Formula 1
Formula 1 Austrian GP: Russell Clinches Dramatic Victory
Mercedes’ George Russell emerged victorious in the 11th round of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship in Austria following a collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

The benefits go to the third litigant between the two: The Austrian Grand Prix was won by George Russell. With his second career victory after the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix, the Englishman capitalized on the intense duel between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. After the Dutchman’s final pit stop, where he experienced an issue with his left rear tire and lost a significant amount of his lead, the fight broke out. While Norris utilized a fresh set of yellow tires on the same lap, giving him a performance edge. The world champion fitted a pair of old medium tires.
Red Bull Takes Flight in Austrian GP Free Practice 1
The Austrian Grand Prix weekend kicked off, and Friday’s sole free practice session. It offered a glimpse into the potential battles brewing for the rest of the race.
Max Verstappen, the reigning champion and fresh off his Canadian victory, wasted no time showcasing his comfort on the Red Bull Ring. He topped the timesheets in Free Practice 1, putting in a strong showing on his home track. However, his session wasn’t entirely smooth sailing. A suspected software glitch caused a brief red flag as his car came to a halt on the pit straight. Luckily, the issue was resolved quickly, and Verstappen was back on track with minimal disruption.
Mclaren of Oscar Piastri showed a strong performance by securing 2nd place. Scuderia Ferrari had a decent showing, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finishing third and fourth respectively. After a few positive weekends for the Enstone operation, Esteban Ocon led the Alpine assault in sixth place, finishing ahead of Russell, Yuki Tsunoda of RB, and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin, who struggled with a steering column issue the whole session.
Fernando Alonso made it two Aston Martins in the top ten. Pierre Gasly and Perez, drivers for Alpine and Red Bull, followed in 11th and 12th, while Lando Norris finished in 13th in his McLaren after a near-failure late lap on softs that was ruined by a tumble through the Turn 4 gravel.
Sprint Qualifying
The battle for the Austrian Sprint grid commenced with a flurry of activity in the sole practice session.
SQ1: As Sprint Qualifying got underway, the tension was palpable. After a quiet initial phase, drivers swarmed the pit lane around the three-minute mark, all sporting the mandatory new medium tires. Hamilton attempted an early lap but found himself facing a deleted time due to exceeding track limits at Turn 1. His teammate Russell, however, managed to snag the provisional P1 spot initially.
The early order saw big names like Ricciardo and Alonso teetering on the edge of elimination alongside Hamilton with his scrubbed lap. As the clock ticked down, most drivers returned to the track in a desperate attempt to secure a spot in Q2. While Alonso and Hamilton managed to improve their times, they could only climb to P11 and P12 respectively, highlighting the competitiveness of the midfield.
On the other hand, Logan Sargeant clawed his way out of the danger zone, reaching P14. However, several drivers weren’t so fortunate. Tsunoda scraped through to Q2 in P15 despite a heart-stopping spin on his final lap, while Ricciardo wasn’t as lucky, bowing out in P16. Similarly, Hulkenberg and the Sauber duo of Bottas and Zhou failed to progress beyond Q1, ending their qualifying runs in P17, P18, and P20 respectively. Albon initially seemed safe but was pushed back into the elimination zone, settling for P19 to round out the bottom five.
Key Eliminations: Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Bottas, Albon, Zhou.
SQ2: Verstappen and his teammate Perez wasted no time in setting the pace as the ten-minute window for Q2 opened. Verstappen laid down an early benchmark with a 1:05.186s lap, putting him a tenth of a second clear of Russell in P2.
Only eight drivers managed to set initial lap times, all on the mandatory new medium tires. The remaining seven, including Sargeant, Alonso, Gasly, Magnussen, and Tsunoda, joined the fray in the final minutes, with those at risk needing a significant improvement to survive.
Gasly managed to climb to P10, just behind his Alpine teammate Ocon in P9. However, Stroll’s wild moment at Turn 10 saw him plummet into the elimination zone. Magnussen narrowly missed out on Q3, finishing P11 with a time less than a tenth off Gasly’s. Stroll’s misfortune continued as he exited in P12, marking a forgettable day for Aston Martin as Alonso also failed to progress, settling for P13.
Tsunoda (P14) and Sargeant (P15) couldn’t find the pace to advance either, although Sargeant can take solace in out-qualifying his Williams teammate Albon.
Key Eliminations: Magnussen, Stroll, Alonso, Tsunoda, Sargeant
SQ3: The eight-minute Q3 session began with a cautious approach as everyone bided their time in the pits. With just three minutes remaining, the Mercedes duo of Russell and Hamilton broke the silence, heading out first. They were quickly followed by a queue of cars, all on the soft compound tires mandated for this segment.
The drama unfolded for Leclerc as he inexplicably stopped in the pit lane before managing to get his Ferrari going again. Unfortunately, he couldn’t reach the checkered flag in time to set a lap and missed out on the top-10 shootout altogether.
