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Another mishap for McLaren as trophy shatters into a thousand pieces.
McLaren once again sparked laughter among social media users over yet another broken trophy after the podium — but this time, it wasn’t Lando Norris to blame.
11 Jul 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Norris capitalized on the penalty handed to his teammate following the controversial Safety Car incident, claiming his first victory in front of the packed stands filled with his fans. While the Australian appeared visibly upset and sullen after the race over a penalty he felt was unfair, the Brit burst with joy as soon as he stepped out of the car, raising the winner’s LEGO trophy high above his head with a huge grin on his face.
Unfortunately, once again, McLaren returned home with a damaged trophy—though this time it’s repairable. After accidentally snapping Max Verstappen’s winner’s cup in half in Hungary two years ago, at least this time Norris can claim he wasn’t involved.
This time, the culprit behind the damage is Peter Prodromou, a longtime figure within the team led by Andrea Stella and Zak Brown, and the mastermind behind the lightning-fast MCL39 that’s dominating the championship. A fan in the stands captured the moment, showing the Greek engineer desperately trying to gather all 2,717 LEGO bricks.
‘2,717 LEGO bricks’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/general/an...housand-pieces
New Footage Shows How McLaren BROKE Lego F1 Trophy; Lando Norris 'Curse' Drama | British Grand Prix
Jul 10, 2025
ETimes
What was meant to be a celebration turned into a brick-by-brick disaster. After Lando Norris clinched his first British Grand Prix win, McLaren’s custom-built LEGO constructor trophy made of 2,717 pieces and 210 hours of craftsmanship was found shattered on the floor. As team members scrambled to salvage the remains, fans joked about a "McLaren trophy curse" and Norris’ chaotic podium history. This package unpacks the viral moment, fan reactions, and the heartbreak behind F1’s most delicate prize.
‘Lando Norris 'Curse' Drama’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=034HZ3DF500
Oscar Piastri ****** Nico Hülkenberg First Ever F1 Trophy �� (It’s LEGO!)
Jul 6, 2025
Behind Grand Prix
A moment from the 2025 British Grand Prix press conference where Oscar Piastri humorously questions Nico Hülkenberg about his first Formula 1 podium in 15 years, which was a LEGO podium, highlighting the contrast between traditional racing achievements and modern, playful elements in the sport.
‘It’s LEGO!’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJnQGvhlza4
Lando Norris Struck in Face While Celebrating British GP Victory
July 7, 2025
Nelson Espinal Newsweek
Rock Hill Herald
McLaren driver Lando Norris was hit in the face after capturing his first win at Silverstone. According to reporting from Autosport, Norris suffered a small cut on his face. The photographer attempted to capture the sea of Norris' fans who were celebrating his crowning achievement. While the hit likely hurt Norris, it couldn't have been enough to bring him down. He achieved a lifelong dream on Sunday and opened up about how much the result meant to him.
"It's beautiful. Everything I dreamed of. Everything I've ever wanted to achieve. Apart from a championship, I think this is as good as it gets in terms of feelings and in terms of achievement, being proud, all of it," he said. "This is where it all started for me, and now thankfully I've been able to have my go. Incredible race, stressful as always, but the support from the fans made the difference today, so I've got to thank them for it all.”
"Your mind just goes pretty blank. Everything you might think before the race, you forget. The main thing is just don't f*** it up, that's rule number one." Norris gets a couple of weeks to soak in the win, but he will need to refocus as he is squarely in a fight for the title with teammate Oscar Piastri.
"It's beautiful. Everything I dreamed of”;
https://www.heraldonline.com/sports/...mainstage_card
Martin Brundle disagrees with David Coulthard’s verdict on Oscar Piastri’s British Grand Prix penalty
7 July 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Martin Brundle thinks Oscar Piastri’s British Grand Prix penalty was fair. The final safety car of the race saw Piastri back up the pack with conditions beginning to improve. A late decision was made to bring the safety car in while the lead drivers were on the Hangar Straight, and Piastri, who was accelerating at the time, quickly hit the brakes. Sam Bird thinks Verstappen made Piastri’s deceleration look worse than it was, but the stewards disagreed.
Piastri was awarded a 10-second penalty, and reflecting on the decision for Sky Sports F1 (6/7 4:05 pm), Martin Brundle and David Croft had their say. Brundle explained: “They need mitigating circumstances to drop that [penalty] to five seconds, or indeed no penalty at all. He was almost stationary, wasn’t he? I hear what Zak is saying, Max did floor it down the outside to emphasise, but that was extremely slow from Oscar.” Croft replied: “He was almost at a standstill,” to which Brundle continued: “Yeah, it looked [like that] from our camera angle, but they’ll have that to the nth degree in the data.”
Neither commentator could disagree with the decision that the stewards made, and Piastri admitted that he would be ‘banned’ if he had shared his true feelings after the race. However, Jolyon Palmer thought Piastri’s penalty was heavy-handed from the stewards and believed it was very harsh. The Australian decided not to give any detailed answers during his post-race interview, holding his tongue instead of arguing with the call made by the stewards.
“He was almost stationary, wasn’t he?”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...alty-was-fair/
Damon Hill says Lando Norris is now becoming ‘dangerous’ as he chases his first Formula 1 title
10 July 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Damon Hill thinks Lando Norris is becoming ‘dangerous’ in McLaren title battle McLaren delivered an upgrade to Norris’ car in Canada which gave him a better feel for the grip at the front, and ever since his results have picked up.
Hill expects to see a more competitive Norris heading into the summer break, now that the momentum has swung in his way. “I think Lando’s got the momentum. I think he’s found his traction. You know, he’s found his footing. So like when you’re trying to climb up a very steep hill and you can’t get traction, I think he slipped a few times,” said Hill.
“Now he’s just managed to get his feet to grip, and he can push off from there. So yeah, I think I always thought Lando in a race is faster than Oscar. I think he had a few nervy qualifiers. So he dropped a few [poles] with getting into the last few moments of the last run of a qualifying session. But now, his head is settling. I really do. And then I think he’s dangerous.”
“I think Lando’s got the momentum”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dam...rmula-1-title/
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Team Verstappen 'power' blamed for downfall of Christian Horner.
"A disproportionate amount of power" wielded by 'Team Verstappen' has been blamed for the downfall of Christian Horner as team principal of Red Bull.
16 July 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Former F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok feels that over time, Verstappen's power has grown, ultimately leading to Horner's demise. "I was thinking about it, and in some of what's happened, if you look at it in recent years, it's become a one-car team, right?" said Chandhok, speaking on a Sky Sports F1 podcast. "We've talked about how, since Daniel Ricciardo has left, the way the car design has gone, the way the team has been structured, it's fairly much all the eggs in the Max Verstappen camp, and in that basket.”
"Ultimately, that's kind of created his downfall, because it's put a disproportionate amount of power into 'Team Verstappen', to the point where, if you're the wider Red Bull group, you look at it and go, 'Hang on a second, yes, Max is on pole at the British Grand Prix, yes, he's won two races this year, but the other car is nowhere'. It's put a huge amount of power in Max's camp. If he leaves that team, they'd be fourth, fifth-best on the grid at the moment.”
"So I think that has been one of the feelings, and ultimately, Christian's got to carry the can for that, because he's the man in charge. He's led that philosophy of structuring the team in that way. Maybe it's happened by accident, but the reality is, he's the man in charge, and I think there's a strong element that he's put a lot of power and faith into 'Team Verstappen'. And I wonder if that's ultimately come back to bite him a bit."
"A disproportionate amount of power" wielded by 'Team Verstappen';
https://racingnews365.com/team-verst...ristian-horner
F1 Insider Makes Bombshell Claim of Verstappen’s Involvement in Christian Horner Exit
July 15, 2025
Saajan Jogia Newsweek
The News Tribune, Washington
Former driver and Sky Sports F1 reporter Martin Brundle has made a big claim that Max Verstappen and his father, Jos Verstappen, could have fueled Christian Horner's abrupt exit from Red Bull Racing. The controversy followed a reported power struggle at Red Bull between Horner and senior advisor Helmut Marko. The team's internal situation worsened as key personnel such as Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley announced their exits. Speaking on Sky Sports' The F1 Show podcast, Brundle pointed out that elements were working against Horner at Red Bull. He said:
"Team Verstappen had been briefing certain journalists and Christian's just come more and more under pressure, and he lost key people like Adrian Newey, like Rob Marshall, like Jonathan Wheatley. I think his failing on that was convincing himself and trying to convince everybody else that they weren't really doing that much anymore, and it really didn't matter, he'd got a better crew behind them. But that wasn't correct, and I think we've seen [that].”
"But let's remember, this is a team that was on pole position last weekend in Silverstone, one of the toughest circuits in the world, and have won two grands prix this year. It's not exactly like it's been a disaster and they completely non-performed. But I think there were too many things working against him, and I think eventually... He had a lot of support from Chalerm Yoovidhya [Red Bull co-founder/owner], and I think eventually that's faded away, and the inevitable has happened."
‘Big claim that Max Verstappen and his father, Jos Verstappen, could have fueled Christian Horner's abrupt exit’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27318
F1 paddock ‘rumours’ suggest Christian Horner and Bernie Ecclestone could become part-owners of £1.2bn-valued team
15 July 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Dutch commentator and F1 expert Nelson Valkenburg was speaking on The Race F1 Podcast about Horner’s future and his potential next steps in the sport. Ralf Schumacher believes Horner faces a problem returning to Formula 1, but the Dutch commentator explained: “When Ferrari was definitely interested, Horner was the right person to attract other big names.
‘And that situation changed, though, in the last year and a half. He’s not been able to keep or attract big names to the team, and that’s part of the team’s problems. I just have a feeling he’s going to end up at Alpine. I’ve seen him in talks with both De Meo, who’s out, I know and Briatore for hours and hours. What he wants most is to be a team owner. I feel he would love to own a team, and that team is partly up for sale.”
“There have been rumours in this paddock that with some backing, maybe from Bernie Ecclestone himself, he could find himself at least a minority stake owner at Alpine. But that can only happen after January, because I think he’s under contract until then at Red Bull. But if I had to put money on it, he’s going to Alpine. But that’s still a long way away.”
‘Rumours’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/f1-...n-valued-team/
Red Bull left ‘in a real tight spot’ after Christian Horner departure – Palmer
15 Jul 2025
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer said the “suddenness” of Christian Horner’s Red Bull departure “caught everyone off guard,” and leaves the team “in a real tight spot.” “Yeah, I mean, surprised at the timing,” Palmer said of Horner’s exit on the F1 Nation podcast. Palmer pointed out that, with big changes on the way in becoming a factory power unit supplier in 2026 and the need to produce a “drivable” car, this could be a case of “tough timing” for Mekies to take on the role.
“Because of all the success that Red Bull have had, and very recently, the way the wheels have fallen off the wagon, it’s been pretty extreme, given there’s been no major overhaul of regulations that we’ve seen in the past to take over what is an established front-running team,” Palmer explained. Without Max, at the moment, they’re tailenders. So to try and work out how to make the car drivable, then put the right drivers in, is a really big undertaking.”
“Then you’ve got the [Red Bull] Powertrains as well, that’s on the other side of it, which is on the horizon for next year, which is a major unknown for the whole team. They’ve got such a good working relationship as well with Honda, that they’ve had for such a long time, and they’ve been really competitive with it. So that’s just something else that’s a risk for them and tough timing, probably, for Laurent.”
“In a real tight spot”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...ekies-pressure
‘Verstappen knows Red Bull won't turn it around, Mercedes move imminent’
16 Jul 2025
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com
According to Ralf Schumacher, Max Verstappen has once again seen at Silverstone that Red Bull Racing is currently lacking. The former Formula 1 driver suggests that Mercedes therefore has a better starting position in the battle for the Dutchman.
"I think Silverstone showed Max that Red Bull is not going to make the turnaround, despite all efforts," says Schumacher to F1-Insider. According to Schumacher, Verstappen will mainly look at which team offers him the best sporting future. "Ultimately, it's about his career, not loyalty. If Mercedes shows him that they are doing everything to get him, he will switch."
The 50-year-old German also points to the current relationships in the field, where Mercedes is losing to customer team McLaren. This is problematic, says Schumacher, but Verstappen could make the difference. "For Mercedes, losing to McLaren, which uses the same engine, is painful. With Max, they could reverse those roles in 2026."
‘Mercedes move imminent’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...-move-imminent
What does the future hold for Max? How former world champions have fared when they've switched driver's seats
17 Jul 2025
Michael Nelson NEW AUTHOR
Roar Rookie
The Roar
The news of Christian Horner’s sudden forced departure from Red Bull Racing has caught the entire motor world by surprise, if not for the act itself, but the timing. With no definitive reason given by either Red Bull or Horner, many different possible causes have been mentioned to explain their course of action.
One of which is the need to keep Max Verstappen happy in the event his contract clauses become actionable. Whether or not having Horner at the helm of Red Bull Racing was something Verstappen and his camp wanted remains to be seen. But there’s no doubt that George Russell’s comments on Verstappen’s discussions with Mercedes prior to the Austrian Grand Prix poured fuel on the fire of rumours of Verstappen’s unhappiness.
If Red Bull’s move was all in vain, and Verstappen manages to not only trigger but activate his exit clauses to make a break for Mercedes in 2026, what does the past say about former World Champions being successful at their new manufacturers? We look at the drivers who have won world championships since 2000 and then taken their talents to new teams.
‘Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Jensen Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher’;
https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/07/1...drivers-seats/
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Max Verstappen ‘wowed’ by Mercedes ‘gold nugget’ in fresh Red Bull exit claim.
“Max would want to put himself in a position where he has the best chance he can to [win].”
17 Jul 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Hamilton joined Mercedes for 2013 based on the promise that the team would ace the 2014 rule changes, with the alliance proving to be the most successful team/driver partnership in F1 history. Herbert said: “The discussions I would have thought that Toto [Wolff, Mercedes boss] and Max have had are probably very, very similar to what Niki Lauda had with Lewis when he got taken out of McLaren and brought over to Mercedes.
“Because I think Mercedes would have shown Max what they’ve got, what they believe they’re going to have for next year, which will probably be the car to beat. Now that would be, for me, the little gold nugget that you would dangle in front of Max – and he would be wowed by what he’s being told. Toto says it’s all unlikely, but that is classic Toto. There is more to it, for sure. Max is thinking: ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’”
“It’s little ingredients and that just keeps creeping into his season so far. And the more that it happens, the more he must be thinking: ‘I’ve got to move on. I’ve to find a place that would give me what I need.’ The thing is with Red Bull, with the engine program that they’ve got, it’s going to take time. And time is not always what an F1 driver has on his side.”
‘I’ve got to get out of here’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...johnny-herbert
Wolff: McLaren engine supply deal ‘not my most intelligent choice’
18/07/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
For Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff, seeing the former midfield contender now outshine the Silver Arrows is an unexpected twist. “Look at where they were three, four years ago, when we signed the deal with them that they were going to use our fast engines for the next few years,” Wolff told Sky Italia. “Then they were 18th and it was easy to make such a decision.”
“In Montreal we did well with cooler temperatures, but in Austria we’ve known for years that McLaren has it best,” Wolff said. “Mercedes can fight for victory at one circuit, while falling more than a minute behind the next weekend.” That unpredictability continues to frustrate the Silver Arrows’ camp.
“It remains bizarre how big the difference is between performances on different circuits and under different conditions with these ground effect cars,” Wolff emphasized. “We won in Montreal but finished a minute behind in Austria, which is unacceptable for a team and brand like us.”
‘Unpredictability continues to frustrate the Silver Arrows’ camp’;
https://f1i.com/news/544133-wolff-mc...nt-choice.html
McLaren take 'uncomfortable' Max Verstappen to Mercedes stance
Zak Brown has continued his tour of discussing Max Verstappen and the speculation that the Dutchman will leave Red Bull for Mercedes.
18 July 2025
Samuel Coop & Nick Golding
RacingNews365
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has conceded that Max Verstappen teaming up with Mercedes is a prospect that is "pretty comfortable" to comprehend. "I think Mercedes is a team on the rise," the 53-year-old told The Sports Agents podcast. "Red Bull at the moment has challenges; it doesn't mean that they can't fix those challenges."
"But Max in a Mercedes is pretty uncomfortable to think about because he's awesome," Brown added before emphasising the huge loss Verstappen would be for Red Bull. "So, I think I'd rather he stay where he is," he said. "I think it would be a disaster for Red Bull if they lost Max."
'Uncomfortable' Max Verstappen to Mercedes stance’;
https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-ta...ercedes-stance
Button’s Verstappen warning as ‘strange move’ Mercedes rumour continues
17 Jul 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Jenson Button has warned Max Verstappen that the grass may not be greener at Mercedes, after all, he is “not going” to have a car that’s designed around his driving style. “It’s a tricky one for Max, because he’s in a position where he’s doing so well with Red Bull – they’ve given him so much over the years,” the Briton told The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X.
“They’ve designed this car around him, and he’s extremely good at it. Nobody can match him in that car. They’re so far off him. I mean, him qualifying third or fourth, and them qualifying 18th.”
“If he goes to Mercedes, it’s a different thing altogether. You know, that car is not going to be designed around him. So, is it going to work for him? I don’t know. I mean, the best in the world should be able to make that work for him.”
‘The grass may not be greener at Mercedes’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/jenson...mour-continues
Russell can forget about a seat at this team if Verstappen takes his at Mercedes
17 Jul 2025
Kada Sárközi
Tim Kraaij
GPblog.com
If George Russell does not receive a new contract from Toto Wolff and Mercedes, then it appears the Brit cannot count on a seat at Aston Martin either. Team principal Andy Cowell firmly closed the door on the matter in Silverstone. So, no room for Russell, who is nonetheless hoping for a contract extension with Mercedes. However, the Briton finds himself waiting for the outcome of the negotiations between Mercedes and Max Verstappen’s camp. If the Dutchman decides to make the move to Mercedes, then Russell needs to look for a new employer.
If not Aston Martin, then there are few options left for Russell. Alpine, with a Mercedes engine in 2026, is the most likely option. There, alongside Pierre Gasly, there is also room for a strong driver. Cadillac is another project that might be interesting, though it would mean a significant step back for Russell on the grid.
Russell's name is also mentioned as a possible successor to Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, but that seems an unlikely scenario. Helmut Marko combined with George Russell does not seem like a ‘match made in heaven’ and at Red Bull, at the beginning of the new cycle, they are likely to focus more on their own talent.
‘Waiting for the outcome of the negotiations between Mercedes and Max Verstappen’s camp’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/russe...ot-at-mercedes
Brundle snipes at Wolff over Verstappen bombshell transfer talks: 'You're hanging Russell out to dry!'
4 Jul 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
"I think that he's been hung out to dry a little bit," elaborated the former F1 driver turned commentator. "He's doing a brilliant job of leading the Mercedes team. He's picked up the mantle from Lewis Hamilton very well. It must be super uncomfortable for him and a bit embarrassing that, you know, he's sitting there waiting, unless stuff's going on behind the scenes, but if it is, why are they not saying so?"
'Verstappen is the fastest driver and F1 is a shark pool'. "Of course, Max Verstappen - I think everybody accepts he's the fastest one on the grid - comes with certain challenges as well. But it's a very difficult situation," added Brundle understanding and validating the talks that are reportedly being held between Mercedes and Verstappen. "But that's the crucible of Formula 1. That there is the shark pool out there and, you know what, if you're a team principal, don't make a decision 'til you really have to," concluded Brundle.
I think that he's been hung out to dry a little bit";
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/brund...him-out-to-dry
Guenther Steiner shares his one doubt about Mercedes as they chase Max Verstappen hard for 2026
16 July 2025
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Guenther Steiner believes Mercedes’ previous success with F1 regulations doesn’t guarantee success in 2026. The reason for Mercedes’ emergence as the favourites to sign Verstappen is due to their history of getting new engine regulations right the first time, something that Renault struggled with as Red Bull’s supplier in 2014.
Despite that, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner doesn’t believe this means Mercedes is guaranteed success in 2026. Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, the Italian explained, “Everybody’s vulnerable. Next year, nobody knows what will happen. We need to wait until February, when they go testing.
“Mercedes last time around did a fantastic job. So they are the favourites to do a fantastic job again. I think they’ve got the same opportunity as the other [teams], not more. Just because you did a good job 10 years ago, it doesn’t mean that you do a good job now, because there aren’t many people there from 10 years ago.”
‘Mercedes’ previous success with F1 regulations doesn’t guarantee success in 2026’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gue...hard-for-2026/
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Clarkson launches sharp jab to Red Bull after shocking Horner's firing.
"On that basis, this once-great team may well end up, in a couple of years, in Formula 4."
14 Jul 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Is Red Bull set to decline after Horner’s dismissal? The charismatic host, after dismissing claims that Horner would go to Ferrari, had his say on what was in the cards for Red Bull. "Well, look what happened to Man United when Ferguson was no longer at the helm," Clarkson added, with a touch of irony. "On that basis, this once-great team may well end up, in a couple of years, in Formula 4."
In an editorial for The Sun, Jeremy Clarkson — best known for hosting the British edition of Top Gear for many years — offered deeper insights into the dramatic split between Red Bull and Christian Horner, not holding back a sharp jab at the Milton Keynes team.
''I sent him a text after the news of his dismissal broke, pointing out that I’ve been in his shoes in the past,'' the presenter wrote. ''I explained that when you wake the following morning, it’s easy to think, “Well, that’s that, then”. But in my case, that wasn’t that. I hadn’t trodden on a snake. I’d trodden on a ladder. And I bet he does, too. But where?''
“Formula 4”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/clark...s-red-bull-ceo
Red Bull Unlikely to Rebound After Horner Exit, According to Schumacher
July 18, 2025
Saajan Jogia Newsweek
News & Observer, North Carolina
Revealing that Horner's exit won't change the technical side of things at Red Bull for the short-term future, ormer Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher said on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast: "The change of team principal will not change anything in the technical team for the time being. Designer Pierre Waché will continue to build the car next year. It almost looks as if he will not be able to close this gap, replace Adrian Newey in any way and build a car capable of winning. Red Bull will therefore face a difficult time."
Mercedes driver George Russell admitted recently that his contract extension discussions were on hold due to the team's ongoing talks with Verstappen. Team principal Toto Wolff also acknowledged the discussions, but stressed that Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli will likely form the 2026 driver lineup. Despite the assurance, rumors surrounding Verstappen and Mercedes continue to do the rounds after Horner's exit.
Schumacher added that the four-time world champion will have to consider a Mercedes switch if he intends to find performance next year. He said: "Verstappen is in a dilemma. The signs are not good for Red Bull at the moment. If Max Verstappen wants to have short-term success next year, he will have to look elsewhere. I therefore believe that the journey is heading towards Mercedes. I could imagine that he himself is still struggling because he is naturally attached to Red Bull."
‘Red Bull Unlikely to Rebound’;
https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/...mainstage_card
Red Bull's top brass under attack post-Horner departure: 'They will regret this'
18 Jul 2025
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com
Formula 1 journalist Joe Saward fears that Christian Horner's departure will have negative consequences for Red Bull Racing. According to him, the team was in many respects 'Horner Racing' and the current leadership is overrated. Saward does not doubt the competence of Horner's successor Laurent Mekies, but warns of internal resistance. "Laurent Mekies is a good guy, but winning over the hearts and minds of Horner Racing will not be easy," he writes. "There are no shortage of jobs for experienced people to go to in motorsport valley.
“Those who have seen how the new Red Bull management has dealt with Horner, may prefer not to stay." The way Horner has been treated, Saward calls it downright shortsighted. "I think that those who pushed Horner out will soon regret it and one can only wonder what Mateschitz would have thought of the antics of his successors", he continues. According to Saward, there is a great risk that Red Bull will follow the same path as other teams that have collapsed under poor leadership.
"People who fiddle with F1 teams without understanding what they are doing create the Alpines of tomorrow," he warns. "Successful teams have often faltered when new leaders arrived thinking they know best. Team owners are the ones who spend the money, but being rich doesn’t make you right. I can think of countless examples of people wandering into F1 minefields, thinking themselves clever, and blowing themselves to pieces."
“Those who have seen how the new Red Bull management has dealt with Horner, may prefer not to stay";
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/harsh...ll-regret-this
MPH: To the man trying to fill Christian Horner's shoes: good luck!
July 18th 2025
Mark Hughes
Motor Sport Magazine
Laurent Mekies is the new CEO of Red Bull Racing, taking over from Christian Horner. Once the corporate part of Red Bull had decided to part with Horner, the promotion of Mekies from team principal at the junior Racing Bulls team is a logical move.
He already knows the company and has proved to be a capable pair of hands in the junior team role. He’s a former race engineer with a good technical background and extensive experience of other environments, having previously worked at Ferrari and the FIA.
He’s a good communicator, has a pleasant personality, something that is always useful in getting a team of people on your side, all pointing in the same direction, making the team more efficient and engendering the sort of environment in which people are willing to go the extra mile. But he has an enormous set of challenges ahead of him as the boss of the senior team. Short, medium and long term.
‘An enormous set of challenges: good luck’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
World champion shocked by Horner dismissal news: 'He is Red Bull'
18 Jul 2025
Luke-John Buckle
Kimberley Hoefnagel
GPblog.com
Emerson Fittipaldi was astonished by Christian Horner's dismissal from Red Bull Racing. The former world champion believes that Horner and Red Bull are one and the same.
Two-time world champion Fittipaldi finds it very difficult to see Horner leave the Austrian team, as became clear from his reaction to the news."Christian is the Red Bull team," said the Brazilian in an interview with Sport.de. A clear statement from the 1972 and 1974 world champion.
"He has won so many titles and has taken care of so many drivers," continued the 78-year-old. However, Fittipaldi can't help but acknowledge that difficult situations like this are simply part of life. "Sometimes things change in life," he said. "Hopefully, he finds a new challenge soon. That's life!"
'He is Red Bull';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/formu...he-is-red-bull
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Martin Brundle suspects ‘key role’ from ‘Team Verstappen’ in Horner sack.
Martin Brundle has seen and heard enough to believe that ‘Team Verstappen’ played a critical role in Red Bull firing Christian Horner.
15 Jul 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
It was on the Wednesday after Silverstone that Red Bull confirmed Horner had been released with immediate effect with no explanation offered. Brundle had noticed that something was a little off with Horner two days prior. “I saw Christian on Monday at the Eddie Jordan Memorial, and he was very, very quiet and very introvert, I must say. Clearly, a bit out of sorts,” said Brundle on Sky F1’s ‘The F1 Show’ podcast.
“So I’m perhaps not totally surprised. I’m saddened, because I think Christian’s done an incredible job picking up the bones of what was the Jaguar F1 team and what he’s achieved in the last 20 years there. And I consider him a friend. So it’s a pity it’s ended so abruptly like this… …obviously Team Verstappen had been briefing certain journalists and Christian’s just come more and more under pressure, and he lost key people like Adrian Newey, like Rob Marshall, like Jonathan Wheatley.”
“For whatever reason, they’ve decided that Christian’s not the man to lead them into the next phase, that Laurent Mekies is, and other people they’ll, no doubt, put around him,” Brundle continued. “So, it’s just odd. This is a strange time to do it, and a strange urgency, I would say to that. We don’t know what’s gone on behind closed doors, but I do know that Team Verstappen were not happy with him there.”
‘Team Verstappen’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/martin...an-horner-sack
Who exactly are Team Verstappen and how influential are they?
18 Jul 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
Jos Verstappen is also thought to be the leading figure within the ‘Team Verstappen’ camp, lobbying for his son’s best interests regardless of the outcome to others. That saw him take a stance against Horner, publicly claiming Red Bull would “explode” if he remained in charge during the height of the Englishman’s dramas early last year.
Verstappen Snr is also a something of a canny politician, and understands the machinations of the F1 paddock well. He’s prepared to use that knowledge and the influence that comes courtesy of being an ex-driver and father of the sport’s benchmark to further his interests. Much of that is done behind closed doors, though he’s also more than capable of using the media to his advantage, too.
The Team Verstappen group – how much influence? The quartet of Max and Jos Verstappen, Helmut Marko, and Raymond Vermeulen create a fearsome combination, each with subtly different motivations that all ultimately pull in the same direction. Together, it has the potential to apply significant pressure across the entire Red Bull organisation, affording it a powerbase that would be difficult to replicate at a team with a different structure.
‘A fearsome combination’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/wh...ntial-are-they
Marko breaks the silence: Verstappen knew Horner would be dismissed
19 Jul 2025
Kada Sárközi
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com
When asked whether Verstappen was aware of the impending dismissal, he answered: “Max was aware. I do not want to say anything more about it.” This was the first time that Marko, albeit reluctantly, commented on how the decision was communicated towards Verstappen about the Briton's dismissal.
According to the German Bild, Marko was himself involved in the decision and was present during the dismissal of the former team boss. Also, Horner would have had to previously relinquish marketing duties at sister team Racing Bulls, and both Verstappen and shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya are said to have not shown up at an annual event at the former team principal's property.
“I do not want to say anything more about it”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/marko...er-would-leave
Did Christian Horner create own ‘downfall’ with ‘Team Verstappen’ strategy?
16 Jul 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Christian Horner may have inadvertently set up his own downfall at Red Bull as he created a “one-car team,” and then was set upon by “Team Verstappen.” Former F1 driver Chandhok believes Horner paid the price for creating the space that allowed the ‘Team Verstappen’ to take power. “I think in some of what’s happened, if you look at it in recent years, it’s become a one-car team, right?” he said on Sky F1’s ‘The F1 Show’ podcast. “We’ve talked about how since Daniel Ricardo left, the way the car design has gone, the way the team has been structured, it’s very much all the eggs in the Max Verstappen camp and in that basket.”
“And ultimately that’s kind of created his downfall. It’s put a disproportionate amount of power into ‘Team Verstappen’ to the point of which where, if you’re the wider Red Bull group, you look at it and go, ‘hang on a second, yes Max is on pole of the British Grand Prix, yes he’s won two races this year, but the other car’s nowhere’. And actually it’s put a huge amount of power in Max’s camp. If he leaves that team, they’d be fourth, fifth best on the grid at the moment.”
“So I think that has been one of the feelings, and ultimately, Christian’s got to carry the can for that, because he’s the man in charge, he’s led that philosophy of structuring the team in that way. Maybe it’s happened by accident, but the reality is he’s the man in charge, and I think there’s a strong element of that is he’s put a lot of power and faith into Team Verstappen. And I wonder if that ultimately comes back to bite him a bit.”
‘He created a “one-car team,” and then was set upon by “Team Verstappen”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/did-ch...appen-strategy
Montoya sees dark clouds forming over Red Bull, expects more to come
19 Jul 2025
Olly Darcy
Hidde Korte
GPblog.com
Montoya openly questioned what the consequences of Horner's dismissal would mean, with the former F1 driver raising the question of what it means for Helmut Marko's position within the team. "The interesting thing is: what happens now? Okay, it happened, but does Helmut stay? Whoever takes over that role will want to get everything under control, and at this moment, Helmut has control over everything: the drivers, the entire system. Unless Helmut was also involved in making this decision, it's super interesting, because it raises a lot of questions."
The Colombian believed the dismissal is related to the entire situation around Max Verstappen, pointing to the departure of several key figures from the team: "For me, this is 100% about Max. It all revolves around Max, in whatever direction. "Look, they lost Adrian Newey, and they've also lost [Jonathan] Wheatley, so they've lost a big part of the leadership within Red Bull, of the whole structure.”
And maybe they struggle to fill those roles or to attract the right people, and maybe people simply didn't want to work under Christian or his structure at the moment." Horner's dismissal could mean a domino effect, and Montoya does not exclude the possibility that more bad news may come out from Red Bull: "So it's complicated, a bit strange, and quite surprising. But this news rarely comes alone, I think there's more to come. This is my personal opinion, not knowing anything for sure..."
“This news rarely comes alone, I think there's more to come”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/monto...more-is-coming
-
Red Bull staff left dumbfounded after unhappy Marko and Mintlzaff comments.
''Mintzlaff also said, ‘If you have any problems, just text your line manager’. Then he added, ‘Oh, and if you don’t have a line manager any more, just text me!’ and started laughing.”
21 JUL 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
According to British media reports, some members of the Red Bull team were left dumbfounded after hearing comments from Helmut Marko and Oliver Mintzlaff following the dismissal of Christian Horner and two other senior figures.
Alongside Christian Horner, Chief Marketing Officer Oliver Hughes and Director of Communications Paul Smith have also left Red Bull with immediate effect—another development that has reportedly left staff confused and deeply unsettled.
In particular, another comment from the Austrian manager about the departure of the two executives reportedly left another employee stunned: ''Mintzlaff also said, ‘If you have any problems, just text your line manager’. Then he added, ‘Oh, and if you don’t have a line manager any more, just text me!’ and started laughing.”
‘Oh, and if you don’t have a line manager any more, just text me!’ and started laughing’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/rumors/smi...ners-dismissal
'It didn't endear him to anyone': Red Bull supremo's Christian Horner 'joke' falls flat with shattered staff
July 21, 2025
Zachary Gates
Channel 9's Wide World of Sports
Red Bull staff already reeling after the axing of long-time boss Christian Horner were left even more upset when they were told to "smile more" by team advisor Helmut Marko, according to a report.
Just over a week on, British publication The Sun has reported Marko, Red Bull's polarising 82-year-old team advisor, left staff feeling even more deflated in an address at the Milton Keynes headquarters.
"It was only a day after Christian was sacked and a lot of the team were still upset when Mr Marko addressed us," one Red Bull staff member told The Sun. "But he just made a joke of it and told us to cheer up. He said, 'You need to smile more'. It didn't endear him to anyone as what is there to smile about?"
'It didn't endear him to anyone';
https://www.nine.com.au/sport/motors...21-p5mgkf.html
Is this true? 'Red Bull did not want a Brit leading the team!'
21 Jul 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
The Sun spoke to a family friend of Horner, and heard: ''It was a targeted attack for control of the race team because Red Bull’s Austrian HQ didn’t like a British man running their race team.'' Now that the dismissal is official, the friend said was Horner is very upset. "Christian told me how hurt and betrayed he felt after all that he and Geri and their family have been through over the past 18 months,'' the source said.
“He was cleared twice over the texting scandal but is now on gardening leave and has still been given no explanation why he’s lost the job he loved.' Red Bull’s Austrian bosses have always resented the fact that so much of their F1 success was down to a team that Christian built in Britain. That is what lies behind this — as well as the hangover from the terrible headlines last year.''
The source revealed that Horner was kept in the dark about the situation until the very last moment: “Christian was called to a London meeting and had no idea what it was about. He was just told, ‘You have to be there’ and was dumbfounded when he was ushered into a room and effectively sacked on the spot. It left him totally blindsided — he thought he’d been called in to speak about another issue. The staff are nearly all Brits and are fiercely loyal to him and are now talking about walking out.''
‘It left him totally blindsided’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/rumors/hor...wing-dismissal
Montoya firmly believes 'Verstappen meeting with Wolff was to sign already'
20 Jul 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Juan Pablo Montoya believes the meeting between Max Verstappen and Toto Wolff in Sardinia a few days ago actually took place, with the aim of finalizing the deal. Speaking on the MontoyAS podcast by W Radio Colombia, he believes that not only did the meeting take place, but that it served to give the final push to the deal.
''Max meeting with Toto was probably to sign already,'' the former F1 driver said. ''For Max, to even reach that point in the conversation, means everything has already been seen, discussed, and decided.' 'You know what I mean — it’s the final step. Like, “Okay, I want us to work together, let’s do it, sign here, let’s go.”
“I’m sure they wanted to sign face to face. They’re not going to send the first contract and do it all remotely. So I think that could be what’s happening.'' Montoya also added: ''Personally, I see Max more at Mercedes than anywhere else. And the million-dollar question is: are they really going to drop Russell? Mercedes is always trying to build the best team possible, as they’ve always done.''
‘Aim of finalizing the deal’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/monto...er-to-mercedes
Montoya warns Red Bull ‘careers lost’ amid Verstappen replacement questions
20 Jul 2025
Michelle Foster
GPblog.com
Verstappen will confirm his decision in August, according to Nelson Piquet Jr., the brother of his partner Kelly, with that coinciding with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff’s summer break deadline. But while Piquet Jr. may have let the cat out of the bag when he said “next year with Max there” when he spoke about Mercedes’ form at the British Grand Prix, the F1 driver himself hasn’t said much.
“We don’t know what’s going on at Red Bull. Max will now say, ‘It’s going to be interesting’,” Montoya told AS Colombia. “We don’t know.” The former F1 driver believes Red Bull could be in trouble if Verstappen decides to leave the team as he has been their leading points-scorer since Daniel Ricciardo left at the end of the 2018 season.
Winning four World titles and 60 Grand Prix, this year Verstappen has 165 of Red Bull’s 172 points. “Max is worth as much as half to two-thirds of the entire grid, because at the moment Red Bull is a team that only scores points thanks to Max,” said Montoya. “If they lose Max, they will really need to invest in two drivers and try to get the same number of points with those two that Max gets on his own. I think this is what they will try.” But with which drivers?
“If they lose Max, they will really need to invest in two drivers”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/juan-p...ment-questions
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'Verstappen's lost faith in Red Bull, departure announcement in Spa'?
“And we've been hearing rumblings that we might have to prepare for some sort of press event in Spa." Nelson Valkenburg, Dutch Formula 1 commentator.
20 Jul 2025
Norberto Mujica
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com
‘Verstappen has lost confidence’: This doubt is deep, according to the F1 commentator, and it is not aimed at those who try to get the most out of the car on the track, but rather at the people who build the car. "And over the last few years, race by race by race, Verstappen seems to have lost confidence in the technical team, the design team within Red Bull. Not the race team, not the people trying to get the most out of the car, but really the design team."
The power unit is also a concern according to Valkenburg. "There is doubt about the engine program, there's doubt about the technical leadership under Pierre Waché. And nothing Red Bull right now can show or tell Verstappen will change that narrative all too much." Besides, he refers the Ford-Red Bull project as underperforming compared to Mercedes. "If that is true, that team will explode with Verstappen inside."
The Dutch Formula 1 commentator also discusses the rumors about Verstappen and Mercedes and even suggests that a press conference may be imminent. "They're getting closer and closer. And we've been hearing rumblings that we might have to prepare for some sort of press event in Spa. But that's very much... it is so unconfirmed. It's one of those rumors that I'll wait and see."
‘Rumblings’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...ncement-in-spa
Juan Pablo Montoya believes he’s now seen a ‘sign’ that suggests Max Verstappen’s move to Mercedes is close
21 July 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Montoya was asked on the MontoyAS Podcast about Horner’s departure from Red Bull and said: “For me, personally, it’s more on the side of Jos Verstappen than Max. “What was said, and what we’ve heard, on the Sunday [at the British Grand Prix], the head of communications for Red Bull Racing was shouting at Jos.”
“If that was true, and that Christian got involved, and the result of that is that they took out Christian, because right now, Red Bull is in a bad way, they are afraid of doing anything that might upset Verstappen, because they don’t want to lose him. If you notice, last week, Max went straight from telling the team everything was perfect to sitting down and talking to Toto Wolff.” He was then asked if he believed that something had already been agreed between Mercedes and Verstappen, and continued: “Yes, for Max to look his best, it’s probably a sign.”
“By the time Max gets to that point in the conversation, it’s because they’ve already seen the contracts, they’ve spoken about everything, they’ve already decided everything, and if you understand me, it’s the last one. Come on, let’s work together! OK, sign here, let’s go. I’m sure they wanted to sign up front. They are not going to send a contract, the first contract, they are not going to do it remotely. So, I think it could be that way. I, personally, see Max more in Mercedes than anywhere else.”
“If you notice, last week, Max went straight from telling the team everything was perfect to sitting down and talking to Toto Wolff”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jua...edes-is-close/
Red Bull handed stern 'at the back' warning with Max Verstappen exit threatening
Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull could spell disaster for the team, according to former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese.
22 July 2025
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Riccardo Patrese has declared Red Bull will be "at the back" of F1 if Max Verstappen does leave the Milton Keynes-based team. "Well, if Adrian Newey is not there anymore and Verstappen is leaving, then the level of Red Bull is what [Yuki] Tsunoda shows," Patrese told Prime Casino. "And where is Tsunoda? In the back.”
"At the moment, they still live with something that Adrian left. And for next year, there is a completely new car coming that Adrian didn't make." If the 27-year-old does decide to seek pastures new, Patrese is concerned Red Bull will slump to the foot of the field without the Dutchman there to "make the difference" at the six-time constructors' champions. "And then if you don't have a driver like Max who can make the difference, then Red Bull will be at the back," the Italian former F1 driver added.
‘Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull could spell disaster’;
https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-h...it-threatening
Why Christian Horner’s shock firing from Red Bull won’t be felt immediately
22 Jul 2025
Thomas Maher
GPblog.com
On the ground within the factory, the seizing of control by Austria is understood to have been met with widespread dismay and disbelief, with many employees believed to have been completely disheartened by the shock changes and the dismissive nature of the axing of well-liked bosses.
“In my opinion, he was the best TP [team principal] the sport has ever seen,” one workshop employee of Milton Keynes, there from the Jaguar days, said of Horner on LinkedIn. “Despite his perhaps arrogant persona in front of the camera, he was a humble and genuine man and someone that all of us looked up to.”
“As of now, it feels like the heart and soul have been ripped out of the team. It hasn’t, but that’s what the look on a lot of people’s faces would have you think. We’ll recover from this, as we have other problems, and I’m sure we’ll bounce back just as strongly as we have before. No team is built on just one person; it takes everyone. But there’s no doubt that right now, it feels like we’ve lost our leader and, with that, our identity.”
‘Christian Horner’s shock firing’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bu...-firing-impact
Why Verstappen's 'good' performances 'have done more harm than good' to Red Bull
21 Jul 2025
Tobia Elia
Cas van de Kleut
GPblog.com
Verstappen has 'done more harm than good' with his 'good performances'. About this, Anderson said that the ranking shows that Red Bull is a team ‘geared around one driver'. About Verstappen, the former engineer, Gary Anderson said: “Without doubt, Verstappen is exceptional, with total confidence in his talent but even he needs the car to be in the ballpark.''
''Arguably, his ‘good’ performances have done more harm than good given they have hidden just how difficult the car has become.'' Anderson continued: ''For a long time, Verstappen has complained about balance problems and although things have improved, it's not been by enough. 'Perhaps that’s convinced technical director Pierre Wache that sustained success is just around the corner if you can tweak the correct knob to make that performance be produced consistently''
‘Done more harm than good';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/did-v...harm-than-good
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Red Bull's first ever F1 weekend without Horner - What to watch for at Belgian GP.
With Red Bull reeling from Christian Horner's departure, Lando Norris on a hot streak, and Max Verstappen facing swirling rumours…
July 22nd 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
After a three-week break, the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix promises a weekend thick with intrigue both on and off the track.
The headlines will once again go far beyond the action, as Red Bull faces its first race weekend without Christian Horner and uncertainty swirls around Max Verstappen’s future as he heads for the track where he’s been untouchable in recent years.
Ferrari will also roll out a make-or-break suspension upgrade in what could be its most significant test of 2025.
‘Intrigue both on and off the track’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
F1 insider sets the record straight on Verstappen’s announcement at Spa
22 JUL 2025
Tobia Elia
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com
Viaplay commentator Nelson Valkenburg clearly received many responses to his statements, as he has since responded on social media: ''No, I didn't say I knew of or am expecting a press announcement on Max's future, in Spa.''
''I merely pointed out the wild stories that are going round. I think social media has made the point for me.''
‘F1 insider sets the record straight’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/valke...ever-said-that
‘Disaster’: Helmut Marko fires Red Bull ‘disaster’ warning for Belgian Grand Prix that would end Max Verstappen’s 2025 F1 title bid
19 July 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Helmut Marko told OE24: “There are still 332 points up for grabs, which is a decent package. We hope the updates we’re bringing to Spa and Budapest will have an impact.”
A hurdle could potentially await at Spa, though, as the 2025 Belgian GP will also feature an F1 Sprint. So, Marko is aware that Verstappen cannot afford to start on the wrong foot with a bad set-up after a ‘disaster’ in the one practice session Red Bull get to dial the updates in.”
“Yes and no,” Marko added on whether the Sprint can be helpful “On the one hand, there are more points up for grabs. But on the other hand, two practice sessions are cancelled.
‘Disaster warning’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/hel...-f1-title-bid/
New Red Bull boss warned of entering 'lion's den' at Belgian GP
New Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies faces a daunting first weekend in the job at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.
22 July 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
"I imagine he's obviously going to be set for the lion's den of the media scrum, and it is going to be a really intense week for him," former F1 racer Jolyon Palmer told the F1 Nation podcast. "He's going into a championship-winning team, and his experience with Racing Bulls is so different in terms of how it operates and what they expect, but Red Bull still has the ingredients for a really strong weekend.”
"They've still got a great race team and they how to execute races, and they've got a driver who can massively over-perform when he's back is against the wall in Max Verstappen, who is always good at Spa, and the team are good at Spa. So if you are Laurent heading into his first weekend, you're going to absorb life within a top-line F1 team, it is going to be very different for him personally with the media pressures and scrutiny and the questions.”
"It is a sprint weekend, so there'll be talking points on track immediately, and you're just hoping Red Bull hits the ground running, but the team will be gearing up behind him. After the fallout of everything in the last year-and-a-half, and the key personnel who have left Red Bull, there are a lot of people in the team looking around and thinking: 'Who is going to go next?' The team was very unsettled, and this is the chance for the rest of the team to re-galvanise and put their support behind Laurent."
‘Lion's den of the media scrum’;
https://racingnews365.com/new-red-bu...-at-belgian-gp
Mercedes have encountered one ‘catastrophic’ problem with their 2025 F1 car ahead of Belgian Grand Prix upgrades
23 July 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Mercedes haven’t given up trying to improve their 2025 Formula 1 car even with a new set of regulations on the horizon. The Silver Arrows are braced for a Belgian Grand Prix upgrade which they hope will help to fix some of their cars’ issues.
Worryingly, the Italian edition of Motorsport.com now reports that the team have encountered a ‘catastrophic’ problem with their recent upgrades. Unfortunately, engineers have been ‘surprised’ by the inconsistency in their results and it’s a worrying sign heading into 2026.
‘Catastrophic problem with their recent upgrades’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...prix-upgrades/
Ferrari ‘likely’ making secret change to Lewis Hamilton’s car to avoid one ‘hazard’ from their Belgian Grand Prix update
23 July 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari are aiming to set themselves up to enjoy a stronger second half to the 2025 F1 season, with upgrades now expected at the Belgian Grand Prix and the Hungarian GP. The Scuderia kicked off this campaign believing they could battle McLaren for the F1 drivers’ championship and constructors’ title, having been the Woking squad’s closest rival last term. Yet while Ferrari sit second in the teams’ standings, they trail the papaya crew by 238 points.
Ferrari technical director Loic Serra oversaw the design of the rear suspension update set to be used at the Belgian GP, which changed the mounting point for the front wishbone to the gearbox. Ferrari hope to debut a power steering upgrade in Hungary next weekend, as well.
The mounting point for the front wishbone is the most obvious difference between Ferrari’s old and new rear suspension set-ups. But Mark Hughes has told the official F1 website that Ferrari ‘quite likely’ also made another change that is ‘not visible’ from outside of the SF-25.
‘Secret change’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...d-prix-update/
F1 set for chaotic weather conditions at 2025 Belgian GP
Check out the full weather forecast for the 2025 F1 Belgian Grand Prix weekend at Spa.
23 July 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
The Belgian Grand Prix weekend is set to be hit with mixed conditions as rain threatens to impact the third sprint event of the season. Renowned for its tricky, mixed conditions where it can be raining at one point of the circuit and dry at another, Spa-Francorchamps is set to play host to such conditions once again this weekend.
‘Chaotic weather conditions’;
https://racingnews365.com/f1-set-for...025-belgian-gp
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Fred Vasseur sets Ferrari firm instruction ahead of major Belgian GP upgrade.
…"maximise potential from the get go" as it prepares to deploy a major upgrade package at the Belgian GP.
23 July 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
"We have worked hard at the factory to bring an additional upgrade package for the SF-25," Vasseur confirmed. "Therefore, a point of focus this weekend will be to make sure we maximise its potential from the get-go. As always with a Sprint weekend, getting off to a strong start with a smooth free practice session will hold the key to the rest of the weekend.”
"The margins between the teams are very close at the moment, therefore, every small detail can make the difference, so we’ll stay focused on ourselves to give our best in every phase of the weekend, on a track where the weather could also play its part."
‘Ferrari firm instruction’;
https://racingnews365.com/fred-vasse...ian-gp-upgrade
Hamilton suddenly to fight for the win? Ferrari boss talks Spa chances
23 Jul 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Frederic Vasseur spoke about his expectations ahead of the Belgian GP, with Ferrari expected to make a step forward at Spa-Francorchamps with the debut of the new rear suspension.
Despite a season so far below expectations—especially considering last year’s battle with McLaren until the final race—the Italian team still holds second place in the Constructors’ Championship and is banking heavily on the new rear suspension upgrade, which will make its official debut at the Belgian GP weekend.
Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton had the chance to test it at Mugello last week, gathering valuable data ahead of Spa—especially given that there will be only one practice session due to the sprint format.
‘Debut of the new rear suspension’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferra...-awaited-boost
The upgrade Red Bull is bringing to Verstappen's car for the Belgian GP
23 Jul 2025
Tobia Elia
Cas van de Kleut
GPblog.com
Crucial weekends lie ahead for Max Verstappen, as Red Bull Racing prepares to roll out the last package of updates to this season’s car. Helmut Marko has already hinted that this may be the team’s last real chance to keep Verstappen’s title hopes alive in 2025.
This weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, Red Bull will debut a new front wing. A week later, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen will run additional updates, as confirmed by the team.
Together, these changes make up a single upgrade package that’s being rolled out across the two race weekends. It focuses solely on the bodywork — with no changes to the floor.
Last hope for Verstappen and Red Bull? Marko had previously confirmed that new parts would be introduced for both the Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix. According to the Austrian, it’s crucial that Red Bull avoids a “disastrous” Friday and that every component works straight out of the box. He also warned that if the updates fail, it could effectively mark the end of the title fight.
‘Last hope for Verstappen and Red Bull?’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/this-...the-belgian-gp
Red Bull drivers ready for ‘new era’ under Laurent Mekies
Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda say they are embracing the arrival of Laurent Mekies at Red Bull as the team enters a new chapter under the Frenchman’s leadership at the Belgian Grand Prix.
24 Jul 2025
Ben Waterworth
Mekies officially takes over as team principal this weekend following the sudden sacking of Christian Horner earlier this month, ending his 20-year reign at the helm and marking the first time in team history that Horner won’t be in charge during a race weekend.
Verstappen, who was born in Belgium and considers Spa one of his two home races alongside the Dutch Grand Prix, welcomed the chance to begin working with Mekies as the team resets for the second half of the season. “I was back at the factory last week to spend some time in the sim with the team and I’m looking forward to working closely with Laurent,” he said.
For Tsunoda, the weekend offers a sense of familiarity as he reunites with Mekies, whom he previously worked under at Racing Bulls before stepping up to the senior Red Bull team earlier this season. “We are coming into this race in a new era for the team and it will be good to link up again with Laurent, we worked really well together at Racing Bulls,” he said. “I know how he likes to work and our full focus is on pushing forward and for me personally to start delivering the performance we need.”
‘New era’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-m...x-spa-preview/
F1 - 2025 Belgian GP Schedule of Press Conferences
23.07.25
FIA (Press Release)
Press Conference: Ayao Komatsu (Haas), Jonathon Wheatley (Kick Sauber), Laurent Mekies (Red Bull).
‘Laurent Mekies (Red Bull)’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2025-bel...ss-conferences
Jolyon Palmer snubs Oscar Piastri as he predicts who will finish on the podium at the Belgian Grand Prix
24 July 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Jolyon Palmer predicts Max Verstappen to win the Belgian Grand Prix. Palmer was a guest on the F1 Nation Podcast to predict what was going to happen at the Belgian Grand Prix. When deciding the winner of the Sprint Race, he said: “Ok. I’m going to go, Sprint winner is going to be Oscar.”
“And then I’m going to go one, two, three. We’re going to have, I just see it as Verstappen wins, and it’s going to be Red Bull redemption. That’s just the headline coming out of the weekend.. It would be huge, and it’s not out of the question. So I’m going to go Verstappen wins. Let’s go, Ferrari, get there with their upgrades, second place, and we’ll go Norris third, just because I said McLaren are going to be favourites and now I’ve completely changed my mind.”
‘Max Verstappen to win the Belgian Grand Prix’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jol...an-grand-prix/
'Outburst': Jacques Villeneuve thinks Lando Norris keeps creating one ‘problem’ for himself that F1 fans on social media don’t like
22 July 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Jacques Villeneuve thinks Lando Norris too open with his feelings. Norris is known for being one of the more open drivers on the grid, as he is also an ambassador for the mental health charity Mind. But Villeneuve thinks he can often be too honest with how he’s feeling, which can lead to unwanted speculation he has no control over.
“Instead of keeping it in, he blurts it out. That’s his way of maybe blowing some steam. It’s a necessity for him, and he comes back stronger every time he does it,” said Villeneuve. “But the problem is with all social media now where every TikToker is a journalist, somehow. And a lot of the comments that come out, there’s no research behind it, but it has weight. That’s the price he has to pay. The way he is now, 20 years ago would have been a lot easier because it wouldn’t have this big outburst as it is now. It wouldn’t go as far.”
‘Creating one ‘problem’ for himself’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jac...dia-dont-like/
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Post-Horner Red Bull risks repeating Jaguar era mistakes.
…team address by Marko, in which it was suggested they all just work 10% harder, went down like a lead balloon.
Jul 24, 2025
Jon Noble
The Race
Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff nor motorsport advisor Helmut Marko moved for reasons of power and control; to turn a page and shape the team in their own vision rather than that of Horner’s. The word is they did not like Red Bull being modelled as “Horner Racing”, and instead wanted it more to be back in the mould of the way Red Bull did things. This theory is backed up by Red Bull’s move to also remove at the same time two of Horner’s key allies, chief marketing and commercial officer Oliver Hughes and director of communications Paul Smith.
But if this is truly what it is all about, then there is a fundamental flaw in the thinking because the very thing that Red Bull Austria did not like then - which is the total control Horner wanted to have with all aspects of the Red Bull operation - is what helped make the squad such a formidable force in F1. History shows time and again in F1 that success is not driven by corporate boards making decisions about car upgrades, nor committees coming up with smart outcomes for strategies, nor what a team’s organisational flow chart says about who should be poached from a rival team.
Think of the most successful team bosses of the modern F1 era: Jean Todt at Ferrari; Ron Dennis at McLaren; Frank Williams at Williams; Toto Wolff at Mercedes; and Horner at Red Bull. What they all have in common is that the buck stopped with them – and even those who had to report into others had total freedom to do what they felt was best. As the famous David Ogilvy quote goes: “Search all the parks in all your cities; you’ll find no statues of committees.” Sources also indicate that some sponsors (many of whom only found out the Horner exit news through the media) are also not happy with how things have unfolded within a squad that Horner was at the heart of.
‘Team address by Marko, in which it was suggested they all just work 10% harder’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/c...-marko-mekies/
Horner’s exit surprises former pupil: 'He built that team up'
24 Jul 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
After making his F1 debut in Toro Rosso in 2019, Albon was already promoted to Red Bull Racing over the course of that season. He was replaced by Sergio Perez after the 2020 campaign.
Answering GPblog's question in Belgium whether the decision was surprising for him, he said: "Yes it was. I think obviously someone who's helped me a lot in my long career. Yeah, obviously he's been in the sport for a long time with a lot of success. So you could say he's built that team up so to see him go obviously is a... well it's the first time."
Why could Horner be successful at Red Bull? Despite the current challenging period, Horner could also celebrating many championships with the Austrian outfit. Albon himself could also step on the podium on two occasions with the team. "I obviously quite joined late to the Christian Horner 'kind of era', let's say. So on my side, it was clear that he had his people and he brought everyone up together."
"I think that there was a lot of longstanding members at Red Bull who were there for a long time and still are to this day as well. Seemed to have a good knack for finding the right people and then building a good circle around and they seem to chip away at it and very quickly get to the top and I guess that's a part of its success," he concluded.
“Seemed to have a good knack for finding the right people”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/horne...t-that-team-up
Why Verstappen struggles to choose between Red Bull and Mercedes
24 Jul 2025
Olly Darcy
Sandy van Wijngaarden
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen believes that there is "a big question mark for everybody" regarding the choices made by the drivers on the grid for next season. Recently, Verstappen has been frequently linked with a move to Mercedes, with the continuing downward spiral of Red Bull Racing and the atmosphere within the Austrian team.
The choice of an F1 team for 2026 proves very difficult for Verstappen. "It's a big question mark for everyone,” Verstappen said about the drivers' market for 2026 in an interview with The Athletic. “For me, you just hope that you’re with the right team, and … I don’t (want) to say ‘luck in’ — but in a way, you do ‘luck in’ because if you’re a good driver and suddenly your team steps up, then you know that you have a winning chance. That’s how F1 works.”
Verstappen isn't really stressed about the decision that needs to be made, revealing that his father, Jos Verstappen, initially thought he was too relaxed as a child. "I don't care. I know what I've done to get here,” the Dutchman said regarding the unrest surrounding his decision.
"A big question mark for everybody";
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...k-for-everyone
Mercedes CEO could go over Toto Wolff’s head to sign Max Verstappen after discovering George Russell’s contract demands
24 July 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius still wants to sign Max Verstappen after hearing George Russell’s contract demands. A report from Autosport Web has shared more details about the thinking behind the scenes at the Brackley-based team. Both George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli are out of contract at the end of the season.
Russell is believed to want a three-year contract and a ‘significant’ salary increase, while Mercedes only want to offer him a one-year agreement. The report from Autosport Web goes on to say that Kallenius is now ‘pressuring the team to sign Verstappen as soon as possible’ because he wants the best driver possible in Mercedes’ line-up for 2026.
Wolff is happy working with Russell and Antonelli, and in the Italian teenager, he believes he has a ‘future championship driver’, while he’s also convinced that Mercedes will make a ‘significant technological advantage from 2026 onwards’, which negates the need to sign Verstappen. It’s yet to be seen whether Wolff will get his way, or if Kallenius will pull rank and go all-out to sign the 27-year-old.
‘Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius still wants to sign Max Verstappen’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...tract-demands/
Some Mercedes shareholders fear that ‘snatching’ Max Verstappen from Red Bull could be bad for their image
23 July 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Mercedes’ German owners ‘don’t like the idea’ of signing under-contract Max Verstappen. Speaking on the Motorsport Italy YouTube channel, journalist Franco Nugnes said Verstappen will have to pay a ‘significant penalty’ to escape his Red Bull contract. It’s unclear whether this still applies if he activates his performance-related exit clause.
But Mercedes are wary of the cost of signing Verstappen even if they don’t have to buy him out of his deal. At a time of cutbacks for the company as a whole, the optics of handing out a nine-figure contract may not sit right. Mercedes is owned in equal parts by Wolff, who’s ‘obsessed’ with signing Verstappen, petrochemical giants INEOS, and the German car company. And there are some reservations in Stuttgart about signing a driver who’s under contract elsewhere.
Lewis Hamilton was a free agent when Mercedes signed him from McLaren at the end of 2012. That’s the way some of the shareholders would prefer to do business. “He has a contract that’s valid until 2028,” Nugnes said. “He has to pay a significant penalty to leave. “Despite what many are saying, that it was CEO Ola Kallenius who wanted Max, the Germans don’t like the idea of going and snatching a driver under contract from another team – not at all. This is the logic of a brand that talks to other brands. It’s a method that doesn’t interest them. Toto Wolff is chasing his dream, his obsession.”
‘Could be bad for their image’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/som...r-their-image/
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Piastri lays down marker in Belgian GP FP1.
Oscar Piastri has made the perfect start to his Belgian Grand Prix weekend, topping the timesheets in Free Practice 1 by four tenths of a second.
25 Jul 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
The championship leader looked fast throughout the hour-long practice session — the only one of the weekend due to it being a sprint round — setting the early pace on the hard tyres before clocking his best time of 1:42.022 on his final lap on softs. His time was 0.404s faster than Max Verstappen, while his teammate Lando Norris finished the session in third, 0.504s behind the Aussie.
‘Piastri lays down marker’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-p...inant-mclaren/
Belgian GP: Free Practice 1 Results
Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix.
25 Jul 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
POS. NO. DRIVER TEAM TIME / GAP LAPS
1 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:42.022 23
2 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.404s 23
3 4 Lando Norris McLaren +0.504s 22
4 63 George Russell Mercedes +0.576s 27
5 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.906s 22
6 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.957s 23
7 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +1.063s 24
8 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.090s 17
9 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.098s 22
10 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +1.100s 19
‘Free Practice 1 Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-b...1-fp1-results/
Belgian GP: Piastri tops free practice from Verstappen and Norris
25/07/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
McLaren’s championship leader Oscar Piastri laid down a commanding performance in the only free practice session for the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix.
The Australian’s late charge on Pirelli’s soft C4 compound in the closing minutes of the hour-long session saw him edge out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by four tenths, signaling McLaren’s strong form heading into the weekend.
The session, dominated by setup work and testing of new aerodynamic upgrades, offered a glimpse into the intense development race as teams fine-tune their packages before the season’s latter stages.
‘Piastri tops free practice’;
https://f1i.com/news/544508-belgian-...nd-norris.html
Lewis Hamilton the target of team radio rant after ‘dangerous’ Belgian GP near miss
25 Jul 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Lewis Hamilton was the target of an angry team radio rant by Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto during FP1 at the Belgian Grand Prix. Bortoleto took to team radio to air his frustrations, telling his race engineer: “Mate, what the f**k is Hamilton doing? He’s always in the middle of the track.”
Leclerc was similarly unimpressed by the sight of two cars dawdling at a dangerous part of the circuit. He responded: “Ah, come on. This is dangerous.”
“Mate, what the f**k is Hamilton doing?”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...n-gp-dangerous
What happened in sole Spa F1 practice session
Jul 25, 2025
Ben Anderson
The Race
Oscar Piastri led the way for McLaren in the only practice session for Formula 1’s 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, as McLaren team-mate Lando Norris went off and lapped slower than Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. The Red Bull features a substantial upgrade for Spa, incorporating revised front wing, front suspension, sidepod inlet, engine cover and rear corner, but Verstappen still complained of a “weird” feeling with the car mid-corner, unable to rotate it as he wished.
Verstappen’s Red Bull was predictably supreme through the first sector of lap, which after La Source (Turn 1) is basically an extended straight through Eau Rouge and Radillon before the braking zone at the end of the Kemmel Straight. Red Bull usually runs a bit light on downforce here and asks Verstappen to work his magic through the twistier middle sector, but any gains Red Bull made through having a slippery car for sector one were more than wiped out by Piastri’s impressive pace and stability through sector two.
A tow in sector one didn't hurt Piastri either. McLaren has brought a lower-downforce rear wing option for Spa, but that car’s greater overall aerodynamic efficiency this season suggests at this early stage it has a potentially more suitable compromise for this circuit than Red Bull is potentially able to achieve.
‘Oscar Piastri led the way for McLaren’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...ctice-session/
Where is Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase at the F1 Belgian GP? Why Red Bull’s trusted voice is missing at Spa
With Gianpiero Lambiase absent for personal reasons, Max Verstappen will rely on Simon Rennie as his race engineer for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, marking another major change for Red Bull during a turbulent season
25 July 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
For the first time since his breakthrough into Formula 1’s elite, Max Verstappen is taking on a race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps without Christian Horner and trusted race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase by his side.
Instead, Verstappen will rely on the experience of Simon Rennie to help guide him through one of the most significant races of the season for Red Bull, as the team deals with dramatic upheaval both on and off the track. The news broke in the lead up to the Belgian Grand Prix that Lambiase, affectionately known as ‘GP’ in the paddock, would not be present due to personal circumstances.
Now, Verstappen will need to summon that same flexibility and composure in the Ardennes, with Simon Rennie returning to the pitwall for a second time this year. Red Bull have not confirmed if Lambiase will be back for Hungary, adding an extra layer of uncertainty to Verstappen’s bid to reassert himself at the front of the championship battle.
‘Gianpiero Lambiase absent for personal reasons’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/max...lgian-gp-2025/
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Piastri takes pole by 0.477sec from Verstappen - 2025 Belgian GP sprint qualifying results.
Championship leader Piastri dominates sprint qualifying to grab pole from Verstappen and Norris
July 25th 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
Oscar Piastri secured a dominant pole for the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race after beating Max Verstappen by nearly half a second.
Piastri, who had also topped practice in the morning, beat Verstappen by 0.477 seconds with a superb display at a sunny Spa.
The championship leader outqualified McLaren team-mate Lando Norris by over six tenths of a second, the Briton having to settle for third position.
‘0.477sec’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
F1 2025 Belgian Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying Results
July 25th 2025
Motorsport Week
Position Driver Team Time Gap
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:40.510
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:40.987 0.477
3 Lando Norris McLaren 1:41.128 0.618
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:41.278 0.768
5 Esteban Ocon Haas 1:41.565 1.055
6 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:41.761 1.251
7 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:41.857 1.347
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:41.959 1.449
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:41.971 1.461
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber 1:42.176 1.666
‘Sprint Qualifying Results’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...fying-results/
Martin Brundle spots something ‘highly unusual’ in Lewis Hamilton onboard amid Belgian Grand Prix woes
25 July 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Hamilton joined Mercedes successor Kimi Antonelli in making an early exit. Williams’ Alex Albon, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto were also knocked out. SQ1 runs for just 12 minutes – six minutes shorter than the Saturday equivalent. Hamilton only had time for two runs, both of which were spoiled by apparent errors.
On the first error, he suffered a snap of oversteer at Stavelot, costing him plenty of momentum on his run through Blanchimont. A broadcast graphic estimated that he’d lost seven-tenths of a second. That put Hamilton under pressure to deliver on his second attempt, and he was on course to progress through the first couple of sectors. However, the five-time Belgian Grand Prix winner spun on the entry to the final chicane, confirming his elimination.
Watching the replay, Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle said Hamilton was totally caught off the guard when he applied the brakes. “His rear axle locked up under braking, highly unusual,” Brundle remarked. “I don’t think there’s anyone more surprised at that than Lewis Hamilton.” Hamilton was silent on the radio after the spin, which meant the explanation was initially unclear. He’d complained of rear locking during the solitary practice session.
“His rear axle locked up under braking, highly unusual”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...and-prix-woes/
Piastri storms to Belgian Sprint pole with spinning Hamilton left in 18th
25 July 2025
Sky Sports
F1 championship leader Oscar Piastri stormed to a dominant pole position for Saturday's Sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix, with chief title rival Lando Norris behind Max Verstappen in third.
After the frustration of his race-losing penalty to Norris at the British GP three weeks ago, Piastri has hit the ground running at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit and had already set the pace in Friday's sole practice session before claiming the weekend's first of two poles by a whopping 0.4s margin.
Verstappen, whose Red Bull team are at a race weekend without former team boss Christian Horner for the first time after 20 years, beat Norris to second in the effective single-lap shootout of SQ3. Hamilton will start Saturday's 15-lap dash from 18th after spinning in his Ferrari on his final lap of SQ1, while 2024 Spa victors Mercedes qualified 13th and 20th with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli respectively.
‘Piastri storms… … spinning Hamilton’;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...-hamilton-18th
Belgian GP: Piastri surges to Spa sprint pole as Hamilton hits new low
25 Jul 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has claimed pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race at Spa. The Australian clocked a fastest lap of 1:40.510 in SQ3 in Belgium, going 0.477s faster than Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. Piastri’s McLaren team-mate Lando Norris will start third.
Stavelot also proved tricky for Lewis Hamilton with the Ferrari driver catching a snap on entry to the corner, leaving him 16th after the first runs. Hamilton suffered another moment at the end of his final effort, locking up his rears under braking and spinning at the Bus Stop chicane, with the yellow flags compromising the laps of a number of drivers behind.
