F1 Today: Hamilton’s Verstappen-like trait revealed as Red Bull poach Aston Martin figure

From Formula 1 veteran Stefan Johansson praising Lewis Hamilton for possessing a Max Verstappen-like quality, to Red Bull Racing reportedly securing a key figure from Aston Martin, we bring you the biggest stories making headlines across the sport on our F1 Today.

Lewis Hamilton appears to have turned the page on his Ferrari journey. After a difficult debut season with the Scuderia, the seven-time world champion has responded in emphatic fashion, returning to victory lane in the iconic red colours of the Italian outfit.

His resurgence has earned widespread praise, with former Ferrari driver Stefan Johansson highlighting Hamilton’s ability to seize opportunities that few others could convert into race-winning moments.

Hamilton rolled back the years at the Barcelona Grand Prix, delivering a trademark display of race craft as he executed a bold three-stop strategy to perfection and secured his first victory for Ferrari, as well as the team’s first Grand Prix win since the 2024 season. The performance left Johansson hugely impressed, with the former McLaren driver suggesting that only drivers of Hamilton’s and Verstappen’s calibre possess the ability to turn unlikely opportunities into victories.

“I think the Barcelona race was a classic Lewis Hamilton win. He had a sniff of a win in practice, he knew that he could maybe make it work, he laid the plan out long before the race, and he just executed perfectly, and that’s really what won it,” Johansson told Formula 1’s official website.

Red Bull Racing has reportedly identified the man set to succeed Gianpiero Lambiase as Head of Race Engineering, with Aston Martin’s Tom McCullough expected to join the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

GPblog recently confirmed that McCullough will leave Aston Martin, and his next destination now appears to be Red Bull, where he would take up a key role within the team alongside Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.

The move forms part of Red Bull’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its structure, following the reported arrival of Mercedes figure Gwen Lagrue as a potential successor to Helmut Marko. According to German publication BILD, McCullough’s appointment as Head of Racing is now close to being finalised.

The role would see him take over responsibilities previously held by Lambiase, who combined his position as Head of Race Engineering with his duties as Verstappen’s race engineer. McCullough’s reported departure aligns with news that the Briton will leave Aston Martin at the end of the 2026 season after 13 years with the Silverstone-based team. He most recently served as Performance Director, overseeing a broader role beyond the Formula 1 project.

The reasons behind McCullough’s exit remain unclear, as does whether Aston Martin intends to appoint a direct replacement for his position.