Latest news with #CharlesLeclerc
France 24
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- France 24
Norris quickest in opening practice for Spanish GP
Five days after his triumph in the Monaco Grand Prix, the 25-year-old Briton clocked a best lap in 1 minute 13.718 seconds to outpace the Dutchman by 0.367secs. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc were third and fourth ahead of championship leader Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren and impressive rookie Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls. With the track temperature rising close to 50 degrees Celsius and the air at 33, the session offered few clues as to any change in performance following the introduction of a new rule restricting front wing flexibility. Piastri leads Norris by three points in the drivers' title race ahead of the ninth round of the 24-race season with Verstappen third, 22 points adrift, but seeking a fourth consecutive victory on one of favourite tracks. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who was 13th in his Aston Martin, launched an impassioned defence, meanwhile, of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya which appears set to be ditched after 33 years of hosting the Spanish Grand Prix. A new street circuit in Madrid is expected to be confirmed soon as host of the 2026 edition. "I don't think that we will lose Barcelona, that's my opinion and my wish as well," said Alonso who is an ambassador for Barcelona F1.
Free Malaysia Today
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- Free Malaysia Today
Norris shrugs off gremlins with record lap for Monaco pole
McLaren's Lando Norris navigates the street circuit during second practice ahead of the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix. (AP pic) MONACO : Lando Norris shrugged off his gremlins and revived his world championship bid on Saturday when he became the fastest driver in the history of the Monaco Grand Prix to claim pole position for Sunday's classic race. Driving with impeccable judgement, pace and purpose, the 25-year-old Briton clocked a best lap in one minute and 9.954 seconds to outpace local hero and last year's winner Charles Leclerc of Ferrari by 0.109. It was the first time any driver had lapped the sinuous barrier-lined Mediterranean street circuit in less than 70 seconds and came only seconds after Leclerc had appeared to have secured his fourth Monaco pole position. For Norris it was his first Monaco pole, his second this year and the 11th of his career – and a critical advantage for the slowest and shortest circuit of the season where only 10 drivers have won from lower than third on the grid since 1950. While a disappointed Leclerc lamented traffic that hampered his first flying run, affecting his overall rhythm, Norris was buoyant after ending a dismal run in qualifying and falling 13 points behind McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in the drivers' title race. 'The team has done a fantastic job so thank you to everyone here and back at the factory,' he said. 'These days don't come easy and I am proud to give something back to them. 'It's been a long time coming. I feel good and I don't think you realise how good this feels with quite a few struggles over the last couple of months, especially here in Monaco. It's a beautiful place and the hardest track probably to do it. 'Up against the home-town hero (Leclerc), I'm very proud of the whole team so I am pleased after all the hard work in the last few months.' Norris's McLaren team-mate and championship leader Oscar Piastri was third ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari. Hamilton though was later hit with a three-place grid penalty for impeding Max Verstappen. As a result Red Bull's four-time champion moved up a place to fourth, with remarkable rookie Isack Hadjar of RB and Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin on the third row, ahead of Hamilton. Norris agreed that his mentality had been a key part of his success after admitting to self-doubts in recent weeks. 'Honestly, that's the tricky part and to consistently find a lap time because you know it's what the others are going to be doing and improving more and more. 'You've got to take a similar amount of risks, but when you get to Q3, the final lap is just about who can risk a little bit more and commit a little bit more. 'It was a nice and well put together lap and it feels very good when you cross the line and you know it's all paid off.' He said he had not considered the mandatory two pit-stops strategy required on Sunday. 'Honestly, at the minute, I have no idea. I'm going to enjoy today and I've worked hard for today. I'm happy with qualifying and I'm going to live the moment a little bit and then I will focus on tomorrow.' Team-mate Piastri, who leads him by 13 points after seven of this year's 24 races, admitted he had endured a messy two days of practice and qualifying. 'I think I've hit more walls this weekend than I have in my whole career so it's been untidy. I've been struggling to get into the groove a little bit and I think in qualifying I was much happier with things and I felt pretty good. 'We've been doing some digging this weekend and to come out with this result is a decent effort.' He added: 'We're in good positions, but it's still going to be an exciting race tomorrow with the two-stop so let's see what happens.' Last year's winner and local hero Leclerc said: 'I'm just frustrated. We know we don't have the car for wins this year.' Witness football history in Malaysia as Manchester United take on the Asean All-Stars – it's the clash you can't afford to miss. Book your seat now at before they're gone!
