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MAX VERSTAPPEN PURSUIT INTENSIFIES AS MERCEDES CRAFT TACTIC POST RUSSELL RENEWAL

After Max Verstappen's dominant US GP win, journalist Rebecca Clancy suggests Toto Wolff's stance is shifting and Mercedes would now drop Kimi Antonelli, not George Russell, to sign the Dutch World Champion.

Max Verstappen Pursuit Intensifies As Mercedes Craft Tactic Post Russell Renewal
Max Verstappen, George Russell talk - Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images

Toto Wolff, the principal of the Mercedes team, would have been watching the US Grand Prix and considering whether he was wise to pass on signing Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

George Russell placed second in the Sprint Race in the United States Grand Prix, capping a difficult weekend for Mercedes.

Russell was unable to cement his spot on the 2026 grid with another podium finish at Sunday's race, despite having recently signed a new Mercedes contract.

After stealing the last point in Saturday's Sprint, Kimi Antonelli lost to Carlos Sainz on the fifth lap of the Grand Prix, eliminating his chances of increasing his drivers' championship total.

Despite a concerning run of results during the 2025 Formula One season's European leg, in which he only managed three points, Mercedes has also committed Antonelli to a new contract.

Max Verstappen was the main attraction in Austin, though, as he won the Sprint Race and the Grand Prix on Sunday in addition to setting the fastest marks in both qualifying sessions.

Few would wager on Verstappen winning a fifth consecutive championship at this point, as he has reduced the distance between himself and Oscar Piastri in the drivers' championship to 40 points.

Journalist Rebecca Clancy thinks Toto Wolff's position on how the Silver Arrows would handle a prospective move for the Dutchman has altered, despite Mercedes's desperate attempt to recruit Verstappen earlier in the year.

When discussing Mercedes' future driver lineup on the Inside the Piranha Club Podcast, Clancy stated: "In terms of Antonelli, I do agree with you that he is on one-plus-one, although I still think George is on a one-plus-one." Mercedes would drop Kimi Antonelli to make room for Max Verstappen instead of George Russell.

However, I believe he received a nice, fat wage increase as well, so good for him.

It is a fascinating one because I think things are beginning to change a little bit. If Toto Wolff can acquire Max Verstappen, whom he has desired since before Verstappen was even in Formula One, he will lose to Red Bull because Red Bull might give him the junior seat at Toro Rosso, as it was back then.

"I believe Antonelli would now give way because Wolff, okay, does not want to experience the same headache as in 2016, when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were fighting.

Furthermore, Verstappen and George Russell are not really fond of one another, let's face it. All you need to do is observe how they interacted this year. Near the end of last year, they made a big deal out of it.

They do not travel together; therefore, they are not exactly the greatest of friends. Since they are both like that, they would get along well. However, it does seem to be changing a little in the sense that a Russell-Verstappen team would be involved.

At the United States Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli reacts after being eliminated by Carlos Sainz. On Sunday, Antonelli was on track to earn a respectable number of points before Sainz's poor move at turn 16 sent him crashing into the barriers.

While Sainz retired and received a five-place grid penalty for the Mexico City Grand Prix, which destroyed his chances of finishing in the top ten, he was able to continue.

"I do not think he was going to make the turn anyhow, and I attempted to avoid hitting the apex simply to give him a bit more space, but I ended up getting taken out," Antonelli stated in response to the incident, which F1 fans blamed on Sainz.

"It is unfortunate, but we go on."

When the 19-year-old is aware that Verstappen could join the squad, the last thing he needs is to lose out on points.

To ensure his long-term F1 future, he must build on the promising moments he has displayed this season.

LANDO NORRIS SINGLE: F1 CHAMPION CONFIRMS SPLIT FROM MAGUI CORCEIRO IN LEAKED VIDEO

F1 heartbreak: Analyse Lando Norris's split from Magui Corceiro, the "single man" leak, and their on-off relationship history.

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TikTok video captures Lando Norris confirming his breakup in Bahrain

Looks like Formula One world champion Lando Norris and his supermodel girlfriend, Magui Corceiro, have split up. The two started dating in 2023 and had a pretty on-and-off thing. She was right there with him when he won the title in Abu Dhabi – definitely an emotional night for both of them.