Norris put in a strong showing initially, setting the fastest time among those who had completed their laps. However, Verstappen stole the thunder with a phenomenal 1:04.686s lap on the softs, securing pole position by a narrow margin of 0.093 seconds over Norris.
“It’s great to be first here in front of, basically, my home fans, my home Grand Prix, It was a good day so far.”
-max Verstappen
The other McLaren of Piastri followed in P3, while Russell, Sainz, and Hamilton rounded out the top six. Perez started from P7, with Ocon and Gasly (Alpine) lining up in P8 and P9 respectively. Leclerc’s pit lane mishap left him with a disappointing P10 to start the Sprint race.
Sprint Race
Verstappen Holds Off McLaren Onslaught to Claim Austrian Sprint Glory!
The Austrian Grand Prix Sprint race was a spicy affair, packed with wheel-to-wheel action and a surprise early challenge from the resurgent McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen, starting from pole, fended off a fierce attack from the young guns to secure his second Sprint win of the season.
The race was shortened to 23 laps due to a safety concern with an extra formation lap, but the drama unfolded right from the start. Norris held off a determined Piastri for second, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz got tangled up with a feisty George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen couldn’t shake Norris’ DRS early on, leading to some intense defensive maneuvers at Turns 3 and 4. On lap five, Norris lunged at Turn 3, forcing Verstappen deep. Piastri pounced, stealing second place from his teammate in the following DRS zone.
Despite a slight wobble, Verstappen managed to retake the lead from Norris. Meanwhile, the battle for second became a McLaren duel, with Norris relentlessly chasing Piastri. Russell capitalized on the McLaren fight to snatch fourth from Sainz.
By lap 10, Verstappen broke free from DRS range, putting his Red Bull into cruise control. Norris closed the gap on Piastri but couldn’t find a way past, settling for a podium finish behind his teammate. Russell finished a lonely fourth, with Sainz fending off a determined Hamilton for fifth.
Charles Leclerc’s race took a dramatic turn for the better with a stellar opening lap, jumping from tenth to seventh. Further down the grid, Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg is under investigation for a questionable maneuver on Fernando Alonso, potentially forcing the Spaniard off track.
Verstappen’s victory solidifies his dominance on Red Bull’s home turf. However, the real story of the race is the resurgent McLaren. Norris and Piastri’s early challenge and podium finish sends a strong message to the rest of the grid. With the Grand Prix looming, can McLaren continue to threaten Red Bull, or will Verstappen maintain his Austrian reign?
Main Race Qualifying
The Austrian mountains provided a picturesque backdrop, but the real drama unfolded on the sizzling Spielberg tarmac. Here’s the lowdown on the three-part fight for glory:
The lights went green, and the battle for a top-10 spot began. Early favorites like Verstappen and Ferrari’s Sainz lived up to the hype, setting the pace with blistering laps. However, the fight to avoid elimination was fierce. Shockingly, experienced veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Fernando Alonso couldn’t find the pace and were knocked out in Q1. They were joined by Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu, along with Lance Stroll.
Q2 saw Verstappen flex his muscles, laying down a lap time over half a second faster than the rest. The fight for second was tight, with Russell and Sainz setting identical times. However, heartbreak struck for Racing Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian driver, who has struggled this season, couldn’t find the pace and was eliminated alongside Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly, and Yuki Tsunoda.
Q3 was briefly delayed as marshals cleared debris from the track. When the action resumed, Verstappen wasn’t done yet. He further improved his time, securing his fourth consecutive Austrian Grand Prix pole position. But surprise challenger Lando Norris stole the show, putting together a phenomenal lap to claim second on the grid, leaving the Mercedes duo of Russell and Hamilton behind.
Adding to the drama, Lewis Hamilton faces an investigation for a clumsy pitlane incident where he knocked over his rear jack. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc also had a forgettable session, damaging his car after going off track at Turn 9.
Verstappen continued his Austrian dominance by securing his fifth consecutive pole at the Red Bull Ring, a first for him at any track. Joined on the front row by Lando Norris, mirroring the Sprint race results.
Behind them, the grid saw several interesting stories unfold. George Russell secured his best-ever qualifying at the Red Bull Ring with P3. Carlos Sainz finally out-qualified Charles Leclerc after a seven-race drought. Lewis Hamilton, struggling this season, managed a P5 finish, a rare top-six showing. A mistake on his last lap dropped Charles Leclerc to P6. The Ferrari driver is yet to get a top-four start since his Monaco victory.
The Race
The Austrian Grand Prix 2024 was nothing short of a thriller, filled with intense battles, strategic gambits, and unexpected twists that kept fans on the edge of their seats. George Russell emerged victorious, seizing his second career win amid a race peppered with drama and collisions.

