VERSTAPPEN AND FERNANDO ALONSO RETIRE EARLY FROM CHINESE GP AMID DRAMATIC RED BULL AND ASTON MARTIN FAILURES
Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso suffer shock DNFs in Shanghai as Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli secures a dominant win.
This past weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix was a tough one for both Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso, who ended up retiring early amid disappointing performances from Red Bull and Aston Martin. Verstappen started from eighth but quickly fell down the order at the Shanghai International Circuit, wrestling with an RB22 that just isn’t launching well. Meanwhile, Alonso was forced to pull out due to pain from persistent vibrations in the AMR26.
Both drivers had anticipated a strong start to this new era. Verstappen, the 28-year-old Dutchman, was aiming to maintain his dominant position upfront, and Alonso, at 46, was hoping to build on the momentum he found in 2023. Last year, Alonso notched eight podiums and was locked in a fierce battle with Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez for second place in the championship, while Verstappen cruised to a record 19 wins from 22 races.
Fast forward to this latest race in East Asia, and the gap between their hopes and reality couldn’t be starker. Neither could make a dent in Mercedes’ lead, with Kimi Antonelli edging out George Russell for the victory, leaving Red Bull and Aston Martin fading well behind. Alonso’s issues came to a head on lap 32 when the vibrations overwhelmed him; footage shows him lifting his hands off the wheel, shaking them in search of relief.
Alonso didn’t hold back after the race, pointing out the spectacle’s shortcomings. “Four cars didn’t take the start,” he told Spanish reporters. “That’s probably the worst show you can put on. When every car has a full battery at the start, things go smoothly. But then it becomes a battery championship, and that’s where we fall short.”
Verstappen had a rough ride as well. After qualifying eighth, he bogged down off the line and even ran wide on the first lap, forcing a scramble back to tenth just to get into serious points contention. His car finally gave up on lap 46 while he was pursuing Oliver Bearman’s Haas for fifth place. Throughout the race, Verstappen found himself battling midfield teams like Haas, Alpine, and Racing Bulls, far from the dominance he’s shown in recent years.
His frustration was clear, and he didn’t hesitate to criticise both the new Formula 1 rules and the fans who seemed to enjoy watching him struggle. “It’s a joke,” he said, according to Erik van Haren. “I’d say the same even if I won. If anyone finds this funny, they don’t understand what racing is really about.”
That didn’t sit well with many fans, who took to social media, now known as X.com, to express their reactions. Some accused Verstappen of being a sore loser, with one user saying, “He’s just mad because he’s losing. Once they tweak the regulations to reduce clipping, these’ll be the best rules we’ve had since 2012.” Another fan enjoyed the fresh overtaking and even the sight of Verstappen failing to finish, commenting, “I’ve seen some great passes lately. Love seeing him not make it to the end.”
Others poked fun at his complaints, joking about battling midfield teams or comparing his attitude unfavourably to Lewis Hamilton, who has had his own struggles. One user wrote, “And people call Hamilton a crybaby? Look at this guy.” Another brought up Hamilton’s issues with porpoising in the 2022 Azerbaijan GP that caused him a back injury, arguing that Verstappen wasn’t complaining when he was winning.
All in all, both Verstappen and Alonso are feeling the sting of a changing Formula 1 landscape, one that’s forcing even the sport’s biggest names to rethink their approach and adapt to new regulations and challenges. Whether they embrace this shift or continue to resist remains to be seen, but for now, Mercedes holds a strong grip on the field.
WET-WEATHER MASTERCLASS: WHY LEWIS HAMILTON’S 297-LAP FIORANO TEST IS VITAL FOR MIAMI
Lewis Hamilton hopes his extensive wet-weather testing at Fiorano gives Ferrari the winning edge as thunderstorms loom over Miami.
Lewis Hamilton jokes that he’s done more wet-weather testing lately than at any point in his career. Honestly, he hopes all that rain experience pays off this Sunday at the Miami Grand Prix, especially since the forecast is threatening thunderstorms.
