Breaking from the paddock
The latest Formula 1 news as it breaks: team announcements, driver updates, FIA decisions and everything moving in the paddock, updated daily.
Toto Wolff defended George Russell against Helmut Marko's claims that Kimi Antonelli has taken the Mercedes number one driver spot. Wolff argued that Russell retains championship talent despite car performance issues and a fifth-place penalty during the United States Grand Prix.
Spectators at the 2026 US Grand Prix in Austin booed Senator Ted Cruz during the podium ceremony as Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli celebrated his ninth win of the season. The reaction occurred as the senator presented the trophy alongside Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.
Kimi Antonelli secured his ninth victory of the season at the Circuit of the Americas, finishing 54 seconds ahead of George Russell. Russell struggled with a narrow car operating window and a five-second penalty, leaving him 123 points behind Antonelli in the championship standings.
Bridgestone is preparing a bid to return to Formula 1 as a tyre supplier by appointing former McLaren engineer Hiroshi Imai to lead its restructured motorsport division. The Japanese manufacturer aims to challenge Pirelli's exclusivity ahead of the 2029 tender period.
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth at the Circuit of the Americas, trailing winner Kimi Antonelli by 18.515 seconds. Massive understeer caused by incorrect front wing setup during practice sessions prevented Hamilton from matching the pace of teammate Charles Leclerc.
Kimi Antonelli secured victory from pole position at the United States Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen finished third following Red Bull strategy errors and power unit failures. Verstappen reported issues with tyre compounds and radio communication that hampered his race performance.
Fernando Alonso finished 16th at the United States Grand Prix following a first-lap collision with Alexander Albon at turn 11. The Aston Martin driver claimed the car showed its best competitiveness of the year despite the damage that dropped him four places.
Isack Hadjar finished sixth at the Circuit of the Americas after a mechanical clutch failure caused him to drop to fifth on the opening lap. The driver is calling for a component redesign, claiming the current part is too fragile to cope with track temperatures.
Max Verstappen is using daily painkillers to manage back issues caused by dangerous bumps at the Circuit of the Americas. While driver Lando Norris also faces physical discomfort, circuit boss Bobby Epstein dismissed the complaints, claiming the track is in good shape.
Alpine F1 team has expressed support for driver Franco Colapinto following controversial remarks made by presenter Jeremy Clarkson regarding the driver's nationality.
FIA stewards have launched investigations into Audi drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto following incidents during the United States Grand Prix practice session. Bortoleto also faces a 20-place grid penalty due to exceeding power unit component limits.
Marcin Budkowski declined to reveal Cadillac's future driver plans in Austin, amid speculation regarding Esteban Ocon and the team's search for an American driver. The team is currently evaluating Colton Herta while managing the performance gap between Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.
Isack Hadjar sparked debate by suggesting Max Verstappen would have won the Singapore Grand Prix by a larger margin if he had driven a Ferrari. Verstappen and Charles Leclerc dismissed the comments as nonsense, noting the driver's lack of familiarity with the Ferrari car.