Kimi Antonelli has credited Mercedes boss Toto Wolff with giving him confidence in his ability during difficult moments at the start of his Formula 2 career. 

Antonelli, who currently sits seventh in the F2 standings, has enjoyed a rapid rise through the motorsport ranks, bypassing F3 to compete in the category, although it hasn't all been smooth sailing. 

Antonelli endured a difficult start to the campaign with PREMA racing, but finally finished on the podium as he claimed his maiden F2 victory at Silverstone in July. 

He has since gone on to claim a win in Hungary, explaining that after a tough qualifying session at Silverstone, Wolff was on hand to deliver him some guidance. 

"I am also very happy with the relationship I have [with Wolff],” said Antonelli. “In difficult moments I ask him for advice and he always looks for a way to give me confidence.

"I'll give you an example. After the disappointing qualifying in Silverstone I called him because it was a bit of a tough time.

"We talked a lot and that conversation gave me back my confidence, and the next day I won and it was really nice to see him under the podium.

"When you go through difficult times, I think you come out stronger in the end, also in terms of attitude. Silverstone and Budapest confirmed it."

While Antonelli's focus has been on his F2 campaign, as well as taking part in several test sessions with Mercedes, he has remained at the centre of speculation. 

The Italian is among the favourites to replace the departing Lewis Hamilton, who is joining Ferrari for the 2025 season having spent 11 years with the team. 

But with no confirmation yet on who will join George Russell at the squad, Antonelli is keeping his feet on the ground.

"I'm very happy to be considered [for F1], but I'm not asking for anything," he commented. "At the moment my goal is to do well in Formula 2, then we'll see.

"I still see it as a dream. I did happen to think about it, but it is a passing thought. In all honesty, I can tell you that for me today it is still a dream. We'll see if it comes true."

Alex Albon believes James Vowles is the right man to lead Williams back to the front of the grid and is adamant that the team is making progress this season. 

Albon, who sits 18th in the Drivers' Championship, is in his second season with the British team, who have found themselves as consistent backmarkers in recent years.

But since Vowles took over as team principal in January 2023, the future has looked brighter, helped by the arrival of Carlos Sainz from Ferrari for the 2025 campaign. 

Despite sitting ninth in the Constructors' Championship, four points ahead of Sauber, Albon is confident Vowles can lead the team back to the success they had in the 1990s. 

“James [Vowles] has brought me into it,” Albon told Autosport. “He’s very straight. He doesn’t tell you things are better than they actually are, and I like that.

"I feel like whenever something's not come to plan he tells me the areas that the team needs to work on. He tells me if there's anything I can do to help.

"He is the right man for the job and I believe in him and feel like we've got the right people."

Ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, the 28-year-old has contested 95 races in Formula 1, all without a single win, pole position and fastest lap. 

Should he repeat that at Circuit Zandvoort this weekend, he will surpass Ukyo Katayama (also 95) and be the ninth-highest driver without achieving any of those in a Grand Prix.

Vowles' short tenure with the team, however, has set strong foundations for the future, with almost 300 new members of staff recruited, including former Alpine technical director Matt Harman. 

Williams are also primarily focusing on 2026 and beyond, when an overhaul of aerodynamic and power unit regulations could reset the grid and give current underperforming teams the chance to rapidly progress up the order.

However, that does mean sacrificing their current results for the bigger picture, something which Albon acknowledged when asked how far away the team were away from challenging for a world title. 

"If I am being totally honest, I don't see us being in position to fight for wins and titles for a while, but to do steps where we start nipping in and getting podiums and whatnot," Albon said. 

"I believe that 2026 would be difficult, but winning in '27 would be much more realistic. We've got great investment, and we're recruiting very aggressively.

"But we don't need any encouragement. With the last couple of years, especially seeing that growth that we've had – of course we're going through a tougher time of it now – but that drive and that motivation in the team, it is really enjoyable to be part of that."

Lewis Hamilton is hopeful Mercedes can continue their strong form heading into the second half of the Formula 1 season but played down the possibility of challenging for the Drivers' Championship. 

