Formula 1 had a Monday marked by internal discussions at Ferrari, explanations from Red Bull about the behavior of the RB22, and new statements from Lando Norris after McLaren’s first victory in 2026. The future of Fernando Alonso and Cadillac’s plans were also among the main topics of the day.
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At Ferrari, the team’s communication once again fueled the debate about the priority between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Fred Vasseur also addressed the team’s focus on the championship fight, while Leclerc highlighted an additional challenge imposed by the cars developed for the category’s new technical regulations.
Red Bull explained the problem that undermined their drivers’ confidence in the RB22 during the first half of the season. Isack Hadjar, in turn, pointed out a decisive advantage of Max Verstappen within the team, while Alan Permane stated that a possible departure of the four-time world champion would not have a direct impact on Racing Bulls, since the definition of the main operation’s drivers is up to Red Bull itself.
Norris also returned to the spotlight by admitting he did not expect to achieve a victory with McLaren so early in 2026. The Briton won the Hungarian GP after the team made a significant advance at the Hungaroring, a result that ended the dominance of Mercedes and Ferrari on the top step of the podium this season.
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At Aston Martin, Adrian Newey commented on Alonso’s future, while David Coulthard projected that the team could achieve victories until 2028. The Silverstone outfit is going through a recovery process after bringing 16 updates to the Hungarian GP and preparing new developments for the rest of the championship.
The driver market completed the highlights of this Monday. Colton Herta’s season in Formula 2 began to raise doubts about Cadillac’s plans, while Oliver Bearman reaffirmed his desire to defend Ferrari in the future. Flavio Briatore also defended holding Sprint races in all 24 rounds of the F1 calendar.
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