Formula One is an eye wateringly expensive sport and even since the introduction of the cost cap, the FIA continues to demand the teams find cost saving measures where possible. The recent debate about the cost of the new 2026 power units again brings to light to an area of the sport which is could become unsustainable in another global financial crisis.

To this end the FIA has ratcheted up over the years the regulations which force the manufacturers and teams to deliver ever increasingly reliable components. Penalties are issued in the form of grid drops for those using more than the mandated number allowed in F1’s sporting regulations.

With twenty four race weekends in 2025 which now include six Sprint races, the drivers face the challenge of being restricted to juts four internal combustion engines, four Turbochargers, MGU-Hs and MGU-Ks and two Control Electrics and Energy Stores for the entire season. The less expensive exhaust systems which are more prone to failure anyway sees the teams now will an annual allowance of eight for each car.

 

 

 

All Red Bull drivers on the limit of a grid drop

With just four weekends of the season complete, it appears Red Bull are not just struggling with the balance of their RB21, but have reliability issues which are yet widely reported with both Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda already having used up their seasons  allowance of control units and energy storage units – ie the battery.

With the Racing Bulls acquiring ever more F1 components from their sister team in Milton Keynes, it appears that they too are suffering with reliability of the same parts. Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar are both also are the limit in terms of having used already two energy stores and control units, with the recently demoted New Zealand driver also having used two of each of the other power unit components.

George Russell too has used up his allowance of batteries and control units whilst following his specular crashes, Alpine’s Jack Doohan has used three exhausts along with two of everything else.

The rest of the drivers have yet to replace any of their powertrain components and currently remain on target to stay within the limits for the year set by the FIA.

Verstappen not happy with Marko’s comment: “Don’t know why he says that”

 

 

 

Verstappen believes Saudi will be better than Bahrain

Red Bull face the unknown as the weekend of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix kicks off, their RB21 has proven to been difficult to get into the right performance window so far this year. Max Verstappen hunted down Lando Norris for the win in a wet Australia, but a hesitant first stint in China saw the world champion come home in just P4, some 16 seconds behind race winner Piastri.

A genius qualifying lap in Suzuka meant Max start from pole, a position he held until the end of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. Then the next time out in Bahrain, he was nowhere, finishing down in sixth place some 34 seconds of the pace of the wining McLaren.

With its smooth surface and high speed nature which is similar to Suzuka, Red Bull are hoping for a renaissance once more although super hot temperatures on Saturday and Sunday may not suit their RB21 car. When asked on Thursday how he saw to weekend unfolding, Max was noncommittal saying: “I just go race by race. I think [Saudi Arabia] will be better than Bahrain. The rest is out of my hands.

“At the moment, we are not the quickest so it is tough to fight for a championship, but it is a long road. Last year here it all looked great and we know how the season ended up.”

Shocking statistics from Red Bull young driver programme

 

 

 

Verstappen “not happy” with RB21

Red Bull were dominant last year in Jeddah, with Verstappen topping the timesheets in every session bar a strange FP2. Verstappen cruised to victory in the race, with Sergio Perez having one of his better weekends completing a Red Bull 1-2.

“I enjoyed last year and the year before when we were dominant,” Verstappen said. “Now it is enjoyable in a way of the challenges that are out there and trying to improve the situation I would say. I am happy, I am not very happy with my car. But we all want to be better, there is no secret in that. We all want to improve.”

Yuki Tsunoda now starts his third race weekend since being promoted alongside Verstappen, making him the fifth driver in seven years to partner the world champion. Ironically Yuki has qualified exceptionally well in the Racing Bull before being sent on up to join Max. Yet even with little time to get to grips with the tricky RB21, the Japanese driver finally qualified the second RB21 in the top ten last time out in Bahrain.

Vasseur tells Hamilton to improve, stop the complaints with a veiled threat of the sack

 

 

 

Tsunoda predicts he will beat Max

Whilst a fiery character at times when behind the wheel of a formula One car, Tsunda is usually humble and understated when being interviewed in the paddock. Yet when asked about his chances of rivalling a team mate nobody has come close to since the departure of Daniel Ricciardo in 2018, Yuki appeared matter of fact when he said he believed he could beat Verstappen.

“It’s my first time driving a completely different car – I only drove with VCARB for the last four years, so it’s the first time I drove a completely different team’s car,” he told assembled media in Jeddah. “I’m trying to use that, and I know that if I unlock that area, I would be able to probably beat him [Verstappen].

“I know myself that I can’t beat him straight away, so I’m just trying to build a good baseline and wait for the moment that I can be in the [best] shape.” Unlike with other team mates who play psychological games, Tuki is in fact being straight. He has a genuine belief that on his day he can beat the four times champion Max Verstappen but for now needs to get his head down and understand the car he has been given.

F1 to ditch troublesome GP

 

 

 

 

Hamilton dismisses FIA driver safety device

Its been just over a decade since the fateful day in Suzuka when in a rain soaked Grand Prix Jules Bianchi’s Marusia car slammed into a recovery vehicle whilst the race stewards dithered. The resulting death of the Frenchman was the first since the tragedy of Imola some twenty years previous, where the lives of Ayrton Senna and Roland Raztenberger were lost at the ironically named Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

Some might say just three F1 deaths in over thirty year’s is in fact a raging success when compared to the era when Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda were competing. The movie Rush tells the story of Lauda’s career, his life threatening crash in Germany and his rivalry with British playboy driver James Hunt.

To categorise the risk the Formula One drivers were taking back in the 1970’s, Lauda makes the bold claim in the film: “I accept every time I get in my car there’s 20% chance I could die. What kind of person does a job like this?” he asks. “Each year two of us die.”…. READ MORE