Latest news with #RedBull
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Norris Leads McLaren Practice One-Two After Dunne Shines
Lando Norris led Formula One leader Oscar Piastri in a McLaren one-two in second practice for the Austrian Grand Prix on Friday after George Russell went fastest for Mercedes in the opening session. Norris had handed his car to Alex Dunne for an impressive F1 practice debut for the Irish rookie and Formula Two leader, but the Briton was right up to speed as soon as he got back behind the wheel. After Russell's best of one minute 05.542 seconds in the early afternoon, Norris -- 22 points behind Piastri in the title battle after 10 of 24 races -- lapped in 1:04.580 with Piastri 0.157 slower. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen, a five-times winner at his team's home circuit, was the only other driver under the five second mark with a 1:04.898. "We've shown a bit more pace than some of the others. I certainly think they're going to catch up. Max is not far behind and they usually improve a lot into Saturday," said Norris. Russell, winner from pole position in Canada two weeks ago after the McLarens collided, was sixth in practice two with Lance Stroll a surprise fourth for Aston Martin and Charles Leclerc fifth for Ferrari. "First practice was definitely a surprise to us," commented Russell. "The McLarens were mighty strong, especially this afternoon. I don't really see that changing. We'll do our best but I don't really think we'll be fighting for pole." Verstappen was without regular race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase for the weekend due to personal reasons with Simon Rennie taking over. "Overall today was quite straightforward and we didn't have any big issues," said Verstappen. "He (Rennie) has a lot of experience so it has been very very good today, he is straight up and it was nice." DUNNE IMPRESSES Dunne, given track time as part of team obligations to give rookie drivers F1 experience, was the talk of the first session when he lapped fourth fastest and only 0.069 slower than Piastri. Still only 19 and the first Irish driver in 22 years to take part in a grand prix weekend, he thanked the team over the radio as the chequered flag fell. "A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life," he said. "Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car." McLaren team boss Andrea Stella cautioned not to read too much into the time, however. "Alex has been quite diligent and impressive, and then he also had the chance to show some speed and, no surprise, he is a fast driver," said the Italian. "I think we need to be a bit careful looking at the lap times, because his came later on in the stint when the fuel was down. But I think encouraging and impressive in terms of Alex himself, and also I think a good session for McLaren." Austria has the shortest lap of the year in terms of time and all but 20th-placed Haas driver Oliver Bearman were within a second of Russell in the opening session. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was ninth and 10th respectively in the sessions as Ferrari made a difficult start to their preparations with mechanics working on both cars during practice one. Hamilton was also warned for impeding Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli. Leclerc sat out the first session with Swedish reserve Dino Beganovic getting some track time and finishing 18th. Fernando Alonso had a big spin in his Aston Martin but kept the car out of the barriers.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Hindu
F1 Austrian Grand Prix: Fine teams for ‘long shot' protests, says Wolff
Formula One teams should be fined if they fail in 'long shot' protests against rivals, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said on Friday. The Austrian told reporters at his home grand prix that the governing FIA was already looking into the possibility of such a measure. Rival Red Bull has protested twice in the space of five races, and without success, against Mercedes driver George Russell. In Canada two weeks ago, where Russell won and Verstappen finished second, the result of the race was not confirmed until more than five hours after the chequered flag due to the enquiry. READ | Max Verstappen heads into Red Bull's home race with upgrades and growing uncertainty One of the protests in Montreal, alleging a safety car infringement, was withdrawn while the other claimed Russell had been 'unsportsmanlike' in his driving. 'I think it's absolutely legitimate to protest. We are fighting for race wins and championships. And if you have the opinion that what you've seen is not right, then you should protest,' said Wolff. 'But some of these actions are just really not real. 'There are things that, from my perspective, are legit to protest and others that are just a little bit of a too long shot.' Wolff said nobody was a fan of higher fines, and Formula One needed to be mindful of the real world and not be seen as over the top. 'But in that (Canadian GP) instance, absolutely put in a fine, and I think the president of the FIA is working on that. Put in a fine that, at least if you lose it, is a little bit of an embarrassment that you lost so much money, and you're going to think twice whether you do it,' he added. 'I think this is along the lines the FIA are thinking.' Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley, who was previously at Red Bull, said it was important for teams to have the right to protest and making it prohibitive would likely result in more problems.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Toto Wolff confirms Mercedes are again considering swoop for Max Verstappen
Toto Wolff has confirmed Mercedes are once more considering a move to tempt the four-time world champion Max Verstappen, with a place potentially available at the team from next season as George Russell has yet to have his contract renewed for 2026. Russell had revealed on Thursday that Mercedes were interested in Verstappen, stating: 'It's only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing.' Wolff was then faced with a barrage of questions on the subject when the Mercedes team principal addressed the press at the Austrian Grand Prix and ultimately acknowledged that the team were indeed investigating options with the Dutch driver and suggested that talks were taking place. 'As a team principal responsible for the best car brand in the world it is clear you're exploring what a four-time world champion is going to do in the future,' he said. Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull until 2028 but is understood to have performance-related exit options available to him if he is outside the top four by the summer break that falls after the Hungarian Grand Prix. He is currently third. Wolff was open in his previous pursuit of Verstappen until the middle of last season when the Dutch driver committed to staying at Red Bull and Mercedes signed Kimi Antonelli on a multiyear deal. In Austria, Wolff insisted he did not want to hide any negotiations from his drivers. 'What we are trying to do in the team is be transparent,' he said. 'You can choose to hold things under wraps, or do what we've done in the last 20 years I've been here is putting it out there and saying this is the situation. These drivers are clever people and they talk to each other. 'I'm saying it how it is and there's no such thing as saying we are going to sign Max, because it's so far away that it's not realistic at that stage. So with George, we talk about everything.' Verstappen did not deny talks were taking place when asked. 'I don't think we need to talk about that,' he said. 'I don't know, do you want me to repeat what I said last year? I don't know. It's the same answer.' Last year when faced with the same questions at this race, Verstappen emphatically confirmed he would remain at Red Bull. His team have brought upgrades to the Red Bull Ring, hopeful they might improve his fortunes, but it was Russell who was quickest in first practice in Spielberg, while McLaren's Lando Norris, also boasting upgrades, topped the time sheets in the second session in what is something of a big weekend for the British driver. Intensely self-critical, Norris will have subjected himself to no little soul-searching in the two weeks since he climbed disconsolately from his stricken car at the Canadian Grand Prix after hitting his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion The clash was considered inevitable at some point between the two drivers vying for the world championship but its implications have far more import for Norris. The Briton was attempting to pass Piastri in Montreal, clipped the Australian's car and clattered off into the pit wall, his race over. He held his hands up immediately, his contrition clear even, as McLaren had already all but acknowledged it was a matter of when not if the two finally came together, given the team's stance on allowing their drivers to race one another. Yet for McLaren there has been no panic and certainly no sudden imposition of restrictions curtailing their drivers' freedom to compete. Having dealt with it, it is business as usual. For Norris, however, it represents a bruising reminder of quite what is at stake and the intensifying pressure on him to deliver if he is to retain his world championship ambitions. With 10 races gone he trails Piastri by 22 points and while it is far from an insurmountable gap with 14 meetings to go, of more concern is that the form is overwhelmingly with the Australian. Norris had begun as favourite and had taken victory in the season opener in Australia, where Piastri made his only major mistake thus far, spinning off in sudden, treacherous rain in Melbourne. Since when and until Canada, the Australian enjoyed a run of eight consecutive top-three finishes including five wins. Norris's performances in contrast have been peppered with minor errors and some more costly, including Canada and crashing out of qualifying in Saudi Arabia. 'Lando himself will have to show his character to overcome this kind of episode,' said the team principal, Andrea Stella, and Austria is a chance for Norris to reset and reassert at a key moment for the 25-year-old.
