Elfyn Evans says he was simply “caught out” by a corner at Rally Croatia as the World Rally Championship leader suffered a rare back-to-back rally retirement. 

The Toyota driver took early command in Croatia winning the opening two stages to open up a 15.8s lead before that advantage was wiped out on stage three. 

Evans usually carried way too much speed into a tight right hand corner that resulted in his GR Yaris firing off the road at speed. Onboard vision appeared to show some confusion over a pace note heading into the corner. 

While Evans and co-driver Scott Martin were unharmed, they were unable to recover the car and suffered their second retirement in a row after exiting Safari Rally Kenya last month.

Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

The exit has come as a surprise given Evans has showcased stunning consistency with this only his second retirement since Greece 2024. 

When asked to explain what happened, Evans said: “We've been caught out basically. The corner was a bit tighter than expected and we were way too fast and we went off into the trees, unfortunately. It is very disappointing. Obviously, it was a strong start and things were going well, but it didn’t end so well.

“I think it [the pacenote] was okay. 

“It [the car] was really working quite well. It is not easy. Obviously, as we know with this rally, there are always a few surprises with the changing surfaces. It's very difficult to read.”

Solberg stumbles

Oliver Solberg, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Evans wasn’t the only high profile retirement, as his nearest rival in the championship Oliver Solberg crashed out of the rally, just 4.8km into the opening stage.

The Monte Carlo winner clipped a rock face that sent his GR Yaris into a 360 spin before running off the road and becoming beached, ending his day before it had really begun.

“Firstly from an experience point of view, it's the first time I tried a hard tyre really on the car, and first time on proper tarmac. The feeling in the car and how we worked with the car has been fantastic,” said an emotional Solberg.

“But for sure, when it was tricky out there with a hard tyre and trying to understand it, and with a limited experience, I basically just drove a little bit too fast in this corner and just underestimated the small window I had with the grip and I had a small understeer and just touched the wall there, and that's it.

“The team has been very supportive and understanding, and we've had good talks together, and we just move on and fight for the future. They believe in me, and that's definitely helped my spirit.”

Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Reflecting on the incident, Solberg says it highlights his limited experience at the top level, while offering a reminder that at times he needs to take a step back and learn for the future.

“The road itself is quite straightforward. For sure, with my ethic, with my experience, and everything, maybe deciding to use the hard compound tyres was optimistic, not trying it before. With the little experience, maybe I was a bit too confident to do my speed with that tyre. And that's something for me to learn, to understand when the feeling is not there," he added.

WRC Croatia: Pajari holds off Neuville to lead after Friday drama

“It is the same for everybody, probably. I just need to take a step back and understand that I don’t have so much experience with the tyre, maybe and I need to adapt to it. Even if the feeling in my driving and the pace notes and the car was great I just need to understand the hard tyre is something I need to learn more about for the future.

“I don't have a lot of experience with this car and I also underestimate this. I'm here to do the best I can and drive as fast as I can and want to fight. I think today was the best example of when you don't have any experience on the hard tyre, trying it for the first time, with these fast cars and these conditions, I need to learn and take it step by step.”

Toyota’s Sami Pajari will hold an overnight World Rally Championship event lead for the first time in his career after emerging from a dramatic opening day in Croatia.

Pajari produced an impressive drive through what proved to be eight tricky asphalt tests that resulted in retirements for championship leader Elfyn Evans, Monte Carlo winner Oliver Solberg, and M-Sport-Ford’s Jon Armstrong.

However, Finland’s Pajari, searching for maiden WRC win, balanced speed and risk, well to end Friday with 13.7s lead over Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, with Safari Rally Kenya winner Takamoto Katsuta in third [+14.6s].

“Of course, it feels nice [to lead] but there is still a long way to go. I have been in the mix for the top positions a couple of times and at the minute, for me it is not changing too much if we are 10 seconds in front or 10 seconds behind.”

Drama unfolding in Croatia

Sami Pajari, Marko Salminen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Pajari inherited the rally lead following stage three when early leader Evans ran off the road at high speed after misjudging a right-hander. Evans had built up a 15.8s lead after winning the opening two stages of the rally. The Welshman was unable to recover the car back to the road after carrying too much speed into that tight corner and ultimately suffered a costly second consecutive retirement.

Evans wasn’t the only Toyota to hit trouble as Oliver Solberg suffered a retirement 4.8km into the rally on the opening stage. The Swede was caught out and clipped a rock face, sending his car off the road.

Toyota, however, maintained its position at the top of leaderboard through Pajari, who took an 8.4s lead over Katsuta, who also displayed the perfect balance of speed versus risk, into the midday service.

That gap grew to 10.2s when the action resumed in the afternoon with the asphalt stages featuring much more dirt from the first pass. Pajari posted a fastest time in stage five but the Finn began to come under pressure from Neuville, who rattled off back-to-back stage wins in stages six and seven.

Despite struggling with the balance of his i20 N at times, the 2024 world champion showed a much improved pace compared to recent events as he closed the deficit to Pajari down to 6.3s.

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Hyundai

However, Pajari responded in the final stage of the loop, winning the test by 3.6s from Katsuta. Neuville was unable to match Pajari in the stage and dropped 7.4s to leave him 13.7s adrift of the lead heading into Saturday.

“The stages were much more gravelly but still at the same time I was able to expect where the gravel would be based on the first pass, so for me the second pass was more enjoyable and straight forward," said Pajari.

Knowing Toyota had already lost two of its factory cars in the morning, Katsuta adopted a sensible approach across the afternoon but remained firmly in the fight for victory.

“We had no mistakes, punctures or problems so it was a really clean day,” said Katsuta. “The team told me after the morning loop that I had to make sure I brought the car back. They didn’t put crazy pressure on but I really understood that I really need to get back as we still have two days to go. Tomorrow will be an even more tough day and anything can happen.”

While it is clear Hyundai still has plenty of more steps to take with its i20 N on asphalt, Neuville was clearly relieved to be involved in a victory fight.

Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Hyundai

“It is going better than expected honestly," said Neuville. "We found something and we were able to build on during the day. The speed is not where we want to be but we were able to compensate with the driving and that has kept us in the fight for a result,” said Neuville.

It proved to be a positive day for Hyundai with all three of its cars finishing the day inside the top five. Hayden Paddon, making his Rally Croatia debut, managed to avoid dramas to hold fourth, 1m15.0s adrift of the lead.

Team-mate Adrien Fourmaux ended the day in fifth [+1m54.6s], but it could have been even better for the Frenchman had he avoided a front right puncture in stage two, which resulted in a loss of 1m28.0s.

M-Sport-Ford’s Josh McErlean was the only other Rally1 car to complete the day’s mileage., The Irishman had been sitting in fifth before suffering a front left puncture that required a wheel change in stage seven.

Joshua Mcerlean, Eoin Treacy, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: M-Sport

Team-mate Armstrong impressed across the morning, running as high as third, before a front left puncture struck in stage two. The Northern Irishman was 0.1s away from a fastest time in stage three, but his day came to an end on the next test when he clattered a bank that damaged his front and rear right wheels.

Lancia proved the team to beat in WRC2 as Yohan Rossel reached service in the class lead, sitting in sixth overall. The Frenchman headed team-mate Nikolay Gryazin by 22.1s. Eight stages await the crews on Saturday.

Despite its historic period of dominance in Formula 1 between 2022 and 2023, Red Bull has since gradually seen its key figures leave, sometimes under murky circumstances. Here is a  look back at all the major departures from the team over the past three years.

Rob Marshall, chief engineer

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The announcement of Rob Marshall’s move to McLaren was made back in May 2023, ahead of the 2024 season. This was the first major departure from Red Bull in recent years, as he had spent 17 years with the Milton Keynes-based team. Having joined in 2006, he served alongside Adrian Newey as chief designer until 2015, playing a key role in the team’s successes in the early 2010s.

He was subsequently promoted to chief engineer and played a part in the team’s resurgence, while also becoming involved in other company projects. “We will miss his influence,” Christian Horner said following the announcement of his departure to become chief technical officer and chief designer at the Woking-based team.

An influence that many considered crucial to the recent successes of McLaren, as part of his new partnership with Peter Prodromou (who was Newey’s number two), himself a former Red Bull team member.

Lee Stevenson, chief mechanic

Photo by: Dan Istitene / Getty Images

He may not hold as high a position as others on this list, but he is a familiar face to the public : Lee Stevenson announced in March 2024 that he was leaving Red Bull, after 18 years with the team.

Starting his career in F1 at Jordan as a mechanic, he joined Red Bull in 2006 and from there he rose through the ranks to become the chief mechanic on Daniil Kvyat’s car in 2015. 

In early 2016, when Verstappen replaced the Russian, the rapport between the two was excellent and he retained this role until 2020, when, at his request, he was promoted to the position of deputy chief mechanic, before being appointed chief mechanic in 2023.

Although he subsequently left the Red Bull, he did not abandon his role: he became chief mechanic at the Sauber team, before being promoted to team manager at Audi  in 2026.

Adrian Newey, chief technical officer

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Having already contributed to the world titles won by Williams and McLaren in the 1990s, Newey chose to join Red Bull in 2006. It took him just three years to help the team become a title contender with the RB5, the car that laid the foundations for the Red Bull’s first championship-winning line-up between 2010-13.

