Aston Martin won the GT World Challenge Europe season opener, but Lance Stroll's GT3 racing debut was defined by penalties. His #18 car accrued over eight minutes in sanctions for incidents and track limits, finishing 15th, while a different Aston Martin car claimed a last-gasp victory.
Ex-Ferrari chief Jean Todt confessed the team was on the brink of internal collapse if Michael Schumacher hadn't finally won the 2000 drivers' title, ending a 21-year wait. His admission highlights the immense pressure behind Schumacher's clutch performance to win the last four races and ignite Ferrari's historic early-2000s dynasty.
Verstappen Racing driver Jules Gounon overcame severe food poisoning to race in the GT World Challenge Europe at Misano, calling it one of his hardest stints ever. After finishing, he fainted and required hours of further medical treatment, highlighting the intense physical toll of motorsport.
Ralf Schumacher suggests Max Verstappen could make a shock switch to McLaren as soon as 2025, following his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, in a move that notably overlooks Mercedes. This potential shift hinges on Verstappen's performance clause at Red Bull and the team's ongoing struggles, setting the stage for a dramatic driver market shakeup.
Jean Todt says Michael Schumacher never learned to cheat, but tried twice – in 1997 at Jerez and 2006 at Monaco – and both missteps cost him titles. He blames emotion, not intent.
Ahead of the Miami GP, Lewis Hamilton will keep his current race engineer, while Max Verstappen's value to F1 is publicly debated. In other news, Red Bull braces for the loss of a key engineer to McLaren, and teams prepare major upgrades for the race's return.
Max Verstappen, F1's youngest-ever race winner, has realized he is now older than the average driver on the grid. The 28-year-old champion had the 'awkward' revelation while speaking with Daniel Ricciardo, marking a symbolic shift from wunderkind to established veteran in a sport constantly welcoming new young talent.
McLaren heads to Miami with a crucial upgrade package focused on curing its MCL40's high tire degradation, a flaw that has hampered its race performance. However, the team will not benefit from new FIA development concessions available to some rivals, meaning its aero department carries the full burden to close the performance gap.
McLaren's Andrea Stella praised Oscar Piastri for displaying exceptional mental strength after failing to start the first two races of 2026, calling his resilience a major motivator for the team. Piastri answered with a strong second-place finish in Japan, while Stella also highlighted the effective and respectful partnership between Piastri and teammate Lando Norris as a cornerstone of McLaren's championship aspirations.
Cadillac's inaugural F1 outings saw Perez and Bottas finish both races in China and Japan, staying off the back row. Yet the team admits it must out‑develop established rivals to reach the midfield.
Lance Stroll will race in GT cars this weekend, openly citing Aston Martin's uncompetitive F1 form as a key reason. He seeks a mental reset during the break, highlighting the team's ongoing struggles with reliability and performance.
F1 driver Lance Stroll made his GT3 debut at Paul Ricard, posting a 1:54.472 lap to qualify 15th (11th in Pro). Fastest was 1:53.676 by Mari Boya; teammate Roberto Merhi was 0.005 s quicker.
