British F4 champion Fionn McLaughlin lost his chance to win the Macau Grand Prix qualifying race after crashing on the final lap. Mechanical issues in both free-practice sessions had put him at a disadvantage early in the weekend, yet he still qualified sixth.

From there, the Red Bull Junior Team driver made a rapid start, rising to second place and pressuring leader Emanuele Olivieri in the final laps. A small mistake sent McLaughlin into the barriers, forcing his retirement and allowing Olivieri to win unchallenged.

McLaughlin, born on 29 October 2007 in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland, won the British F4 title in his debut single-seater season and is part of the Red Bull Junior Programme.

Sergio Perez’s first Formula 1 outing since leaving Red Bull went positively during a private Cadillac test at Imola. After a year away, the Mexican driver completed his initial running for Cadillac using an all-black Ferrari SF-23 because Cadillac does not yet have a car ready for TPC testing.

He completed 93 laps on Thursday and another 91 on Friday, according to Motorsport.com, benefitting from Cadillac’s partnership with Ferrari, which will supply its power unit ahead of General Motors’ entry as an F1 engine manufacturer in 2026.

The test was overseen by Cadillac team boss Graeme Lowdon and team manager Peter Crolla, and both days reportedly ran without major issues, including some pit-stop practice. Lowdon said Perez "wasn’t even pushing," explaining that the purpose of the test was to train mechanics and learn procedures while continuing work on areas that still need improvement.

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