F1 Star Charles Leclerc Shows Off Timeless Taste With Ferrari 275 GTB
Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc was spotted in his Monaco hometown in his latest garage addition- the iconic Ferrari 275 GTB, designed by Pininfarina. Only 200 units of the Series 1 were produced between 1964 and 1968, making it a rare car to own. The price for a fully restored model hovers between $2.5 million and $5 million.
Leclerc's fully restored 275 GTB turned heads the day it appeared on the streets, flaunting its classic 1965 Le Mans pedigree, where it finished third, making it a standout even among the F1 driver's coveted Ferrari collection, including the 812 Competizione Aperta, the Purosangue SUV, or even his customized Ferrari SP3 Daytona.
The 275 GTB came with a 3.3-liter Colombo V12 engine producing 280 horsepower, mated to the Italian marque's first road-going 5-speed gearbox. However, this wasn't the first time Leclerc was spotted in a Ferrari 275 GTB. The Monegasque took a 275 around the famed Fiorano circuit back in 2021, and called his thrilling run around the track a special one.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the Ferrari he drives on Grand Prix circuits, the SF-25 F1 car. The Maranello outfit has been struggling to extract further performance from the car, adding to the frustrations of Leclerc and his new teammate, Lewis Hamilton.
Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Scuderia Ferrari looks on during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 12, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec.
Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Scuderia Ferrari looks on during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 12, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec.The previous race in Canada saw him start from the eighth position on the grid, but he managed to finish the race in fifth. However, he blamed himself for the race result, considering an error he committed during qualifying that prevented him from starting on the front row. Speaking after the Canadian GP, he said:
"Honestly, I think today is kind of the result of my mistakes. FP1, Qualifying, the traffic... all in all I think that puts us a little bit in a difficult situation because we start further back on the grid.
"Then for strategy, there's been a bit of talk on the radio. I was of the opinion that the one-stop could work, the team was more of the opinion that the two-stop was the right way. Eventually, the team is making the final call because they have more information than I do.
"I wanted to make it clear that this was not what I was thinking, but I understand. I will speak with the team and I'll explain to them what I saw that made me think that this was the wrong choice. Overall, I don't think that this has completely changed our race result. Eventually that's where we deserved to finish.
"The pace was pretty strong. I think the starting position was just very difficult to deal with because then you've got to overtake and it makes everything difficult. I don't think FP1 hurt our weekend that much."
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New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Formula 1 mailbag: Are sprint races losing steam? And assessing 2025's rookies after Spa
The Belgian Grand Prix could have been a chaotic race at the rain-soaked Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. But after an 80-minute delay and a few laps behind the safety car, the track dried rapidly enough to make it a largely dry-weather race with another McLaren 1-2 finish. Oscar Piastri came out on top, executing a fearless move through Eau Rouge and Raidillon to pass pole-sitter Lando Norris, while Charles Leclerc held off Max Verstappen to finish on the podium, the Ferrari driver's fifth of the year. While Ferrari did bring upgrades to Belgium, Red Bull was caught out by the race director's decision to wait out the wet conditions. Verstappen's car was set up in anticipation of the rain, and so the topic of wet-weather racing came into the spotlight again. Advertisement Meanwhile, Mercedes held a meeting, including drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, to discuss the team's recent downturn in performance, and is considering making car changes for this weekend's Hungarian GP. Only one race remains until Formula One's summer break. Before the paddock headed to Budapest, we answered a few of your questions about the Belgian GP. Editor's note: Questions have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity. What is the point of the wet tire if the FIA won't allow a race in the wet? — Lee H. It's not this simple, particularly at a track like Spa. Sunday's issue wasn't regarding tire grip and aquaplaning, but rather the lack of visibility. The drivers had differing views on when they should've started racing on Sunday, and this is where Spa's complicated nature and its deadly history come into play. 'The past few years, particularly here, we've given the FIA feedback that we would much rather be on the safe side than risk anything. I think that's what we did today,' Piastri told reporters on Sunday. 