I would get from a very cold tyre. I had to do a lot of back off in the last sector to let some cars by," Sainz said.

"I had a big moment. At one point I thought I could save it but then it snapped on me and it was a very unfortunate, very bad accident. Apologies for the team and for everyone, because it's not the way you want to finish qualifying.

"At the same time, this weekend we've been struggling a lot with temperatures, with getting the tyres in the right window, and today was just one of those bad ones."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insisted Sergio Perez "deserved more" after a "heartbreaking" crash denied him a place on the podium in Baku on Sunday.

Perez, who made a brilliant start to the season only to struggle in recent months, looked set to register his best finish since finishing third at the Chinese Grand Prix in April after comfortably holding P3 for much of the race.

However, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz snuck past him on the penultimate lap, and when the Mexican attempted to regain third place, the two tangled and hit the barrier, forcing them both out of the race.

That meant that George Russell instead claimed the final podium spot alongside winner Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.

"He deserved a lot more," Horner told Sky Sports. "He should've at the very least been on the podium today.

"It was a magnificent race out at the front for so many laps. It was great to be in, it was exciting to be a part of, and it's just disappointing that it came to a close like that when it didn't need to.

"Unfortunately, he lost quite a bit of time on his out laps behind Alex Albon and then Lando [Norris] cost him dearly, which gave Oscar [Piastri] track position. I think without that, he would've won the race today.

"It's one of those things that's very heartbreaking for him and the team that so much effort goes in to lose a podium in the dying laps of the race."

It was a tough day for Red Bull all around, as Piastri's win coupled with Lando Norris crossing the line before Max Verstappen meant that McLaren leapfrogged them in the constructors'’ championship.

Red Bull are now 20 points behind McLaren ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, and Horner admitted he was not happy with how the tide had turned.

"Very, very disappointing," he added. "[The crash] destroyed the race for Checo.

"It's cost us a lot of damage and obviously vital points in the constructors' championship."

Charles Leclerc pledged to learn from his mistakes after squandering pole position at Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing second to Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc started at the front of the grid in Baku for the fourth time in a row, having also claimed a memorable triumph for Ferrari at their home circuit of Monza last time out.

However, Piastri passed Leclerc on a straight on the 20th lap, and a spirited fightback was not enough for the Monegasque driver as the McLaren held on for his second win of the year.

The result means Leclerc remains third in the drivers' championship standings with 235 points, behind Max Verstappen (313) and Lando Norris (254), while Ferrari remain third in the constructors' table.

Speaking about his battle with Piastri after the race, Leclerc said: "It is enjoyable when you've got many opportunities every lap. 

"I think maybe McLaren had less downforce and in the straights they were very quick, in the corners we were a bit quicker. 

"I couldn't get as close as I wanted and eventually we lost the race when I didn't defend as well as I could have at the end of the straight. Sometimes you make mistakes and I'll learn from it."

Asked at what stage he realised victory was unlikely, Leclerc said: "I think as soon as we put the hard tyres on. On the medium we were very competitive, and the car felt good. 

"Unfortunately for me, we didn't do any high fuel running in FP1 and FP2. We went for a setup direction which in the race was a bit more difficult to manage. 

"McLaren and Oscar have done an exceptional job and done better than us."

Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, was pushing for a podium finish when he crashed with Baku specialist Sergio Perez, taking both drivers out of the race.

"It's a huge shame for Carlos on the last laps," Leclerc said. "Hopefully everyone is okay, and obviously it's not a great day for the team."

Oscar Piastri held off Charles Leclerc to claim his second win of the Formula 1 season in a dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

And the Australian's victory means McLaren have leapfrogged Red Bull in the constructors' championship after an impressive run.

Leclerc started on pole in Baku for the fourth time in a row, and, after winning in Monza last time out, put himself in a good position to get a second consecutive win after a strong start.

However, Piastri took advantage on a straight in the 20th lap, stealing in front of the Ferrari, who he managed to hold off in the latter stages despite a spirited fightback from Leclerc.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris started in P15 after struggling in qualifying, but after a brilliant opening stint, he then slipped in front of his championship rival Max Verstappen with two laps remaining, eventually finishing fourth.

There was still a thrilling finish, as Sergio Perez, who has scored the most points in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and Carlos Sainz both pushed to clinch the final podium spot and tangled in a huge crash on the penultimate lap, taking both of them out of the race.

George Russell benefitted from that to claim third, while his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished in ninth after a pit-lane start for taking a new engine ahead of the race. 

Data Debrief: McLaren gain the edge

McLaren now have a 20-point lead over Red Bull in the championship. It is the first time the team have held the lead after at least 17 Grands Prix since Brazil in 2005.

It was quite the result for Piastri, who has now finished in the top two in four of his last five F1 races (winner in Hungary and Azerbaijan, runner-up in Belgium and Italy). That is more than he managed in his previous 34 Grand Prix.

Norris will be pleased with his own exploits though, given where he started on the grid, and by nipping in front of Verstappen, he keeps his hopes alive in the drivers' championship. The gap is now 59 points.

Top 10

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

3. George Russell (Mercedes)

4. Lando Norris (McLaren)

5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

7. Alex Albon (Williams)

8. Franco Colapinto (Williams)

9. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

10. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers'

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 313

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 254

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 235

Constructors'

1. McLaren - 476

2. Red Bull - 456

3. Ferrari - 425

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix pole-sitter for the fourth year in a row after a stunning showing on the streets of Baku. 

Leclerc, who emerged victorious in Monza last time out, is in a good position to close the gap to both Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship. 

Norris will need an unlikely turn of events to close his 62-point gap to the Dutchman as he encountered yellow flags on his final lap in the first session and will start Sunday's race in 17th. 

Verstappen, meanwhile, will start in sixth after being outqualified by team-mate Sergio Perez, who finished fourth, with Mercedes' George Russell sandwiched in between.

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso came next, with Williams producing an excellent display with drives from Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon to complete the top 10. 

Leclerc's performance saw him record the best pole streak for a Ferrari driver in a Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher in Spain from 2000 to 2004 (five). 

Speaking after qualifying, the Monegasque was confident about his chances of becoming the first driver since Felipe Massa to achieve consecutive victories on at least two occasions. 

“It’s one of my favourite tracks of the season, I really like it, it hasn’t been an easy weekend because of the crash in FP1," Leclerc said.  

"It didn’t make me lose confidence as I knew that the pace was there, but you’ve got to be back up to speed.

“In Q3 and qualifying it was all about trying to stay as far as possible from the walls and on the last lap I went for it a bit more and the lap time came very nicely.

“The car felt really good and everything felt great, so it’s amazing to be on pole."

Norris was on course to make it through into the second session comfortably but a yellow flag as he approached the final straight saw his flying lap ruined. 

“The lap was easily good enough, but there was a yellow flag so I had to back off," Norris said. 

“Following is pretty much impossible around here and overtaking is a lot worse than everyone thinks.

“I am not expecting much from 17th, but we will put in a good plan tonight and do our best of course.

"I have been wrong, and I hope there are plenty of chances, but I’m not expecting so.”

But when asked, McLaren team-mate Piastri was confident that the team have the pace to score some big points in the race for the constructors' championship. 

"I think from where we are starting, yes," Piastri said.

But following around here is really tough, we saw yesterday, it was pretty tough once you get behind someone, hopefully get some clean air, which will be good.

"We'll see what we can do. I think our race pace is good, but again, the Ferraris are certainly not slow.

Qualifying results

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

5. George Russell (Mercedes)

6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 

9. Franco Colapinto (Williams)

10. Alex Albon (Williams)

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was cautious about his chances of winning two Formula 1 races in succession for the first time in his career despite going fastest in the second practice of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Leclerc recovered from a crash in the morning to set the pace in the afternoon, 0.006 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Sergio Perez and 0.066 seconds in front of Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.

Championship leader Max Verstappen finished fifth, while his challenger Lando Norris struggled and languished in 17th after the second classification in Baku.

Despite going quickest, Leclerc admitted there were issues with his Ferrari car, leaving work to do if he wants to get pole position in Azerbaijan for a fourth successive year.

He said: "The thing is that when we started FP2 there was an actual problem on the car that we saw later on, once I stopped, and we changed that particular part.

"It's one of the tracks that I quite like, and we've been pretty quick in the past, but that doesn't mean it will be the case for tomorrow.

"I mean, the crash, there's not much to go into. I braked a little bit too much on the right, the track was still dirty, I locked up, and it was too late to go to the right [run-off] – so I went into the wall."

Norris endured a far more difficult afternoon, only mustering 17th after coming across Alpine's Pierre Gasly in the final sector when attempting his fastest lap.

The Brit cannot afford many slip-ups from now until the end of the season, as he looks to overhaul Verstappen's 62-point lead with eight races remaining, but was downbeat about McLaren's chances this weekend, believing they were lagging behind their competitive rivals.

"We're quite a long way off," Norris said.

"I’m having to push way too much to try and get a lap time out of it.

"Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, they're all very similar. And then there's a good 0.3 to 0.4 second gap back to us, so a lot of work to do.

"Ferrari are very quick here. Mercedes will be quick with these track conditions. It's very slidey out there."

Fred Vasseur has predicted a "huge fight" for the constructors' title this season after Ferrari's success at the Italian Grand Prix last week. 

Charles Leclerc led McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in Monza, claiming his second victory of the season and the team's second win on home soil in the last six years. 

Leclerc has now already scored 11 more points than in the entire previous season (206), and closed the gap to second-placed Norris in the drivers' championship to 24 points. 

Having also secured a long-awaited triumph in Monaco in May, Vasseur believes Leclerc's win in Monza was among his best experiences as Ferrari team principal. 

“For Ferrari and for Charles to win in Monaco, to win in Monza – I think it’s probably, with Imola, the two or three that you want to take in the season," Vasseur said.

"But, at the end of the day, you are not scoring more points in Monza than in Baku.

“Mathematically speaking it’s a win, emotionally speaking for sure it’s something very important because we have a huge support from the beginning of the week from the Tifosi, starting on Monday at the factory in Maranello.

“We had already lots of people in front of the entrance, and the best way to pay them back is to win.

"But it’s not easy, it’s not always under our control, but for sure for the team it was a good way to pay them back for their support.”

With eight races remaining, Ferrari are now only 39 points away from Red Bull at the head of the constructors’ standings ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix next week. 

But Baku has proved a difficult track to navigate for the Italian team in recent years, with Ferrari having taken the most pole positions without ever winning the race (four with Sebastian Vettel in 2018, and Leclerc from 2021 to 2023).

Should Leclerc achieve pole position, it will be the best pole streak for a Ferrari driver in a Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher in Spain from 2000 to 2004 (five).

However, in terms of his expectations for the remainder of the campaign, Vasseur believes that the team will be part of a “huge fight” given how close the pack is.

“I think it would be a huge mistake to try to draw any conclusions or to change the plan [after winning at Monza],” Vasseur said. 

“There is a very long way to go until Abu Dhabi, there is something like 450 points on the table.

“It’s so tight, the fight – honestly, I spent a couple of years on the pit wall but it’s the first time I think in F1 we have this situation where eight drivers can win the race, without an accident or crash.

"Four teams are able to win or be on the podium, and it’s changing from session to session.

“For me the most impressive was probably Spa where you had a McLaren in FP1, Red Bull in FP2, we started from pole and Mercedes won the race, and we have the feeling that it is almost like this everywhere, except Lando dominating last weekend in Zandvoort.

“But you can expect that, I think until the end of the season, it will be like this, that it will be a huge fight, and it’s true that with eight cars with this kind of competitiveness that one team can do a one-two and also a seven-eight.

"I don’t want to speak about DNF, but this can make a huge difference in terms of points. Let’s be focused on Baku first. Step by step we will see.”

Charles Leclerc was able to savour a "special" double on Sunday, triumphing at the Italian Grand Prix to ensure he won both of his favourite races in the same season.  

