Samwise F1 Newsletter
Saturday, April 11, 2026 | Curated by JD
F1 in April Break — Next: Miami GP, May 1–3FIA Sets Emergency April Summits as Six Proposed Fixes Target 2026 Energy Crisis
After Oliver Bearman’s 50G crash at Suzuka exposed lethal closing-speed dangers created by Formula 1’s new energy regulations, the FIA convened an urgent technical review on April 9. Officials confirmed a commitment to targeted amendments across three headline priorities: qualifying chaos, safety, and mid-straight speed drops when battery power is exhausted. Six potential fixes are under discussion, including raising super-clipping power, reducing per-lap energy allocation, freeing up active aerodynamics use, and adjusting the electrical slew rate. Meetings progress on April 15 (sporting regs), April 16 (technical), and April 20 (team principals’ summit) — all before Miami on May 3.
Sources: Motorsport.com | Motorsport Week
Bearman’s 50G Suzuka Crash: How 2026 Energy Rules Created a 308 km/h Speed Trap
Haas driver Oliver Bearman suffered one of the most violent crashes in recent F1 memory when he hit the Suzuka barriers at a measured 50G force after swerving to avoid a dramatically decelerating Alpine. The cause: Colapinto’s car had exhausted its electrical deployment in the Spoon Curve section, losing power output suddenly, with no rear warning lights activated since the car was not harvesting energy. Bearman, approaching at 308 km/h, faced a 45 km/h closing-speed differential in an instant. “We’ve, as a group, warned the FIA what can happen,” Bearman told media. The crash forced a lap-21 safety car and prompted urgent regulatory intervention.
Sources: Autosport | Formula1.com
Lambiase Confirmed for McLaren Chief Racing Officer Role, Verstappen Retirement Fears Deepen
Red Bull confirmed April 9 that Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero “GP” Lambiase will leave at the end of his 2027 contract, joining McLaren as Chief Racing Officer under team principal Andrea Stella. The partnership dates to the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix — one of F1’s longest driver-engineer bonds. Verstappen had previously told Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport: “I have said to him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too.” McLaren’s move secures a prized operational mind just as Red Bull faces a mounting 2026 crisis, fuelling fresh speculation about whether the four-time champion might walk away from F1 altogether.
Sources: Motorsport.com | ESPN
Jos Verstappen Insists Max Will ‘Just Continue’ — But German Press Aren’t Convinced
Max Verstappen’s father Jos has moved to calm retirement speculation following confirmation that Gianpiero Lambiase will leave Red Bull for McLaren. Speaking publicly on April 10, Jos said he believes his son will “just continue” racing despite Max’s own previous remarks suggesting he would quit when his engineer departs. German media have not been so easily reassured, reporting that Verstappen has “no future at Red Bull” after three disappointing rounds of the 2026 season — during which he failed to make Q3 at Suzuka and finished eighth, 32 seconds behind race winner Kimi Antonelli. The divide between official messaging and paddock reality grows.
Sources: RacingNews365 | TJ13
Red Bull Cite Outdated Wind Tunnel as 2026 Crisis Deepens Around Verstappen
Red Bull Racing have openly admitted to “significant shortcomings” in their 2026 challenger as Max Verstappen suffers with a car he describes as “incredibly tough to drive.” While McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Aston Martin invested heavily in updated aerodynamic facilities, Red Bull diverted resources toward building their in-house power unit — leaving the RB22 reportedly hamstrung by an outdated wind tunnel. The results speak plainly: just 16 combined points from three races, a race retirement for Verstappen in China, and no Q3 appearance at Suzuka for the four-time champion. Red Bull insiders have acknowledged that even Verstappen cannot compensate for the car’s fundamental deficiencies.
Sources: GPFans | Sky Sports F1
Six Fixes on the Table as F1 Targets 2026 Energy Management Overhaul Before Miami
Formula 1 and the FIA have identified six potential regulatory fixes ahead of their April summits. Reported by The Race, the proposals target the 2026 rules’ core problems: raising super-clipping harvest power from 250 kW to 350 kW; reducing per-lap energy allocation below 9 megajoules; opening up straight-mode active aerodynamics; shifting the power balance toward the combustion engine; lowering the electrical slew rate from 100 kW/s to 50 kW/s; and simplifying deployment rules to ease the cognitive burden on drivers. F1 has stressed these are targeted refinements, not a wholesale rewrite. Final decisions are expected at the April 20 high-level meeting before Miami.
Sources: The Race | Sportsnaut
From Nurburgring Tire Tests to Factory Work: Teams Make the Most of F1’s April Hiatus
The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix — forced by the ongoing Middle East conflict — has given all 11 F1 teams an unplanned five-week break before Miami on May 1. Mercedes and McLaren will run a Pirelli tire development test at Germany’s Nurburgring on April 14–15, with Russell, Antonelli, Norris, and Piastri all driving. Ferrari completed a dry-tire test at Fiorano on April 9–10. Max Verstappen has elected to race his GT car at the Nurburgring in the April 18–19 qualifiers rather than join any F1 test, underscoring his growing frustration with the 2026 formula.
Drivers’ Championship
1. Kimi Antonelli — 72 pts
2. George Russell — 63 pts
3. Charles Leclerc — 49 pts
4. Lewis Hamilton — 41 pts
5. Lando Norris — 25 pts
6. Oscar Piastri — 21 pts
7. Oliver Bearman — 17 pts
8. Pierre Gasly — 15 pts
9. Max Verstappen — 12 pts
10. Liam Lawson — 10 pts
11. Arvid Lindblad — 4 pts
12. Isack Hadjar — 4 pts
13. Gabriel Bortoleto — 2 pts
14. Carlos Sainz — 2 pts
15. Esteban Ocon — 1 pt
16. Franco Colapinto — 1 pt
17. Nico Hülkenberg — 0 pts
18. Alexander Albon — 0 pts
19. Valtteri Bottas — 0 pts
20. Sergio Pérez — 0 pts
21. Fernando Alonso — 0 pts
22. Lance Stroll — 0 pts
Constructors’ Championship
1. Mercedes — 135 pts
2. Ferrari — 90 pts
3. McLaren — 46 pts
4. Haas — 18 pts
5. Alpine — 16 pts
6. Red Bull — 16 pts
7. Racing Bulls — 14 pts
8. Audi — 2 pts
9. Williams — 2 pts
10. Aston Martin — 0 pts
11. Cadillac — 0 pts