FIVE CONTENDERS TO REPLACE ESTEBAN OCON AT HAAS FOR F1 2027

There is now a seat open at Haas alongside Oliver Bearman in F1 next year

Esteban Ocon, Haas
Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

The news is finally out that Esteban Ocon will leave Haas at the end of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign following a disappointing time with the American outfit.

He joined for 2025 and considering his then eight seasons of experience, including four podiums and a victory in Hungary, Ocon was viewed as a real coup for Haas.

The Frenchman became its first grand prix-winning driver and, lining up alongside rookie Oliver Bearman, Ocon was in the perfect place to lead that team forward into the new regulations.

But it just hasn’t worked out. Scoring just 45 points to Bearman’s 61 in their 18 months together, while being consistently outperformed by the 21-year-old, has led to this news that was long expected.

Ocon’s replacement is yet to be confirmed though, so who are five drivers that could serve as Bearman’s team-mate at Haas in 2027?

Leonardo Fornaroli

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Leonardo Fornaroli is one of two clear favourites for the second Haas seat in 2027. The 21-year-old Italian is yet another Formula 2 graduate to have been forced to sit on the sidelines for an F1 team immediately after a title-winning campaign, having served as McLaren’s test driver in 2026.

But Fornaroli has certainly shined at the British marque with his development work behind the scenes, while also appearing in free practice sessions at Barcelona and Budapest - impressing at the former, taking fifth and just half a second off Oscar Piastri.

“It’s a very deserved opportunity,” beamed McLaren team boss Andrea Stella in Spain. “We have worked with Leonardo for some months now. We have appreciated massively his attitude as a person and as a driver.

“He is actually a very interesting character. He looks timid, but by far he is the most proactive driver in asking the engineers, he goes around with his notebook, takes several notes and as soon as he has an idea, he shares it.”

So Fornaroli is definitely viewed as one to watch within the paddock and should an F1 opportunity not arise for him, there’ll definitely be chances for McLaren to place him within either its IndyCar or World Endurance Championship projects.

But F1 is still the goal, and understandably so after being part of an exclusive club to have won the F3 and F2 crowns back-to-back. In F3 he achieved the title despite not winning a race, but instead focused on consistency - an incredibly hard thing to accomplish in the junior categories - before carrying that over into F2 last season.

“Leonardo is certainly an asset for Formula 1 in the future,” said Stella. And that might just be where Haas fits into the equation, particularly as Fornaroli completed a two-day TPC programme for the squad at Jerez in June.

Whatever happens, McLaren is keen to retain control over the Italian, unlike former junior driver Gabriel Bortoleto who was cut loose to join Audi, making Fornaroli available to Haas on a loan deal if the team wants to take up the offer.

Ryo Hirakawa

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Arguably the most straightforward option would be for Haas to promote its reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa into a full-time seat. The 32-year-old joined the operation in 2025 - following stints with McLaren and Alpine - thanks to his strong ties with Toyota, who is a current partner and title sponsor of Haas, providing design, technical and manufacturing services.

Against popular belief, Hirakawa also has plenty of single-seater experience with four wins and a runner-up championship finish during nine seasons of Super Formula in his native Japan. He has also conducted various TPC programmes for Haas, won the 2012 Japanese Formula 3 Championship and did three seasons of Formula Challenge Japan.

But hardly any of that is at an international level and there can be no denying that the sportscar scene is his bread and butter, having taken the 2017 Super GT title, a victory at Le Mans and the 2022 and 2023 WEC crowns, while also currently leading the 2026 standings with Toyota.

So it would still be a left-field option and with him two years old than Ocon, promoting Hirakawa might be seen as a strange choice by Haas. But he has nonetheless impressed the team and should he depart WEC, it is understood that Toyota would sign its junior Esteban Masson - not the other Esteban in Esteban Ocon!  

Yuki Tsunoda

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Hirakawa is not the only Japanese driver that Haas could be considering, as Yuki Tsunoda is desperately trying to find a seat for the 2027 F1 campaign. The 26-year-old was once considered part of the furniture after four seasons at Team Faenza - under its various guises - where to his credit, he did a solid job, having outperformed team-mates like Daniel Ricciardo and Nyck de Vries.

The only issue was that Red Bull’s sister team is not a long-term home for anybody and so either a promotion to the main squad or looking elsewhere were his only options. Ultimately, Tsunoda got that promotion at the start of 2025 - thanks to Liam Lawson performing poorly - but he became another driver to struggle alongside Max Verstappen by finishing 17th in last year’s standings compared to second for the world champion.

So Tsunoda was dropped and forced into a reserve driver role at Red Bull for 2026, with Isack Hadjar taking his seat and performing valiantly alongside Verstappen. It looked as though Tsunoda’s F1 career was therefore done and talks about an IndyCar move emerged, until he was recently given one final opportunity to put himself in the shopping window.

That came after an injury for Hadjar, so Lawson took his seat at Red Bull while Tsunoda filled the void at Racing Bulls for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish grands prix. The Japanese driver performed well, taking a point at Monza and narrowly missing out at Zandvoort, so he looked like a version of his former self and was no doubt pleased by his performances. 

“I’m super happy, I enjoyed this qualifying so much,” said Tsunoda after taking 12th on Saturday at Zandvoort. “I missed this kind of feeling, chasing the last few milliseconds. I was able to get used to it faster than I expected.”

The following day saw the man of 114 grand prix starts make a desperate plea for F1 teams to “call me”, with his options for 2027 still up in the air. Although on paper Haas may be an option, Tsunoda is still affiliated with Toyota rival Honda and that is likely to be something which holds him back on this occasion.  

Is it worth switching allegiances, which would have long-term career consequences, for what may just be a single season of Haas?  Although Honda got him into F1, ironically it might just be what stops him from returning full-time.

Liam Lawson

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One could just list all the Red Bull graduates at this point, but Lawson is arguably at a weird crossroads in his career. The 24-year-old made his F1 debut for Team Faenza in 2023, replacing the injured Ricciardo, immediately impressed, but then didn’t return until the final eight rounds of 2024 before starting his first, full campaign in 2025.

The problem is, 2025 saw him start the opening two grands prix at Red Bull but he was completely off the pace, so got moved back down to the sister squad where he has been ever since. History dictates that, unless it’s exceptional circumstances like what happened recently, Red Bull never re-promotes one of its drivers which means that Lawson’s options are Racing Bulls or elsewhere.

What makes it tricky is that, while F1 is now seeing the best of the Kiwi who is ninth in the standings with a career-best 59 points, Racing Bulls is the leader of the midfield. Yet it is a squad that nobody wants to stay at, so if he were to leave for Haas, he’d be going down the pecking order.

But with Nikola Tsolov - second in the F2 standings - waiting in the wings, with Lawson’s team-mate being the impressive teenage rookie Arvid Lindblad, Red Bull has a decision to make. It is likely that Lawson will remain for 2027 before analysing what his options are, but he could jump the gun and decide that replacing Ocon at Haas is his best bet for the long term.

Rafael Camara

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Despite everything that’s been mentioned, it’s hard not to see Ocon’s replacement being the current F2 leader Rafael Camara. The 21-year-old has recently emerged as the clear favourite for that seat - and it’s easy to see why, with the Brazilian atop of the F2 standings, following up his F3 title-winning campaign in fine fashion.

And unlike Fornaroli, Camara also took the F3 title in his rookie season while the Italian did it as a sophomore, finishing 11th the season prior. So on raw talent, Camara arguably edges it, having won titles at every level and in 2026 he looks set to make it three on the bounce after taking the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship.

This has very much been a breakthrough year for him though and qualifying is where he’s impressed the most, taking five poles, which is the most for a rookie since Piastri achieved that same amount in 2021. Camara could therefore surpass the now nine-time grand prix winner with two rounds left - Qatar and Abu Dhabi - in the current season where, should they go ahead amid the Middle Eastern conflict, the Invicta driver will arrive with a seven-point cushion over Tsolov.

Camara has shown immense capabilities to adapt to a new category right away - in F3 he took pole in four of the opening five rounds - and that is obviously something that’s needed for F1, particularly when he’s yet to appear in a practice outing.

What also gives him the edge over Fornaroli is that the Brazilian is an academy graduate of Ferrari - Haas’ current engine supplier - likewise with Bearman - and Ferrari is known to be keen for Camara to slot in alongside its other junior. The youngster is also understood to have impressed mightily on a recent TPC test in Portimao.

- Ed Hardy

ISACK HADJAR COULD MISS DUTCH GP WITH LIAM LAWSON IN LINE FOR SHOCK RED BULL F1 RETURN

Isack Hadjar will reportedly miss this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix due to injury.

Hadjar picked up a wrist injury over F1's summer break

Isack Hadjar has reportedly been ruled out of the Dutch Grand Prix because of injury, opening the door for a surprise Red Bull Formula 1 return for Liam Lawson. 

Dutch publication De Telegraaf claims Hadjar suffered a wrist injury during a gym session over F1’s summer break that is likely to result in him missing this weekend’s race at Zandvoort. The report notes that a final decision has not yet been made by Red Bull. 

Should Hadjar indeed be sidelined, Lawson has been tipped to replace him and complete a shock return to the Red Bull senior team alongside Max Verstappen for the weekend.

Lawson is set to return to Red Bull for one weekend

Lawson was brutally demoted from Red Bull back to sister team Racing Bulls just two races into the 2025 season, having been brought in to take Sergio Perez’s place over the winter. 

If Hadjar cannot participate, it would also provide Yuki Tsunoda with an unexpected F1 reprieve. The Japanese driver, who acts as Red Bull’s reserve driver, would fill in for Lawson at Racing Bulls at Zandvoort. 

Tsunoda, who stepped up to replace Lawson early in 2025, has been out of F1 since making way for Hadjar at the end of last season, having become the latest victim of Red Bull’s ruthless driver shuffles. 

Ironically, Zandvoort was where Lawson made his F1 debut when he was drafted as a last-minute substitute after Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand in a practice crash ahead of the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix. 

It was also the scene of Hajdar’s maiden F1 podium finish during an impressive rookie campaign that led to the Frenchman ultimately earning the top drive at Red Bull this year. 

Missing this weekend would give Hadjar two weeks to recover before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 6 September. 

- Lewis Larkam

FROM KIDS TO FORMULA 1 KINGS 🤴

F1 - LECLERC TOPS OPENING PRACTICE IN LAS VEGAS AHEAD OF ALBON AND TSUNODA

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc went quickest in the opening practice session for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix with Williams' Alex Albon in second place ahead of Red Bull Racing's Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen. Championship leader Lando Norris was sixth with title rival McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastrin P8. 

On a dusty, dirty track surface Isack Hadjar was the first to post a time with the French driver crossing the line in a conservative 1:46.042. His Racing Bulls team-mate Liam Lawson was also on track and the New Zealander was soon on the radio to tell his pit wall that the ‘green’ track was “so slippery”.

Williams’ Carlos Sainz took over at the top of the order thanks to a Medium-tyres time of 1:41.164. He was soon dislodged by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and then by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who posted a time of 1:39.733 to move up to P1. 

Hadjar then returned to the top of the timesheet with a lap of 1:39.415 before being dislodged by Sainz who went six hundredths of a second quicker. The Racing Bulls driver responded, however, and once again made his way to P1 with a lap of 1:38.753.

With grip improving steadily, the lap times continued to drop and after Gasly, Sainz, Leclerc and Hadjar all cycled through top spot Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg then dropped the benchmark to 1:37.370, on the Hard tyre.

It was then the turn of Red Bull Racing’s Yuki Tsunoda who posted a lap of 1:37.094 but the Japanese driver was ousted by title contending team-mate Max Verstappen who took top spot with a lap of 1:36.493 before working his way down to 1:35.776, but attention was focused on championship leader Lando Norris who clipped a barrier with his right rear wheel. The Briton was able to continue, however. 

With the halfway mark in sight the field began to move to performance runs on Soft tyres. With the red-banded tyres on board his Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton immediately jumped to P1 with a lap of 1:35.561. However, he was quickly ousted by Leclerc who hit the top with a lap of 1:35.281, which he then lowered to 1:35.121. 

Verstappen had also bolted on a set of Softs and the four-time champion made his way back to P1 with a time of 1:35.109. However, he was once again pushed back by team-mate Tsunoda who posted a lap of 1:35.071. 

