Verstappen advises Palou to remain in IndyCar.
"Few individuals have the chance to win"
Max Verstappen has encouraged IndyCar champion Alex Palou to resist the temptation of Formula 1 and continue his successful streak in the United States. Speaking on the Pelas Pistas podcast, the four-time world champion reminisced about his long-standing connection with Palou, the 28-year-old Spaniard who many experts believe is well-suited for success in F1. "We were teammates at CRG during our karting days and also in sim racing at Redline," Verstappen mentioned. "We’ve even competed together a few times. He’s a great guy, very amiable, and what he’s accomplished in IndyCar is truly remarkable—as is the manner in which he’s doing it."
Palou recently reaffirmed his dedication to Chip Ganassi Racing and IndyCar after his legal conflict with McLaren over a canceled IndyCar contract.
"Few individuals have the chance to win"
Max Verstappen has encouraged IndyCar champion Alex Palou to resist the temptation of Formula 1 and continue his successful streak in the United States. Speaking on the Pelas Pistas podcast, the four-time world champion reminisced about his long-standing connection with Palou, the 28-year-old Spaniard who many experts believe is well-suited for success in F1. "We were teammates at CRG during our karting days and also in sim racing at Redline," Verstappen mentioned. "We’ve even competed together a few times. He’s a great guy, very amiable, and what he’s accomplished in IndyCar is truly remarkable—as is the manner in which he’s doing it."
Palou recently reaffirmed his dedication to Chip Ganassi Racing and IndyCar after his legal conflict with McLaren over a canceled IndyCar contract.
Norris: I've simply gotten better at handling those situations.
"You’re absolutely entitled to your own views."
Lando Norris left Brazil with a significant 24-point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri, yet his newfound superiority has done little to quell the discussions regarding alleged favoritism at McLaren - or the boos he continues to receive on the podium. "Just ignore all the negative comments directed at you!" Norris chuckled when asked how he found his rhythm so late in the season. However, behind the laughter, the 25-year-old confessed that the criticism has impacted him. "I care a lot about how people perceive me and how I'm represented," he mentioned. "I might have cared too much - even at the start of the year, I believe I was overly concerned, and it affected me adversely. I've just learned to manage those feelings better.
"You’re absolutely entitled to your own views."
Lando Norris left Brazil with a significant 24-point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri, yet his newfound superiority has done little to quell the discussions regarding alleged favoritism at McLaren - or the boos he continues to receive on the podium. "Just ignore all the negative comments directed at you!" Norris chuckled when asked how he found his rhythm so late in the season. However, behind the laughter, the 25-year-old confessed that the criticism has impacted him. "I care a lot about how people perceive me and how I'm represented," he mentioned. "I might have cared too much - even at the start of the year, I believe I was overly concerned, and it affected me adversely. I've just learned to manage those feelings better.
Verstappen states that the 2025 championship is still 'lost.'
"Regrettably, we fell behind another 10 points to Norris."
Max Verstappen delivered one of the standout performances of the season in Brazil, making a remarkable recovery from a pitlane start to reach the podium after a difficult qualifying session that left him in 16th place, leading to a strategic decision for a pitlane start and significant setup alterations.
"That was top-level damage control," Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko told ORF, as the reigning four-time world champion regained essential points in a race that keeps his title hopes alive. However, the ongoing question of why Red Bull's performance fluctuates so dramatically remains unresolved. Former driver Ralf Schumacher mentioned to Sky Deutschland that the issue lies with the Pirelli tyres.
"Regrettably, we fell behind another 10 points to Norris."
Max Verstappen delivered one of the standout performances of the season in Brazil, making a remarkable recovery from a pitlane start to reach the podium after a difficult qualifying session that left him in 16th place, leading to a strategic decision for a pitlane start and significant setup alterations.
"That was top-level damage control," Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko told ORF, as the reigning four-time world champion regained essential points in a race that keeps his title hopes alive. However, the ongoing question of why Red Bull's performance fluctuates so dramatically remains unresolved. Former driver Ralf Schumacher mentioned to Sky Deutschland that the issue lies with the Pirelli tyres.
