F1 news: Charles Leclerc announcement, Michael Masi's new job, Mercedes' 'secret' codes

Charles Leclerc is set for a change in Formula One (Image: Getty)

We may be a week removed from the last Formula One race, but the news cycle keeps on churning at the highest level of motorsport. Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli banked his eighth win of the season at the Spanish Grand Prix last Sunday to extend his championship lead over second-placed George Russell to 81 points.

The opportunity for the 20-year-old to enhance the gap further will come at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix next weekend. As we approach the final third of the 2026 campaign, there's plenty of fresh news to keep fans busy. An announcement has been made about Ferrari superstar Charles Leclerc, former FIA F1 race director Michael Masi has a new job in motorsport, and a key Mercedes member has opened up about the "secret" codes the Silver Arrows use during races.

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Ferrari star Charles Leclerc will don a different look for the Singapore Grand Prix next month. The Italian team revealed that the Monegasque driver will wear a special-edition black race suit, coupled with a limited-edition cap that fans will be able to purchase before the race.

Moving away from the traditional Ferrari red with white accents, it's the second time this season that Leclerc has been given a custom race suit. The 28-year-old wore an all-white suit for his homecoming at the Monaco Grand Prix in June earlier this year.

Former FIA Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has landed a new role as the head of sporting for SRO Motorsports Australia. The 49-year-old is best known for his role in the controversial 2021 Drivers' Championship race in Abu Dhabi that resulted in Max Verstappen pipping Lewis Hamilton to the F1 world title.

The Australian motorsport figure was removed from his post in 2021 after an investigation into his actions were held. Five years on from the infamous scenes, Masi is set to return to racing in his homeland with the organisation, who run the GT World Challenge Australia.

Among his duties will be heading up rules and regulations while overseeing race officials and stewards. Masi is expected to attend the final two rounds of the current season in Sydney and Adelaide as part of his handover.

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Among the shrewdest operators in F1, it's no coincidence that Mercedes currently reign supreme in the Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings this season after the revelation made by team member Andrew Shovlin.

Shovlin - the track engineering director for the Silver Arrows - admitted that the team changes their codes weekly in order to keep them secret from their rivals during Grands Prix. The former race engineer worked alongside the likes of Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button and opened up about his team's methods on Mercedes' NU Silver Arrows Radio Show podcast.

He said: "Well, we will use secret codes to give them (the drivers) an idea of whether they might want to come in on a safety car during the race. But we try not to let all the other teams know what those codes are, so we change them every single week."