Finnish Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas has already become something of an Australian. He often spends time on the Green Continent with his Australian girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell, owns property and takes part in local events.
On March 1 Bottas will headline the Repco Adelaide 2026 motorsport festival, where he will give demonstration runs in a Ferrari 156/85. The event will take place a week before Bottas lines up for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne — Cadillac’s debut race in Formula 1.
The Ferrari 156/85 recorded two wins in the 1985 season — Michele Alboreto won in Canada and Germany, and his teammate Stefan Johansson finished second twice, in Canada and Detroit. Johansson will also take part in the demonstration runs — behind the wheel of another Ferrari 156/85, chassis 28, so fans will get the rare chance to see both cars.
In addition, in the morning Bottas will give a demonstration run in an Australian sports Holden HQ Monaro with a V8 engine, adding local colour to his appearances.
On March 1 Bottas will headline the Repco Adelaide 2026 motorsport festival, where he will give demonstration runs in a Ferrari 156/85. The event will take place a week before Bottas lines up for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne — Cadillac’s debut race in Formula 1.
The Ferrari 156/85 recorded two wins in the 1985 season — Michele Alboreto won in Canada and Germany, and his teammate Stefan Johansson finished second twice, in Canada and Detroit. Johansson will also take part in the demonstration runs — behind the wheel of another Ferrari 156/85, chassis 28, so fans will get the rare chance to see both cars.
In addition, in the morning Bottas will give a demonstration run in an Australian sports Holden HQ Monaro with a V8 engine, adding local colour to his appearances.
Penalty points before the start of the season
The FIA uses a penalty points system on the super licence to reduce the number of infringements. Each infringement is penalised with a certain number of points; their total over 12 months must not exceed twelve — otherwise the driver will be disqualified from one race, which happened in 2024 to Kevin Magnussen. Twelve months after being awarded, penalty points expire.
In the new season penalty points will start to expire only in mid-April — those received in Bahrain: two points for Sainz and three for Lawson.
Oliver Bearman will begin the season as the leader in penalty points — two of his points will only expire at the end of May, so the Haas F1 driver could be disqualified if he commits an infringement before then.
Penalty points before the start of the new season
Driver
Team
Points
When the next will expire
O.
The FIA uses a penalty points system on the super licence to reduce the number of infringements. Each infringement is penalised with a certain number of points; their total over 12 months must not exceed twelve — otherwise the driver will be disqualified from one race, which happened in 2024 to Kevin Magnussen. Twelve months after being awarded, penalty points expire.
In the new season penalty points will start to expire only in mid-April — those received in Bahrain: two points for Sainz and three for Lawson.
Oliver Bearman will begin the season as the leader in penalty points — two of his points will only expire at the end of May, so the Haas F1 driver could be disqualified if he commits an infringement before then.
Penalty points before the start of the new season
Driver
Team
Points
When the next will expire
O.
Sergio Pérez urged Mexicans to unite.
In response to frequent criticism in the Mexican press, Cadillac driver Sergio Pérez, in an interview with the PrimeF1 channel, urged his compatriots to come together and more actively support one another…
Sergio Pérez: “Those who write about Formula 1 are focused on the drivers and the teams. Being on the inside, you know — what is written and said about you doesn't mean much. But people on the outside often take it at face value.
Drivers don't really worry about what's written about them, because we know the purpose behind it.
I believe Mexicans should unite, support their athletes, their people more. We should be proud of them and support them not only in moments of success but also in case of failure. We need to take an example from other countries that manage to do this. For example, I'm impressed by Argentine fans and how they support Franco Colapinto.
In response to frequent criticism in the Mexican press, Cadillac driver Sergio Pérez, in an interview with the PrimeF1 channel, urged his compatriots to come together and more actively support one another…
Sergio Pérez: “Those who write about Formula 1 are focused on the drivers and the teams. Being on the inside, you know — what is written and said about you doesn't mean much. But people on the outside often take it at face value.
Drivers don't really worry about what's written about them, because we know the purpose behind it.
I believe Mexicans should unite, support their athletes, their people more. We should be proud of them and support them not only in moments of success but also in case of failure. We need to take an example from other countries that manage to do this. For example, I'm impressed by Argentine fans and how they support Franco Colapinto.
