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Piastri stays ahead in second Emilia Romagna GP practice.
Oscar Piastri remained on top of the pack during second practice for Formula 1’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, once more narrowly beating McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.
17 May 2025
Phillip Horton
Speedcafe
Piastri, who leads the championship by 16 points, posted a time of 1:15.293s in warm and sunny conditions at Imola to best Norris by just 0.025s. Both McLaren drivers went for a second run on the softest tyre compound – which for this weekend is Pirelli’s new C6 – but neither unearthed gains.
Norris, having been on course to demote Piastri, made a mistake through the final corner and abandoned his effort, while Piastri was slower all-round. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly surprisingly emerged as the fastest non-McLaren driver, putting his A525 into third position, just over a quarter of a second behind Piastri.
George Russell was fourth overall for Mercedes, though team-mate Kimi Antonelli had a more subdued day on home soil, finishing only 18th after erring into the Gresini chicane and taking to the grassy run-off. Max Verstappen was again unhappy with the rear of Red Bull’s RB21 en route to fifth spot, four-tenths of a second behind Piastri at a venue where he has claimed victory on Formula 1’s last three visits.
‘Piastri stays ahead’;
https://speedcafe.com/piastri-stays-...a-gp-practice/
F1 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix – FP2 Results
16 May 2025
Ryan Smart
Motorsport Week
Position Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:15.293 28
2 Lando Norris McLaren 1:15.318 0.025 25
3 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:15.569 0.276 29
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:15.693 0.400 23
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:15.735 0.442 26
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:15.768 0.475 28
7 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:15.792 0.499 22
8 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull 1:15.827 0.534 29
9 Alex Albon Williams 1:15.916 0.623 29
10 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:15.934 0.641 29
‘FP2 Results’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...x-fp2-results/
Oscar Piastri makes telling comment about Lando Norris as F1 title battle heats up at Emilia Romagna GP
Piastri leads the Drivers' Championship ahead of McLaren team-mate Norris after seven Grands Prix.
16 May 2025
Ryan Smart
SPORTbible
Ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which takes place at the Imola Circuit in Italy, Piastri aimed a subtle dig at his team-mate. "I think Lando and I both have a chance to win the world championship this year," Piastri said. "We want the world champion to be whoever deserves it the most.”
"Of course, if we have competition from outside McLaren then maybe we'll look to do some things later in the year. But I think for now, clearly the battle is Lando and I. And we want the best person to win every weekend. At the moment, that's what happening."
‘Telling comment’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/oscar-...47756-20250516
Emilia-Romagna GP: Piastri edges out Norris in FP2 as Hamilton slams ‘damn brakes’
16 May 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Lewis Hamilton, racing in Italy for the first time as a Ferrari driver this weekend, caught a wayward moment at Tamburello on his first flying lap of the session. Hamilton’s struggles to control the Ferrari continued as he dipped a wheel into the gravel on the exit of the Variante Alta chicane. Hamilton’s adventures continued as he came across a slow-moving Sauber and Red Bull in quick succession in the middle sector, raising a hand in frustration, before once again coming close to the gravel on the exit of the final corner.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso was forced to take avoiding action on the entry to Tamburello where the Alpine of Franco Colapinto, making his first appearance since the 2024 season finale on Abu Dhabi, was moving slowly. “I nearly crashed,” Alonso told Aston Martin over team radio.
“These damn brakes, mate. These brakes are a problem,” Hamilton remarked as his woes continued, meanwhile, with the Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli cutting the track at Variante Alta. Hamilton has struggled to adapt to Brembo brakes since his move to Ferrari over the winter, having become accustomed to using Carbon Industrie braking materials during his 12 years with the Mercedes team.
“These damn brakes, mate. These brakes are a problem”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/emilia...025-fp2-report
F1 Emilia Romagna GP 2025 – Free Practice 2 Results
Oscar Piastri was top of the timesheets in Imola once again as he went fastest in FP2
16 May 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
McLaren and Oscar Piastri did it again at Imola as the Australian was top of the Emilia Romagna GP 2025 Free Practice 2 results, just ahead of teammate Lando Norris with Pierre Gasly in the Alpine third fastest in the second practice session of the F1 weekend.
The Australian clocked a best time of 1:15.293, edging out Lando Norris by just 0.025s as the pair proved untouchable in both sessions. It marked a statement of intent from the British team as Formula 1 returned to Europe for Round 7 of the 2025 season, with Pirelli’s debut of the ultra-soft C6 compound creating new grip opportunities during the qualifying simulations.
Pierre Gasly delivered another impressive showing for Alpine with third place, maintaining momentum after a promising FP1, while Russell ended fourth. Max Verstappen, having endured a scruffy morning session plagued by balance issues, looked more comfortable in FP2. Still, the Red Bull driver was four tenths down on the McLarens in fifth, as he trialled further setup changes.
‘Untouchable in both sessions’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-2-results/
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Red Bull are further off their 2024 pace than any team at Imola.
It’s typical for Red Bull to keep more of their pace in hand on Friday, so it’s little surprise to see they are further from their 2024 lap time than any team so far.
16th May 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Max Verstappen has averaged eight tenths of a second quicker than Yuki Tsunoda so far this year, so it’s hard to take the sub-one-tenth gap between them from second practice at face value. Last year Red Bull found half a second more than McLaren between second practice and qualifying. That sort of gain would put them right in the mix for pole position, which is exactly where they’ve been in recent races.
Verstappen, however, played down his chances of taking his fourth pole position this year. “We tried a lot of bits, some worked a bit better than others, but overall we’re not fast enough at the moment,” he said. “We definitely need a bit more work to just get better through-corner balance to go faster.”
The key question for qualifying will be whether any team thinks they can coax a better lap time out of the medium rubber. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was among those who suggested it might appear in qualifying.
‘It’s typical for Red Bull’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/05/16/...team-at-imola/
Verstappen “got overtaken by the McLarens” during his long run simulation
17 May 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
The Dutchman ended the opening day seventh fastest before taking fifth in the second one-hour practice. His team-mate Yuki Tsunoda complained about traffic on his hot laps, but he got a clean lap in FP2 to end up eighth fastest only a tenth slower than Verstappen. Reflecting on his opening day in Imola, Verstappen said: “We tried a lot of things today. Some things worked a bit better than others but, ultimately, we weren’t fast enough today.”
“Qualifying will be important here and, at the moment, we aren’t quite where we want to be. We need to do a bit more work to have a better balance in the car and go faster. It is the same in the long runs, I got overtaken by the McLarens and we weren’t really where we wanted to be compared to other Teams. Overall, it was a bit tough today."
His team-mate Tsunoda sounded a positive note after the first day in Imola, but conceded that there is still a gap to the field-leading McLaren. “Overall it was a positive day of practice. We know our limitations and it was good to do our first long run today with the new upgrade package, but we need to nail it tomorrow. We still have lots of work to do as a Team and we will look to put it all together tomorrow."
“I got overtaken by the McLarens”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/26825
Jos Verstappen sends clear message over Red Bull RB21 upgrades as moment of truth arrives
17 May 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Jos Verstappen says it is “absolutely important” that Red Bull’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix upgrades prove effective for Max Verstappen to retain the World Championship in F1 2025. He told RaceXpress: “They’ll come up with updates anyway, because of course that’s what they called out adamantly at the beginning of the season.”
“In Imola it’s going to happen, so I’m curious. It is absolutely important that it goes in the right direction. Otherwise, the gap will just get too big. The next three races, the points difference really has to start narrowing, otherwise it won’t work at all this year.” He added: “Surely I’ll hear from Max how the feeling is and what the standings are. That’s important, plus however the race goes. That’s where we lose the most anyway.”
“In Imola it’s going to happen”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/jos-ve...upgrades-imola
Max Verstappen issues worrying first impression of Red Bull RB21 upgrades
16 May 2025
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
Speaking to media after Free Practice 2, Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen didn’t sound particularly enthusiastic about those upgrades. When asked if he felt any improvement with these upgrades, he responded, “We tried a lot of bits. Some worked a bit better than others. But overall, yeah, not fast enough at the moment.”
‘RB21 upgrades’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...-rb21-upgrades
‘Very good chance’: Marc Priestley tips Max Verstappen and 135-race F1 driver to ‘hold McLaren back’ at Imola on two conditions
16 May 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Marc Priestley tips Max Verstappen and George Russell to ‘hold’ McLaren back at Imola. Priestley said on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra (16/05, 16:04): “Overtaking is not that easy around this race track. There’s not too many opportunities to make a big lunge on the brakes and get by.”
“So, if you can have a good qualifying session and we know how good Max is on a Saturday afternoon, if he can get the car in front on the grid and get a good start at the beginning of the Grand Prix, he might even be able to then control the pace.”
“If he can get to the front in qualifying and get away from the line well, then Verstappen has a very good chance, as by the way does the likes of George Russell and anyone else who can really perform in qualifying, they might be able to hold those McLarens back.”
‘Very good chance’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...wo-conditions/
Ferrari fined for sporting infringement after practice day in Imola
17 May 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Ferrari were found guilty after the practice day as the team failed to adhere to technical directive 003G, point 2 g.ii, which specifies that a tyre may be used more than once in a single session.
The directive also sets out the procedures that must be followed “if the team wishes to make adjustments to the tyres such as reducing tyre pressures. It requires that first, tyre temperatures must be obtained.”
The stewards have elected to hand out a fine of EUR5000 to Ferrari which has been the standard penalty in similar incidents.
‘Technical directive 003G, point 2 g.ii’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/26832
Why Ferrari’s qualifying pace at F1 Imola GP will be a ‘lottery’
17 May 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Lewis Hamilton: “FP1 was good, I was really really happy with the car,” he said. “Felt like we’d made a step forward and it’s feeling really positive. I literally changed the two tiniest things that shouldn’t have had barely any effect at all.”
“The smallest change we’ve probably done this year, and we had some brake issues that then made a massive difference, so that was a fight with that. That’s been a quite a big issue all year, actually. I’ve never experienced that before, so that’s a new thing for me this year.”
When asked what his feelings were for the car’s performance in qualifying, Hamilton joked that it would be a case of gambling and hoping for the best. “I mean, it’s a lottery, we’ll roll the dice. We’ll put one [change] on and it works, and we’ll put another on one and it doesn’t and we’ll see! So I hope tomorrow we figure something out, we’re working on it for sure.”
“I mean, it’s a lottery, we’ll roll the dice”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-be-a-lottery/
FIA confirm Williams punishment after Carlos Sainz Imola GP incident
16 May 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Williams have been hit with a €1,000 fine after Carlos Sainz was caught speeding in the pit lane during practice at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. Sainz was clocked moving at 93.7 kilometres per hour – 13.7 kph over the 80kph limit – in the closing minutes of Friday’s opening practice session at Imola.
The stewards’ verdict read: “Car 55 exceeded the pit lane speed limit which is set at 80 km/h for this event by 13.7km/h. Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal certain decisions of the Stewards, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code and Chapter 4 of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, within the applicable time limits.
‘Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos...fia-punishment
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Emilia Romagna GP: Norris pulls one back against Piastri as Verstappen enters the fray.
Lando Norris handed McLaren the practice hat-trick at Imola as he took over at the top from his team-mate Oscar Piastri in FP3 for the Emilia Romagna GP.
17 May 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Midway through the hour-long session, Verstappen was P1 ahead of Norris and Hadjar while Russell, having clocked the eighth fastest time, reported “quite a lot of bouncing” in his W16.
The drivers, including the entire top ten who had been on the medium Pirellis, swapped to the softs for the final 15 minutes. Norris went purple in the final sector to overhaul Verstappen by 0.181s. Many of the drivers, though, weren’t able to improve their times from the medium tyres.
Piastri was also on the move, up to third place, with Antonelli improving his time even when his team-mate Russell couldn’t, the Italian P4. Norris and Hamilton both had a moment with the gravel late in the session. The session ended with McLaren 1-2, Norris ahead of Piastri, while Verstappen was third.
‘Norris pulls one back against Piastri’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/emilia...025-fp3-report
Imola GP: Free Practice 3 Results
Full results from Free Practice 3 for the Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix from Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari where Lando Norris led a McLaren one-two.
17 May 2025
Speedcafe.com
Pos Num Driver Team Lap Diff Laps
1 4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:14.897 19
2 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:14.997 0.100 19
3 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:15.078 0.181 17
4 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:15.399 0.502 15
5 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:15.451 0.554 26
6 55 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:15.457 0.560 21
7 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:15.508 0.611 20
8 63 George Russell Mercedes 1:15.662 0.765 14
9 23 Alex Albon Williams 1:15.732 0.835 20
10 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:15.787 0.890 25
‘Free Practice 3 Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-e...ice-3-results/
F1 – Norris claims top spot in final practice for Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix ahead of Piastri and Verstappen
17.05.25
FIA (Press Release)
McLaren’s Lando Norris went quickest in the final practice session for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Rmilia Romagna Grand Prix, beating team-mate Oscar Piastri by a tenth of a second, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third. In an odd final 20 minutes, few drivers were able to find a comfort zone in the conditions with the C6 Pirelli tyres. Mercedes’ George Russell was the first to have a go, but he made a mistake in the Variante Alta and backed out.
Piastri also failed to stitch together an opening flyer on Softs and after the Australian backed out of his lap, Verstappen also slid wide on the Soft tyres to ruin his first flyer. He would try again late in the session but again to no avail. Norris was next to make an attempt, and he proved to be one of the few who made the C6 work. The Briton held it together through all three sectors and he claimed top spot with a lap of 1:14.897. He went for another push lap, but the rear snapped out into Tamburello and after a trip through the gravel he trundled back to the pits.
Piastri also had a second go, but although he managed to put together a lap on the C6 he couldn’t find enough pace to move ahead of his team-mate and settled for P2 ahead of Verstappen, whose Medium-tyre best kept him in P3. Behind them Kimi Antonelli also managed to deliver on the Soft tyres and he jumped from P13 to P4 with a lap of 1:15.399. Fifth place went to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, while Carlos Sainz put Williams in sixth place ahead of Hadjar and Russell. Alex Albon was ninth in the second Williams and Hamilton rounded out the top 10.
‘Norris claims top spot’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-norris-c...and-verstappen
‘Not something you see very often’: Ted Kravitz saw ‘cheeky’ McLaren do something unusual on Lando Norris’ F1 car at Imola
17 May 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Ted Kravitz spotted McLaren run a ‘cheeky’ rear wing test on Lando Norris’ car at Imola. Instead, Ted Kravitz thinks McLaren were ‘cheeky’ and took advantage of a quiet track at the start of FP3 to test a different rear wing on Norris’ car to prepare for the Monaco Grand Prix next week. Imola and Monaco are the first two parts of a triple-header with the Spanish GP.
Kravitz said on Sky Sports F1 (17/5, 17:40): “Eyeballing it, that’s a higher-downforce than he was running yesterday. And I’m just wondering if this is a set-up experiment on that harder tyre for Monaco because he’s put what looks like the wing they had yesterday back on. So, while everybody else is not going out for whatever reason, I think we have just seen McLaren do a little bit of a cheeky test there. And now they’re just finishing putting the Imola wing back on. It’s not something you see very often in a free practice three.”
‘Not something you see very often’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ted...-car-at-imola/
FP3 Highlights: 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
17 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Watch highlights from third practice ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola
‘FP3 Highlights’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/fp...72311526603282
Max third in final practice at Imola
17 May 202
Kees-Jan Koster
Verstappen.nl
Max Verstappen finished third in the third practice session for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The Oracle Red Bull Racing driver ended the final practice in Imola with a deficit of just under two tenths of a second. Lando Norris was the fastest, just ahead of his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
With just over fifteen minutes to go, the soft tyres were fitted to the cars. Piastri aborted his first lap on the softs, but Max went for it. After a purple first sector, the Red Bull driver was unable to improve over the whole lap. Alex Albon (Williams) and George Russell (Mercedes) faced the same issue. Norris, however, did manage to improve.
On the soft tyres, he recorded a 1:14.8, but overall it did not look certain there was more pace to be found on the softs. Nobody could beat Norris’s time, so he finished the session fastest. He had exactly a tenth of a second advantage over his McLaren teammate Piastri. Max ended the session third with just under two tenths behind first place, but his time was set on the mediums. A second run on the softs also did not result in an improvement.
‘A deficit of just under two tenths of a second’;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5814/
Ferrari fans are displaying something in the Imola grandstands that shows how they really feel about Lewis Hamilton
17 May 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari fans fully support Lewis Hamilton with face cut-outs and ‘massive flags’ in the Imola grandstands. Hamilton will be desperate to find form at Imola. The seven-time world champion has not finished higher than fifth in the opening six Grands Prix.
Hamilton told Ferrari fans they deserve success ahead of the Emilia Romagna GP. They labelled the 40-year-old a ‘legend’ as they come to the circuit in their numbers to cheer on their famous red team. Davide Valsecchi says the Tifosi are ‘arguing’ over Hamilton, with some believing he is ‘not delivering’ the results they expected at the start of the year. The grandstands at Imola show how they really feel about their new signing.
In a report by The Mirror, journalist Daniel Moxon noted that ‘the Tifosi still very much have his back’. They have displayed ‘cut-outs of his face’ and ‘massive flags bearing his racing number 44’ in the grandstands, as well as personalised hats and T-shirts ‘everywhere you looked’. Speaking to a few Ferrari fans, Moxon says they still believe that the ‘marriage’ between the team and Hamilton ‘can be a happy one’.
‘Ferrari fans fully support Lewis Hamilton’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...ewis-hamilton/
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Emilia-Romagna GP: Oscar Piastri takes pole in qualifying.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri narrowly beat reigning champion Max Verstappen to pole position for Sunday's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
May 17, 2025
ESPN.com
Piastri's McLaren was 0.034 seconds faster than the Red Bull at Imola as the two drivers traded fastest sector times around the three-mile circuit. Verstappen improved his lap time on his final attempt, and exited the final corner ever so slightly ahead of Piastri's time only for the McLaren to have the edge on the drag to the finish line.
Lando Norris, who is currently second in the championship and 16 points behind Piastri, had to settle for fourth on the grid after Mercedes' George Russell beat him to third in the final moments of the session.
The result sets up an intriguing battle for Sunday's race after Piastri and Verstappen last lined up alongside each other on the front row at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, at which the McLaren driver beat the Verstappen into the first corner despite starting second.
‘Oscar Piastri takes pole’;
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/4...ole-qualifying
Imola GP F1 qualifying results
May 17, 2025
The Race
Provisional starting grid
1 Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3 George Russell (Mercedes)
4 Lando Norris (McLaren)
5 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
6 Carlos Sainz (Williams)
7 Alex Albon (Williams)
8 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
9 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
10 Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
‘F1 qualifying results’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/i...and-prix-2025/
BREAKING NEWSF1 qualifying is HALTED as driver suffers scary crash with his car flipping over ahead of Imola Grand Prix
• The star is still getting used to his new team after receiving a recent promotion
• He suffered a scary moment as his car flipped 360 degrees in a nasty crash
• After being checked by medics, he was confirmed to be OK ahead of the race
17 May 2025
JONATHAN MCEVOY and LEWIS BROWNING
MailOnline
Yuki Tsunoda walked away unscathed from a massive crash that brought qualifying at Imola to a dramatic halt on Saturday. The Red Bull man lost control on taking too much kerb at the Villeneuve chicane, his car hurtling across the run-off area, spinning backwards into the tyre barrier and catch fence, flipping upside down, before righting itself to finish stricken in the gravel.
Tsunoda was driven to the medical centre for checks – the halo having saved him from possible serious harm as he was bounced headfirst towards the ground. A 15-minute delay to the first qualifying session ensued as the track was cleared. Tsunoda… …suffered potentially the worst moment of his Red Bull career so far on Saturday afternoon when his car flipped in the brutal crash. Commentator and former Red Bull driver David Coulthard said: 'Big, big crash there. It looks to me as if he got aggressive, more aggressive than we have seen from any card on that left-hand part turn five on the kerb.'
He went onto credit the barriers and catch fence for contributing to there seemingly being no injury. Former mechanic Marc Priestley, meanwhile, said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra: 'Tsunoda's car did a complete 360. It landed upside down before the car then righted itself coming off the barriers.”
‘Yuki Tsunoda walked away unscathed from a massive crash’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ing-crash.html
Yuki Tsonda's Terrifying Crash During Emilia Romagna GP Qualifying
17 May 2025
Nick Sutherland
Give Me Sport
F1 journalist Andrew Benson, who was covering qualifying for BBC Sport, admitted that the crash was the biggest he'd seen in the sport for an extended period.
"I've not seen an accident that big for quite some time. Landing upside down is an illustration of how important the halo head protection is in F1. Yuki Tsunoda is very lucky and seems okay walking off the track there."
‘The biggest he'd seen in the sport for an extended period’;
https://www.givemesport.com/yuki-tso...gp-qualifying/
Colapinto crash triggers second Imola qualifying red flag
17 May 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
Franco Colapinto has triggered the second red flag of qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The Alpine driver crashed out in the final seconds of Qualifying 1 at Imola, nosing into the barrier at Tamburello.
Alpine subsequently confirmed Colapinto had been cleared of injuries following a visit to the circuit’s medical centre. “Following the incident at the end of Q1, Franco was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks as per the procedure,” the team said. “He is ok, has been checked and cleared to leave.”
“He is ok”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/franco...fying-red-flag
Emilia Romagna GP: Piastri on pole after marathon qualy as Ferrari falters in triple Italian Q2 exit
17 May 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Oscar Piastri clinched pole position for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen, but the big stories were all found in the back half of the grid. Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto brought out red flags as they suffered huge crashes in Q1, while Italian hopes were wiped out in Q2 when both Ferrari drivers and Kimi Antonelli were eliminated.
‘Big stories were all found in the back half of the grid’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/emilia...lifying-report
'My God... my God!' | Ferrari 'devastated' with double Q2 knockout
17 May 2025
Sky Sports
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc shared their disappointment in qualifying 11th and 12th for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
'My God... my God!';
https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...le-q2-knockout
Hamilton has hands on helmet and wallows in car as Ferrari suffer homecoming humiliation
17 May 2025
Joe Brophy
talkSPORT
Lewis Hamilton's first qualifying session in front of Ferrari's home fans ended in major disappointment after a heartbreaking early exit. Leclerc was aghast as both Ferraris failed to make Q3.
Ferrari were under pressure to bounce back on home soil in Italy after their two drivers finished P8 and P7 respectively in Miami. It continued a hugely difficult season for the Prancing Horse, with just one podium and a solitary Sprint win across six race weekends.
Despite the promise of upgrades, F1's most successful and famous team will now have both drivers starting at Imola outside the top ten. Hamilton put his hands on his helmet as his fate became sealed, and then spent several minutes in the cockpit before exiting the car.
‘Major disappointment’;
https://talksport.com/motorsport/321...f1-qualifying/
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc suffer home humiliation in Ferrari qualifying disaster
Ferrari's F1 woes continue as the Italian squad endured a difficult qualifying outing at the Imola circuit.
17 May 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Ferrari's qualifying effort at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix ended early as both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc exited the session early. The Italian squad has endured a difficult start to the campaign, with just one podium in six races.
Its chances of adding to that tally at its home event from Imola took a major hit as both drivers are set to start the session outside the top 10. Leclerc could only manage 11th at the end of Q2, while Hamilton's best effort was one and a half tenths behind - leaving him in 12th.
Sunday will mark Hamilton's lowest starting position on the grid since joining the Italian squad at the start of the year.
‘Ferrari's F1 woes continue’;
https://racingnews365.com/lewis-hami...fying-disaster
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Ferrari pair “devastated” as team lap half a second slower at home than last year.
Last year the Ferrari drivers lined up on the second row of the grid at Imola. Today Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were stung by the team’s first failure to reach Q3 for almost a year. Leclerc’s 1’15.604 was not only well off the 1’14.970 he set in qualifying, it was slower than he went in final practice.
17th May 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Lewis Hamilton, who took 12th on the grid, one place behind his team mate, said he was “devastated” neither of their cars reached Q3 on home ground. “I’m very disappointed,” said Leclerc. “Especially at home, at such a special grand prix for the team, it just hurts. It would have hurt anyway, whatever track, but here it hurts even more. I have no words about our performance today.”
“Devastated”;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/05/17/...lap-time-data/
Ferrari boss sets record straight after Lewis Hamilton left ‘devastated’
18 May 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
It’s not the first time the team-mates have rued a lack of speed and even a lack of potential. And it begs the question, where does the blame lie? While some have pointed fingers at Ferrari’s new technical director Serra, who joined the team from Mercedes, Vasseur has defended him as “90 per cent” of the car was defined before Serra joined the team in October last year.
That would turn the focus, and the blame game, to former Ferrari tech boss Cardile, although he left in July and left a vacuum that Ferrari announced Vasseur would oversee in the interim. “When Loic arrived in Maranello six months ago, the current car was already defined, let’s say, ninety per cent. Then, of course, it depends on each individual element, but the basic design decisions had already been made,” Vasseur told Marca.
“I’m talking about the weight distribution, the wheelbase, the overall concept, etc. It’s something that affects all teams when the technical leadership changes.” But, he added: “95 per cent of the team is the same as the one that participated in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 projects. I am convinced that if a project has problems, it does not mean that the structure does not work.”
‘Ferrari boss sets record straight’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...vastated-imola
Charles Leclerc delivers emotional apology to Tifosi after Ferrari’s 2025 Imola Qualifying disaster
Ferrari will start Sunday’s race from 11th and 12th on the grid.
18 May 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
In light of that, Leclerc delivers emotional apology to the Tifosi at the 2025 Emilia Romagna GP as Ferrari find themselves poised to lose considerable ground in the constructors’ championship. “[I’m] very disappointed, especially at home,” Leclerc said to F1 TV. “At such a special Grand Prix for the team – it just hurts.”
“It would have hurt anyway, whatever [the] track, but here it hurts even more. I have no words about our performance today. The only thing we can say is that we are sorry for this kind of performance at home and in general.”
“Race pace was strong,” Leclerc added. “But we are starting P11. Apart from if something is happening crazy, it’s going to be difficult. We are just not good enough at the moment and we’ve got to do better. Unfortunately, this is all I can say at the moment. And this is all we are trying to do, is to be better and to work in the right direction.”
”We are sorry for this kind of performance at home and in general”;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/cha...mola-disaster/
“Gutted” Hamilton calls for more Ferrari upgrades after missing Q3
MAY 18, 2025
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog
After qualifying he called for more updates for the SF-25, while also stressing that for him that this is a “foundation building” year ahead of 2026. “I definitely feel devastated, I feel just gutted I guess, because the car was generally feeling really good,” he said.
“I honestly felt like the setup was just right, the brakes were working, everything was kind of in place, and we just can’t go quicker. If you look how quick Max is going through Turn 2 and 3, we just can’t match it. And when we put that new soft on at the end, for some reason, it just didn’t come alive. There was no extra grip.”
He added: “I just I really thought we were going to be getting through. I thought the car’s alive, and watching these guys doing 14.7s. We could just get to 15.7, it’s a lot of time missing. I think we made progress this weekend with the bit that I was talking about before,” he said. “It’s still not where it needs to be. And there’s performance in that. And we need more upgrades for sure. We’ve got to start adding performance to this car.”
“Gutted”;
https://adamcooperf1.com/2025/05/18/...er-missing-q3/
Piastri bracing for Verstappen charge, but ‘nothing unexpected’
18/05/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
When asked if he expects Verstappen to come out swinging after their recent encounters, Piastri was clear: “Not really. I think we know how each other races. That’s both very hard.”
“Certainly not expecting any return of serve because I think that’s going to be the serve every single time. Nothing unexpected for tomorrow.”
In other words, Piastri knows Sunday’s opening lap will be fiercely contested — but it’s par for the course when battling Verstappen.
“I think we know how each other races. That’s both very hard”;
https://f1i.com/news/538830-piastri-...nexpected.html
Watch: See where Piastri got the better of Verstappen during Imola Qualifying with our ‘Ghost Car’ feature
18/05/2025
Formula One - Official Site
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri beat Red Bull rival Max Verstappen to pole position during a Qualifying thriller at Imola on Saturday, with only a few hundredths separating the pair at the chequered flag.
Verstappen led the way after the opening Q3 runs but Piastri fought back to produce a pole-grabbing effort of 1m 14.670s – precisely 0.034s faster than the reigning four-time World Champion.
‘Ghost Car’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...s5aXXCQ2RfB8Dq
Max Verstappen explains the ‘biggest problem’ Red Bull’s latest update package hasn’t fixed after Imola qualifying
18 May 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Max Verstappen was asked in an interview with the Dutch media, via Motorsport, if Red Bull’s latest update package helps deal with the RB21’s tyre wear problems and he responded, “No. It is of course better in terms of balance, but if the tyres get too hot, they get too hot.”
In his opinion, this rules him out of being in contention to win Sunday’s race, explaining, “It will go a bit better [than in Miami], but I don’t think we can really attack them, just because they have less overheating.”
Verstappen has insisted that there’s still a key aspect that Red Bull needs to improve with future upgrades and said, “Well, we mainly have to make sure that our tyres don’t overheat. That’s still our biggest problem. We can put ten more updates on the car, but the most important thing is that we get those tyres under control.”
“We can put ten more updates on the car”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...la-qualifying/
Max Verstappen disbelief after 'lot of damage' crash
Max Verstappen has offered his thoughts on the huge accident at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix for team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
18 May 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Max Verstappen has revealed his disbelief at the scale of Yuki Tsunoda's accident in Emilia Romagna Grand Prix qualifying. "Well, first, of course, I asked if he's OK," Verstappen told media including RacingNews365.
"And I heard yeah, he's OK. But then I saw the replay — I'm like, “Jesus, is he really OK? It was a big impact, with a lot of damage as well. But the most important thing is that Yuki is okay."
‘Disbelief’;
https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...f-damage-crash
FIA reveal full extent of Yuki Tsunoda’s RB21 rebuild ahead of Imola GP
18 May 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Confirming the expected news that Tsunoda would be starting the Imola race from the pit lane, the FIA said in a statement: “For the rebuild of car 22 after the survival cell change, the Oracle Red Bull Racing team used several components of different specification.”
“Therefore car number 22 should now be required to start the Race from the pit lane according to Article 40.9 a) of the 2025 Formula One Sporting Regulations. This morning, the Oracle Red Bull Racing team submitted the duly completed scrutineering declaration form for car number 22 after a survival cell change.”
‘Article 40.9 a) of the 2025 Formula One Sporting Regulations’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/fia-re...ad-of-imola-gp
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Verstappen storms to victory in thrilling Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix ahead of Norris and Piastri.
Max Verstappen has surged to an impressive second victory of the season at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, the Dutchman having snatched P1 at the start before holding his position ahead of the McLaren pair in an eventful afternoon that featured Virtual Safety Car and full Safety Car phases.
18 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site
The race got underway in exciting fashion as polesitter Oscar Piastri initially launched well off the line – only for Verstappen to make a stunning overtake through the Tamburello chicane, resulting in the World Champion going on to build a lead in the laps that followed. Piastri then joined a number of drivers who made an early pit stop, having stopped for the hard compound on Lap 14, but the call did not seem to work out for the Australian, with Verstappen staying out on track to further extend his advantage in first place.
As questions persisted over whether a one-stop or two-stop strategy was the way forward – with around half of the field remaining out following that earlier flurry of action in the pits for the other half – the picture was turned on its head when a Virtual Safety Car was called on Lap 29 after Esteban Ocon pulled onto the grass in the Haas. Verstappen crossed the line to seal a 65th career victory some 6.109s ahead of Norris in second, while Piastri followed by a similar margin to his team mate in third. Hamilton ended his first Italian race as a Ferrari driver in fourth, with the Briton dedicating his result to the Tifosi.
