F1 DRIVER DEVELOPING 'WORST REPUTATION' ON THE GRID OVER HIS BEHAVIOUR SO FAR THIS SEASON

Carlos Sainz's obstruction of Oscar Piastri at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix has only deepened the frustration surrounding the Williams F1 driver, further damaging his standing among rivals who already viewed him with serious scepticism.

James Vowles, Team Principal of Williams Racing, isn’t putting the Hungarian Grand Prix collision solely on Sainz. Instead, he’s pointing to a broken blue‑flag system, unclear team messaging, and Fernando Alonso’s refusal to yield.

Piastri - who lost the lead because of the contact - blasted Sainz as an “idiot” and later called the move “the dumbest thing” he’d ever seen.

Sainz took a five-second penalty for the contact, while Piastri later retired for an unrelated reason.

Onboard footage shows Sainz driving past several flashing blue lights and being overtaken twice by Alonso seconds before the crash. Vowles says the Spaniard should have moved aside earlier, and admits Williams didn’t warn their driver at the right moment. Stewards still held him fully responsible, however, but issued a reduced penalty due to limited visibility.

What's Been Said About Carlos Sainz

Nate Saunders, a senior Formula 1 writer and journalist for ESPN, said: "It's hard to ignore the cloud over Sainz going into the break following his collision with Piastri in Hungary.

"Piastri called it 'one of the dumbest things I've ever seen on a racetrack,' and given Sainz's intelligence and experience, it's hard to disagree.

"Worst of all is that Sainz seems to be a repeat offender; he stayed on the racing line while being shown blue flags as the race leader Leclerc approached at the British Grand Prix, and he's becoming known among his peers for being one of the worst for blocking in practice, too. That all might be more forgivable for a rookie, but this is Sainz's 12th season in F1."

The Lap 39 incident stripped Piastri of the lead, paving the way for Lando Norris to inherit the position and secure victory. The Australian branded Sainz’s collision with him in Hungary as “unacceptable,” adding that he ought to “look in the mirror” considering how often he’s criticised fellow drivers.

"Two problems took place," Vowles said. "That flag system just wasn't working. In fact, at one point, we were just operating with marshals doing their best, but waving blue flags, and it's a very difficult thing for marshals to do; they don't know when the cars are coming by and trigger that.

"What happened is he took an opportunity to go inside of Carlos into turn one. So, at that stage, Carlos then became the car behind, and when you do have a number of marshal posts to therefore give up position. However, on the run down turn two, Carlos was back ahead now, so the car behind is Fernando, again with the light boards."

Vowles clarified that there was no effort to impede Piastri, noting that a different car behind them should have yielded before they did.

- Cody Marmon

ATLASSIAN WILLIAMS F1 TEAM REVEAL 2026 F1

Atlassian Williams F1 Team today officially unveiled the racing livery for its 2026 challenger, the FW48 – revealing a new look for the team in Formula 1’s all-new regulations era. Drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz joined Team Principal James Vowles to present the striking design to the 1,200-strong workforce at Grove who have poured tens of thousands of hours into preparing for the season ahead.

• Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz and James Vowles unveil striking livery design for the FW48 to dedicated team at Grove HQ

• New look for the new era of F1 regulations features vibrant gloss blue complemented by black and white, with heritage-inspired red and white keyline

• Alex Albon: “The FW48 looks incredible…I can’t wait for the fans to see it on track and cheer us on”

The 2026 livery has been designed to match the team’s bold intent as it transitions to a new era as Atlassian Williams F1 Team – a name reflecting the team’s sole purpose to race and win at the pinnacle of motorsport.

The FW48 is flooded with a vibrant gloss blue, a colour that is unmistakably Williams and reflects the strength of our title partnership with Atlassian. This is contrasted with a flowing section of black, sweeping from the chassis side through to the rear of the car, which is framed by an iconic red and white keyline – a feature of championship-winning Williams cars like Nigel Mansell’s FW14B and Damon Hill’s FW18 which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

The most striking evolution of the livery comes from the introduction of white across the sidepod, front wing and rear wing – injecting energy and movement into the design and amplifying the presence of our partners across the car.

Atlassian Williams F1 Team’s new look was revealed hours after the announcement of a major new global partnership with Barclays, the latest vote of confidence in Williams’ determination to return to the front of the grid. Over the past fortnight the team has also welcomed Anthropic, BNY, Wilkinson Sword and Nuveen to the team, who all join our growing roster of world-class brands who are helping the team transform in pursuit of Championship success.

The livery has been custom designed around the new shape of F1 cars in 2026. New regulations mean the cars are shorter and narrower with significant changes to the front and rear wings – along with other aerodynamic surfaces – designed for even closer racing. The entire team at Grove has been determined to push the boundaries of performance with the FW48, targeting the new regulations as an opportunity to take the next step on Williams’ journey back towards the front.

In 2026 Atlassian Williams F1 Team is looking to build on its most successful season for nine years. Last year the team finished fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with 137 points, secured podium finishes in Baku and Qatar, and took home its first-ever Sprint podium in Austin.

James Vowles, Team Principal, Atlassian Williams F1 Team: “2026 is the next step on the path back towards the top for Atlassian Williams F1 Team as we enter a new era for the sport, and we are excited about the season ahead. We have a great driver line up, some fantastic new partners, an ever-growing fanbase and want to build on the success we tasted last year, but we are not naïve about the challenge ahead of us. Nobody quite knows what will happen at the first race but we are looking forward to finding out, and hope our fans will love cheering us on with this great new livery.”

Alex Albon, Atlassian Williams F1 Team: “It’s always special to see a new livery for the first time, and the FW48 looks incredible. The design really stands out – it’s bold, modern and unmistakably Atlassian Williams F1 Team. I can’t wait for the fans to see it on track and cheer us on in 2026.

Carlos Sainz, Atlassian Williams F1 Team: “The FW48 livery is a real statement of our intent for 2026. The design celebrates Atlassian Williams F1 Team’s heritage while embracing a fresh, dynamic look for the new era. I’m excited to race in this livery and to share the thrill with fans around the world - their support makes all the difference as we continue on our journey  together!”

- Williams Racing

WILLIAMS UNVEILS NEW NAME & LOGO FOR 2026

Atlassian Williams Racing will race next year under a new identity that connects the team’s glorious legacy to its bold and ambitious future. From January the team will become Atlassian Williams F1 Team – a name reflecting their sole purpose to race and win in the top echelon of motorsport. Their existing ‘W’ logo will be replaced by a 21st century reimagining of Frank Williams’ famous ‘Forward W’, first introduced in our founding year of 1977 and featured on every one of our nine Constructors’ World Championship-winning cars.

It is the latest evolution for an iconic Formula 1 team that is one of the top three most-successful in the sport’s history – and has set a clear ambition to be a powerhouse again in this modern era of F1.

Throughout almost 50 years in F1 Williams has forged a legacy built on independence, innovation and determination to win, attracting tens of millions of dedicated fans around the world.

Now under the ownership of Dorilton Capital, with James Vowles as Team Principal and world-class drivers in Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, the team is driven to usher in a new era of success with the same passion and values at its heart as F1 continues to expand in global popularity.

This transformation is already gathering pace, with the team sitting fifth in the 2025 Constructors’ Championship with 111 points – more than the past seven seasons combined. The team recently secured its first Grand Prix podium since 2021 in Baku, and first-ever Sprint podium in Austin.

James Vowles, Team Principal, Atlassian Williams Racing: “I am proud that from next year we will be known as Atlassian Williams F1 Team and carry a logo on our car inspired by our founder Sir Frank Williams and deeply connected with our decades of success.

“As a team we are inspired by our past but excited about our future, and committed to writing a new Championship-winning chapter in Williams’ history.

“This evolved team identity reflects who we are, where we are going, and reintroduces our title-winning legacy to a growing F1 audience that was not following the sport when we were last dominant.”

Marcus Prosser, Marketing Director, Atlassian Williams Racing: “With this new name and logo our rich history is being reimagined for the future.

“It is inspired by our past, confident about our future, and clear about our identity – a Championship-winning Formula 1 team with a burning drive to win again.

“We hope our existing and loyal fans will love it. But we also hope it will connect a new generation to our incredible legacy, building the community of Williams fans that will carry us to our next victory.”

- Williams Racing

CARLOS SAINZ CRITICIZES THE WAY FORMULA 1 BROADCASTS LIVE RACES

 

SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX 2025 | LONGEST STINT

 

SINGAPORE GP: WILLIAMS RACING DISQUALIFIED FROM QUALIFYING

Despite seeing their cars finish qualifying for the 2025 Singapore GP in 12th & 13th with Alex Albon leading Carlos Sainz post session checks by the FIA would see both Williams Racing cars disqualified due to issues with the DRS and it's allowable dimensions.

Qualifying for the 2025 Singapore GP had seen the Atlassian Williams Racing Team finish with both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon not making it past Q2. Alex would finish in 12th and Carlos 13th.

But in post-session checks by the FIA it was announced that for both Williams cars the uppermost rear wing elements exceeded the allowed limits. The FIA confirmed the measurement: “Both cars exceeded the maximum limit of 85mm on both sides of the rear wing outer area.”

The infringement falls under article 3.10.10 g. of the technical regulations, which governs the Drag Reduction System (DRS). The rule requires that, when deployed, the gap between sections of the rear wing must remain between 9.4mm and 85mm across the span.

This would see both Williams cars disqualified from qualifying. The Williams team had conducted their own measurements on both cars prior to qualifying but these measurements were shown to be incorrect based on the FIA's own checks.

The FIA stated: “The competitor did not contest the measurement procedure, the methodology, or the accuracy of the measuring equipment used by FIA.”

Williams Team Principal James Vowles described the disqualification as a setback, emphasising that no performance advantage was sought. (Statement below)

James Vowles Team Principal:

"During FIA scrutineering after Qualifying, the rear wings on both our cars failed DRS slot gap checks. As a result, Alex and Carlos have been disqualified from Qualifying for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix. This is bitterly disappointing for the team and we are urgently investigating how this happened.

At no point were we seeking a performance advantage and the rear wings had passed our own checks earlier in the day, but there is only one measurement that matters and we fully accept the FIA ruling. We have a car capable of scoring points here this weekend and will do everything we can to fight from the back of the grid tomorrow, and will immediately review our processes to make sure this doesn’t happen again."

- Williams Racing - Andrew Hooper

TOTO WOLFF CLARIFIES 'SEMI-SARCASTIC' 400KM/H COMMENT ON 2026 REGULATION F1 CARS

Toto Wolff says his 400km/h line was a semi-sarcastic, theoretical example of dumping all hybrid energy on one straight, not a literal prediction

Toto Wolff, Mercedes

Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 / Getty Images

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has clarified his comments about the 2026 Formula 1 cars potentially being able to reach 400km/h. Describing his comments as 'semi-sarcastic', he explained the context behind them ahead of the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix.

The Austrian originally commented on next season's car to Auto Motor und Sport, where he claimed that "when the full power is deployed, we will scratch the 400km/h limit."

This comment sparked multiple reactions from the paddock. 

"Maybe Toto's engine will reach that," Red Bull's Max Verstappen joked. "I don't know. I think the FIA has already explained quite clearly that they won't allow it."

Williams' Carlos Sainz also added his thoughts: "I wish if that's the case. The HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains] must be doing a good job, but I didn't hit [400km/h]."

