Welcome to TJ13’s daily rolling F1 news and comment. Here you’ll find the latest stories, rumours, and paddock whispers. We’ll be updating this page all day as the news breaks and the drama unfolds, so be sure to check back regularly for the latest updates straight from the F1 circus, and please leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
Ferrari set to lose once dominant F1 record
Ferrari remain the most successful engine manufacturer in Formula 1 history, powering 249 grand prix victories. On average, more than one in every five world championship races since 1950 has been won by a Ferrari-powered car.
But their long-held lead is now under threat. No Ferrari-powered driver has won a race in more than a year.
Since Carlos Sainz Jnr triumphed at last season’s Mexican Grand Prix — the most recent Ferrari-powered victory — Mercedes engines have amassed 18 wins. As a result, Mercedes, once more than 100 victories behind, are now just 10 wins away from matching Ferrari’s all-time total.
Piastri supports conspiracy theory that McLaren favour Norris
Oscar Piastri has shared — and quickly deleted — an Instagram post quoting former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone, who claimed that McLaren favours Lando Norris over the Australian.
The original post, published by gpfansglobal on November 4th 2025, highlighted comments Ecclestone made to Sport.De in which he suggested McLaren sees Norris as the more valuable asset.
“McLaren prefers the English driver Norris. He has more star quality and marketing appeal for them, has more camera presence and publicity,” Ecclestone said.
“That’s probably why he’s better for McLaren.”
Piastri did not repost the quote until the early hours of Friday, November 21st, while in Las Vegas. It remains unclear whether the repost was deliberate or the result of someone else accessing his account. Although the nine-time grand prix winner has since removed the reshared post, the incident is unlikely to ease ongoing speculation about favouritism within the McLaren camp.
In recent races — particularly around Monza — McLaren has faced criticism for allegedly prioritising Norris. The team has dismissed these claims, but the discourse has intensified amid Piastri’s abrupt downturn in performance over the last six rounds.
Since his victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, the 24-year-old has been outscored by Norris by 58 points. What was once a comfortable 34-point lead has now swung to a 24-point deficit, leaving both drivers locked in a tense battle for their first Formula 1 drivers’ championship.
Stewards clear Leclerc after FP2 Las Vegas incident – Updated 08:00 UK
Charles Leclerc has avoided punishment from the FIA stewards following an investigation into a potential breach of Article 26.5 during FP2 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Leclerc stopped on the track late in the session due to a transmission problem. Concerns were triggered when he failed to replace the steering wheel and appeared to leave the Energy Recovery System (ERS) active. However, after reviewing the situation, the stewards ruled that no further action would be taken.
According to their report, Leclerc attempted to put the Ferrari into neutral but was unable to do so. He then switched off the car before exiting, which the stewards accepted as a reasonable response given the circumstances.
His FP2 ended chaotically, first with a late red flag caused by a loose manhole cover and then with the gearbox issue that forced him to park trackside, despite him having been fast enough for second place at the time.
Max Verstappen finished ninth in the disrupted Las Vegas FP2 – Updated 07:30 UK
Verstappen finished ninth in the second practice session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, having been unable to complete a flying lap on soft tyres due to the session being heavily interrupted. The session was red-flagged twice due to concerns over loose drain covers, costing all drivers valuable time on the track.
“It was difficult to know what to do with all these interruptions,” said Verstappen afterwards. He added that Red Bull still need to improve to find more grip, noting that the unusually cold and slippery conditions made it hard to judge performance: ‘It’s so much colder here… you can’t really compare it with other low-downforce circuits.’
Before the stoppages, lap times had been improving rapidly as the track dried after an earlier shower. Lando Norris topped the session for McLaren, followed by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Leclerc later stopped trackside due to a gearbox issue.
Verstappen finished FP2 without completing a representative soft-tyre lap, and believes that tyre usage and grip management will be key challenges in qualifying and the race.
