Mercedes has claimed that it was “inconvenient” that the team’s best Formula 1 weekend of 2025 coincided with the reintroduction of a problematic rear suspension.

This weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix has seen Mercedes revert to an older-spec suspension as it attempts to discover the reason behind the team’s recent downturn.

This is the second time that Mercedes has experimented with that area since introducing the part at Imola, having decided to shelve the update in Spain and Monaco.

The revision returned on both cars in Canada as the team logged a double podium last month, though, with George Russell victorious and Andrea Kimi Antonelli third.

But Mercedes hasn’t managed a single podium in the three races to have taken place since then, inspiring Russell to claim that the side has regressed in recent times.

Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin has hinted that success in Montreal was deceiving when it came to assessing the new suspension’s impact.

“I mean, in a way it’s always been on the radar,” Shovlin told media including Motorsport Week.

“One of the inconvenient facts was that that was on the car in Montreal, where we had a very good weekend. 

“Now that circuit is very different to some of the recent ones, but if we looked over the past three tracks, high speed performance hasn’t been where it was.

“The drivers talked about lacking entry stability and then just this general sense that they didn’t have the trust in the car that they did earlier in the weekend.

“Now, with the wet races that we’ve had, perhaps arriving at that conclusion wasn’t as swift as if we’d had a straightforward run of dry races and dry sessions. 

“And then on top of that we had other sets of experiments that we were playing with around the time of Montreal and Austria.

“But we were starting to get to a stage where the next logical thing is to wind back on that change and see if we can recover that stability that they are craving.”

Shovlin has explained how some complications at Mercedes’ base in Brackley forced the team to debut the new suspension without a complete data report available.

“We had some issues in some of the laboratory work that we were doing that meant that some of the test results were arriving quite a bit after it had run on track,” he said.

“We certainly had it under the microscope at that point because it then subsequently was off the car in Monaco, was off the car in Barcelona and then we reintroduced for Montreal. 

“Now, in a way, that might have been an inconvenient fact that we reintroduced it at our best race weekend of the year. 

“We’re still going through data from lab testing to understand what it was. The reality is that if we do prove that that’s a problem, we will learn from the experience. 

“It’s always quite difficult making suspension changes to existing components because everything is a compromise. 

“But if that is the case, then we’ll learn from it and it will be useful in our knowledge of making the next car.”

Mercedes makes no other changes

Shovlin also divulged that Mercedes’ W16 has remained unchanged bar the suspension change, with no more parts arriving to complement those brought to Belgium.

“Basically that’s the only change and it’s all bits that have been running on the car previously,” he said. “Hopefully we can re-baseline here and see where it stands.”

Meanwhile, the Mercedes stalwart has denied that the Hungaroring’s slower-speed nature could prove a hindrance to the team’s bid to acquire an accurate evaluation.

“I think Montreal is quite unique in that it is only very slow corners, but entry stability will be apparent,” he explained.

“You don’t need a flat-out corner like Copse. We should see it through the speed range here.”

Mercedes hopeful reversion inspires return to form

Antonelli, in particular, has struggled as he hasn’t accrued a point since his maiden podium and experienced a double Q1 elimination at the previous round in Belgium.

Shovlin has conceded the German marque will have to go back to the drawing board should the move back to the launch suspension not reverse the Italian’s fortunes.

“We feel that there is a good chance that this will take the car in a better direction,” Shovlin stated.

“If it doesn’t, we need to look at what else is on the table that may have changed between now and the early races, but honestly that list is quite small by then. 

“But as with anything, you use the race weekend very much as a forum to experiment and understand. 

“We’re hoping that the conclusion is that this recovers it. If it isn’t, we’ve got more work ahead of us and we’ll have to get stuck into that.”

READ MORE – George Russell details ‘conflicting’ aspect to protracted Mercedes F1 contract talks

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McLaren CEO Zak Brown has claimed Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s incident in Formula 1‘s Canadian Grand Prix has proven to have a positive impact on the team.

Norris and Piastri coming to blows late on during the race in Montreal last month has not derailed McLaren’s campaign as it has since claimed successive 1-2 results.

