VERSTAPPEN, ANTONELLI AND MULTIPLE DRIVERS CLEARED BY FIA INVESTIGATION

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

The FIA have cleared 11 drivers of infringements during sprint qualifying at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Half the grid was noted for failing to follow the maximum delta time of 1:28.0.

Verstappen one of 11 drivers cleared by FIA

They were: Esteban Ocon, Arvid Lindblad, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Gabriel Bortoleto, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Pierre Gasly and Valtteri Bottas.

The investigation took place after the session, with all of the drivers cleared.

The FIA said in a statement: "The Stewards thoroughly reviewed Marshalling/Positioning data, timing data, on-board cameras and CCTV cameras.

"All drivers concerned stayed at or above speeds necessary to stay below 1:28.0 around the vast majority of the circuit.

"However, in all cases the Stewards determined that the drivers took appropriate actions to not impede other drivers, and in all cases, they slowed down significantly to allow other drivers to pass while giving those drivers a clear track.

"The Stewards therefore determine that all drivers concerned did not drive 'unnecessarily slowly', and that they were above the maximum time because they took appropriate steps, and we therefore take no further action.

"Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal certain decisions of the Stewards, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code and Chapter 5 of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, within the applicable time limits.

"Decisions of the Stewards are taken independently of the FIA and are based solely on the relevant regulations, guidelines and evidence presented."

Russell, who was under investigation, took pole position for the sprint race, which will take place tomorrow at 12:00 PM CEST.

The investigation was Verstappen's second of the session after he was cleared for a potential impeding incident with long-time rival Lewis Hamilton.

The FIA stewards noted the potential infringement in SQ1 when Verstappen and Hamilton came close together at Turn 3.

Eventually, the stewards announced that no further action would be taken.

The full results from sprint qualifying are as follows, with the drivers who were under investigation in bold.

- Connor Andrews

AN F1 TEAM BOSS' FURY AT 'ABSOLUTE BULLS***" DRIVER EXIT RUMORS

 

Haas Formula 1 boss Ayao Komatsu does not do diplomatic non-answers or suffer fools, so if anyone is likely to rail against “bulls***” speculation, it's him.

Even by Komatsu’s standards, though, his response to the reporting surrounding Esteban Ocon's future at the team and a supposed fall-out between the two at the previous F1 race in Miami was something to behold.

The claims, which had spread rapidly through social media in the days before the Canadian Grand Prix, suggested a serious breakdown in the relationship between Komatsu and Ocon, with some reports hinting at a possible mid-season split.

Komatsu's verdict was unambiguous: "Absolute bulls***. Zero foundation whatsoever."

He reeled off a sustained, often expletive-laden dismantling of a story he considers not just wrong, but “just f***ing bulls*** gossip”. He even asked: “How is that journalism?”

What made his reaction extraordinary was not merely the language but the disbelief that the story had been written in the first place, and then gained traction.

The basic lineage of this story appears to be that a Brazilian journalist was misquoted and/or mistranslated into Japanese based on comments made in Portuguese questioning Ocon's long-term future at Haas. Additional details were then added, referring to reports of a falling out in Miami. This was then regurgitated again by French media outlets.

Komatsu suggested that at each stage of that chain, nobody had thought to check whether any of it was true. He also wondered if the Japanese motivation was "they really want to create s***" that he wants to replace Ocon with Yuki Tsunoda and get a Japanese driver back on the grid.

The specific claim that irritated him most was the suggestion of a confrontation with Ocon in Miami.

"I didn't even have a single argument with Esteban in Miami,” Komatsu said. “It's just amazing how this bulls*** gets smoked up, and then because nobody checks the source, everybody just rides on top of it."

Komatsu and Ocon spoke on Thursday morning in Montreal and the conversation was one of bemusement rather than damage control: "We were just smiling and talking about ‘what the f*** that's about?’ So I said I'm going to just completely clarify this to everyone, because it's absolute utter s***, total bulls***.”

But while both men presented a unified front, Komatsu was clear that the episode was not without cost. Ocon has been unsettled, his management has been unsettled, and the team was forced to field questions about a crisis that did not exist.

