Formula 1’s penultimate race before the summer break has already told us plenty. <\/p>\n
Here’s everything we learned from Thursday’s media day at the Belgian Grand Prix. <\/p>\n
Bearman ‘flattered’ by Red Bull rumours <\/p>\n
Sky F1 commentator David Croft’s highly-publicised claim that Red Bull was keeping an eye out on Ollie Bearman as a potential signing took, as expected, about 0.05s to come up during Bearman’s Thursday debrief.<\/p>\n
“I mean, first of all, it’s quite flattering to hear things like that, with a team like Red Bull who are incredibly successful,” Bearman said.<\/p>\n
“And to be connected with them in any way, even if it’s just rumours, is very nice. But like I said, it’s just rumours and I’m fully focused on what I’m doing here with Haas at the moment.”<\/p>\n
It wasn’t exactly ‘come and get me’ but wasn’t the opposite of that.<\/p>\n
Bearman subsequently said he “hopes” it’s long-time benefactor Ferrari that he makes the next step with as “Ferrari have trusted me from the very beginning in Formula 3 and put me in [Carlos Sainz’s] car in [Jeddah] 2024 as well, really the reason that I’m here right now”.<\/p>\n
But he acknowledged, with Ferrari’s line-up potentially set for the medium term with Charles Leclerc and a resurgent Lewis Hamilton, that he doesn’t “have a full say” in ensuring his future is with Ferrari.<\/p>\n
“At the moment I don’t have a contract for next year. So, yeah, just waiting in the dark.”<\/p>\n
Asked by The Race whether he was a true free agent for 2027, he quickly corrected: “No-no, that’s not what I said.” – Valentin Khorounzhiy<\/p>\n
Why Verstappen isn’t engaging future rumours <\/p>\n
Max Verstappen took just 30 seconds and 16 words to kill off the latest wild rumours that had got ahead of themselves in the build-up to the Belgian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
There had been a fair bit of stabbing in the dark from some quarters since the British GP that the Dutchman was on the verge of a shock switch to McLaren next year.<\/p>\n
But in Belgium on Thursday, Verstappen showed himself not in the mood to engage with all that had been whipped up about him being Woking-bound.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo\u201d, he said when asked if there had been any update.<\/p>\n
His thoughts on the speculation? \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
A date for a decision? \u201cNope. There\u2019s nothing to say from my side.\u201d<\/p>\n
And then asked if that means he is fully committed to Red Bull for 2027, he added: \u201cI said there\u2019s nothing to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
Verstappen\u2019s situation has really not changed since Austrian GP time.<\/p>\n
Yes, the four-time champion does have an exit clause in his current Red Bull contract that could make him a free agent at year\u2019s end; but he wants nothing more than to stay at the team with a quick car.<\/p>\n
If the latter element cannot be achieved, then options are obviously going to be looked at elsewhere.<\/p>\n
However, competitive options are shut for next year, whereas 2028 could be a more open book (which is why the original approach to McLaren happened).<\/p>\n
In the meantime, Verstappen won\u2019t commit fully to Red Bull as it is important to keep the pressure on the squad to deliver him the quality of car he so wants.<\/p>\n
The speculation probably won\u2019t stop, even if McLaren\u2019s Oscar Piastri \u2013 whose seat Verstappen was most strongly linked with \u2013 backed up the view that nothing is going to happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very comfortable with where I am and where I sit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cZak [Brown] and Andrea [Stella] and the whole team have been great through all that. Very reassuring \u2013 and I\u2019ve been the same to them!\u201d – Jon Noble <\/p>\n
Yo-yo racing might not feature <\/p>\n
Heading into Spa, the likelihood of rapidly draining batteries meant the prevailing view was that there would be a lot of yo-yo racing, with cars blasting past one another when the other had used its battery power, as had been the case before in F1 2026.<\/p>\n
However, for those who\u00a0are not fans of\u00a0these motorway-style overtakes and this kind of racing,\u00a0there’s\u00a0a glimmer of hope in\u00a0the shape of George Russell.\u00a0Despite the track seemingly offering the opportunity for different strategies with high speeds in\u00a0sectors\u00a01 and 3 sandwiching the tight and twisty sector 2, Russell reckons we\u2019ll see convergence in energy strategy. <\/p>\n
\u201cNo, to be honest, simple answer,\u201d said Russell when asked about the prospect of different energy strategies.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause a circuit like Silverstone, with four straights, kind of split evenly across the circuit, you could divide your energy across different straights, and it would work out maybe laptime neutral.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere, you go from the top of the battery at Turn 1, to the bottom at Turn 5, and then again the top at Turn 14, to the bottom into Turn 18, so everybody’s going to be on that same strategy, which actually means it’s not going to be that straightforward to make the overtakes.<\/p>\n
\u201cSimilar to Japan, in a way, that everyone is on the same strategy, but maybe I’m wrong, but that’s my thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
A glimmer of hope then, that we could see some proper, opportunistic overtaking at this classic venue…if Russell is right. – Jack Benyon<\/p>\n
Cadillac has one more race to ‘survive’ brake issue <\/p>\n
Cadillac may have impressed with many aspects of the job it has done in its debut Formula 1 season, but there are still some areas where it has fallen short.<\/p>\n
One of these is in mastering its brake cooling, with both its drivers having struggled with overheating problems during the early part of the campaign.<\/p>\n
