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Belgian GP agrees new F1 rotational deal until 2031

The Belgian Grand Prix has secured a new contract that will keep it on the Formula 1 calendar for four out of six years from 2026-2031.

It is the first deal of this type signed by F1, which is seeking to find ways of accommodating new events in an already crowded calendar.

The contract dictates that the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit will host races in 2026, 2027, 2029 and 2031.

However, in 2028 and 2030 Belgium will be replaced by another race.

The details of which other venues will rotate with Spa are yet to be confirmed.

Barcelona, in Spain, and Imola, in Italy, both want to keep their races, even though they are out of contract after this year.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is being replaced as the venue of the Spanish Grand Prix by a new circuit in Madrid from next season.

The Dutch Grand Prix's deal ends after 2026 but organisers in the Netherlands may want to revive it at some point, and F1 is also exploring ways of returning the French and German races to the calendar.

France is the birthplace of motorsport, while Germany is also one of the oldest venues, but both have become unviable in recent seasons.

France returned to the schedule in 2018 but fell off the calendar again after 2022, while Germany has not hosted a race since 2019.

A return of the Turkish Grand Prix, last held in 2021 after returning to the calendar in 2020 as a result of the pandemic, is also an option.

Rotation of European races also gives F1 an option to add new races outside the sport's European heartland, which currently accounts for about one third of the calendar.

F1 is working on a race in Rwanda, in central Africa, on a new circuit being built outside the capital Kigali, which will not happen before 2028 at the earliest.

Thailand is also interested in a race, but that would likely not be before 2030. The prospects of a return of South Korea to the calendar, which had been explored in both Seoul and Busan, are diminishing.

F1 president Stefano Domenicali said: "The Belgian Grand Prix was one of the races that made up our maiden championship in 1950, so as we kick off our 75th anniversary year it is fitting that we can share the news of this important extension.

"Spa-Francorchamps is rightly lauded by drivers and fans alike as one of the finest race tracks in the world and it has played host to some incredible moments over its many seasons in Formula 1.

"In recent years it has undergone significant work to improve the facility and overall fan experience, and I would like to pay tribute to the promoter and the Government of Wallonia for their dedication and passionate support for F1 in Belgium."

Last year brought F1's longest ever season, at 24 races, a schedule that continues this year, which starts in Australia on 14-16 March.

The team's contracts with F1 dictate a maximum of 25 races a year.

Those deals have to be renegotiated for the period starting in 2026, F1's next regulatory period, but there is widespread agreement that the sport is already at the upper limit of what is possible in terms of the calendar, and the maximum number of races is not expected to change in the new contracts.

SOURCE: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/articles/czxdxrwy7qvo
 

General Motors sets up new engine company​


US car company General Motors has set up a new engine company as it gears up for its prospective entry into Formula 1.

GM has an agreement in principle to start in F1 in 2026 with a new team named after its luxury Cadillac brand, partnering with US group TWG Global.

GM says it is forming a specialised engine-building company, called GM Performance Power Units, to build the engine the team will eventually use.

A statement said the company would "put Cadillac on the path to being a 'full works' team - building F1 vehicles and power units - by the end of the decade".

It did not specify an exact year for the debut of the GM F1 engine.

Cadillac will use Ferrari customer engines from its debut next year until its own engine is ready for use.

GM said testing of prototype F1 engine technology had already started in its motorsport technical centre in Charlotte, North Carolina, and in 2026 it would open a dedicated facility for the F1 engine programme nearby.

The chief executive officer of the new company will be Russ O'Blenes, head of GM's motorsports propulsion and performance team.

Dan Towriss, CEO of TWG Motorsports, said: "We're delighted to welcome Russ to this pivotal role. His expertise and leadership will be instrumental as we lay the foundation for Cadillac's F1 journey.

"Together with team principal Graeme Lowdon, they will lead the team in setting new standards of performance and innovation in the sport."

GM president Mark Reuss said: "Russ brings vast experience from many championship racing series, and has outstanding technical expertise, including spearheading our hybrid Imsa Cadillac and Corvette C8.R engines that are proven winners.

"In F1, we're going to demonstrate GM's engineering and technology capabilities on a global stage, and Russ is the right choice to lead the power-unit team that will make it happen."

Cadillac/GM is one of three major car companies entering F1 as a result of the new engine regulations being introduced in 2026, along with its US market rival Ford and Germany's Audi.

Ford is partnering Red Bull while Audi is setting up its own factory team having bought Swiss-based Sauber.

They will join F1's existing engine manufacturers Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda.

Renault, which owns the Alpine team, is ending its F1 engine programme after this year, with the team switching to Mercedes customer engines.

The new engine rules will mean the proportion of power provided by the hybrid part of the 1.5-litre V6 turbo engines will increase to about 50% from the current 20%. And F1 is mandating carbon-neutral sustainable fuels, either made from biomass or synthetic sources.

www.bbc.com

Formula 1: General Motors sets up new engine company

US car company General Motors sets up a new engine company as it gears up for its prospective entry into Formula 1.
www.bbc.com
 

Max Verstappen’s team respond to Aston Martin speculation​


Max Verstappen’s team offered a coy response when asked about the Formula 1 champion’s links to Aston Martin.

Verstappen has been indomitable at Red Bull, winning the last four driver’s titles, yet he has been linked with a stunning £1bn move to Aston Martin.

On Thursday (16 January), the Daily Mail reported that Aston Martin are informing sponsors that the Dutch-Belgian will join them.

And GP Blog put that to Verstappen’s team, whose answer was simply, “That’s nice,” neither confirming nor rejecting the report.

Yet Aston Martin “categorically denied” the story while speaking to Planet F1.

If Verstappen were to join Aston Martin, he would be following Adrian Newey – Red Bull’s longtime car designer – in making the move. Newey left Red Bull in 2024 and will join Aston Martin in time for the 2025 season, ahead of new regulations taking effect in 2026.

It is unclear whether Verstappen would join Aston Martin this season or next, but with the first race of 2025 taking place on 16 March – and pre-season testing, practice and qualifying to come before then – 2026 would seem likelier.

Aston Martin’s drivers are currently Fernando Alonso – a two-time F1 champion – and Lance Stroll, who is the son of team owner Lawrence Stroll.

The younger Stroll’s performances have long underwhelmed, yet he has retained his place at Aston Martin.

Verstappen, 27, partnered Sergio Perez at Red Bull from 2021 until the end of the 2024 season, with Liam Lawson replacing “Checo” ahead of the new campaign.

Verstappen reportedly earns £50m per year at Red Bull, whom he joined in 2016 after a spell at their feeder team, Toro Rosso.

www.independent.co.uk

Max Verstappen’s team respond to Aston Martin speculation

The Dutch-Belgian has been indomitable at Red Bull but has been linked with a move away
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
 

‘Today we start a new era’ – Hamilton shares emotional message after ‘dream’ first appearance for Ferrari​

Lewis Hamilton has taken to social media to share his excitement after appearing at Ferrari’s Italian headquarters in Maranello for the first time.

Hamilton is preparing to contest his first season with the iconic marque, having moved over from Mercedes to replace Carlos Sainz as Charles Leclerc’s team mate.

The Briton started the year with a message to his fans and followers on LinkedIn, when he wrote about “embracing new opportunities” and stated that “reinvention is powerful”.

On Monday, Hamilton went a step further by posting another update on his social media channels that included a photo of him posing outside Ferrari team buildings in an all-black suit and alongside an F40 sports car.


“There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days,” Hamilton said in the accompanying message.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn’t be happier to realise that dream today.

“Today we start a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can’t wait to see what story we will write together.”

Hamilton is expected to carry out a number of pre-season tasks at Maranello this week, with Ferrari outlining how his first day at the team has panned out.

Earlier today the seven-time World Champion arrived at the squad's headquarters before heading to the Fiorano track where he was met by Team Principal Fred Vasseur and Ferrari CEO, Benedetto Vigna.

www.formula1.com

Hamilton ‘couldn’t be happier’ as he makes Ferrari debut

Lewis Hamilton has taken to social media to share his excitement after appearing at Ferrari’s Italian headquarters in Maranello for the first time.
www.formula1.com www.formula1.com
 
Haas appoint Muller as F1's first female race engineer

Haas have restructured their race operations team with a series of changes that include appointing Laura Muller as the first female race engineer in Formula 1.

German Muller will work with new signing Esteban Ocon as one of two new race engineers at the US-based team.

Haas' new head of strategy will also be a woman - Carine Cridelich has been recruited from Red Bull's Racing Bulls team and will start work on 1 March.

Race engineer is a key role as the person who works most closely with drivers on the performance, set-up and running of their car. It is their voice that is heard talking to drivers on television broadcasts.

Muller's opposite number on the car of Ocon's team-mate, British rookie Oliver Bearman, will be Ronan O'Hare, another internal recruit who was previously a performance engineer.

Team principal Ayao Komatsu said diversity was increasing in F1, but added: "It's not like I chose Laura because she's female. We just don't care - nationality, gender, doesn't matter.

"What matters is work, how you fit into the team, how you can maximise the performance - and Ronan and Laura I believe happen to be the best choice."

Komatsu, who became team principal before the 2024 season, said he had wanted to change the race operations team since the early part of last year after spotting weaknesses.

Haas' changes include appointing a new chief race engineer and sporting director, both common positions the low-budget team did not have filled last season.

The new chief race engineer is Francesco Nenci, who most recently worked at Audi's Dakar Rally programme, and has F1 experience with Sauber and Toyota. Mark Lowe, previously Haas' operations team manager, will be sporting director.

"I felt the trackside team was one of the weakest areas last year, and the more the car became competitive that exposed it more," Komatsu said.

"Towards the end of the year we had the fifth-fastest car. But in terms of execution, we should have finished P6 [in the constructors' championship] but we didn't.

"Part of it was we left too many points on the table from the trackside operation. So really needed a step-up."

Cridelich, from France, follows other female strategy leaders, including Hannah Schmitz, the principal strategy engineer at Red Bull. Ruth Buscombe and Bernie Collins, who previously worked at Sauber and Aston Martin, have both since moved on to broadcasting careers.

Haas have a unique structure in that their in-house operations are pared back as much as possible through their partnership with Ferrari.

Haas uses Ferrari's wind tunnel, has their design team in Italy at Maranello and buys virtually all the parts from Ferrari permitted in the rules for their car, designing only the aerodynamic surfaces and chassis.

Their headquarters are in Kannapolis, North Carolina, but the race team runs out of a modest factory in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Komatsu said this would be the first year that Haas would have sufficient budget to reach F1's budget cap. A further change in approach is that they would not be using Ferrari's latest redesigned front suspension, preferring to stick with last year's design for consistency of aerodynamic research.

Haas finished seventh overall last year, ahead of Racing Bulls, Williams and Sauber, and Komatsu said his sights were "set on consistency".

"In history with Haas across the years, I don't think we have been competitive across the seasons in a similar manner," he said.

He added that he had ambitions to further improve a team he said was "punching above its weight" for its limited resources.

"Who [else] only has 300 people or operates out of this kind of building?" Komatsu said.

"If Williams operated to their potential, there is no way we could be beating them. I want to get to a place where we can beat those sorts of people on merit without people screwing up."

BBC
 
Hamilton has first test in Ferrari F1 car at Fiorano

Lewis Hamilton has had his first experience of a Ferrari Formula 1 car at the team's Fiorano test track.

The 40-year-old seven-time champion tested a 2023 car on Wednesday as part of his acclimatisation work with his new team.

His test follows two days of work at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, of which the Fiorano track is a part.

Hamilton's running was complete by shortly after 11:00 local time (10:00 GMT). Team-mate Charles Leclerc will drive the car in the afternoon as he begins to get back up to speed after the winter break.

Ferrari will release more information about Hamilton's running later on Wednesday.

Hamilton will be limited to a total of 1,000km (621 miles) of what is known as testing of previous cars running by F1's regulations.

The test will help him learn the way the Ferrari engine operates and allow him to build trust and working practices with his new race engineer Riccardo Adami and the rest of the team.

Adami worked with Carlos Sainz for the last four years and before that four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.

The test is being held behind close doors. It has drawn significant attention and there are crowds of fans standing on the bridge overlooking Fiorano for a glimpse of the team's new driver.

The test is running in cold, foggy conditions, which are quite typical of January in Emilia-Romagna.

Hamilton is also expected to test at Spain's Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the coming weeks before experiencing the team's 2025 model at its launch on 19 February.

Hamilton's first official public appearance as a Ferrari driver will be on 18 February at the launch of the F1 season at the O2 in London, which all the teams and drivers are required to attend.

Three days of official pre-season testing in Bahrain will start on 26 February, before the start of the season at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 14-16 March.

BBC
 

Williams signs Turvey as development and test driver for F1 2025​

Oliver Turvey has been signed to Williams' Formula 1 team as a test and development driver to assist with the Grove squad's progress on its new simulator package.

The Briton switches to Williams after holding a similar role for McLaren for over 15 years, and had tested multiple times over that span with the Woking squad alongside other racing activities.

Alongside his motorsport involvement, Turvey studied engineering at Cambridge and this background has made him a much sought-after development driver across F1, Formula E, and endurance racing.

Turvey will assist with the development of Williams' new driver-in-loop simulator, and employ his knowledge to help validate the team's progress with its preparation for F1's 2026 regulation package.

"I am delighted to join Williams," said Turvey. "It’s an honour to have the opportunity to join such an historic and successful team.

"The ambition and determination driving this project are incredibly inspiring, and I’m excited for the challenge ahead to help bring the team back to the top.

"It is a privilege to work alongside Alex and Carlos, who I consider two of the best drivers in F1. I look forward to using my experience as both a driver and engineer to work closely with the team at Grove to enhance the car’s performance in the simulator and support the race team.

"We’re very happy to welcome Oliver to the team," added sporting director Sven Smeets. "He brings a vast amount of experience and expertise that will be invaluable to our progression as we continue to strengthen the team across the board.

 

F1 drivers face bans for criticising ruling body​

Formula 1 drivers face race bans if they repeatedly swear or criticise the sport's governing body under new rules introduced this year.

Changes to the FIA's sporting code for the 2025 season codify the steps to a potential race ban for drivers deemed guilty of such offences.

They mean that if a driver commits three such offences they are at risk of a "one-month suspension plus deduction of championship points".

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) said it had "no comment on that matter for the time being".

But a source close to one top driver told BBC Sport the move was "ridiculous", adding: "He [FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem] acts like a dictator".

Multiple sources have told BBC Sport that "a lot of" people at the FIA were against the move.

One source said it was pushed through on a "snap e-vote and with no consultation with other stakeholders or the GPDA or the FIA's own drivers' commission".

Another said it was "not right" to act in this way and questioned why this could not have been scheduled for discussion at the next meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).

The changes mark the latest in a series of moves by the FIA which have been seen as attempts to stifle dissent or criticism of Ben Sulayem.

The most recent was a set of changes to the FIA statutes that opponents said would reduce accountability at the FIA, which were introduced in December at the end of a year in which a series of allegations had been made about the conduct of Ben Sulayem.

And they come less than two months after GPDA director George Russell, the Mercedes F1 driver, said he and his colleagues were "a bit fed up with" the FIA leadership.

The changes for this year define heavy fines and a rising sequence of punishment for drivers guilty of breaching the sporting code.

F1 drivers and others in top-level championships such as world rallying, world endurance and Formula E are subject to fines four times the standard amount.

For international-level drivers, a first offence is punishable by a 40,000 euro (£33,800) fine; a second offence by an 80,000 euro (£67,600) fine and a suspended one-month suspension from competition; and a third offence by a 120,000 euro (£101,000) fine and one-month suspension.

The penalties apply to all FIA licence holders, which would include F1 team principals.

An FIA spokesperson said the changes were an attempt to "further enhance transparency and consistency in decision-making".

The spokesperson added: "The aim of this new appendix is to provide clear guidance to stewards regarding the penalties for violations of specific international sporting code articles.

"By establishing a more structured framework, the FIA seeks to ensure that penalties are applied uniformly and transparently, benefiting both stewards and drivers/competitors.

"Stewards have the authority to decide what penalty to enforce in the event of a breach of the the international sporting code and/or the applicable FIA regulations.

"Stewards retain the discretion to take into account any mitigating and/or aggravating circumstances as well as the nature and location of the event, to tailor the penalty to the specific situation."

The FIA did not respond to questions as to the method of passing the vote.

Last year, stewards did not have it within their power to impose a race ban on a driver.

The spokesperson added: "All major governing bodies have similar rules/fines to protect the integrity of the sport. The FIA is not alone in fining competitors for misconduct."

www.bbc.com

Formula 1 drivers face race bans for swearing or criticising FIA

F1 drivers face bans if they repeatedly swear or criticise the sport's governing body under changes to the FIA's sporting code for the 2025 season.
www.bbc.com
 

Johnny Herbert returns to F1 steward role for 2025 season despite Verstappen criticism​


Johnny Herbert has confirmed he will continue in his role as an F1 steward this year, starting with the season-opening grand prix in Australia.

The former F1 driver and ex-Sky Sports broadcaster, 60, was on the receiving end of criticism from Max Verstappen and his father, Jos, last year due to his dual role as a pundit and steward.

Herbert was critical of Verstappen’s driving style in Mexico, when the four-time world champion received a 20-second penalty, prompting Jos to rebuke: “I think a steward shouldn’t talk to the press at all.”

Yet Herbert will continue in his role as a steward this year, on a rotational basis, and will be one of four people in the stewards’ room for the Australian Grand Prix on 16 March.

“There are still going to be incidents [in Australia], there are still going to be complaints from teams and drivers and we’re going to have to deal with that as normal,” Herbert said

“The way that the racing rules have gone, it's made it more as racing was when we were doing karting. I know George Russell mentioned that, it was crazy, this apex stuff and now we've given space on the exits.

“We never did that in karting, that was never part of it. And I never accepted this giving space.”

Herbert added that Red Bull driver Verstappen, who is targeting a fifth consecutive world championship in 2025, will continue his aggressive on-track style this year.

“I think from Max Verstappen’s point of view, yes, aggression is always going to be part of what he does but he's still improving his racing skills, qualifying skills and he's still got plenty in his back pocket if he ever needs it,” Herbert said.

“Does Verstappen need a teammate that will push him a little bit more? Well, that's where Liam Lawson [2025 Red Bull teammate] has now got to shine as well, in that very difficult situation of being up against one of the world's best at the moment, probably one of the greatest ever.

“It will only be a positive thing for Verstappen to have a teammate that will push him and what that will do, unfortunately for everybody else, is move Verstappen to another level.

“If he does reach that next level, that's where everything changes.”

The 24-race 2025 season starts on 16 March, with a 10-team season launch event taking place at the O2 Arena in London on 18 February.

www.independent.co.uk

Herbert returns to F1 steward role for 2025 season despite Verstappen criticism

Max Verstappen and his dad, Jos, were critical of Herbert’s dual role as a pundit and steward last year
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
 
Mercedes' Antonelli, 18, passes driving test

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has passed his driving test just six weeks before he makes his Formula 1 debut at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Antonelli is replacing seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at the team this season, partnering George Russell.

He turned 18, the minimum age for driving on Italian roads, last August.

"Mission completed," Mercedes wrote on social media, with ticks for both his driving licence and the so-called super-licence he requires to race in F1, above a photograph of Antonelli giving a thumbs up in a driving school car.

Antonelli has already completed several thousand miles of testing in an F1 car in preparation for his debut season.

He will share three days of pre-season testing with Russell at the official test in Bahrain from 26-28 February.

BBC
 
Hamilton crashes Ferrari in pre-season testing

Lewis Hamilton has crashed his Ferrari during the team's pre-season testing programme in Spain.

The seven-time champion was unhurt after losing control of the team's 2023 car at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Wednesday.

Ferrari declined to comment on the incident, which happened on Hamilton's second day of running at the Spanish track, where he is sharing the car with team-mate Charles Leclerc.

The incident happened as Ferrari seek to embed Hamilton into the team as effectively as possible before the start of the season at the Australian Grand Prix on 14-16 March.

Ferrari regard the crash as nothing abnormal as Hamilton learns the characteristics of an unfamiliar car after 12 years with Mercedes, within the significant restrictions imposed on testing in F1.

Ferrari are running a limited programme in the 2023 car, the most recent model Hamilton is allowed to drive.

F1's testing restrictions dictate that current race drivers can complete a maximum of 1,000km (621 miles) of what is known as TPC (testing of previous cars) running.

Hamilton completed 30 laps at the team's Fiorano test track on 22 January before he and Leclerc moved on to this week's three days of running at Barcelona, home of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Ferrari are giving no details of the test, where Hamilton is learning Ferrari's procedures and working methods and building an understanding with race engineer Riccardo Adami and the rest of the engineering group.

Ferrari will launch their 2025 car at Fiorano on 19 February, the day after F1's season launch event at the O2 in London.

Ferrari will give Hamilton further testing miles before the launch in a Pirelli-run tyre test.

The team will run for two days next week, also at Barcelona, on 4-5 February in a 2025 car modified to reflect the effect of the new regulations being introduced for 2026.

McLaren are conducting a similar Pirelli test at Paul Ricard in France this week as the Italian company seeks to define its 2026 product.


BBC
 

Rwanda and South Africa race to bring F1 back to Africa​


It has been over 30 years since the roar of Formula 1 engines echoed on African soil but a heated race is under way to bring the sport back to the continent.

Rwanda and South Africa are vying for pole position and hope to realise their ambition in 2027.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has long been an advocate for an African grand prix, and that sentiment is spreading among fellow drivers.

"I would like to race in Africa. We're very excited to be on that road," reigning champion Max Verstappen told BBC Sport Africa.

McLaren's Lando Norris, meanwhile, thinks Africa would be "the perfect place" to introduce F1 to new audiences.

Rwanda is offering an innovative vision, aiming to blend motorsport with sustainability and natural beauty.

President Paul Kagame formally announced Rwanda's bid in December and the country has the backing of the head of motorsport's world governing body (FIA).

The FIA regulates F1, while Liberty Media are the holders of the competition's commercial rights.

"Africa deserves a F1 event and Rwanda is the best place," FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem told BBC Sport Africa.

Yet the South African bid has a rich history to draw on - as well as a track which is already built.

Rwanda, often called 'the land of a thousand hills', plans to embrace its unique terrain.

A track, designed by former Benetton driver Alexander Wurz, is set to be constructed approximately 25km from the capital Kigali and promises to deliver a fast, flowing layout that winds through forests and around a picturesque lake.

It includes dramatic elevation changes and sharp corners which were described by Verstappen as "amazing" when the Red Bull Racing man visited Rwanda for the FIA Awards last month, while Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc is excited by the potential for overtaking opportunities.

But building a F1 circuit is no small feat, given it must meet stringent FIA safety standards and accommodate associated infrastructure including paddocks and media facilities.

Rwanda's bid is part of a larger strategy to position the country as a global sports hub.

"It's about Rwanda's growth, people and place on the world stage," said Christian Gakwaya, president of the Rwanda Automobile Club, the organisation in charge of motorsport activities in the country.

Some estimates suggest the project could cost Rwanda over $270m (£218m), yet the investment would help boost a tourism sector which generated over $620m (£501m) in 2023, according to the Rwanda Development Board.

"From job creation to infrastructure upgrades, these events touch lives across the country," Rwanda's chief tourism officer Irene Murerwa explained.

"The benefits trickle down to every Rwandan. Hosting F1 would be another step in our journey to becoming a world-class destination."

A commitment to sustainability is another cornerstone of the bid, with Gakwaya pledging to "uphold the highest environmental standards".

The country's ban on single-use plastics and focus on harnessing renewable energy aligns with F1's ambition to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.

Rwanda has already invested in sport, staging events like the Basketball Africa League, while the Visit Rwanda campaign, via partnerships with football clubs Arsenal, Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich, has successfully raised the country's profile.

In September it will become the first African nation to host cycling's Road World Championships.

However, Rwanda's government has been accused of investing in sport to enhance its global image and mask what one organisation describes as "an abysmal track record" on human rights - a strategy labelled by critics as 'sportswashing'.

"Rwanda has major flaws with due process which violate its own internal laws or international standards," said Lewis Mudge, the Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, a campaign group which investigates and reports on cases of abuse around the globe.

"Increasingly we're seeing the space for freedom of expression, for some degree of political autonomy, is actually shrinking."

The Rwandan government has dismissed these accusations, with chief tourism officer Murerwa calling them "a distraction" from the "amazing and outstanding achievements the country has made".

Meanwhile, United Nations experts have accused Rwanda of worsening the humanitarian disaster in neighbouring DR Congo by supporting the M23 rebel group.

It is an assertion Rwanda has previously denied, despite UN experts presenting evidence in several reports.

At the weekend, the UN chief Antonio Guterres called on Rwanda to cease support for the M23 and to withdraw its own troops from Congolese territory.

Mudge claims that, should it award Rwanda a race, F1 would be ignoring its own due diligence process regarding human rights in host nations.

