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Verstappen wants perfection ahead of Mexico Grand Prix.
“We need to keep having perfect weekends to fight for the Championship, so it is important to hit the ground running in Mexico." - Max Verstappen.
23 Oct 2025
Drew Murphy
GPblog.com
Both Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda are raring to begin racing in Mexico City. Verstappen has shortened the gap between himself and Championship leader Oscar Piastri to just 40 points. The Dutchman knows he needs more perfect weekends like in Austin to claim his fifth World Drivers Championship.
He said: "We have gained a lot of positive momentum over the past few races, and we want to keep pushing and extracting as much performance out of the car as we can, and the Team have been working hard to do this. We need to keep having perfect weekends to fight for the Championship, so it is important to hit the ground running in Mexico."
After achieving a seventh-place finish at the United States Grand Prix, Tsunoda is hoping to showcase his talent ahead of Red Bull’s driver line-up decision for next year. Tsunoda said: “I’m coming to Mexico ready to fight for the points again. I had a good few days between Austin and Mexico, visiting Los Angeles, a place I had never been before. The aim is to have a consistent weekend overall and if I can do that I put myself in the position to score better points for the Team and be racing nearer the top of the grid, where we should be."
‘Raring to begin racing in Mexico City’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...ico-grand-prix
Another Verstappen stronghold? The recent history of the Mexico City GP
10212025
Ben McCarthy
Sporting News
A Verstappen stronghold: Max Verstappen has won this race five times, regardless of whether the event was labelled the 'Mexico' or 'Mexico City' Grand Prix. Yet only one of those wins has come from pole position. In 2017 and '18, he passed the polesitters of those races, Sebastian Vettel in the former and Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in the latter, by the first braking zone and never looked back.
In 2021, he did the same thing, but with an outrageous late-braking overtake on the two Silver Arrows, including his then-championship rival Lewis Hamilton. And 2023 was no different; he started from third but passed the two Ferraris in a heartbeat. In fact, Verstappen has led this race after the first lap every time since 2021, and has led the first tour in six in the last seven races at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Although he seized the lead on the first tour of last year's race, the worrying pace of the RB21, coupled with two 10-second penalties, set him back to sixth place.
‘Verstappen has led this race after the first lap every time since 2021’;
https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/form...1fab9f75e8e47f
Max previews Mexico Grand Prix: 'Tends to suit our car'
23 October 2025
Niels Hendrix
Verstappen.nl
Max Verstappen has travelled from Austin, where he won the race, to Mexico City for the upcoming Grand Prix. The Dutchman says: “We have gained a lot of positive momentum over the past few races and we want to keep pushing and extracting as much performance out of the car as we can and the team have been working hard to do this.”
Max adds: “We need to keep having perfect weekends to fight for the championship, so it is important to hit the ground running in Mexico. The circuit tends to suit our car and it will be all about managing our tyres and the grip. Of course, the high altitude always brings unique challenges, decreasing the air density, which will be affecting everyone. Mexico is always a fun party atmosphere, so it will be exciting to round up the double header there.”
'Tends to suit our car';
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5986/
Verstappen tight-lipped looking ahead: 'That's the beauty of it!'
22 Oct 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
While Max Verstappen did not go into details, Lando Norris shared more about his expectations for the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Dutchman remained tight-lipped about the upcoming event. He said: "Well, the beauty of it is we'll find out next week. I don't really think about it. We'll find out next week. We could speculate, but I don't like that."
Norris expects a close battle between McLaren and Red Bull, though he believes other teams could also be in the mix. The Briton added: "Probably the same as here. I don’t think it’ll change that much. It’s close between us and Red Bull — one weekend they're a little bit quicker, the next we’re a little bit faster. You know, Mercedes was quickest in Singapore. So, yes, you can have many different things here, but we’re going to see."
'That's the beauty of it!';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...e-beauty-of-it
Start time for the 2025 F1 Mexican Grand Prix - Mexico City
The F1 season continues this weekend with the 2025 F1 Mexican Grand Prix. Don't miss any of the action and check out all the session start times for the weekend here.
23 October 2025
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
The schedule for the 2025 F1 Mexico City GP is automatically adjusted to your time zone.
F1 schedule Mexican GP
Session
Date Time
Free practice 1 Friday 24 October 20:30 - 21:30
Free practice 2 Saturday 25 October 00:00 - 01:00
Free practice 3 Saturday 25 October 19:30 - 20:30
Qualification Saturday 25 October 23:00 - 23:59
Race Sunday 26 October 21:00 - 23:00
‘Start times’;
https://racingnews365.com/start-time...ix-mexico-city
Will the rain impact the title fight? Full Mexico GP weather breakdown
22 Oct 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Formula 1 heads to Mexico City for the next stop on the 2025 calendar. The title race is finely poised, but could the weather conditions influence the outcome? Here is the weather forecast for the race weekend.
Friday, October 24 – FP1 & FP2
Friday will witness the first round of on-track action and is expected to be dry, albeit with a 40% chance of rain. The temperature for the first practice session is forecast at 23°C, while the second practice session is expected to reach 25°C.
Saturday, October 25 – FP3 & Qualifying
The second day of on-track action will feature a temperature of 24°C for the third practice session and 25°C during qualifying, with a 20% chance of rain.
Sunday, October 26 – Grand Prix
Sunday’s race is expected to be drier, with a 20% chance of rain. The race temperature is forecast at 25°C.
‘Weather forecast for the race weekend’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/will-...ther-breakdown
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McLaren holds thorough Oscar Piastri car checks ahead of Mexican Grand Prix.
…checking that Oscar Piastri’s car was not hamstrung by an unidentified problem over the United States Grand Prix weekend.
23 Oct 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Andrea Stella, the McLaren team principal admitted that identifying the cause of Piastri’s poor pace was a priority after the United States Grand Prix weekend, with McLaren holding a thorough check of his MCL39 to rule out a potential car issue.
He told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: “This is certainly one of the most important points that we need to review, which is the fact that Oscar, in qualifying and in the race, seemed to have a couple of tenths that he was not able to fully realise and that possibly was available in the car.
“We are actually now checking that we are completely happy with the setup of the car, the setup of the floor, that everything is as intended from a car point of view.”
‘Thorough Oscar Piastri car checks’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclare...en-alarm-bells
Mekies expects wide-open battle for Mexican GP victory
23 Oct 2025
Ben Winship
GPblog.com
Red Bull Racing Team Principal Laurent Mekies believes four teams will potentially be in with a chance of winning the Mexican GP this weekend. Mekies expects Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all to be in and around the podium positions as F1 heads to Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Red Bull have enjoyed a significant turnaround in form in recent times and Max Verstappen dominated the United States GP weekend last time out with a maximum haul of 33 points across both the sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix. In spite of Red Bull’s form, Mekies has underplayed the chances of another Verstappen whitewash when speaking after the United States GP.
“You know, we certainly feel three or four teams can win the race.” He continued: “And today, they [Ferrari] were battling with us. They were battling with McLaren. They took some points out of McLaren. They could have taken some points out of us. So yes, we see them in the game, absolutely.”
‘Wide-open battle’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/mekie...can-gp-victory
‘Don’t crash into each other’—Piastri reveals plan ahead of crucial Mexico City Grand Prix
23 Oct 2025
Peter Maniaty
Sporting News
Asked if his ‘clean slate’ comment meant the repercussions given to Norris after their lap one incident in Singapore had been lifted, the Australian nodded. “Yes, the consequences on Lando’s side have been removed, there were a lot of factors involved, but ultimately that’s what’s been decided,” Piastri said, explaining McLaren’s much talked about ‘papaya rules’ are still in play.
“For us it’s pretty clear what those rules are—don’t crash into each other,” he added. “Regardless of what scenario you’re in, that’s how you’re expected to race as teammates.” As for the increasing title challenge of four-time reigning world champion Verstappen, Piastri acknowledged the Dutchman’s improved consistency was driving his rapid climb up the rankings.
“Clearly over the last few race weekends, Red Bull and Max have certainly found consistency more than anything,” he said. “There were flashes of that kind of performance earlier in the season, but I think the last few weekends it’s been very consistent. I’m sure that they’re going to be a threat again this weekend and we’ll try our best to get the most out of our car and see where we end up.”
‘Don’t crash into each other’;
https://www.sportingnews.com/au/form...1eb74a62db7ae6
Max ahead of Mexico GP: 'Keep the momentum'
24 October 2025
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl
“It’s obvious we’ve been doing well recently”, said Max. “I definitely enjoy it more this way and we’ll try to maintain the momentum. I want to try and keep winning races until the end of the season. But we also know we have to be perfect if want to have a chance at the end.” At Thursday’s press conference, the Dutchman was asked about the level of risk he is willing to take into turn one. “I don’t think about until I get there on Sunday. Every situation is different, it’s never the same, so there’s no point planning in advance.”
The remainder of the season plays out across racetracks all featuring different characterises. As such, Max is not sure if he can predict where his RB20 will be best suited. “I don’t think you can always go on past results. Some circuits will suit us better than others and I’ve won here a lot. But then again, last year was a disaster, so we’ll look at it race by race.”
“It’s a tricky circuit, with low grip. We have won here, but every year is different so we’ll see what happens. I’m expecting a fun weekend. The fans are always great and full of passion… …I always give everything I’ve got, on both the good and bad days. I’ve always been like that. I don’t think I’m all of a sudden quicker; I just have a more complete car to fight at the front.”
“I always give everything I’ve got”;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5987/
Everything we learned already at F1's Mexican Grand Prix
Oct 24, 2025
The Race
At last weekend’s United States GP Red Bull got a €50k fine, half of which was suspended, after a team member ignored pit marshals’ instructions to go back through the opening in the pitwall at the start of the formation lap. Andrea Stella and Laurent Mekies, the two team bosses, have discussed the matter this week. Stella and Mekies are both understood to be keen that a line is drawn under it before it escalates or becomes a distraction.
The two McLaren drivers have a “clean slate” for the rest of the season after Oscar Piastri took “some responsibility” for their crash in the United States Grand Prix sprint race. That means the mini-saga and mystery over Lando Norris and his “consequences” for hitting Piastri in the Singapore Grand Prix has ended after just one weekend. McLaren’s post-event review concluded that Piastri could have been more careful in how he cut back across the track at the start of the sprint, which led to a multi-car crash that wiped out Piastri and Norris.
Max Verstappen is not only benefitting from a faster Red Bull in this title chase - he is also able to set it up more as he likes it now. “Naturally It gives me more confidence and it allows us to set up the car a little more aggressive, a little more on the nose without losing the rear for example. And that's exactly what you want.”
‘Everything we learned already’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/e...an-grand-prix/
Mexican Grand Prix revs up for 10th anniversary celebration
Oct 24, 2025
The Straits Times
MEXICO CITY - After a decade of roaring engines and sold-out grandstands, the Mexican Grand Prix will celebrate its 10th anniversary this weekend as a major economic driver and international showcase for the country. Federico Gonzalez, director of the Formula One Mexican Grand Prix, outlined plans this weekend to mark the milestone while reflecting on the event's journey since returning to the F1 calendar in 2015.
"Every year we make an effort to improve the experience for attendees. We get into the smallest details and the biggest coordination efforts with the city," Gonzalez told Reuters on Wednesday. "This project is a platform for promoting tourism in the city and country to the world," he said, noting how the event fills Mexico City's hotels and restaurants while showcasing the nation as vibrant and industrious.”
The race operates through a trust fund established with private contributors rather than public money. "We all recognise that it is an economic windfall for the city, which is important because of the image it projects to the world. This weekend, the hotels and restaurants are full you can feel the vibe. It's not easy to move this city," he said. "The opportunity to be part of an event of this travelling nature is very good because year after year we are in the eye of the world with a presence and an image of the amazing things that happen in Mexico, of how hard-working Mexicans are," he said.
‘10th anniversary celebration’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ry-celebration
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Charles Leclerc tops Mexican Grand Prix FP1 as Arvid Lindblad beats Yuki Tsunoda.
Yuki Tsunoda was beaten by Red Bull Junior Lindblad by one hundredth of a second, during an FP1 session that could prove vital in the team’s driver decision next year. Team principal Laurent Mekies revealed post-session that the two cars were running slightly different plans, which could have aided the young Brit.
24 October 2025
Rebecca Braybrook
F1 Oversteer
The dusty circuit caught out a couple of drivers, including Paul Aron in the early part of the session and then Hadjar with 20 minutes remaining. The Racing Bulls driver bailed out at Turn 12, heading down the escape road, before reversing back onto the track. The dusty circuit caught out a couple of drivers, including Paul Aron in the early part of the session and then Hadjar with 20 minutes remaining. The Racing Bulls driver bailed out at Turn 12, heading down the escape road, before reversing back onto the track.
Championship contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were forced to miss the first running around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as the teams participated in one of their four mandatory rookie runs. Oscar Piastri, who is leading the drivers’ championship by 14 points, was the first driver to start soft tyre runs at the midway point of the session, setting a time nearly a whole second faster than Isack Hadjar on the mediums.
‘Charles Leclerc tops Mexican Grand Prix FP1’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/cha...-yuki-tsunoda/
Mexico City GP: Free Practice 1 Results
Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix.
25 Oct 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
Charles Leclerc topped first practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix with a 1m18.380s, the Ferrari driver leading Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by 0.107s and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg by 0.380s.
Pos. No. Driver Team Time / Gap Laps
1 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:18.380 29
2 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.107s 35
3 27 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber +0.380s 27
4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.404s 31
5 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber +0.536s 28
6 36 Arvid Lindblad Red Bull Racing +0.617s 26
7 31 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +0.658s 29
8 22 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +0.710s 29
9 43 Franco Colapinto Alpine +0.951s 28
10 23 Alexander Albon Williams +1.004s 33
‘Free Practice 1 Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-m...1-fp1-results/
FP1: Leclerc heads Antonelli and Hulkenberg in opening practice for Mexico City Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc set the pace in FP1 in Mexico as nine rookie drivers took part in the session.
25 Oct 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Charles Leclerc finished fastest in Free Practice 1 for the Mexico City Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver heading Kimi Antonelli and Nico Hulkenberg. Leclerc finished just one-tenth faster than Antonelli, with Hulkenberg a further three-tenths back from Drivers' Championship leader Oscar Piastri in fourth.
The McLaren driver gained some crucial running on his title rivals Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, who could only watch on from the pit wall. This was because no fewer than nine rookie drivers were in action during the one-hour session on Friday, with Kick Sauber the only team not to field a junior driver at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
While all the stand-ins were keen to impress, the likes of Arvid Lindblad (Red Bull) and Paul Aron (Alpine) took to the track with greater emphasis as the possibility of graduating to the championship next season remains within their grasps. Esteban Ocon's 1m 20.934s initially left him top of the times as dust was cleared from the circuit in the early stages, with lap times continuing to drop as Isack Hadjar and Antonelli traded top spot between themselves.
‘Charles Leclerc set the pace in FP1’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...tNzwBt2Tw6QRhs
Red Bull 'magical work' to help Max Verstappen cast spell over McLaren
Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan has explained how "magical work in Milton Keynes" is aiding Max Verstappen's F1 drivers' championship charge at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
24 October 2025
Samuel Coop & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Speaking to media, including RacingNews365, Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan reflected on the challenge, saying: "It's probably the most difficult one [grand prix] for cooling, because the engine is less affected if you can tune it appropriately.
"There's just nowhere to cool the thing, is there? So you've got a turbocharged engine that doesn't know it's at high altitude, and you've got radiators that haven't got any air, and brakes haven't got any air. So this is one of the bigger challenges in that respect.”
"Singapore was pretty tough temperature-wise, Hungary is normally brutal, but it's nearer sea level, but Hungary's got no air speed. Here we get plenty of air speed, just no air. So it's one of the difficult ones in that respect."
'Magical work';
https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-m...l-over-mclaren
Red Bull explains latest update to bolster Max Verstappen’s title challenge at F1 Mexico GP
24 October 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
When asked why the topbody exits, or ‘louvres’, were different to that of its rivals, Red Bull’s Chief Engineer Paul Monaghan explained to media including Motorsport Week: “Well, we are allowed to be different, so we choose to be. With the top body exit…if you go and look at a certain orange car, you’ll see some exits down by the wishbones.”
“Us, we choose to bring out a combination by the louvres and by the central exit. And what you choose to distribute, you choose to distribute. A different way to look at it is how much air do you need to push through your side pods to get the cooling.”
“Once you’ve done that, then you’ve got an indication of your exit area.Most cars are exit limited, not inlet limited. So you open up the exit first and how they choose to do it is down to their top body shape and how they spell it on the rear wing.”
‘Latest update to bolster Max Verstappen’s title challenge’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-f1-mexico-gp/
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Mexican GP: Verstappen fastest as title charge continues in FP2 as Piastri struggles.
Championship leader Piastri was half a second slower, only 12th fastest after being unable to improve on his early single lap run.
25 Oct 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
Max Verstappen made up for lost time after sitting out Free Practice 1 to top the day’s second practice hour. The Dutchman headed the second practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix from Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli, while title leader Oscar Piastri languished down the order.
The session ended with Verstappen fastest over Leclerc, Antonelli, Norris, and Hamilton in the top five, all covered by just three-tenths. There is hope, strong long run pace from McLaren, though Verstappen again looks a strong contender ahead of Sunday’s race.
‘Piastri was half a second slower, only 12th fastest’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mexica...025-fp2-report
Mexico City GP: Free Practice 2 Results
Full results from Free Practice 2 for the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix.
25 Oct 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
Cars return to the track for FP3 at 11:30am local time on Saturday (4:30am AEDT Sunday).
Pos. No. Driver Team Time / Gap Laps
1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:17.392 33
2 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.153s 32
3 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.174s 26
4 4 Lando Norris McLaren +0.251s 30
5 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.300s 29
6 63 George Russell Mercedes +0.437s 32
7 22 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +0.491s 31
8 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.546s 28
9 55 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.547s 33
10 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.562s 29
‘Free Practice 2 Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-m...2-fp2-results/
Piastri explains ‘pretty average’ lap after P12 in Mexico FP2 as he aims for ‘more consistent’ Saturday
Oscar Piastri did not trouble the top of the timesheets during Free Practice 2 at the Mexico City Grand Prix, with the McLaren driver ending the session in P12.
25 Oct 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Oscar Piastri labelled his soft tyre run during second practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix as “pretty average” after ending the session down in P12, leaving the Australian to target a “more consistent” day on Saturday. While McLaren team mate Lando Norris handed his car over to Pato O’Ward for one of the squad’s rookie outings in Free Practice 1, Piastri was in action for the opening hour of running and claimed P4 on the timesheets.
However, after returning for the second session later on Friday, the championship leader did not quite put his soft-shod lap together and found himself down in 12th – his effort eight-tenths off the pace-setting time of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – while Norris took fourth place. Asked for his thoughts on the day after jumping out of the car, Piastri responded: “It was okay. I think, yeah, the lap on softs and low fuel was pretty average, so I’m not surprised with the lap time.”
“I think we tried a lot of things, we’ll go through and have a look at what worked, what didn’t, but overall I felt reasonable. We’ll see what we can tune up for tomorrow and try and make things just a bit more consistent is the biggest thing.”
‘P12’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...bSbRd08IAdIzJ8
Villeneuve brands Mexican GP practice ‘continuation’ of ‘messy’ Oscar Piastri
25 Oct 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
A scrappy qualifying simulation run left Oscar Piastri down the order at the end of Friday at the Mexican Grand Prix, with Jacques Villeneuve unwilling to cut him any slack. The recent trend has left Piastri third fastest of the three title contenders, with both Norris and Verstappen edging closer in the points race.
“We didn’t hear a lot of confidence there,” he said on Sky Sports following Piastri’s interview. “It’s messy. His driving has been messy since Baku, and you can see it. Normally, that means a tenth, two-tenths, a little mistake here and there, not setting the car right. It gets into your head. And seeing Max again in front, that’s going to eat him all evening.”
Villeneuve has suggested that, having led the championship for 15 races, Red Bull’s rise coupled with Piastri’s diminishing points advantage is playing on his mind. “To think about it in an easy way, is run,” Villeneuve explained. “If you’re looking backward as you’re running, things will go wrong, and then that’s what’s happening.”
“That’s going to eat him all evening”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/villen...-oscar-piastri
Lando Norris admits McLaren balance ‘all over the place’ after F1 Mexico GP practice
25 Oct 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Lando Norris has concluded that McLaren is “all over the place” in terms of its balance over one lap after first and second practice for Formula 1‘s Mexico City Grand Prix. Speaking after FP2, Norris was positive about the car being somewhat close to full potential, but was concerned that he “found the limit quite quickly”.
“I think we’re in a reasonable place, for sure. I feel like I got up to speed very quickly, actually, I was quite surprised,” he said. “My first lap was pretty good, and the second lap was a good step. So, yes, I felt like I found the limit quickly, but that is just holding us back a bit. Not that it was a bad day, but normally we’re very good on a Friday, and then everyone catches up on Saturday.”
“We’re already a little bit behind, so we definitely have some work to do tonight. The balance of the car is just a bit all over the place, the same as the last few weeks, just single lap stuff. We’re struggling at the moment, so yes, we’re working hard. We’re trying everything we can, so we’ll see what we can do and see what we can find.”
‘All over the place’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...o-gp-practice/
Max Verstappen boosted by latest Red Bull upgrade as Oscar Piastri struggles continue
With a new upgrade on that RB21, Max Verstappen has laid down a solid platform for the rest of the weekend.
25 October 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Verstappen's quickest lap of 1:17.392s was achieved in an RB21 sporting its latest upgrade, including a tweak to the floor as part of an overall cooling package required for this circuit due to Mexico City standing at 2,238 m (7,343 ft) above sea level, leading to 20 per cent thinner air, ensuring temperatures are higher in any car.
The Dutchman finished 0.153s clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who had topped FP1, with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli third on the timesheet, 0.174s off the pace, followed by McLaren's Lando Norris a quarter of a second down. As for Piastri, the session appeared a struggle for the Australian, who was down in 12th, 0.840s adrift.
Norris 'misfires': On the medium tyre, Leclerc set the pace early on with a 1:18.669s. Despite complaining of a "lot of misfires" with his MCL39, Norris posted a lap 0.012s shy of Leclerc, with Piastri a quarter of a second adrift at that stage.
‘Oscar Piastri struggles down in 12th, 0.840s adrift’;
https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...ggles-continue
Max Verstappen F1 title challenge boosted with four-part Red Bull upgrades in Mexico
24 Oct 2025
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
Red Bull Racing has introduced a four-part upgrade package for the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix, including updates to the floor body, edge wing, front corner, and engine cover. Typically, any focus on 2025 will therefore cost the team come 2026; but Paul Monaghan, chief engineer at Red Bull Racing, denied that the current upgrades have required any significant transfers of manpower thanks to the utilisation of a previous spec floor.
“We have taken the choice, and it’s a make-from, so it’s a previous floor that we’ve managed to recycle,” Monaghan explained. “It was sufficiently modular to get it here. The redistribution of cooling exits was found when we went through the last iteration of top-body, and we thought, ‘Oh, we’ve missed that one; we can get it in here, though.’ Some magical work in Milton Keynes, and it’s here.”
‘Four-part upgrade package’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...ades-in-mexico
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Lando Norris fastest in Mexican Grand Prix FP3 ahead of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Lando Norris topped the timing sheets for the final practice at the Mexican Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen dropping back.
25 October 2025
Rebecca Braybrook
F1 Oversteer
Verstappen made his way out onto the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track early in free practice three with a rear wing covered in flow vis paint. Red Bull have potentially made changes to the car overnight and was using the start of the session to gather vital data, with both drivers running different rear wing set-ups.
Similar to the second practice yesterday, some drivers were struggling to get their medium tyre into its optimal levels. Lewis Hamilton was seen fighting his Ferrari multiple times in the first half of FP3, with George Russell and Lance Stroll complaining about the slippery conditions. Lando Norris topped the timing sheets at the halfway mark of the session, leading from Carlos Sainz in the Williams and Russell, with the Spaniard an anomaly at the top on soft tyres.
Oscar Piastri could not keep up with his McLaren teammate in the first half of FP2, finding himself once again in P12 with 30 minutes remaining. The practice times aren’t necessarily reflective of what could be seen in qualifying later today, as each team’s fuel loads remain unknown. The end of FP3 saw some soft tyre qualifying runs, which saw Isack Hadjar set the fastest time ahead of Lance Stroll as Piastri took part in his first flying lap.
‘Lando Norris topped the timing sheets for the final practice’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lan...eorge-russell/
2025 F1 Mexico City GP – Free Practice 3 Results
Lando Norris topped the final practice session in Mexico City as McLaren laid down an early marker ahead of qualifying.
25 October 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Mexico City GP 2025 FP3 results
Check out the full Mexico City GP 2025 Free Practice 3 results from the third and final practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:16.633
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.345
3 George Russell Mercedes +0.512
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.566
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.599
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.609
7 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.620
8 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.763
9 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +0.782
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +0.893
‘FP3 results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...ice-3-results/
Norris moves clear in final Mexican GP practice
Oct 25, 2025
Matt Beer
The Race
Lando Norris was a commanding 0.345 seconds clear of the field in final practice for Formula 1's Mexican Grand Prix. What had been an extraordinarily close session - with most of the field within the same second, the top six covered by hundredths and multiple teams taking turns in first place - suddenly became far more spread out when the final qualifying simulation runs happened in the closing minutes.
Norris's 1m16.633s put him at the head of a McLaren-Ferrari-Mercedes top three, with Lewis Hamilton second and George Russell third. Friday pacesetter Max Verstappen complained of lacking grip as he only managed sixth, 0.609s off Norris's time - albeit running in a lower power setting. The second McLaren of Oscar Piastri was fifth behind Charles Leclerc's Ferrari, and 0.599s slower than Norris.
‘Norris moves clear’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/n...n-gp-practice/
Lando Norris leads British 1-2-3 in F1 Mexico GP FP3
Oct 25, 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Lando Norris topped FP3 ahead of qualifying for Formula 1‘s Mexico City Grand Prix, leading a British trio at the top of the timesheets at the Hermanos Rodriguez Circuit. The McLaren man’s 1:16.663s was enough to lead the way, with Lewis Hamilton second, three-and-a-half tenths adrift.
Hamilton showed good promise in the session, despite taking to the run-off area early on. Mercedes’ George Russell completed the Britannic trio, a further two tenths behind Norris’ time. Charles Leclerc was fourth, with Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri fifth.
‘British 1-2-3’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...mexico-gp-fp3/
Lando Norris ride-height change pays major dividends ahead of Mexican GP qualifying
That's a significant marker from Lando Norris going into qualifying.
25 October 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Lando Norris delivered a consummate final practice performance to give the F1 championship challenger the edge going into qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix. The McLaren driver, 14 points behind team-mate Oscar Piastri going into Sunday's 71-lap race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, delivered a superb lap in the qualifying simulation runs late in the session of 1:16.633s.
That followed a noticeable ride-height change between his two soft-tyre runs, leaving Norris a staggering 0.345s clear of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, with Mercedes' George Russell half a second adrift in third. As for Red Bull's Max Verstappen, quickest after Friday practice but unhappy with the race pace of his RB21, the four-time champion was only sixth on the timesheet, 0.609s off the pace. Piastri was marginally ahead of the Dutchman in fifth.
‘Noticeable ride-height change’;
https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...-gp-qualifying
-
Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari driver vows to be 'aggressive' at Mexico City GP start after 'climbing mountain' back to top three.
Lewis Hamilton sees positives in starting from third at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez; "I don't have anything to lose, but he [Norris] does," says Hamilton.
25/10/2025
Sky Sports
Lewis Hamilton has promised to be "quite aggressive" from third on the grid at the start of the Mexico City Grand Prix as he bids to capitalise on his best qualifying result at Ferrari to achieve an "amazing" first podium for the team. But having now returned to the top three of qualifying for the first time in 13 months, Hamilton believes there are finally signs of genuine progress.
"I'm so happy to be up there in the top three," said Hamilton after achieving his best start for a Grand Prix since Singapore 2024. "All year it has taken me to get here so it's been a serious mountain to climb. But finally gelling with everything around me and I think myself and my engineers we are really starting to extract the performance from the car, so I'm really, really happy.”
"Honestly, it's been a tough year, and I cant believe it's taken me this long to get here, but it's ok. What matters is the journey and I've grown a lot through it." Hamilton feels he may be the Ferrari driver holding the more preferable grid slot on row two. That is because third is located on the grid's left-hand side, the cleaner racing line, and the fact that, at 830m, the run to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez's first turn is one of the longest of the season and therefore allows slipstreaming opportunities for following cars.
"I don't have anything to lose, but he [Norris] does";
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...k-to-top-three
Mexico City Grand Prix - Qualifying results
25/10/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Full results from qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix at Mexico, round 20 of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
2025 Mexico City Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:16.899s 1:16.252s 1:15.586s
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:17.024s 1:16.658s 1:15.848s
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:16.736s 1:16.458s 1:15.938s
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:16.895s 1:16.537s 1:16.034s
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:17.076s 1:16.605s 1:16.070s
6 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:17.291s 1:16.773s 1:16.118s
7 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:17.171s 1:16.607s 1:16.172s
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:17.158s 1:16.737s 1:16.174s
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:16.733s 1:16.804s 1:16.252s
10 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:17.040s 1:16.787s 1:16.460s
‘Qualifying results’;
https://f1i.com/news/551923-mexico-c...g-results.html
Mexican GP: Norris delivers hammer blow as Piastri and Verstappen suffer setbacks
25 Oct 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris has delivered arguably the most important pole position of his career, striking a hammer on Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. Norris set a blistering final lap to secure pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix, joined on the front row by Charles Leclerc with Lewis Hamilton in third.
Norris had looked in control throughout the session until a late challenge from Leclerc threatened to steal pole position away. Seeing that off, the McLaren driver recorded an important result in the context of the championship, with Max Verstappen only fifth while Piastri will line up for Sunday’s race in seventh despite qualifying eighth.
‘Hammer blow’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mexica...lifying-report
Oscar Piastri ‘odd comments’ alert Villeneuve after Mexican GP setback
26 Oct 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Oscar Piastri did not feel like things were going too bad in his McLaren during Mexican Grand Prix qualifying, yet the final result was emphatic. Villeneuve, on Sky F1 punditry duties in Mexico, says a gap as stark as that between teammates, usually triggers the driver on the wrong side to really start pushing the boundaries, not find satisfaction in how the car was feeling.
He said: “What was odd, his comments about, I don’t know why there’s no pace, and when you say that you’re quite happy with the car, everything is feeling good, and somehow it’s not working on the clock.”
“When you’re slower than your teammate by that amount, normally, you will try to push a little bit harder. You’ll get in trouble. You’ll lock wheels, so you’ll start to figure out, okay, there’s issues here and there. I can improve there. But he seemed to be happy with how the car was feeling, and that’s what’s really strange.”
‘Villeneuve alerted’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/jacque...rix-qualifying
Oscar Piastri admits huge F1 Mexico GP qualifying gap to Lando Norris ‘a bit of a mystery’
26 Oct 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
After qualifying, Piastri admitted that he had no answer to why exactly his MCL39 could not extract the level of performance that Norris was able to. “I mean, difficult to know, everything feels normal,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “But the gap was big in that session, it’s been big all weekend.”
“And there’s been some things where I felt like I can tidy it up and make some easy progress, but not all of it. And I think in qualifying, I feel like I did a reasonable job and the car felt reasonable as well. So, yeah, the lack of lap time is a bit of a mystery.”
‘A bit of a mystery’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-of-a-mystery/
What are the tactical options for the Mexico City Grand Prix?
26 Oct 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Lando Norris has looked unstoppable this weekend, with a mesmeric final lap in Q3 giving him pole by a healthy margin. What will doubtless please him even more – though he’s far too diplomatic to say it – is that the three cars behind him are red and silver, rather than blue and orange.
Ferrari are second and third, with George Russell fourth, before Max Verstappen, struggling for grip, appears in fifth, one row ahead of Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who will start seventh.
But this isn’t a race that’s won on Saturday. Pirelli have bridged their tyre compounds to produce some intriguing strategy options, and Mexico City has a history of throwing its own brand of mayhem into the works. We’re in for quite a race.
‘Tactical options’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...P1EqmfSxJZu8BV
-
Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari driver vows to be 'aggressive' at Mexico City GP start after 'climbing mountain' back to top three.
Lewis Hamilton sees positives in starting from third at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez; "I don't have anything to lose, but he [Norris] does," says Hamilton.
25/10/2025
Sky Sports
Lewis Hamilton has promised to be "quite aggressive" from third on the grid at the start of the Mexico City Grand Prix as he bids to capitalise on his best qualifying result at Ferrari to achieve an "amazing" first podium for the team. But having now returned to the top three of qualifying for the first time in 13 months, Hamilton believes there are finally signs of genuine progress.
"I'm so happy to be up there in the top three," said Hamilton after achieving his best start for a Grand Prix since Singapore 2024. "All year it has taken me to get here so it's been a serious mountain to climb. But finally gelling with everything around me and I think myself and my engineers we are really starting to extract the performance from the car, so I'm really, really happy.”
"Honestly, it's been a tough year, and I cant believe it's taken me this long to get here, but it's ok. What matters is the journey and I've grown a lot through it." Hamilton feels he may be the Ferrari driver holding the more preferable grid slot on row two. That is because third is located on the grid's left-hand side, the cleaner racing line, and the fact that, at 830m, the run to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez's first turn is one of the longest of the season and therefore allows slipstreaming opportunities for following cars.
"I don't have anything to lose, but he [Norris] does";
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...k-to-top-three
Mexico City Grand Prix - Qualifying results
25/10/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Full results from qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix at Mexico, round 20 of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
2025 Mexico City Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:16.899s 1:16.252s 1:15.586s
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:17.024s 1:16.658s 1:15.848s
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:16.736s 1:16.458s 1:15.938s
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:16.895s 1:16.537s 1:16.034s
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:17.076s 1:16.605s 1:16.070s
6 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:17.291s 1:16.773s 1:16.118s
7 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:17.171s 1:16.607s 1:16.172s
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:17.158s 1:16.737s 1:16.174s
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:16.733s 1:16.804s 1:16.252s
10 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:17.040s 1:16.787s 1:16.460s
‘Qualifying results’;
https://f1i.com/news/551923-mexico-c...g-results.html
Mexican GP: Norris delivers hammer blow as Piastri and Verstappen suffer setbacks
25 Oct 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris has delivered arguably the most important pole position of his career, striking a hammer on Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. Norris set a blistering final lap to secure pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix, joined on the front row by Charles Leclerc with Lewis Hamilton in third.
Norris had looked in control throughout the session until a late challenge from Leclerc threatened to steal pole position away. Seeing that off, the McLaren driver recorded an important result in the context of the championship, with Max Verstappen only fifth while Piastri will line up for Sunday’s race in seventh despite qualifying eighth.
‘Hammer blow’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mexica...lifying-report
Oscar Piastri ‘odd comments’ alert Villeneuve after Mexican GP setback
26 Oct 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Oscar Piastri did not feel like things were going too bad in his McLaren during Mexican Grand Prix qualifying, yet the final result was emphatic. Villeneuve, on Sky F1 punditry duties in Mexico, says a gap as stark as that between teammates, usually triggers the driver on the wrong side to really start pushing the boundaries, not find satisfaction in how the car was feeling.
He said: “What was odd, his comments about, I don’t know why there’s no pace, and when you say that you’re quite happy with the car, everything is feeling good, and somehow it’s not working on the clock.”
“When you’re slower than your teammate by that amount, normally, you will try to push a little bit harder. You’ll get in trouble. You’ll lock wheels, so you’ll start to figure out, okay, there’s issues here and there. I can improve there. But he seemed to be happy with how the car was feeling, and that’s what’s really strange.”
‘Villeneuve alerted’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/jacque...rix-qualifying
Oscar Piastri admits huge F1 Mexico GP qualifying gap to Lando Norris ‘a bit of a mystery’
26 Oct 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
After qualifying, Piastri admitted that he had no answer to why exactly his MCL39 could not extract the level of performance that Norris was able to. “I mean, difficult to know, everything feels normal,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “But the gap was big in that session, it’s been big all weekend.”
“And there’s been some things where I felt like I can tidy it up and make some easy progress, but not all of it. And I think in qualifying, I feel like I did a reasonable job and the car felt reasonable as well. So, yeah, the lack of lap time is a bit of a mystery.”
‘A bit of a mystery’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-of-a-mystery/
What are the tactical options for the Mexico City Grand Prix?
26 Oct 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Lando Norris has looked unstoppable this weekend, with a mesmeric final lap in Q3 giving him pole by a healthy margin. What will doubtless please him even more – though he’s far too diplomatic to say it – is that the three cars behind him are red and silver, rather than blue and orange.
Ferrari are second and third, with George Russell fourth, before Max Verstappen, struggling for grip, appears in fifth, one row ahead of Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who will start seventh.
But this isn’t a race that’s won on Saturday. Pirelli have bridged their tyre compounds to produce some intriguing strategy options, and Mexico City has a history of throwing its own brand of mayhem into the works. We’re in for quite a race.
‘Tactical options’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...P1EqmfSxJZu8BV
-
Norris steals headlines worldwide after seizing championship lead in Mexico.
La Gazzetta dello Sport: “It’s a world-class Lando Norris on display in Mexico”, Marca: “Verstappen-style” weekend, ESTO: …he now looks ready to fight for the title…
27 Oct 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
La Gazzetta dello Sport: The Italian outlet highlighted the outstanding weekend of the British driver, who delivered a superb performance at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez — starting with an uncontested pole on Saturday and following it up with an equally commanding win on race day. “The Brit dominated the Mexican Grand Prix to seize the lead in the championship with four rounds to go. Flawless from the start and relentless in pace, the McLaren driver sent a clear warning to his title rivals. With just four races remaining, Norris has delivered a major blow in the title fight. The Bristol native controlled the weekend from start to finish — superb already on Saturday, when Leclerc came close to snatching pole, and impeccable on Sunday.”
Marca: “Lando Norris took Max Verstappen’s ‘perfect’ Austin weekend quite literally,” wrote the Spanish outlet. “After clinching pole, the Brit went on to lead every single lap of the Mexican Grand Prix — a dominant performance that put him on top of the championship standings, edging ahead of Oscar Piastri by just one point after the Australian finished fifth.”
ESTO: “Norris claimed victory and gave McLaren reason to celebrate again on Mexican soil,” wrote the outlet. “The last time the Woking-based team triumphed at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was back in 1989 — before Lando was even born. The Brit capped off an extraordinary weekend after taking both pole position and the race win. In a Grand Prix filled with excitement, strategy, and speed, this victory brings him even closer to the championship lead and proves that McLaren are ready to fight for the drivers’ crown all the way to the end.”
‘Headlines worldwide’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/norri...lead-in-mexico
Mexico City GP: Race Results
Full results from the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix where Lando Norris took his sixth victory of 2025.
27 Oct 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
Pos. No. Driver Team Laps Time / Retired Pts.
1 4 Lando Norris McLaren 71 1:37:58.574 25
2 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 71 +30.324s 18
3 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 71 +31.049s 15
4 87 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team 71 +40.955s 12
5 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 71 +42.065s 10
6 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 71 +47.837s 8
7 63 George Russell Mercedes 71 +50.287s 6
8 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 71 +56.446s 4
9 31 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team 71 +75.464s 2
10 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber 71 +76.863s 1
‘Race Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-m...-race-results/
Jacques Villeneuve blasts FIA over “embarrassing” Mexico City GP call that ruined thrilling finish
The 1997 world champion hit out at the FIA for an “embarrassing” late-race call in Mexico that killed the drama of a thrilling finish
27 October 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
“Embarrassing with the Virtual Safety Car there,” Villeneuve said on Sky Sports F1. “The car was completely off the track, off the line, at the slowest part of the circuit. There was no reason for it with two laps to go. There are millions of people watching that race — you have to take that into account as well.”
LOOK AT THIS BS…. Sainz parked it up in a safe position and the car was behind the barriers pic.twitter.com/rJH95U5lVd
— Cytrus �� (@cytrusf1) October 26, 2025
‘Jacques Villeneuve blasts FIA’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/jac...car-mexico-gp/
Charles Leclerc taunted Max Verstappen in brilliant radio message after late VSC at Mexican Grand Prix
26 October 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Charles Leclerc taunted Max Verstappen in unheard radio after late VSC in Mexico. Carlos Sainz had parked his Williams off the track to retire, which brought out the VSC. It ended halfway through the final lap, which gave Verstappen no time or place to make a pass, allowing Leclerc to hold onto P2.
There was a question as to whether the VSC was necessary. But Leclerc would not have complained as Verstappen chased him down with a lap to go. As the double yellow flags were waved, Leclerc could only laugh as he knew Verstappen would not be allowed to pass. He simply said: “Max. Max, hahahahahah,” as he entered the final lap.
‘Charles Leclerc taunted Max Verstappen’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/cha...an-grand-prix/
Max third in thrilling Mexican GP: 'Good strategy'
26 October 2025
Kees-Jan Koster
Verstappen.nl
After the race, Max said over the team radio: “It was a good strategy. We were a bit unlucky with the Virtual Safety Car at the end, but I think we maximised the result. It was quite tough at the start. Well done on the strategy, that was really good!”
Speaking to the media afterwards, he explained: “It was very hectic, the beginning of the race for me. We had a very good start. It is such a long run to turn one and we were on the outside. It was three or four wide, so I had to be on that kerb. I kept bottoming out all the way and almost crashed over the grass. Even after that, there was a lot going on. Everyone around me was on the soft tyres, while I was on the mediums, that was a bit of a struggle.”
“It was all about surviving the first stint, trying to go as long as we could on the tyres. Once we switched to the softs, we were a little bit more competitive and a bit happier. It was a tough weekend for us, but to be fighting for P2 after everything that happened in the opening laps is a very strong result.” On the VSC, Max added: “You win some, you lose some. Sometimes a safety car works for you, and sometimes against you.”
“Well done on the strategy, that was really good!”;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5997/
Lando Norris reacts to crowd boos after F1 Mexico GP win
Oct 27, 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
motorsportweek.com
Lando Norris was booed by the raucous crowd after taking a resounding win in the Mexico City Grand Prix, which saw him take the lead in the Formula 1 Drivers’ title. …wasn’t received with total positivity, as Norris, like he was after qualifying on Saturday, was loudly booed by many within the stadium complex of the circuit during the parc ferme interviews after that race.
‘I keep my head down, I ignore all of this’ – Norris unflapped by crowd boos. When put to him that he now has the momentum in the title hunt going into the next race in Brazil, the boos aimed at Norris reached a crescendo, triggering nothing but a rye smile from the McLaren driver.
“I mean, it’s one weekend at a time. It’s one weekend at a time. So, you know, I’m happy. I’m focused on myself.” And, in reference to the boos, Norris added: “I keep my head down. I ignore all of this. And, yeah, I keep to myself. And it’s working at the minute, so I’m happy. All right, keep doing what you’re doing.”
‘Rye smile from the McLaren driver’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...mexico-gp-win/
Why Norris was booed for Mexican GP victory + his response
Oct 27, 2025
Jon Noble
The Race
Lando Norris's post-race Mexican Grand Prix triumph was met with boos from the crowd - and it's believed that response has its roots in what happened in Monza. …a harsh reception from spectators in the stadium section afterwards – with his post-race television interviews being drowned out by boos and jeers.
The nature of the fan reaction caught many by surprise, with Norris insisting in the post-race press conference that he was not too bothered “I don't know why, to be honest,” he said. “And people can do what they want honestly. They have the right to do it if they want to do it.”
“I think that's sport sometimes. I don't know why – [but] I can't stop laughing when I get booed. I think it makes it more entertaining for me.” He added: “It was the same in Monza and a few other places. So, yeah, I don't know why. I just can't stop laughing. So if they want to continue, they can…”
“I can't stop laughing when I get booed”;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/l...-his-response/
-
Puzzled Piastri says ‘car worked well for first 18 rounds’ after slump in form.
Oscar Piastri was at a loss to explain his lack of pace after lagging behind his team mate for a second consecutive race in Mexico.
27th October 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Oscar Piastri: “Definitely I think the last couple of races has been surprising in terms of the pace,” he told the official Formula 1 channel. “I think there’s been some evidence of where the pace is and what to do. I’ve [had] to drive the car very differently these last couple of weekends. Which, when it’s been working well for you for the previous 18, is a little bit difficult to kind of wrap your head around. But I tried a few things today and I’ll have a look at if that was what we were looking for.”
‘Car worked well for first 18 rounds’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/10/27/...slump-in-form/
McLaren shocked after seeing Oscar Piastri's car data! The reason for the poor performance in Mexico
Oct 28, 2025
Mazz F1
McLaren's post-race analysis of Oscar Piastri's car reveals unexpected data explaining a significant performance drop at the Mexican Grand Prix. The MCL-39 exhibited rear-axle instability in the unique high-altitude conditions, impacting cornering and DRS. This video details the technical issues and their impact on Piastri's championship bid.
The McLaren team was completely surprised when analyzing the data from Oscar Piastri's car after the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix, which explains the Australian driver's inexplicable poor performance over the weekend. At the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Piastri qualified only seventh and finished fifth, being surpassed by his teammate and direct rival, Lando Norris, who also displaced him in the world championship standings. Telemetry data revealed that Piastri's MCL-39 suffered a severe loss of grip in "low-grip" and high-altitude conditions, which are not conducive to his usual driving style, while Norris was finding rhythm in the same environment. Stella admitted that Piastri "is driving in a way that is not natural for him" to adapt to the car.
@PaulSchultz-s6m: It’s no coincidence that once they got there constructor title that they fudged their cars to help Norris it’s a disgrace
@gerhardstrauss723: McClaren is not "surprised", they know what's wrong, they caused it!
@annezerafa4692: I believe Norris's car was set up to mimic Oscar's. Switched data logs. So; Norris car has been set up to match Oscar's Technique & Style. Norris team has has then uploaded into Norris's car. While Oscar has been given a LEMON to drive...I believe Oscar will never be allowed to win or have a place for McLaren ever again...!!! Oscar's Technique/ Style has been Copied ...so All teams will down load his Stats for perfection in driving. It's going to need a ' 'New Style ' to be developed by Oscar ...to Win...!!!
‘Oscar Piastri's car reveals unexpected data’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsmltZhflcY
Oscar Piastri Makes 'Strange' Comment After Losing F1 Title Lead to Lando Norris
Lando Norris dominated the Mexican Grand Prix to take the championship lead
27 Oct 2025
SPORTbible
After the race in Mexico City, he was asked whether he had lost confidence in his driving ability. Piastri told Sky Sports: "No, I think I've just had to drive very differently the last couple of weekends or I've not driven differently when I should have. And I think that's been a little bit strange to get my head around because I've been driving exactly the same as I have all year.”
"It's just that these last couple of weekends, the car or the tyres or something has required quite a different way of driving, and I've just not really gone to that. Tried a few things, trying to change things up a bit today and once we analyse if it's effective or not, hopefully helps see some progress."
‘Oscar Piastri Makes 'Strange' Comment’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/oscar-...72639-20251027
Oscar Piastri Admits McLaren Setup “Very Different” After Losing Lead to Lando Norris
Oct 27, 2025
Behind Grand Prix
After the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri opened up about how McLaren’s recent setup changes have forced him to completely adapt his driving style — right as teammate Lando Norris surged to victory and retook the Drivers’ Championship lead. In his post-race press interview, Piastri admitted the car now “feels very different,” sparking speculation among fans that McLaren’s latest upgrades might be tuned more toward Norris’s aggressive style. With only a few races left and tensions rising inside McLaren, F1 fans are now asking: Did the team’s setup shift cost Piastri his momentum in the title fight? ��
@AndJ-ye1xr: There is no way Oscars driving would have deteriorated to this extent over a short period of time like this without a little help from somewhere...... The physical car may well be the same as he said, but I wouldn't be so sure the software running all aspects of the car hasn't been changed for the worse. Don't tell me that this possibility couldn't be disguised and buried. Another point for those people who say that favouritism isn't at play here......well hasn't this happened many times before in F1 and elsewhere in sport so why couldn't it also be at play in this case?
@Sebastian24659: Everyone knows he’s been screwed by his own team.
‘Piastri admitted the car now “feels very different,” sparking speculation’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gic_9H_iIOg
Piastri puzzled by struggles: 'That's been a little bit strange'
26 Oct 2025
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
Oscar Piastri has admitted that he has had to drive his McLaren "very differently" amid a slump in his current form, finishing P5 at the Mexico City Grand Prix. After a fifth place finish at the United States Grand Prix that saw his championship lead whitted down significantly by Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, another P5 sees the 24-year-old continues with his struggles towards the end of the season.
"I think I've just had to drive very differently the last couple of weekends, or I've not driven differently when I should have," Piastri explained to Sky Sports after the Grand Prix. "I think that's been a little bit strange to get my head around, because I've been driving exactly the same as I have all year.”
"It's just that it lasts a couple of weekends, the car or the tyres or something has required quite a different way of driving, and I've just not really gone to that. I've tried a few things with trying to change things up a bit today. Once we analyse if it's effective or not, that'll hopefully help see some progress."
‘Puzzled’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/piast...le-bit-strange
What Piastri JUST SAID to McLaren After New Evidence Emerged CHANGES EVERYTHING!
Oct 28, 2025
Formula Action
Something changed. And not in the way anyone expected. Just two races ago, Oscar Piastri looked like a calm, unstoppable force in orange. A rising star, quietly dismantling reputations and stacking up points. But now? Two races. Two brutal wake-up calls. And now—after Mexico—it’s all gone upside down.
Oscar Piastri's recent performance reveals unexpected challenges. Following the Mexican Grand Prix, a crucial statement hints at deeper issues impacting the McLaren car. The driver's adaptation, despite setbacks, suggests a potential comeback.
‘Something changed’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xrqZPkcwXM
Oscar Piastri reveals 'major' change after 'strange' challenge
Oscar Piastri has been searching for answers across the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, but has lost the lead of the F1 drivers' championship fight to McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.
27 October 2025
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Oscar Piastri has admitted that there are elements of his driving that have "needed to change pretty majorly" as he works to arrest his woeful run of form. Reflecting on his race, he told Sky Sports F1: "There was a lot of fight out there... the whole race I was right behind someone and struggling with the dirty air. That was pretty difficult.”
"For me, the biggest thing is trying to learn the things I wanted to learn today. Yesterday, it became obvious after the session that there was a few things I needed to change pretty majorly in how I was driving.”
"Today was about trying to limit the damage, but also trying to learn some things about that. If I’ve made some progress with that, I’ll be happy. Obviously, when your team-mate wins the race, finishing fifth is nothing that extravagant."
‘Searching for answers’;
https://racingnews365.com/oscar-pias...ange-challenge
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Verstappen explains his near crash on the opening lap.
He approached Turn 1 with Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc alongside him. The Dutchman got onto the dirty kerbs and had to cut across the grass. He ceded a place after returning to the track, dropping to fourth behind Hamilton.
29 Oct 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Asked to comment on the first couple laps, Verstappen added:"It was very hectic, the beginning of the race for me. We had a very good start. And then, of course, such a long run to Turn 1, and we were on the outside—yeah, three, four-wide. "So I had to be out of that kerb. It kept bottoming out all the way, so I almost crashed into the grass. And then even after that, there was a lot going on.”
"Everyone around me was on Soft tyres, I was on the medium, and it looked like that was a bit of a struggle. So surviving the first stint, trying to go as long as we could on the tyres. Yeah, once we bolted on the Softs, we were a little bit more competitive, a bit happier. I mean, it’s been a difficult weekend for us, but to be fighting for P2 with everything that happened in the first few laps, I think it’s still a very strong result," the Dutchman concluded.
‘Near crash on the opening lap’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27961
Mexico GP: Stewards were right to penalise Hamilton and not Verstappen
28 Oct 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
The decisions made by the FIA Stewards during the Mexico City Grand Prix may have prompted doubts for some. GPblog explains why the race officials' decisions to penalise Lewis Hamilton and not Max Verstappen were right.
Why Hamilton was rightfully penalised: On lap 6, Verstappen went for a move up the inside of Hamilton, crucially putting his car ahead at the apex. Despite the wheel-banging going on, the Dutch driver managed to keep his car on track, albeit marginally so, while Hamilton was forced wide. At Turn 2, with Hamilton on the inside this time, it was Verstappen who would be pushed out wide thus forced to cut Turn 3, with the Dutch driver's manoeuvre into Turn 1 being the point where he effectively made up the place on Hamilton.
The seven-time world champion then came back on Verstappen at Turn 4. However, Hamilton was carrying too much speed going into the corner, triggering a big smokey lock up and what would then be a determining understeer, setting him on an outward trajectory. Hamilton took the run off, rejoined the track ahead of Verstappen cutting Turns 4, 5 and 6 and failed to give back the place he had gained against the regulations. The British driver also failed to follow the Race Director's instructions to safely rejoin the track in that section of the circuit, an aspect the Stewards dismissed on account of the speed Hamilton carried at that moment.
‘Why Hamilton was rightfully penalised’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/m...not-verstappen
Max Verstappen left surprised after stunning Mexican GP recovery
Max Verstappen set 30 consecutive 1m 21s laps in his pursuit of Charles Leclerc in Mexico City.
28 October 2025
Nick Golding
RacingNews365
A remarkable 30 consecutive 1m 21s laps were set by the 28-year-old, who would have likely claimed second if not for a late Virtual Safety Car. It left Verstappen with no choice but to settle for third, but he still reduced his deficit in the standings to 36 points.
"Yeah. I mean, personally, I didn't expect to be on the podium," said Verstappen. "And I think even in the first stint, it was not really looking like it. At the time, I thought we were just slow and struggling on tyres. I do think then, of course, when we swapped to the soft and the others were on mediums, it all looked a bit more competitive.”
"I think, still not to the level of Lando if you take the average of the race, but the soft definitely was a better compound to race on, and it all felt a bit better. So, yeah, I think overall to be P3 has been really good on, yeah, for us a difficult weekend."
“I didn't expect to be on the podium";
https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...ican-gp-ending
Can Verstappen catch Piastri? Championship math broken down
26 Oct 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen has been steadily narrowing the gap to Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship, raising questions about the Red Bull driver’s chances of a fifth consecutive crown. In a recent deep dive by Formula1.com into the numbers that would see either driver crowned champion at the end of the season, the data revealed that looking purely at results, if Verstappen were to win every remaining Grand Prix and the two remaining Sprint races, while Piastri and Norris finished second and third respectively in each event, Piastri would still edge out the championship by the slimmest of margins, just three points, with Norris 31 behind.
Verstappen has proven himself at each of the upcoming tracks, boasting multiple victories in Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, which suggests the Dutchman could realistically continue his strong run. The current F1 champion has also won one of the two Las Vegas Grand Prix editions, in 2023. In comparison, Piastri’s only Sprint wins came in Qatar, and his best Mexico finish is P8, while Norris has historically performed well in Abu Dhabi and Sao Paulo but has yet to secure victory at Mexico City, a feat he was very close to achieving last year.
Examining form since the summer break further highlights Verstappen’s momentum. Across the last five rounds, Zandvoort, Monza, Baku, Singapore, and Austin, Verstappen averaged a remarkable 23.8 points per weekend, compared with 12.4 for Piastri and 11.4 for Norris.
If this trend were maintained, Verstappen would finish the season with 426 points, comfortably claiming the championship by 20 points over Piastri, with Norris 39 points behind.
‘Steadily narrowing the gap’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/general/ca...th-broken-down
Max Verstappen responds to call that spoiled 'fun' Mexican GP ending
Max Verstappen was denied a chance to overtake Charles Leclerc at the end of the Mexico City Grand Prix.
29 October 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Max Verstappen was forced to settle for third place, his lowest result in the last six races. When asked if he was frustrated by the late virtual safety car, Verstappen told media including RacingNews365: “No, not really.”
“I mean, sometimes the safety car has been very nice to me as well in my career. So sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. It's how it goes in racing. It would have been fun, I think, to the end. Well, maybe a bit more fun for me than for Charles defending, but it would have been a fun ending, I think, for everyone to watch.”
“It's how it goes in racing”;
https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...ican-gp-ending
Max Verstappen admits where he wasn’t at ‘Lando’s level’ as Norris won the Mexican Grand Prix
28 October 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Max Verstappen admits his Mexico City Grand Prix race pace was not on Lando Norris’ ‘level’. Verstappen and Red Bull went against the grain by starting the Mexico City GP on Pirelli’s C4 medium tyres, while his rivals preferred the soft C5 tyres. The C5s were the better race tyre, and Verstappen had to bide his time running with the C4s until he could pit on Lap 37 of 71.
Yet, even had Verstappen matched Norris’ strategy, the Dutchman admits that his race pace in the Mexico City was not on the same “level” as the Briton’s. Verstappen was metronomic on the soft C5 tyres with lap times in the low 1:21s, yet Norris had two-tenths over the field. Verstappen said, via quotes by RacingNews365: “We still weren’t at Lando’s level if you look at the race average. But the softs were clearly a better tyre to race on. It all felt a bit better. P3 is really good for us, considering it was a difficult weekend.”
Lando Norris’ race pace let him win the 2025 F1 Mexico City Grand Prix at his own speed. Norris was largely in cruise control in the lead of last Sunday’s Mexico City GP after surviving the first lap. The Briton was at a slight disadvantage for the long run to Turn 1 by starting on pole, yet he produced a clean launch to deny Ferrari’s Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton the inside. Had Norris fallen behind either Ferrari driver at the start, his race pace that stood out to Red Bull rival Verstappen would likely have been enough for the McLaren man to eventually take P1 back. But leading from the start let Norris manage his tyres and run to his own lap times.
“We still weren’t at Lando’s level”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...an-grand-prix/
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One Point. No Favours. Norris-Piastri War Begins.
McLaren’s explanation hasn’t budged. Conditions, not conspiracies. “Hot tarmac, sliding tyre,” as Stella put it. Norris found lap time in the slither. Piastri, a driver who really comes alive when the track is grippy and the car’s nailed to the floor, didn’t. Twice in a row.
