A dominant display by Max Verstappen saw him win the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix.

After the long winter break, Formula 1 was back with speculation around the order of the grid filling the paddock under the night skies of Bahrain.

Verstappen, starting on pole position, led the pack after the first lap with Charles Leclerc jumping into second on the start. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso, arguably the headline of the weekend, saw his hopes of a podium crash after making contact with teammate Lance Stroll.

From there, Verstappen fled from the other 19 drivers, breaking away seven seconds after the first 10 laps. Red Bull would differ on strategy to the rest of the pack, pitting for soft tyres instead of hards.

Oscar Piastri opened his F1 career with an electronic issue, forcing the Australian out of the race while Lando Norris struggled with power unit unreliability – a poor start for McLaren.

Alonso would break past George Russell on lap 13, sizing up the Mercedes driver for several laps before pouncing at turn four. With his old rival hot on his heels, Lewis Hamilton would make a second stop earlier in hopes to cover off an Aston Martin undercut.

But Alonso would take his tyres longer, closing the gap to Hamilton while taking on fresher tyres. On lap 39, a beautiful switchback into turn 10 would see Alonso past, setting his sights on the Ferraris ahead.

On lap 41, Leclerc’s Ferrari ground to a halt, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car as the car was cleared.

Using this to his advantage, Alonso would close up to the second Ferrari driver of Carlos Sainz, breaking onto the podium with 11 laps to go. After the move, Alonso would voice his happiness on the radio, saying:

“Yes! Bye, bye.”

But it was Verstappen who took home 25 points, kicking-off his title defence in the best possible manner. Sergio Perez would cruise home to second, with Alonso third.

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Ford will make its long-awaited Formula 1 return with Red Bull Racing in 2026.

The American manufacturer was last seen in F1 with its failed Jaguar Racing project, a team that was subsequently bought by Red Bull in 2005.

However, the two brands are now set to collide, with a planned engine deal set to debut in 2026.

Few were surprised to see Red Bull unveil a very similar look to their 2022 challenger for the upcoming season, with the traditional livery making its return once again.

Meet the #RB19 ? Our car for the 2023 #F1 season ? pic.twitter.com/ilCfMQMxW4

— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 3, 2023

But the big news was Ford’s reunion with F1, taking over the Red Bull Powertrains operation established last season.

Red Bull previously were in talks with Porsche, but discussions collapsed after Porsche looked to gain part-ownership of the Milton Keynes-based operation.

Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, said:

“This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford’s motorsport story that began when my great-grandfather won a race that helped launch our company.

“Ford is returning to the pinnacle of the sport, bringing Ford’s long tradition of innovation, sustainability and electrification to one of the world’s most visible stages.”

Red Bull Powertrains and Ford will also continue to supply sister team Scuderia AlphaTauri from 2026 and beyond.

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Image credit: Haas F1 Team

Haas kicked off the 2023 Formula 1 car launch season, showing off an all-new look for their VF-23 challenger.

Haas F1 Team heads into 2023 with a new title sponsor, online payment company MoneyGram, the brand making big changes to the look of the 2023 machine.

However, this is not the only change at the team, with Nico Hulkenberg a new face alongside Kevin Magnussen for the upcoming year.

The two will have to put aside their differences if they hope to fight at the front of the midfield this year.

Image credit: Haas F1 Team

In stark contrast to their previous challenger, the VF-23 is designed with a primarily black livery with a red and white front nose design creating an alternating look depending on what angle you are looking from.

MoneyGram’s logo can be seen on the engine cover while new sponsor Palm Angels sits behind the front wheels.

However, the livery highlights a lack of sponsorship once again for the American outfit, losing Under Armor after Mick Schumacher was let go from the team last season.

Team Principal of Haas, Guenther Steiner, is eager to get the season underway with the team’s new look:

“I like the livery, it’s undoubtedly a more elevated and modernized look which is fitting as we move into a new era alongside MoneyGram as our title partner.”

