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BBC News
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Which drivers are in danger of losing their seat for 2026?
Austrian Grand PrixVenue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg Dates: 27-29 June Race start: 14:00 BST on SundayCoverage: Live commentary of practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra with race on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app After George Russell's win in Canada, Formula 1 heads back to Europe for this weekend's Austrian Grand Piastri has a 22-point lead in the drivers' championship over McLaren team-mate Lando Norris after their collision in Montreal eliminated the Sport F1 correspondent Andrew Benson answers your latest questions before the race in Spielberg. With the saga within the FIA, and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in particular, still drawing headlines for all the wrong reasons, how are the teams and drivers reacting to all of this? - GarethThere is widespread dismay and discomfort within Formula 1 teams and drivers about the way the FIA is being run. But they are not keen to make that too obvious time to time, the drivers - particularly George Russell, in his role as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association - make their displeasure known over a particular topic, for example the ban on the team bosses, while usually willing to discuss their unease privately, very rarely say anything publicly. That's because they just don't want to take any risks when the FIA is in a position to make their lives difficult, should it choose to do so, if they voice concern or exception was Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu before the season, when he said: "Don't write it [in a] headline 'Ayao says FIA is in a mess', but that's what everybody thinks. That's what everybody experiences. I don't know what to say. It's not great, is it? Seriously." But you could see the issue immediately when he was asked a follow-up question, and he replied: "I don't want to get into that political battle." Why are the Italian media so hard on Ferrari? Surely this puts more pressure on the team. - MartinFerrari have a different status within Italy from that of other teams in their home are regarded as a national team and as such the population feels invested in them and their performance. So people feel they have a right to express their opinion about how they're doing, because they is part of what makes Ferrari special, and what makes it a more intense, high-pressured environment than any other comes with the territory and anyone who thinks it doesn't is deluding themselves. It's also worth pointing out that it is not the media's job to support an F1 team. It is to report on it and scrutinise it, objectively and with question presumably arises from the remarks Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur made in Canada following reports in two leading newspapers in Italy on the eve of the race weekend that his position was in was not happy at all, and he said: "I don't know the target. I don't understand the target... in this case, I don't see the point. Perhaps it's for them the only way to exist. This is probably more the reason. But it's really hurting the team."It's not like this that we'll be able to win a championship. At least not with this kind of journalist around us."It's understandable that Vasseur would be upset. Although he said his main concern was not himself, because he knew the scrutiny that came with the job, but the other staff members whose names periodically appear in the paper, either directly or indirectly, by individuals from other teams being linked with thing is, these reports appeared in probably the two most respected Italian newspapers covering sport - Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere della Sera. And on the same day.I'm told they were not coordinated, and that would be highly unlikely anyway, given they are rival facts of Ferrari's current situation are that they entered the year, having come close to winning the constructors' championship last season, believing and saying they could compete for the title. And they have fallen a long way short of that so that is Vasseur's responsibility. Which of the current F1 drivers are looking in danger of losing their seat next year? - JohnThe obvious place to start is the two Red Bull teams. Yuki Tsunoda looks certain to be dropped by Red Bull unless he can find a major uplift in performance. The expectation is that Isack Hadjar will replace him alongside Max Verstappen, assuming the Dutchman stays where he is, following the Frenchman's impressive start to his career at Racing Arvid Lindblad, who is racing in Formula 2 for the first time this year and is third in the championship, has a good chance of being promoted to Racing Bulls. Whether Liam Lawson keeps his seat there remains an open drivers at McLaren, Ferrari, Williams, Aston Martin, Haas and Sauber/Audi are all tied in for next leaves Mercedes and likelihood is that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will retain their seats at Mercedes. Although if Verstappen was to become available, that could obviously lead to a change Alpine, Pierre Gasly is under contract but the second seat is wide open. It's anyone's guess who'll get that with all the uncertainty hanging over the team following the departure of Renault chairman Luca de Meo,, external who was the driving force behind its rebranding, and behind the appointment of Flavio Briatore as executive adviser and de facto team boss. Mercedes showed a significant upturn in performance at the Canadian Grand Prix, with George Russell securing the win. Do you believe this is a circuit-specific anomaly, or does it signal a genuine shift in their competitive standing, particularly with their recent aerodynamic upgrades? - EdeleAll Mercedes' rivals expected the team to be competitive in Canada - because they were last year, and because the circuit characteristics suit their issue has been with tyre overheating. Long corners, abrasive track surfaces and hot temperatures have tended to take their tyres over a threshold. Canada had only one of team principal Toto Wolff put it after the race: "I thought it's when I'm wearing a pullover, there's some kind of correlation with our performances because that means it's cold. And today, 50C track temperature, and we've been dominant."We've had some things changing on the car, we have a new rear suspension. I'm really happy how the team has managed that, the trackside team and also back in the factory, how these things have been coming on to the car. But I guess you need to look at the track layout."Montreal was always good to us, it lacks the typical high-speed corners where we suffer more in the heat. That's one, and number two is quite a smooth asphalt here, which is less abrasive and therefore less damaging to our car that suffers from rear tyre degradation and overheating."The new rear suspension is aimed at increasing anti-lift - ie, keeping the aerodynamic platform more stable, to keep rear downforce more consistent, and rear grip amounts of rear anti-lift and front anti-dive are one of the key success elements of this year's McLaren. So Mercedes is aiming for the same they won't know whether it's worked until they find out whether they can keep their Canada level of competitiveness once they get on to circuits that have more tended to expose their weaknesses. The first chance to find out is in Austria this weekend. What is your understanding about the current progress of having a grand prix in Africa? - NickF1 is still keen to have a grand prix in Africa, to make it a truly global world championship. But finding the right location is proving in South Africa last week announced that it had "confirmation that the FIA has accepted final design proposals to upgrade the circuit to Grade One status - the highest international standard required to host Formula 1".It added: "Selected works will be actioned pending the successful outcome of South Africa's place on the Formula 1 calendar and Kyalami being selected as the preferred hosting venue."In other words, it will do the required work only if it wins a contract to host F1. And it is a long way from is a rival bid in South Africa, for a street race in Cape Town. Neither is believed to have the funding popped up as a potential host nation last year - and its president Paul Kagame hosted the FIA prizegiving in December in the capital Kigali. But although a new F1-standard track is being built by the new airport there, the chances of the race happening have is another bid in Morocco, for a track in Tangier. But that as yet has no funding, and does not have the backing of the country's king, without which finances are unlikely to be found.
