INDIA in F1

Author: INDIAinF1 Desk

  • Jason-Srinivasa Murthy, Chandan-Musa shine at RAAT Thailand Rally Championship Round 2

    Jason-Srinivasa Murthy, Chandan-Musa shine at RAAT Thailand Rally Championship Round 2

    Lopburi (Thailand), 26 May 2025: Indian rally driver Jason Saldanha and co-driver PVS Murthy clinched the RC2.1 class victory while Chandan Manchegowda and experienced co-driver Musa Sherif took a podium in RC2.2 class, in the second round of the RAAT Thailand Rally Championship, held in the picturesque Khok Samrong district of Lopburi on Sunday.

    This event marked Chandan’s international rally debut, a significant milestone in his burgeoning motorsport career.

    Piloting a Suzuki Swift Sport for Team Insight & Ally, the duo showcased exceptional skill and coordination, clocking a total time of 1 hour, 7 minutes, and 58 seconds. Their performance not only secured them the top spot in their Super 2500/1500 Turbo RC2.1 class but also earned them an impressive second place overall, finishing only behind the RC1 class winners, Mana Pornsiricherd and Kittisak Klinchan of the Fast Forward Sport team, who drove a powerful factory-developed Toyota CHR.

    In another notable performance, the Indian duo of Chandan Manchegowda of Bengaluru and veteran co-driver Musa Sherif from Kasargod, representing Gen-R Rally Sport, secured third place in the RC2.2 (Super 2000) class, completing the rally in 1 hour, 26 minutes, and 20 seconds, and finishing 14th overall.

    This victory adds to Saldanha’s growing list of achievements in the international rally scene. Earlier this year, he, alongside co-driver Thimmu Uddapanda, won the first round of the RAAT Thailand Rally Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, marking their second consecutive victory in the series. The duo also made history in April 2023 by becoming the first Indians to win a title in their class in the Thailand Rally Nationals.

    Back on home soil, Saldanha has demonstrated consistent performance in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC). Notably, he secured a second-place overall finish and clinched first place in the INRC 2 class at the Blueband K1000 Rally in December 2024. His commendable performances at the Blueband Rally of Hyderabad and the Robusta Rally further underscore his prowess and dedication to the sport.

    Musa Sherif, a stalwart in Indian rallying, boasts over three decades of experience, with more than 300 rallies under his belt, including 69 international events. A eight-time INRC champion, Sherif has been instrumental in mentoring emerging talents like Chandan, guiding them through the rigors of international competition.

    With these commendable performances, Indian rally teams continue to make their mark on the international stage, showcasing skill, determination, and the spirit of competition. The next round of the RAAT Thailand Rally Championship is scheduled to take place in Sa Kaeo, Thesaban Mueang, from July 18 to 20.

    Provisional Results (Round 2):

    Overall 2WD winner: 1. Jason Deepak Saldanha – P.V. Srinivas Murthy;

    RC2.1 (Super 2500/1500 Turbo): 1. Jason Deepak Saldanha – P.V. Srinivas Murthy (Team Insight & Ally – Suzuki Swift Sport) 1hr,07min, 58sec; 2. Natthapon Angrittanont – Ittipon Simaraks (Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand – Toyota Yaris Cross) 1:20.17;

    RC2.2 (Super 2000): 1. Surarat Prapussorn – Thadakorn Prapussorn (Gen-R Rally Sport – Toyota Yaris) 1:13.34; 2. Visarut Lorkham – Yuttachai Poomploy (Suzuki Ciaz) 1:20.47; 3. Chandan Manchegowda – Musa Sherif (Gen-R Rally Sport – Toyota Yaris) 1:26.20; 14th place overall;

  • Marco Bezzecchi, who won the Indian GP in 2023, wins again at an epic Silverstone race: MotoGP

    Marco Bezzecchi, who won the Indian GP in 2023, wins again at an epic Silverstone race: MotoGP

    Silverstone, 25 May 2025: As they say, timing is everything in sport and for Aprilia Racing, Marco Bezzecchi’s victory at the Tissot Grand Prix of the United Kingdom couldn’t have come at a better time. The rider who last won at the Indian Grand Prix in 2023, took the victory again. In a drama-filled Sunday at Silverstone that saw Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) crash, and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) suffer a heartbreaking technical issue while leading, it was Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) who clinched a fantastic P2 finish behind the Italian. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez, following a red-flagged stoppage, was able to bounce back and pick up P3 in a podium fight then went down to the wire in an unforgettable Silverstone encounter. 

    In 2023, Bezzecchi took his first ever MotoGP win at the Argentine Republic Grand Prix in rainy conditions, and thus took the championship lead for the first time in the premier class. He won the 1000th MotoGP Grand Prix at the French Grand Prix, his second win of the season. A third win came in India, as he rounded out a breakthrough season in 3rd place.

    DRAMA, DRAMA AND A BIT MORE DRAMA
    Straight from lights out, drama unfolded. From the middle of the front row, Alex Marquez got a fantastic launch and led but once the front brake was applied heading into Turn 1, the front end folded without an ounce of warning. Like a flash, the #73 was down and out of the Grand Prix – or so we thought at the time – as Marc Marquez gained the lead ahead of Quartararo and Bagnaia.

    At the end of the first lap, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Honda HRC Test Team) crashed together at the Vale chicane, which would eventually bring out the red flags due to an oil spillage. But before we learned that, Grand Prix leader Marc Marquez was down at Turn 11! The top two in the World Championship both suffered crashes but because there hadn’t been three laps completed, all riders were eligible for the restart which would be a 19-lap Grand Prix. Was it a get out of jail free card for the Marquez brothers? Yes. But they’d both be starting on their not-so-preferred number two machines.

    THE RESTART
    Take two saw Bagnaia grab the holeshot into Turn 1 but at Turn 3, Quartararo struck to pounce into an early lead. Marc Marquez was passed Alex Marquez and then so was Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) at Brooklands.

    1.2s was Quartararo’s advantage at the end of Lap 1 and at Turn 3, Miller carved his way past Marc Marquez for P3 and then at Brooklands, we had a Yamaha 1-2. The Australian launched it up the inside of Bagnaia and then Marc Marquez ran wide at Copse, which dropped him behind Zarco.

    2.4s was now Quartararo’s advantage and we then had Zarco pass Pecco for P3. And sniffing an opportunity, Marc Marquez was through too. Then, Copse caught out both factory Ducatis. Marquez and Pecco were wide after separate moments, and that saw them drop to P9 and P10. Work to do.

    Things then went bad to worse for Pecco. Going through Luffield, the front end said no more and that was the Italian’s Grand Prix over. Meanwhile, Bezzecchi was now P3 ahead of Zarco, Alex Marquez was P5 while Quartararo held a 3.9s gap over Miller. What a Grand Prix this was.

    One thing to note was this: the current front four – Quartararo, Miller, Bezzecchi and Zarco – were on the soft front Michelin tyre. A compound that hasn’t yet completed a race distance, so would it hold up?

    On Lap 6 of 19, Bezzecchi and Zarco got the better of Miller as the latter dropped from P2 to P4 in a couple of seconds. Now, what kind of pace did Bezzecchi have up his sleeve? The gap to Quartararo was 5.3s. That was then five seconds flat as Bez shaved three tenths off the disadvantage in clean air.

    Elsewhere, Marc Marquez was now right behind Alex Marquez – the top two were P6 and P7, behind Morbidelli and Miller, and just ahead of Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol). The #93 then sliced his way through on the #73 at Vale, and on the next lap, the Championship leader picked off Miller. On the same lap, Alex Marquez made a mistake at Vale and that cost him both time and a place – Mir was now ahead.

    The fastest lap of the race, a 1:59.770, was slammed home by Bezzecchi as the Italian ate into Quartararo’s lead. On Lap 10 of 19, the gap was down to 4.7s and on the next lap, it was down to 4.4s. Elsewhere, Marc Marquez was now P4 ahead of Morbidelli and now had three seconds to make up to get onto the rear wheel of Zarco for the podium places.

    QUARTARARO’S HEARTBREAK
    Suddenly, we saw Quartararo with his arm raised. What had happened? It looked like a technical issue meant the rear ride height device was stuck and despite the efforts of trying to disengage it for more than half a lap, the YZR-M1 was having none of it. Heartbreak for Quartararo and Yamaha. A potential return to the top step snatched away in such cruel circumstances.

    However, Quartararo’s gut-wrenching end to the Grand Prix was Aprilia’s gain because that was the lead handed on a plate to Bezzecchi.

    THE RACE TO THE CHEQUERED FLAG
    The Italian was 2.9s up the road from Zarco, who in turn was two seconds clear of Marc Marquez. But it wasn’t a comfortable P3 for the title chase leader. Miller, Morbidelli, Marquez and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) were all in with a shout of claiming a Silverstone podium with five laps to go.

    In that podium fight, Miller and Alex Marquez were treating us to a brilliant battle as Morbidelli tried to cling onto Marc Marquez who was now eight tenths clear of the chasing pack. At the front, Bezzecchi was four seconds clear as Zarco kept Marquez just over a second adrift.

    Last lap time at Silverstone. Bezzecchi was 4.6s clear but plenty of focus was on the podium fight. Turn 3 saw Morbidelli pass Marquez but the latter bit straight back. Could Morbidelli respond? Yes he could. Copse corner was the chosen place, now the question was on Marc Marquez to have a say.

    And he did. A great run out of Turn 14 allowed Marquez to get the inside line at Stowe – but it wasn’t over yet. Morbidelli slammed his Ducati down the inside at Vale, but running wide, his exit was compromised and Marquez managed to shove his way back through on the cutback to just, and we mean just, earn a P3 as Alex Marquez finished right behind his brother and Morbidelli in that fantastic fight.

    Up the road though, elation for Bezzecchi and Aprilia. A debut win in Noale colours came for the Italian and after his French GP heroics, Zarco claimed another fantastic result in P2. Chapeaux to the top two.

    Acosta delivered some cracking middle to late race pace to finish in P6 ahead of Miller, as Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) clinched an equal-best Honda result in P8 – but that was wiped away post-race due to a 16-second tyre pressure penalty. That meant Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Mir rounded out the top 10, with Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and the penalised Marini the final points scorers in the UK.

    NEXT UP: ARAGON
    Wow. What a Sunday that turned out to be. Drama aplenty and a first victory for Aprilia in 2025—Silverstone, you delivered. Next, we head to MotorLand Aragon to do it all over again. What lies ahead in Spain? Who knows? That’s the beauty of this sport.

    For full results, click HERE!

  • Lando Norris wins Monaco GP ahead of Leclerc and Piastri: Formula 1

    Lando Norris wins Monaco GP ahead of Leclerc and Piastri: Formula 1

    Monaco, 25 May 2025: Lando Norris kept Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri at bay and negotiated the strategic conundrum of two mandatory pit stops to convert pole position into a first Monaco Grand Prix win. 

    The plan to bring tactical variation and therefore more excitement to the narrow streets of Monaco by requiring all driver to use three sets of tyres during the race yielded the expected variety in terms of when teams chose to pit their drivers, but ultimately a cagey approach led to little change in the top 10 order with only Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton picking up a place when he jumped Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar in the early stops and with the drivers behind gaining a spot when Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso retired midway through. 

    When the lights went out at the start, pole sitter Norris recovered from a Turn 1 lock-up to take the lead ahead of Leclerc, while behind them Piastri shrugged off a challenge from Max Verstappen to hold third place as they made their way up the hill to Casino Square. 

    At the exit of Portier, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto was squeezed by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and the Brazilian nosed into the barriers. Bortoleto was able to continue but the incident resulted in a Virtual Safety Car being deployed. 

    Both Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly took the opportunity to pit under the VSC and the pair emerged in 17th and 18th places respectively. When the VSC ended, the field resumed in order, with Norris holding his lead ahead of Leclerc and Piastri and with Max in P5 ahead Racing Bull driver Isack Hadjar. 

    On lap eight, Gasly apparently suffered brake failure on the exit of the tunnel, and he slammed into the right rear wheel of Tsunoda’s Red Bull. The Japanese driver was able to continue, but Gasly, with broken front suspension, went skidding through the Nouvelle Chicane. The Frenchman was able to limp back to the pit lane and racing continued. 

    Hadjar was the first of the front runners to pit, on lap 15. That sparked a reaction from the drivers around him and on lap 19 Norris dived in for Hard tyres, ceding the lead to Leclerc. Attempting to undercut the Monegasque driver, McLaren then pitted Piastri, but Ferrari reacted, and Leclerc was able to pit on lap 22 and rejoin ahead of Piastri. 

    Delaying his pit stop, Verstappen moved into the lead, but the Red Bull driver soon reported that his starting tyres were beginning to suffer and on lap 29 he made his first stop. The Dutchman slotted back into fourth place, four seconds behind Piastri.

    On lap 37, Alonso stopped at Rascasse. The Spanish driver’s Aston Martin was quickly recovered through a gap in the barriers, and any race neutralisation was avoided. 

    At half distance, Norris began to stretch away from the chasing pack and by lap 42 the McLaren driver had built a six-second gap back to Leclerc who was nine seconds ahead of Piastri who was struggling for grip. 

    McLaren brought Piastri in for his second stop on lap 49. Leclerc also pitted on the same lap and on lap 50 Norris made his final stop of the race. That pushed Verstappen back into the lead and the champion elected to stay on track, hoping for a late incident and potentially a red flag. 

    The Red Bull driver’s gamble meant he gradually backed Norris towards Leclerc and the Ferrari driver senses an opportunity. There was no way past, however. Norris kept his cool in the closing laps and when Verstappen finally made his second stop on the penultimate lap, the McLaren was freed to pull away, set the fastest lap of race and take a sixth career win ahead of the Ferrari man and Piastri. 

    Verstappen was left with his starting place of fourth, while fifth place went to the second Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton, who jumped Hadjar when the Racing Bulls driver made his two stops in quick succession early in the race. Behind the French driver, Haas’ Esteban Ocon took seventh place ahead of the second Racing Bull of Liam Lawson and the final two points positions went to the Williams pair of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. 

    For live scores click here: courtesy Flashscore.com

    2025 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – Race 
    1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 78 1:40’33.843 
    2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 78 1:40’36.974 3.131
    3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 78 1:40’37.501 3.658
    4 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 78 1:40’54.415 20.572
    5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 78 1:41’25.230 51.387
    6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 77 1:41’38.925 1 lap /1’05.082
    7 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 77 1:41’39.872 1 lap /1’06.029
    8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 77 1:41’40.589 1 lap /1’06.746
    9 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 76 1:40’45.712 2 laps /11.869
    10 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 76 1:40’49.075 2 laps /15.232
    11 George Russell Mercedes 76 1:41’07.687 2 laps /33.844
    12 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 76 1:41’28.536 2 laps /54.693
    13 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 76 1:41’30.957 2 laps /57.114
    14 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 76 1:41’42.267 2 laps /1’08.424
    15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 76 1:41’44.238 2 laps /1’10.395
    16 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 76 1:41’45.387 2 laps /1’11.544
    17 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 76 1:41’45.692 2 laps /1’11.849
    18 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 75 1:40’42.252 3 laps /8.409
         Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 36 48’27.102 Retirement
         Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 7 10’57.609 Retirement

  • Lando Norris takes pole ahead of Leclerc at Monaco: Formula 1

    Lando Norris takes pole ahead of Leclerc at Monaco: Formula 1

    Monaco, 24 May 2025: Lando Norris set a new track record lap to beat local hero Charles Leclerc by a tenth of a second at the end of a thrilling qualifying session for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix. Third place went to championships leader Oscar Piastri. 

    At the start of Q1 it was Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen who set the early pace, with the Dutchman’s opening flyer of 1:11.920 taking him almost two tenths ahead of practice pacesetter Leclerc. However, both McLaren driver soon eclipsed that time, with Norris going four tenths quicker, while Piastri stopped the clock at 1:11.385 to take P1. 

    In the final runs it was Leclerc who took top spot, with the Monegasque driver posting a lap of 1:11.229 to finish just under eight hundredths of a second ahead of Norris with Piastri third ahead of Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell. 

