- Turn 10 to substantially update Forza Motorsport after game spends three months getting arse kicked on Steam Rock Paper Shotgun
- Forza Motorsport Players Frustrated With Lacklustre Developer Statement Addressing the Game’s Issues IGN
- Turn 10 promises big changes to address ‘top three’ Forza Motorsport complaints: rides, rules, and racers PC Gamer
- Forza Motorsport pledges AI, progression, and race regulation improvements in “coming months” Eurogamer.net
- Turn 10 addresses complaints about Forza Motorsport progression, AI and race regulations | VGC Video Games Chronicle
Tag Archives: Motorsport
Forza Motorsport Cover Revealed, More Info to Come in June Showcase & Monthly Shows – GTPlanet
- Forza Motorsport Cover Revealed, More Info to Come in June Showcase & Monthly Shows GTPlanet
- Turn 10 details Forza Motorsport’s double showcase airing in June Eurogamer.net
- [VIDEO] 2024 Corvette E-Ray to be Featured on the Cover of Forza Motorsport – Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle Corvette Blogger
- Turn 10 reveals Forza Motorsport cover art and gameplay showcase plans | VGC Video Games Chronicle
- Forza Motorsport Cover Cars Confirmed, Career Mode Gameplay to be Shown in June | XboxAchievements.com XboxAchievements
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Hoonigan Teases Its All-Electric Electrikhana Film Along With Its Hoonitron Deep Dive
If you’re into cars, you probably like Ken Block’s Gymkhana videos, where he takes some utterly bananas automobile and skids it through a bunch of weird obstacles in clouds of tire smoke and glory with its vastly overpowered engine howling. But, like, what if there was no engine?
Yep, that’s right. Ol’ DC Shoe Co. himself decided it was time to bail on blowers, cut out combustion, trash turbos and shift away from transmissions for his next video and go electric. To that end, the next Ken Block video will be called Electrikhana, and it’s set to premiere on the Hoonigan YouTube channel on October 25 at 6 a.m. Pacific, but we’ve got a little teaser for you to tide you over until then.
Now, while no insane Roush-Yates NASCAR V8 is powering this ‘khana, the car is no less cool. It’s called the S1 Hoonitron, and not only does it look an awful lot like the famous Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 Pikes Peak racer of the 1980s (which we can all agree is a good thing, I think), but it has a 1,400-hp 800-volt electric drivetrain.
If you want all the details on this multi-million dollar, totally bespoke, doesn’t share a platform with anything, Formula E-powered not-a-racecar, this Hoonigan almost-40-minute long explainer video breaks it down in crazy detail.
This looks like it could be the wildest video that Ken Block and the Hoonigans have ever done, and we’re super stoked to waste a whole morning watching and re-watching it next week.
Zhou Guanyu: Formula One driver says halo device ‘saved me’ during high-speed crash
Zhou was one of several drivers involved in the turn one crash, which resulted in his Alfa Romeo flipping over and skidding across the track and onto the gravel, before smashing into the fencing.
The halo, which is made from titanium, forms protection around the cockpit and was introduced in 2018. Although it was initially met with some criticism from drivers, several drivers have since credited the halo for preventing serious injuries.
“I’m ok, all clear,” Zhou tweeted later on Sunday, along with a selfie. “Halo saved me today. Thanks everyone for your kind messages!”
Zhou’s car ended up wedged between the tire barrier and catch fencing, which is there to protect fans. The awkward nature of the car’s placement meant it took some time to extract him.
Mercedes’ George Russell, who made contact with Zhou during the collision, immediately got out of his car once it had come to a stop and ran over to check on Zhou.
The rookie, who is the first Chinese driver in F1, was eventually pictured being stretchered away by emergency medical personnel and was later given the all clear after being assessed at the medical center.
Williams driver Alex Albon was also involved in the crash and was flown to a local hospital for checks. He was later given the all clear, his team confirmed on Twitter.
The race was red flagged and suspended until Zhou’s car had been removed. As the cars were returning to the pits, members of an environmental group made their way onto the track and sat down in protest, though fortunately the racing had stopped.
Once racing restarted, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz secured victory for his first win in F1, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez second and home favorite Lewis Hamilton in third.
