Latest news with #Constructors'Championship
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
'I was Verstappen's ally at Red Bull – I think he's going to retire this year'
Max Verstappen could retire from Formula 1 at the end of this season if former Red Bull Racing mechanic Calum Nicholas is to be believed, as he made a bold prediction on the Dutch-Belgian's future Max Verstappen will retire from Formula 1 at the end of this season if Calum Nicholas' predictions are accurate. The 27-year-old Red Bull star, with four world titles under his belt, is believed by long-time mechanic Nicholas to be satisfied with his legacy if he can secure a fifth title by the end of the year. During a round of golf with Lucas Stewart on his YouTube channel, Nicholas was asked to "fill in the blank" regarding how many F1 titles Verstappen will retire with. His response was simply: "Five." Elaborating on his prediction, Nicholas boldly added: "I think Max is going to win the Drivers' this year, and then I think he's going to call it a day." When questioned if he had insider knowledge that racing fans lacked due to his close ties with Verstappen, Nicholas replied: "No, I definitely don't know anything," maintaining an air of mystery around his prediction. He then added: "To not back Max is just lunacy." It comes as Nicholas announced before the start of the 2025 season that he would be stepping away from the garage to take on a new role as a Red Bull Racing ambassador, concluding his 13-year career as a Formula 1 mechanic, reports the Express. In a statement at the time, he said: "The time has come to hang up my race suit. It's a career that I'm incredibly proud to look back on. "To all of those who've been a part of this amazing journey, thank you! For the last decade of my life I've been very fortunate to work with an incredible group of people, in a team like no other. So, today, I'm very pleased to announce that I'll be taking on an exciting new role, as a Red Bull Racing ambassador!" Securing a fifth consecutive F1 title appears to be a Herculean task for Verstappen at the moment, given his unusual year so far. At present, the defending champion is third in the Drivers' Standings with just two victories and four podium finishes, trailing McLaren's Oscar Piastri by 49 points. Meanwhile, Red Bull are feeling the heat from a formidable McLaren in the race for the Constructors' Championship - currently lagging behind the seasonal leaders by 218 points. Due to receiving three penalty points on his FIA Super Licence at the Spanish Grand Prix following his collision with George Russell, Verstappen is just one point away from a one-race ban which could further dent his chances of vying for the world title this year. He will now have to maintain a clean record at the upcoming Canadian and Austrian Grand Prix to avoid such a scenario. Under contract with Red Bull until 2028, Verstappen has also previously mentioned that he doesn't aspire to follow in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso by racing into his late 30s and 40s. However, he is yet to announce a specific retirement date as speculation regarding his future continues to mount. After a 10th place finish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Verstappen will be hoping for a stronger performance at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
6 F1 storylines for the Canadian Grand Prix
After a much-needed break for the grid, Formula 1 is back this week with the Canadian Grand Prix. And there is much to discuss. From some fascinating fights shaping up throughout the standings, to one driver who is on the cusp of a suspension, and another who may be forced to miss his home race due to injury, there are no shortage of storylines. Advertisement Let's dive into the major talking points for the Canadian Grand Prix. Checking in on the F1 title races With the latest triple-header in the rear-view mirror, it is time to check in on both title races. The Spanish Grand Prix offered the latest twist to a fascinating F1 Drivers' Championship fight. Lando Norris' win in the Monaco Grand Prix pulled him to within just three points of teammate Oscar Piastri atop the standings, but Piastri's command performance in Barcelona pushed that gap back to ten points, as he finished up front ahead of Norris as McLaren locked out the front row. Perhaps more intriguing is what happened behind them. As the grid arrived in Barcelona Max Verstappen was just off the pace, only 25 points behind Piastri and 23 points behind Norris. But as we will discuss in a moment, Verstappen's tenth-place finish in Barcelona — coupled with the one-two performance from the McLaren duo — dropped him further away from the front. As the grid heads to Montreal Verstappen sits 39 points behind Norris and 49 points behind Piastri. Advertisement And with George Russell only 26 points behind Verstappen, the gap is closing up behind him too. As for the Constructors' Championship race, McLaren remains the class of the field, as the Woking-based team has 362 points on the season, putting them 197 points clear of the team in second. That team? Ferrari. After all the consternation in recent