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- Christian Horner says Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaff thanked him<\/strong> for his contribution to the team’s successful engine programme.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Martin Brundle has criticised Hamilton’s bizarre Singapore strategy decision<\/strong>, adding to the pressure surrounding Ferrari.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Verstappen prepares for a change in race engineering at Austin, while Red Bull’s recent victories strengthen its prospects for 2027.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Formula 1 news on Wednesday, October 14, 2026<\/strong>, is dominated by developments at Red Bull and Ferrari, with Christian Horner revealing an unexpected conversation with his former employers and Martin Brundle questioning Lewis Hamilton’s decision-making during the Singapore Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Max Verstappen’s consecutive victories in Malaysia and Singapore have also brought renewed attention to Red Bull’s technical progress, particularly as the team prepares for changes in its engineering structure. Meanwhile, George Russell’s second place in the Drivers’ Championship has become increasingly vulnerable ahead of the United States Grand Prix, and Formula 1’s decision to award Rwanda a future race continues to generate questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Horner reveals Red Bull chief called to thank him after Verstappen victory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Christian Horner has revealed that Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff contacted him to acknowledge his contribution to the team’s engine programme<\/strong>, following Verstappen’s victory at Sepang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The former Red Bull team principal played a central role in establishing Red Bull Powertrains before his dismissal in July 2025. The Malaysian Grand Prix marked the operation’s first Formula 1 victory with its own power unit, developed in partnership with Ford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to The Guardian<\/em>, Horner said Mintzlaff had called to thank him for the work undertaken during the project’s development. The conversation came approximately 15 months after his departure, which ended a 20-year period in charge of the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Horner also acknowledged that his dismissal remains painful, while speculation continues about a possible return to Formula 1. Ferrari has been mentioned as a potential destination, although no agreement has been confirmed and the Italian manufacturer continues to support Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vasseur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The former team principal discussed the circumstances of the conversation in his latest comments about Red Bull’s historic engine victory<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brundle blasts Hamilton’s ‘bizarre’ Ferrari strategy decision<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Martin Brundle has sharply criticised Lewis Hamilton’s decision to remain on track during the Singapore Grand Prix<\/strong>, questioning why the seven-time world champion attempted to manage Ferrari’s strategy from the cockpit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hamilton had been running third when a Virtual Safety Car offered Ferrari an opportunity to bring both drivers into the pits. Charles Leclerc followed the team’s instruction, but Hamilton continued, attempting to complete an extended stint on soft tyres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decision proved costly. Hamilton lost positions to Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri before finishing sixth, while Leclerc secured second place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his post-race column for Sky Sports F1<\/em>, Brundle used the word “bizarrely” when discussing Hamilton’s refusal to stop again and described the incident as revealing of the difficulties surrounding the Ferrari driver’s race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hamilton subsequently accepted responsibility and apologised to the team. The criticism adds another dimension to Ferrari’s internal problems, which have included disagreements over strategy and driver cooperation throughout the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brundle’s assessment and the circumstances of Hamilton’s decision are detailed in GRANDE PR\u00caMIO’s report on the Singapore strategy controversy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Snapinsta.app_96250564_585086612360852_6148434937732383792_n_1080.jpg\")
Martin Brundle popularizou o grid walk na F\u00f3rmula 1 (Foto: Reprodu\u00e7\u00e3o \/ Instagram)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Verstappen faces change to his race-engineering partnership at Austin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Max Verstappen is preparing to work with Tom Hart in place of Gianpiero Lambiase during selected races<\/strong>, beginning with the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lambiase has been Verstappen’s race engineer since the Dutchman joined Red Bull in 2016, forming one of Formula 1’s most successful driver-engineer partnerships. However, the team’s preparations for a future transition have created an opportunity for Hart to take on additional responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The arrangement comes at a particularly important moment, with Verstappen having won consecutive grands prix and Red Bull attempting to maintain its improved performance during the final six rounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The planned changes are linked to Lambiase’s future move to McLaren, although he remains part of Red Bull’s engineering operation for the time