LawVS - The Ladder Man

Adrian Newey shifts the focus away from the car...and onto Honda.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsIn a shocking twist, Aston Martin's team principal Adrian Newey conducted a press conference. There he laid his cards on the table and declared his car as unsafe (at least over a set period of laps as said by Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll). As a result, the focus has moved considerably! Whilst Honda has to find a solution, primarily, Newey also claims that if that weren't an issue, his...

Verstappen's found a way to get through to F1...by questioning the show!Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsAfter voicing his concerns regarding the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, Max Verstappen has upped the ante by showing concern regarding fan perception regarding the new rules...that it could bore fans or be hard to understand as easily as previous seasons or other motorsports. In that light, the FIA and Formula 1 might take action faster and it could redefine what being a Formula One champion might be all about. <...

F1 returns for 2026! Could it be Mercedes vs Ferrari once again?Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsFormula 1 returns to Melbourne amidst a very tense atmosphere, globally speaking. However, the grid is very much keen to find out what the new cars can do and what the actual pecking order is. Can Aston Martin actually survive an entire race distance or will they make a token appearance for the sake of avoiding a fine? Have McLaren fallen back to the bottom of the big four and where do...

Honda just proved it will not sit back and repeat the mistakes of 2015.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsIn a very open and frank information drop, Honda Racing talked in detail about what went wrong with their power unit during Bahrain testing. The cause? The battery system got shook to bits. What exactly caused it? They're not sure...except it wasn't to do with their engine but something else to do with the car?Either way, Aston Martin may have some part in this...

Will there be any major changes for 2027 in F1? I don't think so.In terms of the grid for next season, it has the potential to be absolutely bonkers. Many drivers are up for a new deal or a need to find a new home in Formula 1...but if the pecking order maintains itself, based on testing, the overhaul of the Formula 1 driver lineup could be delayed for 2028. Should the top 4 pairings either be locked in already or satisfied, it may leave little room for movement throughout the remaining lineups. F1 2027 Grid Predictions...

Audi have turned heads...by just getting on with the job.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsAfter starting off before anyone else...and then having a very sobering shakedown in Barcelona, Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley have discovered their path toward F1 competence has been a lot more productive than expected. There is plenty of talk that they could easily figure within the midfield...or even become a dark horse of it! Far improved from the days of Sauber...and even ahead of Williams. Could Nico Hulkenberg...

Two of F1's most outspoken drivers had a chat. Here's why you should care.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsCarlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso got together during the Formula 1 testing arc and found out they shared similar challenges within their respective teams. They saw eye to eye in a way which Williams and Aston Martin are not in the place they expected to be for 2026, a year which saw massive potential for both operations.For now, Carlos calls for calm and for patience...

Max causes chaos amidst F1's rulemakers...time for George to add his own!Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsAs Max Verstappen mulls over his future in Formula 1, George Russell reminds the world that the Dutchman is a problematic driver; claiming he and his father Jos are 'manipulative' and at the heart of Red Bull's sacking of their former boss Christian Horner...only for Horner to say the complete opposite. Why did George do this?Maybe it's all about making Max an untouchable. Not...

Could this be HIS year? Let's predict the F1 2026 pecking orders for definite.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsAfter all the weeks of testing, we're so close to the 2026 Formula 1 season getting going...all in the midst of potential technical upheavals. With that in mind, I look at all 11 teams and 22 drivers and try my best to rank them accordingly. Could Lando Norris defend his championship? Or Max take it back? Or even Charles Leclerc reaching his first amidst Ferrari's apparent calm amidst the sport's stormy seas?<...

Aston Martin's situation is absolute chaos...by design?Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsAfter years of hype, the reality of becoming a works team for the first time in Team Silverstone's existence has hit like a freight train...with a team principal who wants nothing other than perfection. It was an odd choice but despite all the negative headlines in the last few weeks, there is hope within the AMR26...and it might be that Fernando Alonso hasn't given up yet.Right now? It's...