Hamilton, who has scored the most points in the last five races (95), currently sits sixth in the standings, 127 points behind leader Max Verstappen. 

After a slow start to the season, Mercedes have seen a rapid turnaround in fortunes, picking up more points than any team since the Monaco Grand Prix in May. 

The 39-year-old earned victories at Silverstone and Spa, while team-mate George Russell also won at the Austrian Grand Prix to close the gap to Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship. 

With the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, Hamilton has the chance to record four consecutive podiums for the first time since 2022 between Canada and Hungary (five) but acknowledged the difficulty of potentially challenging for an eighth world title. 

“No. It would be high hopes,” Hamilton said. “But, I mean, if we can continue this kind of performance as we've had the last few races, which has been fantastic.

"I think if we can start our weekends off a little bit better, hopefully we can continue.

“I think, obviously, the McLaren was very strong [in Belgium], we were just a bit further ahead early on [in the race], but yeah, we’ve just got to keep pushing.”

The final 10 races of the season will mark Hamilton's last as a Mercedes driver before his switch to Ferrari to link up with Charles Leclerc for the 2025 campaign. 

For Russell, he is yet to find out who will be lining up on the grid with him next season, with Prema Racing's Kimi Antonelli the frontrunner to replace Hamilton. 

The 26-year-old finds himself eighth in the Drivers' Championship, missing out on victory in Belgium after being disqualified when his car was found to be underweight.

However, the Silver Arrows' recent form has given Russell confidence about their chances of a consistent title push in 2025. 

“I think for all of us, it's been a difficult couple of years getting the car into a place where we can consistently fight for victories," Russell said. 

"But I'm so motivated, so excited for the second half of the season, which is ultimately building up towards 2025.

“And when you look at the competition now, there's no reason why we can't fight.

If the season started in Montreal, the championship standings would be looking very, very different, so, it's going to be great.

“I think there's so much motivation from all the other teams to get back to the front, from McLaren, from Ferrari, from ourselves.

"So for sure, it's not going to be easy, and hopefully we see a good fight on our hands into next year.”

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is expecting a "flat-out" fight for supremacy in Formula One over the next 18 months.

Austrian constructor Red Bull have been the dominant force in F1 over the past few years, with Max Verstappen winning three straight drivers' titles and the team taking the constructors' trophy in 2022 and 2023.

The early stages of the 2024 season followed a similar pattern with flying Dutchman Verstappen winning four of the opening five races but there have now been seven different victors through 14 rounds.

Verstappen still holds a healthy 78-point lead from second-place Lando Norris in the driver standings but McLaren are only 42 points adrift of Red Bull in the constructor table, with Ferrari 63 back and improving Mercedes 142 behind.

Horner, in quotes reported by F1's official website, thinks there is going to be a battle between all four of those F1 heavyweights in the near future.

"I think it’s great for the sport, and it was almost inevitable when you get consistency of regulations, you always get convergence," he said.

"I remember when I first came into Formula 1, Ron Dennis banging that drum back in 2005. Convergence has always brought the teams together. 

"Of course we have a big regulations change in 2026 that will cause divergence but, between now and then, the next 18 months I think it will be flat-out between the four teams."

F1 returns after a near month-long break with the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, Verstappen's home race.

Alex Albon remains confident that the foundations are in place for Williams to improve despite their recent spell of disappointing results.

After 14 races last season, Albon had achieved five top 10 finishes yet has only finished in the top-half of the field twice at the same point this season.

Williams revealed that their car was overweight at the start of the season, estimated to have cost them 0.45 seconds per lap.

Despite the disappointment, however, Albon still feels the team are heading in the right direction.

“It's a real shame that at the start of the year, we were not on-weight where we should have been,” he told Motorsport.com.

“Our car should have been in the points consistently for the first few races and then we would have shuffled down to where we are now.

“A lot of what-ifs but I'm happy we're getting the foundations in place. I don't think without the changes we've made, I would ever see us as a team that can get out of this backfield battle.

