Max Verstappen has suggested that proposed changes to the 2027 Formula 1 engine regulations could persuade him to remain in the sport beyond the current season.
The reigning world champion previously revealed he was considering an early exit from the grid at the end of the year.
His frustrations stemmed from the newly introduced 2026 power unit rules, which he argued forced an unnatural driving style to optimise lap times.
Shift in engine regulations
The FIA has recently reached a consensus with teams to adjust the total power distribution for the 2027 campaign.
Under these proposed adjustments, the power split will move closer to a 60-40 ratio.
This regulation tweak will increase the reliance on the internal combustion engine while decreasing the overall electrical output.
The mechanical shift is expected to allow competitors to return to the more traditional driving dynamics seen in previous seasons.
Positive direction for the sport
The finalised technical package must now be formally ratified by the World Motor Sport Council following a vote by manufacturers.
The Dutch driver, who technically holds a contract with his team until 2028, welcomed the governing body’s willingness to listen to feedback.
“It’s definitely heading into a very positive direction. I think it’s the minimum I was hoping for.”
He confirmed that these upcoming adjustments significantly boost the chances of him staying on the grid next year.
“I just want a good product in Formula 1, and that will for sure improve the product.”
Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, the championship leader noted that his enjoyment of racing naturally increases when the cars perform optimally.
Most of the paddock had echoed the Red Bull star’s concerns regarding the inability to push cars to their absolute limit during qualifying sessions.
Lewis Hamilton has confirmed his contract with Ferrari runs until at least the end of 2027, dismissing suggestions that he is ready to retire from Formula 1.
The 41-year-old joined the Scuderia at the start of last year but endured a difficult maiden campaign in 2025.
That season marked the first time in the seven-time world champion’s illustrious career that he failed to secure a podium finish.
Focus remains on the future
The British driver started the current season brightly, claiming his first top-three finish in red at the second race in China.
However, he has recently lacked the outright pace of his team-mate Charles Leclerc at the latest rounds in Japan and Miami.
When the former Mercedes star signed his multi-year deal, the exact length was kept undisclosed by the Italian marque.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, the veteran racer clarified his ongoing commitment to the sport.
“I’m still under contract, so everything’s 100 per cent clear to me,” he said when asked about his future.
Silencing the critics
“I’m still focused, I’m still motivated. I still love what I do with all my heart, and I’m going to be here for quite some time, so get used to it.”
“There’s a lot of people that are trying to retire me, and that’s not even all my thoughts.”
“I’m already thinking of what will be next, and planning for, like, the next five years. But I still plan to be here for some time.”
NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch will miss Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after being admitted to hospital with a severe illness.
The 41-year-old was also scheduled to compete in the weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event prior to his unexpected medical emergency.
Austin Hill steps in as substitute
Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has confirmed that Austin Hill will replace the recovering driver in the No. 8 Chevrolet for the Cup race.
Hill currently drives the No. 21 entry for the organisation in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
“Kyle Busch’s health is our upmost priority and he and his family have the full resources of RCR behind them,” an official team statement read.
The racing team emphasised that their regular driver remains an integral part of the organisation and wished him a safe, speedy recovery.
Family requests privacy
Details surrounding the specific nature of the medical condition have not been disclosed by representatives.
“Kyle has experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization,” his family announced via social media.
The statement confirmed he is currently undergoing treatment and will halt all scheduled racing activities for the weekend.
“We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation,” the family added.
The veteran racer currently sits 24th in the Cup Series standings following the opening 12 events of the season.
George Russell heads to the Canadian Grand Prix under mounting pressure to reignite his Formula 1 world championship challenge after Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli’s run of three successive victories.
The 28-year-old Briton returns to action in Montreal trailing the Italian teenager by 20 points at the top of the standings.
This weekend marks the start of a crucial phase in the 2026 season, with seven races scheduled over the next 10 weeks before the August summer break.
Shifting momentum at Mercedes
Russell began the new regulatory era as the overwhelming favourite to claim his maiden world title.
He immediately justified that status by taking pole position and the race victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
The momentum remained with the experienced driver when he triumphed in the China Sprint race, again starting from the front of the grid.
However, the championship pendulum has swung dramatically towards his younger garage companion since that early success.
Can experience overcome youth?
A technical problem during main qualifying in China restricted Russell to a single run, opening the door for Antonelli to secure his first career pole position.
That misfortune was followed by a troubled weekend in Miami, allowing the 19-year-old to complete a hat-trick of wins and seize the championship initiative.
Despite the current deficit, Russell can draw confidence from his dominant performance against the same team-mate last year.
During his team-mate’s rookie campaign, Russell outqualified him 21-3 and comprehensively outscored him by 319 points to 150.
With Mercedes widely recognised as the dominant force under the new regulations, their intra-team battle is poised to dictate the destination of the world championship.
Former Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick has been elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame as a first-ballot inductee after securing 92% of the vote on Tuesday.
The 48-year-old began his premier class career under immensely difficult circumstances in 2001, unexpectedly stepping in to replace the late Dale Earnhardt.
Over two decades at the highest level of stock car racing, the California native established himself as an all-time great.
A staggering legacy on and off the track
The 2014 series champion amassed 60 race victories, conquering all four crown jewel events at Daytona, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Darlington.
He also boasts an incredible 121 combined wins across the sport’s three national divisions.
“Even though you’re expecting the call, it’s still somewhat weird to get the call.”
Harvick said.
