Sprint and train don't mix
Looking ahead, Christophe and Macka shift focus to the crucial Stage 18, with jersey battles intensifying and high-stakes climbs on the horizon. They explore how breakaways and team strategies could shake up the standings, especially in the fight for the polka-dot and green jerseys. .
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News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
McLaren forced to sacrifice one driver as Oscar Piastri-Lando Norris strategy dilemma looms
McLaren faces a difficult choice of sacrificing one driver for the betterment of the team during Sunday night's Hungarian Grand Prix and it could cost Oscar Piastri dearly in his bid for a first world title. After Charles Leclerc stunned the F1 grid by claiming pole at the Hungarian GP on Saturday, world championship leader Piastri and his teammate Lando Norris had to settle for second and third, respectively. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. With Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton down in 12th, McLaren's two-against-one situation at the front of the grid gives them a theoretical advantage over Ferrari. But with the constructors' championship firmly in McLaren's grasp, it is the drivers' championship that poses the biggest headache for the team. Norris is 16 points behind Piastri in the championship standings after 13 of this year's 24 races. But this weekend's strategy could change the complexion of the championship. Given the difficulty of overtaking at the Hungaroring, the most effective way to make ground at the circuit is via an undercut – a pit stop strategy where a driver pits earlier than their rival to gain track position. That was on show last year when Norris controversially undercut leader Piastri. McLaren reversed their usual protocol of allowing the driver ahead on track to pit first to nullify the threat of Norris being undercut from those behind him, but that swapped the order of their drivers. After refusing on multiple occasions to allow Piastri to pass and return to the lead, Norris finally accepted the orders in the closing stages. But this time around, McLaren is widely expected to pit one of their cars early, which Sky Sports F1's Jamie Chadwick says will ultimately sacrifice one of them, which could ultimately turn the entire drivers' championship on its head. 'McLaren kind of needs to sacrifice one, almost, to help the other one if they really want to give themselves the best chance (of winning),' he said on the broadcast on Friday. If one driver pits early, they will be the one on the worn tyres towards the end of the race, but will likely have a positional advantage on a track where overtaking is tricky. And it appears most likely that Piastri would be the one to take the bullet, remaining out on the track, pushing Leclerc while Norris undercuts both the Aussie and the Ferrari driver. A perfect example of this strategy was at the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix, when Sebastian Vettel pitted from third place before Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who were ahead of him. With fresh tyres, Vettel produced a quick outlap compared to the slower inlap for those ahead of him, and by the time Leclerc exited the pits Vettel was able to jump into the race lead. That one move would ultimately result in him going on to register his 53rd and final F1 win. But regardless of strategy, Piastri believes both he and Norris will be given a chance by McLaren to win at the Hungaroring. 'I think we're both going to try and win the race. I think that's our goal,' he told Sky Sports F1. 'We'll have to wait and see what the weather does. It's a place where strategy is a factor as well. 'There are a lot of things where you can win or lose, but I'm sure we'll both be trying to win the race in our own right. 'Potentially [we need to be on different strategies], it depends on what our pace is like and where we end up after lap one. 'If you pit earlier, you can get the undercut but pay for that later in the stint. If you go later, then you've got to try to overtake on track, so there are pros and cons to both.'
SBS Australia
9 hours ago
- SBS Australia
A superhero for a nation in waiting, and a "Gigantic" performance
Stage 8 of the Tour de France was packed with strategy, emotion, and powerful performances — all captured in the latest episode of the SBS Cycling Podcast with hosts Christophe Mallet and Dave McKenzie. The spotlight was on Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who rode a tactically brilliant race. Her calculated patience and timing impressed both fans and commentators, The episode also dives into the human side of the Tour, featuring an emotional reflection from Emily Watts, who pushed through a brutal climb, admitting she didn't think she'd finish. There's also a touching interview with Neve Bradbury's parents, sharing their pride in seeing their daughter compete on cycling's biggest stage.
ABC News
11 hours ago
- ABC News
French rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt puts a gap on Australia's Sarah Gigante ahead of final stage of Tour de France Femmes
French rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt took a commanding lead at the Tour de France Femmes after launching a solo attack on the final climb of Saturday's penultimate stage. She is making her Tour debut at 33 years old and leads Australian rider Sarah Gigante by 2 minutes, 37 seconds and 2023 champion Demi Vollering of the Netherlands by 3:18 heading into tonight's (AEST) last stage. Last year's event had the smallest winning margin in the history of the women's and men's races, but Ferrand-Prévôt looks like winning far more comfortably, barring mishap. She won the mountain bike gold medal at last year's Paris Olympics and the Paris-Roubaix classic in April. Overnight, she trailed Mauritian rider Kim Le Court by 26 seconds heading into stage eight from Chambéry to Saint-François-Longchamp, which took the riders on a 112 kilometre trek into the mountains. It featured an early climb of 13km up Col de Plainpalais before finishing with a tortuous ascent of 18.6km to Col de Madeleine, one of the most famed climbs in cycling. Ferrand-Prévôt made a move on her main rivals about 9km from the top, pulling away to chase after Niamh Fisher-Black and Yara Kastelijn ahead of her. She soon caught them and then rode unchallenged to clinch the stage win. Gigante crossed the line 1:45 behind her, while Fisher-Black rolled in 2:15 behind in third spot. Vollering placed fourth. The ninth and final stage from Praz-sur-Arly to Châtel is another mountainous route, with three big climbs, and is even longer at 124km. AP