Pierre Gasly didn't believe the Mercedes chief's claims: "I don't believe stories, I only believe what I see. I'm sure we can even go 400 with those cars if you change the gearbox and increase the straights. Take off the first chicane in Monza.

"I've tried the car in the simulator and I know what it does. I'm not too sure where that comes from, to be honest."

Getty Images

Explaining himself after FP1 at Zandvoort, Wolff was quick to set everyone at ease.

"Everybody's talking those engines down so I had to figure out is there anything positive and that is if you were to deploy - obviously semi-sarcastically - but if you were to deploy all the energy on a single straight you could make those cars go 400km/h.

"And I don't know if somebody got afraid by it, but we could. But there wouldn't be much electric energy left for the other few corners on a track on a circuit."

Wolff's comments were then partially intended as a counter-narrative to combat the criticism the 2026 power unit regulations are currently coming under. 

These regulations will introduce a 50-50 split between electric and combustion engine power, on top of active aerodynamics and a boost function which replaces DRS. An objective of the FIA is to increase the top speed of cars next season while reducing downforce, so while there is talk of cars being limited, Motorsport.com understands that this isn't yet seen as a safety issue. 

As expected, the FIA will also be tweaking the regulations based on feedback from teams. 

- Alex Harrington

F1 - PIASTRI TOPS SINGLE PRACTICE SESSION IN BELGIUM AHEAD OF VERSTAPPEN AND NORRIS

F1 championship leader Oscar Piastri set the fastest lap of the sole practice for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, with the Australian beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by four tenths of a second and McLaren team-mate Lando Norris by a further tenth.  

At the start of the session, Carlos Sainz ran into trouble almost as soon as running got underway and he limped his Williams back to the pit lane where his mechanics began to work on what was later revealed to be a fuel system problem. 

Lando Norris took an early top spot but Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen moved to P1 on Medium tyres with a time of 1:45.545. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli got to within three hundredths of a second of the Dutchman but Oscar Piastri then moved past Verstappen with a Hard-tyre time of 1:44.979. 

The Red Bull driver was soon back on top as he put in a lap of 1:44.236 but with a little over 20 minutes gone Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc went 0.088s quicker to take top spot on Hard tyres with a lap of 1:44.148. On the half hour Piastri also moved past Verstappen to take second place, just 0.005s off Leclerc. 

With a little under 10 minutes remaining Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll bolted on a set of Soft tyres and jumped to top spot with a lap of 1:43.112. Piastri soon breezed past that time, going almost a second quicker with a lap of 1:42.123, almost a second clear as Fernando Alonso moved to third place in the other Aston, 0.997s off top spot. 

Verstappen then jumped to second place on 1:42.653, half a second off Piastri. Leclerc moved to third almost three tenthsBehind the top three, Russell kept hold of fourth ahead of Leclerc, with Antonelli ending the session in sixth place. Lewis Hamilton was seventh in the other Ferrari with Stroll eighth ahead of team-mate Alonso and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar. Sainz returned to the track in the second half of the session to eventually rise to P11 ahead of Williams team-mate Alex Albon. 

 behind the Dutch driver, but the Ferrari driver was ousted by Mercedes’ George Russell and then dropped back a further place by Norris. 

The McLaren driver put in a lap of 1:42.426 with a later second flyer after being forced to abandon his first attempt when he dipped a wheel into the gravel. 

Piastri and Verstappen also put in late flyers and the Australian improved to 1:42.022 to seal top spot ahead of the Dutchman. The Red Bull driver outpaced the McLaren driver across the flat-out first sector, posting a purple time, but in the more technical second sector he shed eight tenths of a sector versus the Australian to eventually finish four tenths off top spot. 

Behind the top three, Russell kept hold of fourth ahead of Leclerc, with Antonelli ending the session in sixth place. Lewis Hamilton was seventh in the other Ferrari with Stroll eighth ahead of team-mate Alonso and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar. Sainz returned to the track in the second half of the session to eventually rise to P11 ahead of Williams team-mate Alex Albon. 

2025 FIA Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix – Free Practice 1 

1 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:42.022 23 247.146

2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:42.426 0.404 23 246.171

3 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:42.526 0.504 22 245.931

4 George Russell Mercedes 1:42.598 0.576 27 245.759

5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:42.928 0.906 22 244.971

6 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:42.979 0.957 23 244.849

7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:43.085 1.063 24 244.598

8 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:43.112 1.090 17 244.534

9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:43.120 1.098 22 244.515

10 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:43.122 1.100 19 244.510

11 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:43.217 1.195 16 244.285

12 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:43.261 1.239 24 244.181

13 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:43.262 1.240 25 244.178

14 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:43.470 1.448 20 243.688

15 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:43.478 1.456 21 243.669

16 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:43.570 1.548 22 243.452

17 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:43.929 1.907 21 242.611

18 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:44.492 2.470 23 241.304

19 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 1:44.847 2.825 21 240.487

20 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:45.077 3.055 22 239.961

- FIA

CARLOS SAINZ VIA MEDIA SESSIONS IN MONACO

 

GEORGE RUSSELL: TURNING OFF DRS 'PARK OF THE JOB' AFTER JACK DOOHAN CRASH SPARKS DEBATE

George Russell has said that turning off DRS is “part of the job” of a Formula 1 driver, after Jack Doohan’s crash at the Japanese Grand Prix sparked debate about whether an automated system should be introduced.

Jack Doohan's huge shunt in Japan has launched debate as to whether DRS should be left to manually switch off or not

The Australian crashed heavily at Turn 1 in FP2 at the Suzuka circuit after his Alpine’s Drag Reduction System did not close.

DRS closes automatically when the brake pedal is applied, or if a certain amount of throttle engagement is introduced.

Neither of those occurred in Doohan’s case and he reportedly failed to engage DRS manually after experiments in the simulator suggested Turn 1 could be taken in such a manner.

