Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Albon and Sainz praise teamwork as Saudi Arabia double points finish puts Williams fifth in standings.
Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon both scored for Williams in Saudi Arabia to lift their team back above Haas into fifth in the standings. Sainz recorded his strongest finish of the season with eighth as he came home ‘best of the rest’ while Albon was hot on his heels in ninth.
21 Apr 2025
Formula One - Official Site

“I think today, honestly, we managed to nail a very good race and on top of that managed to help Alex to make sure he was getting in the points,” said Sainz. “So, very happy we managed to execute a very good race, even though the pit stop for the first time in the year [was] a bit compromised, a bit slow. We managed to push on, push forward and I did a very quick last lap showing the pace I had today was very good.”

It seems Sainz has turned a corner since his early struggles to get on top of the FW47, in Bahrain showing good pace until a collision ended his race while here he was able to hold his own in the top 10. “It was definitely a challenging start to the season, but it was always going to be with the adaption process,” he added. “I always warned it was not going to be easy, and I took it step by step, to be in race five at the level that I am… if I keep the philosophy I’m taking, I think we are going in the right direction.”

‘Teamwork’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...mYt01zJoWPAlwx


Carlos Sainz's proved his worth to Williams in the Saudi Arabian GP
Four-time race winner Carlos Sainz was one of the most enticing free-agents ahead of the 2025 season, and his race to eighth in Jeddah showed exactly why Williams fought for him
Apr 22, 2025
Jake Boxall-Legge
Motorsport.com

"The team asked me to give the DRS to Alex to make sure Hadjar didn't have a chance of passing us," Sainz recalled. "It's a tricky one because you always feel like it exposes you, especially in a high speed track where the DRS has a very big effect. You always get a bit nervous about it because you know from there on, you cannot put a foot wrong if you do a mistake or hit a wall or whatever.”

"But in the end it worked, and I could show my pace in in the last lap; I had a lot of pace, which is really good sign. It's not the same when it comes from your idea, because you know you're 100% sure – when it comes from the team, you always struggle a bit more to commit to it because it doesn't come natural for you. But I think we did the right call in the end.”

‘DRS to Alex’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/c...-him/10715907/


Williams F1 2025 Resurgence: A comeback in the making
Apr 22, 2025
Scott Gulbransen
Sportsnaut

Williams’ transformation extends beyond its drivers and leadership to its bold development strategy. In a move that underscores their forward-thinking approach, Vowles revealed that Williams was among the first teams to halt wind tunnel development on the current FW47, redirecting efforts to the 2026 car, the FW48, designed for the sport’s upcoming regulatory overhaul. This decision carries risks—rival teams may continue to refine their 2025 cars, potentially gaining an edge in the short term.

Yet, it reflects Williams’ commitment to building a championship-contending future, much like an NFL team investing in young talent while still competing for the playoffs. Sainz emphasizes the importance of the ongoing development of the FW47, as understanding its full potential will inform the design of the 2026 car, ensuring no opportunity for learning is missed.

‘Resurgence’;

https://sportsnaut.com/f1/formula-1-...ack-in-making/


Ocon admits Haas ‘struggled’ in Jeddah after P14 finish
20 Apr 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Esteban Ocon is already looking ahead to the next race in Miami after a difficult run to 14th place in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

‘Struggled’’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/oc...49609893267247


‘I wasn’t able to do much today out there’ admits Bearman after P13 finish in Saudi
20 April 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Ollie Bearman says Haas have work to do to find more pace after he finished 13th in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

‘Work to do’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/i-...50021328366449


‘If I would have been there’: Guenter Steiner claims he could have tempted a ‘very good’ driver to race for Haas in 2025 instead of Esteban Ocon
24 Apr 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Haas secured an all-new driver line-up for the 2025 F1 season, but Guenther Steiner would not have signed Esteban Ocon to join Oliver Bearman if he were still in charge. Guenther Steiner would have kept Nico Hulkenberg at Haas over signing Esteban Ocon. Steiner feels he might have been able to tempt Hulkenberg to stay at Haas instead of the 37-year-old moving to Sauber as a factory Audi driver if the Italian-American was still at their helm.

Hulkenberg signed a three-year, £16.5m Audi contract before Haas hired a successor. “I think I would have signed Ollie Bearman,” Steiner told the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast. “And what I always say is I would have tried to keep Nico because I think Nico is a very good driver. And I think, maybe, if I would have been there, maybe he would have stayed.”

