Author Archives: PressBox

Isack Hadjar criticized Formula 1 Sprint weekends after the Singapore Grand Prix, saying the format gives drivers too little practice time and can leave them needing to “get lucky.” He said the reduced track time makes it difficult to work properly on the car, evaluate setup changes and learn anything from the weekend, while also forcing drivers to prepare quickly for Grand Prix qualifying after the Sprint. Hadjar said he no longer likes Sprint weekends and questioned why Formula 1 keeps adding them, arguing they favor teams whose cars are already working well.

Hadjar’s comments came after a difficult weekend in Singapore, where he dealt with bottoming and power unit issues. He retired from the Sprint and finished 10th in the Singapore Grand Prix.

He also criticized the planned 2027 Monaco Sprint, calling it pointless and saying overtaking would be extremely difficult there. Hadjar said the plan for 10 Sprint events in 2027, including Monaco, was “very disappointing.”

Formula 1 could bring back V8 engines in 2030, a year earlier than previously expected, as FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem pushes for a simpler, lighter and cheaper power unit formula. Ben Sulayem said the move would restore the iconic engine sound many fans miss and would be less complex, cheaper to produce and easier to produce than the current direction.

The plan still needs support from at least four of the six power unit manufacturers, and consultations with teams, team principals, manufacturers and drivers are ongoing. Ben Sulayem expects an update on the V8 framework within a few months, and said the timeline is tight because the regulations must be finalized soon to allow for a 2030 start. He also said the FIA would not put forward a proposal that was not technically or practically workable, and the overall framework has not yet been agreed.

Formula 1 is currently using a new power unit formula introduced this season, with rules already set to shift from a 50/50 split to 58/42 in 2027 and 60/40 in 2028 to move the sport more toward internal combustion power. The FIA says the current hybrid formula is too complex and has drawn criticism for making racing feel artificial. Reports also said manufacturers want the V8 concept to include turbocharging.

Christian Horner wrote in his memoir *Drive* that he deliberately pressured Michael Masi during the final laps of the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix title decider, urging the race director to get the race moving after Nicholas Latifi’s late crash brought out the safety car. Horner said he told Masi, “Come on, Michael, we need to get this race going,” as Max Verstappen sat behind five lapped cars before the restart and Lewis Hamilton was leading late in the race with fresher tires.

Masi allowed only the cars between Verstappen and Hamilton to unlap themselves before the restart, and the race resumed with one lap remaining. Verstappen passed Hamilton on the final lap to win his first world championship. Mercedes protested the result after the race, and Masi was removed by the FIA before the 2022 season.

Horner said Masi’s decision was within his remit and that there was enough time to let all of the lapped cars through. He also maintained that Red Bull had done nothing wrong, and said during the season that he realized Toto Wolff had been speaking directly to Masi.

Christian Horner and Helmut Marko’s long-running Red Bull feud resurfaced after extracts from Horner’s memoir prompted a new public dispute. Marko called the book a “collection of untruths” and rejected Horner’s claims that he had tried to get him fired from Red Bull and had initially resisted signing Max Verstappen.

Horner’s book portrays Marko as a difficult and sometimes ruthless adviser and says he mismanaged information during Red Bull’s internal power struggle after Dietrich Mateschitz died in 2022. Horner said his relationship with Marko worsened after Mateschitz’s death, and that it ended in “radio silence” after Horner’s final day at the team.

Horner was sacked by Red Bull in July 2025 after more than 20 years with the team, and he said Marko played an active role in his removal. He also said Marko did not offer condolences after the death of Horner’s former partner, Beverley Allen, even though Marko had supported Horner’s appointment as Red Bull team principal two decades earlier. Marko was let go by Red Bull at the end of 2025, and both men are now bound by settlement non-disclosure agreements that limit what they can say about the feud.

Formula 1 will cut its maximum grand prix race distance to 290km in 2027 before restoring the standard 305km length in 2028, making the shorter races a temporary response to the sport’s new power-unit rules. The FIA’s 2027 Sporting Regulations include a clause that brings back the 305km minimum from 2028 onward, and Monaco will continue to run at its shorter 260km distance.

The one-year reduction is meant to ease the transition to the new engine rules and reduce the number of components teams need to redesign. The new power split will shift to 60-40 by 2028, which is expected to increase fuel use for some cars. The FIA also plans to keep current fuel tank sizes for one more year, and the reduced distance will apply only to a handful of fuel-heavy events. Teams planning to carry over existing chassis in 2027 have raised concerns that they may not have enough fuel capacity to finish longer races.

Lewis Hamilton criticized the decision to shorten races, saying they should remain longer and that shortening them made no sense. Lando Norris said shorter races could work as a short-term compromise and would move the emphasis back toward driving and away from battery management.