Latest news with #McLarenMCL39
Qatar Tribune
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
QNB joins McLaren F1 as official race partner for Monaco GP 2025
Tribune News Network Doha Mastercard, a Primary Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team, has secured QNB an exclusive opportunity to leverage its McLaren partnership assets for the FORMULA 1 TAG HEUER GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2025. Through this unique collaboration with Mastercard, QNB, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, has served as an Official Race Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team for the event. Building on their shared focus on innovation and passion for creating unforgettable moments, Mastercard and McLaren Racing's global collaboration kicked off last year in Las Vegas. Together, the two brands are setting a new benchmark for connecting with fans worldwide, offering them a way to truly immerse themselves in the sport. The collaboration saw QNB's branding placed on the McLaren MCL39 and driver visors, providing global brand exposure to millions of viewers around the world at the FORMULA 1 TAG HEUER GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2025. Mastercard Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Raja Rajamannar said, 'There is nothing quite as exhilarating as a Formula 1 race, so it's no surprise that motorsports is now one of the fastest-growing passions worldwide. And the McLaren F1 Team stands out for its innovation, performance and unmatched fan community. Our global partnership with McLaren Racing brings the spirit of Priceless to this incredible sport – creating powerful opportunities for our customers to engage with a passionate and diverse fanbase. We're thrilled to extend these benefits to QNB, our longstanding and valued customer.' QNB Group Chief Business Officer Yousef Mahmoud Al Neama said, 'At QNB, we are pursuing an ambitious pathway from regional leadership to the ranks of the world's top banks. We are delighted to leverage our strong relationship with Mastercard to become part of the McLaren Racing family. The presence of our branding at one of the most prestigious events on the Formula 1 calendar will give a significant boost to our global brand visibility and recognition.' Throughout Mastercard's partnership with the McLaren Formula 1 Team, cardholders have exclusive access via blending the excitement of racing with other passion points like music, entertainment and culinary to deliver deeper, more immersive experiences.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Pato O'Ward: 'Excited to jump back in car': Pato O'Ward lined up for home FP1 race with McLaren at 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix
Mexican racing driver Pato O'Ward will return to the Formula 1 grid at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix , driving the McLaren MCL39 in Free Practice 1 . The 26-year-old full-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES competitor will take his latest stint in the F1 paddock as a part of his continued function as McLaren's reserve driver. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This is O'Ward's second straight FP1 session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez , providing home fans with a homegrown hero to support again. Pato O'Ward continues McLaren F1 integration with FP1 run at Mexico City Grand Prix Pato O'Ward's next appearance at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix will not only put him behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car for longer but also solidify his role in McLaren's development plans. The team confirmed O'Ward will be taking the seat during Friday Free Practice 1 on October 24. 'I'm excited to be jumping back in the car for FP1 at my home race in Mexico this year,' he shared with 'The Mexico City fans were unbelievable last time out, and it was a great feeling being able to extract everything from the programme that the team had planned. I'm looking forward to going again this year, working with Zak [Brown, McLaren CEO], Andrea [Stella, McLaren Team Principal] and the whole team.' F1's rookie rule and McLaren's 2025 driver strategy Under existing Formula 1 rules, each team must give two Free Practice 1 sessions per year to novice drivers—drivers who have started no more than two Grands Prix. McLaren has already announced that more will be said about the remaining three FP1 sessions allocated to young drivers in 2025. O'Ward's regular attendance in these sessions makes him a good choice in case of a substitute need, and his consistent performance in the INDYCAR circuit further adds to his credentials. Also read: As Mexico City gets set to host its motorsport hero for the second time, the spotlight will be on O'Ward to produce both speed and heart for an electric home support crowd.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
F1 Chinese Grand Prix Notebook: Oscar Piastri Rolls to Win as McLaren Extends Lead
