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It is well known that, after F1 owner Liberty Media blocked Andretti's FIA-approved bid to become the sport's eleventh team, anti-competition authorities in the US have been looking into the matter.
Ralf Bach, a respected journalist for f1-insider.com, said four well-known F1 figures have been singled out by US authorities in particular. They are Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll, Red Bull's Christian Horner, and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
Eurosport Italia claims the situation has even brought Domenicali's contract renewal talks to a standstill.
As for the full aforementioned quartet, Bach revealed: All four arrived at the US GP in Austin with their own lawyers. He said they did that because officials from the US justice authorities were also on site at the Circuit of the Americas venue in Texas earlier this month.
According to our information, (the officials) insisted on interviews via video conference in the near future and are said to have made it unmistakably clear that false statements would have drastic consequences, Bach continued.
There is apparently evidence in the form of a WhatsApp group that proves the illegal agreement to lock Andretti out of Formula 1 for financial reasons, he added.
Separate to the US investigations, European authorities are also eyeing competition law breaches by Liberty Media-run Formula 1. Belgian politician Pascal Arimont told Het Belang van Limburg newspaper that he wants the European Commission to protect consumers and ensure fair competition.
Fellow European parliamentarian Christine Anderson then followed suit with an official request for an inquiry into F1, stating that the rejection of Andretti's entry by the Formula One Group despite FIA approval could reveal a fundamental conflict of interest.
She said existing teams colluding with F1 to block Andretti could significantly distort competition in the European motorsport industry.
Curiously, Michael Andretti stepped back from his own Andretti Global organisation just weeks ago, perhaps paving another potential path into F1.
As for journalist Bach, he thinks Liberty Media owner John Malone is indeed trying to limit the damage of all the fallout from having blocked Andretti's entry.
Insiders are convinced that a deal will be made with Andretti, allowing them to enter the sport and at least appease the notoriously uncompromising investigators from the Justice Department, the German wrote.
He also links the departure of Liberty's chief F1 lawyer Sacha Woodward Hill last month with the Andretti affair, describing her as a potential scapegoat.
The 11th team is getting closer to becoming a reality. I'm guessing Andretti could also pressure for concessions from F1 if there really is a smoking gun.
Given how the Andretti situation went down, they HAD to have seen this coming. I work in financial services for a European bank and we're constantly trained up in US and Euro laws, one of the main ones being Competition Law. When the Andretti/Caddy debacle surfaced, I immediately grabbed the popcorn and pulled my lap bar down.
Yup. I'm really interested if Andretti will go after some kind of concession/ compensation. Andretti could definitely argue that the delay in approval hurt them financially.
RBR would be an upgrade over Williams for Sainz, if they want experience.
Colapinto would be a good young signing, he's driving well in the Williams so far.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has been hit with a five-second time penalty following the Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint race, dropping him to fourth in the classification behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
I'm not sure what's wrong with Verstappen's brain. He's making his second stupid decision in a row. All he has to do is finish behind Norris and the championship is his. Yet he pulls that stupid move in Mexico, and now tries to be clever in Brazil.
I rain races, especially under changing conditions. It was a great race for Alpine, even more amazing the mechanics made no pit stops. Only changing tires during the red flag stop to another set of intermediates. Alpine also gets $50M more in the WCC with their rise from 9th to 6th. Max was patient and truly amazing, not sure where Norris was thinking today at several times he made some silly mistakes. Couldn't get over how bad visibility was at various stages of the race.
Norris fined but not penalized. Do not agree. He essentially created a "false start" and messed with the entire field. At a minimum, he should get a 10 second penalty. Bad officiating. If it was Verstappen, they'd throw the book at him.
I'm not sure what's wrong with Verstappen's brain. He's making his second stupid decision in a row. All he has to do is finish behind Norris and the championship is his. Yet he pulls that stupid move in Mexico, and now tries to be clever in Brazil.
For Mexico, Max's aim would be to minimize the point loss. In the race, he lost 10 points to Lando. If he didn't pull those moves, it would have been easily lando p1 and max p4 (if not p5) and would have lost 13 points. Given Lando's momentum and the RBRs pace, that was his best option. He knew exactly what he was doing - to ruin Lando's race in order to maximize his own chance of winning the title, rather than getting the fair play award.
