As the news embargo ended at 15:30 local time in Canada, Christian Horner confirmed Yuki Tsunoda will remain with the RB team for the next two years. The Japanese driver was rumoured to be living the team the end of last season, as insiders close to the team revealed Christian Horner wanted him out and Liam Lawson in.

Tsunoda’s team mate Daniel Ricciardo, who was brought back by Horner to beef up the Red Bull junior squad following his exit from McLaren, was expected to eventually replace Sergio Perez who at the time was suffering a poor run of form.

 

 

 

Ricciardo in danger of F1 exit

Yet the Aussie has struggled to match Yuki’s performances this season and is now the only driver in the Red Bull family without a contract beyond the end of this season.

Another driver reveal was made at the Canadian Grand Prix when James Vowels the boss of the iconic Williams team came out fighting after the Grove based squad has had a poor start to the season. The ex-Mercedes man made it clear that Logan Sargeant has no future the team is in a somewhat surprising interview with Sky F1.

Vowels was nigh on aggressive as he demanded F1 observers take seriously the changes he has made since joining the team at the start of last season. “There’s a reason why I left Mercedes to come here. This is not the Williams of old and I think, first and foremost, the fact that we have Sainz on our list shows you that this isn’t how we have performed of late,” he said.

“We are prepared to have a driver line-up that I think is going to be one of the best on the grid if it’s achieved. That’s a different era that we’re going into. We’re investing tens, hundreds of millions into getting this team back to where it was in terms of success,” insisted the Williams team principal.

Big problems with 2026 regulations revealed

 

 

 

Williams boss SHOCKS F1 presenter

Vowels then SHOCKED Karun Chandhok with his next assertion when questioned about the Williams driver lineup for next year, “Sainz is our number one target,” explained Vowels.“There’s a reason why I left Mercedes to come here. This isn’t the Williams of old. “Having Sainz on our list shows we are prepared to have a driver line-up that I think will be one of the best on the grid, if it’s achieved.” the usually measure Chandhok replied – “WOW.”

Almost in defiance of his bosses comments, Logan Sargeant was P14 in free practice three, some 0.2 seconds ahead of his team mate Alex Albon. The British-Thai driver did clip the wall on his final flying lap and so this may explain Sargeant’s apparent resurgence.

TJ13 reported earlier this week that James Bower, the Williams commercial director, revealed for the first time since the cost cap was introduced, the team had now enough sponsorship to spend up to the cost cap limit.“We have investment in terms of spending up to the cost cap, and we have a secure future,” Bower stated. “But I also have the management of partnerships as well, so we’re not making commitments that we can’t fulfil.”

The iconic Williams brand which has been in F1 for 45 consecutive years now has significant partners in Gulf Oil, Stephens, Michelob Ultra, PureStream, MyProtein, and Keeper Security all singing commercial deals since the beginning of the 2023 season.

Verstappen seethes over Red Bull problems

 

 

 

Williams now have HUGE budget

The shambolic Alpine F1 team by way of contrast are tens of millions short of spending up to the cost cap, according to the sacked manager Otmar Szhnafaeur at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix. And Williams have secured an agreement from the FIA to spend more than the capital allowance restrictions for the next few years, as they catch up and upgrade their 20 year old ageing facility and equipment at their Grove HQ – hence Vowels “hundreds of millions” comment.

Carlos Sainz is the key to the dominos falling in the driver market and James Vowels confidently claims the ten F1 team’s 2025 line ups will be resolved in the next month. When asked could there be news at the upcoming home race in Spain for Carlos Sainz, Vowels grinned and said “let’s wait and see.”

Sainz has been publicly courted by Sauber as they transition to become the Audi works outfit in 2026. Yet their project is way behind the Williams outfit and despite a deadline in April, Carlos has avoided putting pen to paper.

Marko admits “truce” with Horner as next Red Bull crisis looms

 

 

 

Vowels teases Adrian Newey return to Williams

Vowels also teased the Sky F1 team of presenters claiming they had another huge announcement coming in the next four weeks in terms of big name personnel who would be joining Williams. Of course the immediate conclusion drawn is Adrian Newey is set to return to the place of his first F1 success, when he left Leighton House for Grove back in 1991. 

In his seven years with the team, Newey transformed their fortunes with his cars claiming 59 race victories, 78 pole positions and 60 fastest laps all from 114 races from 1991 till 1997. Four drivers clinched F1 titles and the team won three consecutive constructor titles.

A return to assist the team in their revival of fortunes, would be a romantic end to Newey’s career who has turned down Ferrari on three occasions previously when offered the role as the technical supremo.

FIA cockup costs Ferrari a fine

 

 

 

Alpine confirm Schumacher talk

The French Alpine racing team has held advanced talks with Mick Schumacher about a possible Formula One engagement for next season resulting in a race seat. Team boss Bruno Famin confirmed the news to Sky on the sidelines of the Canadian Grand Prix.

In the aftermath of the Monaco Grand Prix, Alpine’s team dynamics took a notable turn as Esteban Ocon dealt with the fallout from his costly first-lap collision with team-mate Pierre Gasly. Now, with the Canadian Grand Prix in full swing, the focus has shifted to a possible reshuffle within the team. Alpine boss Bruno Famin has confirmed that discussions are underway with Mick Schumacher about a race seat for next year, signalling a significant change on the horizon… READ MORE