F1 LIVE - Antonelli's Mercedes investigation as FIA sent complaints

F1 LIVE: Verstappen and engineer's untelevised clash as Mercedes star wants investigation

Formula 1 moves on to Japan after another Mercedes one-two in China, with Kimi Antonelli pipping George Russell from pole and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton third

Hello! Welcome to live coverage of the latest Formula 1 news after last week's Chinese Grand Prix.

The second race of the 2026 season saw another Mercedes one-two, with Kimi Antonelli winning after qualifying in pole position. However, the teenager was unhappy with his start when Lewis Hamilton took the race lead, and plans to review that weak point.

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FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has also received a letter signed by all Formula E drivers calling for changes to the series, as revealed by The Race. Race direction, substandard stewarding and the way some sporting regulations are applied as among their complaints with the governing body that also sanctions F1.

Follow along below for updates throughout the day...

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13 mins ago15:00 Kieran King

Untelevised Verstappen footage

GianPiero Lambiase and Max Verstappen were involved in a tense moment at the Chinese Grand Prix as the Red Bull head of racing reminded the driver: "I'm supposed to be on your side."

Verstappen endured another frustrating weekend in China, having suffered his first race retirement since June 2025.

An ERS cooling issue was confirmed as the cause of Verstappen's Did Not Finish (DNF), with the Dutchman doubling down on his criticism of the new F1 rules post-race.

And untelevised radio footage has more mid-race frustrations as Verstappen's long-serving race engineer Lambiase, at one stage, told the four-time world champion: "I am supposed to be on your side, Max. I’m trying to give you some help and some information."

Finding himself frustrated by the energy management requirements on track, Verstappen said on Lap 20: "Mate, my f***** boost button."

Lambiase responded six laps later: "So increase your lift off. Just try and get that battery up, Max."

The duo continued to swap words and attempt to turn Verstappen's race around but it proved a struggle.

Verstappen was told to retire on Lap 44 following a coolant fault, according to Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies.

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43 mins ago14:30 Kieran King

Stroll makes 'pray' plea

Lance Stroll has asked for Formula 1 fans to "pray for me" following another difficult weekend for Aston Martin.

Both Aston Martin drivers - Stroll and Fernando Alonso - retired from the Chinese Grand Prix with the latter revealing post-race that he lost all feeling in his hands and feet due to the vibrations from the car.

With the Japanese Grand Prix taking place later this month, Stroll has issued a plea with Aston Martin expected to continue to have issues.

"Unless they can find ⁠some magic in the next 10 days, pray," Stroll said. "Pray for me."

Stroll continued: "It's not a great time for the team. Everyone's frustrated with where we are. It's not why we want to come racing, to fight for these positions. But, I think there's a lot of potential, that I have no doubts. We have a great facility, we have very talented people inside the team."

1 hour ago14:00 Matthew Abbott

Max Verstappen addresses Red Bull future again

I mean, I don’t want to leave, really. Like I said, I wish I had a bit more fun for sure.

Verstappen added:

But at the same time, it’s a bit conflicting because I don't really enjoy driving the car, but I do enjoy working with all the people in the team and from the engine department as well, so no, I don't want to leave, but I also hope, of course, that it gets better.

2 hours ago13:30 Matthew Abbott

Carlos Sainz slams F1 for not having the right formula

Carlos Sainz has called out F1 for not having the right formula.

When you look at what they are doing with graphics and everything, they are trying to do their best to sell something that I think we all know is not the right formula for Formula 1, so I'm really hoping that there's going to be changes soon, because it's not the best formula.

2 hours ago13:00 Matthew Abbott

F1 team told they are in a completely different league to last year

Pierre Gasly believes Alpine are now in a completely different league compared to last season.

Looking at '25, where we were, and where we are now, it's a completely different league, so I'm very pleased. We did a good job in qualifying, a couple of tenths off McLaren. There are still many little things we need to fine-tune and fix, so I'm pretty confident. China was special, and hopefully the performance here will be quite similar to races in America.

3 hours ago12:30 Matthew Abbott

Sergio Perez issues apology after Valtteri Bottas contact

That was fully on me. I saw the gap, and I went for it. Valtteri didn’t have anywhere to go. It was very optimistic, so full apologies on that one to Valtteri and the team.

Bottas says they have already spoken about the incident

A bit of a contact, but these things happen. I didn't see him there and actually didn't really have any space. We spoke already, all good.

