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New York Times
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Is Austria F1's most beautiful track? Plus, Norris leads early at the Red Bull Ring
Prime Tire Newsletter | This is The Athletic's twice-weekly F1 newsletter. Sign up here to receive Prime Tire directly in your inbox on Tuesday and Friday. Welcome back to Prime Tire, where today we're going to celebrate something wonderful in Formula One. I'm Alex, and Luke Smith will be along later. The hills are alive with the sounds of Styria. F1 sounds, in fact, as the current V6 hybrid engines make their final appearance at this glorious track. The deeper, flatter engine notes the current cars produce compared to previous eras may not be one of every F1 fan's favorite things, but the sights of the Austrian Grand Prix venue are surely up there. Advertisement There's just something great about the Red Bull Ring, or the Österreichring, as it was, or even the A1-Ring for F1 fans of the 1990s and early 2000s. It mainly comes down to the track's stunning location in central Stryia, where the undulating topography has the drivers feeling like they're climbing (and descending) a mountain every lap. Ringed by proper peaks, here fans can see the cars at multiple places around the track from just a single vantage point. It's a stunning location for a race track. Now then, all together… 🎶 Doe — deer have made famous appearances at this place (nearly tragically for Stefan Johansson in 1987 and more amusingly for Juan Pablo Montoya in 2001). 🎶 Ray — the track gets plenty of golden sun during the summer months, but the altitude can have rain coming down thunderously very quickly. 🎶 Me — I've been twice, to cover Formula Two in 2017 when Charles Leclerc ran riot for Prema Racing and again in 2023, when Max Verstappen did likewise for the home F1 team. 🎶 Fa-r — over 120 miles from the Austrian capital Vienna, to be precise. But it's a lovely drive down the Autobahn, in and out of many mountain-hewn tunnels. 🎶 Sew — I guess those lederhosen outfits Red Bull and Mercedes wheel out fairly regularly here? 🎶 La — the vociferous voices of Verstappen's orange army, which camps out en masse every year at the Red Bull Ring. 🎶 Tea — no, really just Red Bull here, and Madeline Coleman tells me iced gummy bear flavor is on offer this year. 🎶Do-n't worry, I won't break out into full 'Edelweiss,' and it must be noted here that there have been several high-profile negative incidents at this track even in recent years. The 2022 Austrian GP, for example, was marred by appalling harassment of female fans, as well as instances of homophobic and racist slurs being hurled from some out-of-control 'fans'. F1 issued a statement, but all-around good egg Sebastian Vettel said something that was actually worth listening to. Advertisement 'There should be zero tolerance,' said the then Aston Martin driver. 'If people have a good time and drink too much, that's OK, but it doesn't justify or excuse wrong behavior.' But at least the setting for the Austrian GP is magical, and the racing tends to back that up. Think Michael Schumacher versus Montoya here in 2001, Schumacher versus everyone and briefly on fire in 2003, and Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg colliding on the last lap in 2016. Or Verstappen's thrilling battle with Leclerc in 2019, and of course, that Lando Norris clash for the Dutchman in 2024. Did you also know that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who hails from Vienna, also worked here as a driving instructor in the mid-1990s? 'I was working for a racing school and I was living in the farmhouse,' Wolff explained in Friday's team principals' FIA news conference in Austria. 'There were lovely people — egg and bread in the morning, a glass of milk. And then I was teaching people to drive Formula Ford cars around the old Österreichring. The highlight of the day was shaking those cars down in the evening and making them ready for the next day.' This place just seems to breed stories, so over to Luke to reveal the lovely view they tend to get written alongside in Austria. I am writing today's Inside the Paddock from the media center at the Red Bull Ring, which offers what is unquestionably the best view of the season from our 'offices' for any F1 weekend. The incredible glass structure alongside the main straight has the media center at the very top, offering views of the majority of the circuit. I've got Turn 1 right ahead of me, Turn 3 to my right in the distance, plus the left-handers of Turn 6 and 7. It's hard when the race is ongoing to keep an eye on the screens in the media center and not watch the actual cars out on the track! Advertisement It's a funny thing to explain to reporters in other sports, often watching in stadiums that offer a total view of an entire field. It's actually quite rare for us to get any kind of view of the track in F1 media centers nowadays (some don't even have windows!), so we're making the most of it this weekend. The only tiny drawback is we're not actually inside the paddock — the title of this section is a lie! — meaning it requires taking an elevator down the back of the track's main grandstand and then walking through a tunnel under the main straight to get up to the paddock for interviews and chats with sources. But, overall, this has to be one of the best facilities of the season. Oh, and to Alex's point about the beauty of this race, I've been loving the drive to and from the track each day through the mountains. Way to go, Austria. Swapping you for Milton Keynes next week, where we're staying for the British GP, will bring me rather back down to earth… Here are the main takeaways from today's on-track action in Austria: Final practice in Austria takes place at 7:30 p.m. ET and 11:30 a.m. UK on Saturday, with qualifying to follow at 11 a.m. ET and 3 p.m. UK. Follow it all with us. 📫 Love Prime Tire? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
