MERCEDES GRANTED FIA HEARING OVER GEORGE RUSSELL'S MONACO F1 PENALTY

The FIA has confirmed Mercedes' request for a review of the Monaco Grand Prix results, with a hearing scheduled for this Saturday ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix

George Russell, Mercedes

Photo by: Erik Junius

The FIA has accepted Mercedes' request for a review of the Monaco Grand Prix result and George Russell's penalties, with a hearing scheduled for this Saturday, following Alpine's successful overturning of Pierre Gasly's penalties.

A document published by the FIA on Wednesday confirmed that Mercedes has lodged a Right of Review petition regarding the decision made by the Monaco stewards following Alpine's successful challenge against the penalties issued during the race.

That puts the Monaco Grrand Prix result in further doubt after it was already amended last week.

The hearing will take place in two stages. As per the regulations, the stewards will first determine whether Mercedes has presented a "significant and relevant new element" that was unavailable at the time of the original decision. If that threshold is met, the case will proceed to a second hearing, where the substance of the challenge will be considered.

The latest development follows the dramatic twist in the Monaco Grand Prix result that saw Gasly's two pitlane speeding penalties overturned.

Several drivers were penalised during the race for allegedly exceeding the 60km/h pitlane speed limit. Gasly received two separate five-second penalties, dropping him from a podium finish to seventh place in the final classification.

Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine

However, Alpine successfully challenged those penalties after presenting evidence that the distance used by the official timing system in one of the pitlane timing sectors was incorrect for the Monaco pitlane layout. Formula One Management acknowledged the issue, admitting the timing system had been set up incorrectly, leading the stewards to rescind both penalties and restore Gasly to third place.

That decision immediately raised questions about the cases of other drivers who had received penalties under the same circumstances.

While the FIA stewards have not yet formally established that Russell's penalty was unjustified, the fact that FOM acknowledged the timing system was working incorrectly strongly suggests the Mercedes driver may also have been incorrectly penalised for speeding in the pitlane.

Russell was initially handed a five-second penalty for pitlane speeding. He then attempted to serve that penalty during a pitstop, but the stewards later determined that the penalty had not been served correctly. As a result, he received an additional drive-through penalty, which he served after the final restart.

The sequence dropped Russell out of the points, turning what had been a solid points-scoring afternoon into a point-less finish.

The consequences extended beyond Monaco itself, as Russell lost significant ground in the drivers' championship, with the zero score proving particularly costly in his battle against team-mate Kimi Antonelli.

Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes

Two other teams are understood to be challenging what is now a provisional Monaco Grand Prix result, with McLaren having already confirmed on Tuesday that it has formally protested the decision to overturn Gasly's penalties.

Its driver Oscar Piastri was also penalised during the race but, unlike Gasly, served his penalty during the grand prix. As a result, the decision to reinstate Gasly's original race time effectively dropped Piastri from fourth to fifth in the final classification.

Red Bull has not confirmed that it has protested last week's stewards' decision, but it is understood to have done so as well, as it seeks to restore Isack Hadjar's podium finish.

Hadjar originally inherited third place after Gasly's penalties were applied, before losing the position again when the Alpine driver's sanctions were rescinded.

Following the stewards' decision to cancel Gasly's penalties, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed the team's intention to continue challenging the Monaco result.

While admitting it was a long shot to have Russell's result revised, Wolff stressed that Mercedes would explore every possible avenue to secure a better outcome for its driver.

Although Russell ultimately finished outside the top 10 after serving a drive-through penalty, he had been running third on the road before the sanction was applied.

Wolff suggested there may be a mechanism to revisit the result by converting Russell's drive-through penalty into an equivalent time penalty. Under the sporting regulations, a drive-through penalty that cannot be served during a race is converted into a 20-second addition to a driver's race time.

Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes, Lando Norris, McLaren

"A drive-through, if it didn't happen at the end, is equivalent of 20 seconds race time," Wolff said. "What would 20 seconds race time have meant for his result? Do we think that we realistically have a position, a chance of reverting the result? I don't think so, but we definitely have to give it a go if we see that there is a millimetre of chance to do so and bring him back to whatever it was before."

Wolff was referring to Article B1.9.6.c.iii of the sporting regulations, which covers situations where a driver is unable to serve a drive-through penalty during a race. In such cases, 20 seconds are added to the driver's final race time.

The Mercedes boss argued that the same principle could potentially be used in reverse if the original speeding penalty is ultimately deemed invalid. Under that interpretation, Russell's drive-through could effectively be converted into a 20-second race-time adjustment, potentially moving him back into the points-paying positions.

