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Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Times
Oscar Piastri profits to extend title lead as Lando Norris blows pole
Oscar Piastri had watched Max Verstappen breeze past him on the Kemmel Straight in the sprint race and had feared the worst would happen again in the main event on Sunday. Instead, it was his team-mate who had that same helpless feeling, Lando Norris losing the lead in the first proper racing lap of the grand prix — after an 80-minute rain delay — Piastri nursing his medium tyres to the end of a dull race in a gloomy Spa. Piastri extended his championship lead to 16 points, so won't mind the lack of activity, barely even given a fright by his team-mate on the harder compound who again made mistakes running wide, in his eagerness to close the gap. The new normal for Red Bull without Christian Horner, their long-serving former team principal and CEO, was rather similar to the old one; Verstappen did not have the pace to challenge the McLarens and was stuck behind the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc eventually finishing fourth. The most notable difference was perhaps on the grid, with Jos Verstappen, who had been openly critical of Horner, relaxed and stood alongside new team principal Laurent Mekies. Horner was watching from home, the first grand prix in 405 events (and Red Bull's entire race history) that he had not attended. Lewis Hamilton produced an excellent recovery drive to finish seventh, having started in 18th. Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli and Fernando Alonso started from the pitlane having opted for new power unit elements which were not permitted within their allocation. This meant they were able to make set-up changes with view of the conditions, whereas the rest of the grid were left with the decision they made ahead of qualifying. Carlos Sainz joined them at the back of the field, having also made setup changes. Yet, as the cars lined up on the grid, teams were erecting gazebos as a sudden shower hit the track. Drivers reported poor visibility on the formation lap behind the safety car, so the race start was delayed. It is the spray from the cars which is the main issue, rather than the standing water or grip itself from the intermediate or wet tyres. Nonetheless, frustration remains at the idea of wet tyres essentially being made redundant because of the spray. There is hope that next year's new regulations could mean slightly less spray is produced from the back of the cars. It was not an afternoon which produced great interest for the television fan, or those that had braved the weather in Belgium. Drivers spent an hour and 20 minutes twiddling their thumbs in the garage, as a heavier rain shower on the radar prevented the FIA starting the race in a brief dry period. Eventually it stopped by 4.20pm local time with the race resuming behind the safety car. On lap five, racing began in earnest with a rolling start after pole sitter Norris was one of those to report on the radio that one side of the grid was drier than the other, suggesting a standing start would not be fair. It did him little favour though — as having used much of his battery pack on the restart, he was easily passed by his team-mate on the Kemmel Straight. Hamilton had very little to lose after what he described a 'weekend to forget', after spinning in sprint qualifying, finishing 15th in that short format race, and then exiting in 16th of main qualifying after exceeding track limits at Raidillon. He called it an 'unacceptable' individual error. He carved through the field to reach 13th by lap ten, and then was the first driver to make the crucial decision to pit for slick tyres on the drying track. That dropped him to 17th, but as soon as he navigated the first corners, it was evident it was the correct decision. He moved up to seventh, while the rest of the grid came into the pits. He still apologised to his team at the end of the race, for his error on Saturday. The leaders, apart from Norris, pitted for mediums on lap 13. Norris was asked by his engineer Will Joseph whether he would prefer the hard tyre, which could last until the end of the race — and having already lost time to his team-mate, the British driver took the risk. That began a slow and steady race to close the gap to Piastri, which gave the race a slight sense of jeopardy — in the end, the gap was simply too large to bridge.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
