Samwise F1 Newsletter
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Hamilton leads Ferrari 1-2 in FP2 as both McLarens hit the walls
Lewis Hamilton topped second practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Thursday, heading a Ferrari 1-2 ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc to signal Baku could be a strong weekend for the Scuderia. The session was disrupted by crashes from both McLaren drivers — Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri — leaving the championship’s third- and seventh-placed men with work to do overnight. Hamilton, 191 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli, spoke of “real Ferrari progress” on the Baku straight. Leclerc is weighing whether to take a fresh engine grid penalty this weekend, having already exhausted his allocation following his Monza crash.
Ocon set to leave Haas at season end as Ferrari junior Camara targets his seat
Esteban Ocon is expected to be released by Haas at the end of the 2026 season without a renewal offer, The Race reported from Baku on Wednesday. Ocon himself all but confirmed the situation, describing himself as a “free agent” and deflecting all questions about continued employment at the American outfit. Ferrari’s Formula 2 title contender Rafael Camara is understood to be the frontrunner for the vacancy, ahead of other candidates. Ocon, who is approaching 200 F1 starts, pointed to inconsistent car performance as the root of his difficulties: “My performance hasn’t been an issue this year.”
Hadjar returns to Red Bull at Baku as team confirms him as Verstappen’s 2027 team-mate
Isack Hadjar has been cleared to race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after missing three rounds with a broken wrist sustained in training, and Red Bull simultaneously announced it has extended his contract as Max Verstappen’s team-mate into 2027. The 21-year-old Frenchman, who sits eighth in the standings on 71 points despite his absence, said his wrist “is still going to be painful for a while” but that he is fit to compete. Liam Lawson, who scored 14 points substituting for Hadjar at Red Bull, returns to Racing Bulls alongside Arvid Lindblad, who graciously acknowledged the early announcement: “Full credit to Isack.”
Williams hits weight target for first time as Baku upgrade unlocks ballast and pace
Williams has brought two new chassis to Baku that have reduced the FW48 to below the 768kg minimum weight limit for the first time this season — a significant development for a team that was 28kg over the limit at the year’s opening round. The surplus weight forced Williams to carry a substantial performance deficit all year. Now under the limit, the team can add ballast to optimise weight distribution. Alex Albon was encouraged: “Weight is a guarantee of laptime.” However, team-mate Carlos Sainz tempered expectations, warning the car would still struggle to advance beyond Q1 even with the gains.
McLaren debuts revised sidepods at Baku; Cadillac introduces long-awaited brake cooling fix
McLaren has brought dramatically revised sidepods to Baku featuring a redesigned downward ramp profile and a more vertical inlet, moving the MCL40 closer in concept to the Ferrari and Mercedes layouts. The upgrade is part of McLaren’s aggressive development programme and includes the reappearance of the revised H-wing last seen at Monza. Separately, Cadillac has introduced a major brake cooling upgrade after brake failures have repeatedly ended the team’s races this season. Valtteri Bottas said the fix would help most at the hot, humid Singapore and Malaysia rounds. Aston Martin has also completed its weight-saving programme for the Baku round.
F1 approves shorter races from 2027; Hamilton says it is the opposite of what he wants
The F1 Commission has approved a reduction in maximum race distance from 305km to 290km starting in 2027, alongside a new hard stop time limit. The change is intended to manage fuel flow rates under next year’s revised regulations. Lewis Hamilton was openly critical, saying in Baku: “I think the races should be longer, because the races are physically easier than ever before. There are many races where I wish we had more laps.” Lance Stroll attributed the reduced physicality to cars travelling 30-40 km/h slower than in 2025. Max Verstappen said conditions remained demanding at certain circuits.
Monaco Sprint 2027 divides the paddock: Hamilton wants something new, not a sprint
Drivers reacted with divided opinions at Baku after the 2027 F1 calendar was confirmed to feature Monaco as a sprint weekend. Lewis Hamilton was among the most forthright in opposition: “A sprint race is not the answer. I don’t know what that is, but it should be something new for a beautiful place like Monaco.” Pierre Gasly offered a more positive view, noting that having two Monaco qualifying sessions was a genuine positive despite limited overtaking opportunities. Arvid Lindblad suggested awarding points for sprint qualifying rather than the sprint race itself. Sergio Perez said the drivers’ WhatsApp group was “a bit busy” after the announcement.
Qatar and Abu Dhabi GPs under threat as Iran conflict and money fears delay F1 decision
Formula 1 is delaying a decision on whether the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix will go ahead amid ongoing conflict in the broader Middle East region, with financial concerns reported as a key factor holding back a formal announcement. F1 has already confirmed the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds. Reports suggest the organisation is reluctant to cancel Qatar and Abu Dhabi because doing so would sacrifice significant hosting fees under existing contracts. The Iran conflict, which has now lasted more than 200 days, prompted the earlier cancellations and has continued to cast uncertainty over the season’s closing rounds.
Round 14 of 24 — After the Spanish Grand Prix
Drivers Championship
| Pos | Driver | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. Antonelli | 292 |
| 2 | G. Russell | 211 |
| 3 | L. Hamilton | 191 |
| 4 | L. Norris | 186 |
| 5 | C. Leclerc | 167 |
| 6 | M. Verstappen | 145 |
| 7 | O. Piastri | 120 |
| 8 | I. Hadjar | 71 |
| 9 | L. Lawson | 59 |
| 10 | P. Gasly | 41 |
| 11 | A. Lindblad | 31 |
| 12 | F. Colapinto | 27 |
| 13 | O. Bearman | 18 |
| 14 | G. Bortoleto | 10 |
| 15 | N. Hulkenberg | 7 |
| 16 | C. Sainz | 6 |
| 17 | A. Albon | 5 |
| 18 | E. Ocon | 3 |
| 19 | F. Alonso | 3 |
| 20 | Y. Tsunoda | 1 |
| 21 | L. Stroll | 0 |
| 22 | V. Bottas | 0 |
| 23 | S. Perez | 0 |
Constructors Championship
| Pos | Constructor | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 503 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 358 |
| 3 | McLaren | 306 |
| 4 | Red Bull | 230 |
| 5 | Racing Bulls | 77 |
| 6 | Alpine | 68 |
| 7 | Haas | 21 |
| 8 | Audi | 17 |
| 9 | Williams | 11 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 3 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 0 |
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency