Papaya Rules: McLaren vs. McLaren in the Championship Fight, Mini Break Updates

After a long three-week break (with plenty of drivers' personal lives updates), we're finally back to the beloved sport of Formula 1. For all the commotion and drama that the break seemed to ensue, there weren't too many changes seen in the grid this weekend. Oscar Piastri still holds onto first in the drivers' standings with Lando Norris not too far behind. His win today brought the gap between them to sixteen points, secured by a vital overtake after the rolling start, but it still leaves plenty of room to race for the title. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is slowly catching up to the blurs of orange and Mercedes is having a rough streak in their racing. The results this weekend were relatively predictable, with Charles Leclerc placing third being the most unexpected announcement. However, the second half of the season always promises some sort of chaos, and I have a feeling that this year is no exception. McLaren so far has had a near clean sweep. But with team changes and car upgrades, anything could happen.

Piastri's overtake on Norris, image credit Formula 1

Red Bull Changes and Upgrades

I, of course, can't talk about Red Bull without bringing up the biggest news of the last three weeks: the announcement of Christian Horner "stepping down" as Red Bull's team principal. He's being replaced by Alan Permane, marking the first time that Horner will not be leading Red Bull in the history of the team. There had been discussion of the change since last season, and with the steady decline they've been facing, it's really no surprise. It's also very possible that his firing was the request of Verstappen. With Red Bull's current performance, there has been talk of him leaving, the most common theory being a transfer to Mercedes-AMG. His current contract is active until 2028, but is laced with exit clauses such as the one allowing him to leave if he were to drop below third place in the drivers' standings by the summer break. Verstappen will most likely stay with the team in 2026 as he will be third going into the summer break. But that still leaves 2027 up in the air for the Dutch driver. If he were to go to Mercedes for the 2027 season, it would make them the first team he's raced for away from the Red Bull conglomerate, and it would mean either George Russell or Kimi Antonelli would be in need of another seat. While I believe there's very little chance of Verstappen moving to Mercedes, the driver he would most likely replace would be Russell in the case that he did. Not because Antonelli is the better driver of the two necessarily, but rather that he's the project of team principal Toto Wolff. Besides, it is often better for a team to have a clear senior driver, as it usually makes the decision of the number one and number two driver (Alonso and Hamilton exempt) easier. However, this is a theory better debunked in the future when decisions are more imminent.

As for this weekend and the rest of the season, Red Bull has already shown improvements with their five upgrades for Verstappen; the new front wing, sidepod, engine cover, rear corner, and front wheel suspension all seem to be doing their job so far, with Verstappen clenching onto first place in the sprint race and fourth in the regular. It seems to be the car may be handling better than in the past, but the entire race Verstappen found himself stuck behind Leclerc, still leaving much to be desired. More upgrades are also lined up for Hungary, with Verstappen's teammate, Tsunoda, receiving them too. The hope is that things will start turning around for the energy drink team next weekend in Hungary.

What the F is up with Ferrari?

Everyone likes the idea of being a Ferrari fan until the season begins again and they toe the line between a podium and disqualification. Miraculously, the team has held onto second place in the championship, but the season, as per usual, has been all over the place. Leclerc has delivered relatively consistently, placing in the top five with the exception of a few races. But neither he nor Lewis Hamilton had scored a podium finish up until today, a position that the Ferrari car should be more than capable of fighting for. As for Hamilton's season, he's struggled a bit more, especially in qualifying. This weekend in Spa, Hamilton dealt with two Q1 exits (sprint and regular race) but finished quite well in the regular race with P7, gaining 9 places, a phenomenal feat by any standards. But had he qualified better, who knows how the race could have gone? Throughout the season both he and his teammate have shown the car can deliver on pace - it just isn't all that fast. They came in with a new rear suspension upgrade after the break with the hopes that it would solve some of their speed issues. There were improvements with Leclerc holding onto third place and Hamilton clawing his way through the ranks, but the car still needs some work. And arguably so does the team.

