Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Max Verstappen

  • R24 – Abu Dhabi

    Lando Norris soaked up the pressure of a nervy Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to finish on the podium and in turn secure the F1 Drivers’ Championship for the first time – following rivals Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri home.

    Norris started the title-deciding race from second on the grid, between Red Bull racer Verstappen and McLaren teammate Piastri, knowing that finishing in the top three places would be enough to put the 2025 crown beyond doubt.

    A bold Piastri move demoted Norris to third on the opening lap, before attacks from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, a spell in traffic after his first pit stop and wheel-to-wheel moment with the other Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda put the Brit under pressure.

    Norris, though, dealt with everything that was thrown at him to cross the line in third and clinch the title over Verstappen and Piastri, who both delivered flawless races en route to the win and second position respectively.

    At the end of it all, just two points separated Norris and Verstappen at the top of the World Championship standings, given the 10 point swing at the Yas Marina Circuit, with Piastri finishing further 11 points back.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Piastri, P3: Norris, P4: Leclerc, P5: Russell, P6: Alonso, P7: Ocon, P8: Hamilton, P9: Hulkenberg and P10: Stroll.

    What a season for Mr Lando Norris aka the new WORLD CHAMPION!!!!! A really good race from the Brit, he kept it all cool, calm and collected exactly when he needed to, and most importantly trusted the process!
    A decent result from Piastri, unfortunately it wasn’t enough to get the championship but a really strong season he should be proud of!

    A lovely result from Max, a win to round out the season, which has been a tough one for himself and the team but they really did turn it round, but maybe it was a little too late in the end…
    As for his teammate, Yuki’s last race in F1, the team used him with orders to slow Norris down but they just made themselves look bad with the un-sportsman like behaviour….

    P4 for Leclerc, a good result to round out a difficult season, they seemed to have some pace during the race aswell. As for Hamilton a really good race up in the points again after a difficult starting position. It will be a season of lots of learning and where to go from here for next season for both drivers!

    A decent result for Russell, seems like he dropped off in the race compared to his pace in qualifying, but the points helped solidified P2 in the Constructors.

    P6 for Alonso, a great way to round out the season, especially with their performance over the last couple of races! The sames goes to Lance Stroll as he finished 10th so a double points finish for the team. Is this a sign of things to come in 2026?!

    Oh God! I’ve not cried in a while.  didn’t think I’d cry but I did. It’s a long journey. First of all, I want to say a big thanks to my guys, everyone at McLaren, my parents… I’m not crying! My mum, my dad, they were the ones who supported me since the beginning. It feels amazing. Now I know what Max feels like a little bit, and I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors all season. It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them, and I’ve learnt a lot from both of them as well. I’ve enjoyed it, it’s been a long year, but we did it, and I’m so proud of everyone.
    Norris on winning the Drivers’ Championship.

    Now, that was our last race of the year in the world of Formula 1 and we do not have another race now until 6th to 8th of March but keep coming back for more updates!

  • R23 – Qatar

    Max Verstappen claimed a crucial victory in the Qatar Grand Prix from Oscar Piastri, with the title battle set to go down to the final round as Championship leader Lando Norris could only finish fourth.

    Verstappen’s unlikely win was courtesy of McLaren’s alternative strategy which came as a consequence of an early Safety car intervention and an enforced 25 lap maximum stint level on all Pirelli tyre sets.

    The Red Bull driver jumped Norris on the run to the first turn from P3 on the grid and shadowed poleman Piastri in the opening laps before a clash between Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly at Turn 1 several laps later turned the race on its head.

    While all drivers pitted for the first of two mandatory pit stops in the 57 lap race, both Piastri and Norris remained out on track, which ultimately put them behind Verstappen in the final order.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Piastri, P3: Sainz, P4: Norris, P5: Antonelli, P6: Russell, P7: Alonso, P8: Leclerc, P9: Lawson and P10: Tsunoda.

    What a result for Verstappen! This is what he needed to continue the championship fight and that he has done so, with a perfect strategy he absolutely stole the show and now the fight continues until the final race weekend!

    A disappointing result, for Piastri, a weekend where he had everything together but got done over in the race by strategy, horrible weekend for him, and now his behind in the championship fight.
    As for Norris, another bad result for McLaren, he lost out to Verstappen at the start and then a bad strategy aswell meant he could only do the best finish of P4.

    What a result for Carlos Sainz! P3 for the Williams driver, this confirmed their fifth place in the Constructors’ after a strong season so far! A brilliant drive from Sainz after qualifying really well.

    A decent result for Mercedes, P5 for Antonelli and P6 for Russell, not the best result for them but still very good points in the bag for them!

    P7 for Alonso, a decent points finish for the Spaniard, a pretty good weekend overall for the Aston Martin driver, it will be interesting to see how he does in the last race of the year!

    Another disappointing weekend for Ferrari, P8 for Leclerc and P12 for Hamilton after making up quite a few spots since his qualifying position. This isn’t the end of the season the Italian team would’ve wanted.

    This was an incredible race for us. We made the right call as a team to box under the Safety Car. That was smart. Of course, I’m super happy to win here and stay in the fight until the end. Incredible. I think [the pace] was a little bit offset because of it all, but for us I think it was a very strong race on a weekend where it was a little bit tough. We still won the race and that was the most important thing.
    Verstappen on the win.

  • R22 – Las Vegas

    Max Verstappen claimed an impressive victory in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, denying Lando Norris and reducing the McLaren driver’s lead in the standings to 42 points as Oscar Piastri finished fourth.

    Verstappen was left in control of the 50 lap race on the streets of Las Vegas after the opening corners, passing poleman Norris when the Drivers’ Championship leader ran wide through Turn 1 having initially chopped across his title rival off the line.

    Norris also slipped behind George Russell and only re-passed the Mercedes driver in the latter stages but was unable to mount a challenge on Verstappen, eventually limping home nearly 21 seconds adrift after nursing a late problem.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Russell, P4: Piastri, P5: Antonelli, P6: Leclerc, P7: Sainz, P8: Hadjar, P9: Hulkenberg and P10: Hamilton.

    What a result for Verstappen, this is what he would’ve wanted going into the race today! The minute he took the opportunity to lead he was gone and didn’t look back.

    P2 for Norris and P4 for Piastri, a decent result for McLaren. Unfortunate for Lando to loose out on a couple of positions at the start of the race, but he did well to keep the momentum going and grab another position back. As for Piastri, a decent race, nothing amazing, he gained an extra place as Antonelli had a penalty which pushed him down to 5th and Piastri up to 4th.

    For the Mercedes duo, a really good result for Russell, P3 for the Brit, which is needed in the fight in the constructors. As for Antonelli, what a drive by the Italian! Starting 17th to finish 5th! Honestly a really good drive, unfortunate for the penalty but one of the best drives his done so far.

    P6 for Leclerc, a decent result but wasn’t anything wow, main thing was he kept out of trouble and still scored points. As for his teammate, Hamilton had a good drive to get into the points from starting 19th.

    P7 for Sainz, a lovely result for him especially after starting third. A good result for the team especially as they fight it out for P5, which they have now built a 31 point gap between themselves and Racing Bulls in 6th.

    We had 3 retirees, Alex Albon having collided with the back of Hamilton which required a new front wing, while Gabriel Bortoleto and Lance Stroll retired with damage after contact at Turn 1 on the opening lap.

    In the race I think everyone was just trying to find a rhythm and see how much you could push, especially in the first stint because being on the more fragile tyre. It worked really well, normally the race is always a tough one for us – we are normally not that great on tyres, but today it seemed like we had that a little bit more under control and I could push a little bit more and that unlocked a bit more pace. I could stay out a bit longer and split basically the race in half. It definitely helped a lot and the car was working pretty well, much more to my liking and it was at the end quite a decent gap. It was just every lap feeling comfortable and not taking too much out of the tyre.
    Verstappen on the win and race.

  • R19 – United States

    Max Verstappen has claimed a dominant victory at the United States Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver converting pole position into a commanding win while Lando Norris beat Charles Leclerc to second place in a thrilling duel between the pair.

    It had been a strong start to the race for Verstappen, the Dutchman holding the lead from pole position while the rest of the field got through Turn 1 much more cleanly than during Saturday’s action-packed Sprint.

