F1 News Today: Max Verstappen ‘gifted’ title as Red Bull on ‘very limit’ of engine rules

A former FIA steward has suggested that former race director Michael Masi 'gifted' Max Verstappen the 2021 world championship.

Verstappen's maiden title win was clouded in controversy, after Masi had opted to let some lapped cars overtake the late safety car but not others, leaving Verstappen on fresh tyres directly behind Hamilton.

Now Danny Sullivan, who served as an FIA steward during two race weekends that season but not in the season-ending race, has said that Masi handed the title to Verstappen on a plate.

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Red Bull boss admits they are at the 'very limit' over engine legality

Red Bull powertrains director Ben Hodgkinson has opened up on rumours of a loophole having been found in the 2026 regulations, saying Red Bull are at the 'very limit' of legality.

Throughout the winter break, there has been rumours that both Red Bull and Mercedes have allegedly found a loophole in the 2026 regulations regarding the geometric compression ratio, and the other manufacturers on the grid called for the FIA to clarify this particular area of the rules.

Now, Hodgkinson has said that Red Bull are confident that their new engine will be legal, but that, like all teams, they have tried to push to the very limit of what is legal.

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Verstappen tests Mercedes before Red Bull launch

Max Verstappen's jam-packed schedule in the F1 off season included a brief trip to Portimao for a Mercedes test.

The F1 grid enjoyed a short lived winter break before the hard work ahead of the 2026 rule change began again, with Red Bull already having unveiled their new livery.

Prior to Red Bull's Detroit launch, Verstappen was spotted elsewhere in Europe, testing behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 car at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao.

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Perez talking 'nonsense' over Verstappen Red Bull claims

Sergio Perez's tell-all interview regarding his time at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen has drawn the ire of one F1 insider.

Perez described being team-mates with Verstappen as one of the 'worst jobs in F1' and claimed if he was 'faster than Max' then it was a 'problem' in the team.

However, Perez's comments have received no sympathy from former Williams and Ferrari manager Peter Windsor, who deemed his words to be 'nonsense'.

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F1 Twitter is 'a war zone' - racing star calls out 'dangerous' groups

A racing driver has called out some of the 'dangerous' factions on F1 Twitter, likening the online space to a 'war zone'.

During the 2025 season alone, Oscar Piastri fans launched favouritism claims at McLaren and Kimi Antonelli was subjected to online abuse and death threats after a mistake allowed Lando Norris to overtake for fourth at the Qatar GP.

While F1 Twitter has brought together a community of like-minded fans, allowing friendships to flourish and enjoy the sport, the dark side of the fanbase continues to attract attention time-and-time again.

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F1 CEO sends Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc warning

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has issued a warning to Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Ferrari for 2026 - do not languish in fourth.

The Italian is a Ferrari man at heart, serving as team principal from 2008 until 2014, before working his way up to become one of the head honchos at Formula One Management.

Domenicali, like a great deal of the F1 fanbase, has been forced to confront Ferrari's desperate performances in recent years, unable to claim a drivers' title since 2007.

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