Red Bull Managing Director Oliver Mintzlaff expressed deep regret over Helmut Marko's decision to leave the team, calling it the end of an extraordinary era. Marko, who oversaw six constructors' and eight drivers' titles, will depart at year's end after a pivotal 20-year tenure that shaped the team's identity and talent pipeline.
Red Bull has notified 82-year-old advisor Helmut Marko his tenure ends immediately despite a year remaining on his contract. The move follows escalating tensions with new leadership over unilateral decisions and controversial media comments, marking the end of an era for the team's founding structure.
Lando Norris returned to the Yas Marina Circuit as reigning F1 world champion, wearing a custom gold helmet during post-season testing. The session marked the first collective track work for all 10 teams developing 2026-spec tires under new regulations, with race drivers handling critical development duties ahead of next year's major technical overhaul.
Lewis Hamilton's 2014 message to 14-year-old Lando Norris — 'Never give up, keep pushing' — has resurfaced after Norris clinched his maiden F1 drivers' title, McLaren's first championship since Hamilton's 2008 win. The advice, delivered when Norris was karting world champion, underscores their parallel paths to F1 success.
Oscar Piastri credits McLaren's 'papaya rules' for enabling a fair 2025 title fight with Lando Norris, calling the team's no-favorites approach 'a good thing' despite losing by 13 points. The Australian views his season as career-defining growth after closing last year's 82-point deficit to become a genuine championship contender.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown declared Oscar Piastri 'will be a world champion in a McLaren' despite the Australian finishing third in 2025 behind teammate Lando Norris. Brown highlighted McLaren's rare success fielding two elite drivers who raced cleanly all season while winning seven races each.
Williams' Luke Browning set the fastest time of 1:23.920 in Abu Dhabi's post-season test morning session, leading an unexpected rookie quartet. While Lando Norris began Pirelli tire evaluations in fifth, the session highlighted young drivers' readiness for 2025 roles and teams' focus on tire development ahead of regulation tweaks.
Helmut Marko, the architect of Red Bull's driver development and strategic vision for over two decades, will retire from Formula 1 at year-end. The 82-year-old Austrian's departure marks the end of an era for the team he helped build from its 2005 inception, triggering organizational shifts under parent company oversight.
Mercedes became the first F1 team to test an active front wing during Abu Dhabi's post-season test, showcasing a basic design with exposed tubing. The trial supports 2026 regulation development and Pirelli tire data collection, with Ferrari expected to follow using a more advanced version later that day.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown repeatedly cut into Oscar Piastri's post-race radio conversation with his engineer at the Abu Dhabi GP, overshadowing the Australian's second-place finish and third-place championship result moments after Lando Norris secured the drivers' title. The interruptions highlight delicate team dynamics as McLaren celebrates its first championship in 26 years.
Ryo Hirakawa's Turn 1 crash during F1's Abu Dhabi post-season test triggered a 15-minute red flag, disrupting Haas' development program. The Le Mans champion's incident highlighted the high stakes of limited testing time as teams gather critical data for 2026 car development.
Lando Norris partied until 5am singing Queen after clinching his first F1 world title by 2 points over Verstappen, then posted a 'lifetime of work' hangover quip before testing with a gold helmet. The whirlwind transition captures F1's brutal championship reality where celebrations end at dawn.