Leclerc edged out McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris for a spectacular win at Monza, racing from fourth on the grid to repeat his 2019 triumph at the venue.

Only Michael Schumacher (five) has won the Italian Grand Prix while driving for Ferrari on more occasions, with Leclerc's second victory drawing him level with Rubens Barrichello, Phil Hill, Alberto Ascari and Clay Regazzoni.

Sunday's win came after Leclerc claimed a home victory at the Monaco Grand Prix in May, ensuring 2024 will be a season that lives long in the memory for the Scuderia driver.

"It is an incredible feeling," he said after the podium celebrations.

"I thought the second time, if there was a second time, would not feel as special as the first, but the emotions over the last few laps were the same as in 2019.

"I want to win Monza and Monaco every year and I have managed to do so. It is so, so special."

Sitting third in the drivers' championship standings, Leclerc now has a 20-point lead over fourth-placed Piastri and is just 23 points adrift of Norris, who has been tipped to push Max Verstappen for the title.

Asked if Ferrari can continue to battle for victories in the closing stages of the season, he said: "I don't know.

"Our package was working well on a track like Monza but whether it will be the same for the rest of the season, I doubt it.

"I still think McLaren are favourites but we have done a step forwards, that's for sure. Baku is a pretty nice track for me, so maybe we can achieve something special there."

Charles Leclerc handed Ferrari a home victory at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, beating McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at Monza.

Looking to cut the gap to drivers' championship leader Max Verstappen, Norris entered the race as favourite after qualifying fastest, only to be overtaken by team-mate Piastri on the opening lap.

Leclerc started from fourth but quickly found himself battling the McLarens for the lead after Mercedes' George Russell locked up on the opening lap, and the Monegasque sent the home fans into raptures by passing Norris at the second chicane.

Norris later undertook Leclerc to once more give McLaren hope of a one-two, with team engineers encouraging the two team-mates to race one another cleanly for victory.

However, Leclerc's one-stop strategy paid off as the McLaren drivers pitted for a second time, and he held off a late push from Piastri to triumph by 2.6 seconds.

It is Leclerc's second victory at the Italian Grand Prix, which he also won in 2019, and team-mate Carlos Sainz held off future Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton to finish fourth.

There was yet more disappointment for Verstappen, who saw his lead in the standings cut to 62 points as he finished sixth, ahead of Russell and fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez.

Data Debrief: Tifosi celebrate landmark triumph

Leclerc's victory was Ferrari's 20th at the Italian Grand Prix, just the second instance of a team reaching that figure at a single venue in Formula One.

The Scuderia previously achieved that feat themselves in Germany, where they have won 21 times.

Leclerc now holds a 20-point lead over Piastri in the drivers' standings, sitting third behind title contenders Verstappen and Norris.

Top 10 

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7. George Russell (Mercedes)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

Max Verstappen admitted Red Bull were "a bit too slow" compared to Mercedes and McLaren after the first two practice sessions for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Verstappen is without a win since the Spanish Grand Prix in June but is looking to earn a fourth victory in a row on home soil on Sunday.

However, he ended up down in fifth place after Friday's second practice session, trailing George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, and Lando Norris at Zandvoort.

Having only made the podium in one race since his last win, Verstappen is eyeing big improvements ahead of qualifying on Saturday.

"Of course, in FP1 I didn't really get a lot of running in. I guess in FP2 you could see a little bit more where you are.

"[We're] a bit too slow on the short run, a bit too slow on the long run, so a bit of work to do.

"At the moment, [there's] no clear answer of how to improve that specifically, but we'll look into things. Just a bit too slow, as simple as that.

"It's where we've been the last few races, so it's not really a surprise. We'll try to just find a little bit more performance for Sunday."

Meanwhile, Ferrari also struggled to match the early pace set by Mercedes and McLaren, with Charles Leclerc placing ninth on the timesheet after the second session.

He was the sole representative for the team for most of the session after Carlos Sainz had gearbox trouble, and the Monegasque admitted they still had work to do to challenge.

