McLaren Racing announced today that Matteo De Palo has joined its young driver programme, while three drivers — Ugo Ugochukwu, Martinius Stenshorne and Brando Badoer — will leave it at the end of the year.
The 18-year-old Matteo began karting in 2016, progressing successfully through junior championships and achieving podium finishes in the WSK Super Master Series and the FIA Karting Academy Trophy.
In 2023 the Rome-born Italian made his single-seater debut in Spanish, Italian and British F4, and this season he has competed successfully in the FRECA series with Trident Motorsport, winning four races and claiming a further seven podiums. He is set to take part in the 2025 Macau Grand Prix, and in 2026 he will compete in Formula 3.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Commercial Director of McLaren Racing: "McLaren's young driver programme is pleased to welcome Matteo. He is a promising young talent who has made significant progress in recent years, demonstrating adaptability, consistency and growth. We look forward to supporting his development on track, as well as in the broader aspects of a professional racing career."
Matteo De Palo: "Being part of McLaren's young driver programme is a huge honour for me. The team has a fantastic track record in developing talent, so I am very excited about the opportunity to grow in all aspects of my racing craft. I am grateful to Zak, Alessandro and the whole McLaren team. I look forward to getting on track in papaya colours."

Vasseur supports Hamilton amid his 'nightmare' season.
"This is a nightmare - I’ve been living it for a while."

Lewis Hamilton has referred to his inaugural year with Ferrari as "a nightmare" after another frustrating weekend in Brazil concluded with his retirement and continued disappointment.

The seven-time world champion faced a challenging couple of days at Interlagos, receiving another penalty, battling with the car's balance, and ultimately having to retire his damaged SF-25 while racing near the back of the pack. Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc also did not finish, leaving the team without any points and dropping to fourth in the constructors' championship standings.

"Mate, I’m going to crash out here," Hamilton voiced over the radio during the race. "The car is incredibly unstable."

Upon exiting the car, he did not conceal his frustration.

Bortoleto stated that Verstappen also made rookie errors.
"I intended to surprise Albon, but..."

Gabriel Bortoleto emerged unscathed from what Germany's Auto Motor und Sport referred to as "the worst Formula 1 crash in years" following a frightening accident at 339 kph that overshadowed his inaugural home Brazilian GP. On the last lap of Saturday’s sprint, the 20-year-old Sauber rookie lost control at the end of the main straight, with his car abruptly veering left before colliding with both the pit and tyre barriers, experiencing forces of up to 57g. Amazingly, Bortoleto exited the car on his own—bruised but otherwise uninjured. "I wanted to surprise Albon, but I still had DRS active when I hit a bump," he explained. "Suddenly, the car was gone. I was fortunate to escape without any injuries.

Kimi Antonelli: Managed to bring everything together
Finishing second in São Paulo, Kimi Antonelli achieved the best result of his career…
Question: Kimi, great job. How tense were the final laps when Max was pressuring you?
Kimi Antonelli: Very tense. When Max did his final pit stop and Bono (Peter Bonnington, Mercedes' chief race engineer) told me the gap, I thought…
I can't literally say what I thought — I'd get fined for that — but roughly something like, "I might be in trouble," because Max was only nine seconds behind on new Soft tyres and was very quick.
Max did an incredible job getting back into the fight, and at the end of the race he put huge pressure on me. I really had to get the absolute maximum from the tyres, and that wasn't easy. But I did everything I could, and I'm very pleased with the result.
Question: It could all have been decided on lap six, after the restart.

Martin Brundle on the results of the São Paulo Grand Prix
Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle summed up the São Paulo Grand Prix…
The São Paulo Grand Prix was stunning in every respect: battles, incidents, overtakes — and it didn’t even need rain.
Apart from good asphalt, new kerbs and a drainage system, fortunately nothing has changed at the Brazilian track since I first raced there in 1984. The magic of this short anti-clockwise circuit has always worked well, even though over the decades we have witnessed a few serious incidents.
The king of the weekend was Lando Norris, who led every session, won the sprint, the qualifying and the main race, though not with the same dominance as two weeks ago in Mexico.
For me the most striking moment of the weekend was his decisive attempt in the final qualifying run after he ruined a set of new tyres by locking up into Turn 1.

Oscar Piastri: A lot is going wrong right now
Oscar Piastri regrets that the Brazilian weekend turned out to be unsuccessful for him...