Key quote: "The start itself wasn’t particularly great, but then I was still on the outside line, basically the normal line, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m just going to try and send it around the outside’," said Verstappen. "It worked really well! That of course then unleased our pace, because once we were in the lead, the car was good. I could look after my tyres and we had very good pace today. Again, a massive improvement from Friday, and I’m very pleased for that. That VSC was quite handy to pit, and even then, even on the hard compound, I think our pace was very strong. Then of course there was the Safety Car, so the field was all back together. But even then on the restart, I think we managed it all really well and brought it home. I’m incredibly proud of everyone. It’s been a very important week for us, the car has performed really well, and also I think the whole execution of the whole race, when to pit, the pit stops themselves, were all very good."
‘Verstappen storms to victory’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...JdFzCI6tiBtqoU
F1 Emilia Romagna GP 2025 – Race Results
18 May 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Emilia Romagna GP 2025 results
Check out the full Emilia Romagna GP 2025 race results from Imola below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Leader
2 Lando Norris McLaren +6.109
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +12.956
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +14.356
5 Alexander Albon Williams +17.945
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +20.774
7 George Russell Mercedes +22.034
8 Carlos Sainz Williams +22.898
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +23.586
10 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +26.446
‘Race Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-race-results/
Verstappen takes Imola F1 win, Piastri's lead cut
May 18, 2025
Samarth Kanal
The Race
Max Verstappen pulled off a stunning Turn 1 move to take the lead and eventually win the 2025 Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - as two interruptions punctuated the race at Imola. After the lights went out, under pressure from George Russell, poleman Oscar Piastri allowed Verstappen to outbrake him and pass him around the outside of Turn 2 to take the lead by the exit of Tamburello.
Perhaps it was a tame concession of the lead from Piastri - but Verstappen’s move was nothing short of brilliant. This was a brave, clean move through a narrow, unforgiving corner - something seldom-seen in this era of F1. It was just one of a trio of defining moments at what could be Imola’s final grand prix for the foreseeable future.
‘Verstappen’s move was nothing short of brilliant’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/i...appen-piastri/
Verstappen mugs Piastri for fourth consecutive Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix win
18th May 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Piastri made a good start from pole position and drew ahead of Verstappen as they raced to turn one. But the McLaren driver left the outside free for his rival and Verstappen took full advantage, sweeping by him into the lead. The situation became worse for Piastri soon afterwards as McLaren brought him in for an early first pit stop, putting him on course to make two tyre changes.
Several others made the same move, but as gaps opened up between the leading drivers, their tyre degradation improved and they extended their opening stints. Verstappen therefore built up a lead over Lando Norris, who passed George Russell early on. However Piastri quickly made his way past the midfielders. That plus a Virtual Safety Car and a later Safety Car period eased his path back to second place.
Verstappen led Piastri and Norris at the final restart, which followed a Safety Car period caused by Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s retirement. But Piastri was unable to stay with the Red Bull driver, and within a few laps of the restart Norris took the ‘Verstappen line’ around the outside of his team mate at Tamburello for second place.
‘Verstappen mugs Piastri’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/05/18/...rand-prix-win/
Verstappen takes commanding win at Imola - 2025 Emilia Romagna GP results
May 18th 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
Max Verstappen took a commanding victory in Formula 1’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, beating McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The world champion finished over six seconds ahead of Norris after a safety car period erased a gap of nearly 20 seconds for the Dutchman.
Despite the late restart, Verstappen continued to dominate and proved unreachable for the McLarens. It was Verstappen’s fourth win at Imola.
‘Verstappen takes commanding’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#
Lewis Hamilton's emotional Ferrari message emerges as Brit explains recovery plan
Lewis Hamilton was feeling the Imola emotions on Sunday.
May 18, 2025
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Lewis Hamilton produced a rousing radio message after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, pumping up his team and giving thanks to the passionate Ferrari fanbase while pointing out the Prancing Horse's path to recovery. The Scuderia endured a miserable Saturday in front of the Tifosi as both Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc were eliminated in Q2. Lining up 11th and 12th on the grid, the chances of scoring significant points for the Constructors' Championship battle looked slim.
However, things played out differently on race day. Ferrari's pace was strong on Sunday, and Leclerc jumped a number of cars with an early undercut. Hamilton, meanwhile, ran long on hard compound tyres and capitalised on a virtual safety car to align his strategy with the cars around him. Late in the race, a mechanical DNF for Kimi Antonelli triggered a safety car. Leclerc was left to scrap for his life on worn tyres, but Hamilton made the most of his fresh rubber, moving past his team-mate and in-form Williams star Alex Albon. When the chequered flag waved, he was hounding Oscar Piastri for the final place on the podium.
On the radio, Hamilton gave a rousing speech to his team and fans. "Thanks so much mate! What a great race guys! Fantastic stops, strategy, the car felt great today. I'm so grateful, so proud. Grazie a tutti! And for the Tifosi... that was for them." Race engineer Riccardo Adami praised the seven-time world champion's performance. The Brit then added: "Let's keep pushing. We get that qualifying better and we can race like that, we will be winning."
“And for the Tifosi... that was for them";
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...gna-Grand-Prix
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Villeneuve: McLaren afraid to be aggressive | 'They seem happy with second, third!'
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix: Jacques Villeneuve: McLaren 'afraid to be aggressive'
18 May 2025
Sky Sports
1997 Drivers' Championship winner Jacques Villeneuve says that McLaren showed 'weakness' and were 'afraid to be aggressive' at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
‘Afraid’;
https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...-be-aggressive
Jacques Villeneuve highlights one 'really odd' McLaren weakness after losing to Max Verstappen…
18 May 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
“They show weakness. They don’t show the strength that Red Bull has always shown year after year. It’s as if they are afraid of being aggressive in trying to win the Drivers’ Championship and afraid to go against Piastri. It’s really, really odd,” said Villeneuve.
“Piastri messed up that first corner, got caught out sleeping, he should’ve never come out of the corner second. Then he didn’t have the pace. At the restart, McLaren knew that it was a matter of laps before Norris would take Piastri. It was obvious, so why make him lose three laps instead of giving him a shot at Verstappen?”
“Because Verstappen is in for the championship, you don’t want to give him more points. They shouldn’t be happy with second and third. McLaren has a car where a good weekend is first and second, and anything less would be disappointing. First and third are barely acceptable, but they seem to be happy with second and third.”
“Caught out sleeping”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jac...ppen-at-imola/
Should latest defeat to Verstappen scare McLaren? Our verdict
May 18, 2025
The Race
Perfection required when it's this close: Ben Anderson. Perfection was needed. Verstappen was perfect in this race. Piastri and McLaren weren't.
This means more than Japan: Scott Mitchell-Malm. This was a much more significant win for Verstappen than his last McLaren-defying performance in Japan, because it wasn't just about stealing then protecting track position. As Lando Norris put it: "I don't think we had an answer to them, even in the final stint."
Every rival team should fear a driver like this: Josh Suttill. As long as Verstappen has a car capable of picking up race wins on some weekends, then McLaren can never relax. As, let's be honest, in a straight fight Verstappen has the beating of both its drivers, and that's no slight on either McLaren driver.
McLaren isn't capitalising enough: Valentin Khorounzhiy. If the RB21 becomes just a little bit more of an all-rounder - and it already looked potent in race trim here - then it's really, truly game on for a three-way title fight in which McLaren will not have the best driver. That won't be a fun position to be in.
Meek surrender but a one-off for now: Gary Anderson. First lap, first corner set the scene - it’s the first time this year I have seen Piastri be so timid. With Verstappen, if you give him an opening he is like a rat up a drain pipe.
‘In a straight fight Verstappen has the beating of both its drivers’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...worry-verdict/
“WIN IT OR BIN IT”: HOW MAX VERSTAPPEN WON RED BULL’S 400TH RACE IN F1
Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who has been present for all of the team’s 400 F1 races, says he was surprised by McLaren’s drop-off in pace at the Imola GP
May 18, 2025
Ben HuntFilip Cleeren
Motorsport.com
Red Bull boss Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen’s sensational opening lap overtake on polesitter Oscar Piastri as a turning point for the team. The move, which he labelled a “win it or bin it” manoeuvre, secured the lead for Verstappen and paved the way for Red Bull to win its 400th race in Formula 1.
He said: “The start was pretty average. It was the first corner, and I think maybe Oscar was more focused on George Russell and he left the slightest of gaps and Max just sent it and it was kind of win it or bin it. And again, he's just so good in that situation where he just sees a gap and it's so decisive for him.”
‘Turning point’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...n-f1/10724228/
Max Verstappen compared to F1 legend Nigel Mansell by Peter Windsor for ‘superb’ reason after Imola victory
19 May 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Peter Windsor compares Max Verstappen to Nigel Mansell with Oscar Piastri overtake. “I’m completely staggered that he won that race against the two McLarens at this track. It was a win of race craft, superb driving under pressure and it was one of the best,” said Windsor.
“Certainly that overtake into Turn 1 was as good as you’re going to see since Nigel Mansell on Nelson Piquet in 1987 in the British GP. It was that good, it was reflex action like Nigel’s at Silverstone.”
“Completely staggered”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...imola-victory/
Analysis - The data behind Max Verstappen's impressive overtake on Oscar Piastri at Imola F1 GP
Max Verstappen took the lead in Imola with an overtake around the outside of Oscar Piastri. McLaren CEO Zak Brown called it "a great move", but what do the data and telemetry say about Verstappen's successful overtake?
May 19, 2025
Ronald Vording
Motorsport.com
"At one point, I was in third on the straight. That wasn’t ideal of course, but then I just braked a bit later than all the others!" Verstappen laughed when he looked back at his own overtake. He outbraked Piastri heading into the Tamburello chicane to move around the outside of the McLaren, squeezing his way past into a lead that Verstappen subsequently never lost. So, what is the data behind it?
Verstappen positioned the car in such a way that Russell couldn’t come across, ensuring that the Mercedes driver could not block the outside line for the Dutchman. At the same time, he left just under a car’s width of space on the right side of the track, preventing Norris from diving into that gap.
This way, Verstappen maintained control of his own racing line and kept the outside line – essentially the ideal racing line – entirely for himself, allowing him to initiate his late braking manoeuvre.
‘Analysis’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...1-gp/10724412/
‘Not the be-all-and-end-all’? Piastri’s pre-race complacency was his undoing
19th May 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Max Verstappen probably didn’t hear Oscar Piastri’s comments as he walked to the grid before the start of yesterday’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. But if he did, it would have been music to the ears of the Red Bull driver. “Obviously leading the race after the first corner would make life a lot easier but I don’t think it’s the be-all-and-end-all here,” he replied. “So let’s see what happens, but I’m pretty confident that we’ve got the pace to win regardless.”
Piastri’s attitude was the exact opposite of what we see from his principal rival, Verstappen, every weekend. He invariably attacks the first corner of a race as if the victory depends on it, and he’s right to, because it often does. Verstappen is a no-holds-barred fighter who knows possessing the lead is everything. If either of McLaren’s drivers think they can beat him while needlessly playing to the Marquess of Queensberry Rules, they have no idea who they’re dealing with.
‘Verstappen is a no-holds-barred fighter’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/05/19/...s-his-undoing/
How Red Bull sprung a ‘little surprise’ on McLaren in F1 Imola GP
19th May 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
McLaren boss Andrea Stella: “We knew that it would have been very balanced in qualifying like already we have seen in Saudi, in Japan, in these kind of fast-flowing circuits. But I have to say today we were a little surprised, I think I have to be honest here, by the pace of Red Bull which was very competitive.”
“Well done to Max, well done to Red Bull, for being able to pull off this kind of performance, which meant that the race was very much decided by the episode, or just a swap of position between Oscar and Max in corner one. After that we tried to chase him but effectively we didn’t have enough race pace today to be able to beat Max [after] taking the lead after lap one.”
“A little surprised”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...n-f1-imola-gp/
'Win it or bin it': Verstappen's flawless race puts Piastri on notice as championship battle heats up
May 19, 2025
Sophie Wisely
Channel 9's Wide World of Sports
Australian fans may be yearning for Oscar Piastri to take the 2025 Formula 1 world championship but Max Verstappen's flawless victory in Imola reminded them that there is still ample time for the Red Bull driver to run down the Australian from behind.
The track rewards a qualifying masterclass and with Verstappen now having a taste for the top step of the podium, McLaren and Piastri will need to make sure the tide doesn't change too quickly from underneath them.
‘Piastri on notice’;
https://www.nine.com.au/sport/motors...19-p5m0hj.html
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F1 Nation: Verstappen's masterclass, positives for Piastri and pressure at Ferrari – it’s our Emilia-Romagna GP review.
The F1 Nation team are here to discuss the Dutchman's latest win, a hard-fought one that required a vintage overtake on the first lap that many will remember as one of Verstappen's finest.
19 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Podcast host Tom Clarkson is joined in the paddock by Former Red Bull Racing driver Daniil Kvyat and F1.com editor Greg Stuart to analyse all that and more.
As well as Verstappen reminding the world he is not out of the Championship battle, they delve into Lewis Hamilton's drive as the Ferrari star recovered from P12 on the grid to come home fourth in front of the adoring Tifosi.
‘Masterclass’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...4u53hkNvy2oAVH
Red Bull will be worried by the ‘big’ statement McLaren chief Andrea Stella just made after missing out on Imola win
19 May 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Andrea Stella warns McLaren’s ‘time will come’ with updates planned. Red Bull brought minor upgrades to their car in Imola in a bid to rectify the car problems they have faced since the start of the season. On the face of it, Red Bull appears to have improved their race pace, but Italian journalist Roberto Chinchero has revealed one statement made by Stella that might worry the Milton Keynes squad when speaking on the Motorsport.com Italy podcast.
“From a technical point of view, he [Stella] did say something big. Because in McLaren’s ideal conditions, Red Bull has shown they are capable of winning, which changes the scenario in the Drivers’ Championship,” said Chinchero. “But while we talking to Andrea Stella after the race, he said something important. He said: ‘So far it has been our opponents who have brought about many developments, our time will come too’.”
‘Andrea Stella warns McLaren’s time will come’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...-on-imola-win/
Tsunoda delighted after having made a step forward at Imola
19 May 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Yuki Tsunoda: "A tough weekend. A massive effort by the mechanics to get my car ready after yesterday, and I am glad that I was able to give back to the Team and thank them for the work they did, even if it was just one point. It’s small, but at least it is something for the Team. I am still frustrated from yesterday, but I shook it off and I gave it my all today to be in the top 10 after starting in the pit lane.”
“We’ve made a step this weekend and the Qualifying setup was a big change, but we didn’t change much setup from yesterday and it was good to have more time to learn and experience the car in the race. I tried to keep the McLaren behind for longer today but they had more grip with fresher tyres. The safety cars also created some interesting situations.”
Speaking of his targets ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, Tsunoda stated that “he still has more to adapt to in the car, and my focus is now on Qualifying in Monaco and getting results in the next few races. “And of course, a massive massive job and congrats to Max on the win and the whole Team on the result today,” the Japanese driver concluded.
“Give back to the Team and thank them for the work they did, even if it was just one point”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/26865
'From what I hear': Ferrari have just made a key staff focus shift after what happened at Imola that could impact their 2026 F1 car
19 May 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari have recalled technical staff on the 2026 project to work on the 2025 car. F1 teams have been able to work on their 2026 challengers since January this year, with many teams now switching focus midway through the season. But in a bid to rescue their 2025 season after a disappointing start, Ferrari have reallocated some of their staff according to Nugnes.
Behind the scenes, work is going on to improve their 2025 car after identifying problems, but one decision has been made that might impact their 2026 car according to Motorsport Italy’s Franco Nugnes. “Ferrari find themselves in difficulty at a time when the technical attention should be focused on the challenge of 2026,” said Nugnes.
“From what I hear, part of the staff who were already dedicated to next year’s car have been recalled to focus on the development of the 2025 car. Vasseur says that on a mechanical level, what is found today can be somehow transferred [to the 2026 car].”
‘Key staff focus shift’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...r-2026-f1-car/
Hamilton optimistic after Imola, Leclerc shows Ferrari ills
May 19, 2025
Nate Saunders
ESPN.co.uk
In the span of 24 hours, the feeling around Lewis Hamilton's first race for Ferrari on Italian soil did a full 180-degree flip. Hamilton had finished fourth, with an alternate tire strategy and some brilliant calls from the Ferrari pit wall around a late safety car period helping to vault him up the order.
"China was pretty great, but I would say this one is better," he said on Sunday. "I've always loved when you're fighting from further back and coming through. That's how I started off as a kid, that's always such a better feeling than starting first and finishing first. But definitely, absolutely mega race. There are so many positives to take from it." Just what are those positives? "There are tons," Hamilton continued. "One is the strategy. It was really fantastic. They made great calls. Didn't put a foot wrong there.”
"The car really helped. China, I felt really aligned with the car and then the only other time is just today. I felt that real synergy. I think the setup was great. I think we made a bit of an improvement in our performance. We just got knocked out of qualifying. If we had qualified [well] today, we would have been fighting for a podium, which is something we didn't think would be possible."
“But definitely, absolutely mega race”;
https://www.espn.co.uk/racing/f1/sto...s-ferrari-ills
Newey set for first F1 race weekend with Aston Martin
19/05/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Aston Martin managing technical partner Adrian Newey is reportedly set to attend his first F1 race weekend with the Silverstone-based outfit. While the team has remained tight-lipped about the exact timeline of Newey’s paddock return, Dutch outlet RacingNews365 says the veteran design mastermind will be present next weekend at Monaco.
Since setting up his draughtman’s table at Aston’s factory in early March, Newey has been deeply embedded in the team’s engineering department, shaping its future contender to the sweeping regulation changes that will redefine the aerodynamic and power unit landscape in Formula 1. Aston Martin showed glimpses of progress at Imola, where both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll made Q3 after benefitting from a substantial upgrade package.
However, the race yielded only frustration: Alonso missed out on points once again, while Stroll salvaged a few for the tally – leaving the team languishing seventh in the standings. Newey's legendary status and proven eye for performance evolution could inspire renewed momentum within the garage. And while the real fruits of his input won’t ripen until 2026, his trackside presence signals a growing integration – and rising expectations –for a team daring to dream bigger.
‘Newey’s paddock return’;
https://f1i.com/news/539073-newey-se...on-martin.html
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2025 F1 Monaco GP Schedule and Timetable.
We continue the triple-header with the iconic Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix. Don’t miss any of the action on this narrow street circuit and check out all the session start times in Monaco.
20 May 2025
RacingNews365 Staff
After Charles Leclerc won his home race for the first time last year, the cards have been reshuffled once again in Monaco this year. Which driver will stand out on the narrow streets of this city full of casinos and luxury? Qualifying will, of course, be crucial again, but this year the Monaco GP has a new twist: it is mandatory to make two pit stops during the race.
On Friday, May 23, the first free practice session is scheduled for 12:30 BST, followed by the second free practice at 16:00 BST. Then, on Saturday, May 24, the third free practice will take place at 11:30 BST, with qualifying scheduled for 15:00 BST. The 2025 F1 Monaco starts on Sunday, May 25, at 14:00 BST. About an hour and a half later, we’ll know who has won the eighth race of the season.
The schedule for the F1 Monaco GP is automatically adjusted to your time zone.
Session
Date Time
Free practice 1 Friday 23 May 13:30 - 14:30
Free practice 2 Friday 23 May 17:00 - 18:00
Free practice 3 Saturday 24 May 12:30 - 13:30
Qualification Saturday 24 May 16:00 - 17:00
Race Sunday 25 May 15:00 - 17:00
‘Schedule and Timetable’;
https://racingnews365.com/2025-f1-mo...-and-timetable
Bernie Collins thinks McLaren ‘absolutely have to avoid’ one thing they did at Imola in the Monaco Grand Prix
21 May 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
McLaren felt forced to lock into a two-stop strategy early in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after Verstappen overtook Piastri to lead on Lap 1 at Imola. But stopping the Australian left him running in traffic, including having to pass Red Bull racer Yuki Tsunoda before he pitted. Bernie Collins warns McLaren’s pit strategy at Imola ‘totally won’t work’ in the Monaco Grand Prix
“It’s obviously hard [and] it’ll be a bit more intricate with getting two pit-stop windows in. They may be fit to help at the first pit stop, but then not [be] able to help at the second pit stop because you’ll have hurt your race by doing it at one or the other stop.”
“The teammate is always a risk in Monaco. We’ve seen last week [with] Oscar Piastri boxing and ending up behind Yuki Tsunoda. You absolutely have to avoid doing that at Monaco because the undercut totally won’t work out.”
‘McLaren’s pit strategy’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ber...co-grand-prix/
Max looking forward to Monaco GP: 'Made a lot of positive steps'
21 May 2025
Niels Hendrix
Verstappen.nl
The Dutch Oracle Red Bull Racing driver says: “It was amazing to kick start the triple header with a win on Sunday in Imola. We made a lot of positive steps. I felt a lot more comfortable in the car and this puts us in a more positive position moving forward.”
Max continues: “We will need to keep pushing and not get ahead of ourselves as Monaco will be a bit tougher, with it being a street circuit. It hasn’t been our strongest track in the past, but we did make a step forward with the set up and we will try and do the best that we can.”
“Again, qualifying is key here and we are reliant on strategy so it will be about getting a good result on Saturday and extracting the best possible performance of the car. It will also be nice to be close to home for this race, especially when it is such a hectic and busy weekend!”
“Qualifying is key here”;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5821/
Helmut Marko warns Max Verstappen why Red Bull could be ‘much worse’ in Monaco despite their Imola upgrades working
21 May 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Marko has told OE24: “The car is now doing what Max wants again. That’s thanks to the updates, which, thank God, worked. [But] that was just Imola.” Their upgrades at Imola also helped Red Bull to manage their tyre temperatures. But Marko believes the Monaco GP might be more of a challenge for Red Bull and Verstappen than the Emilia Romagna GP as the car does not excel in slow-speed corners like it can at high speed.
Marko has told OE24: “The car is now doing what Max wants again. That’s thanks to the updates, which, thank God, worked. [But] that was just Imola. Things could look completely different at the next Grand Prix. [Monaco is] a completely different track with only slow corners. Things could go much worse there.”
‘Monaco GP might be more of a chall’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/hel...rades-working/
Revealed: What will be going in Newey’s notebook at the Monaco GP
21 May 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Adrian Newey is set to reach a fresh milestone at the Monaco Grand Prix as he attends his first race with Aston Martin. And the F1 design legend will come armed with his iconic trusty notepad, though he explained that its contents are not all that exciting, “scraps of A4 paper” featuring “sketches, ideas, prompts” pretty much.
“Much is made of me using a drawing board rather than a CAD system!” Newey noted in an Aston Martin interview. “For me, personally, it’s like a language – my first language. I grew up on a drawing board; CAD systems really didn’t come of age until the 1990s. I can use CAD, at a basic level, but I’m going to be slower.”
As for why Monaco is the right place for his Aston Martin trackside debut rather than an earlier round, Newey explained: “The deadlines we have in modern F1 seem to be far earlier than they used to be 20 years ago, and there are a lot of them coming up for the 2026 car, which is where my concentration has been, so I’ve not been at the track. I plan to be in Monaco… With the notebook.”
‘What will be going in Newey’s notebook?’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian...book-monaco-gp
Lewis Hamilton will now get one part of Charles Leclerc’s race-winning 2024 Ferrari F1 car at the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix
20 May 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari will run their 2024 Monaco GP rear wing on Leclerc and Hamilton’s cars for the 2025 race as adjusting the set-up of their SF-25 is not enough to control the shifts in aerodynamic balance on corner-exit. So, they feel the 2024 rear wing can be game-changing in qualifying.
Leclerc scored pole position for the 2024 Monaco GP – his third in the Principality – after the home hero denied Oscar Piastri of McLaren by 0.154 seconds and his then-Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz by 0.248s in qualifying. He then won by 7.152s to Piastri after the early red flag.
So, Ferrari will bring the rear wing with which Leclerc won the 2024 Monaco GP back for the 2025 edition. The Scuderia went all-in with their rear wing design last year knowing that the flatter and wider high-downforce design could make the difference around the tight streets.
‘Ferrari will run their 2024 Monaco GP rear wing on Leclerc and Hamilton’s cars for the 2025 race’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...co-grand-prix/
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5 storylines we’re excited about ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.
1. Title fight closing up, 2. Reasons for optimism at Ferrari, 3. Williams bridging the gap, 4. The jewel in the crown, 5. A mandatory two-stop race.
21 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site
After a thrilling first race of the triple header in Imola, the paddock makes the relatively short drive along the Mediterranean coast to another of its most iconic locations. With just 22 points covering the top three drivers in the championship and new rules designed to add more variation to the racing, there’s plenty to get excited about ahead of Monaco…
‘5 storylines’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...8Z20wsbVTSkH57
A shock win or end of a McLaren era? Four Monaco GP predictions
22 May 2025
Editor
PlanetF1.com
A Ferrari podium… courtesy of Charles Leclerc - By Jamie Woodhouse
End of an era for McLaren - By Mat Coch
Half of the rookies to crash out - By Sam Cooper
Andrea Kimi Antonelli to win it (kind of) or bin it. Maybe both - By Oliver Harden
‘Predictions’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/bo...aco-grand-prix
Will two-stop rule work or backfire? What to watch out for at 2025 Monaco GP
May 21st 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
The Monaco GP is set for an intriguing twist this year with the introduction of a mandatory two-stop strategy which aims to shake up the usual procession at the principality.
But will it actually work or could it backfire? Here’s at the main questions ahead of the eighth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
‘Two-stop rule’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#
Early fears over Monaco Grand Prix as team bosses share concerns
20 May 2025
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
In a bid to spice up the racing at Formula 1’s crown jewel, the FIA World Motor Sport Council announced in February that two pit stops will be mandatory for the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix. Drivers must use three sets of tyres during the race, with a minimum of two different tyre compounds if it doesn’t rain. While there’s hope that this change will make for more compelling racing, F1 team principals Andrea Stella and Fred Vasseur raised some early concerns that they’ve been focusing on.
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at last weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the McLaren team principal admitted that they’re approaching Monaco “in the same way, with the same tools, with the same kind of thought process, compared to how you would approach an event. “Simply, you just have more constraints, so you have to make some adaptation in terms of how you approach this.”
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur made a point of noting that last year’s race was “a good one” for him — which is to be expected considering the success of his team. But he’s wondering if the size of the pit lane might cause a little chaos, particularly in the event of an early race safety car. “That strategy in Monaco, it’s very difficult, because it’s also driven by the safety car, and so it would be two times more difficult for this,” he said.
‘Team bosses share concerns’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/early-...share-concerns
Monaco Grand Prix: F1 session times, predictions, stats
May 21, 2025
ESPN
In 75 years of Formula 1, 70 races have been held at Monaco. Of those 70 races, there have been 37 different winners with 32 victories from pole. Could 2025 see a 38th driver stand atop the podium?
McLaren are the most successful team in Monaco with 15 wins, but their last was in 2008 with Lewis Hamilton. In the 1990s they did have a run of dominance with five of Ayrton Senna's record six wins in the principality.
Verstappen, Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are the only other current drivers to win here, so who will prevail on Sunday?
‘Predictions’;
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/4...dictions-stats
Who was Antony Noghès? All you need to know about the Monaco GP creator
May 21st 2025
Katy Fairman
Motor Sport Magazine
Where others saw a route around Monte-Carlo, Anthony Noghès saw a race track. This is the story of the man who created the Monaco Grand Prix circuit — and also introduced the chequered flag to motor sport.
A grand prix track was a tricky thing to fit into the principality of Monaco, but Antony Noghès’s drive made it happen, and in 1929 the most glamorous motor race in the world was born.
‘All you need to know’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#
The freak wave that wiped out half the grid in 1950 Monaco Grand Prix
May 21st 2025
Katy Fairman
Motor Sport Magazine
75 years ago today the Monaco Grand Prix made its F1 world championship debut, but an unusual incident on the opening lap resulted in over half the grid retiring – so what happened?
Racing along Monte-Carlo’s waterside has provided some of Formula 1’s most idyllic images, but the circuit’s coastal location proved disastrous in 1950 when an unexpected wave crashed over the harbour wall during the Monaco Grand Prix
But in contrast to the fortunes of his rivals, Juan Manuel Fangio threaded his way through the mayhem and away into the lead thanks to an almost supernatural reading of the situation that forms a cornerstone of his legend.
‘Supernatural reading of the situation’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#
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FP1: Leclerc leads Verstappen and Norris in first Monaco GP practice after early collision with Stroll.
Home favourite Charles Leclerc set the pace during Friday’s opening practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix, bouncing back from an early clash with Lance Stroll to lead the way over Red Bull rival Max Verstappen and McLaren racer Lando Norris.
23 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site
With the sun shining down and yachts filling the harbour, the Principality looked resplendent as Formula 1’s 10 teams and 20 drivers gathered for an initial hour-long hit of running around some of the most famous streets in motorsport. Unsurprisingly, plenty of cars were quick to head out at 1330 local time to get a feel for the track conditions – a combination of Pirelli’s soft C6, medium C5 and hard C4 tyres being used across the early installation laps and short runs.
There was some drama only a couple of minutes in when Leclerc locked up and went deep at Mirabeau Haute, but he managed to avoid any damage, reverse his Ferrari out of the run-off area and continue on his way. Leclerc would not be so fortunate a few moments later, though, when he ran into the back of Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin – which had moved aside for another car before coming back onto the racing line – under braking for the hairpin.
‘Leclerc leads Verstappen and Norris’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...G8CEPTzPGrKVNI
F1 Monaco GP 2025 – Free Practice 1 Results
Hometown hero Charles Leclerc was quickest for Ferrari in the first practice session of the 2025 Monaco GP
23 May 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Monaco GP 2025 FP1 results
Check out the full Monaco GP 2025 Free Practice 1 results from the first practice session in Monte Carlo below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.964
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.163
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.326
4 Alexander Albon Williams +0.350
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.378
6 George Russell Mercedes +0.518
7 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.570
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.705
9 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.726
10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.763
‘Free Practice 1’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-1-results/
F1 Monaco GP: Charles Leclerc tops traffic-packed FP1 ahead of Max Verstappen
Leclerc tops Verstappen and Norris in traffic-packed first practice session at the F1 Monaco GP, which saw the Ferrari driver collide with Lance Stroll early on
May 23, 2025
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has led the way in first free practice at Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix - despite a late challenge from world champion Max Verstappen. Leclerc set a 1m11.964s around the halfway mark that held until the end as Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris filled the top three, with Williams and Mercedes also looking competitive.
‘Traffic-packed first practice session’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...ppen/10725554/
Leclerc/Stroll clash: Everything that happened in Monaco FP1
May 23, 2025
Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race
The two McLarens seemed quickest up to pace, initially running on the soft C6 tyre, but neither found all that much time once swapping to the C5s - this weekend's medium. Norris never improved at all, with one flying lap on C5s undone by a Ste Devote off and another through straight-lining the Nouvelle Chicane, but his first-set time proved good enough for third anyway - with only Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen going ahead.
Verstappen ended up 0.163s off the Ferrari driver, and the exact same margin ahead of Norris. Williams's impressive recent form continued with fourth for Alex Albon and seventh for Carlos Sainz. Slotting in between the two were Oscar Piastri (the only driver in the top 12 to set their fastest time on mediums rather than softs) and George Russell.
It was a busy first Monaco session as a Ferrari driver for Hamilton, who was right at the sharp end in the early going on mediums but was markedly less competitive in the C6 portion of his session. He at one point drew the ire of Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson by going slowly through the end of the lap (prompting Lawson's race engineer Ernesto Desideri to derisively describe it as "usual Hamilton stuff")…
‘Everything that happened’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/c...h-with-stroll/
Monaco GP: That Monaco curse? Leclerc crashes and goes quickest in FP1
23 May 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Charles Leclerc’s Monaco curse struck early in FP1 at his home race as he rear-ended Lance Stroll in a mistake from the Aston Martin driver. But back on track after a red flag and quickest overall ahead of Max Verstappen, he’ll be hoping that was it for his Monaco curse. As they began their preparations for a weekend with a little difference, the FIA trialling a mandatory two-stopper, Charles Leclerc‘s home race weekend began with a trip down an escape road, Lewis Hamilton went quickest, and Max Verstappen found himself caught out by traffic.
Leclerc’s troubles continued as he made his way back to the pit lane with a broken front wing, the front left scrapping on the tarmac. His SF-25 had to be fitted with a new nose, and the floor was also damaged. Leclerc rear-ended Lance Stroll when the Aston Martin pulled over to let another car through only to return to the racing line, pulling in front of a charging Leclerc.
Aston Martin: “And Leclerc is there…”
*crash*
Stroll: “I just felt Leclerc crash into the back of me. I didn’t hear you.”
‘That Monaco curse?’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/monaco...025-fp1-report
2025 Monaco GP FP1: Leclerc takes to the run-off after locking up at Mirabeau
23 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Charles Leclerc was on his first out-lap in first practice when he locked up his brakes at Mirabeau corner and took to the run-off area, before reversing back out on track.
‘Locking up at Mirabeau’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...12425271109904
2025 Monaco GP FP1: Hamilton launches over the kerbs to avoid traffic in first practice
23 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Lewis Hamilton launched his Ferrari over the kerbs at the Swimming Pool as he tried to avoid the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli ahead. After a heavy landing, he managed to keep the car out of the barriers.
‘Hamilton launches over the kerbs’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...16566379800851
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F1 Monaco GP 2025 – Free Practice 2 Results.
Ferrari and Charles Leclerc were again the quickest in practice at the 2025 Monaco GP. Charles Leclerc is the man to beat in Monte Carlo as the hometown hero put his Ferrari top of the Monaco GP 2025 Free Practice 2 results, just ahead of Oscar Piastri in the McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton third fastest in the second practice session of the F1 weekend in the Principality.
23 May 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
The Ferrari driver, who also led the morning session, clocked a 1:11.355 around the streets of Monte Carlo, narrowly edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.038s. The second practice session was marked by two red flag interruptions and a flurry of incidents, but Leclerc stayed composed to end the day on top.
Piastri recovered from a crash to secure second, while Lewis Hamilton showed promising pace in the second Ferrari to go third, just a tenth off his teammate. Surprisingly, both Racing Bulls finished in the top six despite further contact for Hadjar, who damaged his car again sliding out of Turn 1. Liam Lawson ended a strong run in fifth, with Hadjar sixth despite his troubled session.
Fernando Alonso placed seventh for Aston Martin, ahead of Alex Albon, Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who found himself frustrated by traffic and track limits throughout the session
‘Free Practice 2’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-2-results/
Monaco GP: Free Practice 2 Results
Full results from Free Practice 2 for the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix from the streets of Monte Carlo where Charles Leclerc was the fastest for Ferrari.
24 May 2025
Speedcafe.com
Pos Num Driver Car Lap Diff Laps
1 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.355 32
2 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 1:11.393 0.038 28
3 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:11.460 0.105 30
4 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 1:11.677 0.322 32
5 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls Honda RBPT 1:11.823 0.468 32
6 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls Honda RBPT 1:11.842 0.487 17
7 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 1:11.890 0.535 30
8 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 1:11.918 0.563 34
9 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:12.002 0.647 32
10 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 1:12.068 0.713 29
‘Free Practice 2 Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-m...ice-2-results/
Everything that happened in Monaco GP's Friday practice
23 May 2025
Pablo Elizalde
r Sport Magazine
Local hero and 2024 Monaco Grand Prix winner Leclerc topped both of Friday practice sessions for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc led Friday practice for the Monaco Grand Prix for Ferrari, barely outpacing Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri.
Leclerc, the winner of the race last year, went quickest by 0.038s from his McLaren rival and a tenth from Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton, third fastest today. In an incident-filled hour of running that included two red flags, Leclerc emerged on top with a lap of 1m11.355sec.
‘Local hero’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#
2025 Monaco GP FP2: Piastri rips off front wing after hitting the wall at Sainte Devote
23 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Championship leader Oscar Piastri was on a push lap when he went straight on at Sainte Devote and hit the barriers face-on. He ripped off his front wing but was able to recover to the pits, as Race Control threw the red flags.
‘Rips off front wing’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...26455777807985
Damon Hill tells the FIA ‘they have to do something’ after ‘dangerous’ Max Verstappen moment at Monaco Grand Prix
23 May 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Damon Hill says the FIA must take action after Monaco Grand Prix close calls
FP2 could have been a lot worse with Verstappen. He was involved in a near-miss at the Swimming Pool chicane on a hot lap. The 65-time race-winner encountered the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto going slowly, as well as his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. There could easily have been a crash.
“Mate! Unbelievable!” Verstappen protested over the radio. “These guys! So dangerous! I know it’s only practice, but for me that is unacceptable, that kind of impeding. It’s so dangerous in the Swimming Pool.” This was one of a number of heart-in-mouth moments for the drivers as they navigated the notorious Monaco Grand Prix traffic. Lewis Hamilton also came close to collecting the Alpine of Pierre Gasly at Massenet.
Writing on X, 1996 world champion Damon Hill called for the FIA to take action. “They have to do something about quali and slow cars,” Hill wrote. “It’s too dangerous to have this disparity of speed.”
‘FIA must take action’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dam...co-grand-prix/
F1 - 2025 Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday Press Conference Transcript
22.05.25
FIA (Press Release)
Charles, this was a race that went so well for you last year. Just what chance a repeat in 2025? Charles LECLERC: I mean, if you want an honest answer, then low, because unfortunately our car hasn't been particularly strong in low-speed corners. And there’s only low-speed corners here in Monaco. So on paper, it doesn’t look like the most promising track for us. But Monaco is so unique and so different from anything we race on over the season that we can have a good surprise once we put the car down tomorrow – which I hope will happen. And if it does, then I hope to be there on Saturday because qualifying will remain the most important part of the weekend. But on paper, it’s going to be a tough one.
Just give us a little preview of this weekend and whether you think the Alpine will go well. Pierre GASLY: Well, I think as Charles touched on, Monaco is one of those tracks where it's difficult to predict or have a clear idea of where performance is going to be. It’s one of those tracks, as a driver, where you feel like you can have a bigger impact on performance. The car performances are potentially more level compared to traditional tracks. All of that brings good opportunities. On my side, I see a weekend full of opportunities. I’m quite optimistic about what we can do, and I know it can be a great chance for us to get some points. It’s one of my favourite tracks. It’s always worked out quite well around here for me, and I’m looking forward to another year.
Four times in seven races this year you’ve been Red Bull’s top driver behind Max Verstappen. Things are going well. Can you sum up the progress so far? Have you got to grips with a Formula 1 car quicker than you were expecting? Isack HAJDAR: Yeah. I mean, I had doubts at the start of the year. I didn’t have much testing, so I was a bit worried – like, can I handle this car? Is it going to be too fast? But now I don’t have any doubts anymore, and I’ve adapted to it quicker than I hoped for. So far, it’s been going better than I anticipated, which is – for me – I can’t dream of a better start.
General question first of all – Monaco, what makes this event different and special? Max VERSTAPPEN: I think it’s just how difficult the track is to master in qualifying, to get the most out of it. Also knowing that overtaking is difficult on a Sunday, qualifying is even more important. It’s incredibly narrow, challenging, bumpy. The history, of course, of Monaco in general – this is one of these races that you really want to win. It is very special to be racing here. It’s pretty insane, to be honest. But once you stand on the top step on the podium, it’s something where you’re like, “That was a great weekend.” You’re like, “done!”
Question to Alex. Can you describe the feeling of a qualification out there in Monaco? Alex ALBON: Honestly, similar to what Max is saying. I think with these cars and the weight of them around such a narrow track like Monaco, and also with these softer tyres – it sounds strange, but it's actually easy to overdrive. You have to wait for the track to come to you and be quite disciplined in your driving. You don’t want to feel out of control. You can get to a point where you take so much risk that you're just not comfortable and you can’t build on it. What Max is saying about a bit more of a steady approach – when it comes to Q3 and your final lap is when you start pushing the limits of comfortability and you're trading that with technique, lap time, and tire damage. It’s a bit of a mental game around here. It's not just about taking as much risk as you can because it's a street track. There's a skill to it.
We saw improved pace from Sauber last weekend. Do you think that will translate to Monaco this weekend? Gabriel BORTOLETO: I’m not so sure about that. I think Miami we were a bit better. In Q1 we went to Q2 with a bit more margin. Imola was not our best track. We went to Q2, but I don’t want to take any credit out. But at the end of the day, Yuki crashed and Berman got the lap deleted. It was not the best quali pace, but the race pace was a bit better. Unfortunately, we were not able to maximize the opportunities we got, so we didn’t manage to score any points. I think we are making progress, taking steps ahead. Let’s see – in Barcelona, we’re bringing a new package, so maybe that can be a very good thing for us.
‘Drivers Press Conference Transcript’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2025-mon...nce-transcript
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Monaco GP: Leclerc still on top in FP3 as Hamilton crashes.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed on Saturday a flawless run through free practice ahead of his home Grand Prix in Monaco, laying down in FP3 a clear marker with a late-session flyer that left the field chasing shadows.
24/05/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
With a blistering lap of 1m10.953s, Leclerc outpaced Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by nearly three tenths, solidifying his status as the slight favorite for pole in his home race. The session, however, revealed a tyre conundrum that promises to make the upcoming qualifying a tactical chess match, while a late crash by Lewis Hamilton brought a dramatic close to proceedings.
Under the golden sun of the Côte d’Azur, the final dress reheasal began in rather subdued fashion. Only six drivers took to the circuit in the first 15 minutes as teams played it safe on a street track still waking up from its public overnight access. The early surface slickness added an element of unpredictability that would carry through the session.
Lando Norris and Leclerc traded early top spots before Max Verstappen threw down the gauntlet midway through, clocking a 1m11.233s on the medium C5 compound — a time that, oddly enough, stood firm against the supposedly faster soft tyres. Leclerc answered back, trimming Verstappen’s benchmark to a 1m11.179s — just 0.054s quicker — before a stunning late surge saw him clock a 1m10.953s, stretching nearly three tenths clear of the Red Bull.
‘Leclerc still on top in FP3’;
https://f1i.com/news/539525-monaco-g...n-crashes.html
Monaco GP: Free Practice 3 Results
Full results from Free Practice 3 for the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix from the streets of Monte Carlo where Charles Leclerc was fastest and Lewis Hamilton crashed.
24 May 2025
Speedcafe.com
POS NO DRIVER CAR TIME LAPS
1 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:10.953 25
2 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 1:11.233 23
3 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 1:11.247 23
4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 1:11.398 21
5 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:11.516 26
6 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 1:11.668 24
7 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls Honda RBPT 1:11.814 33
8 55 Carlos Sainz Williams Mercedes 1:11.893 24
9 22 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 1:11.952 21
10 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:12.013 23
‘Free Practice 3 Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-m...ice-3-results/
Monaco GP: Hamilton bins his Ferrari as Leclerc goes P1 and FP3 raises qualy tyre questions
24 May 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
With only one hour of practice remaining before the all-important qualifying session, Liam Lawson and Lewis Hamilton queued at the end of the pit lane – as Max Verstappen strolled down to the Red Bull garage. Kimi Antonelli also wasn’t in a hurry to go out, instead chatting to his race engineer Pete Bonnington in the Mercedes garage.
Franco Colapinto put in the opening gambit, 1:15.8, over four seconds slower than Charles Leclerc’s P1 time from Friday. Only five drivers completed timed laps in the opening 10 minutes, with Nico Hulkenberg P1 on a 1:14.0. Ferrari and McLaren joined the action, immediately onto the soft Pirellis, with Lewis Hamilton going quickest, followed by Lando Norris, and then Charles Leclerc.
A 1:12.7 for the local favourite. The Mercedes team-mates and Fernando Alonso were the last drivers to enter the fray, having waited almost a third of the session before going out. Having seemingly figured out how to get the soft tyres to last, Leclerc went quickest with a 1:10.9 while Norris and Piastri improved their times to finish third and fourth fastest. The one driver who struggled was Verstappen, P2 by on the medium Pirellis. Hamilton brought out the red flag with two minutes left on the clock as he binned his Ferrari at Massenet, damaging the front right of the car. The session was not restarted.
‘Hamilton bins his Ferrari as Leclerc goes P1 and FP3 raises qualy tyre questions’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/monaco...025-fp3-report
2025 Monaco GP FP3: Hamilton hits the wall to bring out the red flags and end the session
24 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
There were just a few minutes left on the clock in final practice when Lewis Hamilton clonked the walls at the Massenet corner to trigger the red flags and bring the session to an early finish.
‘Clonked the walls’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...03774053837203
Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari misery continues as star CRASHES OUT of Monaco GP practice at 175MPH - as team face race against time before qualifying
• Lewis Hamilton crashed out of practice at the Monaco Grand Prix at 175mph
• Ferrari were given just two-and-half hours to put his car back together
24 May 2025
JONATHAN MCEVOY
MailOnline
Lewis Hamilton crashed out of practice for the Monaco Grand Prix at 175mph – giving his Ferrari team two-and-a-half hours to piece his car back together ahead of qualifying. Hamilton, who has won in Monte Carlo three times, was caught out at Massenet as he suddenly saw cars in front him after clearing the crest. He decelerated, lost control, and scraped along the barriers.
‘Damn, hit the wall - sorry, guys,’ said Hamilton to the concerned pit wall. He was running fifth in the timings when he pranged on the congested track.
�� | LEWIS HAMILTON HIT THE WALL#MonacoGP ���� pic.twitter.com/kokIgNfQCR
— La Gazzetta Ferrari (@GazzettaFerrari) May 24, 2025
He pulled up at Casino Square to inspect the damage, which looked repairable in time for qualifying.
‘CRASHES OUT of Monaco GP practice at 175MPH’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ualifying.html
‘That’s stupid’: Nick Heidfeld accuses £2.5m-a-year F1 driver of making a ‘stupid’ excuse for their Monaco Grand Prix incident
24 May 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Nick Heidfeld slams Lance Stroll’s ‘stupid’ excuse for his Monaco GP FP1 crash with Charles Leclerc. Gary Gannon, Stroll’s race engineer, told the 26-year-old Leclerc was close. Yet the Montreal native said he did not hear the radio message after the crash, which saw Stroll miss the rest of FP1 due to rear suspension and gearbox damage. Leclerc had to pit for a new front wing.
But Nick Heidfeld does not buy Stroll’s excuse that he could not avoid a crash with Leclerc in FP1 for the Monaco GP as he did not hear Gannon’s radio message. The former Williams F1 driver claims it is a poor explanation as you must always be aware of traffic in Monte Carlo.
‘Stupid excuse’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/nic...prix-incident/
2025 Monaco GP FP3: Hadjar forced to dodge Tunsoda in the tunnel
24 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Isack Hadjar was forced to dodge Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull in the tunnel in final practice in Monaco – bringing back memories of his close shave in the tunnel with Ritomo Miyata in F2 Qualifying last year.
‘Hadjar forced to dodge’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...01182831725202
Helmut Marko criticises Isack Hadjar for showing ‘a lack of intelligence’ after what he heard at the Monaco Grand Prix
24 May 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Helmut Marko criticises Isack Hadjar for calling himself ‘an idiot’ after crashing in practice in Monaco. A bit of oversteer at Sainte Devote saw the left-rear of Hadjar’s VCARB 02 slide as he got on the throttle. The Parisian quickly hit Racing Bulls’ radio to say: “I’m so stupid. I think I’m just an idiot.” But Hadjar’s instant reaction did not impress Red Bull’s motorsport adviser Marko.
“He was good in terms of pace but not right away,” Marko told Motorsport.com. “He hit the barrier and tried to explain it with a lack of intelligence and things like that. He should just concentrate on driving.” Hadjar developed a reputation during his rise to Formula 1 for being very hot-headed on the radio having often berated the Parisian’s team, especially in Formula 2. Even Marko warned Hadjar to keep his cool on the radio when Red Bull promoted him into F1 with Racing Bulls.
‘A lack of intelligence’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/hel...co-grand-prix/
-
Norris stuns Leclerc to claim pole in thrilling Monaco GP qualifying.
In a breathtaking conclusion to the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session, Lando Norris clinched pole position with a remarkable final lap, clocking in at 1:09.954.
24 May 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
McLaren’s Lando Norris delivers a stunning last-lap performance to outpace Charles Leclerc, while teammate Oscar Piastri secures third. This effort edged out local favourite Charles Leclerc by a mere 0.109 seconds, thwarting the Monegasque’s bid for a home pole. McLaren’s dominance was further solidified with Oscar Piastri securing third place, marking a significant achievement for the team on the challenging streets of Monte Carlo.
Leclerc, who had dominated all three practice sessions, seemed poised to convert his pace into pole position. However, Norris’s exceptional final run disrupted those plans, showcasing McLaren’s strategic prowess and the driver’s skill under pressure. Piastri’s performance, placing him ahead of seasoned competitors, underscores McLaren’s formidable presence this season.
‘Norris’s exceptional final run’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-2025-leclerc/
F1 Monaco GP 2025 – Qualifying Results
24 May 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:09.954
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.109
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.175
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.428
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.715
6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.969
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.970
8 Esteban Ocon Haas +0.988
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.175
10 Alexander Albon Williams +1.259
‘Qualifying Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...fying-results/
Charles Leclerc goes berserk over Ferrari team radio at Monaco Grand Prix
May 24, 2025
Charlie Gordon
Daily and Sunday Express
Charles Leclerc was furious when pole position at his home Grand Prix was snatched away from him by F1 rival Lando Norris. A scintillating lap put the Monegasque on provisional pole towards the end of Q3, and he stayed there right up until Norris pipped him by just over a tenth of a second.
When Ferrari race engineer Bryan Bozzi informed him that it was second place on the grid, Leclerc shrieked: "NO!" A string of expletives followed before Leclerc ranted about getting caught up in a crowd on his first push lap. "The first lap with this ***ing traffic," he bellowed.
Attending his post-race interview with Sky Sports, and having allowed the dust to settle, Leclerc had a different outlook on what is still a reasonable opportunity to claim his first win of the season - particularly with the mandatory two-stop rule now in place. "There’s always something more to be done, but at the end of the day, this was the best we could do," said the 27-year-old. "I think the lap was really good. The first lap was a bit of a shame because that gives you a bit more confidence for the second run when you have a good first lap.
‘Berserk over Ferrari team radio’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...aco-grand-prix
All-out Norris pips Leclerc to thrilling Monaco GP pole
24 May 2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Monaco Grand Prix, denying home favorite Charles Leclerc in a thrilling Q3 showdown. Norris’ 1m09.954s lap, a new track record, edged Leclerc by 0.109s, marking the Briton’s first pole since Australia. The session was a rollercoaster of tyre tactics, red flags, and Mercedes’ woes, setting the stage for Sunday’s 78-lap mad dash in the Principality.
Norris, who trailed Leclerc after Q3’s second runs, found an extra tenth and a half on his third flyer, capitalizing on his soft tyres’ grip. Leclerc, who had dominated all practice sessions, settled for second, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took third after losing time at Nouvelle Chicane.
‘All-out Norris’;
https://f1i.com/news/539550-all-out-...o-gp-pole.html
Lewis Hamilton Monaco GP grid drop confirmed after Verstappen near miss
24 May 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
The verdict reads: “The stewards heard from the driver of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton), the driver of Car 1 (Max Verstappen), team representatives and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing, telemetry, team radio and in-car video evidence. “Car 44 was on a slow lap and off the racing line as he was approaching Turn 2. Car 1 was approaching Car 44 on a push lap.”
“The team first informed the driver of Car 44 that Car 1 was on a fast lap. Then they sent another message saying that Car 1 was ‘slowing down’ when in fact Car 1 was always on a push lap and was not ‘slowing down’ as suggested by the team. This resulted in Car 44 speeding up and moving into the racing line of Car 1 entering Turn 3.”
“Car 1 had to react to Car 44 appearing to move into the racing line. This meant that Car 1 had to move off the usual racing line and the push lap had to be aborted by Car 1. We carefully examined the racing line taken by Car 1 in previous laps at the same area and determined that Car 44 did in fact enter the racing line that Car 1 used in previous push laps. This put it beyond doubt that Car 1 was impeded.”
‘Monaco GP grid drop’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/fia-le...pede-monaco-gp
George Russell explains qualifying issue that’s put Monaco F1 GP ‘up in smoke’
24 May 2025
Harry Whitfield
Motorsport Week
George Russell was left frustrated after qualifying for the 2025 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix as an electrical power unit fault in Q2 ended his chances of a top-four result. Heading past the Casino section, Russell’s W16 gave way as he limped around the circuit before coming to a stop in the tunnel.
“Yeah, it [a bump] was definitely the cause, but it was a bump in the straight,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “It’s a bump that’s been there all weekend and a bump that I’ve felt all weekend, but for whatever reason, on this occasion, the whole engine switched off when I hit this bump. Really disappointing because we got ourselves a bit lost this weekend with the set-up and we went back to basics for quali.”
“From lap one, I felt back in the game. Also, Kimi stayed with probably more the set-up he had in FP3; I went back to something that we knew. He was struggling and we were there – I really feel we would have been in the top four today – now, we’re not”.
‘The whole engine switched off when I hit this bump’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...p-up-in-smoke/
Norris beats Leclerc and Piastri to pole with last-gasp lap in Monaco GP Qualifying thriller
24 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Lando Norris charged to pole position during Saturday afternoon’s Qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix, getting the better of home favourite Charles Leclerc and McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri in a dramatic conclusion to the action. With run plans varying at the end of the Q3 phase, the McLaren drivers managed to extract two laps from their final sets of soft tyres – Norris producing a 1m 09.954s to deny Leclerc, who had briefly held the top spot.
Piastri settled for third, followed by Leclerc’s Ferrari team mate, Lewis Hamilton, who recovered well from his crash in final practice, while Max Verstappen could only go fifth for Red Bull after a tricky Qualifying. Isack Hadjar was one of the stars of the session to put his Racing Bulls machine sixth, ahead of the similarly impressive Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso, Haas of Esteban Ocon and team mate Liam Lawson, while Williams’ Alex Albon rounded out the top 10.
‘Last-gasp lap’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...1mZoCvSevSPJe8
Leclerc ‘proud’ but ‘very frustrated’ after narrowly missing out on Monaco pole to Norris
24 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc: “The first lap was a bit of a shame because that gives you a bit more confidence for the second run when you have a good first lap. I couldn’t have that, I had Sector 2 traffic, but it’s the way it is. I’m just obviously very frustrated. We know that we don’t quite have the car to go for wins this year, but this weekend the car felt good. Starting second here… it’s going to be tricky to take that first place.”
Asked what it is about Monaco’s streets that suits him over one lap, he replied: “I don’t know. I like city tracks in general. I like to really go all into Qualifying and take maximum risks. I think this pays off most of the time. Sometimes it doesn’t pay off. But I’m proud anyway of the result we’ve had today. On paper, it was going to be a very difficult weekend for us. At the end of the day, it’s not that bad.”
“Very frustrated”;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...CTmgGul1w2LPDE
F1 Monaco GP 2025 Starting Grid: Norris on pole position
25 May 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Pos Driver Team
1 Lando Norris McLaren
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull
5 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls
6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin
7 Lewis Hamilton* Ferrari
8 Esteban Ocon Haas
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls
10 Alexander Albon Williams
‘Starting Grid’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...starting-grid/
-
Monaco GP: Norris wins Monaco GP as pit stop rules fail spectacularly.
Lando Norris beat Charles Leclerc to the Monaco Grand Prix victory in a race of strategy, questionable team tactics and frustration for those who fell foul of it.
25 May 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
While the end result meant a closer title fight with Norris moving to within three points of Oscar Piastri in the Drivers’ standings, Formula 1 has big questions to answer. Lining up on the grid for a mandatory two-stop Monaco Grand Prix, Lando Norris was on pole position with the grid featuring all three Pirelli compounds, including soft tyres for Yuki Tsunoda.
Quick off the line, Charles Leclerc got a run on Norris and pulled alongside with Norris suffering a huge lock-up as he held his line into Turn 1 to keep Leclerc at bay, while Oscar Piastri didn’t have the best getaway but still managed to stay ahead of Max Verstappen. Gabriel Bortoleto went nose-first into the barrier at Portier, crowded into the barrier by Kimi Antonelli. He found reserve and rejoined the action to head to the pits for repairs. Also in the pits were Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly and Oliver Bearman for their first of two pit stops. The VSC was out, neutralising the race.
Russell pitted for the first time on lap 64! His pit stop allowed Williams to swap Sainz and Albon, the latter thanking his team-mate as he overtook him. Russell made his second stop on lap 70. His team-mate Antonelli made his first stop on lap 75! Back at the front, Verstappen led with Norris complaining that he was “backing” him into Leclerc. The Ferrari driver, who couldn’t find a way through, had Piastri on his rear wing. And then Verstappen pitted, on the penultimate lap.
‘Norris wins Monaco GP’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/monaco...ix-2025-report
F1 Monaco GP 2025 – Race Results
Lando Norris was commanding in Monaco and took his first win in the Principality
25 May 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lando Norris McLaren Leader
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +3.131
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +3.658
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +20.572
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +51.387
6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +1 Lap
7 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +1 Lap
8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1 Lap
9 Alexander Albon Williams +2 Laps
10 Carlos Sainz Williams +2 Laps
‘Race Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-race-results/
Lando Norris wins Monaco GP as in-race games frustrate drivers
Lando Norris managed to seal his second F1 victory of the season at a Monaco race that saw two mandatory pit stops.
25 May 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Lando Norris has won the Monaco Grand Prix, triumphing at a rather uneventful occasion at the historic F1 venue. The McLaren driver converted his pole position into victory, with home favourite Charles Leclerc finishing in the runner-up spot.
The leading cars finished well ahead of the midfield back as team games were played, which saw some drivers deliberately back off to give their team-mate a gap to pit into. For the first time ever at Monaco, all drivers were required to make two pit stops which created question marks over the strategies in play.
‘In-race games frustrate drivers’;
https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...strate-drivers
Norris takes victory over Leclerc and Piastri in gripping Monaco Grand Prix
25 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Lando Norris expertly converted pole position into victory during Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, leading home Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc and McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri at the end of an intriguing, strategic race, which saw Max Verstappen hold P1 until the penultimate lap on an alternate strategy. Norris survived a massive lock-up at the first corner before working through Virtual Safety Car phases, spells of traffic and the mandated two-stop rule to score his second win of the season and slash Piastri’s championship lead.
Leclerc applied plenty of pressure at various stages of the race, including that initial run to Sainte Devote and late on when Verstappen backed the pack up, but ultimately had to settle for second, with Piastri – now just three points clear of Norris in the standings – completing the podium. Verstappen ran an off-set tyre strategy that saw the Red Bull driver go much longer across his stints, giving him the race lead into the very closing stages, but he dropped to fourth after completing his required second stop with a lap to go.
‘Norris takes victory’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...DY8UvKMu25Daoa
‘We didn’t put a foot wrong’ – Ocon thrilled with points finish in Monaco GP
25 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Esteban Ocon started P8 for Haas in Monaco and managed to finish one place higher. He called it “A really great weekend all around”.
‘We didn’t put a foot wrong’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/we...05558861769534
F1's failed gamble - Our verdict on 2025 Monaco Grand Prix
May 25, 2025
The Race
Formula 1 hoped the mandatory two-stop strategy would spice up the Monaco Grand Prix after years of criticism of the Sunday spectacle reached a crescendo with 2024's 'zero stop' race. But it's fair to say the reality might not have been what F1 had in mind.
Not racing as it's meant to be - Scott Mitchell-Malm.
Exaggerated the worst Monaco tactics - Ben Anderson.
It achieved nothing - Gary Anderson.
Good for the show, not good for the sport - Edd Straw.
Dull and contrived - Josh Suttill.
Maybe just leave Monaco alone - Matt Beer.
‘F1's failed gamble’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...x-our-verdict/
2025 Monaco Grand Prix – F1 standings after Round 8 of F1 2025 season
25 May 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
A dream win in Monaco for Lando Norris capped off a bizarre race dominated by all-new pit stop regulations. The McLaren driver survived the strategic chaos behind to win from Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri in third.
Victory and the 25 points it comes with has moved Norris to within just three points of McLaren teammate Piastri in the Drivers’ Championship. Max Verstappen remains fourth following his fourth place in the Principality, now a full race win off the top of the standings.
F1 2025 Drivers’ Championship standings
1. Oscar Piastri, McLaren – 161 points
2. Lando Norris, McLaren – 158
3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull – 136
4. George Russell, Mercedes – 99
5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 79
6. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari – 63
7. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes – 48
8. Alex Albon, Williams – 42
9. Esteban Ocon, Haas – 20
10. Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls – 15
‘F1 standings after Round 8’;
https://www.planetf1.com/home-page/f...aco-grand-prix
-
Martin Brundle slams new F1 rule as Max Verstappen fuming at Monaco Grand Prix.
"I’m not liking it, these regulations, I’m not liking it," said Brundle on Sky Sports. "I don’t want to see drivers all the way through the field playing a game.”
May 26, 2025
Archie Griggs
Daily and Sunday Express
Brundle revealed during the race that he did not like the new rule, which was supposed to create more excitement but ended up doing the opposite. He also suggested that drivers should have been made to pit early on, rather than wait as long as possible. "This is about excellence. This is about the highest point of motorsport and I don’t like to see so many drivers going slowly. I wonder if they should have said: 'You must take one stop in the first half of the race or first third of the race'."
Brundle doubled down on his views after the chequered flag, adding: "It was too chaotic. The focus was on pitting, not on racing, if I can sum it up like that." Verstappen was also frustrated with the pit-stop rules after coming home in fourth place. He insisted that no matter what is done to try and shake things up, overtaking in Monaco will continue to be almost impossible.
"You can't race here anyway so it doesn't matter what you do, one stop or 10 stops," said the Dutchman. "Even at the end I was in the lead, but my tyres were completely gone and you still can't pass. I think nowadays, with an F1 car, you can just pass a Formula Two car around here. I get it, but I don't think it has worked. Honestly, we were almost doing Mario Kart. Then we'll have to install bits on the car, maybe you could throw bananas around [and create] a slippery surface."
“Bananas”;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...aco-Grand-Prix
Monaco Grand Prix Talking Points: Pointless pit stops punish fans as Norris' momentum piles pressure on Piastri
May 26, 2025
Oliver van Bronswijk
The Roar
W elcome back to F1 Talking Points after what can only be considered a farcical Monaco Grand Prix. A unique gimmick with a mandatory two-pit stop requirement dominated the headlines as teams deployed near crawling speeds in honour of protecting teammates, but at the front, the championship fight begins to tighten once more.
