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MAX VERSTAPPEN POISED TO INCREASE LEAD AS FERRARI APPROACHES MAJOR RECORD

Max Verstappen aims to extend his F1 lead in Mexico as Ferrari's winless streak hits one year. McLaren's Stella admits Red Bull holds the "most competitive car and driver combination" currently.

Max Verstappen Poised To Increase Lead As Ferrari Approaches Major Record
Max Verstappen - Red Bull, Image credit: Getty Images

This weekend in Mexico will mark Ferrari's one-year winless streak, and it appears that the wait will carry on as Red Bull's Max Verstappen tries to unseat McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Verstappen, a four-time world champion, is attempting an incredible comeback in Formula One, aiming for a fourth victory in the last five grand prix after falling behind Piastri by 104 points at the end of August and now leading by 40.

Carlos Sainz won the last Ferrari race in Mexico on October 27 of last year. Verstappen finished an unhappy sixth after two 10-second penalties, while Norris came in second.

This time, the Spaniard, who is currently with Williams, can be written off, especially after suffering a five-place grid slide in Texas last Sunday.

While teammate Charles Leclerc has six podium finishes, but only one second place in Monaco in May, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, a double winner in Mexico, has yet to place on the podium in 19 starts since joining Ferrari in January.

Verstappen, on the other hand, has five victories at high altitude tracks and will be difficult to defeat.


THE MOST COMPETITIVE CAR AND DRIVER COMBINATION 


Following last Saturday's U.S. Grand Prix sprint race, which the Dutchman won from pole position, McLaren CEO Andrea Stella stated, "I think the most competitive combination of car and driver at the moment seems to be Verstappen and Red Bull."

He named Brazil, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi as the final three races where McLaren should do well and be able to take advantage of the features of their car, notably excluding Mexico.

Piastri, who has missed the podium in the last three races and seen his advantage over Norris cut to 14 points, may have another difficult weekend.

Even though he has not won since August in Hungary, Norris has finished on the podium in three of the previous four and may overtake the Australian if he falters once more.

After winning the constructors' title, McLaren is still on track for their first title double since 1998, but George Russell of Mercedes sits in fourth place, 94 points behind Piastri, and almost out of the running.

The issue facing McLaren and Verstappen is that Russell and the Ferrari drivers might still significantly influence the championship result by depriving them of valuable points.

According to Red Bull CEO Laurent Mekies, "we are in a scenario where you go to a race weekend and you have three or four teams who can battle for the win if they extract everything their car can offer on the track."

"I believe that the winner of each of the next races will be determined by which of these four teams is mastering the track layout, the weather, the temperatures, and the tyres."

With Yuki Tsunoda's career in jeopardy and Mexico viewed as a possible decision-making cutoff point, Red Bull will also be looking to him to build on his recent progress.

The Japanese has scored 16 points in his last three weekends, which is more than he had taken in his previous 16 rounds, but still a small total when compared to Verstappen's 76 points during the same period.  

Mekies stated, "I will not tell you that is good enough; nobody feels that way, and Yuki does not feel that way."

"All I am saying is that it is a progression in comparison to what has been exhibited thus far, with two races in the points, two excellent starts, and two excellent first laps." 

With Mercedes seven spots ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull three spots behind, the race for second place in the team rankings remains fierce.

While Sauber, Aston Martin, and Racing Bulls are vying for sixth place, Williams appears secure in fifth. 

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.

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Kim and Lewis Hamilton spark a fly in London and Paris sightings

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.

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Lewis Hamilton delivers first verdict on Ferrari SF-26 after "challenging" rain

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.

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