The end of the summer break is approaching for Formula 1, even though the drivers were off the track, there was still a lot going on. The Dutch Grand Prix is preparing a spectacular return of the championship for us this weekend, but that’s not all, we have a lot of news that is important for the world of Formula 1, starting from contracts with drivers, to technical improvements and the latest improvements in the paddock. We believe that this break meant for the drivers to rest from the last competition in Hungary and to prepare for the August 21. Despite that break, we’ve prepared some of the biggest stories from summer break you might have missed before the action in Zandvoort begins.
Williams is Keeping Both Stars
When it comes to the 2027 season, Williams no longer has to worry, after a lot of speculation and talk from the side where the talented Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz will end up, their decisions and contract signatures went public a few days ago, revealing their decision to stay at Williams. Due to his familiarity with the team and its way of working, Albon gained the position, if we can say so, of “leader”, which gives Williams security and confidence in this extended contract, despite the fact that Albon brought only 5 points to Williams last season. As part of their long-term plan to rebuild the team, Albon signed a contract on August 18, guaranteeing his name on the list of names that may go down in Dutch Grand Prix history next season.
Some of the speculation on the internet when it comes to Sainz and his decision for next season has been about signing a contract with Audi. These may have been just rumors that Sainz silenced on August 19 by signing a multi-year contract and continuing to work with Williams. After his arrival from Ferrari and a slightly more difficult start to the season due to adapting to the team, Sainz began to bring success to Williams, winning two podiums, third place in Azerbaijan and Qatar. Finishing the season in fifth place brought Williams best finish since 2016. Although he won 2 podiums for them, he stayed in the 2026 season with Williams, gaining their trust and getting under their skin with his loyalty, which we will see next season as well. When it comes to trust, Sainz does not mince words regarding Williams. “I believe in the strength of the group in order to be successful, and I think the people at Williams have the right talent, motivation and passion to bring this team back to the top.” With a driver like this, we don’t even have to say “good luck” to Williams, he has everything he needs to progress as a team and bring results.
Driver Market for 2027 is Getting Interesting
Verstappen signed a contract until 2030 and extended his career with Red Bull. Despite rumors that he might move to Mercedes as he was seen talking to Toto Wolff during the summer break, he showed his loyalty to the club and won the club’s trust for a second time. There were also statements after a poor season that Red Bull knew what they had to do to keep him. What was it and was it obviously fulfilled considering his happiness regarding the contract that he shared with the media? In one of the statements, Verstappen said “To continue this journey with the same team that I have been with my whole career is really special and something I have always wanted to do.”, how nice it is to see such good relations within the team, full of trust, effort and good communication, which must have existed with them considering such a long contract. Whether the results will be raised to a higher level in Red Bull this year and make Verstappen proud of his decision, we will see in the weekend.
Russell’s future in Mercedes is not so uncertain, he personally said back in June that he will remain 100% in Mercedes next year. Formula 1 states that his contract will last until the end of 2027. But why is he also the subject of rumors in the media? Because before that confirmation of the contract, there was a lot of talk and speculation about Verstappen taking his place at Mercedes, which involved Russell and questions about his future, we will agree, unnecessarily. Now that we know that Russell and Antonelli will keep their line-up for Mercedes, the question remains, will Russell manage to catch up with his colleague who is currently 59 points ahead of him?
Just when you thought it couldn’t get more interesting, there is mega star Fernando Alonso with his 45 years and 25 on the race track. His decision is still awaited. At the end, Alonso publicly said that he will make a decision on the continuation of his career during the summer break. He still feels ready and able to compete, believes in himself and has a strong love for competing on the track that he still does not want to leave. He also said that his decision will not have anything to do with Aston Martin’s results last season, which we know was followed by bad results, but rather how he now sees Formula 1 and its rules, and that he will make the decision together with his family and loved ones. Based on the statements, we can conclude that Adrian Newey is sure of Alonso’s continuation of his career where he is now, but whether Alonso will choose it for himself, bearing in mind the new rules and the partnership with Honda, we are waiting impatiently. One thing is certain, Fernando Alonso will remain as F1 legend with or without this season as a racing participant.
There is Always Room for Improvement.
During these 4 weeks of break, the teams worked hard on the technical improvement on the MCL40 that could change the balance of power in the new competitions and bring them better results.
And speaking of better results, did you see McLaren’s progress in Hungary that gave Lando Norris his first win of the season? Whether it is the result of technical improvements that were prepared before that match or a better performance of the person behind the wheel, they plan to check it in Zandvoort, where they will bring a new rear wing and changes to the rear brake ducts. Will McLaren finally manage to close the gap behind Mercedes?
Ferrari will upgrade and install a new floor for Zandvoort, which is believed to improve the aerodynamics and downforce of the SF-26. Does that make Lewis Hamilton feel optimistic about the second part of this season or is there something else we don’t know? In any case, Ferrari decided to invest in their vehicles and improve them for better results, they even announced an upgrade of the power unit which is predicted to be ready for Monza.
Since the lack of power was one of the main problems in the first part of the Aston Martin season, the new specifications should bring better performance and reduce the big gap behind the competition. Honda will bring a new engine to Zandvoort on the Sprint weekend, which means that it has only one free practice session to test the new power unit ahead of the qualifications, which may be a problem due to checks and data collection about safety. Will this improvement convince Alonso to believe in the Aston Martin project after a bad first half of the season?
Unforgettable moments for drivers
How can we not mention George Russell’s romantic proposal? He may amaze on the tracks, but in private he knocks you off your feet with his charm! On his social media we could see that Russell proposed to his girlfriend Carmen Mundt and shared with us the news of the fateful YES he heard. He caused a lot of nice comments by publishing a couple of pictures from the place of engagement, and we especially noticed the comment of his colleagues on the track – they did not disappoint with their support, a romantic dinner on the beach, with flowers and candles, could not have been better!
The likes and comments kept pouring in under Lewis Hamilton’s posts after his summer vacation with Kim Kardashian and her family. We can see how grateful he is for this summer break on his Instagram, where he regularly shares some parts of his time with friends and family, emphasizing how much he appreciates those moments and the break.
The famous Valtteri Bottas never ceases to amaze us with his results, this time on the pedals of a bicycle. Together with his partner Tiffany Cromwell, Bottas fought for a place in the world championship in cycling! He let the audience talk about his successes even during the summer break, this man is a machine.
Young Antonelli made sure that his pictures on Instagram will knock the whole audience off their feet, we can see aesthetic posts from Sardinia that have just been posted, pasta, playing cards with friends, as well as his morning routine that starts on the surfboard, this man really knows how to enjoy himself, far from everyone, he has recharged his batteries and is more than ready to go back to the race track for the weekend.
And while Oscar Pasti enjoys the sea, playing golf and taking a break from the track and Leclerc spends time with his family and dog on a yacht away from the pressure, we conclude that the Formula 1 drivers are really using this vacation in the right way and are preparing to return refreshed and rested. We can’t wait for the start of F1 and the return of the most famous faces to the Zandvoort track, whether the second part of the half-season will bring us something new, change the standings and maybe end the career of some, we will see starting from this weekend.
