What's happened
Max Verstappen has criticized the 2026 F1 car design, saying the machines are numb to driver input and forcing earlier braking for optimal exits. Liam Lawson has stepped in for Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, with Yuki Tsunoda occupying Lawson’s Racing Bulls seat. Norris launches LN4 Fusion to back young drivers. Read how these shifts shape Madrid and Monza Grand Prix entries.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- Verstappen’s comments reflect growing discontent with handling changes, which could influence how fans perceive the performance gap between teams.
- The influx of drivers across seats (Lawson, Tsunoda) underscores Red Bull’s testing of equalized options, potentially affecting the dynamic of this year’s championship as Madrid and Monza approach.
- The Norris venture into team-building signals a broader strategy among top drivers to shape the sport beyond their primary teams, potentially altering feeder-series funding and opportunities for young talents.
- The ongoing injuries and replacements create uncertainty about lineups for the coming races, but the core competition remains driven by the car’s design and power unit integration.
How we got here
The 2026 season features heavily hybrid power and changes that have shifted the balance of control toward the car itself. Hadjar’s wrist injury has sidelined him for multiple races, prompting Lawson to step in and Tsunoda to fill in on Racing Bulls. Norris has launched LN4 Fusion to develop new talent while remaining under McLaren contract.
Our analysis
AP News reports on Verstappen’s critiques of the 2026 cars and the recent seat changes at Red Bull; BBC Business updates confirm Hadjar’s wrist injury and Lawson’s continued presence at Monza; The Independent covers the Monza lineup changes with Tsunoda filling in for Lawson; AP News also notes Norris launching LN4 Fusion to back junior drivers.
Go deeper
- Will the car design changes affect race strategies at Monza and beyond?
- How will LN4 Fusion influence opportunities for young drivers in F1’s feeder series?
More on these topics
-
Isack Hadjar - French-Algerian motorsports racing driver
Isack Alexandre Hadjar is a French and Algerian racing driver, who most recently competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for Campos and serves as a reserve driver in Formula One for Red Bull Racing.
-
Liam Lawson - New Zealand motorsports racing driver
Liam Lawson is a New Zealand racing driver who is set to compete in Formula One for RB. Lawson—who is mentored by three-time New Zealand Grand Prix winner Ken Smith—graduated from karting to junior formulae in 2015, winning his first championship at t
-
Yuki Tsunoda - Japanese racing driver
Yuki Tsunoda is a Japanese racing driver who is racing for Scuderia AlphaTauri in Formula One. Supported by Honda since 2016 through the Honda Formula Dream Project, he was the 2018 Japanese F4 champion and in 2019 also received backing from Red Bull.
-
Red Bull - Energy drink
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
-
Madrid - Capital of Spain
Madrid is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.3 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.5 million.
-
Monza - City in Italy
Monza is a city and comune on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about 15 kilometres north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza.
-
Spanish Grand Prix
The Spanish Grand Prix is a Formula One race currently held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race is one of the oldest in the world still contested, celebrating its centenary in 2013. The race had modest beginnings as a production car race.
-
Italian Grand Prix - Auto race held in Italy
The Italian Grand Prix is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix, having been held since 1921. In 2013 it became the most held Grand Prix.