LAPS LED IN 2026 | FORMULA 1

 

2026 F1 BARCELONA PRE-SEASON TEST - DAY 4 RESULTS

© Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team

George Russell underlined Mercedes' superiority in pre-season testing in Barcelona by posting the quickest time of the week so far.

Team-mate Kimi Antonelli set the benchmark in the morning session, with a lap of 1:17.081s proving to be the best of the 90 he clocked as Mercedes also again racked up the laps.

Taking over the W17 in the afternoon, Russell became the first driver to dip into the 1:16s, culminating in a 1:16.445s. The Briton also churned out a further 77 laps for Mercedes.

Over the course of their three days on track this week, with Thursday the last of their permitted allocation, the team has amassed a staggering 499 laps.

Oscar Piastri was fourth quickest in his McLaren, almost 1.8 seconds behind Russell. Unfortunately for the Australian, all his running was confined to the morning session due to the team encountering a fuel system issue in the afternoon.

Ferrari, meanwhile, enjoyed a day of dry-weather running, given the rain they encountered on Tuesday. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton combined for 174 laps, with the duo both in the 1:18s.

And Aston Martin finally made it out on track, with Lance Stroll completing four highly exploratory laps.

- Ian Parkes

FROM KIDS TO FORMULA 1 KINGS 🤴

'DISGUSTING: OSCAR PIASTRI'S AUSSIE INTERVIEW BAN AHEAD OF ABU DHABI GP

Explosive new claims of bias towards Oscar Piastri’s McLaren teammate have rocked F1 ahead of this weekend’s season-ending Grand Prix.

Just days out from its shot at a drought-breaking F1 drivers’ title, McLaren is in disarray amid revelations Oscar Piastri has been banned from speaking to Australian media.

The season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix gets underway this weekend, with championship leader Lando Norris in the box seat on 408 points and his McLaren teammate Piastri in the mix on 392.

They are separated by Max Verstappen (396 points), with all three in mathematical contention to claim this year’s title.

Yet instead of a buzz around the F1 world over a thrilling end to this year’s championship, McLaren is in damage control following a damning report from CODE Sports.

An article from the masthead that landed on Thursday afternoon (AEDT) addressed the year-long speculation the British outfit would prefer Englishman Norris take out this season’s crown.

Oscar Piastri reacts after finishing second at the Qatar GP. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

 

Talk McLaren has favoured Lando Norris (right) has bubbled along for months. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
 

McLaren is well placed to win a first drivers’ world title since Lewis Hamilton’s salute back in 2008, but that is barely rating a mention outside of its Woking base.

The team’s much maligned ‘papaya rules’, which insist the two drivers are on a level playing field, have been all but debunked by this stage as Aussie Piastri has repeatedly had odds stacked against him by his own team.

The latest was their mea culpa after McLaren was the only team not to pit after an early yellow flag in last week’s Qatar GP, blowing a dominant Piastri’s hopes of victory and handing the win to Verstappen.

Smiling team boss Zak Brown has said ad nauseam all is well among the team, but CODE stated it’s well known that is no longer the case, calling the situation “bordering on toxic”.

A pitiful team representation when Piastri celebrated his second place in Qatar only added fuel to the fire and the Victorian admitted he was “speechless” over team radio after they blew his shot at a victory that would have drawn him much closer in the title fight.

Piastri has now been banned from holding individual interviews with Australian media, with CODE stating the team feels he is too busy, although that sounds flimsy at best and downright laughable in reality.

A number of journalists and McLaren team insiders spoke to CODE about the situation and all were united in condemning the treatment of the 24-year-old Aussie.

One was quoted as saying: “It’s disgusting to see what’s happening. It’s like he’s fighting with one arm tied behind his back.”

“He’s constantly being undermined by the team. The bias against Piastri is unquestionable.”

Fans are also well and truly fed up with the perceived treatment of the young Aussie star.

McLaren’s official X account posted a tweet on Thursday morning with the caption: “23 races, 20 countries visited. Country 21, round 24, Abu Dhabi, let’s do this.”

A number of fans used that opportunity to vent their feelings.

