McLaren driver <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lando-norris">Lando Norris</a> finished Friday evening&rsquo;s second practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix fastest, with a crash for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/yuki-tsunoda">Yuki Tsunoda</a> bringing out the red flags in the closing stages.
Having just missed out on top spot in Free Practice 1, Drivers&rsquo; Championship leader Norris hovered towards the top of the times throughout FP2.
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Tsunoda claimed sixth but finished the session in the barrier at the final turn after the Red Bull driver clipped the wall on the inside, breaking his suspension which sent him into the barrier on the exit. The end of the red flag period left just over a minute remaining, with drivers scrambling out to take practice starts but not altering the order.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics/athletics-exclusive-leaping-forward-my-focus-is-on-la-olympics-2028-says-indias-long-jump-rising-star-shaili-singh-8978388">Exclusive | Leaping forward: 'My focus is on LA Olympics 2028', says India's long jump rising star Shaili Singh</a>
"I just turned into a margin and clipped the wall inside the wheel," he said, explaining the incident that left his car damaged and him with no control. Despite the early exit, Tsunoda remained upbeat about the car's pace. He said, "Confidence level was pretty good... pace was looking good, so yeah, shame."
Meanwhile, it was a frustrating FP2 for Gabriel, who missed the session entirely due to a fuel leak. &ldquo;Definitely not ideal,&rdquo; he said, particularly given this is his first time tackling one of the fastest tracks on the calendar in an F1 car. Despite the setback, Gabriel maintained perspective. &ldquo;It happens... now I will listen to what Nico has to say and we move on.&rdquo;
<h2>'A bit of a messy one'</h2>
Mercedes driver George Russell described the session as &ldquo;a bit of a messy one,&rdquo; with fewer laps than anticipated and a step back in performance compared to FP1. However, some experimentation between him and teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli&nbsp;provided valuable insight. &ldquo;We tried some things... got a bit of a direction from that.&rdquo;&nbsp;
McLaren's Oscar Piastri had a relatively smooth Friday, carrying forward his strong form from Bahrain. &ldquo;It was a decent day,&rdquo; he said, adding that while a few corners still need refinement, he&rsquo;s &ldquo;feeling confident for tomorrow.&rdquo; McLaren looked quick throughout both sessions, and Piastri echoed the belief that there&rsquo;s still more to extract come qualifying.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/max-verstappen">Max Verstappen</a>, ever the perfectionist, wasn&rsquo;t fully satisfied despite ending FP2 in the top three. &ldquo;We tried some different things&hellip; learned a lot,&rdquo; he said. The long runs, however, were 'very tough', suggesting Red Bull still has homework to do overnight.&nbsp;
With McLaren once again looking sharp, Red Bull hunting for answers, and several drivers &mdash; both veterans and rookies &mdash; dealing with mixed fortunes, qualifying promises to be a tightly fought affair.
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Formula 1, Sports: Tsunoda had enjoyed a solid session up to that point, taking the sixth-fastest time, seven tenths behind session leader Lando Norris

McLaren driver Lando Norris finished Friday evening’s second practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix fastest, with a crash for Yuki Tsunoda bringing out the red flags in the closing stages. Having just missed out on top spot in Free Practice 1, Drivers’ Championship leader Norris hovered towards the top of the times throughout FP2. Tsunoda claimed sixth but finished the session in the barrier at the final turn after the Red Bull driver clipped the wall on the inside, breaking his suspension which sent him into the barrier on the exit. The end of the red flag period left just over a minute remaining, with drivers scrambling out to take practice starts but not altering the order. Also Read: Exclusive | Leaping forward: 'My focus is on LA Olympics 2028', says India's long jump rising star Shaili Singh "I just turned into a margin and clipped the wall inside the wheel," he said, explaining the incident that left his car damaged and him with no control. Despite the early exit, Tsunoda remained upbeat about the car's pace. He said, "Confidence level was pretty good... pace was looking good, so yeah, shame." Meanwhile, it was a frustrating FP2 for Gabriel, who missed the session entirely due to a fuel leak. “Definitely not ideal,” he said, particularly given this is his first time tackling one of the fastest tracks on the calendar in an F1 car. Despite the setback, Gabriel maintained perspective. “It happens... now I will listen to what Nico has to say and we move on.” 'A bit of a messy one' Mercedes driver George Russell described the session as “a bit of a messy one,” with fewer laps than anticipated and a step back in performance compared to FP1. However, some experimentation between him and teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli provided valuable insight. “We tried some things... got a bit of a direction from that.” McLaren's Oscar Piastri had a relatively smooth Friday, carrying forward his strong form from Bahrain. “It was a decent day,” he said, adding that while a few corners still need refinement, he’s “feeling confident for tomorrow.” McLaren looked quick throughout both sessions, and Piastri echoed the belief that there’s still more to extract come qualifying. Max Verstappen, ever the perfectionist, wasn’t fully satisfied despite ending FP2 in the top three. “We tried some different things… learned a lot,” he said. The long runs, however, were 'very tough', suggesting Red Bull still has homework to do overnight. With McLaren once again looking sharp, Red Bull hunting for answers, and several drivers — both veterans and rookies — dealing with mixed fortunes, qualifying promises to be a tightly fought affair.

Formula 1: 'I just turned in too much', says Red Bulls driver Yuki after crashing out in FP2; Norris leads McLaren 1-2

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/oscar-piastri">Oscar Piastri</a> won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday from George Russell's Mercedes with the Australian's McLaren teammate <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lando-norris">Lando Norris</a> in third.&nbsp;Pole-sitter Piastri gave McLaren their first ever win in Sakhir at their 21st attempt.
Taking the chequered flag under floodlights on a balmy Sunday evening in the Gulf kingdom was just reward after a weekend he had dominated, both in practice and in qualifying.
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Despite an incident-packed race behind him, Piastri crossed the line 15.499s clear of Russell, who was under investigation for an issue with the DRS (drag reduction system).
<h2>'That was pretty damn fun'</h2>
"That should be one hell of a party tonight. Mega weekend everyone. That was pretty damn fun," Piastri said after marking his 50th start in perfect style.
Charles Leclerc for Ferrari came in fourth with his teammate Lewis Hamilton fifth ahead of four-time world champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/max-verstappen">Max Verstappen</a>'s Red Bull and Pierre Gasly earning Alpine's first points of the year at the fourth attempt.
Rounding out the top 10 were Esteban Ocon (Haas), recovering from a big smash in qualifying, Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull, and Ocon's teammate Oliver Bearman.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Formula 1, Sports: Charles Leclerc for Ferrari came in fourth with his teammate Lewis Hamilton fifth ahead of four-time world champion Max Verstappen's Red Bull

Oscar Piastri won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday from George Russell's Mercedes with the Australian's McLaren teammate Lando Norris in third. Pole-sitter Piastri gave McLaren their first ever win in Sakhir at their 21st attempt. Taking the chequered flag under floodlights on a balmy Sunday evening in the Gulf kingdom was just reward after a weekend he had dominated, both in practice and in qualifying. Also Read: IPL 2025: Tilak powers Mumbai Indians to 205/5 against Delhi Capitals Despite an incident-packed race behind him, Piastri crossed the line 15.499s clear of Russell, who was under investigation for an issue with the DRS (drag reduction system). 'That was pretty damn fun' "That should be one hell of a party tonight. Mega weekend everyone. That was pretty damn fun," Piastri said after marking his 50th start in perfect style. Charles Leclerc for Ferrari came in fourth with his teammate Lewis Hamilton fifth ahead of four-time world champion Max Verstappen's Red Bull and Pierre Gasly earning Alpine's first points of the year at the fourth attempt. Rounding out the top 10 were Esteban Ocon (Haas), recovering from a big smash in qualifying, Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull, and Ocon's teammate Oliver Bearman. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Formula 1: McLaren's Oscar Piastri wins Bahrain Grand Prix

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McLaren's Oscar Piastri claimed pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday as his teammate Lando Norris and Red Bull's Max Verstappen had a trying evening under floodlights at the desert circuit.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Series leader Norris could only make it onto the third row with Verstappen facing an even tougher time on Sunday from the fourth row.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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George Russell had originally qualified in second, but he and Kimi Antonelli in the other Mercedes received one-place grid penalties.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/barcelona-inch-closer-to-la-liga-title-with-seven-point-gap-at-top-after-leganes-win-8956410" rel="dofollow">Barcelona inch closer to La Liga title with seven-point gap at top after Leganes win</a> 
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The late kick in the teeth came after the stewards sanctioned them for entering the pitlane before the second qualifying session resumed after a red flag.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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As a result, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc moves up onto the front row, with Antonelli, who qualified fourth, dropping down to the third.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Ferrari introduced upgrades this weekend and they appeared to have had the desired effect with Leclerc enjoying a positive evening.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Alpine are the only team to remain pointless but that could soon change with Pierre Gasly posting the fifth quickest qualifying time but then moved up to the second row on Antonelli's demotion.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Norris leads Verstappen by just one point going into Sunday's nocturnal showdown in the Gulf kingdom.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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But the omens look good for Piastri with pole-sitters accounting for four of the last five winners in Sakhir.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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The Australian has been in dominant form so far this weekend, bossing practice.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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"I felt confident out there all weekend. FP3 we had good pace, and Qualifying - the others caught up a little closer than I wanted, but I delivered the laps when it mattered so very, very happy.&nbsp;<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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"I have to get to Turn 1 in first so let's see what happens but I've felt comfortable all weekend. I can't thank the team enough for the car they have given me."<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Norris cut a dejected figure, saying: "I'm just not quick enough".<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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For Piastri, placed third in the championship 13 points behind his teammate, this was only his second ever pole, the first coming in China last month when he went on to win.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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As for Verstappen, the writing was on the wall as his evening had begun badly.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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"There's something really wrong with the car," the four-time world champion told his team as he went wide at turn 14 on his first shot at getting a time on the board in Q1, forcing him to abort.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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With his new teammate Yuki Tsunoda having his lap time deleted for track limits both Red Bulls only had five minutes to avoid crashing out at the first roll of the qualifying dice.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Verstappen kept his nerve to go through third behind Norris and Lewis Hamilton.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.
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Series leader Lando Norris could only make it onto the third row with Verstappen facing an even tougher time on Sunday from the fourth row. World, Sports, Formula 1

McLaren's Oscar Piastri claimed pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday as his teammate Lando Norris and Red Bull's Max Verstappen had a trying evening under floodlights at the desert circuit. Series leader Norris could only make it onto the third row with Verstappen facing an even tougher time on Sunday from the fourth row. George Russell had originally qualified in second, but he and Kimi Antonelli in the other Mercedes received one-place grid penalties. Also read | Barcelona inch closer to La Liga title with seven-point gap at top after Leganes win The late kick in the teeth came after the stewards sanctioned them for entering the pitlane before the second qualifying session resumed after a red flag. As a result, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc moves up onto the front row, with Antonelli, who qualified fourth, dropping down to the third. Ferrari introduced upgrades this weekend and they appeared to have had the desired effect with Leclerc enjoying a positive evening. Alpine are the only team to remain pointless but that could soon change with Pierre Gasly posting the fifth quickest qualifying time but then moved up to the second row on Antonelli's demotion. Norris leads Verstappen by just one point going into Sunday's nocturnal showdown in the Gulf kingdom. But the omens look good for Piastri with pole-sitters accounting for four of the last five winners in Sakhir. The Australian has been in dominant form so far this weekend, bossing practice. "I felt confident out there all weekend. FP3 we had good pace, and Qualifying - the others caught up a little closer than I wanted, but I delivered the laps when it mattered so very, very happy. "I have to get to Turn 1 in first so let's see what happens but I've felt comfortable all weekend. I can't thank the team enough for the car they have given me." Norris cut a dejected figure, saying: "I'm just not quick enough". For Piastri, placed third in the championship 13 points behind his teammate, this was only his second ever pole, the first coming in China last month when he went on to win. As for Verstappen, the writing was on the wall as his evening had begun badly. "There's something really wrong with the car," the four-time world champion told his team as he went wide at turn 14 on his first shot at getting a time on the board in Q1, forcing him to abort. With his new teammate Yuki Tsunoda having his lap time deleted for track limits both Red Bulls only had five minutes to avoid crashing out at the first roll of the qualifying dice. Verstappen kept his nerve to go through third behind Norris and Lewis Hamilton. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Bahrain Grand Prix: Piastri takes pole position as Norris and Red Bull's Verstappen struggle

Oscar Piastri topped the times as McLaren dominated second practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday, with Max Verstappen struggling to make an impact in his Red Bull.<o:p></o:p>
Piastri posted a quickest lap of 1min 30.505s with his teammate Lando Norris only a tenth of a second adrift.<o:p></o:p>
The chasing pack was led by the Mercedes of George Russell, albeit over five-tenths of a second back in an ominous display of force by McLaren at a track where the Bahraini-backed team have yet to win in 21 visits.<o:p></o:p>
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Verstappen, who moved to within one point of championship leader Norris after his win in Japan last weekend, was given plenty of food for thought ahead of this fourth race of the season as he trailed in seventh, close to one second back. <o:p></o:p>To add insult to injury, immediately in front of the four-time world champion were two rookies - Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and RB's Isack Hadjar, who both did brilliantly to finish fifth and sixth.<o:p></o:p>
Red Bull's plight was not helped by the sight of Yuki Tsunoda coming in 18th, six places behind RB's Liam Lawson, the driver he replaced at Red Bull last time out.<o:p></o:p>
Second practice at the Bahrain International Circuit got underway as the sun set to make the session more meaningful than the opening practice held in the searing mid-afternoon heat.<o:p></o:p>
With the floodlights illuminating the track to give like-for-like conditions with Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race, it placed extra importance on the 60-minute evening run out.<o:p></o:p>
Verstappen, Russell and Charles Leclerc were among six established drivers to lend their cars to rookies to gain valuable experience in FP1 as per the sporting guidelines.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>'The car is jumping'<o:p></o:p></h2>
Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton, in the upgraded Ferrari kitted out with a new floor panel and a record five-time winner in Bahrain, put his foot down early to lead the timesheets.<o:p></o:p>
Verstappen got his weekend up and running but was soon grumbling on the team radio: "The ride is very bad, the car is jumping a lot."<o:p></o:p>
Things were worse over with Fernando Alonso, who told his Aston Martin engineer: "Change the steering wheel" as the veteran Spaniard headed back to the pits, the wheel literally coming off in his hands.<o:p></o:p>
A human wall of Aston mechanics blocked any inquisitive competitors as they frantically worked to resolve the unusual and worrying issue.<o:p></o:p>
Back on track, Leclerc pushed his teammate Hamilton off the top of the time sheets to give early encouragement to the Scuderia.<o:p></o:p>
With plenty of action on track as teams tried to cram in effectively three practice sessions in one - Saturday's third session is also unrepresentative, being held in daytime - the Ferrari duo dropped down the field as the McLarens rose to the surface.<o:p></o:p>
Piastri and Norris both stepped on the gas to pull well clear.<o:p></o:p>
As Alonso, who will be having his 50th race for Aston on Sunday, rejoined the circuit, there was no change at the top as McLaren set out their stall for the business part of the weekend.<o:p></o:p>
Earlier teams took the opportunity to use 'FP1' to give a half dozen rookies a shot as a 'Friday driver' as per the governing body's guidelines.<o:p></o:p>
Verstappen had some downtime with Ayumua Iwasa taking the wheel of his Red Bull.<o:p></o:p>
Dino Beganovic was handed the keys to Leclerc's Ferrari.<o:p></o:p>
Other new faces were Fred Vesti (in for Russell), Luke Browning (Williams/Carlos Sainz), Felipe Drugovich (Alonso) and Ryo Hirakawa, in for Ollie Bearman at Haas.<o:p></o:p>
Browning had a scary moment with his temporary teammate Alex Albon, the pair coming close with a quarter of an hour left of the session.<o:p></o:p>
The stewards investigated the incident, with Albon deemed guilty of impeding Browning and given a smack on the wrist with a four-figure fine.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri posted a quickest lap of 1min 30.505s, with his teammate Lando Norris only a tenth of a second adrift. World, Sports, F1

Oscar Piastri topped the times as McLaren dominated second practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday, with Max Verstappen struggling to make an impact in his Red Bull. Piastri posted a quickest lap of 1min 30.505s with his teammate Lando Norris only a tenth of a second adrift. The chasing pack was led by the Mercedes of George Russell, albeit over five-tenths of a second back in an ominous display of force by McLaren at a track where the Bahraini-backed team have yet to win in 21 visits. Also read | Guardiola confirms City’s star wingers suffered abuse during Manchester United draw Verstappen, who moved to within one point of championship leader Norris after his win in Japan last weekend, was given plenty of food for thought ahead of this fourth race of the season as he trailed in seventh, close to one second back. To add insult to injury, immediately in front of the four-time world champion were two rookies - Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and RB's Isack Hadjar, who both did brilliantly to finish fifth and sixth. Red Bull's plight was not helped by the sight of Yuki Tsunoda coming in 18th, six places behind RB's Liam Lawson, the driver he replaced at Red Bull last time out. Second practice at the Bahrain International Circuit got underway as the sun set to make the session more meaningful than the opening practice held in the searing mid-afternoon heat. With the floodlights illuminating the track to give like-for-like conditions with Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race, it placed extra importance on the 60-minute evening run out. Verstappen, Russell and Charles Leclerc were among six established drivers to lend their cars to rookies to gain valuable experience in FP1 as per the sporting guidelines. 'The car is jumping' Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton, in the upgraded Ferrari kitted out with a new floor panel and a record five-time winner in Bahrain, put his foot down early to lead the timesheets. Verstappen got his weekend up and running but was soon grumbling on the team radio: "The ride is very bad, the car is jumping a lot." Things were worse over with Fernando Alonso, who told his Aston Martin engineer: "Change the steering wheel" as the veteran Spaniard headed back to the pits, the wheel literally coming off in his hands. A human wall of Aston mechanics blocked any inquisitive competitors as they frantically worked to resolve the unusual and worrying issue. Back on track, Leclerc pushed his teammate Hamilton off the top of the time sheets to give early encouragement to the Scuderia. With plenty of action on track as teams tried to cram in effectively three practice sessions in one - Saturday's third session is also unrepresentative, being held in daytime - the Ferrari duo dropped down the field as the McLarens rose to the surface. Piastri and Norris both stepped on the gas to pull well clear. As Alonso, who will be having his 50th race for Aston on Sunday, rejoined the circuit, there was no change at the top as McLaren set out their stall for the business part of the weekend. Earlier teams took the opportunity to use 'FP1' to give a half dozen rookies a shot as a 'Friday driver' as per the governing body's guidelines. Verstappen had some downtime with Ayumua Iwasa taking the wheel of his Red Bull. Dino Beganovic was handed the keys to Leclerc's Ferrari. Other new faces were Fred Vesti (in for Russell), Luke Browning (Williams/Carlos Sainz), Felipe Drugovich (Alonso) and Ryo Hirakawa, in for Ollie Bearman at Haas. Browning had a scary moment with his temporary teammate Alex Albon, the pair coming close with a quarter of an hour left of the session. The stewards investigated the incident, with Albon deemed guilty of impeding Browning and given a smack on the wrist with a four-figure fine. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

F1: McLaren dominates second practice at Bahrain Grand Prix but Max Verstappen struggles

Four-time world champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/max-verstappen">Max Verstappen</a> led from pole to chequered flag to win the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, his first victory of the 2025 season, with McLaren's Lando Norris second.
The Dutch Red Bull driver crossed the finish line almost 1.5 seconds in front of Briton Norris, who held off his McLaren teammate <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/oscar-piastri">Oscar Piastri</a> of Australia in third.&nbsp;The win on a damp but drying track at Suzuka was Verstappen's fourth straight victory in Japan and closed the gap on Norris at the top of the drivers' championship to one point.
"It was tough. The McLarens were pushing me very hard," said Verstappen.&nbsp;"It was a lot of fun but not easy pushing the tyres. I am incredibly happy.
"Starting on pole made it possible to win."&nbsp;Ferrari's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/charles-leclerc">Charles Leclerc</a> finished fourth ahead of the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
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Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was seventh, with RB's Isack Hadjar next ahead of Williams' Alex Albon and Haas's Oliver Bearman.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/yuki-tsunoda">Yuki Tsunoda</a> finished 12th in his first race for Red Bull since replacing Liam Lawson, having started from 14th on the grid in his home grand prix. Lawson was 17th for RB.
Verstappen and Norris were involved in a flashpoint midway through the race as the two front-runners emerged from a pit stop.&nbsp;Norris drew up alongside Verstappen but the Dutchman refused to budge and Norris was forced onto the grass before sliding back onto the track.
<h2>'He drove himself onto the grass'</h2>
Norris said "he forced me off" but Verstappen told his team that he was not to blame.&nbsp;"He drove himself onto the grass," said Verstappen.
Stewards reviewed the incident and decided not to investigate further.&nbsp;Verstappen has struggled to get to grips with his Red Bull this season, finishing second in Australia and fourth in China.
But he pulled off a lap for the ages in qualifying in Suzuka, pipping Norris to claim his first pole of the season in a track-record time.&nbsp;Verstappen got away cleanly from Norris and Piastri at the first turn, with little change in the grid.
The Dutchman quickly established control by laying down the fastest lap and his lead grew over the early part of the race.&nbsp;Eighteen-year-old rookie Antonelli briefly took the lead while Verstappen and Norris were in the pits, to become Formula One's youngest-ever race leader.
Verstappen soon reclaimed the lead and his team gave him the green light to push until the end of the race.&nbsp;The two McLarens stayed on his tail, with Piastri telling his team "I have the pace to get Max" but Verstappen could not be caught.
Conditions at Suzuka had been dry all week, with a series of small trackside fires halting practice several times but rain early on Sunday removed any chance of a repeat in the race.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Formula 1, Sports: Max crossed the finish line almost 1.5 seconds in front of Briton Norris, who held off his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri of Australia in third