"Tough [day]!" Leclerc said. "As expected, I would say. We don't quite have the pace of the guys in front, unfortunately.

"I think it's better than what it looks like on the timesheet at the end of the day, but still not quite in the fight for the win, for sure.

"There's quite a bit of work to do still. That's what we are doing, but I hope it will pay off soon."

Charles Leclerc was grateful for the wet weather that impacted Belgian Grand Prix qualifying as Max Verstappen's grid penalty handed him pole for Sunday's race.

Leclerc finished 0.6 seconds behind Verstappen at Spa, a stunning last lap of 1:53.754 seeing him leapfrog Sergio Perez into second.

That means he will start at the front of the grid at Spa for the second year in a row, with Verstappen taking a 10-place grid penalty after exceeding the maximum number of power units permitted throughout the season.

Perez will start second with Lewis Hamilton third, with McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in fourth and fifth one week on from their Hungarian Grand Prix one-two.

Speaking at the conclusion of the final session, Leclerc admitted the conditions had helped Ferrari exceed expectations but outlined his hope they can defend top spot.

"I definitely did not expect that this weekend," he said. "Obviously, with the tricky conditions, we could do something above our expectations.

"So it's a good day for the team, but now we need to focus on tomorrow and see what will happen when the rain is gone.

"Without this rain, probably P5 was the position we were fighting for with the Mercedes. With the rain, it helped us a little bit, but I'm not going to complain.

"I'm really happy, I'm really happy with the lap in Q3, and it's good to be back on the front part of the grid. Now we've got to finalise that tomorrow. Obviously, I'll try to keep that first place."

Verstappen also qualified fastest for the 2023 race in Spa, only for a five-place grid penalty to see him start in sixth.

He won from that position, though, and has 29 victories when not starting on pole – the fourth-most of any driver in Formula One history.

"I'm very happy," Verstappen said in his post-session interview. "The car was working quite well in the wet. I could just try to do clean lap times in the wet, which is always quite tricky.

"But tomorrow, of course, I know that it's quite a different day. It's going to be warmer, normally no rain, so it's all about tyre degradation. We just need to make sure we’re good on that.

"I know that I have to start 10 places back, so this was the best I could do today, and I go from there. I don't know how quick we're going to be. I hope we can be in the mix."

TOP 10

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

5. Lando Norris (McLaren)

6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

7. George Russell (Mercedes)

8. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

Max Verstappen has hit back at critics following his radio frustration during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Verstappen, who has won each of the last three races at the Belgian Grand Prix, which comes up this weekend, became increasingly frustrated at the Hungaroring last week as he finished in fifth place following a coming together with Lewis Hamilton late on.

The three-time reigning Formula One world champion is set for a 10-place grid penalty at Spa this weekend after exceeding his engine allowance for the season. 

Verstappen has not won any of the last three races, and has seen his lead at the top of the Driver's Championship cut to 76 points by Lando Norris.

The Dutchman's recent frustrations boiled over in Hungary, spiralling into an X-rated rant at Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.

But Verstappen has no regrets.

"People that don't like my language, don't listen in or change the volume down. I'm very driven for success. I've proven that already," said Verstappen.

"I always want to optimise stuff. People can argue that you might not be so vocal on the radio, but that's their opinion.

"My opinion is that it needs to be said at the time to maybe also try and force [things]. That's how it goes.

"We are very open-minded. We are very critical of each other as a team, and that's been working for us very well, so I don't expect that to change."

The last time Verstappen failed to win in four races in a row was in the 2020 season, but Red Bull are showing signs of vulnerability.

And he will face an enormous task to triumph for a 62nd time in the competition, although he is ranked as the fourth driver in F1 history with the most wins without starting from the front of the grid (29). 

Verstappen made light work of the power unit components penalty he sustained at the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, making his way from 14th to win the race. 

Should he emerge victorious this time around, he will become only the third driver to win four in a row on Belgian soil after Ayrton Senna (1988 to 1991) and Jim Clark (1962 to 1965). 

