Formula 1 had on Thursday important developments ahead of the Spain Grand Prix debut at Madring, but Gabriel Bortoleto also returned to the spotlight over an issue left unresolved from Monza. Audi turned to the FIA in the case involving Yuki Tsunoda and seeks to recover a point for the Brazilian after the Italian GP. Bortoleto backed the team’s initiative and stated that, in his view, “the rules are clear.”
At Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc tried to quell the tension sparked by the fierce duel between them at the start of the Monza race. The topic appeared in two articles published late in the day, with Hamilton confirming he spoke with his teammate and the pair indicating that the controversy was behind them. Frédéric Vasseur also denied that the episode had created an internal crisis within the team.
Max Verstappen, for his part, confirmed that he had serious discussions with Mercedes and McLaren before renewing with Red Bull until the end of 2030. The four-time world champion explained that he regarded the talks with respect, but decided to stay because he believes in the team’s project and did not want to abandon the rebuild after the drop in performance relative to their years of dominance.
The sporting focus is now shifted to Madrid. Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz highlighted the challenge of the new Madring ahead of the first on-track sessions, while Sainz stated that the drivers were impressed by the circuit. The track’s debut also sparked discussions about its characteristics, with Pierre Gasly warning of possible pitfalls and other analyses pointing to areas of attention for potential accidents.
The day also carried sad news for Brazilian motorsport. Claudio Carsughi died at 93 after 27 days fighting a respiratory infection. The Italo-Brazilian journalist and statewide reference in sports journalism, Carsughi followed every F1 season since the inaugural one in 1950, in addition to building a long career in radio, television, print media and automotive journalism.
The Thursday also closed with anticipation for the first official laps at Madring. The Spain Grand Prix opens track activity on Friday, and it will be the first real opportunity for teams and drivers to learn how the 2026 cars will perform on the newly unveiled circuit in the Spanish capital.
