BRUSSELS: Laurent Mekies didn’t get long to settle in as Red Bull team principal on his first Formula 1 race weekend leading his new team.
There was just one practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday before Red Bull and Mekies get straight into competitive action with qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race.
The hectic schedule is an extra challenge as Mekies takes over from Christian Horner, who had led the team since it entered F1 20 years ago until he was abruptly fired just over two weeks ago.
Max Verstappen had some aerodynamic updates and was competitive for Red Bull in the sole practice session, going second fastest at .404 of a second behind standings leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren. The second McLaren of Lando Norris was third fastest, .1 further back.
Red Bull uncertainty
Red Bull’s parent company still hasn’t explained exactly what led to Horner’s exit, and Verstappen’s future remains uncertain. The Dutch driver said Thursday that Horner was like a “second family” but that his removal wouldn’t affect his plans.
Verstappen said he still hoped to remain with Red Bull for the rest of his career but noted that “life is unpredictable.”
In an extra twist, Mercedes driver George Russell indicated to broadcaster Sky Sports on Thursday that he believed Verstappen and Mercedes remained in talks.
Besides the small question of Verstappen’s future, Mekies will need to draw on his extensive experience in F1 to cope with a daunting to-do list.
He needs to deal with a decline in the team’s results over the last year, prepare for big rule changes for 2026, and work out why Yuki Tsunoda — 18th in Friday practice — is the latest in a series of Verstappen’s teammates to struggle with the car.
Piastri’s frustration
All the focus has been on Red Bull, but there’s still a thrilling — and controversial — title race at McLaren.
Norris’ emotional win in the rain at the British Grand Prix cut Piastri’s standings lead to just eight points, while Piastri fumed at what he saw as an unfair penalty.
Belgium is the first test of the Australian’s vow to harness the “frustration” he felt in Britain to win more races. And just like at Silverstone, rain could play a big part this weekend. It could affect both Saturday’s sprint and the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Crunch time for Hamilton
With half of the season gone and no Grand Prix podium finish yet, Lewis Hamilton has declared it’s “crunch time” for him at Ferrari.
Hamilton, whose biggest success this season was a sprint race win in China in March, was seventh in Friday practice.
The seven-time champion revealed Thursday he’s been setting up a series of meetings not just with top team personnel, but with Ferrari’s corporate leadership, to seek “structural adjustments” and make sure his voice is part of Ferrari’s development plans for 2026.
Red Bull’s post-Horner era begins with sprint qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix
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Red Bull’s post-Horner era begins with sprint qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix
- Laurent Mekies didn’t get long to settle in as Red Bull team principal on his first Formula 1 race weekend leading his new team
FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign welcomes Palestinian student
- Ghada Ashour, 24, who grew up in Gaza, becomes fifth scholar selected for FIA’s flagship scholarship initiative
DUBAI: The FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign has welcomed Ghada Ashour, a 24-year-old student from Palestine, to its flagship scholarship program, created to empower the next generation of researchers in the fight against online abuse in sport.
Ashour grew up in Gaza where she had been studying remotely until gaining a place on the UAOA scholarship, which brought her to Dublin City University, Ireland.
Becoming the fifth scholar to join the program, she was selected based on her interests in social media, and passion for advancing insights in this area for the benefit of sportspeople.
Launched in 2023, the program offers talented students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds the chance to engage in research on the impact, prevalence, and prevention of online abuse in sport.
Funded by the FIA Foundation, the UAOA scholars have been selected to undertake research dedicated to positive social change.
Ashour’s thesis, which will be printed in English and Arabic, will focus specifically on the relationship between athlete activism and online abuse.
Athletes increasingly speak out on war, conflict, and social and environmental issues. Although the attention such athletes bring can be positive, research indicates it can lead to significant abuse.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, founder of the UAOA campaign, said: “The FIA is committed to extending opportunities across the world while inspiring and developing the next generation.
“Education lies at the core of this mission, and I am pleased to welcome Ghada as the latest student in the UAOA Scholarship Programme.
“Her experience and research will help broaden the international perspective on this critical issue. This pioneering research program will help ensure we safeguard the future of sport for generations to come.”
Ashour said she was “truly grateful” to the FIA leader: “It is a dream come true to study the subject I am passionate about at a leading institution in this field.
“I am so excited to advance the field of research in online abuse in sport and to contribute to this prevalent topic which is impacting so many people’s lives on a daily basis.”
The UAOA’s 2025 Barometer Report found that 75 percent of sports federations report continued threats against competitors and their families, and that 90 percent believe abuse could force athletes to leave their sport.
Dublin City University is a leading academic institution in the study of online abuse.
Each scholar is fully funded and mentored by leading experts in the field. They are able to attend UAOA events, where they can share their findings with a global audience of policymakers, sports federations, and digital platforms.
The inaugural cohort of four UAOA scholars included participants from Italy, South Africa, the UK, and Mexico.