There was no denying Leclerc, however, and he moved back to the top for the final time in the session with a lap of 1:34.802.

Williams’ Alex Albon delivered a late lap of 1:34.968 to rise above Tsunoda who ended the session in in P3, 0.269s off Leclerc, while Verstappen finished fourth ahead of Sainz. 

Norris initially failed to post a clean lap on the Softs but he eventually logged a lap of 1:35.258 to finish in sixth place, almost half a second off Leclerc. 

Isack Hadjar took seventh for Racing Bulls ahead of title contender Oscar Piastri, while Mercedes’ George Russell took ninth ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli. 

2025 FIA Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:34.802 29 235.476

2 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:34.968 0.166 23 235.064

3 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:35.071 0.269 27 234.809

4 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:35.109 0.307 24 234.715

5 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:35.179 0.377 31 234.543

6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:35.258 0.456 25 234.348

7 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:35.299 0.497 30 234.247

8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:35.450 0.648 27 233.877

9 George Russell Mercedes 1:35.534 0.732 25 233.671

10 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:35.538 0.736 30 233.661

11 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:35.561 0.759 26 233.605

12 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:35.589 0.787 26 233.537

13 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:35.709 0.907 28 233.244

14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:35.746 0.944 23 233.154

15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:35.894 1.092 25 232.794

16 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:35.990 1.188 28 232.561

17 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:36.123 1.321 30 232.239

18 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:36.170 1.368 25 232.126

19 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:36.398 1.596 25 231.577

20 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 1:36.758 1.956 28 230.71

 - FIA

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

FORMULA 1 DRIVERS CARE | AFTER YUKI TSUNODA'S CRASH

 

RED BULL CONFIRM MAX VERSTAPPEN TEAM- MATE FOR REST OF 2025

XPB

Helmut Marko has stated Yuki Tsunoda will remain alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull until the end of the F1 season.

The Japanese driver assumed the seat from Liam Lawson for his home grand prix at Suzuka. Whilst it was not the debut weekend the 24-year-old would have hoped for, Marko has confirmed the Milton Keynes squad will not make further changes this term.

Verstappen scored an improbable victory, built upon the foundation of a superb pole-securing qualifying lap, but Tsunoda's Q2 elimination left him powerless to prevent finishing point-less in P12.

However, he was significantly closer to the Dutchman through practice than Lawson could manage in Australia and China.

According to Marko, Tsunoda wanting a similar set-up approach to Verstappen means the latest Red Bull driver pairing fits better.

"Yuki is actually happy with Max's set-up. They have the same preferences, so it fits well together," Marko said to Austrian broadcaster ORF.

"Of course, it is important for us to have two cars in the points," he added, addressing Tsunoda's underwhelming output for the weekend.

However, the Austrian was also quick to highlight how well he fared up to qualifying, despite the lack of preparation afforded him.

"The first race went fairly smoothly. He was always two-to-three tenths behind Max in practice and qualifying until he was eliminated," the 81-year-old said.

"That's quite an achievement when you don't get more time," before concluding, "Yuki will finish the season at Red Bull."

- Samuel Coop

HONDA WILL NOT 'INTERFERE' WITH YUKI TSUNODA'S F1 CAREER AMID RED BULL MOVE

Getty Images: Mark Thompson 

The president of the Honda Racing Corporation has said it will not “interfere” with Yuki Tsunoda’s Formula 1 career after his recent promotion to Red Bull.

Tsunoda has been the centre of attention for the last week, having finally earned a promotion from Red Bull’s junior team in a switch which sees Liam Lawson swapped after only two Grand Prix weekends.

The Japanese driver, who is now in his fifth season of F1, had been overlooked for the seat alongside Max Verstappen, suggesting that a move away from the Red Bull programme might be beneficial to his career.

Some speculation had previously tipped him to move to Aston Martin, which is about to begin a powertrain partnership with Honda, but its president, Koji Watanabe, has intimated that it will not make moves to lure the 24-year-old away.

“Our partnership with Red Bull will conclude this year, so we have no leverage to pressure Red Bull regarding 2026,” he said. “He earned his promotion to Red Bull based on his performance, so he must continue proving himself to remain there in the coming years.

“The most important thing is his own will – since he wants to continue with Red Bull, we have no reason to interfere.”

No ‘special actions’ taken by Honda to secure Tsunoda’s Red Bull move

Last week, Watanabe said he was “delighted” by Tsuonda’s move to Red Bull, and with confirmation he is still in a “sponsorship agreement” with Honda, which still shares a relationship with Red Bull, in as much as that its V6 hybrid engines are still powering the Milton Keynes squad’s car, albeit developed and rebadged under the Red Bull Powertrains name.

It was also reported by Dutch newspaper De Limburger that Honda was prepared to pay Red Bull millions to ensure Tsunoda would replace Lawson, after the Kiwi endured a torrid opening two Grands Prix with the team.

However, Watanabe has tried to quell such a notion was accurate, saying that whilst its relationship with the Red Bull hierarchy remains strong, it did not hold or use any influence.

“We don’t know when or how Red Bull will make [a given] decision, so we always communicate that they should choose the best driver,” he said. “I have very good communication with Christian Horner, and we constantly discuss not just driver personnel matters but also trackside support structures.

“This time, we did not take any special actions.”

Tsunoda will fittingly make his first race appearance for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix – his home race – at Suzuka, a track operated by Honda, in a special livery commemorating Honda’s involvement in F1.

- Jack Oliver Smith

BREAKING: RED BULL TO SWAP TSUNODA FOR HADJAR AT FIRST JAPANESE GP PIT STOP

Management to discuss new strategy of punishing underperformance by rotating drivers in the race

Here’s TopGear.com’s roving correspondent, Cory Spondent, with his mostly incorrect exclusives from the world of motoring

Red Bull is considering swapping out Yuki Tsunoda with Isack Hadjar at the first pit stop at this weekend’s Japanese GP if he does not perform as expected, insiders have revealed.

Following Liam Lawson’s difficult start to the season and subsequent demotion back to the junior outfit after just two races, Yuki Tsunoda will be given a small window of opportunity to prove his worth alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

However, should Tsunoda’s pace disappoint, Hadjar will be parachuted in at the first round of pit stops and given five laps to respond with lightning pace

“This is all part of a reasonable, structured and sensible plan to develop our junior drivers,” an insider said. “Nothing can better depict Formula One’s cutthroat approach than by swapping out a promising, contracted driver mid-way through the race and crushing his spirit.

“What do they want, half a season to get to grips with an unwieldy, recalcitrant and unbalanced car designed around the genius of one generational talent? Think of all the promising F2 careers we could have churned through by the summer break.

“No. The second Red Bull seat is hungry. It needs feeding. We must throw it fresh meat at every race,” the insider added, while laughing nervously and backing away slowly.

Should Hadjar also fail to compete with Verstappen’s pace, team bosses will simply go through racers in every Formula past and present up to and including ageing British Touring Car champions.

“Second Red Bull seat scary, you say? I’ve swapped paint with a Vauxhall Cavalier on its doorhandles and lived through the Nineties, mate. Nothing scares me,” a retired BTCC champion remarked.

- Cory Spondent

FORMULA ONE: YUKI TSUNODA TARGETS PODIUM FINISH IN JAPAN. AFTER

Yuki Tsunoda has targeted a podium finish at his home Japanese Grand Prix this weekend after his “unreal” promotion to the Red Bull team in place of the axed Liam Lawson.

Tsunoda will race alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen after Red Bull ruthlessly pulled the plug on underperforming New Zealander Lawson last week, just two races into the F1 season.

Tsunoda said it felt “unreal” to be driving for one of the top teams on the grid and set his sights on making an instant impact in front of the Japanese fans at Suzuka.

Tsunoda steps up from Red Bull’s junior team Racing Bulls (RB), with Lawson moving back down to RB, where he was last season.

Tsunoda said he did not expect to be racing for the team in Japan, after being passed over for Lawson when Mexico’s Sergio Perez left Red Bull at the end of last season.

“It has all fallen into place and now I’m standing here, and that’s thanks to the support of everyone.”

Tsunoda has never finished on the podium in four full seasons in F1 but he has shown pace on both race weekends this year.

He was 12th in the season opener at Melbourne and only finished out of the points at Shanghai because of RB’s flawed two-stop pit strategy.

Tsunoda urged Japanese fans to get behind him at Suzuka for his Red Bull grand prix debut.

“The thing that I’m looking forward to most is that there couldn’t be a more pressurised, challenging situation than this,” he said.

“It’s also my debut, so with all these things added up I think it’s going to be an unbelievably exciting race.”

Lawson was knocked out at the first stage of all three qualifying sessions this season and has yet to score a point.

The New Zealander struggled to control the Red Bull but Tsunoda said he “didn’t think it was that challenging a car to drive” after two days on a simulator.

“Everyone says the car is very responsive and I got that impression too, but it didn’t seem to act in a strange, tricky manner.”

- AFP

RED BULL 'NEVER CONSIDERED' DANIEL RICCIARDO APPROACH TO REPLACE LIAM LAWSON

Getty 

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is adamant that the team “never considered” approaching Daniel Ricciardo about a possible Formula 1 return to replace Liam Lawson

Earlier this week, Red Bull announced that Lawson’s stint with the senior team had been cut short two rounds into 2025 amid a disastrous beginning to the campaign.

Lawson’s demotion has seen Yuki Tsunoda become the fifth driver to partner Max Verstappen since 2019 in a spot that has become renowned as a poisoned chalice.

Red Bull’s strive to resolve the team’s ongoing second driver conundrum had even extended to granting Ricciardo a reprieve with the group’s sister squad in mid-2023.

However, the Australian was unable to produce the results to inspire a dream avenue back to Red Bull, prompting him to be dropped with six rounds to go last season.

But with Ricciardo remaining the most competitive team-mate Verstappen has had, Marko was asked whether Red Bull had contemplated getting in contact with him.

“No, that was never considered,” Marko, who allegedly wanted to curtail Ricciardo’s comeback with Racing Bulls even earlier in 2024, retorted to Motorsport.com.

“Daniel had his last race and has since completely distanced himself from Formula 1.

“He was briefly in Australia [for the Grand Prix], yes, but I think he left again on Thursday. It was never a topic.”

Ricciardo indicated F1 career was done

Ricciardo had indicated once the curtain came down on his last race in Singapore that his failure to reunite with Verstappen at Red Bull had spelt an end to his career.

“I think [I] acknowledge also why I came back into the sport, sometimes you see the big picture,” Ricciardo told media including Motorsport Week at the time.

“I always said I don’t want to be a guy who’s just here on the grid and fighting for a point every now and then which has kinda been how this year’s gone.

“Obviously this year the purpose was to try and do good enough to get back into Red Bull and fight for wins again, see if I’ve still got it.

“I felt like I came up short with that, so I think it’s then, ‘ok what else am I fighting for here, what else is going to give me fulfilment’.

“I’ve been a young driver as well and at some point I don’t just want to take up space also, obviously you have to be selfish.

“But for me if I’m not able to fight at the front with Red Bull I have to ask myself what am I staying on the grid for, that’s something I’ve also come to peace with.”

- Taylor Powling

YUKI TSUNODA IS OFFICIALLY WITH TEAN RED BULL RACING 🏎️

TESTING DAY 1 | PM SESSION | FINAL CLASSIFICATION

 

YUKI TSUNODA: CHRISTIAN HORNER HINTS AT RED BULL EXIT AFTER 2025

Yuki Tsunoda will represent experience and continuity at Racing Bulls next year but, passed over for promotion, the Japanese looks to be running out of road at the Red Bull-owned Formula 1 team.

A flurry of Red Bull announcements culminated on Friday with 20-year-old Isack Hadjar confirmed as Tsunoda's teammate.

The Frenchman takes the seat vacated by New Zealander Liam Lawson, who joins four times champion Max Verstappen at the main team after Mexican Sergio Pérez was dropped.

Tsunoda, 24, will be starting his fifth year with the team previously known as AlphaTauri and RB and has close ties to Red Bull's engine partners Honda.

The Japanese manufacturer is leaving Red Bull at the end of 2025, however, to work with Aston Martin.

"We're acutely aware that if we're not able to provide an opportunity for Yuki [at Red Bull] in all honesty this year, does it [keeping him on] make sense?," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told reporters.

"You can't have a driver in the support team for five years. You can't always be the bridesmaid. You've either got to let them go at that point or look at something different."

Horner said he had spoken with Tsunoda, a fan favourite currently enjoying time off in Japan, and the driver was determined to show what he could do.

"I think he's very determined. He knows that things change very quickly," the Briton said. "Who would have thought nine months ago that we'd be sitting here talking about Liam Lawson being our driver for 2025?

Yuki Tsunoda missed out on a drive with Red Bull in 2025. Mark Thompson/Getty Images

"Things change quickly in this industry and he's aware of that and he knows that he needs to be the one demonstrating that he's the one knocking on the door."

Italy-based Racing Bulls, who have had several name changes after Red Bull bought Minardi in 2005 and renamed them Toro Rosso, have always been a feeder for the title-winning main Milton Keynes team.

Drivers to have come through their ranks include four times world champions Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen as well as race winners Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz.

Hadjar is one of a group of young prospects coming into the sport and Red Bull also have Arvid Lindblad as an exciting talent on the horizon.

Horner rates the 17-year-old, who has both British and Swedish nationality, particularly highly after a strong rookie season in Formula 3 including a Silverstone double win.

Currently without a super-licence, Lindblad will be seeking the necessary points in New Zealand early next year before a full F2 season that could set him up for promotion in 2026 at Tsunoda's expense.

- Reuters 

LAS VEGAS GP: YUKI TSUNODA INTERROGATED IN HIS PAJAMAS ON U.S. ARRIVAL

Yuki Tsunoda was questioned by U.S. border officials on arrival in Las Vegas. Clive Mason/Getty Images

Japanese Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda said he was interrogated in his pajamas for several hours by U.S. border control officials before being let into the country for Saturday's Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The racer for Red Bull-owned RB told reporters on Wednesday he had no issues on his two previous visits this year for races in Austin and Miami.

"Luckily, they let me in after a couple of discussions," he said. "Well, a lot of discussions, actually ... I nearly got sent back home."

Tsunoda said he had been travelling with his physio but had to go through immigration on his own and was then taken to a room for questioning despite having the correct paperwork.

The Las Vegas race comes after a three-week break following a round in Brazil and Tsunoda had flown in ahead of the team for a promotional event.

"I was wearing pajamas, so maybe I didn't look like an F1 driver," added the 24-year-old.

- Reuters 

YOUNGEST DRIVERS | 2025 F1 SEASON

 

DANIEL RICCIARDO FIRES BACK AT JACQUES VILLENEUVE'S CRITICISM

Fifth is Daniel Ricciardo's best qualifying position so far this year. Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

 MONTREAL, Canada -- After securing fifth on the grid for Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix, RB driver Daniel Ricciardo hit back at criticism levelled by 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve earlier this weekend.

Speaking on Sky Sports' TV, Villeneuve questioned why Ricciardo was still on the Formula One grid, he said: "I think his image has kept him in F1 more than his actual results."

The Australian's qualifying result in Canada -- just one day after Villeneuve's comments -- was his best of the year for a grand prix and his second best overall behind his fourth place grid slot for the sprint race in Miami.

Asked if he had sent a message to Villeneuve with his performance, he said: "I still don't know what he said. But I heard he's been talking s---. But he always does.

"I think he's hit his head a few too many times, I don't know if he plays ice hockey or something. But yeah. Anyway. I won't give him the time of day, but... all those people can suck it!

"I want to say more, but it's alright. We'll leave him behind."

Ricciardo's qualifying performance followed news earlier on Saturday that his teammate Yuki Tsunoda would remain at RB in 2025.

The Australian's own future is not yet clear, but he said being in Montreal, where he secured his first F1 victory in 2014, had helped him rediscover his form.

"I've obviously been highly motivated to do more than I have been this year," Ricciardo said.

"Obviously Miami was a bit of a one-off. I know how good those results feel, and that's why I do it, to feel those highs.

"I think just coming into the week, I don't know, everything felt right, I was really happy just to come back to this circuit and drive here, because I love it.

"Today is 10 years to the day of my first win, and that day changed my life. So there's a lot of nice emotions coming into it, and I felt like I was ready to do some good s---."

- Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor

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

 

AP

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

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