Championship Climax, Piastri to the Dark Side, Ferrari Fantasy, and more ahead of this weekend's US GP in Austin

Wow, my predictions a couple of weekends were terrible. Piastri definitely didn't win, but there's certainly argument he should have been on the podium (we'll go deep into detail on that later), picking Stroll was probably one of the stupidest things I've ever done, and of course I forgot George Russell existed ahead of the race he performs flawlessly at.

Singapore was, as we expected, nowhere close to being as entertaining as Baku, but it still held its share of surprises. I think it's important to get the winning story out of the way first. Well, GEORGE RUSSELL WON. Yes, I guess it's not that impressive considering that he has already won a race this season and has been one of the best drivers this season relative to his car, but Singapore was not the track Mercedes was supposed to excel at. Street circuits are much better for the MCL39, as their tight corners allow McLaren to take advantage of the car's strong downforce. Still, Russell taking pole and leading the entire race to win was an amazing delivery weeks in the coming for the Englishman.

For me, the more exciting news comes in the drivers' championship. Verstappen again finished the highest out of the three championship contenders and gained points on both Piastri and Norris. However, both Papayas almost crashed out of the race on the first lap when we witnessed an almost exact replica of a situation from the 2018 race when the two Force Indias went into the corner side by side. The difference? Perez forced Ocon into the wall and ended his race, but the combination of Piastri backing off and Norris giving his teammate a little bit of space allowed the two to avoid a collision. Norris was allowed to keep the spot and never let it up on the way to a podium.

Without further ado, let's get into our recap and predictions.

What happened at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

We've already covered most of the storylines, but I wanted to finish up the Piastri story and highlight a couple of other drivers. Piastri could be in for a massive split with McLaren after the past couple of races in which the team has seemed to favor his teammate. In Monza, Norris had a slow pit stop during which he lost his position to Piastri, who was then instructed to give the position back to Norris "for the fairness of the title fight." However, in Singapore, Norris pulled off his dangerous overtake on Piastri to take third but was not instructed to give the position back to Piastri. Things seem to be getting tense between the Aussie and his constructor, and he even disconnected the team radio during the constructors' championship celebration out of frustration.

Elsewhere, Antonelli had another great weekend, finishing in fifth and extending his lead over Albon for seventh in the drivers' championship. Ferrari were able to secure points for both cars, while Bearman and Alonso also scored points finishes. Sainz gained nine and Albon six places in the Williams cars after disqualification that forced them to start at the back of the grid, and the team even took home a single point from a disappointing weekend.

Podium Predictions

Here are my predictions for the podium finishers at the 2025 United States Grand Prix:

United States Grand Prix Sprint

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

   
   

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

   
   

3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

United States Grand Prix

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

   
   

2. Lando Norris (McLaren)

   
   

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

Five Spicy Hot Takes

Now, let’s spice things up with some bold hot takes for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, rated from 1 to 5 spicy pepper emojis:

1. 🌶️ - Verstappen will win the Sprint. Max Verstappen is potentially the best race starter and qualifier on the grid, and nothing is more important for a sprint race. Verstappen has won the race three times already at COTA in his career and has traditionally excelled at sprint races. In fact, Verstappen has won over half of the sprint races held. Like, ever.

   
   

2. 🌶️🌶️ - The Papayas don't fight...yet. I know that after a couple of weekends ago this predictions seems a little strange, but I think that Piastri hasn't completely turned to the dark side or become fully selfish yet. I have a feeling he won't need to be battling with Norris as my prediction is that the Aussie will lead most of the race calmly, but I still think that Piastri will follow team orders to not crash into Norris if those orders arrive.

   
   

3. 🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Ferrari get a glimpse of last year. It's hard to remember, but last year Ferrari finished, out of nowhere, 1-2 at the US Grand Prix, with Verstappen in third. It was an outlier, but it is important to remember just how good their two drivers are in the right car and especially at this track. Hamilton has won FIVE times at COTA in his career, which is the record. Ferrari has no chance of what it did last year, but I could see Leclerc on the podium.

   
   

4. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Someone loses their seat. I want to deviate from racing for just a second. The time is coming for driver lineups to be announced officially for next season, and while the official confirmations are expected in either Mexico City or Sao Paolo, I think something, whether official or a leak, will be revealed this weekend.

   
   

5. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - An excelent weekend for Sauber. Maybe not for Hulkenberg, has he hasn't had a good weekend since the magic in Silverstone that delivered him the long-awaited podium, but I think at least for Bortoleto. I think Gabi will finish not only inside of the top ten, but inside of the top five, for his highest career finish.

Constructors' Clinch, Max's Kryptonite, and all you need to know about the hottest race of the year at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix

Two weekends ago, I made some of the most accurate sports predictions of my life. Yes, I may have picked Max Verstappen to not score, but I also chose George Russel and Carlos Sainz as my P2 and P3 respectively (I'll admit I am biased as a Williams fan), which was the exact outcome of the non-winner podium positions. I also forecasted that McLaren would have to wait another couple of weekends to clinch, which was the case after Piastri's disastrous weekend and Norris's dissapointing Sunday.

And now we shift to what is truly the hottest race of the season, both physically and metaphorically. McLaren's chances at not clinching the constructors' championship is extremely slim. In fact, a podium by either driver would confirm the title for the Papayas. However, after last weekend's brilliance by Mercedes and Red Bull (yes, even you Yuki), McLaren may not clinch just yet if we see another iffy race from the championship leaders.

The more exciting news is the drivers' championship, which has been about Piastri and Norris all season. Well, who could have seen this one coming? The best driver in an F1 car on the planet has begun to claw his way back after his second consecutive victory in Baku and is now reasonably within reach of the Papaya duo. He's quite far (in fact a whole 69 points) behind Piastri, but you can never put anything past the Flying Dutchman.

Without further ado, let's get into our recap and predictions.

What happened at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

Oops. Guess I already spoiled the winner. Not quite as unexpected as his win in Monza though. Verstappen's weekend was spectacular. Despite the qualifying chaos (we will definitely get into that), he calmly secured pole position ahead of Williams's surprise package Carlos Sainz and never gave up the lead in Baku. George Russel, despite feeling pretty badly, managed to put up a spectacular result with an even more superb drive around the historic city, eventually passing Sainz to take P2. The star of the weekend, though, was Carlos Sainz, who sat 17th in the drivers' championship heading into Baku and moved up a whole five spots. He took advantage of the red flags and slight wetness during qualifying to hold provisional pole for most of Q3 before being passed by Verstappen on the latter's last flying lap.

Other than the podium, there are plenty of things to unpack. Sainz's teammate Albon had a terrible weekend, qualifying 20th after an uncharacteristic crash, being unable to gain enough places to score points, and colliding with former teammate Franco Colapinto. Aston Martin, Alphie, Kick Sauber, and Haas were all unable to score points, occupying eight of the ten spots outside of the scoring.

It was a huge weekend for some of the youngsters, and especailly those in the Red Bull teams. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli raced amazingly and was able to hold off veteran teammate Russel for much of the race, finishing fourth and just missing out on his second podium. Lawson and Hadjar both put times up on the board quickly in Q3 before the red flags and rain, and both converted high qualifying spots into points finishes, while Tsunoda was able to show an important glimpse of potential in the main team by finishing in sixth and holding off Norris.

Finally, qualifying. Watching qualifying at Baku made me question what on earth is going on with this year's field and the excitement that we've seen this season. We had six, yes six, red flags, a record all-time with three in Q1, one in Q2, and two in Q3. Albon, Hulkenberg, and both Alpines Gasly and Colapinto had scrapes with the wall in Q1, with Bearman hitting the wall and being unable to move on early in Q2. In Q3, Piastri crashed for the first time in the weekend and Leclerc experienced Baku flashbacks with his latest crash.

Free Practice Sessions 1 and 2

As teams took to Singapore, the first two free practice sessions provided key data on car performance and setups.

Free Practice 1

FP1 was a shock. Alonso topped the time sheet in the Aston Martin with Leclerc second in the Ferrari and Verstappen third in his Red Bull. McLaren took fifth and sixth with Hamilton, Hadjar, Sainz, and Tsunoda taking the final spots in the top ten. Albon's Williams sturggled in the heat, only allowing him to complete two laps before retiring for the session.

Free Practice 2

FP2 was topped by a much more typical name, with Piastri taking the fastest lap on the time sheet. However, the top 10 was much more atypical. Hadjar took second with Verstappen third, but the other two Red Bull/Racing Bulls cars landed outside of the top 10. McLaren and Aston Martin landed both drivers within the top six with Ocon and Sainz taking seventh and eighth and Ferrari occupying the final two spots in the top half.

Podium Predictions

With insights from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the practice sessions in Singapore, here are my predictions for the podium finishers at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix:

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

   
   

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

   
   

3. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

   
   

Five Spicy Hot Takes

Now, let’s spice things up with some bold hot takes for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, rated from 1 to 5 spicy pepper emojis:

1. 🌶️ - McLaren will win the constructors'. Realistically, there's very little possiblity of this not coming true this week. McLaren just need a podium in their worst case scenario, which should be very likely in their high-downforce car.

   
   

2. 🌶️🌶️ - Verstappen gains on Norris again. Yep. Verstappen has been slowly gaining on both Papaya drivers for the past couple of weeks, but one of the McLarens surely has to halt his momentum. Norris is the historically much better driver in Singapore, but I think Verstappen will get within a race (25 points) of Norris by the end of the weekend. How about that for the four-time defending world champion?

   
   

3. 🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Stroll on the podium. Yeah, yeah, I don't like this either. Who does? Well, I think he's beyond due. The way the Aston Martin looks this weekend, you never know. It's been quite a while, so how about a fourth podium?

   
   

4. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Aston Martin will score the most points this weekend. Yes, Aston Martin has looked amazing so far this weekend, but they can't possibly keep this up. Right? No, Singapore is a very technical and difficult circuit where anything can happen to any team. If Alonso and Stroll race well, Aston Martin could very easily earn the English squad the top spot this weekend in terms of team points.

   
   

5. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Alpine drivers both score. No. Aston Martin and Stroll are not even close to being the hottest take. Yes, I have last-placed by far Alpine scoring both of their cars this week. They haven't scored since July at Spa and Colapinto has yet to score a single point. But yes, the cars will be slighly equalized this weekend by the heat and skill will begin to take over, where former race winner and prodigy Gasly and talented but struggling sophomore Colapinto will score.

Night races are back!

No matter what, we should be in for another entertaining race. Although overtaking is difficult on street circuits, they can always be counted on for chaos, spectacular driving, and safety cars. While we may not have the history and beauty of Baku, the night-time shift to modernistic Singapore is always welcome. Get ready for DRS action, heavy tire management, and more in southeast Asia's only race!

Papaya Preeminence, Piastri vs Norris, and predictions for the streets and castles of Baku

It's been a fortnight since we raced at the Temple of Speed, and it's time to move to an environment that couldn't be more different. The Baku Street Circuit in Azerbaijan is set to host the 17th instalment of the 2025 F1 season this weekend, with the cars weaving through tight corners and battling down long straights surrounded by a port city and historical castle. With McLaren having a chance to clinch their spot at the top of the constructors’ standings and Oscar Piastri hoping to pull away from his teammate in the drivers', this should be an impactful race this season.

In this article, I'll recap what happened in Monza, discuss the first two Free Practice sessions from Baku, and share my predictions for the podium finishers. I'll also present five bold hot takes and analyze the potential winners and losers as we look ahead to this intriguing race.

What happened at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix?

The 2025 Italian Grand Prix at the historical Monza track featured an unexpected (was it REALLY unexpected) winner. Red Bull's Max Verstappen broke through the Papaya barrier to claim his third grand prix victory of the season, including the Italian double with his win at Imola. But it wasn't his victory on Sunday that set the main headline, it was what he did on Saturday. In Qualifying, Max Verstappen set the fastest lap in F1 history, yes HISTORY, by average speed around the circuit. Now it's not surprising that this came at Monza, but Verstappen now has the fastest average speed lap in F1 history. He converted pole to a win with plenty of drama in between.

Verstappen went off at turn one with the Papayas in hot pursuit, but in typical Max style, he kept his lead, although he was forced to give his position back to Norris. Verstappen regained the lead on the fourth lap and held it for the remainder of the race (with exception of his pit stop), with Norris and Piastri in second and third for the majority of the race. Norris had a slow pit stop, sparking controversy which resulted in McLaren ordering Piastri to give up his position to Norris for the fairness of the title race.

Ferrari and Mercedes were able to get both drivers in the points, with Albon in seventh, Bortoletto claiming one of the results of his rookie campaign in eighth, and Hadjar scoring back-to-back points in 10th.

Free Practice Sessions 1 and 2

As teams took to Monza, the first two free practice sessions provided key data on car performance and setups.

Free Practice 1

FP1 was dominated by the McLarens, with Norris running a 1:42:704 and Piastri just about three tenths of a second behind. Williams pushed both cars into the top 10 and Red Bull impressively had all four of its cars in the top 10 as well. The Alpines continued to struggle in Free Practices as they finished 19th (COL) and 20th (GAS) with both cars over two seconds off the Briton's pace, and Haas and Aston Martin continued to struggle as well.

Free Practice 2

Free Practice 2 was much more interesting, with the McLarens in 10th and 12th. Hamilton looked to be his old self with a 1:41:293 lap for Ferrari, with Leclerc just seventy hundreths of a second behind to complete a Ferrari 1-2. Mercedes impressed by landing its drivers in the next two positions, while Haas was able to bring both drivers up from the back of the grid to the top eight. Gasly improved in the Alpine up to 16th, but Colapinto was again over two seconds behind the leader. Aston Martin placed its drivers in 17th and 19th, which was a dissapointing follow-up to their terrible FP1.

