Verstappen's Nordschleife outing, what will Hadjar's future be in '26?

Plenty to cover ahead of the Azerbaijan GP, starting, of course, with last week’s major talking point: Max Verstappen’s participation in the Nordschleife weekend of the NLS competition. His goal was to secure a permit, which will allow him to compete in the GT3 class next year at the historic 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about the sprint races, following recent comments from F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, with a possible increase in the number of sprints in the near future and the potential introduction of a reversed grid.

There’s also curiosity surrounding Isack Hadjar and what his future holds — whether he will remain with Racing Bulls in 2026 or take the big step to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen.

Attention is also on the stewards, in light of the recent FIA verdict on the right of review, which Williams successfully used to appeal the penalty given to Carlos Sainz.

Finally, there’s debate around the title fight, with Norris and Piastri expected to face another showdown in Baku after last week’s team orders at Monza.