“I feel like now at least we've got foundations that can bring us up."

While Albon remains realistic that Williams needs to improve, he also feels their struggles are in part due to the improvement of the rest of the field.

"We are obviously not where we want to be. Truthfully, I feel like that's testament to the other teams too. That midfield group has made such a huge step,” he said.

"We've made a good step but relative to the others, maybe we are holding back a little bit.

"We've done a lot of changes within the team, last year into this year, there's been big changes around the DNA of the car, but also the structure of the team.

"When you put the team under that much work and do that many changes, it shows the cracks.”

Due to those cracks, scrutiny has been focused on team principal James Vowles, who joined the Williams in 2023 after 12 years at Mercedes.

His arrival saw an immediate improvement as Williams finished seventh in the Constructor’s Championship in 2023, three places better than the previous season.

They currently sit ninth but Albon still believes Vowles remains “the right man for the job”.

He said: "I have been very much a part of the project. James has brought me into it. He's very straight. He doesn't tell you things are better than they actually are, and I like that.

"I feel like whenever something's not come to plan he tells me the areas that the team needs to work on. He tells me if there's anything I can do to help.”

That pragmatism has rubbed off on the 28-year-old driver, who cannot see titles coming Williams’ way soon.

“If I am being totally honest, I don't see us being in position to fight for wins and titles for a while, but to do steps where we start nipping in and getting podiums,” said Albon.

"I believe that 2026 would be difficult, but winning in '27 would be much more realistic. We've got great investment, and we're recruiting very aggressively.”

Zak Brown has admitted to being shocked by McLaren's competitive performance in the Formula One world championship this season.

McLaren sit just 42 points adrift of Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship, with lead driver Lando Norris also second to Max Verstappen in the standings.

The team have achieved podium finishes in their last 10 races, and they are well placed to challenge across the back half of the campaign.

Brown, however, was not expecting such success so soon.

"If I were to sit here and say I'm not surprised, that would be disingenuous," Brown told BBC Sport.

"Red Bull had such an advantage over everyone and Mercedes has been so dominant.

"I felt like we'd continue to close the gap. Did I think we would be here at the summer break, one race away from getting the lead?

"That race would have to be first and second and fastest lap, and do I think it's going to happen like that? No. But if we keep the same trajectory we've been on the last six, seven races, we'll be where we need to be by the end of the year.

"I thought we might get where we are now by 2025. I didn't think we would be where we are now in 2024. But I'm not complaining."

Both Norris and Oscar Piastri have claimed their maiden race wins this season indicative of an increasingly competitive McLaren.

Brown credits team principal Andrea Stella, who was appointed ahead of the 2023 season, for the growing success.

"He unlocked the talent that we already had here," Brown said. "We've got approximately 1,000 people here in F1. I changed three. But it was three leaders. So, 997 are the same people who gave us the [uncompetitive] car at the beginning of 2023.

"A leader's job is to get the most out of their people and that's what we didn't have previously. We weren't able to let the talent we have in here flourish.

"Andrea communicates very well. He listens very well. He's very hard-working. He's very technical. He leads by example. All the traits you would want in a great leader. He unlocked the potential this team clearly had sitting there."

While Piastri continued McLaren's podium success at the Belgian Grand Prix, Norris could not make gains in the driver standings despite Verstappen having to deal with a 10-place grid penalty.

He finished fifth, one place behind Red Bull’s reigning champion. Brown, however, sees these experiences as a learning curve for everyone.

"We've all made a variety of errors, which to me are learning experiences," he reflected.

"I thought [Mercedes team principal] Toto [Wolff] was accurate with his comment. He said: 'Well, sometimes you figure these things out once they've kind of been put on your plate.'

"So if I look at the mistakes we've made - whether those are drivers or us, kinda doesn't matter; we're one team - we wouldn't make these mistakes again. We're learning. And I think maybe because we have got where we are quicker than we thought, it shows we still have learning to do.

"Lando is trying to fight for a world championship. He's going for it. He's learning, as are we. So I'm not concerned about it."

Max Verstappen admitted Red Bull are in for a tough fight in the second half of the season after being overtaken by their improving Formula 1 rivals.

The Dutchman started the season strongly, winning seven of the first 10 races on the calendar, while he and Sergio Perez secured three one-twos in the first four Grands Prix.

However, Red Bull now find themselves under pressure after failing to win any of the last four races, with Verstappen only managing one podium at Silverstone during that run and Perez struggling for form.

Mercedes won three of those four, with Lewis Hamilton winning two and George Russell the other, while McLaren's Oscar Piastri earned his maiden victory in Hungary.

The gap at the top of the constructors' championship is now down to 42 points, thanks to McLaren's 10-race run of consecutive podium finishes.

And now, Verstappen has suggested the Austrian-based team no longer have the fastest car.

"I think they are ahead of us," Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. "It depends. Sometimes McLaren, sometimes Mercedes.

"I think we were faster than Ferrari but coming from P11 [at the Belgian Grand Prix], we didn't have enough time to pass them. We know that we have work to do.

"We know that we want to do better, we are, of course, not satisfied with this, but everyone is doing a great job, and you have to take your hat off for that as well."

Verstappen still holds a 78-point lead over McLaren's Lando Norris in the drivers' championship, the equivalent of three race wins, with the season resuming in the Netherlands at the end of August.

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has said the Austrian-based teams RB20 "didn't deliver what was expected" in every area this season. 

Red Bull claimed a sixth Constructors' Championship in 2023, with Max Verstappen winning his third World Drivers' Championship in a row, scoring 575 points, which was more than double of second placed team-mate, Sergio Perez. 

Despite their dominance, the team wanted to remain at the top of the grid and made significant changes to this year's RB20. 

Verstappen and Perez would secure three one-two finishes in the first four Grand Prix's of the season, but performances of late have seen the team's around them close in.

Both McLaren and Mercedes have continually improved and have looked competitive since May, with Wache saying the cars' performance this year has fallen below expectations. 

"I would say not really. We improved compared to last year, without doubt, but we didn’t deliver what we expected in some areas," Wache told Motorsport.com. 

"Especially in the high-speed corners we expected a little bit more than what we have. Without thinking about the competitiveness of the car, so just based on our own references, we expected a little bit more with our tools.

"In medium-speed and low-speed we improved quite a lot compared to last year. We were a little bit weaker in the high-speed corners compared to last year relative to the competition.

"In kerb riding we are clearly weak, but we were already last year. I think we didn’t make the improvement we expected in that aspect."

While Verstappen still holds a comfortable advantage over McLaren's Lando Norris in the Drivers' Championship, the same cannot be said for the Constructors'.

McLaren are now just 42 points behind Red Bull, with Ferrari just 11 points behind the British-based team. 

That subsequent dip in results has largely been down to the form of Perez, who is yet to finish on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April. 

Verstappen's fourth placed finish at the Belgian Grand Prix last time out was also the first time since 2020 that the Dutchman had failed to win a race in four attempts. 

Despite their recent form, it did not come as a surprise to Wache, who said he expected the rival teams to catch up as the season went on. 

"We expected the opposition to come earlier, to be honest with you," Wache added. "When we started the 2022 season, we didn’t have the quickest car. 

"Ferrari had the quickest car in the beginning of 2022. We expected a massive competition in 2023, but that didn’t happen.

"In 2024 we also expected the competition to be there more or less from the start, because the performance you can find with the car is limited under the same regulations.

"After the first four or five races the others came back, maybe with a bit of delay, but we expected that from the start.

"The limitations you have with these regulations are quite high and what you can find to make more steps is getting more difficult. Then it is almost sure that the opposition will come back at some point."

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has said the Austrian-based teams RB20 "didn't deliver what was expected" in every area this season. 

Red Bull claimed a sixth Constructors' Championship in 2023, with Max Verstappen winning his third World Drivers' Championship in a row, scoring 575 points, which was more than double of second placed team-mate, Sergio Perez. 

Despite their dominance, the team wanted to remain at the top of the grid and made significant changes to this year's RB20. 

Verstappen and Perez would secure three one-two finishes in the first four Grand Prix's of the season, but performances of late have seen the team's around them close in.

Both McLaren and Mercedes have continually improved and have looked competitive since May, with Wache saying the cars' performance this year has fallen below expectations. 

"I would say not really. We improved compared to last year, without doubt, but we didn’t deliver what we expected in some areas," Wache told Motorsport.com. 

"Especially in the high-speed corners we expected a little bit more than what we have. Without thinking about the competitiveness of the car, so just based on our own references, we expected a little bit more with our tools.

"In medium-speed and low-speed we improved quite a lot compared to last year. We were a little bit weaker in the high-speed corners compared to last year relative to the competition.

"In kerb riding we are clearly weak, but we were already last year. I think we didn’t make the improvement we expected in that aspect."

While Verstappen still holds a comfortable advantage over McLaren's Lando Norris in the Drivers' Championship, the same cannot be said for the Constructors'.

McLaren are now just 42 points behind Red Bull, with Ferrari just 11 points behind the British-based team. 

That subsequent dip in results has largely been down to the form of Perez, who is yet to finish on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April. 

Verstappen's fourth placed finish at the Belgian Grand Prix last time out was also the first time since 2020 that the Dutchman had failed to win a race in four attempts. 

Despite their recent form, it did not come as a surprise to Wache, who said he expected the rival teams to catch up as the season went on. 

"We expected the opposition to come earlier, to be honest with you," Wache added. "When we started the 2022 season, we didn’t have the quickest car. 

"Ferrari had the quickest car in the beginning of 2022. We expected a massive competition in 2023, but that didn’t happen.

"In 2024 we also expected the competition to be there more or less from the start, because the performance you can find with the car is limited under the same regulations.

"After the first four or five races the others came back, maybe with a bit of delay, but we expected that from the start.

"The limitations you have with these regulations are quite high and what you can find to make more steps is getting more difficult. Then it is almost sure that the opposition will come back at some point."

Oscar Piastri says McLaren will prioritise winning the Formula 1 constructors' championship over helping Lando Norris win the drivers' championship.

Red Bull started the season strongly, getting one-twos in three of the opening four races, but McLaren have since closed the gap in the constructors' standings to 42 points.

The team have improved, particularly in the three months since Norris took his first Grand Prix victory in Miami, and were on the podium for the 10th consecutive race after Piastri’s second-place finish in Belgium last Sunday.

There was a contentious moment at Hungaroring the week before when Norris refused to give the lead back to Piastri, who eventually won the race after being let back in front by his team-mate with two laps to go.

Norris is 78 points adrift of championship leader Max Verstappen, but Piastri is confident they are both on the same page when it comes to to pushing McLaren up the standings.

"The first objective is to win the constructors' for the team, and I think we've got a very strong chance of doing that," Piastri told Sky Sports News. "We've been closing the gap to Red Bull in the last six or seven races.

"I think for me, the drivers' standings, of course, I'd like to finish as high as I can. I'm not out of the running for the championship myself. It's a very big ask, but I want to string together good races, build consistency on that front, and really help the team to win the constructors'.

"If it comes to a situation where I need to help Lando later in the year, then, of course, it is something we'll discuss, but the first target is to win the constructors' and try to do a good job for myself as well."

McLaren were not expected to be contenders for the championship at the start of the season, but Red Bull have faltered in recent weeks to leave the door open.

Sergio Perez has failed to finish above seventh since the Miami Grand Prix, while Verstappen's last victory came in Spain at the end of June.

Though they are still in with a chance of topping the standings with 10 races remaining, Piastri is confident that, no matter this season's result, they can build some momentum for next year as well.

"At the end of last year we had a very quick car on certain circuits, but we really needed to rely on those circuits to get good results," the Australian added.

"This year, we've just been quick everywhere and that's been a joy to be a part of, but a real confidence boost to everybody that we're not relying on the high-speed corners like we were last year.

"We can rock up and be pretty confident we'll be, if not the quickest, then one of the quickest, and I think that sets us up really nicely for next year.

"I feel like I'm growing in confidence. Getting some more good results and just learning more through my second year as well.

"I want to learn as much as I can and have as much success as I can this year. But ultimately, I think trying to set up a really strong run next year is a realistic target at the moment."

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has extended his contract, the Formula One team confirmed on Thursday. 

Stella, who joined the British-based team in 2015 from Ferrari, has signed a multi-year deal with McLaren not revealing the length of the new terms. 

The 53-year-old has overseen McLaren's recent transformation, and are just 42 points behind Red Bull as they aim to claim a first Constructors' championship since 1988.

This season, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have finished in the podium places for the last 10 races, including a first one-two since 2021 at the Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this month. 

Both Norris and Piastri have also signed contract extensions, keeping them with the team until at least the end of the 2026 season, building solid foundations for the future.

"It's a privilege to be part of the McLaren F1 team, and I am honoured to continue in my role as team principal," said Stella. 

"We've made great strides forward in the past year and a half and we still have a lot more work to do to consistently fight at the front of the grid, which poses an exciting challenge.

"Success comes through the team working in synergy, and I am enjoying my role, which has allowed me to help unlock individual talent and empower people to work together towards our team's objectives."

Chief Executive Zak Brown added: "[Andrea's] excellent leadership, expertise and the respect he holds within the team and Formula 1 means we could not have a better person in place to continue the pursuit of consistently fighting at the front of the grid.

"His impact on McLaren F1 in his role as team principal has been profound, not only through our results on track and the trajectory of the team but also in his development of our culture and mindset.

"With multi-year extensions already agreed with Lando, Oscar, and now Andrea, we can confidently continue on our quest to become World Champions. We're all looking forward to the years to come under Andrea's leadership."

Lando Norris believes that former McLaren team-mate Carlos Sainz deserved the chance to race for Red Bull in 2025. 

It was confirmed earlier this week that Sainz had signed a multi-year contract with Williams, replacing Logan Sargeant on the grid next year. 

The Spaniard had been linked with a move to both Mercedes and Red Bull after it was confirmed that Lewis Hamilton would be replacing him at the Italian team in 2025.

Sainz has won three races with Ferrari since joining the team in 2021, establishing himself as one of the best drivers on the grid in recent years. 

However, interest never materialised from either Mercedes or Red Bull, something which Williams boss James Vowles said was a surprise, with Norris agreeing. 

"The easy one is just to say Red Bull. He should have gone there, in my eyes," Norris told Sky Sports when asked where his friend should have gone.

Sainz spent two seasons with Norris at McLaren, with the pair forming a great friendship off the track which has remained despite the Spaniard's move to Ferrari. 

Sergio Perez's future with Red Bull was thrown into question after a difficult few weeks with the Austrian team, who currently trails team-mate Max Verstappen by 146 points in the Drivers' championship. 

Perez, was given a contract extension for 2025 despite not being on the podium since April's Chinese Grand Prix, with Christian Horner confirming the Mexican would stay beyond the current summer break. 

"Obviously I'm biased, I know Carlos a lot more than I know Checo [Pérez] and that kind of thing, but Carlos deserves a lot.

"He's one of the best drivers in Formula One, he's proven that countless times, and I'm a good friend of his.

"I'm happy for him that he's still in Formula One and I'm happy he's got a drive and can try and bring Williams back up.

"Him partnering Alex [Albon] will be good for Formula One at the same time.

"That's a good thing. But I'm sure a lot of people would love to say he should have gone to Red Bull, potentially, but that's not my decision to make."

Red Bull have confirmed that sporting director Jonathan Wheatley will leave the team to become Audi's Formula One team principal. 

Wheatley, who has been part of Red Bull since 2006, has helped the Austrian team win six Constructors' and seven Drivers' championships. 

The 57-year-old will have a period of 'gardening leave' in 2025 before joining the German manufacturer when they take over Sauber, who remain the only team without a point this season. 

Team Principal and CEO, Christian Horner said, "It has been a long and successful relationship with Jonathan, over 18 years.

"His contribution to six World Constructors’ Titles and seven World Drivers’ Championship, first as Team Manager and latterly Sporting Director will forever be a marker in our Team history."

Red Bull have now lost two significant members of their team following Adrian Newey's departure from the company three months ago. 

Wheatley will link up with former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, who was announced as Audi's new chief operating and technical officer, replacing Andrea Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann. 

Wheatley became widely-known for his radio calls to race director Michael Masi throughout the controversial 2021 season, which saw Max Verstappen claim his first world championship in the final race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 

"Everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology wish him all the best in his new role and would like to place our thanks to Jonathan," read a Red Bull statement.

"Red Bull Racing have tremendous strength and depth and this provides opportunity to elevate others within the team. We will announce a new team structure in the coming weeks."

Mercedes have revealed George Russell's own weight loss during the Belgian Grand Prix contributed to his disqualification.

Russell had pulled off a remarkable victory from sixth on the grid by using a one-stop strategy, edging to victory ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton by half a second.

However, the 26-year-old's car failed a post-race weight check, coming in at 1.5kg below the weight limit, and Hamilton was promoted to first place.

A report after the race confirmed the car had initially been compliant with the minimum weight but by keeping the tyres for longer, they lost more rubber.

The underbody 'plank' still complied with the regulations during the post-weight check, but had eroded more than expected.

Now, Mercedes have explained how the car lost so much weight during the race.

"The car can lose quite a lot of weight during the race. You get tyre wear, plank wear, brake wear, oil consumption.

"The drivers themselves can lose a lot, and in this particular race, George lost quite a bit of weight.

"George's car was the only one that had the problem, and it is because things like the tyre wear was much higher. It looks like we lost more material on the plank.

"We will collect all that data though, look at how we can refine our processes because, clearly, we do not want that to happen in the future."

Williams team boss James Vowles admitted he was surprised that neither Red Bull nor Mercedes wanted to sign Carlos Sainz for the 2025 season.

The Spaniard signed a two-year contract with the option to extend at Williams earlier this week, ending speculation surrounding his future.

Ferrari had confirmed earlier this year that he would not continue with them past the end of the season, having signed Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes to partner Charles Leclerc.

While Sainz was initially seen as a candidate to replace Hamilton, Mercedes look set to promote 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli instead, while Red Bull preferred to extend Sergio Perez's contract for the next two years.

Vowles was full of praise for the 29-year-old, explaining how it was an easy choice to bring him into the team.

"Look at Carlos," said Vowles. "Look at every team he has been in. They have improved significantly - and I get why.

"After spending the last nine months talking to him at least weekly, what I've realised is he is a performance machine.

"He will do everything in his power to transform himself and the team around him. And that's powerful. That's worth more than what he can drive the car at.

[He is] one of the top four drivers - if not at times the number two driver on the grid. Why wouldn't you want that in your stable?"

Sainz has achieved three Formula 1 wins to date, including a victory at the Australian Grand Prix in March, and currently sits fifth in the drivers' championship.

He is only 15 points behind team-mate Leclerc, who sits in third, while his five podium finishes this season have also helped Ferrari to third in the constructors' championship, where they sit 63 points behind leaders Red Bull.

There is speculation that Mercedes could make a swoop for Max Verstappen for the 2026 season, despite his Red Bull contract running until 2028.

With so many F1 futures up in the air, Vowles was surprised to find out there was not more interest in their new driver.

"Red Bull have a constructors' championship at risk - I would have Carlos alongside Max [rather than Perez]," he added.

"Mercedes have more info than I do. It's more than likely that they are very confident in the direction they will be travelling in. Whether that will be Max or Kimi, I'm unsure - but they're not fools.

"Red Bull will also have reasons behind it that I won't be aware of because they are multiple world champions. They don't make decisions lightly, but I was surprised."