Red Bull is used to fighting at the front in Formula 1, having mastered the ground effects era to claim consecutive world titles and previously dominating from 2010 to 2013. Now, the Milton Keynes team is coming to terms with a harsh new reality as it lags behind the frontrunners in F1’s new era.

“There is nothing to be happy about today,” remarked team boss Laurent Mekies on Sunday after the Japanese Grand Prix, which saw drivers Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar finish eighth and 12th respectively.

Red Bull has struggled in 2026, when F1 rolled out new regulations bringing smaller, lighter cars to the grid and mandating for a near-50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power in the hybrid engines - a switch that has not gone down well with Verstappen. 

The only thing Red Bull can do to motivate Max Verstappen may not be enough

So far, the season has been dominated by Mercedes, with its drivers winning in Australia, China and Japan. In contrast, Red Bull has so far managed a best finish of sixth for Verstappen in Melbourne and eighth for Hadjar in Shanghai.

“We are a distant force, that's the reality,” Mekies told reporters. “We left Melbourne thinking that we were one second off Mercedes and half a second off, I guess. The biggest difference in Melbourne was that McLaren looked in reach there.

“Then, we see that gap largely increasing in China. And you have seen us starting to scratch [our] heads there about car balance and car characteristics. And then here [in Japan], it also didn't look good at all on Friday, Saturday.

“It looked not too dissimilar to the Melbourne pictures in terms of one second to the best guy, half a second to the best Ferrari. But now, McLaren is at that same level.”

Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing Team Principal

An underlying lack of performance

Red Bull had been projected to have a tough start to the new era in F1, as it is racing with its new in-house power units that have been developed in collaboration with US automotive giant Ford. However, the reality is that the power unit appears strong, and the team is instead struggling to get to grips with the RB22.

In past years, the Milton Keynes squad has been able to unlock performance gains between practice and qualifying over a grand prix weekend. But that has not been the case so far in 2026, leaving drivers Verstappen and Hadjar wishing for more.

“I think it's a combination of underlying performance,” Mekies added. “So, some more work we need to do. And [there is] a layer of us not being able to extract enough from the package and to give something Max and Isack can push with.

“I'm not suggesting that it's set up tuning. I'm just saying there is something we are wrestling with, with that car, that adds to our underlying lack of performance. Now, trying to solve this sort of complex issues and trying to understand complex limitations is our core business. So, as much as it feels bad when you are at the back of the top teams like now, that's precisely what the whole company is set up to do, to get to the bottom of complex limitations like that and nail them, bring development that can mitigate them and improve.”

Red Bull is a second behind Mercedes

Mekies said he had “full confidence” in the team to turn around its fortunes, as it managed to do just a year ago when it mounted a late charge for the championship after upgrades were brought to the Italian Grand Prix.

However, the team faces a challenge in this regard, as Hadjar previously warned that it was missing out on valuable track time to get to grips with the RB22 and test potential upgrade routes.

As F1 enters a month-long break following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix, the Frenchman warned that the break was “definitely a bit of a disadvantage” as it worked to “understand” its car and power unit.

Max Verstappen’s take on Red Bull’s problems, Oliver Bearman’s crash, and how to fix 2026 F1 rules

Is Antonelli now the 2026 F1 title favourite?

Verstappen's journalist spat exposes a greater issue in undervaluing media

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Alpine may have been a clear backmarker in the 2025 Formula 1 season while the world drivers’ title narrowly eluded Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, but three rounds into the 2026 campaign, the two teams are neck and neck.

With Pierre Gasly beating Verstappen to seventh under the chequered flag in the Japanese Grand Prix, both teams have scored 16 points, but Alpine is ranked ahead on countback.

2026 F1 championship standings: Kimi Antonelli is the youngest leader

This is no coincidence, as both Red Bull drivers have openly been unhappy with the RB22’s performance and behaviour – and remain unsure how to even improve the situation.

After Isack Hadjar and Verstappen qualified respectively eighth and 11th at Suzuka, the Frenchman lamented “what we are seeing this weekend makes no sense”, while his elder branded the car “undriveable” and “all over the place”.

Hadjar failed to score points on Sunday after losing out in the safety car sequence – he branded the car “undriveable” to the point that it was “dangerous” – while Verstappen finished eighth, three tenths behind Gasly after a 26-lap battle.

“I think we were a tiny bit faster a lap, but you just can't pass – well you can pass, but then you have no battery the next straight,” the four-time world champion commented. “So, I tried one time just to have a look, so I passed him into the final chicane, but then you have no battery the next straight. So I was like, ‘See you later! Try again in a few laps!’”

Red Bull’s championship situation has been compounded by technical issues taking Hadjar and Verstappen out of the Melbourne and Shanghai races respectively, when they were running in fifth and sixth, causing a potential 16-point loss.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Meanwhile, although Franco Colapinto has struggled, Gasly has maximised Alpine’s potential, after the team sacrificed its 2025 campaign to focus on the new-for-2026 regulations early on.

Gasly qualified seventh in the last three sessions (sprint included), scoring points in every grand prix with 10th in Melbourne (from 12th on the grid), sixth at Shanghai and seventh at Suzuka.

Fourth-placed Haas led Red Bull in the standings even before the Japanese round, as Oliver Bearman took seventh and fifth in Australia and China.

Ahead of the season, one might have thought that Red Bull Ford, as a new power unit manufacturer, might be the team’s Achilles heel, but the RB22’s flaws lie elsewhere, according to Hadjar.

“We have a good power unit. The engine is good. The chassis side is terrible. We're just slow in the corners,” the 21-year-old coolly stated.

“The only positive right now is that I can drive the car fast. But we have no lead on how we can make the car fast.”

Perhaps the upcoming Pirelli test, scheduled to take place at Suzuka on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, will be useful in that regard.

“We’ve got upgrades coming up, we’re going to test them, do some sim work, understand what happened on the weekend,” Hadjar told Canal+. “I hope it’ll rain on Tuesday and Wednesday to get some running done and get a head start on others.”

Additional reporting by Jake Boxall-Legge and Ronald Vording

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During the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, Formula 1 fans laughed as Max Verstappen seemingly became more and more frustrated with the championship's current regulations. As Alpine's Pierre Gasly breezed past him on the start-finish straight of Suzuka, the four-time champion simply waved him by.

The lack of performance came from the fact that the Dutchman had already depleted his car's electrical energy for deployment, making him a sitting duck as his former team-mate used the full power of his Mercedes power unit to overtake the Milton Keynes machinery.

The 2026 regulations introduced a power unit featuring a near 50:50 split between internal combustion engine and electrical power. This has changed the nature of overtaking, replacing the traditional DRS with a new battery-based boost system that rewards drivers who get within one second of the car ahead with an extra surge of electrical power. 

As a result, energy management has become a huge priority for drivers as they fight against power loss and super clipping. 

Verstappen hasn't hidden his discontent with these changes, describing the format as a "Mario Kart" boost system and "Formula E on steroids". He even previously joked that he'd swapped his standard simulator work with playing a Nintendo Switch gaming console, quipping that he is "good with mushrooms, but not so much with blue shells".

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Talking to the media, including Motorsport.com, following today's race, the driver was once again disappointed with the characteristics of these current cars.

"You just can't pass. Well you can pass, but then you have no battery the next straight," he said. "So I tried one time just to have a look, so I passed him into the final chicane, but then yeah, you have no battery the next straight. So I was like, 'see you later.'"

Verstappen's performance this weekend left much to be desired. Starting 11th on the grid after a surprise Q2 exit on Saturday, he labelled the car "completely undrivable". While he spent his Sunday trying to salvage what points he could, he crossed the line behind Gasly in seventh, netting just 6 points for Red Bull.

His team-mate, Isack Hadjar, had an equally difficult race, finishing out of the points in 12th.  

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Jos Verstappen has called out the new Formula 1 regulations, which have been introduced into the championship in 2026.

Verstappen Sr, father of four-time champion Max Verstappen, claimed that while the racing has been more chaotic, "it has nothing to do with racing".