FP2 Results
| pos | driver | team | time | laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:33.602 | 13 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.029s | 18 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.161s | 16 |
| 4 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +0.277s | 14 |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +0.291s | 16 |
| 6 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +0.299s | 16 |
| 7 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.435s | 18 |
| 8 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +0.465s | 17 |
| 9 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +0.503s | 16 |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.525s | 17 |
| 11 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.589s | 15 |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.771s | 18 |
| 13 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.833s | 16 |
| 14 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.891s | 12 |
| 15 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | +1.090s | 16 |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1.222s | 18 |
| 17 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | +1.384s | 17 |
| 18 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1.410s | 14 |
| 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | +1.626s | 18 |
| 20 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +1.897s | 15 |
Ferrari lead as Norris struggles early on in Las Vegas FP1 – Updated 06:25 UK
Charles Leclerc set the early pace in Las Vegas, topping the first practice session (FP1) for Ferrari with a time of 1:34.802. Championship leader Lando Norris, meanwhile, had a difficult start to the weekend. In unusually cold conditions, he could only manage sixth place, finishing more than four-tenths of a second behind Leclerc as McLaren struggled with tyre warm-up and setup.
Max Verstappen finished fourth, making him the fastest of the three remaining title contenders, while Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri placed eighth. McLaren only switched to soft tyres late in the session, but both drivers still lacked grip in the cool asphalt temperatures of 18°C.
Behind Leclerc, Alex Albon (Williams) and Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) completed the top three. Many drivers struggled with sliding due to the low temperatures, though conditions remained dry. The second practice session will offer teams another chance to adjust their set-ups.
Before the weekend, Norris cautioned that Las Vegas had been ‘the toughest race’ in previous years. He enters the final three rounds with a 23-point lead over Piastri and a 49-point lead over Verstappen in the fight for the championship title.
High Court allows Massa’s £64m case to proceed, but warns of ‘no plain sailing’ – Updated 00:40 UK
Felipe Massa’s legal battle against the FIA, Formula 1 and Bernie Ecclestone can proceed after a High Court judge ruled that the Brazilian has a “real prospect” of advancing parts of his £64 million claim. However, the judge warned that the road ahead will be difficult.
During the three-day pre-trial hearing in London, Massa’s legal team argued that the FIA had failed to properly investigate the 2008 ‘Crashgate’ incident, which cost Massa the championship and the earnings that would have come with it. Massa is not seeking to overturn Lewis Hamilton’s title, but rather to secure damages, recognition as the rightful champion, and an admission that the FIA did not fulfil its duties.
However, Mr Justice Jay dismissed Massa’s breach-of-contract claim, ruling that any investigative “duty” was owed to FIA members collectively, rather than to Massa individually. A secondary claim under French law was described as barely viable. However, key claims against Ecclestone — including conspiracy and inducement of breach — will proceed because they do not rely on Massa having a direct contractual right.
Crucially, the judge rejected the argument that the case was out of time. He ruled that the limitation period only began in 2023, when Ecclestone publicly admitted that he had known about the deliberate nature of the crash during the 2008 season. This interview, Jay wrote, allowed Massa to “join the dots”.
Nevertheless, he cautioned Massa that any future litigation would be challenging, citing significant obstacles in proving causation. While Massa could, in principle, seek damages for lost career opportunities, the court will not reconsider the outcome of the 2008 championship.
Las Vegas GP weather outlook
The latest forecast indicates that the threat of rain at the start of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend has eased, with conditions improving as the event progresses.
Thursday will start partly cloudy before becoming mostly cloudy, with a slight but increasing chance of light rain as the first practice sessions begin. FP1 (18:30–19:30) may see rain probabilities climb from 20% to 40%, while FP2 (22:00–23:00) carries a moderate risk of showers, rising to 60% by the end of the session — though any showers are expected to be light and brief. Light northerly winds will accompany these conditions.
Friday will be mostly cloudy, with the occasional shower possible earlier in the day, but the risk will decrease towards the track sessions. FP3 has only about a 20% chance of light rain, and qualifying (22:00–23:00) currently has a 0% chance of rain, again under light northerly winds.
By Saturday, all weather concerns will have vanished. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is set to run under clear skies and dry conditions with a light northwesterly breeze. The race is expected to start at 15°C, with track temperatures between 17 and 19°C, providing stable and predictable conditions for teams and drivers.
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The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
