Welcome to the Spanish Grand Prix
“Silly” to count Verstappen out – Norris
Lando Norris believes that it would be “silly” despite McLaren’s dominance to count Max Verstappen out from the title race. Teammate Oscar Piastri leads the drivers’ championship by three points from Norris, and McLaren has more than double the points tally of its closest rival in the constructors’ standings.
But the fight for the 2025 driver’s title isn’t only between the McLaren team-mates, according to Norris. He said ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, “I think mathematically, there’s still like, probably, the whole grid can win the championship at the minute.”
“So, if you think it’s just out of me and Oscar, then I think you’re a bit silly. I think there’s plenty of opportunities. Max [Verstappen] can still win. I think Ferrari, I expect them to get better through the season.”
This season Norris and Verstappen have won two races, with the Dutchman third a race win behind Piastri. But Red Bull has largely continued like they did in the second half of last year, winning in Suzuka and Imola.
But these wobbles at Red Bull aren’t enough for Norris to count Verstappen out of the title fight just yet. Saying “We’re racing Max every weekend. He’s been on the podium several times. He’s won races. I mean, he beat us in Imola, fair and square because he was quicker. So, I don’t know what possibly makes you think that it’s only out of me and Oscar.”
Norris remains wary of the threat posed by Verstappen while he manages his teammate Piastri as he says they are still fighting Red Bull and the championship fight isn’t changing the way he approaches every race weekend.
Drivers ‘too nice’ when asked about Monaco changes
Fernando Alonso says drivers are “too nice” in politely fielding questions about whether the Monaco Grand Prix needs changing. Several drivers have criticised the rule change that was introduced for the event last weekend that required drivers to make two pit stops at Monaco.
The two-time champion and Monaco winner said: “There is this constant talk of how bad is something, instead of how good is something. This is Monaco. Maybe there is a couple of ideas between all involved in the sport we can think of for Monaco, but I don’t think there is any need to think of anything.”
“It is only because there is a lot of content now to be created and drivers we are too nice so we answer to every question. If forty years ago you ask [Ayrton] Senna and [Alain] Prost about Monaco after one week and they are fighting for the championship, they will be less polite than we are.”
Alonso the most experienced driver of all time pointed out the paradox of the race, adding “Wednesday we will be so excited, and on Friday we all say it’s the best track of the season and we all want to win Monaco, and then on Saturday we are all super-excited and the adrenalin on those laps is unique. And then on Sunday, we will be disappointed once again. It is what it is”
GPDA, the trade union which represents drivers, chair Alex Wurz posted on his personal social media, some changes to the track, external he believed could make racing better there, including moving the harbour front chicane and reprofiling the Loews and Rascasse corners a little.
Mercedes driver George Russell, a director of the GPDA, said the changes “would definitely not make it worse”
But added: “Monaco has always been the same. I don’t have the answer. Part of me thinks we should just accept Monaco for what it is. F1 is better for having Monaco on the calendar. Qualifying is exciting, the race is boring but it makes us appreciate some of the other races.
Martins to make FP1 debut with Williams
Victor Martins will make his F1 practice debut during FP1 on Friday at the Spanish Grand Prix with Williams. The Frenchman will replace Alex Albon under the rule stating that each entry must be driven by a rookie at least twice over the season – totalling four FP1 outings per team.
Martins joined Williams from Alpine at the end of March, having won Formula Renault Eurocup and F3 titles in the past. This season he is in his third F2 season with ART Grand Prix but has largely failed to convert his pace into results, meaning he sits just eighth in the standings thirty-seven points down on leader Browning.
The Melbourne feature race was cancelled when Martins was due to start from pole position, and he was taken out of the Monaco Grand Prix feature race as he was completing an overtake for the lead, which triggered a monumental pile-up last Sunday.
Luke Browning, was in action on Friday at the Bahrain GP, with both tested FW45 from 2023 at Monza early last month. Martins said, “I’m super happy to be taking the wheel of the FW47 for the first time in Barcelona! It will be an incredible experience to drive for the team.”
Sporting director Sven Smeets added: “We’re proud that Victor will be taking part in his first Formula 1 session with Williams Racing in Barcelona. He continues to demonstrate that he is a talented driver, and this session is an important step forward in his career as part of the Academy.”