A Frenetic Start and Early Drama
Polesitter Max Verstappen led the charge into Turn 1, quickly establishing a gap over Lando Norris and George Russell. Behind them, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz engaged in a fierce duel. Oscar Piastri forced wide at Turn 4 by Sergio Perez, dropping him to seventh. Charles Leclerc’s race took an early hit as he required a new front wing after contact with Piastri.
As Verstappen pulled away from Norris, Hamilton overtook Russell for third at Turn 3 on lap three, only to be repassed by Russell. Sainz then overtook Hamilton for fourth on lap seven, following team orders. Piastri impressed by passing Perez around the outside at Turn 6 a lap later.
The pit stops added another layer of complexity to the race. Hamilton was the first to pit but received a five-second penalty for crossing line at the pit entry. Perez was also penalized for speeding in the pitlane. Alonso’s race took a downturn as punted Zhou Guanyu off at Turn 3 on lap 20, earning a ten-second penalty.
Verstappen and Norris pitted simultaneously on lap 30, with Verstappen narrowly avoiding a penalty for an unsafe release. This momentarily handed the lead to Piastri, who pitted a few laps later, rejoining in sixth. Verstappen then sprinted to a seven-second lead, but a slow second stop due to a stubborn left-rear tire put Norris right on his tail.
With fresh mediums, Norris closed the gap to Verstappen, and their lead battle exploded on lap 59. Norris lunged ahead at Turn 3 but ran wide and had to give the position back. Four laps later, they collided at Turn 3, resulting in punctures for both and Norris retiring from the race. This incident handed Russell the lead under a virtual safety car.
Russell drove impeccably to maintain a gap over Piastri and Sainz. Hamilton, who had been battling various penalties and challenges throughout the race, managed to hold onto fourth. Verstappen, rejoining in sixth after his collision with Norris, received a ten-second penalty for causing the collision but clawed back.
Russell inherited a 2.6-second victory over Piastri, who impressed with a strong performance. Sainz completed the podium, with Hamilton and Verstappen rounding out the top five. Nico Hulkenberg outperformed Perez in a battle for sixth, followed by Kevin Magnussen, Daniel Ricciardo, and Pierre Gasly completing the top ten.
This dramatic race at the Red Bull Ring showcased the unpredictability and excitement of Formula 1, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the next round. As the championship battle intensifies, every point and every position counts, promising more high-octane action in the races to come.
Championship Standings
Verstappen extended his championship lead at the top while Leclerc scored 0 points allowing Norris to close the gap to Max.
Final race of the Tripe-Header
The next race in the 2024 Formula 1 season is the British Grand Prix, set to take place at the iconic Silverstone Circuit. The action-packed weekend will run from Friday, July 5th to Sunday, July 7th. The race promises to be a thrilling homecoming for the British drivers. A crucial battleground in the ongoing championship fight. Fans can look forward to practice sessions on Friday, qualifying on Saturday, and the main race on Sunday. All the drivers will push their limits on one of the fastest tracks in the calendar.
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Formula 1
The Sweet Taste of Victory, The Bitter Pill of DNF: McLaren’s Dutch GP Paradox

Zandvoort, Netherlands — The 2025 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort was a race of two halves for McLaren, a weekend that perfectly encapsulated the brutal duality of Formula 1. On one side, the jubilant celebration of Oscar Piastri’s masterful victory. On the other hand, the crushing defeat of Lando Norris, whose championship hopes were dealt a devastating blow by a late-race mechanical failure

The Unshakable Australian: Piastri Withstands Pressure and Chaos for His 7th Win
McLaren’s dominance was clear. Piastri made a clean start from the front. At the same time, Norris, after a brief tussle with Max Verstappen, quickly reclaimed second place, putting the two papaya-liveried cars in a commanding 1-2 formation. Piastri led with composure, managing his pace and holding a comfortable, albeit slim, advantage over his teammate. Norris, meanwhile, drove with his characteristic blend of speed and aggression, keeping the pressure on Piastri and pulling away from the rest of the field.
With just seven laps remaining, the race’s defining moment arrived. A puff of smoke emerged from the back of Lando Norris’s car. He reported an issue over the radio before being forced to pull off the track, his McLaren coming to a smoky halt. The issue was later confirmed to be a rare mechanical failure—an oil leak—the team’s first race-ending reliability problem in over 60 races.
“It’s a shame to have ended the race like that today, but it was out of my control… I’m pleased with my performance” – Lando Norris(post race)
Verstappen Salvages a Hard-Fought Podium at His Home Race
Max Verstappen delivered a vintage performance of determined racecraft and strategic patience to secure a hard-fought second place at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix. With a brilliant start, Verstappen went side-by-side with Norris and, despite a near-spin, managed to make a daring overtake for second place. It was a move that got the crowd on its feet and proved he wasn’t going to give up on a podium fight. He wisely chose to manage his pace and tires rather than ruin his race by trying to keep up with the faster McLarens. This strategic decision ultimately paid off.

Isack Hadjar’s Historic Dutch GP Podium
Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar, in a truly sensational performance, held his nerve against far more experienced drivers to secure a maiden career podium, marking a historic moment for the young Frenchman and a much-needed morale boost for his team.
While many expected him to fade in the race under pressure from seasoned veterans like Charles Leclerc and George Russell, Hadjar showcased a composure that defied his rookie status. He held his nerve through multiple safety car restarts, fending off attacks and maintaining his position on pure pace. On the podium, Hadjar was embraced by his childhood hero, Max Verstappen, a moment that felt symbolic of a passing of the torch.
Ferrari’s Zandvoort Zero: A Double DNF Delivers a Crushing Blow
With both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc retiring in separate, high-profile incidents, the team left Zandvoort with zero points and a host of questions to answer ahead of their crucial home race at Monza.
First, Lewis Hamilton’s afternoon came to an abrupt and uncharacteristic end on Lap 23. While pushing to make an undercut stick on a rival, the seven-time World Champion ran slightly wide on the banked Turn 3. With a sudden snap of oversteer on a damp patch of the track, he lost control and hit the barrier.
“I’m really not sure [what happened]. I will have to look back at it. As I went up the bank, the rear snapped out and I couldn’t recover. The car was a bit twitchy… My pace was looking pretty decent. I was catching George [Russell] and I think I had the pace of a few cars ahead of me.” – Lewis Hamilton(post crash)
Charles Leclerc, who had shown promising race pace and had recovered some positions, found himself embroiled in a battle with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. On Lap 53, Antonelli, in an aggressive move, understeered into the side of Leclerc’s car at the same infamous Turn 3. The contact sent Leclerc spinning into the wall, ending his race on the spot.
Russell’s Resilience vs. Antonelli’s Rookie Mistakes
Russell qualified his Mercedes W16 in fifth, a solid if not spectacular result that put him in the thick of the midfield battle. Antonelli, meanwhile, continued his up-and-down rookie season, qualifying 11th after an unfortunate spin in an earlier practice session put him on the back foot. Russell’s fourth-place finish was a crucial strategic win in the constructors’ championship. Now, the team looks ahead to Monza, hoping to put the ups and downs of Zandvoort behind them and continue their fight for a healthier points haul.

Kimi’s forward momentum put him in a position to fight for a potential podium, but his race unraveled when he came into contact with Charles Leclerc at the infamous Turn 3. The aggressive move resulted in a 10-second penalty for causing a collision, which, combined with a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, dropped him from a finishing position of sixth to a final classification of 16th.
Points, but No Satisfaction: Aston Martin’s Dutch GP
Lance Stroll delivered a stellar recovery drive from 19th on the grid to finish seventh, a frustrated Fernando Alonso ended his race in eighth, ruing a series of strategic missteps and unfortunate timing that prevented him from fighting for a higher position. The race itself was a story of two very different performances. Lance Stroll’s day was a masterclass in strategic savvy and determined driving. The strategic disadvantage, combined with a car that felt more difficult to handle in traffic than in clean air, led to a visibly angry Alonso. They leave Zandvoort with a valuable 10 points, but know they must find a way to consistently deliver on the promise shown in practice to truly challenge at the front.
“Shoutout to the team for rebuilding the car Friday night and then again Saturday… it was nice to bounce back today.” – Lance Stroll(post race)
Williams’ Albon Delivers
Williams Racing capitalized on the chaos, with Alex Albon delivering a sensational drive to secure a fifth-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Thai-British driver’s race was a masterclass in opportunistic driving and pure speed. His brilliant opening lap, which saw him vault five positions, was the foundation for his entire race. Albon expertly navigated the first corner traffic to put himself in the top ten, a move that he later credited as being the “perfect race” from his perspective.
However, the mood in the garage was not entirely celebratory. Carlos Sainz’s afternoon was a story of frustration and debate. After a strong start saw him in P9, Sainz came into contact with Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls during a Safety Car restart. The incident, for which Sainz was deemed “wholly or predominantly to blame,” resulted in a 10-second time penalty.
Race Results
Driver’s standings
Constructor Standings
Monza: Temple of speed
The stage is set for a high-octane weekend that could see fortunes turn once again. Iconic, high-speed circuit is a stark contrast to the previous race, demanding a completely different aero philosophy and offering a fresh start for teams looking to reset after a chaotic Dutch Grand Prix. For Scuderia Ferrari, in particular, the weekend is a pilgrimage; after a disastrous double DNF in the Netherlands, they arrive at their home race under immense pressure to deliver a performance worthy of the Tifosi.

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Formula 1
FORMULA ONE SUMMER BREAK: First Half Review

The 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix marked the end of the first half of the 75th anniversary of Formula One. Mclaren reigned the Hungaroring marking two back-to-back 1-2 finishes with last year’s controversial Oscar Piastri maiden win at this circuit and this year’s fierce fight between the papaya pair with Lando Norris taking the top step of the podium. A season full of chaos and teammate battles goes into the summer break.

A month of calm before the storm; the final 10 races of fierce battle that will decide the World Champion. Before heading back to the action in Zandvoort, let’s review the first half of this season and discuss all the drama and controversies we had to keep us entertained for 5 straight months.
PAPAYA AT WAR
The most obvious highlight of the season so far has to be the ongoing championship battle between the Mclaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The team in papaya has let their drivers fight without establishing team orders creating the amazing battlefield within the team with both “Number 1 Drivers” fighting for their first ever championship.
Lando Norris had a great lead over Oscar Piastri with the opening race of the season, where the Aussie spun out during the rain at his home grand prix, while Lando took the top step of the podium. Despite the early lead for the Brit, the title battle, which seemed to be between Norris and Verstappen, quickly changed its narrative with Piastri winning the next 4 out of 5 grand prix from China to Miami, making Oscar and Lando the main challengers for the title this season.
After the 5th race of the season at Jeddah, Oscar Piastri became the first Australian to lead the championship since his manager Mark Webber in 2010. Since then. Piastri has maintained his lead in the standings fending off his teammate Lando Norris in second. Although due to Lando’s recent resurgence in form, he has closed the gap to just 9 points heading in to the summer break.

Both drivers have fought wonderfully but with their fair share of mistakes as well.In Canada Lando while attempting an overtake on Oscar, crashed into the pitwall which unfortunately resulted in his DNF. Norris had a strong start in Belgium, starting from pole, however due to a battery issue and Piastri’s excellence, he got overtook by his Aussie teammate under braking for Les Combes. Former Mclaren driver Jenson Button comments:
“Lando can be his own worst enemy at times – he puts a lot of pressure on himself. He’s unbelievably quick, but if he makes a tiny mistake, he really takes it to heart.”
Piastri on the other hand lost his win at Silverstone due to a 10 second time penalty he was handed for erratic braking under the safety car. And in Hungary, due to wrong tire choices as compared to his teammate Norris who was on a one stop strategy, he lost out on another win that should’ve been his.
With both sides of the Mclaren garage making frequent mistakes, and the pitwall allowing both drivers to fight, the battle for the title looks to go till the final race of the season. With Mclaren having the clear fastest car, the Constructor’s Title is unlikely to be lost by the team based in Surrey, England, they have the opportunity to give the audience the closest title battle since 2021 and the closest among teammates since 2016, and so they are.
DRIVER CHANGES
Liam Lawson, set to replace Sergio Perez at RedBull, was demoted only after two races, back to Racing Bulls. In both the weekends, Lawson performed sub par compared to his 4 time champion teammate Max Verstappen, which included a DNF at the opening race in Melbourne. By the Japanese Grand Prix, RedBull decided to swap the Kiwi back to his Racing Bulls seat, and bring home hero Yuki Tsunoda to pair the reigning world champion.
Since the change, Lawson has regained his form with the sister team while Tsunoda continues to struggle in the second RedBull seat. Going into the summer break, Lawson has double the points of Tsunodo, with the former having 20 and the latter 10.

