https://plainf1.com Plain-text Formula 1 news without the noise, with short source-linked articles. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT en https://plainf1.com/2026-08-27/kimi-antonelli-will-take-a-planned-engine-penalty-at-his-home-race-in-monza/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-27/kimi-antonelli-will-take-a-planned-engine-penalty-at-his-home-race-in-monza/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:07:59 GMT Mercedes will install additional power-unit components in Antonelli's car, triggering a grid penalty. Toto Wolff said the team's calculations identified Monza as the best circuit for the change despite its significance to the Italian driver. Mercedes wants to reduce the risk of further reliability trouble after Antonelli retired with a technical problem in Barcelona. Wolff said discussions were continuing over whether George Russell should also receive new components. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/mercedes-plans-a-major-upgrade-but-cannot-bring-extra-parts-forward-within-its-budget/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/mercedes-plans-a-major-upgrade-but-cannot-bring-extra-parts-forward-within-its-budget/ Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:23:49 GMT Toto Wolff said Mercedes lacked the financial flexibility to add developments beyond its existing schedule, while Andrew Shovlin confirmed that a major package remains in preparation. Mercedes has introduced 24 new components in 2026, compared with 40 for Ferrari and 38 each for Red Bull and McLaren. The package's arrival date remains unclear. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/red-bull-awaits-an-fia-ruling-that-will-determine-its-remaining-2026-engine-development-options/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/red-bull-awaits-an-fia-ruling-that-will-determine-its-remaining-2026-engine-development-options/ Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:45:02 GMT The FIA is expected to announce its second assessment of power-unit performance before the Italian Grand Prix, deciding whether Red Bull qualifies for extra development time and spending. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/china-emerges-as-a-possible-2027-formula-1-season-opener-amid-uncertainty-over-bahrain-and-saudi-arabia/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/china-emerges-as-a-possible-2027-formula-1-season-opener-amid-uncertainty-over-bahrain-and-saudi-arabia/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:31:13 GMT Formula 1 plans to begin 2027 with consecutive races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, but China is a leading alternative if the Middle East conflict prevents those events from proceeding. F1 expects to decide by the end of September whether the 2026 Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix can take place. The same assessment will influence the delayed provisional calendar for 2027. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/toto-wolff-backs-mercedes-line-up-after-max-verstappen-extends-his-red-bull-contract/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/toto-wolff-backs-mercedes-line-up-after-max-verstappen-extends-his-red-bull-contract/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT Verstappen's new agreement runs through 2030, replacing a deal that extended to 2028 but contained clauses that could have allowed him to leave in 2027. Wolff said he was not disappointed because Mercedes is committed to George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Russell and Antonelli occupy the top two places in the drivers' championship after the Dutch Grand Prix, reinforcing Wolff's confidence in Mercedes' current pairing. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/laurent-mekies-rejects-claims-about-max-verstappen-s-red-bull-salary-and-contract-decision/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/laurent-mekies-rejects-claims-about-max-verstappen-s-red-bull-salary-and-contract-decision/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:01:26 GMT Mekies said Nico Rosberg was wrong to suggest Verstappen would earn $80 million a year or that the team principal's leadership was a key reason for the driver's new commitment. Verstappen has extended his Red Bull contract through 2030. Mekies said the agreement reflected Verstappen's trust in the team's staff and increased Red Bull's responsibility to provide a car capable of fighting for victories. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/carlos-sainz-chose-a-long-term-williams-commitment-despite-offers-from-other-teams/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/carlos-sainz-chose-a-long-term-williams-commitment-despite-offers-from-other-teams/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:25:12 GMT Sainz said Williams remained his priority after the team confirmed a contract keeping him at Grove until at least 2027. He did not fully explore rival offers because he wanted to help the team recover from its performance decline. Sainz sought explanations about Williams' difficulties and its recovery plans before renewing. He said the current car had fundamental problems that the team must avoid repeating. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/sergio-perez-sees-progress-at-cadillac-despite-another-scoreless-race/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/sergio-perez-sees-progress-at-cadillac-despite-another-scoreless-race/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:25:36 GMT Perez finished 15th at Zandvoort but felt more comfortable after Cadillac changed parts and setup during the weekend. He said the car showed strong pace in clear air but remained up to one second short of the midfield. Valtteri Bottas retired with a hydraulic problem 11 laps from the finish, his sixth retirement in 12 races. Cadillac remains without a point in its first Formula 1 season. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/andrea-stella-says-oscar-piastri-must-adapt-his-driving-style-to-the-mclaren-mcl40/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/andrea-stella-says-oscar-piastri-must-adapt-his-driving-style-to-the-mclaren-mcl40/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:29:04 GMT Stella said low-grip conditions force Piastri to think through his inputs instead of driving instinctively, costing him several tenths of a second. He described the problem as technical rather than psychological. Piastri finished sixth at Zandvoort after losing pace on his second set of hard tyres. He has two podiums this season and has not won a race for a year. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/luke-browning-will-replace-alex-albon-in-opening-practice-at-monza/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/luke-browning-will-replace-alex-albon-in-opening-practice-at-monza/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:03:27 GMT Williams reserve driver Browning will make his second practice appearance of 2026 at the Italian Grand Prix. His planned Barcelona run was lost to an electrical problem, but he later finished 18th in practice in Austria. The 24-year-old joined the Williams academy in 2023 and became reserve driver before the 2026 season while also racing in Japan's Super Formula series. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/the-fia-grants-extra-engine-development-opportunities-to-mercedes-audi-ferrari-and-honda/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-26/the-fia-grants-extra-engine-development-opportunities-to-mercedes-audi-ferrari-and-honda/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:22:36 GMT Red Bull-Ford remained the combustion-engine benchmark after the FIA assessed performance from the Australian through Hungarian Grands Prix. Mercedes may complete one additional homologation in 2026 and another in 2027. Audi, Ferrari and Honda may each complete two additional homologations in 2026 and two more in 2027. The next review will cover rounds from the Dutch to Mexico City Grands Prix. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-25/max-verstappen-will-race-100-karting-rivals-at-silverstone/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-25/max-verstappen-will-race-100-karting-rivals-at-silverstone/ Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:08:52 GMT Verstappen will start behind all 100 opponents on a specially designed Silverstone course on September 16. Red Bull plans to select participants from sport, entertainment and an international group of fans. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-25/guenther-steiner-says-he-remained-at-haas-for-two-years-too-long/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-25/guenther-steiner-says-he-remained-at-haas-for-two-years-too-long/ Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:09:11 GMT Steiner said his relationship with Gene Haas deteriorated after the team's early progress faded, and questioned whether the owner had lost interest in competing for stronger results. Haas entered Formula 1 with Steiner in charge in 2016 and finished fifth in the 2018 constructors' championship. The team replaced him with Ayao Komatsu before the 2024 season. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-25/haas-suffers-two-technical-retirements-at-the-dutch-grand-prix/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-25/haas-suffers-two-technical-retirements-at-the-dutch-grand-prix/ Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:57:02 GMT Oliver Bearman stopped on the formation lap after the red-flag restart, while Esteban Ocon retired later and triggered a Virtual Safety Car. Neither Haas driver had been running in the points. Bearman described a complete engine shutdown, while Ocon said his problem appeared related to the power unit. Haas plans to investigate both failures before introducing updates at the next race. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/franco-colapinto-calls-his-yellow-flag-overtaking-penalty-very-harsh/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/franco-colapinto-calls-his-yellow-flag-overtaking-penalty-very-harsh/ Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:51:16 GMT Franco Colapinto committed two yellow flag infringements during the Dutch Grand Prix and was given penalty points on his licence for each. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad were also penalised for failing to obey F1's yellow flag rules. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/nico-hulkenberg-avoids-gabriel-bortoleto-in-a-first-lap-zandvoort-near-miss/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/nico-hulkenberg-avoids-gabriel-bortoleto-in-a-first-lap-zandvoort-near-miss/ Sun, 23 Aug 2026 16:49:04 GMT Bortoleto spun at the final corner moments after passing his Audi teammate. Hulkenberg waited to judge the spinning car's direction before making an instinctive swerve on the wet track. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/carlos-sainz-accepts-blame-for-his-dutch-grand-prix-collision-with-alex-albon/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/carlos-sainz-accepts-blame-for-his-dutch-grand-prix-collision-with-alex-albon/ Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:32:30 GMT Sainz locked his front tyres while defending at Turn 1 and made contact with his Williams teammate, forcing Albon to retire. Sainz accepted his penalty as fair and apologised to the team. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/lewis-hamilton-says-ferrari-s-delayed-team-order-hurt-his-dutch-grand-prix/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/lewis-hamilton-says-ferrari-s-delayed-team-order-hurt-his-dutch-grand-prix/ Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:45:18 GMT Hamilton spent several laps behind Charles Leclerc despite believing he had more pace on fresher tyres. Leclerc pitted one lap after Ferrari's initial call, releasing Hamilton to continue his pursuit of the Mercedes drivers. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/fernando-alonso-scores-aston-martin-s-second-points-finish-of-the-season-at-zandvoort/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/fernando-alonso-scores-aston-martin-s-second-points-finish-of-the-season-at-zandvoort/ Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:21:10 GMT Alonso finished ninth as Honda introduced its upgraded power unit, scoring his first points since the Monaco Grand Prix. Adrian Newey congratulated him over the team radio after the finish. Alonso experienced radio communication problems during the race but said they did not affect Aston Martin's strategy. He described the car positively after securing two points. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/netflix-renews-formula-1-drive-to-survive-for-a-ninth-season/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/netflix-renews-formula-1-drive-to-survive-for-a-ninth-season/ Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:39:21 GMT The next season will follow the 2026 Formula 1 campaign. Box to Box Films will continue producing the series, which first appeared on Netflix in 2019. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/f1-academy-expands-its-2026-rookie-programme-with-a-new-training-camp/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-24/f1-academy-expands-its-2026-rookie-programme-with-a-new-training-camp/ Mon, 24 Aug 2026 15:50:41 GMT Eighteen female drivers will attend the Loughborough University camp from August 25 to 27 before completing an on-track rookie test at Circuito de Navarra from September 9 to 11. The camp includes physiological profiling, cognitive testing and performance workshops. At Navarra, the participants will join team briefings and engineering sessions before driving F1 Academy cars. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-23/dutch-race-result/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-23/dutch-race-result/ Sun, 23 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT Lando Norris wins the Dutch GP race ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-22/dutch-sprint-result/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-22/dutch-sprint-result/ Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT George Russell wins the Dutch GP sprint ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-22/dutch-qualifying-result/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-22/dutch-qualifying-result/ Sat, 22 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT Lando Norris takes Dutch GP pole ahead of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/lella-lombardi-remains-formula-1-s-most-recent-female-race-starter-50-years-later/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/lella-lombardi-remains-formula-1-s-most-recent-female-race-starter-50-years-later/ Fri, 14 Aug 2026 23:01:40 GMT Lombardi started the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix from 24th in a year-old Brabham and finished four laps behind winner John Watson. The race was her 12th and final Formula 1 start. A year earlier, Lombardi became the first and only woman to score in a Formula 1 Grand Prix, receiving half a point for sixth place in the shortened Spanish Grand Prix. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/liam-lawson-says-his-unusual-route-into-formula-1-strengthened-his-resilience/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/liam-lawson-says-his-unusual-route-into-formula-1-strengthened-his-resilience/ Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:00:31 GMT Lawson entered Formula 1 through reserve appearances across two seasons before earning a full-time opportunity. He said that unconventional path helped him handle pressure, although he still does not consider himself highly experienced. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/nico-rosberg-doubts-mercedes-would-have-fired-him-and-lewis-hamilton-in-2016/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/nico-rosberg-doubts-mercedes-would-have-fired-him-and-lewis-hamilton-in-2016/ Sat, 15 Aug 2026 05:00:24 GMT Rosberg acknowledged that Toto Wolff discussed disciplinary action with then-Mercedes chief Dieter Zetsche after the teammates collided at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, but said a one-race suspension was more likely than dismissal. Mercedes later required both drivers to share the cost of collision damage regardless of fault. Rosberg said he paid $360,000 for one crash under the agreement. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/kimi-antonelli-faces-the-greatest-risk-of-a-power-unit-grid-penalty/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/kimi-antonelli-faces-the-greatest-risk-of-a-power-unit-grid-penalty/ Sat, 15 Aug 2026 06:07:50 GMT Antonelli has reached his season allocation for the internal combustion engine, exhaust, energy store and control electronics. Using another of any of those components would bring a 10-place grid penalty. Isack Hadjar, Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz have already served power-unit penalties this season. Further allocation breaches would cost them five grid places per component. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/johnny-herbert-questions-whether-adrian-newey-can-reverse-aston-martin-s-struggles/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/johnny-herbert-questions-whether-adrian-newey-can-reverse-aston-martin-s-struggles/ Sat, 15 Aug 2026 07:00:25 GMT Herbert said Aston Martin's poor start to 2026 raised doubts about Newey, despite the designer's record of contributing to 26 world championships during his career. Aston Martin introduced its B-spec AMR26 in Hungary, where Fernando Alonso reached Q2 before finishing 14th, one place behind teammate Lance Stroll. https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/rachel-brookes-joins-motorsport-to-business-as-a-speaker-after-leaving-sky-sports-f1/ https://plainf1.com/2026-08-15/rachel-brookes-joins-motorsport-to-business-as-a-speaker-after-leaving-sky-sports-f1/ Sat, 15 Aug 2026 08:42:25 GMT Brookes has joined the organisation's roster for keynote speeches, conferences, corporate events and informal interviews. The broadcaster and author left Sky Sports before the Austrian Grand Prix after more than a decade with its Formula 1 team.