“It’s an exciting time of year for Formula 1 and it’s great that we’re first out the gate to showcase our livery but our attention is firmly on getting the VF-23 on-track and preparing for the season ahead.

“We really have something to build on following last year’s performances.

“The whole organization has been working hard to reach this point and obviously in Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg we have two proven points-scoring talents locked in behind the wheel.

“I can’t wait to get started.”

Haas finished eighth in the 2022 season, beginning the season with a number of points scoring performances before rounding off the year with their first pole position in Brazil.

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Mattia Binotto has resigned as Ferrari team principal following the 2022 F1 season.

Ferrari started 2022 off with a bang, claiming a 1-2 in Bahrain and a win in Australia only to soon be overwhelmed by a Red Bull challenge through Max Verstappen.

The team ended the year with just four wins in what initially looked to be a promising season.

Following this, Binotto has given his resignation to Ferrari, and will leave this post on 31 December later this year.

He said:

“With the regret that this entails, I have decided to conclude my collaboration with Ferrari.

“I am leaving a company that I love, which I have been part of for 28 years, with the serenity that comes from the conviction that I have made every effort to achieve the objectives set.

“I think it is right to take this step at this time as hard as this decision has been for me.”

Binotto’s replacement is currently unknown, but Ross Brawn is currently a hotly-tipped contender as he departs his role with F1.

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Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix while teammate Sergio Perez failed to take second in the championship.

While Verstappen would lead almost from start to finish, Red Bull would be unable to make it a 1-2 in the championship as a two-stop gamble didn’t pay off.

A number of changes were to be made following this Grand Prix, with several drivers set to move to other squads while, perhaps the biggest news of the day, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel would start his last race.

Danke Seb ?

We’re going to miss you ?#DankeSeb #F1 pic.twitter.com/jHvUagoFAk

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 20, 2022

But first, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen narrowly leading his teammate into the first corner before a fight between Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz saw the Brit cut the chicane.

Hamilton was forced to hand the position back, but very quickly pushed himself back past the Spaniard. Although excitement around the fight for second between Perez and Charles Leclerc was high, Red Bull charged ahead in the lead while Ferrari and Mercedes battled for third.

Hamilton reported a loss of engine power, his teammate George Russell overtaking him on lap nine while Vettel found himself battling both Alpine cars.

Perez pitted earlier than most thought, swapping his medium tyres for hards, but emerged in the middle of Vettel’s battle with Fernando Alonso. After Leclerc pitted on lap 22, Red Bull would retake their 1-2.

In his final race with Alpine, Alonso would be forced to retire his car with mechanical issues. After a season cursed by reliability, the two-time world champion now looks ahead to his new start at Silverstone, and has not been quiet about his happiness to leave Alpine F1 Team.

On lap 34, the race strategy heated back up again, Perez pitting for another set of hard tyres, a last-gasp chase being setup to clinch second in the title. Perez would begin to set fastest laps quickly.

Mick Schumacher and Nicholas Latifi, both leaving F1 after Abu Dhabi, tangled at turn five, an incident reminiscent of how last year’s controversial title showdown came to be. However, both continued without damage and no safety car was called.

Russell and Sainz followed the Mexican driver in, but first Perez had to overcome Hamilton. The seven-time world champion would defend with all his might, but would fall off the podium on lap 46. On lap 55, Hamilton would face a hydraulic issue, retiring from the race in the pits.

Despite his best efforts, Perez would not catch Leclerc, the Monegasque clinching second in the championship as Verstappen finished a dominant performance to win in Yas Marina.

Meanwhile, Vettel’s career would draw to a close, narrowly missing out on ninth place as Aston Martin could not snatch sixth in the championship from Alfa Romeo.

“A big day and a big thank you to all of the support. So many flags, so many smiling faces which has been very special, very nice.

“I’m sure that I’m going to miss it more than I understand right now.”

While the season is over, work for the teams is all but complete, as testing commences on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi before the mechanics settle down for their Christmas break.