The key blueprint Oscar Piastri nailed to outfox Lando Norris in rain-impacted Belgian GP
In hindsight, Oscar Piastri 's wry smile was indicative of the events that followed. Sitting on pole for Saturday's sprint race, the Australian was powerless to stop Max Verstappen storming past him on the first racing lap. But for the grand prix, with McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris out in front, second-placed Piastri had the opportunity to follow suit. When asked, he attempted a poker face, but could not hide his clear agenda. And after a start which was delayed by one hour and 20 minutes following a heavy downpour on a murky day at Spa-Francorchamps, Piastri stole a march on Norris at the start – after four laps behind the safety car – with what turned out to be a simple overtake on the first racing lap. It would be the race-winning moment. As the track quickly dried up, the McLaren pair went on different strategies and it was Piastri who managed to keep the lead despite his set of worn-out tyres to claim his fifth victory of the season – and first in four races. The gap between the pair at the top is now 16 points, heading into round 14 in Hungary next weekend. Charles Leclerc took home a respectable third place for Ferrari, with Max Verstappen largely powerless in fourth. Lewis Hamilton, who started in the pit-lane, recovered impressively to come home in seventh to conclude a wretched weekend for the seven-time world champion. For Piastri, however, a rare expletive-led show of joy at the chequered flag: 'Nicely f****** done.' He later added: 'It was very lively! I knew lap one would be my best chance of winning the race. I lifted as little as I dared through Eau Rouge and it was enough. 'We had it mostly under control. Turns out starting second is not too bad after all.' Amid heavy rain at Spa-Francorchamps – four years on from a farcical two laps behind the safety car in treacherous conditions here – the race started behind the safety car with the formation lap. However, with the majority of drivers reporting poor visibility, including pole-sitter Lando Norris, the FIA took a cautious approach and the start was suspended. Max Verstappen, a master in the wet, disagreed with the call but was a lone voice in criticising the decision. The race was delayed for 80 minutes before the sun emerged over the hills of the Ardennes Forest, yet race director Rui Marques opted for the unorthodox rolling start, seemingly handing the initiative to pole-sitter Norris. TOP-10 - BELGIAN GRAND PRIX But Piastri, starting in second, crept up on the gearbox of his McLaren teammate and, at the start of the Kemmel Straight, pounced with a comfortable move and, in no time at all, opened up a sizable one-second lead in the rain. After a dozen laps, dry tyres were the optimal rubber and Hamilton – positioned at the start in de facto 17th after technically starting in the pit-lane – gambled first, in an attempt to make up some quick positions. Race leader Piastri dived into the pit-lane a lap later, given priority in the team-mate stakes courtesy of his superior position, and after a slow stop for Norris, the Australian had a seismic six second lead. 'No rush here,' said Norris's engineer Will Joseph, with a nod to Norris going to the end of the race on his set of hard tyres. The other 19 cars all switched to mediums. Further back, Ferrari's Leclerc was performing admirably in staving off a challenge from Verstappen while Hamilton was flying up the field: by lap 15, he was seventh, trailing George Russell in fifth and Alex Albon in sixth. The great unknown now was whether the medium tyre would stretch to the end of the 44 laps, particularly for race leader Piastri. With 10 laps to go, and backmarkers pitting for a second time, Piastri's lead of around eight seconds was diminishing at a dramatic rate, but when told by his engineer that a second stop wasn't an option, the cool-headed Aussie responded: 'I'm happy with that.' As it played out, Piastri's confidence was justified, with a winning margin of 3.4 seconds. And amid Norris's mid-season resurgence, a crucial swing back in Piastri's direction, as this to-and-fro papaya title race takes another twist.
The Sun
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Former Premier League star, 34, at the front of sensational bid to return F1 to Africa with brand new track
FORMER Premier League star Marvin Sordell is fronting a sensational bid to bring Formula One to Africa, according to reports. Sordell, 34, is a co-chief executive and director for Opus Race Promotions, having retired from football in 2019 to then come out of it for non-league side Kettering Town. 4 4 4 Sordell played for both Bolton and Burnley in the Premier League, but is perhaps best known for his time in the Championship for clubs including Watford, Charlton and Burton Albion. His company has already gained "early support" from the Nigerian government over the prospect of getting the nation to host a grand prix. According to The Times, the plans include far more than simply hosting a race in the capital city of Abuja. The pledges made by Opus outline the building of a karting track, hotels, a technology hub, and a motorsport museum, among other infrastructure. Nigeria 's chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, invited the promoter to Nigeria in April to present a concept of their grand F1 designs. The proposal seemed to have left Dikko impressed, because a month later, the promoter was officially appointed to negotiate with F1 and the FIA on behalf of the Nigerian government. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has also reportedly been invited to Abuja by Opus to review the project. SunSport have contacted F1 for comment over the claims. Domenicali, 60, has repeatedly spoken about his desire to expand the motorsport into new markets. Africa is a major omission from the modern F1 calendar, with the last race on the continent happening at the Kyalami Circuit in South Africa back in 1993. The only other nation F1 has been to on the continent is Morocco, all the way back in 1958. F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has been a major voice pushing for the sport to add a race in Africa. Both South Africa and Rwanda have been among the front-runners linked with that lucrative possibility. However, speaking in May, Domenicali ruled out a race happening anytime soon, saying: "Realistically speaking, I don't think we're going to have an outcome in the very short term." A new European track in Madrid is being added next year in place of Italy 's famous Imola circuit. Meanwhile, Thailand appears on course to be the next new addition to F1. That's after the government there agreed to a roughly £890million funding plan for a street race in Bangkok, which could debut as early as 2028. The 2025 F1 season returns in Belgium this weekend after a two-week break following the chaotic British Grand Prix. 4
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Oscar Piastri vs Lando Norris, who's favorite for F1 title? Our writers have their say
Oscar Piastri is the Formula 1 championship leader but title rival Lando Norris is on the ascendency, having won the past two grands prix. The McLaren team-mates headed into the last month's Austrian Grand Prix separated by 22 points after Norris retired in Canada having crashed into Piastri. Advertisement But the Briton has impressively bounced back by winning at the Red Bull Ring, and then his home race at Silverstone, to now trail Piastri by only eight points. All the momentum therefore seems to be with Norris, but is his form sustainable especially when the British GP win was largely down to Piastri being penalised for his antics behind the safety car whilst leading? Nevertheless, it all makes for an intriguing title battle with 12 rounds remaining this year. So, our writers debate who is currently favourite to clinch their maiden F1 championship in 2025. Norris seems to have momentum, but only for now - Stuart Codling It feels as if the front-suspension tweak McLaren introduced for Norris in Canada turned his MCL39 into the car with which he should have started the season. He might downplay its impact on his recent uptick in form, preferring to credit a refreshed approach to his mental and physical preparations – but here we are entering the realm of marginal gains. Advertisement Earlier this season Norris talked about not 'clicking' with the car, alluding to a lack of feel at the limit – the MCL39 wasn't adequately telegraphing the threshold of grip. Just as noteworthy was Norris's body language after those races and qualifying sessions where he felt his performance wasn't up to scratch because of this: disconsolate, slump-shouldered, defeated. Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Zak Brown, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Zak Brown, McLaren That pattern continued until Monaco where the evidence of Norris taking a new approach was there for all to see – and hear – as he was coached around the track in qualifying, took pole position, and won. But would this kind of approach be sustainable week in, week out? Piastri got the better of him again in Spain… Advertisement McLaren had been holding off on evaluating the alternative suspension geometry because it is believed to offer less pronounced anti-dive properties (team personnel would only allude vaguely to there being negatives as well as positives to the new configuration). Piastri decided against using it because of this, feeling that he didn't need what Norris clearly required – this is probably a factor of driving style, since