After the finish of the São Paulo Grand Prix, Pirelli published information about the order of tyre changes during the race:
Driver
Start
1st pit stop
2nd pit stop
3rd pit stop
L. Norris
C3N
C4U(30)
C3U(50)
K. Antonelli
C4U
C3N(21)
C3U(47)
M. Verstappen
C2N
C3N(07)
C3N(34)
C4N(54)
D. Russell
C3U
C4U(34)
C3U(48)
O. Piastri
C3N
C4U(38)
C3U(51)
O. Berman
C4U
C3N(17)
C3U(42)
L. Lawson
C4U
C3N(19)
A. Hadjar
C4U
C3U(18)
C3N(37)
N. Hülkenberg
C3N
C4U(36)
P. Gasly
C4U
C3N(18)
C3U(39)
A. Albon
C3U
C4U(35)
C3N(55)
E. Ocon
C2N
C3N(08)
C3N(47)
C. Sainz
C4N
C3N(17)
C3N(38)
F. Alonso
C2N
C3U(28)
C3N(46)
F. Colapinto
C3N
C4N(29)
C3N(43)
L. Stroll
C2N
C3U(29)
C3U(54)
Y. Tsunoda
C2N
C3N(02)
C3N(24)
C3N(47)
L. Hamilton
C4N
C2N(02)
C3N(14)
C3U(32)
S. Leclerc
C3N
G. Bortolotto
C4N
Abbreviations: C2 - Hard, C3 - Medium, C4 - Soft. N - new. U - used (scuffed). Numbers in brackets indicate the number of laps completed before the pit stop.
Driver
Start
1st pit stop
2nd pit stop
3rd pit stop
L. Norris
C3N
C4U(30)
C3U(50)
K. Antonelli
C4U
C3N(21)
C3U(47)
M. Verstappen
C2N
C3N(07)
C3N(34)
C4N(54)
D. Russell
C3U
C4U(34)
C3U(48)
O. Piastri
C3N
C4U(38)
C3U(51)
O. Berman
C4U
C3N(17)
C3U(42)
L. Lawson
C4U
C3N(19)
A. Hadjar
C4U
C3U(18)
C3N(37)
N. Hülkenberg
C3N
C4U(36)
P. Gasly
C4U
C3N(18)
C3U(39)
A. Albon
C3U
C4U(35)
C3N(55)
E. Ocon
C2N
C3N(08)
C3N(47)
C. Sainz
C4N
C3N(17)
C3N(38)
F. Alonso
C2N
C3U(28)
C3N(46)
F. Colapinto
C3N
C4N(29)
C3N(43)
L. Stroll
C2N
C3U(29)
C3U(54)
Y. Tsunoda
C2N
C3N(02)
C3N(24)
C3N(47)
L. Hamilton
C4N
C2N(02)
C3N(14)
C3U(32)
S. Leclerc
C3N
G. Bortolotto
C4N
Abbreviations: C2 - Hard, C3 - Medium, C4 - Soft. N - new. U - used (scuffed). Numbers in brackets indicate the number of laps completed before the pit stop.
© Editorial Board of F1News.Ru 1997–2025. Mass media registration certificate El No. FS77-29173. Registered with the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media.
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Max Verstappen: We need to realistically assess the chances.
Max Verstappen admitted he will need some luck to get ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the fight for the title.
With four rounds remaining, the Red Bull Racing driver is 36 points behind the leader of the drivers' standings, Norris. Thus, Verstappen must on average make up nine points per weekend on the McLaren drivers to become champion.
"We've had a few good races, cutting the gap, but it's still large and there are only four races left in the season," Max Verstappen told the press in the Interlagos paddock. "Every weekend I have to score a lot more points [than Norris and Piastri], which is not that easy to do.
If we had the same advantage now as in 2023, and I needed to make up 36 points in four races, I'd say, 'No problem, easy.' But this season is somewhat different, so it all comes down to having perfect weekends.
Max Verstappen admitted he will need some luck to get ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the fight for the title.
With four rounds remaining, the Red Bull Racing driver is 36 points behind the leader of the drivers' standings, Norris. Thus, Verstappen must on average make up nine points per weekend on the McLaren drivers to become champion.
"We've had a few good races, cutting the gap, but it's still large and there are only four races left in the season," Max Verstappen told the press in the Interlagos paddock. "Every weekend I have to score a lot more points [than Norris and Piastri], which is not that easy to do.
If we had the same advantage now as in 2023, and I needed to make up 36 points in four races, I'd say, 'No problem, easy.' But this season is somewhat different, so it all comes down to having perfect weekends.
Piastri: I have everything I need to win the title.
Oscar Piastri responded to critics who doubted he could win the title this season. Some experts, such as world champions Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve, suggested the Australian McLaren driver couldn't handle the pressure, but in São Paulo Oscar had an answer to that.
