Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[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-piastr.../?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/jac...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-...tolen-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/fo...es-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-...p-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/tot...iastri-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/...1-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/motorsp...1cbc4cbdc2e209


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/...tween-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/202...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/ca...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/f...oncerns-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/...1-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/eccle...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/lecle...ssell-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/tim...ltons-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-...ka-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/cha...g-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/artic...t-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/109234...-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/charle...98665-20260330

[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-rus...uzuka-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...ssues-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-rus...ainful-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/briti...tle-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...f-japan-gp-f1/

[Fortitude]

Norris reveals how McLaren managed to up its game in Suzuka following a tough start to the season.
McLaren arrived at Suzuka simply relieved to have both cars on the grid after a turbulent build up — and left with a haul of points, a near miss at victory, and a clear sense that their 2026 package is beginning to bite.
29 Mar 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Lando Norris highlighted his launch as a key moment. “I got a great start, and we managed to show a bit more of our competitive pace, especially in clean air.” That pace became more evident as the race unfolded, particularly once he settled into tyre management and began closing on the Ferraris. “I'm pleased with how we managed the tyres and that we managed to pass Lewis in the final laps.”

One of the most encouraging signs for McLaren was the progress in power unit deployment — an area that had previously held them back. Norris made a point of acknowledging it: “We've clearly made significant progress with our power unit deployment, and this track suited our car well.”

With Piastri finishing second and Norris fifth, the team banked a strong result that reflects both performance and resilience. “Second and fifth is a good result, and a sign of the hard work the team is putting in, so thanks to them,” Norris said. “It’s a sign we're heading in the right direction.”

‘2026 package is beginning to bite’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28399


Lando Norris reveals why he struggled more than Oscar Piastri in Japan
Lando Norris on what hampered him at the Japanese Grand Prix.
1 Apr 2026
Lewis Larkam , Adam Cooper
Crash.Net

Lando Norris says getting caught up in dirty air cost him a better finish during Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix. “It was a good race from my side,” Norris told media including Crash.net. “Of course, it looks like it maybe could have been better with Oscar finishing second.”

“That's a very good thing for the team. He drove a very good race, and probably deserved to win the race, honestly, if it wasn't for the safety car. So unfortunate from that side, that would have been good to see.”

“I think I was just more in the mess. With Oscar in clean air, the clean air around here was crazy strong. Even when I overtook Lewis at the end, I expected to not really go much quicker and I went like fifth or six tenths quicker quite easily, so it’s crazy how much that helps.”

‘What hampered him’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109282...-piastri-japan


Lando Norris questions driver influence as F1 2026 regulation talks loom
30 Mar 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

With crunch talks looming over the F1 2026 regulations, Lando Norris claimed that it “doesn’t matter” what the drivers say. As the sport heads into its April break, Norris was asked by Viaplay what he wants to see change in the regulations, by the time that the Miami Grand Prix comes around.

“There’s no point in saying it, honestly,” he replied. “It doesn’t matter what we say.” Norris was asked why he believes that to be the case. “Because as long as the fans enjoy it, that’s all that matters.” Told by the interviewer that ‘the drivers need to enjoy it was well’, Norris replied: “Clearly not,” laughing as he walked away.

“It doesn’t matter what we say”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...er-what-we-say


Norris slams ‘yo-yo’ racing as drivers lose control
31/03/2026
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Reigning F1 world champion Lando Norris has sounded the alarm over the sport’s new-era power units, painting a picture of a sport slipping out of the drivers’ hands and into the control of unpredictable energy systems. The sophisticated battery deployment of the new-generation power units has become a ghost in the machine, acting with a mind of its own.

“I mean, you have two sides of it,” Norris explained when pressed on necessary rule changes. “From a race point of view, we have more of the safety side, which might have been the cause of today. There’s the racing point of view, and honestly, some of the racing… I didn’t even want to overtake Lewis, it’s just the battery deploys when I don’t want it to deploy, and I can’t control it. So, I overtake him, and then I have no battery, so he just flies past. This is not racing. This yo-yoing, even if he says it’s not.”

