Samwise F1 Newsletter
Friday, September 25, 2026
Russell claims dominant Baku pole as Antonelli crashes in Q1
George Russell delivered a crushing qualifying performance at Baku City Circuit, posting a 1m42.526s to claim pole position for Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix — his fifth of the 2026 season. Charles Leclerc qualified second, 0.837 seconds adrift, with Oscar Piastri third at +0.838s. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s session ended in disaster when his Mercedes struck the wall at Turn 1 in Q1, causing terminal suspension damage. Antonelli, who leads the standings by 81 points, will start 16th. “Very unnecessary. I’m very mad about it,” said the Italian. Russell starts from pole with a rare chance to claw back points.
Championship gap narrows: Antonelli starts 16th, Russell on pole with title in sight
Kimi Antonelli’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying crash has handed championship rival George Russell a significant opportunity to close the points gap. The Mercedes driver, who leads Russell by 81 points entering the weekend, will start 16th after his Q1 incident while Russell starts from pole. With rounds still remaining in the 2026 season, a strong result for Russell at Baku combined with Antonelli fighting through traffic could substantially tighten the title fight. Antonelli has led the drivers’ championship since the early rounds of the season, but Russell has applied consistent pressure throughout the campaign and now holds a clear strategic advantage for Saturday’s race.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Sky Sports
Hamilton reprimanded after Lawson near-miss as 2026 energy rules create Baku danger
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton has been reprimanded by FIA stewards after an incident with Liam Lawson during Friday’s second practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hamilton was found guilty of impeding Lawson’s Racing Bulls car at Baku City Circuit. The near-miss highlighted a structural issue with F1’s 2026 regulations: the extreme energy harvesting demands of the new power units create large closing speed differentials between cars in harvest and deploy modes, making blocking situations far more dangerous than in previous seasons. Lawson publicly blamed the regulations rather than Hamilton for the danger the incident created. The FIA is monitoring the issue as the season continues.
Sources: RaceFans, Motorsport.com
F1 season finale in doubt as Imola readies contingency plan for Qatar and Abu Dhabi
The final two rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season remain in significant doubt, with the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix under threat. Imola has been put on standby as a contingency venue and is reported to be actively preparing to host a replacement race. A decision on the season-ending calendar is expected by mid-October, according to multiple reports. The uncertainty centres on geopolitical instability in the Middle East region. F1 and the FIA are examining several options including swapping or rescheduling the threatened rounds. The saga adds further drama to what is already a tightly contested 2026 championship.
Alonso and Stroll face back-of-grid starts in Baku after Honda power unit penalties
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will both start Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the back of the grid after Aston Martin fitted new Honda power unit components for both drivers, breaching their permitted season allowance. The resulting penalties drop both cars to the rear of the field. It marks a difficult weekend for the Silverstone squad, currently seventh in the constructors’ standings with just three points — all scored by Alonso. Stroll has yet to score a 2026 championship point. FIA scrutiny over the Honda unit changes has been ongoing throughout this event, with both drivers summoned before stewards.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Williams brings major B-spec upgrade to Baku in bid to close midfield gap
Williams has introduced what team principal James Vowles described as a “B-spec” car at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, featuring a new chassis with significant weight reduction, a revised floor, and updated aerodynamic geometries at both ends of the car. The package also includes changes to flow conditioners and rear suspension geometry. After the opening Baku practice sessions, Vowles said the update was “a step in the right direction, but not enough.” Alex Albon called it a “big step” while Carlos Sainz suggested it was “more in line with what we should have started the year with” rather than transformative. Williams currently sits tenth in the constructors’ standings.
Red Bull brings final 2026 upgrade to Baku as team pivots fully to 2027
Red Bull has confirmed that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix marks the end of their 2026 aerodynamic development programme, with the upgrade package brought to Baku representing their last significant investment in the current car. The Milton Keynes team has now shifted its engineering resources fully to the 2027 campaign. Currently fourth in the constructors’ standings with 230 points — 76 behind third-placed McLaren — Red Bull have been unable to challenge the frontrunners consistently this season. Max Verstappen sits sixth in the drivers’ championship on 145 points. The team’s decision to end 2026 development reflects its priorities for the season ahead.
Cadillac F1 unveils trio of senior technical hires from Red Bull, McLaren and Aston Martin
Cadillac F1 has announced three significant technical appointments from rival teams, signalling ambition in its second Formula 1 season. Craig Skinner joins as chief development engineer after his departure from Red Bull, where he served as chief designer during the team’s most successful years. Tim Lean arrives as chief engineer for aerodynamics modelling and simulation, bringing 20 years of combined experience at McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari. Former Aston Martin deputy technical director Eric Blandin becomes head of aerodynamics. New team boss Marcin Budkowski described the hires as a “vital step in the technical evolution of the team.” Cadillac has yet to score a constructor’s championship point in 2026.
Round 14 of 23 — After the Spanish Grand Prix
Drivers' Championship
| Pos | Driver | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. Antonelli | 292 |
| 2 | G. Russell | 211 |
| 3 | L. Hamilton | 191 |
| 4 | L. Norris | 186 |
| 5 | C. Leclerc | 167 |
| 6 | M. Verstappen | 145 |
| 7 | O. Piastri | 120 |
| 8 | I. Hadjar | 71 |
| 9 | L. Lawson | 59 |
| 10 | P. Gasly | 41 |
| 11 | O. Lindblad | 31 |
| 12 | F. Colapinto | 27 |
| 13 | O. Bearman | 18 |
| 14 | G. Bortoleto | 10 |
| 15 | N. Hülkenberg | 7 |
| 16 | C. Sainz | 6 |
| 17 | A. Albon | 5 |
| 18 | E. Ocon | 3 |
| 19 | F. Alonso | 3 |
| 20 | Y. Tsunoda | 1 |
| 21 | L. Stroll | 0 |
| 22 | V. Bottas | 0 |
| 23 | S. Pérez | 0 |
Constructors' Championship
| Pos | Constructor | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 503 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 358 |
| 3 | McLaren | 306 |
| 4 | Red Bull | 230 |
| 5 | Racing Bulls | 77 |
| 6 | Alpine | 68 |
| 7 | Haas | 21 |
| 8 | Audi | 17 |
| 9 | Williams | 11 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 3 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 0 |
Every newsletter preserved and searchable
Curated by JD · samwise.agency