Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Alpine confirms Colapinto will replace Doohan for next five rounds as team rotates drivers.
Alpine said in a statement Colapinto will take Doohan’s place for the next five rounds at Imola, Monaco, Catalunya, Montreal and Red Bull Ring. The team then intends to re-evaluate its driver line-up before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
7th May 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Doohan’s future at the team looked shakier after they benched him during the first practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. They ran Ryo Hirakawa instead, a substitution which did not count towards the team’s quota of rookie driver runs, as they had already fulfilled that obligation on Doohan’s car.

Doohan, who made his F1 debut at the final round of last season, said he was proud to have achieved his ambition to become an F1 driver. “Obviously this latest chapter is a tough one for me to take because, as a professional driver, naturally I want to be racing,” he said. “That said, I appreciate the team’s trust and commitment.”

Colapinto said joining the team in time for the run of three consecutive rounds beginning next week will be “intense and a big challenge for everyone. I have stayed sharp, and I am as ready as possible with the team’s race support testing programme, as well as on the simulator at Enstone. I will do my best to get up to speed quickly and give it my all to deliver the best possible results alongside Pierre.”

‘Next five rounds at Imola, Monaco, Catalunya, Montreal and Red Bull Ring’;

https://www.racefans.net/2025/05/07/...t-five-rounds/


Report: Jack Doohan was privately furious after taking the fall for error that cost Alpine £1.3m this season
6 May 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Alpine showed a lack of class after Jack Doohan’s 185mph Japan crash. Replays showed that he’d kept the DRS open into the high-speed right-hander, a technique he’d used in the simulator. As a result, he didn’t have enough downforce to make the corner. Doohan accepted that this was his mistake, but according to The Race, Alpine didn’t tell him ‘to do anything different’. Therefore, they had to bear a ‘degree of responsibility’.

While senior Alpine staff tried to ‘help Doohan as best they could’, he was left to take the fall. ‘He was not happy’ with the lack of support he received. Doohan’s Suzuka crash cost Alpine £1.3m, a major dent in the cost cap. But the team arguably showed a lack of class by making him a scapegoat.

‘Privately furious’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jac...m-this-season/


‘He can be very proud’ – Piastri voices support for Doohan after fellow Australian’s Alpine demotion
May 8th, 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Oscar Piastri has shared support for Jack Doohan following the news that the Alpine driver will lose his race seat from the upcoming Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend.

“I think if it is the end of the road for Jack, he can be very proud of firstly making it to F1,” Piastri told the Wide World of Sports show. “It’s not an easy thing, especially coming from Australia – there’s a lot of hard decisions along the way.
“If he has had his final race, I think hold your head up high, you’ve been an F1 driver, and no one can take that away from you.”

‘He can be very proud’;

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


‘Got inside his head’: F1 icon’s brutal verdict for Norris vs ‘street fighter’ Piastri
May 8th, 2025
Matthew Sullivan from News.com.au
Fox Sports (Australia)

One former F1 driver believes Oscar Piastri has “got inside Lando Norris’ head” as commentators float the theory Max Verstappen races the Aussie differently to his McLaren teammate. Piastri has a rocket ship of a car this season but the ease at which he’s overtaken Verstappen in recent times has sparked comparisons to Norris’ struggles with getting past the Dutchman.

Asked on Sky Sports if Verstappen races Piastri differently to Norris, commentator Martin Brundle said: “100 per cent, yes unquestionably. I think he (Verstappen) knows that there’s something a bit more street fighter about Oscar Piastri, he saw it in Jeddah. I think Max knows he’s got a different animal when Oscar’s in his mirrors, not by much, than Lando.”

“Just (in terms of the) positioning of the car, there’s a decisiveness about what he did (overtaking Verstappen in Miami). You can’t criticise Lando’s race craft because the way he passed the Mercedes and eventually Max was just top drawer. But I have absolutely no doubt, and just what he says as well, that Max realises Oscar’s a different deal in wheel to wheel combat.”

‘Got inside his head’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...99d1177cbfa55b


The McLaren 'secret' teams are falling over themselves to expose
May 8, 2025
Emily Patterson
Channel 9's Wide World of Sports

McLaren has a car design "secret" that the rest of the Formula 1 grid is scrambling to expose, according to Mercedes star George Russell. The papaya team's early-season dominance is largely thanks to their superior tyre temperature management, and rivals are scrambling to catch up.

Across the six grand prix so far this season, the McLaren MCL39 has dominated. For the most part, this is because of their car's ability to keep its tyre temperatures controlled in warmer conditions. In Miami, the hottest race of the season so far, its advantage was on clear display - Oscar Piastri leading home teammate Lando Norris some 30 seconds clear of Russell in third.

