Author Archives: PressBox

Valtteri Bottas said Cadillac needed to investigate a possible computer glitch after a late crash in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ended his race in Baku. Bottas said a lock-up and run-off at Turn 1 may have confused the car’s systems, and by Turn 15 he said he had only the front brakes, with rear braking and rear energy harvesting lost. He was running last and was set to finish before crashing with two laps remaining.

Stewards investigated Bottas for staying near his stricken Cadillac after the hit at Turn 15, when he stopped to check the rear of the car because he feared a rear-brake failure. The FIA said the incident was slow and isolated, could be managed with double yellow flags, and did not require a safety car or virtual safety car. The stewards accepted Bottas’s explanation and took no further action, saying the situation did not pose a significant danger.

Bottas said he would move to safety more quickly in similar incidents. He also said Cadillac had to use lift-and-coast in Baku, the team’s pace was poor, and the retirement was his seventh non-finish of the 2026 Formula 1 season. After the stranded car, green flags remained in effect and George Russell beat Max Verstappen to the finish by 0.196 seconds, the closest Formula 1 finish since 2002.

Alpine is weighing disciplinary action against Franco Colapinto after his collision with teammate Pierre Gasly at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with executive advisor Flavio Briatore saying he would reflect on what course of action to take. Reports said Briatore was furious after the incident, while Alpine pushed back on speculation that Colapinto could be stood down for the next race, saying that talk was only speculation after extending his contract through 2027.

The incident happened on a Safety Car restart on lap 35, when Colapinto locked up and braked too late into Turn 1, hitting Gasly and triggering a chain reaction that also eliminated McLaren’s Lando Norris. Colapinto retired with damage and received a 10-second penalty, later converted into a five-place grid drop for his next race. He apologized to Alpine, Gasly and Norris, accepted full responsibility, and Briatore described the move as “very poor,” saying it cost Alpine valuable points in the constructors’ standings as it remains in a close fight for fifth place.

Norris called for a ban, while George Russell said race bans should be reserved for intentional dangerous driving. Alpine also condemned the online abuse that followed, saying hateful comments toward drivers, media and rivals were unacceptable and urging Formula 1, the FIA and other teams to help tackle the issue. The team said it would work with the sport’s governing bodies and other stakeholders as it considers its next move, with reserve drivers Paul Aron and Kush Maini among the possible replacement options.

Ferrari left Azerbaijan with a clear message from Charles Leclerc and team principal Fred Vasseur, the team needs upgrades quickly after being outpaced by McLaren and Red Bull. Leclerc said Ferrari lacked raw pace in Baku, was too slow in a straight line, and had not made the same gains as its rivals, who brought significant updates to the weekend. He said Ferrari could not lie to itself, warned that the team no longer had the best chassis on the grid, and said further loss of pace would be hard to recover given Formula 1’s budget cap and testing limits.

Leclerc said Ferrari must respond quickly to protect its hold on second place in the constructors’ standings. He finished fourth in Baku after qualifying second, dropping back early before late mistakes by Oscar Piastri and Kimi Antonelli helped his result. Leclerc called the race a boring one after a poor start. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth and struggled with his tires throughout the weekend.

Vasseur said Ferrari had maximized its result on a track where straight-line speed and tire preparation were problems, and he said the team would introduce improvements as soon as possible on the SF-26. He also said Ferrari’s previous chassis advantage may no longer exist, as teams begin shifting their focus toward next year’s regulations.

Ferrari’s search for a possible successor to Fred Vasseur has centered on Antonello Coletta, but the long-serving Ferrari executive has rejected the approach, saying he lacks the right experience for the Formula 1 team principal role. Coletta, who has headed Ferrari’s World Endurance Championship and Corse Clienti operations and overseen the Hypercar program, has worked for Ferrari since 1997. Ferrari chairman John Elkann and chief executive Benedetto Vigna have been trying to persuade him for some time, but Coletta has also been wary of Ferrari’s habit of replacing team bosses quickly. Christian Horner and Jérôme d’Ambrosio have also been mentioned as possible options.

Vasseur’s own future remains unsettled after fresh speculation during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend. He said the talks about his job were “out of my hands” and described the situation as “not the perfect serenity” for him or the team. Ferrari has not confirmed any decision, and Vasseur said he remained committed to the team, adding that he would keep pushing through the final seven races. Ferrari finished fourth and sixth in Baku and remained second in the constructors’ standings, though the team’s title challenge has faded and execution problems have continued to hurt results.

Horner’s name has added to the noise, but sources said his recent comments about Ferrari were not a sign that he was actively seeking the role. Horner said Ferrari was the one team he would consider joining without taking an ownership stake, and he had previously been linked with the job in 2022, when Ferrari’s structure under Elkann and Vigna did not offer the level of authority he wanted. Vasseur called the Horner rumors frustrating and disruptive, while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have continued to back him publicly despite Ferrari’s leadership uncertainty.

Lando Norris apologized to Franco Colapinto two days after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix crash, saying he had sent Colapinto a message and that he simply should not have made the remarks he said in the aftermath of the incident. Norris had called for Colapinto to be banned and said some drivers should not be in Formula 1 after the collision, but later said high emotions were no excuse and that the two had reached a good understanding and remained friends.

The crash came on a Safety Car restart at Turn 1, when Colapinto locked up and hit Pierre Gasly, who then struck Norris. All three drivers retired, and Colapinto accepted full responsibility, describing it as a big mistake and saying he was out of control completely. Race stewards gave him a 10-second penalty that was converted into a five-place grid drop for his next race. Alpine boss Flavio Briatore apologized to Norris and McLaren and said the team would consider what action to take next.

The post-race fallout also prompted a backlash online. Alpine condemned abusive messages directed at Norris, Colapinto, Gasly and others, saying hate and abuse were unacceptable and that mistakes in racing did not justify abuse. The team said it would keep working with Formula 1, the FIA and other stakeholders to tackle the recurring problem. Alpine said Norris’s criticism drew a flood of abusive messages, largely from Argentinian fans, while Argentina’s foreign minister Pablo Quirno and former striker Sergio Aguero defended Colapinto online.