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Lando Norris said Max Verstappen’s dominance should not be taken for granted, hailing the Red Bull star as one of the greatest Formula One drivers that has ever lived. Verstappen has won 10 of the 12 rounds so far and he will match Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive victories if, as widely expected, he triumphs again in front of 105,000 supporters at his home race in the Netherlands on Sunday. The 25-year-old has starred since F1’s regulations were overhauled at the start of last season, with his comfortable victory at the concluding round before the break in Belgium his 19th from his last 23 outings. He is a staggering 125 points clear in the standings as he closes in on a hat-trick of titles. But it has been suggested that Verstappen’s reign in his all-conquering Red Bull machine – akin to Michael Schumacher’s emphatic dominance for Ferrari at the turn of the century – has been a turn-off for the sport’s booming fanbase. However, McLaren’s Norris, a close friend of Verstappen’s, said: “We should definitely enjoy witnessing something like this. That’s better then just complaining because he’s doing so well. “Of course, it would be nice to see him battle a bit more and work for a living more, but he proved enough of that when he raced Lewis (Hamilton) for the championship in 2021. “He showed what a fighter he is and I can say without doubt that he is easily one of the best drivers ever. We shouldn’t take him for granted.” In the build-up to this weekend’s event, Lewis Hamilton raised the prospect that Verstappen could win the 10 concluding races of the season. There is even an outside chance that the Dutchman could wrap up the title at the Japanese Grand Prix on September 24, with half-a-dozen rounds still to run. Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez started the year with two wins from four but his challenge faded rapidly. “Everyone has their days when they are beatable and I think Max has that, too,” added Norris. “But it’s just that no one is able to prove it because no one is close enough. The closest guy should be his team-mate and he isn’t doing it. “So, I wouldn’t be surprised if he won the rest of the races this year. I don’t think anyone would be surprised to be honest with you. “It would be an incredible achievement to win nine in a row and he is definitely capable of doing it. “Max has said many times that his career might not last long. He’s a guy that just wants to do what he enjoys. As soon as he doesn’t enjoy it he could be out of here. That’s just the kind of guy he is.”

Max Verstappen is eyeing a record-breaking 10th F1 win in a row as the paddock rolls around to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix this weekend. Verstappen, picking up where he left off before the summer break, won his home race in the Netherlands last week to equal Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive grand prix triumphs. The Dutchman, who now has a mammoth 138-point lead in the championship over team-mate Sergio Perez, is the overwhelming favourite in Italy having also won in Monza last year. Mercedes endured a difficult weekend last time out in Zandvoort but will be buoyed by the news that both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have signed contract extensions until the end of the 2025 season. As for Ferrari, they head into their home race short of form having not won a race since Austria last year but will be hoping for a strong performance in front of the home tifosi crowd. Fernando Alonso, too, will be looking to back up his podium in Zandvoort with another top-three showing at Monza. Follow live updates from the Italian Grand Prix with The Independent Read More Lewis Hamilton signs new Mercedes contract Lewis Hamilton reveals reason for signing new Mercedes deal: ‘Unfinished business’ How does Max Verstappen’s win-streak compare to fellow record-holder Sebastian Vettel’s?

Prominent Barbie Kens Ryan Gosling and Simu Liu speak to Mashable's Ty Cole about Greta

Much like most of the scenarios thrown up on his journey to the top echelons of motorsport, Oscar Piastri takes everything consummately in his stride. Strikingly level-headed and rational – notwithstanding an unflappable self-belief in his ability behind the wheel – a week which started with the 22-year-old signing a new contract with McLaren until the end of 2026 ended with his first podium in Formula 1 at Suzuka. It was quite a few days for the rookie Australian, whose meteoric rise through the ranks shows no signs of subsiding. What’s more, it was a weekend that fully justified Piastri’s bold a year ago, when the soap opera of his first forays into Formula 1 dominated the paddock. It was a storyline of dreams for Netflix’s Drive to Survive producers when Piastri, a test driver at Alpine, rebuked the Enstone-based team who’d announced his 2023 drive as a replacement for Fernando Alonso. We would later learn that the 2021 F2 champion had already penned a deal to join McLaren, with Zak Brown and the papaya targeting fresh blood following Daniel Ricciardo’s season of underachievement. It was a line of attack which carried much risk. Alpine beat McLaren to fourth in the constructors’ championship last year and many onlookers saw the switch as unwise from a competitive viewpoint. More pointedly, though, the impact it would have on Piastri’s moral standing in the sport was something emphasised by then Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer. The Renault-works outfit had invested millions of pounds into Piastri’s development, with countless test opportunities and financial backing through the junior series. But Piastri, managed by nine-time race winner and fellow Australian Mark Webber, was undeterred. He was set to be overlooked by Alpine for 2023 before Alonso’s surprise switch to Aston Martin and, feeling undervalued, he went on the search for other options fully aware he could ill-afford another season on the sidelines after not racing in 2022. A loan to Williams was on the table but McLaren, an eight-time constructors’ champion and giant of the sport despite their recent struggles, was his preference. The start was not smooth, though. McLaren acknowledged at the start of the year that they had not met their off-season development targets and the mood at the car launch at their impressive Woking HQ in February was decidedly pessimistic. Piastri’s F1 debut, in Bahrain, ended in retirement. But those early shortcomings were no fault of Piastri, despite a year on the sidelines. It is one of the more questionable rules of Formula 2 that the winner then cannot race in the series the next year, often leaving the champion in the wilderness. Brazilian racer Felipe Drugovich, last year’s champion, has acted as a reserve this year for Aston Martin and is struggling to find an F1 seat next year, though Williams has recently been mooted. This year’s F2 leader, Theo Pouchaire, is a test driver with Alfa Romeo but now looks set for a year without racing in 2024. It would make sense, it seems, to offer an exception should the champion not land a seat at the top table. Nonetheless, after scoring his first points following his home race at Albert Park, Piastri had to wait until Austria in July for a raft of game-changing upgrades which handed him and Lando Norris a shot at regular top-10 finishes. He has since scored in five of the last seven races, as well as a second-place finish in the sprint race in Belgium. Enough for McLaren to swiftly extend his deal. “It’s always nice to have a sense of security,” said Piastri. “It made sense from my point of view and from a team point of view. That longevity and continuation together – [it’s] nice confidence for us all.” It continues the Melbourne local’s meteoric ascent. He landed a junior role at Alpine, formerly Renault, by winning the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019. A year later, he won Formula 3 before his F2 victory in 2021. A decision at 15 years of age to relocate to the UK for his racing was reaping the rewards. Now, after a first podium following a front-row start at Suzuka, Piastri has emerged as genuine competition for Norris – long labelled the team’s No 1. “I think it exceeded most people’s expectations from what he’s been able to achieve already this season,” Norris said on Thursday, after Piastri penned his extension. “He’s pushed me a lot – it’s not a nice thing, it’s not what I want – but he’s done a very good job so congrats to him for [continuing for] another few years.” As the Brit hinted, the intra-team jousting is not something he has been used to in recent years. Crucially at this point, the pair get on well – both young, affable and with bundles of potential. But Piastri has emerged as a genuine rival to Norris at McLaren. The Brit’s regular links to the second seat at Red Bull, despite a contract at McLaren until the end of 2025, are likely to have accelerated Brown’s willingness to pin down Piastri. But should Norris stay, it is undoubtedly a driver pairing capable of race victories in the future, should they be given the tools to do so. In contrast to the start of 2023, it is now a time of much optimism for McLaren. The team signed ex-Red Bull chief Rob Marshall as their technical director in May. David Sanchez will join the engineering department in the new year from Ferrari. Andrea Stella, who replaced Andreas Seidl as team principal last year, works well in tandem with Brown. At this rate, they’re likely to haul in Aston Martin for fourth in the constructors’ championship too, with Alpine long left behind in sixth. “What!! So we are doing this for another 3 years???” comically tweeted Piastri’s mum, Nicole, after the new contract was announced last week. That looks set to be a minimum. Should Piastri’s progress continue at the current trajectory, the Australian will be in Formula 1 for a while longer yet. Read More Lando Norris claims McLaren on ‘an upward trend’ after double podium ‘Shocker of a race’: Christian Horner pulls apart Sergio Perez’s display in Japan Lewis Hamilton frustrated by Mercedes strategy in Japanese Grand Prix ‘Shocker of a race’: Christian Horner pulls apart Sergio Perez’s display in Japan Christian Horner reveals Max Verstappen ambition ahead of Japan victory F1 Japanese Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and results at Suzuka

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Max Verstappen finished fastest in practice in Qatar as he closes in on a hat-trick of world championships. The Dutchman needs to finish only sixth in Saturday’s sprint race to clinch the title and he made light work of Friday’s sole practice at the Lusail International Circuit. Verstappen finished three tenths clear of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, with Charles Leclerc third in the other scarlet car. Fernando Alonso took fourth spot for Aston Martin, one place ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished only eighth and 13th for Mercedes. Verstappen has dominated this season – winning 13 of the 16 races staged – and he will claim his third straight title if he scores three points in the 19-lap sprint race. First, Verstappen must qualify for Sunday’s main event and, on the evidence of the early running, he appears favourite to take pole position. The Dutch driver soared to the top of the time sheets of the one-hour running in the final minutes with a healthy third-of-a-second advantage to the rest of the field. Russell was almost a second back in the lead Mercedes, with Hamilton 1.2 sec behind Verstappen. Qualifying takes place at 8pm local time (6pm BST). Read More Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Max Verstappen pips Oscar Piastri to pole after tense qualifying for Japanese GP

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