F1 next heads to Qatar for the penultimate race of the 2025 F1 season - and the final sprint weekend of the year - with the drivers’ championship title race fully reignited following the dramatic end to the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Lando Norris, currently leading the drivers’ standings, thought he’d extended the gap on teammate Oscar Piastri thanks to a second-place finish in Vegas, only for both McLaren cars to be disqualified for excessive skid plank wear on both cars, with the minimum thickness falling below the 9mm threshold allowed.
That means Max Verstappen, who triumphed in Vegas, has closed the deficit on Norris to just 24 points and will be targeting a fifth world title over the final two races of the year. Piastri and Verstappen are level on points behind Norris, and with 33 points up for grabs in Lusail this weekend, the season could yet face another dramatic twist.
Norris is still the favourite to win the title and could seal the title, sprint race dependent, with a victory in the grand prix on Sunday. Two second-place finishes in Qatar and Abu Dhabi would also be enough for the Briton, but anything less opens the door for Verstappen and teammate Piastri.
Follow live coverage of the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent
Read MoreLando Norris hit by McLaren’s all-time F1 screw-up but one move can still save title dream
F1 world champion backs Max Verstappen to win title after McLaren disqualifications
When can Lando Norris win the 2025 F1 world championship?
F1 QATAR GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- The sprint race on Saturday is at 2pm (GMT); qualifying is at 6pm
- Oscar Piastri starts on pole for the Qatar GP sprint; Russell 2nd; Norris 3rd; Verstappen only 6th
- Click HERE for the full starting grid
- OUT! Lewis Hamilton only P18 in sprint qualifying
- Lando Norris leads the world championship by 24 points to Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri
- PREVIEW: How Max Verstappen clawed back 104-point deficit in F1 title race over just seven races
F1 driver standings with two races left:
13:30 , Kieran JacksonThe gap at the top is 24 points.
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 390 points
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 366 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 366 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 294 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 226 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 152 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 137 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 73 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 51 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 49 points
11. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 48 points
12. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 41 points
13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 40 points
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 36 points
15. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 32 points
16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 32 points
17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 28 points
18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 22 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 19 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
NEW: Four pit-lane starts
13:25 , Kieran JacksonFour of the bottom-five will now start in the pit-lane - including Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto start in the pit-lane after making changes to their cars after sprint qualifying on Friday.
Oscar Piastri after his pole for the sprint:
13:20 , Kieran Jackson“It’s been a good day - nice for a change! Things have clicked from the start, just enough in the end - thanks to the team, great car, looked good this weekend so far.
“I’m happy with the result, few things to tidy up but looking forward to tomorrow. Few points, will take whatever I can get.
“Sprint weekend is always really tough to know if you’re fully on top of things, car has felt good all day, the pace was there all day.”
F1 world champion backs Max Verstappen to win title after McLaren disqualifications
13:15 , Kieran JacksonJacques Villeneuve has backed Max Verstappen to win this year’s F1 world championship after the dramatic events following the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday night.
Championship leader Lando Norris had one hand on the trophy after extending his lead to 30 points over Oscar Piastri with a second-place finish in Vegas, with race winner Verstappen 42 points off the Briton.
Yet the shock double disqualification of both McLaren cars for excessive skid plank wear has thrust Verstappen back into the fight. With two rounds to go and 58 points on the table, Verstappen is now level on points with Piastri – a driver he trailed by 104 points at the start of September – and 24 behind Norris.
Full quotes below:
F1 world champion backs Max Verstappen to win title after McLaren disqualifications
Max Verstappen after qualifying sixth:
13:10 , Kieran Jackson“Not good from the first lap, really bad bouncing and aggressive understeer. Not what you want to go faster, we tried to change a few things on the wheel but it never worked, it made it quite tricky.
“It clearly wasn’t working well in qualifying, it’s something we need to understand.
On sprint: “With this balance, it will not be a lot of fun, just trying to survive and then make some changes going into qualifying.”
F1 constructor standings with two races left:
13:00 , Kieran Jackson1. McLaren - 756 points (champions)
2. Mercedes - 431 points
3. Red Bull - 391 points
4. Ferrari - 378 points
5. Williams - 121 points
6. Racing Bulls - 90 points
7. Haas - 73 points
8. Aston Martin - 72 points
9. Sauber - 68 points
10. Alpine - 22 points
Lando Norris, who qualified third:
12:50 , Kieran Jackson“The pace was there, made a mistake in final corner on first lap - just didn’t put it together.
“It’d be stupid to not try and win, it’s impossible to overtake, I’m probably going to finish P3 but if I can get George off the line, that’s the best I can hope for.”
F1 world championship - title odds:
12:50 , Kieran JacksonWorld championship winner
- Lando Norris 1/4
- Oscar Piastri 5/1
- Max Verstappen 6/1
Odds provided by Grosvenor Sport
A reminder of the start times this weekend in Qatar:
12:40 , Kieran JacksonAll times GMT
Saturday 29 November
- Sprint Race: 2pm
- Qualifying: 6pm
Sunday 30 November
- Race: 4pm
Lewis Hamilton gives crushing six-word interview after latest Ferrari F1 nightmare
12:29 , Kieran JacksonHamilton was knocked out in SQ1 on Friday night at the Lusail International Circuit, as the seven-time world champion once again struggled to get to grips with his capricious Ferrari car.
Immediately after, a somewhat perplexed Hamilton said on team radio to race engineer Riccardo Adami: “Ah man, the car won’t go any faster.”
Asked about the session by Sky Sports F1 afterwards, Hamilton replied: “Same as always.” Queried further about whether he can look forward to anything positive on Saturday in the Gulf region, Hamilton simply said: “The weather’s nice.”
More below:
Lewis Hamilton gives crushing six-word interview after latest Ferrari F1 nightmare
How many points are on offer in the sprint race?
12:15 , Kieran JacksonP1 - Eight points
P2 - Seven points
P3 - Six points
P4 - Five points
P5 - four points
P6 - three points
P7 - two points
P8 - one point
Sprint starting grid:
12:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Oscar Piastri – McLaren
2. George Russell – Mercedes
3. Lando Norris – McLaren
4. Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
5. Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull
6. Max Verstappen – Red Bull
7. Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
8. Carlos Sainz – Williams
9. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
10. Alex Albon - Williams
11. Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls
12. Ollie Bearman - Haas
13. Gabriel Bortoleto - Sauber
14. Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber
15. Esteban Ocon - Haas
16. Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
17. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls
18. Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
19. Pierre Gasly - Alpine
20. Franco Colapinto
Charles Leclerc, who qualified ninth:
11:00 , Kieran Jackson“Our qualifying could have been better, and I think that we had the potential to be in the top 5 today.
“The car ahead of me slowed down before turn 15 on my final lap, so I couldn’t build enough of a gap and started the lap too close to him. It’s part of the game, but it was unfortunate for us.
“I’ll push in the Sprint race tomorrow and hope to have some good battles.”
George Russell after qualifying P2:
10:00 , Kieran Jackson“I am very happy with how today went. I've been enjoying these past few qualifying sessions a lot, pushing the car to its limit and having it respond in the way that I want it to.
“That has enabled us to make the most out of the package we have and bag some strong results. Today was no different. P2 is a great result and to split the McLarens isn't something we thought we would do ahead of the session.
“It's going to be difficult to overtake in tomorrow's Sprint so the race could potentially be decided coming out of the first corner. Starting on the front-row obviously helps and we will be aiming to score good points, even if we can't fight for the win.
“The track here is really enjoyable, with a helpful high grip surface, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the weekend.”
Start times this weekend in Qatar:
07:00 , Kieran JacksonAll times GMT
Saturday 29 November
- Sprint Race: 2pm
- Qualifying: 6pm
Sunday 30 November
- Race: 4pm
Max Verstappen: F1 Championship would easily be over if I had Lando Norris’ car
06:00 , Kieran JacksonAsked what would have happened this season if he was driving Norris’ McLaren, Verstappen replied without hesitation and wearing a broad smile: “We wouldn’t be talking about a championship.
