British GP: Lando Norris ‘fed up’ as McLaren admit to errors after missing out on Silvestone victory | F1 News

British GP: Lando Norris ‘fed up’ as McLaren admit to errors after missing out on Silvestone victory | F1 News



Lando Norris admitted to being “fed up” after narrowly missing out on another Formula 1 victory at the British Grand Prix.

Norris came from fourth to take the lead at his home race, but the British driver and his McLaren team combined to make several errors around a final pit stop which gave up the lead to eventual winner Lewis Hamilton, before Max Verstappen passed him for second in the closing stages.

Since claiming his maiden F1 victory at the Miami Grand Prix in May, Norris has had strong chances of victory at five of the six races that have followed, but has failed to take advantage of having the most consistent race pace during that period.

“I know (it’s a podium at the British GP) but I’m fed up of just saying I should have done better and I should have done this and could have done that, or whatever,” Norris told Sky Sports F1.

” I don’t care if it takes time, I don’t want it to take time. I should be doing it now, we should be winning now. I should be making better decisions than what I’m making.

Race highlights from Silverstone for the British Grand Prix.

“I’m just disappointed, it’s a win. It’s a win in Formula 1 and I’m not going to settle for something less when we should have achieved it.”

By passing Norris in the closing stages, Red Bull’s Verstappen extended his lead over the Brit at the top of the drivers’ standings to 84 points.

Norris finished second to Verstappen in Imola, Canada and Spain, before damage sustained in a collision between the pair when battling for the lead in Austria last weekend forced Norris to retire.

Lewis Hamilton takes the lead of the British GP, after Lando Norris suffers from a slow pit stop.

“I’m not (being hard on myself),” Norris continued.

“Should we have won a race today? Yes? Did we? No. So I’m not going to be happy with another third place. I lost more points to Max, so I’m not going to be happy with that.

“Plenty of good things, there are positives, yes, but I’m only going to be satisfied with the end result and I’m not.”

Norris: Soft tyre call left no chance of win

In a thriller at Silverstone, Norris dropped from third on the grid to fourth after being passed by Verstappen on the opening lap, but was able to scythe his way through to the lead as the McLaren excelled in slippery conditions when rain began to fall.

Norris held the lead as heavier rain forced the field to switch to intermediate tyres, and maintained a lead over Hamilton until the rain eased to set up a crucial final pit stop to go back onto slick tyres.

George Russell holds the lead from Lewis Hamilton as Max Verstappen is up into third ahead of Lando Norris on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix.

Hamilton came in at the end of lap 38 as Norris stayed out for a further circuit, which enabled the Mercedes to gain time on the faster compound, while the McLaren driver compounded the problem by running slightly deep into his pit box to lose further time.

But most crucially, McLaren gave Norris the same soft tyre that Mercedes had put Hamilton on for the remaining 13 laps.

Verstappen, who pitted at the same time as Hamilton, was on hard tyres, which gave the Dutchman more freedom to push without fear of suffering degradation in the final stages.

Lando Norris takes full advantage of some slippery conditions at Silverstone, as he overtakes both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton for the race lead.

Norris was caught and passed by Verstappen on lap 48, while Hamilton was able to hold on for victory with relative ease. Frustratingly for McLaren, Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri showed strong pace in the final stint on the same new medium tyre that Norris had available.

Reflecting on his regrets, Norris said: “Just the two at the end. Just what tyre to box on to and a lap too late. I think the lap too late is completely on me. That’s just driver feel and driver knowledge of when to box and Lewis did a better job than me on that side.

“Boxing to the soft, that’s a team call, that’s between me. So many good parts but, again, just a couple that let us down and threw away the win so pretty disappointed.”

Max Verstappen overtakes Lando Norris for second as he looks to chase down Lewis Hamilton for the race win at Silverstone!

Explaining why he and the team came to the decision to fit a soft tyre, Norris said: “Lewis was on it, he won the race.

“It’s not the wrong call but we’re terrible on soft tyres as a team. Just because of the car balance and how it works. We’ve always been bad on that kind of tyre, Mercedes have always been very good so I almost had no chance of beating them.

“I expected to come out ahead of the Mercedes, I didn’t, but even if I came out ahead I wouldn’t have won the race because we were too slow.”

Stella: Pit wall should take decisions away from drivers

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admitted the wrong call had been made regarding Norris’ tyres.

Stella also conceded that McLaren had made a mistake earlier in the race when choosing not to double stack Piastri behind Norris in the pits, which resulted in the Australian dropping from second to fifth as the leaders switched to intermediate tyres in the rain.

“Difficult conditions, mixed. Many calls to be made. Many were right but there were a couple that in hindsight we would do differently,” Stella told Sky Sports F1.

Listen in to the cool-down room where Lewis Hamilton offers some advice to a despondent Lando Norris about McLaren’s strategy at the British GP.

“I think we would acknowledge that giving one more lap with Oscar, we lost a lot of time before going onto the intermediate tyres. We didn’t want to lose the time in the double shuffle but in hindsight, it would have been the right thing to do.

“And the second call is that with Lando, we should have gone on medium tyres at the end rather than trying to match Lewis. I think it would have been safer to be competitive at the end of the race, and even if Lewis had been ahead after the stop, then I think we would have had our shot at the end of the race with more consistent tyres.

“It’s easy in hindsight. They are all opportunities to grow and improve as a team. I think overall, it’s great once again for McLaren to be in a podium finish, Oscar P4, many points – important for both championships.”