Oct 27, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
After a Mexico City weekend that swung the title pendulum back toward Lando Norris, the McLaren team principal moved quickly to stamp out social media whispers that Oscar Piastri is being short-changed in the run-in. Four race weekends remain, starting under the neon in Las Vegas, and Stella’s message was blunt: the next tracks won’t hand either driver a built-in advantage. “No reason to think one may favour one driver or the other,” he told reporters in Mexico. And you get the sense he’s tired of saying it.
Norris leaves Mexico with the championship lead again, by a single point over his teammate. It was earned the hard way: a lights-to-flag masterclass while Piastri could do no better than fifth, a 15-point swing on a day when the Brit didn’t put a wheel wrong. The bigger talking point, though, was Saturday. In qualifying, Piastri was adrift—six tenths off Norris—after a similar gap in Austin the week before. That’s been the wedge for the keyboard detectives.
To their credit, McLaren didn’t just shrug. Overnight work after quali in Mexico left Piastri sharper in race trim, according to Stella, who praised the Australian’s quick adaptation to a car that wanted to dance around rather than sit still. The problem? Traffic. He spent too much of Sunday tucked up behind other people’s gearboxes to show it.
‘One Point. No Favours’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/one-poin...ri-war-begins/
Is Lando Norris in the box seat for the title? Brazil might hold the key
29 Oct 2025
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
We asked you if the F1 2025 title is now in the hands of Lando Norris after his recent turnaround, and you replied in your droves.
Scatty Seagull: Yes because Lando now has to capitalise on Oscar’s poor form while keeping Max at bay.
Shafraz Mohammed Ashraf: If Oscar’s performance doesn’t return to normal at Interlagos – where his driving style should thrive – then yes.
Neil: The question is, will Norris now be the one to feel the pressure now he has the championship lead, or will be just keep moving away from the other two with confidence?
Brazil will be the first indication of how he deals with it.
bean: Piastri is much more confident than he has been recently and is one point away. We don’t know how Norris will react with the target on his back. So no.
Danny: Not yet. Piastri is one point away, and Max is still in there. A lot will depend on Brazil. If it’s a race like last year, the chances shift towards Max in a big way.
‘So no’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/pf1-po...mexico-city-gp
McLaren have devised a clever engine ‘strategy’ that will benefit Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
29 Oct 2025
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
McLaren have revealed the clever engine ‘strategy’ that they have employed to save their title protagonists, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, from serving any unnecessary penalties as the 2025 F1 season approaches a crucial period. McLaren’s F1 engine ‘strategy’ revealed as the 2025 title fight approaches boiling point. Speaking in a review of the Mexico City Grand Prix on her YouTube channel, F1 journalist Julianne Cerasoli touched upon a fan’s question regarding McLaren’s use of all of their allotted engines for the current campaign, highlighting a clever strategy that the team has employed.
She said: “McLaren adopted a type of strategy where they put all their engines into play, as we say in Formula 1, in the engine pool very early. So, even before the August break, they were already using all the engines. And then when you see that FIA list saying which engine each driver is on, it doesn’t mean he is using that engine in that race, it means he has already used the four engines he has at his disposal, he has already taken a penalty, and now has five. But it doesn’t mean he is using number five in all races or number four in all races.”
“What McLaren is doing is good. Number one, the engine that debuted in Australia is already an engine only for Friday. And then two, three, four, they rotate depending on what they need for each race. So, the engine when there is a track where the engine doesn’t count much, they use the more used engine, the engine that counts. On a track where the engine counts more, they use the less-used engine. And I checked this with McLaren, they said they are calm, that the plan is as they had thought at the start of the season, and they do not need to change engines until the end of the season.”
“On a track where the engine counts more, they use the less-used engine”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mcl...oscar-piastri/
Piastri: I’m having to “drive the car very differently” since COTA
Oct 28, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
There is a growing spotlight on Oscar Piastri. For the time being, the McLaren driver has no answers for his recent results. He said as much to the media post-race on Sunday: “I think the last couple of races has been surprising in terms of the pace… We have some evidence of where the pace is, and what to do. But I’ve got to drive the car very differently these last couple of weekends. Which, when it’s been working well for you for the previous 18 [races], is a little bit difficult to kind of wrap your head around. We tried a few things today, and we’ll have a look if that’s what we were looking for.”
On paper, Piastri is obviously still a contender for the Championship. He is only one point behind Norris, a difference that could easily be overturned at the Sprint Race in Brazil – let along the Grand Prix itself. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has suggested that limitations in the Australian’s driving style were exposed in America and Mexico. Stella’s implication was that the final rounds should not see this vulnerability exposed. Meanwhile, Piastri seems less clear on the explanation his sudden downturn in form – and it is unclear whether this will change at the Brazilian GP, or if a similar lack of pace will persist.
“A little bit difficult to kind of wrap your head around”;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...ly-since-cota/
Piastri calls for pace analysis amidst McLaren conspiracy theories
28 Oct 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Oscar Piastri wants to “analyse” after McLaren put his struggles in Mexico, and also in Austin, down to his driving style in hot conditions when cars are sliding. But given he was in traffic for much of the race, even at the very end when a VSC prevented him from chasing down Oliver Bearman for fourth, he cannot say whether the changes he made to his driving style on Sunday actually worked. “It’s difficult to say ultimately,” Piastri told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets after the grand prix.
“I think we certainly tried a lot of different things, but at the back with cars as well, so it was difficult to kind of get a read on whether what I was changing with my driving was working that well or not. But ultimately, yeah, we’ll have to analyse it and see if it looks good and in terms of the numbers and stuff, because, from a feeling point of view, when you’re behind that many cars, it’s very difficult to tell.”
“It wasn’t so much the pace of the car, because the car was pretty quick this weekend. It was more just trying to unlock it, and I felt like I potentially made some steps in doing that. But yeah, ultimately, when you’re behind so many cars and trying to fight for so long, it’s difficult to measure that a little bit. So hopefully we’ll get a bit more indication from some of the data.”
‘Pace analysis’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-...iracy-theories
Lando Norris Uses ‘Clever Trick’ to Gain Advantage Over Oscar Piastri
29 Oct 2025
Marcus Chan
SPORTbible
Lando Norris has revealed the clever change he has made in a bid to gain an edge on his rivals. As a result of his win, Norris now has a one-point lead over Piastri at the top of the standings. After putting in a brilliant flying lap to secure pole position, Norris revealed that he made a slight adjustment. As per Planet F1, the Brit has revealed that he no longer has a delta time on his dash during qualifying.
However, Norris believes that removing the delta time allows him to focus solely on executing the lap itself rather than being distracted by how it compares to a previous one. He said during the Mexico Grand Prix weekend: "I’ve not had it since Monaco. I’ve never used the delta since in qualifying. So I don’t know. Who knows if it would have helped me or made me worse?”
"I think the thing when I don’t have it is I push no matter what – no matter how the start of the lap was, no matter how any corner was. I guess it’s because you have no reference of the overall lap time, you just always try and maximise every corner to the maximum." Norris added: "Otherwise, sometimes I just stare at it too much and that’s never the best thing. It’s just nice because normally when it goes well, it’s a pleasant surprise to see the lap time pop up when it’s as good as this one."
‘Clever Trick’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/lando-...08462-20251029
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Not many were expecting Lando to lead the drivers' championship with four race remaining in the season at the summer break but here we are. It is now very much a genuine three way race for the title between him, Oscar and Max.
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Wedged Between Hamilton and Max, Leclerc ‘Just Prayed’ in Mexico.
Charles Leclerc didn’t dress it up. The opening seconds of the Mexican Grand Prix were not fun, not brave, not heroic. They were survival.
October 30, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Ferrari’s lead man found himself wedged between his new teammate Lewis Hamilton and old sparring partner Max Verstappen as the field screamed down that endless Mexico City main straight. Lando Norris, starting from pole, dragged them four-wide into Turn 1. Verstappen clattered the kerb, Hamilton and Leclerc banged wheels, and the Ferrari pair were spat into the run-off. It looked like the sort of squeeze that usually ends in carbon.
“I didn’t enjoy that at all,” Leclerc said afterwards, half-laughing, half-exhaling. “I normally quite like fighting, but in this case, being in the middle of Lewis and Max… you can’t do much. You just pray they give you enough space to make the corner.” He didn’t quite get that much. Verstappen, bottoming out over the inside kerb, straight-lined the chicane. Leclerc, finding no grip on the dirty outside and tagged by Hamilton’s sister Ferrari, had to cut the corner too. Somehow, all three cars came out intact. The roars in the Foro Sol were matched by a collective paddock blink of disbelief.
From there, the afternoon split in two. Norris checked out, stretching a lead that would balloon to half a minute by the flag. Leclerc settled into second, but never with much comfort. His mediums never switched on, leaving him glancing in the mirrors at a Red Bull that simply refused to fade.
‘Just Prayed’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/wedged-b...yed-in-mexico/
Leclerc reveals why he was particularly delighted with Ferrari's performance in Texas and Mexico
29 Oct 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Asked how much satisfaction he can take from the weekend in Mexico City, Leclerc added: "Quite a bit. I mean, it's been a very positive weekend. I think we did not expect to be replicating what we've done in Austin. "We knew that in Austin we had done the perfect execution, but we also knew that on paper we maybe didn't have the pace that McLaren or Red Bull had. And to be on the podium at that race was a surprise, but we managed to do that again and one step higher on the podium as well.”
"So it's been a really strong weekend. I think, as we know already, in terms of pure performance from the car, it's been quite long that we've been switching our minds to 2026, and so that helped us a little bit more into this last part of the season. But by doing perfect executed weekends, we managed to get two podiums in a row, which is a really nice feeling.” Despite his chaotic start to the race, Verstappen managed to close in on Leclerc with two laps to go, and put the Monegasque under immense pressure. However, the virtual safety car was deployed for Carlos Sainz's stricken Williams, which effectively robbed Verstappen of making a move on Leclerc.
"I was very happy to see the Safety Car coming out in the last two laps. I think without it, there was more chance of Max getting past than me staying in front. Especially with those Medium tyres, the feeling was just not there from the beginning to the end. I was definitely tempted by the two stops, but I don't know. At the end, I just stuck to what I was on, which was the Medium tyre, and tried to make it work—and we did. It was close. We got a little bit lucky, but I'm proud we made it stick," added Leclerc.
“It's been a very positive weekend”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27951
Charles Leclerc taunted Max Verstappen in brilliant radio message after late VSC at Mexican Grand Prix
26 October 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
As the double yellow flags were waved, Leclerc could only laugh as he knew Verstappen would not be allowed to pass. He simply said: “Max. Max, hahahahahah,” as he entered the final lap.
“Max. Max, hahahahahah”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/cha...an-grand-prix/
Leclerc thinks "it's going to be very, very tough" for Ferrari to clinch second place in the championship
27 Oct 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Although Ferrari found itself in second place through the middle stages of the championship, the Scuderia fell behind Mercedes after its tough races in Baku and Singapore. However, the Italian team regained P2 in the standings after its strong display in Austin and Mexico City. Asked whether Ferrari's SF25 is fast enough to hold on to the second place in the constructors' championship, Leclerc sounded a pessimistic note.
"It's going to be very, very tough. If I look back at the last two weekends, yes. If I look before these two weekends, not really. We just need to focus race by race and do the perfect execution just like we've done in the last two races. That pays off, obviously, as always, but it's very difficult to be performing at this level all the time. But that is the standard that we need to target, and hopefully that will be enough to give us second in the Constructors.”
“We just need to focus race by race”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27948
Ferrari's achilles heel exposed in veiled Norris dig
26 Oct 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Lando Norris has quipped Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are "pros" at lifting and coasting, a technique Ferrari's understood to be relying upon to avoid excessive plank wear and potential disqualifications. “I mean, ask these guys, they’re pros at it. These guys, they do it every race.” - Lando Norris “Yeah, I think you always have to do it a little bit, but never as much as these guys.”
Leclerc, starting behind him, acknowledged that managing lift and coast would be essential under Mexico’s demanding conditions. “Let’s say I think we’re ready for this. It’s always a track where lift and coast is a big part of the race, especially for the people from second onwards,” he explained.
“That’s why I think the start is so important on a track like this, because when you have free air, everything comes a lot easier. So yeah, we’ll be quite aggressive into Turn 1 if I have the possibility and then manage from where we are. But it’s definitely going to be a big part of the race.” Hamilton, meanwhile, kept it brief: “Not much to say. Lift and coast is pretty much what Charles said.”
‘Ferrari's achilles heel’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferra...led-norris-dig
David Croft says Ferrari were ‘upset’ by the joke Lando Norris made at their expense in Mexico
30 October 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
During his race commentary for Sky Sports, Croft said: “Lando Norris picked up on that in the top-three press conference after qualifying when he was asked about lift and coast. He said, ‘Well ask these two, they do it way more than we do’, which upset Ferrari a bit because they said that, ‘Actually, we don’t.’ They’re having to today.”
Hamilton alone was told to lift and coast 18 times during the race. It’s one of the most frustrating instructions a driver can receive because it forces them to sacrifice lap time and goes against their attacking instincts. Indeed, Hamilton called one particular request ‘ridiculous’, and later complained that he couldn’t catch the cars ahead with such restrictions.
The optics are poor for Ferrari, who seem to have a fundamentally flawed car. Leclerc has complained about the 2025 car more than his teammate, but Hamilton’s exasperation was clear on Sunday. As of the chequered flag in Mexico, Ferrari have officially scored fewer than half of McLaren’s points (713 vs 356).
‘Hamilton alone was told to lift and coast 18 times during the race’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...nse-in-mexico/
Stats: Norris takes F1’s biggest win for two years as Ferrari go win-less for 12 months
31st October 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Leclerc took the chequered flag over half a minute behind Norris – 30.324 seconds, to be exact. This was the biggest winning margin for a driver since Max Verstappen won the Hungarian Grand Prix by 33.731s over Norris two years ago.
Ferrari’s wait for their first grand prix win of 2025 therefore goes on. Excluding sprint races (Lewis Hamilton won for them in Shanghai) it’s now more than a full year since their last victory, when Sainz led the field home in Mexico last year. Their last 12-month win-less spell ended when Sainz won the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix and they haven’t had a win-less season since 2021.
‘Ferrari go win-less for 12 months’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/10/31/...for-12-months/
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‘Deliberate Concealment’: Massa’s lawyers unleash fury at F1.
Massa’s counsel, barrister Nick De Marco KC, didn’t hold back, framing the saga as a betrayal at the sport’s summit.
31/10/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
'One of the most serious incidents of sport manipulation' “The first point is that it is no exaggeration to say the deliberate crash was one of the most serious incidents of sport manipulation in world sport,” De Marco argued. “Not only because it was a blatant attempt to intervene in the race, but the deliberate act threatened the life of spectators and the driver himself.”
He went further, claiming that F1’s top officials conspired to hide the truth. “What then happens is the deliberate concealment of the conspiracy to have a crash, the deliberate concealment by those with responsibility for protecting the integrity of the sport, deliberately conspiring together to cover up one of the most serious scandals in the history of sport.”
The spark for Massa’s legal action is rooted in an interview published in 2023 by German website F1-Insider of former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. In the exchange, the Briton appeared to admit that he and former FIA president Max Mosley had been aware of the Renault team’s plot during the 2008 season – knowledge that, if acted upon at the time, could have led to the Singapore race being annulled. Ecclestone has since claimed he does not remember giving that interview, a defence reiterated in court by his lawyer David Quest KC.
‘Deliberate Concealment’;
https://f1i.com/news/552470-delibera...ury-at-f1.html
FIA faces legal storm as Wolff, Massa and Villars take action
The FIA is waging three separate legal battles that question its integrity, ethics, and transparency, with lawsuits from Susie Wolff, Felipe Massa, and Laura Villars all converging to test the Federation’s governance and credibility.
31 OCT 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Susie Wolff: No 'transparency' or 'accountability': F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff has filed a defamation claim in the French High Courts against the FIA. The case stems from the governing body’s December 2023 investigation into a possible conflict of interest, citing her close professional ties with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and her marriage to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. The inquiry, which lasted only 48 hours, was later dropped, but Wolff condemned the FIA’s conduct, accusing it of lacking “transparency and accountability.” Speaking recently, she confirmed that the legal process is still ongoing.
Felipe Massa takes F1, FIA, and Ecclestone to court: Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa has also taken the FIA, Formula 1, and former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to court over the controversial 2008 “Crashgate” scandal seeking damages he estimates to be worth up to $85 million dollars. Massa’s case relies on a 2023 German interview where Ecclestone admitted that the FIA and FOM were aware of Renault’s manipulation of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, but chose not to act.
Laura Villars challenges FIA election process: Meanwhile, Laura Villars, a declared candidate for the FIA Presidency, has won an emergency hearing before the French High Courts, contesting the transparency and fairness of the ongoing electoral process. Villars argues that current election rules make opposition candidates effectively ineligible. The statutes require presidential hopefuls to present a list of 10 regional representatives, one from each FIA zone, yet the South American seat is occupied solely by Fabiana Ecclestone, who has pledged her support to incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
‘Legal storm’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/features/f...governing-body
Ecclestone and Mosley deliberately concealed their Crashgate 'conspiracy', claims Massa's lawyer
30 Oct 2025
James Elson
Motor Sport Magazine
Felipe Massa's lawyers have alleged that Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley tried to conceal their full knowledge of the 2008 Crashgate aftermath
Massa has argued at a pre-trial hearing at London’s Royal Courts of Justice that the results of the Singapore 2008 ‘Crashgate’ race, in which Nelson Piquet Jr drove into the wall deliberately to help his Renault team manipulate the grand prix, should have been annulled, therefore giving him the title instead of Lewis Hamilton.
‘Should have been annulled’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
Is Felipe Massa, Not Lewis Hamilton, the Rightful Winner of the 2008 F1 Championship?
Former Ferrari F1 driver Felipe Massa's lawsuit is being heard in a London court this week, and things are getting heated.
30 Oct 2025
Jerry Perez
The Drive
It’s been more than two years since former Formula 1 racer Felipe Massa filed a lawsuit against the sport’s controversial boss Bernie Ecclestone, alleging that Ecclestone knew of the fixed race result involving Renault’s Flavio Briatore, Fernando Alonso, and Nelson Piquet Jr, and did not act ethically and according to the series’ standards. The case is being heard at a London court this week, where the old F1 supremo’s lawyers are claiming it’s a “misguided attempt” to overturn an official result.
The lawsuit, which also involves various executives from F1’s corporate entity and the FIA, has been public since 2023. Still, we’re just now seeing the action play out in court, and there are several surprises. For starters, it’s not just Ecclestone’s legal defense that’s attempting to have the case thrown out, but also the FIA and Formula One Management.
‘Rightful Winner of the 2008 F1 Championship’;
https://www.thedrive.com/news/is-fel...1-championship
Felipe Massa reveals Jean Todt’s immediate suspicion of Nelson Piquet Jr’s 2008 Formula
30 Oct 2025
The Straits Times
LONDON – Felipe Massa said in a witness statement made public on Oct 29 that his former Ferrari boss Jean Todt suspected immediately after the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix that Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jr had crashed on purpose, but he had not believed him. The ex-driver was attending a High Court hearing in London for his action against Formula One Management, former supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA), resulting from one of the sport’s biggest scandals.
In the written statement, Massa said then Ferrari chief executive Todt called him to his office “very soon after the 2008 Singapore GP finished” along with team boss Stefano Domenicali, now F1’s CEO. “Todt said he was sure Nelsinho crashed on purpose. I did not believe him because I know Jean Todt does not like Flavio Briatore (then the team principal of Renault) – they had a personal rivalry,” Massa explained.
‘Jean Todt’s immediate suspicion’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...mula-one-crash
Massa: 'Briatore lied to me – and Todt was sure crash was deliberate'
30 Oct 2025
James Elson
Motor Sport Magazine
Felipe Massa has claimed he confronted both Flavio Briatore and Nelson Piquet Jr about the 2008 ‘Crashgate’ scandal in the months after affair, but that both denied any wrongdoing at the time. He also says his former Ferrari boss Jean Todt was certain in the immediate aftermath that Piquet Jr’s crash was deliberate, but that neither he nor the team chose to do anything about it.
The 11-time grand prix winner is seeking to be recognised as the rightful 2008 champion, as well as claiming £64m in damages. His case rests on the fact that Ecclestone said in a 2023 interview that he and former FIA president Max Mosley knew about the deliberate crash, but decided to not investigate it.
‘Confronted Flavio & Nelson’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
Historic F1 court case could see Hamilton stripped of first world title
Felipe Massa’s long-awaited $90-million F1 court case over 2008 ‘crashgate’ opens in London today, with massive ramifications for the sport …
30-10-25
Ray Leathern
The South African
The 44-year-old Brazilian’s historic legal action is against Bernie Ecclestone, the FIA, and Formula One Management (FOM). Coincidentally today’s start date falls on Ecclestone’s 95th birthday. In a never-before-seen F1 court case, Massa is seeking recognition as the rightful 2008 World Champion. And $90 million in damages for lost earnings. He’s arguing that the sport’s governing bodies failed to act properly following Nelson Piquet Jr’s deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore GP.
Meanwhile, Ecclestone’s lawyer, David Quest KC, told the court that the case was a ‘misguided attempt to reopen the 2008 World Championship. He called it ‘a sports-club-debate exercise that would deprive Lewis Hamilton of the 2008 title.’ Likewise, Anneliese Day KC, representing FOM, added that Hamilton outperformed Massa throughout the Singapore GP and the entire 2008 season.
On the other side of the lawsuit, Massa’s lawyer Nick di Marco argued that the FIA and FOM have failed to show the F1 court case ‘lacks any real prospects of success.’ Di Marco just recently represented Alex Palou against McLaren. And he insists that Massa has a real chance of winning in all respects.
‘Massive ramifications for the sport …’;
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/moto...ld-title-2025/
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Toto Wolff had an agreement to loan out Kimi Antonelli to struggling team if he signed Max Verstappen.
Toto Wolff agreed two-year Alpine loan for Kimi Antonelli if he signed Max Verstappen,
30 October 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Pursuing Verstappen was destabilising for Russell, and team boss Toto Wolff could have done a better job of protecting him from being affected by suggestions that he could be replaced in the future. Even now, his position feels a little insecure after signing a one-year deal. On the positive side of things, the Brackley-based outfit have been tipped to burst out of the blocks with a strong engine next year. It makes them a promising shout for both titles, and may finally hand Russell a deserved chance to go head-to-head with the likes of Verstappen and Leclerc.
But it could have been a very different outcome for Antonelli, according to AS Web, who report that the Italian was set to be loaned to Alpine on a two-year deal if his team had found a way to sign Verstappen for 2026. Wolff called Antonelli’s Alpine rumours nonsense, but it seems like a move might have been close to happening. Moving from a front-running car to the midfield might have helped to take some of the pressure away from the young Italian’s shoulders.
‘Alpine loan’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/tot...ax-verstappen/
Toto Wolff makes Max Verstappen declaration over Mercedes F1 driver extensions
23 Oct 2025
James Phillips
Motorsport Week
Elaborating to media in Friday’s press conference, including Motorsport Week, Wolff defended his decision to explore the reigning F1 champion’s situation once more. “Being open and transparent is the best path forward,” he said.” Sometimes it bites you a bit.
“And when you look back, maybe certain events could have been better – coincidences that happened. But I’ve always done it in the most straightforward and fair way. I stand by the driver choices – by George and Kimi. Like I said, this is the full focus, and that was always the aim, throughout the more tricky part over the summer.”
‘Verstappen declaration’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...er-extensions/
George Russell touted as potential Ferrari F1 target – report
01 Nov 2025
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week
Reports suggest Ferrari’s top brass would pursue George Russell for 2027 should either Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton quit its Formula 1 team. The rumour mill is also confident that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff will renew his long-term interest in bringing Max Verstappen to the German marque once again.
With Hamilton’s own struggles for the team this season, failing to score a Grand Prix podium for the Italian marque yet, and Leclerc’s reported disillusionment with the lack of competitiveness the team has shown since 2020, a seat at Ferrari might open in 2027. As per Corriere della Sera, the upper echelons of Ferrari’s management highly regard the 27-year-old and want Russell on board if either Leclerc or Hamilton opt to leave.
‘Ferrari’s top brass would pursue George Russell’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...target-report/
Ralf Schumacher ridicules George Russell after 'classic' outburst
George Russell became a frustrated figure in Mexico City, leaving Ralf Schumacher unimpressed.
30 October 2025
Pepijn van der Hulst & Nick Golding
RacingNews365
Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen both cut across the grass between the first and third corner on the opening lap at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, before rejoining in second and fourth, respectively. Russell, who was fifth at the time, watched it all unfold in front of him. The Mercedes driver quickly called for the pair to be penalised on the radio, something the stewards promptly opted against.
"Russell.... Well, the classic!", Schumacher said on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast. "Whoever complains the loudest gets some extra attention. "This time, fortunately, that didn't work. To be honest, I'm quite happy about that." Focusing on Verstappen, Schumacher was pleased to see the Red Bull driver not penalised. The four-time world champion was forced onto the kerb at the opening corner by the two Ferraris, unsettling his RB21.
Had Verstappen not taken to the grass, a crash was probable, while he ensured that he remained behind both Ferrari drivers when he rejoined. "I think it was right that Verstappen didn't get a penalty," added Schumacher. "He didn't wriggle between them and let the other two pass nicely again, so that was OK. It was typical Max again."
‘Unimpressed’;
https://racingnews365.com/ralf-schum...assic-outburst
Toto Wolff blasts ‘lunatic’ Michael Masi for ‘destroying’ Lewis Hamilton’s F1 record
31 Oct 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Toto Wolff has blasted former Formula 1 Race Director Michael Masi for “destroying” Lewis Hamilton’s chance of winning a record eighth World Championship, branding the Australian a “lunatic”. Verstappen took the win, and the title, leading to Wolff to furiously tell Masi over a team-to-race control radio that it was “so not right”. Masi coldly responded to Wolff that “it was a motor race,” but the Australian did not return in the role for next season, after the FIA admitted “human error” led to what infamous moment.
Speaking to The Telegraph, the Austrian appears to still hold a great deal of contempt for Masi, and recalled the harrowing experience of that final lap of the season. “I have not experienced the loss of control of a situation since I was a child,” he said. “There is one lunatic who can basically destroy the record of the greatest champion of all time.”
Wolff’s wife Susie, who is currently promoting her memoir ‘Driven’, joined him in the interview, and gave her account of the incident. “It was disbelief,” she said. “That one person’s decision to interpret the rules, in a way that they had never been interpreted before, could have caused such an outcome. It sat so heavily with me, for a long time afterwards.”
“I have not experienced the loss of control of a situation since I was a child”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...ons-f1-record/
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Stroll’s “Monumental” Newey Coup: 2026 Reset or Bust?
Lawrence Stroll doesn’t do understatement, and on this one he isn’t pretending to. The Aston Martin executive chairman calls Adrian Newey’s arrival “monumental” — a word that lands with some weight when you’re talking about the most decorated designer in Formula 1 history.
November 2, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Newey officially joined Aston Martin in March as managing technical partner, months after confirming his intent to leave Red Bull in September 2024. He’s now steering the AMR26 project — Aston’s first car shaped fully around the 2026 rulebook — while the team primes itself for life as a Honda works outfit. “This is a 112-year-old British icon with a lot of pride behind it,” Stroll told the team’s website. “I give our people the tools, the facilities, the finances — everything they need — and then I let them do their jobs. Getting Adrian to join was monumental.”
There’s a reason the man commands that kind of language. His fingerprints are on more than 200 grand prix wins and a combined 26 drivers’ and constructors’ titles. But the choice of role is telling: Newey hasn’t parked himself in a corner office. Managing technical partner reads like a mandate to set direction — concept, architecture, the hard calls — across the group, not just polish a front wing.
And there’s plenty to pull together. Aston Martin has been on a hiring tear, with Andy Cowell in as team principal and Enrico Cardile as chief technical officer, alongside a deepening roster in aero and vehicle performance. The Silverstone campus has grown up in a hurry too. After rescuing the operation from administration in 2018 and rebranding as Aston Martin in 2021, Stroll’s playbook has been consistent: build the place, then fill it with people who’ve already won.
‘2026 Reset or Bust?’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/strolls-...reset-or-bust/
Adrian Newey delivers unique insight into Aston Martin’s F1 2026 preparations
November 2, 2025
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week
Speaking to James Allen on his F1 podcast, Newey broke down how he is fitting within the technical apparatus at Aston Martin. “If you take aerodynamics as an example, we have around 80 aerodynamicists. They are then divided into four group areas: future car project, front of car, middle of car, rear of car,” he revealed.
“So you’ve now got, for the sake of argument, 20 in each group. You then have a project leader for each of those groups – it’s actually a bit less than that, it’s probably more like 15 in each group, because you have got other activities – so the project leader for those 15, that’s probably just about on the limits of how many people you can have reporting directly to you.”
“So then hope that the communication within that group of 15 is good, and that’s part of the responsibilities of the project leader. Then you make sure that the group leaders are communicating well with each other. … if a meeting is only information sharing and nothing comes out of the meeting that causes you to do something different, in my view, it has been a waste of time. It has to be about creating ideas and new directions.”