    Though questions remained in the early stages over strategy choices, all of the field opted for a one-stop plan – and this worked smoothly for Verstappen, who remained in P1 after his stop.
    And while he had to nurse his soft tyres home in the latter stages, the reining World Champion crossed the line with a margin of 7.959s to seal his fifth Grand Prix triumph of the season.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Leclerc, P4: Hamilton, P5: Piastri, P6: Russell, P7: Tsunoda, P8: Hulkenberg, P9: Bearman and P10: Alonso.

    What a result for Max Verstappen! A perfect weekend for the Dutchman, a dominant display which was needed in the fight for the Drivers’ Championship, if he keeps going the way his going, McLaren are going to be in BIG trouble…

    P2 for Norris, a good race for him, it made up for his disappoint Sprint Race. He had a nice little battle with Leclerc, but it does make you think if he didn’t loose that position at the beginning of the race, would he of battled for the win with Max?
    As for the Championship leader, a weekend to forget for him, Piastri finished fifth, but he just didn’t seem to have any pace at all.

    P3 and P4 for the Ferrari’s, Leclerc back on the podium! And a good showing for Hamilton in 4th. They both had a better race than the Sprint, they obviously set their car up for the race rather than the Sprint which they’ve done before.

    A bit of a setback for the Mercedes of George Russell, P6 for him, again it didn’t seem like he had any pace in the race but the Sprint he did. A disappointing race for Antonelli, he got tagged by Sainz early on in the race, and he had to battle his way up the field.

    Another points finish for Bearman, he has found something which just works at the minute and he is getting rewarded with points.

    Not a good race for Williams, a DNF for Sainz after he got tangled with Antonelli and then for Albon he got spun round and had to work his way up to finish 14th.

    Now we don’t have to wait too long for the next race weekend, as it’s Round 20 this weekend and we head to Mexico!

    It was an unbelievable weekend for us. I knew that the race was not going to be super forward. If you look at the whole race, the pace between myself and Lando was really close. Just in that first stint was where we made the difference and I could eke out a bit of a gap, which is basically what we kept to the end. It wasn’t easy to manage the tyres for most of the stints, but we kept it in the lead and I’m just incredibly proud of everyone to be able to deliver a weekend like this.
    Verstappen on the win.

  • R19 – United States Sprint

    Max Verstappen has taken victory in a dramatic Sprint at the United States Grand Prix that saw both McLaren drivers retired on the opening lap after being caught up in a Turn 1 drama.

    While Verstappen led cleanly away from pole position, the McLaren of Oscar Piastri was tagged by Nico Hulkenberg’s Kick Sauber into the first corner, which the sent the Australian into team mate Lando Norris.

    This put both of the papaya’s cars out of the running, while Hulkenberg dropped down the order after sustaining damage. But there was no such trouble for Verstappen, who handled a challenge from Mercedes’ George Russell and two Safety Car phases – to win the Sprint.

    The point scorers are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Russell, P3: Sainz, P4: Hamilton, P5: Leclerc, P6: Albon, P7: Tsunoda, P8: Antonelli.

    A lovely result for Verstappen, he has now closed in 8 points closer to the McLaren boys, as their double DNF went in the Dutchman’s favour.
    The Red Bull car definitely seemed to have improved especially in recent races, which is good for the team and Max as they now look to score as many points as possible for the Drivers’ Championship.

    A lovely result for George! He was close to Max at one point but after the lock-up from both drivers going off track too, his tyres were done. But still a good bunch of points for himself and the team.

    P3 for Mr Carlos Sainz, a lovely little result for the Williams driver, he kept out of trouble and kept his head down and was rewarded with a 3rd position.
    As for his teammate, Albon had a good Sprint, P6 for him. So overall very good for Williams.

    As for the Ferrari’s a good Sprint for them! P4 for Hamilton and P5 for Leclerc, they seem to be having some pace this weekend, they’ve started it off really well with a good amount of points to their names.

    A Sprint to forget for McLaren, unfortunate for Norris to get tagged by Piastri but it also wasn’t Piastri’s fault either. They will be looking to score some good points tomorrow.

    I mean, the start was good. Then, of course, there was the Safety Car because of the Turn 1 incident, and it took a few laps after the Safety Car to have decent pace, so we need to try to figure out what was going on there. Nevertheless, we won the Sprint, which is the most important thing. Looking for tomorrow, I do think we need to be a bit better in race trim to be able to fight the McLarens, because we haven’t seen anything from them.
    Verstappen on the news.

  • R17 – Azerbaijan

    Max Verstappen claimed a lights-to-flag victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while Lando Norris closed the gap to title rival Oscar Piastri to 25 points after the Drivers’ Championship leader crashed out on the opening lap.

    Verstappen was never headed on the streets of Baku, leading all 51 laps and winning by over 14 seconds from Mercedes’ George Russell and Carlos Sainz who claimed his first podium for Williams having just lost out on pole position.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Russell, P3: Sainz, P4: Antonelli, P5: Lawson, P6: Tsunoda, P7: Norris, P8: Hamilton, P9: Leclerc and P10: Hadjar.

    What a result for Max Verstappen, he done no wrong this weekend and his reward from that is he is starting to come into this title fight with Piastri and Norris. A few more races like that for the Dutchman and McLaren will start thinking they are in trouble (if they are not doing that already).
    As for Tsunoda, he finished 6th! A good result for the Japanese driver, he had a good weekend overall, he needs to start putting in performances like this to make sure he has a seat next year.

    P2 for Russell! A great result for the Mercedes man, they had the pace this weekend which was good, they also got to capitalise on McLaren and Ferrari not being in the top five. This has benefited the team massively in the Constructors’ Championship as they move up a spot.
    A good result for Antonelli, P4, a shame for him to miss out on the podium but still a really good result.

    P3 for Mr Carlos Sainz! What a result for Sainz and Williams, this just shows how much work they have put into the past couple of years and with Sainz you could see the result coming but he just had to work for it.
    This helps the team massively in the constructors putting them in fifth on 101 points, with a 29 point gap to Racing Bulls.

    Talking of Racing Bulls, P5 for Liam Lawson. A good result from him, it’s a shame he couldn’t hold onto a podium position but still a really good showing from him.

    A weekend to forget for McLaren, especially Piastri, hitting the wall in Qualifying and then crashing out on Lap 1 and ending his race there. As for Norris he had a bad race, not many moves being made.

    Not a very good weekend for Ferrari either, P8 for Hamilton and P9 for Leclerc, they will be looking forward to Singapore as normally the Ferrari’s do well there.

    I think this weekend has been incredible for us. Of course, last weekend was already great, but for us to win here again is just fantastic. I think also in the race, the car was working really well on both of the compounds. We had clean air all of the time and then you could look after your tyres, and it was pretty straightforward. Of course, it’s not easy around here. It was very windy today, so the car was always moving around a lot, but of course, I’m incredibly happy with this performance.
    Verstappen on the win.

  • R16 – Italy

    Red Bull driver, Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory during Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, leading home McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after a dramatic start and end to proceedings at Monza.

    Verstappen and Norris went wheel to wheel almost immediately when the lights went out, getting close to each other down the start/finish straight before the Dutchman skipped the first chicane to keep the lead.

    Although Verstappen gave up the position to Norris at the start of the second lap to avoid a potential penalty, he was soon back on his rival’s tail and took only a couple more tours to reclaim P1 and surge clear.

    From there, Verstappen appeared to have everything under control, managing the gap back to both McLarens across their opening stints, pitting earlier than Norris and Piastri to strengthen that advantage and then cruising to the chequered flag.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Piastri, P4: Leclerc, P5: Russell, P6: Hamilton, P7: Albon, P8: Bortoleto, P9: Antonelli and P10: Hadjar.

    What a result for Max Verstappen, a lovely weekend for the Dutchman, pole and the race win plus the Red Bull had some pace this weekend, which makes up for a disappointing home race.

    Good result for McLaren, P2 for Norris and P3 for Piastri, unfortunate that they didn’t have the pace to battle Max, but also, the battle between themselves over the radio, I believe tensions are high now between the two drivers, which is not good at all.

    P4 for Leclerc and P6 for Hamilton, a decent day for the Ferrari team on home soil, a shame they couldn’t get on the podium, but a good result for Hamilton, as he managed to get higher up than what he started.

    P5 for Russell, nothing major from the Brit, but still a good amount of points in the bag, which is good as the team currently sits third in the Teams’ standings, and only 20 points away from Ferrari.

    A good result from Albon, he started P14 and finished P7, a great day for him as his weekend wasn’t the best but he made up for it.

    An unfortunate day for Nico Hulkenberg, he did not start, as he pilled into the pitlane on the formation lap as his car had a suspected hydraulic leak, big shame for him, he will be looking towards Baku.

    Now we have a little break before the next round, which is Azerbaijan on the 19th to 21st September!

  • R12 – Silverstone Qualifying

    Max Verstappen has clinched pole position at the British Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver storming through with a stunning lap to put himself at the front of the grid ahead of the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

    While Piastri had secured provisional pole during the first runs of Q3, the Australian made a mistake on his final effort and could not improve.
    But Verstappen put his lap together perfectly to go fastest on an effort of 1m 24.892s, putting himself 0.103s clear of Piastri’s McLaren.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Verstappen, P2: Piastri, P3: Norris, P4: Russell, P5: Hamilton, P6: Leclerc, P7: Antonelli, P8: Bearman, P9: Alonso and P10: Gasly.
    However, this isn’t the starting grid as Ollie Bearman has a 10 place grid penalty meaning he will start 18th and Antonelli has a 3 place grid penalty which means he will start from 10th, which promotes Alonso to 7th, Gasly 8th, and Sainz 9th.

    A lovely result for Verstappen, I was quite surprised he got pole as he was complaining a lot about the car in Q1 and Q2, but this is the result he would’ve wanted and needed too.
    As for Tsunoda he has had a decent result! P11 for the Japanese driver, just outside of the top 10 however he is in the middle of the pack so he has to be very careful at the start.

    A good result for McLaren P2 for Piastri and P3 for Norris, they are in a very good position for winning this race! Could Lando bring it home for the first time ever? I think his going to have a bit of competition for this win today…

    A good result for George Russell, I feel like he went a bit under the radar with his P4 result, but I think that’s more because of his pace which hasn’t been as good as other weekend. Obviously his teammate starts P10, still a good position to score some decent points for the Silver Arrows.

    A decent result for Ferrari, P5 for Hamilton and P6 for Lelcerc, it could’ve been a bit better of a result, especially as both cars have the pace. But, and key word being but, can you ever count Lewis Hamilton out of a British GP win or podium? It will definitely be an interesting race later, especially if we have some rain…

    A good result for Alonso, P7 for the Aston Martin driver, he will be looking to score some good points this weekend.

  • R7 – Imola

    Max Verstappen has surged to an impressive second victory of the season at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, the Dutchman having snatched P1 at the start before holding his position ahead of the McLaren pair in an eventful afternoon.

    The race got underway in an exciting fashion as polesitter, Oscar Piastri initially launched well off the line – only for Verstappen to make a stunning overtake through the Tamburello chicane, resulting in the World Champion going on to build a lead in the laps that followed.

    Piastri then joined a number of drivers who made an early pit stop, having stopped for the hard compound on Lap 14, but the call did not seem to work out the Australian.

    As questions persisted over whether a one-stop or two-stop strategy was the way forward – with around half of the field remaining out following that earlier flurry of action in the pits for the other half.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Piastri, P4: Hamilton, P5: Albon, P6: Leclerc, P7: Russell, P8: Sainz, P9: Hadjar and P10: Tsunoda.

    What a result from Max Verstappen, a cool, calm and collected drive from the Dutchman. His strategy was spot on, and he didn’t fall for McLaren pitting Piastri early.
    As for his teammate, Tsunoda made up some good places from starting in the pit lane to finishing P10 and coming home with a point.

    A double podium for McLaren, P2 for Norris and P3 for Piastri. A lovely result for the team, it’s a shame it wasn’t a win for the Papaya team, but Verstappen just ran away with the lead and there was no chance of battling him for it. But still a very good points haul for the team.

    A lovely result from Hamilton! P4 for the Brit and it was his first Italian race as a Ferrari driver and he made up for a bad qualifying session.
    As for Leclerc his race wasn’t the best, he ran into quite a few problems along the road but he still managed to finish P6. Overall a decent points haul for the team.

    P5 for Albon! What a great result from him! At one point, it almost looked like he was nearing the podium. But the main thing to take from that great result is how much they have improved! Sainz finished P8 aswell, so a very good weekend for the team.

    P7 for Russell, not the best weekend for him, he was struggling a bit during the race. As well for his teammate, it went from bad to worse, Antonelli pulled over to the side as he had an issue and had to retire from his first home race. A big shame for the young rookie but he will bounce back.

    Now we don’t have to wait too long for the next race as we are at the second race weekend of a triple header and we are headed to Monaco!

  • RND 6 – Miami Qualifying

    Max Verstappen delivered an incredible performance to clinch pole position in qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix.
    The reigning world champion going fastest from Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli despite a slight error on his final run.

    After Verstappen claimed provisional pole during the early runs of Q3 but just 0.003s from Norris, the Dutchman’s prospects during his closing effort looked to be at risk after a wobble in the first corner.
    The Red Bull man still went fastest on a 1m 26.204s, six-hundredths clear of Norris who apologised to his team for taking too much kerb on his lap.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Antonelli, P4: Piastri, P5: Russell, P6: Sainz, P7: Albon, P8: Leclerc, P9: Ocon and P10: Tsunoda.

    What a result for the Dutchman! Just what he would’ve wanted going into the weekend, he will be looking to grab the win later on today and close in on the drivers’ championship.
    As for his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda finished qualifying in 10th. A lot better than the Sprint Qualifying, but still needs to do some work to be closer to his teammate.

    A good result for Norris P2, it seems like his last lap really cost him, it’s still a good result, but I know he’d be kicking himself for the mistake. His teammate qualified fourth, a good result too. They will both be aiming for podiums / potential wins today.

    Now onto Antonelli! The Italian is on fire this weekend, he has qualified third for the Grand Prix. He seems to have found really good form this weekend and its great to see.
    As for Russell, he seems to be struggling a lot this weekend, he still qualified 5th which isn’t too bad but it will be interesting to see how the race goes for him.

    P6 for Carlos Sainz and P7 for Alex Albon, what a performance from the Williams boys! They have seemed to excel this weekend and it is great to see. Hopefully with a good strategy they can score some decent points.

    P8 for Leclerc, not the best result for the Ferrari driver, and as for his teammate Hamilton qualified 12th. Poor performance from the team, but hopefully they have some strategies for both drivers to help them move up to grab those all important points.

  • R3 – Japan

    Max Verstappen scored his first victory of the 2025 season with a masterful drive to P1 in the Japanese Grand Prix, the World Champion holding off the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to claim his fourth consecutive win at the Suzuka Circuit.

    After making a strong start from pole position, Verstappen held a decent lead over the McLaren’s throughout the early stages.
    Drama then ensued during the pit stop phase when the Dutchman’s slightly slow stop saw Norris – who had pitted on the same lap – try to go side by side at the pit exit, resulting in the McLaren man having to take to the grass while Verstappen remained ahead.

    While both drivers voiced their unhappiness about the incident over the team radio, the stewards opted not to investigate and Verstappen remained ahead of Norris as the race progressed, building a gap back to the Briton.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Piastri, P4: Leclerc, P5: Russell, P6: Antonelli, P7: Hamilton, P8: Hadjar, P9: Albon and P10: Bearman.

    What a great result from Verstappen and Red Bull! Their first win of the season and it all started from a lovely qualifying lap on Saturday and then the Dutchman just put everything together on Sunday to secure the win!
    As for his new teammate, Tsunoda, he finished 12th, just outside the points.

    A lovely result from McLaren, P2 for Norris and P3 for Piastri a very strong weekend for both drivers, they were bringing the heat to Verstappen but it wasn’t enough to grab the win.

    P4 for Leclerc! A lovely result for the Ferrari driver, especially after their horrible weekend in China, it’s unfortunate they couldn’t get on the podium but it was close enough. It was P7 for Hamilton, not too bad but definitely not the worse and still some points in the bag for the team.

    P5 for Russell and P6 Antonelli, a decent weekend for the Mercedes boys. Antonelli seems to be settling in comfortably at the Silver Arrows, and is rewarded with points once again!

    P8 for Hadjar! What a start of a season for him in his rookie campaign! He is doing well and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do for the rest of the season.

  • RW 23 – Qatar

    Max Verstappen took a masterful victory in a hugely eventful Qatar Grand Prix, a race which featured three Safety car appearances, numerous incidents and a few penalties…

    Having lost pole position following a one-place grid penalty for an incident in qualifying, Verstappen looked to be in fighting mode from the start, the Dutchman won the battle for the lead against Russell and Norris into Turn 1.

