Williams has recruited numerous senior personnel from rival teams. The highest profile of these new figures is Piers Thynne, who has been McLaren’s Chief Operating Officer since 2023. He now takes on the role of Chief Optimization and Planning Officer at Williams. He is joined by former Mercedes Head of Aerodynamic Development, Claire Simpson, who had been with the team for 12-years, and Mercedes’ former Head of Performance Optimization, Fred Judd. Finally, Alpine’s former Head of Vehicle Engineering, Steve Booth, also joins the team.
An unusual sign blunder at the Canadian Grand Prix may have inadvertently exposed the future of former Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley. Fans attending the event noticed a sign in the VIP parking lot for team members, which incorrectly reserved an Aston Martin parking spot for Wheatley. Wheatley, who has remained silent about his next career move since leaving Audi abruptly in March, has been heavily rumoured to be headed to Aston Martin. A statement confirmed the sign was a misprint.
Hasbro has announced a special edition of its iconic board game Monopoly as part of a partnership with Formula One. Dubbed the Monopoly Formula 1 Edition, players will race around every location on the calendar to collect championship points and race victories throughout the season. As an interesting twist, instead of collecting $200 for passing GO, players will compete to win the Monopoly GRAND PRIX, located in the middle of the board. The game will feature all 24 races from the 2026 calendar and car tokens for all 11 teams. During the game, players will be able to collect car upgrades to improve their chances of winning. The game is currently available for pre-order at select retailers ahead of its July 15 release date.
Mercedes dominated the sole free practice session on Friday morning, as Formula One returned to action in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. Being a sprint weekend, this was the teams’ only opportunity to prepare their cars for the weekend of racing. It was a busy session and was filled with stoppages. Franco Colapinto was the first driver to have issues in the opening minutes, returning to the garage with a power unit issue. Liam Lawson followed shortly after, stopping with a mechanical issue in turn five, bringing out a brief red flag. Alex Albon was the next to have troubles, hitting the wall at the exit of turn seven after hitting a groudhog. His Williams sustained heavy damage. The final red flag came when Esteban Ocon spun at the exit for turn four, smashing the nose of his Haas into the barriers. He had been complaining about car handling issues previously in the session. Kimi Antonelli was the fastest of the runners, with his teammate close behind. George Russell was lucky to escape unscathed after spinning and tapping the barrier at turn two. Mercedes was very much in a league of their own, with Lewis Hamilton setting a lap some 0.774s slower than the fastest Mercedes.
Mercedes continued its strong showing in Canada, as George Russell led a front row lockout in sprint qualifying. Only 20 drivers participated in the session, as Albon and Lawson both sat out while their teams repaired their cars. Lewis Hamilton led SQ1, which was interrupted by a red flag in the closing minutes after Fernando Alonso locked up and hit the barriers in turn three. Russell took over the lead of SQ2, while Max Verstappen was lucky to make it through to SQ3 after having his lap time deleted for track limits. SQ3 saw the top four teams all secure their own rows, with Mercedes securing the front row, followed by McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull.
George Russell converted pole position into a sprint victory, although it did take a hard-fought battle with his teammate. The two Mercedes cars held position on the opening laps, but Kimi Antonelli attempted to take the lead going into the first corner on lap six. He ran out of space and was forced to cut the corner, prompting some frustration from the young Italian. He attempted to make a second overtake in the turn eight chicane, but skipped across the grass, losing a position to Lando Norris. Stuck behind the McLaren for the remainder of the race, Antonelli did attempt to overtake on the outside of the first corner, but again was shown the grass and had to return the position. The race ended dramatically, with Lewis Hamilton losing two places to Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc in the battle for P4 in the final corner. Click here to read a full summary of the sprint race action in Canada.
The stage was set for another exciting battle, with George Russell leading a second front-row lockout in qualifying. Kimi Antonelli was fastest in Q1, but it was Isack Hadjar who was the star of Q2, leading Lewis Hamilton by just 0.066s. Russell appeared to struggle a little in Q3, having to abort his first lap after suffering some oversteer in turn six. He eventually posted a lap time that was just 0.068s ahead of his teammate, while Lando Norris led McLaren on the second row. Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five, while Max Verstappen qualified narrowly ahead of his teammate in P6 after struggling for pace.
Kimi Antonelli returned to the top step of the podium at the end of the Canadian Grand Prix, earning his fourth consecutive grand prix victory. The drama started early in the race, with McLaren opting to gamble on starting the race on the intermediate tyres while most other teams stuck with the slick tyres. This turned out to be a big mistake, forcing them to pit in the opening laps. This was a shame for Lando Norris, who had managed to take the race lead in the first corner, while George Russell dropped behind Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes duo battled it out in much of the opening half of the race, with the hairpin setting up some exciting fights in the final chicane and first corner. The race ended prematurely for Russell, who suffered a power unit failure on lap 30, leaving his teammate to lead relatively uncontested. This brought out the virtual safety car, which allowed teams to pit. Fans were treated to a late-race battle for P2 between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The crowd erupted when Hamilton managed to send himself by the Red Bull in the first corner with only a few laps remaining. This was Hamilton’s best performance this season and also marked Verstappen’s first podium appearance in 2026. Click here to read a full summary of the race.
The European leg of the championship now begins, with Formula One heading off to Monaco for a race around the narrow streets of the principality. Racing resumes on the weekend of June 7 for the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.
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.
