F1 news: Lewis Hamilton demands answers with George Russell in firing line over radio messages
The new season has Formula 1 fans and drivers in a spin over new car rules that have swept the sport. With a focus on energy deployment, competitors are grappling with a new era on the track.
However, it's been a strong start for Mercedes with Kimi Antonelli leading the Drivers' Standings after winning in China and Japan. George Russell is in second after he won the Australian Grand Prix.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!
The F1 has hit an unexpected pause just three races in, though. Fans, teams and drivers now have to wait five weeks until the next race, in Miami, after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix races were cancelled due to the war in Iran.
Today's F1 news sees Ferrari star Charles Leclerc hit out at Mercedes and Russell's mind games, while Max Verstappen has flirted with retirement. Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton has demanded answers.
Leclerc hits outLeclerc opened up about how Mercedes deployed a unique strategy in Japan, as Russell reportedly tried to put him off. The 28-year-old finished P3 at the Japanese Grand Prix but had to fend off the Mercedes star, with the Ferrari driver suggesting Russell was playing mind games with him and his race engineer.
• Max Verstappen replaced by Red Bull after speaking out as driver gets new chance
• Toto Wolff 'in two minds' about Christian Horner F1 return with honest verdict
Leclerc claimed that Russell and his engineer intentionally fudged their strategy to cause confusion. "They (George and his engineer) were also being quite cheeky. His engineer was telling him things on the radio, my engineer was telling me what his engineer was telling him, but he was doing then the opposite," Leclerc said.
"That put me into quite a bit of pressure at one point. I think they told me, 'Oh, he's being told to use everything in the back straight,' or maybe in the main straight, and he was doing the opposite of that. So, I understood pretty quickly and could defend, but at one point I got surprised in the last corner."
Verstappen's retirement hintThe F1 icon has said he is considering retiring at the end of the 2026 season. Verstappen finished in P8 in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix and is ninth in the standings.
Asked by BBC Radio 5 Live after Suzuka whether he would walk away, Verstappen replied: "That's what I'm saying. I'm thinking about everything inside this paddock.
"Privately, I'm very happy. You also wait for 24 races. This time it's 22. But normally 24. And then you just think about is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you're not enjoying your sport?
"I can easily accept being in P7 or P8 where I am. Because I also know that you can't be dominating or be first or second or whatever, fighting for a podium every time. I'm very realistic in that, and I've been there before. I've not only been winning in F1.
"But at the same time, when you are in P7 or P8, and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn't feel natural to a racing driver. Of course I try to adapt to it, but it's not nice the way you have to race. It's really anti-driving. Then at one point, yeah, it's just not what I want to do.
The four-time F1 world champion has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, but has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with this season's cars.
"I want to be here to have fun and have a great time and enjoy myself," he added. "At the moment, that's not really the case. Of course, I do enjoy certain aspects. I enjoy working with my team. It's like a second family. But once I sit in the car, it's not the most enjoyable, unfortunately."
Hamilton demands answersHamilton has admitted his Japanese Grand Prix was a disaster after struggling around the Suzuka circuit. The seven-time world champion began at sixth on the grid, and although he looked in contention to make the podium, he finished where he started.
After the race, Hamilton wanted answers as to why his car was losing power. He said: "Pretty terrible. Ultimately, I was P3 and ended up going backwards. We need to understand where I was losing all the power. I just had a real lack of power throughout, particularly the second stint.
"But a majority of the race, even from the beginning, I couldn't keep up with people just for the lack of power. I'm full gas, and I'm managing where I've been asked to manage, yet for some reason [I was] just lacking power.
"So we need to figure out if there's something wrong with the car or not. But still, we got some points." Hamilton sits fourth in the standings, 31 points behind title leader, Antonelli.