EXPLAINED | Flexi Wing clampdown
From this weekend a new technical directive comes into force tightening up the way front wings are permitted to flex under load. Under Article 3.15.4 of F1’s technical regulations, the flap areas of the front wings may deflect under load by no more than 15mm. This is now being reduced to 10mm.
Aero-elasticity has been an occasional focus of intrigue since the 1990s. A wing or similar area of bodywork can’t be infinitely rigid under the loads experienced at speed, so a degree of flex is inevitable. This is a key area teams like to exploit as it is a controlled way to cut drag thus achieving higher top speed.
As the current technical regulations mature and gains become harder to find, subtle tricks involving aero-elasticity have returned to the agenda and become the subject of frequent clampdowns by racing’s governing body. Last year there was a controversy surrounding McLaren’s rear wings, which rivals claimed were flexing in such a way that the gap between the two main planes increased slightly while at speed, cutting drag.
The FIA introduced new parameters and testing procedures to prevent this so-called ‘mini-DRS’, including high-definition onboard cameras to monitor the rear wings during practice. These were tightened up again before this year’s Chinese Grand Prix weekend.
These changes were due to be brought in for Melbourne but after much debate was postponed until June to allow teams to adapt and strengthen their designs following the test in Sakhir. This is because of the lead times in designing, adapting and manufacturing compliant wings.
The FIA explained, “This phased approach allows teams to adapt without the need to discard existing components unnecessarily. These adjustments are aimed at further refining our ability to monitor and enforce bodywork flexibility regulations, ensuring a level playing field for all competitors to promote fair and exciting racing.”
However, the challenge remains the same, it’s impossible to measure wing flex while the car is moving. Instead, a static load, 1000 Newtons, – is applied on both sides of the front wing simultaneously, and the areas under load must not deflect by more than 10mm. One Newton is the force required to make 1kg of mass accelerate in the direction of the applied force at a rate of one meter per second squared.
Talking Points Barcelona
Round nine of the season completes the second triple header at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya and what is likely to be the last Spanish Grand Prix at this venue. The 2.894-mile circuit has held the race since 1991 and has been a bell whether for understanding the cars as it was a regular test venue until 2020 when it moved to the gulf because of weather and the pandemic.
As explained above the flexi-wing clampdown is likely to be the main story, there has been this speculation by Red Bull that McLaren’s strength this exploiting this area. Secondly, it is expected all ten teams will have to make their front wings more robust as even squads who haven’t been playing games in this area would still be at risk of falling foul of the regulations.
The other more general thing is Barcelona has a wide range of corners with high downforce turns that favour Red Bull and more technical sections that benefit McLaren. On top of that, most teams are expected to bring regular upgrades as well because of the mix of corners and straights gives them a good read on the cars.
McLaren’s rivals will certainly be watching with intent what happens to the papaya team’s competitiveness and how its pace evolves over a stint. But they are adamant that its competitiveness won’t be impacted and maintains that flexi-wings aren’t a silver bullet.
Lando Norris won in Monaco last weekend. A near-perfect weekend allowed him to close the championship to three points behind Oscar Piastri, he will be hoping that he now gets momentum, and a win would move him to the top of the championship.
Ferrari had a strong weekend in Monaco, Charles Leclerc was just one-tenth of a second away from pole on Saturday, ultimately finishing second in the race. However, the concern is that Monaco was Ferrari’s strongest weekend of the season so far. The question is whether they can carry that into a very different circuit, where they have not been on the podium since 2017.
One of the most puzzling stats of the 2025 F1 season is that Fernando Alonso along with Gabriel Bortoleto, the only driver to have competed in every race without scoring a point. His worst start to a season since his debut with Minardi, now Racing Bulls, in 2001. He was set for points in Monaco until an engine failure.
It’s the first traditional track after Aston Martin’s successful upgrades in Imola theoretically another chance to open his account. History, and the undeniable talent he still shows behind the wheel, demand that Alonso will finally shed the zero this weekend as the first third of the championship comes to an end.
Audi admits it won’t have the best engine
Audi team principal Mattia Binotto has warned the team won’t have “the best” engine when they take over the Sauber team at the end of the year. 2026 sees a raft of regulation changes designed to make the cars more nibble and the power units more sustainable, as well as an increase in electrical energy.
