'TOO COMPLICATED' - CAN F1 DRIVERS REGAIN CONTROL FROM AI ENGINES?

 

The key theme among drivers in the build-up to Formula 1’s Hungarian Grand Prix so far has been concerns about how much results in 2026 are out of their hands. 

Last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix exposed how forward-thinking algorithms that dictate where and when energy should be deployed are causing frustration among the majority of drivers. 

It led to baffling straightline speed deficits between identical cars and drivers feeling like what the algorithm decided was a key factor in deciding qualifying and the race.

Oscar Piastri complained at Spa that when qualifying is being “decided by computers behaving or misbehaving, it's a pretty crap way of going racing.” 

Asked in Hungary if it “sometimes feels like you’re the passenger of an AI programme that still has to be trained?”, Piastri replied: “Sometimes, yes. At a track like Spa or a track like Silverstone, it’s going to be worse. 

“Here [at the Hungaroring], I really don’t expect there to be many problems at all with that kind of thing, because the straights are so much shorter, so even if there are differences, they should be a lot less. 

“But the principle of driving a race car that loses effectively half of its power before the end of the straight is hard to get your head around sometimes. 

“Even in Spa, a lot of the middle sector we were doing it just on the combustion engine, with no battery assistance at all, which is a weird feeling in itself, having some corners with a certain amount of power and others with full power. 

“Spa was particularly frustrating, not just for me but for quite a lot of others, because those small differences in the code and what the engines did made quite a big difference in laptime. 

“Especially at the front of the field, I think there were still only nine hundredths or something separating four positions [0.094s covered third to sixth], and there were definitely more than nine hundredths on the table for quite a few drivers from things they could not control.” 

These forward-thinking algorithms have existed for a long-time before 2026, but as Piastri highlighted, knowledge of the previous power units was so mature, the impact was minimal. 

“When I joined Formula 1 [in 2023], those engines were incredibly mature, but also the penalty of things being slightly wrong or slightly out of place was significantly less, because it was such a small percentage of the overall power you got,” Piastri said.

“Whereas this year, it’s basically half your power, so any small differences or anything that doesn’t quite go right has a massive impact, especially at a track like Spa. 

“We’ve got no control over where the deployment happens, more or less. You can push the boost button, but that’s more for overtaking than in qualifying, especially. 

“When you’ve got those differences there that you have no control over, it can be frustrating.” 

‘Less raw’ a challenge 

Charles Leclerc has long bemoaned the reduced challenge of qualifying in 2026 and how you can actually be punished for the kind of all-out qualifying laps he’s become renowned for. He gave the example of doing a “very good” La Source Turn 1 at Spa, only to be punished for it as he then consequently lacks power on the Kemmel Straight. 

He explained "I feel like we all get surprised here and there on different tracks, because it's never always always the same reason why a problem has occurred, which makes it quite complicated.” 

As Max Verstappen summed up: “Sometimes you cannot make a difference. You're not allowed to make a difference because it will just penalise you on the next straight.”

Asked if fast drivers were still being rewarded, Leclerc said: “The characteristics of a fast driver is to adapt, constantly and quickly. 

“To be a fast driver only on one car- I mean, it is not great, and I don't think it exists so much either. I think a fast driver is fast in any car. 

“Does it add a little bit more unpredictability with these cars? Yes, it does, and I think pushing the absolute limit is probably less rewarding than it was in the past because whenever you go over, whenever you have a wheelspin, you waste energy on a wheelspin because you're not going forward but you're using the battery. 

“So all these kinds of things are making it a bit- it's less raw and it's a little bit more of a thinking game and of restraining yourself from going to the absolute limit, which is not my favourite exercise but again it's the way it is and I've got to optimise whatever I have.” 

‘Too complicated’ - but will it change? 

Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu (left) and Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord

It’s not just drivers calling for change either as Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu thinks F1’s formula is “just too complicated” currently as “it relies on a tiny detail of driver operation that has an unintended or secondary consequence. 

