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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New F1 wing rules are talk of pit lane in Spain but McLaren still out in front
All the talk in Spain this week has been about the potential impact of the FIA's clampdown on the flexing of front wings and the governing body's hope this might close up the pecking order on the grid. Certainly those chasing the dominant McLaren were hopeful that might be the case. The technical regulation was imposed as teams look to push the boundaries of the rules, with a flex in the wing under load affording the maximum downforce in corners. In order to maintain a level playing field, the wings must now pass a deflection test measuring the leeway of flex in the wing. This has been reduced from 15mm to 10mm. Advertisement Related: Lewis Hamilton labels talk of strained relationship with Ferrari engineer as 'BS' Such is the minutiae that engineers and regulators adore, but where it matters is in racing terms. The adjustment was brought in over concerns that McLaren were exploiting it to their advantage. The FIA decided to impose a reset but the front wing is such an integral part of the car and it allowed time to develop the new models until now, the ninth round of the season. Red Bull have intimated their doubts over McLaren's wing legality front and rear. The regulations on the rear wing were tightened for the Chinese GP and McLaren still emerged on top. Their team principal Andrea Stella had been bullish that the changes would have no effect on the strengths of their car and believed it meant their rivals were focused on the wrong things. Then there are teams such as Ferrari, who have not exploited the potential advantages as much as other squads and who may hope to make gains by their rivals losing a little. Team principal Fred Vasseur admitted they had been working 'for ages' on what he considered might be a 'game-changer'. Advertisement There is also the consideration that it may affect tyre degradation, given it is a key part of the airflow over the car. This is an area where McLaren have had their biggest advantage, able to push harder and longer on their tyres, a strength which will be particularly notable on the high temperature and high-speed Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya which puts a heavy load through the rubber. Whether this is the case will not be truly discernible until the race and the teams put in a full stint in the blazing sunshine on a circuit that offers the ideal test bed to ascertain how these changes have panned out. McLaren's Lando Norris, who won at the last round in Monaco and now trails his teammate and championship leader Oscar Piastri by just three points, was convinced the changes would have no effect on McLaren and indeed the team had already debuted their new version of the wing in practice at Imola. Related: Lando Norris wins Monaco F1 GP to close gap on championship leader Piastri Advertisement Certainly in first practice they appeared to have nonchalantly shrugged off the changes. Norris was once more comfortably quickest, over three-tenths clear of Max Verstappen in second with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in third and fourth for Ferrari, with Piastri fifth. Verstappen, the defending champion, has already noted he did not expect the changes to make a major difference to the Red Bull and his team principal Christian Horner said he believed it was too early to tell if there had been any impact on other teams. 'The change is reasonably subtle, but it is reasonably significant,' he said. 'Now, whether it's a net or same effect for each of the teams is difficult to tell. Still early days but the net effect to us has been rather small.' By the end of second practice the pecking order however remained very familiar – Piastri over two-tenths clear of the Mercedes of George Russell, Verstappen third, Norris fourth and Leclerc fifth, suggesting it is very much plus ça change in Spain and leaving McLaren with a firm hold on the championship.
