To make concrete

Despite losing kilometres in FP2 following an error on the approach to the second Lesmo corner, Antonelli showed progressive improvement as qualifying progressed, finishing Q2 in second place just over a tenth behind Verstappen, which allowed him to regain access to Q3, which he had been missing since Silverstone.

The Bolognese driver is therefore managing to turn the weekend around despite Friday's setback: this makes his position just a few thousandths behind Russell even more valuable, not only because the Briton drives the same car - and is therefore the best possible reference point - but also and above all because the former Williams driver is proving to be one of the best on the entire grid.

What remains to be done now is to capitalise on the result at the end of the 53 laps in Monza, earning valuable points not only in terms of the Constructors' Championship, but above all for confidence. A clean race, without mistakes. Come on, Kimi.

Read also: At Monza you can do it without slipstream (sceptics should ask Max)

Read also: Verstappen shocks Monza by snatching pole position from both McLarens

That first shot at the start of Q3 was facilitated above all by the slipstream provided by Yuki Tsunoda, which allowed Verstappen to put himself in a position of (relative) strength ahead of the final shot. The four-time World Champion then outsmarted Norris in the final stages, completing the job without the aid of a slipstream and thus nipping in the bud the classic "he got pole thanks to the slipstream" comments that critics were already ready to make.

A meticulously constructed pole

Today's result is not only down to Max's great driving, but was also a real team effort; the team worked obsessively during the last free practice session, with the mechanics "trimming" the top of the rear wing in order to gain a few more kilometres per hour on the straights. It was a risky move, as Red Bull did not have another wing with the same level of downforce (although they would certainly not have had any problem using Tsunoda's one).

It may be a risky choice, but the Milton Keynes team knows it can afford to take it, having a driver who can perfectly manage the reduction in downforce and the resulting instability when cornering at Lesmo and Ascari. After all, this is what champions do: implement alternative strategies that would be unthinkable with "normal" drivers. Just ask Leclerc, who triumphed at Monza a year ago after being the only driver to make a single pit-stop.

Read also: Verstappen is the only driver capable of doing THAT: telemetry data analysis Italian GP

Read also: Red Bull, Verstappen on pole position at Monza: «A great moment. The race? We'll see»

Well, today's pole position at the Italian Grand Prix happens to fall into that category of brilliant moments: let's try to explain it together using telemetry data.

The decisive moment

First things first: in the third free practice session, Red Bull decided to trim the rear wing on the four-time reigning World Champion's car.

"Why did they do that?", you might be wondering. To reduce drag and achieve a higher top speed on the straights that characterise the Monza track.

However, in Formula 1, no choice comes without a compromise. For the Milton Keynes team in particular, that set-up change could only mean one thing: less downforce and, consequently, a more difficult car to drive in the corners. But this had little or no impact on Max Verstappen.

Verstappen vs Norris

As we can see from the graph below, Red Bull's compromise paid off: Verstappen had in fact a much higher top speed than his rivals (blue circles).

Graphical comparison between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris showing speed in km/h

Despite an overall performance that was not up to par with his rivals in the middle sector (orange circles), the Dutchman limited the damage in the corners and took pole position by 77 thousandths of a second.

Not only that: Verstappen's superb performance meant that his lap set a new record for the historic Italian track, as well as the best average speed in F1 history (264.681 km/h).

Tomorrow, on paper, the Red Bull driver will struggle to keep up with the two McLarens and is likely to suffer higher tyre wear over a long distance stint, which could lead him to choose a two-stop strategy.

Regardless of how the race turns out, one thing is certain: only an alien like Max Verstappen can deliver special moments like this afternoon's to the fans.

Any other driver, pushing their car to the limit like that, would have made a mistake. He didn't. And that's what makes him special.

Read also: Verstappen shocks Monza by snatching pole position from both McLarens

Main cover photo www.redbullcontentpool.com

Inside photo www.f1-tempo.com

Here are the Red Bull driver's comments after qualifying: "Around here, with such low downforce, it's difficult to put together a good lap. It's easy to make mistakes under braking".

"I felt good in Q3, I'm happy with my laps. Being on pole here is really fantastic. The car has worked well all weekend and fighting for pole makes me very happy".

"After free practice we were close, we made some last-minute changes that allowed me to push harder. They were exactly what we needed in qualifying, it's a great moment for us".

"Beat the two McLaren in the race too? We'll see, historically this season the races have been more complicated for us. We'll give it everything we've got, it's the only thing we can do", concluded Verstappen.

Read also: Verstappen shocks Monza by snatching pole position from both McLarens

Read also: The Hamilton-Verstappen rivalry erupts as Ricciardo triumphs one last time: Monza 2021

The two Ferraris could only manage fourth and fifth place, with Leclerc out-qualifying Hamilton once again. Don't forget: the Britain has a 5-place-grid penalty from Zandvoort, so he will start the race in P10.

Russell, Antonelli, Bortoleto, Alonso and Tsunoda completed the top-10 in Q3. Bearman, Hulkenberg, Sainz, Albon and Ocon were eliminated in Q2 as Hadjar, Stroll, Colapinto, Gasly and Lawson round off tomorrow's starting grid.

Read also: The Hamilton-Verstappen rivalry erupts as Ricciardo triumphs one last time: Monza 2021

Main cover photo www.redbullcontentpool.com

Carlos Sainz proved to be particularly comfortable, finishing third in qualifying simulation just 96 thousandths of a second behind the fastest driver of the day, Lando Norris, with a time of 1:19.974. The performance of Alexander Albon, seventh just over two tenths behind his teammate, also confirmed the strength of the Grove car on high-speed circuits.

If two clues make a proof...

Williams arrived in Monza with an intermediate level of downforce, not as extreme as Ferrari and McLaren but more similar to Red Bull's approach. This still allows the British car to show off its potential since, analysing the telemetry, it is clear that Sainz is able to exploit its aerodynamic efficiency, so much so that he arrives at the Parabolica with a tenth of a second advantage over the MCL39.

Not just time attack, the idea that James Vowles' team could challenge the frontrunners in the race is not as utopian as one might automatically think. The data from Sainz's 10 laps stint on C4 tyres was quite promising, with an average of 23 high (the Spaniard crossed the finish line several times matching Oscar Piastri's chronos).

However, it should not be overlooked that on Fridays, the British team usually runs with a more powerful engine configuration than its competitors, a factor that could prevent the Grove-based team from making a step forward on a par with the competition. Despite having less room for improvement than the others, Sainz and Williams are still contenders for an excellent performance over the Italian weekend.

Read also: The lost Matador: Sainz and the price of change

Read also: The most outrageous penalty of 2025: the FIA need to start from scratch

Monza therefore represents an important opportunity for the Dutchman to increase his lead and try to consolidate his position, but also a chance for the then Mercedes driver to regain the lead and increase the pressure on his rival. Spoiler alert: neither scenario will actually happen.

The report of a breathtaking weekend

The weekend will feature a Sprint format: qualifying on Friday, a short 100 km race on Saturday and a classic Grand Prix on Sunday.

Valtteri Bottas takes pole position but, regardless of the Sprint result, will be forced to start Sunday's race from the back of the grid for fitting new power unit elements, exceeding the number allowed by the regulations. Hamilton beats Verstappen and takes second place, ahead of the Dutchman and the two McLarens of Norris and Ricciardo.

However, Saturday's result comes in handy for the Dutchman: Max crosses the finish line in second place, behind Bottas. This means 2 points in the World Championship standings and pole position for the Grand Prix the following day. Hamilton, on the other hand, is only fifth - behind the two McLarens as well - and will start fourth on Sunday.

When the lights go out, Ricciardo overtakes Verstappen before turn 1 and takes the lead. Hamilton, after initially overtaking Norris, attacks the Red Bull driver on the outside at the Variante della Roggia. However, the Dutchman pushes him off the track, causing him to lose the position he had gained at the start: therefore, the seven-time World Champion stayed in fourth place.

The first part of the race proceeds without any surprises, but what happens on lap 23 changed everything: Max Verstappen suffered a very slow pit stop by his mechanics' crew. At the same time, Hamilton overtakes Norris. In 30 seconds, the World Championship race is turned upside down: Lewis now has a great chance of finishing ahead of his rival at the finish line.

Two laps later, the Mercedes driver comes into the pits for a tyre change, completely unaware of what would happen only a few moments later. The number 44 leaves the pit lane just ahead of the Dutchman, who does not want to give up the place that easily. As a matter of fact, he probably goes over the limit: Verstappen attacks Hamilton at the outside of turn 1, which becomes the inside for turn 2. However, his Red Bull bounces violently onto the kerb and ends up on top of his opponent's car. The outcome? Both championship contenders end up in the gravel.

From then on, Ricciardo flies completely on his own towards what would be the last victory of his Formula 1 career. A victory that will also go down in history for McLaren, who had not won since 2012. After a difficult first part of the season, the Aussie celebrated his comeback in his own way, with a scream full of relief and an emotional team radio message: "Thank you, boys and girls. [Race, ed.] F**king dominated. Thank you for having my back. And to anyone who thought I left: I never left, just moved aside for a while."

Lando Norris made the day even better for the Woking team with his second place. Bottas, with a great comeback (also helped by the Safety Car coming onto the track due to the Verstappen-Hamilton incident), completed the podium.

In short, the 2021 Italian Grand Prix was one of the most dramatic and iconic races in a championship that has - rightfully so - become part of F1's history books. Ferrari fans, fresh from last year's victory, will be hoping for another red weekend at their home race in 2025.

Read also: No Stefano, the problem isn’t the length of the Grand Prix

Main cover photo x.com

An idea that inevitably sparks debate. Because questioning the duration of a Grand Prix means challenging one of the pillars on which Formula 1 has stood for decades. But perhaps the real problem isn’t the stopwatch.

It’s not time that kills passion. It never has been, whether it’s the 300 kilometers of a race or the hour and a half — less than a tennis final and almost the length of a football match — spent in front of the TV. Because when the track comes alive and your heart starts racing, no one notices the passing minutes.

Last weekend, a single overtake by Leclerc reminded us of this. A daring move at the limit, the kind that makes you jump off the couch. Like in 2021, when Hamilton and Verstappen gave fans a season-long duel. Or like in the 2022 Bahrain GP, with Leclerc and Verstappen exchanging the lead lap after lap in a battle that seemed far too short.
The truth is, in those moments the duration of the GP doesn’t matter: only the adrenaline coursing through your veins and the sense that anything could still happen.

The real issue isn’t that Grand Prix are too long for young fans (in some cases, maybe it is, but that’s the minority). The issue is that too often they feel too predictable. Too often the true nature of Formula 1 seems trapped: meticulous rules, millimeter-precise penalties, and strategies designed more by computers than by instinct. And so the races lose their essence: unpredictability, risk and the freedom for drivers to really drive.

Highlights are certainly popular—same as in football. Yet no one would want to reduce a match to just five minutes, because the build-up, the tension and the crescendo to the decisive moment are all part of the show. Without them, the “climactic moment” loses its value.

Perhaps the future of Formula 1 isn’t in shortening the Grand Prix, but in restoring their intensity. Giving drivers more freedom, less instruction over the radio. Encouraging duels, not just the use of DRS. Allowing mistakes, surprises and pure talent to change the course of a race.

Because the audience, young or not, isn’t looking for a shorter race: they want a real race, one that makes the heart beat. And when Formula 1 remembers it can do that, the length no longer matters.

Read also: The most outrageous penalty of 2025: the FIA need to start from scratch

Main cover photo x.com

Inside photo x.com

In the first instance, during the race, caught up in the euphoria of the moment, mainly due to the fact that it is difficult in this modern Formula 1 to find drivers ready to take such an initiative, we had rejoiced like madmen at the great and amazing maneuver made by the Monegasque. The heart had already established that an action like that would be destined to be seen and reviewed over the years as one of the most beautiful overtaking in history.

Unfortunately, however, seeing the images better at the end of the race, we grasped an irrefutable fact. Leclerc was magnificent, it's a shame that overtaking was only possible because he went with all four wheels over the white line. Off the track. The FIA probably judged the episode to be regular only because Charles then had to withdraw following the contact with Antonelli, but this was a rather risky move on the part of the stewards: overtaking like this is to be penalised. They are not regular.

The comparison with Rossi and Marquez at Laguna Seca

Seeing Leclerc overtake Russell on the gravel brought to mind another battle, like the one we feced, in 2008 when Rossi overtook Stoner at Laguna Seca. On this occasion we firmly believed that Valentino should be penalized, despite the FIM having said the opposite. Public opinion, especially Italian opinion, thought differently. But then everyone changed their minds when Rossi was involved in the same situation with the roles reversed, and Marquez overcame him by performing the same maneuver five years later (it was 2013).

This is to tell you how important, even if made in good faith, the considerations made by the stewards can be for the current season, but also future ones.

Leclerc's overtaking was erratic and had to be judged as such

Leclerc made a great maneuver. For the heart, the courage to dare, an overtaking at that point and in those ways should be framed and put in plain sight at the most prominent point in the showcase. But then the head intervenes... Charles' maneuver had to be sanctioned.

We stay here, every year, especially more on certain tracks than on others, to speak on the track limits, but then we let an overtaking like the one made by Leclerc pass without any measure. It is incorrect and not healthy for the sport.

Russell's anger is understandable. George had closed the door in front of Leclerc and instead found himself overtaking and having a damaged car to take to the finish line. The layout has been designed in a certain way and must be respected. Otherwise why force pilots to follow the limits dictated by the white line. Think about what else could come out in a track like Paul Ricard.

Read in the original language (Italian): Emozioni, memorie e conflitti interiori generati dal sorpasso di Leclerc

Cover photo: X,  Christian Nimmervoll;  Internal photo: X, Desacelerando F1

A smoke screen that could change everything

Let's start with the undisputed winner, Oscar Piastri. A big 10 out of 10 for the Australian, who did not look like the favourite at all on the eve of the race. A massive pole position, as well as the race, where he gave Lando no chance to attack, forcing him to park his smoke-filled car (7). A retirement that weighs heavily, with his teammate extending his lead in the standings by a full 34 points.  Who knows if we have witnessed a key move in the world championship challenge. 

High burns 

The return to the track for Leclerc and Hamilton (8 and 4) was rather painful: a double retirement not seen since the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, bringing disappointment and discouragement. The Monegasque's face on that hill overlooking Zandvoort is a painting on canvas that perfectly represents Ferrari's season - made up of more poles than glorious successes. In the endless wait for a car within his reach, Leclerc's overtaking of Russell remains in our minds. A masterstroke for a driver who is increasingly wasted on the streets of Maranello. 

The five-place penalty imposed on Hamilton at Monza only adds to the disappointment of a weekend that, even before it begins, promises to be more complicated than exciting. Will beautiful Italy and the Ferrari fans be able to work a miracle for the Rosso duo? 

When you least expect it

And then, suddenly, something extraordinary happens: Isack Hadjar (10) amazes his rivals and clinches his first Formula 1 podium. There is nothing the outsiders can do, as they are unable to even attempt to overtake the Frenchman, who has been on another level all weekend. The right strategy from his pit wall - and Norris' retirement - put him in the right place at the right time, earning him an unexpected podium finish. 

In his first season in F1, a podium finish is a great calling card. Who knows, maybe the Red Bull bosses are already considering a move to Milton Keynes. 

A successful gift

Max Verstappen licked his wounds and took home second place in front of his home crowd (8). A crazy overtaking manoeuvre at the start gave viewers and fans at Zandvoort goosebumps. Although his pace was not enough to fight with the Papaya duo, the Dutchman gave his all to be the best of the rest. 

Between great performances and costly mistakes

After Hadjar, the applause was all for Oliver Bearman (9): the Ferrari star took a superb sixth place after starting from the pit lane. Great pace and masterful work from his pit wall, which made some spot-on calls, allowed him to climb back into the top 10. The same fate befell Ocon (8), who finished tenth to give Haas the double points it had been missing for some time.

