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Hulkenberg pinpoints where Hungarian GP got away from him as he takes positives from first half of season.
Nico Hulkenberg has admitted that his P19 Qualifying result was the “start of the end” for his hopes at the Hungaroring, with the German unable to pull off another rise to the points around the tight, twisty venue.
6 Aug 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Nico Hulkenberg made up ground from the back of the grid in Hungary, but could not quite reach the points. Hulkenberg’s back-of-the-grid start in Hungary proved to be a more frustrating affair – the Kick Sauber racer spending most of his two-stop race stuck in traffic, given the lack of overtaking opportunities.
“It was always going to be difficult from the back,” Hulkenberg reflected after the race, which team mate Gabriel Bortoleto – who starred to reach Q3 – finished in sixth position. “We know in traffic it’s a bit difficult here.”
“I think the one-stop worked quite well for many people, so the two-stop naturally wasn’t even the faster one. A two-stop, plus a lot of traffic, means a very difficult race. No yield today, but I’m happy that Gabi was there to pick up the points. It all goes back to [Saturday], having a poor quali. Starting from the back is obviously the start of the end, a little bit.”
‘P19’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...W3T6BfVoFsXULC
Nico Hulkenberg questions false start penalty after "tough" Hungarian GP: "I didn't do anything wrong"
3 Aug 2025
Motorsport.com
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 Germany following the race, Hulkenberg admitted he had "no idea" before giving his own explanation of what may have happened. "I need to take a look at it. From my perspective, I didn’t do anything wrong, no jump start. I was a bit late today engaging first gear, and when you do that, the car makes a little jump.”
"I don’t know. Maybe I was already quite far forward and that somehow triggered it. That’s the only explanation I can think of, but yeah, I’ll have to review it." The FIA monitors any movement from a car "after the four (4) second light is illuminated and before the start signal is given by extinguishing all red lights.”
"I didn't do anything wrong";
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/n...rong/10748194/
Hulkenberg and Bortoleto praise Sauber’s progress in 2025 ahead of Audi transformation
Kick Sauber drivers Hulkenberg and Bortoleto have been reflecting on an impressive start to the season as the team prepares for their Audi transition next year.
15 Aug 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Speaking in the media pen ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Hulkenberg said: “I think it's been a very positive first half of the season up until the summer break, obviously since Barcelona we've really managed to turn things around. “If you look where we started in winter testing compared to where we are now this is definitely good progress and a lot has happened since.”
On building for the future, the German has high hopes for the continued growth of the team and what can come next as they prepare for their transition into Audi for 2026. “Obviously so many things change on the technical side next year and I think many people are in the dark and we can only really just speculate,” he added.
“But what is being built behind the scenes and the infrastructure, and the team structure that we're building, that is growing. I think that looks good, [it] looks positive. Still a lot more to do if we look and compare ourselves to the top runners currently, but [we are] definitely going in the right direction.”
‘Sauber’s progress’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...IzcHmWTdXPr9As
Wheatley hails ‘most collaborative’ driver pairing he’s ever seen
15/08/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Jonathan Wheatley has hailed the Swiss outfit’s current driver lineup of veteran Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto as the most “collaborative” pairing he has witnessed in his extensive Formula 1 career. “It's incredibly important,” Wheatley told reporters after the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I have to say that it's the closest, most collaborative driver pairing I think I can even remember in all my time in Formula 1. Gabriel has a fantastic work ethic. He has a capacity for taking on new information. He's proving in every way to be the future star that we expected him to be. And Nico is part of that journey with him.”
“On the other side of the engineering table, you've got this extraordinary experience and Nico's proven talent. I mean, we're talking about Gabi a lot [after Hungary], but Nico did a tremendous job. You don't really see it or you don't notice it because it didn't result in a points finish. But as a team, we're very pleased with both of our drivers.”
For rookie Gabriel Bortoleto: “It's worth pointing out again that he hasn't done 10,000 kilometers of testing of previous cars,” the Briton noted. “He hasn't done 10,000 kilometers in the Formula 1 car. It's his first season in Formula 1. There are so many circuits that he's not been to. And there's some coming up that he hasn't been to. He's been able to deliver brilliantly over the last few races in circuits that he knows. I think he's matured and developed as a driver. And I think he's going to be able to adapt to these new circuits much quicker than he did in the first half of the season.”
‘Most collaborative driver pairing he’s ever seen’;
https://f1i.com/news/546257-wheatley...ever-seen.html
Hulkenberg ‘overwhelmed’ by 700 messages after British GP podium
26/07/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Nico Hulkenberg is still riding high from his stunning podium finish at the British Grand Prix earlier this month, describing the aftermath of his career-defining result as “overwhelming”. The 37-year-old German reflected on the whirlwind two weeks following his Silverstone success.
“Yeah. Surprisingly, they've been very good,” Hulkenberg said, when asked how he spent the break after his podium finish. “Nice to have a bit of time after and to enjoy the moment properly and not dive straight into the next Grand Prix. So that was good timing from that point of view.”
“Obviously, just an incredible race. Those conditions were very tricky, but we made all the right decisions and rewarded ourselves coming from last, which was pretty crazy and special. The aftermath was also overwhelming,” he revealed. “The feedback and responses we got, well over 700 messages. Took me a good week to work through it all, but obviously amazing and nice to feel and see all that.”
“The feedback and responses we got, well over 700 messages”;
https://f1i.com/news/544668-hulkenbe...gp-podium.html
Jonathan Wheatley's "shortcuts to performance" hailed by Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg has praised new Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley for bringing “shortcuts to performance” from his experience at Red Bull
Jul 25, 2025
Alex Harrington
Motorsport.com
Nico Hulkenberg has praised the early impact of team principal Jonathan Wheatley, who brings his experience as Red Bull’s former sporting director to the struggling Sauber outfit. “Very quickly he saw possibilities to optimise here and there. It’s just shortcuts to performance and to a better and a more streamlined organisation and race operation.”
"He applied some things in the structure of the team which are beneficial and helpful. Often, it's just little tweaks, but many little tweaks are a positive contribution. And back at the factory, there's a lot more work to do as we grow, to put the pieces into position and make sure they work productively in the future.”
Wheatley said after the team's success at Silverstone. "I've spoken about how important momentum is in a team, and for me, what I take from this result is that people start believing in us. I can say the words, I can say we're gaining momentum, I can say we're putting performance on the car, I can say all the hard work Mattia [Binotto] put in before I got here is coming to light, but it is all true.
“Shortcuts to performance”;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/j...berg/10744872/
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Carlos Sainz is helping James Vowles assemble a ‘dream team’ behind the scenes after joining Williams.
Williams are enjoying their best season in Formula 1 since 2017. The changes that Sainz has brought to the team have clearly worked, as the Grove-based outfit are currently on course to beat their highest points tally in F1 since 2017. With Felipe Massa and Lance Stroll at the wheel, the team managed to finish fifth in the constructors’ championship, amassing a total of 83 points over the 20-round season.
16 August 2025
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Carlos Sainz requested James Vowles to invest in a driver coach ahead of his arrival at Williams. Speaking in an interview with Racer, Sainz touched upon how he is aiding James Vowles in realising the team principal’s vision of putting Williams back on top of the F1 grid, akin to their golden age of the 1980s and 1990s.
Through his previous experience of working with one at Ferrari, Sainz’s first request was for the team to appoint a driver coach to help the drivers understand how they can unlock the most out of themselves and the Williams car. “This was talked about well before I arrived, well before we even did a race weekend. I just know the level that a Formula 1 team needs to operate to be an even more competitive team, like Ferrari, for example.”
“I just came in with a few ideas, a few things that I like, and I can cherry-pick from the four or five teams that I’ve been to in Formula 1,” Sainz said. “And if I would have to create a dream team, or a dream way of how I think a team should operate and the structure that the team needs and the way we communicate as a team, I just vocalise that to James and the top-level management of the team”
‘Invest in a driver coach’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/car...ning-williams/
Carlos Sainz details ‘completely different’ aspect between Ferrari and Williams F1 cars
9 Aug 2025
Harry Whitfield
Motorsport Week
Carlos Sainz has revealed that the Williams Formula 1 car feels “completely different” due to the variance in engine braking compared to the Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton, who made the opposite switch earlier this season by joining Ferrari from Mercedes, has also been candid about the struggles he encountered adapting.
“For me, it’s important that even if I’m taking my time to adapt to the team and the car… I don’t think I took my time to adapt to the car, I think I was quite quick straight away – it’s just getting results and putting things together that has been a struggle since the beginning of the year,” the 30-year-old said.
“Still in Race 12, it doesn’t seem like we’re getting any better at putting things together, but it will come at some point. In the meantime, I’ll just keep my head down and I’m pretty sure the result is about to come.”
‘Variance in engine braking’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...liams-f1-cars/
Carlos Sainz shares the moment he was ‘very nervous’ at Williams after Ferrari move
10 August 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Carlos Sainz admits he was ‘very nervous’ during his Williams debut in Australia. It has been a tough start for Sainz at Williams, having recorded a highest finish of eighth in Jeddah and Imola. He has not scored points since the Canadian GP. Sainz did not start in Austria after his FW47 caught fire in the pit lane, summing up his first half of the season. His troubles at Williams started in the worst possible way at the season opener in Melbourne.
Williams showed how they had initially taken a step forward when Sainz and Albon both reached Q3. But while the latter went on to finish P5, the former did not cross the line to complete a lap after he spun out in the rain at the final corner. Speaking via the official Williams YouTube channel, the Spaniard admitted he was ‘very nervous’ during the race as he took up position on the pit wall to help Albon with his strategy in the tricky conditions.
“You know, I enjoyed that. I had a terrible time, obviously, after the spin and the crash in my first race. I was very nervous when I said: ‘I think you should box’. And then suddenly I went: ‘Box’. And Charles, the strategist, and JV, we were like: ‘Please rain come, rain come!’ And it started p—— down.”
I think you should box’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/car...-ferrari-move/
Carlos Sainz reveals u-turn over confidence in Williams F1 decision
Carlos Sainz has had his ups and downs during his first F1 campaign with the Williams team.
18 August 2025
Fergal Walsh & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Carlos Sainz has admitted he was uncertain after signing for Williams that it was the right choice for his F1 career. “I definitely felt last year when I took the decision, Williams was ninth in the championship and there was less certainty that maybe Williams was the right choice in my career,” Sainz told media including RacingNews365.
“Now a year on, I’m very confident of the decision I took. I’m very glad, looking at the progress the team is showing and the momentum we’re building into 2026.”
‘U-turn over confidence’;
https://racingnews365.com/carlos-sai...ms-f1-decision
Sainz names the single frustration overshadowing his Williams move
17 Aug 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
In a recent interview via Racer, Sainz reflected on life at Williams, highlighting that while his debut campaign with the team has exceeded his expectations, he still harbours a few frustrations. “I don't regret the move, for sure. And I'm actually pretty encouraged by what I've seen," he said. "2025 has exceeded my expectations in terms of car performance and what the team is capable of doing. So, I'm very comfortable and calm with the decision. I'm just frustrated that the results haven't been better because the feeling is saying the opposite, but for one reason or another, the results are not coming.”
“I like seeing the potential because I see that I also have it. I think I would be more worried if I was three or four tenths off Alex [Albon] every weekend and not being able to match his pace, seeing him getting P6s, P7s, P5s, picking up all the points, and me just struggling for pace at the back. But the fact that I am sometimes quicker, sometimes within the same tenth, sometimes one tenth slower than Alex every weekend, I know I can get the same results – sometimes better, sometimes a bit worse.”
“I'm just frustrated that the results haven't been better”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/sainz...-williams-move
Carlos Sainz identifies fundamental Williams weakness
August 10, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
Speaking after the Hungarian GP, Sainz told AS the importance of progressing ahead of 2026: “We have some poor aerodynamic characteristics in long curves, where you need to maintain the load level from entry until halfway through the corner.”
“These things fail us, it’s been a characteristic for a long time, because we perform better in short corners and straights. At tracks like Barcelona, Hungary or Qatar, the car suffers. A change in philosophy is needed in the design, to ensure next year’s car works well at different circuits.”
‘Poor aerodynamic characteristics in long curves’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...iams-weakness/
Carlos Sainz makes new Williams admission with key issue not ‘getting any better’
13 Aug 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Carlos Sainz has admitted that he and Williams are not “getting any better at putting things together” on a race weekend in F1 2025. He conceded that his side of the garage is still struggling with execution on individual grand prix weekends, with the situation not “getting any better” at the moment.
“It’s just getting results and putting things together that has been a struggle since the beginning of the year – and still it doesn’t seem like we’re getting any better at putting things together. “But it will come at some point and, in the meantime, I’ll just keep my head down. I’m pretty sure the result is about to come.”
Sainz has cited the lack of testing time available in modern F1 as a key factor behind his slow adaptation to life at Williams, telling media including PlanetF1.com of his desire to see more pre-season testing.
‘His side of the garage is still struggling’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos...getting-better
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Alex Albon lists three factors behind ‘standout’ 2025 F1 season.
Alex Albon has outlined the three specific factors that have contributed to him sustaining a “standout” season with Williams in Formula 1 in 2025.
8 Aug 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week10:48 Fri,
Alex Albon affirmed his belief that his entire Williams tenure has been positive, regardless of who has been in the opposite garage. “Yes, maybe more validation to you than to me,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “I feel like I’ve always had quite a strong time at Williams. I feel like I got comfortable pretty quickly. I learnt a lot from my time at Red Bull and then I just gained experience and I got stronger and stronger every year,” he added.
He was also quick to give credit to the personnel back at Grove, who have produced the FW47, undoubtedly Williams’ strongest package since his arrival in 2022. “This year looks like a standout year. I say it a lot, but I think the team have done a fantastic job to give me the car to be able to deliver the results,” he continued. “It seems to keep going at the moment. It feels like we’ve just had a good run of it. I’m comfortable in the car, and I feel like the car is way more predictable to drive.”
“It’s easier to drive on the limit. We’re not getting these snaps and things, which I think last year you could see sometimes would put us in a wall and things like that. It builds confidence and then you can just exploit the car more and more. Once you’re really comfortable with the car, you can deliver good races, consistent races, which is what we’ve been doing this year.”
“Gained experience and I got stronger and stronger every year”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...025-f1-season/
Albon believes 2025 is his best season so far in F1 as he reflects on Williams' efforts
Williams' Alex Albon believes he's been performing at his best level in F1 throughout the 2025 season.
18 Aug 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Alex Albon was asked if this was his best season in F1 as he singled out the improvements Williams had made as a team. “I would say so, yeah," he said on whether 2025 was his best campaign. "So far. Let's see how the second half of the year goes but I think I've been driving well.”
"I don't think it's been so different to my other years but I feel like I've been consistent, taking my opportunities when I can, not making mistakes, which is always a good sign and at the same time I also have the car that allows me to score the points.”
“I don't think that was necessarily the case when I first joined Williams but nowadays we've made such big steps... I also feel confident in the car, it goes both ways. You drive better because the car is better to drive.”
‘2025 is his best season’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...BDxYSaH0cO3C9e
How Alex Albon privately feels about potential 2026 Red Bull return as Thai owners plot surprise ‘reunion’
18 August 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Alex Albon has ‘little interest’ in returning to Red Bull as he views Williams more favourably. It has been reported that Red Bull’s Thai ownership ‘would love’ to sign Albon and bring him back to Milton Keynes. Chalem Yoovidhya, who owns 49% of the team, has a good relationship with his fellow compatriot.
Max Verstappen has committed to Red Bull for 2026, while teammate Yuki Tsunoda and Racing Bulls duo Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson are out of contract in 2025. While they already have options within the team, Red Bull could look outside their current crop of drivers. However, according to a report from Formule1.NL, Albon has felt, ‘and still feels’, little interest in making a return to Red Bull. The project at Williams is more appealing to him, and it offers more security as Albon has a contract until 2027.
What’s more is that Williams will be powered by Mercedes engines under the 2026 technical regulations, which are tipped to be the fastest. There is no guarantee that Red Bull’s power unit will be competitive, with concerns already coming within the team.
‘The project at Williams is more appealing’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/how...prise-reunion/
Why Alex Albon has turned down advances from Red Bull
August 16, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
Alex Albon deserves credit for his consistent performances at Williams over the years. His efforts have not gone unnoticed, with Red Bull reportedly making an approach to sign Albon at the end of 2024. However, for several reasons, Albon is not attracted by the interest from the Milton Keynes team.
According to reports at the beginning of the year, the Austrian team gauged Alex Albon’s interest in making a return. Despite the Thai’s relatively speedy exit from Red Bull at the end of 2020, his career turn-around at Williams made him a plausible option for Christian Horner’s team. Red Bull’s owner, Charlem Yoovidhya, is reported to still be enthusiastic about Albon returning to Milton Keynes. Unfortunately for the Austrian outfit, Albon himself is not interested in joining.
Putting aside Red Bull’s development struggles this year, their prospects for 2026 are viewed with great scepticism. The difficulty of producing their own engine makes them underdogs heading into next season. It will be a great challenge for Red Bull to remain front-runners, especially against more established manufacturers. Speaking of which, Mercedes are expected to produce among the best engines in 2026.
‘Unfortunately for the Austrian outfit, Albon himself is not interested in joining’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...from-red-bull/
Alex Albon spots the ‘unique’ way that ‘every’ rival F1 team has hurt Williams this season
20 August 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Alex Albon finds it ‘unique’ how midfield F1 teams keep delivering successful upgrades. Williams were in a different league to Aston Martin and Sauber following the Monaco Grand Prix in round eight, with their 54 points compared to 14 and six. But Sauber turned a corner with their upgrades at the Spanish GP, where Aston Martin also kick-started their campaign.
The progress that rival teams like Aston Martin and Sauber have enjoyed with their updates this season has surprised Albon, as well. He believes the 2025 F1 season has been “unique” in that every upgrade the midfield teams have thus far brought has immediately delivered. Albon said, via Motorsport.com: “We did notice that we were dropping down the grid from our great start as the others started to upgrade. Something that’s been unique this year is that every single [midfield team] who’s put an upgrade on, it’s worked.”
“We generally are running fewer upgrades a year. But when we did put them on, they worked, and we could kind of get away with teams adding upgrades that weren’t working. But, this year, we fell down in a short amount of time.” Albon put Williams in a strong position at the start of 2025, when Aston Martin and Sauber were still finding their feet. The London-born Thai achieved fifth-place finishes in Australia, Miami and Emilia Romagna as he started with points in seven of the first eight Grands Prix.
‘Midfield F1 teams keep delivering successful upgrades’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ale...s-this-season/
2025 Formula 1 mid-season driver rankings #5: Alexander Albon
20th August 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
It was obvious before the 2025 season began that Alexander Albon was about to face his toughest challenge against a team mate since Red Bull paired him with Max Verstappen five years earlier. But Albon has measured up well against the more experienced Carlos Sainz Jnr and delivered each of Williams’ four best results so far.
It began with a superb drive in the damp Australian Grand Prix, aided by his team mate’s input to his strategy, following Sainz’s first-lap crash. From sixth on the grid Albon delivered his first of three fifth-place finishes. He followed that up with seventh in China, where he even led briefly, and ninth in Japan. His points run paused in Bahrain, due only partly to the stewards’ oversight in qualifying which prevented him taking part in Q2 when he should have done.
Albon repeated Williams’ best result so far at the next two rounds with a pair of fifth places. This came despite him clipping Sainz at the start in Miami, damaging his team mate’s floor. In Imola he battled the Ferrari drivers for another fifth-place finish.
‘#5: Alexander Albon’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/08/20/...exander-albon/
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Ocon: Haas have not been “consistent enough” this season.
Ocon downbeat after disappointing end to first half of the season. Even in an immensely volatile midfield, Haas have easily been the most unpredictable team on the grid. From one race to another, the VF-25 regularly experiences dramatic variations in performance.
August 3, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
After crossing the chequered flag in Budapest, Ocon gave a candid reflection about the first half of 2025: “Difficult day for sure, I think we need to have a good look – [to see] if we’d have used a different strategy, if it would have given us anything.”
“I don’t think so, in hindsight… We need to work a little bit more on getting the car under control, and more pace throughout the race. Looking at this first half, there are some positives definitely. We scored a certain amount of points. But we are not consistent enough, in where we want to be every single time.”
Upgrades will be few and far between over the next few months, as the 2026 regulations become the priority. For Haas, climbing the pecking order will be difficult. Barring any unexpected shifts, Alpine are the only team they can expect to be slower than them for the rest of 2025. Still, as the last two race weekends have shown, there will be opportunities for Haas to claim sizable points hauls.
‘Most unpredictable team on the grid’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...h-this-season/
Haas drivers held 'clear the air' talks after nightmare Silverstone incident
Ollie Bearman collided with team-mate Esteban Ocon during the wet British GP, potentially costing both drivers a points finish.
24 July 2025
Jake Nichol & Pepijn van der Hulst
RacingNews365
Esteban Ocon believes the collision with team-mate Ollie Bearman in the British GP cost both drivers a points finish as he revealed 'clear-the-air' talks. At Silverstone, Bearman locked up going into Brooklands off the dry racing line in the wet conditions, and collected the sister Haas car of Ocon.
"We discussed it with Ayao and Ollie, and we know that we should not be in these positions," Ocon told media, including RacingNews365. "We both had a difficult race at different stages of the weekend, and we should not have been in that position at first, and it was tricky conditions as well. Probably if we didn't have that touch, we both would have scored points, so we realised we can't waste these kinds of opportunities, and it was very straightforward. It was a very clear discussion, and there is a very good atmosphere in the team, and there is no hiding, and we are working together towards the same goal, so that is the most important thing."
'Clear-the-air talks’;
https://racingnews365.com/haas-drive...stone-incident
‘It’s no mean feat’ – Ocon and Bearman ‘super pleased’ with Haas double points in Spa Sprint
It was a solid outing for Haas in the Sprint at the Belgian Grand Prix, with Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman both taking home points.
26 Jul 2025
Formula One - Official Site
“[I’m] super pleased with this,” Ocon smiled after the Sprint. “I think it’s six points for the team in total on a Saturday, so it’s a really good result. We can be obviously satisfied with this. The cars in front were the cars that are out of reach for the moment, with Charles just being quicker than us, so we finished on top of our race basically, and overall it was fantastic.”
“We need to do it all again obviously for this afternoon which is not going to be an easy task, but we’ll push hard to make it happen.”
‘It’s no mean feat’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...bCcNTsIvkTpP6w
Esteban Ocon slams “costly mistake” in Haas’ Belgian GP strategy
Haas failed to score points in the main Spa-Francorchamps F1 race after its switch to slicks came too late
Jul 31, 2025
Ben Vinel
Motorsport.com
“The thing that really pissed me off is that it's not the first time it happened.”
Perhaps unexpectedly, this quote belongs to Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu, as he reflected on the British Grand Prix – where Haas faltered in mixed weather conditions – in the paddock during the buildup to F1’s race at Spa-Francorchamps.
Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon ran 11th and 12th in the first stint, but neither of them were among the drivers who successfully gambled on an early pitstop, and Ocon was even the last – though on the same lap as three others – to make the switch… seemingly inexplicably ending up on used rubber in the process. The Haas cars then found themselves down in 14th and 20th, eventually finishing 11th and 15th.
Simply by pitting two laps later, Ocon lost some 28 seconds to Lewis Hamilton, who was first to change tyres. Just two seconds or so can be attributed to the Frenchman letting team-mate Bearman through, on his own volition – “The team didn't ask me to let him go, but I was holding him up in the middle sector quite a lot and I was damaging my tyres much more,” he explained after the race.
“The thing that really pissed me off…”;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/e...tegy/10746291/
Ocon frustrated as Haas messes up execution and timing at Spa
30/07/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
“I think there are two very crucial decisions that we didn’t do in the right way,” Ocon said after the race. “The first one obviously was boxing two laps too late. We need to review as a team because we had the pace today to score with both cars. Once we got going and everything was normal, the pace was there. So, it’s a big shame.”
And then the other thing was boxing onto a used set of tyres while we had a new one in the truck ready for us,” he continued. “So, I did basically my 35 laps on a used set of tyres while we had a new set of Mediums ready for us in the race. So, yeah, that’s a big and costly mistake.”
This decision left Ocon struggling to maintain pace in a race where tyre management was critical due to the drying track conditions. “We need to review these last two races because I feel, you know, when it’s wet we don’t put things together,” he said.
‘Haas messes up execution’;
https://f1i.com/news/545138-ocon-fru...ng-at-spa.html
This F1 driver says 'summer shutdown is hitting me hard already!'
11 Aug 2025
Savannah Lenz
GPblog.com
Esteban Ocon has been busy over the summer break. He has taken to various social media platforms to share funny pictures and vidoes while staying up to date with the latest trends. Posted to his TikTok, Ocon admitted he was already bored. He decided to ask fans to describe what they did for a living. In the comments were the official Formula 1 account and both the Mercedes and Haas team accounts.
‘Already bored’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/lifestyle/...e-hard-already
Esteban Ocon uplifted by Haas' resilience amid challenging F1 season
19 Aug 2025
Luke-John Buckle
GPblog.com
Esteban Ocon explained at the Hungarian Grand Prix that he is pleased with Haas' resilience but urged the team to maximise every opportunity they have. He said: "Going in the good direction, I would say. It hasn't been smooth the whole time, but we were able to get some weekends where we thought, okay, that was a really strong one. There was nothing we could have done better and there was a lot of learning.”
"We started, clearly, as the last car in Australia, and we fought back in a magnificent way. The team was able to react to certain situations in a way that I felt it was a lost cause, and that wasn't the case. It's been great to see how much pride the team takes when we do certain results, and I'm really proud of everyone in the way we've been able to deliver and improve. We set ourselves in a good position now, where it's a tight midfield, and we need to deliver every time we are out there, and that will make the difference at the end of the year."
‘Haas' resilience’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/esteb...ging-f1-season
2025 Formula 1 mid-season driver rankings #7: Esteban Ocon
19th August 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Some drivers (such those in points 14 and 13) have laboured to adapt to new teams after switching during the off-season. But Esteban Ocon appears to have found his feet at Haas very quickly and has delivered some excellent results for them.
That proved vital in the season-opener in Australia where Haas discovered handling deficiencies in their VF-25. Ocon’s new team mate Oliver Bearman missed most of practice, leaving the veteran to ensure the team at least came away from the weekend with useful data.
The tensions some predicted between Ocon and Bearman largely haven’t materialised, aside from an awkward tangle in the rain at Silverstone. Ocon has the upper hand for now, and gave the best indication of the team’s post-upgrade potential by starting and finishing fifth in the sprint race at Spa. So far he has plenty of reasons to be happy about his move from Alpine.
‘#7: Esteban Ocon’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/08/19/...-esteban-ocon/
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'Root cause of Tsunoda's struggle lie at Red Bull Racing's doorstep'.
'Tsunoda's woes a result of the unforgiving Red Bull car'. Bayer suggests the issue lies less with Tsunoda’s form and more with the machinery.
14 Aug 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Peter Bayer admits Yuki Tsunoda’s struggles in 2025 have caught him off guard, despite the Japanese driver entering the season in peak physical and mental condition. “Yes, I would lie [if I said I wasn’t surprised],” Bayer told Planet F1. “I’ve seen him, the potential, his performances, and his mindset. I’ve seen his physical preparation. I saw a Yuki as strong as I’ve never seen him before.”
"But everything else, honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to Yuki about why it is [so difficult]. I think it’s probably just a very difficult car to drive. Ours is much more forgiving, wider window, but it’s not as fast. That’s the difference,” he explained. The Japanese driver has struggled to match his 2024 form, when he was a consistent points finisher.
‘Unforgiving Red Bull car';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/root-...cings-doorstep
The Red Bull driver who could soon be out of Formula 1 for good
With Yuki Tsunoda’s contract at Red Bull set to expire at the end of the 2025 Formula 1 season, his career in the sport could soon be over.
Aug 12, 2025
Siddharth Bharani-Dharan|
beyondtheflag.com
As F1 inches closer to the end of the 2025 season, it looks increasingly likely that Tsunoda faces a fate similar to that of Perez and Lawson, despite having clearly been more appreciated by the newly appointed team principal, Laurent Mekies. Honda's impending departure and move to Aston Martin does not help the 25-year-old either, given how they've supported him throughout his career.
Tsunoda would have a difficult time finding another full-time F1 seat for 2026, as not many teams have any openings. The only potential destination for him next season would appear to be Cadillac, but he does not seem to be one of their main targets at the moment.
Honda has been a very big supporter of Tsunoda throughout his career, and odds are he would need that support if he were to land another seat in the future. Aston Martin would be the obvious destination, but their sights are on drivers such as Max Verstappen and George Russell once Fernando Alonso’s contract ends. Lance Stroll is someone who appears to have a contract without an end, so his seat can't really be considered among the possibilities at this point.
‘Career in the sport could soon be over’;
https://beyondtheflag.com/red-bull-d...d-01k2ddyabbxc
Tsunoda 'impressed' with Red Bull packages yet urges: 'Not much time to rest'
20 Aug 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Yuki Tsunoda had a difficult spell after his promotion to Red Bull Racing. The Japanese driver shared what he expects from the season after the summer break. When asked what he expects from the second half of the season, Tsunoda told GPblog among others: "Let’s see. Obviously, there’s not much time to rest, because we must be surprised at the amount of pace we didn’t have in the last race [and] for the first half of the season."
Tsunoda positive about Red Bull's packages so far. On the other hand, the Japanese driver is encouraged by what his team has brought to the track. "I think in terms of the package Red Bull [has brought] so far, it's impressively good. The amount of stuff they've done in the first half of the season... is incredible. So I hope we can continue with that [after the break]."
The Austrians had a difficult weekend in Hungary, as defending world champion Max Verstappen also crossed the finish line in P9. "To be honest, what we struggled with here, I hope this is track-specific, rather than the car pace itself, but we have to investigate for sure," he concluded.
'Not much time to rest';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/tsuno...h-time-to-rest
Where Yuki Tsunoda stands in Red Bull’s 2026 plans
August 10, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
lastwordonsports.com
Tsunoda safe until the end of 2025, Red Bull to re-evaluate after season ends
A combination of factors have impacted Tsunoda’s performance at Red Bull.
His first few Grand Prix in the RB21 were relatively encouraging, scoring points in his second race with P9 in Bahrain. Considering that Verstappen only managed 6th in Bahrain, this was an impressive outing for Tsunoda – in context of his virtually non-existent preparation. It should also be noted that Red Bull’s simulator does not effectively replicate the RB21’s behaviour. Because of this, anyone joining Red Bull – particularly mid-season – faces an uphill challenge in adapting to the car.
Tsunoda reached Q3 in Jeddah after his first points in Bahrain. Although an unfortunate first lap incident meant he left Jeddah empty-handed, his pace was solid enough. Finishing 6th in the Miami Sprint and 10th on Sunday, while far from spectacular, created a generally positive perception of his start to life at Red Bull. Unfortunately for Tsunoda, his crash in qualifying at Imola had massive ramifications. After his crash, the Japanese driver went several races without the same specification as Verstappen. It was only before qualifying in Belgium, where Tsunoda qualified 7th, that his #22 car received Red Bull’s newest floor.
During this spell without the upgraded RB21, the 25-year-old has struggled. Even teammate Verstappen is increasingly fighting a losing battle, with the reigning Champion only managing 9th in Hungary – in a race where midfield teams like Aston Martin were legitimately faster. All things considered, Tsunoda joined Red Bull at a very poor time with no preparation. As mentioned previously, Red Bull – especially under the leadership of Laurent Mekies – are conscious of this. There is no prospect of the Milton Keynes outfit making another knee-jerk swap before the end of 2025.
‘Red Bull’s simulator does not effectively replicate the RB21’s behaviour’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...ls-2026-plans/
Villeneuve slams Tsunoda as Verstappen’s ‘worst teammate’ ever
06/08/2025
Phillip van Osten
f1i.com
In the ever-turbulent world of Formula 1, few things grab attention like Jacques Villeneuve unleashing a verbal broadside. Villeneuve properly laid into the Japanese driver’s performance during a post-race analysis, pointing to the yawning gap between Verstappen and his teammate.
“Tsunoda is probably the worst of them all so far,” he told F1 event website Vision4Sport. “A lot of people say it’s unfair, that the car is made for Max. But Max might be the only one who actually gives good feedback to the team. So yes, they develop the car, so it gets better and better for him.” Villeneuve argued that Red Bull isn’t deliberately sabotaging their second driver but that Verstappen’s exceptional talent makes it tough for anyone to measure up.
“They’re not there trying to make it difficult for the number two driver. The thing is, there’s not many like Max,” he said. “If you look in the past, there were more than one at his level in the paddock. And then you had a few good drivers. And then a few average as well.” But in Villeneuve’s view, that balance has changed. “Now there are a lot of good drivers instead of only a few,” he argued. “You don’t really have exceptional drivers anymore. So Max really stands out. So it’s hard to put someone next to him. Because if all the drivers that fight each other are barely good, they’ll all look great amongst each other.
‘Jacques Villeneuve unleashing a verbal broadside’;
https://f1i.com/news/545917-villeneu...mate-ever.html
Why Yuki Tsunoda sees ‘positives’ despite setting unenviable Red Bull F1 record
5 Aug 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Yuki Tsunoda rues poor Red Bull ‘baseline pace’. Whilst Tsunoda was able to take a small personal win from the weekend, there was no doubt that the overall Red Bull performance was, by its own high standards, poor. He rued the comparatively slow pace of the RB21 around the Hungaroring, and given the 16th place grid slot, there was little he could do to perform a damage limitation job.
“The baseline pace was already [a real struggle for the] team,” he conceded. “And on top of it, having damage was not ideal at all. Yep, pretty much the race was done with that.” Tsunoda acknowledged that, in real time, there isn’t much of an opportunity to relax with the Dutch Grand Prix approaching at the end of the month, and indicated his faith that the team can provide a positive second half of the campaign.
“Obviously, there’s not much time to rest,” he added. “It was a bit surprising the amount of pace we didn’t have in the last race [and] for the first half of the season. But at the same time, the fields are very, very tight. I think in terms of the package Red Bull [has brought] so far, it’s impressively good. The amount of stuff they’ve done in the first half of the season… is incredible. So I hope we can continue with that [after the summer break].”
“The baseline pace was already [a real struggle for the] team”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...ull-f1-record/
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Colapinto handed Briatore warning in strange ‘like a light bulb’ metaphor.
…if he doesn’t perform, the Alpine boss will “take you out and put another bulb in.” That’s coming from Martin Brundle, who spent a single season under Briatore’s leadership in 1992 before the Italian sacked him.
8 Aug 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Speaking during Sky F1’s broadcast in Hungary, Martin Brundle the former F1 driver said: “Colapinto, he’s still in it, isn’t he? You hear different stories about his sponsorship, arriving, not arriving. “He’s certainly not doing a particularly good job.”
“He looked really spectacular in the early days at Williams, didn’t he? Then he crashed a lot at Williams after that. So, it doesn’t bode [well]. I think 2026 definitely doesn’t bode particularly well. But the trouble is with Flavio, as I know well, you’re a disposable item as a racing driver, generally speaking.”
“That’s sort of been his MO through the years because this is a competitive business, not a finishing school, something I’ve said many times before. If you don’t deliver, you’re like a light bulb. They’ll take you out and put another bulb in.” And Brundle knows first-hand.
‘Like a light bulb’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/franco...-bulb-metaphor
Christian Danner says Franco Colapinto’s Alpine honeymoon is over
August 22, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
Fastest Lap
The former F1 racer-turned-analyst has labelled the Argentine a disappointment of 2025 so far, arguing Colapinto “doesn’t deliver anything tangible on the track.” Speaking to ran.de, Danner went further, saying the online reaction around the 22-year-old has become “very unpleasant,” while stressing that’s not Colapinto’s fault. It’s a sharp turn in narrative for a driver who set pulses racing last season. Colapinto’s 2024 cameo with Williams yielded five points and serious buzz, enough that his name was briefly floated in the Red Bull rumour mill.
Without a full-time place for 2025, he landed at Alpine as reserve—then was promoted to the race seat by Round 7 at Imola, replacing Jack Doohan. Since then, it’s been a grind. Like Doohan before him, Colapinto is still chasing his first point in Alpine colours. The rookie errors have stung: a heavy qualifying crash at Imola and, more recently, a shunt during a Pirelli tyre test. In a season where Alpine needs clean weekends, every slip is magnified.
Danner lumped Colapinto into a broader list of early-season letdowns, citing Lewis Hamilton’s struggle to gel at Ferrari as his “most negative” surprise and also name-checking Yuki Tsunoda. But it’s the extra noise around Colapinto that he feels is complicating matters. “He has an extreme fan base from Argentina that is sensitive to criticism,” Danner said. “Any criticism brings with it a sh*tstorm… The fans are really extreme.”
“Any criticism brings with it a sh*tstorm”;
https://fastestlap.com/news/christia...ymoon-is-over/
Colapinto crash disrupts Alpine's 2026 F1 tyre test
Aug 6, 2025
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
A large Franco Colapinto crash has disrupted Alpine’s Pirelli 2026 Formula 1 tyre testing programme at the Hungaroring. Following last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, several teams stayed at the Budapest track to support the latest 2026 development work organised by Pirelli.
Alpine, McLaren and Racing Bulls participated in the first day of the test on Tuesday, with Alpine then staying on for a second day - joined by Ferrari. Paul Aron drove for Alpine on the first day with race drivers Colapinto and Pierre Gasly splitting Wednesday duties.
However, Colapinto has had a heavy accident early in his programme, which looks set to bring Alpine’s day of Pirelli running to an early end. Colapinto crashed at the fast Turn 11 right-hander, causing extensive damage to the car. He was checked at the medical centre on-site and is OK.
‘Large Franco Colapinto crash’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...-f1-tyre-test/
First images of Colapinto's crash leaked: that was a heavy hit!
6 Aug 2025
Tobia Elia
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
Alpine has so far made no further statements about Franco Colapinto's crash during a tyre test in Hungary, except that the Argentine has been medically examined and is found to be okay. However, some images from after the incident are already circulating on social media.
‘That was a heavy hit!’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/first...as-a-heavy-hit
‘Struggling’ Franco Colapinto pinpoints Alpine 2025 issue he never suffered with at Williams
31 July 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Franco Colapinto is lacking the same confidence in Alpine that he had at Williams. Colapinto was regularly scoring points while at Williams, slotting in at the team off the back of poor results for Logan Sargeant.
Although he had a few crashes, the commercial gain from sponsorship and his ability in qualifying sessions to extract potential from a car are what gained him attention. But he has been a far cry this year due to Alpine’s difficult 2025 season, which has also impacted teammate Pierre Gasly.
“I said since the start that I’m lacking confidence in the car and that I’m not finding my feet in some corners,” said Colapinto. “I’m like struggling to be able to turn in and to come into the corners and that’s just not really giving me much confidence. I didn’t have this issue last year. I could go straight in and be quick straight away and now I’m struggling a bit more with that. That’s the reality.”
‘Lacking the same confidence in Alpine that he had at Williams’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/str...h-at-williams/
What people in the F1 press centre said about Franco Colapinto’s Alpine future after difficult Belgian Grand Prix
31 July 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Journalist Molly Hudson was in the press centre after the race at Spa, and in a conversation with Christian Hewgill, explained how the media sees the Argentine’s future with the summer break approaching. “Flavio Briatore does not want to come last in the constructors’ championship. Alpine, the size of that team, do not want to come last. Franco Colapinto, seven races in, there’s been no improvement at all from Jack Doohan.”
“I just feel like they put Jack in that car, never fully believing in Jack, immediately there were rumours he was going to be replaced, so I actually think, if they stuck with Jack Doohan, he was showing a bit that he might have improved by now. I can see them either bringing Jack back, or I certainly don’t think that a loan move for Valtteri Bottas to the end of the year, would be a bad idea.” Hudson replied: “I think the sort of chatter in the press room was very similar to what you’ve just said there.”
“It was, ‘Well, hang on a minute, this is definitely no better and probably worse than Jack Doohan.’ I think it’s tricky anyway for both of them because when you’re in a system that gives you five races, or whatever, I don’t think that gets the best out of either of them. Had you put Franco in at the start of the season, and he’d had pre-season to prepare, came in, etc. would he have done better after being thrown in during the middle of a season in the mild chaos of Alpine?”
‘How the media sees the Argentine’s future’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wha...an-grand-prix/
Why Alpine see Franco Colapinto as a long-term asset
19 Aug 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
It is logical that Colapinto has been subject to a few headlines questioning his future at Alpine. When the Enstone team announced he would replace Jack Doohan, it was stated that he was on a race-by-race contract. In the context of Alpine’s willingness to change drivers, Colapinto immediately found himself under a magnifying class.
A solid end to 2025 will calm the waters. To be clear, there are never any guarantees in Formula 1. Alpine could decide that another driver in the market is an attractive enough prospect to offer them a contract. With that said, it would take a tremendous turn of events to justify abandoning a driver who Alpine spent millions to sign. Aside from being a young driver with clear potential for growth, Colapinto also brings significant sponsorship to Alpine.
For a team currently last in the standings, this is a valuable asset. If Colapinto can secure a points result before the year ends (which won’t be easy in the A525) that should silence speculation about his future. Even with all the noise around Alpine’s drivers, the team at Enstone are aware that the car has been their limiting factor. Having some continuity for the 2026 regulations, therefore, is a sensible move for the French squad.
‘Colapinto also brings significant sponsorship to Alpine’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...ng-term-asset/
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Gasly: “If I have a race-winning car… I know I will win”.
When the season began, Pierre Gasly told the media that – were he in charge of Alpine’s development – he would immediately focus put all resources towards 2026.
August 18, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
Pierre Gasly optimistic “my time will come”. When Gasly made his Alpine debut in 2023, there was no clear “number one driver”. “When I’m finishing P6 in Silverstone, if I have a race-winning car in my hands, I know I will win the race. At the end, I’m P6, I go back home. So you could say it’s only a P6 and nobody really cares about the P6 – which in some ways is true.”
“But then at the same time, I know my time will come. And you know what I’m working on at the moment, with Flavio [Briatore] to make sure I get a race winning package for next year.” For Pierre Gasly, there is no other choice except to believe that next season can be the start of a renaissance.
Having signed a Mercedes engine deal, there will be no room for excuses if the 2026 car falls short. Should Alpine design another uninspiring car, Gasly will be more likely to explore his options in the driver market.
“If I have a race-winning car… I know I will win”;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...ow-i-will-win/
Gasly pleased with 10th after ‘intense’ Belgian GP as Colapinto reflects on ‘tough’ afternoon
Pierre Gasly managed to score one point for Alpine in Belgium, as he and team mate Franco Colapinto reflect on a difficult race at Spa.
23 Aug 2025
F1 Technical1
Pierre Gasly was pleased with his and Alpine's work in the Belgian Grand Prix as the Frenchman came home in 10th place at the end of a difficult race with mixed conditions. “It was a very intense race and I am pleased that we were able to make the right calls to come away with one point, which we can be satisfied with today,” Gasly said afterwards.”
“We made some very good decisions like opting for an aggressive, low downforce set-up, which allowed us to attack and defend on the straights and also pitting at the right time for dry tyres as the track dried up early on. So, I am very happy with that and that hard work has paid off today. It is only a point but, after a race like that, defending from a number of cars for so long, we can be pleased.”
‘Very intense race’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...z9KqhFNvaeHrik
Gasly admits Alpine are 'just too slow' as team endure tough Hungarian Grand Prix
Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto give their views on a tricky race in Hungary for Alpine.
6 Aug 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Pierre Gasly has conceded Alpine are "just too slow" after he and team mate Franco Colapinto endured a tough Hungarian Grand Prix, with the pair coming home last of the 19 cars to finish. “We cannot be pleased with the end result today, even if it felt like our execution was quite good,” explained Gasly. "Ultimately, we are just too slow.”
“The last two weekends we have been able to maximise the conditions and come away with two good results. Today was more conventional and it really highlighted our weak spots. Still, there were a lot of fun battles out there and I felt like the racing was generally very good. I am here to race, not to give up, and I just gave it my best in all the wheel-to-wheel fights.”
'Just too slow';
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...82jDvDGOgJrKy6
The revised role Pierre Gasly is revelling in at Alpine in F1 2025
19 Aug 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Pierre Gasly has revealed how he is adapting to the role of being the de facto team leader at Alpine since the start of this year’s Formula 1 season. “Yeah, I think it’s being more aware of… many things,” he said. “I’ve always had the speed.”
“Then, you need the consistency, you need the team to work; [you] need to work for the team, but then the team to work for you. And by both having this type of mentality, you get more out of the team and get more out of yourself, the package, etc.”
“So, yeah, I must say, I’m pleased I have more responsibilities in the team, more leadership. Obviously, with Jack and Franco, it puts more weight on myself, which I like, and also the team, we’re all driving in the direction which suits me to just perform and get the best out of the car.”
‘De facto team leader at Alpine’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...ne-in-f1-2025/
Pierre Gasly addresses Alpine F1 future after major Renault change
Renault recently appointed a new CEO, an appointment that comes at a challenging period for the French manufacturer's F1 team.
23 August 2024
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Renault's commitment to F1 has been disputed in recent times, particularly following its decision to cease its power unit construction and become a customer team for 2026. It has led to speculation that it could look to sell the team to an interested buyer. Gasly, however, believes François Provost (Head of the Renault Group) is committed to keeping the Enstone-based squad on the F1 grid.
“It's really clear,” Gasly told media including RacingNews365. “He's been a very long time working in Renault. He knows the DNA of the group, of the team. He's been part of it for all these years when Renault has been part of Formula 1. He's fully committed to the sport, to the Formula 1 team.” The change at Renault comes as Alpine endure a difficult year, as it holds 10th and last in the constructors' championship after 14 rounds.
Gasly asserted Provost is determined to see a boost in performance and hopes its focus on the 2026 regulations will offer a boost up the pecking order. “Obviously wants to see performance, and he's backing everybody in the team,“ Gasly added. “Looking forward to the future with the team. We know where we're heading. We know 2025 is a compromise we decided to take at the start of the year to focus on 2026. Hopefully, it's going to pay dividends next year.”
“Fully committed to the sport, to the Formula 1 team”;
https://racingnews365.com/pierre-gas...renault-change
Gasly hints at "undisclosed issues" that hinder Tsunoda at Red Bull
23 Aug 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
On the back of a difficult run of races for Yuki Tsunoda, his former team-mate Pierre Gasly hinted at undisclosed issues that may affect the Japanese driver's performance at Red Bull. Pierrre Gasly has been a member of the Red Bull Junior Team since 2014. The French driver made his Formula One debut with Toro Rosso at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, replacing Daniil Kvyat for the remainder of the 2017 season.
He completed a full-time move to Toro Rosso for 2018, before being promoted to parent team Red Bull in 2019. However, Gasly struggled to match his team-mate Max Verstappen's results, and was demoted midway through the season, after the Hungarian Grand Prix. Gasly was replaced by Alexander Albon, and he returned to Toro Rosso for the remainder of the year where he achieved his maiden podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix in that same year. In the coronavirus-affected 2020 season, Gasly took his maiden victory at the Italian Grand Prix whilst driving for the re-branded AlphaTauri.
He achieved a third podium for the team at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2021 before he moved to Alpine for his 2023 campaign, scoring his first podium for the team at the Dutch Grand Prix, repeating this feat at the rain-affected São Paulo Grand Prix in 2024. On the back of a difficult run of races for his former team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, Gasly hinted at undisclosed issues that may affect the Japanese driver's performance at Red Bull where he also struggled to extract the maximum from his car. "So, knowing from experience, I just try to chat as a friend and just advise on stuff that may help him.”
“Knowing from experience”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27631
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Bearman admits he's had to learn from 'costly mistakes' as he reflects on first half of rookie season.
As F1 embarks on its summer break, Haas' Ollie Bearman has given his assessment of how the first half of his season has played out.
14 Aug 2025
Formula One - Official Site
With the Hungarian Grand Prix marking the final race before F1’s traditional summer break, Bearman was asked during the weekend to sum up the first half of his season, both for himself and the team. “I think for both of us, it’s been a few missed opportunities,” he answered. “There have been some very costly mistakes from my side, which we’ve had to learn from, but the car has been really good in the previous two races.
“We managed to score some points in Spa, which was great, but still, that was the opportunity to do more. So that’s what we’ll be targeting for the next few races.” When pushed on whether this year’s new arrivals are the best prepared in the sport’s history, the Haas driver responded: “I would say so. I was lucky to do some races, others had a lot of testing, which prepared us well.”
“But I also think that the off-track preparation, as in simulator work, and all of the time that we spend as a reserve driver and everything like that, even if you’re not driving the real car, it prepares you incredibly well. So I think we’re incredibly prepared.”
'Costly mistakes';
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...oRf9vdRmKg5f6M
2025 Formula 1 mid-season driver rankings #15: Oliver Bearman
13th August 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Oliver Bearman made a name for himself last year as the grid’s ‘super-sub’, with a trio of largely impressive one-off performances for Ferrari and Haas. However, his start to life as a full-time driver has been patchy. As Haas found themselves increasingly under pressure in the midfield, Bearman endured a long point-less run. He would have broken it in Miami, where a well-judged pit stop on a drying track put him in the points, but he was penalised for his team’s error in the pits. He was particularly unlucky with a red flag call which cost him a place in Q2 at Imola and condemned him to an afternoon stuck in traffic.
However, Bearman could only blame himself for two other costly incidents with red flags. Passing a rival under red flags in Monaco was bad enough, but his crash under the same conditions at Silverstone was a serious error and made him the first F1 driver ever to collect four penalty points for one incident. He finally ended his points drought with seventh place in the Spa sprint race, two spots behind Ocon. Bearman has shown the potential to rival his more experienced team mate, and has pulled off some particularly impressive qualifying performances, but he still looks a bit rough around the edges and will have to tread carefully to avoid triggering a race ban having accumulated eight penalty points much too quickly.
‘#15: Oliver Bearman’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/08/13/...liver-bearman/
Haas driver Oliver Bearman rues his ‘real issue’ that can cost him ‘infinite lap time’
19 August 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Oliver Bearman rues F1’s ground-effect regulations making cars that are ‘difficult to drive’. Bearman’s P8 in Q3 at the British GP remains his best qualifying result of the 2025 F1 season so far. In contrast, Australia, Bahrain and Miami mark his worst qualifying results, having had the slowest lap times during Q1. He has made Q3 twice, but been eliminated in Q1 six times.
The consequence of any dip in confidence is a huge cause for Bearman’s inconsistency, with F1’s ground-effect regulations introduced in 2022 producing cars that are “difficult to drive”. Drivers are often made to use stiff set-ups that let teams run their cars closer to the ground. Bearman told Motorsport.com: “The cars are difficult to drive in this era. And you need full confidence in the car, because the level of downforce is the highest we’ve seen. So, when it goes wrong, it goes wrong in a big way, and you can’t catch it.”
“So, if you don’t have full confidence, it’s infinite lap time lost. And there were some scenarios in qualifying where I wasn’t fully confident with the car, and the lap time I lost was hugely disproportionate to the difference in confidence. It’s really easy to get into a spiral of bad levels of confidence and, therefore, [it is] really important to grab it back as soon as possible. But it is a real issue, and definitely with more experience, you learn how to overcome it. But at this stage in our careers, it is tough.”
‘Any dip in confidence is a huge cause for Bearman’s inconsistency’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/haa...nite-lap-time/
Bearman points to Haas upgrades for 'crazy' confidence uplift
23/08/2025
James Fiorucci
F1i.com
Oliver Bearman has pointed to upgrades implemented on Haas car from last month's British Grand Prix for bringing his confidence to new heights in his maiden F1 season. He said: "I haven't found my confidence until we brought the Silverstone upgrade to the car. Since then, I've had a really good feeling, and I've been able to replicate that feeling - and that's crazy.”
"You can't describe it, but you chase it, you chase it, you chase it and when you can have it, it's very special. It's a car that I feel fully comfortable in. Of course, I tried to feel as comfortable as possible in the previous car, but it's difficult when the balance is tough. Now we've managed to replicate that and from now, I think we can do a lot with this car," Bearman stated.
‘Crazy confidence uplift’;
https://f1i.com/news/546557-bearman-...ce-uplift.html
Ferrari have to overlook Oliver Bearman and sign 27-podium F1 driver when Lewis Hamilton retires
12 August 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari have to overlook Oliver Bearman and sign Carlos Sainz when Lewis Hamilton retires. Hamilton’s crucial Ferrari contract clause gives him the right to decide whether he wants to continue in Formula 1 or not beyond 2026.
Either way, his tenure at the Maranello-based outfit won’t last more than a few years unless he pulls a Fernando Alonso-esque move. Therefore, Ferrari need to plan for the future. Who do they replace the seven-time champion with when he leaves? Oliver Bearman is the obvious option as a junior driver at Haas, but he still has a lot of development ahead to be ready for the gig.
With Hamilton now being 16 races without a podium, he is on the longest run of his career without a rostrum by far. In fact, it has also been more than 750 days since his last pole position, which beats his old record by over 200 days. Having finished fourth four times in that run, he has come close, but still needs to do that little bit extra to get over the line ahead of one more rival.
‘Ferrari have to overlook Oliver Bearman’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...ilton-retires/
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‘He is smarter’: Alan Jones hails how Oscar Piastri is acting ‘smarter’ than Lando Norris amid their F1 title fight.
Jones feels his compatriot may have an edge in the 2025 title fight, too, as Piastri has shown himself to be “smarter” than Norris at dealing with the “politics” in play at McLaren thus far. The Woking natives are looking to win their first drivers’ title since Lewis Hamilton’s in 2008.
26 August 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Jones told sport.de: “Perhaps he is smarter in the sense that he stays on his side of the garage. He is not involved in politics [and] he is a man of few words. Perhaps he is acting more psychologically astutely.”
Additionally, Jones has doubled down on his criticism of Norris’ “weak” mentality, which the 1980 F1 champion feels gives Piastri “an advantage”. Back in April, Jones criticised Norris for being “weak” mentally by dwelling on his mistakes, which the Australian called “nonsense”.
‘He is smarter’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ala...1-title-fight/
Red Bull and Ferrari introduce changes for Dutch GP in McLaren hunt
The F1 summer break is almost over, with the Dutch Grand Prix being the next stop on the calendar. Can Ferrari and Red Bull introduce measures to close the gap to McLaren?
24 August 2025
Paolo Filisetti
RacingNews365
The summer break is winding down as F1 is on course to return at the Zandvoort circuit for the Dutch Grand Prix next weekend. Due to the mandatory closure of the factories, major updates are unlikely to be introduced across the grid.
The Red Bull Ring in Austria is characterised by a medium to high level of downforce, while the Hungaroring has a high level of downforce. The set-up for Zandvoort will be something of a mix between the two. Ferrari will reportedly use a specific combination of these two configurations. By doing so, the team is not only trying to generate downforce through the wings, but more importantly, to achieve a precise dynamic balance, with specific attention to certain parts of the Dutch track that are considered key points to unlock the performance of the SF-25.
Another team that underperformed in Hungary was Red Bull. The causes were different from those of Ferrari, but they bore some resemblance, as they were related to the balance of the RB21. In the Netherlands, the Milton Keynes-based team will introduce small elements related to the distribution of the aerodynamic load. The aim is to reduce the car's understeer compared to the previous races, and thus be more agile around the Zandvoort circuit at Max Verstappen's home race.
‘Ferrari and Red Bull introduce measures’;
https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-a...n-mclaren-hunt
Verstappen's Dutch GP hopes derailed by McLaren boss Stella
23 Aug 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
McLaren’s rivals may have to get used to the sight of orange at the front of the grid. The Woking team has taken four consecutive 1-2 finishes and insists its development pace means there is no reason to expect a slowdown anytime soon. Team principal Andrea Stella told media including GPblog.com that McLaren’s progress in 2025 has been built not only on a strong baseline car but on continuous improvements throughout the campaign.
“I think we have seen a very positive trend in terms of our competitiveness,” Stella said. “Especially, I would say, over the last events in which we have finished with a P1 and P2.” Stella explained that McLaren’s success has come from an aggressive and 'sneaky' upgrade plan. “Like I said in some other interviews, this is not only because we started with a competitive car. But actually, we have upgraded the car since Canada with what was in the past a single instalment upgrade. It would be very noticeable: 'McLaren bring a new car, and improves by a few tenths of a second.'
"But in the recent races, we have upgraded the car with some parts at pretty much each race. So we have become faster. I think every single session [in Hungary] we were P1-P2 by a decent chunk compared to the next team. This makes us very positive about the remainder of the season,” he added. “We look forward to starting racing again after the shutdown. I think we have some tracks that will be favourable to us again, like Zandvoort.”
‘An aggressive and 'sneaky' upgrade plan’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...en-boss-stella
Lewis Hamilton takes to social media with clear message
Lewis Hamilton returns from the summer break with a crucial grand prix just around the corner.
25 August 2025
Nick Golding
RacingNews365
Lewis Hamilton has taken to social media ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, stressing that everyone must "keep going, even when it's difficult." Before traveling to Zandvoort, Hamilton took to social media to reflect on the summer break, acknowledging that he must push on despite recent challenges.
Hamilton wrote on an Instagram post: "I’m always so grateful for this time, for the opportunity to rest and recharge. There’s a lot I’ve been meditating on. Every one of us is up against so much, both individually and globally. It’s so important that we embrace the light of truth and love and take care of ourselves so that we can better take care of others. We can’t look away. We have to keep going, even when it’s difficult."
‘Push on despite recent challenges’;
https://racingnews365.com/lewis-hami...-clear-message
Dutch GP Venue Parts Ways With F1 for Potential NASCAR or IndyCar Deal
August 23, 2025
Saajan Jogia Newsweek
Macon.com
Max Verstappen's home race, the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort, will part ways with Formula One after the 2026 round. The venue's general director, Robert van Overdijk, has opened up on the reason for the decision and admitted that he has an eye on NASCAR and IndyCar for a future race.
The 2025 round of the Dutch GP is set for the upcoming weekend, marking the venue's penultimate race. Given the imminent separation and the end of a fruitful partnership, the general feeling is that the remaining two races will be emotional. When Overdijk was asked by RacingNews365 if this weekend's race would be special, he said:
"I don't think so yet. If you ask me this next year, I'll say absolutely yes. The final edition will, I think, maybe evoke the same emotions in a different way as the very first edition. Of course, we all know that this event is so big in the Netherlands. But if we soon stop after 2026, Formula 1 will shift its focus back to other continents. Everyone senses that next year will be a very special one. After that it won't come back to the Netherlands for years. And maybe never again."
‘This event is so big in the Netherlands’;
https://www.macon.com/sports/article...mainstage_lead
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Dutch GP 2025 - Zandvoort: F1 times, predictions, stats, facts.
Formula 1 returns refreshed and recharged after the summer break as it heads into round 15 of the 2025 season.
ESPN.com
Zandvoort is synonymous with sand dunes, as the track weaves around them at the beachside resort. It is also known for its banked corners, with Turn 1 having a gradient of 35%. It's a high-adrenaline circuit with fast straights, technical corners and room for overtaking, so it usually delivers a dramatic race.
Between its active years of 1952 and 1985, it was on and off the calendar and had a series of negative incidents including fatalities that led to a number of upgrades being made, which tempted F1 back in 2021. However, with a packed calendar and new races on the horizon, 2026 will be the last edition of the Dutch Grand Prix.
‘Dutch GP 2025’;
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/4...ns-stats-facts
IT'S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix
After the summer break, F1 is back in action this weekend with lots to look forward to at the Dutch Grand Prix.
25 Aug 2025
Chris Medland
Formula One - Official Site
Driver market movement: The driver market is unusual this year, given the fact there are so many confirmed seats for 2026 already. That’s a byproduct of the length of contracts that were already in place, but also a wider desire to have continuity in race seats from this year to next, in order to not have to integrate a new driver at the same time as a significant regulation change.
The title fight resumes: Fourteen races down, 10 to go. The summer break might often feel like the halfway point in the calendar, but in many senses it's a pause before the run-in. The final two European rounds are about to kick off, and after the double header of Zandvoort and Monza we will be heading into the final third of the season.
A party crowd hoping for some magic from Max: Until that dominant win for Norris last season, Zandvoort had been the domain of Max Verstappen, who won the first three editions of the Dutch Grand Prix since it returned to the calendar in 2021. Verstappen always enjoys huge support at his home race, with a sea of orange greeting him, along with a raucous atmosphere on the North Sea coast.
‘5 storylines’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...GgwO6Ho7KVZRlB
Max Verstappen handed 'nothing to lose' boost ahead of Dutch GP
Max Verstappen has won the Dutch Grand Prix three times in four runnings since it returned to the F1 calendar in 2021.
27 August 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Analysing the situation the world champion finds himself in, Jolyon Palmer believes Verstappen effectively has a free hit heading into the weekend. "It's going to be a boost, it just has to be a boost," Palmer explained on the F1 Nation podcast of the support from the partisan Dutch crowd.
"The Zandvoort crowd is one of the best of the season, he'll turn up with a spring in his step, and if he thinks the championship is lost, which is most surely is, he can turn up and think: 'Oh what is there to play for?' But actually, Max turning up in Zandvoort, he'll know what is to play for because the crowd will be raucous and if he puts it on pole and wins the race.”
"But he is up against it, but I do think it is the perfect way for Max to come back after the summer break and a tough race in Hungary to think: 'Yeah, I can still execute a great race', and the crowd will hopefully lift him and spur him to keep pushing."
'Nothing to lose';
https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...ad-of-dutch-gp
Verstappen’s toughest home race yet? Seven talking points for the Dutch GP
26th August 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
It goes without saying that F1’s return to the Netherlands after almost four decades was a result of Max Verstappen breaking through as by far the most successful Dutch driver in the sport’s history. And he has regularly given the home fans the victory they crave. Over the first three years of the event, Verstappen dominated at Zandvoort. Three pole positions, three race victories. The dream result for the Dutch fans.
But last year, Verstappen tasted defeat for the first time in his home grand prix. Despite getting ahead of pole winner Lando Norris at the start, Verstappen could not hold off the McLaren over the race and was forced to settle for second place. This season, Verstappen arrives at Zandvoort not in the lead of the championship for the first time since the first race at the revised circuit in 2021. But unlike that season, he is far from being a championship contender.
After finishing ninth in the most recent round in Hungary, this could be the first time that the Dutch fans will not get to salute their beloved hero on the podium in his home grand prix. Zandvoort has several of the long-duration, medium-speed bends which the RB21 so disliked at the Hungaroring, where Verstappen could only qualify eighth and finished one place lower.
‘Verstappen’s toughest home race yet?’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/08/26/...alking-points/
Leclerc eyes return to ‘what he loves most doing’ as F1 returns with Dutch GP
26 Aug 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Charles Leclerc appears pumped for a return to on-track action as the Formula 1 mid-season break wraps up. The 27-year-old took to his social media to express his excitement after what appeared to be an eventful break.
The Scuderia Ferrari driver, who endured a difficult outing last time out at the Hungarian Grand Prix, shared a series of photos on Instagram highlighting his holiday. The Monegasque driver, who seemed to spend most of his time at sea and also witnessed his brother Lorenzo test for the Ferrari outfit, accompanied his post with the caption: “Holidays are now over. It’s time to get back to what I love most doing, driving.”
“It's important to have your own universe. Now there are very few places where I can be myself, live like a normal guy with my family. I can isolate myself when we take a few days' vacation on a boat, away from everything and everyone, close only to my loved ones. There I'm sure I'll be alone with my family, my dog, my girlfriend; that's where I feel good."
“It's important to have your own universe”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/lecle...-with-dutch-gp
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No surprise about Zandvoort F1 departure: 'Verstappen was a temporary hype'.
The Grand Prix of the Netherlands will take place two more times at Circuit Zandvoort. After 2026, the pinnacle of motorsport will definitively say goodbye to Max Verstappen's home race. Does this surprise F1 analysts? Not if it's up to Ralf Schumacher, at least.
28 Aug 2025
Kevin Doldersum
GPblog.com
"Yes, it's a pity, but that's just the way it is. Fair is fair: Max Verstappen has become a lot calmer over the years. This is because the fans get used to it and because he doesn't win as much anymore," judges the German analyst in the Backstage Boxengasse.”
The underlying cause is clear, according to Schumacher: "This means that a hype like this is always only temporary. You also notice this in the revenue from the sponsorship." The worries about the profitability of the Grand Prix at Zandvoort led to the organization deciding to say goodbye to Formula 1 after 2026.
Schumacher came up with a fitting statement for those who might criticize this decision. "We mustn't forget that we have to look at ourselves before we criticize others. If I want to sell my bike and a nice person offers me 200 euros, but someone else comes with an offer of 400 euros, you know yourself what you would choose. And that's just Formula 1," he said somewhat frustrated.
'Verstappen was a temporary hype';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/no-su...temporary-hype
Zandvoort deluged by thunderstorm as Dutch GP weather fears grow
The weather forecast earlier this week indicated rain would strike Zandvoort over the race weekend. Those predictions have already come true in a big way.
28 Aug 2025
RacingNews365
Large pools of water collected throughout the paddock, whilst an access tunnel underneath the circuit was completely flooded. The downpour rendered the tunnel impassable on foot, forcing organisers to use golf karts to transport people from one side of the track to the other.
The heavy shower will undoubtedly raise concerns about what is to come over the remainder of the weekend. While a degree of rain can often add an element of unpredictability to a grand prix, too much could threaten its running altogether, as was painfully demonstrated at the 2021 Belgian event.
‘Zandvoort deluged by thunderstorm’;
https://racingnews365.com/dutch-gp-p...hits-zandvoort
Bring Inters: Zandvoort’s Weather Could Detonate Dutch GP
Aug 28, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
Fastest Lap
Friday – Practice
FP1 (12:30 local): Overcast and cool, with the first raindrops threatening. The FIA forecast pegs the chance of rain at around 40%, air temperature near 18°C. Not much grip to start with, so any early running matters.
FP2 (16:00): That’s when the tap could really turn. An 80% chance of rain, with 5–10mm expected before potential thunderstorms roll in Friday evening. Teams may split programs: bank dry laps early if there’s a window, then pivot to intermediate and full-wet data. If you’ve brought new bits, you might not learn much.
Saturday – Final practice and qualifying
FP3 (11:30): Still unsettled. Another 80% chance of rain in the morning with gusts around 15–25 kph. It’s one of those sessions where the clock is as important as the car — catching the driest five minutes could determine your read on tyres for qualifying.
Qualifying (15:00): The outlook eases but doesn’t clear. Showers remain a threat at around 40%, with air temp nudging 19°C. If it’s stop-start wet, we’ll see that familiar Zandvoort tension: brave early laps on the crossover, or wait for the track to come to you? Either way, traffic management will be everything on a narrow, evolving surface.
Sunday - – Race
Grand Prix (15:00 local; 14:00 UK): A soggy morning should wash away most of the rubber laid down, resetting the surface for the main event. The afternoon trend looks kinder, with conditions improving as the race approaches, but there’s still a 40% chance of rain during the Grand Prix itself. Air temperature around 20°C.
‘Zandvoort’s Weather Could Detonate Dutch GP’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/bring-in...nate-dutch-gp/
Verstappen’s private jet makes a stop in another country on the eve of Dutch GP
26 Aug 2025
Tobia Elia
Cas van de Kleut
GPblog.com
This week, Max Verstappen and his fellow Formula 1 drivers are preparing for the Dutch Grand Prix after a four-week break. On Tuesday afternoon, his private jet made a stop in England, as revealed by the X account VerstappenJet. Before heading to the Netherlands, Verstappen’s aircraft was picked up on radar over England. The Red Bull Racing driver landed near Milton Keynes, home to the team’s factory. It seems likely that a quick visit there was the reason for the detour just days before the Dutch Grand Prix.
‘Landed near Milton Keynes, home to the team’s factory’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...ve-of-dutch-gp
Key Fred Vasseur Ferrari ally is ‘under pressure’ amid ‘deteriorating’ relationships at Lewis Hamilton’s team
28 Aug 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari will hope to come out of the summer break at the 2025 F1 Dutch Grand Prix able to record a strong end to the year, but they are enduring turmoil in Maranello. The pride of Italy travel to Zandvoort this weekend for round 15 of the 24 due in the 2025 F1 season. But while Ferrari sit in second place in the F1 constructors’ championship before the Dutch GP, they trail McLaren by 299 points and are still without a Grand Prix win this season.
Ferrari chassis technical director Diego Tondi is now ‘under pressure’. Now, RMC Motori reports that Ferrari’s rear suspension upgrade is the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ in Maranello, having cost them €1m (£862k) to design. Ferrari are pointing the finger at their chassis technical director Diego Tondi, as well, and he is now ‘under pressure’.
Ferrari think Tondi, who has worked for the Scuderia since 2007 and took his current role in September 2024, is ‘unable to react’, which has led to ‘deteriorating personal relationships’. Two key figures even left Ferrari during the summer break as they were ‘at odds’ with Tondi. Ferrari think Tondi, who has worked for the Scuderia since 2007 and took his current role in September 2024, is ‘unable to react’, which has led to ‘deteriorating personal relationships’. Two key figures even left Ferrari during the summer break as they were ‘at odds’ with Tondi.
‘Deteriorating relationships’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/key...amiltons-team/
McLaren set to match very special record at Zandvoort this weekend
28 Aug 2025
Tobia Elia
Estéban den Toom
GPblog.com
McLaren could match a very special record at Zandvoort during the Dutch Grand Prix. For that to happen, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will need a bit of luck and every ounce of performance from their car. And of course, Max Verstappen can’t be the one to ruin the party on Sunday—otherwise, the record will have to wait.
If Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secure another one-two finish—regardless of the order—McLaren will draw level with Mercedes and Ferrari. The record stands at five consecutive one-two finishes. Ferrari first set the benchmark early in Formula 1 history, all the way back in 1952. For sixty years it remained out of reach for every other team in the sport’s top category, until Ferrari themselves matched it again in 2002.
It wasn’t until 2014 that Mercedes had their turn, with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg finishing first and second in five straight races to equal Ferrari’s record. Mercedes even had the chance to claim the record outright, but fell just short. This Sunday, McLaren could once again draw level with that milestone—and if they succeed, the opportunity to break the record would come at Monza, with the Italian Grand Prix set for early September.
‘One-two finish record’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/mclar...t-in-formula-1
Leclerc highlights one unique Zandvoort trait when thinking about Dutch GP
28 Aug 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
The highly anticipated Dutch Grand Prix, the fifteenth round of the season after the summer break, is just around the corner. Charles Leclerc spoke about his connection to Zandvoort and the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks about the Dutch race.
Several drivers have spoken highly of the Dutch circuit, but what exactly connects Leclerc to Zandvoort? ''At the Dutch Grand Prix, the first thing that comes to my mind is the orange army,'' the Ferrari driver stated. ''It's really nice to see so much passion and to be completely honest, there's always so much respect also for all the teams and all the drivers. And I think that's what we all enjoy at the Dutch Grand Prix, mostly because there's respect as well.''
Hamilton, on the other hand, focused more on the characteristics of the circuit, which he considers unique in the F1 calendar: “It's got lots of imperfections. I think the undulations really give it a huge amount of character as well. A lot of tracks are built on flats, whereas it's built in a time where they didn't have that technology and it's aged. There's bumps from like things on the ground all over the hills moving so that just creates for me one of the best tracks that we get to race on.''
‘Unique Zandvoort trait(s)’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/general/le...about-dutch-gp
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Dutch GP: Norris leads Piastri in messy FP1 session.
Lando Norris set the pace in the opening practice session for this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, leading McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in a strong showing at Zandvoort.
29/08/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
The session unfolded under cool, windy conditions, a stark contrast to Europe’s recent heatwaves, as the Formula 1 season resumed after the summer break. The one-hour work-out saw immediate action as all 20 drivers tackled the beachside circuit. Championship leader Piastri initially topped the timesheets, followed by home hero Max Verstappen and Norris.
Verstappen briefly led before yellow flags waved 11 minutes in due to off-track incidents. Yuki Tsunoda spun at Turn 12 but continued, while Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli understeered into the gravel at Turn 9, triggering a red flag. The session resumed after an eight-minute delay, only for Carlos Sainz to slide off at Turn 12, highlighting the track’s challenges.
Despite the messy running, McLaren asserted dominance as Norris posted a blistering 1m10.278s on soft Pirelli tyres, with Piastri close behind at 1m10.570s, narrowing the gap to 0.292s. The pair’s pace went unmatched, with other front-runners like Verstappen focusing on varied run plans.
‘Lando Norris set the pace’;
https://f1i.com/news/546860-dutch-gp...1-session.html
Dutch GP: Free Practice 1 Results
Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.
29 Aug 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
POS. NO. DRIVER TEAM TIME / GAP LAPS
1 4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:10.278 34
2 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.292s 31
3 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.501s 24
4 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.563s 24
5 23 Alexander Albon Williams +0.893s 32
6 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.940s 23
7 63 George Russell Mercedes +1.108s 28
8 55 Carlos Sainz Williams +1.180s 32
9 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber +1.231s 29
10 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.335s 29
‘Full results from Free Practice 1’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-d...1-fp1-results/
FP1: Norris sets the pace from Piastri and Stroll during first practice in Zandvoort as Verstappen suffers late off
Lando Norris has kicked off the second half of the season by going quickest in Free Practice 1 at the Dutch Grand Prix.
29/08/2025
Formula One - Official Site
Lando Norris has set the pace during the opening practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix, the McLaren racer going fastest from team mate Oscar Piastri and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. After a few weeks without racing during the sport’s summer break, the drivers were greeted by dry but windy conditions as the session got underway at Zandvoort, with Nico Hulkenberg leading a queue of cars out of the pit lane when the green light appeared.
Most of the field had bolted on the medium compound for their opening runs, on a weekend in which Pirelli are celebrating their 500th World Championship Grand Prix. Amid a busy start – with potentially heavy rain forecast for later in the day – Lewis Hamilton was the first to suffer a big moment, the Briton experiencing a 360-degree spin that triggered the yellow flags. “I’ve got flat spots all round,” Hamilton subsequently reported.
‘FP1: Norris sets the pace from Piastri and Stroll’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...9d8fH7BZHLRBgj
Verstappen finishes FP1 in the gravel for Dutch GP
29/08/2025
Fastest Lap
‘Action photograph’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/news-sum...-for-dutch-gp/
F1 fans tell Max Verstappen to ‘relax’ after ‘close call’ for Red Bull at the Dutch Grand Prix
29 August 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
F1 fans tell Max Verstappen to ‘relax’ after ‘close call’ for Red Bull after Dutch Grand Prix practice. Verstappen ‘isn’t better’ than Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost, according to Jacques Villeneuve, who doesn’t think he would stand out in their era.
Unfortunately, he was standing out for all the wrong reasons after FP1 at the Dutch Grand Prix, where he found the gravel following a practice start. On X (formerly known as Twitter), it has led to quite a response from fans, warning him after the silly incident. “Close call, Max should relax,” commented one individual, while another agreed, saying, “That was close, even the best can have a shaky moment. Shows how tricky these cars can be.”
Red Bull told what Laurent Mekies must do to create success for Max Verstappen. Verstappen is now on his longest run without a podium for seven years, dating back to the final year of Red Bull’s partnership with Renault in 2018. Since then, he has always been at the front, reaping the fruits of an excellent Honda deal, which helped to transform them into regular title contenders.
‘Relax’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/f1-...ch-grand-prix/
Verstappen causes confusion with unusual off, after the chequered flag in FP1
29 Aug 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Max Verstappen found himself in the Turn 1 gravel, but after the chequered flag fell in the opening practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix. He was left to walk away from his beached Red Bull in what was a very unusual moment.
It was a better session for Verstappen, who was sixth fastest, although he was still 0.940s slower than Norris. However, he was made to walk back to the pit lane after a very unusual off that took place after the chequered flag. Joining his rivals on the grid for a practice session, Verstappen got away cleanly only to go straight on at Turn 1. “And keep up the pace Max,” said his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. “Oop…”
Walking around the rear of his Red Bull, Verstappen began to dig the gravel away from the front of his RB21’s rear right tyre. Sky F1’s Karun Chandhok explained: “He doesn’t want them to damage the floor when they are picking the car up.” That was about the only thing in the incident that made sense.
‘Verstappen causes confusion’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...g-fp1-dutch-gp
Clarity on Verstappen's update: This is what has changed on the Red Bull
14:26, 29 Aug
Norberto Mujica
Cas van de Kleut
GPblog.com
On Friday morning, it was reported that Red Bull had updated the front wing for the Dutch Grand Prix. The team's chief engineer, Paul Monaghan, for Max Verstappen's squad, has explained the adjustment to the car.
In the presence among others GPblog, Monaghan was asked whether it is a specific update for Zandvoort, or a part of the car's development. "It's not a whole new front wing," Monaghan said. "It's quite literally just a flap extension. We're struggling a little bit for balance, so you just extend the chord.”
"It's nothing unusual: you glue it onto the existing one and off you go.” Monaghan continued: “So yes, it's not quite as dramatic as you think. It's very similar to what we did in Hungary, just slightly further because we've had the time to make some more bits.”
‘Clarity on Verstappen's update’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/clari...n-the-red-bull
Minimal upgrades as teams unveil car changes for the Dutch Grand Prix
29 Aug 2025
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
Upgrades are few and far between as F1 resumes from its summer break with just three teams making any alterations. The summer shutdown, which enforces no work to be done at the factory, plus an increasing focus on 2026 suggested it was always likely there would not be a huge amount of changes for this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix and that has proven to be the case.
‘Minimal upgrades’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/upgrad...tch-grand-prix
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Dutch GP: Norris edges Alonso in FP2 – heavy crash for Stroll.
Norris’ consistency signals McLaren’s strong form, while Alonso’s pace hints at Aston Martin’s potential despite Stroll’s setback.
29/08/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
McLaren’s Lando Norris continued his dominance at the Dutch Grand Prix, topping the second practice session with a commanding performance on Zandvoort’s 4.226km seaside circuit. The session was disrupted early on when Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll suffered a heavy crash at Turn 3’s high banking. Carrying too much speed, the Canadian slammed into the outside wall, wrecking the front and rear right-side of his AML25, triggering an immediate red flag.
At the time, Haas rookie Oliver Bearman briefly led with a 1m11.113s lap on soft tyres, ahead of Norris and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto. The session faced further chaos when Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar stopped on track due to a power loss, prompting a Virtual Safety Car with only half the session remaining.
With interruptions limiting data collection, teams face a challenging setup for Saturday’s sessions. Verstappen, sitting fifth, remains a threat on home soil as Red Bull aims to close the gap.
‘Norris’ consistency signals McLaren’s strong form’;
https://f1i.com/news/546890-dutch-gp...or-stroll.html
Dutch Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results
29/08/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Full results from Free Practice 2 for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, round 15 of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship.
2025 Dutch Grand Prix - Free Practice 2 results
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:09.890s 27
2 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.087s 19
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.089s 28
4 George Russell Mercedes +0.384s 24
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.588s 22
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.848s 21
7 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +0.905s 25
8 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.944s 22
9 Franco Colapinto Alpine +1.067s 25
10 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber +1.190s 24
‘Full results from Free Practice 2’;
https://f1i.com/news/546888-dutch-gr...2-results.html
Lance Stroll crashes heavily in Dutch GP practice as Aston Martin destroyed
Stroll unharmed after heavy Zandvoort crash but Aston Martin left with overnight repairs
29 August 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Lance Stroll brought out the red flags during Free Practice 2 at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix after a heavy crash at Turn 3 in Zandvoort, leaving his Aston Martin badly damaged but escaping without injury.
The Canadian lost control coming out of Turn 2 and carried too much speed into the banked right-hander, locking up before slamming into the barriers. His car sustained significant damage on the right-hand side, bouncing back onto the track before coming to a halt.
“I’m okay,” Stroll confirmed over the team radio, easing concerns after the impact. He was able to climb out of the wreck unaided and quickly returned to the garage with his team. The incident forced an immediate red flag as marshals cleared debris and recovered the Aston Martin. The stoppage lasted several minutes before the session resumed, though there was little track activity at first as teams reassessed their run plans.
‘Aston Martin destroyed’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-aston-martin/
What happened in second Dutch GP F1 practice session
Aug 29, 2025
Ben Anderson
The Race
Lando Norris kept McLaren on top in second practice for the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix, but only narrowly from Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin in a session that featured crashes for Lance Stroll and Alex Albon and a high-speed spin for Lewis Hamilton. Russell ended the session fourth quickest for Mercedes, just under four tenths off the pace, with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth for Ferrari, despite a high-speed spin exiting Turn 9 after touching the grass.
Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull, Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, the Alpine of Franco Colapinto - which set its best time later in the session than the rest - and Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber rounded out the top 10. This didn’t look like an easy session for the Ferraris, which were almost a full second off the pace in FP2, and even though Verstappen enjoyed one of Red Bull’s calmer Fridays, he was still almost six tenths off the pace.
‘What happened’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...ctice-session/
Lewis Hamilton suffers second costly error as messy Dutch GP start continues
Things are going from bad to worse for Lewis Hamilton at Zandvoort...
29 August 2025
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Lewis Hamilton has completed his second 360-degree spin of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, with a pirouette on the exit of Turn 9 in FP2. The seven-time F1 drivers' champion made a similar mistake during FP1 at Zandvoort on the exit of Turn 2, but has managed to avoid crashing his Ferrari on both occasions.
In trying to find the limit of his SF-25's capabilities, the 40-year-old has endured a messy start to proceedings, but was able to go fourth-fastest soon after his second incident, quicker than team-mate Charles Leclerc, who encountered traffic on his run. His spin came between red flag crashes for Lance Stroll and Alex Albon, in what is becoming a heavily disrupted second free practice session.
‘From bad to worse’;
https://racingnews365.com/lewis-hami...tart-continues
WATCH: Stroll suffers heavy crash in FP2 at the Dutch Grand Prix
Lance Stroll crashed in the opening stages of Free Practice 2 at Zandvoort.
29 August 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Lance Stroll’s Free Practice 2 at the Dutch Grand Prix came to an abrupt end with a heavy crash at Turn 3. With rain on the horizon, drivers were keen to set their timed efforts early in the session and gather the maximum amount of data early on.
Running on medium tyres, Stroll – who’d gone an impressive P2 in Free Practice 1 – appeared to misjudge his braking point, locking his front-left tyre before understeering his Aston Martin into the barriers.
‘Stroll suffers heavy crash’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...LwkHAk3mTMa6dJ
Norris Sweeps Friday; Alonso Splits the Papaya at Zandvoort
August 29, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
Fastest Lap
Dutch GP FP2: Norris completes Friday sweep as Alonso splits the orange, Stroll walks away from Turn 3 hit McLaren kept the hammer down at Zandvoort, Lando Norris topping FP2 to complete a Friday clean sweep at the Dutch Grand Prix. The gap shrank, though: Fernando Alonso muscled his Aston Martin between the papaya pair, just 0.087s shy of Norris, with Oscar Piastri third as 0.089s covered the top three.
The session had a little of everything Zandvoort likes to throw at you—brooding clouds, a packed pit exit, and a couple of hard reminders that the banking bites. With rain threatening, the queue at the end of the pit lane looked like rush hour. Norris laid an early 1:12.615 on mediums before Carlos Sainz (hards) and then Alonso (mediums) had a go at the top.
Tensions surfaced early too. Alonso was left fuming after feeling impeded by Kimi Antonelli through Turn 7, while Yuki Tsunoda earned a radio rebuke from Charles Leclerc coming off the final corner. It was that kind of scrappy, elbows-out practice hour. The first big jolt came at Turn 3, where Lance Stroll smacked the wall on the banking and brought out the red flags. “I’m fine,” came the immediate radio call, which will have soothed Aston Martin as much as the green cars’ pace. When the session resumed with just under 40 minutes to go, radar updates suggested the heavier rain would skim by rather than drench the place.
‘McLaren kept the hammer down’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/norris-s...-at-zandvoort/
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Lando Norris completes free practice clean sweep for F1 Dutch GP.
The Brit’s 1:08.972s saw him top the timesheets for the third consecutive session at the Zandvoort circuit, with team-mate Oscar Piastri propping a McLaren 1-2.
30 August 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Lando Norris completed a clean sweep of free practice first place finishes on Saturday afternoon ahead of qualifying for Formula 1‘s Dutch Grand Prix. Piastri was two tenths behind Norris, with George Russell’s Mercedes third, a further sixth tenths back. Carlos Sainz placed his Williams fourth with a 1:09.913s, with home favourite Max Verstappen fifth.
Charles Leclerc was sixth for Ferrari, with Alex Albon in the sister Williams seventh. Lance Stroll recovered well from his huge FP2 shunt to go eighth fastest. Isack Hadjar was ninth for Racing Bulls, with Fernando Alonso rounding up the top 10.
Liam Lawson was 11th, followed by Yuki Tsunoda in 12th, the Japanese four tenths adrift of his team-mate’s time. Gabriel Bortoleto was 13th, with Lewis Hamilton 14th, the Brit hoping for a more positive finish in qualifying.
‘Free practice clean sweep’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...r-f1-dutch-gp/
F1 2025 Dutch GP – Free Practice 3 Results
Norris completes clean sweep of Dutch GP practice sessions as rivals struggle to keep up
30 August 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Dutch GP 2025 FP3 results
Check out the full Dutch GP 2025 Free Practice 3 results from the third and final practice session in Zandvoort below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:08.972
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.242
3 George Russell Mercedes +0.886
4 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.941
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.953
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.966
7 Alexander Albon Williams +1.127
8 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.131
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +1.194
10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.260
‘Free Practice 3 Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-3-results/
Dutch GP: Norris secures practice hat-trick as Alonso and Russell face post-FP3 investigation
30 Aug 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris secured the practice hat-trick at the Dutch Grand Prix as he beat Oscar Piastri by a quarter of a second with George Russell third fastest. The Mercedes driver is off to see the stewards after the session after a scary moment with Fernando Alonso that almost saw the Aston Martin driver crash into the pit lane entry wall.
Overnight rain meant that while the rain had abated ahead of FP3, it was declared a wet session as there were damp patches around the circuit. As such there were no immediate takers when the light went green, Ferrari still working on the setup of the SF-25s. The battle at the front, though, was all about the McLaren team-mates as Piastri nipped ahead of Norris, who was over four-tenths clear of third-placed Hamilton.
There was bit of drama late in the session as Alonso came up on the right side of Russell only for the Mercedes driver to suddenly pull to the right as he wanted to pit. The two narrowly avoided what could’ve been a big crash. Race Control noted the incident, which will be investigated after the session. The session ended with Norris fastest of all ahead of Piastri, with Russell third.
‘Could’ve been a big crash’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/dutch-...025-fp3-report
WATCH: Russell and Alonso have a close call in unusual incident during FP3 in Zandvoort
There was a dramatic moment for Mercedes' George Russell and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso during third practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.
30 Aug 2025
Formula One - Official Site
George Russell and Fernando Alonso had a very close call that saw them narrowly avoid contact in an unusual incident during third and final practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver was in front of Alonso heading out of the final corner but, as they approached the pit entry, the two-time World Champion had to take evading action when Russell suddenly moved over as if about to pit, only to then continue on for another lap.
Alonso, left with nowhere to go, dived into the pits himself, leaving the Aston Martin man to remark: “They don’t look at their mirrors.”
The incident was investigated after the session, with Mercedes handed a €7,500 fine and Russell a warning.
‘Close call’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...qk9hwxSIJ2GYRf
FP3: Norris dominates practice again from McLaren team mate Piastri ahead of Dutch Grand Prix
Lando Norris finished fastest again at Zandvoort as McLaren dominated proceedings in Free Practice 3.
30 Aug 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Lando Norris completed a clean sweep of fastest Free Practice times ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, finishing more than two-tenths clear of McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri in the third session. The duo stamped their authority on proceedings ahead of Qualifying on Saturday afternoon, finishing well clear of the rest of the field, which was headed by George Russell and Carlos Sainz.
Heavy overnight rain left the track damp at the start of the one-hour session, with drivers in no rush to head out on to the Zandvoort Circuit for several minutes. Isack Hadjar was eventually the first to venture out, the Racing Bulls driver keen to make up for a lack of running in FP2 after coming to a stop on track with no laps under his belt.
But the Frenchman completed just one lap on the intermediate tyre before pitting, stating over the radio that "the track is very green" as Kimi Antonelli was the next to explore the circuit but on medium Pirelli rubber. Antonelli moved back to the top with a 1m 13.740s and times began to tumble with the majority of the field performing installation laps approaching the 10-minute mark, with Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto both jumping to the head of the standings on the hard tyre.
‘FP3: Norris dominates practice’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...qk9hwxSIJ2GYRf
Orange Shock: Verstappen Fears Zandvoort Fight Just for Top Five
30 Aug 2025
Fastest Lap
Max Verstappen’s home weekends usually come with grandstand expectations and a sea of orange waiting for the inevitable. Not this time. After a muted Friday at Zandvoort, the three-time Dutch GP winner says even making the top five in qualifying could be a stretch. McLaren set the tone early. Lando Norris topped the times on Friday, and Verstappen ended FP2 in fifth, just under six tenths off the McLaren.
He was beaten by both MCL60s across the day, with Fernando Alonso slipping his Aston Martin ahead and George Russell keeping Mercedes in the conversation. Lance Stroll’s hefty crash in FP2 interrupted Aston Martin’s program, but on pace alone they looked lively enough to spoil a Red Bull recovery. Zandvoort hasn’t always been hospitable to anyone not named Verstappen. Since the Dutch GP returned in 2021, he won three straight and turned 2022–23 into home coronations.
The streak snapped last year when Norris ran away with it and Red Bull had no answer. On early evidence, 2025 might rhyme with that. Verstappen sounded resigned rather than rattled after FP2, describing a car he’s been unable to unlock. He and the team tried plenty of setup directions on Friday without shifting the underlying weakness. The headline issue is front grip. At Zandvoort, with its long, loaded corners in the middle sector, that understeer costs lap time and confidence, and there’s no instant fix from the garage overnight. “A massive turnaround” isn’t on his bingo card.
‘Verstappen sounded resigned’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/orange-s...-for-top-five/
F1 driver's future plunged into doubt on the eve of Dutch GP
The 2025 Formula 1 season continues in Zandvoort.
30 Aug 2025
Marcus Chan
SPORTbible
Since then, the 22-year-old has largely struggled; he is yet to score this season and sits 20 points behind teammate Pierre Gasly. Speaking ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Alpine's de facto team principal, Flavio Briatore, expressed his disappointment in Colapinto's performances. The Italian said: "I've seen everything already, so I don't think I need to see anything more. I think for this driver, it is very difficult to cope with this car as they are very, very heavy and very, very quick for a young driver in Formula 1.”
"Maybe it was not the [right] timing to have Franco in Formula 1, and maybe he needs another year to be part of F1." Briatore continued: "I'm not happy with the result; this is what is important, and he tries very hard, we try very hard with the engineering [team], but it is not what I expected from Colapinto. We changed Doohan with Colapinto, and maybe Colapinto had the same problem - too much pressure to be in F1.”
“Last year, he had two or three good races, but maybe to be in the team with a good driver like Pierre, and always to be in competition with him, maybe we put too much pressure on him." Under the current rules, Alpine can make one more driver change in 2025, and Colapinto could be looking over his shoulders very soon.
“Maybe too much pressure to be in F1”;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/dutch-...78363-20250830
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Piastri stuns Norris in incredibly close Dutch GP qualifying.
Oscar Piastri overturned his deficit to McLaren team-mate and Formula 1 title rival Lando Norris when it mattered to claim a narrow pole position for the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
Aug 30, 2025
Ben Anderson
The Race
Norris had the edge on Piastri throughout practice, particularly through sector one, but Piastri did “the definition of peaking at the right time” in Q3, outpacing Norris by just 0.012 seconds in what turned out to be the crucial first runs, as neither could improve in the final stages when many drivers struggled to find time on a windy circuit. Defending F1 world champion Max Verstappen was one of those who did find time on his final run, but it was only good enough to be a closer third, 0.263s off pole in his Red Bull.
Rookie Isack Hadjar delivered another stunning Saturday performance to qualify a season’s best fourth for Racing Bulls, beating the Mercedes of George Russell and the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Hadjar’s team-mate Liam Lawson was eighth quickest in the other Racing Bulls, ahead of Carlos Sainz’s Williams and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, which lacked the impressive pace that split the two McLarens on Friday but was still good enough to mix it in the top 10.
Tsunoda suffers Q2 elimination at hands of Lawson. Tsunoda was hanging on to a top-10 spot before the driver he replaced at Red Bull, Lawson, pumped in a lap good enough for eighth. That put Mercedes rookie Antonelli on the bubble, but he too fell after Alonso jumped up to seventh with a last-gasp lap just 0.053s down on Russell’s Mercedes.
‘Piastri stuns Norris’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/d...iastri-norris/
F1 2025 Dutch GP – Qualifying Results
Piastri edges Norris as McLaren dominance continues in Zandvoort qualifying
30 August 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Dutch GP 2025 Qualifying results
Check out the full F1 Dutch GP 2025 Qualifying results from Zandvoort below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:08.662
2 Lando Norris McLaren +0.012
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.263
4 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.546
5 George Russell Mercedes +0.593
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.678
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.728
8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.838
9 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.843
10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.968
‘F1 Dutch GP 2025 Qualifying results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...fying-results/
McLaren details how Oscar Piastri has turned the tables on Lando Norris at F1 Dutch GP
30 Aug 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Explaining how Piastri seized the initiative when Norris had looked in control, Stella attributed the Australian’s progress to finding incremental gains over the weekend. “In reality, even yesterday, when at times Oscar might have been a little distant from Lando, I think the distance was not large at all,” Stella told media including Motorsport Week.
“We knew, the drivers knew, that what we were saying in our debriefs that the situation was very close between the two drivers, and each of them had some corners in which there was a margin to improve. And like I’ve said several times, having two competitive drivers makes the whole team and the car look better because they can pick from one another.”
“So I think what Oscar has done, likewise Lando has done, they have seen where there was the opportunity to go a little bit faster, adjust the driving input and, I would say that for both Oscar and Lando, this is the way in which both have found some performance more than some set-up adjustments. So it was more in the driving and in adapting to the wind rather than finding some relevant solutions with car set-up or car specification.”
‘How Oscar Piastri has turned the tables’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...gp-qualifying/
Zandvoort showdown: Orange roar or papaya repeat?
30 Aug 2025
Fastest Lap
Summer break’s done, the dunes are awake, and Zandvoort’s grandstands are about to turn a very loud shade of orange again. The Dutch Grand Prix returns this weekend, with Max Verstappen carrying the weight of an entire nation’s expectation — though last year, it was another shade of orange (papaya) that stole the show when Lando Norris nicked the win.
Here’s everything you need to know to catch the race live, wherever you are. When does the Dutch Grand Prix start? The Dutch GP gets underway at 3:00pm local time on Sunday 31 August 2025. That translates to:
‘Orange roar or papaya repeat?’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/zandvoor...papaya-repeat/
Mekies after qualiffying in Zandvoort: 'Max did an incredible job'
30 August 2025
Julien Lemmen
Verstappen.nl
Laurent Mekies, team principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said after qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix: "I think P3 was the absolute best Max could have done today, there were a lot of teams competing for P3, Mercedes, Ferrari and probably Fernando in the Aston as well. Max did an incredible job to have such a strong Qualifying and so did the Team. It has been no secret we have struggled with car balance all weekend and the Team kept trying things out on both sides of the garage, which ultimately put the car in a better window, so credit to them."
Mekies continues: "We unlocked some performance in the car and are extracting just about everything we can from it. Generally, the car has improved from where it was for most of the weekend and with that, we should be able to see performance in the race. It will be similar to Quali and a big fight behind the McLarens with four or five cars on very similar pace. Yuki has had a weekend where he has again shown progress, he has been at a reasonable gap to Max on a difficult track. He didn’t improve on his second set in Q2 and missed out by just one tenth, so it is still close and he is still building up.”
'Max did an incredible job';
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5924/
Jacques Villeneuve spots crucial Lewis Hamilton change after ‘strange’ observation
31 Aug 2025
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
A major topic of conversation for the Sky Sports F1 team after Dutch GP qualifying. Former driver turned pundit Jacques Villeneuve pointed out that Ferrari is “not far off” the pace, and that with “a tenth or two,” they could have been P4.
“It’s not as bad as it looked earlier,” the Canadian pointed out. But he then contrasted the perspectives of both Ferrari drivers. “It’s funny, and it’s weird to see how different the two drivers are,” Villeneuve said. “Like, Charles is really upset and berating himself, beating himself up — and Lewis actually super happy, like ‘Oh, that’s quite good.’”
“If you look at the last race, and now, he’s on par with his teammate. He’s had a good weekend. It’s up here. He’s changed his mindset, and it’s affecting his driving.”
‘Ferrari is “not far off” the pace’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...neuve-dutch-gp
David Coulthard has spotted a surprising change in Lando Norris at the Dutch Grand Prix
31 August 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
David Coulthard was reporting from the Dutch Grand Prix for Channel 4 and explained: “It seems to me that there seems to be nothing between the drivers other than brilliance. It could have gone either way. Just at the start of the weekend, I had a chance to talk to Lando. I felt quite nervous going into the interview, because I’m thinking, this guy could be world champion, or he could finish second. And I don’t want to state the obvious, but I came out of the interview feeling very relaxed. It’s like he’s taken a chill pill during the summer.”
Lando Norris ‘a little disappointed’ with Dutch Grand Prix qualifying result.
Norris lamented his luck running out in qualifying but also admitted that Piastri drove well to take pole position. He said in an interview that he ‘wasn’t as fast as he needed to be’ in several corners, but it felt as though he was seeking perfection with those comments, something Piastri is far more accepting of that fact that it’s almost impossible not to make small mistakes when you’re pushing right at the limit.
Speaking in his official post-race interview, Norris said: “I’m pleased to be starting on the front row, but I’m a little disappointed to not be on pole. “It was close – it’s been close the whole weekend, and I had decent laps, so it’s not the end of the world. We’re in a good position to fight. It’s a long race with a lot of laps, and we’ll see what the weather holds. We’ll have some fun tomorrow.” The change Coulthard and Brown have noticed in Norris could prove pivotal in the final races of the season.
“He’s taken a chill pill during the summer’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ner...ch-grand-prix/
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Piastri wins Dutch GP as Norris's race goes up in smoke.
ZANDVOORT, Netherlands - Oscar Piastri won the Dutch Grand Prix to take a mighty 34 point lead in the Formula One championship on Sunday as McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris suffered a smoky retirement in a significant setback to his title hopes.
31 August 2025
The Straits Times
On a dramatic afternoon at Zandvoort, with Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc crashing out in separate incidents, McLaren were heading for a record-equalling fifth successive one-two win when Norris suffered late despair. After saying he could smell smoke in the cockpit, the Briton slowed and retired from second place on lap 65 of 72 with visible evidence then seen coming out of the back of his stricken car as he pulled over.
Norris did his best to deal with the disappointment after sitting slumped in the sand dunes near the seaside track with his helmet on. "I just want to go have a burger and go home," the despondent winner of three of the four previous races told Sky Sports television. "It was a positive race but it didn't mean anything. I couldn't get past. Oscar deserved it today. Just not my weekend. That is life, I just take it on the chin and move on."
‘Mighty 34 point lead’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...es-up-in-smoke
F1 2025 Dutch Grand Prix – Race Results
Piastri takes control as Norris retires and Hadjar celebrates first podium finish
31 August 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Dutch Grand Prix 2025 Results
Check out the full F1 Dutch Grand Prix 2025 race results from Zandvoort below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren Leader
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull +1.271
3 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +3.233
4 George Russell Mercedes +5.654
5 Alexander Albon Williams +6.327
6 Oliver Bearman Haas +9.044
7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +9.497
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +11.709
9 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +13.597
10 Esteban Ocon Haas +14.063
‘Dutch Grand Prix 2025 Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-race-results/
'Long way to go' – Piastri cautions title talk after pivotal Dutch Grand Prix victory and Norris retirement
With his seventh win of the season and Lando Norris retiring, Oscar Piastri now sits with a 34-point lead in the Drivers' Championship.
31 August 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Dutch Grand Prix winner Oscar Piastri claims "there is a long way to go yet" in his quest for a maiden Drivers' title, having taken a substantial points lead over McLaren team mate Lando Norris after his retirement.
"I controlled the race when I needed to and obviously incredibly unfortunate for Lando at the end, but I felt like I was in control of that one and just used the pace when I needed to," he said. "It was a bit of a different race to 12 months ago so very happy with all the work we've done to try and improve around here. Very satisfied to come out on top."
'Long way to go';
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...CIMLYdN3fDjzNk
Dramatic DNF for Norris as Piastri wins Dutch GP
Aug 31, 2025
Matt Beer
The Race
Norris had lost out to a bold Max Verstappen opening lap - in which Verstappen brilliantly caught a wild slide as he completed his move into second - but didn't need long to repass the Red Bull, which was just not on the McLarens' pace at Zandvoort, and start to chip away at the gap to Piastri.
Safety cars twice brought them back together, first when Lewis Hamilton had a solo crash straight after his first pitstop during light drizzle, then when the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc bounced off the barriers after being tapped into a spin by Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes as they battled on Leclerc's out-lap.
Norris's eventual retirement handed second to Verstappen, who couldn't challenge Piastri in the final dash to the flag despite being on soft tyres to the McLaren's hards, and an outstanding third to Racing Bulls' rookie Isack Hadjar - who had run an unflustered 'best of the rest' behind the McLarens and Verstappen all day.
‘Dramatic DNF’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/d...wins-dutch-gp/
Dutch GP: Piastri clinches Zandvoort win as Norris retires, Ferrari suffers double DNF
31 Aug 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Oscar Piastri once again put distance between himself and Norris at the restart as the McLaren teammates dropped Verstappen only for Norris to report “smoke” in his cockpit. Moments later he ground to a halt on the side of the track due to an engine failure. “I’m out.”
The Briton’s DNF elevated Verstappen to second and Hadjar onto the podium with the action underway again on lap 69. Piastri once again pulled away from the chasing pack while Russell hounded Hadjar for the podium with Alex Albon the big winner, up to fifth.
Piastri held on to win the grand prix ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar, with Russell and Albon. Antonelli was sixth at the line but faced a 15-second penalty that dropped him out of the points. Bearman, Stroll, Alonso, Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon completed the points. Piastri leads the Drivers’ standings by 34 points ahead of his teammate.
“I’m out”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/dutch-...ix-2025-report
Lewis Hamilton left stunned after rare Dutch GP crash ends Ferrari progress
The seven-time world champion reflects on his first DNF of the season after a rare mistake
31 August 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 Dutch Grand Prix unravelled on Lap 23, when the Ferrari driver lost control at Turn 3 and crashed into the barriers, bringing an abrupt end to what had been one of his more encouraging weekends of the 2025 Formula 1 season. For a seven-time world champion with a reputation for consistency, the rare retirement left Hamilton both disappointed and reflective, even as he tried to focus on signs of progress.
“It was a bit twitchy, the car. I think we made real progress this weekend. My pace was looking pretty decent,” Hamilton explained. “I was catching George [Russell] and I think I had the pace of a few cars ahead of me. Very unusual to not finish a race and to go out so early, it’s definitely not great, but it is what it is.”
‘Lewis Hamilton left stunned’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/lew...reaction-2025/
Red Bull may now ignore Isack Hadjar’s wishes after first F1 podium at Dutch Grand Prix
31 August 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Red Bull may promote Isack Hadjar after Dutch Grand Prix heroics – contrary to his wishes. A recent report revealed that Hadjar is ‘highly resistant’ to joining Red Bull in 2026. He’s seen former teammate Yuki Tsunoda struggle enormously this season, just as Liam Lawson, Sergio Perez, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly did before him.
Hadjar’s preference would be to stay at Racing Bulls for another year so he can continue his development. That way, by the time he makes the step up, he’ll know he’s ready. But given that Red Bull manage his career, he could be ‘compelled’ to become Verstappen’s teammate.
And writing on X immediately after the race, ESPN journalist Nate Saunders suggested he was now a ‘shoo-in’ for the seat. Tsunoda, who is out of contract at the end of the season, did at least end his scoreless run with a P10 finish. However, Hadjar is now 27 points and eight places above him in the standings.
‘Hadjar is ‘highly resistant’ to joining Red Bull’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...ch-grand-prix/
-
‘Big day for Australia’: Webber hails Piastri’s Dutch GP win.
Mark Webber called Oscar Piastri’s Dutch GP victory “a big day for Australian motorsport” after his ninth F1 win put him 34 points clear in the title race.
1 Sep 2025
Ben Waterworth
Channel 9's Wide World of Sports
Mark Webber, who manages Piastri, praised both his driver’s execution and the work of McLaren. “Oh magnificent. He drove so well today,” Webber told Sky Sports. “I think today, a big day for Australian motorsport. We’ve had Daniel [Ricciardo] win plenty, obviously Jack [Brabham] and AJ [Alan Jones], Oscar now having his success so early. This is really a credit to him. He’s put a huge amount of work in executing beautifully. The team have done such a good job as well.”
“[There’s a] long way ago,” he said. “We’ve got races like Brazil where it rains. We’ve got Singapore, Azerbaijan, which are street circuits where anything can happen. We’d rather have the runs on the board than not, but you’ve got to jag the points when you can. He’s had a few misses this year out of his control, so good that he doubled down today.”
“Long way ago”;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-m...-championship/
Piastri still not comfortable with 34-point lead
31 Aug 2025
The Straits Times
ZANDVOORT, Netherlands - McLaren's Oscar Piastri played down his 34-point lead in the Formula One championship on Sunday and said he still did not feel comfortable. "There’s still a long way to go. I need to keep pushing and trying to win races still. I wouldn’t say it’s a very comfortable margin," Piastri told reporters at seaside Zandvoort.”
"As we saw today, it can change with one DNF (non-finish) very, very quickly. So this far out from the end of the year, it’s not a comfortable gap. I controlled the race when I needed to and obviously it was incredibly unfortunate for Lando at the end, but I felt like I was in control of that one and just used the pace when I needed to," said Piastri of his day's work.
"The start of this weekend was looking like a difficult one and (I) managed to get it together in qualifying. I was happy with the pace I had today. Very, very happy. A couple of safety cars spiced it up a little bit, and we weathered it all."
“I need to keep pushing and trying to win races still”;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...-34-point-lead
Piastri vows no let up in Formula One title race
Zandvoort (Netherlands) (AFP) – Formula One world championship leader Oscar Piastri vowed Sunday to keep his foot firmly on the accelerator in his battle with McLaren teammate Lando Norris after opening up a 34-point lead at the Dutch Grand Prix.
31 Aug 2025
France 24
Norris suffered a mechanical failure in the closing laps Sunday as he was chasing down his Australian teammate, his retirement possibly proving crucial in the overall race to the title.
Asked whether opening up a 34-point lead might allow him to race more strategically, Piastri said there would be no let-up from his side. "There's still a long way to go. I need to keep pushing and trying to win races still," said the 24-year-old Australian after claiming his sixth chequered flag this season.
He said the misfortune suffered by Norris showed how quickly fortunes can swing in the fast pace of Formula One. "I wouldn't say it's a very comfortable margin. As we saw today, things can change very, very quickly," he said.
‘Keep his foot firmly on the accelerator’;
https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...one-title-race
Mark Hughes: Piastri gets payback he deserves in Dutch masterclass
September 1st 2025
Mark Hughes
Motor Sport Magazine
Oscar Piastri finally saw fate swing his way at Zandvoort, as Lando Norris' retirement gave the Australian's championship chances a major boost. Mark Hughes analyses the Dutch GP
Big picture: a dramatic swing of fortune in Oscar Piastri‘s favour after team-mate and title rival Lando Norris retired his McLaren from second with a late-race engine failure, turning what was looking like a seven-point loss to Piastri to one of 25 points. Plus the nine by which he already trailed Piastri, making it a 34-point deficit with nine races left. Against a team-mate who can seem to do no wrong.
Piastri’s performance was calm and resolute throughout the weekend. He turned an initial pace disadvantage around to sneak pole by hundredths and made the perfect conversion of that. Each of the three safety car restarts was brilliantly judged, and he was helped in this by the McLaren, which can get even its hard tyres straight up to temperature just fine even versus Verstappen on a set of softs.
‘Fate swing his way’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
Oscar Piastri pinpoints the ‘hardest part’ of his Dutch Grand Prix victory, ‘didn’t work…’
1 September 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Oscar Piastri responds to Andrea Stella’s comments after Dutch Grand Prix win. It was a dominant weekend for Piastri in which he was quick in practice and fastest in qualifying, something that is becoming a trend this season, according to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. “It’s happened a few times this year where it started a bit slow and then gotten better as the weekend’s gone on. The difference from this year to last year is last year, those weekends that started slow, the middle was slow, and the end was slow,” said Piastri.
“It’s just been good to actually find the time as the weekend’s gone on. Is it an ideal way? Am I doing it on purpose? Not always. I’m trying to build up to things, of course, but was hoping to build up a bit quicker than I did this weekend. I got there just in the end in Q3, but I didn’t go into qualifying the most optimistic. So maybe a little bit slow to get there, but I felt very happy with where I was going into qualifying, not expecting the world, just trying to do my best and see what happened. And in the end that was enough, and a similar thing today. Very happy from that side of things, and I think that part is probably the ‘Oscar-like weekend’.”
‘It started a bit slow and then gotten better as the weekend’s gone on’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/osc...ry-didnt-work/
-
‘Have a burger and go home’: Norris responds to F1 disaster as McLaren reveals what went wrong.
Lando Norris: “F***, I’m out, I’m out ... unlucky, boys” on team radio.
September 1st, 2025
Dane Heverin from Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)
An Australian F1 great has hailed Oscar Piastri’s victory at the Dutch Grand Prix as a “big day for Australian motorsport”, while Lando Norris said “it hurts” to lose 25 points in the title race after he did not finish for the second time this season. Norris was ruled out of the race with only seven laps remaining as an oil leak and engine failure left him to disappointingly say, “f***, I’m out, I’m out ... unlucky, boys” on team radio.
“I just want to go have a burger and go home,” a dejected Norris told Sky Sports post-race. “It’s frustrating, it’s not like I’m happy about today. It hurts and to lose, 25 points outright, it would have been seven points, it would have been smaller. I just have to keep fighting, keep doing what I can. I was quick today. I thought I could fight for a win. If you’re fighting for a win around here, that’s normally just a good job already. “I take the positives, I look on, I’ll try to bounce back. I’ve got tough competition, so it’s never going to be easy, but really make sure I do everything I can.”
‘Have a burger and go home’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...816c4f151528a8
Lando Norris comes to F1 title realisation after McLaren heartbreak
Lando Norris now finds himself 34 points behind team-mate Oscar Piastri following his Dutch Grand Prix heartbreak.
2 September 2025
Jake Nichol & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Reflecting on his situation, Norris (said) "The only thing I can do now is win every race," Norris told media, including RacingNews365. "That is going to be difficult, but I'll make sure I give it everything I can. "I didn't lose out by much in qualifying and felt on top of things, and the pace looked strong [in the race], so there are many positives.”
"It is just close, I have a good team-mate, he's strong and quick in every scenario and situation, but this was a different situation, it is just unlucky, it's not my fault, and sometimes, that is just racing. It's only made it harder for me and put me under more pressure, but the gap is big enough now that I can just chill out about it.”
"The team and HPP have done a very good job over the two years, and this might be the first [engine failure] I can remember that has cost us points. It is not inevitable at this point, because everyone works to such high standards, we don't expect it, so that's why it is just unlucky. It is not like the olden days when you pretty much blew up every other race, so we don't expect it, and it it just really unlucky."
"Win every race";
https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...ren-heartbreak
Norris discloses his in-race reaction to Verstappen’s start: ‘Knew he’d go for it’
2 Sep 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
At the start, the Briton got a better launch than the Australian. Nevertheless, an error from Norris ended up costing him, he stated to media including GPblog. “My situation with like a decent start, I had a dodgy upshift into third, I think, which cost me my momentum. Otherwise, I think I had a slightly better one than Oscar. And then I was just on the inside, I couldn’t really get left. Oscar then drifted high so I could come inside.”
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen on softs saw the door open up and went for a daring two-wheels-on-the-grass move that nearly saw him lose control of his Red Bull, which he managed to retain. Norris had predicted from the moment he learned of Verstappen’s starting tyre choice that the Dutchman would be going for the overtake. “I mean, as soon as I knew Max was on the softs, I knew there was a good chance he was going to come past. I knew Max would go for it in Turn 2. It was a close one,” he added.
‘Ever-present threat that is Max Verstappen’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/norri...-hed-go-for-it
Alex Brundle did not have one ‘wild’ Lando Norris prediction on his ‘bingo card’ in 2025 F1 title battle
1 September 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Alex Brundle did not think McLaren power unit failure would be on 2025 ‘bingo card’. Although McLaren appeared to be immune to these issues, Norris was forced to retire from the race after a suspected power unit-related problem while running in second place, something Brundle did not think would be possible in 2025. “I’ve been harping on, on air and on podcasts all year, about one race where one of those McLaren duo, that are clearly the class of the field now,” said Brundle.
“There was going to be a race at some point this year, I honestly believed they were going to have a crash with someone like a Charles Leclerc or someone like a Max Verstappen, a wheel-to-wheel thing, but where they didn’t finish. What I didn’t have on my bingo card in a 2025 Formula 1 car was a power unit failure. It was absolutely nowhere near that in terms of a prediction. It’s wild in one of the most, if not the most reliable eras of F1 car ever, that that could easily be the deciding factor of this championship.”
“Didn’t have on my bingo card in a 2025 Formula 1 car was a power unit failure”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ale...-title-battle/
McLaren hint Zandvoort heartbreak could unlock a ‘new Lando Norris’ in title fight
McLaren boss Andrea Stella believes Norris’ Dutch GP retirement could ignite a stronger title fight against team-mate Oscar Piastri
1 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
The sight of Lando Norris climbing out of a smoking McLaren with just eight laps to go at Zandvoort might have looked like the moment his title challenge slipped away. But according to Andrea Stella, that cruel Dutch Grand Prix retirement could be the catalyst for Norris...
“He’s a very mature person,” Stella told the media, including Total-Motorsport.com. “He’s one of the most fair, balanced – in a way I would almost say trustworthy – individuals, before being so as a driver. So when he says he’s going to be full commitment or whatever he said, it just means that if anything, he will try to extract out of himself even more from his incredible potential.”
Stella expects the Briton to thrive under that challenge. “I look forward to seeing what Lando will be conditioned to express because we know that his talent is immense and I’m sure this situation in the championship will give him extra motivation to try and extract it,” Stella explained.
‘Unlock a ‘new Lando Norris’ in title fight’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-fight-stella/
McLaren identify cause of painful Lando Norris retirement
McLaren has accepted fault for Lando Norris' crushing retirement at Zandvoort, which at first appeared related to the Mercedes power unit in the back of his MCL39.
1 September 2025
Samuel Coop & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Team principal Andrea Stella explained late on Sunday evening that the Woking-based squad had "identified an issue on the chassis side" of the British driver's MCL39. The terminal problem on Norris' car had initially appeared to be power unit-related, an educated assumption predicated on various factors.
However, that expectation was before Stella's revelation, which provides the most concrete indication yet that it was a rare fault with the McLaren itself. "We’ve identified an issue on the chassis side, and we will do a full review before we go racing again in Monza," the Italian said. "This is the first technical problem for the team after a long run of faultless reliability."
"Reliability has been a strong point at McLaren for a long time," Stella told the media, including RacingNews365. "We have had what looks like a technical reliability problem, which is always disappointing. The whole team will process this, try to take the learning, reviewing the problem, fixing it, and making sure that this is not a factor anymore for the future, not only for the remainder of the championship, even if, obviously, this is the main focus for the moment."
"Reliability has been a strong point at McLaren for a long time";
https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-id...ris-retirement
International media sounds alarm on Norris, Hamilton after 'dark Sunday' at Dutch GP
1 Sep 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
The Hungarian Grand Prix was one to forget for several British drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris. Both drivers failed to finish their respective races, and this is how the International media has reacted to their respective outings.
Daily Mail: The British outlet opened its note with an SOS call for Norris, stressing it could be defining on his season. “SOS of the day, perhaps of the season. It could have been for Houston. ‘I might be on fire,’ declared Lando Norris, smelling trouble in his cockpit.”
“No ball of orange flame lapped at him, but the mind-bending horror was just as vivid. His McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri was on his ice-cool path to winning the Dutch Grand Prix and extending his championship lead to 34 points. Now we will find out of what metal Norris is made,” it concluded.
“SOS of the day, perhaps of the season”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/general/in...ay-at-dutch-gp
-
Gazzetta Dello Sport: Focus on the outing of Lewis Hamilton, labelling it as a ‘dark Sunday’ before further likening it to some Frankenstein movie.
A thunderstorm immediately breaks out. Frederick and Igor have taken on the guise of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at Zandvoort,” it wrote.
International media sounds alarm on Norris, Hamilton after 'dark Sunday' at Dutch GP
1 Sep 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Gazzetta Dello Sport: “Have you seen Mel Brooks's masterpiece, "Young Frankenstein"? When Frederick and Igor go to the cemetery to dig up a recently buried body, Frederick exclaims, "What a crappy job!" "It could be worse," replies Igor. "How?" "It could rain." A thunderstorm immediately breaks out. Frederick and Igor have taken on the guise of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at Zandvoort,” it wrote.
'Dark Sunday';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/general/in...ay-at-dutch-gp
Italian media unanimous in 'disastrous' Lewis Hamilton verdict: 'Inexcusable'
The Italian media were particularly vocal about a poor Dutch GP for Ferrari, and in particular, Lewis Hamilton.
1 September 2025
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Gazzetta dello Sport: "Ferrari is shattered. Kimi Antonelli pushes Charles Leclerc off the track, Lewis Hamilton is disastrous. Leclerc additionally battled with bad luck once again, while Hamilton made a big, unusual mistake. Leclerc's overtaking manoeuvre [on George Russell] was like Valentino Rossi's overtaking move on Marc Marquez at Assen 2015.”
Corriere della Sera pulled no punches. "Despite Hamilton not going very badly over the weekend at Zandvoort, he comes up just a little short at the crucial moments," it wrote. "He is hungry, but with a 5-place penalty already in his pocket for Monza, the dream already seems to be over. Hamilton's mistake was also inexcusable."
“Lewis Hamilton is disastrous”;
https://racingnews365.com/italian-me...ct-inexcusable
Italian media 'slams' Ferrari after Dutch GP: 'Endless suffering on track’
1 Sept 2025
Samson Ero
Estéban den Toom
GPblog.com
La Gazzetta dello Sport shared its rating after the race weekend, and Lewis Hamilton was not spared by the newspaper. The seven-time world champion received a five as an evaluation of his weekend. The newspaper wrote the following about his painful weekend in the Dutch dunes. "Difficulties in qualifying, starting from the fourth row. He started seventh, but remained seventh. Until the mistake, going off the road: truly unlike him," was the verdict passed on Hamilton for his outing.
Hamilton also received a five-place grid penalty following the conclusion of the Dutch Grand Prix. Corriere dello Sport understands the pain the Ferrari team has caused its fans lately."Ferrari endless suffering: Hamilton penalized after the Dutch GP," the newspaper headlined above the article revealing the Englishman's grid penalty. "Ferrari disaster in the Dutch GP: Hamilton crashes into the wall," was the title of its other piece discussing both men's crashes.
The crashes of Leclerc and Hamilton were also the main focus at the media outlet Tuttosport. "Ferrari, nightmare in the Netherlands: Hamilton and Leclerc retire. Piastri wins," was the headline of the article. "It's also a dark night for Ferrari, which, a week before the Italian Grand Prix, is dealing with the retirements of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The Reds' double zero also weighs heavily on their chances of securing second place in the Constructors' Championship," was written in the article.
'Endless suffering on track’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/itali...ering-on-track
Ferrari told two drivers would have done a ‘better job’ than Lewis Hamilton next to Charles Leclerc
3 September 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Peter Windsor has told Ferrari that two current drivers would have done a better job than Lewis Hamilton next to Charles Leclerc in 2025. Peter Windsor believes that Haas’ Oliver Bearman and Williams’ Carlos Sainz would have delivered a higher level of performance than Hamilton in 2025.
“I never saw the point of it from Ferrari’s perspective, and I don’t see the point of it now,” he said on his YouTube channel. “They could have Oliver Bearman in that car, they could have Carlos Sainz in the car again. They could have any number of drivers who would probably be doing a better job than Lewis now.”
“I never saw the point of it from Ferrari’s perspective, and I don’t see the point of it now”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...arles-leclerc/
Lewis Hamilton could have his ultimate F1 dream ended by nemesis as bombshell claim made
3 Sep 2025
Connor Andrews
talkSPORT
Lewis Hamilton may again be looking over his shoulder at Max Verstappen, but not defending a corner, instead his seat. In a brief interview with Dutch broadcaster ViaPlay, the Dutchman’s father and adviser was asked about transfer speculation that dominated the first half of the season.
He then dropped a bombshell, adding: “But we are also talking about Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull. It is logical. Max and I are discussing the possible options, and it is the three big teams, apart from McLaren, that can welcome him." Naturally, it would be assumed that Hamilton is at greater risk should Verstappen want to head to Italy, given that he’s now in his 40s.
‘Nemesis’;
https://talksport.com/motorsport/352...appen-ferrari/
Lewis Hamilton has lost what won him seven F1 titles after what Guenther Steiner saw at the Dutch Grand Prix
2 September 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Hamilton’s Dutch GP-ending crash also sparked a serious concern for Guenther Steiner, who wonders if the 105-time Grand Prix winner has lost his ability to make the fewest “mistakes”. He feels it was a vital part of the Briton’s skill set that yielded his vast success in Formula 1. Steiner also questions whether Hamilton’s crash was in part caused by feeling the pressure from Charles Leclerc, who has “always outperformed” the Stevenage-born star. Leclerc has outscored (151-109), outfinished (11-2) and outqualified (11-4) Hamilton so far this season.
“Normally, Lewis is known to make the least mistakes,” Steiner told GPblog. “That is how he won so many championships. He was so consistent. I don’t know, is it the pressure [that led to his crash in the Dutch GP]? Whatever it is, it was a weird mistake, in my opinion. It was very weird how it happened. I don’t know what happened, but I think the pressure can get to all of us, even to Lewis Hamilton. There is pressure now at Ferrari, because he’s always outperformed by Charles.”
“It was a weird mistake”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...ch-grand-prix/
Hamilton headlines Monza press conference in Ferrari's homecoming
3 Sept 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton will be present at the FIA press conference ahead of his first Monza weekend with Ferrari. The FIA has announced the press conference schedule for the race weekend at the Temple of Speed. Thursday and Friday will see drivers and team officials carry out their media duties as the weekend gets underway.
Thursday will feature the young duo of Kimi Antonelli and Franco Colapinto, accompanied by former Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso, kicking off the press conference at 14:30 local time [13:30 BST]. The second group of drivers at the presser will include Yuki Tsunoda, Carlos Sainz, and Ferrari’s newest acquisition, Lewis Hamilton.
On Friday, 5 September, between the two practice sessions, team principals will face the media, with Ayao Komatsu of Haas, Frederic Vasseur of Ferrari, and Red Bull’s new team principal, Laurent Mekies, concluding the line-up.
‘The Temple of Speed’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...-in-italian-gp
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Jacques Villeneuve pours cold water on Ferrari’s Monza hopes: “Won’t cut it”.
Jacques Villeneuve worries for Ferrari as the team approaches its home race in Monza.
Sep 4, 2025
Alex Harrington
Motorsport.com
1997 Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has poured cold water on its Italian Grand Prix hopes as it longs to perform in front of the Tifosi. With a damning assessment of its performance ahead of Monza, the former driver believes its usual home advantage won't be enough this weekend. Speaking on The F1 Show podcast by Sky Sports F1, Villeneuve discussed the Scuderia's chances.
"Normally they have a special engine, special car, but I don't expect that this year. They are way off. The car is not working. Normally the car is kind of working. It's in the battle and then they get a little extra for Monza. A little extra won't cut it right now. Charles is frustrated because he's probably starting to understand that he will never be world champion. It's gone bad, it's gotten worse. Next year is a whole new set of regulations and normally that's not when Ferrari is at its best, so it's a difficult situation for him.’
"He's been there for a long time and his star has fallen a little bit. At least Lewis can rely on the fact that he's a multiple world champion so it doesn't matter if the star falls a little bit. He will always be that big global star anyway, that goes beyond F1. They might finish second in the constructors' championship, but they actually are the fourth horse. They are simply lucky that in Red Bull, there's only one driver scoring points and the same thing with Mercedes."
“Probably starting to understand that he will never be world champion”;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/j...t-it/10756088/
Vasseur: Ferrari “must be flawless” to achieve Monza targets
4 Sep 2025
Last Word On Sports
Fred Vasseur has emphasised that Ferrari must put together a clean weekend to deliver results on home soil. Ferrari left Zandvoort empty-handed, with retirements for Leclerc and Hamilton bringing their races to an end prematurely. This weekend is a chance for an immediate response, with the Maranello squad preparing for their home Grand Prix in Italy.
Leclerc claimed his second victory at Monza last year, with intelligent strategy defeating the superior pace of the MCL39’s. Repeating this result will be more difficult this weekend, as Vasseur explained in his race preview. “We are aiming to give our very best to repay them for their constant support. However, in order to do that, we need to put emotions aside.’
“And focus on ensuring that we execute the weekend to the best of our ability. “From the very first lap of free practice, right through to the final lap of the race. Over the course of this season, we’ve made progress in terms of competitiveness. But with such a closely matched field, we must be flawless to get the results we’re aiming for.”
“Execute the weekend to the best of our ability”;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...monza-targets/
Lewis Hamilton issues ‘incredible’ rallying cry to Ferrari fans ahead of home race at Monza
4 September 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Hamilton saw firsthand the true devotion from the Ferrari fans when he and Leclerc made an appearance at the Royal Palace in Milan. Thousands gathered to cheer on their heroes, and the seven-time world champion had just one message.
He said via Sky Sport Italia, standing on the balcony of the Royal Palace: “It’s incredible, we need your support.” Teammate Leclerc then added: “I’ve had the privilege of being a Ferrari driver since 2019, you’re the best.”
While signing autographs for fans in Milan, Hamilton proclaimed that racing in red is truly a special feeling. “It’s wonderful to be here, in such a wonderful place. Being a Ferrari driver is the most special thing ever,” he said. Ferrari fans will absolutely love this from the Brit, but they will want to see a strong weekend.’
“It’s incredible, we need your support”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...race-at-monza/
Hamilton looks forward to seeing the 'unique Tifosi support' in Monza
3 Sept 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton is looking forward to seeing the Tifosi at Ferrari's home weekend in Monza. "I don’t really know what to expect. Obviously, I experienced what I saw in Imola, which was incredible," the Briton began to GPblog among others.
"I’ve been to Monza and seen how Ferrari has been perceived there. I’m always excited to see the Tifosi. The support this team has around the world from the Tifosi is unmatched. I’m sure it will be a unique experience," the seven-time world champion shared.
'Unique Tifosi support';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...pport-in-monza
Lewis Hamilton told 'next year has to work' after more Ferrari misery
Lewis Hamilton has been told next season at Ferrari has to work out for the Brit as he won’t be afforded as much leeway despite being the "only true global superstar driver" in F1
4 Sep 2025
Cameron Winstanley
Daily Star
Lewis Hamilton has been told he must step up next year at Ferrari by former world champion Jacques Villeneuve. Speaking to Comeon Sports following the Dutch Grand Prix, Villeneuve was adamant that Hamilton would not leave Ferrari, but stressed that next season can’t be as bad.
The 1997 World Champion said: “No [Hamilton won’t leave Ferrari], not now because 2026 is a new car, new engine, a whole new package and everybody's waiting for was cheap for them, really. They’ve got so much value out of getting Lewis into the team that it cost them nothing to do it. He is still the only true global superstar driver out there.”
“You don't want to do too many seasons like this because then your value does go down at some point. There's the thing. First season there, new regulations next year, and so on and so on. That gives a little bit of leeway but that's it. Next year? Next year it has to work.”
‘Hamilton won’t leave Ferrari’;
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...-2026-35848549
Lewis Hamilton told he doesn’t have ‘a leg to stand on’ despite ‘painful’ blow for Monza
4 September 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton does not have ‘a leg to stand on’ for his Dutch GP yellow flag infringement. But another “painful” blow awaits Hamilton at Monza, as the seven-time F1 champion must serve a five-place grid penalty in the Italian GP after failing to slow for double-waved yellow flags before the Dutch GP. And Jolyon Palmer feels Hamilton has no defence for the penalty.
Hamilton drew a five-place grid penalty for the Italian GP as the FIA’s stewards at Zandvoort only investigated the Ferrari driver after the Dutch GP over not respecting the double-waved yellow flags when he wrongfully practised attacking the pit entry with personnel on the grid. “The drivers were warned about this,” Palmer said in his F1 TV analysis. “You’ve got a yellow flag on the outside and then you’ve got even more critically a flashing panel coming through the final corner. You pretty much can’t miss that as you’re coming in, but Lewis stays pinned.”
“The drivers want to get a gauge for how quickly they can attack the pit speed limit line, but it’s just dangerous to do on this circuit. It’s narrow, and you’ve got all of the people coming onto the grid. These people are just metres away from Hamilton, who’s flying in. This is not the behaviour that you should have under double-waved yellows. So, Hamilton really without a leg to stand on at that point.”
‘Doesn’t have a leg to stand on’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...low-for-monza/
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Hamilton leads Ferrari 1-2 at Monza - 2025 Italian Grand Prix FP1 results.
Ferrari enjoys a dream start to its home race, with Hamilton leading Leclerc in FP1.
September 5th 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc set the pace in opening practice for the Italian Grand Prix, raising Ferrari‘s hopes for its home event.
Hamilton, who is facing a five-place grid penalty for the race, made a promising debut as a Ferrari driver in front of the tifosi by setting the quickest time.
Leclerc, last year’s winner at Monza, finished less than two tenths behind Hamilton in second in the opening hour of running.
‘Hamilton leads Ferrari 1-2’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
2025 F1 Italian GP – Free Practice 1 Results
Hamilton and Ferrari delight Tifosi with dominant start at Monza
5 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Italian GP 2025 FP1 results
Check out the full Italian GP 2025 Free Practice 1 results from the first session at Monza below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:20.117
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.169
3 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.533
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.575
5 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.823
6 Lando Norris McLaren +0.904
7 Alexander Albon Williams +0.956
8 George Russell Mercedes +0.993
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.997
10 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +1.041
‘FP1 results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...ice-1-results/
HIGHLIGHTS: Relive FP1 for the Italian Grand Prix as Hamilton delights Tifosi with Ferrari 1-2
5 September 2025
Formula One - Official Site
As practice began at one of F1’s most evocative venues, it was Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton who took the spoils in Free Practice 1 at the team’s home race of Monza. Ferrari gave their loyal Tifosi plenty to cheer about in Free Practice 1 for the Italian Grand Prix, with new signing Lewis Hamilton heading team mate Charles Leclerc for a Scuderia 1-2.
Hamilton stopped the clocks with a 1m 20.117s lap around La Pista Magica, 0.169s quicker than Leclerc. Carlos Sainz was an eyebrow-raising P3 for Williams at a track where they traditionally run well, ahead of the Red Bull of Max Verstappen and local driver Kimi Antonelli – 12 months on from his FP1 debut with Mercedes, which had ended with him in the wall at Parabolica.
A red flag flew for gravel midway through the session, while George Russell stopped out on track in the closing moments of FP1, bringing out a Virtual Safety Car – curtailing the competitive running of FP1 drivers Paul Aron at Alpine (in for Franco Colapinto), who spun at the second chicane 20 minutes into the session, and Alex Dunne at McLaren (in for Oscar Piastri).
‘Ferrari gave their loyal Tifosi plenty to cheer about’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...M8CNgw3DqBXKtr
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton told why he’s ‘lucky’ with his Monza grid penalty by Martin Brundle
5 September 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Martin Brundle thinks Lewis Hamilton is ‘lucky’ with a five, rather than a 10-place Italian Grand Prix grid penalty. F1 and the FIA decided against allowing drivers to practice their pit entry during their laps to the grid due to the narrow working area for the personnel already on the grid. But Hamilton remained flat through the final turn, and he only lifted by 20kph (12.4mph) nearing the pits.
“It was a slam dunk penalty,” Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 (05/09, 12:19). “[He] broke two regulations, because also the entry speed into the pit lane itself. I do believe that [penalty] should have been applied in the race to give them a chance to cycle that penalty through. But two wrongs don’t make a right in that respect. I think the team have to take some responsibility.”
“If you read the sporting regs, and the technical regs, and the international sporting code, and then the race director’s notes on any given weekend, as well, you can’t expect the drivers to absorb all of that. We struggle to absorb it. You just keep reading, reading [and] reading all of the stuff. But he should have been reminded by the team, if he wasn’t, not to charge through the final corner. But I don’t think they can complain about the penalty. In fact, I think they’re lucky it wasn’t a 10-place grid drop.”
‘Lewis Hamilton is ‘lucky’ with a five’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...artin-brundle/
Another blow for Verstappen incoming? Dutchman facing changes in Monza
5 Sep 2025
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen faces another potential blow in his increasingly difficult task to chase down the McLaren pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at the Italian Grand Prix. Engine changes incoming for Verstappen and others. However, a potential step back could be on the way for Verstappen after a promising P4 start to his weekend in Monza in the first free practice session. The Dutchman will see a brand new engine put into his RB21 for the race weekend around the iconic Italian track.
However, it is not yet clear if a penalty will be given to the 27-year-old and Red Bull, as this will be the fourth new engine for Verstappen in 2025. It is not just a new internal combustion engine that is being replaced for Verstappen on his RB21; a new turbocharger, motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H), motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-K), and exhaust system will all be added.
Esteban Ocon, Alexander Albon, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will also have all these changes made to their respective machines. Pierre Gasly and his Alpine will have all but one of these changes, with a brand-new MGU-K not being added for this weekend.
‘Another blow for Verstappen incoming?’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/anoth...anges-in-monza
Wolff admits to bigger problems for Mercedes than Russell’s DNF at Monza
5 Sept 2025
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
Toto Wolff admits there may be more than just George Russell's DNF from the first free practice session to contend with at the Italian Grand Prix for Mercedes at Monza. The Brit didn't see the start of his race weekend get off to the greatest of starts in Monza, with an issue for his W16 forcing him to pull over and bring out the VSC, confining him to a P7 finish, while teammate Antoinelli could only come two places higher up in P5.
"It was a hydraulics issue for George, and the engine shutdown to protect everything," Wolff explained while speaking to Sky Sports after the end of the first practice session that saw Ferrari take a one-two in front of their adoring Tifosi.
However, for Wolff and Mercedes, other concerns have arisen after the first free practice session that could be quite significant for the rest of the weekend. "We are lacking a bit of straight line speed, that's what I've just seen on the overlays," continued the Austrian, a concern that the German team will want to conceal before a vital qualifying session takes place tomorrow.
‘Wolff admits to bigger problems’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/wolff...s-dnf-at-monza
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Norris P1 in FP2 at the Italian Grand Prix ahead of Leclerc and Sainz.
Lando Norris topped the timing sheets in FP2 at the Italian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz rounding out the top three to end Friday's proceedings.
5 Sept 2025
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
After Ferrari earned a fine one-two finish in the first free practice session of the race weekend in Monza, McLaren and Norris answered back. The Brit was the fastest come the end of the soft tyre running at the 'Temple of Speed', with Leclerc taking his second P2 of the day by finishing just +0.083 off the pace of Norris.
Sainz rounded out the top three with another brilliant P3 finish, with Oscar Piastri taking P4 in his first session of the weekend after the Australian made way for F2 driver Alex Dunne during FP1. Lewis Hamilton took fifth place after his P1 finish in front of the Tifosi in FP1 to show Ferrari's speed is to be respected at their home Grand Prix, just seven-thousandths of a second ahead of Max Verstappen in P6.
Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg found some great pace to take P7 and P8, respectively, while Yuki Tsunoda and George Russell rounded out the top ten. There was the need for an early red flag after just ten minutes of the second session of the day, with Kimi Antonelli spinning out and beeching his W16, resulting in FP2 ending prematurely for the 18-year-old in his home weekend.
‘Norris P1 in FP2’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/f1-fu...lerc-and-sainz
2025 F1 Italian GP – Free Practice 2 Results
Norris leads McLaren charge as Ferrari impresses in front of home crowd
5 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Italian GP 2025 FP2 results
Check out the full Italian GP 2025 Free Practice 2 results from the second session at Monza below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:19.878
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.083
3 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.096
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.181
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.192
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.199
7 Alexander Albon Williams +0.301
8 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber +0.363
9 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +0.391
10 George Russell Mercedes +0.398
‘FP2 results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-2-results/
Italian GP: Norris edges Leclerc in messy FP2 at Monza
05/09/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Lando Norris set the pace in a lively but once again messy second practice session for the Italian Grand Prix, edging Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by the slimmest of margins at Monza.
The McLaren driver clocked a best lap of 1m19.878s, underlining his intent to close the 34-point deficit to team-mate Oscar Piastri in the championship battle.
The result gave McLaren an early edge heading into Saturday, while Ferrari showed signs of a home resurgence, much to the delight of the tifosi packing the grandstands.
‘Norris edges Leclerc’;
https://f1i.com/news/547676-italian-...-at-monza.html
Norris quickest in Italian GP FP2 at Monza, ahead of Leclerc and Sainz
SEPTEMBER 5, 2025
in Motorsport
Racecars
McLaren’s Lando Norris went quickest in the second practice session for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc just eight tenths of a second off the Briton as Williams’ Carlos Sainz took P3 ahead of championship leader Oscar Piastri. After handing his car over to McLaren test driver Alex Dunne in FP1, Oscar Piastri was one of the first on track at the start of the session and the Australian was quickly into the groove, despite reporting that one of his mirrors was cracked.
The championship leader posted a time of 1:21.212. Team-mate and title rival Lando Norris went quicker, however, and he took top spot with a time of 1:21.012. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso slotted into third place ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell with Max Verstappen in P5.
Norris, then, held on to top spot ahead of Leclerc, Sainz and Piastri, with Hamilton in fifth ahead of Verstappen. Albon finished in seventh place ahead of Hülkenberg and Tsunoda finished the session in ninth place, just ahead of Russell.
‘Norris quickest’;
https://www.racecar.com/news/102505/...lerc-and-sainz
Why Piastri avoided grid drop for Italian GP practice infringement
Sep 5, 2025
Josh Suttill
The Race
Oscar Piastri has escaped with a reprimand for an infringement during FP2 at Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix as the stewards made an important distinction to a penalty issued earlier in the season. Piastri and McLaren faced the Monza stewards after FP2 for entering the fast lane in the pitlane prior to the restart time for the session, following a red flag for Kimi Antonelli’s off.
The stewards found Piastri was released from his McLaren garage at 17.13.50, but the restart time wasn’t confirmed by race control until 19 seconds later. This was “clearly in breach of item 22.2 of the race director’s event notes” which states “if the free practice session or qualifying session is suspended, cars may only enter the fast lane after the re-start time is confirmed via the official messaging system”.
“The stewards acknowledge that, in contrast to prior incidents of a similar nature happening in qualifying, no significant sporting advantage could potentially be gained as this happened in free practice and therefore consider a reprimand to the competitor to be appropriate.”
‘Important distinction’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...-infringement/
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Lando Norris has Italian GP pole in his sights again as Lewis Hamilton calls for 'more juice'.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished just 0.021s behind Norris, to bring the Tifosi to their feet. Team-mate Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, was left calling for "more juice" from his SF25 - as Leclerc found - as the seven-time F1 champion was only seventh quickest.
6 September 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Lando Norris goes into qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix as the man to beat for the second successive weekend after setting the leading time in practice at Monza. Interestingly, the two McLaren drivers ran different front-wing specifications, with Norris' a higher downforce version compared to Piastri, providing him with greater performance through the chicanes, whilst losing out a little on the straights.
The Ferrari fans had to wait until the closing minutes for Leclerc and Hamilton to emerge on the softs, and the first flyer from the former saw him make a mistake out of the second Lesmo, doing enough to avoid losing the car. At a point when Piastri grabbed the second fastest time, 0.165s behind Norris, Hamilton set the sixth best lap of the session, only to drop a place courtesy of Leclerc's late run that elevated him from 11th to second.
Behind the top three, Verstappen had to settle for fourth, and ahead of Mercedes' George Russell and Gabriel Bortoleto in his Sauber, followed by Hamilton and Hadjar. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli was ninth quickest, a third of a second down, with Williams' Alex Albon completing the top 10.
‘Bring(ing) the Tifosi to their feet’;
https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...for-more-juice
2025 F1 Italian GP – Free Practice 3 Results
Norris beats Leclerc by 0.021s in tense final practice ahead of Italian GP qualifying
6 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Italian GP 2025 FP3 results
Check out the full Italian GP 2025 Free Practice 3 results from the third and final practice session at Monza below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:19.331
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.021
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.165
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.167
5 George Russell Mercedes +0.184
6 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +0.227
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.267
8 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.272
9 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.365
10 Alexander Albon Williams +0.389
‘Free Practice 3 Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...ice-3-results/
Lando Norris pips Charles Leclerc in FP3 at F1 Italian GP
6 September 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Lando Norris went fastest in FP3 for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, pipping Charles Leclerc with qualifying at Monza just hours away. The McLaren driver’s 1:19.331s was enough to secure top spot in the final practice session of the weekend, just two hundredths of a second ahead of the Ferrari.
Oscar Piastri put the second McLaren in second place, a further tenth-and-a-half behind, with Max Verstappen fourth. George Russell was fifth for Mercedes, with Gabriel Bortoleto an impressive sixth ahead of Lewis Hamilton in seventh.
‘Lando Norris went fastest in FP3’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...f1-italian-gp/
Italian GP: Norris pips Leclerc in closely contested FP3 session at Monza
6 Sep 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris set the pace in FP3 at the Italian Grand Prix, but Charles Leclerc in second wasn’t far behind in a session in which the entire field was separated by less than a second. Oscar Piastir was third fastest ahead of Max Verstappen and George Russell.
Heading into the final 20 minutes, more drivers moved onto the soft tyres including the championship-leading McLaren teammates. Lando Norris hit the front with a 1:19.331, 0.247s ahead of Oscar Piastri before Verstappen split the McLaren teammates with Isack Hadjar up to fourth in the Racing Bulls. Piastri made it a McLaren 1-2 by 0.165s behind Norris.
Verstappen, running the soft tyres, upped his pace to a 1:19.688. Leclerc’s efforts to get into a top position were hindered by a mistake at the second Lesmo as the Ferrari driver put wheels in the gravel. He bounced back on his next, and last, flying lap to go second behind Norris by 0.021s.
‘Closely contested FP3 session’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/italia...025-fp3-report
Italian GP: Norris ups the pace, tops FP3 from Leclerc
06/09/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Lando Norris set the pace in the third and final practice session for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, narrowly outpacing Ferrari’s home hero Charles Leclerc and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. With qualifying looming, the session at Monza’s iconic Temple of Speed showcased a fiercely competitive field, with McLaren and Ferrari emerging as frontrunners for pole position.
Norris’ benchmark time of 1m19.331s on soft tyres underscored McLaren’s pre-weekend favoritism, but Ferrari’s late surge and Red Bull’s resurgence suggest a tight battle ahead. With McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes all within striking distance, the 2025 Italian Grand Prix qualifying promises to be a nail-biter.
Norris, chasing Piastri’s 34-point championship lead, will aim to convert his FP3 pace into pole, but Leclerc’s late heroics and Verstappen’s resurgence ensure a fierce fight. As teams fine-tune their setups, the battle for supremacy at Monza is set to captivate fans under the late summer sun.
‘Lando Norris set the pace in the third and final practice’;
https://f1i.com/news/547825-italian-...m-leclerc.html
Lando Norris leads 2025 Italian Grand Prix FP3 as Charles Leclerc keeps Ferrari hopes alive
6 September 2025
Rebecca Braybrook
F1 Oversteer
Norris once again demonstrated his skill by topping his second timing sheet of the weekend, although focus turns to whether the Brit can keep the position in qualifying.
Charles Leclerc saw two massive snaps of oversteer during the session, managing to save the Ferrari from a nasty crash. His first snap came at the Parabolica during the early part of FP3, before another at the second Lesmo saw him dip the car into the gravel.
‘Ferrari hopes alive’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/races/la...i-hopes-alive/
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Max Verstappen smashes F1 record at Monza as Lando Norris makes late qualifying recovery.
Max Verstappen smashed another F1 record at Monza, taking ownership of the fastest lap in the series' history en route to pole position for the Italian Grand Prix.
6 September 2025
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Max Verstappen stormed to pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, setting a new F1 record for the quickest lap in the championship's history. Judged on average speed, the Red Bull driver's 1:18.792 averaged 264.7 kph and 164.47 mph, bettering Lewis Hamilton's pole late at Monza from 2020.
The Dutchman beat Lando Norris by almost a tenth of a second as the pair secured their places on the front row of the grid. Oscar Piastri was third-fastest at the Temple of Speed, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in fourth and fifth, respectively.
‘Smashed another F1 record’;
https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...fying-recovery
2025 F1 Italian GP – Qualifying Results
6 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Italian GP 2025 Qualifying results
Check out the full Italian GP 2025 Qualifying results from Monza below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:18.792
2 Lando Norris McLaren +0.077
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.190
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.215
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.332
6 George Russell Mercedes +0.365
7 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.408
8 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +0.598
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.632
10 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +0.727
‘F1 Italian GP 2025 Qualifying results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...fying-results/
Max Verstappen denies McLaren with superb pole position for F1 Italian GP
6 September 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Max Verstappen took pole position for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, denying both McLarens top spot in a thrilling qualifying session at Monza. The Dutchman stormed to pole with 1:18.792s at the very end of Q3, with Lando Norris looking set to take pole.
Oscar Piastri could only settle for third spot, with Charles Leclerc maintaining Ferrari interest with fourth. Lewis Hamilton will start 10th, serving his grid penalty having qualified in fifth place. For Verstappen, it was a perhaps unexpected pole position, and with an average speed of 264.681 km/h, it was by mean speed, the fastest ever lap in F1 history.
It also threatens to shake up the race with the title protagonists just behind Verstappen, promising excitement and drama at the Temple of Speed.
‘Max Verstappen denies McLaren’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...f1-italian-gp/
Verstappen upstages McLarens to steal Italian GP pole position
Sep 6, 2025
Matt Beer
The Race
Max Verstappen upstaged the McLarens to put Red Bull on pole position for Formula 1's 2025 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Verstappen's first Q3 run benefitted from a tow from team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, but he went even better by himself at the end, and after very briefly losing provisional pole to Lando Norris Verstappen snuck back ahead by 0.077 seconds.
Norris had a fraught session in which he was at serious risk of going out in Q2 having locked up entering the first chicane on his first run, changed his run plan and then underperformed on his next attempt. He was down in 11th until a massive final lap on used tyres got him through, and he then managed to beat McLaren team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri to second on the grid.
Provisional starting grid
1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2 Lando Norris (McLaren)
3 Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
4 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5 George Russell (Mercedes)
6 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
7 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
8 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
10 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
‘Verstappen upstages McLarens’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/v...pole-position/
Verstappen beats Norris and Piastri to pole for Italian GP in Qualifying thriller
A pulsating Qualifying session at Monza ended with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen beating the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to pole position.
Sep 6, 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen pulled another lap out of the bag to claim pole position for the Italian Grand Prix, pipping McLaren rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in an incredibly close Qualifying session at Monza. Following their “very tough” weekend at the Temple of Speed last season, Verstappen and Red Bull have looked much more competitive at this year’s event, with the Dutchman emerging as a genuine threat to McLaren’s supremacy.
As a heart-stopping Qualifying hour drew to a close, Verstappen initially led the way in the decisive Q3 phase, before being overhauled by Norris but then fighting back with a blistering lap of 1m 18.792s to seal P1 by 0.077s. Piastri was 0.190s back in third, from the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who could not quite deliver enough for the front row – the seven-time World Champion nonetheless losing five places with his pre-event grid penalty.
‘Pulled another lap out of the bag’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...JUp67EqfCoQhiN
Max Verstappen sets the fastest lap in F1 HISTORY at Italian GP as he snatches pole from Lando Norris - while Lewis Hamilton vastly improves
6 September 2025
JONATHAN MCEVOY
MailOnline
Lando Norris found a toe-hold of hope in his faltering world championship bid when he outqualified his rival Oscar Piastri ahead of the Italian Grand Prix – but Max Verstappen took pole by dint of his own genius. Norris overcame a trying afternoon to set the second quickest time at Monza, 0.077sec back from the Dutchman. Piastri was more than a tenth further behind in third.
Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton fifth, though the Briton will start 10th when his five-place grid penalty from last weekend in Holland is applied – a cruel handicap on his first Italian Grand Prix in red. George Russell qualified fifth for Mercedes, a place above his fellow Silver Arrow driver Kimi Antonelli, competing on home soil.
Verstappen’s pole was his first since Silverstone in July and was a personal achievement, rather than a team one, given that the other Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda was only 10th fastest. Verstappen set a track record – of 1min 18.792sec – in the process. To do so, the Dutchman averaged an astonishing average speed of 264.682km/h throughout.
‘Ffastest lap in F1 HISTORY’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-improves.html
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Verstappen dominates Italian GP as Piastri gives Norris second under orders.
Max Verstappen scored his third victory of 2025 with a dominant performance from pole position at Monza.
7th September 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
The Red Bull driver lost his lead to Lando Norris twice during the race but regained it each time to claim his first grand prix win in four months. Norris followed him home in second place as McLaren tried an alternative strategy as they strived to take the lead. While Verstappen ran a fairly conventional one-stop strategy, albeit with a shortened final stint on hards, McLaren waited until late in the race before switching to softs.
However the team inadvertently triggered a change in positions between their drivers by summoning Oscar Piastri in first. The team reassured Norris they would not allow Piastri to ‘undercut’ him. They reckoned without a slow pit stop for Norris, however. He rejoined the track behind his team mate whom McLaren swiftly instructed to yield second place. He did, albeit reluctantly, and followed Norris home in third place.
‘Verstappen dominates’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/09/07/...-under-orders/
2025 F1 Italian Grand Prix – Race Results
Verstappen triumphs at Monza as McLaren team orders shape podium
7 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Full F1 2025 Italian Grand Prix Results
Check out the complete Italian Grand Prix 2025 race results from Monza below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Leader
2 Lando Norris McLaren +19.207
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +21.351
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +25.624
5 George Russell Mercedes +32.881
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +37.449
7 Alex Albon Williams +50.439
8 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +57.913
9 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +59.762
10 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +63.350
‘Full F1 2025 Italian Grand Prix Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...-race-results/
Italian GP: Max Verstappen wins at Monza amid fresh McLaren team orders controversy
7 Sep 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
After a few laps of fighting Lando Norris for the lead at the Italian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen took control of the race to secure his third win of the season. The McLaren teammates joined him on the podium with Norris ahead of Oscar Piastri after a brief moment of team order controversy late in the race.
The McLaren mechanics were out on Lap 46 for Piastri, who went with the soft tyres. Norris clarified with McLaren that they would swap positions if his teammate got the undercut on him. A slow stop for Norris with the front left, four seconds, meant Piastri was ahead after the Briton pitted. Verstappen was back up in P1.
And then came the message, “let Lando pass and then you’re free to race.” Piastri made his case to the team, and then moved over for the Briton. Norris quickly moved out of DRS range of his teammate. Verstappen raced to the victory, his third of the season, ahead of Norris and Piastri whose lead was reduced to 27 points.
‘McLaren team orders controversy’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/italia...ix-2025-report
Verstappen charges to Italian GP win over Norris and Piastri
Max Verstappen claimed his third win of the 2025 season with a commanding display at Monza on Sunday.
7 Sep 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory during Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, leading home McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after a dramatic start and end to proceedings at Monza. Verstappen and Norris went wheel-to-wheel almost immediately when the lights went out, getting close to each other down the start/finish straight before the Dutchman skipped the first chicane to keep the lead.
While Verstappen gave up the position to Norris at the start of the second lap to avoid a potential penalty, he was soon back on his rival’s tail and took only a couple more tours to reclaim P1 and surge clear. From there, Verstappen appeared to have everything under control, managing the gap back to both McLarens across their opening stints, pitting earlier than Norris and Piastri to strengthen that advantage and then cruising to the chequered flag.
‘Verstappen charges to Italian GP win’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...zOI9Asy6HBmoVf
Italian GP: Verstappen defeats McLaren with Monza masterclass
7 Sep 2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Max Verstappen was in a league of is own in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, the Red Bull charger claiming his 66th career win in F1 with a dominant display at Monza. The Dutchman resisted early pressure from Lando Norris before stretching clear to seal a 19.2-second winning margin, as McLaren’s afternoon was complicated by team orders and pitstop drama.
The opening lap set the tone for a lively race. Norris made the better getaway from second on the grid and went wheel-to-wheel with polesitter Verstappen into Turn 1. The McLaren driver felt he was forced towards the grass as Verstappen held the inside line and then skipped across the first chicane to keep the lead.
‘Verstappen defeats McLaren’;
https://f1i.com/news/548020-italian-...sterclass.html
Michael Schumacher’s Monza record shattered as Max Verstappen makes F1 history
Red Bull star delivers stunning performance in Italy to set fastest race time ever
7 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
The Italian Grand Prix has always been synonymous with speed, but on Sunday Max Verstappen raised the bar to a level never seen before in Formula 1. The Red Bull driver stormed to victory at Monza with a relentless display that not only secured his third win of the 2025 season but also smashed a record once held by Michael Schumacher.
Verstappen crossed the finish line in just 1 hour, 13 minutes and 23 seconds, completing the 53 laps at an average speed of 264.681 km/h – making it the fastest race in F1 history. The milestone eclipsed Schumacher’s iconic benchmark of 1 hour 14 minutes and 19.838 seconds from the 2003 Italian Grand Prix
For much of the season, Verstappen has found himself locked in a fight against the McLaren pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, but at Monza the Dutchman left no room for doubt. After briefly handing the lead to Norris following a controversial Turn 1 tussle, Verstappen reclaimed it just three laps later and never looked back, gradually building a gap of almost 20 seconds by the chequered flag.
‘Stunning performance’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/max...el-schumacher/
Monza masterclass earns Verstappen another award after Grand Prix win
7 Sep 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen has been named the Formula 1 Driver of the Day following his outing at the Italian Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing driver clinched the race in dominant fashion against the McLarens. The 27-year-old, who had earlier set the record for the fastest qualifying lap in the history of the sport, led the Grand Prix for most of the race. Verstappen’s impressive outing culminated in a 19-second gap to second-placed Lando Norris.
The Driver of the Day award, which is voted for by the fans, marked the fourth time throughout the 2025 campaign that the Dutch driver has clinched the prize. With his performance in Monza, Verstappen also cut down the lead at the top of the Drivers’ Standings held by Oscar Piastri. The Red Bull Racing driver will now shift focus to replicating his impressive form as the F1 grid heads to the streets of Baku for Round 17 of the 2025 season.
‘Monza masterclass’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/monza...grand-prix-win
-
'Needless and silly'? Our verdict on McLaren's Piastri team order.
A slow pitstop for Norris meant Piastri jumped him late on at Monza, with Piastri subsequently asked to drop back behind - a request the championship leader was unimpressed with but ultimately followed.
7 Sep 2025
The Race
Needless and silly, Ben Anderson: I think it would have been interesting to see what Piastri would have done had he not just benefitted from a huge points swing thanks to that broken oil line on his team-mate's car at Zandvoort.
What happens if this is repeated?, Scott Mitchell-Malm: Judging this one solely on those circumstances, it's a tough thing for McLaren to ask and not a good thing to do, but I can see why it was reluctantly asked of Piastri.
McLaren must take this to the logical extreme, Valentin Khorounzhiy; In the next race, it must send out Piastri with a faulty engine to make up for what happened at Zandvoort. But Melbourne wasn't very nice also, and hardly Piastri's fault, so it needs to order Norris to go off into the grass at some point from a top-two position. Piastri got screwed by strategy in Hungary, so McLaren has to make that right, though I can't quite come up with a mechanism yet.
‘Piastri got screwed by strategy in Hungary’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/n...is-team-order/
Lando Norris booed on podium after McLaren team orders at Italian Grand Prix
07/09/2025
BreakingNews.ie
Lando Norris was booed after McLaren ordered his team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri aside as this season’s world championship battle took a controversial twist at Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix. Norris was jeered by the Tifosi gathered underneath the podium as he collected his trophy for crossing the line in second, a place ahead of Piastri.
“I heard them, but I don’t know what I am meant do,” Norris said. “The cheers were louder than the boos, and that is the most important thing.” A week after Norris’ engine failure in Zandvoort saw him leave the Netherlands empty-handed, McLaren called on Piastri to trade positions – a decision that did not sit comfortably with the Australian.
