Marko states that a decision regarding the Red Bull driver is forthcoming.
Dr. Helmut Marko has stated that Red Bull will disclose its 2026 driver lineup "after the Grand Prix," with the teenage talent Arvid Lindblad almost certain to join the Racing Bulls team. The 18-year-old showcased his skills on Friday in Mexico, stepping into Max Verstappen's car for FP1 and even outpacing Yuki Tsunoda. "That certainly wasn’t pleasant for Tsunoda," Marko acknowledged to Kleine Zeitung.
Marko commended Lindblad for maintaining his composure under pressure. "He remained calm, even with everyone warning him about the risk of damaging the car - we only had one underbody," he noted. "He was instructed not to scratch it, yet he was still the fastest rookie.
Dr. Helmut Marko has stated that Red Bull will disclose its 2026 driver lineup "after the Grand Prix," with the teenage talent Arvid Lindblad almost certain to join the Racing Bulls team. The 18-year-old showcased his skills on Friday in Mexico, stepping into Max Verstappen's car for FP1 and even outpacing Yuki Tsunoda. "That certainly wasn’t pleasant for Tsunoda," Marko acknowledged to Kleine Zeitung.
Marko commended Lindblad for maintaining his composure under pressure. "He remained calm, even with everyone warning him about the risk of damaging the car - we only had one underbody," he noted. "He was instructed not to scratch it, yet he was still the fastest rookie.
Marko asserts that Piastri is 'struggling with the pressure of the title.'
"At least, that’s how it appeared recently."
Dr. Helmut Marko suspects that championship leader Oscar Piastri is struggling with pressure, even as Red Bull faces its own challenges during a tough Mexican Grand Prix weekend. Despite modifications to the RB21, Max Verstappen could only secure fifth place in qualifying, while Piastri finished eighth, later promoted to P7 following Carlos Sainz’s penalty. However, not all news is negative for Red Bull, with Lando Norris emerging as the faster McLaren driver yet still ranked below his teammate in the standings, allowing Verstappen to benefit even without a victory.
"Naturally, we still need McLaren’s assistance," Marko told Kleine Zeitung.
"At least, that’s how it appeared recently."
Dr. Helmut Marko suspects that championship leader Oscar Piastri is struggling with pressure, even as Red Bull faces its own challenges during a tough Mexican Grand Prix weekend. Despite modifications to the RB21, Max Verstappen could only secure fifth place in qualifying, while Piastri finished eighth, later promoted to P7 following Carlos Sainz’s penalty. However, not all news is negative for Red Bull, with Lando Norris emerging as the faster McLaren driver yet still ranked below his teammate in the standings, allowing Verstappen to benefit even without a victory.
"Naturally, we still need McLaren’s assistance," Marko told Kleine Zeitung.
Andrea Stella commented on Lando Norris's achievement of taking pole position in Mexico, with the British driver delivering a truly impressive performance...
Sainz explained why he exceeded the pit-lane speed limit.
Carlos Sainz failed to finish the Mexican Grand Prix, crashing his car at the "Stadium." During the race Carlos twice exceeded the pit‑lane speed limit, explaining that as a result of a collision with Liam Lawson the speed limiter on his car had failed.
His teammate Alex Albon finished twelfth, explaining the result by an unsuccessful one‑stop strategy.
Alex Albon (12th): "I had a fairly slow pace in the race. I ended up being one of two drivers who started on Hard tyres, so at the start of the race I simply had no pace. We immediately went for a one‑stop strategy, which proved to be quite slow and didn't work, so we missed the chance to be competitive and fight in the midfield.
In the last few races we've had issues that we need to get to the bottom of. We can see the telemetry data and we can see problems with my car.
Carlos Sainz failed to finish the Mexican Grand Prix, crashing his car at the "Stadium." During the race Carlos twice exceeded the pit‑lane speed limit, explaining that as a result of a collision with Liam Lawson the speed limiter on his car had failed.
His teammate Alex Albon finished twelfth, explaining the result by an unsuccessful one‑stop strategy.
Alex Albon (12th): "I had a fairly slow pace in the race. I ended up being one of two drivers who started on Hard tyres, so at the start of the race I simply had no pace. We immediately went for a one‑stop strategy, which proved to be quite slow and didn't work, so we missed the chance to be competitive and fight in the midfield.
In the last few races we've had issues that we need to get to the bottom of. We can see the telemetry data and we can see problems with my car.
DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award: Best pit stop by McLaren
In Mexico the fastest pit stop was carried out by McLaren mechanics, servicing Oscar Piastri's car in 2.10 seconds – the result is not a record, but the best in the past Grand Prix.
In total during the race the teams made 26 pit stops. The longest was Liam Lawson's pit stop on lap 2, when they changed his nose cone.