Racing Bulls and Williams won the strategy battle: Credit where credit is due, Racing Bulls and Williams were on the ball with this new format. Not to say for a second this was good for racing, but the team’s objective is to score points, not make an entertaining race. Racing Bulls in particular, by capitalising on the most important qualifying of the year, put themselves in a prime position to orchestrate their own race.
Mercedes disaster class: Whilst the midfield teams ahead benefited, it was Mercedes that was the biggest loser. A horrific qualifying started with Kimi Antonelli touching the wall and crashing at the Nouvelle Chicane and finished with George Russell suffering an electrical failure in the tunnel. Starting 14th and 15th, it was always going to be tough, but Mercedes uncharacteristically failed to split their strategies, committing both to going long in hopes of a safety car. This never materialised, and to be stuck behind Williams, who were as fast as traffic cones, was enough for Russell to snap.
‘As fast as traffic cones’;
https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/05/2...re-on-piastri/
Monaco Grand Prix investigation demanded as team accused of 'manipulating' results
May 26, 2025
Jack McEachen
Daily and Sunday Express
Williams driver Carlos Sainz called for an FIA investigation as he felt that the outcome of the Monaco Grand Prix was unjust. Lando Norris of McLaren took his first-ever victory at the iconic venue, but Sainz was more frustrated by those in the midfield he was battling with for the majority of the race. Sainz fumed at Racing Bulls for this strategy, pointing out how Liam Lawson deployed it to aid team-mate Isack Hadjar early in the race, an unconventional move that Williams themselves were forced to copy later.
The Spanish driver felt that such racing was "manipulating the outcome a bit" and encouraged the governing body to get involved. "[We were] driving four seconds off the pace at some stages of the race," Sainz said. "Ultimately, we were victims, first from Lawson that managed to lose 40 seconds to Isack, [it allowed] two pit stops that Isack would do in front of us to finish, to do his two pit stops and finish P5.”
"As we were victims of that situation, we had to, in the end, do the same thing as Lawson did both times with Alex [Albon] and myself to make sure we bought the two cars to the points, something I definitely didn't enjoy doing, something definitely the sport should look into. Ultimately, yeah, you're driving two or three seconds off the pace that the car can do. You are ultimately manipulating the race and manipulating the outcome a bit.”
‘Sainz fumed’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...gation-results
Mekies hails “incredible” Hajdar and Lawson after Racing Bulls first double points finish since 2019
26 May 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
On the back of Racing Bulls’ first double point-scoring result since 2019, team boss Laurent Mekies has praised his drivers Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar for their “incredible” performance all through the Monaco GP weekend. “What a brilliant result! It’s hugely rewarding to get both cars into the points at one of the toughest races of the year. Our performance this weekend has been incredibly encouraging.”
“Monaco is one of the most difficult races to manage from every aspect and everyone at the track, with vital support from those back in the factory, was on top of their game. Isack and Liam did not look like they were racing here for the first time in an F1 car and they have been incredible all weekend. Nothing came easily, and everyone had a very intense weekend to improve the car throughout the sessions.”
“Ultimately it allowed us to put both our cars in Q3 yesterday,” Mekies continued. “On a track where the driver really makes the difference, Isack and Liam deserve most of the credit for this result, and with the help of a great race strategy and teamwork from Liam, we got 12 more precious points. Our car is improving and now we go to Barcelona determined to keep fighting at the front of the midfield,” concluded a bullish Mekies.
‘Incredible performance’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/26932
Lewis Hamilton “in the middle of nowhere” during Monaco GP
26 May 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
After the first phase of pit-stops, Lewis Hamilton was quite comfortably running in P5 – facing no threats behind and too far back to bother the top four. This, however, did not prevent some confusion between the British driver and his race engineer. With Hamilton effectively running on his own, it would have only taken a few messages for Adami to explain the race status. This didn’t happen though, with Hamilton instead left asking his engineer for the gap to the drivers ahead – only to receive no response.
A few minutes later, the British driver even asked if Adami was upset with him – searching for some clarity on the lack of communication. There was no response to this request, which came during his cool-down lap after the chequered flag. Whilst Hamilton did not want to directly address this issue post-race, he still outlined some of his question marks throughout the GP: “I can’t comment on the rest of the race, for me I was in the middle of nowhere,” he explained to Sky Sports F1.
“I started seventh, was behind two cars for some time, managed to clear them, then I was in no man’s land after that. The gap was relatively big, and I was not racing anyone. I needed a Safety Car or something to come into play, but it didn’t happen. It was pretty straightforward from there. The information [from his race engineer] wasn’t exactly that clear. I didn’t really understand ‘this is our race’. I didn’t know what I was fighting for. Was I fighting for the next spot ahead? But in actual fact, when I looked at the data, I wasn’t anywhere near any of the guys in front.”
“In the middle of nowhere”;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...ing-monaco-gp/
Horner delighted that Verstappen is within a victory from championship lead before Barcelona regulation change
26 May 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Expanding on Red Bull’s day at Monte Carlo, Christian Horner stated: "We rolled the dice today. It didn’t work and our best chance was a safety car or a red flag or VSC as you’re never going to overtake on track here. We went long with Max and he led a lot of the laps today but ultimately had to take that final stop.”
“For Yuki we did the inverse, and pitted him on lap one, initially it looked like he would get significant benefit from it but then everyone started to drive extremely slowly, as they started playing around with their tactics. He was basically on the same set of tyres for the whole race and did his fastest laps at the end there when he finally got some clear air but it was done by then; an extremely difficult for him today.”
Signing off with a word for the forthcoming Spanish Grand Prix, Horner said: “So, damage limitation today. We have only given away three points to Oscar, the Championship leader and we go into Barcelona within a race win and that was the target to hit this regulation change."
"We rolled the dice today”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/26937
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How Monaco GP 'manipulation' began - The full story behind the first strategy call.
It was not pretty but, on a track where overtaking is so difficult, it was effective: use your second car as a roadblock.
May 27, 2025
Jon Noble
The Race
As Racing Bulls' strategists got to work on plotting how best to approach the Monaco GP, this roadblock tactic started shuffling up the order of preference. Some circumstances needed to fall into play for it to happen: the teams' drivers needed to be running quite close to each other and at a decent pace where the car ahead was able to get a move on.
But if that happened then the second car could then act as the buffer to everyone behind; effectively backing off and holding everybody up so a nice gap opened up on the track in front of them. This would then allow the lead driver to drop into that gap after their pitstop. Once there, you swap positions, allow the second car to get its free pitstop. Then rinse and repeat the process.
As Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies said, the idea was firmly on the table before Monaco and it got hardened up immediately once Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson qualified relatively close to each other in fifth and ninth on the grid. "It was certainly one of the preferred strategies," Mekies told The Race. "The guys have been doing a very, very good job already in the past few weeks when they dug into the Monaco uniqueness with these new regulations.”
‘Roadblock tactic’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/h...ulation-began/
GPDA Chairman pitches plans to improve F1 Monaco GP
May 27, 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Despite the minimum two pitstop rule implemented by the FIA, the race saw just two on-track overtakes, two less than last year. It has once again reopened the yearly debate as to whether the circuit, which has now hosted 82 Grands Prix, has any relevance in modern day F1.
The first part of the circuit the 51-year-old outlined was the Nouvelle Chicane, and moving it around a third of the way between its current spot and the following left-hander, Tabac.
The second alteration would be a revised profile of the Rascasse corner, the penultimate on the circuit, moving the apex of the corner a few yards out from its current position.
The third and final suggestion made would be to widen the entry and exit points at the Fairmont hairpin, opining that drivers will be more likely to attempt to daring overtake.
Wurz’s detailed plan may be music to the ears of Christian Horner, who reiterated to media, including Motorsport Week, his own views on the track changing. The Red Bull boss said that F1 “needs to move with the times,” adding it would be “really cool to have at least one area where there was a chance of an overtake.”
‘The race saw just two on-track overtakes’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-f1-monaco-gp/
Ten ways to fix the Monaco: From joker laps to cancellation
27 May 2025
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
After the newly-announced mandatory two-pit stop strategy in Monaco failed to create an unpredictable race, fans and pundits have continued to wonder if we can’t do more to “fix” the Monaco Grand Prix? We’ve taken a look at some of the biggest theories and ideas.
Monaco Grand Prix fix No. 1: Turn it into an exhibition race
Monaco Grand Prix fix No. 2: Mandate the use of all three tyre compounds
Monaco Grand Prix fix No. 3: Create Monaco-specific regulations
Monaco Grand Prix fix No. 4: Improve braking zones
Monaco Grand Prix fix No. 5: Emphasize qualifying or introduce time trials
Monaco Grand Prix fix No. 6: Add a joker lap
Monaco Grand Prix fix No. 7: Force a wet race
Monaco Grand Prix fix No. 8: Design the cars for Monaco
Monaco Grand Prix fix No. 9: Get rid of it
Monaco Grand Prix fix No. 10: Get over it
‘Biggest theories and ideas’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/te...aco-grand-prix
Martin Brundle picks out what two teams did during Monaco GP and claims it's 'not what F1 stands for'
27 May 2025
Ben McCrum
SPORTbible
The Sky Sports Formula One legend has had his say on the controversial race strategy. Despite promising an exciting race due to the implementation of a mandatory two-stop strategy, the race was a huge disappointment as several teams deployed a controversial strategy.
Brundle clearly wasn't a fan of the strategy, as in his post-race piece for Sky Sports, he wrote: "Now of course it's highly usual for the leader to go slowly and in fact back up all 19 cars in the early stages here, so that nobody has a pit stop window, before gassing it at some point to create their own pitting opportunity.”
"Instead, we saw selected cars four seconds off the pace with a frustrated queue behind them. Not pretty, or impressive, but effective for some. But hardly what F1 stands for. The two-stop experiment didn't work. We simply have to manage expectations for race day, do our best to slightly ease overtaking if possible, recognise that Monaco qualifying is one of the most special hours of the F1 or any sporting season, or not race there, which is not an option."
‘Controversial race strategy’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/martin...74390-20250527
Lando Norris criticises media after major Monaco victory: 'It's all crap'
Prior to Monaco, Lando Norris had not claimed a pole position or victory since the season-opener, with his mistakes having been reported on by world media.
26 May 2025
Nick Golding
RacingNews365
"Yeah, people can write what they want. It’s not up to me," said Lando Norris. "People have their own opinions, they can do all of those things. Thing is, none of them are true, 99% of the time. So, it’s all crap. I don’t mind what people write as long as I know the truth and my team know the truth, and that’s fine. I’ve been working hard over the last few months to get back to having that momentum that I had in Australia, that confidence.”
"What I felt this weekend was a small step forward, but it’s not it. It’s not like I’ve nailed it now and everything’s back. There are still things that I need to work on, there are still things that – as a team – them giving me the equipment – and I don’t mean just making a quicker car, because the car’s quick enough – but giving me the things I need from the car in order to excel and maximise results, and the differences from last year to this year.”
"So, still things from both sides, but I’m very proud of [pole]. I’m happier with Saturday’s result than I am of [the win]. I mean, it's incredible, but I was more emotional [after qualifying] than I was [after winning]."
'It's all crap';
https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...y-its-all-crap
‘Rumours’ now swirling around the F1 paddock about something Ferrari did behind the scenes at the Monaco Grand Prix
27 May 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Journalist Christian Hewgill heard something in the Monaco paddock that suggests Ferrari made an extra effort to be competitive at the 27-year-old’s home race. Hewgill was speaking on The Fast and The Curious Podcast in the aftermath of the Monaco Grand Prix after watching Leclerc achieve his best result of the season.
He explained: “Let’s talk about Ferrari because Charles Leclerc came into this weekend saying it’s going to be a disaster. It is going to be awful. We’ll be lucky if we get the car to move at all. It’s the world’s slowest machine. We might as well be driving a shopping trolley. Some of these quotes have been made up, but he wasn’t far off.”
“And actually, all right, maybe Ferrari turned their engine up a bit to really give it some in Monaco. That’s some rumours that we’ve been hearing. But regardless, Lewis got a bit unlucky with his grid penalty, obviously. But Charles P2, that’s surely as good as Ferrari could have hoped for this weekend, isn’t it really?”
‘Rumours’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/rum...co-grand-prix/
Adrian Newey launches McLaren MCL39 inspection on Monaco GP grid
27 May 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Adrian Newey is renowned for going on the prowl with his trusty notebook in hand on the starting grid ahead of each race, taking the opportunity to assess the designs of rival teams. And PlanetF1.com’s on-the-ground reporter Thomas Maher spotted the moment the McLaren MCL39 of Oscar Piastri caught Newey’s attention ahead of the race in Monaco, with the Aston Martin man studying the car intently.
Newey was later spotted in conversation with Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, with whom he worked closely during his near two-decade stint at Milton Keynes. Horner had quipped earlier in the Monaco GP weekend that he was struggling to adjust to the sight of Newey in green Aston Martin uniform, likening the F1 genius to “a giant bogey.”
‘On the prowl with his trusty notebook in hand’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian...monaco-gp-grid
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Ferrari denies friction between Lewis Hamilton and engineer amid tense Monaco exchange.
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has denied that there is friction between Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer after a tense exchange in the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.
Taylor Powling
MotorSportWeek
Fred Vasseur has dismissed the notion that there is a problem with how Hamilton and Adami, who worked with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz, communicate. “Because when the driver is asking something between Turn 1 and Turn 3, we have to wait [until] the tunnel to reply, to avoid to speak with him during the corners,” Vasseur explained to media including Motorsport Week.
“It’s not that we are sleeping, it’s not that we are having a beer on the pit wall. It’s just because we have a section of the track where we agreed before to speak with him, and honestly it’s not a tension that the guy is asking something, he’s between the wall, he’s under pressure, he’s fighting, he’s at 300 kph, he’s keeping the edge between the walls and I’m perfectly fine. When I spoke with him after the race he was not upset at all.”
‘Ferrari denies friction’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...naco-exchange/
New Lewis Hamilton evidence surfaces after tense Monaco GP team radio
27 May 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Hamilton cut a confused figure after the race, admitting that he “didn’t really understand” a radio message from Adami with the communication “not very clear.” The relevant interaction came on Lap 17 of 78, one lap before the first of Hamilton’s two mandatory pit stops, when the driver asked: “What do you need from me?”
Adami replied: “And push now. This is our race.” It is believed that Hamilton took Adami’s response – specifically the suggestion that “this is our race” – as an indication that he was in the fight for victory in Monte Carlo. However, PlanetF1.com understands that Adami meant that Hamilton would not be used by the Ferrari pit wall to assist Leclerc’s victory hopes and was therefore free to run his own race.
Hamilton admitted to being surprised to see his deficit to the leaders after the race, having been under the impression from Adami’s message that he was closer to the front of the field. He told Sky F1 on Sunday in Monaco: “’This is our race.’ I didn’t know what I was fighting for. Am I fighting for the next spot ahead or [something more]? But in actual fact, when I look at the data, I wasn’t anywhere near any of the guys up front. So I used up my tyres a lot in that respect, in that moment, but I was so far away from them anyway.”
‘Confused figure’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...p-evidence-new
‘Have I been dead slow the whole race?’ Full radio from Hamilton’s frustrating Monaco GP
26th May 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
The final message broadcast from Lewis Hamilton to his race engineer Riccardo Adami at the end of Sunday’s race was: “Are you upset with me?” The pair had little to celebrate after the Monaco Grand Prix, even though Hamilton had moved up two places to finish fifth. That was still one place lower than he originally qualified. He’d taken a three-place grid penalty for holding up Max Verstappen during Q1, largely due to Adami incorrectly informing him that Verstappen was not on a flying lap.
After picking up a couple of places early in the race, Hamilton lost touch with the leading group of four cars. The timing of his pit stops meant he encountered a lot of traffic and, as in previous races this year, he often pressed Adami for information he wasn’t receiving. The mutual frustration grew as Hamilton dropped further behind and his requests for information occasionally went unanswered. That appeared to include Hamilton’s final query.
‘Full radio’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/05/26/...ing-monaco-gp/
Experts call for ousting of Hamilton's race engineer
MAY 26, 2025
GrandPrix.com
While the team surprised itself with Charles Leclerc's impressive pace, seven time world champion Hamilton was dozens of seconds behind. When asked if he knows why the gap was so big, the 40-year-old answered simply. “Nope,” Hamilton said. “It happens.”
Former F1 test driver Ho-Pin Tung, however, thinks the time has come for Ferrari to consider giving Hamilton a new engineer. “He worked with Peter Bonnington for a long time, because the engineer is the most important person in the team for the driver,” he told Viaplay. “That relationship has to be very good. If not, it simply costs performance.”
Another Viaplay analyst, GT3 driver Indy Dontje, went a step further: "Things weren't going well between Adami and Carlos Sainz either. I think he should go. He now has a seven time world champion in the car, and he expects something from you. Adami just doesn't perform. Hamilton can expect to have the best of the best. Vasseur replaced Charles Leclerc's engineer at Ferrari,” Dontje added. “I don't understand why they don't intervene now. Hamilton should be able to demand that.”
‘Ousting’;
https://www.grandprix.com/news/exper...-engineer.html
“Are you upset with me?” – What happened between Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer in Monaco?
Lewis Hamilton complained radio communication “wasn’t that clear” after another race in which tensions rose between the Ferrari driver and engineer Riccardo Adami
May 27, 2025
Stuart Codling Emily Selleck
Motorsport.com
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix was yet another race that left Ferrari in fire-fighting mode afterwards, owing to apparent tensions in radio traffic between Lewis Hamilton and his engineer. Leclerc might have been hoping for better after challenging for pole on Saturday, and Hamilton certainly was as he lost three grid positions due to a penalty for impeding Max Verstappen at Massenet during Q1.
The incident, caused by the team misinforming him about Verstappen’s approach, set in motion a chain of events that led him to getting “stuck in no man’s land” during the race. What’s more, it also brought more peevish-sounding radio exchanges between Hamilton and race engineer Riccardo Adami to the fore.
The most peculiar exchange came after the race, not during it. “It's a P5,” said Adami on the radio on the cool-down lap. “Lost a lot of time in traffic. The rest we need to investigate. And pick up [spent tyre rubber] please.” Lewis Hamilton: “Yeah, big thank you to the boys, as I said, for fixing the car [after Saturday’s practice crash],” replied Hamilton. “It’s not been the easiest of weekends, but we live to fight another day, so… yeah.” Radio silence then followed, broken by Hamilton asking, “Are you upset with me or something?” – to which he also received no reply.
‘Fire-fighting mode’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/l...naco/10727041/
Ferrari publicly respond to Lewis Hamilton's tense radio messages with engineer during Monaco Grand Prix
26 May 2025
Ben McCrum
SPORTbible
Ferrari have spoken out in response to Lewis Hamilton's controversial radio conversations during the Monaco Grand Prix amid reports of tension with his race engineer. On Sunday, a relatively uneventful Monaco Grand Prix was made more exciting as Formula One legend Hamilton appeared to once again clash with his Ferrari race engineer.
Since his arrival at Ferrari at the beginning of the season, the Brit has been heard exchanging several angry comments with Riccardo Adami over the radio. At Monaco, Hamilton was even heard asking his Ferrari team if they were upset with him after they appeared to ignore him earlier in the race.
But now, Ferrari have officially responded to the events of the tense weekend, as team principal Fred Vasseur has spoken out to explain exactly what had happened. "It’s not that we are sleeping, it’s not that we are having a beer on the pit wall. It’s just because we have a section of the track where we agreed before to speak with the drivers. Honestly it’s not a tension that a guy is asking something. He is between the walls, he is under pressure, he’s at 300kph between the walls and I am perfectly fine with it. When I spoke to him after the race he was not upset.”
"It’s not that we are sleeping”;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/lewis-...28910-20250526
Fred Vasseur explains Hamilton’s Monaco team radio confusion
26 May 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
Ferrari enter make or break sequence: There can be little doubt that last weekend’s radio mishap will be discussed heading into the Spanish GP. However, once the cars hit the track in Barcelona, there will be far greater concerns for the Maranello team. After all, this weekend is the first race where the FIA’s new technical directive will come into play.
Until now, Ferrari have been relatively quiet about how they foresee these changes affecting the pecking order. It has generally been Red Bull who have vocalised their expectations of a potential McLaren decline. Still, with Ferrari’s upgrades to the SF-25 failing to deliver the desired performance, the Spanish GP could be pivotal in determining their prospects for the remainder of 2025.
As teams bring updates in response to the new flexi-wing regulations, the Italian outfit could have a chance to claw back the deficit to McLaren.
‘Far greater concerns for the Maranello team’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...dio-confusion/
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FIA Insights: Staying ahead of the curve – Why the FIA is stiffening the tests around wing flexibility.
From this weekend in Barcelona, the FIA will impose tougher tests on front wings to match the tightening of tests on rear wings imposed in China and Japan. FIA Single Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis explains why the changes have been made and what they mean going forward.
28.05.25
FIA (Press Release)
At this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, the FIA is introducing a further tightening of the load tests applied to the wings of F1 cars in a bid to address concerns around flexibility and the performance benefits teams might gain through the use of wings that flex under load. Rear wing deformation was initially addressed by the 2025 regulations, in which Article 3.15.17 specified that if 75Kg of vertical load were to be applied on either extremity of the rear wing mainplane, the distance between the mainplane and the flap (also known as ‘slot gap’) should not vary by more than 2mm.
“The 2025 regulations were designed to counteract the so-called ‘mini-drs effect’ that became quite a talking point in the autumn of last year,” says Tombazis of concerns that rear wings were flexing to the degree that under load a drag reducing gap was appearing between rear wing elements. “That test was applied from the start of the season, but it soon became apparent it was insufficient.”
In a bid to monitor the success of the regulation, cameras were mounted on cars during free practice sessions at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and having analysed the footage the FIA concluded that even tougher tests were needed. At the Chinese Grand Prix, the tolerance was reduced to 0.75mm and at the following race, in Japan, to 0.5mm.
‘FIA stiffening tests’;
https://www.fia.com/news/fia-insight...ng-flexibility
Explained: Why a ‘vigilant’ FIA will enforce different front wing rules from Spanish GP
28 May 2025
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Speaking in the FIA’s preview of the Spanish Grand Prix, FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said, “When championship battles become intense, teams tend to focus on each other’s cars a lot, and naturally they raise concerns and over the latter half of the season we came to the conclusion that we needed to toughen a bit more the tests for 2025. “The 2025 regulations were designed to counteract the so-called ‘Mini-drs effect’ that became quite a talking point in the autumn of last year.
“That test was applied from the start of the season, but it soon became apparent it was insufficient.” But, given the teams competed in the first eight races of the season with front wings that would likely now not pass the new static load tests – a design change that comes with considerable costs – why is it only being enforced now, and not from the start of the year? Over a sequence of races at and following the [2024] Belgian Grand Prix we installed cameras on the front wings of all cars and again we concluded that the tests would need to be toughened,” Tombazis said.
“That conclusion was arrived at quite late in the year, however, and we felt that if we had introduced extra tests at the start of this season, it would have been tough on teams and may have led to existing front wings being scrapped, and extra expense. Therefore, we felt that deferred introduction was more sensible.”
‘Vigilant’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/explai...rom-spanish-gp
Which leading team will suffer the most at the Spanish GP from the latest F1 rule change?
28 May 2025
RacingNews365
There has been significant speculation in the build up to the new regulation being applied from the weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya onwards. In particular, as the leading team, McLaren has been under a spotlight, as it has also been with recent FIA technical directives aimed at tyre and brake cooling measures, where the Woking squad is known to have an advantage.
The anticipation is the papaya outfit will lose some of its performance advantage when the front wing rules are enforced, but team principal Andrea Stella has persistently played down such talk. Meanwhile, rival teams, like Ferrari, has suggested it could be a "game changer", as said by boss Fred Vasseur.
Nonetheless, it remains unclear the extent to the impact - if at all - the new rules will have on the pecking order at the sharp end of F1, and if it will have any substantive effect on pace at all. But it does, however, create an element of intrigue heading into the weekend as to whether any of the top teams will be adversely impacted.
‘Who will suffer the most’;
https://racingnews365.com/which-lead...f1-rule-change
Tech weekly: The impressive McLaren feat that allowed them beat the heat in Monaco
28 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Much has been made of exactly where this year’s McLaren is deriving its advantage from – and there’s been a lot of focus on how well it controls its rear tyre temperatures and the part the car’s brake duct design plays in that.
But an advantage in F1 is very rarely about just one golden feature and is invariably about how well designed and integrated the whole car is.
‘Impressive McLaren feat’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...EPXO96eOlsVzs0
How Ferrari has prepared for new ‘game-changing’ F1 rule change
28 May 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Speaking to media, including Motorsport Week, after last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, Vasseur explained that it has been conducting longstanding work on its own front wing in preparation for this race onwards. “I think Barcelona is on the calendar of everybody in the paddock with the new regulation for the front wing,” Vasseur said.
“We are working on it for ages now and this can be a gamechanger for everybody, because we don’t know the impact on every single team of the new regulation. I think we stick to this, and we’ll be focused on this to have the better exploitation of the new front wing.” Leclerc spoke of speculation he has heard around the paddock, which is giving him the hope that he will perhaps be able to mount a stronger remaining two-thirds of the season.
“I really hope so, but I don’t know. I don’t know how much the others are using it,” he told Sky F1. “You can hear rumours in the paddock and some people will be more affected than others, for sure. I don’t think on our side is going to change a lot, but we’ll see.”
‘Game-changing F1 rule change’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...1-rule-change/
Red Bull targets Barcelona revival amid flexi-wing rule shift
28/05/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
"The front wing [tests] is essentially a regulation change," Horner stated in Monaco, quoted by RACER. "Now, maybe that will have zero impact on the running order but it's a change and it'll affect all the teams; maybe neutrally, but there will be an impact from it." He further elaborated on the significance of this adjustment.
"It's a significant change, and so of course there'll be some effect. The teams have anticipated that, so it may well be neutral or it may have some effect on degradation – it doesn't make life easier." Despite these concerns, Horner remains optimistic about Red Bull's prospects in Spain based on Max Verstappen’s win at Imola.
"Of course you go from seven days ago, we're in Imola and at a higher-speed circuit and the car performed very well. We always knew [Monaco] would expose some of our car's [limitations] – it was never going to be our strongest circuit. So going back to Barcelona I hope that we can replicate closer to what we did in Imola."
‘Flexi-wing rule shift’;
https://f1i.com/news/540054-red-bull...ule-shift.html
Fernando Alonso on home support, Newey and being an ambassador for Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
28 May 2025
Aston Martin F1 - Official Site
This weekend is no ordinary weekend; it's your home Grand Prix and you've recently been announced as an ambassador for Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. How does it feel to have that honour and to be racing in front of the Spanish fans once more? "I'm delighted to have become an ambassador for the circuit. I've had huge support racing at it from my early years in Formula One and I've enjoyed victory there too.
"I have amazing memories of the racing at the circuit and sharing those experiences with the Spanish fans, so I have a special connection with the track. I hope I can pass that feeling on to the next generation and help the sport grow even further in Spain. The Spanish Grand Prix is always a special moment in the season for me. Racing at home, hearing the fans chant your name in the grandstands; it's something you never get used to.”
“Every year it's a privilege to come back and compete in front of them. The atmosphere is electric, and the support gives you that little bit extra behind the wheel. The Spanish fans are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about motorsport. There's always been strong support here but in recent years, especially with the popularity of Formula One growing globally, the buzz around this race has been even bigger. It feels as though it's become one of the most popular European races to attend."
‘Ambassador for Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya’;
https://www.astonmartinf1.com/en-GB/...ish-grand-prix
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Lando Norris holds easy edge over Max Verstappen as all eyes turn to new F1 rule change.
Lando Norris set the pace in opening practice for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix as F1's new front wings made their debuts to comply with a major regulation change.
30 May 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
From the outset, it was Norris who set the pace with an early exploratory lap of 1:16.095s, albeit just under five seconds shy of his pole lap from last year, and on the hard tyres, which proved to be the compound of choice for the majority of the drivers early in the session. Norris improved further to a 1:15.259s to edge Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso at the 15-minute marker by 0.221s before George Russell in his Mercedes propelled himself to the top of the timesheet on the medium rubber with a 1:14.571s.
At that stage, approaching the half-hour mark, the soft tyres began to make an appearance, leading to Stake's Nico Hulkenberg moving up to a second, a tenth behind Russell, although such a lofty position was short lived as the field overhauled the German. It was Leclerc who dislodged Russell by 0.513s with a time of 1:14.238s before Verstappen then held sway by 0.171s. only for Norris to then dip below 74 seconds for a lap with a 1:13.718s, which was never headed for the remainder of the session.
‘Lando Norris set the pace’;
https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...f1-rule-change
Spanish GP: Free Practice 1 Results
Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix.
30 May 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
POS NO DRIVER CAR TIME LAPS
1 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 01:13.7 29
2 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 01:14.1 18
3 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 01:14.1 29
4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 01:14.2 31
5 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 01:14.3 28
6 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls Honda RBPT 01:14.3 28
7 87 Oliver Bearman Haas Ferrari 01:14.6 26
8 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls Honda RBPT 01:14.6 26
9 22 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 01:14.6 27
10 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 01:14.7 28
‘Free Practice 1 Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/spanish-gp-fre...e-1-results-2/
Spanish GP: Lando Norris sets impressive Practice One pace, Lewis Hamilton third amid new F1 flexi wing rules
Monaco victor Lando Norris straight back to the head of the timesheet in first practice session in Barcelona; new flexi-front wing rules in force for first time; watch Spanish Grand Prix second practice live on Sky Sports F1 at 4pm on Friday
30 May 2025
Sky Sports
McLaren's pace appeared to show no early ill-effects from the clampdown on flexi front wings as Lando Norris headed Max Verstappen in first practice at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Five days after winning the prestigious Monaco GP for the first time to inject fresh impetus into his world championship challenge, Norris was immediately back at the head of the timesheet at a scorching Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya via an impressive fastest time on soft tyres of 1:13.718.
Norris finished 0.367s clear of Red Bull's Verstappen and 0.378s ahead of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, whose Barcelona weekend began in encouraging fashion on single-lap pace.
‘Lando Norris sets impressive Practice One pace’;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...exi-wing-rules
‘That was bad’ – Lewis Hamilton struggles uncovered in untelevised Spain GP team radio
30 May 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com on Thursday in Barcelona, Hamilton insisted that his relationship with Adami remains strong despite an uneasy start to their partnership. He said: “Our relationship is great. No problems. We’re constantly learning more and more about each other. We’re constantly adapting to the way both of us like to work. He’s worked with lots of different drivers before.”
“We don’t have any problems whatsoever. There’s a lot of speculation, most of it is BS. Ultimately, we have a great relationship. He’s been amazing to work with. He’s a great guy, working so hard. We both are and we don’t always get it right every weekend. Do we have disagreements? Like everyone does in relationships, but we work through them.”
“We’re both in it together. We both want to win a championship together. We’re both working towards lifting the team up. So it’s just all noise and we don’t really pay any attention to it. So it can continue if you want, but it doesn’t make any difference to all the jobs that we’re trying to do.”
“There’s a lot of speculation, most of it is BS”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...spanish-gp-fp1
What happened in first Spanish GP F1 practice
May 30, 2025
Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race
There was no early evidence of McLaren having its form upended by the much-anticipated changes to the FIA's flexi-wing compliance testing, with Norris quickest both in his initial run on the hard tyre and the first push laps on the soft. Norris's championship-leading team-mate Oscar Piastri was off his team-mate's pace both on the hard and on the soft, which in the end left him six tenths off - beaten also by the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
The Mercedes cars were absent from the top half of the classification - but they logged their fastest laps early and did so on the medium tyre instead of the soft, George Russell in 11th with six tenths in hand over rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli down in 18th. Of the 'midfield' squads, Racing Bulls stood out with Liam Lawson in sixth, the Kiwi two and a half tenths up on Haas driver Ollie Bearman.