“We said that a slow pit-stop was part of racing, so I don’t really get what changed here,” he said, before adding: “But I will do it.”
‘Jeered by the Tifosi gathered underneath the podium’;
https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/la...x-1804094.html
Nico Rosberg predicts McLaren ‘talks’ after team orders take centre stage
07 Sep 2025
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
“Pit stop times are just a part of racing, and what goes around, comes around,” Rosberg said on Sky F1. “Sometimes one has a faster [stop] than the other. So it’s, it’s a really difficult one internally, and that will require some talks, because I think Oscar is not going to be happy with that.”
“Of course, you look out from outside and you think ‘okay, that’s the only way to do it fair, because Lando deserves second place because he just did a much better weekend.’ But it’s not straight cuts, Rosberg was joined on the broadcast by Jamie Chadwick who said McLaren “put themselves in these awkward positions” ,having done similar last year in Hungary.
“It is an uncharacteristic mistake [from the pit crew] but I think if you look back to Hungary last year, they do put themselves sometimes in these awkward positions,” she said. “It is credit to the drivers that they react the way that they do but the harmony in that team seems to be very good, despite the fact they’re going head to head for a world Championship.”
‘Nico Rosberg predicts McLaren talks’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/nico-r...e-centre-stage
Nico Rosberg drops warning after McLaren controversy at Italian GP
Former champion says Oscar Piastri won’t forget Monza team orders as Norris gains crucial advantage
7 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
“Pit stop times are just a part of racing,” Nico Rosberg said on Sky Sports F1. “Sometimes one driver gets lucky, sometimes the other. That makes it a really difficult one internally, and it will require some talks, because I don’t think Oscar is going to be happy with that.”
Few drivers are better placed than Nico Rosberg to comment on such scenarios. The German endured one of the most infamous team rivalries in modern F1 when he went head-to-head with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes between 2014 and 2016. Their battles often spilled beyond the track, testing the limits of team harmony.
“From the outside, you think it’s the only way to do it fair, because Lando had the better weekend,” Nico Rosberg added. “But it’s not so clear cut when you’re the one who has to give up the position. That leaves a mark, and I’m sure Oscar will remember it.”
‘Nico Rosberg drops warning’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...sberg-warning/
McLaren team politics spark controversy at Italian Grand Prix as Oscar Piastri is forced to give up place for world title rival team-mate Lando Norris - but Max Verstappen tops the podium at Monza
7 September 2025
JONATHAN MCEVOY
MailOnline
If Lando Norris goes on to clinch his first world title this year, he should send a cheque with plenty of noughts to Mr Andrea Stella, c/o McLaren, Woking. That is because his team principal’s even-handed decision-making, bordering on saintliness, allowed Norris to finish runner-up at the Italian Grand Prix, a crucial place ahead of Oscar Piastri.
The choreography – which resulted in Norris being booed by the Tifosi on the podium – meant the British driver narrowed his deficit to his Australian team-mate to 31 points rather than fall 37 in arrears. Stella’s crucial call followed the McLaren pair’s late pit stops. Piastri was in on lap 45 of 52, when lying third; Norris was in a lap later, from second. Fine so far.
But, as we know, the switch was made, the instruction conveyed to Piastri by his race engineer Tom Stallard. Piastri hardly hurried to burble ‘wilco’, instead protesting: ‘A slow pit stop is part of racing. I don’t really get what has changed here but I will do it.’ Verstappen was informed what had happened and snorted: ‘Ha, just for a slow pit stop.’
‘McLaren team politics’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ium-Monza.html
Oscar Piastri ordered to let Lando Norris past as Max Verstappen wins in Monza
Piastri was bitterly disappointed with the decision.
7 Sep, 2025
Philip Duncan
Irish Examiner
Lando Norris’ world championship bid was controversially kept alive by his McLaren team, despite a poor pit-stop threatening to deal the British driver another title blow.
Norris had been on course to finish as runner-up to runaway winner Max Verstappen until he dropped behind title rival Oscar Piastri following a slow change of tyres with seven laps remaining.
However, Piastri was ordered by McLaren to move aside for team-mate Norris, which the Australian did on the 49th lap of 53 at Monza’s Temple of Speed.
‘Piastri was bitterly disappointed’;
https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/...-41701064.html
'I don't really get what's changed': Oscar Piastri fumes at team order to let teammate past at Italian GP
September 7, 2025
Simon Brunsdon
Channel 9's Wide World of Sports
Aussie F1 driver Oscar Piastri was fuming when ordered to let his McLaren teammate Lando Norris past to claim second in the Italian Grand Prix. Piastri had jumped into second place when Norris underwent a slow pit stop, but team radio later told Piastri to let the Brit past. The Aussie was clearly not impressed.
"I mean, we said a slow pit stop was part of racing," Piastri responded to his team. "So I don't really get what's changed here, but if you really want me to do it then I'll do it." Team radio then said, "Appreciate that was pretty painful in a way, but you've done the right thing".
'I don't really get what's changed';
https://www.nine.com.au/sport/motors...08-p5mt4x.html
-
McLaren savaged by the international media after Monza team orders.
Monza was “another monumental stuff-up by McLaren”, a “clanger” and Lando Norris has been told he should “send a cheque with plenty of noughts” to Andrea Stella if he goes on to beat Oscar Piastri to this year’s World title.
8 Sep 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
And no, that’s not all coming from the Australian media, with the British press also unimpressed with McLaren’s use of team orders at the Italian Grand Prix. Under the headline “‘Shameful’: F1 world convinced ugly Piastri conspiracy theory is true”, the Daily Telegraph called Sunday’s events “the smoking gun Oscar Piastri’s legion of fans have been waiting for after months of speculation about favouritism inside the McLaren garage.”
“The move,” added the Australian newspaper, “has definitely got tongues wagging. It has also poured a considerable amount of fuel on the burning suggestions Norris receives special treatment at Piastri’s expense.” The Herald Sun labelled it “another monumental stuff-up by his [Piastri’s] McLaren team that has sent Australian Formula One fans into meltdown.”
The Telegraph claimed McLaren “dropped a clanger” and that “Piastri should have disobeyed instructions”. The Mirror also called out McLaren’s need for “control”, but that “in motorsport, as in life, the best-laid plans of race strategists and drivers often go awry. Luck, fate or whatever you want to call it intervenes. S*** happens. It was, however, the Daily Mail who landed the most brutal blow. “If Lando Norris goes on to clinch his first world title this year, he should send a cheque with plenty of noughts to Mr Andrea Stella, c/o McLaren, Woking.”
‘McLaren savaged by the international media’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/wh...za-team-orders
‘Filthy’: Tony Jones fires up over Oscar Piastri controversy at Italian Grand Prix
8 Sep 2025
3AW
Tony Jones has fired up over the controversy surrounding McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at the Italian Grand Prix overnight.
Piastri was controversial given orders by his own team to let Norris finish ahead of him, and Jones admitted he was “filthy” about the situation. “It’s becoming really annoying, the commentary is effectively a cheer squad for Lando Norris,” Jones told Tom Elliott on 3AW Mornings.
‘Filthy’;
https://www.3aw.com.au/filthy-tony-j...an-grand-prix/
'Utterly bizarre': F1 world divided over call that hurt Aussie championship leader Oscar Piastri
September 8, 2025
Zachary Gates
Channel 9's Wide World of Sports
The Formula 1 world is divided after McLaren ordered Australia's Oscar Piastri to give position two back to teammate Lando Norris late in the Italian Grand Prix due to a pit-stop blunder. One leading F1 journalist has argued it was "the completely obvious" call — explaining doing otherwise would have reignited tensions between Norris and the engineers, and saying Piastri was not going to be particularly fazed anyway.
But a popular F1 YouTuber and podcaster has branded McLaren's decision "utterly bizarre" and said the sport's fan base was growing tiresome with the "nicey-nicey-fairness BS". Matt Gallagher, the popular F1 YouTuber and podcaster, took aim at McLaren. "We have the scenario play out ... and Oscar is put in a difficult position, we all get flashbacks to Hungary 2024 again, which we all didn't want to go back to," Gallagher said in a race review on YouTube.
"Utterly bizarre, to be honest with you," Gallagher added, commenting on the Italian Grand Prix controversy. "Oscar quite rightly says you had a slow pit stop, that's part of racing. That's not just a normal undercut. Norris had a difficult pit stop, and Piastri got through — that is racing. I think why people perhaps are finding it hard to get fully invested into this championship fight because of this nicey nicey fairness BS that we are currently watching." Meanwhile, top F1 journalist Nate Saunders wrote on social media that Piastri "has every right to be pissed off".
'Utterly bizarre';
https://www.nine.com.au/sport/motors...08-p5mtc5.html
F1 conspiracy theory erupts as Oscar Piastri is 'ripped off' by own team - but the Aussie wins praise for his amazing response
Piastri clearly wasn't happy. 'We said that a slow pit-stop was part of racing, so I don't really get what changed here – but I will do it,' he grumbled over the team radio.
8 September 2025
IAN CHADBAND FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
MailOnline
Fans were also left fuming, accusing McLaren of conspiring to elevate Norris over Piastri. 'When will McLaren simply ask Oscar to hand Norris the championship?' one asked on social media. 'Any other sport it would have been match fixing. Since when do you rig the result?' questioned another.
Several fans likened the incident to match fixing, with another one raging on social media: 'Manufactured results. Sometimes you have bad luck, sometimes good luck. Let the drivers fight it out on the track. It's basically match fixing telling the drivers what position they should finish in.'
'So glad the rest of the teams are now laughing at the obvious favouritism, McLaren are a joke,' fumed another fan. 'At least Oscar can say he has won every single point on pure skill alone. Unlike Lando who will forever know he had his points given to him on a silver platter,' posted another.
‘McLaren are a joke';
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rix-Monza.html
McLaren's team orders make an appalling mockery of F1 racing
Max Verstappen’s wry chuckle said it all
September 08, 2025
Kevin Garside
i News
Oscar Piastri was right, a slow pit stop is part of racing. Manipulation of results ought not to be, however, and McLaren’s instinct to do right by Lando Norris did an appalling wrong to the sport and to his team-mate. McLaren’s decision to swap the positions of their drivers was intended to compensate Norris for the bad luck he suffered during a slow pit stop late in the race caused by a misfiring wheel gun.
Whilst Norris was down for several seconds, Piastri, stationary for just 1.9 seconds, made up the deficit to his team-mate to claim second place. What was looking like a three-point loss to Norris before the stops suddenly became a three-point gain. Had the positions stood, Piastri would have extended his championship lead to 37 points. Instead he goes to Baku next week with a lead of 31 points.
Verstappen gave a wry chuckle when he was told by his pit wall of the swap. “Ha, just because he had a slow stop?” Verstappen’s reaction echoed about the paddock, a sense of incredulity that a team should want to interfere with the laws of nature in this way. Michael Schumacher needed no help from Rubens Barrichello to establish himself as an all-time great, yet received it at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix when the Ferrari hierarchy ordered the Brazilian to give way on the final lap to hand the championship leader victory.
‘An appalling mockery of F1 racing’;
https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-on...44?ITO=newsnow
Oscar Piastri Radio Message Speaks Volumes After Controversial McLaren Call Costs Him at Monza
McLaren's decision cut Oscar Piastri's championship lead...
8 Sep 2025
Tom Jenkins
SPORTbible
Oscar Piastri couldn't hide his frustration over team radio after he was ordered to swap positions with championship rival Lando Norris at the Italian Grand Prix. "I mean, we said that a slow pitstop was part of racing, so I don't really get what's changed here, but if you really want me to do it, I'll do it," the 24-year-old said. "A bit of a tough one," he added following the race. "Once the rear calmed down a bit then it was all right. Bit lively through the race. Thanks for the effort. Not the easiest of weekends. Yeah."
McLaren's decision to force Piastri to relinquish the position in a championship fight has received huge amounts of criticism, with even race winner Max Verstappen baffled. "Ha! Just because he had a slow stop?" Verstappen said over team radio after hearing the news. The result cuts Piastri's lead to 31 points, however, a second place finish would have put him 37 points ahead of his teammate.
‘Oscar Piastri couldn't hide his frustration’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/oscar-...88179-20250908
Team Orders Row: Did McLaren Manipulate Monza’s Podium?
Alex Albuquerque
September 8, 2025
Fastest Lap
David Coulthard calls out McLaren over Monza swap: “It felt like the result was manipulated” Coulthard, speaking on Channel 4, didn’t mince words. He acknowledged McLaren’s logic — the team believed Norris had earned track position before their own error flipped it — but didn’t love the optics.
In his view, a rare fumble in the box is part of racing’s rough edges, just like engines blowing or elbows-out duels. Restoring a pre-stop order felt, to him, like shaping the result rather than letting it breathe. “I get why they did it,” the former McLaren driver said, pointing to the team’s clear focus on the Constructors’ Championship. “But it still feels like the result was manipulated, and that sits uncomfortably.”
“Manipulated”;
https://fastestlap.com/news/team-ord...monzas-podium/
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‘We’re not idiots’: Lando Norris explains McLaren’s ‘fair team order strategy at Italian GP.
“Every situation is different, so I think it’s pretty stupid just to assume that kind of thing and just say that’s the precedent you set. We’re not idiots, and we have plans for different things.”
September 8, 2025
Sports Desk
Indian Express
The race also saw the decision-making of McLaren — who asked their drivers to swap places just a few laps before the end — being questioned for the rather controversial decision. McLaren ordered world championship leader Piastri to cede second place to Norris with four laps remaining after a slow pit stop had seen the Briton fall behind his team-mate.
“Today was not my fault. If I came flat out into my box and hit all my mechanics out of the way, I also don’t expect to get the position back, but today was out of my control. In the end, I don’t want it to win this way through getting given positions or anything like that, and the same thing with Oscar. We don’t want to lose or win like that, but we do what we think is correct as a team, no matter what you say or what your opinions are, and we stick to doing it our way,” Lando Norris added.
‘We’re not idiots’;
https://indianexpress.com/article/sp...n-gp-10237802/
Damon Hill lands ‘give it back’ quip after McLaren’s Italian GP team orders
9 Sep 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Damon Hill recalling his 1993 Italian Grand Prix win. In a race of attrition, Hill moved up to second at Monza when Michael Schumacher’s engine failed, and 26 laps later he was leading when his Williams teammate Alain Prost’s Renault engine also failed. Hill, who clinched his third win of the season, jokingly said on social media that he’s worried that he’ll have to give that win back to the Frenchman.
“In 1993 I won the Italian GP (in part ��) because Alain Prost’s Renault engine blew up,” Hill wrote. “I’m now worried Renault will ask me to give the result back to him! �� What do you make of McLaren’s policy of instructing a driver to sacrifice a guaranteed result in favour of his rival?”
Running a poll in his post, 61.8 per cent of Hill’s followers were ‘not happy’ with McLaren’s actions, while 17.8 per cent were ‘happy enough’ and 20.4 per cent were sitting on the fence. While Hill wasn’t the only one joking on social media about McLaren’s fairness, several posts pondering whether Piastri would have to crash if Norris did or if he would be sent out in Baku with faulty engine to make up for Norris’ Zandvoort retirement…
“Now worried Renault will ask me to give the result back to him!”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/damon-...gp-team-orders
Booed Norris denies team order was Papaya rules
SEPTEMBER 8, 2025
GrandPrix.com
On the podium, Norris was jeered despite moving a few points closer to Piastri in the title fight. “I don't know why”, he said. “I heard them. I hear the cheers louder than the boos, and that's the most important.”
Norris also dismissed the notion of special papaya rules benefitting him. “There are no papaya rules anymore”, he smiled to DAZN. "We never had them. The main thing is fairness.”
“We don't care what's been done in the past - we do what we think is right.” Asked how long McLaren's 'rules of engagement' document is, he replied: “One page - I don't think it's even one page.”
‘On the podium, Norris was jeered’;
https://www.grandprix.com/news/booed...aya-rules.html
McLaren 'Broke Oscar Piastri Contract Clause' With Lando Norris Swap at Italian GP
McLaren swapped Piastri and Norris in the closing stages of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
8 Sep 2025
Ryan Smart
SPORTbible
McLaren's controversial decision to swap Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris during the Italian Grand Prix could yet have ramifications beyond this year's Drivers' Championship. Although Piastri was diplomatic post-race about McLaren's decision to swap him with Norris, his radio message at the time appeared to suggest he had his own doubts. The Australian told race engineer Tom Stallard: "We said that a slow pit stop was part of racing, so I don't really get what's changed here. But if you really want to do it, I'll do it."
Piastri signed a new long-term contract with McLaren at the beginning of 2025. Although contract details were not disclosed by McLaren - as a general rule, most other teams do likewise - 1997 F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve claimed in April that Piastri's deal contains a specific clause relating to the Drivers' Championship battle.
He told CardPlayer: "They cannot give Lando priority over Oscar because of the contract. He has a contract that protects him. As long as both drivers can win the championship, there won't be team orders unless there's something significantly big for the constructors' title or if one of them is having an issue in a race like last year." For now, though, it appears that there not be too much fallout heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
‘Ramifications’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/oscar-...35729-20250908
Why McLaren have gone too far with their boring nicey-nicey 'Papaya Rules' - and what's at risk if this farce continues, writes JONATHAN McEVOY
8 September 2025
JONATHAN MCEVOY
MailOnline
Lando Norris claimed that he did not know why the Tifosi booed him on the Monza podium. Which is either a case of wilful ignorance or extreme naivety.
It is clear from a distance as long as the Temple of Speed’s back straight that his finishing position, whatever else it might represent for good or bad, was a distortion of sport’s natural order.
“What's at risk if this farce continues?”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...les-Monza.html
Oscar Piastri Nine-Word Remark Not Broadcast on TV Emerges after Lando Norris Incident
After a controversial Italian Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri made his feelings known.
8 Sep 2025
James Taylor
SPORTbible
Oscar Piastri's nine-word remark that was not broadcast on TV has emerged after the incident involving Lando Norris at the Italian Grand Prix.
In the post-race press conference, Piastri was asked about McLaren's decision to enforce team orders. He replied: “I think the radio call kind of says enough. I’m sure we’ll discuss it again”.
‘Oscar Piastri Nine-Word Remark’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/oscar-...50675-20250908
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Wolff Warns McLaren: Monza Team Orders Will Haunt You.
The line that will follow McLaren into the flyaways: “You set a precedent that is very difficult to undo.”
8 Sep 2025
Alex Albuquerque
Fastest Lap
Toto Wolff warns McLaren: Monza team orders set a template that’s hard to roll back. One sticky wheel nut, one calm radio call, and a championship fight nudged onto a knife-edge. McLaren’s decision at Monza to instruct Oscar Piastri to hand back position to Lando Norris after a slow stop has already become the weekend’s most argued moment, and Toto Wolff didn’t miss the significance.
Norris had been ahead of his teammate and chasing Max Verstappen for second when a sluggish front-left cost him track position. McLaren stepped in. Piastri was told to move aside — a repeat of last year’s Hungary logic — and after a brief pushback, he did. Later, the Australian called it a fair request given Norris lost out through no fault of his own. Fair? Many will nod along. Simple? Not even close.
“There’s no right and no wrong,” Wolff said at Monza, before landing the line that will follow McLaren into the flyaways: “You set a precedent that is very difficult to undo.” Wolff knows this world better than anyone — and also knows how badly it can burn. He lived the Hamilton–Rosberg civil war up close, a political thresher that churned through 2016. He doesn’t see that playing out at Woking. “We had two very different animals back then,” he said, contrasting his pair’s all-out, take-no-prisoners mentality with McLaren’s calmer dynamic.
‘Monza Team Orders Will Haunt You’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/wolff-wa...ill-haunt-you/
“Very good Kimi, get them!”: Wolff’s unheard mid-race encouragement to Antonelli
8th September 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Antonelli made his pass on Tsunoda after the Red Bull driver briefly fell out of range of the cars ahead. Wolff and race engineer Peter Bonnington praised his move.
Lap: 18/53 ANT: 1’23.979
Bonnington Five ahead and behind. Overtake still available.
He passes Tsunoda
Bonnington Overtake to defend. Nice work Kimi, so gap 1.0 behind, you’ve got 1.8 ahead, so let’s get the brakes under control, let’s chase Alonso, put Bortoleto down.
Bonnington Gap 1.9 ahead, 0.8 behind. Alonso, Bortoletto doing 24.2 ahead of them Lewis, 23.7.
Lap: 19/53 ANT: 1’23.940
Wolff Very good Kimi, get them.
Bonnington Bearman has pitted, currently 2.8 safe to him. Gap 1.7 ahead, 1.4 behind.
Lap: 20/53 ANT: 1’23.746
Bonnington Tsunoda in. Just keep your head down Kimi, let’s have the pace you’ve got.
Lap: 21/53 ANT: 1’23.688
Bonnington It’s very low deg. Target lap on Plan A, so still Plan A target lap.
Lap: 22/53 ANT: 1’23.295
Antonelli Update on pace.
Bonnington Stand by, waiting for Alonso to complete. All those cars that have pitted are sat right on our pit window. Main loss last lap was turn eight, min speed, that’s to George. George doing 23.4.
“Very good Kimi, get them!”;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/09/08/...-to-antonelli/
Toto Wolff delivers stinging ‘underwhelming’ Kimi Antonelli Italian GP assessment
8 Sep 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff still has faith in Kimi Antonelli, but gave a damning assessment of his performance at Monza. Wolff was not impressed. “Underwhelming this weekend, underwhelming,” he told PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher and other media outlets of Antonelli’s performance. “He can’t put the car in the gravel bed and then to expect to be there. All of the race was underwhelming.
“Doesn’t change anything on my support and confidence in his future, because I believe he’s going to be very, very, very good. But, today was underwhelming.” Put to him that Antonelli seems to be struggling for a clean weekend, Wolff replied: “I think a clean weekend also means almost, not to carry too much trauma of previous mistakes into the next session or into the next weekend, because that is luggage.’
“You’re not going to attack the corner hard if you’ve been off there before and it finished your session, or maybe you’re not attacking a driver that should not be in your way, like Gasly, because we had this situation with Leclerc. I mean, Kimi shouldn’t lose even a second with Gasly.”
“That is luggage”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...ian-grand-prix
Mercedes boss Wolff issues ‘silly’ verdict after Verstappen destroys field at Monza
Wolff says Mercedes must improve after Verstappen exposed their weaknesses in Italian GP
7 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Toto Wolff left Monza in no doubt about the scale of the challenge facing Mercedes after watching Max Verstappen dominate the 2025 Italian Grand Prix. While the Red Bull driver cruised to a near-20-second victory over Lando Norris, Mercedes struggled for competitiveness, leaving Wolff to brand the result “frustrating” and acknowledge that his team simply did not have the pace to fight at the front.
“Today, one driver made everyone else look silly,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1, reflecting on Verstappen’s performance. “Overall, we weren’t competitive over the weekend. A fifth and an eighth place are absolutely not satisfactory. I don’t think, with our current set-up, we have a car that we can consistently drive onto the podium.”
“Today, one driver made everyone else look silly”;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...stappen-monza/
Red Bull facing ‘Mount Everest’ F1 engine challenge in Wolff warning
9 Sep 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Red Bull has not sought out a new supplier. Instead, it is building its own engine, in partnership with Ford. The last time Formula 1 revamped its engine regulations, Mercedes emerged as the class of the field. Between 2014-21, the team went on a run of eight straight Constructors’ title wins, an achievement never before seen in Formula 1.
The man at the helm of that success, Toto Wolff, suggests Red Bull has its work cut out as it embarks on its expanded effort. “This project is like climbing Mount Everest,” said Wolff about Red Bull Powertrains, when speaking with De Telegraaf.
“They are taking on manufacturers with decades of experience. But everyone joked when Red Bull entered the sport too. It was like an energy drink manufacturer taking on Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren. Well, they’ve won quite a lot. But given the complexity of the engines, I do think it will be a huge challenge for them.”
‘Mount Everest’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...huge-challenge
-
Red Bull told Max Verstappen’s Monza win proves ‘fundamental’ change since sacking Christian Horner.
Laurent Mekies gives Red Bull the engineering expertise they were ‘lacking’ since Adrian Newey left.
9 September 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Gary Anderson even thinks Verstappen’s Italian GP win at Monza last Sunday has proven the fundamental change that Mekies replacing Horner has offered Red Bull. He claims Mekies is now able to plug the technical gap that Adrian Newey created when he left Red Bull in 2024. Anderson told The Telegraph: “I believe something has changed fundamentally at the team since Christian Horner departed and Laurent Mekies arrived.”
“Horner spoke a good game when it came to engineering, but he was not an engineer – Mekies is. He appears to be driving the team like Andrea Stella is at McLaren, with a sound engineering background and a focus on facts. It is a whole different world for the team because the man at the top can help to understand why the car was quick and not just celebrate that it was quick. Red Bull had been lacking in this area since Adrian Newey left last year.”
“It will be interesting to see if they can keep this thought pattern and direction going because last year, and earlier this year, they seemed to be lost and unable to understand their car. This win, and the manner of it, suggests they are on the road to changing that.”
“Mekies is now able to plug the technical gap that Adrian Newey created”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...istian-horner/
George Russell Struggles to 'Comprehend' Max Verstappen's Win at Monza
September 10, 2025
Saajan Jogia Newsweek
The Fresno Bee
McLaren has been delivering superior performances on most race weekends, but the race at Monza marked a significant difference in terms of the competitive order as Verstappen crossed the finish line nearly 20 seconds before Norris, leading Russell to highlight the significant shift in performance. Speaking to the media, he said:
"It's difficult to understand the sport at the moment. When you look at Verstappen finishing 40 seconds off the win in Hungary and then winning by 20 seconds here, I struggle to comprehend that swing of performance.”
"We finished 12 seconds behind McLaren in a normal race. That's a pretty successful race. Ferrari is strong right now, and Saturdays are really close as well. So one-tenth faster or one-tenth slower on Saturday can be one or two positions on a Sunday."
“I struggle to comprehend that swing of performance”;
https://www.fresnobee.com/sports/art...mainstage_card
Verstappen's 'super cool' handling of Norris at Monza leaves Schumacher impressed
11 Sep 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Ralf Schumacher shared his thoughts on the opening-lap battle at the Italian Grand Prix between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. The only moment Verstappen’s dominant win at Monza last weekend was even slightly in question came in the opening two laps, when he and Lando Norris engaged in a battle for the lead, ultimately claimed by the Red Bull driver.
Verstappen, who had started from pole, ran wide at the first chicane, cutting it and rejoining the track still ahead of the Brit, who complained over the radio about being forced onto the grass at high speed on the straight. The Austrian team then instructed the Dutchman to give the position back to his rival to avoid a penalty, which Verstappen did. On lap four, after exiting the final corner very closely, Verstappen drew alongside Norris on the outside into Turn 1, overtaking him and reclaiming the race lead.
As a guest on Sky Deutschland’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Ralf Schumacher shared his thoughts on the duel: ''It was completely fine that he kept the position. I knew he was going to try. He’s bold enough, but he also realized, okay, that was maybe a bit too much.''
''Especially the approach—he kind of pushed Norris aside there. Of course, the race control and the stewards see that. And I think he handled it like a true world champion, didn’t make a fuss, and took the position back.''
‘Verstappen's 'super cool' handling of Norris’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...cher-impressed
McLaren’s ‘big secret’ was exposed at Monza and it explains Red Bull’s conspiracy theories
10 September 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Red Bull made key learnings at Zandvoort that enabled them to exploit their car’s potential at Monza, while team principal Laurent Mekies was praised for his ‘common sense’ approach by Verstappen. McLaren’s Lando Norris finished 19 seconds behind Verstappen and while much of that could be down to their strategy, which was waiting for a safety car, it also highlighted the main strength of their car.
Nelson Piquet Jr believes Monza exposed the ‘big secret’ of McLaren’s MCL39 when speaking on the Pelas Pistas, which perhaps put some of Red Bull’s conspiracy theories into perspective. “We never expected that, right? Red Bull is doing so well. It was clear that the Red Bull car was better this weekend, but it’s a totally different configuration from the other tracks. Just straights, there are a few long radius curves, so it’s a very atypical track,” said Piquet Jr.
“I think the whole issue is that when you get into a more technical part, with these tracks like Austria and more traditional tracks that heat up the tyres a lot, everyone has a problem heating up the tyres. That’s why there were stories of water inside the tyre to try and cool so it lasts longer. Monza isn’t a track that heats up the tyres very much, so this is the advantage that McLaren has. The big secret is that they can push harder without overheating the tyres, and Monza doesn’t have it, that’s why it was better for Red Bull.”
‘McLaren’s ‘big secret’ was exposed’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mcl...racy-theories/
Red Bull boss sets damning 2026 expectation: 'We don’t expect to be winning'
Laurent Mekies is confident in Red Bull's power unit project, but maintains the team is not "delusional" ahead of the 2026 F1 season.
11 September 2025
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies does not expect to be "winning" next F1 season, claiming the Milton Keynes-based squad is not "delusional" about the size of the task ahead of it. Nonetheless, Mekies insists Red Bull knows how to tackle the monumental task facing it, stating the team has all it needs in place to eventually succeed.
"It is indeed an Everest, but we are facing it the Red Bull way," he told Autosprint. "Our company knows how to climb them. We have everything we need to cover the path as quickly as possible, though we are not delusional: we don’t expect to be winning already in 2026"
The 48-year-old is, however, adamant that there is no timeframe for the team to have achieved further success in F1 by. "Only Red Bull in modern times has managed to build a team from scratch and win world titles, and only Red Bull could build a power unit independently," the Frenchman added. "I mean, there is no deadline, but we are capable of anything."
"It is indeed an Everest… …Our company knows how to climb them”;
https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-b...-to-be-winning
Why Max Verstappen alias Franz Hermann is no more
Franz Hermann left his mark on motorsport, but as Max Verstappen works towards his GT debut, there is good reason his popular alias will hang up his helmet.
10 September 2025
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Not long ago, the motorsport community was taken by surprise as an unfamiliar driver, Franz Hermann, set a blistering track record on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, widely considered the world's most challenging circuit. The intrigue surrounding this mysterious German driver was palpable. Hermann, as it turned out, was none other than Max Verstappen.
The four-time F1 drivers' champion was testing his skills in a Ferrari 296 GT3. Despite initial intentions to cloak his identity, the secret didn't survive long. Racing fans were quick to uncover the truth behind the alias. As Verstappen advances towards obtaining a Grade A Permit for the Nordschleife, the conditions necessitate him racing under his real name.
This requirement means that should he decide to register for any official racing events, he will have to compete as himself, thereby retiring Franz Hermann from the racing scene. Yet, should Verstappen decide one day to explore another racing class, the story of Franz Hermann might experience an unexpected revival.
‘Franz Hermann, set a blistering track record on the Nurburgring Nordschleife’;
https://racingnews365.com/why-max-ve...ann-is-no-more
The Legend of Franz Hermann (Max Verstappen)
May 17, 2025
Perspective
@F1BastiPH; Verstappen’s alter ego is now my favorite driver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0-FynEnQ1I
The Many Victims of Max Verstappen
Jun 21, 2025
revved up
@laurenz4528: I wouldnt call them Victims, rather collateral damage, its not like he kills them on purpose, Max is just a force of nature, immovable object if you happen to be in its path.... You are done.... Nothing personal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbgwfvAdlwA
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Luca di Montezemolo saddened by what he’s heard Fred Vasseur say about Ferrari.
Seeing Ferrari’s plight persist saddens former Scuderia chairman Luca di Montezemolo, who has now hit out at Vasseur for issuing bold declarations about title bids without the results to justify his claims. Di Montezemolo even feels Ferrari have “no leadership” under Vasseur.
