Author Archives: PressBox

Lando Norris said he sees his future at McLaren, calling the team his family and saying he wants to finish his Formula 1 career there. Speaking on the Beyond The Grid podcast ahead of the British Grand Prix, he said he is heavily committed to McLaren, does not expect to leave soon and could imagine spending his entire career with the team. Norris said there is only one other Formula 1 team he would ever seriously consider joining in the distant future, but he did not identify it. He signed his latest McLaren contract in 2024, and reports say it runs through at least the end of 2027.

Norris has been with McLaren since joining its young driver program in 2017 and made his Formula 1 debut for the team in 2019. He said he stayed because he enjoys the people around him and wants to keep winning, and said winning is not the only factor in his decision. Ferrari was a serious option a few years ago, but he ultimately chose to remain with McLaren. His McLaren record includes 11 wins, 16 pole positions and 46 podiums, as well as the constructors’ titles in 2024 and 2025 and his first world championship in 2025.

He said his early years at McLaren, when the team was not competitive, taught him how to keep pushing even in difficult conditions. Norris said McLaren’s 2026 reliability problems have been dreadful, but its pace remains strong and his motivation has not changed. Entering his home race at Silverstone, he was fifth in the standings, one point behind teammate Oscar Piastri and 92 behind leader Kimi Antonelli, and said he is still happy at McLaren.

Bernie Ecclestone has pressed Ferrari’s top management to appoint Christian Horner, casting the Scuderia as a possible route back to Formula 1 for the former Red Bull boss. Ecclestone said he had already tried to steer Horner toward Ferrari after Horner left Red Bull in July 2025 after the British Grand Prix, and called Ferrari a logical destination. He also said he did not know whether Horner would actually end up there, with the situation still speculative and no appointment confirmed.

Ecclestone said Horner would face a difficult path at any team because people would compare him with what he achieved at Red Bull. Horner spent 20 years leading the team, winning eight drivers’ championships, six constructors’ titles and 124 of 130 Grand Prix victories. Red Bull paid him an £80 million severance package after his exit, and he remained on gardening leave until May 2026. Horner has said he would only return to Formula 1 in the right role with greater responsibility. Reports have also linked him with starting his own team, taking a stake in Alpine, a possible connection with BYD and a move to Aston Martin, although sources said there had been no new contact about Aston Martin since earlier discussions this year.

Speaking at the Austrian Grand Prix, Ecclestone also argued that Ferrari should consider Max Verstappen, saying signing the Red Bull driver would be cheaper than trying to build a better car. He said Verstappen may have missed his best chance to move to Ferrari last year and criticized what he described as too many Italians being involved in Ferrari’s decision-making. Verstappen remains under contract to Red Bull through 2028, with an escape clause that could allow him to leave if he is outside the top two at the summer break. He has also been linked with Mercedes and McLaren, though Toto Wolff and Zak Brown have downplayed the chances of immediate lineup changes. Ferrari’s current driver pairing is Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and the team has extended Fred Vasseur’s contract through at least the end of 2027.

Cadillac F1 Team will unveil a one-off red, white and blue livery at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, tying the design to the Fourth of July weekend and the 250th anniversary of American independence. The Stars and Stripes theme will extend beyond the car to the garage, driver helmets, apparel and team kit, with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez set to wear matching helmets. Cadillac also plans to take the look to New Orleans for ESSENCE Fest.

Chief executive Dan Towriss said the weekend is a chance to show pride in representing the United States in F1 and to help introduce the sport to new audiences. Perez said he hopes the special look will give American fans another reason to celebrate. Silverstone carries extra weight for Cadillac because the team has a base next to the circuit, and team principal Graeme Lowdon is aiming for a cleaner weekend after a difficult Austrian Grand Prix, with positive signs from upgrades in Spielberg.

Cadillac is one of several teams bringing special artwork to Britain. McLaren will reveal a heritage-inspired paint scheme, while Williams will refresh its Union Jack-themed livery on the FW48’s nose flanks and pair it with special overalls for Carlos Sainz Jnr and Alexander Albon. Williams also plans to take a show car with the new look to Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh and London before the race as it prepares a major upgrade package for a team that sits eighth in the 2026 championship.

George Russell’s Austrian Grand Prix victory left him 40 points behind Kimi Antonelli in Mercedes’ internal title fight, with Jenson Button calling it a “proper” battle for the world championship and Claire Williams describing it as a psychological contest. Button said the result should have lifted Russell ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, while Russell said he believed in himself, liked the Silverstone layout and knew Mercedes had at times struggled with car setup and tyre performance.

The discussion also centered on how Mercedes supported its two drivers. Button questioned whether Russell received the same backing from race engineer Peter Bonnington as Antonelli, pointing to Bonnington’s close involvement with Antonelli since he joined the grid at the start of last season and citing Monaco as an example. Alex Brundle made a similar point on the F1 Nation podcast, saying Bonnington should tell Antonelli he would have won in Austria without outside factors. Brundle said Antonelli had shown strong pace but had also had brief lapses and “mini meltdowns” that cost him track position, while Russell’s consistency and experience had made him more reliable.

Antonelli remained firmly in the title picture after starting the season with five straight wins in China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco. Button said he had been quick all season, while Williams said Russell’s maturity, self-awareness and perfectionism could give him the edge if both drivers had comparable equipment. Russell’s Austria win was his second of the season, following his season-opening victory in Melbourne, and came after a difficult run in which reliability issues and Safety Car timing may have cost him more results.