The South African government has begun the process of finding a potential organizer that could see the South African Grand Prix return to F1 as early as 2026. The government has formed the F1 Bid Steering Committee (BSC) comprising 12 members to help manage and assess potential candidates. From the government’s criteria, it is seeking a circuit located close to a major city with an emphasis on public transportation and renewable energy in line with Formula One’s sustainability initiatives. The circuit must also have a capacity of 125,000 spectators and be between 4.5 and 5.5km long with a straight of at least 1km. Bidding race organizers should have the resources to host an annual race for 10 years starting as early as 2026. Kyalami, which hosted the race until 1993, is a likely contender, but the Cape Town Grand Prix SA is believed to also be in the running. The committee will make a shortlist of candidates after all bids are submitted at the end of the month.
The FIA has revised the International Sporting Code for 2025, introducing significant financial and sporting penalties to combat swearing. The topic gained a lot of attention last year after Max Verstappen was punished for swearing during a press conference. In addition to penalizing drivers who use “Any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motor sport and on the values defended by the FIA,” the FIA also lists penalties for “misconduct”, which it defines as “the general use of language (written or verbal), gesture and/or sign that is offensive, insulting, coarse, rude or abusive and might reasonably be expected or be perceived to be coarse or rude or to cause offense, humiliation or to be inappropriate, assaulting (elbowing, kicking, punching, hitting, etc.), or incitement to do any of the above.” According to the latest version of the Stewards Penalty Guidelines, first-time offenders can expect a €40,000 fine. Committing a second violation will earn the driver a €80,000 fine and a one-month suspension, which they will not need to serve unless they commit another similar violation. A third offence will land the driver in serious trouble, with a €120,000 fine, a one-month suspension, and an unspecified deduction of Championship points. Offences will be valid for two years.
The Haas F1 Team has made extensive staff changes ahead of its 2025 campaign. Laura Mueller has been promoted to become Esteban Ocon’s race engineer, while Ronan O’Hare will become Oliver Bearman’s race engineer. Carine Cridelich will become the team’s first head of race strategy once she joins the team in March from her current position on RB. Francesco Nenci will take over the role of chief race engineer, which was previously held by now-team principal Ayao Komatsu. Nenci brings engineering experience from Toyota, Sauber, and Marussia. Mark Lowe, who has been Haas’ operations team manager, will become the team’s first sporting director. The 2025 season will mark Komatsu’s second season at the helm. The team saw its second-best season in 2024, both in terms of points scored (58) and World Constructors’ Championship position (7th).
Former Sauber managing director Alessandro Alunni Bravi will join McLaren as chief of business affairs. As reported in last week’s edition of the Weekly F1 Recap, Bravi announced his departure from Sauber. He joined Sauber in 2017 after the team’s ownership changed hands, eventually stepping in as team principal in 2023 after Frederic Vasseur moved to Ferrari. His new role at McLaren will involve him in legal affairs and driver contract management for the team. He will also head up the McLaren driver development programme. He will start his new role immediately after leaving Sauber at the end of the month.
Lewis Hamilton will reunite with former trainer Angela Cullen, as he gears up for his first season with Ferrari. Cullen worked with Hamilton during his stint at Mercedes, frequently seen by the seven-time World Champion’s side. She departed the team at the start of 2023, moving to IndyCar to support driver Marcus Armstrong. The two remained friends and continued to associate with each other outside of the sport. Cullen has joined Hamilton’s Project 44 company and will join the performance team that will work with the British driver.
Williams has recruited Oliver Turvey as its test and reserve driver. Turvey, who has spent the last few years as a reserve driver instead of a full-time racer, has worked as a McLaren test driver for more than 15 years, first joining the team in 2009 ahead of his GP2 debut. In parallel, he has participated in eight Formula E seasons before moving to DS Penske’s Formula E team as a reserve driver in 2022. His engineering education at Cambridge makes him a highly sought-after test driver. In his new role at Williams, he will help the team develop its new driver-in-loop simulator and assist them in testing their 2026 package.
Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has worked to combat some of the comments made by advisor Flavio Briatore in recent weeks, insisting Jack Doohan will get a “fair chance” on the team. With the recent signing of Franco Colapinto, who impressed during his debut at Williams, as reserve driver, rumours have circulated insisting that Doohan’s F1 chance has already been ruined. These rumours were further fueled by Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore, who refused to rule out – and even hinted at – the potential of a mid-season driver swap in favour of Colapinto. Speaking about the signing of Colapinto on the James Allen on F1 podcast, Oakes insisted the move is not against Doohan. “I think the intention there isn’t to put [pressure] on his shoulders. It’s genuinely to give the team options further down the line. And for me F1 is fine margins. There’s a load of people who are depending on a driver to deliver each weekend, and we need to make sure we’ve got the best drivers in the race car, not just now, but also in the future.” Even still, Oakes did not rule out a driver swap beyond 2025. “For us as a team it’s great to have that roster of two young drivers in Paul and Franco there waiting in the wings, because it’s not just about 2025; 2026, 2027 is around the corner, and it’s hard in F1 to plan what’s going to happen and what drivers you’re going to have to go in the car,” he said. “For us, it just keeps everyone honest in terms of how they’re performing and gives us options.”
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.