‘Design secret’;

https://www.nine.com.au/sport/motors...08-p5lxoh.html


'That's got to hurt': Bernie Collins suspects Lewis Hamilton will privately be ‘hurt’ by what he saw at Mercedes in Miami
8 May 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Lewis Hamilton will be hurt by Kimi Antonelli fanfare, Bernie Collins says. While Ferrari still have just one podium to their name this season, Russell scored Mercedes’ fourth in six rounds in Miami. But Antonelli made even bigger headlines by taking Sprint pole on Friday evening.

Antonelli became the youngest pole-sitter in any format in F1 history. While a first-corner run-in with Oscar Piastri cost him places and he later collided with Max Verstappen in the pit lane, this was still the moment he announced himself as a future superstar. Hamilton is even struggling to beat Carlos Sainz, the driver he replaced at Ferrari. Midfield outfit Williams have occasionally shown the pace to disrupt the top teams.

“There were some comments from Lewis over the weekend about how good it was to see Kimi Antonelli on the Sprint pole,” Collins said. “That’s got to hurt, hasn’t it? That’s like seeing your ex having a much better new other half. As much as Lewis is saying all the right things, a little bit inside of you has got to feel that in Sprint qualifying.”

'That's got to hurt';

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ber...edes-in-miami/


Ferrari hand Lewis Hamilton blow ahead of 2025 Emilia Romagna GP
The team confirms an upgrade will be introduced, but won’t be for pure performance
7 May 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Ferrari hand Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc a blow ahead of the 2025 Emilia Romagna GP by confirming an upgrade package is on the way, but that it won’t fix their problems with the SF-25 car.

“There will be updates for Imola,” Vasseur told media, including Total-Motorsport.com. “But it’s not just about development. It’s about finding the best compromise with this car. We definitely have a small step planned for Imola.”

“Then another one for Barcelona,” Vasseur added. “But the most important thing is to put everything together. Imola will likely suit us better than Miami, because we struggle a lot in low-speed corners.”

‘Ferrari hand Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc a blow’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/fer...ia-romagna-gp/


Ferrari now working on ‘totally unexpected’ change to fix what’s ‘compromising’ Lewis Hamilton
8 May 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari are now working on an ‘unexpected’ suspension change after their Miami GP woes. Also, only Hamilton’s bold strategy secured Ferrari a podium in the Miami Sprint after being one of the first drivers to pit for dry tyres. Their qualifying for the Grand Prix was also a vast disappointment in Miami with Leclerc the lead Ferrari in P8 and Hamilton eliminated in P12.

So, according to AutoRacer, Ferrari are now working on a ‘totally unexpected’ change to the rear suspension layout of the SF-25. The Scuderia cannot fathom why their existing design is proving to be so poor, with Maranello bosses unsure if it is due to the anchors or the travel. Ferrari overhauled the suspension set-up on their 2025 F1 car and moved the aerodynamic balance forwards with a new gearbox and a smaller rear unit. But the Scuderia failed to see the ‘trap’ Ferrari have fallen into, after their simulator data did not highlight any drawbacks.

‘Ferrari now working on ‘totally unexpected’ change’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...ewis-hamilton/

[Fortitude]

Lando Norris issued 'perfection' warning by top McLaren boss.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has urged Lando Norris to "stop striving for perfection" and relax more into his driving if he is to become F1 world champion this year.
7 May 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Lando Norris has been given a word of advice from McLaren CEO Zak Brown. "He needs to stop striving for perfection," said Brown, speaking to select media, including RacingNews365. "You talk to any driver, they'll always say they've never done the perfect lap. Just focus on doing the best you can."

As to how McLaren can prevent Norris from his perfection search, Brown added: "Well, there are various degrees of perfection. For me, perfection is doing the best you can, and if you miss that apex by three inches or brake a metre too late, that's going to happen, so I think striving to do the best you can is the best approach.”

"At every pit stop, if we do a 1.8-second stop, I bet we could do a 1.78. But don't go into each pit stop saying, 'I want to do 1.78'. Just go into each pit stop and do the best you can. That's a better place to be."

‘How McLaren can prevent Norris from his perfection search’;

https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...p-mclaren-boss


Ralf Schumacher tells Lando Norris he needs to learn how to overtake from one F1 rookie to conquer Max Verstappen
8 May 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Ralf Schumacher says Lando Norris can learn how to prepare overtakes from Oliver Bearman. It was put to Schumacher on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast that Norris continues to struggle to be decisive when battling Verstappen, especially on the track, but also other drivers.

He explained, “What is it definitely is that he’s not capable of doing this, otherwise he would be doing better. He’s been around long enough, there are no excuses for this. There are simply drivers who have a great eye for it. Max, for example, and Piastri and Bearman, are also great examples of how to prepare someone for an overtaking manoeuvre.”

