Months after leaving Red Bull, Helmut Marko's influence endures. Team boss Laurent Mekies and drivers, including Max Verstappen, reveal they still seek his counsel, underscoring the lasting impact of the man who built F1's most prolific junior program. His legacy remains a active, behind-the-scenes force for the team.
Mercedes plans a private Pirelli tire test at the Nürburgring for George Russell and junior Kimi Antonelli during the unexpected calendar gap. Separately, Daniel Ricciardo discusses the mental exhaustion of his final F1 years, admitting his 2024 release from Racing Bulls finally provided closure on a difficult career phase.
Liam Lawson says F1's new qualifying energy limits create a 'strange' and mentally taxing challenge, forcing drivers to hold back instead of pushing flat-out. He argues that finding cornering speed now wastes energy, making it counterproductive and adding frustrating complexity to what was once a pure speed test.
David Coulthard criticized the FIA for not taking a public stance after Max Verstappen ejected a journalist from a press conference. The former driver suggested Verstappen may regret the move and highlighted the inconsistency in the FIA's enforcement of conduct rules, raising questions about the boundaries of driver-media relations.
Haas F1's Ayao Komatsu expressed astonishment at his team's fourth-place start in 2025, crediting a strong early package but immediately tempering expectations by highlighting the immense challenge a small team faces in the season-long development war against bigger rivals.
Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert says Mercedes‑linked rookie Kimi Antonelli could replace Max Verstappen at Red Bull if the Dutch champion quits, adding speculation as Verstappen hints at a possible exit.
Audi F1's Gabriel Bortoleto has pinpointed the team's poor race starts as a "terrible" weakness hampering their results. After a promising point in Australia, both cars lost positions at the start in Japan. Bortoleto admits fixing the issue to compete with top teams will be a long-term challenge, not a quick fix.
F1 drivers are growing wary of making normal defensive moves due to dangerous speed differentials caused by hybrid system energy deployment. Alex Albon confirmed the issue is being discussed in driver briefings after Oliver Bearman's crash in Japan, with calls to stabilize the powerful 'Strat Mode' system for safer racing.
GPDA chief Alexander Wurz urges the FIA to ban sudden high‑speed deployment spikes after Oliver Bearman's near‑fatal Suzuka crash, proposing a standardized software fix to prevent similar rear‑end collisions.
Bottas’s rapid‑fire Q&A crowned Verstappen the most naturally gifted driver, gave Hamilton top marks for travel and gym habits, and added playful rankings on fashion, cooking and dancing, sparking a fan poll.
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur is not worried about Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc's hard racing, praising their respect and team-first attitude. He sees their battles as positive competition, crucial as Ferrari consistently scores podiums and fights McLaren for position in the championship.
Aston Martin's Mike Krack insists relations with engine supplier Honda are strong, despite their 2026 car suffering from crippling reliability and a severe lack of performance. The team celebrated a first race finish in Japan but remains far from competitive, facing a 'big mountain to climb' to salvage their works partnership ambitions.
