Latest news with #LandoNorris
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Top 5 EPIC Storylines for the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa!
Buckle up, F1 fans! The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit is here, and it's packed with heart-stopping drama, wild weather, and championship battles. Nestled in the Ardennes forest, Spa promises unpredictable action as McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri duel for the title, Red Bull fights a winless streak, and rumors swirl about Max Verstappen's future. From championship clashes to driver market intrigue, the 2025 Belgian GP is set to be an unforgettable spectacle. Don't miss out on the action!
CNA
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- CNA
Piastri takes dominant sprint pole in Belgium
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium :Formula One leader Oscar Piastri took pole position for the Saturday sprint by nearly half a second at the Belgian Grand Prix while McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris qualified third. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen will join Piastri on the front row for the first race since Christian Horner was dismissed as team boss and replaced with Laurent Mekies. Piastri lapped the Spa-Francorchamps circuit with a best time of one minute 40.510 seconds, 0.477 seconds quicker than Verstappen and 0.618 clear of Norris. The Australian is eight points clear at the top after 12 of 24 rounds. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc starts fourth but teammate Lewis Hamilton will line up 18th after a difficult afternoon for the seven times world champion, whose most recent win came at the same circuit last year with Mercedes. The Briton spun on his last flying lap while on course to go through, with the suspicion falling on a failure of the car's rear axle. George Russell, who finished first last year for Mercedes but was then disqualified for an underweight car, also struggled and qualified 13th.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
What time is the F1 sprint race at Belgian GP 2025?
F1 returns after a three-week mid-season break for the Belgian Grand Prix at the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit - and the third sprint weekend of the 2025 season. Lando Norris won his home race last time out at the British Grand Prix, capitalising on teammate Oscar Piastri 's penalty to claim his second victory in a row. Piastri's lead in the world championship is now just eight points at the halfway stage of the season. Nico Hulkenberg secured his first-ever podium in F1 at Silverstone, while Lewis Hamilton once again finished fourth as he continues to chase a first podium in Ferrari red. Hamilton won last year's race at Spa-Francorchamps after George Russell was disqualified. This weekend's race will also be the first since Christian Horner's dismissal at Red Bull, with Laurent Mekies taking charge for the first time. Follow live coverage of the Belgian Grand Prix with The Independent When is the Belgian Grand Prix? All times BST Saturday 26 July Sprint race: 11am Qualifying: 3pm Sunday 27 July Race: 2pm How can I watch it online and on TV? The Belgian Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom - and ESPN in the United States. Sky's coverage of Sunday's race starts at 12:30pm (BST). Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action at Spa-Francorchamps on the Sky Go app. If you're not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. If you're travelling abroad and want to watch the Belgian Grand Prix then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help. F1 driver standings 1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 234 points 2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 226 points 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 165 points 4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 147 points 5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 119 points 6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 103 points 7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points 8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 46 points 9. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 37 points 10. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 23 points 12. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 21 points 12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 20 points 13. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 19 points 14. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 16 points 15. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 13 points 16. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 12 points 17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points 18. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 6 points 19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 4 points 20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points 21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points F1 constructor standings 1. McLaren - 460 points 2. Ferrari - 222 points 3. Mercedes - 210 points 4. Red Bull - 172 points 5. Williams - 59 points 6. Sauber - 41 points 7. Racing Bulls - 36 points 8. Aston Martin - 36 points 9. Haas - 29 points 10. Alpine - 19 points 2025 F1 CALENDAR IN FULL: ROUND 13 - BELGIUM (sprint weekend) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - 25-27 July ROUND 14 - HUNGARY Hungaroring, Budapest - 1-3 August ROUND 15 - NETHERLANDS Circuit Zandvoort - 29-31 August ROUND 16 - ITALY Monza Circuit - 5-7 September ROUND 17 - AZERBAIJAN Baku City Circuit - 19-21 September ROUND 18 - SINGAPORE Marina Bay Street Circuit - 3-5 October ROUND 19 - UNITED STATES (sprint weekend) Circuit of the Americas, Austin - 17-19 October ROUND 20 - MEXICO Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 24-26 October ROUND 21 - BRAZIL (sprint weekend) Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo - 7-9 November ROUND 22 - LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Street Circuit - 20-22 November ROUND 23 - QATAR (sprint weekend) Lusail International Circuit, Lusail - 28-30 November ROUND 24 - ABU DHABI Yas Marina Circuit - 5-7 December
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
F1 sprint grid: Starting positions for Belgian Grand Prix race
F1 returns after a three-week mid-season break for the Belgian Grand Prix at the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit - and the third sprint weekend of the 2025 season. Lando Norris won his home race last time out at the British Grand Prix, capitalising on teammate Oscar Piastri 's penalty to claim his second victory in a row. Piastri's lead in the world championship is now just eight points at the halfway stage of the season. Nico Hulkenberg secured his first-ever podium in F1 at Silverstone, while Lewis Hamilton once again finished fourth as he continues to chase a first podium in Ferrari red. Hamilton won last year's race at Spa-Francorchamps after George Russell was disqualified. This weekend's race will also be the first since Christian Horner's dismissal at Red Bull, with Laurent Mekies taking charge for the first time. What is the grid for the sprint race? Top-15: TBC 16. Alex Albon 17. Nico Hulkenberg 18. Lewis Hamilton 19. Franco Colapinto 20. Kimi Antonelli When is the Belgian Grand Prix? All times BST Friday 25 July Sprint qualifying: 3:30pm Saturday 26 July Sprint race: 11am Qualifying: 3pm Sunday 27 July Race: 2pm How can I watch it online and on TV? The Belgian Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom - and ESPN in the United States. Sky's coverage of Sunday's race starts at 12:30pm (BST). Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action at Spa-Francorchamps on the Sky Go app. If you're not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. If you're travelling abroad and want to watch the Belgian Grand Prix then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help. F1 driver standings 1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 234 points 2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 226 points 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 165 points 4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 147 points 5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 119 points 6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 103 points 7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points 8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 46 points 9. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 37 points 10. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 23 points 12. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 21 points 12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 20 points 13. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 19 points 14. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 16 points 15. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 13 points 16. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 12 points 17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points 18. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 6 points 19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 4 points 20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points 21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points F1 constructor standings 1. McLaren - 460 points 2. Ferrari - 222 points 3. Mercedes - 210 points 4. Red Bull - 172 points 5. Williams - 59 points 6. Sauber - 41 points 7. Racing Bulls - 36 points 8. Aston Martin - 36 points 9. Haas - 29 points 10. Alpine - 19 points 2025 F1 CALENDAR IN FULL: ROUND 13 - BELGIUM (sprint weekend) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - 25-27 July ROUND 14 - HUNGARY Hungaroring, Budapest - 1-3 August ROUND 15 - NETHERLANDS Circuit Zandvoort - 29-31 August ROUND 16 - ITALY Monza Circuit - 5-7 September ROUND 17 - AZERBAIJAN Baku City Circuit - 19-21 September ROUND 18 - SINGAPORE Marina Bay Street Circuit - 3-5 October ROUND 19 - UNITED STATES (sprint weekend) Circuit of the Americas, Austin - 17-19 October ROUND 20 - MEXICO Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 24-26 October ROUND 21 - BRAZIL (sprint weekend) Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo - 7-9 November ROUND 22 - LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Street Circuit - 20-22 November ROUND 23 - QATAR (sprint weekend) Lusail International Circuit, Lusail - 28-30 November ROUND 24 - ABU DHABI
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Oscar Piastri's anger at stewards was misguided – and shows rare weakness in title race
It is seldom we see Oscar Piastri lose his composed, cool-as-a-cucumber persona. What has made the Australian such an impressive championship contender this season at McLaren has been his equanimity and poise in the face of on-track incidents and off-track gossip. Wise beyond his years in just his third season in Formula One, the 24-year-old rarely misses the bigger picture. Yet Silverstone on Sunday was an anomaly. Piastri received a 10-second time penalty midway through a riveting British Grand Prix, costing him victory to teammate and championship rival Lando Norris. Piastri did the dutiful thing, congratulating his teammate afterwards, but was seething in conversation with Jenson Button below the podium. 'I'm not going to say much, I'll get myself in trouble,' he quickly said. 'Apparently, you can't brake behind the safety car any more.' In the customary post-race press conference for the top three finishers, Piastri was a smidge more measured. However, his perplexion was still blatant. 'I don't really care at the moment,' he said when asked whether he would visit the stewards' room for clarification. 'It obviously hurts at the moment. A different sort of hurt because I know I deserved a lot more than I got today. I felt like I drove a really strong race. It hurts, especially when it's not in your control. 'I don't really get it … I'm a bit confused to say the least.' Unfortunately for Piastri, the registered speeds and telemetry explain why the stewards felt it necessary to take prompt action. On lap 21, Piastri was leading the race from Verstappen behind the safety car, amid a chaotic and action-packed start in the Northamptonshire rain. When the clerk of the course decided that the safety car should come into the pits, the lights were extinguished on the safety car as Piastri accelerated on the Hangar Straight in sector three. Piastri (left) congratulates McLaren teammate Lando Norris on victory at his home race (Getty) Yet suddenly, halfway down the straight and feeling the need to create a gap between himself and the safety car with just three turns left, Piastri braked hard. So drastically, in fact, that his speed dropped in an instant from 135mph to 32mph. Needless to say, an erratic change in pace. TOP 10 DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP 1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 234 points 2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 226 points 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 165 points 4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 147 points 5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 119 points 6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 103 points 7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points 8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 46 points 9. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 37 points 10. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 23 points Verstappen, with his visibility obstructed anyway by spray from the back of Piastri's car, didn't see the change coming, swerving to the right and overtaking Piastri temporarily. The stewards, in their notes, described it as 'evasive action'. The sporting regulations add: 'The leader must proceed at a pace which involves no erratic braking nor any other manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers from the point at which the lights on the safety car are turned off.' By the letter of the law, Piastri falls foul of this. Piastri leads Norris by eight points at the halfway stage of the season (Getty) Button, the 2009 F1 world champion on punditry duties for Sky Sports F1, also believed Piastri's sudden brake manoeuvre looked 'aggressive'. He added: 'If it was in the dry, it might have been alright. But it was wet – and the visibility…' Piastri's 10-second punishment was not a surprise when it came through on the FIA noticeboard. At best, it could have been five seconds. And perhaps Verstappen made the most of it. But a penalty in this instance was the correct call, on a busy day for race control. It's not often we praise the FIA referees but here, an appropriate outcome was reached. For Piastri, his frustration is understandable. From a potential 22-point lead in the championship to Norris – joyous at winning his home race – the gap is now just eight points heading into Spa-Francorchamps in three weeks. It was odd seeing the Australian so apoplectic in the aftermath: a rare chink in the armour. But his anger was misguided. And in a title race between two title race novices, it will be another vital lesson learnt.