weeks about the Scuderia a third-place finish from Charles Leclerc and a sixth-place result from Lewis Hamilton pushed Ferrari into P2, six points clear of Mercedes and 22 points clear of Red Bull. There is a long way to go until trophies are handed out, but the fights at the front are fascinating indeed. Whither Lance Stroll? In the hours leading up to the Spanish Grand Prix, word broke that Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll would be withdrawing from the race, citing pain in his hands and wrist. Stroll underwent surgery ahead of the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix after a cycling accident during pre-season training, and made a stunning return to the grid for the first race of the season, where he finished sixth. Advertisement However, his status for this week, his home race, is in doubt. Mike Krack, the team's Chief Trackside Officer, relayed that 'Plan A' is for Stroll to be in the AMR25 this week. But Krack conceded that much is up in the air before the teams head to Montreal. 'At the moment, it's really difficult to tell you how it's going to go, and what is going to happen in the next days, but we will find out,' Krack said to the official F1 website. And if Stroll cannot race this weekend, there are further complications. Reserve drivers Felipe Drugovich and Stoffel Vandoorne are on standby, but both are slated to drive in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which conflicts with the Canadian Grand Prix. Jak Crawford, who drives in F2 and is part of Aston Martin's driver development program, currently lacks the requisite points on his FIA Super License. Advertisement 'It is quite simple, the 'Plan A' is to have Lance in the car – that is the 'Plan A', and that is what we are working to,' said Krack. 'If the 'Plan A' does not work, then we need to pull 'Plan B'. 'Obviously we always knew that Le Mans was going to happen, so we also had plans in place that if we need a driver that is doing Le Mans, we will bring him, but at the moment this is not the only question,' added Krack. 'We wait what the next days are bringing, and then we take a decision.' Max Verstappen on the cusp of an unexpected vacation F1's latest triple-header ended with a penalty, putting the defending Drivers' Champion on the precipice of a one-race penalty ban. Advertisement Max Verstappen's incident with George Russell in the closing stages of the Spanish Grand Prix resulted in not just a ten-second penalty from the race stewards for the Red Bull driver (which dropped him to P10) but a three-point penalty on his FIA Super License. That increased Verstappen's current penalty tally to 11 points, putting him one point shy of a one-race suspension. Complicating matters is the fact that the next points to expire on Verstappen's Super License, the two he received for an incident with Lando Norris at last year's Austrian Grand Prix, do not expire until the end of the month. That means Verstappen has to navigate both the Canadian Grand Prix this week, and the Austrian Grand Prix later this month, without incident. All eyes on Red Bull's second seat ... again Verstappen standing on the precipice of a one-race suspension is not the only major storyline at Red Bull. Advertisement It is time to talk about the second seat ... again. Yuki Tsunoda, tapped by the team as a replacement for Liam Lawson after just two races this year, has not delivered the kind of results Red Bull is hoping for out of their second seat. Tsunoda has banked just seven points since his promotion to the senior team, a mark that has seen drivers such as Alexander Albon, Carlos Sainz Jr., Nico Hülkenberg, Esteban Ocon and yes, Isack Hadjar, outscore him over that stretch. Now there are rumblings that Hadjar could be the next driver to earn a promotion to Red Bull. 'There is one driver who Racing Bulls think has a very similar style to Max Verstappen. I don't think he's ready yet. But is Isaac Hadjar the answer to their problems?' asked Sky Sports F1's David Croft in recent days. 'If Hadjar is the closest thing to Max Verstappen, then he has the easier task of adapting to that car, which has been designed and developed more to Max's liking. Advertisement 'Red Bull say because Sergio Perez was a bit reluctant in coming forward to give feedback last year, so therefore, the feedback was all Max's, therefore, the car kind of went in a Max direction.' The issue of the second seat at Red Bull has lingered since Daniel Ricciardo departed from the team after the 2018 season, and now even Verstappen is wondering why this remains a problem for the team. 'Yuki isn't a pancake. This [with the 2nd Red Bull driver] has been going on for a long time,' said Verstappen at the Spanish Grand Prix. 