Perez reveals Horner told him Red Bull ‘would be happy’ racing just one car for Verstappen
Sergio Perez has revealed that former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told him bluntly on their very first meeting that the team was built entirely around Max Verstappen. Speaking on the High Performance podcast, Perez, now at Cadillac, recalled Horner’s exact words: ‘We go racing with two cars because we have to, otherwise we would be super happy just to race with one car. Everything it’s for Max, around Max.’ Perez said senior engineering resources consistently went to the Verstappen side of the garage. His final six months at Red Bull were ‘very tough’ and ‘toxic,’ prompting a year-long sabbatical before his 2026 return.
McLaren’s MCL40 is three months behind Mercedes in 2026 car development
McLaren has gone from the benchmark car of 2025 to running approximately three months behind Mercedes in 2026 development, according to team principal Andrea Stella. The team adopted certain conceptual directions that required redirection — a process Stella said takes one to two months to converge. Every team operates under the same $215 million cost cap, so McLaren must out-develop its rivals rather than simply match them to close the gap. Each major upgrade package is worth around three tenths of a second. First results from the redirected approach are expected at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with more transformative upgrades planned after the summer break.
Hamilton says computers have taken over F1 and software problems cost him three tenths in qualifying
Lewis Hamilton has expressed frustration with the growing role of software in Formula 1, telling astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on the StarTalk podcast that computers have effectively taken over the sport. The seven-time champion, third in the standings with 147 points, said the 2026 MGU-H removal paradoxically punishes fast cornering, since high-speed sections generate less battery charge. Hamilton also revealed a qualifying session where faulty software cost him three tenths before engineers identified the cause. ‘I was like, I’m sorry, I’m slow — and they were like, you’re not slow, the software wasn’t working,’ he said. He called the situation ‘really annoying.’
Hamilton admits Ferrari had ‘distrust’ in him during a difficult 2025 — and how that changed
Lewis Hamilton has opened up about the ‘distrust’ he felt from Ferrari during a difficult 2025 season, revealing the dynamic has fundamentally shifted in 2026. Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Hamilton said poor results last year meant the team stopped acting on his technical feedback: ‘People tend to listen to you less then. They said: Why should we listen to you when you’re getting these results?’ In 2026, with Hamilton third in the championship and just 32 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli, the relationship has reversed. ‘The trust is there now. Things I ask for are implemented. The cooperation is finally working. That’s the most important thing.’
Massa’s Crashgate damages case against FOM, FIA and Ecclestone heads to UK Supreme Court
Felipe Massa’s long-running legal battle over the 2008 Crashgate scandal has reached the UK Supreme Court, which agreed to hear an appeal directly from the High Court, bypassing the Court of Appeal. Massa is seeking up to £64 million in damages from Formula One Management, the FIA, and Bernie Ecclestone, alleging the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix — where Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed on team orders, triggering a safety car that benefited Fernando Alonso — cost him the drivers’ championship. FOM, the FIA, and Ecclestone are appealing the High Court ruling that allowed Massa’s damages claim to proceed to full trial.
Alonso warns Spa will expose F1’s energy crisis: cars have less power than F2 when deployment runs out
Fernando Alonso has warned that the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps will sharply expose one of 2026’s most pressing technical challenges. Teams will exhaust their battery deployment before completing Sector 1, leaving cars running on combustion power alone for much of the lap. Alonso explained that deploying from La Source to Les Combes leaves nothing for Sector 2. ‘With no deployment at all, we cannot forget that this year we have significantly less power than last year and less power than F2,’ he said. Alonso holds just one championship point in nine races this season. Ferrari is reportedly bringing an exhaust upgrade to Belgium worth seven additional horsepower.
Aston Martin insider praises Newey’s leadership amid ‘painful’ 2026 season: ‘We have stayed united’
Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa has praised Adrian Newey’s transparent leadership as the factor keeping the team cohesive through a difficult 2026 campaign. Speaking to PlanetF1, de la Rosa said the squad recognised early they were far off the pace, and made a deliberate decision not to bring interim upgrades while Newey’s design group works toward a more substantial package. ‘Going through a period of not introducing upgrades in the car is painful, but we have really stayed together and united,’ he said. Newey, serving as both team principal and managing technical partner since November 2025, keeps drivers Alonso and Lance Stroll fully briefed on the development plan.
Aston Martin confirms Jak Crawford will replace Alonso in FP1 at the Belgian Grand Prix
Aston Martin has confirmed that American driver Jak Crawford will replace Fernando Alonso for the first free practice session at next weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Crawford, currently competing in Formula 2, is one of several young drivers given mandatory FP1 outings under regulations requiring each constructor to field a rookie in at least two free practice sessions per season. Alonso, who has scored just one championship point across nine races with Aston Martin in 2026, will return to the car from FP2 onwards. Aston Martin’s Honda power unit has caused reliability and performance difficulties throughout the season for both Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Drivers' Championship
1. Kimi Antonelli — 179 pts
2. George Russell — 154 pts
3. Lewis Hamilton — 147 pts
4. Charles Leclerc — 108 pts
5. Lando Norris — 97 pts
6. Oscar Piastri — 82 pts
7. Max Verstappen — 76 pts
8. Isack Hadjar — 52 pts
9. Pierre Gasly — 42 pts
10. Liam Lawson — 39 pts
11. Arvid Lindblad — 20 pts
12. Oliver Bearman — 18 pts
13. Franco Colapinto — 18 pts
14. Gabriel Bortoleto — 6 pts
15. Carlos Sainz — 6 pts
16. Alexander Albon — 5 pts
17. Esteban Ocon — 3 pts
18. Fernando Alonso — 1 pts
19. Nico Hülkenberg — 0 pts
20. Valtteri Bottas — 0 pts
21. Sergio Pérez — 0 pts
22. Lance Stroll — 0 pts
Constructors' Championship
1. Mercedes — 333 pts
2. Ferrari — 255 pts
3. McLaren Mastercard — 179 pts
4. Red Bull Racing — 128 pts
5. Alpine — 60 pts
6. Racing Bulls — 59 pts
7. Haas — 21 pts
8. Williams — 11 pts
9. Audi — 6 pts
10. Aston Martin — 1 pts
11. Cadillac — 0 pts
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