F1 2025

[Portsmouth]

Not long before the first race of the year......so many changes
I've heard that Lewis Hamilton is settling in at Ferrari and full of enthusiasm , maybe he might actually have a chance of winning this year although Leclerc will be challenging just as strongly.
How will Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri perform this year....will this year be a good one for Mclaren ?
Is this going to be the last year in F1 for Verstappen....his father ( big influence ) is not a fan of Cristian Horner who thinks that the trouble last year was a calculated attempt to force him out.

And what about the new drivers....an !8 year old to replace Lewis Hamilton.....unlikely to win a race in his first year
And then there is a young driver Liam Lawson from New Zealand as Red Bulls second driver

[CaroleF]

I follow F1 too. This is as a result of years of being married to an F1 addict. F1 was really the only sport that John really wanted to watch - the only time he would eat supper in front of the tv if a race was being shown! I watched the shown they put on at the O2 to introduce the new season's cars and drivers. Certainly a spectacular show. Lewis certainly got loud applause. I hope he makes a good showing this year and would like him to win one more championship especially as what happened in 202 was deemed unfair. I know some people think it ridiculous to watch cars going round and round a circuit but I suppose it's like any sport in that when you learn more about a sport it can get more interesting. So I w.ill be watching all the races

[Mervyn and Trish]

F1 is the only sport we watch regularly. I'm not a fan of Max at all. I think he's an arrogant bullying and dangerous driver. It would be good if Lewis does well and I'm a big Lando fan.

[oldbluefox]

Not keen on Hamilton never since he got himself linked in with Black Lives Matter, declaring himself black, despite having a white father, walking around with a chain and padlock around his neck and urging the rest of the drivers to take the knee.

[Mervyn and Trish]

True .

[Ray B]

Yes I agree, the 'taking the knee' in all sports went on to long and lost its meaning.
Hammy and Russell for me, hope they are up to challenging each other , cleanly .

[oldbluefox]

I'd be very happy to see a new young talent coming through.

[Portsmouth]

So the starting grid for the first race of the year has Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri taking positions 1&2 in their McLarens with Max in his Red Bull in third....bur his new partner Liam Lawson is right down near the bottom in 18th position. George Russell is up there in 4th but his new partner Antonelli is down in 16th position. Both the Ferrari are in 7th & 8th....think they were hoping for a higher place but Hamilton says he is still learning about the car. What about Yuki Tsunoda for Racing Bulls ending up in 5th position.
Yet it's not about the starting grid ....it's what happens during the race .....but I would like Lando to win this first race but Oscar is very good as well and never under estimate Red Bulls Max.

Anyone got any thoughts about the first race ??

[Ray B]

If Piastri can block off Verstappen for lap one it gives Lando a chance to put some space behind him. I think Verstappen will be hunting him down, there's not much between them.
It very close and hopefully will give us an exciting race.

[screwy]

Will be willing Lando to win the Championship,the Maclarens have really turned themselves around,also the Williams look better at the moment. Hopefully LH has a dreadful season.

[Portsmouth]

So the first race is over and as may expected Lando won with Max hard on his heels. New rookie Antonelli did well for his first race but we will see how well he does in China....I have a feeling Ferrari might make a bit of a comeback and be a lot higher in the points. I thought that Hamiltons dad showed a lot of class when he went over and gave emotional Isack Hadjar a hug after he crashed so early.

[Ray B]

Eddie Jordan. RIP

[CaroleF]

Eddie Jordan was a real character who did a lot for motor racing in Britain. He'll certainly be missed in F1 circles.

[Portsmouth]

I have a feeling Ferrari might make a bit of a comeback and be a lot higher in the points.

Well, I was right, Ferrari did do a lot better and came 5th & 6th but ended up with no points..... as due to misjudged errors by the Ferrari team both drivers were disqualified. Also driver for Alpine, Pierre Gasly was also disqualified costing him 2 points. George Russell did well again for Mercedes with a podium 3rd and his new partner Kimi Antonelli is doing ok so far but if Ferrari do get back to their best and with McLaren & Max in the Red Bull also pushing, then he might find it hard to get place on the podium.
Looks like Red Bull have dropped Liam Lawson for Yuki Tsunoda, Be interesting to see if he does better driving for Racing Bulls

[Ray B]

Was that a glimpse of what is to come as Hammy took top spot in the sprint. 5th and 6th was a reasonable place.
Good to see the Maclarens setting the pace.

