Latest news with #McLarens
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Track rage? Verstappen penalized for collision with Russell at Spanish GP
MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Max Verstappen dealt his Formula 1 title defense a self-inflicted blow at Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix when he collided with George Russell's Mercedes, in a move which Russell later said appeared to be 'deliberate.' Verstappen had been ordered by his Red Bull team to cede position to Russell — in hopes of avoiding a minor penalty — after he had driven beyond the track limits so he could defend his position late in the race. The Dutchman slowed to let Russell pass, but as Russell did so Verstappen's car collided with the side of the Silver Arrow. Race stewards ruled that the 'collision was undoubtedly caused by the actions' of Verstappen and slapped him with a 10-second penalty. That sent him tumbling down the race standings to 10th place, after he crossed the finish line fifth. 'It felt very deliberate, to be honest,' Russell told reporters. 'It is something I have … never (seen) before in a Formula 1 race. 'It is a bit of a shame because Max is clearly one of the best in the world, but maneuvers like that are totally unnecessary and let him down. And it is shame for the kids looking up and aspiring to be Formula One drivers.' Verstappen was unrepentant. 'Next time I will bring a tissue,' Verstappen replied when told about Russell's comment on him not being a good example for aspiring drivers. The four-time defending champion wouldn't go into what he thought happened, adding that Russell 'has his view, I have my view." Other drivers commented on the incident. Lando Norris, who finished second behind McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, was taken back by the move when he watched it on a video monitor while cooling down. 'I've done that before ... on Mario Kart,' Norris quipped, comparing the collision to the popular video game of zany, action-packed racing. Verstappen undone by late safety car Verstappen was running third and looked to be in a strong position to at least challenge Norris for second place until Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes slid into the gravel and caused a safety car to come out. The McLarens went in quickly to get new, faster tires, but Verstappen had already made an extra pit stop and so didn't have any soft- or medium-compound tires left. So his team slapped on some hard-compound tires, which are slower and better for long runs, not the five laps remaining after the restart. Verstappen said he felt like a sitting duck and was quickly overtaken by Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari and then Russell. 'I think up until then it was looking quite good for us,' Verstappen said. 'We didn't have, of course, the pace of the McLarens, but with that three stop, it still looked quite racy out there, putting them at least a little bit on the pressure in a way that they had to push.' ___
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
Track rage? Verstappen penalized for collision with Russell at Spanish GP
MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Max Verstappen dealt his Formula 1 title defense a self-inflicted blow at Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix when he collided with George Russell's Mercedes, in a move which Russell later said appeared to be 'deliberate.' Verstappen had been ordered by his Red Bull team to cede position to Russell — in hopes of avoiding a minor penalty — after he had driven beyond the track limits so he could defend his position late in the race. The Dutchman slowed to let Russell pass, but as Russell did so Verstappen's car collided with the side of the Silver Arrow. Race stewards ruled that the 'collision was undoubtedly caused by the actions' of Verstappen and slapped him with a 10-second penalty. That sent him tumbling down the race standings to 10th place, after he crossed the finish line fifth. 'It felt very deliberate, to be honest,' Russell told reporters. 'It is something I have … never (seen) before in a Formula 1 race. 'It is a bit of a shame because Max is clearly one of the best in the world, but maneuvers like that are totally unnecessary and let him down. And it is shame for the kids looking up and aspiring to be Formula One drivers.' Tissue time Verstappen was unrepentant. 'Next time I will bring a tissue,' Verstappen replied when told about Russell's comment on him not being a good example for aspiring drivers. The four-time defending champion wouldn't go into what he thought happened, adding that Russell 'has his view, I have my view.' Other drivers commented on the incident. Lando Norris, who finished second behind McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, was taken back by the move when he watched it on a video monitor while cooling down. 