"If you look at our last few races where we haven't particularly been the fastest, I wouldn't say that with 10 places extra, we have a chance of winning," said Verstappen.

"But a race can always be turned upside down with moments, so you have to be open-minded, try to make the best of it and that's all we will try to do.

"We also don't know how competitive we will be. There's new tarmac, so we need to see how the tyres respond to that as well.

"There's a lot of unknowns with the weather too. Quite a bit of rain is expected tomorrow and Saturday, so we need to follow the weather and our progression this weekend to see how competitive we are."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Charles Leclerc - Ferrari

Despite being beaten in both qualifying and the main event in each of the last two races by team-mate Carlos Sainz, Leclerc will be keen to get points on the board in Belgium. 

Leclerc has not been among the podium places since his maiden triumph at Monaco in May, but the omens are in his favour with the Italian team achieving more victories (14), more pole positions (12) and more podiums (41) at Spa. 

Ferrari have enjoyed recent races in Belgium, taking pole in the last two editions, with Leclerc doing so in 2023.

Should they repeat the trick, it will be the second time they have done so after 1974 (Clay Regazzoni at Nivelles), 1975 and 1976 (Niki Lauda in both at Zolder).

Leclerc and Sainz will contest their 79th race as Ferrari team-mates, making them the seventh-highets pair with the most races with the same team in F1, surpassing the 78 of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg for Mercedes.

Lando Norris - McLaren

While a radio spat of his own at the Hungarian Grand Prix overshadowed an eighth podium place of the season, Norris will be eyeing another impressive run at Spa.

And he now has a fantastic opportunity to close the gap on Verstappen.

The Brit has taken pole position in two of the last four races, after taking just one in his previous 113 starts in F1.

Excluding Hamilton, who did it twice in 2012, Norris could be the first McLaren driver to take back-to-back pole positions since Kimi Raikkonen in 2006 (Germany and Hungary).

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 265
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 189
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 162
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 154
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 149

Constructors

1. Red Bull - 389
2. McLaren - 338
3. Ferrari - 322
4. Mercedes - 241
5. Aston Martin - 69

George Russell says he has been picking the brains of tennis great Novak Djokovic in a bid to ensure longevity in Formula One.

The Mercedes driver is aiming to reach the pinnacle of his sport and remain there for a sustained period of time, something achieved by 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic.

A two-time Grand Prix winner - including in Austria this year - Russell has sought inspiration from the Serbian in recent years, as he looks to follow suit in the F1 World Championship.

And the 26-year-old, who was at Wimbledon for Djokovic's final showdown with Carlos Alcaraz last weekend, gave a brief insight into his learnings.

"We've shared ideas together, and he's been really open with me about things he's trying and what's working for him," Russell said.

"I don't want to share too much because they are private conversations, but I just really like how he's constantly wanting to learn more and that inspires me to learn more about myself, what works for me, what works for them and pushing the boundaries.

"There's a lot that he knows that I won't and vice versa, and you've got to take all these ideas from the best in each profession and see what you can take for yourself.

"I feel fit, healthy and in a great place right now at the age of 26, but I need to make sure that I'm fit, healthy and as motivated in 10 years' time, 15 years' time, who knows 20 years’ time. I'm trying to put in work now."

Russell occupies seventh place in the 2024 drivers' championship standings ahead of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, where he finished fifth in the second practice session on Friday.

Lando Norris led the way with an impressive time of 1:17.788 seconds, 0.243 seconds ahead of leader Max Verstappen, with Carlos Sainz taking third on a day where the action was interrupted following Charles Leclerc's earlier crash.

The Ferrari driver spun into the barriers after taking too much kerb at Turn 4, but thankfully was unhurt.

Charles Leclerc has said he is looking forward to working with Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, something he described as an "incredible opportunity". 

Hamilton will join the Italian team at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, ending an 11-year stay with Mercedes where he has won six of his seven world titles. 

The Brit's arrival at Ferrari will be Leclerc's third team-mate in what will be his seventh year with the team, following Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz.

