Esteban Ocon confirmed he would race in next week's Canadian Grand Prix and said he was "deeply saddened" by online abuse directed at him since a collision with Alpine team mate Pierre Gasly in Monaco last weekend. The first lap coming together ended Ocon's race on Sunday and the Frenchman was also handed a five place grid penalty for Montreal.

Alpine team principal Bruno Famin told reporters in Monaco that Ocon would face "appropriate consequences", which some interpreted as the&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;driver being dropped for the ninth race of the season. "While I have received many messages of support, I have been deeply saddened by the amount of abuse and negativity that I have received online regarding my character, my driving and my career," Ocon said in a statement on X on Friday.

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The 27-year-old, who has started 141 races but is out of contract at the end of the season, said he had raced alongside multiple race winners with some tough battles and occasional contact. "Of course I have made honest mistakes. We are not robots," he added. "F1 is a sport where emotions run high, and passions run deep. I see and feel this every weekend at the track and on social media ... the good and the bad. "But the misinformed statements and gross distortions that I have seen online in recent days about my ability to work with a team have been inaccurate, hurtful and damaging."

Ocon said he had always followed instructions and raced to achieve the best for his team. He took responsibility for Sunday's accident and respected compatriot Gasly as a competitor and team mate. "We have always worked collaboratively and professionally inside the team and this will continue to be the case," he added. "I'm looking forward to competing in Montreal, in front of the fantastic Canadian fans, and to the exciting opportunities the future holds."

Renault-owned Alpine have had a tough season, so far collecting only two points and languishing ninth of the 10 teams.

Esteban Ocon confirmed he would race in next week's Canadian Grand Prix and said he was "deeply saddened" by online abuse directed at him since a collision with Alpine team mate Pierre Gasly in Monaco last weekend.

Esteban Ocon confirmed he would race in next week's Canadian Grand Prix and said he was "deeply saddened" by online abuse directed at him since a collision with Alpine team mate Pierre Gasly in Monaco last weekend. The first lap coming together ended Ocon's race on Sunday and the Frenchman was also handed a five place grid penalty for Montreal. Alpine team principal Bruno Famin told reporters in Monaco that Ocon would face "appropriate consequences", which some interpreted as the Formula One driver being dropped for the ninth race of the season. "While I have received many messages of support, I have been deeply saddened by the amount of abuse and negativity that I have received online regarding my character, my driving and my career," Ocon said in a statement on X on Friday. Also read: Formula 1: Esteban Ocon to depart Alpine after a string of poor performances The 27-year-old, who has started 141 races but is out of contract at the end of the season, said he had raced alongside multiple race winners with some tough battles and occasional contact. "Of course I have made honest mistakes. We are not robots," he added. "F1 is a sport where emotions run high, and passions run deep. I see and feel this every weekend at the track and on social media ... the good and the bad. "But the misinformed statements and gross distortions that I have seen online in recent days about my ability to work with a team have been inaccurate, hurtful and damaging." Ocon said he had always followed instructions and raced to achieve the best for his team. He took responsibility for Sunday's accident and respected compatriot Gasly as a competitor and team mate. "We have always worked collaboratively and professionally inside the team and this will continue to be the case," he added. "I'm looking forward to competing in Montreal, in front of the fantastic Canadian fans, and to the exciting opportunities the future holds." Renault-owned Alpine have had a tough season, so far collecting only two points and languishing ninth of the 10 teams.

F1: Esteban Ocon responds to online abuse, confirms participation in Canadian Grand Prix

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has taken a dig at rival teams such as Ferrari and McLaren while addressing the German team's dip in form and decline since the end of the 2021 season. The former world champions have won only a solitary race in the new regulations since the commencement of the 2022 season.&nbsp;

It is to be noted that Mercedes had previously dominated the Turbo-Hybrid era by winning every single Constructors' Championship from 2014-21 while also claiming seven Drivers' Championship during that period. Thus, Mercedes' fall is making all the noise at present.&nbsp;However, Wolff shifted focus to the rivals in defence of his team's struggles.

Speaking to PA, the Mercedes team boss said, "We have finished first 115 times and have been beaten in the last 50 races. This is not where we want to be and the feeling we are experiencing is horrible. But on Monday morning we regroup and set off again."

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Wolff further cited the example of Ferrari's 16-year drought and also pointed out McLaren's 26-year drought for a Constructors' title. In this regard, he opined, "Ferrari hasn't won a Constructors' Championship since 2008. Red Bull failed to do so for eight years in a row because we were the ones who won. We have to put things in perspective: it's the third year we haven't won, it's not eight and it's not 16."

"If we think about McLaren, they haven't won a Constructors' Championship since 1998 and a Drivers' World Championship since 2008. Last year we came second: it's not enough, but in 10 or 20 years you'll see that we won eight championships in a row and then we lost some three, or maybe four, not 16," Wolff further added.

Mercedes are now focussing on the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix&nbsp;which will take place&nbsp;on June 9. The German team will be desperate to ensure a podium finish, something they haven't managed so far in the 2024 season.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has taken a dig at rival teams such as Ferrari and McLaren while addressing the German team's dip in form and decline since the end of the 2021 season.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has taken a dig at rival teams such as Ferrari and McLaren while addressing the German team's dip in form and decline since the end of the 2021 season. The former world champions have won only a solitary race in the new regulations since the commencement of the 2022 season. It is to be noted that Mercedes had previously dominated the Turbo-Hybrid era by winning every single Constructors' Championship from 2014-21 while also claiming seven Drivers' Championship during that period. Thus, Mercedes' fall is making all the noise at present. However, Wolff shifted focus to the rivals in defence of his team's struggles. Speaking to PA, the Mercedes team boss said, "We have finished first 115 times and have been beaten in the last 50 races. This is not where we want to be and the feeling we are experiencing is horrible. But on Monday morning we regroup and set off again." Also read: French Open: Alexander Zverev moves past David Goffin, Aryna Sabalenka blows away Moyuka Uchijima Wolff further cited the example of Ferrari's 16-year drought and also pointed out McLaren's 26-year drought for a Constructors' title. In this regard, he opined, "Ferrari hasn't won a Constructors' Championship since 2008. Red Bull failed to do so for eight years in a row because we were the ones who won. We have to put things in perspective: it's the third year we haven't won, it's not eight and it's not 16." "If we think about McLaren, they haven't won a Constructors' Championship since 1998 and a Drivers' World Championship since 2008. Last year we came second: it's not enough, but in 10 or 20 years you'll see that we won eight championships in a row and then we lost some three, or maybe four, not 16," Wolff further added. Mercedes are now focussing on the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix which will take place on June 9. The German team will be desperate to ensure a podium finish, something they haven't managed so far in the 2024 season.

'Ferrari hasn't won...' - Toto Wolff takes a dig at rivals while addressing Mercedes' struggles since 2021

Following the Monaco Grand Prix, where Ferrari's Charles Leclerc emerged on top, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has demanded changes to Monaco after another uneventful race. In the recent past, there has been growing dissatisfaction over the track in Monaco primarily because it is very hard to bring any sort of action to it. Thus, Horner shared his opinion and called for changes to be made at the earliest.

It is to be noted that Monaco has always been a narrow track, however, with much bigger and wider cars coming into play, many have stated that if the driver ahead can place his car in the middle of the road, there won't be much space to overtake. Such an incident occurred on multiple occasions during the just-concluded Monaco GP, involving Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.&nbsp;When the 25-year-old Verstappen halted for fresh tyres and was lacking close to three seconds per lap quicker than George Russell, he got close but found no way to overtake the Mercedes driver.&nbsp;Eventually, the Red Bull driver just had to follow Russell till the end without even mounting an attack on him.

In this regard, Horner called for changes to be made to the track. Talking to the media, the Red Bull boss said, "I think it’s something that we should collectively have a look at. It’s not racing as such when you’re just driving around three or four seconds off the pace because the other car hasn’t got any chance of overtaking."

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He further added, "Monaco is such a great place to come racing, but the cars are so big now that we just need to look at can we do something that introduces an overtaking area, or at least a potential of an overtake, because the top 10 is exactly as it started on the grid and not a single overtake in the top 10. Thank God for Lance Stroll, the only guy that managed to overtake in the race."

Talking about the Monaco GP, Ferrari's Leclerc emerged on top whereas the big names such as Carlos Sainz, Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton ended fourth, sixth and seventh respectively.

The next race is the Canadian GP, which will take place early next month on June 9.

Following the Monaco Grand Prix, where Ferrari's Charles Leclerc emerged on top, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has demanded changes to Monaco after another uneventful race.

Following the Monaco Grand Prix, where Ferrari's Charles Leclerc emerged on top, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has demanded changes to Monaco after another uneventful race. In the recent past, there has been growing dissatisfaction over the track in Monaco primarily because it is very hard to bring any sort of action to it. Thus, Horner shared his opinion and called for changes to be made at the earliest. It is to be noted that Monaco has always been a narrow track, however, with much bigger and wider cars coming into play, many have stated that if the driver ahead can place his car in the middle of the road, there won't be much space to overtake. Such an incident occurred on multiple occasions during the just-concluded Monaco GP, involving Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. When the 25-year-old Verstappen halted for fresh tyres and was lacking close to three seconds per lap quicker than George Russell, he got close but found no way to overtake the Mercedes driver. Eventually, the Red Bull driver just had to follow Russell till the end without even mounting an attack on him. In this regard, Horner called for changes to be made to the track. Talking to the media, the Red Bull boss said, "I think it’s something that we should collectively have a look at. It’s not racing as such when you’re just driving around three or four seconds off the pace because the other car hasn’t got any chance of overtaking." Also read: Erik ten Hag future hangs in balance as Manchester United board wait for season review He further added, "Monaco is such a great place to come racing, but the cars are so big now that we just need to look at can we do something that introduces an overtaking area, or at least a potential of an overtake, because the top 10 is exactly as it started on the grid and not a single overtake in the top 10. Thank God for Lance Stroll, the only guy that managed to overtake in the race." Talking about the Monaco GP, Ferrari's Leclerc emerged on top whereas the big names such as Carlos Sainz, Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton ended fourth, sixth and seventh respectively. The next race is the Canadian GP, which will take place early next month on June 9.

‘It is not racing’ - Red Bull boss Christian Horner calls for changes to Monaco after another uneventful race

Charles Leclerc had tears in his eyes and thoughts of his late father surging through his mind as he sped to an emotional victory in his home Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday. The win was a lifelong dream come true for the 26-year-old and owed much to the dedication and love of his father Herve, who died in 2017 while Leclerc was on his way to the Formula Two title.

The first homegrown winner of Formula One's showcase race since Louis Chiron in 1931 recalled afterwards how he had watched it as a boy with his father, dreaming of future adventures. "I remember being so young and watching the race with my friends, obviously with my father, that has done absolutely everything for me to get to where I am today," he said. "I feel like I don't only accomplish a dream of mine today, but also one of his."

Leclerc recalled the 2017 Baku Formula Two races that came three days after his father died, and where he managed to overcome the emotional turmoil in his mind and also win from pole position. "It's probably the first time in my career that it happened again while driving, where you've got these flashbacks of all these moments that we have spent together, all the sacrifices that he has done for me to get to where I am," he said. "It was both of our dreams to get there... That was, again, as I said earlier, probably the moment that was the most difficult to manage today."

Leclerc said to win with all his friends and family watching, and Prince Albert of Monaco also cheering him on, was a very special moment. The watching television audience of millions would have known nothing of what was going on inside the helmet over the closing 10 laps.

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"I realised actually two laps to the end that I was struggling to see out of the tunnel just because I had tears in my eyes," said Leclerc. "I was like... 'Charles, you cannot do that now. You still have two laps to finish'. And especially on a track like Monaco, you have to be on it all the way to the end.

"It was very difficult to contain those emotions, those thoughts again, of the people that have helped me to get to where I am today."

Leclerc started from pole position, as he had twice before in Monaco without reward even though overtaking is almost impossible on the narrow and twisty track. There was talk of curses and jinxes, doubts about whether he could finally end a sequence that had seen him fail to even step on his home podium in five attempts.

"I never believed in the curse," he said. "However, it always felt very difficult in the two occasions I had to win here.

"The thing is that as a driver you never really know when will be the next opportunity to win and especially when it's your home race and even more so when your home race is Monaco, that is such a special track."

Charles Leclerc had tears in his eyes and thoughts of his late father surging through his mind as he sped to an emotional victory in his home Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.

Charles Leclerc had tears in his eyes and thoughts of his late father surging through his mind as he sped to an emotional victory in his home Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday. The win was a lifelong dream come true for the 26-year-old and owed much to the dedication and love of his father Herve, who died in 2017 while Leclerc was on his way to the Formula Two title. The first homegrown winner of Formula One's showcase race since Louis Chiron in 1931 recalled afterwards how he had watched it as a boy with his father, dreaming of future adventures. "I remember being so young and watching the race with my friends, obviously with my father, that has done absolutely everything for me to get to where I am today," he said. "I feel like I don't only accomplish a dream of mine today, but also one of his." Leclerc recalled the 2017 Baku Formula Two races that came three days after his father died, and where he managed to overcome the emotional turmoil in his mind and also win from pole position. "It's probably the first time in my career that it happened again while driving, where you've got these flashbacks of all these moments that we have spent together, all the sacrifices that he has done for me to get to where I am," he said. "It was both of our dreams to get there... That was, again, as I said earlier, probably the moment that was the most difficult to manage today." Leclerc said to win with all his friends and family watching, and Prince Albert of Monaco also cheering him on, was a very special moment. The watching television audience of millions would have known nothing of what was going on inside the helmet over the closing 10 laps. Also read: F1: Charles Leclerc secures first home win at Monaco Grand Prix as Verstappen struggles "I realised actually two laps to the end that I was struggling to see out of the tunnel just because I had tears in my eyes," said Leclerc. "I was like... 'Charles, you cannot do that now. You still have two laps to finish'. And especially on a track like Monaco, you have to be on it all the way to the end. "It was very difficult to contain those emotions, those thoughts again, of the people that have helped me to get to where I am today." Leclerc started from pole position, as he had twice before in Monaco without reward even though overtaking is almost impossible on the narrow and twisty track. There was talk of curses and jinxes, doubts about whether he could finally end a sequence that had seen him fail to even step on his home podium in five attempts. "I never believed in the curse," he said. "However, it always felt very difficult in the two occasions I had to win here. "The thing is that as a driver you never really know when will be the next opportunity to win and especially when it's your home race and even more so when your home race is Monaco, that is such a special track."