Norris likes to trail the brakes into corners, asking more of the front axle with the combined forces. Fundamentally Norris needed more confidence in the front end, particularly over a single lap in qualifying, where any deficit to Piastri almost inevitably carries forward into a sub-optimal race result. There are never any 'magic bullet' solutions in F1, but it seems this marginal gain is working in combination with all the other processes he's initiated to boost his confidence. Nevertheless, if it doesn't come together in the coming weekends then Norris might well start to doubt himself again… Piastri just keeps a cooler head - Ben Vinel Composure might be the key factor as the McLaren drivers vie for a maiden F1 title. Advertisement Their head-to-head has been pretty even in terms of pure pace so far, even though Piastri has a slight edge in qualifying – the Australian is 0.088s faster on average, leading 9-5 across all sessions, including sprint qualifying. But even that metric is flawed by the fact that Norris has a tendency to make mistakes under pressure, including a Q3 crash at Jeddah. Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren More recently, in Canada, Norris' errors landed him his second-worst qualifying result of the season in seventh, half a second adrift of Piastri, and he went on to cause an unnecessary collision with his team-mate in the race. Advertisement When things go well for Norris, he is a formidable racer and a force to be reckoned with, as shown by his impeccable Austrian Grand Prix weekend. But Piastri has proven to be more consistent so far – and his unshakeable mindset might be all the more unsettling for Norris. Momentum is with Norris right now with consecutive wins at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone, but the latter was mainly the product of a lapse of judgement from Piastri under the safety car, with this mammoth deceleration that landed him a costly 10-second penalty. Always open about his mental health, Norris says he feels less anxious and more confident. Now is the time to prove it. Norris favourite for F1 title after impressive bounce back from Canada - Mark Mann-Bryans Up until two races ago, the only answer I think both myself and all of my esteemed colleagues would have given when asked this question was 'Piastri'. Advertisement The level-headed Australian seemed to have the edge over Norris, who had just rammed unceremoniously into the back of his team-mate at the Canadian Grand Prix to lose further ground in the title race. But, seemingly, Norris gave his head a bit of a wobble after the Montreal mistake, and he has come out fighting. He was untouchable in Austria, sitting out FP1 before jumping straight into his McLaren and leading the way for the remainder of the weekend. Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren It was no flash in the pan, either, as he followed that up with victory at Silverstone in his home grand prix – there are caveats required for the British Grand Prix success that were not needed in Austria, but Norris was still in the right place to pick up the pieces following Piastri's penalty. Advertisement That is why, for me, at the moment Norris is the slight favourite, the points gap is negligible and could be overturned quite easily in Spa should Piastri again finish behind his title rival on the other side of the papaya divide. Whichever way it goes, it will be intriguing to see if the two can remain cordial as the battle goes down to the wire. Piastri remains favourite by a landslide - Owen Bellwood Norris is on an impressive run right now, winning back-to-back races in Austria and Great Britain. But, the major reason that we're all excited about his double victories is because it's a relative anomaly in his season so far – and it follows that fateful crash in Canada. His wins at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone were his third and fourth wins in 2025, and while Norris has shown flashes of brilliance through the year, it's his Australian team-mate who is really in control of the standings. Advertisement Piastri had his blip at the opening race in Australia, but since then has been the McLaren to beat. He seems to be more consistent on track, more in tune with his MCL39 and, key to becoming a future world champion, more confident in his abilities. Silverstone was an off day for the Aussie, which still saw him finish on the podium. So, I'm confident that he will be able to come back from this strong in Spa, where he'll hold on to his title lead and won't let go for the remaining 12 races on the F1 calendar. After all, calmer heads prevail, right? Read Also: Did Silverstone F1 loss show the real Oscar Piastri? To read more articles visit our website.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
There's a major problem Monaco must solve if it is to survive on the F1 calendar, writes JONATHAN McEVOY
It is time for Monaco to bend, for once in its proud life, to the overdue requirement to build an overtaking acre to preserve its status as the grand prix venue first among equals. I speak as one of its friends. And had I never been to a race and could choose which to visit it would be here. It is a place of glamour, redolent of ghosts past, from Princess Grace, Her Serene Highness who added Hollywood glamour to its royal house, to stars such as Sir Stirling Moss and Graham Hill, aka Mr Monaco, and beyond to the cast of today.
