F1 news LIVE: Emilia Romagna GP build-up as Red Bull try to catch Ferrari

George Russell says it is “crazy” he is second in the Formula 1 driver standings but is aware there’s a long way to go this season.

Russell overtook Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz to move into second after picking up his first podium for Mercedes in the Australian Grand Prix. So despite his team’s slow start to the season, the results have Mercedes in a good spot. Russell, along with teammate Lewis Hamilton, have them in second in the constructors title.

The British driver was shocked when finding out where he was in the standings.

“Somebody told me that and I didn’t believe them,” he told Sky. “It’s pretty crazy to think but this is a championship based on results and not necessarily based on pace.”

Mercedes are working on their car in between races, with the F1 returning at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on 24 April, in a bid to help both drivers’ seasons.

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Current drivers standings leader Charles Leclerc has praised the team at Ferrari for matching Red Bull for development and keeping ahead of the curve with their analysis.

The Italian side have come from way down the midfield to be leading the charge this year, racking up two wins in three races for Leclerc and podium spots for teammate Carlos Sainz too.

“To keep up with Red Bull in terms of development is going to be difficult, but it’s the same team that did this car that will work on the development for this year’s car, so I am confident,” he said.

“There is no reason for us to be on the back foot because we’ve done a great job, or the guys at Maranello have done a great job, building up this car for this year.

“Since the last two years, I’ve really seen a jump in the way we’ve analysed every weekend: in the way we have identified also our weaknesses and how quick we were to react to try and get better in the places where we were struggling.”

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc had his €300,000 watch stolen while posing for a group photo in Italy on Monday evening.

The 24-year-old Monegasque is currently in Italy preparing for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend as he bids to secure a third win in four races at the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season.

But Motorsport.com has reported that Leclerc was the victim of theft while on a night out in Tuscany earlier this week.

A group of individuals asked Leclerc for a picture and he was happy to oblige. But the F1 driver would later discover that his Richard Mille RM67 ‘Leclerc’ timepiece was taken off his wrist while the photo was being taken.

The perpetrator managed to flee the scene before Leclerc realised what had happened.

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David Schumacher, the cousin of Haas driver Mick Schumacher, found that it was “no longer affordable” to continue his journey into Formula One through finding a Formula 2 seat, according to his father, the former Williams driver Ralf Schumacher.

The 20-year-old had been looking to make the step up to F2 following two seasons in Formula 3, where he finished 11th in last year’s championship. But a lack of sponsorship interest has put his journey on hold, with the German instead turning to the DTM touring cars circuit.

David Schumacher is the nephew of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and would be looking to become the fourth member of the Schumacher to race in Formula One, but father Ralf says financial costs have proved to be too much of a barrier.

“The path to Formula 1 is simply no longer affordable,” Ralf Schumacher told German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. “We had two or three small supporters, but until now I basically paid for everything. And now there was nothing to be found, Formula 2 doesn’t stand out strongly enough as a format.”

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Nikita Mazepin has questioned the ‘values’ of Formula One while discussing a potential return to the sport.

The Russian’s position became increasingly uncertain following his country’s continued invasion of Ukraine, even after the FIA ruled that the 23-year-old would be allowed to continue racing under a neutral flag.

Mazepin’s father, Dmitry, a Russian oligarch who is the majority shareholder in chemical company Uralchem and one of Haas’ major sponsors, was pictured with Vladimir Putin as recently as January.

Haas removed Uralkali branding from its car during pre-season testing in Barcelona as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine accelerated and the team then confirmed they had terminated its contract with Mazepin and the company.

Opening up about the situation, Mazepin told Motorsport.com: “Everybody has a right to speak or not to speak and the FIA, the highest governing body, has enabled me to compete as long as I’m neutral.

“But I would say the biggest issue here is coming back to the sport where teams are allowed to be keeping sponsorship money without fulfilling the contract. And even asking for more, even though they say they don’t want money from Russia. So I’m not sure, but the sport’s values need to be evaluated for me after this.”

More from the sacked racer here:

Max Verstappen has been described as a “time bomb” by Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko amid the team’s early-season problems.

The defending world champion has suffered reliability issues in two of the first three races which have seen him unable to finish the Bahrain and Australian Grands Prix.

And while he has kept a cool head during their frustrating results in the 2022 F1 season so far, Marko is aware Verstappen will not tolerate it for much longer.

Speaking to Austrian broadcaster ORF, he said: “He is a lot calmer [now than he used to be]. After his retirement [in Australia] he returned to the pit box and we discussed things calmly.

“But, in my view, he is a lot calmer, calmer than in the past. If we don’t win again soon, then he is indeed a time bomb!”

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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is happy to be back fighting for the drivers’ championship after a sensational start to the 2022 season.

The Monegasque driver has already picked up victories in Bahrain and Australia to go with his second place in Saudi Arabia.

Leclerc’s impressive opening three races have left him with a huge 34-point lead in the standings as his title rivals have suffered various pace and reliability issues.

And the 24-year-old was in a positive headspace while discussing his championship credentials ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “Obviously we only had the third race, so it’s difficult to think about the championship, but to be honest, we’ve got a very strong car, a very reliable car too.

“We’ve always been there, so I hope it continues like this and if it does, then we probably have chances for the championship, which obviously makes me smile after the last two years that have been difficult for the team and obviously for myself. It’s great to be back in this position.”

More here form the championship leader:

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is confident Max Verstappen will ‘come back strong’ this weekend after the disappointment of retiring from the Australian Grand Prix a fortnight ago.

The reigning world champion suffered a second DNF in three races after his car overheated while sitting in second place in Melbourne.

As a result, Verstappen’s only points finish so far this season came in his victory at the Saudi Arabian GP. It means he is already playing catch up to drivers’ championship leader Charles Leclerc who is 46 points ahead of the Dutchman.

But Horner is confident both Verstappen and the team will respond in a positive manner at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - which includes the first sprint race of 2022.

Speaking to GP Fans, he said: “He was obviously frustrated when he initially got out of the car [in Melbourne], but he knows that we’re all in it together as a team and we’ll bounce back.

“I am sure he will be coming back strong in Imola.”

More from the Red Bull team boss this morning:

Lewis Hamilton remains hopeful Mercedes can challenge for the drivers’ championship this season despite a difficult start to 2022.

The reigning constructors champions have been playing catch up behind pace setters Ferrari and Red Bull in the opening three races.

And while Red Bull’s reliability issues have left George Russell a surprising second in the standings, many feel Mercedes do not have the car to compete for the title.

However, Hamilton is still optimistic that they can improve and begin to fight for victories as the season progresses.

Speaking to GP Fans, the seven-time world champion said: “I prefer to stay optimistic. There are 20 races to go.

“If you think realistically in terms of the way the sport goes in terms of development, the top teams often develop at a similar pace. Will that be the case with this new car? Who knows.”

More from the seven-time champion here:

Formula 1’s introduction of the sprint races were a new innovation brought in at the start of the 2021 season.

A handful of races were given the go-ahead so that qualifying would take place on the Friday rather than the Saturday.

The sprint race would then replace qualifying on the Saturday, before the race took place as usual on the Sunday.

Last season the sprint races were at the British Grand Prix, the Italian Grand Prix, and the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Here is all you need to know about the sprint races for 202: