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The Age
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Age
‘Glad I didn't ruin his race': Inside the stunning Norris v Piastri crash that set the F1 world alight
Oscar Piastri expects McLaren will still allow both he and teammate Lando Norris to fight for this year's Formula 1 world drivers' championship despite a nightmare collision between the two in the closing laps of the Canadian Grand Prix. In a move of pure desperation down the inside of the track as the cars crossed the start-finish line on lap 67 of the 70-lap race, Norris made contact with the rear of Piastri's car, and then the wall, as his race came to a dramatic stop in front of a raucous Montreal crowd. Incredibly, Piastri continued on. Mercedes' George Russell won the race from four-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen (a battle in which there's no love lost) and teenage rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli, but it was the disastrous McLaren crash that stole the attention. Norris, who now trails Piastri by 22 points in the drivers' championship, admitted full responsibility for his attempted overtake. '[I've got] no one to blame but myself, so I apologised to the whole team, and to Oscar as well for attempting something probably a bit too silly. [I'm] glad I didn't ruin his race,' he said on the Sky F1 coverage in the post-race. The McLaren pair were in fourth and fifth on the road at the time of the crash, with Norris behind but showing greater late-race pace. But he insisted he never asked the team to issue team orders to let him pass Piastri in an attempt to climb onto the podium. McLaren famously goes by 'papaya rules', meaning their drivers are allowed to race head-to-head from start to finish, as long as they don't make contact with each other and jeopardise the team result. 'Obviously it's not ideal for anyone… if Lando's taken full responsibility then that's how it goes, I guess,' Piastri said on Sky. 'He [Norris] made quite a large move into turn 10, I held my own into the chicane and it was definitely a tough battle but a clean one until that point. 'I don't think there was any bad intentions involved – I think it was just unfortunate, really. 'We're both fighting for a world championship and very thankful to the team that they allow us to race – I don't expect this to change anything in terms of that. 'We'll keep going racing until the end.' Piastri, who finished fourth, said there was more pace in his car than he was able to show throughout the race, but still not enough to overtake the Mercedes or Red Bull racers ahead of him. Ironically, after he qualified on the second row of the grid, this always loomed as a race of damage limitation for him. 'For me this weekend wasn't good enough and it's still far, far too early to think that's a comfortable advantage [in the title race] or anything like that,' Piastri said. 'There's a long way to go in the season.' McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was at his straight-down-the-line best when describing arguably the biggest moment of the season so far, which came straight after Piastri and Norris had cleanly raced wheel-to-wheel in the corners prior. 'We never want to see a McLaren involved in an accident, and definitely we never want to see the two McLarens touching each other,' he said on Sky. 'It's something, definitely, that we need to review because this is a very clear principle. 'At the same time, it's a contact that happened because of a midjudgment – Lando misjudged the distance to the car ahead and, of course, there was no malintent. 'Lando owned [it], immediately, and took responsibility for that, which we appreciate. 'That said, there is something to discuss and review, and the principles are already in place – I think our drivers will have something to learn farther, and we'll go racing again.' In the drivers' cooldown room ahead of the podium presentation, Russell could clearly be seen on-camera telling Verstappen and Antonelli after watching a replay of the Piastri and Norris incident: 'There was not really a gap there, was there?' In the aftermath of the race, former F1 racer and renowned analyst Karun Chandhok made it clear that this was Norris' mistake and his alone. 'Lando's chosen to go to the left [the inside of the track],' Chandhok explained on Sky. 'At this point, really, when Oscar went this way [left], if he [Norris] wanted to have a go, he needed to go there [right]. 'The trajectory of Oscar's car is going left – he clearly indicated 'I'm moving to the left'. 'It's quite clear that [the gap available on the inside] is not the width of a McLaren. Really, with the slipstream effect, he's gotten too close and just misjudged it.' Fellow analyst, former world champion Nico Rosberg gave his own unique insight into just what Norris could be feeling following the collision that stunned the F1 world. Rosberg retired after finally beating his own teammate Lewis Hamilton to the drivers' title, and spoke about the psyche of a racer in Norris' shoes. 'I'm making mistakes, I'm not good enough, I'm making mistakes – it gets to you, in your head, and it can get pretty dark then,' Rosberg explained. 'I've been through this, so it gets really dark – especially when you're making mistakes like today where everybody can see. 