'Maybe that's a sign. Of what? That you can decide yourself.' Then there are the rumors that the team is looking for approval for 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad to receive an FIA Super License. Lindblad, who sits third in the F2 Drivers' Championship standings and is coming off a win in the F2 Feature Race at the Spanish Grand Prix, is considered one of the sport's brightest young talents. But as he is yet to turn 18, he would need approval from the FIA to drive in F1. Advertisement He turns 18 in August. Might this be a backstop should Verstappen receive a penalty as outlined above? Consideration for another mid-season move? Or just more fodder for people like me? Is the front-wing saga settled? Entering the Spanish Grand Prix, front wings were the talk of the paddock. With the sport's governing body instituting stricter testing on front wings, to cut down on the 'flexi-wing' saga that dominated the conversation the past several months, there was rampant speculation that the new requirements would shake up the pecking order, and perhaps knock McLaren down a bit. The corresponding front-row lockout from Piastri and Norris ended that speculation, at least for now. Advertisement Is the 'flexi-wing' saga truly over, or does Montreal spring a surprise? Has a new contender emerged in the midfield fight? Williams expected a difficult week in Barcelona, and those premonitions were proven correct as the team endured their first point-less race week since the Bahrain Grand Prix. Still, they sit comfortably in fifth place in the Constructors' Championship race with 54 points, 26 points clear of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. Haas sits seventh in the table with 26 points, just two behind the tally of VCARB. But did a new contender emerge in Barcelona? Nico Hülkenberg's stunning fifth-place finish in the Spanish Grand Prix, which included an overtake of Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap, delivered ten massive points for Sauber, propelling them up to eighth in the standings. Despite entering the Spanish Grand Prix sitting tenth in the Constructors' Championship, that result brought their season tally to 16, tying them with Aston Martin but giving Sauber the tiebreaker edge. Can Sauber keep that momentum going in Montreal?
News18
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- News18
Oscar Piastri Wins Eventful Spanish Grand Prix; Reclaims Lead In F1 Championship
Piastri reclaims his spot at the top of the Drivers' Standings, pushing down teammate Norris to second place yet again, while Verstappen continues to lurk at third place. McLaren's Oscar Piastri staked his claim at the F1 World Championship yet again, ousting his rival and team-mate Lando Norris and defending champion Max Verstappen with an impressive win at an eventful Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. The Aussie driver executed on a perfectly planned run at Spain today, to once again shoot his way up to the top of the drivers' standings, diminishing the narrow three-point lead Norris held over him after Monaco. It was yet another 1-2 for McLaren, who have proven to be the superior team so far this season, building on their seemingly unassailable lead at the top of the Constructors' Championship. For Red Bull Racing's Verstappen, though, it proved to be a confusing and eventful evening, following a mix-up of tyres — forcing the Dutch driver to race on hards — after the safety car was called in Lap 56, following Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli crashing out of the race. advetisement The mix-up of tyres allowed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to get the better of Verstappen, upon restart after the safety car, as the disadvantaged Dutchman helplessly watched his hopes for a podium finish diminish. To add more insult to injury, an incident with George Russell at the penultimate lap lead to Verstappen being edged out by the British driver, languishing himself to fifth. (more to follow…) About the Author Siddarth Sriram First Published: June 01, 2025, 20:08 IST
Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Ted Kravitz thinks Christian Horner ruled out Red Bull bonuses after Monaco GP
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has reportedly given up on winning the Constructors' Championship, which could have financial implications for some staff Sky Sports F1 pundit Ted Kravitz has shared that Red Bull 's team principal, Christian Horner, seems to have thrown in the towel on winning the Constructors' Championship, which could spell financial trouble for some of the team's staff. The Monaco Grand Prix saw Lando Norris clinch his first victory, with McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri taking third place behind local favourite and Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc. McLaren continues to rack up crucial points in both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships, leading the latter by a staggering 319 points after eight rounds. They are a massive 172 points ahead of Mercedes, who sit in second place. Current four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen finished fourth in Monaco, while his Red Bull colleague Yuki Tsunoda only managed to secure 17th place. Red Bull are currently third in the Constructors' Championship with 143 points, just one point ahead of Ferrari. Given the seemingly unbridgeable gap between them and McLaren, it appears unlikely they'll be able to close the deficit - a sentiment apparently echoed by Red Bull's team principal, as per Sky Sports ' Kravitz. During 