Welcome to TJ13’s daily rolling F1 news and comment. Here you’ll find all the latest stories, rumours and paddock whispers. We’ll be updating this page all day as the news breaks, so be sure to check back regularly for the latest updates straight from the F1 circus. And don’t forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
Stroll shuts down Horner rumours as Newey starts work in Qatar – Updated 21:30 UK
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has moved quickly to clarify the team’s leadership structure, apparently informing staff that Christian Horner will not be joining the organisation, despite recent speculation to the contrary. This reassurance came as Adrian Newey began his first duties in Qatar, although not yet in his future role as team principal.
Reports had suggested that Horner was being considered as a replacement for Andy Cowell, and rumours even claimed that Newey had personally shown Horner around the Silverstone factory. However, Aston Martin strongly deny that any such tour happened.
In any case, Horner remains unavailable; his Red Bull severance package includes a period of gardening leave that will prevent him from joining another team until April next year.
READ MORE – Aston Martin CEO role for Horner
Albon criticises FIA’s random checks after McLaren disqualification fallout – Updated 19:20 UK
Alexander Albon has questioned the fairness of the FIA’s enforcement methods following McLaren’s disqualification in Las Vegas, which has reignited debate around underbody rules. While he accepts the regulation itself, the Williams driver argues that the way it is applied is flawed. “My problem isn’t the rule itself, but how it’s enforced,” he said, describing the FIA’s reliance on random post-race checks as “difficult” and potentially unfair.
Albon warned that teams could theoretically run cars on the limit without consequence if they avoid being selected for inspection. He added that he would “prefer all 20 cars to be checked every weekend” to ensure true fairness. He acknowledges the practical challenge of full inspections requiring time and partial disassembly, but remains uncomfortable with the ‘randomness’ of the current system.
Explaining why teams push so close to the limits, Albon highlighted the extreme sensitivity of modern cars, where small changes in wind or conditions can dramatically alter ride height. Sprint weekends only worsen the uncertainty. Looking ahead, he doubts that the 2026 rules will fully eliminate the issue. While ground effect will be less extreme, teams will still chase ultra-low setups. This means that scrutiny — and controversy — surrounding checks is likely to continue.
Horner linked to Aston Martin, but autonomy concerns cast doubt – Updated 15:05 UK
Sky F1 commentator David Croft claims that Aston Martin has made an offer to Christian Horner, but doubts that the former Red Bull team boss will accept it. Rumours intensified after BBC Sport reported that Adrian Newey, who has been appointed as the team principal of Aston Martin from 2026, gave Horner a discreet tour of the Silverstone factory earlier this week.
Horner has been linked to the team ever since suggestions emerged that Andy Cowell could be replaced, and Newey’s arrival has only fuelled speculation about a potential Red Bull reunion. However, Croft believes that Horner’s desire for full control is the key obstacle. “When he comes back, he will want autonomy. The problem he had at Red Bull was that he wasn’t given the autonomy he thought his experience warranted,” he said.
Croft argues that such independence would be impossible under Lawrence Stroll’s ownership, pointing out that major decisions — including those relating to Lance Stroll’s future — would be out of bounds. With Stroll Jr reportedly holding a five-year contract, Croft concludes that, despite discussions taking place, “I don’t see Christian Horner coming in… even though I think a package is on the table”.
READ MORE – Aston Martin CEO role for Horner
McLaren confident in Qatar setup after Las Vegas disqualification – Updated 14:45 UK
The team have explained that the double disqualification in Las Vegas was caused by unexpected porpoising and ride-height anomalies, rather than an overly aggressive setup in pursuit of performance.
Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified for excessive skid-block wear after finishing second and fourth respectively, but in a Q&A released by the team on Thursday, team principal Andrea Stella said the issues were due to “an anomaly in the behaviour of the car, rather than it being the outcome of an excessive or unreasonable chase of performance”.
Both Norris and Piastri confirmed that the unique track conditions in Las Vegas and the limited practice time available had contributed to the problem. Norris said, “Sometimes it can be the opposite… In fact, we were slower because of the issues we had, not quicker,” while Piastri added that the team had ‘played it safe’ with ride height to manage the unexpected porpoising. Both drivers are optimistic that the lessons learned will help them achieve better results in Qatar.
Despite losing points, Norris’s championship lead over Verstappen and Piastri dropped to 24, the McLaren drivers remain focused on the final two races. Norris said, “It sucks, but that’s life sometimes,”.
McLaren Rejects Team Orders Ahead of Season Finale – Updated 12:30 UK
Despite the double disqualification in Las Vegas that enabled Max Verstappen to close in on the drivers’ championship title, McLaren has confirmed that it will not implement team orders for the final rounds of the 2025 season. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified from the race results due to excessive skid block wear, while Verstappen scored maximum points, reducing the gap to just 24 points behind championship leader Norris.
Team principal Andrea Stella emphasised that both drivers will continue to compete freely: “As long as the maths does not say otherwise, we will leave it up to the two drivers to fight for their chance at the final victory, and that is how it will be in Qatar,” he said.
McLaren has already secured the constructors’ championship, but remains focused on winning its first drivers’ title since 2008.
Stella also highlighted the team’s strong culture of responding to setbacks: “There is no blame culture at McLaren, but rather a culture of constant progress and growth. Episodes like this make you grow. They are painful, there’s no point hiding it, but pain is also part of our sport.”
FIA Considering Rule Change After McLaren’s Double Disqualification in Las Vegas – Updated 10:30 UK
McLaren had a nightmare in Las Vegas, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri being disqualified for worn skid blocks. This may lead to a rethink of Formula One’s technical penalty system. Team principal Andrea Stella says the FIA is now evaluating whether the rules should allow more proportional punishments in cases involving minor breaches that do not enhance performance.
Both McLarens failed post-race scrutineering when their skid blocks were found to be thinner than the mandatory minimum of 9 mm. The excess wear was minimal — ‘0.12 mm for Lando and 0.26 mm for Oscar’ — but the technical regulations stipulate automatic disqualification regardless of intent or advantage gained. Stella says McLaren had no grounds to appeal because F1’s technical rules leave no room for interpretation.
According to Stella, the FIA recognises that the current system may be too rigid. “The FIA itself has admitted that this lack of proportionality should be addressed in the future,” he explained, noting that the governing body had acknowledged that the infringement was unintentional and had offered no real performance gain. Discussions are now underway on whether future penalties could better reflect the scale and impact of technical irregularities.
READ MORE – Drama at the FIA: Why McLaren could be thrown out of the 2025 F1 championships
The harsh reality behind becoming a female F1 driver – Updated 10:00 UK
The path to Formula One remains brutally steep for young women, as 18-year-old Aiva Anagnostiadis revealed to the Telegraph after her first season in the F1 Academy. While the sport is often asked when the next female F1 driver will emerge, the reality is that the financial and structural barriers are immense.
No woman has raced in Formula One since 1976, and although the F1 Academy is becoming a recognised part of the calendar, only its champion is guaranteed a funded step up the ladder — and even then, only as far as GB3, which is still far from Formula One.
Anagnostiadis, who finished 17th after missing two rounds due to injury, says that many drivers assumed that the F1 Academy would open doors to sponsorship. However, investment is scarce because there are no proven success stories to reassure backers.
“I think we thought that if you get into the F1 Academy, sponsors would just fall into place,” she explains.
“You can’t really compete with people who have billions when you have nothing.”
With no women in F3, F2 or F1, today’s female drivers are pioneers who lack the financial support that male drivers typically receive through established development pathways. Social media growth and personal branding have become essential tools simply to stay on the radar.
Hailing from a family deeply rooted in motorsport — her mother is a kart racer, her father is a mechanic and her brother James is a Mercedes junior kart racer — Anagnostiadis has grown up around racing. Yet she faces cost barriers that her brother likely never will. Seats in junior series can exceed £1 million, and the price only rises through F3 and F2. Without manufacturer backing, test time and development opportunities are even more limited. For many F1 Academy drivers, failing to win the title means scrambling for any available seat simply to continue racing.
COMMENT BELOW & CHECK BACK ON THIS PAGE THROUGHOUT THE DAY FOR UPDATED NEWS
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.
BUT – McLaren’s rule infringement DID affect the performance of their cars … and they were rightly disqualified because of that! HOW can judges quantify the AMOUNT of improvement they gained over the course of the race? Disqualification was the only answer.
Of course, the ten second penalties, when teams are so closely matched, are I think in danger of killing the competitive nature of the sport – and that DOES require a re-think!
But maybe McLaren are hoping for less stringent penalties because they have been caught out over the heated plank issue in Brazil?! There’s taking advantage of loopholes in the rules – and then there’s downright CHEATING!
Rather than disqualifying them from NEXT season’s championship, maybe they should be stripped of any honours they have received THIS season (Team Championship and perhaps even a Driver’s Championship – should they get that?). There should be NO reward for CHEATING
I wonder if this would have been the discussion if Red Bull were disqualified for the same infringement or would there have been an outcry from the likes of Zak Brown and Toto Wolf with their insinuations of cheating etc,etc, even worse if Christian Horner was still Team Principle.
The question is: did McLaren have prior knowledge of the potential infringement taking place during the race and just managed it. Why did Norris and Piastri “nurse” their cars in the latter stage the race?