In the cases of both Norris and Piastri, lengthy discussions between driver and pit wall took place over team radio, which Stella admitted contributed to the wrong decisions being taken.

Karun Chandhok unpicks the British GP where five possible drivers could have taken victory but Lewis Hamilton claimed his record ninth win.

“For both Oscar not going one more lap and for Lando not going on soft but actually going on medium, it should have been a call of the pit wall,” he added.

“So we take the responsibility for this. The drivers, they already keep themselves quite busy in keeping their car on track in these conditions. The pit wall have more information. It’s for us to make these calls.

“We will grow and learn, but we are also excited and encouraged that we keep being competitive and fighting at the front. A bit of a bittersweet day because we know we could have won the race, but ultimately many positives and we take it from here looking forward to the next events.”

Despite failing to maximise their potential, McLaren were the highest scorers in the constructors’ standings, reducing their deficit to leaders Red Bull to 78 points and closing within seven points of second-placed Ferrari.

Next up for F1 is the Hungarian Grand Prix from Budapest on July 19-21. You can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

British GP: Are McLaren drivers of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri the team to beat at Silverstone? | F1 News

British GP: Are McLaren drivers of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri the team to beat at Silverstone? | F1 News



Lando Norris thinks McLaren must improve despite making a perfect start to the British Grand Prix as he topped both of Friday’s practice sessions.

Norris was over three tenths clear of the field in second practice, with McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri being his closest challenger.

Sergio Perez was the first non-McLaren car in third but 0.434s behind, while Max Verstappen was only seventh in the sister Red Bull car.

Intriguingly, Norris pointed out the pace of Mercedes when discussing his day.

“A good start to the weekend. It wasn’t like the cleanest. It didn’t feel that comfortable this morning but through the sessions we made some tweaks and I got in a much nicer window, which is important around here,” said Norris.

“It’s quite on the nose and quite sketchy and pretty high-speed. Tricky, but I’m happy. I think we made some good progress.

“I think we’re pretty tight and even with Mercedes, they seem probably just as quick as us. They just didn’t turn up the engine and do as much in the final run. So I think we’re in a good place but we probably have a little bit more to find.”

Karun Chandhok takes a look at the top laps from practice from Lando Norris and Max Verstappen to determine if the Red Bull driver is as behind Norris as he seems

Mercedes looked good on the medium and hard tyres but Lewis Hamilton was in a group from sixth to 10th that were around seven tenths off Norris’ blistering pace on the softs.

Hamilton, who has won the British Grand Prix a record eight times, doesn’t seem to agree with Norris’ comments.

“I felt fine, generally felt good, just not as fast as the guys ahead, like the McLarens,” he said.

Norris says McLaren are ready for any weather but hopes its stays dry for his home race after topping both Friday practice sessions at Silverstone

“We don’t have upgrades this weekend. We have some small tweaks to things, but not necessarily upgrades.

“Every time we add something to the car we are going in the right direction, but the others bring upgrades at the same time.

“We were six and a half tenths off in that session. I don’t know if it’s truly exactly six tenths, but we’ve got some work to do.”

Norris open to wet weather

Rain is forecast throughout the weekend at Silverstone, which could change the already-mixed pecking order completely.

Norris is one of the best drivers in the wet as he showed in the first half of last month’s Canadian Grand Prix and when he took Sprint Qualifying pole in Shanghai earlier this year in the rain.

“I always enjoy both conditions. I would prefer if it was one or the other. And honestly, on a home race, I would probably prefer if it was just dry because we seem like we’re in a good place and I wouldn’t want to go too far away from that,” he said.

“But it’s Silverstone, it’s England, so I’m ready for everything, but my preference would probably be to stay dry.”

Here’s what you can look forward to during coverage of this weekend’s British Grand Prix

There has been talk of whether the three British drivers of Norris, Hamilton and George Russell can all stand on the podium this Sunday.

Russell comes into the weekend on the back of winning in Austria but thinks Mercedes are a little behind McLaren and Red Bull.

“First practice was really good. The car was feeling great. We struggled a bit more this afternoon,” he said.

“It got a bit windier and I don’t think we quite nailed the tyres. We are probably similar competitiveness to the last few races.”

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell reflect on Friday’s practice sessions at the British GP

Verstappen seemingly relaxed

Not for the first time this year, Red Bull appear to be on the backfoot after the Friday of an F1 weekend.

Verstappen finished second practice in seventh but set his best lap much earlier than his rivals, so had the worst of the track conditions.

“On the soft it didn’t go so well in FP2, the medium a bit better, so a bit of work to do,” said Verstappen.

“We tried a few things on the car from FP1 to FP2, so just have to analyse a bit what to do better for tomorrow.”

Ted Kravitz brings updates of the RB20’s floor changes from the pit lane

Red Bull’s Milton Keynes factory is just a half an hour drive from Silverstone, so the team will be working tirelessly through the night to work out the best set-up.

Verstappen, who leads Norris by 81 points in the drivers’ championship, has only won the British Grand Prix once but didn’t rule out Red Bull bouncing back come qualifying on Saturday.

“We tried a few things so we just now need to analyse all of that and then that will give us a direction for tomorrow, where naturally with the weather it will rain a bit, so we’ll all have to take that into account,” he said.

Max Verstappen says he and the team will analyse the performance from practice to direct ahead of Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions

Perez missed out on first practice as Red Bull ran F2 driver Isack Hadjar as part of the mandatory requirement to run a rookie in at least two practice sessions this season.

