F1 2025: end-of-term report card as drivers head for their summer break
Oscar Piastri Leading the world championship and has earned his place at the top.He has not only been quick in the best car on the grid, but consistent and calm.This has not been the stuff of fireworks, but relentless precision.His execution and attitude have no little of the Alain Prost about them and he is shaping up to be a similarly formidable opponent as The Professor.He has gone toe to toe with his teammate, Lando Norris, in these opening 14 meetings and, overall, come out on top.
There have been six wins and only twice has he failed to reach the podium,The three consummate victories in a row in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Miami made his title ambitions clear, while errors have been few and far between,A spin in the wet in Australia and a safety car infringement at Silverstone are the only blots on an otherwise immaculate copybook,Lando Norris Entered the season as favourite and when the McLaren duly proved to be the class of the field was expected to exploit it,However, after a strong start in Australia it became clear the MCL39 was not quite giving him the feel for the front grip of the car that he likes.
It proved costly, particularly in qualifying, and Norris was typically forthright and honest that it was up to him to adapt,Errors compounded his problems, not least crashing in qualifying in Saudi Arabia and hitting his teammate in Canada,In Budapest, he revealed an intriguingly nihilist approach, noting in regards to the title race: “In 200 years no one is going to care,We’ll all be dead,”Rather than settling down to contemplate the meaninglessness of existence in a darkened room the Briton has doggedly stuck at his task and returned some impressive wins with fine drives in Monaco and Austria and an inspired strategy coup on Sunday in Budapest.
If he can eliminate the faults Norris will be challenging his teammate to the end.Max Verstappen Before the weekend began in Hungary, Verstappen ended speculation over his future by stating he would be with Red Bull next year, but did not say whether he would see out his contract that runs to 2028.The world champion has acknowledged the title is beyond him this year, but he still craves performance and stability within the team.However, over these 14 races, the form of the car has been sorely lacking, while bringing an end to the turbulence of the past two years and soothing the ruffled brows of the Verstappen camp was at least part of the purpose of the removal of Red Bull’s team principal of 20 years, Christian Horner.Verstappen has still succeeded in wrestling repeated results, including two impressive wins, from a car that is barely manageable, but he and the team’s focus is now on the future.
There are major exams coming up in the form of the new regulations for next season and, for the second half of this one, the question that will dominate is how do Red Bull under their new boss, Laurent Mekies, now adapt? If the Frenchman fails to deliver, the internal politicking at the team could be fascinating.And brutal.Gabriel Bortoleto When Sauber brought in a new floor in Spain the 20-year-old Brazilian rookie came alive, showing promise given his team’s relatively uncompetitive car.He is in good company in the new intake.At Racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar has been a standout adapting quickly to F1 with consistent, confident performances and largely outdriving his teammate, Liam Lawson, whom Red Bull had rated enough to promote, briefly, to the senior squad at the start of the season.
Kimi Antonelli has demonstrated his potential at Mercedes, but has been inconsistent in a car George Russell muscled to a win in Canada.Bortoleto has given the impression he may have so much more to come.After Sauber applied upgrades in Barcelona, Bortoleto took his first points in Austria including challenging Fernando Alonso for seventh place.A crash at Silverstone followed while on slicks in the wet, but he took points in Belgium and in Hungary he was flying.He qualified seventh, 12 places in front of his experienced teammate, Nico Hülkenberg, and claimed sixth in the race after a battling drive.
If he can repeat it in the second half of the season, Audi, as Sauber will be next season, have a genuine asset,Lewis Hamilton Left dejected after two races of, by his own admission, below-par performances – with 16th on the grid in Spa and a 12th in qualifying in Hungary he described as “absolutely useless” before finishing the race in 12th – Lewis Hamilton even appeared to cast doubt on his future in F1,It was a response, likely a blip, from a driver worn down by having to deal with adapting to his new team under such scrutiny as well as dissatisfaction at how they, and he, are performing,It is unusual for Hamilton to be so publicly hard on himself and perhaps represents real frustration with Ferrari, but he has proved repeatedly he is nothing if not a fighter,A step back after what has been a gruelling opening with a new team is clearly required even if, as is believed, he feels there is still enormous work to be done at the Scuderia.
