Welcome to TJ13’s daily rolling F1 news and comment. Here you’ll find the latest stories, rumours, and paddock whispers, all served with our usual splash of satire. We’ll be updating this page all day as the news breaks and the drama unfolds, so be sure to check back regularly for the latest updates straight from the F1 circus, and please leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
Verstappen’s 2027 Red Bull exit clause sparks interest from Mercedes and Aston Martin – 20:45 UK
According to F1 Oversteer, Max Verstappen’s long-term future with Red Bull may not be as secure as previously thought. The Dutchman’s current contract reportedly includes a clause allowing him to leave in 2027 if the team fails to provide a car capable of winning the title under F1’s next regulatory era. With Red Bull set to debut their in-house Ford-powered engines next season, doubts over reliability and performance have already raised concerns in the paddock.
Sources cited by F1 Oversteer suggest that Mercedes are the early favourites to sign Verstappen should he decide to leave, though Aston Martin are also keen to recruit the four-time world champion. Lawrence Stroll’s team is expanding its ambitions aggressively, having secured Adrian Newey and a Honda works power unit supply from 2026. Either team could offer Verstappen the kind of ‘sure thing’ environment that Red Bull may struggle to provide during its engine transition.
If Verstappen does leave, Red Bull will face a crisis similar to that which followed Daniel Ricciardo’s departure. Isack Hadjar is tipped for promotion, but finding a ready-made replacement for the sport’s benchmark driver would be a daunting task. Charles Leclerc and George Russell have been mentioned as possible replacements, though much depends on who Verstappen might replace elsewhere. One thing is clear: should the clause be triggered, the 2026–27 driver market will overshadow Hamilton’s move to Ferrari.
Hamilton fires back at ‘older drivers who didn’t achieve much’ – Updated 19:00 UK
The seven-time world champion has criticised the sport’s veteran critics, accusing “older drivers who didn’t achieve much” of spreading negativity instead of supporting the next generation. Speaking in Brazil, the seven-time world champion said that he is determined to do the opposite, and will mentor and encourage rookies such as Kimi Antonelli, Franco Colapinto, and Isack Hadjar, helping them to adapt to the intensity of life in Formula 1.
Reflecting on his own 2007 debut, Hamilton noted the difference in pressure for today’s drivers, especially given the constant scrutiny of social media. “I’ve always wanted to be someone who supports the young, even after I leave the sport,” he said, lamenting how often the harshest voices come from former racers who never made it to the top. This is thought to be a thinly veiled shot at several ex-drivers who have questioned his move to Ferrari and his current form.
Hamilton also linked the criticism to a broader pattern, referencing a previous interview with Time Magazine in which he said he ignored negativity from ‘older, ultimately white men’ in the paddock. For TJ13’s jury, this is classic Hamilton: part sage mentor, part moral crusader, reminding everyone that while his car may lack downforce, his sense of purpose certainly doesn’t.
McLaren protest Red Bull engine change – updated 16:01 UK
It was looking bleak for Max Verstappen in Brazil following the halt of his charge towards the Formula One drivers title. He lacked pace in Sprint qualifying and finished just fourth in the shorter of the two races.
Red Bull make extensive changes to the RB21 for Grand Prix qualifying, but it resulted in the first time in Verstappen’s career where he was knocked out in Q1 purely due to pace. `The team created another piece of history given this was the first time since Japan 2006, where neither Red Bull driver reached Q2.
Once again, Red Bull engineers worked late into the night breaking parcels ferme to change the car configuration one again and fit a a new power unit. This was Verstappen’s fifth of the season and it was reasoned given he would be parting from the pit lane there’s no additional punishment for using one engine over the maximum allocation.
Of course the rest is history. This year it was in the dry Max charged through the field, only to be thwarted over the last two laps by Kimi Antonelli’s staunch defence. Yet pit lane to podium is a rare sight and rightly so, the world champion received all the plaudits.
