Cadillac has signed Colton Herta as its test driver, as he makes the surprise move to Formula 2. Herta has been racing in IndyCar since 2019, driving for Andretti Autosport for most of those years. He has nine wins in the series, finishing runner-up in the championship last season. Moving to F2 will allow Herta to potentially earn enough FIA Superlicence points to be eligible to make his F1 debut in 2027, although he would need to finish in the top eight in the championship to do so. This is not Herta’s first look at F1. In 2021, when Andretti was attempting to purchase Sauber, Herta was a potential candidate for a race seat on the team, even participating in simulator test sessions. He was also a test driver for McLaren F1 in 2022. The news of Herta’s F2 move comes just weeks after Cadillac signed Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as drivers for the 2026 season.
Pierre Gasly has extended his contract with Alpine until 2028. Gasly joined Alpine in 2023, earning himself two podiums. But Alpine’s performance has slumped during that time, and the team currently sits at the bottom of the World Constructors’ Championship standings. Despite this, Gasly is looking towards the future. “I want to be here in years to come and deliver on our joint objective: to win races and world championships,” he explained in a team statement. “We’re all in this together and I look forward to continuing this special story.”
Daniel Ricciardo officially retired from racing, taking on a new partnership with Ford. The 36-year-old Aussie made his F1 debut in 2011, spending most of his career in the Red Bull family, aside from stints at McLaren and Renault. He was replaced on RB mid-season, ending his Formula One career. Although he is no longer racing, he has become a global Ford Racing ambassador, focusing primarily on Ford’s Raptor brand. Ford Raptor is a line of high-performance off-road vehicles. Ricciardo has owned a Raptor since 2017. Although this may not be the last time we see Ricciardo in the F1 paddock, as Ford will partner with Red Bull in their F1 engine development programme.
The Monaco Grand Prix has signed a contract extension to keep the race on the calendar until 2035. This is the second contract extension signed in the past year, with a short-term agreement having already been reached last year for 2025. Widely considered to be the “crown jewel” of Formula One, F1 has raced around the narrow streets of Monaco annually since 1955, missing only 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the circuit has been heavily criticized in recent years for producing boring races. Some efforts have been made to improve the quality of the racing at the circuit, such as mandating two pit stops per race.
Portugal, Turkey, and Germany are all interested in returning to Formula One, according to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. There has been some speculation surrounding these events, but this is the first hint that a return could be a reality. Although the calendar is currently full, F1 is exploring replacing the outgoing Dutch Grand Prix with a rotating race that will be shared between multiple venues. The hope is that removing the need for annual races will reduce some financial pressure on the circuits. Barcelona, which will be replaced in favour of the new Madrid venue, has already expressed interest in becoming a rotating race. Politicians in Portugal and Turkey have also expressed interest in returning to Formula One. Most recently, the new owners of the Hockenheimring have thrown their hat in the ring. The circuit, which used to share German Grand Prix hosting duties with the Nurburgring, was purchased by a group of private investors last year. However, whether any of these venues have the financial support to make it onto the calendar remains unclear.
Formula One is considering a switch to V8 power units, although it won’t happen before 2031. The sport previously used V8 engines before switching to the more expensive and more complicated V6 turbo hybrid engines in 2014. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem originally proposed moving to a V8 powered by sustainable fuels with a simpler hybrid system as early as 2029, setting a meeting with engine suppliers for September 11. However, the meeting was postponed on Saturday due to a lack of support for the change. To introduce the change before 2031, four of the five engine suppliers would have to agree. It’s believed that both Audi and Honda are against the early change. Although the cancellation of the engine meeting next week means a switch to V8 engines won’t happen soon, it’s still possible to happen as early as 2031.
Two McLaren stakeholders are seeking to purchase the remaining shares in McLaren Racing, in a deal rumoured to value the company at more than £3 billion. The Bahrain sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat and automotive investment group CYVN Holdings are attempting to buy out a stake owned by MSP Sports Capital and additional smaller investors, which would give the two companies full ownership of the motorsport arm of McLaren. McLaren Racing encompasses the brand’s Formula 1, IndyCar, Formula E, and eSports efforts. Mumtalakat purchased 100% of the parent company, McLaren Group, last year, selling 100% of McLaren Automotive to CYVN Holdings later that same year.
Isack Hadjar, who made his podium debut last weekend, has received a replacement trophy after breaking his. After finishing third in the Dutch Grand Prix, Hadjar received his handmade Dutch pottery trophy. Tragedy struck when it was broken while posing for a group photo with his team. The trophy has since been replaced with a spare one, although Hadjar will still keep the broken one as a souvenir.
Ferrari hit the ground running, finishing 1-2 in the first free practice session of their home grand prix. Lewis Hamilton led the way in the Ferrari, decorated with a special red and white home livery. Oscar Piastri sat out of the session, allowing rookie Alex Dunne to make his second practice session. Similarly, Paul Aron was behind the wheel of Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, having participated in previous practice sessions with Sauber earlier this season. Many drivers struggled with windy conditions into the first chicane, many having to take to the runoff area. Lando Norris set the early time to beat, but times tumbled when drivers switched to soft tyre runs. Isack Hadjar brought out a brief red flag after spewing gravel on the circuit. There were further issues in the closing minutes of the session after George Russell stopped on the circuit with a mechanical failure, bringing out the virtual safety car.
Lando Norris found his way to the top of the timing sheets in free practice two, narrowly outpacing Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The top three drivers were within 0.1s of each other. Both McLaren cars suffered mirror issues, with Oscar Piastri cracking his early on before teammate Norris lost his wing mirror entirely. The track quickly filled with stones, as multiple drivers dipped wheels into the gravel, pushing to find the limit. Kimi Antonelli went over that limit, carrying too much speed into Lesmo 2 and spinning into the gravel. He became beached, bringing out the red flag.
Lando Norris retained his position on top in the final free practice session, but only just ahead of Charles Leclerc. Only 0.021s separated the two. The top position cycled between a few drivers as the teams rushed to complete their qualifying simulations. Oscar Piastri was third fastest ahead of Max Verstappen, with George Russell being the only other car to get within 0.2s of the pace set by the lead McLaren. Gabriel Bortoleto had a strong session to earn P6 ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who struggled for speed.
Max Verstappen earned himself a pole position at Monza, beating his two McLaren rivals. George Russell set the pace in Q1, with Mercedes taking an alternate tyre strategy. Verstappen went quickest in Q2, as Lando Norris managed to scrape after locking up in the first chicane and abandoning his first lap. The Brit was briefly in the elimination zone before climbing to safety. Verstappen continued his lead into Q3, setting a blisteringly fast pole position time. He would start ahead of the two McLarens. The two Ferrari drivers weren’t far behind, but Lewis Hamilton would drop down the grid due to his five-place grid penalty for a yellow flag violation at the Dutch Grand Prix, dropping to P10.
Max Verstappen exchanged his pole position for a win, despite early pressure. Verstappen had a slow start, squeezing Lando Norris onto the grass on the main straight and then cutting the first chicane. Red Bull had him give up the position to Norris to avoid a penalty, although the Dutchman retook the lead only a few laps later. Charles Leclerc briefly beat Oscar Piastri, appearing to push his Ferrari to the limits. He couldn’t fend off Piastri. With Verstappen holding a comfortable lead, McLaren opted for an alternate tyre strategy, extending the first stint to end the race on the soft tyres. It had looked positive for McLaren as Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman clashed at the second chicane, but both drivers rejoined the race to avoid the safety car. A pit stop error put Norris behind his teammate in the closing stages of the race, but team orders quickly returned the duo to their previous order. Click here to read our full summary of the Italian Grand Prix.
Next, Formula One will head to Azerbaijan for the street race around the Baku City Circuit. The race will be held on September 21.
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.
