Author: Jordan Hayes

Marc Marquez Explains Why He Told Injured Isack Hadjar to Miss the Dutch Grand Prix

Marc Marquez has explained why he advised Isack Hadjar not to compete in Formula 1’s Dutch Grand Prix while recovering from a wrist injury.

The Red Bull driver had been keen to race at Zandvoort last weekend, despite injuring his wrist the previous week while working out in a gym. However, the 21-year-old ultimately decided to sit out the race after discussing the situation with team principal Laurent Mekies and former Red Bull athlete Marquez, who both urged him to prioritise his recovery.

Reigning MotoGP world champion Marquez has now revealed that Hadjar contacted him after suffering the injury to ask for advice on how to manage his recovery.

Having seen his own career disrupted by an arm fracture at Jerez in 2020, Marquez advised the French-Algerian driver not to rush his comeback and warned him about the possible consequences.

“Hadjar contacted me,” Marquez told MotoGP.com. “I’m not a doctor, of course, but just for advice.

“Because sometimes for a rider, or a driver in this case, it’s super difficult because sometimes you feel that OK, maybe you can. But it’s difficult to accept that, ‘OK, I will skip this race and I will prepare myself in a better way for the next one’.

“And it’s just what I said. I learned in the past that missing one race will not change your life. Missing, or worsening your injury because you ride too early, can change your life.

“My life changed a lot since the Jerez injury. So yeah, I just tried to give that advice to Hadjar, and I think he took the correct decision because he has a long career in front [of him].”

Marquez reflects on his own injury experience

Marquez’s comments highlight a significant change in his mindset. The factory Ducati rider has repeatedly admitted in recent years that he has learned to accept his physical limitations.

The Spaniard’s MotoGP career nearly ended when he broke a bone in his arm during a heavy highside at the 2020 season opener in Jerez. After undergoing immediate surgery, he attempted to return just days later at the Andalucian GP, but the additional strain placed on his body weakened the plate attached to his arm.

After withdrawing midway through the weekend, Marquez missed the entire season. It was not until a fourth operation in 2022 that he regained much of the mobility he had lost in his arm.

When will Isack Hadjar return to Formula 1?

Hadjar’s absence from the Dutch GP saw Liam Lawson promoted from Racing Bulls to replace him at Red Bull, while Yuki Tsunoda took Lawson’s place at the sister team.

It remains unclear when Hadjar will return to action. The next Formula 1 Grand Prix is scheduled to take place at Monza on 6 September.

Isack Hadjar — Photo by: Rainier Ehrhardt

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026
James Vowles Reveals Carlos Sainz’s ‘Unique’ Trait Aiding Williams Amid Struggles

Williams Racing team principal James Vowles has praised Carlos Sainz’s “unique” competitive mindset, crediting the Spaniard’s unwavering approach as a critical asset for the squad during a challenging 2026 Formula 1 season.

Sainz Delivers Podium Before Williams’ Downturn

Sainz guided Williams back to the podium last season, yet the team experienced a sharp reversal of fortune in 2026. After establishing themselves as the “best of the rest,” they found themselves battling toward the rear of the grid. The driver has been outspoken about the team’s struggles, citing delayed development and an overweight car as primary factors. Despite those setbacks, Sainz signed a multi-year contract extension, signalling his confidence in the project’s long-term trajectory.

Vowles Highlights Sainz’s Consistent Mindset

Vowles expressed his delight at retaining both Sainz and Alex Albon — who is also committed through 2027 — and reflected on Sainz’s demeanour during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.

“He is immensely good,” he said.

“His attitude and approach doesn’t change irrespective of whether he’s fighting for 18th or a podium, and that’s quite unique.

“Normally, you’ll see a change in persona from individuals – the more frustrated they are, the more emotion kicks into it, and Carlos doesn’t have that at all. He’s just driven by constant performance improvements. Fundamentally, that is what you need to be driving yourselves forward with.”

Williams Targets Recovery Amid Regulatory Shifts

Both the team and its drivers share the ambition to return to fighting for points, victories, and eventually championships. However, the timeline has been recalibrated following an unexpected performance drop under the current regulations. As rivals such as Aston Martin close the gap with substantial upgrades, pressure is mounting on Williams to demonstrate progress when their own updates debut at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Vowles, however, has cautioned that meaningful gains will require patience.

