Piastri leads Imola FP1, Drivers endorse Sainz Sr. for FIA president, and other big updates

Piastri tops tight Imola FP1

Oscar Piastri set the fastest time of 1:16.545, just 0.028 seconds ahead of his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, in a close session where most drivers were within one second. Piastri took the lead halfway through, pushing George Russell down, and Norris came close but didn’t pass him. Carlos Sainz was third, Max Verstappen had problems with his car and finished seventh, and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto crashed at the end, which stopped the session early. Franco Colapinto, back with Alpine, went off track and finished 17th, ahead of only the two Haas drivers and Isack Hadjar.

Click here to read the full article by Phillip Horton (motorsportweek.com)

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Drivers endorse Sainz Sr. for FIA president

Carlos Sainz Sr, the father of F1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr, may run for FIA president later this year, possibly against current president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. After the news came out, Sainz Jr was asked so many questions at Imola that his team had to change the topic. Drivers like George Russell and Max Verstappen said Sainz Sr would be a great choice and were not worried about any conflict with his son still in F1. Sainz Jr said the idea came from others in the paddock, and both he and his father would make sure to stay fair and avoid any problems if he runs.

Click here to read the full article by Josh Suttill & Jon Noble (the-race.com)

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Anthony Hamilton set for official role with FIA

Anthony Hamilton, the father of Lewis Hamilton, will take an official job with the FIA to help with young driver development. He spent 18 months with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on the project, and the role will be announced in June at a conference in Macau. Ben Sulayem faces criticism and a tough re-election after several problems during his time as president. Even though his father has a new role at the FIA, Lewis Hamilton has clearly said he doesn’t support Ben Sulayem and thinks the FIA is a mess.

Click here to read the full article by Andrew Benson (bbc.com)

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Inside the IndyCar life

Is IndyCar faster than F1? Is it more dangerous? And what does it feel like to win the Indy 500? Kym Illman sits down with Pato O'Ward and Marcus Ericsson to talk all about IndyCar vs F1. Marcus shares how winning the Indy 500 changed his career, while Pato talks about his tough Indy 500 crash and what it takes to recover.

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The call that changed everything

Have you ever thought about how F1 drivers found out they made it to the grid? F1 spoke with the drivers to hear about their journey—how they found out they were becoming F1 drivers, what they felt in that moment, and what they remember from their first race. For many, it was a big surprise. But Carlos Sainz may have been the only one who saw it coming. Click here to watch the video.