JA on F1 Podcast: Is Lewis Hamilton's malaise set to last the whole season?
We get into why Max Verstappen is heaping praise on Oscar Piastri, despite their Turn 1 incident, Piastri's many father figures, Williams' best start for a decade. And with Lewis Hamilton describing his Jeddah race as 'horrible' and doubting his fortunes will change this year, we look in depth at what's going on at Ferrari in the company of Motorsport.com editor-in-chief Ben Hunt and our top F1 writer from Italy, Roberto Chinchero.
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The Drive
3 hours ago
- The Drive
Does F1 Really Have a Future at Spa?
The latest car news, reviews, and features. When rumors began to circulate around a year ago about the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps leaving the Formula 1 calendar, locals, race organizers, and fans engulfing the grandstands in orange all had something to say about it. For many, the Belgian Grand Prix's 2025 contract expiration meant more than erasing one of the sport's European races from the schedule. To locals, it represents a hit to the small-town economy. Residents rent out their farm fields as parking lots, and the race generates 41.8 million euros ($48.7 million) for the region, making up 10 percent of a neighboring town's annual income. For race organizers, the expiration date looked threatening as races like Miami and Las Vegas popped up with bigger bottom lines and commercial success. 'I guess a lot of things are just about money nowadays, which is the issue. It's a business,' Lando Norris said in 2022 as South African Grand Prix negotiations threatened to axe Spa. For fans, Spa's uncertain future meant one of F1's most historic and iconic tracks could be removed from the calendar. Ultimately, F1 re-signed its contract with the Belgian Grand Prix until 2031 on the condition that it would rotate every other year starting in 2028. NurPhoto via Getty Images Last year, spectators flocked to the circuit anticipating that it could be their last chance to see F1 cars take on Eau Rouge in person. The 2024 race offered an unexpected winner and disqualification drama. But as the sport's 20 drivers faced a slick circuit under a safety car this year, there was much left to be desired. With a nearly hour-and-a-half rain delay to kick off Sunday, the race looked like it could hold seat-gripping promise when Oscar Piastri lunged alongside teammate and championship-title rival Norris to take the lead. However, besides a few wide corner slip-ups and a handful of clean overtakes, the Grand Prix was a dull affair. The finishing order looked a whole lot like the starting grid, just in a slightly different order, as Piastri took home the winner's trophy, followed by Norris and Charles Leclerc. Against expectation and public opinion, Saturday's sprint race held more drama, intrigue, and wheel-to-wheel racing than the main event. While there were opportunities for Sunday's race to keep viewers' attention—like Alex Albon dragging his Williams into sixth place, or Lewis Hamilton's recovery drive from 16th to seventh—F1's broadcast spent more time on the dominant drive in front. The sport's greatest narrative arc in 2025 is its midfield runners, and the story told to spectators on Sunday didn't capitalize on the fact that Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10 points-scoring finishers. McLaren's Oscar Piastri, the winner of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix, stands at center on the podium beside second-place finisher and teammate Lando Norris at left and third-place Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. Zhao Dingzhe/Xinhua via Getty Images In F1's current entertainment epidemic, Spa remains an enigma. It has all the ingredients for a fan-favorite race: high speeds, blind corners, history, and decently cheap entry and concession costs. But Sunday's race didn't reach that potential. In response to the 44-lap procession, fans on social media began to circulate Max Verstappen's radio message from the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix: 'This is boring, should have brought my pillow.' The sport's 2026 regulations bring the potential for more excitement. Smaller and lighter hybrid cars should increase speeds at one of the fastest tracks on the calendar. But the new regulations also come with unpredictability. The circuit's lack of braking means fewer opportunities for energy regeneration. And less bulky machines paired with lower downforce, higher speeds, and a track that never seems to fully dry mean the potential for danger is high. NurPhoto via Getty Images The 4.3-mile circuit already has a long and tragic history, and its safety faces near-constant skepticism: 'The two questions are, is Spa safe enough?' George Russell said last year. 'And then, it's a question of the conditions.' Over the years, F1 has increasingly prioritized safety in its decision-making at Spa, as it did with the call to delay Sunday's race start. Still, the venue's long list of fatalities and annual uncertainty is another tick working against its long-term future. So, where does Spa go from here? Maybe it is truly something better suited to the history books, or to this on-again, off-again format that leaves space for more modern race host locations. But there are still traditionalists who wax poetic about the Belgian Grand Prix as a timeless tribute to the sport and its heroes: 'It's one of the best tracks in the world,' as Hamilton put it last year. Maybe distance will make the heart grow fonder as the track's rotating format takes effect, and Spa will be more sweet than snooze-inducing next time around. Got a tip? Email tips@
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Three things we learned from Belgian F1 Grand Prix
