F1 news LIVE: Sebastian Vettel out of Bahrain Grand Prix as Max Verstappen says F1 ‘does not need to heal’

Christian Horner has accused Mercedes of using a “concerted campaign” in an attempt to “discredit” the achievement of Max Verstappen after the Dutchman claimed his maiden Formula 1 world title.

Verstappen pipped Lewis Hamilton to race and overall victory at the season ending 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix under controversial circumstances.

After a period behind the safety car, Verstappen was able to launch a Drivers’ Championship-winning move on the final lap of the season after a contentious ruling from race director Michael Masi.

The Dutchman overtook Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the 2021 season to secure his first Drivers’ Championship crown.

However teams were forced to overhaul the design of their cars during the offseason with significant regulation changes.

Afforded a first chance on track in Red Bull’s RB18 car for 2022 in two rounds of preseason testing in Barcelona and Bahrain, Verstappen was pleased with how the car felt.

We have spoken to Red Bull’s Sergio Perez ahead of the new season starting this weekend.

The Mexican driver discusses the difficulty of moving to Oxford at 17, his role in Max Verstappen’s maiden world title, and why he can play more than second-fiddle at Red Bull this season.

Check it out below:

Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto has insisted that his team remain Formula 1 “outsiders” despite a strong showing in preseason testing.

The Italian manufacturer showed impressive speed and consistency across six days of preparation in Barcelona and Bahrain.

That has led some, including Mercedes, to suggest that they could be contenders to win a world title for the first time in 15 years.

Hamilton was controversially denied a record eighth Drivers’ Championship on the final lap of the 2021 F1 season, with Max Verstappen producing a race and title winning overtake after a contentious restart process after a period behind a safety car.

They were circumstances that left the beaten Mercedes driver “disillusioned” with the sport, with the 37-year-old silent publicly and on social media for several months as he supposedly considered his future.

Haas boss Guenther Steiner has confirmed that he did not speak to Nikita Mazepin when sacking the Russian, informing the driver that his contract had been ended in writing only.

The Formula 1 team announced that Mazepin would no longer be part of the team on 5 March after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The 23-year-old has since claimed that he only found out at the same time that Haas released their statement to the press.

The American manufacturer has also ended their partnership with sponsors Uralkali, who are part-owned by Mazepin’s father.

Team principal Steiner has now admitted that he is “sorry” for the circumstances that dictated the termination of his driver’s contract, but suggested that there was no other way forward.

Russian driver Nikita Mazepin claims he only discovered he had been dropped by Haas when the Formula One team released the press release of their decision to terminate his contract.

Uralkali are owned by Mazepin’s father Dmitry, who is an associate of Vladimir Putin, and the company criticised Haas for making their decision based on “geopolitical reasons” in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We met at the Christmas party in my home in Oxfordshire that December, reluctantly,” Toto Wolff told the Times. “I said we need to decide whether we want to work together or not. ‘You want to win as a driver, I want to win as a team’.

“Sometimes our different agendas are going to lead to conflict and we need to decide whether we can cope with that situation. We were in my kitchen. I said to him, and Susie didn’t much like this analogy, that even though Susie and I might disagree about something, it would never come into my mind to divorce.

“‘And it’s the same with you Lewis,’ I said. ‘I don’t want a divorce. You’re the best driver. I want you in our car and we want to provide you with the best car.’ We kind of went into this discussion at loggerheads and then, after four or five hours in the kitchen, we found ourselves on a totally different level.

“A purely business related relationship had become a personal relationship. He’s a friend. Doesn’t mean we don’t argue anymore but now, Lewis’s success is the team’s success, and the team’s success is Lewis’s success.”

Lewis Hamilton fears he will not be in contention to battle for a record-breaking eighth world championship.

Just one week out from the season-opening race in Bahrain, a downbeat Hamilton said Mercedes are behind Max Verstappen’s Red Bull team and Ferrari in the pecking order.

The 37-year-old was speaking just moments after his final action in testing before next Sunday’s curtain-raiser.

Mercedes have the best driver pairing ahead of the 2022 season, Martin Brundle has said, and has backed George Russell to challenge Lewis Hamilton on his first season with the team.

Russell has made the step up from Williams to join Hamilton at Mercedes and Brundle believes he will be able to hit the ground running as he is “talented” enough to live with Hamilton’s pace and work ethic.

“George can challenge Lewis this season,” Brundle told Sky Sports. “Watching the decision and patience you need to drive the cars – that’s going to be a key factor – George has got all the feel and touch and maturity he needs to make these cars sing.

“In my mind, Mercedes have the strongest driver pairing. George knows the team, he’s going home effectively, he knows what he’s stepping into. He will find Lewis’ relentless season-long, race-by-race, day-by-day, hour-by-hour commitment potentially soul-destroying, but I think he’s confident and talented enough to live with it.

“I see George as a fully-fledged Mercedes works driver from lap one on Friday in Bahrain.”