Kimi Antonelli has added a sixth pole position to his season tally after setting the fastest lap in Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, fending off challenges from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
The Mercedes driver took time to find a rhythm during the hour-long session, but his final effort of 1m 44.361 was enough to seize P1 by three-tenths from Verstappen, who suffered a near miss with Isack Hadjar on his last lap, having been given a tow by his Red Bull team mate.
Norris – who will drop to P13 thanks to a 10 place grid penalty for exceeding his power unit components allocation – had initially set the fastest time after the opening runs in Q3, but could not find enough to beat Antonelli.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Antonelli, P2: Verstappen, P3: Norris, P4: Russell, P5: Leclerc, P6: Hamilton, P7: Piastri, P8: Lindblad, P9: Bortoleto and P10: Hadjar.
However with Norris’ penalty taking effect everyone moves up one. As well Hadjar will be tumbling back to the end of the grid due to his 20 place grid penalty.
A great result for Antonelli, exactly what he would want going into this weekend, now he will be looking for the win! Antonelli has not won since Monaco back on the 7th June! So he will be looking to get those 25 points over his teammate. As for George a good result for him, he will be wanting to go for the win, his had a couple of good race weekends in a row now and will be carrying that momentum.
A good result for Verstappen! He will be very happy with a front row start and he will be wanting to go for the win, his not a four time World Champion for no reason! A little note, that Hadjar done a great job giving the tow to help Verstappen to P2!
A semi decent result for the Ferrari’s, great for the team to get Hamilton out for Qualifying after his crash in FP3 – a really good job. They can do a lot from starting 4th and 5th – battling for the win won’t be out of the question for these two drivers.
A shame for Lando to have the 10 place grid penalty when he qualified so well – but the reason they did it at this track is because you can overtake here. As for his teammate an okay result for Piastri, starting 6th but qualified 7th.
A really good effort by Bortoleto, he seems to be getting more and more comfortable with the car and putting these results in – which sometimes seem to be going unnoticed.
It’s great to be on pole. Was not a very straightforward session, the track changed a lot but we were able to improve lap by lap and bring home pole which was nice. Of course, tomorrow is another day. I have Max starting next to me so it’s going to be important to get a good start and then try to be ahead into Turn 5. Antonelli on pole position.
Lando Norris will face a 10 place grid penalty at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, with McLaren opting to fit a new power electronics unit to his car in an attempt to tackle their reliability struggles.
Mercedes’ engines have been subject to criticism in recent rounds due to retirements that were out of drivers’ control, such as Kimi Antonelli’s in Barcelona. As one of their customer teams, McLaren haven’t been able to avoid enduring similar problems.
Norris has been held back on multiple occasions by issues with the power unit, which cause his failure to start the Chinese Grand Prix and further complications in Japan and Monaco.
As per the regulations, if a driver uses more power unit elements than the permitted allocation, a grid penalty will be imposed at the first event where each element is used. In this case, McLaren are hopeful that the overtaking opportunities at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps make this weekend the best time to suffer the setback.
McLaren’s numerous upgrades have helped Norris recover some lost ground in the Drivers’ standings, where he now sits in fifth place with 97 points, but they are still eager to use their refreshed power unit and continued development to take the fight to Mercedes and Ferrari.
McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team will fit car Number 1 with a fourth power electronics [unit] this weekend in Spa, exceeding our permitted number of allocated power electronics units and incurring a 10-place grid penalty. Car Number 1’s first power electronics unit suffered a terminal issue in China, which meant Lando was unable to start the race. Lando’s second power electronics unit, fitted in Japan, needed to be withdrawn for remedial work after suffering issues in Free Practice, which necessitated moving to a third and final power electronics unit within the permitted allocation. While the second power electronics unit was able to be repaired after the Japanese Grand Prix, it suffered a terminal issue in FP2 in Monaco, and was withdrawn from our allocation once again. McLaren’s statement.
Aston Martin have confirmed that their third driver, Jak Crawford will participate in another Free Practice 1 outing for the team at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Crawford has made two FP1 appearances so far in 2026 – having gotten behind the wheel of Fernando Alonso’s car in Japan, before driving in place of Lance Stroll more recently in Austria – while he also experienced two runs for the team in the latter stages of the 2025 season.
For the American’s third session of the season – which will also fulfil Aston Martin’s third rookie practice run of the four that each team is required to complete during the campaign – Alonso will step aside to allow Crawford to drive the AMR26.
Crawdord has also taken part in testing for Aston Martin, which included a recent Pirellli tyre test in Barcelona during June.
Prior to taking on his third driver role at the team, Crawford ended the 2025 Formula 2 Championship in second place, having collected four wins and eight podiums with DAMS Lucas Oil.
Gucci has been announced as title partner to the Alpine team for 2027, with the squad set to race under the name of Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team from the start of next season.
As part of the collaboration, the luxury fashion house is creating Gucci Racing, which they have stated will be “a new business and experiential platform built around the values of performance, precision, discipline, and excellence at the intersection of luxury and sport”.
The new era will also see the team compete in Gucci colours, marking a step away from their current blue and pink livery.
Partnering with a prestigious brand of Gucci’s calibre in Formula 1 as title partner of Alpine Formula One Team is something I am incredibly proud of. Not only that, but I am also excited about the possibilities the partnership with Gucci brings and the great things we can achieve together at a global level. The Enstone Team has a history of doing things differently to others and has previously shown that fashion can finish first in Formula 1. With the improved performance on track, and Alpine having its best-ever points total to start a season, this new collaboration with Gucci shows the growing momentum behind the team. I would like to thank Luca [de Meo] and Francesca for their trust and dedication in the project and helping make this partnership come to life. Flavio Briatore, Alpine’s Executive Advisor.
This partnership with Alpine Formula One Team writes a new chapter: Gucci becomes the first luxury fashion house to serve as Title Partner in Formula 1. That reflects our ambition for the brand and the role we want Gucci to play on this stage. Formula 1 represents today a unique convergence of performance, culture, and global reach, and Alpine Formula One Team is the right partner to bring this vision to life. Gucci Racing is more than a presence on the grid. It is an expression of who we are and where we want to take the brand. And there is much more to come. We are grateful to Alpine and the entire Renault Group for sharing this ambition with us. Francesca Bellettini, President & Chief Executive Officer of Gucci.
Before the race had started, Mitch Evans’ race was run. A technical issue saw his team working away on his Jaguar but they weren’t able to rectify the problem to get him out on the grid for lights out.
The conditions meant a couple of laps behind the Safety Car before the static start, with polesitter Drugovich leading the field through the sweeping right-hand Turn 1.
Taylor Barnard, Pepe Marti, Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries immediately jumped for the first of their two mandatory Attack Mode 50kW, all-wheel drive boosts to make use of that extra power and grip while the pack was bunched up.
Barnard had the front on what was Lap 5, with Drugovich, Wehrlein, Marti, Mortara, Rowland, de Vries, Mueller, Dennis and Maloney following as the field ran two and three wide through Sector 1.
Wehrlein’s overlap in Attack saw him cycle to P1 come Lap 7, heading teammate Mueller by a couple of seconds – though Nico did have a couple more minutes overlap in Attack to make use of himself.
The Porsche’s then worked together to stretch a gap to Drugovich in third, pulling out three seconds as the race passed Lap 10.
Da Costa went later with Attack and made up good ground to third on Lap 16 by the time his first 50kW, all-wheel drive jolt had run its course – behind the lead Porsche pair. He’d clipped Rowland’s Nissan earlier through Turn 1 and damaged his front wing but looked to have avoided any further action.
Buemi sat fourth with three percent of usable energy in-hand on Lap 18 – well placed to pounce as he took Attack Mode number two. He immediately made it by da Costa at the hairpin, setting about Mueller and leader Wehrlein a couple of seconds up the road.
Mueller responded to the charging Envision pair, taking Attack a lap later. However, Eriksson was able to sweep around the outside of Mueller and Buemi at the start of Lap 21 at Turn 1 – the Swede second ahead of Buemi as they navigated Mueller’s Porsche and it was now Eriksson with the energy in hand.
A tour later and Eriksson swept by Wehrlein on the run to Turn 1 – a 16 place gain on his starting berth. He still had an Attack Mode to use, too.
The drivers that had set up for drying conditions were flying – Eriksson 4.4 seconds out front, Vergne flying through the field to P2 on lap 23 while di Grassi joined the party in P3 leaving Wehrlein outside of the podium positions. All three had made up 16 spots on their grid slot.
A Full Course Yellow was required on Lap 24 with Maloney’s Lola in the wars and needed recovery. This left his teammate di Grassi in the ideal position; P3 but with Attack Mode still to use as those around him saw theirs ebb away under caution.
On the restart, Eriksson had it all to do to keep two champions at bay. Vergne was right on the rear of the Envision, with di Grassi in Attack with the pair of them.
Vergne then made a move at the hairpin stick as di Grassi lunged – the pair past Eriksson and now scrapping over the provisional win.
Through Turn 1 on the final lap, di Grassi swept right around the outside of Vergne to pinch P1. He held on in Attack to take the team’s first Formula E win, heading Vergne and Eriksson home on track.