“I think we all identify the need to avoid [it] and improve as a sport to bring the control back to the driver and also just simplify for everyone. 

“It's very important that everyone understands the sport regardless of what your interests are. To be able to do that, I think the sport has to be a bit more simplified.” 

But whether it will change before F1’s likely switch to simpler V8 engines remains to be seen. 

There are 2027 and 2028 rule changes planned that will shift F1 from its current 53-47 internal combustion engine to electrical power split to 60-40 in favour of the internal combustion engine. 

But that won’t eliminate the predictive algorithms, just reduce their importance as the electrical deployment is lessened. 

Piastri does think that teams’ growing understanding of how to exploit these power units will help too. 

“I’m sure it’ll get better. I don’t expect it to ever fully go away, but as the manufacturers understand it more and work out the regulation restrictions more, in terms of what the code can and can’t do, hopefully things will become a bit better,” Piastri said. 

That will lead to fewer mistakes with the algorithms but won’t necessarily mean more power back in the driver’s hands. 

A counter view

Not everyone is aligned that things need to be simplified in the first place, however.

When asked about the predictive algorithms, Audi F1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto said: “We are in Formula 1. We are developing the future technology. 

“If we are not using all the tools that are available in the world for us, in our favour, then I don't know what Formula 1 is about. 

“People used to complain because ‘nowadays the drivers have too much things to do’, now that there is things doing it for us, we are complaining now that they are doing it for us - so I'm happy with the way it's going.

“It's nice that the software is able to adapt itself and understand what and how much energy you are deploying through the lap and how to evolve through the laps, next laps you are doing. I don't think it should change, if I'm very honest, that's my opinion.”

He thinks adapting to such a challenge is just part of being an F1 driver.

“I don't think I changed much my way of driving, but again I don't like the sentence 'driving style', because I don't believe that a F1 driver should ever say that, because we should be able to adapt, even if it's not natural maybe.

“But we should be able to adapt to any type of car and the way you need to drive, that's why we do what we do and that's why we are the 22 drivers in the world doing F1.”

On the subject of whether the fastest drivers are still able to stand out, Bortoleto said: “Well, do you see Verstappen being slow? Do you see a seven-time world champion being slow this year? Do you see Leclerc being slow? I don't see them being slow, I still see them very competitive, so I wouldn't say fast drivers are slow.

“Actually Lewis [Hamilton] is a bit better than he was doing last year, Max is still performing like crazy, putting that car on the top, Lando [Norris], the world champion, the reigning world champion, is still quick when his thing doesn't break... 

“I don't think we have seen slow drivers last year becoming quick and the quick guys slow, I think it's still racing.” 

When Bortoleto’s comments were put to Max Verstappen, having clarified who said it, the Red Bull driver said: “Yeah, he's right. I mean, your driving style always needs to change to whatever is fastest. 

“I can drive the cars just saying, ‘this is how I drive it’. Well, I can tell you in Spa, you lose half a second. That shows you how weird it is at the moment.“He’s right, you need to adapt. Adaptability is super important. But that goes for any, like all the series that you've raced in, all the way to F1, I think you always need to adapt to what is best for that car that you are driving.” 

And when The Race put the question of whether F1 needs to move to put more power back in F1 drivers’ hands, Fernando Alonso - who may well feel there’s already plenty out of his control in F1 2026 so far in the slowest car - said: “I don’t know. It depends. I think F1 has always been a little bit like that. 

“I don’t think the drivers were deciding everything, even when we had traction control and some of the other aids. It was very specific to each team, developed by each team in a different way, with different philosophies. 

“You were pressing the throttle at the exit of the corners, and some cars were much better than the others. It’s not pure driver talent or input on some of the exits. 

“It’s the same with the starts. I’ve been doing starts for 25 years, and we’ve had many different regulations. At the end of the day, there were always some cars and some teams starting better than the others, with both cars. It’s not just that someone was doing something differently with the clutch, with a technique or with the throttle application. Both cars from that team were extremely good or extremely bad. 