The new regulations feature an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power, active aerodynamics, Overtake Mode, and smaller and lighter chassis, among countless other changes. 

The changes have been met with mixed reactions so far, with some, including Verstappen, claiming that it has become more about energy management for the drivers rather than pushing to the limit.

"I was there at the end of January during the private test days in Barcelona,” Verstappen Sr told De Telegraaf.

"On the one hand, you have huge respect for Red Bull and what they’ve achieved with their own engine. But then Max goes out on track, and you quickly notice that he doesn’t enjoy driving these cars at all. And I completely understand his frustration."

He added: "As a driver, you should be rewarded for your courage and your abilities. But now, if you push as hard as possible through a corner, you actually end up slower over a lap.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

"That takes away the whole racing feeling. They’re just managing the battery all the time. That also makes it harder for a driver like Max to make the difference."

Others are enjoying the new regulations and the increased number of overtakes in the races so far, but Verstappen Sr dismissed these arguments.

"But that’s not the essence of racing," he added. "The point is that as a driver, you can barely showcase your talent anymore.

"Closing up to someone in the slipstream and then trying to outbrake them — that’s what racing is about, in my opinion. Now you see a lot of overtakes happening halfway down the straight because the other driver has no energy left.

"Sorry, but that has nothing to do with overtaking. What Formula 1 is doing with this is creating chaos. And that chaos attracts a certain audience. But it has nothing to do with racing."

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Max Verstappen’s recent comments following his disastrous Q2 exit at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix has been one of the largest stories of the weekend so far. The reigning World Champion didn’t sound angry about his 11th-place starting position; instead, he sounded entirely defeated, cryptically telling reporters that he has “life” to figure out.

While fans and pundits are busy speculating about the Red Bull star’s immediate future, one veteran of the sport has urged the driver to take a break, citing the danger of the championship.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen Issues a Warning to The Four-Time Champion

Former Formula 1 driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who secured three grand prix wins and stood on the podium 18 times during his career in the late ’90s and early 2000s, took to social media to weigh in on what’s going on.

He addressed the Dutchman’s apparent disconnection from the sport on X (formerly Twitter).

“If you lose your motivation in F1, it’s better to quit, or at least take a break,” Frentzen posted. “That’s what I did. The sport is too dangerous if you lose your focus.”

You don’t simply go through the motions as an F1 driver. Piloting a 2026-spec car, machinery that Verstappen himself has heavily criticized for their heavy reliance on complex electrical deployment, requires 100% intent.

Driving an F1 car without 100% commitment could well be asking for trouble. But of course, we know Verstappen never drives without an intent to win.

If you lose your motivation in F1, it's better to quit, or at least take a break.
That's what I did. The sport is too dangerous if you lose your focus.

— Heinz Harald Frentzen (@frentzen_hh) March 28, 2026

Will Verstappen Actually Walk Away?

“Not even frustrated anymore, you know?” Verstappen told the media after a disappointing Saturday. “I’m beyond that. I don’t know the right word in English for it. I don’t know what to make of it, to be honest.

“There’s no word. I don’t know. I don’t get upset about it. I don’t get disappointed or frustrated by it anymore, with what’s going on.”

The writing has been on the wall for months. Verstappen has repeatedly criticized the 2026 regulation changes and has never been shy about his willingness to leave F1 behind to pursue endurance racing or other life goals. He is currently bound to Red Bull Racing through 2028, but in F1, contracts aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

If the 28-year-old truly has lost his underlying drive to compete, taking Frentzen’s advice might be the smartest move he could make.

Image Credit: SUZUKA, JAPAN – MARCH 27: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing prepares to drive in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on March 27, 2026 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202603270083 // Usage for editorial use only //

In the second free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri set the pace with a 1m30.133s, finishing around a tenth clear of the two Mercedes drivers, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

However, anyone hoping for a close fight at the front or a McLaren breakthrough should be cautious. In the decisive long runs at the end of the session – completed on heavy fuel – Mercedes once again proved to be the dominant force, and by a clear margin.

