The 2025 Formula 1 season may be winding down.
But the standings are heating up.
Max Verstappen’s sweep of the United States Grand Prix at the end of October, where he won both the F1 Sprint race as well as the United States Grand Prix, brought the four-time Drivers’ Champion right into the thick of the 2025 title chase. But Lando Norris responded with a dominant performance at the Mexico City Grand Prix, and now leads his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri by a single point — 357 to 356 — with Verstappen just 36 points back, sitting on 321.
And while McLaren already clinched a second consecutive Constructors’ Championship, the fight for second in the standings mirrors the battle for the Drivers’ Championship. At the moment Ferrari has a one-point lead over Mercedes — 356 to 355 — with Red Bull closing the gap thanks to Verstappen’s recent form. Right now Red Bull has 346 points on the year, just ten points behind Ferrari and nine behind the Silver Arrows.
That means … every point counts.
This weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix is the penultimate F1 Sprint weekend of the 2025 season, and shortly the field will set the starting grid for tomorrow’s F1 Sprint race, where eight points go to the winner. Lando Norris led the way in the one and only hour of practice earlier today, with Piastri just 0.023 seconds off his teammate’s pace.
It was a tough session for Verstappen and Red Bull, as the four-time champion finished P17 and Yuki Tsunoda, who had an incident early in the session, finished in P20.
Still, anything can happen when the lap times count for real.
Update: Lando Norris has taken pole position for the F1 Sprint race at the São Paulo Grand Prix. Read on to see the entire grid, and how it unfolded at Interlagos.
São Paulo Grand Prix provisional Sprint grid
Here is the provisional starting order for the F1 Sprint at the São Paulo Grand Prix, which will be filled in throughout the session.
Row |
Position |
Driver |
Team |
Position |
Driver |
Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| Row 2 | 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 4 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| Row 3 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| Row 4 | 7 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 8 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| Row 5 | 9 | Isack Hadjar | VCARB | 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber |
| Row 6 | 11 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrario | 12 | Alexander Albon | Williams |
| Row 7 | 13 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber |
| Row 8 | 15 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
| Row 9 | 17 | Liam Lawson | VCARB | 18 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull |
| Row 10 | 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 20 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Williams |
São Paulo Grand Prix F1 Sprint qualifying
Follow along here as qualifying for the F1 Sprint race at the São Paulo Grand Prix unfolds.
12 minutes went on the clock, and the 20 cars had the mandatory C3 medium tires bolted on as the session began. Yuki Tsunoda was the first driver to roar out of his garage, followed shortly by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Norris set the early marker with a 1:10.311, only to be nipped by Piastri with a 1:10.286 as the McLarens threw down the gauntlet to open the session.
The first effort from Charles Leclerc came in at 1:10.762, nearly a half-second behind Piastri and only good for P7. He was shortly dropped to P8 thanks to teammate Lewis Hamilton, and then hometown hero Gabriel Bortoleto pumped in a strong lap of his own to drop Leclerc to P9.
Then it was over to Max Verstappen for his initial push lap. The Red Bull driver only used the C2 hard tires during the single hour of practice, which saw him down in P17 when the session came to a close. Verstappen went purple through Sector 1 on his initial attempt and came in at 1:10.107, putting him up in P1 for the moment.
Norris answered on his next push lap, as he went purple through both Sector 1 and Sector 2 with a thunderous effort, rocketing to the top of the timing sheet with a 1:09.702, putting him more than four-tenths of a second ahead of Verstappen, and more than three-tenths ahead of George Russell, who was now in P2.
Piastri’s second push lap was better than both Russell and Verstappen, but he could not catch Norris, and the Australian settled into P2 for the moment.
With three minutes remaining in SQ3, the three drivers at risk of elimination were Alexander Albon, Esteban Ocon, Franco Colapinto, Carlos Sainz Jr., and Yuki Tsunoda.