The Independent
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Lando Norris is ‘too emotional' amid F1 title battle, says former McLaren star
Juan Pablo Montoya believes Lando Norris is 'too emotional' in the heat of battle as the McLaren star fights with his teammate Oscar Piastri for the F1 world championship. Norris cost himself 10 points in the title race after he crashed out of Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix, taking full blame for colliding with Piastri with just a few laps left of the race. The gap at the top of the standings is now 22 points, with Norris having won just two out of 10 races this season. The Briton has also admitted numerous mistakes in qualifying, which have cost him higher starting spots on the grid. Montoya, who raced in F1 for Williams and McLaren from 2001-2006 and won seven races, believes Norris was 'unnecessarily impatient' in his move on Piastri in Montreal. 'Lando is just way too emotional,' Montoya said. 'I really like him, I feel for him because of the way his emotions are, each time he's putting himself in a harder situation. 'He's very calm all weekend and executes all weekend. And then he gets to that last Q3 and something clicks in his head and he thinks ' now I cannot screw up.' And you know, when you think about not screwing up… is when you normally screw up. 'Even if Oscar had given him a bit of room and he put the tyres on the grass, he was going to come out backwards out of that deal. So even if he didn't hit Oscar, that wouldn't work. It is unnecessarily impatient.' Montoya added that he believes Norris should have received at least one penalty point for the incident, given Max Verstappen received three penalty points for his collision with George Russell at the Spanish GP earlier this month. 'People were saying that Lando got a penalty for the incident, but didn't get any points on his license… why?' Montoya added, in association with Casino Hawks. 'If you're giving somebody a five-second penalty for reckless driving and causing an incident, did he not get at least a point on his license? 'That's what Max always complains about, which is why he also talks about where someone's passport is from. 'Do you have levels where you can get a penalty without points? Normally, everybody who does something stupid gets points on his license. 'What Lando did was really stupid. He created a collision. You either penalise him or you don't.' Norris will be looking to bounce back at the next race in Austria (27-29 June).
Indianapolis Star
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Alex Palou's crash in Detroit Grand Prix continues streak of Indy 500 winner not winning next race
DETROIT — Alex Palou hoped to make the next bit of history with a win in the Indianapolis 500 and the same series' race the following weekend for the first time in more than 30 years. Palou, the first Spaniard to win the Indy 500, crashed into a barrier on Turn 1 with 28 laps to go. It came after the leaders pitted on a caution and during the restart with contact from David Malukas. It will be Palou's worst placement (25th, did not finish) in a dominant season after he won five of the first six races and finished runner up to Kyle Kirkwood at Long Beach. It was Al Unser Jr. who won the Indy 500 and then the Milwaukee mile in consecutive weeks in 1994. It had been a quarter century since Juan Pablo Montoya won the Indy 500 and went on to win his next race, albeit in CART at the Milwaukee mile. Here's a look at how Indy 500 winner since 1994 have performed in their second race. 2025: Alex Palou, 25th, did not finish at Detroit 2024: Josef Newgarden, 26th at Detroit 2023: Josef Newgarden, 10th at Detroit 2022: Marcus Ericsson, seventh at Detroit 2021: Helio Castroneves, no race the week immediately after; did not run the next scheduled race 2020: Takuma Sato, second and ninth at World Wide Technology Raceway 2019: Simon Pagenaud, sixth and 17th at Detroit 2018: Will Power, seventh and second at Detroit 2017: Takuma Sato, eighth and fourth at Detroit 2016: Alexander Rossi, 10th and 12th at Detroit 2015: Juan Pablo Montoya, 10th (twice) at Detroit 2014: Ryan Hunter-Reay, 16th and 19th at Detroit 2013: Tony Kanaan, 13th and 12th at Detroit 2012: Dario Franchitti, second at Detroit 2011: Dan Wheldon, no race the week immediately after; did not run the next scheduled race 2010: Dario Franchitti, fifth at Texas Motor Speedway 2009: Helio Castroneves, 11th at The Milwaukee Mile 2008: Scott Dixon, second at The Milwaukee Mile 2007: Dario Franchitti, second at The Milwaukee Mile 2006: Sam Hornish Jr, 12th at Watkins Glen 2005: Dan Wheldon, no race the week immediately after; sixth at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks later 2004: Buddy Rice, no race the week immediately after; 15th at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks later 2003: Gil De Ferran, no race the week immediately after; eighth at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks later 2002: Helio Castroneves, no race the week immediately after; fourth at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks later 2001: Helio Castroneves, 26th at The Milwaukee Mile (back in CART) 2000: Juan Pablo Montoya, won at The Milwaukee Mile (back in CART) 1999: Kenny Brack, no race the week immediately after; 13th at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks later 1998: Eddie Cheever, no race the week immediately after; 26th at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks later 1997: Arie Luyendyk, no race the week immediately after; first at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks later 1996: Buddy Lazier, no race the week immediately after; end of the season 1995: Jacques Villeneuve, sixth at The Milwaukee Mile 1994: Al Unser Jr, won at The Milwaukee Mile
Daily Mirror
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
F1 teams 'not ready to handle' radical change to Monaco Grand Prix for 2025
Exclusive: Every driver will have to make at least two pit stops during the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix after a major rule change with the intention of making the event a more exciting race A former Formula 1 star predicts some teams will be caught out by the unusual rule that will be in force at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. For 2025, the race is a guaranteed two-stopper – at least – with every driver required to use all three types of slick tyre during Sunday's race. At every other race, the rule is that, in the dry weather, every car has to use at least two of the three different compounds – soft, medium and hard rubber. But that rule has been altered in a bid to spice things up in Monte Carlo. While still one of the staple events of the global motorsport calendar, the Monaco F1 race has become a little stale in recent years. The tight, twisty track remains an enormous challenge for drivers but the bigger, bulkier cars of today make overtaking virtually impossible. It makes qualifying spectacular every year, with ever driver pushing to the absolute limit and not leaving a spare inch of room in search of the best lap time. But the race can often be a procession – something F1 bosses are trying to change. The idea is that extra pit stops will lead to more strategy errors being made and provide more opportunities for the running order to change. And Juan Pablo Montoya believes some drivers and teams may be caught out by the different rules this weekend. "Yes, I think it's great," he said, when asked by Mirror Sport about the special new rules. "You're gonna have a bunch of scenarios coming up. "If you're towards the back of the grid, you might want to start on the soft tyres and do a lap because if you stop at the end of the first lap, by the time the race still strings out, you've got to be in the back of the line pretty soon. "You're gonna save one of the pits straight away, whereas the leaders need to find when to pit. So you're gonna have guys up front leading and waiting and you get a safety car, all of a sudden everything becomes upside down. That might become more like an IndyCar race where more people can win the race. "I don't think teams in F1 are ready to handle it as it needs to be handled. I think somebody's gonna get it right. But I think a lot of people are gonna get it wrong because they're so used to running races certain ways and the whole strategy is built for that." Montoya spoke exclusively to Mirror Sport via Vision4Sport, where you can enquire about exclusive packages to the world's best sporting events.
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Formula 1: Liam Lawson needs to show progress at Imola
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, 2025. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Analysis - The pressure continues to mount for New Zealand driver Liam Lawson heading into the sixth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. Entering this weekend's Emilio Romagna Grand Prix at Imola in Italy, Lawson remains without a point in the championship. Following Alpine's switch of drivers last week, with Franco Colapinto replacing Jack Doohan for the next five races, the question that is doing the circuit is..... who is next? Lawson remains at the top of the list. It is a little unfair on the 23-year-old who has had a bit of a rough time this year. However, in motorsports' pinnacle event, it is all about winning. Lawson isn't the only one struggling, with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso also yet to pick up a point. There are plenty of reserve drivers or those in F2 that are waiting to take over a seat. This week, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya weighed in with his thoughts about Lawson saying he "wouldn't be surprised" if Racing Bulls replaced him before the end of the season. Lawson's confidence took a battering in the first two races of 2025 when he struggled to optimise the Red Bull car and admitted to being blindsided by his relegation back to Racing Bulls. That sort of treatment can certainly take a toll on a driver and he needs to show the mental fortitude that got him to F1 in the first place. Luck plays a part in sporting careers and Lawson would appreciate a bit of luck going his way soon. Last year, Lawson was seen as a young star with huge potential. In 2025, he has to turn that potential into some sort of success and this weekend that means progress. Battling with the also-rans is no longer acceptable, it is about championship points. The 23-year-old's best results so far have been 12th twice, while he has also had two DNF's. He has also generally trailed his Racing Bulls team-mate Isack Hadjar which doesn't help. Photo: PHOTOSPORT The car and courses do remain an issue for him. Making Q3 and ensuring a top ten grid start is within reach of the team, but not consistently. Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies has admitted that they haven't always managed to get the best out of their cars. Qualifying has been an issue for Lawson. "The difference between one or two-tenths can knock you out of Q1 or put you in Q3, which is really, really tough," Lawson said earlier this season. He has also had to familiarise himself with new tracks. That is not the case this weekend as Lawson has driven at Imola before (F2). Time is ticking and Lawson needs to make a move soon. The San Marino Grand Prix use to be at Imola despite San Marino being 100km away. The race is now called the Emilia-Romagna for the region it is in. The track is officially called the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari and is one of the few circuits that runs anti-clockwise. Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, 2025. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
