Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Hulkenberg pinpoints where Hungarian GP got away from him as he takes positives from first half of season.
Nico Hulkenberg has admitted that his P19 Qualifying result was the “start of the end” for his hopes at the Hungaroring, with the German unable to pull off another rise to the points around the tight, twisty venue.
6 Aug 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Nico Hulkenberg made up ground from the back of the grid in Hungary, but could not quite reach the points. Hulkenberg’s back-of-the-grid start in Hungary proved to be a more frustrating affair – the Kick Sauber racer spending most of his two-stop race stuck in traffic, given the lack of overtaking opportunities.

“It was always going to be difficult from the back,” Hulkenberg reflected after the race, which team mate Gabriel Bortoleto – who starred to reach Q3 – finished in sixth position. “We know in traffic it’s a bit difficult here.”

“I think the one-stop worked quite well for many people, so the two-stop naturally wasn’t even the faster one. A two-stop, plus a lot of traffic, means a very difficult race. No yield today, but I’m happy that Gabi was there to pick up the points. It all goes back to [Saturday], having a poor quali. Starting from the back is obviously the start of the end, a little bit.”

‘P19’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...W3T6BfVoFsXULC


Nico Hulkenberg questions false start penalty after "tough" Hungarian GP: "I didn't do anything wrong"
3 Aug 2025
Motorsport.com

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 Germany following the race, Hulkenberg admitted he had "no idea" before giving his own explanation of what may have happened. "I need to take a look at it. From my perspective, I didn’t do anything wrong, no jump start. I was a bit late today engaging first gear, and when you do that, the car makes a little jump.”

"I don’t know. Maybe I was already quite far forward and that somehow triggered it. That’s the only explanation I can think of, but yeah, I’ll have to review it." The FIA monitors any movement from a car "after the four (4) second light is illuminated and before the start signal is given by extinguishing all red lights.”

"I didn't do anything wrong";

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/n...rong/10748194/


Hulkenberg and Bortoleto praise Sauber’s progress in 2025 ahead of Audi transformation
Kick Sauber drivers Hulkenberg and Bortoleto have been reflecting on an impressive start to the season as the team prepares for their Audi transition next year.
15 Aug 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Speaking in the media pen ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Hulkenberg said: “I think it's been a very positive first half of the season up until the summer break, obviously since Barcelona we've really managed to turn things around. “If you look where we started in winter testing compared to where we are now this is definitely good progress and a lot has happened since.”

On building for the future, the German has high hopes for the continued growth of the team and what can come next as they prepare for their transition into Audi for 2026. “Obviously so many things change on the technical side next year and I think many people are in the dark and we can only really just speculate,” he added.

“But what is being built behind the scenes and the infrastructure, and the team structure that we're building, that is growing. I think that looks good, [it] looks positive. Still a lot more to do if we look and compare ourselves to the top runners currently, but [we are] definitely going in the right direction.”

‘Sauber’s progress’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...IzcHmWTdXPr9As


Wheatley hails ‘most collaborative’ driver pairing he’s ever seen
15/08/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Jonathan Wheatley has hailed the Swiss outfit’s current driver lineup of veteran Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto as the most “collaborative” pairing he has witnessed in his extensive Formula 1 career. “It's incredibly important,” Wheatley told reporters after the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I have to say that it's the closest, most collaborative driver pairing I think I can even remember in all my time in Formula 1. Gabriel has a fantastic work ethic. He has a capacity for taking on new information. He's proving in every way to be the future star that we expected him to be. And Nico is part of that journey with him.”

“On the other side of the engineering table, you've got this extraordinary experience and Nico's proven talent. I mean, we're talking about Gabi a lot [after Hungary], but Nico did a tremendous job. You don't really see it or you don't notice it because it didn't result in a points finish. But as a team, we're very pleased with both of our drivers.”

For rookie Gabriel Bortoleto: “It's worth pointing out again that he hasn't done 10,000 kilometers of testing of previous cars,” the Briton noted. “He hasn't done 10,000 kilometers in the Formula 1 car. It's his first season in Formula 1. There are so many circuits that he's not been to. And there's some coming up that he hasn't been to. He's been able to deliver brilliantly over the last few races in circuits that he knows. I think he's matured and developed as a driver. And I think he's going to be able to adapt to these new circuits much quicker than he did in the first half of the season.”

‘Most collaborative driver pairing he’s ever seen’;

https://f1i.com/news/546257-wheatley...ever-seen.html


Hulkenberg ‘overwhelmed’ by 700 messages after British GP podium
26/07/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Nico Hulkenberg is still riding high from his stunning podium finish at the British Grand Prix earlier this month, describing the aftermath of his career-defining result as “overwhelming”. The 37-year-old German reflected on the whirlwind two weeks following his Silverstone success.
“Yeah. Surprisingly, they've been very good,” Hulkenberg said, when asked how he spent the break after his podium finish. “Nice to have a bit of time after and to enjoy the moment properly and not dive straight into the next Grand Prix. So that was good timing from that point of view.”

“Obviously, just an incredible race. Those conditions were very tricky, but we made all the right decisions and rewarded ourselves coming from last, which was pretty crazy and special. The aftermath was also overwhelming,” he revealed. “The feedback and responses we got, well over 700 messages. Took me a good week to work through it all, but obviously amazing and nice to feel and see all that.”

“The feedback and responses we got, well over 700 messages”;

https://f1i.com/news/544668-hulkenbe...gp-podium.html


Jonathan Wheatley's "shortcuts to performance" hailed by Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg has praised new Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley for bringing “shortcuts to performance” from his experience at Red Bull
Jul 25, 2025
Alex Harrington
Motorsport.com

Nico Hulkenberg has praised the early impact of team principal Jonathan Wheatley, who brings his experience as Red Bull’s former sporting director to the struggling Sauber outfit. “Very quickly he saw possibilities to optimise here and there. It’s just shortcuts to performance and to a better and a more streamlined organisation and race operation.”

"He applied some things in the structure of the team which are beneficial and helpful. Often, it's just little tweaks, but many little tweaks are a positive contribution. And back at the factory, there's a lot more work to do as we grow, to put the pieces into position and make sure they work productively in the future.”

Wheatley said after the team's success at Silverstone. "I've spoken about how important momentum is in a team, and for me, what I take from this result is that people start believing in us. I can say the words, I can say we're gaining momentum, I can say we're putting performance on the car, I can say all the hard work Mattia [Binotto] put in before I got here is coming to light, but it is all true.

“Shortcuts to performance”;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/j...berg/10744872/

[Fortitude]

Carlos Sainz is helping James Vowles assemble a ‘dream team’ behind the scenes after joining Williams.
Williams are enjoying their best season in Formula 1 since 2017. The changes that Sainz has brought to the team have clearly worked, as the Grove-based outfit are currently on course to beat their highest points tally in F1 since 2017. With Felipe Massa and Lance Stroll at the wheel, the team managed to finish fifth in the constructors’ championship, amassing a total of 83 points over the 20-round season.
16 August 2025
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Carlos Sainz requested James Vowles to invest in a driver coach ahead of his arrival at Williams. Speaking in an interview with Racer, Sainz touched upon how he is aiding James Vowles in realising the team principal’s vision of putting Williams back on top of the F1 grid, akin to their golden age of the 1980s and 1990s.

Through his previous experience of working with one at Ferrari, Sainz’s first request was for the team to appoint a driver coach to help the drivers understand how they can unlock the most out of themselves and the Williams car. “This was talked about well before I arrived, well before we even did a race weekend. I just know the level that a Formula 1 team needs to operate to be an even more competitive team, like Ferrari, for example.”

“I just came in with a few ideas, a few things that I like, and I can cherry-pick from the four or five teams that I’ve been to in Formula 1,” Sainz said. “And if I would have to create a dream team, or a dream way of how I think a team should operate and the structure that the team needs and the way we communicate as a team, I just vocalise that to James and the top-level management of the team”

‘Invest in a driver coach’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/car...ning-williams/


Carlos Sainz details ‘completely different’ aspect between Ferrari and Williams F1 cars
9 Aug 2025
Harry Whitfield
Motorsport Week

Carlos Sainz has revealed that the Williams Formula 1 car feels “completely different” due to the variance in engine braking compared to the Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton, who made the opposite switch earlier this season by joining Ferrari from Mercedes, has also been candid about the struggles he encountered adapting.

“For me, it’s important that even if I’m taking my time to adapt to the team and the car… I don’t think I took my time to adapt to the car, I think I was quite quick straight away – it’s just getting results and putting things together that has been a struggle since the beginning of the year,” the 30-year-old said.

“Still in Race 12, it doesn’t seem like we’re getting any better at putting things together, but it will come at some point. In the meantime, I’ll just keep my head down and I’m pretty sure the result is about to come.”

‘Variance in engine braking’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...liams-f1-cars/


Carlos Sainz shares the moment he was ‘very nervous’ at Williams after Ferrari move
10 August 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

Carlos Sainz admits he was ‘very nervous’ during his Williams debut in Australia. It has been a tough start for Sainz at Williams, having recorded a highest finish of eighth in Jeddah and Imola. He has not scored points since the Canadian GP. Sainz did not start in Austria after his FW47 caught fire in the pit lane, summing up his first half of the season. His troubles at Williams started in the worst possible way at the season opener in Melbourne.

Williams showed how they had initially taken a step forward when Sainz and Albon both reached Q3. But while the latter went on to finish P5, the former did not cross the line to complete a lap after he spun out in the rain at the final corner. Speaking via the official Williams YouTube channel, the Spaniard admitted he was ‘very nervous’ during the race as he took up position on the pit wall to help Albon with his strategy in the tricky conditions.

“You know, I enjoyed that. I had a terrible time, obviously, after the spin and the crash in my first race. I was very nervous when I said: ‘I think you should box’. And then suddenly I went: ‘Box’. And Charles, the strategist, and JV, we were like: ‘Please rain come, rain come!’ And it started p—— down.”

I think you should box’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/car...-ferrari-move/


Carlos Sainz reveals u-turn over confidence in Williams F1 decision
Carlos Sainz has had his ups and downs during his first F1 campaign with the Williams team.
18 August 2025
Fergal Walsh & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Carlos Sainz has admitted he was uncertain after signing for Williams that it was the right choice for his F1 career. “I definitely felt last year when I took the decision, Williams was ninth in the championship and there was less certainty that maybe Williams was the right choice in my career,” Sainz told media including RacingNews365.

“Now a year on, I’m very confident of the decision I took. I’m very glad, looking at the progress the team is showing and the momentum we’re building into 2026.”

‘U-turn over confidence’;

https://racingnews365.com/carlos-sai...ms-f1-decision


Sainz names the single frustration overshadowing his Williams move
17 Aug 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

In a recent interview via Racer, Sainz reflected on life at Williams, highlighting that while his debut campaign with the team has exceeded his expectations, he still harbours a few frustrations. “I don't regret the move, for sure. And I'm actually pretty encouraged by what I've seen," he said. "2025 has exceeded my expectations in terms of car performance and what the team is capable of doing. So, I'm very comfortable and calm with the decision. I'm just frustrated that the results haven't been better because the feeling is saying the opposite, but for one reason or another, the results are not coming.”

“I like seeing the potential because I see that I also have it. I think I would be more worried if I was three or four tenths off Alex [Albon] every weekend and not being able to match his pace, seeing him getting P6s, P7s, P5s, picking up all the points, and me just struggling for pace at the back. But the fact that I am sometimes quicker, sometimes within the same tenth, sometimes one tenth slower than Alex every weekend, I know I can get the same results – sometimes better, sometimes a bit worse.”

“I'm just frustrated that the results haven't been better”;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/sainz...-williams-move


Carlos Sainz identifies fundamental Williams weakness
August 10, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Speaking after the Hungarian GP, Sainz told AS the importance of progressing ahead of 2026: “We have some poor aerodynamic characteristics in long curves, where you need to maintain the load level from entry until halfway through the corner.”

“These things fail us, it’s been a characteristic for a long time, because we perform better in short corners and straights. At tracks like Barcelona, Hungary or Qatar, the car suffers. A change in philosophy is needed in the design, to ensure next year’s car works well at different circuits.”

‘Poor aerodynamic characteristics in long curves’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...iams-weakness/


Carlos Sainz makes new Williams admission with key issue not ‘getting any better’
13 Aug 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Carlos Sainz has admitted that he and Williams are not “getting any better at putting things together” on a race weekend in F1 2025. He conceded that his side of the garage is still struggling with execution on individual grand prix weekends, with the situation not “getting any better” at the moment.

“It’s just getting results and putting things together that has been a struggle since the beginning of the year – and still it doesn’t seem like we’re getting any better at putting things together. “But it will come at some point and, in the meantime, I’ll just keep my head down. I’m pretty sure the result is about to come.”

Sainz has cited the lack of testing time available in modern F1 as a key factor behind his slow adaptation to life at Williams, telling media including PlanetF1.com of his desire to see more pre-season testing.

‘His side of the garage is still struggling’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos...getting-better

[Fortitude]

Alex Albon lists three factors behind ‘standout’ 2025 F1 season.
Alex Albon has outlined the three specific factors that have contributed to him sustaining a “standout” season with Williams in Formula 1 in 2025.
8 Aug 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week10:48 Fri,

Alex Albon affirmed his belief that his entire Williams tenure has been positive, regardless of who has been in the opposite garage. “Yes, maybe more validation to you than to me,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “I feel like I’ve always had quite a strong time at Williams. I feel like I got comfortable pretty quickly. I learnt a lot from my time at Red Bull and then I just gained experience and I got stronger and stronger every year,” he added.

He was also quick to give credit to the personnel back at Grove, who have produced the FW47, undoubtedly Williams’ strongest package since his arrival in 2022. “This year looks like a standout year. I say it a lot, but I think the team have done a fantastic job to give me the car to be able to deliver the results,” he continued. “It seems to keep going at the moment. It feels like we’ve just had a good run of it. I’m comfortable in the car, and I feel like the car is way more predictable to drive.”

“It’s easier to drive on the limit. We’re not getting these snaps and things, which I think last year you could see sometimes would put us in a wall and things like that. It builds confidence and then you can just exploit the car more and more. Once you’re really comfortable with the car, you can deliver good races, consistent races, which is what we’ve been doing this year.”

“Gained experience and I got stronger and stronger every year”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...025-f1-season/


Albon believes 2025 is his best season so far in F1 as he reflects on Williams' efforts
Williams' Alex Albon believes he's been performing at his best level in F1 throughout the 2025 season.
18 Aug 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Alex Albon was asked if this was his best season in F1 as he singled out the improvements Williams had made as a team. “I would say so, yeah," he said on whether 2025 was his best campaign. "So far. Let's see how the second half of the year goes but I think I've been driving well.”

"I don't think it's been so different to my other years but I feel like I've been consistent, taking my opportunities when I can, not making mistakes, which is always a good sign and at the same time I also have the car that allows me to score the points.”

“I don't think that was necessarily the case when I first joined Williams but nowadays we've made such big steps... I also feel confident in the car, it goes both ways. You drive better because the car is better to drive.”

‘2025 is his best season’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...BDxYSaH0cO3C9e


How Alex Albon privately feels about potential 2026 Red Bull return as Thai owners plot surprise ‘reunion’
18 August 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

Alex Albon has ‘little interest’ in returning to Red Bull as he views Williams more favourably. It has been reported that Red Bull’s Thai ownership ‘would love’ to sign Albon and bring him back to Milton Keynes. Chalem Yoovidhya, who owns 49% of the team, has a good relationship with his fellow compatriot.

