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YouTube video by Ferrari

Oscar Piastri's 'killer instinct' in F1 to deliver in high-pressure moments has been praised by 1978 world champion Mario Andretti. Piastri claimed his first two grand prix wins in 2024 to aid McLaren's charge to the constructors' championship, with both coming after decisive overtakes. In Hungary, he sliced past Max Verstappen and team-mate Lando Norris up the inside of Turn 1 to nab the lead, whilst in Azerbaijan, he pulled a brave move on the brakes up the inside of Charles Leclerc, with both moves being executed cleanly. Piastri himself was largely happy with his season, but felt qualifying was a chink in his armour, as Andretti heaped praise on the Australian in an exclusive RacingNews365 interview. "Yes, in my opinion, he has that quality," Andretti told RacingNews365 when asked if Piastri has a so-called 'killer instinct'. "I really liked what Oscar demonstrated [in 2024], and also the fact that he is a team player, you could see that in Brazil [when he let Norris past in the sprint race]. "He figured: 'It's the end of the season, my team-mate is in a better position [for the title] and he yielded and showed everyone that: 'yeah, you know what, I'll let him by and hope that the favour is returned sometime down the road.' "To me, that showed a lot of class and awareness of what his position is." Mario Andretti interview Andretti also touched on the team orders situation that bubbled up at McLaren over the course of the season, but defended the approach taken with so-called 'papaya rules.' "If things were easy, they could make it right all the time, but they did their best for what they felt at that moment," he said. "It is hard to predict end results, but McLaren has got it together with Andrea Stella coming on, and with Zak Brown there, it is really contagious. "The tea is in a good place to fight for championships now and in the future, and this bodes well for F1 itself. "Just look at the beginning [of 2024], and the progress McLaren made, it is something to be very happy about and as a fan watching, credit should go where it is due."

Marc Priestley believes it is inevitable that F1 expands back into Africa as the championship expands further around the world. The series has not raced on the continent since the South African Grand Prix was last held in 1993, but as F1 goes from strength to strength, there have been renewed calls for a return. In particular, Lewis Hamilton has been a strong advocate of it. Now, former F1 mechanic-turned-pundit Priestley has also thrown his weight behind the move, pointing out that "representation in all continents" is needed for sustained growth. The FIA recently held its end-of-season prize-giving gala in Kigali, Rwanda's capital city. The country has stated its intent to apply for a grand prix, and South Africa continues to fight for F1 to return, making those two nations the most likely landing spots for the first race in Africa for over 30 years. When that might come to fruition remains unclear. F1 currently has 24 rounds, so there is little room for further expansion, but with events like the Dutch Grand Prix falling away in the next couple of years and schedule rotation expected to be introduced, there will be opportunities. Regardless, Priestley feels money will be central to determining F1's fate in Africa, pointing out that Rwanda's tourism sector is rapidly expanding. "F1 adding Rwanda or an African grand prix to their calendar is an inevitability because the sport is growing everywhere around the globe," he told Casino Uden Rofus . "To sustain the growth, you need representation in all continents. It all comes down to money and if a country out there can pay for [a] grand prix to come to their country. "Rwanda is growing very quickly, F1 can help bring eyeballs to that side of the world and grow the country's tourism and financial situation. There is more demand for F1 than there ever has been."

Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore has not ruled out changing drivers mid-season, increasing the pressure on rookie Jack Doohan. The Enstone-based team will field Pierre Gasly and Doohan in the 2025 F1 campaign, with Briatore having confirmed that both drivers will race in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. However, Briatore has failed to confirm if the two drivers will complete the entire season, with the 74-year-old being an admirer of Franco Colapinto. Colapinto is without a seat on the grid following his nine appearances for Williams last year after replacing Logan Sargeant. He was linked to both Red Bull and Alpine, with the rumours surrounding himself and the French team having not completely disappeared. Alpine also now has former F2 driver Paul Aron as its reserve, increasing the pressure on Gasly, but mostly Doohan to immediately perform. Briatore is determined to get Alpine closer to the frontrunners, and has insisted that if results are not delivered then driver changes will be made. “The only certain thing is death,” Briatore told Le Parisien . “We start the year with Pierre and Jack, I guarantee it. After that, we’ll see during the season. I have to help the team reach a situation where it can achieve results. “The driver is the one who has to finish the work of the almost one thousand people behind him. “Everyone works for just two people. And if there is a driver who is not making progress, who is not bringing results, he will be changed.”