“I think the team is always bringing the performance to everything. But yes, I think with these current regulations and the battery deployment, there is something that has to be fixed and improved. I think that’s well understood. 

“We are in the first half of this set of regulations, in the first year, and there are already talks about 2030 or 2031 and the V8. 

“Next year, there is already approval for the change to the combustion versus electrical part of the engine. There are things moving forward, and it’s well understood by the sport, by the teams and by everyone. 

“I’m optimistic for the future that it will get better and that it will be better understood what the rules and what the cars need to be.”

- JOSH SUTTILL

FP3 REPORT: WHAT HAPPENED IN FINAL PRACTICE AT THE MONACO GP

Kimi Antonelli transformed the picture at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix by topping final practice for Mercedes ahead of qualifying, as Ferrari suddenly found themselves chasing rather than leading.

After Ferrari dominated Friday practice, Antonelli delivered the clearest sign yet that Mercedes had found performance overnight. The championship leader set a 1m 12.720s to finish 0.327 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc, with Lewis Hamilton third, just 0.004 seconds behind his team-mate.

George Russell was fourth in the second Mercedes, while Max Verstappen completed the top five for Red Bull.

The final Formula 1 practice hour suggested qualifying may not be the Ferrari walkover many had expected after Friday. Antonelli looked confident from the moment the soft tyres went on, and his pace was strong enough to leave the rest of the field with serious work to do before the most important qualifying session of the season.

Kimi Antonelli during practice for the 2026 F1 Monaco GP | Mercedes

Antonelli takes control as Ferrari chase answers

Ferrari had looked like the team to beat after finishing one-two in both FP1 and FP2, but FP3 gave Mercedes a major boost.

Antonelli found time early on the soft tyre and then stayed clear of the field, while Leclerc and Hamilton were unable to match his benchmark when the final qualifying simulations began. Traffic played a role, as it always does in Monaco, but the gap to Antonelli was large enough to suggest Mercedes have made genuine progress overnight.

Leclerc still ended the session second, but the Monegasque driver continued to sound uncomfortable over team radio, with the brake issue he revealed on Friday still appearing to be a concern. That could be crucial at Monaco, where confidence under braking is everything.

Hamilton was third and remained close to Leclerc, but neither Ferrari driver could land a response to Antonelli before the late red flag disrupted the final runs.

Bearman crash interrupts final laps

The session was stopped late on after Oliver Bearman crashed his Haas at Massenet. Bearman lost the rear while climbing the hill, shortly after passing Russell, who had moved as far aside as possible to stay out of the way. The Haas driver clipped the barriers and left debris on the track, bringing out the red flag.

“Sorry guys, it’s the ***** bottoming. I’m so sorry,” Bearman said over team radio.

He climbed out of the car unharmed and later returned to the pit lane, but Haas will need to check the car carefully before qualifying, particularly around the rear and gearbox after the impact.

The marshals cleared the car quickly, but barrier checks meant the session resumed with only four minutes remaining. That gave some drivers time for one final run, although out laps were heavily compromised as the field queued up in classic Monaco fashion.

McLaren still searching before qualifying

McLaren still looked short of the very front after a difficult Friday. Oscar Piastri finished sixth, 0.978 seconds off Antonelli, while Lando Norris was ninth after continuing to play catch up following his FP2 stoppage.

McLaren confirmed before the session that it had broken curfew after Norris stopped at the Nouvelle Chicane on Friday. The team replaced the wiring harness and changed the ESME pack within the permitted allocation as part of its investigation into the issue.

Team CEO Zak Brown admitted a second row start might already be an optimistic target, with McLaren still trying to understand its pace before qualifying.

There was also a late traffic moment between Norris and Hamilton, with neither driver sounding impressed over the radio. The incident was not noted by Race Control, but it served as a reminder of how tense qualifying could become when 22 cars fight for space around the narrowest circuit on the calendar.

Nico Hulkenberg during practice for the 2026 F1 Monaco GP | Audi F1 Team

Audi impress again as Cadillac suffer more issues

Audi continued their strong Monaco weekend, with Gabriel Bortoleto seventh and Nico Hulkenberg 10th.

Both Audi cars had finished inside the top 10 in FP1 and FP2, and their FP3 pace suggested the team could be genuine contenders for Q3 if they execute qualifying cleanly.

Isack Hadjar was eighth as he continued to rebuild confidence after his FP1 crash at the Swimming Pool section. Liam Lawson also had another nervous moment at the same part of the track, catching a slide after the rear stepped out.

Cadillac had more brake trouble after Sergio Perez suffered a brake fire in FP2. This time Valtteri Bottas reported smoke and limped back to the pits, avoiding a stoppage but raising fresh concerns for the team.

The final practice message was clear. Ferrari still have pace, Verstappen remains close enough to threaten, and McLaren are not out of the picture. But heading into qualifying, it is Antonelli and Mercedes who suddenly look like the combination to beat.

- John Smith

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

FIA PRESIDENT SAYS V8 ENGINES COULD RETURN TO F1 BY 2030: 'IT IS COMING'

Photo: Race Pictures

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has said F1 could return to V8 engines as early as 2030. The Emirati said it is "only a matter of time" before the iconic roar of the V8 makes it way back into the sport, having last featured from 2006 to 2013.

F1's engine future has been the subject of heavy debate for some time now, only more so since the introduction of the 2026 regulations, which introduced a 50:50 split between electrical power and the internal combustion engine, and has been widely criticised by drivers and fans alike.

During the three opening rounds, chief among the concerns in 2026 were the need to lift and coast in qualifying, as opposed to pushing flat-out, super-clipping - when the MGU-K diverts its attention to slowing the car down and harvesting energy at high speed - as well as dangerous closing speeds, as seen in the 50G crash suffered by Haas' Ollie Bearman at Suzuka.

Even in Miami, where the 2026 rules have been tweaked following the April break, drivers are still not wholly convinced. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll kicked off the weekend by launching an attack on the "fundamentally flawed" regulations that are "destroying racing," while calling for a return to previous generations of F1 engines.

Ben Sulayem makes F1 engine promise: 'V8 is coming' 

Photo: Race Pictures

If Ben Sulayem's comments at Miami are anything to go by, Stroll might not have to wait too long to get his way. When asked whether F1 could return to V8s or V10s, the FIA President said: “It’s coming. Oh yes, it is coming. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of time," as per RacingNews365.

What's more, however, is that the FIA boss expressed confidence a change could be implemented by 2030 even without the approval of F1's PUMs [power unit manufacturers]. Manufacturers such as Audi and Honda are understood to have joined, or stayed in, F1 as a result of the move to road relevant electrification.

Ben Sulayem said: "In 2031, the FIA will have the power to do it, without any votes from the PUMs. That’s the regulations. But we want to bring it one year earlier, which everyone [externally] now is asking for. When you try to tell them [the PUMs] they say no, but what will come, will come, and it [the power] will come back to the FIA."

Speaking of road relevance, Ben Sulayem said V8s would be the preferred route for F1, given that V10s are becoming less common on production vehicles. There was also the suggestion that electrical power would see a "very, very minor" role in these new changes.

“I feel like a V10…if I ask any of the manufacturers who are in F1 now if they produce any cars with a V10, an era that many of the cars had, but now, no," said Ben Sulayem.The most popular and easiest to work with is the V8. You get the sound, less complexity, lightweight.

"You will hear about it very soon, and it will be with a very, very minor electrification, but the main one will be the engine. It will not be something like now, which is a 46-54 split. There will be very minimal [electric] power."

Once again, the FIA chief was adamant such a move could be made, claiming that even without PUM approval, a change is in the offing. He concluded: "I'm targeting 2030. One year before the maturity [of the regulations]. it will happen. They [manufacturers] want it to happen.

"But let's say the manufacturers don't [vote for it], then one more year and it will be done. It's not a matter of, 'Do I need their support?' No, it will be done. V8 is coming.”

