Overview
- Max Verstappen was named Best Driver of 2025 by his peers and also led the team principals’ Top 10, underscoring his standing despite narrowly losing the title to Lando Norris.
- Alpine confirmed Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto for 2026, as independent reviews placed Colapinto 18th in a season-long ‘fastest drivers’ metric and fifth among rookies.
- McLaren CEO Zak Brown said the team will keep its ‘papaya rules’ next season, maintaining equal opportunity and clean intra-team racing for Norris and Oscar Piastri.
- Madrid’s new Madring will host the Spanish Grand Prix in 2026, with Barcelona and Zandvoort in the final year of their current deals and scheduling tweaks placing Canada after Miami.
- Mattia Binotto said Audi’s split program between Neuburg (power unit) and Hinwil (chassis) should work without issue, while Kimi Antonelli linked his mid-season dip to a rear suspension change later reverted by Mercedes.