‘What happened’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...p-f1-practice/
Spanish GP: Game-changing TD? Not based on FP1 as Norris beats Verstappen and Ferrari
30 May 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
On a scorching hot day in Barcelona, Formula 1’s newest – and potentially game-changing – technical directive came into play with huge interest up and down the pit lane to see which teams would be affected. Red Bull and Ferrari confirmed they’d made changes to their front wings to comply with TD018, while it is understood McLaren and Mercedes already trailed theirs at Imola thus avoiding the FIA’s new parts declaration.
McLaren set the early pace with Lando Norris ahead of Oscar Piastri, while Victor Martins made his F1 debut with Williams, replacing Alex Albon for the session, and Ryo Hirakawa took a trip through the gravel in the Haas. He was in for Esteban Ocon. Liam Lawson, in a Racing Bulls sporting huge aero rakes on its front wing, had a close encounter with a Ferrari. “What the! What was that!” A few minutes later, Lewis Hamilton was baulked by Lawson’s team-mate, Isack Hadjar.
Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase were at odds with the ‘diff” with the race engineer calling for “seven”, to which Verstappen replied: “I’m not sure that’s what I want.” Running on the hard Pirelli tyres, Norris sat P1 with a 1:15.2, putting him two-tenths up Fernando Alonso with Max Verstappen third. But swapping to the medium Pirellis, George Russell blitzed their lap times by more than half a second.
‘Game-changing TD? Not based on FP1’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/spanis...025-fp1-report
Norris fastest in first practice for F1 Spanish GP
30 May 2025
Staff Writers Deutsche Presse Agentur
The West Australian
Lando Norris of McLaren has topped the first practice session for the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix. Last weekend's Monaco GP winner clocked 1 minute 13.718 seconds on Friday to beat the Red Bull of four-time defending champion Max Verstappen by 0.367s. Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari was third, followed by team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Drivers' championship leader Oscar Piastri was fifth, 0.576s behind team-mate and title rival Norris. Mercedes were 11th and 18th with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli respectively, while home favourite Fernando Alonso was 13th in the Aston Martin.
‘Norris fastest’;
https://thewest.com.au/sport/motorsp...-gp-c-18871249
-
Oscar Piastri leads George Russell in FP2 at F1 Spanish GP.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri went quickest in the second free practice session ahead of this weekend’s Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, ahead of George Russell.
30 May 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
The Australian’s 1.12.760s was enough to see him top the time sheets, with the Mercedes in second, just under three tenths behind. Max Verstappen was third, just over two hundredths slower than the Mercedes, with the second McLaren of Lando Norris fourth, setting the exact same time as the Red Bull man.
Charles Leclerc was fifth for Ferrari, setting a 1:13.260s, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli a morale-boosting sixth, just under four hundredths off. The Aston Martin of home favourite, Fernando Alonso was seventh, with Pierre Gasly’s Alpine eighth, and the Racing Bulls of Isack Hadjar in ninth.
Hadjar’s team-mate Liam Lawson rounded up the top 10, with a 1:13.494s, ensuring the first half of the order was separated by almost eight tenths. Lewis Hamilton suffered a dismal session, ending the day in 11th, telling his team over radio that his Ferrari was “not driveable,” a disappointment surely exacerbated by the fact the Brit finished FP1 in third place.
‘Oscar Piastri leads George Russell’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...f1-spanish-gp/
F1 2025 Spanish Grand Prix – FP2 Results
30 May 2025
Motorsport Week
Position Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:12.760 28
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:13.046 0.286 32
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:13.070 0.310 30
4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:13.070 0.310 31
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:13.260 0.500 32
6 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:13.298 0.538 31
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:13.301 0.541 28
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:13.385 0.625 30
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:13.400 0.640 29
10 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:13.494 0.734 29
‘FP2 Results’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...x-fp2-results/
Spanish GP: Piastri tops FP2 as Lewis Hamilton crowned ‘hero of the day’
30 May 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
McLaren continued to take the new Technical Directive in their stride as Oscar Piastri topped FP2 at the Spanish Grand Prix. Piastri‘s closest challenger, Mercedes’ George Russell, was almost three-tenths back as Max Verstappen in the Red Bull completed the Red Bull. But “hero of the day” went to Lewis Hamilton, sarcastically bestowed upon him by Fernando Alonso.
Piastri quipped that he would “drift” the McLaren “more often” when told he had the early purple Sector 1 time. But, it was McLaren team-mate Lando Norris out front after the first 10 minutes of the session with a 1:13.636, the medium tyres in high demand, as Oliver Bearman took his for a drive through the gravel after a spin coming out of Turn 3.
As we approached the halfway mark in FP2, the leaderboard made for fantastic reading in the Mercedes camp as Russell led the way from Antonelli, Russell’s 1:13.046 putting him a quarter of a second up on Antonelli as the soft tyre runs began. Verstappen soon broke up that Mercedes one-two, as he and Norris set an identical 1:13.070. Piastri wanted top spot and took it on the softs, clearing Russell by just shy of three-tenths.
‘Piastri tops FP2’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/spanis...025-fp2-report
2025 Spanish GP FP2: ‘Looks like we've got the hero of the day’ – Alonso frustrated with traffic
30 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Fernando Alonso was heard complaining over the radio after he felt he was hampered by Lewis Hamilton in second practice in Barcelona.
‘Frustrated’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...61289535705387
What went on in second Spanish GP F1 practice
May 30, 2025
Samarth Kanal
The Race
Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri set the fastest lap in second practice for the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, with George Russell and Max Verstappen rounding out the top three. All of the fastest times were set on softs, with Piastri’s clocking in at 1m12.760s for McLaren - with Russell under three tenths off. Meanwhile, third-placed Verstappen and fourth-placed Lando Norris were 0.310s off Piastri, having set identical times.
After setting the session benchmark, Piastri spent 14 laps on medium tyres, averaging 1m20.897s. Team-mate Norris logged 10 laps on soft tyres to average 1m20.221s, before switching to mediums for a five-lap stint that averaged 1m18.766s. Mercedes’ duo of Antonelli and Russell also conducted race runs on softs, with Russell’s 17-lap stint half a second faster on average than Antonelli’s 15-lap stint. Of course, fuel loads and set-ups will have varied.
Red Bull split its long runs between mediums and softs. Over each nine-lap stint, Verstappen was quicker than Tsunoda, who finished 13th on the leaderboard with a fastest time six tenths slower than the Dutchman’s. At Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton described his car as “undrivable” on his way to 11th. Both Hamilton and Leclerc conducted longer stints on mediums before switching to softs.
‘What went on’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/s...actice-report/
Spanish GP: Oscar Piastri tops Practice Two for McLaren as Ferrari struggle amid introduction of new wing rules
Oscar Piastri ensures McLaren top both Friday practice sessions in Barcelona; championship-leading squad and driver impress despite new flexi-wing regulations.
30 May 2025
Sky Sports
Oscar Piastri comfortably topped second practice at the Spanish Grand Prix as McLaren continued to impress despite a clampdown on flexi front wings. After his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris topped the opening session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya earlier on Friday, world championship leader Piastri improved the weekend's benchmark time by just over a second as he delivered a 1:12.760 in the scorching hot conditions.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen took third ahead of Norris, with the pair setting identical times to finish just over three tenths off the pace. Charles Leclerc was exactly half a second off the leading time in fifth as Ferrari struggled to balance their car, with Lewis Hamilton experiencing even more difficultly as he described the SF-25 as "undriveable" on his way to finishing 11th.
‘McLaren continued to impress’;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...new-wing-rules
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McLaren dominates final Spanish Grand Prix practice.
Any hopes that McLaren might be pegged back by Formula 1's flexi-wing clampdown looked remote as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took a commanding 1-2 in final Spanish Grand Prix practice.
May 31, 2025
Matt Beer
The Race
The 0.526-second gap between them was accentuated by some bouncing compromising Norris's first run on soft tyres. Charles Leclerc's Ferrari and George Russell's Mercedes were both seven tenths off Piastri as they took third and fourth, with Max Verstappen almost a second away from the top in his fifth-placed Red Bull.
‘McLaren dominates’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...prix-practice/
F1 2025 Spanish Grand Prix – FP3 Results
May 31, 2025
Motorsport Week
Position Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:12.387
2 Lando Norris McLaren 1:12.913 0.526
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:13.130 0.743
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:13.139 0.752
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:13.375 0.988
6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:13.382 0.995
7 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:13.405 1.018
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:13.414 1.027
9 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:13.527 1.140
10 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:13.637 1.250
‘FP3 Results’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...x-fp3-results/
FP3: Piastri quickest ahead of Norris and Leclerc in third practice for the Spanish Grand Prix
31 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Oscar Piastri set the pace during the final practice session ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, establishing a commanding gap back to his team mate Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, maintaing McLaren's status as the team to beat. It was a quiet start to the final hour of practice as Franco Colapinto became the first driver to head out onto the track, looking to recover the time he lost in FP1 with a hydraulic issue and continue to get to grips with the Alpine.
He was gradually joined by fellow rookie Gabriel Bortoleto and the Aston Martin duo – Fernando Alonso soaked up the atmosphere of his home race by waving to the crowd around a slow lap that served to scrub his tyres ahead of the more competitive sessions. Amid slightly cooler track temperatures, Yuki Tsunoda took his Red Bull to the top of the timesheets with a time of 1m 14.851s on a set of medium tyres, but his lap was quickly eclipsed by Norris, who went three-tenths clear.
‘Piastri quickest’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...BYVagJQZaMNqrc
Spanish GP: Piastri brings the (S)pain in FP3 as F1 builds up to qualifying
31 May 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Oscar Piastri laid down his marker ahead of qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, finishing FP3 half a second up on his team-mate Lando Norris. The drivers returned to the pits to make final set-up changes and bolt on soft tyres before their qualifying simulations.
However, Antonelli having already done a soft tyre run, ran an old set of tyres for his second soft tyre run with the Italian only a tenth down on his previous best. And then Max Verstappen fired in a 1:13.3 to go quickest of all. Norris made a mistake on his flying lap on the soft tyres, bottoming out and he went flying off the track at Turn 9. He headed back into the pits, told McLaren had noticed “porpoising”.
Meanwhile, his team-mate Piastri did a particular slow out-lap, almost crawling around the circuit. And then went purple, purple, and purple. A 1:12.913. Leclerc up his pace but remained third, seven-tenths down on Piastri. Verstappen tried again but was four-tenths down in the first sector alone. He had a moment with tyres in the gravel and finished over a second down. His previous best was 0.998s off the pace.
‘Piastri brings the (S)pain’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/spanis...025-fp3-report
VERDICT: How did new load test affect teams' performance on the opening day?
31 May 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Following the opening day at the Spanish Grand Prix, the first signs indicate that the new, stricter front wing load test might have a smaller effect on the pecking order than previously anticipated. F1Technical’s senior writer Balazs Szabo analyses the results from Day 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The new deflection tests have come into force in two steps. The stricter tests for the rear wings was introduced at the start of the upcoming season, and they have become even stricter since than as the FIA was not fully satisfied with how certain teams approached the rules. The more stringent deflection tests on the front wings will be applied from this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.
In terms of ‘Front Wing Flap Flexibility’, the regulations originally stated that “any part of the trailing edge of any front wing flap may deflect no more than 5mm, when measured along the loading axis, when a 6kg point load is applied normal to the flap”, but from this weekend the amount of permitted deflection drops to 3mm.
‘Deflection tests’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/26986
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Spanish GP: Piastri beats ‘cheeky’ Norris to pole position in McLaren qualy battle.
As McLaren’s rivals crossed the line, that was a confirmed pole position for Piastri with Norris second ahead of Verstappen and Russell. Hamilton and Antonelli were fifth and sixth.
31 May 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Oscar Piastri held off a “cheeky” Lando Norris who tried to steal a tow off of him to beat his team-mate to pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix. The Australian found himself trailing Norris after their opening runs in Q3, but came back with a 1:11.546 to grab pole by two-tenths of a second. Max Verstappen was third.
Piastri wasn’t hanging around in Q3 as he ventured out of the pits first, laying down a 1:11.8. His team-mate Norris completed his out-lap as Piastri crossed the line but the Australian notably moved off the racing line to cut short the tow for Norris. That, though, didn’t stop the Briton from beating his time by 0.017s to sit on provisional pole. Piastri’s response to his team-mate: “Cheeky!”
Russell and Charles Leclerc were on the provisional second row ahead of Fernando Alonso and Verstappen. Norris was the first of the McLaren team-mate outs for a second run, but only took a tenth off his previous best which opened the door to Piastri. The next to cross the line, the Australian pipped his team-mate by two-tenths to regain provisional pole.
‘Piastri wasn’t hanging around in Q3’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/spanis...lifying-report
F1 Spanish GP 2025 – Qualifying Results
Oscar Piastri led a McLaren one-two in Barcelona with Lando Norris alongside him on the front row
31 May 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Spanish GP 2025 Qualifying results
Check out the full Spanish GP 2025 Qualifying results from Barcelona below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:11.546
2 Lando Norris McLaren +0.209
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.302
4 George Russell Mercedes +0.302
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.499
6 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.565
7 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.585
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.653
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.706
10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.738
‘Qualifying results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...fying-results/
Piastri beats Norris to pole position in thrilling Spanish GP Qualifying as McLaren lock out front row
31 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Oscar Piastri has grabbed his fourth pole position of the season during Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, the championship leader beating McLaren team mate Lando Norris in the dying moments of the session. After setting the pace across Q1 and Q2, Piastri lost out to Norris when the opening runs of Q3 took place, the Briton having snatched provisional pole. But it was advantage Piastri as the final flying laps came in, the Australian pumping in a 1m 11.546s to go 0.209s quicker than the other papaya car.
Max Verstappen put in another solid Qualifying performance to slot into third for Red Bull, while Mercedes’ George Russell set an identical lap time to the Dutchman but had to settle for fourth after crossing the line later. Lewis Hamilton was the lead Ferrari in fifth, putting him ahead of Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes and the other Scuderia car of Charles Leclerc in sixth and seventh respectively. Pierre Gasly, meanwhile, took eighth for Alpine, with Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar again looking strong in ninth while home favourite Fernando Alonso put his Aston Martin in 10th.
‘McLaren lock out front row’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...KSbNDbuzk1n7wE
Verstappen explains how he worked to get promising P3 in Spanish GP Qualifying
31 May 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Third place for Max Verstappen in Spanish Grand Prix qualifying, with the Dutchman powerless against the dominance and outright pace of the two McLarens. Interviewed immediately after qualifying, Verstappen summed up his session as follows: ''I think we were lacking all weekend, of course, compared to them (McLaren), but, I think we executed well, and I think, yeah, that, that third position is, I think where we more or less should be, even though I think it's quite close behind as well.”
The grip is always quite good even with the hot temperatures, but, yeah, let's see tomorrow what we what we can do from there''. Speaking about the work done to find the right balance, Verstappen added: ''Not not too much. think we had a quite, quite a decent Friday actually, and we just made some some final changes to the car, but yeah, of course, unfortunately it wasn't enough to really challenge for the pole, but, yeah, it's okay''.
He then concluded: ''Yeah, I'll try my best, but they will be tough to beat, but we'll, yeah, see what we can do tomorrow''.
“I think we executed well”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...-gp-qualifying
Piastri defeats Norris in Spanish GP pole duel
May 31, 2025
Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race
Oscar Piastri came from behind to defeat Lando Norris in Formula 1's all-McLaren Spanish Grand Prix pole duel. Norris was 0.017 seconds up on Piastri after the initial attempts, the pair split by no more than three hundredths in each of the sectors - but while Norris then found 0.06s on his previous best, Piastri strung together a more potent response. His 1m11.546s lifted him two tenths clear of Norris, the damage done primarily in the second sector.
Mercedes driver George Russell was the McLarens' biggest rival after those runs instead. Russell lamented on the radio that Mercedes was "too conservative" in not executing something (presumably a slipstream from team-mate Kimi Antonelli) that was worth "two tenths" - and on his second attempt, one that still featured no slipstream from Antonelli, he set the exact same time as Verstappen but set it later, so will thus start fourth.
Lewis Hamilton, in fifth, outqualified Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc - who did not do a second Q3 run, having been three tenths up on Hamilton at the halfway point of the session. That also cost Leclerc sixth, as Antonelli will join Hamilton on row three instead. Pierre Gasly took eighth for Alpine, followed by Isack Hadjar in the Racing Bulls car and Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin. Alonso ran 'in the gap' - between most drivers' first and seconds runs - and was audibly delighted with what in that moment looked a very strong lap, but will only start his home race 10th.
‘Oscar Piastri came from behind’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/p...-gp-pole-duel/
F1 Full Results | Spanish GP Qualifying: McLaren annihilates competition as Ferrari woes continue
12:23, 31
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
An incredibly tight qualifying session, despite yet another dominant display from McLaren, who asserted their superiority once again at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Oscar Piastri’s lap was particularly impressive, beating his teammate by a full two tenths, while Verstappen had to settle for third.
Another disappointing outing for Ferrari, although Lewis Hamilton perhaps managed to piece together a clean lap for the first time this weekend, securing a P5 that will certainly boost morale ahead of tomorrow’s race. Leclerc could only manage P7, having used his only fresh set of tyres on his first Q3 attempt and remaining in the garage for the final run.
‘McLaren annihilates competition’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...-woes-continue
Fernando Alonso expects Barcelona to stay in F1 despite Madrid arrival in 2026
May 31, 2025
Harry Whitfield
Motorsport Week
Fernando Alonso has expressed confidence that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will remain part of the Formula 1 calendar, despite Madrid taking over as host of the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026. The Aston Martin driver is set to make his 22nd Grand Prix appearance at Barcelona, where he first competed during his rookie F1 season in 2001.
“I don’t think that we will lose Barcelona, that’s my opinion and my wish as well,” Alonso told media including Motorsport Week. “I think it’s good to have new venues, it’s good to have new countries as well that Formula 1 has moved to in the last decade. But at the same time, we need to keep some traditional circuits, where the history of Formula 1 has been written and made.”
“Formula 1 and Barcelona, they are very linked, we’ve been testing here for decades. I think all the teams choose Barcelona when they have to choose one test track. We come back next year in winter because we have new regulations, new cars. Once again, the teams chose Barcelona because it’s the Formula 1 track in a way.”
“I think all the teams choose Barcelona when they have to choose one test track”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...rival-in-2026/
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Lewis Hamilton hits out at front wing changes in damning ‘waste of money’ verdict.
…he didn’t hold back in sharing a more uncharitable view of the technical directive. “What a waste of money,” he said.
31 May 2025
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
Lewis Hamilton: “It’s just wasted everyone’s money; it changed nothing. Everyone’s wings still bend. It’s just half the bending. And everyone’s had to make new wings and spend more money to make them. It’s just — it doesn’t make sense.”
According to Hamilton, he “wasn’t expecting” any big changes up at the front of the field as the result of these rules. “I drove on the simulator, and it was pretty much exactly the same,” he said. “A little bit more oversteer in the high speed.”
“It doesn’t make sense”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...-money-verdict
‘Very unhappy’ F1 teams furious with FIA over Spanish Grand Prix change that’s a ‘complete waste of money’
1 June 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Every Formula 1 car was subject to more stringent flexibility tests on their front wings at the Spanish Grand Prix, but so far, it doesn’t appear to have made a noticeable difference. The update hasn’t made a noticeable difference, with Lewis Hamilton calling it a ‘waste of money’ after he set the fifth-quickest time on Saturday. However, the FIA made another change during the race weekend that has also not gone down well in the paddock.
A change to the skid blocks underneath the car to try and avoid grass fires at the track has been introduced but has left several teams ‘very unhappy’ this weekend. Journalist Jon Noble: “Someone we spoke to, Inaki Rueda [Sauber’s sporting director], said it’s like butter compared to a titanium skid block, in which case if it does wear like that, teams are going to have to lift their cars up to avoid the skid block wearing too much and falling foul of the plank rules and if you have to start lifting the car, you’re affecting the aerodynamics and the ride height.”
“And that can have a bigger impact on the competitive order than potentially the TD on flexi wings. So, I think this could become a big talking point because I know some teams are very unhappy about this prospect of steel skid blocks. They think it’s a complete waste of money and effort when they think the problem of potential grass fires can be solved by circuits watering the grass.”
‘Change to the skid blocks - Complete waste of money and effort’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ver...aste-of-money/
Lando Norris’ ‘body language’ proved his true feelings on Oscar Piastri scoring Spanish Grand Prix pole
31 May 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Lando Norris’ body language proved he was annoyed with Oscar Piastri scoring pole for the Spanish GP. A margin of 0.209 seconds separated Piastri and Norris in their fight for pole for the Spanish GP. It eclipses the 0.168s margin that the Australian held when he edged Mercedes’ George Russell for pole for the Bahrain Grand Prix and the average of 0.085s for the season thus far.
“The fight for pole certainly went down to the wire,” Olli Caldwell told BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra 2 after qualifying in Spain. “Lando Norris, I think, certainly wanted that pole position. He said he’s happy with that, but his body language and smile tell me otherwise. The way he walked off from those pictures with Oscar Piastri. But the McLarens [are] looking strong.”
‘Body language’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lan...and-prix-pole/
Max vs McLaren (again) and Hamilton in the hunt – What To Watch For in the Spanish Grand Prix
31 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site
From a long run to Turn 1 that often sees overtaking at the front, to Ferrari in the mix – and from Yuki Tsunoda on the comeback trail to the impact of more strict technical checks, here are five things to look out for once the lights go out on race day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya…
1. Opportunities on the run to Turn 1: If you watched last year’s Spanish Grand Prix, you will have been treated to an epic start to the race from George Russell, who went from fourth on the grid to sweep around the outside of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen and lead into Turn 1 (see the clip below).
‘Max vs McLaren (again) and Hamilton in the hunt;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...AZUf7OHjGCjjPw
Red Bull to pose ‘internal questions’ after Yuki Tsunoda Q1 exit
31 May 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko has admitted the team must “question” why Yuki Tsunoda was so far off Max Verstappen in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix. Marko admitted to being mystified by how Tsuonda’s pace deserted him in qualifying in Spain, having been classified no lower than 14th across the three practice sessions in Barcelona.
He told Sky Germany: “The performance is disappointing. He was relatively close to Max on Friday. And now in qualifying nothing worked at all. And to finish last – even if the car isn’t entirely identical [to Verstappen’s] – is something we need to question internally.”
‘Internal questions’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/yuki-t...sh-gp-question
Red Bull have now chosen their ‘hottest candidate’ to replace Yuki Tsunoda after Spanish Grand Prix setback
1 June 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Helmut Marko has confirmed internal discussions will take place about Tsunoda after his latest setback, and it won’t be long until his position within the team is being discussed. Tsunoda’s contract runs until the end of the season, meaning every performance counts between now and Abu Dhabi. It appears as though Red Bull are already starting to consider alternatives to the 25-year-old and one driver has stood out for team principal Christian Horner in recent weeks.
Isack Hadjar now the ‘hottest candidate’ to replace Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull. A report from F1 Insider has shared more details about what’s happening within the Red Bull team. They point out that Verstappen is at a strategic disadvantage because McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all have two drivers in the top seven for the Spanish Grand Prix. There’s a strong chance the race in Barcelona will require two pit stops, meaning Red Bull could theoretically run Tsunoda as long as possible on his first stint to try and disrupt Verstappen’s rivals.
The report points out that Tsunoda’s gap to Verstappen is now the same as Lawson’s when he was driving for Red Bull. They believe that discussions about Tsunoda’s future are now ‘ongoing’ and Hadjar has established himself as the ‘hottest candidate’ to take his seat. However, the worry remains that Hadjar might end up being the latest driver in a long line of talented racers who simply can’t cope with matching Verstappen.
‘Isack Hadjar now the hottest candidate’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...-prix-setback/
Lance Stroll withdraws from Spanish GP on medical advice
Aston Martin has confirmed Lance Stroll will NOT race in the Spanish Grand Prix.
31 May 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
“Over the course of the past six weeks Lance has been experiencing pain in his hand and wrist, which his medical consultant believes is in relation to the procedure he underwent in 2023,” read a team statement. “As a result his medical team have confirmed that he will not race tomorrow and he will undergo a procedure to rectify these issues before focusing on his recovery.”
Aston Martin has indicated it may be in relation to a procedure he went through on the build-up to the 2023 season. Stroll was involved in a cycling accident in February over two years ago, resulting in several injuries, including fractured wrists.
It forced Stroll to miss pre-season testing - however he returned for the season-opening race in Bahrain and has been present at every grand prix since. But the Canadian has been enduring fresh concerns with his wrists in recent weeks and will now undergo another procedure.
‘Lance Stroll withdraws on medical advice’;
Pirelli reveals how several drivers sacrificed qualifying performance for race pace
1 Jun 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Speaking after the qualifying session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Pirelli’s motorsport director Mario Isola stated that the two-stop strategy is “mandatory” given the track layout and high temperatures.
“The Barcelona-Catalunya track is always a severe test for car and tyre performance. Today we saw one team yet again monopolising the top two spots on the timesheets, but behind them, it's very tight, and I expect the race will reflect that. It will be fascinating to see how the teams approach a race that always puts significant stress on the tyres.”
“A two-stop strategy is almost obligatory, and I reckon the Medium and Soft compounds will see most of the action. We saw yesterday that the Hard tyre tends to slide too much and the lap times compared to those on the softer compounds reflect that. On paper, the Soft-Medium-Soft strategy is fastest, as was the case last year.
‘Drivers sacrificed qualifying performance for race pace’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27000
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Oscar Piastri Emphatically Wins Spanish GP As McLaren Secure 1-2.
Oscar Piastri led a McLaren 1-2, ahead of teammate Lando Norris with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc rounding off the podium.
June 01, 2025
Vedant Yadav
NDTV.com
Oscar Piastri delivered a dominant performance to win the Spanish Grand Prix and further extend his lead in the championship standings. The 24-year-old Australian led a McLaren 1-2, ahead of teammate Lando Norris with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc rounding off the podium. Starting from pole, Piastri built an early advantage as Norris lost out to Max Verstappen at Turn 1. Although Norris quickly regained the place, Verstappen surged past both McLarens during the first round of pit stops to take the lead. However, the Red Bull driver's early second stop returned the lead to Piastri, sparking speculation of a three-stop strategy.
That gamble became clearer when Verstappen pitted again late in the race, just as a Safety Car was deployed following Kimi Antonelli's retirement. The neutralization allowed most frontrunners to pit once more, setting up a six-lap sprint to the finish.
Piastri and Norris broke clear at the restart, while Verstappen fell into battles with Charles Leclerc and George Russell. Leclerc passed him for third, and a controversial clash with Russell saw Verstappen forced off-track. After being told to return the position, Verstappen collided with Russell again and was handed a 10-second penalty, dropping him to tenth.
‘Dominant performance’;
https://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/os...re-1-2-8562923
F1 Spanish GP 2025 – Race Results
Oscar Piastri led from lights to flag as McLaren dominated the race in Spain
1 June 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Spanish GP 2025 Results
Check out the full Spanish GP 2025 results from Barcelona below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren Leader
2 Lando Norris McLaren +2.471
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +10.455
4 George Russell Mercedes +11.359
5 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber +13.648
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +15.508
7 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +16.022
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine +17.882
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +21.564
10 Max Verstappen Red Bull +21.826
‘Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-race-results/
Oscar Piastri sees off McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to claim his FIFTH victory of the F1 season at the Spanish Grand Prix - as Max Verstappen and George Russell reignite fiery feud
Oscar Piastri claimed his fifth victory of the 2025 F1 season in Spain on Sunday
He fended off Lando Norris who shipped seven points in his world title fight
Max Verstappen and George Russell reignited their fiery feud late in the race
1 June 2025
JONATHAN MCEVOY
MailOnline
Lando Norris shipped seven points in his world championship fight as an unflappable Oscar Piastri won the Spanish Grand Prix from pole – as Max Verstappen lost his control with an extraordinary lunge on George Russell late in the race. As for Norris, it was a case of back to earth with a bump a week after his morale-boosting triumph on Monaco’s twisty streets. An error-dented qualifying session condemned the Briton to start from second on the grid, and his best obvious chance of seizing the lead presented itself on the long drag into the first corner.
But Norris was away slowly, at least relative to Piastri’s smart getaway. He even slipped a place to Verstappen, the Red Bull man pressing his claims strongly as usual. Norris was able to pass Verstappen on lap 13, his McLaren’s superior pace too much for the Red Bull. A breeze into second, where he finished. Piastri, therefore, leads Norris by 10 points after nine rounds. So the damage to Norris was contained but the outcome was the opposite of the ideal he required to maintain momentum established seven days before.
‘FIFTH victory’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...iery-feud.html
Spanish Grand Prix recap: F1 results, highlights as Oscar Piastri wins after late Max Verstappen drama
Jun 1, 2025
ESPN
Oscar Piastri has extended his title lead to 10 points after holding off Lando Norris for victory at a Spanish Grand Prix which was ultimately dominated by late Max Verstappen drama. Verstappen was handed a 10-second penalty after he appeared to intentionally ram into George Russell's Mercedes. He dropped to 10th place, with Charles Leclerc in the final podium position.
Key points:
• Oscar Piastri retained his lead from pole while Max Verstappen passed Lando Norris into Turn 1
• George Russell dropped down to fourth behind both Ferraris
• Ferrari instruct Lewis Hamilton to let Charles Leclerc past
• Lando Norris overtakes Verstappen to take back second place
• But Verstappen undercut the McLarens to take the lead
•
• Piastri reclaims lead as Red Bull opt for three-stop strategy before Kimi Antonelli brings out late Safety Car
• Verstappen, in third, unhappy to be put on hard tyre
• Leclerc overtook Verstappen on the restart, Red Bull driver felt he was hit on the straight and then was nearly passed by George Russell
• When told to give the position back to Russell, Verstappen appeared to intentionally hit the Mercedes and was given a 10s penalty, dropping him to 10th
• Piastri wins to extend his title lead to 10 points over Norris
‘Oscar Piastri has extended his title lead to 10 points’;
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/4...rstappen-drama
Horner and Wolff share their views on controversial Verstappen/Russell clash at end of Spanish GP
June 01, 2025
Formula One - Official Site
“Max had a snap at the restart,” said Christian Horner Red Bull team boss, as he offered his take on the chain of events. “Charles got alongside him [and] it looked like he pulled left on him. Then George obviously tried to capitalise on that into Turn 1 and it was very, very marginal. On recent experience and looking at recent incidents, obviously it’s subjective. You’ve asked for guidance from the FIA, from the referee. Essentially, there’s nothing come back. You can see that it’s been reported, it’s going to the stewards.”
“It looked for all intents and purposes that it was going to be a penalty. So, therefore, the instruction was given to Max to give that place back, which he was obviously upset about and annoyed about, because he felt that, one, he’d been left no space and, two, that George hadn’t been fully in control. So, after a conversation with his engineer, he elected to give the place back at Turn 5, [and] there was contact between the two cars.” Horner added: “I haven’t had a chance to speak to Max from his side, but obviously the stewards deemed that he caused a collision and got 10 seconds and some penalty points, unfortunately. It obviously was very frustrating, because it leaves us with one point [10th place] out of the afternoon, what should have been an easy podium.”
