Oct 21, 2025 | Formula 1
What you need to know
Formula 1 travels on to Mexico City. This comes immediately after a spectacular Grand Prix in the United States. That race had major implications for the title race. The circuit in Mexico is at a high altitude. That can affect the performance of the autos.
Time zone and clock change
Mexico City uses Central Standard Time (CST). It is now six hours earlier there than in the Netherlands. Note that in the Netherlands, clocks will be set back one hour at 02:00 on Sunday 26 October. After that, Mexico City is seven hours behind CET.
Schedule in local time (Mexico City)
Friday, 24 October
Saturday 25 October
- FP3: 11:30
- Qualifying: 15:00
Sunday 26 October
- Race - Mexican Grand Prix: 14:00
Schedule in Dutch time (CET)
Below are the times for viewers in the UK. Please note the clock change on the night of Saturday to Sunday.
Friday, 24 October
Saturday 25 October
- FP3: 19:30
- Qualifying: 23:00
Sunday 26 October
- Race - Mexican Grand Prix: 21:00
Practical tip for viewers
Just before watching, check the time. Especially if you are watching in the Netherlands, because of the transition from summer time to winter time. Don't want to miss anything live? Make sure you turn on well in time, especially at qualifying and the start of the race.
Oct 21, 2025 | Formula 1
What happened
In Austin, a Red Bull mechanic tried to move the tape used by Lando Norris as a reference on the grid. This was noticed. The mechanic returned to the grid against instructions from officials and that resulted in a fine. The incident received a lot of attention and raises questions about sportsmanship in the title race.
Why Norris uses tape
F1 grid boxes are 2.7 metres wide. From the cockpit, you cannot see everything. Halo, low seating position and bodywork limit visibility. This makes it difficult to stop at exactly the right spot. If you are too far forward, you can get a penalty. If you are too far back, you lose starting positions.
For this, Norris works on a set routine with his race engineer. The latter sticks a piece of tape on the wall next to his grid spot. The tape is aligned with a fixed point on the car. After the formation lap, that tape allows Norris to stop precisely. This is a well-known method in other forms of motorsport and some other F1 drivers use something similar.
Why Red Bull would try to interfere
The advantage for Red Bull is clear. If you remove or move the tape, you could disrupt Norris' start. That could cause two things:
- He drives too carefully and is too far back, losing places.
- He is too far forward and risks a grid penalty.
Sources report that this is not the first time Red Bull would have tried this. It is, however, the first time they have been caught. McLaren adjusted the fixing of the tape in Austin so that the tape was harder to remove. Possibly that caused the hurried behaviour of the Red Bull mechanic and his return to the grid.
Sportsmanship and the rules
There is no clear rule explicitly forbidding taking someone's tape off the wall. The incident only came into focus because there was a violation with the return to the grid. Still, it touches on sporting conduct.
The FIA has rules about fairness and sporting conduct. The International Sporting Code states that any action that violates the principles of fairness or is intended to unfairly influence the outcome can be an offence. Whether the removal of tape is officially considered unsportsmanlike would depend on a formal complaint and decision by the FIA.
To indicate where the boundary becomes difficult, consider similar examples. These show how vague the boundary can be:
- Moving a helmet or gloves on the grid.
- Switching off heaters in tyres.
- Intentionally interfering with radio communications.
What this means for the title race
The incident shows how seriously both teams are taking this end of the season. Red Bull is looking for every opportunity to make things difficult for its rival. The team said every weekend must be perfect and is working hard to do so.
McLaren has shown it can take measures to protect itself better. It will be interesting to see if McLaren tightens the tape even more in Mexico and if Red Bull persists in trying to interfere.
Conclusion
It was a small but telling incident. Legally, it is not simple to punish it directly. However, it does raise questions about standards and good manners within F1. Expect teams to keep paying attention to such details during the decisive races.
Oct 21, 2025 | Formula 1
In a nutshell
McLaren says it has no major concerns about the title race. Team principal Andrea Stella believes Lando Norris had the speed to win in Austin. The problem was losing position at Turn 1 to Charles Leclerc.
What happened in Austin
Max Verstappen won the United States Grand Prix by almost eight seconds ahead of Norris. After that race, Verstappen is 40 points behind leader Oscar Piastri. Norris is 14 points off Piastri.
Stella stressed that the McLaren's underlying speed was encouraging. Without the battle with Leclerc at the start, he argued, Norris would have had a real chance of victory.
Norris on his race and qualifying
Norris was more nuanced. He found it difficult to get close to Leclerc. As a result, it proved difficult to then really attack Verstappen. According to Norris, part of the problem was in qualifying. He missed a perfect lap and he regretted that.
On strategy, Norris said the team did a good job. He stated that there were options, such as coming in earlier or trying to undercut. But on the soft tyres there are also risks, such as a safety car.
Sprint, set-up and lost data
McLaren lost valuable track data due to an incident in the sprint. Both cars were involved in a collision at Turn 1. This allowed the team to be less aggressive with tuning, such as driving heights. One or two millimetres can make a noticeable difference.
Stella said there was additional pace in the car that they did not fully utilise. He said this will not affect the planned upgrades. The development line remains the same for the rest of the season.
Key points
- McLaren believes the car was fast enough to win.
