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      Verstappen wins F1 Emilia Romagna GP as Norris steals second from McLaren team-mate Piastri and Hamilton climbs 8 places

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN proved that nothing keeps a great champion down for long after beating the odds to win his second race of the season at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.The Red Bull star, chasing five-straight world titles, won his first race as a new dad, to close the gap on championship leader Oscar Piastri to 22 points.Max Verstappen has won the Emilia Romagna Grand PrixCredit: APOscar Piastri battled team-mate Lando NorrisCredit: GettyVerstappen, who earned his luck through safety cars, showed he’s in a league of his own and the best wheel-to-wheel driver in the world after beating the technically faster McLaren vehicles by six seconds in Imola.Lando Norris pipped Piastri to second after almost crashing into his team-mate with five laps to go, while a devastated George Russell dropped to seventh from P3.Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton made an incredible recovery from starting P12 to record his best-ever finish in a Ferrari in fourth, with team-mate Charles Leclerc, who could be facing a time-penalty, just behind him.Hamilton said he “needed a miracle” to get any points in front of the passionate Tifosi, after the Brit and Leclerc recorded the team’s worst-ever qualifying finish in Imola. READ MORE IN F1A dramatic start saw world champion Verstappen get his elbows out to brilliantly steal the lead from pole-sitter Piastri by going around the outside.Within seconds, Mercedes’ Russell could be heard on radio shouting from P3: “Piastri what are you doing?” after the Aussie naively moved inside to allow a late-braking Verstappen tons of space out wide.DRS enabled the Dutchman, who knew he needed to create a big gap on the superior McLaren cars, to open up a 1.6s lead on Piastri and Russell.Soon title-chaser Norris edged past Russell at the first chicane in Lap 11, and went second after Piastri seemingly ditched ‘Plan A’ to pit early on Lap 14, which the Silver Arrows driver matched.Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSVerstappen celebrates his victoryCredit: APHamilton was jumped by Mercedes replacement Kimi Antontelli at the start, while his team-mate Charles Leclerc moved up from 11th to ninth before pitting first.Yuki Tsunoda, who started from the pits after a horror near-death crash in qualifying, went 10th by Lap 17 and couldn’t hold off his team-mate’s rival Piastri, who soon climbed the field.Sun F1 reporter Isabelle Barker tries Lewis Hamilton’s favourite spaghetti cooked by three Michelin star chef at Bahrain Grand PrixWith nearly half the race gone, Verstappen still hadn’t pitted in the apparent two-stop strategy, as the Dutchman clearly tried to open as big a gap on Norris as possible.Savvy Verstappen knew a flawless pit would keep him high enough to hold his lead. And, soon, things got even BETTER for him.A virtual safety car on Lap 29 after Estebon Ocon spun off track, provided the perfect chance for the Dutchman to stop and open up a 20-SECOND lead on Norris.But while the Red Bull ace was incredibly lucky, the opposite was true for Norris, who had pitted a lap before the opportune safety car.With Verstappen still leading, McLaren were smart enough to pit Piastri on Lap 31, with poor Russell down in 12th after starting third.Hamilton soon pipped past Antonelli and Hadjar by Lap 36 – to the sheer delight of the screaming Tifosi fans in the grandstands.And soon Verstappen was back in Lady Luck’s good books AGAIN.The Dutchman was handed another pit stop on a plate after Italian home favourite Antontelli’s race ended after peeling off track on Turn 7 of Lap 45.Norris and Hamilton also grabbed the chance to replace their tyres, but a fuming Leclerc was told to “stay out”.After 10 safety car laps, a great restart from Vestappen saw him cruise to victory.Williams star Carlos Sainz was less than a second further back from Russell in eighth.Isack Hadjar finished ninth while Tsunoda claimed a point in 10th.Read More on The SunAt the chequered flag, Verstappen said: “Brilliant weekend. Fantastic execution all-around.“Thank you very much and on our 400th race!” Lewis Hamilton made up eight places to finish P4Credit: AP More

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      F1 Emilia Romagna GP LIVE RESULT: Max Verstappen WINS in Italy with McLaren finishing second and third