'I've done that before … on Mario Kart,' Norris quipped, comparing the collision to the popular video game of zany, action-packed racing. Verstappen undone by late safety car Verstappen was running third and looked to be in a strong position to at least challenge Norris for second place until Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes slid into the gravel and caused a safety car to come out. The McLarens went in quickly to get new, faster tires, but Verstappen had already made an extra pit stop and so didn't have any soft- or medium-compound tires left. So his team slapped on some hard-compound tires, which are slower and better for long runs, not the five laps remaining after the restart. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Verstappen said he felt like a sitting duck and was quickly overtaken by Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari and then Russell. 'I think up until then it was looking quite good for us,' Verstappen said. 'We didn't have, of course, the pace of the McLarens, but with that three stop, it still looked quite racy out there, putting them at least a little bit on the pressure in a way that they had to push.' After taking just one point from the race, Verstappen was left 49 points adrift of Piastri in the overall standings. ___ AP auto racing:
NDTV
2 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Oscar Piastri Emphatically Wins Spanish GP As McLaren Secure 1-2
Oscar Piastri delivered a dominant performance to win the Spanish Grand Prix and further extend his lead in the championship standings. The 24-year-old Australian led a McLaren 1-2, ahead of teammate Lando Norris with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc rounding off the podium. Starting from pole, Piastri built an early advantage as Norris lost out to Max Verstappen at Turn 1. Although Norris quickly regained the place, Verstappen surged past both McLarens during the first round of pit stops to take the lead. However, the Red Bull driver's early second stop returned the lead to Piastri, sparking speculation of a three-stop strategy. That gamble became clearer when Verstappen pitted again late in the race, just as a Safety Car was deployed following Kimi Antonelli's retirement. The neutralization allowed most frontrunners to pit once more, setting up a six-lap sprint to the finish. Piastri and Norris broke clear at the restart, while Verstappen fell into battles with Charles Leclerc and George Russell. Leclerc passed him for third, and a controversial clash with Russell saw Verstappen forced off-track. After being told to return the position, Verstappen collided with Russell again and was handed a 10-second penalty, dropping him to tenth. Leclerc completed the podium in third for Ferrari, with Russell fourth. Nico Hulkenberg impressed with a charge from 15th to fifth for Kick Sauber. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth for Ferrari, followed by Isack Hadjar in seventh and Pierre Gasly in eighth. Fernando Alonso scored his first points of the season in ninth, while Verstappen rounded out the top ten. Further back, Liam Lawson narrowly missed out on points, with Gabriel Bortoleto, Yuki Tsunoda, and Carlos Sainz behind. Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, and Ollie Bearman were the final classified drivers. Antonelli and Alex Albon retired, while Lance Stroll withdrew from the event due to injury.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Max Verstappen left furious as Spanish GP ruined late on and Oscar Piastri wins
Oscar Piastri led a McLaren one-two finish as he won the Spanish Grand Prix from pole position. He and Lando Norris were put under pressure by Max Verstappen throughout the Barcelona race, right up until a late safety car which ruined the Red Bull racer's chances. Verstappen had gone for an aggressive three-stop strategy which kept McLaren on their toes. But any chance he had of improving on a third-placed finish behind them evaporate when Kimi Antonelli suffered an engine failure, triggering a safety car with 10 laps to go and a mad dash to the pit lane. Because of his extra stop earlier in the race, the Dutchman only had one set of hard tyres left to have fitted to his car. The McLarens ahead were able to fit more of the softer and grippier compound, as were Charles Leclerc and George Russell behind him. A big snap of oversteer out of the final corner allowed Leclerc to pass immediately when the safety car peeled in and Russell might have got past straight away too had he not touched the Red Bull while trying into the first corner. But then it all kicked off between them as Verstappen, when advised to move over and cede the place to the Mercedes, appeared to make deliberate contact with Russell's car. "What the f***?" the Brit asked over the radio, before confirmation came that the Red Bull man was under investigation. Just 19 cars took to the grid after Aston Martin confirmed that Lance Stroll, feeling pain in his hand and wrist, would not race. And when the light went out, the battle for the lead between the two McLarens that had been so heavily built-up never materialised. Norris suffered a relatively poor launch off the line and that opened the door for Verstappen. The Dutchman swept around the outside of the McLaren and gave leader Piastri exactly what he wanted – someone to slow his team-mate and title rival down so he could build a comfortable lead. And that's what he did, creating a four-second gap to Norris by the time Verstappen peeled into the pits for his first tyre change. The Dutchman found a lot of grip on the set of softs he moved onto and cut through the cars ahead when he re-emerged, to the extend he had the lead of the race even after Piastri had stopped. But he was on 10-lap old softs when McLaren switched to the medium tyres and already starting to lose traction and time. "It's so hard to drive," Verstappen complained as Piastri closed in, before pitting for the second time before half distance to drop down to fourth place, just ahead of Hamilton. It was around that time that Alex Albon became the first retiree from the race. He had picked up front wing damage after contact with Liam Lawson early on and then copped a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage – Williams served that penalty, sent their driver back out for one more lap and then ended his misery. At the front, Verstappen's strategy was aggressive but successful in putting pressure on the McLarens. The Dutchman was able to keep up with Norris and disavow the team of any notion they may have had about a one-two finish being little more than a formality. With 18 laps to go, he pitted for a third time to use new softs in the final stages to try to pile on the pressure. Sensing the danger, McLaren pulled Norris in just one lap later, and then Piastri, to put both also on the softs and remove the Red Bull rivals' advantage. Formula 1 fans can watch every practice, qualifying and race live with Sky's new Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in a new deal that saves £192. As well as Sky Sports access, this includes more than 100 TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+. There were a hairy few moments as Norris and Verstappen approached backmarkers, including Lawson and Oliver Bearman who were duelling for position. As Lawson attempted the overtake, Norris was forced to slow and opened the door for Verstappen – only for the Dutchman to then also be impeded. "F***ing idiots!" Verstappen yelled over the radio, while also gesturing angrily as he passed them. And he was then left baffled by his own team when he was put onto the hard tyres as most cars stopped when Antonelli brought out the safety car because of a power failure, while the McLarens ahead were fitted with used softs.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Lewis Hamilton responds to surprise result and eyes historic first for Ferrari
Ferrari hope to rely on their race pace after Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth and Charles Leclerc seventh for the Spanish Grand Prix, with both chasing podium honours Lewis Hamilton is eyeing a first Grand Prix podium with Ferrari today after a rare qualifying performance with which he was "really happy". The Brit struggled throughout practice in Barcelona but found the pace he needed to out-qualify team-mate Charles Leclerc for only the second time this year. He starts fifth today and believes Ferrari might have the race pace to be best of the rest behind the McLarens. Hamilton said: "Friday started off fun, but we had some problem with the floor in FP2 and I was losing a lot of downforce. "But we fixed it for today and the car was much more driveable, much more enjoyable. We clearly have made an improvement going into qualifying to get into Q3 when it's so close and to be in the top five, I'm really happy with that." Hamilton has so often cut a frustrated figure after qualifying in recent times but it was an upbeat seven-time Formula 1 champion who declared he was actually looking forward to the race. Sign up to our free weekly F1 newsletter, Pit Lane Chronicle, by entering your email address below so that every new edition lands straight in your inbox! He added: "I did get a bit of a long run yesterday [in practice] and it's definitely going to be close between everybody. It's amazing how close everybody is in qualifying and how half a tenth can put you from sixth down to 11th. That's pretty mad. "The long run is going to be challenging tomorrow for everybody. I think most people have mostly softs and one medium, Charles and a couple of other people have two mediums. "Which tyres are the best? Which strategy is the best? We'll see. They key is going to be getting a good start. My goal is to get a podium - I haven't had a podium in God knows how long, so that's my target for tomorrow." Leclerc starts two places behind in seventh, having gone against Ferrari advice and saved tyres for Sunday's race. The Monegasque also hopes that risk will pay off in the form of back-to-back podiums after he finished second in Monaco last week. Leclerc said: "We were one of the only cars to have only four sets of softs for qualifying, all the others around us had five new softs, so I knew it was going to be difficult. "I wanted to use only three softs which made our lives a lot more difficult. I take responsibility for it as the team had pushed for a different way. "But I'm quite happy with my choice. Yes, I sacrificed today, but I hope it will pay off tomorrow. If it doesn't then it's my fault. [I'm hoping to get on] the podium. I think the race pace is strong, so it all depends on how much we are going to overtake. We'll see."
