Reports the Volkswagen Group will definitely enter Formula 1 in 2026 are gaining in strength by the day.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said when asked about the VW rumours this week: "They'll be there in 2026, in my opinion.

"All the noises we are hearing point to that," he told Speed Week.

Indeed, VW brand Porsche's motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach has now admitted: "The value of Formula 1 in terms of marketing and PR is undisputed.

"We are looking at the topic seriously within the Group."

However, he insists that a final decision is not yet made - amid reports a key board meeting later in November will settle the matter.

VW's entry, with Audi also said to be interested in the new engine rules for 2026, hinges on some of the key details of the unconfirmed regulations.

"The budget cap is already a first step, but such a limit must also apply to the engines. That is under discussion," said Laudenbach.

"An entry only makes sense if there is a change in the regulations that means that all competitors can start on the same basis."

He denied, however, that talks with Red Bull are already well advanced.

"No, I haven't been to Salzburg or Hangar-7 lately," he smiled. "The package for Formula 1 has to fit in every detail."

Sport1 also quotes Laudenbach as saying: "You would need a partner, and the spectrum ranges from the delivery of engines to the purchase of an entire team.

"All variants are certainly under discussion. If you're trying to get in with a second or third-row team, it will take time and money to succeed.

"And if you have the chance to have a partner who is already in front, that will also be correspondingly costly. But if everything is right, I would personally say 'Come on, that's a super-interesting thing'."

Laudenbach also admits his colleagues at Audi are having similar discussions.

"Audi is also looking at it," he confirmed. "What sense would two brands make? With two, you might even save a little money."

5 meters long and 2 meters wide, the papier-mâché Red Bull can be found in a shop 3 km from the circuit where on November 7 Perez will race with a special celebratory helmet. And its creator hopes “that Sergio will come and sign it”

The return of F1 to Mexico City, after a two-year stop for Covid, had to be celebrated at its best. So a local craftsman, Rodrígo Alcaraz, wanted to celebrate the Mexican GP by creating a red Bull RB16B piñata driven by home idol Sergio Pérez. The fake car number 11 is on a 1: 1 scale and was built in three months of work: it is five meters long and two meters wide, and anyone can get in it by removing the steering wheel.

The car is “parked” three kilometers from the Hermanos Rodríguez Autodrome: “I started following Sergio from the beginning in Sauber, but I wanted to wait for him to arrive in a better team to create the model – Alcaraz told Espn Digital – His car has the best design of today’s F1 cars ”. And again: “On the web I looked for the measurements of the car, then I put my hand on it – he added – When I sculpted it, I said to myself: I will make it original, so I can get inside. And indeed you can, just remove the steering wheel ".

The car did not go unnoticed, so much so that several have tried to buy it. But the craftsman has always said no and hopes that both Red Bull drivers, Pérez and Max Verstappen, “come and see it and can put a signature on it”. And again: “People also offered me 30 thousand pesos (almost 1,242 euros, ed) – added Alcaraz – but it is too low a price for three months of work. Both my wife and the rest of the family told me not to sell it ”. And in case of rain, the risk of the fake RB16B being damaged is averted, since “it is fixed with car lacquer and it is solid. What if I have to make identical models for customers in the future? I’m not ruling it out, but I’ll need 20 to 25 days of work ".

Meanwhile, Pérez himself has unveiled the design of the celebratory helmet that he will use over the weekend of the Mexican Grand Prix. Dyed in the shades of the state (green, white and red), it features the country’s flag. In the back, a drawing of a was also created serape, the typical local long coat, which in some areas of the nation is also defined poncho.

The Dutchman started third behind both Mercedes around the outside of both Bottas and Hamilton.

Pointing to the gap left for Verstappen by Bottas into turn one, speaking to Sky Sports F1, Wolff insisted: "That shouldn't have happened.

"We had two cars in front and seemed to open up the sea for Max to come around the outside.

"And even so, even with the spin afterwards [and] a complete loss of points, it could have been a third or fourth place. It is annoying to say the least."

Hamilton blamed his team mate Valtteri Bottas for allowing Max Verstappen to pass them at the start of the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The three drivers went side-by-side into the first corner where Verstappen was able to pass the pair of them.Mercedes had discussed how they would arrange the start of the race to contain the threat of Verstappen. But Hamilton, who started second behind his team mate, said it did not go according to plan.

