F1 Qatar GP live updates - media day
Follow along for updates from the Qatar Grand Prix media day at Losail International Circuit
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And that's all for today folks after an eventful media day in Qatar! Will it be Lando's final media day before he becomes world champion? Let's all find out this weekend...
While everything is going well for Verstappen, it isn't for Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda who is fighting for his F1 future.
The Japanese racer is 17th in the standings, having struggled since joining Red Bull for round three of this year from sister squad Racing Bulls.
When asked if it frustrates him that he still doesn't know what his future beholds, Tsunoda said: "Frustrate me? No, because I knew these things since, I don't know, when this story started... it really actually started over the season. So, no, not really frustrated.
"For me, the things I have to do is same old, but a little bit different now because Max is now a championship contender, so definitely I want to be in the mix and try to help Max, and I think naturally that will be around the top of the grid, and that will be also positive for me as well. And that will lead to the, I guess, positive things to my future."
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team
Photo by: Chris Graythen / Getty Images
You think that's the only Verstappen quote I have for you? Like I say, he was asked about many things.
Here is the world champion on Newey: "It's probably something that you see in more teams - that someone more technical is taking on the role of team boss.
"I guess Aston is going the same way. You have to ask them of course why they opted to do it, but that's my, I think. logical explanation behind that. So yeah I'm happy to see that. I don't know of course how much that will change in the involvement of the car for Adrian. But yeah I'm sure he will do well."
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing, 3rd position, Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, Helmut Marko, Consultant, Red Bull Racing, Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing, the Red Bull team celebrate victory
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen was a popular man today, being asked about various topics from the F1 title battle to the Adrian Newey news.
When asked about the potential of McLaren telling Oscar Piastri to support Lando Norris, Verstappen said: “I think you can't do a better job than allowing them to race as well, because why would you suddenly now say that Oscar wouldn't be allowed anymore?
“If that was said to me I would have not rocked up. I would have told him to ‘eff off’. So yeah, if you're a real winner in a racer, as a driver, then you go for it - even if you're behind.
“What's the point otherwise to turning up? Otherwise you can easily just label yourself as a number two driver which I think he doesn't want to be. So yeah, and then for me, I know that I'm equal on points with Oscar.
“Like I said before, a lot still needs to go right, but I think it should be like that, that they are free to race and hopefully we can make it a great battle ‘til the end.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Dom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
Carlos Sainz suggested that the addition of two or three recent ex-Formula 1 drivers to the stewarding panel would dispel the need for the controversial driving guidelines, based on his approval of broadcasters' analysis of recent incidents.
"I've seen some analysis done of quite a lot of the incidents, and I think there was some of them Karun Chandhok, in some of them Jolyon Palmer, some of them Anthony Davidson," he said.
"Every time I see this analysis that they do and the verdict that they give from racing drivers that have been recently racing, I think they do a very good analysis and they put the blame correctly most of the time on who actually has the blame, or if it's actually just a racing incident."
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Photo by: Peter Fox / Getty Images
We've just had the Qatar press conferences, one of which featured Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion made headlines last weekend when he was extremely upset at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, even saying he wasn't looking forward to next year.
The Ferrari man was then asked about that comment today: "I'd be surprised if the other drivers are excited about next year at the end of a season because you usually don't have a lot of energy at the end of a season. Looking forward to time with family and stuff. But I mean, look, that's just in the heat of frustration.
"Often there's a lot of frustration at the end of races, but particularly when they haven't gone well. So no, I'm excited to see what the team build next year and to continue to build on with them."
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images
I wonder if Fernando then ordered a kebab from the stand outside of Aston's hospitality in Qatar today after his media session. Only question is: chicken or lamb?
"It's good news. He was, anyway, managing in a way the technical development of the car, but also the team, the people that was needed and taking care of which areas we need to reinforce as a team, which other areas were less important.
“So in a way he was doing internally a lot of management and Andy [Cowell] was doing a lot of management as well on the engine side and engine integration to the chassis. It was maybe a normal logic step into 2026.”
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Adrian Newey, Managing Technical Partner of Aston Martin F1 Team
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images
The Qatar GP event notes are now out and included within it is a list of changes to the circuit for this weekend:
- Additional gravel strip at the exit of Turn 6
- Additional gravel strip at Turn 10 on the right-hand side
- Gravel strip at the exit of Turn 14 starts earlier
- Additional gravel strip at the exit of Turn 16
- Gravel beds have been painted
One rookie who has struggled this year though is Franco Colapinto, as the Alpine driver is without a point. To be fair to him, he did only come in for round seven meaning Colapinto thinks next year should go better with a full pre-season of preparation.
"I'm really looking forward to 2026, to be honest," he said. "Especially having a normal year, starting with a pre-season test and being able to work with a car from scratch is going to be quite nice. And quite different to what I'm used to, coming in the middle of the season without knowing many things and without being on top of many things that the drivers have been since the start of the year. I think it's going to be very helpful."
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
With it being so late in the season, conversations about next year are naturally taking place as well - particularly regarding the grid. There's only two teams yet to announce their 2026 driver line-up, both of which are owned by Red Bull.
It's pretty obvious how it'll go though, with Isack Hadjar replacing Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull and F2 star Arvid Lindblad taking his spot at Racing Bulls. Hadjar was once again asked about the matter today.
"No, absolutely not," he said, when asked if his performances across the next two rounds can affect his future. "You don't decide based on whether it's 22 or 23 races. You take the average. That's how you take a decision. So, I can have the worst weekend in history. Now, it's not going to change anything."
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
What else is on the agenda? Ah yes, the stint limit. This weekend teams have a maximum of 25 laps per stint, a rule enforced by Pirelli after an analysis of last year's event showed some tyres, particularly the front left, were close to failure.
The Italian manufacturer put it down to Qatar being a "very high energy circuit", but it's fair to say some have concerns with this weekend's rule.
Esteban Ocon, already known to be an outspoken driver, said: "It still fixes strategy massively, which is not what fans want to see and not what the strategists are paid for."
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images
The double disqualification the champions received last time out was obviously the focus of its media sessions, but McLaren also published a Q&A with team boss Andrea Stella this morning.
The Italian revealed “from the early laps of the race, it was clear from the data that the level of unexpected porpoising would be a concern". Stella accepted the penalty, but still did his best to defend his squad - as one should!
By: Ed Hardy
