On the eve of the Canadian Grand Prix, Derek Warwick was handed a one-race suspension from his role as an FIA steward by the governing body for quotes attributed to him on a betting site. Ironically, the quotes were supporting decisions taken by the FIA stewards at the preceding Spanish GP.
Ahead of the FIA presidential elections in November, sitting president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has instigated changes to the governing body’s statutes. These allow him to block candidates based upon whether they are deemed to have professional integrity. The changes also allow him to align the terms of office of the various committees with his own. These changes – voted through by member clubs – drew strong criticism from the Austrian Automobile Association, which in a statement before the vote said, “Where there is even a risk of changes appearing to benefit the current FIA administration, and not the FIA itself, the changes should not be adopted… The FIA has entered a dark period of democratic backsliding.”
McLaren’s F2 front-runner Alex Dunne took part in his first official F1 practice session at the Red Bull Ring, driving Lando Norris’s car in FP1. He caused a stir by lapping fourth-fastest of the session, less than 0.1sec slower than Oscar Piastri.
Franco Colapinto’s seat at Alpine is not guaranteed beyond the British Grand Prix, Flavio Briatore confirming it will be on a race-by-race basis subsequently. Valtteri Bottas has been mentioned as a potential stand-in.
Red Bull and Max Verstappen continue to discuss whether they will work together in 2026, with Toto Wolff refusing to deny that he is still trying to recruit the world champion to Mercedes. There is still no contract extension for George Russell there.
