Max Verstappen travelled to Portugal not to switch off, but to run tests with his GT3 team. Two Verstappen.com cars were in action at the Estoril circuit in preparation for the 2026 season.

The two Mercedes-AMG GT3 cars carried numbers '33' and '333' at the Portuguese track. Verstappen's team is set to switch to Mercedes cars for the upcoming season, and factory driver Jules Gounon was also present at the testing event.

Damon Hill notes a changing of the guard as according to the former F1 champion, Lewis Hamilton is on his way out of the sport, and Max Verstappen now becoming the target for the F1 grid.

The former world champion compared Verstappen to Michael Schumacher. He explained: "He’s considered to be the target, the guy that is almost unbeatable."

Stefan Salzer has stepped down as director of Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology, according to records from the British Chamber of Commerce reviewed by GPblog.

Salzer, who is Global Head of HR at Red Bull GmbH, became a statutory director in August following the dismissal of Christian Horner after the British Grand Prix. His appointment was understood to be interim, serving to fulfil legal responsibilities until a permanent structure was in place.

Laurent Mekies was subsequently appointed director of both Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology, as well as Red Bull Powertrains. Salzer was officially relieved of his duties on November 26, leaving Mekies as the sole director.

Salzer joined Red Bull GmbH in 2007 after working at BP in Austria and had no motorsport background prior to his role at Red Bull.

Sky Sports commentator David Croft has warned that Ferrari risks losing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc if the team fails to deliver a competitive car in 2026.

Croft reflected on the optimism surrounding Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari, noting that expectations were high. However, Hamilton endured a difficult first season with the team, including four consecutive Q1 exits to wrap up a nightmare debut year, and expressions of frustration following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Croft attributed the struggles to an uncompetitive car and Hamilton not fully integrating with Ferrari’s structure. He stressed that responsibility lies with Ferrari to provide title-capable machinery.

Croft also highlighted that Leclerc has completed a fourth winless season in seven years. He concluded that another underperforming season could make it difficult for Ferrari to retain both drivers.

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