Latest news with #OscarPiastri
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
Why Ferrari can't win in F1, but it can win Le Mans. Plus, Robert Kubica praise
Prime Tire Newsletter | This is The Athletic's twice-weekly F1 newsletter. Sign up here to receive Prime Tire directly in your inbox on Tuesday and Friday. Welcome back to Prime Tire, where I still don't know what Lando Norris was thinking in going left and not right against Oscar Piastri late in the Canadian Grand Prix. But the other big story from Montreal concerned Ferrari. Specifically, team boss Fred Vasseur's reaction to critical reporting of La Scuderia in Italian media after Ferrari's poor performances so far this year. Then, its World Endurance Championship Hypercar won the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours, and everyone started thinking the same thing… I'm Alex, and Luke Smith will be along later, but first, we hear from one of our valued readers. The F1 roots in Ferrari's Le Mans success 'I hope you are going to do a longer piece on this, but what's with Ferrari? If they can put together a winning program in WEC, etc…' Well, to the anonymous but still cherished reader who replied with the above to our mailbag call out for questions last weekend, thank you for the query, and I hope I can do it justice in reply. The answer is: Not really, but it cannot be denied that the Ferrari 499P's third successive victory at Le Mans essentially all came down to the WEC's Balance of Performance technical rules. These are intended to create performance parity between the eight manufacturers that compete for glory in the category's top class. This is the equivalent of the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class in the IMSA SportsCar Championship stateside. Advertisement The Porsche Penske 963 car that finished second by only 14.1 seconds last Sunday had pretty much a perfect 24-hour race — as explained here on The Race's dedicated 2025 Le Mans podcast — and all three Ferraris that surrounded it hit issues. Many were self-inflicted. That the 499P topped the speed traps on an 8.47-mile track with three massive straights, despite there being a dedicated Le Mans BOP to balance top speeds for each car above 155mph, played a big part in a Porsche defeat that should've been greater. The consensus from observers is that the Le Mans-specific BOP failed in 2025. Ferrari has now won all four of 2025's WEC races to this point and dominates both the drivers' and manufacturers' standings. Oh, how Fred Vasseur's squad must envy such positions. And Ferrari's F1 team came into 2025 on a high. After scoring its highest win total for six years last season, it had a little-known seven-time world champion named LEWIS HAMILTON onboard for the first time. But its SF-25 car has been a clear step backwards, and although Ferrari is not far off second in the 2025 constructors' standings right now, it hasn't looked like doing a Mercedes and snatching a win off the McLarens/Max Verstappen battle at the front. Here's why: Vasseur also bizarrely claimed, 'It's not like this that we'll be able to win a championship… at least not with this kind of journalist around us.' Let me tell you, if journos have the reins of an F1 technical department that will make for absolutely spiffing headlines, but not good cars… An upgrade for Ferrari's ride height issue is expected to be unleashed across the coming Austrian and British races. Mercedes has shown how, in Canada, with the field so close, even as McLaren dominates, it doesn't take much for a team's results to be transformed. No pressure then, Fred… Now, and apologies to the TL;DR crowd, but here's why the Ferrari WEC car has proved to be so successful, even the quasi-privateer squad AF Corse could take overall Le Mans glory in 2025: Here ends my TED Talk, but we're not leaving the sports car realm just yet. What a day last Sunday was for Williams' 2019 F1 driver line-up. Not only did George Russell win the Canadian GP, but his teammate that year, Robert Kubica, led AF Corse's Le Mans triumph. That's no exaggeration — he completed 43% of his car's laps, 387 for a three-driver crew. Kubica will need no introduction to seasoned motorsport fans, but just in case it's handy, here's his career summary. Kubica's rally crash not only nearly killed him, but it also stopped him from completing a mooted Ferrari F1 deal to race alongside Fernando Alonso back in 2012. Dark days and many surgeries followed. His grit and perseverance deserve all the applause. Congrats, Robert. Now here's what the F1 paddock had to say about his Le Mans win. The last time I spoke to Robert Kubica was at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He'd spent the season as Sauber's reserve driver, but was starting to dip his toe further into sports car racing, having made his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut that year in the LMP2 class. He was somewhat noncommittal when discussing F1 (his main backer was heading to AlphaTauri), but when I started talking about sports cars, he lit up. The debate over the future of Le Mans and its chances of racing in the Hypercar category one day took up the majority of the interview. I even got a compliment (rare for racing drivers!) about how much he enjoyed the chat at the end. Advertisement So, to see Kubica now an outright Le Mans victor, in a Ferrari, filled me with joy — and the rest of the F1 paddock too. Both before and after the race finished at 10 am in Montreal, people couldn't help but share their delight over the result. To this day, Kubica's determination and speed command such respect in the F1 world. 'I'm very happy for him,' said Fernando Alonso, himself a double Le Mans winner. 'We talked a few times about how special that race is, and he deserves to experience that. He's a legend of our sport. And now he is even more after winning Le Mans in his career. (After) some of the pain that he went through with the accident and things like that, I think, today is a very happy day for motorsport.' Vasseur called Kubica 'extraterrestrial' for what he'd achieved at Le Mans. 'What he's doing is mega, and to win in Le Mans in this situation and to be the leader of the car, it's something that I can't imagine,' Vasseur added. 'I'm very pleased for Robert. He had a chaotic career in motorsport, and when you see the level of effort that he put into his career, I'm pleased for him to have this kind of result.' Kubica may never have gotten the F1 career or success he deserved, but Sunday was a firm reminder of just how fondly he is thought of within our paddock. 🎲 Daniel Ricciardo's life outside F1 took an… interesting turn yesterday when it was announced he's done a deal with a betting company. The reaction from fans on his Instagram page was so bad that the eight-time grand prix winner had to limit comments. Grim. 🍿 Luke and Madeline Coleman reviewed 'F1: The Movie' ahead of its release next week. SPOILERS INCLUDED, SORRY, BUT I HAVE TO SHOUT THAT JUST IN CASE, YOU'RE WELCOME. 🏎 Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the 2005 United States Grand Prix, which featured six cars and beer being chucked towards eventual winner Michael Schumacher of Ferrari. How far F1 has come in the USA since that farcical day, which, for some baffling reason, isn't in F1's extended race highlights archive on YouTube… 📫 Love Prime Tire? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Is there a Formula 1 race this weekend? F1 standings, schedule
Is there a Formula 1 race this weekend? F1 standings, schedule Show Caption Hide Caption 'F1: The Movie' trailer: Brad Pitt drives fast in Formula 1 film Brad Pitt plays a veteran driver recruited for a Formula 1 race team and Damson Idris is the hotshot racer in "F1: The Movie." Formula 1 has a new winner for 2025. Last weekend's Canadian Grand Prix saw a non-McLaren driver take victory for just the third time in the first 10 races. Mercedes' George Russell earned pole position and his first win of the season in the best weekend of the season for the team. His teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, came home third to give Mercedes its first double-podium of the year. Four-time defending champion Max Verstappen kept close to Russell but couldn't challenge him for the win. The McLarens couldn't match Russell and Verstappen's pace on race day. Instead, they collided with each other late enough to force the race to finish under safety car conditions. Lando Norris tried to pass Oscar Piastri for fourth on the start/finish straight but instead hit Piastri's left rear tire and went into the wall. Norris immediately took responsibility for the incident on team radio in the first clash between this year's top two title contenders. That finish meant Piastri widened his lead atop the drivers' championship standings to 22 points, nearly a full race win's points haul, over this teammate. Norris still holds a 21-point gap to Verstappen even with his crash and Verstappen's second-place finish. 'A PRETTY DETERMINED CHARACTER': First female F1 race engineer Laura Mueller on track with Haas' Esteban Ocon at Miami GP That was a thrilling end to an exciting race as usual in Canada. Will F1 be back on track this weekend? Here's what to know: Is there a Formula 1 race this weekend? No, the teams get a week off following the Canadian Grand Prix. It was one of the "fly-away" races of the schedule so the grid gets a week off before and after. The F1 grid returns to Europe in the next race of the season in the Austrian Grand Prix. It's the first of a double-header from June into July. When is the next F1 race? The next F1 race will be the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, June 29. In 2024, that race saw the first of many clashes between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. The two collided when fighting for the lead late in the race, handing the victory to Mercedes' George Russell. 2025 Formula 1 schedule, recap Here's a list of each Grand Prix race with the winner if applicable. Australian Grand Prix (March 2): Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Chinese Grand Prix (March 9) : Oscar Piastri, McLaren : Oscar Piastri, McLaren Japanese Grand Prix (April 6) : Max Verstappen, Red Bull : Max Verstappen, Red Bull Bahrain Grand Prix (April 13) : Oscar Piastri, McLaren : Oscar Piastri, McLaren Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (April 20) : Oscar Piastri, McLaren : Oscar Piastri, McLaren Miami Grand Prix (May 4) : Oscar Piastri, McLaren : Oscar Piastri, McLaren Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (May 18) : Max Verstappen, Red Bull : Max Verstappen, Red Bull Monaco Grand Prix (May 25) : Lando Norris, McLaren : Lando Norris, McLaren Spanish Grand Prix (June 1) : Oscar Piastri, McLaren : Oscar Piastri, McLaren Canadian Grand Prix (June 15) : George Russell, Mercedes : George Russell, Mercedes Austrian Grand Prix (June 29) : : British Grand Prix (July 6) : : Belgian Grand Prix (July 27) : : Hungarian Grand Prix (Aug. 3) : : Dutch Grand Prix (Aug. 31) : : Italian Grand Prix (Sept. 7) : : Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Sept. 21) : : Singapore Grand Prix (Oct. 5) : : United States Grand Prix (Oct. 19) : : Mexico City Grand Prix (Oct. 26) : : São Paulo Grand Prix (Nov. 9) : : Las Vegas Grand Prix (Nov. 22) : : Qatar Grand Prix (Nov. 30) : : Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Dec. 7): 2025 Formula 1 drivers' standings Oscar Piastri, McLaren: 198 points Lando Norris, McLaren: 176 Max Verstappen, Red Bull: 155 George Russell, Mercedes: 136 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari: 104 Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari: 79 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes: 63 Alex Albon, Williams: 42 Esteban Ocon, Haas: 22 Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls: 21 Nico Hülkenberg, Sauber: 20 Lance Stroll, Aston Martin: 14 Carlos Sainz Jr., Williams: 13 Pierre Gasly, Alpine: 11 Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull: 10 Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin: 8 Oliver Bearman, Haas: 6 Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls: 4 Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber: 0 Franco Colapinto, Alpine: 0 2025 Formula 1 constructors' standings McLaren: 374 points Mercedes: 199 Ferrari: 183 Red Bull: 162 Williams: 55 Racing Bulls: 28 Haas: 28 Aston Martin: 22 Sauber: 20 Alpine: 11 The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.
New York Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Why hasn't George Russell got a Mercedes F1 contract extension yet? It's overdue
George Russell's eyes narrowed under his flowing locks. His look hardened, steel glinting in what was left of his vision. This was the pre-event media day at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix and I'd just asked what Russell made of critics who were then saying he makes too many mistakes under pressure. It was, after all, bellowed at certain Formula One TV viewers during the preceding race in Canada… There, as he did last weekend in Montreal, Russell had started on pole ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and brilliantly led the early stages. But as that wet race dried up, his rivals came back to him in a way they just didn't in 2025 — and mishaps followed. He went off, twice, and ill-advisedly turned with McLaren's Oscar Piastri well alongside at the track's final chicane. Advertisement In another 2025 parallel, Canada 2024 was Mercedes' first chance to nick a win against the season's run of form. Then, it went begging. 'I have no need to respond to those people (who say I crack under pressure),' Russell replied to me, before doing precisely that. 'I could drive one tenth off the pace for 70 laps in a row and I wouldn't make a single mistake. '(In) 2022 I didn't make a single mistake in the whole season (Mick Schumacher in Singapore that year would very much beg to differ), but I wasn't pushing myself the way I'm pushing myself now. 'I could drive one tenth off the pace, not make a single mistake, and it looks like a flawless race from the outside. But knowing within that I had a tenth on the table, I'd be kicking myself for not pushing myself to the limit. So, people can say what they want. I'm pushing myself above and beyond. And maybe overstretched slightly because I'm trying to…' Russell tailed off, so we'll return to the aftermath of his 2025 Canadian GP triumph. After all, he's achieved exactly what he was getting at this time a year ago. The 27-year-old has clearly made a step up from what were already high-level performances in that time. His tire management mastery won the 2024 Belgian GP before Russell was ultimately disqualified for his car being underweight. His tire warm-up work on