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Category: Formula 1
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Oscar Piastri wins Chinese Grand Prix; both Ferraris disqualified
Shanghai, 23 March 2025: Oscar Piastri took a controlled third career victory in Shanghai, managing a tactical tyre-focused race expertly to win the Chinese Grand Prix from pole ahead of team-mate Lando Norris who overcame late-race brake woes to complete the McLaren 1-2 ahead of third-placed George Russell of Mercedes.
When the lights went out for the start, polesitter Piastri got away well to take the lead ahead of Norris and Russell. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, got away slowly from fourth place on the dusty side of the grid, where earlier in the day oil had been deposited along the pit straight during a support race, and the Dutchman lost two places as he was passed by the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. But both Ferraris were later disqualified for technical infringements.
Disqualified
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have both been disqualified from the final classification of the Chinese Grand Prix, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly also excluded after all three were found to have infringed technical regulations.
In the case of Hamilton who crossed the line in P6, the thickness of the plank assembly was below the permitted minimum thickness of 9mm, by 0.4mm on the left side and centreline and by 0.5mm on the right side. The Stewards determined that Article 3.5.9 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations had been breached and “therefore the standard penalty of a disqualification needs to be applied for such an infringement”.
In the cases of fifth across the line Leclerc and 11th-placed Gasly, both cars were found to be 1kg under the minimum 800kg weight and this time the Stewards determined that Article 4.1 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations had been breached, which again comes with a standard penalty of disqualification.
On his way through to P5, however, Leclerc was clipped by Hamilton. With the left side of his front wing dropping and the end plate missing, he was told by his team that he had lost 30 points of downforce. Leclerc told his team he could manage the loss and in a superb drive, the Monegasque showed great pace from there on.
Ahead of the first pit stop window Piastri managed to build a small two-second gap to team-mate Norris, with Russell a further 2.7s behind. Behind the fourth and fifth-placed, however, Max was losing touch with the leaders and on lap 13 the Dutchman was 5.5s adrift of Leclerc.
At the end of lap 13 the Team brought Max in to shed his opening Medium tyres, and the champion bolted on a set of Hards in a 2.2 second halt. He rejoined in P11, behind Hamilton who had pitted on the same lap.
Race leader Piastri made his stop at the end of lap 14, along with Russell, while Norris and Leclerc made their switch to Hard tyres at the end of the following tour. And after the first round of stops was complete, Piastri resumed in the lead. Norris was briefly undercut by Russell, but the McLaren driver swiftly closed in and under DRS at the start of lap 18 he swept past to reclaim the position.
Hamilton though was struggling for pace, and the Briton was told to swap places with Leclerc, who despite holding on to his broken wing in his pit stop, was flying. Max, meanwhile, was still in sixth place, three seconds behind the Ferraris.
The Hard tyre proved to be more durable and pacier than anticipated and soon after the second stint had begun, teams began to target a one-stop race, with all of the eventual top 10 opting for a single visit to the pit lane.
As the race entered its final third, Verstappen began to close in on Hamilton, and with the Dutchman showing good pace, Ferrari chose to back out of the brewing battle, and pitted Hamilton for a new set of tyres in order to make a late charge. The seven-time champion emerged a little under 19 seconds behind Verstappen who was 4.5s behind Leclerc.
The Red Bull driver began to slowly reel in the lead Ferrari and on lap 52 he was withing DRS range. Leclerc tried to defend but the champion had too much pace and as they crossed the line to start the following lap, Verstappen passed the Ferrari around the outside of Turn 2 to take a fourth place he held to the flag.
At the front, Piastri took the third win of his career ahead of Norris who managed an ever-lengthening brake pedal in the closing laps to stay ahead of Russell. Leclerc took fifth ahead of Hamilton. Esteban Ocon put in a good performance to take six points for Haas. Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished eighth for Mercedes, while birthday boy Alex Albon took two points for Williams and Haas earned a double points finish with tenth place.
2025 FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix – Race
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 56 1:30’55.026
2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 56 1:31’04.774 9.748
3 George Russell Mercedes 56 1:31’06.123 11.097
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 56 1:31’11.682 16.6565 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 56 1:31’18.237 23.211(both disqualified later)
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 56 1:31’20.407 25.3815 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 56 1:31’44.995 49.969
6 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 56 1:31’48.774 53.748
7 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 56 1:31’51.347 56.321
8 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 56 1:31’56.329 1’01.303Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 56 1:32’02.221 1’07.195(disqualified later)
9. Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 56 1:32’05.230 1’10.204
10 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 56 1:32’11.413 1’16.38
11 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 56 1:32’13.901 1’18.875
12 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Honda RBPT 56 1:32’16.173 1’21.147
13 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 56 1:32’23.427 1’28.401
14 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 55 1:31’05.782 1 lap /10.756
15 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 55 1:31’15.252 1 lap /20.226
16 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 55 1:31’18.537 1 lap /23.511
Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 4 7’25.574 Retirement -
Oscar Piastri take pole for Chinese Grand Prix, ahead of George Russell: F1
Oscar Piastri set a new track record on his way to his first career prix pole position in a tight qualifying session for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix. The McLaren driver set a time of 1:30.641 and beat Mercedes’ George Russell by just nine-hundredths of a second, with team-mate Lando Norris another five hundredths back in third.