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      MAX Verstappen picked up his second win of the 2025 season in Italy.The Dutch driver took the lead of the race from Oscar Piastri on the first corner, and came home to win from there.Piastri ended the day in third, with teammate Lando Norris coming home in second place, overtaking Piastri towards the end of the race.Lewis Hamilton came home in fourth place in his first home race with Ferrari.Start time: 2pm BSTTV channel: Sky Sports F1CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSFollow our live blog below…’Two McLarens on the podium, we’re OK with that’ – StellaAs for Horner’s opposite number, Andrea Sella considers it a productive race in the interim as Monaco approaches. “It was an eventful race, plenty of twists and turns but it didn’t change the leader. Fair play to Max, he was very fast – we tried different strategies but nothing really paid off. Two McLarens on the podium, we’re OK with that.”Did he consider putting Norris ahead of Piastri after the safety car? “We wanted to give Oscar his chance in the race … and we thought that if Lando had the pace to catch Max, he would get past Oscar pretty easily anyway.”Copy linkCopied’Decisive Max determines win’ – HornerRed Bull team principal, Christian Horner speaking to Sky Sports: “We definitely improved the car yesterday, his start was either win it or bin it – Oscar was fair, but the commitment [Max] has … incredibly decisive, and he is so good in those situations.”Copy linkCopiedFinal results Here’s how the final race classification played out: Copy linkCopiedPodium three The undeniable three best in the business, with the current world champion reigning back on top.Copy linkCopiedDrivers’ standingsHere’s how the World Championship standings look: Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 146ptsLando Norris (McLaren) 133ptsMax Verstappen (Red Bull) 124ptsGeorge Russell (Mercedes) 99ptsCharles Leclerc (Ferrari) 61ptsLewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 53ptsKimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 48ptsAlexander Albon (Williams) 40ptsCopy linkCopiedRace winner Verstappen speaks “The start itself wasn’t that great but I was still on the right line, the outside line – once we got ahead, we could unleash our pace,” the No.1 Red Bull driver said post-race. “Massive improvement from Friday, which I’m happy about. Virtual safety car helped, but the later safety car brought everyone back together. Really important week for us, the car ran well, we executed everything really well.”Copy linkCopiedPiastri speaks after raceThe Championship leader started the race on the top, but was displaced on the first lap, second corner and on weary tyres managed to battle himself back into a podium position. Copy linkCopiedThe top tenMax Verstappen, Red BullLando Norris, McLarenOscar Piastri, McLarenLewis Hamilton, Ferrari Alex Albon, Williams Charles Leclerc, FerrariGeroge Russell, MercedesCarlos Sainz, Williams Isack Hadjar, Racing BullsYuki Tsunoda, Red BullCopy linkCopiedVerstappen WINS Imola The Red Bull driver soared into a leading psotion on the second corner and cruised albeit with safety car luck into his fourth win at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and maintains his position in the Championship race. Its a 2-3 for the Mclaren; Norris second, Piastri third, who were unable to catch their Dutch title contender.Home favourite Antonelli faded out of action with retirement. So did Ocon early on. The main story-line of the race will involve Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon, who battled for P5 in the final laps before the former had to hand the Williams driver via race chiefs.Copy linkCopiedLap 63/63 – Albon PASSES LeclercAlbon once again dives in on Leclerc but is unable to yield the fan favourite. The Williams driver is displaying exceptional grit here and earns the position via race directive after their initial fight. Copy linkCopiedLap 61/63 – Verstappen leads, Mclaren 2-3, Ferrari 4-5 Albon aims to gain advantage on Leclrec, goes steering off into the dirt amongst the clash before recovering in stylish fashion to regain his position on track. Daring, unsuccessful but commendable from the Williams driver. Leclrec is unable to fight off his Ferrari teammate as Hamilton moves into fourth in a fight for the final podium position. Copy linkCopiedLap 59/63 – Norris OVERTAKES Piastri The teammate battle everyone