- Losing position to Leclerc at Turn 1 changed the race.
- Data loss in the sprint limited risky adjustment choices.
- McLaren remains confident of championship chances.
Looking ahead
Stella stressed that the title is still in his own hands. He called for calm and focus. McLaren wants to perform to the maximum and take every opportunity in the remaining races.
Oct 21, 2025 | Formula 1
Rule and brief explanation
Each Formula 1 team must run a 'rookie' twice per car in an FP1 session this season. A rookie is a driver with no more than one Grand Prix start to his name. This is the hard standard that teams must follow.
Some names have already completed the requirement. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) came to their mandatory sessions in Australia and China.
Some drivers don't count. Ollie Bearman already started three times in Grands Prix last year, so he is no longer a rookie. Jack Doohan made his debut in Abu Dhabi last year. So technically, he could have counted as a rookie in Australia. However, Alpine was already using rookies for four sessions, so that situation was not a factor.
Mexico and notable names
Several young drivers are again on the list for the Mexico weekend. Williams puts in F2 driver Luke Browning. Aston Martin has Jak Crawford driving. Red Bull chooses Arvid Lindblad.
Crawford makes his first FP1 appearance in Formula 1. For Browning and Lindblad, it is their second free practice of the season.
In addition, IndyCar winner Pato O'Ward returns in a McLaren for an FP1 session.
Confirmed FP1 smoke runs by team
The table below shows the stakes known so far per team and per race.
- McLaren (3): Alex Dunne - Austria, Italy; Pato O'Ward - Mexico.
- Ferrari (2): Dino Beganovic - Bahrain, Austria.
- Red Bull (3): Ayumu Iwasa - Bahrain; Arvid Lindblad - Great Britain, Mexico.
- Mercedes (3): Kimi Antonelli - Australia, China; Frederick Vesti - Bahrain.
- Aston Martin (3): Felipe Drugovich - Bahrain, Hungary; Jak Crawford - Mexico.
- Alpine (4): Jack Doohan - Australia (not counted as a rookie); Paul Aron - three times (Italy + 2 races to be determined); Ryo Hirakawa - Japan.
- Haas (2): Ryo Hirakawa - Bahrain, Spain.
- Racing Bulls (2): Isack Hadjar - Australia, China.
- Williams (3): Luke Browning - Bahrain, Mexico; Victor Martins - Spain.
- Sauber (4): Gabriel Bortoleto - Australia, China; Paul Aron - Great Britain, Hungary.
What stands out?
Teams actively rotate riders. Some juniors drive for several teams in separate sessions. This provides extra experience for the young drivers. For teams, it is also a way to test talent without changing racing seats.
Oct 20, 2025 | Formula 1
Zak Brown reacted quickly and emotionally after the chain reaction crash in Turn 1 during the Austin sprint. His first statement was clear: he pointed to Nico Hulkenberg as the culprit, calling it amateurish driving in his opinion and stating that Hulkenberg hit Oscar Piastri. Later, Brown corrected himself on television and personally sent both Saubers team boss Jonathan Wheatley and Hulkenberg an apology text. That series of actions exposes the tension and stress within Formula 1.
The dynamics of a heat moment
In the heat of the moment, those involved often point in one direction. Brown did the same. He was on the pit wall, emotion high, two McLarens out and a world title race at stake. Wheatley acknowledged that emotion and downplayed the issue: 'he said it in the heat of the moment'. This makes it clear that public reactions from team leaders do not always reflect the final assessment of an incident.
Going back on your words: weakness or responsible leadership?
Brown chimed in after reviewing the footage. This is relevant. A public correction and personal apology do not show weakness. They show responsibility. In a world where public statements escalate quickly, a quick rectification has a calming effect. Brown chose to take responsibility for his earlier words and rectify the situation to the team involved and the driver.
Team internal assessment versus media pressure
McLaren decides to assess the clash between Norris and Piastri internally. Andrea Stella said a direct confrontation in Austin would be more distracting than beneficial and that 'reset' was a priority. That makes sense. Teams operate at the cutting edge. Taking out a rival in Turn 1 not only destroys race opportunities but also creates media pressure. Keeping things internal allows a team to look more rationally at cause, context and proportionate action.
Precedent and consequences
It refers to an earlier McLaren review after Singapore, which showed that Norris bore responsibility and received unspecified consequences. That precedent works both ways. It makes it clear that McLaren is willing to sanction driving behaviour if it fits within their racing framework. At the same time, it illustrates why public accusations from opponents must be weighed carefully. Too quick a public condemnation can undermine internal procedures or create expectations that are later not met.
What does Austin teach us about leadership and reputation in Formula 1?
First: passion remains a core value. Wheatley rightly mentions it: this is a passionate sport and emotions run high when two championship cars go out at the first corner. Second: mastery and process win in the long run. Brown did what was sensible: he corrected his position, contacted personally and did not let the incident become a permanent dispute between teams.
Conclusion
The events in Austin show the tension line between emotion and professional management. Zak Brown's initial reaction reflected the natural reaction of a team leader whose interests have been affected. His quick retraction and apology show that responsibility is more important than scoring points in the media. The same is true for McLaren: public condemnation helps little if the team wants to make its internal race framework and consistency policy work. In that balance between passion and control lies the key to both on-track success and credible off-track leadership.
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