McLaren made it two for two to open the 2025 Formula 1 season, but this time it was Oscar Piastri who rebounded from a painful home grand prix to emphatically underline his title credentials with a controlled display at the Chinese Grand Prix. Autoweek rounds up the main talking points from the Shanghai event. It was not a hugely memorable Chinese Grand Prix, as drivers executed a slow race of tire management, extending the life of the rubber to make a one-stop strategy work. That mattered little to Oscar Piastri, who was perfect up front from his maiden pole position to control the race, collecting the third victory of his career. It was a much-needed result for Piastri, clawing back crucial points in the championship after he was a victim of the rain on home soil in Melbourne seven days beforehand. 'It's been an incredible weekend from start to finish,' Piastri said. 'The car's been pretty mega the whole time. I think today was a bit of a surprise with how the tyres behaved but just super proud of the whole weekend. This is what I feel like I deserved from last week, so, extremely happy.' Lando Norris fended off early pressure from George Russell, and overcame a critical and worsening brake issue in the closing stages, to make it a McLaren 1-2. He consequently holds an eight-point advantage in the standings, over reigning champion Max Verstappen, with Russell and Piastri also close behind. 'I was losing two, three, four seconds the last couple of laps, so I was a bit scared,' Norris said of the worsening brake problem. 'I survived and made it to the end. I would have loved to have given it a little try and put Oscar under a little bit of pressure but not today. We're satisfied, great result. We'll go again next time.' Amid the pace of the McLaren MCL39 up front, two of the standout drivers so far in 2025 have been unsurprisingly Max Verstappen, and, perhaps a little more under-the-radar, George Russell. Verstappen was marooned in sixth place for much of the race in Shanghai but Ferrari's decision to pit Lewis Hamilton a second time gifted Verstappen fifth, while he eventually hounded down Charles Leclerc and grabbed fourth from the other Ferrari. It means Verstappen is the closest challenger to Norris in the standings despite Red Bull's tricky handling so far in 2025. 'The beginning of the race was not easy,' Verstappen said. 'I tried to drive to the pace we set out to do, but that's not at the level of the car ahead, but in the second half of the race we seemed more competitive, it was more promising, that was more enjoyable. I think we'll take that as a positive – that there is pace in the car at some point, we just need to understand why it didn't happen at the beginning.' Russell is another driver who has extracted the maximum from the opening pair of events. After his podium in Melbourne Russell was a solid fourth in Saturday's Sprint Race and then briefly threatened Norris on Sunday before maturely settling into a rhythm to pick up another trophy. Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff was impressed. 'I don't often give 10 out of 10s as I think there is always room to improve but George was faultless today,' Wolff said. 'He extracted the maximum from the car and for me, that was a 10 out of 10 drive. He has started this season incredibly well and is performing exactly as we knew he would as the senior driver.' Russell's teammate Kimi Antonelli was bizarrely voted Driver of the Day—an accolade that bemused the 18-year-old—as he finished a low-key eighth after picking up floor damage early on, believed to have come from hitting on-track debris. There were good vibes at Ferrari after Lewis Hamilton's controlled and emphatic Sprint Race victory on Saturday but the performance of the SF-25 fell away across the remainder of a weekend, before it ended in a rare double disqualification. Hamilton and Leclerc started fifth and sixth respectively, made minor contact on the first lap, and classified in those positions at the flag, albeit with Leclerc ahead after a mid-race swap instigated by a struggling Hamilton. The SF-25s lacked the pace to contend at the front and Hamilton pointed to set-up changes made post-Sprint in taking away the sweet spot and upsetting the balance. But post-race both of their cars failed the usual technical checks, with Leclerc's car found to be a kilo underweight the minimum limit of 800 kg, and Hamilton's car discovered to have suffered excessive wear to the skid plank. The thickness was found to be 8.6 mm on the left-hand-side and centre, and 8.5 mm on the right-hand-side, which is below the minimum thickness of 9 mm. The stewards outlined that 'there was no challenge to the FIA's measurement' by Ferrari and 'the team confirmed that it was a genuine error by them,' when it came to Leclerc's car. On Hamilton's car Ferrari confirmed that the measurements were correct, all required procedures were performed correctly, and that again it was a genuine error. It compounded a difficult race for Ferrari and crucially strips them of vital points in both championships. It is early days but Hamilton and Leclerc are now already 35 and 36 points respectively behind Norris, while Ferrari is 61 behind McLaren in the Constructors' Championship, a chasm considering just 14 split the teams at the end of 2024. Titles aren't won at the start of seasons but they certainly can be lost. There was a grim mood at Haas in Melbourne after a weekend-long absence of performance, particularly in high-speed turns, and boss Ayao Komatsu feared would take time to resolve. Fast-forward seven days and an outstanding Esteban Ocon put Haas at the front of the midfield pack, while Ollie Bearman provided much of the entertainment with a sequence of passes on the alternative strategy. Ocon started from 11th place but was inch-perfect as he rose to seventh, the highlight a move on Kimi Antonelli in which he dipped a tire onto the grass at high-speed, with Haas also nailing the timing of its one-stop strategy. Bearman started only 17th but ran a lengthy first stint on the harder tires, taking the punishment early on, before thriving on fresher and softer tires in the second stint. Bearman cleanly carved his way through the pack to classify in 10th place. Those results became even better post-race following the exclusion of the Ferrari drivers, promoting Ocon into fifth place, and Bearman eighth, giving Haas a haul of 14 points. 'Things were obviously looking difficult just a week ago in Melbourne, but we haven't slept much since then and it's all been worth it as we've discussed everything and where to unlock the performance from the car,' Ocon said. 'We knew there was more performance to be had, obviously we're keen to improve some more, but the signs for now are good. Honestly, it's been an amazing turnaround from the team. I'm proud of everyone back in Maranello, Banbury and Kannapolis—everyone's worked hard to find solutions. Well done to them and of course well done to Ollie, to. Double points, for us, is a massive thing.' Added Bearman: 'I'm super happy with the result—I didn't expect points today. Everything I was doing with the car worked, and that's a nice feeling to just have the groove and then to have some points to show for it. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting a one-stop race today but the tires were lasting much better than they were yesterday, the car was fantastic.' Team Principal Ayao Komatsu, speaking before the result was revised, was over the moon at the recovery job. 'It's been an amazing day,' Komatsu said. 'We reacted to our change of circumstances very well. Like I said before, the reaction after the Sprint yesterday to change the car set-up, it really worked for qualifying and the race. Communication and execution in the race today was really good. I think it's the best reaction I could have asked for, everyone has just gotten on with the work after Melbourne. I wasn't expecting to score seven points today, if somebody had told me would could have scored one point I'd have been happy. It's an amazing result. I'm looking forward to working together as a team and improving this car.' Liam Lawson expected a tough start to 2025, but even with moderate aspirations, it has been nothing short of a horror show. After a Q1 exit and crash in Melbourne, Lawson qualified plum last in both qualifying sessions in Shanghai, struggling for confidence from the wayward RB21. Lawson's Q1 time was seven-tenths shy of Max Verstappen, despite having three flying laps to Verstappen's single effort. 'It's a tough car to drive for sure and you always want more time to get used to it,' Lawson said. 'The window in this car is really small and that is known, but that is not an excuse. I have got to get a handle on it. We have had glimpses where it feels good, and I think to drive a Formula 1 car you need 100 percent confidence; I am not saying I don't have it but right now I just seem to be missing the window I need the car in - it is that I need to get on top of.' The race was little better, as Lawson wasn't even part of the midfield group, instead running a lonely race ahead only of the struggling Saubers. It is early days, and Lawson is shouldering responsibility, but he is sliding into the same situation that befell Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and late-spec Sergio Perez, in being unable to get a handle on a nervous car that has a narrow operating window. Verstappen's brilliance at extracting a lap time from a pointy car is well-known, but the gap so far between the Red Bull drivers has been a chasm, and already Lawson is under pressure to find answers. Is it a surprise? No, Lawson has only 13 Grands Prix under his belt, the gaps in Formula 1 are smaller than ever, and the car is tricky. But he needs to dig himself out of a hole quickly—if he is even afforded the opportunity to do so. Oscar Piastri, McLaren, 56 laps, 1:30.55.0 Lando Norris, McLaren, +9.748 seconds George Russell, Mercedes, +11.097 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, +16.656 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, +23.211 Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, +25.381 Esteban Ocon, Haas, +49.969 Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, +53.748 Alexander Albon, Williams, +56.321 Oliver Bearman, Haas, +1:01.303 Pierre Gasly, Alpine, +1:07.165 Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, +1:10.204 Carlos Sainz, Williams, +1:16.386 Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls, +1:18.875 Liam Lawson, Red Bull, +1:21.147 Jack Doohan, Alpine, +1:28.401 Gabriel Bortoleto, Kick Sauber, +1 lap Nico Hulkenberg, Kick Sauber, +1 lap Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls, +1 lap Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, DNF Lando Norris, McLaren, 44 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 36 George Russell, Mercedes, 35 Oscar Piastri, McLaren, 34 Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, 18 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 18 Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, 17 Alexander Albon, Williams, 12 Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, 8 Esteban Ocon, Haas, 6 Nico Hulkenberg, Kick Sauber 6 Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls, 3 Oliver Bearman, Haas, 0 McLaren 78 Mercedes 53 Red Bull 36 Ferrari 35 Williams 12 Aston Martin 8 Haas 7 Kick Sauber 6 Racing Bulls 3 Alpine 0
Telegraph
15-03-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Ranking the best-looking cars on the 2025 F1 grid from worst to best
With pre-season testing over and the first race of the season this weekend, we have seen all 10 of the 2025 Formula One challengers on track. Now, given most of the cars at this stage of the regulations look alike, and few if any are distinctive, this is essentially a livery ranking. Though everything aesthetic is taken into account, in some way. 10. Ferrari SF-25 There have been several attractive Ferrari liveries in recent years, perhaps peaking in 2022. The SF-25, however, is not one of them. They have changed the shade of red again, but that is not a major problem. What is an issue is the increased prominence of the HP sponsorship, which ruins the aesthetics of this car. White and blue front and rear wings I can just about live with, but the HP logo plastered behind the top airbox just ruins it. Four colours work well for Ferrari in my opinion and in this order: red, black, yellow and a very small amount of white. Blue should be nowhere near this one. In many ways it is a shame that this is how Hamilton's first Ferrari looks. 9. Williams FW47 Is the Duracell sponsorship on the airbox losing its novelty factor? I would say so. That this Williams is in ninth shows that many of these liveries are middling. The FW47 is not a bad-looking car as such, but it would be improved if the shade of blue on the nose matched the colour on the rest of the car. The white piping is a nice touch (more piping on F1 cars, please), though. A touch more red would not go amiss, either. A big part of me wants more white to replicate those mid-1990s Rothmans-sponsored Williams cars. 8. McLaren MCL39 I am always unsure whether the McLaren looks good or bad. It depends on the angle. Thankfully, developments in F1 have meant that fewer teams have so much exposed carbon fibre compared to a couple of years ago. McLaren are one of the teams who have kept a fair amount of black, though. I always thought a deep blue (there is a touch of that in places but not enough) was a good compliment to the classic 'papaya' shade of orange. It worked well in 2018, though that car was dreadfully slow. McLaren will not care what their car looks like if they can manage to win both championships this year. 7. Aston Martin AMR25 The shade of green looks a little lighter in 2025 and that is welcome. There is not much more to say on this one, as it is very much the same as last year's livery. I am struggling to spot anything significant that has changed, in fact. Minimal points for effort but at least the car has some identity in its aesthetic. 6. Red Bull RB21 We all now know what a Red Bull F1 car is going to look like. A few years ago I yearned for them to try something a little different, just for once. Now I think that would be a mistake. It is not exciting – would a yellow or red halo kill them? – but this works and takes its place firmly in F1's aesthetic midfield. 5. Sauber C45 This 2025 Sauber has attracted some criticism from observers and for reasons I cannot understand. Last year's version topped our list but partly because the novelty of a bright green and black livery was striking and uncommon. This is largely an evolution, with a bit more green. I suppose some of the criticism came because it is unadventurous. Just two colours and no real daring touches or anything remotely ambitious has been attempted. The green just fades into the black behind the driver. Still, it is at least different from the rest of the grid. 4. Haas VF-25 The Haas liveries have ranged fairly wildly in their decade or so in F1. Thankfully they have ditched the predominant grey of their early years. 2025's model is very much a variation on last year's red, white and black one but with more white than black this time. It's hard to get too enthusiastic about it but that is the case for almost all of the 2025 cars. Quite low effort, and that is probably to be expected with the final year of these regulations. Let's hope for some changes across the grid in 2026. 3. Mercedes W16 Very much a continuation of last year's car, the team have stuck with the silver/black hybrid after alternating between those two colours for a few years, with the usual licks of Petronas green. I ranked 2024's W15 in fourth, so this is only a minor upgrade. The red and the Ineos branding on the driver's airbox has gone, to be replaced by more silver. I think the beauty of this car largely depends on the angle you view it from. Its best angle is definitely from the front. 2. Alpine A525 Almost top place for trying something different from last year. In the wave of 'naked' F1 cars Alpine were the worst offenders, largely because their car was massively overweight. Thankfully they have mostly stopped that now, with the main areas of exposed carbon fibre being on top of the sidepods. And we do not often see them, so that works well enough. They could have perhaps leant into the BWT pink a little more, but from front on this is reminiscent of the Force Indias of seven or eight years ago, with just a dash of Alpine blue here and there. The pink halo works, too. 1. Racing Bulls VCARB 02 This gets top spot partly almost entirely because it is so different from the previous livery and also because it is different from the rest of the grid. There are slight Lola Mastercard vibes to the VCARB 02. It also feels like a slight variation on the Honda-inspired livery Red Bull ran for the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix. Simplicity is a plus in any F1 livery and you cannot get much more simple than white – and there is a lot of it here. The colour scheme on the nose, airbox and rear wing make it very clear that this is the Red Bull sister team, after years of their livery rather playing down that link. A sort of 'away kit' if you will and one that is better than the 'home' strip. Which car do you think is the best-looking car on the grid this season? Cast your vote and join the conversation in the comments section below
