Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, has opened up on his relationship with new race engineer Carlo Santi after his P2 finish Canadian GP.

Replacing Riccardo Adami as Hamilton's race engineer, initially on an interim basis, Santi has proved to be a key reason, among several others, why the Briton appears to be back to his best in 2026. Hamilton said to media, including GPblog: “I chose a different set-up this weekend through just ciphering through the data, working really well with my engineer.

Meanwhile, McLaren boss Zak Brown has responded to F1's potential move back to V8 engines by raising the possibility of the papaya team producing their own power units.

President Mohammed Ben Sulayem raised eyebrows during the Miami GP weekend when he suggested the "V8 is coming" possibly as early as 2030 and even without the full approval of F1's power unit manufacturers. During last weekend's Canadian GP, F1 President Stefano Domenicali then threw his support behind the idea, telling L'Equipe he is "1000 percent in favour of the V8," before describing lighter cars and simpler engines as "the pure essence of motor racing".

Responding to additional comments made by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in Miami that claimed McLaren could begin producing their own power units upon a switch to V8s, Brown told Sports Business Journal, among others: "If you got an engine formula that was financially viable then, yeah, we would consider it and the technology."

However, having won the last two Constructors' and the 2025 Drivers' title with Mercedes power, Brown added: “That being said, we couldn’t be happier with Mercedes [High Performance Powertrains], so yeah, if something is presented to us that first financially makes sense, then we’ll have a look at it.”

The American has also dismissed concerns that the current debate around F1's 2026 generation of rules will at all dampen the sport's popularity, telling SBJ: "No, because - so the racing is great, like if you didn’t hear the drivers and were just watching on TV, the TV product is great. There’s passing, five different leaders in Miami, passes for the lead, so I think the fans watching the race are going, ’That’s a damn exciting race.’