Author Archives: PressBox

Lando Norris said he is sometimes “not the best in front of the media,” adding that he often goes home and questions his words and actions after interviews. The Formula 1 driver said he regretted some recent comments and interviews during race weekends, after a series of tense exchanges with reporters.

Norris drew criticism during his 2025 title fight, including after a Baku collision when he said Franco Colapinto should not be in Formula 1. He later apologized and said the comments went too far. He also faced backlash after a Singapore Grand Prix sprint-race incident with Oscar Piastri.

In a later interview with Martin Brundle, Norris said he hates the idea that he may have disrespected someone, adding that respect matters to him. He also had a snarky exchange with a Viaplay reporter in Singapore about whether the move was worth it.

Formula 1 published its first sport-wide Social Impact Report, saying more than 500,000 young people in 71 countries benefited from its education, STEM and outreach programs in 2025. The report brought together contributions from Formula 1, the FIA, all 10 teams and 24 race promoters, and highlighted initiatives linked to the Hamilton Commission and Formula 1’s Diversity and Inclusion Charter.

F1 also renewed its Engineering Scholarship programme for three more academic years, with more than £2.4 million in funding. The programme supports students from underrepresented backgrounds by covering tuition and living costs, and it also provides placements and behind-the-scenes access to Formula 1. Ten new scholars will join each year from 2026/27 through 2028/29.

Launched in 2021, the scholarship programme has already supported 48 students and is offered at the University of Strathclyde, Imperial College London, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and MUNER in Italy. F1’s wider outreach also includes all 24 host grands prix, and its Next Grand Prix initiative has placed more than 600 students since 2022.

Mercedes confirmed that George Russell will miss first practice for the Mexican Grand Prix, with Frederik Vesti set to take his place in Mexico City. It will be Vesti’s first time replacing Russell in Formula 1 practice and his first run in Russell’s W17. It also will be his third FP1 appearance of the 2026 season, after outings in Barcelona and Hungary in Kimi Antonelli’s car.

The session is part of Mercedes’ rookie-practice programme, which requires teams to complete four FP1 runs during the season, with two runs per car. Mercedes has not yet announced its final rookie practice session, and the team is expected to use Vesti again later in 2026.

Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta said Vesti’s work helps connect on-track performance with the team’s virtual development. Vesti said the opportunity means a lot to him.

Ferrari arrived at the United States Grand Prix with strong pace in practice, and Lewis Hamilton was fastest in final practice, but Fred Vasseur said the team lost performance when it mattered most in qualifying. He said the SF-26 looked strong all weekend, yet Ferrari still needed better execution because small mistakes or tyre-window issues could drop a car several places.

That weakness showed again in Austin, where Ferrari qualified fourth and fifth with Charles Leclerc fourth and Hamilton fifth. The result fit a recurring 2026 pattern of strong practice speed, weaker Q3 qualifying and race recoveries that came too late. Hamilton said Ferrari had repeatedly under-hit the car’s balance across the weekend and that he was still too far from the set-up he needed until the final stint. He also said he had lost a lot of points over the last five races because of Ferrari set-up issues, citing Austin and Singapore.

Leclerc recovered to finish second behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli after passing Max Verstappen in the closing laps, but Leclerc and Vasseur said a better Q3 would have given Ferrari a chance to win. The Austin result also carried extra weight because Ferrari is making concept decisions for next year’s car.

Sergio Perez has extended his contract with the Cadillac Formula 1 Team through at least 2029, with the announcement coming ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix. Perez said he believes in the project and is committed to helping build the team over the next three years, while Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss said Perez’s experience and leadership will provide continuity as the team tries to move up the grid.

The extension also puts Perez in position to keep climbing the all-time Formula 1 starts list. If he completes the new contract, he would move up to third, behind only Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

Perez is set to make his 300th Formula 1 start this weekend in front of his home crowd at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Cadillac has not made the same long-term commitment to teammate Valtteri Bottas, and the team’s second seat remains unresolved.

Jos Verstappen dismissed false health rumors after an AI-generated, doctored image of him circulated online and sparked concern that he had become seriously ill. The fake image, a manipulated screenshot from a Viaplay appearance, even fooled some news sites, although many social media users quickly recognized it as altered.

Verstappen responded by posting a real photo of himself on Instagram and wrote, “Everything is fine with me.” He added, “I’m not sick, just having a bad hair day.”