Round-up: ‘No truth’ to McLaren favouritism claims says Villeneuve, and more
Welcome to Wednesday’s edition of the RaceFans round-up.
Comment of the day
@Stefmeister is pleased to see Autodromo do Algarve join the F1 calendar in 2027.
I love this track but am sad that it’s replacing Zandvoort as I love that track just as much. Tracks that not only offer a good challenge for both cars and driver but which also have a great flow, character and atmosphere and are fun to watch cars going around.
I’d be far happier if it was been brought in to replace Miami, Vegas, Jeddah, Qatar or Abu Dhabi though as I just can’t stand any of those tracks and don’t especially enjoy watching cars going around any of them.
But still it’s nice that a proper race track is been replaced by another proper race track rather than another street circuit. @Stefmeister
Jacques Villeneuve: ‘Some people might be talking and saying the team didn’t help (Piastri), but that’s not the truth. It’s a big team. They didn’t make one car slower. There was no work done that way. Ultimately, they were wanting to be world champion with either drivers. Piastri is this new, upcoming, young driver, great image if he wins. Norris is there for a while, been working with the team. So either, or would have been good. Ultimately he might start thinking like this and might start believing it, but that would be farfetched.’
‘Michael Schumacher’s former manager has been caught up in a shocking robbery after being ‘spied on for weeks’. Willi Weber, 83, admitted he was in “complete shock” at the ordeal that took place at his villa in Germany.’
‘Crucially the new F1 fuels are required to be ‘drop-in’, meaning that they can be used, unmodified, in normal road cars. Although the cost is likely to prohibit that in the short term, the aim is to leverage F1’s high rate of development to accelerate mass adoption.’
‘The 15-year-old, from Chandler, Arizona – who turns 16 in January 2026, will become one of the youngest drivers to participate in the F1 Academy when the series returns on March 13-15 in Shanghai, China.’
‘FanCode will also broadcast rights in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, cementing itself as the home of Formula 1 in the Indian subcontinent. F1 TV Pro and F1 TV Premium will be available via F1 in these markets.’
‘Nicola, Alpine Academy driver, has demonstrated steady progress throughout the year. His first season within DAMS was marked by a strong level of commitment, his capacity to adapt to the structure’s requirements, and a professional approach to every race weekend. Despite occasional challenges, he gained valuable experience on F1 grand prix circuits, often in demanding conditions, and consistently showed resilience.’
Very sorry indeed to hear that Gerald Donaldson passed away at the weekend in his native Canada. Gerry was a gentle soul but a powerful writer, encapsulating exactly what motor racing, particularly F1, meant. His books on Gilles Villeneuve and Fangio are seminal works. RIP GD
Social media and links
Papaya team politics and Hamilton’s next chapter (High Performance)
Jacques Villeneuve: ‘Some people might be talking and saying the team didn’t help (Piastri), but that’s not the truth. It’s a big team. They didn’t make one car slower. There was no work done that way. Ultimately, they were wanting to be world champion with either drivers. Piastri is this new, upcoming, young driver, great image if he wins. Norris is there for a while, been working with the team. So either, or would have been good. Ultimately he might start thinking like this and might start believing it, but that would be farfetched.’
Everything’s Gone (The Sun)
‘Michael Schumacher’s former manager has been caught up in a shocking robbery after being ‘spied on for weeks’. Willi Weber, 83, admitted he was in “complete shock” at the ordeal that took place at his villa in Germany.’
F1 strives to maintain spectacle with switch to greener tech (Financial Times)
‘Crucially the new F1 fuels are required to be ‘drop-in’, meaning that they can be used, unmodified, in normal road cars. Although the cost is likely to prohibit that in the short term, the aim is to leverage F1’s high rate of development to accelerate mass adoption.’
Haas announces Kaylee Countryman to race in 2026 F1 Academy season (Haas)
‘The 15-year-old, from Chandler, Arizona – who turns 16 in January 2026, will become one of the youngest drivers to participate in the F1 Academy when the series returns on March 13-15 in Shanghai, China.’
FanCode to exclusively broadcast Formula 1 in India in multi-year agreement extension (F1)
‘FanCode will also broadcast rights in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, cementing itself as the home of Formula 1 in the Indian subcontinent. F1 TV Pro and F1 TV Premium will be available via F1 in these markets.’
Michael Masi takes on role with F1 feeder series (V8 Sleuth)
‘Michael Masi will take on a key role with New Zealand’s premier motorsport series this summer. Masi will serve as event director for the NextGen NZ.’
N Lacorte continues with the team in 2026 (DAMS)
‘Nicola, Alpine Academy driver, has demonstrated steady progress throughout the year. His first season within DAMS was marked by a strong level of commitment, his capacity to adapt to the structure’s requirements, and a professional approach to every race weekend. Despite occasional challenges, he gained valuable experience on F1 grand prix circuits, often in demanding conditions, and consistently showed resilience.’
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