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Kimi Antonelli's F1 title hopes assessed after historic championship lead
motorsport.com·

Kimi Antonelli's F1 title hopes assessed after historic championship lead

Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok believes that Kimi Antonelli is capable of fighting for the 2026 drivers' championship. Antonelli became the youngest driver to lead the championship after back-to-back wins at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix. And while the season is long and many have pointed to the issues that his Mercedes team-mate George Russell, viewed by ...Keep reading

Franco Colapinto's main sponsor disappears at Alpine
racingnews365.com·

Franco Colapinto's main sponsor disappears at Alpine

Mercado Libre, one of Franco Colapinto's main sponsors which has played a key role in the driver's F1 career in recent years, has disappeared from Alpine's sponsorship portfolio.   Although Alpine has extended the Argentine driver's contract until 2026, this year's A526 race car was unveiled without the e-commerce giant's logo.  The company, which remains in close alliance with Colapinto, is not listed among the team's partners on its website, and its disappearance is surprising and raises questions. When Alpine renewed Colapinto's contract, all signs pointed to a guaranteed continuation between the team and the company that strongly supports the driver.  The importance of the partnership was also illustrated by the fact that the team dressed its race car in special colours on three occasions last year: at the US Grand Prix, the Mexican Grand Prix, and the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Regarding Mercado Libre's disappearance, sources have informed RacingNews365 that the Argentine company is currently rethinking its partnerships and its entire F1 presence.  The company has changed its strategy and is working on diversifying its sponsorship activities to increase its visibility in Latin American regions outside Argentina.  In line with this, they are no longer focusing exclusively on one driver, and the first signs of this are already visible. On January 19, the company's Brazilian subsidiary, operating under the name Mercado Livre, announced that it would be joining Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto as a sponsor.  The Mercado Libre logo also appeared on the helmet of Sergio Perez, who is returning with Cadillac, at the Barcelona test. The Mexican driver already featured the company on his non-final helmet design for the test period, and according to our information, the announcement of the agreement could come in a matter of days. Alpine partnership still possible RacingNews365 understands that a continuation between the company and Alpine is still possible.  Behind the scenes, negotiations are slowly but surely underway for Mercado Libre to remain a partner of the team, which will now be powered by Mercedes and, based on the Barcelona shakedown, is looking at a much better season than last year.  It is not yet known when an agreement will be reached, but it is clear that the issue is becoming increasingly pressing in Argentina. Since Colapinto made his debut in F1, it has become very clear just how passionately Argentinians support their local driver and the sport itself.  Fans are present in large numbers all over the world, and the Argentine soccer jersey has become an indispensable accessory at F1 grand prix races - so it is not surprising that the situation surrounding the driver's main sponsor and team is causing serious concern among Argentine fanatics.  The Latin American country's press and social media have been in turmoil over the issue for days: fans fear that the current situation could adversely affect their favourite driver, just when the team needs stability as it targets progress up the grid.

Alex Palou issues statement after McLaren handed millions in court verdict
racingnews365.com·

Alex Palou issues statement after McLaren handed millions in court verdict

Alex Palou has issued a statement responding to the UK High Court verdict against him in his trial against McLaren. McLaren was originally seeking nearly $20 million in lost monies against Palou, who, in 2023, breached his contract having agreed to join McLaren's IndyCar team.  Palou explained during his cross-examination in October's trial that he backed out of the contract after becoming aware that he would not graduate to an F1 race seat for the 2024 season, something he believed he had been promised during talks with CEO Zak Brown. Brown disputed this, saying an F1 race seat was never promised, with the CEO receiving a tense cross-examination of his own by Palou's barrister Nick de Marco KC.  Ultimately, Mr Justice Picken, aided by the evidence given by expert witness Otmar Szafnauer, decided that Palou would not have to pay any money to McLaren for respect of F1-related claims. However, in terms of IndyCar, Palou must pay McLaren $10,194,844 guaranteed, with a further sponsor claim worth between $2 million and £2.5 million to be decided, pushing the fee up to potentially $12.6 million. Reacting, Palou believed the fact that the F1 claims were dismissed showed the claims were "completely overblown." "The court has dismissed in their entirety McLaren's Formula 1 claims against me, which once stood at almost $15m. I’d like to thank Otmar Szafnauer for his expert assistance," read Palou's statement.  "The court's decision shows the claims against me were completely overblown. It's disappointing that so much time and cost was spent fighting these claims, some of which the Court found had no value, simply because I chose not to drive for McLaren after I learned they wouldn't be able to give me an F1 drive. "I'm disappointed that any damages have been awarded to McLaren. They have not suffered any loss because of what they have gained from the driver who replaced me. "I am considering my options with my advisors and have no further comments to make at this stage. "I look forward to the upcoming season with Chip Ganassi Racing." Palou's IndyCar boss Chip Ganassi, added that the team will always support Palou. "Alex has our full support, now and always. We know the character of our driver and the strength of our team, and nothing changes that," he said. "While we respect the legal process, our focus is exactly where it should be: on racing, on winning, and on doing what this organisation has always done best, competing at the highest level.  "We’re locked in on chasing another IndyCar championship and defending our 2025 Indianapolis 500 victory. That’s where our energy is, and that’s where Alex’s focus is, on the track, doing what he does best: winning."