Latest news with #ImolaGrandPrix
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Coulthard lauds Verstappen for Imola win, terms Piastri as favourite among McLaren pair
Formula One may be entering a new race weekend in Monaco on Friday, but the crucial turning moment of the Imola Grand Prix a few days ago still lingers on the back of several minds, even of F1 pundit and former driver, David Coulthard. The overtake that reigning champion Max Verstappen made on McLaren's Oscar Piastri was one for the history books. 'Imola, for me, was confirmation of why he is the world champion,' said Coulthard, who was once at the helm of Red Bull himself, back in the early 2000s. Happy Birthday to the one and only David Coulthard! 🎉 Wishing you an incredible day from all of us at Silverstone! 🥂 📸 @ — Silverstone (@SilverstoneUK) March 27, 2025 'Max is the driver of this generation right now. The fact that Max is still within that distance as we come to Monaco is all credit to his driving skills. 'You don't have to be a Max Verstappen fan to be impressed with his performance,' he said. Red Bull's first-ever podium finisher lauded Verstappen's 'phenomenal' outing at the historic Italian circuit, hinting that McLaren's bid to snatch both titles might not be as straightforward as it hoped. With Piastri and teammate Lando Norris often matching each other on pace, it gives the Dutchman the right amount of space to squeeze through and leapfrog the McLaren duo. 'When you have two guys going head-to-head, it's always going to end with somebody not being happy,' said the Scot, who was with McLaren for almost nine seasons (1996-2004). 'McLaren has produced a very good racing car, and they've got two very good Formula One drivers. If they cannot win the World Championship, it will be because Red Bull has out-developed them during the course of the year. 'There's going to be some coming together between the two McLaren drivers at some point. But if Max is continually there, getting podiums and wins occasionally, then it makes it more challenging for the management of McLaren.' ALSO READ: Coulthard believes Monaco pole-sitter could be 'disappointed' with mandatory two-stop Only seven races into the 2025 season, a tight fight for the top spot is looming at large, between Verstappen and within the Papaya pair. And Coulthard believes it's the championship leader Piastri who has the best chance at snatching the crown. 'From what it looked like, Lando [Norris] had the upper hand last year, but it really looks as if Oscar is the one that stepped up the most from last year,' said the 13-time Grand Prix winner. 'I am surprised that Lando has not been looking as settled. He is the more experienced driver. Oscar was a little bit in the shadow of Lando and outright performance, but he's picked that up.' 'When you have two guys going head-to-head, it's always going to end with somebody not being happy,' said Couthard, who was with McLaren for almost nine seasons (1996-2004). | Photo Credit: Getty Images Coulthard attributed Piastri's improvements to the work he's done to truly understand the car and exploit maximum performance. The talent is there, and he's being guided well (by former F1 driver Mark Webber). Piastri's manager, Webber, has been instrumental in moulding the young Australian, who is only three seasons into his FI career. With the experience he gains every weekend, Coulthard is convinced that the 24-year-old has what it takes. 'If Oscar does in the second half like he did in the first half, he's a champion.' (Formula 1 will be broadcast LIVE on FanCode in India)
NDTV
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
Verstappen Wins at Imola: Red Bull Celebrates 400th Grand Prix
Max Verstappen achieved his second win of the 2025 F1 season at the Imola Grand Prix, showcasing a powerful performance. The race's outcome was heavily influenced by the timings of the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) and Full Safety Car periods. Drivers such as Verstappen, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, and Isack Hadjar made strategic decisions that worked in their favor, while polesitter Oscar Piastri faced difficulties. Norris narrowed the championship gap by overtaking Piastri on lap 58 and securing second place. Verstappen made a decisive move at the very start of the race, getting ahead of Piastri at Turn 2 and quickly building a lead. McLaren opted for an early pit stop with Piastri on Lap 14, while Verstappen chose to stay on track. This decision backfired after Esteban Ocon had to stop on Lap 29, resulting in a VSC that allowed those who hadn't pitted, including Verstappen, to change tires without losing much time. When he rejoined, Verstappen led by around 20 seconds. The race was neutralized again when Kimi Antonelli suffered a throttle issue and stopped on Lap 46, leading to a Safety Car deployment. Verstappen, however, managed the restart excellently and crossed the finish line with a lead of 6.109 seconds. Lewis Hamilton had a tough qualifying, starting in P12, but worked his way up to finish fourth. Charles Leclerc and Alexander Albon battled for fifth place, with Albon making a late move on the last lap, continuing a strong day for Williams. George Russell took seventh for Mercedes, followed closely by Carlos Sainz from Williams. Isack Hadjar ended the race in ninth after a strategy similar to Verstappen's, while Yuki Tsunoda secured the last points position after a strong recovery from the pit lane. Piastri's championship lead has been cut down to just 13 points ahead of Norris, while Verstappen is now only nine points behind Norris. The next race on the calendar is the Monaco Grand Prix, where drivers will be required to make two pit stops.
