Last Updated on November 8 2025, 9:14 pm

Sebastian Vettel knows from experience that the races in Sau Paulo can often be frenetic affair and one a number of occasions has featured the title decider. He won his third championship in 2012 at a rain drenched Brazil GP even though he finished in just sixth place.

Making a rare appearance in the F1 paddock this weekend, Vettel has changed his mind on who he believes will take this year’s F1 crown. Lando Norris is a single point ahead of his team mate Oscar Piastri while Max Verstappen is 36 points behind the championship leader.

Yet Max is the driver in form over the races since his home Grand Prix in Zandvoort where he was more than 100 points adrift of Oscar Piastri and had written off any hope of him challenging for a fifth consecutive title. Yet having scored 116 from the last 133 points available, Verstappen for most is certainly in the title fight.

 

 

 

Vettel names Norris favourite

Brazil has regularly thrown up dramatic race results and in 2024 after being penalised by a red flag in qualifying, Verstappen started the rai soaked Grand Prix in P17 but recovered to thrash his rivals by a race victory which saw him 20 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

Speaking to Sky F1, Sebastian Vettel gave his opinion on the current drivers battle for glory admitting Verstappen’s hopes remain alive, but that Norris is in pole position. “Yeah, why not?” Vettel replied when asked if Verstappen could pull off a comeback like his own in 2010. “There are still a lot of points left. Obviously, he’s not the favourite — Lando is right now because he’s leading. But we don’t know what can happen.”

“This weekend can be a crazy one. São Paulo always has something up its sleeve. It’s nice to watch, it’s exciting — and obviously, when Max closes in, it’s even more intense. I wish for him to get some points,” concluded there four times champion.

Verstappen questions McLaren’s treatment of Piastri as Norris takes control

 

 

Sebastian predicted Russell next F1 champ

Vettel has enjoyed some of the biggest comebacks in modern F1 history overcoming a fifteen point deficit to ten mate Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso with three race weekends remaining in 2010 and a forty four point gap to Alonso mid season in 2012, where the title was decided in the rains of Sau Paulo.

However, Sebastian Vettel has been forced to change his nominated favourite for the F1 championship having tipped four drivers – Norris, Piastri, Verstappen and George Russell as 2025 title contenders. Whilst Russell is mathematically still in the championship but now 98 points behind would require his three rivals to score a mere handful of points across the remaining race weekends. 

Vettel, a long time admirer of George Russell claimed in 2024 that the next F1 champion “not named Verstappen or Hamilton” would be the Mercedes driver. Of course this could yet be true should Max win this year’s championship.

Sebastian Vettel has long been a Russell admirer. In 2024, he even called the Mercedes driver the next F1 champion “not named Verstappen or Hamilton.” That prediction of course could still come true — if Verstappen wins this year and Russell claims glory in 2026.

‘Piastri McLaren exit’

 

 

 

Brown prefers a Max win to naming McLaren No.1 driver

Given the defect between Norris and Piastri in their first two seasons together, when it became clear McLaren had the quickest car this season, the expectation was that Norris would cruise to championship glory. Yet it was Piastri who appeared to have matters under control after his mistake in the season opener in Melbourne where his mistake in the wet cost him second place and sixteen points.

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren made the remarkable declaration that he wold rather McLaren fail to claim the drivers’ championship than compromise the team’s racing values. This means neither of the team’s drivers will be declared as a number one unless one of them is mathematically unable to win the drivers’ title.

The next two Grand Prix weekends will almost certainly have a huge impact on the championship, particularly with the fact Verstappen is at one with the Interlagos circuit and the freezing weather in Las Vegas will not favour the MCL39.

Lewis Hamilton took advantage of the media day in Brazil to slam the stewards at the Mexican Grand Prix. He was handed a ten second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage although his race engineer mis informed him it was for the incident which included Max Verstappen.

Briatore blames ‘corporate meddling’ for Renault’s F1 demise

 

 

 

Hamilton SLAMS Mexican stewards

Hamilton took to the run off area at turn four, failed to follow the asphalt return road as instructed in the race directors’ notes and re-appeared on the track a car ahead of Max and significantly further ahead. When asked if he’d received a better explanation for the penalty, Hamilton replied: “Not particularly. There isn’t any clarity, and I think that’s probably a part of the big issue. Transparency and accountability. And also kind of like the secrecy that decisions are made in the background.”

Ironically Hamilton offered the following opinion on how the matter of ‘secrecy’ and lack of openness could be handled. “I think it’s something that definitely needs to be tackled. But it’s probably something that needs to be done in the background, I would imagine. Yeah, I don’t know if they’re aware of the weight of their decisions. You know, they ultimately steer careers,” said Lewis making a vague reference to the 2021 title decider in Abu Dhabi – although it was race control not a stewards decision which saw the last lap play out the way it did.

“[They] can decide results of championships, as you’ve seen in the past. So yeah, some work needs to be done there, I’m sure,” concluded the Ferrari driver.

Wolff now “sucking up” to Russell

 

 

 

Lewis defensive over his 2025 results

Hamilton has had a miserable introduction to life at Ferrari. He has repeatedly complained about the  handling of the car and its lack of pace. Yet the cold harsh reality for the former champion is is team mate has claimed seven podium finishes, whilst Lewis is on course for his first season in F1 without making the top three in a Grand Prix. 

On average Hamilton has qualified almost three grid slots lower than his team mate this season and the head to head in Grand Prix qualifying is a whopping 15-5 to the Monegasque driver. On Sunday the numbers are even worse as Lewis has finished ahead of his team mate on just three occasions.

When asked in the paddock whether his lack of performance could see him replaced by the Scuderia, Hamilton defensively resounded “I have a very log contract.”

 

 

 

Late F1 2026 rule changes being debated

Formula One is embarking on the biggest experiment in its 75 year history for next season. There will be radical changes to the technical regulations for both engines and chassis but there remain concerns over how the new higher powered hybrids will actually work.

The FIA earlier this year held a pow wow in Bahrain in an attempt to persuade the manufacturers to agree to a reduction in the 50/50 split between the electrical power and that fro the internal combustion engine. At least two refused to countenance the matter.

Both the FIA and FOM’s CEO Stefan Domenicali responded in unison, talking down the incoming power units as “complex” and highly “expensive.” It could even see the FIA shorten the cycle of the 2026 powertrains to introduce something simpler and more economic as early as 2030….. READ MORE