Lewis Hamilton Denies Mugello Test, Confirms Ferrari Upgrades For Spa
Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that Ferrari did not test the SF-25's new rear suspension at Mugello last week during the filming day track outing. However, he was happy that Ferrari introduced the new suspension for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix and highlighted the challenges that lie ahead due to the sprint race weekend.
Reports of Ferrari testing its new rear suspension during the filming day session went viral. The new component is being brought in to address the ride height problems and consequently enhance performance. However, Hamilton clarified that the new suspension is yet to be tested. Speaking to the media at Spa-Francorchamps, he said:
"No, we didn't test. It was a photo shoot day basically, so did like 10 laps or whatever was 14 laps of filming, which is not a test."
Asked how the car felt in those 10 laps, he said:
"The same as before. So the same as I did the week before."
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari looks on in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 24, 2025 in Spa,...
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari looks on in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 24, 2025 in Spa, Belgium. MoreGiven the introduction of a new floor in Austria, and now the rear suspension, the seven-time world champion was asked if he expected to notice a performance improvement. He said:
"No. I think well firstly we'll get to test the suspension tomorrow and I'm sure there's gonna be learnings from it, we'll kind of figure out how to fine-tune it and to try to extract performance from it. On the simulator, there's no difference, but I'm sure across different circuits, perhaps, there'll be benefits.
"So I think for me the positive thing is arriving at the filming day, where you see that new bits are coming, you see that we are getting development because in general...We had an upgraded floor in Bahrain, then it was quite some time before we got another upgrade, I think it was Austria, and so...Pace-wise wasn't necessarily to what I would have thought we would have.
"If you look at some of the other teams, they bring them small pieces every single weekend, like Red Bull often do or Mercedes do, for example. Ours are more like big chunks along the way. So, I think I was just really happy to see that there clearly is a big push back at the factory.
"There are a lot of changes and then to see the results of those changes takes time. So, I was just really grateful to see that we've got new parts. We'll try and put them to use this weekend."
However, considering that teams will only have a single practice session tomorrow before qualifying for the sprint race, Hamilton was asked how challenging it was to optimize the car in such a short window, especially with rain on the horizon. He said:
"Very, very difficult. We don't have a lot of time, so you need to double up, you need to make sure you get as much information from both cars. You need to do the whole session.
"If it's wet, then that really halves your learning, and so in terms of fine-tuning the car, it's highly unlikely we're gonna fully optimize it during this weekend. It'll probably be something that we're optimizing over the next few weekends."
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New York Times
a minute ago
- New York Times
How Oscar Piastri's fearlessness won him the Belgian GP: ‘As brave as I dared'
SPA, Belgium — From second on the grid for the Belgian Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri knew he'd likely get one real shot at winning the race. A stunning lap for pole in sprint qualifying on Friday, arguably one of the best by anyone so far this season, had actually left Piastri exposed. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was able to use the long run exiting La Source, up Eau Rouge and Raidillon and along the Kemmel Straight to blast past Piastri, taking a lead he would never relinquish. Strangely, it had been better to start second than first. Advertisement Come Sunday's race, though, it was Piastri who had that 'advantage,' lining up behind teammate Lando Norris after losing out on Saturday afternoon. He'd get the same opportunity Verstappen did, albeit in damp conditions after a rain shower delayed the start by over an hour. That didn't deter Piastri from pulling off a brave, brilliant move to overtake Norris just as they left the crest of Raidillon, ducking out of his teammate's rooster tails and sweeping into the lead. Like Verstappen did one day earlier, Piastri didn't look back, going on to win the race. 'I knew it was going to be crucial,' Piastri said of the move in the post-race news conference. 'I had a good run out of Turn 1 and then tried to be as brave as I dared through Eau Rouge and was able to stay pretty close. 