Author Archives: PressBox

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said in Madrid that he wants Fernando Alonso to stay in Formula 1 and will try to persuade the two-time world champion not to leave because of Aston Martin’s poor performance. Ben Sulayem called it “not acceptable” for Alonso to quit under those circumstances, and said he planned to speak directly with the Spanish driver about what the FIA and Aston Martin could do to change his mind.

Ben Sulayem said he had already spoken with Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll about improving the team, and said the FIA had taken legal steps in May to help Aston Martin improve its engine performance. His comments came ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix and followed Alonso’s remarks less than a day earlier that there would be no update soon on his future beyond his current contract, which expires at the end of the season.

Alonso has said he is considering racing in another series or taking a non-driving role next season. His difficult campaign has left him with only three points after 13 races this season, and Ben Sulayem argued that a driver of Alonso’s status should not leave Formula 1 because of the team’s struggles and the new regulations introduced this year.

Six Formula 1 teams filed upgrades for the Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit, with most of the changes focused on the demands of the track rather than major development packages. Teams arrived expecting the new venue to reward qualifying pace more than overtaking, and several sources said bigger update packages were likely being saved for Baku. The circuit was new for everyone, and on paper it was expected to suit Ferrari and McLaren as well.

Mercedes brought the largest package, with three circuit-specific changes on its championship-leading W17. FIA submissions showed updates to the rear wing, exhaust tailpipe area and front drum, while other reports described an additional winglet behind the exhaust and a redesigned front drum assembly. The team said the changes were aimed at reducing drag and improving airflow, including cleaner flow to the rear of the car and better attachment through steering angles, which could help keep Mercedes competitive.

Ferrari also upgraded its car, with a rear suspension update and a floor choice that returned to the three-element floorboard it had used at Zandvoort after a lower-drag version at Monza. The change was presented as a response to Madrid’s need for more downforce. McLaren added rear-wing flow-conditioning elements, Red Bull revised rear wheel bodywork and floor bib parts for reliability and load retention, and Cadillac and Alpine each filed smaller performance-focused changes. Williams, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, Haas and Audi brought no upgrades.

Speculation over Esteban Ocon’s Haas future intensified ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season and no extension announced. Ocon said in Thursday’s FIA press conference in Madrid that he and Haas had been discussing his future in recent weeks, while reports also said the team had identified a possible replacement for 2027. Ocon’s and teammate Oliver Bearman’s futures for 2027 remain unresolved.

Ocon pushed back against the scrutiny, saying the drivers are not the problem at Haas and that the team should focus on fixing the car. He said Haas’s VF-26 has had inconsistent parts and that the Monza aerodynamic upgrades were the only positive change. Ocon also said he and Bearman can extract performance when the car is in a healthy state, and he downplayed reports that Haas was testing other drivers by pointing to the team’s TPC program as an important source of revenue.

The pressure on Ocon has grown alongside Haas’s results. After 13 rounds, he has scored three of the team’s points this season, while Bearman has outqualified him 12-6 and outscored him 18-3. Haas is on a seven-race scoreless streak, its joint-worst run since 2021, and Ocon said the team is focused on solving the car’s problems rather than blaming the drivers. Haas recently held a three-day TPC test with three possible replacements, and Rafael Camara was reported as the leading candidate after outperforming Bearman’s benchmark.

George Russell said he will wait to take his Formula 1 engine penalty until Mercedes introduces its upgraded power unit, arguing it made little sense to serve one penalty now and another later. The team’s timing has not been finalized, but the update is expected in late October, with Austin or Mexico City mentioned as the likeliest debut races. Another report said the package could be ready around the United States Grand Prix or during the U.S.-Mexico-Brazil triple-header, and that Russell had earlier seemed set to take the penalty in Azerbaijan.

Mercedes has already pushed both Russell and Kimi Antonelli beyond their in-season component limits because of early reliability problems, and the upgrade is understood to include an improved turbo. Russell said Mercedes is waiting to use the ADUO update and expects the revised package to make the pecking order very interesting. He also said the team is not under threat from rivals, and noted that Ferrari has already brought two upgrades this season.

Antonelli had already exceeded his power unit allocation by Monza, when he took a back-of-the-grid penalty and still won from 19th. He is set to receive another penalty when the new engine arrives, but it will be only five places per new component because he has already gone over his allowance. Any performance gain from Mercedes’ upgraded power unit must also be made available to its customer teams.