‘Piastri surges… … Hamilton hits new low’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/belgia...lifying-report
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Verstappen skewers McLaren with '15 qualifying laps' to win Belgian GP sprint.
A storming drive by Max Verstappen, combined with a Red Bull with an ideal set-up, left McLaren on the back foot in the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix sprint race.
July 26th 2025
Dominic Tobin
Motor Sport Magazine
Max Verstappen won the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race in a Red Bull that looked set up to perfection for the 15-lap Spa-Francorchamps dash. After a series of races in which he’s struggled with his car, Verstappen was able to push to a level he described as “over the limit”, saying that he was at qualifying pace for the whole race. He finished less than a second ahead of Oscar Piastri.
Running a lower level of rear wing than the McLaren pair of pole-sitter Piastri and Lando Norris who started third, Verstappen had the straightline speed advantage to sweep into the lead on lap one and hold off the championship leader for the remaining 14 laps.
'15 qualifying laps';
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
F1 2025 Belgian GP – Sprint Race Results
McLaren push Verstappen to the limit as midfield fireworks light up Spa Sprint Race
26 July 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Belgian GP 2025 Sprint Race results
Check out the full Belgian GP 2025 Sprint Race results from the session at Spa below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Leader
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.753
3 Lando Norris McLaren +1.414
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +10.176
5 Esteban Ocon Haas +13.789
6 Carlos Sainz Williams +14.964
7 Oliver Bearman Haas +18.610
8 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +19.119
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +22.183
10 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +22.897
‘Sprint Race results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-race-results/
‘Incredible’: Martin Brundle saw Max Verstappen do something ‘incredible’ to beat Oscar Piastri in the Belgian GP Sprint
26 July 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Max Verstappen stunned Martin Brundle with his cornering speed in the 2025 Spa Sprint. McLaren drivers Piastri and Norris opted to run more downforce on their MCL39s for the F1 Sprint at the Belgian GP compared to Red Bull rival Verstappen. It proved to be a fatal error, as Piastri was never able to make a move on the Dutchman to regain the lead this Saturday.
Verstappen’s rear wing let the 27-year-old stay far enough clear of Piastri on the run from La Source to Les Combes via Eau Rouge and Raidillon to nullify the effect of his rival using DRS. But how Verstappen coped with the consequences in sector two impressed Martin Brundle. Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 (26/07, 11:12): “Piastri is struggling in the turbulent air. Max Verstappen’s doing an incredible job of carrying speed through the corners and then using the lower downforce. You can just see how skinny his rear wing is.”
‘Incredible’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...ian-gp-sprint/
Verstappen leads McLaren pair to win processional sprint race
26th July 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Max Verstappen won the sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix after passing Oscar Piastri at the start. The Red Bull driver spent 15 laps with Piastri in his mirrors but the championship leader never got close enough to make a serious attack on the race leader.
Lando Norris arrived on Piastri’s tail mid-way through the race after reclaiming his third place from Charles Leclerc. But with Piastri constantly using DRS in his attempts to attack Verstappen, Norris could only sit behind his team mate to the finish.
There were no significant changes of positions among the other points finishers, most of which took the chequered flag in the same order they started. Leclerc took fourth ahead of Esteban Ocon, followed by Carlos Sainz Jnr and Oliver Bearman, all in grid order.
‘15 laps with Piastri in his mirrors’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/07/26/...l-sprint-race/
Verstappen outduels McLaren rivals to win intense Belgian GP Sprint
Red Bull’s new era begins with a statement as Max Verstappen fends off Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris for victory in the Belgian Grand Prix Sprint
26 July 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Despite starting on older medium tyres, Verstappen showcased the trademark straight-line speed of his Red Bull to keep Piastri within DRS range, but never truly threatened for position.
Piastri, looking to build on his Sprint pole, tracked Verstappen relentlessly for all 15 laps, at times narrowing the gap to less than a second. His closest opportunity came at Turn 5 as the McLaren drew up to the Red Bull’s gearbox, but the Australian found no way through, later admitting the top speed advantage made it nearly impossible to challenge.
‘Despite starting on older medium tyres’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/ver...rint-win-2025/
Upset Lewis Hamilton reveals the ‘career first’ mistake he made at Belgian Grand Prix.
July 25, 2025
Callum McAvoy
Metro.co.uk
Sir Lewis Hamilton says he made a mistake for the ‘first time in my career’ that caused his disastrous sprint qualifying result at the Belgian Grand Prix. The seven-time Formula 1 champion came into the weekend in good spirits, hopeful that a Ferrari upgrade could revive his fortunes after a difficult start to the season.
The 40-year-old surprisingly spun at the last corner of the tricky Spa-Francorchamps circuit as he attempted to set a fast lap, causing his early exit. Asked by Sky Sports for an analysis of what happened, a sullen and crestfallen Hamilton was in little mood to chat, simply replying: ‘I spun.’
Pressedwhether the rear-axle had locked-up, the Brit nodded and owned up to what is a somewhat amateurish mistake, responding: ‘First time I think in my career.’
‘Career first’;
https://metro.co.uk/2025/07/25/upset...o=newsnow-feed
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Belgian GP: Norris pips Piastri to pole as Hamilton suffers latest Ferrari disaster.
Norris’s fastest time of 1:40.562 was 0.085s faster than Piastri, with Charles Leclerc pipping Red Bull driver Max Verstappen to claim a fine third for Ferrari.26 Jul 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Norris claimed provisional pole in the first runs, outpacing Piastri by 0.189s with Verstappen more than half a second off the pace in third on used tyres. “Really weird. Just didn’t have the same grip,” Verstappen reported over team radio.
Verstappen failed to improve in the first sector of his final effort, losing almost two tenths, with Leclerc taking third place with a fine first sector. With Norris also failing to improve, the stage seemed set for Piastri to steal pole. However, the Australian missed out on P1 by just 0.085s.
In Q1: Lewis Hamilton initially made it through but had his last lap of Q1 deleted due to a track limits breach at Raidillon. The Ferrari driver’s latest misdemeanour, following his spin at the end of SQ1 on Friday, gave Gabriel Bortoleto a late reprieve.
‘Norris’s fastest time of 1:40.562 was 0.085s faster than Piastri’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/belgia...lifying-report
F1 2025 Belgian GP – Qualifying Results
26 July 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
Check out the full Belgian GP 2025 Qualifying results from the session at Spa below.
Pos. Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Lando Norris McLaren 1:40.562
2. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.085
3. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.338
4. Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.341
5. Alex Albon Williams +0.639
6. George Russell Mercedes +0.698
7. Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +0.722
8. Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.748
9. Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.766
10. Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +1.825
‘Qualifying Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...fying-results/
Full Results Belgian GP Qualifying | Norris fights back, Verstappen just misses out on Top 3
26 Jul 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Lando Norris managed to claim pole position for Sunday's Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. His teammate, Oscar Piastri finished in second place, while Charles Leclerc rounded off the Top 3.
Norris led after the first flying laps in Q3, and while he couldn't improve on his final lap, he remained in first place. Piastri finished marginally behind the other McLaren driver. Charles Leclerc completed the Top 3, after he marginally finished ahead of Verstappen. Alex Albon finished in P5, pushing George Russell down to P6.
‘Full Results’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/full-...s-out-on-top-3
Damon Hill baffled by Lewis Hamilton’s unnecessary decision that ‘embarrassed’ Ferrari at the Belgian Grand Prix
26 July 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Damon Hill claims Ferrari looked ‘embarrassed’ by Lewis Hamilton’s Q1 exit at the Belgian GP. Hamilton spun in SQ1 to qualify P18 for the Sprint at the 2025 Belgian GP on Friday after the Briton lost the rear-end of his SF-25 under braking at the Bus Stop Chicane. He had also had a moment at Stavelot earlier in SQ1, and would only improve to take P15 in Saturday’s Sprint.
Qualifying for the actual Belgian GP would not prove to be a happy affair for the seven-time champion on Saturday, either. Hamilton set a 1:41.664, which was fast enough for P7 in the Q1 timesheet, yet the Ferrari driver lost the lap time after exceeding track limits at Raidillon. Hamilton turned in slightly too early on his rise through Eau Rouge, so he put all four wheels of his car over the inside of the white line at Raidillon and was eliminated in P16. Damon Hill does not get why Hamilton ‘felt the need’ to take the risk, which even ‘embarrassed’ Ferrari.
Hill said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 (26/07, 15:20): “He’s no longer able to take part in qualifying. [Hamilton is] back where he was after yesterday’s Sprint Qualifying and there’s a lot of very embarrassed-looking people at Ferrari in the garage… He just went too far across the top of the hill. His car is actually all off the track, and that means his time is deleted. He didn’t have to do that. I don’t know why he felt the need to use that much track. You don’t actually lose to gain that much.”
‘There’s a lot of very embarrassed-looking people at Ferrari in the garage…’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dam...an-grand-prix/
Lewis Hamilton offers Ferrari heartfelt apology: 'Unacceptable'
An honest assessment from Lewis Hamilton after back-to-back horror shows in qualifying over the Belgian GP weekend.
26 July 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
"We made some changes, and the car didn't feel terrible," said Hamilton, speaking to Sky Sports F1. "It was even tougher for us as we had to put a second set [of soft tyres] on just to get through Q1, so not great, and then from my side, I made a mistake.”
“I've really got to look internally. I apologise to my team because it's just unacceptable to be out in both Q1s. It's a very, very poor performance from myself."
'Unacceptable';
https://racingnews365.com/lewis-hami...y-unacceptable
Nico Rosberg relieved that Lando Norris has finally started listening to him after Belgian Grand Prix pole
26 July 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Nico Rosberg says Lando Norris has finally started blocking out the external noise. Speaking immediately after Belgian Grand Prix qualifying, Norris said ‘people like to make a lot of things up’. This appeared to dig at those who had raised concerns about the Friday deficit to Piastri.
The Englishman put half of that deficit down to poor placement on the track. And he clearly didn’t let the doubts earlier in the weekend affect his driving. Nico Rosberg has previously said Norris needs to work with a psychologist, comments that didn’t go down well inside McLaren. After qualifying, Sky Sports pundit Rosberg sounded encouraged by the change he’d seen in the 25-year-old.
“He’s said in the interviews that he’s not letting these opinions get to him anymore, he’s switching them off, which is exactly what I’ve been trying to recommend to him on-air,” Rosberg observed. “Just turn everything off, dial everything down, just focus on yourself, the team and nothing else. He says he’s doing that, so maybe all that is working to his advantage now.”
‘Blocking out the external noise’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/nic...and-prix-pole/
-
McLaren drivers set to race with their last permitted power unit at Spa-Francorchamps.
McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will compete at today's Belgian Grand Prix with fresh power unit components, which sees them exploit their maximum power unit allocation for the current season.
27 Jul 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Over the course of the 2024 season, a driver may use no more than four ICEs, MGU-Hs, MGU-Ks and turbochargers, two energy stores and control electronics, and eight of each of the four elements that make up a set of exhaust systems (comprising primaries left-hand side, primaries right-hand side, secondary LHS and secondary RHS).
For this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have received a fresh internal combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-H, MGU-K while the Australian driver has also got a new energy store and control electronics.
‘Fresh power unit components’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27420
Vasseur: Ferrari are "still working on getting the most out of the new package"
27 Jul 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Reflecting on the Scuderia's day at Spa, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur added: "Charles did a very good lap at the end. Currently we are still working on getting the most out of the new package we brought here and there was real improvement over the course of the weekend from the start all the way to the final lap in qualifying. We learned more about the car from session to session.
"Rain is expected tomorrow that will also allow us to see how these upgrades work in all conditions. We are still a couple of tenths behind McLaren but we are on the pace of Verstappen. We will continue to work on improving still further for Budapest.” Speaking of Hamilton's difficulties, Vasseur said: "As for Lewis, he was unable to put everything together but the field is so close, a matter of just hundredths or even thousandths of a second between the cars.”
"His pace was good, he was just one place behind Charles but the track limits put him out and it is what it is," the Frenchman continued. "It’s true that it’s been a tough weekend for him so far and, at this track, you need to build up confidence lap after lap and with the problems yesterday and today that was made difficult for him."
“New package";
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27454
Hamilton blames his own “very, very poor performance” for his shock exit in Spa qualifying
27 Jul 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Hamilton was quick to admit that the poor result was down to him, and he branded his performance as “unacceptable.” "It’s not been a great day but we got some valuable insight into the new suspension and upgrades during the Sprint. The team made further adjustments ahead of qualifying based on what we learned. Unfortunately, my lap time was deleted for track limits, and I take full responsibility for that.”
"And then from my side, another mistake," he explained to Sky Sports F1. "So I really got to look internal. I got to apologise to my team because it's just unacceptable to be out in both Q1s. It's a very, very poor performance for myself. I don't think there's really much we can do. So I just try and start from where I am and see where I can get from there. Tomorrow’s race will be challenging, with overtaking being quite difficult here, but I’m fully focused on making up ground and fighting for points to reward the hard work everyone’s done back at the factory to bring these updates."
Signing off with a word for his expectations for the remainder of the season, Hamilton noted: "I mean, we're trying to do the best with what we have. And then obviously everyone's working flat out back in the factory. We have had upgrades, but I think that's probably it for the rest of the year. And then I think the focus is now, back at the factory at least, is to focus on next year's car. This season has been a tricky one," concluded Hamilton.
“Very, very poor performance”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27444
George Russell: Mercedes has taken ‘big step backwards’ amid F1 Belgian GP struggles
27 Jul 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
George Russell believes Mercedes has “taken a big step backwards” as the Formula 1 season has gone on, after a difficult qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix. “My laps felt really strong,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “But clearly as a team we’re off the pace this weekend. And, other than yesterday, this is my worst qualification of the year – same for Kimi so we need to understand what’s going on.”
“Historically, on Sprint Race weekends, if you have a bad Sprint, if you turn the car upside down for the next day, it rarely works,” Russell explained. “So we made some sensible changes, but we just need to understand – the first six races of the year, we had four podiums, now we’ve had one in the last six, and clearly we’ve taken a big step backwards towards the midfield.”
But things could be thrown up if it will rain, which is forecast and a common eventuality at Spa, but the W16’s set-up for the race may not be conducive to the wet. “In stint one there won’t be any more overtakes [than in the Sprint Race],” Russell said.
‘Big step backwards’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-gp-struggles/
Laurent Mekies’ upgrade call revealed with Yuki Tsunoda performance reward
26 Jul 2025
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
“For Yuki, it was a very, very good step forward through the weekend, so it’s good to see him in Q3,” Mekies said. “Finishing there, I’m sure will give him a good boost in confidence. We upgraded his car just before qualifying as we are always pushing to the edge on our car parts quantity, but we decided to take the risk to upgrade his car.”
“That’s why you may have seen we were nearly a bit late to go out in qualifying, but it was worth the effort from everyone. And certainly it helped in supporting his performance to get to a very, very good level.” Speaking to the media, including PlanetF1.com, after qualifying, Tsunoda revealed his happiness with a car that he felt was “much better” and explained how the floor had played a part in that.
“Considering the difference I’ve always had in terms of laptime delta, between Max and myself, that’s huge,” he said. “So I knew in myself and my engineering group, that we are in the right direction, myself to improve in the way we want happy that I approve it. “But yeah, generally, a bit more grip. The previous one was more sensitive, easier to slide. With this one, you can be aggressive, I would say.”
‘Yuki Tsunoda performance reward’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/yuki-t...ian-grand-prix
Telemetry reveals the truth behind Max Verstappen qualifying lap
27 Jul 2025
Uros Radovanovic
PlanetF1.com
After the session, Verstappen explained that from the very start of his lap, he struggled with severe wheelspin and couldn’t transfer power cleanly to the track. Not long after, a significant mistake in Turn 1 cost him valuable time. Spa is a track where a small mistake in Turn 1 has a knock-on effect through Eau Rouge and all the way down the Kemmel Straight.
That’s exactly what happened — telemetry shows Piastri reaching higher speeds earlier on Kemmel, which is rare even after Verstappen was running a higher-downforce rear wing. The Turn 1 error cost him around 0.15 seconds, but the real time loss came in Turns 5 and 6 — precisely where Verstappen mentioned struggling for grip. McLaren, by contrast, looked planted and quick through this section all weekend.
From there, Verstappen and Lando Norris were more or less even, until the final chicane, where the Dutch driver managed a slightly better exit. But it wasn’t enough to claw back the lost ground. Could Verstappen have challenged for the front row — or even pole — without that T1 mistake? In truth, no. While the error was costly, the underlying issues were already visible in his earlier Q3 lap. It’s also worth noting that most drivers struggled to improve in Q3 — it just stood out more for Red Bull.
‘From the very start of his lap, he struggled with severe wheelspin’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/ma...ta-wing-set-up
-
RACE START: Piastri jumps Norris on opening racing lap in delayed Belgian Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri took the lead of the Belgian Grand Prix from Lando Norris on the opening racing lap of a delayed race at Spa-Francorchamps.
July 27th 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Following an 80-minute rain delay and four laps behind the Safety Car, the Belgian Grand Prix got under way, with Norris leading McLaren team mate Piastri for a rolling start.
But a slide for Norris at La Source allowed Piastri to gain a tow and sweep into the lead on the approach to Les Combes.
‘Piastri jumps Norris on opening racing lap’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...CpoIiOaGRuP0zd
F1 2025 Belgian Grand Prix – Race Results
July 27th 2025
Motorsport Week
Position Driver Team Gap
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren
2 Lando Norris McLaren
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull
5 George Russell Mercedes
6 Alex Albon Williams
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari
8 Liam Lawson Sauber
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine
‘Race Results’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-race-results/
Piastri takes commanding win from Norris - 2025 Belgian GP results
July 27th 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
Oscar Piastri led a commanding McLaren 1-2 ahead of Lando Norris at the Belgian Grand Prix despite a late charge from the British driver.
Piastri crucially took the lead on the first real lap of the race and controlled it from the front after switching to slick tyres once the track dried up. The race started on a wet track over an hour later than scheduled due to poor weather conditions.
‘Commanding win’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
Oscar Piastri shows all his nous to win delayed Belgian Grand Prix from Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri wins the Belgian Grand Prix from his McLaren teammate Lando Norris after a Lap 1 overtake at Spa
27 July 2025
Euan Burns
Total Motorsport
Oscar Piastri widened his gap at the top of the Formula 1 2025 drivers’ championship by beating McLaren teammate Lando Norris to the line at the Belgian Grand Prix.
In a race that started almost an hour and a half later than planned due to rain reducing the drivers’ visibility, the first corner proved to be the major difference between the McLaren‘s as pole-sitter Norris lost time and allowed his teammate to construct an overtake.
After moving on to the slick tyres, Norris couldn’t quite eat into Piastri‘s margin with enough ferocity and had to settle for second, with Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and George Russell rounding out the top five.
‘The first corner proved to be the major difference between the McLaren‘s’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/osc...-prix-mclaren/
Brilliant Piastri dominates Norris at Belgian GP to snatch crucial win
27 Jul 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Oscar Piastri has won the Formula One 2025 Belgian Grand Prix ahead of Lando Norris after overtaking the British driver at the start of the race. Charles Leclerc rounded off the podium places, with Max Verstappen and George Russell completing the top 5.
Instead of a standing start, race direction, on safety grounds, was prompted to start the race behind the safety car, with Lando Norris getting his wish, as he complained about the left-hand side being wetter than the right-hand side of the circuit.
The race started as the field soared past the finish line on lap 5 after four tours around the Spa-Francorchamps track behind the safety car. Oscar Piastri made a confident overtake on the outside of Norris on the Kemmel straight after sticking to his teammate's gearbox throughout La Source, Radillion and Eau Rouge.
‘Brilliant Piastri dominates Norris’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...ch-crucial-win
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Belgian GP conclusions: Verstappen’s goodbye kiss, Hamilton’s uncomfortable truth, Piastri’s zone.
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri claimed his sixth victory of the F1 2025 season in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
28 Jul 2025
Oliver Harden
It should come as no surprise to anyone who has watched this season closely – actually, make that the last three seasons – that of the two title contenders at Spa, Oscar Piastri handled the unusual challenges of the day more adeptly than Lando Norris. For Norris, this was worryingly reminiscent of the way he collapsed over the course of the last race of a stop-start nature in Brazil last year, a little slide on the exit of the very first corner of the delayed race instantly gifting the initiative to Piastri.
For pretty much 12 months now – ever since Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and more headed for the exit and the dominant car of 2023 was developed into what Max himself described at one stage as “a monster” – the reasons to leave Red Bull have outweighed the reasons to stay. Yet as revealed by PlanetF1.com on Saturday at Spa, Verstappen is now expected to remain where he is for 2026…
The suspicion that Hamilton already knew deep down that his best days were behind him when he decided to join Ferrari, but could not bring himself to retire without first experiencing life inside F1’s most sacred team, is becoming increasingly credible as this season unfolds. Try as he might to avoid the same fate as Alonso and Vettel, Hamilton’s time at Ferrari already seems destined to end in disappointment too.
‘Belgian GP conclusions’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/be...25-conclusions
Oscar Piastri uses earlier disappointment as fuel to win Belgian Grand Prix
Jul 28, 2025
AFP-JIJI
The Japan Times
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium –
Oscar Piastri said he turned his personal disappointment into motivation to succeed on Sunday after he produced an impressive drive to earn his sixth victory of the season in the rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old Australian was disappointed with himself on Saturday when he was beaten by title rival and McLaren teammate Lando Norris in qualifying for Sunday's race, but he turned the tables with a masterful passing move on Lap 1 after a rolling start on a damp track.
He then hung on and, after pitting to switch from intermediates to slicks, he managed his medium compound tires perfectly to stay ahead of Norris, who was running on a more durable hard tire, in the closing stages to win and extend his lead in the title race to 16 points.
‘Earlier disappointment as fuel’;
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/...an-grand-prix/
Piastri precision: Aussie takes major step towards F1 crown with brilliance in the wet at Spa
27 Jul 2025
The Roar
Norris, who was passed by Piastri on the first racing lap at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, said: “Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Oscar deserved it. Oscar just did a good job. Nothing more to say. Committed a bit more through Eau Rouge, and had the slipstream and got the run.”
“So nothing to complain of. He did a better job in the beginning, and that was it. Nothing more I could do after that point. I would love to be up top, but Oscar deserved it today.” The decisive moment of the afternoon came moments after the race finally got underway.
Piastri charged through the spray to slipstream Norris through the daunting Eau Rouge and scythed past on the uphill straight, with his overtaken teammate complaining of a possible battery issue. Piastri then proceeded largely untroubled as he powered on to finish 3.415 seconds clear of his arch-rival.
‘Brilliance in the wet’;
https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/07/2...um-brilliance/
Oscar Piastri reveals 'nervous' trigger whilst matching Daniel Ricciardo feat
Oscar Piastri drew level with compatriot Daniel Ricciardo by winning at Spa-Francorchamps, but it was not an anxiety-free race for the Australian.
