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Herald Sun
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Oscar Piastri act at F1 Canadian Grand Prix called out by world champ
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. Lando Norris accepted the blame, but outspoken 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve says Oscar Piastri is not entirely without fault for the bundle between the two McLarens in Canada. The dig at the world championship leader is the latest chapter in Villeneuve's book of disdain for Australian drivers after his regular targeting of Daniel Ricciardo. Like his scathing assessments of Ricciardo during the twilight of his F1 career, the Canadian's opinion on the Norris-Piastri incident is sure to raise eyebrows. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. As the two McLarens hunted a podium place in the dying laps of the Grand Prix won by Mercedes' George Russell, Norris crashed into the back of Piastri after anticipating a gap would open up on the inside of the first turn. The Australian held his line however, Norris lost control, and slammed into the pit wall, wrecking his car and his race with three laps remaining. Piastri drove on unscathed and held on to finish fourth, widening his gap over Norris in the drivers' standings to 22 points as a result. The Brit immediately apologised on the team radio before making the walk of shame back to the garage. Post-race, he reiterated those words to Piastri face-to-face, and then stressed his sorrow once again in his press conference. McLaren CEO Zak Brown thanked Norris publicly for his 'candour', while Piastri said his teammate's willingness to admit his error was a great quality to have. Team principal Andrea Stella, meanwhile, said Norris made a 'misjudgement' that 'should have not happened'. The FIA stewards placed the responsibility for the incident firmly on Norris' shoulders too, slapping him with a redundant five-second time penalty. The views of everyone directly involved contradicted those, however, of Villeneuve, who couldn't resist yet another chance to target an Australian driver. 'The clash between the two McLaren drivers, [it was] easy to point the finger at Norris,' he said. 'He realised too late that Piastri was moving towards the left because he had his nose in the gearbox of Piastri, he didn't realise it and Piastri was edging gradually towards the left. 'He's not supposed to be doing that, it was a little bit nasty, so there will be some talks later inside the team.' Esteemed F1 commentator Martin Brundle was another who reiterated that Norris was at fault, and respected Piastri's tactics. 'Oscar did well to see the first move coming because Lando was a long way behind when he launched it into Turn 10,' he told Sky Sports. 'Lando probably thought he got him because Oscar was at an acute angle into the final chicane and tight and wide. Oscar wasn't being particularly kind to him, but then why should he? Lando seemed to persevere down that left-hand side when it wasn't on. 'I don't think it was anything other than not recognising early enough that it wasn't going to happen, followed by wiping his front wing on his rear tyres. It was just very clumsy and sort of unnecessary.' Fans on social media love pushing the bold claim that Villeneuve — who was once engaged to pop singer Dannii Minogue — holds resentment towards Australians. His comments about Piastri come after whacking Jack Doohan following his crash in practice in Japan earlier this year, as well as his long-running feud with Ricciardo. Things got 'personal' between Villeneuve and Ricciardo at last year's Canadian Grand Prix when the 54-year-old responded to a question on Sky Sports during Friday practice about Ricciardo's future, by asking 'Why is he still in F1?'. Villeneuve went onto torch Ricciardo's whole career even more harshly. 'He was beating a [Sebastian] Vettel that was burnt out, that was trying to invent things with the car to go win and just making a mess of his weekends,' he said. 'Then he was beating for half a season [Max] Verstappen when Verstappen was 18 years old, just starting. 'Then that was it. He stopped beating anyone after that. 'I think his image has kept him in F1 more than his actual results.' After qualifying in fifth that week, Ricciardo then told ESPN that Villeneuve was 'talking s***'. 'I still don't know what he said, but I heard he's been talking s***,' he said. 'But he always does. 'I think he's hit his head a few too many times, I don't know if he plays ice hockey or something. 'I won't give him the time of day, but all those people can suck it.' Australians are not the only ones in the opinionated former driver's sights however, as he also took aim at race officials for denying fans a more exciting finish in Canada. The race ended under a Safety Car because of the McLarens crash, and Villeneuve suggested that a red flag should have been waved instead. 'What could have been, should have been an exciting race, turned into a not-so-exciting race,' he said. 'The end of the race – I mean, the rules allow for red flags so we can have a new start for a two-lap sprint, always exciting, and they decided to have a boring safety car finish. Well, too bad.' McLaren team boss Stella said the team 'appreciated' Norris' response to the crash. With the two drivers vying for world championship honours, there could be more incidents of its kind to come in the remaining 14 races. Stella believes the internal rivalry will only make the team stronger. 'We did appreciate the fact that Lando immediately owned the situation, raised his hand, and took responsibility for the accident,' he said. 'He apologised immediately to the team. He came to apologise to me as team principal in order to apologise to the entire team. 'It's important the way we respond and we react to these situations, which ultimately will be a very important learning point. 'I don't think it's learning from a theoretical point of view, because the principle was already there, but it's learning in terms of experiencing how painful these situations can be, and this will only make us stronger in terms of our internal competition and in terms of the way we go racing.' Originally published as 'Nasty' Oscar Piastri act called out by former world champ
Courier-Mail
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Courier-Mail
‘Nasty' Oscar Piastri act called out by former world champ
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. Lando Norris accepted the blame, but outspoken 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve says Oscar Piastri is not entirely without fault for the bundle between the two McLarens in Canada. The dig at the world championship leader is the latest chapter in Villeneuve's book of disdain for Australian drivers after his regular targeting of Daniel Ricciardo. Like his scathing assessments of Ricciardo during the twilight of his F1 career, the Canadian's opinion on the Norris-Piastri incident is sure to raise eyebrows. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. As the two McLarens hunted a podium place in the dying laps of the Grand Prix won by Mercedes' George Russell, Norris crashed into the back of Piastri after anticipating a gap would open up on the inside of the first turn. The Australian held his line however, Norris lost control, and slammed into the pit wall, wrecking his car and his race with three laps remaining. Piastri drove on unscathed and held on to finish fourth, widening his gap over Norris in the drivers' standings to 22 points as a result. The Brit immediately apologised on the team radio before making the walk of shame back to the garage. Post-race, he reiterated those words to Piastri face-to-face, and then stressed his sorrow once again in his press conference. McLaren CEO Zak Brown thanked Norris publicly for his 'candour', while Piastri said his teammate's willingness to admit his error was a great quality to have. Team principal Andrea Stella, meanwhile, said Norris made a 'misjudgement' that 'should have not happened'. Lando Norris (right) went for a gap that wasn't quite there. Photo: Fox Sports. Lando Norris walks away from his damaged car after a crash. Photo:/AFP. The FIA stewards placed the responsibility for the incident firmly on Norris' shoulders too, slapping him with a redundant five-second time penalty. The views of everyone directly involved contradicted those, however, of Villeneuve, who couldn't resist yet another chance to target an Australian driver. 'The clash between the two McLaren drivers, [it was] easy to point the finger at Norris,' he said. 'He realised too late that Piastri was moving towards the left because he had his nose in the gearbox of Piastri, he didn't realise it and Piastri was edging gradually towards the left. 'He's not supposed to be doing that, it was a little bit nasty, so there will be some talks later inside the team.' Esteemed F1 commentator Martin Brundle was another who reiterated that Norris was at fault, and respected Piastri's tactics. 'Oscar did well to see the first move coming because Lando was a long way behind when he launched it into Turn 10,' he told Sky Sports. 'Lando probably thought he got him because Oscar was at an acute angle into the final chicane and tight and wide. Oscar wasn't being particularly kind to him, but then why should he? Lando seemed to persevere down that left-hand side when it wasn't on. 'I don't think it was anything other than not recognising early enough that it wasn't going to happen, followed by wiping his front wing on his rear tyres. It was just very clumsy and sort of unnecessary.' Fans on social media love pushing the bold claim that Villeneuve — who was once engaged to pop singer Dannii Minogue — holds resentment towards Australians. His comments about Piastri come after whacking Jack Doohan following his crash in practice in Japan earlier this year, as well as his long-running feud with Ricciardo. Things got 'personal' between Villeneuve and Ricciardo at last year's Canadian Grand Prix when the 54-year-old responded to a question on Sky Sports during Friday practice about Ricciardo's future, by asking 'Why is he still in F1?'. Villeneuve went onto torch Ricciardo's whole career even more harshly. 'He was beating a [Sebastian] Vettel that was burnt out, that was trying to invent things with the car to go win and just making a mess of his weekends,' he said. 'Then he was beating for half a season [Max] Verstappen when Verstappen was 18 years old, just starting. 'Then that was it. He stopped beating anyone after that. 'I think his image has kept him in F1 more than his actual results.' After qualifying in fifth that week, Ricciardo then told ESPN that Villeneuve was 'talking s***'. 'I still don't know what he said, but I heard he's been talking s***,' he said. 'But he always does. 'I think he's hit his head a few too many times, I don't know if he plays ice hockey or something. 'I won't give him the time of day, but all those people can suck it.' Australians are not the only ones in the opinionated former driver's sights however, as he also took aim at race officials for denying fans a more exciting finish in Canada. The race ended under a Safety Car because of the McLarens crash, and Villeneuve suggested that a red flag should have been waved instead. 'What could have been, should have been an exciting race, turned into a not-so-exciting race,' he said. 'The end of the race – I mean, the rules allow for red flags so we can have a new start for a two-lap sprint, always exciting, and they decided to have a boring safety car finish. Well, too bad.' McLaren team boss Stella said the team 'appreciated' Norris' response to the crash. With the two drivers vying for world championship honours, there could be more incidents of its kind to come in the remaining 14 races. Stella believes the internal rivalry will only make the team stronger. 'We did appreciate the fact that Lando immediately owned the situation, raised his hand, and took responsibility for the accident,' he said. 'He apologised immediately to the team. He came to apologise to me as team principal in order to apologise to the entire team. 'It's important the way we respond and we react to these situations, which ultimately will be a very important learning point. 'I don't think it's learning from a theoretical point of view, because the principle was already there, but it's learning in terms of experiencing how painful these situations can be, and this will only make us stronger in terms of our internal competition and in terms of the way we go racing.' Originally published as 'Nasty' Oscar Piastri act called out by former world champ
Courier-Mail
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Oscar Piastri wins Spanish GP as Max Verstappen loses his head
Australian Formula 1 superstar Oscar Piastri has saluted for the fifth time this season after winning the Spanish Grand Prix. The McLaren driver edged out his teammate Lando Norris to secure a one-two finish for the team and move further ahead on the constructors standings. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. While it was rather clear out in front for the McLaren duo, carnage was unfolding behind with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen losing his mind. After closing to third place, Verstappen was left seething at his own team after having a set of hard tyres put on after the safety car. He was instantly caught out by Charles Leclerc before later being advised to hand a position back to George Russell. That directive didn't sit well with the four-time world champion who slowed down, allowing Russell to pass before he jumped back on the accelerator and rammed into the Mercedes driver. Russell was blunt in his assessment of the incident, getting on the radio and shouting: 'What the f***!'. The incident saw Verstappen slapped with a 10-second time penalty that dropped him from fifth down to tenth. Sky Sports' Nico Rosberg labelled the moment from Verstappen 'completely unacceptable' and believed the Red Bull driver should have been shown a black flag which would have been a disqualification. Recap how the entire race unfolded below. Originally published as Oscar Piastri wins Spanish GP as Max Verstappen loses his head
Courier-Mail
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Courier-Mail
‘Game changer': New F1 rule change brought in for Spanish Grand Prix
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. A new rule is being introduced at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix and it has the potential to shake-up the remainder of the Formula One season. After McLaren was investigated for its rear wing 'mini DRS' last year and its rear tyre cooling advantage, front wings are the latest area of F1 cars where the rules have been tightened up. The FIA has confirmed from this weekend, all F1 teams will be subjected to updated static load tests. Specifically, the maximum permitted front wing deflection under load will be reduced from 15mm to 10mm. Five millimetres may not sound like a lot, but it gives teams less room to design a front wing that can flex at high speeds. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. The sport's governing body doesn't want aero elasticity to be a talking point in F1. The FIA's Nikolas Tombazis said: 'When championship battles become intense, teams tend to focus on each other's cars a lot, and naturally they raise concerns and over the latter half of the season we came to the conclusion that we needed to toughen a bit more the tests for 2025. 'We frequently test in parc fermé conditions — either on Saturday after qualifying or Sunday morning, as obviously, in parc fermé teams cannot make changes to their car.' It remains to be seen if the front wing change will have an effect on McLaren's dominance or bring the already condensed F1 grid even closer together. McLaren is way out in front in the constructors championship on 319 points, with Mercedes 172 points behind. But only five points separates Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari in the battle for second. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is hopeful the change will be a 'game changer' and help turn his team's fortunes around following a difficult start to the season. 'Barcelona is on the calendar of everybody in the paddock with the new regulation for the front wing,' Vasseur said. 'We are working on it for ages now and this can be a game changer for everybody, because we don't know the impact on every single team of the new regulation. 'I think we stick to this, and we'll be focused on this to have the better exploitation of the new front wing.' F1's front wing clampdown begins this weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix. (Photo by) Ferrari's Charles Leclerc told Sky Sports: 'You can hear rumours in the paddock and some people will be more affected than others, for sure. I don't think on our side is going to change a lot, but we'll see.' Speaking to Supercars legend Mark Skaife predicted the front wing change to 'have an effect' on the status quo. 'If the other teams think that whatever the front wing change gives their car a step up or it gets them closer to McLaren, then that's good for the game,' Skaife said. Sauber's team principal Jonathan Wheatley said: 'I'm a very optimistic person and I'm hoping that other teams are going to suffer more than we are.' It remains to be seen what effect the rule change has. (Photo by) Ferrari's team principal Fred Vasseur hopes it will be a 'game changer'. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) 'Healthy' McLaren battle has Prost-Senna potential After eight races, Oscar Piastri leads his McLaren teammate Lando Norris by just three points following the Brit's victory in Monaco. Max Verstappen can't be counted out in the championship battle, which is set to go down to the wire this year. Piastri will look to strike back this weekend in Barcelona, where he has struggled in his two appearances at the circuit, qualifying 10th both times. McLaren have opted not to pick a No. 1 driver this year and Skaife believes the rivalry within the team can only be a good thing. 'It's very, very healthy to have the level of competition that they've demonstrated,' he said. 'I know they're not the names yet, but it's reminiscent for me of the Senna-Prost battles. 'In the history of the sport, the Senna-Prost battle at McLaren has probably been the pinnacle, not just because their extraordinary careers and their driving, but because they went about it differently. 'I would have said pre-Monaco that Oscar had Lando's measure. Oscar's been superb. 'Then on the weekend Lando had the counterpunch in a big response, especially in qualifying. 'I'm intrigued. I'm absolutely fascinated as to the swings and roundabouts of how this year's going to unfold.' Watch every practice and qualifying session of the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, including the race on Sunday at 11pm AEST on Kayo Sports. Originally published as 'Game changer': New F1 rule change brought in for Spanish Grand Prix
Courier-Mail
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Courier-Mail
Piastri ‘caught sleeping' by Verstappen stunner, ‘weak' McLaren slammed
Oscar Piastri's lead in the Formula One championship has been shaved to 13 points after Max Verstappen produced one of the best overtakes of his career to win the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Piastri started on pole position and got a decent start off the line, only to fall victim to a spectacular piece of late braking by Verstappen, who snatched the lead with a sweeping lunge on the first lap. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. From then on it was always going to be difficult for Piastri to take the win. He quickly pitted to change from medium to hard tyres and worked his way through the field in heavy traffic — the early pit stop was arguably the wrong strategy call. But two Safety Car periods played perfectly into Verstappen's hands, allowing the world champion to get two free pit stops and maintain first position. A Safety Car late in the race set the stage for a frenetic finish, with a very slow Lando Norris pit stop allowing Piastri to move into second place for the closing stages of the race. Max Verstappen overtakes Oscar Piastri on the first lap. Photo: Fox Sports. But Piastri opted not to pit again and his hard tyres were 20 laps older than Norris' tyres, and the Brit overtook his teammate as the McLarens raced wheel to wheel for the first time this season. Verstappen described his move on Piastri as 'sending it around the outside', adding it 'unleashed our pace' once the Red Bull was in clear air in the lead. Sky Sports expert commentator Anthony Davidson wondered whether Piastri could have been more aggressive at the start to shut the door on Verstappen. 'I think he'll be kicking himself a bit for Turn 1 and Turn 2 through into Tamburello,' Davidson said. 'When he looks back at that, I'm sure he'll be thinking he could have braked later, could have got my elbows out a little bit more. 'You have to be on your absolute A-game when you've got Verstappen bearing down on you in the first couple of corners. You know he's going to go for it.' Former F1 world Jacques Villeneuve said: 'It was a copy of Jeddah except he (Piastri) didn't close the door, he left enough space because he was caught sleeping.' In somewhat awkward scenes post-race, Piastri was made to re-watch Verstappen's overtake on him on a TV in the cooldown room. Oscar Piastri re-watches Verstappen's overtake on him in the cooldown room. Photo: Fox Sports. Lando Norris, race winner Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri on the podium in Imola. (Photo by) Piastri had been aiming to join Ayrton Senna as the only McLaren drivers to win four races to be, but it wasn't to be for the 24-year-old. He still leads the championship on 146 points, 13 clear of Norris and 22 ahead of Verstappen. 'I just braked too early,' Piastri said. 'It was a good move by Max. Disappointing obviously but I think we made a few wrong calls after that anyway. Not our best Sunday. 'Well done to Max and Red Bull. It was a good move but also they had pace today. 'I tried my best to hang onto second but just had nowhere near enough grip. So third it is. Asked about racing Norris, Piastri said: 'It was probably inevitably that he was going to get past, but I wasn't going to give up without a fight.' Norris said: 'Max drove a good race today. We had a good little battle at the end between Oscar and myself, which is always tense, but always good fun. 'For us as a team, second and third is great. Of course you'd love to be up there fighting against Max, but they were too good for us today.' It's Verstappen's 65th career win and he equals Michael Schumacher with the most podiums with the same team (116). Max Verstappen could do no wrong as he won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) World champion slams 'weak' McLaren Villenueve criticised McLaren for not ordering Piastri to let Norris past after the Virtual Safety Car car so the Brit could attempt to catch Verstappen in the final 10 laps. 'They (McLaren) show weakness basically,' the 1997 world champion said on Sky Sports. 'They don't show the strength Red Bull are showing year after year. It's as if they're afraid to be aggressive to try and win the drivers' championship and they're afraid to go against Piastri, it's really odd. 'Piastri messed up that first corner. He got caught out sleeping. He should never have come out of that corner second. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.(AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Jacque Villeneuve labelled McLaren's strategy weak. Photo:/AFP. 'On the restart, McLaren knew it was a matter of laps before Norris would overtake Piastri with the tyre difference. So why make him lose three laps instead of giving him a shot at Verstappen? 'Verstappen is in the championship (battle), you don't want to give him wins. That's more points for him. 'They (McLaren) seem to be happy with second and third. McLaren has a car where a good weekend is first and second. Anything less is barely acceptable, but they seem to be happy with second and third.' Villenueve said McLaren's strategy decisions shows 'a lack of 'let's go for it''. F1's European triple header continues next weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix. Emilia Romagna Grand Prix results (top 10) 1) Max Verstappen 2) Lando Norris 3) Oscar Piastri 4) Lewis Hamilton 5) Alex Albon 6) Charles Leclerc 7) George Russell 8) Carlos Sainz 9) Isack Hadjar 10) Yuki Tsunoda Originally published as Piastri 'caught sleeping' by Verstappen stunner, 'weak' McLaren slammed Verstappen steals lead from Piastri on lap 1 Matthew Sullivan Wow! Max Verstappen has taken the lead of the race with a stunning pass on Piastri on the first chicane of the race. Piastri got a decent start off the line before Verstappen came up alongside him and broke later than the Aussie, edging past him in a sensational sweeping overtake. 