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen led from pole to chequered flag to win the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, his first victory of the 2025 season, with McLaren's Lando Norris second. The Dutch Red Bull driver crossed the finish line almost 1.5 seconds in front of Briton Norris, who held off his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri of Australia in third. The win on a damp but drying track at Suzuka was Verstappen's fourth straight victory in Japan and closed the gap on Norris at the top of the drivers' championship to one point. "It was tough. The McLarens were pushing me very hard," said Verstappen. "It was a lot of fun but not easy pushing the tyres. I am incredibly happy. "Starting on pole made it possible to win." Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished fourth ahead of the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Also Read: La Liga: Real Madrid suffer shock defeat to Valencia, Barcelona draws with Real Betis Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was seventh, with RB's Isack Hadjar next ahead of Williams' Alex Albon and Haas's Oliver Bearman. Yuki Tsunoda finished 12th in his first race for Red Bull since replacing Liam Lawson, having started from 14th on the grid in his home grand prix. Lawson was 17th for RB. Verstappen and Norris were involved in a flashpoint midway through the race as the two front-runners emerged from a pit stop. Norris drew up alongside Verstappen but the Dutchman refused to budge and Norris was forced onto the grass before sliding back onto the track. 'He drove himself onto the grass' Norris said "he forced me off" but Verstappen told his team that he was not to blame. "He drove himself onto the grass," said Verstappen. Stewards reviewed the incident and decided not to investigate further. Verstappen has struggled to get to grips with his Red Bull this season, finishing second in Australia and fourth in China. But he pulled off a lap for the ages in qualifying in Suzuka, pipping Norris to claim his first pole of the season in a track-record time. Verstappen got away cleanly from Norris and Piastri at the first turn, with little change in the grid. The Dutchman quickly established control by laying down the fastest lap and his lead grew over the early part of the race. Eighteen-year-old rookie Antonelli briefly took the lead while Verstappen and Norris were in the pits, to become Formula One's youngest-ever race leader. Verstappen soon reclaimed the lead and his team gave him the green light to push until the end of the race. The two McLarens stayed on his tail, with Piastri telling his team "I have the pace to get Max" but Verstappen could not be caught. Conditions at Suzuka had been dry all week, with a series of small trackside fires halting practice several times but rain early on Sunday removed any chance of a repeat in the race. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen wins Japanese GP from Lando Norris

Four-time world champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/max-verstappen">Max Verstappen</a> smashed the track record to snatch pole position for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix ahead of McLaren's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lando-norris">Lando Norris</a>, as Yuki Tsunoda qualified a lowly 15th in his Red Bull debut.
Verstappen clocked a blistering lap of 1min 26.983sec in his Red Bull, 0.012sec ahead of early championship leader Norris, with the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri third.
Verstappen has struggled with his car this season and the McLarens dominated all three practice sessions at Suzuka.&nbsp;But Verstappen delivered in his final lap in Saturday qualifying, pipping Norris right at the death.
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"If you look at how our season started, even during this weekend, it's very unexpected," the Dutchman said of his first pole position of 2025.
"I think that makes it a very special one."&nbsp;Verstappen is still looking for his first race victory of the campaign, having finished second in Australia and fourth in China.
He has won in Japan for the past three seasons but he was cautious about reading too much into his latest qualifying heroics.&nbsp;"I don't say, 'oh I'm first now, everything is perfect'," said the Dutchman.
"We still have clear issues that we need to solve. That's what we are continuing to work on."
Ferrari's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/charles-leclerc">Charles Leclerc</a> was fourth ahead of Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, with RB's Isack Hadjar seventh.&nbsp;Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was eighth, followed by Williams's Alex Albon and Haas's Oliver Bearman.
The McLarens have started the season in rampant form, with Norris winning the opener in Melbourne and Piastri leading him in a one-two finish in Shanghai.&nbsp;Norris said the team would "do our homework tonight" to try and break Verstappen's Suzuka stranglehold.
"It's probably going to be a bit of a race like Melbourne, and that was an exciting race for everyone," said the Briton.
"But now I've got to try and do some overtakes, so we'll see. It's exciting."
<h2>Tsunoda eliminated in Q2</h2>
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/yuki-tsunoda">Yuki Tsunoda</a> was eliminated in Q2 in a disappointing first qualifying drive for Red Bull after being promoted in place of Liam Lawson last week.&nbsp;The Japanese driver finished one place behind Lawson, who returned to RB after just two races for Red Bull in a ruthless driver swap.
"I had pace in FP3 (third practice) so I didn't expect it to be like this, how it ended up today, so it's a shame," Tsunoda told Sky Sports.&nbsp;"But one positive is that I started to understand the car. This car is quite difficult to operate properly, it's quite narrow compared to the RB, but I feel quite confident in the car."
Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Williams's Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso were eliminated in Q2 along with Lawson and Tsunoda.&nbsp;Sauber pair Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, Haas's Esteban Ocon, Alpine's Jack Doohan and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll were all eliminated in Q1.
Qualifying was suspended for about eight minutes in Q2 when a small trackside fire broke out as sparks from the cars ignited the grass in the dry conditions.
It was the fifth such incident of the weekend, with the second and third practice sessions also disrupted by small fires.&nbsp;Rain has been forecast for Sunday's race, adding an extra layer of intrigue.
Verstappen said his battle with the two McLarens will be "very hard".&nbsp;"So far this season we have not been able to fight them but it's not like we just sit there and accept it," he said.
"We try to do the very best and we will give it a good fight tomorrow if we can."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has&nbsp;been published&nbsp;from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide.&nbsp;The headline may have&nbsp;been changed&nbsp;to better reflect the&nbsp;content of the story&nbsp;or to&nbsp;make it more suitable for&nbsp;WION&nbsp;audience.

Formula 1, Sports: Verstappen clocked a blistering lap of 1min 26.983sec in his Red Bull, 0.012sec ahead of LandoNorris, with the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri third

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen smashed the track record to snatch pole position for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, as Yuki Tsunoda qualified a lowly 15th in his Red Bull debut. Verstappen clocked a blistering lap of 1min 26.983sec in his Red Bull, 0.012sec ahead of early championship leader Norris, with the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri third. Verstappen has struggled with his car this season and the McLarens dominated all three practice sessions at Suzuka. But Verstappen delivered in his final lap in Saturday qualifying, pipping Norris right at the death. Also Read: ‘Who's maa?’ – LSG head coach Langer delivers the real bouncer during post-match- WATCH "If you look at how our season started, even during this weekend, it's very unexpected," the Dutchman said of his first pole position of 2025. "I think that makes it a very special one." Verstappen is still looking for his first race victory of the campaign, having finished second in Australia and fourth in China. He has won in Japan for the past three seasons but he was cautious about reading too much into his latest qualifying heroics. "I don't say, 'oh I'm first now, everything is perfect'," said the Dutchman. "We still have clear issues that we need to solve. That's what we are continuing to work on." Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth ahead of Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, with RB's Isack Hadjar seventh. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was eighth, followed by Williams's Alex Albon and Haas's Oliver Bearman. The McLarens have started the season in rampant form, with Norris winning the opener in Melbourne and Piastri leading him in a one-two finish in Shanghai. Norris said the team would "do our homework tonight" to try and break Verstappen's Suzuka stranglehold. "It's probably going to be a bit of a race like Melbourne, and that was an exciting race for everyone," said the Briton. "But now I've got to try and do some overtakes, so we'll see. It's exciting." Tsunoda eliminated in Q2 Yuki Tsunoda was eliminated in Q2 in a disappointing first qualifying drive for Red Bull after being promoted in place of Liam Lawson last week. The Japanese driver finished one place behind Lawson, who returned to RB after just two races for Red Bull in a ruthless driver swap. "I had pace in FP3 (third practice) so I didn't expect it to be like this, how it ended up today, so it's a shame," Tsunoda told Sky Sports. "But one positive is that I started to understand the car. This car is quite difficult to operate properly, it's quite narrow compared to the RB, but I feel quite confident in the car." Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Williams's Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso were eliminated in Q2 along with Lawson and Tsunoda. Sauber pair Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, Haas's Esteban Ocon, Alpine's Jack Doohan and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll were all eliminated in Q1. Qualifying was suspended for about eight minutes in Q2 when a small trackside fire broke out as sparks from the cars ignited the grass in the dry conditions. It was the fifth such incident of the weekend, with the second and third practice sessions also disrupted by small fires. Rain has been forecast for Sunday's race, adding an extra layer of intrigue. Verstappen said his battle with the two McLarens will be "very hard". "So far this season we have not been able to fight them but it's not like we just sit there and accept it," he said. "We try to do the very best and we will give it a good fight tomorrow if we can." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Formula 1: Max Verstappen snatches 'special' pole for Japan GP with lap record

Liam Lawson has admitted he was 'shocked' to learn he would be replaced by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/yuki-tsunoda">Yuki Tsunoda</a> at Red Bull starting from the Japanese Grand Prix. Lawson, who secured a seat alongside <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/max-verstappen">Max Verstappen</a> following Sergio Perez&rsquo;s departure, was dropped after just two races into the new season due to underwhelming performances in Australia and China. He will now return to Red Bull&rsquo;s junior team, Racing Bulls, in a swap with Tsunoda.
"It was definitely a shock, honestly. It's not something that I saw coming. The discussions we were having didn&rsquo;t suggest this outcome, so it was completely unexpected," Lawson was quoted saying to Sky Sports.
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Lawson previously raced alongside Tsunoda in late 2024 when he stepped in for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/daniel-ricciardo" rel="dofollow">Daniel Ricciardo</a> at the then-named RB team. His performances earned him a promotion to Red Bull for 2025 as Verstappen&rsquo;s new teammate, following Perez&rsquo;s exit.
<h2>'This is not the end for Liam'</h2>
Red Bull team principal <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/christian-horner" rel="dofollow">Christian Horner</a> acknowledged the tough decision, admitting that the team may have placed too much pressure on Lawson too soon.&nbsp;"It's a horrible situation because you're taking away someone's dream, but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. This isn&rsquo;t the end for Liam," Horner was quoted saying to Sky Sports.
"We made the call after just two races, but we have to accept that we were expecting too much, too quickly. Now, he has the opportunity to further develop his talent with Racing Bulls, while Yuki gets the chance to showcase his experience," Horner added.
(With inputs from agencies)

Formula 1, Sports: Liam Lawson previously raced alongside Yuki Tsunoda in late 2024 when he stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo at the then-named Red Bull team

Liam Lawson has admitted he was 'shocked' to learn he would be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull starting from the Japanese Grand Prix. Lawson, who secured a seat alongside Max Verstappen following Sergio Perez’s departure, was dropped after just two races into the new season due to underwhelming performances in Australia and China. He will now return to Red Bull’s junior team, Racing Bulls, in a swap with Tsunoda. "It was definitely a shock, honestly. It's not something that I saw coming. The discussions we were having didn’t suggest this outcome, so it was completely unexpected," Lawson was quoted saying to Sky Sports. Also Read: A motorsport spectacle! Chennai gears up for Red Bull Moto Jam Lawson previously raced alongside Tsunoda in late 2024 when he stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo at the then-named RB team. His performances earned him a promotion to Red Bull for 2025 as Verstappen’s new teammate, following Perez’s exit. 'This is not the end for Liam' Red Bull team principal Christian Horner acknowledged the tough decision, admitting that the team may have placed too much pressure on Lawson too soon. "It's a horrible situation because you're taking away someone's dream, but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. This isn’t the end for Liam," Horner was quoted saying to Sky Sports. "We made the call after just two races, but we have to accept that we were expecting too much, too quickly. Now, he has the opportunity to further develop his talent with Racing Bulls, while Yuki gets the chance to showcase his experience," Horner added. (With inputs from agencies)

Formula 1: 'I did not see that coming', says shocked Liam Lawson after Red Bull demotion

In a major development ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, multiple reports suggest that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/red-bull">Red Bull</a> Racing has decided to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda. The decision comes after Lawson's challenging start to the 2025 Formula 1 season.
According to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf and French broadcaster Canal+, the 24-year-old Tsunoda will be promoted from Red Bull's sister team RB to partner reigning world champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/max-verstappen">Max Verstappen</a> at Suzuka from April 4-6. Red Bull has not yet issued an official statement on the matter. However, sources say that they will be making an official announcement soon.
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New Zealander Lawson, 23, was brought in from RB during the winter to replace <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sergio-perez">Sergio Perez</a>. However, his struggles in the opening rounds have put his seat in jeopardy. Lawson has been eliminated in the first stage of all three qualifying sessions and has yet to score a point this season. Meanwhile, his teammate Verstappen is currently second in the title race with 36 points, trailing McLaren&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lando-norris">Lando Norris</a> by eight points.
<h2>Lawson struggles, Yuki flourishes</h2>
Tsunoda has showcased promising form in the early races of the season. He secured a 12th-place finish in Australia and was on course for a points finish in Shanghai before a flawed two-stop pit strategy by RB cost him the opportunity. Since making his Formula 1 debut with AlphaTauri in 2021, Tsunoda has established himself as a consistent and aggressive racer. He is also the first Japanese driver to compete in F1 since Kamui Kobayashi in 2014.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner&rsquo;s recent comments further fueled speculation about the change. Speaking after the Chinese Grand Prix, Horner admitted that Lawson has had a 'tough couple of races' and that the team would 'have a good look at it'. In contrast, he had more encouraging words for Tsunoda, praising him as an experienced driver who is 'doing a great job'.
With the Japanese Grand Prix fast approaching, all eyes are now on Red Bull for an official announcement.
(With inputs from agencies)

Formula 1, Sports: Lawson was brought in from RB during the winter to replace Sergio Perez. However, his struggles in the opening rounds have put his seat in jeopardy

In a major development ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, multiple reports suggest that Red Bull Racing has decided to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda. The decision comes after Lawson's challenging start to the 2025 Formula 1 season. According to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf and French broadcaster Canal+, the 24-year-old Tsunoda will be promoted from Red Bull's sister team RB to partner reigning world champion Max Verstappen at Suzuka from April 4-6. Red Bull has not yet issued an official statement on the matter. However, sources say that they will be making an official announcement soon. Also Read: Amid divorce, former World champion boxer Saweety Boora physically assaults husband Deepak Hooda in police station-WATCH New Zealander Lawson, 23, was brought in from RB during the winter to replace Sergio Perez. However, his struggles in the opening rounds have put his seat in jeopardy. Lawson has been eliminated in the first stage of all three qualifying sessions and has yet to score a point this season. Meanwhile, his teammate Verstappen is currently second in the title race with 36 points, trailing McLaren’s Lando Norris by eight points. Lawson struggles, Yuki flourishes Tsunoda has showcased promising form in the early races of the season. He secured a 12th-place finish in Australia and was on course for a points finish in Shanghai before a flawed two-stop pit strategy by RB cost him the opportunity. Since making his Formula 1 debut with AlphaTauri in 2021, Tsunoda has established himself as a consistent and aggressive racer. He is also the first Japanese driver to compete in F1 since Kamui Kobayashi in 2014. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner’s recent comments further fueled speculation about the change. Speaking after the Chinese Grand Prix, Horner admitted that Lawson has had a 'tough couple of races' and that the team would 'have a good look at it'. In contrast, he had more encouraging words for Tsunoda, praising him as an experienced driver who is 'doing a great job'. With the Japanese Grand Prix fast approaching, all eyes are now on Red Bull for an official announcement. (With inputs from agencies)

F1: Red Bull to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda ahead of Japanese Grand Prix? Reports suggest

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lando-norris">Lando Norris</a> kept his cool in a rain-hit and incident-packed season-opening Australian Grand Prix Sunday to edge world champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/max-verstappen">Max Verstappen</a> with Lewis Hamilton 10th on his Ferrari debut.
The pole-sitting Briton took the chequered flag by less than a second from the Dutchman, with Mercedes' George Russell third after a chaotic race in Melbourne that saw three drivers crash before the end of the first lap.
With the safety car repeatedly forced into action after a slew of accidents on the wet Albert Park circuit, Norris held on to clock a fifth grand prix win and second in a row after topping the podium at the final race of 2024 in Abu Dhabi.
RB rookie Isack Hadjar, Alpine's Jack Doohan and Williams' Carlos Sainz -- last year's winner -- all failed to finish the first lap on a track made treacherous by earlier torrential rain.
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Norris came into the season as favourite for the 2025 drivers' title and cemented his status as the man to beat.&nbsp;"It was amazing, a top race, especially with Max behind me. I was pushing, especially the last two laps -- it was a little bit stressful, not going to lie," said Norris.
"Tricky conditions, but there are the ones that are enjoyable and we ended up on top so I'm happy."
Verstappen, who is aiming to become only the second driver to win five straight world titles after Michael Schumacher, was in the hunt early but an uncharacteristic error on lap 18 dented his chances until another safety car put him back in the frame.
"It was a difficult race, but at the end it was fun," said the Dutch star.&nbsp;"It was pushing, fighting for the win but I'm just happy to bring it home, score good points and this is a good start for us."
In the unpredictable conditions, with rain on-and-off, Williams' Alex Albon was an encouraging fourth ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli on his debut.
Aston Martin's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lance-stroll">Lance Stroll</a> was sixth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in a Sauber.&nbsp;Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came eighth, with Norris' teammate <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/oscar-piastri">Oscar Piastri</a> and Hamilton rounding out the top 10.
While torrential rain eased for the main event, the tricky conditions were rammed home when Hadjar skidded and hit the wall on the formation lap and was out before the race even started.
The Frenchman, on his debut, left the track clearly distraught.&nbsp;The start was aborted and when the green lights finally came on, Norris, on intermediate tyres, made a clean jump and kept his position at the first corner.
<h2>Max pressure</h2>
Verstappen also had a flying start and passed Piastri to go second while Leclerc moved up two places to fifth.&nbsp;But the race was interrupted minutes later when Doohan ploughed into the wall, then the experienced Sainz did the same on his Williams debut.
They restarted after a safety car with Norris holding his spot ahead of Verstappen and with Piastri they began pulling clear of fourth-placed Russell.
With the track drying, the gap to Russell was eight seconds by lap 13.&nbsp;But with his tyres starting to wear, Verstappen brushed the gravel on lap 18 and Piastri flashed past back into second.
Norris and Piastri powered 18 seconds ahead of the Dutchman before Fernando Alonso put his Aston Martin into the wall on lap 34 and the safety car came out again.
All teams used the opportunity to make their pit stops with Norris and Piastri emerging on hards and Verstappen on mediums.&nbsp;After the safety car peeled off, Norris flew into a two-second lead before Piastri, pushing hard, skidded onto the grass to drop down the field as Verstappen powered past.
But again a safety car was required when Red Bull's Liam Lawson spun, with Norris, Verstappen and Russell the top three at the restart with seven laps left.
Verstappen pressed Norris hard for the win when they got going again, but the Briton was able to hold on.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Formula 1: The pole-sitting Briton took the chequered flag by less than a second from the Dutchman, with Mercedes' George Russell third after a chaotic race in Melbourne

Lando Norris kept his cool in a rain-hit and incident-packed season-opening Australian Grand Prix Sunday to edge world champion Max Verstappen with Lewis Hamilton 10th on his Ferrari debut. The pole-sitting Briton took the chequered flag by less than a second from the Dutchman, with Mercedes' George Russell third after a chaotic race in Melbourne that saw three drivers crash before the end of the first lap. With the safety car repeatedly forced into action after a slew of accidents on the wet Albert Park circuit, Norris held on to clock a fifth grand prix win and second in a row after topping the podium at the final race of 2024 in Abu Dhabi. RB rookie Isack Hadjar, Alpine's Jack Doohan and Williams' Carlos Sainz -- last year's winner -- all failed to finish the first lap on a track made treacherous by earlier torrential rain. Also Read: 'Don't want to sit alone and sulk': Disappointed Virat Kohli slams BCCI's 'family diktat' Norris came into the season as favourite for the 2025 drivers' title and cemented his status as the man to beat. "It was amazing, a top race, especially with Max behind me. I was pushing, especially the last two laps -- it was a little bit stressful, not going to lie," said Norris. "Tricky conditions, but there are the ones that are enjoyable and we ended up on top so I'm happy." Verstappen, who is aiming to become only the second driver to win five straight world titles after Michael Schumacher, was in the hunt early but an uncharacteristic error on lap 18 dented his chances until another safety car put him back in the frame. "It was a difficult race, but at the end it was fun," said the Dutch star. "It was pushing, fighting for the win but I'm just happy to bring it home, score good points and this is a good start for us." In the unpredictable conditions, with rain on-and-off, Williams' Alex Albon was an encouraging fourth ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli on his debut. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll was sixth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in a Sauber. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came eighth, with Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri and Hamilton rounding out the top 10. While torrential rain eased for the main event, the tricky conditions were rammed home when Hadjar skidded and hit the wall on the formation lap and was out before the race even started. The Frenchman, on his debut, left the track clearly distraught. The start was aborted and when the green lights finally came on, Norris, on intermediate tyres, made a clean jump and kept his position at the first corner. Max pressure Verstappen also had a flying start and passed Piastri to go second while Leclerc moved up two places to fifth. But the race was interrupted minutes later when Doohan ploughed into the wall, then the experienced Sainz did the same on his Williams debut. They restarted after a safety car with Norris holding his spot ahead of Verstappen and with Piastri they began pulling clear of fourth-placed Russell. With the track drying, the gap to Russell was eight seconds by lap 13. But with his tyres starting to wear, Verstappen brushed the gravel on lap 18 and Piastri flashed past back into second. Norris and Piastri powered 18 seconds ahead of the Dutchman before Fernando Alonso put his Aston Martin into the wall on lap 34 and the safety car came out again. All teams used the opportunity to make their pit stops with Norris and Piastri emerging on hards and Verstappen on mediums. After the safety car peeled off, Norris flew into a two-second lead before Piastri, pushing hard, skidded onto the grass to drop down the field as Verstappen powered past. But again a safety car was required when Red Bull's Liam Lawson spun, with Norris, Verstappen and Russell the top three at the restart with seven laps left. Verstappen pressed Norris hard for the win when they got going again, but the Briton was able to hold on. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Formula 1: Lando Norris holds off Max Verstappen to win rain-hit Australian Grand Prix

