Samwise F1 Newsletter
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Ferrari States Full Confidence in Vasseur After Christian Horner Speculation
Ferrari held a media briefing Tuesday morning ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit to publicly reaffirm full confidence in team principal Frederic Vasseur, ending days of speculation linking former Red Bull boss Christian Horner to the role. Ferrari issued a statement declaring the team had full confidence in the leadership of Fred Vasseur, who is in his fourth season in charge. Vasseur fired back at Horner directly, saying Mr Horner is looking for a job. The Scuderia has not finished on the podium in five consecutive races but remains second in the Constructors’ Championship, 160 points behind Mercedes.
Sources: Sky Sports
Alonso and Stroll Both Extend Aston Martin Contracts for the 2027 F1 Season
Fernando Alonso signed a new contract with Aston Martin on Tuesday to race in the 2027 Formula 1 season, extending his career into his 24th campaign in the sport. Lance Stroll’s contract with the team was confirmed at the same time, keeping the Canadian at Aston Martin for a ninth consecutive season after he joined from Williams in 2019. Alonso and Stroll will race together for a fifth straight year at the Silverstone-based team. Alonso, a two-time world champion who first raced in F1 in 2001, announced the deal in a video styled as a fake retirement announcement before the reveal.
Alpine Weighs Benching Colapinto for Bahrain Grand Prix After Baku Crash
Alpine chief Flavio Briatore is considering benching Franco Colapinto for next weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia after the Argentine driver caused a three-car collision at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday. Colapinto locked up at the first corner of a safety car restart and drove into team-mate Pierre Gasly, who in turn collected McLaren’s Lando Norris, wiping out all three cars. Briatore described the move as very poor and said the team will consider what course of action should be taken. Benching Colapinto would leave Alpine relying on simulator driver Daniil Kvyat, who has not raced in F1 since 2020.
Norris Retracts Race-Ban Call With Apology to Colapinto as Briatore Also Reaches Out
Lando Norris apologized on Tuesday to Franco Colapinto, retracting comments in which he called for the Alpine driver to receive a race ban following Saturday’s three-car crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Norris posted on Instagram saying he had messaged Colapinto privately and apologized for the comments he made. Separately, Alpine team principal Flavio Briatore personally reached out to Norris to apologize for the incident, telling Motorsport.com that it was Colapinto’s responsibility. Colapinto had a 10-second time penalty converted to a five-place grid drop for the Bahrain Grand Prix, as the Alpine driver did not finish the race.
Verstappen and Red Bull Split on Grid Penalty Risk Ahead of Bahrain Grand Prix
Max Verstappen says a grid penalty is definitely coming before the end of the 2026 F1 season following power unit changes made at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, putting him at odds with team principal Laurent Mekies, who declined to confirm a penalty is inevitable. Verstappen had a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger, exhaust, and power unit ancillary component fitted in Baku after qualifying problems. Each component is now at its final pool allocation and any further change triggers a mandatory 10-place grid drop. Verstappen finished second in Baku behind George Russell but sits sixth in the championship with 163 points.
Zak Brown Says McLaren Door Is Still Wide Open for a Future Verstappen Move
McLaren CEO Zak Brown confirmed on Tuesday that his team remains open to signing Max Verstappen despite the four-time world champion extending his Red Bull contract. Brown said the door is still wide open for Max for 2028, 2029, or whatever year it may be, adding that he enjoyed getting to know Verstappen better and would love to work with him someday. Brown held serious talks with Verstappen earlier in the 2026 season before the Dutch driver chose to remain with Red Bull. Verstappen has struggled at Red Bull this year and sits sixth in the Drivers’ Championship with 163 points, 139 behind leader Kimi Antonelli.
Bahrain Grand Prix Confirmed at Malaysia’s Sepang Circuit for October 2–4
The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix will be contested at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit on October 2–4, rather than its traditional Bahrain venue, after the event was relocated earlier this year due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Bahrain Grand Prix Association retains its naming rights and title sponsorship despite the venue change. The race is the 16th of 23 rounds in the 2026 season, the first since George Russell’s victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 26, and marks Formula 1’s return to Sepang, which last hosted the sport during the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017.
Hamilton Gives Terse One-Word Answers on Ferrari Unity as Horner Speculation Continues
Lewis Hamilton offered a brief reply when asked by Sky Sports at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix about Ferrari’s internal cohesion amid speculation linking former Red Bull boss Christian Horner to the team principal role. Pressed on whether the team was still on the right path under Frederic Vasseur, Hamilton simply responded yes, then added yep to a follow-up on team unity, before summarizing his outlook as keep trying. The exchange came as Ferrari has gone five consecutive races without a podium finish, with the Scuderia 160 points behind championship leaders Mercedes in the Constructors’ standings.
Round 15 of 23 — After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Drivers' Championship
| Pos | Driver | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. Antonelli | 302 |
| 2 | G. Russell | 236 |
| 3 | L. Hamilton | 199 |
| 4 | L. Norris | 186 |
| 5 | C. Leclerc | 179 |
| 6 | M. Verstappen | 163 |
| 7 | O. Piastri | 120 |
| 8 | I. Hadjar | 86 |
| 9 | L. Lawson | 59 |
| 10 | P. Gasly | 41 |
| 11 | A. Lindblad | 37 |
| 12 | F. Colapinto | 27 |
| 13 | O. Bearman | 20 |
| 14 | G. Bortoleto | 10 |
| 15 | N. Hulkenberg | 7 |
| 16 | E. Ocon | 7 |
| 17 | C. Sainz | 7 |
| 18 | A. Albon | 5 |
| 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 | 538 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 378 |
| 3 | McLaren | 306 |
| 4 | Red Bull Racing | 263 |
| 5 | Racing Bulls | 83 |
| 6 | Alpine | 68 |
| 7 | Haas F1 Team | 27 |
| 8 | Audi | 17 |
| 9 | Williams | 12 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 3 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 0 |
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