Gabriel Bortoleto was one of the main highlights this Tuesday in Formula 1 by completing 141 laps during Pirelli’s tests at the Hungaroring. The day also featured Rafa Câmara valued in the driver market, news about Max Verstappen’s future, and movements related to the 2026 calendar.
Read more F1: Bortoleto completes first day of testing with Pirelli at Hungaroring
Bortoleto was the driver who ran the most in the first of the two days dedicated to the development of the 2027 tires. The Brazilian worked with different versions of the C3 compound and performed qualifying simulations with the C4 and C5, closing his program with a time of 1min20s813. Franco Colapinto led the table with 1min20s371, while Jak Crawford completed 136 laps.
Rafa Câmara also gained space in the news due to growing interest in his future. The Brazilian appears as an alternative for Cadillac in 2027, while he is also considered by Haas for a possible seat in Formula 1. Third place in Formula 2, Câmara secured four pole positions and two wins in main races in the last five rounds, in addition to having already participated in a test with a previous years’ Ferrari car.
In the driver market, the German newspaper ‘Bild’ stated that Red Bull offered Verstappen a new contract valid until the end of 2029. The proposal would include a salary increase but would remove the clause that currently allows the Dutchman to leave the team because of his position in the championship. So far, there has been no official confirmation from Red Bull or the driver about the negotiation.
Read more F1: Imola may host a stage named GP of Qatar or Abu Dhabi
The calendar also remained in the spotlight. Sepang confirmed that it will host the round originally scheduled for Bahrain between October 2 and 4, keeping the name Bahrain GP. The ticket revenue will go to the Middle Eastern country, while the Malaysian circuit will share part of the event’s operational costs. Meanwhile, Imola appeared as a possible alternative to replace the Qatar or Abu Dhabi rounds if the conflict in the Middle East prevents the races from taking place.
At Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso said he felt competitive again after the package of 16 updates brought to Hungary, although he asked for more performance from the Honda engine on the straights. Mercedes still does not know if it will be able to recover George Russell’s engine, which showed a crack and water leak at the Hungaroring. Since the Briton is already using the fourth engine of the season, a new change will cause a grid penalty.
Read more F1: Ex-driver criticizes Sainz and says that the punishment in Hungary was insufficient