BBC News
a day ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
How to follow Austrian Grand Prix on the BBC
The European stretch of the Formula 1 season begins with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Piastri has a 22-point lead in the drivers' championship over McLaren team-mate Lando driver George Russell won last year's race in the Styrian mountains after Max Verstappen and Norris collided while contesting the race in Spielberg starts at 14:00 BST. Session start times and BBC coverage Commentary of the race will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website and app and most smart speakers. Make sure to download the Chequered Flag podcast, which previews and reviews every race of the times BSTFriday 27 JuneFirst practice: 12:30-13:30 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and smart speakers)Second practice: 16:00-17:00 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and smart speakers)Saturday 28 JuneThird practice: 11:30-12:30 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and smart speakers)Qualifying: 15:00-16:00 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and smart speakers)Sunday 29 JuneRace: 14:00 (BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and smart speakers) What is the weather forecast in Spielberg? The early forecast suggests it will be set fair for Friday and Saturday, with sunshine and a gentle breeze on both high for Friday practice will be 26C, rising to 29C for qualifying on Saturday. It should also be hot on Sunday but there is a chance of light rain during the race, which starts at 15:00 local time. Short but fast The Red Bull Ring is one of the shortest and fastest circuits on the calendar, with a length of 4.318km and a fastest lap in a race of one minutes 5.619 seconds, set by Carlos Sainz in a Ferrari in 2020. Verstappen took pole last year with a time of 1: are three DRS zones, so plenty of overtaking opportunities for drivers over the 71 Bull's Verstappen remains one penalty point away from a one-race ban. However, two of the 11 he has accrued over the past 12 months will drop off his licence after Austria. They were given to him for causing the collision with Norris at last year's race.
The Independent
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
F1 start time: Austrian GP 2025 schedule and how to watch
F1 next heads to the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix and round 11 of the 2025 season. Oscar Piastri extended his lead in the world championship last time out in Canada despite a fourth-place finish, with his teammate Lando Norris retiring late on after a collision between the two McLaren drivers. The gap at the top of the standings is 22 points. George Russell claimed Mercedes's first victory of 2025 in Montreal, beating arch rival Max Verstappen to first place while Kimi Antonelli picked up his first podium in F1. It was another troubling weekend for Ferrari, however, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton off the pace. The Scuderia will be eyeing improvement as F1 returns to Europe this weekend. When is the Austrian Grand Prix? All times BST Friday 27 June Free practice 1: 12:30pm Free practice 2: 4pm Saturday 28 June Free practice 3: 11:30am Qualifying: 3pm Sunday 29 June Race: 2pm How can I watch it online and on TV? The Austrian 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 in Austria 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 Austrian 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) – 198 points 2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 176 points 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 155 points 4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 136 points 5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 104 points 6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 79 points 7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points 8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 42 points 9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 22 points 10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 21 points 11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 20 points 12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 14 points 13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 13 points 14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 11 points 15. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points 16. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 8 points 17. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 6 points 18. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 4 points 19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 0 points 20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points 21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points F1 constructor standings 1. McLaren - 374 points 2. Mercedes - 199 points 2. Ferrari - 183 points 4. Red Bull - 162 points 5. Williams - 55 points 6. Haas - 28 points 7. Racing Bulls - 28 points 8. Aston Martin - 22 points 9. Sauber - 20 points 10. Alpine - 11 points 2025 F1 CALENDAR IN FULL: ROUND 11 - AUSTRIA Red Bull Ring, Spielberg - 27-29 June ROUND 12 - GREAT BRITAIN Silverstone Circuit - 4-6 July 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)
The Sun
29-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Tragedy as groundsman dies aged 55 after falling in pond while mowing grass at iconic F1 Grand Prix track
A GROUNDSMAN at the Red Bull Ring has tragically died after falling into a pond. The 55-year-old fell into a water retainer at the Spielberg Circuit in Austria on Wednesday morning after losing his footing while operating a motor sycthe. 3 3 The groundsman fell 23 FEET into the basin, which he desperately tried to make his way out of. A co-worker and a police officer jumped into the basin to try to save him. But they were unable to pull him out and he sadly ended up drowning. Attempts to save the man were initially hindered by the murky water in the basin, which is 23 feet deep. And it wasn't until the volunteer fire department arrived on the scene that he was able to be located. First responders tried to resuscitate the man after retrieving him from the basin. But they were unsuccessful with their attempts to bring him back around and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Several of the man's co-workers looked on in horror as he fell into the basin and sadly lost his life. 3 A Red Cross crisis intervention team were deployed to give support to the victim's colleagues. Red Bull have yet to issue a statement on the tragic incident. The Red Bull Ring, of course, is the venue for the annual Austrian Grand Prix, which will next take place on June 29.