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Oscar Piastri improves to a big odds-on favourite to win the Drivers' Championship following his Miami GP victory - while his teammate Lando Norris is next at 15/8
Oscar Piastri strengthened his lead atop the Formula One driver standings with a win at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. It marked Piastri's fourth win of the season in six starts - with the Australian also securing victories at the Chinese GP, Bahrain GP and Saudi Arabian GP. As a result, at the time of writing - Piastri leads the standings on 131 points, while his McLaren teammate Lando Norris is in second on 115 points. With the above in mind - it shouldn't come as a surprise that Piastri and Norris are the best-backed to be crowned champion this season, with the pair priced at 8/13 and 15/8 respectively. Meanwhile, four-time reigning champion Max Verstappen is third in the market at a boosted price of 10/1. Verstappen is currently third in the standings on 99 points with a win and three podium finishes to date this season. Lastly, for those after an outsider - George Russell and Kimi Antonelli round out the five favourites in the market at 33/1 and 50/1 respectively. Sky Bet favourites to win the 2025 Drivers' Championship: Oscar Piastri 8/13 Lando Norris 15/8 Max Verstappen WAS 8/1 NOW 10/1 George Russell 33/1 Kimi Antonelli 50/1
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Lewis Hamilton's early season struggles at Ferrari are NOT a surprise, insists Formula One star who was replaced at the Scuderia by the British driver
Formula One star Carlos Sainz, who was replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, is not surprised by the British driver's early season struggles. The Spaniard has similarly failed to replicate his performances of last season with new team Williams after being forced to make way for the seven-time world champion. It is often a common trend in the sport and has only been exacerbated in 2025, with the current generation of cars, in a cost-cap era with limited practice times, creating the perfect storm for tepid early displays. At the Scuderia, Hamilton has found it difficult to match the performances of Charles Leclerc, who has been with the side for six seasons. Sainz, who partnered the Monegasques star for four of those campaign, understands Hamilton's issues and likened them to his own at Williams when compared to the long-tenured Alex Albon. 'I'm not surprised at all,' he said ahead of the start of the Miami Grand Prix weekend. 'I think, for me, I expected it for myself and I expected it with him – because in this sport, there are no secrets. 'When you are up against two teammates like we are like Alex [Albon] and Charles, they know the team inside out. 'They are already performing at the maximum that that car can perform. So you can only do just a little bit better or the same as them. You cannot suddenly arrive and be two to three-tenths quicker, because it's not possible. They are already at the limit of the car. 'So, when you jump to a new team and you're expected, by yourself and by everyone around you to be at that level, you know it's gonna take time. But, for some drivers, it might take longer or shorter. Lewis had an amazing weekend in China, then he seemed to be having a bit more trouble now, but it's gonna take time for both.' The peak of Hamilton's early career at Ferrari came at the Chinese GP last month when he claimed victory in the sprint race. However, the success was short-lived as he finished behind Leclerc in the main event. The British veteran has been outqualified by Leclerc in four of the five qualifying sessions and beaten in all five races this term. A similar picture has appeared at Williams, where Sainz trails Albon 3-2 in qualifying and 4-1 in races. In Miami, Hamilton will hope that a changed strip will result in a change of fortunes. The team have ditched their iconic red racing suits for just the second time this century ahead of weekend. The Italian constructor's image is inextricable from their statement colour, which has been worn religiously by the team since the latter stages of the 20th century. But the Prancing Horse are gearing up to debut a new look in the paddock in Florida on Friday, courtesy of their sponsors HP. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has stressed that Hamilton has the team's full backing despite a lacklustre beginning. 'I will give him support and we will start straight away to find solutions,' Vasseur said last month. 'I am not too worried. Have a look at what he did in China or what he did in Bahrain last week or even in the first part of the session this weekend. The potential is there for sure.' Asked why Ferrari's form had dipped so far, Vasseur exclaimed: 'Dramatically!? We have done five races so far. I know that you won't have the big headlines tomorrow that Fred said this... but this (analysis) is f****** bull****.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Oscar Piastri in telling act towards Lando Norris after McLaren cop setback
Oscar Pisatri showed his class having checked on teammate Lando Norris with the British driver crashing during Saudi Arabian qualifying as the McLaren team face further questions over their F1 position. Max Verstappen claimed pole position by a 100th of a second having eclipsed Piastri at the end in Saudi Arabia. However, it was Norris' crassh that raised eyebrows within the McLaren team. Norris will now start back in 10th position having hit thewall during Saturday's qualifying session. Norris has been facing pressure all season from outside of McLaren with critics suggesting the battle with teammate Piastri is getting to him. This comes after Piastri was given permission by the McLaren hierarchy to chase the drivers championship without fear, despite one of his biggest rivals being his teammate. Since the Melbourne GP, Piastri won the Chinese GP, finish third in Japan and won in Bahrain. He sits second on the drivers championship behind Norris and if he can capitalise starting second on the grid in the powerful McLaren car, Piastri could find himself leading the season after Saudi Arabia. This is clearly frustrating the young British star who let loose on the team radio after the crash having labelled himself a "f*****g idiot" on the team radio after crashing. "Makes sense, I agree with it," Norris said later. "Should be fighting for pole. On first lap in Q3 I shouldn't be taking any silly risks like I seem to have done. This is the moment that cost Lando Norris a chance at pole position tonight 😮🔽#F1 #SaudiArabianGP — Formula 1 (@F1) April 19, 2025 "I shunted so I'm not going to be proud, I'm not going to be happy. I have let myself down and let the team down. The car was going strong so disappointed. It has made my life and everyone's in the team much harder because everyone has a big job to try and fix everything." While plenty is being made out about their rivalry on the track, Piastri showed class as he walked by Norris and checked on his teammate after the crash. And while Norris would have been frustrated with his drive, Piastri admitted he was pleased with second on the grid and was confident of going one better come race day. Oscar Piastri thrilled ahead of race day having admitted he wasn't too disappointed in missing out on pole position. "To be honest, I was pretty happy with it. It wasn't too much more left in that lap. Happy with the job I did," Piastri said. "We were playing catch-up a little bit through the first part of qualifying and then that last lap felt more and less like the best I could've done. I think Max has done a good job. It's another high-speed circuit for [Red Bull], where they seem to be having a little bit more success - but a good job again. "Still all to play for tomorrow. I think our pace is good. It's going to be a tough race, and the tyres are a bit softer than last year, so we'll see if that plays to our advantage." Piastri is looking to become the first Australian since Mark Webber in 2010 to lead the drivers championship. However, four-time champ Verstappen will back himself to hold the lead, like he did in Japan for the entire race, and take the lead in the drivers championship.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'Pretty damn fun!': Piastri earns serene Bahrain GP win
Australian Oscar Piastri has earned another majestic pole-to-flag Formula One triumph at the Bahrain Grand Prix, suddenly looking every inch the new man to beat in the F1 world championship race. The McLaren ace hailed it as an "incredible weekend" as he made his 50th grand prix start on Sunday feel like a coming-of-age procession while moving into second place in the drivers' standings, now breathing down the neck of his low-on-confidence teammate Lando Norris. After he held off a challenge on the first corner from Mercedes' George Russell at the floodlit Sakhir circuit, Piastri then utterly dominated, even after a mid-race restart under the safety car. Oscar's fourth career win in his 50th race 🥳Piastri was a class apart in Bahrain 👊#F1 #BahrainGP — Formula 1 (@F1) April 13, 2025 The man from Melbourne, the first driver to win two grand prix this season after his Chinese GP victory, ended up outpacing Russell by 15-and-a-half seconds - the biggest margin of victory by any winner this year - with championship leader Norris third. "It's gonna be one hell of a party tonight! Mega weekend everyone, mega! That was pretty damn fun!" Piastri declared over the team radio, although this quiet achiever noted later that, actually, he wouldn't be joining any celebrations because he had next week's race in Saudi Arabia to think of. Indeed, he'll surely be thinking of shooting to the top of the championship standings after he jumped above champion, Red Bull's Max Verstappen (69 points), into second place on 74 points to now sit just three points behind Norris. More than that, the 24-year-old Piastri was so superior to his teammate all weekend that his fourth career grand prix victory looks set to alter the balance of power within the McLaren team, who have clearly seen Norris as their main man since the Australian arrived in 2023. But there was even a point near the end of the race when Norris was still outside the podium places that Piastri was still the virtual championship leader, the first Australian to be in that position since his manager Mark Webber back in 2010. Norris had a mixed race from his sixth-place start on the grid which began with him getting a brilliant start, then a five-second penalty when it was ruled a false start and ended with him just missing out on second place following a last-lap duel with Russell. But there's no doubt that for the last three races, following his track spin at his season-opening home grand prix in Melbourne, Piastri has looked the driver in the ascendancy. Only when the safety car was brought out on the 33rd lap after Carlos Sainz's Williams and Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull had clipped each other did Piastri have any concerns, as his seven-second lead was wiped out and he had Russell back on his tail again at the restart. "I would have preferred to not have had the safety car but the pace was good and I was pretty confident I could get a good restart," shrugged Piastri, who was also fortunate to be able to pit at the prefect time when the safety car came. TEAM STANDINGS (after 4/24 races)@McLarenF1 extend their lead 💪#F1 #BahrainGP — Formula 1 (@F1) April 13, 2025 "I also knew that Lando and I were the only ones with another medium tyre and that was the tyre to be on. It was relatively straightforward." Piastri made it look that way as the rest of the field battled for the minor places. "Oscar was in a league of his own," conceded Russell. Charles Leclerc was fourth in his Ferrari, followed by teammate Lewis Hamilton, while Verstappen came sixth, just pipping Alpine's Pierre Gasly on the last lap. Gasly's under-pressure Australian teammate Jack Doohan performed creditably but missed out on the points again in 15th place.