12 September 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Di Montezemolo told Sky Italia: “The thing that saddens me today is to see a Ferrari [team] that has no leader. There is no leadership and, above all, I see that they lack a strong, determined soul. Announcements are made that often create excessive expectations. First, we get the results and then we make the announcements.”
Di Montezemolo left his role as chairman of Ferrari back in 2014, but he is still yet to see the Scuderia add to the titles they won under his watch from 1974. Vasseur came close to taking the constructors’ title back to Maranello in 2024, but McLaren beat Ferrari by just 14 points. The 2024 season was supposed to act as a springboard for another title bid in 2025, aided by the arrival of Hamilton from Mercedes. But Leclerc scored Ferrari’s only pole position yet in 2025 in Hungary, and they are gaining from Red Bull and Mercedes being one-man teams.
Fighting for second place was not what Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had in mind back after pre-season testing in Bahrain. The 57-year-old stated that both titles would be Ferrari’s objective in the 2025 F1 season, as the Scuderia have two drivers who “can do it” this term. But Vasseur has conceded the 2025 F1 constructors’ title to McLaren, who can win the title in Baku if they leave next week’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a 346-point lead over Ferrari. It will continue Ferrari’s wait to add to their last teams’ title in 2008, and drivers’ title in 2007.
‘Bold declarations about title bids without the results to justify his claims’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/luc...about-ferrari/
Ferrari believes Hamilton’s arrival helps Leclerc to his best level yet
10 Sep 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Team principal Frederic Vasseur believes Charles Leclerc has improved in various aspects this season. Vasseur considers today’s Leclerc the best version so far, he explained on the Beyond the Grid podcast, and that can also be attributed to the arrival of Hamilton.
"Probably, yes [this is the best we've seen from Leclerc]. And clearly, I think this (Hamilton's arrival, ed.) helped also a little bit to release some pressure from Charles," he began.
"He did a very good job from the beginning of the season. I think Charles also improved in terms of approach, structure, he's more mature. I don't know if it's a part of the contribution of Lewis, but it's coming from the maturity of Charles."
‘Improved in various aspects this season’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferra...best-level-yet
Eddie Irvine says Lewis Hamilton hasn’t learned the most important lesson from Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari move
9 September 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has so far not delivered on the hype that was generated throughout the pre-season, with the seven-time world champion yet to finish on the podium. It was a poor start to the second half of the season when Hamilton crashed out of the Dutch Grand Prix, then he was handed a five-place grid penalty for a yellow flag infringement at Ferrari’s home race in Monza.
Discussing why Hamilton has struggled to find his feet at Ferrari in an interview with Sky Sports F1, former driver Eddie Irvine thinks the seven-time world champion has not learned from what Michael Schumacher faced when he made the move in 1996. “There is always a price. Michael gave up a lot, probably two or three world championships to leave Benetton to go to Ferrari. In the first few years, nobody had any idea how bad it was at Ferrari,” said Irvine.
“Michael knew there was no point for him because he was so much better than everyone else, he just decided, ‘I’m going to go there’ and it was amazing. People forget it took him four years. He was always in the vicinity, but he was driving the wheels off the thing to be there. So it was very easy for it not to happen. I would love Verstappen to come to Ferrari, I hope he doesn’t leave it too late like Lewis did.”
‘Not learned from what Michael Schumacher faced when he made the move in 1996’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/edd...-ferrari-move/
How Ferrari mechanics privately felt about Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s results at Monza
8 September 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari mechanics felt Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc produced the ‘maximum’ they could at Monza. Ferrari’s results move them 20 points clear of Mercedes in the constructors’ championship. But the Tifosi did not get to see their heroes stand on the podium as Max Verstappen claimed the win ahead of the McLarens.
But that did not seem to faze the Ferrari mechanics. Journalist Aaron Deckers noted that they felt Hamilton and Leclerc produced the ‘maximum’ they could in the SF-25 and that they could not do anymore. “Well, of course. It all looked a lot better, actually. Also the free practice on Friday, Saturday morning,” said Deckers via RacingNews365. “Only in qualifying they were suddenly, well, maybe a bit exaggerated, but they were actually beaten well by Verstappen and by the McLarens.’
“And in the race pace, they just really came up short. So it was mainly a bit of disappointment, especially from the Ferrari drivers. The team was still quite optimistic actually, as we just spoke with some mechanics and also within the team. There was a bit of feeling of, ‘OK, this was the maximum we could do, and yeah, what more could we do than that?’” Optimism was high in Maranello ahead of their home race as they believed that they could make a step up on home soil. ‘Everyone’ at Ferrari felt they could challenge McLaren at Monza, but no one dared to admit it. Ultimately, they would come up short…
‘Mainly a bit of disappointment’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/how...ults-at-monza/
Ferrari Eye Shock Hamilton Replacement With F1 Star on Radar
Lewis Hamilton has had a tough start to life at Ferrari.
10 Sep 2025
Marcus Chan
SPORTbible
Ferrari have reportedly identified their top target to replace Lewis Hamilton. At the start of the season, all eyes were fixated on seven-time Formula 1 world champion Hamilton after his high-profile move from Mercedes to Ferrari. However, the 40-year-old has so far struggled to perform at his best as he continues to adapt to his new surroundings. Currently, Hamilton is sixth in the standings with 117 points, 46 behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
As Hamilton's poor form continues, doubts over the Stevenage-born star's future in the sport have grown massively. Recently, it has been reported that Ferrari could look to McLaren when choosing Hamilton's successor. According to Mundo Deportivo journalist Fabio Marchi, the Scuderia are keeping a close eye on McLaren star and championship leader Oscar Piastri. He said on the Cortito y al Pie podcast: "The other day I spoke with an Italian journalist who was certain Ferrari is keeping a close watch on Piastri."
‘Ferrari have reportedly identified their top target’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/ferrar...40842-20250910
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Rosberg to Hadjar: Reject Red Bull’s Poisoned Chalice Now.
“If I am Isack, I’m saying no,” the 2016 World Champion told Sky F1, stressing that a late-season move next to Verstappen can be a career booby trap. That seat is a benchmark from hell. You step in midstream, barely any setup history, up against a driver who can drive around the car’s quirks and is wired into the team — and you’re judged immediately.
September 14, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
Fastest Lap
It’s a warning born from a long, uncomfortable list. Red Bull’s second seat has dealt out harsh lessons for talented drivers in the Verstappen era. The RB21 is quick in the right window but a narrow one, and Verstappen has built the window around himself. Anyone arriving at short notice will be fighting the car, the clock and the comparisons. Jamie Chadwick, on pundit duty, agreed with the risk assessment — just not the practicality. In her view, if the boss calls, Hadjar can’t really say no.
She’d want to keep learning in the car he knows, especially with unfamiliar tracks like Las Vegas and Singapore still to come, but admits the word “no” carries limited currency in that situation. She also called it what it so often becomes at the wrong time: a poisoned chalice. Here’s the thing: Hadjar doesn’t need the chaos. He’s got momentum, he’s banked a signature result, and he’s earning the kind of trust that makes winter decisions easier, calmer and more deliberate. Racing Bulls have been clear they want the season to run its course.
Red Bull know better than anyone that yanking the wheel mid-season can spook a young driver and muddle the data. There’s also the Yuki question. Tsunoda’s form at the senior team is under the microscope, and that pressure doesn’t ease with every Verstappen win-or-bust weekend. But if Red Bull really want to evaluate options, they’ll get a far cleaner read by waiting for a reset — new parts, new tyres, new baseline, new calendar. Not by throwing a rookie into the hottest seat in the sport with eight races and no testing.
‘That seat is a benchmark from hell’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/rosberg-...d-chalice-now/
Podium To Probation: FIA Warns Hadjar After Monza Shortcut
06 Sep 2025
Alex Albuquerque
Fastest Lap
The glow of Zandvoort didn’t last long. Seven days after banking his first Formula 1 podium, Isack Hadjar’s Italian Grand Prix weekend veered off script with a formal warning from the FIA for failing to follow the race director’s instructions — for the second time in Monza. The flashpoint came in final practice. Hadjar, in the Racing Bulls RB01, missed Turn 4 and cut to the right of the gravel at the second chicane without using the prescribed escape road at Turns 4/5.
That shortcut is one of Monza’s most rigidly policed procedures, spelled out in the race director’s event notes. Stewards called in Car 6, reviewed footage and team radio, and accepted Hadjar’s account that it happened at low speed on an out-lap after a left-front lock-up while he was warming tyres. With no cars nearby and no danger created, the panel opted against a sporting penalty — but they didn’t mince words about the pattern.
“Although this is the driver’s second offence of such nature during the weekend and repeat offences regularly warrant more severe penalties,” the stewards wrote, they would stop short of escalating this time. The sting in the tail: the team and driver were told a similar misstep before the chequered flag would “draw a more severe penalty.”
‘The glow of Zandvoort didn’t last long’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/podium-t...onza-shortcut/
Isack Hadjar slams Carlos Sainz after Monza qualifying clash
The Racing Bulls rookie accused Williams driver Carlos Sainz of disrupting his rhythm and costing him a chance at Q2
7 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
The 2025 Italian Grand Prix qualifying session delivered its usual share of drama, but one of the most heated storylines came not at the sharp end of the grid, but in the mid-pack. Isack Hadjar, fresh from his maiden Formula 1 podium at Zandvoort, endured a miserable Saturday at Monza after being eliminated in Q1. The French rookie accused Carlos Sainz of “playing around” on their out-laps, disrupting his tyre preparation and contributing to his early exit.
“We actually were really fast, the car was really good,” Hadjar said, visibly exasperated. “I mean the out-lap was a mess with Carlos, he was just playing around a lot to then let me by. I don’t know why we even went out on track in the first place on new tyres to just cruise around.”
Hadjar admitted he made an error on his flying lap, but was adamant the situation with Sainz had left him unsettled at a critical moment. “It’s my first mistake in quali in a while, so it happens,” Hadjar added. “I was on new tyres, Carlos was on used. He was playing around, trying to make my lap difficult on my out-lap and then not really letting me by properly. I just don’t know what he was doing.”
‘Isack Hadjar slams Carlos Sainz’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...lifying-clash/
Isack Hadjar takes aim at ‘super annoying’ Carlos Sainz after F1 career first
6 Sep 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
The French-Algerian rookie cut a frustrated figure after the session, with Hadjar heard expressing his annoyance over team radio having suffered a wide moment at Lesmo 2 on his final lap. Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com, Hadjar – who confirmed that he is set to take an engine penalty for Sunday’s race – pointed the finger at Sainz for compromising his outlap.
Hadjar told PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher and other publications at Monza: “He was just super annoying on the outlap. He was not going to push anyway. “I don’t know why he was fighting so hard for track position and then just let me by on my lap, so I compromised the outlap for nothing. And later on, I made a mistake. But honestly, all of that doesn’t matter because I’m starting last tomorrow.”
‘Super annoying’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos...awson-annoying
What has triggered the latest spat between Racing Bulls and Williams at the F1 Italian GP
07 Sep 2025
Fleur Rogerson
WilliamsF1 Supporters
“Why does Sainz have to be so annoying? Who the hell does an out-lap, a warm-up? I mean, what was he doing?”, Hadjar said on the radio. “He’s just playing around to just let me by like s**t.” The issue ultimately was the run plan that Williams had chosen to use, with Sainz being put through an out-lap and a warm-up lap prior to attempting a timed run.
The peculiar run plan garnered confusion from Hadjar even after the session. “He was just super annoying on the out-lap,” Hadjar told told media including Motorsport Week. “He was not going to push anyway, so I don’t know why he was fighting so hard for track position and to then just let me buy on my lap.So I’m compromised on the out-lap for nothing, and yeah, later on I made a mistake.”
‘The latest spat’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...f1-italian-gp/
Isack Hadjar issues sombre assessment ahead of Azerbaijan GP
13 Sept 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Isack Hadjar has weighed in on what to expect ahead of the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Racing Bulls driver has cast a gloomy verdict on his team’s chances at the Baku street race. “I think it’s strong on every layout — it’s just a quick car. But on some surfaces, with weird tarmac or heavy graining, we’ve struggled. In Bahrain and Canada, for example, we were nowhere. So yes, there will be tougher weekends. Baku will be very challenging,” Hadjar said to GPblog.
Speaking with GPblog during the Italian Grand Prix, he stated: “The hardest thing is not to think about it too much. Whether it’s a good result or a bad one, you put it behind you, get back in the car and do your job. It’s actually very easy.”
Hadjar indeed has proven to be a driver with resilience – considering the sort of start he had to his Formula 1 career. The former F2 driver crashed on the formation lap of the season opener in Australia and has since risen from the lows of the incident to claim his first F1 podium finish for the Racing Bulls outfit.
‘Gloomy verdict’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/isack...-azerbaijan-gp
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‘It’s a complete change’ – Vasseur suggests Ferrari ‘underestimated’ the factors around Hamilton’s move.
Vasseur, though, is not concerned, underlining the various factors Hamilton has been getting used to in an appearance on F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast.
15 Sep 2025
Formula One - Official Site
“I don’t know if we underestimated the importance of the change,” said Vasseur. “Probably, because he spent 10 years at McLaren, then 12 with Mercedes, but it was a kind of continuity – two teams based in the UK with the same engine, same environment.”
“[Joining Ferrari] is a complete change for him, in his life, the culture of the team and everything. To do it in three test days in the winter period is quite difficult – and I think also the expectation was huge. We have to put everything in place, and it’s taking time. We have to also manage expectations and manage the noise around the team.”
“If we are not able to put everything together from the preparation of the weekend, the adaptation to the simulator, blah, blah, blah, until Sunday, you can miss one-tenth there or one-tenth there. This is making a huge difference in terms of pure results.”
“It’s taking time”;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...n6DUU0UiBAZaJX
Schumacher’s Stark Warning: Hamilton’s Ferrari Honeymoon Is Over
Alex Albuquerque
September 14, 2025
14 Sep 2025
Fastest Lap
Lewis Hamilton got through Monza without tripping over himself. That’s the good news. The bad news, according to Ralf Schumacher, is that Ferrari’s new signing is still making mistakes that don’t belong on a driver of his experience — and they’re starting to cost. Hamilton arrived in Italy carrying a five-place grid penalty for failing to slow under double yellows on the formation run to the grid at Zandvoort. Zandvoort was where it unravelled. Hamilton twice looped the car and then lost it for good after putting a wheel on the painted white line into Turn 3 in mixed conditions.
Post race, the stewards added that penalty for the Monza weekend. For Schumacher, watching on for Sky Deutschland, that’s a pattern Ferrari can’t afford. “He needs to be a bit more professional,” Schumacher said. “With his experience, that really shouldn’t happen. He has to be careful with things like that so the fans continue to support him — that could also annoy the Tifosi.”
Schumacher’s broader point is hard to argue. Before the summer shut off, Hamilton’s season sagged under two bruising rounds: back to back Q1 eliminations at Spa across sprint qualifying and the main session, followed by a recovery drive to seventh; then Hungary, where he fell in Q2 and ended up a lap down and out of the points after a skirmish and an off while dicing with Max Verstappen. Hamilton didn’t sugarcoat it, calling himself “useless, absolutely useless” and joking “they probably need to change driver” given Ferrari’s one lap form.
‘Honeymoon Is Over’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/schumach...ymoon-is-over/
'Lonely' Vasseur's Ferrari slammed as 'soulless' by Scuderia icon
15 Sep 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Former Ferrari President Luca Di Montezemola believes the Scuderia currently lacks 'soul' and 'stability'. Ferrari's former President, Di Montezemolo, has issued his verdict on the team's current form and believes the lack of sporting achievements is a reflection of the Scuderia's internal state. "Today there is no leadership," he said in an interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport, "and above all there is a lack of soul.”
"I don't know Vasseur and I don't criticise him but I see a lonely man. Too many changes, we need stability in the team." These comments come after Ferrari's 2024 promise shown by nearly snatching the Constructors' championship from McLaren was unable to be carried over into 2025.
“Lack of soul”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/scude...ulless-ferrari
Ferrari's Leadership Under Fire Amid Winless Season
September 14, 2025
Nelson Espinal Newsweek
The News Tribune, Washington
Former Ferrari leader Luca di Montezemolo called out the current race team's leadership during their winless campaign. Despite entering the season with much hype and anticipation, the Scuderia has failed to deliver a race win.
While the team appears united around Vasseur, Di Montezemolo has expressed concerns about the current decision-makers, given the run of disappointing results. "I saw the beautiful images of the fans and then a team that, despite so many announcements on the eve of the race, has not won a single race to date," he told Sky Italia. "And even if it had won a race, Ferrari after so many years must win the World Championship.”
"I think today's Ferrari has even more responsibility towards them. And even if it had won a race, Ferrari after so many years must win the World Championship. The thing I regret today is seeing a Ferrari that has no leader, there is no leadership and above all I see that it lacks a strong, determined soul. Announcements are made that often create excessive expectations. First, we do the results and then we make the announcements."
“Lacks a strong, determined soul”;
https://www.thenewstribune.com/sport...mainstage_card
'It was a very sad weekend for Ferrari fans", F1 insider claims
15 Sep 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Dutch F1 pundit Robert Doornbos shared his thoughts over Ferrari’s performance in the Monza home race weekend. Analyzing Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton’s fourth and sixth-place finishes in Italy on The Pit Talk podcast, the former Red Bull driver said: ''There's a lot of pressure on Ferrari. And coming to their home event, they have basically two home races. They have Imola, but Monza is the real one, and they know it, so they have to deliver for the Tifosi.''
''It was a very sad weekend for Ferrari fans. The whole season hasn't been great, to be honest, but I think the Dutch Grand Prix was a definite low, with Lewis Hamilton making a driver error, the seven-time world champion going off on his own and destroying the car. I mean, that's not the Lewis we all like to see, and particularly not Ferrari.' 'Then there was also Charles Leclerc, who crashed out of the race, basically, not to his own mistake, but they just didn't have it.''
''He then added: ''I think coming in Monza, in the Temple of Speed, where they had to show their true pace. They had the set -up, the balance, the speed, and in qualifying it looked reasonably promising with a third place for Charles. Then come the race, they didn't really have the speed anymore.' 'In the opening laps it looks exciting and then they drop back. So fourth and sixth, it's better than crashing out with two cars, for sure. But it's still not where Ferrari wants to be.''
“They have to deliver for the Tifosi'';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/f1-in...r-ferrari-fans
Hamilton convinced Ferrari struggles ‘preparing us for better days’
15/09/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Hamilton conceded that the transition has not gone entirely as planned, citing both technical and cultural hurdles. While he had a year to prepare for his move to Maranello following the bombshell announcement in February 2024, the F1 veteran says there were aspects of the change that caught everyone off guard.
“I don’t remember every single season, to be honest, so I don’t really want to compare it to others, but I'm sure there have been plenty of seasons that have felt difficult,” Hamilton explained in Monza last time out. “I remember 2009 was difficult; I remember 2010, 2011 wasn’t great, and 2012 was a pivotal moment for me, and obviously 2022 and 2023, so there’s been plenty of others that were just different. But I was in a different place in my life.”
“There’s been a lot of adjustment, both from my side and the team’s side. They’ve really moved heaven and earth to accommodate me,” Hamilton said, acknowledging the team’s commitment to his integration. “Obviously, there are cultural differences,” the Briton admitted. “Fred made a comment that perhaps they underestimated me joining the team and the year we’ve been faced with in terms of the problems with the car, so it's a combination of all those things. But honestly, the harder it is, the better it can make you. This year has been tough for everyone in the team, but it has prepared us for better days.”
‘Preparing us for better days’;
https://f1i.com/news/548467-hamilton...tter-days.html
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Ferrari have now removed photos of one prominent Fred Vasseur critic from their F1 museum.
Ferrari are no longer displaying Luca di Montezemolo photos in their museum. Luca di Montezemolo is one of the most significant figures in Ferrari’s history. Enzo Ferrari invited him to be his assistant and made him the F1 team sporting director.
16 September 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
After overseeing two titles for Niki Lauda in that role (F1 team sporting director), Luca di later became the Ferrari president. Together with Jean Todt, he acquired Michael Schumacher and turned them into a historically dominant force – they won five titles in a row at the start of the century, an unprecedented feat that hasn’t been replicated since.
Di Montezemolo was part of the set-up until 2014, when he was replaced by Sergio Marchionne. But despite his contribution to the team’s success, Gazzetta dello Sport say there are no longer any pictures of him on display at their Maranello museum. The relationship between the 78-year-old and his past employers is described as ‘broken’. When filming a recent documentary about his career, he wasn’t allowed to shoot any footage at the factory.
Asked about the dispute, he said: “I also say it in the film: jealousy of the past is a bad thing.” It’s unclear whether or not Di Montezemolo’s omission has anything to do with his strong criticism of Fred Vasseur. But one suspects it has contributed. In an interview earlier this month, Di Montezemolo said Ferrari had ‘no leader’. He feels they lack a ‘strong, determined soul’. And during the summer, Di Montezemolo ruled out Lewis Hamilton winning the title for the Scuderia. Ferrari will not appreciate their former president dialling up the already-intense pressure.
‘No longer displaying Luca di Montezemolo photos’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...eir-f1-museum/
Ferrari jealous of the past says Montezemolo.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2025
GrandPrix.com
Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has accused the fabled Maranello marque of trying to erase him from its history. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport while promoting a new documentary about his life, the 78-year-old lamented that Ferrari has distanced itself from his ultra-successful era of leadership.
There's something broken that still hasn't been mended between you and Ferrari, the interviewer suggested, noting that Montezemolo was not permitted to film at Maranello and that photographs of him have disappeared from the company museum. I also say it in the film - jealousy of the past is a bad thing, Montezemolo replied.
Today there's no leadership and, above all, there's no soul, he said. "I don't know (Frederic) Vasseur and I don't criticise him, but I see a lonely man. Too many changes - the team needs stability. I remember when Fiat wanted me to fire Todt, but I refused. I said, 'If he leaves, I'll leave too.' Ferrari has not responded to Montezemolo's latest remarks.
‘Tying to erase him from its history’;
https://www.grandprix.com/news/ferra...ntezemolo.html
Ferrari lacks leadership, says Montezemolo
14/09/2025
GrandPrix.com
Di Montezemolo was personally appointed sporting director by Enzo Ferrari in 1974, subsequently overseeing Niki Lauda's title wins in 1975 and 1977. Though he headed off to lead various factions of the Fiat empire he returned to Maranello in 1991 as president of Ferrari, which was still seeking to recover following the death of its founder in 1988. As well as putting the road car division back on its feet, Montezemolo gradually put in place the various factors that would lead to the Scuderia's domination of the sport in the early to mid-2000s.
Having led such a full and colourful life it is only natural that, like so many others, a documentary has been put together and it was at the premiere of Luca: Seeing Red, that the 78-year-old expressed his concern for the team that clearly remains one of the loves of his life. "It's sad to see a Ferrari without a leader," he said. "It lacks a strong, determined soul. One of the things I learned at Ferrari, and that I've always tried to apply, is that when you win, you have to work even harder,"
He continued. "Today, when we are not winning, this is even more true. It is crucial to choose the right people," he insisted, "in my day, I had highly valuable collaborators, number ones and number twos." The Italian is particularly concerned at the numerous management changes over the years, believing that stability at all levels is vital. He particularly feels that losing Mattia Binotto - now with Sauber - was a mistake.
"It's sad to see a Ferrari without a leader";
https://www.pitpass.com/81061/Ferrar...ys-Montezemolo
Stop Promising, Start Winning: Montezemolo’s Ferrari Ultimatum
September 14, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
Fastest Lap
Luca di Montezemolo throws down gauntlet: “Ferrari has no leader — results first, announcements later” The banners and smoke flares were back in force. The Tifosi flooded Milan’s “Drive to Monza” and then the Autodromo itself, singing for a team that once made winning feel inevitable. What they got was a fourth for Charles Leclerc, a sixth for Lewis Hamilton, and the unmistakable sound of a Ferrari season drifting off-key.
Luca di Montezemolo, who presided over the most ruthless stretch of Ferrari dominance in modern Formula 1, didn’t dance around it. He called it what he thinks it is — an absence of leadership. “I saw the beautiful images of the fans and then a team that, despite so many announcements on the eve of the race, has not won a single race to date,” he told Sky Italia. “Even if it had won a race, Ferrari after so many years must win the World Championship. Ferrari has not even reached the last race for many years with a driver who can win.”
Di Montezemolo’s words cut because of the history behind them. He was the figurehead when Michael Schumacher rattled off five straight titles from 2000 to 2004. He knows what it looks like when Ferrari is more than fast — when it’s relentless. He’s also lived the flip side, where pressure multiplies and patience evaporates. Because for all the smoke and songs, the Tifosi came for one thing. And the most Ferrari thing of all would be to stop promising it and start doing it.
‘Luca di Montezemolo throws down gauntlet’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/stop-pro...ari-ultimatum/
Di Montezemolo slams Ferrari: ‘Sad to see a team without a leader’
13 Sep 2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Stability lost after Binotto; Montezemolo was particularly critical of Ferrari’s revolving door of leadership, pointing to the departure of former team principal Mattia Binotto as a costly misstep. “If Binotto could have continued, it would have been better,” he argued. “Constant change means losing one of the most important elements: a team’s stability. Every time you change, you have to start from scratch, and there’s a lot of work to do. Announcements are often made that create excessive expectations: you should achieve results first and then communicate them.”
Montezemolo contrasted Ferrari’s pre-race optimism at Monza with the continuing wait for victories and titles, offering a blunt reminder of the Scuderia’s obligations to its passionate fanbase. He concluded with a stark warning for those in charge at Maranello: “For too long, Ferrari hasn’t even been able to fight for the title at the last race with a driver in contention. I hope things change, first and foremost for those who were at Monza and who continue to show unwavering faith. “Ferrari today has even more responsibility towards them.”
Montezemolo’s words carry weight given his history of leading Ferrari back to competitiveness in the 1990s and overseeing the dominant Michael Schumacher era. But for today’s Scuderia, the former president’s message is clear: leadership, stability, and responsibility to the tifosi must once again become non-negotiable values.
‘Di Montezemolo slams Ferrari’;
https://f1i.com/news/548412-di-monte...-a-leader.html
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How McLaren can win its 10th F1 title in Baku.
Poised with a commanding points lead, McLaren is on the brink of securing the 2025 title in Baku.
September 15th 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
McLaren stands on the threshold of securing its 10th constructors’ championship in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this week. Having dominated in most of the first 16 races of the 2025 season, its sensational run — 12 victories and 27 podium finishes — has left it 337 points clear of Ferrari following Monza, and just a small step away from the title.
Clinching the title in Azerbaijan would set a new record for the earliest title win by number of races left — seven. The previous benchmark was set by Red Bull in 2023, when it clinched the championship with six rounds to spare.
‘Commanding points lead’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
Oscar Piastri spies Azerbaijan GP 'advantage' over title rival Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri is seeking back-to-back wins at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend.
16 September 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Oscar Piastri has suggested he has an “advantage” heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend over title rival Lando Norris. “I’ve got extremely fond memories of Baku last year,” he said.
“I regard that as one of my favourite races ever and it’s always an advantage coming back to a track where you’ve had a big result. My only focus is achieving more of the same this weekend. I am leading the drivers' championship and I am very happy with where my driving is.”
“Street circuits bring a different challenge, and I can't wait to get out there and put myself to the test,” he said. “I’ve been back at MTC [McLaren Technology Centre], working hard to be in the best position to go for another win."
‘Seeking back-to-back wins’;
https://racingnews365.com/oscar-pias...l-lando-norris
Mercedes reveals formula to end drought ahead of Azerbaijan GP: ‘We can fight’
14 Sep 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
The Mercedes team have not had the best of outings in recent runs of races, but the German team have their sight set on an improved performance in Baku. Trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, has revealed what the team must do to clinch a podium at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
“For a team like ourselves, that’s always the objective. But we have to be mindful that McLaren has been strong the whole year in almost all the conditions. And also recently, Verstappen has been quite strong as well. So it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be difficult. And we’ll have to make sure that we maximise our one lap performance, and operationally we execute at the best without any error. And then we can fight for it.”
Mercedes’ W16 well-suited to Baku? The Mercedes engineering chief also touched on the W16 machinery being well suited to the demands ot the Azerbaijan street track. Showlin referenced the impressive showing the team had with George Russell during the 2024 race, expressing optimism that a repeat could be on the cards. “It's a good question. Last year, it was a good showing from us with George on the podium. Like I said, the competition is very tough at the moment with all the teams. So it could be a good track, but we have to do everything at our best.”
‘We can fight’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/merce...p-we-can-fight
Toto Wolff drops key insight on what could make or break Mercedes in Baku
16 Sep 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Toto Wolff has weighed in on Mercedes' chances ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Austrian motorsports chief stressed a few fine details would prove pivotal to his team’s success at the Baku street race.
Wolff, who spoke via the Mercedes team press release ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, detailed how he expects the final stretch of the campaign to be pretty intense. The Mercedes team principal also stressed how his team lost points to their rivals last time out in Monza.
“It will be an intense run to the flag in Abu Dhabi, with three teams in the fight for second in the Constructors' Championship. We lost some ground to our competitors in Monza and know we need to perform better in the closing eight races than we did in Italy if we are to come out on top.”
Wolff: Small margins will make the difference. Toto Wolff further highlighted his belief that the little details could largely make or break his team’s outing in Azerbaijan. The 53-year-old old however, concluded by stating that if his team delivered the way they expect to, they should leave Baku with a positive result. “It is a good test for both the car and the driver. The grid is tight, and once again, small margins will make a big difference. If we deliver in the way we know we can, then we can be hopeful of a strong weekend fighting near the front of the field.”
“Small margins”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/toto-...rcedes-in-baku
Matt Bishop: Alonso & Stroll are about to make mind-boggling F1 history
September 16th 2025
Matt Bishop
Motor Sport Magazine
On one side of the Aston Martin garage is one of F1's most devastatingly effective drivers. On the other is one who's frequently lacklustre. And yet Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are about to hit a historic benchmark
As the late-summer sun glints off the Caspian Sea this coming Sunday, September 21, the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will deliver an arcane, yet oddly evocative, piece of Formula 1 history: the first time that any one team’s two drivers will have driven a combined total of 600 F1 grands prix. Yes, really. Six hundred.
The team is Aston Martin. In Baku this weekend Fernando Alonso will start his 418th F1 grand prix – a magnum opus that is becoming so gargantuan that it is beginning to feel mythological – while Lance Stroll will notch up his 182nd. Pause for a moment. Let those numbers settle in your mind. Six hundred F1 grands prix in one two-driver team.
‘Mind-boggling F1 history’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
Hamilton sees Baku challenge: 'Expecting to start on the back foot'
12 Sep 2025
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
A pessimistic Lewis Hamilton expects that he and Ferrari will be "starting on the back foot" at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Brit has had a challenging start to his Ferrari career after making the move from Mercedes, with the 40-year-old yet to step onto the podium in a Grand Prix.
There have been a couple of bright sparks for Hamilton in his first year with the Scuderia, with a sprint race win at the Chinese Grand Prix and a sprint race podium at the Miami Grand Prix being the best performances of the season. However, there has been some criticism of the seven-time world champion, with former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine saying the Brit "came [to Ferrari] a bit too old".
Hamilton hoping for more in Baku. At Monza, there was some promise shown from Ferrari, with Hamilton moving up from P10 on the grid to P6 with some lovely moves at the 'Temple of Speed', with the track characteristics at Baku similar. "I think I'm going to go there again, I'll be starting at a track that I've raced with a different car for many years," Hamilton started by saying to GPblog at Monza.
‘Couple of bright sparks for Hamilton’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/pessi...k-foot-in-baku
2025 Azerbaijan GP Schedule and F1 Session Times
Full schedule and session times for the Azerbaijan GP in Baku
17 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
2025 Azerbaijan GP Session Times
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend will run on an earlier timetable than many European races, due to the time difference (GMT+4 local time). Below are the key session start times for the race weekend.
Date Session Baku (Local) UK (BST) US (ET) US (PT) Australia (AEST)
Fri, Sept 19 FP1 12:30 – 13:30 09:30 – 10:30 04:30 – 05:30 01:30 – 02:30 18:30 – 19:30
Fri, Sept 19 FP2 16:00 – 17:00 13:00 – 14:00 08:00 – 09:00 05:00 – 06:00 22:00 – 23:00
Sat, Sept 20 FP3 12:30 – 13:30 09:30 – 10:30 04:30 – 05:30 01:30 – 02:30 18:30 – 19:30
Sat, Sept 20 Qualifying 16:00 – 17:00 13:00 – 14:00 08:00 – 09:00 05:00 – 06:00 22:00 – 23:00
Sun, Sept 21
‘Schedule’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...session-times/
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Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Thursday Press Conference Transcript.
PART ONE – Pierre GASLY (Alpine), Nico HÜLKENBERG (Kick Sauber), Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren).
17 Sept 2025
FIA (Press Release)
Q: Oscar, perhaps we could start with you, please. Now this could be a monumental weekend for McLaren. They can clinch the Constructors’ Championship this weekend, which would be with seven races still to go. It’s been a phenomenal season. Just how different has it felt on the inside to last year’s title success?
Oscar PIASTRI: I think very different, because this year has just looked very different to last year. I think, you know, last season went down to the final race, and a pretty eventful final race as well. So I think this year, clearly the car has been a step better, the team has been performing very well. So there’s much more of a sense of inevitability about this year, which is an amazing position to be in. It’s a testament to all the hard work from everyone at the team. And, you know, I’m the lucky guy that gets to drive the car at the end of the day. So, yes. A testament to everyone’s hard work and very, very proud of everyone.
Q: Nico, if we could come to you now, and we'll throw it back to Monza as well, which was a very, very frustrating Sunday for you. Does the team fully understand why you couldn't make the start there?
Nico HÜLKENBERG: Yeah, of course we did. Obviously, pretty frustrating and bad at the time. But it is what it is. We found the root cause and obviously put some measures and things in place so that this should not happen again in the future.
Q: Let's bring it onto this weekend then. Do you think the low-downforce nature of Baku will suit the car, suit the package?
NH: I think in Monza, we were competitive. Obviously here it’s a little bit similar but also different at the same time. But if you look across the last five, six weekends and different tracks, I feel we have a competitive package and car beneath us. Nothing that suggests here should be different. I think we will be competitive within the midfield. It remains very close with tight margins from P10 all the way to the back. You’ve just got to be good and clean in the execution. I feel there are opportunities.
Q: Pierre, coming to you now. The last couple of races really have been quite difficult for the team. What are you expecting from this weekend?
Pierre GASLY: Yeah, I mean, I think we are aware that it hasn't been as good as we would have liked, and the remaining part of the year is probably going to be also pretty difficult for us. So it doesn’t really change our approach into the weekend. Still trying to do the best we can. But for sure, in terms of performance, we seem to be more consistently struggling to make our way into Q2 and getting close to the top 10. So, yeah, we know it's not going to be an easy task, but still we're going to give it our best.
‘Monumental weekend for McLaren?’;
https://www.fia.com/news/azerbaijan-...nce-transcript
Ecclestone warns 'embarrasing' Hamilton: 'People will forget him'
17 Sept 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Bernie Ecclestone, former F1 Supremo, believes Ferrari partnering Lewis Hamilton's most embarrasing aspect is the fact the Briton can't "deliver" what the Italians thought he would. Lewis Hamilton's first year at Ferrari has not been anything to write home about, and Ecclestone even brands the partnership as "embarrasing."
“The most embarrassing thing, in my opinion, for Lewis and Ferrari is that they thought he could do all the things that were necessary,” he told Sport.de. “You must be disappointed that what was supposed to be delivered was not delivered,” he continued, opining from what he believes could be the Scuderia's point of view.
Reaffirming his stance on the matter of Hamilton's future in F1, Ecclestone once against voiced his thought that the seven-time World Champion would do well to call it a day. “He should stop,” the former F1 Supremo stated, issuing a warning to the Ferrari driver that his legacy in the sport might depend on it. “The danger that – if he continues for another year or a year and a half and hasn’t gotten better by then – people will forget him and his achievements.”
“He should stop”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/eccle...ill-forget-him
Hamilton expects Ferrari’s “softer” car will suit Baku better than Mercedes did
18th Sept 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Lewis Hamilton is hopeful his Ferrari will suit the Baku City Circuit better than Mercedes’ cars did because its ride is softer. “It’s a much different car than I’ve ever driven here before, so I’m excited to see how that feels and what I can get from it,” Hamilton told the official Formula 1 channel. “It’s got more mechanical grip,” Hamilton explained. “It’s a lot softer than the cars I’ve driven in the past.”
Hamilton competed in all eight prior races at Baku when he was at Mercedes. He won the 2018 race and was leading the year before when he was delayed by a pit stop to fix a loose headrest. However he doesn’t expect to challenge for victory again this weekend. “A win is a bit far-fetched considering I’ve been sixth, seventh and eighth for most of the season,” he said.
“I would love to get a podium for the team at some stage. Charles [Leclerc] has had four or five of them. I feel optimistic coming into the weekend. I feel like I’ve found a couple things and now I need to work on extracting them. So I really hope that this weekend can be the start of that.”
‘Lewis Hamilton is hopeful’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/09/18/...-mercedes-did/
Gary Anderson is ‘sure’ Red Bull have made one secret change to give Max Verstappen a McLaren-beater
18 Sept 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Gary Anderson expects Red Bull will replicate Max Verstappen’s Monza set-up in Baku. Verstappen won the Italian GP from pole position, after he denied Lando Norris in qualifying by just 0.077 seconds and utilised the straight-line speed of his Red Bull RB21 to pull away in the race. The Dutchman ultimately won by 19.207s, as McLaren tried an alternative strategy.
Red Bull trimmed downforce off Verstappen’s rear wing at Monza, too, unlike on teammate Yuki Tsunoda’s car, to further improve his straight-line speed advantage. But Gary Anderson expects Red Bull also made changes to Verstappen’s floor to help him beat Norris at Monza. Given F1 teams also use low-downforce set-ups for the city streets of Baku, albeit not to the same extreme levels as for Monza, Anderson expects Red Bull will try to mimic Verstappen’s Italian GP-winning set-up for the Azerbaijan GP. He has previously won once in Baku in 2022.
Anderson told The Race: “I’m sure there were other developments in the underfloor that might mean that the aerodynamic centre of pressure from the actual underfloor moved more rearwards with speed. “If that happens, it will give you more front grip in the lower- and medium-speed corners and more rear grip in the fast corners. This allows you to run a less draggy rear wing, meaning you also get the benefit of increased straight-line speed.”
‘A McLaren-beater’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gar...claren-beater/
Max ahead of Azerbaijan GP: 'Important to have stable weekend.'
18 Sept 2025
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl
“Monza was of course an incredible result. It really gave everyone in the team a boost. I’m looking forward to seeing how competitive we’ll be around here, but it’s difficult to predict. We made progress, but this circuit is very different compared to Monza.”
The Dutchman continued: “Every circuit has different demands. Baku has a lot of slow corners and a lot of 90-degree corners; that’s never been our strong point. It’s a challenging track with not much grip. Usually, the track surface is pretty green but improves rapidly through the weekend. Like Monza, we need to have a stable weekend and not go to in wildly different directions set-up wise. We’ll try to achieve the same as in Monza.”
After his win in Italy, Max visited the Red Bull Powertrains facility in Milton Keynes. “It was great to catch up and show my face. The facilities are incredible. All that’s needed for this project is available, it’s impressive”, said the reigning champion. “We know it’s a huge challenge to develop our own power unit, but it’s great to see how everything is coming together for when it starts in about six months. It’s not that far away.”
'Important to have stable weekend';
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5946/
Why Red Bull resurgence could be real - What to watch at 2025 Azerbaijan GP
Sept 17th 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
From Red Bull's potential resurgence to McLaren's title duel, tyre strategy gambles, Bearman's race-ban threat and renewed scrutiny on driving rules, Baku promises another weekend of intrigue. Formula 1 swaps the high-speed sweeps of Monza for the unforgiving city walls of Baku this weekend, as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix hosts round 17 of the 2025 season.
The championship fight remains finely balanced, and the streets of the Caspian capital have a history of providing unexpected twists. At the top of the agenda is whether Red Bull‘s Monza breakthrough was the start of a genuine revival or just a one-off flash of form.
‘Why Red Bull resurgence could be real’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
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Azerbaijan GP: Norris leads McLaren 1-2 in disrupted first practice.
Norris dominated the early stages of practice, outpacing on Pirelli’s soft compound Mercedes’ George Russell, Leclerc, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
19/09/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
With only 21 minutes left after the restart, teams scrambled for data. Verstappen briefly closed the gap to Norris, clocking a time just 0.043s shy. But Norris responded emphatically, shaving a second off his earlier best to secure top spot.
Piastri, on new softs, climbed to second with a 1m43.014s, three tenths behind Norris, while Leclerc took third, half a second off the pace. Russell and Williams’ Alex Albon rounded out the top five, with Albon impressing on the rapidly improving track.
Yuki Tsunoda shone for Racing Bulls, finishing sixth, narrowly ahead of Verstappen, who abandoned his final run after a mistake at Turn 14. Carlos Sainz took eighth for Williams, followed by Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar. Lewis Hamilton narrowly escaped disaster, grazing the Turn 5 wall but avoiding significant damage to his Ferrari.
‘Norris leads McLaren 1-2’;
https://f1i.com/news/548665-azerbaij...-practice.html
2025 F1 Azerbaijan GP – Free Practice 1 Results
Lando Norris leads Oscar Piastri as McLaren dominate FP1 in Baku, while Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes face mixed fortunes
19 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Azerbaijan GP 2025 FP1 results
Check out the full Azerbaijan GP 2025 Free Practice 1 results from the first session in Baku below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:42.704
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.310
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.552
4 George Russell Mercedes +0.553
5 Alexander Albon Williams +0.859
6 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +1.034
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull +1.086
8 Carlos Sainz Williams +1.155
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.199
10 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +1.271
‘FP1 results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-1-results/
Lando Norris On Top Ahead Of Oscar Piastri In Opening Baku F1 Practice
An in-form Lando Norris set the pace ahead of McLaren team-mate, title rival and championship leader Oscar Piastri in Friday's eventful and red flag-punctuated opening practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
September 19, 2025
Agence France-Presse
NDTV.com
An in-form Lando Norris set the pace ahead of McLaren team-mate, title rival and championship leader Oscar Piastri in Friday's eventful and red flag-punctuated opening practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The 25-year-old Briton, who trails by 31 points in the drivers' title race, clocked a best lap in one minute and 42.704 to top the times, beating his 24-year-old Australian rival by 0.310 seconds. A similar 1-2 outcome in Sunday's race would clinch a second consecutive constructors' championship success for McLaren and leave the duo to fight for the individual title without the spectre of team orders.
‘Lando Norris On Top’;
https://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/la...actice-9306672
Azerbaijan GP: Norris sets the pace in FP1 as Piastri is momentarily sidelined with PU issues
19 Sep 2025
Michelle Foster
F1i.com
Lando Norris topped the timesheet in the opening practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix while his teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri was momentarily sidelined with an engine issue. The upside for Piastri, the bulk of his time in the garage coincided with a red flag as track marshals set about fixing the Turn 16 kerb that had been lifted.
After a 10-minute delay, Race Control green-lighted the session only to throw the yellow flag as it turned out to be a bigger issue than expected. The good news for Piastri, McLaren were able to work on his MCL39 without him losing track time compared to his rivals. The team revealed: “We’d identified a PU issue, which we believe we’ve rectified. Now planning to get Oscar back out when we get going again.”
Back on track with 20 minutes remaining in the session, a busy track and traffic had Isack Hadjar complaining about one of the Williams drivers, Verstappen went second behind Norris only for the McLaren driver to up his pace and put a second between himself and the Red Bull driver. Piastri was up to third.
‘Norris sets the pace’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/azerba...025-fp1-report
Lewis Hamilton escapes with minor damage after Azerbaijan GP scare
Lewis Hamilton suffered a minor scare in the first practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
19 September 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Lewis Hamilton suffered a minor scare during Azerbaijan Grand Prix practice, breaking his Ferrari front-wing against a wall. With the session heavily delayed due to a separate incident involving a loose kerb at Turn 16, it resumed after a delay of nearly 30 minutes, leaving the field just over 20 minutes of running.
Rounding the left-hander at Turn 5, Hamilton clipped the inside wall, breaking off the left-hand endplate of his car as he crawled back to the pits. Fortunately, the car was otherwise undamaged as he made his way back to the pits for a new front-wing, rejoining to finish 13th overall in the session, with team-mate Charles Leclerc third, behind a Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri one-two for McLaren.
‘Minor scare’;
https://racingnews365.com/lewis-hami...aijan-gp-scare
George Russell still unwell after ‘sounding terrible’ in Azerbaijan GP FP1
A difficult weekend ahead for George Russell at the 2025 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
19 Sep 2025
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
George Russell continues to battle illness after he “sounded terrible” over team radio in first practice for the 2025 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver was ruled out of Thursday’s media day in Baku due to feeling unwell.
Mercedes said in a statement: “George is unwell so unfortunately won’t be at the track today, as he’s resting up ahead of tomorrow’s track action.” Russell returned to action on Friday as first practice got underway. It was a fairly encouraging session for the British driver, setting the fourth-fastest time of the day.
Russell was just over 0.6s off Lando Norris’ impressive pace for McLaren. Russell also reported a “serious amount of bottoming” on the long straight in Baku. “There’s a serious amount of bottoming on the straight,” Russell said over team radio in FP1. Russell’s radio message was difficult to hear and it was clear he was struggling.
‘Sounding terrible’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108202...ijan-gp-f1-fp1
Norris quickest in interrupted FP1 - 2025 Azerbaijan GP practice results
September 19th 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
Norris leads McLaren 1-2 at Baku as a red flag cost drivers plenty of track time. Lando Norris went quickest in opening practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a session interrupted by lengthy repairs to a kerb.
McLaren driver Norris posted a best time of 1:42.704sec to top FP1 by over three tenths from team-mate Oscar Piastri, second fastest. Piastri’s weekend started off poorly after having to return to the pits slowly before managing to complete a lap.
‘Piastri’s weekend started off poorly’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
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Lewis Hamilton sends message to Ferrari after topping Azerbaijan GP practice.
Put to him that it looked like a positive day out there, Hamilton replied: “It really has, yeah, thank the Lord”.
19 Sep 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Lewis Hamilton thanked his Ferrari team for their “patience” and continued efforts after he set the pace on Friday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. While Hamilton was keen to keep a lid on talk of just how significant that result was, Hamilton said the “progress” being made by he and Ferrari has really started to “come through”, as he headed a one-two result.
Hamilton’s 1:41.293 was enough for him to end Friday practice at the Baku City Circuit on top. He was 0.074s up on team-mate Charles Leclerc, with Mercedes’ George Russell in third almost half a second off the ultimate pace.
That performance marks a continuation of the positive trend which Hamilton has been on since returning from the summer break. With a fresh breakthrough in Baku, Hamilton feels that progress is now being displayed clearly.
“It really has, yeah, thank the Lord”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...ogress-showing
2025 F1 Azerbaijan GP – Free Practice 2 Results
Hamilton sets the pace in Baku as Norris crashes and Ferrari dominate FP2
19 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Azerbaijan GP 2025 FP2 results
Check out the full Azerbaijan GP 2025 Free Practice 2 results from the second session in Baku below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:41.293
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.074
3 George Russell Mercedes +0.477
4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.486
5 Oliver Bearman Haas +0.598
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.609
7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.696
8 Esteban Ocon Haas +0.874
9 Alexander Albon Williams +0.884
10 Lando Norris McLaren +0.906
‘Free Practice 2 Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...ice-2-results/
Hamilton tops FP2 as McLarens hit the wall - 2025 Azerbaijan GP practice results
September 19th 2025
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
Hamilton tops second practice from Leclerc as Piastri and Norris finish down the order. Lewis Hamilton led a Ferrari 1-2 in second practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as McLaren‘s drivers failed to set a competitive time.
Hamilton used the softest compound to outpace team-mate Charles Leclerc, who has been on pole at Baku for the past three years, by less than a tenth of a second. Hamilton stayed on top of the times for most of the session thanks to a medium-tyre run before Leclerc beat it late on with the soft tyres.
‘Hamilton tops FP2’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
Blow for Lando Norris as both McLarens crash in second Baku practice
19 Sep 2025
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Lando Norris suffers setback with crash in Azerbaijan Grand Prix second practice. Lando Norris has suffered an early blow to his Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend with a crash in second practice. The Briton, who is 31 points behind McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri arriving in Baku, touched the wall at Turn 4 after losing the rear of his car while on a flying lap on soft tyres.
“What an eventful day we’ve had here in Baku, with Oscar Piastri starting with an engine problem. That was fixed quite quickly,” Sky Sports F1’s pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz said. “By contrast, I’m not sure the broken suspension at the back of Lando Norris’s car is going to be fixed before the end of the season. Never say never, the fact that it’s on stands doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”
“But I can see the car being taken apart in various other ways that they would normally do between practice two and practice three. The effect of not having the long runs, we saw it with Kimi Antonelli at Monza, how much will it effect Lando? A more experienced driver but in with a chance of the title.”
‘Blow for Lando Norris’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108204...-prix-practice
Jolyon Palmer ‘can’t believe’ what he heard Oscar Piastri say about McLaren team orders at Azerbaijan Grand Prix
19 September 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Oscar Piastri should have said he was willing to give up Monza win to Lando Norris? Early in the presser, host Tom Clarkson asked Piastri whether he would have given the place back had he been leading. There’s a seven-point difference between first and second, but only three between second and third.
Piastri, who still has a comfortable 31-point lead, replied: “But it wasn’t, Tom, so, I don’t know. I wasn’t in that scenario. Would it have made it a bit more difficult? Probably, yes. But I don’t know if the outcome would have been different. I’m not planning on finding myself in that position.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Chequered Flag podcast, Jolyon Palmer questioned why Piastri was so hesitant. It was an opportunity to score some points with the McLaren management, without making any firm commitment. After hearing the aforementioned clip, Palmer said: “I can’t believe he didn’t just say, ‘Of course I’d have given the place back, of course I would have done’. Don’t even try and make it tricky! It’s not a case that’s come up. I don’t think I would have given up a Grand Prix win for that.’
‘Can’t believe’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jol...an-grand-prix/
Marko makes Red Bull prediction in Max Verstappen Baku boost
19 Sep 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Max Verstappen was forced to settle for sixth at the end of Friday practice, but has no reason to fear, as per Helmut Marko. Red Bull’s senior advisor believes a top three grid slot will be secured, which will put Verstappen in the hunt for back-to-back victories. However, Marko does not see such an alarming gap in need of addressing for qualifying. “The long runs, we are promising,” he began.
“I think we are in a position to fight on the front. On the qualifying lap, we must find one tenth, one tenth and a half. But that’s possible with fine-tuning.” Clarifying that “roughly half a tenth” of the deficit can be explained by the engine mode which Verstappen was using, Marko added: “So that means also in qualifying we are not so far off.”
‘Verstappen Baku boost’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut...rbaijan-gp-win
Brakes Fixed, Beast Unleashed: Hamilton Leads Ferrari’s Baku Blitz
September 19, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
Fastest Lap
Lewis Hamilton’s 1:41.293 put him at the head of the sheet after FP2, 0.074s clear of Charles Leclerc, with George Russell half a second back in the Mercedes. It wasn’t just the headline; it was the way it came together. Ferrari found something between sessions, and Hamilton—still learning the SF-25 at new circuits—clicked with it.
“It really has [been positive], thank the Lord,” he said. “It started out, it wasn’t so positive. FP1 was a bit of a mess. And this is a circuit where you have to have mega confidence in the brakes. I had some problems with the brakes.” Baku punishes hesitation. It’s all long stops and razor-edged walls, the kind of place where if your middle pedal isn’t perfect, your lap isn’t either. Ferrari addressed it between sessions, and Hamilton felt the car come to him.
“We made some changes going into P2 and the brakes finally were working perfect,” he added. “I was able to really make some quick big advantage in terms of gaining on the brakes. So really happy to see the progress.” There’s been a gentle but noticeable reset since the summer break. The rhythm, the feel, the confidence—call it what you like—has crept back into Hamilton’s weekends. And in Baku, with Ferrari showing clean, repeatable speed across both cars, he let the gratitude flow.
‘The rhythm, the feel, the confidence’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/brakes-f...is-baku-blitz/
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Azerbaijan GP: Norris edges Verstappen in final practice.
Norris’ late-session benchmark on softs not only secured him the top spot but also signaled McLaren’s strong form heading into what promises to be an unpredictable qualifying session at 16:00 local time.
20/09/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
With the wind, low grip, and Baku’s tight walls creating a perfect storm of challenges, FP3 set the stage for a thrilling qualifying session. Norris’ pace gives McLaren a slight edge, but Verstappen’s consistency and the potential for mistakes in the worsening conditions keep the fight wide open.
Ferrari, Mercedes, and Williams will look to capitalize on any errors from the frontrunners, while drivers like Bearman and Antonelli aim to maintain their momentum. As the clock ticks down to qualifying, all eyes will be on whether Norris can maintain his edge or if Baku’s unpredictability will crown a surprise polesitter.
‘Signaled McLaren’s strong form’;
https://f1i.com/news/548798-azerbaij...-practice.html
2025 F1 Azerbaijan GP – Free Practice 3 Results
Norris leads Verstappen in windy FP3 as McLaren stay on top in Baku
20 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Azerbaijan GP 2025 FP3 results
Check out the full Azerbaijan GP 2025 Free Practice 3 results from the third and final practice session in Baku below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:41.223
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.222
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.254
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.276
5 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.653
6 George Russell Mercedes +0.741
7 Alexander Albon Williams +0.760
8 Oliver Bearman Haas +0.762
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.923
10 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.986
‘Free Practice 3 Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...ice-3-results/
Azerbaijan GP: Norris sets the pace in FP3, FIA stewards busy with yet another investigation
20 Sep 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris set the pace in the final practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix where he was over two-tenths up on second-placed Max Verstappen. Oscar Piastri was third ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while Franco Colapinto is off to see the stewards in the latest yellow flag infringement.
Heading into the final 10 minutes, Norris overhauled Verstappen by half a second. Alex Albon complained that the “wind is picking up a lot” as he went off at Turn 4. Verstappen upped his pace but remained second by Norris, two-tenths down, with Piastri also going quicker but not enough to challenge his teammate as he went P3 ahead of Antonelli, Albon and Russell.
Hamilton put in a late charge to go third, 0.276s down. His former teammate Russell wasn’t as happy with his performance as he reported that he was locking up everywhere. The session ended with Norris quickest of all by 0.222s ahead of Verstappen with Piastri third ahead of Hamilton. Franco Colapinto was noted for a yellow flag infringement.
‘Norris sets the pace’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/azerba...025-fp3-report
AS IT HAPPENED: FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION FROM FINAL PRACTICE FOR THE AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX
Follow our live coverage of the third Formula 1 practice session for the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.
20 Sep 2025
Becky Hart
Formula One - Official Site
Four teams in the mix
A better start to Saturday for McLaren after their difficult Friday then, but they do not have this one all to themselves one bit. Traffic, the tow, the wind, yellow flags - it could be down to who can nail a lap later, and who can get some luck as well.
Verstappen has found something overnight - he might have been two tenths back, but he didn't set his time on fresh tyres.
Hamilton was fourth, Antonelli fifth so Ferrari and Mercedes cannot be discounted today either.
‘AS IT HAPPENED’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...K85HBkDYuQ0No0
What happened in final F1 practice at Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Sep 20, 2025
Ben Anderson
The Race
Lando Norris answered the big question over McLaren’s pace coming into final practice for Formula 1’s 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix by emphatically setting the fastest time in FP3. Norris and F1 championship rival Oscar Piastri both endured a difficult Friday at Baku, losing valuable track time to wall strikes and struggling to hook laps together.
They weren’t much of a factor in the early stages of final practice either, as Norris complained his car was “sketchy” everywhere. Piastri didn’t really hook a single lap together cleanly until the closing moments of the session. Piastri didn’t look as comfortable as Norris in the later part of the session, where the McLarens were clearly working much better after some earlier setup changes, but was briefly up to second thanks to a tow from Franco Colapinto’s Alpine before Verstappen reasserted himself.
Piastri then managed to hook up a decent enough lap at the end to go third, without the aid of a tow and just 0.032s down on Verstappen’s ultimate best. Hamilton managed to get Ferrari back up to fourth in the closing seconds, but Leclerc found an escape road on his final flying lap so failed to improve and ended the session 10th.
‘What happened’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...an-grand-prix/
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Max Verstappen roars to stunning Azerbaijan GP pole after SIX qualifying red flags.
Max Verstappen will start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on pole for the first time as McLaren imploded in Q3 in a record-breaking session.
20 September 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
In Q3, Sainz initially set a 1:41.595 on mediums to go fastest as one of the first laps, but Leclerc crashed at Turn 15 moments later, bringing out the red flags with 7:07 remaining. However, during this delay, rain began to fall, with the session resuming before Piastri crashed at Turn 3. Getting too deep on the brakes, he slammed into the wall, leaving a door open for Norris once the session resumed with 3:41 on the clock.
However, Norris could only go third at the time, dropping to seventh, only two places ahead as Verstappen roared to a fifth pole of the season. His time was 1:41.117, with Sainz settling in for Williams as Lawson claimed the best qualifying result for a New Zealander since Chris Amon's third at the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix.
It is Verstappen's first pole in Baku, the 26th different circuit he has set a pole position at. Kimi Antonelli was fourth for Mercedes, ahead of George Russell and Yuki Tsunoda, with Isack Hadjar the lowest-placed Red Bull-backed driver in eighth.
‘McLaren imploded’;
https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...ying-red-flags
2025 F1 Azerbaijan GP – Qualifying Results
Verstappen triumphs in dramatic Azerbaijan GP qualifying
20 September 2025
Adriano Boin
Total Motorsport
F1 Azerbaijan GP 2025 Qualifying results
Check out the full F1 2025 Azerbaijan GP Qualifying results from Baku below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:41.117
2 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.478
3 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.590
4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.600
5 George Russell Mercedes +0.953
6 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +1.026
7 Lando Norris McLaren +1.122
8 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +1.255
9 Oscar Piastri McLaren —
10 Charles Leclerc Ferrari —
‘Qualifying Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...fying-results/
Liam Lawson had to 'fight his brain' during staggering Azerbaijan GP qualifying
A quite astonishing result for Liam Lawson. What can he do from there? It won't be easy.
20 September 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Assessing the nearly two-hour session, the New Zealander said: "I can't even remember what happened, it was so busy. "I said it would be, but I didn't expect it to be like that, honestly, but the car has been good all weekend, and when we needed it to be in qualifying, it was good. So a massive thanks to the guys and girls. The team has been amazing this week so far, but tomorrow is the important day."
Reflecting on the conditions in the final minutes, Lawson added: "It's always sketchy. You can see the rain coming on your visor, and you can feel it, and you can see the gloss on the track, but because the tyres are still warm, you have grip. So you're trying to fight your brain to not back off and keep pushing, but it was definitely tricky."
As to his hopes of a strong result, he said: "It's going to be a very hard race, for sure. We've a great starting position, but we're aware of who we're fighting around us, and that's what we'll be focused on."
'Fight his brain';
https://racingnews365.com/liam-lawso...-gp-qualifying
Chaos at Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying sees a record SIX red flags as Charles Leclerc and title contender Oscar Piastri hit the wall - and Lando Norris starts SEVENTH
20 September 2025
JONATHAN MCEVOY
MailOnline
Chaos in Baku. Six red flags. And then Max Verstappen banged his Red Bull on pole, which is an act filed under ‘G’ for genius. In the wet, his car stuck to the road like glue during a chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix that lasted two hours – and which Lando Norris flunked.
Norris should have been up at the front of the grid, but instead Williams’ Carlos Sainz starts second and Racing Bulls’ Carlos Sainz third. Don’t adjust your glasses. The Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell come next. Norris’s chance came as Piastri thudded into the wall at Turn Three during the closing stages of the pole shootout.
Rain intensified at this stage, having been no more than spots before. Sainz joked he wanted a rain dance, for his name led all the rest at this stage, pre-Max’s unfurling of splendour. Norris could not improve his time, so will start eighth, only a place above Piastri, who leads Norris by 31 points with eight races including Sunday’s remaining.
‘Grand Prix qualifying sees a record SIX red flags’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...s-SEVENTH.html
Verstappen snatches pole from Sainz after six red flags in crash-strewn session
20th September 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
When Q3 started for the third time there was just three minutes and 41 seconds left on the clock. Williams could taste their first pole position for over a decade – and they came remarkably close to taking it. Norris almost clinched pole for Sainz when he understeered wide into the barrier at turn 15. The McLaren driver kept going but he failed to beat the Williams driver’s time. Nor could Russell take it off him.
Sainz went quicker in the first sector but couldn’t sustain the improvement to the end of the lap. Verstappen, however, immediately found more time, and took pole off his former team mate by over four tenths of a second. Lawson took a strong third while Antonelli comfortably beat Russell to fourth place. Tsunoda took a strong sixth, but the size of the opportunity Norris had missed became clear as he fell to seventh, just two places ahead of his team mate.
‘Verstappen snatches pole’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/09/20/...pt-qualifying/
Max Verstappen keeps his cool to bag Azerbaijan GP pole in crash-filled session
Six red flags and rain could not stop Max Verstappen from taking 2025 Azerbaijan GP pole, edging Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson in Baku
20 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Max Verstappen mastered the chaos in Baku to take pole position for the 2025 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, surviving six red flags, changeable conditions, and late pressure from rivals to put his Red Bull on top of the timesheets.
The Dutchman delivered his decisive lap in the dying minutes of qualifying, edging out Carlos Sainz, who had looked set to secure a shock pole for Williams. Rising star Liam Lawson continued his impressive season with Racing Bulls, sealing third on the grid after holding his nerve in the mayhem.
For title challengers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, however, qualifying proved costly. Piastri crashed in Q3 while Norris failed to extract pace from his McLaren, leaving the pair seventh and ninth respectively heading into Sunday’s race.
‘Keeps his cool’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...illed-session/
Carlos Sainz makes Williams declaration after stunning Azerbaijan qualifying result
20 September 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Reflecting, Sainz felt the result showed his qualifying prowess was not in doubt. "Honestly, we've nailed qualifying today, every time we were on the right tyre at the right time, and put together some very strong laps," Sainz explained.
"Obviously the top cars were going to put a lap together and we were going to be those four or five-tenths behind, but it was only one of them, which was Max, and for the rest, we managed to beat them, so we are P2 which is great news. I've been putting good laps together in qualifying, that hasn't been my weakness at all, and today, we proved the speed in this car and this team is there. I'm delivering in qualifying when it counts.”
"The races and points are not going the way we want, and I'm not worried. The plan for tomorrow is to try and stick it on the podium, I'm going to give it my best to give Williams a first podium. If it is possible, great, and if it is not, we will see."
‘Williams declaration’;
https://racingnews365.com/carlos-sai...lifying-result
