This Week – 16/11/2025
Hello, welcome to This Week, a week on from Interlagos with three weeks until Abu Dhabi, what does Lando Norris credit with his recent form? Where does title rival Max Verstappen believe his championship was lost in Barcelona? Sebastian Vettel confirmed talks about returning to Red Bull but said they “never gained any traction.”
Three races remain in the championship, the race to Abu Dhabi is on but with Norris looking to be in pole position and eighty-four points on the table, could there be another twist…
F1 Academy
All eleven teams from 2027 have signed a multi-year deal to continue to sponsor an F1 Academy livery and driver in the all-female series. Since the second season of F1 Academy in 2024, each F1 team has designated a driver from the series and adapted their car to carry the team’s livery.
Cadillac will join the series from 2027, with the ten current teams being sponsors continuing from this season.
F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff said: “The commitment of long-term support from all 10 current Formula 1 teams, and the addition of Cadillac to our grid from 2027, sends a powerful message about the future of F1 Academy. We’re not just providing a platform for the current generation of female drivers; together, we’re building a pathway to support generations of talent to come.”
It was also announced that the two-season limit for participation in the series could be increased to three in certain cases. This has been done, it says to deeper and nurture talents, but for drivers ‘whose performance indicates strong potential for continued growth.’
Going into the final round in Vegas next weekend, Mercedes Doriane Pin leads Ferrari’s Maya Weug by nine points.
McLaren
Lando Norris says he is “ignoring everyone that talks c***” after he took control of the Drivers’ Championship with victory last weekend. The Englishman took back-to-back wins for the second time this season, as well as winning Saturday’s sprint race, to take his championship lead just under two Grand Prix wins with three Grand Prix and a sprint remaining.
His performances, coupled with the series of errors by teammate Oscar Piastri, have made him the favourite after he stopped making his own errors following their collision at Zandvoort in August. Asked about how he’s found such great recent form, he said, “Just ignore everyone that talks c*** about you! Just focus on yourself.”
“The team are doing an amazing job, giving me a great car. We’re pushing hard every single weekend and I’m pushing hard away from the track. Rewarding – it doesn’t come easy, that’s for sure.”
Norris was asked in the press conference to elaborate on his comments and added, “Honestly, nothing in particular. But there’s always people out there that try and bring you down a little bit. I guess it’s quite normal. Also, when you’re on a big stage, there’s a lot of people that talk and say things, try and influence other people to have effects.”
Norris has been open and honest with the media since he joined F1 in 2019, and, in recent seasons, it has been a contentious topic, with some believing that his approach displays weakness and will encourage rivals. Last year, he revealed he could “barely eat” on race day.
He Norris has the opportunity to become the eleventh British F1 driver to become world champion, should he hold onto his lead over Piastri and Verstappen. But, he is not getting carried away and says the title race can “change so quickly” as proved with Piastri’s offs in Brazil.
Ferrari
Ferrari chairman John Elkann has called on Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc “to focus on driving and talk less”. Elkann’s comments come on the back of a Sao Paulo, last weekend, where Ferrari suffered a double retirement and Hamilton described his maiden season with the team as a “nightmare”.
Ferrari dropped to fourth in the constructors’ championship as a result of the race. They are thirty-six points behind Mercedes and four adrift of Red Bull with three grands prix and a sprint remaining. Speaking at an event marking three months till the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan, that the team’s mechanics and engineers were performing well, but “if we look at the rest, it is not up to scratch”.
He added, “We definitely have drivers who need to focus on driving and talk less because we still have important races ahead of us and getting second place is not impossible. In Bahrain, we won the World Endurance Championship title. When Ferrari is united, we get results.”
Elkann’s remarks reflect the frustration and disappointment at Ferrari, who came close to becoming constructors’ champions last year but has failed to win a grand prix this season. Though Ferrari gets a bonus payment from F1, finishing fourth would result in a £15.2m drop in prize money for this season.