The nadir came at the roasting hot Austrian Grand Prix when Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez both retired because brake temperatures had gotten out of control.<\/p>\n
Efforts have gone on to improve things since, but Bottas admitted in Belgium that a proper upgrade solution is not going to come until the next race in Hungary.<\/p>\n
It means one final race weekend of having to manage things as best as possible from the cockpit \u2013 although at least the temperatures and track layout of Spa-Francorchamps should mean it is not too much of a headache.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew it would be an issue in Budapest if we didn\u2019t have updates, so that is why we are going to have them there,\u201d added Bottas.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s all part of the learning experience that every team has to go through, and you cannot be expected to get everything spot on at the first attempt.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome things we’ve had to learn the hard way,\u201d admitted Bottas.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ll survive with it [for now].\u201d – JN <\/p>\n
…and it has revived an upgrade<\/p>\n
Cadillac has a new front wing for Spa, expected to confer a small increase in downforce. However, it’s not entirely new.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During pre-season testing in Bahrain, Cadillac first trialled a version of the wing but found it required some more work.\u00a0That’s led\u00a0to the new front wing introduced here, which will include a reprofiled vane on the outside of the endplates on both sides. <\/p>\n
While it won’t transform the performance of the car, provided it works, it should mean a useful bump in performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Yeah,” said Perez when asked by The Race if the new front wing was a version of the one previously tried. “I think we are all in a similar boat where things don’t work as much as expected, so you try a different concept and hope that it will make the difference.”<\/p>\n
Cadillac has one new wing available for each driver, meaning any wing-crunching exploits would likely mean reverting to the old spec.\u00a0– Edd Straw<\/p>\n
Williams is turning to 2027 already <\/p>\n
While Williams still has hopes that an upgraded and (more importantly) lighter B-spec car due to arrive at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix can turn its season around, the first hint of thoughts turning more long-term has emerged.<\/p>\n
Off the back of a campaign that so far has fallen short of expectations, driver Alex Albon retains faith that the ingredients are there for the squad to move forward from its eighth spot in the constructors\u2019 standings.<\/p>\n
But equally, there is a realism emerging that keeping the sole focus on rescuing 2026 may not be worth it \u2013 and instead, bigger returns could come from getting a head start on next season.<\/p>\n
Speaking in the official FIA press conference on Thursday, Albon said that early work on the 2027 car had begun at Grove \u2013 although there was no sense yet of it abandoning its current challenger.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are already transitioning quite early into next year’s car,\u201d he said. \u201cWe’re starting to do more and more simulator work on next year’s car.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not to say that we’ll leave this car behind, but we are thinking long term as well for the best of the team.\u201d – JN <\/p>\n
Where F1 drivers stand on safety car change\u00a0<\/p>\n
After the disappointing ending of the safety car finish at the British GP, there was plenty of talk on media day about whether a rule change was needed to avoid it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Asked about whether the race director should have more freedom to throw a red flag to ensure there\u2019s a racing finish, Hamilton said: \u201cYeah definitely. It happened in Australia I think one year [in 2023] it was one of the best races.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn those experiences, ideally when you’re in the lead it’s not a great thing, but it really gives the fans the maximum experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they have the power to do it and they’ve done it before. Definitely finishing under the safety car, I would be disappointed – I am disappointed as being in the car and as an athlete so I can only imagine how the fans would feel.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pierre Gasly sarcastically clapped inside his Alpine cockpit when the British GP didn\u2019t restart.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a little frustrated with the situation. I didn’t have all the information at the time,\u201d Gasly explained at Spa.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfterwards, I think I understood why all the events [happened] and why things happened that way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I think we will agree in the future, ideally, we don’t have a safety car ending the race in that fashion.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said it\u2019s likely to be discussed in the drivers\u2019 briefing on Friday night but Grand Prix Drivers\u2019 Association director George Russell said there\u2019s \u201cno major conversations as yet\u201d, so this is something very much still in the ideas phase.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Russell said he has \u201cconflicted views\u201d as he doesn\u2019t think it\u2019s fair if a driver has done everything right until a last-minute red flag, but he doesn\u2019t like the anti-climax of finishing under the safety car.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He called it a \u201cniche\u201d issue that doesn\u2019t happen all that often so it is unlikely to even be a topic again for a while.\u00a0– Josh Suttill <\/p>\n
There\u2019s parts fears for Aston Martin\u2019s crucial B-spec car<\/p>\n