Helmut Marko says Gianpiero Lambiase's move to McLaren is a major blow for Red Bull, disrupting Max Verstappen's pivotal team partnership. This exit continues a trend of key personnel leaving the champions, raising fresh doubts about internal stability and Verstappen's long-term future with the team.
Lance Stroll will make a surprise GT3 racing debut this weekend, seizing the cancelled F1 race window. He quickly arranged the drive with Comtoyou Racing and sought advice from an increasingly GT-active Max Verstappen, seeing it as a welcome chance to fight for a victory.
Jos Verstappen endorsed Gianpiero Lambiase's high-profile switch from Red Bull to McLaren, as Lewis Hamilton got more seat time in a Ferrari during a Pirelli test. The FIA also began talks to refine the 2026 technical rules, focusing on energy management, in a busy day of off-track F1 developments.
Max Verstappen's upcoming debut at the Nürburgring 24-hour race has led to a massive surge in entries, forcing organizers to cap the grid at 150 cars—a limit not reached since before the pandemic. The high demand may even lead to a selection process for confirmed teams.
Aston Martin F1 driver Lance Stroll sought advice from Max Verstappen before agreeing to a surprise GT3 racing debut this weekend. He will race in the GT World Challenge Europe at Paul Ricard during F1's unexpected break, teaming up with Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya in an Aston Martin Vantage. Stroll cited the team's current lack of F1 competitiveness as a motivator for trying something different to gain a fresh perspective.
Helmut Marko reveals that Max Verstappen's performance is being hamstrung by a Red Bull car he cannot trust. Recent upgrades have worsened the RB22's behavior, breaking the crucial driver-machine connection and neutralizing Verstappen's talent, putting his fifth title bid at risk unless the team finds a fix.
McLaren is leading a push for Formula 1 to increase the super-clipping energy recovery limit from 250kW to 350kW, arguing the current cap forces dangerous 'lift and coast' driving that creates unsafe speed differentials. The call follows Oliver Bearman's big crash in Japan and is a key topic in ongoing FIA/F1/team meetings, with potential rule changes for Miami on the table.
Jos Verstappen predicts his son Max will continue in F1 despite engineer Gianpiero Lambiase's impending departure, citing hoped-for changes to the unpopular 2026 regulations as a key factor. Max has previously hinted at retiring if Lambiase left and has been the sport's most vocal critic of the new rules, which he and his father believe stifle driver skill.
Lewis Hamilton completed an intensive two-day Pirelli tire test at Ferrari's Fiorano circuit, driving nearly 900 km to evaluate new extreme wet and intermediate tire prototypes designed for a wider range of rain conditions.
During F1's April break, Sky Sports F1 is broadcasting live action from GT World Challenge, featuring Lance Stroll's debut, the Nürburgring Endurance Series with Max Verstappen, IndyCar at Long Beach, and historic meetings at Goodwood and Monaco.
Van Amersfoort Racing's owners, led by ex-F1 boss Otmar Szafnauer, are preparing a bid for a new F1 team but must wait indefinitely as the FIA has no formal process open. Their application faces a steep uphill battle, influenced by the recent rejection of the Andretti-Cadillac entry.
An FIA report unveils that the F1 World Championship depends on over 20,000 trained volunteers each year, who contribute nearly one million hours of unpaid work valued at €13.2 million. This hidden workforce is essential for race safety and operations, prompting the FIA to invest in professionalizing their recruitment and training systems for the sport's future.
