- oldest first
- newest first
Piastri: Mercedes even further away tomorrow
The Australian says on Sky about Mercedes: “It was a bit of a surprise how far ahead they are.” In tomorrow’s race, he expects the Silver Arrows to be even further away.
“Nobody did long runs like Mercedes [on Friday], and they looked even faster than today,” he warns. His hope is therefore to perhaps be able to attack the Mercedes drivers at the start.
“There is great uncertainty regarding the starts, how competitive everyone is. Therefore, qualifying is perhaps crucial at the moment,” he hopes.
Read more Why the Formula 1 debut in Australia is «four times as difficult» for Cadillac
Norris slams new rules
After Max Verstappen, Lando Norris has now also criticized the new regulations – and surprisingly clearly. “We’ve gone from the best cars ever built in Formula 1 and the most pleasant to drive, to probably the worst,” says Norris.
“This car is just strange,” the world champion dismisses and explains: “You have to get used to lifting off the throttle everywhere to go faster, and shifting into gears you don’t actually want to shift into.” So the car feels completely unnatural.
“As a driver, it doesn’t feel good,” Norris emphasizes. But he doesn’t want to use that as an excuse after P6. One simply has to get the best out of the existing regulations, says Norris. And Mercedes has simply managed that best at the moment.
Glock expects “stroll” for Mercedes
Unlike in 2025, there shouldn’t be any rain in Melbourne tomorrow. It should therefore be a “normal” race, and in such a race, expert Timo Glock clearly sees Mercedes in front.
“Fundamentally, I’m sure it will be a stroll for Mercedes at the front,” says Glock on Sky. Further back in the field, he expects numerous retirements of the new cars.
If you see the checkered flag, then you have “almost a certain place in the points,” he predicts, “because I do believe that we will see one or two retirements over the course of the race.”
Verstappen: Mercedes lead “no surprise”
The Dutchman also just spoke about Mercedes’ lead and reminds: “I already said that in Bahrain: Let’s wait and see how it goes in Melbourne. Then you’ll see how fast they are.”
“So for me, it’s no surprise,” he says. In addition, he has once again reaffirmed his criticism of the new rules. “The formula is not correct,” says the four-time world champion.
Regarding possible adjustments to the rules, he says that there isn’t much room for maneuver. Of course, the rules for energy could be adjusted, but that would ultimately only make the cars slower.
ADVERTISEMENT: The Formula 1 season opener live on Sky!
Will Mercedes also dominate the race tomorrow after qualifying? And can Verstappen fight his way back to the front after his accident? You can see that live and exclusively on Sky on Sunday!
Only on Sky can you see all practice sessions of the premier class, all qualifyings, sprints and of course all races without commercial breaks. In addition, there are exciting interviews, analyses and background reports.
Get your personal Sky offer here!
Read more FIA changes guidelines: Better duels in Formula 1 again?
Verstappen gives the all-clear
Max Verstappen seemed to have pain in his hands after his crash. In the meantime, however, he has given the all-clear and explained: “I just had to have a few X-rays taken to see if my hands are okay. But nothing is broken.”
Regarding the accident itself, he says: “I just stepped on the pedal and the entire rear axle completely locked up, which is very strange, especially with these Formula 1 cars. I’ve never experienced that in my whole life.”
He cannot say at the moment how it happened.
Antonelli: Out in Q1 without Verstappen crash?
P2 for the Italian in the end, but without Max Verstappen’s crash and the red flag, Mercedes might not have managed to get him out on track in time in Q1 at all.
“Max’s off probably helped us […] to get the car out at all,” Toto Wolff admits on Sky and emphasizes that the mechanics perhaps deserved the greatest praise today.
“That was really an incredible team effort,” the team principal rejoices, who also explains that the car was “simply in the right window.” “I don’t think it’s the battery. I think it’s the tire,” says Wolff.
Meaning: Mercedes might not be this strong everywhere.
Russell: Conditions suited us
Is Mercedes marching through to the world championship title after this impressive performance? George Russell is naturally trying to dampen expectations a bit. “It was a great day,” he says.
“We knew the car had a lot of potential, but until the first Saturday of the season you never know how it’s going to go,” he emphasizes and explains that the cooler conditions played into Mercedes’ hands.
But that alone is certainly not the reason for the big lead …
Read more Ex-driver criticizes: Adrian Newey is overwhelmed with his dual role