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An emotional statement by Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, and then by Helmut Marko, who after the finish said that Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli had deliberately let Lando Norris through, sparked a wave of attacks against the young Italian and even death threats. Antonelli even had to close his social media accounts.
Today Marko has changed his position, and Red Bull published an official statement.
“The comments made before the end of the Qatar Grand Prix and immediately afterwards suggesting that Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli deliberately allowed Lando Norris to pass are unequivocally false.
The footage shows that Antonelli briefly lost control of the car, allowing Norris to overtake him. We deeply regret that this led to insults directed at Kimi online,” Red Bull said.
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The most significant car news and reviews, no nonsense

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We have an entire page dedicated to Black Friday/Cyber Monday featuring our selections of tools, toys, and technology for your car and garage. However, since this is the final sales push of the season, I will compile all the top deals here and will update the post throughout the day.
2025 Lexus TX 500h Review: Opt for the Grand Highlander Instead
Caleb Jacobs

The most significant car news and reviews, no nonsense.

Our free daily newsletter delivers the stories that truly matter straight to you, every weekday.

Currently, there is an overwhelming selection of three-row crossovers and SUVs available. You can use any online tool that appeals to you to establish your priorities, and soon enough, you'll have anywhere from five to 15 options in front of you. Some choices are budget-friendly, like the Mitsubishi Outlander, while others can be pricier than a luxury sports car. Take a look at the price of a new Escalade, and you’ll understand.

The 2025 Lexus TX 500h is not the budget option and it’s also not the most luxurious one—and in a different context, it might seem like the ideal choice.
McLaren preparing for 'largest loss in F1 history' - reports
The 2025 world championship is set for a dramatic finish after McLaren squandered a potential 1-2 finish in Qatar, leading rivals to label it one of the most perplexing strategy blunders in recent years. The 'Papaya'-colored team was the only one that did not pit during the early safety car period, a decision that ruined Oscar Piastri’s strong performance and provided Max Verstappen and Red Bull with a crucial opportunity.

Sky Italia’s Carlo Vanzini did not hold back, stating, "If McLaren loses the world championship, it would be the greatest defeat in F1 history." Even Dr. Helmut Marko ridiculed the team’s much-discussed "Papaya Rules" regarding equal treatment, stating, "I’m not very familiar with all these papaya rules," while smiling. "We certainly would have brought in at least one of our drivers."

Ralf Schumacher was even more critical.
Hadjar suggests that Red Bull will announce their lineup on Tuesday.
"I'm not saying anything, but you shouldn't expect to see me smiling!"

Red Bull is set to unveil its much-anticipated 2026 driver lineup on Tuesday, as confirmed by team principal Laurent Mekies. "What I can share is that we will adhere to our plan and reveal the Red Bull driver lineup on Tuesday," he stated following the Qatar GP on Sunday. "We believe this announcement will not distract the team from performing at its best this weekend."

The timing is significant, with Max Verstappen currently in the hunt for the world championship, and Yuki Tsunoda potentially serving as support on Sunday. However, all indications suggest that Tsunoda will be replaced, as Isack Hadjar couldn't conceal his reaction when asked about the upcoming announcement.
Ferrari acknowledges its accountability for the transition in early development.
Ferrari's late-season downfall has resulted in one of the team's most difficult weekends in recent history, with both Italian media and rival teams criticizing them as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc faced nearly backmarker performance. Team principal Frederic Vasseur maintained that the main issue was an unforeseen increase in tyre pressure mandated by Pirelli. "All teams faced a tyre-pressure issue," he stated. "We were operating the cars at six points more pressure than in previous races, which was the crucial factor. In Abu Dhabi, we will return to standard conditions, so we can hope for a better outcome."

However, many view this explanation as a significant understatement.
Aston dismisses Honda delay speculation as Newey takes action.
"He was an additional engineer assisting our team."

Aston Martin has discreetly refuted a rumor circulating in the paddock regarding Honda's preparedness for the initial pre-season tests of 2026. This theory, brought up in Qatar by former Alpine chief Marcin Budkowski, who is now with Eleven Sports, suggested that Aston would publicly attribute any delay to Adrian Newey needing more time on the car, while privately attributing the problem to Honda. The team denied this assertion and did not provide any further comments.

Newey’s unexpected promotion to team principal for 2026 surprised many in the paddock, and his presence in Qatar—only his second appearance at a 2025 race—aligned with a notably strong performance by Fernando Alonso, who finished seventh.