Another driver change in the first half of this season came from Alpine. Unlike Lawson, Alpine rookie Jack Doohan wasn’t swapped to a sister team, but demoted to the role of reserve driver instead after the first 6 races. In his short lived career of 6 races, Doohan garnered no points and 2 DNFs. Although the Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto who took his seat hasn’t gained any points either in the 8 races he has participated till now, it seems like his no DNF record is enough for Alpine to keep him in the seat for the rest of the season.
POST HORNER RED BULL
Talking about mid-season changes, drivers aren’t the only ones being sacked this season. Red Bull has officially entered its post-horner era. July 9, 2025, a date long term Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal would never forget. As a shocking news, Red Bull announced the immediate stepping down of Horner from all his operational duties, appointing Laurent Mekies as the new CEO for the Austrian company. Horner led the team since its birth for 21 years and amassed 6 Constructors’ Championships and 8 Drivers’ Championships.
The sacking of Horner although a massive shock, was a rumor floating in the paddock for over an year now. On 5 February 2024, Red Bull confirmed that Horner was facing an investigation following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague. Some speculate the sacking to be a direct reflection of the allegations against him from last year. But the timing also suggests it may have more to do with a performance clause in Christian’s contract. Red Bull’s performance had seen a significant downwards trend through the first half of the season, with 4-time world champion Max Verstappen openly expressing his frustrations with the car. With ongoing rumors of Verstappen possibly leaving Red Bull to Mercedes for 2026, the energy drink company’s sudden decision sparked the debate of whether the dropping of Red Bull to 4th in the Constructor’s Standings had any role to do in Horner’s sacking.
ALPINE MUSICAL CHAIRS
Red Bull’s Christian Horner was not the only team principal that saw the end of his time with his team. Alpine, on 7 May, released a statement stating, Team Principal Oliver Oakes resigned from his role with immediate effect. Oakes joined Alpine in July 2024, the Briton; a former racing driver, who also runs the Hitech Grand Prix squad, and had the team sat P9 in the teams’ standings post Miami. Flavio Briatore was set to cover Oliver’s duties for the indefinite future.
Merely 12 hours later, Franco Colapinto was announced as replacement for Jack Doohan with immediate effect as well. The rotating seat basis is common for some teams with their drivers but Alpine played this with its driver and team principal simultaneously on the same day.

Since the driver and team principal swap, Alpine has fallen to P10 in the standings. Despite being last, as a bittersweet truth, the team has scored more points after the swap than before. Thus, it does look like an overall good decision for the team going forward.
NEW FACES NEW SEATS
The biggest and most shocking driver changes in recent Formula 1 history has to be the 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton joining forces with the most successful team in Formula 1, Ferrari. This year was the first time the Briton drove a non-Mercedes powered car in his 18 year long career. Heading in to the summer break, he stands p6 in the drivers’ standings, 42 points behind his teammate. Lewis hasn’t had a great season so far, with finishing only p4 or lower in each race of the first half, most of the time finding himself stuck in upper mid-field battles. Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur comes to his defense:
“He’s frustrated but not demotivated, it’s a completely different story.
Lewis Hamilton also finds himself on his longest career streak without a podium of 16 grand prix. Although he found himself on the top step of the podium with a sprint win in China where barely any overtakes took place.
On the other hand, someone who has had a great first half of the season in a new team, is Nico Hulkenberg. The German left Haas at the end of 2024 season and was paired with rookie Gabriel Bortoleto at Sauber. Despite having 8 point-less finishes and a disqualification in the first half of the season, Hulkenberg sits calmly at P9 in the Driver Standings.
This is a result of him ending his record 239-race streak without a podium finish, in Silverstone at the 2025 British Grand Prix. Perfectly timed strategy from Nico and Sauber secured him his maiden podium at the wet race, which also ended Sauber’s 13 year long podium draught.
Another driver seemingly having a better time at his new team is Frenchman Esteban Ocon. Ocon moved from Alpine to Haas for the 2025 season, and is paired next to rookie Oliver Bearman. Despite not having the strongest first half, Esteban enters the summer break at P10 in the Drivers’ Standings, 19 points ahead of Bearman.

Even with multiple point-less finishes, Ocon seems to be having a much better time with the American team, than Alpine. Last year with the French team, Ocon had 16 point-less finishes and 2 DNFs, out of the 23 races and ended the season at P14. Even off-track, this year Esteban looks happier with the Haas family, showing up as a much more mature version of himself than previous years.
Then there is Carlos Sainz. He lost his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton and chose Williams as the next destination in his career. Everyone expected the Spanish driver to outperform his new teammate Alex Albon in his first season with the team. But his continuous struggle to find form has put him in P16 with 16 points in the Drivers’ Standings, 38 points behind Albon who stands at P8. The Spaniard comments on his performance:
“I think everything that could go wrong this year so far has gone wrong for me.”
DNFs in Australia and Bahrain did not give him the start to the season he needed, which must have affected his confidence. Yet he finds himself in the bottom pile of the points each race garnering a few points every week. Unfortunately, again toward the end of the first half, he loses his form gaining only 4 points in the final 6 races.
ROOKIE REVIEW
As for the rookies, most of them have looked decent and have shown good race pace with amazing on-track battles. Alpine rookies Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto are the only ones remaining point-less in the season, but considering either of them have only raced for half the races as others, it’s excusable.