    At the other end of the order, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto was the first to be eliminated in P16, ahead of Haas’ Oliver Bearman, who will start last due to a 10-place grid penalty for ignoring red flags in FP2. Pierre Gasly qualified in P18 ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and the second Alpine of Franco Colapinto, though the Argentinian will move ahead of Stroll due to a one-place penalty for the Canadian.

    The red flags came out at the end of the session when Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who squeezed through in 15th, hit the barriers in the Nouvelle Chicane. 

    Norris led the way in the first runs of Q2, with the McLaren driver taking P1 on 1:10.959. Verstappen slotted into second place with 0.065s behind, while Leclerc, with Medium tyres on board, took third place two tenths further back. 

    However, moments later the red flags were thrown once more. Russell slowed through the hairpin and Portier before grinding to a halt in the tunnel. In the final runs, it was Norris who took control with a lap of 1:10.570, 

    Just 0.016s ahead of Leclerc and two tenths ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon. 

    Improvements in the final runs for Haas’ Esteban Ocon and Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar meant that Williams’ Carlos Sainz was bumped out of Q3 in P11, while Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda dropped out in P12 ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg and the sidelined Mercedes cars. 

    In the opening runs of Q3, it was Norris who set the pace with a lap of 1:10.464, just under seven hundredths of a second ahead of Piastri and Leclerc. 

    McLaren opted for two final flying laps and Norris proved unbeatable. The Briton first dropped the provisional pole time to 1:10.125 and though Leclerc briefly moved ahead on 1:10.063, Norris found more time to take pole with a lap of 1:09.954, a new track record. Behind local hero Leclerc, Piastri finished third ahead of Hamilton. Verstappen couldn’t improve on his opening lap and at the end of the session the Dutchman took fifth place ahead of Hadjar, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Ocon, the second Racing Bulls car of Liam Lawson and Albon. 

    2025 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – Qualifying 
    1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1’09.954 – –
    2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1’10.063 0.109 0.156
    3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1’10.129 0.175 0.250
    4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1’10.382 0.428 0.612
    5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’10.669 0.715 1.022
    6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1’10.923 0.969 1.385
    7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’10.924 0.970 1.387
    8 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1’10.942 0.988 1.412
    9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1’11.129 1.175 1.680
    10 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1’11.213 1.259 1.800
    11 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1’11.362 1.408 2.013
    12 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’11.415 1.461 2.089
    13 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1’11.596 1.642 2.347
    14 George Russell Mercedes – – –
    15 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes – – –
    16 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1’11.902 1.948 2.785
    17 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1’11.979 2.025 2.895
    18 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1’11.994 2.040 2.916
    19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’12.563 2.609 3.730
    20 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 1’12.597 2.643 3.778

  • Charles Leclerc tops both practice sessions; Piastri and Hamilton follow Leclerc in FP2 

    Charles Leclerc tops both practice sessions; Piastri and Hamilton follow Leclerc in FP2 

    Monaco, 23 May 2025: After topping the opening practice session for home grand prix, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc made it a Friday clean sweep as he went quickest in the second practice session for Sunday’s 2025 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand, beating McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton to top spot in a session twice halted by red flags. 

    Earlier, Leclerc went quickest in the first free practice on the streets of his hometown as the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix got underway.

    In FP1, Leclerc, topped the timesheet with a lap of 1:11.964 set close to the halfway mark of the one-hour session and though with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris got close the Ferrari driver’s time kept him in control until the chequered flag. 

    IN FP2: It was championship leader Piastri and McLaren team-mate Lando Norris who led the way early in the session before they were usurped by Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. However, at the 10-minute mark the session was halted for the first time when Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar clipped the barrier at the Nouvelle Chicane. 

    The French rookie suffered a rear left puncture and stopped on track, bringing out the red flags. He was, however, able to limp back to the pit lane and one the brief stoppage had ended he was able to rejoin the action.

    When the session resumed Piastri returned to the top of the order with a lap of 1:12.548, with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli slotting into just 0.039s behind. Leclerc was going even quicker, however, and the local hero posted a lap of 1:12.103 to take top sport. 

    However, almost immediately after Leclerc’s heroics, Piastri brought out the red flags again. The Australian went straight on at Sainte Devote and broke his front wing. He too was able to continue and after returning to the pit lane under the caution and he was soon repaired and back out once the track went green again. 

    After the resumption, Aston’s Fernando Alonso and Hamilton traded the lead on hard Pirelli rubber before the field began to make the switch to the C6 Pirelli tyres for qualifying simulations. 

    And it was Leclerc who found the most time on the red-banded tyres. The Ferrari driver opened with a 1:11.414 before working his way down to 1:11.355 just after the halfway mark. The Monegasque driver might have gone even quicker but after a personal best opening sector he lost fractions of time across the rest of the lap. 

    Piastri got closest to the Ferrari star and his lap of 1:11.393 left him 0.038 off top spot and a little under seven hundredths clear of Hamilton who popped in a strong lap of 1:11.460 in the other Ferrari. 

    Lando Norris ended up in fourth place, 0.322 off Leclerc in the other McLaren, while Liam Lawson took a surprise fifth for Racing Bulls with a lap of 1:11.823, while team-mate Isack Hadjar recovered to finish sixth, just two hundredths of a second behind the New Zealander. 

    Alonso finished in P7 ahead of Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, while Verstappen and Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda finished 10th and 11th respectively. 