Piastri set the pace in the opening runs of Q1, with the McLaren driver stopping the clock at 1:31.591, a tenth ahead of China Sprint winner Lewis Hamilton and almost half a second ahead of third-placed Russell.
However, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen was one of the last to leave the pit lane, and his opener flyer, which featured a purple final sector, pushed him past Piastri on 1:31.424.
Verstappen opted to sit out the final runs and with the track improving all the time, the door was left open for his time to be challenged. The first to do that was Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda who jumped ahead with a lap of 1:31.238. The Japanese driver’s new team-mate, Isack Hadjar, then found another handful of hundredths to briefly take P1 before McLaren’s Lando Norris jumped to the top of the order with a lap of 1:30.983.
At the other end of the timesheet, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was the first to exit the session in P16, followed by Haas’ Oliver Bearman, the second Alpine of Jack Doohan, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson.
Norris was again quickest in the opening runs of Q2. The Briton posted a time of 1:30.787 to sit four-tenths clear of team-mate Piastri, with Verstappen in third place with a lap of 1:31.234. Russell slotted into fourth with Tsunoda again looking pacey in fifth.
Norris sat out the final runs, while Piastri went out on a used set of Soft-compound Pirelli tyres. That allowed Verstappen to steal P2 with his final time of 1:31.142, 0.355s off Norris.
The impressive Hadjar took fourth place thanks to a lap 1:31.253, just five-hundredths of a second off Piastri, while Tsunoda backed up his team-mate with fifth place, four hundredths ahead of Russell.
Eliminated at the end of Q2 were Haas’ Esteban Ocon in P11, Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Land Stroll and in 15th place Williams’ Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen set the pace early in Q3 with a lap of 1:30.925. That was not quite good enough to hold off the McLarens, however, and Piastri took provisional pole 0.222s ahead of the champion, with Norris nine-hundredths of a second behind his team-mate.
And the Australian was one of the few to improve in the final runs, finding another six hundredths to claim his first Grand Prix pole position. Norris backed out of his final flyer and that allowed Russell to claim a front-row berth with a time of 1:30.723. Norris was left with third ahead of Verstappen who couldn’t find any gains on his final flyer.
Hamilton secured fifth ahead of team-mate Leclerc and Isack Hadjar claimed an excellent seventh place. The French driver was, however, set to be investigated after the session for an unsafe release into the path of Max ahead of the final runs. Andrea Kimi Antonelli qualified eighth place for Mercedes ahead of Tsunoda and Alex Albon took tenth place for Williams.
2025 FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:30.641 – –
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:30.723 0.082 0.090
3 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:30.793 0.152 0.168
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:30.817 0.176 0.194
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:30.927 0.286 0.316
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:31.021 0.380 0.419
7 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:31.079 0.438 0.483
8 Aandrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:31.103 0.462 0.510
9 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:31.638 0.997 1.100
10 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:31.706 1.065 1.175
11 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:31.625 0.984 1.086
12 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:31.632 0.991 1.093
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:31.688 1.047 1.155
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:31.773 1.132 1.249
15 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:31.840 1.199 1.323
16 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:31.992 1.351 1.490
17 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:32.018 1.377 1.519
18 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1:32.092 1.451 1.601
19 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:32.141 1.500 1.655
20 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:32.174 1.533 1.691 -
Lewis Hamilton takes Sprint pole at Shanghai: F1 Round 2
Shanghai, 21 March 2025: Lewis Hamilton took a stunning first pole position with Ferrari in qualifying for the Sprint at the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, narrowly beating Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, as early championship leader Lando Norris qualified in sixth place. Hamilton’s pole of 1:30.849 also sets a new lap record for the Shanghai International Circuit, beating Sebastian Vette’s 2018 Q3 time by almost a quarter of a second.
Verstappen set the early benchmark in SQ1 with a 1:32.329 that put him in half a second clear of Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar. Lewis Hamilton then took over at the top, exactly a tenth clear of Verstappen as Leclerc moved to second a hundredth off his team-mate.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was going much quicker, however, and the Australian took over in P1 with a time of 1:31.723, half a second clear of Hamilton. The free practice session’s quickest man Lando Norris put in a scruffy opening flyer, however and his 1:32.248 left him in fifth as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso went second, just under four tenths off Piastri.