Hamilton accepted the process to adapt would take time, but that frustration in Hungary suggests he could be disillusioned despite his belief Ferrari have everything needed to return to the top.He said rather dejectedly in Budapest he would “hopefully” return after the summer break.The touch is still there, as he proved in Silverstone and Spa, but he, perhaps like no other driver, could benefit from a reset over the summer break.
From The Naked Gun to Wednesday: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
The Naked GunOut nowFollowing a slightly tortuous period in development, a new Naked Gun film is in cinemas with Liam Neeson playing the son of legendary Det Sgt Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen in the three original films). Also starring Pamela Anderson and Busta Rhymes.Late ShiftOut nowA nurse on an understaffed surgical ward in a Swiss hospital, Floria (Leonie Benesch), takes her work seriously. But as she cares for a sick young mother and an elderly man, she finds herself caught in a race against time, in this acclaimed drama from Petra Volpe, which premiered at the Berlinale.Sophia Loren: Hollywood Style, Neapolitan SpiritBFI Southbank, to 31 AugustLike Marilyn Monroe or James Dean, the mere words “Sophia Loren” bring to mind a particular image
Seth Meyers on the Epstein conspiracy: ‘This is a crisis of Trump’s making’
Late-night hosts discussed the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the “spite” behind Donald Trump’s impending tariffs.On Late Night, Seth Meyers spoke about the theories circulating over the death of Epstein, spurred on by the alleged missing minute from his jail cell video on the night of his death.He said that Trump is not in the right place to be handling it, as he’s “old” and “tired” and just came back from a golfing vacation in Scotland.While there, he opened a private new golf course, which was on the official White House live stream. “They’re not even pretending any more, there’s no separation,” Meyers said
A men’s only club in Sydney has banned sockettes. Is it Victorian-era modesty or fashion policing below the ankle?
Caitlin. A literal “boys’ club” I haven’t heard of has banned a type of sock. What’s going on?Hold my prosecco and plate of canapes, do I have a story for you. According to the Australian Financial Review, the elite private members Australian Club in Sydney has embarked on a war on men’s socks, and the common sockette is in the firing line.As per the AFR, the club secretary has distributed amendments to its dress requirements for the clubhouse, which requires that jackets be “tailored” and that socks – which, they note, “must be worn by gentlemen” – should cover above the ankle
Justin Timberlake reveals Lyme disease diagnosis
Justin Timberlake has said he is suffering from Lyme disease, a serious illness usually contracted after being bitten by a tick and that has seen an upsurge in prevalence across a swathe of the US in recent years.In an Instagram post, the pop singer wrote: “I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme disease – which I don’t say so you feel bad for me – but to shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes.”He added: “If you’ve experienced this disease or know someone who has – then you’re aware: living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically. When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure. But, at least I could understand why I would be on stage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness
Seth Meyers on Maga’s Epstein scandal: ‘They did this to themselves’
Late-night hosts continued to track the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal that Donald Trump just won’t let go and the Environmental Protection Agency giving up on the environment.Seth Meyers continued to relish Donald Trump’s Jeffrey Epstein scandal that just won’t go away, as the president was hounded by questions about his friendship with the convicted sex offender while in Scotland. “They did this to themselves,” the Late Night host said of Maga’s Epstein quagmire. “This is like if after Trump screamed they’re eating the dogs in a debate, Donald Trump started eating the dog.”Despite Trump’s evident frustration with the topic, “people haven’t moved on, because Trump and his Maga mates spent years cynically hyping up the Epstein conspiracy,” Meyers explained on Wednesday evening
From Zooey Deschanel to Captain Kirk doing Dylan: the best songs by actors, ranked!
It perhaps stretches the definition of “actor”: Parker starred in a soap opera, but was better known as pornographic actor Wade Nichols. However, Like an Eagle is incredible, a soaring, euphoric mid-tempo disco epic produced by his then-partner, Jacques Morali – and infinitely cooler than Morali’s biggest successes with Village People – so let’s bend the rules.Captain Kirk’s debut album raises questions: are its hysterical recitations of pop hits and Shakespeare soliloquies meant to be funny or a wildly misguided attempt at out-there art? They sound nuts either way. Later albums, where Shatner is audibly in on the joke, are somehow less fun; they’re certainly less disturbing.Produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, Johansson’s debut album was heavy on Tom Waits covers and featured a cameo from David Bowie
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