It may be a raceless Sunday, but that doesn't mean there's a vacuum in the world of F1 news – in fact, there wasn't.
With multiple world champions in the headlines, there's plenty to cover as part of Sunday's headlines. So let's get straight to the point.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso Red Bull reports thrown out
Respected F1 journalist Mark Hughes has reported that both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso attempted to move to Red Bull but were rejected.
In response to a fan's tweet claiming that Hamilton, Alonso, Leclerc and Norris have all rejected Red Bull seats within the past 12 months, Hughes replied:
“Neither Leclerc, Hamilton nor Alonso were given a spot. Hamilton and Alonso both tried but were told no.”
read more: Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso 'both said no' as Red Bull theory crushed
Mario Andretti warns of further US expansion
When former F1 chairman Chase Carey said last year that Liberty Media's targets for further expansion into the United States were Las Vegas, Miami and New York, 1978 world champion Mario Andretti said he had no plans for a year. A warning has been issued against holding a race in the United States, which will be the fourth race in the popular Austin race. Ten years from now.
He told Sports Illustrated:
“I think you should have something to really look forward to. Sometimes when you have too much of a good thing, you don't appreciate it as much. That's my opinion.
“I can take it however they want, but I think 75 years ago we were expecting at least two races, now it's three F1 races, three races. Very popular. We found this out by looking at the attendance and other factors.Let's not push ourselves too hard.
read more: Mario Andretti warns against 'overdoing it' amid F1's massive expansion plans
Adrian Newey's “strange formula'' evaluation of the 2026 engine
Adrian Newey says 2026 cars will have unique demands, with new engines that act not only as combustion engines but also as energy generators, so they may need to run at high revs even in slow corners. I explained that I couldn't do it.
As he explained, an interesting dilemma remains at the moment.
“It's definitely going to be a strange formula in that the engine is almost always running flat chat as a generator,” Newey told Motorsport.com.
“So the prospect of the engine working hard in the middle of the Loews hairpin will take some getting used to.”
read more: Adrian Newey talks about the 'strange formula' for 2026 engine regulations
Alain Prost talks about Max Verstappen's “perception'' of the title
Alain Prost says that despite Max Verstappen's overwhelming success, recent titles are “not that good” given the number 1 and number 2 positions employed by Red Bull and other teams on the grid. He explained that he was concerned that he would be seen as
“Max is one of the best drivers today. Probably the best, but you have to accept that,” Prost told Sports Illustrated.
“If you look at the perception that people have, he's winning because of this car, so it's actually not that good for himself and that's a shame, because he's actually part of the success. Because I think so.
“But obviously the big teams like Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull are more organized and have a better chance of winning if they have a number one driver in the team, a favorite driver. And they focus on that. So it's a little disappointing that we can't do that at the moment.”
read more: Alain Prost explains why Max Verstappen's title will become less valuable as F1's dominance continues
Imola seeks 'long-term' F1 contract
With a deal in place to continue F1 for the next few years, Imola's mayor called for a “long-term” commitment to holding two races in Italy.
Imola and Monza have been on the calendar together since the 2020 coronavirus season, when Mugello was also on the calendar, but despite the circuit's popularity there is no guarantee of that.
“While we wait for the excitement of this year's Grand Prix from May 17th to 19th, we are working hard at various levels to hold these two GPs in Italy and give a long-term outlook. We continue to work as a team,” Imola said. Mayor Marco Panieri.
“Imola is ready for this year, the territorial system is already in place, we have made important investments in structures, courses, hospitality and the versatility of our spaces, and we are particularly keen to improve the value of the Motor Valley. I'm working on Tele e Motori.
read more: Much-loved F1 circuit hopes for “valuable'' long-term effort despite uncertain future
