Formula One was back in action this week in Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. It was an emotional weekend filled with tributes to remember the tragic events that unfolded at this circuit 30 years ago. Off the track, there was some news in the driver markets, staffing changes, potential regulation changes, and rumours of a new American race.
Haas is suing Guenther Steiner for trademark infringements in his book Surviving To Drive. The lawsuit accuses Steiner and publisher Ten Speed Press of using images containing Haas trademarks and trade dress without consent, including on the book’s cover, and is seeking a jury trial. This seemingly tit-for-tat lawsuit comes just days after Steiner filed a lawsuit against Haas for unpaid commissions from as far back as 2021.
Alex Albon has extended his contract long-term, keeping him at Williams for 2026 and beyond. Although the exact duration of the contract was not revealed, it has been called a “multi-year” deal. “It has been a difficult start to the year but since joining Williams we have made significant progress together and I have seen the huge changes happening behind the scenes to take us back to the front of the grid,” Albon explained in a press release. Williams and Sauber are the only teams yet to score a point this season.
Ferrari has officially confirmed that two former Mercedes employees will join the team later this year as part of a contra deal with the German team. Loic Serra, the former performance director at Mercedes, will join Ferrari as head of chassis performance engineering. Jerome d’Ambrosio, former F1 driver turned Mercedes driver development director, will become deputy team principal at Ferrari. Both personnel will start their new roles on October 1.
Mercedes is set to shuffle its aerodynamic department thanks to two new arrivals from Ferrari. Simone Resta, format chief designer at Ferrari, will become Mercedes’ strategic development director. Enrico Sampo, who formerly worked in Ferrari’s simulator department, will become head of performance software applications at Mercedes. Both new hires will be available to work on October 1. Additionally, Mercedes’ chief aerodynamicist Gioacchino Vino will depart the team after a six-year tenure.
The tactics of Kevin Magnussen in Saudi Arabia and Miami have prompted an investigation into a potential rule change in the future. Magnussen racked up multiple penalties in these races for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, preventing other drivers from challenging his teammate. The Dane was investigated for unsportsmanlike behaviour in Miami but was subsequently cleared, although the stewards did note the need for a rule change. This change would allow stewards to give repeat offenders a drive-thru penalty. The matter was discussed at the team manager’s meeting ahead of the race in Imola, but the decision was deferred to allow for further analysis. The next discussion will take place at the next Sporting Advisory Committee meeting.
The FIA is seeking a lighter Halo design for 2026 in a bid to reduce the cars’ weight. In recent years, the cars have become increasingly heavier, weighing at least 800kg. The FIA is searching for a supplier to produce a new Halo from titanium alloy, which will shave roughly 1kg off the Halo’s 7g weight. The new Halo will be provided from 2026 to 2030 and is part of a bigger goal of reducing the overall weight by 40-50kg.
Formula One could be looking to explore new engine options for 2030 and beyond in an effort to make the engines louder. This has been a big complaint since the sport transitioned to the current V6 turbocharged hybrid engines in 2014. Despite some improvements in that area, many fans still long for the noise of the V8 era. Speaking ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said, “It is a personal consideration of mine, not yet shared with the teams, even if we have spoken about it with the FIA, that if sustainable fuels work, we will need to carefully evaluate whether to continue with hybrid (technology) or whether better solutions will be available.” The deadline to finalize the 2026 regulations is June 30, but they could be completed as early as June 1.
The rumour mill was flooded with unfounded claims that F1 had reached a contract with Chicago to host a race in 2026. The rumours appear to have stemmed from a social media account claiming to have insider knowledge, insisting that a Chicago Grand Prix night race set to be held ahead of the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix would be announced in the “next few weeks”. Subsequent investigations from various media outlets have since shut down the speculation, easing the minds of the many fans who were outraged by the prospect of a fourth American race and another street race on the calendar. As reported by Racing Clothesline earlier this year, F1 did register a trademark for the Chicago Grand Prix, but that does not guarantee a race will ever be held there, as they also hold trademarks for races in New York, London, Nice, Rio de Janeiro, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland, and Bulgaria.
Formula One held a special tribute for Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at the Imola Grand Prix, led by former driver Sebastian Vettel. Both drivers were killed during the dark 1994 San Marino Grand Prix weekend. Ratzenberger was killed during qualifying while Senna died during the race. This year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix marks 30 years since those tragic events. Vettel worked with the Senna family to organize a track run on Thursday, which included tributes at the grid and the infamous Tamburello corner, where Senna suffered his fatal crash. Before the race on Sunday, Vettel drove a lap around the circuit in the McLaren MP4/8, clutching the Brazilian and Austrian flags in his hand. The lap had a special significance, as Senna had allegedly planned to perform the same tribute for Ratzenberger at the end of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. It was a touching moment for all those who knew and admired the two late drivers.
Max Verstappen received some criticism from fans for wearing his Red Bull uniform during the tribute for Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. While most others wore special Senna T-shirts, Verstappen stood front and center holding the Brazilian flag. Some fans claimed the reigning World Champion was being disrespectful, with some more conspiratorial fans claiming it was to support Nelson Piquet, the father of his girlfriend Kelly, who had a rivalry with Senna. Other fans jumped to the defence of the Dutchman insisting that he was late to the tribute due to media obligations. Some even claimed his shirt was stolen. It’s worth noting that Verstappen did wear a tribute button on his shirt and that Valtteri Bottas also did not wear a tribute shirt, seen in the far left of the photos wearing his biking kit, still mounted atop his bicycle.
It was a busy weekend for Max Verstappen, who claimed victory in the virtual Nurburgring 24 Hours race with Team Redline. He competed using a new simulator rig that he has been bringing with him for the European rounds of the championship. He completed one of his stints prior to qualifying on Saturday.
Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets at the end of the first free practice session at Imola, as Formula One returns to its usual weekend format. It was a busy hour of practice as most teams put their new upgrade packages to the test. Oliver Bearman was back in a Formula One for the first of his practice outings this season, taking over Kevin Magnussen’s Haas. Alex Albon brought out the red flags a third of the way through the session, parking on the circuit with a mechanical failure. George Russell was second fastest narrowly ahead of Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari. Sergio Perez was marginally ahead of teammate Max Verstappen, who was complaining about the balance of the car.
The end of free practice two again saw Charles Leclerc at the top of the table, this time ahead of McLaren youngster Oscar Piastri and RB driver Yuki Tsunoda. Both Red Bulls were P7 and P8, struggling to find the pace around the circuit. Both Williams cars spent most of the opening half of the session in the garage after Albon’s gremlins in the previous session. Nico Hulkenberg also struggled with reliability issues, returning to the garage after his opening laps.
It was McLaren’s turn to lead a session, recording a 1-2 in the final free practice session. The session was red-flagged on two occasions. The first was for Sergio Perez, who took too much kerb in the chicane and skidded off into the barriers. The second was thrown when Fernando Alonso lost the rear of his Aston Martin in the penultimate corner and spun through the gravel into the barriers. Both Ferraris were behind the McLaren’s, followed by George Russell in the Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton appeared to struggle in the session, finishing only 17th after complaining of ride height issues.
Max Verstappen rebounded from his disappointing pace earlier in the weekend to take pole position in qualifying. He was set to be joined by Oscar Piastri on the front row, but a three-place grid penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen promoted Lando Norris to P2. Good work from the Aston Martin garage ensured Fernando Alonso’s car was ready for qualifying, the Spaniard was not able to make it into Q2. To make matters worse, he was required to start from the pitlane during the race due to changes made in parc ferme. Sergio Perez was a shock exit in Q2, failing to better his P11 time. Daniel Ricciardo, who narrowly beat out Perez in Q2, appeared to bail out of the car at the end of Q2 for a comfort break, allowing him to only make a single lap in Q3.
The race was won by Max Verstappen, who managed to fend off a challenge from Lando Norris in the closing stages. He created an early gap to the cars behind but began to struggle for pace near the end of the race. The one-stop race was relatively orderly at a circuit that proved difficult to overtake on. There were plenty of points in the race in which it looked as though a battle may begin, although none of them came to fruition. Starting on the back foot after a poor qualifying performance, Sergio Perez’s race result of only P8 was enough for Charles Leclerc to take second in the World Drivers’ Championship. Click here to read the full recap of the race.
Next on the calendar is the Monaco Grand Prix, where the drivers will navigate their cars through the tight and twisting streets of the principality. The race will be held next weekend on May 26.
It can be challenging for even the most avid fans to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One. The Weekly F1 Recap is a series published each Monday that breaks down the action, both on and off the circuit, into bit-sized pieces. It's perfect for casual and experienced fans alike.