Another honourable mention goes to Albon (8): after a difficult qualifying session, the Thai driver once again showed his great feeling with the FW47, climbing up to fifth place and once again marginalising Carlos Sainz (4), who was unlucky and penalised for what happened with Lawson (4).

We conclude with Lance Stroll, who, after mistakes in FP2 and qualifying, brought his Aston Martin back into the points after the British Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso also did well, thus completing a double haul for the British team. Precious points also for Tsunoda (7), back in the long-awaited top 10.

And Mercedes?

George Russell limited the damage by returning to his “safe place” in fourth position (7), albeit grumbling about Leclerc's overtaking manoeuvre. Kimi Antonelli (3) fared badly, being too impulsive - and naive - in his attempted overtaking manoeuvre on the Monegasque driver, which forced him to end his race. The Italian needs a clean and satisfying weekend: will the home crowd give him that and more?

The GP of the others 

We close with Alpine and Sauber, both out of the points: too much fighting in the middle of the pack for the top 10 and too little pace (and luck) to really compete. But the Circus doesn't stop: there's another race this weekend, heading to Monza, the kingdom of the Rossa fans: will we be writing more colourful and exciting pages? We'll just have to wait and see.

See you soon, my friends. 

Read the original version (italian): https://www.formula1.it/news/26585/1/la-rompipaddock-colline-sconsolate-nei-pressi-di-zandvoort?a=1

Read also: The rompipaddock - Horses in disarray

Inside photo x.com

From favorite to DNF. The shots that knocked out Norris

Having gone into the summer-break just 9 points behind leader Piastri, the Briton had started the Dutch weekend with every intention of winning and reducing the gap even further. Norris dominates free practice and reaches Q1 as the favorite for pole. He was the fastest both in the first session and in Q2, but just at the crucial moment Piastri worked magic and beat him by just 12 thousandths, taking away pole position. Norris cashed in the first hit. A strong shot and precise blow. 12 thousandths is nothing and it is precisely that trifle that makes everything even more painful.

In the race, he is forced to receive another set of hits. One for each stint. At the start Piastri maintains P1 and starts controlling the race as if nothing had happened, while Lando gets off to a bad start, loses position on Verstappen and is forced to make up for it. Lando will soon get rid of Max, but not being able to reach his teammate and not enter the battle, not even for a second, hurts. Especially after being considered the favorite of the weekend on Friday evening. Series of shots.

The blow that momentarily knocks him out is dealt to him by the power unit, which betrays him with a few laps to go. Norris is down. He sees his teammate win, increasingly world leader, now with a 34 point advantage.

Lando is in pain, but gets up. He's taken a lot of hits, but he can still do it. There are already those who say that Zandvoort can be considered the decisive stage of the 2025 World Cup. In our opinion, no, the decisive event will be next. Norris took many hits, got up, but now he too must be able to respond to the series of attacks he received.

We need an answer to Rocky Balboa

From Lando we need an answer to Rocky Balboa. The well-known boxer, who kept us all stuck on the screens, has never won a match as an absolute dominator. Rocky was a boxer who knew how to cash in, and took some. How many did he take before landing the decisive blows and winning the matches. Norris has collected in this first part of the season and in Zandvoort he has taken a lot, perhaps more than he took in the first part of the world championship.

Now the time has come to also launch some well-placed hooks to continue believing in the world championship, Monza will have to mark the GP of rebirth, the one in which Lando will enter the ring, and will be unstoppable, like Rocky Balboa.

Read in the original language (Italian): Zandvoort mette Norris al tappeto, a Monza serve una risposta degna di Rocky Balboa

Photo: X, Formula1, Internal photo: X, Formula1

What we want to analyze is the period of difficulty that the young Mercedes is going through. The Italian, born in 2006, had an overall good and fairly linear start to the season. He took fourth place on his debut and then achieved sixth place four times in the five stages that followed. Three zeros came in Imola, Monaco and Barcelona, but Kimi had shown that he was on track by taking his first career podium in Canada, finishing third behind Russell and Verstappen.

It all started at the Red Bull Ring

Up to this point (Canadian GP) his season was positive. Very positive for a rookie. According to the writer, the castle that Kimi built in his head in Montreal, however, lasted for a very little period. Indeed, it immediately collapsed in Austria. The Italian comes to Spielberg very confident. He talks about the last races in which he failed to collect points, and about Canada as if it were the light at the end of the tunnel, the GP that would have made him turn the season around. Antonelli will claim that he has often limited himself to carrying out the homework up to that point and now that the podium had arrived, he could have attempted another approach to the weekend. A grittier, more experimental approach.

It is here, according to the writer, that the problems arose. At the Red Bull Ring, right where he had made such a strong statement, he had to retire following his mistake: he blocked the wheels in turn-3 and collided, also throwing out the four-time world champion Max Verstappen. At Silverstone he then suffered another retirement, this time innocent, put out by Hadjar who hit him due to poor visibility.

Too much protection makes worse situation

This was followed by a zero in Belgium, tenth place (just one point) in Hungary and yesterday's zero again in Netherlands. A negative trail that we have hypothesized began with an excess of euphoria and which can only end after a careful analysis, not so much by Kimi, but also by the Mercedes team. Too overprotective.

There may be a line of wanting to protect Antonelli by raising a wall to help him isolate himself and only think about running, especially after what happened in Monza last year. But even by acting in this way it is not certain that any good will be done to him. It is clear that there is something wrong with these performances. However, it seems as if Kimi's problems have become a sort of Taboo for Mercedes. The team doesn't talk about it, Andrea doesn't talk about it accordingly and everything gets complicated.

Managing a 19 year old driver is not easy. He finds himself in Formula 1 coming to terms with the greats, with the icons of sport, and in his debut season he has already had the chance to fight and ‘clash’ (in the true sense of the word) with two of the most important figures within the paddock: Verstappen and Leclerc.

The problems must be addressed and avoiding talking about it and/or hiding Antonelli inside a bubble will certainly not help him. In fact, it will only complicate the situation.

Read in the original language (Italian): Antonelli soffre una Mercedes iperprotettiva

Photo: Mercedes

The incident

Carlos Sainz received a 10-second penalty – and 2 points on his driver's licence – at the Dutch Grand Prix.

An outrageous punishment when compared to what happened: in an attempt to overtake, the Spaniard pulled alongside Liam Lawson on the outside of turn 1. Following a slight oversteer by the VCARB driver, due to the lack temperature of the tyres (still cold at the time of the restart from a Safety Car), the two cars made contact.

Both drivers ended up with punctures, which ruined their chances of achieving a good result.

However, the effect of the contact should not overshadow the FIA's decision. In an official document, the race stewards explained their reasons as follows: "Car number 30 [Lawson's, ed.] had the right of way [as it was ahead of the apex, ed.], so car number 55 [Sainz's, ed.] is wholly or predominantly responsible for the collision."

The new guidelines...

Ahead of the 2025 season, the stewards have introduced new guidelines on overtaking manoeuvres. And this is the result.

In the specific case of the Zandvoort race, Lawson had left enough space for Sainz, but the question must be asked: how could the Williams driver have expected his rival to correct his oversteer?

The former Ferrari driver calculated his move correctly. The event that led to the contact was unforeseen and unforseable, really.

As per this exact reasoning, the Sainz-Lawson incident should have been classified as a racing incident, just like the one between Leclerc and Russell at turn 12.

Let's be open and honest: if Antonelli received a 10-second penalty for completely misjudging an overtaking manoeuvre on Leclerc, then Sainz can not be penalised in the same way for a mistake that Lawson made.

The appeal to the FIA, therefore, arises spontaneously: they need to start from scratch with the regulations, otherwise there is a serious risk of seeing more crazy decisions like yesterday's.

Read also: Dutch GP - Piastri wins as Hadjar gets maiden podium, Norris and both Ferraris out

Photos x.com -  x.com

His tears at the last Mexican Grand Prix will remain etched in the hearts of Ferrari fans: with that victory, his last in red, Carlos wanted to pay tribute to his years at Ferrari, the entire team and his supporters. 

New horizons

His departure from Maranello was painful, but it did not dampen the tenacity of the “Matador”. From this season, Carlos has embraced a new project: that of Williams. It is an important change, full of challenges and expectations.

The start has not been easy, with difficult moments and tough weekends, such as the last Dutch Grand Prix. But if there is one thing Carlos has always demonstrated, it is that he never gives up. He works hard, believes in the project and faces every difficulty with the determination of the greats. His journey in Formula 1 is far from over; in fact, it is still to be written.

Happy birthday Matador: rediscover your light and show, once again, the potential you possess.
The best is yet to come.

Read the original version (italian): https://www.formula1.it/news/26583/1/buon-compleanno-matador-tra-ricordi-indelebili-e-nuove-sfide-all-orizzonte

Inside photo x.com

Inside photo www.ferrari.com

Main cover photo www.williamsf1.com

Read also: Isack Hadjar: All heart at Zandvoort

Read also: Charles you're pure emotion

"It's not a track I particularly love, but the important thing is to give it my all, be fast and try to score points"

From the first free practice sessions, Isack proved to be competitive. In qualifying, he pulled off a textbook lap, which earned him a spot on the second row, alongside a certain Max Verstappen. It was an unexpected but well-deserved fourth place. The young Racing Bulls talent knew that keeping up with Ferrari and Mercedes for 72 laps would be tough. The podium was not even in his thoughts. 

Everything can change

However, the race was unpredictable and full of twists and turns. Hadjar was a constant: fast, clear-headed, consistent, never overdoing it. He raced with the maturity of a veteran. While chaos took shape around him - with unexpected retirements and frequent Safety Cars - he never lost the rhythm or concentration that had distinguished him from the start.

The chequered flag marked many emotions: his first podium in Formula 1 in his debut season, as well as the return of Racing Bulls among the greats, an absence that had lasted for four seasons:

"It feels surreal. The thing that surprised me the most was being able to hold on to fourth place for the whole race. What a fantastic day. I'm so happy for my guys"

In a chaotic Dutch Grand Prix, Hadjar shone brighter than ever. When talent meets determination, dreams can become reality. And if this was his debut... The best is yet to come.

Read the original version (italian): https://www.formula1.it/news/26564/1/isack-hadjar-tutto-cuore-a-zandvoort?a=1

Read also: Dutch GP - Piastri wins as Hadjar gets maiden podium, Norris and both Ferraris out

Today, for a brief moment, Charles broke free from the cage with an overtake that recalled the wheel-to-wheel duels of the past, when talent truly made the difference. When overtaking was an art, not the result of countless data and strategies.

It was just a moment, but it was enough to remind everyone that this sport, if left in the right hands, can still excite. Too many rules, limits, or endless calculations sometimes take away the joy and beauty of racing. One move was enough to awaken the fans, to bring back the feeling that anything can still happen.

And perhaps that’s why Leclerc continues to embody a hope different from many others on the grid. Because beyond the results, he manages, at times, to bring back the Formula 1 we always want to see. One that puts the heart in the car as well as the mind. One that risks, that believes even when things seem impossible.
Like overtaking at Rascasse in Monaco or Copse at Silverstone. Holding off Hamilton and taking victory at your first Monza in red, or finishing a Grand Prix with a single pit stop when a double stop seemed mandatory. Like overtaking into the gravel, ignoring curbs or track limits.

Regardless of how this story ends, whether there’s a penalty or not, today Charles gave fans a moment of pure magic. He reminded everyone that we can still dare and bring back the Formula 1 we dream of: one that believes in the impossible, that makes the heart race, and delivers new emotions every time.

Read also: You're mistaken, Charles: YOU deserve better

Read also: Dutch GP - Piastri wins as Hadjar gets maiden podium, Norris and both Ferraris out

Main cover photo x.com

Inside photo x.com

He held that same position for the entire race, until Lando Norris (who was in the second place) had a problem with his car, and was forced to retire. 

“Wasn't easy - gave it everything at the start to move forward and had a little moment in Turn 2", said the 4 time World Champion. 

“But in general to be on the podium here is a great result.”

To make this podium even more special, Verstappen was able to celebrate with Isack Hadjar, the Racing Bulls driver who delivered a great performance to secure his first ever Formula 1 podium. 

Read also: Hadjar «made no mistakes» on the way to his first F1 podium

Read also: Dutch GP - Piastri wins as Hadjar gets maiden podium, Norris and both Ferraris out

Read also: Mighty Hadjar at Zandvoort: second row alongside Verstappen

Hadjar started the race from fourth place, and defended it fiercely against George Russell and Charles Leclerc. During the final laps, Lando Norris, who was running second behind his teammate, suffered car problems and was forced to retire. This promoted both Verstappen and Hadjar up one position, allowing them to join Piastri on the podium.

“It feels a bit unreal. What was most surprising to me was keeping the fourth place for the race. Unfortunate for Lando, we took advantage of his [DNF]”, said the driver.

“I maximised what I had and made no mistakes. This was the target since I was a kid, this is the first step and hopefully more to come."

A well-deserved podium for the 2004-born driver after an excellent race, hopefully the first of many more to come. 

Read also: Dutch GP - Piastri wins as Hadjar gets maiden podium, Norris and both Ferraris out

Read also: Mighty Hadjar at Zandvoort: second row alongside Verstappen

Piastri highlighted the progress he has made compared to previous seasons, emphasizing the importance of consistency and hard work: “I tried to improve wherever possible. At the start of the weekend it seemed difficult, but I managed to put everything together in qualifying, and I was very happy with the pace today. I was glad there were Safety Cars that added a bit of spice. Then we managed to bring everything together”.

He also expressed gratitude to the team, a key part of today’s success and his growth: “It wasn’t just me improving; it was also the team around me helping me get here. Without them, this wouldn’t have been possible. It was a real team effort".

Piastri now looks to the future with determination but also caution: “Restarting at the top is positive, but we take one thing at a time”. In short, the road ahead is still long, but the restart has been in the right direction.

Read also: Dutch GP - Piastri wins as Hadjar gets maiden podium, Norris and both Ferraris out

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Lando Norris, after running second for most of the race, DNF'ed on lap 65 because of an engine failure. Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar brilliantly completed the podium.

Lewis Hamilton made a mistake at turn 3 on lap 23, which saw him end his race into the barrier. His teammate Charles Leclerc got taken out of the race by Kimi Antonelli - penalised twice from the FIA stewards, for both the incident with the number 16 and for speeding in the pit lane - in the same corner on lap 53.

Russell was P4, with Albon (P5), Bearman (P6), Stroll (P7), Alonso (P8), Tsunoda (P9) and Ocon (P10) completed the points-paying positions.

Read also: You're mistaken, Charles: YOU deserve better

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According to Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari's team principal, the Monegasque driver could have got fourth place on the grid if he had completed a perfect lap. And this should give the team plenty to think about...

Leclerc is the one who deserves better, not the other way around.

Now in his seventh year in red, Leclerc has proven on multiple occasions that he has become (through an extensive growth process) World Championship material.

Yet he has never had the chance to fight for the World Championship. He has never had a car and a team that were up to the task.

Let's be clear: all human beings make mistakes. No one is perfect, not even Leclerc. But it is the way one reacts to his mistakes that makes the difference.

It is not morally fair for a driver to beat himself up over a less than perfect lap in qualifying when, just a month ago, he lost the chance to win a Grand Prix solely because of an unknown drop in performance. Even today, the Tifosi don't know what happened to his car in Hungary.

Morover, frankly, what difference does it make to line up fourth on the grid - rather than sixth - in the eyes of the most successful team in history?

Ferrari have to win. If they haven't done so since 2008, when the Monegasque was barely a teenager, it is certainly not the fault of a driver who always gives 110% for the Prancing Horse he so much loves.