Max Verstappen has committed to Red Bull for 2026, while teammate Yuki Tsunoda and Racing Bulls duo Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson are out of contract in 2025. While they already have options within the team, Red Bull could look outside their current crop of drivers. However, according to a report from Formule1.NL, Albon has felt, ‘and still feels’, little interest in making a return to Red Bull. The project at Williams is more appealing to him, and it offers more security as Albon has a contract until 2027.

What’s more is that Williams will be powered by Mercedes engines under the 2026 technical regulations, which are tipped to be the fastest. There is no guarantee that Red Bull’s power unit will be competitive, with concerns already coming within the team.

‘The project at Williams is more appealing’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/how...prise-reunion/


Why Alex Albon has turned down advances from Red Bull
August 16, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Alex Albon deserves credit for his consistent performances at Williams over the years. His efforts have not gone unnoticed, with Red Bull reportedly making an approach to sign Albon at the end of 2024. However, for several reasons, Albon is not attracted by the interest from the Milton Keynes team.

According to reports at the beginning of the year, the Austrian team gauged Alex Albon’s interest in making a return. Despite the Thai’s relatively speedy exit from Red Bull at the end of 2020, his career turn-around at Williams made him a plausible option for Christian Horner’s team. Red Bull’s owner, Charlem Yoovidhya, is reported to still be enthusiastic about Albon returning to Milton Keynes. Unfortunately for the Austrian outfit, Albon himself is not interested in joining.

Putting aside Red Bull’s development struggles this year, their prospects for 2026 are viewed with great scepticism. The difficulty of producing their own engine makes them underdogs heading into next season. It will be a great challenge for Red Bull to remain front-runners, especially against more established manufacturers. Speaking of which, Mercedes are expected to produce among the best engines in 2026.

‘Unfortunately for the Austrian outfit, Albon himself is not interested in joining’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...from-red-bull/


Alex Albon spots the ‘unique’ way that ‘every’ rival F1 team has hurt Williams this season
20 August 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Alex Albon finds it ‘unique’ how midfield F1 teams keep delivering successful upgrades. Williams were in a different league to Aston Martin and Sauber following the Monaco Grand Prix in round eight, with their 54 points compared to 14 and six. But Sauber turned a corner with their upgrades at the Spanish GP, where Aston Martin also kick-started their campaign.

The progress that rival teams like Aston Martin and Sauber have enjoyed with their updates this season has surprised Albon, as well. He believes the 2025 F1 season has been “unique” in that every upgrade the midfield teams have thus far brought has immediately delivered. Albon said, via Motorsport.com: “We did notice that we were dropping down the grid from our great start as the others started to upgrade. Something that’s been unique this year is that every single [midfield team] who’s put an upgrade on, it’s worked.”

“We generally are running fewer upgrades a year. But when we did put them on, they worked, and we could kind of get away with teams adding upgrades that weren’t working. But, this year, we fell down in a short amount of time.” Albon put Williams in a strong position at the start of 2025, when Aston Martin and Sauber were still finding their feet. The London-born Thai achieved fifth-place finishes in Australia, Miami and Emilia Romagna as he started with points in seven of the first eight Grands Prix.

‘Midfield F1 teams keep delivering successful upgrades’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ale...s-this-season/


2025 Formula 1 mid-season driver rankings #5: Alexander Albon
20th August 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

It was obvious before the 2025 season began that Alexander Albon was about to face his toughest challenge against a team mate since Red Bull paired him with Max Verstappen five years earlier. But Albon has measured up well against the more experienced Carlos Sainz Jnr and delivered each of Williams’ four best results so far.

It began with a superb drive in the damp Australian Grand Prix, aided by his team mate’s input to his strategy, following Sainz’s first-lap crash. From sixth on the grid Albon delivered his first of three fifth-place finishes. He followed that up with seventh in China, where he even led briefly, and ninth in Japan. His points run paused in Bahrain, due only partly to the stewards’ oversight in qualifying which prevented him taking part in Q2 when he should have done.

