F1 LIVE: Lewis Hamilton's Bahrain phone call as bosses take drastic action
Lewis Hamilton is raring to go for the new F1 season
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more (https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/1078812/Daily-Express-Information-on-Affiliate-links)
The 2026 F1 campaign looks set to begin with the backdrop of the escalating conflict between the USA, Israel and Iran (https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2176854/iran-attacks-israel-us-war-timeline) . The tension across the Middle East has already resulted in the Pirelli wet tyre testing event being cancelled in Bahrain, (https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/2176690/f1-bahrain-strikes-lewis-hamilton-USA-Iran) after a series of air strikes came close to the Bahrain International Circuit.
F1's 'official DJ' has also already made it clear he will not travel for the first three races (https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/2177131/F1-races-iran-US-strikes) : the Australian Grand Prix, the Chinese Grand Prix and the Japanese Grand Prix. There will also be uncertainty around the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, (https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/2177269/F1-races-in-doubt-Iran-US-war) which take place on April 12 and April 19, with sites in the Middle East and Gulf regions continuing to be hit.
FOLLOW OUR F1 FB PAGE! Get all the latest from our Formula 1 coverage via our dedicated Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FormulaOneExpress#)
However, away from the geo-politics, there are also concerns around this year's campaign, with the new versions of the cars set to be slower. Max Verstappen (https://www.express.co.uk/latest/max-verstappen) has been the most outspoken critic of the new rules, which include the decision to assess engine compression ratios at both ambient temperature and 130°C from June 1, as a result of a technical loophole Mercedes spotted.
Moreover, Lewis Hamilton has also revealed he had a phone call with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff while they were in Bahrain for testing to ask questions about the Silver Arrows' new car. This comes after FIA chief Nikolas Tombazis insisted the F1 regulations may be malleable and could develop the longer the campaign goes on. For more news and updates from the world of F1, remain with us as we cover anything and everything which is going on.
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=express.co.uk&hl=en_GB) or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings
KEY EVENTS
- Travel chaos solution 11:39
- Lewis Hamilton's Bahrain phone call with Toto Wolff10:40
- FIA respond to Max Verstappen complaints07:22
- F1 DJ announces he's missing the first three races06:57
2 mins ago14:15 Amie Wilson (https://www.express.co.uk/search?author=Amie+Wilson&b=1)
Australian weather forecast
Here's the expected weather outlook for the upcoming Melbourne Grand Prix, which starts in just a matter of days:
Friday, March 6 (Practice)
Partly cloudy with temperatures around 22 to 23°C. Rain probability 10%
Saturday, March 7 (Qualifying)
Partly cloudy with highs of 21 and 23°C . Rain probability >5%
Sunday, March 8 (Race)
Sunny spells with temperatures climbing towards 26 to 27°C. Rain probability 5%
34 mins ago13:43 Amie Wilson (https://www.express.co.uk/search?author=Amie+Wilson&b=1)
F1 pundit issues update
Natalie Pinkham has announced she’s set for a return to the Sky Sports F1 punditry team, having been forced to pull out after undergoing neck surgery. Pinkham withdrew from her presenting duties after being told she could be at risk of permanent nerve damage caused by a disc pressing on her spinal cord.
As a result, Pinkham required surgery and has been out of action ever since, but has revealed she is set for a return when the new season gets underway, albeit she will miss Sunday's opener in Australia. Taking to social media to issue her latest health update, Pinkham said she’s excited to get back after a “difficult” period in recovery.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE (https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/2177577/sky-sports-f1-pundit-natalie-pinkham-health)
1 hour ago13:11 Amie Wilson (https://www.express.co.uk/search?author=Amie+Wilson&b=1)
Piastri on new 'challenges'
Oscar Piastri has outlined how the new regulations ahead of the new F1 season will result in a lot of learning over the season.
Piastri kicks off with a home Grand Prix in Melbourne. Ahead of the race, he's told Sky Sports:
"For me as a driver, some of the challenges we had throughout the year, just lessons on how you'd approach things, even from a driving point of view there's probably some things that if we had the same regulations, again, we had some good ideas on what I'd want to focus on.
"But obviously, with the new regulations, there's a lot of things you've got to focus on and learn."
1 hour ago12:48 Amie Wilson (https://www.express.co.uk/search?author=Amie+Wilson&b=1)
McLaren deal confirmed
McLaren have announced a new multi-year deal with Etihad Airways ahead of the new F1 season.
The deal is the company's first since the end of its partnership with Ferrari back in 2010.