Monaco Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc pays tribute to late father on emotional day

It was a chaotic start to the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday (May 26) as the huge collision in the opening lap stopped the eighth race of the Formula One 2024 season. A massive crash involving Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg in the opening lap resulted in the red flag thereby halting the start of the race. Interestingly, the crash adds to the unfortunate list of Monaco Grand Prix collisions that have made the headlines in the past.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
F1 MONACO GP : Red Flag 🚩 ! WATCH 
 
Huge Crash involving <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Perez?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Perez</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Magnussen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Magnussen</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hulkenberg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hulkenberg</a> at first lap. 
 
Two <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Alpine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Alpine</a> involving <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ocon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ocon</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gasly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gasly</a> also come together. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/I5UNIZG8Gw">pic.twitter.com/I5UNIZG8Gw</a>
— The Webb (@thewebbnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/thewebbnews/status/1794723104943657045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Trio crashed in opening lap</h2>

Magnussen's Haas had an abrupt start as his car hit Perez hard from behind which resulted in the Mexican’s Red Bull getting spun. This also resulted in Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas getting dragged in the crash who was speeding from the rare side of the two drivers. This left all three cars in disarray while the red flag was raised without any delay. All the cars were instructed to return to the base while the road was being cleared for the restart.

For the first piece of evidence, Magnussen looked to be the guilty party as he lost control of his car and caused the damage. However, at the time of writing he has avoided points deduction while it was also confirmed that there will be no further investigation into the opening-lap collision at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, Sergio Perez’s car was in no condition and was hanging on the sides of the Red Bull garage. The trio of Perez, Magnussen and Hulkenberg were also not part of the race anymore and were rushed to the hospital for mandatory medical check.

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<h2>Monaco GP’s unfortunate history</h2>

Monaco GP is known for its narrow turns and small track and has an unfortunate of history big clashes. Back in 1967, Lorenzo Bandini lost control of his Ferrari entering the harbour chicane. The car rolled over and burst into flames with Bandini trapped inside. Four minutes had passed before marshals pulled him out of the flaming car. Lorenzo was taken to the Princess Grace Hospital Centre with burns covering 70% of his body. Three days after the terrifying accident Lorenzo passed away.

In 2010, Fernando Alonso was fastest in practice 1 and practice 2 in the Monaco GP.&nbsp; He proceeded into a crash in practice 3, as a result, he couldn’t set a time for qualifying and started last. He lost 10 points to the nearest rival Sebastian Vettel that weekend. He would later lose the Formula One title by 4 points.

It was a chaotic start to the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday (May 26) as the huge collision in the opening lap stopped the eighth race of the Formula One 2024 season.

It was a chaotic start to the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday (May 26) as the huge collision in the opening lap stopped the eighth race of the Formula One 2024 season. A massive crash involving Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg in the opening lap resulted in the red flag thereby halting the start of the race. Interestingly, the crash adds to the unfortunate list of Monaco Grand Prix collisions that have made the headlines in the past. F1 MONACO GP : Red Flag 🚩 ! WATCH Huge Crash involving #Perez, #Magnussen, #Hulkenberg at first lap. Two #Alpine involving #ocon and #gasly also come together. #F1 pic.twitter.com/I5UNIZG8Gw — The Webb (@thewebbnews) May 26, 2024 × Trio crashed in opening lap Magnussen's Haas had an abrupt start as his car hit Perez hard from behind which resulted in the Mexican’s Red Bull getting spun. This also resulted in Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas getting dragged in the crash who was speeding from the rare side of the two drivers. This left all three cars in disarray while the red flag was raised without any delay. All the cars were instructed to return to the base while the road was being cleared for the restart. For the first piece of evidence, Magnussen looked to be the guilty party as he lost control of his car and caused the damage. However, at the time of writing he has avoided points deduction while it was also confirmed that there will be no further investigation into the opening-lap collision at the Monaco Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez’s car was in no condition and was hanging on the sides of the Red Bull garage. The trio of Perez, Magnussen and Hulkenberg were also not part of the race anymore and were rushed to the hospital for mandatory medical check. ALSO READ | French Open: Naomi Osaka off to winning start with first round win; likely to face Iga Swiatek in next round Monaco GP’s unfortunate history Monaco GP is known for its narrow turns and small track and has an unfortunate of history big clashes. Back in 1967, Lorenzo Bandini lost control of his Ferrari entering the harbour chicane. The car rolled over and burst into flames with Bandini trapped inside. Four minutes had passed before marshals pulled him out of the flaming car. Lorenzo was taken to the Princess Grace Hospital Centre with burns covering 70% of his body. Three days after the terrifying accident Lorenzo passed away. In 2010, Fernando Alonso was fastest in practice 1 and practice 2 in the Monaco GP. He proceeded into a crash in practice 3, as a result, he couldn’t set a time for qualifying and started last. He lost 10 points to the nearest rival Sebastian Vettel that weekend. He would later lose the Formula One title by 4 points.

Watch | Red flag in opening lap of Monaco GP; Perez, Magnussen and Hulkenberg involved in huge collision

Defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen has backed McLaren to give a tough fight to Red Bull in the current season as the Dutchman searches for his fourth consecutive title. Ahead of the upcoming Grand Prix in Monaco, Verstappen thinks McLaren and&nbsp;in&nbsp;particular&nbsp;Lando Norris have the ability to dethrone Red Bull from the top, having&nbsp;recently won the Miami Grand Prix. While Verstappen still leads the path in the driver’s&nbsp;championship, Norris will try to claim his second win of the season on Sunday.&nbsp;

<h2>Verstappen backs McLaren</h2>

"After their last few&nbsp;races&nbsp;they [McLaren] are really in the mix," he told reporters. "Of course they are quite a few points down at the moment&nbsp;but&nbsp;if they suddenly start winning, that can turn around quite quickly.”

Despite Verstappen’s claim that McLaren is the closest rival to Red Bull, the current picture backs the defending champions to conquer another title.&nbsp;At the time of&nbsp;writing, Red Bull lead the Constructor’s Championship with 56 points over second-placed Ferrari&nbsp;while&nbsp;McLaren are third with 154 points.&nbsp;

In the Driver’s Championship, Verstappen&nbsp;is leading&nbsp;the chart with 161 points&nbsp;while&nbsp;Norris is fourth with 101 after seven races. However, he will be confident of his progress, having&nbsp;recently clinched his first win after finishing runner-up on 16 occasions. According to Norris, he and McLaren are not thinking about the&nbsp;Championship&nbsp;yet and will focus on giving the best shot for the team.&nbsp;

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"We have not thought about it [the&nbsp;championship]&nbsp;at all&nbsp;over the last four weeks. You concentrate on getting a good result&nbsp;and&nbsp;things&nbsp;just&nbsp;play out for themselves," said Norris separately.

"We have definitely put ourselves in there. We lost a lot [of points] over the first couple of weekends, so that's hurt us, but we are about a third of the way through, so there are plenty of opportunities for us."

While eyes will be on Verstappen in Sunday’s race, Norris will be eager to make his mark&nbsp;yet&nbsp;again in Monaco. The Briton has been on the podium in four of the last five races and has not finished lower than eighth.

Defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen has backed McLaren to give a tough fight to Red Bull in the current season as the Dutchman searches for his fourth consecutive title.

Defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen has backed McLaren to give a tough fight to Red Bull in the current season as the Dutchman searches for his fourth consecutive title. Ahead of the upcoming Grand Prix in Monaco, Verstappen thinks McLaren and in particular Lando Norris have the ability to dethrone Red Bull from the top, having recently won the Miami Grand Prix. While Verstappen still leads the path in the driver’s championship, Norris will try to claim his second win of the season on Sunday. Verstappen backs McLaren "After their last few races they [McLaren] are really in the mix," he told reporters. "Of course they are quite a few points down at the moment but if they suddenly start winning, that can turn around quite quickly.” Despite Verstappen’s claim that McLaren is the closest rival to Red Bull, the current picture backs the defending champions to conquer another title. At the time of writing, Red Bull lead the Constructor’s Championship with 56 points over second-placed Ferrari while McLaren are third with 154 points. In the Driver’s Championship, Verstappen is leading the chart with 161 points while Norris is fourth with 101 after seven races. However, he will be confident of his progress, having recently clinched his first win after finishing runner-up on 16 occasions. According to Norris, he and McLaren are not thinking about the Championship yet and will focus on giving the best shot for the team. ALSO READ | IPL 2024: MS Dhoni’s stardom blows away Langer, says ‘the hero worship in India is unbelievable’ "We have not thought about it [the championship] at all over the last four weeks. You concentrate on getting a good result and things just play out for themselves," said Norris separately. "We have definitely put ourselves in there. We lost a lot [of points] over the first couple of weekends, so that's hurt us, but we are about a third of the way through, so there are plenty of opportunities for us." While eyes will be on Verstappen in Sunday’s race, Norris will be eager to make his mark yet again in Monaco. The Briton has been on the podium in four of the last five races and has not finished lower than eighth.

Max Verstappen reckons McLaren will challenge Red Bull's supremacy, says 'they are really in the mix'

After finishing sixth at the Italian Grand Prix, on Sunday (May 19), seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton opined that Mercedes are in 'no-man's land'. He ended at the sixth spot after being 35 seconds behind Red Bull's race winner Max Verstappen. Teammate George Russell came seventh as Mercedes have fallen behind in the Formula One constructors' standings -- being at the fourth spot with 79 points while third-placed McLaren have 154.

After the result on Sunday in Italy, Great Britan driver said, "We are in no-man’s land. There wasn’t much more for us to get today. He further stated, "It is where we are and we have to do the best we can and that is the best we could do today."

Meanwhile, Russell also referred to 'no-man's land' but reaffirmed that the once-dominant Mercedes remain "super-motivated". "We have got to just keep pushing. The car was capable of P6 and P7 and that is where we finished."

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Despite an unfavourable result, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff felt they had taken a small step forward. "Our closest competitors have also done&nbsp;so recently, but we have closed the gap to the front a little. We still have a lot of work to do and, of course, we are all frustrated finishing P6 and P7," The Austrian added. "There is more to come though, and it is all about making incremental gains."

Verstappen, on the other hand, won his fifth race, in seven, this season. In addition, he continues to dominant at Italy, having won the past three races in the country since 2021. Notably, the Italian GP in 2020 was cancelled due to heavy flooding.

After the race, Verstappen said, "I had no grip anymore. I was sliding a lot. I saw Lando (Norris, who finished second) closing in. The last 10 laps were flat out.&nbsp;It's difficult when the tyres were not working anymore and you have to go flat out. I couldn't afford to make too many mistakes. Luckily we didn't."

After finishing sixth at the Italian Grand Prix, on Sunday (May 19), seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton opined that Mercedes are in 'no-man's land'. He ended at the sixth spot after being 35 seconds behind Red Bull's race winner Max Verstappen.

After finishing sixth at the Italian Grand Prix, on Sunday (May 19), seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton opined that Mercedes are in 'no-man's land'. He ended at the sixth spot after being 35 seconds behind Red Bull's race winner Max Verstappen. Teammate George Russell came seventh as Mercedes have fallen behind in the Formula One constructors' standings -- being at the fourth spot with 79 points while third-placed McLaren have 154. After the result on Sunday in Italy, Great Britan driver said, "We are in no-man’s land. There wasn’t much more for us to get today. He further stated, "It is where we are and we have to do the best we can and that is the best we could do today." Meanwhile, Russell also referred to 'no-man's land' but reaffirmed that the once-dominant Mercedes remain "super-motivated". "We have got to just keep pushing. The car was capable of P6 and P7 and that is where we finished." Also read: Italian Grand Prix: Red Bull's Max Verstappen holds off McLaren's Lando Norris for thrilling win Despite an unfavourable result, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff felt they had taken a small step forward. "Our closest competitors have also done so recently, but we have closed the gap to the front a little. We still have a lot of work to do and, of course, we are all frustrated finishing P6 and P7," The Austrian added. "There is more to come though, and it is all about making incremental gains." Verstappen, on the other hand, won his fifth race, in seven, this season. In addition, he continues to dominant at Italy, having won the past three races in the country since 2021. Notably, the Italian GP in 2020 was cancelled due to heavy flooding. After the race, Verstappen said, "I had no grip anymore. I was sliding a lot. I saw Lando (Norris, who finished second) closing in. The last 10 laps were flat out. It's difficult when the tyres were not working anymore and you have to go flat out. I couldn't afford to make too many mistakes. Luckily we didn't."

Mercedes are in 'no-man's land', says Lewis Hamilton after finishing sixth at Italian Grand Prix

Amid constant speculations about his future at Red Bull, Max Verstappen has once again responded to all such claims and made it clear that he is 'very happy with where' he is. Recently, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hinted about chasing Verstappen's signature -- after initially denying all such rumours -- as he searches for Lewis Hamilton's replacement, who will join Ferrari from 2025. Moreover, Silver Arrows' driver George Russell also welcomed the idea of having Verstappen at Mercedes.

However, Verstappen told Sky F1, "Well at the end of the day these kinds of decisions are not made very easily and I’m very happy with where I am. I want to be in the fastest car, that’s what I always said with the team. That’s what we have at the moment, and that’s what we try and have also next year."

“I don’t necessarily have the desire to suddenly build up something new or whatever. Because why would you want to leave when you are already in the best position and you think you can continue that for a long time?," he added.

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Early this month, Russell had stated, "I would be all for it." He added, "I think coming into Mercedes in 2022 was off the back of Lewis's legendary years and victories, and that was a huge task for anybody jumping into a team where he's been [dominating] for so long. I believe in myself, and you need to go up against the best in the same machinery and show what you've got."

Despite so much noise around his future, Verstappen’s message remains consistent with comments he made before the Miami Grand Prix. Ahead of the last race, the 26-year-old revealed that even sackfuls of cash wouldn’t be able to turn his head in the current F1 climate.

Amid constant speculations about his future at Red Bull, Max Verstappen has once again responded to all such claims and made it clear that he is 'very happy with where' he is.

Amid constant speculations about his future at Red Bull, Max Verstappen has once again responded to all such claims and made it clear that he is 'very happy with where' he is. Recently, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hinted about chasing Verstappen's signature -- after initially denying all such rumours -- as he searches for Lewis Hamilton's replacement, who will join Ferrari from 2025. Moreover, Silver Arrows' driver George Russell also welcomed the idea of having Verstappen at Mercedes. However, Verstappen told Sky F1, "Well at the end of the day these kinds of decisions are not made very easily and I’m very happy with where I am. I want to be in the fastest car, that’s what I always said with the team. That’s what we have at the moment, and that’s what we try and have also next year." “I don’t necessarily have the desire to suddenly build up something new or whatever. Because why would you want to leave when you are already in the best position and you think you can continue that for a long time?," he added. Also read: Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes, arch-rival Lionel Messi third Early this month, Russell had stated, "I would be all for it." He added, "I think coming into Mercedes in 2022 was off the back of Lewis's legendary years and victories, and that was a huge task for anybody jumping into a team where he's been [dominating] for so long. I believe in myself, and you need to go up against the best in the same machinery and show what you've got." Despite so much noise around his future, Verstappen’s message remains consistent with comments he made before the Miami Grand Prix. Ahead of the last race, the 26-year-old revealed that even sackfuls of cash wouldn’t be able to turn his head in the current F1 climate.

'Very happy with where I am': Max Verstappen once again speaks about his links to Mercedes

Liberty Media-owned&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;and the FIA governing body moved to reset their fractious relationship on Wednesday with the announcement of a joint strategic plan to grow the sport worldwide. Both parties issued a statement ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the first round of the European season, declaring the championship, now a record 24 races, had never been stronger.

The FIA website accompanied it with a file picture of the body's president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali in a friendly exchange on the grand prix grid. "The FIA and&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;are committed to delivering the best outcomes for the whole sport," it said. "To that end, both parties are developing a new strategic plan that will allow us to seize the opportunities and further enhance the potential for F1 in the years ahead."

No details of the plan were given, but insiders said things were moving in the right direction with a mutual focus on the big issues. Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;Management holds the 100-year commercial rights to the championship, starting from 2001, while the FIA is the sanctioning body responsible for rules and safety as well as technical staff.

They have been at odds recently over a potential 11th team, with Emirati Ben Sulayem supportive of a U.S.-based Andretti-Cadillac entry and&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;ruling it out until at least 2028. The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee this month launched an investigation into that rejection.

Ben Sulayem was appointed at the end of 2021, succeeding Frenchman Jean Todt, and has been caught in controversy as well as what some have depicted as a turf war with the commercial rights holder.

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In January last year,&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;accused Ben Sulayem of interfering with its commercial rights by publicly questioning a reported $20 billion valuation of the sport. The FIA also faces legal action brought by Susie Wolff, the director of the all-female F1 Academy support series and wife of Mercedes team boss Toto, after a conflict of interest enquiry last year.

Ben Sulayem was accused by a whistleblower of seeking to prevent circuit approval ahead of last year's showcase Las Vegas Grand Prix and allegedly interfering in the outcome of the Saudi Arabian race in Jeddah. The FIA's ethics committee cleared him unanimously after an independent investigation that took 30 days.

In the background there is also legal action by Brazilian former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa against&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone&nbsp;and the FIA over the outcome of the 2008 world championship.

Liberty Media-owned Formula One and the FIA governing body moved to reset their fractious relationship on Wednesday with the announcement of a joint strategic plan to grow the sport worldwide.

Liberty Media-owned Formula One and the FIA governing body moved to reset their fractious relationship on Wednesday with the announcement of a joint strategic plan to grow the sport worldwide. Both parties issued a statement ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the first round of the European season, declaring the championship, now a record 24 races, had never been stronger. The FIA website accompanied it with a file picture of the body's president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali in a friendly exchange on the grand prix grid. "The FIA and Formula One are committed to delivering the best outcomes for the whole sport," it said. "To that end, both parties are developing a new strategic plan that will allow us to seize the opportunities and further enhance the potential for F1 in the years ahead." No details of the plan were given, but insiders said things were moving in the right direction with a mutual focus on the big issues. Formula One Management holds the 100-year commercial rights to the championship, starting from 2001, while the FIA is the sanctioning body responsible for rules and safety as well as technical staff. They have been at odds recently over a potential 11th team, with Emirati Ben Sulayem supportive of a U.S.-based Andretti-Cadillac entry and Formula One ruling it out until at least 2028. The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee this month launched an investigation into that rejection. Ben Sulayem was appointed at the end of 2021, succeeding Frenchman Jean Todt, and has been caught in controversy as well as what some have depicted as a turf war with the commercial rights holder. Also read: Alexander Zverev beats injury scare to reach Rome semis as Danielle Collins sets up Aryna Sabalenka clash In January last year, Formula One accused Ben Sulayem of interfering with its commercial rights by publicly questioning a reported $20 billion valuation of the sport. The FIA also faces legal action brought by Susie Wolff, the director of the all-female F1 Academy support series and wife of Mercedes team boss Toto, after a conflict of interest enquiry last year. Ben Sulayem was accused by a whistleblower of seeking to prevent circuit approval ahead of last year's showcase Las Vegas Grand Prix and allegedly interfering in the outcome of the Saudi Arabian race in Jeddah. The FIA's ethics committee cleared him unanimously after an independent investigation that took 30 days. In the background there is also legal action by Brazilian former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa against Formula One, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA over the outcome of the 2008 world championship.

FIA, F1 signal better relations with joint strategic plan ahead of Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown has made a big claim ahead of the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, to be held this weekend in Italy. He believes Lando Norris, who won his first-ever F1 race in the Miami Grand Prix held early this month, would topple Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen in a 'straight fight' in upcoming times. Norris clinched a historic maiden victory in the Miami International Autodrome in Hard Rock Stadium in the first week of May, despite starting from fifth.&nbsp;

Thus, Norris will be in good head space entering the forthcoming race in Italy. Following the youngster's maiden F1 race win, McLaren CEO Brown has expressed his confidence in Norris' ability to challenge Verstappen. Brown believes Norris possesses the prowess to go head-to-head with the Dutchman.&nbsp;

<h2>I've not seen anyone faster than Lando:&nbsp;Zak Brown</h2>

In this regard, the CEO told Motorsport.com, "I do think Lando can beat Max in a straight fight. I think it would be an awesome fight, I think many races would end in tears – for one or the other, or both. But I think as far as raw talent can be, I've not seen someone faster than Lando."

Brown stressed that the Miami win would keep Norris in good stead and take him to greater heights in the near future. "For sure. There's something about when drivers get their first win. I remember from when I got my first win, now you know you've done it [the first win] just relaxes drivers and they don't have to try as hard. In anything, you can try too hard and that kind of works against you," he further opined.&nbsp;

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Meanwhile, Norris himself sounded optimistic about McLaren's prospects for the remainder of the season with a win in Miami. Talking to SkySports at the McLaren Technology Center in Woking, the 24-year-old opined that McLaren have it in them to challenge Red Bull&nbsp;and Ferrari for more race wins this year.&nbsp;

Norris said, "Absolutely, we can win more races this year. I think we can compete against Red Bull. I think we're looking at an exciting season between us, Red Bull and Ferrari. " He added, "I think we still have work to do and we're not at the level that they are just yet."

McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown has made a big claim ahead of the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, to be held this weekend in Italy. He believes Lando Norris, who won his first-ever F1 race in the Miami Grand Prix held early this month, would topple Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen in a 'straight fight' in upcoming times.

McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown has made a big claim ahead of the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, to be held this weekend in Italy. He believes Lando Norris, who won his first-ever F1 race in the Miami Grand Prix held early this month, would topple Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen in a 'straight fight' in upcoming times. Norris clinched a historic maiden victory in the Miami International Autodrome in Hard Rock Stadium in the first week of May, despite starting from fifth. Thus, Norris will be in good head space entering the forthcoming race in Italy. Following the youngster's maiden F1 race win, McLaren CEO Brown has expressed his confidence in Norris' ability to challenge Verstappen. Brown believes Norris possesses the prowess to go head-to-head with the Dutchman. I've not seen anyone faster than Lando: Zak Brown In this regard, the CEO told Motorsport.com, "I do think Lando can beat Max in a straight fight. I think it would be an awesome fight, I think many races would end in tears – for one or the other, or both. But I think as far as raw talent can be, I've not seen someone faster than Lando." Brown stressed that the Miami win would keep Norris in good stead and take him to greater heights in the near future. "For sure. There's something about when drivers get their first win. I remember from when I got my first win, now you know you've done it [the first win] just relaxes drivers and they don't have to try as hard. In anything, you can try too hard and that kind of works against you," he further opined. Also read: Max Verstappen's dad might be the reason if at all he decides to leave Red Bull: Ex-driver Meanwhile, Norris himself sounded optimistic about McLaren's prospects for the remainder of the season with a win in Miami. Talking to SkySports at the McLaren Technology Center in Woking, the 24-year-old opined that McLaren have it in them to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari for more race wins this year. Norris said, "Absolutely, we can win more races this year. I think we can compete against Red Bull. I think we're looking at an exciting season between us, Red Bull and Ferrari. " He added, "I think we still have work to do and we're not at the level that they are just yet."

McLaren boss makes big claim, says Lando Norris can beat Max Verstappen in a 'straight fight'

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya opened up on the rumours of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull. While Verstappen has denied all such claims,&nbsp;rumours of his departure keep popping up from time to time amid a lot happening off the circuit in the Red Bull camp this season. The start of the 2024 F1 season saw an alleged sexual harassment case being filed against team principal Christian Horner, which made a lot of noise, and was soon followed by the exit of Adrian Newey -- their superstar engineer. Amid all this, news of Verstappen being eager to leave Red Bull continues to resurface.

Thus, Montoya believes Max has no reason to leave Red Bull, given he is winning almost every race. However, he opined that if the rumours come true, Max's father Jos Verstappen might have a role in his exit. When Horner was under the radar for sexual harassment accusation, by an unnamed female employee, it is believed that he was on one side whereas Verstappens and current director Helmet Marko were on the other. Since then, there are strong reports that suggest that Jos isn't happy with Red Bull's internal issues.&nbsp;

Thus, Montoya told RacingNews365, "I really don’t [see Verstappen leaving], I think he would be stupid if he did. Max has everybody talking: ‘Oh, he is going to leave Red Bull’, and you go, ‘Why would you leave Red Bull if they’re winning everything?’ Unless you are not there for the right reason, you will leave, but if you are there for the right reason, you wouldn’t touch it."

He added, "Maybe Jos is p*ssed and wants to drive Max away, it could be, but honestly, he is in the right situation right now, and it would be crazy to go."

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Meanwhile, Max -- ignoring his transfer rumours --&nbsp;reacted to Newey's departure, stating that the media had blown the whole situation out of proportion and reckoned that Red Bull still have a strong team in place.

The Dutchman stated that he would have loved to see Newey continue but understood the veteran's decision. He told, as quoted by PlanetF1, "I think people in the press, they’re making up a lot of things at the moment, because they don’t understand how the roles were in the team." He further added, "But of course, like I said before, I cannot deny that I would have preferred him to stay, just for how he is as a person, his knowledge. And of course, what he will bring to potentially another team if he wants to join."

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya opened up on the rumours of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull. While Verstappen has denied all such claims, rumours of his departure keep popping up from time to time amid a lot happening off the circuit in the Red Bull camp this season.

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya opened up on the rumours of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull. While Verstappen has denied all such claims, rumours of his departure keep popping up from time to time amid a lot happening off the circuit in the Red Bull camp this season. The start of the 2024 F1 season saw an alleged sexual harassment case being filed against team principal Christian Horner, which made a lot of noise, and was soon followed by the exit of Adrian Newey -- their superstar engineer. Amid all this, news of Verstappen being eager to leave Red Bull continues to resurface. Thus, Montoya believes Max has no reason to leave Red Bull, given he is winning almost every race. However, he opined that if the rumours come true, Max's father Jos Verstappen might have a role in his exit. When Horner was under the radar for sexual harassment accusation, by an unnamed female employee, it is believed that he was on one side whereas Verstappens and current director Helmet Marko were on the other. Since then, there are strong reports that suggest that Jos isn't happy with Red Bull's internal issues. Thus, Montoya told RacingNews365, "I really don’t [see Verstappen leaving], I think he would be stupid if he did. Max has everybody talking: ‘Oh, he is going to leave Red Bull’, and you go, ‘Why would you leave Red Bull if they’re winning everything?’ Unless you are not there for the right reason, you will leave, but if you are there for the right reason, you wouldn’t touch it." He added, "Maybe Jos is p*ssed and wants to drive Max away, it could be, but honestly, he is in the right situation right now, and it would be crazy to go." Also read: Paris 2024 gold more important than 90m throw for Neeraj Chopra, says javelin star's coach Meanwhile, Max -- ignoring his transfer rumours -- reacted to Newey's departure, stating that the media had blown the whole situation out of proportion and reckoned that Red Bull still have a strong team in place. The Dutchman stated that he would have loved to see Newey continue but understood the veteran's decision. He told, as quoted by PlanetF1, "I think people in the press, they’re making up a lot of things at the moment, because they don’t understand how the roles were in the team." He further added, "But of course, like I said before, I cannot deny that I would have preferred him to stay, just for how he is as a person, his knowledge. And of course, what he will bring to potentially another team if he wants to join."

Max Verstappen's dad might be the reason if at all he decides to leave Red Bull: Ex-driver

While Red Bull is having another good run in the ongoing F1 season, it has been&nbsp;a torrid time for them off the circuit with too many distractions. After reports of Christian Horner's alleged misconduct with a female employee spread like wildfire, earlier&nbsp;this year, the Milton Keynes-based team saw Adrian Newey -- their legendary engineer -- part ways&nbsp;after a lengthy association. Now, Horner has also made heads turn by revealing that they have poached as many as 220 Mercedes HPP personnel. Notably, the number is massive as it is approximately 20 per cent of the overall workforce of the German team.&nbsp;

In a conversation with RacingNews365, Red Bull team principal Horner stated, "I &nbsp;think it's inevitable, I think the two [team bosses] involved, they talk a lot. And I'm not going to get sucked into a tit for tat. But I'd be more focused on Toto's own issues that he has, and I don't have any concern with the strength and depth [of Red Bull], there's always going to be movement between teams."