    2025 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
    1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.355 32 168.358
    2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.393 0.038 28 168.268
    3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:11.460 0.105 30 168.110
    4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.677 0.322 32 167.601
    5 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:11.823 0.468 32 167.261
    6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:11.842 0.487 17 167.216
    7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:11.890 0.535 30 167.105
    8 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:11.918 0.563 34 167.040
    9 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:12.002 0.647 32 166.845
    10 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:12.068 0.713 29 166.692
    11 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:12.072 0.717 30 166.683
    12 George Russell Mercedes 1:12.092 0.737 32 166.637
    13 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:12.151 0.796 32 166.500
    14 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:12.234 0.879 29 166.309
    15 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:12.259 0.904 33 166.251
    16 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:12.262 0.907 32 166.245
    17 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:12.404 1.049 34 165.919
    18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:12.512 1.157 30 165.671
    19 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:12.541 1.186 33 165.605
    20 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 1:13.415 2.060 31 163.634

  • Taylor Gill tops Rally de Portugal; claims back-to-back FIA Junior WRC victories

    Taylor Gill tops Rally de Portugal; claims back-to-back FIA Junior WRC victories

    Taylor Gill kept his cool on Sunday to claim back-to-back FIA Junior WRC victories and draw level with Mille Johansson in the championship standings, topping the leaderboard at Vodafone Rally de Portugal after a measured drive through the final leg.

    Portugal, 18 May 2025: The Australian, co-driven by Daniel Brkíc, maintained a calm and consistent approach throughout Sunday’s six-stage final leg – showing the same composure that had defined his entire week. Starting the day with a 45.5sec advantage, Gill managed his lead perfectly to secure victory by 13.4sec over Johansson.

    Taylor Gill: “What a tough weekend. So long and so demanding — physically and mentally. But yeah, I’m really proud of the job we did. We really came out of the box firing on Friday morning and controlled the rally from there. Big thanks to everyone who gave me this opportunity. Dan did a mega job this weekend, and there are so many people behind the scenes who contributed to this result. I’m just so happy right now.”

    Gill took control of the rally from SS2 onwards, capitalising on an early error from Johansson, who rolled on Friday morning. That incident left the Swede on the back foot for the remainder of the event.
    Despite the setback, Johansson mounted a ferocious comeback – clocking 13 fastest times across the rally. While it wasn’t enough to overhaul Gill, those stage wins proved vital. With bonus points awarded for each stage victory, the pair now sit level on 59 points apiece after round two of five.
    Türkiye’s Kerem Kazaz delivered a breakthrough performance to claim third overall. Contesting just his second Junior WRC round, the 19-year-old impressed in his M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3, finishing almost half a minute clear of Thomas Martens.

    Martens, also in his rookie season, gained a position on the Wolf Power Stage by overtaking South African driver Max Smart. Just 4.3sec separated the duo at the finish.

    Estonian driver Joosep Nõgene completed the rally in sixth, while Eamonn Kelly bounced back from a puncture on Friday to win a stage on Sunday and finish seventh. Diego Domínguez damaged his suspension on Friday but battled through to the end in eighth.

    Despite early troubles, Ali Türkkan, Tristan Charpentier and Claire Schönborn all made it to the finish – locking out positions ninth to 11th.

    The FIA Junior WRC season continues next at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, which takes place from 26 – 29 June.

    Provisional Rally Classification:

    1. Taylor Gill (AUS) – 4:15:07.3;

    2. Mille Johansson (SWE) – +45.5;

    3. Kerem Kazaz (TUR) – +4:11.7;

    4. Thomas Martens (BEL) – +4:40.9;

    5. Max Smart (ZAF) – +4:45.2;

    6. Joosep Nõgene (EST) – +5:53.6;

    7. Eamonn Kelly (IRL) – +10:46.3;

    8. Diego Domínguez (PRY) – +20:10.3;

    9. Ali Türkkan (TUR) – +34:12.5;

    10. Tristan Charpentier (FRA) – +1:24:15.3;

    11. Claire Schönborn (DEU) – +1:50:15.5.


    Stage Winners:

    SS1 SSS Figueira da Foz – Mille Johansson

    SS2 Mortágua 1 – Taylor Gill

    SS3 Lousã 1 – Mille Johansson

    SS4 Góis 1 – Taylor Gill

    SS5 Arganil 1 – Taylor Gill

    SS6 Lousã 2 – Diego Dominguez

    SS7 Góis 2 – Mille Johansson

    SS8 Arganil 2 – Taylor Gill

    SS9 Mortágua 2 – Interrupted

    SS10 Águeda / Sever – Mille Johansson

    SS11 Sever / Albergaria – Mille Johansson

    SS12 Vieira do Minho 1 – Taylor Gill

    SS13 Cabeceiras de Basto 1 – Taylor Gill

    SS14 Amarante 1 – Mille Johansson

    SS15 Vieira do Minho 2 – Mille Johansson

    SS16 Cabeceiras de Basto 2 – Mille Johansson
    SS17 Amarante 2 – Mille Johansson
    SS18 SSS Lousada – Mille Johansson
    SS19 Paredes 1 – Mille Johansson
    SS20 Felgueiras 1 – Eamonn Kelly
    SS21 Fafe 1 – Mille Johansson
    SS22 Paredes 2 – Taylor Gill
    SS23 Felgueiras 2 – Tristan Charpentier
    SS24 Fafe 2 – Mille Johansson

  • Max Verstappen takes fourth win at Imola; Oscar Piastri finishes P3 behind Norris to keep title lead

    Max Verstappen takes fourth win at Imola; Oscar Piastri finishes P3 behind Norris to keep title lead

    Imola (Italy), 18 May 2025: Max Verstappen took a superb fourth straight win in Imola, overtaking Oscar Piastri with a brilliant move at the start to take the lead and then controlling the race from the front despite a Safety Car narrowing the gap at the front. Second place went to Lando Norris who used fresher tyres to pass McLaren team-mate Piastri in the closing stages of the race. 

    When the lights went out, Piastri made the best getaway, and it looked like the Australian would comfortably hold his advantage. But as they went into Tamburello, the McLaren driver braked slightly early, Verstappen held his line on the outside and in a super move he squeezed past the McLaren to steal the lead. 

    Behind them, Mercedes’ George Russell held third ahead of Norris and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. Meanwhile, at the edge of the top 10, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was pressuring Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and when the Frenchman went wide under braking, Leclerc swept through to move into the points. 

    At the front, Verstappen began to build a gap and by lap 10 the Red Bull driver was almost two seconds clear of Piastri. Behind them Russell was coming under heavy pressure from Norris, and on lap 11, the McLaren driver barged past in the Villeneuve chicane. 

    Russell then took the decision to shed his starting Mediums and moved to the Hard tyre. Leclerc also made the switch and when Williams Carlos Sainz also pitted, it seemed to push McLaren into action and on lap 14, they brough Piastri in for the undercut. However, the Australian had a slow stop and rejoined in in P12. Verstappen chose to stay out, however, and on lap 15 he had 10 seconds in hand over Norris who also held firm. 

    Piastri began to claw his way back through the field and lap 21 the Australian was up to P8. However, he was now 33s behind Verstappen, who was looking more and more comfortable on his starting Mediums. 

    Norris made his stop for Hards on lap 29, but seconds later Haas’ Esteban Ocon pulled over and halted at the side of the track just after Tosa. The VSC was deployed and that sparked a rush towards the pit lane. Verstappen took on Hards and when the order shook out, he led Norris by 20 seconds, with Williams’ Alex Albon in third place. Meanwhile, Piastri, who made a second stop under the caution, was in fourth ahead of Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. 

    On lap 46, however, Antonelli suddenly slowed and like Ocon he ground to a halt just after Tosa. This time the physical Safety Car was deployed and with his lead erased, Verstappen pitted for another set of Hard tyres. Norris mirrored the move, but Piastri stayed out, rising to second place, ahead of his team-mate. Leclerc also stayed out and took fourth ahead of Albon and Russell. 

    The Safety Car peeled off track at the end of lap 53 and Verstappen controlled the restart well to hold his lead. Behind him the McLarens squabbled for second place, and they settled the battle with Norris, on fresher tyres, muscling his way past his team-mate to take second place, Verstappen was too far ahead and after 63 laps the Dutchman crossed the line to take his fourth straight Imola win and to Red Bull’s 400th race in F1. 

    With Norris and Piastri taking the remaining podium places, fourth place went to Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver made the most of new tyres after the Safety Car and passed both Albon and team-mate Leclerc to grab 10 points. Albon took fifth, passing Leclerc, who had stuck with old tyres during the SC. The Monegasque driver was left with sixth place ahead of Russell, Sainz and Hadjar, while Yuki Tsunoda took 10thplace and the final point after a pit lane start. 

    2025 FIA Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Race 
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 63 1:31’33.199 
    2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 63 1:31’39.308 6.109
    3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 63 1:31’46.155 12.956
    4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 63 1:31’47.555 14.356
    5 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 63 1:31’51.144 17.945
    6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 63 1:31’53.973 20.774
    7 George Russell Mercedes 63 1:31’55.233 22.034
    8 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 63 1:31’56.097 22.898
    9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 63 1:31’56.785 23.586
    10 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 63 1:31’59.645 26.446
    11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 63 1:32’00.449 27.250
    12 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 63 1:32’03.495 30.296
    13 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 63 1:32’04.623 31.424
    14 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 63 1:32’05.710 32.511
    15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 63 1:32’06.192 32.993
    16 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 63 1:32’06.610 33.411
    17 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 63 1:32’07.007 33.808
    18 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 63 1:32’11.771 38.572
         Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 44 1:01’29.744 Retirement
         Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 27 37’42.335 Retirement

  • Toprak Razgatlioglu dominates at Autodrom Most: WorldSBK

    Toprak Razgatlioglu dominates at Autodrom Most: WorldSBK

    Most (Czech Republic), 17 May 2025: On a windy day at the Autodrom Most Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed his fifth win of the season. The Turkish rider clawed five points back in the title chase against Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).

    Race 1 Highlights

    • Starting from the middle of the front row Bulega claimed the lead on the opening lap and held Razgatlioglu at bay for the first four laps. Having attacked into Turn 1 the BMW rider then led for the remainder of the race
    • Razgatlioglu had to wait until half distance, lap 11 of 22, to open a gap of over a second and from that point onwards he controlled the gap to Bulega
    • Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) started third and rode a strong, consistent race to finish in the same position with a comfortable margin in hand to the riders behind
    • Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) finished in fourth position after a race long battle with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team). He was beaten to the line by Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who made a last lap move into Turn 1 to take fifth position
    • Bautista started the race from the fourth row of the grid. He dropped to 16th position at one point following a first lap tangle that left Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) out of the race. The double World Champion made steady progress throughout to salvage his fifth place finish
    • Iker Lecuona continued his strong form of late with a seventh place finish for Honda HRC.