Lando Norris clinched pole position on Saturday for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri as McLaren fired a warning shot to their rivals.
In scorching hot conditions at Melbourne's Albert Park, world champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/max-verstappen">Max Verstappen</a> came third in tense qualifying.&nbsp;Mercedes' George Russell will keep Red Bull's four-time world champion company on the second row. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lewis-hamilton">Lewis Hamilton</a> will start in eighth on his Ferrari debut.
"It's the perfect way to start the year. A big congrats to the team, everyone has done an amazing job to start with a one-two," said Norris.&nbsp;
"But it is just quali, right? Let's see tomorrow," he added.&nbsp;"The car is extremely quick. When you put it together it is unbelievable, but it is hard to put it together.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/wpl-2025-indian-crowds-vs-mcg-australian-all-rounder-and-delhi-capitals-annabel-sutherland-weighs-in-8855219">WPL 2025: Indian crowd vs MCG? Australian all-rounder and Delhi Capitals' Annabel Sutherland weighs in</a>
"I'm never going to get ahead of myself, I'm confident the car is in a good place but we have never run it in the wet."
The forecast for Sunday's race is for cooler temperatures and rain.&nbsp;Norris eclipsed his rivals with a flying lap of one minute 15.096 seconds on soft tyres, 0.084sec ahead of Piastri. &nbsp;&nbsp;
"Pretty happy, great to start the year on the front row," said Piastri. "Pretty happy with how qualifying went but just not quite enough in Q3, but it is a long season so a good start," added the Australian.
"Maybe left a little bit on the table."&nbsp;
No Australian driver has won their home race since Alan Jones in 1980, but that was a non-championship race before Australia was added to the F1 calendar in 1985.
Verstappen, who was the pole-sitter in 2023 and 2024, was three-tenths behind Norris.&nbsp;But his rookie teammate Liam Lawson, who replaced the underperforming Sergio Perez, failed to get out of Q1.&nbsp;
<h2>'Quali laps are exciting'</h2>
Mercedes' teenager Kimi Antonelli was another big Q1 casualty after gravel damaged the floor of his car.&nbsp;"It was good, yesterday was quite tough so for us to be P3 today, I'd take that," said Verstappen.&nbsp;
"Quali laps are exciting, good grip around here and some fast corners."&nbsp;Verstappen is chasing a second win in Australia after his 2023 victory to kickstart his bid for a fifth consecutive world title, a feat only Michael Schumacher has achieved.&nbsp;
RB's Yuki Tsunoda will start a surprise fifth alongside the Williams of Alex Albon.&nbsp;Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Hamilton were a disappointing seventh and eighth with Alpine's Pierre Gasly and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-sainz">Carlos Sainz</a> in the other Williams filling out the top 10.
Last year in Melbourne it was a Ferrari one-two with Sainz holding off teammate Leclerc for the win, ahead of Norris.
Verstappen and Hamilton both failed to finish.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/fernando-alonso">Fernando Alonso</a> and his Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll have struggled for pace all weekend and failed to get through Q2 alongside Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto, RB's Isack Hadjar and Alpine's Jack Doohan.
Haas's Ollie Bearman failed to set a time in Q1 and was eliminated with teammate Esteban Ocon, Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, Lawson and Antonelli.&nbsp;Briton's Bearman has endured a horror weekend, smashing into the barriers in first practice on Friday and unable to take part in the second session.
He skidded into the gravel Saturday on his first lap in third practice, before reporting his gearbox was "broken" without completing a lap in qualifying.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

Sports, Formula 1: Mercedes' George Russell will keep Red Bull's four-time world champion company on the second row. Lewis Hamilton will start in eighth on his Ferrari debut

Lando Norris clinched pole position on Saturday for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri as McLaren fired a warning shot to their rivals. In scorching hot conditions at Melbourne's Albert Park, world champion Max Verstappen came third in tense qualifying. Mercedes' George Russell will keep Red Bull's four-time world champion company on the second row. Lewis Hamilton will start in eighth on his Ferrari debut. "It's the perfect way to start the year. A big congrats to the team, everyone has done an amazing job to start with a one-two," said Norris. "But it is just quali, right? Let's see tomorrow," he added. "The car is extremely quick. When you put it together it is unbelievable, but it is hard to put it together. Also Read: WPL 2025: Indian crowd vs MCG? Australian all-rounder and Delhi Capitals' Annabel Sutherland weighs in "I'm never going to get ahead of myself, I'm confident the car is in a good place but we have never run it in the wet." The forecast for Sunday's race is for cooler temperatures and rain. Norris eclipsed his rivals with a flying lap of one minute 15.096 seconds on soft tyres, 0.084sec ahead of Piastri. "Pretty happy, great to start the year on the front row," said Piastri. "Pretty happy with how qualifying went but just not quite enough in Q3, but it is a long season so a good start," added the Australian. "Maybe left a little bit on the table." No Australian driver has won their home race since Alan Jones in 1980, but that was a non-championship race before Australia was added to the F1 calendar in 1985. Verstappen, who was the pole-sitter in 2023 and 2024, was three-tenths behind Norris. But his rookie teammate Liam Lawson, who replaced the underperforming Sergio Perez, failed to get out of Q1. 'Quali laps are exciting' Mercedes' teenager Kimi Antonelli was another big Q1 casualty after gravel damaged the floor of his car. "It was good, yesterday was quite tough so for us to be P3 today, I'd take that," said Verstappen. "Quali laps are exciting, good grip around here and some fast corners." Verstappen is chasing a second win in Australia after his 2023 victory to kickstart his bid for a fifth consecutive world title, a feat only Michael Schumacher has achieved. RB's Yuki Tsunoda will start a surprise fifth alongside the Williams of Alex Albon. Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Hamilton were a disappointing seventh and eighth with Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz in the other Williams filling out the top 10. Last year in Melbourne it was a Ferrari one-two with Sainz holding off teammate Leclerc for the win, ahead of Norris. Verstappen and Hamilton both failed to finish. Fernando Alonso and his Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll have struggled for pace all weekend and failed to get through Q2 alongside Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto, RB's Isack Hadjar and Alpine's Jack Doohan. Haas's Ollie Bearman failed to set a time in Q1 and was eliminated with teammate Esteban Ocon, Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, Lawson and Antonelli. Briton's Bearman has endured a horror weekend, smashing into the barriers in first practice on Friday and unable to take part in the second session. He skidded into the gravel Saturday on his first lap in third practice, before reporting his gearbox was "broken" without completing a lap in qualifying. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Formula1: Lando Norris edges Oscar Piastri for pole position as McLaren lock out Melbourne front row

Rishabh Pant&rsquo;s unforgettable comeback from a life-threatening car crash to Test glory for India has been recognised with a nomination for the prestigious Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award. Pant will represent both India and the sport of cricket as the world&rsquo;s biggest sports awards celebrates its 25th anniversary.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rishabh-pant">Rishabh Pant</a>&rsquo;s story has more drama than any sports movie script: A national hero and a sporting icon who almost lost everything in an accident; a long and testing road to recovery; and finally a heroic comeback on the biggest stage, cheered on by millions of Indian cricket fans. &nbsp; &ldquo;I felt my time in this world was up,&rdquo; said Pant of the accident in December 2020 on the Delhi-Dehradun highway, in which he had to be pulled from his vehicle before it burst into flames. Pant was fortunate not to lose a leg and suffered multiple critical injuries before beginning a 629-day journey back to Test cricket. The movie script ended in the perfect finale&mdash;on his comeback Test, he scored a match-winning century against Bangladesh, equalling MS Dhoni&rsquo;s record for the most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-bought-at-base-price-of-inr-150000-veteran-batter-ajinkya-rahane-set-to-lead-kkr-8774095">IPL 2025: Bought at base price of INR 15000000, veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane set to lead KKR</a>
Reflecting on his nomination for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award, Rishabh Pant said: &ldquo;I have always believed that the biggest virtue of life is to be grateful for everything God has blessed you with. Over the course of my life, I have focused on being positive and happy in every situation, trusting the power of self-belief and resilience to deal with every challenge. When I survived the near fatal car crash, I realised that I have been fortunate to be a blessed soul, which inspired me to work extremely hard to undo everything and return to the pitch as a better version of myself with greater motivation. I knew that my return to normal life was only half the circle of my comeback and I needed to complete the circle by being committed towards my dream of playing for India again. In 2024, I returned to play for the Indian Test team 629 days after the car crash, the year where we also won the ICC T20 World Cup." &nbsp; "Being nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award is very special to me and an acknowledgement to the efforts of everyone involved in my comeback, right from my family, the BCCI, doctors, medical team, support staff, trainers and the fans. This Award is a symbol of inspiration and commitment, represented by some of the greatest stories in sports. Hence, it's an honour for me to be nominated this year," he added. &nbsp; Pant is joined on the shortlist by gymnast Rebeca Andrade who successfully battled through a tortuous struggle with anterior cruciate ligament injuries to win gold in Paris; ski racer Lara Gut-Behrami and swimmer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ariarne-titmus" rel="dofollow">Ariarne Titmus</a>, who defended her Olympic 400m freestyle title shortly after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour on her ovary; Caeleb Dressel, who won two relay golds in the pool in Paris after a break to address his mental health, and Marc M&aacute;rquez, the Spanish Moto GP ace who won three Grands Prix after an arm injury that threatened his career.
Laureus Ambassador and legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh said, &ldquo;I met with Rishabh in March 2023. At that point, he was well on the road to recovery from his injuries, but also still had a way to go. What struck me most was his relentless positivity. We enjoyed a good laugh in each other's company and it was that generosity of spirit and optimism which carried him through &ndash; and saw him cap a remarkable comeback with his return to Test cricket in 2024. He is an example to all sportsmen and women that maintaining a positive approach to injury and setbacks is vital to returning to competitive action.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, the list of contenders for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award is a who&rsquo;s who of sporting royalty, including France&rsquo;s Olympic hero L&eacute;on Marchand, tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, pole vaulting great Mondo Duplantis, all-conquering Formula One champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/max-verstappen">Max Verstappen</a>, and Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar. The ceremony will take place in Madrid, Spain, on April 21, 2025.

Sports, Cricket: Nominees for the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards are decided after a vote by the world’s sports media. The ceremony will take place in  Madrid, Spain, on April 21

Rishabh Pant’s unforgettable comeback from a life-threatening car crash to Test glory for India has been recognised with a nomination for the prestigious Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award. Pant will represent both India and the sport of cricket as the world’s biggest sports awards celebrates its 25th anniversary. Rishabh Pant’s story has more drama than any sports movie script: A national hero and a sporting icon who almost lost everything in an accident; a long and testing road to recovery; and finally a heroic comeback on the biggest stage, cheered on by millions of Indian cricket fans. “I felt my time in this world was up,” said Pant of the accident in December 2020 on the Delhi-Dehradun highway, in which he had to be pulled from his vehicle before it burst into flames. Pant was fortunate not to lose a leg and suffered multiple critical injuries before beginning a 629-day journey back to Test cricket. The movie script ended in the perfect finale—on his comeback Test, he scored a match-winning century against Bangladesh, equalling MS Dhoni’s record for the most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper. Also Read: IPL 2025: Bought at base price of INR 15000000, veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane set to lead KKR Reflecting on his nomination for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award, Rishabh Pant said: “I have always believed that the biggest virtue of life is to be grateful for everything God has blessed you with. Over the course of my life, I have focused on being positive and happy in every situation, trusting the power of self-belief and resilience to deal with every challenge. When I survived the near fatal car crash, I realised that I have been fortunate to be a blessed soul, which inspired me to work extremely hard to undo everything and return to the pitch as a better version of myself with greater motivation. I knew that my return to normal life was only half the circle of my comeback and I needed to complete the circle by being committed towards my dream of playing for India again. In 2024, I returned to play for the Indian Test team 629 days after the car crash, the year where we also won the ICC T20 World Cup." "Being nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award is very special to me and an acknowledgement to the efforts of everyone involved in my comeback, right from my family, the BCCI, doctors, medical team, support staff, trainers and the fans. This Award is a symbol of inspiration and commitment, represented by some of the greatest stories in sports. Hence, it's an honour for me to be nominated this year," he added. Pant is joined on the shortlist by gymnast Rebeca Andrade who successfully battled through a tortuous struggle with anterior cruciate ligament injuries to win gold in Paris; ski racer Lara Gut-Behrami and swimmer Ariarne Titmus, who defended her Olympic 400m freestyle title shortly after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour on her ovary; Caeleb Dressel, who won two relay golds in the pool in Paris after a break to address his mental health, and Marc Márquez, the Spanish Moto GP ace who won three Grands Prix after an arm injury that threatened his career. Laureus Ambassador and legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh said, “I met with Rishabh in March 2023. At that point, he was well on the road to recovery from his injuries, but also still had a way to go. What struck me most was his relentless positivity. We enjoyed a good laugh in each other's company and it was that generosity of spirit and optimism which carried him through – and saw him cap a remarkable comeback with his return to Test cricket in 2024. He is an example to all sportsmen and women that maintaining a positive approach to injury and setbacks is vital to returning to competitive action.” Meanwhile, the list of contenders for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award is a who’s who of sporting royalty, including France’s Olympic hero Léon Marchand, tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, pole vaulting great Mondo Duplantis, all-conquering Formula One champion Max Verstappen, and Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar. The ceremony will take place in Madrid, Spain, on April 21, 2025.

After Sachin Tendulkar, Rishabh Pant becomes second Indian cricketer to be nominated for Laureus Award

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In the high-octane world of motorsport, where speed and precision reign supreme, a 10-year-old girl from the scenic valleys of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jammu-and-kashmir">Jammu and Kashmir</a> is gearing up to leave her mark. Meet Atiqa Mir, India&rsquo;s youngest karting sensation who is set to become the first Indian female to race in the prestigious World Series Karting (WSK) Championships.&nbsp;
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Signed by 29-time champions Babyrace, Atiqa earned her spot with a stellar test session at Italy&rsquo;s famed La Conca circuit. She will now compete in the WSK Super Master Series, WSK Euro Series, and the WSK Final Cup, battling over 60 top drivers in the fiercely competitive Mini class.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;I&rsquo;m super thrilled to race in WSK with Babyrace. It&rsquo;s the highest level of karting I&rsquo;ve ever competed in. Learning new circuits and winter racing will be a challenge, but I&rsquo;m ready,&rdquo; said Atiqa, her determination as sharp as the turns she&rsquo;ll navigate on the global stage.&nbsp;
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Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1/formula-1-haas-laura-mueller-breaks-glass-ceiling-becomes-first-female-race-engineer-in-history-8644353" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Formula 1: Haas&rsquo; Laura Mueller breaks glass ceiling, becomes first female Race Engineer in history</a> 
WSK is the gold standard of karting, attracting elite talent, manufacturers, and engines from across the globe.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s where current Formula 1 world champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/max-verstappen">Max Verstappen</a> began his journey&mdash;and now, Atiqa is blazing a similar trail.&nbsp;
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Racing runs in Atiqa&rsquo;s blood. Her father, Asif Nazir, India&rsquo;s first National Karting Champion and Formula Asia Vice Champion, has been her biggest inspiration and supporter. Nazir will accompany Atiqa as she takes on the world&rsquo;s best this weekend in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/italy">Italy</a>.&nbsp;
<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW156559373 BCX0" lang="EN-US">This year will be a steep learning curve: Atiqa's father</h2>
</div>
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&ldquo;Atiqa&rsquo;s rise to the highest level of karting is a result of her hard work and dedication,&rdquo; Nazir said in an interview. &ldquo;This year will be a steep learning curve, but she&rsquo;s ready to adapt to new tracks and conditions.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Atiqa&rsquo;s journey is a powerful symbol of breaking barriers&mdash;not just for women in motorsport but for the entire nation. As she prepares to rev up her engines in the WSK Super Master Series, Atiqa Mir proves that dreams from the valley can roar onto the global racetrack with the speed of a champion.
(With inputs from agencies)
</div>

Sports, Formula 1: Signed by 29-time champions Babyrace, Atiqa earned her spot with a stellar test session at Italy’s famed La Conca circuit

In the high-octane world of motorsport, where speed and precision reign supreme, a 10-year-old girl from the scenic valleys of Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up to leave her mark. Meet Atiqa Mir, India’s youngest karting sensation who is set to become the first Indian female to race in the prestigious World Series Karting (WSK) Championships. Signed by 29-time champions Babyrace, Atiqa earned her spot with a stellar test session at Italy’s famed La Conca circuit. She will now compete in the WSK Super Master Series, WSK Euro Series, and the WSK Final Cup, battling over 60 top drivers in the fiercely competitive Mini class. “I’m super thrilled to race in WSK with Babyrace. It’s the highest level of karting I’ve ever competed in. Learning new circuits and winter racing will be a challenge, but I’m ready,” said Atiqa, her determination as sharp as the turns she’ll navigate on the global stage. Also Read: Formula 1: Haas’ Laura Mueller breaks glass ceiling, becomes first female Race Engineer in history WSK is the gold standard of karting, attracting elite talent, manufacturers, and engines from across the globe. It’s where current Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen began his journey—and now, Atiqa is blazing a similar trail. Racing runs in Atiqa’s blood. Her father, Asif Nazir, India’s first National Karting Champion and Formula Asia Vice Champion, has been her biggest inspiration and supporter. Nazir will accompany Atiqa as she takes on the world’s best this weekend in Italy. This year will be a steep learning curve: Atiqa's father “Atiqa’s rise to the highest level of karting is a result of her hard work and dedication,” Nazir said in an interview. “This year will be a steep learning curve, but she’s ready to adapt to new tracks and conditions.” Atiqa’s journey is a powerful symbol of breaking barriers—not just for women in motorsport but for the entire nation. As she prepares to rev up her engines in the WSK Super Master Series, Atiqa Mir proves that dreams from the valley can roar onto the global racetrack with the speed of a champion. (With inputs from agencies)

Karting: Meet 10-year-old Atiqa Mir, who is set to become the first Indian...

Lando Norris said Max Verstappen should be a comedian when he responded on Thursday to the newly-crowned four-time champion's claim that he would have won the title more easily if he was driving for McLaren. The Red Bull driver made the comment after cruising to fifth place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last weekend to seal his fourth drivers' title triumph.

"Yes, even earlier," Verstappen said when asked about such a scenario. "So I'd have been further ahead."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nfl/news-nfl-2024-25-detroit-lions-survive-chicago-bears-comeback-to-make-it-10-wins-in-a-row-780087">NFL 2024/25: Detroit Lions survive Chicago Bears comeback to make it 10 wins in a row</a>

When it was put to Norris, the McLaren driver smiled.

"He should start doing comedy or something," said Norris. "He can say whatever he wants… Of course, I completely disagree, as I would. He's good, but it's not true."

Verstappen had also suggested he won his fourth title in a year when he did not have the fastest car for at least 70 per cent of the season.

His comments were clearly intended to irritate his friend and rival Norris whose title dream ended in Las Vegas.

But this weekend he and McLaren hope to move closer to winning their first constructors' championship in 26 years –- perhaps with some help from Mercedes who reeled off a rare one-two in Las Vegas where George Russell won ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

"Mercedes were very quick here last year so they're definitely favourites coming into this weekend," said Norris. "Red Bull were good, we were good, as well, so I'm expecting a good battle.

"I'm hoping it probably favours us a little bit more than Ferrari, but Ferrari fixed a lot of the woes that they were struggling with last year so really I've no idea, but when you look at things, Ferrari and Mercedes seem to be a better flow at the moment."

McLaren, on 608 points, lead Ferrari on 584 by 24 points with two Grands Prix, including a sprint this weekend, remaining.

After a fractious exchange with his Ferrari team, Charles Leclerc said he and team-mate Carlos Sainz, who is leaving to be replaced by Hamilton next year, had settled their differences.

The pair swapped positions several times in Las Vegas following team orders that left Leclerc disgruntled.

On Thursday he said: "I don't want to go back to what happened in Vegas... In the last two races of the season, we need to do absolutely everything in order to win that constructors' championship. That's all that matters.

"Whatever happened in Vegas, we discussed it and we are all good -- which is the most important thing. I have no doubts about it because we've always had a really good relationship.

"It's very clear for both of us that we just want to win the constructors' and it's by working as a team that we'll achieve that. I'm sure there won't be any problems with it," Leclerc added.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Lando Norris said Max Verstappen should be a comedian when he responded on Thursday to the newly-crowned four-time champion's claim that he would have won the title more easily if he was driving for McLaren.

Lando Norris said Max Verstappen should be a comedian when he responded on Thursday to the newly-crowned four-time champion's claim that he would have won the title more easily if he was driving for McLaren. The Red Bull driver made the comment after cruising to fifth place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last weekend to seal his fourth drivers' title triumph. "Yes, even earlier," Verstappen said when asked about such a scenario. "So I'd have been further ahead." ALSO READ: NFL 2024/25: Detroit Lions survive Chicago Bears comeback to make it 10 wins in a row When it was put to Norris, the McLaren driver smiled. "He should start doing comedy or something," said Norris. "He can say whatever he wants… Of course, I completely disagree, as I would. He's good, but it's not true." Verstappen had also suggested he won his fourth title in a year when he did not have the fastest car for at least 70 per cent of the season. His comments were clearly intended to irritate his friend and rival Norris whose title dream ended in Las Vegas. But this weekend he and McLaren hope to move closer to winning their first constructors' championship in 26 years –- perhaps with some help from Mercedes who reeled off a rare one-two in Las Vegas where George Russell won ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. "Mercedes were very quick here last year so they're definitely favourites coming into this weekend," said Norris. "Red Bull were good, we were good, as well, so I'm expecting a good battle. "I'm hoping it probably favours us a little bit more than Ferrari, but Ferrari fixed a lot of the woes that they were struggling with last year so really I've no idea, but when you look at things, Ferrari and Mercedes seem to be a better flow at the moment." McLaren, on 608 points, lead Ferrari on 584 by 24 points with two Grands Prix, including a sprint this weekend, remaining. After a fractious exchange with his Ferrari team, Charles Leclerc said he and team-mate Carlos Sainz, who is leaving to be replaced by Hamilton next year, had settled their differences. The pair swapped positions several times in Las Vegas following team orders that left Leclerc disgruntled. On Thursday he said: "I don't want to go back to what happened in Vegas... In the last two races of the season, we need to do absolutely everything in order to win that constructors' championship. That's all that matters. "Whatever happened in Vegas, we discussed it and we are all good -- which is the most important thing. I have no doubts about it because we've always had a really good relationship. "It's very clear for both of us that we just want to win the constructors' and it's by working as a team that we'll achieve that. I'm sure there won't be any problems with it," Leclerc added. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

He should be a comedian: Lando Norris says of Max Verstappen over his ‘McLaren comments’

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive Formula One Championship on Sunday (Nov 24) after finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. On the brink of winning the title before the race, Verstappen’s fifth-place finish, coupled with nearest rival Lando Norris’s sixth spot, gave the Dutchman the title-winning lead in the championship table. This is the Dutch racer’s fourth consecutive title, joining an elite company in doing so.

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MAX VERSTAPPEN IS THE 2024 F1 WORLD CHAMPION! 🏆 
 
A brilliant fourth title in-a-row! Incredible!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LasVegasGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LasVegasGP</a> <a href="https://t.co/kiBpPmV86H">pic.twitter.com/kiBpPmV86H</a>
— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1860585797264478533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Verstappen wins F1 title</h2>

With a fifth-place finish, the 27-year-old driver earned 10 points, taking his tally to 393 points, giving him the title-winning lead with two races still to go. His nearest rival, Lando Norris of the United Kingdom, could have kept the title race on had he finished above Verstappen. However, Norris’s sixth-place finish saw him earn eight points, handing the Red Bull star his fourth consecutive title on the circuit.

He joins an elite list of drivers to win four consecutive titles which includes Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and others.

Russell finished 7.313 seconds clear of seven-time champion Hamilton, who had started from 10th&nbsp;on the grid, with Carlos Sainz finishing third ahead of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, Verstappen and Norris, who was 43 seconds ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.&nbsp;

Nico Hulkenberg was eighth for Haas ahead of RB's Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.&nbsp;

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Norris, who needed to outscore Verstappen by three points to keep his title hopes alive, took an extra point for the fastest lap, but his challenge was over.

Seven wins in the opening ten races launched Verstappen to this success, but he needed to overcome a mid-season run of ten without a win before victory in a rain-hit race in Brazil set up his fourth title.

"It's been a long season," admitted Verstappen. "It started off amazingly, we were cruising and then we had a tough run, but we kept it together.

"At 17, I was just happy to be here and learn and never thought of this. To stand here now as a four-time champion is just incredible."&nbsp;

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive Formula One Championship on Sunday (Nov 24) after finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. On the brink of winning the title before the race, Verstappen’s fifth-place finish, coupled with nearest rival Lando Norris’s sixth spot, gave the Dutchman the title-winning lead in the championship table.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive Formula One Championship on Sunday (Nov 24) after finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. On the brink of winning the title before the race, Verstappen’s fifth-place finish, coupled with nearest rival Lando Norris’s sixth spot, gave the Dutchman the title-winning lead in the championship table. This is the Dutch racer’s fourth consecutive title, joining an elite company in doing so. MAX VERSTAPPEN IS THE 2024 F1 WORLD CHAMPION! 🏆 A brilliant fourth title in-a-row! Incredible!!!#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/kiBpPmV86H — Formula 1 (@F1) November 24, 2024 × Verstappen wins F1 title With a fifth-place finish, the 27-year-old driver earned 10 points, taking his tally to 393 points, giving him the title-winning lead with two races still to go. His nearest rival, Lando Norris of the United Kingdom, could have kept the title race on had he finished above Verstappen. However, Norris’s sixth-place finish saw him earn eight points, handing the Red Bull star his fourth consecutive title on the circuit. He joins an elite list of drivers to win four consecutive titles which includes Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and others. Russell finished 7.313 seconds clear of seven-time champion Hamilton, who had started from 10th on the grid, with Carlos Sainz finishing third ahead of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, Verstappen and Norris, who was 43 seconds ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri. Nico Hulkenberg was eighth for Haas ahead of RB's Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull. ALSO READ | La Liga leaders Barcelona suffer late collapse at Celta Vigo in Lamine Yamal’s absence Norris, who needed to outscore Verstappen by three points to keep his title hopes alive, took an extra point for the fastest lap, but his challenge was over. Seven wins in the opening ten races launched Verstappen to this success, but he needed to overcome a mid-season run of ten without a win before victory in a rain-hit race in Brazil set up his fourth title. "It's been a long season," admitted Verstappen. "It started off amazingly, we were cruising and then we had a tough run, but we kept it together. "At 17, I was just happy to be here and learn and never thought of this. To stand here now as a four-time champion is just incredible."

Formula One: Red Bull's Max Verstappen clinches fourth consecutive world title

With the Formula One 2024 season drawing to a close, Max Verstappen is targeting his fourth consecutive championship as all eyes are on the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday (Nov. 24). The defending champion has not enjoyed a smooth run, with controversies making headlines from the start of the season. However, despite this, the Dutchman is on the brink of another feather to his already impressive hat as a fourth title is on the horizon.

<h2>Can Verstappen clinch F1 Championship&nbsp;in Las Vegas?</h2>

Entering the weekend, Verstappen can clinch the title if a certain set of equations are met in Las Vegas. As things stand, the 27-year-old is in pole position with three races to go in the season. Currently, he has 393 points with eight wins and 13 podium finishes in the 2024 F1 season. His nearest rival, Lando Norris, is on 331 points and can add a maximum of 86 points if he manages to gain the maximum reward.

<h2>Why 86 points?</h2>

The winner of each race will gain 25 points per win while combining extra points for the fastest lap, that number will rise to 26 points per race. This means with three races remaining, each racer can earn a maximum of 78 points. Adding more twist, Qatar GP will have a sprint race where eight points will be up for grabs, taking the maximum tally to 86 points.

This would mean Norris can reach a maximum of 417 points, needing 418 to win the title. This means he will need 25 points to win the title in Las Vegas.

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<h2>Here are Verstappen’s equations to win the F1 title in Las Vegas</h2>

<ol>
	<li>Verstappen wins the race.</li>
	<li>Verstappen finishes ahead of Norris.</li>
	<li>Norris finishes outside the top eight without claiming the fastest lap.</li>
</ol>

The Las Vegas GP practice session will take place on Friday, followed by qualifying on Saturday. The race will take place on Sunday with the title up for grabs.

With the Formula One 2024 season drawing to a close, Max Verstappen is targeting his fourth consecutive championship as all eyes are on the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday (Nov.

With the Formula One 2024 season drawing to a close, Max Verstappen is targeting his fourth consecutive championship as all eyes are on the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday (Nov. 24). The defending champion has not enjoyed a smooth run, with controversies making headlines from the start of the season. However, despite this, the Dutchman is on the brink of another feather to his already impressive hat as a fourth title is on the horizon. Can Verstappen clinch F1 Championship in Las Vegas? Entering the weekend, Verstappen can clinch the title if a certain set of equations are met in Las Vegas. As things stand, the 27-year-old is in pole position with three races to go in the season. Currently, he has 393 points with eight wins and 13 podium finishes in the 2024 F1 season. His nearest rival, Lando Norris, is on 331 points and can add a maximum of 86 points if he manages to gain the maximum reward. Why 86 points? The winner of each race will gain 25 points per win while combining extra points for the fastest lap, that number will rise to 26 points per race. This means with three races remaining, each racer can earn a maximum of 78 points. Adding more twist, Qatar GP will have a sprint race where eight points will be up for grabs, taking the maximum tally to 86 points. This would mean Norris can reach a maximum of 417 points, needing 418 to win the title. This means he will need 25 points to win the title in Las Vegas. ALSO READ | BGT 2024/25: Ricky Ponting backs Virat Kohli, Steve Smith to come good, says 'they’ve got plenty of time' Here are Verstappen’s equations to win the F1 title in Las Vegas Verstappen wins the race. Verstappen finishes ahead of Norris. Norris finishes outside the top eight without claiming the fastest lap. The Las Vegas GP practice session will take place on Friday, followed by qualifying on Saturday. The race will take place on Sunday with the title up for grabs.

How Max Verstappen can win Formula One 2024 season in Las Vegas. All you need to know

Lando Norris secured pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and a boost for his title challenge on Sunday as a furious Max Verstappen, facing a five-place grid penalty, qualified 12th&nbsp;from a delayed rainswept qualifying.

McLaren’s Norris, who is 44 points behind championship leader Verstappen, drove with great skill in difficult conditions that saw qualifying interrupted by five red flags, pulling out a best final lap of one minute and 23.405 seconds.

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It was good enough to edge out Mercedes George Russell by just 0.173 seconds.&nbsp;

All the top drivers made their best times in the final seconds on a drying track that supplied increased grip – enabling RB’s Yuki Tsunoda to take a career-best third ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson in the second RB.

It was Norris’s eighth career pole, his fifth in seven races and seventh this year, giving him a great opportunity to reduce Verstappen’s 44-point lead in the title race as the three-time champion faces a five-place penalty.

"I am so happy and I’m relieved after that!" said Norris.&nbsp;

"It was so difficult in those conditions. There was a lot going on and I am super-happy to be on pole and a bit surprised after my problems in Q1."

The Grand Prix starts later on Sunday at 1530 GMT.&nbsp;

<h2>- 'Ridiculous' -</h2>

Verstappen failed to make the cut from the second qualifying session,&nbsp;when it was halted by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll crash.&nbsp;

Verstappen, knowing Norris had a chance to cut his championship points lead, was infuriated by the delay in showing the red flag, which came too late to continue the second session.

"It’s ridiculous and it’s stupid to talk about it. That car hit the wall. It’s a straight red flag so why delay 40 seconds?"

The Dutchman will start the race 17th&nbsp;after a penalty for taking a new engine.&nbsp;

He was joined by teammate Sergio Perez as both Red Bulls missed the top-10 shootout along with last Sunday’s Mexico victor Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, who exited in Q1.

Norris’s McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri qualified eighth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in sixth and Alex Albon, who crashed heavily in his Williams. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who also crashed, was ninth for Aston Martin.&nbsp;

The five red flags in qualifying equalled the record total set in qualifying at the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – and extended the one-hour session by 45 minutes.

The session began in steady rain and official "full wet" conditions.

After several early incidents, a first red flag to halt the action in Q1 came when Franco Colapinto went into the barriers at Curva do Sol in his Williams.&nbsp;

After a five-minute pause, the session resumed, and Norris required a last-gasp lap to squeeze into Q2 as both Haas drivers Oliver Bearman and Nico Hulkenberg missed the cut along with Hamilton, Colapinto and Zhou.&nbsp;

The second session started in better conditions, and several drivers switched to intermediate tyres.&nbsp;

Oscar Piastri set the pace in 1:25.179 before another red flag when Sainz, victorious in Mexico last Sunday, smacked the barriers in his Ferrari at Turn Two. He was unhurt.&nbsp;

With five minutes remaining, Norris was languishing in 11th, but reacted by taking fresh intermediates to clinch his passage before Lance Stroll crashed to bring a third red flag.&nbsp;

He was unhurt, but his Aston Martin suffered severe damage.

It ended Q2 – and meant both Red Bulls were out, Verstappen in 12th&nbsp;and Sergio Perez 13th. Both were eliminated with Bottas, Sainz and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The red flag also came out after two-time champion Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin and Albon's Williams both slammed into the barriers, leaving their teams facing rapid rebuilds to get their cars ready for the race.&nbsp;

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Lando Norris secured pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and a boost for his title challenge on Sunday as a furious Max Verstappen, facing a five-place grid penalty, qualified 12th from a delayed rainswept qualifying.

Lando Norris secured pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and a boost for his title challenge on Sunday as a furious Max Verstappen, facing a five-place grid penalty, qualified 12th from a delayed rainswept qualifying. McLaren’s Norris, who is 44 points behind championship leader Verstappen, drove with great skill in difficult conditions that saw qualifying interrupted by five red flags, pulling out a best final lap of one minute and 23.405 seconds. Also Read: Lionel Messi’s Inter goes down to Atlanta United in MLS Playoffs, Miami to host decider next week It was good enough to edge out Mercedes George Russell by just 0.173 seconds. All the top drivers made their best times in the final seconds on a drying track that supplied increased grip – enabling RB’s Yuki Tsunoda to take a career-best third ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson in the second RB. It was Norris’s eighth career pole, his fifth in seven races and seventh this year, giving him a great opportunity to reduce Verstappen’s 44-point lead in the title race as the three-time champion faces a five-place penalty. "I am so happy and I’m relieved after that!" said Norris. "It was so difficult in those conditions. There was a lot going on and I am super-happy to be on pole and a bit surprised after my problems in Q1." The Grand Prix starts later on Sunday at 1530 GMT. - 'Ridiculous' - Verstappen failed to make the cut from the second qualifying session, when it was halted by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll crash. Verstappen, knowing Norris had a chance to cut his championship points lead, was infuriated by the delay in showing the red flag, which came too late to continue the second session. "It’s ridiculous and it’s stupid to talk about it. That car hit the wall. It’s a straight red flag so why delay 40 seconds?" The Dutchman will start the race 17th after a penalty for taking a new engine. He was joined by teammate Sergio Perez as both Red Bulls missed the top-10 shootout along with last Sunday’s Mexico victor Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, who exited in Q1. Norris’s McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri qualified eighth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in sixth and Alex Albon, who crashed heavily in his Williams. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who also crashed, was ninth for Aston Martin. The five red flags in qualifying equalled the record total set in qualifying at the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – and extended the one-hour session by 45 minutes. The session began in steady rain and official "full wet" conditions. After several early incidents, a first red flag to halt the action in Q1 came when Franco Colapinto went into the barriers at Curva do Sol in his Williams. After a five-minute pause, the session resumed, and Norris required a last-gasp lap to squeeze into Q2 as both Haas drivers Oliver Bearman and Nico Hulkenberg missed the cut along with Hamilton, Colapinto and Zhou. The second session started in better conditions, and several drivers switched to intermediate tyres. Oscar Piastri set the pace in 1:25.179 before another red flag when Sainz, victorious in Mexico last Sunday, smacked the barriers in his Ferrari at Turn Two. He was unhurt. With five minutes remaining, Norris was languishing in 11th, but reacted by taking fresh intermediates to clinch his passage before Lance Stroll crashed to bring a third red flag. He was unhurt, but his Aston Martin suffered severe damage. It ended Q2 – and meant both Red Bulls were out, Verstappen in 12th and Sergio Perez 13th. Both were eliminated with Bottas, Sainz and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. The red flag also came out after two-time champion Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin and Albon's Williams both slammed into the barriers, leaving their teams facing rapid rebuilds to get their cars ready for the race. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sao Paulo Grand Prix: McLaren's Lando Norris start on pole; Red Bull's Max Verstappen on 17th

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen will be a focus of intensified scrutiny this weekend when he seeks to defend his reputation and his lead in the drivers' world championship at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. After being penalised twice for his wayward driving, notably forcing nearest title rival Lando Norris of McLaren off the track, in Mexico, Red Bull's series leader arrives at Interlagos with a 47-point lead, but widespread criticism ringing in his ears.&nbsp;

In the aftermath of the first two races in a triple-header, the 27-year-old Dutchman has been slammed as "dangerous", told by Norris that he "got what he had coming to him" and been compared, by former world champion Damon Hill to Wacky Races' cartoon series villain Dick Dastardly.&nbsp;

His response was to complain about the performance of his car and the inconsistency of race stewards' decisions in what he sees as an over-regulated sport that saw a drivers' meeting last Friday call for revised guidelines on overtaking moves.&nbsp;

"I just drive how I think I have to drive," said Verstappen. "Last week, it was all right, this week a 20-seconds penalty. I’m not going to cry about it and I’m also not going to share my opinion. The biggest problem I have is that it was a bad day in terms of race pace."

His attitude to a widespread outcry at his tactic of braking late to ensure he leads at the apex of a corner at the expense of running off track and taking a rival with him won him few friends ahead of one of the most fevered and atmospheric events. &nbsp;

According to Mercedes' George Russell, the drivers were 19 of 20 in favour of a regulation change to end a tactic that Hill, the 1996 champion, said enables Verstappen to use his car as a weapon.&nbsp;

Hill told a Sky Sports podcast: "The footage is very clear. He made no attempt to back off and make the corner and leave room for Lando. It was simply a case of 'you are not coming through'. "The second move was just daft -- and Dick Dastardly stuff. He accelerated to the apex and drove Lando off the track and Lando didn't have much option."

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- 'Conflict of interest' -

Twice a winner in Brazil, where he finished ahead of Norris last year, Verstappen this time will be seeking a first win in 11 Grands Prix dating back to Spain in June, his worst run in four years.&nbsp; According to his father Jos Verstappen, it is unlikely his son will change his style.&nbsp;

"Max has to drive the way he wants," the former F1 driver told De Telegraaf. "He has to do this because the car is not good enough and he is doing everything he can to win the title.

"He isn’t going to change because there were a couple of stewards present, who don’t like him anyway. The FIA should take a good look at the staffing of the stewards who they put there and whether there is any appearance of a conflict of interest."

His comments, in the wake of Max Verstappen's earlier claims that he did not have the right passport for the approval of his critics, suggested that Britons Johnny Herbert and Tim Mayer may have been conflicted.&nbsp;

The row over Verstappen's driving provoked comment from another Briton, commentator Martin Brundle, a former racing driver contemporary of Jos Verstappen, who said: "He's a multiple champion, has more driving talent in his little finger than most of us ever had, but his legacy will be tainted by this sporting attitude and that's a shame."

