Author Archives: PressBox

Fernando Alonso has reportedly agreed to return to the Dakar Rally in 2027 with an Aston Martin-backed entry, according to Soy Motor, while continuing with Aston Martin in Formula 1. The 2027 run would be his second start in the event, after he finished 13th with Toyota in 2020.

The deal was said to have been reached in August before it was leaked by Spanish media. Alonso is expected to drive an Aston Martin-backed Prodrive car based on the Dacia Sandrider, with Marc Coma likely returning as his co-driver. He is also expected to work with former engineer Daniel Gratacos.

The 2027 Dakar Rally will be held in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 1 to 15, and organizers are also preparing a possible Morocco contingency because of security concerns in the Middle East. Alonso recently said he will stay in Formula 1 for at least one more season and dismissed rumors that he was preparing for a Dakar return, while Aston Martin chief Mike Krack said he generally likes drivers taking on other motorsport disciplines but would not speculate on Alonso’s plans.

Mercedes will use the Singapore Grand Prix weekend to run back-to-back tests of its latest Formula 1 aero upgrade against its previous-spec package as it tries to understand why the new development failed to deliver at the previous race. The team is using a split-garage approach so it can compare the two configurations directly on track, and Toto Wolff said the new parts may have reduced performance rather than improved it. Mercedes wants more evidence before deciding whether the problem lies with the aero package or the rough track surface, and believes Singapore will offer a clearer picture because the circuit is very different from previous venues.

The weekend will also be shaped by George Russell’s power-unit grid penalty. After retiring from the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang with five laps remaining while running third under the safety car, Russell had already used the permitted four engines this season, forcing Mercedes to fit another power unit and send him to the back of the grid at Marina Bay. The setback hurts his attempt to close an 84-point gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli with seven rounds remaining.

Wolff called the situation “particularly frustrating” because Russell was driving well and deserved a better result. The penalty could also stop him from receiving an updated Mercedes engine later in the season, while the team said it will focus on giving him the best possible car and learning from its poor Malaysia performance.

Williams is suing Autotech Performance in the High Court for more than £1 million over a missing 2001 Williams FW23 chassis that the team says was driven by Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya in 2001. Williams said it loaned the chassis to Autotech Performance in 2015 for display purposes, but when it asked for it back in 2021 it received no reply.

Williams said Autotech Performance went into liquidation that year and was dissolved without responding. The team is seeking the chassis’s return or damages from Peter Thorpe, alleging he wrongly told liquidators that he owned the chassis and that he had it removed from the premises before Williams could reclaim it.

Thorpe denied claiming ownership of the car and said he did not know where it was. He also said he suffered a stroke in 2018 and has limited memory after it. Thorpe’s lawyers said the chassis was only a display shell and had no engine.

Gianpiero Lambiase’s potential move from Red Bull to McLaren could come as early as 2027, Zak Brown said, adding that talks between the two sides have taken place in recent months. Brown said that would be earlier than the 2028 timeline tied to Lambiase’s current contract, while McLaren has said he would arrive when that deal ends, no later than 2028.

McLaren announced in April that Lambiase would become its chief racing officer once his Red Bull deal ended, and that he would report to team principal Andrea Stella after joining the team. Lambiase has been Max Verstappen’s race engineer at Red Bull for more than a decade.

The possible switch has also raised questions about whether Lambiase would have gardening leave before joining McLaren. He could remain involved with Verstappen’s team until late 2027. Red Bull has already started planning for his eventual departure by giving Tom Hart practice-session duties as Verstappen’s engineer this season, and Hart is expected to succeed him.

Christian Horner received £100.482 million in compensation for loss of office after leaving Red Bull, with UK Companies House filings showing the payout came from both Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technologies. Red Bull Racing paid £33.494 million in severance and £4.441 million in annual remuneration, while Red Bull Technologies paid £66.988 million in severance and £9.029 million in directorial remuneration.

Horner was removed as Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal on July 9, 2025, ending a run of more than two decades with the team. His dismissal followed an allegation of inappropriate behavior inside the team, which he denied. He was cleared by two investigations, and his settlement was finalized in September 2025. Horner also said he had six years left on his contract when he was dismissed.

Since leaving Red Bull, Horner has been linked with a return to Formula 1 and has been looking at potential projects to return to a leadership role. He said Ferrari would be “the dream.” He also congratulated Red Bull and Max Verstappen on the team’s first victory with Ford powertrains.

Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari must improve its power unit performance for 2027 if it wants to close the gap to its rivals and challenge for championships, saying the team is down on power compared with other front-runners. Hamilton said Ferrari would have to live with that deficit for the rest of the 2026 season and urged the team to address the weakness over the winter, adding that its power shortfall had cost it a chance to fight for world titles this year.

Hamilton said Ferrari has a strong car and innovative engineers, but said it has been the third- or fourth-fastest car at times and needs more engine performance to become a title contender. He said he still felt fit, focused and hopeful of more strong results.

Hamilton also said the tyre choice at the start cost him a chance to win the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Ferrari started both cars on soft tyres in wet conditions. Hamilton finished third and Charles Leclerc was fourth, with Hamilton’s podium ending his six-race drought. Ferrari was also facing speculation about principal Frederic Vasseur’s future.

Max Verstappen said life at Red Bull has been less stressful since Christian Horner was removed as team principal and CEO after the 2025 British Grand Prix, ending Horner’s 20-year run in charge. Verstappen said the team’s current situation is “not as spicy” and that reducing stress in the environment is beneficial. He said he prefers a workplace where people get along and that constant tension inside a team chasing race wins is not nice because it creates unnecessary tension.

Verstappen said Horner did a good job at Red Bull and could return to the paddock if the right opportunity comes up. Laurent Mekies took over after Horner left. Verstappen won all four of his world championships with Red Bull while Horner was team principal, and he said he sees the team as a second family.

He said he is focused only on winning and is not interested in joining Ferrari if it means running in the midfield. Verstappen also said his new four-year Red Bull deal keeps him with the team through the end of 2030, that he does not expect to still be racing in Formula 1 at Fernando Alonso’s age, and that he wants to spend more time at home with his children.