Albon repeated Williams’ best result so far at the next two rounds with a pair of fifth places. This came despite him clipping Sainz at the start in Miami, damaging his team mate’s floor. In Imola he battled the Ferrari drivers for another fifth-place finish.

‘#5: Alexander Albon’;

https://www.racefans.net/2025/08/20/...exander-albon/

[Fortitude]

Ocon: Haas have not been “consistent enough” this season.
Ocon downbeat after disappointing end to first half of the season. Even in an immensely volatile midfield, Haas have easily been the most unpredictable team on the grid. From one race to another, the VF-25 regularly experiences dramatic variations in performance.
August 3, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

After crossing the chequered flag in Budapest, Ocon gave a candid reflection about the first half of 2025: “Difficult day for sure, I think we need to have a good look – [to see] if we’d have used a different strategy, if it would have given us anything.”

“I don’t think so, in hindsight… We need to work a little bit more on getting the car under control, and more pace throughout the race. Looking at this first half, there are some positives definitely. We scored a certain amount of points. But we are not consistent enough, in where we want to be every single time.”

Upgrades will be few and far between over the next few months, as the 2026 regulations become the priority. For Haas, climbing the pecking order will be difficult. Barring any unexpected shifts, Alpine are the only team they can expect to be slower than them for the rest of 2025. Still, as the last two race weekends have shown, there will be opportunities for Haas to claim sizable points hauls.

‘Most unpredictable team on the grid’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...h-this-season/


Haas drivers held 'clear the air' talks after nightmare Silverstone incident
Ollie Bearman collided with team-mate Esteban Ocon during the wet British GP, potentially costing both drivers a points finish.
24 July 2025
Jake Nichol & Pepijn van der Hulst
RacingNews365

Esteban Ocon believes the collision with team-mate Ollie Bearman in the British GP cost both drivers a points finish as he revealed 'clear-the-air' talks. At Silverstone, Bearman locked up going into Brooklands off the dry racing line in the wet conditions, and collected the sister Haas car of Ocon.

"We discussed it with Ayao and Ollie, and we know that we should not be in these positions," Ocon told media, including RacingNews365. "We both had a difficult race at different stages of the weekend, and we should not have been in that position at first, and it was tricky conditions as well. Probably if we didn't have that touch, we both would have scored points, so we realised we can't waste these kinds of opportunities, and it was very straightforward. It was a very clear discussion, and there is a very good atmosphere in the team, and there is no hiding, and we are working together towards the same goal, so that is the most important thing."

'Clear-the-air talks’;

https://racingnews365.com/haas-drive...stone-incident


‘It’s no mean feat’ – Ocon and Bearman ‘super pleased’ with Haas double points in Spa Sprint
It was a solid outing for Haas in the Sprint at the Belgian Grand Prix, with Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman both taking home points.
26 Jul 2025
Formula One - Official Site

“[I’m] super pleased with this,” Ocon smiled after the Sprint. “I think it’s six points for the team in total on a Saturday, so it’s a really good result. We can be obviously satisfied with this. The cars in front were the cars that are out of reach for the moment, with Charles just being quicker than us, so we finished on top of our race basically, and overall it was fantastic.”

“We need to do it all again obviously for this afternoon which is not going to be an easy task, but we’ll push hard to make it happen.”

‘It’s no mean feat’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...bCcNTsIvkTpP6w


Esteban Ocon slams “costly mistake” in Haas’ Belgian GP strategy
Haas failed to score points in the main Spa-Francorchamps F1 race after its switch to slicks came too late
Jul 31, 2025
Ben Vinel
Motorsport.com

“The thing that really pissed me off is that it's not the first time it happened.”
Perhaps unexpectedly, this quote belongs to Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu, as he reflected on the British Grand Prix – where Haas faltered in mixed weather conditions – in the paddock during the buildup to F1’s race at Spa-Francorchamps.

Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon ran 11th and 12th in the first stint, but neither of them were among the drivers who successfully gambled on an early pitstop, and Ocon was even the last – though on the same lap as three others – to make the switch… seemingly inexplicably ending up on used rubber in the process. The Haas cars then found themselves down in 14th and 20th, eventually finishing 11th and 15th.

Simply by pitting two laps later, Ocon lost some 28 seconds to Lewis Hamilton, who was first to change tyres. Just two seconds or so can be attributed to the Frenchman letting team-mate Bearman through, on his own volition – “The team didn't ask me to let him go, but I was holding him up in the middle sector quite a lot and I was damaging my tyres much more,” he explained after the race.

“The thing that really pissed me off…”;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/e...tegy/10746291/


Ocon frustrated as Haas messes up execution and timing at Spa
30/07/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

“I think there are two very crucial decisions that we didn’t do in the right way,” Ocon said after the race. “The first one obviously was boxing two laps too late. We need to review as a team because we had the pace today to score with both cars. Once we got going and everything was normal, the pace was there. So, it’s a big shame.”

And then the other thing was boxing onto a used set of tyres while we had a new one in the truck ready for us,” he continued. “So, I did basically my 35 laps on a used set of tyres while we had a new set of Mediums ready for us in the race. So, yeah, that’s a big and costly mistake.”

This decision left Ocon struggling to maintain pace in a race where tyre management was critical due to the drying track conditions. “We need to review these last two races because I feel, you know, when it’s wet we don’t put things together,” he said.

‘Haas messes up execution’;

https://f1i.com/news/545138-ocon-fru...ng-at-spa.html


This F1 driver says 'summer shutdown is hitting me hard already!'
11 Aug 2025
Savannah Lenz
GPblog.com

Esteban Ocon has been busy over the summer break. He has taken to various social media platforms to share funny pictures and vidoes while staying up to date with the latest trends. Posted to his TikTok, Ocon admitted he was already bored. He decided to ask fans to describe what they did for a living. In the comments were the official Formula 1 account and both the Mercedes and Haas team accounts.

‘Already bored’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/lifestyle/...e-hard-already


Esteban Ocon uplifted by Haas' resilience amid challenging F1 season
19 Aug 2025
Luke-John Buckle
GPblog.com

Esteban Ocon explained at the Hungarian Grand Prix that he is pleased with Haas' resilience but urged the team to maximise every opportunity they have. He said: "Going in the good direction, I would say. It hasn't been smooth the whole time, but we were able to get some weekends where we thought, okay, that was a really strong one. There was nothing we could have done better and there was a lot of learning.”

"We started, clearly, as the last car in Australia, and we fought back in a magnificent way. The team was able to react to certain situations in a way that I felt it was a lost cause, and that wasn't the case. It's been great to see how much pride the team takes when we do certain results, and I'm really proud of everyone in the way we've been able to deliver and improve. We set ourselves in a good position now, where it's a tight midfield, and we need to deliver every time we are out there, and that will make the difference at the end of the year."

‘Haas' resilience’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/esteb...ging-f1-season


2025 Formula 1 mid-season driver rankings #7: Esteban Ocon
19th August 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Some drivers (such those in points 14 and 13) have laboured to adapt to new teams after switching during the off-season. But Esteban Ocon appears to have found his feet at Haas very quickly and has delivered some excellent results for them.

That proved vital in the season-opener in Australia where Haas discovered handling deficiencies in their VF-25. Ocon’s new team mate Oliver Bearman missed most of practice, leaving the veteran to ensure the team at least came away from the weekend with useful data.

The tensions some predicted between Ocon and Bearman largely haven’t materialised, aside from an awkward tangle in the rain at Silverstone. Ocon has the upper hand for now, and gave the best indication of the team’s post-upgrade potential by starting and finishing fifth in the sprint race at Spa. So far he has plenty of reasons to be happy about his move from Alpine.

‘#7: Esteban Ocon’;

https://www.racefans.net/2025/08/19/...-esteban-ocon/