In the final runs of the segment, Norris corrected his earlier errors, and the championship leader vaulted to the top of the order with a lap of 1:31.396, but Hamilton was finding more pace, and the Ferrari drive topped the session with a time of 1:31.212. Leclerc took third in the other Ferrari ahead of Piastri, while defending champion Max Verstappen eased through in fifth.
There was disappointment for Verstappen’s new Red Bull team-mate Liam Lawson, however. The New Zealander had his final lap deleted for a track limits infringement at Turn 9 and he exited the session in last place.
Also ruled out at the end of SQ1 were Alpine’s Jack Doohan who had his final time deleted and dropped out in P16 ahead of team-mate Pierre Gasly, Haas’ Esteban Ocon, Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg and the unfortunate Lawson.
In the middle segment it was Norris who led the way, with the Briton setting the pace at 1:31.174, 0.188s ahead of team-mate Piastri and a little under four tenths ahead of Verstappen.
The top three sat out the final minutes of the session and that allowed Mercedes’s George Russell to sneak ahead of Piastri 0.172 off Norris. Hamilton also improved, taking fourth ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli who relegated Verstappen to sixth ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Leclerc.
The last two through to top 10 shootout were Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Racing Bulls’ Yiuki Tsunoda, which meant there was no place in SQ3 for Alonso who slipped out in P11, two hundredths of a second off Tsunoda. Haas’ Oliver Bearman went out in P12, and the Briton was followed to the exit by Williams’ Carlos Sainz, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar.
After Norris’ pacesetting efforts in the middle segment, it was Piastri who grabbed provisional pole in their first runs of SQ3, ahead of Russell, while Norris had a snap heading onto the back straight and lost time all the way down the straight to slip to third.
But while the McLarens would go again, it was Hamilton who found the most time on the Shanghai track and the seven-time champion took his first Sprint pole for Ferrari with a time of 1:30.849.
Verstappen almost pipped the Ferrari driver but lost fractions of time in the final sector to cross the line in P2 just 0.018s behind. Piastri was left with third on 1:30.929 and Leclerc took fourth place ahead of Russell. Norris, meanwhile, finished sixth after locking up into Turn 14 on his final flyer. Antonelli took a solid seventh in his second qualifying session with Mercedes ahead of Tsunoda, Albon and Stroll.
2025 FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying
1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:30.849 – –
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:30.867 0.018
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:30.929 0.080
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:31.057 0.208
5 George Russell Mercedes 1:31.169 0.320
6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:31.393 0.544
7 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:31.738 0.889
8 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:31.773 0.924
9 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:31.852 1.003
10 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:31.982 1.133
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:31.815 0.966
12 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:31.978 1.129
13 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:32.325 1.476
14 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:32.564 1.715
15 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT – – –
16 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1:32.575 1.726
17 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:32.640 1.791
18 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:32.651 1.802
19 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:32.675 1.826
20 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:32.729 1.880 -
Lando Norris on pole as McLaren lock out front row: Aussie Grand Prix
Albert Park (Melbourne), 15 March 2025: Lando Norris stormed to pole position just under a tenth of a second ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri as McLaren locked out the front row in qualifying for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. Defending world champion Max Verstappen qualified third for Red Bull.
At the start of Q1 Haas’ Oliver Bearman was one of the first on track. The Briton had missed FP3 due to a second crash of the weekend and was seeking to make up for lost time. However, soon after leaving the pit lane the rookie driver informed his team that he had a gearbox problem. He was forced back to the pit lane and took no part in the session.
Liam Lawson also endured a tough Saturday. The new Red Bull Racing recruit was forced to sit out FP3 due to a PU problem and on an unfamiliar track in a tricky car the Kiwi struggled. After two unproductive runs, a final crucial flyer began well but mistakes in Sector 2 and an off in the penultimate corner left him in P18 and out of the session. Also ruled out in Q1 were Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli who damaged the front bib on his W16 E and exited in P16, Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, 19th placed Esteban Ocon in the other Haas and team-mate Bearman.
At the top of the Q1 timesheet, Norris took top spot, six hundredths of a second ahead of Mercedes George Russell with Verstappen in third.
Verstappen led the field out in the middle session and the Dutchman posted a strong opening flying lap of 1:15.688. The Red Bull driver suffered several moments of oversteer on his lap, however, and that allowed the McLaren drivers to annex the top two places, with Oscar Piastri taking top spot a little over two tenths clear or Lando Norris. Behind Verstappen after the first flyers were Russell, Leclerc and Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda.