- Henry Eccles

FORMULA 1 TEAMS | VALUATION

 

FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS STANDINGS

 

HAAS ISSUES OLIVER BEARMAN STATENENT AFTER 50G SHUNT AT F1 JAPANESE GP

Oliver Bearman suffered a high speed crash at the F1 Japanese GP

Oliver Bearman has been cleared by the FIA medical centre following a 50G crash at the 2026 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.

Bearman would have hoped to capitalise on his stellar start to the 2026 campaign at the Suzuka International Circuit, on Sunday.

However, mid-way through the 53-lap race, the Briton suffered a massive shunt in the run up to the Spoon Curve.

The Haas driver was on the gearbox of Franco Colapinto before he seemingly drifted onto the grass on the right-hand side and lost control of his VF-26.

Colapinto veered towards the outside of the tarmac, catching Bearman unwares, partly owing to the difference in closing speeds as the Argentinian driver was also harvesting the battery on his A526.

This sent him barrelling towards the barriers on the outside and resulted in a 50G impact for the 20-year-old Ferrari academy product.

While he got out of the car, Bearman was in visible discomfort particuarly with his right leg. The Banbury-based team has now issued a statement with respect to its driver’s well-being.

Haas has confirmed to media including Motorsport Week that Bearman had been taken to the FIA medical centre following the incident and underwent x-ray tests.

Bearman has suffered no fractures, thankfully, but has endured a right knee contusion.

Haas issued another update towards the end of the race, stating:

“Ollie has been cleared by Medical Centre.

“He has FIA dispensation to not attend Media Pen – we will make a quote available post-race etc.”

Lucklily for Bearman, the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, in April, means he will have enough time to recuperate before F1 goes back racing at the Miami International Autodrome in May.

- Anirban Aly Mandal

TOYOTA RETURNS TO FORMULA 1 IN 2026

 

Toyota is making a notable return to Formula 1 in 2026 by becoming the title sponsor of the Haas F1 Team, expanding on a technical partnership that began in late 2024 and strengthening its presence in the sport after withdrawing its own works team in 2009. From next season the team will compete as the TGR Haas F1 Team, with the Japanese brand’s name featured prominently on the car and team gear as MoneyGram’s sponsorship ends. This title deal builds on shared engineering work, driver development and resources between Toyota and Haas while the team continues to run Ferrari power units, and marks a major step in Toyota’s return to the top tier of motorsport.

- Car Advisor

 #carsadvisor #toyota #TOYOTAGAZOORacing #HaasF1 #F1 #formula1

MCLAREN'S LANDO NORRIS WINS IN MEXICO TO TAKE F1 LEAD FROM OSCAR PIASTRI

McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates after winning the Mexico City Grand Prix.

PHOTO: REUTERS

MEXICO CITY - McLaren's Lando Norris avoided early mayhem to cruise to a dominant Mexico City Grand Prix win and retake the Formula One championship lead by a single point from teammate Oscar Piastri on Oct 26.

Australian Piastri, who started the race seventh and 14 points clear of the Briton, finished fifth after a virtual safety car in the last two laps denied him a shot at fourth after a thrilling chase.

Charles Leclerc was runner-up for Ferrari, a hefty 30.3 seconds adrift of Norris, while Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen took third – just 0.7 behind the Monegasque.

Norris, who started from pole position and led every lap, now has 357 points to Piastri's 356 with Verstappen on 321 and four rounds remaining.

"What a race. I could just keep my eyes focused and forward and focus on what I was doing," said Norris, who was booed by the home crowd for reasons that remained unclear.

"A pretty straightforward race for me which is just what I was after. A good start, a good launch, a good first lap and I could go from there."

Norris last led the standings in April, a gap of 189 days, and had not won a race since Hungary in early August. Oct 26 was his sixth victory of the season, one less than Piastri, and career 10th.

"I felt like the whole race I was right behind someone and struggling with the dirty air. That was pretty difficult," said Piastri.

"Today was about trying to limit the damage, but also trying to learn some things about that. If I've made some progress with that I'll be happy."

