StadiumPosts Logo
Stay upto date with notifications from Stadiumposts
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences

ANALYTICAL: CAN OSCAR PIASTRI OVERCOME FP1 LOSS TO WIN F1 TITLE

Oscar Piastri's F1 title hopes face a hurdle as he must sit out FP1 in Abu Dhabi due to rookie rules, giving rivals an edge. McLaren confirms free racing with Lando Norris.

Analytical: Can Oscar Piastri Overcome FP1 Loss to Win F1 Title
Rookie Pato O'Ward Replaces Piastri for Practice

Oscar Piastri might face a small disadvantage in the Formula 1 season's final race. He'll be stepping aside during a practice session in Abu Dhabi to let a rookie driver take the wheel.

Last weekend in Qatar, Piastri had a good shot at closing the gap with Lando Norris in the Drivers' Championship. A bad strategy from McLaren, which chose not to pit during a safety car period, cost him a spot on the podium.

Max Verstappen was able to get ahead, and Piastri couldn't catch him, finishing second. Norris ended up fourth after a difficult race. It wasn't the best result for Piastri. He was quick all weekend and could have gone into the Abu Dhabi race with a good chance of winning the title.

He still has a chance, but it will be harder because he has to sit out FP1 due to F1 rules. At the Mexico Grand Prix, Norris and eight other drivers gave up their seats to a young replacement.

F1 rules say a team must have a rookie driver in the car for two practice sessions a year—two for each car. Norris did this one last time in Mexico.

Piastri still needs to give up a practice session. It will be at the Abu Dhabi GP. The timing isn't great since Piastri is still in the title race.

Pato O'Ward replaced Norris in Mexico and will now replace Piastri. The Mexico event is good for rookie drivers because it's a track with no sprint events.

The same is true for Abu Dhabi, but it doesn't seem to help Piastri. It gives his rivals a practice session to get used to the track. Neither Norris nor Verstappen has to give up their seat.

Seven other teams still need to have a rookie driver in FP1 at the final event. If a team starts the season with a rookie driver, they only have to hand over one car twice.

Fans feel bad for Piastri. McLaren said the drivers can race freely in the final race. Verstappen could still finish as champion in 2025, even though it didn't look like it halfway through the season. He's 12 points behind Norris and four ahead of Piastri. If Norris doesn't get a podium finish and Verstappen wins, he'll take the title.

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris can race without team orders.

This has led to questions about whether McLaren will ask Piastri to support Norris during the race. But McLaren boss Andrea Stella said their approach won't change for the final race.

Our approach will not change, he said after Qatar. We will let both Oscar and Lando compete.

Stella brought up the time three drivers were in the running to win, only for an unlikely winner to appear. It happened with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 and Sebastian Vettel in 2010.

Oscar can win the title, Stella said. We've seen a third driver win before.

We saw it in 2007 and 2010, and Oscar is fast. He deserves to perform well. We will let the drivers race each other. It's important for us that we can beat Verstappen with one of our drivers.

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.

top-news
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.

top-news
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.

Premier League Standings

WhatsApp Read More News