‘If I would have been there’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gue...-esteban-ocon/


Unheard Fernando Alonso radio message from Saudi GP emerges and it's completely damning
23 Apr 2025
tom jenkins
Yahoo! Sport

During last week's race, Alonso was in constant dialogue with his race engineer, and the Spaniard was clearly baffled by the machine he had under him. "I can't do it. If I lose the DRS [of the car in front of him] I'm dead," he said. "I don't know how I could have lost the DRS having had DRS on the previous lap. I can't maintain this pace. It's crazy. The level of risk... is incredible. Pushing at this level is not sustainable," he added.

"We need three or four cars to finish out of the race to score a point," he claimed. “I gave everything on track and it was hard to keep up the pace with the cars in front – we were just not quick enough," he said via F1.com “P11 is the worst position probably, but we need to get used to it. It’s going to be difficult to score points this year.”

‘Damning’;

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/unh...163801962.html


Aston Martin reels from poor start, holds crisis meeting
23/04/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

The team has slipped further from the sharp end of the grid, prompting what team principal Andy Cowell described as a crisis meeting following another underwhelming race weekend in Saudi Arabia. “We’re getting together to have a think about what we’ve learned over this triple-header, and [ask] what do we do going forward?” Cowell revealed post-race. “Can we get more out of the car? Yes, I think we can.”

“100% of Adrian’s designing time is focused on ’26,” Cowell confirmed ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP. Alonso, ever the pragmatist, supports that approach despite the current struggles. “I think ultimately it’s his decision,” he said when asked if Newey should get involved with the AMR25. “He has enough experience, knowledge and background to know what is best. And I think he’s working only on 2026, so if he’s deciding that, I totally support that.”

‘Crisis meeting’;

https://f1i.com/news/536844-aston-ma...s-meeting.html


Adrian Newey ‘doesn’t go to meetings’ or ‘answer emails’ in Aston Martin progress update
25 Apr 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell lifted the lid on what Adrian Newey has been up to since arriving at the team in March. “From day one we made sure we prepared his working environment, he came in and went to meetings about the new rules, about the concepts we had worked on. We explained the countdown to the first test and the first race. And we pointed out all the deadlines for submitting information for the production of this [2026] car.”

“He went straight to work with engineers to do sketches on his drawing board. He’s in that design cycle to design fundamental parts of the car. Ninety per cent of the creation of a car is in the factory and that’s where we want Adrian. He has his office, everyone who walks past says that whenever they see him he’s always drawing on the whiteboard. Sure, he doesn’t go to meetings, he doesn’t answer emails, he’s just putting together a fast car – and we all support that process.”

“One-hundred per cent of Adrian’s designing time is focused on ’26,” said Cowell. “He joined in March, so there was a period of him getting up to speed with the regulations, up to speed with the concept work that we’ve been doing in the preceding couple of months. And there are some tough deadlines to meet for releasing monopod details, transmission details, and the cars are running earlier for the ’26 season.”

‘He’s always drawing on the whiteboard’;

‘Progress update’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian...plies-approach

[Fortitude]

Racing Bulls surprised by performance as they find "sweet spot".
Racing Bulls have found a “sweet spot” with their 2025 contender, delivering mostly consistent performance while Red Bull struggles.
Apr 18, 2025
Alex Harrington
Motorsport.com

Racing Bulls have started their 2025 Formula 1 season with huge success. The team, split between Milton Keynes and Faenza, has created a package that allows its drivers to extract consistent performance while its parent team Red Bull struggles with its operating window. According to racing director Alan Permane, the team has found a "sweet spot" that they're eager to fully utilise this weekend in Saudi Arabia.

"We knew after Bahrain that the car was decent, that's for sure," Permane explained to Motorsport.com and other media. "We didn't quite know it was as good as it turned out to be in Melbourne and certainly Shanghai and Suzuka were all good races, and then we went back to Bahrain and struggled last week." When asked if their car could be described as 'benign,' Permane was quick to agree.

"Sweet spot";

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/r...spot/10714574/


Lawson a different person after Red Bull stint
Racing Bulls boss Peter Bayer says Liam Lawson's tenure with the senior Red Bull team had a visible impact on the Kiwi..
25 Apr 2025
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

In the days that followed, the call was made to swap Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, with Red Bull boss Christian Horner insisting he had a duty of care to the 23-year-old. It’s proved a positive move for the Kiwi, who has bounced back well in the three events he had with the squad, though a result to show for it has still eluded him. “Honestly, I think it took a moment for him to digest,” Bayer said of Lawson’s return to Racing Bulls.

