F1 News Today: Max Verstappen mocks rivals as Aston Martin called 'ridiculous'

Credit for photo: Red Bull Content Pool — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News Today

F1 News Today: Max Verstappen mocks rivals as Aston Martin called 'ridiculous'

All the headlines as we gear up to the 2026 F1 season

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 22 February 2026 16:06

Max Verstappen's brutal takedown of his F1 rivals has recently surfaced.

Ahead of the cinematic release of F1 in 2025, the blockbuster film starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, most of the drivers took to New York for the premiere.

Now, following the release of a three-part documentary about the Dutchman — titled 'Max Verstappen - New Ground' — Verstappen's thoughts on the red carpet event have been revealed.

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Aston Martin branded 'ridiculous' after early Bahrain exit

Aston Martin have been handed a 'ridiculous' verdict, after they packed up from F1 pre-season testing three hours early on Friday.

The Silverstone-based outfit had a disastrous week in Bahrain, with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso suffering problems on day two of the test, before Lance Stroll was only able to complete six untimed laps on day three after a statement from power unit manufacturer Honda had confirmed that there was an error with their battery.

All of this came just a week after Stroll had suggested that they were over four seconds behind the top four teams in the sport, with Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all looking strong with the new regulations.

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Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull return hits trouble as F1 car catches fire

Yuki Tsunoda's first time back behind the wheel of a Red Bull car after his 2025 F1 exit did not go according to plan.

The Japanese racer took to the streets of San Francisco this weekend for a Red Bull Showrun, but shortly after pleasing the crowds with some donuts in an old RB7, the rear caught fire.

In video's circulating on social media, Tsunoda could be seen getting out of the car safely as flames and smoke grew, and a Red Bull spokesperson confirmed to GPFans: "Following an extended demo run, Yuki performed routine burnouts in the 2011 RB7. The exhaust system overheated, igniting the rear of the car. The fire was quickly extinguished by on-site marshals, and no one was injured."

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Hamilton F1 comeback is on! Ferrari insider decodes Bahrain testing appearance

A Ferrari insider has shed light on the real meaning behind a visit from a big name in the Scuderia's F1 garage during pre-season testing in Bahrain this week.

The final stint of 2026 testing took place in Sakhir on Friday, with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton having handed the driving duties over to team-mate Charles Leclerc.

The Monegasque star topped the timesheets after a positive day at the wheel of the SF-26, further pushing the positive narrative surrounding Ferrari's 2026 challenger after an impressive showing from Hamilton on Thursday.

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‘Is this the end?' Aston Martin need Newey to ‘shine’ or else…

Aston Martin's 2026 F1 car is reportedly far from ready for the first round of the upcoming season, despite the fact the grid will be set for the race in Melbourne in just two weeks time.

Lawrence Stroll poured money into his F1 squad hoping to make them championship challengers in a matter of years, but even with F1 design legend Adrian Newey on board with the project, Aston Martin's success timeline appears to be lengthening by the day.

Newey was initially brought in as Aston Martin's managing technical partner but has now also taken on the challenge of balancing the team's technical demands with the role of team principal.

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F1 Explained: What is the 107 per cent rule and why is it a major factor again in 2026?

There are lots of new rules sweeping into F1 this year amid the regulations overhaul which is seeing completely redesigned power units and car chassis.

But there are also old F1 rules which are still in place, which might just become more relevant in 2026.

Wholesale regulation changes, and a couple of new names on the grid, might just mean that the gap between the top and the bottom of F1 gets bigger in 2026.

And that could bring back into play the dreaded 107 per cent rule during grand prix weekends.

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Russell reveals urgent issue Mercedes must fix before Australian GP

George Russell has revealed the one thing that may just halt Mercedes' title charge in 2026.

F1 drivers seem to be struggling to get off the line when completing their practice starts at the Bahrain International Circuit, with the starting procedure not proving to be optimal for the new turbos.

The only team who seem to have mastered the starts are Ferrari, with their SF-26 and their customer team Haas having flying starts at the circuit. Russell views this as a huge concern for Mercedes ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and expressed his fears in a press conference at the circuit.

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Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

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