2009 F1 champion Jenson Button joked about Fernando Alonso's seemingly endless career, suggesting the 43-year-old Spaniard consider retirement and fatherhood. Button expressed awe at Alonso's longevity but mused that seeing 'little Fernandos' take up karting could be a rewarding new chapter, rivaling the emotion of winning a title.
Brad Pitt's Formula 1 film has claimed the top spot on Apple TV's streaming charts following its platform debut. The movie, which blends real F1 footage with a dramatic storyline, leverages its prior box office success and critical acclaim to attract a massive streaming audience, with talks of a sequel already underway.
Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli reflects on a character-building debut F1 season marked by a podium high, a mid-season crisis, and a mental reset. He details overcoming pressure, technical struggles, and public scrutiny to emerge stronger, validating the team's gamble on him as he looks ahead to the 2026 rule changes.
Oscar Piastri humorously referenced McLaren's disqualifying plank wear issue from the Las Vegas GP when discussing the fatigue of his title-challenging season. His joke about being 'worn thin' lightened the mood after finishing third in the championship, a position that belied his 15-race stint in the lead.
Formula 1 will bring the Portuguese Grand Prix back to the Portimao circuit in 2027 on a two-year deal. The race is set to replace the departing Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, reintroducing the Algarve circuit's dramatic "rollercoaster" layout to the calendar.
Max Verstappen used a 'pregnant or not' analogy to philosophically accept his two-point title defeat to Lando Norris in Abu Dhabi. Despite the loss, he expressed greater satisfaction with Red Bull's stunning mid-season comeback in 2025 than with his dominant 2024 championship win, highlighting the team's restored fighting spirit.
Max Verstappen is testing a Mercedes-AMG GT3 car in Portugal, with reports indicating his team is running cars in Red Bull colors ahead of their planned 2026 GT3 program. The presence of a factory driver suggests serious development work is underway.
Lando Norris admits he had personal doubts about winning the championship earlier in the season, making his title triumph a moment of proving himself wrong after overcoming a tough first half and teammate pressure to clinch the crown by two points.
Honda will officially launch its 2026 Formula 1 power unit at a Tokyo event on January 20, kicking off its new exclusive works partnership with Aston Martin. This marks Honda's shift from Red Bull Racing as F1 enters a major regulation change, with Aston Martin pinning its championship ambitions on the combination of Honda power, new facilities, and designer Adrian Newey.
The Portuguese Grand Prix will return to the F1 calendar in 2027 and 2028, with races scheduled at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão. The multi-year deal secures the popular circuit's future after its successful stand-in appearances during the pandemic and fills a slot opening up after the Dutch GP's departure.
McLaren added a handwritten "You got this" message to Lando Norris's grid alignment tape before he clinched the 2025 title in Abu Dhabi. The revelation follows a €50,000 FIA fine for Red Bull over a separate grid incident involving the tape earlier in the season, highlighting the psychological detail in McLaren's championship-winning campaign.
New Zealand's top junior driver Louis Sharp will contest the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy with mtec Motorsport this summer. The series provides essential track time before his pivotal 2026 season, where he will race for the prestigious Prema Racing team in FIA Formula 3.
