LEWIS HAMILTON OPENS UP ON THE CRUCIAL MISTAKE BEHIND VERSTAPPEN'S STUNNING OVERTAKE

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he did not see Max Verstappen coming, after the Dutchman produced an overtake of the season contender on the Ferrari driver at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion pushed Verstappen closely during the opening stint of the race, before undercutting the Red Bull driver during the pitstops.

Hamilton was simply expected to pull away from Verstappen and close up on the two leading McLarens, so would have been very surprised to see his old rival divebomb him into Turn 1, just after the pair lapped the Racing Bull of Liam Lawson.

Looking back at his start to the race and Max's overtake on him, Hamilton said: "I had a good start, relatively decent start. Gaining position and then had really good pace in that first stint of the race just can't overtake here unfortunately.

"Then undercut Max which is a positive. When we were passing one of the backmarkers I didn't see Max coming unfortunately. Max came past me and that kind of went downhill from there.

Giving his overall verdict on the day he added: "It was pretty bad, pretty frustrating. It is what it is and there's lots of positives to take from this first half of the season."

Hamilton was still on to finish ahead of Verstappen after undercutting him during the second stops. The Ferrari driver ultimately finished down in fifth though and blamed the unnecessary late pit stop for his penalty for speeding in the pitlane.

Lawson reacts to Verstappen move

Racing Bulls driver Lawson had the best seat in the house, as Verstappen lapped him before instantly divebombing Hamilton into the first corner.

Speaking after the race, he said: "Yeah, I was just trying not to get in the way and be too much involved. I wasn't getting lapped, so I didn't have to let him go, but yeah, it's I didn't expect them to go by. Obviously, I saw the late lunge, it ended up costing me so much time behind them, which at the time was a bit stressful, but it was a good move. It was very Max."

- Kieran Lynch

MAX VERSTAPPEN SPEAKS OUT ON CHRISTIAN HORNER'S F1 PADDOCK RETURN

Max Verstappen has revealed he and Christian Horner remain in contact after his ousting from the Red Bull Team Principal role

Max Verstappen has revealed he speaks to former Red Bull Formula 1 CEO and Team Principal Christian Horner “almost every week”.

Horner had lead the Milton-Keynes-based squad to eight Drivers’ and six Constructors’ titles during his 20-year tenure at the team.

Four out of those titles came with Verstappen, between 2021 and 2024. But since then, Red Bull’s form had deteriorated, eventually leading to a falling out between Horner and the upper echelons of Red Bull’s management.

12 months on, with Horner still looking for a permanent way back into the paddock, he made a return cameo at Silverstone.

At the time of Horner’s departure, a lot of speculation was surrounding the role Verstappen, and his father Jos had had in orchestrating the Briton’s removal.

But the 28-year-old revealed something completely contrary to the speculative record.

“I speak to Christian almost every week,” he told media including Motorsport Week when asked if he had spoken to Horner in the paddock at Silverstone.

“I saw him on the camera walking around, but I haven’t had time to meet anyone to be honest. It’s been busy.”

When prodded if he had been discussing something in particular with Horner, Verstappen simply replied, “Like you do with your friends or people that you’ve known for a long time.”

Max Verstappen opens up on “painful” 12 months after Horner’s Red Bull F1 departure

Hot on the heels of Horner’s ousting, Red Bull GmbH promoted Laurent Mekies as the CEO and Team Principal of the main team, after a year of service leading Racing Bulls in 2024 for the Frenchman.

And immediately after his arrival, the team did see an uptick in performance.

Verstappen launched an audacious bid to reclaim his F1 title, with a 100+ points deficit to Lando Norris, after the Dutch GP, reduced to just two points after the chequered flag fell at the Abu Dhabi GP.

But Red Bull’s first season as a works outfit, with a RBPT-Ford power unit collaboration, has turned out to be a pretty underwhelming reality for the Dutchman.

Heading into the Belgian GP weekend, the race where Mekies succeeded Horner at Red Bull last year, Verstappen is a staggering 103 points off of championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli, in seventh.

Looking back on these 12 months, Verstappen conceded that it has been “painful” but erred on the side of caution before pinning the blame solely on Mekies.

“Everyone is trying their best. I’m not blaming one person or whatever. It’s just painful for everyone that this is happening,” Verstappen explained.

At Silverstone, Verstappen suffered his second rear-wing related incident, after his Q1 crash at Austria, DNFing out of P3 with only a handful of laps remaining.

“He [Mekies] came straight in my room, of course, to discuss the problems that we had in the race, to let me know what happened out there,” he concluded.

“But that’s normal. We always do that, good or bad.”

With Horner’s F1 return imminent, the last couple of race weekends has also exposed the fragility of the relationship between Verstappen and Red Bull, with the four-time F1 Champion reportedly on his way out at the end of 2026.

- Anirban Aly Mandal

WHY MAX VERSTAPPEN DIDN'T SPEAK TO CRISTIAN HORNER AT THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX

Max Verstappen speaks "weekly" with former boss Christian Horner, but the pair did not meet ahead of the British Grand Prix

Verstappen and Horner had their differences at Red Bull

Max Verstappen has revealed why he didn't speak with Christian Horner ahead of the British Grand Prix, despite the former Red Bull boss making his long-awaited return to the Formula 1 paddock.

The four-time champion has previously spoken of his continued relationship with his former boss since Horner was relieved of his duties at Red Bull one year ago, but this did not extend to a meeting at Silverstone this weekend. 

However, this was not due to any underlying or underplayed animosity between the pair, but was more an issue of timing across what is always a busy weekend. 

Asked if he had spoken to Horner on Sunday, Verstappen said: “I speak to Christian almost every week. I saw him on the camera walking around, but I haven't had time to meet anyone, to be honest. It’s just been busy.”

Asked if he was willing to share what the pair discuss in their weekly chats, and if it was just 'normal stuff', Verstappen added: “Yeah. Like you do with your friends, or people that you've known for a long time.”

One year on from Horner's removal, and Verstappen appears to be at his lowest point with Red Bull, as he labelled the rear wing of his car "super-dangerous" following a second crash in as many weeks. 

Horner's successor as Red Bull team principal, Laurent Mekies, has vowed to "leave no stone unturned" in searching for the root issue with the wing, and Verstappen said of the initial debrief of his crash: “He came straight into my room, of course, to discuss the problems that we had in the race, to let me know what happened out there, so yeah. But that's normal, we always do that.”

Dismissing this as nothing other than a normal post-race procedure, however, he added: “But we always do that, good or bad.”

- Sam Hall

RED BULL REVEALS SEVEN-PART UPGRADE FOR CRUCIAL HOME F1 RACE AT AUSTRIAN GP

Red Bull has revealed an extensive upgrade package for the F1 Austrian Grand Prix.

Red Bull has brought a major upgrade to Austria

Red Bull has unveiled a substantial upgrade package for its home Formula 1 race, the Austrian Grand Prix. 

After bringing its first upgrades of the season to Miami, Red Bull has now unleashed an extensive raft of updates in a bid to improve its RB22 following a difficult start to the 2026 campaign. 

In total, Red Bull has made seven changes to its car for its home event at Spielberg. Red Bull has introduced a revised sidepod inlet and engine cover for reliability reasons to improve cooling.

Red Bull's upgrades for the Austrian Grand Prix

In terms of performance-related updates, Red Bull has made changes to the surface of the RB22’s floor, floor board, as well as reprofiling the rear suspension layout and rear corner.

Red Bull has also introduced a new rear wing and exhaust tailpipe, which features a revised overlap between the tailpipe exit profile and the supporting tailpipe bracket. 

Red Bull is aiming to find more aerodynamic performance and continue its weight-saving programme, having started the season with a car that was 12kg overweight. That figure was halved thanks to its Miami package. 

All eyes will be on Red Bull at its home race, particularly regarding the future of Max Verstappen. 

When asked how crucial the impact of the Austria upgrade and coming races will be for his future at Red Bull, Verstappen replied: “I think it's just crucial for us as a team, we want to improve from where we started this season to where we want to end it.

“We know that we are lacking performance, so it's more about just trying to improve the car. I think that's what everyone wants.”

Verstappen in the Austria paddock

The four-time world champion added: “Those are, of course, also the easier steps to make when you're far behind. The hardest step is always the last one, to really fight for the win. 

“So let's see how we can do that, to be in that fight again. I'm not sure [if that can happen this weekend]. But for sure, the team is always giving it 100% and pushing flat out to make the car faster.

“But we know that other teams are also constantly bringing upgrades. So we just need to always try and find a little bit more to try and close that gap. It was quite clear in Barcelona that there was still a gap, so hopefully it can be a bit better this weekend.”

Other front-running teams have joined Red Bull in bringing updates this weekend. 

Mercedes has a new front suspension and engine cover to improve performance and cooling respectively. The German manufacturer has also brought a battery fix to Austria, following Andrea Kimi Antonelli's late retirement at Barcelona.

Ferrari has brought a total of four updates, including changes to the SF-26’s front wing endplate, RV tail, floor board and mirror stay, while McLaren has introduced an updated rear corner and an “experimental rear wing” that will be trialled by reigning world champion Lando Norris on Friday. 

- Lewis Larkam

FORMULA 1 TECHNICAL DELEGATE REPORT ON ORACLE RED BULL TEAM

 

MCLAREN SPY 'VERY INTERESTING' TRICK ON HEAVILY UPGRADED RED BULL

An aspect of the new, heavily upgraded Red Bull has caught the eye of McLaren chief Andrea Stella.

© XPBimages

McLaren boss Andrea Stella has singled out the sidepod design of Red Bull's heavily upgraded RB22 as "very interesting" and said that "each team" will be looking to extract its secrets.

For F1's return at the Miami Grand Prix, most teams brought a huge upgrade package, including McLaren and Red Bull, with the most visibly eye-catching being Red Bull's interpretation of Ferrari's 'Macarena' rear wing. 

However, it was another area of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar's RB22 that caught the eye of McLaren team principal Stella, as he explained how he felt the Milton Keynes squad had been "quite smart and innovative" in its upgrade approach.

"For those who are technically interested, we are in a very, very interesting phase," Stella told media, including RacingNews365. 

"It is very interesting because if you see the sidepod concept that Red Bull introduced, it is quite different to the sidepod concept that, for instance, Mercedes and Ferrari have adopted, and the McLaren style is further different.

"There will be a stabilisation at some stage, a convergence, but we look like we are quite far from this convergence.

"So I think there will be a process of looking at each other, testing things and certainly each team will be testing, taking a look at the Red Bull concept to see the advantages.

"They have been quite smart and innovative in the way they have used some legality concessions to introduce such geometry.

"I think the overall designs of the cars are far from converging. This doesn't mean that some things have already started to look like: 'Oh, that is the direction everyone has taken', but with the 2025 cars, after a few years of the regulations, they started to look very similar to each other.

"I think we are still far from these conditions."

© XPBimages

- Jake Nichol & Ian Parkes

RED BULL ISSUE APOLOGY OVER MAJOR F1 CAR PROBLEM

Red Bull faced significant issues in the opening phase of the new F1 season.

© Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull technical director Pierre Waché has apologised for a car issue that served as a major limitation during the opening rounds of the current season.

The RB22 proved to be uncompetitive at the opening three rounds of the year, unable to get in the mix at the fight towards the front of the field.

Red Bull arrived back in the paddock in Miami after a five-week gap in the calendar, and Max Verstappen quickly noted an improved sensation behind the wheel before going on to qualify on the front row of the grid.

As part of its extensive upgrade package brought to Florida, Red Bull completely changed its steering rack after identifying the core of the problem.

“First, we had to make sure that he had an issue,” Waché told Autosport.

“Then it was about identifying where it was coming from, and that takes a long time. And after that, it was about fixing the problem.

“I'm sorry that we didn't fix it before. We tried multiple stuff and it didn't work. 

“Some parts also took a long time to arrive, but I think the engineering team did a very good job to achieve it.”

Waché revealed Red Bull was aware of the problem before the April break but could only produce the fix in time for the Miami race.

“A little bit before that [Miami],” he said regarding the timeline of discovering the issue.  

“But the break gave us time to produce the parts, I would say. Otherwise, in Bahrain and Jeddah we would not have had the parts.”

- Fergal Walsh

MAX VERSTAPPEN BACKS GIANPIERO LAMBIASE MCLAREN F1 MOVE: 'HE’D BE STUPID NOT TO TAKE IT'

Verstappen issued his first comments on his long-time Red Bull Formula 1 race engineer inking a deal with McLaren for 2028

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen says he fully backs race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase's future move to McLaren and says Lambiase had discussed his Red Bull exit with him before agreeing to it.

Last week, McLaren announced it had snapped up Lambiase for the role of chief racing officer, supporting team principal Andrea Stella on race weekends. Lambiase is expected to make the move by the start of 2028 at the latest, pending any deal to pry the British engineer loose from Red Bull Racing before the end of his current contract.

That means that if Verstappen sees out his current Red Bull deal, which expires at the end of 2028, he is set to lose his long-time ally as his race engineer. But amid suggestions the prospect of losing Lambiase could further influence Verstappen's thinking on his F1 future, with the Dutchman disillusioned with the 2026 technical regulations, he says he fully backs Lambiase's promotion to a more senior role within the F1 paddock.

“We’ve spoken about it, and when he told me what the opportunity was, I said: you’d be stupid not to take it," Verstappen said at a Viaplay event in Amsterdam. “It’s an incredible opportunity for him, not just in terms of the role but also for his future. You have to think about your family and long-term security as well.”

Verstappen revealed Lambiase had first sought his approval before committing to the career move. “He told me he wanted to hear it from me,” Verstappen said. “I said: 100%, you should just go for it.”

The Dutchman insisted his strong bond with Lambiase wouldn't change over the remainder of their time together at Red Bull, forging a lasting friendship through the many high and lows of their partnership.

“We’ve already achieved everything together, and more than once. We’ve won a lot. That won’t change," he said. “We’re both still young. You never know what happens in the future. Maybe we’ll work together again.

“We’ll be friends for life. Everyone has their own goals and ambitions. You can’t hold someone back. In the end everybody needs to grow. Everyone has their own goals in life.”

- Mike Mulder

FORMER RED BULL MECHANIC SAYS HANNA SCHMITZ COULD BE NEXT TO LEAVE AFTER GIANPIERO LAMBIASE

Photo by Gongora/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Ex-Red Bull mechanic Kenny Handkammer has claimed that Hannah Schmitz could be the next senior figure to leave the team.

In recent times, Red Bull have been hit with several high-profile exits, including the likes of Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay.

Last week, another senior departure was confirmed as Gianpiero Lambiase is set to leave Red Bull for McLaren in 2028.

Lambiase is set to become Chief Racing Officer at McLaren and will report to team principal Andrea Stella.

Less than a week after Lambiase’s departure was confirmed, it has been claimed that another senior figure could leave.

Hannah Schmitz could be next to leave Red Bull after Gianpiero Lambiase

Speaking on The Two Mechanics podcast, Handkammer claimed that the current Head of Strategy, Schmitz, could be next in line to leave the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

Handkammer said: “The decline of Red Bull is quite sad. If I were the CEO of Red Bull global, I’d be thinking. Look who he has lost, Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, Gianpiero Lambiase and Will Courtenay.

“It looks like Hannah Schmitz, Head of Strategy, is rumoured to go too, all these massive key people and talks are there’s going to be more. That’s a real head scratcher. How do you reconfigure the team?”

Who is Hannah Schmitz and what is her role at Red Bull?

Schmitz, 40, is regarded as one of the most talented figures in the Formula 1 paddock, having joined Red Bull back in 2009 as a Modelling and Strategy Engineer.

In 2011, Schmitz became Senior Strategy Engineer before being promoted to Principal Strategy Engineer in 2021. In 2026, she became Red Bull’s Head of Race Strategy following Courtenay’s move to McLaren.

Schmitz has previously been praised for playing a major role in a number of Red Bull victories.

Following the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen labelled Schmitz as ‘insanely calm’ after the Dutchman won the race from P10.

He said: “You can’t afford many mistakes. It’s of course very hard to always be on the good side, let’s say it like that. But I think we have a lot of good guys and girls in the team.

“Today, I think Hannah, our strategist, was insanely calm. Yeah, she’s very good.”

With several big names already out the door, Red Bull will have to keep the likes of Schmitz in the team if they want to prevent Verstappen from engineering his own exit.

MAX VERSTAPPEN EXPECTED TO QUIT F1 FOLLOWING SHOCK RED BULL DEPARTURE

Not only is Max Verstappen unhappy with F1's current regulations, his long-time ally Gianpiero Lambiase is leaving

@XPBimages

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes the exit of Gianpiero Lambiase has all but guaranteed that Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull at the end of the current season.

It was announced last week that Lambiase will leave the Milton Keynes-based outfit when his contract concludes at the end of 2027, completing a shock move to McLaren.

At McLaren, Lambiase’s role will be chief racing officer, rather than race engineer for either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri.

It is believed that McLaren’s plan is eventually to make Lambiase its team principal, kickstarting a new chapter for the 45-year-old.

Lambiase has served as Verstappen’s race engineer since the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, with the pair building an exceptional working relationship during that time.

In Palmer’s view, the departure of Verstappen’s long-time ally is just another nail in the coffin at a time when the Dutchman is already unhappy, making an exit this year highly likely.

Asked if Lambiase's exit increases the chances of Verstappen leaving Red Bull, Palmer told the F1 Nation podcast: "That’s exactly how I see it. I think we’re already talking about Max probably leaving the team at some point.

"You’ve got Red Bull not being competitive, and not having the easiest route back to being competitive, given where they’re at when you factor in all the personnel who have left.

"For me, GP is such a linchpin for him; it sort of connects the driver to the team. I see this news as offering a more in-depth understanding of another reason why Max isn’t particularly happy in the team.

"And on many levels, I just don’t see him sticking around particularly long, probably beyond the end of this year, unless they have a concrete plan in place and a clear sign of progress."

- Nick Golding

FORMULA 1 TEAMS | VALUATION

 

GIANPIERO LAMBIASE'S F1 CAREER

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

U.S. CUSTOMS DERAILED RED BULL-FORD F1 ENGINE TEST BY SEIZING A TURBOCHARGER

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Red Bull Racing is taking a massive leap into the unknown this season by debuting its first in-house F1 power unit. As part of its new partnership, Ford contributed a significant amount of resources to the engine's development. However, it wasn't entirely smooth sailing for the fledgling program. A race to test a turbocharger before the 2022 summer break was derailed after the component was seized by US Customs and Border Protection. While most F1 teams are based in the United Kingdom, many have alliances that require collaborating across international borders.

For those unfamiliar with F1, the championship's governing body imposes a mandatory summer break to give team personnel a reprieve from the nearly year-round season. Christian Hertrich, Ford Racing's powertrain chief engineer, recounted an astonishing tale to The Drive indirectly caused by this regulatory deadline. Red Bull didn't have the facilities to test the turbo, so the program decided to stuff it into a briefcase and have an engineer hand-deliver it to Ford in Michigan. However, a customs agent decided to seize the component. Hertrich said:

So, I realized I was working in Formula 1 when I was at Customs and Border Patrol at 2 a.m., trying to recover this turbocharger because within 12 hours, we had to pull the plug for the summer shutdown, and after that, we couldn't do any more testing. We had to get data off of this to meet our deadlines. That was my opening experience, and it was legitimately sitting at the airport dealing with Border Patrol."

Crossing borders is as familiar to F1 teams as skirting the rules

Oracle Red Bull Racing / Red Bull Content Pool

Hertrich would note that Ford and Red Bull had yet to establish a proper procedure for moving parts across the Atlantic with the necessary paperwork. The situation is far different four years later. Ocean-spanning partnerships aren't new to Red Bull or F1 as a whole. The team previously partnered with Honda. The Japanese automaker is now paired with Aston Martin. Haas, an American team, splits its operations between Britain and North Carolina. Cadillac is poised to do the same with its stateside base outside of Indianapolis.

Rival F1 teams wish they could seize Red Bull's turbocharger. The new power unit is facing scrutiny over rumors that it could exceed the 16:1 compression ratio limit set by this year's technical regulations. The technical chiefs from every F1 team are set to convene at an FIA meeting next week, where the topic will be discussed. It's feared that Red Bull-Ford-powered cars could have a 13-horsepower advantage on the rest of the field, estimated to be worth four-tenths of a second per lap.

- RYAN ERIK KING

F1 SET TO.CRUNCH MEETING OVER 2026 ENGINE LOOPHOLE CONTROVERSY

Red Bull and Mercedes are at the centre of the controversy

F1 engine manufacturers are set to meet the FIA about the developing power unit controversy on the eve of the 2026 season.

The FIA has convened a meeting with the manufacturers and engine technical experts for Thursday amid concerns about the exploitation of a loophole in the wording of the 2026 F1 regulations.

Mercedes and Red Bull are rumoured to have found a way to run their engines at a higher compression ratio than the 16:1 limit set out in the rules.

This so-called power unit trick could have both teams a key edge over their rivals and has left Ferrari, Audi and Honda unhappy.

All three manufacturers are pushing for clarity from F1’s governing body on the matter and talks are planned for Thursday.

Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto expressed fears Mercedes could enjoy a “significant gap” at the front in 2026. 

Audi technical director James Key has called on the FIA to make the “right decisions”.

“We have to, as we do, trust the FIA with making the right decisions here,” he said at Audi’s 2026 launch event in Berlin on Tuesday night.

“It’s new regs. You’ve got to have a level playing field. If someone came up with a clever diffuser and you said it’s not the right thing to do, no one else can have it, but you can have it for the rest of the year.

“It doesn’t make sense. We’d never accept that.”

"I think if it’s sort of bypassing the intent of the regulations, then it has to be in some way controlled," Key added.

“So we trust the FIA to do that, because no one wants to sit a season out if you’ve got a blatant advantage that you can do nothing with in a homologated power unit. So I think for us, hopefully, the FIA will make the right decisions.”

WHAT IS THE SUPPOSED ENGINE TRICK?

For the forthcoming 2026 season, the compression ratio has been reduced from 18:1 to 16:1.

This is a key area as the amount of compression has an effect on the pressurisation of the air/fuel mixture and the combustion process.

Mercedes and Red Bull are accused of finding a loophole in the wording of the 2026 regulations, which states that measurements will not be taken during the working cycle.

The German manufacturer, who supply engines for four teams, and Red Bull, who now provide engines for themselves and sister team Racing Bulls, have supposedly found a way to have their power units adhere to the regulations when it is tested in stationary conditions, but critically reach a higher ratio when it is running and not subject to the checks.

It has been suggested that the potential performance gains from this trick could be as much as 10-15bhp, which equates to around 0.3-0.4 seconds per lap. 

- Lewis Larkam

RED BULL UNVEIL THROWBACK F1 LIVERY FOR 2026 SEASON AT DETROIT LAUNCH EVENT

Red Bull has unveiled a throwback blue livery for the upcoming 2026 Formula 1 season at a launch event in Detroit.

Red Bull has partnered with Ford for the new engine era and unveiled the glossy electric blue look at the company's Detroit base on Thursday night at Michigan Central Station.

As part of F1's new era of regulations, Red Bull is manufacturing their own engine in collaboration with the U.S. car company for the first time since it joined F1 in 2005.

Red Bull and Racing Bulls are the first teams to unveil their liveries for 2026.

Max Verstappen and new teammate Frenchman, Isack Hadjar, who stepped up from Racing Bulls last year, were in attendance.

In a statement, the team said the RB22's livery marks "a return to the gloss finish first seen when the team made its debut back in 2005.

"To acknowledge this bold move, the RB22 will wear a livery inspired by Red Bull's original look in F1. It harks back to a more classic Red Bull Racing presence, sharpening reflections, boosting contrast under the lights and making heritage elements of the new livery feel richer and more premium at speed."

Team principal Laurent Mekies said: "2026 marks the start of a new and significant era for Formula 1 and for Red Bull. We wanted our livery to reflect this, while also giving a nod to Red Bull Racing's beginnings. We are in F1 because of the dream of one man, Dietrich Mateschitz, and several years later, he had another dream, to create an engine.

"This livery is designed to celebrate that spirit that we entered the sport with. In the year that an Oracle Red Bull Racing car carries a Red Bull Ford Powertrains PU for the first time, it felt only right to reflect some of our history in our livery."

Verstappen said everyone is "very excited.

"The colours have," Verstappen added, "changed a little bit. It is much better. I like the shine, blue is my favourite colour. I like the outlines on the Red Bull logo. It is back and much more fresh. It is all still a bit unknown with the engine and the dimension of the car has changed a bit.

"For us drivers, initially it will take a bit of time to adjust and important on test days to get our laps in and optimise as much as possible. It is always better to have an ending like that (2025) and everybody is excited to start a new chapter."

RED BULL

Max Verstappen will use number 3 from 2026 -- the number of his ex-teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Red Bull Content Pool

Laurent Mekies said the livery was a "nod to Red Bull Racing's beginnings." Red Bull Content Pool

(L-R) Pierre Wache, Technical Director, Isack Hadjar, Max Verstappen, Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull GmbH MD, Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, Alisha Palmowski, F1 Academy driver and Phillip Prew, Technical Operations Director Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team photo at the joint launch event in Detroit. Joe Gall / Red Bull Content Pool

- ESPN

MAX VERSTAPPEN CONFIRMS NEW F1 CAR NUMBER AFTER LOSING WORLD TITLE TO LANDO NORRIS

Max Verstappen has chosen a new Formula One car number after handing over his previous number to new world champion Lando Norris

Max Verstappen will take Daniel Ricciardo's old racing number three next season in the wake of being pipped to the Formula One world title by Lando Norris.

Red Bull's four-time world champion raced with the 33 until his first title in 2021, the number also appearing on a multitude of caps and shirts – and even some fan tattoos.

"My favourite number has always been three, apart from number one," the Dutch driver told Viaplay. "We can now swap, so it'll be number three."

He added: "Number 33 was always fine, but I just like one three better than two. I always said it represented double luck but I've already had my luck in Formula One."

Australian Ricciardo was Verstappen's Red Bull teammate from 2016-18 but has now retired. The governing FIA and driver have given permission for the number three to be used again.

Drivers previously had to stick with the same number through their careers and must not have raced for two consecutive seasons before it can be reassigned. Ricciardo last raced in Singapore in September last year.

Norris announced earlier this month that he would be swapping his number four for the champion's one next year.

Verstappen and Norris were involved in a thrilling battle for the F1 world championship this year.

The Dutch driver was attempting to win his fifth consecutive title but appeared to be out of contention midway through the season when Norris and his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, pulled clear in the standings.

However, Verstappen gradually reeled them in to set up a thrilling finale in Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen won the final race of the season, but needed Norris to finish fourth or lower to win the title.

The Brit held his nerve to finish third as he secured his maiden world title by just two points.

 - Alan Baldwin

HELMUT MARKO: THE DEVISIVE CHARACTER WHO HELPED RED BULL TO BECOME MODERN F1 POWERHOUSE

Helmut Marko will step down from his role with Red Bull

At the end of two decades at Red Bull, possibly the most divisive character in modern Formula 1 in Helmut Marko, can be credited with a huge role in the team’s success.

While Marko has grabbed headlines with sharp-edged comments, his influence surrounding the young driver programme at Red Bull can and should not be understated.

In his two decade spell in association with Red Bull, Marko has overseen the development of 20 drivers into F1, including the most successful in Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel.

With Vettel and Verstappen at the helm, Red Bull won eight Drivers’ titles and six Constructors’ Championships between 2010 and 2024, along with over 100 race victories.

Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, branded the outgoing Marko “an engine of innovation, and a cornerstone of international motorsport”.

“His instinct for exceptional talent not only shaped our junior program but also left a lasting impact on Formula 1 as a whole. Names like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen stand for the many drivers who were discovered, supported, and guided to the very top under his leadership. His passion, his courage to make clear decisions, and his ability to spot potential will remain unforgettable.”

Aside from the title winners, Marko has also unearthed plenty more talented drivers who have had healthy stints in F1, with seven of the 20 drivers on the grid in 2025 having advanced through the Red Bull junior programme. And as F1 and Red Bull enter an exciting new era, Marko’s eye for talent could see the Red Bull family on the front foot in 2026.

Helmut Marko unearthed Isack Hadjar, who will race with Red Bull in 2026

Red Bull’s new era

Isack Hadjar, who steps up to the senior team for 2026, and Arvid Lindblad for Racing Bulls, will be the last two drivers to emerge from Red Bull’s talent pool under the control of Marko.

Hadjar’s exciting debut F1 season, which saw him become the youngest French driver to stand on the podium, alongside Lindblad’s promising Formula 2 campaign, sees Red Bull in a good position to enter F1’s new era in 2026.

Alongside a new engine partnership with the Ford Motor Company under the helm of new Team Principal Laurent Mekies, 2026 will be the first season for Red Bull without its cornerstone team members.

Marko marks the last figurehead of the original Red Bull F1 project to depart the Milton-Keynes squad and the end of a significant era of success for team.

After the departures of Johnathan Wheatley, Adrian Newey and most notably long time Team Principal Christian Horner it felt like a matter of time before Dr Marko would step away and allow Red Bull to enter its new evolution under the steady hand of Mekies.

While Marko has been a huge influence in Red Bull’s success in regards to his ability to spot talent early, his departure seems timely as the Red Bull brand looks to the future under a completely new leadership structure.

This alongside a list of controversies sees it unsurprising that Red Bull keen to enter its new era without such a divisive figure at the forefront of its future.

Helmut Marko was a divisive character in the paddock

Not without controversies

After the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022, someone with whom Marko had a close relationship, and significantly, the departure of Red Bull’s two-decade-long team boss Christian Horner midway through 2025, Marko’s position within the team has become increasingly untenable.

Away from his tremendous success regarding the young driver programme, Marko has had a tumultuous history of stirring the pot and saying the wrong things.

The Austrian has clashed with Red Bull’s new management style on multiple occasions since the team’s change in direction including derogatory statements made regarding then Red Bull driver Sergio Perez in late 2023.

Marko had blamed Perez’s fluctuations in form on the track on the Mexican driver’s ethnicity claiming ” he is South American and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max is or as Sebastian.”

More comments aimed towards Andrea Kimi Antonelli after this season’s Qatar Grand Prix, where Marko claimed the Italian had “waved Norris past” on the penultimate lap in Doha, saw the Italian receive thousands of messages of abuse for an honest on-track mistake.

This alongside a failed attempt to oust Marko in early 2024 has soured the atmosphere within the Red Bull family and dampened spirits despite the team’s great successes and dominant recent seasons.

While F1 will remember Marko for his success in cultivating Red Bull’s driver talent, a string of controversies will always linger on a somewhat tarnished legacy.

- Daniel Harris

BREAKING: ISACK HADJAR TO RACE FOR RED BULL IN 2026

 

MAX VERSTAPPEN TERRORISING THE MCLAREN DUO 👻 | 🎃