Kimi Antonelli to Drive for Mercedes F1 Team; 18-year Old Will Replace Lewis Hamilton
Aug 31, 2024
Mercedes' Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli prepares before first practice session, ahead of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit, in Monza on August 30, 2024. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)
With Lewis Hamilton set to race for Ferrari in 2025, Mercedes has announced Kimi Antonelli will join the Mercedes F1 team starting next season.
The 18-year-old Antonelli was confirmed to be racing with George Russell as part of the Mercedes driver lineup on Saturday.
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 31, 2024
Team Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff issued a statement about the addition of Antonelli to the roster:
"George has proved that he is one of the very best drivers in the world. He is not only fast, consistent, and determined, but has also developed into a strong leader within the team. Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport.
"We know it will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will be supporting him every step of the way in the learning process. In George, he has an experienced team-mate from which he can learn and hone his craft. I am confident that both will contribute greatly as we continue to build momentum and fight at the front of the field.
Hamilton has been the face of Mercedes since joining the team in 2013 after spending the first five years of his career racing for McLaren. The seven-time F1 champion pulled off a surprise move in February when Ferrari announced he signed a multiyear deal.
The move came after Hamilton signed a two-year extension with Mercedes in August 2023, but the team later confirmed he activated an opt-out clause in the deal to become a free agent after the 2024 season.
Hamilton will be teammates with Charles Leclerc, who signed an extension in January, under the Ferrari umbrella.
Antonelli, who just turned 18 on Aug. 25, joined the Mercedes Junior Team in 2019. He got his first run during Grand Prix weekend on Friday with Russell's car during the first practice session on the Monza Circuit in Italy.
It was an inauspicious debut with Antonelli spinning out and crashing into the barrier after five laps. He did receive precautionary medical attention, but was uninjured following the incident.
Since turning pro as a 15-year-old in 2021, Antonelli has won 37 races across various circuits. He won the 2022 Italian F4 Championship with 13 victories in 20 starts.
Antonelli is currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. He's seventh in the point standings with wins at the Silverstone sprint race and Budapest free race.
The first F1 race for Antonelli as part of the Mercedes team will be at the Australian Grand Prix on March 16, 2025.
Netherlands F1 Grand Prix 2024 Results: Lando Norris Tops Max Verstappen to Win Race
Aug 25, 2024
ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 25: Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL38 Mercedes on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on August 25, 2024 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by James Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Lando Norris cruised to victory in Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort, earning his second checkered flag in Formula 1 for 2024.
Norris delivered the kind of performance fans have come to expect from Max Verstappen, finishing more than 20 seconds ahead of Verstappen. It was quite the emphatic statement on Verstappen's home track.
Charles Leclerc landed on the podium in third for the second straight race.
Norris blew past the rest of the field in qualifying with a fastest lap time of 1:09.673 to start from the pole. Verstappen overtook the British star early in the race and added to what has been a theme in the latter's case, but Norris reclaimed the lead by Lap 18.
LAP 18/72
Norris applies even more pressure and Verstappen has to yield
He briefly ceded first place again around the halfway mark after going in for a pit stop but reclaimed his spot atop the leaderboard after McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri made his own trip to pit road.
Once Norris was running from first this time, nobody could touch him.
Verstappen's showing was met with a mixture of surprise and anger on social media. It's not often he looks this far off the pace, which was a worrying sign for what's left of the campaign.
Norris is 16.790s clear of Verstappen. This is mostly just pace. How far have Red Bull fallen. But also, McLaren have done a spectacular job to build a car to catch and surpass the Red Bull on pace. #DutchGP#F1
Poor Max Verstappen that red bull runs perfect when he is winning, then when he gets challenged suddenly it's a Volvo sedan that he can't believe they've lumped him with. Weird that 😜 #f1netherlands
While the battle for the drivers' championship is much closer compared to last year, Verstappen maintains a sizable lead on Norris that will be tough to erase over the next few months. Granted, anything is possible if the Red Bull star continues to look this sluggish relative to his usual level.