'After that, the slipstream did the rest for me. I knew that was going to be important to win the race today.' After back-to-back defeats to Norris at Spielberg and Silverstone, it was a big weekend for Piastri to break his title rival's momentum and stretch his points lead in the drivers' standings once again — it is now at 16 points. The move through Eau Rouge and Raidillon was a crucial showing that, for all the calm that he shows externally and is arguably his greatest strength, there is a killer instinct that lies beneath; an ability to seize such a moment when it really mattered. The suggestion from McLaren post-race was that Norris was compromised somewhat, admitting that he'd not had the cleanest exit out of Turn 1. Soon after being overtaken, Norris complained on the radio that he was struggling with his battery pack — an important boost with these hybrid power units — only to be informed that a lot of it had been used up on the restart. Andrea Stella, McLaren's team principal, told reporters after the race there was a 'slight anomaly' with the battery, but that it happened to both cars. 'Nothing that should have penalized Lando in particular compared to Oscar,' Stella said. 'We're still checking the data, but this is the initial feedback I received. Advertisement 'I think the overtake ultimately came because it's very difficult for the car that leads the pack to arrive first at corner five. It's not impossible, but it does require you to have a decent advantage as you cross the finish line, which was not the case for Lando at the restart.' Norris's case wasn't helped by a slightly scruffy exit from the Bus Stop chicane as the race returned to green after four laps behind the safety car, allowing Piastri to make a small gain. He then struggled with wheelspin exiting La Source — as the lead car, he was the first to encounter the damp conditions — while Piastri was able to firmly get on the throttle, setting up the chance to go for a move. Piastri knew he couldn't get too close to the rear of Norris's car as they went down the hill toward Eau Rouge and the start of the incline, necessitating a small lift on the throttle. But then it became about negotiating the left, uphill right and kink back left over the top of the hill without losing any of that momentum. A post shared by FORMULA 1® (@f1) 'The move through Eau Rouge, I knew it was going to be by far my best opportunity to try and win the race,' Piastri said, wryly smiling after The Athletic asked when he'd started plotting it. 'I'd been thinking about it for a while, put it that way. Obviously, in those conditions, it's a little bit more difficult than if it's dry. I knew that I had to try and do that.' The wet track meant any thought of taking Eau Rouge and Raidillon flat, as they would with ease in the dry, had to be put aside. It was a question of how little both drivers would be willing to lift, and what momentum they could carry. The data points to Norris actually backing off less than Piastri did through Eau Rouge, carrying a bit more speed and drifting more toward the left as a result. But as they crested Raidillon, Norris had to ease off the throttle slightly, dropping to 88 percent application; Piastri stayed flat out, helping him close up a little more. That gain, combined with the slipstream afforded to Piastri by sitting right behind his teammate's gearbox, was crucial to Piastri making the move and winning the race. As they emerged from Raidillon, Piastri was around 3-5 km/h faster than Norris, setting him up to easily sweep past. The majority of moves along the Kemmel Straight are carried out much closer to the braking zone at Les Combes. In this case, Piastri had to very quickly duck out from behind Norris to avoid touching him. He even had time to cover the inside, having been as much as 13 km/h faster on the straight. Advertisement An impressive move to the watch, and one that took real commitment in the cockpit. 'When I watched the onboard back, it didn't look quite as scary as it felt in the car,' Piastri said, having called the move 'lively' in the parc ferme interview carried out right after the checkered flag. 'I knew that I had to be very committed to pull that off.' Much as Piastri knew that would likely be his best chance to get Norris, Norris was well aware he'd be exposed leading the pack. 'Oscar came past me pretty easily,' he said. 'So even if I had a better Turn 1, his run and the slipstream probably still would have got me.' Even with 39 laps still to run, it was a move that decided the race. Piastri was able to pull out a small buffer to Norris as the track dried. By leading on the track, he had priority when it came to pitting for slick tires, coming in on Lap 12. McLaren did give Norris the option to pit on the same lap as Piastri, according to Stella, but Norris decided to stay out and avoid losing time behind his teammate in the pit lane. 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Advertisement This was a victory that summed up why Piastri is such a mighty contender going for his first F1 world title. He managed the race perfectly on the mediums, but to put himself in the lead in the first place, it required a big slice of bravery in a handful of decisive seconds. 'There is very, very little between our two drivers, and this is because the two drivers are racing at a very, very high level,' said Stella. 'We are lucky at McLaren to have two drivers that, deservedly, are fighting for the world championship. 'I think the difference will be made by the accuracy, the precision, the quality of the execution. We saw in Silverstone that an issue, a sporting issue for Oscar, during the safety car restart and the consequent penalty cost him the race. 'Here we saw that, related to the circuit characteristic, like we said before, it would have always been very difficult for Lando to keep the position, starting first at the safety car restart. 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Associated Press
