F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Mazepin hit with penalty point for impeding Perez

Nikita Mazepin collected his first penalty point in Sunday's Portuguese GP, a sanction handed to the Russian driver for holding up race leader Sergio Perez.

The Red Bull charger barreled down on the Haas which had just exited the pits and caught up with it on the approach to Turn 3, at which point Mazepin -  ignorant of the blue flags - moved over and slammed the door on Perez.

The Mexican locked up and narrowly collected the Haas, branding its driver "an idiot" over the radio.

Mazepin was also hit with a five-second time penalty that had no bearing on his race as he finished last, over a minute behind 18th placed man Nicholas Latifi.

The stewards noted that the Haas pitwall had warned Mazepin quite late of Perez's approach.

"Car nine [Mazepin] had just departed the pits with car 11 [Perez] approaching down the main straight," read the stewards' report.

"Car nine turned into the apex of turn three while car 11 was attempting to overtake on the inside at the entrance to the corner. Car 11 was forced to abandon the pass and lock up to avoid a collision.

"While not mitigating the breach of the regulations, the stewards note that Car nine did not have a radio warning in time to react."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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