FIA PRESIDENT ISSUES STATEMENT BEFORE CRUNCH F1 2026 RULES MEETING

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem speaks out ahead of key F1 rules meeting.

F1 is holding a series of key meetings about the 2026 rules

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has praised the “invaluable input” from Formula 1 drivers ahead of a crunch meeting about potential rule changes.

F1’s key stakeholders, including team principals and chief executives, are meeting with governing body the FIA on Monday with the aim of thrashing out solutions for tweaks to the much-maligned 2026 regulations.

A near 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power has placed greater emphasis on energy management and led to criticism from both drivers and fans during the opening three rounds of the season.

F1 is utilising the enforced five-week break without racing following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix due to the Iran War to discuss possible changes to the rules.

It is hoped that agreement on improvements will be reached during Monday’s latest meeting. Any proposed changes would then be put forward for final approval at a World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) e-vote ahead of the Miami Grand Prix on 3 May.

Ahead of Monday’s key meeting, FIA president Ben Sulayem hailed input from the drivers.

"I am delighted to report that there has been constructive and collaborative discussion between the FIA and the Formula 1 drivers ahead of tomorrow’s CEOs and team principals meeting to discuss potential changes to the 2026 Regulations,” he said in a social media post.

"The drivers have provided invaluable input on adjustments which they feel should be made, particularly in the areas of energy management to ensure safe, fair and competitive racing.

"The FIA has also held a series of meetings over the past few weeks with technical representatives from the teams, power unit manufacturers and FOM to discuss proposed changes. Safety and the best interests of the sport are the main focus of these discussions.

"Following the meeting tomorrow, the final proposals will be put before a FIA WMSC e-vote.”

Speaking to media including Crash.net last week, George Russell revealed the main problem areas drivers hope can be addressed.

"I think the two headline points are flat-out qualifying, so no lift and coast, and then reducing the closing speeds,” the Mercedes driver said.

"The closing speed of the Bearman-Colapinto crash was twofold. One, of course Bearman was on his boost button and giving himself 350kW, so he had an abundance of power in an abnormal part of the track. And, on the flip side, Colapinto used his boost on the main straight the half a lap before, and was low on his battery, so he had a lack of power.

"So that is, at least in my eyes, where these closing speed differences are coming from and I think the FIA are definitely very much aware of that. From the drivers' perspective, just looking to reduce that closing speed in abnormal areas, and especially in non-SM [Straight Mode].

“If there's a straight that isn't an SM mode, that means it's because it's a corner and of course the Bearman crash was in a non-SM part of the track. So I think we're all aligned on those points.”

Russell added: "There's a lot of low-hanging fruit. For example, the minus 350 kilowatts super clip is a no-brainer, and that already in itself is going to avoid a lot of lift-and-coast, having the minus 350 kilowatt super clip.

"And there's other small parts of the regulation that say you can only de-rate the engine at a certain rate. So on a very short straight, there isn't enough time to go from 350 kilowatts to a super clip because the straight is too short.

“Some small changes around these regulations will have a major improvement for the overall driving experience."

- Lewis Larkam

FORMULA 1 CIRCUITS | 2026

 

GEORGE RUSSELL REACTS TO MAX VERSTAPPEN"S F1 QUIT THREAT AND WHY COMPLAINTS FROM RED BULL RIVAL 'ONLY NATURAL '

"You'd understand if he stayed and you'd understand if he went," says George Russell on Max Verstappen; Russell says F1 "is bigger than any driver" but still "you wouldn't want to lose Max"; Formula 1 returns with a Sprint weekend in Miami on May 1-3, live on Sky Sports F1

George Russell says Max Verstappen did not have the same complaints as rivals about the last era of Formula 1 cars as he “was winning” but admits he would “understand” if the four-time world champion walked away from the sport.

Verstappen's future beyond this season is currently uncertain with the Red Bull driver having been a vocal critic of the new 2026 regulations and the effect the 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power has had on driving.

The Dutchman dropped his strongest hint yet that he was considering quitting after this year following the last race in Japan last month.

In a Mercedes media session held amid F1's five-week break before the sport's return to action on May 1-3 in Miami, Russell was asked whether he thought Verstappen leaving was likely and how F1 would cope if he did walk away.

"Formula 1 is bigger than any driver," replied Russell. "You wouldn't want to lose Max because we all enjoy racing against Max.

"It's just part and parcel of Formula 1. I didn't enjoy driving the '22 car when it was porpoising up and down, killing everybody's backs. The car was big, it was heavy, the high-speed corners, it wasn't very pleasant to drive around, but he didn't have the same complaint because he was winning.

"Now, the complaints that he has currently are different to the complaints of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren because we're at the front end of the grid. This is only natural and you do understand and recognise the frustration.

"But he's achieved what most drivers dream of, which is winning a championship. He's got four of them. At the end of the day, I guess you get to a point in life...there's not really much more for him to achieve in Formula 1. He's ticked all the boxes, maybe he can go after the records."

Russell, chasing his maiden drivers' title this year with Mercedes starting F1's new era ahead of the pack, said he can "totally understand" why with so much success already behind him in F1, Verstappen is already engaging in GT3 endurance racing at Germany's legendary Nordschleife, which he returns for further races this weekend.

"Knowing him as I do and knowing drivers who have won or achieved similar things, at one point you want to do what puts a smile on your face," added Russell.

"I can totally understand why driving the Nordschleife puts a smile on his face. I've driven hundreds of laps around the Nordschleife on the simulator and I would love to have that chance to go and race around the Nordschleife.

"But my goal now is to become a Formula 1 world champion. If I have four of them under my belt, I'd probably be doing the same. He's in a very different stage of his career.

"I think you'd understand if he stayed and you'd understand if he went."

Verstappen said after Suzuka that while he "can easily accept to be in P7 or P8 where I am" that "at the same time when you are in P7 or P8 and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn't feel natural to a racing driver".

'The others are going to be hot on our heels' - Russell braced for rivals' fightback to Mercedes

While Red Bull look unlikely to be in championship contention this year, Mercedes reinforced their position as pre-season title favourites by winning the season's opening three grands prix at the start of F1's new regulation era.

The enforced April break has since allowed all teams to work on their cars back at their factories and although Russell - who lost the leadership of the drivers' title race to team-mate Kimi Antonelli in Japan - is not expecting a wholesale shake-up of the order on F1's return in Miami, he is also aware that Mercedes' clear early-season advantage will not "continue indefinitely" with 19 races remaining.

Reflecting on the opening rounds which saw him win once and Antonelli twice, Russell said: "We definitely hit the ground running in the first three races, and you actually saw that with all of the power unit manufacturers, or at least ourselves and Ferrari, that we as the factory team have better understanding of the energy management compared to the customers teams.

"And that's only fair because we have hundreds of people working towards that, and we've been working on the simulator towards this for three years now.

"Naturally, those major differences we saw in Melbourne have already closed up, and everyone's going to continue to get a greater understanding race by race.

Reflecting on the opening rounds which saw him win once and Antonelli twice, Russell said: "We definitely hit the ground running in the first three races, and you actually saw that with all of the power unit manufacturers, or at least ourselves and Ferrari, that we as the factory team have better understanding of the energy management compared to the customers teams.

"And that's only fair because we have hundreds of people working towards that, and we've been working on the simulator towards this for three years now.

"Naturally, those major differences we saw in Melbourne have already closed up, and everyone's going to continue to get a greater understanding race by race.

"The field will slowly bunch up but I don't think you're going to suddenly see any drastic changes. But I don't expect our major pace advantage to continue indefinitely. The others are going to be hot on our heels."

Antonelli leads Russell by nine points at the head of the Drivers' Championship, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc 23 points back in third place.

- Sky Sports

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

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TIMO GLOCK URGES FERRARI TO 'INTERVENE' INTO CHARLES LECLERC AND LEWIS HAMILTON'S BATTLES

Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

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.

However, within the team, there isn’t much concern about the two drivers battling, as Fred Vasseur welcomed some intra-team competition

But former F1 driver Timo Glock believes this approach to the internal issues is a dangerous one from Ferrari, as the two competitive drivers will eventually cause friction.

hoto by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Timo Glock says Ferrari must avoid Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton-based ‘disadvantage’

Speaking to Sky Sports Germany, Timo Glock addressed the battle between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton during the Japanese Grand Prix.

He believes that the two drivers are bound to be in a position where they’re fighting each other for a potential podium, they will lose places and cost the team points.

“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.

Lewis Hamilton wants Ferrari power issues ‘addressed’ ahead of Miami Grand Prix

Speaking after the race at Suzuka, Lewis Hamilton questioned how, despite following Ferrari’s instructions, he suffered from power issues.

“Pretty bad in the end, because I was on P3 and in the end, I ended up on P6. I just have to understand where we lost power, especially in the second stint.”

“I don’t quite understand that. I’m all on the gas, managing where they tell me to manage it. Today, some performance was simply missing, so yes, there are still some points to be addressed.”

There will be a lot of work to do for the staff at Maranello over the next few weeks, as Ferrari look to close the gap between themselves and Mercedes.

These potential upgrades could make a world of difference for both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in their quest to compete for the world championship.

Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images

- Aaditya Krishnamurthy

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