4 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Delayed start at Belgian Grand Prix highlights Formula 1's challenge with racing in the rain
Of all the thousands of pieces of equipment that Formula 1 hauls around the world, few are used less often than the full wet tire. They stayed piled up in stacks, not on the cars, on Sunday as drivers sat out a rain delay of more than an hour to the start of the Belgian Grand Prix. It wasn't because F1 cars lack grip in heavy rain. Manufacturer Pirelli says the full wet tires can cope with that. The problem is that drivers behind can't see through the spray, and the first attempt to start Sunday's race on time illustrated the problem. Even crawling around at formation lap pace with only Lando Norris and the safety car ahead, eventual winner Oscar Piastri said he 'couldn't see a thing,' adding, 'you can only imagine what it's like for the guys at the back.' When the race started, it was behind the safety car at low speed before the all-clear to go racing. Like all of the drivers, Piastri was using the intermediate tires, which are recommended for light rain or a drying track, when he eventually passed Norris for the win. 'The past few years, particularly here, we've given the (governing body) FIA feedback that we would much rather be on the safe side than risk anything,' Piastri said. 'If you were to be picky, maybe we could have done one less formation lap (behind the safety car), but in the grand scheme of things, if that's one lap too early, is it worth it? No.' Visibility is a particular concern at Spa, a fast track with a history of serious accidents. They include Anthoine Hubert's death in a Formula 2 crash in dry conditions in 2019 and another fatal accident claiming the life of Dutch teenage driver Dilano van 't Hoff in a junior series in the rain in 2023. 'I have to say that on a track like this, with what happened historically, I think you cannot forget about it. For that reason I would rather be safe than (start) too early,' said Charles Leclerc, who finished third Sunday and who was friends with Hubert since childhood. Under the current F1 design regulations in place since 2022, cars have ground-effect aerodynamics which use the floor to generate grip but can also throw up more spray. If there's enough rain for the full wet tires to be faster than the intermediates, it's likely the race will be stopped because of poor visibility anyway. There was a reminder of the importance of visibility this month at the British Grand Prix when Isack Hadjar collided with Kimi Antonelli's car from behind while driving in the Italian's trail of spray. 'I didn't see him,' Hadjar said. 'He just appeared out of nowhere, man. Oh my God.' ___ AP auto racing:
New York Times
19 minutes ago
- New York Times
Verstappen on a charge, Leclerc flustered
Dominant McLaren grabbed another 1-2, as Spa-Francorchamps hosted round 13 of the 2025 Formula One world championship Getty Images Oscar Piastri has won the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, despite a delayed start of 80 minutes due to rain at Spa-Francorchamps. Lando Norris qualified on pole but the race began with a rolling start behind the safety car due to the wet conditions. Then once the racing began, Piastri produced a brilliant move to grab a race lead that he held to the checkered flag. Charles Leclerc completed the podium, while Lewis Hamilton recovered to finish P7 after a disastrous qualifying saw his Ferrari start 18th. F1 returns next weekend with the Hungarian Grand Prix. Join the conversation: live@ GO FURTHER Belgian Grand Prix briefing: Piastri wins, Hamilton impresses after chaotic start Getty Images LAP 39/44 — Max Verstappen sensing a potential podium as he starts pushing Charles Leclerc in third. The gap is close to within one second and DRS range now. Max chasing, which is never good news — and listening to team radio, it sounds like Leclerc is rattled. Or at least, he wants to be left to it. LAP 38/44 — Six laps to go and Lando Norris is starting to take a few tenths per lap out of his teammate. The gap is inside six seconds now. There's also a suggestion that we could yet get some more rain. The question is, will it come before the checkered flag… LAP 35/44 — And Oscar Piastri agrees with his team. The Australian will try to make these medium tires last the course. This will help too. Lando Norris locks up at La Source and loses a little more time. The gap remains at eight seconds, and Norris' engineer tells him these tires are starting