Norris and Antonelli Close Out Two-Day Nürburgring Test on Day 2

The second and final day of the Pirelli dry-tyre development test at the Nürburgring is underway on Wednesday, with Lando Norris taking over McLaren’s car from Oscar Piastri and championship leader Kimi Antonelli stepping in for George Russell at Mercedes. Piastri had been restricted to 65 laps on day one following a technical issue that halted his car for much of the afternoon, while Russell completed 127 laps to set the day’s benchmark. The test is closed to spectators and focuses on evaluating new 2026-specification Pirelli compounds — data Pirelli will use to refine tyre strategies and operating windows ahead of the Miami Grand Prix sprint weekend on May 1–3.

Sources: Speedcafe, GPFans

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FIA Sporting Regulations Meeting Convenes Today to Advance Energy Fix Proposals

The second in a series of three scheduled regulation discussions is taking place on Wednesday, April 15, with the FIA’s Sporting Regulations meeting focused on the Section B amendments required to underpin the technical changes proposed in Tuesday’s session. The meetings are addressing driver complaints about excessive energy management requirements in qualifying, as well as the safety risks created by large closing-speed differentials when cars exhaust their electrical charge — the issue that caused Oliver Bearman’s high-speed rear impact at Suzuka. A final high-level summit involving team principals, power-unit manufacturers, and FIA leadership is scheduled for April 20, where preferred options will be presented for consensus approval before the Miami Grand Prix.

Sources: Sky Sports F1, Motorsport.com

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Coulthard: Verstappen to McLaren “Could Happen” — But Only If Norris Exits First

Former F1 champion David Coulthard has outlined a plausible — if unlikely — pathway for Max Verstappen to join McLaren, telling the Up to Speed podcast that a Verstappen move could materialise only if Lando Norris departed first. Coulthard acknowledged it is not a realistic near-term scenario, saying “I don’t think Lando’s going anywhere” given Zak Brown’s longstanding personal ties to the British driver’s management. However, Coulthard noted that a breakdown in that relationship would open a space at the championship-winning team. Verstappen has been linked to Ferrari as the more probable destination, while German reports this week claimed he has “no future” at Red Bull amid the team’s competitive collapse and continued senior-management exodus.

Sources: GPFans, PlanetF1

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Verstappen Exit Clause Details Emerge — Red Bull Could Lose Champion by October

Details of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull contract have been reported this week, confirming that a performance-based exit clause could allow the four-time champion to leave before his 2028 contract expires. The clause is triggered if Verstappen sits outside the top two in the Drivers’ Championship at a specified review point between August and October. Verstappen reportedly pushed for the clause when re-signing in early 2022, already anticipating dissatisfaction with the direction of the new regulations. Red Bull currently sit sixth in the Constructors’ Championship with Verstappen’s best result of the season being a sixth place finish. Ferrari and Mercedes are both monitoring the situation, with Ferrari seen as the front-runner destination given Hamilton’s contract expiring at the end of 2026.

Sources: Sky Sports F1, GPblog

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Hamilton Completes 884km Wet-Tyre Test at Fiorano as Ferrari Gathers Miami Data

Lewis Hamilton returned to the Ferrari SF-26 for a two-day Pirelli wet-weather development test at Ferrari’s private Fiorano circuit, completing a total of 884 kilometres across 297 laps. The programme simulated wet track conditions using Fiorano’s irrigation system, with Hamilton evaluating multiple full-wet and intermediate tyre configurations to help Pirelli define the crossover window between the two compounds. The test also served Ferrari’s broader preparation for Miami: data from the wet-tyre runs feeds into power-unit software calibration, which will be further refined during the team’s filming day at Monza on April 22, where Hamilton and Leclerc will run the three-part Miami upgrade package — including a revised floor, improved super-clipping software, and ‘Macarena’ rear wing.

Sources: PlanetF1, Crash.net

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Ferrari’s Miami “Package and a Half” Targets 45-Point Gap to Mercedes

Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur has described the team’s planned Miami upgrade as a “package and a half” — a blend of previously scheduled developments and items pulled forward from later in the year. The three-part package centres on a revised aerodynamic floor originally designed for the cancelled Bahrain Grand Prix, updated power-unit software aimed at reducing the impact of super-clipping on straights, and the ‘Macarena’ rear wing first previewed during pre-season. Ferrari currently sit second in the Constructors’ Championship with 90 points, 45 behind Mercedes’ 135. The team has finished on the podium at all three races to date but has yet to win; the Miami upgrade is targeted specifically at closing the performance gap rather than simply protecting the constructors’ runner-up position.

Sources: The Race, GPFans

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April 20 Summit Is the Deadline — FIA and Teams Must Agree Rule Fixes Before Miami

The FIA has set April 20 as the definitive decision point for the 2026 regulation changes. A high-level summit that day will bring together FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, team principals, and power-unit supplier representatives to review the options jointly developed in the April 14–16 technical meetings and agree a way forward. The changes must be ratified with sufficient lead time for teams to implement them before the Miami Grand Prix on May 1–3, the next race on the calendar. The FIA has committed to modifications in the area of energy management — the precise options remain under discussion — covering qualifying procedures, super-clipping power limits, and deployment ramp rates, with safety the primary stated motivation.

Sources: Motorsport.com, RaceFans

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Leclerc Warned: Red Bull “Not Really an Option” if Verstappen Quits Formula 1

As speculation about Max Verstappen’s future intensifies, analysis this week highlights that a Verstappen retirement from the sport — rather than a team switch — would not necessarily open a Red Bull seat for Charles Leclerc. Commentators note that Red Bull’s current competitive standing makes the team an unattractive prospect for a driver of Leclerc’s calibre, and that Ferrari would be unlikely to release Leclerc in any case. The broader concern among F1 stakeholders is a “doomsday” scenario in which Verstappen, Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso all retire or step back within the same 12-month window, removing three of the sport’s biggest names simultaneously. Verstappen has publicly hinted at an exit after 2026 if the regulations are not improved; Alonso’s future similarly remains undecided.

Sources: Read Motorsport, GPFans

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Drivers’ Championship

Constructors’ Championship