Mekies on Red Bull's step forward in Miami qualifying
Laurent Mekies says Red Bull have made a “definitive step forward”, pointing to a much smaller gap to pole position in qualifying at the Miami Grand Prix compared with Japan and China. Mekies said: "Yes, there is a definitive step forward. We left Japan 1.2 seconds away from pole, China 1.0 seconds away from pole. So to see us this weekend qualifying six tenths away from pole on Friday and less than two tenths away from pole on Saturday is a big indication of the size of our progress. What number is the correct one? We don't know, but compared to where we were, it's something much better than anything we have been able to show this year."
Laurent Mekies pinpoints 'big indication' of Red Bull F1 recovery
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Vesti on completing close to 1,000 simulator laps before Miami
Mercedes third driver Fred Vesti said he completed close to 1,000 laps on the simulator during the five-week break between the Japanese and Miami Grands Prix. Vesti said: "Closer to a thousand, I think, before Miami. And also, after. I flew straight back here to Brackley, straight back into the sim."
Fred Vesti reveals huge Mercedes F1 simulator push before Miami GP
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Sainz on active aero creating DRS train racing in 2026
Carlos Sainz says Formula 1 and FIA bosses need to address “DRS train” style racing created by the new active aero system in 2026, after he felt overtaking was effectively impossible when the car ahead was in “straight mode” in Miami. Sainz said: "I think we just need to find a solution to when the car in front is in [straight] mode, as overtaking is impossible. It is very similar to the DRS train, and maybe we could find something, but the racing has never really been the problem of these regulations."
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Hamilton on tyre blankets for full wet tyres
Lewis Hamilton says Pirelli should use tyre blankets on full wet tyres, after asking for them to be fitted during a “painful” wet-weather tyre test at Ferrari’s Fiorano track. Lewis Hamilton said: "Fiorano was painful because it was 300 laps over two days. They've made a change to the blankets for the intermediates, and that's something I suggested and pushed for it and it was amazing. It was great to see them take a step, and I've also said that they have to put the blankets back on the extreme [wet] tyres when it is the slipperiest of conditions."
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Mekies on Red Bull's work to improve car consistency in Miami
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said the team’s stronger pace in Miami was helped by work during the five-week break to give Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar a more consistent car they could push with confidence, alongside its usual development upgrades. Mekies said: "After Suzuka on Sunday night, we said, look, regardless of our performance deficit overall in terms of development, compared to where we were late last year, regardless of that, we do not give, at the moment, a consistent car to our drivers, a car they can push with confidence, lap to lap, corner to corner. That was most of the work that has been done in these five weeks' break, in addition to the normal development."
Red Bull reveals how Miami breakthrough came from more than RB22 upgrades
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Wolff on Antonelli's best race so far in Miami
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says Kimi Antonelli’s Miami Grand Prix victory was the Italian’s best race so far and reminded him of his junior-category success, with a “faultless” performance. Wolff said: "I know track limits are on the mistakes. It's easier to calm someone down that is wild, because you won't be able to accelerate a donkey. So for me, that was his best race so far, and it reminds me of his karting days or Formula 4. There were no mistakes."
Kimi Antonelli's F1 Miami victory a flashback for Toto Wolff
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Alonso on Aston Martin delaying small upgrades
Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin are right to hold off on bringing small upgrades during their struggling 2026 campaign because marginal gains would not change their position until the team can unlock a much bigger step with its Honda-powered AMR26. Alonso said: "I'm at peace because I understand the situation. The team explained to me that if we bring one or two tenths every race, it doesn't change our position, we are P20 or P19 and the next car is one second in front. So, even if we bring two tenths every race, it doesn't change our position and it's a huge stress in the system, in the budget cap and things like that. Until we don't have one second and a half or two second improvement, it's better not to press the button in production because we waste money."
Alonso ‘at peace' with Aston’s ‘wait for big gains’ upgrade strategy
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Hinchcliffe on Russell ending Antonelli's winning streak in Canada
F1 TV presenter James Hinchcliffe says Mercedes driver George Russell could end team-mate Kimi Antonelli’s winning streak at the Canadian Grand Prix because Russell has been “very competitive” at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Hinchcliffe said: "Nothing lasts forever in Formula 1, right? And we're going to a track next that we know George Russell is very competitive at. He won there last year. It'll be interesting to see how he handles it if George goes there and is able to get the momentum back on his side. How does he handle that wave ebbing and flowing?"
