Sebastian Vettel will make his first appearance at an F1 event since the 2024 season, with the German set to appear in front of fans at the Brazilian GP this weekend
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Sebastian Vettel will return to the F1 scene in Brazil(Image: Getty Images)
The Brazilian Grand Prix organisers have confirmed that four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will be making a much-anticipated appearance at the fan zone of the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace this weekend.
Vettel, who hasn’t been seen at an F1 event this season, called it quits on his illustrious F1 career at the end of 2022 after a two-year stint with Aston Martin and has since been focusing on charitable causes.
His occasional returns to the F1 paddock, such as in Japan in 2023, and at Imola last season, were to promote biodiversity or honour the life and career of the late Ayrton Senna. He also made a trip to Jeddah ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this year, hosting his #RACE4WOMEN karting event.
Now, Vettel is set to attend Senna’s home race, the Brazilian GP, where he’ll be meeting fans and interacting with spectators in the fan zone at Interlagos. It remains uncertain whether he will make any broader appearances in the paddock.
Despite his absence from F1’s travelling circus since his retirement, the legendary German racer hasn’t dismissed the possibility of a comeback in a management role. In fact, Helmut Marko has already tipped the 38 year old to be his successor at Red Bull.
“There have been a few headlines recently,” Vettel told ORF TV’s Sport am Sonntag podcast back in June. “I still get along great with Helmut, and we’re in contact regarding the topic. [Talks are] not yet that intensive or in-depth; it’s perhaps something that could play a role. In what form remains to be seen.”
Vettel would face a mammoth task stepping into Marko’s shoes, given the Austrian’s pivotal role in Red Bull’s driver development scheme, having nurtured both the German and current world champion Max Verstappen through their junior careers.
“He’s irreplaceable. Let’s just leave it at that,” Vettel continued. “His character alone… and he’s made a very, very significant contribution to what the entire team has achieved over the years since 2005.
“And perhaps it wouldn’t even be the goal to have someone replace him. He’s said a few times that he’s going to quit, but he’s still here. I hope he stays with us for a long time. But of course, at some point, things will inevitably move on, and he knows that.
“He’s a brutal realist and can assess things quite well. He’ll sense when the time is right. I have to admit, though, that I haven’t been that close in recent years. But I do think I know what he’s doing. And no matter what happens, there’s still a lot to learn from him.”
The drama of the 2008 Formula 1 season finale remains one of sport’s most iconic and heart-stopping moments. It was a race defined by a single corner, a single point, and a single, seismic swing of fate. As the late Brazilian afternoon rain began to fall at Interlagos, the world watched as Lewis Hamilton snatched his first World Drivers’ Championship from the grasp of Felipe Massa in the final few hundred meters. Massa, having crossed the line as champion for a few fleeting, glorious seconds, was cruelly relegated to second place by one point—a margin so thin it felt more like a cut than a gap.
Yet, fifteen years later, that razor-thin margin has become the focal point of a historic and earth-shattering legal challenge that threatens to tear open the historical record of Formula 1. Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is not just contesting a sporting result; he is alleging a deliberate cover-up by the sport’s former leadership that he claims fraudulently cost him the title. Filed in the London High Court against the sport’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Formula 1’s commercial rights holders (FOM), and former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, Massa’s lawsuit is seeking to annul the results of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix and demanding reported damages in the range of $64 to $82 million.
This is more than a sporting grievance; it is a profound ethical and legal dilemma that pits the principle of sporting integrity against the bedrock rule of ‘finality of results.’ The question before the court is whether historical fraud, allegedly covered up by the sport’s highest authorities, is severe enough to negate the historical record.
The Race That Broke a Career: The Singapore Grand Prix
To understand the sheer weight of Massa’s claim, one must return to the night race that preceded the Brazilian drama: the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. This event, later christened the infamous “Crashgate” scandal, is the foundation of the entire legal dispute.
The race was dramatically and deliberately manipulated by the Renault F1 team. On one of the early laps, Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. intentionally crashed his car into the wall at Turn 17. The crash was not an accident; it was a cold, calculated move carried out under the explicit instruction of his team principal, Flavio Briatore, and chief engineer, Pat Symonds. Their motive was simple and cynical: to trigger a safety car period that would strategically benefit Piquet’s teammate, Fernando Alonso, who had made a premature pit stop earlier in the race.
When the safety car deployed, the field was neutralized, allowing Alonso to cycle to the front of the grid as the leading cars, including Massa’s, were forced to pit under safety car conditions. The plan worked perfectly for Alonso, who went on to win the race.
For Felipe Massa, who had been dominating the race from the front, the safety car deployment led to disaster. Rushing to take advantage of the pit window, the Ferrari team made a critical, career-defining error: they released Massa with the fuel hose still attached to his car. Massa pulled away, dragging the hose and requiring an emergency recovery and a subsequent drive-thru penalty. He finished a disastrous 13th, scoring zero points. Had he simply won the race, he would have earned ten points, a crucial haul that, when added to his final tally, would have cemented him as the 2008 World Champion, regardless of Hamilton’s performance in Brazil.
The loss of those crucial points in a race tainted by proven, malicious fraud is the direct link to the championship outcome. The entire season was decided by a single point; the points lost in Singapore were more than enough to bridge that gap.
The Explosive Revelation of the Cover-Up
While the “Crashgate” scandal was officially exposed, leading to the disqualification of the Renault team and lifetime bans for Briatore and Symonds, the FIA ultimately chose not to annul the race results. Their rationale was based on the long-standing principle that championship results are final once the season-ending prize-giving ceremony concludes—a legal cornerstone meant to preserve the historical record of the sport.
Massa’s current lawsuit hinges on what his legal team calls a “new evidence” that negates this defense: the bombshell interview given by former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.
In the interview, Ecclestone stated publicly that both he and the then-FIA President Max Mosley were aware of the deliberate nature of Piquet’s crash during the 2008 season, well before the official investigation concluded. Crucially, Ecclestone admitted they consciously decided not to act on the information at the time.
This admission provides the legal basis for Massa’s team to argue that the FIA was not simply upholding a rule; they were allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to conceal the truth from the public and the competitors, thereby breaching their own regulations, their duty of care, and their contract with the drivers. Massa’s legal team asserts that this alleged fraud and cover-up should override the standard time bar rules that typically prevent historical challenges.
The Battle in the High Court
The gravity of this legal challenge has brought the Formula 1 establishment to the London High Court. The defendants—F1, the FIA, and Ecclestone—have mounted a robust defense, primarily arguing that the claim is legally “timebarred,” meaning the window to challenge the 2008 results expired years ago. They contend that upholding the finality of championship results is paramount for the stability and integrity of the sport, and that allowing the case to proceed would set a dangerous precedent, potentially opening the floodgates for challenges to other historical sporting outcomes.
However, Massa’s argument is equally potent: the alleged cover-up constitutes a deliberate conspiracy to keep a fraudulent result in place, meaning the time limit should not apply.
The legal proceedings recently reached a critical juncture with a significant three-day hearing. During this hearing, lawyers for both sides presented detailed arguments on whether the case has enough merit to proceed to a full trial. Following the intense arguments, the presiding judge reserved judgment, meaning a decision on whether the case will be dismissed or allowed to move forward is currently pending. The outcome of this preliminary ruling is arguably the most crucial moment for Formula 1’s history since the scandal itself was exposed.
Historical Stakes and Unforeseen Consequences
It is imperative to note the specific focus of Massa’s lawsuit. The former driver is not targeting Lewis Hamilton’s performance or conduct; Hamilton is not a defendant in the case. The lawsuit is focused entirely on the alleged failures and breaches of duty by the governing bodies and the former F1 leadership.
Nevertheless, the outcome has direct and profound implications for Hamilton, who stands as the current holder of the 2008 World Championship title—his first of seven. If the court rules in Massa’s favor, it would effectively confirm that the result was tainted by fraud and that a subsequent cover-up prevented justice. The court could force the annulment of the Singapore race, which would lead the FIA to retrospectively crown Felipe Massa as the 2008 World Champion.
The case presents a complex legal and ethical Gordian knot. On one side is the desire to correct a historical injustice based on proven fraud and a subsequent, admitted cover-up. Massa’s team believes the integrity of the sport demands the correction of a result tainted by deliberate manipulation. On the other side is the need to maintain stability, historical consistency, and the finality of records.
The final decision of the High Court will not only determine the fate of the 2008 title but will set a landmark precedent for the governance of international sport. A ruling in Massa’s favor would create a new legal pathway for challenging historical sporting outcomes where evidence of fraud and cover-up emerges years later. Conversely, a dismissal would reinforce the principle of finality, perhaps allowing the sport to close the book on a difficult and scandalous chapter of its history, but potentially at the cost of failing to address a proven injustice.
The F1 community now awaits the judge’s verdict, a ruling that has the power to redefine not only the legacy of two great drivers but the very principles that underpin the integrity and historical record of the fastest sport on Earth.
The final stretch of the season has arrived, and with it, a familiar, electrifying sense of dread and excitement descends upon the world of motorsport. All eyes are now fixated on the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, the legendary home of the Brazilian Grand Prix. This is not just another race on the calendar; it is a late-season crucible, a dramatic litmus test where the formidable speed of Red Bull is set to meet the relentless, balanced threat of a resurgent McLaren. The outcome here will not merely decide a race winner, but will dramatically reshape the final driver standings, magnifying every strategic choice into a moment of do-or-die drama.
The tension is palpable, the stakes impossibly high. Red Bull, spearheaded by the peerless Max Verstappen, has effectively issued a “shocking message” to their rivals: their pace advantage is absolute, and they are here to dominate. But McLaren, with their newfound engineering prowess, stands ready for the confrontation, knowing that Interlagos, with its unique blend of topographical challenges and climatic volatility, is the one track that might just level the playing field. This South American showdown is set to be a direct, explosive clash between two fundamentally different car philosophies, a true test of which team possesses the most complete and flexible package under intense pressure.
Interlagos: A Labyrinth of Compromise and Chaos
To understand the magnitude of this impending battle, one must first grasp the unique, demanding nature of the Interlagos circuit. It is a short, fast, and intensely physical track, characterized by significant elevation changes—the famous “Senna S” and the long climb up the main straight—and a layout that favors left-turning corners. This combination forces teams into a brutal, difficult engineering trade-off that defines the entire race weekend.
The core dilemma is the balance between low drag and high downforce. To be fast on the long, uphill main straight, teams crave low aerodynamic drag to maximize top speed. However, the twisty, technical middle section of the track, a low-speed labyrinth, demands maximum downforce to maintain grip and cornering stability. The car that is set up too much for straight-line speed will hemorrhage time in the middle sector, while the car prioritizing cornering grip will be a sitting duck on the straights. The team that guesses this perfect downforce level correctly will hand their driver a huge, immediate advantage.
Adding to the complexity is the track’s location high up in São Paulo. The thinner air at this altitude means less engine power and, crucially, a reduction in the downforce created by the wings. Engineers must compensate by fitting larger wings than they would at sea-level tracks, yet they must still find a way to maintain competitive top speed. This small but significant factor can be the subtle difference that tips the scales, changing which driver has the crucial edge. Finally, the rough track surface and the constant threat of a sudden, torrential downpour make Interlagos a perennial wild card, capable of producing surprising results and heart-stopping chaos in an instant.
Red Bull’s Precision Strike: Speed is King
Red Bull comes to Brazil with a clear, established advantage in pure speed, particularly through fast corners and on the straights. Their development throughout the season has continually improved the car’s overall airflow, giving their RB series car an intrinsic superiority on tracks that reward top-end pace. The team’s historical performance at Interlagos has often been exceptional, suggesting their underlying car design is naturally suited to the circuit’s demands. This history breeds confidence; for Red Bull, Interlagos is fertile hunting ground.
