8 December 2025 | Formula 1
Race overview and results
Lando Norris became world champion. It happened in the season finale. Max Verstappen won the race and recorded his eighth victory of the year. But Norris did exactly what was necessary. He finished sensibly in third place and maintained his lead in the championship.
How McLaren secured the title
McLaren made the difference with a split tactic at the start. Oscar Piastri started on hard tyres. Norris started on mediums and didn't have to push as hard. That choice gave McLaren a lot of strategic flexibility. Red Bull was surprised by that move. As a result, Verstappen had fewer options to respond differently.
First round and the plan
Piastri made a daring overtaking manoeuvre on lap one on the outside of turn 9. Norris did not defend aggressively. The plan became immediately clear. Piastri on the hard tyres could drive much longer. That forced Verstappen to put more strain on his medium tyres. Norris was able to save his tyres and thus reduce the risk of graining.
Why it worked
Piastri's longer stint disrupted McLaren's race. Verstappen had to set a fast pace early on to put pressure on Piastri. As a result, he was stuck with a different strategy. This made it difficult for Verstappen to push Norris back towards the midfield with varying tactics.
Problems and moments of tension
There were some hiccups in the plan, though. Charles Leclerc drove very strongly and stayed close to Norris. At full speed, Leclerc drove lap times comparable to those of Norris, who was saving his tyres.
On lap 14, George Russell attempted to undercut Leclerc. Ferrari and Norris had to react quickly. As a result, Norris had to pit earlier than planned. He ended up in traffic, which also included Yuki Tsunoda, who was clearly providing strategic support for Verstappen and driving on hard tyres.
Tsunoda attempted to block on the long straights. That move did not stop Norris. Norris did manage to get back into the top three and remained about six seconds behind Verstappen after he had already pitted.
Final stages and decisive stop
Piastri then remained in the lead for eighteen laps on hard tyres. He was about to pit, but had to wait a moment. Norris had to pit earlier to cover Leclerc after Ferrari had pitted for the second time. That pit stop meant Norris returned to the track behind Piastri.
By the end, Verstappen's tyres were already thirty laps old. The McLarens were driving more than a second per lap faster, but they were too far behind to really attack. Norris eventually cruised to the finish line and secured the title.
Results and notable performances
Leclerc drove a strong race and finished fourth. Russell later lost pace due to tyre problems and finished fifth. Fernando Alonso came in just behind him with a late overtaking manoeuvre. Esteban Ocon defended well and maintained his position against Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton had a disappointing weekend, but still sought out the champion immediately to congratulate him.
Important moments summarised
- McLaren split the starting strategy: Piastri on hard tyres, Norris on medium tyres.
- Piastri put pressure on Verstappen right from the start, forcing him to work harder.
- Russell's early undercut on Leclerc accelerated pit stops and temporarily put Norris in traffic.
- Tsunoda tried to block, but Norris still managed to pass him.
- In the end, the McLarens proved to be faster, but too far behind to still be able to win.
Conclusion
McLaren took a clever approach. The combination of Piastri's long stint and Norris's tyre management proved decisive. Norris secured the title for the team after 17 years. It was a strategic triumph of teamwork and a well-deserved result for the young driver.
WORKS!
8 December 2025 | DTM
Güven opts for WEC and Le Mans
It's official: Ayhancan Güven will not defend his DTM title in 2026. In a post on Instagram, the champion announced that he will not be driving in the DTM next year and will instead compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship. This will also mark his debut at Le Mans.
Güven, who was recently appointed factory driver by Porsche, will race for Manthey in the LMGT3 class. He will lead the driver trio in the second Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo; the team is expected to announce the names of his teammates in mid-December.
Reason for the choice and consequences for DTM
Manthey said he would have liked to continue with Güven in the DTM, but that the driver and Porsche have opted for the WEC programme. This decision is in line with Güven's plans to focus on the transition to Formula E at the end of 2026. The 2026 season will be a transitional year for him to prepare for that step.
There are several practical reasons for this. Güven still has little formula experience, although he did drive an impressive rookie test for Formula E in Berlin. In addition, he needs FIA licence points for a Formula E licence. There are more points to be earned in the LMGT3 class of the WEC than in the DTM, which makes the choice logical. He can also gain experience in long-distance racing in the WEC, and he will probably remain involved in classics such as the 24-Stunden-Rennen at the Nürburgring.
Rumour has it that the Porsche organisation helped drive this shift, partly to prepare Güven optimally for the electric class. Manthey confirmed that they are delighted with his arrival at the WEC and that they want to take the next step together.
For the DTM, Güvens' departure means that Manthey is looking for a replacement. Ricardo Feller is expected to take his place.
Looking back on Güven's DTM career
Güven looks back on his time in the DTM with mixed feelings. He made his debut in 2022 at the Norisring, where he replaced Nick Cassidy at AF Corse through the Red Bull connection and immediately impressed with a third place on the grid. That opportunity led to a permanent spot and ultimately to three strong years culminating in the championship.
He describes his departure as not an easy decision, but also reflects on what he has achieved: from substitute driver to DTM champion and now a step closer to an international endurance racing career and Formula E.
- Güven will not defend his DTM title in 2026
- He will be competing in the FIA WEC, LMGT3 class, in 2026.
- Le Mans debut is on the agenda
- Manthey to announce teammates in mid-December
- Considerations: Formula E preparation, FIA licence points, more WEC points
- Likely successor at Manthey in DTM: Ricardo Feller
6 December 2025 | Formula 1
Situation for the title race
The championship comes down to Abu Dhabi. Lando Norris has the best chance. He is 12 points ahead of Max Verstappen. According to reports, Oscar Piastri is four points further back.
Both McLaren drivers appeared together at a mandatory FIA press conference. That was their only media activity this Thursday in Abu Dhabi. However, that choice is fuelling all kinds of speculation.
Parliamentary uproar in Australia
In Australia, the story took a strange turn. A parliamentary committee cited Piastri and McLaren's alleged bias. This arose partly from the team's choice in Qatar. McLaren did not immediately bring its cars in under an early safety car. According to critics, this cost Piastri the victory.
The incident in Qatar limited Piastri's advance on Norris. It also made room for Verstappen to overtake Piastri in the standings. As a result, Piastri is now considered the biggest underdog of the three.
Piastri responded with surprise and delight that his name had even been mentioned in parliament. He described the support from Australia as extraordinary and said he would do his best to celebrate it at home.
Media claims versus facts
An Australian report stated that Piastri had been banned from his national media and that Norris had separate sessions. That is not correct.
McLaren decided not to schedule any additional voluntary media appointments in Abu Dhabi. This applied to all media outlets. Norris also did not hold a separate briefing with British newspapers. The decision was made by the team. Neither Norris nor Piastri requested any additional media appointments.
Why the rumour persists
The underlying unrest is not new. Fans and journalists have been pointing out cases for months where it seems that Norris was given preferential treatment. There were some notable race decisions that led to discussion. Piastri's poor performance in the US and Mexico also fuelled the doubt.
- In some races, Norris was given strategic choices that sharpened him in comparison to Piastri.
- In Italy, Piastri was asked to let Norris pass again after an unintentional undercut.
- Piastri experienced a dip in form in the US and Mexico, which may have been due to technical reasons.
- Piastri's strong comeback in Qatar made the situation even more sensitive.
What McLaren says
The team consistently emphasises that it does not favour any particular driver. McLaren provides technical explanations for the results. For example, some circuits require grip and a driving style that suits one driver more than another.
Nevertheless, the narrative persists. Minor errors or unfortunate team orders reinforce the perception of inequality. It is challenging to completely refute this.
About missing FP1
Some saw Piastri's absence in FP1 as evidence of a conspiracy. In reality, it has to do with mandatory rookie sessions. Abu Dhabi is one of the least relevant FP1s. It is a daytime race on a dirty circuit, so many teams use that session for young drivers.
Conclusion
The case revolves around reputation and perception as much as it does around facts. McLaren attempted to avoid additional distractions by not planning any voluntary media appearances. Nevertheless, old incidents and ambiguities continue to fuel the discussion.
Whether there really is favouritism has not been proven. The rumours will only die down if the team is consistently open and the results speak for themselves. For now, Abu Dhabi remains the arbiter of sporting judgement.
6 December 2025 | DTM
Test at Le Castellet
The first test with the Pirelli tyres specially developed for DTM did not go as planned. During the two-day test on 26 and 27 November in Le Castellet, seven manufacturers tried out two prototype tyres. This quickly caused considerable unrest among the teams.
The core of the problem was severe wear and tear and so-called graining. Mercedes-AMG drivers had to abort their long runs after about eight laps because the tyres became unusable. Other brands, including the Emil Frey Ferrari team, saw the same trend.
Some cars saw their lap times drop significantly in short bursts: one Ferrari lost up to eight seconds in nine laps on one run, while another run showed a loss of four seconds in ten laps. On some tyres, the surface cracked due to overheating.
6 December 2025 | Formula 1
How Verstappen secured pole position
Max Verstappen was there again. He stuck to his simple credo: do your best and accept what you cannot control. That helped him today in Abu Dhabi.
After a difficult start in FP1, Red Bull fought back. On Saturday, they switched to a smaller rear wing. The balance of the car was readjusted. This gave Verstappen the opportunity to drive almost perfect laps at the right moment.
Both of Verstappen's Q3 laps would have been pole positions. The second lap was even faster and did not benefit from a tow from teammate Yuki Tsunoda on the earlier run. Nevertheless, Verstappen was 0.2 seconds faster than the McLarens. Lando Norris was second, Oscar Piastri third.
Strategy and tyre choice
The teams faced a difficult tyre choice. The track quickly gained more grip as the temperature dropped. No one wanted to take the risk of using two sets of soft tyres early on. As a result, many drivers had exactly two sets left for Q2 and Q3.
Red Bull solved this cleverly. Verstappen made only one attempt in Q2 and did so on used tyres. That one fast lap was crucial. He was faster than the times set by Norris and Piastri and was second in Q2, behind George Russell on new tyres.
McLaren went out again on new tyres in Q2, but did not need to complete the run as they were already safe. As a result, Norris and Piastri had to do one of their runs on partially used tyres later in Q3. Verstappen was able to go out twice on fresh tyres. That gave him extra confidence for Q3.
Wing, speed and turns
The smaller rear wing gave Verstappen higher top speeds: approximately 5 km/h more on the back straight and 3 km/h on the pit lane straight. But the most important thing was the balance in slow corners. Verstappen braked later in the chicane (corners 6-7) and in corner 12. He maintained his speed better through those sections.
The McLarens lacked that balance in slow corners. They had slightly more understeer and lost momentum as a result. The sector where McLaren previously had an advantage (sector 3 with slow to medium-speed corners) was suddenly no longer a strong point.
Comments and voting
Oscar Piastri acknowledged that there was little time left to gain. Lando Norris was disappointed. He missed out on a starting position that could have decided the championship. McLaren cited the cooler track and more grip as the reasons for the slight understeer they experienced.
Uncertainties before the race
Whether the qualifying picture will translate into the race remains unclear. The strategic choice — one or two pit stops — remains the big question. Both options are close together.
There is another important difference in tyre stocks. McLaren has two new sets of hard tyres. Verstappen has two new sets of medium tyres. There is insufficient comparative driving to know which choice is better for a longer stint. That makes the title race extra exciting, especially now that the three title contenders are in the top three places.
Other notes on the grid
George Russell set a strong time and will start fourth. He was only 0.1 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc. Leclerc said he almost wanted to abort his Q2 lap five times because the car was so difficult to drive. Lewis Hamilton failed to get past Q1 for the fourth race in a row and was clearly disappointed.
Fernando Alonso and Sauber talent Gabriel Bortoleto were close together on the grid: sixth and seventh, separated by two thousandths. Funnily enough, Andrea Stella — who assisted Alonso at Ferrari in 2010 — is now in a position where he has to make difficult decisions as team boss.
- Top three on the grid: Verstappen, Norris, Piastri
- Important strategic choice: one stop or two stops
- Tyre difference: McLaren two new hards, Verstappen two new mediums
What does this mean for the race?
On paper, Norris only needs to finish third to clinch the title. In practice, however, it remains exciting. Strategy, tyre choice and wheel-to-wheel battles could also change the outcome. And drivers such as Russell or Leclerc could further complicate matters.
In short: Verstappen has pole position and a good starting position. But the race promises to be a tactical chess game. The title could be secured or derailed by the many unknown factors.
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