Pirelli said the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix could lean toward a one-stop strategy, a shift it linked to the current tyre range and better tyre consistency. The supplier has nominated its softest allocation for the Red Bull Ring, with the C3 as hard, the C4 as medium and the C5 as soft, but it still expects tyre management to be difficult because of Spielberg’s rough asphalt, heavy braking zones, repeated acceleration phases, rear-tyre traction loads and downhill braking forces. Late-June heat is expected to add to thermal degradation, while mountain weather could still bring sudden changes. Pirelli also said qualifying position may be important for any team trying to control the race from the front and make a one-stop plan work.

Each driver will get two sets of hard tyres, three sets of mediums and eight sets of softs, with intermediates and full wets available if needed. Drivers who reach Q3 will receive an extra set of soft tyres. In a dry race, every driver must use at least two slick compounds. Pirelli said the race weekend will test tyre construction under high stress more from thermal degradation than abrasive wear, and that current tyre construction and track evolution could make longer stints more viable than in previous years. Most teams needed two pit stops last year, but Pirelli said the one-stop option is now more realistic.

The Austrian Grand Prix will be staged at the 4.326-kilometre Red Bull Ring in Spielberg from practice on Friday, June 26, to qualifying on Saturday, June 27, and the race on Sunday, June 28. The circuit, which has 10 corners, sits 660 metres above sea level and has a 63-metre elevation change. It has a Formula 1 history dating back to 1964, and the 2025 race produced 81 overtakes. Max Verstappen has taken four pole positions and four wins at the venue, while McLaren leads the constructors there with seven victories.

Esteban Ocon brushed aside renewed speculation about his Haas future ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, saying he trusts team principal Ayao Komatsu and is not bothered by outside chatter. Ocon, whose contract runs through the end of the 2026 season, said he was focused on fixing the parts of the car and the performance issues Haas can control, and described himself as “chill” about the rumors. He said he did not care what other people said about his situation and that it was too early in the season to talk about next year.

The speculation intensified after a media report tied to the Canadian Grand Prix was misread as suggesting a rift between Ocon and Komatsu, but both men denied that there was a split. Ocon said the team had endured three or four difficult races, had scored only a few points and still had work to do before its results matched its effort. He said he hoped a more competitive car would help him and teammate Ollie Bearman as the team began the European stretch.

Reports also linked Ferrari, McLaren and Toyota to possible moves involving their own drivers on the Formula 1 grid, while unverified chatter connected Rafael Camara and Yuki Tsunoda to Haas. The renewed pressure on Ocon came after a mixed run of results, including his first points of the season with ninth place in Monaco and a 13th-place finish in Spain, two laps down and more than 60 seconds behind Franco Colapinto. He also trailed Bearman in both the 2025 and 2026 head-to-head standings.

The FIA declared a heat hazard for the Austrian Grand Prix as Europe’s first major heatwave of the summer sent temperatures soaring at the Red Bull Ring. Forecasts pointed to air temperatures in the mid- to high-30s Celsius, with 34C expected on Saturday and 38C on Sunday. The FIA said the warning was triggered after the heat index was forecast to rise above its 31C threshold, and track temperatures could climb into the 50s Celsius. Austria has already broken June temperature records during the heatwave.

Under Formula 1’s 2025 heat-hazard protocol, teams must install driver cooling systems and the cars’ minimum weight rises by five kilograms. Drivers may choose to wear liquid-cooled vests that circulate coolant through a fireproof top, or skip them and carry ballast instead. F1 encouraged drivers to use the vests, but some drivers have criticized them as uncomfortable and unreliable if the dry ice runs out. George Russell has backed the concept after using it in Singapore last year, where the rule was first used.

The heat-hazard rule was introduced after the extreme conditions at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, when several drivers needed medical attention. It was originally meant to make the vests mandatory, but they remained optional after drivers raised concerns about comfort and effectiveness. The FIA also updated the rule for 2026 sprint weekends, allowing heat-hazard declarations separately for the Sprint session and the race, with the decision due 24 hours before each begins.

Madame Tussauds London unveiled its first wax figure of Lando Norris ahead of the British Grand Prix buildup, putting the reigning Formula 1 world champion on display after months of collaboration with the museum’s artists. The figure will open to the public on June 30 at the Baker Street attraction, in the museum’s Culture Capital zone alongside other sports stars.

The exhibit was built with several personal touches from Norris, including a McLaren race suit, race boots and a replica of his 2025 helmet from the Abu Dhabi season finale, when he sealed the title. Norris also helped design the figure earlier in the year so it would closely match his appearance.

Norris called seeing the finished likeness “pretty cool,” “surreal” and, at one point, “creeps me out,” while saying he appreciated how lifelike the details turned out. Madame Tussauds London general manager Steve Blackburn said the museum was excited to unveil the figure and expected visitors to enjoy taking photos with it throughout the summer.

Rachel Brookes has confirmed that she is leaving Sky Sports F1 immediately, but said she is moving on to “exciting new ventures” and will remain involved in Formula 1. She said viewers will still see her at Silverstone, with her departure coming just days before Sky’s coverage of the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg.

Brookes joined Sky in 2009 and became a regular part of its Formula 1 coverage after the broadcaster won the U.K. rights in 2012. She was known for interviewing drivers before and after races and in the media pen during race weekends. Reports differ on the length of her overall Sky tenure, with one saying 14 years and another 16 years.

Brookes did not give a reason for leaving or details of her next role. Sky has been contacted for comment on the specific nature of her departure. The announcement comes after she recently said she received “horrific” and “horrendous” online abuse following her questioning of Max Verstappen about his clash with George Russell at last year’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Audi became the first Formula 1 manufacturer to use the FIA’s new Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system, bringing an upgraded power unit package to the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. The FIA confirmed the rule-compliant update in its Friday power unit document after completing its initial assessment following the Canadian Grand Prix. The package included revised V6 components, new internal combustion engines and turbochargers, along with drivability-focused changes fitted to both cars at Audi’s facilities in Ingolstadt and Hinwil. The ADUO framework was created to help engine suppliers close the performance gap, and Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi and Honda are eligible to develop under it, while Red Bull was the best engine performer in the first period and cannot use the catch-up concessions.

Ferrari is preparing to follow with its first ADUO-influenced engine upgrade at the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, using its first token on a revised internal combustion engine. Ferrari power unit director Enrico Gualtieri said the update is relatively minor and worth less than 10 horsepower, adding that it will not change the competitive order on its own. Ferrari has described the package as part of a longer development program aimed at improving its engine performance and reducing the gap to Mercedes.

A more substantial Ferrari step is already mapped out for after the summer break, with a new or redesigned turbocharger expected to form part of the next package. Ferrari views that later update as part of its incremental approach to power unit development, with the broader target of closing the performance gap to Mercedes and Red Bull. Gualtieri said the factory is focused on getting improvements from the factory to the track as quickly as possible.