These tensions are expected to surface again as Verstappen, with a likely five-place grid penalty for an engine change, bids to improve on his sixth place in Mexico where Norris was second behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.&nbsp;

After two successive wins, the Italian team hunt a first constructors' title since 2008, having closed within 30 points of overhauling McLaren while defending champions Red Bull, with Sergio Perez racing to save his seat, have slipped back to third.&nbsp;

Having won in Mexico for the first time since 1990, Ferrari seek a first Brazilian success since Felipe Massa's emotional triumph in 2008 to complete a memorable hat-trick.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen will be a focus of intensified scrutiny this weekend when he seeks to defend his reputation and his lead in the drivers' world championship at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen will be a focus of intensified scrutiny this weekend when he seeks to defend his reputation and his lead in the drivers' world championship at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. After being penalised twice for his wayward driving, notably forcing nearest title rival Lando Norris of McLaren off the track, in Mexico, Red Bull's series leader arrives at Interlagos with a 47-point lead, but widespread criticism ringing in his ears. In the aftermath of the first two races in a triple-header, the 27-year-old Dutchman has been slammed as "dangerous", told by Norris that he "got what he had coming to him" and been compared, by former world champion Damon Hill to Wacky Races' cartoon series villain Dick Dastardly. His response was to complain about the performance of his car and the inconsistency of race stewards' decisions in what he sees as an over-regulated sport that saw a drivers' meeting last Friday call for revised guidelines on overtaking moves. "I just drive how I think I have to drive," said Verstappen. "Last week, it was all right, this week a 20-seconds penalty. I’m not going to cry about it and I’m also not going to share my opinion. The biggest problem I have is that it was a bad day in terms of race pace." His attitude to a widespread outcry at his tactic of braking late to ensure he leads at the apex of a corner at the expense of running off track and taking a rival with him won him few friends ahead of one of the most fevered and atmospheric events. According to Mercedes' George Russell, the drivers were 19 of 20 in favour of a regulation change to end a tactic that Hill, the 1996 champion, said enables Verstappen to use his car as a weapon. Hill told a Sky Sports podcast: "The footage is very clear. He made no attempt to back off and make the corner and leave room for Lando. It was simply a case of 'you are not coming through'. "The second move was just daft -- and Dick Dastardly stuff. He accelerated to the apex and drove Lando off the track and Lando didn't have much option." Also read: Los Angeles Dodgers edge past New York Yankees 7-6 to win World Series - 'Conflict of interest' - Twice a winner in Brazil, where he finished ahead of Norris last year, Verstappen this time will be seeking a first win in 11 Grands Prix dating back to Spain in June, his worst run in four years. According to his father Jos Verstappen, it is unlikely his son will change his style. "Max has to drive the way he wants," the former F1 driver told De Telegraaf. "He has to do this because the car is not good enough and he is doing everything he can to win the title. "He isn’t going to change because there were a couple of stewards present, who don’t like him anyway. The FIA should take a good look at the staffing of the stewards who they put there and whether there is any appearance of a conflict of interest." His comments, in the wake of Max Verstappen's earlier claims that he did not have the right passport for the approval of his critics, suggested that Britons Johnny Herbert and Tim Mayer may have been conflicted. The row over Verstappen's driving provoked comment from another Briton, commentator Martin Brundle, a former racing driver contemporary of Jos Verstappen, who said: "He's a multiple champion, has more driving talent in his little finger than most of us ever had, but his legacy will be tainted by this sporting attitude and that's a shame." These tensions are expected to surface again as Verstappen, with a likely five-place grid penalty for an engine change, bids to improve on his sixth place in Mexico where Norris was second behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. After two successive wins, the Italian team hunt a first constructors' title since 2008, having closed within 30 points of overhauling McLaren while defending champions Red Bull, with Sergio Perez racing to save his seat, have slipped back to third. Having won in Mexico for the first time since 1990, Ferrari seek a first Brazilian success since Felipe Massa's emotional triumph in 2008 to complete a memorable hat-trick. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sao Paulo Grand Prix: Max Verstappen under scrutiny in defence of reputation and title

Carlos Sainz cruised to an emotional victory for Ferrari ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris in Sunday's incident-filled Mexico City Grand Prix as Red Bull's series leader Max Verstappen was handed two 10-second penalties on his way to sixth.

The stewards took a dim view of Verstappen's aggressive driving, the Red Bull driver twice forcing his title rival Norris off the track.

Norris grabbed second from Charles Leclerc in the other Ferrari near the finish as the Briton enjoyed a major boost in his quest to deny Verstappen a fourth consecutive world championship.

The McLaren driver cut 10 points off the gap to Verstappen which now stands at 47 with four race weekends remaining.

Verstappen paid a heavy price for his show of ruthlessness with Norris commenting: "I knew what to expect from Max. I respect him a lot as a driver and I expected it but it was not very clean driving in my opinion.

"It was a very tough race and I spent a lot of it just trying to avoid crashes."&nbsp;

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It was the second week in succession that the two title-chasers had clashed following a penalty for Norris at the United States Grand Prix.

McLaren boss Zak Brown described this latest example of Verstappen's aggressive streak as "ridiculous".

"Enough is enough. Let's just have some good clean racing moving forwards. I think the stewards are on it, I think that's clear by the penalties that were given. The stewards did a good job this weekend."

Asked about his drivers' crown prospects Norris said: "I'm just keeping my head down, we're doing good job as a team, focus on ourselves, that's all I can do for now."

Sainz meanwhile is ensuring he leaves Ferrari with his head held high as he switches next season to Williams to make way for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

"Gracias Mexico!" said a beaming Sainz.&nbsp;

"It is incredible to see this crowd. I have felt their support all week and it gave me a lot of strength – I said I wanted one more win with Ferrari and to do it here with this mega-crowd is incredible."

It was Ferrari's first victory in Mexico since Alain Prost triumphed in 1990 – enabling them to move ahead of Red Bull in the constructors’ championship - and Sainz's second win of the season and fourth of his career.

Hamilton finished fourth ahead of his Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

Kevin Magnussen finished behind Verstappen in seventh to deliver Haas's best result in Mexico ahead of Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren, who started from the back end of the grid, Nico Hulkenberg in the second Haas and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.&nbsp;

<h2>Tsunoda out</h2>

The race began in a festive atmosphere with Verstappen winning the start from pole-sitter Sainz to lead the run to the first corner where RB’s Yuki Tsunoda crashed out after making contact in the midfield squeeze.

The race was yellow-flagged to retrieve the debris. Replays showed he collided with Alex Albon's Williams going into the braking zone. Albon retired. &nbsp;

Verstappen accelerated as racing resumed on lap six with Sainz soon showing Ferrari’s potential and then sweeping inside him to lead on lap nine at Turn One.&nbsp;

The Dutchman fought but Sainz hung on and next time round on lap 10 Norris made a move at Turn Eight where Verstappen responded by forcing him wide and off-track.&nbsp;

Norris handed the place back.

"I was ahead the whole way through the corner," said the Briton. "This guy is dangerous. I have to avoid a crash. I’ll end up in the wall."&nbsp;

As they squabbled, Leclerc moved up to second while Norris tried again at Turn Four on the next lap only to be pushed off again.

"He overtook me off-track and pushed me off," said Norris.

The stewards noted both incidents and then issued Verstappen with a 10-second penalty for fouling Norris. "That’s quite impressive," said a sarcastic Verstappen.&nbsp;

Behind the leaders two-time former champion Fernando Alonso, in his record 400th Grand Prix weekend, pitted his Aston Martin and retired after 17 laps before a second stewards' penalty for Verstappen – a further 10 seconds for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.&nbsp;

After a flurry of pit stops Verstappen climbed to sixth as Norris chased Leclerc, passing him for second on lap 63 when the Monegasque slid wide at the final corner.

With five laps to go, Norris was seven seconds behind Sainz as Hamilton finally passed Russell for fourth, setting up a frantic finale.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Carlos Sainz cruised to an emotional victory for Ferrari ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris in Sunday's incident-filled Mexico City Grand Prix as Red Bull's series leader Max Verstappen was handed two 10-second penalties on his way to sixth.

Carlos Sainz cruised to an emotional victory for Ferrari ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris in Sunday's incident-filled Mexico City Grand Prix as Red Bull's series leader Max Verstappen was handed two 10-second penalties on his way to sixth. The stewards took a dim view of Verstappen's aggressive driving, the Red Bull driver twice forcing his title rival Norris off the track. Norris grabbed second from Charles Leclerc in the other Ferrari near the finish as the Briton enjoyed a major boost in his quest to deny Verstappen a fourth consecutive world championship. The McLaren driver cut 10 points off the gap to Verstappen which now stands at 47 with four race weekends remaining. Verstappen paid a heavy price for his show of ruthlessness with Norris commenting: "I knew what to expect from Max. I respect him a lot as a driver and I expected it but it was not very clean driving in my opinion. "It was a very tough race and I spent a lot of it just trying to avoid crashes." ALSO READ: Brazil and Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr leads race to win Men’s Ballon d’Or It was the second week in succession that the two title-chasers had clashed following a penalty for Norris at the United States Grand Prix. McLaren boss Zak Brown described this latest example of Verstappen's aggressive streak as "ridiculous". "Enough is enough. Let's just have some good clean racing moving forwards. I think the stewards are on it, I think that's clear by the penalties that were given. The stewards did a good job this weekend." Asked about his drivers' crown prospects Norris said: "I'm just keeping my head down, we're doing good job as a team, focus on ourselves, that's all I can do for now." Sainz meanwhile is ensuring he leaves Ferrari with his head held high as he switches next season to Williams to make way for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. "Gracias Mexico!" said a beaming Sainz. "It is incredible to see this crowd. I have felt their support all week and it gave me a lot of strength – I said I wanted one more win with Ferrari and to do it here with this mega-crowd is incredible." It was Ferrari's first victory in Mexico since Alain Prost triumphed in 1990 – enabling them to move ahead of Red Bull in the constructors’ championship - and Sainz's second win of the season and fourth of his career. Hamilton finished fourth ahead of his Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Kevin Magnussen finished behind Verstappen in seventh to deliver Haas's best result in Mexico ahead of Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren, who started from the back end of the grid, Nico Hulkenberg in the second Haas and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Tsunoda out The race began in a festive atmosphere with Verstappen winning the start from pole-sitter Sainz to lead the run to the first corner where RB’s Yuki Tsunoda crashed out after making contact in the midfield squeeze. The race was yellow-flagged to retrieve the debris. Replays showed he collided with Alex Albon's Williams going into the braking zone. Albon retired. Verstappen accelerated as racing resumed on lap six with Sainz soon showing Ferrari’s potential and then sweeping inside him to lead on lap nine at Turn One. The Dutchman fought but Sainz hung on and next time round on lap 10 Norris made a move at Turn Eight where Verstappen responded by forcing him wide and off-track. Norris handed the place back. "I was ahead the whole way through the corner," said the Briton. "This guy is dangerous. I have to avoid a crash. I’ll end up in the wall." As they squabbled, Leclerc moved up to second while Norris tried again at Turn Four on the next lap only to be pushed off again. "He overtook me off-track and pushed me off," said Norris. The stewards noted both incidents and then issued Verstappen with a 10-second penalty for fouling Norris. "That’s quite impressive," said a sarcastic Verstappen. Behind the leaders two-time former champion Fernando Alonso, in his record 400th Grand Prix weekend, pitted his Aston Martin and retired after 17 laps before a second stewards' penalty for Verstappen – a further 10 seconds for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. After a flurry of pit stops Verstappen climbed to sixth as Norris chased Leclerc, passing him for second on lap 63 when the Monegasque slid wide at the final corner. With five laps to go, Norris was seven seconds behind Sainz as Hamilton finally passed Russell for fourth, setting up a frantic finale. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

F1: Carlos Sainz wins Mexico Grand Prix as Verstappen penalised for ‘ridiculous’ move

Max Verstappen has told AFP it is "definitely" his intention to remain at Red Bull until 2028 despite a turbulent season on and off the track.

Verstappen, speaking in an interview ahead of the Mexico Grand Prix, stressed he had a "long-term" contract with Red Bull until 2028, and praised rival teams for "catching up" on the previously dominant world champions.

Despite not winning a grand prix since June the 27-year-old expressed quiet confidence that he could hold off title rival Lando Norris of McLaren in the remaining five races and claim his fourth straight Formula One drivers' crown.

Red Bull and Verstappen raced out of the blocks at the start of the season, hoovering up seven of the first 10 races.

But then the wheels dramatically fell off their title charge, with Verstappen's only win since Spain coming in the sprint race in the United States last Saturday.&nbsp;

The Dutchman though believes the team under Christian Horner's stewardship have emerged from a fraught time to check McLaren's remarkable rise to the top of the constructors' standings.

The car that Verstappen likened to a "monster" only last month in Monza appears to have turned the corner, its problems ironed out, and Verstappen goes into Sunday's race 57 points clear of Norris.

<h2>Tough races</h2>

"We had a few tough races, I think we understood our problem and now the remaining races are all about just trying to get the balance back in the car and in general of course make it also go faster."

If the RB20 was not reading its 2024 script properly, nor were the team, whose pre-season build-up was derailed by the damaging Horner case.

There had been speculation triple world champion Verstappen could move to Mercedes to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton next year after Red Bull team principal Horner was accused of inappropriate conduct towards a woman colleague.

Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing ahead of the season-opener in Bahrain but the off-track scandal rumbled on for weeks.

Adding to the Red Bull turmoil were the departure of some integral figures in the team's success story over the years, not least engineering guru Adrian Newey.

Verstappen himself raised doubts about his future in Formula One one in Singapore last month after he was sanctioned by governing body, the FIA, for swearing.

Asked by AFP in Red Bull's motorhome at the high-altitude Mexican circuit whether he was planning to see out his Red Bull contract to the end of the 2028 season he replied: "That's definitely the intention, I signed a long-term deal with the team and in a perfect world we of course end it here."

And he did not make a link between Red Bull's off-track problems and their car losing its way in mid-season.

"This is something that is very difficult to answer, I think of course the decisions that were taken with this year's car were already before all that, so of course it's easy to blame it on that, but I don't want to do that."

<h2>Prefer to win by 30 seconds</h2>

After "a few tough races" with the Horner case an unwelcome side storm Red Bull look back in business.

"We are working together to try and come up with solutions, to try and find more performance and we are in the middle of that," added Verstappen.

"I think last weekend already it showed more promising results and I hope that we can continue that."

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With Norris and McLaren emerging as genuine title contenders it's giving F1 fans something to shout about whilst making life a whole lot harder for Verstappen compared to 2023.

Fighting with Norris last weekend for third spot at the United States Grand Prix he said was good, "but winning by 30 seconds is also very nice!

"I prefer to win by 30 seconds," said Verstappen who took third spot in Texas after Norris was relegated to fourth following a penalty.

He said there were no guarantees that he would be able to hold onto his driver's crown.

"A lot of things can still go wrong, but we just need to do a good job as a team and of course from my side I have to be on it every single weekend."

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Max Verstappen has told AFP it is "definitely" his intention to remain at Red Bull until 2028 despite a turbulent season on and off the track. Verstappen, speaking in an interview ahead of the Mexico Grand Prix, stressed he had a "long-term" contract with Red Bull until 2028, and praised rival teams for "catching up" on the previously dominant world champions.

Max Verstappen has told AFP it is "definitely" his intention to remain at Red Bull until 2028 despite a turbulent season on and off the track. Verstappen, speaking in an interview ahead of the Mexico Grand Prix, stressed he had a "long-term" contract with Red Bull until 2028, and praised rival teams for "catching up" on the previously dominant world champions. Despite not winning a grand prix since June the 27-year-old expressed quiet confidence that he could hold off title rival Lando Norris of McLaren in the remaining five races and claim his fourth straight Formula One drivers' crown. Red Bull and Verstappen raced out of the blocks at the start of the season, hoovering up seven of the first 10 races. But then the wheels dramatically fell off their title charge, with Verstappen's only win since Spain coming in the sprint race in the United States last Saturday. The Dutchman though believes the team under Christian Horner's stewardship have emerged from a fraught time to check McLaren's remarkable rise to the top of the constructors' standings. The car that Verstappen likened to a "monster" only last month in Monza appears to have turned the corner, its problems ironed out, and Verstappen goes into Sunday's race 57 points clear of Norris. Tough races "We had a few tough races, I think we understood our problem and now the remaining races are all about just trying to get the balance back in the car and in general of course make it also go faster." If the RB20 was not reading its 2024 script properly, nor were the team, whose pre-season build-up was derailed by the damaging Horner case. There had been speculation triple world champion Verstappen could move to Mercedes to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton next year after Red Bull team principal Horner was accused of inappropriate conduct towards a woman colleague. Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing ahead of the season-opener in Bahrain but the off-track scandal rumbled on for weeks. Adding to the Red Bull turmoil were the departure of some integral figures in the team's success story over the years, not least engineering guru Adrian Newey. Verstappen himself raised doubts about his future in Formula One one in Singapore last month after he was sanctioned by governing body, the FIA, for swearing. Asked by AFP in Red Bull's motorhome at the high-altitude Mexican circuit whether he was planning to see out his Red Bull contract to the end of the 2028 season he replied: "That's definitely the intention, I signed a long-term deal with the team and in a perfect world we of course end it here." And he did not make a link between Red Bull's off-track problems and their car losing its way in mid-season. "This is something that is very difficult to answer, I think of course the decisions that were taken with this year's car were already before all that, so of course it's easy to blame it on that, but I don't want to do that." Prefer to win by 30 seconds After "a few tough races" with the Horner case an unwelcome side storm Red Bull look back in business. "We are working together to try and come up with solutions, to try and find more performance and we are in the middle of that," added Verstappen. "I think last weekend already it showed more promising results and I hope that we can continue that." ALSO READ | IND vs NZ: Advantage New Zealand in Pune Test after Indian batters disappoint on Day 2 With Norris and McLaren emerging as genuine title contenders it's giving F1 fans something to shout about whilst making life a whole lot harder for Verstappen compared to 2023. Fighting with Norris last weekend for third spot at the United States Grand Prix he said was good, "but winning by 30 seconds is also very nice! "I prefer to win by 30 seconds," said Verstappen who took third spot in Texas after Norris was relegated to fourth following a penalty. He said there were no guarantees that he would be able to hold onto his driver's crown. "A lot of things can still go wrong, but we just need to do a good job as a team and of course from my side I have to be on it every single weekend." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Max Verstappen says 'definitely' his intention to remain at Red Bull

Charles Leclerc led Carlos Sainz home as Ferrari claimed a resounding one-two triumph in Sunday's United States Grand Prix after&nbsp;Lando Norris was relegated to fourth, having finished third on track ahead of title rival Max Verstappen who took the third podium spot.&nbsp;McLaren's Norris was penalised five seconds for gaining an advantage by leaving the track to pass the series leader and Red Bull's three-time champion on lap 53 of the 56-lap contest and dropped to fourth.&nbsp;

Verstappen has now extended his lead over Norris to 57 points in the drivers' championship with five races left this season.&nbsp;Leclerc came home 8.562 sec seconds ahead of Sainz with Verstappen third, adrift by 19.412 seconds, leaving Norris fourth ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and George Russell of Mercedes who finished sixth after starting from the pitlane.&nbsp;

Sergio Perez was seventh in the second Red Bull ahead of Nico Hulkenberg of Haas, Liam Lawson of RB and Franco Colapinto of Williams.&nbsp;For Leclerc, it was a first victory in the United States, his third of the season and the eighth of his career while for Ferrari it was a first one-two in American since 2006.&nbsp;

"It wasn't&nbsp;an easy weekend up to now, I have been struggling with the feeling with the car, but I had confidence in the race," said Leclerc. "I am really happy with today, a 1-2 for the team, we couldn't have dreamed for better."

Verstappen said: "It was a difficult race for me. I never had the pace to attack and defending was quite difficult with understeer. It was a tough battle and tough to keep him (Norris) behind but it's a great result.&nbsp;"I have my opinion about his move, but I'll leave it to the stewards. I dont need to say anything here."&nbsp;

Norris made a good initial start from his fourth pole in five races, but left a critical gap on the inside which encouraged Verstappen to attack, forcing them both wide and allowing Leclerc to snatch the lead from fourth on the grid as they came through Turn One.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/news-%E2%80%98don%E2%80%99t-leave-tennis-man%E2%80%99-%E2%80%93-novak-djokovic-bids-goodbye-to-rafael-nadal-after-%E2%80%98amazing-rivalry%E2%80%99-769096">‘Don’t leave tennis, man’ – Novak Djokovic bids goodbye to Rafael Nadal after ‘amazing rivalry’</a>

<h2>- 'Give it back' -</h2>

Norris fell to fourth as Sainz also passed him on an eventful opening lap that saw Lewis Hamilton rise from 17th&nbsp;to 12th&nbsp;before he went off at Turn 19 on lap three, prompting an early Safety Car intervention.&nbsp; The Mercedes star had never previously failed to finish in 11 races in Austin.&nbsp; The race resumed on lap five, Leclerc pulling away to build his lead to three seconds by lap 10 with Verstappen resisting Sainz, who reported possible fuel problems and a loss of power.&nbsp;

Norris stayed fourth ahead of McLaren team-mate Piastri.&nbsp; By lap 20, as first the pit-stops began, Leclerc was 8.3 seconds clear of Verstappen with Sainz third, 1.3 adrift of the Dutchman. Norris was 3.6 adrift In fourth.&nbsp;

Sainz came in on lap 21 for hards, rejoining sixth. Verstappen stayed out until lap 26 rejoining fifth, Ferrari having executed their undercut. Leclerc then came in on lap 27 for hards, leaving Norris and Piastri leading the way. He was third.&nbsp;

As Norris pulled clear, Piastri frustrated Leclerc until lap 31 when Norris pitted. He rejoined fifth behind Verstappen and ahead of sixth-placed Russell who had not stopped.&nbsp; A lap later, Piastri pitted and order was restored with the Ferraris, led by Leclerc, in control ahead of Verstappen and both McLarens.&nbsp;

"These tyres aren't good, I can't brake or attack," reported Verstappen. Russell finally pitted on lap 41, rejoining eighth on mediums for the final stint as Norris closed in on Verstappen and they fought for third and vital points in their title scrap.&nbsp;

The duo battled fiercely for a dozen laps, the champion defending adroitly each time Norris attacked until lap 53 when, pushed wide and off-track, the Briton finally made his move stick to take third.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"He needs to give me it back," complained Verstappen on team radio as they battled on and the stewards studied the move before hitting Norris with a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Charles Leclerc led Carlos Sainz home as Ferrari claimed a resounding one-two triumph in Sunday's United States Grand Prix after Lando Norris was relegated to fourth, having finished third on track ahead of title rival Max Verstappen who took the third podium spot.

Charles Leclerc led Carlos Sainz home as Ferrari claimed a resounding one-two triumph in Sunday's United States Grand Prix after Lando Norris was relegated to fourth, having finished third on track ahead of title rival Max Verstappen who took the third podium spot. McLaren's Norris was penalised five seconds for gaining an advantage by leaving the track to pass the series leader and Red Bull's three-time champion on lap 53 of the 56-lap contest and dropped to fourth. Verstappen has now extended his lead over Norris to 57 points in the drivers' championship with five races left this season. Leclerc came home 8.562 sec seconds ahead of Sainz with Verstappen third, adrift by 19.412 seconds, leaving Norris fourth ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and George Russell of Mercedes who finished sixth after starting from the pitlane. Sergio Perez was seventh in the second Red Bull ahead of Nico Hulkenberg of Haas, Liam Lawson of RB and Franco Colapinto of Williams. For Leclerc, it was a first victory in the United States, his third of the season and the eighth of his career while for Ferrari it was a first one-two in American since 2006. "It wasn't an easy weekend up to now, I have been struggling with the feeling with the car, but I had confidence in the race," said Leclerc. "I am really happy with today, a 1-2 for the team, we couldn't have dreamed for better." Verstappen said: "It was a difficult race for me. I never had the pace to attack and defending was quite difficult with understeer. It was a tough battle and tough to keep him (Norris) behind but it's a great result. "I have my opinion about his move, but I'll leave it to the stewards. I dont need to say anything here." Norris made a good initial start from his fourth pole in five races, but left a critical gap on the inside which encouraged Verstappen to attack, forcing them both wide and allowing Leclerc to snatch the lead from fourth on the grid as they came through Turn One. Also read: ‘Don’t leave tennis, man’ – Novak Djokovic bids goodbye to Rafael Nadal after ‘amazing rivalry’ - 'Give it back' - Norris fell to fourth as Sainz also passed him on an eventful opening lap that saw Lewis Hamilton rise from 17th to 12th before he went off at Turn 19 on lap three, prompting an early Safety Car intervention. The Mercedes star had never previously failed to finish in 11 races in Austin. The race resumed on lap five, Leclerc pulling away to build his lead to three seconds by lap 10 with Verstappen resisting Sainz, who reported possible fuel problems and a loss of power. Norris stayed fourth ahead of McLaren team-mate Piastri. By lap 20, as first the pit-stops began, Leclerc was 8.3 seconds clear of Verstappen with Sainz third, 1.3 adrift of the Dutchman. Norris was 3.6 adrift In fourth. Sainz came in on lap 21 for hards, rejoining sixth. Verstappen stayed out until lap 26 rejoining fifth, Ferrari having executed their undercut. Leclerc then came in on lap 27 for hards, leaving Norris and Piastri leading the way. He was third. As Norris pulled clear, Piastri frustrated Leclerc until lap 31 when Norris pitted. He rejoined fifth behind Verstappen and ahead of sixth-placed Russell who had not stopped. A lap later, Piastri pitted and order was restored with the Ferraris, led by Leclerc, in control ahead of Verstappen and both McLarens. "These tyres aren't good, I can't brake or attack," reported Verstappen. Russell finally pitted on lap 41, rejoining eighth on mediums for the final stint as Norris closed in on Verstappen and they fought for third and vital points in their title scrap. The duo battled fiercely for a dozen laps, the champion defending adroitly each time Norris attacked until lap 53 when, pushed wide and off-track, the Briton finally made his move stick to take third. "He needs to give me it back," complained Verstappen on team radio as they battled on and the stewards studied the move before hitting Norris with a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Charles Leclerc grabs win at US Grand Prix as Lando Norris, Max Verstappen clash

Formula One drivers are planning a united response to the governing body's crackdown on swearing after Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen was punished for his language in a press conference. Mercedes driver George Russell, who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, told reporters at the U.S. Grand Prix that a statement was likely when the championship goes to Mexico next week.

"It does seem a little bit silly that it has come to this," he said. "We have yet to speak to the FIA but we hope to do so probably next week maybe in Mexico. "Collectively we’re all on the same page. Next week we will probably formally put something towards you guys to read from the drivers as a united whole.

"I think generally speaking we don’t want to be taking away the heat of the moment emotions that drivers show during a race. It is down to maybe the broadcaster when it comes to the race to choose whether they want to broadcast that."

Russell added it was challenging for drivers in the heat of battle and talking over the team radio but recognised in a calmer environment "maybe we have a duty just to be conscious of our words."

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Verstappen's position has been to give only short replies to questions in FIA organised news conferences since the incident in Singapore last month and speak more fully to reporters in his team's hospitality area.

The Dutch driver, who was ordered to do "work of public interest" for using a swear word to describe his car, indicated he would continue to meet reporters in the paddock. "I mean, I will speak," he said. "But this table works well."

Verstappen said he had heard no more from the FIA about his punishment. "I am always open for a chat. But from my side at the moment it is not that I am the one who has to reach out with this stuff.

"I just live my life. I just continue, nothing changes," he said when asked about a possible dialogue with FIA head Mohammed Ben Sulayem. "I'm not aggressive or whatever. I'm just living my life and when I don't agree with something I'll say it but that's it."

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Formula One drivers are planning a united response to the governing body's crackdown on swearing after Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen was punished for his language in a press conference.

Formula One drivers are planning a united response to the governing body's crackdown on swearing after Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen was punished for his language in a press conference. Mercedes driver George Russell, who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, told reporters at the U.S. Grand Prix that a statement was likely when the championship goes to Mexico next week. "It does seem a little bit silly that it has come to this," he said. "We have yet to speak to the FIA but we hope to do so probably next week maybe in Mexico. "Collectively we’re all on the same page. Next week we will probably formally put something towards you guys to read from the drivers as a united whole. "I think generally speaking we don’t want to be taking away the heat of the moment emotions that drivers show during a race. It is down to maybe the broadcaster when it comes to the race to choose whether they want to broadcast that." Russell added it was challenging for drivers in the heat of battle and talking over the team radio but recognised in a calmer environment "maybe we have a duty just to be conscious of our words." Also read: Rafael Nadal loses to Carlos Alcaraz in Saudi Arabia as career nears end Verstappen's position has been to give only short replies to questions in FIA organised news conferences since the incident in Singapore last month and speak more fully to reporters in his team's hospitality area. The Dutch driver, who was ordered to do "work of public interest" for using a swear word to describe his car, indicated he would continue to meet reporters in the paddock. "I mean, I will speak," he said. "But this table works well." Verstappen said he had heard no more from the FIA about his punishment. "I am always open for a chat. But from my side at the moment it is not that I am the one who has to reach out with this stuff. "I just live my life. I just continue, nothing changes," he said when asked about a possible dialogue with FIA head Mohammed Ben Sulayem. "I'm not aggressive or whatever. I'm just living my life and when I don't agree with something I'll say it but that's it." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

US Grand Prix: Formula One drivers to take united stance on swearing post Max Verstappen's punishment

Max Verstappen will seek to reboot his title defence and end an eight-race winless streak this weekend when he locks horns with title rival Lando Norris at the United States Grand Prix.&nbsp;Four weeks on from finishing second behind him in Singapore, Red Bull's three-time world champion and series leader hopes recent upgrades to his car will be enough for him to reel in the McLaren driver and repeat his 2023 triumph at the Circuit of the Americas.&nbsp;

"The car felt better in Singapore," said Verstappen. "It was already a good step for us in Baku and I think we are going in the right direction now, but it takes time. You can't change something like this in one or two weeks."

The Dutchman admitted that Red Bull struggled to match the speed of their main competitors, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull, during much of the mid-part of the 24-race season, but with six races remaining, three including additional sprints, he hopes his 52-point lead will be enough for him to hang on.&nbsp;

Verstappen has not won since the Spanish Grand Prix and Norris, despite some inconsistency, has beaten him in the last five races, igniting a late bid for the drivers' title to add to McLaren's takeover of the constructors' championship.

An extra eight points are on offer this weekend thanks to Saturday's sprint as the F1 circus begins a triple-header with races in Austin, Mexico and Brazil on successive weekends before the final events in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.&nbsp;

In all, a total of 180 points are still available to be won and the various permutations all end up suggesting that Norris needs to stay on top and hope Verstappen has a few low or non-scoring races.

"It's going to be incredibly busy, but also exciting, in the next two months," said Norris. "I'm ready to get back in the car, so let's show Texas what we can do."

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<h2>- 'More competitive' -</h2>

Verstappen has won all three sprints this season so far and will hope he can continue that vein of form to make the difference as the season moves to a rousing finale.&nbsp;His Austrian sprint win was his last success and he said he hopes further updates for Austin will "suit this circuit and see if we are more competitive when we head out on track."

Both leading teams will turn to their second drivers Sergio Perez of Red Bull and Oscar Piastri for McLaren for critical support as their battle for the titles.&nbsp;McLaren lead Red Bull by 41 points in the teams' title race with Perez in acute need of a change of form and fortunes before his home event in Mexico.

Mercedes' seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who is the most successful driver at the US Grand Prix with six wins, could also be a factor at one of his favourite circuits.&nbsp;

Daniel Ricciardo will be replaced by New Zealand's Liam Lawson in the RB team, a move that gives him a chance to make a claim to replace Perez next year, while at Williams Alex Albon will make his 100th&nbsp;race start.

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Max Verstappen will seek to reboot his title defence and end an eight-race winless streak this weekend when he locks horns with title rival Lando Norris at the United States Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen will seek to reboot his title defence and end an eight-race winless streak this weekend when he locks horns with title rival Lando Norris at the United States Grand Prix. Four weeks on from finishing second behind him in Singapore, Red Bull's three-time world champion and series leader hopes recent upgrades to his car will be enough for him to reel in the McLaren driver and repeat his 2023 triumph at the Circuit of the Americas. "The car felt better in Singapore," said Verstappen. "It was already a good step for us in Baku and I think we are going in the right direction now, but it takes time. You can't change something like this in one or two weeks." The Dutchman admitted that Red Bull struggled to match the speed of their main competitors, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull, during much of the mid-part of the 24-race season, but with six races remaining, three including additional sprints, he hopes his 52-point lead will be enough for him to hang on. Verstappen has not won since the Spanish Grand Prix and Norris, despite some inconsistency, has beaten him in the last five races, igniting a late bid for the drivers' title to add to McLaren's takeover of the constructors' championship. An extra eight points are on offer this weekend thanks to Saturday's sprint as the F1 circus begins a triple-header with races in Austin, Mexico and Brazil on successive weekends before the final events in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. In all, a total of 180 points are still available to be won and the various permutations all end up suggesting that Norris needs to stay on top and hope Verstappen has a few low or non-scoring races. "It's going to be incredibly busy, but also exciting, in the next two months," said Norris. "I'm ready to get back in the car, so let's show Texas what we can do." Also read: Thomas Tuchel targets 2026 FIFA World Cup glory as he takes over as England manager - 'More competitive' - Verstappen has won all three sprints this season so far and will hope he can continue that vein of form to make the difference as the season moves to a rousing finale. His Austrian sprint win was his last success and he said he hopes further updates for Austin will "suit this circuit and see if we are more competitive when we head out on track." Both leading teams will turn to their second drivers Sergio Perez of Red Bull and Oscar Piastri for McLaren for critical support as their battle for the titles. McLaren lead Red Bull by 41 points in the teams' title race with Perez in acute need of a change of form and fortunes before his home event in Mexico. Mercedes' seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who is the most successful driver at the US Grand Prix with six wins, could also be a factor at one of his favourite circuits. Daniel Ricciardo will be replaced by New Zealand's Liam Lawson in the RB team, a move that gives him a chance to make a claim to replace Perez next year, while at Williams Alex Albon will make his 100th race start. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

US Grand Prix: Max Verstappen eyes ending eight-race winless streak in Texas

Max Verstappen declared "the fight is not over" as Red Bull head to Singapore this week having been knocked off the top of the constructors' world championship for the first time in two-and-a-half years. McLaren leapt into a 20-point lead after Oscar Piastri's masterful victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was compounded by Sergio Perez's late tangle with Carlos Sainz that ended with both in the wall.

McLaren's Lando Norris, who carved his way to fourth place after starting 15th on the grid, is hunting down the Dutchman Verstappen at the top of the drivers' standings. The triple world champion's lead has been reduced to 59 points with seven grands prix and three sprints to go, leaving a maximum of 207 points up for grabs.

Verstappen won seven of the first 10 races this season but he has not triumphed in the last seven as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes have all taken race wins. Red Bull's influential adviser Helmut Marko said after Baku that they have no chance of retaining the constructors' championship, but Verstappen has not conceded yet.

"We are going to work together as a team and the fight is not over," declared Verstappen after coming fifth. "You win or lose as a team and we won't give up. It is as simple as that."

But history suggests that Verstappen's fortunes are unlikely to see an uptick around the unpredictable Marina Bay Circuit this weekend. Red Bull have consistently struggled under the lights in Singapore.&nbsp;

It was the only race Red Bull failed to win last year, Ferrari's Sainz taking the chequered flag to deny Verstappen a record-extending 11th consecutive GP victory. Norris was second. Verstappen has never won on the tight city-centre street circuit where tropical storms, intense humidity, concrete barriers, safety cars and red flags all add to the uncertainty.

Street circuit specialist Perez did win in Singapore in 2022, but that was Red Bull's only victory there since Sebastian Vettel in 2013.

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<h2>- McLaren milestone -</h2>

After a strong start to the campaign, Red Bull are on the back foot. "We have lost out on some significant points in the championship," team principal Christian Horner said after their messy Azerbaijan outing. "However, we will brush ourselves down and fight back hard."

McLaren, by contrast, are in buoyant mood as they target a first team world title since 1998. "First in the constructors' championship is an important milestone in our journey," said team principal Andrea Stella. "However, the team remain clearly focused on the task ahead. We quickly turn our attention to Singapore."

The high downforce track in Singapore has traditionally been of benefit to Mercedes.&nbsp; "We've also got lots of data to work through ahead of Singapore," said Lewis Hamilton, trying to take some positives from a ninth-place finish in Baku after an engine change forced him to start from the pit lane. "We've got some upgrades coming before the end of the year so hopefully we can make a step closer to those at the front soon."

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc won at Monza but he could not make it two in a row after starting from pole position for the fourth year in a row at Baku and, as on the three previous occasions, failing to convert into a victory.&nbsp; "For sure we have a bit of frustration because we had the space and pace to win this weekend," lamented Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur.

In the end Leclerc did well to hang on to second after his hard tyres degraded badly behind Piastri in the second half of the race and then saw teammate Sainz's late crash in his mirrors. "It wasn't the best day for our team," said Leclerc, who is only 19 points behind Norris and still firmly in the hunt for the drivers' title. "But we now head to Singapore and will come back stronger."

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Max Verstappen declared "the fight is not over" as Red Bull head to Singapore this week having been knocked off the top of the constructors' world championship for the first time in two-and-a-half years.

Max Verstappen declared "the fight is not over" as Red Bull head to Singapore this week having been knocked off the top of the constructors' world championship for the first time in two-and-a-half years. McLaren leapt into a 20-point lead after Oscar Piastri's masterful victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was compounded by Sergio Perez's late tangle with Carlos Sainz that ended with both in the wall. McLaren's Lando Norris, who carved his way to fourth place after starting 15th on the grid, is hunting down the Dutchman Verstappen at the top of the drivers' standings. The triple world champion's lead has been reduced to 59 points with seven grands prix and three sprints to go, leaving a maximum of 207 points up for grabs. Verstappen won seven of the first 10 races this season but he has not triumphed in the last seven as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes have all taken race wins. Red Bull's influential adviser Helmut Marko said after Baku that they have no chance of retaining the constructors' championship, but Verstappen has not conceded yet. "We are going to work together as a team and the fight is not over," declared Verstappen after coming fifth. "You win or lose as a team and we won't give up. It is as simple as that." But history suggests that Verstappen's fortunes are unlikely to see an uptick around the unpredictable Marina Bay Circuit this weekend. Red Bull have consistently struggled under the lights in Singapore. It was the only race Red Bull failed to win last year, Ferrari's Sainz taking the chequered flag to deny Verstappen a record-extending 11th consecutive GP victory. Norris was second. Verstappen has never won on the tight city-centre street circuit where tropical storms, intense humidity, concrete barriers, safety cars and red flags all add to the uncertainty. Street circuit specialist Perez did win in Singapore in 2022, but that was Red Bull's only victory there since Sebastian Vettel in 2013. Also read: Premier League 2024/25: Arsenal players not flustered by Erling Haaland's relentless form, says Jorginho - McLaren milestone - After a strong start to the campaign, Red Bull are on the back foot. "We have lost out on some significant points in the championship," team principal Christian Horner said after their messy Azerbaijan outing. "However, we will brush ourselves down and fight back hard." McLaren, by contrast, are in buoyant mood as they target a first team world title since 1998. "First in the constructors' championship is an important milestone in our journey," said team principal Andrea Stella. "However, the team remain clearly focused on the task ahead. We quickly turn our attention to Singapore." The high downforce track in Singapore has traditionally been of benefit to Mercedes. "We've also got lots of data to work through ahead of Singapore," said Lewis Hamilton, trying to take some positives from a ninth-place finish in Baku after an engine change forced him to start from the pit lane. "We've got some upgrades coming before the end of the year so hopefully we can make a step closer to those at the front soon." Ferrari's Charles Leclerc won at Monza but he could not make it two in a row after starting from pole position for the fourth year in a row at Baku and, as on the three previous occasions, failing to convert into a victory. "For sure we have a bit of frustration because we had the space and pace to win this weekend," lamented Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur. In the end Leclerc did well to hang on to second after his hard tyres degraded badly behind Piastri in the second half of the race and then saw teammate Sainz's late crash in his mirrors. "It wasn't the best day for our team," said Leclerc, who is only 19 points behind Norris and still firmly in the hunt for the drivers' title. "But we now head to Singapore and will come back stronger." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Singapore Grand Prix: Max Verstappen vows Red Bull 'fightback' as McLaren close in on points gap

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc secured pole for the fourth consecutive year at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

As title challenger Lando Norris of McLaren qualified only 17th, the Monegasque driver, who won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his last outing, continued his supreme single-lap form to wind up three-tenths of a second ahead of Piastri.&nbsp;

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It was the 26th pole of his career at a track where he has yet to win.&nbsp;

Carlos Sainz was third in the second Ferrari and Sergio Perez fourth for Red Bull ahead of Mercedes' George Russell.&nbsp;

Three-time world champion and series leader Max Verstappen was sixth in the second Red Bull as his recent struggles continued.

Verstappen leads Norris by 62 points in the title race with eight races of the season remaining.&nbsp;

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh for Mercedes ahead of two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, Argentine new boy Franco Colapinto of Williams and his team-mate Alex Albon.&nbsp;

"It's one of my favourite tracks of the season," said Leclerc.

"It hasn't been an easy weekend for me with the crash in first practice and then a problem in second practice with a new part.

"I wasnt worried, but the pace was already there and in my last lap I went for it a bit more. It is amazing to be on pole again!"

The session began in slanting sunshine across the old city by the Caspian Sea, the Mercedes duo quick to enter the fray on medium tyres for two exploratory laps of the slippery street track.&nbsp;

As the conditions improved, Leclerc produced a lap in 1:42.775 to go top while Mercedes switched to softs, Russell swiftly jumping to second and Hamilton to fourth.&nbsp;

But in a final scrabble for places, as Piastri went third behind Leclerc and Albon, Norris pitted and missed the cut, eliminated in 17th&nbsp;place ahead of only the Saubers and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. RB's Daniel Ricciardo was also out.

It was Norris's first Q1 elimination since the Las Vegas race last year (2023).&nbsp;

"The lap was good enough, but it was a yellow flag so I had to back off," said Norris.&nbsp;

Q2 saw Verstappen on top ahead of Leclerc with Perez and Sainz third and fourth.&nbsp;

After a final flurry, Alonso rose to fifth and Colapinto to sixth while Albon hung on to 10th&nbsp;to push Bearman out in 11th&nbsp;along with RB's Yuki Tsunoda, Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg of Haas and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.

The top-ten shootout began with Leclerc, in 1:46.610, on top ahead of Sainz after an early lap by Russell.&nbsp;

As the final laps began, Albon left the pits with an airbox fan still attached to his Williams car. He pulled it off and threw it to a marshal.&nbsp;

This bizarre incident did not distract Ferrari or Leclerc, however, as he reeled off 1:43.365 to grab his fourth consecutive Baku pole.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc secured pole for the fourth consecutive year at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri. As title challenger Lando Norris of McLaren qualified only 17th, the Monegasque driver, who won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his last outing, continued his supreme single-lap form to wind up three-tenths of a second ahead of Piastri.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc secured pole for the fourth consecutive year at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri. As title challenger Lando Norris of McLaren qualified only 17th, the Monegasque driver, who won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his last outing, continued his supreme single-lap form to wind up three-tenths of a second ahead of Piastri. Also Read: Diamond League: Armand Duplantis basks in 'best-ever' season, not rushing for more exhibitions It was the 26th pole of his career at a track where he has yet to win. Carlos Sainz was third in the second Ferrari and Sergio Perez fourth for Red Bull ahead of Mercedes' George Russell. Three-time world champion and series leader Max Verstappen was sixth in the second Red Bull as his recent struggles continued. Verstappen leads Norris by 62 points in the title race with eight races of the season remaining. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh for Mercedes ahead of two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, Argentine new boy Franco Colapinto of Williams and his team-mate Alex Albon. "It's one of my favourite tracks of the season," said Leclerc. "It hasn't been an easy weekend for me with the crash in first practice and then a problem in second practice with a new part. "I wasnt worried, but the pace was already there and in my last lap I went for it a bit more. It is amazing to be on pole again!" The session began in slanting sunshine across the old city by the Caspian Sea, the Mercedes duo quick to enter the fray on medium tyres for two exploratory laps of the slippery street track. As the conditions improved, Leclerc produced a lap in 1:42.775 to go top while Mercedes switched to softs, Russell swiftly jumping to second and Hamilton to fourth. But in a final scrabble for places, as Piastri went third behind Leclerc and Albon, Norris pitted and missed the cut, eliminated in 17th place ahead of only the Saubers and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. RB's Daniel Ricciardo was also out. It was Norris's first Q1 elimination since the Las Vegas race last year (2023). "The lap was good enough, but it was a yellow flag so I had to back off," said Norris. Q2 saw Verstappen on top ahead of Leclerc with Perez and Sainz third and fourth. After a final flurry, Alonso rose to fifth and Colapinto to sixth while Albon hung on to 10th to push Bearman out in 11th along with RB's Yuki Tsunoda, Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg of Haas and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. The top-ten shootout began with Leclerc, in 1:46.610, on top ahead of Sainz after an early lap by Russell. As the final laps began, Albon left the pits with an airbox fan still attached to his Williams car. He pulled it off and threw it to a marshal. This bizarre incident did not distract Ferrari or Leclerc, however, as he reeled off 1:43.365 to grab his fourth consecutive Baku pole. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on pole, Red Bull's Max Verstappen to start sixth

Max Verstappen will look for an improved personal and team performance this weekend when Red Bull seek to stop the rot and stay on top in the Formula One title race at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. After a run of six races without a win that has coincided with the revival of his rivals, the Dutchman arrives in&nbsp;Baku&nbsp;with a 62-point lead in the drivers' championship ahead of Lando Norris. His team's advantage ahead of McLaren has also been trimmed to only eight points.&nbsp;

Verstappen's and Red Bull's last victory, his 61st, came at the Spanish Grand Prix in June while team-mate Sergio Perez last won on the streets of&nbsp;Baku, claiming his sixth career triumph and second in Azerbaijan in last year's race.

Red Bull's supreme domination that has seen them leading the constructors' championship for more than two years, since the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, will end if McLaren outscore them by nine points on Sunday.

In the aftermath of Aston Martin's glossy unveiling of Red Bull's star designer Adrian Newey as future managing technical partner on Tuesday, another defeat to knock them off the top could be seen as significant.

Both Verstappen and Mexican Perez have been busy working on finding solutions to their slump in form since Charles Leclerc claimed victory for Ferrari at Monza on September 1.

"Monza was a tough race for us and it is our priority to get our form back to where it needs to be," said Verstappen. "We always want to be more competitive and the team has been working hard on the issues we've had."

"We've had a good period of reflection and work since the last race," said Perez. "Both Max and I have been in the factory working to ensure we are finding a fix for the problems. "To get back to where we should be on the grid, it will take a team effort and you can see that every day in Milton Keynes. This has pulled us all together."

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<h2>- Perez leaning on&nbsp;Baku&nbsp;memories -</h2>

Perez finished eighth at Monza, two places behind three-time world champion Verstappen, while both Ferraris, both McLarens and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton filled the top five.

After a season of much speculation about his future at Red Bull following a string of poor results, he welcomes the return to a venue he likes. He is the only two-time winner in&nbsp;Baku&nbsp;and has scored more points there than any other driver.

"Personally, I love to race there," he said. "Street circuits suit my style and&nbsp;Baku&nbsp;is a fun track."

Ferrari will also be filled with hope in&nbsp;Baku&nbsp;after their success with an upgraded car at Monza where revisions to the floor and other areas proved successful.

But team chief Fred Vasseur stressed that the team will be focused on consistency and not checking the championship standings this weekend as they chase down Red Bull and McLaren.

"We have to focus on doing a good job every weekend and if something has to come to us, it will come. It's no good to focus on the championship and be conservative... everything can change so much from one week to the next."

With McLaren and Mercedes both claiming wins in recent races, a close scrap on the fast and challenging street track is in prospect, with Ferrari's reserve driver Oliver Bearman replacing Kevin Magnussen alongside Nico Hulkenberg at Haas.

Dane Magnussen has been banned after accumulating 12 penalty points.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Max Verstappen will look for an improved personal and team performance this weekend when Red Bull seek to stop the rot and stay on top in the Formula One title race at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen will look for an improved personal and team performance this weekend when Red Bull seek to stop the rot and stay on top in the Formula One title race at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. After a run of six races without a win that has coincided with the revival of his rivals, the Dutchman arrives in Baku with a 62-point lead in the drivers' championship ahead of Lando Norris. His team's advantage ahead of McLaren has also been trimmed to only eight points. Verstappen's and Red Bull's last victory, his 61st, came at the Spanish Grand Prix in June while team-mate Sergio Perez last won on the streets of Baku, claiming his sixth career triumph and second in Azerbaijan in last year's race. Red Bull's supreme domination that has seen them leading the constructors' championship for more than two years, since the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, will end if McLaren outscore them by nine points on Sunday. In the aftermath of Aston Martin's glossy unveiling of Red Bull's star designer Adrian Newey as future managing technical partner on Tuesday, another defeat to knock them off the top could be seen as significant. Both Verstappen and Mexican Perez have been busy working on finding solutions to their slump in form since Charles Leclerc claimed victory for Ferrari at Monza on September 1. "Monza was a tough race for us and it is our priority to get our form back to where it needs to be," said Verstappen. "We always want to be more competitive and the team has been working hard on the issues we've had." "We've had a good period of reflection and work since the last race," said Perez. "Both Max and I have been in the factory working to ensure we are finding a fix for the problems. "To get back to where we should be on the grid, it will take a team effort and you can see that every day in Milton Keynes. This has pulled us all together." Also read: Formula 1 engine makers Honda and Alpine breach cost cap, announces FIA - Perez leaning on Baku memories - Perez finished eighth at Monza, two places behind three-time world champion Verstappen, while both Ferraris, both McLarens and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton filled the top five. After a season of much speculation about his future at Red Bull following a string of poor results, he welcomes the return to a venue he likes. He is the only two-time winner in Baku and has scored more points there than any other driver. "Personally, I love to race there," he said. "Street circuits suit my style and Baku is a fun track." Ferrari will also be filled with hope in Baku after their success with an upgraded car at Monza where revisions to the floor and other areas proved successful. But team chief Fred Vasseur stressed that the team will be focused on consistency and not checking the championship standings this weekend as they chase down Red Bull and McLaren. "We have to focus on doing a good job every weekend and if something has to come to us, it will come. It's no good to focus on the championship and be conservative... everything can change so much from one week to the next." With McLaren and Mercedes both claiming wins in recent races, a close scrap on the fast and challenging street track is in prospect, with Ferrari's reserve driver Oliver Bearman replacing Kevin Magnussen alongside Nico Hulkenberg at Haas. Dane Magnussen has been banned after accumulating 12 penalty points. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Max Verstappen, Red Bull seek to bounce back in Baku

Red Bull's loss of form after dominating last season stems from car balance issues creating a vicious circle for the Formula One champions, according to team boss Christian Horner. The team won 21 of 22 races in 2023, the most one-sided campaign ever, with triple champion Max Verstappen taking 19 of those victories. Sunday's Italian Grand Prix stretched Red Bull and Verstappen's losing streak to six races and left the Dutch driver 62 points clear of McLaren's Lando Norris with eight rounds remaining.

Verstappen told reporters at Monza after finishing sixth that his car had become a monster, and felt both titles were now at risk. "I think this circuit has exposed the deficiencies that we have in the car versus last year," said Horner, speaking to media in the team hospitality. "You can see that we have a disconnection in balance that just isn't working. "As soon as you end up in that situation, you're harder on tyres. You end up compensating, you move the balance around, you secure one problem and you create another. So you just end up in a vicious circle.

"I think it's been there for some time. I think actually really going through the data, there were issues there at the beginning of the year in the characteristic. "I think others have obviously made a step and as we've pushed the package harder it's exposed the issue."

Some of that, he added, had been seen as far back as Austin last year when Red Bull were three races into a seven-race winning run. The Briton said Verstappen and team mate Sergio Perez had tried to compensate by calming the rear of the car but that had consequences for the front, resulting in understeer and excessive tyre wear.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1/news-italian-grand-prix-ferraris-charles-leclerc-wins-at-monza-as-red-bulls-max-verstappen-struggles-755094">Italian Grand Prix: Ferrari's Charles Leclerc wins at Monza as Red Bull's Max Verstappen struggles</a>

He said Ferrari winning rather than McLaren was a help but Red Bull needed to find a quick solution or suffer the consequences. "Based on today's performance, you'd say both (titles) are under absolute pressure," he added. "We were the fourth fastest car today and that's the reality. We've got to turn it around."

Horner recognised there was a discrepancy between the data emerging from the wind tunnel and that seen at the track but said the McLaren appeared to be simpler and more effective. "Perhaps we've gone a little too complex and perhaps we need to simplify a few things," he added. "When the car is in the (performance) window, it works as predicted or closer to prediction. But that window is so small, that's what we have to work on. We have to broaden its operating window."

Despite Verstappen's concern, Horner said the champion was showing no sign of panic. "He's working with the engineers, he's explaining very clearly where the issues are, he's putting the time and effort in," he said. "He was in early this morning, he was on Zoom calls last week, he'll be on the simulator before the next race and he's really working hard at this."

Red Bull's loss of form after dominating last season stems from car balance issues creating a vicious circle for the Formula One champions, according to team boss Christian Horner.

Red Bull's loss of form after dominating last season stems from car balance issues creating a vicious circle for the Formula One champions, according to team boss Christian Horner. The team won 21 of 22 races in 2023, the most one-sided campaign ever, with triple champion Max Verstappen taking 19 of those victories. Sunday's Italian Grand Prix stretched Red Bull and Verstappen's losing streak to six races and left the Dutch driver 62 points clear of McLaren's Lando Norris with eight rounds remaining. Verstappen told reporters at Monza after finishing sixth that his car had become a monster, and felt both titles were now at risk. "I think this circuit has exposed the deficiencies that we have in the car versus last year," said Horner, speaking to media in the team hospitality. "You can see that we have a disconnection in balance that just isn't working. "As soon as you end up in that situation, you're harder on tyres. You end up compensating, you move the balance around, you secure one problem and you create another. So you just end up in a vicious circle. "I think it's been there for some time. I think actually really going through the data, there were issues there at the beginning of the year in the characteristic. "I think others have obviously made a step and as we've pushed the package harder it's exposed the issue." Some of that, he added, had been seen as far back as Austin last year when Red Bull were three races into a seven-race winning run. The Briton said Verstappen and team mate Sergio Perez had tried to compensate by calming the rear of the car but that had consequences for the front, resulting in understeer and excessive tyre wear. Also read: Italian Grand Prix: Ferrari's Charles Leclerc wins at Monza as Red Bull's Max Verstappen struggles He said Ferrari winning rather than McLaren was a help but Red Bull needed to find a quick solution or suffer the consequences. "Based on today's performance, you'd say both (titles) are under absolute pressure," he added. "We were the fourth fastest car today and that's the reality. We've got to turn it around." Horner recognised there was a discrepancy between the data emerging from the wind tunnel and that seen at the track but said the McLaren appeared to be simpler and more effective. "Perhaps we've gone a little too complex and perhaps we need to simplify a few things," he added. "When the car is in the (performance) window, it works as predicted or closer to prediction. But that window is so small, that's what we have to work on. We have to broaden its operating window." Despite Verstappen's concern, Horner said the champion was showing no sign of panic. "He's working with the engineers, he's explaining very clearly where the issues are, he's putting the time and effort in," he said. "He was in early this morning, he was on Zoom calls last week, he'll be on the simulator before the next race and he's really working hard at this."

Italian Grand Prix: Christian Horner says Red Bull are caught in a vicious circle amid dip in form

Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday to delight Ferrari's massed ranks of fans as Lando Norris again chipped away at struggling champion Max Verstappen's lead in the Formula One drivers' standings.

Monegasque Leclerc claimed victory at Monza for the second time after winning in 2019, holding off McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Norris in a thrilling race in which Verstappen finished nearly 38 seconds off the pace in sixth.

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Huge roars engulfed the stands as Leclerc took the chequered flag for his second win over the season, after his own home Monaco GP, after holding out on a set of hard tyres he had changed during his one and only pit stop on the 16th lap.

"I thought that the first time would feel like this and the second time wouldn't feel as special," said Leclerc as he basked in the cheers of fans who made the track a joyous, noisy sea of red after the race.

"But my god the emotions in the last few laps; Monaco and Monza are the two races I want to win every year and I've managed to win them this year. It is so, so special."

All of Leclerc's major rivals, apart from teammate Carlos Sainz who ended up finishing fourth ahead of his Ferrari replacement Lewis Hamilton, pitted twice and McLaren were hoping that the Ferrari pair would do the same.

Instead, Leclerc managed to keep his tyres in good enough condition to stay ahead and in the end finish the race comfortably in front of Piastri, who had taken the race lead early on after an overtake manoeuvre on Norris which was as daring as it was tactically questionable.

"Not going to lie it hurts a lot. I did a lot of things right today," said Australian Piastri.

"Happy with the race, the pace I achieved but when you finish second it hurts."

<h2>Verstappen woes</h2>

Briton Norris -- who clocked the fastest lap right at the end -- will be disappointed by his finish after starting on pole but he managed to chop Verstappen's championship lead to 62 points with eight races remaining as his Dutch rival's barren run continued.

"We considered (pitting once) the whole race but it was impossible with our graining. Just disappointed. Ferrari did a better job, so hats off to them," said Norris.

Verstappen has now failed to win any of the last six GPs after claiming the honours in seven of the first 10, and his and Red Bull's dominance of F1 looks increasingly in question.

A fourth straight world title looked a near certainty when Verstappen won in Spain back in June, but since then he has only finished on the podium twice.

And his teammate Sergio Perez finishing in eighth meant that McLaren are now only eight points behind Red Bull in the constructor's standings and look favourites to win it for the first time since 1998.

Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto, who replaced axed Logan Sargeant for&nbsp;Williams following his disastrous showing at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend, finish in 12th in his F1 debut.

Earlier Leonardo Fornaroli became the first Italian to win the F3 title, the 19-year-old doing so without winning a single race in this year's championship.

Trident driver Fornaroli overtook Australian Christian Mansell on the final corner of the 10-race season to grab third place and snatch the title from Gabriele Mini by two points.

Gabriel Bortoleto won the F2 race in dramatic fashion after starting last on the grid, cutting Isack Hadjar's lead at the top of the stands to just 10.5 points with three races remaining in the season.

(Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)

Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday to delight Ferrari's massed ranks of fans as Lando Norris again chipped away at struggling champion Max Verstappen's lead in the Formula One drivers' standings.

Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday to delight Ferrari's massed ranks of fans as Lando Norris again chipped away at struggling champion Max Verstappen's lead in the Formula One drivers' standings. Monegasque Leclerc claimed victory at Monza for the second time after winning in 2019, holding off McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Norris in a thrilling race in which Verstappen finished nearly 38 seconds off the pace in sixth. Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: 'Security is guaranteed...,' Harbhajan Singh on India travelling to Pakistan Huge roars engulfed the stands as Leclerc took the chequered flag for his second win over the season, after his own home Monaco GP, after holding out on a set of hard tyres he had changed during his one and only pit stop on the 16th lap. "I thought that the first time would feel like this and the second time wouldn't feel as special," said Leclerc as he basked in the cheers of fans who made the track a joyous, noisy sea of red after the race. "But my god the emotions in the last few laps; Monaco and Monza are the two races I want to win every year and I've managed to win them this year. It is so, so special." All of Leclerc's major rivals, apart from teammate Carlos Sainz who ended up finishing fourth ahead of his Ferrari replacement Lewis Hamilton, pitted twice and McLaren were hoping that the Ferrari pair would do the same. Instead, Leclerc managed to keep his tyres in good enough condition to stay ahead and in the end finish the race comfortably in front of Piastri, who had taken the race lead early on after an overtake manoeuvre on Norris which was as daring as it was tactically questionable. "Not going to lie it hurts a lot. I did a lot of things right today," said Australian Piastri. "Happy with the race, the pace I achieved but when you finish second it hurts." Verstappen woes Briton Norris -- who clocked the fastest lap right at the end -- will be disappointed by his finish after starting on pole but he managed to chop Verstappen's championship lead to 62 points with eight races remaining as his Dutch rival's barren run continued. "We considered (pitting once) the whole race but it was impossible with our graining. Just disappointed. Ferrari did a better job, so hats off to them," said Norris. Verstappen has now failed to win any of the last six GPs after claiming the honours in seven of the first 10, and his and Red Bull's dominance of F1 looks increasingly in question. A fourth straight world title looked a near certainty when Verstappen won in Spain back in June, but since then he has only finished on the podium twice. And his teammate Sergio Perez finishing in eighth meant that McLaren are now only eight points behind Red Bull in the constructor's standings and look favourites to win it for the first time since 1998. Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto, who replaced axed Logan Sargeant for Williams following his disastrous showing at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend, finish in 12th in his F1 debut. Earlier Leonardo Fornaroli became the first Italian to win the F3 title, the 19-year-old doing so without winning a single race in this year's championship. Trident driver Fornaroli overtook Australian Christian Mansell on the final corner of the 10-race season to grab third place and snatch the title from Gabriele Mini by two points. Gabriel Bortoleto won the F2 race in dramatic fashion after starting last on the grid, cutting Isack Hadjar's lead at the top of the stands to just 10.5 points with three races remaining in the season. (Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)

Italian Grand Prix: Ferrari's Charles Leclerc wins at Monza as Red Bull's Max Verstappen struggles

Max Verstappen heads to the Italian Grand Prix with his unbeatable aura fading and a fourth straight world championship looking far less certain than before Formula One's summer break. Dutchman Verstappen hasn't won since claiming the honours at the Spanish GP back in June, a five-race drought which has put the brakes on his title charge and Red Bull's dominance of F1.

Failing to win at his home GP for the first time in four years last weekend was further sign of the 26-year-old's slipping grip on the driver's crown. And the manner in which he finished behind Lando Norris highlighted the problems with his car which led to an expletive-filled during qualifying.

Verstappen finished nearly 23 seconds behind Norris as McLaren showed that they had the best set-up on the grid and forced a previously unstoppable driver to accept a humbling defeat after being overtaken on lap 18.

"There was nothing that I could do, so once he passed, I just focused on doing my race, tried to bring it to the end in second," said Verstappen after the race. "The last few races already haven't really been fantastic. So that, I think in a sense, was already a bit alarming. But we know that we don't need to panic."

McLaren's improved car has every chance at Monza too, where Verstappen has bullied the opposition and in particular home team Ferrari the past two years.

However Verstappen still has a 70-point lead in the driver's championship and his closest challenger Norris called the idea of pipping him to the world title "stupid" as the reigning champion has finished on the podium in 10 of this season's 15 races, winning seven.

And even though he is no longer blowing away the opposition Verstappen at least didn't blow his top during the race at Zandvoort, instead using his considerable talent at the wheel to ensure second place. &nbsp;

"You've got to drive with the championship in mind," said team principle Christian Horner. "There have been seven different race winners this year. So, if you can't win, then you've got to be scoring the points."

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<h2>- Ferrari the team to beat? -</h2>

Horner was also referring to the constructors' championship which is even tighter due to the continued struggles of Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez, who is 156 points back in seventh and whose position at Red Bull is subject to constant speculation.&nbsp;

McLaren are just 30 points behind Red Bull while Ferrari, 64 points back in third, will be hoping to put recent Monza disappointments behind them as the Scuderia have an outside chance of their first constructor's title since 2008.

Ferrari have had a driver on pole position at each of the last two Monza GPs only to lose out both times to Verstappen on home soil.

Charles Leclerc, whose second place behind Verstappen two years ago was particularly bitter as the Dutchman started the race seventh on the grid, won a brilliant battle with Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri for third at Zandvoort.

That finish, and Carlos Sainz battling back to fifth, gave some heart to downbeat Ferrari ahead of their home GP, where they will have similarly fanatical support to what Verstappen received in the Netherlands.

Former Ferrari man Fernando Alonso went as far as to say that the iconic Italian outfit will be the favourite at Monza and the following Azerbaijan GP.

"Ferrari will be the car to beat... I'd like to be in their condition," said Aston Martin driver Alonso to AS. "I think that Mercedes will be a bit more up and down but McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari will be fighting for the podium."

Franco Colapinto will become the first Argentine F1 driver since Gaston Mazzacane 23 years ago after replacing Logan Sargeant on Tuesday.

A Monza debut is fitting for the 23-year-old, who is of Italian heritage and will be aiming to increase Williams' paltry constructors points tally of four.

Max Verstappen heads to the Italian Grand Prix with his unbeatable aura fading and a fourth straight world championship looking far less certain than before Formula One's summer break.

Max Verstappen heads to the Italian Grand Prix with his unbeatable aura fading and a fourth straight world championship looking far less certain than before Formula One's summer break. Dutchman Verstappen hasn't won since claiming the honours at the Spanish GP back in June, a five-race drought which has put the brakes on his title charge and Red Bull's dominance of F1. Failing to win at his home GP for the first time in four years last weekend was further sign of the 26-year-old's slipping grip on the driver's crown. And the manner in which he finished behind Lando Norris highlighted the problems with his car which led to an expletive-filled during qualifying. Verstappen finished nearly 23 seconds behind Norris as McLaren showed that they had the best set-up on the grid and forced a previously unstoppable driver to accept a humbling defeat after being overtaken on lap 18. "There was nothing that I could do, so once he passed, I just focused on doing my race, tried to bring it to the end in second," said Verstappen after the race. "The last few races already haven't really been fantastic. So that, I think in a sense, was already a bit alarming. But we know that we don't need to panic." McLaren's improved car has every chance at Monza too, where Verstappen has bullied the opposition and in particular home team Ferrari the past two years. However Verstappen still has a 70-point lead in the driver's championship and his closest challenger Norris called the idea of pipping him to the world title "stupid" as the reigning champion has finished on the podium in 10 of this season's 15 races, winning seven. And even though he is no longer blowing away the opposition Verstappen at least didn't blow his top during the race at Zandvoort, instead using his considerable talent at the wheel to ensure second place. "You've got to drive with the championship in mind," said team principle Christian Horner. "There have been seven different race winners this year. So, if you can't win, then you've got to be scoring the points." Also read: Uganda footballer Juan Izquierdo, 27, dies days after collapsing on pitch during match - Ferrari the team to beat? - Horner was also referring to the constructors' championship which is even tighter due to the continued struggles of Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez, who is 156 points back in seventh and whose position at Red Bull is subject to constant speculation. McLaren are just 30 points behind Red Bull while Ferrari, 64 points back in third, will be hoping to put recent Monza disappointments behind them as the Scuderia have an outside chance of their first constructor's title since 2008. Ferrari have had a driver on pole position at each of the last two Monza GPs only to lose out both times to Verstappen on home soil. Charles Leclerc, whose second place behind Verstappen two years ago was particularly bitter as the Dutchman started the race seventh on the grid, won a brilliant battle with Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri for third at Zandvoort. That finish, and Carlos Sainz battling back to fifth, gave some heart to downbeat Ferrari ahead of their home GP, where they will have similarly fanatical support to what Verstappen received in the Netherlands. Former Ferrari man Fernando Alonso went as far as to say that the iconic Italian outfit will be the favourite at Monza and the following Azerbaijan GP. "Ferrari will be the car to beat... I'd like to be in their condition," said Aston Martin driver Alonso to AS. "I think that Mercedes will be a bit more up and down but McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari will be fighting for the podium." Franco Colapinto will become the first Argentine F1 driver since Gaston Mazzacane 23 years ago after replacing Logan Sargeant on Tuesday. A Monza debut is fitting for the 23-year-old, who is of Italian heritage and will be aiming to increase Williams' paltry constructors points tally of four.

Italian GP: Embattled Max Verstappen heads to Monza with F1 dominance under dark clouds

Max Verstappen, facing a 10-place grid penalty for taking a new engine, topped the times for Red Bull ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in a qualifying session run in mixed wet-and-dry conditions at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday.

Leclerc will start Sunday's race from pole position as he did in 2023 with Sergio Perez alongside him in the second Red Bull, the Mexican having ended a nightmare run of qualifying failures amid reports that his future with the team is at risk.&nbsp;

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth for Mercedes and will share the second row of the grid with McLaren's Lando Norris, who qualified fifth ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri and George Russell in the second Mercedes.&nbsp;

Carlos Sainz was eighth in the second Ferrari in front of compatriot and two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, Esteban Ocon of Alpine and Alex Albon of Williams -- who will be 10th&nbsp;on the grid ahead of Verstappen.&nbsp;

"It was a nice qualifying and luckily the weather was ok," said Verstappen, referring to earlier heavy rain that turned final practice into a washout. "It was raining a little bit, but we could do a decent session.&nbsp;

"I know I have to start 10 places back so this was the best I could do today and we'll go from there. I don't know quick we are going to be, but I hope we can be in the mix."

Verstappen will be bidding to win the Belgian race for the fourth consecutive year, having won previously after taking grid penalties, but his car this year lacks the same clear superiority. Last year, he won from sixth.&nbsp;This year he starts 11th.

"It's exactly the same as last year and, for me, it's good as I didn't expect that. We had tricky conditions and the rain helped us a bit and it's good to be back at the front of the grid," said Leclerc.

In steady but light rain, Norris led a train of cars from the pitlane for Q1, followed by both Haas cars and his McLaren team-mate Piastri, who was forced to drop to fourth by an exit by Kevin Magnussen that he described as "dangerous".

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<h2>Racing in the rain</h2>

A heavy shower was forecast by McLaren and this accelerated all 20 drivers to join the fray in pursuit of an early banker lap before the conditions deteriorated. All were on intermediates as Norris clocked 1:58.894 before being beaten by Piastri, in 1:57.411.&nbsp;

Verstappen then took over on top in 1:56.003 with Piastri threatening and taking second before rising to take command with five minutes to go in 1:55.549, before the Dutchman regained the ascendancy.&nbsp;

He clocked 1:54.938 to go six-tenths clear of Piastri while Norris struggled to match him and Russell fought to survive, rising from 17th&nbsp;to third in the final seconds of Q1.&nbsp;

Taking advantage of a problem for Verstappen, who was involved in a blocking incident with Zhou Guanyu's Sauber, Piastri took the top spot again in 1:54.835 ahead of Pierre Gasly.&nbsp;

The early departures were taken by the two Haas men, Nico Hulkenberg and Magnussen, RB's Yuki Tsunoda, who will start from the back of the grid after taking a penalty for new power unit parts, Logan Sargeant of Williams and Zhou.&nbsp;

Q2 began in similar fashion, with rain forecast and all 15 runners on track, Alex Albon setting the early pace for Williams before Norris took over in 1:54.459 and then Verstappen, in 1:53.857. All were on 'inters' again.&nbsp;

With five minutes to go, Russell and Leclerc, with fresh tyres, were both in the drop-zone as the rain intensified. Russell reacted by leaping to fourth followed by Leclerc, taking third, and Hamilton up fifth.

Late faster laps from Perez, Ocon and Gasly pushed the Mercedes pair to go second and third while the under-pressure Perez survived by 0.003 seconds. Albon, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, Daniel Ricciardo of RB, Sauber's Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll, whose Aston Martin team had rebuilt his car after his crash in FP3, missed the cut.

Hamilton was first out for Q3 and posted a lap in 1:54.011 as a marker.

On their first runs, only the two Red Bulls beat him, Verstappen going top in 1:53.159, leaving it all down to the final laps to decide the final grid order.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Max Verstappen, facing a 10-place grid penalty for taking a new engine, topped the times for Red Bull ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in a qualifying session run in mixed wet-and-dry conditions at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday.

Max Verstappen, facing a 10-place grid penalty for taking a new engine, topped the times for Red Bull ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in a qualifying session run in mixed wet-and-dry conditions at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday. Leclerc will start Sunday's race from pole position as he did in 2023 with Sergio Perez alongside him in the second Red Bull, the Mexican having ended a nightmare run of qualifying failures amid reports that his future with the team is at risk. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth for Mercedes and will share the second row of the grid with McLaren's Lando Norris, who qualified fifth ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri and George Russell in the second Mercedes. Carlos Sainz was eighth in the second Ferrari in front of compatriot and two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, Esteban Ocon of Alpine and Alex Albon of Williams -- who will be 10th on the grid ahead of Verstappen. "It was a nice qualifying and luckily the weather was ok," said Verstappen, referring to earlier heavy rain that turned final practice into a washout. "It was raining a little bit, but we could do a decent session. "I know I have to start 10 places back so this was the best I could do today and we'll go from there. I don't know quick we are going to be, but I hope we can be in the mix." Verstappen will be bidding to win the Belgian race for the fourth consecutive year, having won previously after taking grid penalties, but his car this year lacks the same clear superiority. Last year, he won from sixth. This year he starts 11th. "It's exactly the same as last year and, for me, it's good as I didn't expect that. We had tricky conditions and the rain helped us a bit and it's good to be back at the front of the grid," said Leclerc. In steady but light rain, Norris led a train of cars from the pitlane for Q1, followed by both Haas cars and his McLaren team-mate Piastri, who was forced to drop to fourth by an exit by Kevin Magnussen that he described as "dangerous". ALSO READ | Paris Olympics 2024: When & how to watch Manu Bhaker's 10m air pistol women's singles final? - Live streaming Racing in the rain A heavy shower was forecast by McLaren and this accelerated all 20 drivers to join the fray in pursuit of an early banker lap before the conditions deteriorated. All were on intermediates as Norris clocked 1:58.894 before being beaten by Piastri, in 1:57.411. Verstappen then took over on top in 1:56.003 with Piastri threatening and taking second before rising to take command with five minutes to go in 1:55.549, before the Dutchman regained the ascendancy. He clocked 1:54.938 to go six-tenths clear of Piastri while Norris struggled to match him and Russell fought to survive, rising from 17th to third in the final seconds of Q1. Taking advantage of a problem for Verstappen, who was involved in a blocking incident with Zhou Guanyu's Sauber, Piastri took the top spot again in 1:54.835 ahead of Pierre Gasly. The early departures were taken by the two Haas men, Nico Hulkenberg and Magnussen, RB's Yuki Tsunoda, who will start from the back of the grid after taking a penalty for new power unit parts, Logan Sargeant of Williams and Zhou. Q2 began in similar fashion, with rain forecast and all 15 runners on track, Alex Albon setting the early pace for Williams before Norris took over in 1:54.459 and then Verstappen, in 1:53.857. All were on 'inters' again. With five minutes to go, Russell and Leclerc, with fresh tyres, were both in the drop-zone as the rain intensified. Russell reacted by leaping to fourth followed by Leclerc, taking third, and Hamilton up fifth. Late faster laps from Perez, Ocon and Gasly pushed the Mercedes pair to go second and third while the under-pressure Perez survived by 0.003 seconds. Albon, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, Daniel Ricciardo of RB, Sauber's Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll, whose Aston Martin team had rebuilt his car after his crash in FP3, missed the cut. Hamilton was first out for Q3 and posted a lap in 1:54.011 as a marker. On their first runs, only the two Red Bulls beat him, Verstappen going top in 1:53.159, leaving it all down to the final laps to decide the final grid order. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Formula One: Penalised Max Verstappen tops qualifying, Charles Leclerc takes pole

Lewis Hamilton claimed an emotional and long-awaited record 104th&nbsp;career victory on Sunday when he resisted Max Verstappen to triumph in vintage fashion at the British Grand Prix for a record ninth time.&nbsp;

The seven-time champion, who will turn 40 in January, cracked with emotion and was in tears as he spoke on Mercedes team radio on his victory lap, having finished 1.465 seconds ahead of Red Bull's series leader and three-time champion.&nbsp;

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In a roller-coaster race of changing weather and track conditions, Lando Norris came home third ahead of his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Haas' Nico Hulkenberg with Lance Stroll finishing seventh for Aston Martin.&nbsp;

Hamilton, who had not won since the 2021 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, delivered a masterclass in tyre and race management to secure his 150th&nbsp;podium finish for Mercedes.&nbsp;

"I've been waiting for this," shouted Briton Hamilton after crossing the line in his Mercedes to claim a ninth victory at Silverstone, breaking a tie with Michael Schumacher for most wins at one track.

"I can't stop crying," said Hamilton. "I think, since 2021, every day getting up, trying to fight, and to train, and to put my mind to the task and work as hard as I can with this amazing team."

Hamilton is leaving Mercedes for Ferrari after this season.

"This is my last British GP with this team. I wanted to win so much for them. I love them so much. All the hard work they've been putting in."

Verstappen overtook Norris in the closing laps.

"We just didn't have the pace today," said Verstappen. "I was slowly dropping back when it mattered at the beginning. It really wasn't looking great at one point, but we made the right calls."

Norris had lost the lead after a misjudged pit stop.

"First of all, congrats to Lewis," Norris said. "That crucial decision at the end, he just did a better job, so hats off to him and Mercedes, they deserve it. It was tough. It was fun battling these guys and these tricky conditions, risking a lot, on a knife-edge."

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was eighth in the second Aston Martin, ahead of Williams' Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda of RB.&nbsp;

On a day of clouds and intermittent sunshine in central England a crowd of more than 120,000 witnessed three Britons starting their home race at the front of the grid for the first time since 1962.

George Russell started on pole and made a clean start with Hamilton moving in tight behind him to provide protection from Verstappen who had quickly passed Norris. &nbsp;

Russell settled and by lap six led by 1.6 seconds with Hamilton 1.4 seconds ahead of Verstappen and the two McLarens. &nbsp;

By lap 14, rain began to sweep across the old wartime airfield as Norris passed Verstappen to regain third. As the rain intensified, the McLarens came alive and Piastri passed Verstappen on lap 17.

<h2>- 'The sun's coming out' -</h2>

Hamilton then overtook Russell for the lead as both Mercedes slithered in the rain. Norris, revelling in the conditions, passed Russell for second on lap 19 and then powered past Hamilton while Piastri made it a McLaren 1-2,&nbsp;on lap 21.&nbsp;

As the first shower relented, Verstappen was five seconds adrift in fifth.

By lap 28, Norris led Hamilton who was trying to preserve his tyres while hanging on to the rapid McLaren.&nbsp;

Russell's race ended on lap 34 when he was called in to pit and retire the car with a hydraulic problem.

With 15 to go, Hamilton reported that "the sun's coming out" before on lap 39 he, Verstappen and Piastri pitted together. Norris pitted a lap later losing the lead to Hamilton who measured his final stint to perfection, ending 56 winless races to a tumultuous home reception.

Hamilton wept as he fell into the arms of his father as the home crowd roared.

Lewis Hamilton claimed an emotional and long-awaited record 104th career victory on Sunday when he resisted Max Verstappen to triumph in vintage fashion at the British Grand Prix for a record ninth time.

Lewis Hamilton claimed an emotional and long-awaited record 104th career victory on Sunday when he resisted Max Verstappen to triumph in vintage fashion at the British Grand Prix for a record ninth time. The seven-time champion, who will turn 40 in January, cracked with emotion and was in tears as he spoke on Mercedes team radio on his victory lap, having finished 1.465 seconds ahead of Red Bull's series leader and three-time champion. Also Read: Khyree Jackson, Minnesota Vikings' 2024 NFL Draft pick, dies in car crash In a roller-coaster race of changing weather and track conditions, Lando Norris came home third ahead of his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Haas' Nico Hulkenberg with Lance Stroll finishing seventh for Aston Martin. Hamilton, who had not won since the 2021 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, delivered a masterclass in tyre and race management to secure his 150th podium finish for Mercedes. "I've been waiting for this," shouted Briton Hamilton after crossing the line in his Mercedes to claim a ninth victory at Silverstone, breaking a tie with Michael Schumacher for most wins at one track. "I can't stop crying," said Hamilton. "I think, since 2021, every day getting up, trying to fight, and to train, and to put my mind to the task and work as hard as I can with this amazing team." Hamilton is leaving Mercedes for Ferrari after this season. "This is my last British GP with this team. I wanted to win so much for them. I love them so much. All the hard work they've been putting in." Verstappen overtook Norris in the closing laps. "We just didn't have the pace today," said Verstappen. "I was slowly dropping back when it mattered at the beginning. It really wasn't looking great at one point, but we made the right calls." Norris had lost the lead after a misjudged pit stop. "First of all, congrats to Lewis," Norris said. "That crucial decision at the end, he just did a better job, so hats off to him and Mercedes, they deserve it. It was tough. It was fun battling these guys and these tricky conditions, risking a lot, on a knife-edge." Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was eighth in the second Aston Martin, ahead of Williams' Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda of RB. On a day of clouds and intermittent sunshine in central England a crowd of more than 120,000 witnessed three Britons starting their home race at the front of the grid for the first time since 1962. George Russell started on pole and made a clean start with Hamilton moving in tight behind him to provide protection from Verstappen who had quickly passed Norris. Russell settled and by lap six led by 1.6 seconds with Hamilton 1.4 seconds ahead of Verstappen and the two McLarens. By lap 14, rain began to sweep across the old wartime airfield as Norris passed Verstappen to regain third. As the rain intensified, the McLarens came alive and Piastri passed Verstappen on lap 17. - 'The sun's coming out' - Hamilton then overtook Russell for the lead as both Mercedes slithered in the rain. Norris, revelling in the conditions, passed Russell for second on lap 19 and then powered past Hamilton while Piastri made it a McLaren 1-2, on lap 21. As the first shower relented, Verstappen was five seconds adrift in fifth. By lap 28, Norris led Hamilton who was trying to preserve his tyres while hanging on to the rapid McLaren. Russell's race ended on lap 34 when he was called in to pit and retire the car with a hydraulic problem. With 15 to go, Hamilton reported that "the sun's coming out" before on lap 39 he, Verstappen and Piastri pitted together. Norris pitted a lap later losing the lead to Hamilton who measured his final stint to perfection, ending 56 winless races to a tumultuous home reception. Hamilton wept as he fell into the arms of his father as the home crowd roared.

British Grand Prix: Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton holds off Max Verstappen for first win in three years

McLaren's Lando Norris said he would lose respect for Max Verstappen if the Red Bull driver did not apologise for a collision that wrecked their Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday. The pair are friends off-track but fierce rivals on&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;race weekends and that boiled over at Spielberg's Red Bull Ring as they fought for the lead.

Stewards ruled triple world champion Verstappen was predominantly at fault for causing the collision and handed him a 10 second penalty, which had no impact on his result, as well as two penalty points. Verstappen, who dropped from first to fifth but now leads Norris by 81 points after 11 races, declared the penalty ridiculous and was backed up by Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.

"He (Norris) didn’t behave correctly there Max. Desperately unlucky, especially here, but you did your very best," he said over the team radio.

A disappointed Norris, who retired with a puncture and car damage, said it was a tough&nbsp;one&nbsp; to take and accused Verstappen of being reckless and desperate in his driving. "It depends what he says. If he says he did nothing wrong, then I lose a lot of respect for that," he told Sky Sports television when asked if their relationship would change.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella suggested Verstappen's behaviour, and moving while braking, was the result of the sport's rules being inadequately enforced years ago. "The problem behind it is that if you don’t address these things honestly, they will come back," the Italian said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1/news-austrian-gp-george-russell-secures-surprise-win-after-norris-verstappen-collide-736546">Austrian GP: George Russell secures surprise win after Norris, Verstappen collide</a>

"They have come back today because they were not addressed properly in the past when there was some fights with Lewis (Hamilton in 2021) that needed to be punished in a harsher way. "We have so much respect for Red Bull, so much respect for Max, they don't need to do this. It's a way to almost compromise your reputation. Why would you do that?," added Stella.

"The regulations must be enforced in a way that is effective, because when a car is out of the race as a consequence of this accident the punishment needs to be proportionate to the outcome."

McLaren's Lando Norris said he would lose respect for Max Verstappen if the Red Bull driver did not apologise for a collision that wrecked their Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.

McLaren's Lando Norris said he would lose respect for Max Verstappen if the Red Bull driver did not apologise for a collision that wrecked their Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday. The pair are friends off-track but fierce rivals on Formula One race weekends and that boiled over at Spielberg's Red Bull Ring as they fought for the lead. Stewards ruled triple world champion Verstappen was predominantly at fault for causing the collision and handed him a 10 second penalty, which had no impact on his result, as well as two penalty points. Verstappen, who dropped from first to fifth but now leads Norris by 81 points after 11 races, declared the penalty ridiculous and was backed up by Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. "He (Norris) didn’t behave correctly there Max. Desperately unlucky, especially here, but you did your very best," he said over the team radio. A disappointed Norris, who retired with a puncture and car damage, said it was a tough one to take and accused Verstappen of being reckless and desperate in his driving. "It depends what he says. If he says he did nothing wrong, then I lose a lot of respect for that," he told Sky Sports television when asked if their relationship would change. McLaren boss Andrea Stella suggested Verstappen's behaviour, and moving while braking, was the result of the sport's rules being inadequately enforced years ago. "The problem behind it is that if you don’t address these things honestly, they will come back," the Italian said. Also read: Austrian GP: George Russell secures surprise win after Norris, Verstappen collide "They have come back today because they were not addressed properly in the past when there was some fights with Lewis (Hamilton in 2021) that needed to be punished in a harsher way. "We have so much respect for Red Bull, so much respect for Max, they don't need to do this. It's a way to almost compromise your reputation. Why would you do that?," added Stella. "The regulations must be enforced in a way that is effective, because when a car is out of the race as a consequence of this accident the punishment needs to be proportionate to the outcome."

Austrian GP: Lando Norris says he will lose respect for Max Verstappen without apology

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