The organizers of the upcoming Madrid Grand Prix have signed a joint construction deal with two firms ahead of the planned September 2026 debut. ACCIONA (Spanish) and Eiffage Construction (French) have signed a joint agreement with the event organizers to construct a 5.47km hybrid street circuit around the IFEMA fairgrounds near Barajas airport. Work on the circuit was originally scheduled to begin this month, but there were delays in selecting a construction bidder for the project. Construction is now expected to begin in early May. There are still some doubts about whether the circuit will be completed in time for the event’s inaugural race next year. Madrid is set to become the new home of the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026 onward.
The Imola Grand Prix seems unlikely to remain on the calendar in a full-time capacity beyond 2025. With a lot of interest from other venues and Formula One seeking to expand into emerging markets, there isn’t enough space for two Italian rounds in the championship. Monza has secured its future with a contract that runs until 2031, while Imola’s contract is set to expire after the 2025 event. Imola previously hosted the San Marino Grand Prix between 1981 and 2006, returning in 2020 under the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix name as part of the sport’s chaotic COVID-19 calendar. Speaking on RAI radio, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed “it will be increasingly difficult to have two races in the same country because interest in F1 is growing.” It’s worth noting that the United States currently hosts three F1 races, the most of any country.
Ferrari has recruited young kart driver Filippo Sala to its Driver Academy. The 13-year-old Italian has been competing in karting since age five. After great success in the Entry Level 60 championship, he moved to the United States. He has won many titles, including the Challenge of America, Easykart championship, and Italian IAME 60. Sala is the seventh active academy driver and the only Italian in the lineup.
Helmut Marko has named Sebastian Vettel as his “ideal successor candidate” for his role at Red Bull. Although the 81-year-old former Austrian racing driver has not expressed any intention of retiring, Marko praised Vettel during an interview with Sky Germany. Marko founded a race team in 1989 after his own racing career was cut short by a serious injury at the 1972 French Grand Prix that left him blind in one eye. The team was rebranded to the Red Bull Junior Team in 1999 before folding in 2003. Since then, he has been a pivotal manager of Red Bull’s driver development programme as Red Bull’s advisor, working with drivers such as Vettel and Max Verstappen. Since retiring from Formula One, Vettel has kept a relatively low profile, rarely making appearances at F1 races. He was present at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as part of an event to celebrate women in motorsport.
Rumours were swirling this week after Helmut Marko expressed concern over Max Verstappen’s future with the team. This rekindled rumours that the four-time World Champion may be interested in joining Adrian Newey at Aston Martin or joining a rival team like Mercedes. Marko’s comments come after a sub-optimal start to their 2025 campaign, which sees McLaren on top in the opening rounds. However, both Verstappen and Christian Horner have dismissed the rumours, with Horner labelling the speculation as “noise”. Verstappen’s current Red Bull contract runs until 2028, although it undoubtedly contains performance-based clauses that would allow him to make an early exit.
Yuki Tsunoda will get some extra time behind the wheel of a Red Bull car next week, participating in a private test at Silverstone. Tsunoda has had a few races with his new squad after replacing Liam Lawson from the Japanese Grand Prix onward in the season’s first triple-header. The private test will be part of the team’s permitted testing of previous car (TPC) allocation, which allows teams to conduct tests in cars that are at least two seasons old. This could give the Japanese driver a chance to come to grips with the driving style of the Red Bull car.
Pierre Gasly found himself at the top of the timing sheets by the end with a shocking performance in the first free practice session of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend. His fastest time of the afternoon only beat Lando Norris by 0.007s, with Charles Leclerc also finishing within 0.07s of the Alpine pace in P3. George Russell set the early pace before drivers started bolting on the soft tyres in the hot and humid conditions. Liam Lawson was lucky to escape punishment after failing to follow the Race Director’s instructions by driving on the painted area between the pit lane and the circuit.
The second free practice session on Friday was led by McLaren, with Lando Norris narrowly beating his teammate by 0.163s. It was the first chance for the teams to run laps under the floodlights around the Jeddah Circuit in cooler conditions that would be closer to race conditions. Traffic was an issue for many drivers around the circuit, with Norris being impeded by Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton slowing down Alex Albon. The session was red-flagged in the closing stages after Yuki Tsunoda clipped the inside barrier in the final corner, crashing his Red Bull.
Both McLaren drivers were in a league of their own in the final free practice session, with Lando Norris again setting the time to beat in the session. Although Oscar Piastri was only 0.024s behind his teammate, George Russell was a distant 0.627s slower than the leading McLaren. It was a relatively orderly session as teams made the finishing touches on their setups ahead of qualifying.
Max Verstappen found enough pace to take pole position during qualifying on Saturday, dethroning Oscar Piastri by just 0.010s. Despite leading Q1, Verstappen struggled slightly in Q2, asking the team to check his floor after rattling over a kerb. Lewis Hamilton narrowly made it into Q3 by just 0.007s over Alex Albon, who had a brush with the barrier at the end of Q1. Q3 was red-flagged early on when Lando Norris crashed into the barriers, ensuring he would start tenth on the grid on Sunday. The Brit had a wide moment in turn four and lost the car at the exit of turn five. George Russell led the way in the closing runs of the session before being beaten by Piastri and then Verstappen in the final run.
Despite missing out on pole position, Oscar Piastri was able to race his way to the top position in the race on Sunday for the third time this season, bringing himself to the top of the World Championship table. There was early drama in the first corner when the leading duo found themselves side-by-side into the first corner. Max Verstappen cut the corner after being forced out wide by Piastri, earning himself a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. The first lap concluded with a safety car for a collision between Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly, with the Alpine driver trying to overtake around the outside of turn four. When the race resumed, Piastri struggled to cling onto the back of Verstappen’s Red Bull, but would inherit the lead after the pit stops. Charles Leclerc did a good job of extending his first stint on the medium tyres, ensuring he had fresh hard tyres for the closing stages to claim P3. Lando Norris took the gamble by starting on the hard tyres, but a late safety car didn’t materialize, although his gamble still earned him P4 ahead of George Russell. Click here to read our full summary of the action under the lights in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix marked the end of the season’s first triple-header, giving the teams and drivers a well-deserved rest ahead of a sprint weekend in Miami. The teams will be heading to the United States for the first time this season for a sprint weekend in Miami on the weekend of May 4.
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.
