Samwise F1 Newsletter
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Vasseur Calls Hamilton’s Singapore Call Clearly a Mistake
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged that Lewis Hamilton’s Singapore strategy was a mistake. Ferrari had anticipated Hamilton pitting under the virtual safety car triggered by Lance Stroll’s stricken Aston Martin, but he missed the pit entry and stayed out. He was caught and passed by Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, finishing sixth. “I think it was clearly a mistake when we see the outcome,” Vasseur said, adding that he also has to “respect their feeling when they are into the car.” Martin Brundle wrote that it is “difficult to run a modern F1 car and manage the team’s strategy from behind the wheel.”
Komatsu Rejects Claim Haas Is a Ferrari B Team
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has pushed back on suggestions that his team is a Ferrari B team after signing Ferrari development driver Rafael Camara. “Their career has been supported by Ferrari, but they are Haas F1 drivers, and we are under no obligation or pressure to take anyone from Ferrari,” Komatsu said. He added that Ferrari did not pressurise the team and that the choice was made by himself and Gene Haas. Komatsu said Camara’s “approach, the calmness really impressed me” during testing. Camara is expected to replace the departing Esteban Ocon, with Oliver Bearman likely to continue as the team’s other driver.
Russell and Leclerc Share 2026 Sprint Points Lead on 34 Each
George Russell and Charles Leclerc finished level on 34 points atop the sprint race standings for 2026, according to RaceFans, despite Leclerc winning none of the six sprints. Russell won three of them, in Shanghai, Montreal and Zandvoort. Kimi Antonelli won at Silverstone, Lando Norris in Miami and Max Verstappen in Singapore. Norris finished third on 33 points after his last-lap tangle with team-mate Oscar Piastri in Singapore cost him three points. Antonelli collected 31 and Lewis Hamilton 27. Russell’s retirement in Singapore, after a crash on the opening lap, prevented what would have been a fourth sprint win.
Former Honda Chief Reads Leadership Change as Sign of Slow Development
Former Honda F1 power unit chief Asaki has suggested that Honda’s decision to replace Tetsushi Kakuda with Yoichiro Fukao in early October points to deeper problems at Aston Martin’s engine supplier. Asaki theorised that Honda’s internal projections show its 2027 engine will not close the gap to the Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull power units. “At the current development speed, they would never be able to catch up with their rivals, and that something had to be done,” he said of Honda’s likely reasoning. Aston Martin is second-to-last in the constructors’ championship with seven points, all scored by Fernando Alonso.
Data Suggests Aston Martin’s AMR26 Chassis Is Held Back by Honda Power
Mark Hughes of The Race used GPS data and lap-time breakdowns to look at the AMR26-Honda beyond its qualifying results. Comparing Max Verstappen’s pole lap at Sepang with Fernando Alonso’s 12th-fastest time, he found Alonso lost 2.090 seconds overall but 2.238 seconds on full-throttle sections, suggesting “with power parity Alonso could’ve been on pole by a tenth and a half.” At Sepang and Singapore, the car outperformed the pole car in the non-full-throttle sections. Hughes writes that the ADUO 2 specification introduced at Baku caused what he calls “a nightmare of terrible throttle response and wildly inconsistent deployment” in Singapore.
Szafnauer Proposes Tying McLaren Driver Bonuses to Constructors’ Position
Former Aston Martin and Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has suggested McLaren link driver bonuses to the team’s constructors’ championship position after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided in the Singapore Sprint. Norris attempted a move at Turn 5 in the closing stages; Piastri was out and Norris finished eighth. Andrea Stella called the incident “unacceptable” and Zak Brown called it “unnecessary.” On the High Performance Racing podcast, Szafnauer said, “It’s a bad judgement,” and noted that “the difference between third and fourth in the championship is a lot of money.”
Verstappen Reprimanded After FP1 Contact, Then Qualifies 15th at Portimao
Max Verstappen received a reprimand and one Behavioural Warning Point from GT World Challenge Europe stewards after contact with the No. 25 Audi at Turn 3 during Friday’s first practice at Portimao. Stewards found he “caused an avoidable collision with Car 25 at Turn 3 and was wholly to blame,” while noting mitigating factors. The Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry later qualified 15th, 0.553 seconds off Morris Schuring’s pole time of 1:42.071 in the Boutsen VDS Porsche. Verstappen’s 1:42.093 was the team’s best individual lap. Valentino Rossi qualified 60th after his Q2 lap was deleted for running wide.
Lawson to Headline Live Music Set at VCARB Garage Sessions in Austin
Liam Lawson will become “the first-ever active F1 driver to headline a live music set during a Grand Prix weekend,” according to Crash.net. The Visa Cash App RB driver will perform at Austin’s Esses Bazaar during VCARB’s Garage Sessions on Thursday, 22 October, ahead of the US Grand Prix, reuniting with his childhood band, which features his brother. He will play a custom guitar made in collaboration with Taylor Guitars. It will be his first live musical appearance in front of an audience. “Music is a big part of my life, and I use it to clear my head during the season,” Lawson said.
Round 17 of 23 — After the Singapore Grand Prix
Drivers Championship
| Pos | Driver | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | 340 |
| 2 | George Russell | 238 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | 229 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | 221 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | 215 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | 201 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | 138 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | 97 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | 75 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | 41 |
| 11 | Arvid Lindblad | 38 |
| 12 | Franco Colapinto | 27 |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | 23 |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | 13 |
| 15 | Gabriel Bortoleto | 10 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | 7 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | 7 |
| 18 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | 7 |
| 19 | Alexander Albon | 5 |
| 20 | Yuki Tsunoda | 1 |
| 21 | Lance Stroll | 0 |
| 22 | Valtteri Bottas | 0 |
| 23 | Sergio Perez | 0 |
Constructors Championship
| Pos | Constructor | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 578 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 444 |
| 3 | McLaren | 339 |
| 4 | Red Bull | 332 |
| 5 | Racing Bulls | 100 |
| 6 | Alpine | 68 |
| 7 | Haas | 30 |
| 8 | Audi | 23 |
| 9 | Williams | 12 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 7 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 0 |
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency