The Monaco Grand Prix has renewed its contract to remain on the Formula One calendar until 2031. The venue’s current contract was set to expire at the end of 2025, with many fans speculating about the future of the event as other venues fight for a spot on the calendar. The event, which is one of the sport’s crown jewels, has been heavily criticized for a lack of entertainment due to the narrow nature of the street circuit. But it seems that compromises may have been made to keep the venue’s F1 future alive. The Monaco Grand Prix will be moved to the start of June, no longer clashing with the Indianapolis 500. It has also been rumoured that the event organizers agreed to pay a significantly higher sanctioning fee.
Alpine has officially reached an agreement with Mercedes to use the Mercedes power unit and gearbox for 2026 and beyond. The deal has been widely speculated about since Renault announced they were abandoning their power unit at the end of 2025. The multi-year deal will run until at least 2030. It is believed that Renault will reevaluate using their gearboxes in 2027.
Red Bull has been cleared of any wrongdoing related to the controversial front bid adjuster on their car. This was just one of the many cheating allegations made this season, which insisted that a hidden adjustment device could be used to adjust the ride height of the car and that this device had been used to make illegal adjustments to the car between qualifying and the race. Senior FIA personnel visited Red Bull’s base in Milton Keynes to investigate the issue further, finding no breach of the regulations.
Greg Maffei, Liberty Media’s president and CEO, will leave the company by the end of the year. He has been with the company since 2005 and will be temporarily replaced by Liberty Media chairman John Malone. While no parties involved have given a reason for the split, it comes as Formula One finds itself amidst an investigation by the United States Department of Justice for anti-competitive practices. This stems from the sport’s rejection of Andretti’s application to join the sport in 2026. Mario Andretti, father of team owner Michael, alleges that Maffei told him he would “do everything in [his] power to see that Michael never enters Formula 1” during a conversation at this year’s Miami Grand Prix. Maffei will remain at Liberty Media in an advisory role to oversee a smooth transition of power.
Formula One race director Niels Wittich has stepped down with immediate effect. An FIA statement confirmed the news on Tuesday, insisting the German had left to “pursue new opportunities”. Wittich, who previously worked as DTM’s race director, was recruited to replace Michael Masi after the controversial 2021 season. Rui Marques, currently the Formula 2 and Formula 3 race director, will take over Wittich’s role from the Las Vegas Grand Prix onward.
Driver-turned-commentator Damon Hill has left the Sky Sports broadcasting team ahead of the final stint in the 2024 season. The 64-year-old 1996 world champion has been with the company for 13 years, saying in a statement on social media that he is “looking forward to new challenges”. Some media outlets, including Sky Sports, have come under fire in recent months for alleged bias against Max Verstappen. Hill was recently criticized by fans for calling Verstappen’s penalty-earning move at the Mexican Grand Prix “daft and Dick Dastardly stuff”, doubling down on the comments in the days that followed. It’s unclear what Hill’s next chapter will be.
Aston Martin’s technical director Dan Fallows has stepped down from his role with immediate effect, although he will remain with the Aston Martin brand. Fallows was recruited for 2022 from his role at Red Bull as chief engineer. He oversaw the team’s brief increase in performance in 2023, although the team has since slumped back to its previous form. The team has not announced who, or if, Fallows will be replaced.
All 10 teams will unveil their 2025 liveries at the O2 Arena in London, with tickets selling out in just 45 minutes. The event, set for February 18, will mark the start of Formula One’s landmark 75th season. It will be the first time all teams will simultaneously reveal their liveries, with teams previously hosting individual launch events before pre-season testing. With ticket prices ranging from £58 to £113, the event was designed to be accessible for fans, comparable to other similar events in the region. After selling out online, some ticket listings have already appeared online with inflated pricing, leading the sport to warn fans that tickets purchased through unofficial resale platforms will not be valid.
Carlos Sainz has been permitted to test the current-spec Williams for the first time in the post-season Abu Dhabi tyre test at the end of the season. He will be making the switch to Williams for 2025 after being released from Ferrari in favour of Lewis Hamilton. Because the Spaniard is still under contract with Ferrari until the end of the year, he had to seek approval from Ferrari. While Sainz already has experience with the current-spec F1 cars, participating in the test is a good opportunity for him to begin getting to know his new team.
Lewis Hamilton had been ruled out of participating in the post-season Abu Dhabi tyre test due to outstanding end-of-year promotional commitments. One of these appearances includes an event for Petronas, the Mercedes team’s title sponsor, which is scheduled on the same day as the tyre test. Hamilton will be moving to Ferrari in 2025, leaving a successful stint at Mercedes. Although there will be no chance for Hamilton to drive a current-spec Ferrari, he will have a go in the 2022 F1-75 before the start of pre-season testing, likely at Ferrari’s private Fiorano test circuit. This would be permitted under the current “Testing of Previous Cars” regulations.
Pirelli’s 2026 wet tyres made their track debut during a two-day tyre test at Magny-Cours, although technical issues with the car limited the laps completed. The test was held in collaboration with Alpine, which provided a modified version of their 2023 car and their reserve driver Jack Doohan. Technical issues on the first day saw the Australian run only 47 laps, while he logged 106 laps the following day. The circuit was artificially watered for the running. This is the final time that Pirelli will run the 2026 cars this year, having run three other tests in 2024.
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.
