The Drift

Their greatest triumph may be their undoing. As McLaren celebrates its 2025 Constructors' title, a bitter civil war is escalating between drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. This deep dive analyzes their Singapore flashpoint, the ghosts of F1's most destructive teammate rivalries, and why the biggest threat to the new dynasty is now coming from within its own garage.

While the Constructors' title is a foregone conclusion, the Drivers' Championship has been unexpectedly blown wide open. In just two races, Verstappen has slashed his deficit to championship leader Piastri from 104 points to a much more manageable 69. This dramatic turnaround has forced the paddock to re-evaluate what seemed impossible. Commentary from BBC Sport and Sky Sports F1 has shifted from discussing the Piastri-Norris duel to seriously debating whether Verstappen is a legitimate title contender. While the paddock is abuzz, some analysts, like former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer, remain skeptical, pointing out that Red Bull's recent dominance came on low-downforce circuits. Singapore's high-downforce nature is seen as the "true test" of the RB21's all-around capability. The man himself remains characteristically pragmatic. "Seven races to go and it's still 69 points, it's a lot," Verstappen told Sky Sports F1 after his Baku triumph, adding in the official press conference, "I don't rely on hope". Yet, his rivals are taking the threat seriously. McLaren's Stella warned that Red Bull is now "a very serious contender," while Mercedes boss Toto Wolff cautioned, "Max Verstappen you always need to be wary of what he can achieve, especially if he's seeing that it's actually back on the cards".

As F1 heads to the tight and technical Hungaroring, teams arrive on the back of a wild Belgian GP filled with rain-soaked drama and shifting momentum. McLaren looks to extend its form on a track favoring high downforce setups, while Red Bull scrambles for consistency and Ferrari sharpens its upgrades. With silly season rumors swirling and Spa’s fallout still echoing, Hungary becomes a litmus test before the summer break—and there’s no margin for error.

Red Bull’s unraveling hit full throttle at the 2025 British Grand Prix—on track and in the boardroom. As McLaren surged to a dominant 1-2 finish and Nico Hülkenberg stunned the paddock with a fairytale podium, Red Bull imploded. Max Verstappen spun, the strategy team cracked, and days later, team boss Christian Horner was unceremoniously fired. This long-form editorial digs into the fallout at Silverstone, the internal politics behind Horner’s dismissal, and the paddock-shaking rumor that Verstappen has already signed with Mercedes. If true, Red Bull didn’t just lose their driver—they lost their identity. The empire is wobbling, and it’s a mess of their own making.

Silverstone 2025 isn’t just another race—it’s a loaded powder keg of British pride, redemption arcs, and title momentum. McLaren arrives as the team to beat, but Ferrari’s finally found its footing, Mercedes is banking on chaos, and Red Bull is in full desperation mode. Toss in the cinematic buzz of “F1: The Movie” and its fictional team APXGP—shot on location at Silverstone—and you’ve got a weekend where sport and spectacle collide. This isn’t just racing. This is storytelling at 200 miles an hour.