“I had envisaged it differently, naturally, in the sense that Valtteri maybe would get a better start and I would have tried to get into his tow,” he said.

“But obviously I was alongside him, which was good. And then I was just covering my side of the track, trying to make sure no one could come up the inside so I was trying to keep whichever Red Bull I could see in my mirror behind.

“I thought Valtteri would be doing the same but obviously he left the door open for Max. And Max was on the racing line so he did a mega job braking into turn one and because I’m on the inside in the dirt there was no hope for me.”

Bottas has already visited the Hinwil factory and had a seat fitting in anticipation of a deal being reached.

Usually in such situations, complex commercial arrangements have to be addressed.

However, the date of the 18-inch tyre test – on 14-15 December – is so late in the calendar year that it falls close to the end of any relevant contracts.

A Mercedes spokesperson told Autosport that there was no reason for the team to stand in the way of Bottas testing for Alfa, adding that "we are working on it".

"I've been a few weeks ago," the Finn said of his Hinwil visit. "It's a good factory, so they have all the facilities needed to be a strong team.

"I think they haven't really developed this year's car. So I'm not expecting much progress from them this year. So I think they are looking forward to next year since January."

Bottas confirmed that he also had a seat fitting, while regarding the possibility of doing the test he said: "TBC. We'll see. Hopefully, yes."

Alfa team principal Fred Vasseur said that talks about a release are under way.

"We have to discuss with Mercedes and of course and have to find an agreement on this," he told Autosport.

"I hope that we will able to find something. A contract is a contract, and he has a contract until the end of the year, so we have to find a solution.

"Even if the car will be a completely different next year, it's a good exercise for both sides to do it, and to have the experience of working together.

"I think it makes sense for him to do the test for us, and it will be a good opportunity. It's more about building up the relationship between the team and the driver."

Alfa Romeo may be in a position to confirm their 2022 line-up "within days", following months of speculation about the team's second driver.

With Kimi Raikkonen retiring from Formula 1, Valtteri Bottas has been hired to fill his shoes and lead the team next season. But the second cockpit is yet to be filled, leaving Alfa Romeo with a huge list of options as the rest of the grid have already confirmed their line-ups.

An extra complication regarding the seat was the negotiations between Andretti Autosport and the Sauber Group (which operate the Alfa Romeo F1 entry) over a possible sale, with those talks only recently breaking down. Andretti had been pushing to potentially bring in American driver Colton Herta to take the second seat, a scenario that now looks highly unlikely.

With Sauber back in a position to make their own decision, incumbent Antonio Giovinazzi is in contention to retain his seat, but RacingNews365.com understands that the most likely candidates are Formula 2 racers Guanyu Zhou and Oscar Piastri, both of whom are Alpine Academy drivers.

Australian Piastri leads the F2 championship by 36 points in his rookie season, with two race weekends still to go, while Zhou is his closest competitor.

Although both are Alpine-backed drivers, RacingNews365.com understands there would be no issue in them joining a Stellantis-owned brand (Alfa Romeo), despite Alpine and Alfa Romeo being commercial opponents.

Team boss Frederic Vasseur has explained that, now the Andretti dust has settled, Alfa Romeo face a straightforward choice.

"You know that we had tonnes of topics on the table [in] the last couple of weeks," Vasseur told RacingNews365.com.

"And now that the situation is a bit more clear, we'll take a decision quickly. I don't know if it will be before Brazil or just after Brazil, but it will be in the next couple of days."

Given that the Formula 2 season, in which Zhou and Piastri are still racing, isn't yet concluded, Vasseur said there's no desire to wait and see the results of that championship, as the team want to be able to run their new driver in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi.

"We want to put the driver into the car in Abu Dhabi," he commented.

"It would make no sense to make your choice after Abu Dhabi. If you want to take a young one [driver], it would be quite tricky for the teams with the F2 finishing so late. We'll take a decision before the end."

Alfa Romeo have traditionally run a driver from Ferrari's academy, with Giovinazzi being part of the Maranello-based team's programme, as well as his predecessor Charles Leclerc, but Vasseur said he didn't feel that the Ferrari bonds would be broken if they chose someone external.

