Red Bull’s title sponsor, US tech giant Oracle, has launched a major round of layoffs as it ramps up its investment in artificial intelligence, with reports suggesting up to 30,000 jobs could be cut.

Accounts from employees have already begun to emerge online, with senior manager Michael Shepherd revealing on LinkedIn that a wide range of roles - including engineers, architects, operations leaders and programme managers - have been affected.

According to Business Insider, staff across multiple regions, including the United States, India, Canada and Mexico, were notified of their immediate termination via early-morning emails.

Ralf Schumacher has pointed to factors beyond pure performance when assessing Hamilton’s uptick in form in 2026, suggesting his current situation is also shaped by a far stronger contractual footing than he had a year ago.

The former F1 driver believes the Briton now operates with considerably more authority inside Ferrari, with the terms of his deal likely granting him a high degree of independence in how he approaches his role.

In Schumacher’s view, that level of influence could even limit the team’s ability to intervene, leaving Hamilton largely in control of key decisions.

He also hinted that the pecking order within the team leans clearly in Hamilton’s favour, effectively placing him in a de facto number one position, something that naturally carries consequences for internal dynamics. For Schumacher, the contractual side of the equation remains central to understanding Hamilton’s current form.