Toto Wolff admits F1 misses the drama of Christian Horner but questions if the paddock has forgotten his past actions, as rumors swirl about Horner's potential return through an Alpine investment.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri delivered a standout drive to finish second at the Japanese GP, hailed by team boss Andrea Stella as the strongest performance of his F1 career. This comes after Piastri failed to start the season's first two races, showcasing remarkable resilience. The result boosts McLaren but underscores the need for car improvements to challenge Mercedes consistently.
During downtime at the Australian GP, Red Bull's Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar faced off in a drift kart challenge designed by legend 'Mad' Mike Whiddett. Lawson mastered the technical course and a final tandem battle against Supercars champion Will Brown to take the win, highlighting a different side of elite driver skill.
Lewis Hamilton called his first Ferrari Grand Prix podium in China the hardest-earned of his career, an emotional milestone shared with his mother. He credited his team's constant support through a tough first year for making the moment special, fueling his motivation for the season ahead.
A social media abuse warning for Alpine's Franco Colapinto headlines post-Japan F1 news, alongside Fernando Alonso's optimism after Aston Martin's first full race finish. George Russell's podium was lost to a Mercedes 'bug', Sebastian Vettel prepares for the London Marathon, and Max Verstappen's mood looms over the driver market.
Lewis Hamilton vows to learn from a tough Japanese GP, while a radical idea to tweak active aero deployment emerges as a potential fix for F1's qualifying format and future regulations, highlighting the sport's current technical and competitive debates.
Max Verstappen says working with his Red Bull team is the only part of F1 he currently enjoys, expressing clear frustration with the actual driving experience under the current regulations. His comments add weight to ongoing speculation about his motivation and long-term future in the sport.
Mercedes and Red Bull are using a legal but controversial engine mode in qualifying to extend full power deployment, gaining a tiny laptime advantage. However, it has caused multiple cars to lose power dangerously on cool-down laps, drawing FIA scrutiny and irritating Ferrari, who see it as unintended rule exploitation.
Honda president Koji Watanabe says Suzuka gave a temporary fix for the AMR26’s vibration issue, and the team is now working with Aston Martin to develop a permanent solution before the Miami Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton doubts the upcoming FIA review will lead to meaningful changes for F1's new rules, stating drivers have 'no power' in the process. His comments follow Oliver Bearman's 50G crash at Suzuka, which highlighted dangerous speed differentials and fueled driver complaints about 'artificial' and unsafe racing conditions under the current energy management regulations.
Oscar Piastri secured a pivotal second-place finish at the Japanese GP, with McLaren boss Andrea Stella calling it the driver's strongest F1 performance. The result is a major rebound after Piastri failed to start the first two races of 2026, offering hope as McLaren works to close a large gap to championship leaders Mercedes.
Amid strong driver criticism of the 2026 F1 regulations, a radical proposal suggests overhauling active aero rules for qualifying. The idea would let drivers use the system freely to boost lap performance, reducing reliance on managed battery energy and addressing a key complaint about lack of control. This potential fix emerges as teams prepare to meet with the FIA to discuss rule adjustments.
