Motorsports
Saint: “Ferrari is a young team that is constantly learning and maturing”
With the looming loss of this year’s F1 titles to Max Verstappen and RBR, and after months of harsh criticism of Ferrari, Carlos Sainz has stated the obvious: that the Scuderia is being built now to make it – perhaps as early as 2023 – to championship level.
Since the Hungarian Grand Prix at the end of July, the Maranello team has lost its stride in F1-75 development against Max Verstappen’s Red Bull RB18, which has emerged as the leading car in the second half of this F1 season – giving the Dutchman the Victory enabled last 5 GPs and essentially his back-to-back championship.
The Ferrari F1-75 hasn’t slowed down, as demonstrated during a round of qualifying tests in Budapest and Zandvoort in the Netherlands. What she has lost is the ability she had in the first half of the season to control the tires, making her uncompetitive in Sunday’s races.
But back home in Monza, Italy, the Scuderia entered the race much more competitively than expected at a track perfectly suited to the RB18, and although Charles Leclerc missed out on the win over Max Verstappen there, it left encouraging signs for their attempt to recover . And at the same time she left Mercedes far behind, who had gradually become a threat to her.
“If I hadn’t had the penalty, we would have put a lot of pressure on Max with two cars in the fight for the lead.” said Carlos Sainz on Ferrari’s performance at the Milan circuit. “But unfortunately I had the penalty, we couldn’t separate the strategy (after the virtual safety car) so we let Max choose the opposite strategy from Charles.
I think if we stop taking penalties and go to tracks that are more convenient for us, like in Singapore, and I’m fighting, then we’ll have two cars to play the game with Max. And then I think we’ll be in a better position. My absence from fighting for the top (at Monza) with my pace was crucial I think.”
Coupled with the criticism Ferrari received earlier this year for some strategic mistakes and reliability issues, the Spaniard commented on the F1-75’s performance at Monza “It was a good reaction from our team that is developing, a team that is learning a lot from this difficult season and that has made a big leap compared to last year to put us back in the fight for wins.
But we still make mistakes, we still learn. We are a new team and are still at the beginning of our cooperation. I think we’ve made progress this year and although the second half of the season was difficult, we’ve gained enough knowledge to use in the final races of the year and also next season.” closed.
“I want the rest of our year to go smoothly, especially given what happened to us this year. I want the last part of the year to be quiet and less unexpected things happening to us so that we can get into a rhythm for the new year that we get another chance.
We must try to improve some areas such as B. the reliability and stability of our performance. We have to remember that this year we faced a team like Red Bull that does everything perfectly. We have to learn from that and become the team that works like this next year.” said the 27-year-old.
Finally, speaking about the harsh – and sometimes unfair – criticism Scuderia had received for their mistakes this year, Saint concluded: “It was something I had been warned about. They told me to be prepared because the press in Italy is going to be very tough. But you only realize that when you’re part of the team. I’ve read a lot of criticism about that Team, but that’s part of it. It’s nice to be part of such a big organization and such a legendary team in the automotive world. I don’t see that as a problem.”
Source: sport 24
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According to reports in the Italian media, the Ferrari team has made a decision about race engineer Lewis Hamilton for the 2026 season.
Riccardo Adami has been working with the seven-time world champion since the Briton moved to the Scuderia in January 2025. But there were a few strange and resonant radio conversations between them throughout the season.
During the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton appeared confused by the lack of information from his engineer, and at the Miami round he reacted strongly to the situation, issuing team orders and advising the team to “drink some tea” after Charles Leclerc refused to let him pass.
At the Monaco Grand Prix, Riccardo Adami asked Hamilton: “Are you mad at me?” There was another incident where he ignored her request. Ferrari later announced that the engineer had left the pit wall at that time.
A similar situation was repeated after the last race of the season. During the radio exchange, Hamilton thanked the team and the race engineer for their cooperation, but received no response. The Briton then asked if they had heard him and received an explanation that the team were talking to each other at the time.
At the end of the season, team principal Fred Vasser said the Scuderia would review Hamilton’s inner circle to improve their results. And it looks like the decision has already been made.
According to Italian publication Auto Racer, Ferrari has decided to retain Riccardo Adami as Hamilton’s race engineer for 2026. The most important reason for this was a “very positive” private dinner between the pilot and the engineer.
The team expects to take a serious step forward in 2026 in light of new technical regulations. Next season could be decisive for Hamilton because 2026 is considered the last year of his current contract with Ferrari.
His first season in the Scuderia was a difficult one for the Briton. Hamilton finished the championship in sixth place using the problematic SF-25 car, but lost 86 points to his teammate.
Hamilton went a season without a podium for the first time in his career, while Leclerc scored seven goals. Of particular concern was the seven-time champion’s deteriorating qualifying form later in the year.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Max Verstappen admitted he has been pleasantly surprised by how fans have supported him throughout the 2025 season as he chases an improbable fifth Formula 1 title.
For most of the year, the Dutch driver was not seen as a real challenger for the championship as McLaren dominated the top of the peloton. After the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, Verstappen was 104 points behind the leader in the standings, having led nine stages.
But in the following races, the Red Bull driver gradually closed the gap and unexpectedly received significant support from the fans – unlike previous seasons, he confidently rushed to the championships without any serious intrigue.
Commenting on the change in the fans’ attitude, Verstappen admitted that it surprised him:
“It’s weird. Of course, when you find yourself being the underdog, people start to support you more.
But maybe they’re finally starting to understand who I really am.”
As a result, Verstappen was only two points behind the championship title; McLaren driver Lando Norris won the crown.
The Dutch actor also denied that his character had changed in any way over the past year. According to him, he has always remained true to himself and his principles:
“I’m not trying to be fake in the paddock or anywhere else. It’s not about me.”
It’s easy to forget when you have so much success in Formula 1. That’s why it’s important to have people around you who can tell you the truth if you start acting weird.
“I’m lucky to have a wonderful family and true friends.”
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Mercedes Formula 1 team president Toto Wolff believes that driver George Russell is ready to become a champion, but young Andrea Kimi Antonelli still needs time.
“Nobody knows how much power the Mercedes engine will have in 2026. We don’t know what the other teams’ engines will be like either. Is Russell ready to take the championship if given the right car? 100%, absolutely ready. There is nothing to add here. He is ready to be champion.”
“Antonelli is only 19 years old. What kind of peak are we talking about? He can be at the peak after 3-5 seasons. I believe we should give him this time to gain experience.”
“It’s moving in the right direction,” Wolff said.
F1 will have new technical regulations on engines and aerodynamics from the 2026 season.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
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