F1. Brazil 2025 Review

Driver of the Weekend

Gavin:  And here I thought these cars and these rules meant no overtaking. So many overtakes were completed that I was not sure if I was watching the race or highlights from the distant past. I think it made for a much better race, from both the drivers point of view and for the audience too. The other thing I noticed was a distinct lack of drivers exceeding the track limits, unless you count Lando Norris dipping his tyres on the kerbs to put some water on the track that his team mate, and Championship rival, could come across to put him in the barriers… all above board I assure you, but oh the drama. So if Interlagos can deliver this, why can’t more tracks?

Graeme: That first corner Oscar Piastri error. Who does he think he is, speeding into the corner like that? Seriously though Piastri had every right to eye up the inside gap to Kimi Antonellis left. Antonelli quickly became the meat in the Piastri and Charles Leclerc sandwich as the young Italian’s inexperience shone through when he didn’t leave enough room for the Aussie on the inside. A more experienced driver would’ve done that without incident. But instead, a concertina effect left the innocent Leclerc with no left front tyre and out of the race. Piastri got the 10 second penalty but I think that Antonelli should’ve been punished.

Joshua: Is Oscar Piastri done? Or did he just have a couple of minor misfortunes and a bad strategy? It seems like he was pretty unlucky in the sprint race, with (according to tattle-tale Kimi Antonelli) Lando splashing some water on the track before Oscar slid off, closely followed by Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto.

Then in the race Piastri goes for a move, locks up and justifiably gets a 10 second penalty for effectively knocking Leclerc out of the race. But then he recovers well and is lapping better than the cars around him, on soft tyres 10 laps newer than Landos….. only for McLaren to pit him again. Did they sacrifice his chance at a better finish to maintain “Papaya Rules” and avoid putting him on a better strategy than Lando? The internet is ablaze with rumours of favouritism once again.

Chelsea: Oscar Piastri’s race, and possibly championship, was doomed seconds into the race when he nudged Kimi Antonelli on the first corner. Despite emerging in second place, with the tantalising prospect of 70 laps to come, he was soon handed a 10 second penalty for causing the collision. Stewards have some discretion around such incidents and will often put similar clashes down as “racing incidents” without handing down consequences, but not this time. Unfortunate, and arguably unfair – personally I believe that any first lap incidents outside egregious breaches should be waved aside. Remind me of this when it’s not my favourites at the receiving end.

Gossip Time

Aiden: Martin Brundle comes across as more of a Phil Collins, Sting type fan when it comes to music, but I’m ready to out him as more of a rock/metal obsessive. After his interactions with the late Ozzy Osborne on the grid in years gone by, and his chat with Axl Rose in Hungary, this week it was Billy Idol at 69 years young, followed by Linkin Park. Next year I want him to jump on stage with AC/DC at the Australian Grand Prix and then try and reunite Pink Floyd at Silverstone. Come on Martin, Bob Geldof got Dave Gilmour and Roger Waters talking again, you can do it!

Gavin: Could the weekend have been any worse for Ferrari? Charles Leclerc looked ok in race trim but was taken out by the Oscar Piastri / Kimi Antonelli incident. Oscar ended up with a 10 second penalty, I thought that was harsh but it still meant a Ferrari was out. Lewis Hamilton tried but had to retire halfway through the race due to the damage he had on the floor of the car. After the race he described his time with the Scuderia so far as a “nightmare” that he has “been living for a while”. Ferrari chairman John Elkann responded with a terse message stating that his drivers “need to focus on driving and talk less”. I wonder where the axe will fall, on the team principal, or on the drivers?

Graeme: All drivers have now been announced for next year with the exception of the 2 teams in the Red Bull stable, Red Bull themselves & the Racing Bulls. Max Verstappen of course is confirmed, but who will partner him? After stepping into the top team after 2 races earlier this year, Yuki Tsunoda has done nothing all year so surely his time is up. He’s been one of those drivers on the grid who has been there for a few years but has never shone out. Lance Stroll is another, but don’t get me started on him! From a purely biased point of view, I hope Liam Lawson keeps his seat, with Isack Hadjar odds on to partner Max.

Joshua: Can Lewis Hamilton really cope with another year at Ferrari? I worry about this guy. Every time it seems like there might be light at the end of the tunnel for him, it turns out to be an oncoming train of something else going horribly wrong. He had like 3 separate crashes and altercations on the first lap alone. Is he OK?

It’s not really gossip, but you had to feel for Bortoletto. First Brazilian driver in a home grand prix for ages and he has perhaps the biggest crash of the season to date in the sprint race, before also quickly crashing out of the grand prix too. It was painful watching his friends and family in the garage. Also, can we have every race at Interlagos please? Finally a track where you can overtake and where the risky option of more pit stops pulls through. What a cracking race, for most of the middle part it was constantly topsy-turvy with pit stops and endless passing. More please!

Chelsea: A clearly vexed John Elkann, chairman of Ferrari, vented his frustration this week. “We need drivers who think more about Ferrari and less about themselves.” Ouch. I’m not entirely sure how that relates to a weekend where both drivers were effectively eliminated through no fault of their own, but go off. Perhaps Elkann is looking at the recent rise of rookie Ollie Bearman, whose second half of the season is markedly improved on his first (average placing of 10 from 13, and 8th across his last five starts) and idealising what the babyfaced Briton could do were he only given a chance. Either way, not the best way to motivate two drivers who had a genuinely rubbish weekend.

Looking Ahead

Aiden: More Norris dominance? Perhaps. But even though I think the Briton will eventually prevail in the championship race, I still think Piastri will take it to the last weekend. As for Vegas (baby) I’m going out on a limb and predicting a George Russell/Max Verstappen 1-2. When it comes to the coverage, one can only hope Jenson Button is ok given the likely return of Danica Patrick. Maybe Craig Slater can be in-between them…

Gavin: Next up is Las Vegas where the race is so late that television viewers see nothing of the city and Sky commentators have to tell us about what a tough life they have. The good thing for us here on the other side of the world in Aotearoa is that the race is on at a decent time, I only have to decide if I want an early dinner or am I prepared to wait until after the race. Now, if only Danica Patrick is a no-show then it will be a perfect weekend. For the race itself I expect Max Verstappen to do his best to upset the McLaren dominance, and I predict Oscar Piastri will be right back in the thick of it as I think this is his last chance to get the momentum back.

Graeme: Do we dare crown Lando Norris this years Champion yet? It’s certainly his to lose now, with 3 races and a sprint to go and ahead of second by 24 points. But no one is going to dare say that. It’s feels weird writing this after I was sick of him last year, but I’d love to see Max Verstappen win Vegas and Qatar to put some real pressure on the McLarens above him in the standings heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi. How good would it be for it all to go down to the final race?

Joshua: 5pm Sunday race time in New Zealand for Vegas grand prix. Can’t ask for better than that.