Robin Raikkonen, the 11‑year‑old son of former F1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, has joined Red Bull’s driver development programme for 2027. The young karting talent, nicknamed ‘Ace’, impressed Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, who praised his speed and maturity.
Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was halted by Portuguese police at an airport in Cascais after arriving with a shotgun for a clay‑pigeon competition. He said he was not arrested, handed over the gun, and praised the officers for their help.
McLaren and Red Bull successfully appealed the pit‑lane speeding penalties that had affected the Monaco Grand Prix, leading to Alpine’s Pierre Gasly losing his podium finish. The appeal moved Gasly from third place on the road to seventh in the official results, while promoting drivers such as Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri up the order.
The Ukrainian Automobile Federation has filed a complaint with the FIA ethics committee, alleging that the Russian Automobile Federation is operating offices in occupied Ukrainian territories, breaching FIA statutes. The complaint follows the FIA’s decision to lift the ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors, a move the FAU says undermines international sanctions.
In the opening practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, 19‑year‑old Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes set the fastest lap, edging out McLaren’s Lando Norris. The session also highlighted strong performances from Mercedes teammates and a promising new Honda power unit in the Aston Martin car.
Alex Albon has signed a one‑year extension to remain with the Williams Formula 1 team for the 2027 season. The British‑Thai driver, who has been with the team since 2022, said he believes in the transformation underway under team principal James Vowles, despite the team’s recent struggles.
The Sepang circuit near Kuala Lumpur is set to stage a Grand Prix on 2-4 October, filling the slot left by the Bahrain race that was cancelled due to the Middle East conflict. The event will be presented as the Bahrain Grand Prix being held in Malaysia, with official confirmation expected soon.
Mercedes driver scout Gwen Lagrue, who helped discover talents such as Kimi Antonelli, is set to move to Red Bull to lead its driver development programme, filling the role vacated by Helmut Marko. The move is still being negotiated between the two rival Formula 1 teams, with no comment from the parties involved.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was fastest in first practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing 0.145 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Fellow Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar qualified fourth but will start ten places back after a grid penalty for exceeding his engine limit. Several other drivers, including Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli, also faced penalties or technical issues during the session.