F1 LIVE: Azerbaijan Grand Prix second practice timings and results as Charles Leclerc tops FP2 leaderboard & More Trending News

Former world champion Nico Rosberg has been banned from the Formula One paddock after failing to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

Rosberg, who beat Lewis Hamilton to the 2016 title earlier than retiring simply 5 days later, now works as a pundit for Sky Sports.

But the 36-year-old is having to conduct his position remotely following the game’s new-for-2022 Covid necessities.

All travelling Formula One personnel – together with drivers, workforce members, caterers and media – should be fully-vaccinated to entry the paddock.

F1 shouldn’t cave to stress from high-profile groups to extend its price cap, says former driver Johnny Herbert.

Formula 1 groups will not be allowed to spend greater than $140m per season, a rule launched in 2021 to curb spiralling prices and assist create a stage enjoying discipline for smaller groups.

Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull have all pressed the game’s governing physique, the FIA, for a rise of the cap in a world the place transport prices have elevated considerably over current months, whereas groups like Haas have rejected the notion of a rule change.

“The whole thing was to try and level the playing field and get the cost of Formula 1 down, and that’s what it has done over the last couple of years,” Herbert instructed Sky Sports.

Lewis Hamilton is optimistic Mercedes have made progress towards difficult on the entrance of the grid and believes the “adversity” of struggling to maintain up has introduced the workforce nearer collectively.

Ahead of Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the seven-time champion has only one podium end from seven races, his worst begin to a season since 2009, after Mercedes needed to redesign a automobile that began the 12 months with an inclination to bounce and shake at excessive velocity.

“Can I say it’s the best, most exciting journey? No, but it is an experience and it’s bringing the team closer,” Hamilton mentioned, though they workforce as soon as once more struggled in practice for the Baku race.

“It’s making us all have to sharpen our tools. The technology is advancing a lot to be able to understand it, and we’re pulling closer than ever before. I guess that’s what happens when you’re faced with adversity, and so there’s lots and lots of positives.”

Max Verstappen says Formula 1 introducing a wage cap for drivers can be “completely wrong”.

The sport is taking a look at methods of turning into extra sustainable long-term with an total finances cap launched final season in a bid to maintain prices down.

Driver salaries will not be at present included in that cap however there’s hypothesis that they quickly could possibly be.

Reigning world champion Verstappen, whose cope with Red Bull is known to be price upwards of £40m per 12 months, is in opposition to the thought.

“It’s still all a bit vague. I think no one really knows where it’s going to go,” he mentioned forward of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.

“But from my side, it’s completely wrong because I think at the moment F1 is becoming more and more popular and everyone is making more and more money, including the teams, F1 (owners) – everyone is benefiting.

“So why ought to the drivers, with their IP rights and every thing, be capped, who truly convey the present and put their lives in danger, as a result of we do. So for me, it is fully flawed.”

FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem has clarified his criticism of Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel for ‘imposing their beliefs’ on Formula 1.

Hamilton has been outspoken about driving in countries with track records of human rights abuses, while Vettel spoke just this week about the need for greater LGBT+ inclusivity in F1.

Ben Sulayem suggested that the former world champions should simply focus on racing, however, before later taking to social media to clarify his comments.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took top spot in practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton laboured to 12th.

Leclerc, denied victory on home soil in Monaco a fortnight ago when his team were caught flat-footed in the wet-dry conditions, edged out Sergio Perez in Baku.

Fresh from winning in Monte Carlo, and penning a new contract which will see him remain in Red Bull colours until 2024, Perez was quickest in the opening running of the weekend.

But the Mexican was gazumped by Leclerc later in the day, trailing the Ferrari man by a quarter-of-a-second.

Ferrari and Red Bull continue to be the top of the Formula One class with world champion Max Verstappen third in the order, three tenths back.

Mercedes continue to struggle with ‘porpoising’ and the long, bumpy pit straight in Baku is doing the team no favours.

They will look to go again in FP3 before qualifying tomorrow but it already looks to be a tough weekend ahead for the team.

So, is it Leclerc vs Perez, rather than Verstappen, for the win this weekend?

Verstappen’s rear wing was switched to match Perez’s in FP2 but the Mexican still finished ahead of his team-mate.

Fernando Alonso was the big surprise package there, while it was another miserable afternoon for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.

• 1 Charles LECLERC – 1:43.224
• 2 Sergio PEREZ +0.248
• 3 Max VERSTAPPEN +0.356
• 4 Fernando ALONSO +0.918
• 5 Carlos SAINZ +1.050
• 6 Pierre GASLY+ 1.091
• 7 George RUSSELL+ 1.324
• 8 Yuki TSUNODA +1.343
• 9 Esteban OCON +1.385
• 10 Lando NORRIS +1.547
• 11 Sebastian VETTEL +1.557
• 12 Lewis HAMILTON +1.650
• 13 Lance STROLL +1.650
• 14 Daniel RICCIARDO +1.835
• 15 Valtteri BOTTAS +1.891
• 16 Guanyu ZHOU +2.040
• 17 Kevin MAGNUSSEN +2.364
• 18 Alexander ALBON +3.173
• 19 Mick SCHUMACHER +3.201
• 20 Nicholas LATIFI +3.994