F1 mechanic-turned-pundit Marc Priestley has outlined why he believes rookies are so attractive to teams at the moment, with six drivers on the 2025 grid embarking on their first full season in the championship. After the F1 field remained unchanged from the end of 2023 to the start of last year, there has been a significant market correction, with 30 percent of the grid different from the same time 12 months ago. Of the 10 teams in F1, only two - McLaren and Aston Martin - have retained the same driver line-up. There were also a number of replacement and stand-in drivers over the course of the previous campaign, from Franco Colapinto and Liam Lawson to Oliver Bearman and Jack Doohan. Priestley, who was a mechanic at McLaren from 2000 to 2009, believes part of the allure of rookies is how affordable they are compared to established drivers. Further still, their desire to succeed and cement their place in the championship means they are potentially more motivated to perform well, according to the 48-year-old. "If you're an F1 team looking for a cheaper option than an already established driver, these rookies are a dream as they don't demand as much and are usually more hungry and keen to race," he explained to Casino Uden Rofus . "They're willing to arrange commitments with sponsorships and more. "The rookies will do anything you'd need them to do." It is widely accepted that the rookies breaking into F1 are better prepared than ever before, something that is allowing them to hit the ground running and quickly find the expected pace. Priestley highlighted how this was not the case a decade ago, when drivers often needed longer to bed in. "Ollie Bearman was perhaps the first high-profile example of a rookie doing well in F1 when he got that opportunity in the Ferrari with no notice," he said. "Liam Lawson has done well before too. "The way F1 is run now, with access to simulators, psychologists, physical trainers and nutritionists, makes rookies ready for the big move in their careers. This was not happening 10 years ago."

The Formula 1 points system has become a much-debated topic, but does it need changing? A proposal was submitted last year for points to be awarded to the top 12 drivers, instead of the top 10. That proposal was unanimously rejected, as announced last July by the F1 Commission. Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan believes the proposal was "nonsense" , but fears all positions will eventually be awarded points. Jordan's view is shared by former F1 driver David Coulthard, whose career in the pinnacle of motorsport started when just the top six drivers received points. That system was run from 1960-2002, before the top eight were awarded points in each race from 2003-2009. Since 2010, the current points system has been used. One change for next season is the fastest lap bonus point has been axed. Coulthard and Jordan argue that when less positions receive points, the drivers and teams push harder, rather than settle for a P10. Does F1 need a new points system? Have your say in the poll below!

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has conceded he is unsure how the German marque's 2026 F1 power unit development is going. The Austrian's squad will continue to provide engines for three customer teams when the regulations are overhauled at the end of the season to come. Whilst Williams and McLaren remain under Mercedes' supply, Aston Martin will embark on a works deal with Honda. However, Alpine is surrendering its own works team status, with Renault bowing out of the series, and will be buying engines from the Wolff-led operation. It is widely anticipated that Mercedes will start the new power unit era strongly, as it did at the advent of Turbo-Hybrid V6s in 2014. Although, this is partly based on the expectation that other teams may be initially slow out the gates, like Red Bull, which is developing its own power unit for the first time, and Audi, which is new to F1 entirely. Nevertheless, Wolff is practicing caution, highlighting that whilst some targets are being met and some are still being worked towards, the teams ultimately lack a true reference point and absolute context, especially compared to what rival manufacturers might be achieving. "Certain expectations we're meeting, that's good," the 52-year-old told media including RacingNews365 . "Others, we're still pushing to achieve our targets. It's not trivial. "But then the question is, have you set your expectations in the right way? So the answer is, we don't know where we are."

