Summary

Fernando Alonso’s decision to continue racing led Tuesday’s Formula 1 news, as Aston Martin confirmed that the Spaniard and Lance Stroll have extended their contracts. Ferrari also responded to speculation about its leadership, while Sergio Pérez raised concerns about the safety of the current cars.

With no track sessions on 29 September, attention is turning to the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The field returns to Sepang from 2–4 October, giving teams a different challenge from Baku and their first race at the Malaysian circuit since 2017.

Here are the main stories in GRANDE PRÊMIO.

Alonso stays at Aston Martin: what changes on the 2027 grid?

Aston Martin has confirmed Alonso and Stroll for 2027, extending a partnership that will enter its fifth consecutive season. The announcement ends uncertainty over whether the two-time champion would retire after the current campaign.

The team described the extensions as long-term agreements but did not announce their expiry dates. Alonso’s commitment also removes a potential opening from the driver market, leaving six of the 22 seats without formal confirmation. That count includes places expected to remain with their current drivers.

See the updated 2027 F1 grid following Alonso and Stroll’s renewals.

Ferrari backs Vasseur after Horner’s comments

Ferrari has reaffirmed its support for Frédéric Vasseur after Christian Horner described working for the Italian team as a dream opportunity. The former Red Bull boss’s comments renewed discussion about Ferrari’s leadership, prompting a response from the organisation.

“We have full confidence in Fred Vasseur and in his team,” Ferrari said.

The team stated that chairman John Elkann and chief executive Benedetto Vigna remain aligned in their support. Its immediate competitive focus is improving the SF-26 after Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton sixth in Azerbaijan.

Read Ferrari’s response to the speculation surrounding Vasseur and Horner.

Pérez fears a serious accident after Lawson near miss

Sergio Pérez has warned that differences in electrical energy deployment are creating dangerous closing speeds between the 2026 cars. The Cadillac driver cited a near miss with Liam Lawson during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a reason to review the regulations.

“I would have had a massive crash with Lawson,” Pérez said.

His concern is that one car can still be deploying electrical power while another has substantially reduced its output. That difference can cause a following driver to arrive much faster than the driver ahead expects, making a defensive move particularly difficult to judge.

The full account of Pérez’s warning and the Baku incident also explains why energy deployment will remain a subject of attention at Sepang.

Hamilton questions what a Sprint can change at Monaco

Hamilton has questioned the choice of Monaco for a Sprint in 2027, arguing that the event needs a different approach. His comments place the emphasis on whether another short race can improve a weekend at a circuit where overtaking remains exceptionally difficult.

The issue extends beyond adding another competitive session. Monaco’s track position and qualifying importance mean that changing the weekend schedule does not automatically change how the racing unfolds.

The story follows Hamilton’s questions about Ferrari’s Safety Car decision in Baku, another major talking point from the Azerbaijan weekend.

Câmara says he is ready for the step to F1

Rafael Câmara believes he is ready to move into Formula 1 after testing with Ferrari and Haas. Those opportunities have given the Brazilian experience of F1 machinery as attention turns to the remaining decisions on the 2027 grid.

His assessment of his readiness adds a driver’s perspective to the market discussion. A Formula 1 opportunity still depends on a team’s decision, and Haas has yet to formally announce its complete pairing for next season.

The current 2027 grid identifies which line-ups are confirmed and which remain unresolved.

Russell’s Baku win keeps Mercedes’ title fight in focus

George Russell arrives at the next round following his Azerbaijan victory, with his recent form raising questions about what might have been possible earlier in the season. The British driver has acknowledged that this level of performance arrived late in his championship challenge.

That makes Sepang relevant to both Mercedes drivers. Russell needs to continue converting his pace into results, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli faces the next stage of their internal contest.

Read Russell’s assessment of his title form after the Baku victory.

Why Sepang will be a different test from Baku

Sepang replaces Baku’s narrow street sections with wide corners, sustained high-speed loads and a greater emphasis on tyre management. Heat and humidity add to the demands on drivers and machinery, while rain could change the conditions between sessions.

The return also gives teams limited recent reference data. Formula 1 last raced there in 2017, and conclusions drawn from the previous generation of cars cannot simply be transferred to the 2026 machinery.

See why Sepang poses a different challenge from Baku and the weather considerations for F1’s Malaysian return.

The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia runs from 2–4 October. Practice begins on Friday, qualifying takes place on Saturday and the race starts on Sunday at 15:00 local time.

F1 today: FAQ

Is there Formula 1 on today, 29 September?

No. There are no F1 track sessions on Tuesday. The next race weekend begins on Friday, 2 October, at Sepang in Malaysia.

When is the next F1 race?

The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia takes place on Sunday, 4 October. It starts at 08:00 in the UK, 12:30 in India, 03:00 on the US East Coast and 18:00 in Sydney.

Are Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll staying at Aston Martin for 2027?

Yes. Aston Martin confirmed on Tuesday that both drivers have extended their contracts and will remain its race pairing beyond the 2026 season.

Is there F1 today, 29 September?

No. There are no Formula 1 track sessions on Tuesday. The next weekend begins on Friday, 2 October, at Sepang.