Kimi Antonelli sent George Russell warning ahead of Canadian GP by F1 presenter
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Herta on unusual pedal technique before Cadillac FP1 debut
Colton Herta says he has a “weird” cockpit habit of pushing the pedals with his toes rather than with his heel planted, which is why he does not like using a heel rest as he prepares for his Cadillac Formula 1 debut in Barcelona FP1. Herta said: "The only thing that's weird about me is I don't like to run a heel rest, and that's because when I push the pedal, instead of going on like this, I actually push with my toes, and so my heel comes up. And so if I run a heel rest, then I can't get forward with my heel. It kind of stops it."
Colton Herta reveals ‘weird' pedal habit ahead of Cadillac F1 debut
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Pin on Formula 1 becoming a goal after Mercedes test
2025 F1 Academy champion Doriane Pin says racing in Formula 1 is now a goal rather than a dream after testing a Mercedes F1 car. Pin said: "But from when I was nine until a few years ago, it was a dream - Formula 1. And now it's a goal. It's a bit different. And now I have proved to myself that I can be fast in a Formula 1 car, I don't know what to say to my nine-year-old Doriane, but I think that it's important to follow what is inside your heart, and your gut."
Doriane Pin says F1 dream is now a goal after Mercedes test
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Steiner on time limit for post-race penalties
Guenther Steiner says Formula 1 should introduce a time limit for post-race penalties after stewards at the Miami Grand Prix took about two and a half hours after the chequered flag to begin issuing verdicts. Steiner said: "The stewards because I was sitting in the airplane already going back home when I heard that there was still penalties going around. So I'm just thinking, we need to decide it after the race, but I think there needs to be a time limit. If you don't know, guess what? Don't give a penalty."
Guenther Steiner hits out at Miami GP stewards as he calls for time limit on post-race penalties
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Wolff on possible V8 return with hybrid electrification
Toto Wolff says Mercedes is open to a future return of V8 engines in Formula 1 as long as it keeps a meaningful level of electrification, with the Mercedes team principal setting out a hybrid “mega-engine” idea. Wolff said: "From a Mercedes standpoint, we are open to new engine regulations. We love V8s, that has only great memories, and from our perspective, it is a pure Mercedes engine. It revs high [but] then how do we give it enough energy from the battery side to not lose a connection to the real world? Because if we swing 100% to combustion, we might end up looking a bit ridiculous in 2031, or 2030. So we need to consider that and make it a mega-engine. Maybe we can extract 800 horsepower from the ICE and put 400 on top of it, or more, in terms of electric energy."
Wolff: Mercedes ready for V8 revival with 1,200 bhp ‘mega engine'
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Mekies on Red Bull support for future V8 or V10 engines
Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies says the company would welcome Formula 1 switching from turbo hybrids back to normally-aspirated V8 or V10 engines for the next engine cycle, after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the change could happen in 2030 or 2031 with battery systems in place. Mekies said: "As Red Bull Powertrains, we are pretty cool with it. So we are quite excited to have another challenge, and we are probably a bit more flexible and independent. We don't have the background history, but we are quite excited about the new challenge."
Red Bull declare stance over looming radical F1 rule change
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McNish on feeling more nervous in new Audi role
Allan McNish says he has felt “more nervous” on the Audi pit wall than at any point in his driving career, after his first race weekend as the team’s racing director in Miami. McNish said: "Well, I'm actually more nervous now than any time before!"
McNish ‘more nervous' on Audi pitwall than at any time as a driver
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Norris on F1 energy-management limits under battery-dominated regulations
Lando Norris says Formula 1 cannot fully fix the current energy-management issues for drivers as long as the regulations are dominated by battery management, despite describing the Miami deployment tweaks as a “small step in the right direction”. Norris said: "It's a small step in the right direction, but it's not to the level that Formula 1 should still be at yet. If you go flat out everywhere and you try pushing like you were in previous years, you still just get penalised for it. You still can't be flat out everywhere... So honestly, I don't really think you can fix that. You just have to get rid of the battery."
Lando Norris on fixing F1: "Get rid of the battery"
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Sainz on Williams not yet reaching expected level
Carlos Sainz said Williams is “not where we want to be”, as he pointed to the end of the year as the target for the team to get back to its expected level after finishing ninth with Alex Albon 10th in Miami. Sainz said: "Still, I expect everyone at home to know that this is still not where we want to be, even if it feels to everyone that it's a bit of a relief because of getting two cars in the points. Even if it's on merit, it's definitely a good step, but we need to keep on pushing because it's not where we expected to be at the end of last year when we were hoping for 2026. Hopefully, by the end of the year, we can get back to where we want to be."