He then fell victim, like the entire team, to the failed transition to the V6 turbo hybrid era, due to Renault’s shortcomings and, at times, to his own chassis department and a lack of coordination. The rest of his career at Red Bull saw him take a slightly more backseat role, somewhat weary of the dominance of engines over aerodynamics, while participating in projects outside of F1.

Ultimately, it was not until the switch to Honda engines that Newey regained the opportunity to participate in the design of title-fighting cars – with Pierre Wache as full technical director from 2018 onwards – achieving success between 2021 and 2024.

However, although he had a contract extension with Red Bull in 2023, the Horner affair and the internal power struggle that came to light in early 2024 prompted him to leave the team in May of that year. Symbolically, the announcement of his departure – the timing of which was criticised by Newey himself due to its coincidence with the 30th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s death – came at the very moment the RB20 was beginning to show signs of weakness. 

In early 2025 he joined Aston Martin as managing technical partner, mainly focused on the team's preparation for the new rules era the following year.

Jonathan Wheatley, sporting director

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

Although less prominent than Newey, Wheatley has nonetheless been a key figure in his team’s successes. Arriving in 2006, after serving as chief mechanic at Benetton and then Renault, the Briton was initially team manager before becoming sporting director in 2014.

In this role, which he held from the pitwall, he notably oversaw the well-oiled machine that Red Bull’s pitstop team had become, while managing dealings between the team and the FIA.

In 2024, aged 57, he wanted to take his career to the next level, but Christian Horner’s presence as team principal made internal progression difficult. He therefore had to look beyond the Red Bull fold, and it was Sauber – which would become Audi in 2026 – that Wheatley decided to join. 

However, after just two rounds at the helm of the team under the four-ringed manufacturer’s banner, Wheatley left and is now tipped to join Aston Martin.

His departure from Red Bull had prompted a shake-up in the hierarchy and a series of internal promotions at the time, notably with a more significant and broader role being given to Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer. 

Will Courtenay, head of strategy

Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Having joined Jaguar back in 2003, Courtenay remained with the team despite its takeover by Red Bull. A strategy engineer and then analyst between 2005 and 2010, he became head of race strategy in June 2010, a role he held until the end of last year before joining McLaren.

The announcement of his departure came shortly after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, with Courtenay preparing to take up the role of sporting director at McLaren.

However, unlike in the case of Wheatley, who joined a team that was not in the same league as Red Bull, the Austrian outfit was not particularly keen to fast-track the process. Courtenay was nevertheless allowed to join Woking at the start of 2026, despite a contract that ran until the middle of the year.

Christian Horner, CEO and team principal

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

On board from day one with the confidence and support of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, Horner was just 31 when he joined F1’s 'Piranha Club' in 2005, alongside legends such as Jean Todt, Ron Dennis and Frank Williams.

Despite his inexperience at this level, he quickly laid the foundations for his team’s future successes by surrounding himself with a competent and dedicated team; the star signing of this period was, of course, Adrian Newey, a designer already widely regarded as one of the best of his generation.

The gamble paid off fairly quickly, as Red Bull became a force to be reckoned with by the late 2000s, navigating the regulatory changes introduced in 2009 with great skill. Between 2010 and 2013, the team and its driver Sebastian Vettel swept up every title.

Horner would then impose his management and communication style, while guiding his team’s rise to the ranks of F1’s superpowers. After a difficult period due to the switch to hybrid turbo engines – albeit one marked by sporadic successes – the Austrian manufacturer would bounce back by taking a new gamble: an alliance with Honda.

The drivers’ world title was regained in 2021, before the team dominated the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The latter year proved particularly impressive for Red Bull, which dominated F1 like never before with Max Verstappen.

Yet it was immediately after this campaign that the dominant team built by Horner began to crack, with the outbreak of the scandal over alleged inappropriate behaviour towards a female employee. While he was cleared of wrongdoing and remained in his role after an internal investigations, tensions will rise within the team against a backdrop of a power struggle, whilst performance declines. Not enough to lose the drivers’ title in 2024, but enough to permanently weaken Horner who had been at the helm of the team for over 20 years.

His surprise departure, announced in early July 2025, was accompanied by that of two other senior figures at the team, far less prominent than other personalities but who were close to Horner: Oliver Hughes, the group’s director of marketing and commercial affairs, and Paul Smith, the group’s communications director.

Dr Helmut Marko,motorsport advisor

Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images

Having always held the unusual position of ‘advisor’ responsible for motorsport within the energy drink giant, Dr Helmut Marko has thus been one of the guiding figures at Red Bull and behind the rise of the Austrian empire in the F1 paddock, alongside the other long-standing members mentioned above.

Serving as both Mateschitz’s right-hand man and his insider at the team, he was given the full confidence and freedom required to simultaneously establish the team’s junior programme, which notably enabled the progression of young drivers through the ranks to F1.

His greatest achievement will undoubtedly be the career of Sebastian Vettel, the first Red Bull-backed world champion (2010-13), after had supported him in his rise through the junior ranks prior to his arrival at Toro Rosso. The case of Max Verstappen , also a four-time world champion with Red Bull (2021-24), is different because the Dutchman had already made a name for himself before joining the fold, which he only did thanks to Marko’s guarantee of a full-time F1 seat from 2015 onwards.

Beyond these two drivers, the system for identifying, training and promoting drivers to F1, established around the ownership of two teams in the championship – has enabled a plethora of promising drivers to enter F1, some of whom are still in the championship despite having left the team (Carlos Sainz, Alexander Albon and Pierre Gasly).

Marko’s influence at Red Bull was not, however, limited to the junior programme, and he played a leading role as a manager, notably alongside Horner, in supporting the team’s major successes. In recent years, he had been a key figure alongside Max Verstappen and his entourage in the internal power struggle, to the extent that he was openly backed by the driver in early 2024 during the turmoil caused by the Horner affair and had his contract extended until 2026.

Over the years, his management style and public statements have often sparked controversy, one of the most recent controversies being his conspiracy theory-laden remarks against Kimi Antonelli after the Qatar Grand Prix, which triggered a wave of online harassment against the Italian and forced Marko – to backtrack.

It was against the backdrop of Red Bull’s confirmed decline – despite a last-ditch effort at the end of last season – that he claimed to have made the decision himself to leave the team after the 2025 finale. However, some sources at the time suggested it was a decision imposed on him, due both to the Antonelli affair and an unauthorised attempt to recruit Alex Dunne into the Red Bull fold.

Gianpiero Lambiase, head of race engineering

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

After starting his career in 2005 at Jordan, spending 10 years with the team under its various names (Midland, Spyker, Force India), he joined Red Bull in 2015 as Daniil Kvyat’s race engineer. When Kvyat was demoted to Toro Rosso and replaced by Verstappen, Lambiase retained this role.

His collaboration with the Dutchman would lead to an immediate success at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, remaining with Verstappen has he charged to his four world titles 2021-24. 

During his time at Red Bull, he gradually rose through the ranks internally, taking on the role of chief race engineer in 2022 before being promoted to the position of racing director in the wake of the reorganisation following Wheatley’s departure.

In early April 2026, while his future within the organisation had already been called into question due to links with other teams, it was announced that he would be leaving Red Bull at the end of his contract in late 2027 to join McLaren from 2028 in the role of chief racing officer, reporting to Andrea Stella.

Lambiase’s move to McLaren makes sense - but Red Bull faces another big hole to fill

Now in his third season in MotoGP as owner of the Trackhouse team, Justin Marks is one of the most recognisable faces in NASCAR and believes the time has come for Liberty Media to step up and help MotoGP unlock the level of popularity and business potential many believe it can reach.

Motorsport.com sat down with the team owner to discuss Trackhouse’s place in MotoGP, what he hopes Liberty Media can do to help the series grow and its plans on both the rider and manufacturer front.

How has your perception of MotoGP - both as a spectacle and as a business - changed since taking over the team?

Justin Marks: “I wouldn’t say it’s changed that much, mainly because I didn’t have a preconceived idea when I arrived. I came in with a completely open mind, ready to learn from scratch. Where my perspective has evolved is in understanding the global potential of the championship – how it can grow and what the key drivers of that growth are.

“MotoGP is an incredible spectacle, something truly amazing to witness in person. The key is putting it in front of as many people as possible and bringing in new fans. Over the past couple of years, I’ve focused on understanding how the sport is structured, what Dorna’s vision is, and how Liberty Media fits into that. Our goal is to position ourselves as strategic partners in the championship’s future growth.”

Trackhouse is the only American team in MotoGP. What does the series need to penetrate the US market more deeply and quickly?

JM: “I consider myself an aggressive person when I see opportunities. I believe you have to go after them without being afraid to fail. Historically, many racing series have been slow to make big changes or try new things. We try to encourage risk-taking and investment. If you identify an opportunity to bring MotoGP to a new audience or region, you have to act decisively and go for it.”

Do you expect that growth to accelerate now that Liberty Media is involved?

JM: “Yes , I do think expansion will accelerate. Liberty is made up of very smart people, and they’ve invested a lot of money in the championship for a reason. They’ve spent the last year observing, learning, and defining a three-, five-, and 10-year strategy. In the next 12 to 16 months, we’ll start to see more involvement from them as they begin executing that growth plan.”

Justin Marks

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Teams and manufacturers are currently negotiating a new commercial agreement with Dorna and Liberty. How does this compare to NASCAR?