The Mexican gave more away about Red Bull’s pace and admits they should have more pace to come.

“It was a solid session because we lost the whole morning. It was good. The car is feeling good,” said Perez.

“I think we need to find some balance, especially in the slow and medium speed. In the high-speed, the car feels nice. There should be some nice potential for us later on.”

Sky Sports F1’s live British GP schedule (all F1 sessions on Sky Showcase)

Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the British Grand Prix

Saturday July 6
9.15am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: British GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: British GP Qualifying
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday July 7
8:15am: F3 Feature Race
9:50am: F2 Feature Race
11:50am: Porsche Supercup
1:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – British GP build-up
3pm: The BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook

F1’s summer triple-header concludes with the big one, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase, with Sunday’s race at 3pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

British GP: Lando Norris completes Friday practice double for fast McLaren with Max Verstappen trailing in Practice Two | F1 News

British GP: Lando Norris completes Friday practice double for fast McLaren with Max Verstappen trailing in Practice Two | F1 News



Lando Norris completed a strong opening day of practice for his home British Grand Prix by staying at the top of the timesheet in Practice Two, this time heading a McLaren one-two.

The Practice One pacesetter maintained his leading position in the second session and opened his advantage over a lap of Silverstone to an impressive 0.3s, with McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri joining him at the head of the timesheet in second place.

Championship leader Max Verstappen, however, was only seventh quickest with the Dutchman unusually only the second-fastest Red Bull driver in the session.

Sergio Perez was third-fastest in the sister RB20, with Nico Hulkenberg a surprise fourth for Haas and Charles Leclerc fifth quickest for Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton was the lead Mercedes in sixth, with Austrian victor George Russell only 10th.

Here’s what you can look forward to during coverage of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

But after a session in which some teams ran slightly different run plans to normal amid the looming threat of rain, which eventually arrived with five minutes in the session to go, Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok suspected: “I think they are not showing their hand at Red Bull – and I expect Mercedes are the same.

“McLaren look good and Lando hit the ground running. Every run, the car looks nice and comfortable to drive

“Are they six tenths faster than Mercedes and Verstappen? If they are, that would be amazing for the home fans.”

F1 teams did still complete the majority of their planned P2 schedules – including the soft-tyre simulations and heavier-fuel race runs – before the late-session rain arrived. Showers are again forecast for Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race days.

Norris lays down early marker in front of home fans

With the late-race collision between Norris and Verstappen from last Sunday’s Austrian GP having been the dominant topic of conversation so far at Silverstone – an ongoing debate which McLaren’s Zak Brown waded into on Friday by aiming criticism at Red Bull – it was back to on-track business for the sport’s leading duo in the Drivers’ Championship at the event which marks the halfway point of the increasingly-competitive 2024 season.

Zak Brown hits back at Red Bull after the incident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at the Austrian Grand Prix.

And it was Norris who took day one honours in front of his home crowd at Silverstone.

Although the McLarens, unlike Red Bull and Mercedes, had run the soft tyres in opening practice when Norris topped the first session, the team stayed at the head of the field once everyone had run the weekend’s quickest compound in the second session too.

Norris’ best lap, which he set later than most of his rivals, was an impressive 0.331s quicker than Piastri and 0.434s ahead of third-placed Perez.

Norris says McLaren are ready for any weather but hopes its stays dry for his home race after topping both Friday practice sessions at Silverstone.

Verstappen finished up almost 0.7s back although, perhaps significantly, the Dutchman completed his soft-tyre lap 15 minutes earlier than Norris when the track was clearly not quite as grippy or fast.

The fact Hulkenberg subsequently ended up fourth would suggest there was plenty more time to find for F1’s world champion had he run on track when conditions were at their best. Verstappen did have a slide through the high-speed Becketts section on a push lap later on in his soft-tyre run.

Interestingly, Norris referenced Mercedes as appearing to have a car to compete with McLaren.

“I think we made some good progress,” said Norris, who goes into the weekend 81 points adrift of Verstappen in the standings.

“I think we’re pretty tight and even with Mercedes, they seem probably just as quick as us. They just didn’t turn up the engine and do as much in the final run. So I think we’re in a good place but we probably have a little bit more to find.”

British GP Practice Two Timesheet

Driver Team Time
1) Lando Norris McLaren 1:26.549
2) Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.331
3) Sergio Perez Red Bull +0.434
4) Nico Hulkenberg Haas +0.441
5) Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.601
6) Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.653
7) Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.684
8) Carlos Sainz Ferrari +0.700
9) Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.725
10) George Russell Mercedes +0.745
11) Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.823
12) Valtteri Bottas Sauber +0.832
13) Alex Albon Williams +1.096
14) Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.183
15) Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.194
16 Yuki Tsunoda RB +1.196
17) Logan Sargeant Williams +1.260
18) Zhou Guanyu Sauber +1.264
19) Daniel Ricciardo RB +1.367
20) Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.573

Sky Sports F1’s live British GP schedule (all F1 sessions on Sky Showcase)

Saturday July 6
9.15am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: British GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: British GP Qualifying
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the British Grand Prix.

Sunday July 7
8:15am: F3 Feature Race
9:50am: F2 Feature Race
11:50am: Porsche Supercup
1:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – British GP build-up
3pm: The BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook

F1’s summer triple-header concludes with the big one, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase, with Sunday’s race at 3pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

British GP: Lando Norris tops first practice as McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri suffers technical issue | F1 News

British GP: Lando Norris tops first practice as McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri suffers technical issue | F1 News



Lando Norris was fastest for McLaren in a tight opening practice session at the British Grand Prix.

The Brit, looking to bounce back from his controversial collision with world championship leader Max Verstappen last weekend in Austria, took advantage of McLaren choosing to run soft tyres to top the timesheet.

Norris was a tenth of a second faster than Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, who also ran soft tyres, with his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri two tenths back in third, before a technical issue cut his participation eight minutes short.

Charles Leclerc encounters a close shave with Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll during the first practice session at Silverstone

Verstappen, whose Red Bull team – along with Mercedes and Ferrari – chose not to run the theoretically fastest soft tyre, was the best of the rest in fourth.

George Russell, who benefitted from the Verstappen-Norris crash to win in Austria, was fifth for Mercedes, once more outpacing team-mate Lewis Hamilton who finished seventh behind Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

Ferrari showed little sign of improving from their recent drop off in form as Charles Leclerc was eighth, a place ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz.

Ted Kravitz brings updates of the RB20’s floor changes from the pit lane

Yuki Tsunoda was last after beaching his RB in the gravel within the opening 10 minutes, triggering a red flag and ending his participation in the session.

British teenager Oliver Bearman, fresh off signing a deal to drive for Haas next season on Thursday, was the highest placed of four drivers fulfilling the young driver sessions F1 teams are obliged to fulfil throughout the season.

More to follow…

British GP Practice One Timesheet

Driver Team Time
1) Lando Norris McLaren 1:27.420
2) Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.134
3) Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.211
4) Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.309
5) George Russell Mercedes +0.318
6) Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.374
7) Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.438
8) Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.483
9) Carlos Sainz Ferrari +0.505
10) Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.554
11) Nico Hulkenberg Haas +0.662
12) Valtteri Bottas Sauber +0.834
13) Daniel Ricciardo RB +1.057
14) Oliver Bearman Haas +1.116
15) Zhou Guanyu Sauber +1.170
16) Alex Albon Williams +1.229
17) Jack Doohan Alpine +1.315
18) Franco Colapinto Williams +1.658
19) Isack Hadjar Red Bull +1.850
20) Yuki Tsunoda RB +2.444

Sky Sports F1’s live British GP schedule (all F1 sessions on Sky Showcase)

Friday July 5
2.05pm: F3 Qualifying
3pm: F2 Qualifying
3.45pm: British GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)

Saturday July 6
9.15am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: British GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: British GP Qualifying
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday July 7
8:15am: F3 Feature Race
9:50am: F2 Feature Race
11:50am: Porsche Supercup
1:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – British GP build-up
3pm: The BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook

F1’s summer triple-header concludes with the big one, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase, with Sunday’s race at 3pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

Austrian GP: McLaren protest rejected after Oscar Piastri loses third on grid due to track limits | F1 News

Austrian GP: McLaren protest rejected after Oscar Piastri loses third on grid due to track limits | F1 News



Oscar Piastri branded the decision to delete his third-fastest lap time in qualifying for the Austrian GP “embarrassing”, before McLaren’s protest against the decision was rejected.

The McLaren driver was relegated from the head of the second row to seventh after Race Control ruled he had transgressed track limits at Turn Six by going with all four wheels over the white lines that demark the edge of the track.

However, an unimpressed Piastri – who would have started Sunday’s race right behind team-mate Lando Norris, who qualified second – was far from convinced that had been the case.

McLaren shared that opinion and lodged a protest against the results of qualifying, with team boss Andrea Stella convinced his driver’s apparent transgression had not been proved “beyond reasonable doubt” by the available camera angles.

“For me, it’s embarrassing,” Piastri, who had finished second to Max Verstappen in Saturday’s earlier Sprint race, told Sky Sports F1.

“We did all of this work for track limits, put gravel in places, and I didn’t even go off the track. I stayed on the track. It was probably my best Turn Six and it gets deleted.

“I don’t know why they’ve spent hundreds of thousands trying to change the last two corners when you still have corners you can go off.

“But, anyway, everyone else kept it in the track, I didn’t. That’s how it goes.”

Oscar Piastri referred to his lap time being deleted as ’embarrassing’, which saw the McLaren driver drop from third to seventh

Asked to elaborate on what he meant by “embarrassing”, Piastri added: “That was probably the best Turn Six I took. I was right to the limit of the track; I think that’s what everyone wants to see.

“Again, we have spent so much effort trying to get rid of these problems. There is no reason this corner should be an issue for track limits, especially when you stay on the track, like I did, or not on the gravel.

“So, yeah, for me being the only one that has had that happen to me I’m probably more vocal about it right now, but I think it’s embarrassing that you see us pushing right to the limit of what we can do and one centimetre more I’m in the gravel and completely ruin my lap anyway – and it gets deleted.”

Highlights of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix

Track limits issues have been a recurring theme at the Red Bull Ring over recent years but officials moved to tackle the issue this year by placing strips of gravel on the outside of the circuit’s final two corners, where the problem was particularly prevalent.

Turn Six, where Piastri was judged to have gone too wide, has always had a gravel trap on the outside.

Stewards’ reason for rejection

The protest was found to be not valid for three reasons:

  • It was addressed to the Clerk of the Course and not to the Chairperson of the Stewards (Article 13.5.1 ISC)
  • It did not specify any relevant regulations (Article 13.4.1 ISC)
  • It did not specify against whom the protest was lodged (Article 13.4.1 ISC)

The stewards added the “protest does not meet several of the required criteria for the admissibility of a protest,” McLaren also forfeited its £1,695 (€2,000) deposit for raising the protest.

Sky Sports F1’s live Austrian GP schedule

Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the Austrian Grand Prix

Sunday June 30
7.25am: F3 Feature Race
8.55am: F2 Feature Race
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Austrian GP build-up*
2pm: The AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP reaction*
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

*also live on Sky Sports Main Event

F1’s triple-header continues with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday’s big race at 2pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

Austrian GP: Red Bull and McLaren expecting tight fight at Red Bull Ring on Sprint weekend | F1 News

Austrian GP: Red Bull and McLaren expecting tight fight at Red Bull Ring on Sprint weekend | F1 News


Max Verstappen admits his team cannot afford “messy” weekends to continue winning in Formula 1, such are the tight margins between Red Bull and McLaren ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Verstappen and Lando Norris have fought for the win in four of the last five events as the field has closed up since the latter won the Miami Grand Prix in early May.

Ferrari and Mercedes were slightly off the pace last time out in Barcelona but the short lap time at the Red Bull Ring, which is the shortest of the year, should make things extremely competitive.

McLaren are the team with momentum though and it was this time 12 months ago when they put their first major upgrade on the car, which marked the start of their move towards the front of the pecking order.

“I think McLaren at the moment, they’re just very solid. They’re good everywhere, every single track,” said Verstappen, who leads the championship by 69 points from Norris.

“You could see in Barcelona, they were very good on their tyres. They could just push more on them compared to, I think, everyone else on the grid without actually degrading off that much at the end of stints.

“Even the last stint, my last few laps were quite a struggle, where Lando was definitely catching up a lot, so these are things that we have to do better. Plus, of course, our known issues with the kerbs and bumps, low speed, basically.”

Max Verstappen dismissed rumours he’d leave Red Bull anytime soon saying he’s focused on next year.

Important to be quick out of the blocks

Austria is a Sprint weekend, so there is just one practice session at 11.30am on Friday before going straight into Sprint Qualifying at 3.30pm – live on Sky Sports F1.

In Imola and Canada, Red Bull found themselves on the backfoot but spent hours in the simulator overnight to find a sweet spot and Verstappen was able to get onto the front row.

I would say Barcelona, we had just a normal weekend, we were just too slow,” said Verstappen on Red Bull’s inconsistent Fridays recently.

Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the Austrian Grand Prix.

“Then you try to keep on making adjustments and then luckily, I think in qualifying, it all felt a bit better. But that was probably just a normal progression that you have throughout the weekend.

“Before that, of course, we had some messy weekends. So we cannot afford that anymore, these kind of things. So of course, I just hope for a clean weekend, basically like we did in Barcelona, but hopefully a little bit more pace as well.”

As for McLaren, they appear to have a more well-rounded car that is easier to get into the optimal working window.

Oscar Piastri has struggled at the last two events but thinks McLaren’s car is able to be fast straight away on a race weekend.

“Barcelona aside, I have been comfortable with the car from the first lap in practice,” he said.

“I think we should be pretty confident we can hit the ground running. Last weekend was a reminder it’s not always easy to achieve that, but we should be confident we can be strong out of the blocks.”

Traffic to be an issue

The short lap time means traffic will be a major problem in Sprint Qualifying and Qualifying, especially in the first segment of each session.

Ideally, the drivers will want to be three seconds behind another car who is also on a flying lap to get a small benefit of the slipstream without being hindered by dirty air in the corners.

However, the drivers will also back up before starting their lap in the final two corners, which now features gravel close to the edge of the circuit.

It’s an area which Norris is highly aware of and he believes certain drivers tend to allegedly block more than others.

George Russell says it’s good to see Lando Norris at the top battling for wins but joked he hopes it won’t ‘last long’.

“It’s always crazy, especially on shorter circuits. There are common denominators of people who get in the way and stuff like that. It’s normally quite clear who does it,” said Norris.

“For us, getting out of the way of people is the highest priority of our communication and it doesn’t seem like that’s the case for other people. Nothing we can do about it.

“It’s always chaotic because you use it to try to get slipstreams at times but with a blind last two corners it’s sometimes hard to know because the speed difference between a slow lap and quick lap are pretty big. That’s the challenge of the circuit.

“It’s up to the drivers, if they don’t want to get a penalty, they should tell their engineer to give more information on where people are.”

Take a look at Lando Norris’ rollercoaster race in Spain as the McLaren driver came so close to his second Formula 1 win.

Close fight expected for rest of the season

Red Bull have a 60-point advantage over Ferrari and are 93 points in front of McLaren in the constructors’ championship.

Sergio Perez has scored just four points in the last three races, with Christian Horner admitting the Mexican must improve to help the team in the title race.

Whether Perez can consistently perform closely to Verstappen will dictate McLaren and Ferrari’s chances to reel Red Bull in.

“We are working flat out as a team to make every weekend better and more straightforward. I know there will be good weekends and bad weekends,” said Perez.

“Last weekend the margins were extremely tight and if you find a couple tenths it will make a massive difference. It’s important to be calm about it.”

Sergio Perez says he’s aiming for a positive weekend in Austria after suffering several ‘nightmare’ races this season.

Perez hasn’t beaten Verstappen when both drivers have seen the chequered flag for over a year and the close fight at the front has seen other teams get in between the Red Bull pair.

The 34-year-old says “it’s important to maximise form” and expects the close competition to continue all the way until the season-finale in Abu Dhabi.