28 July 2025
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
"It was a tough race," Piastri told media, including RacingNews365. "Difficult conditions at the start and then just trying to manage the inters [intermediate tyres] firstly, because it was drying relatively quickly, but you can kill the inters in a lap or two if you really want around here.”
"So that was a bit tricky. And then I felt good on the mediums for about five laps, and then when I could see that the hard on Lando’s car was not worse than the medium, I was a bit nervous, considering we had nearly 25 laps to go at that point. So, I had to be a bit careful, but it held on in the end much better than I feared. I had to manage a bit, but nothing special."
'Nervous trigger’;
https://racingnews365.com/oscar-pias...ricciardo-feat
Piastri Slams Rolling Start After Winning Belgian GP: "I Was Disappointed"
July 28, 2025
Nelson Espinal Newsweek
Bellingham Herald
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri secured another win at the Belgium Grand Prix, growing his lead in the Drivers' Championship, but he wasn't happy with every aspect of the race. Norris's control meant Piastri was limited in his ability to attack on the opening lap, leaving the Aussie driver "disappointed." "Once I knew I was close, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed," he said.
“It was a rolling start because I thought that was going to take away some opportunity, but I got a good exit out of Turn 1, was able to stay close. When I was that close, I knew I was just going to lift a little bit less than Lando did and try and keep it on the track. And, yeah, it was a bit lively up over the hill, but, no, I managed to make it stick. And then from there, the tire helped me out. So, no, proud of my first lap."
The title leader showed his overtaking chops on the opening lap. He stayed patient and waited for Norris to have a slide before making the move. Once Piastri got past his teammate, the race became straightforward with clear air in front of the Aussie and set the fastest lap of the race as soon as he got in front. With his sixth win of the season, he leads the Drivers' Championship by 16 points, a solid lead with one more race until the summer break in August.
"I Was Disappointed";
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/spo...mainstage_card
Piastri proves to be patient in rain-delayed Belgian GP
The Associated Press
July 28, 2025
Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium -- Oscar Piastri had to wait, and wait some more. Then he made his move. Piastri beat his McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris to win Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday after heavy rain delayed the start. Piastri powered past his teammate and title rival Norris on the first racing lap after the safety car pulled into the pits on lap four, following a delay to the start of more than an hour.
"I knew I was going to try and lift (off the accelerator) a little bit less than Lando did and try to make it stick," said Piastri, admitting his car felt "lively" as he took on the extra risk through the steeply uphill Eau Rouge corner. Norris suggested over the radio he was having issues with the battery providing his electric power. McLaren chief executive Zak Brown told broadcaster Sky Sports that there was "a small battery issue which we've got to look at."
Norris reduced Piastri's lead toward the end of the race but the Australian held on with worn tires and Norris couldn't get close enough to challenge. Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari after he kept Red Bull's Max Verstappen behind him all race.
‘Oscar Piastri had to wait, and wait some more’;
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2025/...orts-prosports
-
Verstappen over his silence Christian Horner's Red Bull axing.
"I think since Bahrain last year, I've almost considered Jos as the team principal of Red Bull," Brundle, a former F1 driver, said on Sky Sports.
July 28, 2025
Alyssa Bone
Channel 9's Wide World of Sports
Jos Verstappen's silence over the departure of Red Bull boss Christian Horner was questioned by Nico Rosberg in a tense exchange on the grid during the broadcast of the Belgian Grand Prix. Verstappen has remained quiet since Horner's departure was confirmed, but Formula 1 champion Rosberg was not going to let him continue to stay quiet.
"They decided to change so I'm fine with everything as long as it works," Verstappen said when asked about the changes at Red Bull by Martin Brundle on Sky Sports.
"Last year you said Horner needs to go," Rosberg interjected.
Verstappen replied: "That was one-and-a-half years ago, it is different. I have nothing to say. It's fine."
"Now you are quiet," Rosberg added.
"I'm always quiet," Verstappen smiled.
“Almost considered Jos as the team principal of Red Bull”;
https://www.nine.com.au/sport/motors...28-p5mic6.html
Nico Rosberg Goes Viral For Comment to Max Verstappen's Dad About Christian Horner Sacking
July 28, 2025
Joshua Waite
Give Me Sport
Jos Verstappen vs Nico Rosberg on Martin Brundle's Grid Walk. It got a bit awkward between the two. Stopping to speak with Jos Verstappen, Brundle asked for his thoughts on Horner’s departure. “They decided to change. So I’m fine with everything,” Jos said.
At that moment, Nico Rosberg entered the exchange, bringing up previous criticism Jos had directed towards Horner. “Last year, you said Horner needed to go,” Rosberg interjected. “That was one-and-a-half years ago. It’s different. I have nothing to say. It’s fine,” Jos replied, keeping his response brief.
Rosberg pressed again, saying, “You’re quiet now?” “I’m always quiet,” Jos fired back, ending the exchange on an awkward note. The brief but tense moment captured the strained atmosphere surrounding Red Bull, with Jos Verstappen and Horner’s clashes already well documented over the past two seasons. It also comes at a time when rumours persist of Mercedes being keen on Verstappen, with Toto Wolff reportedly monitoring the situation closely.
‘Jos Verstappen vs Nico Rosberg’;
https://www.givemesport.com/nico-ros...g-red-bull-f1/
'Now you're quiet, Jos Verstappen?' Up, Down in Belgium
July 28th 2025
James Elson
Motor Sport Magazine
The 2025 Belgian GP signified a new status quo being established at the Red Bull F1 team – and it has a distinctly Dutch flavour. So it really is over, the deed is done. As one of the most successful, entertaining – and controversial – team bosses is ejected for being too much, well, of himself, so Red Bull enters its LinkedIn era. It’s all clean press statements, corporate suits and that skin-crawling “it’s all about the can” mission statement from here.
Apparently Red Bull has decided it doesn’t like the fact that everyone who isn’t Dutch or Austrian sees it as the villain, following years of playing the villain. Milton Keynes (the team, not the place, but maybe also the place) used to revel in that – now it doesn’t. Red Bull has the best driver in the world currently. If it loses him, like Ferrari with Prost in ’91, and McLaren with Senna two years later, it will be truly stuffed – and spend whole seasons on end in the doldrums.
'Now you're quiet, Jos Verstappen?';
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
Jos Verstappen squirms after being hit with awkward Christian Horner question as father of Red Bull star Max is grilled on rift with ex-team boss following his Formula One sacking
28 July 2025
YASEEN ZAMAN
MailOnline
Jos Verstappen was left squirming on live television as former world champion Nico Rosberg confronted him with his past comments about Christian Horner. Horner was dismissed as team principal and CEO of Red Bull earlier this month after 20 years with the team, having overseen their transformation from upstart on the grid to winner of six constructors' championships and eight drivers' championships.
Rosberg then reminded Jos of his public call last year for Horner to step down. The former Mercedes driver said: 'Last year, you said: "Horner needs to go because he's going to destroy the team".' Jos tried to brush it off, replying: 'That was a year ago. It's different. I have nothing to say. It's fine.' But Rosberg pressed again, 'Now you're quiet? You're quiet now?' to which Jos responded: 'I’m always quiet.'
‘Jos Verstappen was left squirming on live television’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rmula-One.html
Jos Verstappen REACTS to Red Bull sacking Christian Horner | Martin's Belgian GP grid walk
Jul 27, 2025
Sky Sports F1
Max Verstappen's dad, Jos Verstappen, reacts to Christian Horner's sacking from Red Bull during Martin Brundle's gridwalk at Spa.
@davidgb291: These two together on the grid walk are GOLD! Rosberg savaging Jos like that was brilliant!! The man has a point as well calling him out for being quiet now.
@Chalky: Red Bull won't want Max to leave the team, but i guarantee they'll have a party when they get rid of Jos.
@ServiceProcess: Jos stirred it up, sh@t on Horner, and now Horner is sacked he's got nothing to say. Despicable. Nico does a very good grid walk, asks what needs to be asked and doesn't give a toss if it's sensitive or not !!!!!. Go Bottas.
@scotthughes9057: Jos a coward now doesn’t want to talk but was very loud before he got what he wanted !! His and helmet have destroyed redbull next year will be middle field at best
@robertbills4290: Well said Nico to Jos about his past comments. He didn't look very comfortable with your Question. Well asked
@JamesC1981: And look at that Jos cant even be honest when confronted about what role he had in Horner's sacking
@intheknow129: Based on that, I assume Nico And Martin do not like Jos.
‘Rosberg savaging Jos’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQi-OKakMNU
ADDITIONAL ARTICLE SUBMITTED IN THE EDIT;
Martin Brundle: "Almost considered Jos Verstappen as team principal of Red Bull".
… the lead driver’s team had effectively assumed control after a spate of issues
27 Jul 2025
Alex Harrington
Motorsport.com
Speaking on Sky Sports F1 broadcast with 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg, Brundle painted a picture of a squad where the lead driver’s team had effectively assumed control after a spate of issues.
“One year ago, the Verstappen camp, Max Verstappen’s dad, said Horner has to go now. He’s destroying this team. Do you think that played a role now? Verstappen said to Red Bull, either Horner goes, or we go to Mercedes.” Rosberg asked Brundle.
Brundle was quick to answer, admitting that he had already assumed that the Verstappen camp had taken control. “Absolutely, I think since Bahrain last year, I’ve almost considered Jos as the team principal of Red Bull. It’s become a one-driver team, and I think that’s something they’ve got to fix.”
“There’s no way the hierarchy in Austria would have done… the Verstappens would have bought into this, they wouldn’t have been blindsides, so there’s no way Max will now be leaving the team because of that. They would have ensured that before they made that move with Christian.”
‘Jos Verstappen as team principal of Red Bull’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...n-gp/10745832/
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Brundle delivers blow to Norris: Can he recover?
Brundle thinks that in order to win the championship, “Lando will need absolutely all he's got, all the time, to win this.”
28 Jul 2025
Savannah Lenz
GPblog.com
Martin Brundle saw Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris battle it out during the Belgian Grand Prix. Afterwards, he shared his opinion on how the two McLarens fared on Sky Sports. At the beginning of the season, many people believed that 2025 was Norris's year to win. After last year's battle with Verstappen and the improving McLaren, that seemed plausible. However, his teammate swept in and now has the lead.
Brundle thinks that in order to win the championship, “Lando will need absolutely all he's got, all the time, to win this. We've very often seen two championship combatants find an overdrive and move to a scarcely believable level of delivery; it will be interesting to see if that happens over the next three Sprints and 10 GPs.”
Belgian Grand Prix: After the safety car released the drivers, Norris failed to keep his lead on the first lap without it. Piastri was able to quickly pass his teammate and keep the lead. When it came time to make their pit stops, Norris put on hard tyres compared to Piastri’s mediums. Brundle describes this move as ‘clever’. “Lando threw caution to the wind; he had nothing to lose. Continuing, he said, “I've felt the same way all year, when all the stars align, I believe Lando is marginally the faster, but Oscar is more consistent, makes fewer errors, and is more clinical in combat.”
‘Can he recover?’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/brund...ionship-battle
Lando Norris: You are the biggest loser of the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix
28 Jul 2025
SCOTT GULBRANSEN
sportsnaut.com
The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps delivered a thrilling and consequential race, marked by a significant shift in the championship standings and numerous strategic gambles. After an 80-minute rain delay and a rolling start behind the safety car, the action unfolded with impressive overtakes and costly errors. Let’s break down who came out on top and who left feeling disappointed.
Biggest Loser of Belgian Grand Prix: Lando Norris | McLaren
Lando Norris had a frustrating day at Spa, converting a convincing pole position into a mere second-place finish. He admitted that Piastri “did a good job” and deserved the win. Despite Norris’s reputation for strong performances in wet conditions, Piastri’s excellent run from the start allowed him to seize the lead early on. Norris overcompensated for having to wring lap time out of the slower hard tires, leading to three mistakes totaling over four seconds in the second half of the race. Being second on the road also forced him to do an extra lap before pitting, which cost him over six seconds. Ultimately, finishing second is a loss, and it significantly widened the points gap to his teammate Piastri.
‘Biggest loser’;
https://sportsnaut.com/f1/lando-norr...an-grand-prix/
Norris claims it was "painful" for him to box later than Piastri
28 Jul 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Asked to comment why he boxed a lap later than Piastri, opting against double stacking, Norris conceded that he might have needed to pit earlier given the fact that the track dried up so quickly. "I need to ask the team. It's tough because you're going to lose quite a good chunk of time doing that as well. Considering the slick tyre was so much better by that point… like Oscar said, it was a late call for us to box on that lap.”
"I think if we review it, we probably would have kicked ourselves a little bit for staying out as long as we did. I think there was enough evidence that we should have boxed early, but no one boxed that early. It was just Lewis that boxed one lap earlier than us. It was just more painful for me that Oscar got the good lap. I had to go one lap longer. That's life," concluded Norris.
‘It was painful: “That's life"’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27470
Revealed: The mistakes that cost Lando Norris victory in Belgium
27 Jul 2025
Uros Radovanovic
PlanetF1.com
After a delayed race start in Belgium, Oscar Piastri made a bold and decisive move on the opening lap of green flag running — a move that would ultimately seal his victory and further extend his lead in the championship standings. But could Lando Norris have done anything differently to challenge his team-mate? How much did his mistakes cost him? And was the decision to go with the hard compound tyres the right one? With the help of telemetry data, we break it all down.
Knowing that the race start was likely his best — perhaps only — chance to snatch the lead, Piastri launched a fearless attack. With a great exit from Turn 1 (La Source), he was already in Norris’s diffuser. He stuck with him through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, and by the time they reached the Kemmel Straight, he was side-by-side. Telemetry shows a noticeable speed advantage for Piastri due to the slipstream effect, reducing drag and allowing him to complete the pass before Les Combes.
Before the stops, the gap between the two McLarens was just under 2 seconds. After the stops, Norris found himself 9 seconds behind, due in part to a slow pit stop caused by a problem on the front-left wheel change, which likely cost him an extra 1 to 1.5 seconds. … he made several costly errors. The first came on Lap 26, where he lost rear grip in Sector 2 and had to run wide off the circuit at Pouhon — a mistake that cost him about 1.5 seconds. The second error came on Lap 34: a lock-up into La Source cost around 0.6 seconds, but besides this, his entire second sector on that lap was poor, resulting in a total lap time deficit of over one second.
‘With the help of telemetry data, we break it all down’;
https://www.planetf1.com/home-page/r...ory-in-belgium
Would another strategy have improved Norris’s chances of winning? Belgian GP data
2025 Belgian Grand Prix interactive data
27th July 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Lando Norris’s hopes of winning the Belgian Grand Prix suffered a blow when he lost the lead to his team mate moments after the race started. But could he have played a stronger hand tactically in his efforts to get back on terms with his team mate? Norris likely lost far more time doing another lap on his worn intermediates on the drying track than he would have by following Piastri in. Piastri was 2.4 seconds faster through the middle sector alone on his first lap out of the pits as Norris headed in.
Norris lost a little more time than Piastri making his pit stop due to a slow front-left tyre change. However his total pit stop time was only half a second slower. The gap between them ballooned from 1.9 seconds to 9.1 seconds through Norris’s pit stop, so Norris would surely have lost much less time by ‘stacking’ behind his team mate in the pits. That time loss was probably amplified by the fact Norris took the hard tyres while Piastri, like everyone else, opted for mediums. This gave Norris a chance to close on Piastri as the mediums degraded late in the race. Sure enough, he got within three seconds of the leader before making a mistake at La Source on the penultimate lap.
Had Norris followed Piastri into the pits and taken a set of hards, he would likely have lost less time and been in a better place to attack him. However the mistakes Norris made during his pursuit of Piastri also cost him, as the graphs below make clear on laps 26, 34 and 43. Of course, Norris could have been in an even better position had he pitted on the same lap as Hamilton, i.e. before any other driver and one lap before his team mate. Whether McLaren would have allowed Norris to ‘undercut’ Piastri in this way is another matter – in dry conditions it would normally be out of the question.
‘Belgian GP data’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/07/27/...lgian-gp-data/
Andrea Stella thinks Lando Norris made one critical error before losing the lead of the Belgian Grand Prix
29 July 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Andrea Stella thinks Lando Norris’ critical Belgian Grand Prix error came at the restart. Sector one is a slipstream haven, and cars starting at the very front always struggle to hold their leads beyond the end of lap one. Despite his efforts and receiving a small advantage of having to deal with a rolling start in the wet, rather than a standing one, Norris was still powerless to defend himself.
According to McLaren boss Andrea Stella, Norris’ main error came when not building enough of a gap when the safety car came in to mark the start of the race. “It would have always been very difficult for Lando to keep the position starting first at the safety car restart,” he told BBC Sport. “At the same time, I think Lando didn’t help himself by not having a great gap on the finish line.”
‘Andrea Stella thinks Lando Norris’ critical Belgian Grand Prix error came at the restart’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/and...an-grand-prix/
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Secret documents and a rallying cry: How Lewis Hamilton is trying to revive Ferrari.
… untriggered, the British driver, often so reluctant to reveal the inner workings of his mind, went into full disclosure mode
28 July 2025
Kieran Jackson
at Spa-Francorchamps
The Independent
Prior to a Belgian Grand Prix weekend to forget for Lewis Hamilton, whose last F1 win came here a year ago with Mercedes, the question posed to the Ferrari driver without a podium to his name this year was an innocuous one. His answer, however, was an unyielding message to his beleaguered Ferrari team.
Asked whether he’d been at the Maranello factory in the last few weeks, Hamilton replied that he had. A “couple of days each week”, he detailed. Then, untriggered, the British driver, often so reluctant to reveal the inner workings of his mind, went into full disclosure mode.
“I’ve called on lots of meetings with the heads of the team, so I’ve sat with John [Elkann], Benedetto [Vigna] and Fred [Vasseur],” Hamilton said, referring to the Ferrari chair, CEO and team principal – the three-pronged executive team who lured the 40-year-old to the Scuderia.
‘Lewis Hamilton is trying to revive Ferrari’;
https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/lew...-b2797172.html
F1 - 2025 Belgian Grand Prix - Thursday Press Conference Transcript
24.07.25
FIA (Press Release)
Q: But you had the new floor in Austria. You've got new suspension on the car here at Spa. Do you feel this is the moment where we might see what this car is finally capable of?
Lewis HAMILTON: No. I think, well, firstly, we'll get to test the suspension tomorrow, and I’m sure there's going to be learnings from it. We'll figure out how to fine-tune it and try to extract performance from it. On the simulator, there's no difference. But I'm sure across different circuits, perhaps there'll be benefits. For me, the positive thing is arriving at the filming day where you see that new bits are coming. You see that we are getting development. Because in general, we had an upgraded floor in Bahrain. Then it was quite some time before we got another upgrade—I think it was Austria. And pace-wise it wasn’t necessarily what I thought we would have. If you look at some of the other teams, they bring small pieces every single weekend—like Red Bull often do or Mercedes do, for example. Whereas these are more like big chunks along the way. So I was just really happy to see that there clearly is a big push back at the factory. There are a lot of changes, and then to see the results of those changes takes time. So I was just really grateful to see that we got new parts. We'll try and put them to use this weekend.
Q: (Mariana Becker – TV Bandeirantes) Lewis, besides the filming day, were you at the factory? What did you do in these off-days of Formula 1?
Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, I was at the factory two weeks, a couple of days each week. We did preparation—going over where we were at the previous race, things that we need to change. I hold a lot of meetings. So I’ve called on lots of meetings with the heads of the team. I’ve sat with John Benedetto and Fred in several meetings. I’ve sat with the head of our car development, with Loïc, also the heads of different departments—talking about engine for next year, front suspension, rear suspension, things that you want, issues that I have with this car. I’ve sent documents. So through the year, after the first few races, I did a full document for the team. Then during this break, I had another two documents that I sent in, and then I come in and want to address those. Some of it’s structural adjustments that we need to make as a team in order to get better in all the areas we want to improve. And the other one was really about the car—the current issues that I have, some things that you do want to take on to next year’s car, and some that you need to work on changing.
We did development—tried the 2026 car for the first time and started work on that. Thirty engineers come into the room and you sit and debrief with every single one of them. So big, big push. Otherwise, just training—pretty hard. Maybe a little bit too hard. A bit heavy this weekend.
‘So big, big push’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2025-bel...nce-transcript
Hamilton gives ‘work harder’ verdict to Ferrari after Belgian GP outing
27 Jul 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Although the British driver would end up picking up points for the Scuderia Ferrari outfit, Hamilton still apologised after taking the chequered flag at the Ardennes Forest event.
Speaking on his team radio following his P6 finish, he stated: "Sorry about this weekend, guys. Losing you points. I'll work harder to come back stronger at the next race. Great job on the strategy and pit stop."
Lewis Hamilton’s forgettable weekend. Prior to his recovery drive during the Grand Prix at Spa, Hamilton had largely made headlines—albeit for the wrong reasons. The former Mercedes driver failed to progress past SQ1 for the Sprint race and suffered a similar fate during Grand Prix qualifying, with a track limits violation ensuring he failed to advance to the second round of qualifying. He would, however, finish the race in sixth place, thanks to a well-executed pit stop strategy by the Ferrari team.
“I'll work harder to come back stronger at the next race”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...gian-gp-outing
Ferrari applauded ‘awesome’ Lewis Hamilton moment in unheard radio at the Belgian Grand Prix
30 July 2025
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton was charging through the field in the opening laps of the Belgian GP. The Brit started the race in 18th place as the cars took to the track under safety car conditions, with only Kimi Antonelli and Fernando Alonso behind him. Hamilton dispatched Carlos Sainz’s Williams on the inside of the bus stop chicane at the end of lap seven, before swinging it around the outside of Franco Colapinto at the Les Combes chicane just six corners later on the following lap.
Lap: 8/44
Adami *Hamilton overtakes Colapinto*
“Well done Lewis. Hulkenberg next car ahead, one second.”
Lap: 9/44
Adami *Hamilton overtakes Hulkenberg*
That’s P14, good job. Gasly next.
Adami *Hamilton overtakes Gasly*
That’s awesome, Lewis. Bearman ahead, three seconds. Update on track conditions when you can.
The radio exchange was a rare moment of efficiency between Lewis Hamilton and his Ferrari race engineer. On lap 11, whilst Hamilton was charging down the Kemmel straight and the tarmac in Ardennes forest was drying, his race engineer posed the possibility of switching to slick tyres at the end of the lap, to which Hamilton simply replied, “No way.” As he got later through the lap, the seven-time world champion’s sentiment on the slick tyres changed, and he got on the radio to confirm, “I’m down to try if you want,” on his approach into turn 12, Les Fagnes.
‘Charging through the field’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...an-grand-prix/
“I’m down to try”: How Hamilton changed his mind about crucial Spa pit stop
Formula 1
29th July 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Lap: 11/44 HAM: 2’10.597
Adami Kemmel straight
You think to stop for slicks now, new medium?
Hamilton No way.
Adami Copy.
Hamilton Exit of Les Combes
It’s not far, some places, but it’ll be very [unclear] slick.
Adami Understood. Let’s [unclear] those cars ahead.
Hamilton Approaching Pouhon
Very close, for sure.
Hamilton Approaching Fagnes
I’m down to try if you want.
Adami Copy.
Hamilton These tyres are dropping off.
Adami Box, Lewis, box.
Hamilton Yeah, probably go to medium though.
Adami Yeah, medium.
Hamilton I’ve got a little too much front wing.
Adami Hamilton pits
Tyre back at position three. Drop shallow.
The decision proved to be a masterstroke. Hamilton was the first driver to switch to slicks and on his out-lap he immediately went almost four seconds faster through the middle sector.
‘Masterstroke’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/07/29/...-spa-pit-stop/
Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari driver 'loved' charge back to points in Belgian GP after qualifying nightmares
Lewis Hamilton went on an early overtaking spree on wet tyres, and then profited from the earliest switch to slicks, to salvage seventh; Hamilton tells Ferrari he'll "work harder to come back stronger"
28 July 2025
Sky Sports
He told Sky Sports F1: "I always love races like that when you're challenged and having to make your way through the field. That's how my life started in racing. We had not such a great go-kart and started at the back, so it was reminiscent of that.”
"Great work by the team. Disappointed to have had not such a great weekend, definitely one to forget. But at least I've still got some points, we outscored Mercedes collectively."
‘Lewis Hamilton says he called on his go-karting days to make his way through the field for his seventh-placed finish;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...ing-nightmares
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Would either McLaren driver give up a win this time? Six Hungarian GP talking points.
Will the pendulum swing again at McLaren? Verstappen-Russell resolution. Ferrari up, Mercedes down. Will Tsunoda end points drought? Aron’s run. New-look Hungaroring.
30th July 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Oscar Piastri scored his first grand prix victory in Hungary 12 months ago and returns to the scene of that triumph this weekend.
Will he extend his lead over his team mate and championship rival Lando Norris – who handed him that victory last year when told to by their McLaren team? Or will one of their rivals break their run of consecutive one-two finishes?
Here are the talking points for the final round before the summer break.
‘Six Hungarian GP talking points’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/07/30/...alking-points/
‘Can’t be part of us’: Day McLaren team orders storm erupted... and why it sits on new timebomb
July 31st, 2025
Michael Lamonato
Fox Sports (Australia)
Oscar Piastri won his first grand prix 12 months ago at the Hungarian Grand Prix, and the Formula 1 landscape has changed irrevocably ever since. It isn’t just that Piastri, long heralded as a champion in waiting, finally got his name onto coveted list of grand prix winners. It’s what that moment represented for the sport.
Piastri followed Lando Norris to McLaren’s first front-row lockout in 12 years. On Sunday he led the team’s second one-two finish in more than a decade. It was the McLaren’s second victory of the season after a long run of highly competitive races. It had been nibbling away at Red Bull Racing’s championship advantage, but Hungary had seen it take a big bite out of the stalled giant’s status as title leader.
Norris, despite finishing second, was even being whispered about as a potential drivers championship contender. The culmination was the dawn of a new reality. McLaren was no longer Formula 1’s rising team, and its drivers were no longer the next generation of winners. They had arrived as the sport’s new leaders. And they’d done it earlier than expected. McLaren management had targeted 2025 for its first wins and the rule changes in 2026 as a possible return to title contention.
‘The culmination was the dawn of a new reality’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...c979a1a987c3e2
Leclerc waits for Hungaroring while Vasseur drives away Hamilton's crisis at Ferrari
30 Jul 2025
Pietro Vurro
GPblog.com
As Formula 1 heads to Budapest for the final round before the summer break, Ferrari is looking to build on its recent momentum. Team Principal Fred Vasseur is optimistic following a successful upgrade package in Belgium, while Charles Leclerc is taking a more reserved approach ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The SF-25 showed clear signs of improvement at Spa-Francorchamps, thanks to significant updates brought by the team. With progress in both aerodynamic efficiency and overall balance, Ferrari believes it is moving in the right direction.
“In the last few races we’ve made progress in terms of competitiveness, and in Belgium, thanks to the great work done in Maranello, we introduced an upgrade package that further improved our performance,” said Vasseur. “Before the mandatory summer break, we have one more race to go – the Hungarian Grand Prix – where we want to keep improving.”
‘Vasseur drives away Hamilton's crisis’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/lecle...sis-at-ferrari
Ferrari extends Vasseur’s contract as team principal
31st July 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Ferrari’s announcement of a new contract for Vasseur puts an end to doubt over his future. The team’s CEO Benedetto Vigna said the decision “reflects our trust in Fred’s leadership — a trust rooted in shared ambition, mutual expectations and clear responsibility.”
Vasseur, who strongly attacked articles questioning his future at the team last month, said he is “grateful for the trust Ferrari continues to place in me.” He described his new deal to remain at the team as “a challenge to keep progressing, to stay focused, and to deliver.”
“Over the past 30 months we’ve laid strong foundations and now we must build on them with consistency and determination. We know what’s expected and we’re all fully committed to meeting those expectations and taking the next step forward together.”
“Reflects our trust in Fred’s leadership”;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/07/31/...eam-principal/
Ferrari F1 Eyes Back-to-Back Success With Hungarian GP Focus
By Saajan Jogia Newsweek
Updated July 30, 2025
The Tribune, California
Following the boost Ferrari received at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend, team principal Fred Vasseur has revealed preparations for the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend, the last round before the summer break. Vasseur explained that Ferrari did not want to postpone introducing the upgrades to the next round in Budapest and thus, took the risky decision to test it during the sprint weekend at Spa. This would also help Ferrari's setup strategy for the race at the Hungaroring. He added:
"It's never easy to introduce something on a Sprint weekend but we didn't want to postpone to Budapest. It's true that with the format of the weekend, the fact that you don't long stint on Friday or you're doing a long stint of four laps, it's not easy to have references. But at the end I think it was the right call because it's also the best preparation for us for Hungary."
Despite Ferrari gearing up its development of the 2026 car, Vasseur suggested that his team will continue bringing minor track-specific upgrades until the end of this season, but ruled out a major upgrade. He said: "I think we are all in the same situation that the closer you will be to the end of the season, the more focused you will be on next year and for sure we will have to bring some small items until the end, more related to the layout of the track or the weather conditions or whatever, but no big package."
“The best preparation for us for Hungary";
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/sports...mainstage_card
“Really positive” first run with updated Red Bull floor gives Tsunoda confidence boost
31st July 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Yuki Tsunoda says he feels a confidence boost heading into this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix having run Red Bull’s new floor for the first time last weekend. “I am looking forward to getting back in the car,” said Tsunoda. “Things felt really positive during and after qualifying with the updated floor on the car. The race didn’t go to plan, but the performance I felt in the car has given me confidence moving into the final race before the summer break.”
Team principal Laurent Mekies said the team made a positive step with the upgrade it introduced last weekend. “The team is happy with the upgrade package,” he said, “there is no question as to whether we brought performance to the car, we absolutely feel we did. Does it fix all the limitations in the car? No, but it is a step forwards.”
“Really positive”;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/07/31/...fidence-boost/
What is the weather forecast for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix?
The weather forecast is in ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix from the Hungaroring in Budapest.
30 Jul 2025
Formula One - Official Site
FRIDAY, AUGUST 01 – FP1 AND FP2
Conditions: Mainly sunny and likely dry day expected. Still a slight chance of one shower in the afternoon under a cloudier sky. Light westerly wind with gusts up to 30 kph. FP1: 28°C // FP2: 28°C
Maximum temperature expected: 28 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 16 Celsius
Chance of rain: <20%
SATURDAY, AUGUST 02 – FP3 AND QUALIFYING
Conditions: Sunny at first becoming cloudier and unsettled from the afternoon. Gradually increasing chance of showers up to level 3 from noon. Light southwesterly wind in the morning veering westerly in the afternoon. FP3: 27°C // Q: 28°C
Maximum temperature expected: 28 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 16 Celsius
Chance of rain: 20%
SUNDAY, AUGUST 03 – RACE
Conditions: High chance of rain the night before. Mostly cloudy day with a moderate to high chance of rain in the morning decreasing a bit for the race (30%). At this range, the confidence in the forecast is low. Light northwesterly wind. Race start: 27°C
Maximum temperature expected: 27 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 17 Celsius
Chance of rain: 60%
‘Weather forecast’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...vY2lUGQMW6ou7K
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Hungarian GP: Norris leads McLaren 1-2 in opening practice.
With McLaren locking out the top two positions in opening practice and the margin between its drivers nearly invisible, the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend is already shaping up to be a fierce internal contest.
01/08/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Norris set the fastest lap of the session – 1m16.052s – on his initial run on soft tyres. The Briton had already shown promising speed on medium compounds earlier in the hour, becoming the first to break the 1m17s barrier with a 1m16.837s in the opening 20 minutes.
As the switch to softs began, it was Charles Leclerc who first leapt to the top with a 1m16.791s, briefly demoting Norris. But the McLaren driver quickly responded, unlocking significant time in the middle sector to produce his session-best lap. Piastri soon followed and posted the quickest first sector of all, but faded slightly across the remainder of the lap to fall 0.142s short.
The Australian wasn’t finished. On his next attempt, Piastri improved through the middle sector and crossed the line just 0.019s shy of Norris’s benchmark, setting the stage for what promises to be another tense weekend in their battle for the title.
‘McLaren 1-2’;
https://f1i.com/news/545293-hungaria...-practice.html
F1 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix – FP1 Results
01/08/2025
Motorsport Week
Position Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:16.052 26
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:16.071 0.019 30
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.269 0.217 28
4 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:16.681 0.629 31
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:16.734 0.682 28
6 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:16.878 0.826 26
7 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:16.880 0.828 26
8 George Russell Mercedes 1:16.925 0.873 26
9 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:16.940 0.888 25
10 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:16.958 0.906 25
‘FP1 Results’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...x-fp1-results/
F1 – Norris narrowly ahead of Piastri in opening practice for Hungarian Grand Prix
01.08.25
FIA (Press Release)
Lando Norris topped the opening practice session for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, beating championship-leading McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri by just 0.019s as Charles Leclerc took third place for Ferrari, a little over two tenths of a second adrift of top spot.
Piastri was dialling himself into the track conditions, however, and with 15 minutes on the clock he moved up to second place 0.248s off Norris. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen also moved up the timesheet, taking fourth place on Medium tyres with a lap of 1:18.194, half a second back from Norris. As running increased, track evolution ramped up strongly and with 20 minutes gone, Williams Alex Albon vaulted to P2 with a Medium-tyre time of 1:17.866. Norris was back out on track on Mediums, however, and the Briton went a full second quicker than the Thai driver to return to top spot on 1:16.837.
Leclerc posted a 1:17.420 to take P2, half a second adrift of Norris and Carlos Sainz put the other Williams third, 0.9s off the P1 pace. Just past the halfway mark, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto bolted on Soft tyres and he jumped from the bottom end of the order to sixth place with a time of 1:17.959. Leclerc then made the same tyre choice and he took P1 on 1:16.791, a little over four hundredths of a second clear of Norris’ best Medium time. As Albon took third on the red-banded tyres ahead of the similarly shod Hamilton, Norris joined the C5 party and he roared back to the top of the timesheet with a lap of 1:16.052, seven tenths of a second ahead of Leclerc. Piastri couldn’t match that time and the Australian slotted into second place with a lap of 1:16.194. He went again, however, and on his second attempt improved by just over a tenth of second to sit 0.019s off his team-mate.
‘Norris narrowly ahead of Piastri’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-norris-n...ian-grand-prix
Everything you need to know from FP1 at F1's Hungarian GP
Aug 1, 2025
Jack Benyon
The Race
Lando Norris led a McLaren 1-2 in FP1 for the Hungarian Grand Prix, a session that featured a clear and persistent threat to the McLaren dominance and two 'new' drivers to evaluate. Charles Leclerc was a thorn in the McLaren drivers' sides but Norris looked absolutely supreme at the top of the time sheets.
He was as much as seven tenths clear at one stage, and only a soft-tyre run from team-mate Oscar Piastri at the end of the performance running reduced the gap to 0.019s. Norris could not improve on his 1m16.052s after flat-spotting his tyres at Turn 1. Leclerc - boosted by a podium at Spa and a chance to hone Ferrari's new suspension introduced there - repeatedly went to the top of the order and ended up within striking distance of Norris, 0.217s adrift.
Isack Hadjar - who has been told to "cheer up" by his entourage after a strong start to his rookie F1 season - set the fourth-fastest time and split the Ferraris, with Lewis Hamilton just behind. "The car doesn’t feel good," said Hamilton, who locked up at Turn 1 and slid wide at the Turn 9 right-hander, visibly fighting the Ferrari around a lap. He was four tenths off his team-mate Leclerc.
‘Isack Hadjar - who has been told to "cheer up"!’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...e-mclaren-1-2/
Max opens Hungarian GP weekend in P9
01 August 202
Misha van der Kroon
Verstappen.nl
Max Verstappen finished ninth in the first free practice session ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. On the 4.381-kilometre-long Hungaroring, it was Lando Norris who set the fastest time for McLaren, ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri in P2. Charles Leclerc took third for Ferrari, while Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) rounded out the top five. Max's Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Yuki Tsunoda ended the session in P17.
‘P9’;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5901/
Norris leads Piastri, Leclerc in FP1 - 2025 Hungarian GP practice results
August 1st 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
McLaren driver Lando Norris outpaced championship rival Oscar Piastri to go quickest in the opening practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
McLaren enjoyed a strong start to a weekend in which it is favourite once more, with Norris leading Piastri by just 0.019sec as the running kicked off on Friday.
Ferrari‘s Charles Leclerc was the only driver who managed to get close to the McLaren duo with the third-fastest time, slightly over two tenths off the pace.
‘Charles Leclerc was the only driver who managed to get close to the McLaren’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
2025 Hungarian GP Schedule – F1 Session Times at the Hungaroring
Find out when every session takes place at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, including the race start time
1 Aug 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Here’s the full schedule for 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring, with local and global times so you never miss a moment of the action.
Session Date UK (BST) USA (ET) USA (PT) Australia (AEST)
Practice 1 Fri, Aug 1 12:30–13:30 07:30–08:30 04:30–05:30 21:30–22:30
Practice 2 Fri, Aug 1 16:00–17:00 11:00–12:00 08:00–09:00 01:00–02:00 (Sat)
Practice 3 Sat, Aug 2 11:30–12:30 06:30–07:30 03:30–04:30 20:30–21:30
Qualifying Sat, Aug 2 15:00–16:00 10:00–11:00 07:00–08:00 00:00–01:00 (Sun)
Hungarian GP Sun, Aug 3 14:00 09:00 06:00 23:00 (Sun)
‘Session Times’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...e-hungaroring/
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Norris leads FP2 as McLaren dominates – 2025.
Norris goes quickest in second practice in Hungary by nearly three tenths from Piastri.
August 1st 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
Lando Norris remained on top of the times in second Hungarian Grand Prix practice as McLaren continued to show dominant form. The British driver, quickest in the opening hour of running, posted a best time of 1m15.625sec as teams focused on their qualifying runs before switching to longer stints.
Norris was nearly three tenths of a second faster than McLaren team-mate and championship rival Oscar Piastri, again second fastest.
‘McLaren dominates’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
F1 2025 Hungarian GP – Free Practice 2 Results
Norris tops second practice as McLaren flexes its muscle at the Hungaroring
1 August 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Hungarian GP 2025 FP2 results
Check out the full Hungarian GP 2025 Free Practice 2 results from the second practice session at the Hungaroring below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:15.624
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.291
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.399
4 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.495
5 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.609
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.705
7 George Russell Mercedes +0.793
8 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.803
9 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +0.861
10 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.896
‘Free Practice 2 Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-2-results/
Max Verstappen under threat as FIA launch Hungarian Grand Prix investigation
01 Aug 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Max Verstappen is facing a trip to the FIA stewards after an investigation was launched over a bizarre incident during FP2 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver was spotted appearing to throw a towel from the cockpit of his RB21 while moving at slow speed during Friday’s second free practice session in Budapest.
Verstappen and a Red Bull team representative are required to visit the stewards at 1820 local time in Hungary over an alleged breach of Article 34.14 c) of F1’s sporting regulations. The rule concerns cars being released in an unsafe condition.
‘Bizarre incident - Throw a towel from the cockpit of his RB21’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...-investigation
McLaren in a league of their own with Max Verstappen struggling in FP2 at 2025 Hungarian GP
Norris and Piastri set the pace as Verstappen and Red Bull fall behind
1 August 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
McLaren appear to be in a league of their own at the 2025 Hungarian GP as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri lead the way in FP2, with the Brit topping the times with a massive 0.399 gap to Charles Leclerc in third, whilst Max Verstappen was left nowhere. Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda both struggled for pace, managing only eighth and ninth respectively, with Tsunoda voicing frustration over the Red Bull RB21’s balance around the Hungaroring.
And he wasn’t alone either as his four-time world champion teammate told his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, the same thing, echoing his comments by saying, “It’s like driving on ice.” Both drivers reported issues with front and rear grip, with the car falling well outside the competitive window as the Dutchman went one step further and slammed his car as “undriveable”. While it’s not unusual for Red Bull to face setup challenges on a Friday, they now face a steep task to turn things around overnight if they hope to get Verstappen back in the fight on what is typically a driver-dependent circuit.
The Dutchman could only manage 14th on the timesheets, finishing behind his teammate Tsunoda, who at least made it into the Top 10 with ninth. Verstappen took pole here in 2019 and 2023, whilst he managed to claim victory in 2022 and 2023. Can he win again? It’s going to require a huge effort from Laurent Mekies and Pierre Wache overnight.
‘Max Verstappen was left nowhere’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/mcl...arian-gp-2025/
Lewis Hamilton is now approaching unwanted Ferrari record before the Hungarian Grand Prix
1 August 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton close to Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari record. Hamilton is now in the top three of Ferrari drivers who have raced for the team without scoring a podium in a Grand Prix. Although Hamilton has won the Sprint race in China this season, he did not stand on the podium as there is no podium ceremony.
Driver Races before first Ferrari podium
Didier Pironi 19
Gilles Villeneuve 14
Lewis Hamilton 13
Gerhard Berger 12
Cliff Allison 6
Felipe Massa 5
Carlos Sainz 5
Luigi Villoresi 4
Clay Regazzoni 4
With 13 races to his name without a podium, he is now close to tying with Gilles Villeneuve who has 14 races to his name before he earned his first podium with a third place at the 1978 Austrian Grand Prix. Didier Pironi leads the table with 19 races before earning his first podium, while Hamilton surpassed Gerhard Berger who went 12 races without a podium at the last race in Belgium.
‘Lewis Hamilton close to Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari record’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...an-grand-prix/
Fernando Alonso to make F1 Hungarian GP return after FP1 absence
1 August 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Fernando Alonso will take part in FP2 for Formula 1’s Hungarian Grand Prix after sitting out FP1 on medical grounds. The Spaniard skipped the first session at the Hungaroring to limit time in the AMR25 due to a muscular issue in his back, with reserve driver Felipe Drugovich taking his place.
However, the two-time World Champion has, according to the Silverstone-based squad, received further treatment and will be back in the car for FP2. Aston’s Trackside Officer Mike Krack said previously that he was confident of Alonso’s swift return, saying that “plan is to have Fernando in the car from FP2 onwards.”
‘Muscular issue in his back’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...r-fp1-absence/
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Hungarian GP: Piastri wins McLaren FP3 battle as Red Bull woes continue.
McLaren made a daunting statement ahead of qualifying by comfortably setting the pace in Free Practice 3 for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
2 Aug 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris applied the pressure, but it was Oscar Piastri who went fastest by 0.032s, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc – four-tenths down on Piastri – the best of the rest, while Red Bull continued to struggle, Max Verstappen once more absent from the top 10.
Verstappen – this time with no pesky towel in the cockpit – plumped straight for soft tyres and cleared his team-mate by 0.475s, Verstappen looking to build important chemistry with the Red Bull RB21 after calling it “undriveable” on Friday.
‘McLaren made a daunting statement’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/hungar...025-fp3-report
F1 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix – FP3 Results
2 Aug 2025
Motorsport Week
Position Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:14.916 17
2 Lando Norris McLaren 0.032 20
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 0.399 17
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 0.768 18
5 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 0.829 18
6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 0.878 18
7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 0.912 21
8 George Russell Mercedes 0.924 17
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber 1.062 19
10 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1.109 21
‘FP3 Results’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...x-fp3-results/
Piastri returns fire as McLaren dominate Hungarian GP FP3
McLaren continued to fire a warning shot to the rest of the field in Hungary with a dominant third practice session under hot skies in Budapest.
2 Aug 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
After Lando Norris pipped teammate Oscar Piastri in both sessions on Friday, it was the Australian’s turn to strike on Saturday, blitzing the field with a 1m14.916s to top the timesheets.
It marked the first time of the weekend to dip below the 1m15s mark — and was three tenths quicker than the pole time set last year by Norris. Norris couldn’t quite match his teammate this time, missing out by just 0.032s.
As on Friday, Charles Leclerc was the only other driver within half a second of the McLaren pair, finishing 0.399s behind Piastri for Ferrari. Leclerc’s teammate Lewis Hamilton was next, though he trailed by 0.768s, with every driver from ninth onward over a second off the pace.
‘Piastri returns fire’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-p...aren-dominate/
HIGHLIGHTS: McLaren completes practice clean sweep as Piastri heads Norris in FP3 ahead of Hungarian GP
McLaren completed a clean-sweep of fastest times in Free Practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
2 Aug 2025
Formula One - Official Site
McLaren completed a clean-sweep of fastest times in Free Practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri heading team mate Lando Norris in Saturday's third and final session.
The Ferrari of Charles Leclerc was third but some four tenths adrift of the leading time, ahead of team mate Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, with reigning World Champion Max Verstappen still struggling for pace down in 12th.
‘McLaren completes practice clean sweep’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...p7NmqeUjZ8pbvG
Oscar Piastri leads Lando Norris in FP3 for F1 Hungarian GP
2 Aug 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets in FP3 ahead of the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, with team-mate Lando Norris completing another McLaren 1-2. The Australian’s 1:14.916s was the quickest time of the afternoon, with Norris just three hundredths of a second off in the sister MCL39.
Ferrari occupied third and fourth places, with Charles Leclerc heading Lewis Hamilton, the Monegasque almost four tenths off Piastri’s time, with Hamilton over three tenths slower than his team-mate.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was fifth for Mercedes, with Aston Martin continuing its impressive one-lap pace across free practice with Fernando Alonso in sixth.
‘Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets in FP3’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-hungarian-gp/
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Late Leclerc lap leaves McLaren stunned as Ferrari seize unexpected Hungarian GP pole.