Whether the stewards have the regulatory scope to apply such a solution remains unclear, but it is one of the possible avenues Mercedes could pursue in its attempt to recover some of the ground Russell lost in Monaco.

- Oleg Karpov

ALPINE MAY GET A NEW NAME IN 2027 DUE TO A MEGA DEAL WITH GUCCI

This photo is made by AI and GPblog

The Alpine Formula 1 team will likely get a new name starting from the 2027 season. GPblog understands that luxury brand Gucci is the intended new title sponsor of the French team. The new name would then be Gucci Alpine Formula One Team.

BWT Alpine Formula One Team is currently the official and full name of the team of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. BWT is expected to end its title sponsorship of the French outfit after the current season, which opens the door for a new naming partner.

That partner appears to be Gucci, part of the luxury group Kering. Since mid-last year, Luca de Meo has been the CEO of Kering. De Meo was for many years the CEO of Renault and a driving force behind the Formula 1 team, so the connection is quickly made.

Gucci is one of the largest luxury brands in the world. With the naming sponsorship of Alpine, the company would enter the world of glitz and glamour, perfectly matching the image Gucci aims to project. Reportedly, Gucci wants to leverage Formula 1—especially in the United States and Europe—to capitalize on the increasingly likely partnership with Alpine for further growth.

It is unknown how much Gucci is willing to spend for Alpine’s title sponsorship. In any case, such a major sponsorship would bring the French team tens of millions.

Alpine’s response to a possible deal with Gucci

GPblog asked Alpine about the collaboration with Gucci. The team responded with the following statement: "Alpine Formula One Team is constantly looking for new partnership opportunities and in contact with a wide range of brands and companies as potential partners. The discussions are however always kept confidential and they are disclosed only when confirmed and agreed by all parties."

Colapinto wows Buenos Aires crowd

Meanwhile, Colapinto says Argentina "deserves to have a race again" after the Alpine driver completed a show run on the streets of Buenos Aires in front of over half a million people.

The 22-year-old, himself from the Buenos Aires city of Pilar, performed his show run around a 2km course in the Palermo neighbourhood, near the capital's Monumento de Los Españoles, in a 2012 Lotus E20. The car was donning the pink and blue livery Alpine have had since its rebranding from Renault in 2021.

- Ludo van Denderen

MUCH-MISSED ELEMENT OF F1 GRID REVIVED FOR MIAMI GP WITH STUNNING RACING BULLS LIVERY

Racing Bulls will race in yellow at the Miami Grand Prix, returning a much-missed colour to the F1 grid for the first time since 2020.

© Red Bull Contentpool
Racing Bulls

Racing Red Bullls have unveiled a vibrant yellow special livery for this weekend's Miami Grand Prix, marking the return of a much-missed colour to the Formula 1 grid for the first time since 2020.

The striking design, inspired by the Red Bull Summer Edition Sudachi Lime energy drink, will adorn the VCARB03 at the Miami International Autodrome, restoring yellow to F1's colour palette after a six-year absence.

Renault was the last team to field a yellow car before rebranding as Alpine in 2021, but that was predominantly black in later years.

recent memory, Jordan raced bright yellow cars during the late 1990s until the name left F1 at the end of 2005.

Before Red Bull owned the team that is now Racing Bulls, Minardi also ran a bright yellow car in 2000 due to its sponsorship with mobile network giant Telefonica.

This marks Racing Bulls' second one-off livery of the 2026 season, having already run a special white and pink design at the Japanese Grand Prix in March.

Due to the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix postponements, the Faenza-based squad has now deployed special liveries for half of the four rounds contested so far this year.

The reveal took place at Kiki On The River, a waterfront venue along the Miami River, where Red Bull wakeboard athlete Guenther Oka launched off a ramp and backflipped over the car whilst pulling away the cover mid-air. Drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad witnessed the unveiling whilst arriving on Ski-Doos.

Peter Bayer, CEO of Racing Bulls, said: "Miami has become a special place for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls to express who we are as a team. For the past two years, we've used this race to showcase something bold and unique, and this latest livery is no exception.

"The Red Bull Summer Edition livery brings a vibrant energy which reflects who we are as a team, creative and willing to push boundaries. We're very excited to give wiiings to the new seasonal flavour and bring the distinctive design to track this weekend."

The livery features bold yellow colouring complemented by citrus patterns on the team kit, capturing the textures found inside the sudachi lime fruit. The VCARB03 will hit the track in the custom livery when practice begins on Friday.

