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Daily Mirror
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Max Verstappen moan is unfair after F1 race director did what drivers have begged for
The Belgian Grand Prix got off to a frustrating start when it was stopped for more than an hour due to heavy rain, sparking a debate over the future of wet-weather racing in Formula 1 The FIA does not get everything right. It is not unfair to suggest that there have been so many blunders in recent years that it can be surprising when the Formula 1 governing body does nail its approach to certain situations. But that is exactly what it did at the Belgian Grand Prix. The delay of almost 90 minutes before the start of Sunday's race, for nothing more than rain, was maddening and it is completely understandable that thousands of people all around the world would have been shouting: "Just get on with it," at their televisions. After all, wet races are invariably some of the most exciting to watch. It creates extra danger, makes tyre strategy even more decisive and often acts as a performance equaliser, presenting some of the smaller teams who rarely get a chance to challenge at the front with an opportunity to do something special, like Nico Hulkenberg did in his Sauber at Silverstone just a few of weeks ago. It is also a chance for the bigger teams and drivers to make a comeback if qualifying didn't quite go their way. Perhaps that was why Max Verstappen, who started fourth on the grid but felt he could have done more, was so frustrated about the decision to abort the race start on the formation lap when visibility because of water spray was deemed to be too poor. "We should have started miles earlier, an hour earlier," the Red Bull racer fumed after the Grand Prix, with the hindsight of knowing that there were no dangerous crashes on the drier track. "A bit of a shame. They took a very cautious approach which we spoke about after Silverstone, to be a little bit more cautious. But, for me, this was then the other extreme. It just ruined a nice, classic wet race." He is right to suggest that it would probably have been an action-packed and entertaining race if they had started on time. More heavy rain fell not long after the planned start time which would surely have forced all cars onto extreme wet tyres and probably would have led to some carnage. But can entertainment really be used as an excuse for accepting extra risk? That is a debatable point because, as many people will point out, all F1 drivers accept that what they do is dangerous and that, every time they put on their helmet and get strapped into their racing machine, they are putting their lives at risk. If there is one place where fate should not be tempted, though, it is Spa-Francorchamps. Motorsport has a much better safety record these days compared to decades gone by, but that circuit in the Ardennes Forest remains treacherous. Anthoine Hubert was killed in a Formula 2 crash in 2019 and, just two years ago, 18-year-old Dilano van 't Hoff died in a Formula Regional race there. Many people will have made the point that, on Sunday, all cars on the F1 formation lap were on intermediate tyres and so they could have gone onto the extreme wets for more grip, but traction was never the issue. It was all about visibility and even Lando Norris, at the front of the pack and behind only the safety car, was having trouble seeing anything through the spray. He and several other drivers reported that over the radio, which was heard not only by their teams but also race control. Rui Marques, the F1 race director appointed by the FIA, then decided to abort the starting procedure and red-flag the track, commanding all cars to return to the pit lane. Was he being overly cautious? Perhaps, but it would be impossible to reasonably blame him. He has been in that role for less than a year, and would have been held ultimately responsible for sending 20 drivers out onto the track with zero visibility, if the worst should have happened. Plus, as mentioned, most of the drivers out there on track had been voicing their concern about the lack of visibility. F1 stars have been begging for some time for the FIA to consult them more when making decisions, which is exactly what Marques did in this case. His decision to wait out the worst of the rain led to a lot of standing around and waiting, and zero racing action for well over an hour. As disappointing as that was, it sure beats the prospect of a life-threatening crash at a circuit which has far too much recent history on that front. So maybe, Max, it's worth cutting race control a bit more slack next time. Because that "very cautious" approach might have saved lives.