"No, because it could be," added Vasseur.

"The decision was not that we are not allowed to discuss, and we don't have to work together. It's just that it's not mandatory. But if there is a good option on their side and they're available, I'm more than keen to work with them and to continue with them."

Martin Brundle will no longer have to contend with celebrities’ bodyguards during his pre-race gridwalks following his Austin run-in that went viral.

The Sky F1 broadcaster reached a new level of fame, and especially in America, following his attempts to interview rapper Megan Thee Stallion.

Although the artist herself appeared reasonably happy to talk to Brundle when he approached her while walking down the grid, her entourage had other ideas.

A bodyguard walking in front turned around and warned off the 62-year-old, while another at the back of the group told Brundle he could not “do that”, to which the veteran of 158 grand prix starts replied: “I can because I just did.”

After that incident, Brundle called for “manners and respect” from those accompanying celebrity guests when they are on Formula 1’s patch, while the episode was replayed and discussed on American TV shows besides going viral on social media.
At the Mexican Grand Prix, Brundle confirmed new protocols had been introduced after Austin, which was his first gridwalk since the onset of the pandemic delayed the start of the 2020 season.

Now, not only will bodyguards not be allowed on the grid but celebrities must also make themselves available for a short interview.

“There have been new rules introduced, that any celebrities on the grid must not have bodyguards any longer,” confirmed Brundle on Sky F1.

“It must be the ‘Brundle clause’ and they are obliged to talk to me. I sort of like it if they ignore me, to be honest.”

Brundle clearly prefers talking to celebrity guests who have a genuine interest in F1 rather than those who are simply there to promote themselves.

“I like to call out some of the celebs I think are just using the grid a little bit, if I’m honest. They don’t really have a passion,” he said.

“I know there are millions of fans at home going ‘I should be on that grid. I’m a massive Formula 1 fan, not them’.

“But my claim to fame at last. I get ignored by Megan Thee Stallion, I get biffed out of the way by a man mountain and then told off by a Malfoy lookalike who doubtless was on his first ever time to a Formula 1 grid.

“I put out a simple tweet about it and got five million impressions. I don’t understand any of that, to be honest."

Brundle had said earlier this year he had not missed the gridwalks during their absence and never watched one back.

“I like the challenge and it makes me nervous because it’s eight or nine minutes of live television, unscripted, unrehearsed, and just ‘go’,” he said.

“It makes me nervous mostly because it’s my alter ego. I’ve had some classically good moments on the grid and some classically bad ones.”

Young drivers are due to be given increased chances to show their skills in 2022, with each F1 racer set to sit out an FP1 session next year.

This will come into play after team bosses agreed in Mexico that two FP1 slots per year in their teams must be reserved for young driver running, starting in 2022, says a report from Auto Motor und Sport.

Rookie tests – especially in the newest cars – are currently few and far between in Formula 1, apart from the annual young driver test which takes place at the end of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Junior and reserve drivers get the opportunity to privately run in F1 cars during the season, but they only take place in older machinery due to the cost implications involved of using the current challengers.

There had long been complaints about the lack of opportunities for young talents to show their capabilities in Formula 1 cars, and this agreement has been made with the intention of bridging the gap between F1 and F2.

Ross Brawn spoke previously about how Friday running is set to include the use of young rookie drivers in the future. After there had been thoughts of a mandatory rookie to run in each FP1 session by a different team, the rule of two weekends per team has offered the freedom for each constructor to decide when to use their young driver runs.

Brawn is also putting in place processes of ensuring teams do not use more experienced runners, in the way Alfa Romeo have previously used reserve driver Robert Kubica in FP1, for example.

With that, AMuS say drivers will need to have had fewer than two Formula 1 starts to qualify as a rookie under these rules.

“Friday running is coming in,” F1 managing director of motorsports Brawn told Autosport back in September. “And we are being very careful about how we define a rookie. Let’s wait and see how we define it.

“I think it’s next year they will need to run a young driver on a Friday, every team a certain number of occasions.”

Ex-F1 driver Timo Glock feels Valtteri Bottas now lacks motivation with his Mercedes exit sealed – which spells bad news for Lewis Hamilton.

