Monday’s fast-paced F1 news includes a Sky F1 pundit breaking rank as Helmut Marko poses a new theory on Christian Horner’s Red Bull sack emerges.
Let’s fly through the day’s main headlines at the speed of light…
Sky F1 pundit Jenson Button offers Fernando Alonso advice
Sky F1 pundit and 2009 world champion Jenson Button has offered Fernando Alonso some life advice to “continue the journey” with children of his own.
Alonso stands as the most experienced driver in the history of Formula 1 having made a total of 425 starts since his debut in 2001.
His current Aston Martin contract is due to expire at the end of the F1 2026 season.
Read more: ‘Come on, mate’ – Fernando Alonso offered advice by Sky F1 pundit
Helmut Marko launches new Christian Horner criticism
Max Verstappen would have beaten Lando Norris to the F1 2025 world championship had Red Bull sacked Christian Horner earlier in the season.
That is the claim of former Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko, who says the team “had to act” on Horner given the poor performance of the Red Bull RB21 in the first half of the year.
Horner was abruptly dismissed by Red Bull in the aftermath of July’s British Grand Prix, with Marko following him out the exit door exactly five months later.
Read more: Christian Horner at centre of new Helmut Marko theory after Verstappen heartbreak
Audi F1 confirms official team name, livery launch date
Audi has confirmed its official team name and launch date for the F1 2026 season, as well as revealing its new logo.
The Swiss-based team will compete as Audi Revolut F1 team next season after the financial services company agreed a deal to become title sponsor earlier this year.
Audi will launch its official F1 2026 race livery in Berlin on January 20.
Read more: Audi confirms Berlin launch date and new logo for F1 2026 entry
Rumoured Red Bull RB22 design details surface
The new Red Bull RB22 car for the F1 2026 season is to feature a double-pushrod suspension layout, it has been claimed.
Formula 1’s regulations will be overhauled next year as the chassis and engine regulations change simultaneously.
Red Bull will produce its own engines for the first time in F1 2026, with the newly established Powertrains division working in collaboration with US giant Ford.
Read more: First Red Bull RB22 design details emerge as new Ford era looms – report
Former FIA race director Michael Masi lands new role
Former FIA race director Michael Masi has taken on a new role in New Zealand.
Masi has been appointed by Motorsport New Zealand to become the event director for the Repco NextGen NZ Championship, with his new role set to see him assume responsibility for the series’ race officials and operations team for the effective running of each round of the championship.
The Australian left his role as FIA race director following the highly controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Read more: Ex-FIA race director Michael Masi lands new motorsport role