    It was not a straightforward drive from there, with the Safety Car appearing on the first lap after Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon were both casualties in an incident with Nico Hulkenberg.

    This proved to be the first of three Safety Car outings during the 57 lap encounter – and while the second restart saw Norris run close to Verstappen in a fight for the lead, the world champion ultimately held on and remained in the position through to the chequered flag.

    Norris meanwhile, saw what looked to be a certain podium result slip away after being handed a 10 second stop/go penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags, dropping him down the field and leaving him with a battle on his hands to grab some points.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Piastri, P4: Russell, P5: Gasly, P6: Sainz, P7: Alonso, P8: Zhou, P9: Magnussen and P10: Norris.

    What a lovely result for Max! Especially after his penalty which saw him loose pole position which he did seem like it was unfair, but he soon stopped people talking with a great drive to the flag.
    However for his teammate, Sergio Perez, found himself out of the running after suffering a spin he done all on his own…

    A really good result for Leclerc, P2! This will help with his battle for second in the Drivers’ championship and 2nd in the Constructors’. Carlos done quite well as well, considering he was one of the drivers who had a puncture due to debris on track. The Constructors’ will be decided next race as Ferrari can still catch up.

    A decent race for Piastri! P3 is good, exactly what the team would’ve wanted from him at the weekend.
    A bit of a downer for Norris, who looked like he was going to bring a really good battle for the win if not the podium at least until he had the stop/go penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags. But he managed to claw it somewhat back for a point.

    A decent result for Russell, he didn’t have the best start as he lost a few positions and then after that he was put on the Hard tyre and it just wasn’t the best tyre for the Mercedes (which we have seen before) however he managed to pull it back to P4.
    Not the best race for Hamilton, a puncture, a penalty and then just a bad strategy with tyres. He will be ready to move on to the last race of the season which is his last race as a Mercedes driver.

    A very good result for Gasly!! P5 wow, this has helped Alpine hop back up the Constructors’ which will make this last race weekend a good one!
    Ocon was in the collision in the first lap, which saw him DNF, which is a shame as it seemed like the track actually suited the Alpine car, so he could’ve been on for some points.

    A little mention for Zhou Guanyu for scoring his first points of the season and Kick Saubers! Which they waited for quite a while to get this season.
    Also a little mention for Alonso back in the points for the Spanish driver, and also points for Magnussen who finished P9!

    Now, we head to the last race of the season which is of course Abu Dhabi where the Constructors will be decided and P2 in the Drivers’ Championship!

  • RW 22 – Las Vegas

    Max Verstappen became a four-time world champion with an assured drive to fifth place during Saturday night’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, while pole sitter, George Russell and the charging Lewis Hamilton earned a one-two finish for Mercedes!

    Verstappen entered the 50 lap encounter knowing that all he needed to do was keep title rival Lando Norris behind him to secure another title, which the Dutchman achieved by holding position into the first corner and gradually pulled away from the British driver.

    Having held a podium spot after the second round of pit stops, Verstappen opted against a fight when the Ferrari’s arrived at the rear of his Red Bull in the closing laps – both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finding a way past before the chequered flag.

    At the front, Russell expertly managed a tricky race in cool, slippery conditions, keeping a fast-starting Leclerc at bay in the early laps – the latter running into tyre troubles as a result of that aggression – and controlling proceedings thereafter.

    The full top 10 are – P1: Russell, P2: Hamilton, P3: Sainz, P4: Leclerc, P5: Verstappen, P6: Norris, P7: Piastri, P8: Hulkenberg, P9: Tsunoda and P10: Perez.

    What a result for Mercedes, 1-2 for the team!! Coming into the weekend I would’ve been surprised however because they’ve had a very strong weekend it wasn’t too much of a shock.
    George kept his cool and grabbed the win from pole position and Lewis just had a superb drive from P10 to P2, it does make you think if he had qualified well, could he of got this win?
    An overall note though from the race is that the Mercs were just flying and no-one could really challenge them so it will be interesting to see if this happens again in the final two races…

    A very good result for Ferrari especially with the battle of the Constructors’ Championship still to win. Sainz finished 3rd and Leclerc 4th! There was a few words said after the race from Leclerc with the radio message. It will be interesting to see how the team goes forward with two races left.

    P5 for Verstappen, I think in an ideal world he would’ve loved to win the race and claim his fourth Championship. However, he got it done with two races left! A big congratulations to Max and Red Bull for a fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship it’s not an easy task!
    His teammate had made some good overtakes in the race to finish 10th so his managed to score a point, but it’s still very dissapointing.

    A not so good weekend for McLaren, they were kind of nowhere, didn’t really do anything amazing as the pace just wasn’t there. Norris finished 6th and Piastri in 7th, so still a decent haul of points but still not good enough.

    A very good result for both Hulkenberg who finished in P8 and Tsunoda who finished P9, it will help the teams massively in the Constructors’ and with two races left they will be trying to grab as many points as they can.

    A disappointing race for Pierre Gasly, as he DNF’ed from starting P3. He had smoke exiting the rear of his pink Alpine, he was forced to pit lane and retire from the race.

    We don’t have too long to wait till the next race as its this week! And it is the return of the Sprint in Qatar…

  • RW 21 – Brazil

    Max Verstappen has stormed to a remarkable victory in a frenetic Sao Paulo Grand Prix, the Dutchman climbed through the field from an original starting position of P17 to score his first race win since June amid changing weather conditions and huge drama along the way – which saw Alpine score a double podium result.

    The chaos started before the event had even got under way after Lance Stroll spun off during the formation lap, leading to some confusion over the aborted start procedure as pole sitter Lando Norris led a number of cars away while others stayed on the grid.

    When the Grand Prix did begin, Russell enjoyed a stronger launch and led from Norris while Verstappen worked his way through the pack in the early stages.
    As the event unfolded amid changing levels of rainfall, a red flag was thrown on Lap 32 following a crash for Franco Colapinto in the Williams – shortly after Russell and Norris had lost out by pitting just as a Virtual Safety Car period ended.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Ocon, P3: Gasly, P4: Russell, P5: Leclerc, P6: Norris, P7: Tsunoda, P8: Piastri, P9: Lawson and P10: Hamilton.

    What a drive by Max Verstappen! P17 to First! The best result for the Dutchman, especially in him wanting to retain his title. He capitalised on the red flag whereas Norris and McLaren made the wrong strategy call… It was a proper champion drive from Max and this might be the race which changes it all!
    However, Perez finished P11 – so after all the red flags, yellow flags and safety cars he still didn’t get any points even though he started above Verstappen so he should’ve really got points…

    What a result for Alpine! P2 and P3 a double podium for the team, which is just wow they now have made a jump from ninth to sixth in the constructors’ standings! They now are in a fight for for P6 in the standings with Haas and RB.

    A good result for Russell, P4 for the Brit, obviously a podium would of been what they were aiming for but with everything which went on during the race they still finished a decent position.
    Not the best race for Hamilton, he finished P10, he really struggled with the car, which is a shame as I think everyone knows he loves the wet weather and Brazil in general.

    A bad result for McLaren, Lando finished sixth and lost a lot of ground to Verstappen in the Championship, he will now have a lot of work to do in these coming races to try and get the championship back in his court, but it’s not looking good…
    His teammate finished 8th after a penalty for causing a collision with Lawson, he crossed the line in 7th. This isn’t good for McLaren at all for the constructors’ they only have a 36 point lead from Ferrari and 49 to Red Bull in third. They need a couple of good races from both drivers to secure it.

    A double points finish for RB! Tsunoda 7th and Lawson 9th! Which is what they expected especially after their amazing qualifying session!

    Sainz and Colapinto both recorded retirements following their separate crashes, while Nico Hulkenberg was given a black flag just prior to the restart after the Haas driver received assistance from marshals when returning to the track following an earlier off.

    Now our next race is in a few weeks and it will be our final triple header of the 2024 season, we start of with Las Vegas on the 21st to 23rd for round 22!

    My emotions today have been a rollercoaster, with qualifying being really unlucky with that red flag. Starting P17, I knew that it was going to be a very tough race but we stayed out of trouble, we made the right calls, we stayed calm and we were fine. All of these things together of course made that result possible. I mean, unbelievable to win here from so far back.
    Verstappen on the win.