Haas rookie, Oliver Bearman, is at P19 with 8 points. But the standings don’t reflect his race-craft as he has consistently finished at P11 in 4 races straight, missing the points just by one position.
Sitting in P17 is Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto has had 3 DNFs in the first half. But despite the points draught for the first 10 races, Bortoleto has found his pace and gained 3 top-10 finishes in the final 4 races.
Liam Lawson had a rough start to his season with a DNF and P12 finish in the first two races followed by a demotion from Red Bull to its sister team Racing Bulls. Despite the initial lack of form, Lawson has occasionally gained a few points bringing him to P15 in the Drivers’ Standings. Although he does come with his fair share of rookie errors and DNFs.
Lawson’s Racing Bulls teammate, Isack Hadjar also had a rough start to the season without even getting to race a single lap at the first race of the season in Melbourne. But the French rookie came back stronger and has always found himself in the points are just a few positions shy of it, throughout the first half. He currently is at P13 in the Drivers’ standings.
Italian Rookie Kimi Antonelli, is the star of Mercedes junior program and is seen as the Silver Arrows’ future champion. He had the best first quarter of the season compare to his fellow rookies. But unfortunately, due to Mercedes’ mid-season downfall and his loss in confidence, resulted in him having 4 DNFs and 2 point-less finishes just in the final 8 races of the first half. In these recent races the only points he gained are his maiden podium in Canada and a P10 in Hungary. Although he is currently in P7 in the Drivers’ Standings due to his initial performance, if he doesn’t find his form again after the summer break he may not hold the status of “Only rookie in top-10 in the standings” for much longer.
CADILLAC FOR 2026
In January 2023, General Motors and Andretti Global announced their intention to enter GM’s Cadillac brand into the Formula One World Championship. However the Formula One Group had vetoed the decision later that year. In November 2024, following extended disputes between Formula One Group’s leadership and Michael Andretti, Andretti Global sponsor TWG Global (Mark Walter) announced that it was taking over the operation from the Andretti family. Michael Andretti remained as an advisor, and his father Mario Andretti agreed to serve on the board of directors. By March 2025, Cadillac got the final approval from FIA and Formula One, to join as the 11th team in 2026. The team will race with Ferrari engines with future plans to manufacture their own engines.
Cadillac had a huge set of ex, current and new drivers to choose from for their lineup for next year. But on 26 August,2025, the team announced their lineup: Valterri Bottas who is serving as Mercedes’ reserve driver for the 2025 season and Sergio Perez who was lost his Red Bull seat due to underwhelming performance. This lineup looks the strongest for a new team as two experienced drivers are perfect for the development of a car. With this pairing, fans have coined the term “opposite of Mclaren” for Cadillac, as the team in papaya claims to have “2 No. 1 Drivers”, while Bottas and Perez can be considered “2 No. 2 Drivers”.
It doesn’t look like Cadillac would be among the front-runners right from the get go but with the experience and good development, they can rise to the midfield by their first season itself. Team Principal Graeme Lowdon looks forward to the 2026 season:
“We don’t just want to turn up and race, we want to be as competitive as we possibly can be.”
A season packed with so much drama and the closest grid in recent years, is hard to recap, but is surely very entertaining. From maiden podiums and rookies fighting for survival and a midfield so close, the final few positions for points are always up for grab for everyone, this season has had everything. And we’re only halfway there yet.
The Constructors’ Championship is extremely close, with the fight for P2 and P5 extremely tight. Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull all are fighting for P2, and whoever develops their car the best during this summer break, will come out on top. As for P5, Williams have the lead due to their initial stint but Aston Martin has found some pace towards the end of the first half and look like are going to be mighty strong in the second. Kick Sauber, Racing Bulls, Haas and Alpine also find themselves gaining occasional points and are so close that a single DNF or a top-5 finish for either of them, could completely switch the Standings.

The Drivers’ Championship is even closer with Piastri and Norris separated only by 9 points. This is the closest title fight we’ve had since 2021 and the closest between teammates since 2016. With Mclaren letting both its drivers fight it out on track without establishing team orders, the audience are set to enjoy a brilliant concluding second half of the season, with the title fight projected to go till the final race of the season. Both the drivers are extremely talented and will do everything to steal points from each other.

Who will come back stronger after the summer break. Will Australia get their first World Champion since Alan Jones in 1980, or will UK add Lando to their long list of champions. Either way we are likely to see a new world champion being crowned, with Max Verstappen being stripped off his Driver Number 1 by the end of this season. Unless Red Bull develops a car strong enough to fight for wins, then you can never count Verstappen out. Who is going to take away this year’s title. Welcome to the pinnacle of motorsports, where every move matters. This is Formula One. And what a season we have in front of us!
Formula 1
Redemption For Norris In Hungary, Piastri Challenges For Win, Ferrari Falls Short: The Hungarian Grand Prix Review

The Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix had a lot of action up and down the field. From Norris losing positions at the start leaving him vulnerable, to a flashback further down the order with Verstappen vs Hamilton.

