Hello and welcome to This Week. F1 is looking to the future; the sport’s long-awaited return to Africa could be closer, as Rwanda looks to debut in the early 2030s, but that raises questions about Rwanda’s human-rights record and accusations of sportswashing. On track, the pressure is building too.
McLaren’s drivers collided in Singapore, prompting a blunt warning from Zak Brown, while Lando Norris admitted the team is currently the slowest of the leading four. Haas announces Formula 2 leader Rafael Camara for his debut season; why is it denying it’s a Ferrari B team…
General News
F1 will return to Africa “in the early 2030s” after signing a deal with Rwanda for the African Grand Prix. The circuit will be built in Bugesera District near the capital Kigali alongside the redeveloped international airport.
F1 hopes the race will provide an opportunity for the sport to expand its profile in Africa, a relatively unexplored market compared to Europe, Asia and the Americas. The sport hasn’t raced in Africa following the brief return to South Africa in the mid-1990s following the end of apartheid
A statement from F1 said the project came after “years of collaboration to ensure the right foundations, with the best partner, are in place to deliver a successful, sustainable and world-class Grand Prix for generations to come”.
The circuit, designed by former F1 driver and GPDA chairman Alex Wurz, has been “designed to work in harmony with the natural landscape, using the area’s elevation changes to create a unique and challenging racing experience while delivering exceptional viewing opportunities for fans,” the statement added.
The race is likely to be controversial as Rwanda has previously been accused of sportswashing. Since the 1994 genocide, the government has used the image of sport to distract from its military involvement in the DR Congo, genocide prevention, racial discrimination, women’s rights and torture.
President Paul Kagame, who seized power after the genocide and has run the country for three decades, said: “For more than three decades, the world’s premier motorsport championship has raced without this continent, and that changes with this agreement.
“Rwanda is proud to host the African Grand Prix, and to share this moment with more than 100 million fans across Africa, many of them young people who deserve to see the sport at home and to see themselves in it: as engineers, technicians, entrepreneurs and, one day, drivers.”
The track’s build process will be overseen by three companies, with long-time F1 track architect Tilke and DAR working alongside WurzDesign as the creator of the circuit. A deal to return to Kyalami has failed to materialise over the last decade.
McLaren
Last weekend in Singapore, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided on the final lap of the sprint race. Going into Turn Five, Norris launched a move on Piastri and caused the Australian to retire and Norris to drop to eighth, after what the stewards deemed.
But there clearly had been some stern words from the McLaren hierarchy to their two drivers after the altercation. Ahead of the Grand Prix on Sunday, Martin Brundle spoke to the chief executive officer of McLaren Racing, Zak Brown, on the starting grid.
Brundle said to Brown, “I’m going to imagine some fairly stern words last night to your drivers who managed to trip over each other.”
Brown replied, “Oh yeah. That was a ‘don’t do that again.’ And we didn’t say please. That’s an order.”
When asked if he was really upset with what occurred during the sprint race, he confirmed, “Yeah. You can’t have that. It was an unnecessary result for the team when a lot of pressure is on, and we’re trying to catch Ferrari and Red Bull’s not far behind.
“We learn from it. I think there are some things they definitely could have done differently. Maybe a few things we could have done a little bit differently. So you learn.”
Following the race, Norris admitted a grim reality, as he stated that McLaren are the ‘worst of the top four teams’. The world champion believes the team are closer to where they were at the start of the season, warning they do not have any upgrades set to arrive in the near future to help hold off the fast-charging Red Bull’s behind them.
When speaking to Sky Sports about whether McLaren can hold off Red Bull, Norris said, “We can’t unless we bring upgrades, and we don’t have anything for a little bit. But, at the minute, we’re fourth fastest. We’re back to the back of the top group, which is closer to where we were at the beginning of the year. And we can still fight pretty well.”
Mercedes
Mercedes’ George Russell is set to take another grid penalty at November’s Las Vegas Grand Prix. Last weekend in Singapore, he took a power unit change following his retirement at Sepang. He recovered to ninth but now is behind teammate Kimi Antonelli by 102 points in the championship with six rounds scheduled remaining, so is all but mathematically out of the title fight.
Before his Malaysia reliability woes, Mercedes had planned for Russell to take on a new power unit in Austin next weekend, as they expect to have an upgrade ready, but it appears Russell will take on the new part three races later in Las Vegas. Though the AUO upgrade allowance has caused a dispute, as Red Bull/Ford were deemed to have the best power unit by the FIA despite Mercedes’ dominance.
Russell told Sky Sports, “It will probably be later in the season now to be honest – maybe Las Vegas. But it will be there at some point. Now we have the choice to take it when we wish, and we will choose slightly easier tracks [to overtake at].”
But he says the goal has shifted; he went into this season as the favourite but has been outperformed, as well as being hampered by reliability issues. Russell insisted that he has performed over the last few races at the same level as Verstappen, with the goal now being get on top of the upgrades.
Antonelli finished on the podium in Sunday’s race after making late overtakes on McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. After finishing twenty-five seconds behind, the Italian believes Red Bull have done an “incredible step forward”, while Mercedes are yet to extract the most from their own upgrades.
Antonelli said, “I feel like it was a very progressive weekend, where we started off the pace and I’ve definitely been struggling with the new package. But the team did incredibly well on putting the car in a better window.”
“Now we understand a lot more the aero package, how it works, which is very different compared to the old one. It’s about trying to find the right window for the car.”
Red Bull
CEO and team principal Laurent Mekies believes that Max Verstappen’s “technical sensitivity is outstanding” and has played a crucial role in helping Red Bull return to the front, with the team principal hoping that they can fight for more victories after winning in Singapore.
Red Bull won both races in Southeast Asia after they and Ford overcame there power and reliability issues earlier in the season, to win three races in eight days from pole. Upgrades have been key in fuelling the team’s progress, and Mekies revealed that Verstappen’s knowledge of car performance informed them which direction to take.
Mekies said, “His input is massive. His technical sensitivity is outstanding, probably without any equivalent and therefore yes, he has that capability to pinpoint what is limiting performance. Unfortunately for us it doesn’t mean that we have a fix for it when he tells us what the problem is, but at least he tells us what the problem is. It’s a massive help for the team.”
He added the wins were a massive boost for the chassis and PU development. But Mekies says there is a number of things they would have like to have done better.
Red Bull have extended the contract of Mekies until the end of 2031. The Frenchman has led the team since he replaced Christian Horner following the Briton’s sacking in the summer of 2025 after two decades in charge.
After a difficult start to the 2026 season, Red Bull have improved their car to the extent that Max Verstappen has taken dominant victories in the last two races, in Malaysia and Singapore.
A statement attributed to the two main shareholders, Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz, said: “Laurent has played a crucial role in guiding the team through an important period of transition while maintaining the competitive spirit and the Red Bull principles that define us.”
“This extension reflects our confidence in his leadership and our shared belief in the long-term vision of the team. We are ambitious about what lies ahead and we are committed to building on this momentum together.”
The move comes less than two months after Verstappen extended his own contract with Red Bull by two years to the end of 2030 after a period of uncertainty over his future.
Mekies said: “I am incredibly proud to continue this journey with Red Bull Racing, and I would like to thank Chalerm, Mark, and Oliver, the entire team, and everyone involved for the trust they have placed in the project.”
“What makes this team special is the way everyone comes together in pursuit of the same goal, and I feel privileged to work alongside such a talent and committed group every day.”
Isack Hadjar believes he is “very, very lucky” to be partnered with four-time champion Verstappen, stating he is facing the Dutchman at the “prime of the prime” of his career. The Frenchman recently secured a contract extension to remain at the team next year, has been tasked with the notoriously difficult role of driving alongside Verstappen.
Speaking on F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast, he detailed the reality of sharing garage space with Verstappen. Hadjar explained, “I know I’m probably facing the prime of the prime of the level you can achieve in Formula 1, and he’s just next to me in the garage. So to experience this at my age, this early in my career, I’m one very, very lucky guy. So just for that, I’m thankful, and it’s great.”
He added: “But I love the challenge. I love going into every session knowing that he’s going to set a benchmark that I need to match and I need to overcome. It’s just exciting. It changes everything I’ve had my whole career.” Hadjar believes that his single-lap ace compares favourably to Verstappen, but he needs to improve his execution of races.
Explaining that Verstappen is constant and doesn’t really have low moments, creating his own luck.
Williams
Williams have announced plans to celebrate the golden anniversary season in 2027, with a milestone chassis designation, an immersive experience in London and a fan-picked Silverstone car livery all set to feature throughout a calendar of special events.
Williams will become only the third F1 team, after Ferrari and McLaren, to celebrate 50 continuous years in the sport, underscoring their historic status. The “W50 Live” will be a theatrical, multi-sensory journey featuring title-winning cars and iconic memorabilia from the squad’s history.
It comes just over half a century after Frank Williams discovered co-founder Patrick Head working in a garage under a London railway arch, marking the start of a journey that has led to nine constructors’ and seven drivers’ championships and 114 Grand Prix victories.
Other standout plans include giving fans the chance to choose their car livery for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which has played host to plenty of Williams milestones over the years, including the team’s first F1 victory in 1979 with Clay Regazzoni, and their 100th race win with Jacques Villeneuve in 1997.
Williams Team Principal James Vowles said, “It is incredible to think that over 100 F1 teams have come and gone since Frank Williams built this team from next to nothing with a determination to race and win against motorsport’s powerhouses.”
“That independence, passion and relentless will to win remain in our DNA as we enter our 50th year. Our celebrations will reintroduce the heroes and stories that have forged Williams’ legacy to a new generation of fans, who will carry us forward to reach new heights.”
Stefano Domenicali, F1 President and CEO, added: “It is incredible to celebrate 50 years of Williams in Formula 1. Sir Frank Williams built one of the defining teams in our sport, founded on determination, resilience and an uncompromising desire to succeed.”
“Those values continue to inspire the team today as it writes the next chapter of its remarkable story. Williams is not only a vital part of our history, but of Formula 1’s identity, with achievements, memories and moments that will forever hold a special place in our sport.”
Haas
Rafael Camara will join the US Haas team for his debut season next year. The Brazilian, who currently leads the F2 championship, was picked after a TPC test in Portimão, which also included reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli and reserve drivers Jack Doohan and Ryo Hirakawa.
Camara is likely to be paired with Ollie Bearman, with team principal Ayao Komatsu adding it was their “intention to continue with Ollie. It is just a matter of timing and finalising certain details.” Bearman and Camara are both members of the Ferrari driver academy.
Komatsu said that Camara had been the quickest driver at the tests. Komatsu said, “I always said we would choose driver by performance. He showed incredible speed. That was the fully overriding factor above everything else.”
“In Portimao, he was just simply outstanding. We really wanted to go for someone who had that natural speed. He showed that he could handle himself very well with not a huge amount of time to learn the car. He showed us more than just raw speed.”
Komatsu added that all the drivers tested came with financial backing, adding: “But it was clear he was the quickest guy, so we took him purely based on that.”
Camara said: “It’s an important step in my career and I want to thank (owner) Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for the trust they have placed in me. Now my focus is on preparing myself in the best possible way for this new challenge. There will be a lot to learn, and I’m looking forward to working closely with the team, understanding the car and continuing to develop as a driver.”
Komatsu went onto dismissed the suggestion that Haas have become a “Ferrari B-team” after they confirmed the signing of a second driver from the Italian outfit’s academy.
Both Bearman and Camara are managed by Ferrari, while since they entered the sport in 2016 Ferrari have supplied Haas with power units and other significant parts.
Asked whether the signing of Camara could alter perceptions of Haas’ identity, Komatsu said: “No, honestly, our collaboration with Ferrari gives us access to those Ferrari Academy drivers.”
“So, Ollie Bearman, because of our relationship with Ferrari, we had a chance to test him in Mexico (in 2024). And then because we got this relationship, we had a chance to test Rafa in Portimao. At no point Ferrari pressurised us, ‘oh, Ayao, can you take Ollie because he’s an FDA driver, he needs a race seat, or can you take Rafa because he’s going to win F2 and he really needs to be in Formula 1?’”
The battle between the two will be seen as who will replace Lewis Hamilton when he decides to retire; it’s unclear whether his Ferrari contract stretches beyond the end of the 2027 season.
Cadillac
Valtteri Bottas was again hindered by Cadillac’s brake issues last weekend in Singapore, although the Finn has described the problem as “almost solved”. Braking issues have been a recurring issue throughout the team’s debut season, leading to our retirements on top of the occasional loss of performance due to the required management.
The team brought upgrades to Budapest and Baku to try and fix the problem, the latter decreasing brake temperature by 100C as per Bottas. However, it wasn’t enough for a trouble-free race in Singapore, where management again played a key role. He said, “I had to start increasing lift-and-coast on lap two. Eventually things stabilised, and I didn’t need to do any lift-and-coast for a while, then it came back.”
Asked if this race had been a test for the brake upgrades, the Cadillac driver nuanced his stance: “We finished with both cars. It required management, but I would imagine most teams will need to do some kind of management here. I think the problem is almost solved. We should be good for the rest of the year, and obviously next year’s design should be quite a bit different.”
However, that explanation doesn’t account for him struggling for pace and nearly being lapped by teammate Sergio Perez, his deficit was ninety-six seconds under the chequered flag, equating to a second and six tenths loss per lap on average. Bottas thinks this was down to the phases of braking through the corner.
