F1 British GP news: Ricciardo ninth fastest in practice, celebrates birthday
Despite a ninth fastest time in practice, Daniel Ricciardo feels he is well placed for a strong showing at Silverstone as he celebrated his 33rd birthday with a shoey cake.
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Dan Ricciardo says he’s feeling more confident about his chances of a strong showing at this weekend’s British Grand Prix after celebrating his birthday with a shoey cake.
The Australian driver only posted the ninth fastest time in Friday’s practice session at Silverstone but thinks there’s more to come from his McLaren over the weekend.
“It was okay,” said Ricciardo. “In the morning actually, there wasn’t much going on, but in the afternoon, I guess it was more fun, we got out there, had a little bit of fun.
“With the hard (tyre) it was looking alright, but then with the soft, I didn’t really put the greatest lap in the world together.”
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To mark his 33rd birthday, Ricciardo was given a cake - in the shape of a shoe and with a honey badger poking its head out - from team officials.
And although he was ninth in the dry run in the afternoon, he was buoyed by the performance of his team mate Lando Norris, who was third overall, behind Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.
“I think we got in a decent place considering, and looking at Lando, it looks like we’re in a decent spot,” Ricciardo said.
“It’s early, we’ve obviously only had one session, but for the only dry sessions of the day, I think we’re alright.
“We’ll kind of look across cars tonight, try and optimise everything, and then it won’t be my birthday tomorrow, so I’ll just be more focused, I guess!”
Rain is forecast for Saturday’s qualifying session but the weather for Sunday’s race should be fine.
While no one was surprised to see Ferrari at the top sheets, Friday’s practice times are unlikely to be a true indication of where everyone is at because it’s unknown what fuel loads they were carrying.
Charles LeClerc, who has started on pole position six times this season, was only fifth while championship leader Max Verstappen was fourth.
“I think we know what we need to work on and we’ll do that overnight,” Verstappen said.
“It looks like it’s going to rain during qualifying so there’ll be different conditions compared to our sessions.”
Mercedes were the big improvers after making a raft of aerodynamic changes to their struggling car resulting in Hamilton posting the second quickest time on a fast track that should suit the silver arrows.
POLICE WARNING TO SILVERSTONE PROTESTERS
British cops have issued a warning to an environmental protest group it suspects is planning to invade the Silverstone circuit on Sunday.
Northamptonshire Police released a statement on Twitter saying they had received “credible intelligence” that a demonstration was planned so pleaded with the protesters not to step foot on the track while the cars were on the road.
“We want to appeal directly to this group of people. We strongly urge you to not put yourselves, the drivers, as well as the many marshals, volunteers and members of the public, at risk,” the message read.
“Going onto a live racetrack is extremely dangerous – if you go ahead with this reckless plan you’re jeopardising lives.
“Protesting is of course everyone’s human right in this country and we are more than happy to speak with you to help you facilitate a peaceful protest at the circuit, we just please ask that you do not create a situation that puts lives in danger.”
*Please RT*
— Northants Police (@NorthantsPolice) July 1, 2022
Thread....
We have received credible intelligence that a group of protestors are planning to disrupt the 2022 Formula 1 British Grand Prix and possibly invade the track on race day.
We want to appeal directly to this group of people.
RED BULL BACKS BOOED STAR
Red Bull team boss Christan Horner has gone into bat again for Max Verstappen was booed by fans on the first day of practice at the British Grand Prix.
Horner said he was perplexed by the hostile reception Verstappen received when he joined other drivers in being presented to the crowd.
Horner said he was unsure whether the jeers at Verstappen were because he was involved in a bitter battle with British favourite Lewis Hamilton for last year’s championship or whether they were related to the racial slurs made about Hamilton by Nelson Piquet, the father of Verstappen’s girlfriend.
Asked about the frosty reaction, Horner reiterated that Verstappen had been clear in his condemnation of Piquet .
“He’s fully supportive of Lewis and, not just Lewis, but just to any form of racism or discrimination in the sport,” Horner said.
“And as Red Bull, we’re a young team, we’re a very inclusive team. We have a very young following, a very diverse following, and that’s very, very important to us.
“It’s never nice to hear boos for any driver and it’s unusual for a British Grand Prix crowd to do that, because they usually appreciate all drivers.
“But it’s something that he accepts. Lewis is their favourite driver here, I’ve got no issue with that. Next weekend, I know that there’s going to be a lot of support. He has massive support wherever we go around the world. So you know, it’s one of those things.”
Ricciardo expects to have some fun at British GP
Daniel Ricciardo has given up trying to figure out when his misfiring McLaren will challenge for a spot on the podium but he reckons this weekend’s British Grand Prix will be fun no matter what.
The reason, he says, is simply because Silverstone is one of the fastest circuits in Formula One, with drivers hitting top speeds of over 300 km/h, and going into corners with the pedal flat to the floor.
“It’s one of those tracks where I feel the circuit represents a Formula One car the best, in terms of downforce and high speed,” Ricciardo said.
“(Corners such as) Copse then Maggotts, Becketts, the change of direction, we kind of arrive in eighth, down to seventh, down to sixth.
“In qualifying, I think almost sixth is the lowest gear we’ll go through that section. So it’s serious speeds and it’s a little bit bumpy as well.
“You exit over the kerb, it’s cool. We all drive around here with a smile.
“It’s a smile regardless. It just gets bigger the further you’re up the grid.”
better with this audio 😠pic.twitter.com/1LOFDdxhyz
— Courtney💜 (@Courtney_W44) June 30, 2022
Where McLaren is on the grid remains to be seen. Ricciardo has had just two top 10 finishes this season, with a best result of sixth at the Australian GP.
“We’ve obviously still got work to do on both sides but I think for now, it’s probably just going to be a little bit track dependent,” he said.
“I hope this track puts us a bit further up the grid and can fight for points.
“I’m kind of hoping it’s going to be more like a Melbourne situation where we’re right in there. With kind of these flowing faster corners, maybe that’s the case.
“But also I think the cars have changed since Melbourne. You know, teams have brought updates so who knows.
“Nonetheless happy to be here, I do like this place even when it’s a little bit chilly. It’s still a good place here and I always enjoy coming back. I heard there’s like 400,000 over the course of this weekend, we’re expecting a show that makes me happy.”
"It's not about one individual, it's not about one use of that term. It's the bigger picture"
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 30, 2022
Eloquent and thought-provoking words from Lewis Hamilton today#F1pic.twitter.com/F47pj41giR
*****
LEWIS Hamilton has thanked the other F1 drivers, including his arch rival Max Verstappen, who have spoken out in support of his fight to stamp out racism in the sport.
But the seven-time world champion says he’s not finished – and wants to see the back of all the old men whose opinions are out of touch with modern racers.
These include ex F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and former world champions Nelson Piquet and Jackie Stewart.
“’I don’t know why we are continuing to give these older voices a platform,” Hamilton said.
‘They are speaking for our sport, but we are looking to go somewhere different and they are not representative of who we are now and where we are planning to go.
“If we are looking to grow our audiences in the US and South Africa we need to be giving the younger people a platform. They are more representative of today’s time and who we are trying to be. It is not just about one individual, or the use of that term, but the bigger picture.
“’These older voices, subconsciously or consciously, do not agree people like me should be in this sport. Discrimination should not be projected.
“I don’t think in the last couple of weeks a day has gone by where some of the older people who are not in our sport or have not been relevant in our sport for decades have tried to say negative things and bring me down, but I am still here and still standing strong and trying to do my work and pushing diversity.’
Hamilton’s calls for new voices came after other drivers backed his complaints about comments made about him by Ecclestone, Piquet and Stewart.
“It’s been two years since many of us took the knee at the first race in Austria and, of course, we’re still faced with the challenge,” Hamilton said.
“I’ve been on the receiving end of racism and criticism and negativity and archaic narratives for a long, long time, and undertones of discrimination. So, there’s nothing particularly new to me. I think it’s more about the bigger picture … it’s not just about one individual, it’s not just about one use of that term – it’s the bigger picture.”
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Max Verstappen broke his silence over the racism row involving Nelson Piquet, the father of his girlfriend.
Piquet was caught out using the Portuguese version of the N-word to describe Lewis when he was asked about his collision with Verstappen at last year’s British Grand Prix.
Piquet has apologised, saying his use of the word was misinterpreted, but Verstappen said it was still wrong to use that phrase.
“In general, all over the world, it’s not only in Formula 1, I think it’s not correct to use these words, but that already starts with education,” Verstappen said.
“Nowadays from a younger age, at home, at school, you need to be taught these kinds of things cannot be said, or used in general, and that’s what we’re working on.
“And of course F1, together also with Lewis, they’re working on that for the future and all the drivers are behind that. We’re all supporting that.”
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The racism row has overshadowed a different dispute involving Lewis Hamilton that the Mercedes driver is confident of winning.
He has been in a standoff with officials over his jewellery, particularly his body piercings.
Officials want drivers to remove their piercings on safety grounds but Hamilton has refused – and was given an exemption that runs out this weekend.
Asked whether he expects he could be barred from racing at his home Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend unless she complies, Hamilton dismissed the debate as a sideshow.
“It’s kind of crazy to think that with everything that’s going on in the world that is the focus of people,” he said.
“We’ve got so much bigger fish to fry -- I’m vegan so I don’t fry fish, but you know...we’ve really got to start focusing on other more important areas.
“I will be racing this weekend. I will be working with the FIA. I would say the matter is not particularly massively important.”
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Max Verstappen – one of the few F1 drivers who doesn’t like the Netflix series Drive to Survive – says he has agreed to take part in the next season on the proviso he can have a say about how he comes across on television.
Verstappen has criticised the show’s producers, claiming they twist narratives and make some drivers look foolish, but says he will make a return to the small screen – but on condition.
“I can’t control what they do with other drivers, but at least I want to be in control with what I’m releasing, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Verstappen said.
“I also understand that Netflix has really helped with the popularity, especially in the US and I don’t mind, of course, playing a role in that, but it needs to be good for both of us.
“It’s pretty simple, I’m either in or not – like it or not, they want me in it but it needs to be on my terms, otherwise no point for me.”
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