Formula One 2026
- Thread starter Oggiman
- Start date
Max Verstappen needed just 14 laps and 35 minutes to overtake 100 amateur drivers in an exhibition go-kart race at Silverstone.
The four-time Formula 1 world champion had a maximum of 35 laps and 75 minutes to pass everyone on an adapted track at the grand prix circuit in Northamptonshire.
Red Bull's Verstappen, 28, was up to 37th by the end of a chaotic first lap in which many drivers crashed or span out, resulting in racing being briefly suspended.
The ruthless Dutchman, who warned participants "it's not a charity event" on race radio, moved into 10th by the start of lap six and was in fourth by lap 10, with each driver who he passed having to retire.
At that stage, the field - made up of TV, sport and social media personalities, with no professional racing drivers - consisted of just Dutch F1 journalist Jacky Martens, Red Bull engine builder Lewis Osler and YouTuber Zac Alsop.
All three were given an extra 'fast lap' where they could cut a corner of the track to try to hold off Verstappen for longer, but he inevitably reeled them in.
Full story HERE
The four-time Formula 1 world champion had a maximum of 35 laps and 75 minutes to pass everyone on an adapted track at the grand prix circuit in Northamptonshire.
Red Bull's Verstappen, 28, was up to 37th by the end of a chaotic first lap in which many drivers crashed or span out, resulting in racing being briefly suspended.
The ruthless Dutchman, who warned participants "it's not a charity event" on race radio, moved into 10th by the start of lap six and was in fourth by lap 10, with each driver who he passed having to retire.
At that stage, the field - made up of TV, sport and social media personalities, with no professional racing drivers - consisted of just Dutch F1 journalist Jacky Martens, Red Bull engine builder Lewis Osler and YouTuber Zac Alsop.
All three were given an extra 'fast lap' where they could cut a corner of the track to try to hold off Verstappen for longer, but he inevitably reeled them in.
Full story HERE
F1 Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2026
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will run on Saturday, September 26, 2026, instead of Sunday, to avoid clashing with Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day on September 27. The shift reshapes the race weekend to Wednesday–Saturday and makes Baku one of only two Saturday events on the 2026 F1 calendar, alongside Las Vegas, while honoring a national day of mourning.
Formula 1 grand prix races will reduce in lap length in 2027, the FIA announced on Monday.
Given the change to power unit regulations for next season – with the near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power seen this year reducing to 58/42 for 2027 – the sport’s governing body has decided, in line with F1 executives, to reduce the minimum total race distance from 305km to 290km.
This will equate to a reduction of two or three laps per grand prix. The only anomaly to this is the Monaco Grand Prix, which covers 260km over 78 laps of racing.
The FIA also announced changes to wet-weather rules, which invoked a three-hour limit for a race to end once it has started. This stipulation has been removed for 2027.
An FIA statement read: “Regarding races that are disrupted by rain or other factors, it was decided that a hard stop time would be introduced for the end of any racing activity, but that the current limitation of a race to three hours (from its start to its end – including interruptions) would be removed.
“The limit of two hours of actual racing will remain. These changes were introduced to ensure that the spectators have the best possible chance to enjoy a full race if disruptions occur.
‘It was also agreed that there would be greater flexibility to extend Free Practice sessions should they be interrupted.”
The 2027 season schedule, announced last week, sees Bahrain host the season-opener in March and Portugal and Turkey rejoin the calendar.
The next race of the 2026 season is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this Saturday, 26 September.
Given the change to power unit regulations for next season – with the near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power seen this year reducing to 58/42 for 2027 – the sport’s governing body has decided, in line with F1 executives, to reduce the minimum total race distance from 305km to 290km.
This will equate to a reduction of two or three laps per grand prix. The only anomaly to this is the Monaco Grand Prix, which covers 260km over 78 laps of racing.
The FIA also announced changes to wet-weather rules, which invoked a three-hour limit for a race to end once it has started. This stipulation has been removed for 2027.
An FIA statement read: “Regarding races that are disrupted by rain or other factors, it was decided that a hard stop time would be introduced for the end of any racing activity, but that the current limitation of a race to three hours (from its start to its end – including interruptions) would be removed.
“The limit of two hours of actual racing will remain. These changes were introduced to ensure that the spectators have the best possible chance to enjoy a full race if disruptions occur.
‘It was also agreed that there would be greater flexibility to extend Free Practice sessions should they be interrupted.”
The 2027 season schedule, announced last week, sees Bahrain host the season-opener in March and Portugal and Turkey rejoin the calendar.
The next race of the 2026 season is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this Saturday, 26 September.
Such a shame that they can't reduce the Monaco race to zero laps and have a race at a circuit that allows the cars to actually race and try to pass each other in its place.