Lando Oscar and Max. No one had anticipated that the F1 Championship will go down to the last race, that too with Max in the mix. This is similar to 2021 season when we saw a generational fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Both were on the exact same points as we headed for the final race in Abu Dhabi. The way race ended is literally stuff of the lore and a pivotal moment in Formula 1. This time though things are a bit different. McLaren had the best car for most of the season. They closed the Constructor’s Championship by Singapore. It was assumed that the title fight will be between the two McLaren drivers – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. However, Max made an entry in the fore and is not willing to give up the No. 1 badge that easily. 

The season started with Lando gaining an upper hand. He is the more experienced driver and is expected to make the most of the best car on the grid. However he started to fumble as the season progressed. Moreover the cool and calm Aussie Oscar Piastri started making inroads. His calm demeanor ensured that he kept winning races as Lando fumbled at critical points. The turning point though came in Monza and Baku. Oscar had to give up the race position to Lando as Lando had a slow pitstop. This is not as per the so-called ‘papaya rules’ but he still relented. Then in Baku he had a bad weekend where he literally crashed his car in frustration. This set a chain of reaction and he literally was not even on the podium until Qatar. 

All this while Max was making the most of the situation. Even when he was not winning races, as he did not have the best car, he either on the podium or there at the top. Any mistake made by the McLaren drivers and Max was there to pounce on the opportunity and grab the maximum points. The upgrades later in the season also worked wonders and while he still doesn’t have an outright best car, he can fight with the McLarens. 

Still the gap between Max and the McLaren drivers was too much to cover by the middle of the season. A 104 points to leader Oscar was too much. However things started to turn. Max kept chipping on the points and slowly closed the gap. This gap reduced drastically in Vegas as both the McLarens were disqualified due to plank issue while Max won the race. A humongous error in strategy at Qatar ensured that Max won the race despite not having the best car and left Oscar very angry as he had finally found his mojo. 

So now there is only a 12 points gap between Max and Lando, with Oscar now in 3rd poisition, 4 points from Max. If things went smoothly then Lando will win the Championship. However with Max in the mix anything is possible. He had a cool mindset but also aggressive to push to the limit. 

Can’t wait for the final race of the season. 

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Max won the race in Qatar after a good strategy call by Red Bull. Oscar would be disappointed with P2 while Carlos would be super elated with his second podium this season.

Max Magic in Qatar

You can never count out Max Verstappen in any race. The Red Bull was not in good performance window this weekend. Both the Sprint Quali and Sprint Race did not go well for Max. However expect Max to make the most come race day. McLarens seem utterly dominating with a front row start. Max was starting P3 and jumped Lando to go P2 in the race. Things turned when Nico bumped into Gasly, bringing in the safety car. This changed the game completely as Max went for a pitstop but the McLarens preferred track position. This meant that Max eventually got to lead the race and he kept the position while McLarens struggled to fight back. Right now Max is just 12 points behind Lando and the Championship is very much on. A bad Quali or a DNF from Lando means that Max will be a 5 time World Champion. He certainly has the mentality to stay calm and take things down the wire.

Yuki San had his ups and downs this weekend. For the first time he was ahead of Max in Sprint Quali and did well in the Sprint race too. However the performance was good for the main race as he was out in Q1 and then did not impress much. His seat is very precarious right now and he would be expected to help Max as much as possible for the final showdown in Abu Dhabi next week.

McLaren fumble in Qatar

McLaren had everything to lose this weekend and lose they did. This is the weekend when Oscar found his form back, although it might be a bit too late in the season. The Sprint went well for Oscar and he got the maximum points. The Quali went well too and he got the Pole. Even the race start went well as he was comfortably ahead after the start. However the McLaren at lap 7 when the Safety Car came meant that everything went out for the toss. Instead of winning the race Oscar finished P2, a good 7 points behind Max. Lando finished P4 and he would not be happy with that either.

This was the race where Lando could have sealed the Championship. Instead it is wide open now with Max 12 points behind Lando. Given it is his first time, there would be immense pressure on Lando. He needs to make sure that he doesn’t make any mistake in Abu Dhabi and then it is all down to pure luck. A Latifi like incident in 2021 Abu Dhabi can change everything. Then it was Lewis on the other end but the same Max who is willing to pounce on any mistake you make.

Carlos P3 in Qatar

Carlos was over the moon with his second podium finish. It is something he had not imagined when signing the contract with Williams. Mercedes had the pace but still did an ok job with Kimi finishing P5 and George P6. Alonso came a respectable P7, Charles P8, Liam P9 and Yuki got the final point position.

Qatar GP : Max and Oscar still in the hunt

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Max Verstappen wins the race in Vegas as he overtook Lando at the first turn. Both the McLarens got disqualified after the race as the lower plank wore off too much.

Mega Max in Vegas

Max Verstappen started from P2 with Lando on the Pole position. At the start Lando went too aggressive and tried to cut off Max. In all of this he pushed too far and was not in the race track limits. This gave Max the opportunity to get ahead and from then on there was no looking back. He maintained the pace throughout the race and was comfortably ahead of Lando and George. The Driver Championship is far from over with two races and Sprint still to go. Max without a doubt is the best driver on the grid and he will be looking to make the most of the last two race. If Max is able to pull this off then it will be one of the most incredible heists in F1. Yuki meanwhile had another race to forget as he was not able to score points.

McLaren fumble in Vegas

Lando got the Pole position and Oscar was P4 at the race start. The first turn did not go well but still P2 is not a bad place to finish. Lando at point still had a comfortable lead over Max and Oscar. However post race scrutiny by the FIA showed that the plank wear for both the McLarens was more than the stipulated amount. The rules are quite black and white. This lead to an immediate suspension of both the McLarens. The team did have an idea that the plank wear is too much and so Lando was asked to lift and coast towards the end of the race. That was no enough apparently and so they were out of the race.

The drivers championship is now very spicy. Oscar and Max are at the same point tally. Lando is just 24 points ahead of them. Two race and Sprint still left. The title can swing in any direction. Everyone has to put in all the effort but in the end luck will play a big factor. Like Latifi in 2021 some random event will decide the Drivers Championship.

Mercedes making the most in Vegas

George was quick in all the practice sessions but did not make the most in Q3. Kimi had a disaster in Quali and was starting from P17. However a good strategy and a superb stint on the hards for most of the race meant that he ended up P3. The rookie is making the most of the final part of the season and compensating for the slump in the European leg. George Russell did the most that he could and thanks to McLaren DSQ ended up finishing P2. He must be chuffed with this. Mercedes look set to get P2 in the Constructors.

Ferrari had another non-memorable weekend, although Charles drove well to finish P4 and Hamilton got P8 after starting from the back. Carlos had a great weekend as he started from P3 and finished P5. Isack got P6 and Nico P7. Both the HAAS finished in the points at P9 and P10.

Driver’s tally after Vegas. Resurgent Max

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Max showed absolute dominance to win at Imola. The McLarens were behind him with Lando at P2 and Piastri P3.

Max Magic at Imola

Max won his second race of the 2025 season despite not having the fastest car this year. Oscar Piastri started from Pole and he got a good start. However he braked a bit early at turn 1, giving Max the opportunity to get ahead. Never the one to lose a chance, Max swooped on the outside to take the lead. From then one there was no looking back. The surprising factor was the pace advantage of the Red Bull in Max’s hand. Even with the lead the McLarens were unable to catch up with Max. This can be a significant shift it continues this way. Or it may just be a track specific or tyre compound specific thing. It is undeniable though that Max had the pace advantage and he is not that far from the McLaren drivers in the Driver’s Championship. It is still very much wide open.

His team-mate Yuki Tsunoda had a crash in Q1 and was starting last. Still he managed to score the last point at P10

McLaren pace missing at Imola

Oscar Piastri just eked out Max Verstappen to get the Pole Position. However Max got ahead as the race started and was firmly in command. Both Norris and Oscar tried to catch up with Max at different points of the race but were unable to do so. Norris was happy with his P2 position and being ahead of Oscar, who was obviously disappointed with started from Pole and finishing P3. The McLaren drivers need to realize that it is not just the competition between them but Max is also a solid contender. This especially after Barcelona when there will be strict guidelines in wings flexibility. Next week race is in Monaco and it will be very different track but McLaren need to up their game.

Home Race for Ferrari

It is was a home race for Ferrari in Italy but they had a very bad performance in Quali as both the drivers failed to get in Q3. Still thanks to good race and some Safety car luck they managed to get a decent haul of points. Lewis Hamilton finished P4 and Charles finished P6. They are way behind McLarens and Max and even Mercedes. The upgrades have to come fast if they want to fight for the Championship, which is increasingly unlikely.

Mercedes missing race pace

George Russell started from a solid position in P3 but he had no race pace and kept slipping down and eventually finished outside of points. Home hero Kimi Antonelli had a day to forget as the Mercedes had a rare failure at Imola.

Williams had the pace at Imola

Williams is looking really strong. They are currently P5 in Constructors and can challenge for P4. However they have stopped developing the 2025 car and have full focus on the next season, with a long season still to go. Albon got back to back P5. Carlos had the pace but still finished P8.

Isack Hadjar got P9. The Astons got into Q3 but failed to get any points.

Imola GP Top 10 : Max winner

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Max wins the race in Qatar, starting from P2. McLaren and Ferrari are close now and the fight will go down to the last race.

Max wins in Qatar

It was not expected for Max to snatch another victory after having already won the Driver’s Championship and the pace nowhere to be found in the Sprint Quali and Sprint Race. However, trust Max to turns things up a notch when it matters. He pulled off a stunning Q3 lap to take the pole position, only to be given a one place penalty for slow driving. He made up for it immediately as the race started and took the lead, never to look back from that point. There were a couple of Safety Car re-starts but Max was able to maintain his lead throughout the race. It was one of those classic races from 2023 or the first half of 2024 where Max was simply unstoppable. Lando kept pace with Max for most of the race but he never seemed to be able to overtake at any point.

Meanwhile Sergio Perez had another race to forget. He was doing well till the middle and was in the points. However he fell back when the safety car came and then had a mechanical issue, forcing him to retire the car. He has to two year contract with Red Bull but it seems impossible to continue this way and if Red Bull are serious about the Constructor’s title.

Lando disaster in Qatar

Things were going well for McLaren in the Sprints and they seemed to have the upper hand. However the advantage seemed to have vanished for the main Quali. Max took a stunning pole and George had some solid pace in his Mercedes. This meant that Lando started from P3. However he was able to quickly make places and stuck behind Max at P2 for most of the race. A small mistake by Lando and not lifting up at the Yellow flag cost him dearly. He was given a 10 second stop go penalty and that effectively ended his race, still getting a final point and one more for the fastest lap. The misery for Lando keeps on piling. Oscar meanwhile did another average job but managed to get the P3 position.

Ferrari still in the hunt

Disaster for Lando meant that the title fight for Constructors is still going on. Ferrari are 19 points behind McLaren. One race is left. A DNF here or a mistake there could very well turn things around. Both McLaren and Ferrari have to be on their toes and leave no stone unturned. Charles got a good haul of points at P2 and even Carlos did well at P6, despite not having the fastest car.

Mercedes would want to forget Qatar

It was a weekend to forget for Mercedes despite having a very good car. George started from Pole but quickly slipped down to P3. A botched pit-stop meant that he fell behind further and the car was just not working on the Hard tyres. Still he managed to finish P4. Hamilton struggled even more and he finished P12.

The best was for Zhou Guanyu who finally managed to get points for himself and the team this season. Gasly also had a very good race as he finished P5. Alonso finished P7 and K-Mag P9.

Qatar GP : Max Wins another race

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George Russell had a sublime race as he lead from Pole to win the race at Las Vegas. Max became a four time World Champion. Lewis and Sainz came P2 and P3.

George Magic at Vegas

George Russell had a super drive as he lead from the Pole to win the race at Las Vegas. Mercedes showed some exceptional pace which even they are not able to figure out where it came from. Most likely it is the colder temperatures which worked in the favour of Mercedes. George was concerned whether he will be able to convert the Pole to a race win or not. Ferrari looked mighty strong in Race Pace. However George got a great start and he kept his nose ahead at the first turn. From then on wards there was no looking back. George had some solid pace and was ahead the entire race. There were no yellow/red flags throughout the race and George won smoothly.

Equally impressive was Lewis Hamilton who won Driver of the Day. He looked very strong in the practice sessions. However the Q3 session of Qualifying did not go well and he had to start P10. Lewis did an impressive job in his fast Mercedes and kept moving up the grid to eventually finish P2 in the race. A Mercedes 1-2 has come after a long time. However it has to be seen whether Mercedes are able to maintain the pace or not. Currently they are in a lonely 4th position in the Constructor’s Championship and that is unlikely to change.

Ferrari overshadowed by Mercs at Vegas

Ferrari had a strong pace in the practice sessions and they looked good overall. Mercedes then came out of nowhere and they were clearly quicker than the Ferraris. Still the Ferrari drivers did a decent job and finished P3 and P4, behind the two Mercs. They are very much in the battle for Constructor’s title against McLaren and Red Bulls. Ferrari needs to keep the pace and maintain the momentum as they head in the final two races.

Max World Champion at Vegas

Max has showed this year why he truly deserves to win the World Championship. Despite not having the fastest car all the time he did not put a step out and got every ounce of performance from the car. When he did not have the fastest car he tried to maximize the result. When he did, he ensured that he was P1. Experience did play a big role. He did not buckle under pressure and kept on chipping. Max truly is one of the all time greats of Formula 1

McLaren fumble at Vegas

This weekend was just not meant to be for the Papaya team. They did not have the pace and finished a lowly P6 and P7. Lando is out of the race for World Championship. However the Constructors battle is well and truly on and they are currently leading it. They need to put everything together for the final two race if they want to wins the Constructors.

Hulkenburg was again impressive to score P8. Yuki Tsunoda got P9 and Checo got the final point at P10.

Vegas GP : George winner, Max World Champion.

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Max won the race in Spain. Lando had the pace to challenge him. Lewis got his first podium in 2024.

Max pushes to victory in Spain

While Lando was on Pole and Max P2, things looked a bit different as the race started in Spain. Lando did not get the best of the starts. Still he tried to cover Max and push him on the side as much as possible. However it was George Russell who took the maximum advantage and got into the lead with Max P2 and Lando falling behind to P3. In the next few laps Max showed the Red Bull pace and overtook George to take the race lead. Lando had to wait behind George and this was the most pivotal moment of the race. While Max raced in fresh air and built up a healthy lead, Lando was stuck behind George, losing valuable seconds. With no yellow flags and safety cars in the race, these few seconds cost Lando dearly. Max also had a fresh set of soft tyres in the final stint and he could hold on to his race lead, albeit not as comfortably as he would have liked. This was the 61st win for Max when he is only 26 years old.

Sergio again had one of those races where he had to come back a lot from behind. He moved till P8 but could not do much more. With a two year contract extension Red Bull has put their faith in him and he has to rise up.