When the dust settled after a tense qualifying session at the Hungaroring, it was Charles Leclerc who emerged on top, putting his Ferrari on pole for the 2025 Hungarian GP.
2 August 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Leclerc’s lap of 1:15.372 in the final session flipped the script on the expected order. It was his first pole position of the season at the Budapest circuit and came at a time when Ferrari needed a morale boost after recent struggles against the McLaren squad. Piastri missed out on top spot by just 0.026s, with Norris a whisker further back in third.
“The whole Qualifying was extremely difficult. It was difficult to get to Q2 and difficult to get to Q3. Then the conditions changed, I knew I had to do a clean lap to target third, and I can’t believe it,” Leclerc said after taking pole at the 2025 Hungarian GP. “Honestly, I have no words. It is probably one of the best pole positions I have had, as it is so unexpected.”
‘Flipped the script on the expected order’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/lec...unned-ferrari/
F1 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix – FP3 Results
2 August 2025
Motorsport Week
Position Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:14.916 17
2 Lando Norris McLaren 0.032 20
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 0.399 17
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 0.768 18
5 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 0.829 18
6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 0.878 18
7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 0.912 21
8 George Russell Mercedes 0.924 17
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber 1.062 19
10 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1.109 21
‘FP3 Results’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...x-fp3-results/
Charles Leclerc does not ‘understand anything about Formula 1’ after shock Hungarian GP pole
2 Aug 2025
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
Charles Leclerc said he does not “understand anything about Formula 1” after shocking the McLarens to take pole in Hungary. After, a visibly shocked Leclerc admitted he did not “understand anything about Formula 1” following the result.
“Honestly, the whole qualifying has been extremely difficult,” he said. “When I say extremely difficult, it’s not exaggerating. It was super, super difficult. It was difficult for us to get to Q2, it was difficult for us to get to Q3.”
“The conditions changed a little bit, everything became a lot trickier, and I knew I just had to do a clean lap to target third. At the end of the day, it’s pole position. I definitely did not expect that.”
‘Shock Hungarian GP pole’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...garian-gp-pole
Why Oscar Piastri labelled McLaren’s F1 Hungarian GP qualifying loss to Ferrari ‘bizarre’
2 Aug 2025
Harry Whitfield
Motorsport Week
In the aftermath of being beaten to pole from out of nowhere, Piastri reflected on a rather unexpected result for McLaren when asked to explain what he just witnessed. “Depends where you’re sat – if you’re sat where Charles is, fantastic – if you’re sat where I’m sat, bizarre and somewhat frustrating,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“But yeah, I mean, I think the conditions completely changed, and it was just weird. My first lap felt terrible because I was pushing too much and kind of with the wind direction from the first two sessions in mind. So, then I felt like I did a better job on the second lap of managing expectations, and it was even worse.”
“So yeah, a bizarre session, but I need to look back and see what differences it made. Things definitely felt more tricky for myself as well in Q3, but I think for everybody it would have been difficult. So that’s not our excuse.”
“If you’re sat where I’m sat, bizarre and somewhat frustrating”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...rrari-bizarre/
Lewis Hamilton drops bombshell after qualifying 12th for Hungarian Grand Prix: ‘I'm useless’
August 3, 2025
FP Sports Desk
Firstpost
Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton described himself as “useless” after qualifying in the 12th position for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Hamilton failed to secure a top-10 spot in the grid while Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc surged ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, stunning the season’s leaders to seize pole for Sunday's race at the Hungaroring.
“I’m useless,” said the 40-year-old British F1 star after a disappointing qualifying session. “Absolutely useless. The team has no problem. You’ve seen the car on pole so they probably need to change driver,” Hamilton added.
“Absolutely useless”;
https://www.firstpost.com/sports/lew...-13918261.html
Max Verstappen fires 'nothing works' remark as Lewis Hamilton deems himself 'useless' – RacingNews365 Review
2 August 2025
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Max Verstappen delivered a scathing verdict on Red Bull's "biggest problem", following a horror qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Red Bull has struggled throughout the weekend at the Hungaroring, with Verstappen having found himself outside the top 10 in both second and third practice.
Lewis Hamilton has labelled himself "absolutely useless" whilst declaring that Ferrari will "need to change driver" to get stronger results. The seven-time F1 drivers' champion qualified for the Hungarian Grand Prix in P12.
‘Horror qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix’;
https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...news365-review
MAX EIGHTH AFTER HUNGARY QUALIFYING: 'LUCKY TO BE IN THE TOP TEN'
2 Aug 2025
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl
“If you look at the whole weekend, we’re lucky we’re in the top ten. All weekend, we’ve not had any grip and it was the same in qualifying. So this isn’t a shock”, said Max. “If we knew what the problem was, we would’ve made changes. For some reason, none of the changes work. Sometimes you have a balance that isn’t great, but now I just have zero grip. I can’t attack the corners and I can’t go on the throttle. Nothing worked.”
Ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix, Max said: “Maybe there’s a few cars in front to have a fight with. But Lewis will be coming from the back as well. I’m not confident things will improve tomorrow. I have no grip, so I’m sliding a lot, which adds to the tyre degradation.”
“Nothing worked”;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5905/
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Norris delivers strategic masterclass to win Hungarian GP
Lando Norris has surged to a strategic victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix, overcoming a late challenge from teammate Oscar Piastri to deliver McLaren their 200th win in Formula 1.
4 Aug 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
The British driver executed a one-stop strategy to perfection after dropping down the field off the start, finishing just 0.698s ahead of Piastri for his fifth win of the season. Piastri reeled in Norris at a rapid rate in the closing laps after opting for a two-stop strategy and emerging 12 seconds behind. He gained more than half a second per lap on his teammate across the final 20 laps.
As the Aussie got within DRS range, he had three looks into Turn 1, including a late lunge that caused him to lock up significantly with two laps to go, receiving a warning from his team to remember “how we race” in the process. Despite the speed advantage and fresher tyres, Piastri was unable to get past, settling for second place and helping McLaren to a fourth consecutive 1–2 finish—their first such run since 1988.
‘Strategic masterclass’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-n...iastri-second/
F1 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix – Race Results.
Norris took victory at the F1 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix to lead a McLaren 1-2 at the Hungaroring
3 August 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix 2025 Results
Check out the full F1 Hungarian GP 2025 race results from the Hungaroring below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lando Norris McLaren Leader
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.698
3 George Russell Mercedes +21.916
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +42.560
5 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +59.040
6 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +66.169
7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +68.174
8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +69.451
9 Max Verstappen Red Bull +72.645
10 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +1 Lap
‘Race Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-race-results/
Leclerc apologises to Ferrari as mysterious issue robbed him of certain win
3 Aug 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Charles Leclerc's Hungarian Grand Prix did not end as wel as it started, as a mystery chassis issue struck past the halfway mark of the race, stripping him of the race win. At first Leclerc believed that the nature of the problems in his Ferrari SF-25 were due to a different factor, this prompted a rather angry statement expressed via the onboard radio during the race.
After the race, speaking to the likes of GPblog, the Monegasque cleared the air: "Well, first of all I need to take back the words I said in the radio," began Leclerc. "I thought that it (the issue, ed.), was coming from one thing, but then I got a lot more details since I got out of the car, and it was actually an issue coming from the chassis and nothing that we could have done differently," clarified the Ferrari driver who went on to finish P4 in the race.
"I started to feel the issue in lap 40 or something like that, and then it got worse, lap after lap after lap," revealed Leclerc. "Towards the end, we were two seconds off the pace. And the car was just undrivable. But I mean, again, as I repeat myself, this was an issue, and it's an outlier. It shouldn't ever happen again."
‘Mysterious issue’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/lecle...of-certain-win
Oscar Piastri reveals how he missed his ‘best chance’ to overtake Lando Norris and win the Hungarian Grand Prix
3 August 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Oscar Piastri fought valiantly in pursuit of first place at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but fell short by just seven tenths of a second. Speaking after the race, Piastri admitted that he felt the ‘best chance’ he had to beat his teammate was only if he had made a mistake.
“I think I needed to be at least a couple of tenths closer, which was going to take a mistake from Lando to achieve that,” he said in Formula 1’s official post-race interviews. “I felt like that was going to be my best chance. You never want to try and save it for the next lap and then it never comes, so I thought I would at least try, and not quite.”
‘Oscar Piastri fought valiantly’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/osc...an-grand-prix/
Hungarian GP: Norris wins as FIA launch investigation over Verstappen, Hamilton incident
3 Aug 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris won a slow burn at the Hungarian Grand Prix as the Briton’s one-stop strategy took on Oscar Piastri’s two-stopper to set up a late-race fight between the title protagonists.
Chasing down Norris, Piastri tried to attack but Norris defended perfectly to hold off his team-mate as the McLaren drivers claimed the team’s seventh 1-2 of F1 2025. George Russell joined the McLaren drivers on the podium.
‘Norris wins’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/hungar...25-race-report
Brundle claims Piastri 'will be seething' at McLaren after the race for this reason
3 Aug 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Martin Brundle commented on Lando Norris’s victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix and Oscar Piastri’s missed opportunity, suggesting that the Australian lost the race because McLaren focused too much on Leclerc during the first half of the race. According to Martin Brundle, Oscar lost the victory because McLaren focused too much on Charles Leclerc in the first half of the race, who then fell away after the second stint. Meanwhile, Norris paradoxically had an easier time strategy-wise after a poor start.
''Oscar will be seething with that,'' he told via Sky Sports after the race. ''Remember the two radio calls. Pit to undercut Leclerc. They were busy strategising to beat Leclerc.' 'Norris didn't have that problem as he was out of the picture and came in 13 laps later and changed strategy.”
“The great irony is by not being in that fight with the Ferrari at the front they had more freedom and took it.' But he still had to deliver that pace for that amount of time on those tyres. Oscar will be asking why didn't we do that. Why have we two stopped and been beaten by our team-mate who one-stopped?"
‘Brundle claims Piastri 'will be seething' at McLaren’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/brund...or-this-reason
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How Lando Norris defied McLaren boss with Hungarian GP strategy.
After a poor getaway and a risky pit decision, Norris’s one-stop strategy delivered a Hungarian Grand Prix win.
3 August 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Team principal Andrea Stella explained after the race: “Our baseline strategy today was a two-stop strategy. We didn’t think necessarily that the one-stop was possible. So with Oscar, we tried to go on a good, deterministic, two-stop strategy, trying to pass Leclerc in the first stop… With Lando, when we extended, leaving him out, we didn’t think that the one-stop would have been possible still.”
As Norris continued lapping on his well-worn tyres, the team noticed something remarkable: the Briton was still able to keep up competitive lap times, even as Piastri and Leclerc had already made their stops. It was at this point, with little to lose, that McLaren made the call to switch Norris to a one-stop strategy. The decision, prompted as much by circumstance as by careful planning, began to pay off as traffic and track position played into his hands.
“It’s more just making them last at the pace that we were at,” Norris explained. “I made the mediums last until, like, what, lap 32 or something. So it wasn’t a terrible thought that I can make the hards last until the end. It was more I just knew I’d have to push flat out for basically every single lap, and that’s when it gets a little bit tricky. The tyres get hot. It’s easy to make mistakes.”
‘McLaren made the call to switch Norris to a one-stop strategy’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/lan...rategy-stella/
Lando Norris reveals sarcastic reaction to first-lap agony
Lando Norris has shared how he responded to slipping down the order at the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
4 August 2025
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
When asked what went through his head when he slumped to fifth, the 25-year-old shared his communication over team radio that occurred in response. "'Brilliant'," he replied to media, including RacingNews365. "That’s actually what I said over the line the first lap. Because I did, I watched quite a few videos of lap one to Turn 1. Clearly, it didn’t work."
"My start was good," Norris said. "I think Charles' was pretty good as well. Oscar then came over to the left, and I was kind of just hoping both were going to be on the right. I got a bit of a slipstream on Oscar. I had to pull out to the right, but Oscar could stay in the slipstream of Charles, which then gave him a bit more speed again. But at that point, it was hard to back out and go to the left because I would have had to brake a bit."
He branded his misfortune the "worst-case scenario" whilst insisting that in the grand scheme, he had little to "complain" about. "I mean, I'll look back and review it and see what I could have done better," the McLaren driver added. "I feel like I was more just unlucky with how things panned out. I think if we were to do it again, most of the time things would turn out better than they did today. So, I think it was just worst-case scenario. But my start was good, and I have nothing to really complain about."
"'Brilliant'";
https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...irst-lap-agony
MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: How Norris successfully used the one-stop to triumph in Hungary
Mark Hughes unpicks how Lando Norris managed to beat his team mate and title rival Oscar Piastri to Hungarian Grand Prix glory.
4 August 2025
Mark Hughes
Formula One - Official Site
Hungarian Grand Prix winner Lando Norris succesfully used a one-stop strategy to score a narrow victory at the Hungaroring over two-stopping McLaren team mate – and title rival – Oscar Piastri.
But it was a choice made relatively late in the race and in the expectation it would clear Norris past George Russell’s Mercedes for third place – not that it would put him in a winning position.
Norris had lost out to Russell and Fernando Alonso in the first couple of corners of the race start and fell to fifth, while Piastri chased Charles Leclerc’s race-leading Ferrari. Although Norris re-passed Alonso easily enough, he could find no way by the Mercedes throughout Russell’s 19-lap opening stint.
‘One-stop to triumph’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...ry3VrPwNmGYAUR
McLaren respond to 'heart-in-mouth' near miss between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Oscar Piastri locked up at the start of the penultimate lap in the Hungarian Grand Prix and almost ploughed into Lando Norris. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has given his view on the incident.
4 August 2025
Samuel Coop & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Despite that, when asked by RacingNews365 to what extent the near miss was a "heart in the mouth" moment, Stella explained why it was "firm" but "fair" racing between the pair. "When you have two great drivers like Lando and Oscar who race for a victory Formula 1 grand prix and race for the drivers' championship, it's always going to be very close," the Italian told the select media present.
"But that was firm racing. It was fair racing. At the same time, it was definitely within our principles. We had a bit of a lock-up with Oscar. But, at the same time, Lando left some space because he knew that Oscar would have been on the limit of braking."
"We keep being very proud of how Lando and Oscar go racing. I think this is a great way of honouring Formula 1 racing - these are the values of McLaren," Stella added. "It's going to be, hopefully, a matter between the two McLaren drivers, even if we saw Ferrari was in the competition for the victory for two-thirds of the race. I think we have a very entertaining and interesting final part of the season [ahead]."
‘Almost ploughed into Lando Norris’;
https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-re...-oscar-piastri
Oscar Piastri told why his Hungarian Grand Prix strategy was doomed to fail after Lando Norris win
4 August 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Sam Bird thinks Oscar Piastri undercut was never going to work. From the outset of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Piastri could be heard complaining about his tyres and needed to run the two-stop strategy as a result of challenging the fast Leclerc for the lead. Norris lost two places to Fernando Alonso and George Russell, but after passing the Spaniard, he elected to manage his tyres until the first pit stop. Once he was in clear air, he could make use of the extra performance he saved and close the gap to Leclerc and Piastri.
That extra 12 seconds proved critical, as it was exactly what Piastri had lost while sitting behind Leclerc and unable to challenge for the undercut in the first stint. “Looking at that first stop Piastri did, he was 2.7 seconds back from Charles Leclerc and he covered the next lap,” said Bird. “You can’t gain 2.7 seconds in one lap in an F1 car, so I don’t think the undercut was really going to work on Oscar Piastri’s side given the fact that Leclerc was going to cover him the very next lap.”
‘Doomed to fail’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/osc...do-norris-win/
How Lando Norris turned strategic gamble into Hungarian GP victory
3 Aug 2025
Uros Radovanovic
PlanetF1.com
After a phenomenal strategic duel at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Lando Norris emerged victorious, securing McLaren’s fourth consecutive one-two finish alongside Oscar Piastri. The Briton achieved it by making one fewer pit stop — so let’s dive into the details using telemetry data to understand how he pulled it off.
The timing of the pit stop was also perfect. After coordinating with his race engineer, Norris waited just long enough for both Leclerc and Piastri — who were catching up — to close in, and only then dove into the pits. This way, he avoided being overtaken on track and preserved his clean air advantage. After a fantastic stop of just 1.9 seconds, Norris rejoined 8.5 seconds behind Russell — but crucially, with a clear track ahead. Once again, Lando was in control of his own pace, unbothered by other cars.
The only lap where Norris had to follow another car in his second stint came on Lap 43, when he briefly got stuck behind a slower Russell. That single lap alone cost him over a second. Fortunately, Russell pitted at the end of that lap, freeing up the track again. Had Russell stayed out even one lap longer, Norris might have lost crucial time — and his chance at victory could have slipped away.
‘Strategic gamble’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/la...-data-analysis
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‘I don’t really care’: Piastri’s blunt McLaren radio exchange causes stir as team tension builds.
“I don’t know if trying to undercut Leclerc was the right call in the end but we can go through that after,” Piastri said.
August 4th, 2025
Tyson Otto
Fox Sports (Australia)
Oscar Piastri’s blunt radio message during the rollercoaster Hungarian Grand Prix has raised eyebrows. The Aussie was the victim of his McLaren team’s strategy gamble to put teammate Lando Norris on an ambitious one-stop strategy after he dropped positions on the opening lap. Piastri was being frustrated while stuck behind Ferrari pole-sitter Charles Leclerc, but appeared to be on his way toward another victory before it emerged that Norris was on the quicker strategy and assumed the race lead when Piastri was forced to pit for a second time.
As recorded by the @radiomessages profile on X, Piastri was asked: “Leclerc is going to be four or five seconds ahead of our pit window. We suggest to box this lap”. Piastri’s blunt response was: “I don’t really care about Leclerc. I just want the best chance to try and beat Lando. That’s the most important thing at the moment.”
It wasn’t the only radio exchange — or lack of — to raise eyebrows. There was only awkward silence from Piastri after Stallard congratulated him on his drive. “Well done mate. That was really close, Oscar. Really close. Great racing. Good job,” Stallard said. “Good stuff. Great racing. We’re going to shut down. Still leading both championships. Good first half of the season.”
‘I don’t really care’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...f77be2dd13f39e
How McLaren pulled off 'pretty slim' chance strategy gamble that defied odds and robbed Oscar Piastri
August 4, 2025
Emily Patterson
Channel 9's Wide World of Sports
McLaren has denied setting Australian Oscar Piastri up for failure, explaining teammate Lando Norris defied expectations to take out the Hungarian Grand Prix on Monday morning (AEST). Piastri's two-stop strategy fell just short of victory at the Hungaroring, with Norris' alternative one-stop strategy prevailing in a dramatic finish.
Despite starting on the front row of the grid, Piastri ultimately lost out to Norris because of their difference in pit stop strategy. Speaking afterwards, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella revealed that the team did not plan for a one-stop strategy, believing it was not a winning approach.
"Our baseline strategy was a two-stop strategy," Stella said. "We did not necessarily think a one-stop was possible, so we went with the two-stop for Oscar to try and pass Leclerc in the first stop. Then we tried to extend in the second stop to have a tyre delta, and this worked.’
‘McLaren has denied setting Australian Oscar Piastri up for failure’;
https://www.nine.com.au/sport/motors...04-p5mk80.html
Oscar Piastri discloses 'painful' response to Lando Norris 'battle' defeat
Oscar Piastri has revealed how he felt in the aftermath of his narrow loss to Lando Norris at the Hungaroring.
5 August 2025
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
When asked for his overriding emotion after securing his 12th podium in the opening 14 rounds of the campaign, Piastri acknowledged how "entertaining the race was despite coming up short. "Mixed, I would say," the eight-time grand prix winner replied to media, including RacingNews365.
"Whenever you lose a race by such a little amount, it's obviously a bit painful, but I mean, I'm sure it was entertaining from the outside. It was entertaining from the inside as well. So, you know, pretty fun race, all things considered. But, obviously, when you're on the losing side of that battle, it's a little bit difficult." Having lost out to a superior strategy employed by his team for his team-mate, Piastri maintained it would be "easy to say in hindsight" what the correct course of action would have been.
Focusing on the positives of the grand prix, he highlighted how he was able to get past the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, who was battling issues, which helped him hold on to second place. "But, yeah, we tried our best, I think, and, you know, we got ahead of Charles," the former F2 and F3 champion added. "I don't know what happened to him in the last stint, but yeah, some things to look back on, whether we should have done something a bit different in terms of strategy, but very easy to say in hindsight."
'Painful response’;
https://racingnews365.com/oscar-pias...-battle-defeat
Unheard Oscar Piastri radio message reveals true feelings on Lando Norris and it will worry McLaren
Piastri finished second behind McLaren team-mate Lando Norris in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
4 Aug 2025 GMT+1
Ryan Smart
SportBible
Oscar Piastri's radio message to McLaren about Lando Norris during the Hungarian Grand Prix has emerged. Piastri finished second at the Hungaroring, behind McLaren team-mate Lando Norris. The Australian spent the majority of the race ahead of Norris and battling Ferrari polesitter Charles Leclerc for the win. But Piastri's side of the garage made the error of pitting twice, with Norris opting for a one-stop and therefore gaining track position.
The Hungaroring is a notoriously difficult track to overtake on, meaning that, although he had superior pace at the end of the Grand Prix, Piastri could not pass his team-mate in the closing laps. The McLaren driver does still hold the lead in the Drivers' Championship, though his lead over Norris has been cut to nine points. Barring an extremely unexpected turnaround from the other teams, Piastri and Norris are the only drivers in contention for the title.
Prior to his final stop in Hungary, the Australian's race engineer Tom Stallard recommended that Piastri pit early in order to cover off Leclerc's potential tyre and time advantage. His response was telling. Stallard said: "Leclerc is going to be four or five seconds ahead of our pit window. We suggest box this lap." "I don't really care about Leclerc," Piastri replied. "I just want the best chance to try and beat Lando. That's the most important thing at the moment."
‘It will worry McLaren’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/oscar-...21223-20250804
McLaren drivers gear up for grueling second half of championship battle
5 Aug 2025
Savannah Lenz
GPblog.com
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have only nine points separating them in their championship battle. After the Hungarian GP, they were asked how tough they expected the second half of the season to be.
Norris' teammate, Piastri, did not have much to add to that, saying, "Very much the same. I think it's going to be a tough second half of the year. It has been tough already, and the margins are very fine. So, I think it's going to be great watching."
While Norris is known for being vocal about how he is feeling, Piastri is not quite the same. The two both have different ways of expressing themselves. While Piastri does not agree with the nickname, some fans have dubbed him Iceman JR. (after Kimi Räikkönen) due to his 'calm and collected' behaviour.
