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The Japanese Grand Prix is only the third race of the new Formula 1 season, but it will be last one for five weeks with events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia called off because of the war in Iran. The next F1 race is not until May 3 in Miami. Here's what we've learned so far from races in Australia and China with the Japanese GP set for Sunday: Mercedes and Ferrari have adapted best to Formula's 1 most radical change in power and chassis in more than a decade. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have won each of the first two races, and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have flip-flopped finishing third and fourth. Mercedes and Ferrari are the favorites on Suzuka's figure-eight circuit, located in central Japan and among F1's most storied venues. Suzuka is a vastly different circuit from Australia - a street course in Melbourne - and Shanghai, which resembles many of the newer Formula 1 venues. Suzuka is old-school - narrow, twisting with only one major straightaway for ...
Formula 1 and its governing body FIA said the Grand Prix races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not happen in April because of safety concerns related to the Iran war. Both countries have been struck during Iran's response after the United States and Israel launched a wave of attacks on Iran. The announcement was made early Sunday morning in Shanghai ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. "Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April," F1 said. "While several alternatives were considered, it was ultimately decided that no substitutions will be made in April." F1 was due to race in Bahrain on April 12 and in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on April 19. "While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East," said Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of F1. The FIA said the two races "will not take place in April"
Lewis Hamilton says he is "incredibly grateful" to Ferrari for letting him guide the development of the car that put him back on a Grand Prix podium for the first time since 2024. Hamilton's third-place finish at the Chinese Grand Prix followed a race-long battle with teammate Charles Leclerc and what Hamilton called "just a kiss" of contact between the pair. It ended a long wait for a finish in the top three for Hamilton in a full Formula 1 race since his blockbuster move from Mercedes, which took the win Sunday with the driver who replaced him at the team, Kimi Antonelli. "To see them listen and put some of those things that I'd asked for on the car I'm just incredibly grateful to them for listening on that side of things," Hamilton said. "It just makes you feel more united with everyone because you're moving in the same direction. I'm looking forward to getting back next week to (Ferrari HQ in) Maranello and seeing everybody. Big, big push." Hamilton's first year with Ferrari w
George Russell praised his Mercedes as a "joy to drive" as he took pole for the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix on Friday to continue his team's dominant start to the new era of Formula 1. Russell is the driver to beat in Shanghai after his dominant win in Australia last week. With teammate Kimi Antonelli qualifying second and no other team close, Mercedes is on target for another 1-2 finish in Saturday's sprint, which is followed by qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix. "The car has been feeling amazing," Russell said. "The engine is performing really well and today it was a real joy to drive." Lando Norris was 0.621 of a second adrift, a vast gap in F1 terms, in third for McLaren. Only Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari in fourth and Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri in fifth got within a second of Russell's time. Hamilton might be the biggest threat to the Mercedes pair because the Ferrari is quick off the line, which allowed teammate Charles Leclerc to jump into the lead in Australia l
Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen is taking on a "bucket list" challenge as he prepares to tackle his first 24-hour sportscar race at the historic Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit. Verstappen and his sportscar racing team said Monday that he plans to take on the storied endurance race in May, sharing a Red Bull -liveried Mercedes-AMG GT3 car with teammates Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer. "The Nurburgring Nordschleife is a special place. There's no other track like it," Verstappen said. "The 24h Nurburgring is a race that's been on my bucket list for a long time, so I'm really thrilled we can make it happen now." Running nearly 13 miles (20.8 kilometers) through wooded German hills, with more than 150 corners and barriers often close to the track, the Nordschleife layout at the Nurburgring is known for high-risk thrills. F1 hasn't used it since 1976, when then-reigning champion Niki Lauda suffered severe burns in a crash. Verstappen made his debut at the ..
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson is looking forward to the start of the new Formula 1 season in Melbourne this weekend, although he says the new-era cars are not "super fun" to drive. Lawson is hoping to build on a troubled 2025 season in which he lasted only two races with Red Bull before being demoted to the sister Racing Bulls team. He had mixed results and was outshone by his teammate Isack Hadjar who has now joined Max Verstappen at Red Bull. Lawson was the last driver to have his place on the 2026 grid confirmed and has been joined at Racing Bulls by rookie Arvid Lindblad. In a New Zealand radio interview Tuesday, Lawson said new regulations which have brought in hybrid power units and different aero setups have been "challenging." "In some ways the car moves around quite a bit more and, it depends on how you look at it, that can be more enjoyable," he said. "But obviously we're trying to extract every bit of lap time out of the car and in some ways it feels like you can't atta
Formula One 's governing body has reached a compromise with manufacturers that changes the way the compression ratio will be measured midway through this season and in the 2027 season. New engine rules set out a compression ratio of 16:1 - a measurement of how tightly the pistons squeeze the mixture of fuel and air before it ignites, and therefore how much power can be generated. The regulations include a test to stop teams exceeding 16:1, but the checks happen at "ambient temperature." Some rival teams have suggested Mercedes found a way for components to behave differently when they heat up during use, beating the test, though Mercedes says its engine is fully legal. The compromise announced Saturday means the compression ratio will be controlled in both hot and cold conditions from June 1 and only when hot from the 2027 season thereafter. There are seven F1 races before the June 1 test. "The regulations introduced for 2026 represent one of the biggest changes in recent memory,
The Adani Group is working on strategies to restart the Formula 1 motor sport at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Karan Adani, the MD of Adani Cement said on Saturday. According to official sources, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently visited the circuit and held talks with officials from Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority. "I'm very excited... obviously the Buddh circuit comes (as) part of the deal. I'm very personally engaged in terms of bringing Formula 1 back into India. I think India has a lot of potential. There's a lot of following in Formula 1 from India, " Adani, who is also the MD of Adani Ports & SEZ, said while speaking at the 70th Foundation Day of All India Management Association (AIMA) in the national capital. The Adani Group is in the fray to buy the troubled Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) -- the flagship company of the Jaypee Group. In November 2025, the infrastructure-to-energy group won majority lenders' vote for takeover
Max Verstappen took pole position for the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Formula 1 title rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on Saturday. The thrilling three-way battle will be decided on Sunday at the Yas Marina Circuit. The McLaren driver Norris is 12 points ahead of Red Bull's Verstappen and 16 ahead of McLaren teammate Piastri. Verstappen is aiming for his fifth straight F1 title Norris and Piastri are chasing their first. All three drivers have won seven races. Pole position is crucial in Abu Dhabi, with every driver winning from pole since 2015. Verstappen had already set the fastest lap on his first go but went even quicker on his second attempt and set a lap time of 1 minute, 22.207 seconds, making him .201 faster than Norris and .230 quicker than Piastri. That was insane, Verstappen said over team radio after his eighth pole of the season and 48th overall. Yes. Lovely. Verstappen kissed his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet, and shook hands with McLaren CEO Zak .
Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri will be able to zoom past his own grandstand in next year's Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne's Albert Park. The Australian GP announced late Monday that the Piastri Grandstand would be located on the main straight, opposite pit lane. The 24-year-old Piastri, born and raised in Melbourne, leads the F1 championship this year with with 14 of the 24 races completed. He placed second to his McLaren teammate Lando Norris at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Aug. 3. Piastri will join a number of other Australian drivers who have a grandstand named for them, including Jack Brabham, Alan Jones, Daniel Ricciardo and Mark Webber. It feels very surreal, and I never thought this would happen but the support is incredible and I can't wait to see it all come together next March," Piastri said. Seeing all the fans in my own grandstand directly opposite the McLaren garage is going to be an amazing experience and I'm really looking forward to feeling the energ