Tag: trendingTeam

  • Lando Norris Announces New Prime Video Docuseries With “More Access Than Ever Before”

    Lando Norris Announces New Prime Video Docuseries With “More Access Than Ever Before”

    Reigning Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris will star in a new three-part documentary series for Prime Video, scheduled to premiere in 2027.

    The series, currently titled Lando, is being produced by Box to Box Films, the London-based company behind Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive.

    Lando documentary to focus on Norris away from F1

    Although the documentary will follow Norris during his 2026 campaign as he defends his maiden drivers’ championship, its central focus will be his life away from the circuit. The official synopsis promises “unprecedented access to a more personal side of his life”.

    The synopsis continued: “From the moment Lando first gripped a karting wheel in Bristol, racing represented pure, exhilarating joy. Inspired by his idols, including the legendary Valentino Rossi, he quickly climbed the ranks — driven not just by ambition but by a relentless pursuit of fun and authenticity, and a fierce determination to win.

    “But what does life really look like when you’re at the pinnacle of your sport at just 26 years old? With unprecedented access to his life over the course of the summer – leading up to his 27th birthday – this docuseries gives an authentic insight into Lando’s world: from the antics of a holiday with his friends, to more personal and quieter moments with his family; to the highs of winning his first GP of the season; from the profile that comes with being one of the biggest names in global sport to the moments of quiet reflection.”

    Ben Phethean is directing the docuseries, with Clare Little serving as producer. Tom Keeling, Warren Smith and Jon Smith are executive producers for Box to Box Films.

    “I’m really excited to be doing this with Prime Video,” the 26-year-old said. “We’ve been filming for a while already and I’ve had a lot of fun with it.”

    Norris is already familiar with having his life documented. Alongside his appearances on Drive to Survive, the McLaren driver has offered behind-the-scenes footage through his own YouTube vlog series, LandoLOG.

    However, Norris said the Prime Video documentary would offer a deeper view of his everyday life away from Formula 1.

    “I already share a lot of what I get up to, but this is going to give people more access than ever before to my life away from racing,” Norris added. “I’ve been really involved in the whole thing, so hopefully people will enjoy seeing more of what goes on behind the scenes. I’m looking forward to people seeing it next year!”

  • F1 Fans Declare ‘silly season now serious season’ After Franco Colapinto Deal

    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

  • Alex Albon Dismisses Carlos Sainz Tension at Dutch GP After “Clear-the-Air” Breakfast

    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.”

  • F1 Fans Divided Over Lewis Hamilton’s Frustrated Team Radio Message

    F1 Fans Divided Over Lewis Hamilton’s Frustrated Team Radio Message

    Formula 1 fans have delivered their verdict on Lewis Hamilton’s “sassy” team radio messages during the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, where the Ferrari driver openly expressed his frustration with the team’s strategy.

    The seven-time world champion complained that he was being held up by Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, despite the Monegasque driver running on a different strategy.

    Hamilton later questioned whether he was being used as a “guinea pig” after asking to pit and change his hard tyres, only for Ferrari to keep him out on track.

    Although Hamilton has since apologised for his comments and admitted that he did not show the best version of himself during the race, fans debated the incident on social media.

    “Ferrari pitwall is the one who should apologise; either they should clearly tell Charles to ‘box or swap with Lewis’ 1 lap before,” one fan commented on Reddit.

    Another added: “I’ve been saying this from Hungary, Ferrari want to play fair to their drivers, but they need to realise each race they need to prioritise which one has better strategy.”

    A third fan criticised Ferrari’s approach, writing: “Why bother having your drivers on different strategies if you aren’t going to use team orders to maximise results… F***ing Ferrari man. It’s like they want us all to think they’re playing 3D chess, problem being they showed up with checkers pieces,”

    Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari. Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

    “Loving sassy Lewis,” another fan posted. However, one commenter argued that Hamilton should have kept his criticism for a private post-race discussion.

