Oscar Piastri Claims Pole in Spain Again Ahead of Lando Norris

Oscar Piastri slammed down the hammer in qualifying today; out-pacing his teammate Lando Norris once again. McLaren finished the sessions 1-2 ahead of Max Verstappen who had to settle for P3. Pisatri said, “I’m very happy with today. It’s been a good weekend so far. The car’s been mega today, and I feel like I’ve been able to put in some good laps. Thank you to the team for all the hard work. This was very different twelve months ago, so to have turned it around in the best way is a great result. We’ll make sure we try to get a good start tomorrow and bring home the points.”

Norris also offered his thoguhts post race saying, “A decent result today. I think the pace is definitely there. We just didn’t get the most out of the car on a couple of corners, but it’s a good result for the team. A nice one-two, and a good place to start for tomorrow. We’ve got a lot of quick guys behind us, so we won’t count them out, but we’ve got the best car underneath us. We’ll do our best to bring home maximum points.”

Qualifying Results from Spain

The Monaco Grand Prix is the crown jewel of the F1 sporting world and serves as the ultimate technical test for drivers. The circuit is not known for its overtaking opportunities. Many would say that the race is won in qualifying given the lack of opportunity and circuit real estate to make aggressive passing moves. Despite the FIA adding a requirement for 2 pit stops the races at the front ended exactly how it started. Lando norris took home another win with McLaren and Oscar Piastri took third which further extending McLaren’s comfortable lead in the constructors championship race.

Norris said, “This feels amazing. I’ve achieved one of my dreams – because winning here is what I dreamt of as a kid, so I’m proud of myself and the team for being able to get the win here. It’s a long race but it was good fun because we could push for quite a lot of it. The end of the race was a little challenging with Charles close behind and Max ahead, but I felt under control, able to push when I needed to and chill when I didn’t… I’m very happy, the team are very happy, and we carry good momentum with us into the final race of the triple header.”

McLaren have shown no signs of slowing down and despite some mishaps in recent week the team still remains the ones to beat now holding a healthy 172 point lead over Mercedes in second and 176 point lead over Red Bull in third.

In astonishing fashion only 5 cars finished the race on the lead lap which speaks to the technical demand of the race. Hometown hero Charles Leclerc gathered his Ferrari to finish P2 one of his best finishes of the season. Max Verstappen finished P4 with Lewis Hamilton behind in P5.

Racing Bulls Score Double Points

Both Lima Lawson and Isack Hadjar scored points in Monaco finishing P6 and P8 ahead of Yuki Tsunoda who fell all the way to P17 in a horrific finish for the Red Bull driver. Hadjar commented on the finish. “It was a perfect Sunday for us. I’m really happy, and honestly, there was nothing more I could have done today in the race, so I consider it kind of a small victory. We had a plan and we executed it perfectly. I’m really proud of what we achieved today as a team, with Liam also bringing home a P8 and helping me out there. It was a big team effort, and a double-points finish is a nice reward for all of us. I found it quite interesting having to do two stops; there was much more to think about before the race, and we made it work today with our strategy. Since last week in Imola, we picked up some pace and made a step forward, something that we were able to carry on to Monaco. I’m confident and I’m looking forward to going back racing in Barcelona in a few days.”

Monaco Grand Prix Results

Monaco Grand Prix weekend is here and Lando Norris set himself up at the front of the field to claim pole position. However, strategy in Monaco has reached unknown territory this year in F1. The FIA have decided on a rule change to the Monaco Grand Prix. Two pit stops are now required which could have drastic implications on race strategy. Monaco is traditionally known as one of the circuits where qualifying generally determines the race winner. The circuit is one of the most technically demanding courses offering slim margins for overtaking. With two stops the standard tire strategis for Monaco will eed to be rethoguht out. might on tire strategy may be a deciding factor in the championship race tonight.

Lando Norris Provide Words on His Pole Position Finish

Norris commented on this pole position start saying, “Pole in Monaco, it feels good! We’ve worked hard to have a day like this. It’s very special to do it here in Monaco, the hardest track to take Pole, and I’m very proud of the whole team, here at the track and back at the factory.  

We employed a different run plan to our rivals but it’s what we believed would be best and we stuck with it. The final lap in Q3 around this circuit is about who can risk a little bit more. It was a well put-together lap and it feels good when you cross the line and know it has paid off. I’m going to live in the moment for a little bit and then shift focus to tomorrow.”

Oscar Piastri set the third fastest lap and will start on the second row with Max Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton finished Q3 fourth, but got demoted to P7 after being penalized for impeding. The official decision read: “Car 44 (Hamilton) was on a slow lap and off the racing line as he was approaching Turn 2,” read the stewards’ decision document. “Car 1 (Verstappen) was approaching Car 44 on a push lap.”
Max Verstappen moved up to P and will start on the second row alongside Oscar Piastri.

Qualifying Results

Max Verstappen kept himself in the drives championship fight this weekend after winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after starting the race from P2. However, that P2 start was very short lived after Verstappen made a very early move through the first few corners on lap 1 to make a hairpin pass on Oscar Piastri. Verstappen held the effective lead the entire race after the cars made their first pit stops. He also caught a bit of luck for the second pit window when a safety car was deployed he was able to make a free stop for new tires that would see him to the end without needed to relinquish track position.

Verstappen Comments on the Win

At the restart Verstappen had already built up a 1.2second lead by the first lap after the safety car came in to resume the race. He would keep the lead to the end. “To have the win here is fantastic, said Verstappen. “The start wasn’t the best but I can say turn two was good! Once we got into the lead I think we showed what we could do with the pace of the car and I could push quite nicely. The race was a lot more promising than what I expected, which was really good for us, and the car felt a lot more stable. We have clearly made a step forward with the set up of the car. I looked after my tyres quite well and it felt really good on both of the compounds. It took a while for the car to be cleared during the VSC but we were able to pit which was good.

It was a bit of a reset and I could also pull away as Oscar had used tyres. I am really happy with this result and from the Team’s side we did everything well: good strategy, good pit stops and really calm communication everywhere, which is what you need in a successful race. It was a big weekend for us and good to see that the upgrades worked on the car. Big thank you to everyone here and at the factory for this, this makes our 400th race even more special. Hopefully we can extract what we learnt here today a bit more often. It has been a really positive weekend for us and we will keep on going, keep trying to be better and of course enjoy it a bit tonight!”

McLaren Increases Their Championship Lead

Despite not winning the race, McLaren walked away from the weekend as winners in terms of points. McLaren currently holds a commanding lead on the constructors and Red Bull is out of the discussion for the time being. McLaren is in a world of their own with a 132 pint lead ahead of Mercedes in the championship. Ferrari kept their top 4 contention in sight with two top 10 finishes this weekend.

Of Note Kimi Antonelli suffered from a mechanical issue which prevented Mercedes from achieving a double points finish.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Results

Oscar Piastri finished on pole for this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. The pole position comes yet again at the expense of his teammate Lando Norris who has slowly found himself falling behind in the championship race despite being the favorite at the beginning of the season. “It’s always a great feeling to be on Pole,” sand Piastri. “It was a really good session, tougher with the Red Flags, but I am very happy with the job we’ve done. The tires have been trickier today, but the team did a fantastic job to get the car into a nice window. I’m excited for tomorrow.”

Norris had an contrasting view on the day saying, “A frustrating day for me, the car was good so it’s disappointing not to qualify higher. I’ll work hard tonight with the team to see where we can fight to create opportunities to move forward in tomorrow’s race.  We should have strong race pace and there’s still plenty to play for.”

Tsunoda Suffers Major Crash, Verstappen Settle for P2

Yuki Tsunoda failed to set a time in Q1 after a major crash that left the car inverted. Tsunoda attributed the crash to pushing the car too hard after getting caught up on the curbing. He avoided injury in the incident. “Thankfully, I am physically okay and feel fine,” said Tsunoda. “We made quite a lot of changes to the car from FP3 to Qualifying, I just overdid it and pushed too hard on the lap and took too much curb and lost the car. It is frustrating and unfortunately was a stupid mistake that has caused big work and effort for the mechanics. The car felt quick before and I know what went wrong and it’s just an unfortunate situation to be in. Big apologies to the team, and we will look at the damage and hopefully the car will be good for tomorrow in the race.”