Asked about the accusations levelled against Rwanda, FIA president Ben Sulayem replied: "When people cannot get what they want they always blame it on sportswashing.

"I honestly don't care about what they say. I believe that what we are doing is right. We have a general assembly. They approve everything."

South Africa's bid leans on its historic Kyalami circuit which hosted 23 F1 races between 1967 and 1993, and requires far fewer upgrades than building a brand new facility.

A committee has been formed to oversee a bid, with plans to appoint a promoter to collaborate with the government for cabinet approval.

Sports minister Gayton McKenzie is already keen, highlighting the "massive" economic impact of staging a F1 race that could bring hundreds of thousands of tourists.

McKenzie estimated the annual hosting cost at 2bn rand ($106m, £86m), yet reassured the public that private sector sponsors are showing significant interest - with offers exceeding $20m (£16.2m) for hospitality rights alone.

The minister dismissed concerns about F1 being a "rich man's sport", comparing it to South Africa's hosting of the Fifa World Cup in 2010.

"People said hosting the World Cup would be a waste, but those same people attended the games," he told BBC Sport Africa.

"F1 will have the same effect - it will create jobs, boost tourism, and showcase South Africa to the world.

"When people say money could be spent elsewhere, they miss the bigger picture."

www.bbc.com

F1 in Africa: Rwanda and South Africa race to bring grand prix to continent

Rwanda and South Africa hope to host an African grand prix for the first time since 1993, but several expensive obstacles stand in their way.
www.bbc.com
 
F1 set for tougher tests on wing flexing

Formula 1's governing body is to introduce tougher tests on wing flexing in the 2025 season.

The ability to exploit flexibility of front and rear wings while staying within the rules was regarded as a key component in McLaren's constructors' championship victory.

And it led to a series of rows between them and rivals Red Bull as the championship drew to a conclusion.

A spokesperson for governing body the FIA said: "We are committed to ensure that bodywork flexibility is no longer a point of contention for the 2025 season."

Tougher tests will be applied to wings in two phases in the first part of the new season, the FIA said.

The first of these, which applies to rear wings, will be introduced at the season-opening race in Australia on 14-16 March.

The second, regarding front wings, will come into force at the Spanish Grand Prix, running from 30 May to 1 June.

The spokesperson added: "This phased approach allows teams to adapt without the need to discard existing components unnecessarily.

"These adjustments are aimed at further refining our ability to monitor and enforce bodywork flexibility regulations, ensuring a level playing field for all competitors to promote fair and exciting racing."

The FIA said the change in testing was as a consequence of "further analysis carried out by the FIA single-seater department after the conclusion of the 2024 season".

But the spokesperson denied that it was a response to complaints from Red Bull about the flexibility of McLaren's wings.

Teams have long used the ability to make wings flex as a tool to increase performance.

The principle is that drag can be reduced on the straight as the wing changes shape under increased load, boosting straight-line speed, before the wing flicks back to a maximum downforce-producing specification as the car slows for corners, to boost grip.

In general, the process allows teams to run the cars with more downforce in the corners without sacrificing straight-line speed, which would normally be a consequence of more powerful wings.

This has become especially important with the current generation of cars, because their inherent design makes it difficult to achieve an ideal handling balance between high- and low-speed cornering.

That was the major issue Red Bull came up against last year as their competitiveness suffered following a dominant start to the season.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won a fourth consecutive world title after fending off McLaren's Lando Norris in the second half of the championship.

But Red Bull's performance struggles - and a resultant poor season by Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez - meant they finished third in the constructors' championship behind McLaren and Ferrari.

Having wings that can flex and reduce drag on the straights allows teams to find a more optimum balance to reduce understeer - a lack of front grip - in slow corners while not suffering from excessive oversteer - a lack of rear grip - at high speed.


BBC
 
‘Age isn’t a problem’ – Piero Ferrari dismisses Lewis Hamilton issue as he reveals F1 star’s ‘surprise’ after test drive

Lewis Hamilton was left ‘surprised’ by the warmth of his Ferrari welcome with concerns over his age being dismissed.

The seven-time Formula One world champion left Mercedes at the end of last season after encountering the toughest season of his career so far.

The 2024 campaign saw Hamilton faced with a multitude of challenges but his victory at Silverstone will stand up as a huge career highlight as he became the first F1 driver to win at the same track nine times.

He scored another victory in Belgium a few weeks later after teammate George Russell was disqualified after a post-race inspection.

Apart from the two wins, Hamilton struggled during qualifying leading to some questioning whether he was past his prime.

But in an interview with Autosprint, Piero Ferrari, son of Ferrari founder Enzo, claims he has no such concerns with the 40-year-old’s condition and lifted the lid on Hamilton’s first reactions to his new surroundings.

“He is fit, both physically and mentally, it doesn't seem to me that age is a problem,” he told Autosprint. “He accepted the challenge with enormous enthusiasm, so he is confident in his abilities."

Hamilton’s integration is already underway ahead of the new season in March.

He spent his first week as a Ferrari driver visiting the Maranello factory, meeting his new engineers and team-mates, before posing for photos.

The Brit, alongside father Anthony, mother Carmen and stepmother Lind, were given a warm welcome, something the driver was taken aback by.

Hamilton took to the wheel where he was cheered on by thousands of fans who had positioned themselves on the outskirts of the track. Hamilton then walked over to wave back at them.

Asked about the welcome Hamilton received, Ferrari said: "I went to greet him when he set foot in Fiorano, of course, welcoming him.

"He had seen the fans waiting for him from the car windows, and he was happy, surprised"

He added: “The whole extended family was there. I had a chat with his dad, a nice person. He, too, was surprised by the warmth of those who had waited for Lewis at the edge of the track."

Hamilton’s adjustment to his new surroundings hit a minor roadbump this week when he crashed a 2023 Ferrari on the third day of testing.

The crash, in which he escaped unhurt, was described as minor with Ferrari not worried by the issue.

Hamilton took to social media on Friday to reassure fans of his wellbeing and expressed his excitement over the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

He posted a picture of himself draped in Ferrari attire alongside the caption: “First race can’t come soon enough.”

Hamilton also provided a series of photos from his opening days with Ferrari.

The Brit was loving life at Ferrari instantly, as he labelled his first drive last month as one of the best feelings in his life.

"When I started the car up and drove through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face," he said.

"It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car.

"It was such an exciting and special moment and here I am, almost 20 years later, feeling those emotions all over again."

Hamilton is bidding to win a record eighth F1 drivers’ championship this year and a first since 2020.

He is seeking a record eighth F1 drivers’ championship this year with Ferrari and will fancy his chances after a frustrating spell racing in a Mercedes car lacking any title-winning credentials.

His first step to glory begins in Australia on March 14-16.

And that will be his first race with new race engineer Ricciardo Adami.

Adami first worked in F1 in 2002 when he joined Minardi as a data analysis engineer before getting a promotion as a race engineer in 2005, when they were renamed to Scuderia Toro Rosso after Red Bull's purchase.

He has previously worked with Sebastian Vettel and most recently Carlos Sainz who has joined Williams.

talksport.com

Piero Ferrari dismisses Lewis Hamilton problem as he reveals F1 star's surprise

Lewis Hamilton was left ‘surprised’ by the warmth of his Ferrari welcome with concerns over his age being dismissed. The seven-time Formula One world champion left Mercedes at the end of last seaso…
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Mercedes raced by Moss and Fangio sells for record £42.75m

A Mercedes 'streamliner' raced by Formula 1 legends Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio has sold for a record £42.75m (€51.155m) at auction.

The silver W196 R Stromlinienwagen was driven by Argentina's five-time F1 champion Fangio as he won the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix.

Britain's Moss piloted the car at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza the same year, setting the fastest lap at an average speed of 134mph before retiring.

The Silver Arrow was sold by RM Sotheby's at the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart, Germany, on behalf of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), and becomes the most expensive grand prix car ever sold.

The previous record was held by another ex-Fangio Mercedes W196 from 1954 that went for £19.6m after commission and taxes at Goodwood in 2013.

The W196 R, one of only four in existence, had an estimated price of more than €50m with the final hammer going down at €46.5m. A buyer's premium is included in the final price.

That makes it the second most valuable car to change hands at auction, behind a 1955 Mercedes 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe sportscar that sold for €135m (£113m) in May 2022.

"It's a beautiful car, it's a very historic car, it's just a little bit outside our scope window," said IMS curator Jason Vansickle.

BBC
 

Zhou joins Ferrari as reserve driver​

China's Zhou Guanyu is to be one of two Ferrari reserve drivers in 2025.

The 25-year-old, who was dropped by Sauber at the end of last season after three years with the Swiss team, joins Italian Antonio Giovinazzi.

Zhou, who was a member of the Ferrari driver academy from 2015 to 2018, will support race drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

Reserve drivers typically do simulator work to assist the race team, including over race weekends as teams work to perfect their car set-up, and perform selected testing duties, including tyre tests.

This week, though, Ferrari are using Hamilton and Leclerc to conduct a tyre test for Pirelli on 4 and 5 February at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. McLaren are also at the test, with Lando Norris driving on Tuesday.

Hamilton and Leclerc continued to share the Ferrari on Wednesday, while Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri took over the McLaren.

The test is a further opportunity for Hamilton to continue his familiarisation work with his new team, after crashing during a test in the 2023 car last week.

Both teams are assisting Pirelli with development work on its 2026 tyres, and Ferrari are using a 2024 car modified to simulate expected performance levels following the introduction of new engine and chassis rules next year.

On Tuesday, Hamilton competed 87 laps, Leclerc 86 and Norris, in a modified 2023 car, 159. Norris was fastest, followed by Hamilton and Leclerc. Headline lap times are irrelevant because the drivers were completing different programmes.

Zhou scored 16 points for Sauber in 68 grands prix for the team.

Giovinazzi has been part of the Ferrari driver roster since 2017 and raced for Alfa Romeo from 2019-21, scoring 21 points in 62 starts.

Source: BBC
 

‘I need to get my elbows out’ – Lando Norris gets tough with Max Verstappen​


Lando Norris has warned Max Verstappen he is ready to get his “elbows out” after admitting he was made to look like an “idiot” during their championship battle last year.

Norris, 25, fell short in his quest to take his maiden crown after Red Bull’s Verstappen saw off his challenge to land his fourth title in a row with three rounds remaining.

Norris and Verstappen clashed on track on multiple occasions as the latter guarded the championship lead he established after winning seven of the opening 10 races.

But speaking at the launch of the McLaren he hopes will propel him to title glory, Norris said: “I need to get my elbows out (against Verstappen) and show I am not willing to give him any positions. I also have to be a smart driver. You have to be smart to go up against Max.

“It is always a lot harder when you are in the car, rather than when you rewatch it, and when I saw some of the things I did last year, I was like, ‘what the hell have I done that for? And what an idiot.’

“But at the same time, I don’t need to go out and prove something to him. I don’t need to take any unnecessary risks. I don’t think you have to do anything special to try and beat Max. He is quick, aggressive and one of the best ever but the easiest way of beating him is just by being quicker than him and staying ahead.”

Norris’ McLaren team started last season slowly before an upgrade at the fifth round in Miami radically reversed their fortunes and allowed the Briton to take his first win. By that stage, Norris was already 53 points behind Verstappen.

Norris attempted to claw back the deficit as Red Bull’s supremacy vanished and McLaren emerged with the best package on the grid. But his bid for the title ran out of steam following mistakes by both driver and team.

Norris, who completed a number of laps during a rain-hit promotional filiming event at Silverstone on Thursday, continued: “For the majority of races, we had a better car.

“I can happily admit that and there were times where I did not do a good enough job. I wasn’t at the level to race against Max at the beginning. But we are talking about going up against one of the hardest attacking-defence guys out there.

“In Mexico (where Verstappen was penalised twice for driving Norris off the road), he was ready to sacrifice himself for the overall outcome, and when that is the mentality of a driver, whether it is Max or anyone else, it is very difficult to get on top in the championship when you are behind. There was no way I could have come back from that deficit.

“But I have to do better, and I don’t need to be told that. However, it will be a different mentality for Max if he is 50 points behind in the championship, versus being 50 ahead.”

Despite missing out on the drivers’ crown, Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri steered McLaren to their first constructors’ title since 1998. With only minor changes to the rulebook over the winter, Norris has been installed by the bookmakers as the favourite to win the title ahead of the first round in Melbourne on March 16.

