F1 Today | Mercedes flirting with Newey and Perez under pressure

Are Mercedes considering Newey? 

The biggest news from the Formula 1 paddock in recent weeks is the departure of Adrian Newey from Red Bull. Newey has been linked with many teams since the announcement, including Ferrari, McLaren and even Williams. Italian media believe that the legendary designer has already signed a contract with the Scuderia, but Mercedes technical boss James Allison says the German team are also interested in the 65-year-old. 

Whilst not confirming talks between the two parties, Allison did say that every team will be looking at Newey, who has designed 12 constructor-winning cars since 1991. 

You can read what Allison said here. 

Is pressure growing on Perez? 

Another Red Bull man who could be on his way out of the team is Sergio Perez. The Mexican's contract is up at the end of the season, and former F1 driver Jan Lammers believes he needs to "step up a gear" if he wants to keep his seat at the top team. 

The rest of the grid is starting to close in on Red Bull, with McLaren looking like serious contenders after Lando Norris' maiden F1 win in Miami, and finishing seven-tenths behind Verstappen in Imola. Lammers believes Checo will need to prove that he can consistently be on the same pace as the reigning world champion if Red Bull want to keep their constructors trophy. 

"Beaten by a customer is depressing"

These harsh words come from former F1 driver Damon Hill about Mercedes, who since 2022 have struggled to challenge at the front of the grid, only taking one win.  Mercedes supplies engines to McLaren, who currently sit 75 points ahead of the Silver Arrows. After they finished the Imola Grand Prix sixth and seventh, Hill highlighted their struggles, with the rest of the Sky Sports F1 panel in Italy also critical of the team's performances. 

Norris remains confident 

Going into the Monaco Grand Prix, Formula 1's newest race winner Lando Norris remains confident that if they stay on the 'right track', McLaren can challenge Red Bull, who have taken two constructors titles in a row. Despite not winning in Imola, Norris finished just seven-tenths behind Verstappen, the Dutchman's smallest winning margin this season. 

In his post-race press conference after Imola, Norris was very complimentary of his team, saying that they are "extracting everything out of the car" to challenge Red Bull for the constructors championship, something they haven't won since 1998 with an Adrian Newey-designed car. 

Mercedes delivers ominous message to rivals

Mercedes has struggled in recent years. However, they may have one ace up their sleeves to change their fortunes in 2026: their engine. James Allison says the feeling about their 2026 engine is the same as about their 2014 engine at the start of the hybrid era, which marked the start of Mercedes' seven-year dominance. 

Team boss Toto Wolff hopes this will help them pinch Max Verstappen away from Red Bull Racing, with his future unknown after the Christian Horner situation at the start of the year. Red Bull heads into 2026 with a massive challenge as they are building their own engine - for the first time - in partnership with Ford. 

Leclerc looks ahead to Monaco: 'It hasn't been successful' 

Charles Leclerc has infamously suffered torrid luck at his home race. He has retired from three of his five races there, lost a certain victory after a Ferrari pitstop blunder in 2022, and finished sixth in 2023. What can he do to change this? Leclerc said that starting from a 'blank page' and building up over the weekend will be important. The Monegasque also said that despite his results, Monaco still has a 'special place' in his heart.