Latest news with #FIAFormulaOneWorldChampionship™
Herald Sun
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Conspiracy theory twist after Charles Leclerc's radio blow-up at Ferrari
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. Charles Leclerc slammed his own team in a blistering radio message at the Hungarian Grand Prix as his frustration with Ferrari's strategy calls continued. Leclerc took a surprise pole position at the Hungaroring and would have been aiming to at least finish on the podium in the main race. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. The 27-year-old from Monaco was furious over team radio during the race, blaming Ferrari for an unmentioned issue with his car. Leclerc started the race superbly, leading for the first 20 laps before his first pit stop to give him hope of victory. But he bizarrely fell well off the pace in his final stint, getting overtaken by George Russell, who snuck onto the podium behind race winner Lando Norris, who benefited from a one-stop strategy to beat Oscar Piastri. 'This is so incredibly frustrating,' Leclerc raged in a lengthy team radio message to Ferrari you can watch above. 'We have lost all competitiveness. 'You just had to listen to me, I would have found a different way of managing those issues. 'Now it's just undrivable. Undrivable. It's a miracle if we finish on the podium.' He did walk back his comments after the race, saying his dramatic drop off in pace in his final stint was due to a chassis issue with his car. 'First of all, I need to take back the words I've said on the radio,' Leclerc said post-race. 'Because I thought that it was coming from one thing but then I got a lot more details since I got out the car, and it was actually an issue coming from the chassis, and nothing that we could have done differently. It was a tough day at the office for Charles Leclerc. (Photo by) Leclerc's pace dropped off dramatically in the second half of the race. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos) 'I started to feel the issue in Lap 40, or something like that, and it got worse lap after lap after lap. Towards the end, we were two seconds off the pace and the car was just undrivable. 'I repeat myself, but this was an issue, and it's an outlier. It shouldn't ever happen again. I'm still very disappointed we had one opportunity this year to win a race, which I think was this weekend. 'The first stint was perfect. The first laps of the second stint were really good as well, and I think we were in pace to try and win that race. 'The last stint was a disaster when I started to have that issue.' Theory Ferrari tried to avoid DQ George Russell, who overtook Leclerc late in the race, floated the theory Ferrari were using a specific engine mode and raising tyre pressure to look after the plank underneath Leclerc's car, slowing him down to avoid a potential disqualification. 'I saw how close he was, something was not right,' Russell explained. 'The only think we can think is that they were running the car too close to the ground and they had to increase the tyre pressure for the last stint, because they were using an engine mode which makes the engine slower at the end of the straight, which is where you have the most amount of plank wear.' Both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix for excessive plank wear — an issue Ferrari have had to manage throughout the season. If the 10mm plank wears down more than 1mm during a race, the car is disqualified. Sky Sports analyst Anthony Davidson noticed sparks flying from underneath Leclerc's car at the start of the race. 'It's really hard for all the teams to get right,' Davidson said. Did Ferrari make Charles Leclerc's car slower he didn't get disqualified? (Photo by) 'You want it for qualifying but then you dump a load of fuel, around 100kg, go into it heavier with colder tyres. You can do a lot of damage to plank wear. 'When you come to the final pit stop and they're worried about the car being too low, therefore the plank wear being too high … 'He comes in. The next set of tyres going on, if they're boosted pressures, it plays havoc with grip. It's a good case study from George. It's funny how the teams analyse each other. 'They've got all the data and they knew exactly what was going on with Leclerc's straight-line speed. 'I was in the pitlane and I said it would be hard for Leclerc to be overtaken because he's been quick all weekend down the straight. But he was like a sitting duck which was a real surprise to me. 'The other teams have seen the data. They have seen the straight line speed drop throughout the race. At maximum speed you are doing most downforce and the biggest damage to the plank. Charles Leclerc started on pole position but missed the podium. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP) 'The set of tyres which went on might have had unwanted pressure, they overheat quicker, and there goes your grip.' 'It was a preventative measure,' Bernie Collins said on Sky Sports. 'Raising tyre pressure raises the ride height, that's why you get less plank wear. 'It's very small but with these cars millimetres make a difference. 'That is a preventive measure, it's a way of preventing the plank hitting so much. They can see how much the plank is contacting on the earlier stints. They can take the pace for the earlier stints but maybe not the whole race. 'George mentioned maybe they turned down the engines so the car is not so fast. If the car is not so fast on the straight, you take off downforce, and the rear of the car will lift up. 'Both methods will prevent the plank being in contact with the ground. Leclerc appeared to hint at the plank wear issue on radio late in the race, saying: 'I can feel what we discussed before the race. We need to discuss those things, before doing those. 'We are going to lose this race with these things. We are losing so much time.' Leclerc ultimately missed the podium and finished fourth — he has 27 career pole positions but has only converted those into a race wins five times. Leclerc and Hamilton have repeatedly clashed with their race engineers over team radio, disagreeing about strategy decisions, tyre choices or being frustrated about being spoken to during key parts of the race. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur signed a multi-year contract extension with the team last week. Lewis Hamilton sounds like a broken man Fans were also concerned for Lewis Hamilton after his own dejected message to his Ferrari colleagues. Hamilton had a nightmare Hungarian Grand Prix today, finishing in a disappointing 12th. The seven-time world champion failed to pick up any points and sounded like a broken man over the team radio post-race. Hamilton said: 'Really sorry about this weekend guys, for losing you points.' He also reportedly sat in his car for some time after parking it up. BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - AUGUST 03: Twelfth placed Lewis Hamilton after the Hungarian Grand Prix. (Photo by) It comes after the Brit's woeful qualifying session yesterday that saw him exit in Q2 while teammate Leclerc secured a shock pole. Hamilton again sounded crestfallen over the team radio, saying: 'It's me every time. I'm useless, absolutely useless. 'The team have no problem. You've seen the car's on pole so we probably need to change driver.' Told by a member of the Ferrari team that his assessment was wrong, Hamilton replied: 'It clearly is. I just drove terribly. It is what it is.' Fans were left shocked by Hamilton's comments over the weekend, with one saying: 'Champions apologise even when they don't have to. That's why he's different.' Hamilton is yet to finish on the podium since making the move from Mercedes this season, while Leclerc has five podiums this year but is still chasing his first win of the season. — With The Sun Originally published as Conspiracy theory twist after Charles Leclerc's radio blow-up at Ferrari
Herald Sun
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Lando Norris wins Hungarian Grand Prix as Oscar Piastri dudded by McLaren strategy
Lando Norris has taken the chequered flag to win the Hungarian Grand Prix, holding off teammate Oscar Piastri in a nail-biting finish. Norris suffered a horror start to the race as he slipped down to fifth place, but a decision to go with a one-stop strategy paid off for the British driver as he secured his fifth win of the season. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Piastri hunted his teammate down but couldn't get past him in the final laps as he had to cross the line second with his championship lead shrinking to nine points. The Aussie driver pitted early in an attempt to undercut Ferrari's Charles Leclerc but the strategy left him with a mountain of work to do late and had fans watching on questioning if the team had favoured Norris. 'I don't know if trying to undercut Leclerc was the right call in the end but we can go through that after,' Piastri said. Behind the McLaren duo it was Mercedes' George Russell who secured the final spot on the podium with Leclerc falling down to fourth. The Ferrari driver was left seething with his own team after his race was ruined by a change in setup to the car. The Formula 1 grid will now head off for the summer break before returning for the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, August 31. Originally published as Lando Norris wins Hungary GP as Oscar Piastri dudded by strategy
Herald Sun
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
McLaren forced to sacrifice one driver as Oscar Piastri-Lando Norris strategy dilemma looms
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. McLaren faces a difficult choice of sacrificing one driver for the betterment of the team during Sunday night's Hungarian Grand Prix and it could cost Oscar Piastri dearly in his bid for a first world title. After Charles Leclerc stunned the F1 grid by claiming pole at the Hungarian GP on Saturday, world championship leader Piastri and his teammate Lando Norris had to settle for second and third, respectively. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. With Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton down in 12th, McLaren's two-against-one situation at the front of the grid gives them a theoretical advantage over Ferrari. But with the constructors' championship firmly in McLaren's grasp, it is the drivers' championship that poses the biggest headache for the team. Norris is 16 points behind Piastri in the championship standings after 13 of this year's 24 races. But this weekend's strategy could change the complexion of the championship. Given the difficulty of overtaking at the Hungaroring, the most effective way to make ground at the circuit is via an undercut – a pit stop strategy where a driver pits earlier than their rival to gain track position. That was on show last year when Norris controversially undercut leader Piastri. McLaren reversed their usual protocol of allowing the driver ahead on track to pit first to nullify the threat of Norris being undercut from those behind him, but that swapped the order of their drivers. After refusing on multiple occasions to allow Piastri to pass and return to the lead, Norris finally accepted the orders in the closing stages. But this time around, McLaren is widely expected to pit one of their cars early, which Sky Sports F1's Jamie Chadwick says will ultimately sacrifice one of them, which could ultimately turn the entire drivers' championship on its head. 'McLaren kind of needs to sacrifice one, almost, to help the other one if they really want to give themselves the best chance (of winning),' he said on the broadcast on Friday. If one driver pits early, they will be the one on the worn tyres towards the end of the race, but will likely have a positional advantage on a track where overtaking is tricky. And it appears most likely that Piastri would be the one to take the bullet, remaining out on the track, pushing Leclerc while Norris undercuts both the Aussie and the Ferrari driver. A perfect example of this strategy was at the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix, when Sebastian Vettel pitted from third place before Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who were ahead of him. With fresh tyres, Vettel produced a quick outlap compared to the slower inlap for those ahead of him, and by the time Leclerc exited the pits Vettel was able to jump into the race lead. That one move would ultimately result in him going on to register his 53rd and final F1 win. But regardless of strategy, Piastri believes both he and Norris will be given a chance by McLaren to win at the Hungaroring. 'I think we're both going to try and win the race. I think that's our goal,' he told Sky Sports F1. 'We'll have to wait and see what the weather does. It's a place where strategy is a factor as well. 'There are a lot of things where you can win or lose, but I'm sure we'll both be trying to win the race in our own right. 'Potentially [we need to be on different strategies], it depends on what our pace is like and where we end up after lap one. 'If you pit earlier, you can get the undercut but pay for that later in the stint. If you go later, then you've got to try to overtake on track, so there are pros and cons to both.' Originally published as McLaren forced to sacrifice one driver as Oscar Piastri-Lando Norris strategy dilemma looms
Herald Sun
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Useless Lewis Hamilton reaches new low at Hungarian Grand Prix
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. A crestfallen Lewis Hamilton declared himself 'useless' after qualifying in 12th position for the Hungarian Grand Prix as Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc surged to pole position. Seven-time world champion Hamilton exited the session in Q2 with his head down and his helmet on as the 40-year-old retreated to the team's motor home. He was one of several casualties on a day of wet and wild conditions. 'I'm useless,' said the British driver. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. 'Absolutely useless. The team has no problem. You've seen the car on pole so they probably need to change driver.' While series leader Oscar Piastri and the Australian's McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris found themselves unable to cope with changing conditions in the final minutes, Leclerc improved his lap time to snatch his unexpected pole. It was his first at the Hungaroring, his first this year and first since last year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku as well as the 27th of his career. It was Ferrari's first pole in Hungary since Sebastian Vettel in 2017. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fifth ahead of teammate Lance Stroll, the pair enjoying their best qualifying of the season, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto seventh ahead of Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen and the two Racing Bulls rookies Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar. Hamilton, meanwhile, was backed to bounce back by four-time champion Verstappen who himself ranted about his Red Bull car and team after struggling to line up eighth on the grid. 'Looking at the whole weekend, I think we're happy to be in Q3 because I've been more outside the top 10 than in it — so, yeah, it's been difficult this whole weekend,' said the Dutch driver. 'No grip, front and rear, and it was the same in qualifying so, for me, it was not really a shock. I just drove to what I already feel the whole weekend.' The 27-year-old Dutchman added that Red Bull — who had left a towel in his cockpit during a pit stop on Friday which led him to throw it out of the car, 24 hours after he had declared he was staying for 2026 — did not yet understand the problems with the car. 'No, clearly not,' he said. 'I mean, otherwise, of course, we would have changed it already, but somehow, this weekend, nothing seems to work.' Last year, Verstappen said he had been quick enough to challenge for pole, but this season, 'from lap one, it just felt off — and we threw the car around a lot and nothing really gave a direction. 'Now, it's just nothing works. You know, it's like just going around in circles and nothing gives you any kind of idea of what to do.' Looking ahead to Sunday's race, he said: 'There may be a few cars in front of me that I can maybe battle with a little bit and, of course, Lewis is still a bit further down the road which, I think, he shouldn't be there right? So, he will come through a bit.' The two multiple champions, who battled so intensely in 2021 when Verstappen claimed his first title after a controversial victory in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, appear to have found a rapprochement and mutual respect. But Hamilton's heart-on-sleeve vulnerability as he seeks his first Ferrari podium after 13 races this year may soon become a sad ending story if he cannot sort out his qualifying woes. As the record-holder of nine poles and a record eight wins at the Hungaroring, he has to produce a rousing reminder of his best racing days on Sunday, as Verstappen expects. Starting grid for 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix Front row Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari), Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren) 2nd row Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren), George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 3rd row Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin), Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin) 4th row Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA/Sauber), Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 5th row Liam Lawson (NZL/RB), Isack Hadjar (FRA/RB) 6th row Oliver Bearman (GBR/Haas), Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Ferrari) 7th row Carlos Sainz (ESP/Williams), Franco Colapinto (ARG/Alpine) 8th row Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes), Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/Red Bull) 9th row Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine), Esteban Ocon (FRA/Haas) 10th row Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Sauber), Alex Albon (THA/Williams) Originally published as 'I'm useless': Lewis Hamilton reaches new low at Hungarian Grand Prix
