Fernando Alonso emerged as the main highlight this Tuesday in Formula 1 by confirming he would stay with Aston Martin in 2027. The Spanish driver ended speculation about a possible retirement and explained that he still feels he has “speed and determination to compete at the highest level,” even in the face of the difficulties the team faced in 2026.
Gabriel Bortoleto, for his part, is already directing his attention to the upcoming weekend. The Brazilian will visit Sepang for the first time in F1 and hopes that the update package introduced by Audi in Baku can allow the squad to take another step toward points. “We were close to points in the last races, so I hope we can take another step in the right direction and be in contention again,” he said.
The return of the F1 circus to Malaysia could introduce a key factor: rain. Forecasts show a 75% likelihood of precipitation for the race, along with temperatures that could reach 33°C and a heat index around 43°C. The heat, humidity, and the lack of recent Sepang data also raise the teams’ uncertainties ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
At Red Bull, the status of Max Verstappen’s power unit remains unresolved. Although the Dutch driver stated after Baku that a grid penalty by year’s end seems inevitable, Laurent Mekies explained that the team is still evaluating the engine that showed problems and could avoid using components beyond the allocated quota.
Mercedes also gears up with new tweaks to sustain its strong form. The team plans to bring updates as early as Sepang and to continue refining the W17 in subsequent races, a few days after reaching another milestone: George Russell’s victory in Azerbaijan marked the 252nd win for a Mercedes engine in F1, surpassing Ferrari’s 251 and ending a historic leadership that had endured for 22 years.
Other topics of the day included Lewis Hamilton re-criticizing circuits with limited overtaking opportunities, while Max Verstappen defended a weekend format with fewer free practice sessions. Sergio Perez also voiced concerns about speed differences caused by the energy management of the 2026 cars, warning that the situation could lead to a severe crash.