  • RW 19 – United States Sprint

    Sprint Qualifying-

    Max Verstappen has clinched pole position for the Sprint at the United States Grand Prix, the Dutchman having beaten Mercedes’ George Russell in Sprint Qualifying by just 0.012s.

    After Russell set the benchmark by going out early on track in SQ3, the likes of Lando Norris and the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz – who had been looking strong earlier on – tried to better this. All were unable to do so, but Verstappen left it late to put his Red Bull into P1.

    The full top 10 are – Pole: Verstappen, P2: Russell, P3: Leclerc, P4: Norris, P5: Sainz, P6: Hulkenberg, P7: Hamilton, P8: Magnussen, P9: Tsunoda and P10: Colapinto.

    A great result for Verstappen, it’s good to see him back on pole position but it doesn’t surprise me as he loves a sprint race and always excels on them.
    Perez didn’t have the best of days compared to his teammate he will be starting the Sprint from 11th… Obviously the top 8 score points in the Sprint so he has to make some decent moves to get valuable points.

    A lovely result from Russell, P2! The Mercedes so far seems like it has got some pace, which will be good for the Silver Arrows in the fight for moving up in both Championships. Obviously there is still a long way to go this weekend, so we will see how the team gets on…
    Lewis qualified 7th, isn’t the worst place to be, and I expect him to move up the grid a bit.

    Now onto the Ferrari’s, a very good sprint qualifying from both drivers, Leclerc in P3 and Sainz P5, a good opportunity for the team to score some valuable points as they edge closer to Red Bull who are in 2nd in the Constructors.

    A very good result for Haas, both drivers in the top 10! Hulkenberg P6 and Magnussen P8, a great way to start their home race weekend, the next step would be double points, they have two chances for that to happen!

    A very good result from Colapinto getting into the top 10! For Williams its their best Sprint Qualifying of the year so far. But I have to say it seems like Colapinto is pulling all the right moves to keep his name mentioned to be in contention for a seat next year.

    Sprint-

    Max Verstappen has returned to winning ways in the Sprint at the United States Grand Prix, the Dutchman taking an assured win from pole position to add to his points tally as Championship rival Lando Norris lost P2 to Carlos Sainz in the final moments…

    After Verstappen made a strong launch from P1 on the grid, Norris also impressed by getting ahead of both Ferrari cars and George Russell to put himself second.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Sainz, P3: Norris, P4: Leclerc, P5: Russell, P6: Hamilton, P7: Magnussen, P8: Hulkenberg, P9: Perez and P10: Piastri.

    A good Sprint race for Max, this is what he would’ve set out to achieve after he got pole position for it. His teammate made some moves too, hopefully more points can be scored for the team over the weekend.

    A very good result for Ferrari! A P2 and P4, shame it wasn’t a P2 and P3 but sometimes its the way it is in racing. But points are points at the end of the day and they have scored a few so far…

    Somewhat of a decent result for Norris, P3 for the Brit, however he will be kicking himself for loosing P2 in such a tense title fight, however he can redeem himself.

    A very good result for Haas, they capitalised on their performance in qualifying to score points in the Sprint, now to copy and paste again for a successful home grand prix.

  • RW 14 – Belgium Qualifying

    Max Verstappen set the fastest time in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, but the Dutchman has a 10 place grid penalty for making a power unit change, so Charles Leclerc will inherit pole position.

    Verstappen looked impressively quick as the qualifying session progressed and set an unbeatable lap of 1m53.159s in the Red Bull, half a second clear of Ferrari’s Leclerc.

    The full top 10 after penalties are- Pole: Leclerc, P2: Perez, P3: Hamilton, P4: Norris, P5: Piastri, P6: Russell, P7: Sainz, P8: Alonso, P9: Ocon and P10: Albon.

    A good result for both Red Bull cars! A pole is always what you want when you have a 10 place grid penalty looming over your head. Verstappen could quite easily get on the podium here, but I don’t think its going to be easy. His teammate Sergio Perez will be there to help him out if it comes to it, as he starts on second, which is a great qualifying from him!

    A really good qualifying result for Charles Leclerc, I even think he was surprised himself, he will want to win this race, he will now have the confidence with the car, the only trouble is the drivers behind him have also got very quick cars…

    Hamilton in P3! Again a good result for the 7 time world champion, he will be pushing everything to win here. It is going to be an interesting race as so many drivers will be wanting to go for the win.

    A good result for McLaren, P4 for Norris and P5 for Piastri, hopefully this race we see a bit more team work from the drivers and work together to get further up the grid and onto those podium places.

    A decent result for Esteban Ocon he will be starting 9th! The French driver will be wanting to score some valuable points, as Williams are only 5 behind them, and there’s still a long way to go this year.
    Gasly done quite well, he will be starting 12th, so improvements have been made with the car!

    Lance Stroll is starting in 15th, not the best result for the Canadian driver, especially when his teammate is starting in 8th. But Stroll was lucky to be in this qualifying session as he had quite a crash in Free Practice 3.

    That was a nice qualifying. Luckily the weather was ok – it was raining a little bit but at least we could do a decent qualifying. Everything worked well, every tyre set that we were on we could do good lap times and I was also of course thinking about Q3, not knowing if it was going to dry out so was trying to keep two new sets for Q3 and luckily we escaped Q1 and Q2. So, yeah, very happy. The car was working quite well in the wet so I could just do my laps and try to do clean lap times in the wet which is always quite tricky. But tomorrow I know it’s going to be quite a different day. It’s going to be warmer, normally no rain, so it’s all about tyre degradation and we just need to make sure we’re good on that. But of course I have to start 10 places back so this is the best I could do today and then go from there. I don’t know how quick we’re going to be, I hope we can be in the mix to try and move forward.
    Verstappen on going fastest in qualifying.

  • RW 11 – Austria Qualifying

    Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix after a commanding performance in Saturday’s qualifying, beating closest challenger Lando Norris by four tenths of a second.

    Having set an impressive early benchmark in the initial laps of Q3, Verstappen bettered his time on his second effort to record a lap of 1m 04.314s in the Red Bull.

    The full top 10 are – Pole: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Russell, P4: Sainz, P5: Hamilton, P6: Leclerc, P7: Piastri, P8: Perez, P9: Hulkenberg and P10: Ocon.

    Pole again for Verstappen! He will definitely be wanting to turn it into a victory, but I don’t think he will be able to sail away with it, he has Norris and Russell right behind him and we have seen the battles those three drivers have had recently…

    A wonderful result for the remaining top 3, I have no doubt that they would of been up there, it is all eyes onto the race now…

    Another decent qualifying by Carlos Sainz! His teammate Charles Leclerc also had a lot better qualifying that the sprint qualifying. Now the drivers will need to work as a team and score some big points, especially because of McLaren catching them in the constructors standings.

    Not the best result from Piastri, he was P3 however he had the lap time deleted due track limits so he got bumped down to P7, he will have a bit of work to do in the race.

    A decent result for Nico Hulkenberg! P9 for the Haas driver, he will be wanting to capitalise on this result for the race and score as many points as he can.

    Ricciardo just missed out on the top 10, the Australian will be wanting to score some points this weekend, especially because his seat is under threat so will be wanting to prove that he possibly deserves a seat.

    Again not the best result for Aston Martin, P15 for Alonso and P17 for Stroll. They really are struggling at the moment and they have gone backwards to where they were last year…

  • RW 11 – Austria Sprint

    Sprint Qualifying-

    Max Verstappen will be lining up in pole position for the Sprint in Austria, after he stormed to the top of the timesheets ahead of McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

    With every driver in SQ3 posting just one flying lap in the final minutes, the pressure was on to deliver a decent time.
    And that’s what Verstappen did, pumping in a time of 1.04.686s.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Piastri, P4: Russelll, P5: Sainz, P6: Hamilton, P7: Perez, P8: Ocon, P9: Gasly and P10: Leclerc.

    A lovely result for Max Verstappen, it would be just what he wanted and he will want to turn this into victory.

    A very good result for McLaren P2 and P3, both drivers will be wanting to try and win the sprint as well as get on the podium and get a good points haul before the race.

    Ferrari had a semi decent result with Carlos Sainz in P5, however not the best result with Charles Leclerc. He failed to set a time after he stopped in the pitlane before being unable to cross the line before the chequered flag, leaving him in 10th.
    He has a lot of work to do in the race, especially as he is in the middle of the pack and will want to stay out of trouble.