being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The situation is examined in Verstappen’s winning partnership with Lambiase faces first major change in Austin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Red Bull’s winning streak strengthens its 2027 challenge against Mercedes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Verstappen’s victories at Sepang and Singapore have provided evidence that Red Bull’s technical recovery extends beyond a single circuit<\/strong>, raising the prospect of a much stronger challenge to Mercedes in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The RB22 struggled during the opening half of the season, particularly with aerodynamic balance and the integration of Red Bull’s new power-unit programme. However, developments introduced during the second half of the championship have improved the car’s handling and consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two most recent victories are particularly significant because Sepang and Marina Bay require very different technical characteristics. Red Bull demonstrated competitive performance on both circuits, suggesting that its improvements are not limited to one type of track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mercedes remains the championship benchmark, with Kimi Antonelli leading the Drivers’ Championship by 102 points over George Russell. Nevertheless, the German team has also experienced difficulties extracting consistent performance from its latest aerodynamic package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The implications for next season are explored in Verstappen’s Red Bull revival is laying the groundwork to challenge Antonelli in F1 2027<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russell could lose second place to three drivers in Austin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
George Russell enters the United States Grand Prix with just nine points separating him from Lewis Hamilton<\/strong>, while Verstappen and Leclerc are also close enough to challenge for second place in the championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Mercedes driver has 238 points, compared with Hamilton’s 229, Verstappen’s 221 and Leclerc’s 215.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russell’s position has become vulnerable following two difficult weekends. He retired from the Malaysian Grand Prix with a power-unit failure before recovering to ninth in Singapore after starting near the back because of engine-related penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Verstappen won both races, significantly reducing his deficit to the Mercedes driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With 25 points available at Austin, Hamilton, Verstappen and Leclerc all have mathematical opportunities to move ahead of Russell, depending on their respective results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scenarios are detailed in which F1 drivers can take second place from Russell at the United States Grand Prix<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
F1’s Rwanda decision raises questions over circuit and FIA ties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Formula 1’s agreement to bring the championship back to Africa continues to attract scrutiny following Tuesday’s announcement of a ten-year deal with Rwanda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The country is preparing to build a new circuit in Bugesera, approximately 40 kilometres south of Kigali, but the venue does not yet exist as a completed racing facility and no definitive inaugural race date has been confirmed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decision has raised questions about the selection process, particularly because South Africa’s Kyalami circuit has also pursued Formula 1’s return to the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rwanda has developed an increasingly visible relationship with international motorsport authorities, including hosting the FIA’s General Assembly and annual awards ceremony in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, that relationship does not establish improper influence in the selection process. The financial guarantees, construction timetable and commercial considerations behind the agreement remain important subjects for scrutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The investigation Why is F1 so interested in Rwanda \u2014 a country without a racetrack?<\/a> examines the infrastructure project, the FIA’s relationship with Kigali and the comparison with Kyalami.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawson strengthens Racing Bulls case with 61% of team’s points<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Liam Lawson has strengthened his prospects of remaining at Racing Bulls in 2027 after contributing 61 of the team’s 100 championship points<\/strong> during the current season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The New Zealander scored 16 points across the Bahrain and Singapore weekends, including seventh-place finishes in both grands prix and fifth in the Singapore sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His contribution is particularly significant because he spent three races competing for Red Bull while replacing Isack Hadjar, collecting another 14 points for the senior team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawson has 75 points in the Drivers’ Championship, compared with 38 for Racing Bulls team-mate Arvid Lindblad. The New Zealander also leads their direct comparison in race and qualifying results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sky Sports F1<\/em> reporter Ted Kravitz expects Racing Bulls to retain both drivers, although the team has not announced its 2027 line-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Martin Brundle has criticised Hamilton’s bizarre Singapore strategy decision<\/strong>, adding to the pressure surrounding Ferrari.<\/li>\n\n\n\n