The consequential crash has opened up discussion about whether automatic DRS closing should be more stringent.

Mercedes driver Russell told select media, including Motorsport Week, that this should not be the case.

“I mean, obviously what happened to Jack was a big shunt and very unfortunate,” he said, “but I think it’s one of those things that you see happen once, and everybody will recognise, and this is probably the only corner of the whole calendar that it’s a problem.

“I think as drivers, you have responsibilities. We’ve got to go flat out down the straight and turn into the corners, and clicking a button to turn the DRS off is part of the job.

“We don’t want it to be automated. We’ve got to leave it down to the drivers. There’s already too many gadgets, assistants.”

George Russell believes that there are “too many gadgets” already

Russell’s fellow GPDA Director Carlos Sainz was quite vocal on introducing an automated system in the face of safety risks.

“I felt I was quite vocal yesterday, saying: ‘I am surprised this hasn’t happened more often’, because I’ve had moments where I’ve mispressed the DRS button and it has stayed open – it gives you a massive snap and a massive fright going into a corner like Turn 1 here, Shanghai Turn 1 or Australia Turn 9,” he said.

“We have too many of these corners where it is down to the driver to close it, down to the DRS to do a good job on the re-attaching, and I’m afriad there hasn’t been enough of these crashes in order to prove that maybe we need to work on this area of safety.

“But I hope the crash shows that we need to do something automatically, 50m, 100m before the braking zone so you don’t get a chance for the driver to make a mistake or the DRS to fail if it doesn’t close.

Leclerc believes automated DRS could be an option

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was on the fence regarding DRS, saying that perhaps a revised version of the current system could be considered.

The Moneqasque said: “I feel like if we have [an automated] system like this, I think we can maybe use it and have more DRS,” hinting at the fact that the system could be used on as many straights as possible.

“Like before Turn 1 in Silverstone, I think it’s a good example, and here before 130R there’s a huge straight, and it’s a bit of a shame that we don’t use these kind of straights to do it,” he said.

However, he also considered that leaving DRS activation to the hands of the drivers is a worthy skill challenge.

“But I also feel like it can be up to us,” Leclerc added.

“Like Turn 1 in Silverstone when we had it, I thought it was quite cool because you had to be very brave in Turn 1 to keep the DRS, and there was something to gain out of it. But yeah, I don’t mind anyway.”

- Jack Oliver Smith

CARLOS SAINZ | MESSAGE TO HIS FANS VIA MARCA

 

TESTING DAY 1 | PM SESSION | FINAL CLASSIFICATION

 

GRAMD PRIX WINNERS ON THE 2025 GRID

 

PETER WINDSOR THINKS CHARLES LECLERC MUST ANSWER ONE QUESTION AT FERRARI IN 2025 AFTER LEWIS HAMILTON'S ARRIVAL

Vegas GP

Charles Leclerc will know how big an opportunity he has to win his first Formula 1 world championship in 2025.

Although Ferrari haven’t won a title since the 2008 Constructors’ Championship, they showed their potential at the end of last season.

Although the championship battle was between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, all of a sudden, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were constantly challenging for victories.

Sainz’s win in Mexico City was fantastic, leading from the front after a stellar pole position lap.

Leclerc didn’t win any of the last five races, but his victories in Monaco and at Monza were particularly poignant.

He defeated both McLarens with a stunning one-stop strategy at Ferrari’s home race with Nico Rosberg hailing team principal Frederic Vasseur for aiding Leclerc that day.

In 2025, he’ll want to go a couple of places better in the Drivers’ Championship and finish ahead of Verstappen and Norris.

However, the arrival of Lewis Hamilton is likely to complicate matters as for the second time in his career, he comes up against a multiple world champion as his teammate.

Leclerc expertly saw off Sebastian Vettel in the past, but Hamilton will be desperate to win a record eighth title in Ferrari colours.

Peter Windsor was speaking on his YouTube channel and believes the Monegasque driver has one key question he has to answer if he wants to achieve that accolade.

Charles Leclerc told he must manage his emotions to defeat Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari

Windsor was talking about the 27-year-old’s championship chances and said: “I think the interesting thing now will be how Charles Leclerc performs alongside Lewis.

“Obviously, Lewis was quicker in terms of the lap times on this test because he did a lot more miles.

“They rebuilt the car and Charles went out in it and didn’t do a lot in it and then Dino Beganovic the new favoured academy driver who’s really quick, got a lot of time for Dino did a run as well.

“So, for me, it’s a question of how Charles Leclerc is going to react now because I can imagine, certainly not because there was a shunt at all, but it would have been kind of welcome to Ferrari, Lewis when he hit the wall.

“But there’s no doubt that Lewis is already super quick and doing a great job in the car.

“So, for me, it’ll be a question of how Charles manages his emotions now.

“He’s got to be ready for Lewis potentially to have just through circumstances a very good start to the year and how Charles reacts to that.

“I still think over a 24-race championship, Charles is the guy most likely to win a championship for Ferrari if it’s a championship-winning car.”

Why Charles Leclerc was furious with Ferrari at last season’s Las Vegas Grand Prix

Windsor referred to Leclerc needing to keep his emotions in check, something he’s not always managed in the past.

One race from last season that stands out is the Las Vegas Grand Prix when Ferrari’s drivers started second and fourth, but Leclerc missed out on a podium after a phenomenal drive from Hamilton.

Eddie Jordan was left shocked by Leclerc in Las Vegas, as his outburst at the team and Sainz seemed quite out of character.

Ferrari’s strategy that day was poor, calling Sainz into the pits before keeping him out at the last second.

They then let Leclerc be undercut by his teammate after he initially passed him during the first round of stops and the whole race was managed very poorly.

Ferrari explained to Leclerc in the post-race briefing the mistakes he made that led to their strategy decisions, but if he’s going to defeat Hamilton and the rest of his rivals in the paddock, then he’ll need to stay calmer under pressure.