Perhaps the biggest surprise at this point? Pierre Gasly, who was up in P5. The trip to São Paulo brought back some great memories for Alpine, as Gasly and Ocon delivered a stunning double-podium result at this race a year ago, helping Alpine finish sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Final runs then began, with Tsunoda’s last effort only good enough for P13. That shortly became P14 thanks to a lap from Oliver Bearman, who rocketed up to P4 on his final attempt.
Tsunoda’s situation got worse when Albon came across the line with an effort good enough for P6, and then a lap from Brotoleto dropped Tsunoda into the elimination zone, and he was knocked out.
So too were Colapinto, Liam Lawson, Ocon, and Carlos Sainz Jr.
At the sharp end of the grid, Norris led the way followed by Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Piastri, Russell, Bearman, Isack Hadjar, Gasly, Bortoleto, and Hamilton rounding out the top ten.
SQ2 came next, with ten minutes put on the clock and 15 drivers fighting for exactly ten spots. Hometown hero Bortoleto led the field out, followed by fellow rookie Bearman, Nico Hülkenberg, and Albon.
Hülkenberg’s time of 1:09.735 set the benchmark, but the Sauber veteran was quickly nipped by Alonso and Lance Stroll. Then it was Leclerc, whose first effort was good for P4.
The first lap from Hamilton, however, was only good for P5, which quickly became P6 thanks to Verstappen. But the Red Bull driver’s opening gambit was not the fastest from the field, as he slid into P3, and was dropped to P4 thanks to Hadjar’s opening salvo, as the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver jumped into P2.
That became P3 when the first effort from Norris saw the McLaren driver slide into second behind Alonso. Norris stayed in P2 after Piastri’s first lap, as the Australian driver’s first push lap came in good enough for third.
After the first set of push laps, here was the running order:
Alonso
Norris
Piastri
Russell
Antonelli
Hadjar
Stroll
Verstappen
Leclerc
Hülkenberg
Hamilton
Albon
Gasly
Bearman
Bortoleto
The clock struck two minutes, and the final push laps of SQ2 began. Hadjar was among the first to make their final runs, but a slip at Turn 10 impacted his lap, and he cut the beam with a 1:09.808, which kept him down in P6.
Verstappen’s final lap was only good enough for eighth, leaving the door open for a shocking elimination given some quick drivers that were still on the track, and behind him on the timing page.
Then came a bit of bad luck, as a spin from Leclerc brought out the yellow flag right in front of Hamilton, who had to ease off the throttle. With Hamilton down in P11, that meant he was out, along with Albon, Gasly, Bortoleto, and Bearman.
But with SQ2 in the books, the ten drivers moving on could do so knowing the soft C4 tires were now available for the final segment of F1 Sprint qualifying.
Those ten drivers finished SQ2 as follows:
Alonso
Norris
Russell
Piastri
Antonelli
Hadjar
Stroll
Verstappen
Leclerc
Hülkenberg
Could anyone catch Alonso?
That was not the question that faced the grid when Friday began, but it was the question that everyone faced as eight minutes were put on the clock for the final segment of F1 Sprint qualifying. The veteran posted the fastest time in SQ2, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion to the session.
The Mercedes pair of Russell and Antonelli were the first two to attack the circuit on the C4 soft tires, followed by Leclerc, and then the McLaren pair of Piastri and Norris.
Russell set the benchmark, but his time was quickly eclipsed by both Antonelli, and then Norris, who thundered across the line with a 1:09.271 with a lap that was good for P1. Of those five drivers that went early Norris led the way, followed by Antonelli, Russell, Piastri, and Leclerc.
The other five drivers — Hülkenberg, Alonso, Hadjar, Stroll, and Verstappen — remained in the garage.
One of those drivers was celebrating a bit of an anniversary, as it was 15 years ago that Hülkenberg delivered a shocking performance to take pole position at the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix. But his first lap on this day was only good for sixth, more than six-tenths off the time set by Norris.
Piastri then began his second push lap, having gone with a push-cool-push approach. But that lap was only good for third. Norris found a bit more time on his second push lap, improving to 1:09.243.
As for Verstappen, who posted the fastest Sector 1 in SQ3? His final two sectors saw the time fall off, and he cut the beam down in P6.
When the checkered flag flew it was Norris at the front of the field, ahead of Antonelli, Piastri, and Russell to set the first two rows.
“It was a little bit tougher than I would have liked,” said Norris to Jamie Chadwick trackside after the session. “We did the job we needed to do, which was to be fastest today.”
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![Formula E champion Nyck de Vries explains what it takes to win in motorsport Nyck de Vries has seen everything there is to see in motorsport.From rising up the karting ranks, to winning a championship in Formula E, to competing in Formula 1, and now winning at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the driver has experienced the highs and the lows of the racing world. He knows what it takes to win, both inside and outside the car, and has his eyes set on a strong finish to the 2025-2026 Formula E season.Ahead of the upcoming Formula E race, the Sanya ePrix, SB Nation caught up with the veteran driver to talk about what it takes to win, on and off the track.Note: This was conducted prior to de Vries, Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and the #7 Toyota Hypercar winning the prestigious endurance race in Le Mans.The 2026 Formula E seasonAs noted above, de Vries secured a title back in the 2020-2021 season, as he won the Drivers’ Championship and was part of the Mercedes-EQ team that secured the Teams’ Championship. During that season, de Vries secured wins in Saudi Arabia and Spain, and secured enough points over the season to claim his first title.This season has seen some mixed results for the veteran driver, now in his third season with Mahindra Racing. He secured a win at the Monaco ePrix, taking the first race of the double-header on that famous circuit for his first victory in the series since 2022. As the Formula E grid heads to Sanya for this weekend’s ePrix, he sits in tenth place in the Drivers’ Championship standings, with Mahindra third in the Teams’ Championship race.We began with a discussion of the 2026 Formula E season so far.“The beginning of the season was challenging on my side of the garage, but overall the team’s performance has been very strong. It was always encouraging to see Edoardo [Mortara] scoring points and showing the pace we had as a team,” began the driver.“We’ve had a few bumps in the road and found ourselves on the receiving end of some unfortunate circumstances, but that’s part of racing, especially in a championship as competitive as Formula E. Despite that, our overall performance level has been consistently good.“Executing races remains one of the biggest challenges in Formula E, but as a team we should be pleased with where we are. Of course, I would have liked to score more points personally, but there are still plenty of races left and Monaco was a positive step forward. Hopefully we can carry that momentum through the rest of the season.”As for that win in Monaco, de Vries indicated it was “special,” for several reasons.“Winning in Monaco is special for many reasons. It was our first victory together as a team, the team’s first win of the GEN3 era, and my first Formula E win since returning to the championship,” outlined de Vries.“If there’s one race every driver wants to win during a season, it’s Monaco. Being able to do it there made it even more meaningful. It’s also a place that feels like home to me, so having family, friends, and many of our team guests there to share the moment made it incredibly special for all of us.”MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 16: Race winner Nyck de Vries of the Netherlands and Mahindra Racing and Frederic Bertrand, CEO of Mahindra Racing celebrate on the podium during the Monaco E-Prix, Round 9 of the 2026 FIA Formula E World Championship at Circuit de Monaco on May 16, 2026 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Joe Portlock/LAT Images)What it takes to be a race car driverEvery chance I get to interview a driver, I make sure to ask this question.“What is the hardest thing about being a race car driver?”That led to one of my favorite pieces during my time at SB Nation, which is this from a few years ago. But I still ask that question, as I did with de Vries.He pointed to “consistency” in his answer.“The hardest thing is consistency,” replied de Vries. “Like anything at the highest level, the competition is incredibly strong and everyone is pushing very hard. Performing consistently, and performing consistently at the highest level, is what makes the difference. That’s probably the biggest challenge in our sport.”We then turned to training, both offseason and in-season. With a schedule that includes both Formula E and driving in the World Endurance Championship, how does de Vries prepare in the offseason?