It was a great start for Ugochukwu from pole, who retained the lead early on despite pressure from David on the opening lap. Behind them, Alessandro Giusti retained P3 ahead of James Wharton and Noah Stromsted.
The entire field was within DRS range of the other on Lap 3, as Nael started his charge by driving to the inside of Fionn McLaughlin at Brooklands to take eighth.
The Campos driver was looking to make more moves at the same corner on Lap 5. This time he went around the outside of Maciej Glaysz, but the ART Grand Prix rookie held him off.
The top four drivers of Ugochukwu, David, Giusti and Wharton were pulling away from the rest, with Stromsted over a second behind at the end of Lap 7.
However, the Trident driver was able to close back in once Wharton and Giusti started battling. The Australian made a neat move around the outside at Brooklands to move up to third.
The MP Motorsport driver looked to be struggling as Stromsted then overtook him at Copse, dropping him to fifth.
As the race reached the halfway stage on Lap 9, Ugochukwu had built a three second lead on David, who was now facing a battle for P2 from Wharton and Stromsted.
The Trident of Stromsted and de Palo were showing electric form as both overtook Wharton, the Dane going around the outside at Maggots and Becketts. The latter made his move to the inside at Copse.
Ugochukwu was 5.8s clear out in front, as David looked to hold off Stromsted, de Palo and Nael who had just overtaken Wharton for fifth on Lap 11.
At the end of Lap 12 however, the two Trident cars touched at the Vale chicane, allowing David to build a gap of 1.2s.
Stromsted and de Palo continued their fighting through Luffield, with Nael right on the back of the duo looking to take advantage.
The French driver saw his opportunity and took it on Lap 14, making another neat move to the inside at Brooklands on de Palo to take fourth place.
Stromsted however had closed back in on David, but he was not alone as there was a huge group of cars behind them with Nael, De Palo, Gladysz, McLaughlin, Louis Sharp and Slater all watching on.
At the end of Lap 16, de Palo retook P4 from Nael at Stowe. On to the penultimate lap, and the Italian continued his charge to the podium, overtaking teammate Stromsted on the run to Copse.
The Danish driver lost another place, this time to Nael at Luffield, dropping him to fifth on the final lap.
Ugochukwu however was at his brilliant best out in front winning by 17 seconds to claim his second victory of the season. David held on to take his maiden podium, while Nael overtook de Palo at the final corner to take P3.
Feature Race-
It was a great start from Nael, but polesitter Freddie Slater did incredibly well to stay ahead, braving it around the outside at Turn 1 to keep the position.
De Palo was up to fourth after starting in P5 and made a nice move on Louis Sharp at the Vale chicane to take P3, with his eyes now set on Slater and Nael.
The Italian then made a nice move on Nael at Stowe, making it a Trident 1-2 on Lap 3.
In the championship battle, Ugo Ugochukwu was making progress, getting past Yevan David at the Hangar straight to move up to ninth.
De Palo’s impressive start continued on Lap 4, as he dived to the inside of Slater, once again at Stowe, to take the lead of the race.
On Lap 7, Gladysz was battling well also and made a nice move around the outside at Vale on Ernesto Rivera.
Nael then tried to dive to the inside of Slater at the Loop on the next lap. The Trident home favourite defended the position before taking the lead back from De Palo a few corners later at the popular Stowe.
Rivera then returned the favour on Gladysz, pulling off the same move at Vale to retake P6. The Campos driver then got past Fionn McLaughlin for P5 down the Hangar straight.
The Hitech driver and Gladysz then went wheel to wheel at Vale but ran wide, allowing Noah Stromsted, James Wharton and Ugochukwu to get past, relegating McLaughlin to 10th.
Back at the front, Sharp had been putting some pressure on Nael for third and on Lap 12, they went wheel to wheel at Stowe. But the French driver fought back Vale, putting the PREMA on the back foot at corner exit.
This allowed several drivers to get past, with Rivera, Gladysz, Wharton, Ugochukwu and Stromsted demoting him to P9 in the space of a few corners.
Lap 15 and Slater ran wide at Copse as he looked to close back in on his teammate. Behind him, Sharp tried to overtake Stromsted at Stowe, but found the door shut.
Up ahead, Nael had lost DRS to the top two, and was coming under pressure from his teammate Rivera.
Slater tried his first move on De Palo on Lap 18 at Stowe, but his teammate held on, before the Safety Car was called. Ricardo Escotto stopped at the Loop with damage after hitting the rear of Nandhuvan Bhirombahkdi at Village.
The Safety Car was brought in on the penultimate lap setting up a grandstand finish with their being just one racing lap.
Slater had a good restart but De Palo defended well from him and Nael. The Italian then locked up into the Loop, putting his two rivals right on his back down the Wellington straight.
The two Trident drivers then went side-by-side through Copse and made slight contact which sent the Briton down the order to sixth.
De Palo then had to defend from Nael and Rivera, and locked up again into the final chicane, but he managed to keep it on the road to claim his first victory in FIA Formula 3.
Nael crossed the line in P2 but was given a 10 second time penalty at the line for his part in the incident with Sharp, dropping him to 16th.
This promoted Rivera to second ahead of Gladysz, Wharton, Slater and Ugochukwu.
However, after penalties, Rivera looses his podium and De Palo disqualified gives Gladysz the win.
Wehrlein led the pack away down through Turn 1 with Dennis going the long way around Evans for P2 with everyone keen to get on with it and push for track position as the win rose and dark rain clouds loomed large.
The Porsche scrapped with Dennis’ Andretti, briefly changing places for the lead on Lap 4 with the field three wide wide for large parts of the lap. The Brit did take P1 on Lap 6 through Sector 2, and the instruction over his radio was “elbows out” with the drizzle continuing to fall.
Dennis led da Costa, Wehrlein, Guenter, Evans, Buemi, Mueller, Rowland, Vergne and Drugovich on Lap 7.
Porsche told Wehrlein to fight back and put his foot down to hit the front, even if it meant using more energy. The Season 10 champion did just that at the end of Lap 7 to retake the lead from Dennis.
Standings leader, Evans had a percent or so of usable energy in-hand on the rest of the top 10 as he sat sixth.
The Pit Boost window opened on Lap 13, with Drugovich leading a gaggle into the pitlane a lap later.
The first of the front runners to box were Werhlein, da Costa and Rowland on Lap 15. On track leader Dennis pitted next lap.
When the race order all shook out, Wehrlein, da Costa and Vergne led Dennis, Rowland and Evans.
The rain really closed in on Lap 19, with the safety car deployed due to the conditions. Lap 23 and the racing resumed with Wehrlein the field away as the majority jumped for their 50kW all wheel drive Attack Mode boost – a good move with the water down on the circuit.
Mortara – who’d gone early in Attack – then had a fight on with Dennis for P3. He held on for half a lap but ultimately the all-wheel drive Andretti in Attack Mode was able to make it by.
Wehrlein strode away from the restart to take the chequered flag, heading da Costa and Dennis home.
Charles Leclerc has claimed victory in dramatic British Grand Prix, with Kimi Antonelli dropping backwards due to a car issue in the latter stages while a crash for Max Verstappen triggered a late-race Safety Car.
Leclerc made a lightning start, the Monegasque and team mate Lewis Hamilton getting ahead of Antonelli off the line. While Antonelli eventually caught Hamilton for P2, Leclerc remained steady ahead, only losing the lead when he made his pit stop.
That handed P1 to Antonelli, who stretched out his stint before eventually pitting on Lap 36. The Italian promptly went on the chase of Leclerc – but this came undone when he experienced an issue with his car on Lap 41, which the team suggested was a left front wheel shield failure.
After two further pit stops, Antonelli managed to continue on but had dropped to P10, as well as receiving a five-second time penalty for track limits. Further drama then followed when Verstappen spun off into the gravel trap on Lap 48, resulting in the Safety Car being deployed.
With the race then ending under the Safety Car, Leclerc crossed the line to claim his ninth career win ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell – who, in staying out on track while others pitted during the Safety Car phase, managed to leapfrog Hamilton.
The final spot on the podium went to Hamilton – a position he retained after being investigated post-race for a yellow flag infringement, with the stewards handing the seven time World Champion a reprimand.
The full top 10 are- P1: Leclerc, P2: Russell, P3: Hamilton, P4: Norris, P5: Hadjar, P6: Lawson, P7: Lindblad, P8: Bortoleto, P9: Colapinto and P10: Gasly.
What a result for Leclerc! His first win since October 2024 at the United States Grand Prix. His drive was absolutely perfect! Nothing to fault at all, Ferrari had the right strategy even when the Safety Car came out. As for his teammate, a home podium for Lewis! A shame he couldn’t battle for the win, but a very good result considering he had a 5 second time penalty, the team will be walking away from this weekend in a very good mindset!
P2 for Russell, kind of damage limitation for the Brit, wasn’t a great weekend overall but he brought it back with a home podium, but at the end of the weekend, he would’ve been happy with that. As for his teammate, Antonelli, a weekend to forget for him, he started well with the Sprint victory and then getting pole position, it all looked great… until he reported something was broke, dropping him to 6th, to then pit again and dropped down to 10th by Lap 45, he then also received a five second time penalty. After the chequered flag it dropped the young Italian to 16th.
