This week marked the start of a triple-header, with the first round kicking things off in Spain. The weekend was a testament to how close the competition has become in modern Formula One. There was also a lot of action off the track, with the Haas-Uralkali sponsorship dispute coming to a close, Mercedes calling the police over emails, and some news surrounding Alpine.
Mercedes has contacted the police to investigate anonymous emails accusing the team of sabotaging Lewis Hamilton’s car. The emails were forwarded to the same list of F1 and media personnel involved in the Red Bull WhatsApp scandal earlier this year. They claim to be a Mercedes team member and allege “systematic sabotaging” of Hamilton’s car, which could be “life-threatening to Lewis.” Team boss Toto Wolff has denied that the messages came from a team member and has rejected any allegations of sabotage. “I don’t know what some of the conspiracy theorists and lunatics think out there,” he said, speaking to the press during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend. “Lewis has been part of the team for 12 years. We have a friendship. We trust each other. We want to end this on a high. We want to celebrate the relationship.”
Arbitration between the Haas F1 Team and former title sponsor Uralkali over contract termination, with Haas being ordered to return some sponsorship money. The dispute revolves around the 2022 season, which saw Nikia Mazepin’s contract in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shortly before the start of the season. Uralkali, which is partly owned by Dmitry Mazepin, was also dropped as the title sponsor. The company alleges it paid Haas $13 million for the 2022 sponsorship deal, which it wants refunded. Uralkali was the first to make a statement on Thursday, insisting that the Swiss tribunal found Haas in violation of the contract and that the American F1 team was obligated to pay compensation to Uralkali. Haas released its statement on Sunday, claiming that the tribunal found the team had “just cause” to terminate the contract and that it had not breached the agreement. As a result, Haas is entitled to keep a portion of the sponsorship money for the period up to March 4 but must return the rest. The team is not required to pay any additional compensation to Uralkali.
Apple’s upcoming Formula One film starring Brad Pitt will be released in theatres internationally on June 25, 2025, and in North America on June 27 the same year. Pitt portrays a former driver returning to the grid with the fictional APXGP team. Filming began last year during some race weekends with collaboration from the current teams. The filming is expected to be completed at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Flavio Briatore has returned to Alpine as an Executive Advisor. He previously helped lead Benetton and Renault to multiple championships before being slapped with a lifetime ban for his involvement in the “Crashgate” scandal at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. This ban was overturned by a French court in 2010. According to a statement from the team, “Briatore will predominantly focus on top level areas of the team including: scouting top talents and providing insights on the driver market, challenging the existing project by assessing the current structure and advising on some strategic matters within the sport.” His appointment comes amidst pressure on the Alpine team after their terrible start to the 2024 season.
Alpine is reportedly exploring the possibility of becoming a customer team in 2026. The team is currently a works team for Renault, having been rebranded to the company’s sports car brand in 2021. The Renault power unit is not as performant as the competition, with the company having struggled since the introduction of the turbo-hybrid V6 engine a decade ago. With the engine regulations set to change in 2026, the company is reportedly evaluating whether it’s worth making the huge investment required to develop the engine. To avoid conflicts with competing car manufacturers, Red Bull is likely to be Alpine’s first choice although Red Bull has previously said that supplying customer teams may be a big ask in its infancy. Mercedes will have a free slot in their engine supplier lineup in 2026, with Aston Martin set to switch to Honda engines. If Alpine were to ditch the Renault engine to become a customer team but couldn’t find a supplier, the current regulations would require one of the existing engine suppliers to provide engines. However, this would most likely be Honda’s responsibility, as the only manufacturer with no customer teams.
Pre-season testing will likely stay in Bahrain despite Australia’s return as the host of the season opener. Pre-season testing used to be held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya until 2021 when Bahrain took over due to Australia’s absence from the calendar. Since Bahrain also took over as the season opener, it provided huge logistical gains, while the weather was more consistent. In 2025, the Australian Grand Prix will return to its role as the season-opening venue to accommodate for Ramadan. Although there has been some discussion about moving pre-season testing back to Barcelona, it’s unlikely to happen in 2025. The F1 teams still need to approve plans to keep pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The debate over flexible front wings was in full force this week, with reports suggesting that Red Bull and McLaren may be ready to file complaints against competitors Ferrari and Mercedes. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has denied that the team contacted the FIA about the matter. While some flexibility in the front wing is allowed, several tests are conducted during scrutineering to ensure they do not flex too much. Onboard cameras have shown that some teams may be pushing the limits to gain an advantage. It’s understood that the FIA does not currently have any plan to intervene.
The McLaren motorhome was evacuated on Saturday morning when a fire broke out. The incident happened before the final free practice session at the rear of the motorhome near the kitchen area. Pirelli staff were some of the first on the scene, bringing fire extinguishers to assist. The circuit fire team was quick to respond with fire trucks and ambulances. All team members, guests, media personnel, and the two drivers were evacuated safely. One team member was transported to hospital as a precaution but was released later that day. The team hopes that the required repairs will be completed before the Belgian Grand Prix.
Aston Martin was reprimanded by the stewards after Lance Stroll failed to attend a mandatory fan engagement activity before the first free practice session. His attendance was required under article 19.2.c of the FIA Formula One Sporting regulations. The Canadian was unable to attend the event due to a conflict with an unscheduled medical appointment to address some health issues that arose in the morning. The excuse was enough to keep Stroll safe from punishment, but the team was reprimanded for failing to follow the standard procedure to report Stroll’s planned absence.
Lando Norris topped the first practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, the first race in a European triple-header. Many teams were eager to hit the track at the start of the session, with many looking to shakedown their upgrades. Oliver Bearman participated in the session behind the wheel at Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas as part of a planned junior test. The session was briefly red-flagged when a piece of debris from Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin fell onto the circuit. Many drivers complained of traffic issues on the congested circuit in the closing stages. Sergio Perez complained about a throttle issue during the session and Max Verstappen suffered from a supposed clutch issue near the end, although the Dutchman’s fastest time was quick enough to put him 0.024 seconds behind the leading McLaren.
The second free practice session was another close one, with 0.055 seconds separating the top three: Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, and Lando Norris, respectively. Lap times dropped once the teams exchanged their medium and hard tyres for the faster soft tyres in the latter half of the session. Pierre Gasly had a strong showing in his Alpine, finishing P4, which the team hopes is a sign of things to come as they work to recover from a poor start to the season.
The final free practice session was another showcase of how close the grid has become, with Carlos Sainz narrowly leading the way. Only 0.074 seconds separated P4 from the leader, as the teams shifted focus to the critical qualifying runs in preparation for the afternoon’s session. Lewis Hamilton made contact with Lance Stroll at the apex of turn 5. The seven-time World Champion admitted he didn’t see the Aston Martin. Another incident at the end of the session had people scratching their heads when Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris rubbed wheels after the checkered flag had been waved. Norris appeared to yield to the faster-moving Ferrari, but Leclerc turned across.
Qualifying was equally as close as the weekend’s practice session, with Lando Norris narrowly securing his second career pole position ahead of Max Verstappen. RB appeared to struggle during Q1, failing to make it out of the knockout zone. It was the opposite story for Alpine, which saw both cars make it to Q3 for the first time this season. Oscar Piastri failed to complete a lap in Q3, running through the gravel at turn 12 during his only attempt. Sergio Perez qualified P8 but dropped to P11 on the grid thanks to the three-place grid penalty he picked up at the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks ago. Mercedes locked out the second row of the grid with Lewis Hamilton having out-qualified George Russell. Charles Leclerc led Carlos Sainz in a Ferrari third-row lockout.
Max Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix, despite pressure at the start and end of the race. Lando Norris had a good start from pole, but it was not enough to cover off Verstappen on the run down to the first corner. George Russell took the lead around the outside of the first corner after a fantastic getaway. It was short-lived, with Verstappen taking the early lead with the help of DRS. During the first round of pitstops, McLaren opted to extend Lando Norris’ stint in a bid to challenge for the lead, giving him fresher tyres to fight for position. Norris was forced to cover off undercut threats in the second round of pitstops and, although he closed the gap to Verstappen significantly in the closing laps, had to settle for second position. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton made his first podium appearance this season when he overtook his teammate in the third stint. Mercedes had fitted the hard compound tyres to Russell’s car, which proved to be much slower than the other compounds. Click here to read a full recap of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Spain marks the first race in a back-to-back-to-back stint. Next up on the calendar is the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, which is set to take place on June 30. It’s a sprint weekend, providing fans with even more racing action.
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.
