Thursday’s fast-paced F1 news includes a double Sky F1 announcement as Aston Martin’s Adrian Newey casts an F1 2026 season prediction.
With Ferrari’s reserve driver eyeing a return to an F1 race seat, and the first details of Felipe Massa’s legal case emerging, here’s today’s roundup…
Sky F1 pundit and 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button to retire from motorsport
Jenson Button, the 2009 F1 world champion, is to retire from motorsport following next weekend’s World Endurance Championship finale in Bahrain.
Button remains one of the most recognisable names in the modern era of F1 having made 306 grand prix starts between 2000 and 2017.
The former Honda, Brawn GP and McLaren driver has worked as a Sky F1 television pundit over recent years.
Read more: Jenson Button confirms pro racing retirement with one last race
Zhou Guanyu still hopeful of F1 race seat return
In an exclusive interview with PlanetF1.com, Ferrari reserve driver Zhou Guanyu has reiterated his desire to a return to a race seat in the future.
Zhou was left without a seat for the F1 2025 season after Sauber opted for an all-new driver lineup of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto ahead of the team’s Audi F1 rebirth.
Zhou, who became the first-ever Chinese driver to race in F1 in 2022, joined Ferrari in a backup role for this season.
Read more: Ferrari driver’s unfinished business: F1 grid comeback dream revealed
Adrian Newey casts F1 2026 prediction ahead of Aston Martin AMR26 arrival
Adrian Newey fears the “chances are” that next year’s pecking order will remain largely unchanged despite the new F1 2026 rules.
The chassis and engine regulations will be overhauled simultaneously next year as F1 embraces 50 per cent electrification, fully sustainable fuels and active aerodynamics.
Newey is currently leading the development of the Honda-powered AMR26 car having officially linked up with Aston Martin in March this year.
Read more: Adrian Newey feeling Red Bull ‘deja vu’ as F1 2026 push ramps up
Felipe Massa 2008 legal case branded ‘tortuous’ as first details emerge
Felipe Massa’s legal case against the outcome of the 2008 F1 world championship has been branded “as torturous as it is overly ambitious.”
Massa is seeking $82million after losing the 2008 title to Lewis Hamilton by a single point, with the former Ferrari driver’s case revolving around the events of that year’s controversial Singapore Grand Prix.
John Mehrzad KC, representing the FIA at London’s High Court, described Massa’s claim as “as torturous as it is overly ambitious” and said it “conspicuously overlooks a catalogue of his own errors” in 2008.
Liam Lawson booed at Mexican Grand Prix as fan footage emerges
Fan footage has revealed that Lando Norris was not the only driver to be booed at last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, with Liam Lawson also treated to a hostile reception by the crowd.
It comes after the New Zealander replaced home hero Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing ahead of the F1 2025 season.
Norris, the McLaren driver, was controversially booed during the post-race celebrations after securing his sixth victory of 2025 in Mexico.
Read more: New Mexican GP booing incident uncovered as Liam Lawson fan footage emerges
Sky F1 pundit Naomi Schiff announces birth of first child
Naomi Schiff, the former racing driver and Sky F1 pundit, has announced the birth of her first child Raphaël.
Schiff has become a familiar face on television screens since joining Sky Sports ahead of the F1 2022 season, attending a number of races each year in a punditry capacity.
Her son, Raphaël Schiff-Dedieu, was born on October 8, three days after F1’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Read more: Sky F1 pundit Naomi Schiff makes new announcement after major personal news