Free Malaysia Today
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- Free Malaysia Today
Norris wins ‘dream' maiden Monaco Grand Prix
McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates after winning the Monaco Grand Prix today. (AP pic) MONACO : Lando Norris won his maiden Monaco Grand Prix today to close the gap on his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in the battle for the 2025 drivers' world title. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took second with Piastri completing the podium in the eighth race of the season. Norris closed to within three points of Piastri after adding the jewel in the F1 calendar to his season-opening win in Australia. Four-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen took fourth with Lewis Hamilton in the other Ferrari rounding out the top five. 'Monaco, baby! It's a dream' Norris exclaimed over the team radio, after becoming the first McLaren driver to win on the sinuous streets of the Principality since Hamilton in 2008. 'It feels amazing, it's a long gruelling race. An amazing weekend with pole, with today. This is what we dream of, this is what I did dream of as a kid,' beamed the 25-year-old. He was pushed hard to the end of the gruelling and at times chaotic afternoon in the Monaco sunshine by Leclerc, who took second, 3.131s behind. 'Lando did a better job and he deserves to win. It is above our expectations here, I thought we would struggle to be in the top 10 so it has been a good weekend, but I wish I'd won,' said the Monaco-born Leclerc. Piastri rued a tricky time in qualifying yesterday. 'I got close but not close enough, and you run around here where you started,' said the Australian. Witness football history in Malaysia as Manchester United take on the Asean All-Stars – it's the clash you can't afford to miss. Book your seat now at before they're gone!
Free Malaysia Today
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- Free Malaysia Today
Leclerc fastest in Monaco practice as Hamilton crashes
Charles Leclerc is the only driver to dip below one minute and 11 seconds. (AP pic) MONACO : Charles Leclerc completed a hattrick of perfect practice runs on Saturday when he topped the times for Ferrari at the Monaco Grand Prix, as Lewis Hamilton crashed into the barriers. Leclerc, who, last year became the first Monegasque winner of his home event in the Formula One era, clocked a best lap of one minute and 10.953 seconds – the only driver to dip below one minute and 11 seconds – to beat Max Verstappen by 0.280 seconds. Ferrari and Leclerc are hoping for a repeat of their emotional 2024 triumph, but their mood was spoiled when the Monegasque's teammate Hamilton crashed on entry to Casino Square to end the session with a red flag. He was unhurt, but it was an uncharacteristic setback for the Briton who had looked fast and strong. Hamilton was running in the turbulent air behind Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes and Esteban Ocon of Haas when he lost downforce and hit the barriers. Lando Norris was third fastest for McLaren ahead of teammate and championship leader Oscar Piastri, Hamilton and Williams' Alex Albon. Liam Lawson of Racing Bull was an impressive seventh ahead of Carlos Sainz in the second Williams, Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull and Antonelli. After a slow start the session burst into life by the halfway mark with Hamilton, Norris and Leclerc trading fastest laps before Verstappen took control. To the delight of the local audience, Leclerc regained top spot in 1:11.179 on his softs and then went even quicker to move two-tenths clear before the session stopped for a red flag when Hamilton smacked the barriers at Massenet, damaging his right front and rear wheels. He was unhurt and climbed clear. 'Sorry guys, I've hit the wall,' said Hamilton, hoping his car could be repaired in time for qualifying later on Saturday. Witness football history in Malaysia as Manchester United take on the Asean All-Stars – it's the clash you can't afford to miss. Book your seat now at before they're gone!
Free Malaysia Today
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- Free Malaysia Today
Hamilton says talk of friction with engineer ‘all noise'
Scuderia Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finished fifth at the Monaco GP, with teammate Charles Leclerc securing second in his home race. (EPA Images pic) BARCELONA : Lewis Hamilton said he has a great relationship with Ferrari race engineer Riccardo Adami and continuing speculation about friction between them is just noise. Terse radio exchanges at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton's race debut in the Italian Formula One team's red overalls, raised questions in March and they resurfaced in Monaco last Sunday. Then the seven-times world champion was heard asking Adami over the team radio 'are you upset with me?' after the Italian did not respond to earlier messages. Ferrari explained that silence as being due to radio and signal problems in a race that features cars speeding through a tunnel. 'It was literally just there were areas where we had radio problems through the race, and I did not get information that I wanted. We spoke afterwards,' Hamilton told reporters at the Spanish Grand Prix on Thursday when asked for clarification. 'There is a lot of speculation and most of it is BS. We have a great relationship. He is amazing to work with. He is a great guy, working so hard, we both are,' added the Briton, who joined from Mercedes in January. 'We don't always get it right every weekend. Do we have disagreements? Yes, like everyone does in relationships. But we work through them. We are both in it together. 'We both want to win a world championship together and we are both working towards lifting the team up. So it is just all noise and we are not paying attention to it. It doesn't make a difference to the job we are trying to do.' Hamilton said he and Adami, who previously worked with four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel and Spaniard Carlos Sainz, were learning more and more about each other and adapting the way they worked. 'He has worked with lots of different drivers before. We don't have any problems whatsoever,' said Hamilton, who won a sprint race in Shanghai but is otherwise yet to stand on a podium for Ferrari. The Briton finished fifth in Monaco, with teammate Charles Leclerc second in his home race. Hamilton's radio comments also put him in the spotlight in Miami when he suggested sarcastically that the team 'have a tea-break while you're at it' as he waited for a strategy call.