Oscar Piastri: "People can think whatever they want, right? I know I have everything it takes to win the title. Yes, I've had some difficulties, but this season everyone has stumbled over the bumps in the road at different times. I'm confident I've taken a lot from the last few weekends, and I'm confident I can show the form I had at my peak this year. There are still many laps to go this year, and I'm confident I can win.
The races in Austin and Mexico were different from many others.
Oscar Piastri responded to critics who doubted he could win the title this season. Some experts, such as world champions Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve, suggested the Australian McLaren driver couldn't handle the pressure, but in São Paulo Oscar had an answer to that.
Oscar Piastri: "People can think whatever they want, right? I know I have everything it takes to win the title. Yes, I've had some difficulties, but this season everyone has stumbled over the bumps in the road at different times. I'm confident I've taken a lot from the last few weekends, and I'm confident I can show the form I had at my peak this year. There are still many laps to go this year, and I'm confident I can win.
The races in Austin and Mexico were different from many others.
Next week Audi will unveil the concept of its first Formula 1 car. In São Paulo, Sauber driver Nico Hülkenberg — whose team will become Audi next year — spoke about how work on the project is progressing.
Nico Hülkenberg: “I can say that the project continues to progress. Obviously, next year will bring big changes. Alongside the current season there is a lot of work happening behind the scenes, and we are getting closer and closer to bringing the project to fruition. Each week it becomes more real. So far it hasn’t had a major impact on us as a racing team, but that will start to happen soon.”
Commenting on the team’s chances for the weekend, Nico said: “In São Paulo the rain is always nearby. Everything will depend on how the car performs on Friday. We’ll only know that after a few laps in practice.
I again expect a close fight in the middle of the pack. It’s a short lap here, so the gaps will be even smaller. But, of course, we’ll try to be on the right side.”
Nico Hülkenberg: “I can say that the project continues to progress. Obviously, next year will bring big changes. Alongside the current season there is a lot of work happening behind the scenes, and we are getting closer and closer to bringing the project to fruition. Each week it becomes more real. So far it hasn’t had a major impact on us as a racing team, but that will start to happen soon.”
Commenting on the team’s chances for the weekend, Nico said: “In São Paulo the rain is always nearby. Everything will depend on how the car performs on Friday. We’ll only know that after a few laps in practice.
I again expect a close fight in the middle of the pack. It’s a short lap here, so the gaps will be even smaller. But, of course, we’ll try to be on the right side.”
© Editorial Board of F1News.Ru 1997–2025. Mass media registration certificate El No. FS77-29173. Registered with the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media.
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Berman: We continue to perform at a high level.
In São Paulo Oliver Bearman continued his run of strong performances and scored points for sixth place in the weekend’s main race. Esteban Ocon once again performed worse than his Haas F1 teammate, finishing 12th. However, that is not a bad result either, considering he had to start from the pit lane and make his first pit stop earlier than planned.
Oliver Bearman (6th): "I am very pleased. I truly believe we executed the race perfectly, achieving the best possible result — although we were helped by the fact that not all our rivals made it to the finish.
The car was capable of a good pace, the team chose the right strategy, and we also managed to make several overtakes, although it was somewhat risky.
If fourth in Mexico was something of a surprise for us, then today, finishing sixth, we're simply glad to be continuing to perform at a high level.
In São Paulo Oliver Bearman continued his run of strong performances and scored points for sixth place in the weekend’s main race. Esteban Ocon once again performed worse than his Haas F1 teammate, finishing 12th. However, that is not a bad result either, considering he had to start from the pit lane and make his first pit stop earlier than planned.
Oliver Bearman (6th): "I am very pleased. I truly believe we executed the race perfectly, achieving the best possible result — although we were helped by the fact that not all our rivals made it to the finish.
The car was capable of a good pace, the team chose the right strategy, and we also managed to make several overtakes, although it was somewhat risky.
If fourth in Mexico was something of a surprise for us, then today, finishing sixth, we're simply glad to be continuing to perform at a high level.
On Sky Sports F1 after an unsuccessful weekend in Brazil, Lewis Hamilton called his first season with Ferrari "a nightmare"…
Lewis Hamilton: "This is a nightmare I've been living in for some time. The abrupt shift from the dream of driving for this amazing team to the nightmare of the results we've had, to a series of ups and downs — coping with it isn't easy.
I really wanted to bring Ferrari a lot of points this weekend, but I'll try to recover and perform as well as possible in the next race.
After the race I'm upset, but on Monday I'll get up and continue training, continue working with the team."
Lewis Hamilton: "This is a nightmare I've been living in for some time. The abrupt shift from the dream of driving for this amazing team to the nightmare of the results we've had, to a series of ups and downs — coping with it isn't easy.
I really wanted to bring Ferrari a lot of points this weekend, but I'll try to recover and perform as well as possible in the next race.
After the race I'm upset, but on Monday I'll get up and continue training, continue working with the team."
Statistics of past Grand Prix: Qualifying
Statistics of drivers' qualifying performances, sorted by average finishing position and excluding subsequent penalties.
Driver
Team
Average
Best
Worst
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Score
O. Piastri
McLaren
3.05
1
9
21
21
21
10 - 11
L. Norris
McLaren
3.14
1
10
21
21
21
11 - 10
M. Verstappen
Red Bull
3.71
1
16
21
20
20
21 - 0
D. Russell
Mercedes
4.43
1
14
21
21
20
18 - 3
C. Leclerc
Ferrari
5.1
1
11
21
21
20
16 - 5
L. Hamilton
Ferrari
7.76
3
16
21
20
15
5 - 16
K. Antonelli
Mercedes
8.1
2
18
21
19
15
3 - 18
A. Hadjar
Racing Bulls
9.95
4
20
21
19
13
15 - 6
F. Alonso
Aston Martin
10.86
5
19
21
19
10
21 - 0
C.
Statistics of drivers' qualifying performances, sorted by average finishing position and excluding subsequent penalties.
Driver
Team
Average
Best
Worst
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Score
O. Piastri
McLaren
3.05
1
9
21
21
21
10 - 11
L. Norris
McLaren
3.14
1
10
21
21
21
11 - 10
M. Verstappen
Red Bull
3.71
1
16
21
20
20
21 - 0
D. Russell
Mercedes
4.43
1
14
21
21
20
18 - 3
C. Leclerc
Ferrari
5.1
1
11
21
21
20
16 - 5
L. Hamilton
Ferrari
7.76
3
16
21
20
15
5 - 16
K. Antonelli
Mercedes
8.1
2
18
21
19
15
3 - 18
A. Hadjar
Racing Bulls
9.95
4
20
21
19
13
15 - 6
F. Alonso
Aston Martin
10.86
5
19
21
19
10
21 - 0
C.
Statistics of Past Grands Prix: Races and Drivers
Drivers' performance statistics in the past Grands Prix are sorted by average finishing position in races in which the driver was classified. If a driver did not participate or retired, that race does not affect his average position.
Driver
Team
finishing position
leading
total distance
avg
best
laps
km
laps
time
km
%
O. Piastri
McLaren
2.9
1
402
2109.8
1228
30:38:36
6082.3
96.0%
M. Verstappen
Red Bull
3.4
1
341
1822.3
1209
30:51:03
6085.6
94.5%
L. Norris
McLaren
3.6
1
371
1669.4
1267
31:51:03
6336.8
99.1%
D. Russell
Mercedes
4.6
1
103
483.0
1277
32:18:00
6381.7
99.8%
S. Leclerc
Ferrari
5.0
2
48
223.9
1137
28:52:52
5713.5
88.9%
L. Hamilton
Ferrari
6.6
4
2
9.
Drivers' performance statistics in the past Grands Prix are sorted by average finishing position in races in which the driver was classified. If a driver did not participate or retired, that race does not affect his average position.
Driver
Team
finishing position
leading
total distance
avg
best
laps
km
laps
time
km
%
O. Piastri
McLaren
2.9
1
402
2109.8
1228
30:38:36
6082.3
96.0%
M. Verstappen
Red Bull
3.4
1
341
1822.3
1209
30:51:03
6085.6
94.5%
L. Norris
McLaren
3.6
1
371
1669.4
1267
31:51:03
6336.8
99.1%
D. Russell
Mercedes
4.6
1
103
483.0
1277
32:18:00
6381.7
99.8%
S. Leclerc
Ferrari
5.0
2
48
223.9
1137
28:52:52
5713.5
88.9%
L. Hamilton
Ferrari
6.6
4
2
9.
McLaren intends to take steps to help Piastri.
Lando Norris claimed an important victory at the São Paulo Grand Prix, standing atop the podium for the seventh time this season. The McLaren drivers now have an equal number of wins, but the difference is that Oscar Piastri last won a race more than three months ago. Lando, by contrast, has clearly been improving recently.
In Brazil he started from pole and took the race to victory, while his teammate couldn’t even fight for a podium place because of a controversial penalty received for a collision with Kimi Antonelli at Turn 1 after the restart.
An unintended victim of the incident was Charles Leclerc, whose Ferrari was clipped by the Italian driver’s car, ending with a suspension failure and retirement. But even Leclerc does not fully agree with the stewards’ decision to place the blame for what happened solely on Piastri.