McLaren now harbours a whopping 238-point advantage in the Constructors’ Championship, while the Drivers’ title appears a straight duel between Norris and Piastri.

The momentum was with Piastri going into the recent double-header, as Norris’ clanger at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve had opened up a 22-point gap between the two.

However, Norris has since rebounded with consecutive victories, converting pole position in Austria and then achieving a maiden success on home soil at Silverstone.

The Briton’s uptick has coincided with McLaren introducing a revised suspension that is designed to improve the responsiveness the car’s front end gives on the limit.

But while Norris admitted that he is not at one with the MCL39, Brown has observed the entire team to be in a much happier place since the inevitable crash occurred.

“I think Montreal was actually a nice moment for all of us, in hindsight,” Brown reviewed to Sky Sports F1.

“It just took the air out of the balloon and we got it over with, and everyone was talking about it.

“I feel like it’s raised everyone’s confidence and comfort; it’s happened, it was a mistake.

“We’ll see other incidents in the near future, but they’ll be racing mistakes and racing mistakes are going to happen.”

McLaren denies Norris’ home win was devalued

Piastri had been the stronger McLaren around Silverstone as he pipped Norris to the front row and was then dominating the race in the wet once he rose into the lead.

But while the Australian scooped a penalty that caused him to surrender the lead, McLaren boss Andrea Stella has denied that moment devalued his team-mate’s win.

“Looking at Lando’s enthusiasm and happiness, I think he definitely got the full experience,” Stella told media including Motorsport Week.

“Lando has done his job, he has done it fair and square, no faults at all of his own, he drove very well, he drove fast, he found himself in the lead and he won the British Grand Prix, and I think he should completely and fully enjoy this great experience and this immense joy.

“At the same time, we share a little bit of bitterness that surely Oscar has been experiencing, but Oscar is a very tough guy and he will use this situation as extra motivation for the remainder of the season.”

READ MORE – How Lando Norris ‘relived’ his heroes by winning ‘pretty special’ F1 British GP

The post Why McLaren now views Canada F1 clash as a ‘nice moment’ appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has said that his maiden Formula 1 podium has helped mend some psychological scars caused by his FP1 smash at Monza last year.

The Mercedes rookie has enjoyed a stellar start to his F1 career and reached a milestone in Canada two weeks ago by becoming the third-youngest driver in history to score a top-three finish.

However, despite the impressive string of results across the first 10 rounds – including a stunning pole position for the Miami Sprint Race – there have been lingering dents in his confidence.

These date back to the first time he partook in an F1 race weekend, when the German marque’s boss, Toto Wolff, gave him a seat for FP1 for the Italian Grand Prix.

Just 10 minutes into the session, Antonelli crashed heavily at the Parabolica, ending his running early and casting some doubt as to whether he was perhaps the right driver to fill a race seat.

However, his third-place finish in Montreal helped cement vindication in Wolff’s decision, and ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Antonelli spoke of the solace taken from the result.

“I think Canada was really important for me. It was a big relief, but as well it was important because I think there was a couple of times in the season where I came close to the podium,” he said.

“I mean, Australia first race, I came incredibly close, and as well with Miami, with the pole in the sprint, and then P3 in the quali.

“Definitely, I remember back then that was the goal to be at least in the podium, but I just missed out, and to finally achieve that in Canada definitely was really important.

“I think as well, this will help me as a driver to drive a bit more relaxed as well. Because, I’m not going to lie, in the previous weekends I’ve been maybe a bit too tense on some occasions, and a bit too conservative as well – especially in practice.

“I think now is really the time, after achieving this result, to make a step, and to make a step further, and to improve myself – especially as well on the approach in practice.

“So, trying to explore a bit more, especially the grip, because I think in qualifying I’ve been always arriving with too many question marks, and having to explore too much, and to learn too much.

“In qualifying you don’t really have much time, because it’s only one lap on the tyre and then that’s it. So, I think it’s really the time to make a step on this side, but I’m very excited for the weekend, and hopefully it can be a good one.”

Monza crash caused ‘overcorrection’ and ‘safe’ driving from Antonelli

Antonelli explained that the crash at the famed Italian circuit was indelibly etched into the way he has since approached practice sessions.

He explained this has been a trend, even in Canada, taking conservative runs throughout the session before planting a better lap towards the end.

“I think still in Canada I was a bit too conservative, especially in FP,” he added.

“Because if you look at the trend in FP, I would always arrive quite late into the session. I would always put the time quite late in the session, just because it kind of required many laps to get there.

“I feel like, obviously, I truly believe I overcorrected after what happened in Monza, and now I’m a bit too safe, I’m a bit on the safe side.

“But that’s why I think results like this also help you to move forward and to make the step. I think now is the time to do the step, because nowadays F1 is super tight, especially when you see qualifying, the gaps are just so close that even a tenth can put you on the back foot.

“So, it’s really important to be on the top of the game, and that’s why I cannot keep arriving in qualifying with so many question marks, and not the right confidence on how much grip there is, and having to explore too much and to learn too much, so I think now is the time, especially in practice, to get back a bit closer to Monza. Not exactly like Monza, but get closer to that in order to arrive ready in qualifying.” 

READ MORE – George Russell indicates Mercedes engaged in F1 discussions with Max Verstappen

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The ground effect era of Formula 1 has had its fair number of flaws to say the least, but a lesser-reported one reared its head in the Canadian Grand Prix.

While running in a promising top-five position during the opening stages in Montreal, Lewis Hamilton’s race unravelled on Lap 13 when he struck a groundhog.

Ferrari estimated that the seven-time F1 champion had lost up to 20 points of downforce from the floor of his car due to the strike, costing him vital lap time.

This level of damage cost Hamilton an estimated half a second a lap, denying him a potential top-four result and an outside shot at a maiden Ferrari podium.

Unfortunately, in this era, this isn’t the first and probably won’t be the last time a driver is cost a result due to floor damage.

The dependence on floor-generated downforce means any form of damage to this part of the car will only be a detriment to a driver’s result.

While any damage to an F1 car can be race-ending, some can be temporarily remedied. Front wing damage, for example, while being costly, is not always a race-ender.

Yet every time the current ground effect cars pick up floor damage, it is not something that can be fixed.

Hamilton himself has fallen foul of this before, in Spielberg Austria last season, most recently. While Mercedes team-mate George Russell would go on to inherit victory after the clash between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Hamilton would finish a low-key fourth.

It would later be revealed by Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff that Hamilton had suffered extensive floor damage due to striking a kerb.

Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen has also suffered floor damage, losing out to Lando Norris in last year’s Miami Grand Prix after a bollard caused damage to his Red Bull’s floor.

Fragile floors the latest flaw to F1 rules

Unfortunately, the fragility of the floors is just the latest regulation-based flaw in the last decade of F1.

The ground effect regulations were put in place to fix the complexity of the previous era of cars’ sidepods and bargeboards.

By the end of 2021, F1 cars looked more reminiscent of space ships than F1 cars and were becoming way too overdeveloped.

They would also suffer in the same way if damaged in any way, although to a much lesser degree.

While results could still be adversely affected by damage to these hugely important pieces of bodywork, it came at a much lower rate.

The most notable incident of this was at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen completing the entire race with an entire bargeboard destroyed.

The Dutchman would miraculously limp home to 10th on the road with a car that “had less downforce” than Mick Schumacher’s Haas, the slowest car in the field.

However, the difference between the spaceship bargeboards and the current era floors is how susceptible they are to damage.

The bargeboards could always be damaged in collisions, the same as the floors, but ground effect floors don’t need other cars to become damaged.

The smallest piece of debris, a kerb strike, or even a stray animal on the track can instantly lose up to three tenths off the bat.

And in a season where the top cars are all so close in terms of pace, teams can lose valuable results through no fault of their own.

Take Hamilton in Canada, a competitive run to a possible top four and a boost to a somewhat negative season so far, became another lonely run to sixth and another drop in morale.

Is active aero the answer?