to get tricky. Getty Images Lando Norris is starting to make more inroads on Oscar Piastri, taking six-tenths out of him on that last lap. Piastri is told on the radio McLaren still thinks the best bet is to go to the end on this set of mediums. If Piastri is to consider another stop, he needs to do it sooner than later. LAP 33/44 — Lewis Hamilton now within 0.5 seconds of Alex Albon in P6. He has DRS… LAP 32/44 — It was 1.2 seconds that the Pouhon mistake cost Lando Norris, as he was forced to take the escape road on the inside. Make a note of that loss and check back at the checkered flag. It does currently look like we'll get through all 44 laps here, for the record. Unless something shakes up the rhythm. There are cars starting to pit onto a second set of medium tires too. So if Oscar Piastri did want to pit, it would have to be soon... LAP 31/44 — Lando Norris was close to getting within seven seconds of Oscar Piastri. Then the gap leapt out to more than nine seconds, owing to a small mistake at Pouhon. That was a few laps ago and now Norris is starting to take big chunks out of his teammate's advantage again, getting back to 8.3 seconds — which is where we were a while ago. If he can keep up that chomping, he will make some serious inroads. Meanwhile, McLaren seems happy for Piastri to stay out and Piastri seems happy with his tire wear so far. So finely poised, this. Getty Images LAP 28/44 — Nice little move from Kimi Antonelli up the inside of Fernando Alonso at Les Combes. That's the youngest driver on the grid taking the oldest. Antonelli getting up to P14, which is a healthy improvement for the under pressure Mercedes driver. LAP 24/44 — Fascinating radio exchange for Oscar Piastri, who is effectively told by his team that it's his call whether he pits again or tries to get his medium tires to the end of the race — which would appear to be a stretch. We don't even know if Lando Norris' hard tires will make it that far. It does seem strange that the McLaren engineers wouldn't have an idea over what to do for the best, rather than leaving it up to the driver. It's going to make for a fascinating climax to this race though. The gap between the leading McLarens remains a little over eight seconds. Lewis Hamilton is clearly up for this fight. He's on the radio asking about the gap to Alex Albon ahead, seemingly frustrated he can't seem to get closer than the one-second margin right now. His engineer has told him to lift and coast. Hamilton replied: 💬 'Have we got a problem?!' To which Riccardo Adami said: 💬 'No.' Getty Images LAP 21/44 — Gabriel Bortoleto is on the Sauber team radio pleading to be let through as he says is quicker than Nico Hülkenberg ahead of him. The team agrees in the end. It's P9 and P10 for the two Saubers, which I'm sure they'd take at the checkered flag too. Still dry and all fine out there right now, which is great news! But everyone will know that could change quite quickly. LAP 19/44 — Lando Norris may be on slower tires in theory, but he is flying on them too. He has the fastest lap so far with a 1:46.865s The gap between him and Oscar Piastri up ahead is now 8.3s. Sadly for Lewis Hamilton, his progress seems to have slowed down — although P7 will still be an excellent result. We're not at half-race distance yet though, of course. LAP 16/44 — The extra lap and a slow stop with the left front, has caused Lando Norris to fall nine seconds back from Oscar Piastri at the very front. But running the hard tire might give Norris a chance to go to the end without pitting, while Piastri on mediums may need another stop as they're not designed to last as long. Could be decisive in the battle for the win, but the McLaren is very good at managing its tires. LAP 15/44 — Perfect pit call by Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari there. He's already up to P10, having been P13 before pitting. I think he'll gain another three spots once Yuki Tsunoda, Isack Hadjar and Esteban Ocon all come in too. And he has. It's P7 now, and chasing Alex Albon… Getty Images LAP 14/44 — Those cars still on inters: Yuki Tsunoda, Isack Hadjar and Esteban Ocon. Lando Norris has just pitted, and put on the hard tire. The remaining three come in now too. Norris is the only car on the hard tire. Everyone else on the medium. Big call. LAP 13/44 — Here it comes. Oscar Piastri comes in for mediums too. Lando Norris will have to stay out as there's no chance of doing a double stack and getting both McLarens in. DRS has been enabled for the first time too. Only four cars left on the intermediate tires now. LAP 12/44 — And now Lewis Hamilton takes the gamble. He's one of the first cars to go onto slicks, and the medium tire at that. Let's see how that pace looks now. Nico Hülkenberg, Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso also on the medium tire. Everyone else still on the inters. Getty Images LAP 12/44 — Only the McLarens are quicker than Lewis Hamilton right now. Keep an eye on him. LAP 10/44 — Oscar Piastri reports that it's only the straight to Turn 5 that is wet at the moment, and it may not be far off being able to switch to slicks...