3 hours ago12:00 Matthew Abbott

Lando Norris delivers honest McLaren verdict

We understand the car is not at the level it needs to be to fight for the podium or a win at the moment. We know we have a lot of work ahead, disregarding the issues that we had. The team knows where we stand, and they are very realistic about everything, so they’re all working hard. They’ve been working hard all season, but especially now, they know what direction we need to work in, in order to get back to what we think we can achieve.

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4 hours ago11:30 Matthew Abbott

Fernando Alonso takes 'battery world championship' swipe at Formula 1

Fernando Alonso believes races after the first lap become a battery world championship in these new Formula 1 cars.

The starts are a fun. Same as in Australia, the car seems to start really well. On lap one, it's true that we all have the same level of battery, which is full. Then we enter in this 'battery world championship', and in that we are not as good as the others.

4 hours ago11:00 Matthew Abbott

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli friendship 'done'

David Coulthard believes any friendship between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli is now over after the teenager's Chinese Grand Prix win.

Coulthard said on the Up To Speed podcast:

(The friendship) is done. George knows he has a real threat for this championship. This might be, as we’ve seen with Lando last year and Oscar, McLaren reached a point where they delivered them a car, and they fought for the world championship.

5 hours ago10:30 Matthew Abbott

FIA president sent complaints letter signed by all Formula E drivers

Formula E drivers are calling for changes to the series from Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, with reigning champion Oliver Rowland and Lucas di Grassi sending a letter to president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on their behalf as the drivers' group representatives.

The Race reports that their complaints include race direction, substandard stewarding, and the way they apply some sporting regulations.

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5 hours ago10:00 Matthew Abbott

Kimi Antonelli names Mercedes 'weak point' as investigation needed

The start is still our weak point, and to be fair, I didn’t go with great confidence because my two previous starts were really bad, so I didn’t know what to expect. But obviously, I covered a little bit too much on the inside and left too much space on the outside, so I probably need to review that.

6 hours ago09:30 Matthew Abbott

Ferrari say enough is enough after massive rule change

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur does not want any more changes to the start rules.

I think that we already massively changed the rules of the start with the five-second sequence. One year ago, I went to the FIA, raised my hand on the starting procedure. I said: 'Guys, it will be difficult'. The reply was clear: that you have to design the car to fit with the regulations, not change the regulations to fit with the car. We designed the car to fit the regulations. The change with the five-second blue light sequence didn't help us at all, but at some stage, enough is enough.

6 hours ago09:00 Matthew Abbott

Aston Martin 'looking for a new team principal' to replace Adrian Newey

Spanish journalist Antonio Lobato claims that Aston Martin are already looking to replace Adrian Newey as team principal.

Lobato said on Soy Motor:

There is a lack of leadership at Aston Martin right now. I know for a fact that they are looking for a new team principal. Newey doesn’t act as team principal. In fact, he shouldn’t act as team principal.

7 hours ago08:30 Matthew Abbott

FIA-produced power unit 'glitchy' as three teams having issues

F1 journalist Nelson Valkenburg says Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull are three teams airing their grievances with the power unit.

He said on the Nailing the Apex Podcast:

The ECU is the main computing unit that is given by the FIA to the teams from a central source, and I’m starting to hear in the paddock that the ECU is not clever enough to deal with all the computations that are needed per lap, and Red Bull have called it glitchy. Ferrari were unhappy with how it worked during qualifying. We’ve seen McLaren also having issues.

7 hours ago08:00 Matthew Abbott

F1 urged to simplify far too complicated regulations

The former Red Bull advisor, Helmut Marko, has called for Formula 1's complex regulations to be simplified.

Marko told Kronen Zeitung:

The entire regulations need to be simplified. Superclipping, overtake mode, boost - it's all far too complicated. We need to get back to pure racing, because that's been pushed into the background by all the energy management.

8 hours ago07:30 Daniel Moxon

F1 power rankings: Oliver Bearman superb as Lando Norris' title defence faltering already

Mercedes have pressed home their advantage in the first double-header of the season with consecutive one-two finishes. In Shanghai, it was Kimi Antonelli's turn to enjoy some time on the top step of the podium as Formula 1's second youngest Grand Prix winner ever, though George Russell remains narrowly ahead in the drivers' standings.

