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<\/p>\nFormula 1 resumes this weekend with the Miami Grand Prix after a month without racing, but the sport has kept itself busy off-track throughout April.<\/p>\n
Having welcomed an 11th team to the grid this year, F1 could be poised to expand to 24 cars, with Chinese auto giant BYD confirming interest in the sport.<\/p>\n
Former race director Niels Wittich has dredged up the highly contentious 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to defend predecessor Michael Masi\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n
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Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship\u2122 LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n And has the time away allowed a feud to brew between the two top teams in the midfield over culpability for a monster 50g crash in Japan.<\/p>\n CHINESE AUTO GIANT BYD INTERESTED IN F1 ENTRY<\/p>\n Chinese auto manufacturer BYD is in discussion with Formula 1 about becoming the sport\u2019s 12th team.<\/p>\n BYD was founded in 2003 but has rapidly become one of the world\u2019s most prolific car makers. In 2025 it was the sixth-best-selling brand in the world, with 4.6 million sales, and it was also by far the most popular electric car brand, with more than twice as many sales as Tesla. It\u2019s the third largest manufacturer by market capitalisation. <\/p>\n Formula 1 expended to 11 teams only this season with the introduction of Cadillac to the grid, but the regulations allow for up to 12 constructors, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has previously expressed a desire to see a Chinese squad join the sport.<\/p>\n PIT TALK PODCAST: McLaren will bring an all-new car to the Miami Grand Prix this weekend. Can it take Oscar Piastri to back-to-back wins in Florida? Listen to Pit Talk now ><\/a><\/p>\n BYD vice-president Stella Li told SportMediaset that she was a Formula 1 fan<\/a> and was actively considering participating.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it\u2019s something we are discussing,\u201d she said when asked if joining the sport was a concrete possibility.<\/p>\n \u201cWe met Stefano Domenicali in Shanghai. We are always close and in contact.<\/p>\n \u201cI like Formula 1 because it\u2019s passion, culture and people dream of being in Formula 1.\u201d<\/p>\n The process of joining Formula 1 is long and complex and requires approval from both the FIA and F1 itself.<\/p>\n Cadillac, in its guise as Andretti, was given FIA approval in October 2023 on technical and competence grounds but was knocked back by F1 in January 2024 because the sport believed it would be a commercial and competitive drag.<\/p>\n It was only when the bid was taken over by General Motors and TWG that F1 reversed course, with the entry granted in March 2025.<\/p>\n Li said joining Formula would be \u201ca real possibility to test our technology\u201d, with the brand produced a range of hybrid vehicles.<\/p>\n However, SportMediaset notes that the brand could yet choose to join Formula 1 as a sponsor or engine supplier rather than as a works operation.<\/p>\n Alex Marquez wins as Marc crashes out | 01:40<\/p>\n FORMER AUSSIE RACE DIRECTOR DEFENDED AFTER 2021 CONTROVERSY<\/p>\n Former Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich has risked opening a can of worms by defending predecessor Michael Masi\u2019s handling of the highly controversial 2021 title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.<\/p>\n One of history\u2019s most infamous races, Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the world championship after a last-lap safety car restart many believed was contrary to the regulations.<\/p>\n Hamilton was comfortably leading Verstappen when Nichoals Latifi crashed out of the race with six laps remaining. Hamilton\u2019s buffer wasn\u2019t big enough to pit for new tyres without losing position, but Verstappen was able to make a brief stop for fresh rubber while holding second place.<\/p>\n Removing Latifi\u2019s wrecked car took almost the remaining duration of the race, but on the penultimate lap Masi allowed only the five cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves \u2014 leaving other lapped cars in place \u2014 to put the title contenders line astern on the track.<\/p>\n The rules normally require another lap behind the safety car to allow those drivers unlapping themselves to reach the tail of the field, but because this would have meant the race ending under caution, Masi declared the grand prix would restart on the final lap.<\/p>\n Hamilton\u2019s old tyres were no match for Verstappen\u2019s fresh rubber, with the Dutchman taking the lead to win the race and the title.<\/p>\n A subsequent internal investigation found that Masi had made a \u201chuman error\u201d but had acted \u201cin good faith\u201d, and the Australian was dropped from the position for 2022.<\/p>\n Wittich replaced Masi as part of a two-person race director team, but both were replaced by the end of 2024 by Rui Marques, who is still at the helm today.<\/p>\n Speaking to <\/a>Formel1.de<\/a>, Wittich lamented that Masi had been scapegoated by an FIA that offered insufficient support for its race directors.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the investigation following Abu Dhabi, the conclusion seemed to be that Michael had to go \u2014 essentially finding a scapegoat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was really disappointing for me and many colleagues was the lack of support from the FIA for Michael. That\u2019s something that needs to be clearly criticised. Everyone knew that in extreme situations you\u2019d be left on your own.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the past, under [former race director] Charlie Whiting, there was always backing from FIA leadership. Max Mosley stood firmly behind him. That support wasn\u2019t there anymore. It still isn\u2019t. That\u2019s one of the reasons I\u2019m no longer a race director in Formula 1.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever happened, there was no proper discussion, no backing for employees, and that\u2019s the worst takeaway from that whole situation.\u201d<\/p>\n Wittich added that Masi\u2019s actions at the title-deciding race were justifiable.<\/p>\n \u201cMichael didn\u2019t do that much wrong,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cOne key factor was that teams, FIA, and Formula 1 had all agreed over many meetings that races should, if possible, finish under green flag conditions. Nobody wanted a race ending behind the safety car.<\/p>\n \u201cHe essentially did what everyone had agreed upon: create one final racing lap. It produced a spectacular finish, an overtake, a winner and a runner-up. It could have gone the other way just as easily. That\u2019s sport.\u201d<\/p>\n Marc Marquez goes off in a HUGE crash | 00:39<\/p>\n BEARMAN BLAMES COLAPINTO FOR SUZUKA SHUNT<\/p>\n Oliver Bearman has blamed Franco Colapinto\u2019s \u201cunacceptable\u201d driving for causing his monster 50g crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.<\/p>\n Bearman crashed out of the race at Suzuka after leaving the road at 308 kilometres per hour while duelling with Colapinto on the run down to Spoon.<\/p>\n The Haas driver had noted that the Alpine car was regularly harvesting energy through the flat-out right-hand bend following the hairpin and chose to deploy maximum power with the boost button to launch an overtake on lap 22.<\/p>\n The closing speed differential was around 50 kilometres per hour when Colapinto drifted defensively to the middle of the road. Bearman, without the time to react, veered left and onto the grass, from where his car slid out of control into the barriers.<\/p>\n The massive difference in speed is a corollary of the new engine regulations, under which the car can lose half its total power output depending on whether the battery is charged or being replenished.<\/p>\n But Bearman said Colapinto had broken an agreement between the drivers that the defending car would not change lines if they were down on battery power.<\/p>\n