Latest news with #Drivers'
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
F1 Legend Slams Lando Norris Crash: 'One More Mistake of the Many'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Sky Sports pundit Nico Rosberg addressed the collision between McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri following the Canadian Grand Prix. McLaren typically has the fastest car on track, but in Montreal, the team struggled to get the car into an ideal operating window. Norris and Piastri, rather than battling for the win, locked horns for P4 at the end of the race. Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes leads after Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes hits the wall during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit... Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes leads after Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes hits the wall during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 15, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec More Photo byPiastri was ahead, but like a shark in water, Norris was gaining on the Drivers' Championship leader. Eventually, the cars were side-by-side, battling for the position and for the larger haul in points. Norris, in second place for the Drivers' title, attempted to overtake on the main straight, making a desperate lunge on the left of Piastri, but there was no space for the British driver to go. The number four car ended up slamming into the wall. Front wing on the floor and head in his hands, Norris walked away devastated, knowing it was a self-inflicted mistake. McLaren opted for a unique approach with both drivers, trusting the driver's ability to avoid making mistakes. While it didn't work this time, and the worst-case scenario happened, Rosberg found the inner team racing refreshing. "We're thankful to McLaren to let them race because it brings us a lot of excitement. It was an amazing battle to watch the two of them go head-to-head," Rosberg said. "And Lando did an amazing first lunge into the hairpin, that was beautiful. And then afterwards, yeah, I mean, it's just very strange, the mistake that Lando made, super strange. "And it's just one, one more, one more mistake of the many. And this is, it's a big mistake because he's going somewhere. "And even really committed going somewhere, like he doesn't back off or anything. He just stays full on the throttle, which is also a bit strange. Full commitment, there's no gap there." The next race on the F1 calendar is in Austria two weeks ago. Norris faces a full two weeks of scrutiny for his racing mistake. Norris, unfortunately, has made several mistakes this season, this latest one being just one of many. The run of errors could become "a little bit traumatic at some point," according to Rosberg, so his inner circle will need to help him handle the additional weight of the moment.
Daily Mirror
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
'I was Verstappen's ally at Red Bull – I think he's going to retire this year'
Max Verstappen could retire from Formula 1 at the end of this season if former Red Bull Racing mechanic Calum Nicholas is to be believed, as he made a bold prediction on the Dutch-Belgian's future Max Verstappen will retire from Formula 1 at the end of this season if Calum Nicholas' predictions are accurate. The 27-year-old Red Bull star, with four world titles under his belt, is believed by long-time mechanic Nicholas to be satisfied with his legacy if he can secure a fifth title by the end of the year. During a round of golf with Lucas Stewart on his YouTube channel, Nicholas was asked to "fill in the blank" regarding how many F1 titles Verstappen will retire with. His response was simply: "Five." Elaborating on his prediction, Nicholas boldly added: "I think Max is going to win the Drivers' this year, and then I think he's going to call it a day." When questioned if he had insider knowledge that racing fans lacked due to his close ties with Verstappen, Nicholas replied: "No, I definitely don't know anything," maintaining an air of mystery around his prediction. He then added: "To not back Max is just lunacy." It comes as Nicholas announced before the start of the 2025 season that he would be stepping away from the garage to take on a new role as a Red Bull Racing ambassador, concluding his 13-year career as a Formula 1 mechanic, reports the Express. In a statement at the time, he said: "The time has come to hang up my race suit. It's a career that I'm incredibly proud to look back on. "To all of those who've been a part of this amazing journey, thank you! For the last decade of my life I've been very fortunate to work with an incredible group of people, in a team like no other. So, today, I'm very pleased to announce that I'll be taking on an exciting new role, as a Red Bull Racing ambassador!" Securing a fifth consecutive F1 title appears to be a Herculean task for Verstappen at the moment, given his unusual year so far. At present, the defending champion is third in the Drivers' Standings with just two victories and four podium finishes, trailing McLaren's Oscar Piastri by 49 points. Meanwhile, Red Bull are feeling the heat from a formidable McLaren in the race for the Constructors' Championship - currently lagging behind the seasonal leaders by 218 points. Due to receiving three penalty points on his FIA Super Licence at the Spanish Grand Prix following his collision with George Russell, Verstappen is just one point away from a one-race ban which could further dent his chances of vying for the world title this year. He will now have to maintain a clean record at the upcoming Canadian and Austrian Grand Prix to avoid such a scenario. Under contract with Red Bull until 2028, Verstappen has also previously mentioned that he doesn't aspire to follow in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso by racing into his late 30s and 40s. However, he is yet to announce a specific retirement date as speculation regarding his future continues to mount. After a 10th place finish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Verstappen will be hoping for a stronger performance at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday.