When he asked, “What is the purpose?” it was not rhetorical; Komatsu was genuinely baffled. As a child, he revealed, Komatsu harboured ambitions of becoming an investigative journalist. He understood the appeal and the value.

"So when I read things, it's like f***king hell. Are you not embarrassed about what you're writing? And then by writing bulls*** like this with no foundation, you lose credibility completely, right? Any media that runs that kind of bulls*** story loses credibility, in my mind.”

Ocon himself, in his own media session, described the experience in terms that went beyond mere frustration. He called it "almost like bullying in a way", with his reputation materially damaged "in two or three days" by people who face no accountability for what they have written.

The sensitivity of the situation was further illustrated when Komatsu was asked, with both Ocon and team-mate Ollie Bearman currently onboard but not guaranteed for 2027, would he keep both drivers if he had to decide today?

Komatsu’s expansive candour was replaced with a simpler kind of bluntness: "A question like this is going to create some s*** because people are going to take my word completely out of context. So I'm not going to answer that question."

Having just lamented the consequences of careless reporting, Komatsu was clearly not prepared to hand anyone fresh ammunition.

- SCOTT MITCHELL-MALM, EDD STRAW

FROM KIDS TO FORMULA 1 KINGS 🤴

ESTEBAN OCON ON LAURA MUELLER'S WORK ETHIC (VIA F1)

 

F1's RICHEST DRIVER WORTH £350M - MORE THAN VERSTAPPEN'S, LECLERC AND NORRIS COMBINED

As the world gears up for the 2025 F1 season, the Express reveals the richest driver on the 2025 grid, who is worth more than Verstappen, Leclerc and Norris combined.

the Express reveals the richest driver on the 2025 grid, who is worth £350 million. (Image: Getty)

As the engines roar back to life for the 2025 Formula 1 season in Australia this weekend, all eyes fall on the lucky drivers who have secured one of 20 coveted seats. F1 is one of the richest sports in the world, generating some £1.9 billion annually and attracting substantial investment.

The lead-up to the new season has seen a huge number of drivers move teams and join for the first time. As a result, they have been negotiating contracts that are more than most of us will make in a lifetime. But who on the 2025 grid is the richest?

2025 will see the debut of an impressive six new drivers, including Ollie Bearman and Kimi Antonelli (Image: Getty

2025 will see the debut of an impressive six new drivers, and, as a result, their net worths are largely unknown. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, son of sportscar racer Marco Antonelli, made his F4 debut in 2022 aged just 15 and quickly climbed the ranks. His success led Mercedes to promote him straight to F2, skipping F3. The 18-year-old has now taken Lewis Hamilton’s seat and is reportedly set to earn a salary of £1.6 million in his maiden season.

Gabriel Bortoleto is also making his debut with Kick Sauber, having won F2 last year. His net worth is currently unknown but he has already secured a three-year endorsement deal with KitKat. His salary is also reportedly £1.6 million this year. French-Algerian driver Isack Hadjar will drive for Racing Bulls this season, having secured four wins and eight podiums in F2 in 2024. He is reportedly set to earn between £386k and £772k in his rookie season.

Liam Lawson will replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull this year, having replaced Daniel Riccardo at VCARB last year. The most recent estimates say he is now worth around £1.2 million. British driver Oliver Bearman made his F1 debut in Saudi Arabia last year. He also raced twice for Haas twice, taking over from Kevin Magnussen, before securing a full-time seat with Haas for 2025. The 19-year-old’s estimated net worth stands at around £1 million, having already secured partnership deals with Deus X and Eurospares, according to loveMONEY.

Australian driver Jack Doohan has been Alpine’s reserve driver for the last two seasons but has been promoted to a full-time seat this year. Son of five-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion Mick Doohan, he began kart racing at age nine in a go-kart given to him by Michael Schumacher. Today, his net worth is between £772k and £1.6 million.