Max Verstappen, the team’s spearhead, is the master of extracting every fraction of a second from the car, even when the setup is not absolutely perfect. Red Bull’s primary race strategy will be to lean heavily into their straight-line speed advantage, using the run-up to the first corner and the final part of the track—both crucial passing zones—as their main offensive weapons. The sheer pace of the Red Bull on the straights is a demoralizing sight for any rival.
However, the chink in the Red Bull armor remains their occasional struggle in the tight, slow-speed parts of a track. The twisty nature of Interlagos’s middle sector demands a delicate balance. If the car is set up too aggressively for straight-line speed, stability under braking and agility through the slow corners will suffer. The pressure is on the engineers to find that crucial compromise, ensuring Verstappen maintains his main speed advantage without sacrificing the crucial stability needed to navigate the circuit’s more technical heart. The performance of both drivers, Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda, will be key to executing a dominant two-car strategy vital for securing maximum points in the driver standings.
McLaren’s Measured Counter: The Cornering Edge
Across the garage, McLaren has transformed into a relentless, steady threat, consistently matching or even surpassing Red Bull’s pace in the latter half of the season. Their car is famed for its exceptional balance and scorching speed in medium and high-speed corners. McLaren’s engineering strength lies in its ability to generate consistent downforce, empowering drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to push their limits in the turns. This characteristic is expected to be a massive benefit in the technical middle sector of Interlagos, where mechanical grip and stable airflow are paramount.
McLaren’s main strategic anxiety revolves around their top speed on the long straights against the Red Bull rocket. Their engineers must dedicate painstaking effort to refine the car’s aerodynamic efficiency, striving to make the car cut through the air better without compromising the cornering downforce that is their trademark strength. The team’s recent success, with both drivers regularly on the podium, proves their readiness to fight for the win in Brazil, provided they navigate the setup trade-off successfully.
Furthermore, McLaren possesses a potential ace up its sleeve: superior tire management. The rough surface of Interlagos is brutally abrasive, demanding a meticulous approach to tire heat and wear. Historically, McLaren has demonstrated a gentler touch on the tires this season. If the race devolves into a multi-stop affair due to high tire degradation, McLaren’s ability to keep the rubber alive for longer could hand Norris and Piastri a decisive, strategic edge over their Red Bull rivals. This consistency allows McLaren to deploy a more flexible and aggressive two-car plan, applying relentless pressure on Red Bull throughout the entire duration of the race.
The Strategic Gauntlet: Sprint and the São Paulo Storm
The inclusion of a Sprint Race format ratchets the pressure up to unsustainable levels. This format compresses the entire weekend, allowing for only a single, critical practice session before qualifying. Teams must dial in a nearly perfect car setup immediately. Any setup error or delayed reaction to changing track conditions will be magnified, possibly costing drivers valuable points in both the Sprint and the main Grand Prix. The ability of the engineers to accurately analyze limited practice data and make prescient guesses for the rest of the weekend will be a silent, yet crucial, battleground determining success or failure. The driver who starts the weekend with a near-perfect car has a colossal head start.
Finally, there is the ever-present, terrifying wild card of the São Paulo weather. Interlagos is notorious for its sudden, localized heavy rain, which can transform a dry, high-speed sprint into a chaotic, messy, low-grip survival challenge in a matter of minutes. When this happens, pure driver skill and the composure of the pit wall become the ultimate differentiators.
Max Verstappen has a storied history of performing brilliantly in mixed and fully wet conditions, often displaying better car control and superior judgment than the rest of the field. His experience in high-pressure, low-grip scenarios gives him a tangible edge when the conditions are at their absolute worst. Yet, Lando Norris, too, has proven his mettle in the wet, with several standout performances in tricky conditions throughout his career.
The team that can react fastest and most accurately to the changing track will gain the most from any chaos. The strategic decisions on tire choices—the agonizing call between Intermediate and Full Wet tires, or when to risk the switch back to slicks—will be a major, race-winning or race-losing strategic difference, continuing the history of the Brazilian Grand Prix being decided by crucial weather-related strategy calls.
In the end, the Brazilian Grand Prix is shaping up to be the season’s most direct and fiercely contested fight. It will not be won by a single factor, but by the driver and team who can best master the difficult setup compromise required for Interlagos, demonstrate superior tire management on the rough surface, and execute a perfect plan under the dual pressure of the Sprint format and the ever-looming threat of a meteorological catastrophe. This final push for performance and points will be a thrilling, dramatic, and unforgettable conclusion to the season’s main rivalry, with the ultimate victor proving they possess the most complete package in the face of a high-altitude ultimatum.
The Qatar Grand Prix was poised to be a crowning moment for McLaren. The papaya-colored cars had dominated the entire weekend. Oscar Piastri, the young Australian sensation, had been flawless, topping every single session: Sprint Qualifying, the Sprint Race, Grand Prix Qualifying, and leading the Grand Prix itself. Lando Norris was right there in the mix, sitting comfortably in third. The pace was undeniable, the setup was perfect, and a dominant 1-2 finish seemed not just possible, but probable.
And then came Lap 7. In a matter of seconds, a race that should have been a straightforward victory march transformed into a strategic catastrophe that left drivers furious, fans baffled, and the Formula 1 World Championship blown wide open.
The Decision That Changed Everything
The turning point was triggered by a collision involving Nico Hülkenberg and Pierre Gasly, which scattered debris across the track and necessitated a Safety Car. With 50 laps still to run and the FIA mandating a strict 25-lap limit on tire stints for safety reasons, the timing was technically perfect for a pit stop. It was a “free” stop—an opportunity to swap fresh rubber without losing significant track time relative to the field.
Up and down the pit lane, strategists jumped into action. Red Bull Racing, known for their sharp tactical operations, didn’t hesitate for a second. They called Max Verstappen in from second place immediately. Mercedes followed suit with both George Russell and rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli. Ferrari brought Charles Leclerc in. Every serious contender seized the moment.
Every team, that is, except one.
In a baffling move that will be debated for years to come, McLaren left both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris out on the track. They gambled on track position and superior pace, hoping to maintain flexibility for the remainder of the race. It was a decision that ignored the fundamental reality of the race situation: flexibility means nothing if you are stuck behind a rival on fresher tires who has already completed their mandatory stop.
“We Should Have Just Followed Him”
Inside the cockpit, the drivers realized the gravity of the mistake almost instantly. Lando Norris, possessing a racer’s instinct for strategy, questioned his race engineer, Will Joseph, with pointed frustration.
“We should have just followed him in,” Norris radioed, referring to Verstappen. When Joseph attempted to justify the call by claiming the other teams had lost “flexibility,” Norris shut it down. He knew the math didn’t add up. By staying out, McLaren had effectively handed the net lead—and the race win—to Max Verstappen.
The consequences were brutal. When the race resumed, Piastri drove with the desperation of a man trying to outrun a mathematical impossibility. He pushed his McLaren to the limit, setting purple sectors and competitive lap times, trying to build a gap large enough to pit and re-emerge ahead of the Red Bull. But the numbers were never on his side. Even after finally pitting, Piastri emerged only to find himself 10 seconds adrift of Verstappen.
The race was effectively over. Max Verstappen, a driver who needs no second invitation to win, controlled the proceedings with the calm assurance of a champion. He managed his tires, maintained the gap, and cruised to a victory that he likely never expected to take so easily. He crossed the line more than 12 seconds ahead of the man who had been faster than him all weekend.
A “Livid” Aftermath
If the on-track action was painful, the post-race atmosphere was positively funereal. Oscar Piastri, usually the picture of calm and composure, was described by broadcasters as “livid.” His radio message immediately after crossing the finish line was chilling in its brevity: “I don’t have any words.”
Facing the media later, Piastri tried to maintain his professionalism, but the disappointment was etched on his face. “I drove the best race that I could. I tried my best. It just wasn’t to be tonight,” he said. But when pressed about the strategic call, his honesty cut through the PR speak.
“I think in hindsight it was pretty obvious what we should have done,” Piastri admitted. The use of the word obvious was damning. This wasn’t a complex, 50/50 judgment call where the data was ambiguous. It was, in his eyes and the eyes of the entire paddock, a fundamental error.
Lando Norris had an even worse afternoon. After the strategy blunder, he suffered a “wild moment” at Turn 14 that damaged his car, and then found himself mired in traffic after his eventual pit stop. He spent the closing stages of the race staring at the gearbox of Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, eventually salvaging a fourth-place finish only after the Mercedes ran wide with two laps to go. It was damage limitation on a day that should have been a triumph.
Silence at the Top
The shock within the team was palpable. Zak Brown, the charismatic CEO of McLaren Racing who is typically a fixture on Sky Sports broadcasts immediately after races, was nowhere to be found. The team informed broadcasters he wouldn’t be available until after the podium ceremony.
Ted Kravitz, reporting from the pit lane, described the mood as “shell-shocked.” This wasn’t just a bad day at the office; it was a self-inflicted wound of massive proportions. For the second weekend in a row, McLaren found themselves apologizing to their drivers. Just a week prior in Las Vegas, a technical oversight regarding skid blocks led to both cars being disqualified. Now, a strategic fumble had cost them a win.
The Championship: A Lead Evaporated
The implications of this error extend far beyond a single trophy. The Drivers’ Championship, which seemed to be tilting in Norris’s favor, has tightened dramatically.
In August, the gap between Norris and Verstappen was a daunting 104 points. Going into Qatar, Norris had whittled that down significantly. But thanks to this result—Verstappen taking maximum points while Norris finished fourth—the gap is now a mere 12 points.
Verstappen has clawed his way back into serious contention, not just through his own brilliance, but through the operational failures of his rivals. For Piastri, the personal cost is severe. He trails Norris by 16 points and is just four points behind Verstappen. He went from leading the race to finishing second, and his own title hopes, while mathematically alive, are fading fast.
“It’s a little bit tough to swallow at the moment,” Piastri summarized.
The Final Showdown
The Formula 1 circus now heads to Abu Dhabi for the season finale with three drivers still in the hunt. Lando Norris leads with 408 points, Max Verstappen has 396, and Oscar Piastri sits on 392.
Norris can still secure the title with a third-place finish in the final race, regardless of what his rivals do. But the momentum has shifted. Doubts have crept in. McLaren has proven they have the fastest car and arguably the best driver lineup on the grid. But they have also proven that they can crumble under pressure.
In Abu Dhabi, they face one final test. They have one race to prove they have learned from their mistakes. One race to show they can execute a strategy as well as they can build a car. One race to avoid being remembered as the team that had everything required to win a championship, yet still managed to lose it.
The pressure is on. And as Qatar showed, in Formula 1, a single decision can change the world.
McLaren took their 200th Formula 1 victory as Lando Norris saw off Oscar Piastri to narrow the gap in the championship to just nine points after 14 rounds of the 2025 season
Lando Norris beat Oscar Piastri in Budapest(Image: PA)
Lando Norris is relishing a blockbuster Formula 1 title fight after seeing off rival Oscar Piastri to win the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Brit, 25, heads into the summer break just nine points behind his McLaren team-mate after his third win in four and fifth of the season overall.
He won by less than a second after holding off Aussie Piastri’s late charge in Budapest yesterday and declared: “My confidence is high. I feel good and I’m getting a good amount out of the car. Could it be better? Yeah, I still feel like there are things I need to work on. My lap one was not good today, but my starts have been okay.
“I am not making my life easy and I have got to make it easier for myself. But a win is great and I gained some points today. I think both of us accept that [the other] is going to win every now and then and it is going to be like that for the rest of the year.”
Norris started third but dropped to fifth on the opening lap and decided to change tactics. It worked beautifully, pitting just once and managing those tyres “perfectly” to make sure he had enough to deny Piastri, 24.
He admitted: “I didn’t really expect it to work because I was a long way behind by the time we committed to the one-stop. But the end of my first stint was great, the pace was very strong, and I just managed my tyres perfectly in the second stint. My strength of tyre management helped me a lot.”
Piastri said he thought it was “a good day” but his stony-faced expression on the podium told a different story. This was an opportunity missed and the resulting 14-point swing could be crucial come December.
He said: “Going into the race, we thought the two-stop was the best thing to do and in clean air it probably still was. It’s easy now to say a one-stop was the way to go, but one second different and the answer would be very different. Overall, I thought it was a good day.”
Looking at the bigger picture of his close title fight with Norris, Piastri added: “The pace has mostly been good and I feel my execution of races has been good as well. It’s going to be a tight battle all the way to the end. But I’m enjoying it.”
Charles Leclerc had started on pole and led the first half of the race. But he suffered an unspecified issue on his Ferrari, which the Monegasque claimed was to do with his chassis, which saw him tumble down disappointingly to fourth place.
He said: “It was around lap 40, as soon as I started to struggle and complain is when I started to have the issue, and then it got worse and worse. It’s frustrating to have everything under control, to know the pace is in the car to win, and then to be nowhere and we even lost the podium, so very disappointing.”
Charles Leclerc has been able to win races at Ferrari but, in seven years with the team in Formula 1, has not yet had the chance to challenge for championship glory
Charles Leclerc wants to taste F1 glory with Ferrari(Image: PA)
Charles Leclerc said he is “obsessed” with winning Formula 1 titles with Ferrari. The Monegasque was responding to a question about his future in his seventh season with the team, having not yet had the chance to fight for the World championship during that long tenure.
Leclerc, 27, is of a generation of special drivers who graduated to F1 with the ‘future World champion’ tag placed upon them. But the Monegasque has yet to have the chance to live up to that billing with Ferrari enduring a long title drought stretching back to 2008.
They came reasonably close in the constructors’ championship last year, keeping McLaren honest until the final day. But they have failed to provide another stiff challenge this year and the drivers’ title looks set to be a two-horse race between Lando Norris and his team-mate Oscar Piastri.
McLaren took over from Red Bull as the dominant force on the grid, which delivered four drivers’ titles for Max Verstappen who is the same age as Leclerc. Both Norris and Piastri are younger than the Monegasque.
As frustrating as that must be to Leclerc, he continues to insist that the privilege of representing the famous red team means more to him than challenging for a championship elsewhere. “I drive for Ferrari and that means a lot,” he said.
“Being part of this team and of Ferrari is an honour for me. My main goal right now is to bring it back to winning ways, and I owe Ferrari so much because they brought me into F1, they brought me in Ferrari.
“We need to win now. Of course I am not indifferent to other drivers winning, like Max or Lando and Oscar now, but I am focused on bringing this team back to the top. I will do anything with Fred [Vasseur, team principal] and with Lewis [Hamilton, team-mate] to win again. That is my only obsession.”
Ferrari’s failure to compete with McLaren this year led to speculation in the Italian press over the future of team boss Vasseur. But that was put to bed this week when Ferrari confirmed a new multi-year contract extension for the Frenchman, who joined in early 2023.
Leclerc is pleased with the steps he has seen the squad take under Vasseur’s leadership and said: “The improvements are coming step-by-step. We have definitely made progress in the right direction. We are certainly not satisfied with where we are, but we are happy with the steps forward.
“Before the start of the season there was a lot of hype around the team, and I think that changed the perception a bit of our season. Because, I will say it again, we are not where we want to be. Ferrari can only be satisfied with winning, and we know that well. We are fighting with for the second place in the championship so there is still a long way to go, but the progress is encouraging.”
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are both desperate to win Formula 1 titles with Ferrari and executive chairman John Elkann has explained how he thinks they can get the job done
Ferrari executive chairman John Elkann explained the decision to hand Frederic Vasseur a contract extension(Image: LAT Images)
Ferrari chief John Elkann wants to channel the spirit of the team’s peak success 20 years ago in order to summit the Formula 1 World again. The Scuderia is the most successful outfit in the sport’s history but has not won a title since 2008.
It was a decade in which the Prancing Horse was largely dominant, particularly in the first half. Between 2000 and 2004, Michael Schumacher was the king of the grid as all the parts came together to team that had struggled at times in the 1990s into one which blew all its rivals away.
The team was led at the time by Jean Todt, who played a huge role in bringing all those key cogs together. That included not only Schumacher behind the wheel but also the likes of Ross Brawn, who followed the German from Benetton to become Ferrari’s technical director, and Rory Byrne who was lured out of his retirement in Thailand to become chief designer.
There are plenty of factors behind Ferrari’s struggles in recent years, but their progress has so often been stunted by politics and meddling individuals within the wider company. But now, executive chairman Elkann is preaching an approach of togetherness in the team’s quest for more glory.
Ferrari have built their operations around Charles Leclerc, added a seven-time F1 champion into the mix in the form of Lewis Hamilton, and have now tied down team principal Frederic Vasseur to a new multi-year contract amid speculation in Italy over the Frenchman’s future.
It has been a tough season so far with Hamilton in particular struggling to adapt, but Elkann hopes they, along with other key individuals, will form the perfect combination needed to get Ferrari back to the top. “Ferrari wants to win, has won, will win, when it is able to get everyone together,” he told Formula1.com.
“What is important in Ferrari is not the individual, but it is the individuals. Those individuals, when they work together, they can do incredible things. That has been very much the case in Formula 1.
“We all remember when we were victorious, and we were victorious because there was a very strong sense that incredible individuals – from our engineers, our mechanics, our pilots, our team principal – were really individuals that worked together. So it is not about the individual, but it’s about the collective effort of great individuals who can achieve even more together.”
Regarding the decision to stick with Vasseur, who joined in early 2023, Elkann added: “We have really worked well with Fred, and when you work well, it is important to continue working well. The reality is that from the basis of these years, we all want to build more and we know that, in Formula 1, times are such that what you really need is engagement, trust, and make sure that the time is there with you.
“The natural evolution of the relationship with Fred, that has been a very strong relationship and one that you can feel, and it is palpable in Ferrari, just the importance of how stability makes a big impact on results. That is really what we all want.”
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Nightmare: Is the 2025 Season Already a Write-Off?
After a Hungarian Grand Prix weekend that can only be described as excruciating, Lewis Hamilton finds himself facing one of the most emotionally and professionally challenging moments of his career. The seven-time world champion—known for dominating the Hungaroring—left the track with zero points, marking the first time since his 2010 DNF that he failed to score at this venue. But this wasn’t just a bad race; it was the latest chapter in what’s quickly becoming a disaster of a debut season with Ferrari.
A Fall From Grace in Budapest
Hungary has long been a happy hunting ground for Hamilton. With a record nine wins and eight pole positions at the circuit, it’s historically one of his strongest venues. Yet in 2025, he qualified outside of Q2 while his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, managed to put the same machinery on pole. The race did not offer redemption either. Hamilton remained mired in the midfield, unable to overtake rookie drivers Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar due to a stubborn DRS train, and eventually finished where he started: P12.
His post-race comments were just as bleak as the result. “The race was pretty bad,” Hamilton admitted. “I was just stuck where I was. I’m glad it’s over and I’m looking forward to going away.” It’s rare to hear such a dejected tone from a driver of Hamilton’s caliber, and even rarer for him to describe himself as “useless,” a word he used in frustration over the team radio.
A Clash of Expectations and Reality
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was seen as a bold, even romantic, career twist—a legendary driver joining the sport’s most iconic team in search of one final world title. But that fairy tale is already unraveling.
Heading into the summer break, Hamilton sits sixth in the standings with 109 points, a full 42 points behind Leclerc. The Italian had a few DNFs, or the gap might have been even larger. In contrast to Hamilton’s dismal result in Hungary, Leclerc was in contention for a podium until a chassis issue around Lap 40 compromised his race.
This discrepancy is becoming too large to ignore. While both drivers reportedly struggle with Ferrari’s underperforming package, only one is consistently extracting performance. And it’s not the driver with seven titles.
Is Hamilton Losing His Edge?
Hamilton’s critics are quick to suggest that Father Time may finally be catching up to him. Now 40, he’s the oldest driver on the grid and perhaps not adapting as quickly to the nuances of Ferrari’s car as his younger teammate. His Hungary performance, especially his inability to dispatch midfield runners, has only intensified that scrutiny.
But Hamilton still insists he’s racing for passion, not paycheck. “I love racing,” he emphasized recently. “I don’t do it just because I have a contract.” That might be true, but passion alone won’t bridge the gap to Leclerc or justify Ferrari’s blockbuster decision to sign him.
Ferrari’s Crisis Runs Deeper Than One Driver
To be fair, Ferrari itself isn’t exactly helping Hamilton’s case. There’s growing concern within the paddock that the Maranello-based team is already focusing more on the 2026 regulation changes than solving their 2025 problems. And that’s dangerous territory—especially for a team with such high expectations.
The simulator upgrades that reportedly showed promise haven’t translated to the real track. Leclerc’s chassis issues, frequent reliability problems, and a car that forces drivers into lift-and-coast modes far too often are all symptoms of a team still struggling with consistency.
As one commentator noted: “There are problems everywhere and solutions nowhere.” That may sound dramatic, but it accurately reflects the mood inside the Ferrari garage—and Hamilton’s growing disillusionment.
The Fred Vasseur Dilemma
Team Principal Fred Vasseur has publicly defended Hamilton. “He is very demanding with the car, with the team, with himself,” Vasseur said. “It’s the approach of a seven-time world champion.”
But how long can those reassurances last when the results simply don’t follow?
Hamilton’s body language after the race—sitting motionless in his cockpit for nearly a minute before getting out—was more telling than any press statement. The mental toll of finishing behind rookies in a race where he holds the all-time win record is immense. And the reality is, Ferrari may not be able to offer him what he needs: a fast car and a clear No. 1 status.
The Leclerc Factor: Prince of Maranello
If Hamilton expected to arrive at Ferrari as the undisputed team leader, he may have underestimated the gravitational pull of Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque has been with the team since 2019, has consistently outperformed his teammates, and has built deep trust with Ferrari’s technical staff.
It’s becoming increasingly evident that when it comes down to tough calls—strategy, upgrades, or even political capital within the team—Leclerc will have the upper hand. And Hamilton, despite his stellar resume, might find himself marginalized if results don’t improve.
That’s a hard pill to swallow for any elite athlete. Especially one who left the comfort of Mercedes in pursuit of a final act worthy of his legacy.
Looking Ahead: Can the Second Half of 2025 Save Hamilton?
There’s still time for a turnaround. But Hamilton will need more than just hope. He’ll need performance—both from himself and the team. Ferrari must deliver a car that’s more predictable, more responsive, and capable of sustaining race pace without throwing up mechanical surprises.
More critically, Hamilton must rediscover the mindset that has carried him through adversity before. He’s known for resilience—think of the comebacks after engine failures, dodgy strategy calls, and the heartbreak of Abu Dhabi 2021. But this time, the challenge feels more existential. Is this a slump or the start of a permanent decline?
The Bigger Picture: 2026 and Beyond
With new regulations arriving in 2026, Ferrari must tread carefully. If Hamilton’s confidence continues to erode, he might not be the competitive asset they envisioned for the new era. Worse still, if internal dynamics fracture—pitting Hamilton’s needs against Leclerc’s ambitions—Ferrari could risk another cycle of underachievement.
Some fans are already questioning whether signing Hamilton was a mistake, especially if it means sidelining Carlos Sainz, who was performing consistently before being pushed out. If the Hamilton experiment doesn’t yield a title or at least a serious championship challenge by 2026, it might be remembered more for what could’ve been than what it achieved.
Final Thoughts: Redemption or Retirement?
For now, Hamilton must dig deep. The summer break offers a brief window for reflection, recovery, and maybe some recalibration. But once the season resumes, excuses will wear thin.
P12 finishes, missed Q2 appearances, and “useless” radio messages are not befitting of a driver of Hamilton’s stature. The burden is now on both Ferrari and Hamilton to salvage this season and prove that this union wasn’t a romantic miscalculation—but the beginning of a truly historic final chapter.