One wrote: “From now on, I’ll remember 2025 F1 season, not for McLaren winning the constructors championship, but for the sneaky ways they found to prevent Oscar Piastri from becoming World Champion.”

 Another replied: “23 races, 20 countries visited, 90% support for Norris, 10% support for Oscar. 100% loser team.”

Many F1 fans have tired of the message coming from Zak Brown (right) and McLaren. (Photo by Bryn Lennon – Formula 1 via Getty Images)
 

A third offered: “And you destroyed a young man’s spirit – poor Oscar.”

Whatever its approach to this point, McLaren will be unable to gag Piastri in the lead-up to and after this weekend’s race.

He has mostly kept his cool and maintained his dignity to this point, when many others in such a competitive arena would have blown their stack."

Unless he finds a way to win this year’s title – needing to win the race in Abu Dhabi and have Norris finish sixth or lower – Piastri’s ultimate reaction to a season of missed opportunities could prove as fascinating as the race itself.

- James Dampney

 

MCLAREN INTRODUCE SPECIAL LANDO NORRIS-OSCAR PIASTRI RULES FOR F1 DECIDER

As Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri bid to become the newest F1 champion this weekend, RacingNews365 technical expert Paolo Filisetti explains the state of play from a technical standpoint

The season finale in Abu Dhabi marks the end of the title fight that has been simmering between the McLaren drivers, and more recently, Max Verstappen.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are looking to end the weekend as McLaren's first champion since 2008, while Verstappen is seeking to upset McLaren's party.

As they look to fend off the threat posed by Verstappen, McLaren will not change anything regarding the rules of engagement of their drivers.

In fact, the drivers will have complete independence to play their own cards, as RacingNews365 understands there will not be any exchange of set-up data between the two drivers.

After the Qatar race, several simulations were run at the Woking factory, including the dynamic simulation to determine the two basic set-ups chosen by the drivers and the possible variations to optimise them.

A factor that is different from previous races, however, is that an effort to avoid giving either driver any advantage, all data from the dynamic test bench and the simulator have been kept deliberately separate, and provided only to the respective race engineers.

It has also been decided that this approach will be maintained throughout the weekend - or at least, until the set-up for qualifying is finalised. 

There will therefore be no technical exchanges at all during the technical briefings, which will be held completely separately in the team's hospitality with their own engineers. 

This kind of rule has never been introduced at McLaren before, but the team has a clear reason: to provide both drivers with the best conditions to get the most out of their own cars.

In terms of team orders, RacingNews365 understands there will be no interventions after the start of the race, and this will remain the case if - and only if - Piastri is not in a position to win the championship in the final stint.

McLaren is keen to give both of its drivers enough opportunity to seal the title this weekend - but it is unafraid to make a call late in the race in order to ensure it ends the season with the drivers' championship in hand.

- Paolo Filisetti & Fergal Walsh

A TIE ON SEVEN WINS A-PIECE HEADING INTO THE FINAL RACE WEEKEND OF THE YEAR

 

'DOWN TO THE WIRE!' | FORMULA 1

 

QATAR GP: SPRINT QUALIFYING RESULTS

Full results from Sprint Qualifying for the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri took pole for Sprint Qualifying at the Qatar GP. Image: XPB Images

Oscar Piastri Mercedes after a strong lap, while Norris completed the top three.

Fernando Alonso qualified fourth for Aston Martin ahead of Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, who outqualified teammate Max Verstappen for the first time in either sprint or grand prix qualifying. Kimi Antonelli was seventh, with Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, and Alex Albon rounding out the top ten.

Isack Hadjar narrowly missed out on SQ3 after having his final lap deleted for exceeding track limits, finishing 11th, while Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Nico Hulkenberg, and Esteban Ocon were eliminated in SQ2.

Lewis Hamilton continued his difficult 2025 campaign, failing to escape SQ1 and ending up 18th behind Lance Stroll and Liam Lawson, who missed SQ2 by just seven hundredths of a second. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto also fell in the first segment.

