F1 today: Rwanda confirms historic deal as Verstappen challenges Mercedes

News Summary

• Formula 1 has confirmed a ten-year agreement with Rwanda, paving the way for the championship’s return to Africa in the early 2030s.
• Red Bull’s consecutive victories in Malaysia and Singapore have strengthened Verstappen’s position against Mercedes ahead of Austin.
• Racing Bulls is increasingly expected to retain Lawson and Lindblad for 2027, although no official driver announcement has been made.

The biggest Formula 1 news on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, is the confirmation of a historic agreement to bring the championship back to Africa, ending a decades-long absence from the continent.

Meanwhile, the competitive battle between Red Bull and Mercedes continues to develop following Max Verstappen’s victories at Sepang and Singapore, while Kimi Antonelli approaches his first opportunity to secure the world championship.

The driver market also remains active, with fresh speculation surrounding Racing Bulls’ 2027 line-up, and the FIA has explained a controversial decision involving Antonelli during the Singapore Grand Prix.

F1 confirms historic return to Africa with Rwanda Grand Prix

Formula 1 has officially signed a ten-year agreement to bring the championship back to Africa, with Rwanda set to host a new grand prix beginning in the early 2030s.

The announcement was made in Kigali on Tuesday, with Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Rwandan president Paul Kagame involved in confirming the project.

The race will take place at a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, approximately 40 kilometres south of Kigali, with the event promoted under the Visit Rwanda banner.

Africa has not hosted a Formula 1 world championship race since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.

The agreement follows several years of negotiations over the championship’s return to the continent, with Rwanda ultimately securing the project ahead of competing proposals.

An exact date for the inaugural race has not yet been confirmed.

Read more: F1 confirms Rwanda Grand Prix in historic 10-year deal to return to Africa.

Red Bull’s resurgence raises new questions for Mercedes

Max Verstappen’s consecutive victories in Malaysia and Singapore have changed the competitive picture in Formula 1, with Red Bull demonstrating substantial progress after a difficult opening half of the season.

The Dutchman dominated both grands prix, winning at circuits with different technical characteristics and suggesting that Red Bull’s improvements extend beyond a single type of track.

The team’s latest aerodynamic developments have helped improve the RB22’s handling and consistency, allowing Verstappen to extract more performance during qualifying and race conditions.

Mercedes, meanwhile, has been working to understand its latest upgrade package.

The German manufacturer confirmed that Antonelli’s updated W17 was faster than the older specification used by George Russell in Singapore, although the team acknowledged that the new package remains difficult to optimise.

The difference in development progress has raised questions about whether Red Bull now possesses the stronger race-winning package, despite Mercedes’ commanding championship position.

Read the analysis: Red Bull has solved its F1 problems. Has Mercedes created new ones?.

Racing Bulls expected to retain Lawson and Lindblad for 2027

Racing Bulls is moving closer to a decision on its 2027 driver line-up, with Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz expecting the team to retain Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.

The pair have helped Racing Bulls establish itself in fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, strengthening the case for continuity.

Lawson has been particularly effective during recent races, scoring 16 points across the Bahrain and Singapore weekends and contributing 61 of the team’s 100 championship points this season.

The New Zealander has also scored 14 points while substituting for Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, bringing his individual championship total to 75.

Lindblad has collected 38 points during his rookie season, while Formula 2 contender Nikola Tsolov remains another candidate within Red Bull’s driver-development programme.

No official announcement has been made, but Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane expects the decision to be finalised in the coming weeks.

Read more: Racing Bulls set to retain Lawson and Lindblad for 2027.

FIA explains why Antonelli escaped Singapore track limits penalty

The FIA has provided an explanation for its decision not to penalise Kimi Antonelli despite four track limits incidents during the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver finished third at Marina Bay, extending his championship advantage over George Russell to 102 points.

However, questions emerged after the race about why Antonelli had not received a time penalty despite apparently exceeding track limits on four occasions.

The governing body subsequently clarified its interpretation of the incidents and the circumstances under which track limits violations are counted.

The decision attracted attention because a five-second penalty could have affected Antonelli’s final classification and championship points.

Read more: FIA explains why Antonelli escaped F1 penalty despite four Singapore track limits incidents.

Antonelli approaches first chance to win the 2026 F1 title

Kimi Antonelli could become Formula 1 world champion at the United States Grand Prix, although the required combination of results remains difficult.

The Mercedes driver leads the championship with 340 points, compared with Russell’s 238, following his third-place finish in Singapore.

Lewis Hamilton remains third with 229 points, followed by Verstappen on 221 and Charles Leclerc on 215.

Antonelli must establish an unassailable advantage over every remaining mathematical contender to secure the championship in Austin.

With five grands prix remaining after the American round, a maximum of 125 points would still be available.

That means Antonelli needs to leave Austin with at least a 126-point advantage over his closest rival to guarantee the championship without relying on a tie-break.

The Italian’s current advantage over Russell stands at 102 points, leaving him needing a particularly favourable result in Texas.

Read more: Antonelli can win F1 title in Austin — but the results he needs make it unlikely.

When is the next F1 race?

The next Formula 1 race is the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

The event runs from October 23 to 25, with three practice sessions, qualifying and Sunday’s 56-lap grand prix.

Austin is not a sprint weekend in 2026.

Verstappen will attempt to secure his third consecutive grand prix victory, while Antonelli could take another major step towards the championship.

The full United States GP 2026 schedule, start times and viewing information are available on GRANDE PRÊMIO.