- Ben Evans

"DREAM OF RACING IN RED...": LEWIS HAMILTON BEGINS F1 CHAPTER WITH SCUDERIA

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, after 12 successful years with Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari.
© X/ScuderiaFerrar

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton shared his excitement on social media after visiting Ferrari's headquarters in Maranello for the first time on Monday. Hamilton is gearing up for his inaugural season with the legendary team, Ferrari, having made the switch from Mercedes to replace Carlos Sainz and partner Charles Leclerc. Hamilton posted another update, featuring a photo of him standing outside the factory in a sharp all-black suit, alongside a Ferrari F40 sports car. The British driver expressed gratitude for achieving his dream of racing for Ferrari.

"There are some days that you know you'll remember forever and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days. I've been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career that I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn't be happier to realise that dream today," Hamilton wrote in a post on Instagram.

"Today we start a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can't wait to see what story we will write together," he added.

This week, Hamilton is expected to complete various pre-season tasks at Maranello, including meeting team members and conducting simulator work, ahead of his first, yet-to-be-confirmed, run in a Ferrari F1 car.

Hamilton finished the last Formula 1 season behind Mercedes teammate George Russell at seventh place with 223 points including two race wins in British GP and Belgian GP. Hamilton drove his final race with Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last month and finished fourth ahead of Russell to end his 11-year-long association with the Silver Arrows.

The 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli will fill Hamilton's shoes at Mercedes for the upcoming season with Valtteri Bottas in reserve.

- Indo-Asian News Service

TOYOTA GAZOO RACING’S HENK LATEGAN AND BRETT CUMMINGS TAKE SURPRISE REST DAY LEAD AT THE 47TH DAKAR RALLY

After one of the most physically and mentally demanding ever starts to the Dakar Rally, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings have forged into a 10min 17sec lead after five desert stages in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The event is the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).

The Prologue winners hit the front on the gruelling two-day second 48-hour Chrono stage of 967km and managed their pace for the following three days, as last year’s winner Carlos Sainz crashed his Ford Raptor out of contention and nine-time WRC winner Sébastien Loeb was disqualified with roll cage damage to his Dacia Sandrider.

Lategan’s performance is all the more impressive, bearing in mind he missed part of last season, including the 2024 Dakar, with a shoulder injury. The South African said: “We had to open the fifth stage for the second half when he overtook Yazeed (Al-Rajhi). It was a high pace and it was easy to make mistakes and lose time. I’m happy with the whole week, even if starting first the day after the rest day wasn’t part of the plan.”

Toyota Gazoo Racing and Overdrive Racing won the Prologue and the opening five stages and the Japanese manufacturer has five cars in the top 10 at the rest day in Ha’il. Yazeed Al-Rajhi and his German navigator Timo Gottschalk hold a solid second place after consistent performances on each of the stages, capped by the fastest time in their Toyota Hilux on stage four.

The Saudi said: “It was my hardest first week of my career on the Dakar. All the stages were long, tough and difficult everywhere. Last year, I was leading the race until the day before the rest day when the car rolled with a suspension problem. Now, we are close to the lead. In the dunes (next week), we are capable of doing very well.”

One shining light after a disappointing first week for the Ford M-Sport Team is the third place held by the Swedish pairing of Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist in the first of three surviving Raptors.

Following Sainz’s retirement with roll cage damage after his crash, the Spanish duo of Joan Roma and Alex Haro have overcome an engine block change, massive time penalties and a collision with a fellow competitor to continue at the rear of the field. The American pairing of Mitch Guthrie and Kellon Walch hold sixth overall in their Raptor after stopping to help Sainz’s car back on to its wheels after his fateful accident in the dunes earlier in the week.

Five-time event winner Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah is Dacia’s only realistic hope of achieving victory on the team’s first attempt at the Dakar. Following’s Loeb accident and subsequent disqualification, Al-Attiyah and Edouard Boulanger were running inside the top three before slipping back to seventh after collecting a puncture and breaking a suspension arm on stage four.

After being deprived of a first ever stage win for Dacia by a 10-minute penalty after he had unofficially topped the times in stage five, the Qatari will start the second week in fourth overall.

Al-Attiyah said: “We stopped once for a puncture and then again because we broke a rear suspension arm. We had to wait for Cristina (Gutiérrez), who gave us hers and then we repaired it and got going again. My only option is to attack. It’s good to be back in the game. I will try to do my best. The Dakar is tough but the Dacia is robust. There are surprises each day. Next week, there will be many dunes, so we will see what will happen.”

Before his disqualification, Loeb said: “At the start of the special (where he crashed), I thought we were on the tracks but we were on the side. I hit a rut that turned us sideways and the car rolled. That took the tyres off two wheels, but we managed to sort it out within five minutes. There wasn’t so much damage but, after 50km, we broke a steering rod. It wasn’t a serious problem but our spare part was with the bits of bodywork that had been ripped off the car when we rolled!”

Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno have suffered their own fair share of problems in the third Dacia but were an invaluable assistance crew for both Loeb and Al-Attiyah during an action-packed first week.

Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleón have made their way into fifth place at the rest day after several consistent stage performances, while Frenchman Mattieu Serradori and his navigator Loic Minaudier have mixed it well with the established factory drivers to hold seventh in their Century Racing CR-7.

Juan Cruz Yacopini and Dani Oliveras guided the second of the Overdrive Racing Toyotas to eighth, ahead of Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz: they led outright after stage one before a series of flat tyres cost them dearly on the fourth stage to Al-Ula.  Quintero claimed a second stage win by just one second with the fastest time on SS5.

