F1 Daily: Alpine's Special Race Suits, F1's Historic Revenue, and a New F1 Academy Driver

Much of the attention in the Mercedes garage is on clinching the Constructors' Championship this weekend. After Kimi Antonelli secured the World Drivers' Championship in Mexico, Mercedes just needs to score at least three points more than Ferrari in Interlagos to clinch the Constructors'. 

But more good news is coming Mercedes' way, particularly in relation to the F1 Academy series.

Luna Fluxa Cross, a Mercedes junior, has been selected as the sixth and final Wild Card entry for the 2026 F1 Academy season finale in Las Vegas. The 16-year-old Spanish driver is a member of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Junior Programme, and will drive for the Visit Las Vegas-backed Hitech on November 21.

This is Fluxa Cross's first competitive F1 Academy appearance. In 2024, she won the OK-N Senior category in the Champions of the Future Academy programme. It made her the first woman to win an FIA international championship since Susana Raganelli won the World Karting Championship in 1966.

Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto will be dressed in yellow and blue for the 2026 Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Deviating from their typical blue-and-pink race suits, the yellow-and-blue theme reflects the corporate colors of Mercado Livre, an Alpine partner and a South American e-commerce company that has backed Colapinto's career.

However, the two Alpine drivers need more than aesthetics to come away happy in Interlagos. They've been struggling in the last several races, which was compounded by yellow flag infringement penalties that dropped them both out of the points in Mexico.

Formula 1's commercial business recorded a historic third quarter, generating $1.115 billion in revenue for the three months ending September 2026. Compared with the same period in 2025, F1 saw a significant $246 million increase in commercial revenue.

This means that F1 is on course to exceed $4 billion in annual revenue, although external factors could affect that number. It's still uncertain whether the sport will push through with the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races, so the possible cancellations could significantly impact F1's annual revenue.

There are no major track layout changes at Interlagos this weekend, but drivers might need to be wary of several surface changes. First, fresh asphalt was applied from Turn 3 to Turn 5, along with the exit of Turn 8 through the exit of Turn 9. 

Furthermore, the old grasscrete on the right-hand side of Turns 1, 4, and 12 are replaced with concrete. Drivers will also see lower yellow apex kerbs on Turns 2, 8, and 10, while Turns 5 and 6 have new debris fencing.