Tag: trendingTeam

James Vowles Reveals Williams’ “huge number of projects” to Fix 2026 Problems

Williams team principal James Vowles says the Grove-based Formula 1 team is managing a “huge number of projects” to correct development mistakes made during the winter that continue to affect its 2026 campaign.

Williams targeting long-term performance fixes

Speaking in his post-race The Vowles Verdict debrief after a difficult Dutch Grand Prix, Vowles said Williams is restructuring behind the scenes to identify and address the reasons for its current lack of performance.

“As you saw, we announced both driver contracts last week, and it’s hard to put into words what it means to the organisation when that happens,” he said. “But it’s a monumental change. We have made mistakes this winter, which we’re still paying for today, and the drivers are paying for on the car that we’ve delivered on track.

“What was great is when we started to show the future that’s beyond here, one that’s more around the long term, their commitment came to the forefront. And that’s really important to me. It’s important to the team. It’s important to everyone because ultimately we’re here and we know we have a pathway to go, but we’re here fighting as a team.”

Williams ended speculation over its driver line-up before the Dutch Grand Prix, with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz both signing contract extensions. Albon agreed to a one-year extension that will keep him at Williams until the end of 2027, while Sainz signed a multi-year deal.

Although some updated car components are scheduled to arrive later in the season, Vowles said the Williams factory is prioritising fixes designed to improve the team’s long-term competitiveness.

“We have huge numbers of projects, though, in the background to make sure that we’re just digging out what went wrong this winter and fixing for the long term,” Vowles added. “And that’s our commitment today as it will be in six months’ time.”

Williams currently sits ninth in the Formula 1 constructors’ championship with 11 points.

08/28/2026
Naomi Schiff Points to Red Bull Advantage Following Dutch GP Driver Change

Red Bull’s driver swap for the Dutch Grand Prix has reignited discussion about the advantages of Formula 1 teams operating under shared ownership.

After Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar suffered a wrist fracture before the race weekend at Zandvoort, the Milton Keynes-based team promoted Liam Lawson from sister outfit Racing Bulls. Lawson joined Max Verstappen for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Racing Bulls then promoted reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda to partner rookie Arvid Lindblad, filling the vacancy created by Lawson’s move.

Red Bull benefits from shared driver pool

Former W Series driver and Sky Sports analyst Naomi Schiff said Red Bull benefited from promoting a driver already familiar with the 2026-specification cars, rather than relying on a reserve driver with less experience in the machinery.

“It seems to be a little bit of an advantage to be able to put someone in who’s already currently driving these cars and I guess Ferrari is the only other team that would probably call on Oliver Bearman,” Schiff explained during an episode of the Up To Speed podcast after co-host and former F1 driver David Coulthard claimed there is a “strength and depth” in Red Bull in that it can pull in drivers from its sister team.

“Whereas Mercedes have Fred Vesti, who travels with them to most of the races, so it would most likely be him. I do think it works out to be an advantage for Liam, but I think that doesn’t take away from the fact that that was probably a daunting environment for him to step back into, although it does look very different than what it was, what he left behind.”

Lawson finished the Dutch Grand Prix in seventh place, scoring six points for Red Bull. The team has not yet confirmed whether Hadjar will return for the Italian Grand Prix.

08/28/2026
Kimi Antonelli Reveals Special Mercedes Gesture After Maiden F1 Victory

Kimi Antonelli Keeps Original Trophy From Maiden F1 Victory

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has revealed that the team allowed him to keep the original trophy from his first Formula 1 victory.

Speaking to GQ Magazine for a feature titled 10 Things F1 Driver Kimi Antonelli Can’t Live Without, the Italian showed the trophy he received on the podium after his breakthrough victory at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.

Mercedes Made an Exception for Antonelli’s First Win

Formula 1 teams typically retain the original trophies won by their drivers, displaying them at the factory while giving the drivers high-quality replicas. However, Mercedes made an exception for Antonelli to commemorate his first career victory.

“This is the trophy of my first victory in China, and this is a moment I’ll never forget,” Antonelli explained.

“The first victory is always incredible. It has an enormous meaning, and it also marks my first win in the top division. This trophy is the original, the one I lifted on the podium.

“Usually, the originals go to the teams, while we keep the replicas. However, since it was my first win, the team let me have it, especially since you only get one first time. This, obviously, was placed in my trophy case.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes. Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Antonelli started the Chinese Grand Prix from pole position and said he recognised his opportunity to claim a strong result as the race approached its conclusion.

“Starting from pole position, I knew I had a good chance of being able to get a good result. Obviously, I knew it would be very difficult, but when there were about fifteen laps to go, I knew I was close to the finish line and that I could do it.

“It took a long time to realise in that moment what had happened. But it was a truly indescribable moment.”

Antonelli Leads the 2026 F1 Drivers’ Championship

Antonelli went on to secure five more Grand Prix victories during the first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season. He currently leads the drivers’ championship by 59 points over George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who are level on points.

08/28/2026
Ferrari Pays Tribute to Michael Schumacher With Special Italian GP Race Suits

Ferrari has unveiled special Formula 1 race suits for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc ahead of the team’s home Italian Grand Prix at Monza, paying tribute to seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.

The Maranello team is preparing for its home race, scheduled for 4–6 September, with the entire weekend dedicated to Schumacher’s legacy and his impact on Ferrari.

Ferrari’s Schumacher tribute race suits

The one-off race suits retain Ferrari’s iconic red design but feature white stripes running down the front, along the arms and across the shoulders. Seven stars have been added to the upper back of each suit to represent Schumacher’s seven Formula 1 world championships.

The stars use the same design that Schumacher incorporated into his helmet graphics. His personal logo also appears on the hip of each race suit.

Ferrari arrives at Monza after a difficult Dutch Grand Prix. Hamilton and Leclerc finished fourth and fifth at Zandvoort, following several frustrated radio exchanges between Hamilton and the team.

Ferrari currently sits second in the constructors’ championship with 338 points, 87 points behind championship leader Mercedes.

Speaking to the media in Zandvoort, both Leclerc and Hamilton expressed their anticipation for Ferrari’s home race. Leclerc said:

“I’m excited for Monza, even though on paper it doesn’t look like the best track for us. But for sure, for how special Monza is for us, I’m looking forward to it,”

Hamilton added:

“We’re in a much different place than we have been in the past, obviously, last year.
“We’re still second in the constructors’ championship. We’ve got a lot of positives to take from this first half. The next ones, we really need to turn up the heat if we’re going to have any chance of beating these guys.”

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/28/2026
Kimi Antonelli Causes Chaos on Amelia Dimoldenberg’s “Passenger Princess”

Mercedes Formula 1 driver and championship leader Kimi Antonelli has appeared as a driving instructor in Amelia Dimoldenberg’s YouTube series, Passenger Princess.

Produced in collaboration with F1 as part of the championship’s effort to attract a younger and more diverse audience, the second season sees current drivers teach the British presenter how to drive.

Kimi Antonelli brings chaos to Passenger Princess

Antonelli’s episode quickly descended into chaos when he rapidly steered from side to side to warm up the tyres. Dimoldenberg jokingly exclaimed, “Stop it. Stop, Kimi. This is not acceptable. I knew you were young, but I didn’t know you would be this immature.”

The 20-year-old Mercedes driver then attempted doughnuts in an SUV. “Wait, can we just stop for a second because I feel really dizzy now,” Dimoldenberg said.

“That was not a doughnut,” Antonelli admitted. “You would slide a lot more.”

When the roles were reversed and Dimoldenberg took the wheel, Antonelli’s coaching skills were put to the test. The comedian was also asked to perform a doughnut, but the attempt came close to ending in the gravel.

“So, this is actually my last lesson. So, actually I should at this point be pretty good at driving. Which is why I wanted to do the doughnuts because I feel like doughnuts is when you’re a pro, and you can just do what you want,” Dimoldenberg said before Antonelli gave her driving attempt a score of 5.5 out of 10.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

Antonelli discusses life away from Formula 1

During the deadpan comedic exchanges, the Italian driver discussed what he eats on a cheat day, how he began go-karting at the age of five, his pre-race ritual and how he spends his time off.

At the time of writing, the video had been viewed more than one million times and received over 31,000 likes.

“Kimi HAS to be the first driver to ragebait Amelia,” one fan commented, while another added: “He got the sassiness of George and sarcasm of Max, truly their son.”

Someone else posted: “It’s giving oldest sister youngest siblings vibe,” while another fan wrote: “Kimi’s sarcastic blinks are next level!”

08/28/2026
James Vowles Addresses Alex Albon–Carlos Sainz Collision at Dutch GP

Williams team principal James Vowles says the team must accept part of the blame for the late-race collision between Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz at the Dutch Grand Prix.

During a chaotic race at Zandvoort, won by McLaren’s Lando Norris, the two Williams drivers collided while fighting outside the points-paying positions.

