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

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

TED KRAVITZ SAY'S FERRARI'S STANCE ON REPLACING LEWIS HAMILTON IS NOW 'ABSOLUTELY CLEAR'

Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton hasn’t met Ferrari’s expectations since he joined the team at the start of 2025. While Hamilton may be the most successful driver ever, he has statistically been a downgrade on predecessor Carlos Sainz.

Hamilton has broken an unwanted Ferrari record by failing to score a podium. Last weekend’s Brazilian GP was his 21st missed opportunity.

The 40-year-old is only one place behind Charles Leclerc in the standings, but the gap has grown to 66 points. Leclerc is leading Hamilton 16-5 in qualifying and 15-3 in the races when both are classified.

Hamilton has also failed to reach Q3 six times this season, or eight times including Sprints. All of this has fed growing doubt over his Ferrari future.

Ted Kravitz is certain that Oliver Bearman will ‘eventually replace’ Lewis Hamilton

Speaking on Sky Sports’ F1 Show, Ted Kravitz sounded certain that Haas driver Oliver Bearman will succeed Hamilton. He thinks it’s just a question of when.

Haas say Bearman isn’t available until 2027, and Kravitz still expects Ferrari to honour Hamilton’s contract. Leclerc replaced the veteran Kimi Raikkonen in 2019 after spending his rookie year with engine customers Alfa Romeo Sauber.

Ferrari have also been linked with Oscar Piastri, and it’s said that Sainz would be open to leaving Williams if his former team approached him, but Kravitz can only see one outcome.

“It’s clear as night follows day that Ollie Bearman will eventually replace Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari,” he said. “I think that’s absolutely clear.

“Whether Charles Leclerc will stay there or not long-term is a completely separate subject.

“It’s the Ferrari way – they did it with Charles Leclerc – to farm out their juniors to a Sauber, or to Haas, or to an engine customer, and then bring them in-house.

“Haas insist that they’ve got Bearman nailed down for ’26, so I think Ferrari will let it play out with Hamilton, get to the end of his contract and then make a call on whether it’s Bearman.”

When does Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari contract really expire?

The consensus in the F1 paddock is that Ferrari won’t renew Hamilton’s contract. In theory, that could change if the new regulations offset his apparent decline.

While the team haven’t confirmed the duration themselves, it’s said that Hamilton’s Ferrari contract runs for three years. Bearman may have to be patient.

George Russell spent three years at Williams before he finally got the call-up from Mercedes to replace Valtteri Bottas.

Hamilton’s deal reportedly includes release clauses, though, so he could leave the team earlier without the need for a pay-off if the partnership becomes untenable.

- David Comerford

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

YUKI TSUNODA QUESTIONS F1 STEWARDS DESPITE 'DESERVED' PENALTY

Yuki Tsunoda finished a lapped last at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and questioned the F1 stewards' decision.

© XPBimages

Yuki Tsunoda has conceded his penalty for ramming Oliver Bearman in the British Grand Prix was "deserved" but still questioned the F1 stewards. 

On lap 22, just after the restart where Max Verstappen spun the sister Red Bull, Tsunoda was passed around the outside of Brooklands by Bearman, but then tipped the Haas into a spin. 

For this, Tsunoda received a 10-second penalty and a single penalty point on his super-licence, taking him to five for the 12-month period. 

In Austria, Tsunoda was handed two points for colliding with Franco Colapinto and picked up two for overtaking a damaged Oscar Piastri under red flags in Canadian GP practice.

Whilst he felt the Bearman penalty was justified, Tsunoda did question his treatment at the hands of F1 stewards over recent races. 

"I deserve the penalty, but 10 seconds, obviously last year, it was probably five seconds," Tsunoda told media, including RacingNews365. 

"So they did not make any exceptions, but it is what it is. 

"I was already pretty annoyed with the pace, but it is just very harsh to be honest, 

"10 seconds felt like two days, but they gave it, and they have not been nice to me recently with these penalty points and overtaking a damaged car [of Piastri in Montreal].

"But I am just really focused more towards performance now anyway."

- Jake Nichol

PIASTRI BEATS "CHEEKY" NORRIS FOR POLE AS VERSTAPPEN AND RUSSELL ARE TIRED

2025 Spanish Grand Prix qualifying report

Lando Norris was quickest after the first runs in Q3 but his team mate hit back to claim pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri led a McLaren one-two while Max Verstappen and George Russell set identical times and will share the second row of the grid.

It was a miserable and short session for Verstappen’s team mate, however. Yuki Tsunoda will start from last place.

