Lambiase Confirmed as McLaren CRO, Throwing Verstappen’s Future Into Question
Max Verstappen’s trusted race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has confirmed he will leave Red Bull for McLaren, where he will serve as Chief Racing Officer from 2028 onwards. Lambiase has been Verstappen’s engineer since the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix and is widely credited as a key architect of the Dutchman’s four world titles. His departure — the third major Red Bull hire secured by McLaren after Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay — lands a significant blow on Red Bull’s institutional knowledge at the worst possible time. Autosport notes Red Bull now faces “another big hole to fill” while managing an already difficult 2026 season.
Sources: Formula1.com | Sky Sports F1 | Autosport | The Race
Verstappen Tells BBC He’s ‘Seriously Thinking’ About Quitting F1 at Season’s End
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has dramatically escalated his threat to leave Formula 1, telling the BBC he is seriously considering retirement at the end of 2026. Verstappen — currently ninth in the championship with just 12 points from three races — has repeatedly criticised the new hybrid regulations as “anti-driving” and “not natural for a racing driver.” The Lambiase bombshell adds further pressure: Verstappen once stated he would stop racing when his trusted engineer departed. Red Bull’s contract contains performance exit clauses, and with the team sitting sixth in the constructors’ standings, the conditions to trigger one are close to being met.
Hamilton Exclusive: ‘I’ve Got My Mojo Back’ as Ferrari Chemistry Clicks in 2026
Lewis Hamilton has opened up about his resurgence at Ferrari in an exclusive Formula 1 interview, saying he has got his mojo back after a difficult 2025 debut season. The 41-year-old — currently fourth in the championship with 41 points — describes spending the winter embedded at Maranello, working closely with engineers on the SF26 from its earliest development phases. Hamilton says the 2026 car simply suits him better than last year’s SF-25, pointing to its more consistent aerodynamic balance. A first podium for Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix appears to have served as a turning point for both driver and team.
Sources: Formula1.com | Speedcafe
F1 Regulation Crunch Begins Tomorrow: April 15–16 Meetings to Shape Miami Package
The FIA’s structured sequence of 2026 regulation reform meetings begins tomorrow, April 15, with sporting regulations discussions, followed by a technical session on April 16. A high-level stakeholder meeting on April 20 — with all team principals and F1 leadership — will then consolidate preferred options for implementation at Miami. Sky Sports reports six areas are under active consideration, including raising the super-clipping power cap, reducing per-lap energy allocations, and simplifying deployment rules for qualifying. The FIA has committed to changes taking effect for the Miami Grand Prix on May 1–3, with World Motor Sport Council ratification expected to follow quickly.
Sources: Sky Sports F1 | Motorsport.com
Bearman Given All-Clear for Miami After Surviving 50G Suzuka Impact
Haas driver Oliver Bearman has been cleared to race at the Miami Grand Prix after his terrifying 50G crash at Suzuka’s Spoon Curve during the Japanese Grand Prix. The 20-year-old swerved off the racing line at 308km/h to avoid Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, which was slowing sharply to recharge its battery, lost control on the grass, and slid back into the barrier. Bearman suffered knee bruising but escaped without bone fractures. Team principal Ayao Komatsu confirmed the month-long April break gives Bearman more than enough time to recover fully, with the Haas squad expecting him back at full fitness for Miami.
Sources: PlanetF1 | Formula1.com
Madring Construction ‘On Schedule’ for Madrid’s Formula 1 Debut in September
The Madring circuit at IFEMA Madrid is on schedule to hold Formula 1’s first-ever race in the Spanish capital on September 13, with construction committed to completion by May 30. RaceFans reported Sunday that the project remains on track despite the complexity of building a hybrid street-permanent circuit within the IFEMA convention district. The Madrid circuit will host Spain’s second Formula 1 race of the season — Circuit de Catalunya holds the earlier Spanish round — making 2026 the first year two separate Spanish venues host Formula 1 events on the same calendar. F1’s debut in Madrid has been eagerly anticipated by the sport’s growing Spanish fanbase.
Sources: RaceFans
Is F1’s Double Race Cancellation a Blessing in Disguise?
Formula 1’s enforced removal of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix — cancelled following the outbreak of conflict in the region — has created an unprecedented five-week development window. RaceFans asks whether the unplanned break might inadvertently reshape the championship: teams in crisis have more time to find solutions, while the regulations summit has space to breathe and potentially implement meaningful changes before Miami. The absence of two traditionally desert circuits could also shift the early power balance. What might have been a painful calendar contraction has left every team, driver, and the FIA itself with an unexpected opportunity to reset.
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 Hulkenberg — 0 pts
18. Alexander Albon — 0 pts
19. Valtteri Bottas — 0 pts
20. Sergio Perez — 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 F1 Team — 18 pts
5. Alpine — 16 pts
6. Red Bull Racing — 16 pts
7. Racing Bulls — 14 pts
8. Audi — 2 pts
9. Williams — 2 pts
10. Cadillac — 0 pts
11. Aston Martin — 0 pts