Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Russell stunned after crushing rivals by colossal margin at Australia GP.
Russell stormed to pole with a lap time nearly eight-tenths faster than the fastest non-Mercedes competitor, a margin that even he found unexpected at Albert Park.
7 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

George Russell admitted he was surprised by the gap he created over the first non-Mercedes car during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. Speaking at the post-qualifying press conference, he highlighted how the weather conditions played a role in the impressive lap times. “Definitely, I think the conditions also came into our favour. We know we're better in these cooler conditions, and as the track temperature dropped, we always seemed to find more lap time,” Russell began.

The 28-year-old went on to praise both the engine and the overall car developed by the Mercedes team. “I think we've got a really great engine beneath us. However, I also think we've got a really amazing car beneath us, which probably hasn't been highlighted enough in the press these past few weeks. From me and Kimi’s [Antonelli] perspective, the car felt great to drive. We're enjoying the smaller, lighter cars, and they’re a perfect way to start Melbourne,” Russell concluded.

‘Crushing rivals by colossal margin’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/russell-stunned-after-crushing-rivals-by-colossal-margin-at-australia-gp


Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying results
07/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

2026 Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:19.507s 1:18.934s 1:18.518s
2 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:20.120s 1:19.435s 1:18.811s
3 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 1:20.023s 1:19.653s 1:19.303s
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:20.226s 1:19.357s 1:19.327s
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:19.664s 1:19.525s 1:19.380s
6 Lando Norris McLaren 1:20.010s 1:19.882s 1:19.475s
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:19.811s 1:19.921s 1:19.478s
8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:20.491s 1:20.144s 1:19.994s
9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 1:20.409s 1:19.971s 1:21.247s
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:20.495s 1:20.221s

‘Qualifying results’;

https://f1i.com/news/560344-australian-grand-prix-qualifying-results.html


Mercedes-AMG tops F1 Australian Grand Prix qualifying, Piastri beats Norris
7 Mar 2026
Alex Misoyannis
Drive

George Russell will park on pole position in tomorrow's Formula One Australian Grand Prix, leading team-mate Kimi Antonelli in second for a dominant one-two start for the Mercedes-AMG team. Melbourne-born Oscar Piastri qualified fifth in his McLaren – ahead of team-mate and reigning World Drivers' Champion, Lando Norris, in sixth – in an eventful qualifying session that saw multiple red flags for crashes and mechanical incidents.

Isack Hadjar is due to start third in his first race for Red Bull, the highest qualifying result for a debutant with the team since Daniel Ricciardo qualified second at the 2014 Australian GP. In contrast, a crash for his four-time champion team-mate Max Verstappen at the start of his first flying lap will see him start near the back of the grid. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari qualified fourth, to complete the Top Five.

‘Predictions placing Mercedes-AMG as the favourites on the 2026 F1 grid have been realised’;

https://www.drive.com.au/news/mercedes-amg-tops-f1-australian-grand-prix-qualifying-piastri-beats-norris/


Russell storms to pole position for season-opening Australian GP as Verstappen crashes out
7 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Q3 – Russell outpaces Antonelli to secure Mercedes 1-2: Q3 got underway with a bang as Lindblad suffered a near-miss at the pit entry, locking up and nearly colliding with those near him. That was followed by a technical issue for Bortoleto, who was ultimately unable to set a time in Q3 and caused a short delay to the session start as he was wheeled back to his garage.

Key quote: "It was a great day," said Russell. "We knew there was a lot of potential in the car, but until you get to this first Saturday of the season you never know. It really came alive this afternoon, especially when the track temp cooled – we know we sort of tend to favour those conditions.”

"I’m also really happy to have Kimi here next to me as well because it’s been such a hard job from all the team to deliver this car and they did an amazing job in the garage as well today, so all in all a really good day."

‘George Russell was the man to beat’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/russell-storms-to-pole-position-for-the-season-opening-australian-gp-as.59kj0cIRcQVqXUSKPp5KzG


Russell leads all-Mercedes front row as Verstappen crashes out in Q1
7 Mar 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Russell regained his position at the top of the times when the session resumed, though his 1’19.084 was slightly slower than his best from Q2. But Antonelli abandoned his first lap after locking up at turn three and running wide. Despite his damage, Norris got closest to matching the Mercedes, though he was over half a second shy. He pipped Hadjar by just two hundredths of a second.

Piastri fell to fifth place behind Leclerc after the first runs. Neither Ferrari driver was able to get within a second of Russell initially, Hamilton taking sixth place. Antonelli tidied up his final effort and beat his team mate’s time with a 1’18.811. Russell was not far behind however and reclaimed the top spot with a 1’18.518.

Piastri temporarily took third place but was shuffled down the order by Leclerc and then Hadjar. Norris was unable to beat his team mate’s time, meaning the McLarens will occupy the third row of the grid. Hamilton stayed seventh while Lawson pipped Lindblad to eighth place with his final lap.

‘All-Mercedes front row’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/03/07/russell-leads-all-mercedes-front-row-as-verstappen-crashes-out-in-q1/


Verstappen taken to medical centre after serious crash in Australia
7 Mar 2026
Kada Sárközi
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen has been taken to the medical center after his crash in Q1 at the Australian Grand Prix. The four-time world champion lost control of the rear of his Red Bull on his first run and shot through the gravel into the wall. The impact was heavy, prompting race control to immediately wave the red flag to stop the session. Footage showed Verstappen shaking his hand briefly after the crash, possibly because he took a hit there on impact.

Possibly due to pain in his hand, the Dutchman was taken to the medical center for precautionary checks. However, nothing has been officially confirmed regarding the reason. Verstappen has since returned to the paddock. There does not appear to be any serious damage to his hand. According to Verstappen, something went wrong at the rear of his car. When race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase asked over the radio if everything was okay, he responded cynically. "Yeah, the car just ******* locked on the rear axles, fantastic.”

‘Verstappen taken to medical centre’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verstappen-taken-to-medical-center-after-serious-crash-in-australian


‘I’ve never experienced something like that before’ – Verstappen explains cause of his Q1 crash in Australia
7 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Quizzed on how the incident unfolded after the session, Max Verstappen said: “I just hit the brakes and suddenly the rear axle just completely locked out of the blue. I don’t know why that happened or how that happened. “I’ve never experienced something like that before in my career. The rear axle just completely locked on, then of course you can’t save that anymore at that speed.”

“The barrier hit was not that bad – the wheel just snapped out of my hands and that’s why I had to go to the medical centre, but all good. I think it already went wrong before the downshift because I hit the pedal,” he added in an interview with Sky Sports F1. “As soon as you hit the pedal, you quite quickly downshift, but it already immediately locked on the peak of the brake pressure. Something very weird, that’s for sure. There are so many unknowns of course at the moment that we still need to get on top of. We’ll see tomorrow what we can do.”

“I just hit the brakes and suddenly the rear axle just completely locked out of the blue”;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/ive-never-experienced-something-like-that-before-verstappen-explains-cause.7FbveMhkOMzOukBufgeOPo


Max Verstappen ‘caught out’ by Red Bull engine tech in Australian GP crash, claims Marc Priestley
7 Mar 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Marc Priestley thinks Max Verstappen crashed as he was ‘caught out’ by Red Bull’s energy harvesting. The Dutchman may have had a gearbox issue that caused him to spin, but Marc Priestley thinks it was a mistake.

Priestley feels Verstappen crashed in qualifying for the Australian GP as he got “caught out” by the energy harvesting that is now needed with F1’s 2026 regulations, for which Red Bull have even built their first-ever in-house engine after Honda left them to join Aston Martin. “Max Verstappen locked the rear wheels under braking going into Turn 1,” Priestley said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I think what happens is he gets caught out by the massive energy harvesting, the braking that is being done on the rear axle alone by the electric motors. A lot of people have been caught out by this in the new cars.”

“Caught out by the massive energy harvesting”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max-verstappen-caught-out-by-red-bull-engine-tech-in-australian-gp-crash-claims-marc-priestley/

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff makes 'donkey' claim after Kimi Antonelli 'Lego' crash.
The team was not going to conclude repairs in time until Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 1 in Q1, giving the team precious extra minutes and managed to get Antonelli on track.
7 Mar 2026
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Toto Wolff has reiterated his claim that you 'can't make a donkey fast' after Kimi Antonelli's huge Australian GP practice accident nearly ruined his qualifying. In the closing stages of FP3, Antonelli crashed heavily at Turn 2, destroying the Mercedes, which Wolff described as looking like a "Lego F1 car", leaving the team in a race against time to repair the W17 for qualifying.

The team was not going to conclude repairs in time until Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 1 in Q1, giving the team precious extra minutes and managed to get Antonelli on track. The Italian ultimately claimed second place on the grid behind his team leader George Russell as Mercedes bulldozed the opposition at Albert Park, with Russell ending just under eight-tenths faster than third-placed Isack Hadjar for Red Bull.

"I am so happy that these ground effect cars are gone, and finally, we can do what we're best at," Wolff told Sky Sports F1. "I'm feeling relieved for the hard work that was put in by everyone, and the car looked like a Lego Formula 1 car that was thrown on the floor literally two hours before. I said five minutes before the start of the session that we wouldn't make it, and then Max went off, and that gained us the minutes to put the car out.”

‘Until Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 1 in Q1’;

https://racingnews365.com/toto-wolff-makes-donkey-claim-after-kimi-antonelli-lego-crash


Max Verstappen Australian GP qualifying crash cause revealed
Max Verstappen crashed on his first run during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. Paolo Filisetti, RacingNews365 technical expert, explains what happened.
7 Mar 2026
Paolo Filisetti & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Team principal Laurent Mekies described what he witnessed as "very brutal", with the team to investigate what unfolded. What was initially evident was that Verstappen was downshifting when the car violently spun out of his control. At first, your initial suspicion would turn to a mechanical problem, such as a gearbox failure, that had caused the locking. In reality, the problem was related to energy recovery.

The software began to glitch when reading the engine speed and the motion transmitted to the rear axle during downshifting. Essentially, in combating an abnormal number of revolutions, the system went into safe mode. This caused the engine brake to intervene, in turn immediately causing the rear axle to lock. As is well known, braking on the rear axle is controlled by the brake-by-wire system. In this instance, however, that system was not responsible for the crash.

It was due to modes in the ERS system that immediately locked the system, leaving Verstappen with no way to regain control of the car. This is a clear example of how current Formula 1 power unit energy recovery technology is still in its early stages of development, where teething problems can even lead to a driver being eliminated prematurely in qualifying, as was the case with Verstappen.

‘In reality, the problem was related to energy recovery’;

https://racingnews365.com/max-verstappen-australian-gp-qualifying-crash-cause-revealed


Max Verstappen's x-rated team radio message emerges after huge crash during Australian GP…
Joshua Waite
7 Mar 2026
Give Me Sport

The four-time world champion has rarely gone into a qualifying session not being the one favoured to set the pace. But his session came to a sudden and deeply strange end, when his rear axle locked up without warning at Turn 1, sending him spinning through the gravel and into the barriers, dooming him to the back of the grid tomorrow.

“Yeah, the car just f****** locked on the rear axles, fantastic,” was his message on the team radio, a short and clear assessment of an incident he appeared to have no control over. Verstappen himself seemed just as confused as anyone in the grandstands. Speaking afterwards, he admitted he had not yet had the chance to sit down with his engineers or go through the data, but made clear that nothing in his considerable experience had prepared him for what he felt in the cockpit.

"I think it already went wrong before the downshift because, as soon as I hit the pedal, because you quite quickly downshift right, it already immediately locked on the bit of the brake pressure. Something very weird, that's for sure."

‘X-rated team radio message’;

https://www.givemesport.com/max-verstappen-team-radio-message-red-bull-australian-gp-qualifying-crash/


Mercedes' Australian GP speed so good Charles Leclerc thought it was a mistake
Charles Leclerc admits Mercedes' speed at the Australian Grand Prix so far has been impressive
7 Mar 2026
Adam Cooper
Crash.Net

Charles Leclerc says Mercedes' pace at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix has been so impressive that he thought data from FP3 he saw was a mistake. Mercedes stunned its rivals on Saturday during qualifying in Melbourne, as George Russell led a team 1-2 by almost eight tenths to third-placed Isack Hadjar in the Red Bull.

Charles Leclerc, who was fourth for Ferrari, said he was given data on Russell’s lap that topped FP3 that surprised him so much he thought he’d uploaded it incorrectly. And he now admits that the advantage of the Brackley team in qualifying was even bigger than he anticipated. “I think yesterday when we spoke I said half second,” he said when asked by Crash.net about the gap.”

“Now it's eight [tenths]. So it's bigger than what I expected, for sure, but it was a very significant gap yesterday already. So I was very, very impressed this morning with the FP3 power that they've shown. It was just crazy, in the last lap of George especially, I looked at the data for the first time, and I had to re-upload it because I thought there was a problem on the things I was seeing. But apparently not. So it's very, very impressive.”

‘Thought data from FP3 he saw was a mistake’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1090939/1/mercedes-australian-gp-speed-so-good-charles-leclerc-thought-it-was-mistake


FIA gives Aston Martin permission for Stroll to race
7 Mar 2026
VALENTIN KHOROUNZHIY
The Race

Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll has received the permission to take the start in the Australian Grand Prix - but it required a "compelling" case from the team. Stroll fell short of the required 107% laptime threshold in every session in the troubled Aston Martin AMR26. His tally of laps for the weekend stands at 16, none of them on Saturday, and his best lap was seven seconds slower than George Russell's eventual pole time.

In the F1 of recent years, getting dispensation to start the race after a qualifying problem of some kind has forced a 107% rule breach has usually been no problem at all. Indeed, this was the case with Carlos Sainz and Williams and Max Verstappen and Red Bull - who set no time in Q1 like Stroll but had been fast enough in practice to be granted a start.

But the stewards' verdict on Stroll indicates getting him on the grid took some convincing. According to the stewards, Aston Martin presented a three-part argument for Stroll to be granted the right to start. The first was team-mate Fernando Alonso qualifying within the 107% threshold in the more functional of the two AMR26s.

‘Getting dispensation to start the race’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/how-aston-martin-convinced-fia-to-let-stroll-into-australian-gp/


Lance Stroll allowed to start Australian GP, but Aston ‘can’t risk big damage’
The FIA has confirmed Lance Stroll will be allowed to start the Australian Grand Prix
7 Mar 2026
Lewis Duncan , Adam Cooper
Crash.Net

Lance Stroll admits “there’s concerns” still about being able to start the race due to the AMR26’s problems over the weekend. Fernando Alonso, who was 17th in qualifying and in play for a Q2 spot, also noted that the lack of spare Honda engine parts means Aston cannot risk serious damage to its power unit in the race with the Chinese Grand Prix taking place next week.

“I mean, we will be flexible,” Alonso said. “Every lap we will monitor the situation. I think, as Adrian said yesterday, we are short on parts. So, there is no secret on that. China is next week, so hopefully we can do as many laps as possible, hopefully we can do nearly the whole race. The mechanics have been flatout in the garage, changing parts on the car and changing power units day and night the last six weeks.”

“Even on the other side of the garage, with Lance being so unlucky in FP3 and qualy with zero laps, when you go on track and you are in the mix with a few cars, it’s a bit better than when you are dead last, as we were yesterday. So, maybe it is enough to ignite a little bit of motivation in everyone in the garage. And that’s probably part of our job now as drivers, to keep the morale of the team high in difficult moments.”

‘Can’t risk big damage’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1090935/1/lance-stroll-allowed-start-australian-gp-aston-cant-risk-big-damage

[Fortitude]

George Russell resists Charles Leclerc fight to score F1 Australian GP triumph.
The Brit and teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli fell back at the start, as Leclerc stormed through to lead, and provided a stern test for the Silver Arrows along with Lewis Hamilton, but a strategic error amid a Virtual Safety Car saw the Ferrari challenge fall away.
8 Mar 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

George Russell resisted an early challenge from Charles Leclerc to open the 2026 Formula 1 season with victory in the Australian Grand Prix, heading a Mercedes 1-2. Arvid Lindblad, becoming the fourth-youngest debutant in F1 history, completed a stupendous weekend’s work with eighth place.

Before the cars lined up on the grid, Russell complained of his battery not being sufficiently topped-up, putting him at risk of being overtaken on the opening lap. It was far worse at Audi, however, as Nico Hulkenberg suffered problems on the grid, and despite trying to start from the pit lane, the German’s race was, like Piastri’s, over before it began.

At the start, Russell squirrled away, and with Antonelli experiencing low battery, Hadjar got between both of them, looking favourite to get into the lead. But, as was the case in Bahrain testing, Ferrari rocketed forth, and Leclerc stormed into Turn 1 in the lead. Hamilton got past Norris, but the biggest winner of Lap 1 was Lindblad, who swept past Hadjar for third at Turn 11. Hamilton swiftly dispatched him, but nevertheless, a sensational start for the rookie.

‘Mercedes 1-2’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/03/08/george-russell-resists-charles-leclerc-fight-to-score-f1-australian-gp-triumph/


Australian GP 2026 Race Results: Full Classification and Winner
8 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

2026 Australian Grand Prix Race Classification
Here is the full race classification from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, including gaps, laps completed and status.
Pos Driver Team Gap Pit Stops
1 George Russell Mercedes Leader 1
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +2.974 1
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +15.519 1
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +16.144 1
5 Lando Norris McLaren +51.741 2
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +54.617 2
7 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team + 1 Lap 1
8 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls + 1 Lap 1
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi + 1 Lap 2
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 1 Lap 1

‘Full Classification’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/australian-gp-2026-race-results/


George Russell and Mercedes dominate Australian Grand Prix
8 Mar 2026
The Straits Times

MELBOURNE, March 8 – Mercedes driver George Russell struck the first blow in the Formula One championship as he claimed an emphatic victory in the
season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Having dominated qualifying, pole-sitter Russell's first win at Albert Park underlined Mercedes’ promising pre-season form while giving the team their first Melbourne victory since Valtteri Bottas claimed the 2019 race. “Great job everybody, it’s been a long time since we've been here,” Russell said over the team radio.

Russell engaged in a thrilling early duel with Leclerc as the racers swopped the lead seven times in the opening nine laps. “It was a hell of a fight at the beginning,” said Russell. “I made a bad start, and some really tight battles with Charles at the start – just really glad to cross the finish line.” The Briton finished nearly three seconds ahead of Italian Antonelli, with Leclerc more than 15 seconds behind on a cloudy afternoon at the lakeside circuit.

It was a tough day for McLaren, with home hero Oscar Piastri’s race over before it begun with a crash during a reconnaissance lap some 40 minutes before the start. His teammate and defending champion Lando Norris finished fifth, one place behind seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari. Four-time champion Max Verstappen was sixth for Red Bull after starting 20th on the grid following a crash in qualifying on Saturday.

“Great job everybody, it’s been a long time since we've been here”;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/formula-one/russell-and-mercedes-dominate-australian-grand-prix


Oscar Piastri reveals ‘not insignificant’ factor behind heartbreaking Australian GP crash
8 Mar 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets in Melbourne: “We had a couple of things going on. “I think the first part I want to stress is that there is certainly a big element of that was me. Cold tyres. I have used that exit kerb every lap of the weekend, but I didn’t have to.”

“At the same time, I had about 100 kilowatts extra power that I didn’t expect, which is not insignificant. I think the difficult part to take is everything was working normally. It’s just the function of how the engines have to work with the rules.”

“It’s that part that’s difficult to accept. It would almost be easier in some ways if we just said there’s cold tyres and I was optimistic, but when you add in another factor like that it always is more difficult to take.”

‘Not insignificant’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-piastri-australian-grand-prix-2026-crash-reaction


Was that real racing or just Overtake Mode? Lack of data leaves us in the dark
8th Mar 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

On the face of it, Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix provided the tonic Formula 1 needed after a doubtful start to its new era of technical regulations. The Ferraris scorched off the line to make trouble for the Mercedes. George Russell and Charles Leclerc swapped the lead, sometimes more than once in the same lap. The drivers were still clearly lifting and coasting significantly from corner to corner as they were in qualifying. But the increased power and flexibility of their electrical systems gave them new scope to attack.

But just as was the case after qualifying yesterday, it’s important not to draw conclusions too hastily. The picture we’ve seen at one particular circuit may not be repeated elsewhere. Aside from that, there is also one significant question mark over the authenticity of the racing F1 provided on Sunday. This was the first race since F1 replaced its Drag Reduction System with the new Overtake Mode. The two systems work on similar principles: when a chasing car gets within a second of another they can deploy a speed boost. DRS delivered that by allowing drivers to lower their rear wings.

However now drivers have adjustable aerodynamics at the front and rear of the car, the new Overtake Mode instead delivers a burst of extra power. How much of a difference did that make? On the face of Sunday’s race, it’s impossible to tell. When a driver made a pass with DRS, fans could see the rear wing dropping. But aside from an early message from race control stating ‘Overtake Mode active’, viewers received no information about the system. The crucial information about when drivers were using Overtake Mode was entirely absent.

‘Australian Grand Prix provided the tonic Formula 1 needed’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/03/08/was-that-real-racing-or-just-overtake-mode-lack-of-data-leaves-us-in-the-dark/


Max Verstappen warns of sudden F1 exit amid frustration after Australian GP
8 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen has not ruled out the possibility of walking away from Formula 1 amid his dissatisfaction with the current regulations. “I think what they should worry about is the rules. Just focus on that. They ask questions, and I give my opinion on what I would like to see and what I think is better for the sport because I do care about it. I do love racing, and I want it to be better than this, right? So let's see what we can do,” Verstappen said.

“I hope that even during this year, maybe we can come up with some different solutions, so it becomes more enjoyable for everyone,” he added. Pressed further on whether he could suddenly walk away from racing, the four-time champion, basing his response on the decisions of the FIA added: “No, like I said, I love racing, but you can only take so much, right? I think they're willing to listen, FIA and F1, but I just hope that there is some action.”

“It’s not that I'm the only one saying it; I think a lot of people are saying the same. Whether it’s drivers or fans, we just want the best for the sport. It’s not that we are critical just to be critical. We are critical for a reason. We wanted it to be Formula 1, proper Formula 1, not on steroids. Today, of course, again, that was not the case," he concluded.

‘Frustration after Australian GP’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/max-verstappen-warns-of-sudden-f1-exit-amid-frustration-after-australian-gp

[Fortitude]

F1MATHS: Telemetry shows where Mercedes' enormous advantage comes from under the new engine rules.
Mercedes appear to have arrived with a power unit and energy deployment package that is visibly superior to the rest of the field, (in) The first qualifying session of the 2026 Formula 1 season (which) had already delivered a striking storyline…
9 Mar 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

F1Technical's senior writer Balazs Szabo looks back at some key learnings from Saturday's qualifying session. Across the speed comparison, Mercedes consistently reached the highest top speed, topping the charts at 327 km/h, a figure that none of the other manufacturers could match. Even in sections where drivers typically lift slightly to manage tyre temperatures or balance, the Mercedes car maintains momentum, suggesting a chassis that complements the engine’s strengths.

This early telemetry snapshot suggests that Mercedes have not only built a strong internal combustion engine but have also achieved a highly effective integration of the hybrid systems—an area that becomes even more critical under the 2026 regulations. Their battery pack appears to deliver energy more efficiently, their MGU K deployment lasts longer, and their overall power curve is smoother and more robust than those of their competitors.

‘Power unit and energy deployment package that is visibly superior’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28300


Data show how Verstappen was still able to match Mercedes pace in Melbourne
8 Mar 2026
Shanna Lutgert
GPblog.com

Mercedes impressed on Friday in Australia with their very consistent long runs. After the first race weekend, many—everyone except Max Verstappen—were surprised by the German team's advantage. However, by the end of the race, the Dutchman actually wasn’t that far behind at all. Friday’s long runs already predicted that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli would head into race day with the best hand. They were by far the fastest team and clearly had their act together. In the second free practice long runs, it’s still difficult to get a clear picture of race pace, as engine modes and fuel loads are unknown.

Mercedes’ Friday pace is reflected in the race pace the team showed on Sunday in Melbourne. Over at Red Bull, the mood was gloomy due to the deficit to Mercedes. In the first half of the Grand Prix, the gap was indeed still quite large. The most consistent stints of all drivers began roughly around laps 20–23. For the race pace analysis, we took the two most consistent stints from the drivers of the four top teams. First, we will look at Verstappen vs. Russell and Antonelli. The stints are marked in the table as S1 and S2.

Red Bull decided to go for a two-stopper with Verstappen, while Mercedes ran a one-stop strategy for both drivers. In the first half of the race, Verstappen recorded a stint average of 1:23.527, while Antonelli and Russell were significantly lower: the Italian averaged 1:23.090, the Brit was slightly slower at 1:23.190. The four-time world champion was therefore about four to five tenths short on race pace in the first stint, but towards the end of the race he managed to close the gap. He was even a bit quicker—with an average of 1:22.984. Russell averaged 1:23.080, Antonelli 1:22.932.

‘Verstappen was still able to match Mercedes pace’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/data-show-how-verstappen-was-still-able-to-match-the-mercedes


‘No regrets’: Ferrari stands firm on Australia strategy call
Ferrari insists it has no regrets over the strategy that cost it a shot at victory in the Formula 1 season opener in Australia.
9 Mar 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe

Despite the scrutiny that followed the call, team principal Fred Vasseur insisted the strategy itself was not the defining factor in the result. “We have to be realistic with this, they were eight tenths faster than us yesterday,” Vasseur said. “We fight like hell at the beginning. Now I think at this stage of the race, nobody was expecting to be one [pit] stop. We targeted the optimum for us, and the optimum was to extend.”

“We were also surprised by the life of the tyres. I think we could have done 300 laps today! But it is like it is, I think they still had, during the race, a delta of performance with us. “The issue is not the strategy or the core, it’s just the pure pace.” Vasseur also rejected suggestions that mirroring Mercedes’ early stop would have put Ferrari in position to win the race.

“I think the pace of Mercedes was better than us,” he admitted. “Even when they pitted they were there or four tenths faster than us and they kept this pace all the stint. Ok, probably we were able to fight a little bit more at the beginning but perhaps pushing a bit more on the tyres and I have no regrets on the strategy, no regrets on the pace of today. We did a decent step compared to yesterday and let’s be focused on China.”

‘No regrets’;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-australian-grand-prix-ferrari-strategy-decision-melbourne-update-reaction-charles-leclerc-lewis-hamilton/


Deployment becomes the defining skill, claims Hamilton
9 Mar 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Hamilton explained that the biggest challenge of the new regulations is managing the energy deployment system, which now dictates lap time far more than in previous eras. The seven-time world champion said, “The deployment is the biggest part. The rest of it is all kind of similar and familiar, but the deployment is so challenging and it’s different from track to track.”

The Briton warned that drivers will only fully understand the complexity once racing begins. “We probably also won’t know until we’re thrown in the deep end in the race to understand, when we overtake someone, how it’s going to affect us coming out of that corner,” he said, adding that managing deployment in wheel to wheel situations “is going to be difficult.”

Piastri: “A lot of the things we have to learn are not intuitive” Oscar Piastri echoed Hamilton’s assessment, emphasising that the 2026 cars require a fundamentally different approach to driving and setup. He explained that “all the driving, car set up, everything is kind of optimised around getting the most out of the power unit.” While this has always been part of Formula 1, he said it is now “by far the biggest element.”

‘Deployment becomes the defining skill’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28287


F1 highlight surge in Australian GP overtakes despite fierce driver backlash
9 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Formula 1 was quick to highlight the sharp rise in overtakes during the 2026 Australian Grand Prix compared to last year. Between a qualifying session heavily influenced by super clipping and a race largely dictated by energy management, one statistic nevertheless stands out: the number of overtakes.

The Albert Park race produced as many as 120 overtakes compared to just 45 last year - nearly three times as many and a clear boost to the on-track spectacle, even if many have dismissed it as artificial racing rather than genuine wheel-to-wheel battles.

‘120 overtakes compared to just 45 last year’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/f1-highlight-surge-in-australian-gp-overtakes-despite-fierce-driver-backlash


Australian GP: A closer look at the Ferrari's ROCKETING start off the line!
9 March 2026
Sky Sports

Ride on board with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as they both get a rocketing start off the line in Australia

‘Rocketing start’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/video/30998/13517083/australian-gp-a-closer-look-at-the-ferraris-rocketing-start-off-the-line


Australian GP talking points: Mercedes are back, Hamilton hope, Verstappen vents
9 Mar 2026
Mina Rzouki
The National

Mercedes back in business: On the radio after securing pole, Russell was unambiguous: “Very nice, very nice. I like this car. I like this engine!”
Mixed emotions at Ferrari: Ferrari arrived with the second-quickest machine, a rocket off the line, and genuine ambitions. What they lacked was the strategic nerve to capitalise.

McLaren's crown slips: In his home race, Oscar Piastri did not even make it to the start line.
Lindblad living the dream: Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad produced arguably the performance of the weekend…

Long road ahead for Aston Martin: Two cars, two retirements, twice over. Newey's team have a very long road ahead.
Verstappen calls for action: Max Verstappen provided the race's most compelling subplot, surging from last on the grid after a Q1 software failure, all the way to sixth place at the finish.

‘Talking points’;

https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/f1/2026/03/09/australian-gp-talking-points-mercedes-are-back-hamilton-hope-verstappen-vents/


How the 1 per cent do the Australian Grand Prix: The money-can't-buy experiences A-listers got in Melbourne - and the insider access worth $7000 per person
9 Mar 2026
LAURA HOUSE
MailOnline

After almost 15 years in the lifestyle media space, I've visited my fair share of VIP marquees and supposedly 'exclusive' hotspots – and it's certainly not lost on me how lucky I am to be able to say that. But after what I experienced this past weekend at my very first Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne, I can confidently say nobody does high-end quite like the F1. And with this as my debut, I fear nothing will ever quite compare.

‘$7000 per person’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-15627105/How-1-Australian-Grand-Prix-money-buy-experiences-listers-luxury-minded-F1-fanatics-got-Melbourne-insider-lounge-access-worth-7000-person.html

[Fortitude]

Ted Kravitz ‘puzzled’ by how Zak Brown reacted to Oscar Piastri’s Australian Grand Prix crash.
Ted Kravitz has questioned McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s reaction to Oscar Piastri’s heartbreaking crash that ended his Australian Grand Prix before he had even reached the grid.
8 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Speaking on Ted’s Notebook from inside the Melbourne paddock, Ted Kravitz shared his reaction to the incident and how Zak Brown explained away Piastri’s error. He said: “I can only just feel so sorry for everybody, all the Oscar fans out there and for him and his family. It just really hit me hard that did, the Oscar thing. It really did. I was just gutted about it. I’ll tell you what was happening, actually. And what did you think of Zak Brown’s reaction?”

“He was like, ‘OK, you know, yeah, I’m unhappy about it, but we’ve got to dust ourselves off.’ I was a bit puzzled about it before. I thought that it was obviously a sort of coping mechanism. He was kind of OK, but I think it was a coping mechanism when Oscar went out. That he was like, ‘Well, you know, we got to pick ourselves up and carry on with the other car that we’ve got.’”

‘Puzzled’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ted-kravitz-puzzled-by-how-zak-brown-reacted-to-oscar-piastris-australian-grand-prix-crash/


The first Ted's Notebook of the season! | Ted's Qualifying Notebook | Australia
Mar 7, 2026
Sky Sports F1
Ted Kravitz shares his thoughts on the 2026 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying session.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3dhNAqk-_g


Ted rounds up a hectic season opener ���� | Ted's Notebook | Australian Grand Prix
Mar 8, 2026
Sky Sports F1
Ted Kravitz gives his thoughts and insights on the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybF6pd0sxOc


Andrea Stella: Oscar Piastri Australia crash shows extent of ‘aggressive’ new F1 power units
9 Mar 2026
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

McLaren’s Andrea Stella says Oscar Piastri’s “unfortunate” crash in Australia is indicative of the aggression of the new F1 power units. Piastri’s wasn’t the first crash of the weekend in which a driver was caught out by unexpected behaviour. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli smashed his W17 in a crash during FP3, leaving his team up against it to get the car repaired in time for qualifying. During qualifying itself, Max Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull RB22 on approach to Turn 1 and flew off into the barriers, leaving him facing a back-of-the-grid starting position.

Such incidents, Stella said, show that the F1 teams all have work to do to fully get to grips with the power units and ensuring predictable behaviour of the cars. “Here, I may be speculating a bit because the information I have is only related to Oscar, and I can’t necessarily infer that the incidents – uncharacteristic incidents, I would say, especially for Verstappen – I’m not sure if it has to do with the power unit or not,” he said. “Certainly, when it comes to Kimi Antonelli, he also lost the car in a place in which there’s a lot of torque coming while the car is still subject to lateral load.”

“I think it requires a little bit of attention in terms of associating it with the regulations, necessarily. Certainly, these power units can be quite aggressive when they release all the power. We talk about 1000 horsepower coming all together, and when the tyres may be a little bit on the cold side, or if this power comes in an unpredictable way, as it happened to Oscar, then it can become very tricky. So I don’t want to be here saying I have an easy solution. But I’m here saying we should look into the regulations. These accidents were not a near miss. They are very material indication that there’s work to do. So we should do this work as the F1 community.”

“These power units can be quite aggressive”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-piastri-crash-andrea-stella-aggressive-f1-power-units


McLaren reveal cause of shock Oscar Piastri crash
It was a shocking start to the new season for Oscar Piastri. Here's why.
8 Mar 2026
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has revealed the "three factors" that led to Oscar Piastri's shock Australian Grand Prix crash even before a wheel had turned in anger. As to what unfolded with Piastri's crash, Stella added: "When it comes to the circumstances, what we observe is fundamentally three factors: [first], the cold tyres, and when the wheel spin starts, it starts in a very sudden way.”

"[And] These compounds, with them being on a kerb - a kerb that he has used pretty much every single lap - they don't make this easier, though, when the tyres are cold. And this further compounds, with an element that doesn't make it easier again, which is the fact that with these oscillations and following the shift, there's extra torque, let's say, that when we look at the behaviour of the power unit.”

"It is not something that you would do unless, and which I understand is the case, there are some requirements that you need to meet in terms of how you deploy your torque. In testing, we might have seen some similar circumstances, but we didn't have the combination of cold tyres and the kerb, which aggravated the fact that you may have these inconsistencies from torque deployment in grip-limited phases."

"Three factors";

https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-reveal-cause-of-shock-oscar-piastri-crash


52s adrift: Where McLaren is lacking the most
9 Mar 2026
JON NOBLE
The Race

McLaren's admission to being "a little puzzled" about why it was so much slower on the straights in Australia than the works Mercedes team has fuelled talk of a new reality for customer teams. We have just come off a rules era in which McLaren showed you could still win Formula 1 titles by buying an engine off somebody else. As downforce levels, ride control and tyre temperature management defined the pecking order, McLaren's mastery in these areas helped it win the constructors' crown in 2024 and the championship double last year. Things have changed now though. In the wake of F1 2026's rules revolution, McLaren is on the hunt for answers as to why in Australia it was 0.8 seconds off Mercedes in qualifying and finished the race more than 50 seconds behind.

Mercedes and customers in Australian GP
1 George Russell (Mercedes)
2 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +2.974s
--
5 Lando Norris (McLaren) +51.741s
10 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1 lap
12 Alex Albon (Williams) +1 lap
14 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +2 laps
15 Carlos Sainz (Williams) +2 laps

Part of the explanation comes from the car, as the McLaren was not the best through the corners - and the front graining that was a problem at times in the past appears to be back. But it has not gone amiss that GPS data showed a big chunk of the time it lost was coming on the straights - where the works Mercedes squad appeared to be able to deploy more power. And, with identical engines, there is no obvious explanation for that discrepancy.

‘52s adrift’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mclaren-rough-start-exposes-new-f1-2026-factor/

[Fortitude]

Mercedes shocks engine customers with F1 Australian GP performance.
Mercedes-powered teams such as Williams, McLaren and Alpine had a relatively major gap in performance to the works car.
9 Mar 2026
Tiana Soans
Motorsport Week

Under the regulations, customers must receive identical equipment and engine modes. However, it is up to each team to decide how their power unit is utilised, namely with their energy management systems. Whilst Mercedes has mastered its own systems, their rivals have found themselves falling behind.

Mercedes stunned its Formula 1 rivals at the Australian Grand Prix, by appearing to extract significantly more performance from the new power unit than its customers. The opening race of F1’s new era could not have provided a better result for the British-based team. George Russell led Kimi Antonelli to the team’s first 1-2 finish since the 2024 Las Vegas GP.

‘Mercedes shocks engine customers’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/03/10/mercedes-shocks-engine-customers-with-f1-australian-gp-performance/


Mercedes’ engine dominance has teams confessing frustration after Australia GP
8 MAR 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Both Williams and McLaren team principals, James Vowles and Andrea Stella, have echoed their sentiment about the Mercedes power unit after observing its performance at the Australian Grand Prix. Both teams, who are customers of the Mercedes engine, have hinted at being largely reactive to the engine’s behaviour rather than operating from a position of control.

While Mercedes celebrated a one-two finish at the Australian Grand Prix, McLaren managed only a fifth place for Lando Norris after teammate Oscar Piastri suffered a crash. Williams, meanwhile, saw Alex Albon finish 12th and Carlos Sainz 15th.

‘Teams confessing frustration’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/mercedes-engine-supremacy-leaves-customer-teams-puzzled-after-australia-gp


Mercedes HPP director says they have an F1 engine ‘advantage’ over McLaren in 2026
28 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

When McLaren resumed their Mercedes partnership in 2021, they were still a midfield team. It wasn’t until the second half of the 2023 season that they started scoring regular podiums. But since the start of 2024, a resurgent McLaren have outscored Mercedes by over 500 points (1499-937). They have also scored nearly four times as many wins (20-6). There are apparently some insiders who want Mercedes to ‘get rid’ of McLaren as an engine customer, which would weaken a direct rival.

Martin Brundle suspects Toto Wolff is ‘desperate’ to beat Zak Brown this year and reassert his team’s superiority. Hywel Thomas says there’s a clear ‘benefit’ to Mercedes’ works status. Speaking to The Times, Mercedes HPP managing director Hywel Thomas explained that they have a ‘natural’ advantage over McLaren, Williams and Alpine this year.

There was talk that Williams could become a dark horse this season with the highly-rated Mercedes PU, but they appear to have dropped into the lower midfield. McLaren remain the only genuine threat to Wolff’s squad. If Mercedes and McLaren have different views on the relationship between the chassis and the engine, then it will always be the former who take precedence. Counterparts at Woking will be forced to compromise.

‘Mercedes: F1 engine ‘advantage’ over McLaren’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mercedes-hpp-director-says-they-have-an-f1-engine-advantage-over-mclaren-in-2026/


McLaren call out Mercedes for 'hiding' engine data as statement issued
The world champions are not happy.
9 Mar 2026
Tom Jenkins

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has hit out at Mercedes over a lack of engine information following the Australian Grand Prix. Despite Mercedes' engine giving them an advantage over Ferrari, there was a monumental gap between supplier and customer when it came to the Mercedes power-unit. After back-to-back constructor titles McLaren's pace is nothing short of disastrous, and Stella has been left unhappy after recent dialogue with Mercedes.

"The discussion with HPP (Mercedes High Performance Powertrains) about having more information has been going on for weeks because, even in testing, we were pretty much going on track, run the car, look at the data, 'oh, that's what we have. Good, now we react to what we have'", Stella said via Sky Sports. "That's not how you work in Formula 1. In Formula 1, what happens on track, you simulate, you know what is happening, you know what you are programming, you know how the car is going to behave.”

"So, you also have your plans as to how you evolve it that you have figured out before because you know what you are expecting from the car. I have to say, since we are a customer team [of Mercedes], this is the first time that we feel we are on the back foot even when it comes to the ability to predict how the car will behave and the ability to anticipate how we can improve the car." Stella suggested the performance of Mercedes in Melbourne show his team have significant work to do in order to extract maximum performance, but admitted he isn't sure where to start.

‘The world champions are not happy’;

https://www.sportbible.com/f1/mclaren-call-out-mercedes-engine-data-715745-20260309


Williams surprised by what Mercedes can extract from 2026 engine
8 Mar 2026
JON NOBLE
The Race

Williams has admitted to being "caught off guard" by how much Mercedes could unlock from its own engine at Formula 1's Australian Grand Prix, as customer teams faced some learning difficulties. As the Mercedes works squad secured a comfortable 1-2 on the grid and followed that up with George Russell leading home Kimi Antonelli in the race, Mercedes' other outfits had a more challenging time. Defending champion Lando Norris at McLaren came home fifth, more than 50 seconds adrift of Russell at the chequered flag, with Alpine's Pierre Gasly scoring a single point in 10th. Williams's best finisher was Alex Albon in 12th place.

Speaking ahead of the Australian GP, Vowles said: "What Mercedes are doing on the power unit is something that caught us off guard. "It took a qualifying for us to really see just how off the pace we are. In that regard, that's probably three tenths [of deficit on the engine side] - something in that ballpark." Vowles has no doubt that Mercedes is supplying it with equal equipment and opportunity. However, he suggested that there is not a free flow of information being made available to customers like his squad when it comes to extracting as much out of the Mercedes engine as the works team is.

"It is not an open door, as you would imagine, because that's where the performance is found," he said. "So it is down to us to try and work around it. We have to acknowledge that we, as Williams, do not have the sophistication that they have in other technologies, and definitely that's on us. I would say the converse is that there's some inherent knowledge they have which we don't. And that's down to us to figure out." Asked by The Race if he had expected knowledge of a performance advantage to flow a bit more freely, Vowles said: "I had expected it to a certain extent, yes. That's why I said I was caught out yesterday."

‘Williams, do not have the sophistication that they have in other technologies, and definitely that's on us’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/williams-surprised-by-what-mercedes-extracting-2026-f1-engine/


McLaren team boss Andrea Stella reveals discontent at lack of information being provided by engine supplier Mercedes
McLaren were well off the pace as Mercedes secured a one-two at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix; the Silver Arrows appear to have a crucial advantage over their engine customers
9 March 2026
Sky Sports

Mercedes were expected to have an advantage as a works team manufacturing their own engine, but Stella admitted McLaren are surprised by the extent of the advantage their supplier appears to have in terms of energy deployment with F1's all new cars for 2026 following a major regulation change.

Stella said: "The discussion with HPP (Mercedes High Performance Powertrains) about having more information has been going on for weeks because, even in testing, we were pretty much going on track, run the car, look at the data, 'oh, that's what we have. Good, now we react to what we have'.”

"That's not how you work in Formula 1. In Formula 1, what happens on track, you simulate. You know what is happening, you know what you are programming, you know how the car is going to behave. "And definitely, the result of this analysis seemed to direct to the fact that we have work to do as a team in collaboration with our HPP engineers. We have work to do to exploit the potential of the power unit, which, once I see the potential that HPP is extracting, looks like there's more that is available.”

‘McLaren were well off the pace as Mercedes secured a one-two’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/13516648/mclaren-team-boss-andrea-stella-reveals-discontent-at-lack-of-information-being-provided-by-engine-supplier-mercedes

[Fortitude]

‘Mercedes are back’ – Wolff ecstatic with Australia 1-2 but admits ‘we have a fight on our hands’ with Ferrari.
“When it comes to Ferrari, before the race people were saying, you're going to disappear in the distance, looking at your long runs.” Team Principal Toto Wolff.
9 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Team Principal Toto Wolff was eager not to downplay Ferrari’s potential as Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who was instrumental in the team’s previous run of success, crossed the line in P3 and P4 in Melbourne. They executed much better starts on the opening lap and looked strong on the first stint, but elected to go for an alternative tyre strategy which limited their chances to continue challenging Mercedes for the win. Asked whether he believes their rivals would have been a step closer had their strategy been different, Wolff replied:

“When it comes to Ferrari, before the race people were saying, you're going to disappear in the distance, looking at your long runs. We knew that they were strong on the starts and that's what happened. It was an out and out battle between Charles and George at the beginning. Kimi was a bit unlucky that the battery wasn't on the level that it should have been, on either car actually to a certain degree. It was a three-way fight at a certain stage between the two Ferraris and George and eventually Kimi caught up.”

“For me, the prevailing feeling is now we have a fight on our hands with Ferrari. The worry that we had was that it wasn't exciting in terms of the fighting, and the boost and the overtake modes made it actually quite interesting to watch on a track that is particularly difficult for energy. We'll see how that goes in Shanghai, but most of all is being to a certain degree of contentment that Mercedes are back.”

‘Mercedes 'have a fight on our hands’ with Ferrari – Wolff’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/mercedes-are-back-wolff-ecstatic-with-australia-1-2-but-admits-we-have-a.6Mp9OyOAJM5CZWxuTbUT3W


Juan Pablo Montoya thinks there’s ‘nothing’ Mercedes can do to replicate Ferrari’s F1 starts in 2026
9 Mar 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Juan Pablo Montoya ‘highly’ doubts Mercedes will be able to replicate Ferrari’s quick F1 starts. During an appearance on F1’s Australian Grand Prix post-race show, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya doubted whether Mercedes would be able to introduce a similar sort of element into their own engine to replicate the rocket-like starts from Ferrari.

Montoya predicted Mercedes’ dominance at the season-opener, previously theorising on the extent of the German constructor’s sandbagging during pre-season testing. On the topic of the smaller turbo element, the Colombian was asked if Toto Wolff will be worried about their slower starts, to which he replied, “Yes, because they’re not as easy to get right. It is incredible because they have made studies about it. They have done a lot of preparation, and this is what they got. So now they need to start looking at how we can get more power.”

“But when you start putting more power, you start spinning the tyres. Why can the Ferrari get the extra traction? Back in the day, in my time, was the Renault. Fernando Alonso used to do those blinding starts, and there was nothing you could do. And sometimes it’s just the nature of the car. There’s a chance they’re going to suffer with this for the whole year. They’re going to get better, but are they going to get as good as Ferrari? I highly doubt it.”

‘Rocket-like starts from Ferrari’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/juan-pablo-montoya-thinks-theres-nothing-mercedes-can-do-to-replicate-ferraris-f1-starts-in-2026/


PALMER: Why the season opener in Melbourne convinced me Ferrari will win soon
It might have been a Mercedes 1-2 in Melbourne, as George Russell underlined his championship credentials with a straightforward drive, but I thought the Grand Prix was a real cause for optimism for Ferrari’s chances this season too.
10 Mar 2026
Jolyon Palmer
Formula One - Official Site

It might have been a Mercedes 1-2 in Melbourne, as George Russell underlined his championship credentials with a straightforward drive, but I thought the Grand Prix was a real cause for optimism for Ferrari’s chances this season too.

Lewis Hamilton was very upbeat after the race – despite the fact he saw another potential maiden Ferrari podium slip through his fingers – because there were plenty more positives than negatives for the Scuderia after the season opener.

‘Ferrari will win soon’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/palmer-why-the-season-opener-in-melbourne-convinced-me-ferrari-will-win-soon.4Qo9osRrnyAuRJ7idAyNo5


Jolyon Palmer tips Lewis Hamilton to replicate Chinese GP heroics after ‘rocket start’ in Melbourne
9 Mar 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Jolyon Palmer thinks Lewis Hamilton could replicate his 2025 Chinese GP heroics. Despite their inability to take the chequered flag in first, Jolyon Palmer praised Ferrari’s encouraging start when looking forward to the upcoming races on a recent episode of the F1 Nation podcast.

He said, “It wouldn’t surprise me if they win the sprint because what they’ve got is a rocket start in their locker. And if they can qualify third and fourth, by all accounts, they’ll be first and second at the end of the first lap. This circuit (Albert Park) is an outlier in the calendar. It’s really difficult to recharge your battery, overtaking can be difficult because have you got any more battery to spare?”

“But if you’ve got pace, you can be tactical with it. Play that game of chess. There’ll be some circuits where overtaking is actually really difficult. Reliability will get better, so we’ll see less safety cars. If Ferrari can then get to the front, and you’re having less variability with safety cars, and harder tracks to overtake on, you don’t even need the fastest car to win races at that point. I think they’re in a really great spot.”

‘Rocket start’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jolyon-palmer-tips-lewis-hamilton-to-replicate-chinese-gp-heroics-after-rocket-start-in-melbourne/


Ferrari fast-tracks striking 'Macarena' rear wing concept for Chinese GP
10 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Ferrari is set to bring the 'Macarena' rotating rear wing that caused a stir during pre-season testing in Bahrain at the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, GPblog can confirm. Italian outlet Autoracer recently reported that Ferrari has fast-tracked its plans, deciding to ship the new rear wing - updated from the experimental version - in time for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.

After investigating the matter, GPblog understands that three different specifications of the concept seen in Bahrain will be shipped to Shanghai, even though the element was already part of the team’s available pool. However, the timing of its introduction is not the most convenient, given the limited track time available during the first Sprint weekend of the season. With just 60 minutes of practice scheduled, teams will have only a single free practice session before heading straight into sprint qualifying.

For now, it remains unclear what Ferrari’s plan is. The Scuderia could choose to run the wing during FP1 and then decide whether to carry it through the rest of the weekend, or alternatively shelve it for the time being in order to gather more data before introducing it properly at upcoming rounds.

'Macarena rear wing concept’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferrari-fast-tracks-striking-rotating-rear-wing-concept-for-chinese-gp


Adrian Newey inspects Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-26 at Australian Grand Prix
10 Mar 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Aston Martin boss Adrian Newey was spotted inspecting Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-26 on the grid ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, it has emerged. As reported on Monday, Newey – who is renowned for studying the designs of rival teams on the starting grid – was spotted by PlanetF1.com taking a close look at Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi R26 ahead of the race in Australia. And it has emerged that Hamilton’s Ferrari also caught the 67-year-old’s eye as the start approached

‘Adrian Newey inspects’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian-newey-aston-martin-lewis-hamilton-ferrari-sf-26-australia


Adrian Newey spent 15 minutes ‘stuck’ to Ferrari’s car on the Australian Grand Prix grid
10 Mar 2026
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey was seen studying Ferrari’s SF-26 for an extended period of time before the Australian Grand Prix. Journalist Julianne Cerasoli notes that the 66-year-old was studying the Ferrari for ’15 minutes’ before the Australian GP.

She said via her YouTube channel after the race: “And then something very surprising happened. Ferrari has a good car. Even Lando Norris was saying this weekend that they see McLaren in the telemetry data, that Ferrari is clearly the team that has the best car at the moment.”

“Adrian Newey [on the] grid from the Australian Grand Prix, he spent a good 15 minutes stuck to the Ferrari car, noting everything about the Ferrari car. So he also thinks that there are many lessons to be learned from this car.”

‘Studying the Ferrari for 15 minutes’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adrian-newey-spent-15-minutes-stuck-to-ferraris-car-on-the-australian-grand-prix-grid/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen reveals Red Bull's focus for the Chinese Grand Prix.
"We will continue to collect data and work on improving the car; we are still learning and we want to go into this week and be more in the fight." - Max Verstappen.
11 Mar 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen reviewed the areas Red Bull Racing needs to focus on ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. Reviewing their last race, Verstappen said: "It was good to be back racing again and it was promising to see us have a good comeback in the race. The Team did a great job to get to where we are but there is still a lot to do and a lot of learnings that we can take on from that race."

He concluded by discussing the challenges of a Sprint weekend: "We will have less time to work on the set up of the car, so we need to make sure we hit the ground running. The circuit is pretty unique, with quite a challenging track layout with a variety of different corners but with plenty of opportunities for overtaking."

“Be more in the fight";

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verstappen-reveals-red-bulls-focus-for-the-chinese-grand-prix


Untelevised Max Verstappen team radio emerges after ‘super frustrating’ Australian GP
10 Mar 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other media outlets, Verstappen branded his race “terrible” and reiterated his criticism of the new F1 2026 rules. He said: “I do love racing and I want it to be better than this. Let’s see what we can do. I hope that, even during this year, maybe we can come up with some different solutions so it becomes more enjoyable.” Untelevised team radio footage has revealed the extend of Verstappen’s frustrations over the course of the Australian Grand Prix, with the four-time world champion conceding at the end of the race that the cars are “super frustrating to drive” at this stage of 2026.

The full exchange with Lambiase went as follows:
Verstappen: “Mate, my battery is almost empty. It just doesn’t charge.”
Lambiase: “Yeah, copy.”
Verstappen: “Ah. The battery, mate. F**k’s sake.”
Lambiase: “Yeah. Copy, Max. Keep your head down. Today it’s not gonna matter.”

During the virtual safety car period following the retirement of his Red Bull teammate, Isack Hadjar, Verstappen had to be given a rundown of the restart procedure with the new machinery for 2026 on Lap 12.
Verstappen: “When VSC ends, I have to use the boost button?”
Lambiase: “Sorry, Max. Repeat.”
Verstappen: “When VSC ends, do I have to use the boost button?”
Lambiase: “Ah, yes please. Yeah.”

‘Frustrations’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-verstappen-red-bull-f1-australian-grand-prix-2026-team-radio


Red Bull must help Max Verstappen succeed in Chinese Grand Prix if they want him to stay beyond 2026
12 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

Max Verstappen’s struggles in Australia were there for all to see, and the four-time world champion knows Red Bull need to bridge the gap. Verstappen and Red Bull struggled for pace compared to Mercedes and Ferrari. And it looks like that could be the case for the rest of the season. Given what Max Verstappen said at media day ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Red Bull may have no choice but to provide at least a temporary fix. Verstappen admitted that he sees strong potential in the car, but even with that, Red Bull aren’t at the level of Mercedes and Ferrari, which he wants to try and chip away at in China.

“There is a lot of potential, it’s just going to depend on if we can extract that throughout the year. The gap was quite big, and also in the race, I think if I would’ve started a little bit up front, I think the best that I could have done was one spot higher because we didn’t have the pace of the top 4 cars… It is clear at the moment that we cannot fight with Mercedes and Ferrari. Hopefully, we can close the gap a bit, and the gap here in China is certainly no greater than last week. But we’ll see what happens in the coming races.”

‘Red Bull must help Max Verstappen succeed’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red-bull-must-help-max-verstappen-succeed-in-chinese-grand-prix-if-they-want-him-to-stay-beyond-2026/


Max in Shanghai: 'A lot of potential in RB22'
12 Mar 2026
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl

“There is a lot of potential”, refers Max Verstappen to the new RB22. “It’ll depend on how much we can extract. Of course, the gap last week was pretty big, also in the race. If I had been able to start higher up the grid, fifth would’ve been the best result possible. Mercedes are in a good position for the whole season. In qualifying, Ferrari was where they wanted to be, but in the race it became clear we didn’t stand a chance against them.”

“We didn’t have to pace to match the top four and we suffered a lot of wear and graining on the tyres. But we’ll see over the next few races if we can close the gap a bit.” With the new regulations only a race old, it is difficult to gauge how the season develops and how track characteristics, like Albert Park’s, influence the pecking order. “It’s impossible to tell. It’s like a jungle out there. I hope we are closer than in Melbourne but it’s clear we can’t take the fight to the cars in front.”

'Potential in RB22';

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6100/


Max Verstappen deal 'on the table' in move that would rock F1
Max Verstappen's future has been the talk of the town.
12 Mar 2026
Marcus Chan
SPORTbible

There could be another twist in Max Verstappen's Formula 1 future with an offer potentially 'on the table'. Heading into the 2026 season, one of the major talking points has been the future of four-time world champion Verstappen. Due to Red Bull's sudden drop in form in the back end of the 2024 season and last year, Verstappen has been linked with a move away. The likes of Mercedes, Aston Martin and even Williams have all been linked with the 28-year-old.

However, the Dutchman committed his future to Red Bull and produced a brilliant recovery drive from P20 to finish P6 at last weekend's Australian Grand Prix. Looking ahead, Verstappen's future has become a topic of conversation again. Recently, F1 commentator Mark Gallagher claimed that there could be an offer on the table for Verstappen to join Mercedes. He also stated that George Russell's deal would not have an impact in Toto Wolff's desire to sign the Dutchman.

He said to The Express, via Betway: "I think the speculation is driven by several factors. First of all, the media love to speculate. Secondly, when you see someone like George Russell on a shorter-term arrangement at Mercedes, you can only assume there may be something on the table for Max if the Red Bull proves uncompetitive this year. For me, Max is the most complete driver in Formula One. The fact that he lost the championship by just two points to Lando is incredible, especially considering he didn’t always have the fastest car."

‘Deal on the table';

https://www.sportbible.com/f1/max-verstappen-deal-red-bull-f1-news-371361-20260312


Verstappen’s ‘conflicting’ F1 feelings and why he needs distractions
12 Mar 2026
SCOTT MITCHELL-MALM
The Race

Max Verstappen says entering races like the Nurburgring 24 Hours is a positive distraction from not enjoying driving the 2026 generation of Formula 1 cars - which he admits is a “conflicting” feeling. The four-time world champion has been a vocal critic of the limitations of this year’s ruleset and the impact that the excessive energy management demands of the new engines have had. Verstappen dislikes the requirement to charge the battery with techniques that slow the car down at the end of straights, even in qualifying, and means it has to be driven in counterintuitive ways. He will dovetail his 2026 season with Red Bull with a first entry into the 24-hour race on the Nordschleife, driving for his own GT3 team, which creates a clear juxtaposition between what Verstappen wants and what he feels he gets from F1 at the moment.

Verstappen’s chances of winning a fifth world championship in 2026 already look slim as his Red Bull team is running its own engine for the first time and the package is not as competitive as Mercedes or even Ferrari. “It's a bit conflicting, because I don't really enjoy to drive the car, but I do enjoy working with all the people in the team and from the engine department as well,” said Verstappen. “It's almost like a bit of a mind...I can't swear! But anyway, you know what I mean. So, no, I don't want to leave. But I also hope of course that it gets better. “And I've had discussions with F1 and FIA, and I think we are working towards something hopefully and hopefully that will improve everything.” Verstappen would not elaborate on what that could be, but it is known that F1’s stakeholders will meet after this weekend’s China race to discuss potential changes to the rules to improve the energy management demands.

Big swings in battery usage made for a chaotic Australian GP at time with lots of place-swapping several drivers called artificial as they could just drive by others very easily if they were using more electric power in different places on different laps. Verstappen alluded to that when, answering a question about the benefit of simulator usage with these rules, he joked: “I found a cheaper solution. I swapped the simulator for my Nintendo Switch. And practice a bit of Mario Kart, actually. Finding the mushrooms is going quite well. The blue shell is a bit more difficult, but I'm working on it. The rocket? Still not there, the rocket. It's coming!”