'If you were to be picky, maybe we could have done one less formation lap. 'But in the grand scheme of things, if that's one lap too early, is it worth it? No.' The drivers spoke with the FIA after the rain-soaked British GP about being 'a little bit more cautious,' as Verstappen put it, when it came to decisions made regarding driving in the rain and particularly visibility. Because of the spray that comes off the cars in wet conditions, it can become hard to see one's surroundings and Spa's forest-setting means the spray tends to hang around worse at this track than many others. And so that lack of visibility does impact when a race starts. The laps behind the safety car were to assess the visibility, according to the FIA. As drivers began reporting that it was improving, the decision was made to do a rolling start. Advertisement But it's a fair question to ask what the point of a full wet tire is when talking about wet-weather racing. Yet the deeper grooves would've made the spray and visibility worse if the conditions at Spa had reached a level that would've warranted the full wets — the water is simply sent further away from the cars as a result, with the ground-effect designs also making spray worse. Intermediates did the job, particularly as the track dried. According to Pirelli, 'The full wet tires are the most effective for heavy rain, capable of dispersing impressive quantities of water. But if it rains heavily, visibility rather than grip causes issues, leading to race stoppages on occasion. The profile delivers increased resistance to aquaplaning, which gives the tire more grip in heavy rain.' The bottom line is that safety is paramount. Particularly at a track where two young drivers have died in recent years. It's one thing to take Eau Rouge flat out in the wet versus a lower speed corner with plenty of run-off. But the sport is looking at how to improve wet-weather racing in the future and the FIA has previously researched how to reduce the water spray to help with visibility issues. Madeline Coleman Are the sprints here to stay? I feel like they haven't produced the 'great' racing they were supposed to with drivers going flat out. It just seems like everyone gets in line, and no one can overtake except in the first corner, essentially. I know Miami had passing this year, but that was due to weather conditions and different strategy calls. Overall, I've just been finding myself liking sprints less and less over time, wondering how everyone else feels about them? — Jacob M. Sprints are most certainly here to stay, even if feedback has been mixed over the years. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen — who has 12 sprint race wins, the most of any driver — has been one of the most vocal critics of the format. He believes it takes away some of the excitement from Sunday's grand prix main event. Verstappen even clinched his third world title in a sprint race in Qatar in 2023. Advertisement I do get that to a point. A few of us in the media center actually commented on Saturday in the long, long gap between the sprint and full qualifying that the day felt like it was dragging, the sprint race hardly providing much action. As overtaking is harder this year due to the amount of dirty air produced by the cars, plus the big weight and dimensions of the machines of this era, removing the variable of strategy can sap away some of the action. But F1 has reported both an uptick in its TV and at-track audience figures on sprint weekends compared to the normal weekend schedule, as well as claiming to have positive sentiments from fans. And I'm personally in the camp of 'it's this or another practice session' which, now and then, is no bad thing. So I don't see F1 changing its mind on sprints anytime soon. Thankfully, there seems to be a recognition from those at the top of the sport that doing that format at every single grand prix — as MotoGP does — is probably too much. The traditional race weekend format just has a nice build-up. But for fans who still aren't convinced, they'll have to grin and bear it six times per season for the foreseeable. Luke Smith What order would you rank the rookie performances to date this season? Hadjar and Antonelli seem to be on a downswing, whilst Bortoleto and Bearman are ascending. But this was almost reversed at the start of the season. How do you see it going? — Luco O. I'm glad someone asked this question because I've been keeping a close eye on this year's rookie class and how their performances have fluctuated — and why — across the last 13 race weekends. Plus, spoiler alert, Luke and I will be doing midseason Rookie Rankings during the summer shutdown, so keep an eye out for our more in-depth analysis in August. But, for this mailbag, let's discuss Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto and Ollie Bearman. When assessing any driver's performance, we need to remember that there are factors outside of their control. Bearman, for example, had an engine issue at Spa that he had to manage the entire grand prix and lost positions because of it. And Hadjar faced a similar obstacle for nearly all of the Belgian GP, though it is unclear what the issue was with his car, as he said they'd only review the reasons post-event. Advertisement Newly appointed Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane said in the team's post-race recap, 'First of all, we have to apologize to Isack, he had a problem with his car that we could see from around Lap 8, causing him a loss of straight-line speed and costing him a lot of time over the course of the race.' Antonelli admitted as recently as Saturday at Spa that he's 'struggling to find confidence with the car,' but Mercedes has also faced a downturn in performance. Team trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin described the W16 as 'a difficult car.' 