Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, centre, of Italy, smiles after signing a Lego set for a fan ahead of the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race on Thursday (April 30, 2026).
| Photo Credit: AP

Mercedes’ George Russell in action during pre-season testing.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the Qatar Grand Prix on November 30, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

F1 driver Lewis Hamilton testing the Ferrari F1SF 75 on the Fiorano circuit, at Maranello.© AFP

Lando Norris coolly claimed victory in a tense, emotional and incident-filled Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday to deliver McLaren’s first constructors’ championship in 26 years as Lewis Hamilton finished a remarkable fourth in his final race for Mercedes. The 25-year-old Norris came home 5.832 seconds ahead of Carlos Sainz and his team-mate Charles Leclerc to end Ferrari’s title challenge on a night of accidents, penalties and tantrums under the floodlights at the Yas Marina Circuit. “Papaya on top!” said Norris on his slowdown lap after the season-closing race.

“Congrats to everyone. Incredible. So proud of you all. You all deserve this. It’s been a special one. Next year is going to be my year too.”

McLaren had not won the teams’ title since 1998, the year before Norris was born, and started the day with a lead of 21 points and a front row lockout, but saw Oscar Piastri sent spinning in a clash with newly-crowned four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull at the first corner.

This encouraged Ferrari, with Leclerc starting 19th on the grid, and they mounted a defiant if vain bid for glory, finishing second and third ahead of Hamilton, who passed team-mate George Russell on the final lap.

Russell came home fifth ahead of Verstappen, who was one of several drivers to be handed a 10 second penalty for his crash into Piastri, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly with Nico Hulkenberg taking eighth for Haas.

Fernando Alonso was ninth for Aston Martin and Piastri, after a battling drive, 10th in the second McLaren.

‘Stupid idiots’

In hot, dry and clear conditions, Norris made a clean start from his eighth pole of the year to lead into Turn One where Verstappen attacked Piastri on the inside and made contact with his car to send both spinning.

Piastri waited to rejoin in 20th and last, but Verstappen squeezed back into 11th as team-mate Sergio Perez’s miserable season concluded with a spin out at Turn Six after contact with Valtteri Bottas’s Sauber.

Leclerc, with a scintillating surge on the opening lap, rose from 19th to eight.

Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty for his ‘dive bomb’ move on Piastri, who reported “yep, move of a world champion there” on McLaren team radio.

After a brief Safety Car intervention, Piastri hit the rear of Franco Colapinto’s Williams, forcing the Argentine to pit with a puncture. Piastri also pitted for fresh hards before being given a 10-second penalty, as was Bottas for his part in ending Perez’s race.

At the front, Norris led Sainz by 2.7 seconds ahead of Gasly and Russell as Leclerc climbed to sixth by lap 10 when Hamilton, having started 16th as the only man on hards, was up to 12th. For Norris, knowing a win was essential for McLaren, the pressure was on.

Haas began the pit stops on lap 12 with others following to lift Hamilton to fifth on lap 21.

Sainz pitted from second in 2.2 seconds after 26 laps, gifting Norris a lead of 26.2 before he pitted, ahead of Russell, and rejoined with a one second advantage on the Spaniard. Verstappen, yet to stop, was third before pitting, taking his penalty and emerging 11th.

“Could we ask for 20 seconds?” asked Verstappen with sarcastic venom. “Stupid idiots.”

Bottas and Magnussen, a duo in their likely final F1 races, then collided on lap 31.

“Isn’t that just great?” said the Dane. He pitted and rejoined on softs while the Finn retired.

‘Lewis, it’s hammer time’

On lap 34, Hamilton, dreaming of a podium, finally pitted from third for his mediums, taking seventh ahead of Alonso and Verstappen, a trio of 13 title wins. Norris led Sainz by 3.2 seconds with Leclerc third.

With 20 laps to go, Hamilton’s race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, for the final time, told his driver “Lewis, it’s hammer time”. Hamilton asked for the gap time and was told 14 seconds. “You can do it,” chimed in his team chief Wolff before he took Gasly for fifth.