That driver is Charles Leclerc: a talent who deserves much more than he has received in his last seven seasons at Maranello. Someone had to set the record straight.

Read also: How Piastri turned the script upside down by getting pole position at Zandvoort

Main cover photo www.ferrari.com

Promotion in the air, but first...

It was a real coup for the rookie from Paris, who skilfully put together his best laps at the decisive moment of qualifying. Isack managed to leave behind not only the Mercedes of one of the fittest drivers of 2025 - namely George Russell - but also the two Ferraris. He was almost three tenths of a second ahead of an excellent Liam Lawson, who drove the other VCARB02 to 8th place.

A stunning lap deserves a special celebration 😍

Brilliant job, Isack 💪#F1 #DutchGP @visacashapprb pic.twitter.com/ZFHkBMxomI

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 30, 2025

Tomorrow's race – as Hadjar himself affirmed – will be a completely different story, but in the meantime, it's time to enjoy a result that confirms what appears to be a newfound solidity. If we add to this the fact that he'll be racing alongside what is likely to be his next teammate, well... then today's result takes on an even sweeter flavour.

Read also: Dutch GP Qualifying: Piastri on pole, Hadjar impresses in P4

Read also: Mind games

Getting inside opponent's head

What is truly astonishing (only for those who are yet to realise Oscar's qualities) is not so much the track record - 1:08.662 - set by #81, but rather his ability to make the decisive move when it really counts.

99% of the paddock identified Norris as today's polesitter; it couldn't be otherwise, given that from the very first lap on Friday, Lando had confirmed his great feeling with the Dutch track, perhaps even more than Red Bull Ring. After all, we still have the 2024 edition fresh in our minds, when the Brit was the absolute dominator: fastest lap by 5 tenths of a second ahead of his teammate and victory by over 20 seconds ahead of home hero Max Verstappen.

Let's be clear though: it would be absurd to “blame” a driver for missing pole position by a hair's breadth (literally) of thousandths of a second. Knowing the Bristol native's emotional nature, however, this could turn into a minor psychological setback. Yes, because the bar is set high. The closer we get to the end, the more the tension is bound to increase, by inertia. Piastri understood this and perhaps started to play a little today, delivering the decisive blow when his rival thought he was safe.

This is something that number 4 should perhaps also consider. There is no need to do anything dramatic, but mind games are still part of Formula 1: history tells that. Just ask Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, two drivers who had no qualms about “falsifying” their telemetry in order to turn what were actually strengths into apparent weaknesses.

Sending signals from the other side of the box – like it or not – is necessary. Oscar has understood this and Lando had better start doing the same as soon as possible. Because, at the end of the day, sometimes distorting yourself is not a sign of weakness but - on the other hand - of great, tremendous strength.

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Inside photo pbs.twimg.com

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Read also: Piastri «peaks at the right time» and beats Norris to Dutch GP pole in «tricky weekend»

Read also: How Piastri turned the script upside down by getting pole position at Zandvoort

After an entire weekend in which he had been inferior to Lando Norris, championship leader Oscar Piastri secured pole position at Zandvoort.

The tiny little gap between the two - just 12 thousandths of a second - makes all the difference, given that overtaking is difficult on Max Verstappen's home soil.

Let's analyse together, using telemetry data, how Piastri managed to overturn a script that was already written: one that saw Lando ahead of him.

Piastri vs Norris

The graph below shows just how close the pace was between the two drivers: Norris carries more speed in turns 1 and 10, Piastri in turns 3 and 11.

Difference between Piastri and Norris in km/h during the decisive lap for pole position

Yet the difference in the Australian's approach - difficult to measure in km/h - lies in his use of the accelerator: the number 81 has more confidence in his car in turns 7 and 8, accelerating before his direct competitor even in the final section of turns 13 and 14.

That extra confidence, when the gap is only 12 thousandths in the end, becomes hugely valuable for whoever comes out on top between the two. It become even more valuable if the winner, Piastri in this case, had struggled to get the better of his teammate throughout the whole weekend.

After all, whether one might like it or not, it is in the decisive moments that one sees who has what it takes to be a World Champion and who does not. Norris appears to be potentially the fastest out of the McLaren pair, but - at least so far - he has not shown the same killer instinct that Oscar has.

And who knows, looking at the World Championship standings at the end of the year, moments like today's pole position may prove to be the ones that decided the season altogether...

Read also: Piastri takes pole at Zandvoort as McLaren lock out the front row

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Inside photo www.f1-tempo.com

“That was the definition of peaking at the right time. I'm super happy to come out with this result, but obviously the points are tomorrow. It was looking like a little bit of a tricky weekend so far, so happy with that”, said the australian driver. 

“You just keep chipping away. Still some things to try and work on, but overall very happy. We are both trying to beat each other every weekend.”

The battle between Piastri and Norris is getting more and more interesting with every race. This pole position is very important for Oscar, as he will have an advantage for tomorrow’s race. But anything is possible with the two papayas, so let's just enjoy the show.

Read also: Dutch GP Qualifying: Piastri on pole, Hadjar impresses in P4

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Strong effort from Hadjar, who will line up fourth next to home hero Max Verstappen. Ferrari, on the other hand, could only secure sixth and seventh place.

Big disappointments for Tsunoda and Antonelli, both knocked out in Q2.

Here is the starting grid for tomorrow’s Grand Prix:

Read also: The Orange That Endures

The incident

At the end of a timed lap, arrived on the main straight, the Spaniard had to swerve to avoid the number 63 Mercedes, which was entering the pit lane.

The two-time world champion managed to avoid contact with his opponent, but, in doing so, very nearly risked damaging his Aston Martin against the barrier.

The FIA's verdict

After analysing what happened, the FIA stewards decided to fine Mercedes €7,500 and issue a warning to Russell.

This decision was explained by the following statement: "The team did not warn the driver appropriately. [...] It would have been more prudent for Car 63 to have kept more to the right of the track to leave space for faster cars coming around that corner".

Here's the official document.

Read also: Piastri avoids penalty for pit lane incident with Russell

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This year, however, the Dutch Grand Prix will be different for Max. He is no longer the one who dominates on track. The four-time world champion arrives at his home GP knowing already that, by the end of the season, he will have to give up the number one. One of the Papaya cars will take it.

A color that to many might look similar, but to those who know Formula 1 is something entirely different. Two worlds, two reigns, two seasons. And while in almost every other round of the championship Orange has turned into Papaya, here it hasn’t. Here, Orange does not yield, does not fade, does not bow to the fate of a championship that has already taken on another shade. Because if it’s true that sporting cycles come to an end and Formula 1 always rushes toward the future without waiting for anyone, when it comes to home there’s something different.

And for Verstappen, this track is home. These corners, these grandstands, this crowd that saw him grow and become a champion.

Much has changed this year, but on this circuit it feels as though time has stood still. That young boy, often criticized yet praised, has become a champion who has left an indelible mark on the history of Formula 1. A story that, despite the direction the championship has taken, has not yet written the word “end”. Because if there is one thing Max Verstappen has taught the world over these years, it is that he will fight until his very last breath.

And even if Papaya is ruling the world, here it is Orange that fills the grandstands and sets the air on fire. One color, one voice, a single chant. Two words, one name.

Read also: Why Max Verstappen is bigger than Formula 1

The verdict

The stewards decided that a fine of €5,000 for McLaren was the most appropriate penalty for the incident.

"The team admitted that the driver was not warned [that he had to pass the first row of mechanics in the fast lane, ed.]. The team should have handled the situation better," the statement reads.

The official document follows.

Read also: EXCLUSIVE - Interview with Francesco Cigarini: a life of «Essere Ferrari»

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At the age of 25, after many gruelling sacrifices, his dream came true. For over two decades, Cigarini wore the most coveted suit in motorsport, the red one.

Working for the Scuderia, he had the opportunity to meet many drivers: from Schumacher to Leclerc, with Barrichello, Raikkonen, Massa, Alonso, Vettel and Sainz amongst them. Even today, he still has kind words to say about each of them.

In 2018, a serious injury proved to be the biggest obstacle of his life. Yet Francesco never gave up, and he returned to the track stronger than ever, showing the whole world what it means to “Essere Ferrari”.

The interview

FP: "Hello Francesco, thank you for being here with us. Let's start with your career, what you did to get to Ferrari and an explanation of the role of mechatronics engineer."

FC: "My pleasure. So, I started studying with the aim of understanding the technology behind a car, because I realised right away that I loved cars: that was what drove me, along with my passion for Formula 1. After studying, I started going to dealerships and workshops in the area to work and learn the trade, insisting on taking courses because at the time – we're talking about the 1990s – there was no YouTube... Information was not as easy to find as it is now, so in order to increase your knowledge, you had to have specific knowledge. Since I frequented Volkswagen and Audi dealerships a lot, and they are very knowledgeable in this area, I was able to take these courses. I also took a course with a BMW instructor, and from there I realised that, more than the mechanics itself, I liked understanding what the sensors, actuators, and control unit did... From there, I developed more of a desire to learn about mechatronics, which at the time was not called mechatronics, but later took on this name.

"Until, at a certain point in my career, I saw [the TV programme, ed.] 'Porta a Porta', where they presented the car: the famous episode where you can still see the videos of Montezemolo talking to Michael [Schumacher, ed.] on the radio and Michael joining the broadcast. That was the turning point, because I heard the interview; they interviewed my future colleagues and asked them how to get into Ferrari. They said, 'just send your CV', and that opened up a whole new world for me, because I said, 'ok, this could be an opportunity'. I said to myself, 'when I'm 40, I won't regret never having written to Ferrari'. So I sent my CV and they replied within 8/9 days. We had interviews, or rather, I had medical examinations, psycho-aptitude tests and then an interview about gearbox hydraulics, during which they told me I could decide [whether to join the team, ed.], and I said no, because I had been told that with gearbox hydraulics I would never get on the track. I said, 'I can't join Ferrari and give up my ambition to work on the track'.

"After a few months, they called me in for an interview about electronics and wiring... They confirmed my position, and on my 25th birthday – which was 29 July 1999 – I signed my contract to join Ferrari. A nice birthday present, that. Then from there you start trying to understand by getting to know the wiring, how it is used in motorsport, what the very precise procedures are to follow, the type of materials, knowledge of the electrical system, who does what, which actuator does this or that... Then you get a general idea of what the car is, and from there there are other things that are part of the car, but not really part of the electrical system, to discover, as well as working with colleagues and all those dynamics. I remember that I used to stay there a lot [at the factory, ed.], because I didn't have a family there, so I preferred to spend my time understanding what everything was, so I had to stay at the factory and at the time we stayed there until the bitter end. I could use these hours to learn more, at a more leisurely pace... In the evening, there were also fewer people in some cases, so you could see things more calmly."

FP: "You mentioned the importance of understanding every sensor in minute detail. I won't ask you to explain them, but I will ask you this: how much pressure did you feel working for Ferrari? You know, knowing that every little thing you do can have an impact on the car, especially when things on the track don't live up to expectations... We know that Ferrari is always seen as the best team and when it doesn't win, there's always a mountain of criticism. How did you deal with that psychologically?"

FC: "Psychologically, I knew this, but I was driven by a great passion and desire to do well. I told myself, 'Do the best you can in the moment, because life is full of ups and downs, so you won't regret not giving it your all. There was pressure, of course, but we put it on ourselves, the lads of that time. Everyone knew they had to give their best to make the whole mechanism work.

"[The pressure, ed.] I felt it most when I had to work with Michael [Schumacher, ed.] for the first time. I knew he had 360-degree vision and saw everything. As a newcomer, I wanted to be worthy of “Being Ferrari” [which has become the team's slogan in recent years, ed.] and of working with a world champion. A negative judgement from him would have brought the whole house of cards crashing down. That's when I felt the pressure more. Then, getting to know him, while always maintaining high concentration, you manage the pressure when you realise that he knows you are part of the team, that you have become part of the mechanism. At the beginning, it's always a bit tough because, in addition to wanting to be accepted by engineers and colleagues - as a capable person, someone who can give something extra in terms of work on the track - you also had to be accepted by Michael, Rubens [Barrichello, ed.], and Badoer. I had this thing with Michael because he was world champion, but the concentration was high in all cases, because they made you keep it high. You could never let your guard down."

FP: "You mentioned Schumacher in particular, but you have worked with many top drivers at Ferrari. What is one characteristic that stood out to you about each of them?"

FC: "Well, Rubens [Barrichello, ed.] was a great driver and much more cheerful and sociable than he appeared on the outside, but always a consummate professional. He had a Brazilian spirit and was very playful.

"Michael [Schumacher, ed.] was the consummate professional and champion who looked at every detail with 360-degree vision; he was a role model.

"Then I can say that Felipe [Massa, ed.] was a driver who, in order to give his best, had to be “pampered”. During Felipe's time, I learned to pay attention to every detail and also to do everything possible to put him in the right conditions to drive, both with the set-up of the steering wheel and everything else. He needed to feel part of a team, and Felipe's team was very close-knit and supportive, especially during the period when Fernando [Alonso, ed.] was there, from whom he felt pressure.

"Fernando was a divisive figure in the pits at the time, in the sense that he was a superstar. But it wasn't that he didn't know who I was because I didn't always work directly on his car. People in the team bond, they know who you are, so I would say he was a huge focal point, but a great champion, a real cannibal. A cannibal to the nth degree.

"Then let's talk about Sebastian [Vettel, ed.], who had many of Michael's characteristics. We're talking about two different periods. Michael also had a marked humanity, but with Sebastian this humanity came out in an explosive way, partly because he always wanted to exchange a few words with us, he knew everyone's names and sometimes stopped to chat more than he should have. When he was testing the car, during the first few days of the shakedown [at the start of the season, ed.], I tried to find 30 seconds to look him in the face and ask him, “How's the car?”. From there, I knew how it was, for better or worse, because he clearly gave me a lot of his impressions.

"Then we have Charles [Leclerc, ed]: a huge talent, a huge one. I knew him when he was little and I loved him right away, partly because he was what we had been missing with Jules Bianchi [a driver who grew up in the Ferrari Driver Academy and died in 2015 due to a tragic accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, ed]. Unfortunately, we suddenly lost a friend, a leading driver, and then we found him [Leclerc, ed.], who could rekindle this hope. I won't deny that we saw a lot of Jules in Charles: he is a huge talent, also an explosive talent that needed to be tamed over the years, because you have the talent but you have to work hard on the team, on letting them know what you want, on being able to work and make the tyres work. These are all aspects that you find over time, by working.

"Carlos Sainz is a very complete driver because he has a wealth of experience with many teams and is very intelligent in understanding and making himself available to the team. Williams made a great move in signing him because he is someone who, even if he is being beaten on the track by Albon, gives the team something extra in terms of knowledge and vision.

"Kimi [Raikkonen, ed.] is a big-hearted person, but he is fundamentally distrustful, so you have to treat him well, you have to know how to handle him. Let me say, he's like an animal, very instinctive: he sniffs you out, he hates “political games”, especially at the racing level. He wants to compete, these forms of politics bother him a lot and in fact, throughout his career, he has been bothered by these things. Now, while visiting Lake Garda, I happened to see him outside a bar with his family and I said hello. We hugged, we talked about what he was doing, about his son, so he's really a very nice person. If you meet him, it's clear that he's out of the competition now, he's a different person, maybe more relaxed, but basically he's an animal who sniffs out who he's dealing with, and he's someone who hates politics, or all these people who hang around them like parasites, not that he hates them, but he wants to chase them away. He doesn't find comfort in all this, so he's always a bit prejudiced against people, so you always have to find the right way [to interact with him, ed.]."

FP: "You also had an unpleasant incident with Kimi, breaking your leg during a pit stop at the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix. Can you tell us what happened and how you recovered from it?"