Leaked images claim to show Forza Motorsport 8 running on Xbox One
Images claiming to show the next Forza (Series) [71 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/games/forza-series/”>Forza Motorsport game running on the last-gen Xbox One [3,973 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/platforms/xbox/xb1/”>Xbox One console have appeared online.
The images were posted on the Subreddit r/gamingleaksandrumours on Saturday, and reportedly verified by the site’s moderators as legitimate.
So far, the next Forza Motorsport has only been announced for Xbox Game Studios (Microsoft) [1,977 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/microsoft/”>Microsoft’s next-gen consoles Xbox Series X | S [2,478 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/platforms/xbox/seriesxs/”>Xbox Series S and X, although most of its first-party games to date have been cross-gen console and PC [5,285 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/platforms/pc/”>PC titles.
If authentic, it’s possible the images originated from one of the closed tests developer Turn 10 Studios [25 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/microsoft/turn-10-studios/”>Turn 10 has held for the racing instalment. It’s possible the last-gen version may have been included only as part of this testing, since Turn 10 claimed it was only providing “parts” of the new game.
It would be surprising if a cross-gen version was planned, considering Turn 10’s previous claims that its next game would deliver “a huge generational leap” for the racing series.
Creative director Chris Esaki claimed last summer that the playtests Turn 10 had held gave players a feel for how the studio had gone about “revamping and deepening” the franchise’s physics and core gameplay.
“To put the physics work into perspective for everyone, the changes we’ve made from Forza Motorsport 7 [38 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/games/forza-series/forza-motorsport-7/”>Forza Motorsport 7 till now is more than the changes that we’ve made from Motorsport 4 through 7, so it’s basically a huge generational leap coming to the game,” he said.
According to Esaki, In every past Forza Motorsport game the tyre collision model had a single point of contact with the track surface and refreshed at about 60 cycles per second, or 60Hz. The new model has eight points of contact with the track surface and runs at 360 cycles per second, or 360Hz.
Forza Motorsport – Official Announce Trailer
“So if you’re doing the math there, it’s a 48x fidelity jump in a single tyre collision itself so there’s just a huge amount of work there that has just really paid off for us,” Esaki said.
Forza Motorsport for Xbox Series X was announced in summer 2020 and described as “a reimagining” of the series. At the time, Turn 10 creative director Dan Greenawalt [10 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/people/dan-greenawalt/”>Dan Greenawalt told Xbox.com that the game was in early development.
Forza Motorsport 8 First Look Leak Has Divided Fans
A new Forza Motorsport game — tentatively dubbed Forza Motorsport 8 — was announced back on July 23, 2020 for Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PC. At the time, the game was announced alongside a reveal trailer featuring in-engine footage or, in other words, footage that’s not representative of what the actual game will look like. In-engine trailers aren’t CGI trailers, but they always look better than the finished product. In other words, the trailer didn’t have any gameplay.
It’s been nearly two years since the game’s reveal and since then it’s been media and information blackout. The game has yet to resurface, leaving many fans wondering what going’s on with it. At the time of the announcement, the game was said to be in the early stages of development, but fans didn’t take this to mean it was going to be a couple of years and counting before they got to see the title again.
Right now, Xbox and developer Turn 10 Studios still aren’t talking about the game, but a new leak has surfaced online revealing not only our first look at the actual game, but revealing that it may actually be a cross-gen release. The leak comes the way of Reddit and is accompanied by media that is said to be showing the game running on Xbox One last summer. There’s no room to doubt the validity of the images. They pass the sniff test and then some, but there’s no evidence the images are pulled from an Xbox One version of the game other than the leaker’s claims. That said, if the leaker has access to these images then it’s safe to assume the complimentary details are accurate as well.
So, why are fans divided over the leak? Well, because it claims and seemingly reveals the game is cross-gen after the title was previously announced as next-gen and PC only. Why is this a problem? Well, for some — especially those on Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and high-end PCs — the worry is the game being on Xbox One will limit the potential of the game as it will have to be made within the confines of the Xbox One’s old tech. And this is a reasonable worry, but not very applicable to Forza Motorsport. From a design perspective, where the limitations would be a problem, Forza Motorsport is the same game no matter what platform it’s running on. The evolution is purely technical. When you’re looking forward to a new Forza Motorsport game, you’re looking forward to an increase in graphical fidelity and performance, mainly. The game being cross-gen won’t limit the title in this regard because Turn 10 Studios can simply scale the game depending on what platform it is on.
