Is the magic missing? What 2026 has taken from Verstappen
Max Verstappen's driving standards haven't dipped at all, but in a formula built on energy management over instinct, even the four-time F1 champion appears unable to out-drive his car anymore
Michael Schumacher’s son will test a Ferrari and Alfa Romeo at the Bahrain Formula 1 test
Ferrari junior driver Mick Schumacher will make his Formula 1 testing debut with Ferrari and Alfa Romeo Racing at the test after the Bahrain Grand Prix.
He will drive for Ferrari on the Tuesday – turning his first laps in a contemporary F1 car – and Alfa Romeo on the Wednesday.
The 20-year-old is the son of Michael Schumacher who won five of his seven F1 world titles at Ferrari. Mick Schumacher, who won the 2018 European F3 Championship and was signed up by the Ferrari Driver Academy in January, will also make his Formula 2 race debut at Bahrain this weekend.
“I am obviously more than excited and would like to thank Ferrari for giving me this opportunity,” Schumacher said. “I am really looking forward to what I’m sure will be a great experience.”
More: The 2019 Formula 2 grid
Ferrari also confirmed that Callum Ilott, another member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and who joins Schumacher on the 2019 F2 grid, will test for Alfa Romeo at the F1 test at Barcelona in May.
“We are firm believers in the value of the Ferrari Driver Academy, as a high level training programme for talented youngsters and the decision to give Charles Leclerc a race seat with our team is proof of that,” added Ferrari’s team boss Mattia Binotto.
“We are therefore very pleased to be able to give Mick and Callum the opportunity to experience driving a Formula 1 car.”
Max Verstappen's driving standards haven't dipped at all, but in a formula built on energy management over instinct, even the four-time F1 champion appears unable to out-drive his car anymore
Kimi Antonelli delivered his sixth F1 victory of 2026 at the Belgian Grand Prix, writes Mark Hughes. But this year's cars and their energy limitations made Spa-Francorchamps a shadow of the challenge it usually is
This year's F1 cars have never raced in the rain - which Spa's unpredictable mini-climate could deliver at the Belgian GP. Is the combination of high-torque, low downforce cars a recipe for disaster, or a chance for wet-weather aces to shine?
Motor Sport F1 Show with Mark Hughes
Formula 1's silly season is in full swing. But suggestions of a shock move by Max Verstappen don't seem that daft: see the latest episode to find out why