Speaking in his post-race media session, with Russell winding up in fourth position, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff commented: “I just heard, actually, that Max had the call to let him pass, right? I didn’t know. We were under the impression in the race that he had a problem with the car, and that’s why he was so slow getting out of [Turn 4]. I mean, if it was road rage, which I can’t imagine, because it was too obvious, then it’s not good. But the thing is, I don’t know what he aimed for. Did he want to let George pass and immediately repass, put George the car ahead? Then, like the old DRS games, letting him pass the right way?”
‘Horner and Wolff share their views’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...YmnXJFo9zh4lSs
Lewis Hamilton slams Spanish Grand Prix as ‘worst race I’ve experienced’
1 Jun 2025
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
After finishing sixth in the Spanish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has slammed the event as “the worst race I’ve had, balance-wise.” The Ferrari driver had nothing positive to say about the SF-25’s performance, saying that there were “zero” positives from a challenging race.
Asked for more insight into what went wrong with the car, Hamilton told media, including PlanetF1.com, “I have no idea why it was so bad. Worst race I’ve experienced, balance-wise.”
When he was asked if there were any positives to take away from Spain, he replied, “Zero.” And when asked where he goes from here — a question referring to any development that can be done ahead of the upcoming race in Canada — Hamilton responded, “Home.”
‘Nothing positive to say’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...ve-experienced
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Stewards give reasons over Verstappen vs Leclerc and Russell investigations - Spanish GP.
The Barcelona stewards have provided the reasons why Verstappen was not required to give the position back to Russell in the final stages of the Barcelona GP, while Charles Leclerc emerges able to celebrate his podium finish despite being under investigation.
1 Jun 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Red Bull not perfect at the pit wall: This time, the Red Bull pit wall—widely known for almost always making the best decisions—unintentionally played a bad trick on Max Verstappen by pushing him to give back the position to George Russell, even though the stewards later confirmed that it was not actually necessary.
Leclerc celebrates his third podium: Although much less controversial than the incident at Turn 5 with George Russell, the minor contact between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen also sparked discussions in the paddock, with the stewards investigating what happened between the two longtime rivals to assess a possible infraction by the Monegasque driver.
‘Unintentionally played a bad trick on Max Verstappen’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/f1-today
Verstappen questions racing standards after his incident with Russell
2 Jun 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
With just three laps left to go, the Dutchman slowed down at Turn 5, and Russell completed the move on the outside, but the reigning champion appeared to speed back up again, leading to contact between the pair. The four-time F1 champion would eventually let Russell through into Turn 11, but the stewards elected to hand out a ten-second time penalty to Verstappen for causing a collision at Turn 5.
Pressed on to comment on his incidents with Russell in the closing stages of the Barcelona race, Verstappen noted: "Does it matter? Yeah, okay, that's great. I mean, I prefer to speak about the race than just one single moment. “But honestly I think the biggest issue that we have is just the racing standards. What is allowed, what isn't, is not very natural and that is quite frustrating.”
“We tried to do a three-stop and I think it was quite good. It was quite racy, but we also needed it because we actually had quite a bit of degradation on the tyres. So I think that was good. Unfortunately, then of course the safety car came out at the end and we basically ran out of tyres. And the hard tyre was clearly not the right tyre. I mean, when you only have six laps to go, everyone can go flat out. I was severely grip limited on the hard," Verstappen told to Sky Sports F1.
‘Verstappen questions racing standards’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27005
Verstappen has no interest in Russell's complaints: 'Will bring tissues next time'
1 Jun 2025
Sandy van Wijngaarden
GPblog.com
After the Spanish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was informed that Russell had harsh criticism of the Dutchman's action and was even concerned about young children watching the premier class. “Okay, well, I'll bring some tissues next time,” Verstappen commented to GPblog, among others. In a more detailed analysis, Verstappen stated that the hard tires made his life very difficult in the race. “With the hard tyres just didn't have any grip. We didn't have any good soft tyres left because we did that three stop, you know. So, yeah, that's basically unlucky. I think up until then it was looking quite good for us.”
“We didn't have, of course, the pace of the McLarens, but with that three stop, it still looked quite racy out there, putting them at least a little bit under pressure in a way that they had to push. But yeah, unfortunately that safety car just came at the wrong time. But that's also part of racing. And then with a hard tire, I had a big moment out of the last corner because I couldn't keep up with these soft tires around me. Then on the straight I got driven into already and then into turn one as well. Then they told me to give the position back.”
The rules, with so much room for interpretation, are the biggest problem according to the Red Bull Racing driver. “But honestly, I think the biggest issue that we have is just that the racing standards, you know, what is allowed, what isn’t is not very natural. And that is quite frustrating. And of course, sometimes it works for you, sometimes it works against you. And today that worked against me.” Verstappen didn't want to say much about the incident with Russell. “He has his view. I have my view.Can you talk?I mean, honestly, it's better to just focus on the race, which I think was quite okay until the safety car,” said Verstappen.
'Will bring tissues next time';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...sues-next-time
Horner after Spanish GP: 'Hindsight is always 20/20'
1 June 2025
Niels Hendrix
Verstappen.nl
Christian Horner, CEO and team principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said after the Spanish Grand Prix: “From the way the race was panning out, we elected to take a three stop approach and we committed to that pretty early on. The pace advantage and the tyre advantage that the McLarens’ had in a straight fight meant that we took the gamble. We took the first stop early on and McLaren committed to a two stop, and our strategy was looking like it was on track to be the quickest approach.”
Horner continued: “We went for the potential undercut with Max, but he then had used all of his soft and medium compounds. The safety car came out at the worst possible time for our strategy and we decided between staying out on older tyres and be exposed at the restart, or take the gamble with the new set of hard tyres. Hindsight is always 20/20, but we made the best decision at the time with the information we had.”
“There was then contact with George that the stewards deemed an incident and resulted in a penalty. It’s something we will discuss internally and look at further. It’s a frustrating result as it was looking to be an easy podium for Max today.”
'Hindsight is always 20/20';
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5843/
Christian Horner slates Nico Rosberg over stunning Max Verstappen claim
2 June 2025
Jake Nichol & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Christian Horner has labelled Nico Rosberg as "sensationalist" following the German's claim that Max Verstappen should have been disqualified from the Spanish Grand Prix. Rosberg stated that the Dutchman should have been black-flagged following his deliberate ramming of George Russell on Lap 64 at Turn 5 after an earlier Turn 1 incident where Verstappen felt he had been forced off the track.
"Nico is quite sensationalist in the way that he commentates," Horner replied when asked by RacingNews365 for his response to the German. So I'll leave it at that." When further pushed by RacingNews365 on the threat of a looming ban for Verstappen, Horner indicated management of the situation was key. "You know, you can never guarantee anything," he said.
"I mean, he's just got to keep his nose close in the next couple of races, and then the first points come off at the end of June." The Red Bull boss was also asked if he felt "the red mist" had descended on Verstappen, a charge Horner did not fully deny. "It was clear that you could hear he was frustrated, and he didn't agree with both Charles or George," he added.
"Sensationalist";
https://racingnews365.com/christian-...rstappen-claim
Christian Horner returns fire at Nico Rosberg after refusing to do Sky Sports interview
Jun 2, 2025
Charlie Gordon
Daily and Sunday Express
Horner will have known he was in for a post-race grilling after Verstappen dropped down to P10 once his penalty was applied. And Sky Sports indicated that Horner told them he had 'nothing to say' when they asked him for an interview.
Later on, Horner did respond to Rosberg's commentary remarks by hitting back: "Nico is quite sensational in the way he commentates, so we will leave it there." Verstappen himself largely remained tight-lipped on the collision, and when informed about Rosberg calling for him to be black flagged, he said: "That is his opinion. Everyone can have their opinion."
‘Christian Horner returns fire at Nico Rosberg’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...erg-sky-sports
How the constructors' championship standings change after the Spanish GP
1 Jun 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
At the end of yet another weekend as a driver clearly capable of competing for his first World Championship, Oscar Piastri managed to claim victory at the Spanish GP, following up his pole position from yesterday and extending his lead to +10 points in the Drivers' Championship over his teammate. All in all, Lando Norris can also smile, having finished second at the line and still very much in the fight after nine rounds. The one licking his wounds is Max Verstappen, who finished fourth but had to drop down the standings due to a ten-second penalty received following the dramatic incident with George Russell during the race.
Thanks to points lost by Mercedes and Red Bull, Ferrari gains two positions and now sits second in the championship, behind only the unbeatable McLaren.anks to points lost by Mercedes and Red Bull, Ferrari gains two positions and now sits second in the championship, behind only the unbeatable McLaren.
‘Constructors' championship standings’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/how-t...the-spanish-gp
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Oscar Piastri matches Ayrton Senna McLaren F1 record.
Oscar Piastri has equalled Ayrton Senna's tally of eight consecutive F1 podiums following victory in the Spanish Grand Prix.
2 June 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
The win was Piastri's eighth podium in nine races to start the season, following third places in Japan, at Imola and in Monaco. Only in his home Australian GP has he finished off the podium this season, coming home ninth following the rain chaos.
In doing so, Piastri has equalled McLaren's most successful champion Senna in scoring eight consecutive podiums. Senna's run was between the 1988 Mexican and Belgian Grands Prix, taking in six wins and two second places. His run came to an end at Monza, in the famous race where he collided with backmarker Jean-Louis Schlesser, denying McLaren a clean sweep of race wins.
However, it is not an all-time McLaren record. That belongs to Lewis Hamilton who started his F1 career in 2007 with nine straight podiums from third on his debut in Australia to third at Silverstone. His run was ended with a ninth-place finish in the monsoon-conditions of the 2007 European Grand Prix.
‘Matches Ayrton Senna McLaren F1 record’;
https://racingnews365.com/oscar-pias...aren-f1-record
Oscar Piastri suggests McLaren used Red Bull’s most effective trick against them to win the Spanish Grand Prix
2 June 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
The Australian appeared to have the race under control from start to finish and even a late safety car didn’t slow down his progress. Nico Rosberg suggested Piastri had solved his Achilles’ heel in the process and when asked why McLaren were so quick, he pointed to a trick Red Bull and Max Verstappen have relied on all season to challenge the Woking-based outfit.
The drivers’ championship leader explained: “Great weekend. It’s been pretty spotless, so thanks to the team for a great car, think we made some really good steps from Friday to Saturday, and the car’s been mega ever since. “So, thanks to the team. [We] executed the race very well, stuck to our guns when we needed to. A couple of rule changes, took them in our stride, so yeah, it’s been a great weekend overall and another one-two for the team and I can’t thank you enough, so cheers!”
‘McLaren used Red Bull’s most effective trick against them’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/osc...sh-grand-prix/
Oscar Piastri gives surprising response to possibility of nightmare F1 scenario
Can Max Verstappen nip in and steal the drivers' title away from McLaren's Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris?
3 June 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Oscar Piastri has acknowledged that Max Verstappen swooping in to steal away the F1 drivers' title from McLaren would "hurt" - but that he could accept the outcome. Whilst Piastri is competing with team-mate Lando Norris for the crown, Red Bull has essentially a one-car team going for the drivers' title, as Verstappen is seeking to take a record-equalling fifth straight championship.
It has similarities to the 1986 season, where Williams had the dominant car and won the constructors', but as drivers Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet fought, it allowed McLaren's Alain Prost to steal the drivers' title in the season finale, albeit helped by Mansell's famous puncture. Addressing the possibility of a repeat, Piastri acknowledged it was a possibility, but insisted McLaren's approach was the right one. "It is a possibility, yes," he told BBC Sport. "But, on both sides of the garage here, we want to win because we've been the best driver, the best team, including against the other car in the team.”
"You always want to earn things on merit, and you want to be able to beat everyone, including your team-mate. So that gives Lando and I the best chance of our personal goals of trying to become drivers' world champion, while also achieving the main result for the team, which is the constructors' championship. If we do get beaten by Max, of course that would hurt, but we would know that we both had the same opportunity, we were racing everybody out there and that's just how it panned out. For us it's the most straightforward, the fairest way of going racing and that's what we've asked for."
"You always want to earn things on merit”;
https://racingnews365.com/oscar-pias...re-f1-scenario
Calls for 'weird' F1 award to be revamped after Oscar Piastri snubbed by fans
June 3, 2025
Emily Patterson
Channel 9's Wide World of Sports
F1's Driver of the Day is a fan-voted honour that aims to acknowledge the driver who, in the eyes of the public, executed the most impressive performance in each grand prix. On Monday (AEST), MaxVerstappen's drive was deemed superior despite a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with George Russell, dropping him to 10th place in the final classification.
Verstappen started the race in P3 but crossed the finish line fifth with Charles Leclerc and Russell going by, before he was relegated to 10th post-race. The four-time reigning champion received 19.7 per cent of the vote, compared to 14.5 per cent for Piastri.
With voting closing at the end of the grand prix, and the winner announced shortly after, the majority of fans still thought Verstappen performed the best from the grid despite his antics. Verstappen earned plaudits for pressuring the McLarens across the race, at times threatening to split the papaya cars with his Red Bull. However, there is just one problem: he didn't.
‘F1's Driver of the Day: Max Verstappen’;
https://www.nine.com.au/sport/motors...03-p5m4mt.html
'All in the details': The secret start line trick Lando Norris used to avoid a false start at the Spanish Grand Prix
3 June 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
After qualifying on the first row of the grid for the Spanish Grand Prix, journalist Adam Cooper spotted one thing Lando Norris had done to help avoid getting a jump start penalty. Starts have been a weakness for Norris at some recent races, with the Briton having conceded positions a few times in 2024 with bad getaways off the line.
A technical glitch cost him in Hungary, while Norris admitted that starts are the ‘number one’ thing he wanted to improve. On the grid in Spain, Norris asked his engineers to give him a reference point for his car, which was spotted by Cooper while walking on the grid. “It’s all in the details! Lando Norris directing his guys as they align a piece of silver tape on the Barcelona pit wall with his front wheels in order to avoid a false start,” wrote Cooper.
'Align a piece of silver tape on the Barcelona pit wall';
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/the...sh-grand-prix/
Andrea Stella reflects on threat posed by Verstappen's three-stop strategy
2 Jun 2025
Sienna Ionta
GPblog.com
While Mclaren managed to safely secure a 1-2 finish at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, team principle Andrea Stella admitted concern over Red Bull's decision to employ a three-stop strategy for Max Verstappen. In the race, Verstappen made his second pit stop at the end of lap 29, switching to medium tyres and rejoining in fourth position behind Piastri, Norris, and Leclerc. This move indicated Red Bull's intention to execute a three-stop strategy, while the leading McLaren pair aimed to complete the race with just two stops.
Andrea commented on this to media including GPblog, stating "we thought it would be on a three stop and we thought is not going to be a problem because we have already overtaken him on track and we should have a decent pace advantage. But the reality is that he was fast. He was fast. And when we went on the medium tyres in the second stint, we were pushing, controlling the pace, and he was catching up very rapidly, more rapidly than we hoped for."
“The reality is that he was fast. He was fast”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/andre...-stop-strategy
Zak Brown pokes fun at McLaren rivals as flexi-wing TD falls flat
2 Jun 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown is “loving the front wings”, a cheeky nod to rivals following an impressive one-two at the Spanish Grand Prix. The more things change, the more they stay the same perhaps rings true in Formula 1 after that new TD was put into action, and Brown could not resist a cheeky social media post to rub a little further salt in the wound of their rivals.
“Mega drive from Oscar & Lando,” Brown began on X.
“1-2 it doesn’t get much better than that! Great strategy and pit stops.”
“Big thanks to everyone back home. Loving the front wings.”
‘Cheeky nod to rivals’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/zak-br...mclaren-rivals
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‘Terrible’ Charles Leclerc did one of the ‘most dangerous things’ in F1 during the Spanish Grand Prix says Peter Windsor.
Peter Windsor thinks Charles Leclerc pulled off ‘dangerous’ move on Max Verstappen.
2 June 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Leclerc managed to get onto the podium after a late Safety Car brought him close to Max Verstappen, but Peter Windsor felt he pulled off a dangerous move leading up to the pass for the podium when speaking on his YouTube livestream. “Charles Leclerc was alongside Max as they went along the start/finish straight and then moved over on him at about 330kph before the braking area and hit the Red Bull,” said Windsor.
“Max stays absolutely straight and you can see clearly Charles drives into him, one of the most dangerous things I’ve seen since Lance Stroll did that to Fernando Alonso in Austin a few years back. Anything on a straight should be jumped upon immediately. He didn’t do it deliberately, but it was inexcusable, just terrible.”
“Max stays absolutely straight and you can see clearly Charles drives into him”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ter...peter-windsor/
Vasseur takes a stand on contact between Leclerc and Verstappen in the Spanish GP
1 Jun 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Frederic Vasseur spoke about the slight contact involving Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen during the restart after the Safety Car in the final stages of the Spanish GP. When asked about the incident during the post-race press conference — also attended by GP Blog — Frederic Vasseur chose to downplay the episode: ''I even didn't notice that there was an incident honestly''.
''We tried to have a look on the steering wheel position on the straight and it was at zero. It's not an incident. Now I can understand that they are upset after the last two or three laps of the race but it's nothing to do with Charles''.
''I even didn't notice that there was an incident honestly'';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/vasse...the-spanish-gp
Windsor snaps at the stewards: 'Ludicrous to say Verstappen did that'
4 Jun 2025
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
A furious Peter Windsor has said that it was "ludicrous" that Charles Leclerc was not handed a penalty after his incident with Max Verstappen at the Spanish Grand Prix. On the hard tyres, Verstappen had a big slide coming out of the final corner on the safety car restart, giving Leclerc the chance to overtake the Dutchman right at the restart down the start/finish straight. However, during the overtake, Leclerc edged towards Verstappen, causing the two to touch at an extremely high speed. After the race, Leclerc emphasised that it was his intention to push Verstappen slightly back towards the outside.
Those words from the Monagasque driver only increased Windsor's disagreement with the stewards in Barcelona, believing it to be incomprehensible that they did not intervene with that incident. ‘’If Charles now says it was him (who collided with Verstappen, ed.), then even more shame on the FIA for not doing something about it," the Australian said on his YouTube channel.
"The FIA are wrong in their assessment that both drivers caused an unavoidable collision. That's wrong. They should be correcting that now and apologising, and they should be thinking about taking some action, because that is inexcusable to not intervene in an incident at such high speed.’’
‘Leclerc emphasised that it was his intention to push Verstappen slightly back towards the outside’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/winds...out-verstappen
No further action over Verstappen / Leclerc incident
01/06/2025
Pitpass
The Barcelona stewards have opted to take no further action over the incident involving Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc during today's Grand Prix. "I don't think there's anything special," Leclerc told the official F1 channel at race end. "Max did a mistake out of the last corner, I went side by side. He tried to put me onto the dirty side of the track, as I would have done, which is normal. And then once I had the upper hand in terms of speed, I tried to take the slipstream a little bit.”
"On the first move, I was willing to move a tiny bit," he added. "On the second move, he wasn't. That is the difference of the contact or not, but at the end of the day that's racing. I don't think there's any big problem into it." Unwilling to shed any further light on the incident at race end, at the time of the clash the Dutchman yelled over his radio: "F***, mate, he just rammed into me. Charles just rammed into me on the straight," he added.
"I don't think there's anything special";
https://www.pitpass.com/80337/No-fur...clerc-incident
Leclerc "didn’t expect to find himself standing on the podium"
2 Jun 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Speaking of his race, Leclerc said: "Yesterday, I knew that I was sacrificing qualifying in order to have a better race on Sunday, but I didn’t expect to find myself standing on the podium, so I’m happy about that. The first two stints were really positive today, the last stint on the Medium was a bit more tricky, but then we had the Safety Car that gave us the opportunity to fit Soft tyres again and we took advantage of it.”
“The Safety Car helped us. Basically, Max had no tyres except the hard tyre, which put him in a bad situation. We took advantage of it." Pressed on to comment on his battle with Max Verstappen the Monegasque stated: “On the contact, I don’t think there’s anything special. Max did a mistake out of the last corner, I went side by side. He tried to bring me onto the dirty side of the track, as I would have done, which is normal.
“On the contact, I don’t think there’s anything special”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27003
Max Verstappen shares immediate fear from 'pretty scary' Charles Leclerc collision
Max Verstappen has revealed his initial concern when his Red Bull and Charles Leclerc's Ferrari made contact on the start/finish straight at the Spanish Grand Prix.
2 June 2025
Samuel Coop & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Leclerc, on the yellow-walled Pirellis, to overtake (Max Verstappen), which is when contact was initiated. That came moments before George Russell pushed Verstappen wide at Turn 1, which precipitated the events that earned the Red Bull driver a 10-second time penalty and dropped him from fifth to P10 at the chequered flag.
In the wake of the two incidents, Verstappen jumped on team radio to complain about his rivals, having fallen from a podium position. "Oh my! Mate, he just rammed into me!," he exclaimed before clarifying: "Charles just rammed into me on the straight."
It saw the two drivers' hauled before the FIA stewards, but it was determined neither was "wholly or predominantly to blame" and, therefore, neither was punished - unlike with the later clash with Russell. In the aftermath of the ill-tempered and dramatic end to the race, Verstappen was asked if he would speak to Leclerc about the initial moment of contention. "Honestly, I don't know what happened there," the 65-time grand prix winner told media including RacingNews365.
"It was really odd, because he was already... basically the move was almost done, and suddenly he moved left, which could have been a big one, but it was just really weird. I don't know what happened." When it was put to the 27-year-old that it looked "pretty scary", he agreed. "Yep, yeah, it was," he responded. "I thought I was gonna have a puncture, you know, because with the floor, you can cut the tyre. But, I don't know."
'Pretty scary';
https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...lerc-collision
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Italian taxi drivers issue Toto Wolff retort after 'road rage' comment.
"We drive like a Mercedes since it only goes 30 miles an hour, just like us.” Nicola Di Giacobbe from Filt-Cgil (Taxis).
4 Jun 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Speaking to Sky Italia in the aftermath of Max Verstappen ramming into George Russell at Turn 5 in the closing stages of the Barcelona race, Wolff claimed that: "this is road rage, like the taxi drivers in Rome or Naples, there is a lot of aggression in the centre of Rome and Naples, without rules." He later expanded on his comments to media, including RacingNews365, calling the move for which Verstappen earned a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points as "incomprehensible."
Whilst Naples appeared to brush off Wolff's comment, the same could not be said for their colleagues from the Eternal City. "Maybe it would be better if Wolff focused on [the performance] of his own team," the president of Rome's largest taxi association, Loreno Bittarelli told Corriere della Sera.
A driver, Alessandro compared Rome to a "jungle" as drivers navigate their way around the sights of a modern capital city. "We are the ones who are first in not having accidents, otherwise we would lose our working day," he explained. "I would like to see Formula 1 drivers manoeuvring around construction sites, scooters and golf carts the way we do. Rome is now a jungle, not a Formula 1 track."
‘Taxi drivers in Rome or Naples’;
https://racingnews365.com/italian-ta...d-rage-comment
Toto Wolff faces backlash from Rome taxi drivers after Verstappen comments
3 Jun 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
After the Spanish Grand Prix, the talk of the town was nothing but the clash between Max Verstappen and George Russell. Toto Wolff also had his say, refusing to believe that Verstappen intentionally crashed into Russell. In an interview with the Italian press, he compared Verstappen's action to that of an enraged taxi driver. Taxi drivers from Rome have reacted to Wolff's remarks.
Speaking to Austrian outlet OE24, Loreno Bittarelli, president of a taxi association in Rome, joked: '"We are better than Formula 1 drivers, who wouldn't last an hour in Rome's city traffic. We drive among construction sites, motorcycles, e-scooters, and tourist buses. Rome is a jungle, far worse than a Formula 1 circuit." According to Bittarelli, Roman taxi drivers are actually more cautious about aggressive driving: "We are the last people who would want an accident, otherwise we would lose our job."
‘Backlash from Rome taxi drivers’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/toto-...max-verstappen
George Russell will be delighted by Toto Wolff’s ‘old form’ Spanish Grand Prix claim after recent Mercedes struggles
3 June 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
George Russell will be delighted by Toto Wolff’s ‘old form’ comments after the Spanish Grand Prix. Russell hit out at ‘nonsense’ Mercedes 2026 engine claims and doesn’t expect the team to burst out of the blocks next season with a dominant power unit compared to their rivals.
While they will have been investing resources in the future, there’s still prize money to fight for in the present. Although they didn’t have blistering pace at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, one aspect of their weekend stood out to team boss Wolff. “The qualifying lap was good,” he said, according to Auto Motor und Sport. “We found our old form there. But we can’t be satisfied with the race result. Fourth place was also handed to us by Verstappen’s penalty.”
Mercedes are in a ‘mess’ after making ‘mistakes’ and feared that they might overheat their tyres in Spain, which didn’t appear to be too much of an issue. They gathered plenty of long run data on Friday, which served them well during the race.
‘Toto Wolff’s ‘old form’ Spanish Grand Prix claim’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/geo...des-struggles/
Verstappen did have an extra soft tyre left: Why Red Bull opted for the hard tyre
4 Jun 2025
Tim Kraaij
GPblog.com
The incident between Max Verstappen and George Russell marked a dramatic end to Verstappen's strong race until then. How a daring strategy from Red Bull Racing ultimately turned to their disadvantage when fate struck. Red Bull Racing laid their cards on the table early during the Spanish Grand Prix. The Austrian team had devised a three-stop strategy for the race. On paper, not the fastest strategy, but the team wanted to try something with Max Verstappen to put pressure on the McLarens.
Verstappen was the first of the frontrunners to dive into the pits for a new set of soft tyres. After a used set of soft tyres, Verstappen switched to his only remaining new set of soft tyres. It was on these tyres that Verstappen managed to get ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on the track. On lap 29, Verstappen came from the lead back to the pits for new medium tyres. These tyres were seven and eight laps fresher than the tyres Piastri and Norris were on. Verstappen then flew past the competition on the track, causing Norris to be asked over the team radio to push harder: "We think Max is now 'in our race’," came the alarming request over the team radio.
For Max Verstappen, the safety car came at a very bad time. The Dutchman had, after all, already used up four sets of tyres through Red Bull Racing's daring strategy. In total, the Dutchman, like all other drivers, started the race with six sets of tyres, but the two remaining sets were both far from ideal. According to the Pirelli overview, there was indeed still a used soft tyre available for Verstappen. The Dutchman had, after all, three used sets and one new set of tires for the race. That used set had already been utilised for four laps during qualifying and the three warm-up laps to the track before the Grand Prix. The tyre was thus as used as the tyre Verstappen was already on.
‘Daring strategy from Red Bull Racing’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...-the-hard-tire
The real reason behind Verstappen's crash with Russell – More than just a tyre choice
3 Jun 2025
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
A year full of frustrations: It wasn't the hard tyres or the call to let Russell pass that led to frustrations overtaking Verstappen and him crashing into the Mercedes driver. No, the core of everything is much deeper and goes far beyond a decision in the closing stages of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Verstappen is a true winner, one who has become accustomed to dominating Formula 1 from the front of the field. But that's no longer possible, since McLaren have the upper hand and Red Bull have no idea how to solve the many technical challenges. For over a year, Verstappen has been calling for change, but - though his concerns are certainly being listened to - nothing seems to improve the situation. And yes, on a day when you see a podium place disappear and you think about everything that has happened over the past year, a person can reach their limit. Nothing human is alien to Max Verstappen.
Why did Red Bull responded calmly? That Red Bull subsequently did not publicly reprimand their driver is also understandable. After all, Verstappen is the man who currently still brings some success to the Austrian team. Red Bull cannot afford Verstappen to have had enough at some point that he walks out the door in Milton Keynes. And yes, Red Bull surely also realises what the underlying cause of Verstappen's outburst is. Eventually, a night's sleep was needed, but Verstappen has apologised for his action during the Spanish Grand Prix. That's how Max is; emotional at times, but also honest enough to say 'sorry' when he's done something wrong.
‘More than just a tyre choice’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/general/th...-a-tire-choice
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'Amazing to annoying' - Hamilton targeted by Italian media with Ferrari move 'in crisis'.
“He cannot keep up with Leclerc's pace; he seems suspended between the search for the magic powder and the suspicion of being surrounded by a team that does not understand him and does not support him.” Giorgio Terruzzi of Corriere della Serra.
5 Jun 2025
Connor Andrews
talkSPORT
Giorgio Terruzzi of Corriere della Serra covered Hamilton’s latest struggles in brutal fashion, saying he’s ‘beaten and dejected’. “On the track, in radio communications, in the interviews he has to give by contract, even if he would like to run away, to lock himself away, Lewis Hamilton is a dull star,” he wrote.
Italy’s leading outlet, La Gazzetta dello Sport, are similarly unimpressed, saying Hamilton is now just left with excuses as other drivers have adapted to their new teams far quicker.
“He expects a winning car from Ferrari and Ferrari is waiting for him,” they wrote.
“Considering that for a year [team principal] Fred Vasseur has been praising the prospect of a new inspiration coming [from Hamilton], a vision of the work that would enrich the Scuderia.
In an attempt to explain why the move hasn’t worked so far, rival Rome outlet (corrieredellosport.it) went slightly kinder on Hamilton, putting it down to a transition away from normality. “Entering a Latin team is not a foregone conclusion,” Fulvio Solms wrote. “If you have spent an entire career in Anglo-Saxon realities [Mercedes and McLaren], the work systems are very different from each other
‘Search for the magic powder’;
https://talksport.com/motorsport/326...ri-spanish-gp/
Downbeat Hamilton says he learned ‘absolutely nothing’ from triple header after tough run to P6 in Barcelona
2 Jun 2025
Formula One - Official Site
“Today was definitely not what I was hoping for. I felt good going into the race, after a pretty good Qualifying and the car performing better. But the balance felt off throughout the race and we lacked pace from the start,” Hamilton explained.
“We don’t have an explanation for it, so we’ll have to go away and look into the data and any underlying issues. Congratulations to Charles, he did a great job and fully deserved the podium.”
“[I] just didn’t have any speed at the end,” confirmed Hamilton, who is still struggling to get on top of the SF-25. He added that he had learned “absolutely nothing” from the triple header, despite Imola being his best Grand Prix result of the season with a fourth-placed finish.
‘Learned ‘absolutely nothing’’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...kwAMMNWaCTd3CY
Chandhok warns: ‘Make or break moment’ coming for Hamilton in 2025
5 Jun 2025
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
Hamilton's time at Ferrari starting to get 'critical'. With that being the case, Chandhok believes that something needs to change rapidly for Hamilton. "I think it's starting to get a bit critical," the former F1 driver said while on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, The F1 Show. "We're coming into the second-third of the season now, and he's not finding the rhythm, he's not finding the consistency, where week in, week out, he's in a happy place with the car.”
"In Imola, he was woeful in qualifying, and suddenly the car's brilliant in the race. And in Monaco, he wasn't quite there; he was a chunk behind Charles throughout," continued the Indian. “I think there's got to be a degree of concern creeping in. I think when you look at the race [in Barcelona], the fact that Charles overtook him and drove away from him quite comfortably, I'd be concerned.”
'Critical';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/chand...milton-in-2025
Lewis Hamilton 'exploded' and left in tears by Ferrari as career hits new low
Lewis Hamilton was utterly defeated at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Jun 3, 2025
Archie Griggs
Daily and Sunday Express
Hamilton 'exploded' with frustration because he 'had never experienced such a low point', according to Bild. He had been hoping for a podium finish before the start of the race but his expectations were shattered in brutal fashion. The seven-time champion also wiped away tears after the race, indicating just how upset he was that Hulkenberg was able to pass with relative ease despite being in an inferior car.