"He hasn’t officially started yet," Alonso remarked to AS.
Sainz: The podium in Qatar is the result of the team's work
After the finish in Qatar Carlos Sainz was happy — the podium was the result of the entire team's efforts and brought fifth place in the Constructors' Championship…

Question: Carlos, on Thursday you said the team was facing the toughest weekend of the season, and now you're on the podium. How did that happen?
Carlos Sainz: I think it's down to intense preparation for this event after a very difficult weekend for us in Budapest, where in the long medium-speed corners we were uncompetitive. We developed a plan and tested several solutions in the simulator to prepare the car for tracks like this. And already in practice it looked much better than expected.
After the sprint we drew conclusions and, ahead of the main qualifying, made a couple more changes that helped a lot, especially in race pace.
FIA statement regarding insults directed at Antonelli
After the finish of the race in Qatar, Mercedes recorded more than 1,100 abusive messages directed at Kimi Antonelli, including death threats, over the situation in the closing laps when Lando Norris passed the young Italian. The FIA could not fail to react to this.

At the end of the race, Max Verstappen’s engineer Gianpiero Lambiase told the driver over the radio that Antonelli appeared to have let Norris through; however, he said this without having watched a replay, and the misunderstanding was clarified between Lambiase and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after the race.

However, Marko went further, telling Sky Germany that it was “all too obvious” that Antonelli “let” Norris through. Wolff responded emotionally to that remark, but the wave of hate carried on.
Aston Martin announced the date for the presentation of its new car. The AMR26, developed by Adrian Newey, will be unveiled on Monday, February 9 — in the period between the private tests that all 11 teams will hold in Barcelona at the end of January and the first official tests in Bahrain.
McLaren Racing announced the addition of three new drivers to its junior programme. They are Leonardo Fornaroli, the 2024 Formula 3 champion and 2025 Formula 2 champion; Formula 2 driver Richard Verschoor; and 15-year-old Spanish karter Cristian Costoya.
As part of the collaboration with McLaren Racing, Fornaroli will take part in tests with the Formula 1 team.
Leonardo Fornaroli: "I am incredibly proud to have joined the McLaren Racing Driver Development Programme. The Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles have been an important step on my journey, and I am determined to take the next step in my development as I pursue my ultimate goal — competing at the highest level.
I am very grateful to McLaren and to everyone who has supported me throughout my career for this opportunity. I look forward to getting to work with everyone on the team."
Brundle: For McLaren, the recent races have become a horror movie.
Former Formula 1 driver and now commentator and expert for British Sky Sports Martin Brundle analyzed the results of the Qatar Grand Prix and named his favorite in the title fight.
In June this year we celebrated the release of the F1 film in Times Square in New York, but I'm not sure any script can compete with what's actually happening right now.
For McLaren the last two races have been a real horror movie. The double disqualification in Las Vegas because the skid blocks of their cars were worn to such an extent that it breached the technical regulations was a heavy blow. But there can be no "grey areas" in such matters. It was a clear breach.
A week later in Qatar the situation unfolded even more dramatically.
Mercedes has announced the start of a multi-year partnership with PepsiCo, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies.
The partnership will begin in 2026, and under it the Formula 1 team will promote the brands Sting Energy, Gatorade and Doritos.
Toto Wolff, team principal: "We are pleased to welcome PepsiCo among our partners. Partnering with such a company is another sign of the strength of our team and our sport.
Their brands perfectly align with our ideal — the pursuit of the highest performance through innovation and excellence. Gatorade's expertise in sports science, Sting Energy's youthful energy and Doritos' cultural significance — each of these brands brings something unique.
Together they create a partnership that will not only support the team's performance but also deliver unforgettable experiences to our fans around the world."
Sauber awaits the final race in its history.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the last race for Sauber, which will become Audi’s works team next year...

Jonathan Wheatley, team principal: "We are going to Abu Dhabi fully charged and ready to fight in the final race of the season. It has been long and intense, but it has made the team stronger; we have built a way of working we can be proud of. Nico's podium at Silverstone proved what we are capable of when we perform at our best, and watching Gabriel grow and improve in his debut season has been genuinely pleasing. There is another opportunity to score points ahead, and the team is set to fight until the last corner.

Apart from the race itself, there will be an emotional moment for us as we head towards the arrival of Audi as a works team next year.
Esteban Ocon: We still have something to fight for
Ahead of the final round, the Haas F1 team sits eighth in the Constructors' Championship, seven points behind Aston Martin — and hopes to fight on...

