Gucci will become Alpine’s title sponsor for 2027. Former Renault CEO Luca de Meo, who became CEO of Gucci’s parent company Kering in 2025, is thought to be a driving force behind the new multi-year deal. This marks the end of their iconic pink and blue livery, influenced by their current title sponsor, BWT. In addition to rebranding the team to Gucci Racing Alpine, they will also adopt Gucci colours. Alpine has been partnered with BWT since 2022.
Mercedes has abandoned its effort to purchase a minority stake in the Alpine F1 Team. The German company had been interested in purchasing Otro Capital’s 24% ownership of the team. With an estimated valuation of $3 billion, those shares are worth an estimated $720 million. Since the stake was purchased in June 2023 for $233 million, this is well over what Mercedes thinks the shares should be worth. Although neither team has commented on the matter, it is understood that talks have ceased. There continues to be other interested parties, such as a consortium of investors including former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been seeking to remove presidential term limits. Article 20.10 in the FIA statutes only allows its presidents to serve a maximum of three terms during their career. With terms currently set to four years, this only allows someone to serve as FIA president for up to 12 years. These rules were introduced under Jean Todt’s leadership, with Max Mosley having served four terms before him. Ben Sulayem ran unopposed in the most recent presidential election, albeit under controversial circumstances. There was interest from other potential candidates, but he was the only eligible candidate because he had secured support from South America’s only FIA leader, Fabiana Ecclestone. Removing the term limit could allow Ben Sulayem to lead the FIA indefinitely, as long as he keeps winning elections, until he steps down.
The FIA has opted to ban the use of active aerodynamics in Monaco. The decision was made due to concerns that cars could be too fast exiting the tunnel, presenting a danger due to the limited run-off areas. The 2026 season introduced a new active aero system, which replaced the previous Drag Reduction System (DRS), that allows drivers to configure their cars to a faster mode in certain areas of the circuit. It’s unclear how this will impact the quality of racing at the narrow street circuit, which is already heavily criticized for its lack of overtaking opportunities and on-track action.
Although he may not have a World Championship to his name yet, Oscar Piastri now has a wasp to his name. Researchers Corentin Jouault, Di-Ying Huang and Celso O. Azevedo discovered a new species of wasp from the Cretaceous Period after conducting research on a 98-year-old fossil collected from Myanmar. The wasp had been preserved inside a small rectangular piece of amber stored at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology in China. Jouault named the species Gwesped Piastrii after the Australian F1 driver.
Leonardo Fornaroli completed a private F1 test with McLaren at the Circuit of the Americas. The reigning Formula 2 champion completed 77 laps around the circuit as part of a test programme in the 2023 MCL60. The day included a mix of testing elements, including long and short runs, practice starts, and formation laps.
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.
