Grand Prix
From Thursday’s media day to Sunday night: practice, qualifying, strategy, pit stops, team radio, the safety car and the stewards’ decisions, as seen by four columnists without a single paddock pass. The facts are real, the reactions are theirs.
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Overtake mode forgotten after the red flag: 27 seconds of catch-up in Singapore
In SQ1 of sprint qualifying at the Singapore Grand Prix, a human error by race control stopped overtake mode being reactivated after the red flag caused by Sergio Perez’s broken front wing.…
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Russell on the front row with the old Mercedes: Philippeville salutes its old chassis
George Russell took second place in Singapore sprint qualifying with an older-specification Mercedes, 0.120s behind Max Verstappen. Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, is seventh with the upgraded version.
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Two W17 versions compared in Singapore: Nathan settled it in his bedroom
In Singapore, Andrea Kimi Antonelli has the latest evolution of the Mercedes W17 and George Russell an earlier version. Toto Wolff says the team does not yet know which is quicker, and…
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Hamilton pits old school against young drivers: Florian, 23, ticks both boxes
Lewis Hamilton believes wet races are not what they used to be, and that race officials and young drivers have both become more cautious. Carlos Sainz thinks the FIA gave the green…
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Alonso wants to race at six in the morning: post 14 is already briefed by then
In Singapore, Fernando Alonso said he would prefer races early in the morning, “at six or seven”, so he can get home sooner. Esteban Ocon, a Haas driver, likes the unusual hours…
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Cooling vest outside the cost cap: Philippeville launches its wet-towel programme
George Russell admitted he got it wrong the week before: the cooling vest allowed in Singapore, declared a “heat hazard” by the FIA, is excluded from the cost cap. Mercedes, though, could…
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Bottas cycles past a cobra and some cows, and no flag exists for a herd
Valtteri Bottas, the Cadillac driver, cycled from Sepang to Singapore, 418 kilometres in four days, rather than fly. He says he met a cobra, a python, a large lizard, a dog and…
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Bottas rides to Singapore by gravel bike: Philippeville sees its logistics model
Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas covered 419.67 kilometres by gravel bike between Sepang and Singapore, from 4 to 7 October, ahead of Thursday’s media day. The route was planned at 350 kilometres.
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Monitor lizards at Marina Bay: Nathan looks for Godzilla in his sim and can’t find him
Monitor lizards turn up regularly on the Marina Bay street circuit, and drivers only just manage to avoid them. According to RacingNews365, Gianpiero Lambiase is warning Max Verstappen about a “monstrous invasion”…
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Hamilton says no to Ferrari on lap five: the binder only offers “received”
At the Bahrain Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton started on soft tyres with the track still too wet, then refused Ferrari’s call on lap five. He finished on the podium, according to Formule1.nl.
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Mercedes bring engine upgrade forward: Fabienne Racing welcomes grouped penalties
Mercedes HPP wants the ADUO2 upgrade ready for Singapore rather than the United States Grand Prix, so that George Russell, whose engine failed in Malaysia, starts from the back of the grid…
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Verstappen wants a single practice session: Nathan tested it and misses a lap
Max Verstappen wants shorter weekends with a single free practice session before qualifying. In his view, the 2026 engine rules have reduced the challenge of qualifying and the reward for committing in…