Herald Sun
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
F1 Liam Lawson tries to set the record straight after brutal Red Bull demotion, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. Liam Lawson says he wasn't given time to prove himself at Red Bull Racing before his brutal sacking just two rounds into the season. Lawson was drafted up from Racing Bulls to replace the out-of-favour Sergio Pérez this season, but dire results at the opening Australian and Chinese grands prix convinced Red Bull Racing management to make an emergency change, sending him back to Faenza in exchange for Yuki Tsunoda. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. It was a ruthlessly early move on the Kiwi, who had started just 13 races when he was dropped ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. Speaking to the F1 website at the halfway mark of the season, Lawson argued that while he accepted his results were poor, he was never given a chance to prove his underperformance was down to insufficient preparation rather than skill. Liam Lawson has spoken out about his demotion. (Photo by) 'I was well aware that those results weren't good enough, but I was just focused on improving, fixing and learning, basically,' he said. 'I was in the same mindset as I have been since I came into F1. 'I think that was the biggest thing going into a team like that, in a car like that it was going to take a bit of time to adjust and learn. 'With no proper testing, the issues in testing, the issues in Melbourne through practice, it wasn't smooth and clean. 'I needed time, and I wasn't given it.' Tsunoda's struggles in his seat have cast Lawson's difficulties in a new light. While the Kiwi's results were considerably poorer, the well-regarded Japanese driver has yet to make a breakthrough with the difficult RB21. Yuki Tsunoda has had his own issues in the top team. (Photo by) On average his results have been similar to those that had Pérez sent packing with two years to run on his contract at the end of last year. But the fact Tsunoda has been unable to perform — despite having been in sizzling form at Racing Bulls in 2024 and the first two rounds of 2025 — has finally forced the team to reckon with a more deeply seated problem than just its second driver. For years the design department has developed an increasingly niche car. Max Verstappen, his abilities preternatural, has been able to master it, but the mere mortal drivers partnered with him have endured greater and greater difficulties behind the wheel. This year even Verstappen has been unable to deliver consistent performances in the car, completing the team's rapid descent from dominant title winner in 2023 to also-ran just two years later. Tsunoda will be given at least until the end of the season, after which the prevalent assumption is he'll be moved on, though a fresh tack under new principal Laurent Mekies could yet change the game. A series of drivers have struggled to partner Max Verstappen. (Photo by) The subsequent events reframed Lawson's struggles — and not just his; Pérez, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly could all claim some credit back here — in less harsh terms. It's cold comfort for the Kiwi, however, whose career flipped from dazzlingly ascendant to alarmingly precarious less than a fortnight into the season. With Red Bull's next young gun, Arvid Lindblad, in line for promotion to Formula 1 next season, what should have been a dream season could yet turn into a nightmare. Despite Christian Horner, the then Red Bull Racing principal, having claimed Lawson's demotion was an exercise in its 'duty of care to protect and develop Liam', his results remained stubbornly unimpressive upon his return to Racing Bulls. There are several elements that have gone into making him look more ordinary than expected. Former boss Christian Horner (right) and the team fell on much harder times in recent years. (Photo by) One is the acclimatisation process. Being thrown from one car to another in the middle of the season is always difficult, and after having struggled with an interrupted pre-season program at Red Bull Racing, having no pre-season at all with Racing Bulls made that challenge steeper. The other is that his teammate, Isack Hadjar, is arguably the standout rookie of the season. The Frenchman has been especially impressive in qualifying, and given the tightness of the midfield, that's made his Sunday results more impressive too. It's been easy to conclude a third reason — that Lawson, after being chewed up and spat out by one of F1's grandees in just two grands prix – had his confidence shattered. Pérez, after all, looked like a broken man in his final months at Red Bull Racing. Lawson, however, denies that psychology has played a role. 'I haven't really talked much about it because I think for a big part of this year I've just ignored everything that happened and I've just focused on trying to drive the car, but I know there was a lot of stuff that went out that was speculation about how I was feeling,' he said. 'My confidence hasn't changed since the start of the year to now. 'One thing to be clear about is that between the first couple of races, to the team switch, then going to Japan, mentally for me nothing changed. 'It's been very heavily speculated that my confidence took a hit and stuff like this, which is completely false. From the start of the year I felt the same as I always have. 'I think in two races, on tracks I'd never been to, it's not really enough for my confidence [to suffer]. 'Maybe six months into a season if I'm still at that level, if the results are still like that, then I'd be feeling something, maybe my confidence would be taking a hit.' Lawson may not have got the time he deserved at Red Bull Racing to make an impression, but he has 12 more grands prix to state his case in a car capable of occasional big results. The pressure's on, but it's up to him to prove he's equal to the challenge. Originally published as Liam Lawson tries to set the record straight after brutal Red Bull demotion