Carlos Sainz downplays Williams Miami result with frustrating F1 recovery timeline
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Vowles on Williams' 2026 build planning and software mistakes
Williams boss James Vowles said delays on the team’s 2026 FW47 build – and the car ending up overweight – came down to planning and software mistakes, with “hundreds” of small issues adding up once Williams pushed a more aggressive programme. Vowles said: "We made a lot of changes a few years ago, putting in different ways of doing planning, different ways of structuring, different ways of working, and this was the first proper car build where all of those were brought into account. I think we have made some mistakes on some of that software that we've been using. And when we went through effectively a global review of all of that, it's tiny, small details, but hundreds of them starting to add up."
Williams offer fresh insight into troubled birth of 2026 F1 car
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Alonso on Aston Martin's Honda vibration issue being resolved
Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin’s vibration issue from its Honda power unit is now “gone” after extensive testing at Honda’s Sakura base and confirmation on track in Miami. Alonso said: "Gone, I would say gone. So it was a relief to see the vibrations that we measured in Sakura are confirmed on track [in Miami]."
Fernando Alonso names Aston Martin 'relief' after major Honda test
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Steiner on Aston Martin's poor start to 2026 season
Guenther Steiner says Aston Martin have “no excuse” for their poor start to the 2026 season, with the team last in the constructors’ standings on zero points after the first four rounds despite extensive investment and high-profile hires including Adrian Newey. Steiner said: "Nobody expected them to come to this season as ill-prepared as they came. Because they've got everything in place. They've got the people, they've got the facility, they've got the money. So, there is no excuse for them to be in this position."
Guenther Steiner: Aston Martin has "no excuse" for poor 2026 F1 season start
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Piastri on Red Bull's pace in Miami
Oscar Piastri said he was surprised by Red Bull’s pace at the Miami Grand Prix, after Max Verstappen was able to run near the front. Piastri said: "I would say yes. It wasn't a big surprise to see Mercedes and Ferraris — and especially Charles [Leclerc], who looked good [in Miami] — be competitive. I think to see Max up there was a bit of a surprise. So I think it just goes to show that, at the moment, things are very random, depending on who gets it right, who gets it wrong."
Oscar Piastri voices surprise at latest Red Bull development
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Daniel Valente 🏎️
@F1GuyDan
🚨 Only two teams have converted all of their race starts into a top 5 finish this season ...
Mercedes - 8/8
McLaren - 5/5
Turns out when McLaren starts, they are pretty good.
1d ago
Daniel Valente 🏎️
@F1GuyDan
🏆 The only Ferrari drivers with a grand slam since the start of this century:
• Michael Schumacher
• Fernando Alonso
• Charles Leclerc
END OF LIST.
1d ago
Daniel Valente 🏎️
@F1GuyDan
🚨 Longest winning streak among current drivers
Max Verstappen: 10
Lewis Hamilton: 5
Fernando Alonso: 4
Oscar Piastri: 3
Kimi Antonelli: 3
Charles Leclerc: 2
Lando Norris: 2
George Russell: 1
Carlos Sainz: 1
Valtteri Bottas: 1
Pierre Gasly: 1
Esteban Ocon: 1
Sergio Perez: 1
23h ago
Daniel Valente 🏎️
@F1GuyDan
🚨 Kimi Antonelli is starting to catch some drivers on the grid in number of poles converted to wins
Charles Leclerc - 5 poles converted to wins
Oscar Piastri - 4 poles converted to wins
George Russell - 4 poles converted to wins
Kimi Antonelli - 3 poles converted to wins
21h ago
Daniel Valente 🏎️
@F1GuyDan
🚨 Most wins since the start of this century:
Red Bull - 130
Mercedes - 126
Ferrari - 123
Reminder - Red Bull didn't win its first race until 2009 & Mercedes didn't get its first win in this time period until 2012
19h ago
Antonelli on Mercedes needing to keep pushing development
Kimi Antonelli says Mercedes cannot afford complacency and must keep pushing its development after McLaren’s big step with its upgrade package at the Miami Grand Prix. Antonelli said: "I have really good confidence in the car. Obviously, we're in a great momentum. Hopefully, the package is going to work as we hope, but also McLaren is bringing another package, and the step they made [in Miami] was very big. So, we just have to keep pushing, keep raising that bar, because we saw this weekend how much it flipped compared to the first three races. So, we just got to stay on top of the game."
Kimi Antonelli makes Mercedes demand after 'flipped' shock
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