The deal will see Etihad Airways branding appear on the rear wing and halo of the new CCL40 car, it will also feature on the helmets of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
2 hours ago12:10 Amie Wilson (https://www.express.co.uk/search?author=Amie+Wilson&b=1)
Verstappen gives tactics insight
Max Verstappen has given an interesting insight into what makes him stand out as a driver, revealing that he doesn't always drive at "102%"
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast with David Coulthard and Naomi Schiff, he revealed:
"I think, from a young age, trying a lot of different kinds of racing helps in different kinds of conditions, because you will always pick up something that can be useful in a very critical scenario, when you lose the car or whatever.
"I grew up racing basically whatever had an engine. I love driving all different kinds of cars. There’s always some technique or something that makes you a bit more of an all-rounder driver that you can use.
"So whatever I learn in F1, I might use in GTs, or whatever prototype car.
"And just constantly practising as well online, like, it’s a bit of muscle memory.
"And then I think, besides that, is that also, most of the time when you are in the car, you’re not driving at 102 per cent, where a lot of drivers I see are constantly on, you know, they’re constantly trying to go as fast as they can, where probably, I’m not doing that."
3 hours ago11:39 Jordan Seward (https://www.express.co.uk/search?author=Jordan+Seward&b=1)
Travel chaos solution
Chartered planes have been used to fly hundreds of members of F1 teams and officials to Australia just days before the first practice session in Melbourne as the sport's bosses were forced to take drastic action due to the scary scenes developing in the Middle East.
The Press Association report that a British Airways flight, which stopped at Singapore, and an Air X flight via Tanzania were used amid the chaos caused by the tension in the Middle East. It's claimed that around 500 people who work at every F1 race were due to fly to Australia via travel hubs that include Doha and Dubai, and the tensions needed a quick solution.
A paddock insider told PA: "It is a great testament to the sport how they are able to pull this off at such short notice, and to get us to the other end of the world."
3 hours ago11:10 Amie Wilson (https://www.express.co.uk/search?author=Amie+Wilson&b=1)
Morning catch-up
Lewis Hamilton's Bahrain phone call with Toto Wolff
Lewis Hamilton has revealed he had a phone call with Toto Wolff to ask questions about Mercedes' contentious new car. The Silver Arrows has been the subject of scrutiny, after they made use of a technical loophole regarding the new 16:1 compression ratio limit for internal combustion engines.
At F1 testing in Bahrain, many believed the Brackley based team were hiding the true strength of their car, with the Australian Grand Prix on the horizon. Speaking to Italian outlet Corriere della Sera (https://www.corriere.it/sport/formula-1/26marzo03/lewis-hamilton-ferrari-intervista-4de4b049-0a8a-4f0b-953f-e4d0cf31exlk) , Hamilton said: "The tests revealed little.
"Everyone was hiding behind their fuel loads. I called Toto Wolff at Mercedes and Zak Brown at McLaren to try to understand what they understood, but I didn’t get any results.
"However, I have one certainty. After what we went through last year, we can handle any situation. This team has everything it takes to win.
"We have to finish the job together with the fans. Easier said than done, but I came to Ferrari because I believed in it, and I still believe in it."
When F1 first cancelled the Bahrain GP
The year is 2011 and the Bahrain Grand Prix is due to host it's second ever F1 GP. However, in the weeks building up to the GP, civil unrest took hold of the Gulf nation as a result of anti-government and pro-democracy protests.
These demonstrations, which reportedly saw around 182 people lose their lives, took place three-weeks before the GP was supposed to begin. The FIA toom the decision to reschedule the race to October, but it was eventually scrapped and replaced by the inaugural Indian Grand Prix.
Nearly 15 years later, as a result of the conflict triggered by the US and Israel's attack on Iran, which has seen retaliatory attacks be fired at Gulf countries, it's possible the Bahrain GP and the Saudi Arabia GP could be cancelled.
F1 bosses have already made it clear they are keep abrest of any developments in the region, but insisted they will wait, with the Australian Grand Prix, Chinese Grand Prix and the Japenese Grand Prix taking place before the calendar gets to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Three tracks F1 may consider amid uncertainty around US and Iran strikes
F1 have three tracks in mind if the conflict in the Middle East forces the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs to be cancelled. The Pirelli wet tyre test in Bahrain was recently called off as a result of Iranian air strikes in the country's capital city of Manama.
With the conflict seemingly escalating, it appears F1 bosses are making contingency plans in the event the Saudi and Bahrain GPs cannot go ahead. F1 Insider (https://f1-insider.com/formel-1-kalender-nahost-krise-europa-75668/) understands "alternative venues" are being considered in the event tensions have not eased by the time the Middle Eastern GPs come round.