All of that said, take everything here with a grain of salt. While the leak above is seemingly credible, it’s not official. So far, neither implicated party has addressed the leak and its implications. If this changes, we will update the story accordingly.
Dakar Rally: France begins terrorism probe into blast in Saudi Arabia
The blast hit a support vehicle belonging to the French team Sodicars soon after it left its Jeddah hotel for the race route, injuring driver Philippe Boutron, Reuters reported, citing accounts from the team and race organizers.
A spokesperson for France’s national anti-terror prosecutor’s office confirmed to CNN that they have opened an investigation into an attempted assassination “related to a terrorist enterprise.”
The French Ministry for Foreign Affairs said that the car’s French driver was “seriously injured,” while the five passengers, also French, were “unharmed.”
Sodicars said that the driver was repatriated Monday to the Percy Military Hospital in Clamart.
“He was immediately taken care of by medical teams, and is in the hands of experts, accompanied by his family. His legs were smashed up by the explosion and he was placed in an artificial coma in order to alleviate his suffering,” Sodicars said in a statement released Tuesday.
Benoit Boutron, sports journalist and son of the wounded driver, told French radio station RMC that his father is out of the coma.
“It’s quite serious what happened, he’s terribly wounded. The info that I can give you is that he’s out of the coma, so that’s already a first step, and with this type of accident, you’ve got to take things step by step.
“He’s indeed seriously wounded in both legs, and we’ll know more in ten days or so. There you go, we’ve got to stay cautious at this point.”
Meanwhile, the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs issued a statement warning that “the terrorist threat persists in Saudi Arabia. It is advisable to exercise maximum vigilance in daily life, especially when traveling.
“An investigation by the Saudi authorities is underway to determine the cause of the explosion. The hypothesis of a criminal act is not ruled out,” the ministry said in a statement on January 1.
CNN has contacted Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media for comment.
The Dakar Rally was held in Europe and Africa from 1979 to 2007 but was moved to South America and then the Middle East in 2020 after the 2008 event was canceled following security concerns.
There are traditionally five major vehicle categories in the Dakar Rally: cars, motorbikes, trucks, UTVs and quad bikes.
“Something wasn’t right”
Mayeul Barbet, a colleague of Boutron who was in the car at the time of the incident, told French radio station RMC the team left the hotel as normal to prepare the car.
“We drove 500 meters and then ‘boom’ an explosion. There you go, we don’t know what’s happening, a big explosion.”
“After the explosion, I was stuck to the roof of the car, so that’s not normal … in a car accident, we’re thrown forward, but here I was thrown to the ceiling in fact. So I knew in my head that something wasn’t right,” he said. ”There was quite a confused atmosphere in the car, with airbags deploying… so we get quickly out of the car. But before we get out, Philippe said something to me, he said, ‘Mayeul, you’ve got to get me out.’ So there, I understand that he’s wounded.”
Barbet, who helped Boutron out of the car, said: “I saw that his legs were really hurt, I initially decided to leave him in the car so as not to move him.
“We did a first tourniquet, so that he wouldn’t bleed a lot, and in fact, the car started to catch on fire. So then we decide to get him out, to put him in safety and take care of him.”
Barbet said that when the car’s passengers got out of the car, they assumed they had been in an accident and looked for another vehicle, but realized “there’s nothing around us. We’re alone in the middle of this road.”
The motorsport games we’re most looking forward to in 2022 · RaceFans
When it comes to the world of virtual motorsport, 2022 is shaping up to be a truly standout year.
From the usual slate of officially licensed titles for Formula 1, Moto GP, WRC as we see every year, to the return of some blockbuster racing game franchises and even brand new titles to anticipate, the pickings are rich whether you’re a casual with a controller or a hardcore simracer with a full rig setup.
Here are the biggest confirmed releases, the games you can expect to learn more about this year and the upcoming updates to already released games that most deserve your attention.
Assetto Corsa Competizione (PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
![Assetto Corsa Competizione - PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S Announcement Trailer [ESRB]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EWWhiIUg6gU/hqdefault.jpg)
Kunos Simulazioni – Release: February 24
When Kunos ported their highly-acclaimed GT3 simulator Assetto Corsa Competizione to previous-gen consoles in 2020, it was a very welcome move to see the large audience of gamers on consoles who enjoy more serious racing games recognised.
However, the initial release of ACC on PS4 and Xbox One showed how tough it was for those machines to process the heavy physics calculations and provide smooth visual feedback at the same time. Thankfully, the game was patched on current-gen consoles to improve Competizione’s framerate to 60fps – the minimum for any serious simracer.
Now, late next month, ACC is getting a full, native re-release on current-gen consoles that will fully unlock the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X consoles. With a solid 60fps at 4K resolution, free 2021 GT World Challenge liveries and private multiplayer lobbies, this will be ACC as it’s meant to be played.
Best of all, Kunos and publisher 505 Games will allow anyone who owns the previous-gen version of the game to upgrade to the native current-gen version for free. And that is more generous than many much larger publishers are willing to be over a year into these consoles’ life-cycles.
If you’ve ever wanted to try out a true racing sim but don’t have the budget to go the PC route, this may be the best opportunity you’ll have all year.
GRID Legends (PS4/5, Xbox One/Series S/X, Steam, Origin)
Codemasters/EA – Release: February 25
Given how the original Grid found its way into the arcade cabinets of the world, it’s no surprise that the series has remained very much on the casual, arcade side of the racing game spectrum.
While there’s definitely room for a motorsport game that puts action over authenticity, the 2019 reboot of GRID, although perfectly competent, lacked that special something to keep players engaged beyond some shallow racing thrills.
The newest entry in the series – Grid Legends – attempts to provide that missing immersion by become the latest in a long line of racing games to adopt a story mode. Through a combination of high-octane gameplay and live-action, ‘Drive to Survive’ inspired cutscenes using real actors, Codemasters aim to bring their own vision of how motorsport could be to life.
RaceFans tested a preview version of the game at the end of last year and was pleased to find its reputation for delivering immediate, pick-up-and-play racing thrills remains intact. Tackling a high-speed street course in a tiny single-seater, zipping around the outside of towering truck cabs is surely a unique challenge in motorsport gaming.
Gran Turismo 7 (PS4/5)
Polyphony Digital – Release: March 4
PlayStation’s most successful and famous racing game franchise returns with its first numbered entry for almost a full decade when it releases on March 4 this year.
While GT Sport has kept fans of Kazunori Yamauchi’s iconic series satisfied for a good number of years, GT7 will see a full return to the classic formula of buying second-hand cars, winning races with them, souping them up with a plethora of tuning options and earning credits to buy better cars.
With the advantage of the PS5, expect truly stunning visuals with eye-watering attention to detail and minimal load times. The full livery editor from GT Sport returns, as do a number of classic original circuits from Gran Turismo’s storied history – such as High Speed Ring, Trial Mountain and Deep Forest Raceway.
If you haven’t been able to get a hold of a current-gen console yet, you will still be able to enjoy this highly-anticipated release if you own a PS4.
F1 2022 (TBC)
Codemasters/EA – Release: TBC
Codemasters’ F1 series has grown over the last decade to become one of the biggest annual sports games of any variety, earning nominations for ‘Best Sports/Racing Game’ at The Game Awards the last two years.
The franchise’s move to current-gen consoles last year was not its best outing, however, with tracks that were patched in later and netcode problems that led to frustrations among competitive players.
While the series has always been solid, players will be expecting a lot from the 2022 edition to refresh or shake up the officially-licensed F1 title to avoid the real risk of becoming stale. But that could well be the case this year as it will be the first entry that has been developed under the ownership of EA.
There are many reasons for players to be cautious about EA’s influence over the franchise, given how increasingly unhappy players have become in recent years with their FIFA, Madden and NHL series of games. But with the publishing giant having said they would take a hands-off approach to Codemasters, fans may well find that the series could benefit greatly from a boost of budget.
We await to hear what plans the two companies have in store for this year’s F1 game with much anticipation.