‘‘yo-yo’ racing’;

https://f1i.com/news/562300-norris-s...e-control.html


McLaren addresses major flaw flagged by Verstappen and Norris under regulation
1 Apr 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has addressed the overtaking flaw highlighted by both Lando Norris and Max Verstappen during the Japanese Grand Prix. What happens on a track like this, where you have three straights one after the other, is that you won’t have enough energy for all three. So you kind of have to pick when you want to attack or defend,” Stella said.

“We saw today that, for instance, when following Ferrari, the right place to attack was between Spoon and the chicane. There, if you press the boost button, you’re going to have an extension of the MGU-K deployment. This will use a lot of your energy and make the speed approaching 130R very high. We’re talking about 340 km/h,” he further explained.

“At 340, 130R is no longer a flat-out corner. So you don’t only lift because you want to recharge; you lift because otherwise you would have a problem from a stability point of view. So lifting in 130R is not only related to energy management, it’s a grip-limited condition. Once you lift, and, for instance, you have not been able to overtake, then if you go back on power, you will have to comply with some regulations that force you to deploy the electrical engine,” he continued.

‘McLaren addresses major flaw’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/mclar...der-regulation

[Fortitude]

Jacques Villeneuve claims Lewis Hamilton ‘paid the price’ for Ferrari issue he saw in Japanese GP.
Jacques Villeneuve claims Ferrari didn’t exploit ‘race craft’ advantage over Mercedes.
31 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

Jacques Villeneuve spoke on the F1 post-race show after the Japanese Grand Prix, where he questioned why Ferrari weren’t able to deliver against Mercedes. He noted that Ferrari’s cars being racier gives the drivers an advantage which they weren’t able to exploit, primarily due to the lightness of the rear, pointing out how it cost Lewis Hamilton and almost Charles Leclerc as well.

“That car is very racy. The drivers can play with it, they can fight, and it reacts very quickly even to acceleration. So, it gives them a better sense of race craft than the two Mercedes drivers. Because every time the Mercedes got in a fight, the two of them, they would either lose out, or lose an extra position with a car that’s a lot faster, and that’s the odd thing.”

“But we see the Ferrari has got a much lighter rear end. And sometimes they get caught out with that. You could see Leclerc sliding out of the corners more. Lewis, as well, a little bit too much, and he had to pay the price at the end of the race. And that’s a trend we have from the beginning of the season with the Ferrari, and that will carry on. Now, we’re getting on tracks that are very different, less high-speed corners, and it should help them.”

‘Lewis Hamilton paid the price’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jac...n-japanese-gp/


Hamilton’s Japanese GP struggle diagnosed by Ferrari in key assessment
30 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Frederic Vasseur has identified the reason behind Lewis Hamilton’s loss of competitiveness during the final stretch of the Japanese Grand Prix. “What is clear this season is that as soon as you are no longer in overtake mode, you lose a bit of pace, and you end up in a train on track,” Vasseur explained.

“When he lost the one-second gap on the car ahead, it became a bit more difficult. We know that we have a deficit of performance in the straight line and that we have to work on it. But it is what it is,” he concluded.

‘Struggle diagnosed’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...key-assessment


Ferrari’s Miami Grand Prix engine update could fix Lewis Hamilton’s ‘severe’ superclipping issue
2 April 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari set to introduce engine software upgrade at Miami Grand Prix. Paolo Filisetti of Gazetta is reporting that Ferrari are looking to make a software upgrade for the engine ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. This update, which will improve the team’s battery management, charging strategies, and energy deployment, could help address Ferrari’s superclipping concerns.

“In time for Miami, Ferrari will bring a profoundly revised and corrected software in terms of electric charge management, charging strategies and the use of stored energy. Essentially, new algorithms that can give Leclerc and Hamilton the tools to avoid seeing the SF-26’s potential performance severely sacrificed due to superclipping…” Paolo Filisetti of Gazetta added that Ferrari are facing a time crunch ahead of the Miami Grand Prix to get the update ready.

