Sky Sports Extends UK and Ireland F1 Broadcast Deal to 2034
Sky Sports and Formula 1 have agreed a five-year extension to their exclusive broadcast deal covering the United Kingdom and Ireland, keeping all live race coverage on Sky through the end of 2034. The agreement, announced on Wednesday, is reportedly worth approximately £200 million per season — around £1 billion in total. Sky Italia will carry live Formula 1 coverage through 2032 under the expanded arrangement. Fans without a Sky subscription will continue to access free-to-air highlights and select home-nation race broadcasts. The agreement also covers Formula 2, Formula 3, F1 Academy, and the Porsche Supercup. Sky first broadcast F1 exclusively in the UK in 2012.
Sources: Sky Sports, Autosport, GrandPrix247
FIA Weighs Significant Downforce Cuts After Teams Exceed 2026 Energy Predictions
The FIA is evaluating significant aerodynamic downforce reductions for 2026 Formula 1 cars after single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis acknowledged this week that teams have generated more mechanical grip than the governing body anticipated. Higher downforce reduces the energy recovered through braking, which has compounded the energy-management difficulties drawing criticism from drivers including Max Verstappen. Sources indicate aerodynamic cuts of 20, 30, or even 40 points are being examined for potential mid-season implementation. This follows the Miami Grand Prix, where a separate package of mid-season fixes — including a qualifying energy-recovery reduction from 8MJ to 7MJ and adjusted MGU-K deployment caps — received a mixed response from drivers.
Sources: GPFans, Motorsport.com
Ben Sulayem: F1 Will Survive If Verstappen Quits at Season’s End
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said Wednesday that Formula 1 would survive without Max Verstappen if the four-time world champion follows through on his threat to leave the sport at the end of the season. Ben Sulayem told reporters he has held private conversations with the Red Bull driver about his frustrations with the 2026 regulations. “If he goes, we will miss him, but the sport will go ahead,” Ben Sulayem said, adding he ultimately did not believe Verstappen would walk away. Verstappen, who finished fifth in Miami, has publicly questioned his future in the sport throughout the season due to the new cars’ energy-management demands.
Sources: RaceFans, GrandPrix247, Sky Sports F1
Newey Recovering from Illness, Working Remotely as Aston Martin Awaits His Return
Adrian Newey, who took on the role of Aston Martin team principal ahead of the 2026 season, has been absent from every race weekend after suffering an illness that required hospital treatment. Reports published Thursday confirmed the 67-year-old is currently working remotely and is expected to return to the team once recovered. Newey has missed all four rounds held in Australia, China, Japan, and Miami. His extended absence has revived speculation about Aston Martin’s leadership structure, with Jonathan Wheatley — formerly of Audi — previously linked to the team principal role. Aston Martin has yet to score a championship point through four races.
Hamilton to Skip Ferrari Simulator Before Canada After Miami Correlation Failures
Lewis Hamilton announced this week that he will not use the Ferrari simulator in preparation for the Canadian Grand Prix after concluding the virtual model does not accurately replicate the SF-26. Hamilton, who finished seventh in Miami following first-lap contact with Franco Colapinto, noted his best result of the season — third in China — came without prior simulator preparation due to the back-to-back schedule. “I prepare on the sim, get the car to a certain place, then come to the track and it doesn’t work,” Hamilton said. Ferrari has acknowledged a three-to-four tenths per lap straight-line deficit, and Hamilton has called for wholesale changes before Montreal.
Stewards Explain Why Leclerc’s 20-Second Miami Penalty Was Issued After the Race
The FIA stewards who handed Charles Leclerc a 20-second post-race penalty at the Miami Grand Prix have explained why the sanction was not applied during the race itself. Leclerc was found to have left the track and gained an advantage multiple times during the final lap — a sequence only fully identifiable after the chequered flag. The penalty dropped Leclerc from fifth to eighth in the final results and cost Ferrari additional championship points, with Lewis Hamilton and Franco Colapinto inheriting sixth and seventh respectively. Stewards noted that Leclerc’s violations accumulated as a pattern rather than being detectable as a single discrete infringement under race-time conditions.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Speedcafe
Ferrari Confirms SF-26 Has Clear Straight-Line Deficit as Vasseur and Hamilton Align
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged publicly this week that the SF-26 carries a clear straight-line speed deficit that is undermining the team’s championship push. Lewis Hamilton confirmed software issues in Miami cost him three to four tenths per lap in power delivery on straights, on top of 10 to 15 downforce points lost after a first-lap collision with Franco Colapinto damaged his car’s underbody. Vasseur and Hamilton have reached agreement on what needs to change before Montreal. Ferrari trail Mercedes by 70 points in the constructors’ standings after four rounds, with 110 points to Mercedes’ 180.
Drivers' Championship
1. Kimi Antonelli — 100 pts
2. George Russell — 80 pts
3. Charles Leclerc — 59 pts
4. Lando Norris — 51 pts
5. Lewis Hamilton — 51 pts
6. Oscar Piastri — 43 pts
7. Max Verstappen — 26 pts
8. Oliver Bearman — 17 pts
9. Pierre Gasly — 16 pts
10. Liam Lawson — 10 pts
11. Franco Colapinto — 7 pts
12. Arvid Lindblad — 4 pts
13. Isack Hadjar — 4 pts
14. Carlos Sainz — 4 pts
15. Gabriel Bortoleto — 2 pts
16. Esteban Ocon — 1 pts
17. Alexander Albon — 1 pts
18. Nico Hülkenberg — 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 — 180 pts
2. Ferrari — 110 pts
3. McLaren — 94 pts
4. Red Bull — 30 pts
5. Alpine — 23 pts
6. Haas — 18 pts
7. Racing Bulls — 14 pts
8. Williams — 5 pts
9. Audi — 2 pts
10. Cadillac — 0 pts
11. Aston Martin — 0 pts
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