was eager to see unfold came to fruition in well-mannered conditions as Norris jumps his fellow Mclaren with the DRS combination. The Brit moves into second.Copy linkCopiedLap 57/63 – Verstappen leads, Mclaren 2-3The battle as we enter into the final laps seems to be firmly placed within the Mclarens: Piastri holds second but with worsen tires. Hamilton makes the awkward move on Russell. Watch out for Gasly in P13. Copy linkCopiedLap 55/63 – Verstappen leads, Mclaren 2-3Verstappen gets a suitable exit on the green flag through the Tamburello chicane as he keeps the two chasing Mclarens at bay. Leclerc jumps into fourth. Copy linkCopiedLap 54/63 – Safety Car endedOn Antonelli’s retirement, it seems its an accelerator issue. Regardless, we’re back racing as most of the pack take up a hard tyre approach but not Piastri whose are 22 laps old. This track has been criticised for its lack of entertainment. That may all change in its’final outing. Sit back, and relax as the field closes up.Top ten: Verstappen, Piastri, Norris, Leclerc, Albon, Russell, Hamilton, Sainz, Hadjar and Hulkenberg. Copy linkCopiedLap 51/63 – Safety Car coming to closeConfusion, drama and excitement embroiled in this edition of the Safety Car as it contradicts what we saw with the first yellow flag despite the similarity of the situation. Antonelli’s car is whisked away by the marshals in the long wait. Copy linkCopiedLap 48/63 – Antonelli OUT, Verstappen and Norris pitsLeclerc is ordered to stay out as Ferrari don’t have the required tyres to compete for a good finish. Whilst most of the field take advantage of the slow conditions to change. Antonelli exits his car and waves despondently to his people. Copy linkCopiedLap 46/63 – YELLOW FLAG and SAFETY CARIssue for Antonelli in the Mercedes as the actual Safety Car comes out.He pulls off to the grass and it seems his home race is over. Copy linkCopiedLap 45/63 – Verstappen first, Norris second, Piastri thirdWe’ve got Mclarens bunched up at the top, followed by Ferraris in fith and sixth, Mercedes in the upper midfield and Alpine at the bottom. Expect tense racing and even tenser team radios in the last stretch. Alonso, who his 12 years removed from a race win, blasts his frustration on the radio: “the unluckiest driver in the world” as he seeks his first top-ten finish of the season. Also, Bearman has NOT retired but his struggling at the back of the pack. Copy linkCopiedLap 41/63 – Verstappen first, Piastri re-enters top three Piastri makes his move back into top three to join his fellow title contenders at the expense of Albon. If there’s one critic of the Hadjar game, it is the defensive game must sharped up as Lecrlec kills him on the straight line speed with no resistance. Copy linkCopiedLap 39/63 – Verstappen first, Ferrari chargeFellow Ferrari Leclerc also makes his charge up the field as he displaces Antonelli and starts to give the Tifosi something to believe in on this emotional Imola day. Hülkenberg in the Sauber’s 600th ever race was quietly going about his race, not there, as his powers through Alonso into 10th.Copy linkCopiedLap 37/63 – Verstappen first, Hamilton makes top five moveHamilton completes the rookie sweep, first on Antonelli, now on Hadjar as the Ferrari driver moves into the top five with the fastest lap tag. Race engineer to Hamilton: “P5 on the road, awesome.”18 seconds and counting between Verstappen and Norris. Copy linkCopiedLap 35/63 – Verstappen first, Hamilton makes his moveSainz is tagged by Tsunoda in their midfield battle which has been noted by race control. Hamilton shows adept race craft to finally pip his Mercedes successor Antonelli – both have moved on to the mediums. The current top five is as follows: Verstappen, Norris, Albon, Piastri, Hadjar.Copy linkCopiedLap 33/63 – Verstappen first, Haas cars OUTStroll was one of the few cars who avoided the pitlane holds off Leclerc for now. A reply of Ocon’s issue shows a car problem as Russell’s unsafe release will be deliberated. The other Haas in Bearman is retiring after a weekend to forget. Both cars of the American team are outCopy linkCopiedLap 31/63 – Verstappen and Norris pit after VSC Verstappen race continues to go in favourable conditions as the neutralised track allows him to pit and maintain his leading position. A host of pits are done with both Ferrari’s entering the pit with Leclerc, who was on the charge, venting frustration on the VSC. We’re back racing. Copy linkCopied More

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      Inside wild 90s F1 parties from driver downing so much vodka ‘he almost died’ to Schumacher tearing his shirt off

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      IT IS a sport where fatal risks, extreme pressure and bitter rivalries are the norm.But off the track Formula One is a playboy’s paradise decorated by yachts, supermodels and the millionaire high life.Michael Schumacher celebrates with his race engineer Pat Symonds in Australia in November 1994Credit: AlamySchumacher drinks a Koelsch beer at his anniversary party in the Mercedes GP motorhome at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near Spa, Belgium, 27 August 2011Credit: AlamySo it’s little wonder many drivers have been known to party at top speed.And The Sun can exclusively lift the lid on the hellraising sessions that took place in the 90s, a wild era for the sport.Ex-Red Bull boss Richard Hopkins recalled a time Mercedes legend Mika Hakkinen drank a whole bottle of vodka after a race in the late 90s, which left him “almost dead.”Hopkins, head of operations at Red Bull from 2013 to 2015, told The Sun: “Hakkinen drank a bottle of vodka in one Sunday night.More on Schumacher“I was like Jesus Christ, I never knew. I thought he might have a little sip or a shot or something, but to down a bottle of vodka? “He wouldn’t turn up the next day, which was a Monday so that was fine, but he had some media stuff the next day and you’d find out he was extraordinarily hungover.“It was in Germany I think during the ‘98 or ‘99 season, probably Hockenheimring, it was during his Mercedes days and they had a function after.“It was with his wife. His wife at the time would lead him astray a little bit, but Mika didn’t need a lot to lead him astray.Most read in Motorsport“He was another who never enjoyed the media and always came across as very reclusive, but he certainly wasn’t.“You got him outside the race track, even at the race track, and what you saw on TV and in an interview was someone who said very few words.Emotional moment Michael Schumacher’s son and Sebastian Vettel pay tribute to stricken F1 legend “But he was a great practical joker, a great comedian. Good fun. And still is amazing fun.”He added: “Mika was almost dead! But in fairness there was evidence he could handle that. He’s Finnish and they like their vodka, so I think he had some decent stamina.“But he wasn’t really standing by the end of it, put it that way. None of us would be.”Hopkins would enjoy regular coffees with Ferrari great Michael Schumacher from 1993, when he was a mechanic at McLaren and the German was driving for Benetton.Seven-time title winner Schumacher developed a fearsome reputation on the track as a ruthless operator who would stop at nothing to win races.But friends say the German cut a different figure after a race – and “there are some stories that you couldn’t print”.Hopkins, from the UK, says the German was easily swayed by teammate and party animal, Eddie Irvine.The Northern Irishman would lead celebrations after a race, particularly if his Ferrari side had been victorious.Hopkins added: “I don’t know if he and Eddie were good friends. They just partied together. Schumacher at the Amber lounge F1 after party in Dubai in November 2009Credit: AlamySchumacher cracking open a bottle of champagne in Austalia in 1994Credit: Alamy“But Eddie could lead anybody astray, bloody hell. “If Eddie saw an opportunity, where if somebody’s won a race or a championship, then he was going to be in among it and quite happily buying the champagne and the vodka.”Schumacher was well-known among drivers for a famous party trick, where he’d jump them and rip off his shirt.Asked about this, Hopkins said: “That wouldn’t surprise me. I think they all needed to let their hair down at some point.“Even Ayrton Senna and a lot of these guys, they let their hair down very well. There are some stories that you couldn’t print.“I’ve heard Schumacher partied on Bernie Ecclestone’s rooftop. A lot of drivers are like coiled up springs, right? They spend the season coiling up and getting tense with everything.“Schumacher, even though he was quite robotic and Germanic, allowed himself time to unwind. And Schumacher, for sure, did unwind.“I can’t tell you specifics of things I’ve seen. There were some good moments at a log cabin at Suzuka, which was renowned on a Sunday night. Lots of championships were won there, lots of parties were had there.“There were a couple of years where I remember Schumacher and Irvine having quite a good time together. But I can’t say more…”Christian Danner, the first Formula One driver disqualified for dangerous driving, also has memories of Schumacher letting loose.Danner, now a commentator on German TV, says Schumacher would love a cigar and a Bacardi and coke.What happened to Michael Schumacher?MICHAEL Schumacher’s life was hanging by a thread 12 years ago as medics tried desperately to keep him alive after a tragic skiing crash that left him with horrific brain injuries.The F1 legend was given the best possible treatment as he was put into a medically induced coma, had his body temperature lowered and underwent hours of tricky operations on his brain.Back in 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, and his then 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel.Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed when his skis struck a rock hidden beneath the snow.He catapulted forward 11.5ft and crashed into a boulder head first that split his helmet into two and left him needing to be airlifted to hospital for two life-saving operations.At one point his family were told to brace themselves for the worst case scenario as the situation was much worse than originally believed.At the time, medics said Schumacher was likely to stay in an induced coma for at least 48 hours as his body and mind recovered.But the coma ended up lasting 250 days – more than eight months.After he woke up in June 2014, he was discharged from hospital and sent to his home in Lake Geneva to get further treatment.Since then his wife Corinna and his inner circle of friends have expertly avoided almost anything leaking out about his health status.Only small amounts of information have been released including reports that Schumacher was in a wheelchair but can react to things around him.In 2019, it was said that Schumacher was set to undergo breakthrough stem cell therapy in a bid to regenerate and rebuild his nervous system.Renowned France cardiologist Dr Philippe Menasche, who had operated on him previously, was set to carry out the treatment that would see cells from his heart go to his brain.Following the treatment at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, he was said to be “conscious”, although few other details were given about his state.Bernie Ecclestone’s motorhome was a known hotspot for drivers to get together for a party, he added.The ex-Arrows star told The Sun: “Michael’s way of partying was that he usually went to Bernie Ecclestone’s private motorhome, had his friends there and drank a lot of Bacardi and Coca-Cola, and that was it.“It wasn’t, as far as I was concerned, partying, but the content of these kind of parties for him consisted of Bacardi and Coca-Cola, and that was all.“He was back on his feet on Monday and kept on pushing, absolutely, but everybody did that.“All the good drivers, all the champions did that.”Danner added: “Ecclestone’s home was a neutral territory. The paddock then was quite different.“There were a lot of animosities between the teams, Williams and Ferrari for instance, there were a lot of bad vibes. “But Ecclestone’s motorhome was a place to meet casually. Not in Ecclestone’s motorhome, he had his bus and that was for politics and business. “It was a place for a chat, ‘have you seen this’ or whatever. It was a kind of trading place for gossip and for a nice coffee and a Bacardi and coke, for Schumacher.”He added: “Schumacher loved a cigar, yes.“But personally whenever someone is smoking a cigar, I’m leaving the room.”Read More on The SunSchumacher suffered serious brain injuries in a devastating skiing accident in 2013.He has not been seen since and his family have not disclosed his condition. More