Mercedes' cool-weather predilection sent him to Las Vegas glory. And at the start of 2025, he and Verstappen stand alone in how they've maximised car potential this term — bar the Spanish GP calamity moment from the Dutchman. How Russell saw off Lando Norris' McLaren even as his Mercedes was effectively shutting down around him in Bahrain shows how much better he's dealing with the pressure these days. That was again on display in the face of intense, race-long pressure from unquestionably F1's best driver of the current era in Montreal. And Russell aced it. Russell has made a point of standing up to Verstappen in the intervening time, too. Such an approach will make you a villain to Max's fans. And in his seven-and-a-half years on the grid, Russell has become a something of polarizing figure to F1's fractured fanbase. His honed public image is quintessentially British (enough alone to rub many fans up the wrong way). And a feeling pervades in the paddock that he just tries a bit too hard — illustrated by his post-qualifying interview quip about Verstappen's penalty points situation, but also in becoming a Grand Prix Drivers' Association director aged 23 and so wading forthrightly into many a public debate. Advertisement The flip side of the latter point is that Russell just wants to give back to F1 and its fans — very Sebastian Vettel-like in several ways. Now, there's a driver who didn't gain widespread F1 popularity until much later in his F1 career… Scenes such as Russell eviscerating his then-Williams squad after practice at the 2019 British GP, when he was but a rookie and captured by Netflix's 'Drive to Survive' cameras, play into how Russell is characterised. He demanded lots of those around him even before he made it to F1. As an aside, so does his 2019 Williams team-mate Robert Kubica, who'd made it quite the weekend for that former pairing by leading AF Corse's quasi-customer Ferrari Hypercar squad to a popular Le Mans 24 Hours victory earlier last Sunday. In an era when people crave authentic public personalities, it's worth reflecting that the Russell we see reflects the man himself. He tries hard outwardly because that is just his nature. Anyway, after all the penalty point(s)-making chat of last week, there was still one of F1's best races to win. He did so with aplomb overall. And yet, he's still without a Mercedes contract extension beyond 2025. Russell isn't talking to any other team. And he doesn't have to. If Toto Wolff does pull off the unlikely and lure Verstappen from Red Bull, a straight swap into the only other regularly front-running team with a free seat is Russell's best option. A switch to Aston Martin (as was rumored here this week) or the coming Cadillac squad would risk leaving Russell stranded in the midfield, or worse. The latest from Wolff on Russell's contract is that 'we're going to get there' — around 'triple-headers getting out of the way and one race after the other now in June and July'. The long-awaited extension is thought to be a formality in the paddock. An announcement at Russell's upcoming home race at Silverstone has a nice ring to it, but more likely it'll come ahead of F1's traditional August summer break. Advertisement That's if it does, though. Verstappen's ongoing uncertain Red Bull future is thought to be behind the delay. Given his position as F1's peloton patron — through sheer weight of success if nothing else — Verstappen remains a lucrative prospect for any team. And Wolff knows this well. He is privately convinced that with the right management, moments like the Monza 2021, Budapest 2024, Spain 2025 (I really could go on) red mist wouldn't have happened for Verstappen; that it's the fault of Red Bull/Christian Horner approach to driver management that it has already repeatedly occurred. But the point of no return has long passed. Verstappen is the force of F1 nature he is because of his life lessons to this point. He has achieved all he has because of it, too. Bringing him into a ship that Wolff hates being rocked is just too risky. It's far more logical to allow Russell to deliver his prime F1 years with Mercedes while Kimi Antonelli continues rising than to gamble Mercedes' current team harmony all on signing Max, brilliant as he is. And, thanks to Mercedes' many car weaknesses in this rules era, F1 actually doesn't know how good Russell ultimately might be. His peaks suggest he could be right up there with the best, now the mistakes of early 2024 are seemingly gone. Really, Mercedes has let Russell down with its car performance since promoting him from Williams for 2022. But now it can reward him with its faith for the future. And that might just include returning to title challenging come 2026 and the new engine formula. If that comes to pass, assessments of Russell's standing with F1 fans will reach a new level altogether. Like Verstappen, though, don't expect him to change. There's just too much inner steel.
