Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Another mishap for McLaren as trophy shatters into a thousand pieces.
McLaren once again sparked laughter among social media users over yet another broken trophy after the podium — but this time, it wasn’t Lando Norris to blame.
11 Jul 2025
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Norris capitalized on the penalty handed to his teammate following the controversial Safety Car incident, claiming his first victory in front of the packed stands filled with his fans. While the Australian appeared visibly upset and sullen after the race over a penalty he felt was unfair, the Brit burst with joy as soon as he stepped out of the car, raising the winner’s LEGO trophy high above his head with a huge grin on his face.

Unfortunately, once again, McLaren returned home with a damaged trophy—though this time it’s repairable. After accidentally snapping Max Verstappen’s winner’s cup in half in Hungary two years ago, at least this time Norris can claim he wasn’t involved.

This time, the culprit behind the damage is Peter Prodromou, a longtime figure within the team led by Andrea Stella and Zak Brown, and the mastermind behind the lightning-fast MCL39 that’s dominating the championship. A fan in the stands captured the moment, showing the Greek engineer desperately trying to gather all 2,717 LEGO bricks.

‘2,717 LEGO bricks’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/general/an...housand-pieces


New Footage Shows How McLaren BROKE Lego F1 Trophy; Lando Norris 'Curse' Drama | British Grand Prix
Jul 10, 2025
ETimes

What was meant to be a celebration turned into a brick-by-brick disaster. After Lando Norris clinched his first British Grand Prix win, McLaren’s custom-built LEGO constructor trophy made of 2,717 pieces and 210 hours of craftsmanship was found shattered on the floor. As team members scrambled to salvage the remains, fans joked about a "McLaren trophy curse" and Norris’ chaotic podium history. This package unpacks the viral moment, fan reactions, and the heartbreak behind F1’s most delicate prize.

‘Lando Norris 'Curse' Drama’;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=034HZ3DF500


Oscar Piastri ****** Nico Hülkenberg First Ever F1 Trophy �� (It’s LEGO!)
Jul 6, 2025
Behind Grand Prix

A moment from the 2025 British Grand Prix press conference where Oscar Piastri humorously questions Nico Hülkenberg about his first Formula 1 podium in 15 years, which was a LEGO podium, highlighting the contrast between traditional racing achievements and modern, playful elements in the sport.

‘It’s LEGO!’;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJnQGvhlza4


Lando Norris Struck in Face While Celebrating British GP Victory
July 7, 2025
Nelson Espinal Newsweek
Rock Hill Herald

McLaren driver Lando Norris was hit in the face after capturing his first win at Silverstone. According to reporting from Autosport, Norris suffered a small cut on his face. The photographer attempted to capture the sea of Norris' fans who were celebrating his crowning achievement. While the hit likely hurt Norris, it couldn't have been enough to bring him down. He achieved a lifelong dream on Sunday and opened up about how much the result meant to him.

"It's beautiful. Everything I dreamed of. Everything I've ever wanted to achieve. Apart from a championship, I think this is as good as it gets in terms of feelings and in terms of achievement, being proud, all of it," he said. "This is where it all started for me, and now thankfully I've been able to have my go. Incredible race, stressful as always, but the support from the fans made the difference today, so I've got to thank them for it all.”

"Your mind just goes pretty blank. Everything you might think before the race, you forget. The main thing is just don't f*** it up, that's rule number one." Norris gets a couple of weeks to soak in the win, but he will need to refocus as he is squarely in a fight for the title with teammate Oscar Piastri.

"It's beautiful. Everything I dreamed of”;

https://www.heraldonline.com/sports/...mainstage_card


Martin Brundle disagrees with David Coulthard’s verdict on Oscar Piastri’s British Grand Prix penalty
7 July 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Martin Brundle thinks Oscar Piastri’s British Grand Prix penalty was fair. The final safety car of the race saw Piastri back up the pack with conditions beginning to improve. A late decision was made to bring the safety car in while the lead drivers were on the Hangar Straight, and Piastri, who was accelerating at the time, quickly hit the brakes. Sam Bird thinks Verstappen made Piastri’s deceleration look worse than it was, but the stewards disagreed.

Piastri was awarded a 10-second penalty, and reflecting on the decision for Sky Sports F1 (6/7 4:05 pm), Martin Brundle and David Croft had their say. Brundle explained: “They need mitigating circumstances to drop that [penalty] to five seconds, or indeed no penalty at all. He was almost stationary, wasn’t he? I hear what Zak is saying, Max did floor it down the outside to emphasise, but that was extremely slow from Oscar.” Croft replied: “He was almost at a standstill,” to which Brundle continued: “Yeah, it looked [like that] from our camera angle, but they’ll have that to the nth degree in the data.”

Neither commentator could disagree with the decision that the stewards made, and Piastri admitted that he would be ‘banned’ if he had shared his true feelings after the race. However, Jolyon Palmer thought Piastri’s penalty was heavy-handed from the stewards and believed it was very harsh. The Australian decided not to give any detailed answers during his post-race interview, holding his tongue instead of arguing with the call made by the stewards.

“He was almost stationary, wasn’t he?”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...alty-was-fair/


Damon Hill says Lando Norris is now becoming ‘dangerous’ as he chases his first Formula 1 title
10 July 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Damon Hill thinks Lando Norris is becoming ‘dangerous’ in McLaren title battle McLaren delivered an upgrade to Norris’ car in Canada which gave him a better feel for the grip at the front, and ever since his results have picked up.

Hill expects to see a more competitive Norris heading into the summer break, now that the momentum has swung in his way. “I think Lando’s got the momentum. I think he’s found his traction. You know, he’s found his footing. So like when you’re trying to climb up a very steep hill and you can’t get traction, I think he slipped a few times,” said Hill.

“Now he’s just managed to get his feet to grip, and he can push off from there. So yeah, I think I always thought Lando in a race is faster than Oscar. I think he had a few nervy qualifiers. So he dropped a few [poles] with getting into the last few moments of the last run of a qualifying session. But now, his head is settling. I really do. And then I think he’s dangerous.”

“I think Lando’s got the momentum”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dam...rmula-1-title/

[Fortitude]

Team Verstappen 'power' blamed for downfall of Christian Horner.
"A disproportionate amount of power" wielded by 'Team Verstappen' has been blamed for the downfall of Christian Horner as team principal of Red Bull.
16 July 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Former F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok feels that over time, Verstappen's power has grown, ultimately leading to Horner's demise. "I was thinking about it, and in some of what's happened, if you look at it in recent years, it's become a one-car team, right?" said Chandhok, speaking on a Sky Sports F1 podcast. "We've talked about how, since Daniel Ricciardo has left, the way the car design has gone, the way the team has been structured, it's fairly much all the eggs in the Max Verstappen camp, and in that basket.”

"Ultimately, that's kind of created his downfall, because it's put a disproportionate amount of power into 'Team Verstappen', to the point where, if you're the wider Red Bull group, you look at it and go, 'Hang on a second, yes, Max is on pole at the British Grand Prix, yes, he's won two races this year, but the other car is nowhere'. It's put a huge amount of power in Max's camp. If he leaves that team, they'd be fourth, fifth-best on the grid at the moment.”

"So I think that has been one of the feelings, and ultimately, Christian's got to carry the can for that, because he's the man in charge. He's led that philosophy of structuring the team in that way. Maybe it's happened by accident, but the reality is, he's the man in charge, and I think there's a strong element that he's put a lot of power and faith into 'Team Verstappen'. And I wonder if that's ultimately come back to bite him a bit."

"A disproportionate amount of power" wielded by 'Team Verstappen';

https://racingnews365.com/team-verst...ristian-horner


F1 Insider Makes Bombshell Claim of Verstappen’s Involvement in Christian Horner Exit
July 15, 2025
Saajan Jogia Newsweek
The News Tribune, Washington

Former driver and Sky Sports F1 reporter Martin Brundle has made a big claim that Max Verstappen and his father, Jos Verstappen, could have fueled Christian Horner's abrupt exit from Red Bull Racing. The controversy followed a reported power struggle at Red Bull between Horner and senior advisor Helmut Marko. The team's internal situation worsened as key personnel such as Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley announced their exits. Speaking on Sky Sports' The F1 Show podcast, Brundle pointed out that elements were working against Horner at Red Bull. He said:

"Team Verstappen had been briefing certain journalists and Christian's just come more and more under pressure, and he lost key people like Adrian Newey, like Rob Marshall, like Jonathan Wheatley. I think his failing on that was convincing himself and trying to convince everybody else that they weren't really doing that much anymore, and it really didn't matter, he'd got a better crew behind them. But that wasn't correct, and I think we've seen [that].”