The session featured a hint of gamesmanship between Norris and Verstappen, with both drivers complaining about impeding each other in the early stages. The incidents were investigated, but no further action was taken. Verstappen also struggled with porpoising and had a lap deleted for exceeding track limits, leaving him sixth.

The Qatar Sprint Race gets underway at 5pm local time on Saturday (1am AEDT Sunday).

- Ben Waterworth

OSCAR PIASTRI REJECTS MCLAREN AT QATAR GP: WILL NOT HELP LANDO NORRIS WIN TITLE

Oscar Piastri at the Drivers Press Conference ahead of the F1 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix | McLaren F1 Team
 

Oscar Piastri says he will not help Lando Norris try to win the Formula 1 world title at the 2025 Qatar GP, as the Australian rejects any suggestion of papaya rules from McLaren in the Middle East with a firm denial.

Norris comes into the weekend knowing if he leaves with a 26-point advantage over Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, he will become the team’s first champions since 2008 and the first British champion since 2020.

However, there was a setback in Las Vegas last time out as both of Zak Brown’s cars were disqualified for falling in breach of the FIA’s regulations regarding floor plank wear limitations.

Exceeding the 9mm tolerance, both cars had no leg to stand on and were subsequently DSQ’d in the United States – despite initially crossing the line after 50 laps in second (Norris) and third respectively. 

It’s an outcome that has put Verstappen back in striking distance after his chances of winning the crown appeared remote, in the face of what was an impressive comeback at the time after he left August’s Dutch GP 104 points off the pace.

He is tied with Piastri on the same points total but behind on countback, meaning the Australian is also somewhat in the hunt, even as his own chances appear to be dwindling with races running out and poor form.

That prompted questions that Andrea Stella’s McLaren team should consider using the 24-year-old as a strategic weapon to try to fend off Red Bull’s defending champion in the final two rounds.

But this is not something Piastri is keen on as he shoots down suggestions he will help Norris at the 2025 Qatar GP, as he rejects proposals of papaya rules to ensure his McLaren colleague wins the F1 2025 title.

“We’ve had a very brief discussion on it,” Piastri told media, including Total-Motorsport.com. “And the answer is no.

 “I’m still equal on points with Max and I’ve got a decent shot of still winning it if things go my way so, yeah, that’s how we’ll play.”

Can Piastri still win the F1 2025 title as he refuses to help Norris at Qatar GP?

Piastri comes into this Sprint Race weekend in Qatar knowing the pressure is on as he cannot afford to lose two more points to Norris in the standings if he hopes to become Australia’s first world champion in over 40 years.

That means even if he finishes third and Norris finishes second, it’s over. If he finishes fourth and Norris third, it’s over. If Norris wins, both he and Verstappen can forget about it for this year. 

That’s how fine the margins are now but despite the odds being stacked against him, he still has the belief he can win the title. Of course, all it takes is one bad moment from his teammate for Piastri to be the championship leader again.

“I think there’s still a chance, and it’s played out that way a couple of times before,” Piastri added. “I know it’s not impossible. Obviously I also know that it’s a bit of an outside shot.

“I can’t just rely on having a perfect final two weekends… I need other things to go my way, and I’m very aware of that.

 “I’m just going to try and have the best weekends I can, which I try and do every weekend, and see what happens to everyone else.”

 - Brandon Sutton

MCLAREN CLAIM FIA TO INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL RULE CHANGE AFTER LAS VEGAS DISQUALIFICATION

McLaren was issued the most severe F1 penalty last weekend in Las Vegas as both of its cars were disqualified from the race.

Getty Images 

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has claimed the FIA is investigating the possibility of making a rule change following its double disqualification in Las Vegas.

Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified from the race after their skid blocks were found to be excessively worn.

F1 skid blocks are not allowed to be less than 9 mm in thickness at the end of every race, and the automatic penalty for exceeding the allowance is disqualification.

McLaren had no grounds to argue the case due to how technical infringements are managed in F1, leading to the Woking-based squad's painful removal from the race classification.

However, Stella has stated the FIA is exploring the possibility of handing out lesser penalties depending on the scale of the irregularity and the performance gained by doing so.