JM: “It’s actually very similar to what we experienced in NASCAR when we renegotiated there. The most important thing is that the relationship between teams and the governing body encourages cooperation to grow the sport. There’s always negotiation, because teams need financial stability and long-term viability. The stronger they are, the more resources they can dedicate to helping grow the championship - marketing, rider availability, activations, and so on. What we’re going through now in MotoGP is something I’ve already experienced in NASCAR. It’s about securing long-term financial stability and value for the teams, which ultimately benefits the championship as well.”

However, there seems to be a significant gap between what Dorna is offering and what teams are asking for?

JM: “Liberty’s involvement introduces a new element – a global media company that understands how to increase the value of a sports property. That changes the context.”

Are independent teams sustainable under the current conditions?

JM: “There’s still work to be done in that area. One of the challenges is that too many sponsors are tied specifically to the motorcycle industry. The championship needs to attract global lifestyle and technology brands. In my view, MotoGP is one of the greatest value opportunities in all of motorsport: it has a huge fan base, the racing is incredible, and the cost is relatively low compared to other series like Formula 1 or the World Endurance Championship. The key is positioning the sport so more companies understand its potential as a marketing platform. That’s what will ultimately make teams sustainable.”

Several teams lack a title sponsor, including Aprilia. What is MotoGP’s biggest limitation in attracting non-endemic brands?

JM: “A lot of it comes down to awareness. When we talk to major companies about NASCAR or Formula 1, they know exactly what those are. But with MotoGP, they often say: “Explain it to me.” The issue is that major corporations still don’t fully understand how compelling and inspiring this sport is. It’s about building awareness in the corporate world. We already have brands like Red Bull and Monster, but there’s room for many more. The difference with Formula 1 is that companies simply aren’t as familiar with MotoGP yet.”

Are you considering bringing in a new partner or investor for the team?

JM: “We’re always considering it. There are investment groups and sports funds that can be very strategic for our growth. For example, selling a minority stake to a company that’s well connected with global brands can open a lot of doors – sponsorship, marketing, global expansion. If they can add value in that sense, it’s a positive.”

Are you close to finalising any deal?

JM: “We’re having conversations. Since Liberty announced the acquisition, interest has increased significantly. We’ve received a lot of calls from investors looking to get involved. I have no intention of selling the team or giving up control, but we are in meaningful discussions with groups that can help us grow – whether that’s through sponsorship, marketing, brand positioning, or fan engagement.”

Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks, Trackhouse Racing Team Owner, Davide Brivio Trackhouse Racing Team Principal

Photo by: Trackhouse Racing Team

How would you describe your relationship with Aprilia? Have you considered listening to offers from other manufacturers?

JM: “We’re very happy with Aprilia. From the beginning, we wanted to be a true factory partner – running the same equipment and contributing data and development. That’s exactly what the relationship has been. The bike is competitive, and the brand has a strong long-term strategy. MotoGP is important to Aprilia and to the Piaggio Group. Of course, everyone talks to everyone in the paddock, that’s normal, but we’re happy where we are. We don’t want to introduce instability, because stability is key to growth.”

What criteria will you prioritise when selecting your 2027 riders?

JM: “We’re happy with our current riders. When it comes to selection, there are two key aspects. First, performance: talented, prepared, focused, and dedicated riders. Second, the business side. We look for profiles with compelling stories that connect with fans. For example, I like that we have a European rider and an Asian rider. Ai Ogura is the only Asian rider on the grid and has taken a relatively unconventional path to MotoGP. That brings value. We do the same in NASCAR – we look for stories that resonate with people. It helps with engagement, sponsorship, and partnerships. So it’s about great athletes, but also personalities with unique stories who understand their role within the broader business.”

The factors causing a delay in the MotoGP 'Concorde Agreement' being signed

Toyota’s Sami Pajari has inherited the Rally Croatia lead after a dramatic Friday morning that saw the World Rally Championship’s top two Elfyn Evans and Oliver Solberg crash out.

Pajari, searching for a maiden WRC win, completed a tricky morning loop of asphalt stages with a surprise 8.4s lead over Safari Rally Kenya winner Takamoto Katsuta, with Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville three tenths back in third. 

“It is maybe not the position I was expecting after the first loop, but I'm not complaining. I still feel I can improve on the other stages. It's not easy, but I was confident we had a good plan to go with the hard tyre,” said Pajari.

There was drama just 4.8km into the opening stage when Solberg clipped a bank in the Vodice - Brest 1 (14.2km) test which fired the car into a wild 360-degree spin. The Monte Carlo winner’s Toyota GR Yaris eventually came to rest off the road and in a woodland area. 

Fans rushed to the car to try and push Solberg back onto the road but the car became beached which resulted in an early retirement for the driver that topped Thursday’s shakedown.   

“This morning was the first time being on the hard tyres for me with this car and I really struggled with the feeling. I had a little bit of understeer and we just tapped the rear with the rock face. It is a shame," said an emotional Solberg. "I live and breathe this every day, it is all I know in life. When it doesn’t go to plan it is tough."

Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Toyota’s Elfyn Evans made the most of starting first on the road that became increasingly dirty after every pass to win the stage by 8.1s from team-mate Pajari.

M-Sport opted for a different tyre strategy compared to Toyota and Hyundai, choosing to take soft tyres. While the decision was on the limit, it did help Jon Armstrong post the third-fastest time, 1.3s quicker than Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux.

Evans extended his rally lead by posting the fastest time in the following stage. The championship leader was 7.7s faster than Pajari which was enough to increase his early lead to 15.9s.

Hyundai’s Neuville jumped from sixth to third overall after team-mate Fourmaux lost more than a minute to a front-right puncture, while Armstrong’s pace was hampered by a front-left puncture.

However, the rally lead changed hands in stage three [Beram - Cerovlje] when Evans went off the road at high speed after misjudging a right hander. It appeared the Welshman may have misheard a pacenote and was unable to make the corner. Evans and co-driver Scott Martin were unharmed in the incident but it prompted a rare retirement for the pair, only their second since Greece 2024.

Evans' demise created a three-way fight for the rally lead with Pajari holding a 2.7s lead over Hyundai’s Neuville after the latter claimed the fastest time in stage three after pipping the impressive Armstrong by 0.1s, who moved into fourth place overall.

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

But the drama continued in the final test of the loop, as the impressive Armstrong carried too much speed into a right hander and clattered into a bank. After suffering a puncture earlier in the loop, he only had one spare wheel remaining and was forced to stop.

Armstrong’s exit handed Hyundai’s Hayden Paddon fourth place [+41.4s] ahead of M-Sport Ford’s Josh McErlean, who was among the few to avoid any issues during the loop. Hyundai’s Fourmaux completed the morning stages in sixth, 1m29s away from the lead after his earlier puncture.

Lancia held a one-two in the WRC2 standings with Yohan Rossel leading team-mate Nikolay Gryazin by 9.2s. 

Will Hyundai's updates be enough for Rally Croatia?

Oliver Solberg retired from Friday’s action at the Croatia Rally after being caught out on the opening stage of the asphalt World Rally Championship event.

The Monte Carlo winner clipped a bank 4.8km into the Vodice - Brest 1 (14.2km) test, which fired the car into a wild 360-degree spin. The Swede’s Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 eventually came to rest off the road and in a woodland area.

Fans rushed to the car to try and push Solberg back onto the road, but the car became beached – resulting in an early retirement for the driver that topped Thursday’s shakedown.

Safari Rally Kenya winner Takamoto Katsuta was the first to come across the stranded Solberg. The Japanese driver chose to back off after receiving information that Solberg had been involved in an incident.

“When I saw Oliver off, I just backed off,” said Katsuta. “It does not make sense to make a mistake myself.”

Toyota’s Elfyn Evans made the most of starting first, on a road that became increasingly dirty with every pass, to win the stage by 8.1 seconds from team-mate Sami Pajari.

Jon Armstrong, Shane Byrne, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: M-Sport

Meanwhile, M-Sport opted for a different tyre strategy compared to Toyota and Hyundai, choosing to take soft tyres. While the decision was on the limit, it did help Jon Armstrong post the third fastest time, 1.3s quicker than Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux.

Evans extended his rally lead by posting the fastest time in the following stage. The championship leader was 7.7s faster than Pajari, which was enough to increase his early lead to 15.9s with two stages of the morning loop yet to be completed.

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville jumped from sixth to third overall (+22.4s) after team-mate Fourmaux lost more than a minute to a front right puncture, while Armstrong’s pace was hampered by a front left puncture.

“I started to enjoy it a bit more, but the stage is very dirty. The grip is very low. I tried to find a good rhythm, keep a good speed,” said Neuville.

“The balance of the car improved, but I made the car so hard that it's getting nervous. I think I could've used one more soft [tyres] in the beginning, but our issue is we can't get the hards working.”

Fourmaux was perplexed by the reason for his puncture, while Armstrong knew how he incurred his tyre damage.

Will Hyundai's updates be enough for Rally Croatia?

The 3,000km road trip to keep a WRC dream alive

“We had a puncture somewhere, didn't feel anything. No impact or anything, just in the line. It is a shame, it is part of rallying. There is still to go, so – flat out,” said Fourmaux.

Armstrong added: “It was just on a real fast place, there was an entry left into a right, there was something on the road. Quite unlucky. We'll see what we can do in the next ones.”

Many teams felt the weight of expectation heading into Formula 1's 2026 season, particularly through their own publicly declared intent of entering the championship's latest era with a sizeable impact. Those who had enjoyed success wanted to sustain it, and those starved of results wanted to use the reset to their advantage. 

It wasn't entirely surprising that Mercedes vaulted to the top of the tree; the discourse amid the prelude to 2026 had suggested that the Brackley squad was very much on course to return to its pre-2022 stomping ground at the front. Nor was it a surprise that newcomer Cadillac pitched up at the back of the grid; the American team had put a team together from scratch and built the entire car itself, to that end, it's impressive that it's not too far away from the established runners.

Yet, there are those who have enjoyed a significant turnaround in fortunes from last year. Viewed through the lens of pre-season testing, the following examples might not entirely pose as true surprises; when compared to 2025, however, it adds perspective to their achievements - or lack thereof - so far.

The surprises

Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / Getty Images

There are those who believe that rookie drivers should be able to step into F1 and perform consistently from the get-go, but in reality a driver needs at least one season to flush the mistakes out of their system. It's the second season that matters, and the ability to demonstrate a marked improvement on the first year and race without the culture shock of being at a circuit for the first time.

Kimi Antonelli demonstrates the value of patience. While the Italian starred in his opening F1 races last year, rookie mistakes and ill fortune permeated into his season throughout the European portion of the season. Once on more familiar ground after a mid-season suspension switch had cost the teenager his bearings, Antonelli turned in some impressive drives towards the end of the season - his Las Vegas run to third among them. 

The 10 best race drives of F1 2025

Now imbued with a potent cocktail of experience and confidence, Antonelli has started 2026 in excellent fashion. While there's a case to be made that his gains had come as a result of misfortune for team-mate George Russell, the Antonelli of early 2025 might not have taken those chances. 

Generally speaking, 2025's rookie crop has shown great improvement into the new season. Ollie Bearman was sublime in the opening two rounds of the season and sits seventh in the championship, Isack Hadjar has outperformed Max Verstappen in qualifying, and Gabriel Bortoleto has enjoyed impressive flashes of performance - albeit restricted by Audi's penchant for haemorrhaging positions at the starts.

Alpine and Haas

Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

After three races, Haas and Alpine occupy fourth and fifth in the constructors' championship. For Alpine, it's a significant turnaround; after propping up the teams' standings throughout last year, the Anglo-French squad chose to ditch its focus on 2025 early to put its eggs into the '26 basket. 

It's a decision that, so far, has paid off. The new A526 looked strong in pre-season testing with its new Mercedes powertrain, although an off-weekend in Melbourne hadn't exactly demonstrated the expected step up in performance terms.

Since then, the team has headed the midfield thanks to the endeavours of talisman Pierre Gasly, who continues to be a class act. The Frenchman has qualified seventh in the past two rounds, and has already accrued two-thirds of his points tally from last season. Franco Colapinto has also managed a point, although it's taken the Argentine a bit longer to get dialled into his new car; the front end of this year's Alpine is a bit of a weak point, and perhaps isn't as 'on-the-nose' as Colapinto would like.

Haas has also been in resplendent form, more impressive when one considers that the team had developed late into 2025. Ayao Komatsu's leadership of the team has been a revelation, and it continues to make the most of the smaller resources at its disposal while other, larger teams take a more profligate approach. As mentioned, Bearman started the season incredibly strongly; while Suzuka was a tougher weekend for the Briton, Esteban Ocon picked up the pieces and added an extra point to maintain Haas' stay in the top four in the championship.

The Red Bull Ford power unit

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

The rumours are that the maiden effort from Red Bull Ford Powertrains is so impressive that it won't be entitled to any updates in the opening ADUO phase. Although stocked with a smorgasbord of experienced staff cherry-picked from other manufacturers, the Red Bull Ford operation has already started on good footing, and the capabilities of its electrical hardware in particular have been lauded by other teams.

Its power delivery and top speeds are good, putting the powertrain somewhere between Mercedes and Ferrari in the pure performance stakes. The Racing Bulls in particular has been incredibly difficult for the other midfielders to overtake, offering Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad a platform to demonstrate their worth behind the wheel, and Red Bull has shown great top speed throughout the season so far.

"We have a good power unit. The engine is good," Hadjar mused in the wake of the Japanese Grand Prix. The rest of that sentence, however, will be covered off in the next section...

The disappointments

Red Bull

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Hadjar continued: "The chassis side is terrible. We're just slow in the corners for once". Indeed, driving the RB22 gives the impression of trying to herd cats through a doorway, to the point where Verstappen looks particularly demotivated as the car no longer has the front-end sharpness to which he had become accustomed. 

As mentioned, top speed is not a problem; instead, the RB22 really tends to struggle in the corners and in traction. GPS shows that, when measured against Gasly's Alpine, the Red Bull has a much lower minimum speed through the lap and struggles for traction outside of deployment zones.

When the Red Bull drivers do use their deployment, the torque available tends to negate this, as demonstrated by Verstappen getting up to speed much quicker on the exit of Suzuka's Spoon curve. But, through the Esses where the cars were running off just the internal combustion engine, the Red Bull could not put its power down.

The team continues to go through a wave of change; long-time stalwarts Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, and Helmut Marko are gone, and Gianpiero Lambiase's move to McLaren was confirmed on Thursday. Laurent Mekies has a colossal rebuilding job on his hands if the team is to become competitive once again.

Lambiase’s move to McLaren makes sense - but Red Bull faces another big hole to fill

Williams

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Like Alpine, Williams made the decision to minimise its 2025 development in favour of 2026. Unlike Alpine, Williams was much more vocal about it, adding more pressure upon the Grove team to succeed in F1's new era as James Vowles' internal reforms continue to modernise the once-great outfit's infrastructure. Yet, it hasn't quite happened that way.

Although Vowles tried to put a brave face on the situation, all signs indicate that Williams had attempted to take a slightly more aggressive approach with its chassis, but needed to add weight into the tub to ensure that it could pass the crash tests.  The extra weight in the car has cost the team a few tenths in qualifying, but this is not the only issue with the FW48; the car has a tendency to three-wheel in grip-limited corners, and lacks a smidgen of downforce as well versus its midfield rivals.

There's a lot for the team to do in order to course correct. While Vowles has done an admirable job in rebuilding the team after years of under-performance, navigating the current choppy waters will be a test of his resolve. 

Aston Martin - Honda

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

Photo by: James Sutton / Formula 1 / Formula Motorsport Ltd via Getty Images

Pound-for-pound, probably the biggest surprise on the list. The long list of problems with the current Aston Martin package has been well documented: a car that vibrates like an electric toothbrush, an engine that's down on power, an ERS that struggles to harvest efficiently, and a design that looks the part but lacks any kind of balance - and conspicuously remains untested at higher performance levels.

The late arrival of Adrian Newey's first Aston Martin in the Barcelona test was largely forgotten about given the apparently eye-catching form factor of the AMR26, although a cynical mind might suggest that the Newey factor drove up the expectations. The team could have unveiled a green breezeblock, and some would swoon at its mere presence...

As it stands, the Aston Martins are struggling to clear even the Cadillacs in qualifying, such is the malaise at the team. Fernando Alonso claimed the team's first finish of the year, but the sense that everything is simply very undercooked is very hard to shake.

The work on Honda's new powertrain started much later compared to the other manufacturers, and the new car is running at least three months behind everyone else's designs. It's probably a good thing that the team has a break to refocus its efforts, rather than sit on the end of another drubbing in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

The FIA has laid out a timeline for further discussions to improve the 2026 Formula 1 regulations after a "constructive dialogue" on tweaks to energy management.

On Thursday technical experts from the teams and power unit manufacturers convened for the first of a series of meetings to propose and discuss tweaks to 2026 technical and sporting regulations to address a number of concerns around the new ruleset.

The series wants to address complaints from drivers over the big emphasis on energy management in qualifying, while also looking into safety concerns over the large closing speeds when cars run out of electric energy, which led to a major accident for Haas driver Oliver Bearman in Japan.

Reporting on the first meeting, the FIA said there was a "commitment" from the series' stakeholders to tweak the energy management that is required right now.

"It was generally agreed that although the events to date have provided exciting racing, there was a commitment to making tweaks to some aspects of the regulations in the area of energy management," the FIA shared in a statement. "There was constructive dialogue on difficult topics especially when considering the competitive nature of the stakeholders."

Among the potential solutions is a reduction of the electric energy drivers are allowed to deploy, and an increase of the amount of energy that can be harvested when cars are 'super clipping' - charging the battery against the engine while on full throttle. But the series is keen to avoid knee-jerk reactions, so any tweaks that can be implemented before May's Miami Grand Prix will likely be smaller refinements based on driver feedback and data from the opening three races of the season, rather than wholesale changes.

Oliver Bearman's Haas F1 car after his Suzuka crash

Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images

The FIA also outlined the timeline for further discussions before final rule tweak proposals are put up for a vote among the teams and stakeholders.

"As part of the round of collaborative discussions, further meetings are planned over the coming fortnight. There is a Sporting Regulations meeting on April 15 during which any changes in Section B that are required to facilitate the technical changes will be discussed. The next technical session will be on April 16 during which points discussed today will be followed up and new topics will be given exposure," the governing body detailed.

"A high-level meeting with representation from all stakeholders is scheduled for April 20 where it is anticipated that preferred options jointly proposed by the technical teams will be considered and a consensus sought on the way forward.

"The 2026 regulations were developed and agreed in close partnership with teams, OEMs, Power Unit Manufacturers, the commercial rights holder and the FIA all at the table. It is in this spirit of collaboration that potential changes are being discussed."

The final meeting on 20 April will largely look like a regular F1 Commission meeting with team representatives, the FIA and F1 management, but with additional representatives from the 2026 power unit manufacturers.

The results of the subsequent e-vote are expected a few days after, after which the agreed changes will be ratified by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

McLaren confirms signing of Verstappen's F1 race engineer Lambiase

Hyundai has brought updates to Croatia to improve its World Rally Championship car on tarmac, but will have to wait until Rally Portugal in May to debut its full development plan.

The Korean team started the 2026 season on the back foot with its i20 N struggling to deliver consistent speed, particularly in low grip conditions on asphalt.

As a result, rival Toyota scored back-to-back podium lockouts in Monte Carlo and Sweden. Last month, Hyundai managed to break Toyota’s podium stranglehold when Adrien Fourmaux finished second in Kenya.

Prior to Kenya, Hyundai’s sporting director Andrew Wheatley revealed that while the team spent its homologation jokers on improvements to the front end and gear ratios, there are a number of components it plans to upgrade that fall outside of the requirement to use homologation jokers.

The first wave of these updates, centred around the dampers, geometry and how the differentials interact on the car, have arrived in Croatia. The team could have brought even more improvements, but bad weather forced it to postpone a crucial test in the Canary Islands.

However, Wheatley is confident the changes made to the i20 N for Croatia have moved the team forward.

Adrien Fourmaux finished second in Kenya

Photo by: Hyundai

“We are about halfway through [the development plan],” Wheatley told Autosport. “Unfortunately, we lost a little bit of momentum when the test was cancelled at the last minute due to bad weather on the Canary Islands.

“We lost two days of running, and we have had to come back to Spain a week later [for a test], which threw us a little bit. We are a little bit compromised here [in Croatia], but we are moving in the right direction. But it won't be until Portugal now before we have everything in place. It is moving in the right direction.

“If the schedule had gone as planned, we would be one step further down the line. It is nothing dramatic, it is just basically trying to open that set up window. The car is quick, but when it knows where it is going.

“The second half of the year is traditionally stronger for our car anyway, but we just want to keep ourselves in a position to be fighting.”

Hyundai’s full-time drivers Fourmaux and 2024 world champion Thierry Neuville believe the changes helped the team make some “small steps” forward, with a shot at a podium a realistic target in Croatia.

“I think we agree that we made some small steps with some new kinematics,” Neuville, who was third fastest in Thursday’s shakedown, told Autosport. 

"It doesn't 100% solve the balance problem of the car. But we have something we can build on together with a reasonable opening time in the shakedown this morning. When the fire starts, we need to now be able to put the fuel on it to keep it burning.

“Maybe a third place is possible. Friday will be a challenging day with road position, so I think we will lose a lot of time in stage two and three, on one and four, it will be OK.”

Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Hyundai

Fourmaux added: "We've been very busy [with testing] but at least it shows that we don't give up. We still push on it, and I'm pleased with the pace we've done.

“The car feels better, so let's see. To be fair, we will know if it's really better tomorrow. But it's more about feeling, more than really pure performance. But on a rally if you have a feeling, you can also be very fast, even if you don't have the faster car. So let's see.

“I think we can be on the podium. That would be a good result. If we can be on the podium at each tarmac event, then I can have a big push on gravel and catch up.”

Private 2017 WRC car test provides answers for Neuville

Outside of team testing, Neuville conducted his own private two-day test driving his own 2017 spec Hyundai i20 Coupe on asphalt roads in Belgium last month, to further understand where the struggles lie with his current i20 N Rally1 car.

The Belgian's frustrations and struggles for confidence driving this year’s Hyundai have been clear. At Rally Sweden in February, he admitted it was “the hardest time of my career so far”.

Neuville laid a fair amount of the blame for his lack of pace, which includes his struggles during last year’s dismal title defence, on the new Hankook tyres introduced in 2025. However, he now believes that the tyre is not the primary reason after a revealing test last month using the rubber on his 2017 car.

“I actually have done two days of testing with my old car to compare some tyres," he said. "The feedback was actually very positive on the Hankook itself as well. So, it somehow confirms as well my feelings that the tyre is actually not that bad. We put a lot of fault on the tyre but I think we need to work much more on the [current] car.

“We tested on two different roads and the outcome was always the same. So, the tyre is not so bad.”

The 3,000km road trip to keep a WRC dream alive

Katsuta relishing in the aftermath of maiden WRC win

Ferrari’s promise, Aston Martin’s woes and the arguments about Formula 1’s new regulations all feature in this month’s Autosport magazine, out today (9 April).

Three rounds into F1’s latest era and some things are becoming clear. Mercedes has an edge, Kimi Antonelli is learning fast, and Ferrari and McLaren aren’t that far off the pace. And these regulations are perhaps the most polarising in championship history.

There’s been a lot of noise, some of it perfectly legitimate, some bordering on misinformation. So, what do we know?

The 2026 F1 cars are more nimble and can follow closer than their predecessors, and there is more wheel-to-wheel racing. All three grands prix so far have featured some great passing – not all has simply been due to differences in deployment of electrical power – and the 2026 Japanese GP was much more entertaining than last year’s soporific affair. But, clearly, that’s not the end of the story.

When Charles Leclerc, arguably the most exciting qualifier of his generation, says that his reward for pushing harder in Q3 is for his Ferrari to go slower on the straights because of the way the computers manage electrical energy, something has gone awry. There’s still a skill in qualifying, but ‘energy management’ isn’t something that should be coming into the one moment over a GP weekend when the cars are supposed to be flat-out, no-holds-barred.

Lando Norris saying he didn’t even want to pass Lewis Hamilton into the chicane but was forced to because the car decided it should be deploying electrical energy also rings alarm bells. Not only does it remove a crucial skill for the driver, but it could create unnecessary danger.

Ollie Bearman’s Suzuka crash, caused by the Briton being caught out by the closing speed on Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, brought safety back to the top of the agenda.

In this month’s issue, as well as taking a look at Ferrari’s challenge to take on Mercedes, we investigate the pros and cons of the new rules, delve into what people are saying about them, and ponder what could be done.

Outside of F1, we have appreciations of important sportscar figure Bob Tullius and rally legend Sandro Munari, both of whom died recently, while Marcus Simmons talks to key players about the new Plato Racing team that is set to shake up the British Touring Car Championship.

For the best motorsport coverage, from F1 to Britain’s club-racing scene via the Le Mans 24 Hours, why not get Autosport magazine delivered to your door each month? Subscribe today and never miss your fix of motorsport: autosportmedia.com/offer/Autosport

Gianpiero Lambiase will join McLaren as its chief racing officer, the British Formula 1 team announced on Thursday.

Autosport revealed Lambiase’s career move earlier today, with Red Bull subsequently confirming the Briton’s eventual exit from the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

Lambiase joined Red Bull from Force India in 2015 and has been Max Verstappen’s race engineer ever since the Dutchman was promoted from Toro Rosso in May 2016.

Together, they won four drivers’ world titles from 2021 to 2024, while Lambiase took on additional responsibilities as head of race engineering, then head of racing.

Verstappen celebrates winning his second world title in 2022 with Lambiase at the Japanese GP

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

At McLaren, Lambiase will report to team principal Andrea Stella. “The role of the chief racing officer already exists within the team’s structure with overall leadership of the race team. These duties are currently managed by Andrea Stella in addition to his role as team principal,” the squad explained in a press release.

“The team’s ability to attract and secure top talent, like Lambiase, and previously Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay,” it continued, referring to two longtime Red Bull engineers previously poached by McLaren, “alongside the retention and promotion of highly-talented people already within the team, is a testament to the strategic vision and culture that are integrally embodied in the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team under the leadership of Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, who are also both on long-term contracts.”

Interestingly, while Red Bull said Lambiase was going to leave the team “in 2028, when his current contract expires”, McLaren states it looks forward to “welcoming Gianpiero Lambiase when his existing contract ends, no later than 2028”.

The phrasing "no later than 2028" may imply the team is hopeful to find an agreement in order to shorten Lambiase’s gardening leave.

Red Bull confirms Lambiase exit for F1 2028

Red Bull has confirmed that Max Verstappen's long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase will leave at the end of the 2027 Formula 1 campaign.

Lambiase has long been the subject of intense interest across the paddock, as the 45-year-old weighed up his options last winter. Amid links with Aston Martin and Williams, Lambiase ultimately chose to remain in place at Red Bull, where he not only performs the job of Verstappen's race engineer but also a more overarching trackside role as head of racing.

But then it emerged on Thursday morning, first reported by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, that he was set to leave the Austrian outfit when his contract expires at the end of the 2027 season. Red Bull has since confirmed that will take place. 

Its short statement read: "Oracle Red Bull Racing confirms that Gianpiero Lambiase will leave the team in 2028, when his current contract expires. “GP” is a valued member of the team, which he joined in 2015. 

"Until his planned departure, “GP" continues in his roles as head of racing and as race engineer to Max Verstappen. The team and he are fully committed to add more success to our strong track record together."

It is understood that he has agreed a deal to join rival McLaren for the 2028 campaign in a senior trackside role that would support team principal Andrea Stella. 

With Stella part of the new generation of engineering-first team principals with a wide remit both across a race weekend and at the factory, Lambiase's arrival would help take some load off the Italian's plate as he looks after a team well north of 1000 staff.

However, speculation that Lambiase's move is part of a long-term plan to succeed Stella, amid alleged Ferrari interest in its former engineer, is understood to be wide of the mark.

Andrea Stella

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

The switch would follow a similar playbook as the one made by Red Bull's former head of strategy Will Courtenay, who was also made to wait until the start of this season to join McLaren.

Lambiase could still join McLaren before 2028 if the two teams agree a deal for an early release.

Previously, Red Bull also lost chief designer Rob Marshall to the papaya squad. Other senior figures to move on from the Austrian outfit in recent years include tech chief Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, CEO Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko.

Lambiase's impending Red Bull exit comes against the backdrop of four-time world champion Verstappen mulling over his own future in the series, having been disillusioned with 2026's all-new technical regulations.

Verstappen's current Red Bull deal expires at the end of 2028, but the Dutchman is known to have various exit clauses that can be triggered as early as this summer if he wanted to get out sooner.

Pre-FIA meetings: What options are on the table for F1’s 2026 rules?

The pros and cons of F1's enforced break and cancelled races

Liberty Media’s stock fell approximately seven percent when Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were removed from the 2026 Formula 1 calendar, pricing the cancellations as lost growth rather than contained exposure.

So F1 did not lose two races, it lost two hosting fees. The distinction is not semantic, it is structural, and it explains why the championship's most valuable revenue streams continued undisturbed while the calendar contracted around them. 

Broadcasters are not buying individual race weekends. They are buying a season: packaged, continuous, and commercially predictable. Sponsors are not activating around a single venue. They are buying exposure sustained across a global championship, across every session, every podium, every post-race moment that extends well beyond the circuit itself.

The event is visible. The revenue is not. That gap is the business model.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia F1 races officially called off as Iran conflict rages

Why F1 changed its revenue structure

The architecture that makes this possible was not accidental. Over the past decade, F1 deliberately restructured its most valuable revenue streams away from individual events and towards the championship itself: broadcast rights contracted for a campaign, global sponsorship frameworks measured in years, prize money distributed at season close.

Remove two races and none of those contracts reset. The championship continues uninterrupted and so does the revenue.

Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Formula One Group and Mohammed ben Sulayem, FIA President on the grid

Photo by: Lars Baron - Motorsport Images

For teams, the cost cap reflects the same logic in reverse. The baseline cap covers a 21-race calendar; each additional race adds $1.8 million in allowance. Remove two races and that allowance contracts, but so do the costs. The financial floor holds. The calendar sits above it.

The impact of the cost cap

For teams, fewer grands prix can mean less cost.

Early-season flyaways like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are among the most expensive on the calendar: long-haul freight, back-to-back travel, and full operational deployment across two continents in as many weeks. The logistics burden of consecutive Gulf races is among the heaviest on the calendar.

Remove those races and those costs fall away. For teams, recovered capacity is the more precise description. In a regulation cycle defined by new aerodynamic architecture and revised power unit integration, that capacity has an immediate destination.

Under the cost cap, that distinction matters precisely because the cap does not reward spending, it rewards how effectively that spending is deployed. Every dollar not spent moving equipment across two continents is a dollar that can be redirected into performance.

The advantage accrues fastest to teams already operating efficiently at the cap ceiling. With aerodynamic allocation fixed, efficiency becomes performance.

Grand prix hosting fees

The Bahrain flag flies over the Sakhir Tower

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

The financial impact of a cancelled race is unevenly distributed, and the fault lines follow ownership structure.

Promoters lose hosting fees and the local economic activity built around a race weekend: hospitality, logistics, temporary infrastructure. For privately run events, that loss is immediate.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were both state-backed events, their hosting fees underwritten by government entities; most hosting agreements also include force majeure clauses that reduce or eliminate payments when cancellation results from conflict or other circumstances beyond a promoter's control. The economics of cancellation differ depending on which side of that distinction one sits.

For teams, costs fall away with each removed event while revenues tied to the championship remain largely intact. Under the cost cap, reduced operational burden creates room to deploy resources where performance is actually built - a shift that registers differently depending on how tightly a team is running against its cap ceiling.

For F1 itself, the core commercial structure holds. The revenue that underpins valuation does not depend on any single race taking place. Broadcast rights, sponsorship agreements, prize distribution: none of those contracts reset when a race is cancelled.

According to Guggenheim Partners, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia contribute approximately $115m in combined annual hosting fees; a figure that represents roughly 14 percent of F1’s $824m calendar-wide hosting income. The championship's core commercial structure will absorb that loss. The promoters underwriting those events carry the primary exposure.

The F1 calendar as a financial instrument

Starting Grid

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

For years, F1 treated calendar expansion as a direct proxy for commercial growth. More races meant more hosting fees, more broadcast inventory, more activation opportunities for global sponsors. The logic was straightforward, and for most of the Liberty Media era it held.

The cancellations expose the limit of that logic.

Once broadcast rights, sponsorship frameworks and prize distribution are secured at the championship level, additional races stop being essential and start being selective. Some events generate meaningful incremental revenue. Others primarily add cost: freight, logistics and operational deployment, against a cost cap that rewards efficiency of spending, not volume of it.

What the test revealed is the distinction F1 has engineered over a decade: the championship is the financial instrument. The calendar is how it manifests. 

The pros and cons of F1's enforced break and cancelled races

Ford says it may wait until the end of the year before finalising the remainder of the driver roster for its 2027 Hypercar programme in the World Endurance Championship.

The American manufacturer has so far signed just three names for its return to the top echelon of sportscar racing, with Logan Sargeant, Sebastian Priaulx and Mike Rockenfeller leading development of its as-yet-unnamed LMDh challenger.

However, Ford will ultimately require as many as six drivers for the longer WEC events, including the Le Mans 24 Hours, in addition to any reserve drivers.

Discussions are underway with prospective candidates, and while a few announcements remain possible in the summer, Ford indicated that the full line-up may not be settled until much later in the year.

“We hope to have some more announcements in the next few months, but the final [line-up] might not be in place 'til towards the end of this year,” Ford LMDh chief Dan Sayers told reporters including Autosport.

“We're very happy with how things are progressing. As it stands, the three we've got at the moment, we've announced them already. With Logan, Seb and Mike, we've got a great mix of experience, youth and speed, so if we carry on that way, we'll have a really good driver line-up, but it will be towards the end of the year for all six.”

Sebastian Priaulx, Mike Rockenfeller, Logan Sargeant

Photo by: Ford

Ford’s current driver line-up is led by 2010 Le Mans winner Rockenfeller, who also has experience of LMDh machinery thanks to his time with Porsche customers JDC-Miller and Proton Competition in IMSA’s GTP division.

However, multiple GTD Pro race winner Priaulx comes from a background in GT cars, while former F1 driver Sargeant is still new to sportscar racing.

Sayers admitted Ford is in discussions with drivers with current LMDh and LMH experience, opening the possibility of recruiting from rival manufacturers.

“We're talking to a lot of drivers at the moment for the remaining seats, some of whom do have LMDh and hypercar experience,” he said.

“I think we're going to try and continue to have a balance of experience and youth. So, I think you will see hopefully we'll make future announcements so that's continued. 

“But again, as much as experience helps with engineers, it helps to have drivers and experience as well, so we will be talking to them.”

Ford reveals first test plan for new WEC LMDh prototype

Charles Rainford led the way at the end of the British Touring Car Championship’s final official pre-season test day at Brands Hatch.

A late afternoon run propelled the West Surrey Racing BMW 330i M Sport to the top of the times by a significant margin.

Rainford, whose maiden BTCC race win came on the Indy Circuit last year, went 0.317 seconds clear, although that lap was over 0.4s quicker than his next best.

For much of the day it looked as though the newly built Power Maxed Racing Audi A3 Saloons would claim the pre-season glory. Mikey Doble was fastest in the morning session with Dexter Patterson completing a PMR 1-2, and it was Patterson who sat top of the times in the afternoon before Rainford’s late effort.

That heralded a late flurry, and the Scot was further demoted by the Alliance Racing-run NAPA Ford Focus Titanium of Dan Cammish and the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla GR Sport of Josh Cook, who ended up second and third respectively.

But neither could get near Rainford, who along with team-mate Daryl De Leon, will be competing this season in the Independents’ class - WSR is transferring into that division for the first time since 2014.

"I'm very happy that I've managed to go quickest, which has been a very nice surprise, and I'd like to thank West Surrey Racing for providing me with such an amazing car,” said Rainford.

“It's all eyes forward now to Donington [scene of the first round on 18-19 April]. It's been very hot today, but I can't imagine we'll get that lucky for the first event.”

BTCC 2026 grid shot

Photo by: JEP

Patterson and Doble finished up fourth and fifth respectively. Next up was Ashley Sutton in his Alliance Ford, which completed the most laps with 133.

An estimated crowd of over 9000 attended the test, during which most drivers set their quickest times in the afternoon.

Among the exceptions were Aron Taylor-Smith (Speedworks Toyota) and James Dorlin (Restart Racing Hyundai i30 N Fastback), who were third and fourth respectively in the morning. Those times stood for seventh and ninth by the end of the afternoon.

Sandwiched between them at the end of the day was Taylor-Smith’s team-mate Gordon Shedden, while Adam Morgan rounded out the top 10 in the quickest of the Plato Racing Mercedes A35 Saloons.