‘Unique insight’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-preparations/
"Winning is what we're here for," insists Lawrence Stroll
02/11/2025
Pitpass
Lawrence Stroll insists that Rome wasn't built in a day, and is adamant that the relentless spending that has attracted some of the finest personnel in the business and built one of the sport's most cutting-edge facilities will pay off.
"There's a loyalty behind this 112-year-old British iconic institution, this brand Aston Martin," says the Canadian in an interview with his team's website. "There's a tremendous amount of British pride in this factory. They want to bring their national team to the top step of Formula One.”
"I'm relentless," he admits. "I don't give up until the mission is completed. In this case, the mission is being world champions. I've been fortunate enough and successful in all the ventures I've done," he continues." This is the most passionate I've been, the most heartfelt, which drives me more, excites me more, frustrates me more. When it disappoints, it hurts more, and in this business, there's a lot of disappointment. There's a lot of lows before you get to a lot of highs.”
"I'm relentless";
https://www.pitpass.com/81464/Winnin...awrence-Stroll
Aston Martin shoot rivals 'relentless' F1 title warning
Aston Martin is enduring a difficult F1 campaign but believes it has the frameworks in place for a successful future.
3 November 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll asserted his commitment to boost the facilities is a clear indicator of his vision to bring the team to new heights. “When I took over this team, it's about six years ago now, I said it would be a 10-year journey to winning an F1 world championship,” Stroll said.
“We’re now witnessing the premises that we've built in order to provide the tools. There’s no other factory like this in any other F1 team. There's no other wind tunnel like it. There's no other driver simulator like it. The whole campus just has that feeling of winning, of performance, of people striving to find that extra tenth or hundredth of a second.”
“It would be a 10-year journey to winning an F1 world championship”;
https://racingnews365.com/aston-mart...-title-warning
Adrian Newey makes prediction over 2026 F1 pecking order
The F1 teams are gearing up for a significant rule change for the 2026 F1 campaign.
1 November 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Aston Martin technical director Adrian Newey has offered a prediction on how the F1 pecking order may shape up next year. Despite his vast F1 experience with major regulation changes, Newey admitted he has no knowledge as to how Aston Martin is shaping up for next year.
“You ask, how's it going? The honest truth is, I have got no idea. Because of this reset, you don't know whether you're doing good, bad or indifferent relative to the opposition, you have no knowledge of what they're doing.”
“Don't know whether you're doing good, bad or indifferent relative to the opposition”;
https://racingnews365.com/adrian-new...-pecking-order
Adrian Newey signing ‘monumental’ as Lawrence Stroll issues Aston Martin progress update
2 Nov 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Lawrence Stroll, the executive chairman of the Aston Martin F1 team: “Most important was putting together the team of people. Obviously, getting Adrian Newey to join was monumental. He’s been with us since the beginning of March.”
“We have Andy Cowell [team principal], Enrico Cardile [chief technical officer], plus hundreds of other people. We have Honda being our power unit partner, being a works team for the first time in our life is a whole different experience.”
“The whole team’s forming into place and we’re looking forward next year to a huge rule and regulation change. The biggest challenge now is putting everything together, making it all happen. I’m quite confident it will, but you have to have the patience.”
“Biggest challenge now is putting everything together”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian...pdate-progress
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Max Verstappen Handed Major Brazil GP Advantage as McLaren 'Problem' Identified.
McLaren’s failure to favour one driver could be “helping Max” with his pursuit of a fifth F1 title, according to Guenther Steiner.
4 Nov 2025
SPORTbible
Speaking to SPORTbible on behalf of Casino.org, the 60-year-old Italian claimed that McLaren are “trying to be too fair” with their handling of the fact that both of their drivers are going for the title. McLaren CEO Zak Brown was previously accused of being opposed to the signing of Piastri three years ago, according to News 18. He has since rubbished accusations of favouritism towards Norris.
“You start a lot of these conversations because, for a team, the choice should be the guy who is in front in the Championship; they should have the advantage and should be supported to win the Championship, and they didn't do that,” Steiner explained. “Then the rumour came up that Zak doesn't want that because of favouritism of Lando. I don't think that’s the case. At one stage, I think they were too confident that one of the two will win regardless.”
The Italian then claimed that if two drivers from the same team are going for the championship that one of them will be “unhappy” anyway due to one of them finishing second. “You cannot be too fair in this situation; they tried to do something which maybe was not possible to do,” he continued. Steiner then finished by suggesting that McLaren’s failure to favour one driver could be “helping Max” with his pursuit of a fifth F1 title.
“Helping Max”;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/max-ve...54609-20251104
Max Verstappen told of 'big opportunity' to overcome McLaren gap in F1 title hunt
Max Verstappen currently sits 36 points down on championship leader Lando Norris with four rounds remaining in the season.
4 November 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes the Las Vegas Grand Prix will be a “big opportunity” for Max Verstappen to eat into the drivers' championship deficit. Palmer asserted a victory for Verstappen in Brazil this weekend will be crucial for his chances of winning a fifth title.
“I think it's still just about in his hands,” Palmer told the F1 Nation podcast. “I was trying to figure this out. Mexico was a hit because Lando's points gap went up, even if the gap to Oscar went down.”
“If he wins in Brazil, I think it will be in the balance. If he can win there, the gap will be less than 30.” However, Palmer noted the biggest opportunity for Verstappen lies in Las Vegas, a grand prix which takes place two weeks after Brazil.
“Still just about in his hands”;
https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...-f1-title-hunt
McLaren criticised for ‘confusing’ their drivers with team orders in 2025 F1 title battle
4 Nov 2025
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill believes McLaren’s team orders have made it confusing for their two drivers in the title race. Just one point separates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the top of the F1 drivers’ championship heading into this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
McLaren’s interventions have resulted in widespread criticism. Hill feels that team orders generally make things more complicated for any set of drivers, particularly in a title battle. Speaking on Stay on Track, Hill said: “I think, again, it confuses people. I think it confuses the drivers. It confuses the team. It confuses people watching. They go: ‘What is going on?’
“I mean, there is a whole history of team orders being confusing to the fans. I mean, I can remember watching [the] Monaco Grand Prix with two McLarens and I can’t remember which one, it might have been Mika [Hakkinen] and David Coulthard. Anyway, they kind of… we thought they were racing, but it turned out afterwards they were just, they’d agreed not to overtake each other or race each other at the end. And I remember feeling a little bit cheated by that.”
‘Complicated’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108575...1-title-battle
Bernie Ecclestone questions if McLaren are ‘holding Oscar Piastri back’
Bernie Ecclestone weighs in on this year's F1 title race - and Oscar Piastri's recent downturn in form
4 Nov 2025
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Speaking to sport.de, Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said: “When the season started, I thought our Australian driver would be world champion. I thought he would win easily but something’s holding him back. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know if it’s McLaren holding him back or what. There was a bit of a problem inside the team I understand where it looked very much they were favouring the British driver.”
Ecclestone feels that Norris has more “star quality” in terms of being centre stage on TV and in front of the camera. As a result, Ecclestone thinks it would be better for McLaren as a team if Norris came out on top at the end of the season. “I think he would fall into the star quality more,” Ecclestone added. “I think from that point of view. I think he would act better. I think he likes the TV, he likes the camera, he likes whatever. I suspect the journalists [like him]. I suppose that’s better for McLaren.”
“Something’s holding him back”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108575...r-piastri-back
Ecclestone: Hamilton-Ferrari, just a 'marketing project'
4 Nov 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has had a few words to say about Lewis Hamilton and his partnership with Ferrari so far. Speaking in an interview with Sport.de, the English businessman, who recently turned 95, targeted the seven-time world champion, in what's been a disappointing season so far.
"Everything is slipping away from him there. He wanted to become world champion there and is now surprised that he can't do it," he said, to then add that Hamilton is "one of the best of the last ten years, but not the best".
Ecclestone then labeled the partnership between the Maranello team and the seven-time world champion as "a financial marketing project," suggesting that "he will do more with fashion in the future."
‘Hamilton-Ferrari, just a marketing project';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...g-project-only
“Horrible to Watch”: Hamilton’s Ferrari Nightmare Nears Breaking Point
November 4, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Lewis Hamilton’s first season in red is starting to feel like a rerun you can’t quite believe you’re still watching. That’s Johnny Herbert’s view, anyway. The former F1 driver and ex-FIA steward didn’t hold back when asked about Hamilton’s stop start 2025 with Ferrari, calling the seven-time champion’s hunt for a breakthrough “horrible to watch” and an “ongoing saga” as the calendar winds down.
Hamilton arrived at Maranello with all the fanfare you’d expect. The delivery has been tougher. He’s shown flashes—more lately than early on—but the clean, cathartic result still hasn’t landed. Mexico summed it up: Hamilton put the Ferrari on the second row with his best qualifying in red, went wheel-to-wheel with Max Verstappen in a proper elbows-out scrap, and then watched a 10-second penalty undo the lot after the stewards ruled he’d left the track and gained an advantage.
Herbert, speaking about that battle, admired the bite but lamented the outcome. “It was good to see Lewis race with Max. I thought that was a great piece of racing,” he said. “There was a little bit of wheel banging… It was a late dive up the inside. Lewis probably wasn’t expecting it… It was another frustrating weekend for him. It just didn’t click.”
‘A rerun you can’t quite believe you’re still watching’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/horrible...reaking-point/
'Chemistry' between Hamilton and Adami comes under serious scrutiny
3 Nov 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Dutch F1 pundit Robert Doornbos has highlighted the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer, Riccardo Adami. Doornbos stressed that “there's just no chemistry between the engineer and the driver. The communication between Lewis and Ricky, his engineer, doesn't feel like they're switched on to each other.”
“It's Ricky saying, ‘Yeah, we've got a 10-second stop-and-go because of this and this situation.’ Lewis says, ‘Yeah, but it was very difficult to stay on.’ We know Lewis.'” Doornbos finally emphasized: “I don't think they're really on it. If you want to be fighting for wins, championships, and podiums, you have to take every opportunity you can to maximize it.”
Adami also in the spotlight by Chandhok for ‘poor communication’. Karun Chandhok, meanwhile, commenting on the Verstappen-Hamilton incident that later led to a penalty for Hamilton, also criticized Adami for “poor communication,” saying he had “unnecessarily riled up the driver without giving him all of the facts.” Hamilton’s race was heavily impacted by the penalty, losing a significant amount of time during the stop as he had to serve the ten seconds without touching the car, ultimately finishing the race in just eighth position.
‘Serious scrutiny’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/chemi...rious-scrutiny
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Will race day rain give Verstappen help from above? Six Brazilian GP talking points.
Last year’s rain-hit race was the moment Max Verstappen put his fourth world championship victory beyond reasonable doubt.
4th November 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Who has the momentum? Verstappen cut his points deficit again in Mexico. “You’ve been on such a run, so much momentum,” Formula 1 presenter James Hinchcliffe told Lando Norris after his Mexican Grand Prix victory.
That’s a debatable description of the driver who’d just scored his first win in seven races (including sprint races), particularly as he was standing a short distance from a rival who’s won four of the last six and hasn’t been off the podium since the summer break. Who really has the momentum in the title fight? It certainly isn’t Oscar Piastri, who has looked out of sorts in the McLaren since his dire weekend in Baku.
‘Race day rain’;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/11/04/...alking-points/
F1 drivers set for another year of weather chaos at the Brazilian GP
Last year's Brazilian Grand Prix saw wet weather chaos - will it be the same story 12 months on?
4 November 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
According to the FIA's forecast, Friday morning is set to be dry before possible thundery showers in the afternoon to evening. Temperatures are set to linger between 25°C and 28°C, with the risk of rain at 40%. Saturday, however, is set to be a much wetter affair. The FIA has outlined there is a high chance of thundery showers in the morning, which may decrease slightly in the afternoon.
However, according to the forecast, the sprint race and qualifying look set to be held in wet conditions, with temperatures sitting between 24°C and 26°C. Gusts of 75 km/h are also possible, creating an added challenge for the drivers. The grand prix on Sunday is likely to be held in dry conditions, although it will be significantly cooler than the previous days, with a temperature of 18°C expected for the race.
The threat of rain is at 20% for the grand prix, with the FIA seeing only a slight chance for one light shower to sprinkle the track during the race.
‘Another year of weather chaos’;
https://racingnews365.com/f1-drivers...e-brazilian-gp
McLaren placed on high alert in fresh Max Verstappen warning ahead of Brazil GP
4 Nov 2025
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Speaking to AdventureGamers, the British pundit, Johnny Herbert said, “Verstappen has shown brilliance, but he has needed an improved Red Bull to get back into the race for the Championship. There is a sheer brilliance that Max always shows. He’s always able to pull out those unbelievable qualifying laps and then have an absolutely storming race and dominate it.”
“But you still need the car underneath you to be able to do that. Is he always able to get that little something extra against his competitors? Then arguably, yes. That’s always been the case with the greats of the sport. They’ve always been able to do something that people think is unbelievable.”
“That’s where everybody goes, ‘Well, it’s Max who’s pulling more out of the car’. There’s a big element to that. If he were in a McLaren, would he be fighting for the championship? Absolutely.”
“Verstappen has shown brilliance”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclare...2025-brazil-gp
F1 Drivers' title showdown: Verstappen's a bigger threat than ever
5 Nov 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Interlagos will host the Brazilian Grand Prix, the 21st round of the Formula One world championship, and as usual, it will be vital in determining who will emerge as the strongest world title candidate.
Max Verstappen has not finished outside of the podium scoring positions since the Dutch Grand Prix, with his lowest result coming last time out in Mexico where he finished P3, which marked a 3 point cut in the championship lead which exchanged hands, from one McLaren driver, Oscar Piastri, to the other, Lando Norris.
The Dutch driver’s podium kept his championship chase very much alive as 116 points are still up for grabs in the remaining four Grands Prix, which the Sprint weekend in Brazil alone accounts for almost 30% of. In Brazil, Verstappen is expected to continue his title comeback charge, which coupled with Red Bull's no holds barred approach, and the competitiveness the RB21 currently boasts, its chances of success are still very much alive going into the home stretch of the F1 2025 season.
‘Verstappen is expected to continue his title comeback charge’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/features/b...iastri-wobbles
Schumacher backtracks on Norris but issues crucial Verstappen warning
3 Nov 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
F1 expert Ralf Schumacher thinks Lando Norris’ hypothesised mental struggles are no longer an issue, but warns title hopeful Max Verstappen poses a threat come the Brazil Grand Prix.
"Next weekend is very crucial,” Schumacher said in Sky Sports Germany’s podcast Backstage Boxengasse, claiming Verstappen needed an error from McLaren or its drivers to get closer in the Championship Standings. “He [Verstappen] needs to get closer now and maybe needs a little help. But who would have thought that Norris would get so close again?”
Schumacher observed that the criticism laid at Norris’ doorstep, suggesting he struggled mentally when faced with the protagonist role in the fight for the title, thus explaining his inconsistent form from the first half of the season, is all but gone now. “We had thought: mental issues, he wasn't always consistent, plus the gap - Piastri seemed to pull away. But with so many races, a lot can still happen.”
‘Max Verstappen poses a threat come the Brazil Grand Prix’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/schum...tappen-warning
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Brazil GP showdown: Norris, Verstappen and Piastri clash for 2025 crown.
F1 Drivers' title showdown: Verstappen's a bigger threat than ever. Max Verstappen has not finished outside of the podium scoring positions since the Dutch Grand Prix…
4 Nov 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
In Brazil, Verstappen is expected to continue his title comeback charge, which coupled with Red Bull's no holds barred approach, and the competitiveness the RB21 currently boasts, its chances of success are still very much alive going into the home stretch of the F1 2025 season.
At Interlagos Red Bull's challenger, already free from the balance issues it was afflicted by earlier on in the season, poses a serious threat to McLaren's MCL39, given its recently uncovered ability to exploit slow cornering and traction demanding phases as evidenced by its pole position potential in Singapore.
As such, with the inclement weather forecasted throughout the upcoming race weekend in Brazil, which he capitalised on in the 2024 edition of the race to win all the way from his P17 starting position, Verstappen is one of, if not the absolute favorite to take the double win this year in both the Sprint as in the Grand Prix as well.
‘Favorite to take the double win’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/features/b...iastri-wobbles
McLaren warned of Brazil GP element that should leave it 'nervous'
Max Verstappen enters the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend looking to close the gap further to Lando Norris at the top of the drivers' standings.
5 November 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer has stated McLaren should be “nervous” if the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend is impacted by rainfall. “Imagine if we get weather like last year, how nervous you'd be as a McLaren driver now,” he told the F1 Nation podcast. “That’s the one thing that could bring Max right into play.”
“It is so easy to crash in the wet of Brazil, of all the circuits on the calendar, Brazil in the wet is hideous to drive. You've got Max, who's got great form there, and you've got the McLarens with the best car, the best opportunity, but such an easy chance to ruin it all if it rains. It’s going to be a good one.”
However, Palmer has still backed Norris, who is on a strong run of form, to come out on top in the point-providing sessions this weekend. “Sprint winner is Norris, I think Norris also wins the race,” Palmer predicted. “I think this is the weekend he starts to become a real championship favourite. Then Verstappen comes second, and let's go Piastri in third, and we're all still close heading towards Vegas.”
'Nervous';
https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-wa...ave-it-nervous
The negative stat Piastri can't ignore ahead of Brazilian GP weekend
5 Nov 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Oscar Piastri heads into the Interlagos weekend carrying a stat that isn’t really in his favour. The Australian driver, in the two Brazilian weekends he’s contested in 2023 and 2024, has never managed to qualify or finish a race higher than eighth.
In 2023, he could do no better than tenth in qualifying and went on to finish the race 14th, hampered by a first-lap incident—but still a lap behind the rest despite the red flag. In 2024, he qualified eighth, while his teammate claimed pole. The race didn’t go much better, as he finished in the same position he started, in a race heavily affected by rain.
‘The negative stat’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/the-n...ian-gp-weekend
Brazilian Grand Prix 2025 at Interlagos: F1 sprint times, stats, weather forecast
Nov 5, 2025
ESPN
The 2025 Formula 1 season has reached round 21 -- Gabriel Bortoleto's home race -- the São Paulo Grand Prix. All eyes are on the championship race and the three drivers who could win it -- Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. As we approach the season's penultimate sprint race, there are a maximum of 116 points available to a driver with four grands prix remaining, so every point is crucial.
Weather forecast – thunderstorm The forecast is a mixed bag this weekend.
Friday is set to be cloudy and settled, with highs of 24°C (75°F), before the anticipated thunderstorm comes in on Saturday with a yellow alert. Expect rain, wind, thunder and unsettled weather. Cooler temperatures of 19°C (67°F) are expected on Sunday, with potential light rain.
‘Weather forecast’;
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/4...ns-stats-facts
Brazilian GP Interlagos Corner Names: Stories behind iconic turns
Each of its 15 turns carries a distinctive name, reflecting Brazilian culture and the circuit’s unique characteristics.
6 November 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
1. ‘S’ do Senna (Senna S) [Turns 1 and 2] Named in honour of the legendary Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna, this complex comprises a left-right chicane that descends sharply, demanding precise braking and steering. It’s a prime overtaking spot, setting the tone for the lap as well as for setting up overtakes later in the lap at Turn 4 if you can force a rival off the ideal line.
2. Curva do Sol (Curve of the Sun) [Turn 3]
3. Descida do Lago (Lake’s Descent) [Turns 4 and 5]
4. Ferradura (Horseshoe) [Turns 6 and 7]
5. Laranjinha (Little Orange) [Turn 8]
6. Pinheirinho (Little Pine Tree) [Turn 9]
7. Bico de Pato (Duck’s Bill) [Turn 10]
8. Mergulho (Dive) [Turn 11]
9. Junção (Junction) [Turn 12]
10. Subida dos Boxes (Up to the Pits) [Turn 14]
11. Arquibancadas (Bleachers) [Turn 15]
‘Stories behind iconic turns’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/bra...-iconic-turns/
Start time for the 2025 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix - São Paulo - Time Schedule
The F1 season continues this weekend with the 2025 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix. Don't miss any of the action and check out all the session start times for the weekend here.
6 November 2025
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
The schedule for the 2025 F1 São Paulo GP is automatically adjusted to your time zone.
F1 schedule Brazilian GP
Session
Date Time
Free practice 1 Friday 7 November 15:30 - 16:30
Sprint qualifying Friday 7 November 19:30 - 20:14
Sprint race Saturday 8 November 15:00 - 16:00
Qualification Saturday 8 November 19:00 - 20:00
Race Sunday 9 November 18:00 - 20:00
‘Time Schedule’;
https://racingnews365.com/start-time...-time-schedule
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F1 – Norris beats Piastri by 0.023s to top practice in São Paulo, Hülkenberg third.
F1 Drivers’ championship leader Lando Norris put in a late flying lap of 1:09.975 to beat McLaren team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri to the top of the timesheet by just 0.023s
07/11/2025
FIA (Press Release)
At the start of FP1, home favourite Gabriel Bortoleto elicited loud cheers from the grandstands as he took to the track but it was Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who topped the timesheet with a lap of 1:12.662. He was then displaced by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri who posted a lap 1m12.169, who was then bounced out by championship leader Lando Norris who took P1 with a time of 1:11.796.
There was early trouble for Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, however. The Japanese driver took too much kerb in Turn 4, and after bottoming out he spun off and clunked both his front-left wheel and rear right on the edge of the barriers. He limped back to the pit lane for checks on his front and rear suspension and for a new front wing.
Piastri improved on his next run to 1:09.998 to extend his advantage to his team-mate to 0.473s. Norris also gained with his second run but not by enough and the Briton held P2 0.261s off his team-mate. Verstappen then emerged on Soft tyres but the Dutchman backed out of his flying lap halfway through and returned to the pit lane to bolt on a set of used Hard tyre with which to see out the last minutes of a session in which he ended up 17th.
‘Late flying lap of 1:09.975’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-norris-b...lkenberg-third
São Paulo Grand Prix - Free Practice 1 Results
07/11/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Full results from Free Practice 1 for the São Paulo Grand Prix at São Paulo, Brazil, round 21 of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
2025 São Paulo Grand Prix - Free Practice 1 results
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:09.975s 30
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.023s 32
3 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber +0.619s 31
4 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.631s 25
5 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +0.641s 31
6 George Russell Mercedes +0.670s 34
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.706s 32
8 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.711s 35
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.732s 30
10 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.769s 36
‘Free Practice 1’;
https://f1i.com/news/552817-sao-paul...1-results.html
Brazilian GP practice: McLaren 1-2, mixed up order in its wake
Nov 7, 2025
Jack Cozens
The Race
Formula 1 drivers' championship leader Lando Norris pipped McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri with his final lap of the session to end sole practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix fastest. Norris's best time, a 1m09.975s set on medium tyres, was 0.023 seconds faster than Piastri's as McLaren enjoyed a significant advantage over the opposition - at least in the headline times.
But that final Norris-Piastri order wasn't necessarily reflective of their peak single-lap pace. Off the back of two muted weekends in the United States and Mexico, Piastri appeared to be back on song in FP1 at Interlagos when the cars switched to performance running in the final quarter of an hour of the 60-minute session.
He had been 0.278s faster than Norris on their first runs, 0.261s faster on their second ones, and on his final attempt had been 0.190s up on his previous best in the first sector but ultimately failed to improve his time and was pipped by Norris right at the end. None of McLaren's usual 'big-four' opposition featured at the sharp end, with Mercedes' George Russell the highest-placed of them in sixth.
‘McLaren 1-2’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/e...prix-practice/
Brazilian GP: Late lap puts Norris ahead of Piastri as Aussie rediscovers lost form
7 Nov 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Kimi Antonelli led the way out of the pit lane, followed by George Russell, but the biggest cheer was for local lad Bortoleto. As all 20 drivers laid down times, Oscar Piastri led the way with a 1:12.169, a quarter of a second up on Lewis Hamilton. Yuki Tsunoda had a moment at Turn 4, the Red Bull driver off the track and spinning off before hitting the tyre barrier with his front left tyre and breaking his wing’s end-plate. He was able to return to the pits as his teammate Max Verstappen went second quickest behind George Russell.
P1 continued to change hands between Russell, Piastri and Lando Norris, with Verstappen also in the mix. The four lead drivers in the championship running ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Hamilton. Midway through the session Russell was leading the way ahead of Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, all three having set their times on the hard Pirellis.
As more drivers set times on the mediums, Piastri went quickest with a 1:11.193 with Norris 0.278s down on his teammate. The teammates swapped around as Norris pipped Piastri with a 1:09.975, putting him 0.023s ahead of the Australian racer. Nico Hulkenberg was third, but six-tnehts down on the McLaren teammates.
‘Aussie rediscovers lost form’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/brazil...025-fp1-report
Max P17 in Brazilian GP practice
07 November 2025
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl
Max Verstappen finished the first and only practice session of the Brazilian Grand Prix in seventeenth place, after only clocking timed laps on the hard Pirelli tyres. Max is the last driver to venture out of the pits. On his first flying lap, he is seventh fastest. Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Yuki Tsunoda is enduring a more challenging start to the session. The Japanese driver goes off at turn four, hitting the wall with his left front wheel and the trye barriers with the right rear tyre. Despite some damage, Tsunoda is able to drive back to the pits for repairs.
In the meantime, Max has improved his lap time and fifteen minutes in, the Dutchman sits in second behind George Russell (Mercedes). After a quick visit to the pits, Max heads back out for another, longer, run on the hard Pirellis. In the final quarter of the session, the track becomes less busy as the teams prepare for qualifying simulations. Meanwhile, Max continues to pound round on hard tyres in preparation for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The reigning champion has dropped down to seventeenth on the timing sheets but appears to prepare for a final flying lap on the soft tyres. In the end, Max aborts the lap and heads back in for a few more laps on the hard compound, meaning he ends the session in seventeenth.
‘Max continues to pound round on hard tyres in preparation’;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6002/
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Brazil GP Sprint Quali: Norris storms to pole as Verstappen struggles.
Norris clocked a time of 1:09.243 to clinch the Sprint pole ahead of the chasing pack.
7 Nov 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Lando Norris stormed to pole ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri for the Brazil GP Sprint qualifying. Here is the full result from the session. The McLaren driver, who claimed pole position at the Mexico City Grand Prix, continued his stellar form by securing pole again at the Sao Paulo race.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen could only record a time quick enough for sixth place, posting a 1:09.580. Lance Stroll followed the Red Bull Racing driver in seventh, with Charles Leclerc, Isack Hadjar and Nico Hulkenberg wrapping up the top 10.
‘Norris storms to pole’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/untitled-article-79482
São Paulo Grand Prix - Sprint Qualifying results
07/11/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Full results from Sprint qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix at São Paulo, Brazil, round 21 of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
2025 São Paulo Grand Prix - Sprint qualifying results
Pos Driver Team SQ1 SQ2 SQ3
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:09.627s 1:09.373s 1:09.243s
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:10.381s 1:09.504s 1:09.340s
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:10.017s 1:09.416s 1:09.428s
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:10.048s 1:09.384s 1:09.495s
5 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:10.011s 1:09.330s 1:09.496s
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:09.975s 1:09.707s 1:09.580s
7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:10.326s 1:09.647s 1:09.671s
8 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:10.324s 1:09.732s 1:09.725s
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:10.095s 1:09.608s 1:09.775s
10 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber 1:10.333s 1:09.735s 1:09.935s
‘Full results’;
https://f1i.com/news/552849-sao-paul...g-results.html
2025 Brazilian Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying F1 results (Interlagos)
7 Nov 2025
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
With just one practice session, the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend kicked off with the first major session of the weekend: Sprint qualifying. With medium tyres mandatory for SQ1, it was a relatively slow start to the session as the two McLarens set the initial pace; Piastri ahead of Norris with a 1:10.285 for the Australian to go 0.025 clear of Norris.
‘SQ1’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/2025-b...lts-interlagos
Lando Norris takes dominant pole position for F1 Brazil GP Sprint
7 Nov 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Lando Norris took a dominant pole position for the Formula 1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint, underlining his resurgent form and pace of his McLaren package. The Brit secured top spot with a blistering final run in SQ3 to take top spot by almost a tenth of a second from Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Leclerc spins to help take Hamilton out of SQ2. SQ2 began with Fernando Alonso going top, with Verstappen initially three tenths short of the Spaniard’s lap, but with both McLarens still yet to set a time with five minutes to go. Norris changed that but went second behind Alonso, with Piastri going third.
Leclerc hovered above the danger zone, with Hamilton still in it in 11th. And by irony, it would be Leclerc who condemned Hamilton to an early exit. The #16 Ferrari spun late on his final run, which brought out double yellow flags, costing Hamilton the time needed to cross the line before the chequered flag came out. Alonso ended it top, with Leclerc scaping through in ninth, with Hamilton 11th, and would be joined by Alex Albon, Gasly, Bortoleto and Bearman.
‘Lando Norris takes dominant pole position’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...zil-gp-sprint/
Lando Norris takes Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint pole ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri
7 November 2025
Rebecca Braybrook
F1 Oversteer
Lando Norris has taken his first Sprint race pole ahead of the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, as both Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen struggle to match his pace. Lando Norris set the fastest time in the earlier practice session today, after pipping his teammate right at the end of the session. Norris will start the Sprint race two places ahead of Piastri, after taking the lead in the championship in Mexico last time out.