A lot has been pinned on the next set of regulations coming next season, and hopefully they will see an end to races being lost to innocuous floor damage.

The 2026 cars will rely a lot more on active aerodynamics, where the front and rear wings move to adjust the downforce levels dependent on what the car needs at the time.

While they are primarily designed to address the lack of on-track action and to make overtaking easier by reducing the effects of dirty air, there’s a hope that they can also fix this problem.

It may not be the most pressing of issues facing the sport in this current era, but it is something that needs to be addressed.

Fans are getting bored of hearing about their driver’s race being ruined by something as almost meaningless as ‘floor damage’.

As well as fans, drivers will also be frustrated, as they have to change the way they drive to adjust to the possibility of picking up this kind of damage.

At certain tracks like Austria, where kerbs are not only vital to lap time but also a risk to the car, drivers may take fewer risks, which is something no one wants to see.

With only 15 races left of the ground effect era, hopefully we can soon say goodbye to the era of fragile floors and their race-ending consequences.

READ MORE – Lewis Hamilton expresses doubt towards 2026 F1 regulations

The post How Canadian GP exposed another ‘hole’ in the F1 regulations appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has explained that Yuki Tsunoda is trying to avoid one key error that hurt his predecessors in the Formula 1 giant’s second seat.

The Japanese driver’s gut-wrenching run continued in Canada, his weekend compromised early on after receiving a 10-place grid penalty for overtaking Oscar Piastri’s McLaren under red flag conditions in FP3.

Starting at the back, Tsunoda managed to put up a good fight in the RB21, moving up to 12th, a respectable result given the circumstances.

Speaking after the race, Horner said that Tsunoda opted to change the set-up of his car, and choose something different to that of Verstappen, a choice that he believes worked well.

“I think to try and avoid what other drivers have gone down the road of trying to adopt Max’s set-up is to go his own route and work on what suits his style and his needs, and I think they’ve made some progress on that this weekend.”

Horner also confirmed that Tsunoda had been able to run with the same spec RB21 that he initially was given, along with Verstappen, for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, which was reverted back after his huge qualifying shunt at the Imola circuit.

“It’s the same spec as he had in Imola, and now back to where he’s with Max, he said. “So hopefully he’ll take some real positives out of the weekend.”

Tsunoda ‘did a decent job’ under the circumstances at Imola

Red Bull is notorious for its high standards, a reason for the pressure that has been heaped upon Tsunoda in recent races.

It was another disappointing weekend on paper, but under the circumstances of his penalty and with overtaking being at a premium at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, it was a respectable result, something Horner affirmed.

“I thought he actually did a decent job,” he said. “You can see how hard overtaking is here. So actually I thought Yuki should have taken some confidence out of it.

“If he’d have started in his normal grid position, if he’d qualified, he would have scored points today.”

“It’s the same spec as he had in Imola, and now back to where he’s with Max. So hopefully he’ll take some real positives out of the weekend.”

READ MORE – Max Verstappen outlines how Red Bull can salvage 2025 F1 title hopes

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Williams has often made the most of its opportunities in 2025 — but the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix proved to be an exception.

A weekend that showed strong potential ultimately unravelled, leaving the team to reflect on what might have been.

Both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz showed promise during Friday practice in Montreal, but the weekend quickly unravelled heading into qualifying.

Sainz was eliminated in Q1 after being held up by the Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar on his flying lap, while Albon wrestled his FW47 into Q3 despite a large piece of engine cover detaching from the car mid-session.

However, Albon’s race was short-lived, a power unit issue forced an early retirement, as Sainz salvaged a point with a recovery drive from 16th to 10th.

After the race, Albon was left ruing what he felt could have been a strong result.

But beyond the technical failure, he pointed to deeper issues that held Williams back all weekend — from tyre management to overall car understanding.

“I think we missed an opportunity this weekend,” Albon told media including Motorsport Week.

“We need to get on top of the tyres and, also, we need to understand the car.

“The car was really strong in the race. Honestly, easy top 10. It’s frustrating to miss out.” 

Sainz faced his own battle with a cooling issue that forced him to brake frequently, preventing him from pushing at full pace throughout the race.