Norris will hope he can narrow the gap a bit in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza Circuit on Sept. 1, though Verstappen is the two-time reigning champion in the event.
This time next week, order might be restored in F1.
Max Verstappen, Mercedes F1 Had Talks Ahead of Lewis Hamilton's Exit, Wolff Says
Aug 23, 2024
ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 23: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands in the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of The Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on August 23, 2024 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)
Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff confirmed he held talks with Max Verstappen this summer as Lewis Hamilton prepares to leave the team following the 2024 season, Jake Boxall-Legge and Ronald Vording reported for Motorsport.com.
"I thought all through the year that there was a window or that there was a possibility. It wasn't zero," Wolff said about the possibility of signing Verstappen, per Boxall-Legge and Vording.
Wolff continued: "What were the odds of of that happening? Maybe there were 10 to 1. Nine to one. Still, I didn't want to give up, but then we together came to the conclusion over the summer that we shouldn't be waiting for something to happen before committing for 2025, but let's just continue our job, Max at Red Bull and here at Mercedes taking our own driver decisions. And that was a kind of joint thought."
Hamilton, who signed with Mercedes in 2013, announced in February that he would be leaving for Ferrari after triggering a break clause in his contract.
Verstappen is currently signed with Red Bull through 2028, but reported tensions on the team led to rumors he might be considering leaving. In March Wolff said he would "love" for Verstappen to join Mercedes, per ESPN's Laurence Edmondson.
However, Verstappen has limited break clauses that would allow him get out of his contract. One closed when team director Helmut Marko committed to stay at Red Bull through 2026, Jonathan Noble previously reported for Motorsport.com.
Verstappen confirmed in June that he would be staying with Red Bull for 2025, but Wolff says he has not given up on eventually adding the three-time world champion to Mercedes' lineup.
"Somehow I have that feeling [that Mercedes and Verstappen's paths will cross]," Wolff said, per Boxall-Legge and Vording. "But I don't know when that could be. Whether it's '26, whether it's three years later, I don't know yet."
With Verstappen and Hamilton out of the picture, Mercedes could now turn to young driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, whom Wolff previously referred to as the team's "first option" to replace Hamilton. Antonelli, who turns 18 on Sunday, is set to make his Mercedes F1 debut during the first free practice session at the Italian Grand Prix.
Belgian F1 GP 2024 Results: George Russell DQ'd, Lewis Hamilton Wins; Verstappen 5th
Jul 28, 2024
TOPSHOT - Mercedes' British driver George Russell during a practice session ahead of the F1 race during the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit in Spa on July 27, 2024. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP) (Photo by JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images)
George Russell's second win of the Formula One campaign was wiped from the record books due to an underweight car.
His disqualification moved Russell's Mercedes teammate, Lewis Hamilton, up from second to first, handing Hamilton his 105th Formula One win all time. Oscar Piastri went from third to second, while Charles Leclerc earned a spot on the podium.
Russell held off Hamilton in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps to claim the checkered flag. However, the FIA said 2.8 liters of fuel had been improperly drained from Russell's car after he had originally hit the minimum weight limit.
Document just issued by the FIA which could have serious implications for Mercedes and George Russell - DSQ if found guilty pic.twitter.com/F8ynCekdn6
Formula One said Russell was therefore disqualified.
"During the hearing the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly," an F1 statement said. "The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team.
"The stewards determine that Article 4.1 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations has been breached and therefore the standard penalty for such an infringement needs to be applied."
Mercedes addressed Russell's infraction and said they had to take it "on the chin."
"We have clearly made a mistake and need to ensure we learn from it," the team said.
Unfortunately George has been disqualified for his car being below the minimum required weight. Here’s Toto’s reaction. pic.twitter.com/a3qJLyrwr8
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) July 28, 2024
Hamilton's win means the day wasn't all bad for Mercedes.