“When we look at where the grid is right now, we are too far away,” he summarised. “So a lot of our focus is really going into next year, especially since there is a power unit change and an aerodynamic regulation change, in order to sort of get back onto, let’s say, a solid foundation.

“It’s a team that’s hurting, there’s no doubt about it. We’re not where we want to be.

“This is not what we planned for, so to have the news that two of your leaders are by your side and growing with you and believe in the journey you’re on is incredibly powerful for an organisation, especially when we’re asking what we are of them.

“It isn’t just about what they bring on track, it’s about the leaders they are behind the scenes. An example of that is when this winter went pretty poor, both flew to the UK and spent time with the team to effectively just support them in every way that they could do, which is unusual, but it’s an indication of who they are as characters.”

08/27/2026
Patrick Mahomes’ Text Messages to Brittany Give Chiefs Hope Ahead of Week 1

Patrick Mahomes Balances Intensive ACL Rehab With Family Priorities at Chiefs Training Camp

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is navigating one of the most demanding stretches of his NFL career this summer, juggling training camp responsibilities with a rigorous rehabilitation schedule as he recovers from an ACL injury. The intensive routine has left little time for casual communication, with Mahomes noting that unreliable cell service inside the team dorms at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph has limited his texting.

Mahomes Prioritizes Family Communication Despite Camp Demands

There is, however, one person the quarterback makes sure to reach consistently. “St. Joe’s dorm rooms, man, you don’t get a lot of text messages,” Mahomes told reporters. “I just try to make sure I text Brittany. If I text Brittany, I’m usually in a good spot.”

The comment came in response to a question about whether Mahomes had been messaging fellow NFL player Zach Ertz, who suffered a similar ACL injury shortly before him. “I haven’t been texting him during camp. I’ve been locked in throughout camp, but I know he’s still working,” Mahomes said. “I saw him throwing… I know he’s working too.”

Rehabilitation Becomes Full-Time Commitment for Chiefs Quarterback

The light moment with reporters underscored an unusually intense offseason for the Chiefs signal-caller. Head coach Andy Reid revealed earlier this month that Mahomes has been dedicating “seven hours a day” to his recovery process.

“He just goes,” Reid told CBS Sports. “He kept playing, he gets his rehab taken care of before and after practice, you know how he is, he’s all in.”

Reid also emphasized that Kansas City has been careful not to allow its franchise quarterback to push too far. “He’s a great example to all the other guys around him that, ‘I’m gonna do whatever I have to do to get myself on the field,’” Reid said.

That urgency follows a difficult 2023 season in which the Chiefs finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

Family Perspective Anchors Mahomes Amid Football Intensity

Even as football consumes much of his daily schedule, Mahomes has consistently stated that his family helps maintain perspective on the sport. “Football is a huge part of my life, but I’ve always tried to keep perspective,” Mahomes told PEOPLE. “Family, friends, my teammates, my foundation work, those things have always been important to me.”

He added: “During the season you’re so locked in, so having that time to slow down, be present with the kids, and just enjoy the people around you makes it special.”

Mahomes and his wife Brittany have three children, and the quarterback said that responsibility remains closely tied to his professional approach. “I want to be the best for my family, my teammates, the kids who look up to this game,” Mahomes said.

Camp may have him spending hours on rehab, meetings, and practice with barely enough cell service to maintain normal conversations. But one message, apparently, remains non-negotiable.

08/27/2026
How Lando Norris Has Improved Since Winning His F1 Title, According to McLaren

McLaren’s Formula 1 title defence looked increasingly unlikely just over a month ago. Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli led the 2026 championship with 204 points, while McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had scored 103 and 92 respectively.

McLaren then introduced a major upgrade package at the Hungaroring, targeting the front and rear corner bodywork and adding a new floor and rear wing. The impact was immediate. Norris converted pole position into victory in Hungary before winning again at Zandvoort, where he passed Antonelli around the outside at Turn 1. The reigning champion is now 83 points behind the championship leader.

Although the results suggest McLaren’s upgrades transformed its performance, team principal Andrea Stella believes Norris is also extracting the maximum from the MCL40—and may even be outperforming the car.

“Lando is driving and operating at a very high level, in absolute sense, in relation to a Formula 1 world champion,” Stella commented following the Dutch Grand Prix. “He’s driving at the level of a world champion.

“And like I always say for Lando, what I like the most of his journey in Formula 1 is that he keeps improving. And especially after the start of the 2025 season, something clicked, which is not only a single click, but is a way of working with Lando, for Lando, and that we are adopting also on Oscar’s side now in particular. And this approach has led Lando to continuous improvements.

“So it’s almost like I see Lando stronger and stronger race by race. Because this weekend was nowhere near a weekend in which we could fight for the victory for granted, especially after having seen the performance in the sprint.

“But we invested in trying to understand where was the opportunity from a tyre exploitation point of view, and car improvement. Actually, both drivers improved from this point of view, but unfortunately a question mark remains as to the behaviour of the second stint of Oscar.

“So there’s overall a positive trajectory for both, but at the moment Lando is capable of maximising the performance in qualifying trim. If we think the start of 2025, this had become a bit of a concern that he overcame. And then, when you have conditions in which the car slides in the race, there’s not much grip, he is the master in this kind of conditions.”

Norris has gained the edge in qualifying

Qualifying performance has become a key indicator of Norris’ recent advantage over his McLaren team-mate.

Throughout the 2025 season, Norris and Piastri were evenly matched over one lap, sharing a 15-15 qualifying head-to-head record when sprint qualifying sessions are included.

After Formula 1 introduced new machinery in 2026, Norris initially trailed Piastri 3-1 before the unexpected April break. Since then, however, the reigning champion has dominated the comparison, beating Piastri 12-1. Piastri’s only qualifying victory in that period came in Monaco.

The average gap remains relatively small at 0.128 seconds, but it has consistently favoured Norris as Piastri continues to search for his best form.

Stella believes Norris’ improved mindset, rather than technical gains alone, has helped him develop more effective racecraft.

“If you want to look at Lando from another angle, I would say that definitely he is now expressing a higher level of assertiveness as he drives,” the Italian pointed out. “You know, the manoeuvre to pass Antonelli today is a really good demonstration of that. He’s demonstrating more self-confidence.

“This is interesting, and I quite like it – the self-confidence sometimes is not demonstrated by being the most aggressive. Sometimes you are self-confident when you think like, ‘You know what? I’m not going to have a fight now because I may lose in this fight. It’s a very long race. See you at the end of the race.’

“It’s this confidence in your means, in your strength, that I quite like. Which means that sometimes you are actually the one backing off when the situation becomes too risky.

“We need to remember that in the last couple of races that he won, he didn’t defend the pole position. He was actually second at the end of the first lap. But I did not hear or perceive any decay in his confidence, as to the fact that he was fast and he was just preparing his opportunity to then cash in on his competitiveness. So I think assertiveness and confidence are probably the two characteristics that he has improved the most from a non-technical, non-operational point of view.”

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026
‘What a Morning!’ – England’s First Session to Forget at Lord’s

Pakistan took full advantage of the conditions at Lord’s after winning the toss, reducing England to 80-4 by lunch on day one of the second Test.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

08/27/2026
F1 Fans Declare ‘silly season now serious season’ After Franco Colapinto Deal

Formula 1 fans have reacted to Franco Colapinto’s contract extension with Alpine, which secures the Argentine driver’s future with the team through the 2027 season.

Colapinto will continue alongside Pierre Gasly after impressing Alpine since moving up from a reserve-driver role to replace Jack Doohan during the 2025 season.

Colapinto’s Alpine contract extension

After the first 12 rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Colapinto sits 12th in the drivers’ championship with 19 points. Gasly is 10th with 44 points.

Alpine’s announcement follows Max Verstappen’s contract extension with Red Bull, which keeps him at the team until the end of 2030. Williams has also extended the contracts of its current drivers, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.

With numerous rumours about driver changes circulating in the paddock, the recent run of contract announcements has ended several silly-season stories.

“Silly season now serious season. Happy for him though!” one fan posted on Reddit, while another added: “This season is so sensible that it’s silly.”

“Very good to see. Colapinto has improved significantly in his time with Alpine and is more often than not following closely behind Pierre, which is no easy feat. Vamos Franco!!” wrote another fan.

“Even though he took over the seat from a fellow Australian I’ve come to quite like his personality, and he’s quite fast too at points. Looking forward to seeing him on the track next year,” someone else posted, while another added: “Sensible decision. I think he’s doing a good job. Plus, he’s bringing in some good sponsor money, and he’s highly appreciated in his home country, so why fire him?”

Further reactions included: “At this rate the only change on the grid could be Ocon,” and “The guy has been holding on really well. Well deserved. Happy for him.”

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026
Sergio Perez Admits Disappointment With Cadillac’s First F1 Season

Sergio Perez says Cadillac’s recent development stall has made the past few Formula 1 races “a disappointment”, but believes the team can still find another second of performance in 2026.

Cadillac made significant progress during the opening part of the season, pulling clear of struggling Aston Martin and regularly beating the Silverstone-based team to avoid the back of the grid and the wooden spoon.

That progress has slowed in recent races. Aston Martin’s own upgrades, including aerodynamic developments introduced in Hungary and the Netherlands, combined with Honda’s efforts to improve power, have delivered a notable increase in lap time and left Cadillac behind.

Perez believes Cadillac has more potential. Speaking on Formula 1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, he said a new team should be improving constantly, but acknowledged that Cadillac’s recent form had flatlined.

“On everything, I think the last few races have been a disappointment. There’s a lot of disappointment because we haven’t been developing. We haven’t been improving,” Perez said.

“Us being a new team, this is what we should be doing, like every time. So I felt like there was a bit of a stalling in the last few races.

“And that’s why we had to review on things, how we were doing everything. Obviously, being a new team, there’s a lot of things that we are constantly learning.”

Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing. Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Perez measured Cadillac’s shortfall in lap-time terms, suggesting the team has found roughly one second of performance during the opening half of the year, rather than the two seconds it had expected.

Even so, he believes Cadillac is “not that far” from the established teams. Finding another second could transform the team’s competitiveness and allow it to put pressure on Williams, Haas and Aston Martin.

“I don’t think we have improved as much as we hoped for,” Perez added. “[We have found] I don’t know, a second? But probably we were looking for two seconds.

“The most important is we understand and we look at our processes, why it hasn’t come, that second? Why we haven’t improved in all those different areas?

“Because it’s not only one thing, being a new team, there’s a lot of things that are in there. And I can see them, you know. If we improve our load, our ride, a lot of things, all of a sudden, we are not that far.

“We are at the back, but half a second, one second will change our life completely at this stage, you know? And I feel like for us being a new team, it’s in there. It’s possible.”

08/27/2026
Why McLaren Must Pass Its Monza Test Before Pursuing an F1 Title Challenge

McLaren Faces Crucial Monza Test After Consecutive F1 Victories

After a difficult start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, McLaren appears to have returned to the front of the grid. The Woking-based team struggled with its understanding of the Mercedes power unit in Australia and suffered a double DNS in China, but consecutive victories in Budapest and Zandvoort have changed the outlook.

Lando Norris has cut his deficit to championship leader Kimi Antonelli to 83 points, reigniting McLaren’s hopes of defending his drivers’ title. However, team principal Andrea Stella is refusing to draw premature conclusions about a potential championship fight.

Monza will test McLaren’s recent progress

Stella wants McLaren to focus on one race at a time rather than look too far ahead.

“Beyond any way of saying, the real approach we have is just one race at a time. There’s not much more you can influence than just maximising what’s next available,” Stella said when asked by Motorsport.com how much confidence this gives McLaren for the second half of the season.

“The next race will be in Monza, and if we think about the demands of Zandvoort and Hungary, and then think about the demands of Monza, we are in a completely different regime.”

That difference makes the Italian Grand Prix an important internal benchmark for McLaren. The Hungaroring and Zandvoort are both high-downforce circuits, while Monza is a high-speed track dominated by long straights and chicanes.

McLaren was able to exploit the strengths of the MCL40 in Hungary and the Netherlands, particularly through medium-speed corners. However, Norris described the car’s slow-speed performance on Saturday as “nowhere near good enough”.

Monza will therefore demand a different set of qualities from the McLaren. Stella considers the circuit one of the team’s most important tests yet because it will reveal whether its recent gains can translate to a low-downforce layout.

Energy management remains a key concern

Unlike Zandvoort and Budapest, Monza is an “energy-starved” circuit, placing greater emphasis on energy management and the team’s understanding of the Mercedes power unit.

McLaren was significantly behind the Mercedes works team in that area at the start of the season. The team has made substantial progress since then, including through the long-awaited simulation tools it received for Spa. Monza will provide a clearer indication of how valuable those improvements are at a circuit where power-unit understanding is especially important.

Stella wants those questions answered before McLaren begins discussing a title challenge.

“So I think if we can confirm our improvements in Monza, then I would say that the answer to your question is yes, then we can look with some optimism at the remainder of the season.

“But first of all, we need to go to Monza and see that our car can express a good performance in the long straights.”

Monza will also test McLaren’s low-downforce configuration, which has not been one of the MCL40’s strongest areas. Stella stressed that the challenge is not limited to understanding the Mercedes power unit.

“We know that drag is not necessarily a point of strength of our car,” he said. “And, for instance, there’s a lot of braking as well, which is not necessarily a point of strength of our car either.”

Stella remains cautious on Norris’ title hopes

For now, Stella is limiting his conclusions to specific circuit characteristics rather than discussing a title defence with Norris. McLaren must first prove that its recent form is not restricted to high-downforce tracks.

“There’s a lot of things that we need to confirm as we head on to the next race”, Stella insisted. “But so far, I think we can confirm is that when we are at high-downforce circuits, with this sort of layout, then we can fight for victories.”

08/27/2026
Alex Albon Dismisses Carlos Sainz Tension at Dutch GP After “Clear-the-Air” Breakfast

Alex Albon has dismissed suggestions of lingering tension with Williams team-mate Carlos Sainz after their collision at the Dutch Grand Prix, revealing that the pair discussed the incident over breakfast on Monday.

Sainz accepted full responsibility for the intra-team clash at Zandvoort and received a 10-second penalty. The Spaniard was defending on old hard tyres into Turn 1 when he hit a bump on the inside line, locked up and slid into Albon’s car.

The collision damaged Albon’s floor and forced him to retire, while Sainz finished 16th. However, Albon said there was no bad blood between the Williams drivers during an appearance on The Fast And The Curious podcast:

“We grabbed breakfast on Monday. Carlos offered to pay. I allowed him to pay.

“All chill. I think people like to make it out [to be] more than it really is, but at the same time, it was no Max and Daniel [Verstappen and Ricciardo at Baku in 2018]. For me, that was important. You can tell in the media pen as soon as you go after the race, you feel like the interviewer is like licking their lips, they’re getting so excited.

“So you just have to kind of like shoulder it and be like, ‘No, we’re not going to go down that road.’”

Albon joked that the collision had left Sainz owing him a free hit in the name of team equality. Asked whether he was allowed to “bump off” Sainz once as payback, Albon replied:

“I think that’s a good one. I’m not sure the team would agree with this,”

He then added:

“I shouldn’t say this because it’s going to write its own script.”

Albon also offered an insight into the pair’s Monday debrief in Monaco, describing the breakfast they shared:

“I kid you not, Lily had scrambled eggs with caviar. I had just classic avocado toast and then Carlos and I shared some protein pancakes.

“Carlos is way too confident about his pancake game. He has a confidence that I’ve never seen anyone have around pancakes. The way he talks about how he makes pancakes, you’d think he’s Gordon Ramsay’s coach.”

08/27/2026
England vs Pakistan Second Test: Muhammad Rizwan Catches Emilio Gay in Spectacular Style

England made a poor start on day one of the second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s after Emilio Gay was dismissed for just eight runs.

Gay fell to a brilliant diving catch by Pakistan wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan.

FOLLOW LIVE: England v Pakistan – Second Test, day one

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

08/27/2026