A decent result for Norris, a shame he didn’t have more performance, as that would’ve been an entertaining battle, but still great for him to get a podium! As for Piastri, out of the points, in P11, not a good weekend at all.
5th for Hadjar, a good performance from him, this is what Red Bull wanted in their second seat, someone who can score decent points, when Verstappen doesn’t. Talking of the World Champion, a DNF for the Dutchman, a weekend to forget for him, it’s his 3rd DNF of the season so far.
6th and 7th for the Racing Bulls! They’ve consistently scored points in the last 5 rounds now and only one weekend so far of this season they haven’t! The amount of work they’ve put in is so consistent – this will count towards the end of the season as they will be battling for 5th with Alpine. Special shoutout to Lindblad, his first home Grand Prix and some great points to see out the weekend.
Points for Bortoleto! P8, a really strong showing for the Audi driver. Audi’s best point scoring position so far this season.
A double points finish for Alpine, Gasly 9th and Colapinto 10th, another good result for the team, like I said earlier this will make a difference at the end of the season, with their fight with Racing Bulls.
It feels incredible. Unfortunately the end was maybe not the one I will have dreamt of but to win after the last few weekends that have been particularly difficult, all the work that we put into trying to get the feeling back in the car. I felt like I had found something yesterday between the Sprint and Qualifying, but I had to confirm that today. And today, the feeling was back where it needs to be. I’m so incredibly happy. Leclerc on the win.
As for the next race weekend, Round 10 of the 2026 Formula 1 season and we head to Belgium, on the 17th – 19th July!
Freddie Slater was on it from the green light at Silverstone, setting a 1:46.161 to end Free Practice fastest overall for Trident.
The Briton set his first flying lap time, and his benchmark remained unbeaten throughout, as he was followed by Campos Racing’s Ernesto Rivera and teammate Matteo De Palo in third.
Tuukka Taponen set the initial benchmark time to beat early on, logging a 1:47.652 inside the opening 10 minutes before the track got busier.
Jin Nakamura was next to lead the way, 1:47.337 putting him ahead of Taponen’s initial effort with 30 minutes to run.
Slater was flying from the first lap of his weekend as he went to the top on a 1:46.161, over a half second quicker than next-best Rivera.
The Mexican driver cut the deficit to 0.266s on his next flying lap, with de Palo a further two-tenths back in third place with over 20 minutes to go.
Both Rivera and De Palo delivered improvements with 12 minutes to go, but neither could better Slater’s initial time, closing the gap down to 0.15s and 0.212s respectively whilst staying P2 and P3.
Van Amersfoort Racing teammates Hiyu Yamakoshi and Enzo Deligny continued the team’s impressive performances of late, slotting into fourth and fifth at the midway stage.
Campos Racing teammates Theophile Nael and Ugo Ugochukwu looked set to deliver an improvement in the final five minutes, but a Virtual Safety Car test meant they had to abandon their laps.
Qualifying-
Freddie Slater delivered when it mattered, earning his maiden Aramco Pole Position Award in the Championship and Trident’s first of the 2026 season.
Theophile Nael wound up to P2 with a late lap under pressure having been down in P29 ahead of the final run. Louis Sharp secured third place on the grid for PREMA Racing.
Tyre prep complete and it was an early PREMA 1-2-3 headed by Jose Garfias, but the Trident’s of Slater and Matteo de Palo topped the times after several improvements from others.
The home driver lost his effort though for exceeding track limits at Copse corner to leave the Italian P1 on a 1:46.383, with Ernesto Rivera 0.096s behind in P2.
After a short stint in the pitlane, the drivers returned to the track and De Palo improved to a 1:46.334. But that was shortly beaten by Rivera, who went 0.031s clear to go to provisional pole.
The fast times were coming in thick and fast, as Maciej Gladysz took over at the top with a 1:46.293. But a few moments later Slater beat that time by just 0.061s to take P1.
In the fight for the championship, once again Ugo Ugochukwu and Nael lost their times for breaching track limits, leaving them at the back ahead of their final lap of the day.
With the pressure laps underway, Nael and Slater found time, but it was De Palo who went purple through the first sector.
Through Sector 2 and Slater delivered a session-best middle sector. Nael crossed the line first to go provisional pole, until Slater delivered a 1:45.620 to take top sot on home soil.
Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position in Sprint Qualifying ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver snatching top spot on home soil by just 0.011s from Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
Hamilton had set the pace in Sprint Qualifying at Silverstone throughout Friday afternoon, having gone fastest in Free Practice before leading the way in both earlier segments prior to a one-lap shootout in SQ3.
The seven-time World Champion posted a 1m 28.376s lap, leaving him just fractionally quicker than Antonelli, as the pair headed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Hamilton, P2: Antonelli, P3: Verstappen, P4: Leclerc, P5: Russell, P6: Norris, P7: Piastri, P8: Hadjar, P9: Lawson and P10: Lindblad.
What a result for Hamilton! If you told him that at the start of the week, he might’ve had a different response but his definitely going to take it! It will be interesting to see how the rest of this weekend is going to go! A decent result for his teammate, Leclerc, he can do a bit from 4th and get a decent result!
A good result for Antonelli, keeping the results consistent which is very important in a Championship fight! As for his teammate, Russell, an okay result, he definitely could’ve had a better result, but its still a very long weekend ahead.
Third for Verstappen, a very good result for him! It seems like Red Bull have made an improvement on their side and are more consistent than the few bad results they had. As for Hadjar, 8th, a good result for him, an opportunity to score points there.
6th and 7th for McLaren, not the best result for the team, but like I said earlier it’s a long weekend and they have an opportunity to try something different for the actual qualifying and race.
Another good result for Racing Bulls, in the top 10 again, 9th for Lawson and 10th for Lindblad who is having his first home race in his debut season! They will be ones to watch this weekend.
I love this place, I love this crowd. I can’t express to you how big a dream it is, still to this day, when you’re building up to this race and you think about every corner and kind of the flow that you can get into at this track if you get the set-up right, and if you’ve got the right team behind you. The car’s felt really great today, thanks to everyone back at the factory, just continuing to push. We brought tiny little bits here – every single weekend we’re showing up with something, and everyone’s pushed to the max, so I’m really grateful to get that pole. I was quick through all the session, but still it was only 10 milliseconds or something like that, so it’s very close to these guys and the team really deserves it. A big, big thank you to everyone here. Hamilton on Sprint Qualifying.
Chiara Battig will make her F1 Academy debut at Silverstone, with the Swiss racer confirmed as the Wild Card entry for Round 3 of the 2026 season.
Driving for the series’ official partner Wella Professionals, Battig will take to the track in the #6 car featuring the brand’s bespoke red Wella livery. The design is inspired by its “Make It You” campaign, which celebrates confidence and female empowerment in the F1 Academy paddock.
A three time Swiss Karting Champion in OK Junior, Battig was selected as an F1 Academy Discover Your Drive karter in the Champions of the Future Academy Program International Series, finishing runner-up in the OK-N Senior category in 2025.
She joined the Red Bull Junior Team that same year and went on to claim six top 10 finishes in her first single-seater campaign in the F4 Saudi Arabian Championship, before achieving a maiden podium in the 2026 Formula Winter Series.
This season, the 16 year old is competing in British F4 and has already stood on the podium at Silverstone, finishing third in the reverse grid Race 2.
Silverstone is one of the most legendary circuits in motorsport, so making my F1 ACADEMY debut here as the Wild Card driver is a dream come true. I’m excited to challenge myself, learn from every session, and show what I’m capable of on such a big stage with the support of Wella behind me. I’m focused on making every lap count and leaving a strong impression. Battig on the news.
Our partnership with F1 ACADEMY goes beyond sponsorship – it’s about creating visibility for ambition and individuality at a defining moment for women in sport. Silverstone allows us to bring that vision to life at scale, connecting beauty with confidence, performance and cultural relevance in a completely new way. Marlene Lotter, Senior Vice President, Global Professional Brands at Wella Company.
McLaren have unveiled an eye-catching livery for this weekend’s British Grand Prix, paying homage to their history with a heritage-inspired design.
The team will switch out their usual striking papaya for a primarily white livery, as first seen on the McLaren M2B when they joined F1 in 1966 – in the same season, founder Bruce McLaren scored their maiden point at the British Grand Prix.
Highlighting how much the team have evolved over the last six decades, the new look also builds on their milestone 1000th Grand Prix earlier this year in Monaco, where they ran a special orange and black colour scheme.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will both be in white race suits for the weekend, too, with a ‘Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Team’ sticker added to the MCL40 in honour of the team’s founder.
Our Silverstone livery is a celebration of where we began and everything we have built since. The McLaren M2B represents the start of a journey defined by relentless innovation and a belief in possibility, and this design brings that spirit to life. Our partnership with Google Gemini is grounded in those same principles. Louise McEwen, McLaren’s Chief Marketing Officer.
Williams have revealed a one-off livery for this weekend’s British Grand Prix, where the team will celebrate their home race with a Union Jack inspired design across their cars, race suits and team kit.