He told Sky Sports: "What do you want me to say? I've had a really bad day and have nothing to say. It was a difficult day. There's nothing else to add to it. It was terrible. There's no point explaining it. It's not your fault. I just don't know what to say." When asked if Ferrari would be able to find some answers, Hamilton replied: "I'm sure they won't. It was probably just me. I have no idea why it was so bad. That was the worst race I've experienced, balance-wise."
His performance in the race was described as 'shockingly bad' by former Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, who added: "He doesn't have answers either. Was there damage on the floor? These floors are so sensitive and there can always be a bit there.
"When you don't have any answers, it's really tough as a driver. Then you see your team-mate race their way to third place on the podium. In light of the whole season he's had so far, it's a very dark situation."
'Exploded';
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ish-Grand-Prix
'A dark situation': Nico Rosberg on Lewis Hamilton's dismal Ferrari start
3 Jun 2025
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
Former F1 driver and teammate Nico Rosberg has sympathised with Lewis Hamilton, saying that his current form at Ferrari is "hard to watch". "It's hard to watch," the 2016 world champion started by saying about Hamilton's poor race pace while on Sky Sports. "Today was a horrible day for him because he was just slow out there, which is very unusual because, yes, sometimes he's been a little bit off in qualifying, but in racing, usually he's still really, really awesome."
The German continued on about the struggles his former teammate has faced, worried that there may be no quick turnaround. "Today, the race was just shockingly bad, and then he doesn't have answers either. Was there damage to the floor, as these floors are so sensitive, and there can always be a little bit there, and then you lose a lot of time? Or what was going on?”
"When you don't have any answers, it's really tough as a driver, and then you see your teammate racing up all the way to third place, being on the podium. In light of the whole season that he's had so far, it's a very dark situation," concluded Rosberg.
“Hard to watch";
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/a-dar...-ferrari-start
Montoya warns Ferrari: Focus on Lewis or stay titleless
3 Jun 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Ferrari are not focused on Lewis Hamilton, and if by next year this doesn't change, the Scuderia are in for an even larger title dry-spell. Speaking in the AS podcast MontoyAS, the former F1 driver states he doesn't think Ferrari are focused on Hamilton, but wonders if this could change with the 2026 regulations.
"Not at the moment (About Ferrari being focused on Hamilton,ed.), and the interesting thing is to see if, suddenly, with next year's car they pay more attention to what Lewis needs or what Leclerc needs." For Montoya, Hamilton's direction is the right path that may lead Ferrari to titles, whereas Leclerc's can only yield a few victories a year. "In my opinion, if they want to be competitive next year, the base of the car has to be more based on Lewis than on Charles. Because the cars that have been based on Charles are cars that can win one or two races a year, but no [titles].”
“ And look, under Lewis's leadership, when they go fast, they find everything very quickly, and he always gives very good direction to what the car needs, I think Ferrari is very political and very complicated, and suddenly it surprised Lewis. I think Lewis expected that, since he was Lewis, they would do everything he wanted, and we all expected this, but egos are a very complicated thing."
‘Ferrari is very political and very complicated’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/monto...is-wins-titles
Report: ‘Disillusioned’ Lewis Hamilton is now going against Fred Vasseur to demand one key change at Ferrari
3 June 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton wants Ferrari to stop developing their 2025 car and focus on the 2026 F1 regulations. So, while Vasseur is still urging Ferrari to work on turning their year around, Motorsport.com now reports that Hamilton has joined the growing calls in Maranello for the Scuderia to stop developing their 2025 car and move all of their resources to the 2026 F1 chassis regulations.
Vasseur is quickly becoming a lone figure in Maranello who still claims Ferrari’s 2025 season can be salvaged. Many including Hamilton feel the SF-25 is beyond repair and that any gains they find will not be big enough to make it worthwhile investing in any further development. Upgrades are coming, with Ferrari working on a rear suspension update due at the Austrian Grand Prix and a new floor. But Hamilton has very much become ‘disillusioned’ by the 2025 project and he is one of the major voices begging Ferrari to focus on next year’s regulations.
‘SF-25 is beyond repair’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dis...ge-at-ferrari/
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Isack Hadjar could have “very bright” future, says Christian Horner.
“I think he’s been the most outstanding of the rookies,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Canal+.
3 Jun 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
Whilst Lawson has worked to re-acclimatise to Red Bull’s second team, Hadjar has relentlessly been scoring points. In combination with his regular Q3 appearances, the Frenchman is now a common presence in the top 10. Red Bull are taking notice of this, with Christian Horner praising the youngster’s performances last weekend in Spain:
“I think he’s been the most outstanding of the rookies,” he told Canal+. “The expectation on him wasn’t as high as he’s delivered so far. He’s exceeded all our expectations, he’s been fast, he’s been consistent. He’s constantly delivered, and I think it’s been a great start to his Formula 1 career.”
“And I think he just needs to keep that momentum running.” When asked about what he foresees in Hadjar’s future, Horner responded: “His future, if keeps performing as he is, is very bright.”
‘Most outstanding of the rookies’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...istian-horner/
Simon Lazenby shares what jubilant Racing Bulls staff said off the record after Isack Hadjar heroics
5 June 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Jubilant Racing Bulls staff were ‘at pains to say’ that they outscored Mercedes in the European triple header. Racing Bulls’ form have made them serious contenders in the midfield in 2025. It has even seen them outperform frontrunners in recent races.
Mercedes had a disastrous triple header, with Kimi Antonelli failing to score a point after suffering two mechanical issues at Imola and Barcelona. George Russell scored 18 points in the last three races, which is two less than what Hadjar and Lawson managed for Racing Bulls.
Hadjar Lawson Russell Antonelli
Emilia Romagna GP 9th 14th 7th DNF
Monaco GP 6th 8th 11th 18th
Spanish GP 7th 11th 4th DNF
Points 16 4 18 0
‘Outscored Mercedes in the European triple header’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/sim...adjar-heroics/
Hadjar had ‘a lot of fun’ in ‘best race we could have done’
04/06/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Isack Hadjar continued his impressive run of form in Barcelona last weekend, bringing his RB01 home in seventh place after a gritty, strategic drive that the Racing Bulls charger described as “a lot of fun” as he went toe-to-toe with a F1 veterans.
“Really happy, it is the best race we could have done,” commented the rookie. “I really enjoyed it as well as there was some really good fighting, especially on Lap 1 with Fernando and Pierre, honestly I had a lot of fun and overtook a few cars as well,” the rookie said.
“Good pace on the medium was I think our strength and we made the most of it, extended on the soft, honestly we played it really well today. It’s just a shame at the end that Nico [Hulkenberg] on new tyres got us but, you know, he was way too fast for us.”
“Best race we could have done”;
https://f1i.com/news/540829-hadjar-h...have-done.html
Hadjar declares points run in Spain ‘a lot of fun’ as Racing Bulls team mate Lawson reflects on factor that ‘screwed’him
3 Jun 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Isack Hadjar continued his strong run of form with a seventh-placed finish in Spain, calling the race “a lot of fun” as he battled his way to his third points score in a row. But there were contrasting fortunes for Liam Lawson, who also found himself with his elbows out on a number of occasions. The Kiwi racer tried his best, but ultimately came home just outside the points in P11.
Hadjar managed to hold position off the line from P9, battling hard with fellow Frenchman Pierre Gasly in the early stages. Those two had stayed up late watching Paris Saint-Germain play in the Champions League the night before, but there were no signs that either were taking it easy on the other once the visors went down. Hadjar only dropped to 10th after his first pit stop and remained in the top 10 after his second stop. He was running seventh at the Safety car restart, but had had to fit used soft tyres – while Nico Hulkenberg behind had a fresh set of boots on. Although Hadjar lost out to the Kick Sauber, he crossed the line eighth – inheriting seventh when Max Verstappen had a penalty applied.
Team mate Lawson was also in the thick of the action. He pulled out an incredible late-braking move on Alex Albon, although the two did make contact at one point. He then tried something similar on Ollie Bearman later in the race, doing everything he could to move forward from P13 on the grid. Lawson found himself 10th at the Safety Car restart, but he had stuck with his original soft tyres – which were already 14 laps old when the Safety Car appeared. That left him a sitting duck at the end, as he lost out to Fernando Alonso to wind up 11th.
‘Contrasting fortunes’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...SMtPt5NITNlkl2
Liam Lawson takes responsibility for Spanish GP incident: 'Completely on me'
Liam Lawson narrowly finished outside of the points in the Spanish Grand Prix, after fierce battles with Ollie Bearman.
2 June 2025
Jake Nichol & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Liam Lawson has taken responsibility for the contact with Ollie Bearman in the Spanish Grand Prix during their fierce battle. The battle between Bearman and Lawson was the highlight of a rather drab Barcelona race up until the late safety car, with Bearman just about managing to stay ahead of the Racing Bulls driver.
During one incident at Turn 1, Lawson clipped Bearman, forcing the Haas driver to take to the run-off, and as per the overtaking guidelines, was not entitled to space as his front wing was not alongside the mirror of the Haas. Bearman cut through the Turn 1 run-off, but given the circumstances, no further action was taken against Lawson, as Bearman was still ahead at the apex.
‘Narrowly finished outside of the points’;
https://racingnews365.com/liam-lawso...mpletely-on-me
Liam Lawson theory rejected by Racing Bulls boss: 'It was not us'
Liam Lawson is settling back into life at Racing Bulls, and his boss Laurent Mekies has rejected one theory.
6 June 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies has rejected the idea that the team 'rebuilt' Liam Lawson following his brutal axe from Red Bull. "No, it is not us rebuilding Liam," Mekies told Sky Sports F1 when asked if the team had rebuilt Lawson's confidence.
"Liam got here, he had to jump in the car, and in-season, that is very difficult, and it was difficult for Yuki to go [to Red Bull], it is difficult to jump into a car he has not driven at all. So it took some time, not so much to rebuild the confidence, but to actually get used to our car, and the lap-time is being unlocked at every race.”
"But again, I would not call it confidence. I would say it is just him getting on top of the car, being more and more comfortable in it and being able to push in it."
‘Settling back into life at Racing Bulls’;
https://racingnews365.com/liam-lawso...-it-was-not-us
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Why Williams is sacrificing its best F1 season in a decade.
On its day, this year's Williams is more than just best of the midfield: it's sniping at underperforming giants. No more so than the last race in Miami, where Williams was within four tenths of pole position and comfortably clear of its usual rivals.
14 May 2025
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
There's a balance most teams are trying to strike between aggressively developing for next year's all-new rules while continuing to bring improvements to this year's car early on, and Williams is all-in on 2026 in terms of active development.
So how much is Williams sacrificing to do that? Well, on Miami form, you would say the potential to consolidate fifth in the championship and maybe even make some inroads on any faltering giants. On other 2025 weekends you would say it is giving up a definite position at or close to the head of the midfield and could struggle to score points at all by the end of the year.
Team boss James Vowles does not believe Williams can realistically be a frontrunner again until 2027 or 2028 because it is coming from such a low base. And as Williams had struggled to make an obvious leap before this year, to the outside world the project has had a lot of convincing talk without the progress on-track to back it up.
‘Sacrificing its best F1 season in a decade’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...n-in-a-decade/
Williams’ James Vowles ‘backing failure’ in bid to guide team to F1 summit
James Vowles believes Williams’ upsurge is due to a ‘really open, honest culture’.
31 May 2025
Giles Richards
Yahoo! Sport
Finding themselves fighting off Ferrari and mauling the midfield, these are heady times for a resurgent Williams. The team principal James Vowles has engineered an extraordinary comeback but this year’s progress is likely to be just the start for a team determined to return to the heights of Formula One, which they once dominated.
That Williams’ form has changed drastically could not have been clearer than at the Miami GP. Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz were in a fight with the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, the Scuderia finding themselves at one point trying to catch Albon, who took fifth place and at the same time fending off a charging Sainz.
Vowles, who has an engineer’s bent for breaking down questions to ensure they have been comprehensively examined, plays down his role in the turnaround but it is impossible to ignore that he has been at the helm and had the force of will to see it through. Fighting for titles is now the very real expectation.
‘Backing failure’;
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/wil...070040133.html
Albon: How Barcelona exposed Williams flaws – and the need to “take the medicine”
JUNE 6, 2025
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog
“I don’t care, put it all be one race,” said Albon when I put that to him. “We’ll get it all done with, and then we’ll move on to Canada! In all seriousness, I think as bad as it looks today, there’s some learnings from this weekend. I think we’ve shown that our car is going in the right direction. Q2 and P11 proves that. It shows we still have work to do. We’re not this ultra-midfield car that that’s quick everywhere. We still have our flaws and our weaknesses.”
“There’s a clear trend now that pretty much everyone around us is already upgraded, so we will inevitably fall down the pecking order eventually. We need to look at this track and understand why is it always this circuit that hurts us? We know it’s long corners, but we need to understand why the long corners. And in the race honestly, I think we could have been fighting for points. Could have, would have, should have.”
“Take the medicine”;
https://adamcooperf1.com/2025/06/06/...-the-medicine/
Albon: Williams must identify Spain weakness “to be a top team”
June 4, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
Williams failed to secure points in Barcelona last weekend, which is the first race they left have empty-handed since Bahrain. Unlike in Bahrain, however, it was not poor Safety Car timing or a racing incident that cost the Grove-based team in Spain.
Alex Albon explained post-race, Williams must learn from tough races like the Spanish GP if they want to progress: “We lost out quite heavily at the beginning and were on the back foot into Turn 1. The cars ahead were avoiding each other, and I was the one to get hit. So we were forced onto a three-stop strategy to replace my front wing.”
“I tried my best to stay out of the way in each incident, but we ended up with damage both times. We need to look at this track and understand why it’s such a challenge for us. I want us to be a top team, and it’s important to put the car to the test at tracks like this so we can learn valuable lessons and optimise our car for the future. Overall, I feel like I’m in a good rhythm with the car and I’m looking forward to Canada.”
“To be a top team”’
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...be-a-top-team/
Nothing went Williams' way admit drivers in ‘messy’ Spanish GP
03/06/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Williams’ recent run of form came to a grinding halt at the Spanish Grand Prix, where the team endured one of its most chaotic and fruitless races of the season. At a circuit ill-suited for the British outfit’s FW46, the combination of poor starts, in-race incidents, and technical woes made for a disastrous Sunday in Barcelona.
Alex Albon was forced to retire after breaking two front wings and serving a penalty, while teammate Carlos Sainz – racing at home in front of the Spanish crowd – could only manage a distant 14th after sustaining early damage and battling overheating issues throughout the race.
‘Chaotic and fruitless race’;
https://f1i.com/news/540790-nothing-...panish-gp.html
Spanish Grand Prix: Why Williams were so far behind as Carlos Sainz finishes 15th in home race
1 Jun 2025
David George
National World
Team boss James Vowels had already been tempering expectations for this weekend, claiming that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya does not suit the Williams FW47. Historically, the team’s cars have always performed better at high-speed circuits where there is little to no wind.
Vowels has told the media that the FW47 will not see any upgrades for the remainder of the season, with all attention at Grove being turned towards the 2026 regulations. So we could well see Williams fall down the pecking order as the year goes on.
‘Why Williams were so far behind’;
https://www.nationalworld.com/sport/...s-15th-5155271
How Spain exposed Williams weakness that needs fixing despite 2026 F1 rules reset
5 Jun 2025
Harry Whitfield
Motorsport Week
Williams left Barcelona with more questions than answers, as familiar struggles resurfaced at a track that continues to highlight a key limitation the team must overcome ahead of Formula 1’s 2026 rules reset. Albon acknowledged the relief of moving past the difficult Spanish GP weekend, but he emphasised the value of racing on tracks that exposed Williams limitations.
“It might sound weird, but I enjoy coming to these tracks,” he added. “I want us to be a top team, and I know that these are the tracks that we need to be better at, if we are going to be one. It’s good to take our medicine and to understand it, and to really put the car to the test. Look at it, see it visually, we’ve got a lot to do here, let’s really get on top of it. We’ve improved the car everywhere, and we’ve definitely improved the car in long corners, but it’s still a step behind some of the others.”
“It might sound weird”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...1-rules-reset/
Williams still seeking to iron out ‘nasty elements’ from FW47
06/06/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Williams team principal James Vowles has hailed the team’s impressive progress this season but acknowledged that the FW47 still carries some lingering flaws that need to be addressed. "I'm proud of the progress the team is making, and obviously, having two world-class drivers helps a lot," Vowles told the media in Barcelona.
"We've developed the car, and it has come alive. We've made some small mechanical improvements, so it is a good step in the right direction, but we haven't eliminated all of the nasty elements that are in our car." Asked if Williams intended to further develop its current car, Vowles admitted it would be “tough” given the amount of resources that have already been channeled into its 2026 project.
"That is the reality behind it, and we've been very candid that the '26 car was in the wind tunnel very early on," he explained. "The 2026 project is going well, we had to do that because we're in a different position, perhaps to most, where that clean sheet of paper – we're not carrying anything across at all – gives us an ability to do a full reset. We can fix some things that perhaps we should have done a few years ago, but it's very difficult to do in that cycle; that's our reasoning behind it."
‘Iron out ‘nasty elements’ from FW47’;
https://f1i.com/news/540955-williams...from-fw47.html
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Haas still riding F1’s midfield rollercoaster.
After a double score in Bahrain the team didn’t better a 12th place in the three races prior to Monaco, and then in Barcelona Ocon and Oliver Bearman finished 16th and 17th.
JUNE 8, 2025
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog
Team principal Ayao Komatsu acknowledges that there’s work to be done in all areas. “I feel like we really need to hit the ground running better, to give a consistent platform for the drivers to run every single run,” he said in Spain. “I don’t like to separate, but for sure we are still learning how to get the best out of Esteban.”
“And when he’s in a good spot, in terms of car set-up, mentally and everything, you’ve seen what he can deliver. Shanghai was a very, very good race. Bahrain was amazing. And Monaco, what he delivered in qualifying, was excellent. So we know we can do it.”
‘F1’s midfield rollercoaster’;
https://adamcooperf1.com/2025/06/08/...rollercoaster/
Oliver Bearman has ‘brutally’ proven one big problem that Haas are now desperate to fix
7 June 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Haas feared the Spanish Grand Prix would be a tough task and their concerns proved real, as Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman both finished at the very back of the pack. Oliver Bearman ‘brutally’ proved Haas’ long-radius corner concerns at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Ocon and Bearman’s woes at the Spanish GP also ‘brutally’ proved Haas’ fears that their car could struggle in the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya’s long-radius corners. That is according to Auto Motor und Sport, which reports the VF-25 loses downforce and time in longer turns.
‘Desperate to fix’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/oli...perate-to-fix/
Oliver Bearman rues ‘late’ Haas decision that ‘made it difficult’ for him in the Spanish Grand Prix
4 June 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Oliver Bearman matched his career-worst result to date in the Spanish Grand Prix, as the Haas driver only scored a 17th-place finish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The 20-year-old has also registered the worst Grand Prix finishes of his raw Formula 1 career in the last three rounds, having also finished the Emilia Romagna GP in P17. Bearman is also without a point in his last five starts after coming last among the classified finishers in Spain.
Oliver Bearman feels Haas also left him running ‘blind’ in the Spanish GP by changing his set-up before qualifying. “We made big changes before qualifying, which really made a difference,” Bearman shared, via quotes by Motorsport-Total. “But it’s obviously a bit late to start with a new car in Q1. In qualifying and ultimately in the race, we were sort of blind, which made it difficult for us.”
‘Running blind’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/oli...sh-grand-prix/
Ocon hoping Haas can ‘get back where we belong’ in Canada as Bearman admits Spain ‘exposed a few weaknesses’
4 Jun 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman are looking to bounce back at the next round on the calendar in Canada after a challenging weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix saw them end the race down in P16 and P17 respectively.
There have been mixed fortunes for the squad across the triple header, with a particular highlight being a P7 finish for Ocon in Monaco. However, fortune was not on their side in Barcelona as the decision to keep Ocon out on track during a late Safety Car – meaning that he was running on older medium tyres – resulted in him slipping down the order at the restart.
‘Get back where we belong’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...aZAQLGRAkyLiPm
Spanish Grand Prix ‘exposed a few weaknesses with our race pace’ – Bearman
1 June 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video
Oliver Bearman finished down in 17th place in Barcelona, in a race where the heat caused problems for the Haas car.
‘Weaknesses’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/sp...39050195709598
Oliver Bearman commends Haas support amid F1 mid-season driver changes
1 June 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Oliver Bearman has commended the support of his Haas team after observing the chaos of the revolving door of driver changes across teams in Formula 1. “Haas have been incredibly supportive of me since the very beginning, which is great,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “I’m so glad to have them on my side, on my team.”
Bearman is grateful for how Haas is giving him the support he needs to thrive as he makes further steps in his F1 career. “So far, we’ve had, I would say, a decent start to the season together. We’ve learnt a lot from each other and we have a lot of things to build on from now.”
“Incredibly supportive”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...river-changes/
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How did Sauber achieve its unexpected improvement?
The Swiss-based outfit that will be Audi's works F1 team next year brought three performance upgrades to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
8 Jun 2025
F1 Technical
The green outfit made a number of tweaks to the floor, introducing changes to the fences, floor edges and the diffuser. Furthermore, the C45 featured a new engine cover at Barcelona, with the team having made alterations to the sidepod profile to work with the floor.
In addition, a new front wing was also introduced, featuring new end plates designed “to improve outboard front wing performance” and “better downstream flow quality”. Confirming the positive effect of the upgrades, Hulkenberg said: “The car felt good all weekend, and the updates clearly gave us a step forward in performance — we had strong pace throughout the race.
"Credits to the whole team, both at the factory and trackside, for the hard work on the upgrades," concluded the German driver.
‘Three performance upgrades’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27032
The factors that inspired remarkable Sauber return to top five in F1 Spanish GP
3 Jun 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Did a rule change assist Sauber resurgence? Hulkenberg suspects the FIA’s clampdown on flexing front wings could also have boosted Sauber, though he stressed the updates delivered the biggest improvement.
“To be honest, I think it’s more the updates, maybe it’s the technical TD (technical Directive), the flexi wing stuff that others paid more of a price than us, because honestly I feel for us it didn’t change that much,” the veteran admitted when probed on the Barcelona rule change.
“I don’t feel much different in high speed and, to be honest, high speed so far has been not our strongest point, so I tend to believe it is the update.”
‘More the updates’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...f1-spanish-gp/
Gary Anderson has spotted an ‘exciting’ Sauber upgrade that could actually make Nico Hulkenberg ‘suffer’
7 June 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Gary Anderson spotted an ‘exciting’ sidepod upgrade on Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber in Spain. “The front wing Sauber introduced doesn’t look massively different,” Anderson has told The Race. “It all gets a bit more exciting when we get to the sidepod treatment.”
“Previously, Sauber simply had a sidepod top surface inner gully leading down into the centreline of the car to help with the diffuser performance. For Barcelona, Sauber altered the outer ‘rolled bathtub’ edge and reduced it midway along the sidepod.”
But Anderson also notes a potential cause for concern if the airflow created by Sauber’s new sidepod front corner undercut is not consistent. The ex-Jordan technical director adds that it may negatively affect the front wing and the outer edge of the floor on Hulkenberg’s Sauber. He added: “If this airflow that is being pulled through that sidepod front corner undercut is not consistent, then everything can suffer.”
‘Exciting Sauber upgrade’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gar...enberg-suffer/
Wheatley convinced Audi 'will be winning races and championships’
08/06/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Jonathan Wheatley insists the foundations are being laid with intent and long-term vision. “We're looking at a campus expansion, we've got an ambitious program ahead of us and investment from Audi and QIA (Qatar Investment Authority). I'm really, really super-excited about where we're at,” Wheatley told Reuters’ Alan Baldwin.
“I do not come to work to make up the numbers. I absolutely believe that we'll get on that path and we'll be winning races and world championships.” The message from Hinwil is clear: Audi is not joining Formula 1 just to be a participant. They're aiming for the top – and Jonathan Wheatley intends to lead them there.
“We'll get on that path”;
https://f1i.com/news/541034-wheatley...pionships.html
Nico Hulkenberg ends six-year F1 ‘dry spell’ with ‘dream’ result
1 Jun 2025
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
When Nico Hulkenberg was knocked out of qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix in the very first round, the Sauber driver admitted that “I was pretty upset” — as anyone would be with a P16 start for a race (15th once Lance Stroll withdrew).
Nevertheless, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Come the start of the Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon, Hulkenberg was on fire and, despite a run off the track, found himself in 10th by the end of Lap 1 — with plenty of fresh tyres to spare.
“[It] was a great race, just one of them races where just everything seemed to click and to work out beautiful when it happens,” Hulkenberg told media, including PlanetF1.com, after the race. “Doesn’t happen that often, unfortunately, but today it did.”
‘Dream result’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/nico-h...oor-qualifying
Hulkenberg reveals ‘golden ticket’ that helped him secure impressive P5 in Spanish GP
1 Jun 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Kick Sauber introduced a comprehensive upgrade package this weekend which improved the consistency and balance of the car, giving both drivers more confidence to execute their overall best weekend of the season so far. Hulkenberg’s pass on a former world champion demonstrated this well, but he was eager to manage expectations surrounding the team’s performance and explained that there is still a considerable margin to their competitors on the grid.
“Today, just everything clicked,” Hulkenberg said afterwards. “Good start, mega first lap, made a bunch of positions, which was the foundation for the race. After that, to be honest it was just a good car – good rhythm, good balance and harmony, the updates really paying dividends which was very enjoyable and great to see.”
“I think before the Safety Car I was P8, and then the Safety Car kind of mixed up the race. I think in the end, being out in Q1 yesterday and having all new fresh tyres was the golden ticket in hindsight, so pretty ironic but it paid off today.”
“Today, just everything clicked”;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...EyIWJNW6QWqgO7
Dropping out in Q1 was “golden ticket” to surprise fifth place – Hulkenberg
1st June 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Nico Hulkenberg said being eliminated in the first round of qualifying yesterday proved his “golden ticket” to his best result of the season so far. “I think in the end being out in Q1 yesterday and having all new fresh tyres was the golden ticket in hindsight. So pretty ironic but paid off today.”
Hulkenberg gained his last position from Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver started the race with two new sets of tyres compared to the Sauber driver’s five, which Hulkenberg said shows his team are not a match for the front-runners yet. “Lewis, I think he was on used soft, and I had still all-new because I was out so early yesterday.”
“It just shows you what a difference it is between used and new. One lap takes a lot of energy and life out of the tyre. So that was obviously enjoyable but I think we’re not there really fighting with the big boys. But I think we made a big step in terms of fighting with other midfield teams.”
“Golden ticket”;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/06/01/...ce-hulkenberg/
Sauber beats Ferrari for fastest pit stop at Barcelona
5 Jun 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Although Ferrari have dominated pit stops so far in 2025, Sauber managed to surpass the Italian outfit at last Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix with the quickest tyre service of the entire race.
On lap 19, they (Sauber) swapped Gabriel Bortoleto’s worn soft tires for new mediums in 2.13 seconds. It was Sauber’s second DHL Fastest Pit Stop of the year which catapulted them from fifth to third in this particular competition, taking them above Red Bull and Mercedes.
Interestingly, Alpine completed the second-quickest tyre change (2.15s) while Ferrari was only a fraction behind (2.17s). It was a close competitive behind as McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull also performed tyre changes between the 2.20s and 2.30s range.
‘Sauber beats Ferrari for fastest pit stop’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27024
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Newey claims Aston Martin has the best wind tunnel in Formula One.
Aston Martin's Managing Technical Partner Adrian Newey insists that the British outfit has the best wind tunnel currently in Formula One, albeit he has stressed that it is not enough to succeed at the pinnacle of motorsport.
8 Jun 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Having only spent a few weeks at Aston Martin, the British engineer has revealed a critical shortcoming, suggesting that the correlation between virtual data and real-world behaviour needs to be improved in the near future. Newey stressed that Aston Martin will need to find a solution for the issue if it does not want to develop next year's all-new F1 car "blind."
“Some of our instruments are weak. In particular, the simulator needs a lot of work, because at the moment there is no correlation and it is a fundamental tool for research on next year’s car… We’ll go blind for a while. The wind tunnel is unquestionably the best in F1 and the entire factory is the most advanced at the moment. But as good as the wind tunnel may be, it is the human element of design that makes the difference.”
Newey revealed that while he was a bit pessimistic regarding the freedom the new set of technical regulation creates, he has recognized many areas that will allow creativity for engineers. “When I read them the first time I thought there wouldn’t be much space. But then you start to delve into the details and you discover that there is a reasonable amount of flexibility. My wife says I’m going into a kind of creative trance… My whole mind is focused on a single area, which is now trying to collaborate with everyone to make a fast machine.”
“Creative trance”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/26975
Adrian Newey exposes one area Aston Martin are ‘not very good’ at after watching just one F1 race
9 June 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Aston Martin have failed to live up to expectations over the last few seasons and may only have a few more seasons of Fernando Alonso’s talents left. Signing Adrian Newey last season was a statement of intent to back up the large investment in infrastructure made by billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll. His son, Lance Stroll, missed the most recent race in Spain, and his participation in future events is in doubt.
Journalist Mark Hughes has told The Race’s F1 podcast that the legendary designer has already identified one area that must improve after attending the Monaco Grand Prix last month. “Certainly, Adrian Newey when he turned up at Monaco, one of the first things he said was that the driver in-loop simulator was not very good,” he said. “That doesn’t explain the previous two years because it has only just come online.”
“It’s new. It would certainly, if they have had problems with getting everything to agree, that would certainly likely give the outcomes that we’ve been witnessing in terms of unproductive car developments.”
“Driver in-loop simulator was not very good”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...t-one-f1-race/
Adrian Newey triggers ‘total change’ as Aston Martin reveal unplanned side effect
9 Jun 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
The arrival of Adrian Newey has brought about a “total change” at Aston Martin, with the team unaware that it would trigger a wave of personnel desperate to join the team. That is the reveal made by former F1 driver turned Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa, who hailed the “change” as “tremendous” since Newey began work at Aston Martin in March.
Speaking with SoyMotor, De la Rosa explained that “I was never told that Adrian Newey was going to be signed” when he became Aston Martin’s ambassador in 2022 – the Brit not an available target until 2024 – but since Newey came through the door after that huge deal was sealed, de la Rosa said Aston Martin has become the place where more and more people want to be.
‘Trigger a wave of personnel desperate to join the team’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian...e-want-to-join
Adrian Newey Attracting Talent to Aston Martin
June 9, 2025
James Reeson
F1 Chronicle
The ‘Adrian Newey effect’ is already happening at Aston Martin, according to team ambassador Pedro de la Rosa. The Spaniard and former Formula 1 driver is not talking about actual on-track performance, as Newey’s contributions to the 2025 car so far have actually been minimal.
Rather, de la Rosa says talented engineers are now starting to flock to the Silverstone based team. “The change is tremendous,” he told Soy Motor. “Since the announcement that Newey was coming to us, there has been a complete shift. More people want to come and work at Aston Martin, from the other teams yes but especially from the universitiesNewey attracting talent to Aston Martin.
“It’s something no one had thought could happen, but it’s happening because young engineers want to work with real experts like that to learn more quickly.” It’s something you sometimes don’t appreciate, as we always look to Adrian Newey as the one who builds winning cars, but for us, the new generation of Neweys who want to work with him are very important too, because they will be the future of Aston Martin.”
‘Adrian Newey effect’ - “The change is tremendous”;
https://f1chronicle.com/adrian-newey...-aston-martin/
How Adrian Newey’s influence has brought a ‘total change’ to Aston Martin
10 Jun 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Former Formula 1 driver and Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa has praised the influence of Adrian Newey’s arrival to the team, saying it has brought a “total change”.