“I like that I have that pressure on my back but I am not feeling it,” added Norris. “I hope I can go out and make them some money.”

www.independent.co.uk

‘I need to get my elbows out’ – Lando Norris gets tough with Max Verstappen

The Briton has admitted he was made to look like an “idiot” during their championship battle last year.
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Hamilton 'invigorated' by Ferrari move at F1 launch

Lewis Hamilton made his first global appearance as a Ferrari driver as Formula 1 launched its 2025 season with a glitzy, ground-breaking show at London's O2 Arena.

Hamilton, whose first laps in a Ferrari were watched at the team's test track by a few hundred fans in Italy last month, was the star attraction during the two-hour show on Tuesday, and received the biggest cheers.

But many of the drivers drew huge reactions from the 15,000 crowd at the event, tickets for which sold out in 20 minutes last year.

"Good evening everyone," Hamilton said as the crowd celebrated him and their first sight of the seven-time champion in Ferrari's red overalls.

"Such a great night to be here among all of you. The word I am thinking about is 'invigorated'. I feel so full of life, because everything is new. Just focused on what's ahead. I am so excited to be part of the team."

Host Jack Whitehall, meanwhile, joked about what it must have felt like for Mercedes to see their former champion walking out for their rivals.

Hamilton became the most successful driver in F1 history racing for the Silver Arrows. Now, he is turning out for the biggest, most celebrated, most historic name in the sport, in a partnership that has created a huge buzz already, with the season still just under a month away.

"It's everyone's worst nightmare," Whitehall said. "Your partner of 10 years running off with an Italian stallion."

Hamilton, team-mate Charles Leclerc and Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur flew back to Italy straight after the show, to prepare for the official launch of Ferrari's 2025 car in Maranello on Wednesday. As with the other teams, the car on stage was a show car in this year's paint job, not the machine that will contest this championship.

But Hamilton, who has gone to Ferrari with the aim of securing a record-breaking eighth title, was far from the only driver feeling the love of the audience.

The most popular names were no surprise - Leclerc, Hamilton's fellow Briton Lando Norris, his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, Aston Martin's veteran legend Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, now at Williams, and Mercedes' George Russell all raised the roof.

Leclerc faced the biggest ribbing from comedian Whitehall, who took every opportunity to make a joke about the Monaco native's good looks.

And there was a dash of irreverence. Norris even used a naughty word as a jokey insult during a good-natured exchange with Whitehall. One trusts FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, whose crusade against bad language is regarded as ill-conceived and poorly handled by most in F1, will decide not to pursue it on this occasion.

Certainly celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who has a commercial deal with the sport, will think so. "If it comes out, it comes out," Ramsay said as he was interviewed in the VIP area about the topic. "Let them be real."

Ben Sulayem would certainly be wise not to sour the good taste left by an event that appears to have been a resounding success.

In among the well-choreographed but also genuine celebrations of a new season, though, there was one 'gulp' moment, when Christian Horner was booed loudly as he came out on stage to host during his Red Bull team's presentation.

Anyone wondering whether that was directed at Horner personally or the team found out the answer shortly afterwards when the cheers for four-time champion Max Verstappen drowned out a few boos.

F1 had pulled out all the stops for this event, the first of its kind. It was nominally held to mark the 75th anniversary of the World Championship, but one imagines F1 owners Liberty Media may well be pushing for a repeat after this.

The attendance of all 10 teams and 20 drivers was required, and while some were more willing participants than others - Verstappen, in particular, was known not to be a fan - all were on their best behaviour, during the seven hours of media build-up to the event at a next-door hotel, and during the show itself.

Rock musician Machine Gun Kelly opened the show, and Take That closed it; there were other acts during it.

Whitehall was a warm and witty host, poking fun at the "beef" between George Russell and Verstappen - "how can anyone have a beef with George?" he said. "He's the nicest guy in the world."

Everything went off with an almost military precision, each team using their seven-minute allocation during the evening for their own unique style of presentation.

Many in F1 had questioned what the show was for, but on the evidence of the night, that was obvious.

A normal pre-season is marked by a drip-feed of individual launches by the teams. Some garner more attention than others, but none attract the sort of worldwide attention this event seems to have drawn - the audience on F1's YouTube channel peaked at 1.1m concurrent viewers, and totalled 4.6m across the live broadcast.

"This is a new milestone, such an amazing event," Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said.

The presentations were done in reverse order of last year's constructors' championship, so the last team to do their presentation were McLaren.

"It's a pleasure to be here tonight," Norris said. "We're all excited. A lot of hard work and today it starts."

The last word spoken by a competitor on the evening went to his ultimate boss, McLaren Racing chief executive officer Zak Brown. He judged it perfectly.

"We never stop racing," Brown said. "Let's go."

BBC
 

Sainz becomes director of F1 drivers' body​

Carlos Sainz has become a director of the Formula 1 drivers' body the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

The 30-year-old Spaniard, who has moved from Ferrari to Williams for this season, fills the vacancy left by four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who retired from F1 at the end of 2022 and stepped down as a GPDA director last year.

In a post by the GPDA on Instagram announcing the appointment, Sainz said: "I am passionate about my sport and think we drivers have a responsibility to do all we can to work with the stakeholders to forward the sport in many aspects.

"So I'm very happy and proud to do my part by taking on the directors' role in the GPDA."

Sainz joins chairman Alex Wurz, Mercedes driver George Russell and Anastasia Fowle as a GPDA leader.

Wurz said: "We are delighted to welcome Carlos as a GPDA director. He has been an active and engaged member of the GPDA for several years and we sincerely appreciate his commitment in stepping up to this vital role."

The GPDA was formed back in the early 1960s and has predominantly focused on safety matters.

For example, the GPDA and Wurz were instrumental in the adoption of the 'halo' head protection device in F1 for the 2018 season. It has since saved a number of lives in serious accidents.

But in recent years the drivers have found themselves increasingly at loggerheads with Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of governing body the FIA, who was elected in 2021.

Ben Sulayem's actions have led to concerns among many stakeholders in F1, and the drivers are weighing up how to respond to his decision in January to codify a process by which drivers can end up facing a race ban if they swear.

The FIA has not clarified how these rules will be applied. World rally driver Adrien Fourmaux this month became the first driver to fall foul of the regulation and was a fined €10,000 for swearing in a TV interview at Rally Sweden.

Sainz has said this month that it is wrong to threaten F1 drivers with bans for swearing, although he agreed drivers should avoid bad language in news conferences and television interviews.

In November, the GPDA wrote an open letter to the FIA asking the governing body to treat them like adults, saying it felt fines were "not appropriate" forms of punishment and asking for transparency as to how they were spent.

They have received no response from the FIA on the matter.

The letter was a reaction to Red Bull's Max Verstappen being ordered to "accomplish some work of public interest" after swearing in an official news conference at the Singapore Grand Prix in September.

This follows other interventions by Ben Sulayem, such as a ban on jewellery, which have also irritated the drivers.

Source: BBC
 
Max Verstappen sends message to F1 rival Lando Norris with 'slagging off' response

Max Verstappen has told Lando Norris to stop "slagging himself off" if the Brit wants to beat him to the Formula 1 drivers' title.

Norris was the chief challenger to Verstappen's supremacy in 2024. But while his McLaren team wont he constructors' title, their star driver had to settle for the runner's up spot in the other title race with his Red Bull rival simply too strong.

And the 25-year-old is out to change that this term. Norris heads into the 2025 season as the bookies' favourite to become F1 champion for the first time, but may need to change his approach when it comes to how he responds to his own mistakes.

That is the view of Verstappen, who noted that his rival is often harsh on himself as he assessed McLaren's title chances. He said: "They were very strong after the first seven races. And if they know what they're doing, they should have a very strong season again.

"[To win the drivers' title] you have to stay positive about yourself, you shouldn't start slagging yourself off." Verstappen went on to prove that he uses that approach himself, adding: "I am happy with how I performed last year."

Norris knows himself that the right balance needs to be found between holding yourself accountable for your mistakes and also forgiving and forgetting. But last year he made it clear that he believes self-criticism is an important part of how he gets the best out of himself on track.

The McLaren man explained: "As much as I get annoyed with myself on Saturdays [after qualifying] at times and people are like, 'You shouldn't beat yourself up' and all of that stuff, a lot of my best performances come then on that next day.

"It doesn't affect me when I go and drive the next day, because I'm like, 'Oh I still just messed up Saturday'. Just because I say it and things, it doesn't mean that. And I think a lot of people have different opinions on it, but I've always been that way. Since karting, I've always been like that.

"It's the way I got brought up and it's the way I've developed into being the driver that I am today. At times, maybe it's not the best thing and I do get just very frustrated and down over a lot of it, but just because I care about doing a good job and trying to deliver for the team.

"So, I do it, not that I just purposely try to do it, but because it's just the way that I work best. And it's the way that I'm able to bounce back best. Therefore, I've always just been very honest when I think I've done a good job and bad job."

www.mirror.co.uk

Max Verstappen sends message to Lando Norris with 'slagging off' response

Lando Norris missed out on the Formula 1 drivers' title in 2024 with Max Verstappen too strong over the season, but the McLaren racer is out to best his Red Bull rival this time
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McLaren's Norris quickest on opening day of testing

McLaren's Lando Norris topped the fastest lap times from Mercedes' George Russell on the first day of Formula 1 pre-season testing.

Norris was 0.157 seconds quicker than Russell at Bahrain's Sakhir circuit, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen third and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc fourth.

The six fastest drivers set their best times in the session that ran from the afternoon into the evening.

Leclerc's new team-mate Lewis Hamilton ran in the morning session and ended the day 12th fastest.

Headline lap times in pre-season testing are notoriously unreliable indicators of actual competitiveness, as there are so many factors affecting performance that teams do not reveal, such as fuel loads and engine power modes.

The session was held in unusually cool conditions in the Gulf state, with air temperatures about 15C.

Russell said he was encouraged by the performance of the Mercedes, after three seasons when the team knew from testing that they were facing a tough time in the months ahead.

Russell said: "The car is performing well. We've got to be careful because in Bahrain it's usually 20C hotter.

"This is the best it has ever felt around Bahrain but I'm sure it's the same for all testees.

"I am enjoying it. I had confidence, the long-run pace looked all right.

"We are not going to get carried away with ourselves, but so far so good. We've had some tests here where it did not go well, but so far it is silky smooth."

Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri, who drove in the morning session and was 15th on the time sheets, said: "The car is feeling pretty good, just trying to get [it] into a bit of a better window.

"I think we're in OK shape. A few teams looking pretty good early on. [It's] early doors but we're pretty happy.

"We're doing a good job of focusing on ourselves and getting some good information. It's already looking very close so I think we're in for a very exciting year in F1."

Last year, McLaren won the constructors' championship for the first time since 1998, while Norris finished second to Verstappen in the drivers' title chase.

Norris and McLaren have set themselves the target of starting the season in competitive shape and mounting a season-long title challenge, after Verstappen's early dominance saw him establish an insurmountable lead in 2024.

Hamilton and Verstappen did not speak to the media on Wednesday.

Verstappen's new team-mate Liam Lawson was the only driver to fully lose control of his car - the New Zealander had a spin at Turn Two in the morning session.

A power outage in the middle of the afternoon session led to an hour's delay, and the end of running was extended by an hour to compensate.


www.bbc.com

F1 2025 pre-season testing: Lando Norris quickest for McLaren on day one

McLaren's Lando Norris tops the time sheets from Mercedes' George Russell on day one of pre-season testing in Bahrain.
www.bbc.com
 

Ferrari 'have work to do', says Hamilton​


Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari "definitely have some work to do to improve" as his former Mercedes team-mate George Russell set the pace on the final day of pre-season testing.

Russell pipped Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.021 seconds with a lap just five minutes before the end of the day's running.

Hamilton ended the day sixth fastest in his Ferrari, 0.8 seconds off Russell.

Williams driver Alex Albon was third fastest, ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Alpine's Pierre Gasly.


Hamilton said: "It's hard to know what fuel loads everyone is running so you have to take everything with a pinch of salt.

"(McLaren) won the constructors' (title) last year. We expect them to be one of the quickest if not the quickest. As with Red Bull, they dominated for many years. We've definitely got some work to do to improve."
Hamilton, speaking before he drove in the afternoon session, was optimistic about his first pre-season test with his new team.

"I feel like we've built a really good foundation but these guys out there look really competitive, it looks very close," he said.

"This is the most positive feeling I've had for a long time."

But his day ended early when Ferrari curtailed his running prematurely, before he was able to complete a planned race distance.

Hamilton was nearly 0.5secs quicker than team-mate Charles Leclerc but was running a tyre compound one step softer. He also drove in the afternoon session while Leclerc went in the morning.