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Nico Hulkenberg will return to Formula 1 with Haas in 2023, replacing Mick Schumacher.

The German returns from a three-year hiatus, last driving full-time in F1 with Renault in 2019, but completing reserve duties for Aston Martin and their previous name, Racing Point.

Hulkenberg replaces the outgoing Schumacher, following the young German’s struggles in his two F1 campaigns with Haas.

Schumacher has suffered multiple expensive crashes, most recently his big smashes at Saudi Arabia and Monaco while his teammate Kevin Magnussen snatched a pole position in Brazil last weekend.

Team principal Guenther Steiner gave his reasons for signing Hulkenberg, saying:

““The experience and knowledge base Nico brings to the team is clear to see; with nearly 200 career starts in Formula 1 and a reputation as being a great qualifier and a solid, reliable racer.

“These are attributes, which when you pair them together with Kevin Magnussen’s experience, gives us a very credible and well-seasoned driver line-up which we believe will help push the team onwards up the grid.

“That’s obviously the goal and it was that ambition that has prompted Nico’s return to Formula 1 – he shares our vision and can be a key player together with the rest of the team in building on the foundations we’ve laid this year with our return to the points battle.”

Hulkenberg made his debut in Formula 1 in 2o1o following a championship-winning season a year earlier in 2009.

Despite never taking a win nor a podium, Hulkenberg does have a pole position to his name, following a stunning performance in mixed conditions at the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix.

“I’m very happy to move into a full-time race seat with Haas F1 Team in 2023,” said Nico Hulkenberg.

“I feel like I never really left Formula 1. I’m excited to have the opportunity to do what I love the most again and want to thank Gene Haas and Günther Steiner for their trust.

“We have work ahead of us to be able to compete with all the other teams in the midfield, and I cannot wait to join that battle again.”

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George Russell snatched his first Grand Prix win in Brazil, leading a 1-2 finish for Mercedes.

Mercedes claimed their first 1-2 finish since Imola in 2020, following a shock first pole position for Haas and Kevin Magnussen.

STARTING GRID ??

A front-row lockout for @MercedesAMGF1 ?

Fernando Alonso drops down the order following a penalty, and now starts P18 #BrazilGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/TG7BWw7KKj

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 12, 2022

The Silver Arrows would win the Sprint and maintained their lead at the start before Daniel Ricciardo made contact with Magnussen, sending both out of the Grand Prix and bringing out the safety car.

At the restart, Max Verstappen tried to push past Hamilton, the two rivals making contact at turn two. The scrappy race continued, Lando Norris hitting the side of Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari flying into the barrier and somehow continuing.

While Verstappen would be handed a five second penalty for the incident after pitting for a new wing, Hamilton would continue on, charging back into the top-four by lap 15.

At the front, it was George Russell who lead Sergio Perez, while Hamilton charged on behind, Verstappen being handed a five-second penalty for the crash at turn two.

The Brit would eventually reach the back of Perez’s Red Bull, storming into second on lap 45 to reestablish Mercedes’ 1-2 finish. Perez would respond by stopping on lap 48, the final stop of his race.

However, surprisingly, Hamilton would stop once again to cover off Red Bull’s strategy, with Hamilton telling his team that his tyres were fine. Russell would follow, retaining the lead.

With 18 laps left, Norris’ McLaren ground to a halt, bringing out the safety car once again. Mercedes were caught off guard, with Perez and Carlos Sainz pitting for fresh tyres.

Following their crash in the Sprint, Esteban Ocon was given strict instructions by Alpine not to fight Fernando Alonso, the Frenchman saying he would focus on Sebastian Vettel ahead.

The race went green and Mercedes darted, Russell flying away with his teammate while Red Bull and Ferrari squabbled for third. But Hamilton could not find enough pace to beat Russell, the young Brit winning in Sao Paulo after a thrilling affair.

Following the race, Russell told Felipe Massa:

“What an amazing feeling, a huge thank you to the whole team for making this possible. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster this season, this race was a really tough race.