Paolo Filisetti added that work at Maranello is ongoing, as Ferrari staffers are working tirelessly to get it done. “As mentioned, the implementation of new algorithms will therefore be, at the PU level, the only cause for concern is whether the Scuderia will be able to carry out the change in time for Miami. For this reason, Ferrari’s engine department and electronics department are working vigorously to also arrive at an on-track verification of the validity of the new algorithms before the race in Florida.”

‘Lewis Hamilton’s ‘severe’ superclipping issue’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...lipping-issue/


Christijan Albers thinks Ferrari gave Lewis Hamilton ‘a slap on the wrist’ for ‘funeral’ interview
31 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

After Lewis Hamilton went on a rant about Ferrari not addressing his battery issues during the Japanese Grand Prix, Christijan Albers expects some repercussions. Hamilton demanded an explanation for his battery issues, especially after seeing Charles Leclerc seemingly not suffer the same fate. This frustration with the possibly preferential treatment could lead to Ferrari intervening between Leclerc and Hamilton.

Speaking on the De Telegraaf F1 podcast, Albers noted that Ferrari are likely to punish Hamilton for his comments, as they would likely face the same issue with the FIA. “I don’t think that’s very strong of him. He’s happy in China, for example, and then we come to Japan, he has an interview, and it feels like conducting a funeral. The coffin is coming…”

“That is clear (Ferrari need to be positive) because at some point you also have to get out of that negative environment. We can keep whining about that battery and all those things. On the other hand, at some point, we can hardly analyse a race anymore. They are getting a slap on the wrist from above. Ferrari naturally have to be careful. They also want to maintain that positivity.”

‘Funeral interview’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/chr...ral-interview/


Hamilton questions Ferrari after mysterious power loss costs him Suzuka podium
29 Mar 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Lewis Hamilton has revealed a mysterious power loss cost him a shot at the podium in the closing laps of the Japanese Grand Prix. The Briton wants answers from Ferrari as he doesn’t understand why his SF-26 was lacking power compared to Leclerc’s car.

“I just struggled with power in the race. Some reason I was just down,” he said. “I was in a defense. I was defending the whole time. The guys all around me, just seemed to have more power today.”

“So I need to try and understand why that is the case, whether my engine was down or what. I need to understand that. Somehow, Charles had more power than me today, in the same car. So I need to understand why that is. He did a good job to get to third place. But, yeah, lacking power.”

“Somehow, Charles had more power than me today, in the same car”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...ferrari-podium


Jolyon Palmer says Kimi Antonelli made Lewis Hamilton look like a ‘backmarker’ in Japan
2 Apr 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Speaking in commentary for F1TV, Palmer said he was reminded of the 2014 season, the start of the turbo/hybrid era. Mercedes won 16 out of 19 races with an average gap of more than 20 seconds to the rest of the field. Jolyon Palmer alarmed by ease of Mercedes’ overtakes in Japan. Antonelli re-passed Hamilton almost immediately at the start of the race, cruising by on the pit straight on lap two with the aid of his battery. “It’s like 2014 again, isn’t it?” Palmer said. “The Mercedes look like they’ve got a second on anyone, the way they are cruising past a car a lap. These are their nearest rivals!”

“They can’t muck around, Russell and Antonelli, because they’re racing each other. It’s like they’re clearing backmarkers at this stage, but it’s just frontrunning positions. They have to do it efficiently, because everytime Russell doesn’t make the move, there’s the risk that Antonelli will make the move and get onto his gearbox.” There is a school of thought that Mercedes are holding back some engine performance to deny their rivals development aids. The ADUO system is available to teams who are more than two percent behind in the engine department.