FC: "First of all, I saw some comments on a few videos, and I want to make it clear that it wasn't my fault: I had been in that position for 10 years, so I trusted the mechanism, the system [of the pit stop, ed.]. A system that was implemented with something that probably didn't work as it should have at that moment, so it allowed the rear jack to be released from the driver and he unknowingly released the clutch.

"I remember seeing the car go down, the wheel turn, and I tried to get out... But as soon as I saw the car go down, everything went dark. I got up and saw my broken leg. It was a shock. Then I took off my helmet and earphones because everything around me was disturbing, and from there a new challenge began: I had to recover.

"I accepted the injury without really knowing what the consequences might be, because during my recovery, the doctor said to me at one point, 'from now on, we've averted the danger of leg amputation'. I didn't know that, so I said, 'What?' She explained that in cases like this, the body often stops recognising the leg as an extension and stops supplying it with nutrients, effectively giving up on it. Hearing that was a shock, but it was good that she told me after [the risk of amputation had been averted, ed.].

"The challenge was to try to get back on track, because I didn't want my last image with Ferrari to be lying down. I also wanted to show what Ferrari's values are and how hard you have to work to be worthy of being a Ferrari man. My goal was to show both the people within Ferrari - my colleagues and my bosses - and my family that I had accepted the challenge and that I had to be as ambitious as possible in order to make a full recovery. That was the goal.

"I have to be proud of myself and I have to show that I was a Ferrari man, a man who accepts challenges. During my recovery, in the second or third month, I remember the doctor who was treating me telling me that my tibia wasn't healing, but my fibula was. He had to operate to fix this, so I went back, I “regressed” in my rehabilitation, and so it took me even longer."

FP: "But in hindsight, it was worth coming back to fight and coming out on top... Would you do everything you did in the same way?

FC: "Absolutely."

FP: "We talked about Charles [Leclerc, ed.], you told us many nice things about him. I wonder if, after his seventh year at Ferrari, he is gradually coming to the conclusion that he might not win in red: could the day come when he says 'I tried, I'm moving to another team'?"

FC: "It's possible, but in my opinion, his thinking is, 'What if I change teams and in a year or two Ferrari puts the car I need to win the World Championship on the track? Then you have to see what alternatives you have and how certain you are about those alternatives.

"I asked myself the same question when I decided to leave: 'What if the next one is the right one and we start winning again? But at a certain point, I made my choice, so he could make the choice [to leave, ed.]. I don't see it as feasible for now, but I'll tell you that in my opinion, the question you have to ask yourself is: 'What if I finally leave everything I want from the car and it comes the following year?

FP: "Are you saying that his regret at not winning with Ferrari could be much greater than his regret at not winning a World Championship in his career?"

FC: "Yes, but it depends on how he feels within Ferrari, because if, for example, he realises that the feeling he once had is no longer there, at some point he will have to leave, but I don't think that's the case at this point. He has the lofty ambition of bringing the title to Ferrari and he is doing it for himself, because it's a path he wanted to take and he has embraced it completely."

FP: "On the other side of the pit, Hamilton is certainly not having an easy time of it. Do you think next year's new rules could also be a mental reset for him in terms of competitiveness?"

FC: "Every rule change is an opportunity for someone who hasn't been able to seize it before. His experience and understanding of the new way of driving could help in some way, but he needs to have an efficient car. He is used to a car that behaves in a certain way, thanks to both him and the technical team. A car that gives him confidence, not as extreme as today's Ferrari. A more solid car, more “honest” in its behaviour.

"He has a champion in house [Leclerc, ed.] who has a lot of experience, so I think it could be a mental reset for him, but I don't know how ambitious [Hamilton, ed.] is in imposing his way of being at Ferrari and how well or accurately he is received, I don't know that. From the statements he makes from time to time, it's as if he's sounding the alarm bell."

FP: "If you were part of the team today, what would you think as a member of Ferrari about Hamilton's statements?"

FC: "If you're inside the team, you know the dynamics that might help you understand better why he says that. From the outside, I can say that he demands a lot from himself and from those around him. I posted something [on Instagram, ed.] a little while ago because I was thinking about this situation and it occurred to me that one thing that worked very well for Hamilton [at Mercedes, ed.] – and which doesn't exist at Ferrari – is someone like Niki Lauda: someone who acts as a link between the team and the driver, conveying what Hamilton wants in a slightly less blunt manner. Someone who acts as a spokesperson and acts as a glue between the whole team and the driver: that was what Lauda could do well and what was good for Hamilton."

FP: "I know that your favourite driver was Gilles Villeneuve. Having worked at Ferrari, how much would you have liked to meet him? If you had had the opportunity, what would you have said to him?"

FC: "First of all, I would have told him that everything [my relationship with Ferrari, ed.] started with him and Enzo Ferrari, with those two. I recently saw a photo of Gilles Villeneuve eating with some people, and three of those people worked with me, but at least two of them have passed away.

"My regret was not sitting down to talk about those times in depth; when I saw the photo and saw that they were there, I said to myself, 'Damn, with all the work, work, work, I didn't take the time to get to know better who was close to him at that time and who he [Villeneuve, ed.] was.

"Then I also met Jonathan Giacobazzi, who is the son of the family that sponsored and welcomed Gilles, so they told me something. They know that I have this myth that ignited my passion: he was the spark that started it all."

FP: "This year, you have been a guest on Sky's “Race Anatomy” programme several times. In an episode in which you were not present, the commentators were asked who would win the World Championship between Piastri and Norris, and above all why. So I'll ask you the same question."

FC: "I'm not sure that the one I say will win, but that's the one I hope will win, and Norris. He's a driver who basically thinks outside the box because he's a cheerful guy, and I really like people like that, a bit like Ricciardo.

"Then [Norris, ed.] is a driver who has shown his vulnerability. He said, 'I have these weaknesses, I'm not a superhero, this is who I am, I'm a person who demands a lot from himself. I make mistakes, but this is who I am'. But what happens? If you show your vulnerability, you give someone like Piastri the chance to attack you two laps from the end by kamikaze-ing [as happened in Hungary, ed.], thinking “he's afraid of physical contact, he'll move over and I'll get in”. It's like bleeding in the middle of a tank of sharks. It's nice of him to say “okay, look, I'm bleeding”, but you're facing sharks that have a [cannibalistic, ed.] instinct."

FP: "Last question: what would you say to a young person who dreams of working at Ferrari? What advice would you give them?"

FC: "First of all, they must have passion and they must know that when a dream comes true – like working at Ferrari – there is sacrifice involved, so it's not all roses and sunshine. To make your dream come true, in any field, you have to sacrifice a lot of other things: time, friendships, lots of things you'd like to do; also because you travel, you have to deal with time zones...

"One of the things I can say is that when your dream comes true, it's not like the Mulino Bianco family: you have to work hard, you have to be focused, capable and keep the pressure on even when you don't want to. When your car breaks down between PL3 and qualifying, you're under a lot of pressure... These things happen, and it's a lot of pressure because you say, “if I fail, we'll miss qualifying”. I remember very well that once it happened to us with Vettel [at the 2019 German Grand Prix, ed.], who didn't qualify because we weren't able to solve a problem.

"You have to be determined and accept many things that, when you're in the thick of it and all eyes are on you, always fill you with passion. And they require a lot of sacrifice."

FP: "I am speechless, Francesco. Thank you very much for your time and for everything you've shared with us."

FC: "Thank you."

P.N. We would like to thank Francesco Cigarini for his kindness and willingness to participate in this interview. Partial reproduction of this exclusive interview is permitted provided that the author (Fabrizio Parascandolo) and the source FormulaWebMagazine.com are cited with a link to the original content.

Read also: EXCLUSIVE - Interview with the founders of Racetrack Dynamics: the best course for future F1 engineers

Main cover photo www.instagram.com

It is clear that with 10 races remaining until the end of the 2025 championship, Ferrari's move to slightly modify the geometry of the rear suspension and fix the tie rod is aimed more at the 2026 season than at the current one.

McLaren are 299 points clear in the constructors' championship, too many to make up for in the ten remaining GPs. Nonetheless, the introduction of the update regarding the new rear suspension, also according to ‘Funoanalisitecnica.com’, is not only an upgrade aimed at improving performance immediately, but an upgrade made to test future performance.

The pull-rod suspension will also be present in 2026

In 2026, the car noses will still be considered low. In addition, there will also be active aerodynamics. All this should facilitate the use of pull-rod suspension. Ferrari therefore may have wanted to introduce a more extreme solution than the previous one to evaluate its effects and carry out studies in view of next season. Nothing is taken for granted.

The 2026 car is no longer in its embryonic stage. It is now almost defined and needs to grow in the best possible way to arrive prepared for the January tests. Ferrari knows it only has 4-5 months of development to be able to attack the 2026 regulations. Nothing will be left to chance.

Read in the original language (Italian): Ferrari, la nuova sospensione posteriore potrebbe essere un test per il 2026

Photo: Ferrari

Andretti-Cadillac will join the paddock as a customer team and will have the brand new Ferrari power unit (designed to be consistent with the regulations present in the next technical regulation with partner General Motors who could take over later) to push it towards important goals. Obviously, however, to increase the chances of achieving excellent results and developing the car in the best possible way, Mario Andretti (one of the key figures of the project) had made some considerations on the new line-up which could also be assimilated to important promises in some ways (read here).

For a new team, getting points is the most important thing. An essential must. So clearly, Andretti has never hidden his desire to choose an expert in order to have some sort of guarantees on his side. The name that circulated most in the paddock at the beginning of the year was that of Sergio Perez, immediately taken for granted in some cases. However, the other seat should have gone to a young man, probably an American, the entrepreneur and former F1 driver had always said.

Perez-Bottas for greater solidity, but there is disappointment

Unfortunately, the official announcement in the past few hours was an iced shower for the many talents in the cadet categories, including IndyCar. Apparently no young person will be paired with Sergio Perez, much less Valtteri Bottas, in charge of bringing Cadillac cars to the track next year.

An afterthought that brings with it a bit’ of disappointment. In addition to the many talents, also for the fans. Having two more seats on the grid left open hope in seeing the nursery of drivers capable of performing at the highest levels of motorsport grow.

However, this is confirmation of the difficulties that managers have in trusting drivers with little experience. F1 is not for everyone and another test comes with Red Bull, which after various attempts then chose to keep Tsunoda within the team, despite managing to collect only 7 points since he became his teammate of Max Verstappen.

Read in the original language (the article in Italian was written before the official announcement, it has been revised for the English version): Cadillac, Andretti aveva fatto altre promesse. Primi ripensamenti e delusioni

Photo: Red Bull Racing

2019: When Charles took Vettel by surprise

Charles Leclerc made his Ferrari debut in 2019, replacing Kimi Raikkonen and joining Sebastian Vettel, the Prancing Horse's top driver. The German was coming off a very dramatic season, with a world championship that slipped away due to a few mistakes (which later proved fatal) and several unfortunate incidents. Added to this was the loss of Sergio Marchionne, which affected him deeply.

That championship was supposed to be the year of rebirth, but it turned out to be anything but: Leclerc's arrival and his immediate speed surprised Vettel, who expected to have to mentor the young Monegasque driver at least for the first part of the championship. Instead, Charles quickly integrated into the Ferrari environment.

While Vettel managed to finish ahead of Leclerc in Australia (4th and 5th at the finish line), the Bahrain Grand Prix told a different story: the Monegasque was on the verge of victory, but an engine problem in the final stages ruined all hope. He finished third, with Vettel fifth, more than 30 seconds behind.

The two remained very close throughout the season, with Leclerc managing to secure two consecutive victories in Belgium and Monza, bringing Ferrari back to victory after nine years on its home circuit.  In contrast, Vettel only managed one win in Singapore and a series of podium finishes. The final standings rewarded Leclerc, who finished with 264 points, twenty-four more than the German, who ended up with 240.

2020: Everything falls apart 

The pandemic brought the whole world to a standstill, including Formula 1. The engines were silenced until July, when a “halved championship” kicked off with the Austrian Grand Prix. Only 16 races are held, in a context in which Ferrari appears to be in great difficulty. Despite everything, Leclerc once again manages to stay ahead of Vettel, who leaves Ferrari that very season. 

This marks the end of the marriage between the German and the Prancing Horse: a union that has provided many thrills but has failed to achieve the biggest goal, the championship title. The 2018 German Grand Prix changed Vettel's fortunes at Ferrari, but many believe that Leclerc's arrival also influenced the German's decision, as he was overshadowed by the young talent on too many occasions. 

As the years go by, Leclerc continues to iron out his mistakes, establishing himself as the team's leading man. Despite having no championship titles under his belt, he delivers brilliant performances and heart-stopping successes. This brings us to the current season, where Leclerc finds himself saying goodbye to Sainz and welcoming Sir Lewis Hamilton as his new teammate.

2025: King vs Prince

Hamilton's arrival generates great anticipation: fans, media professionals and even rival teams can't wait to see him behind the wheel of a Ferrari. There is already a lot of excitement from the first laps at Fiorano, as well as at the double presentation of the SF-25 in London and Milan. Expectations are sky high. Everyone is wondering: will Leclerc be able to keep up with him? Or will it be a heated battle between the two right from the start?

However, World Championship dreams quickly fade, thanks to an inconsistent car that is significantly less competitive than the McLaren, which is cruising towards winning both titles. Complicating matters is Hamilton's performance, who, unexpectedly, is struggling to settle into the Ferrari environment. The experts had predicted it: adaptation takes time - but the adaptation proves to be longer than expected. 

After fourteen races, the results speak for themselves: Hamilton finishes 11 times behind Leclerc, with zero podiums (except for the victory in the Sprint Race in China and the podium in Miami, also in the Sprint). The Monegasque, on the other hand, has achieved five.

‘Maybe it's time to change drivers.’ These are the words Hamilton uttered at the end of qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Leclerc took pole position. Strong words, revealing all the frustration and tension the champion is facing.

Leclerc is one of his concerns. Despite the disappointment of an uncompetitive car, the Monegasque continues to show solidity, talent and leadership. He is the team man, without a doubt. Different years, different drivers, but the same script. And at this point, the question arises:

What makes him unbeatable?

For many, his supremacy in Red is the result of his long tenure with the team, while for others it is simply a matter of pure talent. Over time, Leclerc has refined his driving, learning to manage his tyres better and seize every opportunity on the track. He is among the best in the flying lap and, when the car allows it, he proves to be a tough opponent in close combat. 

But what really sets him apart from his teammates is his extraordinary ability to adapt to the constant technical changes in the car. He has been forced to revise his driving style several times: a far from easy task, but one he has always tackled with speed and precision, leading to concrete (and consistent) results in a short time. It is precisely this responsiveness that makes him one of the most complete and feared drivers on the grid.

With the summer break coming to an end, we can only wait and see what the second half of the season will bring for the Ferrari duo and whether Lewis Hamilton will manage to close the gap on Charles Leclerc.

I would like to thank Marco Sassara for his valuable and always welcome contribution.

Read the original version (italian): https://www.formula1.it/news/26302/1/charles-leclerc-l-ammazza-campioni-in-rosso

Inside photo www.ferrari.com

Main cover photo www.ferrari.com

Inside photo www.ferrari.com

Read also: Change of colours: who won the mid-season bet?

Read also: The rompipaddock - Horses in disarray

But what could be its future? A high-level manager like Horner could decide to do and go wherever he wants. From taking care of something else, to returning to F1 or creating a team of his own, or picking up someone's legacy and then trying to bring another team, not Red Bull, back to victory.

Only Mercedes, McLaren and the best team of 2026 would deny his access out of hand

In the scenario in which the British manager decided to embrace the cause of some already existing team, in our opinion, only three teams would deny his access out of hand, without even the need to make assessments.

The first is Mercedes. To get Horner into Stuttgart through the front door, as team principal, would have required a global cataclysm. An earthquake should be even stronger and more serious than the one involving Christian Horner himself in Red Bull. Toto Wolff is a very powerful figure within the team. Owning a third is even co-owner. So we would still exclude Mercedes from the equation.

Then there is McLaren. The Woking team comes from a period of strong growth. After winning the constructors' championship in 2024, in 2025 we can take his victory in the team championship almost for granted and the conquest of the drivers with one between Norris and Piastri is very likely. It wouldn't be easy for the British team to put aside a winning manager like Andrea Stella to make way for Horner. Unless he wants to take over in another role, but we doubt it.

The other team that would certainly not open its doors to one of the most successful managers in Formula 1 will be the one that will appear on the starting blocks of the new 2026 technical regulations with the best single-seater on the grid. At the moment it is difficult to say who it will be, but even in this case the same considerations made for McLaren apply.

Considering Red Bull and Racing Bulls excluded from the list, for obvious reasons, Christian Horner could potentially be on the list of seven teams: Ferrari, Aston Martin, Alpine, Audi (Sauber), Cadillac, Haas and Williams. Much will depend on how these teams present themselves at the start of next season, but Horner is in no hurry. He would have had to wait anyway. He has plenty of time to wait and evaluate every kind of opportunity.

Read in the original language (italian): Horner attende e valuta, solo tre squadre lo respingerebbero a priori

Photo: Red Bull Racing

Also read: The wet set-up no longer exists

Also read: Mercedes, the strength to make mistakes

Also read: The SF-25 annihilates Hamilton, a communication disaster in Budapest

Expecting rain for the race, with bad weather bringing water to the track from the early hours of the morning, as many as four teams had decided to change the mechanical set-up (suspension, anti-roll bar, ground clearance) of their cars: we had the Williams that intervened on Sainz's car, the Ferrari on Hamilton's SF-25, Mercedes in Antonelli's car and Aston Martin in Alonso's AMR-25.

Disregardful differences between dry and wet. So why change?

Unfortunately, however, we are here to underline a very important thing. The mechanics who took care of these cars did not intervene on the set-up to adapt them to wet conditions. The wet set-up no longer exists. The set-up differences between rain and dry conditions were already negligible in the time before the introduction of the 2022 regulations. With the advent of ground effect cars, these differences have been reduced more. The only thing that can be done in the wet direction is to prefer using the more loaded wings over those used in qualifying, but nothing more.

Why change then? Simple. Once Q3 is finished, the car enters a parc fermé regime. Consequently, the performance that the cars manage to offer between Saturday and Sunday is a compromise between being able to have a single-seater that is competitive both in the fastest lap, with an exhaust tank, and in the race pace with a lot of fuel on board.

When someone decides to start from the pit lane it is because, having failed to maximize performance on Saturday, they choose to at least set the car only on the race so as to have a better chance of recovering than their opponents. A practice that, if you pay attention, can also be found on some weekends when dry weather and zero rainfall are expected.

Read in the original language: L’assetto da bagnato non esiste più

Photo: Ferrari

Also read: Lawson unbridled: «Red Bull? It didn't allow me to grow»

Also read: Mercedes, the strength to make mistakes

Also read: The SF-25 annihilates Hamilton, a communication disaster in Budapest

After just two races, Lawson was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda. This decision shook the New Zealander, who admitted in a recent interview that his lack of knowledge of the car - as well as the Melbourne and Shanghai circuits - played a key role: 

"If you look at how other teams have approached the idea of bringing in a young driver and consider the test days, the time spent in the car, the amount of testing that, for example, Kimi [Antonelli] did in the past before competing this year, we did none of that" he said.

"It was two weekends on two tracks I had never raced on before, one of which was a sprint weekend. They weren't easy weekends. We had reliability issues in testing in Bahrain, and also in Melbourne. In China, we took a gamble with the organisation to try and learn something. For me, it was as if it was helping me grow for the future, to have a better understanding of the car. So I was happy to drive with that kind of set-up. That performance was then used to demote me from the team, basically," he added. 

A joint fault

Although everything was so early, Lawson took some of the responsibility for this failure, pointing out how he could have performed better:  "There were some unforeseen circumstances at that time that made things difficult"  he admitted. "They weren't clean weekends. And by my standards, they weren't good enough. Obviously, I was trying my best and trying to get up to speed as quickly as possible."

"Looking back, I know there are many things I could have handled and dealt with differently. If I had known I had little time available, maybe I would have been different. But at the time, I didn't. Maybe I was a little naive, but I thought I would grow and have plenty of time to learn," he concluded. 

Irony of fate 

At the halfway point of the season, Lawson had scored 20 points, ten more than Yuki Tsunoda (current Red Bull driver). The RB21 shows signs of weakness even when driven by Max Verstappen. Seeing the satellite team perform better than the main team gives pause for thought. In recent months, Lawson has managed to settle back in at Faenza, finding a good feeling with the car and his new teammate Isack Hadjar, creating a solid and competitive team. 

With Formula 1 on holiday, we just have to wait and see what the second half of the season has in store for Liam Lawson and Racing Bulls, who are battling Haas, Sauber and Aston Martin for sixth place in the constructors' standings. 

Read the original version (italian): https://www.formula1.it/news/26323/1/lawson-senza-freni-red-bull-non-mi-ha-consentito-di-crescere

Read also: Change of colours: who won the mid-season bet?

The world championship battle with Oscar Piastri highlighted the highs and lows of the Englishman, who faced a very difficult period from a psychological point of view. It was precisely on this aspect that Sainz defended his colleague and friend, considering him one of the most genuine drivers on the grid: 

‘He opens up to the media and people more than any other driver on the grid, and people use that against him,’ he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "What you see on TV is what he's like as a human being. He's very good at showing himself. Sometimes I find it a bit ironic and a bit frustrating. He's probably the only one who is 100% sincere in his feelings and his way of thinking, but then people turn against him," he added.

Norris or Piastri? Sainz has no doubts

The first part of the season ended with Norris in much better shape, managing to close the gap to Piastri to just nine points. The second half promises to be a battle, with Sainz admitting that #4 has what it takes to win the championship: 

‘If I base my decision on speed and talent, I am 100% sure that he has everything it takes to win a world championship.  But F1 also requires a bit of luck, mental resilience, and knowing how to feel comfortable with a car at the right moments,’ he emphasised
‘It doesn't matter if he doesn't win this year, he'll have another chance. He has 10-15 years in F1. He has potential, talent and speed. If he succeeds this year, fantastic, I'll be happy for him. Otherwise, he may have his chance later on,’ he concluded. 

Who knows if Carlos Sainz's analysis is correct and if Lando Norris will indeed be the new World Champion in the 2025 season.

Read in the original version (italian): https://www.formula1.it/news/26361/1/sainz-difende-norris-e-uno-dei-piu-veri-in-griglia

Read also: The rompipaddock - Horses in disarray

Read also: Change of colours: who won the mid-season bet?

Main cover photo www.williamsf1.com

Inside photo www.williamsf1.com

Great hype not lived up to?

Let's start with the most talked-about man, Lewis Hamilton. After the announcement of his move to Ferrari, there was much speculation about what he would be able to achieve, a sign of the great excitement surrounding F1 fans - and the media - who were eager to see the seven-time world champion dressed in red.

January 2025: the first photos begin to circulate and are already a success, as are his first laps in a Ferrari. At the presentation of the cars, Hamilton is moved: he feels ready for this new adventure and, together with the whole team, uses important words in view of the season. But the reality will prove to be anything but triumphant. The Prancing Horse finds itself still chasing, with fluctuating performances. While Charles Leclerc manages to squeeze the most out of the car, Hamilton struggles, partly due to his lack of knowledge of the Ferrari world and all those technical aspects that are so different from those used at Mercedes. The gap with his teammate is evident: if we look at the last Grand Prix, the Englishman leaves Budapest with mixed emotions.

Emotional, impulsive. Those who know Lewis Hamilton know that his words are often not dictated by objective truth. These three weeks of break will serve to raise that ‘Still I Rise’ that is so lacking at the wheel of the Ferrari #44.

Full throttle

Nico Hulkenberg has settled in well at Sauber. The German driver was chosen by Mattia Binotto to help the team climb back up the standings. After a difficult start, developments on the C45 allowed the German and rookie Bortoleto to put together some important races. The British Grand Prix was unforgettable, with Hulkenberg managing to climb onto the podium.

Sauber ends the first part of the season in seventh place, battling with Aston Martin for sixth. With Bortoleto in good form and Hulkenberg solid, the future of the Swiss team (which, remember, will become Audi in 2026) looks very promising.

It never rains but it pours

Carlos Sainz is going through a difficult period: in his first season at Williams, he has scored only sixteen points in fourteen races. This is a worrying statistic considering that his teammate, Alex Albon, has 54 points. The Thai driver's great performances have allowed the British team to take fifth place in the constructors' championship. Without Albon, Williams would be last.

The Spaniard's difficulties are more than evident, and many are wondering where the determination and, above all, the consistency that characterises #55 has gone, as he grapples with the darkest period of his career. After his excellent performances at Ferrari, everyone expects Sainz to build a glorious path at Grove, which at the moment is only full of potholes.

The light at the end of the tunnel

The one who has surprised everyone positively is Esteban Ocon, who ended his relationship with Alpine well in advance (not competing in the last race of the 2024 world championship), arriving at Haas in December. It is a new adventure for the French driver, who strongly believes in the project revolving around the American team. His immediate rapport with the whole team has led him to achieve important results, with Haas currently in ninth place in the constructors' standings, battling with Racing Bulls and Sauber for seventh place.

The inconsistency of the VF-25 has prevented Ocon and Bearman from regularly finishing in the points. However, of the 35 points scored, 27 were obtained by the French driver. The numbers speak for themselves: Ocon has been able to adapt quickly to the Haas environment, thanks in part to his work with Laura Muller, his new track engineer. The Alpine chapter is now closed for the Frenchman, who is moving swiftly towards new horizons.

Two victims of the system 

We close the circle with Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, both Red Bull men. The New Zealander partnered Max Verstappen in the first races of the championship. But his results proved disappointing, with too big a gap between him and the Dutchman. At Suzuka, he was replaced by Tsunoda, who gave way to Lawson, who returned to Racing Bulls.

The road ahead will not be without pitfalls for the Japanese driver either: since his debut with Red Bull, he has scored only four points. Without Max Verstappen, the Austrian team would find itself at the back of the constructors' standings. The arrival of Mekies and the new updates should give the young Tsunoda the confidence he clearly lacks at the wheel of his RB21, which is also causing Max Verstappen major problems.

In Faenza, on the other hand, Lawson is starting to regain his feeling lap after lap, forming a solid and profitable partnership with Hadjar, with several points scored. RacingBulls aims to build a season full of solid races and, with a similar line-up, has everything it takes to do so. 

A look at what's to come

The new line-ups have shaken up the grid. For some, changing teams has been synonymous with rebirth, while for others, it has been a hard blow. The second half of the Championship is just around the corner, with ten stages still to go. The possibility of changing scenarios is still very high.

Read in the original language (italian): https://www.formula1.it/news/25882/1/cambio-di-casacca-chi-ha-vinto-la-scommessa-a-meta-stagione

Main cover photo as.com

Read also: Mercedes, the strength to make mistakes

It is difficult to trace the origin of the car problem. The Stuttgart company, from the Imola GP to this part, has constantly introduced innovations to the single-sitter. Events without upgrades since then are rare (Monaco, Great Britain and Hungary). However, in a recent statement reported by ‘Formula1.com’, it appears that Mercedes was able to trace the problem by attributing it to the rear axle: “What's new? They will end up in a bin” said team principal Toto Wolff.

It takes strength to admit the mistake and just as much to get back up. To regain competitiveness, the Stuttgart company abandoned the innovations to recover the package adopted well before May. It takes courage to retrace your steps, but this is not the strength we want to talk to you about today.

Unassailable Mercedes, thanks to its great strength

The real strength of the Mercedes team is to take responsibility by doing it in a way in which it is completely unassailable by the press. Over the past weekend there has been a lot of talk about the decision made by Wolff and his team. The team has also been compared to the Ferrari. The question that arose ‘Sky Sport Italia’ was: “What would the press have said if Ferrari had made this mistake?”

It would probably have been the theme of the next few months. However, we can analyze the reasons why, in the case of the German team, there was only talk of a bold choice without criticism. We believe the reason is quite simple and obvious: Wolff has always declared with extreme simplicity what he was turning like clockwork and has always analyzed the problems that would have taken time to solve.

Toto Wolff never set deadlines, only long-term goals, peppered with so much hard work. Although in the 2022 - 2025 regulation era his team was never, under any circumstances, the absolute benchmark of F1, Wolff was always honest. And when you bring your heart in front of the cameras, it then becomes difficult to criticize every aspect. If we then add that we are talking about a team that has obtained 8 constructors' titles and 7 drivers' titles in the last 12 years, we also understand how we can be magnanimous towards them in some situations.

Their strength, however, we reiterate, is sincerity. Virtue which also gives Mercedes, in return, the strength and courage to make mistakes and admit her mistakes. Being able to lead a team with these values makes you unbeatable, perhaps above all, when you don't have the chance to prove it on the track.

Read in the original language (Italian): Mercedes, la forza di sbagliare

Photo: Mercedes

Read also: The rompipaddock - Horses in disarray 

Read also: The SF-25 annihilates Hamilton, a communication disaster in Budapest

Read also: McLaren takes away Piastri's freedom of speech. The right choice for the world championship?

Papaya Rules bye bye

Lando Norris claimed his ninth career victory, thanks to a winning strategy from his pit wall (9). Extending the first stint was a winning move for the Brit, who closed the gap on a disappointed Piastri (8), who was the victim of a questionable strategy. The Australian attempted to close the gap on his teammate. A mission accomplished and almost ruined on the penultimate lap, where the flashback of what we saw in Austria took shape once again.

We were very close to contact, but it didn't happen, nor did the overtaking of Norris. Two more laps and perhaps we would have been writing something completely different; perhaps, with a different strategy, it would have been #81, visibly irritated by what had happened, who would have triumphed. Three weeks of rest will be ideal for the McLaren pair: who knows if the much-talked-about Papaya Rules will finally crumble... History teaches us that it takes no time at all to go from friends to enemies. 

I'm just a guy... Unlucky

Charles Leclerc was unable to replicate Saturday's magic, thanks to a car that abandoned him without his knowledge halfway through the race (10). His big heart and, above all, his visceral love for Ferrari lead us to admire and respect him for every move he makes. His frustration over the radio after realising that victory had slipped away creates regret even for the average fan sitting on a humble sofa.

As the sole leader of this team, these holidays will be crucial for him to distance himself from the Red stabs in the back and try to get some divine blessing from a saint or two ahead of the next stages. 

Goals to forget 

200 insipid GPs for poor Verstappen, who, like a skilled fisherman, rows tirelessly towards a meagre conquest. The result? Only bitterness. In the race, he treats us to some characteristic overtaking, but in reality, he achieves nothing. He even has to surrender to Lawson's Racing Bulls (8), who manage to finish ahead of him. Ninth at the finish line and with only the desire to return home to his family, the Dutch driver is likely to start thinking about moving to the satellite team: perhaps he would achieve more there. 

Green flashes

And then, suddenly, they make a strong comeback: the Alonso-Stroll duo (9) shake up their midfield rivals thanks to a weekend to remember. They bring home double points and reach sixth place in the constructors' championship in the blink of an eye. These weeks of relaxation leave us with a welcome sense of suspense: will they manage to stay strong in the second half of the season?

Another superhero of the Hungarian weekend is the young Bortoleto: the Brazilian managed to enchant everyone with a stunning qualifying session, where he managed to finish ahead of a certain Verstappen. The magic continued in the race, with a great result. Keep an eye on this kid, he could be a force to be reckoned with in 2026.

Welcome returns 

Let's move on to George Russell (8), who is back on the podium. After a confusing period, Mercedes is once again giving its rivals a run for their money, thanks to the old (and effective) rear suspension. There's certainly no talk of work during the holidays, but who knows if the sea and relaxation will lead Toto Wolff and the Brit to reach an agreement on his expiring contract.

Our Antonelli (7) also did well, managing to reach the points zone from the rear of the field and earning a precious point that will allow him to enjoy his holidays more peacefully. 

Mood swings

We conclude our piece by turning to the man in a bad mood, Lewis Hamilton (3). A weekend to forget, where even the demons of the past took over. Those who have been following F1 for years know that Sir Lewis is an emotional guy. Just think of when everything was going perfectly at Mercedes: he dominated the races, setting fast lap after fast lap, yet he felt there were “paranormal problems” with the car. 

Of course, hearing a seven-time World Champion say that Ferrari needs to change drivers has a certain effect. But that's Lewis for you, he doesn't think about the impact his words might have, he lives life like he races, at full throttle. This break will help him find himself and try to change pace from Holland onwards. 

Moving on to Williams, Haas, and Alpine (4), the first part of the season ends without any points scored at the Hungaroring. Among them, there are those who can smile and those who are close to the door. But that's another story, which is better not to tell at the moment.

 As for you, all that remains is for me to wish you a happy holiday: we'll be back in September with new stories and ironic anecdotes to tell.

See you soon,

Your Rompipaddock. 

Read in the original language (italian): https://www.formula1.it/news/26224/1/la-rompipaddock-cavallini-allo-sbando-
Read also: The SF-25 annihilates Hamilton, a communication disaster in Budapest

Read also: McLaren takes away Piastri's freedom of speech. The right choice for the world championship?

The SF-25 does not fit its style and what's more, as we have told you several times during the year, it is a very problematic single-seater. The new rear suspension introduced in Belgium seems at least to be able to give a better feeling in terms of driveability to Leclerc, while from the side of the Hamilton's garage, progress is still to be evaluated.

There are no magic wands in Formula 1. Ferrari, by introducing the new suspension, has started a program that will continue in the next races. The summer break will be useful to study the data collected over the last two weekends and hope to be in a better condition in Zandvoort (next 29 – 31 August) when activity resumes.

A self-criticism that escaped Hamilton's control

The fact, however, is that Hamilton found himself suffering more than Charles in the last few races and the large performance difference that emerged between the two completely annihilated the seven-time world champion. This disarmed him. Lewis started making mistakes in the field in which he had always excelled since he was Formula 1: communication.

He made the most serious mistake in Hungary when at the end of qualifying he said: “Ferrari should change driver”. His words came out naturally, probably disarmed by the fact that he was eliminated for the second time in a row before Q3 (in Belgium he did not go beyond Q1 and in Budapest he stopped in Q2), while his teammate was even celebrating pole position.

An anomalous situation, difficult to digest, even for a seven world champion. On this occasion, taking note of the statements that followed, Hamilton absolutely did not want to mention the fact that Ferrari would have been better off changing driver. Those were the consequences of a self-criticism that escaped his own control. Lewis feels useless, as if his contribution is superfluous. As if he couldn't give significant help to allow the Ferrari to return to fighting in the top positions.

The SF-25 managed to send him into a tailspin, to annihilate him, starting to make him make serious mistakes also from a communicative side. A terrain that he often also used against his opponents (Rosberg knows something about it) to take the world championship clash off the track.

The summer break comes at an appropriate time. The right timing to catch your breath, breathe and clear your head.

Photo: Ferrari

Read in the original language (Italian): La SF-25 annichilisce Hamilton, disastro comunicativo a Budapest

Yesterday, during the Hungarian GP, the battle between the drivers was during just a couple of laps in the end. The Australian had just enough time to make two attacks and then retract immediately behind his claws when he realised he would in no way be able to get past Lando, unless a mistake came from him.

McLaren opposes Piastri's idea

A real shame because, things could have gone very differently if only McLaren had complied with the requests of the world championship leader, Oscar Piastri. During the second stint, when it was clear that Norris (despite fourth position) had become the favorite to win the GP having chosen to focus on just one stop, the Australian asked the team to be put on the same strategy so as to try to defend the best position achieved on the track.

Oscar's request arrives around lap 38°. From the box, the technicians are hesitant. Leclerc had been leading the race until then and returned to the pits during the 41° lap. Piastri finds himself in front of the group and insists on making a only one-stop, but on lap 46° they call him back, forcing him to go on two-stops strategies and effectively taking away his freedom of speech. Oscar couldn't do the race he wanted. Shortly before the pit the world championship leader was leading the race with an 8 seconds margin over his teammate who was recovering around 1.5” per lap (on average) thanks to the freshest Hard tyres. Oscar should have finished the race by covering 52 laps on the white C3s (observing the data Antonelli finished with just one stop, covering 48 laps on the Hards, while Ocon 55).

The road was right. Would he have won? Would Norris have easily passed him? Would McLaren have put the one-two at risk? We are not interested in any of this now.

The issue is that the papaya team prevented Piastri from pursuing his idea of a race, forcing him to do something he didn't want. From the perspective of a championship in which the team is not sure of winning the constructors' title it would have been a more than appropriate decision. It would have been the right thing to do, but McLaren has a disarming peace of mind from that point of view.

We understand McLaren and understand Piastri's disappointment, but is it right to behave like this?

Now we ask ourselves: how far could the papaya rules go? It's right not to fight, it's right to think again from a team perspective until you have the mathematical certainty that at least one of the two drivers will win the championship, perhaps however, preventing the drivers from expressing their race thoughts could be a little too much.

Norris and Piastri are playing for the title and if they are practically also denied the chance to compete based on the ideas that come to mind to try to prevail over their opponent, then what will decided the 2025 world champion?

It's difficult to choose a side, because McLaren also has its reasons. The team wanted to win a certain one-two and adopted the same principle that he has always adopted since the beginning of the year. Norris was able to go on the one-stop strategy due to his ‘’unfortunate’’ start to the race, while Oscar had to go on two-stops strategies because he found himself in the fight from the first lap and therefore wore out the tires more.

By weighing the two things we can understand both the team's reasons and Piastri's disappointment, but the question always remains: is it right to behave like this?

Photo: McLaren

Read in the original language (Italian): La McLaren toglie a Piastri la libertà di espressione. Giusta scelta per il mondiale?

Thanks to their professional experience, the two mechanical engineers aim to help as many people as possible achieve a difficult but not impossible goal: working in the pinnacle of motorsport.

The FormulaWebMagazine.com staff had the pleasure and honour of interviewing them to find out all the details of their initiative.

FP: "Hello, Alex and Javier. It's an absolute pleasure to have you here with us. Let's start by getting an overall picture about Racetrack Dynamics, shall we?"

AB: "Hi Fabrizio. So, Racetrack Dynamics it started, started with Javier always receiving lots of interest on LinkedIn, people wanting to get into Formula One, people asking for advice, people wanting to effectively have his job, asking him 'how do I do this? How, how can I get where you are? Can I go to the factory and see you one day?' That happens a lot more than you would think, actually.

"That led to him designing this, our main course, the 'Complete Guide to Vehicle Dynamics in F1', which basically condenses his almost 10 years of experience into one single 12-hour course to teach people about vehicle dynamics and what he's learned in Formula One. So this happened throughout the last year.

"Towards the start of this year, we were both talking about how to scale this and how to effectively make it bigger, make it go public, make it skyrocket. And that's how we sort of divided the work into two sections of how Javier is doing the technical expertise, doing all of the teaching and the training side of things and I do more of the managing relations, managing the company or trying to scale it, managing social media stuff.

"So I have more of a management and directing position, and I tend to be a bit better at public speaking and communicating. So I tend to do a lot more of that".

JB: "I don't think I can add much more to that. Basically, Alex is obviously taking care of the things that he's naturally better at than me, like communication or social media, and I support him with the vehicle dynamics content. That's my strong point".

FP: "Great stuff. So, I wanted to ask you what the short-term, medium-term and long-term objectives are for Racetrack Dynamics".

AB: "I think Racetrack Dynamics is headed to be like the world's leading training provider of vehicle dynamics, content and training. We've had an amazing start and our demographic is mostly university students, but we've had anything from high school to actual professionals working in Ferrari and Red Bull as well.

"The reception has been amazing. The feedback we get is amazing. I think all that we need is to keep doing this and let more people know who we are and that we exist.

"I think that, just leaving the product itself to the side, there's only a handful of people in the world that work or have worked in Formula One and there are no Formula One engineers teaching vehicle dynamics besides us. That is what makes it special, and that is why we aim and we are on track to be leaders in providing this kind of training, because we have both the knowledge and the skills of 'how do you design suspensions?' There is nobody in the world doing what we do.

"So I can't tell you if this is going to happen in six months or five years or ten years, I can't give you a time horizon for that, but we are on a path to effectively being the leaders of this. We are the only ones doing it".

JB: "I mean, to compliment what Alex is saying, I prepared the content myself, all the technical content. I had a deep motivation when I did it. It was really to simplify the process that I went through.

"I simply couldn't believe that it was so difficult, that I had to navigate so many books and digest so many equations and try to put them all together and really get the picture of how everything work. So I thought 'there needs to be an easier way for new people into the industry to understand how everything works. I'm sure I can simplify that'.

"I've done all the hard work, I've really found so many papers, I'm sure I can make this easier and more digestible for students to get as much as they can by putting so little, less effort into it. They will become more time efficient. They will discover more quickly what they like and what they don't. And there's guys that love it.

"The motivation for me was what gave me the energy to come home, after long hours in the factory, working race weekends, coming home and putting all the content together was... I was just thinking of my former self, 16 years old or 18 years old me fighting all these rules. It only takes a little bit of more of effort to put everything down in something that is digestible and easier for students, but still technically accurate and correct. It's just another step more.

"I can make so many other people's so many people's lives easier by doing this. I think this is the strength of the course, and the content the students get is good. What I'm especially proud of is I think we do a very good job, an extremely good job at simplifying it. We don't expect people to come up with, you know, super advanced knowledge on maths and physics. We will walk you through, I will tell you everything you need to know.

"If you don't know what is a fast Fourier transform is or what is this spectrogram or what is this thing that you did, this concept that you need to understand... I'm going to teach you, I will give you the keys that you need to understand. I will keep it simple. If you want the maths behind it, it will be there. You will always be able to consult the material. It will be rigorous, but it's essentially making the process simple for people that are starting in the field and they just don't want to be overwhelmed.

"As Alex was saying, I think the product is really good. It's really good. We are very, very heavily invested into the project, because the feedback has been amazing and we just need to get people to discover it".

FP: "You're basically revolutionising the whole 'I want to get into Formula One as an engineer' idea".

JB: "Exactly. There's so many people talking about 'how to get into F1' and they don't work in F1, they're just professional people. That bothers me. How can people talk about things that they don't know? I mean, it really bothers me. It bothers me because they are inducing, I mean, they are leading people to believe false stuff. They are 'teaching' things that are wrong. And I believe that's very wrong. That's very bad".

FP: "So, going back to Racetrack Dynamics, can you run us through the sections that you have in your course? How is the course structured?"

AB: "Yeah, of course. Let me just bring up the list of topics. So effectively, the course is designed to be accessible to anyone. We don't assume prior knowledge, besides a bit of math and physics, your standard high school math, physics, forces, moments, bit of vectors.

"We've had the high school people, and when you start doing more difficult maths, the actual operations that you do is mostly just adding and multiplying.

"The difficulty in the course, the difficulty of vehicle dynamics is in understanding the concepts and how those concepts link to each other, and how they affect vehicle performance, and how they are intertwined with each other and how increasing spring stiffness here makes one thing better, but makes something else worse. The mathematics and the physics of it is actually quite simple. It's just moments and forces.

"The course builds vehicle dynamics knowledge from the ground up. Starting with the tyres, it explains tyre performance, the different parameters that you can play with to maximise the performance of your tyres, then it goes into lateral dynamics, which is effectively how your car behaves on a turn and what are the different things you can do to affect it, and how you can measure different parameters of it, and analyse where the limits are, and how having a different balance of forces in the front and the rear, how different axles perform at different rates.

"It also covers weight transfer, which is quite an important one, not to confuse it with mass transfer, which a lot of people get wrong. Weight transfer is, when you're in a turn, how turns are linked to each other, how different loads affect different tyres as you go around.

"Then there's a chapter on performance and simulation, where we go into exactly how performance is extracted in Formula 1, the simulation tools that are used.

"We effectively give you the tools to go out and find out exactly what it is that you can do. We tell you 'you can go look at the software, you can do this type of simulation, you can do a bicycle model, you can do a dynamical vehicle model'.

"It would be impossible to teach both a complete vehicle dynamics foundation and an entire piece of software in just 12 hours, but we do give you everything you need to know about vehicle dynamics so you can confidently move forward with simulation.

"We finish off putting all of that together, get the orchestra fully running to designing a suspension. So we go into a different concept of suspension design and how the angle of the different wishbones and how kingpin and caster can affect your vehicle performance and how you would go about simulating these and putting them together to design a full working suspension.

"In addition, if a student now somewhere wants to get in touch with an F1 engineer and ask questions and whatever, their best chance as of now is to blind message on LinkedIn and hope that someone replies, whilst we throw that in for free with the course.

"You can just chat to us. You can just ask us anything, whether it's about the course or whether it's about help or whatever with aspirations. We just throw it in for free because it really complements it. And it's something that 99% of people don't have access to.

"You can't talk to an F1 engineer. You Fabrizio can as a journalist, but an engineering student can't talk to an F1 engineer. That's what I was saying".

JB: "On top of that, the students get the slides forever. There are like 140 slides. They are very careful and well prepared.

"I think everybody sees the system when I show it to them. The clarity, the graphics, the way everything is easier to follow, I'm sure.

"They also get 10 minutes one-to-one time with any of us to discuss their aspirations or their technical ambitions or projects that they want to develop.

"All the questions that they would not like to ask in front of a crowd, that they want this privacy to be able to chat one-to-one, they can use this time as they want. They can talk to me about the master they want to study, about how they switch from this background to that other one or about what drives them or 'I have this technical problem designing this, can you help me to sort it?' It's our time fully available to them".

FP: "How much would that mean for you to have someone one day saying 'thank you guys. I got into Formula One because of your course'. I mean that would be quite outstanding, wouldn't it?"

AB: "I'd say it's probably the ultimate form of accomplishment and the ultimate form of proudness and achievement. Making it to Formula One yourself is already incredibly difficult and exclusive, it's something that most people will never do. Helping someone else, that is not you, do that is an even better reward.

"It's a lot harder to show someone else and I think it would just fill ourselves with joy and pride. There is no bigger achievement".

JB: "Actually, about that, we also provide one-to-one consultations for people to prepare their interviews. We know the industry. We know what the F1 teams need. We know pretty much what is inside what is required for the job and our mission is also to help them accomplish that.

"Once the fundamentals are covered and they understand the physics and how the car works, then I will help you to put it all together and actually land that job.

"So we would be of course very happy if our students can do that. There is no bigger reward or privilege than seeing someone that has trusted in us accomplish it, through the technical expertise that they win with us and through our support. This is the pinnacle of the project of what we're doing".

FP: "What if someone becomes better than you and beats you on track? How would you take it?"

AB: "Well, if their car goes past me on the road, that car is faster than mine, I'm going to say 'of course it is, I designed it. I basically formed the guy who designed the car'.

"I mean, if one of our students makes it to Formula One, for starters that is amazing. But if they are better than us, that's even better. We would love to see that. We would love to see that".

