Red Bull F1 boss Laurent Mekies has identified a surprising mid-corner balance issue as the key reason for Max Verstappen's struggles and the team's poor start to the season. The handling flaw leaves the RB22 roughly a second off the pace and half a second behind Ferrari, making it uncompetitive in race conditions.
The intense early battles of the 2026 F1 season have revived the debate over the sport's cleanest drivers. Following a praised duel with Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc offered insights into the quality of racing, suggesting a move away from 'artificial' overtakes as drivers learn the new limits.
Daniel Ricciardo explains his iconic 'Shoey' celebration was inspired by Australian surf culture and served as a personal statement in F1. He adopted the ritual to stay connected to his roots and inject personality into the sport, only for it to become a fan-demanded tradition at every podium.
F1's support series add races to cover cancelled events, Max Verstappen's family defends him against criticism from Damon Hill, and a former engineer proposes a technical fix for the ongoing super clipping problem affecting the 2026 cars.
In a candid podcast interview, Daniel Ricciardo says he is thankful Red Bull ended his F1 contract, admitting exhaustion and a decline in performance made it hard for him to quit. The eight-time race winner reflected on being let go twice and acknowledged he could no longer perform at the level of veterans like Fernando Alonso.
Red Bull's Laurent Mekies reveals unanimous paddock support for restoring 'flat-out' qualifying in F1, criticizing the current energy-saving tactics mandated by the 2026 power unit rules. He identifies it as the sport's top issue, with a proper fix targeted for the 2027 season.
Daniel Ricciardo says he is ultimately thankful Red Bull made the decision to end his F1 career, admitting the emotional exhaustion from his performance struggles made a clear external call a relief. The Australian driver reflected on the slow realization of his declining fire and the mental toll of his final seasons.
Audi’s F1 operation faces a leadership shake‑up after Jonathan Wheatley’s departure. Mattia Binotto says he’ll keep the team‑principal title but need a race‑weekend deputy, sparking speculation over Wheatley’s next move.
Audi’s debut F1 campaign stumbled at Suzuka as Hulkenberg and Bortoleto lost several places off the line, and the team now admits its weak starts can’t be solved soon. Team principal Mattia Binotto points to power‑unit development lag and a 2030 championship plan as the framework for patient improvement.
F1 is convening an urgent summit to address critical flaws in the 2026 regulations, with six potential fixes on the agenda. Key issues include safety concerns from dangerous speed differentials, a ruined qualifying format, and severe straight-line speed drop-offs. Solutions range from tweaking energy harvest rules to simplifying the entire rulebook, with changes possible as early as next month.
Williams turned the final laps of the Japanese GP into a live aerodynamic lab, repeatedly pitting Alex Albon to adjust his front wing and collect data. This extreme test session aimed to solve the car's persistent lack of front-end grip and validate development models during a period where scoring points was impossible.
The Alpine F1 team has publicly denied social media-fueled rumors that it is deliberately sabotaging rookie Franco Colapinto's car, calling the claims "completely unfounded." In a detailed statement, the team condemned the online abuse targeting Colapinto and former driver Esteban Ocon, reaffirmed its policy of equal equipment for both drivers, and explained rare update disparities are due to logistics, not favoritism.