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      Meet the Brit drivers of Formula E from Schumacher apprentice and AFC Wimbledon player to die-hard Aston Villa fan

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      OLIVER ROWLAND is the Barnsley-born racing driver lighting up Formula E with a win Tokyo to extend his championship lead. Meanwhile fellow Brit Dan Ticktum bagged his first ever podium with a third-place finish in the Japanese capital. Oliver Rowland is 77 points clear in the drivers’ standingsDan Ticktum has found his home in Formula E after spending time in Williams’ and Red Bull’s academiesFormula E is a motor sport championship for electric cars, and is the only-sport certified net zero event. The championship features 16 races across 10 world cities, and became the first global sport to be certified with a net zero carbon footprint back in 2020.There are six British drivers in total in the series from one nearly making it with AFC Wimbledon, to a die-hard Aston Villa fan – SunSport gives you the low down. OLIVER ROWLAND Rowland is not wrong when says he likes to “do his talking on the track” with the 32-year-old storming towards the title this season. He is leading the championship on a whopping 161 points, 77 points above second-place Antonio Felix Da Costa. Away from the track, the Nissan driver is quiet and reserved, favouring toasting his numerous wins with a “few beers” with his close circle. He is a devoted dad to his daughter Harper who is often seen in the Nissan garage or on his lap when conducting interviews. In April 2017 Rowland was signed to the role of development driver to the Renault F1 Team.Most read in MotorsportA year later Rowland was confirmed as Williams Martini Racing’s official Junior Driver.DAN TICKTUM The 25-year-old Cupra Kiro driver from London could not be any more different than Rowland. Ticktum wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to speak his mind on the team radio or in post-race interviews. He has earned a bit of a reputation as the bad boy of motor sport over the years and went viral for a swear-laden rant in Jeddah last season – but it seems in Formula E he has found his home. Ticktum rubbed shoulders with Lando Norris during his karting days and spent time at both Williams’ and Red Bull’s academies. His future is looking bright in Formula E after bagging his first-ever podium in Tokyo. Ticktum was banned for a year from motor sport for ignoring a safety car to purposefully crash into a karting rival.Sam Bird once turned down a shot with AFC Wimbledon to pursue a career in motor sportSAM BIRD Twickenham-born Bird, 38, is an experienced McLaren driver who was once seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher’s apprentice. Sam joined up with Mercedes for four years in 2010 as a test driver, going to most of the races and doing a lot of sim work. As Mercedes returned to F1 in 2010 it coincided with Schumacher making a comeback of his own. Schumacher was Bird’s childhood hero and the pair once even went sky-diving together. Bird isn’t half bad at football and played for AFC Wimbledon as a youngster before turning them down for a career in motor sport. He has two dogs, Buddy and Bear, one is a cavapoo and the other a golden doodle and is in a relationship with former Love Island star Jess Impiazzi. JAKE HUGHES Brummie driver Hughes is a classic example of the saying you can take the boy out of Birmingham but not Birmingham out of the boy. The Maserati driver is a die-hard Aston Villa fan who chooses to bring porridge to the track for his brekky each morning. He loves cats and own two called Benny and Ollie, nicknamed Boo Boo and Bear, with his fiance Abby at their home. Hughes won the inaugural BRDC Formula 4 Championship and has won multiple races at Formula 3.TAYLOR BARNARD The baby-faced 20-year-old was born and raised in Norwich and is forging a name for himself with McLaren’s Formula E team.  At 19 years and 331 days, Barnard became the youngest competitive driver in the series’ 10-year history. In his junior career, Barnard finished second to Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli in both the 2022 ADAC German Formula 4 Championship and 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship.Jake Dennis is the most recent British FE championJAKE DENNIS 29-year-old Dennis competes for Andretti and is the most recent British FE champion, winning the 2022-23 title. He was born in Nuneaton and debuted in karting at eight, winning the junior British Championship in 2010. Read More on The SunIn 2016, Dennis debuted in GP3, winning two races, achieving fourth place in the final standings with Charles Leclerc claiming the title. Dennis, who lives in Monaco, adores his pet chihuahua Billy with the pooch often seen accompanying him on a private jet to races. More