'That's exactly what Oscar Piastri didn't want to happen,' Sky Sports commentator Harry Benjamin said, describing the move as 'inch perfect'. 'Piastri just not aggressive enough there. That is surely one of the all-time Turn 1 moves.' Max Verstappen overtakes Oscar Piastri at the start of the race. Photo: Fox Sports. Expert commentator Anthony Davidson said: 'It was an amazing late braking effort from Max Verstappen. Piastri gave him room, there easily could have been contact. More ⌄ Verstappen wins Imola GP Matthew Sullivan Max Verstappen has won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix by six seconds from Lando Norris, who was a further six seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri. The Dutchman produced arguably the most impressive overtake of his career on the opening lap to get past Piastri, which proved the decisive moment of the day. Max Verstappen salutes with victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. (Photo by) Verstappen drove a flawless race and benefited from the timing of a Virtual Safety Car and Safety Car that allowed him not to lose any time on his two pit stops. It's the second victory of the year for Verstappen, and his fourth consecutive win in IMola. Lap 58/63: Norris gets past Piastri Matthew Sullivan It took a few laps after the race resumed but Lando Norris has made the most of his fresher hard tyres to overtake Oscar Piastri and take second place. Norris got close on a straight and used DRS to overtake Piastri, with the two McLarens going wheel to wheel for the first time this season in a moment that would have had the team pit wall nervous. LAP 58/63 The McLarens go wheel to wheel at Turn 2! 😵 Norris snatches second place off Piastri ðŸ'#F1 #ImolaGP â€' Formula 1 (@F1) May 18, 2025 Safety Car triggers chaotic finish Matthew Sullivan Mercedes rookie encountered an issue with his car and his car ground to a halt on the grass, triggering a full Safety Car. Max Verstappen came into the pits for another free stop, but Lando Norris had a very slow stop. Piastri didn't pit, and Norris' slow stop allowed Piastri to come out ahead of his teammate in second when it looked like the Aussie was certain to finish behind Norris. Grab the popcorn! There's 15 laps to go and the cars are bunched up again. More ⌄ Lap 31/63: McLarens chasing Max for race win Matthew Sullivan Oscar Piastri is working his way through the field, passing Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda to get into the top 10 before passing Lewis Hamilton to move into sixth. Max Verstappen is in the box seat to win the race with a one-stop strategy. Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar was holding up a train in fourth, which should allow Verstappen to come out of his pit stop in clean air. Piastri eventually passed Hadjar, now it remains to be seen if the Aussie can do the whole race with one pit stop. Everything was coming up Max Verstappen in Imola. (Photo by) 'He's keeping his race alive, but heaven knows what he's doing to those tyres,' Sky Sports' Ted Kravitz said. 'The crucial thing is what state Oscar's tyres will be in at the end.' More ⌄ Piastri goes to the pits Matthew Sullivan It's looking like a two pit stop strategy is the way to go in this 63-lap race. The medium tyre isn't looking particulary quick , with Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri coming in to pit for hard tyres. It was a slow 3.6 second pit stop for Piastri, which won't help his cause. He comes out in 11th and will hope his new tyres work some magic and he can undercut Verstappen. Aussie's dad takes fresh swipe at team Matthew Sullivan Mick Doohan clearly isn't happy about Alpine's decision to axe his son Jack after just six races, with Franco Colapinto replacing Doohan in Imola. Mick made a pointed post on social media after the sacking, and he elaborated on his thoughts speaking to DAZN. 'It's a little bit disappointing the way that things have turned out,' the motorcycle legend said. Jack Doohan of Australia and Alpine F1 Team walks in the paddock with his father, Mick Doohan. (Photo by) 'I think Jack performed quite well on paper. Even in qualifyings and free practices and so on, he was quite good. More ⌄ Piastri out to make McLaren history Matthew Sullivan If he wins today, Oscar Piastri join F1 icon Ayrton Senna as just the second McLaren driver to win four races in a row. Senna, a three-time world champion, tragically died in a horror crash at Imola 31 years ago. Red Bull driver to start from pits Matthew Sullivan Yuki Tsunoda will start from pit lane after the Red Bull driver's shocking crash in qualifying where his car flipped over into the fence. Grid for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 1st row Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren) Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 2nd row George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren) More ⌄