When adjusting the long-run data for different tyre compounds and stint lengths, Antonelli emerged as the fastest driver by some distance. On average, the Italian was around two and a half tenths of a second per lap quicker than Russell. McLaren, meanwhile, didn’t feature near the front in that comparison.

Ferrari once again the second force

Behind Mercedes – at a noticeable gap – sits Ferrari, just as in previous race weekends. Charles Leclerc was roughly 0.66 seconds per lap slower than Mercedes in long-run pace.

It was a difficult session for his team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who never found a rhythm. The seven-time world champion lost an average of 1.3s per lap and also struggled with high tyre degradation.

Longruns

McLaren slotted in between: Piastri was, on average, 0.96s per lap slower than Mercedes on the long runs. His team-mate Lando Norris did not complete a long run at all due to technical issues, having spent a prolonged period in the pits.

Where Mercedes is quicker

One thing is clear: in terms of qualifying pace, Mercedes has likely not shown its full potential and therefore heads into the remainder of the weekend as the clear favourite. But where exactly is the Silver Arrows finding its lap time?

A look at the average sector times from the long runs shows that Mercedes gains most of its advantage over Ferrari in sectors one and three. In sector two, Leclerc was almost as quick. The key difference lies on the long straights in sectors one and three.

Mercedes achieves significantly higher top speeds – particularly on the run to Turn 1 and towards the final chicane. The advantage towards Turn 1 can reach up to 15km/h, and around 10km/h in the final sector. In the fast Esses of sector one, Ferrari is nearly level – the bulk of the time loss clearly occurs on the straights.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

A similar pattern can be seen with McLaren: here too, most of the time is lost on the straights, despite the Woking team using the same engine. In addition, weaker performance in the corners compounds the deficit, leaving McLaren behind Ferrari.

Red Bull in no man’s land – but PU isn’t the main issue

For Red Bull, the outlook is once again bleak. With an average long-run deficit of 1.49s per lap, Max Verstappen is not only far off the pace compared to the frontrunners, but even behind Haas (+1.35s) and Alpine (+1.37s).

After three race weekends, the impression is increasingly that Red Bull is currently just a midfield team – and this does not appear to be primarily due to engine performance. In fact, sector three, with its long straight, is the only part of the lap where Red Bull can somewhat keep up.

Tyre degradation

As already seen in China, the RB22 loses the majority of its time in the corners. Telemetry data even shows that Red Bull performs better on the straights than Ferrari and McLaren. However, especially in the fast Esses of sector one, there is a clear lack of performance.

It is also notable that sister team Racing Bulls loses significantly more time on the straights despite running the same engine. It is possible that Red Bull has opted for an overly aggressive low-downforce set-up, or that the car is fundamentally too focused on efficiency, lacking the necessary overall downforce.

Midfield: Haas and Alpine set the pace, Audi in the mix

In the midfield, a similar picture to China emerges. Haas (+1.35s) and Alpine (+1.37s) have the strongest long-run pace, with Audi (+1.52s) close behind.

Nico Hulkenberg’s long run started promisingly, but the strong initial phase came at the cost of high tyre degradation. Overall, Audi ended up on par with Red Bull – raising the question of whether this reflects Audi’s progress or simply highlights Red Bull’s struggles.

Racing Bulls (+2.05s) has already lost significant ground to the front of the midfield, while Williams (+2.43s) once again disappointed. The backmarkers remain Cadillac (+3.12s) and Aston Martin (+3.65s). A sobering note: Aston Martin’s qualifying pace was roughly equivalent to Mercedes’ long-run pace with a full fuel load.

Did Aston Martin discover Honda’s F1 issues late? Honda: “It’s a misunderstanding”

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Formula 1 stewards were busy after opening practice for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix as Friday's FP1 saw three separate incidents be investigated afterwards.

Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Carlos Sainz were under the spotlight, though all incidents resulted in no further action at Suzuka.

One was between world champions Hamilton and Verstappen, where the Red Bull driver was on a fast lap and caught off guard by the Ferrari’s last-minute swerve before 130R inside the final five minutes.  

Hamilton was therefore under investigation for Article B1.8.5 of the sporting regulations, which states that “at no time may an F1 car be driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically or in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous”.

But stewards found that Hamilton “had been given no warning” by Ferrari that Verstappen was approaching and that he still remained predominantly to the right ahead of the fast, left-handed bend.

It was also deemed that the four-time world champion managed to overtake his former title rival without having to lift off the throttle or leave the racing line, despite the significant speed differential.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Verstappen also told stewards that he didn’t consider it to be a dangerous situation, so race control opted for consistency with a No Further Action striking comparison to Shanghai last time out.

There, Lando Norris backed off to avoid Kimi Antonelli at Turn 1 in sprint qualifying, but the reigning world champion told stewards that he wasn’t impeded so the investigation went no further.

Another incident under investigation in Suzuka was one between Albon and Perez, after the Williams driver attempted an unsuccessful lunge down the inside of the Turn 16 chicane.

Albon went straight into the side of the Cadillac, which was forced to cut the second part of the chicane while the Thai-Briton went into a spin before claiming “I don’t know if he saw me”.

Perez, who was on an out-lap, confirmed this as he revealed his virtual mirror was not working and he had not received any warning from Cadillac about Albon’s approach.

The American outfit simply thought that Albon would hold position, not noticing how quickly he gained, but the Williams driver thought Perez was letting him by due to his initial wide line.

Alexander Albon, Williams, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing crash

So it was all a bit of a misunderstanding from both sides, who were shocked by the closing speed, with Albon and Perez accepting neither driver was “wholly or predominantly to blame”.

Albon’s team-mate Sainz was also summoned to stewards afterwards for his incident with Racing Bulls man Lawson, who has a history with the Spaniard following their collision at the 2025 Dutch GP.

Like Hamilton and Verstappen, this was also in regards to Article B1.8.5 of the sporting regulations as Sainz was traveling slowly ahead of Lawson at the Turn 11 exit.

It came after Sainz had passed him after Turn 9, but then slowed considerably through Turns 10 and 11, claiming that was because Williams told him of Jak Crawford approaching on a push lap.

So the grand prix winner slowed to ensure that he wouldn’t impede Aston Martin’s FP1 stand-in, which was confirmed by team radio as Crawford eventually passed both cars.

That was despite initial assumptions that Sainz had simply slowed down as an angry reaction to going off and abandoning his push lap when trying to overtake Lawson - but that was not the case.

F1 Japanese GP: Oscar Piastri halts Mercedes dominance by topping FP2

F1 Japanese GP: George Russell leads Kimi Antonelli by 0.026s in FP1

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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen got into it with a reporter ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, leading to a standoff between the driver and journalist.

Back at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen was asked by The Guardian’s Giles Richards about his controversial crash into Mercedes’ George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix.

Verstappen looked to hit Russell on purpose during the race, following frustration over his battle with the British driver.

As a result, he lost nine points in the title race, with the gap between Verstappen and the eventual champion, Lando Norris, just two points.

At the end of the season, in Abu Dhabi, Richards then asked Verstappen if he regretted the move on Russell.

“Max, you lost out to Lando by just two points. What do you think now about the incident with George Russell in Spain? Do you regret that looking back in hindsight?” Richards asked the Dutchman.

Verstappen responded with a characteristically poignant answer.

“You forget all the other stuff that happened in my season. The only thing you mention is Barcelona. I knew that would come. You’re giving me a stupid grin now. I don’t know,” he said.

“Yeah, it’s part of racing at the end. You live and learn. The championship is one of 24 rounds. I’ve also had a lot of early Christmas presents given to me in the second half, so you can also question that.”

Verstappen’s Japanese Grand Prix Altercation

In the build-up to the race in Japan, Verstappen asked Richards to leave before he would talk to reporters.

 “One second, I’m not speaking before he’s leaving,” Verstappen said.

 “You’re really, really that upset about it?” Richards asked after a back-and-forth, prompting Verstappen to continue insisting that he leave.

“Get out. Yeah. Get out,” Verstappen added.

Richards did end up leaving, but the incident has led to subsequent discussion about whether or not a driver should be allowed to expel a reporter.