“First time I saw him when he came to Italy, he looked a bit sad. Honestly, that’s how I perceived him. He was a bit puzzled with everything that happened very quickly. But also, at the same time, he knew the people, the tools, the set-up. I really felt that very quickly he was returning to being the old Liam. He’s a great racer, somebody that has great humour, and that’s what we see now again.”

‘Different person’;

https://speedcafe.com/lawson-a-diffe...ed-bull-stint/


Helmut Marko thinks Isack Hadjar is impressed in one area that ‘newcomers struggle with’ in F1
23 Apr 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Isack Hadjar suffered a tough start to his Formula 1 career in Melbourne when he crashed on the formation lap. It was an embarrassing moment for Hadjar, however, he would end up being consoled by the father of Lewis Hamilton in the F1 paddock. Since the crash, the 20-year-old has gone from strength to strength, having scored points at both the Japanese and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen said he has been ‘incredibly impressed’ by Hadjar, having come back from his tough start and impressed in the races and qualifying sessions.

Discussing his progress in his latest Speedweek column, Helmut Marko has praised Hadjar for doing one thing F1 rookies often struggle to achieve in their first years. “In my view, Hadjar is the discovery of this first World Cup phase. The young Parisian did not know most courses, but was always immediately fast and made few mistakes, apart from the blunders in Australia,” said Helmut Marko. “Isack manages in the races what many Formula 1 newcomers struggle with – he shows consistently good lap times, while he handles the tyres very well. He delivers all this relatively unexcited.”

‘Incredibly impressed’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/hel...le-with-in-f1/


F1 EXPLAINS: Ask an F1 Team Principal with Alpine boss Oliver Oakes
25 Apr 2025
Formula One - Official Site

“You've got to balance what everybody wants, but also you’ve got to make the right choices for the team. You're never going to make everyone happy all the time.” Oakes leads drivers Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan, as well as the 900 people who work for the team at the racetrack and the factory in the UK.

“I don't see it as pressure,” he tells F1 Explains podcast presenter Christian Hewgill when asked about his role. “Obviously you have a big responsibility because you represent a lot of people, a brand, a team. I think I probably put more pressure on myself that I'm quite grumpy if I have a bad day or a bad result. I just want to do well anyway because that's who I am.”

“You never get the same feedback from both drivers,” says Oakes. “You need to delve into that – where are they both coming from? Sometimes they are both feeling the same thing, but it's coming from different ways. One could be feeling the tyres aren't working because of balance in the car. The other driver has the same feeling, but it's actually because of his tyre warm-up.
“I think a lot of it is almost letting them get it off their chest and then taking a bit of a breather and having a look into it.”

“You never get the same feedback from both drivers”;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...VHph93ZDehaqYz


Gasly explains ‘unfortunate’ Lap 1 clash with Tsunoda in Jeddah as chance for Alpine to score ‘good points’ goes begging
21 Apr 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Pierre Gasly has conceded that incidents such as his first-lap clash with Yuki Tsunoda at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix “should not happen”. Former team mates Gasly and Tsunoda retired in the opening moments at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with the pair colliding as they fought over eighth place.

“I was aware he was on the inside, so I left as much space as I could on the exit of the corner – I had already two wheels off the track. I had to keep my inside wheels obviously inside the white line to make the move past, but unfortunately there was this touch and it sent my car spinning.” Speaking before the stewards deemed it a racing incident, an assessment Tsunoda agreed with, Gasly was reluctant to expand on whether he thought one driver might be more to blame than the other.

‘Unfortunate’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...62ejeiEwV5b746


Doohan praises Alpine for removing pressure around his future with the team
24 Apr 2025
Formula One - Official Site

“To be honest, I haven’t really struggled with the pressure at all," Doohan said in the build-up to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. “For sure, there have been a couple of instances like in Australia and Japan which you could potentially say that they could be pressure-related, but in all honesty, being fully open, they both were not. And the team have done a great and amazing job as well to really take that away, especially internally, which has been nice. For me, I know the raw pace has been there since the start, so that’s also an inner confidence that I can take with me, to know that as much as there is always going to be pressure and presence, to know that it wasn’t getting to me.”

“I think we just have to focus on our strengths and if we put everything together on one lap, we can be there in Quali," said Doohan post-race. "I think then that will make everything a little bit easier, will make our strategy a bit more simple and would not pressure us into having to do such adventurous things to try to make up for it. Here, there was a lot more going on and some more difficulties, but we’ve got to keep our heads down and chins up.”