Despite GPS issues and a small fire early in the race, Guerlain Chicherit and Alex Winocq were the highest-placed of the X-Raid MINI JCW Team crews in their petrol-engined machine in 10th, but the French duo are not registered for the W2RC. Current FIA World and European Baja Cup champion João Ferreira and his co-driver Filipe Palmeiro are 11th in their diesel-engined Mini after a fifth-stage puncture.

Flat tyres and technical issues plagued Guillaume de Mévius and last year’s winning navigator Mattieu Baumel. They hold 22nd. The Czech duo of Martin Prokop and Viktor Chytka are 14th in their Orlen Jipocar Team Ford F-150.

De Mévius said: “It was a tough first week with various challenges. We had multiple tyre punctures on stage four and we got lost on stage five. The first week was really intense, just as David (Castera) warned us. Things didn’t always go our way, but we’ll come back stronger in the second week. Our goal is to return to the top 10.”

Rokas Baciuška has graduated to the Ultimate category with Overdrive Racing after sealing both the Challenger and SSV titles in recent seasons. The Estonian and navigator Oriol Mena won the 48-hour Chrono stage but had stopped with rear brake and suspension issues on stage one and dropped over 2hr 20min. They have recovered to hold 18th.

Overdrive Racing is also running a Toyota for former Dakar motorcycle winners Toby Price and Sam Sunderland. They were holding a top six spot until a series of puncture-related problems cost them dearly on a rocky section into Al-Ula on stage four. They slipped back to 37th.

South African Saood Variawa is out of contention for the win after hefty time losses with technical issues but, at just 19-years-old, the Toyota Gazoo Racing driver becoming the youngest ever winner of a stage in the Ultimate category when he set the quickest time in SS3.

Cavigliasso and Pertegarini hold Challenger lead at halfway point

Argentina’s Nicolás Cavigliasso and his wife, the defending Challenger champion navigator Valentina Pertegarini, held a lead of 28min 34sec after five stages in the battle to become Dakar Challenger champions. They are classified 15th in the general classification.

The Taurus T3 Max crew produced a last-gasp push to pip Portugal’s Gonçalo Guerreiro to the opening stage win with Qatar’s Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team USA by BFG’s Corbin Leaverton moving into second and third. Last year’s W2RC SSV champion Yasir Seaidan suffered steering issues and incurred massive time penalties.

Cavigliasso was again quickest on the 48hr Chrono stage from Paul Spierings and Leaverton but he was handed a speeding time penalty and Spierings duly claimed the stage win. The fastest time on stage three strengthened Cavigliasso’s challenge and he led from Guerriero and Leaverton with Spierings, Dania Akeel and Pau Navarro trailing in his wake. Seaidan bounced back strongly with the third quickest time.

The Argentine extended his lead to 25min 14sec with the win on stage four, as Leaverton and Guerriero held second and third places.

Seaidan is now running under the Dakar Experience section after his earlier woes but earned the win on stage five. Leaverton stopped with technical issues 50km into the fifth stage on the run into Ha’il and his misfortune lifted Guerreiro into second overall and Spierings into third.

Consistent stage performances by Al-Kuwari and his brother Nasser have moved the QMMF Team crew into fourth place, ahead of Team BBR’s Akeel/Stéphane Duplé and Navarro/Lisandro Herrera. The Taurus brand holds the top six places in the general classification after five stages.

Last year’s Jordan Baja winner Khalid Al-Jafla (Taurus) retired after three stages and Argentina’s David Zille (Taurus) and Portugal’s Mario Franco (X-Raid YXZ 1000R) are running well down the Challenger leader board. The FIA World Cup Challenger champion Eduardo Pons was badly delayed on SS5.

America’s Heger/Eddy top SSV category: Portugal’s Pinto/Oliveira lead the W2RC-registered crews

Can-Ams dominated the entries for the highly-competitive SSV class but Polaris machines run by Sebastien Loeb Racing-RXR Factory Racing hold the early advantage after five stages.

The American duo of Brock Heger and his navigator Max Eddy have moved into a massive 1hr in 18min 30sec lead over their team-mates Xavier de Soultrait and Martin Bonnet at the rest day. With neither crew registered for the W2RC in their Polaris RZR Pro R Sports, the Portuguese pairing of Alexandre Pinto and Bernardo Oliveira are the leading W2RC SSV crew in third place in their Old Friends Rally Team Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR.

The Can-Am Factory Team’s Francisco Lopez and Juan Pablo Latrach are fourth and MMP’s Jérôme de Sadeleer and Diego Gil are classified in fifth. The Dutch duo of Roger Grouwels and Rudolf Meijer are sixth and second of the registered W2RC crews in a category that has been decimated by five punishing special stages.

Heger won the Prologue and then De Soultrait topped the times on the opening Bisha loop stage to snatch the lead. Heger was again quickest on the 48hr Chrono stage but Lopez hit back to give the new Can-Am Maverick R a first stage win on SS3 with Pinto running as the leading W2RC-registered driver in third.  

After engine problems earlier in the week and resultant massive time penalties, the Can-Am Factory Team’s Sara Price and Sean Berriman bounced back strongly to win the fourth stage from Lopez, Heger and the South Racing Can-Am Team’s Fernando Alvarez.

On stage four, Heger retained a massive lead in the general classification after three punctures and a broken suspension rod hampered second-placed De Soultrait, while Pinto remained the leading registered driver in third.

Lopez was quickest in SS5 to claim a second stage win on his 14th Dakar but Price suffered ongoing technical issues. The South Racing Can-Am Team’s Diego Martinez was forced to withdraw on stage four.

The sixth stage of 606km runs between Ha’il and Ad-Duwadimi on Saturday before a special of 481km loops through the deserts around Ad-Duwadimi.

The Dakar caravan then heads to Riyadh and on to Haradh for a further two specials of 487km and 357km before arriving in Shubaytah on January 15th after a short run of 119km through the towering dunes in the vast sandy Empty Quarter.