At the front, Norris was the embodiment of cool, 5.9 clear of Sainz and managing his race with detached precision despite struggling in ‘dirty air’ as he lapped most of the field, including Piastri in the final laps, when Hamilton closed within a second of Russell before snatching fourth.

Lando Norris hailed “a perfect day” after securing pole ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri to move McLaren within reach of a first constructors’ title since 1998 at Sunday’s decisive season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In an eventful Saturday qualifying session where seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was unluckily eliminated in Q1 in his final weekend with Mercedes, Norris topped the times in one minute and 22.595 seconds to outpace Piastri by three-tenths of a second. Carlos Sainz, in his final weekend with Ferrari before leaving to join Williams, was third, 0.020 seconds behind Piastri as McLaren reeled off their third front row lockout of the season.

Ferrari need to overhaul a 21-point deficit to take the constructors’ title ahead of McLaren, but suffered a blow when Charles Leclerc was eliminated in Q2 and, with a 10-place grid penalty, he will start from the back of the grid on Sunday.

Nico Hulkenberg qualified fourth for Haas – before being hit with a three-place penalty – ahead of newly-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, Pierre Gasly of Alpine and Mercedes’ George Russell.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was eighth for Aston Martin, 24 hours after describing his car as “the worst ever”, ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Sauber and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.

“A perfect day for us,” said Norris who secured his eighth pole of the season.

“Probably a little tougher than before as we’ve been strong all weekend. My lap was strong too so it was just what we wanted from today.”

Lance Stroll was first out for Q1 in his Aston Martin as the sun set over the Yas Marina Circuit in clear conditions and temperatures of 25 (air) and (30) track, near perfect for the unprecedented 24th and final qualifying of the year.

Hamilton ‘messed up’

After scrubbed laps for exceeding track limits by Perez and Franco Colapinto, Sainz went top as the Mexican’s lap was reinstated and Bottas took command shortly before Hamilton, on a desperate late lap, failed to make it.

He was eliminated in Q1 for the third time in his final six races before leaving Mercedes for Ferrari and in his 246th and final outing for the ‘Silver Arrows’.

“I messed that up big time guys,” a crestfallen Hamilton conceded on the team radio. “That was bad,” he added.

Hamilton’s demise came after he picked up a bollard – flicked into his path by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas – that was stuck under his car, creating imbalance and loss of pace.

After a record 104 pole positions, 78 with Mercedes, it was a sad qualifying finale for the seven-time champion before his move to Ferrari – and on a circuit where he has taken a record five poles.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff blamed “an idiot’s mistake” that led to Hamilton being sent out late to ensure he reached the second qualifying session when an errant bollard lodged under his car and wrecked his performance and lap.

As a result, he will start towards the rear of the grid for his final race with Mercedes before joining Ferrari next season.

“I just need to apologise to Lewis,” said Wolff.

“We totally let him down. An idiotic mistake not to go earlier. Inexcusable, inexcusable! I’ve rarely been so down about what has happened.

In another incident, Russell was seen to run off track to avoid baulking Liam Lawson on a flying lap.

After much swearing on the RB radio channel, the stewards investigated and took no further action, a baffling decision a week after a similar issue had initiated Russell’s promotion to pole in Qatar where Verstappen was penalised.

Verstappen set the Q2 pace with an early lap in 1:22.998 and chose to relax as his rivals took second runs – Leclerc going top before his lap was deleted for track limits at Turn One.

This meant he qualified 14th but his penalty means he will start Sunday’s race at the back of the grid – a massive setback for Ferrari in their bid to overhaul McLaren.

British driver Lando Norris led Australian team-mate Oscar Piastri in second practice on Friday as McLaren turned up the heat in their bid to secure the constructors’ title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had topped the opening practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of Norris and Lewis Hamilton, but the Monegasque driver was then penalised for taking a new battery pack on his car. Leclerc’s 10-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race compromises the Italian team’s bid to capture a first constructors’ title since 2008.

Ferrari are seeking to overturn a 21-point deficit on leaders McLaren, who last won the constructors’ title in 1998, this weekend.

Norris clocked one minute and 23.517 seconds to beat Piastri by two-tenths of a second, ahead of third-placed Nico Hulkenberg of Haas.

Carlos Sainz was fourth fastest in the second Ferrari followed by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, the British driver in his last race weekend with Mercedes.

Leclerc was sixth in the second Ferrari ahead of Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas, Williams’ Alex Albon and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda.

The feuding George Russell of Mercedes and newly-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen struggled to find the pace and wound up 13th and 17th, respectively, in a largely uneventful twilight session.

It began in cooling conditions after a hot day as the sun set in Abu Dhabi, RB’s Liam Lawson setting the early pace in 1:25.537, before Leclerc took over and then Norris. Hamilton slotted into second to repeat the top three from opening practice.

– Verstappen baby news –

Verstappen, complaining about his front axle performance, had sat out the earlier run as news that he is to become a father for the first time with Kelly Piquet, daughter of Brazil’s triple world champion Nelson Piquet, was confirmed in a social media post.

Piquet has a daughter, born in 2019, with former Red Bull driver Russian Daniil Kvyat.

“The understeer is ridiculous,” reported the Dutchman on team radio, while Russell, with whom he has fallen out in spectacular, acrimonious fashion, said his “cockpit is still reasonably toasty”, referring to the temperature of 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 Fahrenheit).

Between the sessions, Red Bull’s chief Christian Horner had hit back at Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s description of him as a “yapping little terrier” for interfering in the Verstappen-Russell feud by describing the Mercedes driver as “hysterical”.

“I love terriers,” said Horner. “I think they’re great dogs. I’ve had four. I’d rather be a terrier than a wolf.”

Norris’ lap in 1:24.332 kept him on top ahead of Leclerc and Sainz with Perez fourth until Magnussen took second for Haas to revise the order, followed by Piastri as conditions changed in the twilight zone and soft tyre runs began.

With 27 minutes to go, Piastri took top spot briefly before Norris replied, the McLarens showing how keen they are to clinch the team’s first title since 1998 as Leclerc led Ferrari’s riposte, taking sixth, six-tenths off the pace.

“Half of the grid is sleeping,” complained Leclerc. “They’re in the way.”

Norris trimmed his lap to 1:23.517 with Piastri two-tenths behind ahead of Hulkenberg, Sainz and Hamilton with 11 minutes remaining. Russell was 13th and Verstappen 17th ahead of the final runs under the lights.

McLaren’s Lando Norris beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to pole position Saturday for the Singapore Grand Prix in a dramatic qualifying session red-flagged when Carlos Sainz crashed. Norris’s lap of 1min 30.002sec was 0.155sec quicker than Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton was third ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell. “It was good enough for pole and I’m happy with that, especially here in Singapore,” said Norris, who is aiming to close a 59-point deficit to Verstappen in the drivers’ championship. “A good feeling. I’ve felt good all weekend, I’ve felt confident, maybe not so much in qualy but we got the job done,” added the Englishman.

But it was a disastrous Q3 for Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Sainz, the winner in Singapore 12 months ago, who will start down in ninth and 10th on the grid.

Sainz’s back end snapped out on the final bend sending him spinning into the barriers and halting Q3 with just over eight minutes remaining, leaving most drivers just one shot at a qualifying lap.

Leclerc then had his only lap time deleted for breaching track limits at turn two.

Verstappen had only been 15th fastest in practice on Friday, so the Dutchman was pleased to be alongside his main title rival at the head of the grid.

“I’m happy to be on the front row if you look at where we came from yesterday,” said Verstappen.

“Tomorrow is a bit difficult to say, in Singapore a lot of things can happen, but at least we have a shot at it like this.”

Hamilton had also struggled in practice but managed to put a great lap together when it mattered.

“Qualifying has been a disaster for me all year long and I’ve been working, working and working trying to get myself back up there,” said seven-time world champion Hamilton.

“All of a sudden the car came alive for the first time in qualifying in a long time.

“I hope we’re in a good position to fight for the front tomorrow.”

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was fifth fastest and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas will start alongside him on the third row.

Fernando Alonso was seventh in an Aston Martin, with Yuki Tsunoda eighth in the RB.

Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez failed to make it to the shootout for pole position and will start from 13th on the grid.

Along with Perez, the other drivers who failed to get out of Q2 were the Williams pair of Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto, Kevin Magnussen in a Haas and Esteban Ocon (Alpine).

Daniel Ricciardo — who is rumoured to be driving in F1 for the last time for RB — was in the bottom five who were earlier eliminated in Q1.

Also failing to make it to Q2 were Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin, Pierre Gasly in an Alpine and the Sauber pair of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.

McLaren’s Lando Norris went fastest Friday to lead Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in second practice for the Singapore Grand Prix with world champion Max Verstappen struggling to 15th. The session could not have panned out much better for Englishman Norris, who trails Verstappen by 59 points at the top of the drivers’ standings. The second practice in Singapore is pivotal for the teams as it is the only session which is run under the same night conditions as the race around the 4.94km Marina Bay Circuit.

“I felt like I got a lot out of Friday,” said Norris. “A good start to the weekend and if we can keep it up I’ll be happy.”

Verstappen had 60 minutes to forget and was only 15th fastest in a skittish Red Bull that looked at times like it was on ice.

The Dutch three-time world champion was a massive 1.294 seconds adrift of Norris’s fastest lap of 1min 30.727sec.

“Today was difficult. We didn’t have the grip that we would have liked on the tyres, so I felt like we were sliding a lot more than usual,” admitted Verstappen, who had a bad day off the track too after earlier being reprimanded by stewards for swearing in the drivers’ press conference.

Leclerc, who had been fastest in first practice, clocked 1:30.785, just 0.058sec slower than Norris, but Sainz, who won in Singapore 12 months ago, was almost six tenths behind his teammate.

“There’s still some work ahead of us to get it to feel exactly as I want it to,” said the Monegasque Leclerc.

“We have to find the right balance and put it all together in qualifying tomorrow.”

Yuki Tsunoda in a much-improved RB was fourth ahead of the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri, fresh from his victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku last weekend.

The second RB driven by Daniel Ricciardo was sixth.

George Russell’s Mercedes, Sergio Perez’s Red Bull, Alex Albon’s Williams and the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10 on the timesheets.

‘Nothing seems to work’

Russell crashed into a wall at turn eight near the end of the session, but managed to limp back to the pits without his front wing which was embedded in the barrier.

His teammate Lewis Hamilton has won four times before in Singapore, but the seven-time world champion was a long way off the pace on Friday.

“At the moment, we won’t be going into Q3,” Hamilton said after coming 11th, 0.982 seconds behind Norris.

“We tried everything set-up wise and nothing seems to work.”

Singapore was the only race Red Bull failed to win last year in a dominant season.

They returned 12 months later having lost their lead at the top of the constructors’ standings to McLaren, who are 20 points ahead.

Verstappen has not won for seven grands prix as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes have all taken the chequered flag.

It looks odds-on that his fortunes will not improve around the unpredictable city centre track, where he has never won.

Meanwhile, McLaren said Friday they would modify their controversial rear wing after other teams, led by Red Bull, questioned its legality.

Governing body the FIA had said the wing, which was dubbed by some observers as a “mini-DRS (drag reduction system)” after footage showed it moving at high speed, was legal and no modifications were needed.

“While our Baku rear wing complies with the regulations and passes all FIA deflection tests, McLaren have proactively offered to make some minor adjustments to the wing following our conversations with the FIA,” said a McLaren statement.

“We would also expect the FIA to have similar conversations with other teams in relation to the compliance of their rear wings.”

In what will be a big boost to the sport in the country, double Formula One World Champion Mika Hakkinen flagged off Indian motorsports on a new and exciting journey by inaugurating the state-of-the-art Madras International Karting Arena (M.I.K.A.), at the iconic Madras Motor Sports Club in Chennai on Thursday. Hakkinen, on a whistle-stop visit to Chennai enroute to Singapore for the F1 Grand Prix, inaugurated the new facility at a gala ceremony that was attended by India’s two former F1 drivers, Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok.

Hakkinen cut the ribbon to open the 1.2 km permanent karting track at the launch ceremony which included the traditional lighting of the lamp and unveiling a commemorative tablet which will be on display at the MIKA circuit.

After an emotionally charged function, Hakkinen, F1 champion in 1998 and 1999, and popularly known as the “Flying Finn”, posed for a group photograph with young karting drivers, he provided an insight into the mind and the making of a World Champion.

“I like MIKA because it is my name too!” he declared but added on a serious note: “You must learn to lose and enjoy the win, and to control your emotions. As you move up the racing ladder, it is a whole different World out there. There is a lot of pressure from family, friends and teams. So, you must be able to deal with the pressure. But everything is up here,” he said, pointing to his temple.

On prompted by Chandhok during a one-on-one interview, Hakkinen spoke at length about his Formula One career, especially his inability to win a single race for six years after debut before tasting success by winning two back-to-back World Championship titles. He also touched upon his rivalry with seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher. “Racing with Michael Schumacher was very challenging. He was very aggressive. We had some great races. You learn a lot watching Michael though, at times, he can be a bit naughty,” said Hakkinen.

Later, Hakkinen, along with Karthikeyan and Chandhok, performed demonstration laps on the MIKA track in specially prepared electric karts. A bunch of 34 drivers, in their own karts, did a processional run watched by a huge crowd of MMSC members, invitees and media.

Later, at an impromptu media interaction, Hakkien was all praise for the MIKA track which he said can spawn a generation of talented drivers in India. “Karting is a good way to start your racing career, and this MIKA track offers a wonderful platform for kids to make a beginning. I hope they enjoy their karting stint,” he said.

Hakkinen singled out Kush Maini as possibly the next Indian to make it to Formula One. “Kush Maini is good. He is doing well in F2. I feel he has it in him to go all the way to F1,” he opined.

Karthikeyan, India’s first F1 driver, too heaped praise on the MIKA circuit, describing it as challenging, but a driver’s delight. “The kids have to first learn the track which is fun to drive on, but challenging too with its layout,” he said.

MMSC president Ajit Thomas, also present during the interaction, said: “We have big plans to conduct major international events at MIKA circuit. That is one of the reasons why we undertook the project besides contributing our mite to promoting the sport at grassroot level.”

Conceived and developed by the MMSC, the 1.2-km long MIKA circuit, designed by UK-based Driven International in active consultation with Chandhok, is the first of its kind in India, and located in the premises of the iconic Madras International Circuit, in Sriperumbudur, about 40 Kms from Chennai.

Incidentally, the foundation stone for the Madras International Circuit was laid by three-time F1 World Champion Jackie Stewart, also known as the “Flying Scot”.

Built to exacting global standards, complete with floodlights, a sophisticated control room and a holding area with charging facilities for electric go-karts, the MIKA will be open to the public for leisure activities and competitions. The facility is still a work in progress as there are major plans to make it attractive for family outings and corporate activities.

Hakkinen said in a statement: “This is my first visit to Chennai, and it’s been my pleasure to open the MIKA circuit today along with India’s only two F1 drivers, Narain and Karun.

“Karting is such an important first step for any driver today as they begin their journey towards Formula 1. The investment made by the Madras Motor Sports Club into this facility will be a big step towards preparing the future racing drivers from India.

“The layout of the circuit is really interesting for the drivers with a good mix of corners. It will be challenging and fun for the drivers and combined with the latest CIK (the World governing body for Karting) safety standards, it really is comparable with the top Karting tracks in the World.”