Leclerc said on social media it had been a “very difficult” weekend in Sao Paulo – Ferrari picked up only six points overall, thanks to Leclerc and Hamilton finishing fifth and seventh respectively in the sprint race.
Hamilton also posted on social media, saying: “I back my team, I back myself. I will not give up. Not now, not then, not ever.”
Taking to X, Sky Sports commentator, Hamilton’s former teammate and 2009 champion, Jenson Button, wrote, “Maybe John should lead by example.”
Red Bull
Former world champion Sebastian Vettel has told Sky Sports and Channel 4 there were talks about a return to the team, but they “never gained any traction”, though the four-time World Champion conceded that he is open to the possibility of returning to the sport should the “right opportunity” present itself.
This followed the sudden departure of former CEO and team principal Christian Horner, which “surprised” him. He said, “Christian has been there for so long, since the very beginning, and knows this team inside out. I think for this year everything was in place. I know Laurent [Mekies] as well, the successor, and I’ve worked with him, and he’s a really, really great person, but I think Christian left some big footsteps.”
“Not just because of all the success he’s had with the team, but also I think he was such a central part of the team – he knew what was going on and so on. I’m not completely aware of the organisation, the structure, and especially the plan for the future, but that’s where I think it’s valid to say, let’s wait and see how it turns out.”
Vettel dismissed the rumours of serious talks about him becoming the successor to the team’s advisor, but he has not ruled out the chance of taking on a position within the F1 world one day.
Yuki Tsunoda was left head-scratching, describing last weekend as “one of the worst”. Though Max Verstappen’s podium from his pit lane start, while the Japanese driver was given a ten-second penalty for his collision with Lance Stroll. He earned a second penalty for failing to serve the penalty correctly, before crossing the line last of the classified finishers in seventeenth.
Tsunoda reflected, “It’s just a shame. Literally, nothing worked this weekend. When something works, something didn’t work at the same time. One of the worst weekends. I don’t know why. We just struggled with the grip overall, and that’s it.”
Of the contact that had sent Stroll into a spin, Tsunoda added: “I don’t know. It’s a shame about the contact. I didn’t notice that I even had contact, so I’m sorry for him. That’s it.” This comes at the time when he is believed to be fighting for his future with Red Bull.
Red Bull and Racing Bull will launch their 2026 livery on the 15th January in Detroit, Michigan, where their new power unit partner is based. The launch will also be the formal launch of its new power unit division.
Mekies said, “The launch of the Red Bull Ford Powertrains era represents not only a bold step into the future, but a powerful expression of what’s possible when world-class engineering, innovation, and passion come together.”
“To see the energy, precision, and scale behind this project is inspiring. It’s the culmination of several years of collaboration between two great names in motorsport. We’re incredibly excited to begin this new chapter, driven by the same determination and excellence that defines both Ford and Red Bull.”
Mekies Racing Bull’s counterpart, Peter Bayer, added, “We’re incredibly excited to welcome Ford back into the world of Formula 1. With over 125 years of heritage, innovation, and absolute dedication to performance, Ford embodies the same competitive spirit that drives our team. This partnership brings together global brands united by a love of racing and a commitment to pushing boundaries.”
Max Verstappen has admitted that he made “a mistake” by crashing into George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix after everything “went red” for him amid extreme frustration. Verstappen was penalised for causing a collision with Russell during the Barcelona race in June having appeared to intentionally drive his Red Bull into the Mercedes.
The Dutchman was awarded a ten-second penalty which dropped him from fifth to tenth, which cost him nine points that would have come in handy as he charged back into contention for a fifth successive drivers’ title after the summer break. However, his bid for a fifth championship is all but over as he dropped forty-nine points behind with eighty-four remaining.
He told Viaplay, “The only point of criticism is obviously Barcelona. That move itself – and the entire incident – was not good, but that’s also because I care a lot. I could have thought, ‘this car isn’t working anyway, so I let it go’.”
“I can’t accept – towards myself – stepping out of the car and knowing that I didn’t give everything. Then I get angry with myself, so I can’t drive at eighty per cent.” During the safety car in Barcelona, the lack of available tyre sets left him vulnerable to the cars behind him.
At the restart after passing Charles Leclerc, Verstappen attempted to follow the Ferrari passed Russell, but the pair made contact that resulted in Verstappen running onto the escape road before re-joining in front of the Mercedes. Verstappen was advised by Red Bull over the radio to give the position up to Russell to avoid a penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, which the Dutchman disagreed with.
As he appeared to be letting Russell through later in the lap, Verstappen drove into Russell, before eventually letting the Mercedes through without any further contact moments later.
Verstappen continued: “That’s why I was so angry in Barcelona – first with what happened on the straight at the restart, then into Turn 1, and then of course when I was told to give the position back. That’s when all signs went red. That was a mistake from my side, and of course, I learn from it.”
“Those moments won’t happen again next year, even if we’re in a similar situation with the car. These are the small things you learn from, but overall, in terms of performance, the season was absolutely good.”
Mercedes
Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff is in advanced talks to sell some of his shares in the team. The deal values the German manufacturers at a record £4.6bn, breaking the record set by McLaren for a valuation set in September at £3.5bn when it revised its ownership.
The deal was first reported by Sportico and BBC News has independently verified the information is accurate. The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos, who each also own a third of the company.
A Mercedes spokesperson said, “We will be making no comment on this. The governance of the team will remain unchanged, and all three partners are fully committed to the ongoing success of Mercedes-Benz in Formula One.”
The deal would represent a significant increase in the value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its stake for £208m in 2022. The rise reflects the growth in valuations of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of the sport around the world.
Wolff said this week that Kimi Antonelli showed an example of “what’s to come” in his career after the Italian teenager produced the best weekend of his rookie season last weekend in Sao Paulo. In both sprint and grand prix qualifying he was second and retained that in both, in the grand prix, holding off a charging Max Verstappen.
Alpine
Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen said the team was caught by surprise by how its midfield rivals continued to improve their cars during 2025. While the team started the season strongly in June, it stopped developing this year’s car while its midfield rivals continued to develop.
That has finally filtered through to results, as in recent races, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto often found themselves fighting only each other at the back of the field. Nielson told Motorsport.com, “To sum it up, our biggest problem is our car’s not fast enough. Of course, there are a million reasons contributing to that, both at Enstone and at the track, but a lot of our issues are that the car we put on the track is not good enough and we need to make a better one.”
“We need to do that in time for next year, and I’m confident we will. But it’s also no secret that we were one of the first teams to switch over to next year, to the big raft of technical changes that are coming. The earlier you start that, the more developed your car will be when you start racing.”
Alpine, it appears to me, has placed a lot of hope in 2026, they we know they have decided not to develop a power unit and have invested in Enstone. They admit they have been caught out by the likes of Haas who brought upgrades throughout the season, but they were clear that they were focusing on 2026.
When asked why Alpine chose not to continue developing this year’s car while also focusing on the 2026 car, something others proved was possible, Nielsen explained the challenges of doing both.
He said, “The short answer is I wish we were more competitive now. I just hope that the pain we’re going through now is vindicated next year when we produce a much more competitive car.”
“But to be clear, the parallel development of two cars…most teams only have access to one wind tunnel. And it’s governed by regulation anyway. For us to keep our 2025 car in the wind tunnel means we cannot put our 2026 car in.” adding that was a very inefficient way of working, as well as the best way to make a big step next year.
Nielsen isn’t worried that having discarded the 2025 season so early – a decision that has left the team currently last in the constructors’, around a third of those scored by nearest rival Sauber – will add pressure on Alpine to perform next year.
Racing Bulls
Racing Bulls say a video of a staff member appearing to encourage spectators at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix to boo Lando Norris “doesn’t reflect our team’s values”. The championship leader Norris has been booed by a portion of fans following his victories at the last two rounds, in Mexico City and then at Interlagos last Sunday.
Following his win last weekend, Norris moved twenty-four points clear of teammate Oscar Piastri. Following the race a video emerged showing a member of the team appearing to encourage booing during the podium ceremony.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Racing Bulls said: “We’re aware of the video from the weekend’s podium. It doesn’t reflect our team’s values or the spirit of VCARB. The matter has been handled internally. We believe in celebrating great racing and showing respect to every driver, team, and fan both on and off the track.”
Racing Bulls are the sister team of Red Bull, who have been McLaren’s main rival this season and last. Norris was Max Verstappen’s nearest challenger for the drivers’ title last year, while the Dutchman surged back into title contention this year before results at the last two events saw his hopes all but ended.
Racing Bulls isn’t challenging McLaren for wins. But the booing in Brazil was less intense and noticeable than in Mexico, where Norris paused his post-race interview and laughed in apparent shock at his reception.
One of the theories put forward by Mexican media is the perception in Mexico that the Brit has been favoured by McLaren over Piastri. This is largely based upon McLaren’s decision to swap Norris back ahead of Piastri at the Italian Grand Prix in September after the team had botched the former’s pit stop.
Speaking after his win in Mexico, Norris said that being booed “makes it more entertaining for me. Adding, “People can do what they want, honestly. They have the right to do it if they want to do it. I think that’s sport sometimes. I don’t know why I can’t stop laughing when I get booed. I think it makes it more entertaining for me. So yeah, they can keep doing it if they want.”
Sauber
Gabriel Bortoleto says he will walk away from a “tough” home Grand Prix with lessons in risk management. The São Paulo driver suffered two crashes over the course of the weekend the biggest being in the sprint race, and the team failed to repair the car for GP qualifying.
Starting from the back, his first home grand prix took another turn when he crashed into the barriers on the opening lap of the race, which brought his weekend to an end. He explained, “Yeah, tough weekend. Weekend to forget and move on. I just take the positives that my whole country was here supporting me, the Brazilians.”
“I’m just sad because I have not been able to race today and show a bit of the pace that I believe we had. It comes from me, from my incident in the sprint race that caused me to not do quali. So I’m going to be the first one harsh on myself here, you know.” Bortoletto also believed that his crash was a consequence of things that happened earlier in the weekend,
He also said it was more painful being his home race, while Bortoleto want to move on from the incident, he also accepted he needed to move on from it.
Reflecting on the start, he added: “It was a good start, it was nice. I overtook two cars, it was Lewis [Hamilton] and [Franco] Colapinto on the outside of six. It was a nice move. And then Lance [Stroll], I was just side by side with him out of nine. And then, there’s no pointing fingers here, just lap one. I was on the outside. He opened a little bit more than what there was of space there. He clipped my front tyre and I ended up in the wall.”
Meanwhile, the team has released the first concept design of its bodywork as they prepare to transition to the Audi name. The German manufacturer already owns the team but continued to race as Sauber for the last two years.
Audi will also build their own power unit and will launch ahead of the first test in January. Revealing what it has dubbed the Audi R26 Concept at an event in Munich, the scheme they will run in F1 features titanium, carbon black and a new Audi red.
Audi CEO Gernot Dollner said, “By entering the pinnacle of motorsport, Audi is making a clear, ambitious statement. It is the next chapter in the company’s renewal. Formula 1 will be a catalyst for the change towards a leaner, faster and more innovative Audi.”
“We are not entering Formula 1 just to be there. We want to win. At the same time, we know that you don’t become a top team in Formula 1 overnight. It takes time, perseverance and tireless questioning of the status quo. By 2030, we want to fight for the World Championship title.”
Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will continue to drive for the team in 2026. Sauber are currently ninth in this year’s Constructors’ Championship with three races to go.