“Few of us tabloids on here have walked out in solidarity with colleagues in similar scenarios,” John Cross of the Mirror wrote on X.

“All the journalists should stand together against this nonsense Athletes shouldn’t think of themselves as dictators. They literally get paid millions to answer a few questions,” one user commented on X.

“F1 drivers or any celebrity has the right to refuse to answer a journalist’s question. They do not have the right to remove journalists from a media setting where they are doing their jobs within the rules,” another one added.

Lewis Hamilton believes Formula 1’s new regulations have delivered “what racing should be” so far in 2026 – a very different stance to Max Verstappen’s.

Verstappen has been perhaps F1’s most vocal critic this year, likening the energy management aspect to “Formula E on steroids” as lift-and-coast becomes preponderant.

“It’s terrible, if someone likes this, then you really don't know what racing is about,” the Red Bull driver said at the Chinese Grand Prix. “It’s not fun at all. It’s playing Mario Kart. This is not racing.

“You are boosting past, then you run out of battery the next straight, they boost past you again. For me, it's just a joke.”

Max Verstappen: F1 fans who enjoy 2026 rules 'don't understand racing'

Hamilton suggested Verstappen was struggling to appreciate the new regulations due to Red Bull dropping down the pecking order and insisted the ‘yo-yo’ style of racing that has been on display so far – with many more overtakes, including numerous lead changes – was far more enjoyable.

“If you go back to karting, it's the same thing,” the Ferrari driver argued. “People are going back and forth, back and forth, you can never pull away. No one ever has ever referred to go-karting as yo-yo racing. It's the best form of racing.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

“And Formula 1 has not been the best form of racing in a long, long time. Out of all the cars that I've driven in 20 years, this is the only car that you can actually follow through high-speed [corners] and not completely lose everything that you have. You can stay behind.

“We had the DRS before, which I think was a bit of a band-aid for that issue that you can't get close enough through the corners. Now we have the power difference [Overtake Mode], but it's so small, the power difference.

“But when you get ahead and the car behind can keep up with you, I personally find it much more fun because that's the most overtaking and best battle I've had maybe since Bahrain, years and years ago with Nico,” he added, referring to a now legendary battle for victory in the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix with Mercedes team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg.

“That's how racing should be. It should be back and forth, back and forth. It shouldn't be like one move is done and that's it.

“So I personally like that sort of racing. We just need all the rest of the teams to close up so we have more of those battles amongst the teams."

Hamilton did clarify that he didn’t actually love every aspect of the 2026 rules.

“It's definitely a lot different,” he commented. “I think a lot of the drivers are not enjoying it, but I don't really know. I'm just personally enjoying it. It's a lighter car. It's a bit more nimble, a bit more bizarre, more fun to drive.

“Do I love the power of deployment? Absolutely not. I'm actually really disappointed. Do I love the SM [straight mode with active aero]? Not particularly. But as a whole, I think it's exciting for the sport.”

Going into this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka was expected to be a suboptimal track in terms of energy management, so the FIA has reduced the maximum energy recharge for qualifying – meaning there will be less of an incentive for the likes of super clipping, which is early energy harvesting by the MGU-K.

“Coming into the weekend, we were going to have to do a ton of lift-and-coast which is really, really not enjoyable to do for a qualifying lap. So we've changed that,” Hamilton commented.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Additionally, active aerodynamics’ straight mode will be used in just two sections, which might play in Ferrari’s favour, according to the seven-time world champion: “Maybe that's a positive for us, because every time Mercedes open up their SM, they get away. So maybe there's less chance for them to do that here – maybe. I don't know. And maybe we can keep up with them more through the high-speed section, potentially.”

Regardless, Hamilton hopes the 2026 event will do justice to Suzuka, where the racing has often been more professional than on most other tracks, on a layout featuring many high-speed corners and few straights.

“This has always been one of the favourite driver circuits, but not necessarily great racing, because there's a struggle to [overtake],” he said. “So I'm hoping it changes that and really highlights just how incredible this circuit is to drive. And if we have racing on top of that, then it will be the best track in the world.”

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