Red Bull «can’t rely three times on mistakes» from McLaren in F1 Abu Dhabi GP
After the first practice session in Abu Dhabi, championship leader Lando Norris was just 0.008s faster than Max Verstappen – but that gap grew to 0.363s in the second session. That is concerning for Red Bull on two fronts: firstly that set-up changes between the sessions failed to have the desired effect, and also that […]
What are McLaren’s papaya rules ahead of the F1 title decider?
As McLaren goes into Formula 1’s 2025 title decider with both drivers in contention for the world championship against Max Verstappen, two words come up again and again: papaya rules. The phrase was coined by team principal Andrea Stella – “Andreas like to come up with different names for different things,” Lando Norris explained – […]
Six moments that may cost Norris the 2025 F1 title
This weekend in Abu Dhabi, Lando Norris has a chance to win his maiden Formula 1 world title. A second chance, actually, after his first match point in Qatar went awry as McLaren picked the wrong strategy. The team may have overwhelmingly dominated the constructors’ championship, with 800 points to current runner-up Mercedes’ 459, but […]
What McLaren can learn from Michael Schumacher after F1 Qatar GP blunder
Hindsight unfailingly affords total clarity – and its optics look bad for McLaren after a Qatar Grand Prix about which the best thing which could be said of the outcome is that it was less catastrophic than the Las Vegas round which preceded it. Team boss Andrea Stella has promised a thorough review of the […]
Passing Russell at Turn 1 only Qatar GP sprint opportunity
Formula 1 championship leader Lando Norris believes a move on George Russell into the first corner is his sole opportunity to upgrade from third on the grid in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race, as overtaking is expected to be difficult. While the Losail circuit is a favourite among the drivers due to its myriad […]
Why there should be a zero-tolerance approach for breaking F1’s technical rules
On the face of it, the suggestion seems highly plausible. The McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were excluded from the results of the Las Vegas Grand Prix because the wear on some of their underfloor skid plates was fractionally beyond the permitted tolerance. Team boss Andrea Stella’s contention is that in this case, the […]
Piastri should tell McLaren to «F off» if asked to support Norris in F1 title battle
Max Verstappen reckons Oscar Piastri should have told McLaren to “F off” had he been asked to support team-mate Lando Norris in his bid to become Formula 1 world champion. The 2025 season has featured a year-long title battle between the McLaren pair, in which for most of it Piastri held the upper hand, until […]
Why there’s no reason to panic for Norris and McLaren after Las Vegas F1 blow
McLaren’s double disqualification at Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix has opened the door ajar for Max Verstappen in the 2025 title fight. In Qatar, Lando Norris can slam it shut again. After a long stewards’ hearing on Saturday night, McLaren was finally excluded from the Las Vegas Grand Prix for excessive plank wear. It […]
Should McLaren back Norris now in F1 title fight? Our writers have their say
McLaren suffered a blow at the Las Vegas Grand Prix with its double disqualification, as Max Verstappen closed to 24 points off Formula 1 world championship leader Lando Norris and drew level with Oscar Piastri. Verstappen’s win, coupled with no points for the McLaren pair due to being disqualified for excessive plank wear, has cranked extra […]