‘Inner confidence’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...iZEXvzPIVhYOH6


New F1 team boss signs key motorsport advisor
Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley has made a crucial appointment to his backroom team.
20 Apr 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

This year is a learning one for Wheatley ahead of the transition of a team, currently known as Stake, into a full-works outfit when Audi joins F1 for the first time next season. To aid him on his journey, Wheatley has appointed renowned motorsport figure Simon Sproule as a senior advisor. Recently explaining his early vision for the team ahead of its Audi transformation, Wheatley said: "It’s a small team that’s in the transition phase to becoming a fully-fledged works Formula 1 team.”

"There’s a myriad of projects that we need to get right. And one of those is meshing the people together. As a team, we need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, because change is coming. We have to be at the forefront of that, and we need to have a clear road map as to where we’re headed – and I believe we’re on that road map at the moment."

‘Crucial appointment’;

https://racingnews365.com/new-f1-tea...rsport-advisor

[Fortitude]

Wheatley vows to lead Kick Sauber ‘in my own way’ as he explains challenge ahead of Audi’s arrival.
“There’s an energy in the company in this transition from Sauber to the Audi Formula 1 project,” he said when asked how he was settling in during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. “I feel like I’m in absolutely the right place, to be honest.”
16 Apr 2025
Formula One - Official Site

For Wheatley, the project sees him complete another step up in his career as he takes on the role of a Team Principal for the first time, having started as a mechanic with Benetton back in 1991. And for much of his F1 career, the Briton has worked with some high-profile team bosses – most notably the sport’s current longest-serving Team Principal in Red Bull’s Christian Horner.

When asked what he had learned from Horner – who has been at the Red Bull helm since 2005 – Wheatley responded: “I think I’ve learned from everybody that I’ve worked with in this business over the last 34 years. I wouldn’t focus particularly on one individual, because there’s a learning exercise in this job every single day. I’ve been open to learning, open to listening, watching how people react.”

“People that you respect, people you’ve worked with for a long time – I worked at the last team for 19 years. I want to be my own Team Principal. I want to lead the team, along with Mattia, in my own way. I’ve always been pretty sure of my own thoughts and my own views. I have a plan for how we can start this transformation journey and carry the momentum through. And I’ll keep referring to it but it’s about the people – the people in the team. That’s my focus.”

“Energy in the company”;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...CaSEiXiV3WFXEf


New F1 team boss signs key motorsport advisor
Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley has made a crucial appointment to his backroom team.
20 Apr 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Jonathan Wheatley has made a key signing following his recent appointment as the new team principal at Sauber. To aid him on his journey, Wheatley has appointed renowned motorsport figure Simon Sproule as a senior advisor. Recently explaining his early vision for the team ahead of its Audi transformation, Wheatley said: "It’s a small team that’s in the transition phase to becoming a fully-fledged works Formula 1 team.”

"There’s a myriad of projects that we need to get right. And one of those is meshing the people together. As a team, we need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, because change is coming. We have to be at the forefront of that, and we need to have a clear road map as to where we’re headed – and I believe we’re on that road map at the moment."

‘Crucial appointment’;

https://racingnews365.com/new-f1-tea...rsport-advisor


Sauber urged ‘to get comfortable with being uncomfortable’ as Audi F1 switch looms
11 Apr 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Sauber boss Jonathan Wheatley has pushed the team “to get comfortable with being uncomfortable” as it prepares to assume the Audi moniker in Formula 1 in 2026. “Actually, I was just saying to the guys before we came in here, it’s exciting; I’m re-energised,” Wheatley told media including Motorsport Week in Bahrain.

“I feel like I’m in absolutely the right place, to be honest. My family and I, we’ve moved to Switzerland. It’s an amazing country, which I’ve kind of driven through but never stayed in, and honestly, we’re making it home for ourselves, and I feel very, very at home at Sauber.” Wheatley revealed that his gardening leave period has allowed him to approach the role with a clear, long-term vision in mind as he bids to overturn Sauber’s fortunes.

“Well, I think I’m about two weeks into the job,” he highlighted. “I’m trying to use my eyes, ears, and mouth in proportion, which is unusual for me. I’m just taking on as much information as I can. I have a plan, and I need to keep referring to that and remember what my views were when I came in. There’s a myriad of projects that we need to get right and one of those is meshing the people together, you know and as a team we need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, because change is coming and we have to be at the forefront of that and we need to have a clear roadmap as to where we’re headed and I believe we’re on that roadmap at the moment.”

‘Re-energised’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-switch-looms/


Hulkenberg sums up his race: ‘Not enough speed, too much tyre deg’
20 Apr 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Nico Hulkenberg finished 15th in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and said his Kick Sauber car simply didn’t have the pace for any more.

‘Hulkenberg sums up’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/hu...48819989516581


It's all about patience’ – Bortoleto admits transition from F2 title winner to F1 backmarker is ‘not easy’
25 Apr 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Gabriel Bortoleto has admitted that making the transition from winning championships in F2 and F3 to running near the back of the field in Formula 1 has been challenging, with the Kick Sauber driver acknowledging that “it's all about having patience” as he looks to continuously improve.

During the drivers’ press conference on media day at the recent Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Bortoleto was quizzed on how he is coping with a season that is proving to be very different to his past two years in F2 and F3. “It's not easy, if I'm honest,” the rookie responded. “It's not easy. You come from two championships – you’re used to being in this room but actually after a race, because you win or you are on the podium. Now for us it's already a mega job if you're going to Q2 or fighting for Q3.”

“There's always going to be someone paying this price at the beginning,” Bortoleto explained. “If you see George Russell at the beginning of his Formula 1 career, I don't think he scored a point in his first season, or something like this. And now he's one of the best drivers on the grid and doing such a great job, I wouldn’t say fighting for the championship right now, but he's constantly on the podium or fighting for things. So it's all about having patience.”

‘It's all about patience’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...N9XnicxR694Tmp


'He reminds us': F1 team have privately compared their rookie to a young Charles Leclerc -…
‘Wild’ F1 rookie is already reminding his team of a young Charles Leclerc behind the scenes
16 Apr 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Charles Leclerc made his Formula 1 debut with Alfa Romeo – now known as Sauber – in 2018. Ferrari’s engine supply deal paved the way for their academy driver to jump into the midfield seat after winning the F2 title. Ferrari weren’t convinced by Leclerc at first, Kevin Magnussen has claimed. Teammate to the more experienced Marcus Ericsson, his first three results were 13th, 12th and 19th.

Sauber engineers say Gabriel Bortoleto has a similar work ethic to Charles Leclerc. According to Brazilian journalist Julianne Cerasoli, Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto is exhibiting some of Leclerc’s hallmarks. He’s currently bottom of the standings without a point on the board.

However, last year’s F2 champion impressively beat the highly-rated Nico Hulkenberg in his first-ever qualifying session in Australia. He would crash out of the race, but the treacherous conditions also caught out some of the most experienced drivers on the grid. Bortoleto out-raced Hulkenberg in China too, so while the German is on top overall, he potentially didn’t expect to face such a strong challenge. After the Bahrain GP, some Sauber engineers likened Bortoleto’s work ethic to their former driver Leclerc.

'He reminds us';

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wil...nd-the-scenes/


Gabriel Bortoleto’s Secret Weapon? Max Verstappen’s Mentorship Behind the Scenes
Apr 13, 2025
Samriddhi Jaiswal
The Tribune, California

The Red Bull star has become an off-track coach, helping the Brazilian deal with the mental and strategic demands of F1. "We do a lot of simulators together," Bortoleto added. "He advises me to do the best I can in this championship. Make sure you finish the races, make sure you do well[...]He's still helping me a lot with my future."

With a no-nonsense approach and competitive edge, Verstappen has confirmed his active involvement in shaping Bortoleto's career. "I helped Gabi with certain decisions in his career," Max said. "He asked me for advice like ‘What would you do?' or "What should I sign?' You have a honest conversation about it, and ultimately I told him: ‘The most important thing you gotta do is step on the gas, then everyone will approach you.'"

‘Secret Weapon’;

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/sports...mainstage_lead

[Fortitude]

Aston Martin reveals Adrian Newey’s extreme focus on F1 2026.
“He has his office, everyone who walks past says that whenever they see him he’s always drawing on the whiteboard.” Andy Cowell.
26 Apr 2025
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week

Newey joined Aston Martin in early March as Managing Technical Partner, and after making his introductions, began working in earnest on the team’s 2026 car. The Silverstone-based squad is making no secret its plan is to capitalise one of the biggest rules shifts in F1 history, where changes are coming to the power units, chassis, aerodynamics and tyres.

Aston is taking a big step to become a works team next season, and the 2026 testing is approximately nine months away. “We have to work hard, the targets are complicated,” Cowell said. “The timescales are complicated. e are pushing, growing, implementing new tools and a very big organisation. But we are fighting very hard to have a fast car in 2026.”

Newey’s focus won’t be affected by 2025 form. Having Newey in its stable of course represents a huge opportunity for 2026, but Aston Martin’s start to the current campaign has been dismal, with just 10 points scored across five rounds. “100 per cent of Adrian’s designing time is focused on ’26,” said Cowell. “The test is at the end of January, so getting a car ready for that point requires a slightly earlier decision point. And clearly, everything’s new. There’s zero carryover. So there’s lots of work there, and Adrian has just been focused on that.”

“100 per cent of Adrian’s designing time is focused on ’26’ ”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...us-on-f1-2026/


The alleged Adrian Newey clue that Aston Martin have ‘checked out’ from F1 2025
23 Apr 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Opting not to use Adrian Newey to develop the AMR25, Alex Brundle reckons Aston Martin have already “checked out” from the F1 2025 championship. Although Aston Martin scored points in the opening two races of the season, Lance Stroll sixth and ninth in Australia and China, they haven’t added to that tally since, with Fernando Alonso yet to get off the mark. Such has been their struggles, Stroll was asked by PlanetF1.com in Saudi Arabia what strengths the AMR25 has, if any. He replied: “I don’t think so.”

Prompted with a further ‘any at all’, he said: “I don’t think there’s any real strengths. We’re not the quickest car in a high-speed corner, we’re not the best car in low-speed traction. Maybe in straight-line braking, we’re quite okay.” It had commentator Alex Brundle pondering whether Aston Martin had given up on 2025, the Briton citing the team’s decision not to pull Adrian Newey away from the 2026 car to help develop this year’s AMR25.

“I get the sense that they’ve checked out from the season already,” he said. “You look at it and you’ve got Adrian Newey standing in Silverstone, penning a 2026 car. Remember they are one of the teams that will have an engine change into next year as well, so they move to a Honda engine. It’s a massive job. Making a new gearbox, and I don’t know.”

‘Checked out’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian...t-from-f1-2025


Newey, Stroll Relationship Already Tense Says Doornbos
23 Apr 2025
GrandPrix.com

Former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos was at Jeddah, and he said the atmosphere around Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll is palpably tense. “Lawrence Stroll has a huge aura around him, but it's not so nice to be around him at the moment”, he told Ziggo Sport.

“The story is going around now that he's furious that Adrian Newey doesn't want to get involved with the 2025 car”, Doornbos added. Not just that, despite huge investments made by Stroll, he may currently be under pressure to sell the team to Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. There are talks going on about that, Doornbos insisted, explaining that Aston Martin's woeful pace may be driving down the value. "Newey is saying 'I'm only working on 2026', while Stroll is thinking 'I already pay you 33 million a year!

“I'm noticing that there is a lot of friction there.” Doornbos even thinks Newey will not be minding Aston Martin's performance crisis at all, because there will be no carry-over of components or design philosophy from 2025 to 2026. There is also a bit of strategy in it, the Dutchman continued. Newey won't mind if Aston Martin finishes second-to-last in the constructors, because then he will get a lot more time in the wind tunnel.

“I'm noticing that there is a lot of friction there”;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/newey...-doornbos.html


Aston Martin reveal Adrian Newey focus on 2026 development
Apr 22, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Team principal Andy Cowell has been quick to emphasise that Aston’s star engineer is not working on the AMR25. “He has his office, everyone who passes by says he’s always drawing on his board. Of course, he doesn’t go to reunions, he doesn’t respond to emails – he is simply preparing a fast car. And all of us support that process.”

2025 to be a year of damage limitation. It would be a stretch to say that Aston Martin can simply discard this season. They still have to calibrate their new wind tunnel and development facilities – which requires bringing updates and ensuring accurate correlation between the track and factory.

With that said, the Silverstone outfit are unlikely to bother the front-runners in any meaningful way this season. Their inability to recover from their 2023 mid-season slump has resigned them to the midfield – at least until 2026. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll would have both expected slightly more of the AMR25, but they are equally aware that Aston’s transformation is calibrated towards 2026.

‘2025 to be a year of damage limitation’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...6-development/


Fernando Alonso addresses crucial Adrian Newey choice: 'It's his decision'
Adrian Newey is continuing to embed himself into the Aston Martin F1 team but will have no impact on the current challenger.
27 Apr 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

Fernando Alonso has asserted he has no concerns with Adrian Newey placing his focus on the 2026 Aston Martin car rather than developing fixes for its existing woes. Alonso downplayed the importance of building momentum throughout the year as he places one eye on the 2026 regulations, which threaten to shake up the F1 pecking order.