But, as we know, car performance is a huge factor in F1, and so the leaderboard never truly reflects the individual displays of each driver relative to the machinery they have under them. That's why we've created our driver power rankings, in which we grade the performance of all 22 drivers relative to their cars across qualifying and races, including Sprints.

And, because things move fast in F1, each driver's power rating will be based on the five most recent Grand Prix weekends – to ensure a racer who performs well in the latter stages of the season is not penalised for a poor start, and vice versa.

After the second round of the year, our first average scores are in, and there are a couple of clear stand-out performers from Australia and China.

F1 power rankings: Oliver Bearman superb as Lando Norris' title defence faltering already

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8 hours ago07:00 Matthew Abbott

Max Verstappen accused of throwing his toys out of the pram again

The former Haas team principal, Guenther Steiner, says Max Verstappen always throws his toys out of the pram when it doesn't go his way.

Steiner told talkSPORT:

Max is not happy because the car is not where he likes it to be. Red Bull have a brand new engine, and its advanced technology, it takes some time for the engineers to get used to.

He added:

Max always throws the toys out of the pram when it doesn’t go his way.

9 hours ago06:40 Abbie Meehan

George Russell shows ultimate touch of class with unseen Lewis Hamilton moment

George Russell showed his class by allowing iconic Formula 1 engineer Bono to take separate pictures with Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli. The lead Mercedes driver secured second place at the Chinese Grand Prix, with 19-year-old Antonelli claiming his maiden GP victory in his second F1 season.

Hamilton completed the podium for Ferrari, and the trio took to the stage to celebrate. F1 engineer Peter Bonnington, affectionately known as Bono, was given the honour by Mercedes of joining the podium. He worked for years alongside Hamilton, helping the Brit win six of his seven World Championships. Bono now works as Antonelli's race engineer in the Mercedes garage, and Russell was quick to notice the ties to his two opponents.

George Russell shows ultimate touch of class with unseen Lewis Hamilton moment

9 hours ago06:20 Matthew Abbott

Charles Leclerc makes honest Lewis Hamilton admission

At the end of the day, Lewis was just stronger. I'm happy for his podium. Of course, disappointed for losing out on the podium on my side, but I know I've given everything. At the end of the day, Lewis was just stronger this weekend.

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17 hours ago22:28 Patrick Austen-Hardy

Audi boss lashes out at Max Verstappen complaints

Audi boss Jonathan Wheatley believes Max Verstappen is only unhappy with the controversial new F1 regulations because Red Bull are struggling. Verstappen endured a DNF at the Chinese GP and proceeded to lash out at the new regulations, once again comparing F1 to video game Mario Kart.

However, Wheatley had little sympathy for the four-time winner. He told the media: “I tell you what I would say. I think if you spoke to the two Ferrari drivers, they’d say they had a brilliant day.

“If you can’t win, then if you can just race cleanly, I have to say it didn’t look like any kind of false racing to me. Each driver had a go at each other.

“They raced beautifully, cleanly. I enjoyed watching it. There are battles going on in the field that I think are hugely encouraging. I think you can understand Max’s comments perhaps because of where he finds himself.”

18 hours ago21:38 Patrick Austen-Hardy

McLaren and Aston Martin comparison made

Aston Martin chief track officer Mike Krack believes McLaren are enduring the same issues as his team. Oscar Piastri and defending champion Lando Norris both endured DNS finishes at the Chinese Grand Prix after enduring separate power unit issues

While they took the headlines, Fernando Alonso endured vibration issues throughout the GP before he suffered a DNF. When addressing his team's issues, Krack believes there are similar problems in the McLaren camp.

Krack said: “Vibrations fundamentally affect reliability. We have to lift in several areas, but we are not talking about seconds of loss. In some adjustments, we are more conservative, but we don’t miss many benefits.

“I have a lot of respect for rivals; they all work hard, and we all have the same problems. I don’t want anyone to take cars off the grid. Without knowing the specific problem, it shows that this can also happen to a team like McLaren”.

19 hours ago20:15 Connor O'Neill

Toto Wolff sends message to Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen has been told by Toto Wolff that his "horror show" at Red Bull is contributing to his criticism of Formula 1's new 2026 regulations.

Verstappen has been deeply critical about the regulations which place an onus on drivers managing battery power as well as using a boost button to overtake.

But Mercedes team principal Wolff hit back saying: "Max is in a horror show. When you look at the onboard that he has in qualifying, it's just horrendous to drive. You can see that. But it's not the same with many other teams.