Oscar Piastri: "A tough weekend. At certain moments it felt like things were coming together well — practice seemed to be going OK — but that feeling disappeared over the course of the weekend.
Compared to Friday's practice the pace dropped, and in setting up the car we went in a direction I didn't really like. We did everything to get it into the optimal operating window, but the crash in the sprint made the situation even more complicated.
Unfortunately, a lot is going wrong at the moment, although there are occasional flashes of really strong pace — we need to make that consistent.
A certain trend has emerged over the last three weekends. In Austin I had to drive very differently from what I'm used to, then in Mexico.

We reported that Swiss racer Lora Villars, who had sought to stand in the FIA presidential election, filed a lawsuit against the federation in the Paris court. The aim of the lawsuit is to challenge the current rules that effectively prevent her from mounting a real challenge to the incumbent president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Villars applied to the Paris Court of First Instance to "suspend the FIA presidential election until a decision on the merits of the dispute is rendered." The first hearing took place on November 10, at which a date for the final decision was set.

The Paris court will announce its verdict in the case on December 3. The FIA presidential election will take place on December 12 in Tashkent.

In recent days Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc made several critical remarks about the team, to which Ferrari president John Elkann said on Sky Italia that they "need to think more about driving and talk less." The drivers responded with messages of support for the team on social media.
Lewis Hamilton: "I support my team. I support myself. I will not give up. Not now, not then, never. Thank you, Brazil."
Charles Leclerc: "The weekend in São Paulo was difficult. It's frustrating to come away with virtually no points for the team at a critical moment of the season, when we need to fight for second place in the Constructors' Championship. An intense battle lies ahead, in which only unity can help us turn things around in the last three races. We, as always, will do everything we can."

Former driver and F1 TV pundit Jolyon Palmer believes McLaren will run into difficulties at the next round in Las Vegas…
Jolyon Palmer: "If I were in Norris's shoes I wouldn't want the next round to be in Las Vegas. It's a completely different kind of circuit, where McLaren could have problems. It's cold there, the asphalt is very smooth — those kinds of tracks suit Mercedes more, and Ferrari's cars will surely be quick there.
In Qatar, Abu Dhabi or any other track it's hard to beat Lando when he's in good form, but in Vegas he will be behind, and that could knock him off his stride. He won't be at his best there."

After Sebastian Vettel's departure from Formula 1, rumors periodically appeared in the press about his possible return in a new capacity. The most likely scenario was thought to be that Vettel would replace Helmut Marko as head of the youth programme.

On British Sky Sports, Sebastian Vettel commented on these rumors: "I don't know. Of course, I've read that this scenario is being talked about a lot. And I even discussed it a little with Helmut, but it didn't lead to anything, it didn't spark any interest. I'm happy with my current life. At the very beginning, when I had just left, I doubted whether I should continue to follow what was happening in Formula 1, because I wanted to distance myself. But I still kept watching the races, because I love the sport. I know the guys well, I have good relationships with many of them. Right now I can't say whether I'll have any prospects or opportunities. Maybe a role will come up that I'll be happy to take on, but only time will tell."

He also commented on Christian Horner's dismissal from Red Bull Racing: "Of course, I was surprised by that decision. Christian has been with the team for so long, since its founding, and he knows it inside out. I think everything at Red Bull was in its place this year. I also know Laurent Mekies, I worked with him, and he's a really great guy. Christian left a big mark. Not only because of the successes he achieved with the team, but also because he was its central figure. He understood what was going on. I'm not fully informed about the team's organizational structure and plans for the future. So let's wait and see what comes of it."

On Thursday Franco Colapinto said that the main thing this weekend is to please Argentine fans...

Franco Colapinto: "I don't know whether my contract will be extended or what awaits me in the future. I am moving forward from race to race, concentrating on the next round. I really like this round, the circuit and the venue. It's very important to me that I'm taking part in the Grand Prix in Brazil. I'm looking forward to getting out on track. There are a lot of Argentines here; I want to enjoy the weekend with them.

Last year the event wasn't as positive as I would have liked. This time I want to have a good weekend and enjoy spending time with the fans. They did everything to come to Brazil, and I want to give them something nice."

Mark Webber: Piastri is going through a difficult period right now
Over the last five rounds Oscar Piastri has scored only 42 points, while his teammate Lando Norris — 97, and he has lost the lead in the individual standings. The Australian driver's manager, Mark Webber, said he plans to help Oscar ahead of the next round in Las Vegas.
"We need to help him get back on the right track," Mark Webber shared on Channel 4. "I don't think his motivation has dropped. He's going through a tough spell right now, but it's all about the character needed to get back into the fight. He's only in his third year in Formula 1, and he needs to find the strength to turn things around.
It's just incredible that Oscar is already fighting for the title so early in his career. I suppose only Lewis Hamilton achieved something similar at such an early stage.