    A decent result from Mercedes, P4 and P6, not the worst for the Silver Arrows but also not the best from the team. They still have a bit of work to do if they want to consistently be battling with the McLaren’s etc…

    Not the best result from Perez, but at least he qualified in the top 10, I really cant work out how he has these bad qualifying’s and then go on to the race and not really make a massive difference…

    Sprint Race-

    Red Bull driver, Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory in the Sprint Race at the Austrian Grand Prix, overcoming the McLaren’s of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

    While Verstappen held his lead at the start, Norris soon closed in and briefly moved in P1 with a bold overtake, only for the reigning world champion to reclaim the position moments later in a squabble that enabled Piastri to pass his team mate.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Piastri, P3: Norris, P4: Russell, P5: Sainz, P6: Hamilton, P7: Leclerc, P8: Perez, P9: Magnussen and P10: Stroll.

    A wonderful result from Max, turning sprint pole into sprint victory! That makes it 3 sprint victories out of 3 so far this year. His team mate, Sergio Perez, finished in the final points paying position in 8th which isn’t the best result the Mexican driver has had.

    A lovely little result from McLaren, both cars finishing the podium in P2 for Piastri and P3 from Norris, just what the team expects from their drivers. They also had quite a good battle with Max at the beginning and it was good to see how close the top 3 was at times.

    Russell finished P4 which isn’t bad and Hamilton P6 so where they both started. To be honest most drivers don’t really risk it too much in the sprint as they have qualifying later on and don’t want to risk damaging their cars.

    Leclerc moved up a few spots which is good, the Ferrari’s clearly have a bit of pace under their cars this weekend, so they will be wanting a better qualifying session for the race.

    Magnussen finished P9! Just outside the points unfortunately but all he needs to do is repeat the same again tomorrow for the race.

    Gasly and Ocon didn’t have the best race, they started in the top 10 and finished 11th and 12th…

  • RW 10 – Spain

    The Spanish Grand Prix is officially over, and it was Max Verstappen who was victorious in Barcelona, after he held off pole-sitter Lando Norris to take his seventh win of the season.

    The Red Bull driver first took the lead of the race on lap 3 after the Mercedes of George Russell who started fourth, made the most of his electric start as the lights went out to lead early on.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Hamilton, P4: Russell, P5: Leclerc, P6: Sainz, P7: Piastri, P8: Perez, P9: Gasly and P10: Ocon.

    A lovely result for Max! Another win in the bag for the reigning Champion, he had a bit of a challenge from Norris, not making it easy but the Dutchman knew what he needed to do to secure the win.
    His teammate, Sergio Perez didn’t have the best of races, starting P11 and he finished P8, not a major improvement, and he will be hoping for better next weekend in Austria.

    A decent result for Norris, I know he wanted the win and felt like he should’ve got it but it is racing sometimes, but the team and Norris should be proud of how far they’ve come, especially the past couple of races.

    A wonderful result for Mercedes, Hamilton back on the podium! And George in P4, a very good points haul for the team and a great race in general with the pace of the car and how it has improved. I think next for them would be a double podium or a win.

    An okay race for the Italian team P5 for Leclerc and P6 for Sainz. The drivers had a bit of a clash in the race, where now they are not agreeing on whose fault it is, which will make debriefs in Maranello a bit awkward. The team will be looking to see what’s going on as they were not really fighting too much with the top 4.

    Both Alpine drivers in the points again, not really too much to say on them apart from the fact they’re improving week on week and it is good to see.

    A decent drive from Hulkenberg to P11, so close to the points but not close enough, that will be a good point to take away from the race for Haas.

    No Aston Martin’s in the points, I don’t think I was surprised to see this, it’s a shame for the team but at this moment in time they are going backwards and not forwards.

  • RW 9 – Canada

    Max Verstappen and Red Bull bounced back from their Monaco struggles as they returned to winning ways in an action-packed Canadian Grand Prix!
    The reigning champions had to overcome rain showers, multiple Safety Car periods, restart and a stern challenge from a couple of drivers.

    Verstappen followed pole-sitter George Russell in the wet early stages of the race until a charging Norris overhauled them both amid improving conditions, only for an ill-timed Safety Car which ruined Lando’s chances of winning.

    While Verstappen surged towards the chequered flag, Norris took second via a fierce mid-race battle with Russell, and the latter settling for third after some late scrapping with teammate Lewis Hamilton and the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Russell, P4: Hamilton, P5: Piastri, P6: Alonso, P7: Stroll, P8: Ricciardo, P9: Gasly and P10: Ocon.

    A lovely result for Max! Just what he wanted, he had a bit of an up and down weekend but came out on top.
    However, it wasn’t a weekend to remember for Red Bull team, as Sergio Perez had a horrible weekend, qualifying 16th and he ended up spinning off the track and damaged his rear wing, which forced him to retire in the pits.
    Not only this, it went from bad to worse, as he has now been given a 3 place grid penalty for the Spanish GP after he drove to the pits with a significantly damaged car.

    A good result for McLaren, P2 and P5 the team is closing in on Ferrari in P2! Unlucky for Lando with the safety car situation as he was leading and had a lovely gap but that is just racing sometimes…

    Mercedes! Probably the most improved team this weekend, they’ve pretty much had pace all weekend, unlucky for them to only get one driver on the podium as it was looking likely it could’ve been both at one point in the race. But the team will look at this positively and the upgrades are working and they’ve managed to grab their first podium of the year.

    Ferrari.. where to start, Charles had problems from the start with his engine problem, which then led the Monegasque to retire later on in the race.
    Not only this, Carlos Sainz who was pushing for points came together with Alex Albon at Turn 7 in unusual circumstances. Where the Spaniard spun at the exit of the corner, and despite his best efforts, Albon’s Williams collected the Ferrari. Which led to both Ferrari’s out, both Williams out and a Red Bull…

    A good result for the Aston Martin’s and the Alpine’s both getting double points which was needed especially for the latter after their rough time in Monaco. And for Daniel Ricciardo aswell a points finish, he had quite a good weekend a lot of pace from him.

    A bit of a disappointing race for Haas after such a good start to the race, both drivers were in the top 10 after they started on wets, but that didn’t last long as when Magnussen pitted on lap 8 his mechanics were not ready for him and then the team left Hulkenberg out for too long and once he pitted he went to the bottom of the grid… This led the team to score no points.

  • RW 7 – Emilia-Romagna

    Max Verstappen has returned to winning ways by taking victory in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, with the Dutchman holding off a late charge from McLaren’s Lando Norris.

    A thrilling end to the event ensued as Norris continued to cut into Verstappen’s advantage, but a snap of oversteer seemed to take further life out of the McLaren’s tyres, allowing the Red Bull to hold onto P1 by just 0.725s as the chequered flag was waved.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Leclerc, P4: Piastri, P5: Sainz, P6: Hamilton, P7: Russell, P8: Perez, P9: Stroll and P10: Tsunoda.

    What a result for McLaren, off the back of Lando’s win the other week in Miami, to then be challenging for another win and coming home with P2 is not bad at all! It makes you think if Piastri didn’t have the 3 place grid drop would he of got McLaren’s first double podium of the year?

    Obviously a very good result for Max after a tough weekend, even after qualifying the car wasn’t 100% where he would like it but he made the most of it.
    A bit of a poor race from Perez, obviously he started P11, and finished P8, it’s a hard track to over take on so he knew from the beginning of the race it wasn’t going to be easy.

    A good result for Ferrari on home turf, P3 and P5, I think we all expected much more from them in the race, but they didn’t have a terrible day so they will take it as a win two very good points positions with decent strategies aswell.

    A decent result for Mercedes! P6 for Lewis and P7 for Russell, as well as an extra point for fastest lap. Obviously the upgrades they’ve brought this weekend have improved the car a little bit but we will have to wait and see fully at another track!

    Points for Tsunoda!! His fourth time scoring points this season, the Japanese driver sits 10th in the Drivers’ standings so far.

    Not a good result for Aston Martin at all, especially for Fernando Alonso. He spent pretty much all afternoon at the back of the pack after a challenging qualifying. He then retired his Aston Martin in the latter stages of the race.

    Now we don’t have to wait too long for the next race, as it’s only next week and we head to one of the classics! The Monaco Grand Prix is Round 8, will it be Max Verstappen or can McLaren and Ferrari take home another win?