The Sun
25-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Fears for future of iconic F1 track that's set to disappear from calendar after years of drama and tragedy
FOR Formula One fans, few race tracks capture the pure essence of motorsport racing quite like Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps. Located in the Ardennes forest, the 7km circuit has a special place in the hearts and history of F1 and beyond. 5 5 5 5 Whether it's the tricky La Source (Turn One), the breathtaking ride up Eau Rouge and Raidillon (Turn Three, Four and Five) or the sweeping double left-hander at Pouhon (Turn 12), there is something to get every petrol head excited. And that is not to mention the countless iconic races which have graced F1 there over the years - with Belgium being one of the original grand prix in F1's first season in 1950. From Michael Schumacher 's maiden F1 win at Jordan in 1992 to Lewis Hamilton 's epic battles with Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel in 2008 and 2018 respectively, raceday there is rarely dull. Indeed, reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen named it as one of the six circuits which should have protected status on the calendar, alongside Silverstone, Suzuka, Interlagos, Zandvoort and Imola. However, the modern pressures of F1 - which has seen the demand for glitz and glam skyrocket as scores of influencers and celebs with only a passing interest in the sport choke out those who genuinely care - mean some of the most iconic tracks on the calendar are at risk. Imola has lost its contract from next season in place of another controversial street track in Madrid, while Zandvoort is celebrating the final Dutch Grand Prix in 2026. Spa's place in the F1 calendar has already been reduced to a rotation piece for the next six years, with its absence sure to be felt in 2028 and 2030 in the wake of potential new venues such as Thailand or Argentina. However, gone are the days when the relative danger of a circuit is tolerated by FIA and F1 chiefs. F2 driver Anthoine Hubert tragically lost his life following a high-speed multi-car collision at Raidillon in 2019, while four years later Dutch driver Dilano van 't Hoff was also killed in the same spot during a race in Formula Regional. Circuit chiefs responded in 2022 by investing in gravel traps, widening run-off areas and moving barriers, but some said the changes did not go far enough. Wet races there are a particular concern too, with the 2021 Belgium Grand Prix being abandoned after just two laps driven behind the safety car due to the almost non-existent visibility on the track. The spray issue of F1 tyres is far from Spa's fault, but a growing desire for races in parts of the world where weather conditions are more guaranteed, such as the Middle East or even the warmer states in the USA, mean money talks. A record 380,000 fans attended the F1 weekend in Spa last year, yet lucrative money-spinning deals with new tracks including Las Vegas and Miami in the expanding US market are choking an already congested calendar. Indeed, the move to three races in the States came before the release of the new F1 movie. The film, produced by Apple and starring Brad Pitt, broke box office records as it grossed $463million worldwide on a reported budget of $200-$300m. Spa is a traditional track, but a fair share of the latest generation of fans following the success of Netflix 's Drive To Survive series and any more after the film tend to be more ensnared by the spectacle of the host tracks. Monaco has suffered the opposite issue to Spa, being a place where the race result is all but decided by Saturday's qualifying due to a lack of overtaking opportunities, but with the glamour to justify its continued existence. The real question for all parties in the coming years is whether F1 is really willing to abandon what made it the most popular motorsport in the world, the racing, in favour of money-spinning events catered for celebs and social media stars. In many ways it could be argued that it represents a battle for the soul of the sport, and some tough debate could be in line for CEO Stefano Domenicali in the future. F1 returns to Spa this weekend after a two-week break in the 2025 season, with the backdrop of Christian Horner 's abrupt Red Bull exit sure to make headlines before any cars even hit the track. 5
Scoop
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy Dates Confirmed
The new look format – with the championship's regular 15 races being run over four weekends instead of five – was signed off by the FIA's World Council of Motorsport recently. The championship trail will begin over the weekend of January 9-11 at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park and a week later heads further south for Round 2 at the Taupo International Motorsport Park January 16-18 as part of the Historic GP weekend at the circuit. The first two rounds in New Zealand's North Island will then be followed by two rounds in the South Island with Round 3 at Teretonga Raceway just outside of Invercargill January 23-25 and the final weekend the 70th New Zealand Grand Prix meeting, to be staged for the third successive year at the Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell over the weekend of January 30-February 1st. Formats for each weekend are set to be confirmed but it is likely that the extensive mileage available to drivers taking part in the New Zealand series will remain, and therefore allowing it to retain its global appeal as the best winter training ground for serious northern hemisphere single seater prospects. 2025 championship winner Arvid Lindblad is already being touted for a seat this season in Formula One. From 2026, the FIA will introduce a Regional Trophy concept for all Formula Regional and Formula 4 categories. These new formats provide organisers and promoters with unprecedented flexibility to choose between a traditional championship format lasting over a longer period or concentrating their competitions – under the 'Trophy' title - within a shorter timeframe with fewer events. This is the framework adopted for New Zealand's premier single seater championship. 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy
Scoop
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
FIA Backs Changes To Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy
The new look format – with the championship's regular 15 races being run over four weekends instead of five - has been signed off by the FIA's World Council of Motorsport and will be introduced for the 2026 season. From 2026, the FIA will introduce a Regional Trophy concept for all Formula Regional and Formula 4 categories. These new formats provide organisers and promoters with unprecedented flexibility to choose between a traditional championship format lasting over a longer period or concentrating their competitions – under the 'Trophy' title - within a shorter timeframe with fewer events. This will preserve the status of championships certified by FIA by offering an alternative which still answers the FIA's overarching goals of increasing global participation and making motor sport more accessible for all. The New Zealand championship will be the first to adopt the 'Trophy' profile and retains its FIA Championship status. It will be the 21st season of New Zealand's premier single seater championship – which remains highly regarded as a major international junior formulae not only by the FIA, but also by F1 and Indycar teams as well as driver development programmes. The support from the FIA and the World Council means that the New Zealand-based championship can start in early January after the Christmas and New Year holiday period, but complete its schedule – which culminates with the New Zealand Grand Prix - without any clashes with pre-season testing in the northern hemisphere. Clashes with both US Indy and IndyNxt testing in the US and FIA F2/F3 and other European championships have prevented a number of top line rising stars completing or even taking part in the championship in recent seasons. The FIA was keen to work with New Zealand organisers TOYOTA GAZOO Racing NZ to ensure that its flagship winter championship was accessible to all rising global single seater stars. 'We have long appealed to emerging single seater stars around the world,' explained TGRNZ Motorsport Manager Nicolas Caillol. 'That's not only because of the value for money we offer as an international championship, but also because of the testing mileage, the intensity of the qualifying and racing, the variety of highly challenging circuits the drivers experience and the professionalism of the teams involved,' 'Our most recent champion, 2025 winner Arvid Lindblad, is already one step away from Formula One and we like to think that his 2025 season in New Zealand has indeed played its part in that process. 'With the way now clear for more European drivers, and USA drivers, to come to New Zealand we have no more obstacles preventing the championship becoming even more important as a pathway for the world's best motorsport prospects. 'We will announce our 2026 calendar, and the revised format for each weekend imminently.'
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
All 6 of Formula 1's 2025 Rookies Have Been Set Up to Fail. Here's Why
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Back in 2024, none of Formula 1's 10 teams opted to change their lineups in the off-season. The 2025 off-season, as expected, went sharply in the opposite direction: Eight of the teams made changes in their lineups, including the introduction of six new rookies to the grid. The shake-up made for an exciting opening race weekend in Australia, but it was a rocky start for that huge rookie class. All six either spun or crashed during the race weekend. The one rookie of six who did not spin or crash during the race itself finished last on the road. It's a reminder that getting adjusted to Formula 1 is hard, a problem made all the harder by the brutal realities of the sport. Crashes bring intense pressure on young drivers, especially now that crash damage cuts into a team's cap-restricted budget for the year. In a world where pundits, fans, and team executives alike are quick to judge and slow to change their minds, early missteps are bad news. They are not, however, unexpected. All six drivers came into this year under scrutiny, either as the possible future of one of the sport's four 2024 race-winning programs or as a much-needed future lead driver of one of the six smaller teams in need of hope. Between the weight of expectations and the dangling threat of possible replacements waiting in the wings, all six are already set up for failure in one way or another. Kimi Antonelli is not the most decorated rookie on the list, but he is widely perceived as the best. Toto Wolff's latest protege is an 18-year-old super-prospect, one that seemed earmarked to be Lewis Hamilton's replacement since his dominance in karts carried over into