“We verified together with the technical delegate, that the measurement of the skid thickness was correct,” Stella said.

“Even if the excessive wear is relatively minor and in only one location, (as it was 0.12 mm for Lando and 0.26 mm for Oscar), the regulation is very clear that the rear skids need to be at least 9mm at the end of the race in every location. 

“Unlike sporting or financial rules – there is no proportionality in the application of penalties for technical regulation infringements. 

“The FIA itself has admitted that this lack of proportionality should be addressed in the future to ensure that minor and accidental technical infringements, with minimal or no performance benefits, do not lead to disproportionate consequences. 

“It should also be remembered that the FIA itself emphasised that the infringement was not intentional, there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations, and there were also mitigating circumstances, as we explained to the event stewards.”

McLaren DSQ not due to an 'unreasonable chase of performance'

McLaren has faced an increased threat from Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship following the summer break, who has closed the gap on the McLaren pair over the last handful of rounds.

Following McLaren's disqualification, Verstappen now sits 24 points down on the championship lead with two rounds to go.

The Dutchman has won four of the last seven grands prix, while McLaren has won just two races in the same period.

Stella asserted McLaren's disqualification in Las Vegas was not a result of chasing performance to hold back the four-time champion's threat.

“What happened in Vegas was due to an anomaly in the behaviour of the car, rather than it being the outcome of an excessive or unreasonable chase of performance,” Stella asserted.

“Our way of acting and thinking as a team, with a strong focus on performance, has brought us to where we are today, namely winning two consecutive constructors' titles and having two drivers at the top of the championship with two races to go. 

“We, as a team, constantly learn from experience and we calibrate our approach all the time and we will certainly use any information gained through the situation experienced in Vegas.

- Fergal Walsh

MCLAREN EXPLAINS REASONS FOR ITS SHOCK DOUBLE DISQUALIFICATION FROM THE LAS VEGAS

Hot on the heel of McLaren's shock double disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Andrea Stella stressed that the Woking-based outfit did not attempt to circumvent the regulations, but it was simply caught out by the lack of running across the practice sessions which meant that the engineers could not assess the optimal ride height.

Championship runaway leader Lando Norris finished second at Saturday's Las Vegas Grand Prix behind reigning champion Max Verstappen.

His team-mate Oscar Piastri endured a more challenging evening at the Las Vegas Strip, ending up fourth, which saw him lose further valuable points in the championship battle.

However, the FIA issued a document after the 50-lap race in Sin City, confirming that McLaren would face a double investigation for both of Norris and Piastri’s cars following the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The FIA's document read: "The skid wear of car numbers 81 and 04 was checked. The rearmost skid was measured on both cars according to the team’s legality documents submission in accordance with TD039 M, item 1.2 b) i).

"The measured thickness was less than 9 mm on both cars, which is the minimum thickness required by TR Article 3.5.9 e)."

After a lengthy investigation, the governing body confirmed that the British and the Australian driver have been disqualified from the 50-lap Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Reflecting on McLaren's shock result at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, team boss Andrea Stella stressed that the Woking-based outfit did not attempt to circumvent the regulations, but it was simply caught out by the lack of running across the practice sessions which meant that the engineers could not assess the optimal ride height.

"Following the Las Vegas Grand Prix, we were found in breach of Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations, which requires a minimum of 9mm skid thickness. Car 4 was found in breach by a maximum of 0.12mm of the rearmost skid and Car 81 by a maximum of 0.26mm of the rearmost skid.

"During the race, both cars experienced unexpected, high levels of porpoising not seen in the Practice sessions, which led to excessive contact with the ground. We are investigating the reasons for this behaviour of the car, including the effect of accidental damage sustained by both cars, which we found after the race, and that led to an increase of movement of the floor.

"As the FIA noted, the breach was unintentional, there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations, and mitigating circumstances also existed.

"We apologise to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at a critical time in their Championship campaigns after two strong performances from them all weekend. As a team, we also apologise to our partners and fans, whose support means so much.

"While this outcome is extremely disappointing, we remain fully focused on the last two races of the season," concluded the Italian.

- Balazs Szabo

F1: LANDO NORRIS AND OSCAR PIASTRI DISQUALIFIED FROM LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX

File photo. McLaren F1 drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Photo: MPS AGENCY PHOTOSPORT

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the Las Vegas Grand Prix and roared back into the Formula 1 title battle after the shock disqualification of McLaren's championship leader Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri.

Norris, who started on pole and finished second, and fourth-placed Piastri were ruled out for excessive skid plank wear hours after the race had ended and the podium champagne been sprayed.

The development left Britain's Norris 24 points clear of four-times world champion Verstappen and Australian Piastri, now tied, with two rounds to go in Qatar and Abu Dhabi and 58 points available.

Stewards ruled out the McLaren drivers after a post-race FIA inspection found the thickness of the plank assembly was below the permitted minimum.

The FIA said it strongly believed the breach was unintentional and there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the rules.

"It's frustrating to lose so many points," said Norris in a team statement.

"As a team, we're always pushing to find as much performance as we can, and we clearly didn't get that balance right today. Nothing I can do will change that now, instead full focus switches to Qatar, where we'll aim to go out and deliver the best possible performance in every session."

George Russell, last year's winner of the floodlit race and like Norris making his 150th start, moved up to second with teammate Kimi Antonelli third after starting 17th on an excellent afternoon for the Italian rookie.

Max Verstappen. Photo: Photosport

'Need a bit of luck'

Antonelli was fourth at the flag but had dropped to fifth after a five-second penalty was applied for a jumped start.

Norris, who finished 20.741 seconds behind Verstappen, can still wrap things up in Qatar next weekend but the reigning champion is within striking distance again and can sniff the chance of a fifth title in a row.

"It depends a lot on how our car will perform in Qatar and Abu Dhabi," Verstappen said before McLaren were disqualified. "Abu Dhabi is a very good McLaren track, but we'll see.

"It (the gap) is also not something that will be easily overturned. We need a bit of luck for that, but we can still win races and we'll try."

McLaren have already clinched the constructors' crown for the second year in a row.

It was the 69th win of Verstappen's career and his sixth of the season, as well as his 125th podium and eighth in a row in the 150th grand prix of Red Bull's partnership with Honda.

Lando Norris during the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Photo: Getty Images via AFP / Alex Bierens de Haan

Norris lost the lead to Verstappen at the start, dropping to third when he ran wide at the first corner and opened the door for the Dutch driver and Russell.

He retook second from Russell on the 34th of 50 laps but then had to manage fuel to the finish.

"I let Max have a win," he joked after being driven to the podium with Norris and Russell in a LEGO pink Cadillac convertible driven by actor Terry Crews as fireworks lit up the sky over the Strip.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc moved up to fourth in the adjusted results with Williams' Carlos Sainz fifth.

Isack Hadjar was sixth for Racing Bulls and Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton seventh and eighth while Haas pair Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman completed the top 10.

30 LAWSON Liam (nzl), Visa Cash App RB F1 Team VCARB02, action during the 2025 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Photo: Joao Filipe/Photosport

Piastri dropped from fifth to seventh on the opening lap after contact with Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson, who plunged to last with a badly damaged car.

Lawson now officially finishes 14th.

Verstappen was 20 seconds clear of the field by lap 23 and pitted at the halfway point, rejoining in the lead after Russell and Norris had switched already to the hard tyre.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll was taken out by Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto at the start when the Brazilian rookie dived aggressively into the first corner and ran out of road, with both retiring.

Bortoleto was given a five place grid penalty for Qatar.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly was also a spinner at the start and the virtual safety car was triggered on the second lap for marshals to retrieve debris between turns one and four.

The VSC was deployed again on lap 16 for more debris on track after Williams' Alex Albon and Hamilton collided, with the latter racing from 19th and last on the grid to 13th on the opening lap.

Albon, whose team lost radio contact with the car from the start, was handed a five-second penalty for causing the collision and also reprimanded for a starting procedure infringement.

-Reuters

FORMULA 1 CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS | LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX 2025

 

ONLY 83 POINTS UP FOR GRABS | FORMULA 1

 

TIMO GLOCK TELLS LANDO NORRIS AND OSCAR PIASTRI THE 'TEO' TEASONS WHY MAX VERSTAPPEN WILL WIN TITLE

Max Verstappen can win the F1 drivers’ championship for a fifth season in a row if the Red Bull star overturns his 36 and 35-point deficits to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Only Michael Schumacher has ever won the F1 drivers’ championship five years on the spin, having won the title each term with Ferrari from 2000 to 2004. Verstappen can now join the iconic German in the record books, having won the title each year with Red Bull since 2021.

Verstappen currently sits third in the standings with four rounds of the 2025 F1 season now remaining. But the 28-year-old reduced his deficit to first place during each of the past five rounds, having outscored Piastri in all five and only dropped points to Norris in Mexico City.

Red Bull star Verstappen had trailed Piastri by as much as 104 points following the McLaren man’s victory in the Dutch Grand Prix during round 15/24 in August. But the Dutchman won in Italy, Azerbaijan and the United States, plus he secured P2 in Singapore and P3 in Mexico.

Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

Timo Glock backs Max Verstappen’s mental strength and ability in ‘all conditions’ to win him the 2025 F1 title

Verstappen utilised Red Bull’s floor upgrade to win the Italian Grand Prix in round 16, and he has continued to benefit from his team’s subsequent front wing updates and revisions to the floor. McLaren stopped bringing updates a while ago to focus fully on F1’s 2026 regulations.

Now, with 116 points on offer over the Grands Prix in Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, plus the F1 Sprint events in Sao Paulo and Lusail, Timo Glock feels the title is Verstappen’s to lose. Verstappen is mentally stronger and better than Norris and Piastri in any circumstance.

Glock has told Sky Germany: “My tip for the drivers’ championship is Max Verstappen. Why? Because he is the strongest mentally and in all conditions.”

Ralf Schumacher also feels Verstappen may go on to deny Norris and Piastri the title, but he is less certain about the Red Bull ace’s chances. The former Williams man feels there will be a clearer picture of the title fight following the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and the Sprint in Brazil.

“It’s harder than ever to predict,” Schumacher said. “I think Brazil could be decisive. If Max can strike back there, then it will be incredibly exciting. I almost don’t dare say anything right now. Norris is in really good form, but Verstappen is waiting for his opportunity.”

Max Verstappen cannot win the 2025 F1 drivers’ title without Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri hitting trouble

While Verstappen may have Glock’s support, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc expects Norris or Piastri to win the 2025 F1 title. Leclerc had previously backed Piastri to win the title, but he is less convinced that the 24-year-old Australian will deny the 25-year-old Briton the crown.

Verstappen could need a lot to go in his favour to win the title this term, despite having now outscored Piastri by 69 points and Norris by 34 over the past five rounds. Norris can win the 2025 F1 drivers’ title if he finishes second to Verstappen in every remaining race this season.

Were Verstappen to win all four of the final Grands Prix and the two remaining Sprints, with Norris finishing second each time, the Red Bull racer would only reduce his current 36-point deficit to the McLaren ace to six points. Norris would win the title with 443 points over 437.

Similarly, Piastri can win the title by finishing second to Verstappen in each of the remaining Grands Prix and Sprints, to end the year on 442 points. So, Verstappen may need Norris and Piastri to take points out of each other, or for another driver to get involved, to win the title.

- Kyle Archer

ECCLESTONE CLAIMS PIASTRI 'UPSET AND TIRED' WITH MCLAREN

Bernie Ecclestone believes Oscar Piastri has grown increasingly frustrated within McLaren, claiming the Australian is “upset and tired” as he battles teammate Lando Norris for the Formula 1 drivers' championship.

Bernie Ecclestone believes McLaren wants Lando Norris to win the Championship due to better marketability. Image: XPB Images

With four races remaining, Norris leads Piastri by just a single point in the standings after overturning a deficit of more than 30 points since the summer break.

Ecclestone, the former F1 boss, has suggested that growing internal tensions — and possible favouritism — are weighing on the 24-year-old.

“You can tell Piastri is upset and tired of them, and the discussions about them are getting on his nerves,” Ecclestone told sport.de.

“The pressure is constantly increasing, and Piastri is frustrated that he can no longer win races so easily and that Norris is clearly being favoured within the team.”

The 95-year-old said it “looks” as though McLaren have favoured Norris in the second half of the season, despite Piastri appearing “clearly faster” earlier in the year.

Ecclestone claimed the team had “more often slowed down the Australian using various methods”, though he did not provide specific examples.

Earlier in the season, Ecclestone had backed Piastri to win the championship, but now believed “something’s holding him back.”

“When the season started, I thought our Australian driver would be world champion,” he said.

“I thought he would win easily but something’s holding him back. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know if it’s McLaren holding him back or what.

“There was a bit of a problem inside the team I understand where it looked very much they were favouring the British driver.”

Ecclestone added that he believed part of the team’s preference stemmed from Norris’ stronger public profile.

“McLaren prefers the English driver Norris,” he said.

“He has more star power and marketing qualities for them, more camera presence and public exposure.

“That’s why it’s probably better for McLaren.”

Ecclestone also suggested that Norris’ comfort in the spotlight also played a role in McLaren’s preference.

“I think he would fall into the star quality more,” he said.

“He likes the TV, he likes the camera, he likes whatever. I suspect the journalists [like him].

“I suppose that’s better for McLaren.”

Despite McLaren’s recent success, Ecclestone still tipped Max Verstappen to snatch the title away from both.

“I think Max will win and do it again!” he said.

“He has that special something, that extraordinary quality. And the next race is Brazil — the weather is changeable, with rain too. Verstappen will do well there.

“Verstappen is special, the best racer, not a politician, but a real racing driver.”

- Ben Waterworth

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

MAX VERSTAPPEN TERRORISING THE MCLAREN DUO 👻 | 🎃

 

F1 CHAMPION MAKES CRUCIAL ASSESSMENT OF MAX VERSTAPPEN AS PRE

© Red Bull Content Pool

Max Verstappen has been declared "relaxed" and with "nothing to lose" in his F1 drivers' championship battle with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

From a position where even Verstappen was suggesting he was not in contention to become a five-time F1 champion, a stirring run of results have propelled the Red Bull driver back into the fight with Piastri and Norris.

In the five grands prix since F1 returned from the summer break, Verstappen has scored three wins and finished second on the other two occasions, whilst he also triumphed in Saturday's United States Sprint.

The addition of a new floor and front wing on his RB21 over the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix respectively have transformed his RB21, providing it with the aerodynamic grip and balance it was so previously sorely lacking.

Heading into this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix, Verstappen trails Piastri by just 40 points, eating into what was once a 104-point deficit just four races ago.

Damon Hill, the 1996 F1 champion, senses Verstappen's approach to the second half of this campaign has been the key danger to Piastri and Norris.

"He's relaxed," said Hill, speaking to RacingNews365. "He's got nothing to lose. Don't misinterpret that. He wants another world title. Then he's got five.

"This is a game of winning the most, but he's not under the same pressure as the other two."

Whilst Red Bull has continued to upgrade the RB21, McLaren switched off the development of its MCL39 a few races ago.

Despite the precarious position it now finds itself in, with Verstappen breathing down the necks of Piastri and Norris, team principal Andrea Stella has insisted there is no change of mind given the focus and resources required for 2026.

Teams have been forced to balance their needs accordingly. Red Bull has clearly had the means and opportunity to continue with updates to its car, in contrast to McLaren.

"The budget cap has done its job," said Hill. "It's actually closed things up towards the end of the season. In a way, it's a good regulation. It's what we want."

As to whom he would put his money on for the title now given what has happened, Hill said: "What are the odds? I'd put it on Max, wouldn't I, because the odds are going to be ridiculous.

"If you ask me, who's going to win, I don't know. I would just say, if you're talking about who's the biggest threat, it's Max."

- Ian Parkes

FORMULA 1 DRIVERS IN CONTENTION