The Racing Whine — The week in F1 YouTube

The Racing Whine: 21 Oct to 27 Oct 2026

The Racing Whine, Week ending Tuesday 27 October 2026: Marko writes Russell off. Wolff writes back; Red Bull agrees a plan. Red Bull runs another; Alpine condemns a guest. It does not say which

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Marko writes Russell off. Wolff writes back

After George Russell finished 54 seconds behind Kimi Antonelli in Austin, Helmut Marko said he doubts Russell will ever be a team's number one again, and Toto Wolff said Marko is wrong.1

Sainz doubts the finale. Then he doesn't

Carlos Sainz said it was hard to be convinced the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races would go ahead, then issued a statement saying he completely trusts the FIA and F1 to make the call.5

The Big Story

Six good laps, fifty bad

George Russell is still mathematically in the title fight after finishing eighth in Austin, 54 seconds behind Kimi Antonelli.6

Even the kind words came with a scale. Lando Norris said he rated Russell, then added: "But Kimi has been two levels above George the whole season." If Antonelli is a ten, that makes Russell an eight. The rest of the week marked him lower.7

Qualifying went no better. Russell was sixth, four tenths off Antonelli's pole, and wrote his own review: "I went slower in Q3 than I did in Q2, so that says enough." Cameron Cc rechristened him "Valtteri Bottas 2.0" after qualifying, then rechristened him again after the race.8

On the first lap, Russell ran wide at Turn 12 and rejoined ahead of Oscar Piastri, for five seconds, half the usual penalty because it was lap one. When Max Verstappen came past chasing Antonelli, Russell made no attempt to defend. TacticalRab's reading was that Russell, still mathematically in the fight, was happy to let Verstappen take the win off his teammate.9

He finished eighth, which was exactly enough: ninth would have made Antonelli champion in Austin. Russell's own verdict, to The Race, was about six good laps and 50 bad ones. He had no answers yet, he said, and would give it 24 hours before digging into the data. He hoped the car's narrow operating window explained it. Peter Windsor, on Cameron Cc's channel, doesn't accept the narrow window: he says the Mercedes has a very good sweet spot and Russell is lost. He gave Russell an almost 0.001 per cent chance of spending the winter with a driver coach, and an 85 to 90 per cent chance of improving if he did.10

Before the race, Helmut Marko said to Sky Deutschland that Antonelli had taken Russell's number one spot: "I doubt whether he'll ever have another chance at the world title or be given number one status anywhere." Toto Wolff sided with Russell's own explanation. "I think he's wrong on George," he said. "George has all the ability. I think the car doesn't suit him." He added that with a quick car in a new season, a title is absolutely possible.11

With the penalty, eighth place leaves Russell 123 points behind Antonelli with 125 left. Antonelli needs two more points all season. Russell needs Antonelli to score none. Mercedes will start Russell's Mexico weekend by giving his car away: Fred Vesti has it in FP1, for a mandatory test.12

Who's Beefin'

Helmut Marko vs Christian Horner

Heat: 4/5

Christian Horner has written a book, and Helmut Marko will not be writing one back, because he "would never stoop to that level". Marko called it "a collection of untruths of such a low calibre that I will not address them", then corrected one anyway: he did offer his condolences when Horner's ex-partner died. He also said that publishing the book on the same day Dietrich Mateschitz died "is an embarrassment". TacticalRab doubts Horner picked the date on purpose.13

Fernando Alonso vs The Bottom Third

Heat: 3/5

After his first-lap collision with Alex Albon, which the stewards ruled a racing incident, Fernando Alonso said: "I think when you start at the back, there is this risk always. I think the quality of the drivers in the lower third of the grid is very low, as we saw today with Alex, so I think we need to improve the car and start a little bit higher up." So Alonso, starting at the back, finds the back of the grid is full of low-quality drivers. FP1Will noted that this comes "from the same man who apparently thinks Lance Stroll is good", and The Race recalled that Alonso has called Stroll, his teammate, a future world champion. In Austin, Stroll went out in Q1.14

The Hard Compound

Peter Windsor's allocation this week: hards on Ferrari's strategy, mediums on the junior academies.