For the Brazil sprint, the vsc timing was perfectly timed for McLaren. Hulk was out of his car for a couple laps walking by the track and no vsc....Until McLaren did the swap, then immediately the vsc. Then the vsc ended just before the final passing opportunity ended. I think Max was hoping to use that final opportunity but the vsc ending message lasted for so long and he ended up going too fast. It's his fault and he admitted it but could understand why he did it.
Norris fined but not penalized. Do not agree. He essentially created a "false start" and messed with the entire field. At a minimum, he should get a 10 second penalty. Bad officiating. If it was Verstappen, they'd throw the book at him.
FIA driving steward for the race: Herbert
Meh, Max drove Lando off turn 1 at US Grand Prix and Lando got the 5 second penalty (deserved) for passing off the track but Max got no penalty for driving a competitor off the road and he too left the track. Meanwhile at the same turn Russell got a 5 second penalty for forcing Bottas off the turn the same as Max did to Lando. Yuki also forced Alex off the track and he too received a 5 second penalty. Officiating is all over the place but it does not appear to favor one driver over any other.
How Max Verstappen Mastered Wet Brazil Weather | Jolyon Palmer’s F1 TV Analysis | Wor
Not a Max fan but he is certainly the best driver on the current grid and Brazil showed why. Really fast and controlled his race throughout. Hats off to RB and Max, they deserve the 2024 WDC which they'll probably win
Brazilian racer Gabriel Bortoleto will make his Formula 1 debut in 2025 after signing a multi-year deal with Sauber/Audi, with the team earlier confirming they were parting ways with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
Bortoleto fended off competition from incumbent and 10-time race winner Bottas to secure the seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg in an all-new line-up for the Hinwil-based team next season and in 2026 when the team become Audi’s works squad.
The 20-year-old reigning F3 champion is currently leading the F2 championship with two rounds – in Qatar and Abu Dhabi – to go.
He signed for Fernando Alonso’s driver management company A14 in 2022 and last year joined the McLaren driver programme, which gave him his first taste of F1 machinery with a test at the Red Bull Ring in a 2022-spec McLaren.
“Gabriel has already demonstrated in the junior categories that he has what it takes to be a winning driver,” said Sauber COO and CTO Mattia Binotto.
“We are very pleased that he will become a team member of Sauber and Audi. Together with Gabriel, we are on a journey towards success, and we will evolve into a unified force to shape a new era for Audi in motorsport. Nico and Gabriel represent the ideal combination of experience and youth, positioning us strongly for the future.”
Bortoleto said: “This is one of the most exciting projects in motorsport, if not in all of sports. Joining a team that combines the rich motorsport history of Sauber and Audi is a true honour. Beyond simply being a member, I aim to grow with this ambitious project and reach the pinnacle of motorsport.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity given to me by the team and for the chance to work alongside an experienced driver like Nico. Both programs have a proven track record of nurturing young talent, and I am confident that together, we will write our own success story.”
Chairman of the Board of Sauber Motorsport AG Gernot Dollner said: “Led by Mattia, Audi's Formula 1 project is making great progress in many areas. The signing of the second driver is another milestone.
“We are currently witnessing a generational shift in Formula One, with young drivers immediately making an impact. By signing Gabriel Bortoleto, we have secured one of these top talents. His signing underscores Audi's long-term strategy and commitment to Formula 1.”
Bortoleto has impressed with his consistency in F2 this year with Invicta Racing, scoring two wins and three further podiums to lead Isack Hadjar by 4.5 points.
His Sauber/Audi deal makes him the fourth full-time rookie on the 2025 grid, joining Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Haas’ Ollie Bearman.
He is also the first full-time Brazilian Grand Prix driver since Felipe Massa, who retired at the end of 2017. His appearance comes after countryman Pietro Fittipaldi subbed in for Romain Grosjean for two Grands Prix in 2020.
Following the confirmation McLaren released a statement of their own saying Bortoleto “will be released from the McLaren Driver Development programme at the end of the 2024 season to pursue a new opportunity in his career”.
They added: “It has been a pleasure to work with Gabriel over the last year and to have been able to contribute to his success and growth as a driver through the McLaren Driver Development programme.