In 17th, reigning champion Tom Ingram was quickest of the Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundais as the team almost monopolised the bottom of the times, clearly focusing on race runs and set-up work.

British GT champion Collard makes BTCC return for 2026

Lance Stroll says Aston Martin’s ongoing woes in Formula 1 played a role in his decision to enter this weekend’s GT World Challenge Europe event at Paul Ricard.

The Canadian will take advantage of an unexpected gap on the F1 calendar to contest the opening GTWCE Endurance Cup event of 2026, driving Comtoyou Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo with Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya.

It will mark just his third major sportscar outing, following two previous appearances at the Daytona 24 Hours in prototype machinery in the mid-to-late 2010s.

Stroll’s Aston Martin team has struggled for both performance and reliability at the start of F1’s new era this year, despite significant investment in infrastructure and the high-profile signing of Adrian Newey.

Its works partnership with Honda has also been strained by an uncompetitive power unit that suffers heavily from vibrations. Across the opening three rounds, Stroll is yet to register a classified finish, while his team-mate Fernando Alonso has also not scored a point.

“I really enjoyed racing the 24 Hours of Daytona. It’s a race I truly loved,” he said. “Since then, I’ve been very focused on Formula 1, but this year we don’t have a very competitive car, and we now have some time without races.

“So, it was an idea to change things up a bit - a different mindset during the break. Jean-Michel [Baert, Comtoyou team owner] was very accommodating, and we organised everything in about a week.

“So, a big thank you to Jean-Michel. That’s why I’m here racing this weekend.”

Gilles Magnus, Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

The Comtoyou Aston is registered in the Pro class, which features 18 entries as part of a larger 59-car grid. Stroll believes sportscar racing offers a more open competitive landscape, giving him and his team a realistic shot at victory if “everything comes together”.

Asked what his goal was for the weekend, Stroll said: “Enjoyment - and it’s also a race. In Formula 1, you don’t always have the opportunity to win.

"Here, it’s very competitive, but even if it’s our first time and we lack experience, if everything comes together - good set-up, good feeling - winning is possible. That doesn’t really exist in Formula 1. That’s also a big motivation for me to be here.”

The idea of racing at Paul Ricard was conceived over the Japanese GP on 27-29 March, where Stroll met some of his friends, including ex-grand prix driver Merhi, over dinner.

There has been renewed interest among F1 drivers in sportscar racing, with Max Verstappen in particular generating headlines for his recent endeavours at the Nordschleife-based NLS series.

Stroll revealed he spoke to Verstappen about his GT plans during the Suzuka weekend. “We talked about whom to contact, and since he’s already involved in GT racing, we discussed it a bit. Everyone enjoys driving GT3 cars - they’re fun,” he said.

Asked whether he would be open to further outings in this discipline, Stroll added: “If I feel good physically and mentally, yes - I’d like to do more races during the year.”

The pros and cons of F1's enforced break and cancelled races

Pre-FIA meetings: What options are on the table for F1’s 2026 rules?

If normal service were to resume, most Formula 1 staff would be on a flight to Bahrain today in preparation for a desert double-header. 

Instead, the war in Iran and the subsequent cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds has offered F1's circus a 'spring break' to reflect on the opening three rounds of the 2026 campaign before returning to action in Miami at the start of May.

Although April is now free of race weekends, that doesn't mean that the work stops, but it does reduce some of the pressure on an already-overextended workforce. And, of course, it gives F1's key technical figures the chance to work through any potential tweaks to the new regulations ahead of Miami, without feeling compelled to suggest knee-jerk decisions.

Pre-FIA meetings: What options are on the table for F1’s 2026 rules?

But is it a unilateral positive? For those who want to watch F1 and don't know what else to do on their weekends, it's probably less of a welcome development. Financially, the loss of two races also hurts - and this is something that is likely to filter down to the teams. 

As the rank-and-file of the F1 paddock hang up their travel kit for a few more weeks and stare nervously at the points on their British Airways gold memberships, it's probably worth delving into the genuine benefits and consequences of the last-minute April break.

The pros: Rest, reset, and renewed focus

When you're stuck in F1's bubble, it's sometimes difficult to see the wood for the trees. It's easy to lose perspective, especially when people live in the pockets of others - which can either lead to self-congratulatory feedback loops or grievances that spiral from minor issues into something far larger.

Mechanics and technicians spend much of their year on the road

Photo by: Marcel van Dorst / EYE4images / NurPhoto via Getty Images

With a break, those issues can be broken down and digested a little more easily. For the teams attempting to dissect the opening months of the season, particularly those who have struggled (ie. Williams and Aston Martin), they're able to take a step back and work through their key weaknesses in turn. This gives them more time to revise their potential upgrade paths, and make any deviations in course if necessary.

Williams, for example, knows that it has a problem with weight. While the car handles reasonably well on low fuel, the extra bulk has kept its drivers from breaking beyond the lower half of the grid so far this year in qualifying; on race fuel, the issues are magnified and race pace has been relatively poor.

Even if the larger problems are inherent to the car, such as any extra mass installed into the chassis to strengthen the tub for crash tests, the team can spend a bit longer implementing potential fixes rather than flying by the seat of their pants during race weekends.

In Aston Martin's case, the apparent resonance issues between the powertrain and the chassis are of immediate interest; its investigation of the data from Friday practice at Suzuka (where the vibrations were much more manageable) should ultimately lead to another step forward ahead of Miami.

Since modern F1 calendars are so long and feature multiple double- and triple-header events, the teams don't get to spend much time with the race cars in their factory engineering bays. The break provides a prime opportunity to get the car on the test rigs and work through some of the data points that they'd accrued over the opening rounds.

It also allows the race team to work more closely with those based in the factory, and contextualise the more pressing issues in the flesh, rather than relying on verbal feedback and data interpretation. 

The break gives a chance for the teams lower down to improve their fortunes

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

When it comes to the bigger picture of 2026's rules, being outside of 'the bubble' should help those in positions of power to filter out the chatter from the paddock. Hopefully, this will result in clearer, well-thought-out decisions for the future trajectory of the championship as the opening races presented a series of issues to overcome.

Is there a clear pathway to ensuring F1's current qualifying spectacle is improved? Can F1 maintain the wheel-to-wheel excitement without the wild speed differentials between cars? Rather than slap sticking plasters on the problem while juggling a series of races, a proper inquest will take place over the next couple of weeks. 

Given the scrutiny that F1 finds itself under, it's probably beneficial that the Jeddah race won't go ahead; many of the problems seen in Melbourne and Suzuka were expected to resurface at the Saudi circuit, and the amalgamation of differing speeds and the plethora of blind corners might have been particularly unsavoury. 

And, above all, it's a chance for F1's personnel to climb off the hamster wheel and spend time with loved ones. Many sacrifice the notion of work-life balance to work in F1, and a break pays them something back for all their efforts.

The cons: Financial impacts, and fans out of pocket

Overall, F1 stands to lose around $100million through hosting fees due to the cancellation of races, and there's likely to be a hit in sponsorship fees overall as 24-race contracts won't be met. That said, there's surely some contingency in the contractual small print to cover off any potential losses.

This is likely to impact the overall fees that the teams receive in prize money, although it won't be an earth-shattering difference. Still, it's something for the bean-counters to consider when settling their profit and loss statements and defining departmental budgets. It's not something that's realistically going to eat into the cost cap-affected spending, but it might afford fewer luxuries along the line.

Fans are still awaiting refunds for the cancelled races

Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Of course, it's a big blow to fans hoping to travel to either the Bahrain and Saudi races and hoping to get their money back from cancelled flights and unused hotel rooms, plus the ticket prices. Fans save up for months to splurge on attending a grand prix, and many remain out of pocket. They will still lose money, as it has been suggested that circuits are retaining the admin fees and taking a small percentage for handling the refund.

Even for those at home, losing two races rather stalls the momentum of the season. If you're a fan looking for a motorsport fix, there's plenty on over April: the World Endurance Championship, MotoGP, World Rally Championship, IndyCar, NASCAR, British Touring Car Championship and British GT.

Alternatively, check out the schedule at your nearest racing circuit and see what's on - club racing is just as fun and arguably racing in its purest form.

The cancellations don't just affect F1, but also the support categories too - Formula 2, Formula 3, and F1 Academy all lose out. In the case of F2 and F3, the drivers are not paid and instead are expected to bring money to race. In F2, this can be upwards of £2-3m depending on the seat. Drivers at this level rely on sponsors and many drivers outside of F1 academies must find their own. 

Without the two rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, a small handful of those sponsors are likely to get itchy feet; it has been suggested that Miami and Montreal may host F2 and potentially F3 to fulfil the missing races and ensure that the drivers get their money's worth.

But it's all very much irrelevant when it comes to those caught in the crossfire in the Middle East, many of whom have lost family members and friends to airstrikes and attacks. The world of F1 remains incredibly lucky by comparison.

How F1 teams are exploring 2026's bargeboard reforms

WRC2 rising stars Taylor Gill and Daniel Brkic will have already driven more than 3,000 kilometres just to make the start of this week’s World Rally Championship round in Croatia.

To put it into context, that’s approximately the equivalent stage distance of 10 WRC rounds before a wheel has been turned in anger. It’s an admirable but totally necessary feat that conveys the grit and determination required for an aspiring crew to forge a career in the rallying’s top flight.