Qualifying Results

Oscar Piastri has emerged as the front runner at McLaren despite technically being considered the number 2 driver within the team. McLaren currently sits atop the constructors and drivers standings as Oscar Piastri has led the team thus far this season to 3 consecutive wins and shown no signs of slowing down. Piastri has made it clear that he is no number 2 driver and that he is just as capable as Norris at winning a world championship.

Despite starting on Pole Max Verstappen wasn’t able to get the job done. The McLarens proved to be too much and by lap 17 both McLarens had made it past him. Piastri was the fastest man on track and after the pit stops rolled in Piastri was able to capitalize on track position under the virtual safety car. From then on he took off at the front and would never be caught again.

Piastri Comments on the Win

Piastri said, “It’s a great feeling to have won the race today, one I really wanted to win! Clearly the car was unbelievable today and we were able to use that pace advantage. That’s down to everyone here trackside and the whole team at the factory putting in an incredible amount of hard work to get us to where we are now. As always, there’s lots of learnings to take away from the weekend but I’m very, very happy to be leaving Miami on top.”

With the win Piastri surpasses Lando Norris in number of F1 wins at 6 wins. McLaren haven’t publicly committed to one driver’s efforts for winning the championship. The team can’t ask for more as they continue to finish 1-2 and firther extend their championship lead. The ascension is reminiscent of the recent championship runnings of Red Bull and Mercedes whom both had extended dynasties int he past 15 years.

After a less than optimal sprint race Max Verstappen returned to the front of the field for qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix. Verstappen was handed a 10 second time penalty during the sprint race for an unsafe release after making contact with another driver in the pit lane. However, Verstappen didn’t let the missed opportunity for points in the sprint prevent him from focusing on the big points haul race tomorrow. Verstappen said, “It’s been a great Qualifying. I think we improved the car a tiny amount which helped me to rotate it a bit better and honestly, Q1, Q2, Q3, just improving every run really, trying to find a bit more the limit.

I had a tiny moment on my final lap into Turn 1 so I lost a bit of time there, but around here it’s very complicated with the tires over a lap. But in the end it worked out well, so I’m very happy of course to be on pole.”

On top of pole position for the Miami Grand Prix Max welcomed a new family member with the birth of his daughter this weekend. Verstappen and his partner Kelly Pique named their daughter Lily Verstappen and shared details on her arrival in an instagram post.

Behind the Lead

Lando Norris finished P2 ahead of Kimi Antonelli who has shown that he can consistently perform with the top of the field. It is not completely out of the question to believe he may come into championship contention if he can continue his recent run of good pace on track. The young rookie said, “I’ve felt confident with the car throughout this weekend, and it was good to convert that into another strong qualifying result. I struggled a little bit in Q1 and Q2, not having as clean a run as I had in Sprint Qualifying yesterday. My last lap in Q3 was my best effort today though. I was a little greedy in turn one, but the rest of the lap was quick. The gaps at the front are incredibly tight and even a few hundredths can make a difference. I am happy with how my lap was though and P3 is a good place to be starting from for tomorrow’s Grand Prix.
 
The Sprint race was a little disappointing this morning. I lost several places at turn one and then was unfortunate with the contact with Verstappen in the pit lane. We had the opportunity and the pace to have a stronger result, but it was good to bounce back later in the day. We will be aiming to have a cleaner race tomorrow and see what we can do.

Qualifying Results

Lando Norris led the McLaren effort in the Miami Grand Prix sprint race 1-2 finish today. Despite falling short to Kimi Antonelli in sprint qualifying, the McLarens found the pace to pull ahead and stay ahead for the length of the race. Antonelli also had a brief incident into turn 3 due to wet track conditions which compromised his race start. Antonelli was also on the receiving end of damage due to an unsafe release by Max Verstappen. Verstappen received a 10 second penatly for the incident which essentially ended his contention for points.

As the race progressed, conditions improved, prompting the drivers to commit to a switch to slick tires while the advantage was still present. Yuki Tsunoda was the first to make the choice and the field followed as track conditions improved. The timing fell into the laps of Lando Narris and Oscar Piastri who were able to secure their positions at the end of the race under the safety car.

“My luck in Miami seems pretty good at the minute so I’m happy,” said Norris. “The pace was still very good. It’s always just difficult, these races, you never know when to box. You box early – it paid off for Lewis and he had a good strategy – or do you stay out later and maybe get the Safety Car? It’s worked two years in a row. I would probably prefer if this happened tomorrow rather than today but I’ll take it. I’m happy. A good job by the team so it was good fun.

The Mexican Grand prix is here to stay! At least in the short term. The Mexico City Grand Prix will remain on the F1 calendar until 2028. The race has become a fan favorite with the F1 fan presence in Mexico reaching upwards of 400,000+ fans per year. The deal is a positive one for the area as there are a number of local businesses that benefit from the series visiting.

Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1, said: “We are very excited to announce that the Mexico City Grand Prix will continue to be part of our calendar until 2028. Formula 1 is energy, passion and emotion, and every year the unique atmosphere created by our fans in Mexico City is one of the most incredible and energetic experiences of our championship.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to President Claudia Sheinbaum for her strong commitment to Formula 1, to the Head of Government Clara Brugada for her continued support and to Alejandro Soberón Kuri, whose leadership has been fundamental to the success of this event. I also want to thank the local stakeholders and businesses that share our vision and who make this event so special.”

Despite a competitive campaign in 2024 and 2023. Aston Martin has clearly emerged as the one team on the F1 grid that is moving in the wrong direction when comparing their performance last season. Jeddah was especially an eye opening round for the team after both drivers struggled to challenge the front runners for podium positions. There are rumors in the F1 paddock regarding rising tensions between owner Lawrence Stroll and Adrian Newey’s lack of focus on the 2025 program. Newey has made it clear his focus is on the future of Aston Martin and not the present. While strategically this makes sense for a long term play, questions have surfaced regarding the harmony in the Aston martin camp.

Adrian Newey arrived at Aston Martin early this year with expectation running high for his legendary designs and seeming performance advantage at Red Bull. Aston Martin, however, hasn’t seen any improvement. To date Newey has been paid 33 million euros and to receive such a sum and not be focus on the year hired might seem egregious. However, Newey may feel that the previously designed car can’t be saved. Its been made clear that Newey is working in isolation and has failed to attend multiple team meetings regarding progress for the 2025 car.

Is there a Possible Strategic Avenue Due to Honda Partnership?

After pulling out of Formula 1 with Red Bull prematurely, Honda founf themselves a new partnership with Aston Martin that is set to kick off in 2026 when the regulations change. Given that Honda will supply power units for the Aston Martin team from 2026 on. It’s possible there is a resource restructuring that is under way to ensure the best strategy for success is actually attainable in 2026. There is a possibly of design and performance direction hurdles that the team will face with a new power unit.

There is something to be said for the additional tunnel time the team will get for 2026; the lower they finish in the championship this year. While I won’t speculate on teams throwing races to improve testing availability for the following season. It would be hard to imagine forgoing the valuable prize money the teams get in 2025 to offset 2026 expenses. The truth is the public may never know the full truth. Aston Martin will continue to seek a unified front to prevent distractions to team operations.

In addition to the internal pressures. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) which is a 20% stake owner in the Aston martin team has reportedly expressed concerns with the performance of the team thus far this year. Whether there is a risk for these investors to pull out is unknown. However, typically when we hear whispers of issues in camp they are usually far worse than we’d expect in Formula 1. Will Lawrence Stroll be able to calm investors to keep harmony in the Aston Martin camp? Time will tell.