“It would already have been won, easily. I mean they won the constructors’ championship so early that yeah… you can fill it in yourself.”
Mick Schumacher confirms American career switch after latest F1 snub
05:00 , Kieran JacksonMick Schumacher has confirmed his switch to IndyCar for the 2026 season, having failed to carve a route back into Formula One.
The German driver, son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher, had two seasons at Haas in 2021-2022 before losing his seat following a number of costly crashes.
Schumacher, 26, has competed for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) this year – including at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race – but has made no secret of his desire to find a way back into F1.
However, having been overlooked for a seat at new team Cadillac for 2026, Schumacher has turned his attention stateside and will race for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team (RLL) next year in IndyCar, after impressing in testing last month.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff ahead of Qatar GP:
04:00 , Kieran Jackson“Two to go. We carry a healthy advantage for P2 in the Constructors' to Qatar but are taking nothing for granted. Whilst we gained points on our nearest rivals in Las Vegas, the weekend also showed how quickly things can change.
“As a team we executed well and are focused on doing so again in both Doha and Abu Dhabi. We have the added challenge of the Sprint format this weekend and an imposed usage limit on the tyres too. Making a solid start in FP1, and having a good base to build from, will be key.
“We expect our competitors to be quick; warm conditions and high-speed corners haven't been our strength this year. We're focused on our process though and will look to maximise the package we have.”
Lewis Hamilton told to ‘calm down’ by Ferrari boss after criticising his own performance in Las Vegas GP
03:00 , Kieran Jackson"Lewis was there in practice and the pace was good, but starting from 20th is not the best way to have good results," he explained.
"For now, we have to calm down. To jump out of the car and make the first comments, it is always a bit too much."
Fernando Alonso after qualifying P6:
02:00 , Kieran Jackson“One of the better qualifying results of the year for us. The car felt in the window from FP1 and then we managed to put the laps together nicely in Sprint Qualifying despite some challenges with traffic.
“Let's go one step at a time and do the Sprint tomorrow and try to improve even further into Qualifying."
Lando Norris expects F1 title lead to shrink in Qatar sprint after qualifying error
01:00 , Kieran Jackson“I would be stupid to not try and win. Let’s see what I can find overnight but it is impossible to overtake here so I think I will probably finish third.
“Getting ahead of George off the line is probably the best I can hope for.”
REPORT: Oscar Piastri lays down first marker with sprint pole in Qatar GP but Max Verstappen struggles
Friday 28 November 2025 23:00 , Kieran JacksonLando Norris allowed Oscar Piastri to take pole position for Saturday’s crucial sprint race in Qatar after he made a mistake at the final corner.
Norris, who heads McLaren team-mate Piastri by 24 points heading into the concluding two rounds of the season, ran through the gravel, and will start third.
George Russell splits the McLaren pair, just 0.032 seconds slower than Piastri, with Max Verstappen’s championship bid suffering a blow after he could manage only sixth.
Full piece below:
Piastri lays down first marker with sprint pole in Qatar GP but Verstappen struggles
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella after sprint qualifying:
Friday 28 November 2025 21:00 , Kieran Jackson“The weekend got off to a good start, with Oscar starting from Pole position in the Sprint and Lando in third position.
“The most important thing is that the car has proven to be fast on this track, and we know where we can still improve performance. This is only the first step and there is still a long way to go, starting with tomorrow afternoon's Sprint.”
Yuki Tsunoda after qualifying fifth:
Friday 28 November 2025 20:00 , Kieran Jackson“So far, it’s been clean, pretty smooth, no issue happening. Something that I feel more confidence going into the qualifying - it’s good we had a clean race weekend so far.
“Just have to put it all together, three more sessions to go. It’s important for the team, especially for Max.”
Lewis Hamilton gives crushing six-word interview after latest Ferrari F1 nightmare
Friday 28 November 2025 19:30 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton could not hide his deflation after only qualifying 18th for the sprint race in Qatar on Friday night.