    “I hate to see this slander broadcast. It’s just disrespectful towards his team. The team that provides him with the second-best car on the grid. Save it for face-to-face, when the cameras are not on you, Lewis.”

    Hamilton accepted responsibility for his comments in a post-race message to fans.

    “I’ve listened back to some of my radio and TV comments. In the heat of the moment, frustration can come out, especially when you care as deeply as I do. But that wasn’t the best version of me.

    “I take responsibility for that, and I’ll be better. That passion comes from believing in this team, the people in it, and what we’re building together. The direction is clear. The belief is there. And the fight is absolutely still on.”

    Source: www.motorsport.com

  • Alex Brundle Calls Arvid Lindblad’s Dutch GP Penalty “Harsh”

    Alex Brundle Calls Arvid Lindblad’s Dutch GP Penalty “Harsh”

    F1 TV analyst Alex Brundle has described Arvid Lindblad’s drive-through penalty at the Dutch Grand Prix as “harsh”, arguing that drivers should not be punished for making a secondary overtake while taking evasive action.

    Why Arvid Lindblad was penalised at Zandvoort

    The race at Zandvoort was disrupted on the opening lap when home favourite Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 14. Lindblad was one of the drivers behind the four-time world champion and, while avoiding the incident, passed Pierre Gasly’s Alpine on the approach to Turn 1.

    The stewards classified the move as a yellow-flag infringement and issued the Racing Bulls rookie a costly drive-through penalty.

    Speaking on F1 TV’s post-race show, Brundle sympathised with Lindblad’s position.

    “I think it is harsh. The accepted way to go about it as a driver is if you’re effectively avoiding the crash, you avoid the crash and you do everything that you can to make sure that you don’t become part of the accident,” Brundle explained.

    “It’s difficult to then add in extra things that the drivers have to be aware of during an incident to make sure that they don’t then pass a car secondarily to that.

    “It depends how far you are away from the incident. But if you haven’t actually passed a yellow flag and if you’re actually trying to get around the incident, I think it’s harsh then to penalise you for passing another driver while you’re actually taking evasive action.”

    Lindblad explains Dutch Grand Prix incident

    The 19-year-old Racing Bulls driver discussed the incident from his perspective after the race.

    “Max lost it, then he came across the track, and there was debris everywhere. I couldn’t really see anything,” Lindblad told F1 TV. “I tried to avoid making contact. I think I almost hit one of his tyres. Then I was just holding my line and trying to just go straight to not have any incident or anything.

    “Then I passed Pierre into Turn 1. But I didn’t see any flags or anything. So it was a bit of a shame. I also think the penalty is a bit harsh. I think we can all be honest. It took me out of the race, basically. It was quite extreme for such an incident, but fine. It is what it is.”

    Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

    Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

    Source: www.motorsport.com

  • Nico Rosberg Praises Nico Hulkenberg’s “spectacular” Dutch GP Save

    Nico Rosberg Praises Nico Hulkenberg’s “spectacular” Dutch GP Save

    2016 Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg praised Nico Hulkenberg’s “spectacular” reaction after the Audi driver narrowly avoided a high-speed collision with team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto on the opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix.

    Although the rain had stopped before the race began, several wet patches remained on the circuit. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen lost control on a damp section while navigating the banked final corner and crashed into the barriers. Bortoleto suffered a similar incident but managed to continue after spinning 360 degrees.

    As Bortoleto spun across the track in front of him, Hulkenberg was briefly engulfed in tyre smoke. When the smoke cleared, he found his Audi team-mate directly ahead.

    Speaking during the Sky Sports F1 broadcast, Rosberg highlighted how the 39-year-old avoided a potentially major crash.

    “It just shows how quick those drivers react. Hulkenberg went in; he knew more or less where Bortoleto was, where his trajectory was going,” Rosberg explained. “He has a white wall, but then at the last moment sees him and bam, reacts and avoids [a crash].

    “It was a spectacular reaction from Hulkenberg, so I don’t think it was just luck. I think there was also some skill there to avoid that big crash.”

    Hulkenberg went on to secure his best result of the season by finishing eighth, earning four valuable points for Audi. Bortoleto recovered from his spin to take 13th place.

    Hulkenberg explains Dutch Grand Prix near-miss

    The German driver later described the incident while speaking to Sky Sports Germany.

    “Yeah, it was tricky and dicey. Naturally, I saw it all happen almost in slow motion at that speed.

    “But Turn 14 was simply still completely wet and, on slicks, it’s a bit of a thriller, of course. I saw him lose the car—like I said, slow motion and at speed. But then you don’t know exactly whether he’s going to slide up or slide down, what’s going to happen.

    “And it was clear to me: hey, I have to try to somehow get around this. On top of that, there was all the debris and the smoke from Max ahead. So it looked wild and spectacular. I slowed down and tried to wait as long as possible before deciding which way to go. A sheet of paper would have fitted between us, but not much more.”

    Nico Hülkenberg, Audi

    Source: www.motorsport.com

  • Liam Lawson Praised After Impressive Red Bull Comeback at Dutch GP

    Liam Lawson Praised After Impressive Red Bull Comeback at Dutch GP

    Former Red Bull mechanic and current team ambassador Calum Nicholas has praised Liam Lawson’s “absolutely brilliant” adaptation after the New Zealander stepped into Red Bull’s Formula 1 seat at the Dutch Grand Prix.

    Lawson was unexpectedly called up to replace Isack Hadjar, who withdrew from the final F1 event at Zandvoort because of a wrist injury. Despite the short notice, the Racing Bulls driver delivered a strong performance alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

    Nicholas praises Lawson’s Red Bull return

    “He seems to have just taken everything really calmly under his wing, and he’s had a solid weekend,” Nicholas explained during the Talking Bull podcast.

    “For the car that we’ve had underneath us this weekend, he maximised the results that were available with the car he had, and that would be great for him.”

    Lawson’s appearance marked his first return to the Red Bull seat since his demotion from the Milton Keynes team in 2025. The 24-year-old replaced Sergio Perez for the 2025 season but was moved back to Racing Bulls after just two races.

    “It was really important for him to just have a quiet weekend, but do a really, really good job. And that’s exactly what he did,” Nicholas continued.

    “With all the noise about it and obviously what he’d been through before in the car. So to be able to make that hop really quickly at the last minute and do a solid job. Absolutely brilliant for him. I’m really happy for his weekend and for him.”

    Laurent Mekies backs Lawson’s performance

    Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies also acknowledged the difficulty of the task handed to Lawson.

    “It’s never easy to step into a different team, a different car for a race like that, and he’s done a good job,” Mekies said. “He was only one tenth away from Max yesterday in qualifying, and today took the points that were available to him pace-wise with seventh place.”

    Source: www.motorsport.com

  • Isack Hadjar’s Dutch GP Withdrawal Was a “Sign of Confidence,” Says Calum Nicholas

    Isack Hadjar’s Dutch GP Withdrawal Was a “Sign of Confidence,” Says Calum Nicholas

    Isack Hadjar’s decision to withdraw from the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix because of a wrist injury showed confidence rather than weakness, according to former Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas.

    Hadjar had made an impressive start to the 2026 Formula 1 season alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull. However, he stood down for the Zandvoort race after sustaining the injury, allowing Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson to take his place at short notice.

    Lawson finished seventh in a chaotic race after Verstappen’s Red Bull crashed out on the opening lap.

    Hadjar’s Dutch Grand Prix absence praised

    Speaking on the latest episode of the Talking Bull podcast, Nicholas praised Hadjar for prioritising his fitness and the remainder of the season.

    “To take the week out as a precaution to make sure that he was fit for the rest of the season actually shows the confidence that he’s had all year,” Nicholas explained.

    “He’s been doing an incredible job. It’s a real sign of the confidence that he’s got to be able to just say, ‘Look, I’m not 100%. I’m going to take this week out as a precaution.’ And yeah, hopefully we see him back in the car in Monza.”

    Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing. Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

    It has not yet been confirmed whether Hadjar will return to the cockpit for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, which takes place from 4 to 6 September. The Red Bull driver was nevertheless present with the team at Zandvoort.

    “We also had Isack with us this weekend even though he couldn’t be driving,” team principal Laurent Mekies said. “He was with the team trying to take the learning and trying to make sure we can push all together as strongly as we can next week in Monza.”

    In his first season with Red Bull, Hadjar sits eighth in the drivers’ championship with 68 points. Verstappen is sixth with 112 points.

  • Calum Nicholas Says Red Bull Lacked the Pace for Max Verstappen’s Dutch GP Podium Fight

    Calum Nicholas Says Red Bull Lacked the Pace for Max Verstappen’s Dutch GP Podium Fight

    Former Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas believes Max Verstappen would not have challenged for a podium at the Dutch Grand Prix even if he had avoided his opening-lap crash, arguing that Red Bull lacked the pace to compete with the frontrunners.

    Verstappen crashes on the opening lap at Zandvoort

    The final Formula 1 race at Zandvoort began dramatically. Although the rain had stopped before the start, damp patches remained on the circuit. Verstappen ran onto a wet section while negotiating the final banked corner and suffered a heavy crash into the wall.

    The incident ended the home hero’s race, while Red Bull team-mate Liam Lawson went on to finish seventh and score six points for the Milton Keynes-based team. Lawson was standing in for the injured Isack Hadjar.

    Speaking on Red Bull’s official Talking Bull podcast, Nicholas said Verstappen would probably have finished in a similar position to Lawson had he completed the race.

    “One of the things that we’ve perhaps struggled with a little this year is when we’re in gusty, windy conditions, the car just seems a little bit unhappier,” Nicholas explained.

    “It creates a little bit more work for the drivers and we’ve got to work out what it is that’s at the bottom of all that. But I don’t think it’s a disaster.

    “Liam probably had a boring, lonely race. Big gap ahead of him, big gap behind him. But that was just the pace of the car. Even if Max had completed this race and not had the incident on lap one, I think that’s pretty much where he would have ended up as well, in that space between the frontrunners and those behind us. I really don’t think that there was a lot more to offer this week.”

    McLaren’s Lando Norris won the Dutch Grand Prix, with Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell completing the podium.

  • Max Verstappen Shares Farewell Message After Final Dutch Grand Prix Ends Early

    Max Verstappen Shares Farewell Message After Final Dutch Grand Prix Ends Early

    Max Verstappen has paid tribute to the Dutch Grand Prix and his home fans after a crash ended his race at Zandvoort, which is set to make its final Formula 1 appearance after the 2026 season.

    Formula 1 returned to the Netherlands in 2021, following Verstappen’s rapid rise in the championship and ending the circuit’s 36-year absence from the calendar. Despite the event’s popularity, its privately funded organisers faced long-term financial challenges and decided not to pursue a contract extension beyond 2026.

    After the race, the four-time world champion shared a farewell message on Instagram:

    “Zandvoort. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve had here. What once seemed impossible became something really special. It means a lot that I got to be part of it. I’ll always remember this. Thank you,”

    Verstappen entered his final Dutch Grand Prix after signing a contract extension that will keep him with Red Bull until the end of 2030. He scored three points by finishing sixth in the sprint, but failed to score in the main race after crashing on the opening lap.

    Verstappen crashes on wet Zandvoort track

    Some parts of the track remained wet after rainfall earlier in the day. Verstappen, who started seventh on the grid, ran onto a damp patch while navigating the banked final corner and was sent into the barriers.

    The Red Bull driver accepted responsibility for the incident after the race.

    “In the last corner, it was obviously still a bit wet. But in the end, I thought, ‘OK, now there’s a bit of a dry line.’ And then, of course, I accelerated, but still had no grip. And that was quite a heavy impact, but everything is OK,”

    He told Sky Sports Germany:

    “It’s obviously a pity, but generally speaking, I’m just a bit disappointed because we were simply too slow the entire weekend.”