'Kimi's on a steep learning curve, and he's going to be getting better as a driver,' Shovlin later said about the rookie. 'The fact that his early performances were better than they are now is almost certainly that the car is not as competitive, and you can see that mirrored in George's results.' And Bortoleto faces a similar hurdle at Sauber. But its car has steadily improved compared to last season, and the rookie is adapting — his speed and talent evident. Team principal Jonathan Wheatley said in Austria that Bortoleto's 'confidence is building,' later adding, 'he's learning, developing. Really pleased with his progress.' The rookies have made mistakes at different points throughout the season, such as Bearman receiving penalty points for various red flag-related infringements or Bortoleto crashing while running slicks early in the wet start to the British GP. When taking the different aspects into account, I can see a world where they all are closely ranked, the margins fine, by season's end. It's a talented group that's had half a season to adapt to the pinnacle of motorsport, and the learning curve is steep with much lesser testing time allowed compared to previous eras too. But, right now, I'd rank the rookies as follows: Hadjar, Antonelli, Bortoleto and Bearman. While Antonelli's speed is undeniable, he has made some mistakes and produced more inconsistent results compared to the level many expected. Meanwhile, Hadjar is one of six drivers who have avoided Q1 eliminations so far this season and is arguably outperforming expectations, recovering well from that disastrous debut in Australia. Madeline Coleman Why must this race leave the calendar?! It's a classic! I suppose this isn't a question for the writers, more of a general lamentation. — Andrew J. Advertisement Andrew, this is a general lamentation that I fully endorse, so I'm very happy to be taking it on as a question!! Because, yes, Spa truly is a classic. I worked out this was my 13th visit to the track — nine F1 races and four sportscar events — and it's still up there with Suzuka as my joint-favorite. I did two track runs over the weekend (rest in peace, my calf muscles), which is a wonderful way to see one of the world's greatest race circuits. 'It's a track that, in my opinion, should be on the calendar every year for as long as Formula One exists,' race winner Piastri said ahead of the event starting. 'I think Spa is a track that really should be here to stay.' Unfortunately for Piastri and the wider F1 community, Spa won't be on every single F1 calendar moving forward. When a new deal was announced for the Belgian GP last year, it was confirmed that Spa would enter a rotational agreement and would not host F1 in either 2028 or 2030. It's the first F1 race to move onto rotation, which has been implemented to free up a bit of calendar space for the sport while it faces plenty of demand from countries interested in hosting a race. I'd expect another European venue, maybe Barcelona, to fill the gap in those years. The reality of race hosting in this F1 era is expensive. The Spa promoter has invested a lot in facilities in recent years, and welcomed a record crowd of 389,000 last weekend. But in securing its long-term future, the agreement was made to rotate. I'd rather Spa every other year in the future rather than not at all — but in the 'off' years, its absence will be felt. Luke Smith Top photo of Gabriel Bortoleto at Spa: ()
San Francisco Chronicle
7 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Formula 1: How to watch the Hungarian Grand Prix on TV and what to know
BUDAPEST (AP) — Here's a guide that tells you what you need to know about the Hungarian Grand Prix. It's the 14th round of the 2025 Formula 1 season. How to watch the Hungarian Grand Prix on TV — In the U.S., on ESPN. — Other countries are listed here. Hungarian Grand Prix schedule — Friday: First and second practice sessions. — Saturday: Third practice and qualifying. — Sunday: Hungarian Grand Prix, 70 laps of the 4.38-kilometer (2.72-mile) circuit. It starts at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET / 1300 GMT). Hungarian Grand Prix venue Twisty, bumpy and dusty, the Hungaroring is one of the hardest tracks to overtake on all year. It's even been likened to the Monaco street circuit for the importance of qualifying and grid position. Hungary first hosted an F1 race under communist rule in 1986. Lewis Hamilton is the record holder there with eight wins from 2007-2020. Oscar Piastri took his first career win last year after an awkward stand-off with teammate Lando Norris over team orders. Last time out Piastri overtook Norris and held on with worn tires to take his sixth win of the season at the Belgian Grand Prix after a long delay for heavy rain. The Australian driver extended his standings lead over his teammate Norris to 16 points. Catch up on F1 — Piastri beats Norris to win Formula 1's rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix — Delayed start at Belgian Grand Prix highlights Formula 1's challenge with racing in the rain — Verstappen doesn't think Horner's firing 'will matter at all' for his future at Red Bull — Lewis Hamilton is so fed up with his results at Ferrari that he's taking matters into his own hands Key stats 8 — Piastri's win at the Belgian Grand Prix put him level with Norris and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on eight career wins. They're joint-fourth among active drivers. 3 — The last three races have been a McLaren one-two finish for Piastri and Norris, something no team had done since 2019. The all-time record for a team is five one-two finishes in a row. 370 — Lewis Hamilton marks his 370th race in F1, but he's still far off Fernando Alonso's record. The Spanish two-time champion will race for the 415th time. What they're saying 'I'm really excited to go back. It's always a fun weekend. It's a great city, a cool track as well. I'm sure Thursday will be nice to go back to where I had my first win. But as soon as we get on track, you forget about that immediately.' — Oscar Piastri looks ahead to Hungary. 'Always good memories (of the Hungarian GP). Normally one that suits me a bit better than Spa.' — Lando Norris. 'We keep pushing and hopefully we'll put soon a bit more pressure on the McLarens.' — Charles Leclerc. ___
Newsweek
13 hours ago
- Newsweek
Oscar Piastri Joins Hamilton and Verstappen In Major Achievement
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. McLaren star Oscar Piastri achieved a feat previously accomplished only by Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Piastri won the Belgian Grand Prix after making an amazing overtake on the opening lap to get ahead, and he didn't look back once he got into clean air. He grew his lead in the Drivers' Championship once again, leading his teammate Lando Norris with only one race left until the summer break. The Aussie is having a spectacular season and is potentially on the verge of winning a title. Sprint race winner Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton (C) poses with second placed McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri (L) and third placed Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen (R) following the sprint race of... Sprint race winner Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton (C) poses with second placed McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri (L) and third placed Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen (R) following the sprint race of the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai on March 22, 2025 More Photo byAdditionally, with his points at Spa, Piastri managed to reach 31 Grand Prixs in a row with points scored, dating back to last season. Only Hamilton and Verstappen have scored points in more than 30 races, according to Sundaram R, known as @f1statsguru on X. The British seven-time champion achieved a streak of 48 from 2018 to 2020 and 33 from 2016 to 2018. On the other hand, Verstappen went 43 straight races from 2022 to 2024 and 31 races from 2024 to 2025. Only THREE drivers in F1 history have scored points in 30+ consecutive Grands Prix: 1. Lewis Hamilton - 48 (2018-2020) & 33 (2016-2018) 2. Max Verstappen - 43 (2022-2024) & 31 (2024-2025) 3. Oscar Piastri - 31 (2024-2025) No one else is even close to joining them currently. The… — Sundaram R (@f1statsguru) July 28, 2025 While all three drivers had the fastest car for most of these periods, it took a high skill level to make a difference among other top racers. Piastri has made significant strides as a driver. He improved his ability to protect his tires while becoming more decisive in his decision-making. Hamilton and Verstappen both possess similar traits, and these abilities might make the difference in a tight title race. Jolyon Palmer, in a story for from June, noted the progress Piastri made and his development into a title contender. "Oscar also seems to have the calmest head, certainly that I can remember, in Formula 1," Palmer wrote. "It's still early stages in his career, and we haven't yet seen him under title-deciding pressures – that'll come later this year – but the man is insanely calm with whatever is going on around him. "Kimi Raikkonen was known as the Iceman in Formula 1, but I've even seen him more animated than Oscar." "This can only be a strength to be able to stay so composed – I've yet to see him make pressure mistakes and you can't imagine him squandering points due to red mist, as Max Verstappen did on Sunday. "He's not been perfect this season. But from what I've seen so far, Oscar absolutely has the makeup of a champion, in a season where he's turned his weaknesses into strengths." For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