Q1

Piastri signalled McLaren’s pace with his first run in qualifying. He produced a 1’12.551, just over a tenth of a second slower than he went in final practice.

Max Verstappen was the last driver to set their first time in Q1, and he took advantage of the track grip improving to nick second place off Lando Norris by one thousandth of a second. George Russell was another seven-thousandths behind in fourth.

Franco Colapinto looked on course to grab a place in Q2, sitting in 11th place after his first run, two places ahead of team mate Pierre Gasly. However while queueing to leave the pits his car slowed and refused to pull away. Those waiting behind him started to pick their way past the Alpine, which the driver eventually pulled over to one side at the pit lane exit.

Despite that disruption, the remaining drivers were still able to join the track and, in some cases, take advantage of the steadily improving conditions to secure passage into Q2. Colapinto’s name steadily dropped down the timing sheets into the drop zone – but he didn’t quite hit the bottom.

That was because Yuki Tsunoda was still having a tough time in the Red Bull. On Friday he’d been mystified by his inability to get closer to Verstappen’s times. From his first lap in qualifying he was off the pace, and afterwards told his team he suspected his floor was damaged. He improved his time on his final run but it wasn’t good enough to lift him up from last place.

A delighted Oliver Bearman reached Q2 while his team mate went no further. Nico Hulkenberg fell narrowly short of beating Isack Hadjar to the last place in Q2. Carlos Sainz Jnr suffered a disappointing qualifying session at home, dropping out in Q1.

Q2

Piastri remained on top after the first runs in Q2, but his team mate ran him closer. Norris produced a 1’12.056 but Piastri became the first driver to break into the 1’11s, pipping him by less than a tenth of a second.

Verstappen remained their closest threat, albeit three tenths of a second off Piastri. The next four cars were threateningly close behind, however: just two tenths covered Vertappen, Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc and Alonso.

Russell offered to assist Antonelli with a slipstream in order to help him reach Q3. Both Mercedes drivers duly made it through, joining the McLarens, Ferraris and Verstappen. Alonso ensured the home crowd had one representative in the top 10 on the grid but his team mate went no further.

An unimpressed Alexander Albon accused Haas of “dirty” tactics after encountering Oliver Bearman in the final sector. He was 11th after his final run, missing the cut by three-hundredths of a second, as Pierre Gasly claimed the final place in Q3.

A strong lap from Gabriel Bortoleto put him 12th on the grid behind the Williams. However Liam Lawson was unable to match Isack Hadjar, who was the only Racing Bulls driver to reach the final 10.

Q3

As Russell observed in Q2, the advantage of gaining a slipstream down the straight was significant. Norris positioned himself to take advantage of it, leaving the pits after Piastri and waiting for him on the outside of turn 12.

While Piastri accelerated to the line to finish his lap, Norris tucked in behind him to pick up a slipstream. “Cheeky,” remarked Piastri. The tactic appeared to pay off: Norris beat Piastri’s time in the first sector and despite losing time in the second pinched provisional pole position off him by a hundredth of a second.

Russell and Leclerc relegated Verstappen to fifth with their first runs. However the Mercedes driver was unhappy with the team’s tactics, saying they had needlessly thrown two tenths of a second away.

Before the final runs, Alonso took advantage of the opportunity to set a clear lap and went fifth-fastest. Verstappen therefore began his final run having slipped to sixth place.

Piastri and Verstappen had the last laughs after their final runs, however. Norris was first of the McLaren drivers to set a time, and chipped a few hundredths off his mark, but Piastri lopped two tenths of a second off that to capture pole position.

Verstappen rebounded on his last run as well, claiming third place with a 1’11.848. Russell then matched that to within a thousandth of a second, putting him fourth.

Those improvements relegated Hamilton to fifth place ahead of Antonelli. Leclerc took seventh, while Alonso saw his initial fifth place translate to 10th on the grid after Gasly and Hadjar also beat it.

- Keith Collantine

F1 MONACO GP: LANDO NORRIS MASTERS TACTICAL RACE TO WIN

Norris takes his second win of the 2025 F1 season at an unusual Monaco GP

McLaren's Lando Norris has won the F1's 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, holding off Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri after a tactically cagey race.

In a race was turned into an odd game of chess by a one-off mandate to use three sets of tyres, and therefore make two pitstops, Norris avoided the spectre of unfortunately timed neutralisations to convert his pole into his second win of the season.

Leclerc and Piastri joined him on the podium, with Verstappen fourth after banking on a late red flag to no avail.

At the start Norris locked up his tyres to keep the lead from Leclerc into Turn 1's Ste Devote, while Piastri stayed ahead of Verstappen after the Dutchman sniffed around the outside.

At the rear Gabriel Bortoleto found the wall on the exit of Portier after duelling with Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the Brazilian Sauber driver continuing but not before triggering a virtual safety car.

The leaders stayed out, but the yellow flag emboldened Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly and Oliver Bearman to make an early first pitstop. Gasly's efforts to make an alternate strategy work shattered into the back of Tsunoda's Red Bull at the Nouvelle Chicane, with Gasly reporting "no brakes" as he smashed up his front-left corner, with Tsunoda fortunate to escape damage.

On three wheels Gasly made his way back to the pits to retire, with a local double yellow flag for a piece of Alpine front wing. Piastri dodged the piece of wing which gave Verstappen a chance to stick his nose alongside, but much to the Dutchman's chagrin Piastri promptly closed the door in the fight for third.

Midfielders trigger first round of stops

Liam Lawson created a buffer for fifth-place starting team-mate Isack Hadjar, who then made a cheap pitstop for softs, only losing two positions thanks to his team-mate's rear gunning.

The front of the midfield pitting changed the dynamic of the race, with the leaders now no longer being able to afford cruising around. Norris and company immediately upped the pace by several seconds per lap to keep their pitstop gap intact.

Hamilton was able to jump Hadjar, who soon boxed a second time for hard tyres so he could go to the end.

Norris was the first of the lead group to blink, pitting on lap 20 for hard Pirellis. Piastri followed him in on the next lap to undercut Leclerc but the Monegasque responded on the next tour to keep position.

A couple of tense laps followed for the McLarens as Verstappen was released into free air, hoping for some sort of safety car as he lacked the outright pace to threaten the papaya cars. But the race stayed green until the Dutchman made his first stop on lap 29, re-emerging where he started in fourth.

Norris carried on in the lead with a six second gap to Leclerc and another handful of seconds on Piastri and Verstappen, with Hamilton the biggest mover at the halfway point from seventh to fifth.

Verstappen's late pitstop heaps pressure on Norris

The race order was frozen until the second and final round of pitstops provided the next chance for some jeopardy.

Piastri moved first on lap 49, which triggered a reaction from Leclerc's Ferrari pitcrew on the following tour, and Norris on lap 51. Meanwhile, Verstappen stuck to his plan by staying out, upping the pace and hoping for a safety car once more.

Norris and Leclerc soon closed the gap to Verstappen, which meant the only hope for Red Bull had left was a red flag for a free tyre change. With Hamilton also pitting, Verstappen was under no pressure to take his final stop before the very end.

Verstappen's slow pace backed Norris into the jaws of Leclerc and Piastri, which made Norris' final dozen of laps fairly uncomfortable.

But the world champion's second pitstop with one lap to go finally allowed Norris back past to claim his second win of the season ahead of Leclerc and Piastri, with Verstappen and Hamilton in the top five.

Hadjar finished an excellent sixth thanks to Lawson's early teamwork and Racing Bull's savvy strategy. Esteban Ocon's Haas team also perfectly planned the Frenchman's two pitstops to finish seventh, while Lawson was rewarded for his efforts with eighth.

Williams duo Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz took the final points, which was also the result of the pair backing up the chasing Mercedes cars.

Both Russell and Antonelli were unable to make their way into the points after qualifying outside the top 10, gambling on chaos by delaying their two pitstops after those of their rivals.

Frustrated with Albon's blocking, Russell decided to pass the Williams by cutting the chicane, intentionally taking a time penalty instead of giving the position back. But the race stewards responded by handing Russell a drive-through instead of a time penalty to thwart his cunning plan.

Alonso lost out on his first points of the season by retiring with suspected power unit issue, gracefully parking his Aston Martin behind the wall at Rascasse to avoid any disruption to the race.

In the championship Norris closes the gap to points leader Piastri to just three points. Verstappen lost three points to the Australian and heads to next weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona 25 points behind.

F1 Monaco GP - Race results

- Filip Cleeren

PIASTRI LEADS MCLAREN ONE-TWO IN BAHRAIN FP2 AS RIVALS STRUGGLE TO KEEP PACE

Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets in second practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix as McLaren underlined their early dominance over Mercedes and Ferrari

Oscar Piastri on track during practice ahead of the F1 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix | McLaren F1 Team

Oscar Piastri delivered a statement of intent for McLaren by leading a commanding one-two in FP22 at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, with teammate Lando Norris close behind under the lights at the Bahrain International Circuit.