Williams accepts responsibility for Albon and Sainz crash

Speaking in the team’s post-race video debrief, The Vowles Verdict, the Williams boss addressed the incident.

“As you saw, Alex and Carlos came together on track,” Vowles explained. “There’s a lot of questions around whose fault it is, whose isn’t it? I’ll start with this. I think with our two drivers, both have a responsibility to not hit each other.

“It’s hard to do it as a majority to one or the other, but both have a culpability in that. This particular circumstance, actually, I think we as a team have a culpability.”

According to Vowles, the team’s decision to leave Sainz on worn tyres during the virtual safety car period contributed to the situation.

“We tried leaving Carlos out at that VSC. The reason why was because had we stopped, he would have been behind Alex and Franco anyway. So you’re back net to where you would have been before, without the pace to be able to overtake them.

“But that said, this also put our cars into a situation where they were fighting tooth and nail for no points on track. That’s not a situation we should be putting them in either.”

Albon retired from the race after the collision, while Sainz continued to finish 16th.

Sainz received a 10-second penalty for the incident, which he described as “fair” after the race.

“Fair penalty. I had a bit of a surprise when I went to defend,” the Spaniard explained. “I had really worn hard tyres, struggling a lot with the car, with the pace of the race. “And when I went to brake on the inside, there was a massive bump on the inside of Turn 1. When you are further in the inside, the bigger it gets. I just hit with the plank. “I had the front tyres in the air. And as soon as I touched the brake, I locked up and I took Alex with me, which is the worst possible outcome for that race, because it’s not like we were fighting for anything big. But honestly, it caught me so much by surprise. Apologies to him, because it’s the last thing I wanted.”

08/28/2026
Alex Albon Explains Why Williams Cannot Afford Team-Mate Secrets in F1

Alex Albon has explained why he and Williams teammate Carlos Sainz share setup information rather than keeping performance gains secret on their respective sides of the garage.

Williams has endured a difficult 2026 Formula 1 season. The Grove-based team is ninth in the constructors’ championship with 11 points, while Sainz and Albon sit 16th and 17th in the drivers’ standings with six and five points respectively.

Although teammates naturally compete against each other, Albon believes the current limitations of the Williams car make collaboration essential. Speaking on The Fast And The Curious podcast after the Dutch Grand Prix, he explained that drivers at other teams may withhold useful information to gain an advantage, but said that approach would not benefit Williams.

“What happens in some teams, and I know this, is that you will find something on your car, but it won’t be something the other car can’t find,” Albon explained. “It could be a line into a corner, it could be a gear choice, it could be a set-up direction, it could be the way that we implement the electronic system into the car.

You could find something good, but you just won’t mention it. You can keep it quiet to your side of the garage.

Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon, Williams. Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 / Getty Images

“Realistically, for us, at least I don’t do it, so maybe Carlos does it, I don’t know,” he laughed. “But because of the limitations of our car, we kind of work together on it.

“It’s almost like we both have the same feedback with the same problems, and then we can split the cars,” he said. “One car might go, ‘Yes, this is working,’ so the other car joins onto that. Sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh, this works, and this works, so we’ll take a bit of both.’ You kind of chop and change sometimes.

“Oh, this is the wrong way, so now the other car’s gone the other way, so now it’s that way. But there is a balance.

“I remember that happened a lot more when you have two rookie drivers and you’re kind of fighting for the same [position]. You can imagine it becomes a little bit more [elbows out],” Albon added.

08/28/2026
Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Dutch GP Race Suit Up for Charity Auction

Red Bull is auctioning a special-edition Max Verstappen race suit worn during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Wings for Life charity.

Max Verstappen Dutch GP race suit auction

Hosted by F1 Authentics, the auction gives collectors the chance to acquire the race suit worn by the four-time world champion at his final home grand prix at Zandvoort. The winning bidder will receive the suit professionally framed and signed by Verstappen.

Verstappen entered the Dutch Grand Prix weekend after signing a contract extension that will keep him at Red Bull until the end of 2030. He scored three points in the sprint race but crashed out of the grand prix on the opening lap.

The Dutchman is an official ambassador for Wings for Life. The charitable foundation was established in 2004 by the late Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz and two-time motocross champion Heinz Kinigadner.

Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Laurent Mekies, who is also a Wings for Life ambassador, explained:

“Following Max’s contract extension with the team, we’re proud to be auctioning one of his special edition Dutch GP race suits in aid of our team charity, Wings for Life.

“This special suit, signed by Max, was designed for what was expected to be his last home race in Zandvoort, as the Dutch GP leaves the F1 calendar. In collaboration with the F1 Authentics auction platform, collectors can bid to own this very notable piece of history.

“With 100% of the auction proceeds going directly to Wings for Life, we can transform a rare piece of racing memorabilia into meaningful research to find a cure for spinal cord injury.”

The auction is running online at F1 Authentics until Sunday 30 August. At the time of writing, the highest bid is £37,500.

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026
Alex Albon Opens Up About Burnout Amid Growing Formula 1 Demands

Alex Albon has revealed that the demands of Formula 1’s expanding championship calendar and relentless commercial schedule left him suffering from severe burnout during the 2025 season.

The Williams driver spoke about the difficulty of balancing racing with off-track commitments from Monaco, days after retiring early from the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

Albon reveals impact of F1’s commercial demands

Appearing on The Fast And The Curious podcast, Albon said his additional responsibilities, particularly around races in the United States, had taken a significant toll on him the previous year.

“I find myself so drained, especially when we go towards our American races because that’s clearly where we’re more in demand, whether it’s through partners or content, whatever it may be,” Albon explained when asked how he manages his commitments as an introvert in a championship that attracts more attention than ever.

“I’m happy to be my authentic self in these situations, but at the same time, I don’t know what it is, it just drains me. And so for me to get away, prioritising myself and spending maybe one or two nights back at home and then flying off again or whatever it may be, I put much more attention on that. I felt like I got burnt out last year quite badly.”

How Albon recovered after Dutch Grand Prix retirement

Albon said he adopted a deliberately quiet routine to recover after his retirement at Zandvoort.

“Yesterday was literally… What did we do? Nothing. We woke up, we got brunch with Carlos. We literally came back, did nothing. Went for dinner, came back and watched more of nothing and then went to bed early.

“Today is kind of a little bit like that, very normal, sitting on the couch doing your house chores, cleaning up the apartment. After this we’re just going to do some food shopping.”

Alexander Albon, Williams
Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

Even during race weekends, Albon said it was important to escape the “melting pot” of the Formula 1 paddock. He sometimes travels 30 minutes from the circuit to find quieter restaurants, while noting that fans have consistently respected his privacy when he has gone out for dinner.

“It’s no fun to be stuck in a hotel room all day,” he added. “Even if I’m introverted, I still find myself needing to get out there, just going for a walk or grabbing coffee.”

08/27/2026
Mercedes ‘have got a problem’ if McLaren’s form continues, says Alex Brundle

McLaren’s Monza Form Could Give Mercedes “a problem on their hands”, Warns Alex Brundle

Alex Brundle has warned that Mercedes could face a major threat if McLaren carries its race-winning Dutch Grand Prix pace into Monza and the remaining races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Lando Norris claimed his second consecutive victory of the season at Zandvoort. Benefiting from McLaren’s latest car upgrades, the 2025 champion navigated a chaotic race to beat Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

Norris extended his championship lead by finishing 11.5 seconds ahead of Antonelli, but Brundle believes the characteristics of the upcoming circuits will determine whether McLaren’s performance improvement represents a sustained challenge to Mercedes.

“You’ve got to say, though, we’re coming off a pair of circuits that are less energetically starved in the way that we saw Mercedes dominate at Silverstone and be really strong at Spa,” Brundle told F1 TV.

“There are going to be those circuits coming, and that effect hasn’t gone away. It’s going to be interesting to see how this McLaren form, for example, rolls on into Monza. If it’s the same there, then I think Mercedes have got a problem on their hands.”

Palmer backs Mercedes to respond with Baku upgrade

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer does not believe Mercedes will be overly concerned by Norris’s late title challenge, with the team reportedly expecting a significant upgrade package for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

“Inevitably, the field was going to close up from Melbourne, and it has done with Ferrari, with McLaren, with Red Bull as well bringing upgrades,” Palmer explained.

“Mercedes hit back, didn’t they, in Canada where they moved again further away from the field. That was their only real big hit of upgrades. So, I’m hearing Baku is going to be their big chance.

“Obviously, Monza is such an outlier of a circuit that might suit them. Then we go to Madrid, which is a complete unknown for everybody. So, Baku is the one that they’ve targeted.

“I don’t think they’re going to be losing sleep over Lando right now. He seems like he’s too far away. And when you look at Kimi still putting in the performances very consistently, I would say it’s such a long shot for Norris.

“But for me, I think you could argue he’s the driver of the season. He’s put in so many top, top drives and now he has the car that he didn’t have earlier on, and he’s just smashing out the wins.”

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026