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The Star
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Star
McLaren extend their lead, But Verstappen steals the spotlight
Obakeng Meletse | Published 8 hours ago McLaren's dominance of the 2025 Formula One season is quickly becoming the norm, as the Woking-based outfit stretched their lead in both championships once again. But despite Oscar Piastri's commanding fifth win of the season handing him a ten-point lead at the top of the world drivers' championship, it was Max Verstappen who stole the headlines after a controversial end to the Spanish Grand Prix. Piastri now leads the standings with 186 points, closely followed by teammate Lando Norris on 176. The pair have consistently outpaced the field this season, leaving only Verstappen (137 points) as a distant challenger — though his hopes took a serious hit in Barcelona. Verstappen's race unravelled late after a collision with George Russell earned him a 10-second penalty, demoting him to 10th place. The Red Bull driver had already expressed frustration with his tyre strategy — concerns that proved justified when the race resumed on lap 64 of 66 following a late safety car. Struggling for grip on hard tyres, Verstappen was quickly overtaken by Charles Leclerc for third place. Moments later, Russell attempted a move on the Dutchman into Turn 1, leading to contact. Verstappen was instructed by his team to yield the position, and although he appeared to comply, he slowed erratically and made contact with Russell again — a move that seemed deliberate. Though both cars escaped major damage, the incident raised eyebrows. Verstappen's aggressive defense and controversial retaliation arguably warranted a harsher penalty. That he still finished in the points despite such conduct left many questioning whether the punishment fit the offense. Charles Leclerc produced another standout performance for Ferrari, finishing third despite being outqualified by teammate Lewis Hamilton for just the second time this season. It marked Leclerc's third podium of 2025, while Hamilton continues to chase his first. While Ferrari may lack outright pace compared to McLaren and Mercedes, Leclerc has consistently delivered strong results. He's made fewer mistakes, extracted more from the car, and has been a key factor in Ferrari holding second in the Constructors' Championship — just six points clear of a resurgent Mercedes team. Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, brings immense experience and pedigree to Ferrari. But so far, it's Leclerc who's set the standard, quietly proving himself as the team's true leader. Few rookies have turned heads this season like Isack Hadjar. Alongside fellow debutant Kimi Antonelli, Hadjar has impressed with his maturity and pace — despite a difficult debut that saw him crash out in Australia. Since then, Hadjar has bounced back with resilience, collecting 21 points and outperforming teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who continues to struggle with the unpredictable RB16. Tsunoda's inconsistency has only strengthened the case for Hadjar, who now finds himself in contention for a more prominent role within the Red Bull system. At just 20-years old, Hadjar is not only showing promise — he's making a strong argument for a future seat at the senior team. With McLaren surging ahead, Verstappen under scrutiny, Ferrari balancing internal dynamics, and fresh talent rising through the ranks, the 2025 season is far from decided. As the paddock heads to Canada next, the pressure is mounting — and every point will matter.
IOL News
a day ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
McLaren extend their lead, But Verstappen steals the spotlight
Australia's Oscar Piastri is now the favourite to win the world drivers' championship, thanks to his race craft and coolness under pressure. Photo: AFP Image: AFP McLaren's dominance of the 2025 Formula One season is quickly becoming the norm, as the Woking-based outfit stretched their lead in both championships once again. But despite Oscar Piastri's commanding fifth win of the season handing him a ten-point lead at the top of the world drivers' championship, it was Max Verstappen who stole the headlines after a controversial end to the Spanish Grand Prix. Piastri now leads the standings with 186 points, closely followed by teammate Lando Norris on 176. The pair have consistently outpaced the field this season, leaving only Verstappen (137 points) as a distant challenger — though his hopes took a serious hit in Barcelona. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 🗣️ "It was a shame that the Safety Car came out and we were unlucky that we had to pit. That is racing though, sometimes it works for you and sometimes it doesn't." Reaction from Max, Yuki and Christian following a disappointing conclusion to the #SpanishGP 🇪🇸👇 — Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) June 1, 2025 Ten seconds too soft? Verstappen's controversial collision Verstappen's race unravelled late after a collision with George Russell earned him a 10-second penalty, demoting him to 10th place. The Red Bull driver had already expressed frustration with his tyre strategy — concerns that proved justified when the race resumed on lap 64 of 66 following a late safety car. Struggling for grip on hard tyres, Verstappen was quickly overtaken by Charles Leclerc for third place. Moments later, Russell attempted a move on the Dutchman into Turn 1, leading to contact. Verstappen was instructed by his team to yield the position, and although he appeared to comply, he slowed erratically and made contact with Russell again — a move that seemed deliberate. Though both cars escaped major damage, the incident raised eyebrows. Verstappen's aggressive defense and controversial retaliation arguably warranted a harsher penalty. That he still finished in the points despite such conduct left many questioning whether the punishment fit the offense. A race rundown with Charles 👍 — Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) June 1, 2025 Leclerc thrives under pressure — Is Hamilton the catalyst? Charles Leclerc produced another standout performance for Ferrari, finishing third despite being outqualified by teammate Lewis Hamilton for just the second time this season. It marked Leclerc's third podium of 2025, while Hamilton continues to chase his first. While Ferrari may lack outright pace compared to McLaren and Mercedes, Leclerc has consistently delivered strong results. He's made fewer mistakes, extracted more from the car, and has been a key factor in Ferrari holding second in the Constructors' Championship — just six points clear of a resurgent Mercedes team. Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, brings immense experience and pedigree to Ferrari. But so far, it's Leclerc who's set the standard, quietly proving himself as the team's true leader. Isack Hadjar: A star in the making? Few rookies have turned heads this season like Isack Hadjar. Alongside fellow debutant Kimi Antonelli, Hadjar has impressed with his maturity and pace — despite a difficult debut that saw him crash out in Australia. Since then, Hadjar has bounced back with resilience, collecting 21 points and outperforming teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who continues to struggle with the unpredictable RB16. Tsunoda's inconsistency has only strengthened the case for Hadjar, who now finds himself in contention for a more prominent role within the Red Bull system. At just 20-years old, Hadjar is not only showing promise — he's making a strong argument for a future seat at the senior team.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Front wing changes a waste of money, says Hamilton
Formula One's stricter front wing flex tests have made no difference and the money spent on making changes would have been better given to charity, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton said on Saturday. The rule change had been eagerly awaited for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend with some hoping it might help slow runaway leaders McLaren. Instead, the Woking-based team swept the front row at the Circuit de Catalunya with championship leader Oscar Piastri on pole position and his closest rival Lando Norris more dominant than ever. 'It has not made a difference,' said seven-time world champion Hamilton, who qualified fifth with hopes of reaching the podium. 'It's been a waste of money. It's just wasted everyone's money. Everyone's wings still bend, it's just half the bending, and everyone's had to make new wings and spend more money to make these,' added the Briton. 'It doesn't make sense ... I would have given that money to charity.' McLaren boss Andrea Stella said his team, runaway leaders in the constructors' standings after six wins from eight of 24 rounds, had always considered the 'game-changer' talk to be overblown. 'The technical directive was a big talking point. It was quite immaterial. It was always going to be minor when you look at the numbers,' the Italian told Sky Sports television. 'It entertained to have this kind of debate but our simulations said everything was very small. We weren't concerned from this point of view.'
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Front wing changes a waste of money, says Hamilton
BARCELONA - Formula One's stricter front wing flex tests have made no difference and the money spent on making changes would have been better given to charity, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton said on Saturday. The rule change had been eagerly awaited for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend with some hoping it might help slow runaway leaders McLaren. Instead, the Woking-based team swept the front row at the Circuit de Catalunya with championship leader Oscar Piastri on pole position and his closest rival Lando Norris more dominant than ever. "It has not made a difference," said seven times world champion Hamilton, who qualified fifth with hopes of reaching the podium. "It's been a waste of money. It's just wasted everyone's money. Everyone's wings still bend, it's just half the bending, and everyone's had to make new wings and spend more money to make these," added the Briton. "It doesn't make sense... I would have given that money to charity." McLaren boss Andrea Stella said his team, runaway leaders in the constructors' standings after six wins from eight of 24 rounds, had always considered the 'game-changer' talk to be overblown. "The technical directive was a big talking point. It was quite immaterial. It was always going to be minor when you look at the numbers," the Italian told Sky Sports television. "It entertained to have this kind of debate but our simulations said everything was very small. We weren't concerned from this point of view." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Motor racing-Front wing changes a waste of money, says Hamilton
Formula One F1 - Spanish Grand Prix - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain - May 30, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton during practice REUTERS/Albert Gea BARCELONA (Reuters) -Formula One's stricter front wing flex tests have made no difference and the money spent on making changes would have been better given to charity, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton said on Saturday. The rule change had been eagerly awaited for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend with some hoping it might help slow runaway leaders McLaren. Instead, the Woking-based team swept the front row at the Circuit de Catalunya with championship leader Oscar Piastri on pole position and his closest rival Lando Norris more dominant than ever. "It has not made a difference," said seven times world champion Hamilton, who qualified fifth with hopes of reaching the podium. "It's been a waste of money. It's just wasted everyone's money. Everyone's wings still bend, it's just half the bending, and everyone's had to make new wings and spend more money to make these," added the Briton. "It doesn't make sense... I would have given that money to charity." McLaren boss Andrea Stella said his team, runaway leaders in the constructors' standings after six wins from eight of 24 rounds, had always considered the 'game-changer' talk to be overblown. "The technical directive was a big talking point. It was quite immaterial. It was always going to be minor when you look at the numbers," the Italian told Sky Sports television. "It entertained to have this kind of debate but our simulations said everything was very small. We weren't concerned from this point of view." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