- RacingNews365 Staff

MOST GRANDS PRIX | ALPINE

 

FORMULA 1 TEAMS | VALUATION

 

FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS STANDINGS

 

F1 TEST: MCLAREN HITS TRACK, RED BULL BIDES TIME, ALPINE SHINES AND AUDI RUNS INTO TROUBLE

Lando Norris has taken the new McLaren out on track on Day 3 of the F1 test in Barcelona. Image: McLaren

Lando Norris has hit the track for the first time this week, as McLaren begins its programme on Day 3 of the Formula 1 pre-season test in Barcelona.

The wheel of the MCL40 has been turned in anger for the first time on Wednesday morning by the reigning World Champion, the car sporting a special black livery, as well as the #1.

With the media and data blackout continuing, all information is subject to confirmation, but early reports suggest Norris has been part of a varied strategy by Mercedes to increase the testing of its new powertrains.

The German marque’s works team is thought to be focusing on long runs, with McLaren opting for short runs before pitting.

Mercedes’ newest customer, Alpine, is deploying a similarly long strategy, with Franco Colapinto reportedly setting a 1:19.150, which is thought to be the quickest time of the day so far.

 | Audi is facing real challenges during this shakedown.

They ran 27 laps on Monday before Bortoleto had to retire from a mechanical issue and today Hülkenberg has had to retire the car as well after running into another problem.

pic.twitter.com/fsiW1Irv9d

— deni (@fiagirly) January 28, 2026

Red Bull sits out Day 3 of F1 test as Audi runs halted by Hulkenberg woe

Red Bull has confirmed it will sit out Day 3 after a productive first two days, with Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen completing runs on Tuesday.

It is thought that the Milton Keynes-based squad has not made the decision based on Hadjar’s crash shortly before the chequered flag, with a calculated strategy as to which day it will decide to use as its final one of the week.

Ferrari have also yet to take to the track on Wednesday, after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both managed to get runs in on Tuesday.

Audi appears to have run into trouble, with Hulkenberg’s reported five laps down to a stoppage on track earlier in the morning, his R26 halting at Turns 9 and 10.

It is the second time the car has stopped out on track this week, with Gabriel Bortoleto also having to find a tow truck on Day 1.

Oliver Bearman has also been in the wars, his Haas VF-26 also stopping out on track in the morning, after some positive long runs from the car alreadty completed this week.

- Jack Oliver Smith

MERCEDES TO SLASH ENGINE CUSTOMERS, HINTS WOLFF

Wolff signals slimmer Mercedes customer roster for next rules era

Mercedes is preparing to tighten its engine supply network in the next regulation cycle, with Toto Wolff making clear the works team doesn’t plan to power as many cars up and down the pit lane as it does now.

Speaking on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Wolff said the company is reassessing how many customers its Brixworth-based High Performance Powertrains division should support when the rules reset after the incoming 2026 era runs its course.

“I think where our current mindset is, also discussing with Ola [Källenius], is that we will reduce the number of teams we are going to supply in the next cycle,” Wolff said. “We don’t know whether the truth is between two and three [in total]… it depends on new regulations going forward. Are they rather simple or not? … It’s not going to be four anymore.”

Mercedes HPP is one of five power unit manufacturers on the grid alongside Ferrari, Honda, Audi and Red Bull Powertrains/Ford. Its hardware sits in the back of the works cars and long-standing partners McLaren and Williams, with Alpine set to join the fold for 2026. That spread has traditionally given Mercedes a data deluge when the lights go out on a fresh ruleset — more cars, more mileage, more feedback — but it also brings logistical heft and earlier design lock-ins that can bite.

“When you consider how many engines we need to ship to Melbourne, for all of us, 16 engines… longer lead times, longer production cycles,” Wolff said. “All of that going forward, it’s not going to be four anymore.”

Hywel Thomas, managing director at HPP, outlined the same push-pull from the factory floor. More partners equals more learning — and more headaches.

“We’ve shown in the past that having more than one team, you’re getting more data, more information… you’ve got four times the engineers all sitting around telling you, ‘No, you can do this better,’ and that is very, very beneficial,” Thomas said. “Doesn’t always feel like it, but it definitely is in terms of making a great product.

“But the flip of that is, we’ve got to make a lot of hardware. We’ve got to make a few decisions earlier. I’m not even sure whether the right place is one team, two teams, three teams, or four teams. There’s definitely a sweet spot in there somewhere. I think it’s probably nearer four than one.”

That “sweet spot” is where the internal debate clearly lives. Wolff wants a leaner roster in the long term; Thomas sees value in a wider customer map. What’s not up for debate is the priority. HPP exists to serve the Mercedes works operation first.

“We are wholly owned by Mercedes. We exist to do one thing, and that’s to win World Championships with Mercedes,” Thomas said. “That’s why I sit in a Mercedes garage, and it’s why the relationships with the engineering group in Brackley are so strong.”

Wolff was even blunter. Customer wins are nice-to-have. The star on the nose is the must-have.

“The raison d’être for HPP is to win World Championships with the works team,” he said. “In order to make the economies work and also to use it as a test bench and a comparison to the works team, it’s good that we have the customer supply situation.

“There will always be a part of Hywel, and I think HPP, that is allowed to cheer for their power unit to have won a championship,” Wolff added. “But the mindset we always had is that this power unit has won a Constructors’ World Championship. That means our car wasn’t good enough… For us, being able to benchmark ourselves, you can at least take the power unit out of the equation. So on the chassis side, we haven’t done that.”

Read between the lines and the plan looks pragmatic. Keep enough partner cars for data and benchmarking — the “test bench” Wolff references — but not so many that Brixworth is forced into conservative choices or long lead times that blunt development agility. In practice, that likely means some of today’s Mercedes-powered teams won’t be by the time the next rules arrive.

For now, Mercedes will head into the 2026 reset with a large footprint and a familiar philosophy: build a PU that can win, use customer programs to accelerate the learning, and make sure the car in silver is the one that cashes the cheques. The next era after that? Fewer shirts to ship, fewer engines to box up, and a tighter circle around Brackley and Brixworth.

- Alex Albuquerque

FLAVIO BRIATORE SLAMMED FOR HIS 'UNNECESSARY' STATEMENT ABOUT FRANCO COLAPINTO'S FUTURE AT ALPINE

Credit: Kym Illman/Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Image

Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore has raised some eyebrows with his latest comments about Franco Colapinto’s future, as the Argentine fights for his F1 seat.

Uncertainty continues to hang over Colapinto, with the 22-year-old still only in possession of a race-by-race contract to drive for Alpine in the 2025 F1 season. He initially got a five-race deal to replace Jack Doohan this May, but Briatore has so far opted to keep him in the A525.

Sources have told F1 Oversteer that Alpine have shocked a lot of the F1 paddock by keeping Colapinto in the A525 for so long. Many expected Briatore to reverse his decision and allow Doohan to get back in the car. Yet the Australian has had to settle for a seat on the sidelines.

Colapinto has largely failed to prove himself as an upgrade on Doohan, who Briatore canned after the first six rounds of the season. Alpine are still waiting to see Colapinto score his first point, with the Buenos Aires native’s average Grand Prix finish so far P15.2 from nine results.

Flavio Briatore criticised for narrowing Alpine’s 2026 shortlist down to Franco Colapinto and Paul Aron

It has been said that Briatore has studied the F1 driver market to find a potential alternative teammate for Pierre Gasly for 2026. Alpine have spoken with Zhou Guanyu about a possible return to F1. It is thought that Alpine hold an interest in McLaren junior Alex Dunne, as well.

But Briatore has now told The Race that Alpine will decide between retaining Colapinto next year or promoting their other reserve driver, Paul Aron, into a 2026 race seat. Briatore does not see “any other possibility” for Alpine’s 2026 F1 driver line-up among their other options.

Briatore’s public declaration that Colapinto or Aron will be Gasly’s teammate at Alpine next year has frustrated Tiff Needell. The ex-F1 driver believes there are “at least” four stronger candidates for the 2026 Alpine seat on the current Formula 2 grid than Colapinto and Aron.

He noted on X after Briatore’s claim: “So unnecessary to make such statements! There are at least four drivers on the F2 grid I’d put ahead of these two. But this is the Briatore way…”

What has Flavio Briatore said about Alpine’s 2026 F1 driver line-up plans?

It had already emerged that Aron is the most likely candidate to replace Colapinto if Briatore decides to rotate Alpine’s line-up again before the end of the 2025 season. But it is also now between the pair to fight over the final seat in Alpine’s driver line-up for the 2026 F1 season.

Juan Pablo Montoya doubts Aron is “the answer” for Alpine, should Briatore give the seat to the Estonian next year. Montoya wants to see Briatore sign a driver who can really challenge or even beat Gasly with equal machinery, but he questions whether Aron would be able to.

Aron has spent 2025 on the sidelines as Alpine’s reserve driver, while making FP1 outings for Sauber in Britain and Hungary plus for Alpine at Monza. The 2024 third-place F2 finisher has also impressed Briatore, who only needs “one or two” more races to decide Alpine’s line-up.

“It’s between Franco and Paul,” Briatore told The Race. “Paul is a very nice guy [and] a very quick driver, as well. And I need to understand what is best for the team, you know?”

He added: “My only interest is to try to take in the team the best driver available and do the best job with us. It is as simple as that. I need another one or two races to see. But honestly, today I don’t know [which one].”

- Kyle Archer

PIERRE GASLY COMMITTED TO ALPINE FUTURE WITH NEW CONTRACT THROUGH 2028

Pierre Gasly has secured his Formula 1 future with Alpine, signing a new long-term contract that will keep him with the French manufacturer until the end of the 2028 season. The announcement came during the Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza and marks a major step in Alpine’s bid to rebuild as the sport heads into its next regulatory era.

The 29-year-old joined Alpine ahead of the 2023 season after a long spell with the Red Bull family and has since emerged as a central figure in the team’s long-term project. In just over two seasons, Gasly has scored two podium finishes – at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix and the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix – and played a vital role in helping the team secure sixth place in the constructors’ standings last year.

Gasly’s previous deal was set to expire at the end of 2026, but both sides moved quickly to lock in an extension by two more years, underlining Alpine’s faith in his ability to lead them into the new regulations beginning in 2026.

Gasly admitted that the chance to continue racing with a French team was a source of pride and one of the driving factors in his decision to stay.

“I’m thrilled to commit my long-term future to Alpine,” Gasly said in a statement released by Alpine. “As a Frenchman, driving for a French car company makes me feel very proud.

“Since I joined in 2023, I have always felt this was the right place to be for the future. Flavio’s support and belief in me, Francois’ commitment to the Formula 1 project, as well as the people we have in Enstone made this a natural decision.

“I want to be here in years to come and deliver on our joint objective: to win races and world championships. We’re all in this together and I look forward to continuing this special story.”

Gasly’s growing influence in the paddock has been noted by rivals and pundits alike, with his consistency and leadership becoming increasingly evident during Alpine’s turbulent seasons.

Alpine executive advisior Flavio Briatore, who returned to Alpine earlier this year in a high-profile comeback, hailed the announcement as a key step in the team’s rebuilding effort.

“Since I returned to the team, I have always stated how important it is to build and grow the competitiveness of Alpine,” Briatore said. “We’re well prepared for the new era of Formula 1 beginning in 2026, and now we have our lead driver confirmed to take us into the future.

“Pierre has been an immense asset during this challenging period. I have been very impressed with his attitude, dedication and talent, and we look forward to continuing this project together for a long time.”

Alpine looks ahead to 2026

Alpine’s renewed commitment to Gasly also reflects wider structural changes within the team. Backed by the Renault Group and its new CEO Francois Provost, the squad has doubled down on its ambition to return to the front of the grid.

The sweeping technical regulations coming in 2026 – with new power unit rules and a greater emphasis on sustainable fuels – represent a reset moment for Formula 1, and Alpine wants Gasly as its spearhead for the new era.

The team is still yet to confirm Gasly’s teammate for 2026 and beyond. Rookie Franco Colapinto is currently in the second seat, though his long-term future with Alpine has not been confirmed.

For Gasly, though, the focus is clear: he is tied to Alpine through the next four years, giving both driver and team the stability to grow together. As one of only a handful of French drivers in Formula 1 history to have stood on the podium for a French manufacturer, his deal represents both continuity and national pride.

“Driving for Alpine isn’t just about competing in Formula 1 – it’s about being part of a French project with a rich history and big ambitions for the future,” Gasly said. “That’s something I want to build on for the years ahead.”

With Gasly now locked in until 2028, Alpine has its leader in place. The challenge will be delivering him a car worthy of fighting at the front when the sport’s new era begins.

- John Smith

WHAT'S GOING ON F1 2025'S FORGOTTEN DRIVER

This Formula 1 season has produced a short-lived grand prix career that had more flashes of promise than people will remember - assuming Jack Doohan is remembered at all, since he has rapidly become the forgotten man of Formula 1 2025.

In another world, Doohan is racing in the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend. And it doesn't even need to be a world in which Alpine never dropped him, as Doohan could conceivably have got his seat back as quickly as he lost it.

When Alpine subbed in Franco Colapinto for a five-race evaluation, that description was quickly revised by team boss Flavio Briatore, which was a hint that Colapinto was probably around for the long haul. But Doohan kept his head down and worked on the basis that he would be back in the car at the British GP if Colapinto did not perform.

But come the most recent round at Silverstone, Doohan remained on the sidelines. And Colapinto appears to have been given an indefinite incumbency - assisted at least in part by the arrival of a Latin American sponsor, Claro, which is part of the Carlos Slim empire - despite the poor form that left Doohan expecting to get his seat back.

Comparing the two six-event stints of Doohan and Colapinto is an underwhelming exercise. They have similarly disappointing results, although Doohan has had stronger flashes.

At his point of elimination in qualifying, Doohan's average position (not including grid penalties for others) was 15.5, his peak was 11th in Bahrain, his average deficit to Gasly was 0.36 seconds and he outqualified him once, in Miami.

Colapinto's average qualifying position is 16.7, with an average deficit of 0.3s, a best qualifying performance of 12th in Canada, where he outqualified Gasly for the only time so far in a result that also became 10th on the grid after penalties.

Directly comparing how they performed versus Gasly in every qualifying segment favours Doohan slightly, as his deficit drops to 0.26s while Colapinto's is reduced to 0.31s. The two are clearly very close in any qualifying analysis, plus have shared similar experiences of unreasonable expectations and a threat of being dropped.

But Doohan's overall pace showed a threat to Gasly that Colapinto has struggled to replicate. And while this is not an argument that Colapinto has been terrible, or a big downgrade on Doohan, you can imagine why Doohan would feel very hard done by that he has lost his F1 seat - and potentially any chance of an F1 future - for a change that has achieved nothing.

It leaves Doohan with a tiny and underwhelming legacy.

Barring a new driver arriving somewhere and failing to finish a race higher than 13th, Doohan will finish last in the championship; Colapinto's two 13th-place finishes have him technically ahead even though neither have scored a point, the two only drivers who have failed to do so in 2025.

It is a poor record, and being quite so bad is undeserved. Doohan's Alpine stint featured more potential than the results suggest.

Thrown into a difficult situation at Alpine, driving a car that was tricky to handle and under the watch of team management that undermined him and his successor Colapinto, Doohan had the odds stacked against him from the start.

Despite the lack of points, Doohan impressed with flashes of raw speed - especially after a set-up change after testing helped tailor the Alpine more to his liking for the start of the season - and a strong work ethic.

But his campaign was hampered by mistakes: a first-lap crash in Australia, a practice crash on his second flying lap in Japan after failing to close DRS manually because he had not needed to in the simulator, and a race-ending incident in Miami that came after a strong qualifying performance.

These moments, along with other unnecessary penalties in China (forcing Isack Hadjar off track, 10 seconds) and Bahrain (leaving the track without a justifiable reason multiple times, five seconds), disrupted any momentum he might have been able to build.

Still, within the context of his situation - limited preparation, high-pressure expectations, and a car that wasn't up to standard - Doohan performed better than he was given credit for. While he may now be seen as a footnote in Alpine's turbulent 2025 season, he had the raw ingredients of a capable F1 driver.

Had Alpine committed longer-term, the trajectory suggested there was more to come. Instead, Doohan has become one of the forgotten men of 2025.

The question is whether there will be a second chance.

Even Red Bull, the only team who has treated a driver as badly or worse than Alpine has this year, tends to keep their rejected options in a race seat somewhere. Liam Lawson at least ended up back at Racing Bulls, for example, after being dropped following two races at Red Bull at the start of the year.

Assuming there is no route back in at Alpine - which looks to be the case while Briatore is there - then Doohan's best chance might be to crowbar his way in at Cadillac, which is weighing up going for the most experienced and successful free agents (Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez) or pairing one of them with a younger driver.

Cadillac's known to be wary of taking on a rookie but, with seven grands prix starts plus two sprint races under his belt, Doohan's potentially got an edge on some of the other candidates thought to be in the mix. And there have at least been some informal talks.

What Doohan's counting on for any team minded to roll the dice and give him a second chance - wherever or whenever that could be - is for someone to pay close enough attention to his work at Alpine to look past the results.

While they were not bad enough to deserve being dropped in the first place, they are also too middling and too few to command a place elsewhere.

That is the unfortunate and unfair reality that the most harshly treated driver of F1 2025 has been left in.

- Scott Mitchell-Malm

OLLIE OAKES RESIGNS AS TEAM PRINCIPAL

BREAKING: Ollie Oakes has resigned from his position as Team Principal at Alpine with immediate effect

Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor, will continue in this role and also cover duties previously performed by Oakes at the team

"IT'S A DISGRACE": THE REAL REASON HAMILTON, LECLERC AND GASLY WERE EXCLUDED (AND IT'S SHOCKING)

I must admit, I never imagined seeing three renowned drivers disqualified simultaneously in Formula 1. Yet, at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and Pierre Gasly all lost their positions following a post-race technical inspection. So, why exactly were these drivers penalized? Hold onto your seatbelts—these reasons might surprise you.

Hamilton Penalized: A Worn Skid Block Costs Dearly

Let’s begin with Lewis Hamilton, a six-time world champion who crossed the finish line in sixth place in Shanghai. During the post-race checks, officials discovered excessive wear on the skid block beneath his Ferrari. According to Article 3.5.9 of the FIA regulations, the skid block’s minimum thickness (9 mm) must be strictly respected. Unfortunately, Hamilton’s car exceeded the allowable wear limit, resulting in immediate disqualification. Ferrari acknowledged the technical oversight, explaining, “We underestimated the wear during the race.”

Leclerc and Gasly: 1 kg Too Light, Instant Disqualification!

For Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly, the issue was equally embarrassing. Leclerc finished fifth, while Gasly crossed the line in eleventh position. But to everyone’s astonishment, their cars weighed exactly 799 kg during inspection, falling 1 kg short of the FIA’s minimum required weight of 800 kg (Article 4.1). Ferrari explained their single-stop strategy had excessively worn the tires, resulting in this critical drop in weight. Alpine also recognized their error, stating, “This is a mistake we must take responsibility for,” according to the French team’s management.

A Completely Shaken-Up Classification

The consequences were severe for these drivers, but other competitors gladly benefited from this unexpected shake-up. Esteban Ocon climbed from seventh to fifth position. Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Alexander Albon inherited sixth and seventh places respectively. Oliver Bearman, Lance Stroll, and Carlos Sainz also climbed the standings, earning valuable championship points.

Mixed Reactions from Ferrari and Alpine

As expected, disappointment prevailed among the penalized teams. Ferrari pledged to learn from these incidents to avoid future technical setbacks. Alpine echoed similar sentiments, promising to tighten their pre-race inspection protocols. I fully understand their embarrassment regarding such mistakes at this elite level of competition.

Was it Negligence or Just an Honest Mistake?

Ultimately, these multiple disqualifications open up an interesting debate. At this pinnacle of technical excellence, how can we explain such oversights? Are the teams overly confident, or are these risks simply inherent to motorsport competition?

And what about you—do you think these disqualifications are acceptable technical errors in Formula 1, or do they indicate unforgivable negligence by the teams involved?

-  James-Fiorucci

F1 2025 PRIZE POT

 

HIRAKAWA LEAVES MCLAREN TO JOIN ALPINE FROM 2025 F1 SEASON

 

Ahead of the upcoming season, Alpine has announced that Ryō Hirakawa will join the Anglo-French team as test and reserve driver for 2025, expanding the pool of drivers from which the Enstone-based team may call upon throughout the season for testing and driving duties.

Hirakawa previously fulfilled test driver duties at McLaren, and he will now take on the role of test and reserve driver at Alpine. As part of his duties, the Japanese driver will participate in the Alpine's TPC programme and support with car development and technical understanding using the team’s simulator throughout the 2025 season.

In addition, Hirakawa will also drive in the opening practice at the Japanese Grand Prix that will take place at the Suzuka Circuit at the beginning of April.

Hirakawa has collected a wealth of experience over the past years, having competed across various disciplines including Super Formula, Endurance, and Super GT as well as having tested in Formula One machinery in 2023 and 2024.

His most most remarkable result is his overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022, and he is also a two-time Hypercar Champion in the FIA World Endurance Championship (2022 and 2023).

Commenting on the announcement, Hirakawa noted: “It is an honour to be joining BWT Alpine Formula One Team as a Test and Reserve Driver for the 2025 season.

"As always, the opportunity of track time in Formula One machinery is the pinnacle for race drivers and I am excited to drive in Free Practice 1 in front of my home crowd at the Japanese Grand Prix, as well as working with the team testing previous cars.

"It is a great opportunity to be working with such a dedicated team that utilises the breadth of experience of its driver pool and I look forward to playing a part in making 2025 a positive year together.”

Reflecting on the announcement, Alpine's team boss Oliver Oakes added: “It is great to bring Ryō on board with the team for 2025 and have him step in to take over driving duties for FP1 in Japan in front of his home crowd.

"His addition brings a diverse range of racing experience to our current roster and expands the pool of talent available to call upon throughout the season.

"His role will be important in providing the team with support in various areas of development through our TPC programme and simulator work, and we are looking forward to welcoming him to the team as we press ahead with preparations for the new season.”

- Balazs Szabo

BRAZIL GRAND PRIX: WILLIAMS 'HURTING' AFTER THREE BIG CRASHES BY

F1.com

Williams boss James Vowles said he was "hurting" after the Formula 1 team suffered three costly crashes in Brazil on Sunday and dropped a place in the constructors' world championship.

Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon both crashed in qualifying at Interlagos, postponed from Saturday, with the latter driver unable to take part in the race because the mechanics were unable to rebuild his car in time.

Argentine rookie Colapinto then crashed again in the race, triggering red flags.

With Renault-owned Alpine finishing second and third with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in a rain-hit grand prix, Williams fell to ninth in the standings with three rounds remaining and 27 points between them and eighth-placed RB.

"The nature of Formula One is that you can have some of the most incredible feelings and results, as well as some of the lowest moments that you can feel within a sport. I think it's fair to say this weekend is the second of those two," Vowles said.

