Overview
- George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli delivered back‑to‑back Mercedes 1‑2 results in Australia and China, with Ferrari closer over one lap but fading on race pace.
- The FIA named Paul Burns as Formula 1 deputy race director following Claire Dubbelman’s move to the Saudi federation, aiming to bolster stability under race director Rui Marques.
- Audi highlighted reliability and handling issues after a car failed to start in China, and confirmed Jonathan Wheatley’s immediate exit as Mattia Binotto assumes additional team responsibilities; separate reports link Wheatley to Aston Martin without confirmation.
- The suspension of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix creates a spring gap, opening the door for drivers such as Max Verstappen to contest Nürburgring events, according to event schedules and team plans.
- Alpine signaled improvement in Shanghai with Pierre Gasly sixth and Franco Colapinto scoring his first point despite car damage, lifting the team to seventh in the constructors’ standings.