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Furious Charles Leclerc blasts F1 as Max Verstappen hits new low
RacingNews365·

Furious Charles Leclerc blasts F1 as Max Verstappen hits new low

Kimi Antonelli made it back-to-back pole positions after cruising to P1 in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix, highlighting his newfound confidence after winning in China.Antonelli found himself on top of the world, while Charles Leclerc hit out at F1's new regulations and how bad it has made hot laps, branding it a "f****** joke". Max Verstappen's struggles also continued, as the Dutchman was eliminated in Q2 and starts 11th at Suzuka.Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes and Nick Golding as they dissect Japanese GP qualifying!

Oscar Piastri fires early 2026 title warning after late McLaren collapse
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Oscar Piastri fires early 2026 title warning after late McLaren collapse

Oscar Piastri has warned his F1 title rivals that he is now aware of his weaknesses after his late collapse in the 2025 championship fight. After the Dutch GP last August, Piastri held a 34-point lead over team-mate Lando Norris and a 104-point lead over Max Verstappen, but from the Azerbaijan GP onwards, his form collapsed. He crashed out of the Sprints in the United States and Brazil, and recorded three fifth places in a row just as Norris and Verstappen peaked to pass him in the standings, although Piastri did rally in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.  Piastri's mental toughness had been regarded as one of his strengths before the collapse, with the Australian now believing he has a better view of his weaknesses as he seeks to wrest the title from Norris in 2026. "I'm just trying to get a better feel for what the car is like, it is such a big departure from what we've had in the last few years and in my time in F1," Piastri explained. "There are a lot of things to understand, the new engines, but also the philosophy of the caris completely different with less downforce.  "It is about getting used to that and how different things feel and trying to get a good read on that and, as quickly as possible, find a good direction to make the car quicker and feel nicer. "I am excited. I've had a good first three years in F1, but this is my first regulation reset, so it is going to be interesting to see where we come out as a team.  "I feel like last year I really proved to myself the things that I'm capable of, and definitely still the things I need to improve and work on as well. But I feel like I really took a good step forward, and you know, those lessons I can take forward into whatever rules we get."

Daniel Ricciardo reveals when Max Verstappen asked for permission change F1 number
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Daniel Ricciardo reveals when Max Verstappen asked for permission change F1 number

Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that Max Verstappen first asked for his permission to take his old F1 race number at the 2025 United States GP. For 2026, Verstappen can no longer run the #1 as reigning world champion, and was set to revert back to his permanent race number of #33, but a change in the sporting regulations for this season allowed drivers to change their number, if they so wished. Verstappen became the first driver since permanent numbers were introduced in 2014 to change, and swapped his #33 for the #3 Ricciardo had run.  However, under the rules, a number is still assigned to a driver for two full seasons after their final race, which in Ricciardo's case was the 2024 Singapore GP, meaning the #3 was not eligible to come back into the open pool until the 2027 season.  However, given Ricciardo has now retired from racing, he gave Verstappen his blessing, with the Dutchman set to run the #3 in the coming. Recalling the conversation, Ricciardo revealed Verstappen first mentioned the idea in Austin last season.  "I got to see Max recently, and with the number three thing, it is quite cool and a cool story for us," Ricciardo said. "Also, for the fans of F1 who supported Max and I when we were team-mates. So when I caught up with Max in Austin [in 2025], he mentioned that he wanted to take the number three. "Of course, I was very, very happy to say yes because otherwise he would have had to wait one more year, so it is a pleasure for me to pass that number on to him."