"We've had three incredibly large crashes in just a few hours from one another and have a tremendous amount of work to get ourselves back on top of our spares situation before we go to Las Vegas in just a few weeks' time."

Vowles said he had watched the race through to the end, despite Colapinto crashing before the half-distance, because he wanted "to make sure I remember today because this isn't what I want us to be feeling in the future."

Albon said it had been a tough few weeks with the team now in a challenging position.

"I really didn't expect the incident in Turn One to happen, so we need to take a proper look to figure out what happened," he added.

"It's disappointing as it would've been a great opportunity to score points, as we knew coming to Brazil there is always a chance for crazy races, however it's our competitors who've been able to capitalise on this."

- Reuters 

MCLAREN'S LANDO NORRIS WINS SPRINT RACE AT BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX

SAO PAULO — McLaren driver Lando Norris won Saturday’s Formula 1 sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix to cut his deficit to championship leader Max Verstappen.

But Norris had to thank teammate Oscar Piastri for handing him victory at Interlagos.

Red Bull’s Verstappen finished third, although he is under investigation for a potential virtual safety car infringement.

The gap between Norris and Verstappen, with four grands prix and a final sprint race to the end of the season, is now 45 points.

Norris started second on the grid and, late into the 24 laps of the sprint race, Piastri gave way to him.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who also has a long shot at the title, ended fourth, just ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz Jr.

Mercedes’ George Russell, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez were next best and within points positions.

Norris appeared upset on the team radio about leader Piastri’s pace for most of the sprint race.

“I am not sure what I am doing here, mate,” Norris said. “I thought we spoke about this.”

Later, Norris said McLaren had done a good job.

“I am not proud about it but we worked well as a team together so I thank Oscar,” he said. “Oscar deserved (a win) but we did what we had to do.”

At first, Piastri did not elaborate on the McLaren decision. “A great day for the team and a lot of points. We learned a lot for the race tomorrow,” he said.

Speaking to journalists later, Piastri described the race as “a bit of a tricky one.”

“(Giving way to Norris) is not as fun as winning,” the Australian driver said. “But we’ve been talking about this for months now.”

Three-time champion Verstappen will find it tough to beat the McLarens in Sunday’s race. He has received a five-place grid punishment after changing his engine for the sixth time in the season - the maximum allowed is four.

Later, qualifying for Sunday’s race is expected to take place under some risk of rain.

The track could be wet for a tribute to legendary three-time champion Ayrton Senna, whose title-winning McLaren will be driven by one of his biggest fans, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

- Associated Press

F1 2024 TEAM STANDINGS | POINTS AFTER THE DUTCH GP

 

BREAKING: JACK.DOOHAN TO RACE FOR ALPINE

 

TOTO WOLFF: MERCEDES OPEN MINDED ON F1 ENGINES FOR ALPINE

Toto Wolff said a new team will be a good learning opportunity for Mercedes. Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto via Getty Images

 Mercedes have told Renault-owned Alpine they are "open-minded" on supplying Formula One power units from 2026 should the French manufacturer decide not to make its own, team boss Toto Wolff said on Friday.

Renault are known to be assessing their future as an engine manufacturer, with a new era starting in 2026 and requiring hefty investment.

There has been speculation Alpine could become a customer of Mercedes but Wolff told reporters at the British Grand Prix that it was a complicated situation.

Mercedes currently supply their own factory team, Williams, Aston Martin and McLaren with engines but Aston will be Honda powered from 2026.

"We like the thought of replacing Aston Martin with another team because of the sheer learning you're doing," said Wolff.

"We're set up as an organisation that the more power units the better it is in terms of accelerating some of the developments or the reliability.

"So this is where it is. It didn't go beyond the point of exchanging opinions or having exploratory discussions. I think Alpine will take a decision soon on whether they want to continue with their Formula One engine programme or not.

"Only when they have taken that strategic decision we would dive into our agreements. But we are open-minded and that's what we have told them."

Alpine, the only team to use Renault engines, are under-performing and only eighth in the standings with nine points.

McLaren boss Zak Brown said what was good for Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP) was also good for his team but felt a decision would need to be taken before the August break.

Williams boss James Vowles said the more engines being used, the more learning was being acquired to benefit all the teams using the power unit but also cautioned that time was tight.

"We have been working alongside HPP in order to get the concept right for 2026 already for many, many months," he added. "So whatever you do, you are going to be six to 12 months behind the three other teams.

"That's quite penalising in the grand scheme of things... there's going to be areas where you're going to be compromising on. There's a tremendous amount of work getting '26 right and the smallest decision on layout can actually have quite a large impact."

- Reuters