Lando Norris claimed an important victory at the São Paulo Grand Prix, standing atop the podium for the seventh time this season. The McLaren drivers now have an equal number of wins, but the difference is that Oscar Piastri last won a race more than three months ago. Lando, by contrast, has clearly been improving recently.
In Brazil he started from pole and took the race to victory, while his teammate couldn’t even fight for a podium place because of a controversial penalty received for a collision with Kimi Antonelli at Turn 1 after the restart.
An unintended victim of the incident was Charles Leclerc, whose Ferrari was clipped by the Italian driver’s car, ending with a suspension failure and retirement. But even Leclerc does not fully agree with the stewards’ decision to place the blame for what happened solely on Piastri.
After an unsuccessful showing in Brazil, Ferrari president John Elkann urged Formula 1 drivers to take a cue from their colleagues in the WEC…
John Elkann: "Last weekend we won the endurance championship in Bahrain. The victory brought incredible emotions to both us and the constructors. It is a wonderful demonstration that when Ferrari is united, when everyone acts together, great achievements can be accomplished.
The Brazilian Grand Prix brought great disappointment. In Formula 1 our mechanics are among the best at pit stops, our engineers have undoubtedly improved the car, but everything else falls short of our standards. Our drivers need to think more about driving and talk less.
Important races lie ahead; securing second place in the Constructors' Championship is entirely possible. They should take a cue from Bahrain, where we once again demonstrated that when Ferrari is a cohesive team, we win."
John Elkann: "Last weekend we won the endurance championship in Bahrain. The victory brought incredible emotions to both us and the constructors. It is a wonderful demonstration that when Ferrari is united, when everyone acts together, great achievements can be accomplished.
The Brazilian Grand Prix brought great disappointment. In Formula 1 our mechanics are among the best at pit stops, our engineers have undoubtedly improved the car, but everything else falls short of our standards. Our drivers need to think more about driving and talk less.
Important races lie ahead; securing second place in the Constructors' Championship is entirely possible. They should take a cue from Bahrain, where we once again demonstrated that when Ferrari is a cohesive team, we win."
F1 teams have been alleged to have bribed police escorts in Brazil.
"Someone certainly did it"
Several prominent Formula 1 teams, including Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari, are being accused of making illegal payments to local police officers in Sao Paulo for private escorts through heavy traffic during the Brazilian GP weekend.
According to Bild, the officers reportedly received around USD 500 each to guide team vehicles through congested roads between the city and Interlagos, where delays can last up to two hours. While official police convoys are typically organized for races in places like Mexico, Hungary, and Miami, the German newspaper claims that this time, the escorts were arranged privately.
"Someone certainly did it"
Several prominent Formula 1 teams, including Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari, are being accused of making illegal payments to local police officers in Sao Paulo for private escorts through heavy traffic during the Brazilian GP weekend.
According to Bild, the officers reportedly received around USD 500 each to guide team vehicles through congested roads between the city and Interlagos, where delays can last up to two hours. While official police convoys are typically organized for races in places like Mexico, Hungary, and Miami, the German newspaper claims that this time, the escorts were arranged privately.
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Long-Term Review: Addressing All Your Inquiries
Jerry Perez
The latest updates on cars, devoid of fluff.
Our free daily newsletter delivers the most significant stories right to your inbox, every weekday.
It’s been around three weeks since the last entry in the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Long-Term Test series, so it’s time for an update. Unfortunately, it’s not the tale I envisioned, which was meant to recount a 2,000-mile family road trip for my birthday. Everything was set for a drive to Missouri to camp with my friend and colleague, Caleb Jacobs, but I had to cancel at the last moment. Then, life happened. Bummer.
Instead, I will bring forward a segment that I’ve been looking forward to, where I address all the questions you’ve left in the comments of previous posts and do my best to provide answers.
Jerry Perez
The latest updates on cars, devoid of fluff.
Our free daily newsletter delivers the most significant stories right to your inbox, every weekday.
It’s been around three weeks since the last entry in the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Long-Term Test series, so it’s time for an update. Unfortunately, it’s not the tale I envisioned, which was meant to recount a 2,000-mile family road trip for my birthday. Everything was set for a drive to Missouri to camp with my friend and colleague, Caleb Jacobs, but I had to cancel at the last moment. Then, life happened. Bummer.
Instead, I will bring forward a segment that I’ve been looking forward to, where I address all the questions you’ve left in the comments of previous posts and do my best to provide answers.