Saturday’s fast-paced F1 news includes former Red Bull and McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo making an “important announcement” after confirming his retirement from motorsport.
With PlanetF1.com revealing the identities of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez’s new race engineers at Cadillac F1, here’s today’s roundup…
Daniel Ricciardo launches new initiative for young drivers
Former Red Bull and McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has launched a new initiative to support up-and-coming drivers with their rise through the racing ranks.
Ricciardo is to help choose two young drivers from the Daniel Ricciardo Series for a Ginetta Junior Scholarship next year.
The winner will be rewarded with a fully funded drive in the Ginetta Junior series – a category in which newly crowned F1 2025 world champion Lando Norris came to prominence in 2014 – for 2027.
Read more: Daniel Ricciardo makes ‘important announcement’ as new junior initiative launched
Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez get Cadillac F1 race engineers for F1 2026
Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez’s new Cadillac race engineers for the F1 2026 season have been decided, PlanetF1.com can reveal.
Former Aston Martin performance engineer Carlo Pasetti will act as Perez’s race engineer, with ex-Alpine man John Howard set to work alongside Bottas.
Howard previously served as Pierre Gasly’s race engineer at Alpine.
Read more: Major Cadillac F1 update as Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez race engineers confirmed
Ferrari considering new race engineer for Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has refused to rule out a change of race engineer for Lewis Hamilton ahead of the F1 2026 season, admitting the team is “evaluating all options.”
It comes after a number of awkward exchanges over team radio between Hamilton and current race engineer Riccardo Adami over the course of F1 2025.
Adami previously worked with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz.
Read more: New Lewis Hamilton race engineer? Vasseur responds to key Adami question
Nico Rosberg explains F1 retirement decision
Nico Rosberg had revealed that he made the decision to retire from F1 before he claimed title glory at the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Next year will mark a decade since Rosberg announced his retirement just five days after being crowned F1 world champion.
The former Mercedes driver has revealed that he already knew on the “start/finish line” that Abu Dhabi 2016 would prove to be his last race if he won the title.
Read more: Nico Rosberg reveals when and why he decided on shock F1 retirement
Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz reach agreement over ground-effect F1 cars
Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz have admitted that they are glad to see the back of the ground-effect era F1 cars at the end of 2025.
Hamilton has been restricted to just two race wins since 2022, with the seven-time world champion going a full season without a podium for the first time in his career in 2025.
Hamilton replaced Sainz at Ferrari ahead of 2025, with the Spaniard heading to Williams.
Read more: Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz in full agreement as F1 ground effect cars depart