Author Archives: PressBox

Charles Leclerc said he does not expect the imminent birth of his first child to force him to miss any Formula 1 races, and he still plans to race on Sundays. Speaking in Austin ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Leclerc said his first child with his wife, Alexandra Saint Mleux, is due imminently, and that he will do everything possible to be home as much as he can between races. He said he plans to stay in Monaco as long as possible and fly out late if needed, which could mean arriving late for some race weekends.

Ferrari has also begun making contingency plans in case Leclerc has to miss a race before the end of the season. The team’s official reserve driver, Antonio Giovinazzi, is the main backup option, while Oliver Bearman and Rafael Camara are not expected to get the call. Giovinazzi could be unavailable for the Brazilian Grand Prix because of World Endurance Championship duties in Monza.

Leclerc entered the weekend fifth in the drivers’ standings with 215 points, 125 behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, and he expected a very tight fight among the top four teams at Circuit of the Americas. Ferrari brought a small upgrade package, but Leclerc did not expect it to change the competitive hierarchy much. He also said Ferrari’s priority for the rest of 2026 should be fighting for wins rather than simply securing second in the constructors’ championship, adding that another victory before the end of the season would be a better sign heading into next year. Ferrari had not won since the British Grand Prix in early July.

Arvid Lindblad, Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto will all take grid penalties at the United States Grand Prix in Austin after exceeding power-unit component limits. Lindblad will get a five-place penalty after fitting a sixth internal combustion engine, while Colapinto will drop 10 places after taking a fourth control electronics unit.

Bortoleto will receive a 20-place grid penalty after changing multiple power-unit components, including his fourth energy store and fourth control electronics unit. His new internal combustion engine, turbocharger, exhaust set and power unit ancillary unit were within his annual allowance.

The penalties add to a season-long trend of power-unit changes across the grid. Half the field had already exceeded at least one engine-component limit earlier in the season, and that number has risen to 12 of the 22 drivers at Austin.

Liam Lawson performed an acoustic set at Inn Cahoots in Austin on Thursday night during the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix weekend, and the appearance made him the first Formula 1 driver to headline a show during a race weekend. It also made him the first driver to perform a full concert and compete in a Grand Prix in the same weekend.

The show was billed as “Garage Sessions with Liam Lawson and Friends,” and Lawson was joined by his brother Marcus and childhood friends. Daniel Ricciardo returned to Austin ahead of the race and attended Lawson’s debut stage performance at the pre-race event, along with Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad.

Lawson’s set included covers of Sam Barber’s “Indigo,” John Mayer’s “Daughters,” and Sam Fender’s “Rein Me In,” featuring Olivia Dean. It was his first live music appearance in more than a decade, and he also showed off his newly debuted LL30 GS Mini SE acoustic guitar, which he designed with Taylor Guitars. A limited run of the model is scheduled to go on sale later in the year.

Kim Kardashian gave her clearest public hint yet about her rumored relationship with Lewis Hamilton on the Oct. 22 episode of The Kardashians, saying the person she is seeing has checked all 55 items on her ideal-partner list. Kardashian said, “every single box on my manifest list was checked,” added that she was “really, really happy,” and made a playful reference to being “44% British.” She did not name Hamilton in the episode, which offered a rare look into her personal life without directly confirming the romance.

Kardashian has also shown support for Hamilton at the track, including at the Singapore Grand Prix, where she was seen in the Ferrari garage as he finished second. The pair were believed to have been dating since the start of the year, and their first public appearance together reportedly came at the Super Bowl in February. After Monaco, Hamilton said it was “amazing” to have Kardashian’s support and said she supports him every day.

One commentator said the relationship could be helping Kardashian enter her “best era” and could show a more relaxed and authentic side of her life, with Hamilton’s Formula 1 ties giving her access to a different social scene. Kardashian celebrated her 46th birthday this week, while Hamilton is focused on Ferrari and is set to race at the United States Grand Prix in Austin this weekend.