“I think it will be like this for the rest of the year unless someone finds a magic bullet. But I don’t expect it.

“It’s getting harder and harder for people to find performance. There will be tracks where one team is very good at and vice versa.

“It will be down to the level of detail, level of precision and maximising weekends when you have the opportunity to win.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Austrian GP schedule

Thursday June 27
12.30pm: Drivers’ Press Conference

Friday June 28
7.50am: F3 Practice
9am: F2 Practice
11am: Austrian GP Practice One (session starts at 11.30am)
12.55pm: F3 Qualifying
1.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3pm: Austrian GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 3.30pm)*

Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Saturday June 29
8.25am: F3 Sprint
10am: Austrian GP Sprint (race starts at 11am)*
12.25pm: F2 Sprint
2pm: Austrian GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: Austrian GP Qualifying
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday June 30
7.25am: F3 Feature Race
8.55am: F2 Feature Race
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Austrian GP build-up*
2pm: The AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP reaction*
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

*also live on Sky Sports Main Event

F1’s triple-header continues at the Austrian Grand Prix this coming week – with the Sprint format returning at the Red Bull Ring. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday’s big race at 2pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

Spanish GP: Lando Norris reveals how McLaren fire changed preparations before ‘perfect’ pole lap | F1 News

Spanish GP: Lando Norris reveals how McLaren fire changed preparations before ‘perfect’ pole lap | F1 News



Lando Norris says his pole position lap for the Spanish Grand Prix was a “work of art” after he came out on top in a thrilling qualifying, just hours after a fire at McLaren’s hospitality.

Norris pipped Max Verstappen by 0.020s to claim the second pole position of his F1 career, with both drivers showing their class in an extremely competitive weekend at the front of the field.

Verstappen benefitted from a slipstream as Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez helped him but Norris tactically got a tow from Alpine’s Esteban Ocon on his last Q3 lap.

“We planned for it (the tow from Esteban Ocon). I knew Max was going to do it. Oscar and I lost out on a one-two in Imola Qualifying because of the slipstream that Max did,” Norris told Sky Sports F1.

“It has been clear all weekend that we needed to get a slipstream so we planned to get a slipstream. It was quite simple.

Lando Norris believes his pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix in his McLaren as his ‘best lap ever’.

“It was in the plan the whole time. It didn’t gain me as much as you think, it gained me maybe five or six hundredths. Max also got a slipstream so I didn’t gain more on him because of that.

“It was just that my lap was beautiful. Today felt like a work of art. Every corner just flowed and my body moved in the right way.

“You know when you don’t have to think about it. It is the one lap I didn’t think and things just flowed perfectly.”

Zak Brown felt Lando Norris’ pole lap was ‘fantastic’ after McLaren suffered a fire in the motor home prior to P3.

Norris’ only previous pole came in September 2021 at the Russian Grand Prix and he earned his first win last month in Miami.

The 24-year-old narrowly missed out on pole in Imola and Montreal by less than a tenth, but was on the right side of the line this time around with a brilliant lap.

“I am disappointed that I am only two hundredths ahead on pole from Max because it felt like I should be even more,” continued Norris.

“But then I think that makes it sweeter because, for me to have done such a perfect lap, and have still beaten Max shows that they were clearly quicker all day today and had the quicker car but we still managed to beat them, so that is a nice thing.

Onboard Lando Norris’ pole lap at the Spanish Grand Prix.

“You are just more in your subconscious mind. You are just looking where you are going and letting your hands do the rest.

“I am not good at describing it like (Lewis and Senna) that I leave my body or my mind. I have got no idea but in any sport, that is the level you have got to be at where things just flow.

“You know what to do so you don’t have to consciously think about it which is what felt so good. I am happy I found that because it has been a long, long time since I have been in that rhythm.

“All weekend I have been able to be more in that state, more in the flow, and it has paid off.”

How McLaren fire impacted Norris

Earlier on Saturday, ahead of final practice, McLaren’s hospitality suite caught fire and the team were forced to evacuate the building.

A team member was sent to hospital for precautionary checks, but was discharged later on Saturday. The hospitality can’t be used for the rest of the weekend in Barcelona.

Norris and Oscar Piastri were not able to use their drivers’ rooms but the British driver says he has “no real issues”, other than not being able to relax by himself.

An evacuation was called in the paddock after a fire broke out in the McLaren hospitality suite ahead of Practice 3 and Qualifying.

“The best thing is everyone is safe and doing well. That’s the best news. A scare for the whole team and never a nice thing,” said Norris.

“It was just more of a stressful day than I would have liked. I lost my shoes but that was as bad as it got for me.

“Just different. I’ve not been in my normal room, so wasn’t able to relax as much as I normally do. A lot of the teams have been very nice to us to help out. A shame we can’t use it for the rest of the weekend.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Spanish GP schedule

Spanish GP Qualifying Timesheet

Driver Team Time
1) George Russell Mercedes 1:12.000
2) Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.000
3) Lando Norris McLaren +0.021
4) Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.103
5) Daniel Ricciardo RB +0.178
6) Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.228
7) Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.280
8) Yuki Tsunoda RB +0.414
9) Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.701
10) Alex Albon Williams +0.796
Knocked out in Q2
11) Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:12.691
12) Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:12.728
13) Logan Sargeant Williams 1:12.736
14) Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:12.916
15) Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:12.940
Knocked out in Q1
16) Sergio Perez Red Bull 1:13.326
17) Valtteri Bottas Sauber 1:13.366
18) Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:13.435
19) Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:13.978
20) Zhou Guanyu Sauber 1:14.292

Sunday June 23
7.45am: F1 Academy Race 2
9am: F3 Feature Race
10.30am: F2 Feature Race
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Spanish GP build-up
2pm: The SPANISH GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Spanish GP reaction

Formula 1 heads back to Europe as the championship moves on to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix and the start of a triple-header. Watch every session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

Spanish Grand Prix: McLaren hospitality suite evacuated due to fire | F1 News

Spanish Grand Prix: McLaren hospitality suite evacuated due to fire | F1 News


McLaren’s hospitality suite at the Spanish Grand Prix has been evacuated after a fire broke out ahead of final practice.