While this is unlikely to work, the idea that Mercedes have speed in reserve, despite taking every pole position, every win and five out of six possible podiums, is ominous. One alternative motive might be reliability. Rumours in China suggested Mercedes were only at 70% capacity because they aren’t yet sure the power unit can cope with maximum attack. During the first stint of the Japanese GP, it felt as if Mercedes were laying down their authority. But while Antonelli built a commanding 13.7-second lead after the safety car, Russell was unable to pass Leclerc for the final podium place, which offers some hope to the chasing pack.

“It’s like 2014 again, isn’t it?”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jol...rker-in-japan/

[Fortitude]

Gasly held off Verstappen at Suzuka with ‘best car of my career’.
“I think, for now, this is the best car I’ve had in my career, perhaps alongside the 2021 AlphaTauri,” he pondered.
31/03/2026
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

The sparks were flying at Suzuka – and right in the thick of it, Pierre Gasly delivered one of the most defiant drives of the season, fending off none other than Max Verstappen in a frantic duel that left the paddock buzzing. It was a long race, I must say, with a lot of pressure,” Gasly told Canal+. “Early in the race, I was quite comfortable with the mediums. But there have been many safety cars this year, so I knew it was bound to happen at some point.”

“The second part of the race was a bit different. He put huge pressure on me throughout the race, so I really had to focus to try and be as fast as possible – there was no management with those tyres – and make no mistake, because he was very, very close. He managed to stay quite close, so they did a bit better than us on hard tyres. But in the end, we managed to keep him behind and get that seventh place.”

“I think we’ve got a good baseline,” Gasly continued. “I’m quite happy to see that the car has seemed to work well over the first few weekends, we’ve managed to have performance all around. We know our limitations and what we need to work on. But we have one month ahead of us, we’re working on stuff for Miami, so overall it bodes well.”

‘Best car of my career’;

https://f1i.com/news/562331-gasly-he...my-career.html


Alpine’s 2026 reset delivers as Pierre Gasly leads stunning rise past Red Bull
2 Apr 2026
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

After spending F1 2025 propping up the back of the pack, Alpine has even bested Red Bull at the start of 2026 as Team Enstone eyes a potential fourth-place turnaround. Noises heading into the winter were positive: both Nielsen and racing director Dave Greenwood expressed some confidence that things would look better in ’26, as the A526 project was hitting its performance and weight targets.

Of course, given Alpine finished well adrift of the rest in 2025, 48 points behind the ninth-placed team, almost anything would represent a step forward, but the start to 2026 has vindicated much of the decision-making last year, as Team Enstone has vaulted up the rankings to place fifth overall after the first three rounds. There hasn’t been any luck involved in this either. In fact, Alpine could very well have been fourth if it hadn’t been for Franco Colapinto being knocked down a few spots by Haas’ Esteban Ocon during the Chinese Grand Prix, having put in a storming weekend in Shanghai after a quiet first round in Australia netted Pierre Gasly 10th place.

Given that the aim for this year was merely to close the gap and re-establish itself in the midfield, Briatore’s latest stated aims as of the Chinese Grand Prix suggest Alpine is even outperforming its own expectations. “To finish in front of [Audi], if it is possible [and] close to [Red Bull], if it’s possible!” Briatore said of the team’s mindset for the year. “This is what we’re looking for. We’re looking to be P7, P8, P6, this range, this range of the competition we have. We have the top four teams, they are very, very strong, and after that is all the rest. So fighting to be in front of all the rest.”

‘Alpine’s 2026 reset’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre...paces-red-bull


Questionable Pierre Gasly decision suddenly starting to make sense
Despite the massive struggles from Alpine in recent Formula 1 seasons, Pierre Gasly was quick to extend his contract into 2028.
22 Mar 2026
Siddharth Bharani-Dharan|
Beyond the Flag (Weblog)

Since joining Alpine for the 2023 Formula 1 season, Pierre Gasly has consistently outperformed his teammates, shining even though Alpine have had one of the slowest cars on the grid. Through the struggles, the French driver still chose to extend his contract by two years this past September.

