Championship Leader Antonelli Facing Legal Action From Former Manager Over Unpaid Compensation
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli is reportedly being sued by former manager Giovanni Minardi, son of Minardi F1 team founder Gian Carlo Minardi, over allegations of unpaid compensation. Reports in Italian media claim Minardi management signed Antonelli in 2014 and arranged a test for the Ferrari junior programme when he was 11 years old. Antonelli was rejected as too young by Ferrari but joined Mercedes in 2018 and debuted in Formula 1 in 2026. The legal matter has been in progress for roughly a year across multiple hearings, with the parties said to involve six-figure sums. Toto Wolff could be summoned to appear at future hearings, according to reports.
FIA Stewards Uphold Antonelli’s Hungarian GP Penalty Point Despite Mercedes Concern
The FIA stewards confirmed Kimi Antonelli’s one-penalty-point addition to his superlicence after reviewing his Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying incident, with stewards standing by their original ruling despite pushback from Mercedes. Antonelli received a three-place grid drop in qualifying for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags caused by Max Verstappen’s spin at the final corner of Q3. Telemetry showed his speed reduction in the affected mini-sector was less than one percent compared to his fastest pass. The recommended guideline penalty was five positions, but stewards applied a reduced drop acknowledging Antonelli had limited time and distance to react. He now carries four penalty points on his superlicence.
Red Bull Offers Verstappen 2029 Contract Extension With Pay Rise to Remove Performance Clause
Red Bull Racing has presented Max Verstappen with a new contract offer to extend his tenure with the team through to the end of the 2029 Formula 1 season, according to reports in German newspaper BILD. The proposed deal would remove the performance clause from Verstappen’s current contract, which runs until the end of 2028, in exchange for a significant pay rise. Verstappen goes into the summer shutdown sixth in the drivers' standings, over 100 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, while his long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is departing for McLaren. Red Bull's proposal has been under consideration by Verstappen's management for several weeks.
Red Bull Recruits Gwen Lagrue From Mercedes as New Junior Driver Programme Chief
Red Bull Racing has confirmed Gwen Lagrue will join the team in 2027 as director of its junior driver programme, departing after 11 years at Mercedes. Lagrue's role at Red Bull will encompass many of the responsibilities previously held by Helmut Marko before his departure at the end of last season. During his time at Mercedes, Lagrue was instrumental in the development of several current F1 drivers, most notably George Russell and championship leader Kimi Antonelli. At Red Bull, Lagrue will take charge of identifying and nurturing young talent through the team's junior academy, tasked with finding the next generation of Red Bull and Racing Bulls drivers.
Sources: Crash.net, Motorsport.com
F1 Season Finale Doubts Grow as WEC Cancels Qatar Race and Domenicali Confirms European Backup
The FIA definitively cancelled the World Endurance Championship's 2026 Qatar round due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, intensifying pressure on Formula 1's own plans for its season-ending races at Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6. F1 president Stefano Domenicali confirmed that should both races prove impossible to stage, the 2026 season will conclude in Europe, with Portugal's Portimao circuit understood to be the primary contingency venue. Domenicali said Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain officially confirmed and are already sold out, but indicated a final decision on the situation will be made by mid-September.
Sources: RaceFans, Crash.net, Sky Sports
McLaren Questions Whether Hungarian GP Breakthrough Signals Genuine 2026 Title Challenge
Lando Norris's victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren's first win of the 2026 Formula 1 season, has reopened questions about whether the Woking team can mount a genuine title challenge heading into the summer break. Norris won by 15 seconds over Max Verstappen, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli finishing third and Norris now fifth in the standings with 128 points, 91 points adrift of Antonelli. However, team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged McLaren had benefited from rivals' difficulties in Budapest, with Oscar Piastri's gearbox failure on lap 56 denying McLaren a potential one-two finish. McLaren sits third in the constructors' standings on 220 points, 159 points behind Mercedes.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Formula 1
Aston Martin B-Spec Upgrade Raises Team’s Baseline Ahead of Second Half, Alonso Confirms
Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin's 16-part B-spec upgrade package introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix delivered the new baseline the team expected, giving the squad a foundation to build on through the second half of the 2026 season. The extensively revised AMR26 features a longer nose, a completely new floor, revised sidepod inlets, and multiple rear aerodynamic changes. Team technical chief Adrian Newey said further upgrade steps are planned for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort and the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Aston Martin changed its development approach early in the season after problems with its launch specification car, prioritising a comprehensive overhaul over incremental updates.
Sources: Racer
Vasseur Admits Ferrari’s ‘Very Poor’ Execution in Hungary Lost Podium Despite Season-Best Pace
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur admitted the Scuderia suffered multiple errors in the Hungarian Grand Prix that prevented the team from capitalising on its strong underlying pace. Ferrari led both Friday practice sessions at the Hungaroring and came within 0.01 seconds of pole in qualifying, yet finished fourth and fifth in the race. Vasseur cited a poor start from Hamilton, time lost during a pit stop due to wheel-lock, and a failure to anticipate Red Bull's strategy that allowed Verstappen to jump Hamilton. He said execution was very poor despite the chassis having its best weekend of the season relative to rivals.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Autosport
Drivers' Championship
1. Kimi Antonelli — 219 pts
2. Lewis Hamilton — 169 pts
3. George Russell — 160 pts
4. Charles Leclerc — 138 pts
5. Lando Norris — 128 pts
6. Max Verstappen — 115 pts
7. Oscar Piastri — 92 pts
8. Isack Hadjar — 12 pts
9. Oliver Bearman — 17 pts
10. Pierre Gasly — 16 pts
11. Liam Lawson — 10 pts
12. Franco Colapinto — 7 pts
13. Arvid Lindblad — 4 pts
14. Carlos Sainz — 4 pts
15. Gabriel Bortoleto — 2 pts
16. Alexander Albon — 1 pt
17. Fernando Alonso — 0 pts
18. Lance Stroll — 0 pts
19. Nico Hülkenberg — 0 pts
20. Colton Herta — 0 pts
Constructors' Championship
1. Mercedes — 379 pts
2. Ferrari — 307 pts
3. McLaren — 220 pts
4. Red Bull Racing — 127 pts
5. Racing Bulls — 50 pts
6. Alpine — 40 pts
7. Haas — 17 pts
8. Williams — 5 pts
9. Aston Martin — 0 pts
10. Cadillac — 0 pts
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.