F1 Today | Schumacher hits back at homophobia, Ferrari braced for battle

Brown defends his team

In 2024, McLaren is having a 'could've, should've, would've' year. Despite their five victories and return to the top step, the Woking-based team have also made mistakes which have harmed their opportunities to score points and win both championships. With Max Verstappen on the verge of clinching his fourth world title, Brown reflected on the year speaking with Auto, Motor, und Sport.

The McLaren CEO argues that they could have won at Silverstone (Lewis Hamilton), as well as "maybe" in Canada (Max Verstappen) and Monza (Charles Leclerc). "We are learning from our mistakes, and we are a better team now than at the start of the season. I don't look back and worry about things we can no longer change. Instead, I say to the team: you can make mistakes, but please don't make them twice. It would have only really irritated me if the same thing had happened to us several times."  

The team's last constructors' championship win dates back to 1998. "Until Miami, we didn't have the car we have now. We lost a lot of points to Max and Red Bull. Of course, I want to win at least one of the two titles. But the constructors' title will also be difficult," the CEO explained. Read the full article HERE.

Schumacher hits back:

Recently, Sergio Perez's father, Antonio Perez Garibay, was a guest on the ESPN Racing podcast and stood up for his son. In the process, he made comments about Ralf Schumacher coming out this season when talking about the criticism Sergio Perez received for the German. Schumacher has since responded to Perez Sr. on social media.

Originally, Perez's father said: "There's a driver who was a Formula 1 driver, [turned] journalist. He first stated that Checo was already out of Red Bull. The following week, he [Schumacher] came out of the closet. Don't know if he was in love with Checo. Do you understand it? There are many strange things. You no longer know if he is a journalist, a woman, a gentleman."

Schumacher responded maturely with this: "I would also stand behind my son 100% and try to help. That's what you do as a father. As far as style is concerned, I would be different, but we know Mr Perez with all his emotions. That's why I'm not angry with him. However, I think that results on the track would be the better arguments," Schumacher wrote on his Instagram.

Ferrari braced for title battle

The battle in the constructor's standings is reaching boiling point, with McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull in the running. Second-placed Ferrari's team principal, Fred Vasseur, is ready to bring the fight to McLaren and Red Bull. McLaren and Ferrari are the most likely to win that battle heading into the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Frenchman looks ahead to the race in the Sin City as Ferrari tries to close the 36-point gap to their closest rivals.

"For our part, we intend to be fighting at the front, just as we were last year: we know we have the potential to come away with a strong result as long as we ensure we are on top of our game down to the smallest detail. We have prepared well back at the factory, and Charles, Carlos, and the whole team have been able to enjoy a very short break, ready to go again, more determined than ever. We are confident, and we know what we have to do to keep the Constructors’ title fight alive." Vasseur told Ferrari's media.

Last year, Charles Leclerc's late move on Perez put the Monegasque in second place. Ferrari will be looking for one better this time around to bolster their title hopes. As the battle goes down to the wire, Las Vegas presents itself as a crucial round for the top three teams to score important points. Can Red Bull cement itself as a certain challenger with back-to-back victories? Or will McLaren or Ferrari rise to the top? We'll find out this weekend...

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