“I felt in control, Lewis was super fast and then when I saw the safety car, I thought ‘this is going to be a really difficult end’ and it put me under so much pressure.”

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Photo Credit: Morecambe FC official website.

Morecambe manager Derek Adams said it was a travesty to not beat Portsmouth.

Morecambe hosted Portsmouth in the away side’s longest journey of the season, the Shrimps hoping to secure three vital points in their fight against relegation.

The team would score the first goal of the match after a quick run down the left side by Adam Mayor left them in a strong position, finding Liam Shaw who tapped it neatly into the net.

The first half saw attempts from both sides narrowly fall short, Pompey’s Owen Dale narrowly tipped over the goal by Morecambe keeper Connor Ripley.

Across the match, Morecambe would continue to find plenty of opportunities across the final 45 minutes of the match but their weakness proved to be their ability to take their chances, with shots from Caleb Watts, Ryan Delaney and Dylan Connolly all falling short.

Adams believes that his team should have taken these and won at the Mazuma Stadium, saying:

“How we haven’t won by five or six is a travesty with the chances that we had today.

“I’ve played against Portsmouth many times in my career as a manager and never had as many glaring opportunities as we had today.

“We out-defended them, out-played them, out-ran them and we should have won by a landslide.”

With a January transfer window on the horizon, Adams does not seem confident with the backing he’s receiving, adding:

“Over the summer I’ve been disappointed because I’ve had to make changes and unfortunately I’ve not been backed enough to make the changes.

“If I had been backed in the summer, we would have had a far different team to what we have now.

“We’re skint! We’re absolutely skint! January doesn’t mean anything to me.”

Adams was quick to praise his team, though, notably a very strong defence as their back-three of Anthony O’Connor, Delaney and Jacob Bedeau stood strong against their opponent’s attacks.

Portsmouth would find a single goal through Colby Bishop, capitalising on a scramble in the box to net the ball home, securing a single point for Pompey.

But this was Portsmouth’s sole shot on target of the afternoon, with the rest put over the net or skating past.

The result leaves Morecambe 22nd in the league table, missing out on a crucial chance to jump ahead of relegation rivals MK Dons.

Meanwhile, Portsmouth hold their place in fifth, equal on points with Bolton and Derby on 28 points.

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Photo: Flickr/ Paul Armstrong

Live coverage of Morecambe’s League One clash with Portsmouth.

With overcast conditions at the Mazuma Stadium, Morecambe host Portsmouth for a League One clash, pitting two sides at opposite ends of the table against each other.

While the hosts sit 22nd in the League One standings, Pompey look to establish a lead over sixth-placed Bolton Wanderers.

Connor Ripley starts for Morecambe in goal while Donald Love captains the Shrimps, returning from injury. Max Melbourne also starts on the bench following an injury earlier in the season.

? Our starting XI to take on @Pompey this afternoon.#UTS ? | #MORvPOR pic.twitter.com/bCrfafQqSK

— Morecambe FC (@ShrimpsOfficial) November 12, 2022

At the other end of the pitch, Josh Griffiths stands between the sticks while Clark Robertson leads Portsmouth’s away side.

? Your #Pompey XI…

3️⃣ changes to the line-up
? Marlon Pack in the middle
??????? Joe Morrell back on the bench pic.twitter.com/XlUGg71rrW

— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) November 12, 2022

The whistle is blown by referee Adam Herczeg and Morecambe get the match underway after winning the coin toss.

The match gets going in quick tempo, possession switching hands as both teams look for weak points in the other’s defence.

A near-miss for Morecambe as a cross glides over Portsmouth’s box, narrowly missing their man. Portsmouth are quick on the counter attack but the Shrimps knock the ball out for a corner.

After a tackle from Portsmouth, Caleb Watts goes down on the pitch for a brief period, returning to the pitch after a brief assessment. The home side are not happy as the ref continues play.

Jensen Weir lines up to take a free kick for Morecambe after a foul but hits Portsmouth’s wall. It heads off for a corner.

