ABU DHABI SHOWDOWN: MAX VERSTAPPEN VS. MCLAREN'S INTERNAL TITLE BATTLE
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri head to Abu Dhabi needing a victory to stop Verstappen from clinching a fifth title. Stella emphasises beating the Dutchman is the team's top priority.
Max Verstappen needs just 12 more points to secure his fifth World Title in a row.
Andrea Stella said, "We'll let our drivers race each other, but our top priority is making sure at least one of them can beat Verstappen."
Oscar Piastri is heading into the final race 16 points behind his teammate, Lando Norris, who is currently leading the standings. (Photo: RacePictures)
After McLaren's risky pit stop strategy backfired in Qatar, the threat to their chances of a one-two championship finish is bigger than ever, as Verstappen took advantage of the situation.
Lando Norris is heading to Abu Dhabi with some pressure, needing a P3 finish to clinch the title.
Oscar Piastri's situation is a bit tougher. He needs to gain 17 points on Norris and 5 on Verstappen to grab his first title.
Piastri felt the strategy mix-up cost him the win, putting Stella in a tough spot. He's considering breaking McLaren's rule of not using team orders to make sure a McLaren driver wins the title.
Stella admitted McLaren's errors have hurt their title chances.
"Our main focus as a team is to make sure we're ready to have perfect race weekends," Stella said after their Qatar defeat.
The car has speed, and the drivers are doing great, but in the last few races, we haven't been able to take advantage of that potential, Stella added, referring to the double DSQ in Las Vegas and the choice not to pit during the Safety Car period in Doha.
Stella is ready to use team orders if needed to win the title battle.
With both drivers in the title fight, our approach stays the same. Oscar and Lando can both compete for the championship.
Oscar can still win the title. We've seen situations like this before where a third driver comes out on top.
Think back to 2007 and 2010. Oscar is fast and deserves a chance to show what he can do.
"We'll let the drivers race, but our main goal is to beat Verstappen with one of our drivers," Stella said.
One thing Norris should be aware of going into Abu Dhabi is that history suggests the championship leader often loses when three or more drivers are still in contention at the final race.
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.