Leclerc is excited about the opportunity to work with the seven-time world champion, and insisted that Ferrari's move to sign Hamilton was not an indication that the Italian team are losing confidence in the 26-year-old. 

"For me, it's an incredible opportunity," Leclerc told BBC Sport. "First, to learn from the most successful driver ever. And to prove myself as well against Lewis, who is a benchmark for everybody."

"Not at all, because Ferrari is Ferrari. And they need the best drivers in their cars. So, for the benefit of Ferrari, it is completely understandable.

"For me, I don't see any negative in that, because it's Lewis Hamilton."

Hamilton has history in his sights following his record-extending ninth win at Silverstone ahead of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. 

The 39-year-old is one podium away from becoming the first driver to reach 200 top-three finishes in the competition's history.

Leclerc said he still needs convincing that he is the faster driver compared to his incoming team-mate, saying he sees no weaknesses in Hamilton's driving despite the veteran campaigner having gone two full seasons without a win before his victory at the British Grand Prix. 

"Well, I need to be convinced that I am the fastest driver when I put the helmet on, but I am really looking forward to it, and it will be super interesting for me," said Leclerc.

"I have always said you learn from every single team-mate you have over your career. When I look at the way he drives - because we always look at each other and data - you don't really see any weaknesses. And that's where Lewis is incredible. He's only got strengths.

"So I'm really looking forward to seeing how he works with his engineers, the feedback, and all of these kinds of things, to learn and become better."

Leclerc has endured a difficult time in recent races, failing to score points at Silverstone and the Austrian Grand Prix, as many times in his previous 59 finished races, which has seen him slip to third in the Drivers' Championship.

Should Ferrari score 26 points at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, they will become the first team in history to reach the 10,000-point barrier in F1.

And despite Leclerc believes a return to the points is forthcoming under the guidance of team principal, Fred Vasseur. 

"Fred has two very big strengths which are very important in F1 and especially in a team like Ferrari, where the passion is so high that in very good moments there are lots of emotions but there are also very big emotions whenever we are going through a tough time," said Leclerc.

"In F1, you need to be as flat emotionally as possible and Fred is always a little bit the balance.

"Whenever we have very difficult moments, he helps the team to be back at a reasonable level and not be too disappointed.

"And exactly the same when we win, to not be too high and bring us back down and tell everybody we've got to work because this is only one race."

Max Verstappen was relieved to finish second at the British Grand Prix after fearing he might slide as low as fifth or sixth on a difficult weekend for Red Bull.

An emotional Lewis Hamilton claimed his first win since 2021, triumphing at Silverstone for a record-extending ninth time, after team-mate George Russell was forced to retire from pole.

Hamilton fought off a late challenge from old rival Verstappen to take the spoils, with the reigning world champion having struggled for pace in wet conditions.

After starting 2024 with seven wins in 10 races, Verstappen has won just two of the last five with both Mercedes and McLaren upping the pressure on Red Bull.

After Sunday's race, however, his main emotion was relief. 

"We just didn't have the pace today," Verstappen told reporters in parc ferme. "I was just steadily dropping back when it mattered in the beginning, so it didn't look great. 

"At some point I was really thinking, 'Are we going to finish fifth, sixth?' But we made the right calls, I think it was the right lap every time.

"At the end, the call from the team to be on the hard tyre instead of the soft was definitely helping me out.

"We finished second today, so it could've been a lot worse, but we're making the right calls – we're still onto the podium and I'm of course very happy with that."

Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez finished 17th as his miserable run of form continued – he has now failed to make the top six at six straight races.

It was also a difficult day for the two Ferraris, with Carlos Sainz coming in fifth and Charles Leclerc struggling with worn tyres in heavy rain as he finished 14th. 

Leclerc has one fifth-place finish in his last four outings, also retiring in Canada and toiling to an 11th-placed finish in Austria last week.

"It was clearly the wrong strategy. I'll look into it. Obviously, with the message I got and the information I had in the car, I felt like it was the right one," he said of his tyre selection. 

"This period is very hard. I don't really have the words to explain it, but it's been four races that it's been worse than a nightmare. I hope we can come back soon."