F1 Fast Five: Alpine to shut down engine program at the end of 2025, Marko wanted to drop Ricciardo after Spanish GP, and other big updates

Alpine to shut down engine program at the end of 2025

Renault will stop its F1 engine program after nearly 50 years in the sport. The company first joined F1 in 1977 and has won 12 championships, the second-most ever. However, Renault's engines have not performed well recently, so the team will start buying engines instead of making them. The development of its own engines will end by the end of 2025, and the engine department will change into the new Alpine Hypertech division to focus on other racing programs and technologies.

Click here to read the full article by Joe Holding (topgear.com)

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Marko wanted to drop Ricciardo after Spanish GP

Christian Horner admitted that Daniel Ricciardo was lucky to stay with Red Bull as long as he did before the team replaced him. Helmut Marko had wanted to drop Ricciardo earlier, especially after a weak race in Barcelona. Even though Ricciardo had some good performances, like in Montreal, it wasn’t enough to keep his spot. Now, Liam Lawson has taken over, and Ricciardo’s future in Formula 1 is uncertain.

Click here to read the full article by Daniel Moxon (mirror.co.uk)

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Mercedes plans major upgrade for Hamilton after Singapore setback

Mercedes is planning a big upgrade for Lewis Hamilton after his disappointing 350th grand prix in Singapore, where he finished sixth due to a bad strategy. Even though he won three races before the summer break, the team has struggled lately and needs to improve. Technical director James Allison said the upgrade will help with tire and overheating problems before the next race in Austin. With Hamilton's last races coming up, the team hopes to celebrate his next milestone in a better way.

Click here to read the full article by Jake Nichol (racingnews365.com)

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Leclerc's one-of-a-kind Daytona SP3

Besides driving the F1 single-seater for Scuderia Ferrari, Charles Leclerc has a cool collection of roadgoing models from the Maranello factory, and his favorite is definitely the Ferrari Daytona SP3. Like most limited-production Ferrari hypercars, Leclerc’s Daytona SP3 is highly customized. You bet he can't wait to talk about his one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

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Plenty of opportunity ahead for Williams

Williams Team Principal James Vowles believes the championship is still wide open as there are plenty of opportunities ahead for the team. He answers fan questions, including his thoughts on Franco's move at the start of the race, what caused the issues with Alex's car, and how the team will prevent a recurrence in the future, among many others.