Lando had the pace in Spain

Norris put in a stunning near-perfect lap to get the Pole position. However he lost it quickly as the race started. While still in the hunt, it was Max who pulled away and managed to win the race. Lando got P2 but was not happy with it. He knows that his car has the pace and would like to win races and not be satisfied with the podium finished. Piastri meanwhile fumbled in Quali to start from P9 and managed a decent P7. He must be looking forward to the next two races back-to-back as McLaren is showing some really good pace.

Mega Mercedes

Mercedes seem to have got some of their mojo back. George had a fantastic start and was there in the mix throughout. They were clearly better than Ferrari. Lewis got his first podium of 2024 season and they need to push harder now.

Ferrari meanwhile got the upgrades but were far behind. LeClerc and Sainz finished P5 and P6. They need to work hard if they want to be in the mix.Alpine would be very happy with the final two point position given their absolute dismal start to the season.

Spain Top 10 : Max wins the race

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Max Verstappen wins the Canada GP which had some race and safety cars. Lando came P2 and George P3

Fine drive by Max in Canada

It was not a sure shot that Max will win the race in Canada. Red Bull is not the dominant car as it was last year and in the beginning of this season. However overall the car is still pretty good and with the insanely talented Max Verstappen on the steering wheel, they end up coming on top. Starting from P2 with a rainy start, Max held on to the P2 position and then did a superb outlap moving from Inters to Slick to keep the P1 position. He has again built a strong gap between him and the others.

Sergio Perez meanwhile had a weekend to forget. After getting a 2 year contract extension, despite not performing well this season, he got out of Q1 in the Qualifying, which is quite shocking. The race start did not go well either and was back of the grid. Then he slipped in the middle of the race, clipped the barriers and broke the rear wing, eventually having to retire the car. Max alone cannot pull up all the points for Red Bull and Sergio really needs to step up.

Good Pace by McLaren in Canada

As per Lando Norris, McLaren had the pace to win the race. They did a solid job in qualifying, securing P3 and P4. In the race both the McLaren drivers kept it clean. Lando was leading the race at one point but safety car tripped him up and Max had a brilliant lap when it was needed the most. Eventually Lando had to settle for P2 and Oscar P5. McLaren seems to be the car which has the pace to match Red Bulls. However they will have to up their game if the Papaya team is looking to put up a fight.

Solid Pace by Mercedes

This is the first time this season that Mercedes seem to have the pace to challenge the McLarens and Ferraris. George Russell had a fantastic Quali session and put his car on Pole. As the race started in wet conditions, he managed to stay ahead of the pack and kept it clean. Then a series of safety cars and strategy choices meant that eventually George had to settle for P3. Mercedes would still be happy with the step up and work hard to build up on this upgrade. Lewis showed solid pace at times but was not consistent. He was stuck behind Alonso for most of the race but did end up getting to a decent P4 position. The 7 time world champion would be hoping to do much better the rest of the season before he moves to Ferrari.

Ferrari would want to forget Canada

From the highest highs of Monaco where Charles LeClerc won the home race ( and Carlos was P3) to the lowest low of both the Ferrari not even finishing the race. Right from the practice session Ferrari did not have the pace. They started the race P11 and P12 and managed to keep things clean for sometime. But then Carles had some engine issues and eventually had to retire the car. Carlos did not have the pace either and he had to retire too after crashing the car. Ferrari would have to be super consistent if they want to challenge Red Bull for the Championship. They better hope that Canada was an exception and they will be in top form soon.

Alonso and Stroll got a decent P6 and P7 in their Aston Martins. Danny Ric got P8 after Yuki Tsunoda slipped and crashed. The two Alpines got the final two points.

Canada GP top 10 : Max won the race

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Max once again comes out on top at Imola, albeit with a very narrow margin. Lando Norris was right there to get the win. Charles finished P3 in home race for Ferrari.

Narrow win for Max at Imola

Like the last race in Miami, Max was not 100% comfortable with the car. Still he eked out the max from his car and put it on the pole. Oscar Piastri was just 0.074 seconds behind. Had it not been for a tow from Nico Hulkenburg, it would have been difficult to get the Pole. Even in the race it was not that Max just ran off in the distant as the race started. While he was in a comfortable position when on Mediums, things were very different when on Hards. In fact Lando Norris was very much catching up Max Verstappen. While it is very difficult to overtake at Imola, things would have changed if only for a few more laps. Red Bull is not the dominant car it once was. It is only through the sheer talent of Max Verstappen that they are pulling ahead. Red Bull needs to get some upgrades soon if they want to maintain their dominant position.

It was a weekend to forget for team-mate Sergio Perez. He could not even get into Q3 of qualifying and finished a lowly P8. This is in sharp contrast to Max who got the Pole and the race win. Checo needs to work hard to ensure his seat for the next season.

McLaren on the front foot at Imola

The win in Miami doesn’t seem to be a one-off event. The upgrades have seriously worked well for the Papaya team. Oscar was very impressive with his P2 position but was given a 3 place grid penalty for infringement. He still managed a decent P4. More impressive was Lando who started P3 and was very close to Max throughout the race. He made Max work hard for the win. If only a few more laps then things would have been very different. McLaren should be pumped up for the coming races. It is a long season and they might even challenge for a few more wins in the coming races.

Podium at home race for Ferrari

Charles LeClerc scored P3, first podium for Ferrari at Imola since 2003. Ferrari got the upgrades here and were poised to challenge the Red Bulls. However the challenge soon fell apart in the Qualifying and then in the Race. While their pace was good, it was not match to Lando and Max. Carlos too finished a respectable P5 but Ferrari need to work hard to challenge Red Bull and fend-off the McLaren threat.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton did a decent job with their machinery to finish P7 and P6 respectively. Lance Stroll finished P9 while Alonso had a weekend to forget. Yuki Tsunoda would be happy to get the final point as Nice Hulkenburg just missed out with a P11 finish.

Imola Top 10 : Max on top

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Max had another of those faultless drives, this time in China. Lando gets a surprise P2 and Checo P3

Max wins in China

F1 circus came back to China after 5 years but there was no change in form for Max. Starting from Pole he had another of those effortless drives and took to victory. The safety car restarts did not make much different to Max’s performance, who is on a different planet altogether. No one is even thinking who will win the race. It is all about P2 and down from there.

Checo meanwhile started his race from P2 but lost it soon to Alonso after the first few turns. He got the place eventually. After pit-stops though he had to pass a few cars to get back to the P2 position. He managed to get Russell and Charles but could not move close to Lando as he ran out of tyres. He would be expected to get at least P2 but P3 is not bad either. Checo is fighting for his seat in 2025 and he has some strong competition from Carlos Sainz who is performing very well in Ferrari.

Lando magic in China

McLaren believes that their car is not up to the mark in slow speed corners, which China has a lot of them. As per Lando they expected to be behind Ferrari by at least 35 seconds. However reality was very different. Lando was right on the mark in the first and only practice session and got Pole for the Sprint qualifying. However he lost positions to end poorly in the Sprint. But in the main race he came alive. Lando managed to keep the race pace and nurture the tyres well to ensure that he finished P2. Everyone was surprised and shocked, including Lando and McLaren. His team mate meanwhile struggled on his first outing to China and finished P8. He even got hit from behind by Daniel and has some floor damage.

Ferrari fizzle

Ferrari is expected to be the second best car after Red Bulls but in China they were behind Lando and even Alonso at times. Still Charles finished P4 and Carlos P5. They were expecting some upgrades and hopefully things would be better in the next race in US.

George Russell did a decent job in his Mercedes and finished P6. Lewis had a horrible quali session but did a good job starting from P18 and finished P9. Alonso looked in great form starting from P3. However tyre strategy got the best of him and he had to pit one time extra and make up places. He finished P7. Nico Hulkenburg did a wonderful job in HAAS to get the final point.

China GP Top 10 : Max wins, Lando P2

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