The next nine months will be pivotal for the Sauber team, with the outfit bracing itself for the arrival of new regulations and preparing to become Audi’s factory team. For 2026, new regulations to make its cars more nimble to liven up races. New engine rules will increase the use of electrical energy in a grand prix to help the series become more sustainable. The new rules require a 50-50 split in power produced by the internal combustion unit and the electrical components
Alongside the new engine rules, F1 will also welcome new engine manufacturers, with Audi and Ford, through a partnership with Red Bull, set to join from 2026 and Cadillac entering as a team next year but won’t become a engine supplier until 2029 using Ferrari as a interim measure.
Binotto told Motorsport.com, “Making power units – I know this well because I was an engine engineer – is much more complex and complicated than one might imagine watching races as a spectator.”
The Italian previously worked at Ferrari as it navigated the series’ last major engine shakeup, which came in 2014 with the introduction of the current-generation V6 hybrid power units.
Adding “Now, however, we are entering something extremely advanced that has never been done. Therefore, we will find a higher level of difficulty, even though the starting point is always an engine. We will have to change the culture of the engine and it will not be easy.”
The new rules require a 50-50 split in power produced by the internal combustion unit and the electrical components. The complex MGU-H, which harvests thermal energy from the combustion engine, is being removed, and the motors will all be required to run on 100% sustainable fuels.
These sweeping changes are providing a challenge for engine manufacturers, and Binotto admits that Audi is no different. Binotto admitted Audi knows that they won’t be at they won’t have the best power unit and be at the top.
The impending rule change could also open up new avenues of competition, as teams will have a say on what fuels they use in their new engines. Options including e-fuels and biofuels are available, which Binotto adds means that “fuel will become a differentiating factor” for teams in 2026.
“No excuses” in not fighting for wins & championships
Flavio Briatore’s return from a convicted fraudster and race fixer to a third stint as Alpine team principal has been divisive, but he knows how to win and now he insists Alpine has “no excuses” to not target victories in 2026 and titles the following season.
The controversial executive advisor to Alpine, but has taken on more responsibilities since Oliver Oakes left his role as team principal earlier this month. It has been a tough start to 2025 for Alpine, which has scored just seven points so far and took the decision to drop Jack Doohan in favour of Franco Colapinto after the Miami.
But the Italian says following next year’s regulations he wants them challenging at the front. Briatore told Le Monde, “In 2026, we can win races, I guarantee it, and in 2027, we want to be title contenders.
“There will be no excuses: we must be competitive. We owe it to Renault [parent company], to Alpine…we’re in this sport to win, and with the new regulations coming in 2026, the teams that interpret them best will have the edge.”
Briatore is pinning a large part of his hopes on Alpine’s switch to Mercedes power next year, after Renault announced it will leave F1 at the end of 2025. Both his previous stints have ended in controversy including a lifetime ban in 2009 over the Crashgate scandal.
He added, “The easiest way to win is to sign Max Verstappen, but we can’t. So we have to work with what we’ve got. Choosing to switch to Mercedes power was a very difficult decision, but in this sport, to win, you need to have the same tools as the others. For a million reasons rooted in the past, we were at a disadvantage in that area.”
Briatore dismissed the speculation that there was a rift between him and Oakes adding “when I have an issue with someone, everyone knows — I speak up and act immediately. If I say there’s no problem, it’s because there isn’t one.”
Alonso named Barcelona’s ambassador
Fernando Alonso has been named an ambassador for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. This comes as the circuit is looking to maintain its place in the F1 calendar beyond the 2026 season.
Next year is the final year of its contract though it has lost the naming rights to the Spanish Grand Prix as Madrid returns to the calendar. However, the circuit and the Catalan government are keen for the circuit to remain on the calendar beyond 2026, potentially replacing Imola.
Alonso said, “It is an honour and a privilege, and I am very happy to be an ambassador for Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which is so special to me and to all Spanish fans, and which has given us so much joy”
“It was necessary for the circuit to take this step to have a solid future and adapt to the current demands and standards of F1 and circuits in other countries. This has brought it up to level ten, with a promising future.” The two-time champion believes that it is”imperative” that it stays on the calendar because of its facilities, tradition and roots in competition.
Adding “There are several types of circuits on the calendar, including urban circuits in large cities and those in the Middle East, which have incredible facilities. But there are also historic circuits with a long tradition in F1, where the history of this sport has been written.”