The 40-year-old British driver, who has endured a torrid debut campaign for Ferrari, qualified dead-last in 20th at the last race in Las Vegas for the first time, on pure pace, in his 19-year F1 career.
A week on, Hamilton fared no better and was knocked out in SQ1 on Friday night at the Lusail International Circuit as he once again struggled to get to grips with his capricious Ferrari car.
Full quotes below:
Lewis Hamilton gives crushing six-word interview after latest Ferrari F1 nightmare
Piastri on pole
Friday 28 November 2025 18:59 , Kieran Jackson Start times for the Qatar Grand Prix:
Friday 28 November 2025 18:45 , Kieran JacksonAll times GMT
Saturday 29 November
- Sprint Race: 2pm
- Qualifying: 6pm
Sunday 30 November
- Race: 4pm
Oscar Piastri on team radio:
Friday 28 November 2025 18:25 , Kieran Jackson“Nice to be back, thanks everybody!”
Piastri’s first pole since Zandvoort in August.
As for Tsunoda 5th and Verstappen 6th, that’s the first time the Japanese driver has beaten the Dutchman since he was promoted to Red Bull!
Top-10 in sprint qualifying
Friday 28 November 2025 18:18 , Kieran Jackson1. Oscar Piastri – McLaren
2. George Russell – Mercedes
3. Lando Norris – McLaren
4. Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
5. Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull
6. Max Verstappen – Red Bull
7. Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
8. Carlos Sainz – Williams
9. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
10. Alex Albon - Williams
Oscar Piastri takes pole position for the sprint!
Friday 28 November 2025 18:16 , Kieran JacksonA dramatic ending!
George Russell thought he had it, but Piastri takes it by 0.032 seconds! Lando Norris only P3!
And Yuki Tsunoda is quicker than his teammate Max Verstappen! The Dutchman only P6.
That’s Piastri’s first pole since Zandvoort....
Oscar Piastri on provisional pole
Friday 28 November 2025 18:12 , Kieran JacksonOscar Piastri has the early edge, with a 0.044 second advantage on Max Verstappen.
George Russell is third, two-tenths off.
4-10: Leclerc, Albon, Sainz, Alonso, Antonelli, Tsunoda, Verstappen
Max Verstappen, meanwhile, stormed off-track and had his lap time deleted- he is fuming over team radio about the car jumping around. He’s only P10.
He’ll have one more shot...
SQ3 underway!
Friday 28 November 2025 18:09 , Kieran JacksonWho will make the first statement of the weekend then?
8 minutes, all on softs.
10 drivers involved: Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Tsunoda, Russell, Antonelli, Leclerc, Sainz, Alonso, Albon
11-20 in the sprint:
Friday 28 November 2025 18:04 , Kieran Jackson11. Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls
12. Ollie Bearman - Haas
13. Gabriel Bortoleto - Sauber
14. Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber
15. Esteban Ocon - Haas
16. Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
17. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls
18. Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
19. Pierre Gasly - Alpine
20. Franco Colapinto
Isack Hadjar out in SQ2
Friday 28 November 2025 18:02 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli looked out in P11 but Hadjar has had a lap time deleted and so he drops into the bottom-five. Ollie Bearman is also out in SQ2.
Current bottom-five (11-15): Hadjar, Bearman, Bortoleto, Hulkenberg, Ocon
Top-3: Norris, Piastri, Verstappen
Tantalising, then, as we head to the top-10 shootout!
Antonelli up to seventh
Friday 28 November 2025 17:59 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli moves into the top-10 as the final laps are coming in now...
Will it be enough?
Lando Norris top after first runs
Friday 28 November 2025 17:55 , Kieran JacksonNorris just 0.049 secs ahead of Oscar Piastri in second, with George Russell in third and Max Verstappen fourth - three-tenths off. “The car is bouncing like crazy,” says the unhappy Dutchman.
Kimi Antonelli, for some reason, has aborted his lap.
Current bottom-five (11-15): Ocon, Albon, Bortoleto, Alonso, Antonelli
4:00 to go in SQ2...
SQ2 underway!
