Oct 25, 2025 | Formula 1
Verstappen sets hefty benchmark in FP2
Max Verstappen was fastest in the second free practice for the Mexican Grand Prix. He set a time of 1m17.392s. This meant he was 0.153s faster than Charles Leclerc. The Red Bull driver drove only one qualifying simulation and then went back for a longer race session.
Floor upgrade and grip problems
Red Bull carried another floor upgrade. The team described the part as a ‘make-from’ update, made from a previously used floor part. During the longer runs, Verstappen complained of little grip. He said: ‘I have no grip. It feels like I'm driving on ice.’ On the rear wing was flow-vis paint to assess airflow.
McLaren and Piastri
Oscar Piastri, frontrunner in the championship, did not get beyond spot 12. This is notable as he leads the championship and still has a buffer in points. Piastri and his teammate Lando Norris drove their race simulations on soft tyres, while many competitors ran on mediums. Norris improved strongly and finished fourth, but Piastri fell short of expectations.
Brief account of the rest
Kimi Antonelli was surprisingly close to the top, finishing third, but he reported early in the session that he suddenly lost drive and got a ‘limp home’ message. Mercedes and Ferrari showed mixed signals: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were fifth and sixth respectively. Yuki Tsunoda completed the top seven for Red Bull.
Aston Martin recorded two top-10 places: Fernando Alonso was eighth and Lance Stroll 10th. Between them, Carlos Sainz set a strong time for Williams. Alex Albon hit the wall at turn ten and as a result did not move beyond spot 19. Williams and Aston Martin seemed to have slightly more margin compared to the rest of the midfield.
Key points
- Verstappen fastest with 1m17.392s.
- Leclerc and Antonelli followed a short distance behind.
- Piastri disappointing 12th; Norris fourth.
- Red Bull with floor upgrade, Verstappen complains of lack of grip.
- Aston Martin and Williams show good single-lap space.
Results FP2
- 1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1m17.392s
- 2 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - +0.153s
- 3 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - +0.174s
- 4 Lando Norris (McLaren) - +0.251s
- 5 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - +0.300s
- 6 George Russell (Mercedes) - +0.437s
- 7 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) - +0.491s
- 8 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - +0.546s
- 9 Carlos Sainz (Williams) - +0.547s
- 10 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - +0.562s
- 11 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - +0.826s
- 12 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - +0.840s
- 13 Esteban Ocon (Haas) - +0.874s
- 14 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - +0.889s
- 15 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) - +0.931s
- 16 Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) - +0.956s
- 17 Ollie Bearman (Haas) - +1.050s
- 18 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - +1.329s
- 19 Alex Albon (Williams) - +1.463s
- 20 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - +1.802s
Oct 25, 2025 | Formula 1
Test at Imola with Sergio Pérez
Cadillac will test a 2023 Ferrari SF-23 at Imola in November. Sergio Pérez will drive the car during the two-day test. It is part of the preparation for their F1 debut in 2026.
Why this test is important
Ferrari was allowed to provide two-year-old cars. Cadillac will borrow the car and run the test itself. The aim is not to achieve maximum lap times. It is mainly about the practical side of racing. Think garage procedures, IT and logistics.
Focus on teamwork and communication
The test should help shape internal working practices. The team practices radio commands and movements in the pit lane. Unambiguous terms and routines are being worked on. This will create a recognisable Cadillac way of working.
Operational tasks they practice
Cadillac wants to gain experience in all kinds of basic tasks that are important on a race weekend. These are examples of what they will practice:
- Filling the car with fuel and related procedures
- The use of tyre warmers and tyre changes
- Car maintenance such as hydraulic bleeding and quick repairs
- Structure and IT in the garage, including data traffic and systems
Pérez back in an F1 car
For Pérez, this is his first F1 test since his last race for Red Bull in Abu Dhabi last year. For him, it is a chance to drive a modern F1 car again. For Cadillac, it is valuable driving experience with a top driver.
Simulations and further preparation
Until now, Cadillac did a lot of preparation in the simulator. They have simulated entire race weekends and partial remote sessions. In November, they will run a full sprint weekend simulation for the first time ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Where the team works
Cadillac builds its organisation in several places. The main operation is at Silverstone. There is windfall testing at Toyota in Cologne. TWG is building a new facility in Fishers, Indiana. Cadillac is also using centres of GM and Cadillac itself for technology and development. There will also be a new GM Performance Power Units headquarters in North Carolina for engine development.
Next steps
The Imola test represents a practical step towards 2026. Virtual testing remains important, but nothing replaces working in a real garage. With this test, Cadillac aims to establish routines, let teams work together and experience what happens on a real circuit.
Oct 24, 2025 | Formula 1
McLaren opts for the future
McLaren stopped major upgrades to the 2025 car. The team is now focusing all resources on 2026. According to team boss Andrea Stella, going ahead would have greatly disadvantaged the 2026 project. McLaren wants to become a future champion. For that, a competitive 2026 car is needed.
Red Bull chose a different path
Instead, Red Bull continued to develop in full this year. In late September, at Monza, many changes came. A new front wing and a modified floor design visibly changed performance. Since that upgrade, Max Verstappen won three out of four races. The modifications brought more downforce and better tyre usage. Verstappen was also able to tune the car more to his liking.
Mexico update: smart reuse
For the Mexico Grand Prix, Red Bull once again brought a modified floor and a change to the engine cover. The team calls this a “make-from” update. That means they reused an existing design rather than making something entirely new. Paul Monaghan, chief engineer, praised the work from Milton Keynes. He said the team members were able to do this even though they are working on 2026 at the same time.
Why McLaren acted differently
McLaren did not bring any major upgrades since July. The last major change was a completely new floor at the British Grand Prix. The team felt that further development of the 2025 car was of little benefit. Aerodynamically, that car was already almost in its maximum development. Any small gains cost a lot of time and resources.
- McLaren wants to win championships in the future.
- The 2026 car delivers much bigger benefits every week.
- As champions, McLaren has less wind tunnel and CFD time under the rules.
- The yield from additional 2025 development was limited.
Limitations by testing rules
F1 rules give fewer wind tunnel and CFD hours to the winning team. McLaren won last season. As a result, it had less testing time than some competitors in 2025. Stella said it takes weeks to add one percentage point of aerodynamic efficiency. For 2026, the team is adding much more downforce every week. Therefore, they decided to shift their resources to next year.
Red Bull's motivation and risk
Red Bull says it was struggling with its development methods for a year. The through-developments in 2025 would simultaneously serve as validation of their tools and methods. Successful upgrades will help this season and also give confidence for 2026. McLaren believes this would make Red Bull willing to sacrifice some of the 2026 project. McLaren simply saw less benefit in piercing the 2025 project.
Conclusion
The choice is a strategic consideration. Red Bull gambled on quick wins this year and cleverly reused existing solutions. McLaren opted for longer term. It sacrificed short-term upgrades to come back stronger in 2026. Both strategies have logical reasons and clear risks.
Oct 24, 2025 | DTM
Porsche confirms: Manthey will stay
Porsche has now officially denied rumours of a possible sale of Manthey. A spokesperson says the reports have no basis and a sale is not planned. With this, Porsche's 51 per cent shareholding in Manthey Racing GmbH seems secure.
Why did the denial come later?
Last week, Porsche did not comment directly, asking for understanding that it did not want to comment on speculation. The reticence is partly due to the fact that Porsche is a listed company. With stock market-sensitive information, a company must communicate very carefully so as not to cause market manipulation or mislead investors.
At the same time, Porsche is undergoing an ongoing review of its portfolio of holdings. Due to a sharp drop in profits this year and the announced departure of some of its staff, Porsche was reviewing all participations for their role and usefulness. This explains why an immediate denial took some time.
What does Manthey mean for Porsche?
Manthey is much more than an external racing team for Porsche. The Nürburgring-based company provides, among other things:
- Porsche Track Experience and branded cups,
- maintenance, construction and final assembly of Porsche race cars,
- race division delivery and logistics support.
The partnership is deep-rooted. Manthey was founded in 1996 by Olaf Manthey. In 2013, Manthey merged with Raeder Automotive and since then Martin and Nicolas Raeder have been co-owners and directors. Porsche has been a shareholder since that merger. Olaf Manthey remains active as an advisor and shareholder.
Given that close relationship, a sale would have had a clear impact on Porsche's racing business. With the official word now seems clear: Manthey remains Porsche's extended arm in racing for now.
Oct 24, 2025 | Formula 1
What has been announced?
Damon Hill, 1996 world champion, and Johnny Herbert, three-time Grand Prix winner, are releasing a new podcast together. The series is being created in collaboration with The Race and The Athletic. The first episodes will appear at the end of October 2025. That coincides with the decisive phase of the F1 season.
Format and frequency
The podcast is called Stay on Track With Damon Hill & Johnny Herbert. Each month, Hill and Herbert record an episode. Both episodes appear as audio and video. This gives room for analysis, anecdotes and casual conversations.
What to expect
- Instant analysis of the latest grands prix and news.
- Personal stories from their racing careers.
- Critical, often humorous observations from their experience as drivers and pundits.
Additional podcast with Mark Hughes
In addition, Hill is starting a second monthly podcast together with British F1 journalist Mark Hughes. That series is called The Undercut with Damon Hill & Mark Hughes and begins in mid-November. The focus is on deeper analyses of both current F1 and the history of the sport.
Availability
The audio versions will be available via Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast apps. The video versions will be on YouTube, on The Race and The Race Podcasts channels.
Background to cooperation
The Race and The Athletic have been working together since 2022. Together, they have built a portfolio of multiple motorsport podcasts. Their network reaches an audience of millions of views and listeners every month. The new episodes are part of a recently concluded multi-year partnership between the two parties.
Comments
Hill said he is happy with the two different podcast formats. He looks forward to looking back with Herbert in a light-hearted way and going deeper into key themes of the sport with Hughes. Herbert called Hill a fascinating interlocutor. He expects them to complement each other well and have a lot of fun.
Appreciation was also expressed from media partners. The Race called the partnership a logical next step to create sports content that is both expert and entertaining. The Athletic sees the addition of Hill and Herbert as a significant enhancement to their motorsport offering.
Why this is of interest to fans
For fans, this means more background information and unique stories from people who have been at the top of the sport. The combination of short, monthly episodes and both audio and video formats makes it easy to stay tuned in, no matter how you prefer to consume.
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