Oliver Bearman was fourth for Haas, a best result for the Briton and also the United States-owned team, and was 1.1 seconds clear of Piastri at a chequered flag waved by former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield.

"I held off Max in the first stint, I held off the Mercs in the second, and I held off the McLaren in the third one," the rookie said.

"I spent more time looking in my rear view mirrors than in front. But that's sometimes how it has to be."

Kimi Antonelli was sixth for Mercedes, with teammate George Russell seventh and Lewis Hamilton eighth for Ferrari after a 10-second penalty dropped him from third and dashed his hopes of a first podium for the team he joined in January.

Esteban Ocon was ninth, making a double points finish for Haas, and Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto took the final point.

The top three all completed the race on a one-stop strategy, while Bearman, Piastri and the Mercedes drivers all pitted twice.

Ferrari moved back into second place, a point ahead of Mercedes, in a constructors' championship already won by McLaren but with a tight scrap for the runner-up slot.

Norris made a clean start from pole when the lights went out but was caught in a four-way tussle down the long run to turn one, with Verstappen cutting the corner and bumping over the grass.

Leclerc then cut turn two, giving the place back to Norris who emerged from the chaos ahead while Verstappen gained a place in fourth to the intense irritation of Russell.

"I got squeezed like crazy," said Verstappen over the team radio as Russell, who started fourth, called in vain for the four-time world champion to hand the place back.

A scary incident saw Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson, who came in for a new front wing on lap three, accelerate out of the pits as two marshals ran across the track in front of him.

Verstappen and third-placed Hamilton made contact on lap six as they went side by side with the Red Bull driver trying to go past at turn one but ending up cutting the next corner.

Hamilton went off at turn four, cutting back across the grass, and was handed a penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Bearman meanwhile climbed to fourth, from ninth at the start, and looked on for a podium once Hamilton took his penalty on lap 24 only to be reeled in by Verstappen.

While Norris enjoyed a calm afternoon in the sunshine, Piastri had to fight back from a low of 11th after his first stop, passing Antonelli in the pits and Russell on track.

The virtual safety car was deployed after Williams' Carlos Sainz, the 2024 winner for Ferrari, spun and stopped on track on the penultimate lap with smoke coming from it. 

- REUTERS

FERRARI MEME 😂 | POOR HAAS

 

F1 2025 PRIZE POT

 

LAURA MUELLER BECOMES FIRST FEMALE ENGINEER IN F1

Mueller will work alongside Esteban Ocon for the 2025 season, with her promotion part of a series of personnel changes at Haas 📻🆕

FIA CHANCE F1 RULES AT LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX TO CLOSE MERCEDES AND FERRARI LOOPHOLE

Toto Wolff and Mercedes have been affected by an FIA directive (Image: Getty)

The FIA has reportedly imposed a technical directive outlawing the use of protective plates over skid blocks ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The ban, which will affect Mercedes, Ferrari and Haas, was initiated after a Red Bull complaint.

The skid blocks are situated under the body of the car, but when drivers run over abrasive curbs during Grands Prix, they can be slowly worn down - particularly if the team in question runs their car lower to the ground, which is often synonymous with generating higher downforce.

At the United States Grand Prix in 2023, Mercedes and Ferrari experienced the worst possible consequences of this. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both disqualified after finishing on the podium after a post-race inspection revealed that the planks on their underbodies had been whittled down below the FIA’s legal limit.

In an effort to avoid this, an Auto Motor und Sport report reveals that, following a complaint from Red Bull, roughly half of the grid was discovered to be in breach of the regulations regarding skid block protection.

In response, the FIA sent teams a technical directive ahead of the Las Vegas GP outlawing their usage. This will be bad news for Mercedes and Ferrari, who could have to raise the ride height of their cars to comply with the regulations, bleeding lap time in the process.

McLaren and Red Bull were not on the list of teams affected by the technical directive, although Lando Norris will need a bigger boost if he is to turn around his championship fight with Max Verstappen. The gap between the pair stands at 62 points with three rounds remaining.