In the second runs Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto had a nervous moment when he clattered over the kerbs in Turn 4 and almost lost control, while Lewis Hamilton did lose control, spinning his Ferrari in Turn 11.
The resulting yellow flags disadvantaged several drivers but top spot was again taken by Norris who posted a time of 1:15.415 to beat Piastri. Verstappen was again third with a lap of 1:15.565.
Knocked out at the end of Q2 were Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, who ended up as the best-placed rookie in P11, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll out in P12 and P13. Alpine’s Jack Doohan exited in P14 and Bortoleto qualified in 15th.
In the opening runs of Q3 Piastri pushed too hard in the penultimate corner and went wide into the dirt on his opening lap. Behind him, team-mate Norris went too hard into Turn 4 and bounced over the kerb that caught out Bortoleto and the Briton’s lap was deleted for exceeding track limits. Verstappen flirted with the same boundary but managed to stay on the right said of the kerb and took provisional pole with a lap of 1:15.671.
The champion pushed to seal the opening pole of the season, but ultimately the McLarens were marginally quicker and Norris took top spot in qualifying with a lap of 1:15.096, with Piastri second. Verstappen’s final flyer of 1:15.481 handed him third ahead of Russell, the impressive Tsunoda, Williams’ Alex Albon and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
2025 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1’15.096 – –
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1’15.180 0.084 0.112
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’15.481 0.385 0.513
4 George Russell Mercedes 1’15.546 0.450 0.599
5 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1’15.670 0.574 0.764
6 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1’15.737 0.641 0.854
7 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1’15.755 0.659 0.878
8 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1’15.973 0.877 1.168
9 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1’15.980 0.884 1.177
10 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1’16.062 0.966 1.286
11 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1’16.175 1.079 1.437
12 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’16.453 1.357 1.807
13 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’16.483 1.387 1.847
14 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1’16.863 1.767 2.353
15 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1’17.520 2.424 3.228
16 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1’16.525 1.429 1.903
17 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1’16.579 1.483 1.975
18 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’17.094 1.998 2.661
19 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1’17.147 2.051 2.731
20 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari – – – -
Leclerc quickest in FP2 ahead of Piastri and Norris: Aussie GP
Melbourne, 14 March 2025: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the second practice session for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, beating McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda was fourth ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the other Ferrari, as defending champion Max Verstappen finished seventh.
Leclerc was at the top of the times early in the session, with his time of 1:16.794 on Medium tyres setting the initial benchmark, a little under half a second clear of team-mate Hamilton.
The field then began to make the move to Soft tyres for qualifying simulations and Leclerc was demoted by the quick-looking Racing Bull car of Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver set a time of 1:16.784 to claim top spot.
Verstappen then went out on the red-banded tyres but struggling with his RB21 the Dutchman abandoned the lap. Norris then moved ahead with a lap of 1:16.580, as Piastri’s first flier on Softs put him third.
Leclerc was out on the red rubber, however, and with a little under 30 minutes remaining, the Monegasque racer logged a time of 1:16.439 to take P1, which he would go on to hold for the remainder of the session.
Piastri made gains with a second run to take P2 with a lap of 1:16.563 that left him 0.124 behind Leclerc and 0.017s ahead of McLaren team-mate Norris. Tsunoda’s best time of 1:16.784 kept ahead of Hamilton who finished a little over four tenths of a second off his team-mate.
Verstappen also improved late on, but he couldn’t go quicker than stablemate Isack Hadjar. The French/Algerian rookie delivered a good lap of 1:17.019 to end the session 0.580 off Leclerc and a little over two tenths off team-mate Tsunoda.
Nico Hulkenberg finished eighth for Sauber, ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and lead Mercedes driver George Russell.
Elsewhere, Oliver Bearman missed the entire session as his Haas crew repaired his car following a heavy crash in the opening session.
2025 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.439 32 248.574
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:16.563 0.124 30 248.172
3 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:16.580 0.141 30 248.117
4 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:16.784 0.345 29 247.457
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:16.859 0.420 31 247.216
6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:17.019 0.580 30 246.702
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:17.063 0.624 22 246.561
8 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:17.161 0.722 24 246.248
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:17.279 0.840 28 245.872
10 George Russell Mercedes 1:17.282 0.843 30 245.863
11 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:17.302 0.863 30 245.799
12 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:17.302 0.863 28 245.799
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:17.330 0.891 27 245.710
14 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1:17.394 0.955 30 245.507
15 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:17.493 1.054 30 245.193
16 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:17.634 1.195 31 244.748
17 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:17.640 1.201 30 244.729
18 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:17.847 1.408 29 244.078
19 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:18.034 1.595 31 243.493 -
Russell quickest on day three, but Sainz takes ‘pole’: F1 test 2025
Sakhir, 28 February 2025: The curtain has come down on the only official test session prior to the start of the 2025 season. Three busy days saw all 20 race drivers on track, able to work on development of their new cars more or less uninterrupted. In total there were 25 hours of track time, with 3,896 laps completed, equivalent to 21,090,564 kilometres.