"But let's remember, this is a team that was on pole position last weekend in Silverstone, one of the toughest circuits in the world, and have won two grands prix this year. It's not exactly like it's been a disaster and they completely non-performed. But I think there were too many things working against him, and I think eventually... He had a lot of support from Chalerm Yoovidhya [Red Bull co-founder/owner], and I think eventually that's faded away, and the inevitable has happened."

‘Big claim that Max Verstappen and his father, Jos Verstappen, could have fueled Christian Horner's abrupt exit’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/27318


F1 paddock ‘rumours’ suggest Christian Horner and Bernie Ecclestone could become part-owners of £1.2bn-valued team
15 July 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Dutch commentator and F1 expert Nelson Valkenburg was speaking on The Race F1 Podcast about Horner’s future and his potential next steps in the sport. Ralf Schumacher believes Horner faces a problem returning to Formula 1, but the Dutch commentator explained: “When Ferrari was definitely interested, Horner was the right person to attract other big names.

‘And that situation changed, though, in the last year and a half. He’s not been able to keep or attract big names to the team, and that’s part of the team’s problems. I just have a feeling he’s going to end up at Alpine. I’ve seen him in talks with both De Meo, who’s out, I know and Briatore for hours and hours. What he wants most is to be a team owner. I feel he would love to own a team, and that team is partly up for sale.”

“There have been rumours in this paddock that with some backing, maybe from Bernie Ecclestone himself, he could find himself at least a minority stake owner at Alpine. But that can only happen after January, because I think he’s under contract until then at Red Bull. But if I had to put money on it, he’s going to Alpine. But that’s still a long way away.”

‘Rumours’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/f1-...n-valued-team/


Red Bull left ‘in a real tight spot’ after Christian Horner departure – Palmer
15 Jul 2025
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer said the “suddenness” of Christian Horner’s Red Bull departure “caught everyone off guard,” and leaves the team “in a real tight spot.” “Yeah, I mean, surprised at the timing,” Palmer said of Horner’s exit on the F1 Nation podcast. Palmer pointed out that, with big changes on the way in becoming a factory power unit supplier in 2026 and the need to produce a “drivable” car, this could be a case of “tough timing” for Mekies to take on the role.

“Because of all the success that Red Bull have had, and very recently, the way the wheels have fallen off the wagon, it’s been pretty extreme, given there’s been no major overhaul of regulations that we’ve seen in the past to take over what is an established front-running team,” Palmer explained. Without Max, at the moment, they’re tailenders. So to try and work out how to make the car drivable, then put the right drivers in, is a really big undertaking.”

“Then you’ve got the [Red Bull] Powertrains as well, that’s on the other side of it, which is on the horizon for next year, which is a major unknown for the whole team. They’ve got such a good working relationship as well with Honda, that they’ve had for such a long time, and they’ve been really competitive with it. So that’s just something else that’s a risk for them and tough timing, probably, for Laurent.”

“In a real tight spot”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...ekies-pressure


‘Verstappen knows Red Bull won't turn it around, Mercedes move imminent’
16 Jul 2025
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com

According to Ralf Schumacher, Max Verstappen has once again seen at Silverstone that Red Bull Racing is currently lacking. The former Formula 1 driver suggests that Mercedes therefore has a better starting position in the battle for the Dutchman.

"I think Silverstone showed Max that Red Bull is not going to make the turnaround, despite all efforts," says Schumacher to F1-Insider. According to Schumacher, Verstappen will mainly look at which team offers him the best sporting future. "Ultimately, it's about his career, not loyalty. If Mercedes shows him that they are doing everything to get him, he will switch."

The 50-year-old German also points to the current relationships in the field, where Mercedes is losing to customer team McLaren. This is problematic, says Schumacher, but Verstappen could make the difference. "For Mercedes, losing to McLaren, which uses the same engine, is painful. With Max, they could reverse those roles in 2026."

‘Mercedes move imminent’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...-move-imminent


What does the future hold for Max? How former world champions have fared when they've switched driver's seats
17 Jul 2025
Michael Nelson NEW AUTHOR
Roar Rookie
The Roar

The news of Christian Horner’s sudden forced departure from Red Bull Racing has caught the entire motor world by surprise, if not for the act itself, but the timing. With no definitive reason given by either Red Bull or Horner, many different possible causes have been mentioned to explain their course of action.

One of which is the need to keep Max Verstappen happy in the event his contract clauses become actionable. Whether or not having Horner at the helm of Red Bull Racing was something Verstappen and his camp wanted remains to be seen. But there’s no doubt that George Russell’s comments on Verstappen’s discussions with Mercedes prior to the Austrian Grand Prix poured fuel on the fire of rumours of Verstappen’s unhappiness.

If Red Bull’s move was all in vain, and Verstappen manages to not only trigger but activate his exit clauses to make a break for Mercedes in 2026, what does the past say about former World Champions being successful at their new manufacturers? We look at the drivers who have won world championships since 2000 and then taken their talents to new teams.

‘Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Jensen Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher’;

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/07/1...drivers-seats/

[Fortitude]

Max Verstappen ‘wowed’ by Mercedes ‘gold nugget’ in fresh Red Bull exit claim.
“Max would want to put himself in a position where he has the best chance he can to [win].”
17 Jul 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Hamilton joined Mercedes for 2013 based on the promise that the team would ace the 2014 rule changes, with the alliance proving to be the most successful team/driver partnership in F1 history. Herbert said: “The discussions I would have thought that Toto [Wolff, Mercedes boss] and Max have had are probably very, very similar to what Niki Lauda had with Lewis when he got taken out of McLaren and brought over to Mercedes.

“Because I think Mercedes would have shown Max what they’ve got, what they believe they’re going to have for next year, which will probably be the car to beat. Now that would be, for me, the little gold nugget that you would dangle in front of Max – and he would be wowed by what he’s being told. Toto says it’s all unlikely, but that is classic Toto. There is more to it, for sure. Max is thinking: ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’”

“It’s little ingredients and that just keeps creeping into his season so far. And the more that it happens, the more he must be thinking: ‘I’ve got to move on. I’ve to find a place that would give me what I need.’ The thing is with Red Bull, with the engine program that they’ve got, it’s going to take time. And time is not always what an F1 driver has on his side.”

‘I’ve got to get out of here’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...johnny-herbert


Wolff: McLaren engine supply deal ‘not my most intelligent choice’
18/07/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

For Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff, seeing the former midfield contender now outshine the Silver Arrows is an unexpected twist. “Look at where they were three, four years ago, when we signed the deal with them that they were going to use our fast engines for the next few years,” Wolff told Sky Italia. “Then they were 18th and it was easy to make such a decision.”

“In Montreal we did well with cooler temperatures, but in Austria we’ve known for years that McLaren has it best,” Wolff said. “Mercedes can fight for victory at one circuit, while falling more than a minute behind the next weekend.” That unpredictability continues to frustrate the Silver Arrows’ camp.

“It remains bizarre how big the difference is between performances on different circuits and under different conditions with these ground effect cars,” Wolff emphasized. “We won in Montreal but finished a minute behind in Austria, which is unacceptable for a team and brand like us.”

‘Unpredictability continues to frustrate the Silver Arrows’ camp’;

https://f1i.com/news/544133-wolff-mc...nt-choice.html


McLaren take 'uncomfortable' Max Verstappen to Mercedes stance
Zak Brown has continued his tour of discussing Max Verstappen and the speculation that the Dutchman will leave Red Bull for Mercedes.
18 July 2025
Samuel Coop & Nick Golding
RacingNews365

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has conceded that Max Verstappen teaming up with Mercedes is a prospect that is "pretty comfortable" to comprehend. "I think Mercedes is a team on the rise," the 53-year-old told The Sports Agents podcast. "Red Bull at the moment has challenges; it doesn't mean that they can't fix those challenges."

"But Max in a Mercedes is pretty uncomfortable to think about because he's awesome," Brown added before emphasising the huge loss Verstappen would be for Red Bull. "So, I think I'd rather he stay where he is," he said. "I think it would be a disaster for Red Bull if they lost Max."