Because if things continue down this path, the legacy of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari chapter may be defined not by redemptive glory, but by unfulfilled promise.
Max Verstappen Stays at Red Bull for 2026 – But 2027 Holds the Real Drama
After months of swirling rumors, cryptic headlines, and relentless speculation, the Formula 1 world finally has some clarity: Max Verstappen is staying at Red Bull Racing for the 2026 season. This announcement might offer temporary calm in the turbulent driver market, but in reality, it’s just a pause before the next wave of drama. With the 2027 season still wide open, this story is far from over.
The Decision That Ends (Some) Speculation
Verstappen’s future has been the centerpiece of F1 gossip for much of the season. Whispers about a possible switch to Mercedes—especially amid Red Bull’s internal turmoil and Mercedes’ clear desire for a superstar driver—fueled a narrative that saw team principals, drivers, and fans all holding their breath. But as confirmed ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix and reinforced post-Belgium by Helmut Marko, Verstappen has chosen not to activate his performance clause exit option.
This clause would have allowed Verstappen to leave if he fell outside the top three in the drivers’ championship standings. But with Max still squarely in the title fight, the clause was never going to be triggered. In essence, he’s committed to Red Bull through the first season of the new engine regulations.
Why 2026 Matters — But 2027 Matters More
Verstappen’s decision gives Red Bull the stability it badly needs during a time of major transition. With new power unit regulations coming into force in 2026, including Red Bull’s partnership with Ford, maintaining continuity with the sport’s top driver is a huge win. Amid significant technical and leadership changes, Max’s presence helps stabilize the team, allowing them to prepare for this new era with their most valuable asset still on board.
However, 2026 may be more of a litmus test than a long-term plan. Red Bull now has a one-year buffer to prove it can remain competitive with a new engine concept. If things go sideways, Verstappen retains the power to walk in 2027.
And that’s where things get interesting.
Mercedes, Russell, and the Long Game
Toto Wolff hasn’t been shy about his desire to bring Max Verstappen to Mercedes. Even as he publicly backed his current lineup—Lewis Hamilton (before his Ferrari move) and George Russell—there was an unmistakable undertone: Verstappen is the dream. Now that Hamilton is headed to Maranello, the second Mercedes seat is no longer guaranteed to anyone long-term.
Russell’s short-term future is safe thanks to Max’s decision, but 2027 is a different story. And the timing is perfect for Wolff. If Mercedes finds form in 2026 under the new regulations, it becomes a much more attractive destination. And Verstappen, ever the pragmatist, would be watching closely.
From Max’s standpoint, sticking with Red Bull for 2026 is logical. He knows the car, the team, and the dynamics. Red Bull is still outperforming Mercedes on most weekends. The RB machine, particularly in Max’s hands, is arguably the second fastest on the grid—and that’s not something to give up lightly.
But should Mercedes start dominating again in the post-2026 era, Max holds the cards. He can jump ship without any contractual entanglements. He’s playing the long game, and he’s doing it masterfully.
The Horner Exit and Power Shifts Inside Red Bull
One of the less-discussed but deeply impactful elements of Verstappen’s decision is the departure of Christian Horner from the Red Bull leadership. While there’s no confirmed direct correlation, the timing raises eyebrows.
Max never publicly defended Horner during the investigation that eventually led to his exit. In contrast, when Helmut Marko—Max’s longtime mentor—was reportedly under threat, Verstappen made it clear: if Marko left, he’d follow. That loyalty tells you everything about where his true allegiances lie.
With Horner gone, the Verstappen-Marko camp holds more influence within the team than ever. Red Bull’s new leadership figure, Laurent Mekies, doesn’t carry the same weight Horner once did. The power balance has clearly shifted—and arguably in Verstappen’s favor.
This restructuring could bring the internal harmony Red Bull desperately needs. The team has suffered a noticeable brain drain, with senior figures like Rob Marshall heading to rivals like McLaren. Stability at the top, especially with Verstappen firmly onboard, might help plug the leaks and refocus the team.
The Pressure on Red Bull’s New Leadership
With 2026 looming, one individual faces massive pressure: Pierre Waché, Red Bull’s technical director. Horner was one of Waché’s biggest allies. Now, with Horner gone, Waché’s performance will be under intense scrutiny.
If the 2026 car fails—whether in terms of aerodynamic innovation or power unit competitiveness—Waché could find himself on the chopping block. The margin for error is razor-thin. In this new post-Horner Red Bull, results are the only currency that matters.
George Russell: The Quiet Victim?
While Max’s decision offers clarity, it also casts a shadow—particularly over George Russell. Russell has done everything right. He’s stayed loyal, pushed hard, and maintained professionalism during Mercedes’ post-2021 decline. Yet, his long-term future remains uncertain, not due to performance, but because of the Verstappen factor.
It’s a harsh reality of F1: when a generational talent becomes available, even loyal team players become expendable. And Russell knows it. His recent public comments about feeling “exposed” in contract talks and his misalignment with some of Mercedes’ internal views hint at deeper issues between him and Toto Wolff.
If tensions escalate and trust continues to erode, a split in 2027 isn’t out of the question.
A Reopened Driver Market in 2027
If Verstappen does decide to move, 2027 could be the biggest driver shuffle in years. By then, several top seats may be available:
Aston Martin, with its growing ambitions and deep pockets, could be a natural home for Russell if Mercedes looks elsewhere.
Red Bull, should Verstappen depart, would be desperate for a proven race-winner.
Ferrari could open up again, depending on how Hamilton’s third-year clause plays out.
Audi, entering F1 in full swing by then, will likely aim for a marquee signing.
Even Williams, with Alex Albon already in place, might make a compelling pitch for a leadership pairing.
In other words, 2027 provides a much wider and more flexible market than the constrained options drivers had for 2026.
The Verdict: Calm Before the Storm
Max Verstappen staying at Red Bull is, without a doubt, the story of the current season. But it’s not the end of the saga—it’s just the intermission.