(Credit – f1.com)
Lando Uses Offset Strategy To Bag McLaren’s 200th win
Lando Norris qualified P3 on Saturday, putting him behind his WDC Challenging teammate and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Off the line, Norris had a great start and was shaping up a move on his teammate, however he went on the the breaks early to avoid a collision and lost 2 positions in the process, putting him behind George Russel and Fernando Alonso in P5
He didn’t wait too long to dispatch the Aston Martin, and shortly after he was shaping up an attack on George. However he was not able to get into a position to make the move on the Mercedes
Lando and his engineering team opted to use the One-Stop strategy, which wasnt the favoured strategy in the race by others. Once Piastri and Leclerc came into the pits for their second stop Lando was catapulted into the lead.
The last five laps of the race featured a late race charge by Oscar piastri in an attempt to win the race. However Lando withered the storm and kept his cool to win the Hungarian Grand Prix by a small margin of 6 tenths of a second.
Piastri on the other side of the garage was left disappointed after not being able to overtake his teammate, but he still is on a high after promising pace and a 9 point lead coming into the summer break.
200 wins and counting 🧡#McLaren | #NeverStopRacing pic.twitter.com/rvNsa5VQIn
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) August 4, 2025
Mercedes End The European Leg On A High
George Russell managed to bag P3 after a brilliant start put him ahead of Lando and behind Oscar and Charles. From there he managed to defend against the speedy McLaren of Lando Norris leading into the first round of pitstops. From there he ran a quiet race, but come to the final stint of the race he had a tussle with the fading Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, even making contact at one point. But he managed to get past and secure a spot on the podium in no longer than a few laps. A good result for the Brit after his rut in performance since Montreal.
His Rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli managed to finish P10 after a sub-par qualifying finishing off his disappointing European leg with just a single point.
Nice way to enter the break 🏆🇭🇺 pic.twitter.com/DOxX4RFq42
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) August 3, 2025
Ferrari Lets Down Drivers
On Saturday, one side of the garage expressed disappointment, whilst one side was full of joy. Lewis Hamilton qualified P12, and verbally expressed disappointment with himself, his teammte managed to put the car on pole for the Grand Prix.
Going into Sunday, Charles managed to maintain pole off the line and kept the net race lead until around lap 50 where he was overtaken by Oscar Piastri and after the race, the team reported that he had a broken chassis after the second pitstop leading him to lose big margins on track every lap.
Hamilton tried an offset strategy by starting on the hards, but his progress towards the points was hampered by DRS trains, hence, he finished out of the points.
Lewis expressed his disappointment after the Q2 exit, while teammate Charles Leclerc scored a pole at the Hungarian GP #F1 pic.twitter.com/QXSG93sXqE
— Desi Racing Co (@DesiRacingco) August 2, 2025
Leclerc didn't hold back on his Radio during the Hungarian GP after starting on the Pole #F1 pic.twitter.com/1QlDKOKihD
— Desi Racing Co (@DesiRacingco) August 3, 2025
Other Notable Performances
Gabriel Bortoleto scored a career best finish in P6 after defending from Max Verstappen in the early laps of the race, he managed his pace well to bring a boat load of points for Sauber.
Fernando Alonso scored P5, the best finish for him in this season. He was 1 tenth off pole in Qualifying and carried the momentum into the race to pull off an under the radar one stopper, the Spaniard expressed his contentment after the race about the car.
His teammate wasn’t too far off as well, in P7.
Liam Lawson scored P8, a good run in the car for the last few races for the Kiwi, scoring some much needed points after the dreadful start he had in the main Red Bull car.
Race Results
RACE CLASSIFICATION
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 3, 2025
Lando Norris takes his ninth career win 🏆#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/v1llsHul0W
Standings
DRIVER STANDINGS (AFTER 14/24 ROUNDS)
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 3, 2025
Oscar Piastri takes a nine-point lead into the summer break#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/d5cvq76xzy
TEAM STANDINGS (after 14/24 rounds)
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 3, 2025
McLaren surge even further ahead 📈
Aston Martin jump two places 👏#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/sw0Pl8gtDw
After The Summer Break
Next time around we will see the F1 Paddock visit the Netherlands for the Dutch Grand Prix.
A race that was won in dominant style by Lando Norris in the 2024 Season. The WDC Battle heats up, as the McLaren pair enter Round 15 with a 9 point gap. A close battle is sure to come in the upcoming rounds. Something else to watch for will be if Ferrari is able to solve their issues before the end of the season.
Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.
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