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'It gets better' - Leclerc given 2026 F1 car reassurance
A rival Formula 1 team boss has reassured Charles Leclerc that his early concerns about 2026 cars will ease over time as Ferrari gets a better understanding of the new rules.Williams team principal James Vowles reckons that Leclerc's comments about his first run in a 2026 simulator model being ‘not enjoyable' are likely more down to Ferrari having an immature understanding of the regulations than ...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/it-gets-better-leclerc-given-2026-f1-car-reassurance/
The only place Red Bull is losing out to McLaren in Austria
Red Bull reckons that dialling its car better into just two corners of the Red Bull Ring track holds the key to it properly challenging McLaren in Formula 1's Austrian Grand Prix.Max Verstappen emerged as McLaren's main threat for victory during Friday practice, but ended up slightly adrift on the long runs and was 0.318 seconds off pacesetter Lando Norris in FP2.But despite from the outside appea...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/the-only-place-red-bull-is-losing-out-to-mclaren-in-austria/
Mark Hughes: McLaren's Austria dominance isn't what it seems
The Red Bull Ring is a supremely suitable track for the strengths of the McLaren MCL39 – lots of long corners, some of them interconnected. Looking only at FP2 it looks like that suitability could be set to be converted to dominance. But that paints probably an exaggerated picture, as Lando Norris, comfortably fastest in both single-lap and high-fuel running, explained: “Yeah, as always we are ver...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/austrian-gp-friday-practice-analysis-f1-long-runs-mclaren/
Everything that happened in second Austrian GP F1 practice
Lando Norris laid down an important marker to McLaren's Formula 1 rivals - and his team-mate Oscar Piastri - in second practice for the Austrian Grand Prix.Norris said pre-weekend that "if there is any track that I would go to give myself the best feeling" it would be the Red Bull Ring, as he works out whether a new McLaren front suspension geometry will improve his comfortability in the MCL39.Hav...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/austrian-grand-prix-f1-practice-two-results-2025/
F1 Austrian Grand Prix practice results
Lando Norris joined Austrian Grand Prix practice in the second session after handing his car to Alex Dunne in session one and led Oscar Piastri in a McLaren 1-2.FP2 times1 Lando Norris (McLaren) 1m04.580s2 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.157s3 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.318s4 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +0.442s5 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.610s6 George Russell (Mercedes) +0.649s7 Yuki Tsunoda (Red B...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-austrian-grand-prix-practice-results-2025/
Talks 'ongoing' - Russell revives Mercedes-Verstappen 2026 link
George Russell’s remark that Mercedes is in “ongoing” conversations with Max Verstappen, and that this may be delaying a new contract for Russell, has revived one of Formula 1’s most curious driver market stories.The prospect of Mercedes stealing Verstappen from Red Bull, where he is under contract until 2028, first seriously emerged last year but seemed to be parked when team boss Toto Wolff said...
McLaren's next F1 driver? The surprise early star of the Austrian GP
Judging a driver’s maiden Formula 1 practice outing is always tricky - but it’s hard not to be stunned by Formula 2 points leader Alex Dunne being within a tenth of McLaren regular Oscar Piastri in FP1 in Austria. There are, of course, a tonne of variables - fuel loads, run plans, traffic, late-session spots of rain - that make drawing definitive conclusions from any practice session fraught. But ...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mclaren-alex-dunne-fp1-debut-austrian-gp-f2/
Gary Anderson on Ferrari's attempt to fix its big 2025 F1 car flaw
Ferrari has brought a few floor updates to Formula 1's Austrian Grand Prix aimed at addressing some key challenges it has faced this season.Its main problem throughout 2025 has been in being able to run the car low enough to the ground to generate the downforce required.That is because the underfloor plank hitting the ground at high speed becomes a physical limit that defines the ride height. Then...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/gary-anderson-ferrari-big-2025-f1-car-flaw-fix-attempt/
McLaren's eye-catching debut in Russell-led Austrian GP FP1
George Russell followed up Canadian Grand Prix victory by topping first Austrian GP Formula 1 practice, but the most attention-grabbing aspect of the session was Formula 2 championship leader Alex Dunne going fourth on his F1 weekend debut.McLaren junior Dunne stepped into Lando Norris's car for the session and on his soft-tyred qualification simulation he was just 0.069 seconds off his F1 points-...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/eye-catching-mclaren-debut-in-russell-led-austrian-gp-fp1/
F1 Austrian Grand Prix practice results
Mercedes started the Austrian Grand Prix weekend on top as Canadian GP winner George Russell set the pace in a tight first practice session ahead of Max Verstappen.But it was arguably McLaren FP1 debutant Alex Dunne who made the biggest impression, lapping 0.069s off Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri in the other MCL39 and ending the session fourth.FP1 times1 George Russell (Mercedes) 1m...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-austrian-grand-prix-practice-results-2025/
Why Austria is such a big test of Norris and main McLaren problem
The Austrian Grand Prix will be a big test of whether Lando Norris can find what he needs with McLaren's Formula 1 car as it plans no more changes to directly address the issues he has faced this season.McLaren brought a new front suspension geometry and associated small aerodynamic changes to its car for the previous race in Canada, which Norris opted to run but team-mate and championship leader ...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/austrian-gp-big-test-of-lando-norris-2025-mclaren-f1-problem/
How unchanged Red Bull Ring has actually become longer
While Formula 1's Austrian Grand Prix is taking place on a Red Bull Ring track that is unchanged from last year, an unexpected discovery ahead of the weekend has found it is actually longer than previously declared.The quirk has been confirmed in official documentation issued by F1 race director Rui Marques ahead of track action beginning.In it, the circuit length for this weekend has been declare...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/how-unchanged-red-bull-ring-has-actually-become-longer/
'Too tense, too conservative' - Monza crash has held Antonelli back
Too tense and too conservative. Those are the words that Kimi Antonelli has used to describe an approach to Formula 1 weekends this season that he feels has limited his potential in his rookie campaign.Triggered by the fallout from his debut FP1 practice crash at Monza last year, the result of him pushing too hard too soon, the Mercedes driver has admitted to overcorrecting this year so as to not ...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/too-tense-conservative-monza-fp1-crash-kimi-antonelli-held-back/
Eight one-point offences that would trigger Verstappen F1 ban
Max Verstappen has to survive just one more Formula 1 weekend without picking up a penalty point to avoid being banned from the British Grand Prix. The two penalty points he was given for causing a collision with Lando Norris in last year’s Austrian GP will expire on the Monday after this year’s grand prix at the Red Bull Ring, taking Verstappen away from the penalty point danger zone he’s in righ...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/eight-one-point-offences-that-would-trigger-verstappen-f1-ban/
Why Williams has gone from Ferrari-beater to surprise slump
When Williams beat at least one Ferrari in back-to-back Formula 1 races just a month ago, that overachievement was a great symbol of its progress and its status as the clear midfield benchmark.In the three grands prix since then Williams has scored four points, the joint-lowest number of any team: equal with Alpine, less than early 2025 strugglers Aston Martin and Alpine, and less than Racing Bull...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/why-williams-has-gone-from-ferrari-beater-to-surprise-slump/
The tactic that's triggered fears of F1 becoming 'contact sport'
The FIA's publication of Formula 1's driving standard guidelines has exposed ongoing driver unease about the way they are working, especially a tactic that is increasingly being used to exploit them.While drivers and teams have known the contents of the driving documents, which were first revealed by The Race back in May, their contents had not previously been freely available to the public.But as...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/driving-tactic-triggers-fears-of-f1-contact-sport/
What came out of 'tough' Norris-McLaren talks after Piastri clash
Lando Norris says conversations with his McLaren Formula 1 team were "not the most joyful" after crashing into his team-mate Oscar Piastri in the Canadian Grand Prix.Norris cost himself a strong points finish in Canada and was lucky not to jeopardise Piastri's fourth-place finish when he ran into the back of him on the start/finish straight.He immediately took responsibility for the incident and a...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/norris-mclaren-f1-tough-talks-piastri-canada-clash/
Leclerc's alarming verdict after 'not enjoyable' first F1 2026 sim run
Charles Leclerc has said he cannot imagine how the racing will be in Formula 1 next year after labelling his first simulator run with a 2026 car as "not enjoyable".The switch to all-new engine regulations next year, which rely more on battery power, has left F1 facing a situation where the cars are likely to be energy-starved.This risks leaving them running out of boost on the straights and needin...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/charles-leclerc-ferrari-first-f1-2026-sim-run/
Colapinto set to keep Alpine seat beyond initial evaluation
Franco Colapinto is set to continue driving for Alpine's Formula 1 team beyond the Austrian Grand Prix and his initial five-race evaluation.Colapinto replaced Jack Doohan after six rounds of the 2025 season as Alpine sought to assess the driver it had signed from Williams over the winter.Alpine said this was done in order to judge its driver options as effectively as possible before 2026, when it ...
What we know about Alpine's F1 future after key Renault exit
The position of Alpine’s Formula 1 boss and what will happen to the team have been key questions in the wake of a key exit at the very top of Renault.Luca de Meo, the man responsible for the team’s Alpine rebrand in 2021 and who brought in Flavio Briatore last year to run the team, will step down as Renault Group CEO in July.
De Meo hired Flavio Briatore as his executive advisor, bringing the c...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/what-we-know-about-alpines-f1-future-after-key-renault-exit/
Big F1 penalty guidelines reveal - all you need to know
Formula 1’s stewards’ penalty guidelines and its driving standards’ documents have been revealed in full for the first time.Although much of the information within them has been known for a while, especially in relation to the racing rules, the documents do still offer some fascinating insight into how the governing body deals with rules breaches.
The publication itself is also notable because ...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/big-f1-penalty-guidelines-reveal-all-you-need-to-know/
Six ways Newey is changing Aston Martin
Since he joined the Aston Martin Formula 1 team in March, Adrian Newey has kept quite a low profile, with just one race appearance so far at the Monaco Grand Prix.But while the team has been clear that his priority is in pulling together a 2026 car design that can thrust it up the grid, it would be wrong to think that he has simply locked himself away in his office with his drawing board and won't...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/six-ways-adrian-newey-changing-aston-martin-f1-team/
The lift and coast problem Ferrari needs F1 upgrades to fix
The 2025 Formula 1 season has so far proven to be a particularly complex testing ground for Ferrari.With a start to the championship well below expectations and marked by difficult weekends, Ferrari finds itself dealing with a car — the SF-25 — that has only shown flashes of potential. Structural limitations have compromised its consistency, and its operational window is extremely narrow. Despite ...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/lift-and-coast-problem-ferrari-needs-f1-upgrades-to-fix/
Every rookie to drive in FP1 in F1 2025
Each Formula 1 team needs to satisfy the rule of running a ‘rookie’ driver twice in each of its cars during a season.Rookies are defined as any driver with no more than one grand prix start to their name. So Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) all ticked off the rookie requirements for their cars in Australia and China. As Ollie Bearman (Haas) alrea...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/every-rookie-to-drive-in-fp1-in-f1-2025/
Video + Podcast: What's good and bad about the F1: The Movie
Edd Straw and Jon Noble saw the new F1 movie at an exclusive screening ahead of the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. In this episode of The Race F1 Podcast, they give you their detailed review of the new Brad Pitt film - featuring a special cameo from producer Jerry Bruckheimer (courtesy of Scott Mitchell-Malm).
Edd and Jon go through what works best in the film - and what doesn't.
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/video-podcast-whats-good-and-bad-about-the-f1-the-movie/
Stroll to return to Canadian GP after Paul Ricard test and surgery
Lance Stroll will return for the Canadian Grand Prix after surgery on his hand and wrist, and has tested at Paul Ricard ahead of his home Formula 1 race.Stroll had surgery after a cycling accident in 2023 and missed that year's pre-season testing. The Aston Martin driver took part in qualifying for the 2025 Spanish GP but missed that Sunday's race due to recurring pain in his hand and wrist. The t...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/stroll-to-return-canadian-gp-after-paul-ricard-test-and-surgery/
What's behind F1's direct clash with the 2026 Indy 500
Formula 1’s 2026 calendar confirms an unfortunate direct clash between the Canadian Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500.A weekend conflict between a grand prix and IndyCar’s blue-riband event is nothing new given the 500 has frequently taken place on the same Sunday as the Monaco Grand Prix. However, F1’s calendar reshuffle moving Canada to May means Indy will now be on the same day as an F1 race ...
Read more: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/whats-behind-f1s-direct-clash-with-the-2026-indy-500/