Friday 28 November 2025 17:51 , Kieran JacksonWe get going with the second phase of qualifying while replays show Max Verstappen and Lando Norris getting involved in some games on their push laps, the fine margins between impeding and not impeding.
Fun stuff!
Lewis Hamilton on team radio:
Friday 28 November 2025 17:45 , Kieran Jackson“Ah man, the car won’t go any faster.”
Gut-wrenching for the veteran, whose poor season goes from bad to worse...
Lewis Hamilton out in SQ1
Friday 28 November 2025 17:44 , Kieran JacksonGosh, Lewis.
Kimi Antonelli knocks Hamilton out of sprint qualifying - only 18th fastest for the Ferrari driver!
Bottom-five and out in SQ1 (16-20): Stroll, Lawson, Hamilton, Gasly, Colapinto
Charles Leclerc was only 13th-fastest too... Top-3: Verstappen, Alonso, Piastri
Lewis Hamilton in drop zone
Friday 28 November 2025 17:39 , Kieran JacksonWork to do for Hamilton, who is 16th,
Both Mercedes cars, bizarrely, are 19th and 20th - think they haven’t set a proper hot lap yet!
Current bottom-five (16-20): Hamilton, Gasly, Colapinto, Antonelli, Russell
3:00 to go in SQ1..
McLaren one-two
Friday 28 November 2025 17:36 , Kieran JacksonNorris P1, two-tenths ahead of Piastri in P2.
Lewis Hamilton, it should be said at this stage, third-bottom.
6:00 to go in SQ1...
Isack Hadjar first early on
Friday 28 November 2025 17:35 , Kieran JacksonLaps just building now, with Hadjar ahead of Alex Albon and Max Verstappen in third.
Plenty still to set their laps now...
SQ1 underway!
Friday 28 November 2025 17:31 , Kieran JacksonBig old queue in the pit-lane as we get underway with sprint qualifying.
A reminder: 12 minutes this first session where the whole field will be fitted with mandatory medium tyres.
It’s quick, it’s rapid, and it’s go-time!
Sprint qualifying in 5 mins:
Friday 28 November 2025 17:25 , Kieran JacksonIt’s the first of four competitive sessions this weekend then - and who will make the first statement of the Qatar Grand Prix?
Lando Norris leads the championship by 24 points and he can take his first step towards winning it this Sunday with a pole position for tomorrow’s 19-lap sprint.
But can Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen claim a pole of their own? And what about Mercedes and Ferrari - can they get in the mix?
The quickfire sprint qualifying is coming right up!
When can Lando Norris win the 2025 F1 world championship?
Friday 28 November 2025 17:20 , Kieran JacksonBy the end of the final sprint race of the year at the penultimate round in Qatar, Piastri and Verstappen would need to be within 50 points of Norris to stand a mathematical chance of catching him. With a maximum of eight points in the sprint, Norris now can’t win the title in the Qatar sprint race. The worst situation for both chasing drivers is a deficit of 32 points.
Therefore, the earliest Norris can win the title is the Grand Prix in Qatar on Sunday 30 November.
A points advantage of more than 25 points by the end of the Qatar Grand Prix would see him win the title with one race to spare. Put simply: If Norris outscores Piastri and Verstappen by two or more points in Qatar, over both the Sprint and Grand Prix, he will become world champion.
Max Verstappen on going for a fifth title:
Friday 28 November 2025 17:09 , Kieran Jackson“Five is better than four, but it won’t change my life. But we are in this fight still because of other people’s failures - not because what we did.
We maximised pretty much all races, but if we had had the car they had, the championship would have been over a long time ago.”
How many points are on offer in the sprint race?
Friday 28 November 2025 17:05 , Kieran JacksonP1 - Eight points
P2 - Seven points
P3 - Six points
P4 - Five points
P5 - four points
P6 - three points
P7 - two points
P8 - one point
‘The answer is no’: Oscar Piastri reveals McLaren talks over Lando Norris favouritism
Friday 28 November 2025 16:45 , Kieran JacksonAsked whether McLaren had talked about favouring Norris, Piastri replied on Thursday: “We’ve had a very brief discussion and the answer is no. I’m still equal on points with Max.