Pre-season testing is a notoriously unreliable indication of true competitiveness as there are so many factors that can distort the picture.

Teams do not reveal the specification in which they were running their cars, and fuel loads and engine modes have a major impact on performance.

In addition, the weather conditions on Friday were very different from the day before - Friday was sunny and considerably warmer, with a stronger wind, meaning the track was slower than it had been on Thursday.

Despite Verstappen's pace, the Red Bull looked difficult to drive, and the team were trying out different set-ups and configurations on the car, including swapping between two different front wing specifications.

The four-time world champion had a spin late in the day at Turn One.


www.bbc.com

F1 pre-season testing: Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari still have work to do to improve

Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari still have work to do as his former Mercedes team-mate George Russell sets the pace on the final day of pre-season testing.
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Motorsport UK chair threatens FIA with legal action over governance

David Richards, the chairman of Motorsport UK, has threatened world governing body the FIA with legal action if it does not address his concerns about governance.

Richards' move comes after he was one of a number of FIA members who were barred from a meeting of its world council last week after refusing to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

The 72-year-old said in a letter to members of Motorsport UK, external, a member of the FIA, that the FIA's actions under president Mohammed Ben Sulayem are in breach of its own statutes and that its actions fall short of "gold-standard levels of transparency, accountability and integrity in sports governance".

Richards, the chairman of motorsport engineering company Prodrive and a former Formula 1 team boss, added he intends to "remind the FIA of their responsibilities and hold them to account on behalf of the sport and their members worldwide".

Richards' letter references the number of controversies that have embroiled Ben Sulayem since he was elected in December 2021.

These have included his views on women, his approach to F1, changes to the statutes reducing accountability, the dismissal of a number of senior figures and rule changes regarding F1 drivers' public behaviour.

Richards said there has been a "distinct failure" by Ben Sulayem to meet the promises he made when he ran for election.

These included being a hands-off president conducting himself in a non-executive manner and delegating the running of the FIA to a professional team, appointing and empowering a capable CEO, and full transparency of actions.

He said the situation at the FIA has "progressively worsened", pointing to the firing or "resignation under an opaque cloud" of several senior FIA figures.

He added: "The scope of the audit and ethics committees has been severely limited and now lacks autonomy from the authority of the president, while the UK representative, who challenged certain matters, was summarily removed along with the chair of the audit committee".

He said the "final straw" that led to his letter was "being asked to sign a new confidentiality agreement that I regarded as a 'gagging order'".

Richards said he had already signed a confidentiality agreement when he was appointed to the world motorsport council in 2021 and "remains committed to my confidentiality obligations under this existing agreement and Article 4, which remain in effect".

He added: "However, the new confidentiality agreement went far further than this and, at a week's notice, I was told that if I didn't sign it, I would be barred from the next World Motorsport Council meeting."


www.bbc.com

Formula 1: Motorsport UK chair David Richards threatens FIA with legal action over governance

David Richards, the chairman of Motorsport UK, has threatened world governing body the FIA with legal action if it does not address his concerns about governance.
www.bbc.com
 
Oscar Piastri locks in Formula One future with multi-year McLaren deal

Australian star Oscar Piastri has secured a multi-year contract extension with Formula One champions McLaren ahead of the season start in Melbourne on Sunday. The 23-year-old, who was already under contract until 2026, has now locked in a long-term future with the British team.

Piastri finished fourth in the championship last year, claiming his first F1 victory in Hungary in his second season before winning again at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. With McLaren expected to carry over their constructors’-winning form into the new season, Piastri looks set to battle with team-mate Lando Norris – who was second last year behind Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen – for the 2025 world title.

“It’s a great feeling knowing that I’m part of McLaren’s long-term vision,” Piastri said. “The team had the belief in me when we signed in 2022, and the journey we’ve gone on over the past two seasons to help return McLaren to the very top of the sport has been incredible.

“There are so many talented and special people working at McLaren who have helped me to become a Formula One race winner very early in my career. Therefore, I’m very proud to be continuing to represent this legendary team for many years to come.

“I’m excited to fight for the big prizes as a McLaren driver and after last year’s fantastic achievements, it has made me even hungrier to stay at the sharp end.”

McLaren chief executive Zak Brown said Piastri’s new deal was a “no-brainer” for the team.

“It’s fantastic to confirm Oscar’s extension with McLaren,” Brown said. “Not only is he an incredibly talented driver, but his work ethic and cultural fit within the team made it a no-brainer to extend his time in papaya.”

“We’ve got the best driver line-up on the grid, and in the past two seasons, we’ve seen how much of an asset to the team Oscar is both on and off track. He was absolutely fundamental in adding to our legacy with the 2024 constructors’ championship last season, so we’re all excited to see what we can do in the years to come as we continue to fight for world championships together.”

SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/mar/12/oscar-piastri-f1-mclaren-deal-extension-signed
 
Hamilton does not feel pressure to 'prove anything'

Australian Grand Prix

Venue: Albert Park, Melbourne Dates: 14 March-16 March Race start: 04:00 GMT on Sunday, 16 March with first practice at 01:30 on Friday

Lewis Hamilton says he does not feel any pressure to prove himself as he starts his Ferrari career at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

The seven-time champion left Mercedes after 12 seasons in which they became the most successful team-driver combination in Formula 1 history.

The 40-year-old Briton won six of his drivers' titles between 2014 and 2020 but has won only two races since the start of the 2022 season.

Hamilton said in Melbourne: "I am under no assumptions it will be easy. I don't feel the pressure. The outside pressure is non-existent for me. The pressure is from within and what I want to achieve.

"I am not here to prove anything to anybody. I have done it time and time again. I know what it takes to do a good job and that's what I want to deliver, for myself, and my family, for this team that I really believe deserve success.

"They are so driven and maybe they have not had as much success as they would like and deserve. Just want to work towards and contribute to doing it."

Hamilton said it "looks like it is going to be close" between Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes this season.

And he said he still had work to do to perform at his optimum at Ferrari, because he was getting to grips with the team and car.

"I am still learning this new car, which is quite a lot different to what I have driven all through my career," Hamilton said.

"Ferrari power, after all my career with Mercedes, is a different feel, different vibration.

"The sooner you can perform to a higher level, the better, but inevitably there is a transition period and a foundation that needs to be built. Relationships, trust with everyone. Respect is given but trust is something built over time.

"I have had some not-so-spectacular years and I am trying to make sure I have a better one, but there will be lots of factors go into that."

'Mr Ferrari' Leclerc 'completely fine' with attention on Hamilton

Hamilton is teamed with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari and said he had been impressed by the 27-year-old's "work ethic".

"It is not too dissimilar to mine," Hamilton said. "Just getting on with it. He is very much Mr Ferrari and it has been really cool to work alongside him."

Leclerc joined Ferrari in 2019 and has been faster than both his team-mates, Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz. The Monaquese rejected any suggestion that he was "Mr Ferrari".

"There is no place for one particular driver in Ferrari," Leclerc said. "Ferrari is bigger than any drivers. And that has always been the case. That's what makes Ferrari so special. There is support of the team and not one specific driver.

"Lewis is coming as a legend of the sport so there is a lot more attention on him than me at the moment but I am completely fine with it. I completely understand that. It's normal it is that way. It is fine for me."

Asked if he had given Hamilton any advice on integrating with Ferrari, Leclerc said: "I really don't think Lewis needs any kind of advice from me. I know the environment more than him but he has introduced himself to the team perfectly and he already seems to be very much at ease.

"It is a long process, he will learn the car and team more. The advice I have given him so far is mostly about food. He knows if he needs anything I am here to answer his questions, no problems. But he needs less advice from me than I do from him."

Hamilton joined Ferrari with the target of winning a record eighth world title but Leclerc said he, too, was determined to become champion.

"This is my one and only target and goal and dream that remains to be ticked," Leclerc said. "I had quite a few dreams growing up. One was to be an F1 driver, and to be a Ferrari driver, and to win Monza and Monaco, which I did. And now it's only about being a world champion. That's my obsession."

BBC
 
Hamilton fifth in Melbourne with Leclerc fastest

Australian Grand Prix

Venue: Albert Park, Melbourne Dates: 14 March-16 March Race start: 04:00 GMT on Sunday, 16 March

Lewis Hamilton was fifth fastest for his new Ferrari team as the Formula 1 season began at the Australian Grand Prix.

Hamilton was 0.42 seconds slower than his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who set the pace ahead of the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in Friday practice at Albert Park.

Leclerc was 0.124 seconds ahead of Piastri, who hails from Melbourne and edged Norris by 0.017secs.

Hamilton was slower than Leclerc all day - 0.61secs off as the Ferraris went third and 12th fastest in the first session, and also about 0.15secs down on average on their race-simulation runs late in the second hour's running.

The seven-time champion complained over the radio that he was struggling to turn the car.

Yuki Tsunoda's Racing Bull was the midfield interloper in the top order in fourth, and his rookie team-mate Isack Hadjar was in sixth, also ahead of Max Verstappen in the senior Red Bull team.

The world champion looked to be struggling in Melbourne. His best time was set on the medium tyre - he aborted his soft-tyre qualifying simulation run when he took three bites trying to turn into Turn Three and ran wide on the exit.

Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg was eighth, ahead of the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll and George Russell's Mercedes.

On the race simulation runs late in the session, Norris set the pace, seemingly 0.2secs or so quicker than Leclerc and Verstappen. Hamilton was also lagging behind his team-mate on heavy fuel, by about 0.2secs on average.

Williams driver Carlos Sainz, who impressed by setting second fastest time in the first session, was mixing it close to the top teams on race fuel, averaging between the pace of Leclerc and Hamilton.

Mercedes did their race runs on the hard tyres, while the other top teams used the mediums, so their averages cannot be compared. But Antonelli, who was only 16th on single-lap pace, was every bit as quick as Russell in race trim.

The session was incident-free, other than a bounce through the gravel at Turn Six for Hulkenberg.

That contrasted with the first session, which was punctuated by two red flags, one for a heavy crash for Oliver Bearman in the Haas.

The 19-year-old Briton, in his first full season after three substitute appearances in 2024, lost control in Turn 10 and badly damaged his car, which the team could not repair in time to get him out on track to run in the second session.

Off track, there was a significant development after it emerged that all 10 teams have now signed their commercial agreements with F1, committing them to the sport until 2030.

Before their current deals run out at the end of this season, they still have to negotiate their contracts with governing body the FIA, which may take some time.

BBC
 
Norris takes Melbourne pole with Hamilton eighth

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri made it a McLaren one-two in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton took eighth on his Ferrari debut.

Norris and Piastri made life difficult for themselves with mistakes on their first laps in the final part of qualifying, but both produced strong laps on their final runs.

Briton Norris beat Australian Piastri by 0.084 seconds as both knocked early pace-setter Max Verstappen's Red Bull down to third in Melbourne.

Verstappen improved on his final run despite brushing the gravel in the fast chicane at Turns Nine and 10 and ended up 0.385secs off the pace, but managed to stay ahead of Mercedes' George Russell in fourth.

Hamilton was 0.218secs slower than team-mate Charles Leclerc as the Ferraris took the fourth row behind the impressive Racing Bull of Yuki Tsunoda and Williams of Alex Albon.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz completed the top 10.

Norris was pleased by his performance but his main concern was the race, for which rain is predicted.

He said: "It's the perfect way to start the year. Everyone at McLaren has done an amazing job to start with a one-two but it's just qualifying, let's see tomorrow, it's going to be a tricky race but this is a good way to start.

"The car is extremely quick and when you put it together it's unbelievable but it's difficult to put together.

"Particularly after the first lap, when I went off and lost my lap, you're in a tricky position - you need to risk it but not go too far because you can't make a mistake. It's a difficult balance. We know how quick Max and Red Bull are in the rain."

Hamilton said there was "a lot to dissect" before Sunday's race, which starts at 04:00 GMT.

"We will just get ours heads down and start finding out why we are not on pace with the front runners," he told Sky Sports.

"Tomorrow is going to be a challenge. I've never driven this car in the rain, I don't even know the rain settings but I've got to go and study that tonight and it will be a learning experience again."

Media caption,

Big surprises & how will Hamilton do?: BBC 5Live team share 2025 predictions

Verstappen happy with third after 'tough' Friday

The final Briton on the grid, Haas driver Oliver Bearman, will start last after a difficult weekend.

His gearbox failed on his first lap out of the pits in qualifying, after a crash in second practice and a spin into the gravel in the final session cost him track time at the start of his first full season.

Of the six rookies on the grid, the most impressive performance came from Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto, who out-qualified his experienced Sauber team-mate Nico Hulkenberg with 15th place, the German two spots further back.

Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 18, and Red Bull's Liam Lawson were both eliminated in the first part of qualifying. Antonelli, who will start 16th, said gravel on a kerb damaged the floor of his car, while Lawson went off track and is two places further back.

World champion Verstappen said he did not believe he could have made the difference to beat the McLarens even with a perfect lap.

"Yesterday was quite tough so to be in P3, I take that," he said. "The qualifying laps were very exciting, a lot of good grip around here and some fast corners so that's always very fun in an F1 car.

"In the end the gap was quite big to them so it wouldn't have made a difference in terms of position. Wet or dry, I don't mind, but in the wet a lot of crazy things can happen."

Bearman rued his errors in practice as he digested his weekend so far.

"I made my life very difficult by performing badly, not up to standard, in the practice sessions and the issue with the gearbox pretty much sums up the weekend," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

BBC
 
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Norris beats Verstappen in dramatic Australia opener

Lando Norris mastered treacherous, changing conditions in a dramatic, incident-packed race to beat Max Verstappen and win the Australian Grand Prix.

Norris and his McLaren team made the right calls in a race punctuated by crashes, three safety cars and an aborted start as the Briton put together a statement drive at the start of a season he intends to end as world champion.

Norris was forced to fend off a late threat from Verstappen, brought back into contention by a late safety car, but held on to take his fifth career victory.

Lewis Hamilton finished 10th on a difficult day for Ferrari with his former team-mate George Russell third for Mercedes.

Seven-time champion Hamilton was leading on lap 46 but only because Ferrari had made the wrong decision to stay out on dry-weather slick tyres as a heavy shower hit the track.

He and team-mate Charles Leclerc then had to pit as a safety car was sent out for the final time following a series of crashes and dropped to the bottom of the top 10.

To add insult to injury, Hamilton was overtaken by Leclerc on the final restart, the Ferraris touching wheels lightly in the incident, and then lost a further place as McLaren's Oscar Piastri sought to recover from a spin that had cost him second place in the late rain.

McLaren acknowledged a concern that Verstappen would be a major threat, so good is he so often in wet conditions, but Norris and Piastri controlled the race from the start and were able to leave the four-time champion behind them for much of the race as chaos unfolded behind them.

The drama began even before the race officially started, when rookie Isack Hadjar spun his Racing Bull car at Turn Two on the formation lap. The Frenchman stood with his head in his hands, apparently crying, before returning to the pits.

After a 15-minute delay, the race finally got under way, only for another rookie, Australian Jack Doohan, to crash his Alpine on the straight between Turns Four and Six and bring out the safety car.

Underlining the difficulty of the conditions, Carlos Sainz immediately created his Williams at the final corner as well.

When the race finally got properly under way, Norris led but Verstappen passed Piastri to run second, only to lose the position when he ran wide at Turn 11 on lap 17, gifting McLaren a one-two.

The McLarens first stablished their position and then, as they looked after their intermediate tyres more effectively than the Red Bull, built a lead running nose to tail. They pulled 16 seconds on Verstappen by the time the safety car came out for a second time following a crash by Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin at Turn Six on lap 33, just after half distance.

The leaders pitted for slick tyres but there was fresh jeopardy as they waited for the restart - a rain shower was coming in, and the teams could see that it would bring heavy rain for a short period, but long enough to require a tyre change.

Norris was keen to pre-empt the conditions and stop for treaded intermediate tyres early, but was warned that they had to be on the right tyres at the right time.

When the rain came on lap 44, with 13 to go, it brought pandemonium.

Both McLaren drivers spun at the penultimate corner. Norris was able to rejoin and dive into the pits for intermediate tyres, but Piastri was stuck on the grass. There was a degree of black comedy as he sat on the grass, his tyres spinning furiously, before finally managing to reverse back on to the track.

Verstappen stayed out and took the lead for two laps, but as the rain intensified, he eventually had to admit defeat and stop, allowing Norris to retake his spot at the front of the field.

This was when Ferrari made their fateful error, leaving Hamilton and Leclerc out, to assume first and second places, only to immediately lose them as they scrabbled for grip for a lap and had to pit anyway.

Liam Lawson then crashed his Red Bull, a disappointing end to a difficult first race for the senior team, and Gabriel Bortoleto blotted an otherwise strong start to his career for Sauber, and the safety car was deployed again.

When the race restarted with five laps to go, Norris initially made a third consecutive excellent restart and built a lead over Verstappen.

But when he ran a little wide at Turn Six, he allowed Verstappen to close within a second and gain the use of the DRS overtaking aid, giving Norris a nervous final couple of laps.

But he held on calmly as Russell followed Verstappen over the line to take the final podium position.

Williams' Alex Albon was fourth, ahead of Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who recovered to fifth after starting 16th.

Lance Stroll made up for Alonso's error to take sixth for Aston Martin, ahead of Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Piastri and Hamilton.

BBC
 
F1 teams face tougher tests on flexi-wings at Chinese GP

Tougher tests aimed at restricting the flexibility of rear wings have been introduced for this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.

Formula 1's governing body the FIA decided to put the tests in place after observing the rear wings on cars over the Australian Grand Prix last weekend.

Tougher tests on rear wings had already been introduced for the Melbourne race.

An FIA statement said that after analysing footage from cameras aimed at studying rear wing deformation, "sufficient grounds exist for a tougher test to be introduced" immediately.

This test will, for the race in Shanghai, limit the gap that can open between the rear wing mainplane and flap to 0.75mm when a 75kg vertical load is applied to it in the pits.

That includes a 0.25mm tolerance permitted on the basis of the short notice involved that will be removed for the following race in Japan on 4-6 April, reducing the permitted gap during the test to 0.5mm.

In Australia, this so-called 'slot gap' had been permitted to open no more than 2mm.

The FIA said the teams had been informed of this rule change on Monday, and that all teams had complied with the regulations in Australia.

Teams have long experimented with wing flexing as a tool to increase performance.

The principle is that drag can be reduced on the straight as the wing changes shape under increased load, boosting straight-line speed, before the wing flicks back to a maximum downforce-producing specification as the car slows for corners, to boost grip.

In general, the process allows teams to run the cars with more downforce in the corners without sacrificing straight-line speed, which would normally be a consequence of more powerful wings.

This has become especially important with the current generation of cars, because their inherent design makes it difficult to achieve an ideal handling balance between high and low-speed cornering.

Tougher tests on front-wing flexing are due to be introduced for the Spanish Grand Prix, which takes place 30 May-1 June.

BBC
 
F1 in talks to stage Bangkok grand prix

Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali met with the prime minister of Thailand to discuss plans for a street-circuit grand prix in Bangkok.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said the government would commission a "feasibility study" into the possibility of a race in the capital from 2028.

There is an existing track in Buriram, in north-east Thailand, which is accredited by the FIA, the governing body for world motorsport.

Domenicali described the plans as "impressive".

Paetongtarn said: "I believe that all Thai people will benefit from organising this event, whether it is large-scale infrastructure investment, job creation, new income generation, and importing new technologies and innovations."

The F1 schedule of 24 races includes four in the Asia-Pacific region.

BBC
 
Former F1 boss and TV pundit Jordan dies aged 76

Eddie Jordan, the flamboyant former Formula 1 team owner and television pundit, has died aged 76.

The Irishman, who had aggressive prostate cancer, died in the early hours of Thursday morning.

A statement from his family said: "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Eddie Jordan OBE, the ex-Formula 1 team owner, TV pundit and entrepreneur.

"He passed away peacefully with family by his side in Cape Town in the early hours of 20 March 2025."

Jordan, who was known across the world for his outspoken, mischievous character, achieved rare success as an independent team owner.

His team, which made its debut in 1991, won four grands prix in its 15 years in the sport and challenged briefly for the drivers' championship in 1999, before suffering declining fortunes and being sold in 2005.

Jordan later became a television pundit, first for BBC Sport and then for Channel 4, where his outspoken views were paired with an ability to break major news stories.

The statement from his family said: "He was working until the last, having communicated on St Patrick's Day about his ambitions for London Irish Rugby Football Club, of which he had recently become patron.

"Eddie and Jordan Grand Prix were known for their rock and roll image, bringing a fun and exciting element to F1, as well as consistently performing above their weight.

"Many successful F1 drivers owe their career breaks to Eddie, and world champions including Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill drove for him.

"EJ brought an abundance of charisma, energy and Irish charm everywhere he went. We all have a huge hole missing without his presence.

"He will be missed by so many people, but he leaves us with tonnes of great memories to keep us smiling through our sorrow."

Jordan was known for his flamboyant lifestyle and his many showbiz friends. He also played the drums in a band called Eddie & The Robbers, a nod to his reputation as a colourful businessman.

Jordan famously gave Schumacher his F1 debut at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, before the German was poached by the Benetton team for the following race in Italy.

After a difficult few years struggling for funds, Jordan landed a major sponsorship deal with the cigarette brand Benson & Hedges for 1996, securing the funds needed to develop into a front-runner.

By mid-1998, the team were challenging the top teams, and Jordan's first victory was scored by Damon Hill in a soaking wet 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.

German Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who had replaced Hill at Williams for 1997, won two further races after going to Jordan in 1999 and briefly fought for the title.

Jordan's final win was by Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, a victory that was first given to McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen after a chaotic wet race before Jordan appeared to establish that the Italian was the correct winner on results countback.

The team was sold to the Russian-Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider in 2005, becoming Midland Racing. It has since been known as Force India, Racing Point and is now Aston Martin.

Jordan's last big involvement in F1 was to broker the deal for design legend Adrian Newey to join Aston Martin this year.

The two had become friends and Jordan acted as Newey's manager throughout negotiations with various teams after he decided to leave Red Bull.

BBC
 
Trying to get back into F1 this season, need a refresher off all the rules and regulations; they get nuts every year. Great to see Hamilton in the iconic red off Ferrari, some good Brit prospects this year and was great to see Norris get over the line.
 
shaz619 said:
Trying to get back into F1 this season, need a refresher off all the rules and regulations; they get nuts every year. Great to see Hamilton in the iconic red off Ferrari, some good Brit prospects this year and was great to see Norris get over the line.
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Whom do u support??
 
Piastri takes first pole in China ahead of Russell

McLaren's Oscar Piastri took pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix as George Russell's Mercedes snuck between the Australian and team-mate Lando Norris.

Both Piastri's laps in the final part of qualifying were quick enough for pole and ended up 0.082 seconds quicker than Russell.

Norris aborted his final run after a mistake in the middle for the lap and that gave Russell the chance to edge ahead.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen took fourth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who took his first win for Ferrari from pole in the sprint race earlier on Saturday.

The seven-time champion beat his team-mate Charles Leclerc by 0.094secs.

French rookie Isack Hadjar impressed with seventh place for Racing Bulls, ahead of the second Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Racing Bulls' Yuki Tsunoda was ninth while Williams driver Alex Albon completed the top 10.

Piastri's pole was his first for a grand prix in his career, although he has had two poles for a sprint race before.

The Australian said: "It means a lot Q3, (I) just found a lot of pace, Q1 and Q2 I was genuinely struggling but the car came alive in Q3 and I think I did, too, the laps were a little bit scruffy. I'm just pumped to be on pole.

"First lap was better than second lap, lost a couple of 10ths and then I thought: 'Why not send it into the hairpin?' And gained those 0.2secs back and found a bit more for the final corner.

"I was going to abort that lap. I'm glad I didn't."

Norris, who ended up 0.152secs slower than Piastri, said: "Oscar deserves it. He has done a very good job this weekend. It's his first pole, and that's always nice. Just a couple of mistakes from me, but felt a lot more comfortable for the car, a much better direction we're going in, not too disappointed."

Russell said he was surprised to split the McLarens.

"Feels incredible to be honest," he said. "One of the hardest qualifying sessions I've done in a long time.

"I was trying all sorts in my prep with the tyres and nothing seemed to be clicking. I tried something completely different on the last lap and it made all the difference.

"I had a big moment at Turn One but it all came together. I was really surprised. I knew it was a good lap but to be between the McLarens... buzzing for tomorrow."

Hamilton, who ended up 0.286secs from pole, said that Ferrari had modified the car's set-up following the sprint victory that had not improved its behaviour.

"We made some changes," he said. "But nothing major but the car was really hard to drive. It wasn't hugging the road.

"I don't know how that will affect the pace for tomorrow. Everyone showed today it was really difficult to follow."

Leclerc, who was just 0.094secs behind Hamilton, added: "As a team we maximised the potential of the car, but the most important thing is we understand where has gone the potential of the car. Both laps Lewis' and mine were not that bad."

British rookie Oliver Bearman will line up 17th for Haas, after being cleared of impeding Lance Stroll's Aston Martin during the session.

And it was another difficult session for Red Bull's second driver Liam Lawson, who was 20th and last.

The New Zealander said: "I can get upset at traffic but it shouldn't be the difference between me getting through and not. I have a whole lot of things to sort out myself before I can look at things like that. It is just frustrating.

"The window is very small in this car. But it's not an excuse, it's just something I need to get a grip on. We have glimpses where it feels good. But it's just a very small window and I just need to get on top of it."

F1 qualifying results - Chinese GP top 10

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 1:30.641

2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 1:30.723

3. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 1:30.793

4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1:30.817

5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 1:30.927

6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:31.021

7. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 1:31.079

8. Antonio Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 1:31.103

9. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) - 1:31.638

10. Alex Albon (Williams) - 1:31.706

BBC
 

Ferrari's Hamilton disqualified from Chinese GP​

Lewis Hamilton has been disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix for a technical infringement on his Ferrari.

One of the skid blocks on Hamilton's car was found to be less than the required thickness after the race.

His team-mate Charles Leclerc and Alpine's Pierre Gasly have also been disqualified, after their cars were both deemed underweight in post-race checks.

Hamilton loses his sixth-place finish in the main grand prix, following victory in the sprint race in Shanghai on Saturday, his first win for his new team.

In a statement, the Italian team said there was "no intention to gain any advantage".

Explaining the disqualifications, Ferrari said Leclerc's high tyre wear due to his one-stop race strategy had caused the weight breach, while they had "misjudged the consumption by a small margin" in regard to Hamilton's skid wear.

"We will learn from what happened today and make sure we don't make the same mistakes again," the statement added.

Monegasque Leclerc was fifth, while Frenchman Gasly was 11th.

Formula 1 cars have skid blocks in the floor that are meant to ensure that the car maintains a certain ride height and does not run too low.

The skids are situated in the underfloor wooden plank, which also has a minimum depth for the same reason.

If one is worn too much, it confers a potential performance advantage caused by the car being able to run lower than would otherwise have been possible.

Hamilton was disqualified from the 2023 United States Grand Prix for a similar issue when he was driving for Mercedes.

Revised Chinese GP top 10

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

2. Lando Norris (McLaren)

3. George Russell (Mercedes)

4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

5. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

6. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

7. Alex Albon (Williams)

8. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

10. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

Source: BBC
 
Red Bull confirm Tsunoda to replace Lawson

Red Bull have confirmed that they will demote Liam Lawson and replace him with Yuki Tsunoda with immediate effect.

The decision comes after Lawson had completed just two grands prix for Red Bull, and three months after Tsunoda was passed over for the New Zealander as a replacement for Sergio Perez.

Tsunoda, 24, will partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull from the next race in Japan on 4-6 April, while Lawson will return to second team Racing Bulls as team-mate to French rookie Isack Hadjar.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said in a statement: "It has been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 at the first two races and as a result we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch."

Red Bull are third in the constructors' championship after two races, behind McLaren and Mercedes, and Verstappen has expressed his belief that their car may be only the fourth fastest in the field.

The Dutchman was a close second behind race-winner Lando Norris' McLaren in the wet season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and fourth at the Chinese race last weekend.

Lawson qualified 18th in Melbourne and crashed out of the race. In China, he qualified last for both the sprint and the grand prix, and finished 14th and 12th.

His finishing position in the grand prix in Shanghai was boosted by the disqualifications of both Ferraris and Pierre Gasly's Alpine, without which he would have been 15th.

Horner's statement said: "We acknowledge there is a lot of work to be done with the RB21 and Yuki's experience will prove highly beneficial in helping to develop the current car."

The decision to swap Lawson and Japanese Tsunoda was made on Monday at a meeting of Red Bull bosses in Dubai, including Horner and the chief shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya.

When Red Bull made the decision to pay off Perez two years before the end of his contract at the conclusion of last season, they chose Lawson because they believed Tsunoda lacked the mental fortitude to be Verstappen's team-mate and that Lawson had more potential.

That was despite the fact the 23-year-old New Zealander had completed just 11 grands prix over two seasons for Red Bull's second team.

At the time, Red Bull's car had fallen from competitiveness and, although Verstappen clinched a fourth consecutive world title, he won only twice in the final 14 races of the 2024 season.

The car appears not to have improved in relative competitiveness over the winter, and Verstappen is continuing to complain it has balance problems that affect its performance.

Red Bull have long been renowned for the ruthlessness with which they handle their young driver programme, but even in that context dropping Lawson after two races is extraordinary.

Horner's statement said: "We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam and together we see that, after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly so Liam can gain experience as he continues his F1 career with Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well."

Tsunoda's debut for the senior team will come at his home race at Suzuka, a track that is owned by Japanese car company Honda, which is Red Bull's engine partner and has long been a backer of the driver's career.

He has been with Red Bull's second team, previously called Alpha Tauri and RB, since making his F1 debut in 2021.

His promotion is an opportunity to secure his F1 career, at a time when his future in the sport was looking uncertain.

Honda is moving to Aston Martin for 2026 and there is no space for Tsunoda at that team.

If he can prove himself at Red Bull, he has the opportunity to show the team's bosses that he should be considered as a future driver for their team despite their long scepticism over his ultimate potential.

Tsunoda has had a positive start to the 2025 season, qualifying fifth in Australia and ninth in China, where he finished sixth in the sprint race.

Lawson will be advised that his demotion is an opportunity for him to rebuild his career, in the same way as earlier Red Bull rejects Gasly and Alex Albon have done.

Gasly was demoted to the second Red Bull team after just half a season in 2019 in a swap with Albon, who was given a season and a half before being demoted to reserve driver in place of Perez.

Gasly has since moved to Alpine and Albon to Williams, and both have thrived.

Perez no longer has an F1 seat after being dropped at the end of last season with a pay-off worth many millions of dollars.

BBC
 
'We made mistake' on Lawson, says Red Bull chief

Red Bull "made a mistake" with their decision-making over Liam Lawson, says motorsport adviser Helmut Marko.

The New Zealander has been demoted from his position as team-mate to Max Verstappen following poor performances in the first two races of the season.

Lawson has returned to Red Bull's second team in a swap with Japan's Yuki Tsunoda.

Marko told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast: "His performance was unfortunately not good enough and that comes from self-confidence."

The 81-year-old Austrian, a key player in Red Bull driver decisions, said Lawson had "lost confidence and he couldn't show his real potential".

Lawson qualified 18th at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and crashed out of the race. In China last weekend, he qualified last for both the sprint and the grand prix, and finished 14th and 12th.

World champion Verstappen was second in Melbourne and fourth in Shanghai. The next race is the Japanese Grand Prix, from 4-6 April.

Lawson, 23, admitted he found his demotion "tough" but said he is excited to work with his former team Racing Bulls.

"Being a Red Bull Racing driver has been my dream since I was a kid, it's what I've worked towards my whole life," he wrote on Instagram.

"I'm grateful for everything that's brought me to this point. To every one of you who's stood by me, thank you for all the support. It means the world."

Marko said that Tsunoda, 24, would be given "to the end of the season" at Red Bull to prove himself "because we believe he can do the job".

Asked why the Japanese was the right driver now, when they had decided at the end of last season that Lawson was a better bet, Marko said: "Tsunoda made a big step. It's strange after four years, now in his fifth year, he is a much stronger personality, he has more confidence and he did two very good races, it's just his strategy didn't work at Racing Bulls.

"In this case, a very difficult car experience is something that will help. That was our thoughts."

Marko said that Red Bull decided not to give Lawson another chance at the Japanese Grand Prix, which is the first race this season to be held on a circuit Lawson has experienced before, because "we were worried that his self-confidence is so damaged that he couldn't bring his normal performance".

He added: "And on the other hand we have two drivers for the constructors' championship but also to support Max strategy wise, if you have two drivers top five or eight it is easier to max a strategy that favours the number one driver."

Marko insisted that the swap with Tsunoda was "not a demotion" for Lawson.

"He's not kicked out of F1," Marko said, "and Racing Bulls will give him the chance to recover and his career will start again."

Marko pointed to the experience of drivers Red Bull had previously dropped as evidence that Lawson could rebuild his career.

Marko said: "For the benefit for him, he goes back to Racing Bulls, which has a car capable to be top 10 in qualifying and the race.

"Just look in the past, it was (Pierre) Gasly, it happened the same, also to (Alex) Albon and they recovered and they are now competitive F1 drivers.

"On top of it, the RB21 is a car which is not the fastest car but nevertheless very difficult to drive and Max can handle but not at this stage Liam."

Why didn't they take Sainz?

Red Bull's driver errors go back to last spring, when they decided to re-sign Sergio Perez on a new contract to the end of 2026 rather than take Carlos Sainz, who was a free agent following Ferrari's decision to sign Lewis Hamilton for 2025.

Perez's performances slumped and at the end of last season Red Bull paid him off and took Lawson instead.

Marko said: "In hindsight it is always easy to say but when he was available it was a different situation with Red Bull Racing.

"In the beginning of the year, Sergio Perez finished second twice and was performing and it just came later that Sergio had problems with the car and his performance dropped."

Concerns Verstappen could leave

Marko said he believed Red Bull could fix the problems with their car and deliver a fifth title for Verstappen.

But he admitted the Dutchman could consider leaving if the car's pace did not improve.

"We have this huge motivation to achieve this fifth title," Marko said. "We also know that if we don't deliver for Max, all the top drivers have performances clauses in their contract.

"So we have to make sure he gets a car where he can win and there was a very constructive meeting last Thursday, Max with the engineers, and they discussed how to go forward to improve the car and make it more drivable and to have a wider range of drivability, and all that went very positive.

"So it's just two races, we are eight points behind. And the whole team is focused to achieve this fifth title which we didn't make with (Sebastian) Vettel but this time there is a possibility.

"And if you look at the lap times from Max on the hard tyre (in the Chinese Grand Prix), we were competitive but not everywhere like on the McLaren but we are not so much off as it looks sometimes."

Meanwhile, Verstappen appeared to offer his opinion on Lawson's demotion by 'liking' an Instagram, external post from former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde that described it as a "panic move."

BBC
 
Perez holds talks over F1 return

Sergio Perez says he has spoken to "a few" teams about a return to the grid next season.

The 35-year-old Mexican left Red Bull shortly after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December, six months after signing a new two-year contract.

He failed to win a race in 2024 and had only four podium finishes, his worst season since joining Red Bull in 2021.

"I've been approached by a few teams since Abu Dhabi. The season has started, so a few things will open up in the coming months," Perez told the Formula 1 website., external

"Once I know all my options, I will make a decision.

"What is very clear to me is that I'm only coming back if the project makes sense and it's something I can enjoy."

Perez finished second in the drivers' championship in 2023 behind team-mate Max Verstappen, but he described last season as "terrible" after failing to win a race for the first time since 2019.

Perez, who has also driven for Sauber and McLaren, said his struggles were partly because of issues with Red Bull's RB20 car., external

His replacement, Liam Lawson, was dropped after two races this season and replaced by Yuki Tsunoda after failing to get to grips with its successor, the RB21.

Perez said: "Especially last year, I didn't get to show what I'm able to do as a driver.

"Now, all of a sudden, people realise how difficult the car is to drive."

BBC
 
Hamilton has 'absolute 100% faith' in Ferrari

Japanese Grand Prix

Venue: Suzuka Dates: 4-6 April Race start: 06:00 BST on Sunday

Lewis Hamilton says he has "absolute 100% faith" in Ferrari despite their difficult start to the season.

The seven-time champion won the sprint race in China last time out but struggled in the grand prix in Shanghai and the season-opener in Australia.

Ferrari are only fifth in the constructors' championship after Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc were disqualified from fifth and sixth places in China for technical infringements.

Briton Hamilton said: "I saw someone said something about whether I'm losing faith in the team, which is complete rubbish.

"I have absolute 100% faith in this team.

"There was obviously a huge amount of hype at the beginning of the year. I don't know if everyone was expecting us to be winning from race one and winning the championship in our first year.

"That wasn't my expectation. I know that I'm coming into a new culture, a new team and it's going to take time."

Hamilton emphasised the difficulties in adapting to a new team, especially around the specifics of the technicalities of a new car.

"On reflection, I was actually quite happy with how I've adapted in just those two races," he said.

"I've definitely got a lot of work to do to make sure that it's better moving forward.

"It's just understanding the technical side of this thing, understanding all the tools that I have. It likes to be driven differently.

