F1® December Update

It's Monday, December 15th, and the Formula 1® silly season never truly ends. 

So I have updated the Seante Grand Prix Blog with a mix of news, and I will go into more detail as the week progresses. Once again, Congratulations, Lando and McLaren, for the official trophy presentation in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 

While the team at Senate Grand Prix never stops, there's no downtime in the world of Formula One®, either. 

While McLaren celebrates their double championship, the grid is already embroiled in technical shake-ups and early preparations for the game-changing 2026 regulations. 

With the F1 season only just over, it feels to me like it's going to be Christmas, then New Year's Eve, then January, and only weeks away from F1 car launches and F1 news overdrive. 

The biggest shockwave today comes from the Red Bull camp: the loss of Helmut Marko.

Helmet Marko will be a massive loss to the Junior team programme, as he's a man who has coached his young drivers to world driver championships, formidable F1 seats and top teams in the sport. 

So he will surely be missed by Red Bull, and times are really changing there.  

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is showing his absolute commitment to the Ferrari project. 

Despite ending his maiden season with the Scuderia without a single podium—a first in his career—the seven-time champion was pictured at the Maranello factory just days after the Abu Dhabi finale.

Hamilton had previously stated he was looking forward to a break. 

Yet, his immediate return to the factory to speak with engineers and review the year’s performance is a powerful signal. 

It confirms he is all-in on turning Ferrari's fortunes around for 2026. 

The relationship, despite the difficult season, remains "extremely positive," according to the team.

The final key piece of today’s puzzle concerns Adrian Newey. 

As part of Aston Martin’s preparation for the Honda works partnership in 2026, the legendary designer will officially step up to become Team Principal, combining the role with his existing Managing Technical Partner duties.

This internal shuffle means Newey, F1's most decorated designer, now has the ultimate power to run the team as he sees fit. 

Andy Cowell, the previous Team Principal, moves to a Chief Strategy Officer role to focus on integrating the new Honda Power Unit. 

This change maximises Newey's "creative and technical expertise" ahead of the massive 2026 regulation change—a clear sign that Lawrence Stroll is putting all his chips on the designer to build a championship contender.

The 2025 season is over, but the war for 2026 has already begun.

And as always, when the lights go out and the drama unfolds, here at Senate Grand Prix, there is only one winner, and that's you, the race fans!