“[It is] less important than last year, because this year’s cars are a continuation of last year’s,” Alonso said. “The last race in Abu Dhabi… I don’t think that the results that we are seeing now are very different compared to Abu Dhabi. So I think next year is a completely new set of regulations that completely reset what you learn this year. Maybe it’s not super useful for next year in terms of aerodynamics on the car.”

“Obviously you always want to finish the season on a high and keep the motivation high for everybody. The motivation in the team is super high anyway because, as we said many times, we have our wind tunnel now working since a few weeks ago, we have Adrian in the team, we have Honda coming, new regulations, so the motivation is really high.”

'It's his decision';

https://racingnews365.com/fernando-a...s-his-decision


Aston Martin won’t divert Adrian Newey focus from F1 2026 despite poor 2025 start
18 Apr 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Aston Martin has insisted the team’s initial struggles in 2025 will not prompt it to divert Adrian Newey’s focus from work on Formula 1‘s upcoming regulation change. Aston Martin boss Andy Cowell, “[His thoughts] are focused largely on the tools that we’re using rather than any direct performance aspects of the 25 car,” he explained.

“But there is value in Adrian understanding the tools that we’ve got, the fidelity of those tools, and the precision with which they predict what’s going to happen on the racetrack.” Cowell also highlighted that Newey has been quick to commend the facilities at Aston Martin’s renovated Silverstone headquarters, which comprise a new wind tunnel.

“Adrian’s been hugely complimentary about the campus and has been positive about the tunnel that we’ve got and the way that everything’s been set up,” Cowell said. “He is, of course, pushing for us to improve the way we operate in the tunnel. He’s got thoughts on how to improve pretty much everything, and that’s the great thing about Adrian’s competitive drive.”

‘Aston Martin won’t divert Adrian Newey focus’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...or-2025-start/

[Fortitude]

F1 NATION: Piastri to push on? Norris to bounce back? Verstappen the underdog? It’s our Miami Grand Prix preview.
After a week off, Formula 1 bursts back into action with the Miami Grand Prix. But who’s looking hot and who has work to do heading to Florida? Our F1 Nation crew are here to preview all the action…

Formula One - Official Site

After five races, Oscar Piastri is 10 points clear of his McLaren team mate Lando Norris at the top of the World Championship standings. So, what has Piastri got right so far this year? And where can Norris improve?

What advantage does Piastri have that could help his championship campaign? And will returning to the scene of his first Grand Prix victory last year help Norris get his title challenge back on track?

‘F1 NATION: Piastri to push on? Norris to bounce back? Verstappen the underdog? It’s our Miami Grand Prix preview’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...pu8JXzsnOpVp6p


Script flipped in McLaren battle; why Hamilton switch has Ricciardo vibes — F1 lessons learned so far
April 28th, 2025
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)

You’d have found very few people who’d have picked Oscar Piastri to be the dominant McLaren driver and even fewer still who’d have thought he’d be leading the drivers championship after five rounds. But that’s exactly the position in which the Australian finds himself, his three wins making him the only multiple winner of the year to date.

His victory in Saudi Arabia was the first of the season not to have been claimed from pole. It all amounts to the realisation of Piastri’s off-season goal to fill in the gaps in his game that left him a step behind Norris in 2024. He’s flipped his qualifying deficit to the Briton into a healthy advantage, and his race-to-race consistency is practically flawless, finishing off the podium only once, thanks to Melbourne’s treacherous conditions.

In fact you can reasonably argue he’s been the faster McLaren driver in every race, even when Norris has finished ahead of him. Ironically the most credible exception is Saudi Arabia, which Piastri won anyway despite Norris having looked quicker until he crashed out of Q3. Five races don’t make a season, and it’s on Piastri to perpetuate his momentum, but it’s been a mighty opening serve from the Melburnian in his first title-contending campaign.

‘Three wins making him the only multiple winner of the year to date’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...69d497ef9f58f9


Lando Norris sacrifices are a warning shot to Oscar Piastri as McLaren scrap steps up
COMMENT: Oscar Piastri is currently Lando Norris' most threatening title rival.
Apr 27, 2025
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Piastri now leads the World Championship by 10 points and is widely touted as the favourite to land the trophy this year after winning three of the last four races. The bookies certainly believe as much. Norris, meanwhile, is one slip-up short of entering crisis mode. The 25-year-old’s confidence is low, and he is facing mounting pressure, both from fans and the form of his two closest title rivals.

