The Scuderia is evaluating taking a penalty in Baku to renew the Monegasque's power unit. Wolff points to track limits as the only flaw of his leader, while the Briton gets into McLaren's prototype for Le Mans.
Formula 1 moves toward Baku with several open fronts. Ferrari faces a strategic decision about Charles Leclerc's power unit, Mercedes works on the last detail that separates Kimi Antonelli from perfection and Lando Norris has temporarily swapped F1 for McLaren's endurance project. These are the issues that mark the category's current affairs before the Azerbaijani round.
The Scuderia breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming that the engine used by Leclerc in Monza was able to be recovered and was not rendered useless, however the problem is not completely solved. With the season entering its decisive stretch, Ferrari is studying incorporating new components into the Monegasque's pool, a decision that, by going beyond the allowed allocation, would carry a grid penalty. The team must choose the moment and the circuit where to take that sporting cost and Baku appears on the horizon of that evaluation, the decision has special relevance on a track where the long main straight facilitates overtaking but where the narrowness of the urban sector gives considerable weight to the starting position.
At Mercedes the concern is of another kind. Toto Wolff acknowledged the level reached by Antonelli, who added his eighth victory of 2026 in Madrid and extended his advantage over George Russell to 81 points, but the Austrian director still finds one aspect to correct, the Italian's tendency to exceed track limits.
According to Wolff, the young driver still has difficulties recognizing how far he can take the car without exceeding those margins. The executive even described this issue as the "only flaw" he currently finds in his leader, the situation offers an interesting reading, Antonelli, at just 20, dominates the championship but continues his learning process in specific aspects of the category.
Away from competition, Lando Norris had a different experience. After finishing third in Madrid, the Briton traveled to Portimão to take part in a private test with the MCL-HY, the prototype that will take McLaren to the Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship in 2027. It was not his first contact with the car, as he had driven it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, although that appearance was fundamentally exhibition in nature.
In Portugal, Norris was able to work with the prototype in conventional circuit conditions, integrating into the intense development program that McLaren is carrying out before homologating the car. His presence fuels speculation about a possible participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, although for now there is no official confirmation.
Fernando Alonso, for his part, once again vindicated the role of veteran drivers in the evolution of the regulations. The Asturian considers that those who accumulate more experience have the responsibility to use what they have learned to contribute to decisions about the future of the championship. With more than two decades in different generations of cars, Alonso believes he can offer a broad reference on what works and what should be reviewed. His intervention takes on special relevance in 2026, the first season of a technical regulation that has profoundly transformed the cars and the power units.
George Russell offered another perspective on the same topic. For the Briton, the 2026 rules not only changed the way of driving, but also the relationship between drivers and engineers and the way teams make decisions during a weekend. Russell detects greater driver participation in certain processes due to the complexity of managing the new cars, which has caused a change in the internal dynamics of the teams.
Meanwhile, Honda restructured the management of its F1 program with a new head of engines and Rafael Câmara tested the SF-25 at Imola within Ferrari's TPC program. The next stop will be Azerbaijan with a particularity, the race will be held on Saturday, September 26, not Sunday.
