ZANDVOORT, Netherlands — The Formula 1 title race is back and the tension is building. Ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, the first race in four weeks, Oscar Piastri is just nine points ahead of his McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris, who won three of the last four races before the mid-season break.

McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris return from Formula 1's summer break to re-engage in the battle for the drivers' title at this weekend's Dutch Grand

With just under half of the Formula 1 season to go, lots of things are already settled—but there are also plenty of open questions.

The first race of the 2026 season is the Australian Grand Prix in March. Bottas and Perez will hit the track in January, testing out the new car before its official debut in early February. Towriss noted that both men signed multi-year deals with Cadillac. Graeme Lowden was named team principal last December.

But - and it's a big but - it is considered important that F1 retains its purity, and that artificial gimmicks, even if they are needed, are a necessary evil to be restrained as much as possible, and they should not pollute the essence of natural racing.

Valtteri Bottas is making a dramatic return to the grid with Cadillac, but his first race might not have a Hollywood start

Cadillac F1's move to tap the two proven race winners shows it is prioritizing experience in its driver lineup as it prepares to join the sport in 2026.

Newly crowned IndyCar champion Alex Palou has been linked with a shock switch to Formula 1 partnering Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing in 2026.