Overview
- Reports say Christian Horner has met multiple times with Alpine adviser Flavio Briatore, fueling unconfirmed talk of a potential partnership or stake in the team.
- Toto Wolff said he would welcome a Horner–Briatore–Bernie Ecclestone Alpine project, calling the trio the "three sharks" and suggesting it would generate buzz for F1.
- Wolff admitted Mercedes have placed rookie Kimi Antonelli under "maximum pressure" but insisted the 19‑year‑old remains a long‑term investment despite recent struggles.
- Red Bull signaled it is not in a hurry to select Max Verstappen’s 2026 teammate, retaining Yuki Tsunoda for now while evaluating juniors such as Isack Hadjar; Helmut Marko praised Hadjar and ruled out Alex Palou.
- At Zandvoort, McLaren led both practice sessions with the championship resuming as Oscar Piastri holds a nine‑point lead over Lando Norris, and stewards fined McLaren €5,000 after a Piastri pit‑lane near‑miss with George Russell.