Economic Times
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Economic Times
Ferrari cracks at home, Hamilton frustrated as McLaren surges ahead at Imola
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was left heartbroken at the Imola Grand Prix as McLaren's Oscar Piastri claimed pole position. With Lewis Hamilton also disappointed in his car's pace, the 2025 F1 season continues to expose the performance gap. The tifosi watched in silence as dreams unraveled at Ferrari's home track Charles Leclerc looks on after a difficult qualifying session at Ferrari's home Grand Prix in Imola, as McLaren and Red Bull outpace the Scuderia in the 2025 F1 season Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads There was a visible weight on Charles Leclerc's shoulders as he stepped out of his Ferrari after qualifying at Imola. The roar of the tifosi had faded into an uneasy hush. This wasn't just another missed pole position, it was a collapse on sacred ground, only 50 miles from Ferrari's soul in Piastri, the rising McLaren star, clocked a near-perfect lap to seize pole. Leclerc, nearly a full second behind, couldn't mask his read: From one tweet to the top: Oscar Piastri's McLaren gamble pays off as he leads F1 title race "Very disappointed, especially at home at such a special grand prix for the team, it hurts. It would have hurt anyway at whatever track, but here it hurts even more," he marks the second consecutive weekend Ferrari failed to improve on fresh tyres, a concerning trend as the Formula 1 season Leclerc was contending with expectations from within, Lewis Hamilton was contending with expectations from the positive feedback about Ferrari's improvements at the Imola Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion found himself over a tenth slower than his teammate and significantly off the pace of both Red Bull and McLaren."I feel gutted, I guess... the car was generally feeling really good," said Hamilton. "We just can't go quicker. If you look at how quick Max is going through Turn Two and Three, we just can't match it."Hamilton noted that their soft tyre didn't provide the expected grip during final qualifying runs, a frustration echoed by the entire team as their technical struggles read: No team orders: McLaren plans to 'let 'em race' as Piastri and Norris battle for F1 championship Still, Hamilton isn't sounding the alarm yet. His move to Ferrari was always about the long game."This is a foundation-building year... getting to grips with everything within the team, making changes... I have all the faith and belief we can do that."Leclerc sits fifth in the drivers' standings. Hamilton, still finding rhythm in his debut season with Ferrari, is seventh. The team as a whole is fourth in the constructors' championship, now trailing leaders McLaren by a staggering 152 points.
Top Gear
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Franz Hermann roars to Imola victory on F1 debut
Formula One Little known GT3 driver becomes overnight star just days after Nurburgring outing Skip 6 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Franz Hermann, who was completely unknown until a week ago, primarily because he doesn't exist, has powered to victory at the Emilia-Romag- nope, not saying it again, Imola Grand Prix. The newcomer set up his maiden victory with a stunning overtake on McLaren's Oscar Piastri on the opening lap, after which he was completely untroubled on his way to the chequered flag. Advertisement - Page continues below If you're wondering what parallel universe is broadcasting from today, stand down: we're of course referring to the false identity Max Verstappen used to test a 296 GT3 at the 'Ring last week. Clearly having a pseudonym works. Bearing down on the first corner Piastri took a cautious approach into the braking zone, not the slightest bit worried that the German rookie on his outside might dare challenge for the lead from that far back. Oops! Wrong. You might like In all seriousness, this was Verstappen at his outrageous best: not only sensing the move was on, but sending it right on the limit and bulldozing past, both within the white lines and without a shred of carbon fibre sacrificed. No stewards inquiry needed for that one. From there neither McLaren could live with the pace of the Red Bull, and even a late-ish safety car failed to put Verstappen's win in jeopardy. Simply lovely. Advertisement - Page continues below Whatever the struggles in the second Red Bull seat – Yuki Tsunoda recovered from a violent barrel roll in qualifying to finish P10 from a pit lane start – we can safely say the RB21 isn't the fourth-fastest car on the grid any more. In Verstappen's hands it's won more races than the supposed pre-season favourite (Lando Norris had a quiet run to P2) so far, and the Dutchman is still in touch with championship leader Piastri, 22 points down. And we're not even a third of the way into the season yet. World championship #5 is very much on. Further back, there were any number of talking points: Hamilton's surge from P12 to P4, Albon's second P5 on the bounce for Williams, and Isack Hadjar impressing again with yet more points for RB. Any alternative shouts for Driver of the Day out there? Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Next stop, Insomniac Heaven. Yep, Monaco. Now with two lots of pit stops to wake up for...
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton's comeback saves Ferrari's home race
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in the Imola Grand Prix, Ferrari 's best result of the season so far. Hamilton started 12th but gained positions due to his strong race pace and two safety car periods. Despite the improved result, Ferrari still struggles in qualifying, impacting their race performance. Team principal Fred Vasseur is under pressure to improve Ferrari's performance. Red Bull 's victory in Imola highlighted Ferrari's long-standing issues and the challenge they face.