'It's difficult for Lando to get back out there.' Following the race, Red Bull launched a protest against Russell for erratic driving behind the safety car, and for trailing too far behind it. It's the second time Red Bull have protested in the span of five races, and both have been against Russell. The Formula 1 circus next heads to Austria in a fortnight. Canada finishing order George Russell (Mercedes) 1:31:52.688 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.228 seconds Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +1.014s Oscar Piastri (McLaren) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1 lap Carlos Sainz jnr (Williams) +1 lap Oliver Bearman (Haas) +1 lap Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +1 lap Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1 lap Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +1 lap Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1 lap Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +1 lap Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +1 lap Lando Norris (McLaren) DNF Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) DNF Alexander Albon (Williams) DNF
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Max Verstappen Snaps at Sky F1 Reporter After George Russell Clash Fallout
Max Verstappen Snaps at Sky F1 Reporter After George Russell Clash Fallout originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Max Verstappen's patience wore thin in Montreal when a Sky Sports reporter questioned Red Bull's controversial team call during the Spanish Grand Prix. Advertisement Two weeks after Verstappen clashed with George Russell in Barcelona in an incident that cost him a 10-second penalty and three penalty points, Sky F1's Ted Kravitz confronted the reigning World Champion about how his team made the decision to hand the place back to Russell during the race. At the time, Verstappen had gone off-track at Turn 1 while battling Russell and was told by his race engineer to relinquish the position to avoid a likely penalty. However, the stewards later ruled that Verstappen was forced wide and should not have needed to give the place back. Kravitz zeroed in on the man now handling those decisions for Red Bull, Stephen Knowles, who recently took over from Jonathan Wheatley, the team's long-serving Sporting Director. 'I assume it was him who told 'GP' to tell you to give the place back to George, which wasn't the right call,' Kravitz said. 'How are you working that out with him?' Max Verstappen talks to media during qualifying in when Verstappen snapped. Advertisement 'I think it's not really nice to try and single out a person, because that's never the case,' he shot back. 'We just look at it as a team… but it's not fair to single out one person.' Kravitz tried to clarify that he wasn't blaming Knowles, but Verstappen pushed again: 'But you mentioned him.' The exchange grew increasingly tense, with Verstappen refusing to discuss any individual fault on camera. 'I do not need to discuss that here,' he said bluntly. 'We all live and learn.' The incident reignited scrutiny over Red Bull's internal communication and Verstappen's increasingly short fuse, especially as he now sits just one penalty point away from a race ban, a rare position for the four-time world champion. Advertisement With emotions still raw, this wasn't the calm before the Canadian Grand Prix, it was more like another storm brewing. Related: Max Verstappen Nears F1 Suspension After Spanish GP Meltdown This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
News18
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- News18
'Even If He's The Greatest...': Nico Rosberg Claims Age Affecting Lewis Hamilton
Last Updated: Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari was 11th after the second free practice session ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton faced disappointment yet remained determined on Friday evening after a challenging day of practice at the Spanish Grand Prix. During this time, his former team-mate Nico Rosberg suggested that Hamilton's age might be affecting his performance. Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this year, finished 11th after the second free practice session and described his car as 'not driveable." Team boss Fred Vasseur clarified that the radio comments were 'a bit extreme." As the 40-year-old Briton struggled to handle his unpredictable car around the Circuit de Catalunya, Rosberg, who beat him to the world title in 2016, told SkyF1 that age could be a factor in Hamilton's challenges this year. 'Even if he's the greatest of all time, at some point you are going to get a little bit slower and that's age related," said Rosberg. 'And when you are 40, it's going to happen sooner rather than later." Hamilton's Ferrari teammate, Leclerc, was sixth and expressed positive surprise at his car's performance and potential. Hamilton maintained a stoic expression. When asked about his day, he said, 'Not fun. It's a beautiful place, the weather has been amazing, but no, not a good day." He added that he did not feel he was using his experience to motivate the team. 'I wouldn't say that. You just keep your head down and keep working away. You just don't give up. You keep going, you keep pushing." Hamilton, who has won the Spanish race a record six times, addressed speculation on Thursday about his working relationship with race engineer Riccardo Adami. 'There is a lot of speculation and most of it is BS," he told reporters. 'We have a great relationship. He is amazing to work with. He is a great guy, working so hard, as we both are. It is all noise and we are ignoring it." First Published:
New Straits Times
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Hamilton determined to make Ferrari adventure work
BARCELONA: Lewis Hamilton was disappointed, but determined on Friday evening after a difficult day of practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, during which former team-mate Nico Rosberg suggested his age may be catching up with the seven-time world champion. Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this year, wound up 11th after second free practice and described his car as "not driveable", a description moderated by team boss Fred Vasseur who admitted "the comments on the radio were a bit extreme." As the 40-year-old Briton battled to drive his capricious car around the Circuit de Catalunha, Rosberg, who beat him to win the world title in 2016, told SkyF1 that age was likely to be a factor in his struggles this year. "Even if he's the greatest of all time, at some point you are going to get a little bit slower and that's age related," said Rosberg. "And when you are 40, it's going to happen sooner rather than later." Leclerc, Hamilton's Ferrari team-mate was sixth and said he was pleasantly surprised by his car's performance and potential. Hamilton maintained a stoical expression. Asked about his day, he said: "Not fun. It's a beautiful place, the weather has been amazing, but no, not a good day." He added that he did not feel he was using his experience to motivate the team. "I wouldn't say that. You just keep your head down and keep working away. You just don't give up. You keep going, you keep pushing." Rosberg had some sympathy for Hamilton. "If we can come to the worst car, it's the Ferrari," he said. "Oh my goodness! Poor Lewis Hamilton. That car is a handful. "I mean the rear is just so loose and snappy so even on the entry, Lewis had to fully steer out again to avoid binning. So, I really feel for him at the moment." Hamilton, who has won the Spanish race a record six times, on Thursday went to some length to end speculation claiming he had a difficult working relationship with his race engineer Riccardo Adami. "There is a lot of speculation and most of it is BS," he told reporters. "We have a great relationship. He is amazing to work with. He is a great guy, working so hard, as we both are. It is all noise and we are ignoring it." - AFP
Gulf Today
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
Piastri bounces back in second practice at Spanish GP
Series leader Oscar Piastri bounced back after being outpaced in opening practice to top the times for McLaren ahead of Mercedes' George Russell in Friday's second session at the Spanish Grand Prix. Piastri clocked a best lap of 1 minute 12.760 seconds to beat Russell by 0.286s after winding up fifth in FP1 when title rival and McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, who trails him by three points in the title race, was fastest. Four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull was third, three-tenths adrift, ahead of Norris, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli in the second Mercedes. Local hero two-time champion Fernando Alonso was seventh for Aston Martin ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly and RB's rookies Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson. Oscar Piastri looks on during the practice in Montmelo, Barcelona, on Friday. AFP Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton struggled with his Ferrari to 11th, after taking third place earlier. Neither session offered evidence of any changes in performance, following the introduction of a new rule restricting front wing flexibility. On a hot afternoon at the Circuit de Catalunya, Leclerc was first out on mediums, hoping to maintain Ferrari's improvement in Monaco, but instead found it difficult to stay with the pace-setting McLarens. Mercedes had clearly improved their set-up since a poor showing in FP1 with Russell first and Antonelli fifth after 20 minutes. By contrast, Leclerc was down in eighth and Hamilton 11th having been fourth and third in the earlier session. McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri prepares to drive during the practice at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo, Barcelona, on Friday. AFP Hamilton's largely disappointing form since joining Ferrari was a hot topic again prompted by his former Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, the 2016 champion, who suggested, on SkyF1, that his age was a factor. 'Even if he's the greatest of all time, at some point you are going to get a little bit slower and that's age related,' said Rosberg. 'And when you are 40, it's going to happen sooner rather than later. 'Even a tenth makes a huge difference in this sport especially if you are up against some of the greatest from the new generation - namely Charles Leclerc, who is one of the absolute best qualifiers.' Hamilton, adrift in 11th, complained his Ferrari was 'not driveable' before the high-fuel runs ended a session of few surprises or incidents. Agencies