“I’ve got a decent shot of still winning it if things go my way. That’s how we play it.”
‘The answer is no’: Oscar Piastri reveals McLaren talks over Lando Norris favouritism
Why were Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix?
Friday 28 November 2025 16:30 , Kieran JacksonNorris and Piastri were punished for an illegal post-race car, with the thickness of the plank, which is underneath the car, below the required 9mm thickness as per the FIA regulations.
The skid wear is monitored so teams don’t run their cars too low to the ground for a performance benefit.
The stewards’ verdict revealed that the plank-wear was 0.12mm over the limit for Norris’s car and 0.26mm for Piastri’s car. McLaren argued that unexpected porpoising, when the car bounces violently up and down, limited testing opportunities due to rain on Thursday night and shortened practice sessions in Vegas gave them mitigating circumstances.
However, the FIA acknowledged there was no room in the regulations or in past decisions for anything other than a disqualification verdict.
Start times this weekend in Qatar:
Friday 28 November 2025 15:00 , Kieran JacksonAll times GMT
Friday 28 November
- Sprint Qualifying: 5.30pm
Saturday 29 November
- Sprint Race: 2pm
- Qualifying: 6pm
Sunday 30 November
- Race: 4pm
Thoughts of the chasing pack:
Friday 28 November 2025 13:23 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen: “We have maximised a lot of our results. We gave it a real fight, we’re still in there, try and have two very good weekends.”
Piastri: “It can definitely still go my way but not everything is in my control now.”
McLaren F1 boss finally explains ‘specific cause’ of double disqualification
Friday 28 November 2025 13:17 , Kieran JacksonMcLaren team principal Andrea Stella has revealed that “extensive porpoising” was the primary factor behind the team’s double disqualification in Las Vegas.
The verdict has huge ramifications for the title race with Norris – who was 30 points clear of Piastri and 42 ahead of Max Verstappen – now just 24 points ahead of his rivals.
In a Q&A on the McLaren website, Stella explained what occurred during the Vegas race: "The specific cause that led to the situation was the unexpected occurrence of extensive porpoising, inducing large vertical oscillations of the car. “
More quotes below:
McLaren F1 boss finally explains ‘specific cause’ of double disqualification
Lando Norris reveals 'small expectation' of Vegas DSQ
Friday 28 November 2025 13:14 , Kieran Jackson"There was some small expectation of it already, so it wasn't a complete shock or out of nowhere," Norris said in Qatar on Thursday.
"We were quite prepared for what the result could be, but I was quite fine.
“I left the track, we did our debrief, and we talked about what was good, what was not good and things we could improve on and be better for here, of course, one main thing.
"But otherwise, we treated everything very normally, and of course, it hurts as a lot of effort goes into every weekend from everyone, including myself, and it certainly made all that effort feel like it disappeared very quickly, but it is the same feeling for all of us.
"The mechanics, the engineers, myself, everyone in McLaren feels let down by what we had as a result, and we're all disappointed, but actually, I found it quite easy to move on, have a few days off and come to this weekend, so I'm disappointed, of course, but it was fine."
Aston Martin appoint new team principal after Christian Horner speculation
Friday 28 November 2025 12:59 , Kieran JacksonAdrian Newey will become Aston Martin team principal next season.
Newey, widely considered the greatest technical mastermind of his generation, committed his long-term future to Aston Martin in September 2024 after his departure from Red Bull sparked a bidding war for his services.
Pressure has built on current team principal and CEO Andy Cowell amid a disappointing season and reported disagreements with managing technical partner Newey.
After speculation linking former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with the Silverstone-based team resurfaced, Aston Martin announced on Wednesday evening that 66-year-old Newey will step up to take charge of trackside operations from 2026.
Lando Norris hit by McLaren’s all-time F1 screw-up but one move can still save title dream
Friday 28 November 2025 12:48 , Kieran JacksonComment by Kieran Jackson
The first sign that something was amiss, under the bamboozling lightshow that is the Las Vegas strip, came in the final three laps. Out of nowhere, why was Lando Norris’s pace dropping off at a rate of knots? Safely in second place, seven seconds behind the race leader, Norris eventually finished 23 seconds off Max Verstappen. Now, we know why.
