On March 24, 2013, Sebastian Vettel blatantly ignored Red Bull's "Multi 21" team order, overtaking teammate Mark Webber to win the Malaysian GP. The act of insubordination shattered their partnership, sparked a legal threat, and became one of F1's most infamous controversies.
Red Bull's Helmut Marko says Adrian Newey is struggling in his leadership role at Aston Martin, citing deep-rooted problems that will take time to fix. Newey is reportedly distracted from car design by team principal duties, with Honda power unit issues compounding the team's woes as they search for his long-term successor.
Reduced tyre wear under F1's 2026 rules has made one-stop races the norm, prompting Pirelli to consider nominating softer compounds to revive strategic variety and prevent predictable race outcomes.
David Coulthard has provocatively suggested Fernando Alonso's retirement from the Chinese GP was less about vibration discomfort and more a tactical move to 'spotlight' Honda's reliability issues. His comments cast doubt on the official reason for the DNF and add to external criticism of Alonso's role at Aston Martin, ahead of a pivotal Japanese GP where the Spaniard will also sit out FP1.
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds confirms ongoing talks with Chinese EV leader BYD, despite reports the automaker is considering a move into Formula 1. Dodds is skeptical of the F1 rumors but emphasizes the continued dialogue, highlighting the strategic choice BYD faces between the all-electric Formula E and the global hybrid spectacle of F1.
Helmut Marko expresses confidence in Red Bull's ability to recover from a difficult season start, highlighting the team's development strength and suggesting the cancellation of two early races provides valuable extra time to fix their car issues.
Helmut Marko believes Red Bull can recover from a poor start to the 2026 F1 season, citing the team's traditional development strength and a beneficial calendar change. The team sits fifth after reliability issues and retirements for both Verstappen and Hadjar.
Haas and Visa Cash App RB have unveiled unique one-off liveries for the Japanese Grand Prix. Haas's design celebrates a new partnership with Japanese studio Toho (famous for Godzilla), while Racing Bulls has a red-accented 'spring edition' livery for its home race, marking the first special designs of the 2026 F1 season.
David Coulthard questions if Fernando Alonso's vibration-induced retirement in China was as severe as claimed, hinting it may be tactical pressure on Honda. Aston Martin confirms the shakes are a reliability issue, not a pace killer, validating part of Coulthard's critique.
Despite leading the 2026 F1 championship, George Russell's future at Mercedes is under scrutiny. Damon Hill warns that even a title win may not secure his seat, as rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli—strongly backed by Toto Wolff—has already won a race and closed in the standings, creating intense internal pressure and drawing parallels to Hill's own post-championship exit from Williams.
Haas F1 Team has revealed a special Godzilla-themed livery for the Japanese Grand Prix, marking a new partnership with Toho. The reveal coincides with the team's strong start to the 2026 season, where they currently sit fourth in the standings, adding significance to their 'home race' weekend at Suzuka.
Johnny Herbert has echoed Damon Hill's sentiment that Max Verstappen should focus on driving rather than criticizing the 2026 F1 regulations. Concurrently, teams have decided against immediate changes to the new racing rules after the chaotic Chinese GP, though work is underway to revise the qualifying format to allow for flat-out laps again.