Since Frank Williams set up the team in 1977, they have won at Silverstone on eight occasions and are set to mark their British heritage with splashes of red,white and blue across the nose cone and chassis side of the FW48.
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz will wear unique race suits with a similar design, while team members working trackside will also show off takeover kits as the Grove team look back on some of their greatest memories from their home race, including their 100th win at the hands of Jacques Villeneuve in 1997, and crowd favourite Nigel Mansell’s three victories.
They will also be hoping to add to their tally of 11 points by returning to the top 10, especially after Sainz was forced to retire from the recent Austrian Grand Prix.
We are proud to be flying the flag for the British GP this week. From our first win to our 100th, Silverstone has played host to some of Atlassian Williams F1 Team’s most iconic moments – and there is nothing on the F1 calendar quite like the atmosphere of the home crowd here. Whether watching in the grandstands, supporting at the Fan Zone or cheering us on from home, we really feel the energy of the fans and will be carrying it with us all weekend. Team Principal, James Vowles.
Wharton got a great start to retain the lead on the run to Turn 1, but it was a nightmare scenario for Trident, as Noah Stromsted and Freddie Slater collided, leaving the Brit out of the race.
Clerot had been trying to get by Rivera on the run to Turn 4 before the Safety Car was deployed to neutralise the action.
The race resumed entering Lap 4, with Wharton able to retain his advantage at the head of the pack but with Rivera keeping him half a second back in P2.
Nakamura got a great restart and passed Clerot on the run to the first corner.
Lap 5 and Taito Kato was on the move after losing ground on the opening lap, taking seventh from Hiyu Yamakoshi into Turn 4. Alessandro Giusti followed through with a brace move of his own at Turn 6 around the outside of the Van Amersfoort Racing driver for eighth.
The Virtual Safety Car was deployed at the end of Lap 6 with a front wing on the back straight. Fionn McLaughlin was the driver with damage having had contact with Enzo Deligny on the exit of Turn 3.
At the restart, Wharton was able to put some distance between himself and Rivera, who had been within DRS range prior to the VSC.
The Campos driver closed the gap back down in the next couple of laps and on Lap 11, the pair went wheel-to-wheel. Rivera tried a move at Turn 3, and they made light contact, but the PREMA driver repelled the Mexican at Turns 4 and 5 to hold the lead.
DRS open on the next lap, Rivera looked to the outside at Turn 4, but Wharton closed the space enough to hold him off once again.
Behind them, Clerot tried a pass on the outside of Nakamura through Turns 6 and 7, but the Japanese driver retained P3.
Lap 13 and Rivera set up a switchback at Turn 4 to try the outside pass at Turn 6. But Wharton was smart enough to place his PREMA in the right place to deter any attempt from the Campos driver behind.
Rivera got the ideal exit from Turn 3 on the following lap, and he was able to use DRS to draw alongside and clear Wharton on the approach to Turn 4 to take the lead.
Lap 16 and Clerot renewed his efforts in passing Nakamura for third place, but the Hitech driver defended well through Turns 4, 5 and 6 to keep the Brazilian at bay.
Stromsted was making great progress after his racing incident with Slater on the opening lap and with a DRS pass on Tuukka Taponen on Lap 19, he made his way up to sixth place.
Clerot once again tried the outside move at Turn 6 but couldn’t get it done, skirting the gravel trap on corner exit as he continued to push for a spot on the podium.
Onto the final lap and Rivera broke out of DRS range to Wharton behind and up to Turn 3, Clerot dived to the outside to move ahead of Nakamura and he wasn’t done.
With DRS into Turn 4, the Rodin driver surged past Wharton to take two places in two corners. Nakamura was able to follow through to demote the reverse grid pole sitter down to fourth.
Rivera coasted home and earned his maiden F3 victory with a strong performance. Clerot and Nakamura’s final lap moves put them on the podium ahead of Wharton and Stromsted, who moved into the top five on the final lap.
Day 3-
Hiyu Yamakoshi covered off Ugochukwu on the run to Turn 1 to retain the lead. But the Campos driver got a great exit and was side-by-side with the polesitter, and claimed the lead at Turn 3.
Into third place was Stromsted, who made a place on Tuukka Taponen, he was followed through by teammate Slater ahead of Turn 6 to cap off to a good start for Trident.
The Safety Car was then deployed with Maciej Gladysz and Yevan David off the road and out of the race.
Racing got back underway entering Lap 4, and Ugochukwu opted to get going ahead of Turn 9 to establish a half-second buffer across the line.
Slater was on the move, and he past teammate Stromsted around the outside of Turn 3, and he was immediately into the slipstream of Yamakoshi. With another dive to the outside, the Briton claimed second place at Turn 4, with his attentions turning to title rival Ugochukwu.
The Virtual Safety Car was deployed on Lap 5 after Woohyun Shin was left in the gravel at Turn 5 following a battle with Fernando Barrichello.
Virtual Safety Car was withdrawn on lap 7, Taponen was the driver most alert and he was able to catch Stromsted out to re-take fourth position on the run to Turn 4. The Dane was back down the inside of the Finn on the following lap at Turn 3 to restore himself back up a position.
Lap 9 and Slater pounced on the race lead, diving down the inside at Turn 3 to take the lead from Ugochukwu. The Campos driver was then forced to defend from Yamakoshi at Turn 4 to retain second place.
Their fighting allowed Stromsted to join the lead battle with the top four drivers covered by just 1.5s with 10 laps ticked off. Yamakoshi lined up a move on Ugochukwu at Turn 3, braked late and cleared the American driver for second place on Lap 11.
Onto Lap 15 and Ugochukwu had stabilised his pace and attacked Yamakoshi for P2. The Japanese driver held firm, closing the door on the exit of Turn 4 to hold onto the place.
Taito Kato was on the move after a wide moment at the penultimate corner left Alessandro Giusti without momentum, allowing the ART Grand Prix driver to profit up to 5th. The Frenchman fell down to P9, with Kin Nakamura and Pedro Clerot also gaining positions.
Ugochukwu was back on the attack on Lap 18 at Turn 4. But once again Yamakoshi was able to defend from the American driver to retain P2.
One lap later though and it was third time’s the charm for the Campos driver, as he dived to the inside at Turn 4 to relieve Yamakoshi of second place.
Slater was wide at the final corners on Lap 20, putting him under threat from Ugochukwu up to the hill. The Trident driver defended the inside line but on exit, he had Yamakoshi to deal with too.
Somehow the Brit dealt with both and retained the lead at Turn 4, while Stromsted took advantage of the battling up ahead to sneak his way through for third, passing Yamakoshi at Turn 7.
Lap 22 and Ugochukwu set up a pass at Turn 4 with superior traction out of T3, taking the lead back from Slater with five laps to go.
Onto Lap 23 and it was roles reversed as Slater put a firm move on his rival at Turn 4 to re-take the lead. Teammate Stromsted took advantage once more from the battling ahead to move himself up to second at Turn 6.
Three laps remaining and Slater was back on defence, covering the inside of Turn 3, but he was powerless to stop Stromsted from passing him on the run to Turn 4.
Kato was on the hunt for a late-race pass of his own and made a bold dive a Turn 1 to briefly take fourth from Yamakoshi. The Van Amersfoort driver re-claimed the place with a better exit, but the ART rookie dived down the inside to take the spot back.
It turned into a six-car fight as Kato went wide out of Turn 4, and Nakamura and Clerot put move on the Japanese driver in the middle sector. Clerot’s bravery won him fourth as he rounded both to take P4 at Turn 6.
Onto the last lap Ugochukwu and Slater were side-by-side once again at Turn 4, and despite minor contact between the two, the American somehow found the room to take second place from his rival.
Stromsted however was untroubled in front, and he became the eighth winner of the 2026 season. Ugochukwu and Slater completed the podium after their last-lap battle, with Clerot and Nakamura rounding out the top five.
George Russell has boosted his title bid by seizing victory in the Austrian Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver taking his seventh career win ahead of a chasing Max Verstappen and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Russell made a smooth getaway from pole position when the lights went out, while Verstappen also bounced back from the disappointment of his crash in Qualifying to make gains in the early laps. Antonelli did not have an entirely smooth start, the Italian running wide on several occasions.
While Russell held a solid lead for much of the following laps, Verstappen – after engaging in more than one feisty battle with Lewis Hamilton along the way – made his way up to P2 as the race progressed, resulting in the Dutchman putting increasing pressure on Russell later on.
A tense end to the Grand Prix followed as, after his final pit stop, Verstappen set about cutting into Russell’s lead – just as Antonelli was also trying to chase down the Dutchman from third. But Russell ultimately crossed the line by 1.611s from Verstappen, the Briton also moving back up to P2 in the standings in the process.
The full top 10 are- P1: Russell, P2: Verstappen, P3: Antonelli, P4: Piastri, P5: Hamilton, P6: Hadjar, P7: Norris, P8: Leclerc, P9: Lawson and P10: Lindblad.
What a result for George Russell! He needed this result massively, especially as his teammate has been flying away with it! He kept it out of trouble with a cool, calm and collected drive. As for his teammate, a great race for Antonelli, third for the Italian.
A great result for Verstappen! Especially since he crashed out in qualifying, it was a great way to bring it back for his team’s home race. A good result for Hadjar, always scoring points which is needed at the end of the season.
A great result for Piastri! But didn’t really see much from him, but he was in a position if anything happened he would’ve benefited from that. As for Norris, not the best race for him, at one point it was unsure if he was even starting the race, so from that aspect a great day for him.
As for the Ferrari’s a decent race for the team, Hamilton with the better strategy again and he had some very entertaining battles! As for Leclerc, he was kind of in no mans land in eighth.
Double points finish for Racing Bulls! A good race for them again, they have made some great improvements, and are being consistent every race.
A weekend to forget for Cadillac, they are not having a good time at the moment, Bottas with his brakes on fire and then Perez with overheating brakes.
Incredible to be back on the top step. It’s been a little while so I’m definitely going to enjoy this one this evening. A lot of hard work from my team to get us back on track. Obviously there was a tricky run of form at one point. Max and Red Bull were incredibly quick this weekend, so kudos to them but thanks to everyone, thanks to the fans. It was pretty toasty out there, so looking forward to a drink now. Russell on the win.
MP Motorsport’s Oliver Goethe was fastest in the Spielberg Free Practice, completing a 1:16.978 to lead the way by 0.07s to Nikola Tsolov, with Alexander Dunne a further tenth behind in third.
After the early installation laps, the fast time began as Gabriele Mini set the pace on a 1:17.384 – 0.080s ahead of Kush Maini in second.
On the next set of push laps, it was Mini’s MP teammate Goethe that led the way. The German’s 1:16.978 put him on top by 0.250s to Tsolov.
Tsolov improved on his next lap but remained in second. However, the Campos Racing driver had closed to within 0.070s of P1.
Rafael Camara then set the fastest first sector but he, like the rest of his rivals was forced to abandon his lap and return to the pitlane with the Red Flags being waved.
Cian Shields had run wide through the gravel at the exit of Turn 6 before spinning into a stoppage, with the marshals needing to clear his AIX Racing car from the track.
The green light was on with less than 25 minutes to go, but the teams waited a little longer before sending their cars out.
The drivers started to return to the track with just under 20 minutes to go although there were no instant improvements.
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak jumped up from P11 to sixth but was demoted to seventh once Noel Leon moved up to P4 later on.
Long run pace was the focus for several meaning there was no changes to the timesheets, with Goethe leading the way ahead of Tsolov and Dunne.
Qualifying-
Campos Racing’s Noel Leon took his first ever Aramco Pole Position Award in the afternoon’s Spielberg Qualifying, beating Alexander Dunne and teammate Nikola Tsolov to P1.
The Mexican rookie used an empty track to his advantage to complete a 1:15.544, beating Dunne by over a tenth to take pole.
It was a great start for Campos with Leon leading Tsolov by just 0.015s in an early 1-2 for the team thanks to a 1:16.283.
The drivers were able to push on for second laps on their Supersoft tyres and Leon improved to put 0.179s between him and Tsolov. But he was soon demoted to P2 by Rafael Camara, who went P1 with a 1:16.062.
The Invicta Racing driver led a small group of cars at the top of the timesheets than returned to the pitlane after their second lap, with a few drivers down the order choosing to do one more.
While the rest of his rivals waited in the pitlane, Leon returned to the track on a new set of Supersofts to complete a 1:15.544 – 0.508s quicker than Camara.
The Campos driver returned to the pitlane after that lap, while the other 21 cars came out on track, watching on as his rivals set personal best sector times. But nobody could match Leon, with Dunne going the closest, 0.129s behind in P2.
They pushed on for second laps but Leon’s time went unbeaten giving him his maiden FIA Formula 2 pole position.
Practice- Noah Stromsted got his weekend off to the perfect start, ending Practice fastest for TRIDENT with a 1:22.410. He led Taito Kato, who delivered a late-session improvement to split the Italian team’s 1-2, with Freddie Slater rounding out the top three positions.
With installation laps complete, Yevan David set the early pace on a 1:24.837.
Stromsted was the next to go quickest, a 1:23.387 putting him comfortably fastest. Tuukka Taponen then deposed the Dane at the top before Hiyu Yamkoshi went even quicker with a 1:22.814.
Compatriot Jin Nakamura then put Hitech on top of the pile as he went onto a 1:26.693 to lead the pack with just over 20 minutes to go.
The times continued to tumble as Ernesto Rivera headed a Campos Racing 1-2 from teammate Theophile Nael as the Red Bull Junior Team driver set a 1:22.594.
Stromsted then restored TRIDENT to the top as he set a 1:22.410 before the track quietened ahead of the final 10 minutes. Teammate Slater then moved up the order to make it a 1-2 for the Italian team, 0.176s down on the Dane.
The track was then busy once again in the final minutes of the session, with plenty trying to find one final improvement ahead of Qualifying.
Kato was one of those who did improve late on, going up to P2 for ART at the chequered flag ahead of Slater.
Qualifying-
Hiyu Yamakoshi claimed the Aramco Pole Position Award in Spielberg, setting a 1:21.730 for Van Amersfoort Racing to take top spot in Qualifying.
The Japanese driver ran in the gap between the first and second runs of the majority, finding improvements where others couldn’t. He finished ahead of Ugo Ugochukwu in P2 and Tuukka Taponen in third.
Noah Stromsted picked up from where he left off in Practice to go fastest early on, but his first time was beaten by several others.
Taito Kato, Alessandro Giusti and then Taponen all went quicker, with the Finn leading the pack on a 1:21.968 early on.
Stromsted recaptured top spot on his next attempt until Taponen once again went quicker, this time on a 1:21.775 to lead by 0.084s from the Dane.
Giusti, Kato and Kanato Le rounded out the top five as the field headed back into the pitlane for a second set of the Soft Pirelli tyres.
VAR opted to go early with all three of their drivers on the second run, and Yamakoshi improved to go provisionally fastest on a 1:21.730, teammate Bruno del Pino aborted his lap to stay in P10, and Enzo Deligny climbed up to P12 with 10 minutes remaining.
Ahead of the final attempts, everyone was fighting to find an ideal track position in order to gain a sliptstream down the long DRS zones at Turns 3 and 4.
ART Grand Prix found themselves clean air but couldn’t trouble the time from Yamakoshi.
Ugochukwu found an improvement to go to P2, 0.015s down on the best time and Kato suffered a spin at the final corner as he looked to improve on his final effort.
Nobody could find an improvement overall, and it left Yamakoshi on pole for the first time in his F3 career.
Aston Martin have announced that their third driver, Jak Crawford, will take part in his latest Free Practice 1 session at the Austrian Grand Prix.
It will mark Crawford’s fourth FP1 appearance for Aston Martin and his second of the 2026 season, after Japan, while ticking off the second of the team’s four mandated rookie practice runs for the year.
Off the back of a Pirelli tyre test with the team in Barcelona earlier this week, Crawford is due to take over Lance Stroll’s AMR26 for the opening one-hour session at the Red Bull Ring – a circuit he knows well from his F2 and F3 campaigns.
It comes two year after the American’s first experience in an Aston Martin F1 car, when he tested the AMR22 in June 2024.
It’s great to have another opportunity to drive the AMR26 during a race weekend. Austria is a circuit I know well and it’s quite special to be returning to the Red Bull Ring with the team, almost two years after my first test in an Aston Martin F1 car. I’ve spent a lot of time in the simulator this season supporting the team and recently completed the tyre test in Barcelona, so I’m looking forward to applying that work on track. Every opportunity in a Formula 1 car is valuable, and I’ll be focused on delivering useful feedback and maximising the session for the team. Crawford on the opportunity.
Jak continues to play an important role as Third Driver and this FP1 session is another valuable step in that process. He has been heavily involved in our simulator programme throughout the season and recently completed productive running during the Pirelli tyre test in Barcelona. Austria provides another opportunity for us to evaluate his progress in a race weekend environment while gathering valuable data for the team. Mike Krack, Aston Martin’s Chief Trackside Officer
Dennis took off from pole to lead the pack through Turn 1 and into Lap 1 with teammate Drugovich and Mitch Evans.
The Andretti’s sat one-two out front early on, with the pair dictating the pace and keeping energy use in check while making their cars wide enough to keep Evans and the rest back.
Wehrlein made his move to the front, splitting the Andretti’s with a move by Drugovich for P2 on Lap 7. Dennis led the German, his teammate, Evans, Ticktum, Rowland, Buemi, Cassidy, de Vries and da Costa.
The Porsche driver took the lead a lap later, though his move from P6 to P1 had cost him an extra percent of energy compared to those in the chasing pack.
Dennis retook the lead on Lap 10 as Ticktum and Maloney became the first to take the initial of their two mandatory 50kW, Attack Mode boosts.
Ticktum used that to clamber up to second come Lap 11 and chase the leader – Wehrlein once again. The Brit made it my the Porsche driver a lap later as his Attack Mode drew towards an end.
Cassidy was another to go early into Attack and carved his way from the back end of the top 10 to P1 on Lap 14 – he loves these tactical races and he’d all be set to try and put his stamp on things from here.
