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National Post
28-07-2025
- Automotive
- National Post
Three things we learned from Belgian F1 Grand Prix
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium — Drivers and team bosses are divided on the future for wet-weather Formula One racing following an 80-minute rain delay that preceded Oscar Piastri's victory in Belgium on Sunday. Article content While old school racers including multiple champions Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen favoured a prompt start on a tricky circuit, younger drivers and team chiefs preferred to back race director Rui Marques's caution and wait for dry weather. Article content Article content Article content Piastri secured his sixth win of the season, with great aplomb that makes him favourite to beat McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to the drivers' title. Article content The Australian's consistency and mental strength helped him into a 16-point lead after 13 of this year's 24 races, but his drive was overshadowed by post-race arguments about racing in the rain. Article content Ferrari's Hamilton and Red Bull's Verstappen slammed the long delay and choice of rolling start, but others including Mercedes' George Russell and Williams' Carlos Sainz backed the 'safety first' decision at a track with a dark history of fatal accidents. Article content 'We could've gone miles earlier, an hour earlier,' said Verstappen. Article content 'It was a shame. It just ruins a nice classic wet race. Either we push to go for a wet race — or we just stop racing in the wet… and wait for it to be dry. But that's not what you want, right?' Article content Article content Verstappen's car was set up for extreme wet conditions, as forecast, but the decision meant he and others were disadvantaged. He finished fourth. Article content Triumphant McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, celebrating a sixth 1-2 this year, praised the move. Article content 'I think the race was managed in a very wise way by the FIA,' he said. Article content 'We knew there was a lot of rain coming and I think at a circuit like this if you make the calls late, it may be too late — and the outcome could be difficult.' Article content He emphasised the unique risks of the high-speed track through the forested valleys of the Ardennes. Article content 'I understand it would be entertaining, but the average speed is so high at Spa that in wet conditions it's impossible to see.' New Red Bull chief Laurent Mekies, in his first outing after replacing Christian Horner, said: 'I think we were all surprised by how late we started.'
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Dunne wins at wet Spa to reclaim F2 title lead
Ireland's Alex Dunne has returned to the top of the Formula 2 standings by winning the rain-hit feature race in Belgium. Dunne had qualified on pole position at Spa-Francorchamps on Friday and the race was started behind the safety car. However, when racing got underway the McLaren Development Driver mastered the wet conditions to win his third F2 race of the season. British Red Bull Junior driver Arvid Lindblad was second and Czech driver Roman Stanek was third. Dunne, 19, now leads the F2 standings by points 15 over Richard Verschoor, who failed to score along with title rival Jak Crawford. "I had to work really hard for that one," said Dunne. "It was really tough." Dunne secures Formula 2 pole position in Belgium It had been a weekend of dominance for Dunne in Belgium, who topped the practice session and qualified on pole in dry conditions by 0.421 seconds. He gained two points of Verschoor for pole position and chipped another two points out of the Dutch driver's lead by finishing seventh in the reverse grid sprint race. Rain hit the Belgian circuit on Sunday morning, to the extent the Formula 3 race had to be cancelled, but conditions cleared up to allow the F2 race to get under way behind the safety car. Dunne pulled out a four-second lead once racing started and, despite a brief challenge from Japan's Ritomo Miyata, he maintained his lead for the mid-race pit stops. His Rodin Motorsport team produced a fast pit stop to get him back into the race in fourth place, behind drivers who had yet to stop. Dunne then produced a stunning overtake around the outside of Pouhon bend past Ollie Goethe to re-take the lead and pulled away from Stanek and Lindblad. There was a late safety car for Sebastian Montoya, who spun at Eau Rouge with five laps remaining. The Colombian's car was still being recovered when Goethe's engine expired with two laps to go, which meant race control red flagged the race and Dunne was able to take the chequered flag unchallenged. It was a third feature win of the season for Dunne in his most complete Formula 2 weekend to date and he was rewarded with the championship lead. The 11th round of 14 takes place in Hungary next weekend.