“We have a strong driver line-up in Lando and Oscar, and therefore we have always been clear that we would not stand in the way of an opportunity for Gabriel to progress whilst we are not in the position to offer him a seat with McLaren.
“We look forward to continuing to support Gabriel in his campaign for the 2024 FIA Formula 2 title and wish him all the best for his career beyond F2.”
Bortoleto’s deal means there is just one seat on next year’s grid, with Liam Lawson the favourite to secure it alongside Yuki Tsunoda at RB.
Saw rumor that Bottas could end up back at MB as a reserve for '25
Meh, Max drove Lando off turn 1 at US Grand Prix and Lando got the 5 second penalty (deserved) for passing off the track but Max got no penalty for driving a competitor off the road and he too left the track. Meanwhile at the same turn Russell got a 5 second penalty for forcing Bottas off the turn the same as Max did to Lando. Yuki also forced Alex off the track and he too received a 5 second penalty. Officiating is all over the place but it does not appear to favor one driver over any other.
At US GP, Max arrived at the apex first, which according to the current set of rules, means that Max was entitled to the corner and could dictate the position of his car throughout the exit of the corner. Max went off track at the exit, which he got "penalized" as exceeding track limits. But you can have several track limit offenses before getting the black and white flag and eventually the 5s penalty. Also, the rules between defending a position and attacking to again a position are different.
If anything, it is the rules that need to be examined and tweaked going forward. Max just knows his rules and is exploiting them to his advantage.
In Mexico, Max tried the above trick against Lando, but Lando learned from USGP to gently release the brake so that Lando could get to the Apex first. Also, Max was blocked by Sainz in front, meaning Max couldn't release the brake as much as he wanted otherwise he would have crashed into Sainz. This meant that Max was behind at the Apex, and he still ran Lando wide. As a result, he got a penalty for it. Subtle difference, but big difference in consequences.
Alpine have secured a deal with Mercedes to run the German manufacturer’s power unit from 2026 until at least the end of 2030.
The deal also involves taking a supply of their gearbox from the start of 2026 – though sources say Alpine are planning on producing their own gearbox in-house at Enstone from 2027.
Last month, Alpine confirmed they will shut down their works engine programme at the end of next season as part of their ‘Hypertech’ transformation project.
The team had already been in talks with other manufacturers about a customer engine supply, with Mercedes emerging as the frontrunner to strike a deal.
Alpine will continue to manufacturer their own power units through the 2025 campaign before switching in 2026, when sweeping new power unit rules – that feature a greater focus on the battery and use of 100% sustainable fuels – will be introduced.
Formula 1 has announced a groundbreaking season launch event at London’s The O2 – featuring all the teams, their drivers and team bosses, plus top entertainment – ahead of the 2025 campaign.
For the first time in F1 history, the entire grid of 10 teams – Alpine, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Haas, Kick Sauber, McLaren, Mercedes, RB, Red Bull, and Williams – and their 20 drivers and respective Team Principals will come together with fans for a special night to welcome in the new season, reveal their 2025 liveries, and mark the start of the sport’s 75th anniversary year.
This unprecedented world premiere event will take place between 2000 and 2200 GMT on February 18, 2025 at London venue The O2, and is being brought to life by creative visionary Brian Burke of BrianBurkeCreative, along with Stufish Entertainment Architects, DX7 Design and production company 1826.
BrianBurkeCreative and this world-renowned team delivered the pioneering opening and closing ceremonies for the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023.
During the interactive season launch event, guests can also expect interviews with the key figures from the sport, including drivers and Team Principals, as well as top entertainment and special guest presenters.
There are three tiers of ticket pricing based on location within The O2 – from £58 to £113. These prices include booking fees (an additional transaction fee of £2.50 per order will apply) and will go on sale at 1000 GMT on Friday November 15 via theo2.co.uk/F175live.
Fans who cannot attend in person will still be able to watch the action live, with broadcast details and further event information to follow in the coming weeks.
“For the first time we will bring together our fans, all 20 superstars of our sport and some very special guests to officially kick off our new season and mark our 75th year of racing,” said Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1.
“With 2025 set to be a classic season following all the drama so far for 2024, this is a fantastic opportunity for fans of all ages to experience up-close the incredible entertainment spectacle that is Formula 1.”