Oliver Beerman: "The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is ahead, the final round of this season. We have one more opportunity to score points, the objective is crystal clear, and I am looking forward to this challenge.
I have done many laps at Yas Marina in testing and in first practice, so I know the circuit very well. I'm glad to be back as the lead driver; let's see what we can do this weekend.
The car should be quick, I want to achieve the best possible result in the final weekend of the season before fully switching my focus to preparing for 2026.
Wolff: Our goal is second place in the Constructors' Championship.
Ahead of the Abu Dhabi weekend, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff spoke about the objectives for the final round…

Toto Wolff: "There is one race left. After a tough weekend in Qatar, second place in the Constructors' Championship is still in our hands. It's a good position, but it's not guaranteed yet, so we need to achieve a strong result to finish what we started. The fight for the Drivers' title will be the main story of the weekend, but we are not part of it. We are fully focused on securing second place and ending the season on a positive note.

The Abu Dhabi event is not just the final race of the year; it closes an important chapter in Formula 1 history. We are saying goodbye to the current generation of power units that have defined our sport since 2014.
Oscar Piastri: Missing out on the victory was very frustrating.
Commenting on the weekend in Qatar, Oscar Piastri lamented a lost victory…

Question: On the lap returning to the pits you said on the radio: “I’m in shock, I have no words.” How upset are you about second place?
Oscar Piastri: Very upset. Obviously this time things didn’t go our way, which is a real shame because the weekend up to that point had been just great. I was quick, running a great pace. Losing a win is very frustrating.

Question: What’s worse — the disqualification last weekend or losing the win in Qatar?
Oscar Piastri: In Vegas, where we were disqualified, I finished fourth, and in Qatar I should have won. Obviously the Vegas round was more painful for the team, personally for me — Qatar was worse.
Max Verstappen: I always think about how to win
After winning the Qatar Grand Prix, Max Verstappen commented on the race results with satisfaction…
Question: Max, a brilliant victory. You started third — tell us what happened next…
Max Verstappen: I had a decent start, gained one position, and then just monitored the tyres. The safety car came out at exactly the right moment. We decided to pit, and many behind did the same.
The team did a great job. We avoided problems in the pit lane, although it was chaotic there. At that moment I realised we had probably done the right thing. I knew the two McLaren drivers would have to really push to make up the deficit after their pit stops. On the restart they pulled away a bit, but I was quick too. I tried to stick to my pace and look after the tyres, and that was enough to the finish.
Hadjar in, Tsunoda out as the 2026 strategy is confirmed - reports.
"I did everything I could."

Multiple prominent media outlets now concur that Yuki Tsunoda will be replaced in his Formula 1 seat for 2026, with Isack Hadjar expected to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. Reports from the Netherlands' De Telegraaf, Germany's Bild, Sport1, and British sources indicate that this decision was largely made during high-level discussions in Qatar involving Oliver Mintzlaff, Laurent Mekies, and Dr. Helmut Marko.

Hadjar had previously reacted positively to the rumors on Friday, but his demeanor changed after he retired from the Qatar GP on Sunday due to bodywork issues, referring to his Racing Bulls car as a "Lego car." When questioned about the upcoming announcement on Tuesday, he curtly replied: "I don’t care about that now.
Tensions surrounding Piastri have surfaced in the Australian parliament.
The drama surrounding McLaren's title contention has surprisingly reached the floor of the Australian Senate. On Monday, Senator Matt Canavan humorously questioned transport officials, asking, "Do you think McLaren is biased against Oscar Piastri, thus costing him the World Championship?" What was intended as a joke highlights a paddock environment that is anything but carefree.

Suspicion has reignited regarding McLaren’s flawed strategy in Qatar, with some paddock insiders believing the team chose not to pit under the early safety car as it would have favored Piastri more than Lando Norris ahead of the Abu Dhabi showdown. There is a perception that McLaren opted to disadvantage both drivers rather than risk giving an advantage to the Australian.
Red Bull withdraws statements as Antonelli faces allegations of abuse.
"It was a mistake in driving and was not done on purpose."

Red Bull has publicly retracted its comments after Kimi Antonelli faced a wave of online harassment, including what seemed like death threats, following allegations that he intentionally assisted Lando Norris in Qatar. The 19-year-old Mercedes newcomer deactivated his social media accounts and locked them due to over a thousand negative messages. Toto Wolff promptly notified the FIA, leading to the governing body's intervention.

Red Bull released an unusual formal statement separating itself from the implications made by Dr. Helmut Marko and Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer. "Replay footage shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, allowing Norris to overtake," the team stated.