BBC News
27-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Dunne wins at wet Spa to reclaim F2 title lead
Ireland's Alex Dunne has returned to the top of the Formula 2 standings by winning the rain-hit feature race in had qualified on pole position at Spa-Francorchamps on Friday and the race was started behind the safety when racing got underway the McLaren Development Driver mastered the wet conditions to win his third F2 race of the Red Bull Junior driver Arvid Lindblad was second and Czech driver Roman Stanek was 19, now leads the F2 standings by points 15 over Richard Verschoor, who failed to score along with title rival Jak Crawford."I had to work really hard for that one," said Dunne."It was really tough." It had been a weekend of dominance for Dunne in Belgium, who topped the practice session and qualified on pole in dry conditions by 0.421 gained two points of Verschoor for pole position and chipped another two points out of the Dutch driver's lead by finishing seventh in the reverse grid sprint hit the Belgian circuit on Sunday morning, to the extent the Formula 3 race had to be cancelled, but conditions cleared up to allow the F2 race to get under way behind the safety pulled out a four-second lead once racing started and, despite a brief challenge from Japan's Ritomo Miyata, he maintained his lead for the mid-race pit Rodin Motorsport team produced a fast pit stop to get him back into the race in fourth place, behind drivers who had yet to then produced a stunning overtake around the outside of Pouhon bend past Ollie Goethe to re-take the lead and pulled away from Stanek and was a late safety car for Sebastian Montoya, who spun at Eau Rouge with five laps Colombian's car was still being recovered when Goethe's engine expired with two laps to go, which meant race control red flagged the race and Dunne was able to take the chequered flag was a third feature win of the season for Dunne in his most complete Formula 2 weekend to date and he was rewarded with the championship 11th round of 14 takes place in Hungary next weekend.
Newsweek
26-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Nico Rosberg: Christian Horner Red Bull F1 Sacking "Unthinkable"
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Sky Sports F1 commentator Nico Rosberg addressed Christian Horner leaving Red Bull after the massive shake-up. Horner got removed from his position after the board at the energy drink company lost confidence in his leadership. He was embroiled in several controversies as the team leader, including personal scandals. Red Bull became a powerhouse under Horner, but over the past 18 months, it has experienced a downturn in form. Former Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies has been promoted to the main leadership position at Red Bull, replacing Christian Horner. Newly appointed Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies (R) speaks for a television next to former German driver Nico Rosberg ahead of the start of the Sprint Race of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix... Newly appointed Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies (R) speaks for a television next to former German driver Nico Rosberg ahead of the start of the Sprint Race of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa, on July 26, 2025. More Photo byThe team is moving forward and trying to get a reset, though Rosberg remains shocked at Horner's absence. "Christian Horner not being here anymore is unthinkable. That's completely unreal," he said on the Sky Sports broadcast. "It was a big, big shock and surprise to everybody, including himself. He didn't see it coming at all, nor did anybody in the team. "But of course, it was a long time in the making. Coming on from last year, from all the issues that he'd been having there, so I think this was just a result of that. "But nobody really still knows 100 percent what exactly happened." Red Bull sits in fourth among the constructors' standings, more than 200 points behind the leading McLaren team. The team's lead driver, Max Verstappen, sits in third, but far from title contention, trailing Lando Norris by a little less than 60 points. Red Bull is on track for a disappointing season, considering its lofty ambitions from the team and its driver. The driver alongside Verstappen hasn't carried their weight over the last few years, exacerbating the issue within half the team. Verstappen has clauses in his contract that could trigger a move to another team, leaving Red Bull desperate to change their fortunes. A combination of the team's struggles, Verstappen's impending exit, and Horner's alleged inappropriate conduct towards a female employee likely all contributed to a drastic in-season decision. Even after all the success Horner brought, the team's ownership decided that enough was enough. More news: Emotional Kimi Antonelli Opens Up About Confidence Struggles At Belgian GP Lewis Hamilton Issues Apology After Rough Belgium GP Weekend Max Verstappen Issues RB21 Verdict After Red Bull Upgrades at Belgium GP For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