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, said: “The FIA is delighted to join our colleagues at FOM and all the teams in the staging of the inaugural Formula 1 season launch event. The occasion will also serve as a fitting prelude to a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the sport throughout the 2025 season.”
Brian Burke, Executive Producer and Creative Director for BrianBurkeCreative, added: “It’s an incredible honour to continue to partner with Formula 1 creating new entertainment experiences, especially this brand-new launch event of the 2025 season celebrating the 75th anniversary of the sport.
“Through our collaboration with all 10 teams, fans can be assured we’ll be delivering a truly exciting live experience combining the unveiling of the new liveries, interviews with the biggest names in F1, and cutting-edge entertainment. It will be a never-before-seen event not to be missed!”
Formula 1 will continue to race around the streets of Monaco until 2031 inclusive, following a six-year extension to the existing agreement with the Automobile Club of Monaco (ACM) that runs through the 2025 season.
Part of the first Formula 1 World Championship calendar back in 1950 and present since 1955, the Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most famous sporting events in the world and the ultimate test of concentration and skill for F1 drivers.
Located on the banks of the French Rivieria, the field must navigate the scenic streets of Monte Carlo, tackling the slowest corner on the F1 circuit, the Loews Hairpin, and the iconic Casino Square and Swimming Pool sections.
Five of the current F1 grid sit alongside legends including Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda in having triumphed around the 3.3km circuit.
Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have all won multiple times, alongside Sergio Perez and hometown hero Charles Leclerc – who created history this year when he became the first Monegasque to win the Grand Prix in F1 history.
As F1 experiences significant growth around the world, the appeal of the Monaco Grand Prix continues to be felt. The 2024 weekend was watched by a cumulative audience of over 70 million fans and was the most watched edition of the race in US history, and the third most-viewed F1 race of all time in the US.
With this agreement, the Automobile Club of Monaco, in coordination with the Principality, has made a significant commitment to F1’s sustainability endeavours and its ambition to create a calendar which is sustainable for all stakeholders.
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix will take place from May 23-25 next year and will mark the 75th anniversary of the race’s official F1 debut, while from 2026, the event will be contested on the first full weekend in June each year.
“I’m delighted that Formula 1 will continue to race in Monaco until 2031,” said Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1. “The streets of Monte Carlo are unique and a famous part of Formula 1, and the Monaco Grand Prix remains a race that all drivers dream of winning.
“I would like to extend a special thanks to H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Michel Boeri, President of the Automobile Club of Monaco and everyone involved in the extension of this important partnership.
“This agreement signals a new era of partnership and innovation between Formula 1 and Monaco. It is the future focused leadership of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco which will allow us to create an optimised calendar, which reduces pressure on logistics, and to decrease the environmental impact of our global championship, as we continue the path towards our Net Zero goal by 2030.”
Michel Boeri, President of the Automobile Club of Monaco, added: “I would particularly like to thank H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Stefano Domenicali, and everyone involved in the extension of this contract.
“The signing of this new agreement with the Formula One Group until 2031 not only confirms the strength of our relationship but reaffirms our commitment to offering all visitors an unrivalled, first-class experience at race weekends.
“The Monaco Grand Prix is the most important sporting event here and continues to attract hundreds of thousands of spectators to the Principality and millions of global television viewers worldwide.”
It's going to be wild one today. Will there be enough parts for a full field in Las Vegas?
rain races, especially under changing conditions. It was a great race for Alpine, even more amazing the mechanics made no pit stops. Only changing tires during the red flag stop to another set of intermediates. Alpine also gets $50M more in the WCC with their rise from 9th to 6th. Max was patient and truly amazing, not sure where Norris was thinking today at several times he made some silly mistakes. Couldn't get over how bad visibility was at various stages of the race.
FIA driving steward for the race: Herbert
Meh, Max drove Lando off turn 1 at US Grand Prix and Lando got the 5 second penalty (deserved) for passing off the track but Max got no penalty for driving a competitor off the road and he too left the track. Meanwhile at the same turn Russell got a 5 second penalty for forcing Bottas off the turn the same as Max did to Lando. Yuki also forced Alex off the track and he too received a 5 second penalty. Officiating is all over the place but it does not appear to favor one driver over any other. 
