Monday’s F1 churn brought a little of everything: a business setback for Lewis Hamilton, fresh praise for McLaren’s MCL39 from Max Verstappen, and a few driver-market teasers for 2026.
First, off-track turbulence. Neat Burger — the plant-based chain backed by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and actor Leonardo DiCaprio — has entered liquidation. Launched in 2019 with sites in London, Milan and New York, the brand had already shuttered its remaining UK outlets earlier this year. For Hamilton, it’s a rare miss away from the circuit and a reminder that even high-profile ventures aren’t immune to tough headwinds in hospitality.
On track, Verstappen tipped his cap to McLaren’s 2025 package and zeroed in on where it bites. The Red Bull driver, a four-time World Champion, pointed to the MCL39’s authority in medium-speed corners and its notably kind treatment of the rear tyres. He called McLaren’s rotation in that phase “quite incredible,” which squares with what rivals have been feeling as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri manage rear temperatures better than most. Medium-speed is where so many modern laps — and stints — are won; Verstappen’s read helps explain why McLaren have looked so comfortable this year.
Daniel Ricciardo, meanwhile, resurfaced with a candid update on life after F1. Replaced by Racing Bulls following last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, the Australian — who logged 257 starts and eight wins between 2011 and 2024 — said he’s spent the past year trying to figure out who he is without the week-to-week grind. It’s an honest snapshot from a driver whose charisma was as much a calling card as his elbows-out race craft.
At Mercedes, Toto Wolff appears to be enjoying the art of the tease. “Watch this space,” he hinted, when asked about a possible 2026 return for Valtteri Bottas. The Finn, who lost his Sauber seat at the end of last season and rejoined Mercedes as reserve for 2025, is heavily linked with the incoming Cadillac F1 project. Whether that smoke turns into fire remains to be seen, but Wolff’s nudge suggests there’s movement behind the curtain.
And because no news cycle is complete without a Verstappen-to-Mercedes ripple, former Red Bull driver and Dutch pundit Robert Doornbos has doubled down on his earlier prediction that Max could switch in 2026. Doornbos maintains Toto Wolff did everything he could to tempt the World Champion, a stance that drew a barbed “headless chicken” retort from Jos Verstappen. The rumor has cooled, but evidently not gone cold.
Five stories, one through-line: 2025 is serving sharp edges on and off the grid. The racing’s decisive in the medium-speed stuff, the driver market’s already flirting with 2026, and even the biggest names are finding that momentum is as fickle off-track as it is on a hot qualifying lap.