Untitled BTCC game (TBC)
Motorsport Games – Release:TBC
It’s hard to believe it has been almost 20 years since the last time an officially licensed game of the British Touring Car Championship was released.
But while the original TOCA Touring Cars series on the PlayStation was remembered fondly by many, we haven’t seen the BTCC series emulated in a game since that time.
That is until Motorsport Games announced they would be making a dedicated game based on the popular British racing series, scheduled for release in 2022. Little is known about the game, other than Motorsport Games president Stephen Hood – formerly of Codemasters – outlining how his team want to include an “in-depth” career mode to the new title where players can “build their own team”.
There’s a lot that this game will have to live up to to satisfy the high expectations of players across the world and there’s plenty of reason for caution, but hopefully we will learn more information about the first BTCC game in so long later this year.
iRacing (PC)
The name most synonymous with simracing, iRacing continues to develop and add content to its subscription based platform.
The most recent update in December added last year’s Mercedes W12 that claimed the constructors’ championship, with the great Scottish circuit Knockhill added to the platform’s extensive selection of tracks, while Watkins Glen received a full re-scan.
With features and content continuously being added, it will be interesting to see what racers will get the opportunity to enjoy throughout 2022.
‘F1 Manager 2022’ (PC & console)
Frontier Developments – Release date TBA
The final game we’re looking forward to learning more about in 2022 is one that was announced almost two years ago. One that will not emulate the thrills of sitting in the cockpit, but the pitwall instead.
There is little known about the upcoming F1 Manager game series beyond what was shared when the game was first announced back in March 2020.
The series is being developed by the British studio Frontier Developments – most notable for the immersive space sim Elite Dangerous and Planet Coaster. And given that Frontier successfully created a virtual 1:1 scale simulation of the Milky Way galaxy, they should be able to manage 23 circuits, 20 drivers and ten teams.
The game is coming to both consoles and PC, with a multi-year deal seeing a new game over each of the next four seasons. The first game is scheduled to be released this upcoming financial year, so expect to learn more about this new franchise once the actual F1 season is well underway.
While there is a rich history of F1 management sims stretching back to the MS-DOS days, it has been decades since the last officially licensed one. Hopefully, fans will enjoy a new experience that only PlaySport Games’ Motorsport Manager has come close to providing in recent years.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Gaming
Browse all Gaming articles
Mercedes withdraws its appeal into chaotic F1 finale
Speaking to CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies on Wednesday, Verstappen said he was looking forward to the moment his title victory begins to sink in.
“I think especially once you sign off a bit from the season you have a little time to relax so it will be even better,” he said.
“It’s been way more intense than I could ever imagined, with the pressure on the whole year but also the way the last race panned out.
“I think if you would have told me the night before, I probably wouldn’t have slept so yeah, really really crazy.”
Verstappen explained how, whilst the crowds were going crazy during a chaotic last lap, he tried to remain focused and was battling with cramp in his leg which made going full throttle a challenge.
He said watching the race back was an intense experience.
“The first few times it was quite emotional looking back, just the realization that you won the championship,” he said.
“Especially in that way, last lap, everything just came together, it was really intense.”
READ: Why was this weekend’s F1 title so controversial?
Lewis Hamilton had been on course to win a record-breaking eighth world title until Verstappen took advantage of a late safety car to overtake the Mercedes driver on the final lap and clinch his maiden crown.
Race director Michael Masi’s decision to allow racing on the last lap infuriated Mercedes, which lodged two protests on Sunday night which, after hours of talks, were rejected by officials.
The team had said it intended to appeal the decision but announced Thursday that it had decided against it.
“We have always been guided by our love of this sport and we believe that every competition should be won on merit,” Mercedes wrote in a statement on Thursday.
“In the race on Sunday many felt, us included, that the way things unfolded was not right.”
‘We congratulate you and your entire team’
It added: “We appealed in the interest of sporting fairness, and we have since been in a constructive dialogue with the FIA and Formula 1 to create clarity for the future, so that all competitors know the rules under which they are racing, and how they will be enforced.
“Thus, we welcome the decision by the FIA to install a commission to thoroughly analyse what happened in Abu Dhabi and to improve the robustness of rules, governance and decision making in Formula 1. We also welcome that they have invited the teams and drivers to take part.
“We will hold the FIA accountable for this process and we hereby withdraw our appeal.”
Despite his dramatic defeat, which saw a record-breaking achievement snatched away from him at the final moment, Hamilton had been sporting after the race and congratulated Verstappen on victory.
His Mercedes team had been markedly more quiet but praised the Dutchman and his team in Thursday’s statement.
The two teams had been at war for most of the year in one of the most competitive seasons in F1 history.
“To Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing: we would like to express our sincere respect for your achievements this season,” the statement continued.
“You made this Formula 1 Championship title fight truly epic. Max, we congratulate you and your entire team. We look forward to taking the fight to you on the track next season.”
While a world title slipped out of his hands, Hamilton celebrated being knighted on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old Brit was named in the New Year Honours list in December 2020, and received a knighthood from the Prince of Wales for his services to motorsport in an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
Published twice a year, the honors list recognizes those who have accomplished excellence in a spectrum of pursuits, including both celebrities and non-famous faces.
“Lewis, you are the greatest racer in the history of Formula 1 and you drove your heart out for every lap of this incredible season,” Mercedes said.
“You’re a flawless sportsman on and off the track and you delivered a faultless performance.
“As a pure competitor and as a role model for millions around the world, we salute you.”
F1 will now take a break before drivers return to the track next year for what promises to be a fascinating season.
Max Verstappen wins maiden F1 world title after dramatic Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ending
This season had been heralded as one of the greatest in the sport’s history and the title race went down to one of the most “insane” final laps possible.
Hamilton had all but won his record-breaking eighth world title until Williams Racing driver Nicholas Latifi crashed into the barriers with four laps remaining, resulting in the safety car being called out.
It meant the race restarted on the final lap, with Verstappen allowed to start almost side-by-side Hamilton, despite the Brit having established a healthy lead.
The Dutchman, on new tires, had the pace to overtake his rival and win one of the most dramatic F1 races ever.
“It’s insane. I don’t know what to say. I’m so pleased for the team and for all these guys. I love working with them so much,” an emotional and slightly stunned Verstappen said after the race.
“Finally, today, I had a bit of luck. My team know I love them and I want to do this with them for the next 10 or 15 years!”
The victory means Verstappen prevented Hamilton from surpassing the record he still shares with racing legend Michael Schumacher.
Mercedes later confirmed it had lodged a formal protest at the end of the race.
A race like no other
The two titanic rivals arrived at the Yas Marina Circuit level on points, setting up the perfect end to a title race which came down to the very final moments.
The Dutchman took the early advantage by qualifying in pole position after a magical qualifying lap on Saturday, a drive that will be remembered for quite some time.
But it was Hamilton who started the race better from second, overtaking Verstappen before the first corner and dominating the majority of the Grand Prix with the Mercedes pace.
There was controversy, as there has been throughout the season, with Red Bull adamant that Hamilton should have given his first place back to Verstappen after the Mercedes man went off the track following contact with his rival.
Stewards, however, decided not to investigate the incident and allowed Hamilton to proceed in first.
Red Bull then resorted to its Plan B, with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez expertly holding up Hamilton after the Mercedes driver emerged from the pit lane in second.
The Brit finally found a way past the Red Bull but not until he had Verstappen back on his heels.
But Hamilton looked to have done enough, building up a double-digit second lead, and was cruising to victory before the mayhem of the final lap.
With the win, Verstappen finished the season on 395.5 points, while Hamilton finished second on 387.5.
Mercedes furious
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was left visibly furious after stewards allowed the race to finish with such drama, but Hamilton was sporting in defeat.
“Firstly, congratulations to Max and his team. I think we did an amazing job this year. The team, everyone back at the factory, all the men and women we have, worked so hard all year in a difficult season,” he said after the race.
“I am so proud of them, and so grateful to be part of the journey with them. We gave it everything this last part of the season and never gave up, that’s the most important thing.
“Of course, I have felt great in the car this past couple of months, particularly at the end. I hope everyone stays safe in the pandemic and has good Christmas during this time and we’ll see about next year.”
Meanwhile, amid the controversy, Mercedes claimed an eighth consecutive constructors’ championship but that will be little consolation to those involved.