Quickest today was George Russell, the Englishman stopping the clocks in 1’29”545. Next up was Max Verstappen who, on the same C3 compound as the Mercedes driver was just 21 thousandths slower. Alex Albon was third on a set of C4s with which he lapped in 1’29”650. It’s worth noting that today’s top eight drivers represented eight different teams. Behind the top three came the McLaren of Oscar Piastri (1’29”940), Pierre Gasly in the Alpine (1’30”040), the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton (1’30”345), Yuki Tsunoda for Racing Bulls (1’30”497) and Esteban Ocon in the Haas (1’30”728).
Russell’s time today was not enough to give him the nominal pole position for the test, that honour going to Carlos Sainz with his time of 1’29”348 set yesterday in the Williams. He thus repeats his performance of last year when at the wheel of a Ferrari. Further confirmation of how closely matched were the top teams at this test, three different drivers from three different teams topped the time sheet each day, the only one not mentioned so far being Lando Norris on the first day.
“We’ve had three rather unusual testing days here in Bahrain,” commented Pirelli’s Director of Motorsport, Mario Isola. “For years now, Formula 1 has chosen this circuit for the only pre-season test because the weather is usually very favourable, but that was not the case this week, especially the first two days. Low temperatures, considerably lower than at this time of year in previous years, and strong wind affected the teams’ work and made it even harder than usual to interpret the results, with no previous reference points on this track at such low temperatures.
“From our side, the most data came from the C3 and the C2 and, slightly less so from the C1: that was entirely to be expected, given that these are the compounds usually chosen for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Only a few laps were completed with the C4, while the C5 and C6 never appeared on track, to be expected as only Ferrari and Williams had opted to include these in their allocation. From what we could see, the C2 behaved as expected, confirming that it was further from the C1 than last year and therefore closer to the C3. The hardest compound struggled a bit in these temperatures, while the C3 proved to be the most versatile of the range.
We did not see any real performance runs, which would have allowed us to fully evaluate the performance difference between the compounds. As for degradation of the three hardest compounds, it’s clear that because of the low temperatures, it was minimal, even if it increased slightly today when it was a bit warmer, but not in any significant fashion. Now we head home with plenty of data to study as we prepare for the opening round of the season, the Australian Grand Prix. In Melbourne, we will bring the same compounds in terms of nomenclature, as last year, namely the C3 as Hard, the C4 as Medium and the C5 as Soft, so we will have a first meaningful look at the softer compounds.”
With testing of the 2025 cars now complete, Pirelli stays at the Sakhir track for a further two days of testing on Sunday 2nd and Monday 3rd March. On the agenda, development of the 2026 tyres, working with Alpine and Williams. The French team will run its two test drivers, Paul Aron and Ryo Hirakawa, while the English squad is giving its race drivers Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz more time on track.
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Norris takes Abu Dhabi win ahead of Ferraris to seal Constructors’ title for McLaren
Abu Dhabi, 8 Dec 2024: Lando Norris took a controlled lights Abu Dhabi Grand victory to seal the 2024 FIA Formula One Constructors’ Championship title for McLaren as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took second place and Charles Leclerc stormed through the field to ensure the contest remained tense right to the chequered flag.
When the lights went out at the start, Norris and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri got away well, but from fourth on the grid, Max Vestappen reacted even better. The Red Bull driver passed Sainz and as the McLarens went into Turn 1 the four-time champion dived down the inside to attack Piastri.
The move was foolhardy, however, and as the corner tightened the Dutchman collided with his Australian rival. Both spun but while Verstappen was somehow able to slot straight back into the pack in P11, Piastri went off track and dropped to the back of the field. Verstappen’s over-ambitious move would quickly result in a 10-second time penalty from the Stewards for causing the collision.
Moments later, there was another incident. Sergio Pérez was hit by Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas and though the Red Bull driver was able to rejoin in last place behind Piastri he was soon forced to pull over at the side f the track and retire from what could be his final race with the team.
The incidents led to the Virtual Safety Car being deployed, and under the caution Norris led ahead of Sainz, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Mercedes’ George Russell and Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg. Behind them, Leclerc had profited greatly most from the incidents, and by the end of lap one the Ferrari driver had climbed from 19th to eighth place.