“And Lando simply lacks that and he won’t learn it. That’s how it is and that’s what he tried and that was a reaction of defiance, but he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and that became a problem. I say it again, he can’t learn it and it will stay that way. That means for him, it’s only possible [to win the championship] through dominance and if he’s really at the front, and doesn’t make any mistakes.”

“He’s been around long enough, there are no excuses for this”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ral...ax-verstappen/


Lewis Hamilton 'should have apologised' as Ferrari star called out for F1 controversy
Lewis Hamilton's actions have been scrutinised by a former F1 star.
May 9, 2025
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes that Lewis Hamilton should have apologised to Ferrari for his comments on the radio at the Miami Grand Prix, rather than claim that he meant them sarcastically. (Lewis Hamilton said), “You hear some of the things others have said in the past… Some of it was sarcasm. Look, you’ve got to understand we’re under a huge amount of pressure within the car. You’re never going to get the most peaceful messages coming through in the heat of the battle. And yeah, it was fine. We said we’ll take it…”

However, this explanation wasn’t enough to satisfy former Williams and Toyota driver Schumacher. Speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, he stated: “'Mi, mi, mi’ Hamilton, that was somehow off the mark. If you really want to get past, that’s one thing; he was faster at the time. But then give it back without a fight.

“And afterwards, I don’t pretend that I meant it sarcastically. Instead, I just say that I’m sorry. That shouldn’t really happen with his experience and his age. He could have acted a bit more cleverly. I think that would have suited him better.” Schumacher then added: “Of course, the relationship is tarnished by such actions. That will stick, and he has to know that himself. There is now a need for clarification, and it will definitely be discussed – especially internally, how to deal with it in the future.”

“Of course, the relationship is tarnished by such actions”;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...alf-Schumacher


Carlos Sainz reveals staggering scale of 're-learning' facing Lewis Hamilton
Carlos Sainz has provided an in-depth look at the sheer scale of adjusting F1 drivers such as Lewis Hamilton are facing.
9 May 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

"For me, this is just one of the 15 things that you have to re-learn," Sainz explained to media, including RacingNews365, when presented with Hamilton's comments on the engine braking problems he has. "Some teams like to use engine braking to turn the car, others just prefer using more differential, and others prefer to use brake migration.”

"With others, the set-up of the car and putting front-end with the aerodynamics, others with mechanical and others with pitch or ride, you cannot imagine the amount of variability to make the car do a similar lap-time in so many different ways. That might be one of the 15-to-20 things I'm still trying to figure out and of course I am trying high-engine braking in the Williams to see if it works.”

"I'm trying differential maps, I'm trying mechanical balance, I'm trying everything every week to see what the car likes and what it doesn't. There are things which suit your style, others that don't and I enjoy that process which you are going to get wrong many times, but as long as you enjoy and embrace it and know you will get it wrong a few times, when you click and get it right, it is actually an Eureka moment that it feels good and makes sense."

‘Staggering scale of 're-learning' facing Lewis Hamilton’;

https://racingnews365.com/carlos-sai...lewis-hamilton


Max Verstappen sceptical on success of Red Bull F1 floor update in Miami
9 May 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Verstappen uncertain on Red Bull update. But while he pipped Lando Norris to achieve a third pole this season, Verstappen was powerless to stop the McLaren duo passing him and cruising to a dominant 1-2. The Dutchman’s sizeable 40-second margin to Oscar Piastri has created scepticism in his mind about whether Red Bull’s revised floor has delivered the intended step.

Asked whether the update had worked, Verstappen told media including Motorsport Week: “If you look at the gap, not, but I don’t know. It’s very hard to say, we’ll keep working on it.” Red Bull boss Christian Horner, however, suggested the team was prioritising an enhancement to the RB21’s capricious quirks rather than outright performance gains. “I think it’s delivered a characteristic that we were looking for, and it’s part of a sequence of parts that will be introduced over [the] coming races,” he added.

‘Red Bull’s revised floor’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...date-in-miami/


Perez/Alpine talks a fresh F1 driver market twist
Perez an Alpine option after initial 2026 F1 talks
May 9, 2025
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Initial talks have taken place between Alpine and Sergio Perez's camp about a possible Formula 1 race seat for the Mexican driver next season. However, Perez’s representatives are not just in talks with Cadillac. He has a new management set-up now and long-time backer Carlos Slim Domit (pictured below with his wife last year) is still willing to support Perez. To that end, Slim combined an appearance at the Miami Grand Prix with meetings over Perez’s future.

It is understood that, with Perez's camp having made contact with Alpine late last year, a further conversation was had with Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore, to scope out whether that could be a destination for Perez next year. Perez is believed to be very open to that idea as it would obviously be a more competitive prospect than Cadillac, especially in the short-term, which Perez needs to consider given he will turn 36 in January next year.

‘Alpine option’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/s...pine-cadillac/