Alexander Albon and George Russell both made their F1 debuts in 2019. (Image: Getty)

Thai-British racer Alexander Albon made his F1 debut in 2019 and has raced for Red Bull and now Williams. Albon’s net worth is estimated to stand at around £2.3 million and has a brand ambassadorship with Thailand's Monsoon Valley Vineyard. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri made his F1 debut in 2023 after achieving victories in F3 and F2. The 23-year-old was the seventh highest-paid driver in 2024 after earning £17 million in salary and bonuses, not including tax and agent fees. Most recent estimates place his net worth at £3.1 million.

Yuki Tsunoda has been racing for Red Bull’s AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) since 2021, progressing from F4 to F1 in just four years. His estimated net worth stands at around £3.9 million. Nico Hulkenberg has raced for many teams since joining in 2010 and will be racing for Kick Sauber this year. Thanks to his work with brands including Rolex, he is now worth around £7.7 million.

British driver George Russell made his F1 debut in 2019 with Williams and now with Mercedes. In 2024, he was the sixth highest-paid driver, earning £17.8 million in salary and bonus pre-tax and agent fees. He is currently worth around £12.4 million and has secured partnerships with brands including Tommy Hilfiger. French driver Esteban Ocon made his debut in 2016, and this year, he will race for Haas alongside Bearman. The most recent estimates place Ocon's net worth at £16.2 million.

Driver championship runner-up Lando Norris has driven for McLaren since his debut in 2019 and was the third highest-paid driver last year, earning an eyewatering £27 million before taxes and agent fees. The 25-year-old is now worth around £23.3 million, owning his own gaming and lifestyle brand, Quadrant.

Pierre Gasly will race for Alpine again in 2025, having joined the sport in 2017. He was the 10th highest-paid driver of 2024 (£9.3 million) and is now worth around £25.5 million. Monaco-born Charles Leclerc was promoted to a coveted Ferrari seat during his rookie season with Sauber in 2018 and was the fifth highest-paid driver last year at £20.9 million. His net worth is estimated at £38.7 million.

Lewis Hamilton has taken Carlos Sainz's seat at Ferrari for 2025. (Image: Getty)

Lance Stroll made his F1 debut in 2017 with Williams and now races for Aston Martin. The team is owned by his father, billionaire businessman, Lawrence Stroll, and Stroll is now said to be worth some £38.7 million. Spanish driver Carlos Sainz has raced in F1 since 2015, having joined the likes of McLaren, Ferrari and now Williams. Son of legendary rally driver Carlos Sainz Sr, he is net worth is also estimated at £38.7 million.

Readers may be surprised to find the current champion Max Verstappen as only the third richest driver on the 2025 grid, despite his successes. Joining Toro Rosso at just 17, he was the youngest driver to ever compete in F1 at the time. Unsurprisingly, he was the highest-paid driver in F1 in 2024, earning a staggering £58 million in salary and bonuses pre-tax. He is now said to be worth an incredible £168 million thanks to impressive endorsements with brands including Heineken and Oracle.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has raced in F1 on and off since 2001 and joined Aston Martin in 2023. The Spanish driver’s total net worth is estimated at £200 million, making him the second-richest driver in the sport, having earned £21.3 million last year, pre-tax and agent fees.

At 40-years-old, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is said to be worth up to £350 million—£100 million more than Verstappen, Leclerc, and Norris combined. Having made a shock switch to Ferrari for this year, his new contract means he will be earning an eyewatering £77.3 million per year.

- EMILY WRIGHT

GRAMD PRIX WINNERS ON THE 2025 GRID

 

MOST PENALIZED DRIVERS SUNCE 2014 | TOP TEN

 

MOST POINTS | LAST 5 RACES | FORMULA 1

 

BRAZIL GRAND PRIX: WILLIAMS 'HURTING' AFTER THREE BIG CRASHES BY

F1.com

Williams boss James Vowles said he was "hurting" after the Formula 1 team suffered three costly crashes in Brazil on Sunday and dropped a place in the constructors' world championship.

Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon both crashed in qualifying at Interlagos, postponed from Saturday, with the latter driver unable to take part in the race because the mechanics were unable to rebuild his car in time.

Argentine rookie Colapinto then crashed again in the race, triggering red flags.

With Renault-owned Alpine finishing second and third with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in a rain-hit grand prix, Williams fell to ninth in the standings with three rounds remaining and 27 points between them and eighth-placed RB.

"The nature of Formula One is that you can have some of the most incredible feelings and results, as well as some of the lowest moments that you can feel within a sport. I think it's fair to say this weekend is the second of those two," Vowles said.

"We've had three incredibly large crashes in just a few hours from one another and have a tremendous amount of work to get ourselves back on top of our spares situation before we go to Las Vegas in just a few weeks' time."

Vowles said he had watched the race through to the end, despite Colapinto crashing before the half-distance, because he wanted "to make sure I remember today because this isn't what I want us to be feeling in the future."

Albon said it had been a tough few weeks with the team now in a challenging position.

"I really didn't expect the incident in Turn One to happen, so we need to take a proper look to figure out what happened," he added.

"It's disappointing as it would've been a great opportunity to score points, as we knew coming to Brazil there is always a chance for crazy races, however it's our competitors who've been able to capitalise on this."

- Reuters 

MOST RACES WITHOUT A FASTEST LAP | FORMULA 1

 

BELGIAN GRAND PRIX RESULTS AFTER DSQ RUSSELL

 

WHO WOULD REPLACE HAMILTON IN 2025

 Do you hear that? The whirring sound off in the distance? That's Formula One's rumour mill, and it has been working overtime to catch up with last week's shock news that Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of this year and move to Ferrari.

Hamilton will leave behind a gaping hole in Mercedes' driver lineup as well as an intriguing storyline as team boss Toto Wolff attempts to fill it. In truth, very few can match the seven-time world champion's driving ability and no one on the grid can match his marketing appeal, but Wolff said Friday that the situation is "a chance to do something bold." George Russell represents a very safe pair of hands and is under contract until the end of 2025, meaning Mercedes could take a punt on a second driver in the knowledge they will have a very high benchmark to measure against.

Wolff admitted that the timing of Hamilton's announcement had "bitten" the team as Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris recently committed their futures to Ferrari and McLaren, respectively, but there are still at least five very capable candidates available in one form or another.

AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX RESULTS CONFIRMED AS SAINZ AND HAMILTON AMONG DRIVERS DEMOTED

 

AP

The FIA has released the final classification of results for the Austrian Grand Prix after a string of retrospective penalties for track limit infringements were handed down. Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton are two of the drivers to be demoted in the new standings, with Lando Norris elevated to fourth place while Fernando Alonso and George Russell also rise up in the results.

The new classification has been released after the FIA handed out penalties to eight drivers following the conclusion of the race at the Red Bull Ring, which was won by a dominant Max Verstappen, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez coming home in second and third respectively.

MARVEL FAN OCON GETS AN INVITE FROM DEADPOOL

Reuters 

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon is already reaping the rewards of Ryan Reynolds investing in the Renault-owned Formula One team after securing an invite to join the Hollywood star in filming for 'Deadpool 3'.

Reynolds was announced on Monday, along with fellow actors Rob McElhenney and Michael B. Jordan, in a group of investors taking a 24% equity stake in the Enstone-based former world champions.

FORMER TOP GEAR PRESENTER JEREMY CLARKSON DELIVERS 1,000 BEERS BY TRACTOR TO ALPINE F1 TEAM

Television personality and celebrity farmer Jeremy Clarkson fulfilled a promise to the Alpine Formula One team on Monday by turning up at the factory on a Lamborghini tractor laden with 1,000 beers.

Former Top Gear presenter Clarkson, whose farming documentary series is a hit on Amazon, promised on Twitter to buy everyone a pint of his locally produced beer if Esteban Ocon finished on the podium at last month's Monaco Grand Prix.

The tweet had reached 5.5 million views by Monday.

F1: CHARLES LECLERC DEDICATES SPA VICTORY TO HIS FALLEN FRIEND ANTHOINE HUBERT

A long awaited win and a well deserved one to say the least for Charles Leclerc at the Belgium Grand Prix happened on a sad racing weekend whereby he lost his friend Anthoine Hubert in a horrific car crash at Spa...

FORCE INDIA: SERGIO PEREZ SAYS NO TEAM ORDERS YET

Sergio Perez said that force India will not impose orders on their drivers post Canada...