It's been a busy weekend for Max Verstappen after competing in the 4 Hours of Nürburgring over the weekend, finishing seventh in the Cup 3 class.

As a result of his participation, the Dutchman officially received the DMSB permit, allowing him to compete in a GT3 car at the Nordschleife. To keep his 

Running in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring event will already be possible next year, as it will not clash with the Formula 1 calendar. The race in Germany will run from 14-17 May, in between the Miami and Canadian Grand Prix.

While it is conceivable that he will first compete with a GT3 car at the 'Green Hell' only then, it is likely that he will return sooner to drive at a shorter event.

Inside the paddock in Germany, there were rumours that this would take place on 27 September. Should that not happen, 11 October is an alternative option.

At the Italian Grand Prix, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali made some comments regarding the distance of Grand Prix races, with the potential to make them shorter.

Drivers reacted to this on Thursday at Monza, with there not being a major appetite for change.

However, the Italian cleared up these words, saying, "I never said we need to cut the distance of the race. What I’m saying is that the span of attention of the people today is very short, so we need to be attractive."

There have been comments made by Flavio Briatore regarding Alpine's driver lineup for the 2026 season.

After signing a contract extension, Pierre Gasly will be one of the drivers next season for the French team. However, the seat next to him is still undecided.

“The second driver? The team needs stability, and the possibility of keeping the same two drivers for next year is part of that stability. For now, we haven't decided yet, but normally, if you want stability, it means you have to keep both drivers," stated Briatore.

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