F1 Today: Verstappen driver falls ill, Leclerc cautioned against Red Bull move

One of Verstappen Racing’s drivers, Jules Gounon, was forced to take a trip to a medical facility after his stint in the GT World Europe Challenge. The Frenchman received treatment for hours before recovering from what he was plagued with.

Gounon suffered from food poisoning on the eve of the race, according to a statement he issued on his social media. The French driver, however, extended gratitude to his teammates and his doctors following his recuperation from the incident.

Gounon was forced to spend hours in the medical centre, as he had fainted following his stint behind the wheel. Shifting focus to the on-track action at Circuit Paul Ricard, Verstappen Racing finished in ninth place in the six-hour race.

While Gounon recovered from his food poisoning, Ralf Schumacher expressed his belief that a move to Red Bull Racing as Max Verstappen’s replacement would not be the best career decision for Leclerc.

Verstappen’s increasingly uncertain position, with the Dutchman growing more frustrated with the new Formula 1 regulations, could potentially trigger a major ripple effect on the driver market if he were to walk away, hypothetically freeing up one of the most sought-after seats on the grid.

The former Williams racing driver, however, urged Leclerc to make what he considers a wiser decision to remain at the Scuderia Ferrari outfit.

GPblog understands that the FIA have told Red Bull Racing that Formula 1 journalists are far from happy with how the incident between Max Verstappen and a British journalist was handled at the Japanese Grand Prix.

During Thursday's media day at Suzuka, the four-time World Champion caused a stir in the F1 paddock by telling a journalist from The Guardian to leave the media session, with Verstappen believing the journalist did not respect the Dutchman by laughing at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

After the incident between Verstappen and the journalist, the matter was discussed within the F1 Media Advisory Council, and together with the journalist concerned, there was then a meeting with the FIA, which in turn was said to have conveyed concerns about what happened to Red Bull Racing.

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