ABU DHABI: Max Verstappen took pole position for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday and will look to finish a crushingly dominant year with a 19th win.
Victory on Sunday would take the Red Bull driver onto 54 career wins, past former Red Bull star Sebastian Vettel and into third place all time.
“It’s been a very special season and we’ve been enjoying it a lot,” Verstappen said. “Very proud of what we have achieved.”
The three-time F1 champion’s 12th pole of the season took him to 32 overall. He starts the race ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second place and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in third.
“Never bet against me,” Verstappen said afterward, jokingly referring to a comment made by his Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
Horner informed Verstappen that he had won a bet for 500 euros ($547) made with Red Bull boss Helmut Marko as to where Verstappen would qualify.
“You’ve just won me 500 euros,” Horner told Verstappen over radio when he crossed the line.
With a few minutes left, Verstappen led from McLaren’s Lando Norris and Piastri under floodlights at the Yas Marina circuit.
Norris slid late while pushing too hard on his last timed lap and Piastri moved ahead of him, while Leclerc jumped up the leaderboard with an excellent lap to place .14 seconds behind Verstappen.
“Everything felt good, I’m very happy with that lap because I didn’t expect to be on the front row,” Leclerc said. “It’s a good surprise.”
Mercedes driver George Russell qualified in fourth ahead of Norris with AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda in sixth and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso seventh. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), Sergio Perez (Red Bull) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) completed the top 10.
It was a bad session for Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (11th) and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. (16th).
Sainz failed to make it into the second part of qualifying — known as Q2 — and complained of too much traffic near the end of Q1 with several drivers coming out of their garages late.
Still, for a leading driver — Sainz is the only driver other than Verstappen or Perez to win a race this season — it was a poor performance after he crashed early in Friday’s second practice session. Potentially costly, too, with second place in the constructors’ championship at stake.
Heading into Sunday’s race, Mercedes was in second and held a four-point lead over Ferrari. Teams get more money at the end of the season the higher they finish.
“I hope tomorrow goes well,” Leclerc said. “It is the target to beat Mercedes in the constructors’ championship. That is all that matters this weekend.”
But Mercedes is struggling for form, and Hamilton was knocked out of Q2. The seven-time F1 champion said there was “something not right with this car” and faces the strong likelihood of a second straight season without a win.
Williams driver Logan Sargeant goes from last on the grid with his F1 future still uncertain. The American has only one point this season with a best result of 10th place at the United States GP last month.
Earlier Saturday, Russell topped the third and final practice session ahead of Norris and Piastri with Verstappen in sixth.
“What a turnaround because in practice it was not looking good,” Verstappen said. “Around here on the tires you have little slides, it can cost you a lot of lap time and that is what was happening in practice. But then in qualifying it was a bit more connected.”
When his form picked up, Horner was happy to win a bet in a season where Red Bull has lost only one race out of 21.
Piastri, meanwhile, was pleased to bounce back from a difficult qualifying session last weekend at the Las Vegas GP. He started from 18th and finished the race in 10th.
“The car is very quick this weekend,” the 22-year-old Australian said. “Happy to be back in the top three.”
F1 champion Verstappen takes pole position for season-ending Abu Dhabi GP
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F1 champion Verstappen takes pole position for season-ending Abu Dhabi GP
- Victory on Sunday would take the Red Bull driver onto 54 career wins
- The three-time F1 champion’s 12th pole of the season took him to 32 overall
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen wins F1’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to end Piastri’s streak
- Dutch driver built a commanding lead which was wiped out when the safety car bundled the field back up
- Verstappen held on to take his second win of the season, and first since last month’s Japanese Grand Prix
IMOLA, Italy: Max Verstappen gave his Formula 1 title defense a big boost with victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday after a daring overtake on standings leader Oscar Piastri at the start.
The Dutch driver built a commanding lead which was wiped out when the safety car bundled the field back up. He still held on to win ahead of Lando Norris, who overtook his McLaren teammate Piastri for second with five laps remaining.
Verstappen took his second win of the season, and first since last month’s Japanese Grand Prix, and denied Piastri — who finished third — what would have been his fourth win in a row.
Verstappen praised his Red Bull team’s “fantastic execution all round” as the team marked its 400th F1 race with a win.
“The start itself wasn’t particularly great, but I was still on the outside line, or basically the normal (racing) line, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m just going to try and send it round the outside,’ and it worked really well,” Verstappen said of his crucial overtake. “That, of course, unleashed our pace because once we were in the lead, the car was good.”