Ferrari's strategy. In two Peter Windsor Reacts videos on Cameron Cc's channel, Windsor found Ferrari's Austin plan "absolutely abysmal", then "pathetic", then "There was no logic to anything they did at Ferrari, none." His complaint is that Ferrari followed Red Bull's two-stop instead of splitting its cars, with Lewis Hamilton on new mediums for a one-stop. That is the same strategy Max Verstappen says was never agreed, even at Red Bull. Cameron had given his own verdict in his race review the day before: "I think Scuderia Ferrari screwed up the strategy, but such was Charles Leclerc's pace that it didn't even make a difference."15

The academies. On his own channel and in two Cameron Cc videos, Windsor said "All the Formula 1 academies have it completely wrong", and "The driver pool for the future is in the hands of the teams. It should be in the hands of the FIA and Liberty." Those are the bodies Carlos Sainz put out a statement this week to say he "completely" trusts, after doubting that their last two races would go ahead. Windsor's example is Leonardo Fornaroli, who won F3 and F2 back to back, and whom McLaren has sent to its hypercar programme instead of an F1 seat: "It breaks my heart to see how he's being wasted now by McLaren." The teams, it turns out, run their academies for the teams. Fornaroli has a factory hypercar seat to be wasted in.16

Windsor did not tell us this week how it was done when he was there.

Crofty was on air, out of range.

The Armchair Stewards

  • The Race In "How F1 team bosses got RICH 🤑", Straw said Zak Brown is "understood to have earned $81.897 million in 2025". Nobody rounded it. +1 more
  • TacticalRab In "Hamilton EXPOSES Ferrari Problem, Alonso vs Albon 🔥😨", the problem Lewis Hamilton exposed was his own setup, which he reckoned was 12 clicks of front wing out: "I'm not perfecting the setup. It's something that I've really got to get on top of." He asked for four clicks at each stop, which got him two-thirds of the way.
  • James' Pit Lane James relayed the stewards' total for Gabriel Bortoleto: 20 grid places, then 60 more for a fifth engine, turbocharger, exhaust set, energy store and control electronics unit. That is 80 places, on a grid of 22. +1 more
  • The Red Flags Podcast Matt's award of the weekend went to Max Verstappen, for calling the car undrivable: "He said the car was undrivable, and he did say that while he was in first place."
  • Cameron Cc "Russell Is Finished! | USA GP Review" was followed a day later by "Russell Can't Come Back From This? | Peter Windsor Reacts". In a day, Russell gained a question mark.
  • Missed Apex Previewing Austin, Matt Trumpets said: "I wouldn't be surprised to see Red Bull really come close to running the table or being very, very sharp in the entire rest of the season." Kimi Antonelli won from pole.
  • FP1Will Will's account of Isack Hadjar's team order: "He promptly refused, was reminded that Yuki Tsunoda still exists, and then promptly f**ked off out of the way."

Every creator in full

The Armchair Stewards in full

The Race

  • In "How F1 team bosses got RICH 🤑", Straw said Zak Brown is "understood to have earned $81.897 million in 2025". Nobody rounded it.17
  • Red Bull's radio has failed all season, and Laurent Mekies says the team has no idea why. Max Verstappen proposed a fix: "Maybe we just start communicating in sign language. It's probably cheaper as well." By FP1Will's account, he had already shown Lewis Hamilton a metaphorical middle finger.18

TacticalRab

  • In "Hamilton EXPOSES Ferrari Problem, Alonso vs Albon 🔥😨", the problem Lewis Hamilton exposed was his own setup, which he reckoned was 12 clicks of front wing out: "I'm not perfecting the setup. It's something that I've really got to get on top of." He asked for four clicks at each stop, which got him two-thirds of the way.19

James' Pit Lane

  • James relayed the stewards' total for Gabriel Bortoleto: 20 grid places, then 60 more for a fifth engine, turbocharger, exhaust set, energy store and control electronics unit. That is 80 places, on a grid of 22.20
  • Eleven of its 12 uploads this week paused to say James is "close now to 60,000 subscribers".21

The Red Flags Podcast

  • Matt's award of the weekend went to Max Verstappen, for calling the car undrivable: "He said the car was undrivable, and he did say that while he was in first place."22

Cameron Cc

  • "Russell Is Finished! | USA GP Review" was followed a day later by "Russell Can't Come Back From This? | Peter Windsor Reacts". In a day, Russell gained a question mark.23

Missed Apex

  • Previewing Austin, Matt Trumpets said: "I wouldn't be surprised to see Red Bull really come close to running the table or being very, very sharp in the entire rest of the season." Kimi Antonelli won from pole.24

FP1Will

  • Will's account of Isack Hadjar's team order: "He promptly refused, was reminded that Yuki Tsunoda still exists, and then promptly f**ked off out of the way."25

The Beef League

12 beefs in 4 weeks so far

Beef of the week

Helmut Marko vs Christian Horner

Heat: 4/5

Top of the league: Lando Norris, heat 13 from 4 beefs.

