Red Bull makes Azerbaijan GP announcement; Cadillac setup dubbed ‘suboptimal’ – round-up

Henry Valantine
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen drives at the Spanish GP in Madrid.

Red Bull has confirmed Max Verstappen's teammate in Azerbaijan this weekend.

Your Tuesday F1 news has landed, with Red Bull, Cadillac, McLaren and Stefano Domenicali’s salary all among the headlines.

Wednesday will bring about media day ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but before that, Red Bull has confirmed Max Verstappen’s teammate this weekend.

Red Bull confirms Isack Hadjar return for Baku

Red Bull has announced Isack Hadjar will be back in his usual cockpit this weekend in Baku, after a three-race absence.

Liam Lawson will return to Racing Bulls after stepping in while Hadjar was out injured, while Yuki Tsunoda drops back to reserve duties after his stand-in weekends.

Read more: Red Bull confirms Isack Hadjar return ahead of Azerbaijan GP

Cadillac multi-base setup dubbed ‘suboptimal’

Cadillac is utilising multiple bases in its time in Formula 1, making the most of its American roots along with a factory at Silverstone.

Otmar Szafnauer is not so sure this is the way forward logistically, believing having its people based across several places “ain’t it” when it comes to building a championship-winning team in future.

Read more: Cadillac F1 approach called ‘suboptimal’ as major relocation rumours addressed

Domenicali’s FOM earnings revealed

Formula One Management chief executive, Stefano Domenicali, has been revealed to have earned a £7.999million salary for his work with the sport’s commercial rights holders.

This figure makes up a significant portion of the total directors’ earnings, which stand at £13.3m.

Read more: Stefano Domenicali F1 earnings revealed in annual statement

McLaren unveils updated logo in ‘brand identity’ switch

McLaren has decided to update its branding for its Racing division, using an updated logo and typeface which brings a ‘clearer and more unified expression of McLaren as it continues to grow its community, experiences and level of personalisation.’

The team has rapidly expanded its presence across different series in recent years, getting set to enter the Hypercar class in the World Endurance Championship in 2027.

Read more: McLaren reveals ‘brand identity’ shift in new announcement

Honda not expecting ‘magic’ power unit intervention

Honda’s chief engineer, Shintaro Orihara, reacted to Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s aim to help the brand in its aim of reaching power unit parity – with the FIA President’s aim being to keep Fernando Alonso in Formula 1.

As for Honda’s part, meanwhile, it is not scheduled to bring major updates to its power unit in 2026, but believes there are further ways to optimise its current package.

Read more: Honda responds to FIA intervention hint with Alonso future uncertain

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