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On this day: Ayrton Senna's F1 debut marred by early retirement in Rio
On March 25, 1984, at the Jacarepagua circuit in Rio de Janeiro, a Formula 1 career began that would go on to become one of the most iconic in the sport’s history. The 24-year-old Ayrton Senna lined up for his first grand prix, driving for the modest Toleman team. But what started as a special moment for the Brazilian crowd – a home driver debuting on home soil – unfortunately had an ...Keep reading
The greatest campaigns that didn't win the F1 title
Hardcore motorsport fans know that the best performers aren’t always rewarded with a title at season’s end. Unreliability, misfortune, bizarre scoring systems and inferior equipment can combine to deny drivers even when they are at the top of their game. For this list, in chronological order, we have picked out Formula 1’s greatest all-season performances by drivers who didn’t win the ...Keep reading
Autosport Explains video: Williams chief aerodynamicist on design changes for F1 2026
In this exclusive technical breakdown, Autosport’s Jake Boxall-Legge visits the Williams Formula 1 base to uncover the radical aerodynamic shifts defining the 2026 season with Williams chief aerodynamicist Juan Molina.As F1 moves away from the ground-effect Venturi tunnels of the previous era, the championship introduces a shorter, narrower car profile and a return to flat floors.We also ...Keep reading
How Ferrari is trying to close the gap to Mercedes in Japan
Ferrari, considered the only real alternative to Mercedes in the fight at the front, has prepared for the third race of the Formula 1 season in Japan with significant work carried out back at the factory after analysing the data collected from the first two grands prix.The Suzuka circuit represents a third different type of track of the season and is expected to be a challenging venue for ...Keep reading
Pirelli's plan to combat continuous one-stop races in F1 2026
Pitstop strategy is often a decisive factor during Formula 1 grands prix with Hungary in 2019 being a classic example of that. Max Verstappen attempted to make the one-stopper work, but eventually fell short to the two-stopping Lewis Hamilton, who completed a late charge on fresher tyres for victory.Obviously the debate of a one-stop versus two-stop contest has been ongoing throughout the ...Keep reading
Why Hamilton believes 2026 F1 rules are “what racing should be” – unlike Verstappen
Lewis Hamilton believes Formula 1’s new regulations have delivered “what racing should be” so far in 2026 – a very different stance to Max Verstappen’s.Verstappen has been perhaps F1’s most vocal critic this year, likening the energy management aspect to “Formula E on steroids” as lift-and-coast becomes preponderant.“It’s terrible, if someone likes this, then you really ...Keep reading
Mercedes' "two-phase" front wing activation a reliability issue, not an exploit
Mercedes' peculiar straight mode activation of its front wing, which caught the attention of some of its Formula 1 rivals, was the result of a reliability issue rather than a deliberate exploit, Autosport has learned.Mercedes caught the eye of its rivals at the Chinese Grand Prix when footage emerged of maiden race winner Kimi Antonelli as his front wing appeared to close in two separate ...Keep reading
What really caused McLaren's Chinese GP double DNS?
McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri suffered two separate Mercedes HPP battery issues that prevented them from starting the Chinese Grand Prix.A fortnight ago, the reigning world champions suffered a disastrous Sunday in Shanghai when Norris was unable to get to the starting grid, with the team scrambling to fix what was described as an electronics issue on the power unit side. Soon ...Keep reading
FIA cuts energy recovery limit for F1 Japanese GP qualifying after late change
During Formula 1 qualifying at the iconic Suzuka Circuit, drivers will now only be allowed to harvest eight megajoules of energy, whereas that limit had initially been set at nine megajoules. The FIA has cut the rate of harvesting in an attempt to reduce the amount of super clipping at a track that, like Melbourne, is described as ‘harvesting poor’ in the paddock.In Albert Park, that led ...Keep reading
F1 teams agree qualifying is priority in regulation review; happy with races
Formula 1’s team principals have met to review findings from the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix weekends as the championship’s new regulations remain under scrutiny.According to reports, all present agreed that the races were of a high standard in terms of on-track action and were happy with the response from the public and fans and thus not currently a cause for concern.Any ...Keep reading
A look at Aston Martin's team boss merry-go-round, with Adrian Newey set to step down
Aston Martin is set to welcome Jonathan Wheatley as team principal, with the news that Adrian Newey is to step down from the role.Read Also:Formula 1Newey to step down as Aston Martin F1 team principal, Wheatley set to join from AudiAutosport reported earlier on Thursday that the British technical guru, who had stepped in to replace Andy Cowell only at the start of ...Keep reading
Newey to step down as Aston Martin F1 team principal, Wheatley set to join from Audi
Adrian Newey is set to step down from his team principal position at the Aston Martin Formula 1 team, where he’ll be replaced by current Audi team boss Jonathan Wheatley.Autosport understands Newey will step down in order to focus exclusively on technical matters, as Aston Martin has experienced a more than underwhelming start to the 2026 F1 season. Power unit trouble with new partner Honda ...Keep reading
How F1 became a multi-billion dollar industry
A well-known cynical joke which has circulated in the paddock for decades goes: if you want to become a millionaire in Formula 1, you should start out as a billionaire. It perfectly captures the capital-intensive, money-draining nature of the series – at least, as it used to be.Because in the past, that saying was certainly true. The hundreds of millions teams managed to bring in each year ...Keep reading
George Russell urged to "reassert himself" at Mercedes amid Kimi Antonelli threat
Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has urged George Russell to "assert himself" within Mercedes after his team-mate Kimi Antonelli secured his maiden F1 win at the Chinese Grand Prix.Russell currently leads the drivers' championship with 51 points, but his team-mate follows just four points behind him in second. After Mercedes had a dominant start to the season, Russell quickly became the ...Keep reading
Jos Verstappen hits out at new F1 era: 'Creating chaos but nothing to do with racing'
Jos Verstappen has called out the new Formula 1 regulations, which have been introduced into the championship in 2026.Verstappen Sr, father of four-time champion Max Verstappen, claimed that while the racing has been more chaotic, "it has nothing to do with racing".The new regulations feature an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power, active aerodynamics ...Keep reading
Max Verstappen’s GT3 outings will not solve F1 frustration, says Jenson Button
Jenson Button does not think that Max Verstappen's endurance racing will help change his opinion of the new Formula 1 regulations.The 2026 F1 season has welcomed a new wave of regulations for the championship. Verstappen has been upfront with his thoughts on the new-regulation cars, which feature an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power.Initially describing the ...Keep reading
Cadillac outqualifies Aston Martin at Suzuka, despite losing up to 0.5s to technical issue
Cadillac beat Aston Martin to 19th and 20th on the grid of Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix, on a tricky weekend for Sergio Perez.Perez was the faster Cadillac driver on Saturday, with a 1m32.206s putting him 0.440s ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, albeit 1.1s away from 18th-placed Oliver Bearman and 1.3s down on the Q2 cut-off time.Read Also:Formula 1Honda engine ...Keep reading
Arvid Lindblad earns major fan praise after "standout" Japanese GP qualifying
Formula 1 fans have applauded Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad after an impressive qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix. The Briton managed to get through to Q3, knocking out four-time champion Max Verstappen, and will start the race at the Suzuka circuit from 10th on the grid.F1 later released onboard footage showing the rookie patting his car and touching his head to the ...Keep reading
"The more you push, the slower you go" - Japan's odd F1 qualifying explained
If qualifying is supposed to be the ultimate test of driver skill and all-out car performance, then F1's Saturday afternoons are far removed from that axiom.The 2026 power unit compromises which have yielded some action-packed racing so far have also destroyed the essence of qualifying - at least for now, as F1 has a couple of weeks to figure itself out before May's Miami Grand Prix amid ...Keep reading
"The more you push, the slower you go" - Japan's odd F1 qualifying explained
If qualifying is supposed to be the ultimate test of driver skill and all-out car performance, then F1's Saturday afternoons are far removed from that axiom.The 2026 power unit compromises which have yielded some action-packed racing so far have also destroyed the essence of qualifying - at least for now, as F1 has a couple of weeks to figure itself out before May's Miami Grand Prix amid ...Keep reading
Isack Hadjar: Red Bull struggles in Japan 'make no sense'
Isack Hadjar revealed that Red Bull is bemused by the struggles it is facing at the Japanese Grand Prix as the Austrian outfit has regressed into the Formula 1 midfield.Red Bull’s new-for-2026 signing will start Sunday’s race at Suzuka in eighth, having qualified 1.2s off polesitter Kimi Antonelli though it was even worse for team-mate Max Verstappen.The four-time world champion ...Keep reading
Honda engine vibrations curiously vanish, then reappear, on Aston Martin F1 car
Fernando Alonso has revealed he had “nearly no vibrations” from his Aston Martin’s Honda Formula 1 engine on Friday at the Japanese Grand Prix, only for those to reoccur today.Aston Martin and Honda have endeavoured to lessen crippling vibrations from their new engine, which damage batteries and spark driver health concerns.Read Also:Formula 1Why Honda can’t solve the ...Keep reading
Ex-F1 driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen issues pointed message amid Max Verstappen motivation concern
Former Formula 1 driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen has shared a pointed message on social media, seemingly aimed at four-time champion Max Verstappen."If you lose your motivation in F1, it's better to quit, or at least take a break. That's what I did. The sport is too dangerous if you lose your focus," the ex-Sauber driver posted. While it is not stated who the message is aimed at ...Keep reading
Max Verstappen to make “life” decisions as his discontent with F1 grows
Max Verstappen is openly reconsidering his future in Formula 1, after another tricky qualifying session at the Japanese Grand Prix.The Red Bull driver was narrowly eliminated in Q2 at Suzuka, compounding his discontent after he expressed unabashed aversion towards F1’s new regulations.Read Also:Formula 1Max Verstappen: “I'm not even frustrated anymore, I'm beyond ...Keep reading
Jenson Button explains why George Russell can handle Kimi Antonelli threat at Mercedes
2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button has backed George Russell to be able to handle the intra-team battle at Mercedes.The Brackley outfit has had a dominant start to the 2026 season, winning both the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix and the Chinese sprint race. While Russell claimed the victory in Australia as well as in the sprint race, his team-mate Kimi Antonelli sits just four points ...Keep reading
McLaren Chief Andrea Stella concedes Ferrari remains "one step ahead" of improving McLaren
McLaren team chief Andrea Stella has discussed the possibility of the Woking outfit challenging Ferrari for a spot on the podium at the Japanese Grand Prix. After a disastrous start to the season, which resulted in only one grand prix start from Lando Norris at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, McLaren saw a step forward at the Suzuka circuit. Oscar Piastri, who is yet to start a ...Keep reading
Red Bull keen to clear the air after Max Verstappen incident with F1 journalist
Max Verstappen has explained why he dismissed a British newspaper journalist from his press conference in Japan, as his Red Bull Formula 1 team is keen to clear the air over the incident.In his Thursday session, Verstappen expelled a journalist who at the 2025 Abu Dhabi finale asked whether he regretted his red mist clash with George Russell in Barcelona last June. It resulted in a 10s ...Keep reading
Lando Norris in "catch-up" mode at F1 Japanese GP as struggles continue
Lando Norris is “playing catch-up” at the Japanese Grand Prix after the Formula 1 world champion was outqualified by McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri at Suzuka.Norris will start Sunday’s race in fifth having qualified six tenths off Mercedes polesitter Kimi Antonelli, who was around four tenths ahead of third-placed Piastri.Piastri has been a step ahead of his team-mate all weekend ...Keep reading
Charles Leclerc fumes in Ferrari radio outburst after Japanese GP qualifying
Onboard footage from the cockpit of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari has surfaced showing the Monegasque driver fuming following qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix. While Leclerc qualified fourth for the Japanese Grand Prix, he fumed over the team radio: "I can’t understand quali, it’s a f**king joke! I go faster in corners, throttle earlier, for f**k’s sake, I'm losing everything in the ...Keep reading
Fernando Alonso: Suzuka driving challenge "gone" with 2026 F1 cars
Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso feels Suzuka's driving challenge is "gone" with the 2026 regulations as they are.The storied Japanese Grand Prix venue is a driver favourite with its challenging first sector Esses and its high-speed Degner and Spoon sequences. However, due to the energy saving demands of F1’s 2026 regulations, drivers are approaching those corners at lower ...Keep reading
Alonso: Suzuka driving challenge "gone" with 2026 F1 cars
Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso feels Suzuka's driving challenge is "gone" with the 2026 regulations as they are.The storied Japanese Grand Prix venue is a driver favourite with its challenging first sector Esses and its high-speed Degner and Spoon sequences. However, due to the energy saving demands of F1’s 2026 regulations, drivers are approaching those corners at lower ...Keep reading
Lewis Hamilton fears Ferrari regression in F1 pecking order
Lewis Hamilton is worried that Ferrari will only regress in the Formula 1 pecking order once McLaren has fully understood the Mercedes engine in the MCL40.Ferrari has been the closest challenger to the factory Mercedes outfit in the 2026 season, sitting second in the championship and 31 points behind the dominant Silver Arrows after two rounds.It’s been a more troubled start to ...Keep reading
Karun Chandhok impressed by Kimi Antonelli: "Had the upper hand" over George Russell all weekend
Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok has claimed that Kimi Antonelli has had the "upper hand" over his experienced team-mate George Russell throughout the Japanese Grand Prix weekend so far.The Italian driver secured pole position for the race at the Suzuka circuit, and Russell will join him on the front row with a P2 start."We have seen through the practice ...Keep reading
Why Honda can’t solve the vibration issues alone and needs help from Aston Martin
Since the first on-track running of this Formula 1 season, vibrations have already been troubling Aston Martin and Honda. The consequences are twofold. Initially, the vibrations caused damage to the battery, resulting in reliability problems and very limited mileage for the Silverstone-based team.In addition, the issue has physical effects on Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, with the ...Keep reading
Here’s the starting grid for F1’s 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
1 Kimi Antonelli(Mercedes) 2 George Russell(Mercedes)3 Oscar Piastri(McLaren) 4 Charles ...Keep reading
Verstappen: “I'm not even frustrated anymore, I'm beyond that”
Max Verstappen is at a loss with his Red Bull Formula 1 car after his Japanese Grand Prix qualifying ended as early as Q2.The four-time world champion was ninth-fastest in the opening segment of qualifying and set the 10th-quickest lap early in Q2, 0.024s behind team-mate Isack Hadjar and 0.049s ahead of Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg.Verstappen did improve by a tenth on his final run, but a ...Keep reading
Max Verstappen: “I'm not even frustrated anymore, I'm beyond that”
Max Verstappen is at a loss with his Red Bull Formula 1 car after his Japanese Grand Prix qualifying ended as early as Q2.The four-time world champion was ninth-fastest in the opening segment of qualifying and set the 10th-quickest lap early in Q2, 0.024s behind team-mate Isack Hadjar and 0.049s ahead of Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg.Verstappen did improve by a tenth on his final run, but a ...Keep reading
Scott Speed reveals his F1 regrets and what held him back
Appearing on the Dale Jr. Download with NASCAR Hall of Fame Dale Earnhardt Jr., Scott Speed reflected on his racing career, from Formula 1 to NASCAR and later rallycross.His F1 shot came about when Red Bull first arrived on the grid, and was searching for an American talent. 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner Danny Sullivan was a big part of the idea, with Speed saying, "They selected 16 of us ...Keep reading
Toto Wolff admits George Russell faces Japanese GP challenge after Mercedes tweak backfires
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has warned that George Russell will face similar issues during the Japanese Grand Prix to those he battled against in qualifying.Wolff confirmed after qualifying that changes had been made to Russell's car ahead of today's session at the Suzuka circuit, which left the Briton fighting with too much oversteer."We did a set-up tweak on the other side," the ...Keep reading
Five quick takeaways from F1 Japanese GP qualifying
The Japanese Grand Prix is hosting round three of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign and Kimi Antonelli will start on pole after an action-packed qualifying session at Suzuka.Here are five takeaways from Saturday in Suzuka.Qualifying change a step in the right direction for 2026 rulesetThe 2026 regulation change has been contentious to say the least. Just looking at the drivers, Max ...Keep reading
F1 Japanese GP: Antonelli on pole again, Verstappen out in Q2
Kimi Antonelli grabbed his second career Formula 1 pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix, also his second in a row, as Max Verstappen was eliminated in Q2.Antonelli enforced his dominance on Mercedes team-mate George Russell so far this weekend, with the Italian youngster quicker than his elder in the last two free practice sessions as well as Q2 – by six tenths – and Q3 – by ...Keep reading
F1 2026 qualifying head-to-head: Japanese GP
After every F1 qualifying session, Motorsport publishes each team's qualifying record in terms of team-mate battles.This record is based exclusively on qualifying results so that grid penalties don't alter the statistics.When a driver can't put in a representative lap time due to a technical issue or an incident, this will be mentioned in the table.Read Also:Formula 1F1 ...Keep reading
F1 Japanese GP: Kimi Antonelli on pole, Max Verstappen out in Q2
Kimi Antonelli grabbed his second career pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix, also his second in a row, as Max Verstappen was eliminated in Q2.Antonelli enforced his dominance on Mercedes team-mate George Russell so far this weekend, with the Italian youngster quicker than his elder in the last two free practice sessions as well as Q2 – by six tenths – and Q3 – by three.The ...Keep reading
F1 Japanese GP: Mercedes takes 1-2 as Antonelli fastest in FP3
Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli has headed team-mate George Russell in final practice at the Japanese Grand Prix.Russell was unable to top Antonelli's final quarter lap in the W17 as Mercedes heads to qualifying as the clear favourites, leading FP3 by a huge margin over its Ferrari and McLaren challengers.The first proper push laps saw the Ferraris take an early lead before Antonelli ...Keep reading
F1 Japanese GP: Mercedes takes 1-2 as Kimi Antonelli fastest in FP3
Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli has headed team-mate George Russell in final practice at the Japanese Grand Prix.Russell was unable to top Antonelli's final quarter lap in the W17 as Mercedes heads to qualifying as the clear favourites, leading FP3 by a huge margin over its Ferrari and McLaren challengers.The first proper push laps saw the Ferraris take an early lead before Antonelli ...Keep reading
Eight shock Formula 1 team principal changes
2007 - Ferrari hero Ross Brawn moves to HondaHaving played a key role in every world title won by Michael Schumacher as technical director at Benetton and at Ferrari, Ross Brawn left the Scuderia at the same time as the German, in late 2006. One year later, he was appointed as Honda team principal, taking on a real challenge in a works outfit that finished eighth in the 2007 constructors’ ...Keep reading
How April F1 break will impact Red Bull and Aston Martin
The cancellation of the Bahrain and Jeddah grands prix may be detrimental to Red Bull – unlike some other Formula 1 teams.F1’s Middle Eastern rounds have been scrapped due to the impact of the ongoing Iran war in the region, creating a five-week gap between the Suzuka and Miami events, this weekend and in early May respectively.Red Bull had a tough Chinese Grand Prix, with Max ...Keep reading
How Antonelli plans to attack F1 season with title challenge in sight
Formula 1's latest winner was greeted with a standing ovation: nobody knew Kimi Antonelli would be there, but he wanted to be there before rushing to Bologna airport to depart for Japan.Over 300 fans gathered in the Checco Costa room at Imola for an event organised by the Tifoseria Ayrton Senna Italia, giving the Mercedes driver a long standing ovation.Antonelli is always there to honour ...Keep reading
Alex Brundle explains Japanese GP energy tweak and its major impact on drivers
Alex Brundle has detailed what the energy tweaks introduced for qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix will mean for the drivers.The FIA confirmed ahead of the race weekend at the Suzuka Circuit that drivers will now only be allowed to harvest eight megajoules of energy, rather than the previously permitted nine megajoules. The adjustment has been introduced to reduce the amount of super ...Keep reading
Lewis Hamilton steals the show at Yokohama car meet as he rolls up in Ferrari F40
Lewis Hamilton surprised fans ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix as he arrived at a Yokohama car meet in a Ferrari F40.The Ferrari F40, estimated to be worth £4million, pulled up beside a Subaru Impreza and a Honda NSX sporting a wide bodykit at the Daikoku Parking Area in Yokohama. The iconic car was the last to be personally approved by Enzo Ferrari and it features a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V8 ...Keep reading