This will be Bottas’ fifth and final campaign with Mercedes after George Russell was confirmed as his 2022 replacement, clearing the way for the Finn to sign with Alfa Romeo.

But there will be no stroll to the end for Bottas, with Mercedes locked in battle against Red Bull and Max Verstappen over the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.

With Bottas out of the Drivers’ title equation, his role is now to support his team-mate Hamilton’s bid for a record eighth World Championship, while also scoring enough points himself to make Mercedes the Constructors’ champions for an eighth time.

There have, though, been a few occasions when Bottas has made it fairly easy for Verstappen, firstly at the Russian Grand Prix where he offered little defence against the Dutchman as the pair worked their way through the midfield pack after engine penalties.

Verstappen went on to finish that race P2 behind Hamilton.

Then at the start of the Mexican Grand Prix, Bottas took some criticism for not covering off Verstappen, who found plenty of space around the outside to pass both Mercedes cars into Turn 1 and take the lead.

From there, Verstappen went on to win comfortably, so Glock has concerns that Mercedes can no longer have confidence in Bottas to go all out in supporting Hamilton.

“Lewis Hamilton has a good car, sure, but it’s not good enough to beat the Red Bull and Max,” Glock told Sky Sport.

“The problem with Mercedes, I feel, is Valtteri Bottas no longer has the motivation to continue to give Lewis his full support.

“That was obvious to me. Of course, that’s always easy to say from the outside.

“But I think Mercedes discussed the strategy relatively clearly in advance and went through countless scenarios regarding the start.

“In that case, Valtteri concentrated more on Lewis, which I didn’t understand. I think his task was clearly to do everything against Max to pave the way for Lewis to be in front in turn one. That didn’t work at all.

“I find it hard to believe Mercedes can still rely on Valtteri. Red Bull have a clearer opportunity to rely on Sergio Perez. He has shown that. He drove his heart out to be able to help at the front and take the points away from Lewis.”

Four rounds remain in the 2021 campaign and Verstappen now holds a 19-point lead over Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship.

So can Hamilton still whittle away that gap through his on-track efforts alone? Glock does not believe so.

“What can stop Max Verstappen after his victory [in Mexico]? In my eyes, there is only one option – Max and Red Bull are unlucky enough to have technical problems,” Glock stated.

“I think the package is too strong at the moment. Sao Paulo will probably be another track that suits Red Bull. The car works very, very well on all types of tracks. Max is in a very comfortable situation. Red Bull are also doing everything right at the moment.

“In addition, with the start, with the manoeuvre in turn one, Max clearly showed how good he is and just how aggressive he is and doesn’t shy away from anything.

“That was an exclamation mark in the direction of the championship, that’s for sure.”

Guenther Steiner has confirmed F1 has waived its working curfew for Thursday night as teams have been delayed in building their cars – with Haas missing their engines.

Important components were due to travel between Mexico and Brazil earlier in the week, but Formula 1 say inclement weather conditions caused the flights to be postponed.

It has since been confirmed the delayed freight will arrive at Interlagos later on Thursday. Honda announced via social media their engines have now made it to the track, with Haas’ Ferrari power units on their way, but teams have already lost a lot of time from their usual preparations.

As a result, the Haas team principal revealed teams will be able to work into the night to get their cars ready in time for free practice on Friday.

“I don’t know exactly which car parts are missing but for sure the engines are missing,” said Steiner about how the delays have affected Haas, quoted by GPFans.

“I think the toolboxes were missing. Without the toolbox, you cannot work because that is going all in the air freight.

“So basically, we still cannot work on the cars. Even if some of the parts were there, we could not work on them because we don’t have the tools.

“The curfew has been waived for tonight.”

There are concerns about the pressure placed on Formula 1 staff during ‘triple-headers’ in the calendar, but freight operators are also worked hard to move the enormous amount of equipment used in the sport from track to track on tight time schedules.

Brazil sits in the middle of another run of three consecutive race weekends and Steiner explained the sport will learn its lessons from the delays experienced this week, with a long hop to Qatar coming next.

“I think this year, with the corona[virus], just to get this amount of races in, we had to do it because in the end it got tighter and tighter, everyone squeezed FOM and that is why they put them in.