George Russell says Mercedes team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the Formula 1 title favourite and that it is “his to lose” after Russell’s retirement from the Canadian Grand Prix helped Antonelli extend his lead to 43 points after five rounds. Russell said: "Right now, it's his [Antonelli's] to lose. So many points ahead. I don't want to be stood here talking like that. It is, of course, frustrating, and I want to be in that fight. Hopefully, the luck turns."

McLaren chief executive Zak Brown says the team would consider developing its own Formula 1 power unit if an engine formula became financially viable, while stressing it is happy with Mercedes. Brown said: "I think if you got an engine formula that was financially viable then, yeah, we would consider it and the technology. That being said, we couldn't be happier with Mercedes. If something is presented to us that first financially makes sense, then we'll have a look at it."

Martin Brundle says Mercedes driver George Russell has to believe “what goes around comes around” after retiring from the lead of the Canadian Grand Prix with a Mercedes power unit failure, leaving him 43 points behind team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli after five rounds of the 2026 season. Martin Brundle said: "George Russell is now 43 points behind his teenage team-mate, that's equivalent to a first and second place, and he has to believe that what goes around comes around. There's still a very long way to go but McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull are not going to stand still either."






Kimi Antonelli said his battle with Mercedes team-mate George Russell for the lead at the Canadian Grand Prix was “on the edge”, but added it was entertaining to watch. Kimi Antonelli said: "I think a couple of times was maybe a little bit on the edge, but we were going at each other. We were both pushing and we both wanted to win. And it was, I think, for everyone watching, pretty entertaining. So definitely I think the stint was a lot of fun because we were both pushing on the limit and going for it."

Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack said the team needs to “get its act together” on basic operations after a weekend of incidents at the Canadian Grand Prix. Krack said: "We have done better in the past, and we will do better in the future, but we had a few glitches this weekend that we need to get better at. [There was] the wheel cover that Lance lost, and we also had to start from the pit lane in the Sprint race. That is obviously not ideal, and we will have to regroup and work on these issues so that they do not happen again."
Charles Leclerc said his pace gap to team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Canadian Grand Prix weekend was not caused by car set-up, but by his own lack of feeling and confidence in the car. Leclerc said: "There's none of the performance we are seeing today down to a set-up. You can say there's one-tenth in a setup, but at the end of the day, it's not that much. In F1, now we are speaking about such small details. It's more about my feeling and just the way I drove [on Sunday]. By not having confidence on a day like this, I just didn't push hard."

Oscar Piastri says he was "caught out" by a lack of grip when he locked up and collided with Alex Albon at the 2026 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix. Piastri said: "I thought it was going to be a bit tricky but possible. Just the level of grip out there was like nothing I've driven before, really. Just caught myself out, and obviously very sorry for Williams and Alex, because I wasn't really trying to overtake him. Just locked up, and that was it."


Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbrook said a potential move back to V8 engines in Formula 1 would not be an issue for Ford, amid FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s push for a return to V8 power units with reduced electrification from 2030. Rushbrook said: "The way that we look at it as a sport, there are a lot of stakeholders, and those stakeholders need to be able to share their opinion, but, at the end of the day, somebody needs to make a decision and move the sport in that direction. We've got a lot of flexibility in what works for us now. If you look at the products that we have, the different power trains that we have, there's a wide range."
Pierre Gasly says Alpine have “a lot of work ahead” to get their car back into a good place after struggling again in Canada, despite recovering into the points from 14th on the grid. Gasly said: "Overall, it's a really good team result and strong points for the championship. In general, though, I have struggled with the car again and, as a team, we need to see why that is and aim to fix a few areas. There is a lot of work ahead of us to get the car into a good place again and that is our target between now and Monaco."

Charles Leclerc says Ferrari are “quite down” on horsepower and hopes the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) process could help the team close some of its straight-line speed gap to rivals. Leclerc said: "It's probably a bit of both. But surely in terms of horsepower, we are quite down. So I hope we are into the ADUO, then this will help us to close a little bit the gap."
Lewis Hamilton says he is “really loving working” with new Ferrari race engineer Carlo Santi after an off-season change following a difficult first year working with Riccardo Adami. Hamilton said: "I chose a different set-up this weekend through just ciphering through the data, working really well with my engineer. He's absolutely awesome and I'm really loving working with him."
Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle said Lewis Hamilton’s second place at the Canadian Grand Prix was “bittersweet”, because he passed Max Verstappen for the position but was beaten by Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes Hamilton left for Ferrari. Brundle said: "I think it's sort of bittersweet for Lewis, isn't it? Because Antonelli wins the race in the car Lewis stepped out of to go to Ferrari. But to get a second place there in such a competitive way… For Lewis to get that by overtaking his old rival in Max Verstappen, he'll be thoroughly satisfied with that."


Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies said the team were “a little bit relieved” to see Max Verstappen come through the Nürburgring 24 Hours unscathed, while backing the four-time Formula 1 champion’s racing outside F1. Mekies said: "Of course, we are a little bit relieved when the race is over, and we know he's going to jump on the plane and join us back. But overall, it's very positive for the sport, for motorsport as a whole, for Max and for the team."

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says Mercedes is “ahead of the field” on powertrain performance as Formula 1 waits for the FIA to announce the results of its first ADUO evaluation after the Canadian Grand Prix. Mekies said: "And today we think the pecking order is Mercedes, in terms of the powertrain, ahead of the field. And that means eight cars, so it is very significant. We think behind them there is a group where we see us, Ferrari, Audi — don't ask me to quote the numbers because it will be gaming — but we certainly see a consistent gap compared to the Mercedes-Benz-powered cars."
Lando Norris says Ferrari are likely to be the team to beat at next weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, even though Mercedes have taken pole position and won all five races so far this season. Norris said: "Honestly, I think the Ferrari will be on pole next weekend in Monaco. Their low-speed performance is far better than everyone else."


Gucci will become Alpine’s title sponsor from 2027 in a multi-year deal, marking the Italian fashion house’s first move into Formula 1 and replacing BWT as the team’s main backer. Alpine said the team will be renamed the Gucci Racing Alpine F1 Team, with a new black-and-gold Gucci Racing identity unveiled and Gucci branding set to feature prominently on the 2027 car, alongside bespoke paddock and performance products for team personnel. Gucci said it is joining F1 now because it sees the championship’s audience and reach as a strong fit for the brand, with president and CEO Francesca Bellettini saying: "F1 represents today a unique convergence of performance, culture, and global reach, and Alpine is the right partner to bring this vision to life."





F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali says Formula 1 has “a contingency plan” if the season-ending Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix cannot go ahead amid ongoing instability in the Middle East. Domenicali said: "I can confirm that we have a contingency plan. And if the two end-of-year races cannot take place because the war is not over, we will have other alternatives."

Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali says he supports the proposed return to V8 engines, after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said he is keen to reintroduce them for the next cycle of regulations while keeping sustainable fuels. Domenicali said: "1,000%, I've always said so. I fully support the vision of the FIA president. With sustainable fuel, lighter cars, and V8 engines, we rediscover the pure essence of motorsport. That's what I've always loved."



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