Japan Today
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Japan Today
Max Verstappen heads into Red Bull's home race with upgrades and growing uncertainty
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands attends a news conference at the Red Bull Ring racetrack, in Spielberg, Austria, Thursday, June 26, 2025, ahead of the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos) auto racing By JAMES ELLINGWORTH Max Verstappen at the Red Bull Ring is usually a recipe for success. The defending Formula 1 champion has an upgraded car for his team's home race in Austria — where he's won five times — on the back of an encouraging second place in Canada, where his two McLaren rivals collided. Zoom out, though, and the situation is much more uncertain. Verstappen remains at risk of a one-race ban for too many penalty points, Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda is usually too far adrift to help him, and Verstappen's own future is far from clear. "I don't think we need to talk about that,' Verstappen said Thursday when asked to confirm whether he'll stay with the team for 2026. 'It's not really in my mind. It's just driving and trying to push the performance, you know. And then we focus on next year.' Verstappen has a long-term contract through 2028, so in theory his Red Bull seat should be one of the safest on the grid. However, the deal has performance-related clauses which could reportedly allow a move. In that case, the most obvious option could be Mercedes, which has yet to confirm either driver for 2026. That would mean Verstappen teaming up with an old foe in Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who'd also have to choose to drop either George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Dramatic changes to how F1 cars look and perform are coming in 2026, and Red Bull has to adapt more than most. For the first time in nearly two decades, it heads into a new era of F1 rules without design guru Adrian Newey, who left last year and is now at Aston Martin. The other leading teams are sticking with their current engine arrangements, but not Red Bull. The team has an in-house engine developer, Red Bull Powertrains, but it's switching partners for 2026 from Honda to newcomer Ford. No team in F1 depends as much on one driver as Red Bull does on Verstappen. He's scored 155 of the team's 162 points this season. His teammates — first Liam Lawson, then Yuki Tsunoda — have struggled all season. That's helped to restore the reputation of Sergio Perez, who was dropped by Red Bull after scoring barely one-third of Verstappen's points last season. 'I know, deep down, they really regret it,' Perez said on a podcast this week. 'And I know that from a very reliable source. It's tough. I have very good friends there, and people might think I take pleasure in what happened, but no.' Red Bull's car seems to favor Verstappen's driving style over anyone else's, but the Dutch driver says he can't diagnose the issue because he's been with the team since 2016 and has nothing else to compare it with. 'The thing is that I don't know any better, right?' he said Thursday. 'I mean, I've basically started with Red bull, so I only know one car and that's how I drive. I adapt to it. Is it the best? Is it the fastest? Is it not? I don't know." AP Sports Writer Tales Azzoni in Madrid contributed to this report. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mercedes Wants To Ditch George Russell For Max Verstappen Ahead Of 2026 F1 Rules Change
George Russell has not yet signed a new contract with his Mercedes-AMG F1 team for the 2026 season. It seems team boss and "F1 The Movie" producer Toto Wolff is trying to keep his team's options open for next season, actively attempting to lure the four-time World Drivers' Champion Max Verstappen away from his recalcitrant Red Bull Racing team. "As Mercedes, they want to be back on top, and if you're going to be back on top you need to make sure you've got the best drivers, the best engineers, the best pitcrew, and that's what Mercedes are chasing. So, it's only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing," Russell admitted to ahead of this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix. Russell, having won four Grands Prix for the three-pointed star since he joined the team in 2022, including the most recent outing at the Canadian Grand Prix, is confident his performance will earn him a new contract in short order. With an entirely new set of regulations on the horizon, Mercedes will want to hit the ground running in 2026 with a solid lineup of adaptable drivers. Because of that, I think the team would be foolish to drop George for Verstappen. When everything is perfect for Max and he has the exact right car, the Red Bull ace is nearly unstoppable. Face him with even the lightest of adverse conditions, and he implodes into an atomic bomb of insecurity and dangerous on-track antics. If Mercedes build a mildly competitive car, as they have this season, George will unequivocally be the right answer, and I'm confident he's got enough talent to take a championship if the car is as well-built as the 2025 McLarens or 2023 Red Bull have been. Max might be able to make a perfect car even more perfect, but in a merely passable car he'll be a liability for the team, as he has been in 2025. Read more: Every 2025 Formula 1 Livery, Ranked From Worst To Best Conveniently the Mercedes AMG F1 team has two seats, so George doesn't necessarily have to be the one to go in order to make room for Mr. Verstappen. In that same interview, propped up by his recent win, Russell commented "I feel with the performance I'm showing at the moment I've got zero reasons to be worried." That leaves Mercedes-AMG junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli on the chopping block. The 18-year-old recent grad joined Mercedes for the 2025 season on a one-year contract to replace Sir Lewis Hamilton, who departed for Ferrari after delivering 8 World Constructor Championships for the Merc squad. Antonelli is holding his own, but hardly filling those big shoes, scoring fewer than half as many points as Russell across the season. If I were Toto Wolff, and thank goodness I'm not, I certainly would not ditch either of these drivers to woo Max Verstappen. In spite of Max's generational talent, he's a potential liability to the team if he replaces Russell, and the team would practically implode if he replaced Antonelli. A George Russell and Max Verstappen duo at Mercedes would be diabolical and the infighting would break even the most stoic team principal. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