He admitted this cost him “two or three tenths” per lap over the 70 laps.

Despite recovering from 16th on the grid to score a point, Sainz remained unsatisfied.

“If you had told me yesterday, after starting 16t,h that we would get a point, I would be quite proud and happy,” he said. “But the reality is that I’m not.”

Handling struggles and strategic missteps hinder Williams’ weekend

The ex-Ferrari racing driver also acknowledged ongoing issues with the car’s handling early in the weekend, which put him on the back foot during both qualifying and the race.

“It’s not the first time recently that we haven’t managed to get everything under control on Friday,” he continued.

“We need to improve because it’s been several races in a row now where Sundays have been more challenging than they should be.”

Albon also pointed to the team’s strategy as a factor that would have limited his points chances, regardless of the engine troubles.

He explained that on a one-stop strategy, switching from Hard to Medium tyres rather than the other way around was better suited to the hot conditions in Montreal.

“I knew I couldn’t really hold on to the tyre as long as they wanted me to,” Albon expanded.

“I was quite forceful in trying to make sure that we got into the pits before. Because obviously you’re losing positions. 

“And I was losing three or four seconds a lap and getting swamped by the Hard[-tyre] cars.

“We were kind of, at that point, in the middle spot where we’ve gone too long.” 

READ MORE – Williams F1 Team Principal James Vowles signs long-term contract

The post Why Williams were ‘frustrated’ it didn’t cash in on F1 Canadian GP promise appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has said the team will not make any judgements on the effect of the Formula 1 flexi-wing rule change, after chief rivals McLaren endured a disappointing Canadian Grand Prix.

The FIA introduced the technical directive [TD] for the previous round in Barcelona, in a bid to prevent teams benefitting too much from wings flexing under heavy loads.

In that race, the Woking-based squad continued to dominate, taking a 1-2 in largely dominant style.

But in Canada, both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris seemed to struggle over one lap, with Piastri qualifying third, with Norris fourth.

And regardless of the pair’s coming-together on Lap 67 – which took Norris out of the race – the McLaren race pace that has been so effective this season, particularly in hot weathers like Montreal, flattered to deceive.

When asked if the TD’s effect may have been more evident on the Circuit GIlles Villeneuve, Horner was quick to play down McLaren’s comparatively poor performance.

“You need a longer sample of races and tracks to see that,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “It’s certainly been McLaren’s first race [without a podium this season].

“They haven’t had a podium here, so on days like that you’ve got to try and capitalise on the points.”

Title-leader Piastri has voiced his lack of concern at its flat showing in Montreal, saying he was “confident in our team for the long haul.”

Horner is only too aware of the points deficit, but reiterated that there is still more than half of the season left to complete, and that Red Bull’s philosophy of fighting until the end will continue.

“I mean, the points gap, there’s still a significant points gap between us and them, but we don’t give up on anything,” he said. “We’re not even at the halfway point yet, so there’s a lot of racing, a lot of Sprint races coming up, and if we can keep chipping away and getting performance on the car, then nobody gives up on anything.”

Horner happy with ‘solid race’ in Canada

Horner was positive about the team’s performance, with Verstappen an easy second, but unable to overhaul the Mercedes of George Russell.

The crux of the inability to get the better of Russell in the race was, according to Horner, a difficult second stint after an early run on Medium tyres.

“Look, I think it was a solid race for us,” he said. “I mean, the first stint we pushed pretty hard early on on the Medium tyre.

“The tyre then started to open up, so I would say the second stint for us was probably our least competitive stint.

“We started to open up and grain the front left. But then the last stint was very strong, and was actually better than Kimi’s behind, and was pretty much a match to George, ahead on five or six lap older tyres.

“So yeah, I think it was a very solid race from us. Good points today. It was a well-executed race from that perspective.”

It was, however, a comparatively impressive showing from the RB21, given its highest end of performance comes in tracks with higher-speed circuits, something that Montreal’s lacks a great deal of.

“It was unusual,” Horner admitted. “I mean, I think we knew that Mercedes would be quicker, this type of circuit. Ferrari didn’t really have a great deal of pacing in the race. McLaren showed turns of pace, but you could see how hard it was to overtake them.”

READ MORE – Red Bull denies Max Verstappen had role in George Russell protest in Canada

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Nico Hulkenberg continued Sauber’s points scoring streak in Formula 1 after making it into the top 10 for the second successive race weekend at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix.

After recording a sensational fifth-placed finish for the Hinwil-based squad in Barcelona, Hulkenberg slotted his C45 into eighth at the chequered flag last weekend in Montreal.

The German started the 70-lap race 11th, but ended the opening lap in ninth as he capitalised on Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto squabbling at Turn 8, the former running wide.

“The first lap was decent, I was more or less in my position, but Franco and Alex were having a go at each other,” Hulkenberg told media including Motorsport Week. “They had a problem in Turn 8 and 9, both went a bit deep.

“So I managed to get them on the exit, which was obviously pretty handy and I think also pretty key for the race to just be ahead, to then manage my tyres from there on and just bring that one in.”

Hulkenberg managed to execute a one-stop strategy, pitting on Lap 19, and came home to bag four points for Sauber after the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri clashed in the closing stages, bringing out the Safety Car.

The 37-year-old reflected on the team’s back-to-back points-scoring finishes by crediting the upgrades brought to the car at the Spanish GP weekend.

“It feels good, it feels very positive, very happy, of course, to continue that trend and carry the momentum into here and onwards from here. But I think at the end of the day it’s down to the performance, the upgrade,” he explained.

Sauber brought a revised floor to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as part of its aggressive developmental strategy this season. Hulkenberg believes that this has started paying dividends and has established the team strongly in the midfield battle.

“I think all the work from the last few months or the last six months is kind of paying off a bit. You see a paying dividends, which is obviously a rewarding feeling, very nice, and how it should be,” he suggested.

“So, we need to keep doing what we’re doing and in the meantime hopefully we can find a bit more performance in the next couple of weeks.” 

Hulkenberg outlines room for improvement with Sauber upgrades

Despite a stark upturn in out-and-out performance for Sauber since the Spanish Grand Prix, Hulkenberg believes the team is yet to optimise the revised C45 over one lap.

In Barcelona, Hulkenberg failed to progress into Q3, while he also missed out at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, going out in the second segment once again.

“It’s showing some good performance and promise in the race again, I think more maybe than in quali,” he said regarding the car’s performance.

Hulkenberg also deliberated whether the upgrades favoured high-speed tracks like Barcelona over Montreal, while asserting that more work needed to be done to optimise the package.

“Yeah, maybe the car was a little bit happier in the high-speed stuff. Obviously Barcelona… in here is a lot more low-speed and quite a bumpy circuit as well. So yeah, we made an improvement, but we still got lots of area that we can work and improve. So yeah, it continues to be a work in progress.”

Looking forward to the Austrian Grand Prix, Hulkenberg was cautiously optimistic but expects the team to keep raking in strong results.

“I think quali, somewhere in the Q2, if it all goes brilliant, maybe we can squeeze it into the top 10. But as always, it depends on the weekend,” he concluded.

READ MORE — Why Jonathan Wheatley will be vital to potential Audi F1 success

The post Why Sauber’s work is now ‘paying dividends’ amid back-to-back points appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Charles Leclerc has admitted that Ferrari needs to “completely dominate” the remaining races of the 2025 Formula 1 season if they stand any chance of winning the title.

The Monegasque has had a mixed season, driving well despite the handicap of the SF-25, which has so far been a notably difficult car to handle.

This has seen him clock up just three podiums all year, giving him little to show for what has been a campaign in which he has personally driven at a high level.

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has confirmed that more upgrades for the troublesome package will be coming at either the upcoming Austrian or British Grands Prix, which the team hopes will unlock more performance on a wider range of tracks.

Speaking after the Canadian Grand Prix, in which he finished fifth from eighth on the grid, Leclerc indicated that the team spirit is still high, despite the car’s unpredictability and the rumours regarding Vasseur’s position.

“Well, the motivation is still there,” he told media including Motorsport Week.

“I mean, of course, today was a frustrating race and we are a little bit on the back foot, but more for the starting position than for the actual pace, because I think the pace wasn’t too bad.

“So, yeah, just frustrated that I didn’t put everything together. But apart from that, everything that is around doesn’t really affect me.

“I think the team really knows where I stand and I know what I want to do, and that’s what matters most to me.

“Then, of course, when there are rumours around, that can create a bit of distraction. But I don’t think we’ve been affected by it.”

Ferrari to ‘keep pushing and see where that leads us’

Leclerc stressed the team is working hard to reverse its fortunes, having now slipped to second in the Constructors’ Championship behind Mercedes, 191 points behind leaders McLaren.

Leclerc himself had a disappointing weekend in Canada, crashing in FP1 and, having been caught in traffic, was left in eighth on the grid, costing him a shot at victory.

But instead of being despondent, Leclerc conveyed some fighting talk about the team’s ethic but admitted its title chances are slim to nil.

“I think it’s going to be a difficult one,” he added. “If you look at the points, we are very far behind. We will need to completely dominate from now on.

“I don’t think we’ve got anything coming that makes us think that. But it’s better. I think the better thing is to just take it race by race, try to maximise the result just like we’ve done.

“It’s been a disappointing first part of the season, but we keep pushing and we’ll see where that leads us.”

READ MORE – Italian journalists’ union hit back at Fred Vasseur over Ferrari rumour criticism

The post Charles Leclerc: Ferrari need to ‘completely dominate’ remaining races for 2025 F1 title appeared first on Motorsport Week.

McLaren has consistently held a tyre-wear advantage over its rivals this season, but at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, it couldn’t capitalise on that strength when it mattered most.

A lack of performance in Montreal, compounded by its two drivers clashing in the latter stages of the race, resulted in McLaren’s worst Grand Prix of the 2025 season.

Friday’s practice provided insight into the struggles that would plague the Woking-based squad throughout the weekend.

Oscar Piastri slipped from third to fourth behind Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, while Lando Norris remained in seventh place following an error-strewn qualifying session.

In a two-stop strategy race, the order at the front remained unchanged, with George Russell leading Max Verstappen.

But with both McLarens running fourth and fifth, the team began closing the gap to the top three — helped by its superior tyre performance.

However, Piastri grew frustrated with the Italian rookie ahead, leading to a squabble between McLaren teammates as Antonelli pulled away.

The battle ended in disaster when Norris attempted an audacious move, damaging his MCL39 in the process.

Reflecting on his fourth-place finish, the championship leader explained that McLaren had simply run out of laps to demonstrate the clear tyre advantage it had shown at other tracks this season.

“Our pace wasn’t great in the first stint on the Medium tyres,” he told media including Motorsport Week.

“I think where we came into our own was when everyone else was degrading, we were good.

“And unfortunately, we probably needed the race to be about 100 laps, not 70, to take advantage of that.

“We were quick at points. I think at other points we didn’t have enough, and I think the whole race we didn’t really have enough of an advantage to make track overtakes. So, a bit frustrating.”

McLaren looks to rebound in Austria after Montreal setback

Up next on the F1 calendar is the Austrian Grand Prix — an opportunity for McLaren to bounce back after a disappointing weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Despite its recent struggles and rivals like Red Bull resolving balance issues and Mercedes introducing a new suspension upgrade to tackle tyre overheating, Piastri remains confident about McLaren’s prospects for the rest of the season.

“I think as a team we recognised it was a challenging one and we need to be stronger,” he added.

“So, plenty of things to work on and obviously not content finishing [off the podium].

“But Mercedes were quick here last year. I feel like this is kind of the result that they should have achieved last year, I guess.

“So, we’ll see. I am still confident in our team for the long haul.”

Team Principal Andrea Stella suggested that the challenges McLaren faced in Montreal were largely track-specific.

Therefore, at the Red Bull Ring, normality could resume for the reiging Constructors Champions.

READ MORE – Why McLaren hasn’t been as competitive at F1 Canadian GP

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