Charles Leclerc's upgraded Ferrari, image credit Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton may very well be the best F1 driver in history. He was the original underdog story, not coming from fame or fortune, but rather pure talent and determination. He is more than worthy of his seven championship wins (really should be at least eight) and has shown time and time again what it means to be the best in the world. But his time has come and gone. I would love nothing more than for Hamilton to drive through the finish line one more time in Abu Dhabi and have another championship under his belt, but I also need to be realistic. Hamilton hasn't done particularly poorly this season, but he hasn't done as well as everyone, including himself, probably thought he would with the switch to Ferrari. Going from Mercedes to Ferrari might have even been a downgrade, despite what the constructors' standings have to say. Maybe I'm wrong and his comeback will come in 2026 with the new regulations and cars. But for this season at least, there isn't much hope for him or Ferrari. There were also recent rumours of Fred Vasseur's exit as team principal, but for now, it seems that the Frenchman will stay with the team. Some people believed that a management change could be what Ferrari was looking for, but there is also such a thing as too much change. For realism's sake, the best thing they can do now is ride the rest of the season out the way they are now and focus their energy on the prospects of what 2026 could bring them.

So What Do I Think?

After the finish in the race today, there is no doubt in my mind that McLaren will take both the drivers and constructors' championships. And in my unsolicited opinion, Oscar Piastri will be driving with the number 1 in 2026. Not to say that it won't be tight between him and Norris, but he's currently delivering more consistently than the British driver; the final ten laps of the race today showed that. As for Red Bull? The current upgrades will carry them through for this season, but some serious changes will have to be made for them to see any real improvements in the future. They need to realize it isn't the drivers that are the problem, but the car instead. The Horner to Permane and Laurent Mekies (new Red Bull CEO) switch is a start, but they've still got a long way to go (Helmut Marko, anyone?).

As a Carlos Sainz fan I have to have hope for Williams. They did have some of their best results of the season with Sainz placing sixth in the sprint and Alex Albon placing sixth in the regular race, but for all you non-delusional folks out there, all I'll say is it might not be the worst time to have a backup favourite driver or team. Albon himself is doing better than he was last season by a long shot. But Sainz seems to be facing more challenges every race, falling into the number two driver position despite the assumptions going into the season that he would be leading the team. Even Sauber at this point is showing more consistency than the Williams are (Hulkenberg podium!!!). Still, 2026 isn't too far away, and it'll be a season to remember, that's for sure. New regulations, a new team, and new drivers could really shake things up. Confirmation of the driver lineup for Cadillac could come any day now, with Mick Schumacher, Sergio Perez, Zhou Guanyu, and a few other familiar faces (Daniel Ricciardo please please please) in the running. Plus, a new car for Aston Martin made by Adrien Newey could be the Hail Mary they've been waiting for. We Canadians might have another podium finish sooner than we think. Maybe even a Grand Prix win!

With twelve races left this year there's still time for upsets and comebacks galore, so don't tune out quite yet. Maybe the finish this year will be a Hamilton vs. Verstappen deal with WDC coming down to the last checkered flag of the season. Verstappen could even rake in his fifth championship win (chances: slim) or Ferrari could claw their way back to the top (chances: slimmer)! For all I know this year could be silly season 2.0. I just can't wait for what Hungary has in store.

Works Cited:

Barretto, L. (2025, July 25). Can rivals and rain stop PIASTRI conquering spa?. FRIDAY DEBRIEF: Oscar Piastri looks a step ahead but can rivals and rain stop the McLaren driver conquering the Belgian Grand Prix? https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/friday-debrief-piastri-looks-a-step-ahead-but-can-rivals-and-rain-stop-the.2MQg2qgihrswXAWlAVt8au

Images:

Hughes, M., & Piola, G. (2025, July 1). How Ferrari’s upgrades could unlock the car’s potential. F1 - The Official Home of Formula 1® Racing. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/tech-weekly-how-ferraris-new-upgrades-could-finally-unlock-the-sf-25s.4jMWDhQ1c6jvFSjw6lmSvd

F1. (2025, July 27). Watch as PIASTRI jumps Norris after Belgian GP start. RACE START: Oscar Piastri jumps Lando Norris on opening racing lap in delayed Belgian Grand Prix. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/race-start-piastri-jumps-norris-on-opening-racing-lap-in-delayed-belgian.7IaYjK01CpoIiOaGRuP0zd