League table
PosClubPHeatBestForm
1 Lando Norris McLaren 4 13 4 4 3 2 4
2 Peter Windsor 2 7 4 3 4
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren 2 6 4 2 4
4 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 1 4 4 4
5 New Christian Horner Ferrari 1 4 4 4
6 1 Franco Colapinto Alpine 1 4 4 4
7 1 George Russell Mercedes 1 4 4 4
8 New Helmut Marko Red Bull 1 4 4 4
9 2 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1 4 4 4
10 New Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1 3 3 3
11 3 Ferrari Company 1 3 3 3
12 3 Frédéric Vasseur Ferrari 1 3 3 3
13 3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1 3 3 3
14 3 The Race 1 3 3 3
15 3 Missed Apex 1 2 2 2
16 3 Josh Revell 1 1 1 1

Heat is Who’s Beefin’s rating out of five, added up over the season. P is beefs played; form is the last five, newest last.

Sources

  1. James' Pit Lane, 3:30: "I don't have the answers right now, and I need to give it 24 hours to think clearly." (James reading George Russell) · James' Pit Lane, 2:01: "Russell is no longer the number one driver. Antonelli has quite clearly taken that spot from him, but Russell is one of the top drivers. I doubt whether he'll ever have another chance at the world title or be given number one status anywhere." (James reading Helmut Marko) · James' Pit Lane, 2:40: "I start with Helmut. I mean he's my Austrian not so buddy but I respect his opinion but I think he's wrong on George. George has all the ability." (James reading Toto Wolff) · TacticalRab, 14:49: "I respect his opinion, but I think he's wrong on George. George has all the ability. The car doesn't suit him right now." (Toto Wolff) ↩︎

  2. James' Pit Lane, 2:57: "That wasn't agreed beforehand. I don't really understand why that happened." (James reading Max Verstappen) · The Race, 7:00: "that wasn't what we agreed on, so we didn't really understand why that ended up being the plan" (Edd Straw reading Max Verstappen) · TacticalRab, 11:15: "We didn't agree on that. We didn't plan soft-soft." (Rab reading Max Verstappen) ↩︎

  3. Kym Illman, 1:29: "We are aware of the comments from a guest of the team in Austin... these are personal views and do not align with the team's values of promoting kindness and respect. Franco's our driver and has our full support." (Kym Illman reading Alpine) · Kym Illman, 1:20: "These are personal views and do not align with the team's values of promoting kindness and respect. Franco's our driver and has our full support." (Kym Illman reading Alpine) · Missed Apex, 1:01:59: "Colapinto should get a penalty simply for being Argentinian" (Spanners reading Jeremy Clarkson) · TacticalRab, 20:06: "His comments about Franco's nationality were completely unacceptable. There is no place for remarks like this in Formula One, regardless of who makes them or whether they're intended as a joke." (Rab reading Jamie Campbell Walter) ↩︎

  4. Missed Apex, 32:26: "Swap positions, you're on different strategies." (Spanners reading McLaren team) · The Red Flags Podcast, 50:54: "they just straight up lied to Oscar Piastri when they said that he was on a different strategy" ↩︎

  5. TacticalRab, 4:19: "Following some reporting of my comments in the press earlier, I want to be clear that I know the FIA and Formula One will put safety first, and I completely trust them to make the right decision. We look forward to racing in Qatar and Abu Dhabi." (Rab reading Carlos Sainz) · The Inside Line, 1:05: "Williams' Carlos Sainz says it is difficult to be convinced that the season will end in the Middle East" (unclear) · Kym Illman, 0:33: "He said it was very difficult to be convinced right now that we'd be going because there are still things happening there, and there's an election in the US shortly." (Kym Illman reading Carlos Sainz) · Kym Illman, 11:30: "He said it was very difficult to be convinced right now that we'd be going. Because there are still things happening there, and there's an election in the US shortly." (Kym Illman reading Carlos Sainz) ↩︎

  6. James' Pit Lane, 2:09: Russell Penalty Verdict After Being Destroyed By Antonelli In US · James' Pit Lane, 0:27: Russell Sidelined For Mexico GP Session In Mandatory Absence; Wolff On Russell After No.2 Claim · James' Pit Lane, 2:01: "Russell is no longer the number one driver. Antonelli has quite clearly taken that spot from him, but Russell is one of the top drivers. I doubt whether he'll ever have another chance at the world title or be given number one status anywhere." (James reading Helmut Marko) · James' Pit Lane, 2:40: "I start with Helmut. I mean he's my Austrian not so buddy but I respect his opinion but I think he's wrong on George. George has all the ability." (James reading Toto Wolff) ↩︎

  7. James' Pit Lane, 0:59: "I rate George, and I think he's a very good driver. But Kimi has been two levels above George the whole season." (James reading Lando Norris) ↩︎

  8. James' Pit Lane, 0:20: Huge Penalty Changes US Quali Result, Russell Finished, Ferrari Fall Apart · Cameron Cc, 8:44: FERRARI ARE RIDICULOUS! · Cameron Cc, 4:53: "We need to rechristen him Valtteri Bottas 2.0." ↩︎

  9. James' Pit Lane, 2:29: Russell Penalty Verdict After Being Destroyed By Antonelli In US · James' Pit Lane, 3:10 · The Race, 0:50: 'Rubbish' Russell searching for answers 😞 · TacticalRab, 12:24: Verstappen FURIOUS at Red Bull, Antonelli 😤 F1 Austin ↩︎

  10. James' Pit Lane, 0:43: Russell Penalty Verdict After Being Destroyed By Antonelli In US · The Race, 0:00: 'Rubbish' Russell searching for answers 😞 · James' Pit Lane, 3:30: F1 Driver Career Finished As Shock Replacement Update Issued? Russell Lost After US GP · Cameron Cc, 27:53: Peter Windsor: Antonelli Has Made Russell His Wingman! · Cameron Cc, 19:44 · Cameron Cc, 29:28: "I think it's almost 0.001% chance that he would do that. But this is the thing: if he did do it, I think there's a 85-90% chance that he would improve." (Peter Windsor) ↩︎

  11. James' Pit Lane, 2:01: Huge Penalty Changes US Quali Result, Russell Finished, Ferrari Fall Apart · James' Pit Lane, 2:40: Russell Sidelined For Mexico GP Session In Mandatory Absence; Wolff On Russell After No.2 Claim ↩︎

  12. James' Pit Lane, 0:55: Russell Penalty Verdict After Being Destroyed By Antonelli In US · James' Pit Lane, 0:27: Russell Sidelined For Mexico GP Session In Mandatory Absence; Wolff On Russell After No.2 Claim · James' Pit Lane, 1:05 · TacticalRab, 1:56: "Antonelli only needs to score two more points for the entirety of the rest of this season" ↩︎

  13. TacticalRab, 1:21: "Marko says that he probably won't be writing a response book because he would never stoop to that level. And he says the book is a collection of untruths of such a low calibre that I will not address them." (Rab reading Helmut Marko) · TacticalRab, 1:29: "I only want to correct one claim: I did indeed offer my condolences after the death of his ex-partner" (Rab reading Helmut Marko) · TacticalRab, 1:38: "The fact that the book is published on the same day, I think this is meant to say, that Dietrich Mateschitz died is an embarrassment" (Rab reading Helmut Marko) · TacticalRab, 1:47: "Was that intentional from Horner? I somewhat doubt it." ↩︎

  14. James' Pit Lane, 4:16: "I think when you start at the back, there is this risk always. I think the quality of the drivers in the lower third of the grid is very low, as we saw today with Alex, so I think we need to improve the car and start a little bit higher up." (James reading Fernando Alonso) · The Race, 3:24: "Stewards literally ruled it as a racing incident, and I think we both agree with that." · FP1Will, 11:56: "I mean, that is brutal, but this comes from the same man who apparently thinks Lance Stroll is good" · The Race, 4:32: "But Alonso, of course, has said that Stroll is a future world champion not too long ago" · FP1Will, 8:58: "five of the six spots in the drop zone were automatically filled with the Cadillacs, Williams and Lance Stroll" ↩︎

