Brundle joins calls for F1 2026 rule tweak; Russell unimpressed by ‘dangerous’ Hamilton move – roundup
Martin Brundle has represented ITV, the BBC and Sky over the course of a glittering broadcasting career
Wednesday’s fast-paced F1 news includes Sky F1’s Martin Brundle breaking rank on the F1 2026 rules as a “mega dangerous” Lewis Hamilton move is criticised by George Russell in untelevised team radio.
Let’s fly through the day’s main headlines at the speed of light…
Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle joins calls for F1 2026 rule tweak
Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle has joined calls to tweak the F1 2026 rules after drivers were forced into the “crazy situation” of downshifting on straights to harvest battery power.
F1’s new era was met with a lukewarm response at last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, where the cars lost power at the end of straights in a process termed ‘super clipping’.
A number of drivers, including four-time world champion Max Verstappen and reigning champion Lando Norris, expressed frustration with the new regulations.
Read more: Martin Brundle joins calls for F1 2026 tweaks after ‘crazy’ Australian GP ‘situation’
George Russell takes issue with ‘mega dangerous’ Ferrari defence after Lewis Hamilton move
Untelevised team radio footage from the Australian Grand Prix has revealed the moment George Russell criticised the “mega dangerous” defensive tactics of Ferrari pair Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Russell was left unimpressed by Hamilton moving on the straight as he closed in on the Ferrari on Lap 28.
That came after he described Charles Leclerc’s defensive driving “dangerous” during their battle in the early laps.
Read more: ‘Mega dangerous’ – Untelevised George Russell team radio emerges after Lewis Hamilton battle
Honda: ‘Things cannot remain the same’
Honda has admitted that “things cannot remain the same” after Aston Martin’s disastrous start to the F1 2026 season.
Aston Martin has had a troubled start to the new campaign after switching to Honda power last winter, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both failing to make the finish in Australia last weekend.
Team boss Adrian Newey claimed last week that the drivers risk “permanent nerve damage” to their hands due to vibrations from the Honda engine, with the Japanese manufacturer making progress on that front in Melbourne.
Read more: Honda HRC chief says Aston Martin alliance must change after troubled start
Laurent Mekies: Red Bull ‘a second per lap’ off the pace at Australian Grand Prix
Laurent Mekies, the Red Bull team principal, has admitted that the RB22 was “probably close to a second a lap” slower than Mercedes in the Australian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen recovered to sixth after failing to record a lap time in qualifying, but crossed the line almost a minute behind the race-winning Mercedes of George Russell.
Mekies says it is “too early to say” when it comes to the exact pace gap between Mercedes and Red Bull.
Read more: Laurent Mekies not surprised by Red Bull deficit after ‘games’ in pre-season testing
Isack Hadjar update after DNF on Red Bull debut
Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar suffered a power unit failure prior to his retirement from last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, PlanetF1.com has learned.
Hadjar retired after 10 laps of his Red Bull debut in Melbourne after qualifying an impressive third.
It is understood that Red Bull is yet to determine which components will remain in Hadjar’s engine pool for F1 2026 following the failure.
Read more: Revealed: The cause of Isack Hadjar’s Australian GP retirement on Red Bull debut