McLaren query Red Bull spend with the FIA
Now McLaren have challenged the FIA over Red Bull’s decision to switch power units to improve performance and not because the others were broken. “To be honest, these kind of power unit changes, they challenge the regulations,” the Italian told assembled media.
“I will be interested in understanding if the cost of this engine now goes in the cost cap or not. If the engine was changed for performance reasons, it should go in the cost cap. So let’s see if this is the case, not that I will be able to see, as it’s all on the Red Bull side.
“But this is also one reason why we wouldn’t do it, because it would end up in the cost cap,” Stela concludes. It appears McLaren believe there may be a loophole which Red Bull are exploiting given the cost of a new power unit is in the region of $5 million.
Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies admitted the engine change was for performance reasons, but when asked how much of an advantage it had been for Max, he was unsure.
“It’s difficult to give you a number [of the lap time benefit], but the gaps are small enough for everything to be important,” he said. Red Bull have also been developing their car long after McLaren stopped after the summer break. Questions have been asked as to how they can resource this along with developing their all new 2026 car, no answer is yet forthcoming from the Milton Keynes based team.
Ricciardo was spotted at the Brentford match with Sky Sports F1’s Natalie Pinkham at 14:50 UK
Daniel Ricciardo made a rare public appearance during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, not at Interlagos but in the stands at Brentford versus Newcastle alongside Sky Sports F1’s Natalie Pinkham. The former Red Bull and McLaren driver, who is now officially retired, was spotted enjoying the match while his former colleagues in the paddock were sweating through another São Paulo storm. Pinkham, who is recovering from recent surgery, posted a photo of the moment online, joking that she had “recruited a couple of newbies” to cheer on Brentford while keeping one eye on events in Brazil.
The pair are close friends — Ricciardo is the godfather of Pinkham’s son, Wilf — and her retelling of how he earned that title speaks volumes about the man behind the smile.
“He made the most effort,” Pinkham once explained. “He’d come over just to see Wilf. Anything you think you know about Daniel and his kindness, it goes deeper”
A welcome sight: Ricciardo, the sport’s eternal grin, looking relaxed and at peace away from the cockpit. After years of gruelling comebacks and unreliable machinery, the Australian’s life after F1 seems to be heading towards something simpler: football, family, and the occasional reminder that, despite all the chaos that F1 brings, some people can leave the circus with their charm intact.
Ferrari Chairman warns drivers, in particular Hamilton, after disaster in Brazil – updated 14:45 UK
Ferrari chairman John Elkann has issued a strong public reprimand to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc following the team’s double DNF at the São Paulo Grand Prix. With Hamilton describing his first season with Ferrari as a “nightmare”, Elkann urged both drivers to “focus on driving and talk less”, emphasising that Ferrari only wins when the team is united. His comments highlight the increasing tension within the team, especially given Hamilton’s ongoing difficulties and vocal frustration, which continue to attract attention. Ferrari has now slipped to fourth in the constructors’ standings, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix offers the team a last chance to salvage some pride before the end of the season.
Of the two Ferrari drivers, Hamilton has clearly endured the greater struggle and has made a lot of noise about it. While Leclerc’s frustrations have largely been confined to moments of bad luck or mechanical failure, Hamilton’s transition to life at Maranello has been far more turbulent. His repeated public comments about the team’s shortcomings and his own discomfort with the car, as well as the stark contrast with his years of dominance at Mercedes, have created an ongoing narrative of discontent.
While his status as a seven-time world champion commands respect, it also amplifies everything he says, and within Ferrari’s walls, his constant commentary is beginning to grate. In a team that values quiet resilience over public emotion, Hamilton’s voice has been the loudest, and the least reassuring.
