Thursday was a busy day in Formula 1 and literally heated up the weekend of the US Grand Prix in Austin. Red Bull indicated that it will only make a decision on its 2026 lineup after the Mexican Grand Prix, while the FIA issued a new “Heat Hazard” warning for the race at the Circuit of The Americas. In Brazilian news, Felipe Drugovich revealed how close he was to taking on a cockpit in F1, Gabriel Bortoleto detailed his preparation for his debut in Austin, and Band confirmed reporter Carla Fagnani in the TV broadcast.
On the sporting side, Red Bull is working with the post-Mexico period as a benchmark to define who will drive for the team and Racing Bulls in 2026, the year of the new technical regulations. The decision involves domino effects in the market, including super licenses and cross-contracts with the Faenza structure. The schedule postpones any announcements until after the Mexico City stage, keeping attention focused on the final part of the 2025 championship.
The big operational agenda of the day was the predicted heat in Austin. The FIA maintained the “Heat Hazard” status, which requires teams to install a cooling system for drivers. The use of a cooling vest is optional, but if a driver chooses not to use it, they must carry the equivalent in ballast to avoid a performance advantage – a measure we’ve already seen in Singapore and that returns now in Texas. Additionally, the expectation is for high asphalt and air temperatures, which should influence tire degradation (Soft, Medium, and Hard) and pit stop windows.
Among the Brazilians, Felipe Drugovich confirmed that he was “much closer than everyone thought” to taking on a car in F1 when Lance Stroll considered leaving the category. According to the Paraná native, there were internal talks in 2024, and the possibility of a title was real, but it didn’t materialize. Today, ‘Drugo’ is heading to Formula E with Andretti in 2025/26, without closing doors for a potential return to F1 in the future. “It seemed like the right moment… it didn’t work out, and I got stuck with it,” he said on the Na Ponta dos Dedos podcast.
Gabriel Bortoleto, from Sauber, also spoke up. The debutant at COTA admitted to having spent “more hours than I would like” in the simulator to face a demanding and undulating track, but downplayed expectations for the team’s performance over the weekend. “It’s my first time here… it seems very fun and enjoyable, especially the first sector… it’s a very bumpy track. We know it’s not usually the best for us… but I hope it’s a good weekend,” he stated. The Brazilian emphasized that adaptation will have to be quick, given that the weekend includes only one TL1 before the Qualification Sprint.
On free-to-air TV, Band confirmed Carla Fagnani in the pit lane reporting for the US Grand Prix, replacing Mariana Becker for this stage. The network will maintain live broadcasts of Qualification on Saturday and the race on Sunday, while Bandsports will show all sessions live except for the race, and F1 TV Pro will transmit the entire weekend with images. F1MANIA.NET, as usual, will provide live text coverage of the entire event.
A quick service for fans: in Austin, the schedule in Brasília time (GMT-3) features TL1 on Friday (14:30), Qualification Sprint on Friday (18:30), Sprint on Saturday (14:00), Classification on Saturday (18:00), and the race on Sunday (16:00). With the predicted heat and the naturally abrasive track, attention should be paid to tire compound choices and thermal management – factors that could shuffle the starting grid and strategy in the US Grand Prix.
