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ALL SMILES AGAIN, VERSTAPPEN & NORRIS DEFUSE TAPE-GATE TENSION

Tensions flare in F1 as Red Bull is fined for removing a McLaren pitwall marker. The incident sparks a sportsmanship debate, while Lando Norris and Max Verstappen battle for the championship lead.

All Smiles Again, Verstappen & Norris Defuse Tape-Gate Tension
F1 Stars Verstappen, Norris Cool the Heat After Tape-Gate - COURTESY/PHOTO

After one of Red Bull's mechanics disregarded marshals and tore off a piece of tape McLaren had affixed to the pit wall to indicate Lando Norris' grid position, the company was punished. Since then, paddock conversation has mostly focused on issues related to sportsmanship.

Verstappen advised anyone in need of such tape to utilise it. I do not require it.

Carlos Sainz of Williams, who was formerly a member of the Red Bull family, was less understanding. The Spaniard stated, "Clearly, someone perceived a competitive edge and tried to take that away from him."

I will not make headlines here, but I am aware of sports ideals and what I would do if it were me and my team.

On his side, Norris maintains that he only noticed the humour.

"Watching them try and fail to remove it was very funny," he said to Bild. We hung it on the wall as a precaution, even though I did not need it.

The McLaren driver disclosed that they have attempted to remove it previously. That is why we built it so durably, akin to the permanent Formula 1 parking stickers that you can put on your windscreen.

Verstappen's late-season breakthrough in the championship is far more urgent for McLaren. Oscar Piastri revealed that internal repercussions for Norris have been lifted following arguments and finger-pointing in Austin and Singapore.

Piastri stated, "I believe I have some responsibility in the (Austin) sprint." This weekend is a fresh start for us both; we are just going out and competing to see who can win.

Both McLaren drivers are now within striking distance of Verstappen, who maintains that he is handling the run-in calmly.

"We are not very anxious about it," he remarked. All we want to do is have fun and make the most of it till the very end. Fantastic if it works. Even if it doesn't, we can still take great pride in the improvement in our performance.

Additionally, he dismissed Red Bull adviser Dr Helmut Marko's assertion that Verstappen alone has gained two tenths of his speed due to the excitement of the chase.

"No," Verstappen answered, "I disagree with that." Attending race weekends like these is more enjoyable than knowing you have little chance of winning. However, while I am in the automobile, I always strive to make the most of everything.

Verstappen dismissed Marko's additional suggestion that he might be putting his new GT3 racing project on hold to concentrate on Formula One.

He said that it had been arranged long ago. It was only the first chance. My approach to racing weekends has not really altered in terms of professionalism.

Verstappen's title odds are now as high as 40% according to bookmakers, but Laurent Mekies, the manager of the Red Bull team, is not interested in statistics. "These types of computations are not what we do," he stated. It really is that easy.

Fernando Alonso disputes Mercedes manager Toto Wolff's assertion that Verstappen has the psychological edge as the hunter. The Spaniard told reporters, "I do not think so."

"In a second, the championship might alter drastically. Max would not be able to compete for the title again if Lando won a race by 30 seconds.

Without a doubt, Max is driving incredibly well, but in the end, the car will determine the world champion.

THE 2026 ULTIMATUM: WHY NEXT SEASON IS "MAKE OR BREAK" FOR LEWIS HAMILTON

After a winless 2025 debut, Lewis Hamilton faces a pivotal year. See why Steiner believes the 7x champ is nearing the F1 exit.

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Hamilton’s exit clock is ticking

Guenther Steiner, who used to run the Haas team, thinks Lewis Hamilton might quit Formula 1 if Ferrari can't get to the top of the Driver's Championship by 2026—he thinks that season will be super important for the racing star.

Hamilton had a tough first year with Ferrari, ending up sixth in the F1 rankings with 156 points.

That was 86 points behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, and he didn't even get on the podium once, which is a first for him in a full season.

He often said he was bummed out about how his Ferrari debut was going.

Back in November, after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he told Sky Sports, I feel awful. This has been the worst season ever, and it just keeps getting worse no matter how hard I try. I'm trying everything I can, both in and out of the car.

Hamilton looked pretty sad a lot during the season because he couldn't really fight for race wins.

Steiner told Sports Krone, I think if Ferrari has a good car next season, Hamilton might be able to turn things around. If they are more competitive, Lewis might find his drive again. But if things stay the same, next season will probably be his last in Formula 1. He's not going to go through that again. The situation is tough for him, and you could see that in every interview. So, the next season will be key for him.

What's Hamilton saying about quitting?

When the media asks Hamilton about his F1 future, he doesn't want to talk about retiring.

At the end of the season, when someone asked him what he would say to those who think he might retire soon, the 40-year-old said, I wouldn't say anything to them. None of them have done what I've done, so they don't know anything more than I do.

Last summer, after some rumors that he might leave early, Hamilton said he's staying at Ferrari until his contract is up.

He said, For those writing stories about me thinking about not racing, I've just started here with Ferrari. I've been here for a few years, and I'm in it for the long run, so there's no question about what I'm focused on achieving with this team. There are zero doubts, so please stop making stuff up.

In 2026, everyone will still be wondering about Hamilton's future in F1, mainly if Ferrari keeps struggling with the new rules. And if Steiner is right, another year of not competing for a championship could be the end for him.

MAX VERSTAPPEN NAMED PEER-VOTED DRIVER OF THE YEAR FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON

Max Verstappen wins his 5th straight F1 peer award, beating champion Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton drops out of the top 10 for the first time.

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Verstappen Wins Fifth Straight Peer Award

Max Verstappen copped his fifth straight driver-of-the-year award in Formula 1's secret peer vote, even though he almost grabbed a fifth title in 2025 but didn't quite make it.

The drivers all voted in secret, except for four guys. The Red Bull driver beat out Lando Norris, who just won the world championship, for the number one spot.

The voting worked like the normal F1 points system. Drivers ranked their top 10 rivals. Verstappen got 25 points from six votes to win.

Norris, who won his first championship after a crazy season, came in second in the driver rankings for the second year running.

The McLaren driver won the title after fighting off pressure from Verstappen and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, all season long.

George Russell took third, moving up one spot from last year. The Mercedes driver had a killer season with two wins and seven more podiums.

Piastri was fourth, up one spot, even though his championship hopes fizzled out near the end. The Aussie was leading by 34 points at one point before his performance dropped off.

Charles Leclerc finished fifth, down two spots, even though he got everything he could out of Ferrari's SF-25. The Monegasque driver had seven podiums during a tough season that saw Ferrari finish fourth.

Carlos Sainz held onto sixth after a great comeback at Williams. After a rough start, the Spaniard grabbed two podiums in a strong second half of the season.

Fernando Alonso jumped two spots to seventh, and the two-time world champion had some crazy drives in Aston Martin's AMR25.

Alex Albon took eighth after his best season with Williams, while rookies Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10, getting props for their awesome first seasons.

Pierre Gasly almost made the list, even with 10 Q3 appearances in Alpine's tricky A525.

Lewis Hamilton, who's won seven world championships, didn't show up in the rankings, which is a first since they started doing this poll. It shows how rough his first season at Ferrari was.

The four drivers who skipped the vote were Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, and Yuki Tsunoda.

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