Former F1 driver Alex Zanardi passed away at the age of 59. After some brief stints with Jordan and Minardi in 1991 and 1992, Zanardi joined Lotus in 1993 for his first full season of F1, although it was cut short by a concussion sustained during a practice accident. Missing the start of the following season, Zinardi eventually returned to Lotus until the team was sold at the end of the year. He moved to the CART series, becoming the back-to-back champion in 1997 and 1998. His CART success caught the eye of Sir Frank Williams, who signed Zinardi to the F1 Williams team in 1999. After a single season, Zinardi returned to CART. It was here, in 2001 at the Lausitzring, that he suffered a serious accident that would lead to the loss of both legs. But this was not the end of his career. He returned to a CART cockpit in 2003 to ceremonially complete the 13 laps that he failed to finish in 2001. From there, he transitioned to sports cars, becoming a regular competitor in the World Touring Car Championship. Outside of the car, he took up handcycling, becoming a gold medalist at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. He is survived by his wife Daniela, with whom he has one child.
Adrian Sutil’s rare Koenigsegg has gone missing, as the former F1 driver awaits trial in an alleged fraud case. The car, worth an estimated $22m, is one of only seven cars produced. Interpol have launched an investigation into the missing car. Sutil, who raced in F1 between 2007 and 2014, was arrested after police raided his properties in Monaco, Switzerland, and Germany. His lawyer has since insisted that Sutil is the victim of a blackmail plot by members of the Russian Wagner Group.
More than 600,000 fans gathered in Buenos Aires to watch a show run by national driver Franco Colapinto. This comes ahead of a planned meeting with F1 executives in Miami about the potential of reviving the Argentina Grand Prix. Colapinto completed two 15-minute show runs in an Alpine-branded 2012 Lotus E20 at a specially constructed street circuit in Palermo. Colapinto completed a mixture of donuts at various crowd sectors and unleashed the Renault V8 power unit for some high-speed running for the fans. The circuit had been marked by a special 300km/h speed limit sign specifically for the event, ensuring Colapinto would not break any traffic laws.
The Australian Grand Prix is set to lose its season opener status for 2027, with Bahrain expected to return as the first race of the season. Australia took over the opening spot on the calendar in 2024 as the date clashed with Ramadan, but Ramadan will end on March 7 next year, before the F1 season begins. Australia was the season opener between 1995 and 2020, but was replaced by Bahrain. Since pre-season testing takes place in Bahrain, it makes more logistical sense to also host the first race of the season at the venue.
Cadillac has announced an 18-part YouTube series that will show behind the scenes of the new F1 team. The show, called Crews Control, will be hosted by American actor and team ambassador Terry Crews. It’s produced by the Box to Box Films, the same team behind Netflix’s popular Drive to Survive docuseries. It will debut on the Cadillac YouTube channel on May 5, but a trailer has already been released.
Charles Leclerc led the way in the only free practice session of the Miami Grand Prix sprint weekend. It was a busy session as the teams tried to test out the new upgrades they developed over the five-week break. All teams brought aerodynamic upgrades except for Aston Martin, which focused more on trying to solve their massive vibration issues. They had a garage power issue that prevented either of their cars from completing any laps for the first 20 minutes of the session. Lap times began to tumble as drivers transitioned to the soft tyres in the final 20 minutes of the session. Kimi Antonelli was unable to complete any soft running due to a power unit issue. Teammate George Russell also had some power unit issues earlier in the session. They finished P5 and P6 behind Lewis Hamilton. Oscar Piastri was the third fastest behind Max Verstappen.
Lando Norris earned pole position for the sprint race, showing a potential shift in momentum this season. Norris set the pace in SQ1, but Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri were fastest in SQ2 after Norris experienced some oversteer on his flying lap. The pit lane was busy at the start of SQ2, leading to some close calls in the pit lane. All of the drivers opted to make SQ3 a one-lap shootout, remaining in the garage until the last minute. Norris was fastest in SQ3, with Kimi Antonelli splitting the two McLarens to earn a spot on the front row. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen rounded out the top five.
McLaren showed how much pace they gained over the unscheduled break, earning a 1-2 finish in the sprint race. Norris faced little pressure on the opening lap, as Kimi Antonelli suffered another slow start, dropping down to P4. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen battled early in the race, and eventually Verstappen forced them both wide in turn 11, having to give back the position. Although he was able to overtake the Brit on the following lap, this cost him some time. At the front, Oscar Piastri faced some late-race pressure from Charles Leclerc, with the Ferrari driver getting to within a second of the McLaren. But he was unable to challenge for the position, seeming to struggle with a brake issue in the closing laps. Click here to read a full summary of the Miami sprint race.
Kimi Antonelli continued his strong performance this season, earning his third consecutive grand prix pole position. Antonelli was quickest in Q1, which ended in dramatic fashion when Gabriel Bortoleto’s brakes caught fire on his quick lap. Bortoleto had spent a long time in the garage, having been disqualified from the sprint race due to a technical breach. Oscar Piastri was lucky to make it out of Q1, setting a time only worthy of P16, while teammate Lando Norris struggled for pace in Q2 due to an issue with the car’s boost. That session was topped by Max Verstappen over Antonelli, but Antonelli bounced back in Q3 to set the fastest time. Verstappen was second quickest, while his teammate Isack Hadjar qualified P9 but was disqualified from the session due to oversized floorboards. Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris would claim the second row of the grid, while George Russell claimed the final spot in the top five.
Kimi Antonelli converted his pole position into a race victory, despite another slow start. Max Verstappen also suffered a slow start, and both drivers locked up at the first corner. Verstappen tried to battle with Charles Leclerc in the opening corners, but spun. He was lucky that everyone could take evasive action. Antonelli and Leclerc swapped the lead a couple of times before the race was stopped by the safety car. It was deployed for two separate incidents. Isack Hadjar, who started the race from the pit lane, clipped the barrier on the inside of the turn 14 chicane, and Pierre Gasly flipped at turn 17 after Liam Lawson suffered a power unit issue under braking. Verstappen was the only driver to take a pit stop under the safety car, with the other teams fearing the threat of rain, which would never materialize. This gave Verstappen the theoretical net lead, but he was no match for Antonelli and Norris on fresher tyres. Leclerc, who lost out on the safety car restart, lost more time in the pit lane after the slow pit stop. His day turned worse when he spun after being overtaken by Piastri, damaging his car. He was able to limp home in P6 but dropped to P8 after the race when the stewards gave him a penalty for cutting corners. Click here to read a full summary of the action in the Miami Grand Prix.
Next on the calendar, the teams and drivers will head to Canada for the country’s first-ever sprint weekend. It will be a bit of a wait, with the race scheduled for the weekend of May 24.
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.