At the start of 2024, Oracle was the largest external sponsor of a Formula 1 team. The American brand has been associated with Red Bull for many years, playing a major role in software in addition to finance. Since the Miami Grand Prix, however, Oracle has had to share the role of largest F1 sponsor with HP, which struck a huge sponsorship deal with Ferrari. HP also supplies the latest equipment to the Scuderia, which in addition to computers includes 3D printers. RacingNews365 understands that Red Bull and Ferrari receive around $100 million in sponsorship money from Oracle and HP. As a result, the two brands top the list of biggest outside sponsors in F1, with Aramco in third place. The Saudi Arabian-based brand works closely with Aston Martin and is said to contribute $75 million a year. Petronas (Mercedes' title sponsor) and Stake (Sauber's title partner) complete the top five. Red Bull has also lost an important sponsor. The contract between Red Bull and Bybit expired at the end of 2024 and will not be renewed, leaving a hole for the team to fill. Red Bull is still expected to announce new sponsors soon. In the table below, we have listed the five largest, external team sponsors currently, based on the amount of money they transfer to the team. Looking at the total value of the deals, including software and hardware products provided by different sponsors, RacingNews365 understands that Oracle is probably still the largest external sponsor of an F1 team. Note: all the figures below are estimates, based on consultations with different sources within the F1 paddock and at different teams. Top 5 external sponsors of F1 teams in 2024 Oracle Oracle is a software company that has long been active in F1. Currently, the American company is active as a sponsor of Red Bull, but in the 1990s it was also active in the championship. At that time, it worked with the Benetton team, for which Jos Verstappen also drove. Besides transferring a huge amount of money to Red Bull every year, it also helps in the field of software. For example, Oracle's software supports Red Bull's tactical team whilst making calculations for pit stop strategies. HP In Miami, Ferrari announced a major partnership with HP. The American tech company even became title sponsor of the Scuderia, and for that they had to dig deep. In fact, HP has to transfer roughly $100 million annually to Maranello. That is a huge sum, but looking at Oracle's partnership with Red Bull, it seems to be more than paying off. HP is featured large on the Ferrari car and will be for the next few years. The company develops hardware, including computers and 3D printing machines. On top of the money, therefore, HP will supply a lot of new technology to Ferrari. Aramco The Saudi oil group from Saudi Arabia is almost impossible to imagine F1 without. The sponsor is active not only as a partner of Aston Martin, but also as a sponsor of F1. As a result, we see Aramco not only on the cars of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, but also at various circuits as a sponsor of the race itself. This makes the oil group an important, if not the most important external sponsor in the sport. As of 2024, the company is the only sponsor name in Aston Martin's team name, making the sponsorship amount towards the team even larger. Rumours are circulating that Aramco has shares in Lawrence Stroll's team, but that remains purely speculation. Petronas The fuel supplier from Malaysia has also been running within F1 for many years. Petronas has a strong partnership with Mercedes, for which it also supplies the fuel. Together the two parties work to provide the best fuel for both the team and the customer teams. In addition to the intensive cooperation on fuel development, Petronas also provides the Mercedes F1 team with an annual $70 million sum. Stake The Australian-based Stake is making great strides in F1. Whereas it initially went through life as a major sponsor of the Alfa Romeo team, in 2024 it stepped it up a notch. From 2024, it has been Sauber's title partner. It will continue to be so in 2025, giving the Hinwil-based team two seasons of around $50 million a year. It will not stop there, as the gambling company plans to launch a hefty activation campaign in F1 as well.

F1 and motorsport legend Jacky Ickx has advised Max Verstappen that his rivals will begin to "dislike" him, due to his "disturbing" dominance. Verstappen claimed a fourth consecutive F1 drivers' title last year with two races remaining, moving him level on championships with Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost. Despite Red Bull encountering several issues with its car from mid-season onwards, the Dutchman still ended 2024 having won the most races (nine). The 27-year-old has been unstoppable under the current regulations, winning 43 of the 68 completed races since the start of 2022. Reflecting on Verstappen's fourth title, Ickx highlighted the driver's dominance and how his rivals will react, whilst also pointing towards the significance of last season's São Paulo Grand Prix. "Max, is part of those people who have [so many achievements]," Ickx exclusively told RacingNews365 . "We exchange [messages] from time to time. Short messages. "For example, the race he did in Brazil. The drama when you win too often, when you dominate a series, it becomes disturbing. "You punish [drivers], people start to dislike you because you know the result of the race before the start, because you dominate things. "This wasn't the case for the last six or seven races, but when there are big difficulties, I told him, 'You will remember Brazil'." São Paulo magic Ahead of the race in São Paulo, Verstappen had been on a 10-race winless streak, his longest since 2020. The Dutchman was not a favourite for victory, as he started down in 17th following a Q2 elimination and a five-place grid penalty. However, in treacherous conditions at Interlagos, he calved his way through the field to claim one of his greatest victories in F1. It resulted in an outpour of emotion rarely seen by the reigning world champion, something Ickx can relate to having won the Le Mans 24 Hours from last in 1969. "Brazil will remain a legendary race where basically the clerk of the course didn't interfere in the race itself, it would have been easy to put the safety car for 20 laps," Ickx noted. "So amazingly, his love level has increased in an unbelievable way. And he says, yes, it was plenty of emotions. Because when you start last and you win, people love that. "And I know that because earlier in my life, I started last at Le Mans and I won with the shortest distance at the end. It's much nicer to be a hunter than being chased."

Valtteri Bottas has offered Gabriel Bortoleto crucial advice ahead of the Brazilian's rookie F1 season, with the Finnish driver noting that it is important to "not be too harsh on yourself". Bortoleto is racing for Stake F1 in the 2025 season, with the reigning Formula 2 champion and Nico Hulkenberg having replaced Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. Bottas is without a seat for the new season, and has returned to Mercedes as a reserve driver having left the Silver Arrows at the end of the 2021 campaign. There is much anticipation over Bortoleto's competitive F1 debut, having performed magnificently on his way to the F2 title in 2024. The 20-year-old is one of six full-time rookies on the 2025 grid, marking one of busiest silly seasons in the pinnacle of motorsport's history. However, Bottas is expecting this year to be a difficult one for Bortoleto, due to Stake's largely uncompetitive package. The Hinwil-based team scored just four points in 2024, resulting in a miserable 10th place in the constructors' standings. With so much focus being on the new power unit regulations in 2026, Bottas is expecting little change in the cars going into the upcoming season. It could make for a difficult start to life in F1 for Bortoleto, although Bottas is expecting the young driver to take everything in his stride. "Well, to any new driver, my advice always is to not be too harsh on yourself and give yourself some time," Bottas told select media including RacingNews365 in Abu Dhabi. "It takes lots of learning in this sport, but the drivers nowadays they're so well prepared, they have lots of support. "So I think he'll be fine, but I'm expecting a tough season. The regulations are not changing for next year, all the cars that the teams have now, they're not going to change massively. "So I don't think it's going to be an easy rookie season, but I think he's got Nico on his side that he can learn from. Nico has got lots of experience, but yeah, I'm expecting a difficult season."

Lando Norris has revealed that he had "opportunities" to leave McLaren but opted to stick with the team to win a title together. The British driver and Oscar Piastri secured the Woking-based team its first F1 constructors' title since 1998 last season, ending a 26-year wait for the championship. Norris is embedded in the McLaren family, having joined the company in 2017 as a simulator and test driver. In 2019, he was promoted from Formula 2 to the F1 outfit, where he partnered Williams' Carlos Sainz. Since making his F1 debut, Norris and McLaren have been on a rollercoaster ride, which saw the team fall to the very bottom at the start of the 2023 campaign. McLaren's remarkable turnaround to become the leading team in the pinnacle of motorsport is the result of staggering hard work and commitment, which Norris feels does not get enough credit. "Started off with this guy [Sainz] and we made progress, stepped back, made progress, stepped back," Norris said after claiming pole in last year's Abu Dhabi season finale. "Nothing ever clicked, really, and never continued to grow. "And it was hard just to break that barrier of getting close to Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull, because for such a long period of time, they've been the guys who have dominated Formula 1. "Now, not only have we broken that barrier over the last year and a half, we've risen to the top of it and to become the best team and leading and hopefully to go on to win. "I don't think, simply from the outside, people would give McLaren and my team enough credit for what they've done, what they've turned around, because it's not an easy sport." Norris rejecting chance to leave Norris' talent was visible from the moment he made his competitive F1 debut in the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, yet it was not until Miami last year that he claimed a maiden victory. Since joining McLaren, he has been partnered by Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo and now Piastri, with the Briton having remained committed to the outfit's project. According to Norris, he received offers to leave McLaren in recent years, which could have seen him claim a first F1 victory sooner. However, he wanted to remain in papaya, to end the team's wait for a title together. "It definitely has been a longer rise to get to where we are, which has been fun and I've really loved it and I've enjoyed it," added Norris. "And I think the thing I'll be proudest and most happy about is the fact I'm still here. The fact I'm still in papaya because I believed in the team for many years. "I had opportunities to not be in papaya and to maybe go on and win races at an earlier stage in my career and those kind of things. "I had those opportunities, but I believed and I wanted to simply do it with McLaren. I wanted to do it with the guys who gave me my opportunity in Formula 1."

Aston Martin reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne has ranked Max Verstappen above Sebastian Vettel, with the Belgian describing the reigning champion as a "step ahead". Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive F1 drivers' title in 2024, matching the accomplishment Vettel achieved at Red Bull from 2010-2013. With the 27-year-old having matched Vettel's number of titles and comfortably surpassed his total victories for Red Bull, Verstapppen is now the most successful Red Bull F1 driver. At the age he is, Verstappen is expected to build upon his four titles and 63 grand prix wins, although this year could be difficult for the Milton Keynes-based team. Vandoorne, who raced for McLaren in 2017 and 2018, does think comparing the two drivers is difficult, but personally has Verstappen ahead. Verstappen's most recent title has been placed by many as his greatest so far, given the issues Red Bull had for a lot of the campaign with the RB20. The Dutch driver went on a 10-race winless streak as a result of the problems he faced with the car, as well as increased competition from McLaren and Ferrari. Vandoorne, who now races for Maserati in Formula E and Peugeot in the World Endurance Championship, also rates Verstappen's most recent title as highly as his first in 2021. "I think Max is a step ahead of Vettel by now," Vandoorne told Formule1.nl . "It is and remains difficult to compare, but that is how I see it." "Every year is different of course, every championship too. But if you see how Max wins that title this season, just like in his first season: very special. "And also in comparison for example with his second and third championships... Those were a bit easier and this year was really incredibly good."

Max Verstappen has joked Nyck de Vries will send him a “full report” after taking part in a test outing with McLaren late last year. Verstappen went head-to-head against McLaren's Lando Norris for the F1 title last season and prevailed to take his fourth championship. McLaren topped the constructors' standings for the first time in 26 years and as it reached the end of the season, it opted to hand de Vries an outing in an older F1 car. De Vries has 11 F1 starts to his name having stepped into an AlphaTauri drive for the first half of the 2023 season before being dropped. Speaking exclusively to RacingNews365 , Verstappen stated his compatriot has a lot to offer through such test outings. “It’s a good shout,” Verstappen said. “He is a great driver. “He is technically also very strong. He likes to really analyse everything within the car. “It’s good for him. He likes Formula 1 and he's honestly he’s great at these kind of things.” When asked if it would change any of the friendly exchanges they usually have between one another, Verstappen replied: “He will send me a full report of what is going on! “No of course not. We always keep it very professional. That's his job. “I’m not there to try and steal information. I don't want to put him in that position anyway.” De Vries is currently racing full-time in the Formula E championship with Mahindra Racing.

Across the 24 races of the 2024 season, some 24 different drivers took part in a grand prix - the most since 26 contested the 2017 campaign. RacingNews365 has whittled those drives to what we believe to be the six best of the season - and it's for you to decide who had the best drive from our selection. Drivers could only be selected for one race performance, so let us know what you think in the poll at the bottom of the article - or tell us in the comments what we missed! Ollie Bearman - Saudi Arabian GP Originally set to be on F2 duty, Ollie Bearman deputised for an appendicitis-stricken Carlos Sainz, jumping in the Ferrari ahead of FP3. He qualified 11th, and after a shaky opening lap, settled in and began to pick off the cars in front, eventually finishing seventh to bank six points, ahead of both Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. The drive all but confirmed his place in F1 for 2025 with Haas, something officially confirmed later in the season. Carlos Sainz - Australian GP Returning from having his appendix out, Sainz put in a masterful performance in Melbourne, driving beautifully for a third career win. He overtook Max Verstappen - gunning for a record-equalling 10th straight win and how had won 22 of the previous 25 races. He was aided by Verstappen's rear brakes exploding, but Sainz put the manners on the Red Bull when sweeping into the lead and enhanced his chances of signing for Red Bull or Mercedes, but was ultimately overlooked. Charles Leclerc - Italian GP Some might question why the Monaco GP isn't on this list, but that was won on Saturday in qualifying, so the race was effectively a parade. At Monza, after a poor run of form after a botched upgrade, Leclerc stole the Italian GP from McLaren, opting for a one-stop when Norris and Oscar Piastri did two-stops. It breathed fresh life into Ferrari's title challenge, which ultimately ended 14 points short, but Leclerc's second Italian GP win was his finest of the season, masterfully looking after his hard tyres on a day of high degradation. Max Verstappen - Sao Paulo GP 17th to first in dreadful conditions and showed title rival Norris just how high the bar actually is. One of the greatest drives in Formula 1 history, no further explanation is necessary. Esteban Ocon - Sao Paulo GP Alpine got lucky and gambled with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly to stay out on intermediate tyres as the rain got heavier and did not pit for a fresh set. This vaulted the pair up the order, and when the red flag came for Franco Colapinto destroying yet another Williams, they cashed in. On the restart, Ocon actually drove away from the field in the lead, before a further restart saw him being mugged by Verstappen who was in a class of one. But as the Ocon-Alpine relationship soured towards the end, with him fearing unequal equipment, this was a final hurrah at what is now firmly Gasly's team. Lewis Hamilton - Las Vegas GP Like Leclerc in Monaco, you might wonder why Lewis Hamilton's British GP success is not his option, but his Las Vegas romp from 10th to second was a better performance. Annoyed after an uncharacteristic qualifying mistake ruined Q3, Hamilton carved through the field, making light work of Verstappen and the Ferrari pair as the Mercedes found a sweet spot. He was too far behind to worry team-mate and leader George Russell, but it was a stunning job from Hamilton to chip the gap down to as low as five seconds at one point, eventually finishing 7.3s behind for a 154th and final Mercedes podium.