  • RW 7 – Emilia-Romagna Qualifying

    Max Vertappen added to his run of pole positions by claiming P1 on the grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, with the Dutchman narrowly triumphing over his rivals with an unbeatable lap in Imola.

    Verstappen first set a strong benchmark during the initial runs of Q3 and then improved even further during his final effort, pumping in a time of 1m14.746s in the Red Bull.
    This put him 0.074s clear of Australian driver, Oscar Piastri – who has now been penalised with a 3 place grid drop for impeding the Haas of Kevin Magnussen – and McLaren teammate Lando Norris in third.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Verstappen, P2: Piastri, P3: Norris, P4: Leclerc, P5: Sainz, P6: Russell, P7: Tsunoda, P8: Hamilton, P9: Ricciardo and P10: Hulkenberg.

    A very good result for McLaren P2 and P3 effectively, but even with Oscar’s penalty it is still a very good result, and they will want this going into the race, and challenge for the win again and maybe get a podium too.

    Ferrari have some pace too, P4 and P5 for Leclerc and Sainz, all they need now is a good strategy in the race and they could be fighting for podiums.

    A decent result for Mercedes! P6 for Russell and P8 for Hamilton, which is roughly where they thought they would be. The team will be wanting to score some points today as they are trailing behind in the constructors compared to last year.

    A very good result for RB! Both Tsunoda and Ricciardo in the top 10 with there upgrades clearly working, now they will be wanting to capitalise on their performance and grab some all important points!

    A shock in qualifying was Sergio Perez, not making Q3! He didn’t manage to improve on his final lap in Q2, which means the Red Bull driver has a lot of work to do in the race…

    Another shock I’d say is Fernando Alonso out in Q1! He will be lining up P19, so far this weekend the Spaniard has had a shocker of a weekend! It will be interesting to see what he can do in the race.

  • RW 6 – Miami Qualifying

    Max Verstappen has claimed his seventh consecutive pole position by taking P1 on the grid for the Miami Grand Prix, despite failing to improve during his final flying lap.

    The Dutchman had provisionally put himself into pole in the first runs of Q3 having set a time of 1m 27.241s and this proved to be enough to maintain the position. Charles Leclerc will join the red bull driver on the front row, with his teammate Carlos Sainz rounding out the top three.

    The full top 10 is – P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Sainz, P4: Perez, P5: Norris, P6: Piastri, P7: Russell, P8: Hamilton, P9: Hulkenberg and P10: Tsunoda.

    A good result for Max once again, it was just a copy and paste for him! Perez one position down than compared to sprint qualifying, but it’s not the end of the world for the Mexican.

    A very good result from Ferrari, I can see them challenging for the win as they have had quite good pace this weekend. If not they will want to try their hand at a double podium.

    A good result from McLaren P5 and P6, Lando will be wanting to make up for a disappointing sprint where he DNF’ed. The McLaren’s have brought some upgrades this weekend and they seem to be working, so they have got pace this weekend which could see some potential for a podium…

    A much better result for Mercedes, both cars in the top 10, P7 for Russell and P8 for Hamilton. They will be wanting to capitalise on that as much as they can.

    Hulkenberg and Tsunoda had a good qualifying both in the top 10, both drivers will be wanting to score once again in the race.

    A bit of a shocker qualifying for Aston Martin. Both drivers not in the top 10, Stroll starts P11, which is okay but his in the middle of the pack which isn’t the best place. And Alonso starts P15 which is not good at all.

    Ricciardo had a bit of a bad qualifying, a bit of a different one to the sprint qualifying… He starts P18, he needs to have a really good drive and do some lovely overtakes to make up for the qualifying position.

  • RW 6 – Miami Sprint Race

    Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory during Saturday’s Sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix, leading home Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc and Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez at the end of an action packed encounter.

    The Dutchman defended his lead at the start and overcame an early Safety Car before building up a comfortable advantage at the head of the field.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Perez, P4: Ricciardo, P5: Sainz, P6: Piastri, P7: Hulkenberg, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Gasly and P10: Sargeant.

    A great result for Red Bull as usual! It’s not surprising at all, especially Perez he is being really consistent at the moment.

    A nice result from Ferrari, P2 and P5, some more points on the board which will mean everything when it comes to the closing stages of the season!

    Now, we are talking about him again. Mr Daniel Ricciardo, P4! It was looking like P3 at one point during the Sprint but P4 is a very good result for the Aussie and the team. And for his teammate got in the points aswell, so double points!

    A nice result from Piastri, a few points on the board for the team. Not a very good race for Norris, he was involved in a lap one incident where he was tipped into a spin at the first corner, where he had terminal damage after contact between Hamilton, Alonso and Stroll.

    Not a very good sprint for both Mercedes, which was partly due to a bad qualifying but the race wasn’t much better. Hamilton was obviously involved in the lap 1 incident. And Russell ended up dropping back at the start and then had a few troubles getting past other drivers.

    Hulkenberg in P7 aswell, a great result for Haas and a couple points for the team in their home grand prix. His teammate, Kevin Magnussen played a big part in this, helping to stop other drivers come past so his teammate can score some points.

  • RW 6 – Miami Sprint Qualifying

    Max Verstappen will be starting from pole for the Sprint in Miami after storming to P1, while an earlier challenge from McLaren seemed to fall away.

    With every driver opting for just one flying lap in SQ3, Verstappen went quickest of all with a 1m 27.641s. The Red Bull driver will be joined on the front row by Leclerc, who was only 0.108s away. Rounding out the top three is Sergio Perez.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Perez, P4: Ricciardo, P5: Sainz, P6: Piastri, P7: Stroll, P8: Alonso, P9: Norris and P10: Hulkenberg.

    A great result from Red Bull both drivers, Max on pole, even though he didn’t have a very good lap… and also a very good performance from Perez aswell.

    A very good result from Leclerc, P2 especially after him not running in FP1 as he caused a red flag to recover his Ferrari after getting stuck on the track. So considering not much running for the Monegasque its a decent result.

    Now the standout for me, Mr Daniel Ricciardo, P4!! In an RB aswell, he will be wanting to capitalise on this result as much as he can. And the team will be wanting him to do that aswell. But this is what the Australian driver needed to prove he deserves a seat next season whether its in the Red Bull or the RB car…

    A decent result for Aston Martin both cars in the top 10, just what the team wants, but especially for Lance Stroll, whose had some up and down performances.

    A shock in sprint qualifying was both Mercedes out in SQ2, not at all what the team wants. They had some decent pace in free practice and made a few little changes but they were not the right ones clearly. They have three more chances this weekend so hopefully something will go right.

  • RW 5 – China

    Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory in a Chinese Grand Prix which was full of incidents and overtakes. Joining him in the top three is McLaren’s Lando Norris in P2 and teammate Sergio Perez in P3.

    Verstappen led the vast majority of a strategic race at the Shanghai International Circuit which featured a Virtual Safety Car and two Safety Car periods, with the Dutchman sailing off into the sunset, leaving the drama behind him.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Perez, P4: Leclerc, P5: Sainz, P6: Russell, P7: Alonso, P8: Piastri, P9: Hamilton and P10: Hulkenberg.

    A great race for Red Bull P1 for Max and P3 for Perez, which extends their lead in the constructors, and they had four very good pitstops which they nailed perfectly.

    Mr Lando Norris, bringing home a P2! And defending from Perez in P3, a great points haul for the Brit, his teammate grabbed P8 with damage aswell, so a decent race for him!

    P4 and P5 for Ferrari, I don’t think they could’ve done much more to be honest, and it’s not a bad position. Hopefully next time out in Miami they can get back to being on the podium etc.

    A decent result for Mercedes, could’ve been better if Hamilton placed higher in qualifying but he came through the pack to grab some points.

    Valtteri Bottas was one of the retirements, as his Stake car ground to a halt at the exit of Turn 11, reporting that the “engine is gone” with yellow flags initially flown to cover the incident before the Virtual Safety Car was required.
    The VSC then turned into a full Safety Car due to Bottas’ car stuck in gear.

    There was then drama a few moments later at the restart, as Tsunoda got tipped into a spin by Magnussen exiting Turn 6, leaving the RB with terminal rear-right damage and sending the Haas limping back to the pits with a puncture.
    Replays then showed a dramatic concertina effect as cars bunched up at the final hairpin just before the restart, with Stroll running into the back of Ricciardo and briefly sending the RB airborne while littering debris all over the track in the process, which then led the Safety Car to come out again.

    We don’t have to wait too long till the next race, as we head to the US for the first of three Grand Prix this year, and its the Miami Grand Prix on the weekend of 3rd to 5th May!

  • RW 5 – China Sprint Qualifying & Race

    Sprint Qualifying-

    The first sprint qualifying of the year is complete, and it was quite entertaining with both rain and fire, yes FIRE..

    But it was Lando Norris who claimed pole during Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix, however it wasn’t easy for the Brit as originally he had his lap time deleted but it was reinstated.
    In the top three joining him, is another Brit, Mr Lewis Hamilton flew to P2, looking like he was going to get pole at one point. Finishing the top three is Fernando Alonso.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Norris, P2: Hamilton, P3: Alonso, P4: Verstappen, P5: Sainz, P6: Perez, P7: Leclerc, P8: Piastri, P9: Bottas and P10: Zhou.

    A great qualifying from Lando Norris, he excelled in the wet and put it on pole when he needed to. His teammate with a decent result aswell starting in P8.

    Verstappen was struggling a little as he skidded off the track a few times too, but with starting P4 his still got plenty to give, and will no doubt make up positions in no time. His teammate also isn’t too far behind him in P6.

    A great result for Kick Sauber! Especially for Zhou as it’s his first ever home grand prix and to have both drivers in the top 10 is a great result, they will want to score points in the Sprint to put towards the constructors championship.

    There was quite a shock for Yuki Tusonda as he was eliminated in SQ1 where he will start down in 19th, his teammate had a decent qualifying in 14th even though he abandoned his final attempt amid the rainfall.

    We also had George Russell who was forced to abort his flying lap in SQ2 with the rain starting to fall during the final moments which means he will be starting P11.

    Sprint Race-

    Red Bull driver, Max Verstappen move back to the top of the pecking order during Saturday’s Sprint race at Shanghai International Circuit as he turned his low-key P4 into a commanding victory.

    Verstappen slowly made moves up the order across the 19 lap race, benefitting from pole-sitter Lando Norris running off the track during the first lap and then set his eyes on Alonso and Hamilton.

    The full top 10 are – P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Perez, P4: Leclerc, P5: Sainz, P6: Norris, P7: Piastri, P8: Russell, P9: Zhou and P10: Magnussen.

    A good result from Verstappen to claim the Sprint victory, I think there was no doubt about it from the Dutchman he was going from strength to strength. His teammate has got a good result aswell P3 for Perez.

    A great result for Hamilton in P2, a lovely result from the Mercedes driver, a decent points haul aswell. Russell managed to grab the final points position in P8, a decent recovery drive from him.

    Fernando Alonso was the only DNF in the sprint. Sainz attacked Alonso heading Turn 6, with a strong exit from Ferrari seeing them go through Turn 7, where the two Spaniards made contact.
    Alonso dropped back with a puncture from that contact, losing several places in the last sector.

    A decent result for the Ferrari pair, they also had a very close fight at the final hair pin after the Alonso incident, which caused an angry message from the Monegasque.

    Zhou was close to the points! P9 for the Chinese driver, it’s a shame he couldn’t get any at his home race but sometimes that’s just racing…

  • RW 4 – Japan

    Round 4 is complete, with a lot of different strategies going on and it all started because of a red flag early on in the race.

    But it was Max Verstappen who took the chequered flag first and bounced back after retirement in Australia! His teammate followed behind in 2nd, making it another 1-2 for Red Bull and rounding out the podium is Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Perez, P3: Sainz, P4: Leclerc, P5: Norris, P6: Alonso, P7: Russell, P8: Piastri, P9: Hamilton and P10: Tsunoda.

    A dominating display by Red Bull for both drivers, a third successive pole-to-victory conversion for the Dutchman, while also marking a third win from four races in 2024, boosting his lead in the drivers’ championship.

    A very good result for Ferrari aswell, P3 and P4 for Sainz and Leclerc. A good team effort, especially with Leclerc’s strategy as him and Sainz were on alternate strategies to get the best situation.

    A good result for Fernando Alonso, I don’t think anyone doubts he wont be in the points each race unless it’s something which isn’t his fault. I think people need to start looking at his teammate a bit more aswell, finishing 12th and then moaning about the car, when his teammate scored points? Doesn’t make sense really.

    For Mercedes it was a better weekend than Australia, they at least had both cars finish and both cars in the points. But they really are struggling at the moment, whether it’s strategy or just the car they need to make some improvements as soon as possible.

    A point for Yuki Tsunoda on his home turf. His doing the right thing to get a seat for next year, and making himself look more like a number one driver which is interesting…
    However for his teammate, Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon had a little coming together, which sent both cars across the gravel and into the barriers at speed, which cause the red flag due to the damage of the tyre barriers. Luckily both drivers were okay, but it’s not what Daniel needed as he knows he needs to prove himself at the moment.

    Haas had a strong showing, just missing out on points with Hulkenberg in P11 and Magnussen in P13. I think the team is just taking every race as it comes at the moment, and will try and capitalise on others misfortune.

    We don’t have long to wait till round 5, as we finally make a return to China, for the Chinese Grand Prix, in two weeks time on the 19th to 21st April.

  • RW 4 – Japan Qualifying

    Qualifying is over for the Japanese Grand Prix and it was Max Verstappen continued his run of pole positions in 2024 as he took P1 on the grid for the Japanese Grand Prix.

    The Dutchman was joined by teammate Sergio Perez in 2nd, making it a 1-2 in qualifying for Red Bull, the team will want to do a copy and paste situation tomorrow and make up for last time out in Australia. Joining them in the top tree is McLaren’s Lando Norris!

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Verstappen, P2: Perez, P3: Norris, P4: Sainz, P5: Alonso, P6: Piastri, P7: Hamilton, P8: Leclerc, P9: Russell and P10: Tsunoda.

    A lovely result for Red Bull, starting as they mean to go on! It was good to see Perez get closer to Verstappen aswell, only ending up 0.066 away from the champion.

    A nice result for McLaren aswell, Lando starting on the second row! Himself and the team will be aiming for a podium tomorrow but anything could happen… Oscar Piastri in P6 a decent result from him aswell.

    Mercedes had an okay result P7 for Hamilton and P9 for Russell, not the best result for the team, but with the track always improving someone has to be worse off.

    Yuki Tsunodaaaa P10 for the Japanese driver, and infront on his home crowd as well!! He will be aiming for points, but with him going P10 he did knock out his teammate Daniel Ricciardo who will be starting P11.

    Quite a big shock i’d say is Lance Stroll being knocked out in Q1, he will be starting P16 quite a big difference between him and Alonso who starts P5. The Canadian has a lot of work to do in the race to be able to score some points.

  • RW 3 – Australia Qualifying

    Max Verstappen claimed an assured pole position in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix with Carlos Sainz following closely behind in second and Sergio Perez in third.

    After setting a time of 1m 16.048s in the first runs of Q3, the Dutchman improved on his effort in his final laps with a 1,15.915s. This put him 0.270s clear of Sainz, who looked impressive in his first qualifying since returning following surgery for appendicitis two weeks ago.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Verstappen, P2: Sainz, P3: Perez, P4: Norris, P5: Leclerc, P6: Piastri, P7: Russell, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Stroll and P10: Alonso.

    However, Sergio Perez has been handed a three place grid penalty for impeding Hulkenberg. So he will now be starting from P6, and Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri all move up a place.

    A great result from Carlos Sainz, just what the Spanish driver needed especially after missing the previous race, plus his also on a search for a seat for next season so a great performance from him.

    Yuki Tsunodaaaa, in Q3! Great result from him, him and the team will be wanting to score some points this weekend and that means capitalize on his great qualifying position. However for his teammate, not a great day at all, Daniel Ricciardo qualifying P18 at his home race, he will be wanting to make up as many positions as possible.

    A decent result from George Russell, unfortunately for Lewis Hamilton, he was pushed out of the top 10 in the final moments of Q2 and will be starting P11 tomorrow, which isn’t the worst place but he is in the middle of the pack so he will want to take it easy and not get in any trouble.

    Esteban Ocon got into Q2 and qualified P15, after he brushed the wall in Q1. Another little mention to Valtteri Bottas a keen fan of Australia will be starting from P13.

    The McLaren duo had a good qualifying aswell, they will be looking to score a podium this weekend, especially because of Oscar Piastri a podium at home? Any driver would want that!