'Uncomfortable' Max Verstappen to Mercedes stance’;

https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-ta...ercedes-stance


Button’s Verstappen warning as ‘strange move’ Mercedes rumour continues
17 Jul 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Jenson Button has warned Max Verstappen that the grass may not be greener at Mercedes, after all, he is “not going” to have a car that’s designed around his driving style. “It’s a tricky one for Max, because he’s in a position where he’s doing so well with Red Bull – they’ve given him so much over the years,” the Briton told The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X.

“They’ve designed this car around him, and he’s extremely good at it. Nobody can match him in that car. They’re so far off him. I mean, him qualifying third or fourth, and them qualifying 18th.”

“If he goes to Mercedes, it’s a different thing altogether. You know, that car is not going to be designed around him. So, is it going to work for him? I don’t know. I mean, the best in the world should be able to make that work for him.”

‘The grass may not be greener at Mercedes’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jenson...mour-continues


Russell can forget about a seat at this team if Verstappen takes his at Mercedes
17 Jul 2025
Kada Sárközi
Tim Kraaij
GPblog.com

If George Russell does not receive a new contract from Toto Wolff and Mercedes, then it appears the Brit cannot count on a seat at Aston Martin either. Team principal Andy Cowell firmly closed the door on the matter in Silverstone. So, no room for Russell, who is nonetheless hoping for a contract extension with Mercedes. However, the Briton finds himself waiting for the outcome of the negotiations between Mercedes and Max Verstappen’s camp. If the Dutchman decides to make the move to Mercedes, then Russell needs to look for a new employer.

If not Aston Martin, then there are few options left for Russell. Alpine, with a Mercedes engine in 2026, is the most likely option. There, alongside Pierre Gasly, there is also room for a strong driver. Cadillac is another project that might be interesting, though it would mean a significant step back for Russell on the grid.

Russell's name is also mentioned as a possible successor to Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, but that seems an unlikely scenario. Helmut Marko combined with George Russell does not seem like a ‘match made in heaven’ and at Red Bull, at the beginning of the new cycle, they are likely to focus more on their own talent.

‘Waiting for the outcome of the negotiations between Mercedes and Max Verstappen’s camp’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/russe...ot-at-mercedes


Brundle snipes at Wolff over Verstappen bombshell transfer talks: 'You're hanging Russell out to dry!'
4 Jul 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com

"I think that he's been hung out to dry a little bit," elaborated the former F1 driver turned commentator. "He's doing a brilliant job of leading the Mercedes team. He's picked up the mantle from Lewis Hamilton very well. It must be super uncomfortable for him and a bit embarrassing that, you know, he's sitting there waiting, unless stuff's going on behind the scenes, but if it is, why are they not saying so?"

'Verstappen is the fastest driver and F1 is a shark pool'. "Of course, Max Verstappen - I think everybody accepts he's the fastest one on the grid - comes with certain challenges as well. But it's a very difficult situation," added Brundle understanding and validating the talks that are reportedly being held between Mercedes and Verstappen. "But that's the crucible of Formula 1. That there is the shark pool out there and, you know what, if you're a team principal, don't make a decision 'til you really have to," concluded Brundle.

I think that he's been hung out to dry a little bit";

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/brund...him-out-to-dry


Guenther Steiner shares his one doubt about Mercedes as they chase Max Verstappen hard for 2026
16 July 2025
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Guenther Steiner believes Mercedes’ previous success with F1 regulations doesn’t guarantee success in 2026. The reason for Mercedes’ emergence as the favourites to sign Verstappen is due to their history of getting new engine regulations right the first time, something that Renault struggled with as Red Bull’s supplier in 2014.

Despite that, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner doesn’t believe this means Mercedes is guaranteed success in 2026. Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, the Italian explained, “Everybody’s vulnerable. Next year, nobody knows what will happen. We need to wait until February, when they go testing.

“Mercedes last time around did a fantastic job. So they are the favourites to do a fantastic job again. I think they’ve got the same opportunity as the other [teams], not more. Just because you did a good job 10 years ago, it doesn’t mean that you do a good job now, because there aren’t many people there from 10 years ago.”

‘Mercedes’ previous success with F1 regulations doesn’t guarantee success in 2026’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gue...hard-for-2026/