When the VSC was withdrawn, Leclerc made his way past Magnussen and Fernando Alonso to claim sixth, and Verstappen followed suit, climbing to eighth place by lap 12. There were more woes for Piastri, however, as the McLaren driver clipped the rear of Franco Colapinto’s Williams at the restart and like Max, the Australian was handed a 10-second time penalty. As the first stint elapsed, Leclerc and Verstappen continued their progress and by lap 15 the Ferrari driver had moved up to fifth, with the Red Bull drive just four seconds behind in sixth place.
With Norris four seconds clear of Sainz at the front and 15 ahead of Russell, fourth-placed Gasly was the first of the frontrunner to make a pit stop and the Frenchman shed his starting Mediums for a set of Hard tyres on lap 15. He rejoined in ninth ahead of new team-mate Jack Doohan.
Gasly’s rivals didn’t immediately respond, but on lap 21 Leclerc attempted to undercut Russell and after taking Hard tyres the Monegasque driver rejoined behind Gasly before clawing his way past the Alpine driver to claim P6.
Sainz was next in, on lap 26 and McLaren covered the Spaniard by pitting Norris on the following lap, with Russell also making his way in from third place. Verstappen climbed to P3 but despite complaining that his tyres were fading, he stayed out on his ageing Medium tyres, hoping for a Safety Car.
It didn’t materialise, however, and he pitted on lap 30 to bolt Hard tyres and serve his 10-second penalty. After emerging in 11th place he swiftly cleared the Williams of Alex Albon and when Piastri pitted on lap 33 to serve his penalty and fit fresh tyres, Verstappen powered past Fernando Alonso to grab eighth behind Hamilton who had just pitted for a set of Medium tyres and a rapid final stint.
The seven-time champion was soon on the move and he was quickly past Hülkenberg and Gasly. Verstappen then closed in on the Haas and with 15 laps left he powered past the German. He then reeled in Gasly and on lap 46 he swooped past the Frenchman in Turn 9 to rise to sixth place behind Hamilton.
That as far as Verstappen would rise. With Hamilton on fresher Medium tyres there was no chance of closing in on the Briton and as Norris took his fourth win of the season to earn McLaren its first Constructors’ crown since 1998. Sainz and Leclerc followed while Hamilton ended his Mercedes career by passing team-mate Russell to take fourth place. Behind Verstaoppen, Gasly’s seventh place ahead of Hülkenberg meant that Alpine beat Haas to sixth place in Constructors’ standings. Alonso crossed the line in P9 and the final points went to Piastri.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Race
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 58 1:26’33.291
2 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 58 1:26’39.123 5.832
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 58 1:27’05.219 31.928
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 58 1:27’09.774 36.483
5 George Russell Mercedes 58 1:27’10.829 37.538
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 58 1:27’23.138 49.847
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 58 1:27’45.851 1’12.560
8 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 58 1:27’48.845 1’15.554
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 58 1:27’55.664 1’22.373
10 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 58 1:27’57.112 1’23.821
11 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 57 1:26’44.542 1 lap /11.251
12 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 57 1:26’48.029 1 lap /14.738
13 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 57 1:26’50.595 1 lap /17.304
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 57 1:26’51.764 1 lap /18.473
15 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 57 1:26’59.846 1 lap /26.555
16 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 57 1:27’50.888 1 lap /1’17.597
17 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 55 1:24’36.949 Not running
Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 30 47’27.280 Accident damage
Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 26 41’10.430 Retirement
Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 0 – Retirement -
Norris takes pole in Abu Dhabi as McLaren lock out front row ahead of Sainz
McLaren edged a step close to the F1 Constructors’ title as Lando Norris took pole position ahead of Oscar Piastro to complete a front-row lock out for the team. Carlos Sainz took third place for Ferrari but the Scuderia’s hopes of challenging for a first title in 16 years were dealt a blow when Charles Leclerc qualified 14th.
In the final top-10 shootout, 2024 Drivers’ champion Max Verstappen claimed provisional pole with a strong first run that was hampered by a slide in the final corner, but while the Red Bull driver had run with new Soft tyres, Norris, just 0.004s off, and Piastri, had run with used tyres on their opening runs.
And with new rubber on board for the final runs, the McLaren pair showed a clean pair of heels to their rivals with Norris taking his eighth pole of the year thanks to a time of 1:22.595, two tenths ahead of Piastri and Sainz.
Nico Hülkenberg grabbed a shock fourth place on the grid for Haas with a superb lap of 1:22.886, while Verstappen failed to improve on his first time of Q3 and was forced to settle for fifth place and the front of row three.