'Ted's Notebook', where Kravitz shares his insights on the latest race and gathers reactions from the paddock, he revealed a telling comment made by Horner about the fate of the Constructors' Championship, reports the Express. The Sky Sports F1 reporter interpreted Horner's words as a sign that those with performance-related bonuses might miss out. "Christian Horner on the Constructors' Championship, I thought was interesting earlier in the weekend," Kravitz said. "In a bit of change since Sergio Perez was in the team, he said: 'Well I think we have to discount the Constructors' Championship.'" Kravitz continued: "Obviously, they kind of do because they haven't found a solution to somebody scoring points with their second car. That's the first time Horner has actually said it. So, if you work at Red Bull and you're after a bonus for winning the Constructors' Championship, I think you can whistle goodbye to it this year." Horner's comments came before the weekend's Grand Prix, where he emphasised the team's dedication to Verstappen's pursuit of five consecutive championships—a record only possessed by Michael Schumacher's dominance with Ferrari in the early 2000s. "Our full focus is on the driver's championship," the Brit declared. "Obviously [if] both cars are scoring, and the more that Yuki works his way up the order, the bigger role he can play. I mean, you saw him play a small role today, working hard to keep Oscar behind him for a crucial lap or so. "But yes, for us, all focus is on that drivers' championship. We've got a very clear number one in our team, and that's where, obviously, the main focus is." Verstappen, currently third in the Drivers' standings, was visibly frustrated after Monaco, where a mandatory last-lap second pit stop saw him drop from first to fourth, watching Norris, Leclerc, and Piastri zoom past to snatch the podium spots. The latest regulation introduced in Monaco this year drew the ire of drivers, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon echoing Verstappen's discontent. "You can't race here," the exasperated 27-year-old said to Sky Sports F1. "It doesn't matter what you do. One stop, 10 stops. Even at the end, I was in the lead, my tyres were completely gone and you still can't pass. "Nowadays with an F1 car, you can just pass an F2 car around here. I get it but I don't think it's worked. We were almost doing Mario Kart. Then we have to install bits on the car and maybe you can throw bananas around! Slippery surface!"
Scottish Sun
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
‘No one is happy' – Max Verstappen breaks silence after explosive Christian Horner F1 sacking rumours
The F1 superstar has shed light on the situation MAX ON SACKS 'No one is happy' – Max Verstappen breaks silence after explosive Christian Horner F1 sacking rumours Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MAX Verstappen has spoken out against Christian Horner sacking rumours ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Friday. The Red Bull star, 27, spoke to Sky Italy about his controversial team principal's status as the team sit 141 points adrift of leaders McLaren. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Red Bull's Christian Horner has found himself in the headlines recently with sacking rumours Credit: Getty 2 Verstappen has dismissed sacking rumours Credit: Getty Horner, Red Bull boss since 2005, has turned heads after ruthlessly dropping Liam Lawson and being involved in a sexting scandal last year. The longest serving team principal on the grid has been tipped to leave by Austrian outlet oe24 but his star pupil does not share the same view. Verstappen said: "Honestly I have no idea where [the rumours] come from to be honest. "So, people ask me questions about that, and I'm like, 'honestly, I really don't know who even puts that in the world.'" READ MORE F1 NEWS PAW-FECT PAIR Lewis Hamilton reveals 'heart stops' when he gets updates about dog Roscoe That is not to say that everything is great in the team as Red Bull are lagging behind in the Constructors' Championship in third after six rounds. Verstappen himself is 32 points behind leader McLaren's Oscar Piastri in this year's championship but insisted his focus remains in the car. The Dutchman said: "No one is happy or satisfied with their performance, you always want to be better, you want to perform more. "So, for me, these rumours don't mean anything." JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Red Bull have won six constructors' and eight drivers' titles under Horner but are looking to increase that. Verstappen said: "We want to improve the car, and that's what everyone in the team is focussed on." Max Verstappen snaps at Sky Sports broadcaster as he addresses Red Bull future It's not just the Red Bull boss who has come under fire but also his driver as Verstappen has been criticised for his incognito practice session ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix. Practice for the Emilia Romagna GP is on Friday, qualifying on Saturday and the main event is on Sunday. Sky Sports will stream the event live, alternatively SunSport will live blog the action as it happens.