"After analysing the last two races, you've got the first race (in Australia)… I generally didn't feel great in the car at the beginning, but my pace wasn't too bad in the first two days.

"And Sunday was the first time I'd ever driven the car in the rain, and I was learning a lot throughout the race."

Hamilton said that he had also been affected by lost running time in pre-season testing in Bahrain and being forced to miss a test in Abu Dhabi at the end of last year when other drivers tried out the new 2025 tyre designs.

Because of that, he said China "was the first time I'd actually done a long run" in the dry.

He added: "Every other driver here got to do Abu Dhabi tests and try the 2025 tyre. I didn't. When we went into the race run in Bahrain, the car broke down, so I didn't actually get to do a long run on any of the tyres.

"So, the sprint race was the first time I'd actually done a 20-lap stint on the tyre.

"And then, in the race, it was the first time I'd ever tried the C2 (compound). So, I was just learning that through the race.

"You don't just put the tyre on and know what it's going to do. I definitely feel like I was starting to feel the onward effect of not being able to do the test at the end of the year."

Despite the problems they have had so far, which leaves Ferrari 61 points behind McLaren in the constructors' championship, Leclerc said the Italian team can "still have an amazing season".

The Monegasque - who finished ahead of Hamilton in China, despite a front wing damaged on the first lap in a collision between the two Ferrari drivers - pointed to the team's progress in 2024, which started slowly but ended with them narrowly missing out on winning the constructors' championship for the first time since 2008.

Leclerc said: "If we go back to last year, looking at the first few races, the situation in terms of performance was quite a bit worse than where we are now.

"We kind of expected Red Bull to dominate the whole season, and by taking the points that were available at the beginning of the season with the performance we had, we ended up actually fighting for the championship – which was way above our expectations.

"There's definitely not that feeling within the team at the moment.

"However, we do feel we haven't maximised what we could have in the first two races, and that's frustrating.

"But it doesn't mean we cannot recover. The season is still very long. Small steps after small steps – we can still have an amazing season."

BBC
 

Doohan crash as Suzuka practice stopped four times​

Alpine's Jack Doohan suffered a high-speed crash as Friday practice at the Japanese Grand Prix was punctuated by four red-flag stoppages.

The Australian was uninjured in the crash, which initial impressions suggested was caused by the DRS overtaking aid still being open as he entered the 160mph first corner.

Alpine have not commented on the cause of the incident, saying they are "assessing" it.

Doohan's was the first of four incidents that led to the session being stopped, two of which were for the grass catching fire beside the track.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri ended up fastest from team-mate Lando Norris.

The second stoppage was caused when Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso spun off and became beached in the gravel at Degner One, shortly after the session was restarted following a 20-minute delay to repair the damage to the barriers at Turn One.

And a few minutes after the session was resumed, the cars had to return to the pits when the grass caught fire between Dunlop and Degner One.

That left only seven minutes of running at the end of the session, but it was stopped after six when a bigger patch of grass caught fire on the run down to Spoon Curve.

Source: BBC
 
Verstappen pips Norris to Japanese Grand Prix pole

Japanese Grand Prix

Venue: Suzuka Date: 6 April Race start: 06:00 BST on Sunday

Max Verstappen stunned his own Red Bull team and rivals McLaren by grabbing pole position from Lando Norris for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Lagging behind the McLarens throughout the weekend, the world champion pipped Norris by 0.012 seconds with his final lap of the session.

The second McLaren of Oscar Piastri, fastest on the first laps of the session by 0.226secs from Verstappen, was third, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Mercedes' George Russell took fifth, while Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was eighth.

When Piastri fell short of beating Verstappen with the final lap of the session, confirming the Dutchman's pole, the awe in the Red Bull garage was clear.

"That is insane," his race engineer Giampiero Lambiase said to Verstappen over the radio.

Even Norris accepted that his rival had excelled himself, saying: "Max did an amazing lap."

Norris added: "I'm happy because I feel like I got everything out of the car today. My lap was very good. We were on the limit of what we had but we just didn't have enough today."

Piastri, though, felt he could have done better.

"The last lap just didn't quite come together as I wanted," the Australian said. "Incredibly tight margins and still all to play for tomorrow. Just a little bit left on the table."

More grass fire concerns at Suzuka

Verstappen's new team-mate Yuki Tsunoda could manage only 15th place. The Japanese, drafted in for this race after Red Bull demoted Liam Lawson just two races into the season, was 0.498secs down on Verstappen in the second session, after which he was knocked out.

He told the team over the radio that he had done a "pretty messy" lap and he was out-qualified by Lawson's Racing Bull, which will start just ahead of him.

Tsunoda, who was just 0.024secs slower than Verstappen in the first session of qualifying, said he was "very sad", and that he had not managed to prepare the tyres properly for his lap.

Grass fires again caused a problem - the second part of qualifying was stopped for six minutes when the fifth fire of the weekend broke out on the exit of the fast 130R corner.

Officials had doused the grass with water before qualifying in an attempt to prevent any further fires breaking out after four stoppages throughout practice on Friday and Saturday.

They had considered a pre-emptive burning of the grass but decided there was not enough time before qualifying and too big a risk that advertising hoardings could catch fire if it was not properly controlled or monitored.

Rain is forecast overnight and it remains to be seen how Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, will address the issue before the race.

Verstappen's 'very special' lap

Verstappen's satisfaction at pole was enhanced by the fact that it came at Suzuka, a circuit considered one of the greatest challenges for a racing driver there is.

"We tried the best we could to get the best possible balance with the car," he said. "It wasn't easy. Every session we kept making little improvements and then the last lap was just flat out.

"Around here, being on the limit, or maybe just a little bit over the limit in places, is incredibly rewarding

"It's insane, an F1 car around her is unbelievable and with the new Tarmac it gives you more grip and you have to commit even harder.

"I was fully committed on the final lap. At points, not sure if I was going to keep it (on the track). If you look at how our season started, even this weekend, it is very unexpected and that makes it a very special one."

Hamilton 'not where I want to be'

Ferrari and Mercedes were not quite in the battle for pole.

Leclerc was 0.316secs off Verstappen's time and Russell ended up 0.335secs back.

The Briton had been just 0.04secs slower than Verstappen on his first run in the final session, albeit 0.266secs behind Piastri. But a mistake at Turn One and Two on his final run, the rear stepping out in both corners, prevented him improving.

His team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who had lagged behind Russell all weekend, closed to within just over 0.2secs behind as a result and will start sixth, ahead of the Racing Bull of the consistently impressive rookie Isack Hadjar.

Hamilton had been closely matched with Leclerc in second qualifying, even though he was impeded by Carlos Sainz on his final lap. But he lacked pace in the top 10 shootout session.

"I generally struggled," Hamilton said, "and when I got to Q3 I wasn't able to improve. Had a big snap oversteer in the middle sector on the first lap and then the second lap, I was only down in that sector. Not where I want to be."

Spaniard Sainz was given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Hamilton and will start 15th, while his Williams team-mate Alex Albon took ninth ahead of an outstanding performance from British rookie Oliver Bearman in the Haas.

Bearman starts 10th, with his experienced team-mate Esteban Ocon down in 18th.

BBC
 
Verstappen fends off Norris to win in Japan

Red Bull's Max Verstappen fended off a race-long challenge from the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to win the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Dutchman's fourth consecutive victory at Suzuka was his first of the year and moves Verstappen to within one point of Norris at the head of the drivers' championship.

Verstappen's drive was cool under intense pressure, with rarely more than two seconds between him and Norris, and founded on a quite brilliant pole position lap on Saturday.

McLaren had feared that the Red Bull would be difficult to pass if Verstappen held the lead at the start, and so it proved.

Verstappen led the two McLarens for the entire first stint, the three lapping closely together.

There may be questions as to why McLaren pitted Piastri first, when it might have made sense to attack Verstappen with Norris with an earlier pit stop.

Verstappen and Norris stopped on the same lap, one later than Piastri, and there was an immediate flashpoint.

As they pitted, they were separated by just 1.5 seconds. Norris' stop was faster by a second, and as they left the pits the McLaren was halfway alongside the Red Bull.

But Verstappen held his line, and Norris ran out of track, taking to the grass.

Norris complained about Verstappen's driving, saying he had been pushed off, while Verstappen countered by saying his rival had driven off by himself. The stewards agreed with the four-time world champion.

From then on, Norris and Piastri tracked Verstappen for the final 32 laps, with just over two seconds separating them most of the time.

But Norris could not get within a second of Verstappen, and in fact it was Piastri who looked to have the best pace, sometimes closing to within 0.5secs of his team-mate.

Piastri suggested to the team that he felt he had the pace to beat Verstappen - a thinly veiled request to be let past.

But McLaren did not interfere in their battle and the drivers crossed the line in the order they had held all race, separated by just 2.2 seconds.

Piastri moves into third place in the championship ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, and is 13 points behind his team-mate.

Verstappen said: "It was tough, just pushing very hard on the last set. The two McLarens were pushing me very hard.

"Not easy to manage the tyres. I'm incredibly happy. It started off quite tough this weekend but we didn't give up, we carried on improving the car and today it was in its best form. Starting on pole was very important."

Norris added: "The pace was too similar to do anything more. Long race, a lot of pushing, flat out from start to finish, but nothing special we had to get Max on. He deserved it.

"They were quick, they've made some improvements, and we'll have to work hard."

The top three were in a race of their own and the entire grand prix was pretty static in terms of order.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc held off Russell for fourth place, while the Briton's 18-year-old team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli put in a strong final stint to close to less than two seconds behind his team-mate.

Lewis Hamilton, on an alternate tyre strategy, took seventh from eighth place on the grid, getting ahead of Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar early in the race.

Alex Albon drove an attacking race, complaining to the Williams team about his strategy, to take ninth, ahead of the Haas of Briton Oliver Bearman.

In his first race for Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda finished 12th with the man he replaced, Liam Lawson, 17th in the Racing Bull.

BBC
 
Horner hails Verstappen’s Japanese F1 Grand Prix win as one of his best ever

The Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has hailed Max Verstappen’s victory at the Japanese Grand prix on Sunday as one of the world champion’s best races and admitted the team had to turn their car “upside down” to put it in a position for the Dutchman to deliver an unexpected win.

Verstappen drove a superb lap to claim pole position at Suzuka, which proved crucial in the race where he led from the front with an exemplary display of control and execution in a car that remains enormously difficult. It was a striking victory to hold off the two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in second and third, given the pace they have demonstrated in the opening three meetings of the season.

“That’s one of Max’s best weekends,” said Horner. “We literally turned the car upside down, setup wise. He’s worked very hard with the engineering team and finally we were able to give him a car that he could make use of in Q3 on Saturday with the most stunning lap and then to convert that in a hard-fought victory in a straight fight. We leave Japan still with plenty of work to do but huge motivation.”

Red Bull have struggled in the opening rounds, with McLaren having the quickest car and the RB21 proving to be a handful. However Verstappen has returned a second place in Australia, fourth in China and now a win in Japan to stay very much in the title fight. He trails Norris by one point in the championship, a margin that looked highly unlikely when the British driver sealed a dominant victory at the season-opener in Melbourne.

The Red Bull team principal also revealed the extent to which the team had been trying everything with their car to put it in what is understood to be a very narrow operating window.

“You’re always learning and we’ve been [looking at] ride heights, weight distributions, wing levels, roll bars. Almost every adjustment on the car we’ve been through this weekend,” he said. “It just demonstrates if you keep working hard and you never give up, anything is possible. Max has been stunning and demonstrated once again why I think he’s the best driver on the grid.”

Horner was buoyed up by how his team have dealt with tricky opening races and was confident more is yet to come with 21 meetings still remaining. “This championship is all going to be about maximising your opportunities,” he said.

“So there’s a lot of positives to take and we know if we can unlock some of the potential in this car, it puts us right in the fight. They [McLaren] have the quickest car at the moment and we’re going to need to fight a bit to beat them.”

The McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, whose pit stop strategy and decision not to make Norris move over for Piastri to attack Verstappen was questioned, acknowledged that the Dutchman had delivered a fine performance but that he still believed their car had the edge.

“Hats off to Max and Red Bull,” he said. “We know that to beat them we need to operate at the highest standard but also we need to operate consistently and when you might have won, but you don’t win and you are P2-P3, it’s still a robust way of going racing and I think this will pay off at the end of the season.

“Yes, we need to work and this is not only the drivers, this is above all a message for the team. We need to nail all the opportunities that ultimately deliver performance.”

SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...ese-f1-grand-prix-win-as-one-of-his-best-ever
 
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