“I feel very privileged to do what I love for a living. During the offseason, a big part of my focus is simply trying to improve in every area, whether that’s physically, mentally, or working more closely with the team and engineers,” started the driver.But then, perhaps in the spirit of Formula E, he outlined what he does to “recharge” away from the track.“I enjoy the process of always looking for those small gains and improvements. That’s what motivates me. At the same time, I do make room for things outside racing. I enjoy playing golf and I’ve been taking piano lessons when I’m home, which helps me recharge,” added de Vries.With a schedule that can take a toll, recovery is important.For de Vries, that starts with your best friend.“Recovery is extremely important, especially with the amount of travel we do. For me, sleep is your best friend,” started de Vries.“It sounds simple, but if you take care of your sleep and recovery, you can handle a lot physically and mentally. With such a busy schedule, it requires some discipline and planning, but it’s a critical part of being able to perform consistently throughout the year.”Finding the right balance is important as well. Drivers are tasked with a lot during the season, from their duties off the track — including interviews like this one — as well as their time on the track. For de Vries, while the “work-life balance” is personal, the fact that he loves what he does makes it easy.“For me, work-life balance is very personal. I don’t need a lot of time away from racing to recharge because I genuinely enjoy the process,” shared de Vries.“During the season, it’s about staying physically fit, continuing to work with the team, and always looking for ways to improve. Between racing, simulator work, travel, media obligations, and engineering meetings, there’s always something going on, but when you’re passionate about what you do, it doesn’t really feel like work.”We also discussed, of all things, neck strength. Anyone who has followed motorsport has probably seen footage of drivers training their necks, to handle the G-forces inside the car. That includes training with neck harness devices, that look more like medieval torture devices than anything else.As a brief aside, I inquired with a Formula 1 team about using one of those devices at a race for a story, and they politely declined, for liability reasons. Even with my offer to sign any waivers they put in front of me. So, take that for what it is worth …De Vries outlined for me why that training is critically important, and how “physically demanding” it is inside the car.“The G-forces in Formula E aren’t quite as extreme as they are in Formula One, but neck strength is still incredibly important,” started de Vries.“Your neck is one of the few parts of your body that isn’t really supported in the car, so drivers spend a lot of time training it. There are various devices and exercises we use throughout the year to keep our necks strong enough to handle the loads we experience during racing.“It’s definitely demanding, and I don’t think most people fully appreciate how physically challenging those forces can be. But like anything, once you’re accustomed to it and train regularly, your body adapts.”We also talked about jet lag, a hidden hurdle in the world of motorsport. At the 2024 United States Grand Prix I spoke with Tom Clark, Esteban Ocon’s performance coach, about how he helps the Formula 1 driver handle jet lag, among other topics. It applies in the Formula E world as well, thanks to a schedule that takes drivers and teams from Miami to China and spots in between.De Vries described his approach as “fairly simple.”“There’s no real secret to jet lag. Everyone has their own approach, but mine is fairly simple,” started the Dutch driver.“As soon as I get on the plane, I try to adjust mentally to the time zone of wherever we’re going next. Physiologically, your body can only adapt so quickly, so you’re always fighting the odds a little bit.“For flyaway races, I use melatonin to help with sleep, and I try to exercise as soon as possible after arriving. Beyond that, I don’t have any magic tricks. It’s mostly about adapting quickly and staying disciplined with your routine.”Finally, what about the mental side of the sport?To hear de Vries tell it, the entire preparation process, including the physical training, creates a “positive cycle” once you climb into the car.“A lot of the preparation starts long before we arrive at the track. We spend time in the simulator, review previous events, work through upcoming challenges with the engineers, and go through extensive preparation meetings.“I don’t have a specific mental-training routine, but I consider that entire preparation process to be part of my mental preparation,” continued de Vries.