F1 Daily: Verstappen's New Race Engineer, Antonelli's Title Shot, and More

We're still on a high after Max Verstappen's perfect weekend in Singapore. Verstappen's first career victory in Marina Bay capped a productive triple-header where he scored a total of 76 points. 

However, Verstappen fans might soon be getting an announcement that could leave them feeling nostalgic. 

Max Verstappen and his long-tenured race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase achieved a partnership milestone with their first victory in Singapore. But with Lambiase leaving for McLaren in 2028 (and possibly going on a gardening leave in 2027), Red Bull might test out a new race engineer for Verstappen in the upcoming US Grand Prix.

Reports say that Tom Hart will replace Lambiase in three of the remaining races of the 2026 season. The race in Austin is slated as Hart's first chance to directly work with Verstappen. In preparation for the 2027 season, it's crucial for the Verstappen and Hart to get these as much reps as they can.

Kimi Antonelli finished the weekend in Singapore with a productive haul of 20 points. He increased his lead to 102 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell. If Antonelli gets his lead to at least 125 points after the US Grand Prix, he should be able to secure the World Drivers' Championship. 

To optimize the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their Formula 1 car performance, Mercedes has hired former Microsoft Science president Peter Lee. Lee will assume an AI adviser role for Mercedes, which is a newly created role within the team.

Lee departs Microsoft Science after 16 years. He has experience racing in karting, and has "always wanted to be a racer."

After tons of speculations, Formula One has officially announced its return to Africa. The sport has confirmed a 10-year agreement to race in Rwanda, which could start as early as 2030. A new circuit will be built in Bugesera, an Eastern province in Rwanda. The circuit will be designed by WurzDesign and Tilke Engineers and Architects. 

The last F1 race in Africa was held in 1993, when Kyalami hosted the Panasonic South African Grand Prix. Williams Renault's Alain Prost won the race, with McLaren Ford's Ayrton Senna and Ligier Renault's Mark Blundell rounding out the podium places.

Lewis Hamilton called a wrong strategy in Singapore and owned up to it. He revealed that he decided not to pit under Virtual Safety Car conditions during his second stint, which made it difficult for him to get enough pace towards the end of the race. His soft tyres eventually degraded, and he tumbled from P3 to P6 after getting overtaken by Antonelli, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri.