How can Verstappen win F1 Saudi GP, and how will Norris move up?
Jeddah’s fast and furious street race is shaping up to be an enthralling contest, thanks to several cars which are starting out of position. At the front there is Red Bull’s pole sitter Max Verstappen, who will be desperately fighting off the faster McLaren of Oscar Piastri. Then there is Lando Norris — starting 10th […]
Norris struggling to drive MCL39 at the limit after Jeddah F1 quali crash
McLaren boss Andrea Stella believes Lando Norris is still not able to drive instinctively in the 2025 Formula 1 season, having crashed in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The McLaren driver hit the barrier on his first Q3 flyer, losing control of his MCL39 as he drifted across the unsettling Turn 5 kerbs […]
Why Piastri wouldn’t have gained from using Verstappen’s two-lap quali strategy
Close, but no cigar. This might not have been the actual phrase going through Oscar Piastri’s head, and that of his race engineer Tom Stallard, after Piastri’s first Q3 lap, but the sentiments will have been the same. That lap – 1m27.560s – was actually fractionally slower than his final Q2 lap (1m27.545s) and therefore […]
Why Verstappen thinks McLaren will be tough to catch amid impact of a key Woking signing
Max Verstappen feels it is unrealistic for Red Bull to catch McLaren over the 2025 Formula 1 campaign as it pins hopes on small, gradual upgrades to cure handling issues. Red Bull’s balance problems were brutally exposed at last weekend’s hot and demanding Bahrain Grand Prix, with Verstappen only passing Pierre Gasly’s Alpine on the final […]
Tsunoda apologises to Red Bull having admitted fault for FP2 crash at Saudi Arabian GP
Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda revealed his own mistake led to the crash that curtailed second practice for the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix — admitting he ‘turned too much’ in the final corner. Tsunoda tagged the wall at the final hairpin coming onto the main straight with under nine minutes left, which appeared to […]
Red Bull «better», but not «where I want it to be» after Jeddah F1 practice
Max Verstappen says Red Bull has found a «better» feeling on one-lap pace in practice for the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix — but notes overall performance on the long runs is still «not where I want it to be». The four-time world champion came third in FP2 after finishing only ninth in FP1, […]
Can Verstappen still rely on Red Bull to turn its F1 fortunes around?
Just like last year’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza, the Bahrain Formula 1 race weekend turned out to be a low point for Red Bull. Max Verstappen spent large parts of the race battling with Alpine and Haas, although he managed to limit the damage by finishing sixth. That Monza misery served as a wake-up […]
Hamilton unmoved by spotlight focus during Ferrari adaptation
Lewis Hamilton enjoys the spotlight and generally makes the most of it. He amply demonstrated his understanding of the enduring power of the image in his exquisitely curated first week at Maranello, down to his crimson-soled Christian Louboutin shoes. But the combination of Formula 1’s most successful driver and its most historically evocative team has […]
Verstappen responds to Red Bull exit fears
Max Verstappen has responded to fears that he would leave the team, outlaid by the team’s adviser Helmut Marko, who shared his concern that the four-time Formula 1 world champion may depart if Red Bull does not improve. The Milton Keynes-based squad’s RB21 has been characterised as a car that is difficult to drive with […]