Author Archives: PressBox

Valtteri Bottas is cycling from Malaysia to Singapore instead of flying ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, aiming to reach the city-state in time for Thursday’s mandatory media duties. Reports varied on the exact starting point, with one account putting the trip at 350 kilometers from Sepang and another describing a 280-mile ride from Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Bottas had covered 56.6 kilometers, about 35 miles, on the first day and was riding toward Port Dickson as temperatures topped 30 degrees Celsius, humidity was above 70%, and thunderstorms were forecast for the week.

Social media users noticed the journey as Bottas, a 37-year-old Cadillac Formula 1 driver, continued the ride in stages. He said he likes cycling because it is the opposite of Formula One, where the car matters far more than the driver. Bottas also races in elite gravel events, trains with long endurance rides and is a co-founder and partner of FNLD GRVL, a gravel cycling event in Lahti, Finland.

Bottas heads to Singapore after a difficult return to full-time Formula One in 2026. His best finish this season is 13th in China, he has not scored a point and sits 22nd in the standings. He also retired on lap nine in his previous race after a slick-tyre gamble on a drying track failed. Bottas finished third at the Singapore Grand Prix in 2017.

Audi unveiled a special one-off livery for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix as part of its debut Formula 1 season, with the R26 design set to run in the team’s first night race in the series. The team plans to debut the look during Friday practice at Marina Bay before Sunday’s 62-lap night race.

The design, called “The Art of Influence,” was created to reflect Singapore and add color to Audi’s titanium-colored cars. It combines a Singapore-specific Titanium Silver Grey finish with blue shimmer, blue and purple tones, Peranakan patterns linked to Southeast Asia, and graphics inspired by vintage Singaporean architectural motifs. Audi placed the Peranakan pattern on the sidepods and rear wing, and the same motif appears on Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto’s race suits, along with customized footwear for the event.

Audi said the livery was developed with title partner Revolut and kit supplier adidas, and launched alongside a limited-edition Adidas capsule collection as part of its “The Art of Influence” fan program. The rollout also includes an online reveal and fan experiences in Singapore, with chief brand and commercial officer Stefano Battiston saying the aim is to give supporters more ways to feel part of the team, whether they are in Singapore or following from home.

Fernando Alonso questioned why the Bahrain Grand Prix start was red-flagged after Lewis Hamilton and other drivers suffered power-unit software problems on the wet formation lap. Alonso called the aborted start “a bit weird” because only some cars were affected, and said Hamilton’s stoppage in the gravel seemed to trigger extra concern. Later, FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said the chaos was caused by a software bug.

The glitch left several cars crawling or stopped altogether, forcing race control to abandon the start and send the field back to the pits. Max Verstappen briefly lost acceleration at the front before a steering-wheel change fixed his issue. Hamilton got his Ferrari running again by switching the car off and restarting it, while Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris also had low-power failures. Andrea Kimi Antonelli initially looked unaffected, but engineers later realized the problem was hitting multiple cars, not just one team. Alonso was told he could pass slow cars while the problem was being sorted, and the FIA software update took nearly an hour before the start was reorganized.

A similar problem had also hit Sepang in Malaysia, where multiple cars slowed or stopped during formation laps because of a software bug tied to the FIA’s wet-weather power unit settings. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said it appeared when teams switched to the 250kW low-grip configuration for the first time that season, with very slow speeds creating a concertina effect that left some cars unable to deploy power again. The FIA said the bug had not been detected in testing and announced a full review with teams and power unit manufacturers. Carlos Sainz said the issue was predictable because Formula 1 relies too much on software and race-control intervention. Alonso went on to finish eighth, giving Aston Martin its best result of the championship, while Sainz finished 17th.

Honda said Koji Watanabe will retire as president and CEO of Honda Racing Corporation on January 1, 2027, and Keiichi Yasuda will take over the role. Yasuda is currently HRC’s executive vice president and representative director. Honda described the change as part of a planned personnel rotation aimed at strengthening management and accelerating business expansion amid global transformation.

Watanabe has led Honda’s racing division since 2022 and guided a major restructuring that brought together Honda’s four-wheel and two-wheel motorsport operations. He also oversaw Honda’s return to Formula 1 under the 2026 engine regulations, a period that included its relationship with Red Bull through the end of 2025 and a new engine project with Aston Martin in 2026. Honda said Watanabe helped integrate its automobile racing operations and expand HRC’s global structure, including HRC US and HRC UK.

Watanabe said he was proud to have unified Honda’s motorcycle and automobile motorsport activities, and said he would keep pushing for victory through his final three months. Yasuda said he wants to build on that foundation and make HRC stronger, with a focus on winning and organizational development.

McLaren’s wet-weather strategy and lack of pace left Oscar Piastri sixth in the Malaysia Grand Prix at Sepang after the team got the rain-delayed start wrong. He lost ground early before recovering with a second stop for hard tires under the first Safety Car, and later said McLaren were not quick enough to challenge their rivals, while Red Bull were “incredibly fast” in Malaysia.

Piastri said McLaren and Ferrari were in a pace bracket that was not fighting for race wins, a view echoed by team principal Andrea Stella. Stella said McLaren’s car was only fourth-best in performance and that even perfect decisions would not have produced a better result than sixth. Piastri also narrowly avoided contact with teammate Lando Norris during a late Safety Car phase.

Norris recovered to ninth after an early setback on dry tires, but he was involved in the late Safety Car incident and faced a post-race FIA investigation. Norris said McLaren’s straight-line speed was costing him about two tenths of a second per lap.

The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix will be Formula 1’s sixth and final Sprint weekend of the season, with action at Marina Bay Street Circuit from October 9 to 11. The event is Round 17 of the championship and the 62-lap night race is scheduled for Sunday, October 11 at 1pm UK time, or 13:00 BST. Sky Sports F1 will show the weekend live, with streaming available on NOW for non-Sky customers.

The Singapore weekend will follow the Sprint format used at six of Formula 1’s 24 race weekends in 2026, alongside China, Miami, Canada, Britain and the Netherlands. It begins with one hour of practice on Friday, followed by Sprint Qualifying. Saturday features the 100km Sprint before Grand Prix Qualifying sets the grid for Sunday’s race. Sprint Qualifying uses shorter knockout sessions of 12 minutes, 10 minutes and eight minutes, with teams required to use medium tyres in SQ1 and SQ2 and soft tyres in SQ3.

Marina Bay is again expected to test drivers and tyres, with close barriers, 90-degree corners, difficult overtaking and high tyre wear in hot conditions. Forecasts call for dry running on Friday and Saturday, with thunderstorms expected on Sunday. Temperatures are expected to range from 28C to 33C through the week, and early forecasts point to thundery showers, light winds and conditions that may clear later in the racing sessions.