Over the break, Ferrari put Hamilton through two days of wet testing at Fiorano. He says the SF-26 actually feels pretty decent in the rain. That could be good news, since these new F1 cars are still a bit of a mystery to most drivers when it comes to wet conditions.
Ferrari didn’t sit still during April. They squeezed in a Monza filming day where fans spotted their rotating rear wing in action, a feature last seen in China. There’s a buzz about a sizable upgrade package for Miami, too.
Hamilton was blunt about Monza: “I didn’t learn anything there; it’s just a filming day.” But his time at Fiorano was more valuable, since he got to test Pirelli’s wet tyres and actually talk with them about improving grip. Most drivers complain about tyres and grip, looking for any edge they can get, and Hamilton’s definitely got to know the wet tyres better lately.
He’s curious if all this wet-weather testing will actually give him an advantage in Miami, but in his words, "I don’t know. I’ve probably done more wet testing than ever. Barcelona was a whole day in the rain, honestly – not fun – and then those two days at Fiorano two weeks ago.” Still, he points out, F1 used to have some amazing rain races, and the SF-26 feels alright when it’s wet.
Hamilton’s teammate, Charles Leclerc, has his own take on these cars in the rain. He says you can actually go “much faster” at the end of straights when it's wet, mostly because you don’t need as much battery recharging. It’s a weird quirk; sometimes you’re barrelling down in the wet faster than you would in dry conditions. The corners feel good; the car’s light and responsive. But on the straights, closing speeds can get hairy, especially if drivers use different power unit strategies and visibility drops to nearly nothing.
Leclerc explains that in the rain, “We’re really just passengers. It’s not about bravery; you stay flat out and hope no one in front is slower than you. That used to be an easy assumption in previous years. Not anymore. We'll go all out and see what happens, but honestly, it’s not a great feeling. We still need to find a fix for that.”
GUENTHER STEINER PREDICTS MERCEDES 1-2 OVER MAX VERSTAPPEN AT MIAMI GP
F1 2026: Guenther Steiner explains why Max Verstappen could surprise the field in Miami following a four-week update break.
Max Verstappen will end up on the Miami Grand Prix podium with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, but he won't beat the Mercedes duo, at least not if you ask former Haas boss Guenther Steiner.
Steiner isn’t shy about his prediction: he expects a Mercedes 1-2 in Miami, with Verstappen trailing them. It’s a bold call, especially since most people see the championship shifting soon. So far, though, Mercedes completely owns the 2026 season. They've grabbed every pole, every win, and just scored back-to-back 1-2 finishes in Australia and China. They already lead Ferrari by 45 points in the Constructors’ standings, and Antonelli has a nine-point edge over Russell in the Drivers’ fight.
But Miami could flip the script.
F1’s made some changes for this race: tweaked engine regulations, less recharge allowed in qualifying, and a cap on maximum boost during races. Sure, these rules hit everyone, but people say Mercedes might feel it the most, since they've been masters at squeezing every bit from their power units.
That’s not all: every team is rolling into Miami with big car updates after a four-week break. Plenty of time at the factory to find an edge.
Even with all that, Steiner’s sticking to his guns. He thinks Mercedes will still be on top, but also expects Verstappen and Red Bull to step it up enough for Max to join the podium party.
“Mercedes will win,” Steiner told a betting site. “They look strong, and it’ll be a good fight between Kimi and George. But Max could surprise us. Miami’s a different track, and with the new engine rules, there’ll be less charging and recharging – something that could help Max get on the podium.”
Steiner also weighed in on the championship race. Antonelli leads for now, but Steiner tips Russell to turn the tables before the season ends. Russell’s got eight years of F1 experience, and Steiner sounds convinced that this is finally his moment.
“For me, it’s George,” Steiner said. “Mercedes looks really strong this year, and George has the experience. He’s put everything into getting this chance, and now he has it. I don’t think he’ll let it slip away.”
