Formula 1 - Discussion Thread

[BouncerGuy]

FIA steward Warwick suspended for Canadian GP

Former grand prix driver Derek Warwick has been suspended from his role as a steward at this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix.

Governing body the FIA said the decision had been made "following recent unauthorised media comments".

It said he would be replaced by Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi, who would be "officiating from the remote operations centre in Geneva for the remainder of the event".

The FIA added: "After discussion, Derek acknowledges that his comments were ill-advised in his role as an FIA steward and has apologised.

"Derek will resume his duties as a steward in the forthcoming Austrian Grand Prix."

Warwick won the Le Mans 24 Hours, is a former president of the British Racing Drivers' Club and is one of the most senior driver stewards in F1.

An ex-F1 driver is always one of the four stewards officiating at every grand prix.

Last week Warwick was quoted as saying that a penalty given to Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the Spanish Grand Prix after the Dutchman apparently deliberately collided with Mercedes' George Russell was "right".

On a gambling website, Warwick said: "Should he have done what he did, in Turn Five with George Russell? Absolutely not. Did he get a penalty for that? Yes.

"It seems to me that, although he dove in, he then did turn away from George, but momentum pushed him against George. It is absolutely wrong and the FIA was right to give him a penalty."

Warwick is the second driver steward to be punished by the FIA for commenting on races in the past six months.

In January Johnny Herbert was dropped by the FIA, which said his "duties as an FIA steward and that of a media pundit were incompatible".

The FIA's decision to suspend Warwick came a day after controversial statute changes were passed by the organisation's general assembly.

The changes are said by critics to "risk further contributing to the erosion of the FIA's reputation for competent and transparent governance" under president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Ben Sulayem's time in office since 2021 has been marked by a series of controversies, the majority of which have been focused on the erosion of accountability and good governance and the introduction of measures that enhance his power and reduce oversight.

When there are questions about how stewards arrived at decisions during a grand prix, the FIA refuses to comment on the basis that stewards are "independent from the FIA".

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Russell snatches 'mighty' pole from Verstappen

Venue: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal Date: 15 June Race start: 19:00 BST on Sunday

Mercedes' George Russell snatched pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix from Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Russell beat Verstappen by 0.160 seconds to grab the fastest time just seconds after the Dutchman himself had taken it away from McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

The Australian's team-mate and title rival Lando Norris could manage only seventh place, behind Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and a superb performance from Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin.

The grid sets up a battle into the first corner between Briton Russell and Verstappen in Montreal, just a race after their controversial conflict at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Verstappen was penalised 10 seconds and given three licence penalty points for deliberately colliding with Russell in the closing stages of the race and is one licence point away from a race ban.

'Exhilarating' lap gives Russell 'goosebumps'

Russell had felt on arriving at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Saturday morning that he had a good chance of setting pole, and his confidence was well placed.

Like Verstappen using the medium tyre for his final lap, Russell said it was "one of the most exhilarating laps of my life".

He added: "I swear, every corner I was looking at my lap-time delta on my steering wheel and I was going 0.1secs quicker, 0.1secs quicker. I got to the last corner and I was 0.6secs up and I thought: 'This lap's mighty.' It felt like the car was on rails. I am so pleased with pole."

Russell said he "had goosebumps" after crossing the line. "I don't think I've ever had that before," he said.

Verstappen said: "I felt quite good all weekend. The car was in a good window. This track is quite cool. It feels like a big go-kart on the kerbs.

"You need to be quite efficient on the straights, which I think we are. The tough choice was the tyres and I think we chose the right ones. We will see what we can do tomorrow. I am already happy to be on the front row and I hope we can have a solid race."

McLaren had had a difficult weekend and Piastri said he was "pretty happy with third".

'Big mistakes' cost Norris

The grid gives the Australian a good chance to extend his championship lead over Norris, who had a tricky session.

He missed the final chicane on his first lap of the top 10 shootout and had to be reminded not to push too much in the braking zones.

His second attempt was slower than Alonso's first and Norris failed to improve on his final run, and was bumped further down by Russell, Antonelli and Hamilton.

Norris said: "Just a couple of big mistakes. One, hitting the wall on the last lap in the exit of (Turn) Seven and first lap, I think, last corner. So, yeah, just two mistakes that cost me, I guess.

"We've clearly not been as quick as normal. I think that's just because of the layout of the track. I think the cars have been performing relatively well and I was happy through all of qualifying. Maybe not the car to take pole today, but good enough to be up there and fighting for top three."

Team principal Andrea Stella said: "Lando just tried too hard. I think he felt that the speed was there, but on this track if you try too hard then you may have quite a bit of price to pay."

Alonso's sixth place was Aston Martin's best grid position of the season and confirms the progress the team have made since introducing an upgrade at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

"We maximised for sure the potential of the car," Alonso said. "I feel happier with the car since Imola, since the upgrade.

"At the beginning of the year, it was a challenge to understand what the car needed and what kind of direction in the set-up I needed to go, but since Imola I am more comfortable and I can be more precise on the feedback and make the changes that I know will make the car faster and sometimes you succeed on that.

"Last four races, four Q3 (places). It makes the whole team a little more relaxed."

Rounding out the top 10 behind Leclerc were Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar and Williams' Alex Albon.

However, Hadjar was given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Williams' Carlos Sainz at the end of the first session, preventing the Spaniard from progressing. Alpine's Franco Colapinto will now start 10th.

Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda, who qualified 11th, will start at the back because of a 10-place penalty for overtaking Piastri's damaged McLaren after a red flag during final practice.

Stewards rejected Tsunoda's explanations for his actions, saying Piastri was not going slow enough to excuse the breaking of a safety rule.

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Ex-F1 driver Kubica wins iconic Le Mans 24 hours

Former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica took victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours with a privately entered Ferrari.

The number 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, also driven by China's Yifei Ye and Britain's Phil Hanson, took the chequered flag 14.084 seconds ahead of the number six Porsche 963 of France Kevin Estre.

Pole Kubica, once considered one of the world's best F1 drivers as part of a group of young drivers which included Lewis Hamilton, won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix for BMW-Sauber.

But three years later, as an established F1 driver for Renault, Kubica suffered life-changing injuries in a rallying crash which left him with a partially severed right arm and multiple fractures.

He returned to F1 with Williams in 2019 as team-mate to George Russell, scoring one point that season, and then drove two races for Alfa Romeo in 2021.

At Le Mans, the works number 51 Ferrari 499P driven by Antonio Giovinazzi took third place, with the sister 50 car driven by Antonio Fuoco fourth.

Both factory Ferraris, who had been competing for the victory until the final hour, were nursing problems in the final stages.

It is the third victory in a row at Le Mans for the 499P, which won in the top class for the first time in 50 years in 2023 - the 100th anniversary of the famous race.

Le Mans: Robert Kubica, 40, wins iconic race in privately entered Ferrari

Former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica take victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours with a privately entered Ferrari.

www.bbc.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Norris & Piastri collide as Russell wins in Canada

Title rivals and McLaren team-mates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri came to blows for the first time as the Briton appeared to misjudge a passing attempt in the Canadian Grand Prix.

Norris hit the back of Piastri's car on the pit straight with four laps to go as George Russell took Mercedes' first victory of the season with a controlled drive.

Norris, who had been attempting to pass Piastri for fourth place, told his team it was "all my bad" and that it was "stupid of me".

Norris' car retired on the spot with front suspension damage and the race finished under the safety car with Piastri in fourth place behind Russell, Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.

Piastri's championship lead over Norris increased to 22 points, with Verstappen 21 adrift of the Briton.

Canadian Grand Prix result: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collide as George Russell wins

Lando Norris crashes out of the Canadian Grand Prix in a collision with McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, as George Russell wins.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Norris says Austria pole lap 'close to perfection'

Austrian Grand Prix

Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg Date: 29 June Race start: 14:00 BST

Lando Norris said he felt like he was back to the form he had missing for much of this season after taking a stunning pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver's season has been hampered by repeated mistakes in qualifying, but he headed the field by more than half a second on one of the shortest laps of the year at the Red Bull Ring.

Briton Norris said his pole lap was "as close to perfection as I would probably ask for".

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start alongside Norris with McLaren team-mate and championship leader Oscar Piastri in third.

"It's nice to see the old me back every now and then," Norris said.

"It's more just the feeling I had today was a feeling I've missed for quite a long time, the feeling I have behind the wheel with the car, the understanding where the grip is and how to exploit it.

"That showed in performance and then lap time is a very good combination to have. That when you feel like you can go quicker here and you go out and do it, that's the best feeling a driver can ask for, really."

Norris has felt this year that a lack of feeling from the front axle of the car has been provoking mistakes when he has tried to push to the absolute limit in qualifying.

At the last race in Canada, McLaren introduced a revision to the front suspension to reduce what the team have described as a "numbness". Norris has continued with that part in Austria but Piastri feels he does not need it.

That added to aerodynamics upgrades to the car to the front wing and suspension introduced in Austria led to the largest margin any pole winner has had in percentage terms all season.

Norris said: "To come into this weekend and at least move in the right direction was very positive and very reassuring for myself most of all but probably for us as a team as well, so a big thanks to them.

"The feelings I've been requiring, the feelings that I've not been getting as easily, when they are more my way and more where I want them to be, I can put in better performances and have days like today."

Team principal Andrea Stella said McLaren's margin over the field was also down to the track characteristics suiting their car, and the fact that Norris is "a little bit of a specialist in Austria".

Norris is 22 points behind Piastri in the championship, a margin partially created by him crashing out of the race in Canada after running into the back of the Australian.

As a result, he needs a strong result in Austria on Sunday to reduce Piastri's lead.

Norris said that his session on Saturday was "easily my best qualifying of the year from a delivery point of view".

But he added: "It's very satisfying, but, again, it's about consistency. Everyone can be a hero in one weekend. It's progress. It's steps forward. I'm very happy with today, but it's still a long journey. It's a long season. The job I needed to do today, I did. And it doesn't make up for the last few weekends or anything, but I did it today, and that's what mattered."

'Basically everything felt bad' - Verstappen

Red Bull's Max Verstappen is the McLaren drivers' closest challenger in the championship, in third place, 21 points behind Norris.

But the Dutchman had a difficult day, qualifying only seventh.

Verstappen was unable to complete his final lap as Pierre Gasly spun his Alpine through 720 degrees at the final corner in front of him, but had managed only sixth fastest time on his first lap.

The Dutchman said Red Bull had been caught by surprise by the lack of grip in their car

"In qualifying basically everything felt bad," Verstappen said. "Every corner was a struggle, I just didn't have the balance. It was either understeer or oversteer. Even every single lap that I did I had a little bit different behaviour with the car. So yeah, that's not ideal.

"I didn't expect it to be this bad in qualifying, but I think no one did in the team. So, that's something that we have to analyse."

But Norris and Piastri both said they would not rule out Verstappen coming into contention in the race.

"Until he's out of the race, I don't think we're ever going to take Max out of the equation," Norris said.

BBC

 

[Ball Blazer]

2025 F1 Austrian Grand Prix - results​

Lando Norris converted pole position into victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Piastri overtook Charles Leclerc on the first lap, with the Ferrari driver having then settled into third place where he went on to finish.

Lewis Hamilton secured fourth for the Maranello-based outfit, whilst George Russell finished in a lonely fifth.

Max Verstappen retired from the race on the opening lap after being taken out by Kimi Antonelli at the third corner, whilst Carlos Sainz failed to start the race.

Austrian Grand Prix – Race Result

Result | Driver | Team | Gap

Lando Norris – McLaren – LAP 70

Oscar Piastri – McLaren – +2.695

Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – +19.820

Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari – +29.020

George Russell – Mercedes – +62.396

Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls – +67.754

Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin – 1 Lap

Gabriel Bortoleto – Stake – 1 Lap

Nico Hulkenberg – Stake – 1 Lap

Esteban Ocon – Haas – 1 Lap

Oliver Bearman – Haas – 1 Lap

Isack Hadjar – Racing Bulls – 1 Lap

Pierre Gasly – Alpine – 1 Lap

Lance Stroll – Aston Martin – 1 Lap

Franco Colapinto – Alpine – 1 Lap

Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull – 2 Laps

Alexander Albon – Williams – DNF

Max Verstappen – Red Bull – —

Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes – —

Carlos Sainz – Williams – DNF

 

[BouncerGuy]

Domenicali to tell Starmer how vital F1 is to UK

Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali will meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday and emphasise the importance of the sport to the United Kingdom's economy.

Domenicali, who is meeting Sir Keir at 10 Downing Street along with several drivers and team principals as part of an event to mark the 75th anniversary of F1, described the UK as "the heart and rock and roll of this business".

The Italian will raise some of the logistical issues faced by F1 as a result of the restrictions imposed on travel by Brexit, while painting the sport as an industry essential to the UK.

"For the first time, we're going to have this opportunity to present the F1 ecosystem to your government," Domenicali said. "It is important to remind to everyone how this country is really the heart and rock and roll of this business.

"Because everything started here in 1950, the first race, and the offices of this business are here in the centre of London. The vast majority of the teams and the ecosystem is here in the UK."

Domenicali said that the F1 industry is worth £12bn annually to the UK economy, employs more than 6,000 people and has a supply chain involving 4,500 companies.

Seven of the 10 teams are based in the UK, and 10 of the 11 teams that will be in F1 next year - when Cadillac enters - will have bases in the country.

In addition to mentioning the difficulties post-Brexit restrictions create for staff moving between Europe and the UK with regard to visas, Domenicali will also press F1's sustainability credentials.

Next year, as part of a plan to be net-zero carbon by 2030, F1 is introducing new engines that produce 50% of their total power output from the electrical part of the engine, and use fully sustainable fuels.

F1 believes that sustainable fuels - petrol replacements that are manufactured either from biomass or carbon capture using industrial processes - can play an important role in reducing the carbon emissions created by transport.

Domenicali said: "There are things that we need to solve in terms of facilitating the tie-down with Brexit.

"There are complications for the movement, there are complications for the visas for people.

"And I'm saying that because it's relevant to give the possibility for people to be attracted to work here. Because if you lose that link, then immediately the centre could be moving to other places."

However, he emphasised: "I don't want to see this as a threat. But I think it's a matter of respect of what we represent for this country to consider in the right way what could be the limiting factor of development of this industry in this country.

"What we are asking is not to change the decision that your country has taken. It's not our mandate and our role. But to facilitate things that are having a burden on the economical side and also in terms of the possibility to be attractive, to be a country more attractive for keeping the central part of F1 in this country."

Half a million fans expected at British GP

Domenicali said he expected this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone to have an all-time record crowd across the four days of about 500,000 people.

But he said Silverstone had a responsibility to ensure it could manage the ingress and egress of that amount of spectators without causing major traffic problems.

These had been consigned to the past, but became a major concern again at Silverstone last year.

Domenicali said it was "important" for British GP organisers to create a network to minimise the "bottleneck" of people at the event.

He added: "This is the most important element, which we're going to push them, to keep developing their plan.

"That is not only how they commercialise their packages, in terms of offers for the fans, but also how the fans can arrive in the right way."

And he said that while "I cannot think, personally of not having a race in the UK", and that only Silverstone could host it, "the right approach would be not to, from their perspective, think that it is taken for granted".

'Plan' in case war affects season finale

Domenicali said F1 had "a plan" in case the conflict between Israel and Iran affected the season-closing races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

He would not say what that plan was, but intimated that there were contingency arrangements in place to hold races elsewhere if necessary.

"I don't want to even think about it," he said. "But mainly because of the bigger picture."

He said the promoters of the two races were "very serious".

Domenicali added: "We are not worried at all that this will have an effect.

"Hopefully, from here to the end of the year, the situation will ease down and there will be no problem.

"But there will be an effect on the cost, because the logistics of the movement of the flights and so on will have an effect on them. But these are things that we can manage in a way to be proactive and to be reactive if needed."

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

'Pure joy, pure emotion' for Norris' first home win

Lando Norris said his first home victory at the British Grand Prix was "pure joy, pure emotion".

The McLaren driver beat team-mate Oscar Piastri, inheriting the lead after the Australian was given a 10-second penalty for his driving before a safety-car restart.

He has narrowed the gap to leader Piastri in the drivers' championship to eight points.

Norris said: "It's a very selfish moment but it is one of the most special because it's such a rare thing to feel.

"For me, the best win. Maybe not the best way to win. I'm not going to say it was my best-fought win. That's not true.

"But in terms of what it means to win at home and in front of my own grandstand, the fans, McLaren, HRH [the Duke of Kent] is here and to have a one-two and make amends for last year makes it even more special. Very memorable."

The Briton was referring to the fact that he could have won at Silverstone in 2024 but for a wrong choice of tyres by McLaren at his final pit stop.

Lando Norris' British Grand Prix win brings him 'pure joy, pure emotion'

Lando Norris says his first home victory at the British Grand Prix was "pure joy, pure emotion".

www.bbc.com

 

[Suleiman]

lol just watched the F1 movie and saw this thread, haven’t followed F1 in years but may start again. Pretty good watch

 

[KingKhanWC]

lol just watched the F1 movie and saw this thread, haven’t followed F1 in years but may start again. Pretty good watch

How long is the movie and is it mainly F1 or some love storyline?

I follow F1 but prefer to watch it live. I will be at the Spa Grand Prix in Belgium in 2 weeks !

 

[JaDed]

lol just watched the F1 movie and saw this thread, haven’t followed F1 in years but may start again. Pretty good watch

Heard its best of the summer, will probably catch it next week @shaz619

 

[Suleiman]

How long is the movie and is it mainly F1 or some love storyline?

I follow F1 but prefer to watch it live. I will be at the Spa Grand Prix in Belgium in 2 weeks !

2.5 hours. It’s mainly F1 which is why it was p good, love storyline is to a minimum.

 

[shaz619]

Heard its best of the summer, will probably catch it next week @shaz619

Beautiful movie, the best car movie since Ford vs Ferrari and a proper blockbuster. This director just gets it man.

 

[shaz619]

How long is the movie and is it mainly F1 or some love storyline?

I follow F1 but prefer to watch it live. I will be at the Spa Grand Prix in Belgium in 2 weeks !

If you ignore the length, honestly you wont even realise it, such is the pacing. This director ignores all the PC bs and just sticks to making a proper blockbuster, if you loved Twisters & the Top Gun sequel, this is just as good.

The race sequences are so thrilling, if you’re able to try and see it in IMAX in Cineworld, I always regret it when I go for comfort in Odeon. And at the heart of it all, the movie for me was about why elite sportsman are just built different and risking it all in search of glory, not for anybody else, but yourself.

I am biased though because I am a petrolhead like @Suleiman

And I am jealous you’re attending a Grandprix! am sure it will be amazing, I just can’t justify any event these days due to the crazy pricing and stick to the Sofa lol 5-10 years ago I probably would have gone though

 

[Suleiman]

If you ignore the length, honestly you wont even realise it, such is the pacing. This director ignores all the PC bs and just sticks to making a proper blockbuster, if you loved Twisters & the Top Gun sequel, this is just as good.

The race sequences are so thrilling, if you’re able to try and see it in IMAX in Cineworld, I always regret it when I go for comfort in Odeon. And at the heart of it all, the movie for me was about why elite sportsman are just built different and risking it all in search of glory, not for anybody else, but yourself.

I am biased though because I am a petrolhead like @Suleiman

Will echo that if yall go see it, make sure it’s IMAX. The racing sequences were next level because of it @JaDed @KingKhanWC

But yeah even tho the plot has been done before, the attention to detail regarding being an elite sportsman and the pressure it comes with physically, psychologically and emotionally is what made it great viewing. How much they were able to stress things like 1/10th of a second meaning so much while having a proper story and still stay true to the F1 Motorsport.

 

[shaz619]

@JaDed I also loved how they gave a bit of time to the team & race engineers, there was a small segment of an aerodynamicist doing a bit of CFD, a lot of is the car if we’re being honest now, but when you achieve a great design within insane timescales and combine that with a great driver; you’re onto a winner.

 

[shaz619]

Will echo that if yall go see it, make sure it’s IMAX. The racing sequences were next level because of it @JaDed @KingKhanWC

But yeah even tho the plot has been done before, the attention to detail regarding being an elite sportsman and the pressure it comes with physically, psychologically and emotionally is what made it great viewing. How much they were able to stress things like 1/10th of a second meaning so much while having a proper story and still stay true to the F1 Motorsport.

The funny thing is we had a real life blockbuster unfold on track last weekend when Nico holding the most unwanted record in F1 (238 starts without a podium) went from 19th to 3rd in extremely difficult conditions. The F1 movie really captures why these guys keep doing this and the mental fortitude they develop to never quit, any great sports movie inherently is built on the foundation of the underdog (don’t watch million dollar baby lol) and this was F1’s Rocky story, for Wrestling it’s the reverse for us because Mickey in The Wrestler best captured what it means to be a pro-rasler and the bleak business that comes along with it.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Red Bull sack team principal Horner after 20 years

Christian Horner has been sacked as Red Bull team principal after 20 years in the role.

The 51-year-old has been in charge of the Formula 1 team since their inception in 2005, leading them to eight drivers' championship and six constructors' championship titles.

The dismissal follows months of declining form for the team and internal disputes at the highest level.

It comes 17 months after Horner was accused of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour by a female employee.

Horner was twice cleared of the claims, firstly after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, then by another lawyer who dismissed the complainant's appeal.

"Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today," the team's parent company, Red Bull GmBH, said in a statement.

While Horner has been removed from his role, it has not been made clear if he has formally departed the company or if a settlement or severance is in place.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen thanked Horner on social media.

"From my first race win, to four world championships, we have shared incredible successes. Winning memorable races and breaking countless records," Verstappen said., external

Englishman Horner will be replaced as team principal and chief executive of Red Bull Racing by Laurent Mekies, who has been promoted from second team Racing Bulls.

The 48-year-old Frenchman had been in the role since the start of the 2024 season and was previously racing director for Ferrari.

Englishman Alan Permane, 58, has been promoted to team principal of Racing Bulls from his position as racing director.

Under Horner, Sebastian Vettel won the drivers' championship from 2010 to 2013, with Verstappen winning the past four titles.

"We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years," said Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull's chief executive of corporate projects and investments.

"With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1.

"Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history."

Horner's dismissal comes amid uncertainty about the future of star driver Verstappen.

The four-time world champion is under contract to Red Bull until 2028 but is being courted by Mercedes to potentially join them for next season.

Red Bull have won only two races this season, with McLaren taking over their position as the team to beat.

Red Bull's decline began in the middle of last season. While Verstappen won his fourth straight world title, he won only twice in the final 14 races.

Christian Horner sacked as team principal by Red Bull after 20 years

Christian Horner is sacked as Red Bull team principal after 20 years in the role.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Formula 1 on target to become net zero by 2030

Formula 1 says it is on target to become net zero in the next five years - effectively having zero carbon emissions by 2030.

The sport has delivered a 26% reduction since 2018, from the equivalent of 228,793 tonnes of CO2 a year to 168,720, according to its annual sustainability report.

F1's president Stefano Domenicali said the five-year net zero target was a "concrete goal" and "already visible in the significant reduction of our sport's carbon footprint".

"We are proud of what we have achieved so far and remain determined to continue on this path," he said.

How does F1 say it has achieved this?

F1 launched its sustainability strategy in 2019 with a long-term commitment to reduce carbon emissions in areas like travel, logistics, and energy use.

Changing the now 24-race calendar, so grands prix are grouped together by region to reduce travel, has also helped F1 in its quest for greater sustainability, with Japan moving to an April slot and Azerbaijan twinning with Singapore in the autumn since the 2024 season.

Team factories are now using more green energy such as wind and solar power, resulting in a 59% reduction in emissions from these facilities compared to seven years ago.

Other initiatives that have contributed include F1 expanding the use of biofuel trucks for transporting freight in Europe, which reduced related carbon emissions by an average of 83%.

From the 2026 season and beyond, F1 is introducing new regulations that will feature environmentally friendly cars with engines that have a near 50-50 split between electric and internal combustion power - and use fully sustainable fuels.

To further improve the flow of the calendar, Canada switches to an earlier date in May, followed by a run of nine European races, starting with Monaco in June and ending with the new Madrid Grand Prix in September.

"Formula 1 has always been synonymous with innovation and the desire to improve," added Domenicali.

"Once again, this mentality has allowed us to make important progress, not only for those who work in this world, but also for society as a whole.

"While continuing to grow globally, we have shown that sustainable development is possible and that the strategies we have adopted are yielding tangible results."

The report said any remaining unavoidable emissions in 2030 "will be offset using credible programmes in line with latest best practice guidance".

Carbon offset programs typically help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by supporting projects which reduce environmental harm, such as tree planting schemes.

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Piastri sets dominant pole for Belgian GP sprint race

McLaren's Oscar Piastri produced a breathtaking performance to set pole position for the sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The Australian, the world championship leader, was 0.477 seconds quicker than Red Bull's Max Verstappen and 0.618secs ahead of team-mate and title rival Lando Norris.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth, but 0.768secs off the pace, while his team-mate Lewis Hamilton was knocked out in the first session and will start 18th after a mistake on his first lap and a spin at the final corner on his second.

Esteban Ocon's Haas took a surprise fifth place, split from his British team-mate Oliver Bearman by Williams' Carlos Sainz.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar and Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top 10.

Piastri only just made it through to the final shootout for pole in 10th place after having his first lap in the second session ruled out for exceeding track limits at Raidillon.

But he had looked the quickest driver all day and he delivered on his potential with impressive effect.

Piastri said: "It was a good lap,. A little scare in Q2 with the lap deletion but the car has been mega all day. When the car's handling as well as it has been today, it's a real pleasure."

Norris said: "Not quick enough, I guess. It wasn't the cleanest of laps but still quite a big gap to the top. Not too disappointed. It's third, it's for the sprint, but some things to work on."

Belgian Grand Prix: Oscar Piastri sets dominant pole for sprint

McLaren's Oscar Piastri produces a breathtaking performance to set pole position for the sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix.

www.bbc.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Piastri wins rain-delayed Belgian GP after Norris overtake

Oscar Piastri passed McLaren team-mate Lando Norris on the first racing lap of a wet-dry Belgian Grand Prix to take his sixth victory of the year and extend his championship lead.

The Australian swept past Norris as the race started after an hour-and-a-half delay for heavy rain and two laps behind the safety car and controlled the race from there.

Norris' side of the McLaren team chose a divergent tyre strategy when the drivers pitted to switch to slick, dry-weather tyres as the track dried.

The hope was that Norris would be able to go to the end on the hard tyres chosen while Piastri, who stopped one lap earlier, would have to make a pit stop for a second set of his mediums.

But Piastri, despite expressing initial misgivings about whether his rubber would last, made it to the end without stopping again.

His impressive win, mixing keen racing instinct with calm tyre management, moves him 16 points clear in the championship heading to the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc hung on ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the tricky opening laps on a wet track despite using a lower-downforce set-up, and was able to consolidate the final podium place in the dry part of the race.

Verstappen took fourth in a largely static race and is now 81 points behind Piastri in the championship, his hopes all but over.

Mercedes' George Russell took fifth after passing Williams' Alex Albon in the wet early stages, while Lewis Hamilton drove an excellent race to take seventh from his pit lane start.

Belgian GP: Oscar Piastri wins after Lando Norris overtake

Oscar Piastri passes McLaren team-mate Lando Norris on the first racing lap of a wet-dry Belgian Grand Prix to take his sixth victory of the year and extend his championship lead.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Norris' openness used against him - Sainz

Hungarian Grand Prix

Venue: Hungaroring Dates: 1-3 August Race start: 14:00 BST on Sunday

McLaren driver Lando Norris' openness in admitting his frailties is "used against him", according to his former team-mate Carlos Sainz.

Sainz, who partnered Norris at McLaren from 2019-20 and has remained friends with the Briton, told BBC 5 live Sport: "He opens [up] to the media and to people more than any other driver on the grid - and people use that against him."

Sainz, who now drives for Williams, said: "What you see on TV is what he is as a human being. He's very good at showing himself.

"I sometimes find it a bit ironic and a bit frustrating. He is probably the only guy being 100% genuine on his feelings and the way he thinks but then people are going back at him."

Norris ended Friday practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix fastest by 0.291 seconds from team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Norris is 16 points behind the Australian before this race, which marks the end of the first part of the season before Formula 1's summer break.

Sainz said Norris being criticised for his openness was "a bit sad" because "probably the 19 other drivers have a similar level of doubt and a similar level of self-criticism inside their heads, they just don't explain it out loud because we prefer to keep it inside and not say it to the media".

Norris has admitted that he has made errors this season that have cost him points.

Earlier in the year, Norris was struggling with a lack of feel from the front axle of the car, which made it difficult for him to anticipate its behaviour when he was pushing to the limit.

McLaren have made a change to the front suspension to improve this aspect of the car for him, and Norris has been more comfortable since the Canadian Grand Prix in June.

Nevertheless, Norris made errors on his qualifying laps in Canada that left him sixth on the grid, and crashed into Piastri after a misjudgement during the race.

He then won in Austria, and inherited victory at the British Grand Prix when Piastri was penalised for his driving behind a safety car.

Norris then took pole in Belgium last weekend but was overtaken on the first lap by Piastri, who went on to win.

Asked about Norris' prospects of beating Piastri to the championship this year, Sainz said: "If I base my decision on speed and talent, I'm 100% sure he has that to win a World Championship.

"But F1 also involves a bit of luck, mental resilience, being at home with a car in the right times.

"It doesn't really matter if he doesn't win this year, he'll get another chance. He has 10-15 years in F1. He has the potential, talent and speed.

"If he gets it this year, great I'll be happy for him. If not, he might get his chance later."

What happened in practice?

Norris topped both sessions of Friday practice from Piastri at the Hungaroring, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc third each time.

Norris' advantage in the first session was 0.019secs and although the gap between the two was bigger in the later hour, neither driver had an ideal run. Norris had to abort his first flying lap after a mistake at Turn Two, while Piastri had heavy traffic on his fastest.

Norris then had a narrow escape at the final corner when he got his outside front wheel on the grass turning in, and ran wide into the run-off area.

Norris said: "The car since the first lap has felt pretty good. All my laps have been decent. The second session was a bit more messy, just a few more mistakes, but that's all part of practice and trying to find the limit in different areas.

"I know what I want from the car but it might be a bit harder trying to get it."

Piastri said: "The performance has been very good. Some things to tidy up. It wasn't the smoothest of P2s but excited for the rest of the weekend.

Behind Leclerc, the Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso were fourth and fifth, even though the Spaniard missed the first session to give himself more time to recover from a muscle problem in his back.

Lewis Hamilton was sixth fastest, 0.306secs slower than team-mate Leclerc and appearing to struggle with rear-end stability on the evidence of several oversteer snaps that sent him into the run-off area at the chicane.

Mercedes driver George Russell was seventh, ahead of Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar, Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was in 14th, and said: "Today was really tough, just a low-grip feeling and not really a balance in the car. It's difficult to say what is the exact problem, nothing really worked."

Verstappen had to see the stewards after the session because he threw a towel out of the car at one point during the session. The stewards issued a warning to Red Bull.

Verstappen said: "It was just a towel that you wipe your face with when you come back in. It was still in the car when I went out so instead of it maybe potentially getting in between my feet, which is the dangerous part, I drove off line and got rid of it in the safest way possible. I think the stewards understand that."

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Norris holds off late Piastri attack to win in Hungary

Lando Norris held off a late attack from McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to win the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Norris' controlled, defensive drive in an intense race, with the two title rivals on divergent strategies, reduces his deficit to Piastri in the championship to nine points heading into Formula 1's summer break.

Mercedes' George Russell took the final podium place, passing Charles Leclerc in the closing stages as the Ferrari faded from pole position.

Norris fought back after falling to fifth place on the opening lap by switching to a bold one-stop strategy.

That left Piastri having to come back at him on fresher tyres in the closing laps, and with five laps to go the Australian was on his team-mate's tail.

Piastri made two bold dives for the inside of Norris at Turn One, but was just too far back to make the move stick on a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

Fernando Alonso also chose a one-stop strategy and put in a masterful race to take his and Aston Martin's best result of the season with fifth place.

His protege Gabriel Bortoleto did the same in his Sauber to take sixth.

Lewis Hamilton, downcast after qualifying 12th in the Ferrari, finished in the same position after a difficult race starting on the hard tyre and trying to go long. The strategy left him in traffic and did not pay off.

Hungarian Grand Prix: Lando Norris holds off late Piastri attack

Lando Norris holds off a late attack from McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to win the Hungarian Grand Prix.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Norris and Piastri 'will not properly fall out'

McLaren Formula 1 boss Zak Brown says Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will "not properly fall out" as their title fight comes to a head.

Brown, McLaren Racing's chief executive officer, said he expects the pair to "swap paint again at some point" after Norris ran into the back of Piastri in Canada in June.

But he added: "I don't think they'll properly fall out because of the communication, trust and respect we all have, and they have for each other.

"We're very fortunate to have the two personalities that we have. We love the challenge. I'm looking forward to them racing each other."

Norris cut Piastri's lead to nine points with victory in last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, the last race before F1 heads into its summer break.

Piastri has won six races to Norris' five this season, and they have won 11 of the 14 races so far between them.

Racing resumes at the Dutch Grand Prix on 29-31 August and Brown says he expects their battle to remain fair.

"I've said to both of them individually, at windows of opportunity, has your team-mate ever done anything to annoy you? 'Never'. And that's what they both said," Brown added.

"So there's competitiveness brewing. We're not feeling any tension. As the championship builds I'm sure that tension will grow, but like Montreal - I'm glad we got it out of the way, because it was a non-event, Lando owned it, Oscar understood, it was a mistake."

Brown said that although he expects the two drivers to end up colliding again, he was "very confident it won't be deliberate".

He added: "I'm positive they're never going to run each other off the track, and that's where you get into bad blood."

And he said that McLaren would deal with any tension that evolves in the same way they have managed the relationship between the drivers so far.

"If something bubbles up, we'll deal with it," he said. "And how we operate, which is [in] an open, transparent, deal with it right away [manner].

"It seems like from the outside looking in, when you've seen battles between other team-mates, you've kind of seen it brewing, and you kind of go like 'have they jumped on that, or are they just kind of letting it build up?'

"We'll take the air out of the balloon right away, if we feel like anything's bubbling up, but we've not seen any of it."

Brown said it was vital for McLaren for the two to remain on good terms because they both have long-term contracts.

"They're going to be racing against each other for a long time in the same team," he said, "so it's important that relationship continues to grow, because the relationship's not just about this year, but it bleeds into next year, and they're going to be together for a long time".

'They both can smell the championship'

Brown believes Red Bull's Max Verstappen is still in with an outside chance of the title, even though the Dutchman is 97 points behind Piastri.

But he said that if it comes to a point where the championship is clearly between just the two McLaren drivers, he and team principal Andrea Stella plan to discuss with Norris and Piastri how to handle the inevitable situation where one wins the title and the other loses it.

Brown said: "They both can smell the championship, and only one can win it, so I'm sure it'll be hard on the one that doesn't win the championship, assuming the other one does.

"We'll just sit down and actually have a conversation, and go: 'Right, one of you is going to win, and it's going to be the best day of your life, one of you is going to lose, and you're going to be [devastated], how do you want us to handle that, how do you want us to act?

"We'll be very considerate about that approach, because that's the way we think, it comes back to thinking about our people."

Brown rejected as "not accurate" what he called "the narrative" around Norris that he was mentally more fragile than Piastri.

"Lando's open, he kind of wears his emotions on his sleeve, so to speak," Brown said. "Everyone's different, but he's in a great place. I've never seen him in a better place. He's doing an awesome job."

