Aston Martin has recruited Jonathan Wheatley from Audi to become its new team principal, replacing Adrian Newey in the role. The emergency leadership change comes as the team battles a catastrophic start to 2026, with its car failing to finish races due to severe vibrations from the Honda power unit.
Alpine has officially parted ways with former interim F1 team principal Bruno Famin, finalizing a leadership transition. In related team news, advisor Flavio Briatore dismissed significance of rumors that Mercedes is interested in buying a minority stake in the operation, comparing such an investor to a mere 'passenger'.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella warns that F1's current technical regulations can paradoxically reward driver mistakes through energy recovery, challenging the sport's core principles. He calls for the FIA and F1 to review whether this 'counter-intuitive' outcome aligns with racing's traditional DNA.
Max Verstappen will drive a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in a four-hour Nurburgring endurance race this Saturday as preparation for May's 24-hour event. The race will be streamed live on RacingNews365's YouTube channel, offering a rare chance to see the F1 champion in action outside his Red Bull.
Fernando Alonso's dramatic 2016 crash in Melbourne, where he walked away from a barrel-rolling McLaren, provided crucial data that accelerated the FIA's push for the halo safety device. The investigation into the high-G impact used new ultra-high-speed cameras to simulate the accident with a halo, convincing skeptics and leading to its mandatory introduction by 2018, forever changing cockpit safety.
Adrian Newey is reportedly set to step down as Aston Martin F1 Team Principal to focus on technical work, with Audi's Jonathan Wheatley the favorite to replace him. While the team denies the speculation, the move is seen as an attempt to stabilize leadership after a terrible start to the 2026 season.
Aston Martin, guided by Adrian Newey, is targeting Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley to become its next long-term team principal. Wheatley, a highly respected figure with championship-winning experience at Red Bull, is Newey's primary choice to succeed him in the role, though no formal offer has yet been made.
Mercedes has promoted long‑time communications chief Bradley Lord to Deputy Team Principal, expanding Toto Wolff’s leadership team as the sport’s scale and complexity grow.
Audi has acknowledged media speculation linking its Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley with a shock move to Aston Martin, less than a year after he joined the German manufacturer's F1 project. Reports suggest internal friction at Audi and that Wheatley is Adrian Newey's top candidate to lead Aston Martin long-term, though no formal offer has been made.
Williams Racing faces a severe crisis as its 2024 FW48 car is criticized as the grid's 'biggest flop,' primarily due to being reportedly up to 30kg overweight. Former drivers Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya have issued damning verdicts, with the latter calling for accountability. The fundamental weight issue presents a massive technical and financial challenge for Team Principal James Vowles to solve under F1's cost cap.
Oliver Bearman has made a stellar start to his full-time F1 career with Haas, scoring all of the team's points and securing a top-five finish in China. He credits the VF-26's balanced race pace for his success, while teammate Esteban Ocon's results have been hampered by misfortune. The team is now targeting double points finishes.
Reigning F1 World Champion Lando Norris will receive a wax figure at Madame Tussauds London this summer, placing him alongside legends like Lewis Hamilton and Cristiano Ronaldo. The honor recognizes his status as a defining global sports icon following his 2025 title win.