After a sweltering FP1 session distorted by daytime heat, cooler night-time conditions provided a clearer picture of the competitive order — and it was McLaren who emerged comfortably on top.

Piastri set the benchmark with a lap of 1:30.505 in FP2 on the soft tyres during the qualifying simulation runs, finishing 0.154s ahead of Norris, as the pair underlined the pace of the MCL39 around the Sakhir circuit, raising eyebrows among those at the Bahrain GP.

Russell best of the rest as Mercedes chase McLaren

Behind the dominant McLaren duo, George Russell placed third for Mercedes, over half a second adrift of Piastri’s pace-setting time. The W16 appeared strong on the straights but lost ground to McLaren in the higher downforce sections of the track.

Charles Leclerc led the charge for Ferrari, placing fourth with a 1:31.054, splitting the two Mercedes drivers as rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli took fifth in a solid showing for the Brackley-based team.

The top 10 was rounded out by Isack Hadjar for Racing Bulls, who continued his impressive form after scoring his first Formula 1 points in Japan. Max Verstappen was seventh for Red Bull, ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari.

Youngster Oliver Bearman secured ninth place for Haas, while Carlos Sainz completed the top 10 for Williams.

Sparks fly behind Yuki Tsunoda during practice for the F1 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix | Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Verstappen and Red Bull play down Friday pace

While Red Bull’s times appeared underwhelming, Verstappen briefly topped the timesheets during the early running before being overhauled by the McLaren drivers. It remains likely that the team was running conservative engine settings, a common tactic on Friday practice sessions.

Teammate Yuki Tsunoda endured a challenging session, finishing 18th, although the true pace of the Red Bull RB20 is expected to become clearer in qualifying.

Elsewhere, early drama came from Fernando Alonso, who was forced to pit his Aston Martin after needing to re-attach his steering wheel mid-run — a rare sight even in Formula 1.

With second practice providing a more accurate glimpse of the pecking order, all eyes will now turn to FP3 and qualifying to see if McLaren can convert their early advantage into pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix

- John Smith

CARLOS SAINS AS GEORGE RUSSELL CRASHES IN MEXICO PRACTICE

Mercedes' George Russell crashed during second practice after setting the fastest time in FP1 on Friday.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was fastest in Formula 1's Mexico City Grand Prix practice on Friday after Mercedes' George Russell led the opening session and then crashed heavily in the late afternoon.

On an eventful day at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen was sidelined by an engine problem and failed to set a lap time in the second session.

The triple world champion, who is 57 points clear of McLaren's Lando Norris with five rounds remaining, has won five of the last six races in Mexico but is currently on a nine-race losing streak.

"This noise is very disturbing, this can't be normal," Verstappen said of the noise coming from his engine when he did venture out early on.

Sainz's fastest lap of 1:17.699 seconds, set on 2025 prototype tyres, was 0.178 quicker than McLaren's Oscar Piastri with RB's Yuki Tsunoda surprisingly third in both sessions.

Alex Albon missed second practice after colliding with Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman and crashing out of first practice, leaving his Williams mechanics with plenty of work.

Albon called Bearman, who will race for Haas next season, an "idiot" but stewards decided it was a racing incident and took no further action.

Bearman had been driving Charles Leclerc's car in the hour-long opening session and Ferrari got it repaired in time for Leclerc to use in the later session and lap fourth fastest.

Russell had lapped in 1:17.998 in practice one, with Sainz 0.317 slower, but the Briton's later crash at Turn 8 brought out more red flags.

The Mercedes spun and slammed into the barriers sideways, with Russell also taken to the medical centre before being released.

"He's physically OK but it was a significant impact," said a team spokesman.

"Honestly, don't know what happened," Russell said later. "Just the car started bouncing on the ground and before I had a chance to catch it, I was already spinning. A lot of work for the guys tonight again. It seems like it's one thing after another at the moment. It's frustrating.

"FP1 we were very strong, very fast. Tried to take the same line, cutting that corner and for whatever reason on this occasion in FP2 the thing just started going on me.

"I mean FP2 ... because it was the Pirelli tyre test it wasn't hugely valuable in terms of what you learn for the race weekend. Obviously missed out on laps. FP3 is going to be important. Just hope we can get the car fixed."

Norris sat out the first session while Mexican IndyCar regular Pato O'Ward took a turn in the McLaren, to the crowd's delight, and ended up 13th. The Briton returned for the second stint and was fifth on the regular medium tyres.

Mercedes' seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was also absent in session one, handing over his car to Italian Kimi Antonelli who will replace him next season, but was seventh later on.

Antonelli lapped 12th fastest in his second such outing of the season, avoiding any repeat of his debut crash at Monza in August.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso started his preparation for a record 400th race with the 11th best time.

Mexican Sergio Perez, struggling with a dire lack of form, was only 10th and ninth for Red Bull respectively in the sessions.

The second session was extended to an hour and a half to allow teams to test Pirelli's development tyres.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

- ESPN News Services

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

OLIVER BEARMAN RECALLS SUPPORT FROM F1 HERO LEWIS HAMILTON

Oliver Bearman was at Silverstone on Thursday ahead of free practice. Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images

 Oliver Bearman, the British teenager who has signed a multi-year deal with Haas, has revealed that Lewis Hamilton sent him words of encouragement over a potential career in Formula One several years ago.

The Ferrari-backed 19-year-old, whose contract with the American team was announced on Thursday ahead of his home grand prix at Silverstone, recalled the message sent to him as a young karter from Hamilton on Thursday at the Milton Keynes-based circuit.

"I received a video from him in 2015 or 2016 saying like 'keep pushing and hopefully you can make it to F1 one day' and here I am," Bearman told reporters.

"I think he met one of my mum's friends and she got him to make a video. It was the most amazing day of my life. I just actually got reminded of it yesterday, I saw the video again. It was a funny moment."

Bearman, who will race with the number 87, will be on track at Silverstone on Friday for first free practice before handing the Ferrari-powered Haas car back to Kevin Magnussen for the rest of the weekend.

It will be the Formula Two driver's third such outing with the team in 2024.

The youngster made a memorable F1 race debut aged 18 with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia last March as stand-in for Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who was sidelined by appendix surgery, and finished an impressive seventh.

That made him the third youngest racer in F1 history, as well as the youngest Briton.

Next season he will race against Hamilton, McLaren's Lando Norris and Mercedes's George Russell as the sport's British contingent. Williams' Alex Albon is also British-born but races under the Thai flag.

"It's crazy to share this track with these guys who I've watched racing ... it's something pretty special and it's a pinch-yourself-moment because these guys are in my eyes huge stars," said Bearman.

"It's quite amazing I will share the circuit with them."

Bearman has been part of Ferrari's academy since 2021, a path also taken in the past by Charles Leclerc and Michael Schumacher's son Mick, who debuted with Haas but lasted only two seasons.

Hamilton will be joining Ferrari at the age of 40 and Bearman recognised that could eventually lead to an opening at the Italian team.

Leclerc did one year at Sauber, powered by Ferrari, as a rookie before returning to Italy.

"It is every boy's dream to race for Ferrari," Bearman said. "It is not really in my hands but all I can do is perform at my best. I am focused on Haas and I am really excited to get started.

"It is hard not to think that, but I am not thinking about it," he said of possibly one day replacing Hamilton at Maranello.

The teenager won the 2021 Italian F4 and ADAC F4 championship and moved up to Formula Three in 2022 before his F2 debut in 2023, where he finished sixth overall with four wins.

Last weekend in Austria he took his first victory of the season in an F2 sprint race.

Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu said Bearman had become "an incredibly mature driver" and the world had seen that in Jeddah.

- Reuters 

FERRARI TEEN OLIVER BEARMAN PRAISED 'INCREDIBLE' F1 DEBUT

 JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- Ferrari's teen stand-in Oliver Bearman didn't know he would be racing in Formula One when he woke up on Friday, but by the evening his debut qualifying performance was being praised by Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.

As Ferrari reserve driver it was Bearman, 18, who got the call shortly before Friday's practice session to replace appendicitis-stricken Carlos Sainz for the rest of the weekend.

The Englishman had been set to start the Formula 2 support race from pole position.

After an hour of track time in practice, Bearman then narrowly missed out on a place in the Q3 top-10 qualifying shootout, almost eliminating Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton in the process.

He will line up in 11th for Saturday evening's race, when he will become the third-youngest driver to start an F1 event.

"I honestly did not have time to get nervous," Bearman said. "I woke up this morning fully prepared for my F2 race and I got the call late in the day, just a few hours before FP3 that I would be doing it.

"Not the circumstance I would wish to be making my F1 debut. I wish the best to Carlos and I hope he recovers well but this is a great opportunity."

He added: "To make my F1 debut in red, hopefully it is a sign to come."

On paper his Ferrari had the raw pace for a stronger starting position -- Leclerc will line up from second in the other car, behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

But Jeddah's fast and fearsome street circuit is one of the toughest to get to grips with in such a short space of time.