McLaren raises concerns about Red Bull's engine strategy in Brazil.
"If it was replaced for performance reasons..."

McLaren has raised concerns regarding whether Red Bull violated the spirit of Formula 1's cost cap regulations by equipping Max Verstappen with a brand-new engine prior to Sunday’s Brazilian GP. Following a poor qualifying session, Red Bull altered Verstappen's suspension setup, resulting in a pitlane start, and seized the opportunity to fit a new Honda power unit, which included a new combustion engine, turbo, MGU-K, MGU-H, battery, and control electronics. This decision took many rivals, particularly McLaren, by surprise as Verstappen was still in pursuit of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris with three races remaining after Brazil.

"Honestly, these types of powertrain swaps defy the rules," stated McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.

Hamilton and Leclerc react following Elkann's uncommon criticism.
"Need to concentrate on driving and reduce chatter."

Ferrari president John Elkann has delivered a striking public criticism of his Formula 1 team's drivers following a disastrous performance at the Brazilian GP, which has left the Scuderia’s season hanging by a thread. Speaking in Milan on Monday at an event related to Italy’s 2026 Winter Olympics, Elkann called out the drivers—thought to be specifically addressing Lewis Hamilton—as the weak point in Ferrari’s struggling season.

"If we examine the championship, we can say the mechanics are the ones winning it, based on their performance and the work done during pit stops," he began. "Our engineers have undeniably improved the car. However, regarding the rest, it’s not at an acceptable level.

The first home Grand Prix of Gabriel Bortoleto's career ended with two crashes — in the sprint and in the main race. Commenting on what happened, the Brazilian said he would learn from it and thanked his teammate for his support…

Gabriel Bortoleto: "I need to learn to manage risks better. I was more aggressive than usual, tried new moves, but the sprint is not the best time for experiments. If you crash the car, you won't get through qualifying, which is what happened to me.
I'll analyze everything, draw conclusions and move on. It hurt, because it was my home round, but it's just another race weekend.
I'm grateful to Nico for his support. He said that in his twenty years he's seen worse, and that I have many good moments and setbacks ahead, but they'll make me stronger. He's proud of my achievements this year. I'll keep going in the same spirit, and the good moments will come."

On the first lap of the São Paulo Grand Prix Lance Stroll clipped Gabriel Bortoleto's car. As a result of the contact the Sauber driver lost control, hit the wall and retired from the race. Such maneuvers did not sit well with Franco Colapinto, who criticized Stroll.
Franco Colapinto: "Stroll keeps knocking people off the track. He doesn't look in his rear-view mirrors. This time he sent Gabriel into the wall. He does this every time."
However, Bortoleto himself considers the incident a racing incident: "There's no point in pointing fingers — it all happened on the first lap. I was on the outside, he left a little more room, he clipped my front wheel, and I hit the wall.
I think it was a racing incident. Of course, if he'd left more space I would have made the turn. I might even have passed him, because I was on soft tyres and he was on harder ones."

Lando Norris: Drivers are always complaining about something!
Lando Norris believes that he and the McLaren team handled the tasks during the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend very well, although he admitted it was not easy.

Question: You had a great race and a great Brazilian weekend overall — you must be satisfied with the result?
Lando Norris: To be honest, I’m quite satisfied. Both the day and the weekend were excellent. Although I must admit it was tough. Working on the track was difficult, but that only increases the value of the victory. I think we did everything we needed to: we had a good start, good pit stops, effective strategy and a decent pace.
But I would like the race pace to be even higher, so there’s still stuff for us to analyze, although I was ahead in every session when I needed to be. That’s precisely why I flew to Brazil, so right now I’m very pleased.

Question: You say you had some difficulties this weekend. Can you tell us what they were?
Lando Norris: Drivers always complain about something! There were issues with the car’s balance. However, I’m sure others could say the same. For example, at the previous round in Mexico I was happy with the balance, and we won there by 30 seconds. This weekend we won the race by 10 seconds, and as you saw Max Verstappen was catching up to us very quickly.
McLaren has high standards, and it should be that way. When we beat everyone by 10 seconds, you want that margin to be a bit bigger — although I realise that sounds silly. In any case, to build a 10-second gap I literally had to fight with the car.
Overall, it was harder than I would have liked. Nevertheless, of course I’m very pleased with how things went this weekend, and I’m proud of our whole team.