He compared the current commentary about Norris to a previous one, in which some observers claimed he was not capable of winning from pole position - after a handful of victories slipped away last year.

Brown said: "The, he can't win from pole stat, now that he's won four, or five races, from pole, no-one seems to be talking about that."

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Alonso rules out challenging McLarens in Zandvoort

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso ruled out any prospect of competing with the McLarens for a front-row starting position at the Dutch Grand Prix despite splitting Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Friday practice.

Alonso was just 0.087 seconds slower than Norris after the Briton topped both sessions at Zandvoort.

But the two-time champion laughed when it was suggested he might fight with the McLarens in qualifying on Saturday.

Dutch Grand Prix: Lando Norris fastest in Friday practice from Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso rules out competing with the McLarens for a front-row starting position at the Dutch Grand Prix despite a strong Friday practice.

www.bbc.com

 

[Ball Blazer]

Piastri pips title rival Norris to Dutch GP pole​

Dutch Grand Prix

Venue: Zandvoort Dates: 29-31 August Race start: 14:00 BST on Sunday

Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app
Oscar Piastri pipped McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to pole position at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Piastri turned the tables on Norris, who had appeared the quicker McLaren driver all weekend, by 0.012 seconds as their title battle continues to be intensely close.

The Australian leads Norris by nine points in the championship with 10 races remaining.

Both times were set on their first laps in final qualifying at Zandvoort. Norris was actually quicker than Piastri by 0.004secs on their final runs, but neither driver improved on their initial attempt.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen took third, 0.263secs slower than Piastri, while Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar put in the best performance so far of his impressive rookie season to qualify fourth.

Mercedes' George Russell took fifth, ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc had trailed Hamilton pretty much all weekend but beat the seven-time champion by 0.05secs when it mattered.

Piastri said: "That's the definition of peaking at the right time. There have just been a couple of corners where I have not been able to go faster, I still didn't do that but I found some time in other places."

Norris said: "It's close. It's been close the whole weekend so easily could go one way or the other. A little bit disappointing to not be on pole but not the end of the world either."

Behind the Ferraris, Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson took eighth, ahead of the Williams of Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.

The promise Alonso showed in practice on Friday, when he split the McLarens, faded, as it was always likely to. But he would have been seventh ahead of Hamilton had he managed to repeat the fastest lap he managed in the second session.

The Spaniard's team-mate Lance Stroll crashed on his very first lap of qualifying after putting his right-hand wheels on to the grass approaching the final corner and starts last.

Dutch Grand Prix: Oscar Piastri beats Lando Norris to pole position at Zandvoort

Oscar Piastri beats McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to pole position at the Dutch Grand Prix by 0.012 seconds.

www.bbc.com

 

[Obaidd]

Casual f1 follower here.

How come Norris and Piastri became so good suddenly? I mean of course it’s the car, but any f1 expert here plz share your thoughts.

 

[Ball Blazer]

Norris retires as Piastri wins chaotic Dutch GP​

Lando Norris retired from second place with an apparent engine failure as McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri took a controlled victory in an incident-strewn Dutch Grand Prix.

Norris was on course for a comfortable second place after Piastri had dominated the race only for his car to stop in a cloud of smoke with seven laps to go.

The dramatic turn of events at the end of a chaotic race featuring three safety cars and multiple crashes and incidents could be decisive in the private title fight between Piastri and Norris.

The Australian's seventh victory in 13 races this season, in which Piastri has been the model of coolness and consistency, extends his championship lead to 34 points.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen inherited second place, and Norris' retirement elevated Frenchman Isack Hadjar to an outstanding first career podium finish.

The key stories from a race full of drama were:

- A potentially decisive turning point in the title race

- A terrible race for Ferrari saw both drivers crash out at Turn Three

- A series of controversial incidents and penalty decisions

A huge blow for Norris

Norris sat on the dunes beside the seaside Zandvoort circuit, helmet on, with his head in his hands after climbing out of his stricken McLaren, as he digested the ramifications of his retirement.

The Briton had been poised for second place behind Piastri, who had controlled the race consummately from pole position throughout a series of incidents, including briefly threatening rain.

That in itself would have been a blow to Norris, who had arrived in the Netherlands after winning three of the past four races.

But his second retirement of the year - following Norris crashing out of the Canadian Grand Prix in June after hitting the back of his team-mate's car - has dealt a body blow to his hopes.

A 34-point lead is well over one clear victory, and it will be hard work for Norris to claw back that lead on a man who has led the championship since the fifth race of the season in Saudi Arabia and is the model of solidity.

Ferrari have struggled for competitiveness all weekend and Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were running fifth and seventh in the first part of the race, Leclerc trying in vain to challenge Hadjar and Hamilton pressuring his former Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

Light rain began to fall after about 20 laps and on lap 23 Hamilton got off line through the banked Hugenholtzbocht hairpin.

A snap of oversteer sent him even higher than the normal high line there, and he could not avoid the end of the barrier on the exit of the corner. He clipped it and crashed into the wall.

That brought out the first safety car, and Leclerc was involved in the second, although he was not at fault.

Leclerc had been running ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, and when the Italian pitted for fresh soft tyres on lap 51, Ferrari responded on the following lap.

As Leclerc rejoined, Antonelli was right behind him and the Mercedes dived for the inside of Hugenholtz.

The move was not really on, and Antonelli's front right tyre tagged Leclerc's right rear, pitching the Ferrari into a crash.

Antonelli was penalised 10 seconds for the incident, and received another penalty for speeding in the pit lane, dropping him to 16th in the classification.

What's next?

Next weekend brings us the Italian Grand Prix, which is the final European race of the season. It might have been a relatively poor year for Ferrari so far but the tifosi are sure to be fully behind the Scuderia as Lewis Hamilton competes in red at Monza for the first time.

Dutch Grand Prix result: Oscar Piastri wins as Lando Norris retires at Zandvoort

Lando Norris retires with an apparent engine failure as McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri takes a controlled victory in the Dutch Grand Prix.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

IndyCar's Herta appointed Cadillac test driver

Indycar driver Colton Herta has joined the new Cadillac team as test driver in 2026 in an attempt to earn a route into Formula 1.

The 25-year-old American has failed to secure enough points in IndyCar under the system of F1's governing body the FIA to qualify for a licence to race in grands prix, despite winning nine races since 2019.

Herta has now abandoned his role with the Andretti IndyCar team to race in Formula 2 next season.

He and Cadillac F1 chief executive officer Dan Towriss confirmed the move on the Off Track podcast after the announcement that he was joining Cadillac.

Dan Towriss, also CEO of Andretti, said Herta was taking "a big risk".

Cadillac have signed Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as race drivers for their debut F1 season and the multiple race winners have at least two-year contracts.

Towriss said: "I'm confident Colton will get his shot, but he's got to earn it, right? He's taking that risk.

"He's not entitled to the seat. He's not guaranteed the seat from that standpoint, he's going over to prove that he belongs in Formula 1.

"What I applaud most about him is his willingness to be uncomfortable. When you come to a fork in the road, the most comfortable thing he could have done was say, 'I'm well paid, I'm going to stay in IndyCar and go try to achieve this next thing', but he chose the unconventional path.

"He's going to be going into F2. He's got to learn tracks. He's got to learn tyres. Tyres are a big part of that, very different from IndyCar from that standpoint, and so I just couldn't be more proud of Colton to be willing to take that risk, to pursue his dream."