But now, it seems like it’s over. According to the Sun, a TikTok video caught Norris telling Carlos Sainz Jr that he’s “a single man". The audio’s not great, but you can hear Sainz asking if he and Magui are okay, and Lando just says, “No,” then adds that he’s single. This happened during pre-season testing in Bahrain while the drivers were getting their photos taken.

Magui, who’s also an actress from Portugal, used to date footballer Joao Felix before Lando. She and Norris broke up in 2024 and got back together, but it looks like they’ve called it quits again. People close to them say there’ve been signs for a while; things changed after Lando’s big championship win. The most obvious clue? Magui wasn’t at Lando’s big thank-you party in Bahrain, even though everyone else was there. Naturally, that got people talking.

Back in December, Magui broke down in tears after Norris won the world championship. She gave an interview to TV Guia, saying how happy they both were and how, in that moment, she forgot about the cameras. It all seemed pretty solid then.

Magui’s got a huge social following – around 800,000 fans on TikTok – and she’s done everything from acting in Portuguese dramas to modelling for brands like Intimissimi and Alo Yoga. She was even on Portugal’s Dancing with the Stars in 2020 and co-founded the eco swimwear brand Missus. She’s graced Vogue Portugal, too.

Norris himself talked about Magui in Vogue, saying they met a few years ago but only got together more recently. He called her “down to earth” and said he can just be himself around her. Apparently, he kept trying to get her into golf, but she hated it.

Neither of them has officially announced the breakup, but at this point, it looks like they’ve gone their separate ways.

DISASTER WARNING: OSCAR PIASTRI FEARS 2026 RACE STARTS COULD LEAD TO MULTI-CAR GRID ACCIDENTS

Oscar Piastri warns of chaos at the 2026 start! Discover why the new rules are a "recipe for disaster" and how McLaren found "warp speed."

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Piastri warns that clean launches now depend more on chance than skill

Oscar Piastri thinks there’s a lot of luck involved in getting a good start these days. Pre-season testing in Bahrain really made it clear that these new 2026 F1 rules have turned race starts into a much bigger headache.

He’s spoken up about this before, especially since so many teams and drivers are running into fresh problems under the new regs. The big one? F1 dropped the MGU-H from the engine formula, and suddenly, starts just aren’t as smooth. It’s a mess.

After last week’s first official test in Bahrain, Piastri didn’t sugarcoat it. He called the 2026 start a “recipe for disaster” because of how wildly different every driver’s launch is. Even the FIA and F1 noticed, so they decided to test out a longer starting procedure during the second test.

Here’s what they did: during the second test, they delayed the starting lights, giving drivers more time to spool up their turbos. Ferrari’s 2026 engine features a smaller turbo, allowing its drivers to maintain lower revs for longer periods. Others? They’re sitting there for up to ten seconds, just waiting.

Piastri says the new procedures and the extra week of testing in Bahrain helped a bit; things aren’t quite as all over the place now. But he’s honest: there’s still a ton of luck involved if you want to get a clean launch and avoid turbo lag or wheelspin.

Holding high revs to prime the turbo, now that the MGU-H is gone, is just one of the traps drivers can fall into. Piastri figures it’s going to take a while before all 22 drivers on the grid are nailing their starts every time.

He summed it up at the press conference in Bahrain: “Mine yesterday wasn’t so bad. I was last, but I also overtook four cars. There’s still a lot of luck involved, and we’re learning what makes a good start and what makes a bad one.

“There are a few pitfalls you can run into that cause problems. Managing the energy and the whole procedure – that’s one thing.

“The way we start is just totally different from last year. It’s trickier across the board. Some drivers are handling it; some just aren’t.”

On the other hand, McLaren looked like they were getting the hang of it by the last day of testing. Jolyon Palmer, watching from the sidelines, was impressed by Piastri’s practice start but even more blown away by Lando Norris.

Palmer thought McLaren had cracked the code. On Friday, Piastri shot off the line in the morning, but Norris outdid everyone in the final session. Palmer joked that Norris hit “warp speed".

He said on the F1 broadcast, “Warp speed, see you mate! That’s a brilliant start from Lando. McLaren is there. I’ve seen it all day. Oscar got a great start. In the pit lane, it looks good.

“I’d love to see that next to the Ferrari, honestly, because it’s really impressive. Their start is much better than Red Bull’s. I’d say it’s even better than Mercedes.”

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