‘Entering races like the Nurburgring 24 Hours is a positive distraction’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/max-verstappen-conflicting-f1-feelings-and-why-he-needs-distractions/

[Fortitude]

Ralf Schumacher has seen a worrying change in McLaren boss Zak Brown since the end of last season.
Yes, they know full well that it’s not working, that they’ve unfortunately taken a wrong turn and are obviously too far behind over the winter.” Ralf Schumacher.
12 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Ralf Schumacher thinks McLaren have been a ‘negative surprise’ at the start of the 2026 season. Schumacher was speaking about McLaren and Piastri’s crash in Melbourne on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast and said: “Well, you could see that he drove over the kerb, and then I think he just didn’t expect that battery performance or the overall performance, and then, just like that, like a little schoolboy, it happened to him.

“Honestly, it can happen to experienced drivers, but it shouldn’t, no question about it. I feel a bit sorry for him. Maybe he could have shown that the McLaren is capable of better, because Lando Norris didn’t have an easy weekend, it has to be said, he was behind in his performance, he was never satisfied with the McLaren. I also think that this relaxed attitude, which you saw last year with Stella, OK, he was always a bit determined, but still had a smile on his lips, Zak Brown in particular, I think you can see the difference.”

Hardenacke replied: “He was very tense, wasn’t he?” Schumacher continued: “Yes, they know full well that it’s not working, that they’ve unfortunately taken a wrong turn and are obviously too far behind over the winter. “Then, I have to say, it’s a negative surprise when you see that Mercedes, Ferrari and, I would say, Red Bull are the strongest, with Ferrari and Red Bull behind Mercedes, and then there’s a big gap.”

“They know full well that it’s not working”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ralf-schumacher-has-seen-a-worrying-change-in-mclaren-boss-zak-brown-since-the-end-of-last-season/


McLaren need to 'step it up as much as possible' in China, says Norris
After finishing more than 50 seconds behind race winner George Russell in Australia, Lando Norris has called for McLaren to do more.
12 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Despite there only being a week between the first two rounds of the season, Norris claims McLaren have been working hard to reduce the gap. "It’s been a busy week for the whole team, both the team that are here travelling but also the team back in MTC [McLaren Technology Centre], trying to step it up as much as possible," said Norris during Thursday's media day in Shanghai.”

"[It has been] full of learnings – some good things, some not so good things, but all things that we need to [and] we want to improve on... Learn what we could from others, learn what we could from ourselves, and do a much better job all-round here in Shanghai. It’s understanding of the power unit – we haven’t done as good of a job as we should have done, so our own understanding is not to the level we want it to be at and the team have worked very hard to improve that," said Norris.

"But I also said, the chassis is not to the level that we want it to be at. It’s certainly not bad and we’re certainly not miles away – I think we’re not as far as it almost looked in Melbourne. We need to improve it more, but we know that – we know where we’re stronger, we know where we’re weaker.”

‘Lando Norris has called for McLaren to do more’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/mclaren-need-to-step-it-up-as-much-as-possible-in-china-says-norris.pucxGhm475KTSElMZ9X86


Reigning Formula 1 Champ Lando Norris Makes Hypocritical Claim About New Regulations
12 MAR 2026
CLAY SAUERTIEG
BroBible

Reigning Formula 1 world drivers’ champion Lando Norris has done a complete 180 on his view of the sport’s new regulations, and it comes just weeks after he criticized rival Max Verstappen over the same complaints. Verstappen, a four-time world champion in his own right, said that the sport’s current engine regulations, which divide power supply evenly between the car’s internal combustion engine and battery power, are “Not a lot of fun, to be honest…I would say the right word is management. As a driver, the feeling is not very Formula 1-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids. But the rules are the same for everyone, so you have to deal with that. And that’s also not my problem, because I’m all for that. Equal chances, I don’t mind that.”

Now, the McLaren driver says he’s not a fan of the new regulations prior to this weekend’s race in Shanghai. “You’re driving the power unit, you’re not driving the car to the same limit,” Norris said on Thursday. “It’s not like, ‘go and drive the car the quickest way possible.’ That’s not how it works. It’s a very different style of driving that’s needed. It’s basically forget everything you’ve ever done and reset.”

Norris noted that the current rules and regulations are nothing like what he dreamed of racing as a kid. “It’s just that’s not what any of us have ever grown up doing. Probably not something any of us grew up wanting to do either, but that’s the way it is now,” he said. Norris clearly isn’t enamored with the current state of Formula 1. But something tells us he won’t be stepping away from the sport anytime soon as he urged Verstappen to do.

‘Lando Norris Makes Hypocritical Claim’;

https://brobible.com/sports/article/formula-1-lando-norris-hypocritical-claim-new-regulations/


Guenther Steiner suggests George Russell wasn’t even using Mercedes’ full potential in Melbourne
12 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

George Russell’s dominance at Albert Park was impressive, but we might not have seen his Mercedes’ true power just yet. Guenther Steiner believes George Russell was ‘monitoring’ during Australian GP, didn’t take any risks Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, Guenther Steiner was asked whether he felt George Russell was ‘managing’ his Mercedes en route to a win at Albert Park.

Without hesitating, the former Haas team principal explained why Russell did not break a sweat during the race, as his car and the system had everything under control to fend off any potential threats. “Yeah, for sure, he was monitoring. He didn’t need to do anything to take any risk as long as the distance stays the same. Why would you overuse anything? Why would you overuse your systems?”

“He gets the proper information. This is my data to him. It stays stable. The guy cannot catch me. He lapped everybody except six cars.” Outside of an entertaining battle in the first few laps, George Russell was never really threatened by either Ferrari or Kimi Antonelli after he took the lead in Australia. Even with a strong win at the Australian Grand Prix, George Russell has not managed to turn all his detractors into believers just yet.

‘Monitoring’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/guenther-steiner-suggests-george-russell-wasnt-even-using-mercedes-full-potential-in-melbourne/


Ecclestone predicts crash as fears over new regs grow
MARCH 11, 2026
GrandPrix.com

Bernie Ecclestone has warned that Formula 1's new regulations will eventually cause a serious accident, joining a growing chorus of voices - from drivers to team principals to former champions - expressing alarm about the safety and sporting character of the 2026 cars.

The 95-year-old former F1 supremo told Swiss newspaper Blick he was already convinced after just one race. "There's going to be a real crash soon. The speed differences during battery charging - braking on the straights - will eventually surprise the driver behind, and then we'll have a big accident, said Ecclestone. "I just hope I'm wrong this time.”

"There's going to be a real crash soon”;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/ecclestone-predicts-crash-as-fears-over-new-regs-grow.html


Adrian Newey accused of exaggerating Aston Martin issues to get ‘preferential treatment’ from FIA
12 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Adrian Newey may be overstating the extent of Honda’s problems to prompt a reaction from the FIA, according to a report. Newey has made some remarkable statements about Aston Martin’s engine supplier in the past week or so. The latest rumour is that Newey is seeking early access to the ‘Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities’ (ADUO) afforded by the FIA. The scheme, introduced for the start of the new regulations, doesn’t kick in until after the first six races. Newey may hope that the FIA will offer ‘preferential treatment’ to Honda if the situation demands it, which gives him an incentive to ‘deliberately exaggerate’ the crisis they are facing.

Mercedes may already be manipulating the ADUO system. F1 engine suppliers have access to varying degrees of ADUO depending on their gap to the leader. There are two separate thresholds – 2-4% and over 4%. Honda are almost certain to fall into the latter category, but with the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs likely to be cancelled, round six won’t arrive until the Monaco GP in early June. Until then, they will face the same restrictions as Mercedes.

One could argue that this is unfair and it would be in the interests of the championship to help Honda, raising the overall standard. But Mercedes are already gaming the ADUO system, according to a recent report, by keeping Ferrari and Red Bull within the 2% barrier. In such a competitive environment, it’s difficult to see the other four manufacturers making Honda’s life any easier.

‘ ‘Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities’ (ADUO) afforded by the FIA’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adrian-newey-accused-of-exaggerating-aston-martin-issues-to-get-preferential-treatment-from-fia/

[Fortitude]

Chinese Grand Prix: George Russell continues fine start to season by going fastest in China practice.
The British driver was at it again at the Shanghai International Circuit to finish 0.120 seconds clear of team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
13 Mar 2026
PA
ESPN.co.uk

George Russell picked up where he left off by posting the fastest time in practice as Mercedes set a blistering early pace in China. Russell dominated in Melbourne a week ago to win the season-opening round and take an early lead in the world championship. Lando Norris was next up for McLaren, 0.555 seconds adrift of Russell, and one place clear of team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Charles Leclerc, the only other driver to finish within a second of Russell, finished fifth after he ran through the gravel at the final corner. Leclerc's team-mate Lewis Hamilton suffered a spin at Turn 6 in the early exchanges and ended the one-hour running 1.3 sec off the pace. He also failed to set a representative time after a scruffy final lap. Earlier, Hamilton and Norris came within inches of contact at the last corner. The stewards noted the incident but did not take any further action.

Ollie Bearman impressed to take seventh in his Haas, but four-time world champion Max Verstappen, already disillusioned by Formula One's new regulations, was a distant eighth, an eye-watering 1.8 sec off the pace. Mercedes have hit the ground running this season and, on the evidence of the sole practice session ahead of qualifying for Saturday's sprint race, their advantage looks as great, if not greater, here.

‘George Russell continues fine start’;

https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/48173242/chinese-grand-prix-practice-george-russell-continues-fine-start-season-going-fastest-mercedes


Chinese GP FP1 Results Today: 2026 Practice 1 Times
Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 as Sprint weekend begins at Shanghai
13 March 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

2026 Chinese Grand Prix FP1 Results
Here are the complete Practice 1 results from the Shanghai International Circuit.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:32.741
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.120
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.555
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.731
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.858
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +1.388
7 Oliver Bearman Haas +1.685
8 Max Verstappen Red Bull +1.800
9 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +1.898
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.935

‘FP1 Results’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/chinese-gp-2026-fp1-results/


Chinese GP: Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in single practice session
13/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli comfortably led the way for Mercedes in the only practice session ahead of this afternoon’s Sprint qualifying in Shanghai. The pit were over half a second clear of the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri while Charles Leclerc and Lewis were well adrift in P5 and P6 for Ferrari.

With the weekend hosting the first Srint format event of the 2026 Formula 1 season, there was as usual added emphasis placed on the 60-minute work-out and limited preparation time. The session began with the entire field running the medium compound tyre, with Russell initially setting the benchmark at 1m34.169s for Mercedes.

The Briton’s effort placed him ahead of Leclerc and Piastri, while Antonelli slotted into fourth on 1m34.794s with Haas’ Oliver Bearman in fifth position with a 1m34.950s lap. No other driver broke the 1m35 barrier during this phase. The final 15 minutes were dedicated to qualifying simulations, and it was here that Mercedes’ advantage became clear. Russell lowered the benchmark to 1m32.741s, with Antonelli just 0.12s behind on 1m32.861s. The pair were around seven tenths clear of the field.

‘Mercedes 1-2’;

https://f1i.com/news/560878-chinese-gp-russell-leads-mercedes-1-2-in-single-practice-session.html


Ferrari reveal curious innovation on Charles Leclerc’s car alongside Macarena wing at the Chinese GP
12 Mar 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari have revealed a small wing on the Halo on Charles Leclerc’s car at the 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix, along with the Macarena rear wing they unveiled during testing. The Scuderia stole the show on the Thursday morning at the second official pre-season test in Bahrain when Lewis Hamilton broke cover with their inventive Macarena rear wing. But it only stayed on the SF-26 for five laps before the pride of Italy returned to their normal wing.

Physical upgrades are not the only modifications that Ferrari have made to the SF-26 ahead of the Chinese GP, either. Ferrari are introducing a software update in China that they hope can help Hamilton and Leclerc further improve their energy management levels in Shanghai. The software upgrade is aimed at improving the charging and deployment of the MGU-K in medium and high-speed corners. Mercedes enjoyed an energy management advantage at the Australian GP, as George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli were less prone to clipping.

Ferrari will hope their software and physical upgrades at the Chinese GP pay off, as it will be important to have the right battery levels at the start of the 1.2km (0.7m) back straight. It is expected that most drivers will save most, if not all, of their energy to use it on the straight.

‘Ferrari reveal curious innovation’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ferrari-reveal-curious-innovation-on-charles-leclercs-car-alongside-macarena-wing-at-the-chinese-gp/


Red Bull confirm new power unit already at Chinese GP
13 Mar 2026
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com

Red Bull have already introduced a new engine in 2026, thanks to changes made to Isack Hadjar's RB22 in China. In FIA documents, it has been revealed that a new Internal Combustion Engine has been brought for Hadjar, one of four new ICEs allowed for 2026 in only the second round of the championship.

Elsewhere, Aston Martin have also introduced changes to Fernando Alonso's AMR26, including a new energy store unit, and a new control electronics unit. Wholesale changes made to Hadjar's PU. As well as the ICE, Hadjar's power unit has been fitted with a new turbocharger, exhaust set, and MGU-K.

‘Red Bull confirm new power unit’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/red-bull-confirm-new-power-unit-already-at-chinese-gp


Lewis Hamilton’s body language at the Chinese Grand Prix is strikingly different to one year ago
12 Mar 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton arrived at the 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix in a far more optimistic mood than he showed even after winning the Sprint in Shanghai last term. Hamilton recorded his only podium finish of any kind as a Ferrari driver so far when he won the F1 Sprint in Shanghai in March last year. But the 2025 Chinese GP ultimately served as a wake-up call for Ferrari, as the Scuderia endured a double disqualification in the main race.

Lewis Hamilton is decidedly more optimistic at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton has now returned to Shanghai for the 2026 Chinese GP this week in a better mood than even after he won the F1 Sprint there last season. That is according to Leo Turrini, who claims the F1 Sprint win a year ago did not convince Hamilton that a title fight would follow.

The seven-time champion’s body language at the Shanghai International Circuit on Thursday was ‘strikingly different’ compared to one year ago. Hamilton’s improved outlook follows his P4 in the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, just 0.625s off the podium, last week to start the term. In fact, Hamilton seems decidedly more optimistic for what lies ahead this season. He only qualified P7 at Albert Park last weekend, but the Briton made a rapid start to the race, and then arguably finished the Australian GP with superior pace to his teammate Leclerc in P3. Lewis Hamilton will hope to score his first Grand Prix podium as a Ferrari driver in China.

‘Lewis Hamilton’s body language’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lewis-hamiltons-body-language-at-the-chinese-grand-prix-is-strikingly-different-to-one-year-ago/

[Fortitude]

Russell takes Sprint pole in China ahead of Antonelli and Norris.
Russell’s first Q3 run earned him top spot on 1:31.520. That put him clear of Antonelli, Hamilton, Leclerc and Verstappen. The other five cars, including the McLarens and Hadjar, remained in the garage, targeting a single run with the track at its best.
13 MARCH 2026
Racecars

Mercedes’ George Russell will start the Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix from the front of the grid after beating team-mate Kimi Antonelli by just under three tenths of a second. Lando Norris took third in Sprint Qualifying more than six tenths behind the lead Mercedes. There was a faller before the session had even got underway, with Cadillac’s Sergio Pérez ruled out due to a technical problem on his car.

When the track went green for the start of SQ1 it was Russell who led the way, with the Mercedes driver going quickest on 1:33.030. That put him a tenth clear of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton with the seven-time champion’s team-mate Charles Leclerc in P3 ahead of Antonelli, Norris and the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri. Further back, Red Bull Racing were struggling. Max Verstappen was complaining of “horrendous driveability” on his RB22, and the four-time champion progressed in a relatively lowly 11th place, some 1.8s off Russel’s P1 time. It was a similar story for Verstappen’s new team-mate Isack Hadjar woe went through in P14.

‘Russell’s first Q3 run earned him top spot on 1:31.520’;

https://www.racecar.com/news/103311/motorsport/russell-takes-sprint-pole-in-china-ahead-of-antonelli-and-norris


Full starting grid for 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint
Check out the full starting grid for the first Sprint race of 2026, at the Chinese Grand Prix!
13 Mar 2026
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

Full starting grid for 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint
Position Driver Team
1st George Russell Mercedes
2nd Kimi Antonelli Mercedes
3rd Lando Norris McLaren
4th Lewis Hamilton Ferrari
5th Oscar Piastri McLaren
6th Charles Leclerc Ferrari
7th Pierre Gasly Alpine
8th Max Verstappen Red Bull
9th Oliver Bearman Haas
10th Isack Hadjar Red Bull

‘Chinese Grand Prix Sprint’;

https://racingnews365.com/full-starting-grid-for-2026-f1-chinese-grand-prix-sprint


'It's an opportunity' – Norris targets China Sprint start to beat Russell and Mercedes
Having qualified third for the Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix, reigning F1 World Champion Lando Norris is targeting a way of beating the Mercedes duo.
13 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Lando Norris believes the start of Saturday's Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix is 'an opportunity for sure' to try and beat the Mercedes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

"I'm just happy with the result, I've not seen what I lost and gained or whatever," he said. "P3 is as good as we can do for the time being. Actually pretty happy to beat both the Ferraris today because they seemed pretty good the whole day. Satisfied, good position for tomorrow.

"Certainly things have been better this weekend, just because the track is a lot more simple from a power unit side of things, so everyone kind of falls in line a bit more. We certainly seemed to get a good amount of it at the end and it was close. A good lap put me in a good position."

'It's an opportunity';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/its-an-opportunity-norris-targets-china-sprint-start-to-beat-russell-and.6WjCz789H6MezXPbj84lXu


George Russell accuses Ferrari of creating ‘unnecessary complications’ ahead of 2026 Chinese GP
George Russell accuses Ferrari of blocking changes to Formula 1 start rules as teams struggle with the new 2026 power unit launches
13 Mar 2026
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

George Russell accuses Ferrari of creating “unnecessary complications” ahead of 2026 Chinese GP, by resisting any changes to Formula 1 start procedure as teams struggle to get off the line whilst the FIA chases solutions. “The FIA was looking to potentially adjust that (the start procedure),” Russell told media, including Total-Motorsport.com.

“But as you can imagine some teams who were making good starts didn’t want it, which I think is just a little bit silly. I’m not overly concerned, but it’s definitely a challenge. They [FIA] could do [change the rules]. I think they want to, but they need a super majority from the teams, which they don’t have. So, you can probably guess which team is against that. I don’t think their gain is coming from this issue. Now all the teams know the problem, we’ll just drive around it.”

“But it’s just creating a bit of unnecessary complications to something that doesn’t really need to be there. Half the grid messed up in Melbourne. We’ll adjust. We know what we need to be wary of now. The FIA did just want to make our life easier and just remove this harvest limit, but, as often [happens], people have selfish views and they want to do what’s best for themselves. And that’s part of Formula 1 and part of the challenge of Formula 1. We’ll deal with it and I think the starts here will be much better.”

‘Unnecessary complications’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/george-russell-ferrari-f1-start-controversy-chinese-gp/


Anthony Davidson concerned by what he heard in Max Verstappen’s Chinese Grand Prix onboard
13 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Sky Sports pundit Davidson heard the evidence during a replay of an oversteer moment for Verstappen in SQ1. Oscar Piastri experienced a similarly violent ‘torque spike’ before crashing on the warm-up lap in Melbourne. Davidson says that Verstappen is having to drive ‘on the defensive’ because he hasn’t established trust in this year’s car. “Let’s have a listen to this,” he said. “Oh yeah, you could really hear it, couldn’t you, as he picked up the throttle. That’s the drivability he’s talking about. That’s the exit. That is a lot of power and deployment that he wasn’t expecting. We would refer to that usually as a torque spike.”

Last weekend, Davidson said Verstappen was trying to drive like the ‘good old days’. There were times in practice where he was seemingly caught out by the reduced downforce. Verstappen has made it abundantly clear that he isn’t enjoying the driving experience this year. While he says this isn’t linked to results, Red Bull’s lack of pace will only sour his mood further

Helmut Marko says Verstappen won’t win the title in 2026, and while this is only round two out of 24, it’s hard to disagree in light of the enormous gap to Mercedes. Red Bull’s rate of development should theoretically be higher than their rivals, though, because they are racing with their own power unit for the first time.

‘Trying to drive like the good old days’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/anthony-davidson-concerned-by-what-he-heard-in-max-verstappens-chinese-grand-prix-onboard/


‘I don’t know what we can do’ – Verstappen rues ‘disaster’ Friday in China after P8 in Sprint Qualifying
It was a tough start to the Chinese Grand Prix weekend for Red Bull, with Max Verstappen explaining the issues he experienced after ending Sprint Qualifying in P8.
13 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Max Verstappen labelled Friday at the Chinese Grand Prix as a “disaster pace-wise”, with the Red Bull driver suggesting that he does not yet know what the team will do to address the issues for the rest of the weekend after ending Sprint Qualifying in P8.

“The whole day has been a disaster pace-wise,” said Verstappen. “[I had] no grip – honestly I think that’s the biggest problem – no balance, just losing massive amounts of time in the corners, to be honest. And then of course because of that, you start to trigger other little problems. The big problem for us is just the cornering – it’s completely out.”

‘I don’t know what we can do’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/i-dont-know-what-we-can-do-verstappen-rues-disaster-friday-in-china-after-p8.2lnEjMKIFvXYzFMS0seJns


Charles Leclerc agrees with Lewis Hamilton about Ferrari’s gap to Mercedes at the Chinese Grand Prix
13 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have agreed that Ferrari urgently need to improve their power unit after Mercedes maintained their significant advantage in Sprint qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc says Ferrari can’t live with Mercedes in qualifying.

Speaking in the media pen after Sprint qualifying, Leclerc said that Mercedes are making a leap in qualifying trim that Ferrari simply can’t live with. Leclerc was eight-tenths off Russell’s benchmark in Melbourne qualifying before challenging the Briton for the win after a rapid start to the race.

Ferrari were seen as the closest challengers to Mercedes when they arrived in Shanghai, but Lando Norris was ‘best of the rest’ in third, and Oscar Piastri managed to split the two scarlet red cars. That suggests reigning champions McLaren have also made a step in the last week. Mercedes boast a 0.621s lead over McLaren atop the SQ3 timesheets after Sprint Qualifying in China.

‘Ferrari urgently need to improve their power unit’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/charles-leclerc-agrees-with-lewis-hamilton-about-ferraris-gap-to-mercedes-at-the-chinese-grand-prix/

[Fortitude]

Hamilton returns to podium, as Russell storms to win in chaotic Chinese GP sprint.
Georgia Russell continued his early-season dominance with a commanding Sprint race win at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
14 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

The Sprint race in Shanghai kicked off in a similar manner to the Australian Grand Prix, with the Scuderia Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc recording another strong start at lights out. Hamilton, starting from fourth place, stormed to second, while teammate Charles Leclerc moved into fourth place.

The pair soon cleared out Lando Norris, who was in the mix for the early podium, and Hamilton soon passed Russell for first place. As many as five lead changes occurred within the first four laps, with both British drivers battling fiercely in the early stages of the race.

Russell, however, soon cemented his place at the top after reclaiming the lead from Hamilton. The race was then shaken up following a safety car incident caused by Nico Hulkenberg, who suffered a technical failure in his car. The yellow flag prompted several pit stops, including for Antonelli, who served a penalty following a collision with Isack Hadjar.

‘Russell storms to win’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-news/hamilton-returns-to-podium-as-russell-storms-to-win-in-chaotic-chinese-gp-sprint


F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix – Sprint Race Results
14 Mar 2026
Motorsport Week

View the full results below!
Position Driver Team Laps Gap
1 George Russell Mercedes 19
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 19 0.674
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 19 2.554
4 Lando Norris McLaren 19 4.433
5 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 19 5.688
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren 19 6.809
7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 19 10.900
8 Oliver Bearman Haas 19 11.271
9 Max Verstappen Red Bull 19 11.619
10 Esteban Ocon Haas 19 13.887

‘Sprint Race Results’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/03/14/f1-2026-chinese-grand-prix-sprint-race-results/


F1 leader Russell wins Shanghai sprint for Mercedes
14 Mar 2026
The Straits Times

SHANGHAI, March 14 - George Russell held off the fast-starting Ferraris to win the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race for Mercedes on Saturday and stretch his Formula One championship lead to 11 points. The Briton started on pole position at the Shanghai International Circuit and finished ahead of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton after a late safety car period in the 19-lap race.

Russell won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last weekend in a Mercedes one-two. Leclerc finished 0.674 seconds behind Russell after an earlier battle with Hamilton, as Ferrari had two cars in the top three of a Formula One race of any sort for the first time since the end of 2024. Hamilton and Russell battled for the lead early on with four changes of lead in the opening five laps before the Mercedes driver made a move that stuck and secured the eight points available for a sprint win.

‘George Russell held off the fast-starting Ferraris to win’;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/formula-one/f1-leader-russell-wins-shanghai-sprint-for-mercedes


Russell clings on to win dramatic Chinese GP sprint race
Russell takes first F1 sprint win at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.
14 Mar 2026
Sam Hall
Crash.Net

George Russell took the first F1 sprint race victory of his career after delivering a battling performance at the Chinese Grand Prix. Russell maintained his 100% start to the season, but the Mercedes driver was forced to work for his Saturday success in China, with both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton providing a threat throughout.

Kimi Antonelli suffered a dreadful launch and was swamped into the first corner, dropping to seventh place in the opening exchanges. But things got even worse for the Italian, who then made contact with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar at Turn 7, with Antonelli handed a 10-second penalty for his troubles.

Conversely, it was a great start for Hamilton in the Ferrari, who surged from fourth to the lead. Losing out to pole-sitter Russell on the drag to the Turn 14 hairpin, he then fought back at the start of the second lap, with the ding-dong battle keeping Leclerc within touching distance of the lead.

‘Russell takes first F1 sprint win’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1091295/1/george-russell-clings-win-dramatic-chinese-gp-sprint-race


Sprint Race Report: What Happened at the Chinese GP 2026
George Russell beats Ferrari pair after intense battle in Chinese GP Sprint
14 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

At lights out, George Russell made a clean getaway from pole position, but the opening lap quickly turned chaotic as Kimi Antonelli struggled to launch from the front row and dropped several positions. Behind the leading Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton wasted little time attacking. The seven time world champion forced his way past the McLaren of Lando Norris and then overtook George Russell into Turn 9 to seize the lead for Ferrari.

The move sparked a thrilling duel between the former Mercedes team mates. On multiple occasions George Russell used the powerful straight line speed of his Mercedes to slipstream past on the main straight, only for Lewis Hamilton to reclaim the position under braking into the long Turn 1 complex. The battle allowed Charles Leclerc to close in behind the pair, with the Ferrari driver watching closely as the two leaders exchanged positions during the opening laps.

Ultimately, the decisive moment came on lap six. George Russell timed his energy deployment perfectly and managed to break the slipstream before the braking zone, finally securing the lead and beginning to edge away. Once in clean air, the Mercedes driver immediately opened a gap while tyre wear began to take its toll on the chasing Ferrari cars.

‘George Russell beats Ferrari pair’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/chinese-gp-2026-sprint-race-report/


Russell soaks up Ferrari pressure to win as Antonelli penalty costs Mercedes one-two | 2026…
14th March 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

George Russell overcame another strong start by the Ferraris to win the sprint race in Shanghai. However Mercedes’ hopes of a one-two finish were dashed as Andrea Kimi Antonelli collected a penalty for colliding with Isack Hadjar. The stewards penalised Antonelli 10 seconds for the contact which occured at turn six on the first lap.

As was the case in the opening laps in Melbourne, Russell came under strong pressure from the Ferrari drivers, led this time by Lewis Hamilton who got away quickly for fourth on the grid. Charles Leclerc rose from sixth to join the fight. Hamilton initially passed Russell at turn eight on the first lap, only to lose the position again at turn 14. The pair continued to exchange the lead as they managed their energy levels over the opening laps: Hamilton regained the lead as lap two began, lost it again on lap three, then they exchanged places again over the next two laps.

By this point Hamilton’s tyres were looking increasingly tired and Leclerc was filling his mirrors. Leclerc took his team mate’s place on the seventh lap following some firm defensive moves from the number 44 Ferrari. “Does he know how wide these cars are, or not?” remarked Leclerc. After seeing Hamilton off for good through the opening complex Leclerc added: “He can complain about turn three, that’s okay.”

‘Russell soaks up Ferrari pressure’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/03/14/russell-soaks-up-ferrari-pressure-to-win-as-antonelli-penalty-costs-mercedes-one-two/

[Fortitude]

Kimi Antonelli takes historic pole for Chinese GP.
There was an inescapable sense of joy and satisfaction for Kimi Antonelli as he became the youngest pole sitter in Formula One history.
Mar 14 2026
Giles Richards
The Irish Times

Tellingly, there was an air of vindication from his Mercedes principal, Toto Wolff, as the teenage protege came good when it mattered by claiming the top spot for the Chinese Grand Prix. The Italian took pole by beating his older and more experienced team-mate George Russell into second, albeit after the Briton endured a technical problem in Q3 and had time to set only one quick lap.

Antonelli was ecstatic, of course, but Wolff was no less punchy. He had faced criticism after drafting Antonelli straight into Mercedes last season but on Saturday Antonelli delivered on all that promise and has every chance now to convert it into a debut win on Sunday. “Many said the kid was too young to be in a Mercedes, we should have prepared him otherwise,” Wolff said. “The kid did good today.”

A fair assessment. Antonelli is the youngest driver to take pole at 19 years, six months and 17 days old, beating Sebastian Vettel’s record, which had stood for 18 years since 2008. The youngster, tousled-haired and growing out of his still boyish looks, had to hold his nerve to deliver, especially as Russell’s travails made him the team’s lead shot at the top.

‘Antonelli was ecstatic’;

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/2026/03/14/kimi-antonelli-takes-historic-pole-for-chinese-gp/


Chinese Grand Prix - Qualifying results
14/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

2026 Chinese Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:33.305s 1:32.443s 1:32.064s
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:33.262s 1:32.523s 1:32.286s
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:33.522s 1:32.567s 1:32.415s
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:33.175s 1:32.486s 1:32.428s
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:33.590s 1:33.130s 1:32.550s
6 Lando Norris McLaren 1:33.535s 1:32.910s 1:32.608s
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:33.788s 1:33.003s 1:32.873s
8 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:33.417s 1:33.098s 1:33.002s
9 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 1:33.632s 1:33.352s 1:33.121s
10 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:33.687s 1:33.197s 1:33.292s

‘Qualifying results’;

https://f1i.com/news/561073-chinese-grand-prix-qualifying-results-2.html


F1 Qualifying Press Conference - China GP 2026 | Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton
Mar 14, 2026
Formula 1 Info

Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton F1 Press Conference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3FQcJaeH8o


Russell survives ‘chaos’ to steal front-row start in China
14 Mar 2026
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com

George Russell salvaged a front-row start for Sunday’s Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix after a chaotic qualifying session threatened to derail his challenge. The Mercedes driver headed into qualifying favourite for pole, having taken top spot in the Sprint earlier in the day, but was unable to best teammate Kimi Antonelli.

“It was as good as I could have achieved,” Russell said of his effort, which left him second on the grid, two-tenths down on his teammate. I had no battery at the start of the lap, and my tyres were cold. But, I’m very grateful to be sat here right now. It was more a case of getting the time on the board.”

“I knew Kimi has been really strong, and things were far from optimised on my side, so it was more a case of get the car across the line and make sure I’m starting in a sensible position. P2 was much better than I expected when I started a lap with no battery and no tyre temperature, I was expecting to be further down the order.”

‘Chaos’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george-russell-chaotic-mercedes-chinese-gp


Max Verstappen blasts Red Bull car after nightmare Chinese GP qualifying
The Red Bull driver says every lap feels like survival after qualifying struggles in Shanghai
14 March 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

Max Verstappen delivered a brutally honest verdict on Red Bull’s difficult start to the Chinese Grand Prix weekend after qualifying only eighth on the grid, describing the RB22 as “undriveable” and admitting that driving it feels like “survival”.

“We changed a lot on the car, and it makes zero difference,” Verstappen explained after qualifying. “The whole weekend we have been off. The car is completely undriveable. I cannot even put a bit of a reference in. Every lap is like survival. The balance is really disconnected. I cannot push at all because the car does not let me,” Verstappen said.

“That is why I do not feel in control of the car. It is just really not how it should be. From lap one of this new regulation I have not enjoyed this car,” Verstappen admitted. “The battery was fine,” Max Verstappen said. “But I did not get enough power from the engine. I basically had the same problem as what Liam Lawson had more or less in Australia. I think I will finish where I am at,” Verstappen said.

‘Brutally honest verdict’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/max-verstappen-red-bull-undriveable-chinese-gp/


Ted recaps quali as Antonelli makes history ⭐️ | Ted's Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying Notebook
Mar 14, 2026
Sky Sports F1

Ted Kravitz gives his thoughts and insights on the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying, as Kimi Antonelli made history as the youngest F1 pole-sitter at 19.

‘Ted’;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdCd-GGMsOA

[Fortitude]

Kimi Antonelli wins the Chinese Grand Prix with George Russell securing second one-two for Mercedes.
A maiden Grand Prix win for Kimi Antonelli, as well as a first podium appearance for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari!
15 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

As the race began, Kimi Antonelli, who was sitting on pole, once again struggled to get the best start to the race, losing the race lead to Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli would take the lead back from Hamilton quickly, passing him on the second lap and holding him off. George Russell would do the same just two laps later.

Both Ferrari and Mercedes were expectedly ahead to start the race, but over at Red Bull, Isack Hadjar had another disastrous start, spinning out and being forced to pit early to address the issue. His teammate, Max Verstappen, similarly struggled, losing two positions from his P8 start and finding himself 10th within the first 10 laps of the race. An errant stop from Lance Stroll near Turn 1 on Lap 10 led to the first safety car of the race.

Unlike in Australia, the Ferrari drivers followed Kimi Antonelli and George Russell into the pit lane for a change of tyres. The safety car’s presence led to an unexpected sight, as Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon found themselves in second and third, respectively. Hamilton managed to take advantage of George Russell’s Mercedes locking up at the end of the safety car, following it up by passing Ocon and Colapinto to take second place.

‘One-two for Mercedes’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/kimi-antonelli-wins-the-chinese-grand-prix-with-george-russell-securing-second-one-two-for-mercedes/


F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix – Race Results
15 Mar 2026
Motorsport Week

View the full results below!

Position Driver Team Laps Gap
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 53
2 George Russell Mercedes + 5.5
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari + 25.3
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari + 28.9
5 Oliver Bearman Haas + 57.3
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 59.6
7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls + 80.6
8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull + 87.2
9 Carlos Sainz Williams + 1 Lap
10 Franco Colapinto Alpine + 1 Lap

‘Full results’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/03/15/f1-2026-chinese-grand-prix-race-results/


Chinese GP: Antonelli gets it done, for Mercedes and Italy
15/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

The 2026 Chinese Grand Prix delivered a historic changing of the guard as 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli secured his maiden Formula 1 victory. In just his 26th start, the Mercedes prodigy became the second-youngest winner in the sport's history and the first Italian victor since 2006, leading home a Silver Arrows 1-2 in a masterclass of composure and raw pace.

Starting from his first career pole, Antonelli initially lost the lead to the man he replaced in 2025 at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton. However, the Italian’s tenure in second place was brief. By lap three, he executed a clinical dive past the Briton’s Ferrari at the Turn 14 hairpin to reclaim the lead.

While George Russell scuffled with the Ferraris and dropped to fourth early on, Antonelli focused on building a gap. A lap 10 Safety Car for Lance Stroll’s stranded Aston Martin briefly threatened his rhythm, placing the non-pitting duo of Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon as a buffer between the leaders.

‘Antonelli gets it done, for Mercedes and Italy’;

https://f1i.com/news/561178-chinese-gp-antonelli-gets-it-done-for-mercedes-and-italy.html


Fernando Alonso issues health update after vibrations scare
Fernando Alonso endured a painful Chinese GP, retiring at the point he could take no more.
15 Mar 2026
Nick Golding & Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Fernando Alonso has issued a health update after being forced to retire from the Chinese Grand Prix due to vibrations causing significant discomfort. "Yeah, I probably could not have finished the race anyway," Alonso told select media, including RacingNews365. "The vibration level was very high today at one point.”

"From lap 20 to 35 I was struggling a little bit to feel my hands and my feet, and we were one lap behind. We were last, and there was probably no point in carrying on." Asked if the vibrations were worse in the race, Alonso replied: "Yeah, it was worse today than in any other session across the weekend, to be honest. For whatever reason, I don't know.”

"And then, yeah, some of the steps we took were achieved artificially. I mean, just lowering the RPM of the engine and things like that, so everything vibrates less. But in the race, obviously you still need to go high in the RPM when you make an overtaking move, or when you have to recharge or something like that. So yeah, obviously over time it becomes more difficult, more demanding."

‘Retiring at the point he could take no more’;

https://racingnews365.com/fernando-alonso-issues-health-update-after-vibrations-scare


McLaren release damning statement after both Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri fail to start Chinese …
15 Mar 2026
Give Me Sport

McLaren seemed to take a step forward in their car development and power unit understanding this weekend in China prior to the Grand Prix, as they managed to claim eight solid points from the Sprint, while Norris also finished ahead of potential title contender Kimi Antonelli.

They then locked out the third row of the grid in qualifying with the hopes of potentially challenging for a podium place in the race after both drivers posted lap times approximately two tenths away from the Ferrari's of Charles Leclerc (fourth) and Lewis Hamilton (third).

Following the disappointment prior to lights out in Shanghai, McLaren released a statement that read: "Unfortunately, we identified separate issues on both cars which prevented them from starting the Chinese GP, with Oscar's being removed from the grid shortly before the formation lap. We will now work to identify the issue."

‘McLaren release damning statement’;

https://www.givemesport.com/mclaren-statement-lando-norris-oscar-piastri-fail-start-chinese-gp-f1/


'The whole dashboard turned off' - Max retires from the Chinese GP
15 Mar 2026
Sky Sports

Verstappen Radio: “OK Max, let’s retire the car please.”

Max Verstappen retires from the Chinese GP after electrical failure in his Red Bull.

The whole dashboard turned off';

https://www.skysports.com/f1/video/36395/13519992/max-retires-mxf


Max Verstappen’s unheard radio frustrations at the Chinese GP highlight Red Bull’s 2026 issues
15 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

The 28-year-old started on the fourth row of the grid on Sunday, but with both McLaren drivers failing to start in China, it essentially meant he was starting in P6. Unfortunately, he once again got bogged down off the start and he said on the radio: “I let the engine RPM drop too low.” The Dutchman was then incredibly unlucky with his first stop, pitting one lap before the safety car came out for Lance Stroll’s retirement and Lambiase said: “Target would be to try and go to the end [on these hard tyres].”

Verstappen simply said: “Yeah, I will try,” realising the size of the task he faced. Later in the race, as he was trying to recover through the pack following his slow start, he said: “Mate my f—— boost button!” suggesting that Red Bull are still having issues with their battery deployment. A few laps before retiring, Verstappen asked his race engineer: “Well, how about you check my onboard?”

Lambiase replied: “I am supposed to be on your side, Max, trying to give some help and information, nothing further, mate.” Red Bull have chassis issues that need addressing, as Verstappen’s qualifying attempts have shown. Verstappen’s car is still 10 kilograms overweight, and while getting down to the weight limit will help performance, it might not aid his reliability issues.

‘Radio frustrations’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max-verstappens-unheard-radio-frustrations-at-the-chinese-gp-highlight-red-bulls-2026-issues/


Drivers' Standings | Antonelli cuts the gap to Russell at the Chinese Grand Prix
15 Mar 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

World Drivers' Championship standings: Chinese Grand Prix
Position Drivers Points
1. George Russell (Mercedes) 51
2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 47
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 34
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 33
5. Oliver Bearman (Haas) 17
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) 15
7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 9
8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 8
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 8
10. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) 4

‘Drivers' Standings’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/drivers-standings-antonelli-cuts-the-gap-to-russell-at-the-chinese-grand-prix

[Fortitude]

'From Italy, Kimi Raikkonen!' - Antonelli victim of funny slip-up on the podium.
The Shanghai circuit announcer made a small slip-up while trying to correctly announce the name of race winner Kimi Antonelli.
15 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

The Italian driver has just secured the first victory of his Formula 1 career, a result that came after the superb pole position he claimed in qualifying, which allowed him to start from the front of the grid for the first time. Antonelli then managed the race flawlessly, setting a strong pace from start to finish and preventing his teammate from ever getting back into contention for the win.

The celebrations that followed were understandably emotional, with Antonelli visibly moved during the post-race interviews and celebrating enthusiastically on the podium. However, just moments before the national anthems began, the Italian was accidentally announced as Kimi Räikkönen by the circuit’s speaker, who quickly corrected himself once he realised the slip-up.

'From Italy, Kimi Raikkonen!';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/general/from-italy-kimi-raikkonen-antonelli-victim-of-funny-slip-up-on-the-podium


Kimi Raikkonen wins 2026 Chinese GP in hilarious incident
Kimi Antonelli won the Chinese GP, or did he?
15 Mar 2026
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Chinese GP winner Kimi Antonelli was mistakenly introduced as "Kimi Raikkonen" as he took to the podium in Shanghai. Taking to the podium, veteran announcer Bob Constanduros suffered a momentary lapse, as 2007 world champion Raikkonen made an unexpected appearance!

‘Hilarious incident’;

https://racingnews365.com/kimi-raikkonen-wins-2026-chinese-gp-in-hilarious-incident


Kimi Antonelli’s first F1 win gets podium twist as MC calls him Kimi Raikkonen
15 Mar 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

The MC got his Kimi’s mixed up in a hilarious blooper during the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix podium ceremony. Kimi Antonelli, who won his very first Grand Prix in China, was introduced onto the podium as ‘Kimi Raikkonen’. Old habits die hard. Mercedes certainly saw the funny side.

‘The MC got his Kimi’s mixed up’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/kimi-antonelli-chinese-gp-win-introduced-as-kimi-raikkonen


F1 podium blunder leaves Kimi Antonelli momentarily mistaken for Raikkonen
Awkward announcement overshadows emotional first Formula 1 victory for Kimi Antonelli in Shanghai
15 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

The celebrations for Kimi Antonelli after his first Formula 1 victory at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix briefly took an unexpected turn when the official podium announcer mistakenly introduced the young Italian as former world champion Kimi Raikkonen.

The mix up occurred moments after the race winner stepped onto the podium at the Shanghai International Circuit. As the crowd prepared to celebrate the sport’s newest Grand Prix winner, the announcement mistakenly referenced Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, instead of Antonelli.

Erm… that doesn’t sound right? �� pic.twitter.com/9NsvSRTyse
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 15, 2026

‘An unexpected turn’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/kimi-antonelli-raikkonen-podium-mistake-chinese-gp/


Toto Wolff handed firm instruction to Kimi Antonelli after crash fear
Toto Wolff had flashbacks to Kimi Antonelli's Monza FP1 crash after the late scare in China.
15 Mar 2026
Jake Nichol & Sàndor Mészáros
RacingNews365

Reflecting on the closing laps, Wolff explained how Bonnington had initially pushed back at telling Antonelli to slow down, before doing so after the late off. "Not really, to be honest," Wolff explained when asked by media, including RacingNews365, if he was nervous in the final laps.

"When there is a groove, and the systems look well, at the end, it was okay. Kimi can't help himself, another fastest lap, another fastest lap, and we know the pattern from Monza with his FP1 crash [in 2024 on his F1 debut], so I said to Bono [Peter Bonnington] to 'calm him down.'”

"He said, 'No, I think he is in a groove, and we don't want him to lose this race.' [Antonelli] missed the breaking point, and I said: 'Well, okay, now will you calm him down?'”

‘Toto Wolff handed firm instruction’;

https://racingnews365.com/toto-wolff-issued-firm-instruction-to-kimi-antonelli-after-crash-fear


Toto Wolff told Kimi Antonelli to ‘stop with this nonsense’ during annoyed Chinese GP radio message
15 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

Despite driving a near-perfect race, a late error from Kimi Antonelli led to Toto Wolff warning the young driver not to get ahead of himself. Even with the near-universal praise, an ill-timed lock-up late in the race led to Toto Wolff reminding Kimi Antonelli not to get carried away.

Toto Wolff spoke to F1 TV right after the Chinese Grand Prix, hiding his adulation behind his ever-composed demeanour. When discussing Antonelli’s late-race lock-up, Wolff revealed that he told Peter Bonnington to get Kimi Antonelli to calm down and not do anything that could risk their inevitable race win.

“That’s typical Kimi, and I said to Bono, ‘Tell him to stop with this nonsense. We just need to drive it home, we don’t need any fastest laps anymore.’ But that’s him.” Wolff clearly didn’t show any anger or frustration with his comments. Rather, he treated the instance as yet another example of his youth and inexperience.

‘Stop with this nonsense’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/toto-wolff-told-kimi-antonelli-to-stop-with-this-nonsense-during-annoyed-chinese-gp-radio-message/


Antonelli’s “heart attack” moment in emotional F1 Chinese GP victory
Antonelli fought back the tears after winning the F1 Chinese Grand Prix.
15 Mar 2026
Sam Hall
Crash.Net

Kimi Antonelli joked that a late-race incident gave him a “heart attack” before he navigated the final tours to secure a maiden Formula 1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix. The Italian put on a composed and largely error-free performance to back up his career-first pole position, with victory and the fastest lap in Shanghai. Had it not been for a single lap led by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, he would have become the youngest driver to complete a grand slam victory.

Locking up and running off at the Turn 14 hairpin with a near-10-second margin back to team-mate George Russell, Antonelli feared the worst. Battling back the tears, he said: “I’m speechless. I’m about to cry, to be honest. But yeah, thank you so much to my team because they helped me to achieve this dream. I’m super happy. I said yesterday that I really wanted to bring Italy back on top, and we did today. Even though I gave myself a little bit of a heart attack towards the end with a flat spot, it was a good race.”

“There’s so much that I’ve learned, but first of all it’s never to relax too much because today it went well, but it could have been worse,” Antonelli explained. “So just always try to stay on point and keep the focus because today at the end I opened the room for mistakes and the mistake happened.”

‘Antonelli’s “heart attack” moment’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1091535/1/kimi-antonellis-heart-attack-moment-emotional-f1-chinese-gp-victory


Antonelli breaks down after achieving ‘one of my life goals’
15 Mar 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Kimi Antonelli broke down in tears as David Coulthard interviewed him after clinching his maiden Formula 1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix. While George Russell squabbled with the Ferraris, and the Ferrari drivers with one another, Antonelli pulled clear to lead by nine seconds into the closing laps. However, a hairy lock-up at the hairpin with three laps to go prompted his race engineer Peter Bonnington to come over the radio: ‘Let’s get this thing home’.

That’s exactly what Antonelli did, winning by five seconds ahead of Russell. “Yes, we did it,” he told Mercedes on the radio, adding: “Thank you guys, you’ve helped me achieve one of my dreams.” Antonelli spoke with Coulthard in the immediate post-race interview where he was overcome by the emotions of the moment.
“I’m about to cry. Thank you to my team who helped me achieve this dream,” he said, before the tears broke free and he took a moment to wipe his eyes. I’m super happy. I said I really wanted to bring Italy back on top and we did it today. Even though I gave myself a little bit of a heart attack towards the end with the flat spot.”

‘Let’s get this thing home’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/kimi-antonelli-tears-maiden-formula-1-victory-chinese-grand-prix

[Fortitude]

Villeneuve says Hamilton and Leclerc ‘cost Ferrari dearly’ during Chinese GP.
“destroying their tyres, and in those two laps they lost five seconds to Antonelli.” Jacques Villeneuve.
15 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

A dramatic intra team duel between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc provided one of the standout moments of the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, but former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes the spectacle ultimately came at Ferrari’s expense. The pair traded overtakes and defended hard into several braking zones, refusing to yield despite the risk of tyre degradation and time loss. While the duel thrilled viewers, Villeneuve believes the internal battle allowed Mercedes to escape.

“Well, it was fair because he finished third, so and he managed to beat his team mates, so yes, it turned out OK, but it was a little bit extreme, and it destroyed Ferrari’s race,” Villeneuve said on Sky Sports F1. “They were running second and third.” As he reviewed the sequence again, the 1997 champion pointed to the damage done over just a couple of laps.

“He did it on the braking, quite late, and then they were fighting so hard,” Villeneuve continued, “destroying their tyres, and in those two laps they lost five seconds to Antonelli.” The lost time ultimately left Ferrari unable to mount any meaningful challenge to Mercedes, which secured a commanding one two finish with Antonelli leading Russell across the line.

“In those two laps they lost five seconds to Antonelli”;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/villeneuve-hamilton-leclerc-chinese-gp-battle/


Jacques Villeneuve accuses Lewis Hamilton of ‘destroying’ Ferrari’s race despite podium finish
15 Mar 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Lewis Hamilton finally stood on the podium in Ferrari colours at the Chinese Grand Prix today, but former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve has accused the seven-time world champion of ‘destroying’ Ferrari’s race through his battle with teammate Charles Leclerc. During his duties as a pundit for Sky Sports F1 at the Chinese Grand Prix, Villeneuve was asked for his thoughts on Hamilton’s post-race comments in which he deemed his battle with Leclerc to be fair.

The Canadian picked out an issue with the seven-time world champion’s words, saying, “Well, it was fair because he finished third, and he managed to beat his teammate. So, yes, it turned out okay, but it was a little bit extreme, and it destroyed Ferrari’s race. They were running second and third. Then they were fighting so hard, destroying their tyres. And in those two laps, they lost five seconds to Antonelli.”

Villeneuve is under the impression that Ferrari have a genuine chance of usurping Mercedes as the best team on the grid this year, but has issued a stern warning that a ‘let them race’ attitude will eventually have consequences in the F1 standings. He added, “At some point, if they keep taking lap time away from each other like this, it will allow Mercedes to get away. And they’re not that far from Mercedes, with a car that can race. So, Mercedes should worry a little bit about Ferrari coming back, because they’re not that far behind them in points.”

‘acques Villeneuve has accused the seven-time world champion of ‘destroying’ Ferrari’s race’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jacques-villeneuve-accuses-lewis-hamilton-of-destroying-ferraris-race-despite-podium-finish/


Jacques Villeneuve claims Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc ‘destroyed Ferrari’s race’ in Chinese GP battle
15 Mar 2026
Lydia Mee
Motorsport.com

Jacques Villeneuve said Ferrari’s battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during the Chinese Grand Prix was too intense and cost the team a stronger result.

‘Destroyed Ferrari’s race’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/jacques-villeneuve-claims-lewis-hamilton-and-charles-leclerc-destroyed-ferraris-race-in-chinese-gp-/10805551/


Vasseur: Ferrari happy to let Hamilton, Leclerc race each other
March 16, 2026
Laurence Edmondson
TSN

Although Hamilton suspected the pair may have made very light contact at one point, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said the racing was in line with what Ferrari expects of its drivers. “I have a huge respect for both of them, they are professional and I think it makes sense in this situation to let them race,” Fred Vasseur said.

“But I know perfectly that it can also look completely stupid half an hour later, but at the end of the day I think it’s also the best way to build up a team and we need to have this kind of emulation into the team to improve. As long as it’s done like it was done today, even a couple of times in the radio they told us that they had good fun, but I don’t want to freeze the position.”

‘“I think it makes sense in this situation to let them race” Fred Vasseur’;

https://www.tsn.ca/motorsports/formula-1/article/vasseur-ferrari-happy-to-let-hamilton-leclerc-race-each-other-n1-48221894/


Lewis Hamilton Has Been Accused of 'Destroying' Ferrari's Race With His Actions During Chinese GP
16 Mar 2026
Jack Whittaker
Give Me Sport

Lewis Hamilton's fortunes with Ferrari have finally taken a turn, it would seem, as he took his place on a Formula 1 podium for the first time in Scuderia red. Despite achieving his maiden podium for Ferrari, former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve believed the seven-time world champion sacrificed the team's performance in his tussle with Leclerc.

For ex-F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve, though, the ease of Mercedes' victory was a result of Hamilton's battle with Leclerc, and he has accused the former of 'destroying' Ferrari's race. Hamilton referred to the battle on track as "very fair and just what we want", but the Canadian viewed it as foolish.

While on duty as a pundit for Sky Sports F1 at the Chinese Grand Prix, Villeneuve said post-race: “Well, it was fair because he finished third, and he managed to beat his teammate. So, yes, it turned out okay, but it was a little bit extreme, and it destroyed Ferrari’s race. They were running second and third. Then they were fighting so hard, destroying their tyres. And in those two laps, they lost five seconds to Antonelli.”

‘Accused of 'Destroying' Ferrari's Race’;

https://www.givemesport.com/lewis-hamilton-accused-destroying-ferrari-race-chinese-gp-f1/


Hamilton eyes next milestone after long-awaited first Ferrari podium
16 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Lewis Hamilton feels his first Ferrari victory is now closer after securing his maiden podium with the team at the Chinese Grand Prix. Asked whether, after this result, a victory could now be within reach in the near future, Hamilton responded with a confident tone: "I definitely feel that I could say that it’s more in sight than ever before.”

“Last year it couldn’t have been further from view, but I think as you’ve seen, these guys (Mercedes) in qualifying - somehow we were a little bit closer in qualifying yesterday - but in the race trim I think they’ve got four or five tenths on us at the moment."

"That’s a huge step to pick up, both in downforce and efficiency and also power. That’s a huge upgrade that we need to push for. But I really do believe in everyone back in Maranello and that it’s not an impossible feat to overcome. So forza Ferrari, we’ve just got to keep pushing."

‘Hamilton eyes next milestone’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamilton-eyes-next-milestone-after-long-awaited-first-ferrari-podium


Ferrari explain masterplan to end Mercedes’ early dominance
16 Mar 2026
Ed Spencer
Total Motorsport

The early stages of the 2026 Formula 1 season have belonged to Mercedes, but Frederic Vasseur believes Ferrari now have a clearer understanding of how to challenge their rivals as the championship unfolds. While Ferrari’s early race performance has been encouraging, Vasseur acknowledged that Mercedes still hold the upper hand once the race settles into rhythm. “Step by step, we are understanding a bit more the situation and closing the gap, but they are still far away,” Vasseur told the media, including Total-Motorsport.com.

“It’s not just about engines that we have to work everywhere. We have to improve on the chassis, on the tyres, like always. Racing didn’t change the fact that all the components of performance are still on the table, and we don’t have to focus only on one parameter, but it’s a challenge. It’s never easy to separate, and I think it’s even more difficult this year. Probably, that more than in the past, it’s one package including mixing chassis and engine, more than two separate elements, and it’s very difficult to split that for sure.”

“We have the Sprint qualifying of Charles Leclerc when he got a huge rating, and he lost five tenths in the straight line, but this is more management. Ok, I don’t want to do the split. I want to push everywhere, but we know that we have to improve on the ICE, but this will be for the AUDO [Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities]. After the energy and chassis that we are pushing like hell on every single area to close the gap.”

‘Ferrari explain masterplan’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/ferrari-plan-close-gap-mercedes-2026-f1/

[Fortitude]

Piastri quips ‘been a while since I’ve watch two grands prix on TV’.
Despite qualifying P5 in Australia and again in China, Piastri has yet to score a single grand prix point this season as he’s yet to compete in one.
15 Mar 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

“Fine on the way to the grid,” Oscar Piastri explained to the media. “I think an electrical issue with power unit, which I think was the same Lando, but it wasn’t the same electrical issue. It’s been a while since I’ve watch two grands prix on TV,” Piastri quipped.

He continued: “Last week was pretty rough. These kind of things happen in racing at times, and especially in the beginning of a new regulation. It’s probably not a huge surprise. Just a shame that happens to both cars.”

‘Oscar Piastri yet to compete in one’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-piastri-chinese-gp-dns-mclaren


Jolyon Palmer questions McLaren’s ‘bizarre’ radio communication with Oscar Piastri at Chinese GP
17 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

On lap 18, engineer Tom Stallard said: “Oscar, give a position back to Antonelli. Give a position to Antonelli.” “Why?” Piastri replied. “Overtaking before the start/finish line,” Stallard answered. Speaking in commentary for F1TV, Palmer questioned why it took McLaren ‘nearly two laps’ to issue this instruction when the matter was black and white.

Palmer said: “A bizarre one for Piastri to be told, nearly two laps after he took it, to give back the place for something fundamentally against the rules.” Had he received the order earlier, Piastri would have had more time to mount a fresh assault on Antonelli. While the Mercedes is clearly quicker than the McLaren, there have been countless ‘yo-yo’ battles where drivers have fought back with the aid of their battery.

“Bizarre”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jolyon-palmer-questions-mclarens-bizarre-radio-communication-with-oscar-piastri-at-chinese-gp/


Piastri’s disastrous 2026 F1 opening salvo serves as a warning to Antonelli
16 Mar 2026
Kieran Jackson
The Independent

On two consequetive Sundays, the P5 white box on the starting grid has been left eerily vacant and abandoned. The first was bad enough, with thousands of fans adorned in green t-shirts perched in the grandstand, named after the hometown hero, left crestfallen. But the second was more excruciating, wheeled away from the starting blocks with just five minutes to go, joining a stricken companion in the garage.

‘Excruciating’;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/oscar-piastri-mclaren-f1-kimi-antonelli-norris-chinese-gp-b2939291.html


Why were both McLaren cars unable to start the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix?
16 Mar 2026
Jack Renn
F1 Chronicle

Both McLaren cars, driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, were unable to start the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix due to separate electrical failures within their Mercedes power units.

Specifically, the technical cause of these failures was identified as issues with the MGU-K/ES Interface. Although both cars used the same power unit family, McLaren confirmed that the electrical faults on each car were separate and unrelated. The impact of these technical issues on the team and drivers included:

• A Historic “Double DNS”: This was the first time since the infamous 2005 United States Grand Prix that both McLaren cars failed to start a race.
• Lando Norris’s First DNS: The reigning World Champion described this as his first-ever career “Did Not Start”.
• Oscar Piastri’s Continuing Drought: For Piastri, this marked a second consecutive Grand Prix without completing a single race lap in the 2026 season, following his reconnaissance lap crash at his home race in Australia.

‘Unable to start’;

https://f1chronicle.com/why-were-both-mclaren-cars-unable-to-start-the-2026-chinese-grand-prix/?nowprocket=1


McLaren’s Stella calls for answers after double DNS
17 Mar 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

“During the routine preparations for the race, a problem was identified with the electrical system of Lando's car's control unit," Stella started. "Despite intensive investigations and hard work in collaboration with our colleagues at HPP (Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains) to resolve the issue, it was not possible to fix the fault before the start of the race, with the result that Lando missed the start of a Grand Prix for the first time in his eight year career.”

“In another scenario, after Oscar had lined up on the grid, another problem was discovered on the electrical engine system of car number 81. Despite the significant work and commitment on the part of the entire team, together with HPP, to find a solution, unfortunately we had no choice but to bring the car back to the pits before the start of the race.” The sight of both papaya cars being wheeled away before lights out was a stark reminder of the fragility of the new 2026 power unit era.