Behind the top five Pierre Gasly kept Alpine’s hopes of staying ahead of Haas in the battle for P6 in the Constructors’ Championship alive as he took sixth place, while George Russell was seventh for Mercedes ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, surprised ninth-place qualifier Valterri Bottas of Kick Sauber, and the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.
The major absence from Q3 was Leclerc. The Monegasque driver looked to have comfortably secured his spot in Q2 by posting a time that took him to the top of the timesheet in the closing stages of Q2. But within moments of crossing the line the Ferrari man’s time was deleted for exceeding track limits in Turn 1 at the start of his final flyer. And as the order shook out following the chequered flag, Leclerc dropped to 14th. The Ferrari driver is already facing a 10-place grid drop for taking a third Energy Store of the season, so is set to start from the rear of the field.
Also eliminated at the end of Q2 were RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson in 11th and 12th respectively, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in P13 and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen in 15h place.
The major faller as the first hurdle was Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion, taking part in his last qualifying session with Mercedes, looked to be improving on his final flying lap. However, he managed to run over a bollard dislodged by Magnussen and with the debris trapped under this car, Hamilton’s pace dropped and he was eliminated in P18 behind Williams’ Alex Albon and Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu and ahead of the second Williams of Franco Colapinto and Alpine’s Jack Doohan.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1’22.595
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1’22.804 0.209
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1’22.824 0.229
4 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1’22.886 0.291
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’22.945 0.350
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1’22.984 0.389
7 George Russell Mercedes 1’23.132 0.537
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’23.196 0.601
9 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1’23.204 0.609
10 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’23.264 0.669
11 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1’23.419 0.824
12 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1’23.472 0.877
13 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’23.784 1.189
14 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1’23.833 1.238
15 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1’23.877 1.282
16 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1’23.821 1.226
17 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1’23.880 1.285 1.556
18 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1’23.887 1.292
19 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1’23.912 1.317
20 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1’24.105 1.510 -
Verstappen takes controlled Qatar Grand Prix win after Norris was penalised: F1
Lusail (Qatar), 1 Dec. 2024: Max Verstappen took a controlled Qatar Grand Prix after chief race rival Lando Norris dropped to last place and recovered to 10th following a penalty for failing to heed yellow flags. Second place for Charles Leclerc ahead of Oscar Piastri means that Ferrari clawed points back against McLaren to take the fight for the Constructors’ Championship to the final round in Abu Dhabi next week.
When the lights went out, Mercedes’ polesitter George Russell made a good start from pole, but Verstappen swiftly drew alongside and then outdragged the Mercedes driver into Turn 1. As the battling pair edged towards the outside of the corner, Norris, starting from third, tried to sneak through on the inside. The McLaren driver was briefly ahead as he and Verstappen went towards Turn 2 but the Red Bull driver resisted to held the lead.
However, at the rear of the field, Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg lost control in Turn 1 and hit the Alpine of Esteban Ocon and the Williams of Franco Colaptino. The latter two ended up beached and the Safety Car was deployed.
Verstappen controlled the lap 4 restart perfectly to hold the lead ahead of Norris and Russell and Piastri, who made his way back past Leclerc after losing the position at the start. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was in sixth place ahead of the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.
Verstappen then settled into his first stint, though the champion was never truly comfortable as Norris repeatedly nibbled away at a gap that hovered around 1.6 seconds for the first 20 laps.
Russell was the first of the front runners to make a pit stop, on lap 24, but a stuck right rear wheel mean that after spending seven seconds in his pit box, the Mercedes driver dropped down to 11th place.
Tyre changes for the other front runners should have followed, but before any other pit stops could take place there was drama. On lap 32 Alex Albon’s Williams shed a mirror on the pit straight and while there were yellow flags in place Verstappen noted that Norris had closed the gap. He asked his team to check whether the McLaren driver had reduced speed for the flags.
Two laps later, though, Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas ran over the mirror, and debris was strewn across the track. Both Sainz and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton picked up punctures and the Safety car was deployed.
Verstappen pitted for Hard tyres and emerged in the lead behind the SC. His rivals also made their pit stops and Norris slotted back into second. Leclerc, however, managed to jump in front of Piastri, while Pérez also profited from the timing of the SC and he made his way to P5 ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Russell and Sainz.
The Safety Car left the track at the end of lap 39 and Verstappen was almost caught out by Norris. The McLaren driver stuck with the leader and aided by a slipstream on the straight he attacked around the outside. Verstappen defended hard and he was able to hold the lead as they went through the opening corners. Behind them Leclerc fought off the hard-charging Piastri but Gasly was passed by Russell.
There was disaster for Pérez though. Just ahead of the SC leaving the track the Mexican seemed to lose power and then suddenly spun in the final corner. He was forced to retire from the race.