[Portsmouth]

It seems Red Bulls Max still wants to win another world championship but he still hasn't got a second driver that can keep up and give the team a few extra points whereas young Antonelli seems to be doing great and even ended up with youngest driver to get fastest lap.
It was pointed out that Hamiltons Ferrari lacked rear end grip that caused a bit of sliding, he also confirmed there was an issue with his car. Although he didn’t go into specific details, he said: “We found something on the car that has been under performing for the last three races so I am really hoping when that is fixed that I will start getting better results.

[oldbluefox]

Hamilton used the same excuses last year. Time he retired.

[Ray B]

On the whole it was an uninspiring race, more like a procession.

[CaroleF]

Sorry to disagree Foxy. I don't think Lewis is finished and certainly not ready to retire. Let's just see what happens as the year goes on. One of the things that impresses me about him is how polite he always is, and always thanks his crew and the public who go to see him, very unlike another certain character who always seems to blame everyone but himself.

[Portsmouth]

Aside from the racing....this is happening.....
The FIA's deputy president for sport Robert Reid has resigned, citing a "standards breakdown" in Formula 1's governing body

Sky Sports News says ....It is the latest in a series of senior resignations at the FIA in the last 18 months, with Reid appearing to have fallen out with president Mohammed Ben Sulayem

He said in a resignation letter : "When I took on this role, it was to serve the FIA's members; not to serve power"
"Over time, I have witnessed a steady erosion of the principles we promised to uphold. Decisions are being made behind closed doors, bypassing the very structures and people the FIA exists to represent.
"My resignation is not about personalities; it is about principles. Motorsport deserves leadership that is accountable, transparent and member-driven. I can no longer, in good faith, remain part of a system that does not reflect those values."

He seems like a sincere person to me unless this is really bs
Sky Sports also added ....Last year, several senior figures parted ways with the FIA, including its sporting director, F1 technical director, digital director, head of commercial legal affairs, governance and regulatory director, race director, the head of the women in motorsport commission, secretary general of mobility and director of communications.
Most notable were race director Niels Wittich and leading steward Tim Mayer effectively being sacked last November

Anyone have any comments ?

[Portsmouth]

the Bahrain GP is over with Oscar Piastri the winner. George Russell in second and Lando in third place. Lando had a brilliant start from his sixth place on the grid he went quickly to third place in the race. With Red Bull lagging a bit behind the two Ferrari ended in 4th & 5th place. Lewes Hamilton did much better considering he started 9th.
Nico Hulkenberg got disqualified due to excessive skid block wear.....He is now 37 has never been in the top three in F1 but he did win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015

[Ray B]

Very entertaining race with some exciting overtaking. A spread of winners so far with Oscar Piastri just starting to look promising. Red Bull a bit off the pace but Ferrari put in a good showing.
Next week end, we're off to the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.

[Portsmouth]

Rumours still keep coming about Max Verstappen possibly quitting Red Bull if they can't give him a more competitive car and he possibly could move to Aston Martin for next year. According to Italian paper "La Gazzetta dello Sport " he is being offered a huge amount of money. What might help sway him is he could reunite with legendary F1 car designer Adrian Newey who is putting his efforts into their 2026 car.
And for those who like to look for stars of the future....maybe take a look at 16 year old Freddie Slater
( not the fictional one in Eastenders )

[Ray B]

Did read that Pompy, apparently the Saudi's public investment fund, who already own 20% of Aston, want to take over the Silverstone group.
When you have a large petroleum business funding your bank account, then any thing is possible.

[Portsmouth]

Lando Norris really made things hard for himself by crashing which gave him position 10 on the grid....no wonder he called himself a (swearword ) idiot
Max again did really well but was upset about the 5 second penalty he got for having all 4 wheels off the track after the start. Oscar won the race but considering where he started from, Lando also did well coming 4th but couldn't get past Lerclerc who is still faster than Hamilton at the moment.
Yuki Tsunoda unfortunately not giving Red Bull the extra support they need by crashing into Pierre Gasly at turn 4 but the stewards have decided not to punish him for his first lap crash.