Oscar Piastri on a difficult choice early in his career
On the Off The Grid podcast, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri spoke about a difficult choice he had to make as a child...
Oscar Piastri: "When I was fourteen I moved to Europe to pursue motorsport. For the first six months my father lived with me, and then he gave me a choice: stay in Europe, go to a boarding school and continue chasing my dream, or return home with him. I really enjoyed racing in Europe, competing with the best, and I decided not to go back.
Of course I felt sad about leaving home, but I was driven by my dream and learned to switch off my emotions while keeping my passion for racing. That helps me a lot now. Although sometimes there would be a weekend or a whole week when I really wanted to go home, see everyone, and sleep in my own bed.
On the Off The Grid podcast, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri spoke about a difficult choice he had to make as a child...
Oscar Piastri: "When I was fourteen I moved to Europe to pursue motorsport. For the first six months my father lived with me, and then he gave me a choice: stay in Europe, go to a boarding school and continue chasing my dream, or return home with him. I really enjoyed racing in Europe, competing with the best, and I decided not to go back.
Of course I felt sad about leaving home, but I was driven by my dream and learned to switch off my emotions while keeping my passion for racing. That helps me a lot now. Although sometimes there would be a weekend or a whole week when I really wanted to go home, see everyone, and sleep in my own bed.
The Cadillac team announced the signing of a contract with Guanyu Zhou, who has become a reserve driver.
Zhou's move came just a couple of days after his departure from Ferrari, where last season he was also a reserve driver.
Guanyu Zhou: "I am happy to join the Cadillac team as a reserve driver ahead of its debut in Formula 1. It is one of the largest and most promising new projects in Formula 1. I have worked for many years with Graham Loudon and Valtteri Bottas; joining this team can be called a reunion with my family. With recent experience competing on track and working on car development, I will be able to make a huge contribution to the team's work and will do my best to provide them with as much support as possible."
Cadillac team principal Graham Loudon has for several years been the manager of the first Chinese driver in Formula 1 and knows his strengths well.
Zhou's move came just a couple of days after his departure from Ferrari, where last season he was also a reserve driver.
Guanyu Zhou: "I am happy to join the Cadillac team as a reserve driver ahead of its debut in Formula 1. It is one of the largest and most promising new projects in Formula 1. I have worked for many years with Graham Loudon and Valtteri Bottas; joining this team can be called a reunion with my family. With recent experience competing on track and working on car development, I will be able to make a huge contribution to the team's work and will do my best to provide them with as much support as possible."
Cadillac team principal Graham Loudon has for several years been the manager of the first Chinese driver in Formula 1 and knows his strengths well.
Sainz: Over the years, Lando has made significant progress.
Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris raced together at McLaren in 2019 and 2020 — back then the Spaniard more often got the better of the Brit, and now he notes his significant progress over the years...
Carlos Sainz: "I immediately saw in Lando an incredible mastery of car control at the limit and the ability to get the maximum out of qualifying.
I've been teammates with Charles, with Max, and with Lando, and I can say that Norris has now reached a very high level. His pace is comparable to that of any other driver, and on a good day he's faster than everyone.
Lando has made significant progress over these years and has improved greatly in consistency — he now delivers strong results at tracks where in his first couple of years he didn't perform so well against me.
Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris raced together at McLaren in 2019 and 2020 — back then the Spaniard more often got the better of the Brit, and now he notes his significant progress over the years...
Carlos Sainz: "I immediately saw in Lando an incredible mastery of car control at the limit and the ability to get the maximum out of qualifying.
I've been teammates with Charles, with Max, and with Lando, and I can say that Norris has now reached a very high level. His pace is comparable to that of any other driver, and on a good day he's faster than everyone.
Lando has made significant progress over these years and has improved greatly in consistency — he now delivers strong results at tracks where in his first couple of years he didn't perform so well against me.
Like Fernando Alonso, McLaren Racing chief Zak Brown is proposing bringing refueling back to Formula 1 to increase the importance of strategy and the unpredictability of races...
Zak Brown: "It would be great if refueling during the race returned to Formula 1. It would increase the duration of pit stops, add another variable and significantly raise the role of strategy.
You could choose — to start with a lot of fuel and cover a longer distance, or to take on a small amount of fuel to attack more aggressively. That would add many interesting aspects to strategy."
Zak Brown: "It would be great if refueling during the race returned to Formula 1. It would increase the duration of pit stops, add another variable and significantly raise the role of strategy.
You could choose — to start with a lot of fuel and cover a longer distance, or to take on a small amount of fuel to attack more aggressively. That would add many interesting aspects to strategy."
The film F1 The Movie, starring Brad Pitt, won two more awards — for Best Sound and Best Editing — at yesterday’s Critics' Choice Awards 2026 ceremony in Santa Monica.
In addition, the film made the top ten in the categories of Best Box Office Performance, Best Visual Effects and Best Stunt Design.
The Best Film award went to One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, and Best Director was awarded to Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed that picture.
In addition, the film made the top ten in the categories of Best Box Office Performance, Best Visual Effects and Best Stunt Design.
The Best Film award went to One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, and Best Director was awarded to Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed that picture.
Sergio Pérez on his performances for Red Bull
On the Oso Trava podcast Sergio Pérez recalled his experience racing for Red Bull Racing as Max Verstappen’s teammate...
Sergio Pérez: “The team principal Christian Horner was brutally honest during our first meeting. He said, ‘We field two cars because we have to field two cars. But this project is built for Max — he’s our talent.’
Yes, I had a pretty decent car, but I was working under extremely difficult conditions. Being Verstappen’s teammate is not easy, and being his teammate at Red Bull is the most thankless job in all of Formula 1.
At the start of the 2022 season the car was too heavy with a forward-shifted balance, but very stable, and that’s exactly what I was looking for. I remember that at that time on the simulator I was faster than Max. I arrived at the weekend intending to win the race — and everything went smoothly.
On the Oso Trava podcast Sergio Pérez recalled his experience racing for Red Bull Racing as Max Verstappen’s teammate...
Sergio Pérez: “The team principal Christian Horner was brutally honest during our first meeting. He said, ‘We field two cars because we have to field two cars. But this project is built for Max — he’s our talent.’
Yes, I had a pretty decent car, but I was working under extremely difficult conditions. Being Verstappen’s teammate is not easy, and being his teammate at Red Bull is the most thankless job in all of Formula 1.
At the start of the 2022 season the car was too heavy with a forward-shifted balance, but very stable, and that’s exactly what I was looking for. I remember that at that time on the simulator I was faster than Max. I arrived at the weekend intending to win the race — and everything went smoothly.
© F1News.Ru Editorial Board 1997–2026. Mass media registration certificate El. No. FS77-29173. Registered with the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media.
Privacy Policy
Feedback
Advertising on the portal
The information resource (website) uses recommendation technologies (information technologies for providing information based on the collection, systematization and analysis of data relating to the preferences of Internet users located in the territory of the Russian Federation).
Privacy Policy
Feedback
Advertising on the portal
The information resource (website) uses recommendation technologies (information technologies for providing information based on the collection, systematization and analysis of data relating to the preferences of Internet users located in the territory of the Russian Federation).
Mercedes has outlined the schedule for presentations of the new car; there will be two this year.
On January 22 the team will publish computer images of the Mercedes-AMG F1 W17 E PERFORMANCE on its website.
After that the car will head to Barcelona for the first pre-season tests from January 26 to 30, and then — after the tests, on February 2 — there will be the traditional presentation featuring the drivers, management and the W17; it will be available to watch on the team's social media channels.
On January 22 the team will publish computer images of the Mercedes-AMG F1 W17 E PERFORMANCE on its website.
After that the car will head to Barcelona for the first pre-season tests from January 26 to 30, and then — after the tests, on February 2 — there will be the traditional presentation featuring the drivers, management and the W17; it will be available to watch on the team's social media channels.
Loudon: Zhou is a perfect fit for Cadillac in every respect.
Graham Loudon, head of Cadillac F1, was Guanyu Zhou’s manager for several years and has now taken him into the team as a reserve driver — and explained the signing of the contract to journalists on the official Formula 1 website.
Graham Loudon: “As a new team, we are especially careful in selecting drivers, paying close attention to their experience and qualifications.
Obviously, Zhou is a very experienced driver; he spent three years in Formula 1. Some other candidates have been successful in junior series and would like to establish themselves in Formula 1, but for us the key factor is experience — we need drivers who can contribute immediately.
The competition in Formula 1 is incredible; it is a completely different level compared to any other formula series.
Graham Loudon, head of Cadillac F1, was Guanyu Zhou’s manager for several years and has now taken him into the team as a reserve driver — and explained the signing of the contract to journalists on the official Formula 1 website.
Graham Loudon: “As a new team, we are especially careful in selecting drivers, paying close attention to their experience and qualifications.
Obviously, Zhou is a very experienced driver; he spent three years in Formula 1. Some other candidates have been successful in junior series and would like to establish themselves in Formula 1, but for us the key factor is experience — we need drivers who can contribute immediately.
The competition in Formula 1 is incredible; it is a completely different level compared to any other formula series.
Williams announced today that the livery of the new car — the FW48 — will be revealed on February 3 during a presentation at their base in Grove. We wrote that at the January tests in Barcelona the team will use a special fan‑proposed version of the livery, while the final livery with partner and sponsor logos will be unveiled on February 3.
The schedule of the upcoming Formula 2 and Formula 3 tests has been announced: they will take place at circuits in Barcelona and Sakhir. Before the season starts the young drivers will spend three days each in Barcelona — Formula 3 will rent the circuit from 10 to 12 February, and Formula 2 from 17 to 19 February. Both series will begin the season on 6–8 March in Melbourne, and will then head to further tests — these will take place from 25 to 27 March in Bahrain, where drivers from both series will be testing.
Bayer: In several races Lawson was faster than Hadjar.
Peter Bayer, the executive director of Racing Bulls, spoke about what was the main argument in favor of Liam Lawson when the team decided to extend his contract for the 2026 season.
The past season was uneven for the New Zealand driver: he started it with Red Bull Racing, but the results were clearly below expectations, so after just two rounds Lawson was returned to the “junior” team, and Yuki Tsunoda became Max Verstappen’s new teammate.
After that, Liam only managed to score points at the end of May in Monaco, but he then finished in the top ten six more times, with his best result being 5th place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
In an interview with RacingNews365, Bayer said that Lawson fits Racing Bulls well, and the team decided to continue working with him for another season.
Peter Bayer, the executive director of Racing Bulls, spoke about what was the main argument in favor of Liam Lawson when the team decided to extend his contract for the 2026 season.
The past season was uneven for the New Zealand driver: he started it with Red Bull Racing, but the results were clearly below expectations, so after just two rounds Lawson was returned to the “junior” team, and Yuki Tsunoda became Max Verstappen’s new teammate.
After that, Liam only managed to score points at the end of May in Monaco, but he then finished in the top ten six more times, with his best result being 5th place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
In an interview with RacingNews365, Bayer said that Lawson fits Racing Bulls well, and the team decided to continue working with him for another season.
Zak Brown: We are trying to destabilize our rivals.
Zak Brown has in recent years become one of the more prominent figures in the paddock, especially as McLaren has performed more successfully each season. But the chief executive of McLaren Racing attracts attention for more than that.
He admits that in public debates with the bosses of other teams he deliberately tries to throw them off balance — as was the case in his disputes with Christian Horner, now the former head of Red Bull Racing. In Brown’s view, it’s a perfectly normal tactic, given how politicized the world of Formula 1 is.
“Teams compete in every area — the fight is for drivers, for sponsors, for staff,” Brown admitted on London’s talkSPORT. “I mean, the fighting is real — I think it’s one of those sides of Formula 1 that’s well shown in the documentary series Drive to Survive.
Zak Brown has in recent years become one of the more prominent figures in the paddock, especially as McLaren has performed more successfully each season. But the chief executive of McLaren Racing attracts attention for more than that.
He admits that in public debates with the bosses of other teams he deliberately tries to throw them off balance — as was the case in his disputes with Christian Horner, now the former head of Red Bull Racing. In Brown’s view, it’s a perfectly normal tactic, given how politicized the world of Formula 1 is.
“Teams compete in every area — the fight is for drivers, for sponsors, for staff,” Brown admitted on London’s talkSPORT. “I mean, the fighting is real — I think it’s one of those sides of Formula 1 that’s well shown in the documentary series Drive to Survive.
Albon believes that F1 will become somewhat similar to Formula E.
The scale of the changes that Formula 1 teams are intensively preparing for in 2026 is very large, and it’s still difficult to assess the balance of power even approximately. And drivers will have to get to grips with new cars that are also quite different from the previous generation’s machinery, which, of course, will affect the nature of the on-track battles.
“I suppose it will be unlike anything we’ve done before,” says Alex Albon. “The job for the drivers is to adapt to it, but everything takes time. For example, I don’t think this winter break will be as quiet as in previous years, when we mostly focused on physical training.
Now we’ll have to spend a lot more time on the simulator, because we need to really understand how everything works, try different driving styles and decide which suits best.
The scale of the changes that Formula 1 teams are intensively preparing for in 2026 is very large, and it’s still difficult to assess the balance of power even approximately. And drivers will have to get to grips with new cars that are also quite different from the previous generation’s machinery, which, of course, will affect the nature of the on-track battles.
“I suppose it will be unlike anything we’ve done before,” says Alex Albon. “The job for the drivers is to adapt to it, but everything takes time. For example, I don’t think this winter break will be as quiet as in previous years, when we mostly focused on physical training.
Now we’ll have to spend a lot more time on the simulator, because we need to really understand how everything works, try different driving styles and decide which suits best.
Coulthard: Norris knows the team better than his teammate.
One of the topics being actively discussed after the end of the season is McLaren’s policy regarding Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. On the one hand, the team proclaims a principle of equality and says it has no No. 1 or No. 2 driver; on the other, it was hard to shake the impression that McLaren’s management favored Lando. In part for that reason, he became the 2025 world champion.
“This is a difficult question, isn’t it?” mused David Coulthard, a former Formula 1 driver, while taking part in the Red Flags podcast. “Of course, ask anyone at McLaren and they’ll immediately tell you it’s not the case. And that’s perfectly understandable — I can see that. Moreover, they can sincerely believe it.
You know, I only have one son, but if you have two children, one of them will be a little closer to you. That happens because we are all different.
One of the topics being actively discussed after the end of the season is McLaren’s policy regarding Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. On the one hand, the team proclaims a principle of equality and says it has no No. 1 or No. 2 driver; on the other, it was hard to shake the impression that McLaren’s management favored Lando. In part for that reason, he became the 2025 world champion.
“This is a difficult question, isn’t it?” mused David Coulthard, a former Formula 1 driver, while taking part in the Red Flags podcast. “Of course, ask anyone at McLaren and they’ll immediately tell you it’s not the case. And that’s perfectly understandable — I can see that. Moreover, they can sincerely believe it.
You know, I only have one son, but if you have two children, one of them will be a little closer to you. That happens because we are all different.
Peres recounted how Marko referred him to a psychologist.
Sergio Pérez revealed that in 2021, during his first season with Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko paid for a very expensive psychologist that was offered for the Mexican driver to work with.
“When I started driving for Red Bull, after the first races in which I couldn’t get the necessary results, I was told I needed to see a psychologist,” Sergio recalled while taking part in the Cracks podcast. “Of course, I was ready for anything. So, we spoke with the psychologist — this Englishman said something to me, after which I told him that I didn’t have time to talk then, but let’s pick another time for the session.
And then he showed up at the Red Bull Racing base, brought a bill for £6,000 and said: ‘Please send this to Helmut, he will pay.
Sergio Pérez revealed that in 2021, during his first season with Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko paid for a very expensive psychologist that was offered for the Mexican driver to work with.
“When I started driving for Red Bull, after the first races in which I couldn’t get the necessary results, I was told I needed to see a psychologist,” Sergio recalled while taking part in the Cracks podcast. “Of course, I was ready for anything. So, we spoke with the psychologist — this Englishman said something to me, after which I told him that I didn’t have time to talk then, but let’s pick another time for the session.
And then he showed up at the Red Bull Racing base, brought a bill for £6,000 and said: ‘Please send this to Helmut, he will pay.