In April 2007, rookie Lewis Hamilton finished on the podium for a record-breaking third consecutive race. His performance in Bahrain, where he beat reigning champion teammate Fernando Alonso, led McLaren to declare the 22-year-old a genuine title contender, upending expectations for a debut season.
George Russell and Oscar Piastri have endorsed bringing the Nürburgring back to F1, praising its classic challenge after a Pirelli test. Russell also addressed Mercedes' ongoing work to solve their problematic race starts, a key weakness in 2024.
Max Verstappen heads to the Nordschleife for the 24‑Hours of Nurburgring qualifiers, with a dry Saturday and a wet‑prone Sunday. The Dutch driver welcomes rain, seeing it as crucial prep for the 24‑hour race.
Valentino Rossi jokes he helped pave the path for Max Verstappen’s entry into GT3 sport‑scar racing, expressing hope they’ll share a session at Paul Ricard after both competed in the six‑hour endurance race.
F1’s TV audience grew in the first three races of 2024, with YoY gains of 23% in Australia, 30% in China and 20% in Japan, despite mixed fan reactions to new regulations. The sport plans tweaks ahead of Miami.
George Russell reveals Mercedes is analyzing data and working behind the scenes to cure its poor race starts, a flaw that has prevented the team from converting front-row grid slots into early race leads this season.
1992 F1 champion Nigel Mansell expresses his "romantic" hope that Lewis Hamilton can win a record eighth world title with Ferrari. Mansell believes the 41-year-old, now reinvigorated at the Scuderia, deserves the historic achievement before he retires, even as he faces tough competition from rivals like Lando Norris and the currently dominant Mercedes team.
During a Sim Racing livestream, Max Verstappen joked he missed the Oscar‑winning F1 film because he was busy setting up teammate Chris Lulham’s car, showing his playful side before a GT3 appearance at the Nürburgring.
Lance Stroll enjoyed his night in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 at Paul Ricard despite a penalty‑laden race that ended in retirement. He called it “great fun” and is keen to race again when his F1 calendar allows.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali acknowledges driver criticism of the new 2026 energy management rules but urges them to respect the sport's overall health. While technical tweaks are being discussed to improve racing, Domenicali emphasizes F1's strong commercial figures and asks stars like Max Verstappen to consider the 'bigger picture' and their influential role within the ecosystem.
The FIA has banned a qualifying exploit where Mercedes and Red Bull-powered teams used an emergency system override to gain a final power boost. The tactic bypassed energy depletion rules but risked reliability. A software update now restricts the override to genuine failures only.
Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur confirmed the SF‑26’s straight‑line performance deficit, echoing Lewis Hamilton’s claim that Mercedes now has a huge straight‑line advantage. The gap will be probed at Monza’s private filming day as the team seeks engine improvements.