Team
Driver
Time
Lap
Points
1. McLaren
O. Piastri
2.10
47
25
2. Ferrari
Sh. Leclerc
2.27
31
18
3. Haas
O. Berman
2.33
48
15
4. Sauber
G. Bortoleto
2.35
37
12
5. Williams
A. Albon
2.35
41
10
6. Williams
K. Sainz
2.37
17
8
7. Racing Bulls
A. Hajar
2.43
34
6
8. Mercedes
K. Antonelli
2.49
22
4
9. Aston Martin
L. Stroll
2.61
26
2
10. Mercedes
D. Russell
2.62
25
1
11. McLaren
L.
In Mexico the fastest pit stop was carried out by McLaren mechanics, servicing Oscar Piastri's car in 2.10 seconds – the result is not a record, but the best in the past Grand Prix.
In total during the race the teams made 26 pit stops. The longest was Liam Lawson's pit stop on lap 2, when they changed his nose cone.
Team
Driver
Time
Lap
Points
1. McLaren
O. Piastri
2.10
47
25
2. Ferrari
Sh. Leclerc
2.27
31
18
3. Haas
O. Berman
2.33
48
15
4. Sauber
G. Bortoleto
2.35
37
12
5. Williams
A. Albon
2.35
41
10
6. Williams
K. Sainz
2.37
17
8
7. Racing Bulls
A. Hajar
2.43
34
6
8. Mercedes
K. Antonelli
2.49
22
4
9. Aston Martin
L. Stroll
2.61
26
2
10. Mercedes
D. Russell
2.62
25
1
11. McLaren
L.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is pleased with Max Verstappen’s performance, who, after starting from fifth, climbed onto the podium…
Helmut Marko: “I was the only one thinking positively. No one but me would have put their money on Max making the podium, but I thought it was possible.
On Saturday we understood that we had set the car too low, but in the race that wasn’t a problem — with more fuel the cars became slower, downforce decreased, and our deficit disappeared.
He drove the final stint superbly. He was quick, but very careful with the tyres. I was always worried we wouldn’t have enough rubber, but he consistently lapped, lap after lap, in 1:21.2 to within half a tenth of a second. That’s Verstappen!”
Helmut Marko: “I was the only one thinking positively. No one but me would have put their money on Max making the podium, but I thought it was possible.
On Saturday we understood that we had set the car too low, but in the race that wasn’t a problem — with more fuel the cars became slower, downforce decreased, and our deficit disappeared.
He drove the final stint superbly. He was quick, but very careful with the tyres. I was always worried we wouldn’t have enough rubber, but he consistently lapped, lap after lap, in 1:21.2 to within half a tenth of a second. That’s Verstappen!”
McLaren supports Piastri as the downturn worsens.
"We’ve incorporated new tools into his arsenal."
Andrea Stella asserts that Oscar Piastri’s recent decline in performance is not due to any car issues, despite speculation regarding the potential faults in the Australian’s chassis. "All evidence and data suggest there are no problems with the car," the McLaren team principal told journalists after Piastri finished only P5 in Mexico, amid his recent performance downturn. "We have no reason to think otherwise," Stella stated. "In the history of F1, there are discussions about swapping chassis, but I would prefer to replace other parts - the floor, the front wing. Components naturally rotate, and we are confident that nothing is amiss."
Stella noted that the main challenge lies in Piastri's adaptation to the unique conditions of the circuit.
"We’ve incorporated new tools into his arsenal."
Andrea Stella asserts that Oscar Piastri’s recent decline in performance is not due to any car issues, despite speculation regarding the potential faults in the Australian’s chassis. "All evidence and data suggest there are no problems with the car," the McLaren team principal told journalists after Piastri finished only P5 in Mexico, amid his recent performance downturn. "We have no reason to think otherwise," Stella stated. "In the history of F1, there are discussions about swapping chassis, but I would prefer to replace other parts - the floor, the front wing. Components naturally rotate, and we are confident that nothing is amiss."
Stella noted that the main challenge lies in Piastri's adaptation to the unique conditions of the circuit.
Verstappen reduces gap as competitors express frustration with FIA.
"It indicates that we aren't fast in every situation."
Max Verstappen's podium finish in Mexico keeps his championship aspirations alive—although Lando Norris has taken the lead in the standings, Verstappen has actually decreased his deficit to 36 points overall. "After everything that happened in the first few laps, fighting for P2 is still a solid result," the four-time world champion remarked. "I lost 10 points to Lando, but this weekend didn't go perfectly. That's the reality—you need flawless weekends to win." He acknowledged that Red Bull still struggles with consistency, despite its recent performance improvements. "It highlights that we're not quick in every scenario, and that's something we need to comprehend better," Verstappen stated.
"It indicates that we aren't fast in every situation."
Max Verstappen's podium finish in Mexico keeps his championship aspirations alive—although Lando Norris has taken the lead in the standings, Verstappen has actually decreased his deficit to 36 points overall. "After everything that happened in the first few laps, fighting for P2 is still a solid result," the four-time world champion remarked. "I lost 10 points to Lando, but this weekend didn't go perfectly. That's the reality—you need flawless weekends to win." He acknowledged that Red Bull still struggles with consistency, despite its recent performance improvements. "It highlights that we're not quick in every scenario, and that's something we need to comprehend better," Verstappen stated.
Tsunoda remains in the running as the decision is postponed.
Yuki Tsunoda's future in Formula 1 remains unclear, but the Japanese driver has received an important reprieve. After weeks of speculation, Dr. Helmut Marko has confirmed that Red Bull's final decision regarding drivers for 2026 has been postponed until the end of the season, possibly until Abu Dhabi.
"We discussed this internally and concluded that our focus must be entirely on the championship battle," Marko told Servus TV. "It’s surprising how thrilling the situation has become. We've delayed the driver selection until after Doha (Qatar) or Abu Dhabi."
Similarly, he mentioned to Sky Deutschland: "The decision regarding the Racing Bulls' drivers will also be postponed as we concentrate solely on the World Championship. We cannot afford any minor errors in the setup again.
Yuki Tsunoda's future in Formula 1 remains unclear, but the Japanese driver has received an important reprieve. After weeks of speculation, Dr. Helmut Marko has confirmed that Red Bull's final decision regarding drivers for 2026 has been postponed until the end of the season, possibly until Abu Dhabi.
"We discussed this internally and concluded that our focus must be entirely on the championship battle," Marko told Servus TV. "It’s surprising how thrilling the situation has become. We've delayed the driver selection until after Doha (Qatar) or Abu Dhabi."
Similarly, he mentioned to Sky Deutschland: "The decision regarding the Racing Bulls' drivers will also be postponed as we concentrate solely on the World Championship. We cannot afford any minor errors in the setup again.
Russell discloses details of the 'automatic' Mercedes agreement.
George Russell has finally revealed the details of his newly-signed Mercedes contract and even suggested the circumstances that could eventually make him Max Verstappen’s teammate. The 27-year-old British driver recently renewed his contract with Mercedes, but there was ongoing uncertainty about its duration and terms, with rumors ranging from a single-year option to a more extended agreement with performance stipulations.
Russell has now clarified that the contract is initially for one year, with an option for automatic renewal in 2027, contingent on his performance. "This is something I haven’t actually disclosed publicly," Russell told The Telegraph. "But the deal stipulates that if I perform next year and hit a specific target, we’ll automatically renew for 2027. So, my seat for 2027 depends on my performance.
George Russell has finally revealed the details of his newly-signed Mercedes contract and even suggested the circumstances that could eventually make him Max Verstappen’s teammate. The 27-year-old British driver recently renewed his contract with Mercedes, but there was ongoing uncertainty about its duration and terms, with rumors ranging from a single-year option to a more extended agreement with performance stipulations.
Russell has now clarified that the contract is initially for one year, with an option for automatic renewal in 2027, contingent on his performance. "This is something I haven’t actually disclosed publicly," Russell told The Telegraph. "But the deal stipulates that if I perform next year and hit a specific target, we’ll automatically renew for 2027. So, my seat for 2027 depends on my performance.
Colapinto remains undeterred by Alpine's lack of communication regarding the 2026 seat.
"Everyone has their own opinion, don’t they?"
Franco Colapinto asserts that he is not bothered by the increasing speculation surrounding his future with Alpine, noting that the lack of rumors about a possible team shakeup doesn’t imply anything definitive. The 22-year-old Argentine rookie has been at the center of attention recently, from his defiance of team orders in Austin to claims that a 2026 deal with Alpine backed by his influential sponsors is already in place. With drivers within the Red Bull family competing for a few 2026 seats, the silence from Enstone has only intensified discussions about Colapinto’s position being secure.
"Everyone has their own opinion, don’t they?"
Franco Colapinto asserts that he is not bothered by the increasing speculation surrounding his future with Alpine, noting that the lack of rumors about a possible team shakeup doesn’t imply anything definitive. The 22-year-old Argentine rookie has been at the center of attention recently, from his defiance of team orders in Austin to claims that a 2026 deal with Alpine backed by his influential sponsors is already in place. With drivers within the Red Bull family competing for a few 2026 seats, the silence from Enstone has only intensified discussions about Colapinto’s position being secure.
Hamilton: I'm starting to understand how to drive a Ferrari.
Having qualified third in Mexico, Lewis Hamilton spoke about the team's progress…
Question: Lewis, third place — your best start this year with Ferrari. What does this result mean to you?