Medland warns that a harsh penalty for Piastri could dampen the battles we love – Updated 12:22
Veteran F1 journo, Chris Medland, argues that the 10-second penalty given to Piastri for the three-car collision at Turn 1 during the São Paulo Grand Prix is not just about punishing one manoeuvre; it could also discourage the kind of wheel-to-wheel racing that defines Formula 1. He points out that both Piastri and Kimi Antonelli made brave attempts into Turn 1, but the stewards deemed Piastri solely to blame for overtaking under the Driving Standards Guidelines. Article link here.
The wider concern? Drivers may now think twice before diving in, fearing a penalty if they misjudge the apex position, even though they are sharing the track. Medland writes that battlers need room, not reprimands, but the message sent at Interlagos suggests the opposite. According to an article in The Race, the result of the collision — Antonelli’s Mercedes forcing Leclerc’s Ferrari off the track, appears to have influenced the stewards’ decision, even though the initial collision only involved two cars.
For TJ13’s jury, is this a troubling sign? Formula 1 thrives on audacious manoeuvres and three-wide chaos, yet the penalty appears to be more of a lesson than a warning. If young drivers start to hold back in order to avoid risk, there will be fewer overtaking manoeuvres and fewer memorable moments. After all, at its heart, this sport isn’t about playing it safe.
Piastri’s penalty explained: stewards rule McLaren driver “wholly responsible” – Updated 11:31 UK
The Interlagos stewards have revealed their reasoning behind Oscar Piastri’s 10-second penalty during Sunday’s São Paulo Grand Prix. They confirmed that the McLaren driver was “wholly responsible” for the clash on Lap 6 that eliminated Charles Leclerc. In a post-race report, officials said that Piastri had attempted an overly optimistic move on Kimi Antonelli at the first turn, failing to achieve the necessary overlap before turning in and locking his brakes in an attempt to avoid contact. The result? Antonelli was punted into Leclerc’s Ferrari, and the Monegasque’s day was over before the first sector.
The decision adds two penalty points to Piastri’s licence, taking him to eight, and damages his chances of winning the title against his teammate, Lando Norris. Leclerc was quick to defend himself, insisting that Antonelli was also at fault, but the stewards disagreed, citing the ‘Driving Standards Guidelines’ which state that the front axle of the inside car must be at least alongside the mirror of the car on the outside before the apex. Piastri wasn’t even close.
This is another rough chapter in what is turning into a fraught title run-in for the Australian. While Norris was calmly extending his championship lead, Piastri found himself in trouble again — and although McLaren still managed to secure valuable points, the gap between their two drivers is widening faster than a Hamilton’s front wing repair bill.
Ferrari have confirmed that Hamilton’s SF-25 was missing 40 points of downforce – Updated 09:45 UK
Ferrari have confirmed what many suspected after Lewis Hamilton’s disappointing Brazilian Grand Prix: his car was essentially broken from the outset. The Brit’s SF-25 lost 35–40 points of downforce after being clipped by Carlos Sainz and then hitting Franco Colapinto early in the race, according to team principal Frédéric Vasseur.
After limping around for nearly 40 laps, Hamilton’s Ferrari was retired to avoid further engine damage. This capped a day of total despair for Maranello, with Charles Leclerc also being eliminated in the opening chaos.
“When you’re in last place and missing 40 points of downforce, it doesn’t make sense to damage the engine,” Vasseur admitted, delivering his verdict with all the enthusiasm of someone reading out a tax bill.
For Hamilton, the frustration is starting to sound existential. His “dream move” to Ferrari has turned into a nightmare: he has not won a single race this year, has been outperformed by Leclerc, and is still waiting for a podium finish. He insists he believes in the team’s long-term vision, speaking of ‘hardships leading to something extraordinary’. This is admirable optimism, though the jury at TJ13 suspects that the only extraordinary thing right now is how Ferrari manage to make déjà vu feel so new every weekend.
McLaren own up to strategy slip-up as Piastri’s title hopes fade – 00:20 UK
The Brazilian Grand Prix debrief ended with McLaren making a rare admission of guilt; they had made the wrong call with Oscar Piastri.
