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Cadillac has confirmed that test driver Colton Herta will participate in four Free Practice 1 sessions for the American team this year. Herta, from Santa Clarita, California, will participate in his first FP1 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, before three other outings over the course of the season.

"He saw me coming and moved," says Oliver Bearman of clash that has put driver safety at the top of the agenda as 2026 rules talks continue. Before a wheel had turned in anger, drivers had warned of their fears over closing speeds, and almost from the moment the lights went out in Melbourne the signs were there. However, it was at Suzuka that the danger was rammed home...

Alan Permane, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad use the ongoing break to answer questions on a number of issues. Priorities during the break Alan Permane - Team Principal: "We've got a few things in the pipeline. We had a decent upgrade planned for Bahrain, which we'll now take to Miami, and another planned for Montreal, so we'll effectively have a quick double upgrade. We'll introduce one and then replace it straight away, as we can't bring everything at once or move the Montreal upgrade forward.

McLaren and Mercedes have been in action at the Nurburgring, tyre testing for Pirelli. Tuesday, the first day of the test programme, got under way with a few installation laps on Intermediate as rain had fallen throughout the night, leaving the track wet, despite a shy sun appearing later in the morning. The drivers therefore waited for track conditions to improve before starting the programme originally planned on slick.

Audi boss, Mattia Binotto admits that his team's under-performing engine hasn't come as a surprise. As expected, Mercedes appears to have done the best job in getting a grip of the rules overhaul, its two drivers looking set to battle for the title.

Toto Wolff has revealed that he sought to sack both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg following their collision at the Red Bull Ring in 2016. Friends since their karting days, the pair developed a bitter rivalry as teammates at Mercedes, and in 2016 it came to a head. Essentially the 'new boy' at Mercedes, Hamilton had joined the German team in 2013, and with the rules overhaul of 2014 claimed the title and again the following year.

The softest compounds in the Pirelli range will be used over the next two race weekends, featuring the Sprint in Miami and Montreal. At both circuits C3, C4 and C5 will be nominated as hard, medium and soft respectively. The first American race of the season (1-3 May) comes after a one-month break, following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.

Oscar Piastri has denied talk of a rift with his long-time mentor and manager Mark Webber. This season, Webber has visibly taken a step back, with Piastri's former F2 engineer, Pedro Matos, becoming the 'face' of the McLaren driver's management. This has led to speculation of a rift between the two Piastri and Webber, a man known for his outspokenness, which the McLaren driver has denied.

Ferrari completes two-day test with Pirelli at Fiorano that saw Lewis Hamilton in action. On Thursday, the seven-time world champion, known for his aversion to testing, particularly in-season, completed 142 laps of the Ferrari track, as he tried various full wet tyre configurations throughout the morning and into the early afternoon. The programme then concluded with a number of runs on different Intermediate tyre variants to round off the day.

The FIA has issued a brief statement following today's meeting with the teams and engine manufacturers over the 2026 regulations. Sadly, little of substance has come out of it, other than confirmation of some "tweaks" that will be made and further meetings during the enforced break.