Distilling Lewis Hamilton's F1 victories down to a list of his five greatest is a near-impossible task, with a full century left on the cutting room floor. Whilst not all of them were drives for the ages, particularly during the years of Mercedes dominance - and especially once Nico Rosberg retired at the end of 2016 - there are several notable omissions due to the diminutive nature of a top-five list. Some of those included the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix, 2008 Monaco, 2011 Chinese, 2012 United States, 2013 Hungarian, 2018 German, 2018 Italian, 2021 São Paulo, and, for its significance, the 2024 British - to prove they were neither forgotten nor not considered. 5. 2019 Monaco Grand Prix One for the connoisseurs, perhaps, but Hamilton's victory at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2019 was a unique blend of grit and finesse. After starting from pole, the then five-time F1 drivers' champion was brought in to pit under the safety car on lap 11, amid a messy opening phase to the race. Whilst the British driver was handed the medium compound Pirellis, Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel were fitted with the white-walled hard tyre. When racing got back underway on lap 15, Hamilton was faced with the mammoth task of carrying his Mercedes 64 more laps to the flag and his 77th grand prix win. Not shy in declaring his frustrations, the 39-year-old chastised race engineer Pete Bonnington for the call as he struggled to hold the eager Verstappen at bay. It almost came to nought when the two made contact in the closing laps, but Hamilton nonetheless held on for a famed victory. 4. 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Whilst it could be considered an outlier amongst its peers, Hamilton's win at the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix cannot be understated due to the gravity of the moment. Having to dig deep in his highly controversial and ultimately contentious drivers' championship battle with Verstappen, a gutsy drive was required when the stakes were at their highest, and he delivered with win number 103. Fortunate to have secured pole position after the Dutchman put his Red Bull in the wall at the end of what would have been an all-time great qualifying lap, Hamilton nonetheless had to endure a barrage from Verstappen, who was set on throwing everything he could at the Mercedes driver. Divebombs and alleged brake tests ensued, but through it all Hamilton retained his composure, setting the two drivers up for a title finale in Abu Dhabi equal on points. As the calm to Verstappen's storm, it was a performance symptomatic of Hamilton's character and the season he put together. 3. 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix If the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix crash captured Hamilton's by-then fraught relationship with Rosberg in a moment, the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix encapsulated the promise and potential of what would grow to be one of the most intense and fiercely-fought team-mate battles in F1 history. Early in their first title-winning season together, Rosberg had the upper hand on his champion inter-team rival. Heading to the third round ahead on points, the German driver was the faster of the two at the Bahrain International Circuit. However, somehow, Hamilton came out on top. It is a race that will long be remembered for the close, but fairly-engaged fight between the pair - something that would not prevail as things became increasingly toxic within the team. Hamilton conjured victory out of seemingly nowhere. In doing so, he set the tone for the seasons to come. Rosberg enjoyed an off-set strategy, stronger pace and fortuitous timing of a safety car to preserve the softer tyres in the closing stages, but yet still he could not beat Hamilton, who proved that sometimes a calculated and considered performance will hold out. 2. 2020 Turkish Grand Prix Quintessential Hamilton. His drive in the race in which he secured his Michael Schumacher record-matching seventh F1 drivers' championship was intelligent, skilful and plainly audacious, three ingredients that underline his brilliance. The Mercedes W11 was formidable, make no mistake, but in conditions at Istanbul Park that levelled the playing field, Hamilton pulled himself onto a higher plane, reducing his intermediate tyres to slicks as the track beneath him dried. A new track surface at the first Turkish Grand Prix since 2011, compounded by cold and wet conditions, produced a slippery and treacherous circuit for the field to navigate, and yet, despite starting sixth, Hamilton held his nerve. Despite being strong off the line, it was a shaky first lap for the 39-year-old as he rose to fourth only to fall back again to sixth due to an off-track excursion. As those around him had their wobbly moments, Hamilton held off the temptation to pit for new, quicker tyres, persevering on his older set as the lap times came back towards him, ultimately taking the chequered flag over half a minute clear of Sergio Perez in second place. 1. 2008 British Grand Prix Sixteen-and-a-half years later, and a further 98 grand prix victories on, Hamilton is yet to top win number seven, a superlative drive from fourth on the grid to take the chequered flag over a minute ahead of Nick Heidfeld in second position. Not only is it the future Ferrari driver's greatest individual triumph, it is one of the best wins in the history of F1. Torrid, changeable conditions at Silverstone saw several drivers spin out and his championship rivals falter. Launching from the second row to nearly take the race lead from team-mate Heikki Kovalainen in the opening metres set the tone for the race to unfold. It was not a straightforward victory, either. At one point, Hamilton was three seconds a lap slower on intermediate tyres when the track was calling for extreme wets. However, not needing to stop again afforded him the opportunity to build his lead to the point he lapped the entire field up to and including Kimi Raikkonen in fourth. Which do you consider to be Lewis Hamilton's greatest F1 victory? Let us know by voting below in the latest poll by RacingNews365 or by leaving a comment.