Drivers and team bosses are divided on the future for wet-weather Formula One racing following an 80-minute rain delay that preceded Oscar Piastri's victory in Belgium on Sunday. While old school racers including multiple champions Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen favoured a prompt start on a tricky circuit, younger drivers and team chiefs preferred to back race director Rui Marques's caution and wait for dry weather. AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from Sunday's race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit: Safety first option sparks lively debate Piastri secured his sixth win of the season, with great aplomb that makes him favourite to beat McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to the drivers' title. The Australian's consistency and mental strength helped him into a 16-point lead after 13 of this year's 24 races, but his drive was overshadowed by post-race arguments about racing in the rain. Ferrari's Hamilton and Red Bull's Verstappen slammed the long delay and choice of rolling start, but others including Mercedes' George Russell and Williams' Carlos Sainz backed the "safety first" decision at a track with a dark history of fatal accidents. "We could've gone miles earlier, an hour earlier," said Verstappen. "It was a shame. It just ruins a nice classic wet race. Either we push to go for a wet race -- or we just stop racing in the wet... and wait for it to be dry. But that's not what you want, right?" Verstappen's car was set up for extreme wet conditions, as forecast, but the decision meant he and others were disadvantaged. He finished fourth. Triumphant McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, celebrating a sixth 1-2 this year, praised the move. "I think the race was managed in a very wise way by the FIA," he said. "We knew there was a lot of rain coming and I think at a circuit like this if you make the calls late, it may be too late -- and the outcome could be difficult." He emphasised the unique risks of the high-speed track through the forested valleys of the Ardennes. "I understand it would be entertaining, but the average speed is so high at Spa that in wet conditions it's impossible to see." New Red Bull chief Laurent Mekies, in his first outing after replacing Christian Horner, said: "I think we were all surprised by how late we started." The former FIA deputy race and safety director added: "Fundamentally, we waited not only for the rain to stop, but also pretty much for the sun to come out -- and then we still had many laps behind the safety car. "I'm sure the FIA had its reasons, but in our case, having based the car towards wet running, it cost us performance, but, it's all part of the game." Red Bull win despite Verstappen losing Verstappen's fourth-placed finish had one upside for Mekies as a performance break clause in his contract lapsed. According to paddock sources, the Dutchman had a right to leave for 2026 if he was outside the top three drivers at the end of July, but his points in Belgium, including a sprint race win on Saturday, mean he cannot be overhauled. Verstappen is third behind the McLaren duo but 28 points ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, whose future was under threat from Verstappen's possible arrival. He cannot catch him even if he wins in Hungary this week. Hamilton eyes turning the corner Hamilton's roller-coaster ride since joining Ferrari continued as he went from 18th, and a pit lane start, to finish seventh. On Saturday, he apologised to Ferrari for his "unacceptable" qualifying while critics noted that, at 40, he was struggling to cope –- two days after revealing he had bombarded senior Ferrari staff with memos for team improvements. After seeing him storm through the field, team chief Fred Vasseur joked Hamilton was now "engineering the car himself", before the Briton revealed he had invited a former Mercedes engineer to join his team. "We'll get stronger together now," he promised. str/pi/mw
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
Nico Rosberg Shares Awkward Moment With Jos Verstappen
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 F1 commentator Nico Rosberg had an awkward moment with Jos Verstappen after he brought up former Red Bull boss Christian Horner. After more than 20 years at Red Bull, Horner was removed from his leadership position amid the team's struggles over the past year and a half. The British team principal has faced numerous controversies during his time with the team, although the last 18 months have seen Horner accused of inappropriate behaviour with a Red Bull colleague. Nico Rosberg looks on in pitlane ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 1, 2024 in Monza, Italy. Nico Rosberg looks on in pitlane ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 1, 2024 in Monza, Italy. Photo byWhen the report was released, Verstappen spoke out against Horner's leadership and demanded his removal. As the father of four-time champion Max Verstappen, Jos is a key figure in the Red Bull paddock, and his influence within the team is significant. Before the Belgium GP, Rosberg interviewed with Verstappen, asking him about Horner's firing. "Last year, you said Horner need to go!" Rosberg told Verstappen. "That was one and a half years ago. It's different. I have nothing to say. It's fine," Verstappen replied. "Now you're quiet?" Rosberg retorted. "I'm always quiet," Jos finished by saying. Nico Rosberg is an absolute menace 😭😭 asking Jos about Horner Jos: "I have nothing to say" Nico: "NOW you're quiet??!" — 🎭 z (@rbrzoe) July 27, 2025 Word around the paddock claims that the Verstappen camp played a role in the firing of Horner as they lost faith in his ability to lead. Max was reportedly considering an exit from the team, and many believe the exit of the team's centerpiece scared the higher-ups into axing Horner. Both Max and Jos, however, deny culpability in the matter. As for Rosberg, he was left shocked that Red Bull removed someone who delivered so much glory. "Christian Horner is not here anymore, which is unthinkable. That's completely unreal," he said earlier in the weekend. "It was a big, big shock and surprise to everybody – including a surprise to him. He didn't see it coming at all, nor did anybody in the team. "But of course, it was a long time in the making. It was coming from last year, from all the issues that he'd been having there, so I think this was just a result of that. "But nobody really still knows 100 percent what exactly happened." Horner delivered Max a race-winning car over the past four seasons, along with assembling a staff full of some of the best people in F1. Red Bull has become a powerhouse in the sport, and while the team has recently hit a rough patch, Horner's leadership ability is unquestionable. For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