Team principal Andrea Stella struck a measured but firm tone, acknowledging the gravity of the situation while emphasizing collaboration with Mercedes to prevent a repeat. “As a team, the focus is now on a joint investigation with HPP to understand what lessons can be learned so that this does not happen again, as well as on preparations for the third round of the 2026 season in Suzuka, where the McLaren Mastercard will try to come back stronger than ever.”

‘Calls for answers’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28342


McLaren reveal Mercedes 'trust' stance after shock F1 engine failures
McLaren suffered its first double DNS in 21 years after both cars failed to start the Chinese Grand Prix.
17 Mar 2026
Jake Nichol & Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

McLaren boss Andrea Stella says the team has complete "trust" in power unit supplier Mercedes HPP following its shock double DNS in China. Reflecting on the result, Stella has described how McLaren has 'complete trust' in the initial report supplied to it by Mercedes HPP and that the double DNS was a pure "coincidence".

"It appears to be a problem with the same power unit component on the electrical side, but of a different nature, so it is quite exceptional and uncharacteristic that you have two terminal problems at the same time on the same component."

Referring to the interaction with HPP specifically, Stella added: "We will review together with HPP the reason for the faults, and make sure that it doesn't happen again. It is an area of the car which is not under McLaren's control, so we rely entirely on what is reported by HPP, and we trust their report completely.

'Complete trust’;

https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-reveal-mercedes-trust-stance-after-shock-f1-engine-failures


Norris reveals harsh reality about McLaren’s current competitiveness
Lando Norris offers his honest verdict on where McLaren currently stands.
16 Mar 2026
Lewis Larkam , Adam Cooper
Crash.Net

“It’s still been a weekend where we’ve learned a lot. Already, since last weekend, we learned some things,” Lando Norris said in response to a question by Crash.net. “It’s also a weekend where we clarified that we need to do a better job with understanding the power unit still, and make some changes. And we also understand the car is not to the level that it needs to be to fight for the podium or a win at the time being.”

“We know we have a lot of work ahead, disregarding the issues that we had. The team knows where we stand and they are very realistic about everything, so they’re all working hard. They’ve been working hard all season, but especially now, they know what direction we need to work in, in order to get back to what we think we can achieve.”

‘Harsh reality’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1091558/1/lando-norris-brutally-honest-admission-about-mclarens-current-f1-2026


Why McLaren's F1 title defence is collapsing already
18 Mar 2026
JOSH SUTTILL
The Race

McLaren's Formula 1 title defence has started miserably, but it's facing bigger problems than simply the embarrassment of having to withdraw both its cars before the start of the Chinese Grand Prix. It appears that galling double did-not-start was down to two different failures on the same component of its customer Mercedes power unit. "This is an area of the car which is not under McLaren's control, so we rely entirely on what is reported by HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains] and we trust completely their report," McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said.

The root cause is yet to be identified but, whatever was ultimately behind it, McLaren is already 80 points adrift of the championship leader Mercedes with just 18 points from two grands prix and a sprint race. Points-wise, that's the worst start to a title defence in over a decade, only comparable to Red Bull's in 2014, which is skewed by Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification from second place in Melbourne for fuel-flow irregularities.

And McLaren has benefited from having a sprint race that didn't exist in 2014 and which accounts for a third of its 2026 points. Take away the six points McLaren gained there, and it's easily the worst start for a defending champion since Ferrari's nightmare point-less start to 2009 that lasted three rounds. It's not just points McLaren is lacking, but real performance to Mercedes despite having the same engine, and right now it's not even making the best of the car it does have. On-track data is more valuable than ever in 2026 with the complex power units, and McLaren is currently way behind Mercedes and even has fewer racing laps completed than the vibrating Aston Martin-Hondas!

‘Collapsing’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/why-mclarens-f1-title-defence-is-collapsing-already/

[Fortitude]

Alonso jokes Aston Martin losing out in F1’s ‘battery world championship’.
Fernando Alonso quipped that the team is not so competitive when the “battery world championship” racing gets going.
16 Mar 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Fernando Alonso’s comments follow scathing criticism from Max Verstappen towards the F1 2026 rules, which the Dutchman called – with far less sarcasm – a “joke”. Aston Martin may be pretty handy at F1 2026 race starts, but, Fernando Alonso quipped that the team is not so competitive when the “battery world championship” racing gets going.

“Yeah, the starts are fun. The same as in Australia, the car seems to start really well,” Alonso confirmed to the media. “On lap one, it’s true that we all have the same level of battery, which is full. Then, we enter in this battery world championship, and in that, we are not as good as the others.”

Aston Martin’s Chinese GP ultimately ended in a double DNF. Lance Stroll retired on Lap 10 with a suspected battery issue. For Alonso, he managed 33 laps, a new milestone for Aston Martin in F1 2026, before retiring due to discomfort from engine vibrations.

'Alonso jokes';

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernando-alonso-battery-world-championship-f1-2026-rules


TV channel turns Verstappen's criticism into reality with Mario Kart trailer
18 Mar 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Reflecting on the Formula 1 drivers referring to the current racing as Mario Kart, French broadcaster Canal+ made a stunning intro for the Japanese Grand Prix. Over the course of the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez all referred to certain aspects of the racing with current F1 cars by comparing it to the famous video game, Mario Kart.

The Dutchman said in his criticism of the new regulations: "It's not fun at all, no. It's playing Mario Kart. This is not racing. (...) Look at the racing, you are boosting past and then you run out of battery the next straight, they boost past you again. For me it's just a joke." Canal+ was inspired by the drivers' verdict, and made Mario Kart their theme for the Japanese Grand Prix. What makes this extra special is that, of course, Mario Kart was released by Japanese brand Nintendo.

‘Mario Kart trailer’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/tv-channel-turns-verstappens-criticism-intro-reality-with-mario-kart-trailer


Fernando Alonso reveals Aston Martin attribute with joke at F1’s ‘battery World Championship’
16 Mar 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

Fernando Alonso underlined the continuing issues for Honda’s Formula 1 power unit and the increased electrification of the sport’s regulations with a joke: “On Lap 1, it’s true that we all have the same level of battery, which is full. Then we enter in this battery World Championship, and in that we are not as good as the others.” Although there is a collective, and therefore educated confidence that Aston Martin’s woes will come to an end, it will surely be, if the problems persist, Alonso’s most miserable campaign yet.

“Battery World Championship”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/03/16/fernando-alonso-makes-f1-honda-joke/


'My first non-start in F1' - Norris left heartbroken after painful Chinese GP DNS
15 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Lando Norris told GPblog and other media: "I don't know how long it's been going on for, honestly. Sometimes it's better to leave them to crack on with things, but I found out probably 20 minutes before I was meant to go out of the garage. I think they've been working on things for a little while already. Some electrical issue with the power unit, and therefore we can't even start it. A shame, my first non-start in F1, which is sad, and even worse that it's a double do-not-start with us as well. Not the best day for us."

Norris added: "I'm just disappointed, that's all. I'm disappointed I didn't get to go and do my job today. I'm frustrated for the whole team, it's not just me. All of the mechanics, everyone puts a lot of work into things, and it's just a complicated bit of it. There's a lot of new things and, of course, new issues that we're still finding out at times. So for everyone in the garage they're disappointed we couldn't get the car out on track today, and they'll work hard to try and fix it."

'Heartbroken';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/norris-left-heartbroken-after-painful-chinese-gp-dns-my-first-non-start-in-f1


David Coulthard senses Lando Norris’ unhappiness with F1 is ‘simmering’ at McLaren right now
17 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Max Verstappen has spoken out against F1’s new regulations, suggesting those who have enjoyed the action from the first two weekends aren’t true racing fans. Coulthard went on to say: “...it was Max who was probably the most vocal on it.”

“But, I don’t know if you picked up as well that simmering below was Lando. Lando’s not really enjoying [this season]. You would expect Oscar to be speaking out because he hasn’t done even a lap of Grand Prix racing yet. But, I wonder if it’s just a case of they need the results to start feeling this new set of regulations.”

‘Lando Norris simmering’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/david-coulthard-senses-lando-norris-unhappiness-with-f1-is-simmering-at-mclaren-right-now/


Montoya targets Verstappen and Norris: ‘There’s the door!’
18/03/2026
Michael Delaney
Motorsport Week

Speaking to AS Colombia, Juan Pablo Montoya didn't just suggest a slap on the wrist; he proposed a full-blown North American sports-style crackdown. “At some point, Formula 1 needs to do what the sports world in the United States does: for people who don’t respect the sport, there’s the door,” Montoya declared, seemingly forgetting that F1's history is practically built on drivers complaining about their cars.

He didn't stop there, offering a "pay up or get out" solution for those who dare to criticize the 2026 direction: “They can leave or get a fine, so they truly learn to respect what they’re doing. That’s what I would do.” It’s an interesting take, considering that Verstappen and Norris are hardly the only ones raising eyebrows at the new regulations, with Fernando Alonso and Carlos also taking a flamethrower to the new rules.

"Pay up or get out";

https://f1i.com/news/561429-montoya-targets-verstappen-and-norris-theres-the-door.html


F1 "trying to sell something we know isn’t right", claims Carlos Sainz
16 Mar 2026
Lewis Duncan, Adam Cooper
Crash.Net

Carlos Sainz believes Formula 1 is “trying its best to sell something we all know is not right”, highlighting apparent graphic tampering on the world feed in China. “I think in Melbourne, Monza, Spa, it definitely needs a rethink. I think development will also do its part. But I’m also 100% sure this is not F1 the way I want to see it. And I’m also quite sure that the people at the top also see that and know that.”

“For sure, it’s not a great look for F1,” he added. “But I think not having two McLarens, a Williams, and Audi, shows how difficult we make our life to come up with super complicated engines with incredibly complicated software and batteries. It’s still down to the teams to come up with a reliable engine, but when the rules are so demanding and so constrained, it is difficult to come up with something reliable because it is extremely complex for everyone.”

“I don’t know. I have in mind what the ideal Formula 1 should be, and this is very far from it. At the same time, I hope that development and fine-tuning the regulations should make things better in the future.”

“Rethink”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1091543/1/f1-trying-sell-something-we-know-isnt-right-claims-carlos-sainz


Steiner blasts Verstappen over regulation complaints
Guenther Steiner has accused Max Verstappen of “throwing the toys out of the pram”...
19 Mar 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe

“The racing was pretty good,” Guenther Steiner said. “Obviously, people like Max maybe don’t like change, and he’s not used to not being in one of the best cars, so that doesn’t help his mood to like the new regulations.”

“I think they are actually pretty good. They will develop over time. All the teams are just learning at the moment what is going on, because it’s an advanced technology.
“But the racing was good, and that’s the most important thing.”

‘Steiner blast’;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-max-verstappen-regulation-opinion-criticism-guenther-steiner-blasts-thoughts-haas-boss/


Understanding Verstappen's gripes with F1's 'battery world championship'
16 Mar 2026
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine

Max Verstappen retired from the race with an ERS cooling issue and was characteristically blunt afterwards. “It’s not fun at all,” he said. “It’s playing Mario Kart. This is not racing.” He called the ruleset “fundamentally flawed” and warned that if Formula 1 prioritises entertainment over sporting integrity, “it will eventually ruin the sport. It will come and bite them back in the ass.”

Formula 1’s DNA — that is, the world’s best drivers in the world’s fastest cars — and the mechanism that is actually deciding the results risk drifting apart in a meaningful way under the new rules. That gap is what Verstappen and others are pointing at. It’s not about politics, technical complexity, or casual fan confusion. It’s about whether F1’s DNA and its competitive reality are still pointing in the same direction.

‘Formula 1’s DNA’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/understanding-verstappens-gripes-with-f1s-battery-world-championship/?nowprocket=1

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff’s praise for Red Bull during F1 testing was absolute ‘nonsense’ after all.
Toto Wolff: “For us, Red Bull is the fastest car and their engine is the most complete.”
19 Mar 2026
Luke Newman
F1 Oversteer

When discussing the Chinese Grand Prix on Motorsport-Magazin, Christian Danner spoke about Red Bull’s struggles in the opening stages of the 2026 season. The German driver reacted to Wolff’s original comments from the Bahrain Test, and said that it was clearly ‘nonsense’ because Red Bull have been struggling. Danner said, “Red Bull made a much better impression in testing than what they’re showing now. It’s not like Toto Wolff says, ‘They’re going to nail us to the wall with the performance of that car. We don’t stand a chance.’”

“No, dear Toto, that was nonsense, of course, what you said. But the performance of Hadjar and Verstappen is simply below average by Red Bull standards. It’s incredibly difficult to assess whether it’s the energy management. Is it the aerodynamics, the car having a bit less downforce compared to the competition? Is it the way the tyres are being managed? The old things we know – tyre management, aero – remain important even in this new era of energy management. And I think after these two races, a proper review will have to be done in Milton Keynes to determine where the problems actually lie. Because analysis is crucial, and that’s something we can already do quite well.”

“We can see where the competition is faster. It’s the power unit, and I’m losing everything on the ditch, during turn-in, or during energy recuperation, etc. This can now be analysed quite effectively using the data, and that’s where we need to focus our efforts. One more area than in the past. Back then, it was just aero and tyre management. The rest was basically the same; the motors were all relatively similar. And now, it’s not just the motors themselves, with their power output, but also the energy recuperation, which is essentially equivalent to power. So there’s a lot to be done, but I assume they’re capable of responding.”

‘Absolute ‘nonsense’ after all’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/toto-wolffs-praise-for-red-bull-during-f1-testing-was-absolute-nonsense-after-all/


Wolff: Verstappen Is in a Red Bull ‘Horror Show’
16 Mar 2026
Jarrod Partridge
F1 Chronicle

Wolff: Red Bull’s Struggles Are Shaping Verstappen’s Criticism. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has pushed back on Max Verstappen’s escalating criticism of F1’s 2026 regulations, arguing that the Red Bull driver’s frustration is linked to his car’s performance deficit rather than a flaw in the new rules.

“Max is really, I think, in a horror show,” Wolff said. “When you look at the onboard that he has in qualifying yesterday, this is just horrendous to drive. You can see that.”

‘Red Bull’s Struggles’;

https://f1chronicle.com/wolff-verstappen-is-in-a-red-bull-horror-show/?nowprocket=1


How Liberty Media press officer reacted as Max Verstappen ‘badmouthed’ F1 rules in China
18 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Max Verstappen leaves F1 press officer tearing his hair out in China. During Sprint qualifying on Friday, the F1 broadcast was accused of deceiving fans by disguising the battery-related speed loss at the end of the back straight. After the season opener in Australia, they appeared to hide X replies criticising the new regulations.

It’s clear that the sport is going to great lengths to promote the new rules, but Verstappen is rather spoiling the PR campaign. According to journalist Julianne Cerasoli, a Liberty Media official watched Verstappen closely in the media pen on Sunday and bemoaned his attitude. Verstappen was called to a meeting during winter testing when he ‘let loose’ for the first time, calling the cars ‘Formula E on steroids’.”

“Max Verstappen, he was talking, really badmouthing the regulations,” Cerasoli told UOL Esporte. “He was there in the paddock, and then I saw a guy who is the press officer for Formula 1 itself, for Liberty. He was watching, I looked at him and said, ‘You guys are in trouble. He’s really letting loose here. And he was like, ‘Oh my god, Max.”

‘Formula E on steroids’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/how-liberty-media-press-officer-reacted-as-max-verstappen-badmouthed-f1-rules-in-china/


Max Verstappen backed by Coulthard amid 2026 F1 rules backlash
19 Mar 2026
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen has found an ally in former F1 driver David Coulthard following backlash to the four-time world champion's heavy criticism to the 2026 F1 rules. When we spoke to him in pre-season, he was very clear that there were some different challenges that weren't necessarily what he considered about getting the maximum out of the driving potential,” Coulthard said.

"So he has been pretty scathing. And should we question a four-time world champion? Should we question someone like that? And even the world champion Lando Norris? They're not making noise because they're not winning races. They're making noise because this is how they feel."

While Coulthard also said that some elements of F1 in 2026 will need some tweaks, he did concede that the new rules have given fans more on-track action. "I do think it will change, and I think there will be some changes made, especially for qualifying, but I think we'd agree that this new formula has definitely given us a lot more on-track action."

“They're making noise because this is how they feel.";

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/max-verstappen-backed-by-coulthard-amid-2026-f1-rules-backlash


‘We will improve’: Red Bull backs RB22 fix ahead of Japan
19/03/2026
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

“Being on the back foot at the start of a Sprint weekend is the worst possible scenario as there is really little time to catch up and get on top of any difficulties,” team boss Laurent Mekies said, quoted by RACER. “We knew that just getting onto the grid in Melbourne with our own PU was a major achievement in itself and it would have been naïve not to expect we would encounter reliability issues.”

“We had to retire Max because of a coolant fault. However, this was not our only issue as overall, performance-wise, our package showed some significant shortcomings. However, we have learned so much over the past few weeks and I expect that we can be more competitive from the next round in Japan in a fortnight’s time.”

‘RB22 fix ahead of Japan’;

https://f1i.com/news/561473-we-will-improve-red-bull-backs-rb22-fix-ahead-of-japan.html


Why Max Verstappen and Red Bull should never be written off
Red Bull has a lot to solve with its RB22 to please Max Verstappen, but the outfit has history in rapid turnarounds.
19 Mar 2026
Sàndor Mészáros
RacingNews365

The current difficulties may be linked to the prolonged campaign of the previous season, but leadership remains in capable hands. Team principal Laurent Mekies is characterised by an engineering mindset, an analytical approach, humility, and hard work — qualities that are especially vital now.

The Frenchman, who took charge of the team less than a year ago, is facing his toughest challenge yet, but he appears to enjoy the full confidence of both senior management and the drivers. The pressure is immense, but Mekies has already proven himself over the past year, giving no reason to doubt the direction being taken.

After the turnaround achieved during last year’s summer break, it would not be surprising if Red Bull’s situation looks very different following the enforced April pause.

‘History in rapid turnarounds’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-max-verstappen-and-red-bull-should-never-be-written-off


Red Bull Ford impresses: Will McLaren, Williams, or Aston Martin come knocking soon?
18 Mar 2026
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com

Red Bull Racing and Ford have built an excellent power unit as debutants. That kind of thing stands out in the paddock. Will a team soon be knocking to become a customer of the Austrians? Credit where it’s due: team boss Christian Horner once managed to poach the right people, especially from Honda and Mercedes; together they have succeeded in making an ambitious Red Bull project work. Once the Austrians also have the chassis side of the car in order, there’s excellent potential for Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.

That gets noticed in the paddock. Lawrence Stroll surely has the big Ford boss’s phone number in his mobile, in case the collaboration with Honda ultimately fizzles out. And what about Williams and McLaren; two teams with a Mercedes engine. Toto Wolff has previously stated he wants to shed at least one customer team in the future. Alpine seems likely to stay, especially if Mercedes wants to take a minority stake in the French outfit. That would leave Williams or McLaren to look elsewhere. A Red Bull Ford that proves itself as an excellent engine could be a possible alternative.

'Red Bull Ford impresses';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/red-bull-ford-impresses-will-mclaren-williams-or-aston-martin-come-knocking-soon

[Fortitude]

Red Bull behind, Haas ahead: Komatsu hails team’s masterclass.
Haas is no longer just punching above its weight in F1 – the US outfit is starting to look like it genuinely belongs near the front of the field.
18 Mar 2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

After another eye-catching weekend in Shanghai, team boss Ayao Komatsu could barely contain his satisfaction, hailing both the squad’s execution and a standout performance from rising star Oliver Bearman. From a solid season opener in Australia to an even sharper showing in China, Haas has emerged as one of the early stories of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign.

For Komatsu, the performance confirmed what winter testing had hinted at – but perhaps exceeded even his own expectations. “When I looked at FP1, Red Bull didn't look amazing. But based on the sprint, I wasn't sure if we had the pace to really fight Red Bull or not,” he explained. “But the sprint is a sprint, right? It's quite short. But whatever it was, we had a decent pace [on Sunday] and our drivers managed it so well.”

Two races in, Haas sits fourth in the Constructors’ standings – ahead of Red Bull Racing – a statistic few would have predicted before the season began. More importantly, the team looks cohesive, confident, and quietly ambitious. It’s a competitor seizing its moment – and, as Komatsu’s smile suggests, enjoying every second of it.

‘Ahead of Red Bull Racing’;

https://f1i.com/news/561416-red-bull-behind-haas-ahead-komatsu-hails-teams-masterclass.html


Keep it simple: How Haas has emerged as F1's midfield leader
19 Mar 2026
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine

Back-to-back midfield-leading results in Melbourne and Shanghai have given Haas a flying start to the new F1 era. For many laps during Formula 1’s Chinese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen sat roughly 2.5 seconds behind Oliver Bearman’s Haas, unable to get closer, let alone find a way past as they fought for fifth place.

The four-time world champion, in a Red Bull, found himself queuing behind a car from the American squad that finished the 2025 season down in eighth place in the standings. That image was a good reflection of what Haas has become in the opening two grands prix of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Two races in, Haas has been best-of-the-rest both times.

Melbourne and Shanghai are about as different as Formula 1 circuits get — one tight and front-limited, the other demanding high-speed stability and energy management across long straights. Bearman handled both in style, finishing seventh in Australia and fifth in China to help Haas move to fourth place in the standings behind Mercedes and Ferrari, and just one point behind McLaren. Bearman’s showing on such different circuits suggests Haas’ results so far are not a fluke but something more significant.

‘Back-to-back midfield-leading results’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/keep-it-simple-how-haas-has-emerged-as-f1s-midfield-leader/?nowprocket=1


Haas boss reveals harsh reality of Ferrari engine: 'Overtaking was difficult'
12 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Haas F1 team principal Ayao Komatsu has addressed a misconception regarding the Ferrari power unit, which his team currently uses. The 50-year-old team boss, speaking about where he believes Haas sits among the midfield runners, was quick to praise the speed of the Audi power unit, before stressing how he believes performance could prove to be largely circuit-specific.

“We are mixed with Red Bull, Audi, us [Haas], and Alpine. But then, if we raced well, I knew we could be at the front end of it. I think Audi is very quick, and Red Bull is quick as well. So I think we are all together, basically, depending on the circuit we go to,” the Haas team boss told GPblog. When quizzed further about his team’s speed being better than the Audi outfit, the Japanese F1 team boss was quick to refute such a claim, stating how the GPS traces tell a different story.

“I don’t know how you can say ours are clearly better than Audi. I don’t know what you’re looking at to say that. Have you looked at GPS traces? No, I don’t think you can say that at all. Again, when I say power, I’m purely looking at results and speed on the tracks,” Komatsu explained. “You know, whether it’s coming from the ICE or from energy deployment. But if we look at what they can do on the straight, Audi is very good. I’m shocked when you said we are clearly better than Audi.”

'Overtaking was difficult';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/haas-boss-reveals-harsh-reality-of-ferrari-engine-overtaking-was-difficult


F1 2026 uncovered: Haas responds to Ferrari SF-26 exhaust flap with rapid China upgrade
16 Mar 2026
Matthew Somerfield
PlanetF1.com

The only team that could quickly assimilate the Ferrari (FMT) exhaust blown flap on the rear of the SF-26 is Haas and guess what, that’s exactly what they did for China. However, it’s not a direct copy of the solution, as Haas are clearly looking to make it work with their pre-existing rear end arrangement.

The solution presented by Haas in China is therefore a quick response item but will likely see some follow up adjustments arrive in the coming races, not only to their FMT solution but also to the surrounding components, such as the diffuser.

‘Rapid China upgrade’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/ferrari-exhaust-flap-haas-solution-china

[Fortitude]

Wheatley leaves Audi: This appears to be a key reason behind stepping down.
The relationship between team boss Jonathan Wheatley and Mattia Binotto (COO and CTO of the Audi F1 project) was strained, GPblog understands. That seems to be a key reason for the former to quit a seemingly attractive job at Audi and ultimately choose Aston Martin.
20 Mar 2026
Kada Sárközi
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com

GPblog understands that the relationship between Binotto and Wheatley was difficult. Although Binotto, as COO and CTO, was the most important figure within the organization, he had no influence over Wheatley’s appointment. Both appointments were made by Audi’s top management; the Italian had no say in that. But apparently, Wheatley was not the team boss Binotto would have preferred.

By leaving Audi, Wheatley can also leave Switzerland, where he lived there for only a year. He can return to his family and friends in the United Kingdom, especially if he indeed goes to work for Aston Martin. That team’s factory is in Silverstone, not far from Milton Keynes where Wheatley previously worked with Red Bull.

He may also be in line for a pay raise, as co-owner Lawrence Stroll is determined to bring the best people to Aston Martin. It’s no coincidence that several key figures from other teams have succumbed to the British outfit in recent years.

‘Strained relationship’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/features/wheatley-out-at-audi-this-appears-to-be-a-key-reason-to-step-down


‘With immediate effect’, Wheatley’s Audi departure confirmed
21 Mar 2026
Jawad Yaqub
F1 Chronicle

Audi have announced that its Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley has left the team “with immediate effect”, amid speculation surrounding his ex-Red Bull colleague Adrian Newey’s position at Aston Martin. The Hinwil based outfit confirmed Wheatley’s departure in a press release, citing “personal reasons” for the 58-year old leaving the team which he joined only twelve months ago. Being a desire to return home to the UK.

“We are grateful to Jonathan Wheatley for his contribution to the project during the crucial entry phase and wish him all the best for the future,” said Audi AG’s CEO and chairman of the board of management of Audi Motorsport AG, Gernot Döllner. “Mattia Binotto and the team will continue to pursue the path we have chosen with determination.”

“Our focus remains unchanged: we are concentrating all our efforts on building a team competing at the highest level that will challenge for world championships in Formula 1 by 2030. We will continuously develop our organisational structures to achieve our shared goal in a sustainable manner.”

‘With immediate effect’;

https://f1chronicle.com/with-immediate-effect-wheatleys-audi-departure-confirmed/?nowprocket=1


Ex-F1 boss dismisses Audi’s explanation for shock Jonathan Wheatley departure
22 Mar 2026
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week

Bernie Ecclestone has given his two cents on Jonathan Wheatley’s shock Formula 1 departure from Audi as rumors of Aston Martin appointment intensify. Ecclestone calls reason for Jonathan Wheatley Audi departure “impossible”. Former F1 boss Ecclestone may have some light to shed on these personal reasons, dismissing Audi’s explanation for Wheatley’s sudden departure.

“That’s actually impossible,” he told Blick. “It would only make sense if he doesn’t like it in Switzerland and wants to go back to England.” Stroll’s comments might turn out to be a window to the future, with the British marque employing Wheatley’s services whilst allowing Newey to re-focus his expertise into the technical aspects of Aston Martin’s F1 project.

“That’s actually impossible”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/03/21/ex-f1-boss-dismisses-audis-explanation-for-shock-jonathan-wheatley-departure/


Aston Martin statement reinforces Adrian Newey role amid Jonathan Wheatley speculation
20 Mar 2026
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Aston Martin has issued a statement, shortly after Jonathan Wheatley’s confirmed departure from the Audi F1 team. “With the current speculation surrounding Adrian Newey’s role in our team, I want to take this opportunity to set the record straight,” Stroll said, with his team having been embroiled in rumours for days.

“As Executive Chairman and Controlling Shareholder, I would like to reaffirm that Adrian Newey is my partner and an important shareholder. He is AMR’s Managing Technical Partner, and he and I have a true partnership built on a shared vision of success for the company. We do things differently here, and while we don’t currently adopt the traditional Team Principal role that you see elsewhere – it is by design.”


“As the most successful engineer in the history of the sport, Adrian’s primary focus is on the strategic and technical leadership, where he excels. He is supported by a highly skilled Senior Leadership Team to deliver on all aspects of the business, both at the Campus and trackside. We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumour and speculation.”

‘Aston Martin statement’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jonathan-wheatley-aston-martin-lawrence-stroll-adrian-newey-role


Jonathan Wheatley exits Audi and sparks Aston Martin shake-up as Newey steps back
Aston Martin moves quickly after a troubled start to 2026, with Jonathan Wheatley set to replace Adrian Newey in a major leadership reset
20 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

Aston Martin turns to experience amid early crisis. For Aston Martin, the arrival of Wheatley represents a shift in approach at a critical moment. A veteran of Benetton, Renault and Red Bull, where he played a central role in the team’s operational success, Wheatley brings a reputation for structure, discipline and race-day execution.

Those qualities are now urgently needed as the team looks to steady itself. While Newey’s technical expertise remains invaluable, the decision to remove him from the day-to-day pressures of team management suggests a recognition that the current structure was not working. The challenge ahead remains significant.

Beyond leadership adjustments, Aston Martin must urgently resolve its power unit issues and extract performance from a package that has yet to deliver on its promise. But with Wheatley expected to take control of the team’s overall direction and Newey focusing on development, there is at least a clearer structure emerging. Whether that will be enough to turn around their 2026 campaign remains uncertain but one thing is clear: the pressure on Aston Martin has never been greater.

‘Major leadership reset’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/jonathan-wheatley-audi-aston-martin-newey-exit/


Juan Pablo Montoya raises ‘political’ concern for why Jonathan Wheatley has left Audi
21 Mar 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Juan Pablo Montoya thinks living in Switzerland might not have been the only reason why Jonathan Wheatley has left Audi, as team politics could also have been an issue. Montoya thinks Wheatley’s resignation shows Audi are now facing the same challenges that Sauber encountered with trying to get Formula 1 personnel to move from mainly England to Switzerland. But it also suggests Wheatley did not like how political the team is under Audi.

There have been rumours of rifts in Wheatley’s relationship with Mattia Binotto, the overall project leader of Audi’s F1 team. Blick reports that Binotto and Wheatley had been clashing over the boundaries of their responsibilities, but Audi have downplayed any power struggle. “It would have to be, first of all, a chance to go back and live in the UK,” Montoya told RacingNews365.

“I think that has always been one of the harder things when they were Sauber, getting the right people to work there. Yes, Switzerland is amazing and everything, but when you’ve been in racing and you’ve always been involved in the UK, going to live in a different place is a bit of a shock. And I think the way Audi and Sauber worked together, now everything is Audi, maybe it’s too political. If he gets the opportunity to go and do something else, it’s fine.”

‘Team politics could also have been an issue’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/juan-pablo-montoya-raises-political-concern-for-why-jonathan-wheatley-has-left-audi/

[Fortitude]

Williams branded ‘biggest flop’ as FW48 drags dead weight.
“…a car that’s apparently almost 30kg too heavy, is a real flop” …30 kilograms isn’t just a disadvantage – it’s an anchor.
20/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

“It sounds harsh, but I’d say Williams is the biggest flop.” The phrase lingers like smoke in the paddock air. And Ralf Schumacher doubled down, pointing to the heart of the issue – a car that may be fundamentally compromised. “When you consider what sort of engine is in the back and what’s being made of it at the moment, I have to say that Williams, with a car that’s apparently almost 30kg too heavy, is a real flop,” he added. In an era where grams matter, 30 kilograms isn’t just a disadvantage – it’s an anchor.

If Schumacher exposed the problem, Juan Pablo Montoya demanded consequences. The former Williams racer, who also once carried the team’s legacy on his shoulders, delivered a stark warning about what failure at this level should mean. “Personally someone should be held responsible for that,” he said. “The people on that team and someone who held a position that obviously involved supervising that and making a mistake like that, should be responsible for it and should set a bit of an example for people.”

‘30kg: It’s an anchor’;

https://f1i.com/news/561495-williams-branded-biggest-flop-as-fw48-drags-dead-weight.html


Williams engineer privately revealed they are losing a second a lap due to FW48’s weight issues
17 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

Tom Clarkson and Jolyon Palmer discussed on the F1 Nation podcast the problems Williams are facing...

Clarkson: “One of the engineers told me that in weight alone, it’s about a second a lap, compared to people who are on the weight limit.”
Palmer: “I heard in Bahrain that the car was heavier this year than it was last year. Bear in mind the weight limit has come down by 32 kilos, TC. That’s outrageous. That’s what they’re dealing with.”

“The weight is a natural penalty. It makes about a second a lap. Probably there’s a few sensors on the car in testing that they can take off and trim it down a little bit. So the weight’s a second. Good. There’s a chance you can take off the weight and find it, but you need to still be able to take off the weight. They’ve got hopes for Miami. With a bit more time now, they’ll be able to trim weight off the car. But we’re not talking about one magic fix. We’re talking about every single component, trying to shave off grams here or there, and add downforce, so it’s a double-edged sword.”

‘Losing a second a lap’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/williams-engineer-privately-revealed-they-are-losing-a-second-a-lap-due-to-fw48s-weight-issues/


Yet another Williams car problem might be its most troubling
22 Mar 2026
SCOTT MITCHELL-MALM
The Race

Alex Albon: "The biggest issue at the minute is the car three-wheeling, so we just need to fix it." Three-wheeling is when the car lifts one tyre off the ground in a corner, usually the inside rear. It is not always fully detached from the ground but can give that sensation if the suspension brings the wheel up such that it is significantly unloaded. The effect is the car running with a reduced contact patch across the four wheels that reduces mechanical grip but also disrupts its aerodynamic platform. This means the car can lack grip and be unpredictable.

As Albon said in China, "we can’t hide behind the weight". There are other issues hurting Williams - "some weird stuff going on in the car", Albon said, after a weekend in which multiple set-up changes did not help and reliability problems after a gearbox change meant he did not even start Sunday's grand prix. "Nothing seems to fix the car," he said. "There's a lot of balance issues in the car," said Albon. "We aren't seeing some downforce as well, so it's an accumulation of things. The weight's one thing. There's also plans kind of in conjunction with the weight loss to get the car a bit in balance and also at downforce quicker."

"We know we are too slow and we are too slow compared to where we wanted to be, compared to where we expected to be," Carlos Sainz said. "Part of that is weight that we know we need to get out of the car but another part, a very big part of it, is downforce that we need to improve. We haven't been the most reliable car also. Honestly we need to level up because we're having too many issues in too many areas and as a team, we need to dig deep. I hope these two points serve as motivation, as a bit of a bonus motivation for everyone to go back home and dig deep because it's not where we wanted to be and where we said we would be this season."

'Biggest issue: Three-wheeling car';

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/yet-another-williams-car-problem-might-be-its-most-troubling/


Williams ignoring potential strategy errors will affect them far more than current weight issues
19 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

James Vowles claims Williams pit strategy would not have earned them more points in Shanghai. James Vowles answered fan questions in the latest episode of Vowles Verdict. When asked whether a better-timed pit stop to align with the safety car would have helped Carlos Sainz earn a better finish, Vowles refuted the notion. “Had we waited just one lap, that’s how short it was, we would have pitted ahead of Lawson. However, from everything we can see at the moment, based on where we are performance-wise, that wouldn’t have resulted in a different finish position.”

“Perhaps a slightly easier race, but the same finish position, which was P9. In terms of the decision itself, the team were always conscious that these regulations and the amount of reliability we’ve seen now, there was a high probability at any given lap of a car breakdown and a safety car. But it’s hard to do. It’s a random event, and in the meantime, their focus was on the amount of graining we had on the medium tyre and effectively gaining off that tyre because we were starting to lose a lot of performance.”

‘Williams ignoring potential strategy errors will affect them far more…’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/williams-ignoring-potential-strategy-errors-will-affect-them-far-more-than-current-weight-issues/


James Vowles says Williams now have an ‘aggressive’ plan to improve the pace of their 2026 F1 car
17 Mar 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

From inside the Chinese Grand Prix paddock, James Vowles said, “We’ve got Suzuka coming up and then that long break as a result of Bahrain and Saudi unfortunately being cancelled. On a note on that, thank you to the FIA, who I know have taken a difficult decision, but have considered all elements. But also, my heart goes out to all those affected by it at the same time.”

“In terms of Japan, we’ll come back stronger, and I’m confident as we then go through that break into Miami, there’s a lot more to come. We know we’re not where we wanted to be today, there’s no doubt about that. But we have an aggressive plan to get us back to where the car really should be. That’s round two over, and our first points on the board for Carlos,” Vowles added. “Absolutely incredible drive by him. Whether he’s fighting for a podium or two points, you can tell he puts his heart and soul into it and earned the result today.”

“I’m desperately sorry for Alex, we weren’t able to start the race. We changed the gearbox overnight and suffered a hydraulics issue this morning, which you can only find by effectively driving on laps to the grid. The team, as hard as they worked, weren’t able to repair it before the start of the race. And it’s deeply disappointing because I truly believe he had the potential to also score a point.”

“In terms of Japan, we’ll come back stronger”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/james-vowles-says-williams-now-have-an-aggressive-plan-to-improve-the-pace-of-their-2026-f1-car/


Williams delivered crushing ‘flop of the season’ verdict as longstanding F1 rumor resurfaces
20 Mar 2026
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week

Former Formula 1 [WILLIAMS] drivers Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya have laid into Williams as a rumored overweight FW48 gets called the “biggest flop” of the 2026 season. Looking at the state of affairs at Williams, former driver Schumacher called them the “biggest flop” of the season so far. “Aston Martin, (are struggling) too, and obviously Honda with the issues they’re facing. So these teams naturally have a huge opportunity. It sounds harsh, but I think it’s almost that simple to call Honda that. I’d say Williams is the biggest flop.”

If these rumors are true, then, Williams have taken a big step backwards in terms of developing its package for F1’s latest era. Montoya, who drove for the team between 2001 and 2004, has gone as far as suggesting that the engineers responsible should be relieved from their duties immediately. “Personally someone should be held responsible for that,” he told AS Colombia. “The people on that team and someone who held a position that obviously involved supervising that and making a mistake like that, should be responsible for it and should set a bit of an example for people.”

“Not by threatening people, but people have to take responsibility for their work, if you know what I mean? If you’re the captain of, I don’t know, a cruise ship and you sink the ship, you’ll be sacked, if you know what I mean? If you’ve got a job to do and you mess it up, you’re out. And so I think that’s important.”

‘Laid into Williams: Flop of the season – “Williams is the biggest flop’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/03/20/williams-delivered-crushing-flop-of-the-season-verdict-as-longstanding-f1-rumor-resurfaces/

[Fortitude]

Concerned Sainz fears that 'big crash' could occur due to 2026 regulations.
Carlos Sainz has issued a stark warning regarding the 2026 regulations, stating that a "big crash" could occur regarding the new 'Straight Mode'.
24 Mar 2026
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com

The regulation overhaul saw the Drag Reduction System replaced by active aerodynamics, meaning front and rear wings would open up through the 'Straight Mode' zones on track.
Unlike DRS, the SM zones can be used without being within a second of the car in front, and they appear across several parts of the track, including some kinks and corners. As a result, drivers have raised concerns about the lack of downforce through high-speed corners due to SM and active aerodynamics, and Sainz was the latest to do so after the Chinese Grand Prix.

"I think SM is a plaster on top of a plaster," the Spaniard said to GPblog and others in Shanghai. Carlos Sainz finished P9 at the Chinese Grand Prix "Racing with your wings open on the straights at 340 KPH, sooner rather than later, there's going to be a big crash at very high speeds in tracks like Australia with little kinks.”

"Places like Jeddah, with open wings, I don't like it, I don't like having to race flat out at 340 KPH with no downforce in the car and the wings open. In China, it's a straight line; it's fine, but in the other kind of tracks, it's not good. I think it's the plaster, the SM is the plaster to a very energy-demanding circuit and car like we have right now."

‘Stark warning; "Big Crash"’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/concerned-sainz-fears-that-big-crash-could-occur-due-to-2026-regulations


F1 star 'really lucky' after miraculously avoiding 'dangerous' crash not shown on TV
Franco Colapinto’s incredible reactions somehow avoided a huge smash in the opening lap of the Australian Grand Prix as he was forced to avoid a slow car off the start line
8 Mar 2026
Cameron Winstanley
Daily Star

Franco Colapinto’s incredible reactions are to thank for avoiding a huge crash just seconds into the Australian Grand Prix. The opening race of the 2026 season started in dramatic fashion as Oscar Piastri crashed out on the reconnaissance lap half an hour before the start. The McLaren star wrecked his car after spinning and slamming into the wall after clipping the kerb but thankfully exited the car unharmed.

There was almost another terrifying crash off the start line in Melbourne as Colapinto was forced to take last-minute evasive action to avoid driving straight into the back of Liam Lawson who was bogged down off the line

On-board footage from Colapinto’s Alpine, which started in P16, showed the Argentine getting a great launch off the line but he almost ended up in the back of Lawson’s Racing Bulls and then the wall, but miraculously steered clear of both. Lawson, who started in P8, failed to get off the line and was left a sitting duck as he crawled away from his grid spot.

'Really lucky';

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/franco-colapinto-f1-crash-miss-36833739


Carlos Sainz issues fierce F1 warning over 'big crash'
A close call occurred between two F1 drivers at the Australian Grand Prix last weekend.
12 Mar 2026
Fergal Walsh & Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Carlos Sainz has warned F1 it will see a large crash if it stands still over safety concerns with the new regulations. The season-opening Australian Grand Prix last week saw Franco Colapinto forced to take avoiding action as he came across a slow-moving Liam Lawson as they launched off the start line.

Lando Norris has already voiced his fear of seeing a major crash due to the car's behaviour. It's a viewpoint Sainz shares as he called on the FIA to take action in order to prevent injury. “There are two main points about safety this year,” Sainz told media including RacingNews365. “One is the starts and the situation that you saw already from testing, you saw them again in Melbourne.”

“In Melbourne, we were extremely lucky that nothing happened with Liam and Franco. My feeling is that there is going to be one of those big crashes if nothing changes for the start at some point this year. Fingers crossed that we take action in time to improve them and it never happens. But if we stay without doing anything, my feeling is that at one point or another, we will see one of those situations.”

'Big crash';

https://racingnews365.com/carlos-sainz-issues-fierce-f1-warning-over-big-crash


F1 dealt 'not a good look' criticism after China start mayhem
Formula 1 has already seen six cars fail to start races in 2026, with it yet begin a grand prix with a full grid.
22 Mar 2026
Nick Golding & Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Carlos Sainz has stressed that it is "not a good look" for so many cars to have failed to start the Chinese Grand Prix, in the latest criticism of Formula 1's new regulations. Both McLarens, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Alex Albon all failed to start at the Shanghai International Circuit due to various issues, resulting in only 18 cars taking to the grid.

Discussing four cars not starting in China, Sainz told select media including RacingNews365: "For sure, it's not a great look for everyone. "I think not having the two McLarens, a Williams, and an Audi on the grid shows how difficult we make our lives by coming up with super-complicated engines with extremely complex software and battery usage.”

‘F1 dealt 'not a good look' criticism’;

https://racingnews365.com/f1-dealt-not-a-good-look-criticism-after-china-start-mayhem


Why Sainz is racing in fear of ‘a very big crash’ in F1
24/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

On paper, it’s innovation. On track, Sainz sees something far more sinister. “SM is a plaster on top of a plaster,” he warned bluntly, dismissing the system as a temporary fix masking deeper flaws. But it’s what comes next that sends a chill through the Spaniard’s spine.

“Racing with your wings open on the straights at 340 km/h, sooner rather than later, there’s going to be a big crash at very high speeds in tracks with little kinks,” he said, pinpointing Melbourne, where F1 has already raced this season, and Jeddah which the sport will bypass.

‘Chill through the Spaniard’s spine’;

https://f1i.com/news/561646-why-sainz-is-racing-in-fear-of-a-very-big-crash-in-f1.html


Lando Norris accused of 'harsh criticism' over F1 crash fear
It was an eye-opening remark that drew plenty of attention.
19 Mar 2026
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

One of McLaren driver Lando Norris' major concerns was over the speed differential in wheel-to-wheel combat between a car lacking power from the battery compared to one fully charged. “It's chaos, you're going to have a big accident,” said Norris. "Which is a shame that you're just driving, and we're the ones just waiting for something to happen and something to go quite horribly wrong.”

"That's not a nice position to be in. There's nothing we can really do about that now. It's a shame, it's very artificial, depending on what the power unit decides to do and randomly does at times. You just get overtaken by five cars, and you can just do nothing about it."

'Harsh criticism';

https://racingnews365.com/lando-norris-accused-of-harsh-criticism-over-f1-crash-fear

[Fortitude]

Wolff cautious ‘political knives’ could derail Mercedes dominance.
Mercedes have won the first two grand prix of the season, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli the top two in the standings.
24 Mar 2026
Kieran Jackson
The Independent

Toto Wolff is cautious about Mercede’s strong start to the new F1 season and is wary of the political knives” which could play a part in the early phase of the year.

‘Political knives’;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/toto-wolff-mercedes-f1-2026-japanese-gp-b2944398.html


Ralf Schumacher says Mercedes still have ‘something up their sleeve’ in Ferrari battle
24 Mar 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

There’s no doubting Mercedes’ superiority in F1’s new technical ruleset, but Ralf Schumacher thinks the W17 is yet to reach its peak as he theorises on the Silver Arrows still having ‘something up their sleeve’ in the battle against Ferrari. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have both led one-twos for Mercedes in the first two rounds of the 2026 F1 season, culminating in a 31-point lead for the German constructor over their closest rivals, Ferrari.

In a recent episode of the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, six-time Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher touched upon the rumours that Mercedes are still withholding some performance in their W17 despite the levels of dominance it has already shown. The German pundit said, “I do believe that they still have something up their sleeve. However, in race pace, the Ferrari is also there, in terms of performance. Lewis Hamilton has confirmed it.”

“So there is a possibility that Mercedes can step up again, in a legal way, obviously, while Ferrari seems to be able to demand more performance from the engine during the race with the same durability. So from that perspective, it is closer than I thought. There is still potential in the car. You can also see that after the safety car phases, both drivers always have major problems, unlike Ferrari, to get up to speed, and to bring the temperature into the car directly. Accordingly, I do believe that Ferrari is closer than one would have expected to Mercedes.”

‘Something up their sleeve’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ralf-schumacher-says-mercedes-still-have-something-up-their-sleeve-in-ferrari-battle/


F1TECH: Mercedes front wing under scrutiny after reports of two phase closure system
25 Mar 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Rumblings in the Formula 1 paddock have intensified after reports surfaced suggesting that Mercedes may be operating a two phase front wing closure mechanism that could fall outside the intended scope of FIA active aerodynamics regulations. The system, observed during recent sessions and highlighted by technical analysts, appears to manipulate the timing of the wing’s transition between active and closed states — potentially allowing the W17 to gain an aerodynamic advantage without triggering regulatory alarms.

Concerns were amplified when Ferrari reportedly requested clarification from the FIA, believing Mercedes may have discovered a way to bypass the mandatory closure time sensors by splitting the wing’s movement into two distinct stages. Footage and technical breakdowns indicate that Mercedes’ front wing does not simply snap shut in a single motion. Instead, it appears to operate in a two phase sequence. During the first phase, a rapid movement lasts roughly 400 milliseconds, which the FIA’s control system interprets as a full closure.

Afterwards, a slower, mechanical continuation follows which brings the wing to its final aerodynamic position — but outside the time window monitored by the FIA. This behaviour was visible in live broadcast screenshots last time out at the Chinese Grand Prix, where the front wing could be seen shifting first to an intermediate angle before completing its movement moments later. Ferrari believes this staggered process may allow Mercedes to comply with the letter of the regulations while sidestepping their intended effect.

‘Concerns were amplified when Ferrari reportedly requested clarification from the FIA’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28366


Mercedes to unleash ‘the beast’ as Japanese Grand Prix livery revealed
24 Mar 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Mercedes will be “unleashing the beast” at Suzuka, having unveiled a unique Japanese Grand Prix livery. Joining the collection of teams to adapt its look for Suzuka, Mercedes has gone with a wolf face atop its front wing, in a unique one-off livery for the championship leaders.

Mercedes will also be shaking up its livery this weekend, at least when it comes to the front wing, anyway. Complete with an ‘unleashing the Beast this weekend in Suzuka’ caption on social media, Mercedes revealed a Wolf-inspired character which will adorn the top of the front wing on the W17s, driven by George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

‘The Beast’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mercedes-suzuka-livery-2026-wolf-design


Antonelli’s title downplayed after Chinese GP win: 'Only if something special happens'
24 MAR 2026
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com

Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes the future is bright for Kimi Antonelli, but a world title in 2026 may be just out of his reach. Despite the impressive drive, Steiner believes it might be a season too soon before Antonelli becomes champion of the world in F1. "No, only if something special happens, like it happened in China, in qualifying," the Italian said while on the Red Flags podcast.

"The good thing is he took it there, but maybe not under normal circumstances. I think it is also understandable why not; the kid is 19 years old in his second year in Formula One. George is a good race car driver, so I don't think he can do it this year. But there are other opportunities for him. If he doesn't win it this year, he can wait another time because he's so young. For me, he doesn't have to put too much pressure on himself to win it this year. He has a good future in front of him."

'Only if something special happens';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/steiner-makes-clear-antonelli-title-stance-after-chinese-gp-breakthrough

[Fortitude]

Gary Anderson: F1's sudden Japanese GP rule change doesn't go far enough.
“…but more could have been done to ensure qualifying is the spectacle and driving challenge it should be.” Gary Anderson.
26 Mar 2026
GARY ANDERSON
The Race

For reference of torque output versus time for a battery storage capacity of 4MJ gives you.
350kW for roughly 11.5seconds.
300kW for roughly 13.3 seconds.
250kW for roughly 16.0 seconds.
200kW for roughly 20.0 seconds.

In my opinion, the only way to achieve this is lots of lift and coast, through Turn 1 into Turn 2 is an ideal candidate. Also, through the esses just to control the speed and also Degner 1. It will be sad to see, but I’m sure we will also see plenty of it through 130R as well. Once, it was a demanding flat-out corner, but I suppose those days are long gone, however with nothing much to gain on the way to the chicane, it’s an ideal place to maximise harvesting for the short run to the finish line.

Basically, the driver has to dictate whether he wants the car to go slower or faster. He has two pedals to achieve that, and I believe his demands should be what the system reacts to and provides. All this ‘hidden’ circuit mapping that Charles Leclerc was commenting on, confusing the system doesn’t need to be there; give the driver back control. After all, that’s what the steering wheel does - the driver tells the car to turn left or right. Can you imagine the chaos if that system was allowed to be fly-by-wire? It wouldn’t take long for a driver to lose confidence after a couple of programming errors, and basically it’s now the same with the torque delivery.

“More could have been done”;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-sudden-japanese-gp-rule-change-doesnt-go-far-enough/


FIA heeds F1 qualifying concerns with crucial Japanese GP rule change
26 Mar 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

In a statement, the FIA said: “Following discussions between the FIA, F1 teams and Power Unit Manufacturers, a minor adjustment to the energy management parameters for Qualifying at the Japanese GP has been agreed with the unanimous support of all Power Unit Manufacturers.”

“To ensure that the intended balance between energy deployment and driver performance is maintained, the maximum permitted energy recharge for Qualifying this weekend has been reduced from 9.0 MJ to 8.0 MJ. This adjustment reflects feedback from drivers and teams, who have emphasised the importance of maintaining Qualifying as a performance challenge.”

“The FIA notes that the first events under the 2026 Regulations have been operationally successful, and this targeted refinement is part of the normal process of optimisation as the new regulatory framework is further validated in real-world conditions. The FIA, together with F1 teams and Power Unit Manufacturers, continues to embrace evolutions to energy management, with further discussions scheduled in the coming weeks.”

‘Crucial Japanese GP rule change’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/03/26/fia-makes-crucial-rule-change-for-f1-japanese-gp/


FIA makes late change to qualifying before Japanese GP amid driver concerns
26 Mar 2026
Laurence Edmondson
TSN

Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, has made a tweak to the rules around this weekend's qualifying session at the Japanese Grand Prix amid concerns drivers would have to focus on energy harvesting on high-speed sections of track. during simulations ahead of this weekend's race, teams noted that having such a high limit encouraged large amounts of lifting and coasting -- the process by which a driver lifts off the throttle before braking for a corner -- and super clipping -- when the V6 engine is partly used as a generator to charge the battery.

In order to minimise such practices -- which often appear unnatural to viewers watching onboard footage from the cars -- the FIA informed the teams on Wednesday that the limit would be reduced to eight megajoules. The change equates to four seconds less of super clipping around a lap, and the FIA expects the cars to be roughly 0.5 seconds per lap slower as a result of having less energy to deploy around the lap.

While most drivers either welcomed the change or said it wouldn't make an impact, Haas' Oliver Bearman argued against it. "I mean it's just making us even slower," he argued. "On one hand we don't have to do any lift and coast any more, which is probably a bit better for us, but it just means we have to do a lot of... I think there's better ways of achieving the same thing. If we could harvest at negative 350 kilowatts while on full throttle, I think it would make everyone's lives a bit easier. But this is also a solution, I guess."

‘Tweak to the rules’;

https://www.tsn.ca/motorsports/article/fia-makes-late-change-to-qualifying-before-japanese-gp-amid-driver-concerns-n1-48310901/


Verstappen sounds off on FIA tweak aimed at ‘fixing’ qualifying
26 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen has aired his take on the changes made by the FIA to qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix weekend. Asked for his reaction, Verstappen offered a measured response, admitting he had yet to test the changes but expressing hope they would make qualifying more flat-out. “I mean, I've not practised this on the simulator, so I cannot give you a clear answer. It was a little bit before, not flat-out basically. So I hope that this can be closer to being flat-out,” Verstappen said at the Suzuka International Circuit.

When pressed on whether the change compromises the purity of racing at Suzuka, the four-time world champion remained pragmatic, acknowledging the limitations of the current regulations while looking ahead to potential improvements. “Of course, it feels very different to last year, but this is the reality that we're in now and you just have to accept that at the moment. I mean, there's not much that you can do anyway for this year,” Verstappen explained.

“I hope that bigger changes will be there for next year. How does it feel? It feels... how does it feel? It's different. I mean, you all know how I, of course, think of the situation, and I think that was something that I felt when I was on the simulator as well. Around here, going to eight megajoules probably helps a tiny bit, but the basics are the same, you know, so you still need to be careful with your throttle inputs. That is, of course, very different to the past,” the Red Bull Racing driver concluded.

‘Max Verstappen has aired his take on the changes’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verstappen-sounds-off-on-fia-tweak-aimed-at-fixing-qualifying


Russell: Suzuka "good test" of F1's new rules after "super boring" 2025 race
George Russell described the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix as "super boring", and expects Sunday's race to stress test the excitement of the new F1 era.
26 Mar 2026
Sam Hall, Adam Cooper
Crash.Net

Overtake Mode and Straightline Mode have kept battling drivers closer together for longer, and early championship leader Russell believes this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix will provide a stern test for the improved action.

“I think this is the argument. The previous generation of cars, we would say are perfectly suited to a track like Suzuka, because the cars in the past had a lot of high-speed downforce, and I think the lap times we saw last year were probably the fastest lap times we’ve ever seen in Suzuka, yet the race was super boring,” said Russell.

“So yes, we will be slower through the Esses this year, and I think it will probably be an easy one-stop, the same as last year. But it was an easy one-stop in China, and it was a very exciting race. I guess this will be a good test for the regulations, if this track now becomes an exciting race and it was once a boring race, that will be quite interesting.”

‘Expects Sunday's race to stress test the excitement of the new F1 era’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1091943/1/george-russell-suzuka-will-test-f1s-increased-excitement


How Ferrari can ‘annoy’ F1 rival Mercedes at Japanese GP
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc hopes to "annoy" Mercedes at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.
26 Mar 2026
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

While Leclerc has downplayed Ferrari’s chances of winning this weekend, the Monegasque at least hopes to give Mercedes a headache early on. "I don’t think it’s as close as maybe people think,” Leclerc said during Thursday’s FIA press conference at Suzuka.

“Obviously the first few races we see lots of fighting between the cars, which is actually quite nice, but as soon as you are a little bit suboptimal with these cars you lose a lot of lap time. So, our only chance to stay with them is to annoy them in the first few laps, but as soon as they get free air then they’ve shown their real pace in the last race, and I think there’s still these four or five tenths that we’ve seen throughout these first two races.”

"It’s still a significant advantage. But yes, that doesn’t discourage me and again we have some things in the pipeline. We’ve got to focus on ourselves, not trying to overdo it because it’s never good in these situations, and then we’ll see where that brings us.” Leclerc reiterated the importance of the development battle throughout the 2026 campaign.

‘Give Mercedes a headache early on’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1091950/1/charles-leclerc-how-ferrari-can-annoy-f1-rival-mercedes-japanese-gp

[Fortitude]

Japanese GP: Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in Suzuka first practice.
George Russell continued his commanding start to the 2026 season by topping first practice for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, narrowly edging Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli in a closely fought session.
27/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

The championship leader’s benchmark lap of 1m31.666s was enough to deny Antonelli by just 0.026s, underlining that Mercedes’ early-season dominance remains firmly intact. Under clear skies at the iconic Suzuka Circuit, Russell wasted little time asserting control. Running on hard tyres in the opening stages, he posted a 1m32.429s to lead the field ahead of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.

Once the switch to soft tyres came, the Silver Arrows tightened their grip. Russell improved to a 1m31.755s, only for Antonelli – fresh from his breakthrough win in Shanghai—to respond with a 1m31.692s and briefly take over at the top. But Russell wasn’t done. After a wide moment at Spoon Curve, the Briton regrouped and delivered the session’s decisive blow, reclaiming P1 with a 1m31.666s that would stand unbeaten.

For now, though, the spotlight remains firmly on Mercedes. With Russell and Antonelli once again locking out the top two positions, the message from Suzuka’s opening session was clear: the Silver Arrows are still the team to beat.

‘Russell leads Mercedes 1-2’;

https://f1i.com/news/561804-japanese-gp-russell-leads-mercedes-1-2-in-suzuka-first-practice.html


Japanese GP FP1 Results Today: 2026 Practice 1 Times
George Russell continues his impressive start to the 2026 Formula 1 season for Mercedes.
27 Mar 2026
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Here are the complete Practice 1 results from the Suzuka Circuit in Japan.
Position Driver Team Time / Gap to Fastest
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:31.666
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.026
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.132
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.199
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.289
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.374
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.791
8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.863
9 Esteban Ocon Haas +0.935
10 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +0.999

‘FP1 Results’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/japanese-gp-2026-fp1-results/


Mercedes continue F1 domination as Red Bull alarm rings in Japan practice
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli picked up where they left off in China during the first free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix.
27 Mar 2026
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

George Russell led a strong Mercedes one-two in the opening practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, as a major Red Bull alarm sounded. Russell initially shaved half-a-second off his best time to post a 1:31.755, with Antonelli suffering a lock-up at the hairpin and losing two-tenths to his team-mate. Verstappen, meanwhile, having run the soft tyres at a similar time in track conditions, was 0.765s slower than Russell.