Max Verstappen was unhappy with the pace of his Red Bull, claiming that the car was ‘broken’. The Dutchman was one of four cars, including both Aston Martins and Isack Hadjar, to risk just a single flying lap at the end of Sprint qualifying. The risk did not pay off for Verstappen, who will start the Sprint Race from P6, behind Alonso’s Aston Martin and both McLarens and Mercedes cars.
‘Lando Norris has taken his first Sprint race pole’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lan...oscar-piastri/
Brazilian GP: Norris claims Sprint pole as Piastri third and Verstappen blasts ‘broken’ Red Bull
7 Nov 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
Championship leader Lando Norris has started his Sao Paulo Grand Prix in fine style with pole for Saturday’s Sprint in Interlagos. He’ll line up on the front row alongside Kimi Antonelli, while title rival Oscar Piastri could do no better than third.
With 90 seconds remaining, Piastri started another flying lap, managing a personal best to the first split. Behind him, Norris was going even faster. Piastri rose to third best, while Norris improved by 0.028s to retain top spot, Antonelli between them.
Verstappen lost time on his final lap to secure sixth, with Russell fourth from Alonso in an impressive fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Lance Stroll in seventh from Leclerc, Isack Hadjar, and Nico Hulkenberg.
‘Verstappen blasts ‘broken’ Red Bull’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/brazil...roken-red-bull
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Lando Norris wins Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint as Oscar Piastri and Franco Colapinto crash.
Norris got a strong start off the line, with Kimi Antonelli in second being squeezed by Oscar Piastri and George Russell, but managing to keep his position.
8 November 2025
Rebecca Braybrook
F1 Oversteer
Antonelli put pressure on Norris in the closing laps, moving within DRS of the McLaren, although he was unable to get past. The race ended under yellow flag conditions in sector one after Gabriel Bortoleto crashed into the barriers at Turn 1 after a close fight with Alex Albon on the final lap. It was a nasty shunt for the Sauber driver, who was airborne as he hit the wall.
Drivers struggled with the damp track in the early stages of the race, including Piastri who took slightly too much kerb, which saw him lose the rear of his McLaren. Piastri went spinning into the barriers at Turn 3 on Lap 6, with Franco Colapinto and Nico Hulkenberg also crashing out behind the Aussie, triggering a red flag.
Hulkenberg was able to bring his Sauber back to the pit lane, but both Piastri and Colapinto were out of the Sprint. This could be crucial for Piastri’s championship fight, having also crashed out of the last Sprint race in Austin.
‘Lando Norris wins’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lan...lapinto-crash/
São Paulo Grand Prix - Sprint Race results
08/11/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Full results from the Sprint Race for the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, round 21 of the 2025 F1 World Championship.
2025 São Paulo Grand Prix - Sprint Race results
Pos Driver Team Gap Stops
1 Lando Norris McLaren + 53:25.928s
2 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes + 0.845s
3 George Russell Mercedes + 2.318s
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull + 4.423s
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari + 16.483s
6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin + 18.306s
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari + 18.603s
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 19.366s
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin + 23.933s
10 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls + 29.548s
‘Full results’;
https://f1i.com/news/552989-sao-paul...e-results.html
Brazil GP Sprint Full Results | Norris wins, rookie close to race ban
8 Nov 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Lando Norris has won the Sprint race at the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, earning important points in the standings. The Sprint podium was completed by the two Mercedes drivers, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. Max Verstappen finished in fourth place starting from P6 on the grid. After spinning out and hitting the wall in Turn 3, Oscar Piastri failed to collect any points today.
Following a hard-fought battle between Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc, the Monegasque driver crossed the finish line in P5. Lewis Hamilton came close to overtaking the Spaniard as well, but narrowly missed out on gaining another position after his superb start at Interlagos.
‘Earning important points in the standings’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/brazi...ri-in-the-wall
F1 Brazil GP Sprint red flagged as Oscar Piastri crashes out
08/11/2025
James Phillips
Motorsport Week
The battle for the 2025 Formula 1 title has taken a dramatic turn as the Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint Race has been red-flagged after Oscar Piastri crashed out. Starting back in third place, Piastri needed a strong start to make up ground on team-mate Lando Norris, now a point behind the Briton ahead of the Sprint Race.
Unable to pass Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the start, he mounted the kerb out of Turn 2 on Lap 7, and aquaplaned into the barriers, the water displaced by Norris seconds earlier. The Australian was not alone, as Franco Colapinto and Nico Hulkenberg suffered the same fate, Colapinto’s exit more dramatic, destroying his Alpine and showering the track with debris.
‘Dramatic turn’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...i-crashes-out/
How Lando Norris’ ‘Mario Kart’ move triggered Oscar Piastri crash in F1 Brazil GP Sprint
08/11/2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Russell jokes that Norris is the ‘smartest guy’ after causing Piastri crash. As it transpired, Norris took too much kerb than he usually would have on Lap 6 at Turn 3, which loosened the water onto the track.
This left Piastri vulnerable behind, and when touching the water, he was left a passenger as he clipped the barrier and into retirement, giving Norris a nine-point advantage in the championship. When asked about how he inadvertently caused Piastri’s crash, Norris said: “Yeah, I mean, it’s a kerb you always use in quali. We use it a lot.”
“Obviously, when it’s wet conditions like this, you kind of want to stay off all the kerbs. So I ran a little bit wide and I saw the water come onto the track. But yeah, that was it.” George Russell, who finished third, picked up his microphone and joked: “A little bit like Mario Kart where you throw the banana out behind you. The smartest guy on the grid, this guy.”
“But yeah, that was it”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...zil-gp-sprint/
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São Paulo GP: Norris tops qualifying, Antonelli P2 - Verstappen P16.
Lando Norris delivered a stunning performance to take pole position for Sunday’s São Paulo Grand Prix, outpacing Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
08/11/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
After a first Q3 lap spoiled by a lock-up in Turn 1, Norris regrouped and produced a flawless 1m09.511s lap, nearly two-tenths clear of Antonelli. Leclerc took third, with Piastri, who was trying to bounce back after crashing out of Saturday morning’s Sprint, narrowly missing the podium spot.
The biggest shock of the session came in Q1. Verstappen, who had undergone major post-Sprint setup changes, struggled with handling and posted two poor laps, finding himself deep in the drop zone with five minutes remaining. His final effort gained nearly three-tenths, but that was not enough: he ended 16th, eight-tenths adrift of Norris and just a tenth from safety.
He was joined in early elimination by Esteban Ocon, Franco Colapinto, and Yuki Tsunoda, marking Red Bull’s first double Q1 exit since the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix. With Norris on pole, Piastri in close pursuit, and Verstappen facing a major uphill battle, the stage is set for a dramatic São Paulo Grand Prix, where championship fortunes could swing wildly in just 71 laps.
‘Lando Norris delivered a stunning performance’;
https://f1i.com/news/553021-sao-paul...appen-p16.html
São Paulo Grand Prix - Qualifying results
08/11/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Full results from qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix at São Paulo, Brazil, round 21 of the 2025 F1 World Championship.
2025 São Paulo Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:09.656s 1:09.616s 1:09.511s
2 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:10.192s 1:09.774s 1:09.685s
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:09.934s 1:09.801s 1:09.805s
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:09.928s 1:09.835s 1:09.886s
5 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:10.083s 1:09.970s 1:09.931s
6 George Russell Mercedes 1:09.935s 1:09.880s 1:09.942s
7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:10.108s 1:09.950s 1:09.962s
8 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:09.891s 1:09.755s 1:09.977s
9 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:09.885s 1:09.857s 1:10.002s
10 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber 1:10.337s 1:09.985s 1:10.039s
‘Qualifying results’;
https://f1i.com/news/553019-sao-paul...g-results.html
Winners and losers from Brazilian GP qualifying
Nov 8, 2025
The Race
Beyond the obvious Lando Norris pole and Max Verstappen's Q1 exit, there was plenty happening in a mixed-up qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Here are our winners and losers from a day which feels pivotal in the championship fight and will almost certainly be remembered for a diverse range of triumphs and failures, even by Formula 1's standards.
Loser - Max Verstappen (16th). Max Verstappen’s first Q1 exit in four years couldn’t be worse timed for his unlikely 2025 title bid. Should he fail to significantly recover from 16th on the grid on Sunday and a McLaren wins, Verstappen’s title dream will be all but over, given there are only three races left. In fact, Verstappen’s already saying “you can forget about it” as far as his title hopes are concerned. Of course, he started down in 17th last year and won, but that was in a wet race and anyway Red Bull looks totally lost here this year.
“You can forget about it”;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...gp-qualifying/
Marko reveals Red Bull meeting after Brazil GP quali blunder
8 Nov 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
According to Red Bull Racing chief advisor, Helmut Marko, the team will hold a pre-race meeting to try and turn the team's "situation" around. Speaking to Sky Germany after the qualifying session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Marko said things had "gone badly wrong."
The 82-year-old Austrian also emphasised that the Milton Keynes-based outfit's car's performance loss was evident throughout the lap, saying: "We have slowed down everywhere, lost time in all sectors. The damage has been done. It doesn't look good."
Nevertheless Red Bull simply relied on their ability to "find the right direction. But that was not the case. We have to look at where we have taken a wrong turn." In the end, Marko revealed Red Bull would hold a meeting prior to the race to discuss measures. "We have to see what we do with this situation," he concluded.
"We have slowed down everywhere, lost time in all sectors”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/marko...-quali-blunder
‘Annoyed’ Kimi Antonelli sends Lando Norris message straight after losing out on Brazilian GP pole
8 November 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Kimi Antonelli is ‘annoyed’ to finish second to Lando Norris ‘again’ in qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Antonelli has thrived at Interlagos this weekend, but he also had to settle for second best as Norris scored pole for the Sao Paulo Sprint and won the 100km dash by 0.845s. Norris could not shake Antonelli after starting on the soft C4 tyres compared to the Italian’s medium C3s.
So, Antonelli joked that he was “a bit annoyed” about coming second again as Norris scored pole for the Sao Paulo GP by 0.174s. The Mercedes rookie expects Norris will be “very fast” in Sunday’s feature race in Brazil, too, when he will seek the second podium of his F1 career. Antonelli said in the post-qualifying interview: “To be fair, I’m a bit annoyed [that] I’m again behind him. We were so close this morning in the Sprint, as well. But it was a very tricky session with the wind, very tricky to put the lap together.”
‘Annoyed’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ann...ilian-gp-pole/
Max Verstappen makes alarming Red Bull claim after shock Brazil Q1 exit
08 Nov 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Verstappen was able to recover to fourth from P6 on the grid in the Brazil Sprint. But, as qualifying for the Grand Prix arrived, disaster struck. Both Verstappen and Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda – as they began their final Q1 lap – were left in need of a quicker time to make the Q2 cut. Neither driver could manage it.
“It was just bad,” Verstappen lamented as he spoke to Sky F1 after his elimination. “I mean, I couldn’t push, at all. The car was all over the place, sliding around a lot. I had to underdrive it a lot, just to not have a moment, and that, of course, doesn’t work in qualifying.”
And concerningly, Verstappen says he and Red Bull have no idea why they were so slow. “I mean, we first have to analyse what is going on,” said Verstappen when asked what is possible in the race. “I don’t really understand how it can be this bad. So that’s a bit more important to understand at the moment.”
‘Alarming Red Bull claim’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...-so-bad-brazil
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Piastri targets race fightback after Sao Paulo qualifying frustration.
Oscar Piastri says he’ll focus on maximising “whatever opportunities arise” in Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix after admitting he “just didn’t go any faster” on his final qualifying lap to end up fourth.
9 Nov 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
The Australian had looked set to bounce back from his Sprint race crash earlier in the day when he briefly held provisional pole in Q3, but was ultimately unable to improve on his final lap as McLaren teammate Lando Norris claimed pole ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc. “I just didn’t go any faster. I think that was the biggest thing,” Piastri said.
“Yeah, just very different conditions to what we had yesterday I would say. And just everything felt much trickier today. So, yeah, obviously it’s a bit disappointing with the result. But the car’s looked quick this weekend, especially over a longer run, so hopefully I can take advantage of that tomorrow.”
Despite the setback, Piastri insisted he remains ready to fight back in the race. “Definitely,” he said when asked about the title battle. “I think ultimately I’ll try and take whatever opportunities arise. And, yeah, if I can make progress forwards and put some pressure on then I will. But got to get there first.”
‘Fightback’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-o...-championship/
Crash, Chaos, Comeback: Piastri’s Interlagos Title Gambit
8 Nov 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
On a slippery, stubborn Saturday in São Paulo, the McLaren driver went from Sprint heartbreak to a qualifying session that refused to obey the usual logic, ending up fourth on the grid for Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix. Lando Norris banked an assured pole. Kimi Antonelli shocked plenty by sticking it on the front row. Charles Leclerc will line up third, with Piastri alongside on the second row.
The Australian’s day pivoted on the Sprint, where he exited Turn 2 with a touch too much throttle and a fraction too much kerb, and the rear bit back. The MCL-whatever-it’s-called-this-week flicked round and slid into the barrier on the outside of Turn 3. Moments later Nico Hülkenberg and Franco Colapinto were caught by the same trap.
Piastri didn’t sugar-coat it afterward: yes, he’d used that kerb a lap earlier; no, he shouldn’t have gone near it again with the track in that state. He reckoned the cars ahead may have dragged extra water over the strip, turning a legal line into a loaded dice roll. “A little bit wide, nothing major,” he said, before conceding the consequences were anything but. Classic Interlagos—one of those places where the surface, the weather and the rhythm can gang up on you between corners.
‘Crash, Chaos, Comeback’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/crash-ch...-title-gambit/
‘Like Mario Kart’: Norris’ telling reply over Piastri crash as reason for ‘strange’ chaos emerges
9 Nov 2025
AFP with Fox Sports from Afp
Fox Sports (Australia)
“Norris hit the kerb and a lot of water went on line,” Antonelli was heard saying on team radio. The assessments of both Colapinto and Hulkenberg suggest that the conditions at the corner had indeed changed before claiming the trio. “I just lost the car in Turn 3. There was some new water or something, so it’s strange, but I need to see the onboard,” Colapinto said. “Other cars spun there on the same lap, so it was a bit strange. I don’t really know at the moment, but it was quite strange. I know it was a bit damp, the track, but we had done a few laps already and it was feeling fine.”
Hulkenberg added: “It just snapped very suddenly, aggressively and there’s not much recovering from there. The team said that Oscar went off first there, might have put the wheel wide and put some water out of the kerb and onto the track. I just drove and didn’t do very different than the lap before, but just completely lost the rear and lost the car.”
“I ran a little bit wide and I saw the water come onto the track. But yeah ... that was it,” Lando Norris said before smiling. George Russell then responded: “It felt a little bit like Mario Kart when you throw the banana out behind. “Smartest guy on the grid, this guy (Norris).” A safety car was deployed immediately, quickly followed by a red flag on lap eight.
‘Mario Kart’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...4671056906d965
Verstappen’s Qualifying exit 'difficult to accept' as Mekies concedes risk went in the 'opposite direction'
9 Nov 2025
Formula One - Official Site
“Today has not been a positive day for the Team, but one we will try and learn from,” Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies summarised afterwards. “The Sprint was tough and we did not have the pace to fight for the win.
“We were not happy with where we were after the Sprint, so we decided to make a number of changes. It is part of the risk taking we felt was necessary to see if we could get more out of the car.”
“It didn’t work and if anything, it went in the opposite direction and clearly, we lost a lot of competitiveness. It is painful and difficult to accept but it is what happens when you take risks sometimes and the best we can do is to learn from it and see where we can improve the car from here.”
'Difficult to accept';
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...DMRxEh3kgPcKZ4
“I had to massively under-drive it”: How Verstappen’s disastrous Saturday unfolded
8 Nov 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Max Verstappen’s disastrous elimination in the first round of qualifying at Interlagos clearly caught Red Bull by surprise. Even given the damp conditions in the sprint race, Verstappen’s RB21 looked a handful, particularly at turn one. He caught snaps of oversteer there on laps two, four and six. Moments later Oscar Piastri spun into the barrier at the exit of Curva do Sol. Verstappen almost lost control of his car at the same point in the corner, keeping it out of the barriers with an armful of opposite lock. The Safety Car was deployed moments later.
“The car is just bouncing everywhere,” Verstappen reported to race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. “It’s terrible, we can’t keep up.” Lambiase replied with “Okay, we’re just going to try and get you through some recommendations for turn one, Turn one looks really poor.” Verstappen answered with “No, it’s just wet, I have no grip, “it’s not the balance.” Lambiase appeared irked by this response and spoke over the driver as he replied: “Yes, so we are giving you recommendations so that you avoid oversteering into the corner every lap, Max. Whether you take them or not, is up to you,” he added testily.
Red Bull did not give the impression of a team desperately seeking a set-up solution as Q1 began. They were content to let all of their rivals hit the track before Verstappen, bar the Mercedes pair. Verstappen’s first run, a 1’10.681, gave no obvious cause for concern. “You’re currently P4,” Lambiase told him. “Looks like the track is a little bit slower than expected,” he added. However a flurry of quicker laps from other cars followed, and Verstappen tumbled down the order to 16th place. Red Bull sent him out for his final run early – so much so that he had the track to himself. “Oh my god, mate, the car right now is a tiny bit better, but now I’m sliding even more,” Verstappen reported. “For reference, Bearman P1, 9.8, you’re currently P16,” Lambiase replied. “Let us know if we can help you out with the tools.” But Verstappen was stumped: “No, I don’t know what to tell you.”
“I had to massively under-drive it”;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/11/08/...rday-unfolded/
Brazil Bombshell: Verstappen Could Start from the Pit Lane
8 Nov 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Red Bull turned up at Interlagos looking like they’d finally found a groove again. By the end of qualifying, they were back in a hole – and staring at an awkward call that could send Max Verstappen to a pit-lane start on Sunday. Verstappen was knocked out in Q1, the RB21 visibly short on grip and speed in all the wrong places, with teammate Yuki Tsunoda also failing to escape the first segment. The team reverted the cars out of parc fermé between the Sprint and qualifying, chased a bold direction – and got lost. Now the question is whether to double down on a misfiring setup or rip it up, break parc fermé again and start from the pits.
Helmut Marko didn’t sugarcoat it. Speaking to Austrian TV, he said Red Bull will sit down and decide whether “drastic changes” are needed to wake the car up – fully aware that doing so would mean a pit-lane launch for Verstappen rather than the P16 he currently holds. The blunt assessment from Marko: the track ramped up, Red Bull didn’t, and grip disappeared where it mattered. Sector 1 and 3 were the alarm bells; the stopwatch confirmed it.
It’s a gut punch just as Verstappen had built a run of six straight podiums to steady his title push in the wake of Lando Norris’ charge at the front. Mexico already hinted at the wobble: Red Bull brought bits, didn’t get the return, and Verstappen’s podium there owed more to craft than raw pace in a race Norris controlled. The team thought they’d understood the direction. Brazil says otherwise.
‘Brazil Bombshell’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/brazil-b...-the-pit-lane/
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São Paulo GP: Norris wins – Verstappen stuns with pitlane to P3!
Lando Norris further strengthened his grip on the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship with a commanding victory in Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, leading from start to finish at Interlagos to claim his seventh win of the season.
09/11/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
For Norris, it was another display of composure and control – a timely reminder of why he’s emerging as the man to beat this season. In contrast, teammate Oscar Piastri’s hopes of keeping his title challenge alive suffered another blow after a costly early clash and a penalty left him only fifth at the flag.
Verstappen’s Fightback Through the Field. Freed from parc fermé restrictions after starting from the pitlane, Verstappen’s reworked Red Bull setup paid dividends. The Dutchman, who had been eliminated in Q1, showed vastly improved pace on his medium tyres and sliced through the midfield with a string of bold overtakes.
His progress was so relentless that, following Norris’s first pit stop, Verstappen briefly inherited the race lead. However, Red Bull’s three-stop strategy — designed to maximize tyre life and data gathering — ultimately dropped him back behind both Mercedes cars.
‘Verstappen stuns with pitlane to P3!’;
https://f1i.com/news/553194-sao-paul...ane-to-p3.html
São Paulo Grand Prix - Race results
09/11/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Full race results from the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil, round 21 of the 2025 Formula 1 world championship.
2025 São Paulo Grand Prix - Race results
Pos Driver Team Gap Stops
1 Lando Norris McLaren + 1:32:01.596s 2
2 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes + 10.388s 2
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull + 10.750s 3
4 George Russell Mercedes + 15.267s 2
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren + 15.749s 2
6 Oliver Bearman Haas + 29.630s 2
7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls + 52.642s 1
8 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls + 52.873s 2
9 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber + 53.324s 1
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 53.914s 2
‘Full race results’;
https://f1i.com/news/553191-sao-paul...e-results.html
Norris takes victory at Brazilian GP with Verstappen staging comeback
9 Nov 2025
Steven De Groote
F1 Technical
McLaren's Lando Norris has won the Brazilian Grand Prix to further extend his Championship lead. Kimi Antonelli finished second for Mercedes but all eyes were on Verstappen who battled from the back of the pack up to a podium scoring 3rd place at the checquered flag. After an clean getaway for everyone without any incidents lots of stuff happened in the lap that followed. Norris stayed out of trouble after an excellent start, followed by Antonelli and Leclerc, Piastri maintained fourth even though he had to fend off the two Racing Bulls.
At Turn 9 in the middle of the pack Stroll didn't see or didn't car about local hero Bortoleto, pushing the Sauber into the grass and into the wall. That was a yellow flag until race control decided to bring out the safety car. Meanwhile, just before that safety car, Hamilton ended up being surprised by Colapinto on the main straight, leaving him with a broken front wing. Hamilton had already had a very troublesome start after gettting bumped into by Albon at Turn 1.
‘Norris takes victory’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/27996
Norris wins Brazilian GP as Piastri penalised, Verstappen third from pits
Nov 9, 2025
Jack Benyon
The Race
Lando Norris struck a major blow in the 2025 Formula 1 title race by winning the Brazilian Grand Prix, as Oscar Piastri was penalised for causing an accident while Max Verstappen charged to the podium from a pitlane start. A mix of strategies and tyre choices plus Verstappen’s heroics made this an absolute classic of an F1 race, also helped by Piastri getting a 10-second penalty for crashing into Kimi Antonelli, who still ended up finishing second!
The pivotal moment for Piastri was diving inside Antonelli's Mercedes at Turn 1 in a three-car battle with Charles Leclerc's Ferrari following a safety car restart (caused by Gabriel Bortoleto crashing out of his home race battling Lance Stroll's Aston Martin). Piastri locked up and hit Antonelli who slewed into Leclerc and, while Antonelli could continue, Leclerc lost his front-left tyre and had to retire.
Attention then switched to Verstappen. After his pitlane start, he’d taken just a couple of racing laps to get up to 13th, and then had to pit under the VSC caused by Leclerc’s stoppage with his own puncture, dropping him to the back of the pack. On fresh mediums Verstappen drove through the field and into the top five.
‘Verstappen third from pits’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/n...ird-from-pits/
Kimi Antonelli explains how he stopped Max Verstappen from overtaking him at the Brazilian GP
9 November 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Kimi Antonelli scored the best result of his Formula 1 career so far after holding on to second place ahead of Max Verstappen at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Antonelli now has two podiums to show for his efforts this year, picking up his last one in Canada nearly six months ago. He’s almost guaranteed to finish seventh in the drivers’ championship, and that’s something he can build on in the future.
The 19-year-old’s racecraft has come under fire at times this season, such as when he hit Charles Leclerc in Zandvoort. He was also involved in a tangle with the Monegasque driver in Sao Paulo, but escaped unscathed, as the Ferrari driver retired again. Late in the race, he had to be clever with the positioning of his car, revealing after the race that he used the ‘dirty air’ to keep a fast-charging Max Verstappen behind him.
“The last few laps were very stressful with Max coming with a fresher tyre,” he said on Sky Sports F1 after the race. “Luckily, with the free air, we were able to maintain a decent pace and finish P2. I found my rhythm. Obviously, when he was closing in, I raised the pace. I tried to push a bit more. I found my rhythm, and obviously, with this car, with the dirty air, it’s a bit difficult to follow. I tried to use that into my advantage and it paid off.”
‘Used the ‘dirty air’ to keep a fast-charging Max Verstappen behind him’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/kim...-brazilian-gp/
Lambiase apologises to Verstappen after Brazil GP masterclass
9 Nov 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Gianpiero Lambiase apologized to Max Verstappen after a Brazil GP in which the Dutchman recovered from the pit lane all the way to the podium. Speaking to the Dutchman over the radio after the race, Lambiase said: "Can only apologize for yesterday mate, this was a race winning drive. Sorry."
The reference was, obviously, to Saturday’s disastrous qualifying, where Verstappen was shockingly eliminated in Q1 with the sixteenth fastest time, largely compromising his weekend despite a textbook recovery that followed. Responding to his race engineer, Verstappen instead wanted to thank the team for the tremendous work overnight in turning around a weekend that, until yesterday, had looked all but lost.
Max Verstappen: "Nah, don't be. That was a really, really good race for us. We at least try, you know. Thank you very much for today, that went really well"
“This was a race winning drive”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/lambi...azil-gp-podium
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British media hails Norris’ Brazil win as ‘of a champion in waiting’.
"Norris’s victory was without doubt that of a champion in waiting as he managed a tense and high pressure victory from pole position to extend his world championship lead over his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, who finished fifth." The Guardian.
10 Nov 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
The British media saw two main talking points after the Sao Paulo GP: Lando Norris taking control of the drivers’ standings and Max Verstappen’s astonishing comeback from the pit lane.
The Daily Mail: Verstappen’s God-like drive received heavy praise, as did Norris’s great weekend at the Interlagos circuit, where he claimed all 33 points available. They write: "Norris beat his buddy and went a long way to punctuating an era that is going down kicking and screaming, and reminding us of its abiding brilliance."
"We use his (Verstappen's) wonders for now only to benchmark Norris's achievements in Sao Paulo. Under the biggest pressure of his career, the Briton took pole for the sprint, won the sprint, took pole for the Sau Paulo Grand Prix itself, and was faultless in winning it."
‘A champion in waiting’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/briti...ion-in-waiting
Lando Norris makes McLaren demand after 2025 Sao Paulo GP weekend
10 November 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
Norris reveals why he demands more from McLaren: But with Verstappen, the defending world champion, finishing just 10.7 seconds behind despite starting from the pit lane and making an extra pit stop, the winning margin actually leaves him feeling slightly uncomfortable. That’s because last time out in Mexico City, he won by an impressive 30 seconds and the loss of that deficit is why Norris demands more from McLaren in the wake of his ruthless 2025 Sao Paulo GP performance as he expects better balance.
“We’re drivers, so we’re always going to complain about something,” Norris added. “The car balance was difficult. I’m sure the others will say the same. But it’s a realistic thing to use. In terms of when I was a bit happier with the car balance last weekend, we won by 30 seconds. This weekend, we only won by 10 and, you know, Max was coming at us quite quickly.”
“So yeah, the pace was not on another level and we set our standards high, as a team, as we rightly should. So to win by 10 seconds, I’m going to sound like an idiot saying it, but yeah, we just wanted a bit more. I still had to fight the car a lot to win by those 10 seconds. So, just a little bit trickier than what I would have liked. But I’m still very happy with how the weekend’s gone, of course. And I’m very proud of the whole team and what they’ve been able to give me.”
“We’re always going to complain about something”;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/lan...-sao-paulo-gp/
How Lando Norris found his killer instinct - just as Oscar Piastri's fell apart
The British driver has the F1 world title within reach after a golden run of form
November 10, 2025
Adam Cooper
inews
SAO PAULO — Over the past two Formula One race weekends in Mexico and Brazil, Lando Norris has gone some way towards achieving his goal of winning the 2025 world championship. He now has a lead of 24 points over his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, and he is 49 ahead of reigning champion Max Verstappen, whose challenge has faltered just as Norris has hit a golden streak of form.
Norris may have a healthy buffer, but there are still 83 points to be won over the final three events in Las Vegas, Qatar (where there is also a sprint) and Abu Dhabi, so the job is far from done. Indeed if he hits trouble in Vegas and fails to score and Piastri wins, the Aussie will be back in the lead by a point. This eventful season could yet have a few surprises in store.
However the momentum is clearly now with Norris, and the turnaround in his fortunes relative to Piastri has been an extraordinary story. As Norris again dominated in Sunday’s Sao Paulo GP Piastri found himself in trouble again, clipping Kimi Antonelli and landing a 10-second penalty that contributed to another lowly fifth place finish.
‘Found his killer instinct’;
https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-on...09?ITO=newsnow
Oscar Piastri on the verge of losing title, as F1 world reacts to brutal penalty
9 Nov 2025
Kye Ferreira
Sporting News
The F1 Championship dream continues to slip away for the Aussie Oscar Piastri, as he extends his fall behind teammate Lando Norris at the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil. The famous gigantic lead Piastri once had is now turning into a slump, with Norris claiming his seventh victory of the season.
