Author Archives: PressBox

Fernando Alonso used the British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone to question Formula 1’s direction, saying the sport’s 2026 regulations are moving overtaking away from driver skill and toward battery deployment. Alonso said modern passes can now be made by pressing a button when more energy is available, rather than through braking, positioning and risk-taking, and argued that a better power unit can decide whether an overtake happens at all. He went as far as saying drivers need “no talent” for some of the battery-assisted moves seen under the current rules.

He pointed to the Silverstone sprint race as evidence, citing Kimi Antonelli’s pass on Lewis Hamilton and Hamilton’s duel with George Russell in Sunday’s race. Alonso said the sprint showed cars could pass in the middle of straights by using extra battery power, a pattern he believes reduces the competitive value of the new regulations. The comments fit into broader criticism of the newer rules that has built since the start of the season, and Damon Hill backed Alonso’s concern, warning Formula 1 must decide what kind of sport it wants to be as technology becomes more influential.

Alonso’s frustration also came from a difficult weekend for Aston Martin, after his car shut off during the formation lap. He started from the pit lane and finished 18th, outside the points, though he said the race still provided useful data for the team. Looking ahead to the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, Alonso expects energy management to shape the race again, and suggested the high-speed corners and long straights could produce a similar pattern.

F1 is preparing to expand its Sprint schedule in 2027, with CEO Stefano Domenicali saying the sport wants to give fans more action across the full weekend. Speaking during the British GP weekend at Silverstone, he said the Sprint format has boosted interest in F1 and that the next calendar is expected to be announced soon. Reports have suggested the number of Sprint weekends could rise to nine or 10 in 2027, up from six, although Domenicali did not confirm a final figure.

Domenicali pointed to Silverstone’s strong turnout, including 150,000 fans on Friday, as evidence that Sprint weekends can attract crowds beyond race day. He said F1 has a responsibility to be bold and think out of the box, and described the Sprint concept as a successful part of the sport’s event strategy. First introduced at the 2021 British GP, the format adds Friday qualifying, a Saturday Sprint race and a shorter build-up to Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Wider calendar changes are also being considered for 2027. One report said the season could grow to 34 races if Sprint weekends rise to as many as 10 while the Grand Prix total stays at 24. The reports also said Zandvoort is expected to drop off the schedule, while Portugal and Turkey are already confirmed to return. Barcelona is expected to alternate with Belgium before coming back in 2028, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also set to return.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur urged restraint after Charles Leclerc’s British Grand Prix win at Silverstone, saying the team should treat its progress race by race rather than talk about a championship push. Ferrari’s first win of the 2026 season was also its 250th Formula 1 victory, and Vasseur said the team is still improving step by step through the SF-26 rather than operating at title-winning level. Ferrari’s double podium, with Lewis Hamilton third, lifted its position in both championships, but Vasseur said the focus has already shifted to Spa-Francorchamps.

Leclerc said the result meant a great deal after a difficult run that included crashes in Monaco and a qualifying setback in Barcelona, which had led to criticism of his form. He said there had been negativity and narratives being created around him, but he had stayed confident that he had not suddenly become a bad driver. Leclerc said Ferrari had changed the car’s feel and it had taken longer than expected to get back to his preferred level, calling the Silverstone weekend a morale-boosting recovery.

On track, Leclerc took the lead at the start and held on for his first victory since the 2024 United States Grand Prix. Antonelli’s car developed issues that ended his challenge, and a late safety car also helped Leclerc keep control to the finish. Hamilton recovered to third after an early penalty, while Leclerc said Ferrari had made a strong start at Silverstone after focusing on improving its launch procedure following a poor sprint start on Saturday.

Formula 1 plans to decide before its August summer break whether it can restore one of two Middle East races removed from the 2026 calendar, with Bahrain emerging as the leading candidate. The Bahrain Grand Prix was originally scheduled for April before it was canceled amid the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. If it returns, it would most likely fill the only practical opening on the calendar, the one-week gap between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix in early October, with possible dates cited as Oct. 2-4 or Oct. 4. That would lift the 2026 schedule from 22 races to 23, leaving it one race short of the original 24-round plan.

Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said any announcement would depend on “the right timing and conditions” and had to come before the break after the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26 because of logistics. Domenicali said the sport wants to proceed as planned if the security situation allows. A late Bahrain addition would leave nine races to be run in 11 weeks and create another triple-header late in the season.

The series is also monitoring the season-ending races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, which are set for Nov. 27-29 and Dec. 4-6. F1 has drawn up contingency plans in case either event cannot stay on the schedule, and Portimao in Portugal has been identified as the backup venue. Portimao would serve as an emergency replacement and a possible test run ahead of its planned return to the calendar in 2027, with a final deadline for backup plans expected in mid-September.