The French driver’s contract was set to expire at the end of the 2026 season. However, Gasly appeared quite keen to extend his contract through 2028, a decision that many questioned at the time. But perhaps reviewing data on A526 and the Mercedes engine were convincing factors in committing to two more seasons with a struggling team.

Nevertheless, the A526 is quite an improvement over its predecessors. With the Enstone-based team having gotten this regulation set right, the hope is that they can maintain this level and even push themselves forward over the next few seasons of Gasly’s tenure.

‘Questionable Pierre Gasly decision’;

https://beyondtheflag.com/questionab...e-01km1gjpatmz


Pierre Gasly’s bold aims highlight Alpine’s stunning F1 rebound
Pierre Gasly has set his sights high after a strong start to the 2026 Formula 1 season for Alpine.
4 Apr 2026
Sam Hall , Adam Cooper
Crash.Net

Pierre Gasly has set the ambitious target of mixing it with McLaren and Ferrari at the front of the Formula 1 field with a raft of mid-season updates at Alpine. “I think to me, it’s not going to happen over the course of a month, but I would like to see ourselves after the summer break being a bit more of a player in that group with McLaren and Ferrari,” said Gasly.

“In Japan, the gap was still too big for me to really take part in that fight, but seven seconds over 28 laps, you’re looking at three-fourth tenths, and I think that’s where we need to look at. The car was a bit tricky in the race, I wasn’t as comfortable as in quali. I was struggling a bit in high speed, which we know is a bit of a limitation for us at the moment.”

“So we know what we’ve got to improve, which is good. We know we don’t need to care about the power unit, we get the best of what is out there, and we just need to focus on our chassis and what we do. I think we’ve got a good package, we’ve just got to make it better. I’m just happy because the car seems to work on all types of tracks really, so I think there’s definitely a good boost of confidence,” added Gasly.

‘Ambitious target of mixing it with McLaren and Ferrari’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109286...ing-f1-rebound


Gasly consistency sparking Alpine betting boost
Three races down and Gasly has picked up points in every one this season.
3 April 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Pierre Gasly is currently priced at 25/1 (26.0, +2500) to win a Grand Prix this season, which shows plenty of respect for a man who seems to make the best of chaotic situations, including his victory in the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.

However, Gasly should continue to be of interest in the top six finish market for individual Grand Prix races, while a podium isn’t out of the question at some point and could be worth a speculative bet in races where rain is forecast.

The Sao Paulo Grand Prix is not until November 8, but that could be a date to circle on the calendar with regards to backing Gasly. The Frenchman has picked up points in five of his last six visits, including two podium finishes.

‘Alpine betting boost’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...d6wpVB9GZUN9gB


Sunday league football team in Stratford-upon-Avon stunned after Formula One star SPONSORS them for the season - as surprise link is revealed
28 March 2026
LEWIS BROWNING, SPORTS REPORTER
MailOnline

A Sunday league football team with a little over 400 followers on social media has been sponsored by Formula One driver Pierre Gasly in a bizarre move. It appears, though, that he has interests away from racing. As of this season, the Frenchman has been sponsoring Stratford-upon-Avon-based weekend league team Shottery United, who play in the Evesham & District Sunday Football League Division Two.

Announcing the news to their 431 followers on Instagram, the club wrote: 'Shottery United FC are proud to announce its new kit, sponsored by Formula 1 Driver Pierre Gasly! 'Thank you Pierre and his team for making this happen and for the continued support.' Fans in the comments were left stunned, with one writing: 'Crazy,' accompanied by two laughing face emojis. 'Play up shottery blues!'

Sam Weaver, who co-runs the club, said: 'Alpine are our local Formula One team and a few of our lads work there in various roles. 'Pierre loves his football and he decided to sponsor us, so we managed to place his name on our new kit.' Gasly also reportedly sends the team video messages and voice notes to offer his support, while he intends to attend a match when he can.

‘Formula 1 Driver Pierre Gasly sponsoring Shottery United’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-revealed.html