At the back of the field, Hülkenberg spun off and the SC was released yet again. This time Verstappen’s getaway was flawless and he his lead comfortably as Norris was forced to resist pressure from Leclerc.
Norris’ challenge then evaporated. The Briton was hit with a 10 second stop/go penalty for failing to slow for the yellow flags ahead of the first SC period and after pitting on lap 45 he dropped to last place. He would recover to 10th place at the flag.
At the front, Verstappen was comfortable and with no further incidents he was able to cruise home six seconds ahead of Leclerc and Piastri, who were separated by less than a tenth of a second.
Fourth place went to Russell, while Gasly took a well worked fifth place. Sainz crossed the line in sixth ahead of Alonso, Guanyu Zhou took Sauber’s first points of the season with eighth place and Kevin Magnussen finished in ninth place ahead of Norris.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 57 –
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 57 6.031
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 57 6.819
4 George Russell Mercedes 57 14.104
5 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 57 16.782
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 57 17.476
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 57 19.867
8 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 57 25.360
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 57 32.177
10 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 57 35.762
11 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 57 50.243
12 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 57 56.122
13 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 57 –
14 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 57 –
15 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 56 – 1 lap
Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 39 – Retirement
Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 38 – Retirement
Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 8 – Retirement
Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 0 – Retirement
Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 0 – Retirement -
Norris on pole for Sprint ahead of Russell and Piastri: F1 Qatar GP
Qatar, 29 Nov. 2024: McLaren’s Lando Norris will start the Sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix from the front of the grid with the McLaren driver beating Mercedes’ George Russell to top spot by just 0.063s in a tight Sprint qualifying session at Lusail Circuit. Oscar Piastri took third in the other McLaren as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished fourth and fifth respectively.
At the start of the session, in SQ1, Norris topped the timesheet, posting a lap of 1:21.356 to beat Sainz by almost half a second, with Russell third ahead of Verstappen.
At the wrong end of the order, Sergio Pérez once again failed to match the pace of his Red Bull team-mate and he exited the session in P16, just over a hundredth of a second behind Williams’ Alexz Albon. Pérez Red Bull stablemate Yuki Tsunoda was another surprise faller and the RB driver, who complained of a “rushed” final run finished in P17, 0.04s behind the Mexican. Esteban Ocon was eliminated in 18th place ahead of Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu and last place Williams driver Franco Colapinto.
Verstappen set the opening pace of S2 with a time of 1:22.188, but that was quickly eclipsed by Leclerc who went five hundredths of a second quicker to take P1 and by Norris who slotted into second place 0.015s ahead of the Dutchman. Piastri was going quicker than all three, however, and he claimed top sport with a lap of 1:22.050.
Norris’s second run was even quicker and the Briton moved to the top of the order with a lap of 1:21.231 that put him ahead of Russell who climbed to second thanks to a lap of 1:21.4988. Piastri went again but time lose when he went wide late in the lap saw him take third place just over three tenths off his team-mate. Hamilton took fourth ahead of Verstappen and Sainz, with Leclerc in P7 ahead Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and RB’s Liam Lawson.
However, there was no place in the top-10 shootout for Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who exited in P11, just four hundredths of a second off Lawson’s time. Also eliminated at the end of SQ2 were Williams’ 12th-placed Alex Albon who went out ahead of Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.
Norris was in imperious form in the opening runs of SQ3. The McLaren driver set a blistering lap of 1:21.012 on his first attempt on Soft tyres, more than 0.015s clear of team-mate Piastri and almost three tenths ahead Russell.
Norris pushed more on his second run but the Briton clipped the gravel at Turn 2 and he backed out the attempt. That left the door slightly but while no one could go quicker, Russell close to within a tenths and Piastri ended the session just 0.159s off his team-mate.
Sainz will start the Sprint from fourth ahead of Leclerc, with Verstappen in sixth place. Hamilton was seventh fastest, half-a-second clear of Gasly. Hülkenberg was ninth ahead of Liam Lawson, who had a better lap deleted for a track limits violation.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:21.012 – –
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:21.075 0.063 0.078
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:21.171 0.159 0.196
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:21.281 0.269 0.332
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:21.308 0.296 0.365
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:21.315 0.303 0.374
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:21.474 0.462 0.570
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:21.978 0.966 1.192
9 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:22.088 1.076 1.328
10 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1:22.577 1.565 1.932
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:22.433 1.421 1.754
12 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:22.526 1.514 1.869
13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:22.538 1.526 1.884
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:22.599 1.587 1.959
15 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1:22.738 1.726 2.131
16 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:22.718 1.706 2.106
17 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:22.722 1.710 2.111
18 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:22.906 1.894 2.338
19 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:22.948 1.936 2.390
20 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1:23.423 2.411 2.976
