Round-up: Leclerc says crash ‘shouldn’t affect weekend’ and more
Welcome to Saturday’s edition of the RaceFans round-up.
Comment of the day
Oscar Piastri is right to keep an eye on Max Verstappen despite the widening points gap between them, says Sonny Crockett:
The step up in Piastri’s form is phenomenal.
Lando has real pace but he needs a change in mentality to beat Oscar, who is as cool as a cucumber.
He’s right though; you definitely shouldn’t count out Max. A decent upgrade from Red Bull and he’ll be able to smell blood. Sonny Crockett (@SonnyCrockett)
‘In FP1, it was a small lockup with big consequences. Most of all, I feel bad for the team, because we couldn’t run for the rest of the first session and all of FP2. Other than that, I felt comfortable in the car which was positive, so I don’t think that what happened today should have any impact on the rest of the weekend for us.’
‘At Hungary for instance, he said, ‘If Brad’s going to let someone pass during a blue flag and he wants it to be as tight as possible, he’s going to only do that at turn six.”
‘The homologation cycle of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s top-tier Hypercar class will be extended until the end of the 2032 season, following approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council during its meeting in Macau this week and as announced at the traditional pre-24 Hours of Le Mans press conference’
‘The FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) will feature an unchanged calendar of events in 2026, as the series bids to build upon its burgeoning momentum and popularity.’
‘Walk into any paddock now and you see the amount of female mechanics, engineers, drivers. It’s changing so quickly and that’s only going to go from strength to strength. I think in the next decade we’ll see a huge transition, which is encouraging.’
McLaren have a new front wing design for this weekend including what they call ‘mermaid tails’ on the front wing endplates. They also have a revised rear wing and front suspension tweaks.Mercedes have introduced tweaks to the floor of their W16. No new parts for Red Bull or Ferrari.#F1
Social media and links
A day of mixed fortunes (Ferrari)
‘In FP1, it was a small lockup with big consequences. Most of all, I feel bad for the team, because we couldn’t run for the rest of the first session and all of FP2. Other than that, I felt comfortable in the car which was positive, so I don’t think that what happened today should have any impact on the rest of the weekend for us.’
Positive start to Canadian GP weekend (Williams)
Alexander Albon: ‘The base car is strong, we’ve got a good package underneath us and Q3 is well within our targets tomorrow.’
F1 movie could not have been made without Hamilton, says director (Reuters)
‘At Hungary for instance, he said, ‘If Brad’s going to let someone pass during a blue flag and he wants it to be as tight as possible, he’s going to only do that at turn six.”
WEC: Hypercar’s winning formula extended (FIA)
‘The homologation cycle of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s top-tier Hypercar class will be extended until the end of the 2032 season, following approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council during its meeting in Macau this week and as announced at the traditional pre-24 Hours of Le Mans press conference’
2026 FIA WEC calendar builds on stability of recent seasons (WEC)
‘The FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) will feature an unchanged calendar of events in 2026, as the series bids to build upon its burgeoning momentum and popularity.’
Ong Beng Seng, Singapore-based Malaysian F1 tycoon, to plead guilty in corruption case involving ex-minister (VN Express)
‘Ong was charged in October 2024 with abetting a public official in accepting gifts and with attempting to obstruct justice.’
Chadwick encouraged by female participation in motorsport before Le Mans debut (The Guardian)
‘Walk into any paddock now and you see the amount of female mechanics, engineers, drivers. It’s changing so quickly and that’s only going to go from strength to strength. I think in the next decade we’ll see a huge transition, which is encouraging.’
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