Lewis Hamilton: I'm grateful to the team for the hard work throughout the year. Of course I'd have liked us to have performed at this level earlier, but it's great that we're making progress and keeping a positive mindset.
Question: Tell us about the car. It seems Ferrari is coming into form. Are you satisfied?
Lewis Hamilton: Relatively satisfied. It's a tricky circuit. Because of the high altitude the grip is low, the cars from all teams slide, but we look decent and were able to improve over the course of the weekend.
On Friday I missed the first practice. I wouldn't say it hindered me, but the more laps you do around the track the more you learn about it.
Having qualified third in Mexico, Lewis Hamilton spoke about the team's progress…
Question: Lewis, third place — your best start this year with Ferrari. What does this result mean to you?
Lewis Hamilton: I'm grateful to the team for the hard work throughout the year. Of course I'd have liked us to have performed at this level earlier, but it's great that we're making progress and keeping a positive mindset.
Question: Tell us about the car. It seems Ferrari is coming into form. Are you satisfied?
Lewis Hamilton: Relatively satisfied. It's a tricky circuit. Because of the high altitude the grip is low, the cars from all teams slide, but we look decent and were able to improve over the course of the weekend.
On Friday I missed the first practice. I wouldn't say it hindered me, but the more laps you do around the track the more you learn about it.
On the opening laps of the Mexico City Grand Prix, track marshals were nearly run over by Liam Lawson's car. Racing Bulls contacted the FIA for clarification: how could this have happened. The federation responded with an official statement.
The FIA reviewed the matter and believes that race control followed all procedures with regard to the safety of the marshals.
"After the incident at Turn 1, race control was informed of debris on the track at the apex of that corner.
On the third lap, marshals were warned that they needed to go onto the track and remove the debris after all cars had passed the first corner. As soon as it became clear that Lawson had come into the pits, the instructions for the marshals to go onto the track were cancelled, and double yellow flags were shown in that area. We are investigating what happened after that moment," the official statement said.
The FIA reviewed the matter and believes that race control followed all procedures with regard to the safety of the marshals.
"After the incident at Turn 1, race control was informed of debris on the track at the apex of that corner.
On the third lap, marshals were warned that they needed to go onto the track and remove the debris after all cars had passed the first corner. As soon as it became clear that Lawson had come into the pits, the instructions for the marshals to go onto the track were cancelled, and double yellow flags were shown in that area. We are investigating what happened after that moment," the official statement said.
Pirelli's prediction that all drivers would prefer to complete the race distance in Mexico with a one‑stop strategy was only half true…
Mario Isola, Pirelli's Head of Motorsport: "The race in Mexico was interesting not only in terms of on‑track events, but also because everyone saw two strategic options – some drivers limited themselves to a single tyre change, while others visited the pits twice.
We congratulate Lando Norris; he was flawless from the first day of the weekend and now leads the championship again. We also congratulate Oliver Bearman, who delivered an important fourth place for Haas F1.
The Medium and Soft tyres played their part, but if we had to pick the best, it would undoubtedly be the Softs. Most drivers chose them for the start, and those who ran a two‑stop race also fitted Softs for the final stint.
Thanks to very low degradation and the absence of graining, drivers were able to extend their stint on the C5, effectively managing the thermal degradation of the rear tyres.
The range of laps for pit stops was in line with our expectations, and I believe the variety of strategies was linked to our decision to provide teams with 'every‑other' compounds. Hard tyres were used very rarely as they did not provide the necessary grip on this slippery track.
Part of the Pirelli team that worked in Mexico this week will return to the circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday to test softer compounds from the 2026 range. Sauber will provide us with a car on the first day of testing, and Mercedes on the second. We thank both teams for their support."
Mario Isola, Pirelli's Head of Motorsport: "The race in Mexico was interesting not only in terms of on‑track events, but also because everyone saw two strategic options – some drivers limited themselves to a single tyre change, while others visited the pits twice.
We congratulate Lando Norris; he was flawless from the first day of the weekend and now leads the championship again. We also congratulate Oliver Bearman, who delivered an important fourth place for Haas F1.
The Medium and Soft tyres played their part, but if we had to pick the best, it would undoubtedly be the Softs. Most drivers chose them for the start, and those who ran a two‑stop race also fitted Softs for the final stint.
Thanks to very low degradation and the absence of graining, drivers were able to extend their stint on the C5, effectively managing the thermal degradation of the rear tyres.
The range of laps for pit stops was in line with our expectations, and I believe the variety of strategies was linked to our decision to provide teams with 'every‑other' compounds. Hard tyres were used very rarely as they did not provide the necessary grip on this slippery track.
Part of the Pirelli team that worked in Mexico this week will return to the circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday to test softer compounds from the 2026 range. Sauber will provide us with a car on the first day of testing, and Mercedes on the second. We thank both teams for their support."