Another missed opportunity for Shrimps as Ryan Cooney has no other option but to send it into the box. The ball meets one of his teammates, but Pompey are quick to remove the threat.

A powerful shot from Owen Dale is narrowly sent over the post, with two corner following. On the second, Ryan Delaney goes down in the box, heading off the pitch for a quick evaluation.

Another opportunity from Portsmouth’s Connor Ogilvie saw him fire the ball into the box, then being sent low into Ripley’s gloves.

SHAWWWWWWW!!!!!

1-0 | #UTS ? | #MORvPOR pic.twitter.com/IL4aIN47Xd

— Morecambe FC (@ShrimpsOfficial) November 12, 2022

Morecambe are quick to pounce again, but ultimately fall short, leaving the score line at 1-0.

Portsmouth captain Robertson goes onto the ground, being carried off by medical staff before continuing on with the game.

Four minutes have been added on to the first half. Quickly, Shrimps use this to their advantage, running into the box but sending the ball wide.

The first half draws to a close with Morecambe leading at home. This came dramatically, however, with a fast Morecambe counterattack by Weir narrowly foiled by Griffiths.

The game gets back underway, Pompey starting the second half behind by one and needing to secure at least one goal to have anything to show for their long journey.

45+1' | The second half is underway and Clark Robertson has been replaced after sustaining an injury in the first half ?

? 1-0 ?#Pompey pic.twitter.com/rba9gY4pqq

— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) November 12, 2022

Captain Robertson has been replaced by Denver Hume for the second half.

Immediately Morecambe establishes what they need to do. Caleb Watts fires the ball towards goal, but it narrowly drifts wide.

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Max Verstappen cruised to a record-breaking 14th win in 2022 at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Despite what appeared to be a strong challenge from Mercedes, Verstappen and Red Bull brushed the threat aside on their way to a record 14th win in 2022.

Mercedes’ gamble to start on medium tyres and one-stop on hard tyres did not pay off, as the RB18’s pace was too great for the Brackley-based outfit to match.

Victory at the Mexican Grand Prix bested Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher’s tally of 13 wins in 2004 and 2013 respectively, leaving the two-time champion the benchmark in this number.

THE GRID

Take a look at who's starting where for Sunday race! ?#MexicoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/rKuX79Cxnw

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 29, 2022

Polesitter Verstappen maintained his lead at the start as teammate and home hero Sergio Perez pushed into the podium positions to the delight of the home crowd.

The race soon settled down as drivers focused on tyre management, but with Red Bull and Mercedes on different strategies, the tension remained.

Hamilton continued to pressure Verstappen in the opening stint, maintaining a gap just outside of one second to avoid pushing his medium tyres too hard. However, Verstappen remained firm and maintained the gap to the seven-time world champion.

Red Bull would pit on lap 23 and 25, while the Silver Arrows would wait for five more laps to change onto the hard tyre, but soon had Perez breathing down his neck after the Mexican was caught in traffic.

While the Red Bull drivers settled in on medium tyres, Hamilton and Russell struggled for grip, complaining over radio while their engineers reassured them that the race would swing back in their favour at the end.

On lap 51, Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda would collide at turn six, firing the AlphaTauri into the air before retiring from the Grand Prix in the pitlane. However, this had no effect on the race, with the green flag running continuing as usual.

Despite this clash and an earlier penalty, Ricciardo would charge into the top seven, while a retirement from Fernando Alonso due to engine issues would bring out a Virtual Safety Car.

The stricken Alpine would be cleared quickly, and the race would resume without issue, allowing Verstappen to drive cleanly to the chequered flag to win in Mexico for a fourth time, saying after the race:

“Of course we were on a different strategy to the cars around us but, again, an incredible result. The pace of the car was really nice.

“It’s been an incredible year so far, we are definitely enjoying it and we’ll try to go for more.”

Formula 1 next finds itself in Brazil for the penultimate round of the season.

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