‘Grueling second half of championship battle’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/mclar...ionship-battle
Jacques Villeneuve says Oscar Piastri showed he’s no Ayrton Senna with ‘strange’ comments about Lando Norris
5 August 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Jacques Villeneuve questions Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris mindsets. The result is that Norris cuts Piastri’s lead back to single figures heading into the summer break. The conclusion of the race was a tantalising trailer for the final 10 Grands Prix, with all other contenders now out of the picture. Indeed, it was telling that Piastri said he ‘didn’t really care about Leclerc’, the erstwhile leader, during Sunday’s race. His priority was beating Norris, even if it meant missing out on victory.
1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve says Norris has a similar mindset. And he’s questioned whether Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, who were involved in a legendary rivalry at McLaren in the late 1980s, would have made such comments. Villeneuve expects the pair to become more aggressive once the constructors’ title is sealed. McLaren currently lead by just under 299 points – effectively a seven-race cushion.
“They always seem happy when their opponent does better and wins a race,” he said. “It’s a bit of a strange situation; I can’t imagine, for example, Senna and Prost doing the same thing. But I think that once they’re sure they’ve won the constructors’ championship, they’ll start to show their character more on the track. And then the competition between the two will really heat up, or at least… I hope so.”
‘Mindsets’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jac...-lando-norris/
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Uncovered: How Ferrari’s ride-height problems cost Leclerc the Hungarian GP win.
Ferrari decided to increase tyre pressure for the final stint. This would reduce plank contact with the tarmac and lower the chance of disqualification.
04 Aug 2025
Uros Radovanovic
PlanetF1.com
…Then came Lap 41, when Leclerc made his second stop, and that’s when everything started to fall apart. As we learned after the race, Ferrari’s engineers were deeply concerned about the legality of the SF-25, specifically the plank wear. This wasn’t the first time as earlier in the season, Lewis Hamilton was disqualified in China for excessive plank wear.
To mitigate the risk, Ferrari decided to increase tyre pressure for the final stint. This would reduce plank contact with the tarmac and lower the chance of disqualification. The result? Best explained with the graph below. After a few strong initial laps on new hards, Leclerc’s pace dropped off dramatically. Telemetry shows he was 1.4 seconds slower per lap than Piastri in the third stint. It quickly became evident how easily Piastri overtook him, and how fast Russell caught up and passed him too. A complete collapse for Leclerc, who was powerless to respond.
We also learned post-race that Ferrari had been running a reduced power unit mode from the start, lowering top speed to further manage plank wear – especially under braking before Turn 1, the most critical zone for wear. Whether this drastic setup change was truly necessary, we’ll never know. But what’s clear is that Leclerc’s race was compromised, and all of this could have been avoided with better preparation and clearer pre-race communication.
‘Ferrari’s engineers were deeply concerned about the legality of the SF-25, specifically the plank wear’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/un...ngarian-gp-win
Martin Brundle made an eerily accurate Charles Leclerc prediction after ‘absolutely angry’ radio message
4 August 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
On the team radio during his final stint, Leclerc was heard saying: “This is so incredibly frustrating! We have lost all competitiveness. “You just have to listen to me, I would have found a different way of managing those issues. Now it’s just undrivable. “Undriveable. It’s a miracle if we finish on the podium.” In response to Leclerc’s message on Sky Sports F1 (4/8, 3:16 pm), Brundle and co-commentator David Croft discussed his struggles.
Croft said: “And he’s right in that, because George Russell’s a second-per-lap faster. Charles Leclerc, for two-thirds of this race, before the final pit stop, before Oscar Piastri got up to him, was driving beautifully, and everything seemed OK from the outside, although not from within. And now his race is falling apart. Whatever those issues are, he is clearly furious, and it’s destroying his race.” Brundle replied: “Yeah, he needs to somehow park that for now, though, he’s absolutely angry as you say.”
“But, a car driven in anger tends to go sideways or backwards more than it does forwards, you’ve got to park that and get your head down, and do the talking afterwards. It must be some kind of power unit management situation, mustn’t it? Something he wanted to address in a different way. Tyre pressures are kind of limited because you’ve got to run a minimum blanket and track pressure.” Brundle’s prediction that a driver who is ‘clearly furious’ tends to go backwards came true, even if he tried a very aggressive move on George Russell to try and retain third place, which ultimately led to him being given a penalty.
“A car driven in anger tends to go sideways or backwards more than it does forwards”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...radio-message/
Ferrari to investigate Charles Leclerc near-retirement 'disaster'
From being on the brink of victory to almost retiring. No wonder Ferrari faces a deep dive.
4 August 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Asked why Leclerc was not informed of what was happening with his car, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, Fred Vasseur said: "The situation was quite strange. We were in control for the first 40 laps of the race. We were very in control during the first stint, a bit more difficult during the second, but it was still manageable, and the last was a disaster. [The car was] Very difficult to drive, the balance was not there.”
“Honestly, we don't know exactly what happened. It means we have to investigate to see if something broke on the chassis side or whatever. At one stage, I thought that he would never finish the race, so we can be lucky, in this situation, to score points from P4. But it's really frustrating for us because we had the first pole position of the season and the first two stints went pretty well, but then we completely lost the pace and the path of the weekend with the last one."
‘Asked why Leclerc was not informed of what was happening with his car…’;
https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-to...ement-disaster
Ferrari star’s savage ‘undriveable’ radio outburst before ‘dicey’ clash with Mercedes rival
August 4th, 2025
Dane Heverin
Fox Sports (Australia)
Charles Leclerc lost his cool with his Ferrari team, while Mercedes’ George Russell was furious with him over a penalty-inducing incident as Leclerc fell from pole position to fourth-place at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Leclerc was always going to have his work cut out for him in holding off fast-paced McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and after the eventual one-two finishers passed Leclerc, he delivered one of the most scathing radio messages of the season.
The 27-year-old from Monaco declared his Ferrari “undriveable” to add to the frustrations shared by teammate Lewis Hamilton post-race, who said “there’s a lot going on in the background which isn’t great”.
“This is so incredibly frustrating,” Leclerc said on the team radio. We’ve lost all competitiveness. You just have to listen to me, I would have found a different way of managing those issues. Now it’s just undriveable. Undriveable. It’s a miracle if we finish on the podium.” Leclerc’s podium comment proved to be spot correct as Russell over took him to gain third place in controversial fashion.
‘Ferrari star’s savage ‘undriveable’ radio outburst’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...b48a57a796a990
"We could have won today," claims Leclerc after battling through technical issues at the Hungaroring
4 Aug 2025,
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Having delivered a storming lap to take pole on Saturday and led the first half of the Hungarian Grand Prix, technical issues saw Charles Leclerc tumble down the order to end up in a disappointing fourth place at the Hungaroring. The Monegasque insists he lost a potential victory due to the reliability issues.
"This is not the outcome we hoped for but there was nothing we could have done to control it considering the issue we had. I got some more insight into what was happening after getting out of the car and it turns out that we had an issue on the chassis that started just about when I began to feel a difference in how the car behaved.”
“It was actually an issue coming from the chassis and nothing we could have done differently. I started to feel the issue on Lap 40 or something like that. It got worse, lap after lap after lap and towards the end we were two-seconds off the pace. The car was just undriveable. I repeat myself, this was an issue and it’s an outlier. It shouldn’t ever happen again. I am still very disappointed.”
“We had one opportunity this year, which I think this was this weekend. The first stint was perfect. The first laps of the second stint was pretty good as well. I could pull away in pace to try and win that race. It’s frustrating, because I think we could have won today, but we will return after the summer break and give it our all to come back stronger," Leclerc concluded.
“We had one opportunity this year, which I think this was this weekend”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27572
Jacques Villeneuve doesn’t believe Charles Leclerc’s ‘nice message’ to Ferrari fans amid 2025 frustrations
5 August 2025
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Jacques Villeneuve thinks Charles Leclerc’s message to Ferrari fans isn’t ‘true’. Ahead of the weekend in Hungary, Leclerc told Ferrari fans that his ‘only obsession’ in F1 is to win silverware for the iconic Italian racing outfit.
However, former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve doesn’t believe the Monegasque’s words are true. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Villeneuve said, “It’s a nice message for his team and his fans, but I don’t think it’s true. A true driver wants to win above all else; that’s all he cares about.”
“Succeeding with Ferrari, when so many other champions haven’t, is even better. But a sportsman’s primary interest is always to win, and the years pass for him, too, as for his colleagues: they are all called upon to make intelligent choices for their future.”
“A true driver wants to win above all else; that’s all he cares about”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jac...-frustrations/
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‘A lot in the background isn’t great’: Stunning Hamilton reply ignites Ferrari split talk.
“When you have a feeling, you have a feeling,” he said enigmatically, responding to a question about his comment suggesting that he was no longer good enough for Ferrari and should be replaced.
August 4th, 2025
AFP from Afp
Fox Sports (Australia)
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari crashed back to earth on Sunday when, 24 hours after Charles Leclerc claimed the team’s first pole of 2025, they left Hungary frustrated and dejected. Seven-time world champion Hamilton, who on Saturday said he was “completely useless” to the team and ready to be replaced, wound up 12th while Leclerc dropped from race leader to a grumbling fourth.
Hamilton, backed beforehand by team boss Fred Vasseur, was in a bleak mood suggesting that he remained trapped by a crisis of confidence that has turned his spectacular marquee signing for Ferrari into a nightmare. But he also suggested there are problems behind the scenes, while appearing to incredibly suggest that there’s no guarantee he will still be a Ferrari driver be the time of the next race.
“When you have a feeling, you have a feeling,” he said enigmatically, responding to a question about his comment suggesting that he was no longer good enough for Ferrari and should be replaced. He added: “There’s a lot going on in the background that isn’t great.” Pressed on if Hamilton would “definitely” race in the Netherlands, he said “I look forward to coming back… Hopefully I will be back, yeah.”
“When you have a feeling, you have a feeling”;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...bee6fb345bf4db
Martin Brundle admits Watching Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari ordeal was ‘Painful’ — How long can this last?
Martin Brundle describes watching the seven-time world champion’s tough Hungarian Grand Prix as “painful to observe” and questions whether Hamilton can endure two more years with Ferrari
5 August 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
“He sat in the car in parc ferme post-race for what seemed an age, was very downbeat in interviews again, and then declined to attend a stewards’ enquiry about a rather ambitious move Max Verstappen made on him during the race in the blind and fast Turn 4, in which Lewis chose to drive off the road to avoid contact,” Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports F1 column. “He did not want to contest the incident and conceded via his team, but Max did attend the meeting with a rational explanation from his viewpoint, and avoided a penalty.”
“It’s been a challenging weekend and one to move on from,” Hamilton admitted in Ferrari’s debrief. “We weren’t able to make the progress we hoped for but I’m grateful for the effort everyone in the team put in throughout the weekend. Now we head into the break. I’ll be using the time to reset, recharge and come back stronger. I’m not where I want to be yet, but the fight’s not over – don’t count me out.”
But Brundle is sceptical about whether this is sustainable, noting, “It’s painful to observe this great champion in so much strife, and we have to expect that he can weather the storm and return to form given his talent and experience, but otherwise I simply can’t see him enduring two more seasons at Ferrari, or anywhere else, like this.”
‘Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari ordeal’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/ham...-hungarian-gp/
Jacques Villeneuve thinks Lewis Hamilton is ‘now realising’ something about Ferrari after Hungarian Grand Prix misery
5 August 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Speaking with La Gazzetta dello Sport, the 1997 F1 champion has been surprised by how ‘demoralised’ Hamilton has been. But he notes that he has only been used to working with Mercedes engines during his F1 career until now.
“Lewis comes from a completely different background in Formula 1 and has always worked with the English and German methods in the past,” he said. “Now he’s realising how different everything is at Ferrari. It’s certainly surprising to see him so demoralised. There always seems to be a bit of confusion at Ferrari in the decisions and communications, even over the radio, and this isn’t helping his adaptation.”
Asked whether Hamilton should be given time, Villeneuve added: “Next year will be the real showdown with Leclerc. This car wasn’t designed for Hamilton, and with the new regulations, everything will be reset in 2026. However, there was a lot of attention and expectations surrounding his arrival, and it’s undeniable that the first period has undoubtedly been disappointing.”
“Next year will be the real showdown with Leclerc”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jac...d-prix-misery/
Damon Hill questions Lewis Hamilton’s F1 future in ‘gets harder’ warning
4 Aug 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Damon Hill has pondered whether Lewis Hamilton has another year in him on the Formula 1 grid, as it will only “get harder” for the 40-year-old. Hamilton looked to head into Formula 1’s annual summer break with a good result at the Hungaroring, a track where he has won eight times, but it was not to be.
Damon Hill on Lewis Hamilton: It’s tough to know when it’s time. Hill took to X to share his thoughts on Hamilton’s Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. “Sad to see Sir Lewis so downhearted,” he wrote. “It’s tough to know when it’s time. Another year? It gets harder. Maybe a good holiday is needed?”
“Another year? It gets harder”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/damon-...harder-warning
Jean Alesi says Lewis Hamilton made a Ferrari statement that Michael Schumacher ‘would never’ have said
6 August 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Michael Schumacher would have never told Ferrari to change drivers after Lewis Hamilton admission – Alesi. Alesi was speaking to Corriere della Sera about Hamilton, via Formula Passion, and explained: “I think Hamilton’s attitude demoralises those who work around him.
“Senna or Schumacher would never have said things like that. It seemed like an Italian comedy, [but] it became a horror film. Russell revealed the reason after observing Leclerc’s car on the track. A Ferrari that runs strong on Saturday and then doesn’t perform on Sunday is what most infuriates those who love the Prancing Horse.”
Hamilton’s lack of progress during the race would have been particularly frustrating for the seven-time world champion. His teammate Charles Leclerc’s final stint was equally frustrating, as he went from looking like he was going to win his first race for the season, to missing out on the podium entirely.
“It seemed like an Italian comedy, [but] it became a horror film”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jea...ver-have-said/
Toto Wolff Spotted in Ferrari Paddock Amid Lewis Hamilton Uncertainty
August 4, 2025
Nelson Espinal Newsweek
The News Tribune, Washington
Adding fuel to the fire, Wolff was spotted in the Ferrari hospitality area talking with Vasseur and Elkann. Given Hamilton's comments and Wolff's belief in the driver, some believe a mid-season swap back to Mercedes could happen. In reality, these executives could have been meeting about anything - there is no shortage of topics to talk about.
Both teams are engine suppliers who are preparing for the massive 2026 regulations and likely were discussing details about refining the rules. Hamilton is all but sure to stay at Ferrari, considering the motivation that all parties still have, but if he continues to struggle, a drastic change could be on the horizon. The British driver made his move to Ferrari over the offseason with a ton of fanfare and hype.
One of the greatest drivers ever was joining the most storied team on the grid as Hamilton pursues his elusive eighth Drivers' Championship. This season, he is in sixth place with 109 points. He is 175 points behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri in the title race. Ferrari, somehow, are second in the Constructors' standings, 24 points above Mercedes, though they are almost 300 points behind McLaren.
‘Adding fuel to the fire’;
https://www.thenewstribune.com/sport...mainstage_card
Hamilton is "frustrated, but not demotivated," claims Vasseur after Ferrari's tough race in Hungary
6 Aug 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Asked to comment on the situation, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur insisted that the seven-time F1 champion has not lost his motivation, he is simply frustrated. "I can perfectly understand the situation. Sometimes you are making comments on what the driver is saying [in] the car, but if you put the microphone on some other sportsmen in football and so on, I'm not sure that it would be much better.”
"Sometimes, just after the race or just after qualifying, you are very disappointed, and the first reaction is harsh. I can understand the frustration, but we are all frustrated. I don't need to motivate him. Honestly, he's frustrated, but not demotivated. Yeah, he's demanding. But I think it's also why he's seven-times world champion.”
"Frustrated, but not demotivated;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27577
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Ferrari director ‘rushed’ to stop Charles Leclerc ‘exploding’ as unplanned meeting emerges.
Ferrari sporting director Diego Loverno stopped Charles Leclerc ‘exploding’ in the media in Hungary.
7 August 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Given the Monegasque’s fury over their radio, Auto Sport Web reports that Ferrari sporting director Diego Loverno ‘quickly rushed’ to speak to Leclerc after the Hungarian GP. Loverno was desperate to meet Leclerc in parc ferme and stop him ‘exploding in front of the media’. Loverno did not plan on speaking to Leclerc as soon as he got out of his SF-25 last Sunday. But, given how the Ferrari Driver Academy product’s race unravelled, the Bologna native did not want to risk Leclerc potentially continuing to vent his anger while he spoke to the media.
Ferrari sporting director Loverno’s frantic words in Leclerc’s ear right after the Hungarian GP seemingly did the trick, as the Monegasque then appeared to tow the company line and put his issues down to a possible chassis issue rather than blaming his engine or tyre pressures. But, while the Scuderia seemingly tried to hide the true cause for his collapse, how Leclerc’s race unravelled left them entering the summer break on a low. Hamilton was even only able to qualify and finish the Hungarian GP in P12 for the Briton’s worst classified result this year.
It has even been suggested that Ferrari’s rear suspension upgrade debuted at Spa has failed if Leclerc’s Hungarian GP unravelled due to fears about excessive skid plank wear. The team hoped the upgrade would let them run the SF-25 lower to the ground and unlock its speed.
‘Stop him exploding in front of the media’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...eting-emerges/
What we know about Leclerc's strange Ferrari 'disaster'
Aug 4, 2025
Jon Noble
The Race
The way that Charles Leclerc's hopes of victory in Formula 1's Hungarian Grand Prix were derailed - by a poor final stint that Ferrari labelled a "disaster" - has prompted a great deal of intrigue. While a detailed explanation has not been forthcoming yet, the focus is very much on it being a car problem as opposed to anything power unit-related.
This is why Leclerc used the word "chassis" in his post-race remarks to the media as a general remark, rather than it being an actual broken monocoque. As Vasseur later clarified: "When he says chassis, it's because it has nothing to do with the power unit. Now we don't know exactly what happened."
The most likely explanation remains that something broke in the car and that triggered a loss of grip, which then manifested itself in the tyres sliding and overheating and the balance being derailed as a result. But it may take a deep dive back at Ferrari's Maranello base to fully understand things.
‘Great deal of intrigue’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...rari-disaster/
Gary Anderson rejects George Russell’s ‘wacky’ Charles Leclerc theory after Hungarian Grand Prix problem
5 August 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Gary Anderson explains why George Russell theory on Ferrari struggles is ‘wacky’. Ferrari has been dealing with the issue of excessive plank wear for most of the season, after both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were disqualified in China. Russell’s suggestion would be consistent with those problems, but Anderson has explained why it would be tricky for Ferrari to make such a “strange” decision that would impact the driver on track.
“What Russell suggested is a bit wacky and far-fetched in my opinion. A team would not reduce performance in this way just to stop plank wear. There are numerous other, better and less dramatic solutions,” wrote Anderson. “Firstly, you would change the set-up of the car, running the rear of the car stiffer or raising the ride-height slightly to reduce plank wear. Yes, there will be a performance loss but not to the extent we saw after his last stop.”
“When it comes to tyre pressures, again, it seems unlikely. If you put the rear tyre pressures up you are guaranteed to lose performance from the rear tyres overheating. Doing this on a track where traction is absolutely critical is crazy. As we have seen in the past, Ferrari make some strange decisions but I do not for one second think that Russell is on to anything here. These changes are too much of a compromise.”
‘Gary Anderson explains why George Russell theory on Ferrari struggles is wacky’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gar...-prix-problem/
Ferrari still looking for answers after last stint “disaster” for Leclerc in Hungary
AUGUST 4, 2025
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog
The Hungarian GP had a thrilling conclusion as Oscar Piastri failed to dislodge leader and McLaren team mate Lando Norris, but it could have been even more intriguing had Charles Leclerc still been in contention. We’ll never know if one or both McLaren drivers would have passed him without a fight had he not been slowed by a still mysterious issue in the last stint of the race that ultimately saw him drop to fourth, behind George Russell.
As we know F1 cars can be incredibly sensitive to aero damage – in Hungary Oliver Bearman was forced to stop after he experienced similar symptoms to Leclerc, and afterwards the Haas driver had no explanation as to how any such damage had occurred. After retrieving Leclerc’s from parc ferme the Ferrari crew found nothing visibly obvious in terms of aero damage that could have been responsible, and still had no answers as of Monday morning.
‘Ferrari still looking for answers’;
https://adamcooperf1.com/2025/08/04/...rc-in-hungary/
Ferrari concerned Charles Leclerc wouldn’t finish F1 Hungarian GP due to car issue
3 Aug 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur believes Charles Leclerc was “lucky” to finish the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix after a chassis issue thwarted his chance of victory. Vasseur revealed that the team will “investigate” if part of the chassis had indeed broken, but was concerned that Leclerc would even make the chequered flag.
“Well, I must say that the situation was quite strange,” he told media including Motorsport Week, “that we were under control the first 40 laps of the race, that we were very in control the first stint, a bit more difficult the second one, but it was still manageable. And the last stint was a disaster, very difficult to drive, that the balance was not there and, honestly, we don’t know exactly what’s happened so far.”
“It means that we have to investigate if we have something broken on the chassis side or whatever, but at one stage I thought that we will never finish the race, that we can be lucky in this situation to score points of a P4. But yeah, it’s very frustrating for us because I think we did the first pole position of the season. “The first two stints went pretty well and we lost completely the pace and the pace of the weekend on the last run, but yeah, it’s tough.”
‘Lucky to finish’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...chassis-issue/
Ferrari are ‘brainwashing’ Charles Leclerc as mysterious pattern emerges in his post-race interviews
6 August 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Leclerc raged at Ferrari over the radio during the race, telling them ‘you have to listen to me’ and suggesting that they had taken the management of a mystery car issue into their own hands. He described the situation as ‘incredibly frustrating’. Charles Leclerc keeps doing the ‘criticise-and-retract routine’ at Ferrari. Speaking after the race, Leclerc struck a much more measured tone. He said his impression in the cockpit was ‘wrong’ and that the problem in question was beyond Ferrari’s control.
“In the car obviously I had no idea what was going on,” he explained. “I mean I had an idea, but it was a wrong idea because I thought it was something that was in our control. Unfortunately we had an issue on the chassis, so I don’t have much to add on that. It’s just extremely frustrating when you are fighting for a win and when we had the pace that we had at the beginning of the race, and we lose absolutely everything later on, it’s very frustrating.”
On the Auto Motor und Sport YouTube channel, journalist Michael Schmidt suggested that Ferrari had effectively ‘brainwashed’ their driver before he’d faced the media. That prevented him from being totally ‘honest’. “I think there was a bit of brainwashing going on between [Leclerc getting out of] the car and these press conferences and TV interviews,” said Schmidt. “He obviously says in the car what he thinks and what his feeling is. I think that was more honest than what he said afterwards.” ESPN journalist Nate Saunders has observed that Leclerc keeps adopting the ‘criticise-and-retract routine’. There is a ‘feeling’ that he may be too much of a ‘nice guy’ and needs to be harder on the team to drive them forward.
‘Criticise-and-retract routine at Ferrari’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...ce-interviews/