FP: "Thank you so much guys, having this chat was absolutely amazing. Good luck with Racetrack Dynamics!"

AB and JB: "Thank you, Fabrizio".

Read also: EXCLUSIVE - Interview with Javier Bermejo: from Championships at Red Bull to the Sauber-Audi and Racetrack Dynamics projects

Read also: EXCLUSIVE - Interview with Alex Burg: from designing turbochargers for Red Bull's future to founding Racetrack Dynamics

Main cover photo www.linkedin.com

After working for Bridgestone, Prema and Applus+ IDIADA, he contributed to three World Championships at Red Bull Racing (two drivers' and one constructors'). He is currently involved in the Sauber-Audi project, as well as founding - together with Alex Burg - Racetrack Dynamics, a course that aims to bring aspiring engineers closer to Formula 1.

The FormulaWebMagazine.com staff had the pleasure and honour of asking him some questions: here's the full interview.

FP: "Hello Javier, thank you for being here with us. Let's start from the beginning of your career".

JB: "Yes, of course. I was always deeply fascinated by vehicle dynamics, by everything that makes a car handle, feel, the balance that the car undergoes through a corner, all the physics, all the forces and moments like this... It was always like rocket science to me.

"I wanted to really understand what was causing a car to feel how it felt, so I started to love suspension geometry design and I started to get into formal student projects.Then, sooner than later, it became my obsession. It became my baby. Every time that I had a bit of spare time, I would put it into that. I dedicated all my time and energy into it, into reading technical papers, thesis, books, whatever. I was very hungry for knowledge.

"At some point, I made a start. Of course the beginnings were more humble. I started doing internships here and there, then road passenger cars design for different OEMs. And then the opportunity of Formula One came up after, but as I always say... I mean, for sure it was the target, but not the only one.

"I was more focused on learning what makes a car handle the way it does, so the target just moved as I was moving in my progress in my career. I was learning more, all the physics, all the details, all the technicalities.

"Formula One it's interesting, it's the final call, it pushes engineering to the limit. But to me, it was always more about vehicle dynamics than it is Formula One. I like Formula One because I apply vehicle dynamics to the actual absolute limit, but I've been always been more passionate about the science of the car that actually about what category we're applying it into".

FP: "Thank you for being so thorough, Javier. Can you explain how difficult is it in modern Formula One to maximise every thousandth of a second? And how difficult is it when a new upgrade is introduced on the car? Because we've seen many teams struggle with bringing upgrades and then not finding correlation. What's your role in that? How do you try to solve it as a performance engineer?"

JB: "So first thing first, as you mentioned, Formula One is an extremely competitive sport. It's an engineering competition rather than a sport competition. Winning happens by very, very fine margins.

"You can find examples of six, seven drivers... I remember at Monza, in 2024, six or seven drivers were within two tenths of a second [in qualifying, e.n.]. In this sport, everything is defined by small margins.

"Every upgrade brings something, even if they are not turning the car upside down. In order to test things on the track, in order to capture these subtle differences, you need to make sure your two cars are to align as possible mechanically. You need to have a very strong process, a very structured and logical process to capture all these little things. And it's always a challenge, it's always a challenge to try to see what you were predicting is actually behaving as it should be in the track, because the track is the ultimate test: nothing is more real than a track.

"You have different layers from simulation, to wind tunnel testing to the track, with actual simulation being the most controllable and the less realistic. In the middle there is wind tunnel testing, which is a step down in controllability, controllability and a step down also in realism.

"Then we've got the track, which is the real thing. But there are so many things... There is temperature variation, there is wind, there is road irregularities, there is bouncing induced in the car that is creating this hysteretic effect on the aerodynamics of the car. So it gets really difficult to try to tackle all these little things, that's why having a very strong department like aerodynamics performance department, that has the right tools to do that.

"Of course, as I said, both cars need to start very aligned mechanically and that makes you able to be knowing if that difference that you're seeing in the car comes purely from that upgrade, for the only difference that you have across the cars, rather than anything else.

"As a performance engineer, as I was saying, it's not one of my main duties. Of course, it's something that you need to have on the table to see how these upgrades are working. I need to have an overall picture, you know, about the performance of the car. And then there is a dedicated team, which works extensively to produce all these tools, all the methodologies.

"I mean, a car has hundreds of sensors, if not thousands. There are so many things that you can adjust mechanically and electronically in your car. You can play with anti-roll bars, tows, camber, temperatures, suspension geometries, pressures. You can change the differential settings in entry, mid, exit, high speed. You can change the power unit, the harvest and deployment strategies. I mean, if you think of it like it's a very complicated problem.

"Just because you have a package that works and a car that is fine, that is fast, it doesn't mean that you can sleep on your laurels. Because the other teams are pushing for the last hundred seconds, just because you have something that is good, it doesn't mean that it's the absolute best that you can have. And there's always competition with others.

"You can never settle for what is good. So I think that's what makes this sport challenging, tiring, and rather relentless it's the continuous chasing of perfection".

FP: "Brilliant. So, how is it to cope with emotions when you have a great weekend or a bad weekend? Like, how do you cope with these 'ups and downs'?"

JB: "This year is becoming really emotional because, of course, we're building a lot of momentum in the team. Sauber-Audi, they're doing great.

"Everybody's pushing a lot. We're starting to score points consistently and... You know, I was winning a lot with Red Bull, but at some point, you normalise it, you take it for granted.

"It doesn't ignite you the same way as fighting for points does, because you know where you come from and where you are at the moment. During the races, when you see the cars start fighting for points and they are climbing up positions, they go to P9, P8, P7, with a P5 in Barcelona, overtaking a Ferrari... We are seeing the best results that we have achieved for a number of years [also with a podium at the British Grand Prix, e.n.].

"The thing is, you still have to stay calm, to stay focused because you're still performing, you're still providing support, you're still checking something on the car that is critical, you still need to finish the race.

"Basically you have this emotional roller coaster: you see the car racing, you see the finish line getting closer and closer... You see that you're really going to score points and positions and you get really emotional, like goosebumps and all that, but you need to stay focused. You need to stay sharp, stay calm, do what you're doing, monitoring what you're monitoring. Be on top of all the little things that need to be there because everything can go to trash very easily.

"So, yeah, emotions can run pretty high. Of course, it's also not the best feeling when you're pushing long hours on Monday, Tuesday, all the way to Sunday, we work basically every day... Weekends get really hectic, really long hours, crazy hours, and you see that this effort goes for no points. You need to manage a little bit that as well, but you know, it's a competition. It's in the nature of the sport. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

"But one thing is for granted: if you don't give your best, if you don't keep pushing, you're already giving up. So you need always to keep trying your best.

"I got the question a lot in 2023, I think when we [Red Bull, e.n.] got the most successful season of F1 history, we won 22 out of 23 races. People asked me after Singapore, the only race we didn't win, 'how was that race?' I mean, the morale was not great, but it was these races, when things didn't work, where I really thrived and enjoyed working, because that's when people actually get the best out of themselves.

"When they don't have the pace in free practice or even in quali, then they start to think out of the box. They start to question everything. They start to come up with 'is this really doing what we think? Do we really see this reflected in our models?' This ignites this mental state of always trying to come up with the answer.

"You need to fix the ca,r and it's beautiful. It's in the crisis when you learn and when you grow and, I mean, it sounds like a cliche, but it's actually the truth. I mean, when you win, you could be bad and you're still winning and you will not learn anything new, because you're winning. But it's when things don't work, when it's obvious that you have a problem or something you didn't understand or something that was wrong... That's where you really grow".

FP: "About that, Javier, how do you balance the performance-related decisions from driver to driver? How different is it to like set up the car or maximise the performance from one driver to another related to their driving style?"

JB: "Of course, there are always going to be differences between the drivers, despite the car being the same and all the things. It's really a matter of driver preference. Some drivers like... It's always the never-ending dilemma: 'do I want a rear that is stable and planted and makes me feel confident about sending my car at 280 kph around Copse in Silverstone, or do I want a strong front bite that makes my car quickly turn?'

"Essentially, there are a lot of driver preferences, but you can define two teams: team stability and team rotation or sharpness, if that makes sense. This applies to everything. It applies to pedal feeling, applies to steering wheel heaviness, applies to really everything.

"How this balance is achieved through the speed? Well, you can achieve different balance at 100 kph than at 200 kph. You know, it's not a flat line. You want to have a car that is more stable here and more rotation there".

FP: "Can you share with us two words about how excited you are for Audi's F1 project and just a swift presentation of your role in Racetrack Dynamics?"

JB: "I think the team Audi is so heavily invested into making this work. We feel it. The attention and care they're putting into the project, the support they're giving it... It's a very exciting project, as it was Toyota in its day or as it was Aston not long ago.

"It's an emerging project. There is already momentum that we're building. I mean everybody's very excited. I am very excited as well to be part of this, it's exciting. It's exciting because, if there is something better than winning, it is developing with a team and then achieving success.

"Winning is for sure the pinnacle. That's what has motivated many engineers in the past to make a change to pursue further goals.

"As for Racetrack Dynamics, my colleague Alex is of course skilled in vehicle dynamics and in engineering. He's quite good, that's why I always have this connection with him. But we try to do what we're best at.

"So Alex is obviously taking care of the things that he's naturally better at than me, like communication or social media, and I support him with the vehicle dynamics content. That's my strong point".

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RACETRACK DYNAMICS PROJECT, DON'T MISS THE INTERVIEW WITH BOTH FOUNDERS - ALEX BURG AND JAVIER BERMEJO - COMING OUT JULY THE 20^th.

FP: "Great, one last thing before I let you go: what would be your quick message to young students who might want to get into Formula 1?"

JB: "I mean, this one touches me very personally. One thing that I often say is I think there is no limit in life of what you can achieve; there is no limit if you set your life to do that. You just need to fully commit to it.

"It might not take 50% or 60% of your effort. It might take realistically 100% of your effort, but everything you have to do is to give all you have, because things happen.

"Someone needs to be the main character of a Hollywood movie. Someone needs to be the one that kicks the penalty in the Champions League final. Someone needs to drive a Ferrari or a Red Bull. Someone needs to be the technical director of one team, if you know what I mean. They all are normal people. The difference between them and people not achieving it is that they at some point they said 'I'm going to commit my full life into doing that and I'm not going to stop until I accomplish it'.

"It's just a matter of setting yourself to do that. I mean, Alex and I don't come from a privileged background. We come from very humble universities, very humble places, so if we made it to Formula One then everybody can do it. That's what we're trying to also always share with our students at the courses and with people that follow us".

FP: "What can I say, Javier. That was fantastic, thank you so much and good luck with the Sauber-Audi and Racetrack Dynamics projects".

JB: "Thank you Fabrizio, it was very nice".

Read also: EXCLUSIVE - Interview with Alex Burg: from designing turbochargers for Red Bull's future to founding Racetrack Dynamics

Main cover photo www.linkedin.com

Looking for a new challenge, he decided to found - with his friend and colleague Javier Bermejo - the Racetrack Dynamics project, which aims to bring aspiring engineers closer to the world of Formula 1.

The FormulaWebMagazine.com staff had the pleasure and honour of asking him some questions, which are reported in the following interview.

FP: "Hello Alex, it's great to have you here with us. Let's start with talking about your F1 career". 

AB: "Yes, of course. I got there really quickly. I've always been into cars. I, I think it all started from watching Top Gear, to be honest. I always liked it. And from since I was a kid, I always wanted to be able to say 'Hey, you look at that engine, look at that part, look at that thing: I made that'. That was always the thing I wanted to say. I mean, I've kind of done it now, I can die now and I'm fine.

"I'm from Spain and I went to university in the UK, in the North of England. I got into Formula Students, met lots of like really cool people and well, I just, you know, really got into it and everything. I started working really hard doing lots of like little side projects and things. Then I got hired by Red Bull Racing for the 2023 and '24 season, before I left to go back to university to finish off the masters in mechanical engineering".

FP: "Yeah. I wanted to ask you about that: how difficult is it to leave formula one to go back studying? How difficult is it to cope with that decision? From like a mental perspective..."

AB: "The last day is very difficult. The last day at Red Bull was like lots of nostalgia, lots of like, you know, 'do I really want to go?' That sort of doubt.

"There's always, there's always good things to leaving but, especially on that last day, it's all the bad things that make it really difficult. A lot of nostalgia.

"I went for like a little walk around the factory to see everything one last time. That's certainly difficult. And I mean, there you get to see some things that are just insane. Some things you can't see anywhere else: working at Red Bull PowerTrains with a budget of 110 million, you can't do that anywhere else. So I've got, I've got very good memories of, of Red Bull".

FP: "Getting back to working in Formula 1: how did the 'ups and downs' affect you?"

AB: "In my experience, as I was working on the 2026 Power Unit, so I can't really talk about weekend to weekend racing. What did happen at Red Bull PowerTrains was that most new versions of the engines were tested on the weekends for some reason. So you would spend weeks, if not months, working on the next iteration of the engine. Then most of us would leave on Friday for the race weekend and wouldn't know what happened until Monday morning.

"That was super hectic. And on Monday, we would all see the faces of the people and think 'oh, that didn't go very well' or 'everyone's happy and relaxed, we aced it'.

"It can be heartbreaking to work for so, so, so long, especially the last week before an engine fire-up... It's always super hectic: lots of fixing things and running, doing things, getting things sorted.

"It can be quite heartbreaking for it to fail, but also really rewarding when it works. Every now and then, whenever there was a big failure at least, it's always disappointing on the day, but over the next few weeks, people cheer up, people take it well.

"If you go around the office, you see people with like a broken piston or that sort of thing. Whenever it's their part that failed the engine, they often get it in like a little glass box to remind themselves that 'this caused an engine failure at this point'.

FP: "So, Alex, about the 2026 regulations. How much can you explain to the fans, as someone who is impractical with an engine, of course, what is changing, how much is changing, why people are saying it's going to be an engine formula or anything like that?"

AB: "To be honest, it probably changed a little bit since I left. I left in August of 2024. Since then, there's been a lot of talk about how much power can actually be delivered by the MGU side of things, which, I mean, it's in essence the whole point of the new regulations.

"The engines are fairly similar from a combustion side of things. It's the fact that they were aiming for a massive amount of electrical power from the MGU [Motor Generator Unit, e.n.]. That is something that, well, it's been a really big challenge for basically all of the teams and I'm not so connected with it anymore.

"You hear all the time that they're trying to lower that amount of energy because they're running out of energy at the end of straights and everything. So, to put it down simply for someone who's never heard it before, you know, they are quite similar. The turbo is a bit different. So the turbo is no longer an MGU-H. They're getting rid of the electrically assisted turbocharger. Now, it's a standard turbocharger you see in a car.

"The electric motor, which is actually tiny, if you see it, it's really tiny, it's so efficient and so well packed. It just takes a massive amount of energy from the ESS [Energy Store System, e.n.], the battery. It just has a lot more as a percentage of power of the whole Power Unit.

"I think it's going to be an engine-dominated season purely because it's difficult. Because we've been doing, you know, combustion engines have been around for 100 and more years. It's the electronic part that is difficult. It's difficult to get it right.

"It's difficult to have so much energy that you can choose where to deploy and do that correctly. F1 manufacturers don't have as much experience with that as with other power units, with the combustion power units. I'm sure there's more things, but from my experience working in the turbocharger department, we now have a whole new dimension to the problem, which is turbo lag.

"Turbo lag was not a thing in the past. You could always be harvesting from the exhaust gases and you can always be deploying power compressed there into the engine. Now, you can't force that.

"Now, you have to deal with turbo lag, which is a whole new dimension. There's a lot of super cool technical things you do, which I can't talk about. It's a whole new dimension and it's difficult and that's why it will make the difference.