Herta said: "The easy thing would be to stay in IndyCar, that would be simple for me. But for me, it's a dream of mine. I want to fight for my dream, and that is to try to make it to Formula 1. And this is my opportunity.

"It's a risk. So I thought this is my last shot at it. I want to do it. I want to take that chance. And so for me, it's really just about fighting for my dream."

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Monza F1 outing a chance to show what I can do - Dunne

As Alex Dunne drove out of the garage and into the pitlane on a Formula 1 weekend for the first time, Lewis Hamilton was just ahead of him in a Ferrari.

The 19-year-old Irishman doesn't idolise any of the current grid - he is their peer, after all - but admitted it was a "pretty cool" moment to be following the seven-time champion onto the circuit.

It was something he had dreamt about for a long time, and he caught the attention of the F1 paddock at June's Austrian Grand Prix by posting the fourth-fastest time in the practice opening session - just 0.069 seconds off McLaren team-mate and championship leader Oscar Piastri.

It led him to say it was "the best day of my life". Who could blame him?

"It was a very special day for me. Even driving out of the pitlane and seeing the Irish flags waving," Dunne told BBC Sport NI.

"Regardless of the end result, being on track and taking part in a F1 session with the best drivers in the world was super cool.

"It went pretty well too, which was special."

Now he will get to do it again at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza - one of the most historic circuits on the Formula 1 calendar.

It is another opportunity to show the F1 paddock what he is capable of when he steps in for Piastri in opening practice.

"I set the bar pretty high for the first one in Austria so if I don't do better than I did there I'll be a little bit disappointed," McLaren development driver Dunne added.

"I feel very comfortable in the F1 car and in the sim (simulator) it's always been strong. Every time I'm driving I'm getting better and better, which is always a nice place to be in.

"I'll have the attitude that a FP1 session is an opportunity to show what you can do, but it's not the session to try and be a hero.

"There's no point doing something extra special and making yourself look worse because you've made a mistake.

"It's important to do all the things you understand and learnt correctly, and the rest of it will put itself together."

F2 still the focus

Despite his Formula 1 outings, and the added attention that has come his way since Austria, Dunne knows his main focus lies in Formula 2.

The Rodin Motorsport driver is in contention for the title and is 30 points behind leader Leonardo Fornaroli with four rounds renaming - starting at Monza where he will dovetail his McLaren outing with his F2 commitments.

"I've always said my main focus is F2 and to do a good job," added Dunne.

"With how things are at the moment, the best opportunity I can give myself of being in F1 is by winning F2.

"At the same time, every time I jump into a F1 car it's almost like an audition and it's important to do well in that to show I am capable of being in F1, but also show I am capable of focusing on the right things in F2 as well."

A margin larger than the 25 points on offer for a feature race win may seem like a big difference to make up, but Dunne would have been leading the championship if it wasn't for two big penalties outside of his control.

In Austria, he was disqualified from second place for excessive plank wear on his Rodin car, and his lost a dominant win in the wet in Belgium for a start procedure infringement that had no actual bearing on the race.

If both results had stood then Dunne would vault from fifth to first in the standings, but he says "there's no point getting too upset" over things that happened in the past that he can't change.

"As long as we make sure every weekend now is perfect from start to finish then I don't see why we can't gain those points back," said Dunne, who has won the feature races in Bahrain and Imola.

"I don't think it's a bad place to be because the things that have stopped us getting those points aren't related to pace and performance, and they are the things that are easiest to fix."

With eight races across four rounds remaining, Dunne believes he can still make up the deficit to Fornaroli, who won the Formula 3 title last year.

"It's realistic, yes, but also difficult. Fornaroli is leading at the moment and he knows how to win a championship.

"To catch him I'm going to have to perform very well over the last four rounds. I think it is possible. When everything is correct I think myself and the team are the fastest.

"We need to make sure that everything we have learnt up until now, and the stuff we know we've done well, we need to maximise that every weekend."

Swarmed by Irish support

By becoming the first driver from Ireland to participate on a Formula 1 weekend in 22 years, Dunne has established himself as one of the rising stars of Irish sport, and with that has come a growing fan base.

He said he first noticed it after his feature race win in Bahrain, when an Irish flag with 'Alex' was displayed across from the podium in the grandstand, and it has only been enhanced since Austria.

If he wasn't aware of the support back home, he did after visiting the Mondello Historic Festival in August.

Compared to a year ago at the annual event at Ireland's premier circuit when he was racing in Formula 3, when he would walk about the paddock "almost like a normal person", Dunne was the star attraction this time around and swarmed by attention.

"That weekend was pretty crazy," said Dunne with a grin.

"In comparison to last year, a couple of people who knew me might have asked for a picture but I was able to walk around the paddock like I was part of the group.

"This year, as soon as the big interview on stage finished I just got surrounded by everyone, but it's cool to see.

"Seeing little kids there makes it nice. When you see you are inspiring that younger generation to try and do the same thing that you've done, for me that's the nicest thing."

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Norris fastest from Leclerc in Monza practice

Lando Norris topped Friday practice at the Italian Grand Prix at the start of a weekend in which he needs to make inroads into team-mate Oscar Piastri's championship lead.

Norris dropped to 34 points behind the Australian with nine races remaining following a retirement in last weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, the first race after Formula 1's summer break.

Norris was 0.083 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in second place, ahead of Williams' Carlos Sainz, Piastri, the second Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's Red Bull.

Hamilton has a five-place grid penalty for the grand prix after an infringement on the reconnaissance laps before the Dutch event.

Piastri missed the first practice session as McLaren protege Alex Dunne was driving his car, and set his fastest time on his second lap on the soft tyres after a problem on his first attempt.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=uae%20v%20afghanistan%20live

 

[Cricket Warrior]

FIA boss abandons plan to change F1 engines for 2029

An attempt by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to change Formula 1's engine rules for 2029 has foundered on opposition from manufacturers.

Ben Sulayem had been pushing for a switch to 2.4-litre V8 naturally aspirated engines with a small amount of hybrid assistance.

This was despite an earlier push for V10s being rejected in April, and the fact that F1 is introducing all-new engine rules next year which are slated to run until the end of 2030.

A meeting had been scheduled for Thursday next week to discuss the plan.

But a number of senior sources within F1 have told BBC Sport Ben Sulayem cancelled the meeting on Friday because it had become clear it would be impossible to reach consensus with the engine manufacturers to introduce the change for 2029.

F1's governance agreements require a majority agreement from manufacturers to change the engine rules.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem abandons attempt to change F1's engine rules for 2029

An attempt by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to change Formula 1's engine rules for 2029 founders on opposition from manufacturers.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Frenchman Gasly extends Alpine stay until 2028

Pierre Gasly has signed a contract extension with Alpine to the end of the 2028 Formula 1 season.

The 29-year-old Frenchman, winner of one grand prix, joined the Renault-owned team for the 2023 season, and has scored two podiums for them.

The move signals faith in Gasly from executive director Flavio Briatore, who was not at the team when the driver initially joined.

Briatore said: "Since I returned to the team, I have always stated how important it is to build and grow the competitiveness of the Alpine F1 team.

"We're well prepared for the new era of F1, beginning in 2026, and now we have our lead driver confirmed to bring us well into the future.