“Formula E race days are intense because everything happens in a single day. Personally, I like that because it doesn’t leave much room for distractions. If you’ve prepared properly, you arrive confident and focused, and that creates a positive cycle heading into competition.”I did have one final question for de Vries on this general topic.What would he say to those who assert that drivers are not athletes?De Vries outlined that while people are certainly entitled to their opinion, he knows the physical demands of the sport, and he knows the work that is required to perform at his level.“Honestly, it doesn’t bother me,” started de Vries.“I know what we do and I know the physical demands of the sport. Most people understand that racing drivers are athletes, but if someone thinks differently, that’s their opinion and they’re entitled to it.“For me, the important thing is knowing the work that goes into performing at this level.”MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 16: Race winner Nyck de Vries of the Netherlands and Mahindra Racing celebrates on the podium during the Monaco E-Prix, Round 9 of the 2026 FIA Formula E World Championship at Circuit de Monaco on May 16, 2026 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images)As the interview drew to a close, we turned to the rest of the Formula E season.This weekend, the grid is in China, for the Sanya ePrix. That is the first of two race weekends in China, as the grid will head to Shanghai for the Shanghai ePrix in early July.Following that, two more race weekends remain, one in Tokyo and the season finale in London.What are de Vries’ expectations for the rest of the Formula E season?The driver hopes both he and the team are “competitive” as the season draws to a close.“In Formula E, it’s always difficult to have firm expectations because the championship is so competitive and things can change very quickly from race to race. Different teams and drivers tend to perform better at different circuits, and we’ve seen throughout the season that even starting near the back doesn’t necessarily prevent you from fighting for a strong result,” began de Vries.“Looking ahead to Sanya, Shanghai, Tokyo, and London, our objective is simply to remain competitive at the front and continue scoring strong points for the team championship. We know we have a quick car, and Monaco showed what we’re capable of when everything comes together.“If we can continue executing well and maximizing opportunities, I’m optimistic about what we can achieve over the remainder of the season.” #Formula #champion #Nyck #Vries #explains #takes #win #motorsport](https://i0.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/gettyimages-2276553185.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=2400&ssl=1 "Formula E champion Nyck de Vries explains what it takes to win in motorsport Nyck de Vries has seen everything there is to see in motorsport.From rising up the karting ranks, to winning a championship in Formula E, to competing in Formula 1, and now winning at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the driver has experienced the highs and the lows of the racing world. He knows what it takes to win, both inside and outside the car, and has his eyes set on a strong finish to the 2025-2026 Formula E season.Ahead of the upcoming Formula E race, the Sanya ePrix, SB Nation caught up with the veteran driver to talk about what it takes to win, on and off the track.Note: This was conducted prior to de Vries, Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and the #7 Toyota Hypercar winning the prestigious endurance race in Le Mans.The 2026 Formula E seasonAs noted above, de Vries secured a title back in the 2020-2021 season, as he won the Drivers’ Championship and was part of the Mercedes-EQ team that secured the Teams’ Championship. During that season, de Vries secured wins in Saudi Arabia and Spain, and secured enough points over the season to claim his first title.This season has seen some mixed results for the veteran driver, now in his third season with Mahindra Racing. He secured a win at the Monaco ePrix, taking the first race of the double-header on that famous circuit for his first victory in the series since 2022. As the Formula E grid heads to Sanya for this weekend’s ePrix, he sits in tenth place in the Drivers’ Championship standings, with Mahindra third in the Teams’ Championship race.We began with a discussion of the 2026 Formula E season so far.“The beginning of the season was challenging on my side of the garage, but overall the team’s performance has been very strong. It was always encouraging to see Edoardo [Mortara] scoring points and showing the pace we had as a team,” began the driver.