Podium Predictions

With insights from the Italian Grand Prix and the practice sessions, here are my predictions for the podium finishers at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix:

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

   
   

2. George Russel (Mercedes)

   
   

3. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

   
   

Five Spicy Hot Takes

Now, let’s spice things up with some bold hot takes for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, rated from 1 to 5 spicy pepper emojis:

1. 🌶️ - The pole sitter will not win. I believe Piastri will take pole in Baku. He won the race a year ago and knows how to race a quick lap around the circuit. Now, let's not count out the 4-time defending pole sitter Charles Leclerc, but Baku has plenty of turns that benefit the downforce on this year's McLaren.

   
   

2. 🌶️🌶️ - There will be a red flag. As you'll see in some of the spicier takes, I have a very good reason for a red flag and standing start. However, Baku can always be counted on for a safety car and a chaotic race, so if there is a massive crash or collision in one of the narrower parts of the track, we could very well be in for a standing start midway through the race.

   
   

3. 🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Ferrari will win their first grand prix of the season. It is time for Ferrari. It is time for Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque has been on pole for the last four years, but has never converted it into a win. He'll qualify fourth behind Piastri, Norris, and Russel, pass Russel early, sit in third for most of the race, and pass the McLarens to win his first Azerbaijan Grand Prix. If he takes pole he won't win, but what if he doesn't take pole?

   
   

4. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Ferrari bromance on the podium. No, I'm not talking about Leclerc's new teammate Lewis Hamilton, I'm talking about the smoothest operator on the grid. Former Scuderia driver Carlos Sainz will capitalize on a low-Q3 starting position and slowly move up the grid. With chaos always on the horizon in Baku, Sainz can weave through the field and finish on his first podium in the Williams and add to their cushion for fifth in the constructors' championship and get a bit closer to his teammate in the drivers' standings.

   
   

5. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - McLaren will fail to finish as their drivers will crash into each other fighting for the drivers' championship. This would be a shocker. McLaren have been so good all year, and their drivers have been very consistent with not racing each other and finishing each and every race. However, with both drivers starting to feel the pressure and sense the title, the stakes are beginning to get higher. The McLarens will be fighting for the win in the middle-to-late stages of the race and suddenly, the constructors' dreams will have to wait yet another week.

   
   

Winners and Losers

As we approach the Italian Grand Prix, here’s my analysis of potential winners and losers:

Winner: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

There are a few drivers in my predictions that could go here, but I think this would mean the most to Leclerc. He's sat in pole for the past four Azerbaijan Grand Prix but has been unable to win, and has only produced a podium twice out of the four attempts. He must have some sort of mental blocker and self-confidence issue after failing four times, and winning in Baku would be huge not only to his racing at this Grand Prix in the future but also for his confidence in the Ferrari for the rest of the season and with the new regulations. He's yet to win this season, so it would definitely boost his view on the year and the team if he could win here.

Loser: Lando Norris (McLaren)

Well, let's just say either Papaya driver could go in here. If both McLarens crash out, though, it would damage Norris much more. Piastri currently has a solid 31 point lead in the drivers' championship over his teammate, so if both cars crash out, Norris loses a race to catch up to Piastri. Norris' worst-case scenario is a DNF or non-points finish while his teammate wins, but a double-DNF isn't much better.

Winner: Williams

If Carlos Sainz finishes on the podium, it would be an excellent weekend for Williams. They haven't been running as well in Free Practice as they usually do, but Albon has still been producing excellent results in the past few races. If Williams can sneak both cars, or at least one car, into Q3, which they haven't been able to do for the past few races, it would be huge for Sunday as anything can happen in Baku to move drivers up the grid. Albon has been turning mid starting positions into great finishes, and if Sainz can do the same, Williams are in for a big weekend.

Loser: McLaren

Hello! If my prediction comes true, who else could be the loser? A zero-point weekend coupled with a Ferrari win would be a nightmare for the Papayas. Although their lead in the constructors' is practically insurmountable, McLaren will want to have the title wrapped up by the end of this weekend to focus on the drivers' championship battle between their two drivers and the new regulations for 2026. Delaying another week is the worst possible scenario.

Entertainment Guaranteed

The 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is shaping up to be an intriguing race packed with one title potentially decided, another just heating up, and plenty of storylines. McLaren’s strength, the intense rivalry between Piastri and Norris, and the threats from Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari all make for an enthralling showdown at one of F1's most unique tracks. As teams prepare at Baku, fans eagerly anticipate which driver will emerge victorious in this perpetually entertaining event.

Get ready for a riveting weekend of safety cars, potentially rain, long straights, and tight corners, and may the best driver take the checkered flag in Baku!