Wednesday (the 21st) in Formula 1 brought important news both on and off the track, as the FIA introduced a rule aimed at closing a potential gray area of the spending cap and McLaren prepared updates for the United States Grand Prix. Gabriel Bortoleto also arrives in Austin seeking a return to form after a difficult stretch with Audi.
The main regulatory change will take effect in 2027 and will require teams that maintain external divisions to separate their Formula 1 operations more rigorously. Entities such as Red Bull Advanced Technologies, Aston Martin Performance Technologies, and Mercedes Applied Sciences will be subject to new requirements involving physical spaces, IT systems, and data access, while the FIA will gain powers to conduct inspections and audits.
In preparation for Austin, McLaren confirmed it will bring targeted updates to the MCL40. The changes are aimed at reliability, braking behavior, and the floor, as the team looks to respond after losing ground to its main rivals in recent races.
Bortoleto also enters the weekend under pressure to rebound. The Brazilian returns to the Circuit of the Americas after a challenging debut at the track in 2025, where he finished 18th. Now more experienced and defending Audi colors, he will have three free practice sessions to work on setup ahead of qualifying, unlike the Sprint format faced last year.
The strategy is also set to gain weight at the United States GP. Pirelli has selected the C2, C3, and C4 tires, while the approach used by Charles Leclerc in 2025, when he started from Soft compounds and finished on the podium, reappears as a reference for potentially less conventional bets. Austin still offers good overtaking points, especially at Turns 1 and 12, and will demand a balance between tire wear, energy recovery, and speed down the long straights.
The United States Grand Prix will take place this Sunday (the 25th), with a 5:00 PM start in Brasilia time (GMT -3). F1MANIA.NET will follow all activities in Austin with news, results, analyses, and full coverage of the 18th round of the 2026 season.