“We’ve had a few bumps in the road and found ourselves on the receiving end of some unfortunate circumstances, but that’s part of racing, especially in a championship as competitive as Formula E. Despite that, our overall performance level has been consistently good.“Executing races remains one of the biggest challenges in Formula E, but as a team we should be pleased with where we are. Of course, I would have liked to score more points personally, but there are still plenty of races left and Monaco was a positive step forward. Hopefully we can carry that momentum through the rest of the season.”As for that win in Monaco, de Vries indicated it was “special,” for several reasons.“Winning in Monaco is special for many reasons. It was our first victory together as a team, the team’s first win of the GEN3 era, and my first Formula E win since returning to the championship,” outlined de Vries.“If there’s one race every driver wants to win during a season, it’s Monaco. Being able to do it there made it even more meaningful. It’s also a place that feels like home to me, so having family, friends, and many of our team guests there to share the moment made it incredibly special for all of us.”MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 16: Race winner Nyck de Vries of the Netherlands and Mahindra Racing and Frederic Bertrand, CEO of Mahindra Racing celebrate on the podium during the Monaco E-Prix, Round 9 of the 2026 FIA Formula E World Championship at Circuit de Monaco on May 16, 2026 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Joe Portlock/LAT Images)What it takes to be a race car driverEvery chance I get to interview a driver, I make sure to ask this question.“What is the hardest thing about being a race car driver?”That led to one of my favorite pieces during my time at SB Nation, which is this from a few years ago. But I still ask that question, as I did with de Vries.He pointed to “consistency” in his answer.“The hardest thing is consistency,” replied de Vries. “Like anything at the highest level, the competition is incredibly strong and everyone is pushing very hard. Performing consistently, and performing consistently at the highest level, is what makes the difference. That’s probably the biggest challenge in our sport.”We then turned to training, both offseason and in-season. With a schedule that includes both Formula E and driving in the World Endurance Championship, how does de Vries prepare in the offseason?“I feel very privileged to do what I love for a living. During the offseason, a big part of my focus is simply trying to improve in every area, whether that’s physically, mentally, or working more closely with the team and engineers,” started the driver.But then, perhaps in the spirit of Formula E, he outlined what he does to “recharge” away from the track.“I enjoy the process of always looking for those small gains and improvements. That’s what motivates me. At the same time, I do make room for things outside racing. I enjoy playing golf and I’ve been taking piano lessons when I’m home, which helps me recharge,” added de Vries.With a schedule that can take a toll, recovery is important.For de Vries, that starts with your best friend.“Recovery is extremely important, especially with the amount of travel we do. For me, sleep is your best friend,” started de Vries.“It sounds simple, but if you take care of your sleep and recovery, you can handle a lot physically and mentally. With such a busy schedule, it requires some discipline and planning, but it’s a critical part of being able to perform consistently throughout the year.”Finding the right balance is important as well. Drivers are tasked with a lot during the season, from their duties off the track — including interviews like this one — as well as their time on the track. For de Vries, while the “work-life balance” is personal, the fact that he loves what he does makes it easy.“For me, work-life balance is very personal. I don’t need a lot of time away from racing to recharge because I genuinely enjoy the process,” shared de Vries.“During the season, it’s about staying physically fit, continuing to work with the team, and always looking for ways to improve. Between racing, simulator work, travel, media obligations, and engineering meetings, there’s always something going on, but when you’re passionate about what you do, it doesn’t really feel like work.”We also discussed, of all things, neck strength. Anyone who has followed motorsport has probably seen footage of drivers training their necks, to handle the G-forces inside the car. That includes training with neck harness devices, that look more like medieval torture devices than anything else.As a brief aside, I inquired with a Formula 1 team about using one of those devices at a race for a story, and they politely declined, for liability reasons. Even with my offer to sign any waivers they put in front of me. So, take that for what it is worth …De Vries outlined for me why that training is critically important, and how “physically demanding” it is inside the car.“The G-forces in Formula E aren’t quite as extreme as they are in Formula One, but neck strength is still incredibly important,” started de Vries.“Your neck is one of the few parts of your body that isn’t really supported in the car, so drivers spend a lot of time training it. There are various devices and exercises we use throughout the year to keep our necks strong enough to handle the loads we experience during racing.“It’s definitely demanding, and I don’t think most people fully appreciate how physically challenging those forces can be. But like anything, once you’re accustomed to it and train regularly, your body adapts.”We also talked about jet lag, a hidden hurdle in the world of motorsport. At the 2024 United States Grand Prix I spoke with Tom Clark, Esteban Ocon’s performance coach, about how he helps the Formula 1 driver handle jet lag, among other topics. It applies in the Formula E world as well, thanks to a schedule that takes drivers and teams from Miami to China and spots in between.De Vries described his approach as “fairly simple.”“There’s no real secret to jet lag. Everyone has their own approach, but mine is fairly simple,” started the Dutch driver.“As soon as I get on the plane, I try to adjust mentally to the time zone of wherever we’re going next. Physiologically, your body can only adapt so quickly, so you’re always fighting the odds a little bit.“For flyaway races, I use melatonin to help with sleep, and I try to exercise as soon as possible after arriving. Beyond that, I don’t have any magic tricks. It’s mostly about adapting quickly and staying disciplined with your routine.”Finally, what about the mental side of the sport?To hear de Vries tell it, the entire preparation process, including the physical training, creates a “positive cycle” once you climb into the car.“A lot of the preparation starts long before we arrive at the track. We spend time in the simulator, review previous events, work through upcoming challenges with the engineers, and go through extensive preparation meetings.“I don’t have a specific mental-training routine, but I consider that entire preparation process to be part of my mental preparation,” continued de Vries.“Formula E race days are intense because everything happens in a single day. Personally, I like that because it doesn’t leave much room for distractions. If you’ve prepared properly, you arrive confident and focused, and that creates a positive cycle heading into competition.”I did have one final question for de Vries on this general topic.What would he say to those who assert that drivers are not athletes?De Vries outlined that while people are certainly entitled to their opinion, he knows the physical demands of the sport, and he knows the work that is required to perform at his level.“Honestly, it doesn’t bother me,” started de Vries.“I know what we do and I know the physical demands of the sport. Most people understand that racing drivers are athletes, but if someone thinks differently, that’s their opinion and they’re entitled to it.“For me, the important thing is knowing the work that goes into performing at this level.”MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 16: Race winner Nyck de Vries of the Netherlands and Mahindra Racing celebrates on the podium during the Monaco E-Prix, Round 9 of the 2026 FIA Formula E World Championship at Circuit de Monaco on May 16, 2026 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images)As the interview drew to a close, we turned to the rest of the Formula E season.This weekend, the grid is in China, for the Sanya ePrix. That is the first of two race weekends in China, as the grid will head to Shanghai for the Shanghai ePrix in early July.Following that, two more race weekends remain, one in Tokyo and the season finale in London.What are de Vries’ expectations for the rest of the Formula E season?The driver hopes both he and the team are “competitive” as the season draws to a close.“In Formula E, it’s always difficult to have firm expectations because the championship is so competitive and things can change very quickly from race to race. Different teams and drivers tend to perform better at different circuits, and we’ve seen throughout the season that even starting near the back doesn’t necessarily prevent you from fighting for a strong result,” began de Vries.“Looking ahead to Sanya, Shanghai, Tokyo, and London, our objective is simply to remain competitive at the front and continue scoring strong points for the team championship. We know we have a quick car, and Monaco showed what we’re capable of when everything comes together.“If we can continue executing well and maximizing opportunities, I’m optimistic about what we can achieve over the remainder of the season.” #Formula #champion #Nyck #Vries #explains #takes #win #motorsport")
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