Gabriel Bortoleto finished this Wednesday as the fastest driver on the last day of Pirelli testing at the Hungaroring. Off the track, Formula 1 also had news about the strong audience in Brazil, the future of Max Verstappen, and the next steps for Aston Martin, Honda, McLaren, and Red Bull.
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Bortoleto clocked 1min19s917 and completed 116 laps during the work dedicated to the 2027 tires. The Brazilian surpassed Franco Colapinto, who recorded 1min20s139 after 139 laps, in a session with qualifying simulations and race pace, as well as asphalt temperatures reaching 59°C. In total, the two days of activities produced 660 laps and 2,892 kilometers of data for Pirelli.
Brazil also stood out for the category’s audience numbers. The British GP gathered 18 million viewers on Globo and Sportv3 broadcasts, becoming the most-watched F1 race in a single global market since 2020. The return to Globo and Bortoleto’s presence on the grid were pointed out as important factors for the growth, while the country already has an estimated base of 71 million fans of the category.
Verstappen’s future returned to the center of discussions. While the Dutchman enjoyed his vacation alongside Toto Wolff, Rachel Brookes, former Sky Sports presenter, stated she believes the four-time world champion “is looking for a way out” of Red Bull. So far, however, the driver remains linked to the team and no change has been confirmed.
Read more Bortoleto surpasses Colapinto on the last day of Formula 1 tire tests in Hungary
On the technical side, Aston Martin put Honda’s updated power unit on track during a filming day at the Hungaroring. McLaren, in turn, approved the new active rear wing concept tested at the Hungarian GP and is preparing its use in upcoming rounds. Red Bull has decided to slow down the update pace of the RB22 to direct more resources to the 2027 project.
The calendar also remained under attention. Stefano Domenicali confirmed that the season will end in Europe if the situation in the Middle East prevents the holding of the Qatar and Abu Dhabi GPs. F1 intends to wait until mid-September before deciding if it will be necessary to resort to a replacement round, with Imola among the possibilities considered.
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