  15. Cameron Cc, 37:11: "The strategy they chose was absolutely abysmal." · Cameron Cc, 39:10: "It was pathetic. And I just don't understand." · Cameron Cc, 4:30: "There was no logic to anything they did at Ferrari, none." · Cameron Cc, 8:02: "I think Scuderia Ferrari screwed up the strategy, but such was Charles Leclerc's pace that it didn't even make a difference." ↩︎

  16. Cameron Cc, 25:57: "All the Formula 1 academies have it completely wrong." · Peter Windsor, 8:03: "The driver pool for the future is in the hands of the teams. It should be in the hands of the FIA and Liberty." · Cameron Cc, 25:35: "It breaks my heart to see how he's being wasted now by McLaren." · Missed Apex, 1:01:22: "you've got that Leonardo Fornaroli. He's won F3 and F2 back to back" · TacticalRab, 4:19: "I know the FIA and Formula One will put safety first, and I completely trust them to make the right decision." (Rab reading Carlos Sainz) ↩︎

  17. The Race, 0:09: "He's understood to have earned $81.897 million in 2025, and it effectively comes down to a bet he made." · The Race, How F1 team bosses got RICH 🤑 (whole video) ↩︎

  18. The Race, 1:24: "It's a disaster. It's really frustrating, to be honest." (Edd Straw reading Max Verstappen) · The Race, 9:40: "there was some truth to what Hadjar said" (Scott Mitchell-Malm reading Laurent Mekies) · The Race, 1:20: "Maybe we just start communicating in sign language. It's probably cheaper as well." (Edd Straw reading Max Verstappen) · The Race, 0:29: "Maybe we just start communicating in sign language. It's probably cheaper as well." (Max Verstappen) · FP1Will, 11:07: "Verstappen showing him the metaphorical middle finger on that one" ↩︎

  19. TacticalRab, 16:02: "I've lost a lot of points in the last five races or so, and I think it's come from the setup. I'm not perfecting the setup. It's something that I've really got to get on top of." (Rab reading Lewis Hamilton) · TacticalRab, Hamilton EXPOSES Ferrari Problem, Alonso vs Albon 🔥😨 (whole video) · TacticalRab, 17:56: "He put that in, and the next pit stop he added another four clicks, and he was still four clicks too short as far as he was concerned." ↩︎

  20. James' Pit Lane, 0:30: "the steward said that he's taken a fourth energy store and fourth control electronics unit this weekend. And as a result, that's a drop of 20 grid positions for the US Grand Prix." · James' Pit Lane, 3:23: "just ahead of qualifying, the stewards also revealed that Bortoleto had taken a fifth engine, a fifth turbocharger, a fifth exhaust set, a fifth energy store, a fifth control electronics unit, a fourth MGU-K, and a seventh power unit ancillary component, and as a result, that's a drop of 60 grid positions." ↩︎

  21. James' Pit Lane, F1 Driver Told Career Finished; Verstappen Names Driver He Wants To Take Over At Red Bull After Exit (whole video) · James' Pit Lane, Big Double Penalty In US; Hamilton & Leclerc Reject Verstappen Faster In Ferrari Claim (whole video) · James' Pit Lane, Stewards Verdict On Antonelli After Pole; Hamilton Opposes Verstappen's Criticism Over F1 US Bumps (whole video) · James' Pit Lane, Huge Penalty Changes US Quali Result, Russell Finished, Ferrari Fall Apart (whole video) ↩︎

  22. The Red Flags Podcast, 6:35: "He said the car was undrivable, and he did say that while he was in first place." ↩︎

  23. Cameron Cc, Russell Is Finished! | USA GP Review (whole video) · Cameron Cc, Russell Can't Come Back From This? | Peter Windsor Reacts (whole video) ↩︎

  24. Missed Apex, 36:35: "I wouldn't be surprised to see Red Bull really come close to running the table or being very, very sharp in the entire rest of the season." (Matt Trumpets) · TacticalRab, 0:09: "effectively two hands on the World Championship trophy" ↩︎

  25. FP1Will, 12:11: "He promptly refused, was reminded that Yuki Tsunoda still exists, and then promptly f**ked off out of the way." ↩︎