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He further added, "I don't know how many people we've employed from McLaren this year, or how many people [RB] has employed, but from Mercedes, we've taken 220 people out of HPP into Red Bull Powertrains. So when we're talking of losing people, I'd be a bit more worried about the 220 people than one or two CVs."

Not only this, there have also been strong reports that indicate&nbsp;the senior technician team, including Pierre Wache, has committed to a long-term contract. Meanwhile, there have also been rumours&nbsp;that Jonathan Wheatley -- Horner's main man in recent times&nbsp;-- might be interested in moving out.&nbsp;

Wheatley's contract is up for renewal and he might&nbsp;be interested in taking on some other challenges. However, Horner didn't comment on the matter, saying, "I mean, there's rumours about everybody, but contracts between individuals, the terms and conditions, is not something that we really talk about to the public."

While Red Bull is having another good run in the ongoing F1 season, it has been a torrid time for them off the circuit with too many distractions. After reports of Christian Horner's alleged misconduct with a female employee spread like wildfire, earlier this year, the Milton Keynes-based team saw Adrian Newey -- their legendary engineer -- part ways after a lengthy association.

While Red Bull is having another good run in the ongoing F1 season, it has been a torrid time for them off the circuit with too many distractions. After reports of Christian Horner's alleged misconduct with a female employee spread like wildfire, earlier this year, the Milton Keynes-based team saw Adrian Newey -- their legendary engineer -- part ways after a lengthy association. Now, Horner has also made heads turn by revealing that they have poached as many as 220 Mercedes HPP personnel. Notably, the number is massive as it is approximately 20 per cent of the overall workforce of the German team. In a conversation with RacingNews365, Red Bull team principal Horner stated, "I think it's inevitable, I think the two [team bosses] involved, they talk a lot. And I'm not going to get sucked into a tit for tat. But I'd be more focused on Toto's own issues that he has, and I don't have any concern with the strength and depth [of Red Bull], there's always going to be movement between teams." Also read: UCL: Mats Hummels on target as composed Borussia Dortmund knock PSG out to reach final He further added, "I don't know how many people we've employed from McLaren this year, or how many people [RB] has employed, but from Mercedes, we've taken 220 people out of HPP into Red Bull Powertrains. So when we're talking of losing people, I'd be a bit more worried about the 220 people than one or two CVs." Not only this, there have also been strong reports that indicate the senior technician team, including Pierre Wache, has committed to a long-term contract. Meanwhile, there have also been rumours that Jonathan Wheatley -- Horner's main man in recent times -- might be interested in moving out. Wheatley's contract is up for renewal and he might be interested in taking on some other challenges. However, Horner didn't comment on the matter, saying, "I mean, there's rumours about everybody, but contracts between individuals, the terms and conditions, is not something that we really talk about to the public."

F1: Wait, what? Christian Horner reveals Red Bull has poached 220 Mercedes HPP employees

Red Bull team Principal Christian Horner insists he remains friends with Adrian Newey despite the legendary designer announcing his desire to leave the racing side. Newey, having joined Red Bull in&nbsp;2006&nbsp;will end his stint in 2025 when his contract expires. However, rumours of his exit were already in the media&nbsp;with&nbsp;him now associated with a move to Ferrari. On the other side, Horner still remains on the racing side despite facing allegations of inappropriate behaviour&nbsp;and according&nbsp;to&nbsp;him&nbsp;the issue had nothing to do with him and his relationship with Newey.&nbsp;

<h2>Horner opens up on relationship with&nbsp;Newey</h2>

"I've&nbsp;spoken to Adrian at length about it&nbsp;and&nbsp;Adrian's&nbsp;position is&nbsp;very clear. We have enjoyed a great relationship, and we continue to enjoy a great relationship. We are friends&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;work colleagues&nbsp;and&nbsp;he's&nbsp;done a huge amount for this team,"&nbsp;said Horner.

"We will be sad to see him leave&nbsp;but&nbsp;he's&nbsp;left the team in good shape&nbsp;and&nbsp;we've&nbsp;got a great team of people and strength and depth to take us forward."

The legendary designer has been instrumental to Red&nbsp;Bull’s&nbsp;success&nbsp;having&nbsp;led&nbsp;them to seven&nbsp;Driver’s&nbsp;Championships during his spell.&nbsp;His designs saw Red Bull win the Formula One&nbsp;Driver’s&nbsp;Championship&nbsp;first&nbsp;from 2010 to 2013 and&nbsp;then&nbsp;from 2021 to present.&nbsp;This spell also saw Red Bull bag six Constructors Championships.&nbsp;

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Newey’s&nbsp;departure will&nbsp;be the end of&nbsp;an era in the Red Bull history as he drops curtains on his 19-year spell. At the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix, Verstappen took Red&nbsp;Bull's&nbsp;100th win,&nbsp;which also marked&nbsp;Newey's&nbsp;200th win in Formula One.&nbsp;

During his illustrious career, the British engineer has won 12 Constructors'&nbsp; Championships with three different Formula One&nbsp;teams,&nbsp;and&nbsp;with&nbsp;seven different drivers winning 13 Drivers'&nbsp; Championships.&nbsp;

The media reports have now linked Newey with a move to Ferrari, where he could work with Lewis Hamilton. The legendary driver&nbsp;in February announced&nbsp;that he would be switching alliances in the 2025 season and&nbsp;will&nbsp;represent Ferrari. The 2024 Formula One season will be&nbsp;Hamilton’s&nbsp;last with Mercedes before he joins the Italian racing side.&nbsp;

Red Bull team Principal Christian Horner insists he remains friends with Adrian Newey despite the legendary designer announcing his desire to leave the racing side.

Red Bull team Principal Christian Horner insists he remains friends with Adrian Newey despite the legendary designer announcing his desire to leave the racing side. Newey, having joined Red Bull in 2006 will end his stint in 2025 when his contract expires. However, rumours of his exit were already in the media with him now associated with a move to Ferrari. On the other side, Horner still remains on the racing side despite facing allegations of inappropriate behaviour and according to him the issue had nothing to do with him and his relationship with Newey. Horner opens up on relationship with Newey "I've spoken to Adrian at length about it and Adrian's position is very clear. We have enjoyed a great relationship, and we continue to enjoy a great relationship. We are friends as well as work colleagues and he's done a huge amount for this team," said Horner. "We will be sad to see him leave but he's left the team in good shape and we've got a great team of people and strength and depth to take us forward." The legendary designer has been instrumental to Red Bull’s success having led them to seven Driver’s Championships during his spell. His designs saw Red Bull win the Formula One Driver’s Championship first from 2010 to 2013 and then from 2021 to present. This spell also saw Red Bull bag six Constructors Championships. ALSO READ | F1: Wait, what? Christian Horner reveals Red Bull has poached 220 Mercedes HPP employees Newey’s departure will be the end of an era in the Red Bull history as he drops curtains on his 19-year spell. At the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix, Verstappen took Red Bull's 100th win, which also marked Newey's 200th win in Formula One. During his illustrious career, the British engineer has won 12 Constructors' Championships with three different Formula One teams, and with seven different drivers winning 13 Drivers' Championships. The media reports have now linked Newey with a move to Ferrari, where he could work with Lewis Hamilton. The legendary driver in February announced that he would be switching alliances in the 2025 season and will represent Ferrari. The 2024 Formula One season will be Hamilton’s last with Mercedes before he joins the Italian racing side.

Formula One: No rift with Adrian Newey, we remain friends, says Red Bull team principal Christian Horner

Haas Formula One team driver Kevin Magnussen is just two points away from a race ban after his collision at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday (May 5). Magnussen's car (#20) collided with Williams driver Logan Sargeant after he tangled with Sargeant midway in the race. The incident brought out the safety cars which eventually were helpful for Lando Norris' maiden Formula One win.

Magnussen was given a 10-second penalty along with two penalty points as well, which brought his total penalty points to 10 for a 12-month rolling period. A driver gets suspended for one race after accumulating 12 points and Magnussen now has to drive with utmost care in the remaining races as his points do not expire till April next year.

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The race stewards were also clear on who to blame in the incident involving Sargeant and Magnussen and said: "It was clear that Car 20 did not have its front axle in that position such that it was entitled to room in that corner. Further, if this is looked at purely as an overtaking of the inside of Turn 3, Car 20 would also not have had the right to the corner, by the standards for an inside overtake."

"Even if this was viewed as a sequence of corners or a chicane, the decision remains the same. Per the guidelines, priority will be given to the first corner and if you do not have the right to be given room, then you do not get the benefit for the next corner."

"Car 20 was therefore wholly to blame for the collision that occurred."

As for the race, Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished second behind McLaren's Norris while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished third in the race. Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. finished fourth while Red Bull's Sergio Perez completed top five.&nbsp;

Haas Formula One team driver Kevin Magnussen is just two points away from a race ban after his collision at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday (May 5). Magnussen's car (#20) collided with Williams driver Logan Sargeant after he tangled with Sargeant midway in the race.

Haas Formula One team driver Kevin Magnussen is just two points away from a race ban after his collision at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday (May 5). Magnussen's car (#20) collided with Williams driver Logan Sargeant after he tangled with Sargeant midway in the race. The incident brought out the safety cars which eventually were helpful for Lando Norris' maiden Formula One win. Magnussen was given a 10-second penalty along with two penalty points as well, which brought his total penalty points to 10 for a 12-month rolling period. A driver gets suspended for one race after accumulating 12 points and Magnussen now has to drive with utmost care in the remaining races as his points do not expire till April next year. Also Read: Erik Ten Hag expects captain Bruno Fernandes to remain at Man United next season The race stewards were also clear on who to blame in the incident involving Sargeant and Magnussen and said: "It was clear that Car 20 did not have its front axle in that position such that it was entitled to room in that corner. Further, if this is looked at purely as an overtaking of the inside of Turn 3, Car 20 would also not have had the right to the corner, by the standards for an inside overtake." "Even if this was viewed as a sequence of corners or a chicane, the decision remains the same. Per the guidelines, priority will be given to the first corner and if you do not have the right to be given room, then you do not get the benefit for the next corner." "Car 20 was therefore wholly to blame for the collision that occurred." As for the race, Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished second behind McLaren's Norris while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished third in the race. Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. finished fourth while Red Bull's Sergio Perez completed top five.

Formula One: Haas driver Kevin Magnussen nearing race-ban after collision in Miami Grand Prix

Max Verstappen was expected to keep his winning run intact in the just-concluded Miami Grand Prix on the weekend. However, the Dutchman lost as McLaren driver Lando Norris clinched his maiden win in F1. It was a sweet victory for the Briton after the 24-year-old held the record for most podiums without a win (15). Notably, he ended as runner-up on a&nbsp;staggering eight occasions in 110 grand prixs.

Verstappen, who was a favourite, was on&nbsp;course to claim a fifth win in six races until a midway crash led McLaren to cash in on a safety car period, with Norris eventually coming out with a win. Despite the loss, the Dutchman remains&nbsp;optimistic of a turnaround&nbsp;and lauded Norris for his first-ever race win.

After the race, Verstappen said, "You win, you lose. I think we’re all used to that in racing, right?" Today was just a bit tricky. If a bad day is P2, I take it. I’m very happy for Lando. It’s been a long time coming and it’s not going to be his last one, so he definitely deserves it today."

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Meanwhile, Norris was on cloud nine and stated, "About time! What a race. It's been a long time coming. Finally, I've managed to do it," Norris told Sky Sports. "I'm so happy for my whole team. I finally delivered for them."

He further opined, "Long day, tough race. Finally on top, so I'm over the moon. I'm just proud. A lot of people doubted me along the way."

"I've made a lot of mistakes over my last five years in my short career but today we put it all together," Norris added.

The win is&nbsp;huge for Norris given how Red Bull is dominating the ongoing season. Mercedes' seven-time&nbsp;world champion Lewis Hamilton settled for the sixth spot and RB's Yuki Tsunoda followed him in seventh. Aston Martin's double world champion Fernando Alonso claimed the ninth spot while Alpine's Esteban Ocon earned his struggling team their first point of the season crossing 10th.

The focus now moves to the Elimia Romagna GP, which is on May 19 in Italy.

Max Verstappen was expected to keep his winning run intact in the just-concluded Miami Grand Prix on the weekend. However, the Dutchman lost as McLaren driver Lando Norris clinched his maiden win in F1.

Max Verstappen was expected to keep his winning run intact in the just-concluded Miami Grand Prix on the weekend. However, the Dutchman lost as McLaren driver Lando Norris clinched his maiden win in F1. It was a sweet victory for the Briton after the 24-year-old held the record for most podiums without a win (15). Notably, he ended as runner-up on a staggering eight occasions in 110 grand prixs. Verstappen, who was a favourite, was on course to claim a fifth win in six races until a midway crash led McLaren to cash in on a safety car period, with Norris eventually coming out with a win. Despite the loss, the Dutchman remains optimistic of a turnaround and lauded Norris for his first-ever race win. After the race, Verstappen said, "You win, you lose. I think we’re all used to that in racing, right?" Today was just a bit tricky. If a bad day is P2, I take it. I’m very happy for Lando. It’s been a long time coming and it’s not going to be his last one, so he definitely deserves it today." Also read: Rugby: New Zealand touch peak form with twin wins at Singapore 7s as Paris Games looms Meanwhile, Norris was on cloud nine and stated, "About time! What a race. It's been a long time coming. Finally, I've managed to do it," Norris told Sky Sports. "I'm so happy for my whole team. I finally delivered for them." He further opined, "Long day, tough race. Finally on top, so I'm over the moon. I'm just proud. A lot of people doubted me along the way." "I've made a lot of mistakes over my last five years in my short career but today we put it all together," Norris added. The win is huge for Norris given how Red Bull is dominating the ongoing season. Mercedes' seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton settled for the sixth spot and RB's Yuki Tsunoda followed him in seventh. Aston Martin's double world champion Fernando Alonso claimed the ninth spot while Alpine's Esteban Ocon earned his struggling team their first point of the season crossing 10th. The focus now moves to the Elimia Romagna GP, which is on May 19 in Italy.

Very happy for Lando Norris, says Max Verstappen despite losing Miami GP to McLaren driver

On Wednesday (May 1), Adrian Newey -- the legendary designer -- announced his exit from the Red Bull team, after serving with them for 19 years. The move came ahead of the upcoming Miami Grand Prix and casts further shadows on the future of other top personnel in he team, including star driver Max Verstappen. It was speculated that Verstappen is looking for a switch, following allegations on team principal Christian Horner for sexual misconduct and&nbsp;the 2026 rule changes. However, the Dutchman revealed that he plans to fulfil his Red Bull contract -- until 2028. Nonetheless, following Newey's departure, his father made a bold claim.

