F1 News Today: Mercedes submit Max Verstappen request as Helmut Marko confirms rival switch decision

Composite image of a happy Verstappen with Red Bull and Mercedes logos behind him — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News Today

F1 News Today: Mercedes submit Max Verstappen request as Helmut Marko confirms rival switch decision

All the latest stories regarding Formula 1

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 20 January 2026 16:40

Mercedes have reportedly submitted a request to postpone a season-opening race in 2026 to allow Max Verstappen to take part.

The Dutchman may have 24 grands prix to contest with Red Bull in 2026 but that hasn't stopped him from making plans to return to the Nurburgring in the NLS.

Reports are now circulating that Verstappen is lining up an entry into the Nurburgring 24 Hours through Mercedes-AMG, who have officially requested the first round of the NLS to be moved to avoid clashes with the Chinese GP, which Verstappen will be racing in with Red Bull.

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Helmut Marko confirms F1 return decision after Red Bull exit

Ex-Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has revealed his decision over whether he intends to return to F1 with a rival team following his retirement.

The 82-year-old is credited with spotting the talent of a young Max Verstappen, but Red Bull announced the Austrian would be stepping down from his role at the end of 2025.

Now out of the sport operationally, Marko has confirmed he will not be making a return despite receiving 'very obscure and interesting requests'.

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F1 fans go wild for Oscar Piastri's 'absolutely diabolical' team switch

Oscar Piastri has sent fans crazy after delivering a dig at Alpine, the team he was previously affiliated with prior to making his F1 debut with McLaren.

Piastri was previously signed to the Alpine driver academy, taking up the role of reserve driver in 2022 before being announced as a full-time driver with the squad for 2023.

But in a now-infamous tweet, he denied a move to F1 with Alpine, later announcing he had signed with McLaren—an intriguing backstory given that, in a recent Google advert, he can be seen approving the swap of an Alpine mountain painting for one of a papaya.

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Lewis Hamilton rebound relationship was always going to end like this

Ferrari recently announced that Lewis Hamilton's F1 race engineer Riccardo Adami had been reassigned, taking up a new role with the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy.

The 41-year-old's previous engineer, Peter Bonnington, helped Hamilton to achieve six of his seven drivers' titles at Mercedes, so replacing him was always going to be a tough job.

Chris Deeley argues that Hamilton's rebound relationship with Adami was never going to end well.

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Lambiase claims Verstappen would have ‘eaten him alive’ if not for ONE key factor

Max Verstappen may be a four-time champion these days but 10 years ago, he was a young racer whose reputation preceded him.

In 2016, the Dutchman was plucked from junior team Toro Rosso to replace Daniil Kvyat at Red Bull.

In doing so, he was handed a new race engineer in the form of Gianpiero Lambiase, who has now claimed that had he not had years of experience behind him in the sport, Verstappen would have eaten him alive at Red Bull.

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Ferrari tipped for 'disaster' as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc split on 2026 car

Former F1 star Ralf Schumacher has revealed his predictions for the 2026 F1 season (spoiler alert: things don't look good for Ferrari).

The racer-turned pundit told Sky Germany's Backstage Boxengasse Podcast that considering all the rumours surrounding the Scuderia's 2026 challenger, everything was pointing to Ferrari being a 'disaster' this upcoming season.

Fred Vasseur's team not only have to tackle new regulations, but according to Schumacher, they are also effectively building two different cars this year to cater to the contrasting preferences of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

In Schumacher's words: "that seems to be anything but good."

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