With funds tight to compete in three WRC2 rounds this year, in the hope of catching the eye of teams, last year’s Junior WRC runner-up finishers chose to tow their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car from their base in Finland to Croatia. It’s a journey that saves money on flights and the hiring of a driver to take the car to the event, with those savings being put towards items deemed much more important, such as pre-event testing.

“If we want to compete in the WRC and keep doing these events with the Rally2 car, these are the kind of measures we have to take,” said former FIA Rally Star driver Gill. "It is the cheapest way to do it and that is the main thing obviously.

“In a normal case you would pay someone to drive the car down and we would fly to the rally, but this is the most efficient way, driving the car down ourselves. Myself and Dan are quite invested in what we are doing, so it is just part of what has to happen.”

This is not an average road trip. The Australian duo started their epic journey last week, which has seen them travel through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechia, Austria and Slovenia. The trip also featured a brief visit to M-Sport Poland, which supplied the Ford Fiesta Rally3 they drove in the JWRC last year.

They eventually stopped in Italy at the headquarters of the Delta Rally team, which will be running the pair’s GR Yaris Rally2 car this week. After conducting a test on Monday, they are now set to tackle the 20 asphalt stages that make up this year’s WRC round in Croatia.

“It has been quite the trip. It has been a lot of work to organise and it started pretty much straight away after Sweden. The plan was set before we left Finland and so far everything has been smooth and stress free," Gill explained.

“It has been cool and we have stopped and seen different things along the way. We stopped at M-Sport Poland for a few hours which was really nice. It is a cool trip and a cool way to see the European countryside. We are Australians so we are used to long road trips.”

It will certainly be worth it if Gill and Brkic can deliver a strong result on roads that have proved a happy hunting ground in the past. In 2024, the pair finished the event second overall in what proved to be one of two podium finishes that year en route to fourth in the standings.

However, this year marks the duo’s first event on asphalt driving a Rally2 car in what is only their second event competing in the WRC’s second tier, after finishing an impressive fourth in class on debut on the snow at Rally Sweden in February.

“I feel more confident on tarmac than on snow as a surface in general. I have done three snow rallies and six tarmac, so it makes sense from that side as well,” said Gill. “The competition is going to be pretty red hot in Croatia and there are a lot of fast guys to try and put behind us, but we will do what we can and focus on our own rally.

Taylor Gill

Photo by: WRC

“We have a limited budget, but we are trying to do things as properly as possible. There is really no point in rocking up half baked [without a test] and knowing there is no chance from the start, so we want to give ourselves a chance at least.

“We have some good people around me helping me get prepared. I have done a few tarmac rallies now, but I think the main thing will be how rapid everything is coming at you. You have to keep the reflexes pretty sharp.”

Once next week’s rally is completed, Gill and Brkic will again be clocking up the kilometres as they swap their Finland base for Australia, on a mission to secure the funding to continue their season. The pair have their eyes set on securing the budget to compete in Rally Finland (30 July - 2 August).

“It is not easy [to find the budget] that is for sure. We had the budget for Sweden and have just been able to scrape enough together for Croatia, and I don’t want to call it cutting corners, but we have had to do things like drive the car ourselves to the rally,” Gill said.

“After this we will go back to Australia for a few months and I basically have to go head down bum up to finish the budget for Finland. It is going to be a pretty big task." 

Katsuta relishing in the aftermath of maiden WRC win

At the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), major decisions are most often made on the ground floor of the building that houses the pitboxes, at the end closest to the pitlane entrance. Most of the offices there have windows overlooking the paddock.

On Sunday, hours before Marco Bezzecchi completed his perfect run of victories since the start of the 2026 MotoGP season, all of them were open except one, where a curtain prevented any curious onlooker from seeing who was inside.

At that moment, the championship’s top decision-makers were hoping to finalise the commercial framework for the next five years – even if only with a symbolic handshake between the manufacturers (MSMA) and MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (MGPSEG, formerly known as Dorna).

However, Autosport understands that the gap between the two positions at that time made an agreement impossible. Talks remain on hold, pending a resumption of negotiations that have now dragged on for over a year.

The contract on the table will bind all premier-class teams to Liberty Media, the rights holder of the championship, for the 2027-31 period. It will define the rights and obligations of both parties, with the financial aspect representing the main point of conflict.

Teams are pushing to implement a model similar to that used in Formula 1, whereby they would receive a share of the profits. MGPSEG, however, wants to maintain the current structure, which stipulates a fixed payment independent of overall revenue.

MotoGP field at the start

Photo by: Steve Wobser / Getty Images

The latest proposal is understood to be around €8m, distributed across various variables - an increase of roughly €1m compared to the current deal, which expires at the end of this year.

Teams consider that increase insufficient and have made this clear to Carmelo Ezpeleta and Carlos Ezpeleta, MotoGP’s CEO and chief sporting officer respectively. On Sunday in Austin, they also conveyed their position to Liberty Media’s top executives, led by CEO Derek Chang. That meeting could mark a turning point in what has become a stalled process, which is currently delaying announcements of rider signings and renewals already agreed for 2027.

If the situation has reached this point, it is because manufacturers see this moment as a unique opportunity to press their demands. Not only because the current agreement expires in eight months, but also due to the broader context following Liberty Media’s acquisition of the championship.

Until now, the entertainment giant’s leadership has largely stayed out of day-to-day decision-making. However, there is a growing belief within the paddock that this could change once the new contract - MotoGP’s equivalent of F1’s Concorde Agreement - is signed.

Aware of the importance of Sunday’s meeting in Austin, MSMA members gathered for a dinner the previous Saturday, Autosport understands. The meeting was promoted by Ducati and organised by Aprilia, with several representatives from each manufacturer in attendance.

Among the key figures present were Michele Colaninno, CEO of the Piaggio Group; Claudio Domenicali, his counterpart at Ducati; Gottfried Neumeister, KTM’s CEO. Honda was represented by Yuzuru Ishikawa (MotoGP project leader) and Alberto Puig (team manager), while Yamaha’s delegation was led by Paolo Pavesio.

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

This informal summit served to define the strategy for the crucial face-to-face meeting the following morning. Sunday’s meeting began at 11am and lasted around an hour. Shortly after midday - just a couple of hours before the MotoGP race - the manufacturers’ chiefs left the offices and gathered in a visible huddle in the paddock, where they spent a good 20 minutes discussing the outcome.

Autosport understands the MSMA believes the current draft contains a number of limitations that make it unacceptable. Beyond the financial terms, there are also clauses related to team slot ownership and the degree of control over them – particularly regarding the entry of potential investors.

As expected, the financial dimension underpins all aspects of the ongoing debate. On the responsibilities side, MGPSEG is demanding that teams strengthen their marketing and communications departments in an effort to expand the championship’s reach as much as possible. In addition to hiring more staff, teams are also expected to have fully functional MotoGP prototypes available for promotional events.

Continuing on the commercial front, teams are also being asked to improve the level of hospitality they provide to guests, particularly those using shared facilities at overseas events. “The current proposal offers an increase of €1m, but everything they are asking from us already costs significantly more than that,” a source familiar with the negotiations told Autosport.

As things stand, the promoter, manufacturers, and independent teams all share the intention of reaching an agreement, as they all aim to compete in 2027. The MSMA - responsible for supplying the bikes - must first sign with MGPSEG, after which the independent teams will follow.

It remains to be seen whether the parties involved in these negotiations will ultimately find common ground – or whether intervention from higher up will be required to break the deadlock.

MotoGP wants F1-style permanent reserve riders

Royal Automobile Club - Deputy Head of Motoring - London

The Royal Automobile Club has a vacancy for a Deputy Head of Motoring.  

You will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Motoring events calendar, from research and concept development through to delivery and execution and managing the budget for all events and leading post-event reconciliation processes.

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Tolman Engineering - Senior Vehicle Technician - Rugby

Tolman Engineering is looking for a Senior Vehicle Technician – Assembly, Upgrade and Restore Modern Classic and Competition Cars.

In this role you will lead the assembly, upgrade and restoration work on high-value road and competition cars, ensuring OE-plus fit and finish throughout.  

You will have hands-on experience as a senior-level technician in classic, motorsport or specialist vehicle engineering.   

Manthey Racing - GT3 Senior Race Engineer - Meuspath, Germany

Join Manthey Racing as a Senior GT3 Race Engineer.  

You will be responsible for managing the engineering of one car and driver at all events in international racing and preparing and delivering a performance plan for each race and test event.  

Successful candidates will have proven high level Race Engineering and Performance Engineering experience.  

Audi F1 Team - Merchandising and Licensing Internship - Hinwil, Switzerland

The Audi Formula 1 Team has an opportunity for a Merchandising and Licensing Internship.

Aspects of this role include coordinating seasonal and ad-hoc buying orders for Home Team, Race Team, external crews and internal departments and managing inventory tracking, replenishment, size monitoring and distribution of Teamwear and other licenced products.  

You will have one to two years of experience in merchandising operations, retail buying, retail coordination or similar.  

Alpine F1 Team - Senior Hospitality & Events Manager - Enstone

The Alpine F1 Team is recruiting a Senior Hospitality and Events Manager.

You will be the driving force behind the team’s premium hospitality offering by creating unforgettable moments for guests, partners and sponsors at global race weekends. You will also be planning and executing high-impact events including factory visits, fan activations, Goodwood Festival of Speed, Alpine Track Experiences, and annual team launches.  

The ideal candidate will have proven experience in hospitality, events or luxury brand activations.