It was a busy week in the Formula One newsroom, with multiple headlines coming from the driver markets, as the pieces begin to fall into place for the 2026 driver lineup. The FIA also shared a concept car based on the pending 2026 regulations, leading to mixed reactions from the teams. On top of all this, it was a race week in Canada.
Sergio Perez signed a contract extension to stay with Red Bull for two more years. The new deal will see the Mexican alongside Max Verstappen until at least the end of 2026. Perez joined Red Bull in 2021, having been shuffled out of his seat at Aston Martin in favour of four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel. A recent slump in performance had many fans questioning whether Red Bull would retain Perez beyond 2024, especially with other free agents available like Carlos Sainz. They opted to keep Perez, citing the importance of “continuity and stability” as well as a “successful and robust partnership” with Verstappen.
RB has renewed Yuki Tsunoda’s contract for 2025. The announcement came less than an hour before qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix and just days after Red Bull confirmed Perez’s contract extension. Tsunoda was one of the drivers rumoured to be on the shortlist for Perez’s seat had it become available. This is the Japanese driver’s fourth season with the team, having joined back in 2021. It is unknown who will be his partner, with Daniel Ricciardo yet to secure a contract beyond 2024.
Alpine announced they will part ways with Esteban Ocon at the end of the 2024 season. Although it’s unlikely to be the core reason behind the announcement, it comes just two weeks after the current Alpine duo collided at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix. Ocon joined the team (then racing as Renault) in 2020, earning his first and only career victory the following year at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He has yet to confirm his next career move but vows to do so “very soon”. Many teams still have yet to confirm their full 2025 lineups, including Mercedes, whose junior team Ocon was previously a part of. Alpine also claims it will announce its 2025 lineup in “due course”, with Pierre Gasly’s current contract set to expire at the end of the season.
The FIA revealed a new concept car for the 2026 regulations ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix. The new car is 30kg lighter, 20cm shorter and 10cm thinner than the current cars and has narrower tyres. It aims to address several issues with the current iteration of the cars. To help cars follow closer, downforce has been reduced by 30% and drag by 55%. Active aerodynamics have been added to the wings to help minimize the impact of dirty air. Less emphasis on the ground effect from the floor will reduce the benefit of running overly stiff and low setups. A smaller front wing has also eliminated the need for wheel arches. The 2026 regulations have yet to be approved by the teams and that is not expected to happen until the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting on June 28.
The reaction from the teams towards the new proposed regulations was mixed, with many teams bringing up an assortment of concerns as the deadline to finalize the new rules looms ever closer. Some teams have suggested that the reduction in downforce could make the new cars very slow, while others feel that teams will struggle to meet the new reduced minimum weight. Safety concerns regarding the automation of the proposed active aerodynamic elements have also been raised. While the FIA International Sporting Code requires the FIA to publish a finalized version of the rules by June 30, a proposal to delay the rule publication until October. It would have no impact on next year’s development since teams cannot work on the 2026 car until January 2025, but one team opposed the delay. However, it’s possible that the FIA can still delay the rules until October with support from only the majority of the teams under exceptional circumstances.
Jack Doohan participated in the first free practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix, leaving Esteban Ocon watching from the sidelines. Doohan, the Alpine reserve driver and part of their junior programme, has participated in a variety of practice sessions with the team since 2022. Unfortunately, a rain-affected session saw the young Australian complete only three untimed laps on this occasion.
Lando Norris topped the timing charts in the first free practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix, although it was a session severely impacted by rain. The predicted rain and hail storm hit the circuit before the session but eased up in time for the start. However large amounts of standing water around the circuit limited the running. When cars finally began to venture out on the track, it was apparent just how slick the newly resurfaced circuit was. The session was red-flagged after Zhou Guanyu slid into the wall, damaging his suspension. When it resumed, the teams rushed onto the track and a dry racing line quickly appeared. In the closing minutes of the session, Charles Leclerc put on a set of slick tyres and other drivers followed to set dry times as they crossed the finish line.
Fernando Alonso set the quickest time in free practice two ahead of George Russell and Lance Stroll. The session started dry but grey clouds loomed over the circuit, eventually producing rain. Even after the rain stopped and track conditions began to improve, Alonso’s early pace could not be beaten. Max Verstappen suffered a rare mechanical issue in his Red Bull after only four laps of running, forcing him to sit out most of the session.
Free practice three marked the first proper slick tyre running of the weekend, although clouds did threaten the session. Zhou Guanyu brought out the red flag for the second consecutive day, spinning into the barriers at the first corner. Max Verstappen showed a strong pace, looking to make up for lost time after his FP2 misfortune. But it was Lewis Hamilton who would set the time to beat, with both Mercedes looking strong with their upgraded front wing.
George Russell secured pole position in qualifying on Saturday afternoon, despite Max Verstappen setting an identical time. Although rain was forecast for late in qualifying, it never materialized, allowing the drivers to unleash their full potential. Sergio Perez was the shock exit from Q1, which was surely not how he was hoping to celebrate his contract renewal. Many drivers complained about traffic in Q1, although the stewards didn’t punish any drivers. Ferrari was surprised to find both of their cars knocked out at the end of Q2. Russell set a fastest lap of 1:12.000 in Q3 just a few moments before Max Verstappen set the same time, an event that has only happened one other time in F1 history. Since Russell set the time first, he was given pole position while Verstappen had to settle for a front-row start. Both McLarens locked out the second row of the grid, while Daniel Ricciardo had a strong showing to put himself in the top five alongside Fernando Alonso.
The race started in wet conditions, allowing George Russell to maintain his lead in the opening laps. The Haas drivers impressed early on, taking the gamble on wet tyres for the start and charging through the field as a reward. Kevin Magnussen reached as high as P4 before the wet tyres lost their advantage on the rapidly drying circuit, although a subsequent slow pit stop would undo all of his early progress. Max Verstappen challenged Russell for the lead under the drier conditions, but a mistake in the first corner promoted Lando Norris to P2. Norris proved to be strong in the conditions, quickly climbing to the lead of the race. A poorly timed safety car when Logan Sargeant spun at the exit of turn four dropped Norris to P3 when everyone pitted for new intermediate tyres. Charles Leclerc, who had been suffering from an engine issue since the opening laps of the race, gambled for a set of slicks when the race but the rain returned when the race restarted and he eventually retired. After the track dried for a second time, drivers transitioned to the slick tyres but Norris waited a lap too long and lost the lead during his pit stop. A second safety car was deployed when Carlos Sainz spun in turn six and collected Alex Albon. Sergio Perez had crashed out of the race in that corner a lap prior. Mercedes pitted for fresh tyres under the safety car, giving them a chance to push late in the race. Russell was able to climb to the podium with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris ahead of him. Click here to read the full race report.
Sergio Perez was handed a three-place grid penalty for his solo crash at the Canadian Grand Prix. The Mexican driver was one of many drivers to suffer an issue after hitting a wet patch in turn six late in the race. This sent his Red Bull spinning into the barriers, severely damaging his rear wing. He limped back to the pit lane to retire, as requested by the team to avoid bringing out the safety car. The stewards felt this was unsafe, as it shed carbon fibre debris around the circuit. As a result, the stewards have handed Perez a three-place grid penalty for the next race and given the team a €25,000 fine. The team’s efforts were ultimately in vain, as Carlos Sainz brought out the safety car when he crashed in the same corner the following lap.
The organizers of the Canadian Grand Prix have been reprimanded by the FIA for lax security that allowed spectators to flood onto the circuit at the end of the race. The stewards found that the event organizers had failed “to take reasonable measures, thus resulting in an unsafe situation”, breaching article 12.2.1.h of the FIA International Sporting Code. The promoters admitted that the security precautions at the event were not robust enough. The organizers must now present a formal remediation plan to the FIA by September 30.
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