“In England there is a spectacular market for engineers, because within a radius of 100 kilometres there are practically all the teams in the world. Attracting talent is very important and having Adrian has an effect of attraction, of inspiration to the new generations, to all those engineers who want to be Formula 1 engineers and who want to work with Newey to learn from him.”
‘Total change’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-aston-martin/
How Adrian Newey-led 2026 Aston Martin car will dictate Fernando Alonso’s F1 future
10 Jun 2025
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week
Having said that, Alonso revealed that while Aston Martin’s competitiveness in 2026 would be crucial to his decision-making, it would not be the final factor. “It will be a very important one, yes. Not the final one,” Alonso told media including Motorsport Week.
“I think I need to see how next year starts and how motivated I am. Every year, there is a different mood into the season. There is a different feeling on how you perform, how competitive you feel yourself, how motivated you are to keep your fitness at the high level – personal situation, family situation – all these things play a role in some important decisions in life.”
“Every year, there is a different mood into the season”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...sos-f1-future/
Adrian Newey reveals options open to him upon Red Bull departure
Adrian Newey has provided insight into the various directions he could have headed in after leaving the six-time F1 constructors' champions.
9 June 2025
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
"I resigned from Red Bull for a whole host of reasons, and genuinely at that point had no idea what I was going to do next," he told Sky Sports F1. "So then it was kind of sitting back, thinking about it, chatting to Mandy, my wife, about what we should do. That ranged from kind of relax and go on sun holidays, drink lots of margaritas or something to going again to work. And then, if it’s going to be work, what would that be?"
"America’s Cup is very interesting, very much a parallel universe," he said. "Technologies are all very similar. The only thing I don’t like about America’s Cup is there’s no right of reply. You’ve got a competition once every four years.”
"Road cars have always been an interest," he explained. "I enjoyed the Valkyrie project, I am enjoying the RB17 project because I’m still involved in that. But I think what I’ve loved about my career is that combination of man and machine, sporting endeavour - the fact that every week, or very often now every week, you’re out on show."
‘Options’;
https://racingnews365.com/adrian-new...bull-departure
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'Alpine are considering Perez as potential replacement for underperforming Colapinto'.
Franco Colapinto has not performed as expected, and so the pressure is already increasing once again on a driver at Alpine. Not Jack Doohan, but Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen's old teammate, is said to be in the picture as a possible replacement.
10 Jun 2025
Tim Kraaij
GPblog.com
Alpine still has Jack Doohan on their roster, as well as Paul Aron as another driver who could step in as a reserve for Colapinto. Yet according to Formula 1 journalist Joe Saward, there are also rumors that Sergio Perez is being considered as a replacement for Colapinto. GPblog asked Alpine for a response. The French team said it's just rumours and speculation, without any substance to it.
Like Colapinto, Sergio Perez also brings with him a wealth of sponsors that could provide a financial solution for Alpine. Although his last years at Red Bull Racing were not particularly successful, the performances of Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda could show that Perez did not fare too badly alongside Max Verstappen.
While Perez would be able to start immediately at Alpine in this case, his name has also been circulating at Cadillac for quite a while. The American team, set to make their debut in Formula 1 in 2026, have been described by many as the ideal destination for Perez. However, no deal has been made yet, allowing Perez to still sign with other teams.
‘Sergio Perez would be able to start immediately’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/rumors/alp...ming-colapinto
Franco Colapinto: Alpine boss Flavio Briatore remains non-committal over Argentine driver's future with team
Alpine executive director Flavio Briatore refused to offer any assurances over Franco Colapinto's immediate future with the team.
11 June 2025
Sky Sports
Briatore told Sky Italy at Imola that there was "no set limit" for Colapinto, but speaking two weeks' later at the Spanish Grand Prix, appeared to apply more pressure to his driver.
"I never tell [say] five races, three races, four races, one race. If Colapinto is performing, he's driving the car. If not, we will see," said the Alpine executive advisor.
"2025 is a year we need to prepare ourselves for 2026. So whatever experiment I need doing, we are doing. I don't know at this moment if Franco will stay for the season or not, but let's see. Depends on the performance. We're only looking at the performance - nothing else."
“If Colapinto is performing, he's driving the car”;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...ture-with-team
Alpine rejects veteran racer link as pressure mounts on Colapinto
12 Jun 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
As pressure mounts on Franco Colapinto to deliver improved performances for Alpine, PlanetF1.com understands Sergio Perez is no imminent threat. Colapinto is in the midst of a five-race stint in the race seat at Enstone, having taken over from Jack Doohan who competed in the opening six races of the year. With three races under his belt with Alpine, the 23-year-old has not demonstrated the form that last year saw him twice steal points for Williams. His best result to date was 13th in Monaco, while he blotted his copybook in Imola with a qualifying crash.
The Mexican is without a drive after being let go by Red Bull at the end of a disappointing F1 2024 season. While his stock was low at the end of last year, the trials and tribulations experienced by his replacements, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, have suggested his struggles were not necessarily of his own making.
An experienced driver with six grand prix wins to his name, a mature driver such as Perez could help steady what has been a listing ship at Alpine. However, while he’s been linked with the Enstone squad for F1 2026, PlanetF1.com understands Perez is not being considered for this season.
‘Pressure mounts’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine...anco-colapinto
Bottas assesses chances of racing for Red Bull or Alpine as he weighs up future options
09 Jun 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Valtteri Bottas has given his take on whether Red Bull or Alpine could be options for him as he looks to make a return to the grid, with the Mercedes reserve driver also revealing how far negotiations went with both teams last year when searching for a 2025 drive. After spending three seasons racing for the Kick Sauber outfit, it was confirmed in November 2024 that the Finn would depart the squad at the end of the campaign, a decision that he admits arrived “too late” for him to find another seat on the grid.
“That was the issue,” Bottas explained to F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast. “[I found out] after Brazil. I think some people knew before me so that really compromised everything, and that's obviously when I knew that now it's too late to sort out anything else, so a bit unlucky there.” Another possibility could be Alpine, with two drivers – Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto – having already filled the seat alongside Pierre Gasly in 2025 as the squad continue to assess their options. “I think probably there has been some discussions,” Bottas explained.
“I haven't really been involved, but I do have a management team who are always in the background seeing what is out there. They do have a Mercedes power unit for the future, which I think is a good call. They're on their second driver this year and I think the next races will show how that goes. Again, I think on a struggle street, let's say, experience can always help. But there's lots of politics in this sport. I don't have tens of millions to pay for a seat. Depends on the team but I do have some personal partners that could potentially join me, but still, not to an extent to some others. Let's wait and see a few races and see how things go. You never know if something opens up.”
‘There's lots of politics in this sport’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...ppaLMyzh4extg4
Briatore sets out clear Alpine target for 2026 as he shares update on search for new team boss
5 Jun 2025
Formula One - Official Site
When asked during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend to give his assessment of how the team had fared in the time since his return, the Italian admitted that the squad need more time to put everything together. “We’re back in the business, with Alpine,” Briatore explained. “Not easy because the team has gone through a lot of change, especially in the last four or five years, not only now. But little by little, we try to put the team together, the people together.”
“We’re looking for next year as well – for the new engine and the new gearbox from Mercedes-Benz. So, this is our goal for next year. In the meantime, we need to be more competitive. We are not competitive for the moment, like I want, but [it] takes time.” Seated alongside Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner in the press conference, Briatore continued: “You see this maestro next to me, it takes a lot of time to build a winning car, a winning race, a winning team. I know I’ve done it before. I hope I’ll do it again.”
“You need a dream as well, you know,” he responded. “When you are in Formula 1, you're dreaming as well to do the job. You hope. And in this moment, the team is quite new. The team is not performing like I wanted because we still have… a lot of the situation in the team is not clear. But we need to clear up everything. Before we start performing like I want, I believe we need all of 2025 now, and we need 2026 to be competitive, to at least sometimes see the podium very close. These are what we're looking for.”
“You need a dream as well, you know”;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...8UKgDnsuUquWgy
Leading contender for top Alpine F1 job identified after Flavio Briatore discussions
6 Jun 2025
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
A lead candidate for the vacant position of F1 team boss at Alpine has emerged, with a veteran of Enstone understood to have been approached for the role. Following the resignation of former team principal Oli Oakes after the Miami Grand Prix, Alpine looks set to add to its senior management roster with the appointment of the team’s former sporting director Steve Nielsen.
PlanetF1.com understands Nielsen has been approached for a senior role with Alpine, with the obvious vacancy being that of team principal with the Enstone-based squad. Discussions are understood to have taken place over the course of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend with executive advisor Flavio Briatore to discuss how to proceed forward as Alpine expressed an interest in signing Nielsen to a senior role.
‘Leading contender’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine...ole-management
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What we know about sudden Vasseur criticism and Ferrari exit talk.
A wave of reports in some of Italy’s biggest media outlets have criticised various aspects of Fred Vasseur’s Ferrari leadership ahead of Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Jun 12, 2025
Scott Mitchell-Malm, Edd Straw, Jon Noble
The Race
The prospect of Ferrari splitting with Vasseur at the end of this year, the end of his original three-year contract since he was recruited to replace Mattia Binotto, has been raised at the same time by several Italian publications including big-hitters Gazzetta della Sport and Corriere della Sera.
Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the next three races in Canada, Austria and Britain will be key to how much pressure Vasseur comes under internally, and that if Ferrari goes on to perform in the second half of the year as it has so far in 2025, he could be replaced.
Corriere della Sera went even further, calling several aspects of Vasseur’s tenure into question with the strongest and most specific criticism. It reported that there are various open fronts within Ferrari, that Vasseur’s been asked to account for unsatisfactory performance, and that he is accused of not knowing much about the internal environment.
‘Italy’s biggest media outlets have criticised various aspects of Fred Vasseur’s Ferrari leadership’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...ari-exit-talk/
Thumbs up, thumps down: Hamilton Instagram move causes stir
12/06/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Lewis Hamilton is no stranger to making headlines, but this week, it wasn’t his driving or fashion that got fans talking – it was his thumb. The seven-time world champion briefly “liked” an Instagram post slamming Ferrari’s underwhelming 2025 season… and then swiftly “unliked” it, sending F1 social media into a frenzy of speculation.
Just a slip of the finger – or a subtle signal from a frustrated star?
Was Hamilton making a quiet statement with his double-tap – or just scrolling too fast before his morning espresso kicked in? It’s hard to say, but the moves comes at a time when his frustration with Ferrari seems to be mounting. Hamilton’s debut season in red has, so far, been more fizzle than fire. No podium finishes in full races, a P8 in Spain after being passed by a Sauber, and increasingly tense radio messages paint a picture of a legend in limbo.
His only semi-bright moment? A sprint win – hardly the kind of champagne celebration envisioned when he signed the blockbuster deal to leave Mercedes. The adaptation to Maranello life, including his working relationship with engineer Riccardo Adami, appears to be... ongoing, let’s say.
‘Thumbs up, thumps down’;
https://f1i.com/news/541181-thumbs-u...uses-stir.html
Lewis Hamilton gives F1 retirement verdict as Ferrari in chaos before Canadian GP
Lewis Hamilton addressed speculation of his F1 retirement in Canada.
Jun 12, 2025
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Lewis Hamilton has brushed off concerns about a premature end to his time with Ferrari, stating that he has no plans to retire from F1 and is 'in it for the long haul' with the Prancing Horse. “I mean, embedding new people, new personnel - whether it’s a driver or whether it’s engineers or people who run an organisation - it takes time to adjust, and the impact that has is significant,” the seven-time world champion explained.
“So, yeah, that’s not part of the discussion. I’m here to win with Fred, and he has my full support. To everyone that’s writing stories of me considering not racing, I literally only just started, my first year here with Ferrari, and I’m here for several years. I’m here for the long haul. So there is no question about where my head is at and what I’m working towards achieving with this team. So there’s zero doubts. So please stop making up stuff.”
“It takes time to adjust”;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix
Palmer tips Canadian GP as turning point for struggling Hamilton
11 Jun 2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
F1TV commentator and former driver Jolyon Palmer, speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, reflected on both Hamilton’s track record in Montreal and Ferrari’s current form – highlighting its car’s efficiency in low-speed corners, which dominate the Canadian layout. “They can’t go worse than that, can they? That’s the good thing for them. It was as bad as could be,” Palmer said, referring to Ferrari’s dismal Canadian Grand Prix weekend in 2024.”
“Again, on paper, it’s a good track for Ferrari. The corners are basically all low-speed which is what allowed the car to work in Monaco. They didn’t have to worry about any high-speed setup. They could just run the car low to the ground and get it working.”
“Again, they obviously flopped last year. They did completely mess up their qualifying strategy. If you’re Ferrari now you're thinking this is as good a shot as any. Also, Hamilton is brilliant in Montreal generally. This has got to be some sort of redemption circuit for Lewis I think.”
“They can’t go worse than that, can they?”;
https://f1i.com/news/541163-palmer-t...-hamilton.html
George Russell reveals private Max Verstappen chat as Brit offers strong view on race ban
George Russell and Max Verstappen were wrapped up in penalty chaos last time out.
Jun 12, 2025
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
George Russell has revealed that he shared a private chat at the airport with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen after the pair clashed on track at the Spanish Grand Prix. "We bumped into each other at the airport a few days ago on Sunday morning when I was going to Roland Garros," Russell explained in Montreal. "To be honest, I totally forgot about Barcelona because he was there with his newborn. And we were at the security machine. So he just had a quick chat, and then he was busy folding the pram down to put it through the machine."
Russell wants to maximise the awkward position that his rival now finds himself in. "We have to be smart and use it to our advantage," he said. "I'm going to continue racing exactly the same because at the end of the day, that's what I did last week, and I benefited from it. And as we said, if you do keep driving like that, you'll accumulate your points and you'll get punished. Ultimately, he got punished for it. So, from my side, kind of long may it continue and for a neutral, it spices things up a little bit."
‘Private chat’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...erstappen-chat
Max Verstappen: Red Bull driver won't change approach at Canadian Grand Prix despite race ban threat
Max Verstappen will need to have two clean weekends to ensure he is not hit with a race ban; Verstappen has no plans to change how he races his rivals
12 June 2025
Sky Sports
Max Verstappen will lose two penalty points after the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of June, but will need to come through this weekend's race in Montreal, then the Austria event, unscathed. "It's there right? There's nothing you can do about it. We just focus ahead, try to do the best you can every single time. It's not [about] changing my approach," he told Sky Sports F1.
Four-time world champion Verstappen says he's "not worried" about a race suspension. He said: "What is fair? I mean, is it fair that I'm only 11 points? I don't know, but at the same time, life is not fair, if you look at it like that. I just come here to race and I will always race hard, race how I think I should race, and then we go on to the next race."
“We just focus ahead, try to do the best you can every single time. It's not [about] changing my approach";
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...ace-ban-threat
Max Verstappen’s camp surprised by ‘strange’ statement from Red Bull chief who ‘doesn’t know’ what he’s doing
12 June 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Red Bull are likely to improve the RB21 before switching their full focus to the major 2026 F1 regulation changes. But Verstappen’s camp does not feel Wache will develop the car enough to deny McLaren, as they now feel the Frenchman ‘doesn’t know’ how to improve the RB21. Wache has also stunned the Verstappen camp after his ‘even stranger’ statements that Red Bull could even learn from their junior team, Racing Bulls, to improve their 2025 F1 car. The engineer’s admission shocked Verstappen’s camp, given Red Bull should have the best staff.
Wache’s admission that Red Bull could actually learn from Racing Bulls, who have scored 28 points to sit sixth in the constructors’ championship, just serves to add to the tension that is growing behind the scenes in Milton Keynes between the technical director and Verstappen. It was already believed that Verstappen has lost confidence in Wache and Red Bull’s design department after struggling to turn the RB21 into a consistent McLaren beater. Their car can win races, but it excels best at high-speed tracks whereas the MCL39 works at any circuit.
‘Shocked Verstappen’s camp’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...hat-hes-doing/
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Verstappen tops Canadian GP FP1 as Leclerc crashes.
Max Verstappen topped the opening Formula 1 practice session at the Canadian Grand Prix, which was briefly halted by a huge crash for Charles Leclerc.
Jun 13, 2025
Josh Suttill
The Race
Leclerc smashed his Ferrari into the barriers at Turn 3, having locked up into the corner, run wide onto the grass and collected the inside barrier, damaging both ends of his Ferrari and leaving him up against the barrier at Turn 4. That ended Leclerc’s FP1 less than 15 minutes into the session, leaving team-mate Lewis Hamilton as Ferrari’s sole representative in the session.
Verstappen ended the 60-minute session as the fastest driver on a 1m13.193s, just shy of 1.2s slower than the time both he and polesitter George Russell set in Canadian GP qualifying last year. His nearest challengers were the Williams duo of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, both within a tenth of Verstappen’s benchmark.
Team boss James Vowles told Sky Sports F1 that his team was “running ahead” of its rivals in terms of runplans, so he doesn’t expect Williams to stay there come qualifying.
‘Verstappen ended the 60-minute session as the fastest driver’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/v...clerc-crashes/
F1 Canadian GP 2025 – Free Practice 1 Results
13 June 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Canadian GP 2025 FP1 results
Check out the full Canadian GP 2025 Free Practice 1 results from the first practice session in Montreal below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:13.193
2 Alexander Albon Williams +0.039
3 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.082
4 George Russell Mercedes +0.342
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.427
6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.438
7 Lando Norris McLaren +0.458
8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.544
9 Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.624
10 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.692
‘FP1 results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-1-results/
Canadian GP: Verstappen tops FP1 as Leclerc wrecks the Ferrari
13 Jun 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Max Verstappen set the pace in FP1 at the Canadian Grand Prix, a session which saw the sets of soft C6 tyres run en masse.
The final standings also made very happy reading for Williams as Alex Albon ended his eventful session in P2, 0.039s down on Verstappen, while Carlos Sainz ensured both Williams made the top three. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, lasted mere minutes before binning the Ferrari at Turn 4.
And as the chequered flag emerged, Verstappen’s P1 was confirmed, while Williams could afford a collective pat on the back with both Albon and Sainz in the top three.
‘Verstappen tops FP1’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/canadi...025-fp1-report
Martin Brundle tells Lando Norris exactly how to get Max Verstappen banned at the Canadian Grand Prix
13 June 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
The Red Bull superstar already regards the championship as a ‘long shot’, Martin Brundle says. He insists he won’t be any less aggressive at the Canadian Grand Prix. But ‘subconsciously’, his attitude may be different. And Brundle thinks drivers like Piastri and Lando Norris should try and capitalise on the situation by ‘goading’ him.
It’s a risky strategy, but one that could end up knocking Verstappen out of the title race if it comes off. “If I was a Mercedes, Ferrari and particularly a McLaren driver, I’d be goading him to get those extra points,” Brundle said on Sky Sports before FP1.
“I think subconsciously he knows he’s got to be a touch more careful, but I think also in Max’s mind, he knows this year’s world championship against two great drivers in a very fast McLaren is a long shot.”
‘Martin Brundle: “I’d be goading him to get those extra points”’; (Surely that is unsportsmanlike behaviour?)
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...an-grand-prix/
Sky Sports F1 reporter speaks out after tense exchange with Max Verstappen
13 June 2025
SPORTbible
According to Kravitz, Verstappen clearly wasn't responding well to questions about his driving style and so, the Sky Sports journalist instead decided to speak with the reigning champion a recent change within the team. Following the departure of Jonathan Wheatley, Stephen Knowles has taken the role of the team's regulations expert, and Kravitz decided to ask Verstappen if this could lead to a change in approach for Canada.
“He wasn’t in a particularly receptive mood about [the George Russell incident], so I thought I’d go with a question about the team mistake that led to that message in error to give the place back to Russell,” Kravitz explained on an episode of his ‘Podbook’. “I asked him a question that I thought was going to be on his side and understanding his annoyance that set that whole fateful minute and a half off in the first place.”
“I said to him, ‘What are you going to be doing to improve the dialogue with your rules man – a guy called Stephen Knowles, who’s taken over from Jonathan Wheatley – to make sure that doesn’t happen again?’." However, Kravitz went on to explain that this only frustrated Verstappen even more, forcing the reporter to end the interview early. Kravitz revealed: “Max either misunderstood it by accident, or took a rather over-negative interpretation of what I was saying. He said, ‘I don’t think it’s fair for you to single somebody out. I would never single somebody out for criticism in the team’.
‘Tense exchange’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/sky-sp...21912-20250613
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Russell dominates FP2 chaos at 2025 Canadian GP.
George Russell sets the pace ahead of Norris and Antonelli while Ferrari watch from the sidelines and Stroll crashes again in Montreal.
13 June 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
George Russell laid down a strong marker on Friday, topping the timing sheets in the FP2 session for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver ended the session fastest, narrowly edging out McLaren’s Lando Norris and teammate Kimi Antonelli in an intriguing and closely contested hour.
The session began under the shadow of Charles Leclerc’s absence. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur confirmed earlier in the day that chassis damage from Leclerc’s crash in FP1 meant the Monegasque would miss valuable track time. Lewis Hamilton, shouldering Ferrari’s hopes alone, was the first driver out on track to help gather critical data for the Italian team.
Yet just minutes into FP2, the Canadian crowd saw their home favorite, Lance Stroll, experience heartbreak. Returning after missing the previous Spanish Grand Prix due to persistent wrist pain, Stroll’s Aston Martin clipped the barriers, breaking his suspension and forcing an early exit with his car sporting a visibly damaged front-left wheel.
‘George Russell sets the pace’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...5-canadian-gp/
Canadian Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results
13 Jun 2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Full results from Free Practice 2 for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, round 10 of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship.
2025 Canadian Grand Prix - Free Practice 2 results
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:12.123s 32
2 Lando Norris McLaren 1:12.151s + 0.028s 31
3 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:12.411s + 0.288s 32
4 Alexander Albon Williams 1:12.445s + 0.322s 36
5 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:12.458s + 0.335s 30
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:12.562s + 0.439s 31
7 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:12.631s + 0.508s 36
8 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:12.653s + 0.530s 33
9 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:12.666s + 0.543s 30
10 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:12.751s + 0.628s 29
‘Free Practice 2’;
https://f1i.com/news/541375-canadian...results-2.html
George Russell summoned by FIA stewards over Canadian GP hazard
14 Jun 2025
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
The stewards summoned Russell and a Mercedes team representative over an “alleged break of Article 12.2.1i of the International Sporting Code and non-compliance with Race Director’s Event Note (item 17.3, document 04) – Escape Road Instructions T14”. Article 12.2.1 reads “Any of the following offences, in addition to any offences specifically referred to previously or subsequently, shall be deemed to be a breach of these rules,” while the ‘i’ subset reads, “Failure to follow the instructions of the relevant officials for the safe and orderly conduct of the Event.”
As it regards the Canadian Grand Prix, item 17.3 of the Race Director’s Event Note reads, “Any driver who fails to negotiate Turn 9 or Turn 13 and passes completely to the left of the orange apex kerb must keep completely to the left of the orange line on the exit of the corner and re-join the track at the far end of the asphalt run-off.” This item is accompanied by an illustration of the corners in question, with the proper reentry points labeled with arrows. In the closing stages of FP2, Russell did not properly reemerge onto the track — hence the summons.
‘George Russell summoned’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...dian-gp-hazard
Charles Leclerc rues ‘stupid’ Canada FP1 crash that ruined Ferrari chassis
14 Jun 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Total Motorsport
Charles Leclerc was left to rue what he described as a “stupid crash” in FP1 for the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, which casued significant damage to his Ferrari and ruled him out the rest of the day. Afterwards, Leclerc spoke of his remorse at the incident, and revealed that the SF-25’s chassis was damaged sufficiently enough to prevent him from jumping back in the car later in the day.
“First of all, I feel sorry for the whole team, because that’s never something you want,” he said. “It was a very stupid crash. I had a lock-up, I thought I would make the corner anyway. I knew I would go on the grass but I thought that was enough to not touch the wall. Unforuntately, when I touched the wall, I ended-up in the grass and I understood there was no room anymore.”
“It’s just a misjudgement, but a misjudgement that cost a lot because then the way the wheel has touched the chassis, and basically cracked the chassis, and we cannot use two chassis on the same day so that meant that basically the whole day not in the car. That hurts because obviously that cost us quite a few laps around today, but the very positive thing is that I felt very confident with the car, and we were quite competitive for whatever it’s worth, because it was only the third [push] lap of the day.”
“Stupid crash”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...rrari-chassis/
McLaren doubts their latest trick? They opt to drop innovative spec on the MCL39
13 Jun 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
McLaren were enjoying a rather comfortable run to the top of F1 in the past nine Grand Prix. However, in Canada they seem to be suffering. Even despite their rather ingenious front wing desing, which was revealed in the FIA's update list. In FP1 one of its cars couldn't even break through into the top 10, with Lando Norris placing P7 and Oscar Piastri ending the session down in P14.
McLaren has second thoughts on 'mermaid tails'. According to Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz the McLaren team have chosen to drop the new wings for FP2. At least on one of their cars. "I have spotted two old front wings. Not the new front wing they started the day with [on Oscar Piastri's car]."
'Mermaid tails'
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/mclar...c-on-the-mcl39
Albon smiling after Williams ‘hit the ground running’ in Canada
14 Jun 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Alex Albon was P2 and then P4 in first and second practice respectively in Montreal – but says Williams will still need to “make the car quicker” if they want to score points in Sunday’s race.
‘Hit the ground running’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/al...56876589701101
Verstappen drops 'we need to investigate' claim after uncommon P9 in FP2
14 Jun 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Only ninth place for Max Verstappen in FP2 at the Canadian Grand Prix, although a solid long run in the closing stages of the session offers some hope for the Dutchman ahead of Sunday’s race. Reflecting on his Friday on track, Verstappen said he was overall satisfied with the performance of his RB21: “Today was alright to be honest. In FP1 we felt quite happy in the car but FP2 was a bit more difficult for other reasons''.
''There was a bit less balance and we felt a bit less comfortable in the car, which we need to investigate, but overall I think it was quite a positive day for us. If we can get it back to what it felt in FP1 we will go well'. 'Tomorrow for qualifying, let’s see. There is still one more session to get it right, we just need to get it in a good window and we can see how far we can get in Qualifying."
'We need to investigate';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/can-v...the-end-of-fp2
Red Bull to retrace steps to boost Max Verstappen Canadian GP hopes
Can Max Verstappen challenge for pole position again in Canada after coming so close last year?
14 June 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, though, is confident Verstappen will be firmly in the mix for both qualifying and the race. "I think the long run was very good," he added. "We were roughly on par with Piastri, and tyre wear was also kept within the limits. So we're looking forward to tomorrow with optimism. I believe we're among the frontrunners."
‘Red Bull to retrace steps’;
https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-t...adian-gp-hopes
FIA suspends Warwick from Canadian GP stewarding duties
Jun 14, 2025
Josh Suttill, Edd Straw
The Race
Regular F1 steward Warwick has been suspended for "recent unauthorised media comments" and he'll be replaced by Enrique Bernoldi for Montreal, with Bernoldi officiating from the FIA's remote basis of operations in Geneva. Warwick "acknowledges that his comments were ill-advised in his role as an FIA steward and has apologised".
"Recent unauthorised media comments";
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...arding-duties/
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Canadian GP: Norris tops final practice - edges Leclerc by 0.078s.
Lando Norris turned the tide for McLaren in the final practice session ahead of Saturday’s Canadian Grand Prix qualifying, clocking an impressive 1m11.799s to top the timesheets.
14/06/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
After a dismal Friday that Norris dubbed McLaren’s “worst of the year,” the Brit bounced back with authority, leading a tight and competitive field. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc followed closely in second as he redeemed himself after his crash in FP1, with Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top four, setting the stage for an electrifying qualifying at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
The session wasn’t without its share of drama. Championship leader Oscar Piastri, Norris’ McLaren teammate, encountered a heart-stopping moment when he clipped the infamous “Wall of Champions” at the final corner. While his car survived the moment, the incident caused a right rear puncture, forcing a red flag to clear debris. Piastri limped back to the pits but couldn’t recover, finishing a modest eighth.
Max Verstappen secured fifth place for Red Bull, with Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin the final car within half a second of Norris’ benchmark. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli held seventh, followed by Piastri, while Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon completed the top 10. The field leaned heavily on the soft C6 tyres in the final practice session, with Leclerc initially setting the pace on mediums before everyone switched to the faster compound.
‘Turned the tide’;
https://f1i.com/news/541451-canadian...by-0-078s.html
Canadian Grand Prix Free Practice 3 - Results
14/06/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Full results from Free Practice 3 for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, round 10 of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship.
2025 Canadian Grand Prix - Free Practice 3 results
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:11.799s 23
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.877s + 0.078s 28
3 George Russell Mercedes 1:11.950s + 0.151s 19
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:12.050s + 0.251s 25
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:12.072s + 0.273s 19
6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:12.247s + 0.448s 21
7 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:12.348s + 0.549s 20
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:12.519s + 0.720s 17
9 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:12.519s + 0.720s 21
10 Alexander Albon Williams 1:12.573s + 0.774s 21
‘Free Practice 3 – Results’;
https://f1i.com/news/541449-canadian...results-4.html
Piastri crashes as Norris fastest in final F1 Canadian GP practice
Jun 14, 2025
Samarth Kanal
The Race
Lando Norris set the fastest time in the third practice session for the 2025 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix while Oscar Piastri caused the sole red flag in FP3. Every driver set their fastest time on soft tyres but mediums may come into play for qualifying as some drivers seemed to prefer the C5 to the C6.
Norris set the benchmark with a 1m11.799s as Ferrari joined the lead fight in FP3 with Charles Leclerc second and 0.078s off the pace, while Lewis Hamilton was fourth and 0.251s off the pace. George Russell split the Ferraris in third for Mercedes, and Max Verstappen rounded out the top five for Red Bull - 0.329s off Norris's pace.
Fernando Alonso was next on the leaderboard in sixth for Aston Martin ahead of Mercedes's Kimi Antonelli. Piastri hit the wall of champions 20 minutes into the session, with a right-rear puncture sending him to the McLaren garage after just two timed laps on softs and three on mediums.
‘Lando Norris set the fastest time’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...e-canadian-gp/
FP3 Highlights: 2025 Canadian Grand Prix
Jun 14, 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Watch highlights from third practice ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix.
‘FP3 Highlights’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/fp...30802547087771
Canadian GP: Norris fastest as Piastri crash triggers FP3 red flag
14 Jun 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris topped the final practice hour ahead of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix as McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri tagged the wall to draw the red flag. Norris narrowly headed Charles Leclerc and George Russell while Piastri lost time after he tagged the wall exiting the final corner, damaging his wheel with the resultant debris, triggering the only stoppage in the session.
Oscar Piastri went one step worse, brushing the Wall of Champions on exit after bouncing off the exit kerb and being pushed wide. The impact appeared to break the rim of the McLaren, puncturing the right-rear tyre in the process as debris littered the circuit to trigger the red flag. Piastri’s moment following Nico Hulkenberg spinning at the final corner, brushing both the rear and front wings but otherwise getting away with the moment.
At the foot of the timesheets was Yuki Tsunoda, who’d been sat in the garage for an extended time with work being carried out on his front brakes. He stayed there with his first qualifying simulation effort, 1.774s off the pace of Norris, who was on track and going faster – at least through the first third of the lap. Tsunoda was also under the attention of the stewards, who’d noted the Red Bull driver for a red flag infringement.
‘Norris fastest’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/canadi...s-fp3-red-flag