Scottish Sun
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
‘He's going to call it a day' – Ex-Red Bull mechanic claims Max Verstappen will quit F1 THIS YEAR
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MAX VERSTAPPEN has been sensationally tipped to QUIT Red Bull at the end of the season by a former team mechanic. The Dutchman has won four drivers' titles in a row and is hunting for a fifth this year - which would see him match a feat only achieved by Michael Schumacher in Formula One history. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Max Verstappen has been tipped to win a fifth F1 title and then call it quits Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 2 The call comes from ex-Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas Credit: Getty However, Verstappen has fallen 49 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri amid huge performance struggles with the Red Bull machinery this season. Verstappen has continued winning races despite the issues and even the power struggle which hit the team last year. He has been linked with an exit from the Racing Bulls, with a team transfer to the likes of Mercedes or Aston Martin. But ex-Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas believes Verstappen - who became a dad for the first time last month - could QUIT F1 entirely, if he wins a fifth World Drivers Championship. READ MORE IN F1 VA VA ROOM Hilton unveil £1,800-a-night McLaren hotel suite with F1 simulator and bar Speaking on Lucas Stewart's YouTube channel as he played a round of golf, Nicholas was asked how many titles Verstappen would win in his career. He gave his answer before revealing what he thought lay ahead for the 27-year-old. Nicolas said: "Five. I think Max is going to win the Drivers' this year, and then I think he's going to call it a day." Despite his answer, the mechanic insisted he didn't "know anything" extra about Verstappen's career plans. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Nicholas added: "To not back Max is just like lunacy, I think. The guy is just really really good. "Not in terms of just his technical skill and his talent, but I've watched Max grow into this guy that can do everything. Lewis Hamilton hit with grid penalty at Monaco Grand Prix after blunder saw him forced to apologise to Verstappen "He does everything well now." Verstappen's last race win this season came at the Imola Grand Prix on May 18. He finished fourth at the Monaco Grand Prix a week later before inexplicably ramming his car into George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix. That earned him a 10-second penalty - demoting him from P5 to P10 - and three penalty points on his licence to put him on the brink of a race ban. Verstappen has 11 out of 12 points needed to earn a race ban across the 12-month rolling system for the penalty points. He will need to be on his best behaviour at the Canadian and Austrian Grand Prix to avoid a ban in the following race before he sees two penalty points expire on June 30. SunSport looked at five potential replacements for Verstappen if he is banned from competing for one weekend. Names include impressive F1 rookie Isack Hadjar, Red Bull flop Liam Lawson and F2 prodigy Arvid Lindblad, who recently raced against Leeds United stars on the Elland Road pitch.
The Irish Sun
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
‘He's going to call it a day' – Ex-Red Bull mechanic claims Max Verstappen will quit F1 THIS YEAR
MAX VERSTAPPEN has been sensationally tipped to QUIT Red Bull at the end of the season by a former team mechanic. The Dutchman has won four drivers' titles in a row and is hunting for a fifth this year - which would see him match a feat only achieved by 2 Max Verstappen has been tipped to win a fifth F1 title and then call it quits Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 2 The call comes from ex-Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas Credit: Getty However, Verstappen has continued winning races despite the issues and even the power struggle which hit the team last year. He has been linked with an exit from the Racing Bulls, with a team transfer to the likes of Mercedes or Aston Martin. But ex-Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas believes Verstappen - who became a dad for the first time last month - could QUIT F1 entirely, if he wins a fifth World Drivers Championship. READ MORE IN F1 Speaking on Lucas Stewart's YouTube channel as he played a round of golf, Nicholas was asked how many titles Verstappen would win in his career. He gave his answer before revealing what he thought lay ahead for the 27-year-old. Nicolas said: "Five. I think Max is going to win the Drivers' this year, and then I think he's going to call it a day." Despite his answer, the mechanic insisted he didn't "know anything" extra about Verstappen's career plans. Most read in Motorsport BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Nicholas added: "To not back Max is just like lunacy, I think. The guy is just really really good. "Not in terms of just his technical skill and his talent, but I've watched Max grow into this guy that can do everything. Lewis Hamilton hit with grid penalty at Monaco Grand Prix after blunder saw him forced to apologise to Verstappen "He does everything well now." Verstappen's last race win this season came at the Imola Grand Prix on May 18. He finished fourth at the Monaco Grand Prix a week later before inexplicably ramming his car into That earned him a 10-second penalty - demoting him from P5 to P10 - and three penalty points on his licence to Verstappen has 11 out of 12 points needed to earn a race ban across the 12-month rolling system for the penalty points. He will need to be on his best behaviour at the Canadian and Austrian Grand Prix to avoid a ban in the following race before he sees two penalty points expire on June 30. Names include impressive F1 rookie Isack Hadjar, Red Bull flop
Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Ted Kravitz thinks Christian Horner ruled out Red Bull bonuses after Monaco GP
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has reportedly given up on winning the Constructors' Championship, which could have financial implications for some staff Sky Sports F1 pundit Ted Kravitz has shared that Red Bull 's team principal, Christian Horner, seems to have thrown in the towel on winning the Constructors' Championship, which could spell financial trouble for some of the team's staff. The Monaco Grand Prix saw Lando Norris clinch his first victory, with McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri taking third place behind local favourite and Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc. McLaren continues to rack up crucial points in both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships, leading the latter by a staggering 319 points after eight rounds. They are a massive 172 points ahead of Mercedes, who sit in second place. Current four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen finished fourth in Monaco, while his Red Bull colleague Yuki Tsunoda only managed to secure 17th place. Red Bull are currently third in the Constructors' Championship with 143 points, just one point ahead of Ferrari. Given the seemingly unbridgeable gap between them and McLaren, it appears unlikely they'll be able to close the deficit - a sentiment apparently echoed by Red Bull's team principal, as per Sky Sports ' Kravitz. During 'Ted's Notebook', where Kravitz shares his insights on the latest race and gathers reactions from the paddock, he revealed a telling comment made by Horner about the fate of the Constructors' Championship, reports the Express. The Sky Sports F1 reporter interpreted Horner's words as a sign that those with performance-related bonuses might miss out. "Christian Horner on the Constructors' Championship, I thought was interesting earlier in the weekend," Kravitz said. "In a bit of change since Sergio Perez was in the team, he said: 'Well I think we have to discount the Constructors' Championship.'" Kravitz continued: "Obviously, they kind of do because they haven't found a solution to somebody scoring points with their second car. That's the first time Horner has actually said it. So, if you work at Red Bull and you're after a bonus for winning the Constructors' Championship, I think you can whistle goodbye to it this year." Horner's comments came before the weekend's Grand Prix, where he emphasised the team's dedication to Verstappen's pursuit of five consecutive championships—a record only possessed by Michael Schumacher's dominance with Ferrari in the early 2000s. "Our full focus is on the driver's championship," the Brit declared. "Obviously [if] both cars are scoring, and the more that Yuki works his way up the order, the bigger role he can play. I mean, you saw him play a small role today, working hard to keep Oscar behind him for a crucial lap or so. "But yes, for us, all focus is on that drivers' championship. We've got a very clear number one in our team, and that's where, obviously, the main focus is." Verstappen, currently third in the Drivers' standings, was visibly frustrated after Monaco, where a mandatory last-lap second pit stop saw him drop from first to fourth, watching Norris, Leclerc, and Piastri zoom past to snatch the podium spots. The latest regulation introduced in Monaco this year drew the ire of drivers, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon echoing Verstappen's discontent. "You can't race here," the exasperated 27-year-old said to Sky Sports F1. "It doesn't matter what you do. One stop, 10 stops. Even at the end, I was in the lead, my tyres were completely gone and you still can't pass. "Nowadays with an F1 car, you can just pass an F2 car around here. I get it but I don't think it's worked. We were almost doing Mario Kart. Then we have to install bits on the car and maybe you can throw bananas around! Slippery surface!"