Antonelli improved to a 1:31.692, before Russell then lowered his time again to a 1:31.666s which stood as the session best, 0.026s ahead of the Italian in the sister car. Norris finished third, 0.132s down on Russell after a late start to his session, with Oscar Piastri fourth ahead of both Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton in fifth and sixth, but both within 0.4s. Verstappen was seventh.

Four drivers were placed under investigation by the stewards for incidents, with Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson involved in a bizarre driving slowly incident at the exit of the hairpin, whilst Alex Albon crashed into Sergio Perez at the final chicane in the closing moments of the session.

‘Red Bull alarm rings’;

https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-continue-f1-domination-as-red-bull-alarm-rings-in-japan-practice


Japanese Grand Prix: George Russell pips Kimi Antonelli to finish fastest in first practice
Mar 27, 2026
PA
ESPN.co.uk

George Russell set the fastest time in first practice for the Japanese Grand Prix. Championship leader Russell saw off team-mate Kimi Antonelli by just 0.026 seconds as Mercedes secured a one-two finish.

World champion Lando Norris was third for McLaren, just 0.132 sec back, and a place clear of team-mate Oscar Piastri. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and sixth respectively for Ferrari with Red Bull's Max Verstappen seventh.

Russell and Antonelli have one win apiece so far, and the Mercedes men again look to be the pair to beat here in Suzuka. Russell leads Antonelli by just four points in the standings following the Italian teenager's first win last time out in China.

‘George Russell pips Kimi Antonelli’;

https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/48302076/george-russell-pips-kimi-antonelli-finish-fastest-first-practice


Japanese GP: Full Practice 1 results as officials investigate Alex Albon
27 Mar 2026
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com

Mercedes established itself as the early favourite with a strong performance in the opening hour of practice for the Japanese Grand Prix. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli headed the pack with Lando Norris recovering from a slow start to be third best.

It was an issue-free hour for Mercedes as a while, while setup days cost Lando Norris time in the early moments. There was a moment for Sergio Perez and Alex Albon in the final moments as the Williams driver tried to move up the inside of the Cadillac at the Casio Triange.

That resulted in conflict and will be investigated by officials. It was the second moment for Albon who bounced through the gravel at Degner 2 and even made contact with the tyre barrier earlier in the session.

‘Officials investigate Alex Albon’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-results-2026-jpanese-grand-prix-suzuka-fp1


FIA determine cause of clumsy Alex Albon and Sergio Perez crash
Alex Albon collided with Sergio Perez late on during Free Practice 1 at the Japanese Grand Prix.
27 Mar 2026
Jake Nichol & Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Alex Albon has escaped repercussions for crashing into Sergio Perez during Free Practice 1 at the Japanese Grand Prix. "The Driver of Car 23 said that he believed from the wide line taken by Car 11 at the entry to turn 16 that Car 11 was letting him through.”

"Both Drivers were surprised by the closing speeds. The collision was therefore the result of a misunderstanding contributed to by a lack of communication by the team to the Driver of Car 11. Both Drivers accepted that neither of them was wholly or predominantly to blame for it. The Stewards therefore determined to take no further action."

“No further action";

https://racingnews365.com/fia-determine-cause-of-clumsy-alex-albon-and-sergio-perez-crash

[Fortitude]

Piastri breaks Mercedes' P1 hegemony at the Japan Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri was the quickest in FP1, finishing marginally ahead of the two Mercedes drivers, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
27 Mar 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Many teams and drivers were eager to get on track during the second session of the day, with the group led by Hamilton. Norris was not on that list, with the McLaren mechanics working on his MCL40. Arvid Lindblad's day has also come to an early end after he reported issues on his opening lap over the team radio. Around 10 minutes into the session, Alex Albon nearly caused the first red flag of the day by stopping on track, but the Thai-British driver was able to get going again.

15 minutes into the session, Leclerc led with a 1:31.0, marginally ahead of Piastri. By the halfway point, drivers completed their first laps on the soft tyres. Piastri then led the session ahead of the two Mercedes drivers, in the order of Antonelli and Russell. Entering the final 15 minutes, Piastri continued to lead FP2, as the drivers switched for stints on the medium tyres.

Lando Norris finished fourth ahead of the two Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The Briton reported during the session that he was not comfortable with his car. Four-time world champion and the winner of the last four Japanese GPs, Max Verstappen, finished tenth in this session.

‘Piastri breaks Mercedes' P1 hegemony’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-news/piastri-breaks-mercedes-p1-hegemony-at-the-japan-grand-prix


Japanese Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results
27/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

2026 Japanese Grand Prix - Free Practice 2 results
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:30.133s 29
2 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.092s 28
3 George Russell Mercedes +0.205s 29
4 Lando Norris McLaren +0.516s 17
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.713s 28
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.847s 27
7 Nico Hülkenberg Audi +1.308s 27
8 Alexander Albon Williams +1.363s 30
9 Oliver Bearman Haas +1.365s 28
10 Max Verstappen Red Bull +1.376s 29

‘Free Practice 2 results’;

https://f1i.com/news/561802-japanese-grand-prix-free-practice-2-results-2.html


F1 Japanese GP: Oscar Piastri heads Mercedes pair as issues hit Lando Norris in second practice
Oscar Piastri puts McLaren ahead of Mercedes at the end of Friday at the Japanese Grand Prix.
27 Mar 2026
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri outpaced the Mercedes pair of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in second practice at Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix. Lap times tumbled in the second hour of practice running at Suzuka, with Piastri putting McLaren top of the timesheet for the first time after pipping Antonelli, who claimed his maiden F1 victory last time out in China, by 0.092 seconds.

Early world championship leader Russell, who led a Mercedes one-two in opening practice, was third-fastest, 0.205s down on Piastri’s benchmark in FP2. World champion Lando Norris was fourth after a hydraulics leak caused him to miss almost half of the session. The McLaren driver ended up 0.516s behind team-mate Piastri on the soft tyres.

Norris has lost one of his three batteries for the 2026 season in a setback to his hopes of defending his world title. Issues for Norris aside, it has been an encouraging start to the weekend for McLaren after its double DNS disaster in Shanghai.

‘Oscar Piastri heads Mercedes pair’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1092035/1/f1-japanese-gp-oscar-piastri-heads-mercedes-pair-issues-hit-lando-norris-second


Japanese GP: Full Practice 2 results sees Piastri topple Mercedes
27 Mar 2026
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com

Oscar Piastri topped the second practice hour for this weekend’s Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix ahead of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. The McLaren driver’s soft tyre run left him just 0.092s clear of the Chinese GP race winner, with Lando Norris in the second McLaren fourth best.

Norris endured a complicated session after a hydraulics issue kept him in the garage for the first 23 minutes. There were problems too for Arvid Lindblad, who reported issues on track shortly after leaving the pits as the session began. Gabriel Bortoleto was also reduced to spectator duties as Audi worked on the power unit in the back of his car.

Damage sustained in opening practice also saw Sergio Perez delayed as Cadillac worked to repair the floor on the Mexican’s car. Franco Colapinto will front the stewards after he weaved his way down the back straight, impeding Max Verstappen in the process.

‘Piastri topple(s) Mercedes’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-results-2026-japanese-grand-prix-suzuka-fp2


FP2 Report: What Happened in Second Practice at the 2026 Japanese GP
Oscar Piastri tops second practice at Suzuka ahead of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell as McLaren shows improved pace
27 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

The Japanese GP FP2 report saw Oscar Piastri deliver a standout performance at Suzuka, putting McLaren at the top of the timesheets ahead of the Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in a busy and incident-filled session. The Australian’s benchmark of 1m 30.133s proved enough to hold off Antonelli by just 0.092s, with Russell a further tenth behind. It was a tight margin, but one that carried weight given the context of McLaren’s disrupted start to the season.

If Piastri’s lap hinted at promise, the other side of the McLaren garage told a more complicated story. Lando Norris endured a delayed start to the session after the team investigated a suspected hydraulic issue, leaving the Brit watching from the garage while rivals banked valuable laps.

By the time he joined the track, much of the early running had already unfolded. Even so, Norris recovered impressively to finish fourth, though over half a second shy of his team-mate’s time. His session underlined both the potential of the MCL40 and the fragility that has defined McLaren’s early campaign.

‘McLaren shows improved pace’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/fp2-japanese-gp-2026-report/


Liam Lawson just proved Red Bull are not ‘a happy camp’ at Japanese Grand Prix, says Karun Chandhok
27 Mar 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Liam Lawson’s fastest FP2 lap in Japan being 0.081s slower than Max Verstappen’s shows Red Bull’s issues. Verstappen struggled with understeer throughout FP2 at the Japanese GP, with the 28-year-old often fighting to force his Red Bull RB22 to corner how he wanted without locking up or making a mistake. Yet Chandhok feels Lawson’s pace hammered home Red Bull’s problems.

Lawson’s qualifying simulation run in the Racing Bulls VCARB 03 resulting in a lap time only 0.081s slower than Verstappen’s best effort shows Chandhok just how much Red Bull need to improve the RB22, as the junior team should not be able to compete with the top team. Chandhok said on Sky Sports F1 (27/03, 06:35): “That’s what it looked like from trackside.”

“The Red Bull, it just looked like he was chasing the front end, just having to wait, and wait, and wait. And we know Max, of any driver on the grid, that’s a balance that he really dislikes. The fact [that] he’s still three-tenths ahead of Isack Hadjar suggests that the car is not there. Lawson in the Racing Bulls, with all due respect to them, should not be within eight-hundredths of Max Verstappen in the top Red Bull car. So, that is not a happy camp.”

“Suggests that the car is not there”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/liam-lawson-just-proved-red-bull-are-not-a-happy-camp-at-japanese-grand-prix-says-karun-chandhok/

[Fortitude]

Japanese GP: Mercedes back on top in FP3 with Antonelli fastest.
Mercedes turned up the heat in Saturday’s final practice ahead of Japanese Grand Prix qualifying at Suzuka, with Kimi Antonelli comfortably edging teammate George Russell in the session.
28/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Kimi Antonelli was the first to truly ignite the session, smashing through the 1m 31s barrier with ease before steadily lowering the benchmark. Charles Leclerc responded, chipping away at the gap, while George Russell lurked close behind in a tightly contested top three. But Suzuka’s narrow, high-speed layout added its own drama. Traffic became a major talking point, especially through the fearsome 130R corner, where both Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas voiced their frustration after near-encounters compromised their laps.

At the halfway stage, Leclerc briefly seized control with a 1m 30.229s, exposing a relative weakness in the Mercedes cars through the final sector. But the Silver Arrows were far from done. As the clock ticked down, the gloves came off. Antonelli shattered the 1m 30 barrier for the first time all weekend, only for Russell to edge him moments later by the slimmest of margins – just 0.011s. The duel was on.

But Antonelli had the final word. Hooking up a near-perfect lap, he unleashed a 1m 29.362s that left the rest trailing, and ultimately stood unbeaten at the chequered flag. Behind the Mercedes pair, Leclerc held onto third, albeit a distant eight-tenths back. Oscar Piastri impressed in fourth, followed by Hamilton and the recovering Norris.

‘Kimi Antonelli had the final word’;

https://f1i.com/news/561942-japanese-gp-mercedes-back-on-top-in-fp3-with-antonelli-fastest.html


Japanese GP: Free Practice 3 Results
Full results from Free Practice 3 for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.
28 Mar 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe

Results: Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, Free Practice 3
Pos.
No. Driver Team Time / Gap Laps
1 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:29.362 18
2 63 George Russell Mercedes +0.254s 18
3 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.867s 20
4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren +1.002s 19
5 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +1.021s 23
6 1 Lando Norris McLaren +1.238s 13
7 27 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +1.296s 21
8 3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +1.548s 22
9 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.638s 21
10 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.720s 20

‘Results: Free Practice 3’;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-japanese-grand-prix-suzuka-free-practice-3-fp3-results/


F1- Antonelli quickest in final practice for Japanese Grand Prix
28 Mar 2026
FIA (Press Release)

Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli posted the fastest lap of the final practice session for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, beating team-mate George Russell by a little over a quarter of a second. Charles Leclerc was third, though the Ferrari driver was more than eight tenths of a second off the pace set by Antonelli. It was Ferrari that led the way in the opening phases of the session, but Antonelli took command when he bolted on a set of Soft tyres and quickly delivered a lap of 1:30.418. He then improved to 1:29.929 to set the fastest time of the weekend so far.

With Ferrari and McLaren not threatening to get near that time, Antonelli’s only real competition during the qualifying runs was team-mate Russell and the Australian Grand Prix winner narrowly gapped his Italian team-mate by a hundredth of a second as he too took on Soft tyres. Antonelli rose to that challenge and 18 minutes from the end of the session the youngster logged a lap of 1:29.392 to take top spot, 0.254s clear of Russell who had no response.

Leclerc was the only driver to get within a second of the dominant Mercedes pair, though the Monegasque racer could only haul his Ferrari SF-26 to 0.867s off Antonelli. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was next on the list, just over a second off the pace, while Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five in the second Ferrari. The seven-time champion ended the session just two hundredths of a second behind Piastri and 0.154s off team-mate Leclerc.

‘Antonelli quickest’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-antonelli-quickest-final-practice-japanese-grand-prix


Everything that happened in final Japanese GP practice
28 Mar 2026
MATT BEER
The Race

Mercedes moved back ahead as Friday pacesetter McLaren had a muted start to qualifying day at Formula 1's Japanese Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli beat George Russell by 0.254 seconds in final practice in a Mercedes 1-2 at the front, with everyone else close to a second back. McLaren had been fastest with Oscar Piastri on Friday but he was 1.002s off the pace in fourth behind Charles Leclerc's Ferrari.

The second McLaren of world champion Lando Norris missed the first half of the session with an ERS problem that the team feared would rule him out of the whole hour at first. He worked his way up to sixth, with Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari just ahead. It was a very encouraging session for Audi, which was as high as fifth going into the final minutes and ended up seventh and ninth with Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto sandwiching an unhappy Max Verstappen's Red Bull.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly pushed the other Red Bull of Isack Hadjar out of the top 10 late on. At the back, Aston Martin was a second off even Cadillac's pace on Honda's home ground. Ollie Bearman produced the session's only noteworthy incident, with a fast but beautifully caught spin out of Spoon.

‘Everything that happened’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/everything-that-happened-in-final-japanese-gp-practice/


Lando Norris now on the cusp of a grid penalty as McLaren face more battery issues at Japanese GP
28 Mar 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Lando Norris will now face a grid penalty if McLaren introduce another battery pack into his 2026 pool. During Sky Sports F1’s coverage of FP3 at Suzuka, pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz explained how Norris now has all three of his allocated battery packs for the entire season present in his pool, which means he will face a grid penalty if the issue crops up again.

He said, “On fire up, they found there was a problem with the battery pack, and bear in mind that it was already the second of the three that he’s allowed for the season. So, this is number three going in now.”

“Of course, once they identify and they’re able to fix the pool of three batteries, then that might mean that you can do half a season or maybe more on three energy recovery system battery packs. Use more than three, and you’ll get a grid penalty. That’s probably the least of Lando Norris’ worries, something for the future.”

‘McLaren face more battery issues’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lando-norris-now-on-the-cusp-of-a-grid-penalty-as-mclaren-face-more-battery-issues-at-japanese-gp/


Final practice results as Norris suffers fresh battery blow
28 Mar 2026
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com

Kimi Antonelli holds the advantage ahead of qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix after he topped the final practice session in Suzuka. Antonelli headed George Russell and Charles Leclerc at the end of the Saturday-morning session, the Ferrari driver almost nine-tenths off the outright pace. Kimi Antonelli heads Mercedes one-two as McLaren works miracle for Lando Norris.

Disaster struck Lando Norris before the session even began as McLaren detected a battery issue in his car. McLaren worked a minor miracle to complete a battery change for Norris to emerged with 22 minutes remaining, affording him the chance to bank valuable laps prior to qualifying as he ended up sixth.

Oscar Piastri was fifth best, while Lewis Hamilton appeared to ave a more settled car to be fifth-best. Further back, both Audi drivers found themselves in the top 10 to highlight themselves as strong Q3 contenders come qualifying.

‘Final practice results’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-results-2026-japanese-grand-prix-suzuka-fp3

[Fortitude]

Antonelli soaks up ‘incredible feeling’ after securing pole position in Japan.
Kimi Antonelli has raved about the “incredible feeling” he experienced upon claiming pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, building on his formidable start to the 2026 season.
28/03/2026
Formula One - Official Site

Kimi Antonelli came out on top in the battle for pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix. “It was a good session, I’m happy with it,” he said after Qualifying. “I think I was able to improve lap by lap. That first Q3 lap was good. Second lap was looking strong but then at Turn 11 I locked up and lost quite a bit of time so it was a shame.”

“I was a bit annoyed with that but [I got] pole position. I felt good in the car, felt good with the track, and now focusing on tomorrow.” Reflecting on the support he has enjoyed over the weekend, he explained in an earlier interview: “The fans here in Japan are pretty incredible. There's so much passion and racing at a historic track is an incredible feeling.”

“The track is unbelievable to drive with this kind of car plus the fans give us a little bit more of a boost when we go on track.” Antonelli will now be hoping to avoid small errors that have occasionally impacted his performance at times – such as his crash in FP3 at the season opener in Australia as well as a poor start and time penalty in the China Sprint – and target his second Grand Prix victory.

“I’m happy with it”;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/antonelli-soaks-up-incredible-feeling-after-securing-pole-position-in-japan.3GBYHHlD1c7l5tHNlpsCy3


Japanese Grand Prix - Qualifying Results
28/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

2026 Japanese Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:30.035s 1:29.048s 1:28.778s
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:29.967s 1:29.686s 1:29.076s
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:30.200s 1:29.451s 1:29.132s
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:29.915s 1:29.303s 1:29.405s
5 Lando Norris McLaren 1:30.401s 1:29.795s 1:29.409s
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:30.309s 1:29.589s 1:29.567s
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:30.584s 1:29.874s 1:29.691s
8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 1:30.662s 1:30.104s 1:29.978s
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:30.359s 1:29.990s 1:30.274s
10 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 1:30.781s 1:30.109s 1:30.319s

‘Qualifying Results’;

https://f1i.com/news/561957-japanese-grand-prix-qualifying-results-2.html


Kimi Antonelli surprised by George Russell gap after tricky Suzuka qualifying
28 Mar 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

“I had a really clean session. Felt good. Had a strong run one, and from there on, I just built the momentum,” said Kimi Antonelli after qualifying. “Obviously it was a bit trickier than FP3, especially at the start of qualifying. I think the wind increased a little bit. It felt a little bit more difficult, the car overall.”
“But then we just try to adapt. We made some tweaks with aero balance and found a good compromise. Then the lap in Q3 was good. Bit of a shame for the last one, but I think it was, overall, a very strong session.” Antonelli was asked if he was surprised by the gap to Russell.

He held an advantage over his teammate and the championship leader throughout qualifying, and ended up three tenths clear. “Yeah, I am,” he confirmed. “But with this regulation, it is really easy to gain and lose time. It was the same for me in Melbourne. But, he’s super quick. He’s been super quick around here, and we’ll see tomorrow in the race, how we’re going to do.”

‘Kimi Antonelli surprised’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/kimi-antonelli-suzuka-pole-mercedes-w17-russell-gap


Arvid Lindblad reacts to dumping Max Verstappen out of 2026 Japanese GP Qualifying: ‘I’m very proud’
The 18-year-old stunned for Racing Bulls at the Suzuka International Racing Course on Saturday
28 Mar 2026
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

“I’m very proud of myself,” Lindblad told Sky Sports F1. “I think the job I did in Q2 was pretty impressive. I had a lot of fun on that lap. I knew after the first run that if I did a perfect job, I might be able to just squeeze through. So, I told myself, I’m just going to switch off the brain, hope for the best and send it.”

“It was such an exhilarating feeling as well, just on a track like this when you’re at one with the car, it’s so much fun. I come out of [Turn] 14 and I’m like half-a-second up on the dash on the board there,” Lindblad added. “So I’m like half a second up on the dash and I remember I was so happy in that moment.”

“I was like… You know the lap was amazing to that point, so I remember I even screamed a bit inside the helmet like, ‘Come on!’ So at this point I’m coming into here [Turn 16] and I’m like, ‘Right, just don’t mess it up you know? Just keep it together.’ So I’m coming in and I’m just trying to do a clean job. Brake nice and late because there’s so much lap time here in braking, the kerbs are really difficult, but I just got it nicely.”

‘The 18-year-old stunned for Racing Bulls’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/arvid-lindblad-reacts-max-verstappen-japanese-gp-qualifying/


Karun Chandhok says Max Verstappen had ‘no chance’ of Q3 after watching Japanese Grand Prix onboard
28 Mar 2026
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

Karun Chandhok noticed Max Verstappen struggling in high-speed corners that gave him ‘no chance’ of Q3 at Suzuka. Karun Chandhok assessed Verstappen’s final run in Q2 on Sky Sports F1 (28/03, 6:44 am). Watching his onboard, he saw the RB22 losing time through the high-speed corners, which ultimately cost him a place in the top 10.

“He said it was jumping around in the high-speed [corners]. Watch his head there as he goes through turn one, loads of understeer, struggling then, then snaps into an oversteer,” he said. “Let’s go through the Esses and he’s just waiting on the front for a long time, and it eventually bites. There’s almost like a disconnect where he’s just not able to get the front and rear of the car talking to each other.”

“He goes in, carrying the speed that he believes, the rear of the car steps out of line, has to correct it. Then he’s just waiting because he’s gone in too fast and he’s now on this kerb, and all of that means he’s not in the right position he wants for the second part, has to have another correction there for the second apex.”

‘No chance of Q3’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/karun-chandhok-says-max-verstappen-had-no-chance-of-q3-after-watching-japanese-grand-prix-onboard/


Charles Leclerc blasts qualifying in F1 2026 with foul-mouthed radio outburst at Japanese Grand Prix
28 Mar 2026
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

When race engineer Bryan Bozzi confirmed he had finished the session in P4, Charles Leclerc lamented: “Honestly, I honestly cannot stand with the quali, it’s a f—— joke. I go faster in corners, throttle earlier, for f— sake, I’m losing everything in the straight.”

Speaking to Canal+ after qualifying, Leclerc explains the issues he was having down the straights at Suzuka. “Not at all, I think that was the best Q2 I’ve done and I don’t think I could replicate it. Honestly, even if from the onboard it looks like a mistake, in itself it was super beneficial for the Q2, there wasn’t much more in that lap. What’s more frustrating than anything else is the performance we lose from one run to the next in the straights with what we do with the driving.”

“In Q3, last run, I tried to push a little bit more, it worked everywhere, but unfortunately we lose a tenth and a half just compared to my lap, only in the straights in the last sector, and that’s very frustrating, even if we know it’s a bit part of the game with this regulation. I’m not getting used to it and in the car you want to push, but well, that’s how it is.”

‘Foul-mouthed radio outburst’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/charles-leclerc-blasts-qualifying-in-f1-2026-with-foul-mouthed-radio-outburst-at-japanese-grand-prix/


Ted recaps quali as Antonelli makes it back-to-back poles ���� | Ted's Japanese GP Qualifying Notebook
Mar 28, 2026
Sky Sports F1

Ted Kravitz recaps Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying where it was Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli who secured back-to-back pole positions followed by George Russell and Oscar Piastri. 0:00 - Ted explores 6:15 - Mercedes 11:20 - McLaren 14:04 - Red Bull 17:20 - Ferrari 19:04 - Williams 20:31 - Racing Bulls 21:31 - Jonathan Wheatley future 22:56 - Aston Martin 23:44 - Haas 24:08 - Audi 24:30 - Alpine 24:56 - Cadillac

‘Back-to-back poles’;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjRqUVABlU0

[Fortitude]

Antonelli revels in history-making Japanese GP win: ‘Pace was incredible’.
Kimi Antonelli has detailed his excitement after claiming a history-making victory at the Japanese Grand Prix.
29 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Sharing his reaction after the race, Antonelli admitted to feeling very good about his win, noting his terrible start and the strong recovery he made. The 19-year-old also highlighted the impact of the safety car, which he used masterfully to his advantage. "It feels pretty good! Of course, it's too early to think about the championship, but we are on the right track. I had a terrible start and need to check what happened. Then I was lucky with the Safety Car to be in the lead, but after that, the pace was incredible," Antonelli began. "It was really nice. In the second stint, I felt very good with the car. I'm very pleased with that," he added.

Speaking about his race start and how he could improve, Antonelli noted that he could practise a few clutch drops to achieve better race start sequences. "I can practice some clutch drops to get a better feel with it because, definitely, it's been a weak point so far this year. I need to improve that because you can easily win or lose races with it," he noted. "On the medium tyres, we were strong once we had free air, and on the hard, the pace was incredible. I don't know what the outcome would have been without the Safety Car, but it made my life a lot easier," he concluded.

‘Pace was incredible’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/antonelli-reflects-on-history-making-japanese-gp-win-pace-was-incredible


Japanese GP 2026 Race Results: Full Classification and Winner
29 Mar 2026
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Antonelli‘s ability to capitalize on the safety car, combined with Mercedes’ tactical precision, hands the 19-year-old another memorable moment in his career.
Here are the results:
Pos. Driver Team Gap Points
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes Winner 25
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren +13.722 18
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +15.270 15
4 George Russell Mercedes +15.754 12
5 Lando Norris McLaren +23.479 10
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +25.037 8
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine +32.340 6
8 Max Verstappen Red Bull +32.677 4
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +50.180 2
10 Esteban Ocon Haas +51.216 1

‘Full Classification and Winner’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/japanese-gp-2026-race-results-full-classification/


Japanese GP: Lucky Antonelli wins again – takes championship lead
29/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Kimi Antonelli claimed a fortunate victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, as a perfectly timed safety car flipped the race on its head and handed the young Mercedes driver control he would never relinquish. Out front, Antonelli was untouchable. He crossed the line 14 seconds clear of Piastri, sealing his second consecutive victory and becoming the youngest multiple race winner in Formula 1 history – surpassing the mark set by Max Verstappen. The result also propelled Antonelli into the lead of the drivers’ championship, ahead of team-mate Russell.

Further back, Pierre Gasly delivered an impressive seventh-place finish for Alpine, holding off Verstappen, who complained of extremely heavy steering throughout the race. Strategy misfortune cost Esteban Ocon, Arvid Lindblad and Isack Hadjar, all of whom pitted before the safety car and dropped out of contention. Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto initially inherited points-paying positions, though Bortoleto fell back, allowing Ocon to recover 10th.

Aside from Bearman, the only retirement was Lance Stroll, who stopped with a suspected water pressure issue. It meant at least one Aston Martin reached the finish, with Fernando Alonso classified in 18th. In a race defined by fine margins and one pivotal moment, Antonelli proved ready to seize opportunity – and turn it into history.

‘Lucky Antonelli wins again’;

https://f1i.com/news/562098-japanese-gp-lucky-antonelli-wins-again-takes-championship-lead.html


Kimi Antonelli admits he was ‘very lucky’ to beat Oscar Piastri in Japanese Grand Prix
29 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Speaking immediately after the race in parc ferme, Antonelli admitted that the safety car was a stroke of luck. He had found it difficult to clear Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc after losing ground. But Antonelli, who was closing on Russell by the time his teammate pitted, says his pace was ‘incredible’ once he had free air.

His eventual winning margin over Piastri was almost 14 seconds, which underlines Mercedes’ lasting advantage over McLaren despite the progress made by the world champions. “I had a terrible start, just need to check what happened,” said Antonelli. “I was lucky with the safety car to be in the lead, but then the pace was just incredible. It was really nice. Second stint, I felt really good with the car. Very pleased with that.”

“We were very lucky with the safety car, but on the medium, we were really strong once I got some free air. On the hand, the pace was just incredible. I don’t know what would have happened, what the outcome would have been, without the safety car, but it definitely made my life a lot easier.”

‘Very lucky’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/kimi-antonelli-admits-he-was-very-lucky-to-beat-oscar-piastri-in-japanese-grand-prix/


Antonelli lucks in for second win and becomes youngest F1 championship leader
2026 Japanese Grand Prix report
29th Mar 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

The Mercedes driver started the race from pole position but fell to sixth place on the first lap as he got off the line slowly. Oscar Piastri shot into the lead from third place. George Russell, who started on the front row but dropped to fourth at the start, easily picked off Lando Norris and Leclerc then closed on Piastri. Russell wasn’t able to make a pass stick on the race leader, However. He ‘yo-yoed’ ahead of Piastri at the end of lap eight but immediately lost the place as the next lap began.

Antonelli also gained ground in the other Mercedes. He shot past Lewis Hamilton on lap two, got Norris two laps later, then also indulged in a yo-yo position swap with Leclerc. McLaren discussed the possibility of an early pit stop with Piastri, then brought fifth-placed Norris in first on lap 17. Ferrari followed suit with Leclerc the next time by, then McLaren summoned the race leader in. Piastri quickly picked off Max Verstappen after he rejoined the track. Russell, who had warned Mercedes of the risks of running too long, entered the pit lane three laps after Piastri did, handing the lead to Antonelli.

Soon after Russell rejoined the track behind Piastri, the yellow flags appeared. Oliver Bearman had crashed heavily at Spoon curve trying to pass Franco Colapinto, prompting an appearance by the Safety Car. This was disastrous timing for those who had already pitted and a gift for those who hadn’t, led by Antonelli. He pitted, followed by second-placed Hamilton, and rejoined in the lead. “Unbelievable,” fumed Russell. The restart played out similarly to the one in Shanghai two weeks ago. While Antonelli made good his escape, Russell lost out to both the Ferrari drivers.