The Australian, who was once just one point behind his teammate Lando Norris, left Interlagos 24 points behind and clearly disappointed. His penalty for the clash with Antonelli didn’t help, but the real blow came from the pit wall, where a questionable tyre call derailed what could have been a vital recovery drive.
Piastri’s team switched him to soft tyres after he served his ten-second penalty, banking on the compounds dropping off late in the race. Instead, the tyres performed well, as Max Verstappen made the most of them during his own charge to the podium. Meanwhile, rivals such as Hulkenberg and Lawson secured points by stopping only once, highlighting that McLaren’s “safe” strategy was anything but.
Even Piastri couldn’t resist a dry jab over the radio: “I hope you’re a bit more optimistic than I am, because it doesn’t look very pretty from where I’m sitting…”
He wasn’t wrong.
Piastri’s championship campaign is sliding into the “what might have been” category. The team insists that his tyre management and pace were solid, which is probably true, but it was strategy rather than speed that decided this one. With just three races to go, Piastri must now take a big gamble in Las Vegas. Playing it safe isn’t an option when your teammate is already halfway to the jackpot.
Verstappen’s recovery at Interlagos defies logic – 00:10 UK
Max Verstappen’s drive from the pit lane to the podium at Interlagos wasn’t just impressive; it was the kind of performance that makes you wonder if he’s operating on a different plane of physics. Last year, he won the same race from 17th on the grid in wet conditions; this time, he did it in dry conditions without the safety car lottery and with a puncture thrown in for good measure.
Red Bull’s decision to break parc fermé paid off handsomely. A new power unit, some overnight setup tweaks and slightly cooler air transformed the RB21 from a pogo stick into a precision weapon. Verstappen carved through the field like a man avenging a qualifying embarrassment, dispatching midfielders at will and setting lap times that made the McLarens look mortal. Even after losing ground with an early puncture, he was back in contention by lap 11, swiftly overtaking the remaining Ferrari cars, which didn’t take long.
By the closing stages, Verstappen was charging at the leaders, overtaking Russell and hunting down Antonelli for second place. The final-lap duel was pure theatre: Verstappen was loose at Juncão and Antonelli was wide under pressure; the two were separated by barely three-tenths at the flag. Had there been another lap, the story might have been different, though for everyone else, it already was. Verstappen turned a tactical mess into another masterpiece, the kind that leaves the paddock shaking its collective head and muttering: ‘How does he keep doing that?’
Norris rises, Ferrari flops and Verstappen… Well! – 00:01 UK
The Brazilian Grand Prix delivered everything Interlagos promises: chaos, comebacks, and the annual reminder that Ferrari can mess up even a picnic. Lando Norris tightened his grip on the championship with a dominant performance, extending his advantage over his teammate, Oscar Piastri, to 24 points. The Briton is now just one weekend in Las Vegas away from a shot at the title in Qatar, although he insists he’s “not thinking about that” – which, translated from driver-speak, means he’s already planning the champagne order.
Behind him, Max Verstappen turned what should have been a Red Bull write-off into another entry in his personal highlight reel. Starting from the pit lane after a qualifying disaster, he powered through to third place, making it look annoyingly effortless. Once again, he proved that while the RB21 might have lost its wings, he hasn’t lost his bite. The only people with a worse Sunday than Red Bull’s engineers were Yuki Tsunoda and his teammate, who went from pit lane to podium while Tsunoda racked up penalty points.
Meanwhile, at Ferrari, the dream of relevance continues to fade faster than a wet Pirelli. Charles Leclerc was eliminated in a Turn 1 domino effect that wasn’t his fault, while Lewis Hamilton collided with Colapinto and later retired, resulting in a double DNF and dropping Ferrari to fourth in the constructors’ standings. Elsewhere, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed by finishing second, the Racing Bulls achieved a surprise double points finish and Ollie Bearman kept Haas fans awake by finishing sixth. It was a brilliant race for everyone — unless your car was red.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