Fire services arrived on the scene shortly after 12:00 local time with smoke emerging from the building at the Circuit de Catalunya outside of Barcelona.

According to the PA news agency, Lando Norris was among those evacuated as the blaze broke out just as Practice Three was due to start.

A McLaren spokesperson confirmed all team members had been evacuated safely.

Image:
A fire broke out in the McLaren hospitality ahead of final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix

A fire broke out in the McLaren hospitality ahead of final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix
A fire broke out in the McLaren hospitality ahead of final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix
A fire broke out in the McLaren hospitality ahead of final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix

A short statement read: “This morning we evacuated our Team Hub paddock hospitality unit following a fire alert, the team has been safely evacuated while the local fire brigade handled the issue.”

Sky Sports News understands that at least two fire staff personnel were treated for smoke inhalation but their condition is not thought to be serious.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown was seen outside the two-levelled suite as final practice started as scheduled.

Brookes: We could smell the smoke from TV compound

Sky Sports F1’s Rachel Brookes at McLaren:

“I’ve just spoken to someone from the team who was in the kitchen and they say the smoke has come from between the floors which explains why it was difficult to put out. They think it was electrical.

“The smoke came down into the hospitality which was busy with media and guests.

“The driver rooms are inside the ground floor, so they need to get their helmets and race suits, unless they have spares for final practice.

“Everyone from McLaren got out OK but a couple of fire personnel have been taken away with oxygen masks.

“We could smell the smoke from the TV compound which is quite a way away.”

‘Fire teams were quickly on the scene’

Sky Sports’ James Galloway in Barcelona:

“Fire teams were quickly on the scene in the paddock with crews seen with hoses going into the hospitality unit, which was evacuated after the fire broke out.

“It’s a busy paddock, as ever, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya but officials cleared a central path through the middle of the paddock so the emergency vehicles could easily get through to get to the McLaren unit and unfolding incident.”

Spanish GP: Lando Norris expects close fight for win between Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari | F1 News

Spanish GP: Lando Norris expects close fight for win between Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari | F1 News


Lando Norris is expecting another close fight at the front at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, despite claims from Charles Leclerc that Red Bull will have the upper hand.

McLaren have been in contention at every event since Norris won his maiden Grand Prix in Miami at the start of May.

The British driver also came close to victory in Imola and Canada but was denied by Max Verstappen, who had to perform at his very best to come out on top.

“We have been good at all tracks so far, so I don’t expect things to really change too much,” said Norris.

“I just expect it to be close with Red Bull, probably a bit more back to where they should be. Ferrari also, after last weekend, more back to where they should be.

“I think we have been the most consistently, ‘just there’ team. We have not been the team which has suddenly been quickest and easily dominating the weekend like we have seen Red Bull and Ferrari do.

Lando Norris reflects on a tough outcome having led the race by 15 seconds only to have the safety car hinder his Canadian Grand Prix

“We have not had that absolute strength in certain places, but we have just been a very good all-rounder so far, which over the course of a season is exactly what we want, and is a good strength from where we were last year when we were very up and down.

“But at no point I would say, we have been outright absolute best through a whole weekend. So that’s something we still need to work on, and we still need to work to have a quicker car.”

Sky Sports’ Craig Slater looks ahead to the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona

Close margins at the top

Mercedes were also in the battle for victory last time out in Canada as George Russell took pole position, setting the same time as Verstappen, before a series of errors meant he had to settle for third in the race.

Norris was just 0.021s off pole himself and could have won without McLaren’s strategical error to not pit immediately when the first safety car came out, underlining the fine margins in F1 at the moment.

“With Mercedes joining the front and how close it was already in Canada, whether you are one tenth better or not, that’s easily because you don’t have the tyres in the right window or you make a small mistake or the set-up is not perfect,” continued Norris.

The Formula 1 drivers have their say on how their home countries could do at Euro 2024

“Half a tenth, one tenth and you are three, four, five positions back. I think it’s going to be a close fight between everyone.

“But the main thing is, we have been good everywhere so far and I think we have good confidence, so we just keep doing what we are doing and we can maintain a good consistency.”

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a more conventional track which relies more on aerodynamic efficiency, an area where Red Bull have been strong since the ground effect regulations were introduced in 2022.

Ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix we take a look back at some of the most dramatic moments from previous races at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

Verstappen, who leads the championship by 56 points from Leclerc and 63 points over Norris, has won the last two Spanish Grand Prix.

As ever, he’s playing down expectations ahead of this weekend but admits the track layout will help Red Bull.

“Normally this is a track our car should suit a bit more. I’m aware everyone is catching up a lot but compared to the last few races we have done, this should be a better track,” said Verstappen.

“People are constantly improving and sometimes you just have a better weekend than others with the way you set up the car.”

Leclerc: Red Bull to return to early-season form

Ferrari left Canada without any points as both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were knocked out in Q2, before both drivers failed to finish the Grand Prix.

Sainz damaged his car and made contact with Alex Albon, which led to his retirement, while Leclerc suffered an engine issue.

Leclerc said Ferrari have fixed the reliability problem and confirmed the team have brought upgrades to Spain.

Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz were forced to retire their cars after they both suffered separate crashes at the Canadian Grand Prix

“We will see a stronger Red Bull, and the Red Bull we saw at the start of the season back here in Barcelona,” said Leclerc.

“But I also believe the last four races from Miami to Canada was quite a lot about kerb riding, which is not one of the strengths of the Red Bull, so I believe we will see them back to a good level this weekend.

“However, we have some new parts for the car this weekend and if that helps us to be good here, it’s good for the rest of the season. It’s going to be an interesting weekend and if we are good here, it’s a good sign for the rest of the year.”

Sky Sports’ Craig Slater gives the latest on Adrian Newey’s future after it was confirmed he visited the Aston Martin factory

Perez on the backfoot already

Perez also had a dismal Canadian weekend as he was eliminated in Q1 and crashed in the race on his way to a second consecutive retirement.

The Mexican, who has signed a new deal to stay with Red Bull next year, limped back to the pit lane with his RB20’s rear wing hanging off after his accident.

As a result, Perez has been handed a three-grid place penalty for this Sunday’s race and Red Bull were fined $25,000 (£19,648) for the incident.

Damon Hill unpicks what Red Bull can do to further support Sergio Perez after the Mexican driver suffered crashes in the last two races

It means Perez will start no higher than fourth, so faces an uphill battle already without having turned a wheel.

“It’s not ideal at a place like this to have a penalty, so we will try our best to try and minimise that,” Perez told Sky Sports F1.

“Qualifying is super important. I have to be up there. There’s no reason we can’t do that. I think there will be three or four teams fighting for pole on Saturday.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Spanish GP schedule

Friday June 21
7.45am: F1 Academy Practice
8:50am: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12pm: Spanish GP Practice One (session starts at 12.30pm)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.35pm: Spanish GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)
5.25pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
6.15pm: The F1 Show

Saturday June 22
9.35am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Spanish Romagna GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.10pm: Spanish GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: Spanish GP Qualifying
5pm: F1 Academy Race 1

Sunday June 23
7.45am: F1 Academy Race 2
9am: F3 Feature Race
10.30am: F2 Feature Race
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Spanish GP build-up
2pm: The SPANISH GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Spanish GP reaction

Formula 1 heads back to Europe as the championship moves on to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix and the start of a triple-header. Watch every session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

Lando Norris admits McLaren made costly Canadian GP strategy error after losing out to Max Verstappen in Montreal | F1 News

Lando Norris admits McLaren made costly Canadian GP strategy error after losing out to Max Verstappen in Montreal | F1 News



Lando Norris said McLaren “should have won” the Canadian Grand Prix but “didn’t do a good enough job as a team” in how they handled the first Safety Car phase in the rain-hit race.

The Briton eventually finished Sunday’s topsy-turvy rain-hit race in second place to Max Verstappen, but the 24-year-old believes he could, and should, have finished one position higher.

Having qualified third on the grid, Norris overtook first Verstappen and then George Russell on consecutive laps to lead the Montreal race by lap 21 with his McLaren revelling in the intermediate-tyre conditions.

Such was Norris’ speed at that stage of the race that, once in the lead, he opened an advantage in the region of 11 seconds in the space of four laps to lap 25, when Logan Sargeant crashed his Williams at Turn Five.

When Race Control made the decision to call the Safety Car a short while later, Norris was at the track’s final corner, which contains the entry to the pits.

The McLaren continued on track for another lap yet the gap back to Verstappen and Russell meant that their respective teams had sufficiently more time before they reached the pit entry to decide to come in. While his rivals were in the pits, Norris was dropping time on track after being picked up by the Safety Car and, although he pitted next time around, the 24-year-old re-emerged onto the track back behind both the Red Bull and Mercedes.

Lando Norris eases past both George Russell and Max Verstappen to claim the lead at the Canadian Grand Prix

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 immediately after the race, Norris said that while McLaren “didn’t have enough time to make the decision” to pit immediately, he did admit that “realistically, we should have had the decision pre-planned, and we didn’t”.

He was then more explicit about his views on what had happened in the post-race press conference.

“We should have won the race today and we didn’t, so frustrating,” said Norris. “We had the pace. Probably not in the dry at the end. It turned out it didn’t really matter too much.

“But yeah, we should have won today. Simple as that. We didn’t do a good job, I think, a good enough job as a team to box when we should have done and not get stuck behind the Safety Car. So I don’t think it was a luck or unlucky kind of thing.”

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris hilariously react to their battle out of the pits at the Canadian Grand Prix

Norris benefitted from the timing of the Safety Car when he won for the first time in F1 ahead of Verstappen at last month’s Miami GP, but the Briton said of the situation on Sunday: “I don’t think it was the same as Miami. This was just making a wrong call.

“So, it’s on me and it’s on the team and it’s something we’ll discuss after. We should have won today. I think we’re at a level now where we’re not satisfied with a second, like the target is to win. And we didn’t do that. So, frustrating, but a tough race and still to end up in second when it could always finish and could be worse is still a good result.”

Formula 1 heads back to Europe as the championship moves on to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix. Watch every session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from June 21-23 live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime