F1 news LIVE: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell warned Mercedes struggles will continue at Azerbaijan GP

LIVE – Updated at 14:07

F1 is looking ahead to this weekend’s the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with more intrigue than ever surrounding the 2022 season.

Daniel Ricciardo has responding to blunt criticism from his McLaren boss Zak Brown who hinted that the Australian driver’s contract could be terminated at the end of the season should he fail to turn around his struggling form. “The reality is I’ve not forgotten how to drive in six months, I haven’t lost my competitive edge,” he told Crash. “It’s just kind of a moment in time that I knew I could come out of. You are always going to get people saying this and that. It is what it is, it’s up to me in the car to prove them wrong.”

Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton has moved to shut down any talk of him retiring from F1, which has emerged on the back of Mercedes’ struggles and the fact that teammate George Russell is currently outperforming him. “Why should I stop?” Hamilton told Corriere della Ser. “Let’s take this season: I probably won’t win the title, but I feel the same pleasure of competing as when I started. Maybe one day I won’t be able to take the pressure anymore, I’ll be tired, but that day hasn’t come yet.”

Follow all the latest news, rumours and build-up to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix:

Max Verstappen was denied a place by Sergio Perez’s crash in qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix, according to the world champion’s father.

Jos Verstappen has criticised Red Bull for their tactics in Sunday’s race, claiming they ‘threw away points’ for his son.

While he also maintains his son would have finished higher up than fourth on the grid had qualifying not been prematurely ended.

“Perez actually won the race because of the earlier pit stop,” Verstappen Sr. said in his column.

“The team can