He led the field a little past the halfway mark before coming in to pit. That allowed Piastri to jump out in front, but the Australian lost valuable ground when he pitted on Lap 31.
When the dust settled, Russell and Hamilton were running in first and second, which set the stage for a dramatic fight to the finish for the two Mercedes drivers.
Russell's one-stop strategy raised the stakes because the longer the race went on, the more he was at risk of watching Hamilton or Piastri overtake him. The gambit could've backfired in a big way, and the result might've been different if the Belgian Grand Prix extended to 45 or 46 laps, such was the ground Piastri gained on Russell and Hamilton.
Instead, Mercedes seemingly played the race perfectly, and Russell expertly managed his car while defending against Hamilton.
George Russell that is outstanding.
Control your own race, win it on a one stop.
Mercedes showing us what racing is, fantastic last few laps. #BelgianGP
All of that will be overshadowed by what transpired when the race ended, though.
Max Verstappen entered with a comfortable lead over Lando Norris in the driver standings, but he hasn't been anywhere near as dominant on the track as he was in 2023. His season took another somewhat unexpected turn Friday when he received a 10-place grid penalty after using his fifth different engine.
As a result, Verstappen started from 11th and was already playing down the likelihood of a win after qualifying concluded.
"I mean I'm of course not as confident as I was the last two years around here in coming back to the front," he said Saturday. "I still see more as like a damage limitation race. That's how it is but at least today was the best possible we could do in terms of the starting position for tomorrow."
Verstappen managed to move up the leaderboard but couldn't muster a sustained challenge on the race leaders en route to a fourth-place showing.
The Formula One season goes on a nearly monthlong break before the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort on Aug. 25. Verstappen is the three-time reigning champion in the event and will enter as the favorite barring another setback in qualifying.
The way Hamilton is racing makes him a formidable challenger.
Photo: 'Deadpool & Wolverine' F1 Car Revealed by BWT Alpine F1 Team for Belgian GP
Jul 24, 2024
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 22: Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds are seen attending the world premiere of "Deadpool & Wolverine" at Lincoln Center on July 22, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Howard/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
The full-court marketing press for Deadpool & Wolverine has come to Formula 1, with the BWT Alpine Team showing off the new car design inspired by the new movie.
With the film set to release this week, the BWT Alpine car that will be used for the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday will be colored red and black with yellow claw marks and movie title on both sides.
— BWT Alpine Formula One Team (@AlpineF1Team) July 24, 2024
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly will be driving the custom cars this weekend.
Ryan Reynolds, who portrays Deadpool in the films, invested in the Alpine team last year. Along with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney, Reynolds' investment group acquired a 24 percent stake in the team for $218 million.
Soon after the investment was approved, Ocon wore a Deadpool helmet for the inaugural F1 race at Las Vegas in November 2023.
Esteban Ocon will be driving in a Deadpool helmet in Las Vegas ⚔
The timing of the movie's release worked out well because Sunday will mark the final F1 race before a three-week break for the Olympics. The next event will be the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 25.
The Alpine team enters the Belgian Grand Prix ranked eighth in the team standings. Ocon and Gasly have combined for seven top-10 finishes in 13 races.
Deadpool & Wolverine marks the third film in the Deadpool series. It is the first film in the series to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hugh Jackman will portray Wolverine in a movie for the 10th time and first since Logan was released in 2017.
F1's Daniel Ricciardo Talks Josh Allen, Bills, 2024 Season and More in B/R Interview
Jul 22, 2024
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 21: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Visa Cash App RB prepares to drive on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 21, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
No Stefon Diggs, no Gabe Davis and no championship hopes for the Buffalo Bills?
Not so fast.
One of the team's most famous fans certainly isn't giving up hope heading into the 2024 season, especially with his good friend in Josh Allen under center.
"I think they're still in a window where they have the ability and the opportunity to go all the way," F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo told Bleacher Report. "I'm excited."
Ricciardo specifically mentioned incoming rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman as someone who has "made a lot of noise," but the second-round pick who had 11 touchdown catches last year at Florida State is just one of the replacements at wide receiver. Buffalo also signed Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Chase Claypool for more depth at the position.
He may not be able to completely replicate the production of Diggs after he was traded to the Houston Texans and Davis after he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Samuel is a versatile playmaker who can impact the game as a receiver or runner and play on the outside or the slot.
And Valdes-Scantling just won the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs.
They also have one of the game's best quarterbacks in Allen to bring everyone together as he looks to lead the Bills to their sixth straight playoff appearance and perhaps get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl.
"I've gotten to know Josh a little bit over the years," Ricciardo said. "I think that if anyone is writing them off, that's where he will shine. I think he will bring that group together so much. There's been times when we've Facetimed and he's at home and he's got literally the entire team, and they're just bonding and hanging out.
"He's definitely a people person, and that's only going to help in the situation they're in. I've got high hopes."
Those high hopes come from someone who has embraced becoming a Bills fan so much that he traveled to see Allen play at MetLife Stadium in 2022 and again in London last season. Part of that experience even included catching passes from the quarterback ahead of one of the games:
But there is still one step remaining to become a full member of Bills Mafia.
"I need to get to Buffalo," Ricciardo said. "That's a thing I've been missing. I've seen them in New York and I saw them in London, but I need to go to a home game. I do want to get to Highmark before they move on. Even though people say the stadium is outdated and that's why they're building a new one, I want to go there and experience it and the grittiness of it. Fingers crossed I somehow get there this year."
Going to Highmark Stadium before the Bills move into a new building would be another step in the genuine friendship between Allen and Ricciardo.
The pair met in Monaco in 2019 and have frequently discussed how quickly they bonded and how their friendship has grown through their respective athletic careers.
But what would that friendship look like if the pair went in on a racehorse together?
That is a question they explore in the amusing short film The Legend of Ricallen, which will premiere on Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET and 7 a.m. PT on LegendOfRicallen.com. The film, which was done as part of a partnership with Beats by Dre, follows Allen and Ricciardo as they go on quite an adventure to find the perfect racehorse.
"It is definitely ridiculous in all the good ways," Ricciardo said of the film. "Normally, filming days or sponsor days, by the end of the day you're pretty wrapped. But we could have stayed longer, we were just laughing the whole day. It was so ridiculous, and we had so much fun working together."
While fans will have to wait until Wednesday for the film, Allen and Ricciardo both posted teasers ahead of the release of Monday's trailer:
"The partnership has been really fun for me because it's something that I love and use a lot," Ricciardo said of working with Beats. "Music for me plays such a part in my racing. It can help me wind down. It can help me on the grid by shutting out the noise or pumping me up. I'll use it when I'm training. I've really loved Beats for many years. And I think also what's cool is people see me with the headphones and they're like, 'alright, that's Daniel's time and we're not going to mess with him.'"
There has been more Daniel time of late since Ricciardo has returned to the grid for a full season.
It wasn't long ago the 35-year-old was one of the best and most consistent drivers in F1, especially during his five years with Red Bull from 2014 to 2018. He notched seven race wins, including one at Monaco in 2018, and was a regular contender for podiums during that span.
However, he joined Renault in 2019, moved to McLaren after just two years and struggled to replicate that same success with just a single win in that span.
The 2023 season was an unusual one for Ricciardo, as he returned to Red Bull as a reserve driver and watched teammates Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez dominate the sport. However, it was revealed in July 2023 that he would replace Nyck de Vries on Red Bull's sister team, Scuderia AlphaTauri.
Still, he ended up making just seven starts all year because a crash ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix sidelined him for multiple weeks.
Yet Ricciardo showed enough to be given a driver spot alongside Yuki Tsunoda for RB, which was the new name for the AlphaTauri team for the 2024 season.
"It's been great," he said of his full-time return to the grid. "I definitely love being back. Twelve or 18 months ago, I felt like I needed a little bit of time off for sure. Mentally maybe a little bit lacking of confidence and lost some love for it and a bit burned out. So the time off was perfect for me. But now that I'm back, I love being back more than anything. I'm definitely going all in during this next phase of my career.
"I know there's still going to be highs and lows, but there have been some good highs this year. That's really encouraging for me. I know I can do this, and it's up to me to make sure I do it consistently and turn some heads."
Those highs and lows have come, as he is in 13th place in the standings and well behind the leader in Verstappen. But he also picked up points in the Miami Grand Prix in May, Canadian Grand Prix in June and Austrian Grand Prix in June.
Ricciardo's points have helped RB move into sixth place in the constructors standings as the team attempts to hold off Haas and battle for positioning in the middle of the grid.
While there has been no shortage of speculation about his future, Ricciardo is focused on finding consistent success for the rest of this year.
"If I look at Miami, Canada and a few races where I feel like I've definitely outperformed the car, if I could do that another handful of times," he said. "Have the types of races where everyone is like, 'yeah, he's still got it.' That's what I would like.
"And the weekends where I'm not doing something crazy, I still want to be fighting for points and find that consistency that maybe I haven't had all the time this year. From a team point of view, sixth is our target in the constructors championship. So making sure I'm doing everything I can to contribute to that."
And then maybe he can find some time to get to Buffalo for a late-season game after helping secure that sixth-place finish.
F1 Manager 2024 Review: Gameplay Impressions, Videos, Features and Modes
Chris Roling
Jul 22, 2024
F1 Manager 2024 from developer Frontier Developments is the third effort in the budding sports management simulation series.
It happens to face the tallest task of any yet in the expectations department, too. While the first game caught some by surprise and raced to a podium finish, the sophomore effort hit a bit of the stereotypical slump.
On paper, though, F1 Manager 2024 could represent the series rounding into form. The game promises a handful of key features, including the ability to create teams and manage driver personality, that could forge the best release to date.
Given a fantastic as-is foundation, the performance of those major additions will outright decide where the 2024 edition stands on the podium.
Gameplay
Fans of annual sports games know that there are years where gameplay doesn't change all that much as development focuses on modes and vice versa.
This is one of those years where things stay much the same on the gameplay side—though that doesn't have to be a bad thing.
That almost overwhelming simulation side of team and vehicle management returns in full force. New players will learn a lot, to say the least, while veterans will enjoy the depth and challenge. Managing everything from individual parts (tweakable to say, take a risk like less durability for better aero) to driver's personalties to overarching sponsorships that play into team money is still enjoyable, even if most of it is clicking around menus.
Actual on-track gameplay falls into the same similar pattern. It's fun, opposing driver A.I. is good and perhaps the freshest thing added is the strive for realism via the sheer randomness that can happen on a given race day.
The biggest new aspect of this is the presence of the aptly-named mechanical failures.
These can happen at any point during a race weekend. Some can be mitigated by monitoring things like temperature control, but the stress on a vehicle's components is real. While it doesn't feel good to suffer it, players can benefit, too—A.I. opponents can suffer the same mishaps, adding a serious dose of realistic randomness.
This new mechanic never felt overdone or unfair. Sometimes aggressive driving and fuel management in the name of making a key push produces it, just like in real life. And sometimes even the biggest names going against a player have to juggle the same setbacks.
Added to wrecks, differing weather conditions and generally realistic-feeling A.I. behavior, the anything-can-happen vibe of the simulation is both enjoyable and realistic.
Of course, the length of races and seasons has been a point of conversation in this series' early stages. The 2024 edition here, at least, permits players to simulate whichever sessions and outright races they prefer.
Graphics and Presentation
It isn't just the gameplay above that helps the series feel super realistic.
Like its predecessors, the 2024 edition does the major and minor things in tandem to achieve this. Major things include some incredible motion blur to assist the sense of speed, joining notable details like smoke off screeching tires and the roar of engines.
Sound design remains an impressive strength, with the creative, real-world radio dialogue system blatantly receiving an influx of new additions to keep things fresh.
A year ago, the new visor cam was a welcome addition to help immersion. Likewise, new camera angles have been implemented into different perspectives. There's also a new overhead view that provides a fun view of a race's scope, giving it a broadcast feel.
This can also lend a slower look at the impressively detailed real-world tracks, which offer up a variety of locales, some—like nighttime events—that really show off the game's impressive lighting work.
Replays are once again a fun look at the sheer amount of game detail, but especially because of the creative camera angles and approaches the game uses.
Like the rest here, the game's user interface (UI) doesn't appear to be changed all that much. But it's a not-broken-don't-fix-it sort of thing, as the menus are easy to navigate and the on-track information fed to players is fantastic.
Features and More
Create A Team is the new headliner this year and the chief example of sheer game modes being the focal point.
Like the mode's namesake, players take the role of Team Principal to create a custom livery for a team, meaning designs on the team logo, vehicles, and even racer attire.
It isn't limited to just the appearance of the team, either, but the starting conditions, challenges and goals.
Players can, for example, simply leap in as the 11th team with a stacked roster. Or, as is popular in other sports games, craft a sort of underdog team that must rise through the ranks. There's a certain fun in just arriving with a major bankroll and steamrolling events, but the underdog story can't exactly lose its charm, either.
Management and marketing are again a fun side thing to juggle atop the usual racing items. Planning funding through deals and hitting goals to keep the money flowing into the team is both fun in an RPG sense and critical.
This has far more depth than usual now, which is refreshing. Before, players would just pick a sponsor and go. Now, there is a main sponsor and secondary sponsors with their own deals. Meeting something for the latter could negatively impact the former, a driver's motivation or something else, so the proper balancing act is a must.
Elsewhere, scouting is important, as keeping an eye on the talent throughout the sport's landscape is a must. After all, team shakeups can happen in response to each driver's motivations. The ability to bring on developmental drivers who work through F3 and F2 is just another added touch of depth that makes things feel realistic. It's yet another addition of nuance compared to prior versions, where players had to merely shove as much practice time as possible to the young drivers and hope for the best.
That leads things to the new mentality system, which keys on each driver's motivations and goals and how the player's team situation impacts those. In turn, for example, a driver whose attitude is pessimistic is going to be more difficult to work with at the negotiations table. It's a fun detail that adds depth and felt reasonable enough—putting a top pro behind the wheel of a poorly-tuned vehicle didn't exactly make them happy.
Race replay returns, letting players step into moments from the actual 2024 season. If nothing else, it's a nice option to have for fans.
A robust set of options that finally implemented a mid-race save last year returns, too.
Conclusion
F1 Manager 2024 is the best game in the series to date.
While it was debatable to classify last year's game as a must-have, the sweeping additions to modes and features within are a must-experience for fans or a nice jumping-on point for the curious.
Granted, adding things like team creation and improving scouting and star personalities is typical checklist stuff for a sports game. And yet, the impact the well-implemented systems and modes have on the overall experience is profound.
From here, it will be interesting to see what the next installment prioritizes. But the series is on a big upswing and has carved out a nice niche for itself that it can now grow, starting with this well-rounded installment.
Hungarian F1 Grand Prix 2024 Results: Oscar Piastri Wins; Max Verstappen Finishes 5th
Jul 21, 2024
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 21: Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL38 Mercedes on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 21, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by James Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
For the first time, Oscar Piastri is standing atop the podium.
Piastri won the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, passing teammate Lando Norris late in the race for his first career Formula 1 victory. Norris, in a good bit of sportsmanship, seemingly allowed Piastri to pass him rather than attempting to block him late in the race.
OSCAR PIASTRI IS A FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX WINNER! 🇦🇺
Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen rounded out the top five.
Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen rounded out the top five. Verstappen remains overwhelmingly dominant in the points standings, but he has already lost more races in 2024 than he did in all of his historic 2023 campaign. This is the first stretch of three straight races without a win for Verstappen since 2021.
Of course, everything is relative. Verstappen has seven wins and no one else on the circuit has more than one this season. Barring something unforeseen, he's going to run away with his fourth straight F1 championship, becoming the fourth driver all time to win four straight.
As Hamilton's time with Mercedes winds down, he appears to have recaptured his groove. Hamilton has appeared on the podium in three of his last four races and hasn't finished worse than fourth since the Montreal Grand Prix.
Piastri is in just his second season with McLaren and is a victor at age 23. He finished second on two other occasions this season, so he'll undoubtedly be thrilled at capturing his first championship.
Norris, who remains second in the points standings, started on the pole but had a worse car than Piastri throughout the race. This is his fifth second-place finish of the season.
It will be interesting to see if there is any tension between Norris and Piastri in the coming weeks after Norris initially balked at letting his teammate pass him late.
"The way to win a championship is with the team. You're going to need Oscar; you're going to need the team," Norris was told over the radio during the race.
In the end, Norris ceded his lead and Piastri got his first triumph. That said, having surrendered the points a victory would have gotten him, it's fair to wonder how Norris feels about the situation.
British F1 Grand Prix 2024 Results: Lewis Hamilton Tops Max Verstappen to Win Race
Jul 7, 2024
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes looks on from the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 07, 2024 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Joe Portlock - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Following last week's drama-filled race in Austria, the British Grand Prix offered a thrilling finish with Lewis Hamilton holding off runner-up Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in third place to earn his first victory since 2021.
The weather caused some problems early in the race, as rain was falling in Northamptonshire. There may have been some natural forces at work trying to help the Mercedes team because the sun came out and skies turned blue not long before Hamilton passed Norris for the lead on lap 40.
Norris was coming out of a pit stop when Hamilton was able to slide in front of him for the lead. They remained in the top two spots until the 48th lap when Verstappen got around him on the outside.
LAP 40/52
It's all happening at Silverstone 🍿
Norris pits but Hamilton sweeps past as the McLaren driver comes back out on track 👀
Hamilton was more than three seconds ahead of Verstappen at that point. He was able to hold onto that advantage for the final four laps to end his 50-race winless drought. His last victory prior to Sunday was at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Dec. 5, 2021.
The victory by Hamilton also saved what initially had been a rough day for the Mercedes team. George Russell, who started the race from the pole position, had to retire on the 34th lap due to a suspected water system issue with his car.
Following Russell's departure, Hamilton was able to give the crowd in England a memorable moment to celebrate. He had been flirting with a win recently, finishing in the top four in each of the past three races.
The victory for Hamilton was a historic one that he got to celebrate with his family, as it gave him the most wins on a single track by any F1 driver.
Lewis Hamilton has broken Michael Schumachers record for the most wins at a single circuit (9) 🐐 pic.twitter.com/TRaMnr4Vso
Verstappen was able to rebound with a second-place finish after coming in fifth last week. It's a testament to how dominant he has been that this is the first time in two years he has gone at least two straight races without a victory.
It previously happened in July 2022 when he finished seventh at the British Grand Prix and second at the Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen followed that up by winning the next five races.
Norris had another frustrating finish to a race. He took the lead for the first time on lap 20 and was in control most of the rest of the way, but his decision to go into the pit after lap 39 for soft tires to replace the slick ones when Hamilton and Verstappen replaced their tires on lap 38 may have cost him a win.
The 24-year-old was coming off a last-place showing in Austria when he blew a tire following a collision with Verstappen. He has finished in the top four in five of the past six races since winning at Miami on May 5.
Verstappen maintains a commanding lead in the overall F1 standings with 255 points. Norris is in second with 171, followed by Charles Leclerc (150), Carlos Sainz (145) and Oscar Piastri (124) rounding out the top five.
