MAX VERSTAPPEN ADDRESSES MCLAREN CONTROVERSY, SLAMS PERCEIVED BIAS CLAIM
Max Verstappen responds to claims McLaren is favouring Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri in the F1 title fight. The Red Bull driver also assesses his own "50-50" championship chances with six races left.
Claims that McLaren is favouring Lando Norris over colleague Oscar Piastri in the race for the F1 championship have been addressed by Max Verstappen.
The United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas will kick off the final quarter of the 2025 Formula One season on Friday night.
There is drama on the grid with just six race weekends remaining, but nowhere more so than at the top, where Piastri and Norris, partners at McLaren, are vying for the Drivers' Championship.
With only 22 points separating them on the table, emotions between the two seem to be stronger than ever after their dramatic collision during the previous race at Singapore's Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Following the incident in Singapore, many fans accused McLaren of favouring Norris in the fight for the championship. Current champion Max Verstappen responded to this accusation before the US Grand Prix.
McLaren's well-known "papaya regulations", which allowed both drivers to compete on the track as long as they kept the fight fair, had been the subject of much discussion during the season.
However, the Woking-based team came under fire for favouring the British player in the title chase after they chose not to discipline Norris for momentarily hitting a teammate in Singapore after he launched an aggressive attack from fifth place.
In response to a question about whether he believes that to be the case and whether it would improve his chances of catching the two in the title race, Verstappen joked, "Yes."
Does it assist me? I am not sure. To be honest, I have no idea. Additionally, I do not care because I have no say in what the team decides or how they function as a unit.
"They do what they believe to be right and do it very well, which is evident from their speed and actions during the past few years.
"What matters to me is that we just maximise our potential when we get to the racecourse. We have control over it as long as we can accomplish that.
Verstappen identifies his prospects of taking home the 2025 championship.
With 273 points thus far this season, Verstappen sits 41 points behind Norris and 63 points ahead of championship leader Piastri.
Therefore, many would argue that Verstappen's prospects of keeping his title are at best modest, even with Red Bull's recent upgrades.
The Dutchman, however, expressed his belief that he has a good chance of winning the title before the US Grand Prix.
"I have a 50-50 chance of winning or losing," Verstappen said.
"Being realistic is more important than whether or not you believe in it. We were undoubtedly not vying for the championship throughout the majority of the season.
We have had some positive results lately, and I know that I can be there in those races where the car can move quickly. I would think it is as easy as that.
KIM KARDASHIAN AND LEWIS HAMILTON SPOTTED ON ROMANTIC EUROPEAN TOUR TOGETHER
Kim Kardashian and F1 star Lewis Hamilton are turning heads across Europe as insiders reveal Kim's "Russell Wilson" nickname.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton are the latest celebrity duo making waves, and apparently, Kim’s already got a cheeky nickname for him. The two have been spotted out together in the Cotswolds, London, and Paris, just enjoying themselves and turning a few heads in the process.
Word is, Kim’s close friends are spilling a few details about this new romance. One insider claims Lewis isn’t looking to settle down right now, but Kim still has a special name for him—she calls him “her Russell Wilson”. If you know the reference, it’s a nod to NFL star Russell Wilson, who married singer Ciara after her high-profile breakup with rapper Future. Friends say Kim thinks of Lewis as a “sophisticated upgrade” from her ex, Kanye West.
Kim and Kanye—now legally known as Ye—were married from 2014 to 2021 and share four kids. Their co-parenting relationship is famously complicated.
Kim’s reportedly a bit anxious about how Kanye will react to her new thing with Lewis, considering Kanye and Lewis were friends back in the day. One source told the Mail, “They’re both cautious about Kanye’s feelings since he and Lewis go way back. Kim’s living for herself these days, but she doesn’t want to poke the bear. They know this could set Kanye off, so they’re keeping it light and just having fun for now.”
Kim and Lewis first crossed paths years ago at GQ’s 2014 Men of the Year Awards. Back then, they both showed up with their now-exes—Kim was with Ye, and Lewis was with Nicole Scherzinger.
Kanye even had Lewis over for Easter one year. He talked about it: “Lewis Hamilton’s over at my house, and we’re playing some music in my studio. We’re having Easter brunch—my wife’s family, my friends, everyone’s there. And everybody’s like, ‘What is this music?’ and I’m like, ‘It’s Lewis Hamilton’s music.’”
Since splitting from Ye, Kim’s dated Pete Davidson and moved on. Kanye’s remarried, too—this time to Australian architect Bianca Censori.
Those two have been in the headlines a lot, usually for their wild fashion choices. Things got especially wild when Bianca showed up at the Grammy Awards in a see-through gown. She arrived in a black fur coat but ditched it to reveal a sheer dress that left little to the imagination. People at the event were definitely stunned.
FERRARI SF-26 COMPLETES 121 LAPS IN HISTORIC LEWIS HAMILTON-LECLERC BARCELONA DEBUT
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed a "productive" 121-lap debut for the Ferrari SF-26 during 2026 testing in Barcelona.
Ferrari kicked off its on-track work for the 2026 Formula One season with a steady first day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc split driving duties in the team’s bold new car, and the whole thing felt like the start of a new chapter.
With the 2026 rules shaking up both the chassis and the power unit, Ferrari didn’t chase lap times. They zeroed in on checking systems, making sure their data lined up, and ironing out any reliability kinks. The weather threw a few curveballs—rain, some dry patches—but even so, they got through their plan and stacked up plenty of laps.
Leclerc seemed upbeat after his first taste of the new machine. He said it felt good to get back behind the wheel and start figuring out the car, even if the focus was just on systems and not raw speed. “We came here to understand how everything works,” he said. “With the weather mixed up, today was all about checks. We finished what we set out to do, and the car did what we expected. It’s a solid start and a decent base.”
Hamilton, now officially in Ferrari red, felt the same. For him, it was a busy day—lots of on-track time, plenty of new things to get used to—but he called it productive. “We got good mileage, learnt a lot, and didn’t hit any big issues. That’s what matters with so many changes coming in. This gives us a strong platform for the next few days.”
Ferrari’s Head of Track Engineering, Matteo Togninalli, stressed how important it was just to get through the day cleanly. “Given the conditions, it went well for us,” he said. Rain or not, they racked up the laps and—most importantly—avoided any real reliability problems. That’s the top priority when you’re shaking down a brand-new car and engine.
Performance talk? Still way too early for that. Right now, Ferrari’s just learning how this new car behaves, gathering data, and building up bit by bit as the days go on—keeping their focus squarely on themselves.