Author Archives: PressBox

Formula 1 says true rain racing is likely becoming a thing of the past because modern cars throw up so much spray that visibility in wet conditions has become extremely poor. The problem has worsened as the cars have gained more downforce, and the FIA now weighs standing water, spray and visibility before deciding whether a wet race is safe to start, while also listening to drivers. Safety concerns sharpened after Jules Bianchi’s death in 2014 helped drive changes in the sport.

At Sepang, heavy standing water led organizers to hold the grid before the race started, and Lewis Hamilton said wet conditions are riskier even as they create the moments when drivers can make the biggest difference by relying on instinct and feeling the car. Hamilton said younger Formula 1 drivers are becoming “more and more cautious” about racing in the wet, while veteran drivers are more willing to push in extreme rain. He pointed to his wins in torrential rain at the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix and the 2008 British Grand Prix as examples of his success in those conditions.

Carlos Sainz said the FIA got the timing right when it decided to go racing, and said the rain gave him a better chance to do something. Isack Hadjar said the new power units and intermediate tires have made wet driving more difficult and unpredictable. Formula 1 said reducing electrical power or changing aerodynamics would not solve the visibility problem in the rain.

Williams team principal James Vowles is pushing Formula 1 to adopt a catch-up mechanism that would give smaller teams more investment freedom and help narrow the gap to the front-runners. Vowles said the current capital expenditure rules preserve an advantage for teams that spent heavily before the cost cap, and argued that the sport needs a better long-term solution before the next major regulation change.

Vowles said Williams would need to spend about $200 million to catch up, a commitment that would translate into about a $20 million annual budget hit over 10 years under the current depreciation rules. He said the cost cap has improved financial stability but has not improved sporting equity, adding that the field has not compressed and that lower-ranked teams are scoring fewer points while the top four teams are scoring more. Vowles also pointed to data showing only one non-top-four win in the last 130 Grands Prix and non-top-four podiums falling from 10% to 5%.

The proposed mechanism would use a points-based system tied to the constructors’ championship and is set to be voted on at next month’s F1 Commission meeting. Six of the 11 teams would be needed to introduce the change for 2027, while only four votes would be required for it to start in 2028. Cadillac, Aston Martin, Audi and Alpine back the proposal, Haas opposes it, and Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane said his team would not support a wholesale change to the cost cap rules. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he was open to some cost cap adjustments but would not back a sliding scale that resembled balance of performance, while McLaren CEO Zak Brown said teams should decide how to divide money between infrastructure and car development. F1 management and the FIA are said to support the idea, and Vowles said he would keep pushing for a change in 2028 if it could not pass for 2027.

George Russell topped Free Practice 1 at the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix with a best lap of 1:32.274, doing so in an older-spec Mercedes. Charles Leclerc was second, 0.198 seconds behind, and Lando Norris was third, 0.273 off the pace. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, Oscar Piastri fifth, Max Verstappen sixth and Kimi Antonelli seventh.

The top five drivers were covered by 0.564 seconds in a session run in hot, humid and dusty conditions at Marina Bay. A Virtual Safety Car was deployed after Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi stopped. Sprint Qualifying was scheduled later that day.