Lewis Hamilton missed Q3 for the second straight day in Sao Paulo, blaming tyre warm up issues and acknowledging he sees little chance of a turnaround in the race.
Alex Albon missed Q3 in Sao Paulo after Williams had to revert to an older floor due to damage from Gabriel Bortoleto’s sprint accident. The narrow margin raised questions about the lost performance.
Lewis Hamilton received a reprimand for failing to reduce speed under double yellow flags during sprint qualifying in Sao Paulo. The FIA ruled that while he did not slow sufficiently, the short reaction window justified avoiding a grid penalty.
Lando Norris edged Andrea Kimi Antonelli by under a tenth to take sprint pole at Interlagos, while Yuki Tsunoda’s disrupted preparation led to an SQ1 exit. Ferrari struggled, Aston Martin impressed, and a tight midfield battle defined the session.
Aston Martin is undergoing a major internal restructuring as seven senior engineers, including former chief designer Akio Hanshita and aerodynamics head Eric Brandan, prepare to leave the team. The changes mark a deep overhaul driven by Adrian Newey and Enrico Cardile as the squad rebuilds itself for the 2026 Honda works era.
Lance Stroll has dismissed reports suggesting he considered retiring before the 2024 season, calling them “fake news.” The rumours resurfaced after Felipe Drugovich claimed Aston Martin once discussed the possibility of Stroll stepping aside.
Max Verstappen heads into Sao Paulo wary of the weather. Despite last year’s dramatic wet-weather victory from 17th on the grid, the Red Bull driver believes that rain in 2025 favours McLaren, not him, and warns that the championship fight could tilt further depending on conditions.
Media predictions on Yuki Tsunoda’s 2026 future are divided, with British outlets expecting Isaac Hajar’s promotion and several European outlets seeing a real chance of Tsunoda staying. Red Bull’s restructured leadership has eliminated the usual insider leaks, creating an unusually quiet environment around a major decision that blends performance, politics, and long-term planning.