A sting in the tail could well be the 11th 280km stage around Shubaytah on January 16th before the final Power Selective Section forms part of the 134km finale that brings the survivors to the finish celebrations in Shubaytah.

2025 Dakar Rally – positions at the Ha’il rest day (top 25 only - unofficial):

1. Henk Lategan (ZAF)/Brett Cummings (ZAF) Toyota Hilux IMT Evo                    28hr 10min 11sec  

2. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU) Toyota Hilux Overdrive            28hr 20min 28sec

3. Mattias Ekström (SWE)/Emil Bergkvist (SWE) Ford Raptor                                 28hr 21min 05sec

4. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Edouard Boulanger (FRA) Dacia Sandrider      28hr 35min 11sec  

5. Lucas Moraes (BRA)/Armand Monleón (ESP) Toyota GR DKR Hilux                                    28hr 52min 06sec

6. Mitch Guthrie (USA)/Kellon Walch (USA) Ford Raptor                                        28hr 52min 55sec

7. Mathieu Serradori (FRA)/Loic Minaudier (FRA) Century CR7                             28hr 56min 10sec

8. Juan Cruz Yacopini (ARG)/Daniel Oliveras (ESP) Toyota Hilux Overdrive         29hr 13min 28sec

9. Seth Quintero (USA)/Dennis Zenz (DEU) Toyota GR DKR Hilux                          29hr 40min 21sec

10. Guerlain Chicherit (FRA)/Alex Winocq (FRA) Mini JCW Rally 3.0i                    29hr 48min 56sec*

11. João Ferreira (PRT)/Filipe Palmeiro (PRT) Mini JCW Rally 3.0D                       30hr 02min 26sec

12. Urvo Männama (EST)/Risto Lepik (EST) Toyota Hilux Overdrive                      30hr 17min 22sec*

13. Brian Baragwanath (ZAF)/Leonard Cremer (ZAF) Century CR7                        30hr 19min 23sec*

14. Martin Prokop (CZE)/Viktor Chytka (CZE) Ford Raptor RS                                 30hr 35min 24sec

15. Nicolas Cavigliasso (ARG)/Valentina Pertegarini (ARG) Taurus T3 Max         30hr 38min 42sec

16. Gonçalo Guerreiro (PRT)/Cadu Sachs (BRA) Taurus T3 Max                             31hr 07min 16sec

17. Paul Spierings (NLD)/Jan Van Der Stelt (NLD) Taurus T3 Max                           31hr 12min 08sec*

18. Rokas Baciuška (LTU)/Oriol Mena (ESP) Toyota Hilux Overdrive                     31hr 38min 30sec

19. Giniel de Villiers (ZAF)/Dirk von Zitzewitz (DEU) Toyota Hilux IMT Evo          31hr 42min 28sec*

20. Brock Heger (USA)/Max Eddy (USA) Polaris RZR Pro R Sport                           31hr 51min 54sec*

21. Christian Lavieille (FRA)/Valentin Sarreaud (FRA) MD Optimus                       31hr 57min 48sec*

22. Guillaume de Mévius (BEL)/Mathieu Baumel (FRA) Mini JCW Rally 3.0i       32hr 00min 30sec

23. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Taurus T3 Max               32hr 10min 17sec

24. Pascal Thomasse (FRA)/Arnold Brucy (FRA) MD Optimus                                 32hr 11min 06sec*

25. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Stéphane Duplé (FRA) Taurus T3 Max                                32hr 16min 41sec  

* denotes not W2RC registered

 

Rally leaders

SS1                                                                 Seth Quintero (Toyota)

SS2-5                                                             Henk Lategan (Toyota)

Stage winners

Prologue                                                       Henk Lategan (Toyota)

SS1                                                                 Seth Quintero (Toyota)                                                               

SS2                                                                 Rokas Baciuška (Toyota)

SS3                                                                 Saood Variawa (Toyota)

SS4                                                                 Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Toyota)

SS5                                                                 Seth Quintero (Toyota)

- FIA

CARLOS SAINZ ON MAX VERSTAPPEN

GEORGE RUSSELL HAS REVEALED A FRONT WING CHANGE ALMOST COST HIM A CHANCE TO ATTEMPT THE LAP THAT SAW HIM TAKE POLE POSITION FOR FORMULA 1'S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX

George Russell has revealed a front wing change almost cost him the chance to attempt the lap that saw him take pole position for Formula 1‘s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Mercedes completed a clean sweep in practice at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, with Russell capitalising on the team’s resurgence to storm to his third pole this season.

The Briton, who topped the last practice session, held provisional pole with his opening run in Q3, but several drivers then toppled his benchmark on their second laps.

However, Russell managed to improve at the death to usurp Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, although he has disclosed that he was concerned he wouldn’t even get that chance.

Russell had touched the barrier on his initial attempt and a replacement front wing on his W15 saw him fret that he wouldn’t return to the track in time to begin his lap.

Yeah, incredibly satisfying, and especially knowing the car’s been so quick all weekend,” Russell told media including Motorsport Week.

“As a team, we’ve topped every single session. And nevertheless, when you get to Q3, you know what’s happened beforehand has no influence whatsoever.

“So the pressure kind of is ramped up. And, you know, it was a little bit touch and go for a moment because we had to change the front wing.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to get the last lap. But then it was a super strong lap, especially the first two sectors, and just really, really pleased to secure the pole.”

Russell was heard telling his race engineer on the team radio that he wanted to go out as late as possible on his last run to capitalise on the evolving track conditions.

Asked how much the surface ramped up in the closing session, Russell replied: “Massively.

“I think probably between the very first car and the very last car who does their lap, it’s probably over a tenth.

“It’s probably the biggest track ramp of the whole season. So I wanted to put it all on the line.

“And, you know, it’s high risk. I knew that if there were no yellow flags, then we would, you know, we had the possibility to be on the front row.

“But ultimately, as well, I want to say thanks to the guys in the garage to get the front wing change so quick as well,

because, as I said, I touched the wall in the first run and we could have missed that last run altogether.”

George Russell almost missed out on the lap that took him to top spot in Las Vegas

Russell urges Mercedes to understand surprise pace

Mercedes’ renewed pace has come as a surprise based on the recent struggles that have seen the German marque register a single podium over the past eight races.

Russell has expressed that Mercedes must bid to understand the reason behind the side’s sudden upswing in competitiveness that has left him “scratching his head”.

“To be honest, it’s been a real surprise for all of us,” he admitted.

“It’s something we need to really review because this is an outlier circuit.

“We haven’t done anything out of the ordinary specifically for Vegas, but for whatever reason, the conditions, the layout, is playing in our favour.

“And I’m kind of scratching my head as to why. You know, we will ride with it for the time being.

“But as I said, if you’re quick in Vegas, it’s a bit of a one-off circuit. So we need to understand it.

“And of course, one of our other poles was in Canada as well, which is very cold, street circuit-esque conditions too, so there’s a small trend.”

Asked whether he would attribute Mercedes’ turnaround to the low track temperatures, Russell responded: “No, to be honest. No, I think there’s been no secret.

“We’ve been struggling with a bit of understeer this season and the track in Vegas, you’re sliding around quite a lot, and maybe that’s been a small factor that the understeer limitation has been less noticeable here.

“But there are certain corners where this car is performing so well, and especially in the first sector, the car feels absolutely on rails, especially through the third corner.

“And as I said, we need to nail down after the weekend and maybe even into the winter why it’s been working so good.”

- Taylor Powling

MOST POINTS | LAST 5 RACES | FORMULA 1

 

FERRARI'S SAINZ CLAIMS VICTORY IN MÉXICO, VERSTAPPEN PAYS PRICE FOR RUTHLESS TACTICS

MEXICO CITY, Oct 28 — Carlos Sainz cruised to an emotional victory for Ferrari ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris in Sunday’s incident-filled Mexico City Grand Prix as Red Bull’s series leader Max Verstappen was handed two 10-second penalties on his way to sixth.

The stewards took a dim view of Verstappen’s aggressive driving, the Red Bull driver twice forcing his title rival Norris off the track.

Norris grabbed second from Charles Leclerc in the other Ferrari near the finish as the Briton enjoyed a major boost in his quest to deny Verstappen a fourth consecutive world championship.

The McLaren driver cut 10 points off the gap to Verstappen which now stands at 47 with four race weekends remaining.

Verstappen paid a heavy price for his show of ruthlessness with Norris commenting: “I knew what to expect from Max. I respect him a lot as a driver and I expected it but it was not very clean driving in my opinion.

“It was a very tough race and I spent a lot of it just trying to avoid crashes.”

It was the second week in succession that the two title-chasers had clashed following a penalty for Norris at the United States Grand Prix.

McLaren boss Zak Brown described this latest example of Verstappen’s aggressive streak as “ridiculous”.

“Enough is enough. Let’s just have some good clean racing moving forwards. I think the stewards are on it, I think that’s clear by the penalties that were given. The stewards did a good job this weekend.”

Asked about his drivers’ crown prospects Norris said: “I’m just keeping my head down, we’re doing good job as a team, focus on ourselves, that’s all I can do for now.”

Sainz meanwhile is ensuring he leaves Ferrari with his head held high as he switches next season to Williams to make way for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

“Gracias Mexico!” said a beaming Sainz.

“It is incredible to see this crowd. I have felt their support all week and it gave me a lot of strength — I said I wanted one more win with Ferrari and to do it here with this mega-crowd is incredible.”

It was Ferrari’s first victory in Mexico since Alain Prost triumphed in 1990 — enabling them to move ahead of Red Bull in the constructors’ championship — and Sainz’s second win of the season and fourth of his career.

Hamilton finished fourth ahead of his Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

Kevin Magnussen finished behind Verstappen in seventh to deliver Haas’s best result in Mexico ahead of Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren, who started from the back end of the grid, Nico Hulkenberg in the second Haas and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

Tsunoda out

The race began in a festive atmosphere with Verstappen winning the start from pole-sitter Sainz to lead the run to the first corner where RB’s Yuki Tsunoda crashed out after making contact in the midfield squeeze.

The race was yellow-flagged to retrieve the debris. Replays showed he collided with Alex Albon’s Williams going into the braking zone. Albon retired.

Verstappen accelerated as racing resumed on lap six with Sainz soon showing Ferrari’s potential and then sweeping inside him to lead on lap nine at Turn One.

The Dutchman fought but Sainz hung on and next time round on lap 10 Norris made a move at Turn Eight where Verstappen responded by forcing him wide and off-track.

Norris handed the place back.

“I was ahead the whole way through the corner,” said the Briton. “This guy is dangerous. I have to avoid a crash. I’ll end up in the wall.”

As they squabbled, Leclerc moved up to second while Norris tried again at Turn Four on the next lap only to be pushed off again.

“He overtook me off-track and pushed me off,” said Norris.

The stewards noted both incidents and then issued Verstappen with a 10-second penalty for fouling Norris. “That’s quite impressive,” said a sarcastic Verstappen.

Behind the leaders two-time former champion Fernando Alonso, in his record 400th Grand Prix weekend, pitted his Aston Martin and retired after 17 laps before a second stewards’ penalty for Verstappen — a further 10 seconds for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

After a flurry of pit stops Verstappen climbed to sixth as Norris chased Leclerc, passing him for second on lap 63 when the Monegasque slid wide at the final corner.

With five laps to go, Norris was seven seconds behind Sainz as Hamilton finally passed Russell for fourth, setting up a frantic finale. 

— AFP