F1 News, Guides & Analysis

Data-first coverage of the 2025 season.

Your go-to source for Formula 1 insights, race analysis, and championship updates.

Welcome to the Race Mate Blog — your go-to source for Formula 1 insights. From real-time driver standings to in-depth analysis of the Constructors' Championship, we cover every angle of the F1 season. Explore our race previews, post-race breakdowns, and comprehensive guides including our F1 Points System Explained and F1 Constructors' Championship Explained. Whether you're tracking Formula 1 standings, understanding race analysis, or diving deep into team strategies, our expert content keeps you informed throughout the championship battle.

Race Analysis December 4, 2025

Qualifying Spotlight: Abu Dhabi’s Pressure Cooker

Twilight running, two long DRS blasts, and a championship on a knife‑edge. The 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying hour is set for Saturday, December 6, 14:00–15:00 UK (18:00–19:00 local, GST) — 60 minutes that will frame the title decider on Sunday. Lando Norris leads the Drivers’ Championship with 408 points, Max Verstappen sits 12 back on 396, and Oscar Piastri is 16 off the summit on 392. Pole itself doesn’t pay points, but at Yas Marina, track position is leverage: clean air preserves rear tyres in Sector 3, undercuts are potent, and a front‑row start is often the difference between managing the race and chasing it.

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Race Analysis

December 3, 2025

Abu Dhabi Practice & Setup Preview

Highlight FP1 & FP2 times (Dec 5 09:30–10:30 & 13:00–14:00) and discuss tyre management.

Championship Decider: Norris vs. Verstappen vs. Piastri

Race Analysis

December 2, 2025

Championship Decider: Norris vs. Verstappen vs. Piastri

Twilight racing, a 1.2 km back‑straight into a heavy‑braking hairpin, and three drivers separated by a handful of points. The 2025 Formula 1 World Championship will be settled at Yas Marina Circuit — 58 laps on a 5.281 km layout where tyre discipline, traction out of slow corners, and late‑braking nerve will decide the crown. Lando Norris leads with 408 points, Max Verstappen is 12 back on 396, and Oscar Piastri sits a further four behind on 392. One place gained, one fastest lap, one Safety Car at the wrong moment — that’s the margin between heartbreak and history.

Abu Dhabi GP Track Guide & Final Showdown Preview

Race Analysis

December 1, 2025

Abu Dhabi GP Track Guide & Final Showdown Preview

Twilight racing, a 1.2 km blast into a heavy‑braking zone, and three drivers separated by a handful of points. The 2025 Formula 1 season comes down to Yas Marina Circuit — 58 laps on a 5.281 km layout where tyre discipline, traction off slow corners, and late‑braking nerve decide legacies. Lando Norris leads Max Verstappen by 12 points with Oscar Piastri a further four back; one mistake or one fastest lap could swing the crown.

Qatar GP 2025 Race Results: Winners, Losers & Updated Standings

Race Analysis

November 30, 2025

Qatar GP 2025 Race Results: Winners, Losers & Updated Standings

Desert twilight, a 1.068 km blast to Turn 1, and a title fight that refused to blink. The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix (November 30) at Lusail delivered a strategic chess match shaped by Pirelli’s maximum 25‑lap cap per tyre set and an early Safety Car. Max Verstappen won the race, Oscar Piastri chased him home, and Lando Norris salvaged P4 after a late pass on Kimi Antonelli — trimming the championship gap to a nervy 12 points ahead of the Abu Dhabi finale.

Qatar Sprint & Qualifying: Winners, Losers & Championship Impact

Race Analysis

November 29, 2025

Qatar Sprint & Qualifying: Winners, Losers & Championship Impact

Desert twilight, a 1.068 km blast to Turn 1, and a title fight trimmed by single‑digits. Lusail’s Sprint Saturday delivered again: Oscar Piastri converted Sprint pole into Sprint victory, George Russell kept Mercedes in the hunt for P2 in the Constructors’, and Lando Norris banked just enough to keep control of the Drivers’ Championship heading into Grand Prix qualifying under the lights.

Qatar GP Friday: Practice & Sprint Qualifying Analysis

Race Analysis

November 28, 2025

Qatar GP Friday: Practice & Sprint Qualifying Analysis

Desert twilight, a 1.068 km blast to Turn 1, and only 60 minutes to learn an entire weekend. Friday at Lusail delivered exactly what this Sprint format promises: compressed learning, razor‑thin gaps, and a title fight that refuses to blink. Oscar Piastri set the tone by topping the sole practice session before converting momentum into Sprint pole, while Lando Norris and Max Verstappen each left pace on the table—Norris with a final‑corner error, Verstappen battling a tricky Red Bull over the bumps. With 58 points left in 2025 and just two rounds to go, every lap now moves the championship needle.

Development Tracker: Who’s Bringing Upgrades to Qatar 2025?

Race Analysis

November 27, 2025

Development Tracker: Who’s Bringing Upgrades to Qatar 2025?

Desert twilight, a 1.068 km blast to Turn 1, and the final Sprint weekend of the year. The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail arrives with a hard cap of 25 laps per tyre set and a title fight that tightened after McLaren’s double disqualification in Las Vegas. With just 58 points left on the table across Sprint and Grand Prix, every marginal gain matters — and so does every part teams bolt onto their cars.

Heat & High‑Speed Corners: What Makes Qatar Grand Prix Unique

Race Analysis

November 26, 2025

Heat & High‑Speed Corners: What Makes Qatar Grand Prix Unique

Desert twilight, a 1.068 km run to Turn 1, and 16 corners that never really let up. The Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail International Circuit is where aerodynamic efficiency, tyre discipline, and driver physiology intersect more dramatically than almost anywhere else on the calendar. Coming into the penultimate round of 2025, it’s also where a three‑way title fight meets a Sprint weekend and a strict tyre‑life cap.

How to Read Practice Data Before Qatar: Your RaceMate Checklist

Race Analysis

November 25, 2025

How to Read Practice Data Before Qatar: Your RaceMate Checklist

Desert twilight, a 1.068 km blast down the main straight, and only sixty minutes to learn an entire weekend. The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail International Circuit (Nov 28–30) is a Sprint weekend, which means teams get just one practice session before parc fermé locks much of the car. Layer on Pirelli’s one‑off mandate of a maximum 25 laps per tyre set for the entire weekend, and FP1 becomes the most information‑dense hour of the season.