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Automotive
- Tom's Guide
If Oscar Piastri doesn't win the F1 championship this year I'm eating the pieces of this Lego McLaren set (which is currently 20% off)
Do you enjoy watching cars go vroom vroom on a different race track in a different country (almost) every weekend of the year? Me too. I've been a Formula 1 fan for years now, and the excitement of seeing the drivers take to the track hasn't wavered. I'm a struggling Ferrari fan (I cry every weekend), but I'm also a McLaren supporter... well, more of an Oscar Piastri supporter, to be honest. And, like me, do you also enjoy building Lego sets regardless of how big or small they are or how many pieces they contain? Then you've come to the right place because I've found a great deal for you. The Lego Technic McLaren Formula 1 2022 Replica set is currently discounted by 20% at Amazon U.S. — this brings it down to $159 from its retail price of $199. The Lego replica of the 2022 McLaren F1 car includes features like the V6 cylinder engine with moving pistons, steering, suspension and differential for precision cornering. Containing 1,432 pieces, this set will keep F1 fans — adults and kids alike — busy for hours. While Piastri didn't join McLaren until 2023, the 2022 car replica is still a great way to support your favorite team. I think this is an absolutely fantastic deal — if you're up to the challenge. This set contains 1,432 pieces so assembling it won't be an easy feat. It'll take hours but that can be a great way to keep yourself busy until the next race weekend comes along. The 2022 replica also features the V6 cylinder engine with moving pistons, steering, suspension and differential for precision cornering — just like the real MCL36. It comes with stickers too, just like most other Lego sets. The finished car measures 25.5 x 10.5 x 5 inches so you could even display it with pride on your coffee table. Or you could get a McLaren themed display wallboard ($89) which will a) save space, b) make your space look really cool, and c) make your guests very envious. Now that McLaren has a real chance at winning the World Drivers' Championship, there's no better time to get the lego set as you can save $40 on it. Happy building!
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Lando Norris is ‘too emotional' amid F1 title battle, says former McLaren star
Juan Pablo Montoya believes Lando Norris is 'too emotional' in the heat of battle as the McLaren star fights with his teammate Oscar Piastri for the F1 world championship. Norris cost himself 10 points in the title race after he crashed out of Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix, taking full blame for colliding with Piastri with just a few laps left of the race. The gap at the top of the standings is now 22 points, with Norris having won just two out of 10 races this season. The Briton has also admitted numerous mistakes in qualifying, which have cost him higher starting spots on the grid. Montoya, who raced in F1 for Williams and McLaren from 2001-2006 and won seven races, believes Norris was 'unnecessarily impatient' in his move on Piastri in Montreal. 'Lando is just way too emotional,' Montoya said. 'I really like him, I feel for him because of the way his emotions are, each time he's putting himself in a harder situation. 'He's very calm all weekend and executes all weekend. And then he gets to that last Q3 and something clicks in his head and he thinks ' now I cannot screw up.' And you know, when you think about not screwing up… is when you normally screw up. 'Even if Oscar had given him a bit of room and he put the tyres on the grass, he was going to come out backwards out of that deal. So even if he didn't hit Oscar, that wouldn't work. It is unnecessarily impatient.' Montoya added that he believes Norris should have received at least one penalty point for the incident, given Max Verstappen received three penalty points for his collision with George Russell at the Spanish GP earlier this month. 'People were saying that Lando got a penalty for the incident, but didn't get any points on his license… why?' Montoya added, in association with Casino Hawks. 'If you're giving somebody a five-second penalty for reckless driving and causing an incident, did he not get at least a point on his license? 'That's what Max always complains about, which is why he also talks about where someone's passport is from. 'Do you have levels where you can get a penalty without points? Normally, everybody who does something stupid gets points on his license. 'What Lando did was really stupid. He created a collision. You either penalise him or you don't.' Norris will be looking to bounce back at the next race in Austria (27-29 June).