It is to be noted that Verstappen has won three titles on the trot and is in line to match Sebastian Vettel's footsteps and win 4 successive races. However, the recent internal power struggle might prompt him to look elsewhere. Following Newey's latest move, Max's father Jos Verstappen expressed his concerns about the future of his son and Red Bull in general.

In an interview with De Telegraaf, Jos said, "The team is in danger of falling apart. I was afraid of that earlier this year. For internal peace, it is important that key people stay on board. That is not the case now. (Adrian) Newey is leaving and earlier this year it also looked like Helmut would be sent away. For the future, that is not good."

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There have been reports of Verstappen looking to move to Mercedes and become Lewis Hamilton's replacement, who is going to Ferrari from 2025. Recently, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff denied having any talks, or being in discussions, with Verstappen's father -- with whom he shares good relations -- and his manager for a potential 2025 move.

Despite all the claims, there are strong speculations of a possible meet between Wolff and Verstappen's team. One might probably get a clear picture after this weekend's Miami Grand Prix.

On Wednesday (May 1), Adrian Newey -- the legendary designer -- announced his exit from the Red Bull team, after serving with them for 19 years. The move came ahead of the upcoming Miami Grand Prix and casts further shadows on the future of other top personnel in he team, including star driver Max Verstappen.

On Wednesday (May 1), Adrian Newey -- the legendary designer -- announced his exit from the Red Bull team, after serving with them for 19 years. The move came ahead of the upcoming Miami Grand Prix and casts further shadows on the future of other top personnel in he team, including star driver Max Verstappen. It was speculated that Verstappen is looking for a switch, following allegations on team principal Christian Horner for sexual misconduct and the 2026 rule changes. However, the Dutchman revealed that he plans to fulfil his Red Bull contract -- until 2028. Nonetheless, following Newey's departure, his father made a bold claim. It is to be noted that Verstappen has won three titles on the trot and is in line to match Sebastian Vettel's footsteps and win 4 successive races. However, the recent internal power struggle might prompt him to look elsewhere. Following Newey's latest move, Max's father Jos Verstappen expressed his concerns about the future of his son and Red Bull in general. In an interview with De Telegraaf, Jos said, "The team is in danger of falling apart. I was afraid of that earlier this year. For internal peace, it is important that key people stay on board. That is not the case now. (Adrian) Newey is leaving and earlier this year it also looked like Helmut would be sent away. For the future, that is not good." Also read: ‘My great honour to have played a role...’: Adrian Newey to leave Red Bull in 2025 There have been reports of Verstappen looking to move to Mercedes and become Lewis Hamilton's replacement, who is going to Ferrari from 2025. Recently, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff denied having any talks, or being in discussions, with Verstappen's father -- with whom he shares good relations -- and his manager for a potential 2025 move. Despite all the claims, there are strong speculations of a possible meet between Wolff and Verstappen's team. One might probably get a clear picture after this weekend's Miami Grand Prix.

'Team is in danger of falling apart': Verstappen's father hints at Red Bull driver's future after Newey's exit

Formula One's most sought-after designer Adrian Newey has announced his departure from Red Bull in 2025, after being associated with the F1 team for as many as&nbsp;19 years. The Red Bull team made the official announcement on Wednesday (May 1)̣. There were speculations of Newey's exit and it was expected that the announcement would come ahead of the forthcoming Miami Grand Prix, which commences on May 6.&nbsp;

The BBC and Germany's Auto Motor und Sport had reported in April that Newey was considering moving out of Red Bull&nbsp;following allegations of alleged misconduct towards a female employee against team principal Christian Horner. Notably, Horner was cleared of all allegations in February, however, the employee has lodged an appeal against the outcome.&nbsp;

Newey said in a statement, "For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing's progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning Team. However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself."

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/people-make-up-meetings-wolff-confirms-verstappen-not-in-talks-with-mercedes-for-a-potential-2025-move-716937">People make up meetings: Wolff confirms Verstappen not in talks with Mercedes for a potential 2025 move</a>

Newey, who has clinched as many as 12 F1 Constructors' and 13 Drivers' Championships, has been a superstar designer and his absence will surely be felt in the Max Verstappen-led Red Bull side.&nbsp;

Horner, after the major announcement,&nbsp;said, "All of our greatest moments from the past 20 years have come with Adrian's hand on the technical tiller. His vision and brilliance have helped us to 13 titles in 20 seasons. For me, when Adrian joined Red Bull, he was already a superstar designer. Two decades and 13 Championships later he leaves as a true legend."

Thus, this is a big development for Red Bull right before the forthcoming Miami Open. It will be interesting to see how they respond to the change given Newey played a huge role in their success.

Formula One's most sought-after designer Adrian Newey has announced his departure from Red Bull in 2025, after being associated with the F1 team for as many as 19 years.

Formula One's most sought-after designer Adrian Newey has announced his departure from Red Bull in 2025, after being associated with the F1 team for as many as 19 years. The Red Bull team made the official announcement on Wednesday (May 1)̣. There were speculations of Newey's exit and it was expected that the announcement would come ahead of the forthcoming Miami Grand Prix, which commences on May 6. The BBC and Germany's Auto Motor und Sport had reported in April that Newey was considering moving out of Red Bull following allegations of alleged misconduct towards a female employee against team principal Christian Horner. Notably, Horner was cleared of all allegations in February, however, the employee has lodged an appeal against the outcome. Newey said in a statement, "For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing's progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning Team. However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself." Also read: People make up meetings: Wolff confirms Verstappen not in talks with Mercedes for a potential 2025 move Newey, who has clinched as many as 12 F1 Constructors' and 13 Drivers' Championships, has been a superstar designer and his absence will surely be felt in the Max Verstappen-led Red Bull side. Horner, after the major announcement, said, "All of our greatest moments from the past 20 years have come with Adrian's hand on the technical tiller. His vision and brilliance have helped us to 13 titles in 20 seasons. For me, when Adrian joined Red Bull, he was already a superstar designer. Two decades and 13 Championships later he leaves as a true legend." Thus, this is a big development for Red Bull right before the forthcoming Miami Open. It will be interesting to see how they respond to the change given Newey played a huge role in their success.

‘My great honour to have played a role...’: Adrian Newey to leave Red Bull in 2025

Ever since Lewis Hamilton announced his move from Mercedes, to join Ferrari in 2025, Mercedes are searching for his replacement. Team principal Toto Wolff has openly courted Dutchman Max Verstappen, who is the reigning three-time champion, expressing regret over not signing him a decade ago. Thus, given Wolff's interest in Verstappen, there have been strong rumours of the latter being inclined to join Mercedes in 2025. However, Wolff has brushed aside all such rumours and confirmed that there no talks have been held with Verstappen's team during the Miami Grand Prix.

German media had reported that Wolff was scheduled to have a talk with Verstappen's father&nbsp;Jos and manager Raymond Vermeulen -- which&nbsp;Ineos boss Jim Ratcliffe and Mercedes Benz CEO Ola Kallenius were also supposed to join during the Miami GP. However, Wolff has confirmed&nbsp;no such meeting ever took place.&nbsp;

<h2>'People make up meetings'</h2>

He was quoted as saying by Reuters, "No, that’s one of the rumours. People make up meetings, make up what’s happening with the drivers but these things should be behind closed doors and everything that’s been out there was not really the right thing."

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Although Wolff has dismissed all such rumours, he has a genuine interest in acquiring the services of Verstappen. He had previously suggested that the reigning champion was part of the driver market despite Verstappen's contract with Red Bull lasting until 2028.&nbsp;

The Mercedes team principal, like many, believes that Verstappen's decision about his future depends on the 2026 F1 regulations, which will be the most crucial factor in influencing his next move.

However, Red Bull's team principal Christian Horner has confirmed that Verstappen is not even considering a move and is content with his current team.&nbsp;

Ever since Lewis Hamilton announced his move from Mercedes, to join Ferrari in 2025, Mercedes are searching for his replacement. Team principal Toto Wolff has openly courted Dutchman Max Verstappen, who is the reigning three-time champion, expressing regret over not signing him a decade ago.

Ever since Lewis Hamilton announced his move from Mercedes, to join Ferrari in 2025, Mercedes are searching for his replacement. Team principal Toto Wolff has openly courted Dutchman Max Verstappen, who is the reigning three-time champion, expressing regret over not signing him a decade ago. Thus, given Wolff's interest in Verstappen, there have been strong rumours of the latter being inclined to join Mercedes in 2025. However, Wolff has brushed aside all such rumours and confirmed that there no talks have been held with Verstappen's team during the Miami Grand Prix. German media had reported that Wolff was scheduled to have a talk with Verstappen's father Jos and manager Raymond Vermeulen -- which Ineos boss Jim Ratcliffe and Mercedes Benz CEO Ola Kallenius were also supposed to join during the Miami GP. However, Wolff has confirmed no such meeting ever took place. 'People make up meetings' He was quoted as saying by Reuters, "No, that’s one of the rumours. People make up meetings, make up what’s happening with the drivers but these things should be behind closed doors and everything that’s been out there was not really the right thing." Also read: Revealed! Staggering contract sum offered by Mercedes to lure Verstappen from Red Bull Although Wolff has dismissed all such rumours, he has a genuine interest in acquiring the services of Verstappen. He had previously suggested that the reigning champion was part of the driver market despite Verstappen's contract with Red Bull lasting until 2028. The Mercedes team principal, like many, believes that Verstappen's decision about his future depends on the 2026 F1 regulations, which will be the most crucial factor in influencing his next move. However, Red Bull's team principal Christian Horner has confirmed that Verstappen is not even considering a move and is content with his current team.

People make up meetings: Wolff confirms Verstappen not in talks with Mercedes for a potential 2025 move

Various media outlets confirmed that Adrian Newey -- one of the greatest engineers Formula One has ever seen -- is set to depart from Red Bull at the end of the ongoing season. Notably, he was signed up until at least the end of next year, however, Newey reportedly believes he could negotiate an exit and move towards a new team from the next season. Amid all this, there are speculations that he is close to signing a deal with Ferrari.

Newey -- who has clinched as many as 12 F1 Constructors' and 13 Drivers' Championships -- has had a lot of success for multiple outfits, including McLaren and Williams. He has spent close to two decades designing vehicles for the Max Verstappen-starrer Red Bull.

However, as per reports, 65-year-old Newey is mulling a move amid the chaotic season of the 2024 F1 campaign. The BBC and Germany's Auto Motor und Sport earlier reported that the Briton informed Red Bull of his decision following allegations against team principal Christian Horner of&nbsp;misconduct towards a female employee.

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Three teams have been vying for Newey - Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari - and one of them can be the next destination for the legendary engineer. However, it is being reported that he is nearing a deal with Ferrari, which Lewis Hamilton is also joining from the 2025 season.

Meanwhile, a Red Bull&nbsp;spokesman said that they were "unaware of him joining any other team."&nbsp;

Newey could not be reached for a comment amidst the mystery regarding his speculated move.

&nbsp;

Various media outlets confirmed that Adrian Newey -- one of the greatest engineers Formula One has ever seen -- is set to depart from Red Bull at the end of the ongoing season.

Various media outlets confirmed that Adrian Newey -- one of the greatest engineers Formula One has ever seen -- is set to depart from Red Bull at the end of the ongoing season. Notably, he was signed up until at least the end of next year, however, Newey reportedly believes he could negotiate an exit and move towards a new team from the next season. Amid all this, there are speculations that he is close to signing a deal with Ferrari. Newey -- who has clinched as many as 12 F1 Constructors' and 13 Drivers' Championships -- has had a lot of success for multiple outfits, including McLaren and Williams. He has spent close to two decades designing vehicles for the Max Verstappen-starrer Red Bull. However, as per reports, 65-year-old Newey is mulling a move amid the chaotic season of the 2024 F1 campaign. The BBC and Germany's Auto Motor und Sport earlier reported that the Briton informed Red Bull of his decision following allegations against team principal Christian Horner of misconduct towards a female employee. Also read: Formula 1: David Croft reveals reason behind Christian Horner's beef with Toto Wolff Three teams have been vying for Newey - Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari - and one of them can be the next destination for the legendary engineer. However, it is being reported that he is nearing a deal with Ferrari, which Lewis Hamilton is also joining from the 2025 season. Meanwhile, a Red Bull spokesman said that they were "unaware of him joining any other team." Newey could not be reached for a comment amidst the mystery regarding his speculated move.

Formula One: Red Bull's legendary engineer Adrian Newey on cusp of joining Ferrari - Reports

Reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen recently opened up on his relationship with arch-rival Lewis Hamilton. The Dutchman, during the Chinese Grand Prix, heaped praise on the Great Britan driver and says he has no desire to deny the greatness of the seven-time world champion, currently with Mercedes. Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari from the 2025 season.

It is to be noted that Verstappen and Hamilton were involved in a bitter battle for the 2021 championship that continued throughout the season. Their relations were not the best due to multiple on-track collisions and were further complicated by a controversial end to the season finale, seeing Red Bull driver Verstappen crowned champion.

Nonetheless, seems like everything is now in the past and both Hamilton and Verstappen have moved on. During the China GP weekend, held on April 21, the Dutchman stated that he maintains a straightforward relationship with his arch-rival and there is mutual respect between them.

<h2>Hamilton&nbsp;definitely&nbsp;one of the greatest drivers ever: Verstappen</h2>

Talking to the Daily Mail, Verstappen said, "Of course, we had a big rivalry in 2021 but ultimately we do have a lot of respect for each other. He is definitely up there as one of the greatest drivers ever. I have no need or desire to deny that."

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Further, 25-year-old Verstappen lauded Hamilton for his dominant run in the sport, wherein he racked up six championships between 2014 and 2020 before the former took over. The Red Bull driver further stated that Hamilton has made a difference in the sport courtesy of the high points in his career.

"Consistency is his key, and staying on top of his game. That is not so hard when you are so talented – it doesn’t take a lot of effort to do that. The way he has managed his championships is very impressive. He has stood up when he needed to and made the difference," he added.

The two recently shared the top two positions in the China GP at the Shanghai International Circuit with Verstappen ending at the top.

Reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen recently opened up on his relationship with arch-rival Lewis Hamilton. The Dutchman, during the Chinese Grand Prix, heaped praise on the Great Britan driver and says he has no desire to deny the greatness of the seven-time world champion, currently with Mercedes.

Reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen recently opened up on his relationship with arch-rival Lewis Hamilton. The Dutchman, during the Chinese Grand Prix, heaped praise on the Great Britan driver and says he has no desire to deny the greatness of the seven-time world champion, currently with Mercedes. Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari from the 2025 season. It is to be noted that Verstappen and Hamilton were involved in a bitter battle for the 2021 championship that continued throughout the season. Their relations were not the best due to multiple on-track collisions and were further complicated by a controversial end to the season finale, seeing Red Bull driver Verstappen crowned champion. Nonetheless, seems like everything is now in the past and both Hamilton and Verstappen have moved on. During the China GP weekend, held on April 21, the Dutchman stated that he maintains a straightforward relationship with his arch-rival and there is mutual respect between them. Hamilton definitely one of the greatest drivers ever: Verstappen Talking to the Daily Mail, Verstappen said, "Of course, we had a big rivalry in 2021 but ultimately we do have a lot of respect for each other. He is definitely up there as one of the greatest drivers ever. I have no need or desire to deny that." Also read: F1: ‘Role of driver in car development always overestimated’ - Wolff downplays Hamilton’s exit from Mercedes Further, 25-year-old Verstappen lauded Hamilton for his dominant run in the sport, wherein he racked up six championships between 2014 and 2020 before the former took over. The Red Bull driver further stated that Hamilton has made a difference in the sport courtesy of the high points in his career. "Consistency is his key, and staying on top of his game. That is not so hard when you are so talented – it doesn’t take a lot of effort to do that. The way he has managed his championships is very impressive. He has stood up when he needed to and made the difference," he added. The two recently shared the top two positions in the China GP at the Shanghai International Circuit with Verstappen ending at the top.

'He is one of the greatest drivers': Max Verstappen on relations with arch-rival Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes, for Ferrari, from the 2025 season with the development becoming official early this year, in February. Recently, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff downplayed Hamilton's exit and mentioned that the role of a driver in the development of the car is often 'overestimated'. It is to be noted that Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, signed a two-year extension with Mercedes earlier. However, he had an exit clause in the second year and the Great Britain driver used it to leave Mercedes for Ferrari.

While many believed that Hamilton's exit would leave Mercedes reeling, Wolff claimed that he is fine with the move. Talking to Sky Germany, Wolff made it clear that the veteran's departure won't impact the team as the driver's role in the car development remains minimal.

In this regard, Wolff said, "The role of the driver in the development of the car is always overestimated. Once a year, we give input on the next development of the single-seater and during the season there is simply feedback on the handling of the card."

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Wolff, in fact, further opined that it is worse to lose an engineer than a driver for the team. He added, "From this point of view, it is worse to lose an engineer who goes to an other team after 12 months, than a driver who changes team. There is no great loss of skills."

Mercedes is yet to finalise Hamilton's replacement with strong rumours of Carlos Sainz being a leading contender. Notably, Hamilton is joining Ferrari in place of Sainz from 2025 season.

While Wolff has brushed aside speculations by saying the driver does not impact the car's development severely, Ferrari's CEO Benedotto Vigna feels completely opposite.&nbsp;He told CNBC, “Lewis will bring us what is in our DNA, what our founder [Enzo Ferrari] has said many times, a desire for continuous progress which is fundamental for a company, a team, to continue to be successful in the future."

Vigna further stressed how Hamilton's presence could bring positive change within the team environment. He added, "For Ferrari, it is fundamental to have the soul of a driver. When everything is going well in a company, we forget that things can change. Having people like Lewis in the house will help remind us that things can change and you must always be vigilant if you go too fast in a corner, you risk spinning, which is why you must keep all four wheels firmly on the ground."

Lewis Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes, for Ferrari, from the 2025 season with the development becoming official early this year, in February. Recently, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff downplayed Hamilton's exit and mentioned that the role of a driver in the development of the car is often 'overestimated'.

Lewis Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes, for Ferrari, from the 2025 season with the development becoming official early this year, in February. Recently, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff downplayed Hamilton's exit and mentioned that the role of a driver in the development of the car is often 'overestimated'. It is to be noted that Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, signed a two-year extension with Mercedes earlier. However, he had an exit clause in the second year and the Great Britain driver used it to leave Mercedes for Ferrari. While many believed that Hamilton's exit would leave Mercedes reeling, Wolff claimed that he is fine with the move. Talking to Sky Germany, Wolff made it clear that the veteran's departure won't impact the team as the driver's role in the car development remains minimal. In this regard, Wolff said, "The role of the driver in the development of the car is always overestimated. Once a year, we give input on the next development of the single-seater and during the season there is simply feedback on the handling of the card." Also read: Rattled Erik ten Hag beefs with 'embarrasing' media after Man United's FA Cup win Wolff, in fact, further opined that it is worse to lose an engineer than a driver for the team. He added, "From this point of view, it is worse to lose an engineer who goes to an other team after 12 months, than a driver who changes team. There is no great loss of skills." Mercedes is yet to finalise Hamilton's replacement with strong rumours of Carlos Sainz being a leading contender. Notably, Hamilton is joining Ferrari in place of Sainz from 2025 season. While Wolff has brushed aside speculations by saying the driver does not impact the car's development severely, Ferrari's CEO Benedotto Vigna feels completely opposite. He told CNBC, “Lewis will bring us what is in our DNA, what our founder [Enzo Ferrari] has said many times, a desire for continuous progress which is fundamental for a company, a team, to continue to be successful in the future." Vigna further stressed how Hamilton's presence could bring positive change within the team environment. He added, "For Ferrari, it is fundamental to have the soul of a driver. When everything is going well in a company, we forget that things can change. Having people like Lewis in the house will help remind us that things can change and you must always be vigilant if you go too fast in a corner, you risk spinning, which is why you must keep all four wheels firmly on the ground."

F1: ‘Role of driver in car development always overestimated’ - Wolff downplays Hamilton’s exit from Mercedes

Mclaren’s&nbsp;Lando Norris has set his sights on the 2024 Formula One Championship as he thinks his side can challenge Red Bull for the championship. Norris has secured two podium finishes in&nbsp;2024&nbsp;including a second placed finish in the recently concluded Chinese Grand Prix.&nbsp;According to Norris, McLaren has all the substance to dethrone Red Bull in both the&nbsp;driver’s&nbsp;championship&nbsp;and the&nbsp;constructor’s&nbsp;championship.

<h2>Norris makes&nbsp;McLaren’s&nbsp;case</h2>

"I&nbsp;have already said it, I&nbsp;don't&nbsp;need any more confidence.&nbsp;There's&nbsp;more evidence [from China],"&nbsp;Norris told Sky Sports F1.

"I&nbsp;said&nbsp;it&nbsp;at the beginning of the year that I think we can fight against Red Bull&nbsp;and&nbsp;we'll&nbsp;be able to&nbsp;get a&nbsp;win this year.

"It's&nbsp;not going to come easy. I&nbsp;don't&nbsp;think it will come for a while, but right day, right time, good conditions, things which suit our car a little bit more - 100 per cent I have the faith in the team&nbsp;and&nbsp;I have the faith in my ability to be able to pull it off."

"But it does need to be right place, right time.&nbsp;I&nbsp;don't&nbsp;think&nbsp;on&nbsp;average&nbsp;we're&nbsp;close enough for the time being.&nbsp;But I want to believe."

Sunday’s&nbsp;podium finish was the British&nbsp;driver’s&nbsp;15th of the career,&nbsp;now&nbsp;extending his record for most podium finishes without winning a race. He had earlier leapfrogged Nick Heidfeld (13) during the Austrian Grand Prix for most podium finishes without winning the race. Another podium finish will see him break the record for most podium finishes before winning a race (eventually&nbsp;if he wins in the future).

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As things stand, he will next take to the track on 3-5 May during the Miami Grand Prix and&nbsp;will&nbsp;look to claim his maiden win.

Norris'&nbsp;hopes are set to be boosted by the arrival of&nbsp;McLaren's&nbsp;first significant upgrade package at the Miami Grand Prix, live on&nbsp;Sky Sports&nbsp;from May 3-5.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admitted before the start of the season that the Woking squad were behind where they wanted to be with the development of the MCL38, but confirmed&nbsp;in China that the upgrades will&nbsp;"finally"&nbsp;arrive in Florida.

Mclaren’s Lando Norris has set his sights on the 2024 Formula One Championship as he thinks his side can challenge Red Bull for the championship. Norris has secured two podium finishes in 2024 including a second placed finish in the recently concluded Chinese Grand Prix.

Mclaren’s Lando Norris has set his sights on the 2024 Formula One Championship as he thinks his side can challenge Red Bull for the championship. Norris has secured two podium finishes in 2024 including a second placed finish in the recently concluded Chinese Grand Prix. According to Norris, McLaren has all the substance to dethrone Red Bull in both the driver’s championship and the constructor’s championship. Norris makes McLaren’s case "I have already said it, I don't need any more confidence. There's more evidence [from China]," Norris told Sky Sports F1. "I said it at the beginning of the year that I think we can fight against Red Bull and we'll be able to get a win this year. "It's not going to come easy. I don't think it will come for a while, but right day, right time, good conditions, things which suit our car a little bit more - 100 per cent I have the faith in the team and I have the faith in my ability to be able to pull it off." "But it does need to be right place, right time. I don't think on average we're close enough for the time being. But I want to believe." Sunday’s podium finish was the British driver’s 15th of the career, now extending his record for most podium finishes without winning a race. He had earlier leapfrogged Nick Heidfeld (13) during the Austrian Grand Prix for most podium finishes without winning the race. Another podium finish will see him break the record for most podium finishes before winning a race (eventually if he wins in the future). ALSO READ | India vs Pakistan: Several venues in UK explore possibility of hosting Test series between two arch-rivals As things stand, he will next take to the track on 3-5 May during the Miami Grand Prix and will look to claim his maiden win. Norris' hopes are set to be boosted by the arrival of McLaren's first significant upgrade package at the Miami Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports from May 3-5. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admitted before the start of the season that the Woking squad were behind where they wanted to be with the development of the MCL38, but confirmed in China that the upgrades will "finally" arrive in Florida.

Formula One: We can fight against Red Bull, claims McLaren's Lando Norris after second podium in 2024

Ferrari has had a good start to the 2024 season. So far, the Italian team has been on the podium in every race. In 2023, they had to wait for the fourth race to secure a podium finish. Despite a bright start to the season, Ferrari CEO&nbsp;Benedetto Vigna is not getting carried away with a promising start and made it clear that there is still work to be done by the team going forward.&nbsp;Ferrari won a race in Melbourne Grand Prix, thanks to Carlos Sainz's 1-2 finish, and now they are gearing up for the forthcoming China Grand Prix on April 21.

<h2>'There is still work to be done and there always will be'</h2>

Pleased with his team's effort so far, Vigna told the media house, La Republicca,&nbsp;"We started better than last year, but there is still work to be done and there always will be. The team only had one podium this time last year, as well as just one race win all season. The world of competition is like a person's life accelerated to the maximum - things can change quickly, going between good and bad. Stasis does not exist, everything flows quickly.”

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Meanwhile, Sainz is satisfied with Ferrari's progress in the season. After the Japan GP, he pointed out how improvements have been made by Ferrari. He told reporters after Suzuka, "Yeah, [it was] very satisfying. We exactly improved the car in the places that we wanted to improve it, and Suzuka proves it. Still, places like Suzuka, we are not as quick as the Red Bull, which is the target, but as soon as we bring a good upgrade to the car that goes in the right direction, hopefully it can get us closer. But yeah, we've improved everywhere, and especially in the race pace."

"It also allows us to have more strategic flexibility, that last year we didn't have. It allows me to go forward in the races and instead of looking in my mirrors all the time to offset myself with strategy and then overtake people, which is something that last year wasn't on the cards at any point. So, happy and makes me enjoy more racing," the veteran added.

Sainz has also been in the news recently as&nbsp;he is set to leave Ferrari after this season, with Lewis Hamilton to join them in 2025. Hence, he is looking for a new team but nothing has been finalised yet.

Ferrari has had a good start to the 2024 season. So far, the Italian team has been on the podium in every race. In 2023, they had to wait for the fourth race to secure a podium finish.

Ferrari has had a good start to the 2024 season. So far, the Italian team has been on the podium in every race. In 2023, they had to wait for the fourth race to secure a podium finish. Despite a bright start to the season, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna is not getting carried away with a promising start and made it clear that there is still work to be done by the team going forward. Ferrari won a race in Melbourne Grand Prix, thanks to Carlos Sainz's 1-2 finish, and now they are gearing up for the forthcoming China Grand Prix on April 21. 'There is still work to be done and there always will be' Pleased with his team's effort so far, Vigna told the media house, La Republicca, "We started better than last year, but there is still work to be done and there always will be. The team only had one podium this time last year, as well as just one race win all season. The world of competition is like a person's life accelerated to the maximum - things can change quickly, going between good and bad. Stasis does not exist, everything flows quickly.” Also read: NBA: Toronto Raptors' Jontay Porter gets lifetime ban for violating gambling rules Meanwhile, Sainz is satisfied with Ferrari's progress in the season. After the Japan GP, he pointed out how improvements have been made by Ferrari. He told reporters after Suzuka, "Yeah, [it was] very satisfying. We exactly improved the car in the places that we wanted to improve it, and Suzuka proves it. Still, places like Suzuka, we are not as quick as the Red Bull, which is the target, but as soon as we bring a good upgrade to the car that goes in the right direction, hopefully it can get us closer. But yeah, we've improved everywhere, and especially in the race pace." "It also allows us to have more strategic flexibility, that last year we didn't have. It allows me to go forward in the races and instead of looking in my mirrors all the time to offset myself with strategy and then overtake people, which is something that last year wasn't on the cards at any point. So, happy and makes me enjoy more racing," the veteran added. Sainz has also been in the news recently as he is set to leave Ferrari after this season, with Lewis Hamilton to join them in 2025. Hence, he is looking for a new team but nothing has been finalised yet.