    P1 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
    “This was a very important victory because we started the weekend really strong. I’ve really missed this feeling. The wind was very strong today so at the beginning of the race I was trying to adapt my riding style but once I found my rhythm I had a fast pace. This win means a lot. We’ve improved the bike a lot but we still need more. We have two more races tomorrow and I hope we can win again.”

    P2 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “I tried to fight at the beginning. But when Toprak overtook me, I could understand after just a few corners that he had something extra today. I’m happy because second place is a very good result, especially after yesterday’s crash. It wasn’t easy to finish the race so I have to be happy and proud of what we achieved, both myself and the team.”

    P3 – Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team)
    “I tried to follow my strategy and hold onto third position because Nicolo and Toprak were a bit faster. They weren’t much faster but I was taking risks to stay with them. When I saw the gap behind me was increasing I decided to manage my pace. It wasn’t easy—this track has so many direction changes, and my back and arms were really suffering. This is a great podium for my team. I’m so happy, we’re working really well together, and this result is well deserved. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”

    Race 1 Results

    1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
    2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +6.015s
    3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +10.230s
    4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +14.814s
    5. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +15.520s
    6. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +16.053s
    Fastest lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 1’31.109s – new lap record

    Tissot Superpole Results

    1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’30.397s
    2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.033s
    3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.239s.

  • Zarco emerges victorious in history-making French GP; 1st Frenchman to win since 1954

    Zarco emerges victorious in history-making French GP; 1st Frenchman to win since 1954

    For the first time since 1954, a French MotoGP rider wins on home turf in an unbelievably dramatic Grand Prix at Le Mans
    Le Mans, 11 May 2025: Flippin’ phenomenal. A day Johann Zarco, LCR Honda Castrol and a record-breaking Michelin Grand Prix of France crowd will never forget. For the first time since 1954, 71 years ago, a French MotoGP rider wins on home turf after a wet tyre gamble from Zarco sees the #5 beat second place Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) by nearly 20 seconds. The #93 gains important points in the title chase as both Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) fail to score points on a hugely dramatic Sunday afternoon, which saw Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) claim a debut MotoGP rostrum.

    A RED-FLAGGED START AS RAIN FALLS
    Tensions were at an all-time high in the lead up to lights out as light rain scattered the Le Mans circuit in the build up. Heading onto the warm up lap, with everyone on Michelin’s slick tyres, it was then abundantly clear that was the wrong tyre to be on. Polesitter Quartararo was nearly down at Turn 3 and at the end of the warm up lap, unsurprisingly, every rider peeled into pit lane and that brought out the red flags due to an excessive number of riders at pit lane exit as we then set ourselves for a quick restart procedure at the French GP. The Grand Prix was also reduced by one lap to 26, with a wet race declared – that meant riders could come in and change their bikes at any moment once we got underway.

    And there was more drama at the end of the sighting lap. More than half the grid, including Quartararo, Alex Marquez and Marc Marquez, were in while Bagnaia stayed on the grid.

    LIGHTS OUT AND IMMEDIATE DRAMA
    Eventually we were lights out and underway and as he was in the Sprint, Bagnaia was down at Turn 3 on Lap 1! Meanwhile, Quartararo led from Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez, Aldeguer was fourth as Bagnaia made it back to pit lane to jump onto his dry weather bike. The Italian was miles behind but having pitted at the end of the sighting lap, over half the grid had double Long Lap penalties to take. 

    Quartararo, having led by over a second, was the first of the front runners to dive into the Long Lap loop. Alex Marquez, Aldeguer – who had passed Marc Marquez – and Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) were the next to come in, but Marc Marquez didn’t. This happened after Bagnaia had been lapped – a disaster for Pecco, who then came in for dry tyres. A decision that would prove costly again soon after. 

    HOME HEARTBREAK TO ELATION: QUARTARARO CRASHES, ZARCO LEADS
    Then, heartbreak. Quartararo was down at the final corner and so was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) right behind the Frenchman. Gutting for the 100,000+ crowd, but back on circuit, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Viñales were back in the pit lane to switch back onto wet tyres.

    Where to look? Marc and Alex were next to come in and that left Aldeguer leading the Grand Prix by over 12 seconds, but now, the rookie was clearly on the wrong tyre – and sure enough, the #54 came in on the next lap.

    Right, where were we? Well, to the delight of the French faithful, Zarco led the French Grand Prix! The #5 had stuck it out on the wet weather tyres and he was leading by seven seconds over Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), the Portuguese rider had done the same as Zarco, with Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez pressing Oliveira on Lap 9 of 26.

    HOW THE FRENCH GP WAS WON
    The brothers passed a struggling Oliveira with ease and with 17 laps to go, the gap between leader Zarco and the Marquez duo was 8.5s. That grew to nine seconds with 15 laps to go, then it was 9.3s as Zarco churned out low 1:46s, with Marquez near enough matching the home hero. Alex Marquez was losing touch on the #93, but the #73 had a six second buffer to fourth place Acosta.

    With 11 laps to go, Zarco was marching towards an astonishing home Grand Prix victory. The gap had risen to 11.5s, then it was 12.4s as Zarco lapped at least a second quicker than anyone else on track. That trend continued as the advantage rose to over 14 seconds with seven laps as we witnessed two crashes – first Oliveria was down at the final corner, then Alex Marquez crashed at Turn 3. Luckily the former Championship leader remounted, and such were the gaps between a lot of riders, the Spanish GP winner re-joined the Grand Prix in P6. That off promoted Acosta to P3.

    Having got back into the race, Alex Marquez was in the gravel again and unfortunately that was his French GP done. But Gresini’s podium hopes weren’t over because Aldeguer was catching Acosta at a rapid rate of knots. With two laps left, the rookie was right on the back of Acosta and at the front, Zarco’s lead was 19 seconds. The Frenchman simply had to nurse his Honda to the chequered flag.

    Aldeguer did get Acosta but it was all eyes on the #5. One lap left Johann! And he brought it home. The roof was raised at Le Mans because for the first time since 1954, a French MotoGP rider clinched victory on home turf. Unbelievable. What a moment for Zarco, LCR Honda and the record-breaking French GP crowd. 

    Marc Marquez crossed the line 19.9s away from Zarco to collect a massive 20 points, with Aldeguer backing up his Saturday bronze medal with a debut MotoGP podium. What a weekend for the rookie.

    YOUR FRENCH GP POINTS SCORERS
    Acosta had to settle for P4 after he couldn’t live with Aldeguer’s late race pace, as Viñales handed KTM a double top five in France. Honda HRC Test Team’s Takaaki Nakagami took a magnificent P6 in his first wildcard ride for the Japanese factory, as Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) picked up his season best Sunday result in P7.

    Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing) and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) rounded out the top 10, with Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) closed out the points, with Bagnaia acting as the final finisher in P16.

    Just… wow. Johann Zarco is a winner at home in MotoGP. A Sunday that will go down in history for more reasons than one. Le Mans, you were simply incredible. Again.

    Silverstone, you’re up.
  • Lando Norris wins incident-packed Miami Sprint: F1

    Lando Norris wins incident-packed Miami Sprint: F1

    Miami (USA), 3 May 2025: Lando Norris benefited from a late Safety Car to jump ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and his first Sprint win of 2025 ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri at the end of an incident packed wet-dry Sprint in Miami that saw Lewis Hamilton take third place for Ferrari after an early switch to slick tyres. 

    Steady rain in the hours before the race, led to a delayed start but when the lights at last went out on a drying track, Piastri reacted quickest, and he was able to attack pole sitter Kimi Antonelli on the inside into Turn 1. The teenage Mercedes driver tried to fight for position, but with Piastri holding a robust line, Antonelli was forced to go off track and he was passed by both Norris and Verstappen. The Mercedes driver dropped to fourth. 

    With a clear road ahead, Piastri began to pull away and after five laps the Australian had eked out a two-second gap back to Norris who was 1.8s ahead of Verstappen, whose start had briefly been examined for possibly being out of position but was soon deemed legal.

    As the race headed towards the halfway mark, the track began to dry out more quickly and a number of teams began to consider a switch to slicks. 

    It was Red Bull Racing who made the first move, with Tsunoda pitting for Medium tyres at the end of lap 11. He rejoined in P19. Hamilton then pitted at the end of the following lap, for Softs. 

    At the front, Norris began to close on Piastri as DRS was enabled, but with Tsunoda going two seconds quicker than the field through the first sector it became clear that it was time for slick tyres and the field began to make the switch. 

    Verstappen was one of the first in at the end of lap 13, but after fitting a set of Softs the Dutchman was released into the pit lane too quickly and he collided with the incoming Antonelli. The Italian was forced to back out of his own stop and continue, while Verstappen lost his left front wing endplate. The Dutchman was quickly hit with a 10-second penalty for the unsafe release, dropping him all the way to P17 at the flag. 

    At the front, as the leading McLaren, Piastri had the opportunity to pit ahead of his team-mate and he switched to Softs at the end of lap 14. Norris, on worn inters should have been disadvantaged ahead of his lap 15 stop, but when Williams’ Carlos Sainz hit the wall and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was spun into the barriers by Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson the Safety Car was deployed and Norris lucked in. He was already in the pit lane, and with the on-track pace slowed massively he was able to get back on track in first place.

    With debris strewn across the track in several places, the SC stayed on track until the final lap and Norris took his first Sprint victory of the season ahead of his team-mate. Hamilton’s early stop for slicks also paid off and the Ferrari passed Verstappen ahead of the SC to take third place at the flag. 

    Fourth place went to Alex Albon, but after the flag the Williams driver was place under investigation for a possible infringement of Safety Car procedure. Russell took fifth for Mercedes ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, with Liam Lawson seventh, though the New Zealander was also under investigation for the collision with Alonso. 

    At the flag, the final point went to Haas’ Oliver Bearman, with Tsunoda just missing out in P9, but with plenty for the Race Stewards to unpick after the race, the final classification was likely to change. 

    2025 FIA Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix – Sprint 
    1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 18 36’37.647 
    2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 18 36’38.319 0.672
    3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 18 36’38.720 1.073
    4 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 18 36’40.169 2.522
    5 George Russell Mercedes 18 36’40.774 3.127
    6 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 18 36’41.059 3.412
    7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 18 36’41.671 4.024
    8 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 18 36’41.865 4.218
    9 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 18 36’42.800 5.153
    10 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 18 36’43.282 5.635
    11 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 18 36’43.620 5.973
    12 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 18 36’43.800 6.153
    13 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 18 36’45.149 7.502
    14 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 18 36’46.645 8.998
    15 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 18 36’47.322 9.675
    16 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 18 36’47.556 9.909
    17 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 18 36’49.706 12.059
         Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 13 25’21.904 Acciden
         Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 12 24’55.152 Accident damage
         Charles Leclerc Ferrari 0 – Not started