04/07/2025

SPORTS 30 SLOWING down may be the way to go faster for Oscar Piastri as the McLaren driver seeks to become the first Australian since Alan Jones in 1980 to conquer the Formula One world championship. The 24-year-old leads British teammate Lando Norris by 15 points, and five wins to three, as the season reaches halfway at Silverstone this weekend. The Australian is the only driver to have scored in every grand prix and remains remarkably chilled despite the pressure of a two-horse title battle that looks set to become ever more intense. FRIDAY | JULY 4, 2025

Piastri slows down to go faster

“So when I’m not racing, I just like to do very, very wholesome things in life.” On track, both he and Norris know what is at stake. Piastri felt they were managing to keep a lid on things, despite wheel-to-wheel racing, a collision and some near misses in recent races. “We’re going about it in the best way that we can… Lando and I get on well,” said Piastri. “We’ve worked together really well for the last three years.

Speaking to Reuters at a McLaren fan event, full of noise and excitement, in London’s Trafalgar Square on Wednesday, Piastri said it was important mentally to know when to switch off and slow down. “I kind of know my limits. And know when I need to get away from F1 and do something else,” he said. “It’s the little things in life. Our season’s so busy that ultimately you just want to go and do

normal things. “Spend time with the people around you. Sit on the couch for a few hours. Just regular things. Go for a walk. Just slow down in life, really. And that’s, for me, what I find important away from racing. “I don’t have that many hobbies outside of F1, let’s say. I ultimately got into racing because it was my hobby at the start and now it’s my job. So it’s still a passion of mine.

“But obviously when the helmet goes on and we’re on track, we’re both trying to beat each other.” – Reuters Dark clouds over Silverstone Silverstone

SHORTS ‘Just frustration’ MCLAREN’S

Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri said cursing at former employers Alpine over the radio at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix was just a humorous way of expressing his frustration. The Australian made a comment after having to go off track to avoid Renault-owned Alpine’s Argentine driver Franco Colapinto. “Alpine still managed to find a way to (expletive) me over all these years later, huh?,” he told race engineer Tom Stallard in an exchange not broadcast on television at the time. Piastri said his swearing had just been spur of the moment. “It was just kind of a frustrating coincidence. My qualifying got hampered by an Alpine. I got impeded in the race by both the Alpines. So, it was kind of just a build up of a few things,”he said.“And it was more out of frustration. “I still have a lot of friends at Alpine. A lot of people that I respect a lot. “It was just kind of an ironic coincidence that the things that hampered me a bit in the weekend were all with Alpine. But, yeah – more just me trying to express my humour and frustration in the race.” Piastri joined McLaren after being named by Alpine as their driver for 2023, only for the Australian to very publicly reject the seat. Pitt gets second chance at 300kph BRAD PITT’S F1 movie is topping the box office charts worldwide but the Hollywood A-lister is not done with Formula One, or racing. Like his fictional big screen character Sonny Hayes, Pitt has been offered a second chance to don race overalls and lap at 200mph (321kph). McLaren F1 chief executive Zak Brown told Reuters yesterday that Pitt had a standing offer to “come out and play” – and expected the 61-year-old not only to take him up on it but also take his passion for racing further. Pitt drove a Formula One car for the first time with McLaren at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas last month, after driving F2 cars disguised as F1 cars for the movie, and has been raving about the experience ever since. He did have one regret, however. “Ask me how fast I went. Three mph short of 200mph,” Pitt said at the New York premiere.“I want to go back. I want to hit 200.” Brown indicated that it could be arranged. “He did a great job, he can drive a race car,” he said. “I’ve traded notes with him, it was the time of his life. I feel like he’s a racer now, so anytime he wants to come out and play he’s more than welcome to. And that’s a standing offer.”

Mercedes’ George Russell (front) and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. – REUTERSPIC

Russell heads into home British GP haunted by Verstappen rumours G EORGE RUSSELL heads into his home British Grand Prix this weekend haunted by rumours, and unconfirmed reports, that fierce rival and four-time world champion Max Verstappen has accepted an offer to replace him next year. boss Toto Wolff. Ahead of Sunday’s race, Verstappen is third on 155 points and Russell fourth on 146. According to Sky Sport Italia , Verstappen and Wolff have held “concrete negotiations” which resulted in the Dutchman giving his consent. No details were given and the story was not confirmed.

Mercedes and Russell, who struggle in high temperatures, to find the form that carried him to victory in Canada, but he knows even that may not be enough to persuade Wolff if Verstappen finds an exit from his contract. All this will only add spice to a weekend that may be dominated by the McLaren duo of championship leader Oscar Piastri and Norris, who will have the backing of 10,000 fans in a grandstand named after him as he seeks to overhaul a 15-point deficit at the top of the standings. The pair dominated last Sunday’s Austrian race to record their fourth 1-2 of the year, and will be chasing a first Silverstone win for McLaren since Hamilton in 2008. Norris claimed victory last Sunday, but Piastri led him home for the other three 1-2s and has won five races this year. “It’s my favourite weekend of the year,” said Norris. “To have my family, friends, home fans and so many of the team there supporting us takes it to another level.” – AFP

As Formula One returns to the circuit that hosted its first world championship race 75 years ago, the 27-year-old Briton may be caught on the horns of an extraordinary dilemma as he seeks a fifth career victory to secure his seat, and his future, with Mercedes. If he wins, and overhauls Verstappen in the drivers’ title race, he may, in so doing, allow the Dutchman, also 27, to trigger an exit clause in his Red Bull contract, which is due to run to 2028. It is widely believed that if Verstappen is not in the top three in the championship at the end of July – with a realistic chance of claiming a fifth crown – he can seal a move elsewhere, a prospect given impetus yesterday by reports claiming he has already said yes to Mercedes

However, as veteran British commentator and former F1 driver Martin Brundle, a close confidante of Russell, suggested: “There’s no smoke without fire.” He added Russell was “nervous and ringing around a little bit”. “Something is up,” Brundle told Sky Sports F1 . Russell is sure to gain widespread sympathy and support from a big Silverstone crowd – 500,000 are expected over the four days – who will back fellow-Britons Lando Norris of McLaren and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari, hoping one of them triumphs to ignite celebrations. The end of a fierce heatwave may assist

Missing F1 title would be no failure: Norris

LANDO NORRIS said he would not consider his 2025 season a failure if he fell short in his quest to win a maiden Formula One world title. Norris cut the deficit to McLaren teammate and drivers’ championship leader Oscar Piastri to 15 points in winning last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix and goes into his home British race at Silverstone saying he is a better driver than a year ago despite some error-strewn moments. The 25-year-old started the season as championship favourite but has been eclipsed by his younger teammate, who has won five grands prix to Norris’s three. It now looks increasingly like a two-horse race with Max Verstappen 46 points behind Norris. Should he fail to win the drivers’ crown, Norris said yesterday: “I’d have to say I didn’t succeed in what my goal was but I don’t think you can ever call it a failure because I don’t believe like I’ve failed anything.

“I feel like maybe I just didn’t live up to what I believed I could have done or the level I should have done at certain times. “I think if things were much easier and you don’t achieve your goal maybe you can call it a failure but when it’s 24 races it’s such a long season against the best in the world I don’t think you can ever call it a failure. Maybe you didn’t succeed.”

opposite from the outside because I’ve just made some more mistakes. But I certainly feel like I’m a more complete driver.” He said self-inflicted pressure was stronger than anything external. “It’s more the desire, almost too much desire inside to want to do such a good job every weekend, to deliver for the team,” he said. “I want to deliver for the team and I want to win. I kind of put myself under the pressure too much but I understand that.” While Silverstone might be seen as the ultimate pressure, a home race he has yet to win, he saw it otherwise. “It almost distracts you more in a good way, distracts you more by having your fans and your supporters there,” he said. “You’re almost more there enjoying the moment rather than ‘I’ve got to do this for them’, as much as that is probably a thought prior to the weekend.” – Reuters

Norris has been undone by errors in both qualifying and races but dominated the

weekend in Spielberg to hold off a

race-long challenge from his teammate. “I certainly think I’ve improved,” he said. “It may be very easy to say the

Lando Norris . – REUTERSPIC