Mortara had fended off Wherlein with Dennis, Drugovich, Cassidy, Evans, Ticktum, Vergne, Eriksson, Buemi in the top 10. The Andretti’s though, went late into Attack and both had an overlap with more than a minute left to use.
Duly, Dennis took the lead once again on Lap 19 with Drugovich back in P2 as it was off the line – while Ticktum went flying over the back of Mortara under braking.
Half a lap later, standings leader Evans got all tangled up with Maloney down at the Hairpin, throwing a red flag for the ensuing traffic jam.
Once the track was clear, Dennis and Drugovich again led the pack away from the grid while Rowland instantly went for his first Attack on what was Lap 21 on the restart.
That saw the Nissan driver take top spot by the end of Lap 23, with the two Porsche’s – Wehrlein and Mueller – splitting the Andretti’s of Dennis and Drugovich behind.
Lap 25 and da Costa was next to lead. Two Attacks to use post-restart for the Jaguar driver and he made full use to slice through the top 10 to P1.
Nato and Wehrlein came to blows on Lap 26 with the Nissan winding up in the wall, throwing a full course yellow.
Once green, da Costa flew away to a two-second lead over Rowland but was slapped with a five second time penalty for causing a collision at Turn 6.
The Nissan driver was the net lead but an Attack overlap saw Dennis drive straight by the Brit for the effective race lead at the start of Lap 34.
Late drama, saw Rowland throw it away finding the wall. A brief full course yellow wouldn’t prevent Andretti’s first one-two with Dennis heading home Drugovich and Pepe Marti.
However, it changed after the race, Dennis remaining in P1 but Drugovich got a penalty which dropped him to fifth.
So the top 10 are- P1: Dennis, P2: Marti, P3: De Vries, P4: Da Costa, P5: Drugovich, P6: Guenther, P7: Mueller, P8: Vergne, P9: Barnard and P10: Di Grassi.
Lewis Hamilton secured a magnificent maiden Grand Prix victory for Ferrari in Barcelona to bring Mercedes’ 2026 winning streak to an end, beating George Russell and Lando Norris while Kimi Antonelli failed to finish the race.
Although Ferrari’s initial choice to start the Briton on soft tyres didn’t help him take the lead on the opening lap, they gambled on a three-stop strategy which played out flawlessly as Hamilton gained a free stop under a Virtual Safety Car.
He delivered a series of stunning laps to gradually increase his advantage over the Silver Arrows and claim his first win in nearly two years, cutting down Antonelli’s lead in the Standings at the same time.
The full top 10 are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Russell, P3: Norris, P4: Verstappen, P5: Piastri, P6: Hadjar, P7: Gasly, P8: Lawson, P9: Lindblad and P10: Colapinto.
What a result for Hamilton! It was coming, I could feel him getting these good results and that the first win in Ferrari was coming and he had a superb race! He had an excellent drive, and everyone thought at first with being on the soft tyres and basically confirming a three stop it wasn’t going to work – but the VSC helped and it put all the pieces of the puzzle together! As for Leclerc, another weekend to forget, crashing out in the race due to going through the gravel as his power steering was broken.
A decent result for Russell – but seeing as he started on pole I did think he’d run away with the win but he was too busy fighting Antonelli for position which then allowed Lewis to get involved and take that from them. As for Antonelli a weekend to forget for him – I think he would’ve taken the DNF hard as his done superb this season and was on a streak of 5 wins and then to not finish due to a mechanical issue it’s not nice – but what I will say is even if he did finish he wouldn’t of been on the top step!
Back on the podium for Lando Norris – a great result for him in the end. Being there around the top four matters because incase of a retirement or a penalty being added, you need to be close enough and that’s what Lando did. 5th for Piastri – a decent result, overall a good points haul for the team, which they have been missing.
4th for Verstappen – a bit in no mans land this weekend, not really much pace compared to the Ferrari’s and Mercedes but a good damage limitation from the Dutch driver. As for his teammate, Hadjar finished in 6th – a good points haul for the team again.
Double points for both Racing Bulls and Alpine! Quite a strong showing from both teams and drivers.
Now we have a break for a week and then we have another double header but our first stop is the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix on the 26th – 28th June!
First I have to start and say a huge grazia to everyone here, my team here at Ferrari, everyone back at the factory, Fred for believing in me and bringing me to this team. I started out a dream last year which seemed almost impossible during my time last year, but we never gave up hope and the team just continued to lift me up. We made so many changes and we made so many improvements, and on top of that I’ve got the greatest fanbase a sportsman could ever ask for. Thank you, thank you to everybody. Hamilton on the win.
George Russell has secured pole position for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in a close fought Qualifying hour, beating Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli after Charles Leclerc crashed out of the session.
Bouncing back from a frustrating round in Monaco, the Mercedes driver was consistently one of the quickest throughout Qualifying and his spectacular effort of 1m 14.679s was unbeatable, earning him a third pole position of the season.
Hamilton made his return to the front row in style with a last-gasp attempt, demoting Antonelli to third place to make the Italian’s lowest Grand Prix Qualifying result so far this season.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Russell, P2: Hamilton, P3: Antonelli, P4: Norris, P5: Verstappen, P6: Hadjar, P7: Piastri, P8: Lawson, P9: Hulkenberg and P10: Leclerc.
What a result for Russell, back on pole position, he definitely needed that after the disaster of a weekend last week, now to get the win surely??!! As for his teammate, another great result in third! Antonelli is always lurking around ready to pounce.
Another great result for Hamilton, for a minute it looked like he was going to get pole position! But still an excellent result for the Ferrari driver. As for his teammate, not a good qualifying session, Leclerc will be looking at staying out of trouble at the start of the race.
A good result for Norris! Makes up for an awful weekend last weekend, hopefully he can turn it into a decent result and get those points he missed out on last weekend.
5th and 6th for the Red Bull boys, a semi decent result – Verstappen was looking like he couldn’t really hook the car up when it mattered, will be interesting to see how they get on in the race and what there strategies are going to be.
Another good result for Liam Lawson in 8th, he will be looking for another points finish.
Hulkenbergggg in the top 10! We love to see it, hopefully the Audi driver can turn it into a decent points finish for the team.
It’s been a great weekend so far – I kind of feel like my old self again, where every lap I’m doing my job and always fighting in those top positions. Obviously the last few races, for numerous reasons haven’t quite been on our side, but I came into this weekend with just a clean slate, felt good and, yeah, just good to be on pole. Russell on pole position.
Laurens van Hoepen ended Free Practice on top for Trident, logging a 1:26.776 to narrowly beat DAMS Lucas Oil’s Roman Bilinski. Rodin Motorsport driver Alexander Dunne wound up just under a tenth of a second shy in third place.
With plenty of data already accumulated around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, it was a subdued start to the session before Nikola Tsolov set the first time to beat on a 1:27.136.
Several drivers including Alexander Dunne, Sebastian Montoya, Kush Maini, Martinius Stenshorne and Nico Varrone got within a tenth of the Bulgarian’s time, but the benchmark fell once again.
Van Hoepen bettered the Campos driver’s time and put in a 1:26.776 to lead as the first driver under the 1:27s.
Dunne improved on his next lap to get within 0.070s of the top time, but Bilinski edged ahead of the Irishman to go second quickest, 0.051s down on van Hoepen.
The Red Flags were waving with 12 minutes to go after a spin for Noel Leon left the Mexican driver beached in the gravel.
Once the Campos was cleared away the session resumed with three minutes remaining but there were no further improvements.
It meant that after van Hoepen, Bilinksi and Dunne in the top three, Rafael Villagomez finish fourth with Stenshorne fifth.
Qualifying-
Rafael Camara made it two Aramco Pole Positions in a row with top spot in Barcelona, leading an Invicta Racing 1-2 in Qualifying. The Brazilian set a 1:24.810 to lead the pack, with Duerksen second and Alexander Dunne third for Rodin Motorsport.
Dunner went to the top with the early time to beat and a 1:25.528. That was beaten three times over, with Colton Herta taking spot on a 1:25.387 after his FP1 exploits with Cadillac.
Laps by Duerksen and Hitech teammate Ritomo Miyata left the top three separated by 0.056s in the opening eight minutes.
Half the field opted to wait before setting their first attempts, and Nikola Tsolov took top spot next on a 1:25.222. Kush Maini went within 0.042s of the Bulgarian’s time but Rafael Camara crossed the line and delivered a 1:24.810 to go fourth tenths clear of anybody at the halfway stage.
The final set of laps started with only five minutes left and there were plenty of personal bests coming through. Rafael Villagomez rocketed up to P2 for Van Amersfoort Racing, and Gabriele Mini followed moments later to displace the Mexican driver in the order.
Dunne whose earlier time was deleted for exceeding track limits, was able to go second fastest and just over two-tenths off Camara, until Duerksen put Invicta 1-2 moment later.
The Red Flag then brought the session to a halt with Miyata spinning off through the gravel and into the barriers on exit of the final corner. The Japanese driver was out of the car and OK, and once his car was cleared, qualifying resumed with 3:41 on the clock.
Several drivers were in need of an improvement, but nobody could challenge Camara’s time and he claimed his second consecutive pole position ahead of his teammate Duerksen.