It is probably the easiest thing to get badly wrong in F1, but when it is done well, a good overtake can make a driver shine. Although the 2024 season did not feature an intense title fight after Max Verstappen's strong start with seven wins from the first 10 races, overtaking was still plentiful throughout the year. Below, RacingNews365 has come up with five of the best overtakes of the year, and we want you to decide which is the best. Simply vote in the poll at the end of the article! The overtakes are presented in the order in which they happened in the season, from earliest to latest. Alex Albon vs Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon - Canandian GP The damp conditions in Montreal made it tricky enough to keep your own car pointing in the right direction, with Alex Albon actually trying to avoid a crash into the final chicane. That avoidance turned into a finely executed move where he sliced past both Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon to climb two places in one corner. Unfortunately, he was later collected by a spinning Carlos Sainz and walked away with nothing. 1799947584460501293 How on earth did @alex_albon do that?! 🤯 A simply incredible double overtake from the Williams driver 🍿 #F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/GZcdZEnWh0 — Formula 1 (@F1) June 9, 2024 Oscar Piastri vs Lando Norris - Italian GP With Lando Norris on pole position, team-mate Oscar Piastri was expected to play 'follow the leader' at the Italian GP, especially with the Briton's title rival Max Verstappen starting seventh. Norris led on the first lap through Curva Grande, before Piastri heard everything but the "don't" in "don't overtake Lando" in the pre-race McLaren meeting, where the so-called papaya rules were initiated. Piastri drove around the outside through the second chicane, as Norris dropped to third behind Charles Leclerc, whose one-stop strategy out-foxed Piastri and Norris, who completed the podium. Oscar Piastri vs Charles Leclerc - Azerbaijan The only overtake on this list which was for a race win. Piastri sliced past Leclerc on the brakes at Turn 1 to steal the lead from the Ferrari after hunting him for most of the race. The McLaren then expertly defended from the Monégasque for the remainder, claiming an excellent second career win. 1847755100808499275 An Oscar-winning performance 🤩 Oscar Piastri's audacious move on Charles Leclerc has been voted Overtake of the Month for August and September 👏👏 #F1 @cryptocom pic.twitter.com/2ZhOq4W2sm — Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2024 Franco Colapinto vs Fernando Alonso - United States The winner of the official F1 overtake of the year award, Franco Colapinto dived up the inside of Fernando Alonso on the brakes at Turn 12, and then held off the Aston Martin through the following sequence to climb one place and nab a point. It was not enough for Colapinto to land a full-time seat for 2025, as he had one crash too many in the end despite a strong start to his career. 1853488379008004467 Overtaking Fernando Alonso to score a point in only your FOURTH Grand Prix? Yep... you deemed @FranColapinto 's daring move in Austin worthy of the @cryptocom Overtake of the Month! 👏 #F1 @WilliamsRacing pic.twitter.com/doRcCv4Yxa — Formula 1 (@F1) November 4, 2024 Charles Leclerc vs Lewis Hamilton - Qatar GP What better way to put an early marker down for 2025 than putting some manners on your future team-mate? Turn 1 in Qatar proved the only real overtaking point through the weekend, with Leclerc hugging the inside line through the corner exit, millimetres from Hamilton as the two went wheel-to-wheel. Leclerc finally edged out the seven-time champion to climb one place in the sprint. 1862865149125853667 LAP 13/19 Charles Leclerc pulls off a stunning move on future team mate Lewis Hamilton 😱 Nothing between them, and Leclerc takes P5! #F1Sprint #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/vmn7CbeSNU — Formula 1 (@F1) November 30, 2024

Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has urged the FIA to let the drivers race more aggressively next season. Motorsport's governing body received criticism for handing out unnecessary penalties during the 2024 F1 season, or for punishing drivers too severely. Several of the complaints came from the drivers themselves, in particular when Kevin Magnussen received a one-race ban for accumulating 12 penalty points within 12 months. The Danish driver became the first to be handed the punishment since the introduction of the penalty points system and missed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. A complaint from Magnussen and several rivals was that the former Haas driver received penalty points for incidents which should not have warranted them, resulting in an urge for the system to be clarified. Di Montezemolo also agrees that the drivers are being punished unfairly, for contact and exceeding track limits. He has called for the FIA to not block drivers from showing emotion, and to encourage them to go for an overtake. "F1 is made up of healthy duels," said Di Montezemolo, speaking on the 'La Politica nel Pallone' on Radio GR Parlamento. " What would they have done in the duel between [Gilles] Villeneuve and [Rene] Arnoux. Would they have put them in jail?" That was regarding the titanic duel between the former Ferrari and Renault drivers on the concluding laps of the 1979 French Grand Prix at Dijon when they went wheel-to-wheel, banging tyres on occasion. "I think we are exaggerating, both in terms of physical contact and in going beyond the lines of the track. "Formula 1 is becoming a precision watch. We must leave room for emotion, courage and the ability of the drivers who must not look at millimetres. "It is one of the points on which to reflect to change things a bit."