"I think everyone understands the current engines very well, they're all kind of similar and everyone knows how they work. Figuring out this whole thing, on the other hand... Turbo lag hasn't been a problem in F1 for many, many, many years. Having to rethink all of that and adapt it to the current cars is difficult, so there will be some teams who get it right".

FP: "May I ask you to just swiftly present the Racetrack Dynamics project to the readers?"

AB: "Of course!  It started, along with my colleague Javier, because he had always received lots of interest on LinkedIn, people wanting to, you know, get into Formula One, people asking for advice, people wanted to effectively have his job.

"People were always asking him 'how do I do this? How, how can I get where you are? Can I go to the factory and see you one day?' That happens a lot more than you would think, actually.

"That led to him designing this, our main course, the 'Complete Guide to Vehicle Dynamics in F1', which basically condenses his almost 10 years of experience into one single 12-hour course to teach people about vehicle dynamics and what he's learned in Formula One".

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RACETRACK DYNAMICS PROJECT, DON'T MISS THE INTERVIEW WITH BOTH FOUNDERS - ALEX BURG AND JAVIER BERMEJO - COMING OUT JULY THE 20^th.

FP: "That's very intriguing. My last request if you can share with us a very quick message to young students who might want to get into Formula 1 and how much it would mean to you to get people closer to Formula 1.

AB: "I think what I would say to someone wanting to get into F1 and struggling, or not knowing how to do it or something, what I would say is 'I understand you, because I've been there. I've been through that and all I can say is don't let anything or anyone stop you'.

"Just a quick example: someone I know that was working at Red Bull as well is from Barcelona. He told me his story of the time he was applying for all sorts of jobs: in the UK, in Switzerland, in Italy to work for Formula One. His friends were telling him 'why are you applying to a job in the UK? If you get it, you're gonna have to move there and speak in English and everything'. Well, one of them got to Formula One, one of them is my friend from Red Bull Racing, and the other ones are just someone in Barcelona. That is exactly why you don't have to let anyone stop you and do not think that any task is too big for you".

FP: "What can I say, Alex: that was brilliant. Good luck with Racetrack Dynamics and thank you so much for sharing all that with us!"

AB: "My pleasure Fabrizio, thank you".

Read also: EXCLUSIVE - Interview with Simone Scanu, «Formula Live Pulse» app founder

Main cover photo www.linkedin.com

The suspension upgrade explained

The goal is to address the key issues that have prevented Ferrari from running the SF-25 as intended — particularly with low ride heights and stiff setups. The new rear suspension, inspired by Mercedes' concept, will feature a forward-inclined front arm on the upper wishbone, designed to stabilize the car during braking and transient phases. This adjustment should help Ferrari run the car closer to the ground, maximizing ground-effect downforce from the floor. While primarily aimed at improving performance in the second half of 2025, these mechanical updates also serve as groundwork for 2026, since the concept will carry over into next year’s project. For this reason, Ferrari has scheduled a filming day at Mugello on July 16, using a modified car to gather data on the updated suspension across different corner types. The goal is to extract useful insights ahead of its race debut.

Testing at Mugello: how useful will it be?

But is this test truly meaningful? According to FIA regulations, filming days are limited to 200 kilometers and require the use of demo tyres, not race-spec compounds. That makes it difficult to gather representative data on a component as sensitive as suspension — especially when it comes to grip, stiffness, and ride height. Additionally, a significant portion of that limited mileage will be used for promotional filming rather than pure testing. While Ferrari has rightly chosen to introduce the new parts as soon as they’re ready, the Mugello run may fall short in offering conclusive data.

Complicating matters further, the timing of the upgrade’s race debut at Spa is not ideal. The Sprint weekend format allows just one hour of free practice, limiting the team’s ability to conduct comparative testing. As a result, engineers will be forced to run a major mechanical upgrade with **little real-world validation** — a gamble that could either pay off or misfire. That’s why it’s essential for fans and insiders alike to avoid premature judgment. The team will likely need two full races to fine-tune the system and fully integrate it with the SF-25. This same process has been seen with other teams that adopted similar changes: meaningful performance gains only came after one or two Grands Prix.

Cover photo: www.ferrari.com

Components of an F1 Suspension

A Formula 1 suspension system typically includes:

• Upper and lower wishbones (control arms): arranged in an inverted “V” shape (hence “wishbone”), these connect the wheel to the chassis and help maintain its correct alignment during vertical travel, limiting unwanted angles such as camber, caster, and toe. They also absorb lateral forces in corners.
• Rod (either push or pull): connects the wheel assembly to the chassis and transmits motion.
• Rocker: receives the input from the rod and converts it into either compression or tension for the spring and damper.
• Spring and damper: absorb and dissipate energy from bumps, helping the car maintain grip.

Most of these components are also designed with aerodynamic functions in mind, often enclosed in fairings to guide airflow. Additionally, the suspension plays a role in anti-dive geometry (to limit nose dive under braking, improving stability and turn-in) and anti-squat (counteracting rear compression under acceleration).

How Push-Rod and Pull-Rod Work

Both systems connect the wheel to the chassis through a rod, but differ in orientation and mechanical behavior:

• Push-rod: the rod extends upward from the wheel and pushes the rocker arm, compressing the spring and damper. This was the most common solution until recently.
• Pull-rod: the rod is angled downward; as the wheel hits a bump and moves upward, it pulls the rocker arm downward, activating the spring and damper. Many teams have adopted this layout for aerodynamic packaging benefits.

The underlying principle is similar, but the technical implications differ significantly.

Pros and Cons: Push or Pull?

The choice between push-rod and pull-rod is a trade-off, as each has its own advantages and drawbacks.

Aerodynamics and Center of Gravity

• Pull-rod: allows mass to be placed lower and clears space above the chassis, improving airflow under the nose — a key area for current ground-effect cars.
• Push-rod: easier to integrate in the upper part of the chassis, but takes up more space underneath, where airflow to the floor and diffuser is vital.

Maintenance and Accessibility

• Push-rod: easier to disassemble and inspect in the garage, more efficient for trackside maintenance.
• Pull-rod: components are more hidden and less accessible, requiring more time and effort.

Structural Loads

• Push-rod: operates in compression under load; if not stiff enough, it risks flex or failure.
• Pull-rod: works in tension during bump and compression during droop; requires extremely precise geometry and welds.

Summary Table

2025 Comparison: Suspension Layouts by Team

• Ferrari: pull-rod front and rear
• Red Bull, McLaren, Visa Cash App, and Sauber: pull-rod front, push-rod rear — a proven hybrid layout
• Aston Martin and Alpine: push-rod front and rear
• Mercedes: push-rod front with aggressive geometry, push-rod rear
• Haas: uses Ferrari’s pull-rod rear but retains push-rod front for simplicity

Ferrari SF-25: Revolution or Risk?

For 2025, Ferrari took a bold step: adopting pull-rod suspension on both the front and rear. It marks a return to a concept last seen at the front of a Ferrari in 2015, while continuing the rear layout used with some success in 2024.

Front End: The Pull-Rod Returns

The SF-25 abandoned its previous push-rod front suspension in favor of a pull-rod system, following the example of Red Bull and McLaren since 2022. Developed under Loïc Serra, the aim was to lower the center of gravity and improve airflow under the nose to generate more downforce from the floor. The new setup also allows for more anti-dive geometry, enhancing corner entry under braking.

Rear End: Evolving the Pull-Rod

Ferrari had already implemented a pull-rod rear suspension on the SF-24. For 2025, Cardile’s team further refined the system, lowering the gearbox casing to improve airflow to the rear diffuser.

However, the SF-25’s overhaul went beyond the suspension: it features a longer wheelbase, a rearward-shifted cockpit, redesigned sidepods, and optimized weight distribution. It’s a car built to challenge Red Bull and McLaren on the grounds of aerodynamic aggressiveness — a brave choice stemming from the realization that the previous concept had hit a development ceiling.

Why Has the SF-25 Underperformed?

The root of the issue likely lies in a two-phase development process. While Cardile led the work on the chassis and rear, Loïc Serra focused on the front, introducing a pull-rod system designed to boost performance in fast corners and during corner exit. However, the rear — structurally weaker and prone to flex — failed to fully support the new anti-dive front philosophy.

Using pull-rod suspension at both ends was a bold and high-risk technical choice. While it offered potential aerodynamic advantages, it also demanded extremely precise structural and mechanical execution. The SF-25 has revealed several weaknesses: the team often couldn’t run the optimal ride height from simulations, struggled to hit the correct tire performance window, and gave drivers a car with unpredictable rear behavior.

This may explain Ferrari’s struggles in some races: an elusive balance that prevented stiff setups when needed and caused trouble on circuits with mixed corners. The result? A car that’s difficult to set up, inconsistent in tire management, and unstable in handling.

The New Rear End: Seeking Stability

In Belgium, after three months of intense development, Ferrari will debut a completely redesigned rear end. This includes changes to the gearbox housing — now reinforced to avoid torsional flex — and a repositioning of the suspension arms: the front arm moves forward, the rear arm is shortened, improving force distribution and rear-end support.

This "targeted update" promises more stability, traction, and performance consistency. The on-track feedback from this upgrade will also provide valuable insights for the 2026 season, which will bring major aerodynamic and engine regulation changes. A full article on this update will follow soon.

The title of this article is not a provocation, but a loud reflection: why keeping Antonelli could be the smartest move, even at the cost of dropping Russell.

Let’s take an analytical approach.

PRO: Why take the risk, say goodbye to Russell and bet on Antonelli

• Driver dynamics: Max and George have already shown they don’t exactly get along. The risk of explosive coexistence is real. Two roosters in the same henhouse rarely works — it costs energy and often points.
• Team chemistry: Max and Antonelli, despite the gap in experience, would be a duo with clear hierarchy. Kimi could grow under Verstappen’s wing without causing internal tension, and Max has repeatedly expressed admiration for the young Italian.
• Investment in the future: Betting on Antonelli today means securing a potential number one tomorrow. This is the scenario Toto clearly believes in — he already chose a not-even-18-year-old to replace a 7-time world champion.
• Cost vs benefit: Russell is an expensive driver, and with Max possibly joining, budget room shrinks. Antonelli, on the other hand, is a young, low-cost talent — a future-oriented choice.

CON: Why keep Russell and let Antonelli go

• Experience and reliability: George is a solid, race-winning driver who can score points even on tough weekends. His familiarity with the team is no small advantage.
• Dual threat: A Verstappen–Russell lineup has both appeal and "dream team" potential. If one falters, the other can deliver — crucial in a long season.
• Pressure on Antonelli: Placing an 18-year-old next to a challenging teammate like Verstappen could be a dangerous move for both him and the team. Every mistake would be magnified, risking to burn his talent too soon — a scenario we’ve already seen at Red Bull.

So, are we just talking about fantasy market rumours and early silly season speculation, or is this a real possibility?

In a recent Sky interview, journalist Mara Sangiorgio asked Toto Wolff if he was truly satisfied with his current drivers. His response was cryptic: “I’m happy, but I have to do what’s best for Mercedes. Bringing in a four-time world champion would benefit everyone.” A clear message: if Verstappen becomes available, Wolff is ready to act.

Meanwhile, the internal chaos at Red Bull — especially after the dismissal of Christian Horner — could either accelerate or delay everything. On one hand, Max might seek a more stable environment (Mercedes certainly offers that). On the other, he might choose to stay and seize the power vacuum. But the risk of Mercedes preparing a dramatic move is becoming increasingly real.

The final verdict

Weighing all pros and cons, the most rational — yet bold — decision might be clear: let Russell go and invest in Antonelli, giving Verstappen freedom to lead and build a seamless transition. Such a team would be more financially sustainable, more internally cohesive, and more future-focused.

If you want to win today *and* tomorrow, you can’t be afraid to bet on talent — and Toto Wolff certainly isn’t one to shy away from bold moves. Kimi Antonelli, though still young, might just be the right gamble at the right time.

Read also: Russell still negotiating: "I trust Toto. If Max joins, I’ll accept it"

A few days ago, it seemed crazy, but today, with the situation at Red Bull appearing so complex and evolving, it could take on more concrete forms: the departure of key figures such as Adrian Newey, Rob Marshall and, now, Christian Horner has clearly marked the end of an incredibly successful cycle. In this scenario of drastic changes and power struggles, allowing Verstappen to field a team bearing his name could be the perfect move to silence the sceptics and reunite the environment around the Dutch champion, exploiting his enormous global popularity. For such a project, Horner's presence was somewhat inconvenient and, despite his undoubted abilities, also unwelcome to the Verstappen clan, who were willing to reorganise the company's shares to win the internal war.

From a marketing point of view, the operation would be brilliant: Max Verstappen, with his huge following, could replicate the commercial success of similar operations already seen in other sports. A “Verstappen GP Red Bull F1 Team” would immediately become a global brand, capable of attracting sponsors, merchandising and fans with a force comparable to that seen with Michael Jordan in the NBA, with the “Jordan Brand” operation.

The history of Formula 1 also offers some interesting insights, albeit in significantly different contexts and eras, but the appeal is similar. Without going back to the dawn of F1, let's think about Stewart Grand Prix, founded by former world champion Jackie Stewart in the 1990s. Despite initial scepticism, the team quickly made a name for itself, achieving significant results before becoming Jaguar and then the current Red Bull Racing. And let's not forget the example of Brawn GP, born from the ashes of Honda in 2009: Ross Brawn took over the Japanese team, incredibly leading it to victory in the world championship in the same year.

Of course, Formula 1 is different from MotoGP and other sports: the costs and managerial complexity of a team are enormous. However, Red Bull Racing has all the necessary resources to support such a project, while also guaranteeing financial stability. Among other things, the owners could also choose to use the minor team, the current Visa Cash App, for this fascinating operation, considering that it now has advanced resources and technical facilities at its disposal, mostly based in England.

We are still in the realm of sophisticated speculation, of course, but it is a suggestion that comes from the paddock and would have all the characteristics to be the most sensational twist in a season already full of surprises.

Original article on www.formula1.it

Read also: Verstappen very close to Mercedes: a breaking news from Sky Sport F1 Italy

The four-time world champion is currently tied to Red Bull by a contract until 2028. However, according to well-informed sources, there is an exit clause that would allow the Dutchman to leave if, at the end of July each season, the team is not at least third in the constructors' standings. After what happened in Austria, with the accident between Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli costing the team valuable points, this scenario is becoming increasingly likely.

That incident may have indirectly facilitated negotiations between the Dutch champion and Toto Wolff, negotiations which, according to the Mercedes team principal himself, had already been underway for some time. The lack of an announcement regarding the renewal between George Russell and Mercedes only fuels speculation: if Antonelli is untouchable – given how much Wolff has invested in him – it is logical to imagine that Russell is destined for a change of team. There are at least two options on the table: a sensational move to Red Bull as part of the exchange, or a move to Aston Martin, perhaps in view of Honda's arrival in 2026.

The silly season has started early: this is the name given in Formula 1 jargon to that time of year when rumours about the market go wild and movements between teams and drivers begin to shape the future grids. It usually concentrates after the summer break, but this year it seems to have started months early.

If Verstappen were to join Mercedes, it would trigger an unprecedented domino effect: Red Bull would have to choose a replacement, perhaps drawing from its former drivers (such as Ricciardo?) or betting on young talent; Aston Martin would have to decide whether to keep its current pairing; and even Ferrari and McLaren could find themselves involved in the reshuffle, perhaps to defend their drivers from persistent courtship (remember the rumours a few weeks ago about Leclerc's possible discontent with the Scuderia).

One thing is certain: Verstappen's future has suddenly become less predictable, and with it that of the entire driver market. In the upcoming Grand Prix races – and perhaps already at Silverstone – we may see new clues or, who knows, an official announcement. At that point, the 2025 season would no longer be just that of McLaren's dominance, but also that of yet another revolution in the paddock.