Practice- Theophile Nael was fastest in this morning’s Barcelona Free Practice, leading a 1-2-3 for Campos Racing at their home event.
The Frenchman ended up on top with a 1:28.422 to take top spot ahead of Ugo Ugochukwu and Ernesto Rivera.
AIX Racing were the first team to send their drivers out for some push laps with Fernando Barrichello setting early pace with a 1:30.655 – over seven tenths quicker than teammate Yevan David.
Just as they completed their laps, the rest of the field headed out with just under 30 minutes left in the session.
Bruno del Pino went fastest on a 1:29.425 for Van Amersfoort Racing but there were several setting quicker sectors behind him.
One of those was Taito Kato took over at the top on a 1:29.103, but it was incredibly close with Freddie Slater just 0.002s behind the ART Grand Prix driver.
The Campos trio then took over at the top with Nael quickest on a 1:28.422, over two tenths ahead of Ugochukwu, as Rivera went to third, 0.365s off P1.
The entire field returned to the pitlane after those flying laps, before hitting the track once again with under 14 minutes to go.
However, there were few improvements as the tyre performance started to drop.
This left as Campos 1-2-3 with Nael ahead of Ugochukwu and Rivera. Alessandro Giusti was fourth ahead of Kato with Brando Badoer in sixth.
Qualifying-
Theophile Nael took his third consecutive Aramco Pole Position award, beating Campos Racing teammate Ugo Ugochukwu to pole in Barcelona.
Nael’s 1:28.263 was enough to seal him take P1 ahead of Ugochukwu by just 0.039s, with Van Amersfoort Racing’s Hiyu Yamakoshi in third.
After the first set of laps, it was Ugochukwu that led the way with a 1:28.707 with Taito Kato in second, 0.491s behind the American driver.
There were three Campos cars in the top five, with Ernesto Rivera and Nael in third and fifth respectively, Brando Badoer sandwiched between the duo in P4.
The drivers were brought in after those first runs with the teams putting on another set of new Hard tyres.
They returned to the track with less than 18 minutes to go and Bruno del Pino went quickest by 0.086s with a 1:28.621.
However several drivers were improving, in particular Nael, who set the three fastest sectors to go P1 with a 1:28.263, bettering Ugochukwu by just 0.039s.
Just six minutes remained on the clock when the field started to filter back out on to the track.
Nael did not improve on his final lap leaving himself under pressure from those behind him. However nobody could beat the Campos driver’s time giving him his third consecutive pole position to start the season.
Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix podium has been reinstated after Alpine’s Right of Review request proved successful.
After starting ninth on the grid last weekend in the Principality, the Frenchman had improved to P4 throughout a race that included two Safety Cars and a red flag before gaining another position as Mercedes’ George Russell served a late drive through penalty.
However, Gasly had been penalised for speeding in the pit lane twice during the race and was handed two separate five-second time penalties which were added to his time, demoting him to seventh at the chequered flag.
Following the race, Alpine requested a Right of Review into that decision that cost Gasly his first podium of the season, with the initial hearing taking place yesterday during the start of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix weekend.
The Enstone based team were successful in the initial hearing, having successfully provided new, significant and relevent evidence.
We welcome the decision made by the FIA to deem our Right of Review as admissible following the final classification of last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. As a result, the Stewards have rescinded the two five-second penalties imposed on Car #10, which reinstates the team’s third place finish. We would like to thank the FIA and Formula One Management for its transparency and co-operation throughout the Right of Review process and for reaching this decision. The team’s focus is now very much on this weekend’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix and striving for the best possible result with both of its cars. Alpine’s statement.
This means that Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar will lose his podium result, with the Frenchman being demoted to P4 while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and the two Racing Bulls cars of Lawson and Lindblad will also drop a position.
Racing Bulls have unveiled a bold football-inspired livery that will adorn both their cars across the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix weekend.
Drawing inspiration from the “visual language of football culture” the VCARB 03’s new look ties in with the start of the FIFA World Cup – while also honouring the city of Barcelona and its love of the sport.
As well as the livery, Racing Bulls will also have accompanying teamwear on display this weekend, while a custom VCARB FC crest brings together the chequered flag and three stars, paying tribute to the World Cup’s three host nations – Mexico, Canada and United States.
The campaign also feature three creatives from the Racing Bulls’ Creator Platform: fashion designer Hattie Crowther, graphic designer Florence Burns and photographer Ezra Alexander.
Formula 1 and Football are two global sports with incredibly passionate communities, united by a shared sense of identity, creativity and culture. With VCARB FC, we’re celebrating that crossover, bringing together the energy of both sports. We’re also proud to give emerging talent the opportunity to help shape campaigns like this, bringing fresh perspectives that continue to push the boundaries in the world of F1. Peter Bayer, Racing Bulls CEO.
After an intense start under the new regulations that made every lap in the new cars extra valuable for their full time drivers. Formula 1 teams have started to fulfil their required rookies outings at this weekend’s Barcelona Grand Prix.
Here are the drivers who have already been announced as participating in FP1 in the seventh round.
Leonardo Fornaroli – McLaren Replacing: Lando Norris
Back-to-back Formula 3/ Formula 2 Champion, Fornaroli, was picked up by McLaren as its reserve this year – and is now getting his first practice outing.
He could’ve hardly have done more in F3 and F2, but given he’s not racing this year, he faces the unenviable task of staying at the forefront of F1 teams’ minds, through impressing in practice will undeniably help.
Frederik Vesti – Mercedes Replacing: Kimi Antonelli
Vesti was the F2 runner-up three years ago, and his racing future now clearly lies in the endurance racing instead – where he has been forging a career with Cadillac.
He has established himself as a significant player in Mercedes F1 programmed, described by Toto Wolff, as “an important part of our development work with the W17”.
Ayumu Iwasa – Red Bull Replacing: Isack Hadjar
The 24 year old is increasingly becoming Red Bull’s go to practice driver across its two teams having had considerable success racing in Red Bull colours in various category – but never truly entering the frame for an F1 call-up.
He is the formal Racing Bulls test and reserve driver, and is currently working to defend his maiden title in the prestigious Super Formula category in Japan.
Dino Beganovic – Ferrari Replacing: Lewis Hamilton
Sixth – but only 20 points down on the standings leader – in F2 this year, 22 year old Beganovic will carry out his third practice outing with Ferrari in Barcelona.
Ferrari has two juniors on the cusp of F1 readiness in Beganovic and Rafa Camara but it’s line-up doesn’t appear likely to change in the immediate future.
Luke Browning – Williams Replacing: Alex Albon
Williams reserve Browning, will be in Albon’s car at Barcelona and then in Carlos Sainz’s car at the Red Bull Ring.
An outside F2 title contender last year in his rookie season, Browning has now switched to Super Formula this year and has been competitive.
He is clearly the F1-readiest prospect on Williams’ books, but will need to make a big impression in FP1 sessions to be first in line for a future seat.
Paul Aron – Audi Replacing: Nico Hulkenberg
Aron, is an Alpine reserve – but was already loaned by the English-French team to what was then Sauber for a pair of practice outings last year. This arrangement will continue again, at the Red Bull Ring.
After making waves as an F2 rookie in 2024, Aron didn’t race last year and has no full-time programme this year either – instead supporting Alpine’s efforts.
His prospects of an Alpine seat look far from straightforward given this would likely require Alpine to move on from Franco Colapinto – who has been on a good run of form.
Colton Herta – Cadillac Replacing: Sergio Perez
Ex-Indycar star Herta, will dovetail a first F1 practice outing with the full F2 round at Barcelona.
Cadillac and Herta have made no secret of their ambition to get him into an F1 seat, with the experience-gathering Indycar to F2 switch for this year aimed at no other goal but acquainting him with the tracks, the paddock and topping up his superlicence points tally.
Adjusting to F2 has proven tough – not unexpectedly so given Herta had left the European single-seater scene in 2026 and he is only 13th in the Standings at present.
Kimi Antonelli avoided the late drama of the Monaco Grand Prix to consolidate his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings even further, beating Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar in an exhilarating race that saw seven drivers retire.
At lights out in Monaco, the Mercedes driver calmly maintained first place as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen faced a devastating issue at the start that saw him slide down the order before he became the first to DNF.
While others struggled with various mechanical problems that forced them out of the action, including Valtteri Bottas and McLaren driver Lando Norris, Antonelli consistently opened up his advantage over the Ferrari pair of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
However, his win was threatened with around 20 laps remaining when Lance Stroll crashed at the final corner of the Circuit de Monaco, bringing out a Safety Car that allowed many to take a second pit stop without losing too much time. It may have put Antonelli’s lead in danger, but it offered a brilliant opportunity for those who had been handed time penalties for speeding in the pit lane to serve them during the race.
The restart was short-lived as local favourite Leclerc experienced an identical crash to Stroll’s and the event was halted to inspect track break-up at the site. His DNF helped promote Hadjar to his first Red Bull podium – Pierre Gasly finished ahead on the road but dropped down the order thanks to two five second penalties.
The full top 10 are- P1: Antonelli, P2: Hamilton, P3: Hadjar, P4: Piastri, P5: Lawson, P6: Lindblad, P7: Gasly, P8: Albon, P9: Ocon and P10: Alonso.
What a result for Antonelli! Exactly what he would’ve wanted after he knew he was starting in an ideal position, he did well to handle both the Safety Car and Red Flag. As for Russell, a race to forget for him, we knew he wouldn’t really get the opportunity to do much overtaking but it went from bad to worse when he didn’t serve his 5 second time penalty when he pitted, he then got penalised with a drive through penalty which saw him finish 12th.
Another podium for Hamilton, a really strong showing for the Ferrari driver this weekend, and fully deserved the podium. As for his teammate, unfortunate for him to crash so late on in the race as it was looking like a double podium for the Ferrari team, but it was completely out of Leclerc’s control.
3rd for Isack Hadjar, his first podium with the Red Bull boys, and fully deserved aswell, the team will be happy that their ‘2nd car/driver’ is doing exactly what they want. As for Max Verstappen, a horrible day for him, he had problems on the formation lap with getting away and then he just couldn’t get going when the lights went out and when he did, he didn’t have full power, so had to pit and retire – very unfortunate from him as he had a good qualifying!
4th for Piastri, a good result for the McLaren driver after a mediocre qualifying like I said in the qualifying post for him it will be capitalising on others misfortune. As for the reigning World Champion an unfortunate race for him having to retire the car after loosing speed.
Double points for the Racing Bulls, 5th for Lawson and 6th for Lindblad, a really strong showing from the drivers and team as a whole.
7th for Gasly, even though initially he crossed the line in third, it would’ve been great to see him on the podium again, but I suppose we will have to wait a little while longer!
It’s been an incredible weekend, an incredible race. It was one of those days where we had incredible pace and it was just coming all so naturally. The car was feeling incredible and it was just giving me the confidence to push, so it was a very enjoyable day. Antonelli on the win.
Kimi Antonelli has clinched pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix in a thrilling conclusion to qualifying, the Mercedes driver storming to the top of the timesheets ahead of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
After Antonelli set the pace during the initial runs of Q3, the likes of Charles Leclerc and Verstappen subsequently toppled him as the session headed towards its close – but the Italian displaced Verstappen in P1 on a lap of 1m 12.051s, marking his maiden Monte Carlo pole.
Verstappen has to settle for second place in the Red Bull, his effort being only 0.043s adrift of Antonelli’s, while Hamilton was just over two tenths away for Ferrari in third.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Antonelli, P2: Verstappen, P3: Hamilton, P4: Leclerc, P5: Hadjar, P6: Russell, P7: Piastri, P8: Norris, P9: Gasly and P10: Lawson.
What a result for Antonelli! He put it all on the line when it mattered and got the job done! As for his teammate, not a very good result at all as Russell is starting sixth, not really much he can do from there apart from waiting for other people’s mistakes.
A great qualifying for Verstappen, especially as the team was having issues the majority of the weekend, hopefully they can keep it up in the race. A great result for Hadjar, P5 for the Red Bull driver, a decent result after an eventful start to the weekend.
The Ferrari’s have had a great weekend so far! Hamilton starts third and home-town hero Leclerc starts fourth, I think if he didn’t hit the wall on his last flying lap he would be looking at a front row start if not pole, very unfortunate for him.
An okay result for the McLaren’s 7th and 8th, not good at all, it will be hoping drivers in front have problems for them to get further up the field and all about pit stop strategy!
Gasly starting ninth, another good result for the French driver, he will be looking to score points this weekend! And the same goes for Liam Lawson looking for another points finish.
It was one of those laps we call the magic lap. I was able to put [it] all together and it was such a close Qualifying with Max – I think in the first run of Q3 there was just one millisecond between us, but I knew the last lap was good and was just hoping that it would be enough. It was very close and I’m very happy with that. Massive thanks to the team because yesterday we struggled a little bit and today we were able to improve massively. Antonelli on pole.
Campos Racing’s Theophile Nael hit the ground running in Monte Carlo, finishing fastest of all in Practice on a 1:25.794.
Trident driver Freddie Slater was able to split up the Campos cars at the head of the field, ending up second and just over half a tenth off the top spot. Ugo Ugochukwu rounded out the top three for the Spanish team.
Following a short Virtual Safety Car test along with preparation laps, PREMA Racing’s James Wharton set the initial benchmark that was quickly beaten by several drivers.
Gerrard Xie set a 1:28.109 to lead for DAMS Lucas Oil before a Red Flag was thrown following a crash for Wharton at Turn 14.
With the Australian out of his car and the PREMA cleared away, barrier repairs took place and once completed, the session was extended by 15 extra minutes.
The light went green once more with 28 minutes on the clock, and everyone was eager to get back out on track. Theophile Nael and teammate Ernesto Rivera went to P1 next, before Xie restored DAMS to the top of the times on a 1:27.444.
Maciej Gladysz put ART Grand Prix on top with 18 minutes to go, 0.195s clear of the field but with the track continuing to improve. Brando Badoer then logged a 1:27.055 for Rodin Motorsport to become the newest driver to lead the field.
With 13 minutes left, Bruno del Pino set a 1:26.482 to further lower the time to beat for Van Amersfoort Racing.
Nael returned Campos to P1 with a 1:26.460, 0.022s quicker than del Pino in second while teammate Ugochukwu filtered into third just over a tenth down on the Frenchman.
That was until Slater set the new fastest time of the session, with the Trident going comfortably quickest on a 1:26.135.
Ugochukwu bettered that by a shade, but Nael broke into the 25s on a 1:25.806 to lead a Campos 1-2. Despite traffic in the final corners, Slater was able to move himself up to P2 and cut the deficit to 0.169s.
Nael found one final improvement, setting a 1:25.794 to cap off an impressive session. Slater achieved a personal best on his final lap too, cutting the gap to 0.069s at the chequered flag.
Qualifying
Group A The even numbered cars headed out for the first segment of the session and Championship leader Ugochukwu set the early pace on a 1:31.081 as the built laps continued.
A 1:26.367 from the Campos driver brought the time to beat down, and Noah Stromsted was able to displace him despite an error in the penultimate corner by 0.018s. Tuukka Taponen went up to third for MP Motorsport, leaving the top three split by just 0.014s at the halfway stage.
Taito Kato delivered a 1:25.988 to become the next driver to take top spot provisionally, until Ugochukwu and then Badoer bettered that time. The Italian laid down a 1:25.287 to take top spot going into the final five minutes.
Kato improved on his next lap to cut the deficit to 0.190s as the track continued to improve. Ugochukwu got to within 0.060s of the Rodin driver, who abandoned his next lap after an error.
Taponen then found a personal best in sectors one and two to go up to provisional pole on a 1:25.242 with less than two minutes remaining.
With the chequered flag waving, Ugochukwu found one final improvement to go P1 but that was usurped by Badoer as he returned to provisional pole setting a 1:24.612, three and a half tenths quicker than rest.
Group B While the majority of Group B headed straight out onto circuit, Trident opted to hold Freddie Slater in order to get some clear air.
The second set of drivers chose to run more preparation laps before serious attempts were made, and it was Theophile Nael that led the way with half the session to go on a 1:25.729.
Maciej Gladysz was the first to bring the times down, going to P1 on a 1:25.575 until Slater bettered that as he dipped underneath the 1:25s on a 1:24.986.
Slater improved in the first sector with three minutes to go, but slight contact with the barriers at Turn 7 left him with front wing endplate damage and he had to abandon the lap.
Behind the Briton, Nael was flying heading towards the final two minutes, and despite his own contact with the barriers at the final corner, set provisional pole on a 1:24.552.
With the clock at zero, Slater delivered a purple middle sector but an untidy final section left him second in Group B.
Nael found even more time to take pole in Monaco on a 1:24.471. Campos teammate Ernesto Rivera wound up third in Group B on his F3 Qualifying debut to cap off a positive day for the Spanish team.
The Monaco Grand Prix is not just a sporting event, but also a social highlight that brings together history and glamour. The circuit which has hosted racing since 1929, winds its way through the streets of the Principality: it measures 3.337 kilometres and features 19 corners some of them characterised by extremely tight angles.
The carriageway, which essentially coincides with the two lanes of normal urban traffic, is extremely narrow and almost entirely lacking run-off areas. Safety barriers line the entire track and are often brushed by the drivers, who try to gain even a few centimetres by following the ideal racing line.
For Monaco, the softest tyre range is always selected, this year, C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft), to ensure maximum grip on a very smooth asphalt surface. This year, the road surface has been resurfaced between Turns 19 and 1, between Turn 7 and the entrance to the tunnel, as well as on the entry to and exit from the pit lane.
The low level of tyre degradation on the Monaco track traditionally results in a one-stop race. An exception was last year, when the FIA introduced an experimental regulatory change obliging drivers to use at least three different sets of tyres, thereby enforcing at least two pit stops. The rule was subsequently abandoned and the classic format returns.
Strategies are influenced above all by neutralisations and red flags, which are quite frequent given the high probability of contact with the barriers and the difficulty of removing car without interrupting the race.
Monaco and Barcelona. Two iconic tracks, two completely different tyre challenges.
Jordan's Track Talk 