"Pierre has been an immense asset for the team during this challenging period. I have been very impressed with his attitude, dedication and talent and we look forward to continuing this project together for a long time."

Gasly said: "I'm thrilled to commit my long-term future to Alpine. As a Frenchman, especially, driving for a French car company, makes me feel very proud. Since I joined in 2023, I have always felt that this team is the right place to be for the future."

Gasly joined Alpine from Red Bull's second team, then called AlphaTauri, for who he won the Italian Grand Prix in 2020.

Alpine have not made a decision on their second driver for 2026 as yet.

The seat alongside Gasly has been occupied by Argentine Franco Colapinto since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May.

He replaced Australian Jack Doohan, who was stood down and returned to a reserve driver role after competing in the first six races of the season.

Alpine had been hoping for another proven driver to fill the seat alongside Gasly, but their options have narrowed considerably since Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez signed for the new Cadillac team.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Max Verstappen pips Norris for Italian Grand Prix pole with fastest F1 lap

The beaming grin on Max Verstappen’s face showed what claiming pole position for the Italian Grand Prix meant to him and his Red Bull team. As records fell in a blur of speed at Monza, the world champion was perhaps the most unlikely victor after an impossibly tight contest.

The transformation since the 2024 Italian GP could not have been more stark. Over a tumultuous 12 months Verstappen has clung on to seal his fourth title last season, seen long-term Red Bull team principal Christian Horner be sacked and the team comprehensively out-paced by McLaren. Here, they at last found a sweet spot that has been sorely lacking.

In beating the two McLaren title contenders, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, into second and third, Verstappen was immense. Both conceded they had been fairly bested at a track where last season an angry Verstappen described his car as an “undriveable monster” as he qualified seventh and finished sixth.

The Red Bull has not traditionally been strong on the high-speed challenge of Monza where around 70% of the 3.6-mile circuit is taken at full throttle. Yet on Saturday in the Lombardi sunshine it was barrelling around the track with abandon in Verstappen’s hands.

His final lap, with a time of 1 minute 18.792 seconds, was the fastest in F1 history, averaging more than 164.46mph and breaking Lewis Hamilton’s record set here in 2020.

“I think that final lap was pretty decent and to get pole here for us is big,” he said. “It’s not always been a good track for us, especially last year was quite a bit of a disaster, so this year much better and very happy to be first.”

It was a day when the form book was being largely ignored as Ferrari, at their home race, also found another gear. Hamilton, on his debut for the Scuderia at Monza was greeted with an immense roar that echoed across the Parco di Monza as he emerged onto the track when the session opened and by its close he and teammate Charles Leclerc were in the mix at least, claiming fourth and fifth, although Hamilton will start in 10th, having incurred a five-place grid penalty at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Fourth and fifth is not where Ferrari want to be but the fact that Hamilton and Leclerc were within two-tenths of the front will be taken as a positive result.

Hamilton had also been enjoying the experience of his first Italian GP as a Ferrari driver. “So far, it has been incredible, amazing. I don’t know what other word I can find for it,” he said. “The Tifosi are everywhere, they are hiding behind trees. There are so many of them. As you leave the track they are on both sides as far as you can go and it is incredible to see the love that people have for this team. There is nothing like it.”

The margins were tiny and the top spot was briefly in the hands of each of the frontrunners, only for Verstappen to come through at the last to clinch pole, a remarkable effort in a car that is not ordinarily able to compete with the dominant McLarens.

It is a huge fillip for Verstappen as his fifth pole of the year will go a little way to provide optimism as the team adapts after the dismissal of Horner and his replacement by Laurent Mekies. The pole was Mekies’ first as Red Bull team principal since he took over after the British Grand Prix and since which Verstappen has put an end to speculation surrounding his future by confirming he would definitely be driving for them next year, even if he did not go as far as saying he would stick out his contract to 2028.

Certainly the matter is closed for the moment at least, as he looks to focus on pulling off something of a coup against McLaren on Sunday. It will remain no little task to keep them behind him but the pace is potentially there to do so.

For Norris, however, the fight is surely with his teammate more than the Dutchman. He did at least put himself ahead of Piastri, a vital moment for his title hopes given he trails the Australian by 34 points in the championship, after having to retire at the last round in Zandvoort.

Their battle endured its own moment of high drama when Norris had a real scare in Q2. He was too eager in to turn one and had to abort his first hot lap. He went out again and without a time, had to stay out and complete a sequence of one hot lap and two cool down laps before crossing the line at the very last to start a final quick run, which proved just enough to see him safely through to Q3. Starting 11th would have been another hammer blow to his title chances but the British driver held his nerve and the fight, likely a humdinger, goes on to Sunday.

Max Verstappen pips Norris for Italian Grand Prix pole with fastest F1 lap

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will start the Italian Grand Prix from pole position ahead of the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

www.theguardian.com

 

[Ball Blazer]

Verstappen charges to Italian GP win over Norris and Piastri​

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory during Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, leading home McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after a dramatic start and end to proceedings at Monza.

Verstappen and Norris went wheel-to-wheel almost immediately when the lights went out, getting close to each other down the start/finish straight before the Dutchman skipped the first chicane to keep the lead.


While Verstappen gave up the position to Norris at the start of the second lap to avoid a potential penalty, he was soon back on his rival’s tail and took only a couple more tours to reclaim P1 and surge clear.

From there, Verstappen appeared to have everything under control, managing the gap back to both McLarens across their opening stints, pitting earlier than Norris and Piastri to strengthen that advantage and then cruising to the chequered flag.

While Verstappen’s run to the finish was relatively serene, amid repeated messages from the Red Bull pit wall to avoid any unnecessary risks, drama developed at McLaren when a slow pit stop for Norris allowed team mate Piastri through for second.

Given the unusual circumstances, McLaren asked Piastri to move aside for Norris, after which they would be free to race. It was an instruction the championship leader initially questioned, but ultimately obeyed, thanks to a well-orchestrated swap.

Piastri settled for third, meaning his points margin over Norris came down from 34 to 31, with Charles Leclerc a few seconds further back in the lead Ferrari – the Tifosi’s dreams of a home win, or even a podium, not materialising this year.

George Russell delivered another strong drive aboard his Mercedes to finish where he started in fifth, while Lewis Hamilton recovered from his five-place grid penalty to cross the line sixth and at least give the Scuderia a solid double points finish.

After a tough Qualifying session, Alex Albon earned Williams some important points in the midfield fight with a fine recovery to seventh, followed by Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and the other Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, who served a five-second time penalty for driving erratically.

Isack Hadjar was another Sunday star as he turned his pit lane start into 10th, leading home Carlos Sainz’s Williams and Ollie Bearman’s Haas (who banged wheels at the Roggia chicane late on), the second Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda and Racing Bulls team mate Liam Lawson.

Esteban Ocon was another penalised driver – after he was deemed to have forced Lance Stroll wide early in the race – en route to 15th position, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto taking 16th and 17th respectively on a quiet afternoon for Alpine.

Aston Martin at one point had both cars in the points-paying positions, but their afternoon turned sour with a late slump for Stroll and an apparent suspension failure for Fernando Alonso, while Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg failed to start due to a hydraulics problem.

Verstappen charges to Italian GP win over Norris and Piastri

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory during Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, leading home McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after a dramatic start and end to proceedings at Monza.

www.formula1.com