However, the Brit’s interviews after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix should serve as a warning sign to his team-mate that he won’t go down without a fight. While other drivers expressed their glee about having a weekend to relax before round six of the season, Norris explained that he will be back at home, training and building his fitness as he looks to reignite the title fight.

The Bristol-born driver will even miss out on a trip to Amsterdam for the Koningsdag festivities with his friends. “No, sadly not,” he told a Viaplay reporter when asked if he would be in attendance. “I wish because it was one of the best days of my life, and I won Miami! I mean, I know… I miss all my friends. I had a great week with Martin [Garrix] and the whole gang in Amsterdam last year, but I'm fighting for a championship, I can’t afford to do these things.

‘One slip-up short of entering crisis mode’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...iastri-McLaren


Lewis Hamilton set for more doom and gloom in Miami GP ‘struggle’
28 Apr 2025
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Having finished 30 seconds behind Charles Leclerc in Saudi Arabia, Lewis Hamilton is expecting more disappointments this weekend in Miami. “I think I’ll struggle also in Miami,” Hamilton told media, including PlanetF1.com, in Saudi Arabia. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll struggle for, but it’s definitely painful. At the moment there’s no fix. So, this is how it’s going to be for the rest of the year. It’s going to be painful.”

“He’s (Charles Leclerc )been driving this car for a long time, so he definitely knows it really well. There’s plenty in the data, for sure,” Hamilton explained. “I mean, honestly, like, it doesn’t look massively different in the data. Just… I go slower through the corners. We do have slightly different setups, I have to look and see whether that setup is the way the car likes to be. Yeah, him and his side are definitely obviously doing a better job.”

“It was horrible. It was horrible. Not enjoyable at all. I was just sliding around,” he said of a race in which there was “nothing positive” to take anything away from. First stint, massive understeer, car not turning. And then massive deg. And then the second stint, slightly better balance, but still just no pace. Yeah, pretty bad. I’m struggling to feel the car underneath me. But there’s no particular thing. There’s nothing to say ‘Hey, this is the issue’. In qualifying, it’s me extracting performance. In the race, I tried everything, and the car just didn’t want to go quicker.”

‘More doom and gloom’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...ainful-verdict


Max Verstappen braced for more Red Bull frustration after Miami Grand Prix update
Max Verstappen and Red Bull have been on a rollercoaster ride this season.
Apr 28, 2025
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Helmut Marko believes that the higher temperatures expected at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend will swing the race in favour of McLaren. Max Verstappen missed out on a win in Jeddah last time out and is losing ground in the Drivers’ Championship fight. Verstappen went into the 2025 season with aspirations of recording a fifth consecutive Drivers’ Championship crown, which would have levelled Michael Schumacher’s record. “What do the findings from the first five races mean for the upcoming race in Miami?” Marko penned in his Speedweek column.

“Once again, we’re talking about a completely different track, but above all, we’re expecting higher temperatures. On paper, that’s not an advantage for us. In Jeddah, we were eight-tenths behind McLaren in the third practice session, in significantly warmer conditions than later in qualifying. We and the other opponents expected McLaren to drive away from everyone. But that didn’t happen.”

“In Miami, we still expect the conditions to be more in McLaren’s favour. Our task at the moment is to develop a broader working window for our race car, and also to reduce certain weaknesses of the car before the races in Europe and thus improve the basic speed of the car.”

‘More Red Bull frustration’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ami-Grand-Prix


One F1 team are in a state of chaos before Miami Grand Prix with driver line-up still uncertain
22 Apr 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

Alpine are in a state of chaos as Jack Doohan’s future is still uncertain. Jack Doohan has been fighting to stay in F1 since joining Alpine at the end of 2024. The Aussie has been under pressure from Franco Colapinto since Flavio Briatore signed the Argentine as the team’s reserve driver.

While Colapinto has a long-term contract, Doohan is alleged to have a six-race deal. In theory, after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, those races are up. Journalist Nate Saunders has a ‘hunch’ that Colapinto will replace Doohan in Miami, with his performances to date leaving something to be desired. The 22-year-old has yet to score in 2025 and has suffered two costly accidents in Australia and Japan.

After Doohan finished 17th in Jeddah while teammate Pierre Gasly crashed after a few corners, Alpine had ‘long faces’ in the hospitality. It has heightened rumours that Colapinto could be brought in for Miami, but journalist Leonardo Regueira says the Argentine has been given ‘radio silence’ on the matter.

‘State of chaos’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/one...ill-uncertain/