F1 News Today: Max Verstappen stunned as FIA announce Mercedes penalty decision

Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli, Red Bull, Mercedes, Bahrain, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News Today

F1 News Today: Max Verstappen stunned as FIA announce Mercedes penalty decision

Catch up with the latest Australian Grand Prix news from Melbourne

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 7 March 2026 23:55 Updated: 14:40

Unseen footage of Max Verstappen's reaction to his F1 rivals being disqualified has circulated on social media.

From Christian Horner's Red Bull exit, to McLaren's double disqualification in Las Vegas, no stone was left unturned in Drive to Survive Season 8.

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The Netflix cameras captured the moment Verstappen discovered the two McLarens had been disqualified, a decision that allowed him back into the 2025 championship fight.

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FIA announce late Mercedes penalty verdict after front row lockout at Australian Grand Prix

The FIA have confirmed a late penalty verdict for Mercedes after the Silver Arrows were involved in multiple incidents at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix.

George Russell finally showed off the true blistering pace of his new Mercedes in Melbourne, as he stormed to pole position in the first qualifying of the sport's new era.

But the good news didn't stop there for Toto Wolff's team as a well-timed crash from Max Verstappen gave the Mercedes mechanics the extra time they needed to get Antonelli's car repaired and sent back onto the track in tip-top condition (or so they thought).

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F1 Race Today: Australian Grand Prix 2026 start times, schedule, TV channel and FREE live stream

F1 is officially back in 2026 and we have all details about the Australian Grand Prix today (Sunday March 8) with timings and TV details, wherever you are in the world.

Mercedes' rivals worst fears were confirmed on Saturday during qualifying, when George Russell and Kimi Antonelli secured a 1-2 for Sunday's race.

Now, we will finally see the 2026 cars in racing trim and here's how you can watch the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, wherever you are.

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F1’s new cars in 2026 are how much slower? Australian Grand Prix confirms the brutal truth

F1’s new era has properly arrived now in 2026, and already the sweeping regulation changes (you can read all about them here) have had a massive impact on the sport.

After pre-season testing and all the talk of ‘sandbagging season’, we got the brutal truth in Australian Grand Prix Qualifying at Albert Park in Melbourne on Saturday. These new cars are not only difficult to drive, they are also sooooooo slow…

2026, initially at least, appears unlikely to deliver either lightning-fast times or incredible racing. The cars are much slower, and Mercedes (for now) are miles in front of everybody else.

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‘Almost don’t want to drive’: Max Verstappen is ‘emotionally drained’ by F1’s new 2026 cars

Max Verstappen has been vocal in his criticism of F1’s new 2026 cars for weeks now, but the four-time world champion hit a new low in Melbourne on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Dutchman said he felt ‘empty’ after crashing out of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix in Q1. It was a shocking moment, and afterwards the Red Bull superstar was downcast in his assessment of the sport’s sweeping new regulations.

Verstappen, speaking with media, immediately admitted he's "absolutely not happy" with the current generation of F1 cars, claiming: "It doesn't matter where I qualify.

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