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      Red Bull star Tsunoda in horror 150mph crash at Imola GP qualifying as car flips and smashes into cage metres from fans

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      YUKI TSUNODA has walked away unscathed from a terrifying crash at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.The Red Bull driver was going over 150mph when he smashed hard into the wall during Saturday’s qualifying at Imola. Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull smashed into the wall at Imola after he clipped the kerbCredit: DAZNHis RB21 was flipped after impacting the wall at 150mphCredit: DAZNTsunoda was able to walk away from the crash and enter the medical vanCredit: DAZNTsunoda clipped the kerb at Turn 5 and rolled his Red Bull upside down onto the gravel.After a violent spin, the car crashed hard into the wall just metres from the watching crowd. The 25-year-old was seen walking away from the wreck under his own steam.Tsunoda was immediately assessed in the medical van but appeared to avoid any significant injury. READ MORE ON F1The Q1 session was immediately red-flagged with 12:13 left on the clock.F1 cars are fitted with the halo safety device, which helps protect a driver’s head if the car flips. Sky Sports analyst Anthony Davidson was relieved everything had “done its job” to protect Tsunoda.He said on commentary: “That is a huge off. Everything has done its job.Most read in Motorsport”The catch fencing, the run-off area, the Halo, the helmet itself. Wow.”Tsunoda replaced Liam Lawson as world champion Max Verstappen’s team-mate just two drives into the season.10 Years of Max Verstappen documentary trailerLawson was heard on team radio after the incident gasping: “Oh my god! I just saw the video. Is he ok?”Red Bull chiefs dumped Lawson for Tsunoda after he failed to get to grips with the RB21 during the Australian and Chinese Grand Prixs.Last month, Tsunoda caused huge damage to his Red Bull at the Saudi Grand Prix after a crash in practice. THE new Formula One season is well underway – and one team appear to be running away with it.A massive summer of change saw Lewis Hamilton move on from Mercedes and join Ferrari, while the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have a big chance to end Max Verstappen’s recent dominance.The Red Bull ace is aiming for a record-equalling FIFTH consecutive world title.INFORMATIONLATEST NEWSSEASON SO FARF1 legend Ayrton Senna was killed at Imola in a high-speed crash during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Once racing got underway again on Saturday, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto was also involved in an accident during his first appearance for the team. Colapinto was only promoted to full-time driver on May 7 after Jack Doohan was dropped.The 21-year-old’s Alpine looked in a bad way after the impact at the exit of Tamburello – but like Tsunoda was able to walk away. More

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      F1 champion Max Verstappen tells Lando Norris why he’s failing to keep up with Oscar Piastri in McLaren title race

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has weighed in on the struggles of title rival Lando Norris compared to his McLaren team-mate so far this season.The Brit was favourite to end Verstappen’s four-year winning streak, but so far he has been pipped by the less experienced Oscar Piastri.Max Verstappen has offered some words to title rival Lando NorrisThe Dutchman told Norris to find some consistency or risk missing out on the title to PiastriNorris, 25, won the first race of the year in Melbourne to underline why he was the bookies’ top billing in the lightning quick MCL39.But he has yet to take another Grand Prix victory since, with Piastri winning four of the last five rounds to move 16 points ahead in the standings.And Verstappen has offered some words of wisdom for Norris ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.The four-time world champ, 27, told The Telegraph: “Honestly, I think both of them are very good. READ MORE F1″Lando, I think, has the pace. It just hasn’t really come out yet over a sustained period of time. “But I think it’s still going to be a tight championship for them. I don’t know where I’m going to be. “I’m just trying to maximise every result. At the end of the day, we can’t rely on them to make mistakes. It has to come from us.”The Dutchman made it clear he thinks Norris, whom he beat to the title by 63 points last year, has to find more consistency.Most read in MotorsportAussie Piastri has enjoyed a breakthrough leading role this seasonVerstappen is the only other driver to have managed a race win so far in 2025, coming at Suzuka’s narrow track after qualifying on pole.And the Red Bull star remains within touching distance with the McLarens, despite the obvious troubles with the RB21 this term.10 Years of Max Verstappen documentary trailerThe best driver of his generation has been more consistent, particularly in qualifying, than Norris – who has the quicker car.After starting on pole, Verstappen failed to make it to the podium last time out at the Miami Grand Prix, after burning up his tyres in a pointless defensive battle with the McLarens.Afterwards, Norris said: “He’s fighting hard, but it’s up to him to do that. He’s ruining his own race. He’s not racing very smart.”Verstappen, who seems to have softened after becoming a first-time dad this month, refused to respond to the Brit’s jab.Qualifying and pit strategy will be crucial again at Imola, as the more traditionally narrow track makes overtaking harder. More

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      Former F1 team boss makes secret return to Imola GP paddock just days after resigning following brother’s arrest

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      FORMER Alpine boss Oliver Oakes has made a shock return to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix paddock days after handing in his resignation.The Brit, 37, quit his team principal role this month after his brother, a fellow motorsport director, was arrested and charged with “transferring criminal property”.Oliver Oakes was spotted in the Emilia Romagna GP paddock only days after his resignationCredit: GettyOakes was spotted behind-the-scenes in the Formula 2 and Formula 3 paddocks in Imola, where he will continue to serve as a director of junior team Hitech GP.His younger brother William, a fellow boss at Hitech, was arrested at Silverstone Park on May 1 after he was found “in possession of a large amount of cash.”Oakes resigned from Alpine two days after the Miami Grand Prix and flew straight to Dubai, rather than travelling with the team back to England.It’s been a hectic month for Alpine, with driver Jack Doohan dropped for Franco Colapinto, who crashed in the first practice session on Friday.READ MORE IN F1Racing director Dave Greenwood has assumed team principal duties, but consultant Flavio Briatore is the de facto boss because he doesn’t hold a required F1 licence.Meanwhile, a third director, Michael William Charles Sanwell-Lewis, has been appointed to the Hitech GP board.While some were surprised to spot Oakes, who only took charge of Alpine in July 2024, he remains committed to Hitech, the team formerly led by Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin.Formula 2 and Formula 3 are only invited to support a few F1 weekends a year, so the timing for Oakes is unfortunate.Most read in Motorsport Start of F1 races will look very different in 2025 with major change for first time in over a decadeWilliam of Rugby, Warwickshire, was remanded in custody after appearing at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on May 3.SunSport has reached out to Hitech for comment. More

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      Formula E CEO says Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton wouldn’t instantly win races as SunSport goes behind the scenes

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      JEFF DODDS says Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton would struggle to win races in Formula E right away. Dodds is the CEO of the radical motor sport series paving the way for the future, with cars all powered by electricity. This season’s FE cars are now accelerating to 100 kilometres in 1.8 seconds, which is 30 per cent faster than F1 carsFormula E CEO Jeff Dodds says within five-years FE cars will be beating F1 cars around MonacoFour-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen could one day dip his toes in Formula EGermany’s Maximilian Gunther won in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this seasonSunSport’s F1 reporter Isabelle Barker went behind-the-scenes at the double-header in Tokyo this weekend to see what the series is all about. In an exclusive interview with SunSport, Dodds says “never say never” to four-time world F1 champion Verstappen one day burning rubber in an electric car. When asked if Hamilton or Verstappen would have instant success in the series, he said: “I’m almost sure they wouldn’t because driving the cars are different.“It isn’t a natural translation from driving a petrol car, a combustion car, to driving an electric car. READ MORE IN SPORT“We have to regenerate our battery, so we’re braking and slowing to put power back into the battery. They accelerate differently, the gearing is different.”Dodds is good pals with Red Bull driver Verstappen, who has made it clear that he wants to dip his toes in other areas of motor racing in the future. The Dutchman recently used a fake name of ‘Franz Hermann’ to shatter the Nurburgring lap record in a Ferrari. Dodds added: “I know Max, I’m a massive fan of Max. He’s a generational talent. Most read in MotorsportBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK”If Max came across and stuck at it for a few years, I think there’s a very good chance he’d be the best Formula E driver ever.“But he wouldn’t show up and be the best Formula E driver ever instantly. Sergio Aguero takes up new sport aged 36 and Man City legend will compete against Brooklyn Beckham“There’s too many of the most talented drivers in the world that have been racing these cars for years.“Max and I have spoken a few times. I had a bet on Max last year, which was pretty well publicised that he would win the title. “It came through but he and I decided to give the money in equal parts to his charity. “Max just loves to race, anything with an engine, motor or even sim racing. “He loves to race, he loves to win, he’s a generational talent. He’s being paid an awful lot of money to race in F1. “He’s unlikely to give up his chance at becoming an eight time world champion and that money simply to go and try something else.“The only thing I would say with Max is, never say never because he doesn’t follow the rules.“If anyone was going to say, ‘hey, screw this, I just want to go and try something else’ it could be Max. He’s very much his own man.”HORSE-POWEREx F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone has been heavily critical of FE and once described the cars as “lawnmowers”. This season’s cars are now accelerating to 100 kilometres in 1.8 seconds, which is 30 per cent faster than F1 cars. The series obviously has sustainability and location on its side with races held in some of the world’s most breathtaking cities from Mexico City to Tokyo, London, Monaco and more. For a UK motor sport fan the cost of a FE weekend is enough to lure you in, with a grandstand pass for a double-header weekend in Berlin at just £104, for example.Or you can bag a one day grandstand ticket with a hotel included from £100 – £124 depending on the Saturday or Sunday race day. To put that into perspective with F1, a grandstand weekend ticket at Silverstone can cost a whopping £309 to £909. CAN HEAR A PIN DROP The elephant in the room though and of the greatest traits that sets F1 apart from other sports is the ear-piercing sounds of V12 and V10 engines. Which makes the sound, or lack thereof in electric cars a hot topic in FE and something die-hard motor sport fans continue to scoff at. But the old-school, predominantly male fan-base is not the market which FE is targeting, with half of the fan base being women. The sound is similar to a high-pitched whirring noise and there are benefits to the quieter atmosphere. Races are able to take place sometimes smack bang in the middle of the world’s best cities. You can also hear every crunch and clank when the cars collide, which makes crashes all the more dramatic. And there have been plenty of crashes at that, just not fiery ones due to the lack of fuel.Also the prime locations mean for a race like Tokyo you can hop on the subway and travel just a few stops to the Big Sight centre where the race is held.F1 fans may be haunted with flashbacks to sitting in hours of traffic en route to Silverstone or Spa in the peeing down rain for the Belgian Grand Prix. NEW AUDIENCE Dodds said: “We have about 400 million fans around the world. Half of them male, half of them female. “That’s very unusual for motor sport, and half of them are under the age of 40.“The reason we attract a slightly different audience is because we don’t bring all of that tradition and history that comes with maybe F1 or Indy car. “The cars are ridiculously fast. The quality of racing is very high impact, very wheel-to-wheel.“It’s all thrills, all spills. There’s an enormous amount of activity you can go and do, music concerts.“It’s family day out but the quality of racing that underpins it is absolutely top class. “You can hear each other speak. You don’t get drowned out or burst your eardrums.”GREEN FLAGOne thing that makes you sit up and take note is that the entire FE paddock, including all the teams, for the whole season is less than the emissions for one whole F1 team for a season. There are typically no pit stops, because the drivers don’t change tyres, for the sake of sustainability.The tyres are are all-weather for sustainability reasons so need to perform on sizzling hot tracks like Jakarta as well as street tracks and in the rain. Race teams only bring with them two sets for a single header while F1 teams can take around 12-13 different sets for a weekend. Dodds added: “Everything we do is zero emission. So not only do you get to watch an amazing race, you get to look in the mirror and feel good about it.”STAR STUDDED LINE UPCurrently the most well known name in the series is former F1 driver Nyck de Vries who competed for Williams and Alpha Tauri. But the series has attracted the likes of Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate turned rival Nico Rosberg, Dodds added: “I’m not sure if Lewis Hamilton retires and then decides he wants to come and do a couple of seasons in Formula E. “It might bring Lewis Hamilton fans to come and have a look. I don’t think it’s transformative for our sport.”There is one more season of the current car but next year the series’ new car will be launched which is set to have twice the power. Dodds added: “I’m very confident that within five years, around Monaco, our cars will be beating F1 cars. “That might not translate immediately to more popularity because I don’t think you can just rewrite history.Read More on The Sun“You can’t erase, and neither should we, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost and Emerson Fittipaldi.”You can’t erase McLaren and Mercedes’ history in F1, there’s a legacy that comes with that and so it should, but our technology will surpass it, there’s no question about it.” More