FIA takes action for F1 2026 as Martin Brundle detects Verstappen change – roundup
The FIA is F1's governing body
Tuesday’s fast-paced F1 news includes the FIA introducing a new measure on protests and appeals for F1 2026 after a high-profile incident between Red Bull and Mercedes.
With Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle detecting a change in Max Verstappen, here’s today’s roundup…
FIA introduces increased protest fee for F1 2026
The FIA has increased the deposit fee for appeals and rights of reviews from €2,000 to €20,000 ahead of the F1 2026 season.
It comes after Mercedes driver George Russell overcame two separate Red Bull protests over his victory at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix.
Red Bull’s complaints that Russell drove erratically behind the safety car, and was not driving within the required distance of the pace car, were dismissed in Montreal.
Read more: FIA enforces increased €20,000 protest fee after Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren clashes
Martin Brundle detects Max Verstappen change after Christian Horner sack
Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle believes Max Verstappen “has been a lot more relaxed” since Christian Horner was sacked by Red Bull earlier this year.
Horner was abruptly dismissed by Red Bull in the aftermath of July’s British Grand Prix after more than 20 years in charge.
It came after Verstappen’s father, Jos, had become a vocal critic of Horner.
Read more: Verstappen ‘stays in touch’ with Christian Horner as Brundle drops ‘pivotal point’ claim
Jennie Gow: ‘I will not let the stroke win’
Jennie Gow, the popular BBC F1 presenter, has vowed to “not let the stroke win” three years after being left “partially paralysed on the bathroom floor.”
Gow, who has been a fixture of the BBC’s F1 coverage since 2012, suffered a stroke in late 2022.
The presenter made an emotional social media post on the third anniversary of her stroke on Monday.
Read more: Beloved F1 presenter sends defiant message on anniversary of major health scare
Ford: Toto Wolff F1 2026 assessment ‘true’
Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Racing, has conceded that Toto Wolff’s assessment that Red Bull’s new engine program is like climbing Mount Everest is “true.”
Red Bull will produce its own engines for the first time in F1 2026, with Ford working in collaboration with the team’s newly established Powertrains division.
Ford will host a season-launch event in Detroit on January 15 with the Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls teams set to be in attendance.
Read more: Red Bull and Racing Bulls season launch date confirmed in massive Ford event
An alternative reality for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton may never have linked up with Mercedes had the German manufacturer’s 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours ended in tragedy.
That is the claim of former driver Bernd Schneider, who was one of the Mercedes drivers involved at the endurance classic.
Mercedes withdrew from Le Mans in 1999 after its car flipped on three separate occasions, two of which involved future Red Bull F1 race winner Mark Webber.
Read more: Le Mans ’99: The terrifying Mercedes crashes that could have threatened Lewis Hamilton’s F1 future