For Red Bull, it’s a win. They’ve retained the sport’s most dominant driver through a critical period of change. For Mercedes, it’s a delay. The hunt for Verstappen isn’t over—just postponed. For George Russell, it’s a reprieve. But the storm still looms on the horizon.
What happens in 2026 will shape the next decade of F1. And everyone knows it.
Until then, the chess pieces are being positioned, the players are calculating their next moves, and the game is far from over. Verstappen may have stayed put—for now—but Formula 1’s driver market drama is only just beginning.
Lewis Hamilton at the Crossroads: Crisis or Comeback?
In the high-stakes, high-octane world of Formula 1, few names carry the weight of Lewis Hamilton. A seven-time world champion, a record-breaking icon, and a symbol of resilience, Hamilton has long been considered one of the greatest drivers to ever touch a steering wheel. But in 2025, a shocking transformation is unfolding. The man who once seemed untouchable is now calling himself “useless,” suggesting Ferrari find a new driver, and visibly struggling through races that once played to his strengths.
The Hungarian Grand Prix, a venue where Hamilton has triumphed eight times, became the symbolic low point in a season already riddled with disappointment. He qualified a dismal 12th, while his teammate Charles Leclerc seized pole position. For Hamilton, it wasn’t just a bad day—it was a breakdown. Post-qualifying, he emerged from the car looking emotionally gutted, later confessing to reporters, “I was absolutely useless.” For a man once synonymous with poise and power, the words felt jarring.
A Season in Decline
This wasn’t an isolated failure. At Spa, Hamilton’s performance slid even further—18th in the sprint, 16th in qualifying, and 12th in the race. These results might be forgivable for a rookie in a struggling team. But for Lewis Hamilton, the bar is infinitely higher. His move to Ferrari was expected to revive the Scuderia’s championship hopes and offer Hamilton one last shot at the elusive eighth title. Instead, it has turned into a slow-motion nightmare.
Even Hamilton admits that his Ferrari experience has been far tougher than expected. “It’s more intense in so many areas,” he said, hinting not only at technical issues but also cultural and emotional strain within the team. The aura of invincibility that once cloaked him now seems faded, replaced by a palpable sense of self-doubt.
Behind the Curtain: Ferrari’s Pressure Cooker
Ferrari has always been more than a racing team. It’s a national institution, an emotional crucible, and a legacy mill. The expectations are monumental. As former driver Anthony Davidson aptly put it, “There’s a high expectation on the Italian national team to perform. The standards are incredibly high.”
Combine that with Hamilton’s own perfectionism, and the result is combustible. According to team principal Fred Vasseur, Hamilton is “very demanding with himself,” a trait that once drove him to greatness but may now be contributing to his spiral. Reports indicate that after each race, Hamilton sends Ferrari pages of detailed feedback and analysis. He’s clearly still fighting—but the weight of that fight is beginning to show.
The Age Question
Anthony Davidson didn’t shy away from voicing what many were thinking: age is becoming the elephant in the room. At 40, Hamilton is the oldest driver on the grid. Though age alone doesn’t define performance—Fernando Alonso has proven that—it does change things. Reflexes dull, recovery slows, and motivation can waver under intense pressure. Davidson observed, “You start asking yourself questions.” In Hungary, Hamilton didn’t just look slow—he looked like a man deep in existential thought.
He’s never been quite the same since the major rule changes in 2022, which introduced new ground effect cars. These machines, with their different handling dynamics, have not suited Hamilton’s driving style. Even Toto Wolff, his former team principal at Mercedes, admitted that the current regulations “beat him.”
Teammate Tensions and Public Perceptions
While Hamilton struggles, Charles Leclerc continues to rise. Pole positions, consistent finishes, and an increasingly composed demeanor have cemented him as Ferrari’s golden child. Though publicly supportive—“We are one team,” Leclerc said—there’s no denying the growing chasm between them.
This disparity is also affecting public sentiment. Where headlines once roared about Hamilton’s dominance, they now cheer Leclerc’s potential. For Hamilton, the noise is shifting from celebration to speculation. Is he past his prime? Did he make a mistake leaving Mercedes? Can he ever win again?
And yet, Leclerc is not gloating. “Lewis is not my target,” he said. “I want both of us to be successful and Ferrari to be successful.” Still, the unspoken tension lingers. It always does when one driver is winning and the other is sinking.
A Legend Still Fighting
Despite all the setbacks, Hamilton hasn’t stopped trying. Just before the summer break, he sent Ferrari two comprehensive reports filled with ideas to improve the car. That’s not something a driver who has given up would do. It’s the work of someone who still believes—or at least wants to believe—in a way forward.
There are signs of life. Hamilton won the sprint race in China earlier this season, a flicker of brilliance in a darkening campaign. But flickers are not flames, and in the relentless world of F1, momentum matters. Fans, sponsors, and critics don’t wait long before they start writing obituaries.
And yet, one thing remains constant: Lewis Hamilton’s desire to rise. He’s done it before. He was counted out in 2016, written off in 2022, and underestimated many times throughout his career. Each time, he returned, often stronger.
The 2026 Reset: A Glimmer of Hope?
There may be salvation ahead. In 2026, F1 will undergo another seismic rule shift. The current ground effect cars will be retired, and a new generation of machines will hit the track. It could be the lifeline Hamilton needs—a chance to reset, adapt, and exploit his legendary racecraft in a new environment.
Toto Wolff remains optimistic. “He will always be the GOAT,” he said. “No single weekend or race season that hasn’t gone to plan changes that.” But even Wolff acknowledges the toll this stretch is taking.
Crisis or Comeback?
So here we are—watching one of the sport’s greatest legends, not in triumph but in turmoil. Is this Hamilton’s rock bottom? Or is it the moment right before a historic comeback? History suggests we shouldn’t count him out. But emotion, age, and a brutally competitive grid suggest this might be his final battle.
Ultimately, only Hamilton can decide what comes next. Will he rekindle the fire that once made him unbeatable? Or will this season mark the beginning of his farewell tour? That’s the story still being written, lap by lap.
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