cars at the regional level. Since then, however, his story has been defined by skipping steps on his rapid rise. Antonelli, already super-license eligible at 17 because of ridiculous point sums available to Formula Regional and Formula 4 champions, skipped Formula 3 to run Formula 2 last season. He finished sixth, with just two wins and one other podium, an impressive showing for a 17-year-old but a disappointment in a world where great prospects often win the F2 title as a rookie. It was the sort of season that suggested a title at that level would follow in 2025, but Mercedes boss Wolff had other ideas. The jump to Mercedes was announced on August 31st, a day after Antonelli crashed a Mercedes in his first-ever F1 practice session. This was skipping two steps: Not only was Wolff not waiting around for Antonelli to put up a great season in a global feeder series, he had no interest in waiting around while Antonelli spent time learning F1 at a lesser team either. George Russell, who won both F3 and F2 as a rookie, spent three years at Williams before getting called up to replace Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes. Antonelli got the call at 18. A choice that extraordinary puts Antonelli under a microscope. Wolff has effectively bet his reputation as a judge of talent on the least-experienced driver in F1, who is now tasked with replacing Lewis Hamilton at a team that seems capable of winning races this year. It is a ton of pressure for anyone, but it's an unfair amount to put on the shoulders of a teenager coming off his first-ever unsuccessful racing season at any level. All of that culminated in the middle of what would go on to be the best rookie race of the weekend by far. After floor damage led Antonelli to a first-round elimination in qualifying, the Mercedes driver had to fight through the field in the early stages of last Sunday's wet-into-dry-into-wet Australian Grand Prix. He cut through the Haas and Sauber traffic in front of him with ease at first, but shortly after passing Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber, he spun on his own. It could have been a disaster, the moment the pressure got to him as so many had expected. Instead, he avoided the wall. A bit of luck, but luck was enough. Antonelli got back on track, chased down Hulkenberg again, and got the spot back. After Mercedes got its drivers onto the intermediates at the right time, Antonelli leapt from 11th to 5th, then passed Alex Albon for fourth. A great result and an impressive race, but the mistake reinforces some of the concerns about Antonelli's hire that still linger. To put the performance of the rookies in Australia into context, the next-most successful rookie in the race crashed out. But Gabriel Bortoleto, the rookie champion of both Formula 3 and Formula 2 the past two seasons, still impressed despite that little problem. Bortoleto's pressure comes not from Sauber, a struggling team currently sponsored by a cryptocurrency casino, but from what Sauber is about to become. He is signed onto the team through next season, when Audi's acquisition of the team turns the program into a factory outfit for a major manufacturer. His teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, is a 37-year-old driver without a podium finish. Paired with a steady hand that has no real chance of being the future of the team, the pressure is on Bortoleto to prove that he can be the face of what is about to be a very expensive program. He delivered in qualifying. Bortoleto beat out his teammate and three of the five other rookies to make Q2, despite driving a Sauber that is not expected to score points often this year. Bortoleto survived the first fall of rain, but he crashed when the rain came again late in the race. It was not a great day at the track, but DNFs for three of the five other rookies meant that he was in line with the group. After dropping Sergio Perez and giving up on plans to revive Daniel Ricciardo's career, Red Bull had two realistic choices for its second seat. The program could pair either AlphaTauri standout Yuki Tsunoda or reserve driver Liam Lawson with Max Verstappen, a choice between a driver they have seen beat out teammates consistently over four seasons or a driver they have seen impress in limited running. Red Bull chose Lawson, finally an F1 rookie after running a chunk of races with the brand's junior team in each of the last two seasons. It was an odd choice. Tsunoda, who came up the ranks through Honda's ladder rather than Red Bull's, has steadily improved in each of his four seasons. Lawson has barely had a chance to get a handle on F1 racing. The decision looked all the more odd after qualifying, where Lawson went off track twice and got eliminated in the first round; Tsunoda qualified fifth. While Antonelli made up for his qualifying problems and surged through the field, Lawson struggled in the back throughout the race. He eventually crashed in the rain at the same time as Bortoleto, bringing out a safety car. Just one week into the season, he is already falling under the sort of scrutiny that dogged Sergio Perez for the past two seasons. Red Bull has twice tried to pair Verstappen with a younger driver. The first person to get that shot, Pierre Gasly, was demoted back to Toro Rosso halfway through the 2019 season. The other, Alex Albon, got a season and a half with the top team before he was dropped from the Red Bull family entirely. Unlike Lawson, Red Bull's other new face is at the team where you might expect to find a Red Bull-affiliated rookie. Hadjar has a middle-of-the-road resume for an F1 prospect, headlined by a strong second season in F2 last year. It makes him a solid fit at Red Bull's second team, but it does not make him a driver carrying the weight of major expectations. Hadjar missed out on the 2024 F2 title by 22.5 points. He had a shot to beat out Bortoleto for the honors as late as the final race weekend of the year, but a stall on the grid in the season finale handed the honors over to the future Sauber rival. It was a brutal moment, but Hadjar got his shot to replace Lawson (who himself replaced Daniel Ricciardo mid-season) at the brand's junior team, RB. He impressed in qualifying. A Q3 appearance in his first outing would be good in any context, but it was particularly nice to have after Lawson's disastrous Q1 elimination. Hadjar's teammate Yuki Tsunoda outshined him with a run to fifth, but his 10th-place starting position was still something to be proud of. Unfortunately, the lasting image of the weekend will be what happened before he got to that grid spot. Hadjar spun on a wet track while making his way to the grid, crashing backward into the wall before the race began. That led to a red flag and a very short day for the RB driver, who was comforted by Lewis Hamilton's father on his way back to the paddock. Since this happened in Hadjar's first-ever start, the unfortunate reality is that he will carry the moment with him until he impresses with something else. Hadjar should be happy that the Chinese Grand Prix is just a week later: he now has the opportunity to change his headline, a much-needed chance after a uniquely disappointing start to his career. While Antonelli, Lawson, and Hadjar compete to take or hold onto open seats at top teams, Ollie Bearman will have to wait. The Haas driver is part of the Ferrari academy, making him a possible candidate to replace Lewis Hamilton when he retires. That won't happen for a while, so for now, he is just another driver at a struggling team. He may have avoided any trouble in the race, but Bearman's race weekend struggles were the worst of anyone on the grid. The British rookie crashed in FP1, missed FP2, spun in FP3, and failed to set a lap in qualifying after his car suffered a mechanical problem. He finished last of the running cars in the race, mired in the back in a Haas that looks uncompetitive through one weekend. The disappointing weekend follows a disappointing season in Formula 2 last year. Bearman, who missed two race weekends while filling in as an F1 driver for Ferrari and Haas, finished a brutal 12th in his second season in the championship. He was also beaten in the standings by his Prema Racing teammate, new Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. After winning three features on his way to sixth in the 2023 F2 championship, it was a major letdown. Bearman did not get this opportunity because of his F2 resume, though. He earned it as a fill-in driver at the F1 level, a role he had to fulfill three times across Ferrari and Haas last year. He finished seventh, 10th, and 12th in those races. Those weekends prove that he can do this at this level, but he needs to consistently tap into that potential if he wants to be more than just a driver that Haas tried out for a couple of years. All five of the other rookies who struggled in Australia at least have their teams in their corners. The jury is out on whether or not Alpine team leadership actually supports rookie Jack Doohan. Alpine has four reserve drivers, at least two more than any team could realistically need. One in particular, former Williams driver Franco Colapinto, is a high-profile signing that seems primed to replace one of the team's drivers during the 2025 season. That signing led to speculation that Doohan's time at Alpine is already at risk of being cut short; that speculation got so loud, he actually had to respond to it in February. His place is protected for now, but anyone who followed Logan Sargeant, Daniel Ricciardo, or Sergio Perez last year knows that these kinds of assurances don't necessarily mean much. Doohan's case is not helped by his resume. The Alpine rookie has been in global-level support series since 2020, highlighted by championship finishes of second in the 2021 F3 season and third in the 2023 F2 season. Other than a one-off with Alpine to end the F1 season, he did not race at all in 2024. Between the somewhat public pressure from Colapinto and the unusually weak resume, Doohan already had a target on his back. That only grew when he crashed out in the rain on his first lap as a full-time F1 driver. Unless his contract is iron-clad, Doohan may already be in serious danger of losing his shot to stay in Formula 1. After Australia, none of Formula 1's six rookies are in a particularly good place. All are under pressure to perform now, for one reason or another. All struggled in one way or another during the race itself — and half of the group struggled in qualifying, too. For a group with little collective margin for error, this could be the start of a very bad year. The quest to turn that around starts in China this weekend. As Antonelli showed in the race on Sunday, a strong performance on track can turn this kind of pressure into triumph. He, Lawson, and the other 2025 rookies will have to bring those kinds of performances often if they want to advance up the grid and become stars of the sport. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