As if it couldn't get any worse for Mercedes and its customers...Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsAfter finding some respite from the ongoing engine compression controversies, Mercedes are now facing a race against time anew. Theirs and their customer's fuel suppliers Petronas have yet to gain approval to use their 2026 fuel for their F1 cars. Eight drivers and four teams could be affected if the grant isn't approved by Australia.Whilst this is something that can be sorted out in time, it's yet...

I think I've got a clue as to where the teams are right now before final testing.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsLap times don't matter...but tyre choices and lap counts kinda do. I want to look at what each F1 team has chosen for the final three days and deduce where they are at, now the baseline Formula 1 platforms are somewhat laid down. So far, Ferrari look like the most settled team whilst Red Bull keep on trucking and Mercedes? They're wobbling a little bit...

Red Bull's chief designer has quit days before F1 2026 begins.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsCraig Skinner, Red Bull's chief designer since the RB18 of 2022, has reportedly left the team just three weeks before the first round of Formula 1 in 2026 begins. Based on recent high level departures, we are programmed to think this is the end of the world...well, is it though? Could Laurent Mekies and the new Red Bull Racing simply be recalibrating to what Formula One has become? A more energy managed formula instead...

Nobody's talked about Ferrari...but McLaren is...and they're worried.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsIt's become clear that start procedures for F1 2026 have some work need doing to them...but Ferrari have blocked any changes? Why? Well, they had answer a year ago but nobody would listen! So they went their own way and the car of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc could have the edge when it comes to Formula 1 race starts. However, McLaren have something to say amidst all the other positive news coming...

Aston Martin COULD have a good car...but it's WOEFULLY underbaked in the energy department.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsCould Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll be hamstrung thanks to a car which had to, by design, be aerodynamically advanced whilst lacking in terms of engine power as well as good use of the battery and electrical gubbins necessary in F1 for the 2026 season? Given what we have seen, things are not looking good...and the Spaniard is barely hanging in there whilst his teammate is already...

Yes, Toto Wolff was gassing up Red Bull...but with evidence.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsAs Mercedes stares into the abyss of their engine facing FIA scrutiny, their boss has changed the subject by talking about how GOOD Red Bull and their Ford powertrain project is looking after the first day of the Bahrain pre-season F1 test. However, this is a little different to the usual sandbagging we usually think from Mercedes. This time, Wolff talks about how good Max Verstappen has managed the new electrical...

The FIA has stepped in and admitted there is a problem. It can't win.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsToto Wolff and Mercedes are dealing with a lot of resistance despite following the rules for F1 2026 engines...but despite the compliance thus far, the Formula 1 governing body single seater rep Nicholas Tombazis elaborated their stance to find a solution with the other teams which include Ferrari, Honda, Audi and now Red Bull. Cadillac stepping in despite not starting yet? That shows how political this whole situation has...

F1's 2026 car liveries are all out in the open - which are the worst and best?Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsToday, let's discuss which Formula 1 designs from Ferrari to Aston Martin have landed...and which have either flopped or missed the mark. McLaren chose to repeat itself whilst Mercedes evolved a growing classic. Red Bull went glossy again, Cadillac aimed for the moon (literally) and Racing Bulls left itself (and its airbox) wide open. Which of these won, lost or were just...

Cadillac made a big splash at the Super Bowl...they're a team in a hurry.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsSergio Perez followed Cadillac and General Motors' wishes for ambition and no hand-holding for the F1 team's first season in the sport. Forget the patience Audi is seeking, the new American Formula 1 team is going big in its wishes to be taken seriously with its initial Andretti project backed by TWG money and influence. And oh yes! The livery lacked colour, but it made...

Oscar Piastri's silent strategy might reap the rewards of 2026's way to win in F1.Climb the ladder with me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lawvsEven though papaya rules faced resistance from many Formula 1 fans, McLaren are choosing to continue using them, albeit with some simple modifications...and Lando Norris' teammate is more than happy to comply...and that might be the culmination of years of understanding and following McLaren's principles to the letter...despite plenty of 'headaches' in 2025 for his own Formula One title campaign. He still reckons he's got a...