Norris started from pole position at the Interlagos circuit, meanwhile Piastri had a challenging finish to earn 5th place. Piastri not only had a tough race, he was also given a contentious 10 second penalty after he was blamed for causing a collision after the first of two virtual safety car restarts.
The McLaren driver launched an aggressive attack moving up the inside of Turn One on Lap 6 and locked his brakes before running out of room, colliding into Kimi Antonelli, who as consequence collided into Charles Leclerc who was on the outside. The stewards also added two points to Piastri’s superlicence, taking him up to eight points over the last year, which puts him four points away from a race ban.
‘On the verge of losing title’;
https://www.sportingnews.com/au/form...bb33828f02207c
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Norris now clear favourite for F1 title, barring late twist.
Lando Norris does not have to win another race this season, although the McLaren driver will not be looking at it that way, to become Formula One champion.
Nov 10, 2025
The Straits Times
The simple sums after a weekend in Sao Paulo were clear: the title is Norris's to lose and he is favourite to follow seven-times title-winner Lewis Hamilton as the latest in a line of British world champions. Norris is 24 points clear of Australian teammate Oscar Piastri, whose title bid has rapidly imploded, with three grands prix -- Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi -- and one Saturday sprint remaining.
Even if Piastri were to take maximum points, Norris would still be champion when the final chequered flag is waved under the floodlights at Yas Marina on December 7 if he finished runner-up every time. The chances of that happening are unlikely, however.
While the constructors' champions have romped to seven one-two finishes so far this season, the last was in Hungary in August and Piastri has been off the podium in his last five regular races.
‘Norris now clear favourite’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ing-late-twist
No alcohol and ignoring the haters – how Lando Norris seized control of F1 title race
Analysis: A remarkable 58-point turnaround in just six races against his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri means Norris now has one hand on his maiden Formula One world championship
10 November 2025
Kieran Jackson
The Independent
Much like Mexico a fortnight back, it was impossible to ignore the smattering of jeers in the old-school grandstands. Just three months ago, a plethora of haters would have had a damaging impact on Lando Norris and his performance. We all love to be loved, right? Norris certainly did.
Now though, a backbone of steel has emerged: Norris 2.0 does not give a hoot. “I just ignore everyone who talks crap about you!” the McLaren driver said with a smirk, immediately after his grand prix victory in Brazil and at the precise moment a few boos were audible on the broadcast. “Just focus on yourself.”
‘A remarkable 58-point turnaround in just six races’;
https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/lan...-b2862002.html
Stella reveals why Piastri was slower than Norris all weekend
10 Nov 2025
Drew Murphy
GPblog.com
Andrea Stella has discussed the reasons why Oscar Piastri struggled throughout the Brazilian Grand Prix, and was way behind his teammate Lando Norris. Across the Brazilian Grand Prix, Piastri was unable to best his teammate and championship rival Norris. “Oscar is sort of learning this technique, embedding this technique, but it may take a bit more time to fully exploit them in a natural way." - Andrea Stella
Speaking to F1TV after the Sprint, Stella revealed how Piastri struggled to adapt to the wet conditions in Brazil. He said: “A missed opportunity with Oscar, conditions are tricky. You put the wheel in a curb, and that's completely unforgiving; there is no way to control the car. It happened to 3 drivers in the same lap at the same point, so it's just unfortunate. “But the most reassuring input thus far is that Oscar has been fast.” However, across the whole weekend, Piastri was not fast enough to beat his teammate, Lando Norris.
Piastri was outqualified by Norris in all qualifying segments, including sprint and regular sessions, at Interlagos. The Australian was 0.247s down on average across the six phases. Following qualifying, Stella discussed Piastri’s struggles with the technique required to drive fast. He said: “Some of the techniques required to drive the car fast they resemble a bit the techniques that were required in Austin and Mexico.”
“Oscar is sort of learning this technique”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/stell...is-all-weekend
The Ten Seconds That Could Decide Piastri’s Title
November 10, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Interlagos rarely does subtle. On Sunday it put Oscar Piastri’s title chase under the hard lights, then handed him a 10 second penalty that turned his race — and maybe this championship narrative — on its head. After a scruffy Saturday sprint, Piastri’s brief on Sunday was simple: reset and chip away at his team mate’s advantage at the top of the standings. For a few laps he looked on the right side of that mission. Then came the lap six restart and a three car chain reaction that left Charles Leclerc out, Kimi Antonelli bruised, and Piastri with a time penalty that wrecked his afternoon.
Let’s start with the scene-setter. Coming off the VSC, Antonelli — on the softer tyre and leading that little train — lit up the rears just enough to check his momentum on the run to Turn 1. Piastri saw it, tucked into the tow and drew almost alongside into the braking zone on the inside. That’s the move at Interlagos: commit early, own the apex, and trust the other car gives you the racing room the rulebook promises.
Only Antonelli eased left. Not a chop, but a squeeze — the kind of millimetric drift that turns a brave lunge into a calculus problem. With the pit wall and that unforgiving inside barrier rushing up, Piastri stamped on the brake earlier than he had the lap before. The front-left snatched. Contact. Antonelli’s Mercedes pinballed into Leclerc’s Ferrari, and the red car ended up parked, race over.
‘Ten Seconds’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/the-ten-...iastris-title/
'Harsh Piastri penalty will discourage the F1 battles we love to see'
November 10, 2025
Chris Medland
Motor Sport Magazine
Painful penalties provoke a reaction: There was so much that was good about the Sao Paulo Grand Prix that it was quite telling how passionate some in the paddock were about one of the negative aspects of the race. Oscar Piastri‘s penalty for causing a collision with Kimi Antonelli appeared harsh on first viewing, and even more so when the reasoning from the stewards was delivered.
Piastri was called “wholly responsible” for the contact, while the stewards also claimed Piastri “did not establish the required overlap prior to and at the apex, as his front axle was not alongside the mirror of Car 12, as defined in the Driving Standards Guidelines for overtaking on the inside of a corner.”
‘Harsh on first viewing, and even more so when the reasoning from the stewards was delivered’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
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Wolff hails "really strong" Antonelli after second place finish in Brazil.
“All weekend he was strong. Maybe it was coming to a track he didn't know - it's a bit easier.” - Toto Wolff.
11 Nov 2025
Owen Bradley
GPblog.com
Antonelli seems to be on relatively good form at the moment, with the 19-year old claiming a podium finish in Brazil, beating experienced team-mate George Russell and defending from a charging Verstappen. Wolff stated: "Being able to fend off Max on a newer and softer tyre, well that was really strong and testament to what's to come.”
The Italian claimed his second podium finish of the season, scoring another podium at the Canadian Grand Prix earlier this year. However, with Antonelli racing in the junior categories and gaining experience on most of the European circuits, there was some expectation that the Italian may fare better at these circuits. But this has not exactly been the case.
Speaking on Antonelli's surprising recent form at circuits he doesn't know, Wolff revealed: “Expectations are maybe lower. Maybe pressure is not as high as some of the Europeans and then the execution was faultless at the end." Wolff added: "I think it's also managing his own expectations, he's so young, he's just 19 years old, You come to a track where you know you've performed very well in the past, some of the European ones, and then on the back foot."
"Really strong";
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/wolff...nish-in-brazil
Wolff praises ‘faultless’ Antonelli drive at Interlagos
Kimi Antonelli scored the best result of his fledgling Grand Prix career with second place in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, earning high praise from Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff.
11 Nov 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Asked if this was the Italian’s most complete weekend to date, Wolff said: “I think all weekend it was strong, from the get-go. It's good to see. Maybe it was coming to a track that he didn't know. “It's a bit easier. Expectations. Expectations are maybe lower.
“Maybe pressure is not as high as some of the [European races], and then the execution was faultless at the end. You know, being able to fend off, fight off Max on the newer, fresher tyre, that was really strong and a testament as to what is to come.”
As to why Antonelli has found form away from Europe, Wolff added: “I think it's a development. Next year he will come to these tracks that he knows without expecting to kill it. And that's the learning year, the year that we always expected to come with all the ups and downs. Today is an up, definitely. A good moment. There will be more difficult ones.”
‘Wolff praises ‘faultless’ Antonelli drive’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...VoenZJLGFZamL8
Wolff explains why Antonelli shines most on unfamiliar tracks
11/11/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff believes there’s a simple – and fascinating – explanation on why Kimi Antonelli thrives when he’s racing somewhere he’s never been before. “All weekend he was strong,” Wolff said after last Sunday’s race at interlagos. “Maybe it was coming to a track that he didn't know – it's a bit easier. Expectations are maybe lower.”
“Maybe pressure is not as high as some of the Europeans and then the execution was faultless at the end: being able to fend off Max on a newer and softer tyre, well that was really strong and a testament to what's to come.” With no past results to live up to, Antonelli can focus purely on driving. “I think it's also managing his own expectations, he's so young, he's just 19 years old,” Wolff explained. “You come to a track where you know you've performed very well in the past, some of the European ones, and then on the back foot.”
“You have a sensational team-mate that is as good as it gets, and I think coming to a track that you don't know is almost like less pressure, your expectations are lower, everybody else's expectations are lower, the kind of fan pressure is less than on some of the European tracks, and I think that plays a big role.”
“Less pressure”;
https://f1i.com/news/553411-wolff-ex...ar-tracks.html
Antonelli's telling reaction following pile-up crash in Brazil GP
10 Nov 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Kimi Antonelli expressed sympathy for Charles Leclerc following the Turn 1 incident that ended the Monegasque’s race in the Brazilian GP. The young Italian driver, thanks to bouncing against the SF-25, managed to avoid what would have been an inevitable spin after being hit squarely by Oscar Piastri, allowing him to continue the race without major issues.
The Mercedes driver ultimately went on to finish the race in second place, benefiting from the penalty handed to the Australian following the early-race crash, which dropped him to fifth and cost him valuable points in the championship battle against his teammate, who now leads the standings with nearly a full race advantage with three rounds to go.
In the usual cool-down room after the race, reviewing the incident replays, race winner Lando Norris jokingly told Antonelli that he should thank Leclerc for avoiding even bigger trouble, to which the Italian replied with a simple “poor guy.”
‘Antonelli's telling reaction’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/anton...h-in-brazil-gp
How Kimi Antonelli handled ‘stressful’ late Max Verstappen onslaught in F1 Brazil GP
10th November 2025
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week
Andrea Kimi Antonelli broke down his stellar defence that kept a fast-charging Max Verstappen at bay to secure his best-ever Formula 1 result at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The 19-year-old showed exemplary pace throughout the Sprint weekend at Interlagos.
“Yeah, I mean I don’t know where this guy [Verstappen] came from, to be honest. I didn’t see it coming,” he told media including Motorsport Week. Antonelli revealed that his contact with Piastri had left him with some damage to the car, but he was able to still keep it on track with the aid of a bit of free air.
“But yeah, to be fair, I was lucky to come away with the restart, with the contact,” he added. “Need to check with the car, it felt a bit weird afterwards. But, you know, still a good race and the last laps were very stressful with Max coming on fresher tyres. But luckily with free air, we were able to maintain a decent pace and to finish P2.”
‘Stressful’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-f1-brazil-gp/
Antonelli thought “I might be in trouble” when Verstappen caught him
10th November 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Andrea Kimi Antonelli admitted he doubted he would be able to keep Max Verstappen behind when he came under attack from the Red Bull driver at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix. “Obviously when Max did the last pit stop and Bono [race engineer Peter Bonnington] told me the gap, I was like […] ‘I might be in trouble’, because he was just nine seconds behind. And obviously, he was on new softs.”
“I think in this race he had very strong pace. He did an amazing job coming back and he just put me under a lot of pressure at the end. I had to really push the tyre to the limit, and it wasn’t easy. But I think we did our best and I’m really happy with that.” Antonelli beat Verstappen to the finishing line by less than four tenths of a second on the final lap.
“I might be in trouble”;
https://www.racefans.net/2025/11/10/...en-caught-him/
Where Kimi Antonelli got ‘lucky’ to secure F1 Brazil GP podium
10th November 2025
Tiana Soans
Motorsport Week
Andrea Kimi Antonelli took a career-best second place in Formula 1‘s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, but he conceded he was “lucky” to survive an earlier collision in the race. “Well, first of all, the restart – I accelerated a little bit on the wet patch, so I got wheelspin and lost momentum going into Turn 1,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “But to be fair, I found myself in a very difficult position because I had one car on the outside and one car on the inside. I tried to brake late, not too late. The problem is I didn’t see the car next to me anymore.”
Antonelli revealed that he tried to take a balanced braking point. However, with Piastri on his inside and Leclerc sweeping outside, he was left in a difficult position. “I still tried to do a decent line for the position I was in,” he continued. “And yeah, ended up getting hit. I was lucky to come away like that, because obviously I hit quite hard Charles. Unfortunately, I ended his race, but on my side, I was lucky to come away with not such big damage.”
Antonelli escaped without serious damage, allowing him to continue racing, which he capitalised on to come home second, repelling a late Max Verstappen charge. “I think the steering wheel was not fully straight, but I was very lucky to come away with it and to be able to continue my race,” he acknowledged.
‘Lucky to survive’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...zil-gp-podium/
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Verstappen reacts to Brazil GP podium: 'I did not expect that at all!'
Max Verstappen secures an unexpected podium at the Brazilian GP after starting from the pit lane.
9 Nov 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
The four-time world champion, reflecting on his standout performance after the race, said: "The race was quite full on. A lot of action. I had to overtake some cars, coming from the pit lane.
"Our pace was quite strong, overall, the stints. To be on the podium, I did not expect that at all, even with a puncture at the beginning, that's why we had to box again. Incredible result for us. Very happy with that. Very proud of everyone."
He finally added: "Yesterday was very tough. We never give up. We always try to improve and find more lap time and luckily we found that again today. To finish only 10 seconds from the lead is incredible." Max Verstappen staged an impressive recovery, finishing third to limit the damage — he gained key points on Piastri but fell a further seven behind Norris, who now leads by 49 points.
‘Unexpected podium’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...ct-that-at-all
Martin Brundle hails Max Verstappen’s Brazil recovery as “a drive for the ages”
Martin Brundle heaps praise on Max Verstappen following the Sao Paulo Grand Prix
11 Nov 2025
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Legendary F1 commentator Martin Brundle has described Max Verstappen’s pit-lane-to-podium recovery at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as a “drive for the ages”. Writing in his post-race column for Sky Sports, Brundle spoke glowingly about Verstappen’s latest Interlagos heroics.
“Verstappen had started from the pitlane because his car looked so dismal in qualifying it was better to try something different on the set up and fit a new power unit rather than being stuck 16th on the grid with a package known to be off the pace. And so began one of the all-time great drives through a closely-matched pack in what would be entirely dry conditions.”
“Once he caught the pack, he had avoided all the chaos and contact between the likes of Sainz, Hamilton, Stroll, and Bortoleto, and the safety car at least allowed Max to close the gap to the leaders as he was already mid-pack pretty much straight away. But then, like a game of snakes and ladders, he had a slow puncture and had to pit again.”
“A drive for the ages”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108643...ery-drive-ages
Wolff blown away by Verstappen: 'That's why he's a four-time world champion'
10 Nov 2025
Tobia Elia
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com
After the Brazilian Grand Prix, Toto Wolff had nothing but admiration for Max Verstappen. The Mercedes team boss therefore refuses to write off the Dutchman in the title fight. Verstappen put in another impressive charge through the field, this time from the pit lane to the podium, and according to Wolff that proves why he is a four-time world champion.
“It’s quite interesting, the big step thatt hey made. They changed the floor, they went to the oldest. Fresh engine obviously always helps, like we had with Lewis back in the days. But never discount Max, even if he starts from last.”
The Austrian referred to Verstappen’s performance in the rain last year, but emphasized that his race this time might have been even more impressive: “A few years ago it was a wet race, so you kind of get your head around it, but that was a dry race. That's the reason why he's a four-time world champion.”
‘Wolff blown away by Verstappen’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/wolff...world-champion
How Red Bull's "risks" transformed Max Verstappen's Sao Paulo GP
Red Bull explain how they helped Max Verstappen turnaround his weekend in Brazil.
10 Nov 2025
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Red Bull have explained the set-up “risks” that paved the way for Max Verstappen’s stunning comeback drive at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies stressed his side were unwilling to settle with a “sup-optimal” car following the sprint race as he detailed the process behind their buccaneering approach.
"First, credit to Max for the sensational drive," Mekies said. "He won last year here from P16 in the wet. I think we would probably agree that it was as sensational as last year to bring it to P3 from the pit lane in a dry, relatively uneventful race. The simple truth is that we were not happy with where the car was in terms of balance and driver's feeling after the sprint race. We had finished P4, but it was effectively a P5 without Oscar's [Piastri] stoppage.”
"Nobody wanted to settle for a car that would have been sub-optimal. We felt the optimum window was not where we were. "We tried our only car at that moment [Verstappen's] to change it before the main qualifying. We obviously got it wrong, but it's the way we go racing. We take risks and if we don't take that amount of risks, we don't think we'll be able to win.”
“Risks”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108641...1-sao-paulo-gp
Verstappen reveals ‘nothing’s going my way’ Brazil GP moment
12 Nov 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen experienced a rollercoaster of a weekend at the São Paulo GP — at one point, he felt nothing was going his way. er finishing the Sprint in fourth place, Verstappen was eliminated in Q1 on Saturday. That led to a pit lane start after he received a new power unit and a setup change.
The Dutchman eventually finished third, right behind Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes. He said: "I jumped into the car, I was only just hoping that the car would be more competitive. But in the laps to the grid, it already felt better than the whole weekend, I would say.”
"But then still—after the start, picking up that puncture, then being last again—I was like, “My God, nothing is really going my way this weekend. But then you just settle in. You try to do the best you can: pass the cars in front of you, try to run the optimum strategy. And it all worked out."
‘Nothing’s going my way’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...azil-gp-moment
Verstappen and Red Bull's perfectionism still produces the fastest car
10 Nov 2025
Tim Kraaij
GPblog.com
It was all-or-nothing for Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen in Brazil. After a poor qualifying result, it seemed like there would be little in the way of points being scored in Sunday's Grand Prix, but in their relentless strive for perfection, the team left Sao Paulo with a smile.
In the media conferences, the reasoning was how Verstappen no longer felt comfortable with the Mexico configuration of the RB21, which is why he wanted to revert to the specification used in Austin. Red Bull advised him otherwise, but ultimately went along with the four-time world champion’s choice, as it had done in recent races, trusting the racer's instincts rather than the data. However, it proved to be the wrong decision.
Gianpiero Lambiase offered his apologies, after the race. The race engineer felt that such a performance deserved a win, but that the team had squandered that chance in qualifying with its technical gamble. Verstappen’s response said it all: “No, that’s not necessary. That was a really good race for us. At least we did our best. Thank you very much for today, it went really well.”
‘Perfectionism’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/features/u...he-fastest-car
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Ferrari fans want to ‘end the season’ after seeing Lewis Hamilton incident at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
“Just retire the car and stop wasting time,” said one fan. Another agreed with them, too, “There is no reason to keep the car on track. Retire the car.”
9 Nov 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton found himself caught up in two incidents on lap one of the Brazilian Grand Prix that ruined his race. First of all, he was bumped wide at turn one, dropping to the back of the pack. By the end of the lap, he found himself on the tail of Franco Colapinto, but a misjudgment of space would see his front wing destroyed at high speed, before it got jammed under his Ferrari car.
The damage removed a lot of Hamilton’s downforce and ended any hopes of competing for a solid result. Ever the competitor, he refused to retire from the Brazilian Grand Prix, but was confined to the back of the pack. He was also handed a five-second penalty for clipping the Alpine. “Just retire the car and stop wasting time,” said one fan. Another agreed with them, too, “There is no reason to keep the car on track. Retire the car.”
“Just retire the car,” insisted another member of the Tifosi, upset with how the first few laps unfolded. The most passionate response urged the team to pack up for the year, already, “End the season.” “They should retire the car,” agreed another individual, while one last response shared an idea that Ferrari fans have grown familiar with, “Pain.”
“End the season”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...an-grand-prix/
Ferrari chairman’s bizarre “talk less” attack on Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc
10 Nov 2025
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Ferrari chairman John Elkann has told Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc they should “focus on driving” and “talk less” following the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Unusually, he publicly criticised his drivers after the Sao Paulo GP for being too outspoken and that they should focus on driving.
“Ferrari wins when it is united, and the result in WEC has taught us that,” he said, as quoted by Autoracer.it. “When everyone works together, great things can be achieved. Brazil was a huge disappointment. In Formula 1, we have mechanics who are always top in executing pit stops.”
“The engineers work to improve the car. The rest is not up to par. We have drivers who need to focus on driving, talk less, and remember that important races lie ahead - and it’s not impossible to finish second. This is the most important message coming from Bahrain: when Ferrari is a team, we win.”
‘Bizarre “talk less” attack’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108640...harles-leclerc
Fred Vasseur phone call may have sparked Ferrari chairman John Elkann’s ‘attack’ on Lewis Hamilton
12 Nov 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Team principal Fred Vasseur may have played a role in Ferrari chairman John Elkann’s outburst aimed at Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Fred Vasseur’s excuses for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix may have caused John Elkann’s outburst. As Ferrari endured such a disappointing result in Brazil, Top Speed reports that Elkann called team principal Vasseur after the Sao Paulo GP. Vasseur is thought to have given the Scuderia chairman ‘another tale’, and potentially even blamed Hamilton and Leclerc for their misery.
Elkann believing Vasseur’s excuses to justify Ferrari’s most recent failures, as the American-born Italian has done previously, led to his ‘unprecedented attack’ on Hamilton and Leclerc. His message on Monday was also aimed mainly at Hamilton after his comments on Sunday. John Elkann will not have liked Lewis Hamilton saying he is living a ‘nightmare’ at Ferrari.
Elkann launched a shock attack on Hamilton and Leclerc while speaking at an event in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics. He suggested the pair should “focus on driving and talk less”, and added “we certainly need drivers who don’t think about themselves but about Ferrari”. Elkann’s “talk less” remark can also be directed at Hamilton admitting he is living a “nightmare” at Ferrari after the Sao Paulo GP, as his wait for a podium continued.
“Need drivers who don’t think about themselves but about Ferrari”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fre...ewis-hamilton/
Ferrari’s fiery fallout: Button and Kravitz blast Elkann’s driver dig
12/11/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Responding to Sky Sports F1’s Instagram post quoting Elkann, Button delivered a brief but cutting reply: “Maybe John should lead by example.” Short, sharp, and loaded with implication, the former Grand Prix driver’s comment landed like a jolt, highlighting the disconnect many feel between Ferrari’s top brass and the Scuderia.
Sky F1’s pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz also waded into the controversy, delivering a passionate defense of Leclerc and Hamilton on The F1 Show. “Let’s not forget that the people that got Ferrari to second in the constructors’ championship were Charles and Lewis, because they were just plugging in the points,” Kravitz said, reminding viewers of the drivers’ role in keeping Ferrari competitive earlier in the season.
He didn’t stop there, pointing to deeper issues with the team’s machinery. “And let’s not forget that this car has a fundamental flaw in it that the Belgium upgrade was not able to correct in terms of the Belgium plank and not being able to run the car low and not being able to find a fix around that.” Kravitz argued that Hamilton and Leclerc have been carrying Ferrari despite these technical shortcomings.
“Maybe John should lead by example”;
https://f1i.com/news/553477-ferraris...river-dig.html
Ralf Schumacher thinks John Elkann is upset with Charles Leclerc after he was linked to one F1 rival
12 Nov 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Ralf Schumacher thinks John Elkann criticised Charles Leclerc over Aston Martin interest. Schumacher was speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast about Elkann’s recent comments about his Ferrari drivers. When asked about his criticism of Leclerc and Hamilton, Schumacher said: “Yes, well, that’s a very clear message to both of them.”
“First, Charles Leclerc, there was a rumour that if he couldn’t get the world championship title at Ferrari, he might consider something else. Aston Martin was also a topic of discussion. Lawrence Stroll is probably looking for drivers after 2026. And, of course, the Elkann and Ferrari families won’t stand for that and naturally demand and say, ‘OK, if the drivers are more important than the brand, which is implicit, then we’ll leave it at that.’”
Would Charles Leclerc be a good signing for Aston Martin beyond the 2026 F1 season? Leclerc has signed a long-term deal with Ferrari, but every Formula 1 agreement is full of break clauses and other conditions that can allow teams and drivers to part ways if they desire. After seven seasons with Ferrari and only nine race victories to show for it, it’s easy to understand why the Monegasque driver might be considering his options. F1 Oversteers understands that Leclerc is on Aston Martin’s shortlist for the 2027 season, as Lawrence Stroll considers replacing both of his current drivers.
"Elkann and Ferrari families won’t stand for that";
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ral...-one-f1-rival/
Karun Chandhok tells Ferrari what ‘the root’ of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s problems are in 2025
12 Nov 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Karun Chandhok has now spoken out too, pointing out ‘the root’ of their problems. “Reflecting on this a bit more. In reality, if the Ferrari was as good as the McLaren this year, then I truly believe that Charles and Lewis would have been title contenders, fighting for race wins,” he said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). The root of Ferrari’s problem is that the car hasn’t been fast enough this year.” With one of the most talented line-ups in the championship, they would have found a way to win with their car if it were capable of doing so this year. But it hasn’t, and the team needs to front up and do a better job in the future.
‘The root’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/kar...s-are-in-2025/
John Elkann should be blaming one key Ferrari figure for his team’s failings in 2025, not Lewis Hamilton
11 Nov 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Ride height problems have plagued the SF-25 this season, with Ferrari coming up with few answers to solve them. Team principal Fred Vasseur opted to introduce a new rear suspension upgrade, which went against his drivers’ wishes.
Hamilton and Leclerc pushed for aerodynamic upgrades to fix the ride height issues, but Vasseur insisted that the rear suspension was the way to go. Ferrari’s results since its introduction at Spa immediately disprove Elkann’s comments that the car has ‘undoubtedly improved’.
The friction at Maranello, plus Vasseur’s unwillingness to listen to his drivers’ feedback and demands, is exactly why the blame should lie with the Frenchman and not Hamilton. His technical approach has worsened the car’s performance and damaged relationships with the team.
‘Friction’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/joh...ewis-hamilton/
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Lewis Hamilton is now learning why Fernando Alonso didn’t think Ferrari could win a world championship.
Fernando Alonso left Ferrari just over 10 years ago because he didn’t feel the team was in a position to win.
13 Nov 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Ted Kravitz says Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari problems aren’t new. In a seismic interview this week, Ferrari chairman John Elkann told his drivers to ‘talk less’ outside the car. It was then reported that Hamilton’s feedback documents had sparked ‘resentment’ in some quarters of the team. The 40-year-old publicly revealed that he’d been reviewing Ferrari’s failings. Kravitz fears that a series of great drivers have identified the same fundamental problems, but met firm resistance. That’s why, as Alonso feared, they’re not functioning as well as their rivals.
“If Lewis is writing all these documents, a kind of winning blueprint, as to what it takes to be a top-line team, then how many times do Ferrari need to hear this, and why are they not listening to it?” he asked on the F1 Show. “When you go back to Fernando Alonso, who left Ferrari because he said that he didn’t see a team that could win consistently. That was 2014. Fernando left because he said, ‘I’ve seen what it takes to be a Red Bull or a Mercedes, and that’s not what I see at Ferrari at the moment’.”
‘Hamilton’s feedback documents had sparked resentment’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...-championship/
Have Lewis Hamilton’s improvement documents offended Ferrari?
It has been suggested that Lewis Hamilton may have inadvertently insulted Ferrari.
13 Nov 2025
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Ted Kravitz wonders whether Lewis Hamilton has “insulted” Ferrari with his documents suggesting the improvements the team needs to fight for F1 world championships. Kravitz has suggested that Hamilton’s “winning blueprint” may not have been well received by all at Maranello.
“Fred’s not stupid, Fred’s a great team principal and I can’t think of anyone better who would do that. I don’t know whether Fred’s completely empowered to do what he wants,” Kravitz told The F1 Show. “Let’s think about the Hamilton documents that he’s been drawing up, the sort of blueprint from what he’s learnt at McLaren and 12 years at Mercedes and so many world championships.”
“Are Ferrari insulated by those documents? Did they think ‘well thank you very much but you just drive the car’. If Lewis is writing all of these documents, a kind of winning blueprint about what it takes to be a top line team, how many times do Ferrari need to hear this and why are they not listening to it?”
‘The Hamilton documents’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108647...errari-f1-team
Some Ferrari staff ‘resented’ what Lewis Hamilton said about the team after joining from Mercedes
12 Nov 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton is trying to break the cycle at Ferrari. Since the team last won the drivers’ title, they have signed four world champions but watched their drought continue. Fernando Alonso came agonisingly close to the championship in 2010 and 2012, but left empty-handed in 2014. Sebastian Vettel, his replacement, couldn’t sustain a season-long challenge to Hamilton and Mercedes, and Kimi Raikkonen wasn’t the same driver in his second stint at Maranello. Hamilton says Ferrari have had ‘amazing’ drivers but need to ‘challenge’ themselves if they’re to win again. He ‘refuses’ to follow the same path as Vettel and co.
Hamilton sent documents of feedback to Ferrari in the months after he joined from Mercedes, where he’d won six titles over a 12-year dynasty. According to ESPN, this effectively amounted to an ‘audit’ of their methods. He had taken ‘extensive notes’ on their operation and made recommendations on where they could improve. ‘Sources’ close to the team say these were ‘welcomed in some quarters’. However, others apparently ‘resented his input’. They were ‘dismissive’ of his feedback, which doesn’t bode well for 2026.
‘Resented his input’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/som...from-mercedes/
Spiraling Ferrari unfairly points finger at Hamilton, Leclerc
Nov 11, 2025
Nate Saunders
ESPN.co.uk
Ferrari chairman John Elkann's decision to throw his drivers under the bus on Monday was a microcosm of everything that has haunted the company's storied Formula 1 team during its 17-year title drought. A Ferrari spokesperson told ESPN the comments were meant to be "constructive" and the chairman's way of spurring everyone on. To anyone outside the team bubble, that's a fairly charitable interpretation of what Elkann said publicly.
It was a statement that smacked of either insecurity or arrogance (or a horrible combination of both) from a man leading a company that has not won an F1 drivers' championship since 2007 or a constructors' championship since 2008. His words revealed the same misguided interference from above that plagued the outfit before and after the glory days of Michael Schumacher.
Elkann's statements have raised further questions. Should either driver vent about the car in future, are they openly defying Elkann and destroying attempts at unity behind the scenes? Is the team's current situation acceptable for Ferrari? And, more broadly speaking, does Elkann actually understand the differences in building a successful Formula 1 program and a WEC outfit?
‘John Elkann's decision to throw his drivers under the bus’;
https://www.espn.co.uk/racing/f1/sto...harles-leclerc
John Elkann told to focus on the ‘real issue’ at Ferrari by McLaren insider after blaming his drivers
13 Nov 2025
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Tony Kanaan is a close confidante of former Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello, with the pair of drivers once using each other’s helmets during the most prestigious events of their respective categories in 2006. Asked for his opinion on Elkann’s comments about their current driver line-up, the Brazilian said, “Ferrari is always going to be Ferrari; you’re never going to be bigger than Ferrari. Look at [Fernando] Alonso, [Sebastian] Vettel, and Rubens [Barrichello].
“I mean, I lived that with Rubens. It’s such a… The culture there, it’s Ferrari. They’re going to protect it, and you’re never going to be bigger than them. So no matter what, people are going to tell you what to do. The respect needs to be more of you towards Ferrari than actually Ferrari towards you. Unless you’re Michael Schumacher. That’s what’s happening there. The drivers are getting frustrated because they need to be vocal about it.”
“These people don’t want to talk about it because that’s not what they do. Then obviously, it takes a toll on the drivers and all of a sudden then the guy comes out of Brazil with, ‘They should talk less because they will do better.’ That tells you how little the guy has of an awareness of what the real issue is.”
“Ferrari is always going to be Ferrari”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/joh...g-his-drivers/
Ferrari advised to listen to Hamilton to turn things around
13 Nov 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Juan Pablo Montoya believes Lewis Hamilton could be 'unstoppable' with Ferrari once the Italian team listens to the seven-time world champion. According to former F1 driver Montoya, the seven-time world champion will not give up: “I think Lewis Hamilton has a point to prove, he won’t lie down and submit to defeat. He will win the championship or die trying, as they say. He will give it a big push next year. His frustration is due to him thinking he’s doing more than what Ferrari are doing for him."
He continued: “He feels he’s putting in a lot of effort to try make things work, but the team aren’t matching that energy. Give Hamilton the right tools and he’ll be there competing at the top. When things click and the motivation to compete is back, oh my god, Hamilton will be unstoppable.” He concluded: "The car isn’t getting better for Charles Leclerc either. The faster Ferrari’s team and engineers listen to Hamilton on how to make the car better, the better it will be for the team in the long term."
“Give Hamilton the right tools”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferra...-things-around
Ferrari must listen to what Lewis Hamilton told Niki Lauda during his toughest season at McLaren
14 Nov 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton’s conversation with Niki Lauda should guide Ferrari on how to make their F1 comeback. Hamilton continued: “Then, when people start questioning how good you are, and people say, oh, this person must be better, it’s frustrating that you can’t react and fix it by going faster because you don’t have the car. “That great thing for me was knowing that my team weren’t going to give up. If they’ve given up, then why are we racing?”
“I want to be a part of a team that always pushes, because for me, when I’m driving a car, whether it’s good or bad, I’m always pushing, So, I want the team to have the same mentality. And for sure, if I were with a team that didn’t have that mentality, then I’d be in the wrong place. Each weekend when they feel negative, I try to pull them up and hey, we can do it.”
‘Ferrari must listen’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/features...on-at-mclaren/
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Ferrari’s ‘burning’ regret from the Adrian Newey deal that never happened.
Ferrari still licking their ‘wound’ after Adrian Newey turned them down in 2024.
Kieran Smith
msn.com
Ferrari were heavily tipped to sign Adrian Newey after his resignation from Red Bull, with Fred Vasseur closing in on what many thought could be an all-star team. But after four months of speculation following his May resignation, Newey joined Aston Martin instead last September. Lawrence Stroll lured him to his ambitious project with the stakeholding role of managing technical partner.
The report notes that the ‘wound’ of Newey’s rejection ‘still seems to be burning’ for Ferrari. They would be far more optimistic about next year if he was on board. Newey seemed ‘very close’ to joining the Italian marquee but walked away from the negotiations when Aston Martin made a more favourable offer. Ferrari will still be wondering how exactly they let one of the highest-rated engineers in the sport slip through their fingers.
‘Ferrari’s ‘burning’ regret’;
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/moto...ed/ar-AA1GAqkQ
REAL REASON FERRARI REJECTED NEWEY
August 15, 2024
The Judge
Ferrari’s failed pursuit of Adrian Newey: Was technical control the deciding factor? In what could be considered one of the most significant missed opportunities in recent Formula One history, Ferrari’s pursuit of Adrian Newey – widely regarded as one of the most brilliant design minds in the sport – has ended in disappointment.
The real reason behind Ferrari’s refusal: Newey’s demand: While Ferrari were undoubtedly keen to secure Newey’s services, it seems that the British designer’s demands were simply too much for the team. According to former F1 driver Robert Doornbos, Newey not only demanded a salary double that of his Red Bull salary, but also wanted “more control over the technical staff”. This demand for greater authority, which included bringing in a large number of his own engineers, may have been the main reason why Ferrari eventually pulled out of the deal.
Ferrari’s engineering department is one of the most storied and established in the sport, with a rich history of success and a deeply rooted culture. The prospect of integrating a large group of Newey’s preferred engineers – potentially up to 20 additional staff – would have meant a significant disruption to this existing structure. Such a move could have been seen as destabilising, particularly in a team where continuity and tradition are highly valued. Engineering control: The elephant in the room for Ferrari. The potential for disruption posed by Newey’s demands is likely to have played a significant role in Ferrari’s decision to walk away from the negotiations.
‘Demand for greater authority’;
https://thejudge13.com/2024/08/15/re...ejected-newey/
Ferrari Civil War: Steiner Torches Elkann Over Driver Jab
November 14, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Guenther Steiner calls out Elkann over public jab at Hamilton and Leclerc: “That’s not leadership” Ferrari needed a pressure valve after São Paulo. John Elkann chose a megaphone. The Ferrari president’s broadside at his own drivers — urging Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to “talk less” after the team slumped again — has landed about as well as a cross-threaded wheel nut. And Guenther Steiner, never short of an opinion, thinks the boss crossed a line.
Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, the former Haas team principal said Elkann’s public dressing-down of his star pairing was the wrong message, in the wrong forum. “He’s the boss, he can critique,” Steiner said. “But not in public. It doesn’t show good leadership to say ‘mechanics are great, engineers are great, but the drivers are not’ in front of the world.”
Ferrari’s season, once talked up as a title bid, has shrunk into a scrap to salvage the top end of the Constructors’ table, with the team sitting fourth and the races running out. Brazil was the latest bruise: a double DNF and a long flight home with more questions than answers. Elkann’s reaction was pointed. He praised pit crews and engineers — “always first” in their execution, he said — then jabbed at the rest. Drivers, he added, should “focus on driving, talk less,” and keep sight of the target: second in the championship still on the table.
‘John Elkann chose a megaphone’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/ferrari-...er-driver-jab/
Civil war is the last thing Ferrari needs
In the post-São Paulo Grand Prix edition of The Scoop, I delve into Ferrari chairman John Elkann's comment in the aftermath of a miserable trip to Brazil for the Scuderia and why it is the last thing the Scuderia needs.
13 November 2025
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Italian team's chairman, John Elkann, went on the offensive, openly criticising the British driver and team-mate Charles Leclerc. Seemingly aggrieved by the pair being perhaps too honest with the media one too many times, and in the wake of a painful, double-DNF São Paulo Grand Prix, he aired his personal feelings.
Hamilton had claimed he was living in a "nightmare" and that slumping to fourth in the constructors' championship standings is a "disaster" and a "disappointment for everyone in the team". With just three rounds to run, Ferrari now finds itself 36 points adrift of Mercedes in the runner-up spot it secured last year, and four points off Red Bull in third.
Leclerc, meanwhile, labelled the development "frustrating" and argued the rest of the campaign needed to be "perfectly executed" to stand any chance of fighting for second place. Evidently, Elkann felt he had seen and heard enough, taking matters into his own hands, calling on the pair to "talk less" whilst talking up every other aspect of the team.
‘Why it is the last thing the Scuderia needs’;
https://racingnews365.com/civil-war-...-ferrari-needs
Italian media erupts after Elkann blasts drivers
NOVEMBER 12, 2025
GrandPrix.com
Ferrari president John Elkann's extraordinary public rebuke of his Formula 1 drivers continues to dominate headlines in Italy, dividing opinion across the country's major sports newspapers.
Writing in Corriere della Sera, Daniele Sparisci said the presidential outburst was addressed specifically to Lewis. Some of Charles's comments could have been irritating”, he noted, "but the message was for Hamilton. The honeymoon is over.”
Luigi Perna in La Gazzetta dello Sport shifted the focus from the drivers to the team's broader failings. “They're the only top team not to have won a single race this season”, Perna wrote. "In fact, their last victory was the 2024 Mexican GP with Carlos Sainz - the very driver management dismissed to make way for Hamilton. Ferrari has now gone 25 races without a win, the sixth-worst drought in its history.”
‘Extraordinary public rebuke’;
https://www.grandprix.com/news/itali...s-drivers.html
Ferrari receives ‘beatings will continue until morale improves’ advice after Elkann statement
13 Nov 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
After Ferrari president John Elkann’s criticism echoed across the motorsport world, former Aston Martin and McLaren figure Bernie Collins has been left asking: “what has that gained for Ferrari?” “The beatings will continue until morale improves.”
“There used to be a saying when you were in the garage: ‘The beatings will continue until morale improves.’ And that’s a bit the situation, isn’t it? What has that gained Ferrari? Not a lot.”
“Charles Leclerc and Lewis have not been there that long, either of those,” she stated. “So there’s something else, fundamentally, when you look at the investment Ferrari put in and what they’re getting out in terms of championship points, as a team, as a constructor.”
‘After Ferrari president John Elkann’s criticism echoed’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/bernie...ferrari-advice
Ferrari ‘sources’ shared the truth about the team’s problems before John Elkann blamed the drivers
14 November 2025
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari have been open regarding their struggles with the SF-25 before John Elkann’s damning verdict. Elkann was certain, in his comments, that the drivers were the root cause of Ferrari’s issues, as he highlighted that the hard work of engineers in Maranello was satisfactory, and the car wasn’t the issue.
The ride height issue has plagued the Prancing Horse throughout their efforts in 2025, which was the reason for their disqualifications in China and hindered a potential win for Leclerc in Hungary. In an attempt to fix this issue, Ferrari ignored the wishes of Hamilton and Leclerc, who felt like the car would have benefited more from some aero updates that were made redundant by the new suspension.
As it turned out, the suspension upgrade proved to throw even more spanners in the works, as it made the car less sensitive to setup changes. This means that their star drivers are now unable to tweak setups on race weekends to their individual needs.
‘Elkann was certain, in his comments, that the drivers were the root cause of Ferrari’s issues’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...d-the-drivers/
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Lawrence Stroll Vows Not to Stop Until Aston Martin Become World Champions.
Lawrence Stroll has reaffirmed his determination to turn Aston Martin into Formula 1 world champions, declaring that he will not “give up” until his ambitious mission is complete.
November 1, 2025
James Rees
F1 Chronicle
Speaking on the team’s official YouTube channel, Stroll said the partnership represents a major leap forward for Aston Martin’s long-term competitiveness. “The whole team’s forming into place and we’re looking forward to next year, to a huge rules and regulation change,” Stroll said.
“Another huge step we have Honda being our power unit partner. Being a works team for the first time in our life is a whole different experience. Designing an engine that’s mated together with a power unit as one, rather than being a customer and just being delivered an engine, is a tremendous step forward.”
Stroll made clear that his commitment to the project remains unwavering as the team continues its climb toward the front of the grid. “A tremendous amount of excitement is happening,” he said. “I’m relentless. I don’t give up until the mission is completed. In this case, the mission is being world champions.” With a strengthened technical lineup, a new works partnership with Honda, and a clear long-term vision, Aston Martin’s next phase under Stroll’s leadership is shaping up to be its most ambitious yet.
“The mission is being world champions”;
https://f1chronicle.com/lawrence-str.../?nowprocket=1
‘Relentless’ Lawrence Stroll’s firm message as Aston Martin ‘mission’ ramps up
5 Nov 2025
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Aston Martin executive chairman, Lawrence Stroll, said he will not give up on Aston Martin’s mission of being world champions. “I’m relentless. I don’t give up until the mission is completed,” Stroll said in an interview on the team’s website. “In this case, the mission is being world champions. I’ve been fortunate enough and successful in all the ventures I’ve done. This is the most passionate I’ve been, the most heartfelt, which drives me more, excites me more, frustrates me more.”
With Stroll having been at the forefront of the team’s transformation from one of the smallest on the grid to a much larger operation, he highlighted just how big a difference their new Silverstone base will make to their plans. “When I took over this team, about six years ago, I said, ‘It’ll be a 10-year journey to winning a Formula 1 World Championship’,” he explained. “You’re now witnessing the premises that we’ve built in order to provide the tools.”
‘Relentless’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lawren...mission-update
Lawrence Stroll outlines Aston Martin’s final ‘mission’ ahead of Formula 1’s 2026 ruleset changes
30 October 2025
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Speaking in a YouTube video on Aston Martin’s official channel, Stroll expressed his excitement for the upcoming season, saying, “The whole team’s forming into place and we’re looking forward to next year, to a huge rules and regulation change. “Another huge step, we have Honda being our power unit partner, being a works team for the first time in our life is a whole different experience.”
“Designing an engine that’s mated together with a power unit as one rather than being a customer engine and just being delivered an engine. So, a tremendous amount of excitement is happening. I’m relentless. I don’t give up until the mission is completed. In this case, the mission is being world champions.”
“The whole team’s forming into place”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/law...leset-changes/
Adrian Newey signing ‘monumental’ as Lawrence Stroll issues Aston Martin progress update
2 Nov 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Lawrence Stroll, the executive chairman of the Aston Martin F1 team, has described the signing of Adrian Newey as “monumental” to the squad’s future hopes. “First was putting together the facilities. Most important was putting together the team of people. Obviously, getting Adrian Newey to join was monumental. He’s been with us since the beginning of March.”
He told Aston Martin’s official website: “There’s a loyalty behind this 112-year-old British iconic institution, this brand Aston Martin. There’s a tremendous amount of British pride in this factory. They want to bring their national team to the top step of Formula 1.”
“There’s always been a very high level of intensity in this sport and I provide the right leadership and let these people do their jobs. I don’t know how to build or engineer a Formula 1 car as well as the engineers do, so I give them support, give them the tools, give them the people, the finances, give them everything they need in order to not have any roadblocks.”
“Getting Adrian Newey to join was monumental”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian...pdate-progress
"Winning is what we're here for," insists Lawrence Stroll
02/11/2025
NEWS STORY
Pitpass
"Winning is what we're here for," Aston Martin executive chairman Lawrence Stroll declares. "Success is measured here by how you perform. For us, the ultimate goal is to be World Champions. Now we need to give it some time for everybody to gel and to work to bring these new exciting rules and regulations that are coming in next year to our level of expectations."
Admitting that this season, which sees his team in a four-way battle for sixth in the standings, has been a disappointment, he says: "You have to filter the highs and the lows and be monotone. You can't get too excited when it's really great, and you can't get too down. There's always next weekend. There are 24 weekends.”
"It's a long season. Each weekend is not the end of the world. It's one piece of 24 races over a year. You have to put it all into context, and one year is only one year out of a journey of many years." It is widely anticipated that 2026 is when Lawrence's true vision for the team will begin to take shape, as the piece of the jigsaw fall into place.
“One year is only one year out of a journey of many years";
https://www.pitpass.com/81464/Winnin...awrence-Stroll
Stroll: Newey arrival at Aston ‘monumental’ but patience needed
06/11/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll has described the arrival of legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey as a “monumental” step in the team’s pursuit of world championship glory – but insists it’s just one of many crucial pieces in a much bigger puzzle being built at Silverstone.
While Stroll’s ambitions for Aston Martin are crystal clear – nothing short of championship contention – he’s also pragmatic about the road ahead. “The biggest challenge now is putting everything together, making it all happen,” he admitted. “I’m quite confident it will, but you have to have the patience.”
The Canadian billionaire’s message is unmistakable: Newey’s arrival might be the headline, but it’s the synergy – of talent, technology, and tenacity – that will drive Aston Martin’s push to the top. With a reinvigorated team, a brand-new technical direction, and the pride of a nation behind them, the Silverstone squad looks ready to take the next step. And if Stroll’s confidence is anything to go by, that “monumental” leap might just land them right on the summit of Formula 1.
‘Much bigger puzzle being built at Silverstone’;
https://f1i.com/news/552683-stroll-n...ce-needed.html
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EXCLUSIVE: Ferrari F1 boss has 'undermined' Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc with public comment.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will feel "demoralised" and "undermined" by public criticism from Ferrari's top boss. That is the view of Formula 1 legend Damon Hill after executive chairman John Elkann this week told both drivers to "focus on driving and talk less".
16 Nov 2025
Daniel Moxon
The Mirror
Exclusive: After John Elkann told drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to 'talk less' 1996 F1 champion Damon Hill admits his 'surprise' at the Ferrari chairman's comment. He told Mirror Sport: "I saw the interview. I was a bit surprised at what I heard and I think a lot of people were. I didn't notice [the drivers] saying anything outrageous, maybe I missed a few quotes somewhere. I don't know what's happened. They're going to be critical. They're part of the team, but drivers are sort of the end-user of the product. They're not likely to say that everything's wonderful when it clearly isn't.”
"It's a Formula 1 organisation and so there are a lot of moving parts in there. [Ferrari] have not really covered themselves in glory. They've had too many ups and downs this year." He explained: "It can be quite... I don't know what the right word for it is. It's not humiliating, but it can be demoralising a little bit. I'm sure he must have said that to them in private, but when you say something in public, then it can be undermining.”
"But, ultimately, the Ferrari boss pays them and they're there to do a job, so that is always the relationship. You're supposed to be working for the team. If they've been saying the wrong things, you're going to get some kickback every now and then. It does highlight the fact that the driver is someone who's passing through and the team stays, particularly a team like Ferrari, is there forever. Or a long time, anyway."
"Demoralised" and "Undermined";
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...mment-36248182
Villeneuve defends Hamilton and Leclerc: 'It's Elkann who's done this'
15 Nov 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Jacques Villeneuve has voiced some perplexity over John Elkann’s recent remarks about Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The 1997 world champion, speaking to a betting site, noted a recurring trend in Ferrari’s relationships with its drivers over the years, with ties gradually deteriorating, especially with certain champions. “We shouldn't be surprised because remember how it ended up with Prost, with Mansell, with Alonso, with Vettel. It seems to be a trend at Ferrari. Ferrari comes first. And Ferrari will always protect Ferrari.”
“I didn't see comments that were detrimental to the team coming from the drivers. So, it's the chairman who's done this, but this came just after winning the WEC. I guess he was pinpointing how amazing the team in WEC did, compared to F1. But it's a different ball game. It was a bit shocking, but it seems to be the Ferrari way when you look at the past. Most drivers have broken their teeth there, most drivers with personality. It's a strange environment.”
“I don't see how those comments can be helpful, not least in creating a positive mindset because they've always seemed to be quite united with their team. They both seemed to be using their social media channels to call for unity. The energy at Ferrari is not great, which is not surprising. It’s been years of not winning. There were high hopes this year, so it's been a big letdown. Emotions run high. The problem is that when it gets out into the media, it gets dirty and that's never a nice thing. Then it gets bigger than it is and it can get out of control mostly with the fans and the media.”
“And Ferrari will always protect Ferrari”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ville...whos-done-this
Ralf Schumacher tells Charles Leclerc what he ‘definitely’ should do after John Elkann’s outburst
15 November 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari are facing turmoil once again in the 2025 F1 season after chairman John Elkann stated that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton should “focus on driving and talk less”. Leclerc has largely carried Ferrari this term, having scored 214 of their 362 points so far, yet the 28-year-old still found himself in Elkann’s crosshairs. So, Ralf Schumacher thinks Leclerc should ask Elkann why he made his remarks but also get his manager to find him a “Plan B”.
Schumacher has also suggested that the recent reports linking Leclerc with a move to Aston Martin might have inspired Elkann’s attack. F1 Oversteer understands that Aston Martin are interested in signing Leclerc in 2027, as they may replace Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Leclerc has frequently been the subject of speculation concerning his future with Ferrari this year, and Elkann’s remarks have not helped to stop the gossip. It is now said that Leclerc can leave Ferrari for free in 2026, even if he were to win the F1 drivers’ championship next year.
His manager, Nicolas Todt, is also said to have already been searching for the potential back-up plan that Schumacher now claims Leclerc needs. It is thought that Leclerc’s manager has approached Red Bull to discuss the possibility of a drive being available for the 2027 season. While Ferrari signed Leclerc to a £20m a year contract extension in January 2024 that is due to run through 2029, his deal includes release clauses that could open the exit door in 2026. So, Elkann should hope Ferrari ace the 2026 F1 regulations instead of attacking their drivers.
“Plan B”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ral...anns-outburst/
Ferrari president accused of ‘bad leadership’ after attack on Hamilton and Leclerc
14 Nov 2025
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
Ferrari president John Elkann has been criticised for attacking his own drivers and former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner suggested it was bad leadership from the Ferrari chief. “He is allowed to critique because in the end he’s the boss, but I think he shouldn’t do that in public,” Steiner said on the Red Flags podcast.
“With Lewis, you know, but Charles, the guy puts his heart and soul into this, everything. What more do you want from Charles? It is not showing good leadership saying ‘this guy is doing it right, the mechanics are good, the engineers are good, but you guys are bad’ in public. And no comment about Fred [Vasseur].”
“I find it weird to say the least, to make a comment like this, from a person at that level of the company – the highest level. He doesn’t have to ask anybody to do it or not to do it.”
‘Bad leadership’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...harles-leclerc
Ferrari receives ‘out of control’ warning after ‘shocking’ chairman statement
17 Nov 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Jacques Villeneuve believes that this situation is nothing new with Ferrari, though warned the team of the perils which come with it spilling out into the public domain. “A driver is not an employee of the team, he’s an independent. And he’s a human being, so you also take a personality, you take drivers that also can think, who can help move the team forward. They’re not little robots that you put in a place and basically do everything you want, just at the move of a fingertip.”
“It’s part and parcel of sports. You have emotions, you have energy, and it will go both ways. And I’m sure that’s what happened with the chairman as well. The emotions of winning and then a bad weekend result-wise in Brazil. So, the two mixed together created a big reaction. We live in an era where everything gets multiplied, whether it’s on social media or gets over-analysed. But I don’t see how those comments can be helpful, not least in creating a positive mindset because they’ve always seemed to be quite united with their team.”
“They both seemed to be using their social media channels to call for unity. Obviously, the energy at Ferrari is not great, which is not surprising. It’s been years of not winning. There were high hopes this year, so it’s been a big let-down. So, of course the emotions run high. The problem is that when it gets out into the media, it gets dirty and that’s never a nice thing. Then it gets bigger than it is and it can get out of control mostly with the fans and the media.”
‘Ferrari receives ‘out of control’ warning’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/jacque...ement-shocking
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Guenther Steiner puzzled by McLaren duo's “very weird” F1 form switch.
Guenther Steiner cannot understand how the script has flipped in the intra-team F1 title battle at McLaren.
16 Nov 2025
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says he has “never seen anything like” the contrasting form switch between McLaren’s drivers in the F1 title race. “What Oscar did until five races ago, now Lando is doing. It’s the complete opposite. It’s like they said ‘let’s switch roles now’. It’s very weird, I’ve never seen anything like this and I didn’t expect it. I don’t think many people expected it.”
“For Lando, becoming world champion, obviously it puts you in a different bracket of drivers, if you won a world championship. That’s where he will be and I think his confidence will be very high,” Steiner explained.
“What does it do for McLaren? For next year, we don’t know who is where next year with the regulations, but for sure it proves them right what they did, that they didn’t interfere with the championship battle. They can go away with that one and I think they will milk that one if it happens.”
“What Oscar did until five races ago, now Lando is doing. It’s the complete opposite”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108647...f1-form-switch
Piastri resents McLaren's direction change after Norris' dominant win
16 Nov 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Oscar Piastri saw 'flashes' of his old self in Brazil, but stated that McLaren had slowed between Friday and Sunday, a weekend throughout which teammate Lando Norris dominated unopposed. "Things have not been going easily, that's for sure, I think," he said after the race in Sao Paulo. "This weekend, there were definitely moments and flashes where I felt very comfortable. In practice, things were coming much more easily again.”
"Things felt really good. It kind of went away from us a little bit through the weekend. I think even just our pace as a team, I don't think was as strong as it was on Friday. The car kind of went in a direction that I wasn't a big fan of, but we tried our best to get the car in a good window." Already in the Sprint race on Saturday morning, his hopes of having a successful Sprint weekend went awry as a Turn 3 crash cut his race short, one of the many things Piastri claims are currently "going wrong."
He continued: "Obviously, the sprint crash made things much more difficult as well. So, you know, there's just a lot of things going wrong at the moment. But I think there's still flashes of really strong pace and it's just about trying to make sure I've got that all the time," he concluded.
‘Oscar Piastri saw 'flashes' of his old self’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/piast...s-dominant-win
Oscar Piastri highlights 'trend' during F1 form slump
Oscar Piastri has endured a difficult run of form of late, placing his F1 title aspirations in doubt.
15 November 2025
Fergal Walsh & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Oscar Piastri has stated he has been enduring a “trend” of having to drive his McLaren car differently compared to the rest of the year at recent rounds. Piastri detailed the decline is rooted in not being able to drive the car the same way as he did in the early stages of the campaign. “The last three weekends in particular are a similar trend,” he told media including RacingNews365.
“Austin, I had to drive very, very differently. Mexico, the same. It’s one thing adapting to different conditions, but when the way you’ve driven for the whole season has worked so well, it’s difficult to go away from that. There’s been a lot of learning on that side of things and trying to adapt to different things.”
“I think [in Brazil], practice was really, really strong. It felt like I couldn’t go slow in practice. Then through the rest of the weekend, things just went away from us a bit more. The soft tyre was obviously behaving very strangely and it was hardly better than the medium. The grip conditions [on Saturday] were very bizarre. To not go any quicker from Q1 to Q3 is almost unheard of, especially after so much rain.”
‘Piastri detailed the decline is rooted in not being able to drive the car the same way as he did in the early stages of the campaign’;
https://racingnews365.com/oscar-pias...-f1-form-slump
Juan Pablo Montoya says Oscar Piastri has given up after hearing his comments on McLaren team orders
14 November 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
An error from the McLaren mechanics left Norris behind his teammate, but Piastri suggested this was ‘part of racing’ before backing down. Two weeks later in Baku, he crashed out twice, once in Q3 and once on the opening lap of the race. “Ultimately, a combination of quite a few things [led to the mistakes],” he said. “Obviously, the race before that was Monza, which I didn’t feel was a particularly great weekend from my own performance, and there was obviously what happened with the pit stops.”
These comments were put to Juan Pablo Montoya on the AS Colombia YouTube channel. The McLaren legend, who backs the team over their controversial car swap in Italy, fears that Piastri has ‘mentally given up’. “The problem with saying that is that it means he’s mentally given up,” the Colombian warned. “Those are the first symptoms that the relationship with McLaren is going to sour. I said it, whoever doesn’t become champion, they’re going to suffer and it’s going to cost them.”
‘Mentally given up’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jua...n-team-orders/
Montoya says harmony between McLaren’s drivers ‘will sour'
16/11/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
“The dynamic at McLaren will change, whoever wins the championship,” Juan Pablo Montoya told betting website Poker Strategy. “I think the relationship between the drivers and the team will go sour, because one will say you didn’t do enough to help me win the championship. It will be hard to keep both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris happy. How will they manage the ‘papaya rules’ next year?” Montoya said.
Reflecting on the broader picture, Montoya insisted that the team’s in-house rules alone won’t dictate the outcome if McLaren’s car isn’t competitive. “Those rules become irrelevant if McLaren don’t have a competitive car next year. That’s the million-dollar question still, who will have the dominant car next year?”
“It could be Alpine, Aston Martin, Mercedes, we don’t know. If Red Bull ends up being slower than most other cars, Max Verstappen probably won’t even stay the whole year. He’ll take a sabbatical.” Montoya sees the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix as a critical moment for the internal title duel. “I predict Red Bull to win the Las Vegas Grand Prix,” he said. “I think Max Verstappen will be really good. Lando Norris will finish on the podium, the big question is, has Oscar Piastri given up?”
‘Harmony will sour';
https://f1i.com/news/553672-montoya-...will-sour.html
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‘Not now. Not ever’: F1’s killing season with no end as public smackdown reveals brutal truth.
Formula 1’s most successful team is also its most violent. No team has won as much the Scuderia, but no team is as well practised at self-immolation as the men and women of Maranello.
November 17th, 2025
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)
No individual is bigger than any F1 team, but in Maranello the team is definitely bigger than the driver. It’s been an unwritten rule for practically as long as Ferrari has competed: the team and its car aren’t up for criticism. Consider in 1991 that Alain Prost was sacked with a race to run after likening his Ferrari’s handling characteristics to that of a truck. That comment was only part of the reason he was dismissed, with politics behind the scenes sealing the deal, but the fact it was good cover illustrates that drivers at Ferrari are expected to conduct themselves in a certain way.
Sebastian Vettel had arrived at Ferrari as a four-time champion and heralded as the driver to win the team’s first title of any description since 2008. He arrived from Red Bull Racing, which had dominated the first four years of the decade and was the only one to beat Mercedes in 2016. Unsurprisingly he attempted to mould Ferrari into what he knew was title-winning shape. It didn’t go down well with management. “Everybody has to earn their position and salary,” then principal Maurizio Arrivabene said pointedly at the time. “Sebastian just needs to focus on the car.” ‘Stick to driving’ seemed to be the message. ‘We know what we’re doing.’ Ferrari’s title drought has continued.
Sebastian Vettel’s story offers a fascinating parallel at the end of a year in which Lewis Hamilton’s struggles have been a major talking point. After the mid-season break Lewis Hamilton revealed that he’d been preparing and sending the team documents about changes he felt needed to be made to get Maranello into title-winning shape and to help him get the best from himself. His notes went to structural issues as well as problems with the car. This is entirely unsurprising. Ferrari didn’t shell out for Hamilton just for fun. Elkann argued that there’s “no doubt” the car has improved, but the data doesn’t back that up. Comparing every team’s fastest lap of the weekend to the overall fastest shows Ferrari is comfortably the slowest car among the frontrunners.
‘It’s always killing season at Ferrari’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...237e45cd1bbff0
Ecclestone tough on Elkann: 'He is now even insulting his two drivers'
17 Nov 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Bernie Ecclestone playfully said he “wouldn’t rule out” Christian Horner for a potential move to Ferrari, following comments made by president John Elkann. Speaking to Blick, the former F1 chief reacted to a photo of himself and Christian Horner wearing Aston Martin gear, pointing out: “Another team that I should buy with Horner. But didn’t technical genius Adrian Newey leave Red Bull for Aston Martin because he didn’t want to work with Horner anymore?”
When asked which team would welcome the former Red Bull CEO and team principal, the English businessman’s answer spoke volumes: "I wouldn't rule out Ferrari! There is only chaos there. And boss Elkann is now even insulting his two drivers." After twenty years of remarkable success, including 14 drivers’ and constructors’ titles, he left the Milton Keynes team last July, with Laurent Mekies — promoted from the sister team, Racing Bulls — taking over the role.
“And boss Elkann is now even insulting his two driver.";
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/eccle...is-two-drivers
Ferrari’s Fuse Lit: Is Leclerc Quietly Plotting His Escape?
November 18, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Ralf Schumacher: If I’m Leclerc, I’m building a Plan B away from Ferrari. Ferrari’s season has been edgy for weeks, but John Elkann’s Milan missive lit the fuse. The Ferrari chairman, fresh off a bruising Interlagos weekend, publicly told Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to “focus on driving, talk less.” In Maranello-speak, that’s not a nudge; that’s a shove.
Ralf Schumacher heard it the same way. Speaking on Sky Deutschland, he called the statement “very serious,” the kind of top-down pressure release you get when the big-ticket decision hasn’t paid off. And in his view, one driver shouldn’t just take it on the chin. “If I were Charles, I’d ask what that’s all about,” Schumacher said, essentially urging Leclerc to line up an exit route if the tone doesn’t change. The German was sympathetic to Leclerc’s season and ruthless on Hamilton’s: the most expensive personnel move in years, he argued, without the results to match.
Ferrari expected to arrive in 2025 as title fighters after dragging McLaren to the wire in last year’s Constructors’ finish. That promise has wilted. With three rounds left, the Scuderia is still hunting its first win of the year. Brazil only deepened the bruise: Leclerc was wiped out as collateral in the Piastri–Antonelli tangle, while Hamilton picked up terminal damage after tagging the back of Franco Colapinto’s Alpine. Two red cars, zero points.
‘In Maranello-speak, that’s not a nudge; that’s a shove’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/ferraris...ng-his-escape/
Ferrari warned of ‘vicious circle’ as Lewis Hamilton backed in Michael Schumacher 2.0 call
18 Nov 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Lewis Hamilton may be 66 points behind Charles Leclerc in the standings, but he is the Ferrari driver which the team must listen to for the future. That is the opinion of ex-Ferrari stalwart Francesco Cigarini, who claims that the Michael Schumacher era can be recreated with Lewis Hamilton, but only if Ferrari “listen to him” on how the car is developed. Cigarini claims that this would benefit Leclerc as well.
Cigarini has seen the glory days at Ferrari. He was a mechanic at the time when Michael Schumacher spearheaded the dream team which secured six consecutive Constructors’ titles between 1999-2005, while Schumacher won five Drivers’ titles in a row. In a Fanpage.it interview, Cigarini spoke of “total trust between driver and team” underpinning that golden era, “based on the knowledge that everyone was working towards a common goal. “Everyone took responsibility for their own role, and if they lost, they lost together.”
Cigarini is convinced that Hamilton can be Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher 2.0, but only if he is allowed to shape the team’s direction. “Hamilton brings knowledge and organisation typical of British teams, which are highly structured and different from Ferrari,” said Cigarini. “Today, something similar can be rebuilt with Lewis: signing a multiple world champion was the right choice, not only for marketing reasons but also for the experience he brings. The question is how much weight the team really gives to what he says. If he suggests something and is not listened to because ‘Leclerc is faster’, it becomes a vicious circle: the driver does not feel part of the technical management.”
‘Lewis Hamilton backed in Michael Schumacher 2.0 call’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...cesco-cigarini
Button to Elkann: Lead Ferrari Quietly, Not With Public Rebukes
November 19, 2025
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
‘Lead by example’: Button urges Elkann to keep Ferrari’s hard talks in-house. Jenson Button has added some bite to the debate around John Elkann’s public dressing-down of Ferrari’s drivers, suggesting the chairman should take his own advice and keep the conversations behind closed doors. This is the eternal Ferrari paradox. The Scuderia thrives on passion, but the glare of Maranello’s expectations can turn a spark into a wildfire. Public rebukes from the top might scratch an itch in the moment; they rarely sharpen the knife for Sunday. Button’s point is less about mollycoddling drivers and more about getting the best out of them — and two drivers of Hamilton and Leclerc’s quality, experience and stature respond best to clarity, not headlines.
“Communication is the best thing in anything,” Button added. “Especially in a team when you have thousands of people developing a car, and you’ve got two drivers that are two of the best in the world. Just go and have a chat.” It’s not hard to see why Button’s words landed. Ferrari are still fighting for position as the season winds down in 2025, and Elkann’s “talk less” line landed like a rallying cry mixed with a reprimand. The mechanics and engineers were publicly shielded; the implication was that the talking — and perhaps the noise around strategy, execution, and driver comments — had gone too far.
But if the aim is alignment, there’s a cleaner way to get there. Hamilton and Leclerc don’t need public motivation speeches; they need a united front and a car that behaves. They’ll talk when things aren’t right because that’s how feedback loops work in a high-performance environment. Tighten those loops, and the lap time tends to follow. Ferrari have been here before. The difference now is the calibre of the pairing, the depth of resource, and the opportunity still on the table. Elkann’s desire to steady the ship is understandable. Button’s reminder is that leadership isn’t just what you say — it’s where you choose to say it.
‘The Scuderia thrives on passion, but the glare of Maranello’s expectations can turn a spark into a wildfire’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/button-t...ublic-rebukes/
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Ferrari employee intervened during Charles Leclerc press conference after endless John Elkann questions.
John Elkann’s criticism of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton is on the minds of everyone in the paddock at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
20 November 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari’s PR told Leclerc and Hamilton to put on a ‘brave face’ as endless questions came their way about Elkann’s criticism. It got to the point where an employee told the media during the former’s press conference to ask him about Las Vegas. Journalist Andrew Benson recalled the ordeal on the Chequered Flag podcast: “It’s a typical Ferrari scenario, isn’t it? It was interesting, it was one of those press conferences where almost every question was about one subject.”
“To the extent that, by the time we got halfway through Charles Leclerc’s press conference, who was second, the Ferrari PR woman said: ‘Have you got any questions about Las Vegas?’ It took a while to get to the nub of it, but the key line, for me, out of Hamilton’s response was, he said that this season had reminded him of how resilient he was.”
“And I asked him whether it was fair to say that he should focus more on driving, could he focus more on driving. And he said: ‘No, not really, I wake up thinking about it, I go to sleep thinking about it and I think about it when I’m sleeping. If anything, I have to focus on being able to unplug more, it’s been a really heavy year’. So, they were fundamentally PR-centred in the responses, but I thought that one particularly was quite revealing.”
‘Have you got any questions about Las Vegas?’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...ann-questions/
'It's going to be trickier' – Norris wary of Las Vegas Grand Prix success despite back-to-back victories
Lando Norris believes this weekend in Las Vegas will be a greater challenge than previous races this season.
20 November 2025
Formula One - Official Site
"From the last two years it's certainly been the hardest race of the year that we've had," said Lando Norris during the pre-weekend press conference. "So my expectations are not to the same level as Mexico and Brazil where we've been performing very well for a good amount of years.”
"But we've had an excellent year, we've improved in places that we struggled in the past so I'm certainly coming in with more confidence than in previous years but not the same amount of confidence going into the last few races we've had. You never know, expectations are still high, I'm still coming here to win and to want to repeat the last few weekends I've had but I think it's going to be tricker for sure than the last couple."
‘Wary’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...DVZ8GagjN0lZVB
Lando Norris admits “worst on grid” weakness could ruin Las Vegas GP hopes
Lando Norris explains why he - and McLaren - could struggle at the Las Vegas GP
20 Nov 2025
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Speaking at the FIA press conference in Las Vegas, Norris conceded that his expectations aren’t as high as in Mexico or Brazil. “Apparently I am not allowed to say we’re not favourites anymore,” Lando Norris quipped. “From the last two years it’s certainly been the hardest race of the year that we’ve had. My expectations are not to the same level as Mexico, Brazil, where we’ve been performing very well for a good amount of years. We’ve had an excellent year.”
“We’ve improved in races which we have struggled in the past so I am coming in with more confidence than previous years but not the same amount of confidence going into the past few races that we’ve had. You never know. Expectations are still higher. I am still coming here to win and to want to repeat the last few weekends that I’ve had. I think it’s going to be trickier for sure than the last couple.”
“Apparently I am not allowed to say we’re not favourites anymore”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108703...vegas-gp-hopes
Oscar Piastri tipped to fight back in F1 championship at Las Vegas Grand Prix
19 Nov 2025
ABC Online
McLaren expects Oscar Piastri to regain form in the final three races of the F1 championship, despite the Australian trailing teammate Lando Norris on the drivers' standings. The Melburnian has failed to reach the podium in his past five races, prompting ex-world champion Damon Hill to suggest the 24-year-old is struggling.
"Oscar suddenly looks a bit forlorn, a bit under pressure," Hill recently said. But McLaren chief executive Zak Brown defended Piastri in the build-up to the Las Vegas Grand Prix. "Oscar's definitely fighting back," Brown said. "I think one of his greatest strengths is he just gets in the zone."
‘Oscar Piastri to regain form’;
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-...rris/106030732
Button claims Vegas is "Max's track" ahead of crucial race in title fight
19 Nov 2025
Owen Bradley
GPblog.com
Former Formula One driver and world champion, Jenson Button, has claimed that the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix will likely be won by Max Verstappen, with the Brit claiming that Vegas is "Max's track." Speaking on Verstappen's championship chances, Button said: "It's the track that Max needs to maximise everything. McLaren have just got to pick up as many points as they can and not lose out to Max."
Button added: "It's going to be super cold, there's also a chance of rain from what I've seen, which definitely will mix it up. It's kind of a fast track, Vegas. In the wet it would be very tricky. It's a shame to have seen Red Bull and Max drop away the last couple races, because it was a three-car fight for the championship. Now, it's definitely a lot trickier for him."
Button continued: "Still possible {for Max}, if they get those run of performances since the summer break. But it does feel that McLaren have picked it up a little bit and have been actually maximising what they have, whereas I think they probably weren't before." The Dutchman won the Las Vegas GP back in 2023, and was crowned champion at Las Vegas last season, as Norris fell out of mathematical championship contention. Will the shoe be on the other foot this season?
"Max's track";
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/butto...in-title-fight
Seven things we've learned from day one of F1's Las Vegas Grand Prix
Nov 20, 2025
The Race
Drivers play Elkann’s ‘hospital pass’ well: Lewis Hamilton peddled the line that "we all need to take responsibility in this team and we all need to play our part", while Charles Leclerc offered up the palpable nonsense that "the messages he [Elkann] wanted to send was a positive one". That was more than Elkann deserved, but it did clear up the mess left by the comments made.
Hadjar apologised to Lawson: Isack Hadjar said he immediately apologised to his Racing Bulls team-mate Liam Lawson for their “close moment” on the final lap of the Brazilian GP while they were fighting for seventh and eighth places.
Tsunoda’s nervous about his future: “If I say I'm not nervous, that would be a lie,” he said. “But it's just a similar situation to last year, right? Or again two years ago. So to be honest, I got used to it. That's part of this Formula 1.”
F1 drivers want guidelines fix: Carlos Sainz issued an impassioned plea to solve Formula 1’s ‘racing guidelines’ issues, defending Oscar Piastri, who he reckons shouldn’t have got a penalty for hitting Kimi Antonelli in Brazil.
Drivers: Wet Vegas will be 'nasty': Las Vegas is well known for being a low grip track with cold temperatures and minimal downforce making cars quite skittish even in the dry.
‘Seven things we've learned’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/s...as-grand-prix/
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FP1: Leclerc heads Albon and Tsunoda in opening Las Vegas practice session.
Charles Leclerc set the pace in Free Practice 1 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, as McLaren title rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggled for performance.
21 November 2025
Formula One - Official Site
Charles Leclerc set the pace in Free Practice 1 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver finishing ahead of Williams' Alex Albon and Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda. Leclerc posted a 1m 34.802s which left him 0.166s clear of Albon, with Tsunoda less than three-tenths behind during a session where championship rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri never featured towards the top of the times.
Leclerc and Max Verstappen proved to be the pacesetters from the outset, the Ferrari driver the first to set a sub 1m 36s lap with a 1m 35.954s on the medium Pirelli tyre after 20 minutes, before Verstappen lowered the benchmark by less than two-tenths.
Teams switched focus to running the soft compound of tyre for the second phase of the session, with Hamilton the first of the leading runners to use the red-walled tyres, registering a 1m 35.561s which was quickly beaten by team mate Leclerc.
‘Charles Leclerc set the pace’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...8KFlfFxEKhwOiz
2025 F1 Las Vegas GP – Free Practice 1 Results
Who looked strongest as F1 hit The Strip for the opening practice session?
21 November 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 Las Vegas GP 2025 FP1 results
Check out the full Las Vegas GP 2025 Free Practice 1 results from the first practice session in Nevada below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:34.802
2 Alexander Albon Williams +0.166
3 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +0.269
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.307
5 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.377
6 Lando Norris McLaren +0.456
7 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.497
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.648
9 George Russell Mercedes +0.732
10 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.736
‘FP1 results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...ice-1-results/
Charles Leclerc tops FP1 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix as Yuki Tsunoda outperforms Max Verstappen
21 November 2025
Rebecca Braybrook
F1 Oversteer
Charles Leclerc topped the timings during the first practice session of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend as Lando Norris struggled to find grip. McLaren brought two different rear wing specifications for the session, as teams used the first running to figure out the right mixture between downforce and mechanical grip.
Yuki Tsunoda impressed with quick lap times during the first practice session, topping the time sheets with 15 minutes remaining. The Japanese driver’s performance is critical this weekend as Red Bull continues to discuss who will partner Verstappen at the team in 2026.
Although the first practice session is not fully representative of how the results could pan out in Qualifying and the Race due to an earlier start, the start to the weekend looks reassuring for Ferrari and Red Bull.
‘Yuki Tsunoda outperforms Max Verstappen’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/cha...ax-verstappen/
Charles Leclerc fastest in FP1 for F1 Las Vegas GP, McLaren struggle
21 November 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in first practice for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, with both McLarens struggling to find pace. The Ferrari driver went fastest with a 1:34.80s, over one-and-a-half tenths ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon. Yuki Tsunoda was third, four hundredths ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen, with Carlos Sainz placing the other Williams in fifth, ahead of Lando Norris.
The cold temperatures were appearing to catch out many drivers, with a flurry of spins and lock-ups at Turn 14, the corner that truncates the fastest part of the complex. Whilst no major incidents happened, Norris brushed the wall midway through the session, telling the team over radio that he tagged it “pretty hard”.
‘McLaren struggle’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...aren-struggle/
Everything that happened in mixed up Las Vegas GP FP1
Nov 21, 2025
Matt Beer
The Race
Charles Leclerc led Alex Albon's Williams in a mixed-up start to Formula 1's Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend in Thursday afternoon's opening practice session. A slightly adjusted timetable for 2025 meant the new sight of F1 cars on the Vegas track at dusk initially rather than in full darkness, but with cold track temperatures and plenty of dust on the circuit meaning times well off the pace at first.
Ferrari, Williams and Red Bull generally looked the most comfortable cars in what may not turn out to be an especially representative session. Although Max Verstappen was quickest on the medium tyre runs and quickly went fastest on soft tyres too, Leclerc's repeated improvements cemented his and Ferrari's place on top by the end.
‘Ferrari, Williams and Red Bull generally looked the most comfortable cars’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...-vegas-gp-fp1/
Las Vegas GP: Leclerc tops FP1; Norris sixth
Nov 21, 2025
PA
ESPN.co.uk
McLaren have been the class of the field this year but the street circuit on the Strip has not been a venue which has suited their machinery in the previous two races staged here.
In the opening running of the weekend, Norris ran wide twice at Turn 12 on two quick laps and ended the one-hour session 0.456 seconds adrift. Piastri was even further back, 0.648 seconds off Leclerc's pace-setting Ferrari.
Verstappen is the only other driver left in championship contention, trailing Norris by 49 points - the equivalent of two victories - with only 83 points available across the final three contests, starting here in Nevada, and in Qatar and then Abu Dhabi.
‘The Strip has not been a venue which has suited their machinery’;
https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id...g-practice-fp1
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Las Vegas GP: Manhole cover drama leaves questions open as Norris rebounds in FP2.
Drain cover! Race Control announced: “Following a marshal report of a possible loose manhole cover before Turn 17, Race Control were unable to confirm this information from the CCTV available. The session has been red flagged as a precautionary measure and Race Control personnel are currently on site assessing the situation.”
21 Nov 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris finished second practice in Las Vegas quickest of all, but several of his rivals were on personal bests when the session was red-flagged for the second time for manhole cover issues. The championship leader posted a 1:33.602 to finish 0.029s ahead of Kimi Antonelli with Charles Leclerc, who has gear shift issues late in the session, third fastest.
FP2 got underway at 8pm local time… to silence. None of the drivers were eager to get out, with Pierre Gasly the first some six minutes into the hour-long session. Within minutes, the rest of the field poured out with Lewis Hamilton going quickest before Franco Colapinto took over – eight seconds to the good.
As the lap times stabilised as the drivers got their tyres up to temperature, Max Verstappen hit the front before Kimi Antonelli took over in the Mercedes with a 1:35.7. Championship leader Lando Norris, almost 20 minutes into the session, was the final driver to clock a lap time. Clearly not happy with the rear grip of his MCL39, he was backed off after a near-miss in the run-off area.
‘Drain cover!’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/las-ve...025-fp2-report
Las Vegas GP: Free Practice 2 Results
Full results from Free Practice 2 for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
21 Nov 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
Pos. No. Driver Team Time / Gap Laps
1 4 Lando Norris Mclaren 1:33.602 13
2 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.029s 18
3 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.161s 16
4 27 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber +0.277s 14
5 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.291s 16
6 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.299s 16
7 63 George Russell Mercedes +0.435s 18
8 23 Alexander Albon Williams +0.465s 17
9 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.503s 16
10 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.525s 17
‘Free Practice 2 Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-l...2-fp2-results/
Lando Norris tops chaotic FP2 as Las Vegas GP hit by fresh red-flag drama
McLaren star rises above the chaos as red flags disrupt vital night-time running
21 November 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport
The second practice session at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix was supposed to be the moment teams finally got a true read on their cars under race-representative conditions. Instead, the hour turned into a fragmented, stop-start affair defined by loose infrastructure, late-session confusion, and a flash of form from Lando Norris that leaves the title contender poised for a crucial weekend.
Race control suspended the session on reports from marshals of a possible loose drain cover at Turn 17 — an issue painfully familiar to Las Vegas after the notorious 2023 incident that severely delayed running during the event’s debut. A 15-minute inspection followed, with officials combing through the area as teams waited in the pit lane. When the green light finally returned with six minutes remaining, drivers rushed back onto the track to salvage whatever performance running they could.
But the reprieve was short-lived. Just minutes after resuming, another red flag flew, once again linked to concerns around the same section of the circuit. With little time remaining, the session was abandoned, leaving teams without the critical data normally gathered in FP2.
‘A fragmented, stop-start affair defined by loose infrastructure, late-session confusion’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/las...ssion-f1-2025/
Las Vegas GP: Loose drain cover causes multiple red flags in practice
Nov 21, 2025
Laurence Edmondson
ESPN.co.uk
The second practice session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix was red flagged twice on Thursday evening due to concerns over a loose manhole cover near Turn 17. The stoppages had shades of a similar incident at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix two years ago, during which a water valve cover came loose on The Strip and damaged the underside of Carlos Sainz's Ferrari.
The 2023 incident resulted in the first practice session ending early and second practice being delayed until the early hours of the following morning. Thursday's first stoppage came as a precaution after a trackside marshal reported concerns that a manhole cover appeared to be loose.
The suspension to the session allowed race control personnel to visit Turn 17 and inspect the manhole cover, with the FIA issuing a statement 15 minutes later that it was "confident everything is in a suitable condition to resume the session". However, in the closing stages of the session a second red flag was flown amid more concerns over the manhole, which ultimately timed out second practice.
‘FIA: "confident everything is in a suitable condition to resume the session"!’;
https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id...s-practice-fp2
Las Vegas Grand Prix: Loose manhole cover causes multiple red flags in practice
November 21, 2025
Laurence Edmondson
TSN
In the closing stages of the session a second red flag was flown amid more concerns over the manhole, which ultimately timed out second practice. "Some race control personnel remained on-site when the session was restarted," an FIA statement said after the second red flag. "They reported that the manhole cover was moving as cars passed over it, which led to the session being ended under red-flag conditions. Further inspections are underway."
Loose drain covers are not unusual at street circuits and tend to come unfixed due to the forces generated by the underside of F1 cars, which are designed to generate low pressure and suck the car to the track. Although the premature finish to Thursday's second practice marked the end of F1's schedule for the evening, F1 Academy was able to run its qualifying session 32 minutes after the end of FP2 with just a two-minute delay to the scheduled start time.
‘Multiple red flags’;
https://www.tsn.ca/motorsports/artic...e-n1-47044570/
FIA takes action after ‘track maintenance’ issue interrupts Las Vegas GP FP2
21 Nov 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
“Following a marshal report of a possible loose manhole cover before Turn 17, Race Control were unable to confirm this information from the CCTV available,” and FIA statement received by PlanetF1.com confirmed during the first red flag period. “The session has been red flagged as a precautionary measure and Race Control personnel are currently on site assessing the situation.” During that stoppage, officials visited and inspected the manhole in question, satisfying themselves that it was safe for running to resume.
Some Race Control personnel remained on-site when the session was restarted,” the statement said. “They reported that the manhole cover was moving as cars passed over it, which led to the session being ended under red-flag conditions. Further inspections are underway.” The delay impacted F1 Academy qualifying, which followed Free Practice 2, though lasted only two minutes before track action resumed. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is promoted by Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of Formula 1.
‘Track maintenance’/Loose manhole cover';
https://www.planetf1.com/news/fia-la...ce-fp2-manhole
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George Russell tops final practice for F1 Las Vegas GP, both McLarens bottom.
The Mercedes driver’s 1:34.054s saw him take top spot ahead of Max Verstappen, two tenths behind.
22 November 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
The session started with a damp track, as intermittent spits of rain persisted to fall upon Sin City. Drivers opted for Intermediate tyres, which were wearing off quickly.
George Russell topped the timesheets in final practice for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, in a session which saw both McLarens finish at the bottom of the order.
Alex Albon was third, with Isack Hadjar fourth. Lewis Hamilton was fifth, over a second off Russell’s time, with the second Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli sixth.
‘McLarens bottom’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...larens-bottom/
2025 F1 Las Vegas GP – Free Practice 3 Results
George Russell tops FP3 at the 2025 Las Vegas GP as Max Verstappen takes second and Alex Albon stars for Williams in a chaotic final practice
22 November 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
F1 Las Vegas GP 2025 FP3 results
Check out the full Las Vegas GP 2025 Free Practice 3 results from the third and final practice session in Nevada below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:34.054
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.227
3 Alexander Albon Williams +0.821
4 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +1.115
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +1.215
6 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +1.331
7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.385
8 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.479
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.486
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.508
‘FP3 results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...ice-3-results/
Las Vegas GP: Russell tops tricky FP3 - McLaren drivers suffer issues
22/11/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Mercedes ‘ George Russell mastered a fickle, drying Las Vegas Strip Circuit to top the third and final practice session ahead of qualifying, edging Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.227s.
With the track evolving rapidly after morning showers, the standings told only part of the story – especially for McLaren, which endured a bruising session at the bottom of the times.
The session began on a surface still damp from overnight rain, marking the first wet running of the weekend. Early tours on intermediate tyres were cautious and revealing: Alex Albon’s slide at Turn 5 underscored grip levels that hovered nearly 10 seconds off the expected dry pace.
‘Track evolving rapidly’;
https://f1i.com/news/554075-las-vega...er-issues.html
FIA reveal fix to Las Vegas GP drain covers after overnight inspections
A busy time for the FIA ahead of final practice for the Las Vegas Grand Prix
22 Nov 2025
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
The FIA has detailed the extensive overnight work carried out at the Las Vegas Grand Prix to prevent any repeat of the manhole cover failure that disrupted FP2. The second hour of practice in Las Vegas was disrupted by two red-flag stoppages.
Ahead of final practice and qualifying, the cover of the manhole has been welded to provide “further mitigation”. This has also been done to 14 additional manhole assemblies. “The manhole that prompted the red flag in FP2 was disassembled and further inspected,” the FIA said ahead of final practice. “A specific fault was found with the closure mechanism, and it was possible to address this issue overnight.”
“In addition to the work conducted to address the issue identified, the cover of this manhole has been welded to provide further mitigation. All other manhole covers on or close to the racing line were reinspected overnight, and additional welding was applied to a further 14 manhole assemblies.”
‘[15] manholes have been welded’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108716...ht-inspections
Russell fastest in final Las Vegas GP practice
Nov 22, 2025
The Straits Times
LAS VEGAS - Last year's winner George Russell of Mercedes topped the timesheets in the final free practice for the Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix on Friday, edging Red Bull's Max Verstappen and the Williams of Alexander Albon.
Russell posted a fastest time of one minute, 34.054, which was 0.227 seconds ahead of four-times world champion Verstappen, with Albon 0.821 behind the Mercedes. McLaren's championship leader Lando Norris struggled with an electrical issue with his car that limited his session.
The Briton, who has a 24-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri, was the fastest in Thursday night's second practice, which was twice red-flagged due to a suspected loose drain cover. Piastri lost telemetry in his car, which also curtailed his practice. He finished 19th and Norris 20th.
‘Russell fastest’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...as-gp-practice
