Lando Norris topped the second practice session in Singapore but was "hoping to have a much bigger gap" over Charles Leclerc.

The Brit was 0.058 seconds clear of the Ferrari driver after an impressive session on Friday.

Norris had started strong in the first practice too, only for Leclerc to displace him by 0.076s, but he reversed the roles later in the day.

It was the sort of start he was looking for, as he sets out to close the 59-point gap to Max Verstappen, who struggled in practice, in the drivers' championship.

And Norris was feeling positive after the run, but admitted he would have preferred a bigger advantage over those behind him.

"Yeah, pace is good. I'm feeling good, it was also a nice lap," Norris said after the second session. "I think we're doing what we expect, I guess, to be up at the front and to be there with Ferrari.

"But it was a very nice lap and Charles is only [0.058s] behind. I was hoping to have a much bigger gap than what I had, honestly, which means they're quick, it means Ferrari are very, very fast.

"But, yeah, things are going well so far."

Unlike Norris, Verstappen endured another difficult day as he finished 15th, 1.294s behind Norris' time.

Red Bull dropped into second in the constructors' championship after Oscar Piastri's win in Azerbaijan last weekend and need a better performance in Singapore if they want to reassert themselves in the standings.

But Verstappen, who has not won any of the last seven races, was left frustrated by his lap time.

When asked to sum up his day, Verstappen said: "Difficult. Not having the grip that we would like. We have a few things to look at.

"I was not really struggling with the bumps or kerbs, just general grip, so we have to look at the trade-off between the two."

Carlos Sainz was six-tenths off the pace in third, while RB's Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo were surprise strong performers, finishing fourth and sixth respectively, either side of Piastri. 

Mercedes also struggled to match up, with George Russell taking seventh, having damaged a front wing late on, and Lewis Hamilton 10th.

Oscar Piastri's confidence is high after a win in Baku, but he is willing to do what he can to help Lando Norris win the drivers' championship if called upon.

Piastri beat Charles Leclerc in Azerbaijan last weekend, holding off the Ferrari on a track where they usually dominate, to claim his second win of the season, following up his maiden F1 win in Hungary.

He got a little help from Norris on the track though, as the Brit held off Sergio Perez so that Piastri could emerge from the pits still holding his place.

The Australian remains fourth in the standings himself, now just 32 points behind team-mate Norris, but his victory meant McLaren leapfrogged Red Bull into the lead in the constructors' championship.

Piastri, who has finished on the podium in five of the last seven races, praised the teamwork put in by McLaren so far and is hoping they can continue that going forward.

"It is a nice confidence boost [coming to Singapore]. We should be competitive this weekend," he said.

"It wasn't our most competitive track, there have been races where we have been quicker compared to the competition. So, to win like that where Ferrari were so quick is a confidence boost.

"Lando is still ahead in the championship and, just to be honest, has a more realistic chance to win the drivers' championship.

"But Baku is how we want to go racing as McLaren. We got it across perfectly of our culture and how we want to go racing. I want to win but, naturally, if I can help out Lando's championship bid, I am happy to help."

Max Verstappen, meanwhile, has struggled of late, failing to win any of the last seven F1 races, with his last victory coming in Spain in June.

He still holds a 59-point lead over Norris in the standings, but with just two podiums since his last win, the Dutchman is far from his best.

He acknowledged the other drivers' improvement, especially Piastri, and is hopeful Red Bull can fix some of their issues ahead of a race where they have struggled before.

"Oscar is doing a fantastic job lately and [McLaren] are very strong as a team. So, it is up to us to make it difficult for them. We need to make the car more dependable," he said.

"Our car generally isn't very good on bumps and kerbs, and that is what we have around here, so we need to try and stabilise it.

"I don't know even where to start. I'm confident we can do a better job than last year, but the competition has improved quite a bit."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Lando Norris – McLaren

Norris has proven a consistent challenger to Verstappen so far this season and took the edge once again in Baku by sneaking in front of him at the end of the race.

It marked the second-biggest comeback of his F1 career (11 places, from 15th to 4th), meaning he has now finished ahead of the 26-year-old in each of the last three races.

However, since Verstappen's last win, Norris has only closed the gap by 10 points in the drivers’ championship.

Sergio Perez – Red Bull

Sergio Perez has endured a difficult run, having failed to make the podium since April in China.

It looked like he would end that run in Baku, only for a late tangle with Carlos Sainz to force him to retire from the race.

No driver in this year's championship has not finished a grand prix more often than the Mexican (three, level with Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda), but Red Bull will be hoping he can build on what looked to be a promising race in Singapore.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 313
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 254
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 235
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 222
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 184

Constructors

1. McLaren – 476
2. Red Bull – 456
3. Ferrari – 425
4. Mercedes – 309
5. Aston Martin – 82

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insisted Sergio Perez "deserved more" after a "heartbreaking" crash denied him a place on the podium in Baku on Sunday.

Perez, who made a brilliant start to the season only to struggle in recent months, looked set to register his best finish since finishing third at the Chinese Grand Prix in April after comfortably holding P3 for much of the race.

However, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz snuck past him on the penultimate lap, and when the Mexican attempted to regain third place, the two tangled and hit the barrier, forcing them both out of the race.

That meant that George Russell instead claimed the final podium spot alongside winner Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.

"He deserved a lot more," Horner told Sky Sports. "He should've at the very least been on the podium today.

"It was a magnificent race out at the front for so many laps. It was great to be in, it was exciting to be a part of, and it's just disappointing that it came to a close like that when it didn't need to.

"Unfortunately, he lost quite a bit of time on his out laps behind Alex Albon and then Lando [Norris] cost him dearly, which gave Oscar [Piastri] track position. I think without that, he would've won the race today.

"It's one of those things that's very heartbreaking for him and the team that so much effort goes in to lose a podium in the dying laps of the race."

It was a tough day for Red Bull all around, as Piastri's win coupled with Lando Norris crossing the line before Max Verstappen meant that McLaren leapfrogged them in the constructors'’ championship.

Red Bull are now 20 points behind McLaren ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, and Horner admitted he was not happy with how the tide had turned.

"Very, very disappointing," he added. "[The crash] destroyed the race for Checo.

"It's cost us a lot of damage and obviously vital points in the constructors' championship."

Charles Leclerc pledged to learn from his mistakes after squandering pole position at Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing second to Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc started at the front of the grid in Baku for the fourth time in a row, having also claimed a memorable triumph for Ferrari at their home circuit of Monza last time out.

However, Piastri passed Leclerc on a straight on the 20th lap, and a spirited fightback was not enough for the Monegasque driver as the McLaren held on for his second win of the year.

The result means Leclerc remains third in the drivers' championship standings with 235 points, behind Max Verstappen (313) and Lando Norris (254), while Ferrari remain third in the constructors' table.

Speaking about his battle with Piastri after the race, Leclerc said: "It is enjoyable when you've got many opportunities every lap. 

"I think maybe McLaren had less downforce and in the straights they were very quick, in the corners we were a bit quicker. 

"I couldn't get as close as I wanted and eventually we lost the race when I didn't defend as well as I could have at the end of the straight. Sometimes you make mistakes and I'll learn from it."

Asked at what stage he realised victory was unlikely, Leclerc said: "I think as soon as we put the hard tyres on. On the medium we were very competitive, and the car felt good. 

"Unfortunately for me, we didn't do any high fuel running in FP1 and FP2. We went for a setup direction which in the race was a bit more difficult to manage. 

"McLaren and Oscar have done an exceptional job and done better than us."

Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, was pushing for a podium finish when he crashed with Baku specialist Sergio Perez, taking both drivers out of the race.

"It's a huge shame for Carlos on the last laps," Leclerc said. "Hopefully everyone is okay, and obviously it's not a great day for the team."

Oscar Piastri held off Charles Leclerc to claim his second win of the Formula 1 season in a dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

And the Australian's victory means McLaren have leapfrogged Red Bull in the constructors' championship after an impressive run.

Leclerc started on pole in Baku for the fourth time in a row, and, after winning in Monza last time out, put himself in a good position to get a second consecutive win after a strong start.

However, Piastri took advantage on a straight in the 20th lap, stealing in front of the Ferrari, who he managed to hold off in the latter stages despite a spirited fightback from Leclerc.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris started in P15 after struggling in qualifying, but after a brilliant opening stint, he then slipped in front of his championship rival Max Verstappen with two laps remaining, eventually finishing fourth.

There was still a thrilling finish, as Sergio Perez, who has scored the most points in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and Carlos Sainz both pushed to clinch the final podium spot and tangled in a huge crash on the penultimate lap, taking both of them out of the race.

George Russell benefitted from that to claim third, while his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished in ninth after a pit-lane start for taking a new engine ahead of the race. 

Data Debrief: McLaren gain the edge

McLaren now have a 20-point lead over Red Bull in the championship. It is the first time the team have held the lead after at least 17 Grands Prix since Brazil in 2005.

It was quite the result for Piastri, who has now finished in the top two in four of his last five F1 races (winner in Hungary and Azerbaijan, runner-up in Belgium and Italy). That is more than he managed in his previous 34 Grand Prix.

Norris will be pleased with his own exploits though, given where he started on the grid, and by nipping in front of Verstappen, he keeps his hopes alive in the drivers' championship. The gap is now 59 points.

Top 10

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

3. George Russell (Mercedes)

4. Lando Norris (McLaren)

5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

7. Alex Albon (Williams)

8. Franco Colapinto (Williams)

9. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

10. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers'

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 313

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 254

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 235

Constructors'

1. McLaren - 476

2. Red Bull - 456

3. Ferrari - 425

Pierre Gasly has been disqualified from the results of qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as stewards deemed his Alpine car over the fuel flow limit.

Gasly was eliminated in the second qualifying session, after posting a time which was good enough for 13th, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg of Haas and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin.

However, shortly after the session's end, stewards summoned Alpine and Gasly over a possible breach of Article 5.2.3 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which covers fuel mass flow.

This punishment means Gasly will start Sunday's race at the back of the grid alongside Sauber's Zhou Guanyou, who also suffered a penalty this weekend, as the Chinese driver had exceeded the allowance of power unit components.

Gasly's teammate, Esteban Ocon, will start the race just ahead of both in 18th, with the opportunity of Alpine gaining points in Baku this weekend looking very slim.

This is the fourth time a driver has been disqualified from qualifying results in 2024, with Gasly following Willliams' Alex Albon and the Haas duo of Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was cautious about his chances of winning two Formula 1 races in succession for the first time in his career despite going fastest in the second practice of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Leclerc recovered from a crash in the morning to set the pace in the afternoon, 0.006 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Sergio Perez and 0.066 seconds in front of Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.

Championship leader Max Verstappen finished fifth, while his challenger Lando Norris struggled and languished in 17th after the second classification in Baku.

Despite going quickest, Leclerc admitted there were issues with his Ferrari car, leaving work to do if he wants to get pole position in Azerbaijan for a fourth successive year.

He said: "The thing is that when we started FP2 there was an actual problem on the car that we saw later on, once I stopped, and we changed that particular part.

"It's one of the tracks that I quite like, and we've been pretty quick in the past, but that doesn't mean it will be the case for tomorrow.

"I mean, the crash, there's not much to go into. I braked a little bit too much on the right, the track was still dirty, I locked up, and it was too late to go to the right [run-off] – so I went into the wall."

Norris endured a far more difficult afternoon, only mustering 17th after coming across Alpine's Pierre Gasly in the final sector when attempting his fastest lap.

The Brit cannot afford many slip-ups from now until the end of the season, as he looks to overhaul Verstappen's 62-point lead with eight races remaining, but was downbeat about McLaren's chances this weekend, believing they were lagging behind their competitive rivals.

"We're quite a long way off," Norris said.

"I’m having to push way too much to try and get a lap time out of it.

"Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, they're all very similar. And then there's a good 0.3 to 0.4 second gap back to us, so a lot of work to do.

"Ferrari are very quick here. Mercedes will be quick with these track conditions. It's very slidey out there."

Sergio Perez accused the media of lacking understanding regarding Red Bull's recent issues, as the team rediscovered their pace in Friday's first practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Red Bull looked set to dominate Formula One again after making a flying start to 2024, but McLaren have made it a fight for the constructors' championship crown.

Max Verstappen won seven of the first 10 races of the season but has since failed to record a victory in six outings, while Perez has gone 11 races without a podium finish after achieving four in the first five races of the year.

Red Bull rediscovered their pace at first practice in Baku on Friday, though, with Verstappen finishing fastest ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Perez following in third.

Speaking ahead of that session, Perez acknowledged he had suffered more than Verstappen from difficulties with the team's RB20 car, but said many onlookers lacked understanding.

"I've had them probably for the last 15 months, with the car development, the direction, the trajectory we've been taking," Perez said of his issues. 

"I think it's a thing with the style of Max. The good thing is he was less sensitive to the issues we had, just by his nature.

"Some people don't understand it, especially from the media side, that different driver styles can come to different conclusions. 

"Ten, 12 races ago, I was complaining about these issues, but now they are so big that even Max is feeling them. I think the solution will benefit me even more with my style.

"It's very clear in the data, the team is fully aware of it and hopefully we can fix the issues soon going forwards. Then we can unlock a lot of performance from the car."

Friday's opening session at the Baku street circuit – where Perez is the only driver with multiple victories – saw Verstappen set a leading time of 1:45:546 on his last lap.

A chaotic session saw three red flags waved, with Charles Leclerc causing one of them when he hit a wall at Turn 15. 

Williams rookie Franco Colapinto also hit a barrier less than 10 minutes after the session resumed, with the running also being paused to allow the removal of debris from a dusty surface.

McLaren's Lando Norris had the fourth-fastest time, with Carlos Sainz in fifth and Oscar Piastri sixth, ahead of Fernando Alonso and George Russell.

Fernando Alonso believes the arrival of legendary designer Adrian Newey means Aston Martin are "the team of the future" in Formula One.

On Tuesday, Aston Martin confirmed Newey had signed on as managing technical director and also become a team shareholder, with his annual salary reported to be £30million.

Newey's departure from Red Bull was confirmed in May after his relationship with team principal Christian Horner came under strain, though he will stay with the constructors' champions through the first quarter of 2025 to work on their RB17 car.

Newey has designed 14 championship-winning cars throughout stints with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, and Alonso believes his arrival bodes well for Aston Martin's future. 

"We've been racing against each other for many years," Alonso said as Newey was unveiled at Aston Martin's headquarters on Tuesday.

"I would say he has been more an inspiration and I think thanks to Adrian and his talent and cars, we all got better as drivers, as engineers, as teams, you know, we all had to raise the bar thanks to him to be able to compete.

"Today is an incredible day for the team. Lawrence Stroll's vision is taking shape with this building, with Adrian, Honda, with Aramco, a new wind tunnel... 

"It's definitely the team of the future I would say. For me, it's going to be an incredible professional opportunity to work with Adrian and to keep working with this green colour which I'm very proud to be part of."

Newey is also excited by the prospect of working with Alonso, revealing the two-time world champion came close to joining him at Red Bull 15 years ago. 

"Fernando of course... We've battled against each other for so many years," Newey said. "He's been a bit of an archenemy at times. 

"We came so close to him joining Red Bull for the 2009 season but unfortunately it didn't quite happen, which is a great shame. 

"So we continued to battle against each other. He's a legend of the sport, so I'm very much looking forward to working with him."

Aston Martin have announced that legendary designer Adrian Newey will join their team from March 2025.

Newey has signed on as Managing Technical Director and is a shareholder in the team, in a deal worth up to £30million.

The 65-year-old's exit from Red Bull was confirmed in May after an apparent breakdown in his relationship with team principal Christian Horner.

Newey will stay with the reigning constructors' champions for the first quarter of 2025 though, to see out his work on the RB17, the company's first hypercar.

"I am thrilled to be joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team," Newey said.

"I have been hugely inspired and impressed by the passion and commitment that [team owner] Lawrence [Stroll] brings to everything he is involved with.

"Lawrence is determined to create a world-beating team. He is the only majority team owner who is actively engaged in the sport.

"His commitment is demonstrated in the development of the new AMR Technology Campus and wind tunnel at Silverstone, which are not only state of the art but have a layout that creates a great environment to work in.

"Together with great partners like Honda and Aramco, they have all the key pieces of infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world championship-winning team, and I am very much looking forward to helping reach that goal."

The move will see Newey working with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, the team owner's son.

Newey has designed 14 championship-winning Formula 1 cars across stints with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

Aston Martin will be hoping he can do so again for the 2026 season, which will see the introduction of new regulations.

Mattia Binotto insists the opportunity to have "full control" over Audi's Formula One venture is the only project that could have enticed him back into the sport after leaving Ferrari.

Binotto spent 18 months out of F1 after leaving his role as Ferrari team principal at the end of the 2022 season, when the Scuderia's title challenge faded in disappointing fashion.

But in July it was confirmed he would take over from Andreas Seidl as the figurehead of Audi's F1 project, with the German manufacturer set to take Sauber's place on the grid from the 2026 season onwards.

Binotto had been part of Ferrari's team since 1995, contributing to eight constructors' championship triumphs before stepping up to become team principal in 2019.

He says the Scuderia still feels like his family, but the chance to mould the Audi team in his image was too good an opportunity to turn down.

"To be back is great for me. I'm very happy with the new challenge. All my past life has been with Ferrari – 28 years is a long time," he told the Formula One website.

"I started there as a graduate – it has become my family but now that is the past. Now I'm coming back in the paddock wearing a new shirt.

"After Ferrari, I thought I would accept only a real challenge. Honestly, Audi was the only team I hoped to join, because of the challenge, because of the ambition, because it's for Audi, the very first time in F1.

"I'm lucky they called me. It had been very sudden. In a couple of days, we decided. It was simple. 

"The opportunity was to be empowered for the entire project, full power – and that was what I was looking for. I'm so grateful and thankful for the offer, but very conscious how much there is to do.

"The gap is very big to be a winning team. But we have the resources, we have the support from Audi. I think we have all we need to achieve it."

Sauber are the only team yet to pick up a point in the constructors' championship this season, sitting six points behind Williams at the foot of the standings.

Lando Norris was left disappointed by Oscar Piastri's driving after the McLaren duo almost collided at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Norris claimed pole position once more in Monza but was overtaken on the first lap by Piastri, snatching the inside line at Turn 4.

The McLaren pair subsequently finished behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, though Piastri's racing tactics were questioned by Norris after the conclusion on Sky Sports.

"I feel he got way too close for comfort," Norris said. "We could both have easily been out in that first corner if I broke one metre later.

"If I could rewind, I would do stuff slightly differently. But it is what it is. Charles won by two seconds in the end and the fact he got ahead probably gained him two seconds over the course of the race.

"We couldn't achieve a one-stop as our degradation was too high on the front tyres. That is a weakness for us at the minute."

Having failed to close the gap on Leclerc, Piastri finished second and a place ahead of Norris, with the trio sitting together at the post-race drivers' press conference.

When pressed on his earlier criticism of Piastri, Norris attempted to explain his warning, though conceded the difficulties in making split-second decisions.

"Just brake a bit later, simple as that. But sometimes it's easier said than done," Norris said.

"Oscar obviously braked on the limit and gave me space, there was just about enough. I did my best to avoid anything else happening at the time.

"At the same time, If I brake two metres later, you don't know and you can't predict, but it could easily have been a crash. It's a tough one. The easiest thing is just to brake way later and force him off, and kind of treat it like no one else.

"I obviously took it easy. I saw we had a massive gap behind, so maybe I was just a bit too much on the cautious side and paid the price."

Australia's Piastri, however, saw the incident somewhat differently.

"I broke later and got around the outside," Piastri said. "There wasn't really much more to it than that.

"We both got through it unscathed. I knew once I hit the brakes I kind of got ahead a bit and knew I was entitled to stay on the outside.

"For 38 laps, it put me in a race-winning position. So it was just a good first lap."

Charles Leclerc was able to savour a "special" double on Sunday, triumphing at the Italian Grand Prix to ensure he won both of his favourite races in the same season.  

Leclerc edged out McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris for a spectacular win at Monza, racing from fourth on the grid to repeat his 2019 triumph at the venue.

Only Michael Schumacher (five) has won the Italian Grand Prix while driving for Ferrari on more occasions, with Leclerc's second victory drawing him level with Rubens Barrichello, Phil Hill, Alberto Ascari and Clay Regazzoni.

Sunday's win came after Leclerc claimed a home victory at the Monaco Grand Prix in May, ensuring 2024 will be a season that lives long in the memory for the Scuderia driver.

"It is an incredible feeling," he said after the podium celebrations.

"I thought the second time, if there was a second time, would not feel as special as the first, but the emotions over the last few laps were the same as in 2019.

"I want to win Monza and Monaco every year and I have managed to do so. It is so, so special."

Sitting third in the drivers' championship standings, Leclerc now has a 20-point lead over fourth-placed Piastri and is just 23 points adrift of Norris, who has been tipped to push Max Verstappen for the title.

Asked if Ferrari can continue to battle for victories in the closing stages of the season, he said: "I don't know.

"Our package was working well on a track like Monza but whether it will be the same for the rest of the season, I doubt it.

"I still think McLaren are favourites but we have done a step forwards, that's for sure. Baku is a pretty nice track for me, so maybe we can achieve something special there."

Charles Leclerc handed Ferrari a home victory at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, beating McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at Monza.

Looking to cut the gap to drivers' championship leader Max Verstappen, Norris entered the race as favourite after qualifying fastest, only to be overtaken by team-mate Piastri on the opening lap.

Leclerc started from fourth but quickly found himself battling the McLarens for the lead after Mercedes' George Russell locked up on the opening lap, and the Monegasque sent the home fans into raptures by passing Norris at the second chicane.

Norris later undertook Leclerc to once more give McLaren hope of a one-two, with team engineers encouraging the two team-mates to race one another cleanly for victory.

However, Leclerc's one-stop strategy paid off as the McLaren drivers pitted for a second time, and he held off a late push from Piastri to triumph by 2.6 seconds.

It is Leclerc's second victory at the Italian Grand Prix, which he also won in 2019, and team-mate Carlos Sainz held off future Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton to finish fourth.

There was yet more disappointment for Verstappen, who saw his lead in the standings cut to 62 points as he finished sixth, ahead of Russell and fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez.

Data Debrief: Tifosi celebrate landmark triumph

Leclerc's victory was Ferrari's 20th at the Italian Grand Prix, just the second instance of a team reaching that figure at a single venue in Formula One.

The Scuderia previously achieved that feat themselves in Germany, where they have won 21 times.

Leclerc now holds a 20-point lead over Piastri in the drivers' standings, sitting third behind title contenders Verstappen and Norris.

Top 10 

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7. George Russell (Mercedes)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says he and Max Verstappen have agreed to keep communications open with a view to a potential blockbuster move in the future.

Verstappen has emerged as the dominant force in Formula One since beating Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to his first drivers' championship title in 2021, winning two further crowns and leading Lando Norris in the standings this year.

However, the Dutchman has repeatedly cast doubt upon his long-term future with Red Bull, suggesting ahead of last week's Dutch Grand Prix that he was more than halfway through his F1 career.

When Hamilton confirmed he would join Ferrari for 2025 in January, Mercedes were strongly linked with a move for Verstappen amid a turbulent time for Red Bull.

Red Bull chief Christian Horner was accused – and later cleared – of sexual harassment and coercive behaviour by a female team employee, with his relationship with Verstappen reportedly becoming strained.

Wolff admits there was a moment where the deal seemed possible, though Mercedes are now expected to confirm Andrea Kimi Antonelli as George Russell's team-mate for 2025.

"Red Bull was the dominant car at the beginning of the season," Wolff told BBC Sport. "And that changed a bit. It's Max Verstappen dominant at the moment.

"And the relationships were dysfunctional. I'm not sure they are back in a great place, but it is what it is. 

"There was a moment, or there was an opportunity, to at least have conversations of what it could be in the future, and this is what we did."

Asked if Verstappen could join the Silver Arrows for 2026, when wide-ranging regulation changes take effect, Wolff responded: "Much too early. 

"For the benefit of our drivers next year, I don't want to have any conversations about 2026 or beyond, because we very much hope that the 2025 lineup will be the lineup going forward.

"We have not given each other any, let's say, timings.

"It is more like, keep the communication channel open, while knowing that his priority is to make it function with Red Bull and our priority will be to make it function with the two drivers we have."