In and amongst those are Portimao in Portugal, Imola in Italy and Le Castellet in France, but there may also be others on the list.
Aston Martin's F1 sponsor hit by air strikes
Aston Martin's primary F1 sponsor Aramco has been hit by Iran strikes. The Saudi Arabian oil company is one of the latest businesses to be caught by retaliatory air strikes from the Iranian regime.
In the wake of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei being killed by US and Israeli air strikes, Iran launched a strike against Aramco's Ras Tanura refinery on the Gulf coast. No injuries have been reported, but it has been shut down as a result of the strike.
The Saudi Press Agency ran a message from a source from their Ministry of Energy which said: "At 7:04am on Monday, the Ras Tanura oil refinery sustained limited damage as a result of debris from the interception of two drones in its vicinity.
"The incident caused a small fire, which was quickly brought under control by emergency response teams. No injuries or fatalities were reported. Some operating units of the refinery were shut down as a precaution, without affecting the supply of petroleum products to local markets."
Cadillac make 'truly American' statement ahead of F1 debut
Cadillac team principal Brit Graeme Lowdon has pledged to steer right into the F1 debutant's "truly American" identity. This year, F1's newest arrivals will make their debut with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Botas behind the wheel.
The 11th team on the grid are determined to make swift inroads into the sport and make a statement. And they are determined to do so whole proudly showing off their USA identity.
Lowdon told CityAM: "I genuinely think we’re offering something different, we are truly an American team. We’re investing heavily in the US and in Indianapolis with manufacturing facilities.
"But this mix of partners who have found our proposition attractive; a lot of them are iconic American brands who perhaps haven’t been, in some instances, interested in Formula 1 before.
"They’re obviously seeing something a little bit different, a little bit new and that’s very much what we want to try and bring. The fact that a lot of the brands who we’re currently engaged with and talking to are new to Formula 1, demonstrates that we were right when we said that we were going to bring something new."
Ferrari urged to make Christian Horner decision
Ferrari have been told to make the audacious move of appointing Christian Horner. Horner has been out of a job ever since he was sacked by Red Bull, after spending 20 years as their team principal.
He was quickly linked with a move to Ferrari, but soon after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both backed Fred Vasseur, the speculation evaporated. However, Juan Pablo Montoya believes the Scuderia should consider appointing Horner.
He said to Vision4Sport: "Honestly, yes. But Ferrari would have to understand it would be sh*t for two years and that this is a four year programme at least and they would have to be patient.
"They would have to be supportive as the team is rebuilding and everyone would have to appreciate that they will be heading somewhere strong together.
"You can’t have people running their mouths and talking bad about it. The media loves it when the bosses start running their mouth off. They need to be united. This is whereMercedesand McLaren do a mega job, by staying united and staying quiet and supporting their drivers.
"If Kimi Antonelli crashes and they go, ‘Oh, he’s young, he’s bright. Don’t worry about it, we’re happy that he crashed. It’s experience."
Max Verstappen warning fired before Australian Grand Prix
Jolyon Palmer has warned not to count out Max Verstappen at the Australian Grand Prix this year.
The former British racing driver told F1 Nation: (https://open.spotify.com/episode/33HbJzS5OgXlCwhbndJSrF?si=b79f89b7a61c409e) "We should remember that last year, he qualified nearly half a second away from Lando on pole. Oscar was then second on the grid.
"In the race, the McLarens just absolutely disappeared from him. The Red Bull pace just wasn’t there. And then he was nose to tail with Lando at the end for the win.
"It was a complex race. It was a hectic race, chaotic, but he almost won it with no pace in the car at all. And I think that’s what Max can give you on any given day.
"We’ve seen it time and time again in Brazil over the years. At any level of mixed-up race, opportunities will come, or he’ll just make them, and he could be a difference maker."
FIA respond to Max Verstappen complaints
FIA chief Nikolas Tombazis has suggested F1 regulations around the new generation of cars may be malleable, after Max Verstappen's recent complaints.The Red Bull ace has been furious with the new changes, recently comparing the new F1 cars to those of Formula E.
Among the amendments comes the recent update to assess engine compression ratios at both ambient temperature and 130°C, which was introduced as a result of Mercedes finding a technical loophole in the regulations. Verstappen has previously insisted this change could help Mercedes get an extra 20 to 30 horsepower in their car, despite Toto Wolff insisting it would only be around two to three.