"It was a defining moment for the championship,” he confessed in Las Vegas. “The door is almost shut. I was pretty down for a week after Brazil because there was the realisation that things are out of my control and not within reach and that was a tough moment.

"When your hopes and beliefs are so high, and then for them to get knocked down, that was pretty demoralising and not the best of feelings but you learn to accept that is life. I can survive, I can put up a fight, and that is what I will do.

“But at some point you know it is not going to go your way. You never know. I am not saying it is over and I wouldn’t until it is, but it is very far out of reach. I need a lot of luck. I have to win three races, and hope Max fails to finish in those three races."

- HARRY SMITH

AZERBAIJAN GP: OLIVER BEARMAN REPLACES BANNED KEVIN MAGNUSSEN

Oliver Bearman made is Formula One debut with Ferarri. Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images

Oliver Bearman will make his Haas debut early as Kevin Magnussen's replacement at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Ferrari reserve driver Bearman, who made his Formula One debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when Carlos Sainz had appendicitis, is racing for Haas full-time in 2025.

The 19-year-old will step into racing duties early in place of Magnussen, who picked up his 12th penalty point over a rolling year period at the Italian Grand Prix.

F1's rules state doing so comes with an automatic one-race ban.

Magnussen is in his final set of races with Haas after having failed to secure a race seat for next season.

Bearman and Alpine's Esteban Ocon are signed up to race for Haas in 2025.

Bearman has taken part in practice sessions for Haas at Imola, Barcelona, Silverstone and Budapest this year so far.

The Englishman will still be Ferrari's reserve driver for the race weekend, meaning Haas will need to confirm a potential stand-in for him on the unlikely chance he is called on as he was in Saudi.

- Nate Saunders, General Editor, F1

F1 2024 TEAM STANDINGS | POINTS AFTER THE DUTCH GP

 

MAGNUSSEN TO LEAVE HAAS

 

WILLIAMS ANNOUNCE TOP TECHNICAL HIRES FROM F1 RIVALS

(L-R) Matthew Savage, chairman of Dorilton Capital, team principal James Vowles and ex-racing driver turned investor James Matthews. Mark Thompson/Getty Images

 Williams announced a list of top technical hires from rival Formula One teams on Thursday including Matt Harman who was previously technical director at Renault-owned Alpine.

Harman will join after the August shutdown as design director while Richard Frith, also ex-Alpine, arrives next year as head of performance systems.

Both will report to chief technical officer Pat Fry, an F1 veteran who joined Williams from Alpine last November.

Fabrice Moncade is joining as chief engineer next week after a previous stint at Ferrari while Juan Molina arrives from Haas on July 15 as chief aerodynamicist.

Steve Winstanley, who spent 14 years with Red Bull, has been appointed chief engineer, composites and structures.

Williams said they formed part of a group of 26 new recruits joining over the course of the year, including four from Red Bull and 10 from Alpine.

"There has been a particular focus on strengthening the aerodynamics team, with 11 hires, and the design office with 13," the team said in a statement.

"We are on a mission to fight our way back to the front and being able to attract experienced, championship-winning talent from other teams demonstrates huge belief in the journey we are on," principal James Vowles said.

The former world champions, who last won a race in 2012 and a championship in 1997, are currently ninth in the standings with two points from 10 races.

They recently extended the contract of Thai driver Alex Albon and have made an ambitious approach to Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who is handing over his seat to Lewis Hamilton at the end of the year.

- Reuters 

GUENTHER STEINER LEAVES HAAS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

 

Reuters 

Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen will continue with Haas next year in an unchanged lineup, the U.S.-owned Formula One team said on Thursday.

The German and his Danish team mate have both scored points this season, with Hulkenberg's seventh place in Australia in April their best result of the campaign, and their retention came as no surprise.

Between them they have started 346 grands prix.

Haas are eighth of 10 teams in the constructors' championship going into this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix

BREAKING NEWS: MAGNUSSEN AND HULKENBERG RE-SIGN WITH HAAS