"From an entertainment perspective, I believe that what we've seen between Ferrari and Mercedes was good racing. Many overtakes. We were all part of Formula 1, where there was no overtake, literally.

"Sometimes we're too nostalgic about the good old years. But I think the product is good in itself. We saw quite some racing in the midfield also.

"Now, from a driver's standpoint, when it comes to the qualifying lap, that is different. Clearly, lifting and coasting in qualifying – I'm sure for someone like Max, who is a full-attack guy, it's difficult to cope and digest.

"But it's more, I would say, a car-specific issue that magnifies the problem that it is because if you sit in front of a TV or in front of a screen, even Max would say that was interesting racing in the front."

20 hours ago18:58 Connor O'Neill

Toto Wolff hoping to avoid Lewis Hamilton repeat

Toto Wolff is confident Mercedes will avoid a repeat of Lewis Hamilton’s toxic rivalry with Nico Rosberg after Kimi Antonelli emerged as a serious threat to team-mate George Russell’s world championship bid.

He said: “The relationship between Lewis and Nico was completely different. Nico and Lewis knew each other from their early karting days, being friends but also having this social fight that was always engrained within them.

“It was a friendship that then became a rivalry and then animosity. They were two different drivers. But having said that, you need to appreciate that drivers are here to win races and championships, and the moment you sniff that, obviously then the elbows come out. That’s something that the team needs to manage.

“But both Kimi and George are Mercedes juniors, and we’ve been responsible for the trajectory since single-seaters. So, I feel at this stage – and maybe I’m going to bite my tongue one day – that we are in a totally different situation.”

21 hours ago18:20 Patrick Austen-Hardy

Fred Vasseur position on the new compression ratio regulation

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has insisted the new compression ratio regulations will not effect the 2026 F1 campaign. The FIA decided to alter compression ratio regulations from June 1 onwards, which will mean power units will undergo extra testing procedures.

However, Vasseur expects little to change when these changes come into place. He said: "I'm not convinced that the new compression ratio rule will be a game changer or a huge game changer.

"It's more that you will have the ADUO at one stage, that the introduction of the ADUO will be an opportunity for us to close the gap.

"But once again, it's not just about pure performance. I think you have a lot in energy management, a lot in the chassis. It would be a mistake from our side to be just focused on one parameter."

22 hours ago17:30 Patrick Austen-Hardy

Red Bull's private jet meeting after Max Verstappen disappointment

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, technical director Pierre Wache, lead race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and Max Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen had a meeting on the F1 driver's private jet after the disappointing Chinese Grand Prix.

Verstappen endured a DNF in Shanghai while Isack Hadjar finished eighth, one place behind Racing Bulls Liam Lawson. After the race, Mekies cancelled his media session to jump on a flight with the Red Bull chiefs.

It has been a disappointing start for the blue brand this year, with Verstappen finishing sixth in Australia, while also using ever opportunity to hit out at the new race regulations this year.

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22 hours ago16:56 Patrick Austen-Hardy

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen disagreement

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have contrasting thoughts on F1's new power unit regulations. The Red Bull driver tore into the news rules shortly after his DNF at the Chinese GP.

Verstappen said: "It's not fun at all, no. It's playing Mario Kart. This is not racing. I mean we were slower this weekend, so we were fighting Haas and Alpine the whole race. Of course some other cars yes. Look at the racing, you are boosting past and then you run out of battery the next straight, they boost past you again. For me it's just a joke."

However, Hamilton feels a lot happier with the regulations, saying it's now easier to follow cars, making the racing experience "the best" he's had. The Ferrari ace said:

"Yeah, the cars are easier to follow, much better than past years. You can get very close. There’s not a bad wake where you’re losing too much downforce.

"I think it’s the best racing that I’ve ever experienced in Formula 1. Of course, these guys are pulling past us at crazy speeds, but to be able to all be so close… It’s great that we have the good start at the moment and hopefully that stays the same through the year.

"Given that they’ve gone for a different option where they have more power, we’ve got to figure out how we can improve our straight-line speed. But hopefully it was an exciting race to watch for you guys because it was awesome in the car.

"It felt like go-karting, back and forth, back and forth, and you could really position your car in a nice way where there was a thin piece of paper between us sometimes, but we didn’t exchange any paint. I think that’s down to great drivers and respect."

23 hours ago16:17 Patrick Austen-Hardy

Ferrari's protest fear

Ferrari removed its new halo mini wings at the Chinese Grand Priz after holding discussions with the FIA. In free practice, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton both trialled its new 'flip-flop' upside down concept on the rear wing, which enables the upper rear wing element to run upside down during straight mode.

Moreover, as a "minor update" the winglett had also been added to the central aero pillar. As part of their official submissions to the FIA, it said this addition was: "Not event specific, it simply returns a small aerodynamic load benefit."

But between the sprint race and qualifying, they were removed and not taken into the GP itself. According to 'The Race' this decision was taken because there was a debate between the Scuderia and the FIA about the wings being "borderline" in the regulations.

Ferrari then decided the wings were not worth the trouble of any post-match protests and debate being lodged against them by either the FIA or rival teams.

24 hours ago15:21 Josh Holland

Jannik Sinner gives Kimi Antonelli shoutout after win

Tennis star Jannik Sinner has given a shoutout to his fellow countryman Kimi Antonelli during his Indian Wells title acceptance speech.

Antonelli became the second-youngest F1 grand prix winner in Shanghai on Sunday and Sinner made sure he gave Antonelli the credit he deserves.

"It has nothing to do with tennis, but it has been a special day for Italy because I'm a huge Formula 1 fan and having a very, very young Italian Kimi, bringing Italy back home on the top," the 24-year-old tennis player said.

"It's amazing, so thanks. Thanks Kimi. Thanks Formula 1 and see you all next year."

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yesterday13:47 Matthew Abbott

Hamilton accused of 'destroying' Chinese GP

Ex-F1 1 driver Jacques Villeneuve has accused Lewis Hamltilon of “destroying” Ferrari’s Chinese Grand Prix after his battle with teammate Charles Leclerc.

The race run by the seven-time world champion has been described as “extreme” with the suggestion that the antics damaged Ferrari’s chances in Shanghai. Hamilton was third fastest in the sprint and finished third behind the Mercedes one-two of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, the 41-year-old is now facing claims that the battle with his teammate aided their rivals.

Villeneuve said: “Well, it was fair because he finished third, and he managed to beat his teammate. So, yes, it turned out okay, but it was a little bit extreme, and it destroyed Ferrari’s race.

“They were running second and third. Then they were fighting so hard, destroying their tyres. And in those two laps, they lost five seconds to Antonelli.”

Read the full story here

yesterday12:54 Josh Holland

Verstappen told to

Ralf Schumacher has told Max Verstappen to focus on helping Red Bull improve rather than complain about the 2026 regulations.

The four-time world champion did not hold back in his criticism at the new rules, claiming that "it's not fun at all, it's like playing Mario Kart" and that "this is not racing".

Speaking to Sky Deutschland, former German driver Schumacher has told the Dutchman to focus on the racing. "Max has proven that he is the fastest driver. Now he needs to help his team, which is having problems and stop whining. The fact that he then simply wants to drive in a different racing series... you can do that, but you don't have to."

"These new rules were decided four years ago. Back then, everyone only wanted electric vehicles, you mustn't forget that. Many teams invested an incredible amount of money here."

yesterday12:34 Matthew Abbott

FIA considering power unit rule change

The FIA are reportedly considering altering their rules around power unit development this season.

The new regulations in 2026 include a pathway for power unit manufacturers to improve their engines at different points in the season to avoid a team running away with the championship.

Journalist Jon Noble has insisted that the FIA could alter the timings associated with programme. "I think the other important element is the engine or power unit upgrade," he said on The Race F1 Podcast.

"There are metrics in the rules for this additional development and upgrade opportunities, ADUO, a classic F1 phrase now. Which was originally going to be after race six, which was Miami. Now we’ve lost Bahrain and Saudi [Arabia], race six is Monaco, I think I’m right.

“But from what we understand, the FIA are going to change the wording of the regulations so it will either become a set date or will be an earlier race to divide the season into four.

“So, it’s still likely to be around Miami time. It’s if your power unit’s deemed to be 2% behind the benchmark, and I think I am correct in saying that Fred Vasseur said tonight on current performance, he expects them to get an ADUO uplift.”

yesterday12:08 Josh Holland

Verstappen's scathing attack on F1 regulations

Max Verstappen has delivered his most scathing attack yet on this year's regulations and has warned that they will "eventually ruin the sport".

“It is terrible, and if someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is about,” Verstappen said.

“It is not fun at all. It is Mario Kart. This is not racing. We are boosting past, then you run out of battery, and they boost back past you again. For me, it is just a joke (i.e. fake passing).

“I would say the same if I was winning because I care about the racing product. It is fundamentally flawed. It is painful. It will eventually ruin the sport, and it is going to come back to bite them.”

yesterday11:00 Amie Wilson

Current standings

Here's the current standings following the Chinese Grand Prix.

1: George Russell (Mercedes) - 51 points

2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 47 points

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 34 points

4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 33 points

5. Oliver Bearman (Haas) - 17 points

6. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 15 points

7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 9 points

8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 8 points

9. Liam Lawson (RB) - 8 points

10. Arvid Linblad (RB) - 4 points

yesterday10:40 Amie Wilson

FIA discusssions led to Ferrari change

Ferrari reportedly decided to remove their new halo wings from the cars for the Chinese Grand Prix. The new elements were used in both practice and the sprint element, but were nowhere to be seen in qualifying and the race on Saturday and Sunday.

The Race report that the decision was made after holding discussions with the FIA regarding their legality. It's reported that it was felt it was 'borderline', with Ferrari not willing to take the risk of any possible repercussions if the FIA or a rival team decided to protest, with the wings only providing a benefit of a few hundredths of a second.

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yesterday09:00 Amie Wilson

Lewis Hamilton message

Lewis Hamilton has taken to Instagram following his podium finish in China.

Sharing various pictures of him on the podium and post race, he wrote:

"P3 IN SHANGHAI. It was a fight from start to finish but one of the most enjoyable races I’ve had in years.

"Loved every battle with Charles – we push each other to be better and do all we can to bring points home for the team.

"The fans here were unreal, we couldn’t have done it without their energy. Massive shout to the team, and huge congratulations to Mercedes and Kimi. Let’s keep this up !!"

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yesterday08:29 Amie Wilson

Oscar Piastri claims unwanted record

McLaren's Oscar Piastri has become the first driver in F1 history to suffer two did-not-starts in the first two F1 races of the season.

After his crash on the way to the grid in Australia, an electrical issue in his power unit meant that he had to be wheeled off the grid before the start of the Chinese Grand Prix.

It's the first time that a McLaren driver has failed to start consecutive races since the team's founder, Bruce McLaren, in 1969.

yesterday08:00 Amie Wilson

F1 'cancel team boss meeting'

A meeting between Formula 1 bosses to review the sport's new changes has reportedly been cancelled. The decision is likely to further frustrate four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, who has expressed annoyance at the new F1 rules in 2026.

The Red Bull driver launched a fresh attack on the new generation of Formula 1 cars after being forced to retire from Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix. The 28-year-old has claimed they will "eventually ruin the sport".

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

yesterday07:37 Amie Wilson

Jannik Sinner's Antonelli message

Tennis star Jannik Sinner has claimed that he wanted to watch the F1, but was stopped by he preparations for the Indian Wells final.

The Italian then sent a message of congratulations to his fellow countryman Kimi Antonelli.

Sinner came out as 7-6, 7-6 winner over Daniil Medvedev in California. Speaking after the match, he told Sky Sports:

"I wanted to watch the Formula One but it was midnight. I'm not capable of going to sleep very late and playing tennis the next day so very good discipline. Congrats Kimi."

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yesterday06:56 Amie Wilson

Viral Kimi Antonelli podium mistake

F1 fans were left amused when a mistake on Kimi Antonelli's podium moment was noticed.

Shared by Mercedes on their official X account. As Antonelli makes his way to the podium, he is announced as Kimi Raikkonen.

The Italian smiles and looks slightly confused before making his way to the top of the podium.

In reply to the post, fans showed their amusement: "That’s why he looked so confused. When I watched the race, I thought he had lost or something, like why would he be surprised about Lewis and George had already there," one said.

A second added: "Didn't know Kimi Raikkonen was Italian."

yesterday06:55 Amie Wilson

Lewis Hamilton wins Oscar

As well as the Chinese Grand Prix, Sunday also saw the Oscars taking place, with more success for Lewis Hamilton.

His F1 movie was nominated for four awards, including Best Picture and Visual Effects. While missing out on those, it still took one award from the evening, taking the Best Sound Oscar.

Hamilton was unable to attend the awards due to competing in China, but did receive a shoutout during the acceptance speech.

The film, starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, was released in June last year and has also claimed a Grammy and BAFTA.

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