Beyond his driving accolades, the former racing star has successfully transitioned into a broadcasting role with Fox Sports.
‘The complete package’
The newly minted Hall of Famer also serves as a championship-winning car owner, track partner and management company executive.
Fellow NASCAR legend Tony Stewart praised his former driver’s immense versatility and mental toughness.
“He’s definitely deserving, for sure. The thing that I learned firsthand working with Kevin and driving his cars, he is the complete package.”
Stewart said.
Stewart emphasised that statistics only tell a fraction of the veteran driver’s story.
Reflecting on a remarkable journey
“People don’t realize how good he is. There is nobody that can do what he does.”
Stewart added.
Reflecting on his journey from racing go-karts in rural fields, the newest inductee admitted the recognition felt surreal.
He noted that waiting for the voting results in his pickup truck felt slightly uncomfortable, not wanting to appear arrogant.
“To be amongst the best that have ever done it in our sport, it’s pretty rewarding.”
Harvick concluded.
Former winner Alexander Rossi has been taken to hospital for evaluation following a multi-car crash during Monday’s practice session for the Indianapolis 500.
The 2016 champion spun through the second turn on the 2.5-mile oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
His car struck the outside wall before skidding down the track, collecting trailing drivers Pato O’Ward and Romain Grosjean.
Medical evaluations follow track incident
The Californian appeared unsteady as he climbed into a vehicle transporting him to the track’s infield care centre.
Dr Julia Valzer later confirmed that the front-row qualifier had been transferred to a local hospital for further assessment.
O’Ward and Grosjean were also evaluated at the medical centre but were quickly checked and released without serious issue.
Mexican driver O’Ward admitted there was little he could do to avoid the collision at such high speeds.
“Just wrong place, wrong time and just got collected there. These cars don’t stop very well when you’re going at those speeds and with how you run the brakes.”
Grid preparations disrupted ahead of race
The incident marked the first crash on the famous oval this month and leaves several teams facing extensive repair work.
Less than 24 hours prior, Rossi had narrowly missed out on pole position to defending champion Alex Palou, securing a career-best second place start.
Conor Daly, who qualified eighth for his season debut, also sustained damage in the subsequent chaos.
“Unfortunately, we got caught up in the Turn 2 accident in front of us and collected some damage. Hopefully the guys can get that all fixed up.”
The sold-out weekend race has already seen starting grid changes after IndyCar officials penalised Caio Collet and Jack Harvey.
Both drivers were sent to the back of the 33-car field following technical inspections that uncovered unapproved equipment changes.
Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is exploring a return to Formula 1 by attempting to acquire a stake in Alpine following the expiration of his non-compete clause.
The 52-year-old was dismissed from his dual roles as team principal and chief executive at Red Bull following the British Grand Prix in July 2025.
His departure ended a highly successful 20-year tenure that yielded multiple world championships with both Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
The Briton reportedly accepted a reduced severance package, believed to be around £75m, to secure a shorter gardening leave period and expedite his paddock comeback.
Alpine investment battle looms
Horner is part of an investment consortium interested in purchasing the 24% stake in the Alpine team currently held by US firm Otro Capital.
Securing a significant ownership percentage would afford the former Milton Keynes chief greater operational power and protect him from future dismissals.
However, his route back to the pit wall faces fierce competition from a familiar adversary in the shape of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
The German manufacturer emerged in March as a rival bidder to acquire the same lucrative slice of the French outfit.
Unexpected paddock alliances
In a surprising twist, McLaren chief executive Zak Brown has emerged as an unlikely ally in the Briton’s quest to secure the Alpine investment.
The American executive strongly opposes the concept of affiliated secondary teams in the sport and views an independently operated Alpine as a preferable outcome.
Ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, the returning executive has been visibly ramping up his motorsport presence with appearances at recent MotoGP and Formula E events.
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen was denied victory on his Nurburgring 24 Hours debut due to a late mechanical failure, on a weekend that also saw former F1 driver Timo Glock stripped of his racing licence.
The Dutch driver had helped steer his Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 into the race lead alongside team-mates Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella.
However, their hopes of securing a famous endurance win were dashed with just a few hours remaining.
Late heartbreak for Verstappen Racing
Juncadella was forced into the pit lane from the lead shortly after taking over driving duties from the three-time F1 champion.
A puncture combined with an anti-lock braking system issue ultimately revealed a terminal driveshaft failure.
The lengthy repair period meant the squad were only able to return to the track for the final lap of the iconic German circuit.
“Very unfortunate and frustrating ending, but these things can happen,” stated Verstappen.
“I still really enjoyed the experience together with Jules, Luggi and Dani.”
The Red Bull star will now refocus on his championship commitments ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, though he refused to rule out a future return to the endurance event.
Glock disqualified from endurance classic
Elsewhere on the grid, former Jordan and Toyota racer Timo Glock endured a disastrous weekend after having his Nordschleife permit revoked.
The German driver was steering Dorr Motorsport’s McLaren 720S when he was penalised for speeding through an incident zone.
Those slow areas signal a track blockage where recovery vehicles and marshals could be present.
The veteran racer was handed two penalty points for the dangerous infringement.
Having previously received identical punishment for a pit-lane timing breach, the accumulated points triggered an automatic suspension.
“Immediate disqualification of the driver T. Glock for this event and a general withdrawal of the DPN license,” confirmed the official stewards’ report.
His team were subsequently handed an 82-second time penalty but were permitted to continue the race without him.