Norris’ late-race move on Piastri was almost a copy of Verstappen’s, though Norris had the advantage of being on fresher tires than his teammate.
“We had a good little battle at the end between Oscar and myself, which is always tense, but always good fun,” Norris said, admitting that Verstappen and Red Bull were “too good for us today.”
Piastri’s lead over Norris in the standings was cut to 13 points, with Verstappen nine behind Norris.
Hamilton bounces back
Lewis Hamilton recovered from 12th on the grid to finish fourth in his first race for Ferrari in Italy.
Hamilton profited from a late-race fight between his teammate Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon of Williams.
Albon complained Leclerc had pushed him off the track as they battled for fourth, and Hamilton passed both drivers before Ferrari eventually asked Leclerc to yield fifth to Albon.
George Russell was seventh for Mercedes, ahead of Carlos Sainz, Jr. in the second Williams. Isack Hadjar was ninth for Racing Bulls and Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda was 10th after starting last following a crash in qualifying.
An action-packed ‘farewell’ to Imola
Overtaking was expected to be rare in what could be F1’s last race for the foreseeable future at Imola. Instead, the Italian fans were treated to Verstappen’s spectacular move at the start and plenty of other overtakes.
The narrow, bumpy Imola track has been a favorite among drivers, who have relished its old-school challenge since it returned to the F1 schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, its status as Italy’s second race — only the United States also hosts more than one — makes its position vulnerable.
“If we don’t come back here, it is going to be a shame,” Piastri said Saturday.
Sunday’s race was the last under Imola’s current contract, and while it isn’t officially goodbye yet, there has been no word about next year.
Piastri on pole for Emilia-Romagna GP as Ferrari struggles
- Piastri seemed to lose valuable time getting past cars toward the end of his final qualifying lap
- George Russell took third for Mercedes
IMOLA, Italy: Oscar Piastri fought his way through traffic to take pole position in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Saturday as Ferrari had a terrible session, with neither car in the top 10.
Piastri seemed to lose valuable time getting past cars toward the end of his final qualifying lap but it still proved enough as Max Verstappen fell just .034 of a second short of the Australian’s time.
That gives Piastri a big advantage in Sunday’s race at a track where overtaking is notably difficult.
George Russell took third for Mercedes, pushing Piastri’s McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris down to fourth.
It was a tough day for the home fans as Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton and Formula 1’s sole Italian driver, Kimi Antonelli, all qualified outside the top 10. All three were caught out by rivals improving their times at the end of the second part of qualifying, with Leclerc 11th, Hamilton 12th and Antonelli 13th.
Earlier in the session, heavy crashes for Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto brought out the red flag.
Piastri leads McLaren one-two in first Imola practice
- Australian Piastri lapped the Imola circuit with a fastest time of one minute 16.545 seconds
- Carlos Sainz was third on the timesheets for Williams
IMOLA, Italy: Formula One leader Oscar Piastri led Lando Norris in a McLaren one-two in first practice for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix that ended early on Friday after Gabriel Bortoleto crashed his Sauber.
Australian Piastri, winner of four of the last five races, lapped the Imola circuit with a fastest time of one minute 16.545 seconds on the softest tire compound with Norris 0.032 slower on a sunny afternoon.
Piastri leads Norris by 16 points after six races, with the 24-round season now starting its European phase after an opening run in Asia, the Middle East and United States.
The session was red-flagged and did not restart after Brazilian rookie Bortoleto crashed into the tire wall with some three minutes remaining. He stepped out unhurt.
Carlos Sainz was third on the timesheets for Williams, 0.052 off the pace, with Mercedes’ George Russell a further 0.002 slower.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, limbering up for his first race in Italy as a Ferrari driver, was fifth and 0.096 off the pace.
Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine with Red Bull’s four times world champion Max Verstappen seventh, William’s Alex Albon eighth and Bortoleto ninth with team mate Nico Hulkenberg completing the top 10.
“I can’t rely on the rear. It feels like I’m drifting everywhere,” complained Verstappen, last year’s winner at Imola, over the radio.
Mercedes’ 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli, the only Italian on the starting grid and preparing for his home debut, was 13th fastest.
Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto, making his debut for Alpine after replacing dropped Australian Jack Doohan, lapped 17th fastest.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who was unwell on Thursday and skipped his media duties, was 12th and ran wide into the gravel at one point. He also complained that his helmet was lifting.