F1: Still work to be done, says Ferrari CEO despite Italian team's bright start to 2024 season

The Mercedes F1 team has&nbsp;announced a staggering $680.7 million&nbsp;turnover for the year 2023, showcasing a whopping increase of $89.56 million from the previous year. With this, the Lewis Hamilton-starrer team has created history by becoming the first-ever F1 team in history to surpass the £500 million ($622mn) mark. The revelation, made by Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd -- owner of the team -- comes at a time when the team's performance has been below-par throughout the season.

Notably, despite the increase in turnover, Mercedes' generated profit was 6.57 per cent less when compared to 2022. Two years back, the F1 team had churned out $11.17 million in profit, compared to $10.4 million in 2023

The Mercedes report read, "The team’s share of television coverage showed a small decline to 14.7% for 2023, reflecting the lower number of podium finishes the team enjoyed versus 2022."

"The cumulative Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) remained strong for commercial partners and shareholders, at $5.3 billion. The team continued to grow strongly on social media, with a cumulative followership of 36 million (+15%) and a total of 465 million engagements (+9%)."

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Mercedes also&nbsp;pointed out the various factors leading to this favourable turnover. The cast cap, regulated by the FIA, had a positive bearing on the team's spending coupled with the increase in the staff working -- from 1,114 to 1,289 -- also made a significant difference. In addition, the team revealed in its statement that the television coverage had gone down due to the smaller number of podiums they managed throughout the F1 season, but grew positively on social media platforms.

At present, Mercedes has not had the best of starts to the ongoing season, despite a modified design. They are currently occupying the fourth position in the championship.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Mercedes is also gearing up for Hamilton's farewell as the veteran driver is set to join Ferrari in the 2025 season.&nbsp;

The Mercedes F1 team has announced a staggering $680.7 million turnover for the year 2023, showcasing a whopping increase of $89.56 million from the previous year.

The Mercedes F1 team has announced a staggering $680.7 million turnover for the year 2023, showcasing a whopping increase of $89.56 million from the previous year. With this, the Lewis Hamilton-starrer team has created history by becoming the first-ever F1 team in history to surpass the £500 million ($622mn) mark. The revelation, made by Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd -- owner of the team -- comes at a time when the team's performance has been below-par throughout the season. Notably, despite the increase in turnover, Mercedes' generated profit was 6.57 per cent less when compared to 2022. Two years back, the F1 team had churned out $11.17 million in profit, compared to $10.4 million in 2023 The Mercedes report read, "The team’s share of television coverage showed a small decline to 14.7% for 2023, reflecting the lower number of podium finishes the team enjoyed versus 2022." "The cumulative Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) remained strong for commercial partners and shareholders, at $5.3 billion. The team continued to grow strongly on social media, with a cumulative followership of 36 million (+15%) and a total of 465 million engagements (+9%)." Also read: Paris Olympics 2024 flame lit at Olympia, birthplace of ancient Games in Greece Mercedes also pointed out the various factors leading to this favourable turnover. The cast cap, regulated by the FIA, had a positive bearing on the team's spending coupled with the increase in the staff working -- from 1,114 to 1,289 -- also made a significant difference. In addition, the team revealed in its statement that the television coverage had gone down due to the smaller number of podiums they managed throughout the F1 season, but grew positively on social media platforms. At present, Mercedes has not had the best of starts to the ongoing season, despite a modified design. They are currently occupying the fourth position in the championship. Meanwhile, Mercedes is also gearing up for Hamilton's farewell as the veteran driver is set to join Ferrari in the 2025 season.

Formula One: Mercedes announces a WHOPPING turnover for 2023 season

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is gearing up for the forthcoming China Grand Prix, which commences on April 21. After his win in Japan, he will once again start as an overwhelming favourite. Ahead of the Grand Prix, speculations have once again become rife that Verstappen is mulling a surprise move, and is in talks with Mercedes. Notably, the Dutchman's current contract with Red Bull extends up to the 2028 season. However, recent reports have hinted that he is contemplating a move to Mercedes soon.

Former Red Bull F1 driver Robert Doornbos has claimed that Verstappen is already in talks with Mercedes, who will bid farewell to Lewis Hamilton as the Great Britain driver will be a part of Ferrari from 2025. Doornbos explained that Verstappen, who has been on a winning spree since 2021, is enquiring about the power units which the Brackley-based squad will use in 2026, the season when the major power unit regulations changes will come into play.&nbsp;

The former Red Bull driver Doornbos told Ziggo Sport, "I have heard from my reliable bird that Max is already having conversations with Mercedes, purely to see one-on-one what the feeling is for the future. What is Mercedes going to do with the engine is one of the most important questions that would have been discussed."

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He further opined, "He already knows what they will do at Ford and Red Bull in 2026. That is a crucial year. You can hardly imagine it, but something is happening behind the scenes. This will be an exciting month. I think we will have a lot of news in April."

It is to be noted that Red Bulls is building power units in-house, in collaboration with Ford, which will be introduced in 2026. On the other hand, Mercedes have a vast experience of building championship-winning engines, having switched to hybrid power units much earlier, i.e. a decade ago.

As the regulation&nbsp;changes are set to shake up the pecking order in the coming years, many teams are wisely preparing their engines. In this regard, Doornbos feels that Verstappen doesn't want to take any chances and end his dominance. Hence, the 26-year-old is closely monitoring his rivals and analysing his options.

Verstappen's compatriot Doornbos added, "He already knows what they will do at Ford and Red Bull in 2026. That is a crucial year. You can hardly imagine it, but something is happening behind the scenes. This will be an exciting month. I think we will have a lot of news in April."&nbsp;

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is gearing up for the forthcoming China Grand Prix, which commences on April 21. After his win in Japan, he will once again start as an overwhelming favourite.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is gearing up for the forthcoming China Grand Prix, which commences on April 21. After his win in Japan, he will once again start as an overwhelming favourite. Ahead of the Grand Prix, speculations have once again become rife that Verstappen is mulling a surprise move, and is in talks with Mercedes. Notably, the Dutchman's current contract with Red Bull extends up to the 2028 season. However, recent reports have hinted that he is contemplating a move to Mercedes soon. Former Red Bull F1 driver Robert Doornbos has claimed that Verstappen is already in talks with Mercedes, who will bid farewell to Lewis Hamilton as the Great Britain driver will be a part of Ferrari from 2025. Doornbos explained that Verstappen, who has been on a winning spree since 2021, is enquiring about the power units which the Brackley-based squad will use in 2026, the season when the major power unit regulations changes will come into play. The former Red Bull driver Doornbos told Ziggo Sport, "I have heard from my reliable bird that Max is already having conversations with Mercedes, purely to see one-on-one what the feeling is for the future. What is Mercedes going to do with the engine is one of the most important questions that would have been discussed." Also read: Paris Olympics: Nike’s campaign unveiling athletes' apparel brings Sha’Carri Richardson into limelight He further opined, "He already knows what they will do at Ford and Red Bull in 2026. That is a crucial year. You can hardly imagine it, but something is happening behind the scenes. This will be an exciting month. I think we will have a lot of news in April." It is to be noted that Red Bulls is building power units in-house, in collaboration with Ford, which will be introduced in 2026. On the other hand, Mercedes have a vast experience of building championship-winning engines, having switched to hybrid power units much earlier, i.e. a decade ago. As the regulation changes are set to shake up the pecking order in the coming years, many teams are wisely preparing their engines. In this regard, Doornbos feels that Verstappen doesn't want to take any chances and end his dominance. Hence, the 26-year-old is closely monitoring his rivals and analysing his options. Verstappen's compatriot Doornbos added, "He already knows what they will do at Ford and Red Bull in 2026. That is a crucial year. You can hardly imagine it, but something is happening behind the scenes. This will be an exciting month. I think we will have a lot of news in April."

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in talks with Mercedes for a switch? Former F1 driver makes big remark

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has claimed that the 2026 F1 season might change the fortunes of other teams as he believes it could be a realistic opportunity for others to beat Red Bull&nbsp;due to the new regulations coming into effect. The Austrian team has been on a dominant spree in recent years but Wolff has predicted that other teams will come into play from 2026.

Since 2022, Red Bull has been on a winning spree with arch-rivals such as Mercedes and Ferrari playing catch-up to a large extent. The Wolff-led Mercedes have only one win in their kitty since regulations changed. From 2014-2021, they were the dominant force having clinched eight successive titles during that period.

Wolff, as quoted by PlanetF1, conceded that the most realistic opportunity for any team to challenge Red Bull will be from the 2026 season onwards. Reflecting on the recently concluded Japan Grand Prix -- where Mercedes could only finish P7 and P9 with Max Verstappen winning with ease --&nbsp;Wolff said, "We are in this bunch but it is not satisfying for any team that is fighting for P2 and P3, or P4. If I was to look from a purely sporting point of view, P1 is what matters, not P2, P3 or P4, but this is a reality we are facing at the moment."

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<h2>'2026 is a big reset which certainly provides the most realistic opportunity to beat Red Bull'</h2>

He further opined, "We’re trying to do the best out of this new reality, and that is to beat our direct competitors, whilst acknowledging that somebody is just doing a better job and is setting a benchmark that we eventually need to set ourselves again." Wolff added, "Our ambition is to win races this year, and I wouldn’t want to let that ambition go, certainly not next year. But ’26 there’s a big reset which certainly provides the most realistic opportunity for any other team to beat Red Bull."

At present, all the teams are gearing up for the next Grand Prix in China. It commences on April 21. Will Red Bull continue their merry run or some other team will have the last laugh? Only time will tell.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has claimed that the 2026 F1 season might change the fortunes of other teams as he believes it could be a realistic opportunity for others to beat Red Bull due to the new regulations coming into effect.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has claimed that the 2026 F1 season might change the fortunes of other teams as he believes it could be a realistic opportunity for others to beat Red Bull due to the new regulations coming into effect. The Austrian team has been on a dominant spree in recent years but Wolff has predicted that other teams will come into play from 2026. Since 2022, Red Bull has been on a winning spree with arch-rivals such as Mercedes and Ferrari playing catch-up to a large extent. The Wolff-led Mercedes have only one win in their kitty since regulations changed. From 2014-2021, they were the dominant force having clinched eight successive titles during that period. Wolff, as quoted by PlanetF1, conceded that the most realistic opportunity for any team to challenge Red Bull will be from the 2026 season onwards. Reflecting on the recently concluded Japan Grand Prix -- where Mercedes could only finish P7 and P9 with Max Verstappen winning with ease -- Wolff said, "We are in this bunch but it is not satisfying for any team that is fighting for P2 and P3, or P4. If I was to look from a purely sporting point of view, P1 is what matters, not P2, P3 or P4, but this is a reality we are facing at the moment." Also read: Tennis: Defending champion Andrey Rublev out of Monte Carlo Masters, Jannik Sinner marches ahead '2026 is a big reset which certainly provides the most realistic opportunity to beat Red Bull' He further opined, "We’re trying to do the best out of this new reality, and that is to beat our direct competitors, whilst acknowledging that somebody is just doing a better job and is setting a benchmark that we eventually need to set ourselves again." Wolff added, "Our ambition is to win races this year, and I wouldn’t want to let that ambition go, certainly not next year. But ’26 there’s a big reset which certainly provides the most realistic opportunity for any other team to beat Red Bull." At present, all the teams are gearing up for the next Grand Prix in China. It commences on April 21. Will Red Bull continue their merry run or some other team will have the last laugh? Only time will tell.

F1: Mercedes boss Toto Wolff claims 2026 might be 'most realistic opportunity for any team to beat Red Bull'

World champion Max Verstappen has questioned the wisdom of throwing&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;drivers into a sprint weekend on their return to Shanghai International Circuit for the first time since 2019 later this month. Verstappen restored normal service with a dominant pole to flag victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, leading team mate Sergio Perez home for yet another Red Bull 1-2.

Next up in two weeks is the return to China, where&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;has been absent for five years as the country dealt with the threat of the COVID pandemic. The Chinese Grand Prix will include the first of six sprint rounds this season, offering points for the drivers in Saturday's standalone&nbsp;100km race, but only&nbsp;one&nbsp;free practice session to get used to the track.

"I think it's not great, let's say it like that, to do that," Verstappen told reporters after Sunday's race at Suzuka. "Because when you have been away from a track for quite a while, I think you never know what you're going to experience, right? So it would have been better to have a normal race weekend there.

"Purely from a driving perspective, performance perspective of the sport, I think it's not the smartest thing to do. But yeah, we'll see what we get there."

With Verstappen and Red Bull showing again on Sunday that they are all but untouchable when the car is reliable, the Dutchman did concede that a Shanghai sprint lottery might make things more interesting for fans.

"It probably spices things up a bit more, and that's maybe what they would like to see," he added. "I always loved driving there. So yeah, hopefully we can hit the ground running as well as we can, and hopefully we don't need to fine-tune too many things on the car."

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Carlos Sainz showed with third place in Suzuka after a win in Australia two weeks ago that Ferrari are firmly established at the front of the chasing pack behind Red Bull. The Spaniard was also cautious about the sprint element and said the matter had been raised in the drivers' briefing and with the governing FIA as well as&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One.

"With these kind of cars to go to a track with&nbsp;one&nbsp;hour of practice and straight into qualifying, with the regulations that they put on us ... and how tricky&nbsp;one&nbsp;bump could make the car, I think it's not a good choice to put the sprint after four or five years absence," he said. "Maybe for you guys at home it's exciting, but for engineers and drivers, it's something that for me, in my opinion, we shouldn't take the risk and have a normal weekend."

Sainz and Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur both suggested that any resurfacing work at the Hermann Tilke-designed circuit outside Shanghai would add another unknown into the equation.

"But it will be the same for everybody," Vasseur said. "It will be a matter of reactivity and being able to have a good setup from the beginning."

World champion Max Verstappen has questioned the wisdom of throwing Formula One drivers into a sprint weekend on their return to Shanghai International Circuit for the first time since 2019 later this month.

World champion Max Verstappen has questioned the wisdom of throwing Formula One drivers into a sprint weekend on their return to Shanghai International Circuit for the first time since 2019 later this month. Verstappen restored normal service with a dominant pole to flag victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, leading team mate Sergio Perez home for yet another Red Bull 1-2. Next up in two weeks is the return to China, where Formula One has been absent for five years as the country dealt with the threat of the COVID pandemic. The Chinese Grand Prix will include the first of six sprint rounds this season, offering points for the drivers in Saturday's standalone 100km race, but only one free practice session to get used to the track. "I think it's not great, let's say it like that, to do that," Verstappen told reporters after Sunday's race at Suzuka. "Because when you have been away from a track for quite a while, I think you never know what you're going to experience, right? So it would have been better to have a normal race weekend there. "Purely from a driving perspective, performance perspective of the sport, I think it's not the smartest thing to do. But yeah, we'll see what we get there." With Verstappen and Red Bull showing again on Sunday that they are all but untouchable when the car is reliable, the Dutchman did concede that a Shanghai sprint lottery might make things more interesting for fans. "It probably spices things up a bit more, and that's maybe what they would like to see," he added. "I always loved driving there. So yeah, hopefully we can hit the ground running as well as we can, and hopefully we don't need to fine-tune too many things on the car." Also read: Tennis: Novak Djokovic sails through as Alex de Minaur thrashes Stan Wawrinka at Monte Carlo Carlos Sainz showed with third place in Suzuka after a win in Australia two weeks ago that Ferrari are firmly established at the front of the chasing pack behind Red Bull. The Spaniard was also cautious about the sprint element and said the matter had been raised in the drivers' briefing and with the governing FIA as well as Formula One. "With these kind of cars to go to a track with one hour of practice and straight into qualifying, with the regulations that they put on us ... and how tricky one bump could make the car, I think it's not a good choice to put the sprint after four or five years absence," he said. "Maybe for you guys at home it's exciting, but for engineers and drivers, it's something that for me, in my opinion, we shouldn't take the risk and have a normal weekend." Sainz and Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur both suggested that any resurfacing work at the Hermann Tilke-designed circuit outside Shanghai would add another unknown into the equation. "But it will be the same for everybody," Vasseur said. "It will be a matter of reactivity and being able to have a good setup from the beginning."

F1: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen questions wisdom of sprint race on China return

Red Bull were once again fastest in the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, with Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen topping the charts ahead of team mate Sergio Perez and George Russell of Mercedes in the final session before qualifying.

Verstappen had also set the fastest time in Friday's first free practice session but the Dutchman opted to sit out the rain-hit second session. The 26-year-old, who is chasing a third straight victory in Japan, lapped the Suzuka circuit with a best time of one minute 29.563 seconds on the soft tyres on an overcast but dry day.

Perez was 0.269 off the pace in second, with Russell 0.355 behind in third. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth-fastest.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who finished in the top 6 on Friday, were seventh and 10th respectively, with Leclerc voicing his frustration over the team radio at the end of the session, saying: "What are we doing... come on!"

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sebastian-is-flirting-mercedes-boss-toto-wolff-on-vettel-replacing-lewis-hamilton-next-season-708075">'Sebastian is flirting...': Mercedes boss Toto Wolff on Vettel replacing Lewis Hamilton next season</a>

RB's Daniel Ricciardo spun off the track in the final session, and finished in 13th, again behind his less experienced team mate Yuki Tsunoda up in 9th.

The pressure is on Ricciardo to keep his seat with highly regarded reserve driver Liam Lawson waiting in the wings.

Red Bull were once again fastest in the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, with Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen topping the charts ahead of team mate Sergio Perez and George Russell of Mercedes in the final session before qualifying.

Red Bull were once again fastest in the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, with Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen topping the charts ahead of team mate Sergio Perez and George Russell of Mercedes in the final session before qualifying. Verstappen had also set the fastest time in Friday's first free practice session but the Dutchman opted to sit out the rain-hit second session. The 26-year-old, who is chasing a third straight victory in Japan, lapped the Suzuka circuit with a best time of one minute 29.563 seconds on the soft tyres on an overcast but dry day. Perez was 0.269 off the pace in second, with Russell 0.355 behind in third. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth-fastest. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who finished in the top 6 on Friday, were seventh and 10th respectively, with Leclerc voicing his frustration over the team radio at the end of the session, saying: "What are we doing... come on!" Also read: 'Sebastian is flirting...': Mercedes boss Toto Wolff on Vettel replacing Lewis Hamilton next season RB's Daniel Ricciardo spun off the track in the final session, and finished in 13th, again behind his less experienced team mate Yuki Tsunoda up in 9th. The pressure is on Ricciardo to keep his seat with highly regarded reserve driver Liam Lawson waiting in the wings.

Japanese GP: Red Bull's Max Verstappen fastest in final practice in Japan

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen took pole position for a third straight year at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, with Sergio Perez qualifying second to ensure a Red Bull front-row lockout. Verstappen who set the pace with a lap of one minute 28.197 seconds, 0.066 seconds clear of Perez, becomes the first driver to take pole in the opening four races of a season since Lewis Hamilton nine years ago.

"It was very close in the end, nevertheless most importantly to be on pole - of course you want every lap to be perfect but at a track like this it isn't always the case," said Verstappen, looking to bounce back from a mechanical issue which saw him fail to finish the race last time out in Melbourne.

McLaren's Lando Norris will start Sunday's race in third, qualifying 0.292 seconds behind Verstappen. "We had a good car today, we could fight," said Norris. "We are trying to catch up to the Red Bulls but they are doing a good job so hats off to them."

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who won the last race in Australia after Verstappen's withdrawal, qualified in fourth. But his teammate Charles Leclerc was frustrated by a difficult drive which will see him start back in eighth on Sunday. "That's the best I can do. Honestly, I don't get it" Leclerc said over the team radio towards the end of qualifying.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/japanese-gp-red-bulls-max-verstappen-fastest-in-final-practice-in-japan-708257">Japanese GP: Red Bull's Max Verstappen fastest in final practice in Japan</a>

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Oscar Piastri, celebrating his 23rd birthday, finished in fifth and sixth respectively.

Seven-times world champion Hamilton and George Russell, both of Mercedes, finished in seventh and ninth, with local hero Yuki Tsunoda getting one of the biggest cheers of the day sneaking into the final round of qualifying and starting 10th tomorrow.

RB's Tsunoda once again finished ahead of his more experienced team mate Daniel Ricciardo, heaping pressure on the Australian driver whose seat is at risk with the highly regarded reserve driver Liam Lawson waiting in the wings.

Alonso's Aston Martin team mate Lance Stroll also struggled and was knocked out in the first round of qualifying. He will start near the back of the grid in 16th.

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen took pole position for a third straight year at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, with Sergio Perez qualifying second to ensure a Red Bull front-row lockout.

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen took pole position for a third straight year at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, with Sergio Perez qualifying second to ensure a Red Bull front-row lockout. Verstappen who set the pace with a lap of one minute 28.197 seconds, 0.066 seconds clear of Perez, becomes the first driver to take pole in the opening four races of a season since Lewis Hamilton nine years ago. "It was very close in the end, nevertheless most importantly to be on pole - of course you want every lap to be perfect but at a track like this it isn't always the case," said Verstappen, looking to bounce back from a mechanical issue which saw him fail to finish the race last time out in Melbourne. McLaren's Lando Norris will start Sunday's race in third, qualifying 0.292 seconds behind Verstappen. "We had a good car today, we could fight," said Norris. "We are trying to catch up to the Red Bulls but they are doing a good job so hats off to them." Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who won the last race in Australia after Verstappen's withdrawal, qualified in fourth. But his teammate Charles Leclerc was frustrated by a difficult drive which will see him start back in eighth on Sunday. "That's the best I can do. Honestly, I don't get it" Leclerc said over the team radio towards the end of qualifying. Also read: Japanese GP: Red Bull's Max Verstappen fastest in final practice in Japan Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Oscar Piastri, celebrating his 23rd birthday, finished in fifth and sixth respectively. Seven-times world champion Hamilton and George Russell, both of Mercedes, finished in seventh and ninth, with local hero Yuki Tsunoda getting one of the biggest cheers of the day sneaking into the final round of qualifying and starting 10th tomorrow. RB's Tsunoda once again finished ahead of his more experienced team mate Daniel Ricciardo, heaping pressure on the Australian driver whose seat is at risk with the highly regarded reserve driver Liam Lawson waiting in the wings. Alonso's Aston Martin team mate Lance Stroll also struggled and was knocked out in the first round of qualifying. He will start near the back of the grid in 16th.

Formula One: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen takes pole at Japanese GP for third year in a row

Carlos Sainz, of Ferrari, stated that he is in talks with several F1 teams to get a seat next season and hoped to resolve his future sooner than later. It is to be noted that Sainz is without a job so far as he will be replaced by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at the end of this season. Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, the 29-year-old&nbsp;stated that he was talking to various teams "because that’s what my management team and myself should do when I don’t have a job for next year yet." Sainz is heading into the Japanese GP on the back of a spirited win, on return from appendix surgery, during the Australian Grand Prix last month.

Talking to the reporters in Suzuka, Japan, Sainz said, "It’s just a matter of obviously going more into detail and seeing the more realistic options, and what are the best options for me and for my future. The only thing I would say is that obviously it’s time now to speed up a bit everything and hopefully we can get it sorted sooner rather than later."

It will be interesting to see who acquires&nbsp;Sainz's services going forward, with a potential vacancy at champions Red Bull alongside triple champion Max Verstappen, whereas Mercedes is also eyeing a replacement for Hamilton. Audi, who will completely take over the Sauber F1 team by&nbsp;2026, is&nbsp;another possibility.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sebastian-vettel-thinking-about-f1-return-in-talks-with-mercedes-boss-toto-wolff-707476">Sebastian Vettel thinking about F1 return, in talks with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff</a>

Following his stunning win in Melbourne, Sainz also affirmed that he is fully fit and raring to go. "I’ve been riding my bike this week, stayed in Australia for a week and started going back to the gym." He further opined, "I'm still obviously not lifting heavy numbers like I used to do in the past, but at least I can get my training done and feeling back to 100%."

In addition, Sainz admitted that the Suzuka&nbsp;circuit could be a challenging track for Ferrari for the upcoming GP.&nbsp;The Italian team had an ordinary showing there last year when the race was held in September 2023.

He added, "It’s time to see ... if we can be at least closer and enjoy a bit more this amazing track than what we enjoyed last year, because for me it’s one of my favourite ones, if not my favourite."

The Japanese GP will be held on April 7.

Carlos Sainz, of Ferrari, stated that he is in talks with several F1 teams to get a seat next season and hoped to resolve his future sooner than later. It is to be noted that Sainz is without a job so far as he will be replaced by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at the end of this season.

Carlos Sainz, of Ferrari, stated that he is in talks with several F1 teams to get a seat next season and hoped to resolve his future sooner than later. It is to be noted that Sainz is without a job so far as he will be replaced by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at the end of this season. Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, the 29-year-old stated that he was talking to various teams "because that’s what my management team and myself should do when I don’t have a job for next year yet." Sainz is heading into the Japanese GP on the back of a spirited win, on return from appendix surgery, during the Australian Grand Prix last month. Talking to the reporters in Suzuka, Japan, Sainz said, "It’s just a matter of obviously going more into detail and seeing the more realistic options, and what are the best options for me and for my future. The only thing I would say is that obviously it’s time now to speed up a bit everything and hopefully we can get it sorted sooner rather than later." It will be interesting to see who acquires Sainz's services going forward, with a potential vacancy at champions Red Bull alongside triple champion Max Verstappen, whereas Mercedes is also eyeing a replacement for Hamilton. Audi, who will completely take over the Sauber F1 team by 2026, is another possibility. Also read: Sebastian Vettel thinking about F1 return, in talks with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff Following his stunning win in Melbourne, Sainz also affirmed that he is fully fit and raring to go. "I’ve been riding my bike this week, stayed in Australia for a week and started going back to the gym." He further opined, "I'm still obviously not lifting heavy numbers like I used to do in the past, but at least I can get my training done and feeling back to 100%." In addition, Sainz admitted that the Suzuka circuit could be a challenging track for Ferrari for the upcoming GP. The Italian team had an ordinary showing there last year when the race was held in September 2023. He added, "It’s time to see ... if we can be at least closer and enjoy a bit more this amazing track than what we enjoyed last year, because for me it’s one of my favourite ones, if not my favourite." The Japanese GP will be held on April 7.

'It’s time to speed up' - Ferrari's Carlos Sainz aims to hasten talks with F1 teams for a seat next season

Formula One’s US-based owner Liberty Media has announced a takeover of MotoGP’s parent company Dorna, MotoGP said in a statement on Monday.

“Liberty Media will acquire approximately 86% of Dorna, with Dorna management retaining approximately 14% of their equity... the transaction reflects an enterprise value for Dorna/MotoGP of €4.2 billion ($4.53 billion) and an equity value of €3.5 billion,” MotoGP added.

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“We are thrilled to expand our portfolio of leading live sports and entertainment assets with the acquisition of MotoGP,” Liberty Media president and CEO Greg Maffei said.

“We are excited for what this milestone brings to Dorna, the MotoGP paddock and racing fans,” said Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna.

The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of the year subject to clearances and approvals by law authorities, MotoGP added.

The takeover could attract regulatory scrutiny. CVC Capital Partners, who sold Formula One to Liberty in 2017, were cleared by the European Commission to buy F1 in 2006 on condition they sold Dorna.

Formula One’s US-based owner Liberty Media has announced a takeover of MotoGP’s parent company Dorna, MotoGP said in a statement on Monday. “Liberty Media will acquire approximately 86% of Dorna, with Dorna management retaining approximately 14% of their equity.

Formula One’s US-based owner Liberty Media has announced a takeover of MotoGP’s parent company Dorna, MotoGP said in a statement on Monday. “Liberty Media will acquire approximately 86% of Dorna, with Dorna management retaining approximately 14% of their equity... the transaction reflects an enterprise value for Dorna/MotoGP of €4.2 billion ($4.53 billion) and an equity value of €3.5 billion,” MotoGP added. Also Read: 'It’s not in our hands': Guardiola on Premier League title race after Arsenal draw “We are thrilled to expand our portfolio of leading live sports and entertainment assets with the acquisition of MotoGP,” Liberty Media president and CEO Greg Maffei said. “We are excited for what this milestone brings to Dorna, the MotoGP paddock and racing fans,” said Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of the year subject to clearances and approvals by law authorities, MotoGP added. The takeover could attract regulatory scrutiny. CVC Capital Partners, who sold Formula One to Liberty in 2017, were cleared by the European Commission to buy F1 in 2006 on condition they sold Dorna.

Racing: Formula One owner Liberty Media acquires MotoGP

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