Question: It seems you were pleased with the effectiveness of the Medium tyre; what can you say about the pace on the Softs?
Lando Norris: It wasn’t as good, although the final stint on the Medium tyres wasn’t the best either, unlike the first stint which went really well. But for the third stint I had a scrubbed set of Mediums that had already done seven or eight laps. Overall, I think the pace on that tyre was at a good level all weekend.
The pace on the Softs was just okay. I can’t say anything about the Hards — I didn’t use them. In short, I definitely prefer Mediums, but we’ll see how we approach things next time.

Question: You now lead the championship by 24 points. Can you say this weekend was something of a turning point in the season?
Lando Norris: No. It’s just another weekend where I set out to try to win and score as many points as possible — and I managed to do that. I acted the same way last weekend, so I don’t think the Mexican or the Brazilian rounds can be called turning points.
I simply achieved good results — that’s what I need. That’s why I race each weekend, so right now I’m very pleased. Although there’s still a long way to go until the end of the championship, so it’s too early to celebrate too much.

Question: Let’s talk about the next round in Las Vegas. Cooler weather is expected there — will that help or hurt McLaren?
Lando Norris: It will definitely hurt. I think we had our worst race of the season there last year. So I don’t have big expectations. We’re working hard to make some improvements. We know that a year ago Mercedes were incredibly strong there, and the same applies to Red Bull and Ferrari.
Of course, this year we’ve improved a lot, so we’ll see what we can do. I’m not overly negative about it, and a lot can still happen. But we’re more looking forward to the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi than to Las Vegas.

Question: After the race you said you’re in good shape now and don’t pay attention to what people say about you. Could you expand on that, since the ability to shut out external noise probably helps in your bid to win the championship?
Lando Norris: To be honest, there isn’t much to comment on. There are always people who try to spoil your mood a bit.

ART Grand Prix, competing in Formula 3, has announced the signing of Taito Kato for the 2026 season. The Japanese driver will team up with two other rookies in the junior series – Kanato Li and Maciej Gładysz.

Kato began racing in single-seaters in 2024 and became French Formula 4 champion on his first attempt. In 2025 Taito moved up to the Formula Regional European Championship, stood on the podium twice and finished seventh in the drivers' standings.

Taito Kato: "I am very much looking forward to the new challenges I will face next year. I am very happy to be driving for ART GP in Formula 3, a team I know from our collaboration in the Formula Regional European Championship."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes that after the Brazilian round Max Verstappen has no chance left for the drivers' title…
Toto Wolff: "I think the title is already decided. Lando has a very, very solid lead; he no longer needs to win — it's enough to keep fighting and avoid contact with rivals. He can't afford to retire from a race, because then the situation would swing the other way, but he's unlikely to lose the victory. Obviously, fans would like to see a close fight until the end of the season, but Norris impressed in recent races by not getting nervous, keeping the situation under control and consistently scoring points. McLaren's management have done a good job handling two fast, ambitious drivers, allowing them to take part in the fight and preventing any flare-ups. I don't see a situation in which they would knock each other out of a race."

Jacques Villeneuve praised several drivers for their performances in São Paulo. The 1997 world champion singled out Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen.
Jacques Villeneuve: "There was no rain during the race in São Paulo, but it was very interesting from start to finish. You could even talk about a bit of chaos, which is usually what happens on this circuit.
Lando stood out from the rest. This weekend he fought for the title, scored the maximum points and did not make a single mistake. A very, very good performance.
Antonelli also made a strong impression. He didn’t crack under the pressure and finished ahead of his teammate.
What can you say about Verstappen? He recovered after starting from the pit lane and suffering a puncture in the early laps. Max climbed onto the podium and was close to second place. A very impressive performance that leaves him hopeful of fighting for the title."

Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls announced the date of the presentation.
Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls have announced the date and location of their 2026 season launch. The joint show with Ford will take place on January 15 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Both teams will reveal the liveries for the new season and will hold a presentation for Red Bull Ford Powertrains, which will become the official power unit supplier for the two teams. The 2026 cars themselves will not be shown at the presentation.

Laurent Mekies, Head of Red Bull Racing: "The beginning of the Red Bull Ford Powertrains era is not only a bold step into the future but also a vivid testament to what can be achieved by combining world-class engineering, innovation and passion. The energy, precision and scale of this project are inspiring.