Norris’s shock disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, announced just after 1.30am local time, has handed his F1 title rivals the biggest of reprieves. Ironically, the double McLaren DSQ – with Oscar Piastri’s race result wiped out for the same reason, excessive plank wear on the car – is a much-needed saving grace for the Australian. His deficit was 30 points; now it’s back to the original 24 points.
More below:
Lando Norris hit by McLaren’s all-time screw-up but one move can save title dream
Max Verstappen reveals he still talks with Christian Horner after ‘every race’
Friday 28 November 2025 12:15 , Kieran Jackson“Yes, every race weekend,” came Verstappen’s response when asked if he still talks to Horner following the latter’s departure from Red Bull.
Verstappen added: “He will send a message about anything; how the race went and keeping up to date with life. So, we are still in very good contact, absolutely.
“It is very important to acknowledge what Christian did for this team and the moments we lived through together; the first title in 2021, the rollercoaster of that year and emotions of the final race in Abu Dhabi. They are moments you will never forget.”
Andrea Stella explains McLaren's double DSQ:
Friday 28 November 2025 12:04 , Kieran Jackson"The specific cause that led to the situation was the unexpected occurrence of extensive porpoising, inducing large vertical oscillations of the car.
“The level of porpoising was exacerbated by the conditions in which the car operated during the race, and it was not anticipated based on what we had seen in practice and based on the predictions of the car operating window in the race.
“Based on the data we had acquired in practice, we do not believe we took excessive risks in terms of ride height and we also added a safety margin for qualifying and the race, compared to practice, in terms of clearance to the ground.
“However, the safety margin was negated by the unexpected onset of the large vertical oscillations, which caused the car to touch the ground.
“The porpoising condition that the car developed in the race was also a difficult one to mitigate, as even a reduction in speed – an action that, in theory, should increase clearance to the ground – was only effective in some parts of the track but in others was actually counterproductive."
TOP-3 - WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday 28 November 2025 11:58 , Kieran JacksonThe gap is 24 points.
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 390 points
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 366 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 366 points
Norris on pressure of title race
Thursday 27 November 2025 14:40 , Kieran JacksonLando on how he is dealing with the extra pressure this weekend 👀 pic.twitter.com/0HItIg2cGD
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 27, 2025
Jenson Button pins blame on Lewis Hamilton for F1 qualifying error in Vegas: ‘He’s lost focus’
Thursday 27 November 2025 12:20 , Kieran JacksonHamilton started P20 in Vegas after being hindered on his final push lap due to yellow flags, the Briton thought he crossed the line on the start-finish straight too late to start another lap, with red-lights flashing above.
However, replays show that Hamilton could have actually started another push lap, as he crossed the timing line with the lights still green.
Asked whether he could defend Hamilton for the error, fellow Sky F1 pundit and 2009 world champion Button replied: “No – it’s a tricky one. He’s not the first one to probably make this mistake, but the timing line is a different line to the gantry.
“You should know that because the time comes up on your dash. We all get told what our lap times are when you cross that line.”
Verstappen leads the street-race rankings for 2025:
Thursday 27 November 2025 10:15 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen rules on the streets in 2025! 👏
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 24, 2025
The final points are in after eight street races 💨#F1 pic.twitter.com/B9ugWkoQ3k
FIA press conference line-up in Qatar:
Thursday 27 November 2025 09:30 , Kieran Jackson2:30pm (GMT) - Ollie Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson
3pm - Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Carlos Sainz
Max Verstappen after Las Vegas:
Thursday 27 November 2025 09:10 , Kieran JacksonThis is all we’ve heard from Max since that Vegas win - he is due to speak to the media at 4pm (GMT) this afternoon.
All in 👊 Outstanding performance @redbullracing, really proud of everyone 🙌 pic.twitter.com/T3sXA1xXGl
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) November 23, 2025