Ben Sulayem drives major improvements to FIA’s international Sporting Code
- New guidance to significantly reduce maximum penalties for drivers by 50%
DUBAI: The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organizations worldwide, has announced that it is to make major improvements to Appendix B of its International Sporting Code following an extensive review commissioned by FIA’s President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The latest version of Appendix B of the ISC was introduced in January 2025, aligning the FIA with other global sporting organizations such as FIFA, the National Football League, and World Rugby, all of which have strong codes of conduct to protect the integrity of their respective sports.
Sulayem said: “As a former rally driver I know firsthand the range of emotions that are faced during competition. I have led an extensive and collaborative review with contributions from across the seven FIA world championships, FIA member clubs and other motor sports organizations.
“The improvements the FIA has announced today to Appendix B will ensure we continue to promote the best of sportsmanship in motor sport, while also giving stewards effective guidelines to act against individuals who may bring the sport into disrepute. The FIA will always be committed to ensuring motor sport is accessible for all our sporting family.”
The ISC provides the stewards with the necessary regulatory tools to ensure they have all relevant information regarding the range of penalties that may be imposed and the procedures to be followed. This enables them to apply penalties in a consistent and transparent manner.
The review was carried out in collaboration with the FIA Drivers’ Committee and Ronan Morgan, its president, as well as the FIA Formula One steward chairs. Input was also received from FIA members clubs and other motor sport organizations across the seven FIA world championships.
The main changes to Appendix B are: The base maximum penalty has been reduced generally from €10,000 to €5,000. This is a reduction of 50 percent. However, for FIA world championships, where multipliers are involved, the reductions will be even more significant.
Stewards will have the option to fully suspend a penalty for certain types of breach, provided it is the first offense by the driver or team.
Following approval via e-vote by the WMSC (World Motor Sport Council), the amended Appendix B will allow stewards to differentiate between controlled and non-controlled environments, effectively recognizing the difference between language used in “uncontrolled” and “controlled” environments. Controlled environments include settings such as press conferences, while uncontrolled environments refer to spontaneous comments made by drivers or teams when on track or during a rally stage.
Mitigating circumstances will continue to be considered, with additional guidance available to promote consistency and fairness for all parties in the application of Appendix B.
Abuse of officials will now result in sporting penalties rather than fines, aligning motor sport with other major global sports organizations.
Racial and discriminatory comments will continue to be addressed firmly.
Stewards will retain the supreme authority to decide which penalty to impose in the event of a breach of the ISC.
Morgan said: “Drivers are looked up to as role models by young fans and are rightly seen as ambassadors for the wider world of motor sport. How they act really does matter, but it is important to recognize that there is a difference between what is said during a race and in a press conference.
“Today’s changes further strengthen the FIA’s International Sporting Code, supporting our drivers by understanding the pressures they face during the heat of competition.”
FIA cuts controversial F1 driver swearing fines
- Importantly the new guidelines given to race stewards now differentiates between swearing in “controlled” or “uncontrolled” circumstances.
- This will give drivers more latitude for turning the air blue in the heat of the moment, for example on the team radio during races.
PARIS: Formula One’s governing body on Wednesday reduced the controversial penalties dished out to drivers for swearing after a backlash from the grid.
Ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the FIA has removed the risk of a race ban and cut the “base maximum penalty from EUR10,000 ($11,180) to EUR5,000.”
Importantly the new guidelines given to race stewards now differentiates between swearing in “controlled” or “uncontrolled” circumstances.
This will give drivers more latitude for turning the air blue in the heat of the moment, for example on the team radio during races.
“Controlled environments include settings such as press conferences, while uncontrolled environments refer to spontaneous comments made by drivers or teams when on track or during a rally stage,” a statement from the FIA explained.
It went on to describe the development as “major improvements” to appendix B of the sporting code.
The previous policy had come in for intense criticism from the likes of four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who was sanctioned for swearing at a press conference in Singapore.
The drivers will have a chance to give their reaction to the toned-down swearing policy at Imola on Thursday at the traditional pre-race round of press conferences.
The relaxation in the rules came after an open letter to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, up for re-election later this year, from the drivers who asked the FIA to treat them “like adults.”
In February, Williams driver Carlos Sainz questioned the FIA’s hard-line approach to the subject.
Sainz said while it was reasonable to expect drivers to avoid swearing while speaking in a public setting such as a news conference, it was a different matter while they were on the track.
“What we say on the (car) radio, I don’t agree with what is happening,” said the Spaniard.
“I think you cannot be too tough on these kinds of things because you cannot understand the pressure and adrenaline and the way we feel in the car when we open the radio.
“And I feel for F1 it is good to have those moments because you see the real driver.”