‘“Unbelievable,” fumed Russell’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/03/29/antonelli-lucks-in-for-second-win-and-becomes-youngest-f1-championship-leader/


Kimi Antonelli seizes F1 title lead with dominant Japanese GP display
29 Mar 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

Andrea Kimi Antonelli overcame another poor Mercedes start to take a commanding win of the Japanese Grand Prix, giving him the lead of the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship. The Italian dropped to sixth at the start, with Oscar Piastri – finally taking his first race start of the year – taking the lead.

But a mid-race Safety Car, sparked by a huge accident for Oliver Bearman, enabled Antonelli to take a cheap pit stop, seeing him maintain a lead he would hold until the flag. Charles Leclerc finished third after an exciting late-race battle with George Russell, who becomes the first Mercedes driver to not score a podium finish this year.

For Antonelli, it was another new record, as his victory saw him become the first teenager to ever lead the World Championship, and taking the 125th victory for Mercedes in its modern era.

‘Kimi Antonelli seizes F1 title lead’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/03/29/kimi-antonelli-seizes-f1-title-lead-with-japanese-gp-win/

[Fortitude]

Oscar Piastri: ‘We did everything right and still got beaten by 15 seconds’.
Piastri described the weekend as one of his best in Formula 1, crediting strong preparation across practice and qualifying as the foundation for McLaren’s result.
29 Mar 2026
Media
F1 Chronicle

• Oscar Piastri finished second at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, leading the race from the start before the Safety Car handed the advantage back to Kimi Antonelli.
• The Australian said he came away from Suzuka believing Mercedes are beatable, but was clear-eyed that a significant performance gap to the championship leader remains.
Second place at Suzuka was, by Oscar Piastri‘s own assessment, as close to a perfect weekend as McLaren could have produced.

The result still came up short, and he made no attempt to dress it up otherwise. From the front, Piastri was able to pull away from George Russell before the pit stops, a detail he returned to more than once as evidence of McLaren’s genuine competitiveness. When asked which aspect of the car’s performance pleased him most across the weekend, he was thorough.

“I’m not sure there was one that I was massively pleased with, but I think, clearly, we did a good job at the start today. I think this weekend we just did a really good job of optimising what we had, and I think from practice we were in a good window with the car in FP2 and we managed to get it back in that window for qualifying. We had a really good understanding of what we wanted from the power unit and how we had to kind of dial it in for the qualifying grip level.”

‘Close to a perfect weekend as McLaren could have produced’;

https://f1chronicle.com/oscar-piastri-we-did-everything-right-and-still-got-beaten-by-15-seconds/?nowprocket=1


Jacques Villeneuve blasts McLaren for making strategy error with ‘flying’ Oscar Piastri
29 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

Jacques Villeneuve was not a fan of how McLaren squandered the brilliant start Oscar Piastri made to the Japanese Grand Prix. Jacques Villeneuve questions why McLaren didn’t learn from Lando Norris pitstop. Jacques Villeneuve spoke on the F1 post-race show about the success McLaren had during the Japanese Grand Prix, and where exactly they went wrong.

More than the ill-timed safety car, Villeneuve questioned why McLaren chose to pit Oscar Piastri when they saw Lando Norris struggling on the hard tyres early on. “Yes, and it looked like Piastri could have stayed ahead in front. They were managing their batteries in different areas on the track. It doesn’t look like the Mercedes way was the right way in the race. It was good to do lap times, because once he was alone, he was flying, but not in a battle, not in the field.”

“So, the McLaren could have stayed ahead. What I did not understand is why pitting Piastri after having pitted Norris, the team should have realised that the new tyres didn’t work for two or three laps. So why don’t you read what’s already happened and wait an extra two or three laps because the undercut did not work. There was no point pitting first.”

‘Jacques Villeneuve blasts McLaren’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jacques-villeneuve-blasts-mclaren-for-making-strategy-error-with-flying-oscar-piastri/


Heartbreak for Oscar Piastri as surprise Suzuka win slips away
29 Mar 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Oscar Piastri believes McLaren’s disappointment at finishing second in Japan shows just how far the team has come, even if he did miss out on the victory. “It would have been really interesting to see what would have happened without that [the Safety Car],” he told 1996 world champion Damon Hill during the post-race parc ferme interviews.

“I thought I could keep George behind. And just before the stops we were actually pulling away a little bit again. So, yeah, a shame that we never got to see what would have happened. I think for us at this point to be disappointed about finishing second is a pretty good place to be,” Piastri continued.

“So yeah, massive thanks to the team. I think we did a really good job of executing with what we had. I think we clearly still need to find a bit of performance. But we took every opportunity we had.”

‘Heartbreak’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-piastri-japanese-gp-stolen-lost-win


Oscar Piastri gets 'robbed' of F1 win at Japanese Grand Prix - but still calls it one of the best races of his career
McLaren driver started a Grand Prix for the first time in 2026
30 Mar 2026
MICHAEL PONTICELLO FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA and IAN CHADBAND FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
MailOnline

Despite missing out on a first win of the 2026 season at the Japanese Grand Prix, Aussie F1 star Oscar Piastri is ecstatic with his second-place finish at Suzuka. The McLaren driver crossed the line 13.7 seconds behind Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli, with an ill-timed safety car ruining his chances of taking the chequered flag.

It's still a major step forward for the Melburnian, who crashed out of his home grand prix before it even began, then failed to start the main race in China due to mechanical problems. After completing a rocket start from third on the grid, Piastri overtook both George Russell and Antonelli to lead the race in Suzuka, until he came into the pits on lap 19.

Piastri was off the race track for about 23 seconds, with McLaren producing a quick 2.4-second pit stop. Unfortunately for the Aussie, when British driver Oliver Bearman crashed a few laps later, Antonelli was able to pit and lose around 10 seconds less than Piastri did thanks to the safety car being deployed.

'Robbed';

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-15689727/Oscar-Piastri-gets-robbed-F1-win-Japanese-Grand-Prix-calls-one-best-races-career.html


Piastri: Mercedes beatable – but we still have a ‘pretty big gap to fill’
29/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Speaking to reporters after the race, the McLaren charger speculated how his race would have unfolded with the Safety Car. “I would have loved to have seen how it would have panned out,” he said. “I think you know I need to look back and see how you know whether Kimi was quicker than George or similar pace. I think if he was the same pace as George then it would have been a pretty stressful afternoon.”

“I probably would have had both of them right on my gearbox but yeah I mean I think once Kimi had clean air clearly he was a lot faster than me so I’m not sure we would have won the race but I certainly would have loved to have found out.” “Yes,” he said when asked if Mercedes were beatable this year. “I think we know from last year that even when you have the best car you still need to operate it at an incredibly high level.”

“I think today on our side we did a really good job of that but I think it’s yeah it’s interesting to see you know when someone else has the fastest car that it’s not that straightforward. The fact that I could keep George behind for so long was really encouraging but you know we’re under no illusion we did everything right this weekend and we still got beaten by 15 seconds. So, we’ve got a pretty big gap to fill, I’m confident that we can get there but yeah we’ve still got some work to do.”

‘Piastri: Mercedes beatable’;

https://f1i.com/news/562125-piastri-mercedes-beatable-but-we-still-have-a-pretty-big-gap-to-fill.html


Toto Wolff says McLaren have finally ‘understood’ how to fight Mercedes after Oscar Piastri podium
29 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Toto Wolff says Mercedes are losing the advantage of their works status in their F1 battle with McLaren. Oscar Piastri challenged for the win at the Japanese Grand Prix before finishing second. Toto Wolff says McLaren have worked out how to optimise Mercedes power unit. No Mercedes one-two in Japan! Oscar Piastri takes second, with Charles Leclerc third.

Toto Wolff says McLaren are starting to understand how they can nullify that advantage. “Andrea said at the beginning of the season that as a works team, you have a little bit of an advantage,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1. “The other teams are catching up, how to harvest, how to deploy the energy. You could see today, we couldn’t get past the McLarens because they understood, and also the Ferraris had the right strategy in energy deployment. I think it’s good to watch.”

‘Toto Wolff says McLaren have finally understood’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/toto-wolff-says-mclaren-have-finally-understood-how-to-fight-mercedes-after-oscar-piastri-podium/


Oscar Piastri delivers ‘beatable’ Mercedes verdict after F1 Japanese GP
29 Mar 2026
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week

Mercedes are ‘beatable’ says Oscar Piastri after F1 Japanese GP. The W17 has arguably been the benchmark for the field so far. That said, the Japanese GP did end a particular streak for the Silver Arrows. Russell and Antonelli had scored consecutive one-twos in Australia and China until Piastri ended that run on Sunday.

The McLaren driver is “confident” his team can out-develop its rivals throughout 2026 and catch up to the German marque on track. “Yes,” Piastri replied when asked if he feels Mercedes were beatable this year.

‘Beatable’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/03/29/oscar-piastri-delivers-beatable-mercedes-verdict-after-f1-japanese-gp/

[Fortitude]

‘Finally see what you mean’: How Piastri one-liner and sickening smash exposed F1 flaw.
The speed delta was suddenly a monstrous 50 kilometres per hour — enormous for two drivers at full throttle.
30 Mar 2026
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)

A sickening crash at the Japanese Grand Prix for Oliver Bearman, who limped away from his smashed-up Haas having sustained a 50 g impact, has added further heat to F1’s new regulations over safety concerns. Bearman left the road at 308 kilometres per hour attempting to avoid what would have been an aeroplane accident with Franco Colapinto.

The Briton was chasing the Argentine for 17th place out of the hairpin. As he rounded turn 12, Colapinto’s rear lights flashed red twice, signifying he was out of battery. Bearman, meanwhile, was holding down his boost button. The speed delta was suddenly a monstrous 50 kilometres per hour — enormous for two drivers at full throttle. Bearman swung left in equal parts to try to make a move and to avoid a crash, but he ended up on the grass, where he lost control of the car and triggered the smash.

In Australia, Charles Leclerc infamously declared that the large speed differentials were akin to deploying the “mushroom” in iconic video game Mario Kart. Watching the Bearman crash in the Japan cooldown room, Oscar Piastri was reminded of his words. “I finally see what you mean now about the mushroom,” Piastri said to Leclerc. “It’s pretty accurate.”

‘Finally see what you mean’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/f1-2026-japanese-grand-prix-oscar-piastri-cooldown-room-comment-and-ollie-bearman-suzuka-crash-expose-rules-flaw-video/news-story/89eb0b1b97373ce85c1cbc4cbdc2e209


Piastri sees no easy fix for high closing speeds between F1 cars
30th Mar 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Oscar Piastri foresees difficulty for the FIA in finding a way to prevent the potentially dangerous closing speeds between Formula 1 cars which led to Oliver Bearman’s crash yesterday. “We’ve spoken about that being a possibility since these cars were conceptualised,” said Piastri. F1’s current engine regulations were approved in 2022 and are due to remain in force until at least 2030.

“It’s what we’re stuck with, with the power units,” Oscar Piastri said. “There’s no easy way of getting around it.” He pointed out footage of the crash suggested Colapinto’s car was not ‘super-clipping’ at the time. From what I saw there was no flashing light from Colapinto [on the back of his car], so I don’t even think he was super-clipping either, which is obviously a bit of a concern,” said Piastri.

“I had a pretty close call in free practice with Nico [Hulkenberg] because he caught me about three times as quickly as I expected on the straight, and we were both at full throttle. I think there’s clearly an element of learning for us as drivers, and where the accident happened it’s not a place where you expect someone to come from so far behind and have such a big speed difference. And whilst we’re learning that, unfortunately things like this are probably going to happen, which is a shame.”

‘Dangerous closing speeds’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/03/30/piastri-sees-no-easy-fix-for-high-closing-speeds-between-f1-cars/


F1 must find answers to safety crisis after Oliver Bearman’s escape but there are no easy fixes
Teams have five weeks before the next race in Miami and they will need every minute to fix a hugely complicated problem
30 Mar 2026
Giles Richards
The Irish Times

Oliver Bearman’s Haas car was travelling at 307km/h (191mp/h) when he was forced to veer off track as he came up behind the relatively slow-moving Alpine of Franco Colapinto. The closing speed between the two cars was 50km/h, a frightening pace. The scenario was one many had been warning about before the season had even begun. With the deployment of electrical energy, and its subsequent recovery now an integral part of F1, Bearman was using his boost mode while Colapinto was recovering energy, hence the big difference in speed.

There was no underhand behaviour. Colapinto was on a defensive line as they came round the right-hand curve toward Spoon corner, but he did not cut across. Bearman simply came up on him so fast he had to swerve off the track to avoid hitting him. He did so and then piled into the barriers with a 50G impact from which he remarkably emerged with only some bruising, although his car was in pieces.

Equally, as the Williams driver Carlos Sainz said, it was lucky it happened at Suzuka where there was wide space and run-off for Bearman to take to before he hit the barriers. What, Sainz wondered, would have been the result on high-speed circuits such as Baku, Singapore or Las Vegas, where walls that are feet away, rather than grass and gravel, delineate the track.

‘Andrea Stella: “I don’t think a simple solution exists”’;

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/2026/03/30/f1-must-find-answers-to-safety-crisis-after-oliver-bearmans-escape-but-there-are-no-easy-fixes/


Carlos Sainz Leads F1 Drivers' Call For Safety Changes After Oliver Bearman's Japanese GP Crash
29 Mar 2026
Agence-France Presse
NDTV.com

Formula 1 drivers called for changes to protect their safety after Haas's Ollie Bearman slammed into a barrier at high speed at Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix. Williams driver Carlos Sainz called on racing authorities to make sure there was no repeat of the incident.

"As drivers, we have been extremely vocal that the problem is not only qualifying, it's also racing, and we were warning this type of accident was always going to happen," said the Spaniard. "Here we were lucky there was an escape road -- now imagine going to Baku, Singapore, Las Vegas and having this type of closing speeds, crashes next to the walls."

‘Make sure there was no repeat of the incident’;

https://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/carlos-sainz-leads-f1-drivers-call-for-safety-changes-after-oliver-bearmans-japanese-gp-crash-11282241


F1 must listen to drivers not just teams over safety concerns - Sainz
29 Mar 2026
JOSH SUTTILL, SCOTT MITCHELL-MALM, JON NOBLE
The Race

Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director Carlos Sainz says he’s surprised fixing qualifying is F1’s main priority rather than addressing drivers’ concerns about the racing too. “That’s why I was so surprised when they said ‘no, we will sort out qualifying and leave the racing alone because it's exciting',” Sainz added. “As drivers, we've been extremely vocal that the problem is not only qualifying, it's also racing.”

“Here we were lucky there was an escape road. Now imagine going to Baku or going to Singapore or going to Vegas and having these kind of closing speeds and crashes next to the walls. I, or we as GPDA, we've warned the FIA these actions are going to happen a lot with this set of regulations and we need to change something soon if we don't want them to happen.

“It was 50G I heard, higher than my crash in Russia in 2015, I was 46G. Just in my mind what kind of crash would you have in Vegas, Baku, etc? I hope it serves as an example…to the teams and people that said the racing was OK, because the racing is not OK.”

‘Mushroom mode causing problems’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-must-listen-to-drivers-not-just-teams-over-safety-concerns-sainz/


Liam Lawson reveals major safety issue with 2026 F1 regulations
23 Mar 2026
Tiana Soans
Motorsport Week

The difference in speed on track can sometimes leave drivers with a limited opportunity to react, resulting in a collision. Whilst this is yet to happen this season, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson warns that avoiding contact is incredibly difficult and extremely dangerous. Despite this, Liam Lawson believes teams will continue to do their own thing until the FIA steps in.

“I mean, at the moment, it’s sort of very inconsistent,” Liam Lawson highlighted “We’re doing lot. We obviously make our own decisions on when we charge and deploy, and it’s quite different between teams and engines. So, yeah, it obviously depends on what the FIA decide to do. But right now, there are a lot of differences that we have to be quite careful of. Because you can be having quite a good run on a car, and all of a sudden they start charging, and you’re right behind them with SLM open.”

It’s not a lot you can do to avoid them.” Lawson’s gripe with the new cars is yet another driver adding their name to the growing list on the grid that are unhappy with the new technical regulations. The drivers will be waiting for the data gathered by the FIA and the next steps as F1’s most political issue continues to divide the grid.


‘Major safety issue’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/03/23/liam-lawson-reveals-major-safety-issue-with-2026-f1-regulations/


Ecclestone Predicts Crash As Fears Over New Regs Grow
12 Mar 2026
GrandPrix.com

Bernie Ecclestone has warned that Formula 1's new regulations will eventually cause a serious accident, joining a growing chorus of voices - from drivers to team principals to former champions - expressing alarm about the safety and sporting character of the 2026 cars. The 95-year-old former F1 supremo told Swiss newspaper Blick he was already convinced after just one race.

"There's going to be a real crash soon. The speed differences during battery charging - braking on the straights - will eventually surprise the driver behind, and then we'll have a big accident”, said Ecclestone. “I just hope I'm wrong this time.”

‘Convinced after just one race’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/ecclestone-predicts-crash-as-fears-over-new-regs-grow.html

[Fortitude]

Leclerc told “you’ve got balls of steel” after stunning overtake on Russell in Japan.
Charles Leclerc received praise in a rather unusual fashion from his race engineer Bryan Bozzi following his superb overtake on George Russell.
29 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Charles Leclerc found himself on the wrong side of the timing when the VSC was deployed following Oliver Bearman’s heavy crash, rejoining the track after his stop behind both his team-mate and George Russell.

However, a bold double move around the outside at Turn 1 - first on Lewis Hamilton and then on George Russell, after initially being passed by the latter - earned him high praise from Bozzi.

“You’ve got balls of steel,” was the Italian engineer’s blunt reaction, underlining the brilliance of the move pulled off by the number 16, reminiscent of a similar overtake seen in 2023.

“Balls of steel”;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/leclerc-told-youve-got-balls-of-steel-after-stunning-overtake-on-russell-in-japan


Timo Glock urges Ferrari to ‘intervene’ into Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton’s battles
30 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

Timo Glock believes Ferrari need to take action to ensure Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton don’t cost each other in future races. After Charles Leclerc managed to secure P3 at the Japanese Grand Prix, an irate Lewis Hamilton demanded an explanation as to why he experienced power issues that Leclerc didn’t. Lewis Hamilton wasn’t the only one unhappy with Ferrari, as Leclerc wanted to see massive improvement in the SF-26 over the five-week hiatus this season.

“The limit must be clearly there if the team finds itself at a disadvantage. If the two are fighting at the front, getting in each other’s way, and losing places as a result, then the team has to intervene somewhere. Charles Leclerc is still a bit more consistent, but Lewis Hamilton is definitely back where we all want to see him – with confidence and fun racing.” While Ferrari didn’t admonish either driver for their battle after the race, Hamilton possibly getting a new race engineer ahead of the Miami Grand Prix is a sign that they’re addressing the matter internally.

‘Ferrari need to take action’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/timo-glock-urges-ferrari-to-intervene-into-charles-leclerc-and-lewis-hamiltons-battles/


Leclerc outsmarted ‘cheeky’ Mercedes tactics to secure Suzuka podium
29/03/2026
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Reflecting on the early laps, the Ferrari driver noted the difficulty of keeping pace with the leader. “I mean, I was happy then, I was obviously focusing on Oscar,” Leclerc explained in the post-race press conference. Yet, the gap began to stretch almost immediately. But Oscar was very strong, actually, especially in the first lap. In the first lap, I was very surprised by how much he pulled away,” he added.

As the race settled into a rhythmic grind, Leclerc opted for a patient approach, hoping the aerodynamic benefits of clear track would eventually swing the pendulum back toward the Scuderia. “After that, I was just trying to be as close as possible to him, but he had a bit more pace,” he said. “I thought also the free air was making a bit of a difference, so I was just trying to wait for later on in the race, but it didn’t happen.”

‘Leclerc outsmarted ‘cheeky’ Mercedes tactics’;

https://f1i.com/news/562130-leclerc-outsmarts-cheeky-mercedes-tactics-to-secure-suzuka-podium.html


Charles Leclerc says George Russell’s Mercedes engineer was ‘being quite cheeky’ during Japanese GP
29 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

Charles Leclerc revealed that Russell and his engineer intentionally misrepresented their strategy to confuse Ferrari, and while he didn’t fall for it, his lapse near the end almost cost him the race. “They (George and his engineer) were also being quite cheeky. His engineer was telling him things on the radio, my engineer was telling me what his engineer was telling him, but he was doing then the opposite.”

“That put me into quite a bit of pressure at one point. I think they told me, ‘Oh, he’s being told to use everything in the back straight,’ or maybe in the main straight, and he was doing the opposite of that. So, I understood pretty quickly and could defend, but at one point I got surprised in the last corner.”

‘Intentionally misrepresented their strategy’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/charles-leclerc-says-george-russells-mercedes-engineer-was-being-quite-cheeky-during-japanese-gp/


Leclerc: ‘Cannot stand’ new F1 qualifying rules after mistake costs him on straight
28 Mar 2026
Laurence Edmondson
TSN

Charles Leclerc vented his frustration at Formula 1's new rules after a mistake in qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix upset his power unit's energy deployment and cost him dear. "I honestly cannot stand these rules in qualifying," Leclerc said over team radio as he returned to the pits after his lap. "It's a f------ joke. I go faster in corners, I go on throttle earlier, for f---- sake, I lose everything in the straight."

"It's a f------ joke”;

https://www.tsn.ca/motorsports/article/leclerc-cannot-stand-new-f1-qualifying-rules-after-mistake-costs-him-on-straight-n1-48328483/


Charles Leclerc’s latest foul-mouthed rant over Ferrari radio in F1 Japanese GP qualifying
Charles Leclerc vents over team radio as F1 qualifying annoyance continues in Japan.
28 Mar 2026
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Charles Leclerc has once again raged about his Formula 1 qualifying frustrations in a foul-mouthed rant over team radio at the Japanese Grand Prix. stayed pretty calm I would say it [heart rate] was a little bit higher when on the straights you start losing time because you are flat out and that’s where my heart rate goes particularly high,” he explained. “In the corner itself, these are kind of things that happen in Q3, especially with my driving style.”

“I know it happens very often in the past but it pays off more than it hurts, apart from with these cars, where it seems to bite you more than it pays off. I lost a big amount of speed in the straight. Not a huge amount, nothing close to what I had in Shanghai, but still I lost some time compared to my Q2 lap, which is very frustrating and something we will look at and try to understand.”

‘Vents over team radio’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1092340/1/charles-leclercs-latest-foul-mouthed-rant-over-ferrari-radio-japan-f1-qualifying


Charles Leclerc praised for unseen Japanese GP gesture no other driver performed
Leclerc's gesture on the podium in Japan has been applauded.
30 Mar 2026
Jack Kenmare
SPORTbible

Charles Leclerc has received widespread praise following Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix after fan footage emerged of his gesture towards Princess Akiko of Japan. Away from the track, Leclerc showed his class on the Suzuka podium, when he took off his cap and respectfully bowed his head to greet Princess Akiko of Japan.

Akiko, who is the oldest daughter of Prince and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa and the niece of former Prime Minister Taro Aso, was in attendance for the race, just days after making a rare public appearance at the Monaco Rose Ball. Leclerc's gesture towards the princess has been praised by many.

One fan on social media wrote: "He's from Monaco. He knows how to interact with royalty," while another commented: "Such a class person. I hope he can fight for a championship this season.' A third said: "I mean he’s the only one on the podium who has a monarchy in his birth country, makes sense that he knows the etiquette." A fourth wrote: "A true gentlemen. Leclerc is a good dude," and a fifth added: "He's such a prince. What a gentleman."

‘Gesture towards Princess Akiko of Japan’;

https://www.sportbible.com/f1/charles-leclerc-f1-japanese-grand-prix-ferrari-798665-20260330

[Fortitude]

George Russell laments 'one thing after another' following Suzuka disaster.
George Russell was not pleased with the series of unfortunate events he endured during the Japanese Grand Prix.
30 Mar 2026
Samuel Coop & Sàndor Mészáros
RacingNews365

Reflecting on his misfortune, the six-time grand prix winner told media, including RacingNews365: "Obviously, our starts: normal, poor, Safety car, one lap different, and we'd have won the race. So that's still part of racing, but thereafter, everything was just issues after one another."

"I couldn't recharge my battery at the safety car restart, so Lewis just flew by me, and then obviously had the issue later in the race with Charles and the battery, where I just had no speed, and obviously passed me," he said. "So yeah, just one thing after another."

'One thing after another';

https://racingnews365.com/george-russell-laments-one-thing-after-another-following-suzuka-disaster


George Russell details how Safety Car and battery issues derailed Suzuka win chance.
30 Mar 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

George Russell rued a Japanese Grand Prix where he felt that everything which could go wrong, did go wrong for him. “I mean, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong,” said Russell of his race. “Obviously, we both made bad starts. Mine was slightly less bad. Safety Car timing.”

“Restart, I got a harvest limit, which meant I couldn’t recharge my battery, similar to what’s happened to some drivers at their race starts. I had no battery to restart. Lewis passed me, and then faced another battery problem when Charles passed me. So as I said, one lap different, and we’d be having probably a very different conversation.”

‘Derailed’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george-russell-japanese-gp-safety-car-battery-issues-mercedes


Mercedes reveals software bug behind Russell’s Suzuka setback.
29 Mar 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Mercedes left Suzuka with another victory in hand but also with a clear list of technical lessons to absorb, as Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin dissected a Japanese Grand Prix that delivered both triumph and frustration for the team. George Russell pitted just before the Safety Car was deployed, rejoining behind both Antonelli and Oscar Piastri. The restart then triggered a cascade of issues. “As it happened, he dropped to P3 and lost a further place to Lewis when he hit the harvesting limit too early in the lap and had insufficient battery for the restart.”

What followed was even more unusual — and far more costly. Shovlin revealed that Russell’s sudden loss of power, which allowed Charles Leclerc to sweep past, was caused by a rare software glitch. “He then had another frustrating issue where a bug in the software code, triggered by a button press and a gear shift at the same time, caused the power unit to go into superclip and charge the battery which allowed Charles to pass.” Russell fought back to fourth, but the team acknowledged the sting of a lost podium — and potentially a lost victory — after a weekend where the Briton had shown strong pace.

Looking ahead, Shovlin made clear that Mercedes has work to do. “Clearly there is a lot that we need to work on and understand in the next few weeks. We've made a great start to the season, but our competitors are closing in.” The upcoming break before Miami offers a valuable window. “Happily, we have several areas of improvement and we will make the maximum use of the gap in the calendar to develop in the places where we are not strong enough.”

‘Software bug’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28398


George Russell delivers 'no momentum' verdict after recent painful ordeals.
George Russell has lost control of the F1 drivers' championship battle — but he is not worried.
31 Mar 2026
Samuel Coop & Sàndor Mészáros
RacingNews365

George Russell insists there is "no momentum to be carried" into the Miami Grand Prix, as there is now a five-week break beforehand. Despite the loss of points, Russell is not concerned with the situation, given how much racing is left over the remainder of the campaign.

"It's three races down in 22, and, as I said, one lap different, and the victory would have been on my side, and I'm confident of that," the British driver told media, including RacingNews365. "And in China, without the qualifying issue, maybe... You know, I was three-tenths ahead in sprint qualifying, so maybe I could have been on pole there and won that race."

He also highlighted how the lack of Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix also means there is a circuit break in momentum, too, with a "reset" ahead of the trip to Florida. "So it's just how it turns out; that's racing," the 28-year-old said. "There's now a four-week break, so there's no momentum to be carried, reset and go again for the next race."

'No momentum';

https://racingnews365.com/george-russell-delivers-no-momentum-verdict-after-recent-painful-ordeals


British media tear into Russell’s 'miserable afternoon' at Suzuka.
30 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

The British media have weighed in on George Russell’s poor Suzuka weekend, where he also lost the championship lead to his team-mate.

The Guardian: The Guardian, the very outlet at the centre of the Suzuka weekend controversy after Max Verstappen abruptly brushed off one of its journalists during Thursday’s media session, underlined how Russell now needs to be wary of his team-mate, with Antonelli riding a wave of momentum and confidence.

The Sun: The Sun highlighted the frustration of the British driver, who came into the season as the clear title favourite, and how misfortune has dealt him a cruel blow over the past two races.
Daily Mail: The Daily Mail pointed out how Russell endured a “miserable afternoon” in Suzuka, having hoped to halt his team-mate’s momentum, which instead only continued to build

‘British media’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/british-media-stress-russells-miserable-afternoon-at-suzuka-as-title-lead-slips


Mercedes are being slammed for the video they posted of George Russell & Toto Wolff after Japan …
30 Mar 2026
Adam Conroy
Give Me Sport

Mercedes have been slammed by fans after they released a post-race 'debrief' on their social media, with George Russell and boss Toto Wolff discussing the issues experienced during the race. Having started from second place on the grid, Russell would finish the race at Suzuka in fourth and aired some of his grievances in the debrief video, which fans have labelled as "embarrassing" and a "PR disaster."

The video begins with Russell commenting, "So that was a terrible day," with Wolff in agreement, believing that the problems started in qualifying. This has led fans to call out the Mercedes principal for not fixing the problems prior to the race, with one claiming: "Only conversation required should be on the set-up before qualifying. Cost him [Russell] in qualifying and then in the race."

‘Slammed’;

https://www.givemesport.com/mercedes-slammed-video-posted-george-russell-toto-wolff-japan-gp-f1/