Ayao Komatsu says Haas is “fighting with both hands tied” because the team is not yet able to operate at Formula 1’s 2026 budget cap of $215m. Komatsu said: "But really, honestly, it's not fair on our guys to have that constraint, if you like. It's like they're fighting with both hands tied."


Mattia Binotto says rival drivers being linked with Audi shows the “credibility” of the team’s Formula 1 project is improving, as he insisted he is happy with Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg. Binotto said: "The fact that other drivers are linked to our team, I can only be very happy with because it is showing the credibility of our project is improving. It is showing that the perception from the outside that one day we can become competitive is no longer a rumour, but it is a fact."
Alex Albon says Williams is battling “genetic DNA problems” with its car and doubts the team’s planned Azerbaijan Grand Prix upgrade will be enough to quickly turn things around. Albon said: "We know the weaknesses of the car. We know the direction. As a team this year, the work that's been done at the factory, it's the biggest effort I've seen at the team to really fight these genetic DNA problems that this team has. So, if it's cured by Baku, I doubt it. A lot of what we're really fortunately biting into is next year's car. It's making sure next year's car doesn't have these traits."
Sergio Perez says Cadillac need to improve reliability after his retirement from the Hungarian Grand Prix with a broken suspension, as the new team continues to suffer a spate of DNFs. Perez said: "Obviously being a new team, you kind of expect all these issues. It's a little frustrating that it has happened very often. I'm sure that we will use this break to make sure we are able to clean and to improve all areas in different departments. It's really important how we are able to progress the second half of the season."







Former Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko says Max Verstappen cannot repeat last year's late-season title charge, as he believes Red Bull are not consistently quick enough and the competition is now too strong. Marko said: "They aren't consistently fast. Moreover, things don't seem to be going entirely smoothly between Max and the engineers. The competition from McLaren and Ferrari is too strong, and the car is too unstable."
Liam Lawson says he confronted Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko at Zandvoort in 2023 by asking why he was not being given an F1 chance, and thinks it “pissed off” Marko before Lawson later got his opportunity that weekend. Lawson said: "I went into his office on Friday morning at Zandvoort and said 'Why won't you just give me a chance? You've invested all this money in me. What's the point? I've been in the programme for five years.' It got to the point where I think he got a little bit pissed off because he basically just shut me down. I left that meeting and I called my coach who was there and I was talking to him. 'This is pretty tough.'"
Toto Wolff says he will “not allow” Kimi Antonelli and George Russell’s Mercedes rivalry to turn into a repeat of the Lewis Hamilton-Nico Rosberg situation, and insists he would remove a driver if it escalated. Wolff said: "I will not allow it. That's never going to happen to me again. That's never going to happen to the team again. Simple. I'm just taking a driver out if he does that."
Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta says the Formula 1 title fight always “changes” after the summer shutdown. Resta said: "History tells us that the championship always changes after the summer shutdown. The pressure increases on the teams that are leading, but equally it increases on the teams trying to catch up. The environment becomes more intense, and every result carries more weight."

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