Author Profile: Leopold Pleijsier

Leopold Pleijsier

Leopold Pleijsier

F1 Journalist

30390 published articles
22 Oct 2026 latest publication

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

Latest story: Austin's 2026 Tyre Change Could Upset the Odds

Ferrari junior Camara threatening Ocon's Haas seat for 2027

Ferrari wants its Brazilian junior Rafael Camara in F1, and the obvious route runs through Haas, which is already squeezing Ocon on performance and...

4 comments  | 
12 Jun 2026

Pirelli extends F1 tyre supply deal through 2028

An option clause in Pirelli's 2025–2027 contract has been activated, extending the Italian company's status as Formula 1's exclusive tyre supplier for a fourth...

0 comments  | 
12 Jun 2026

FIA confirms 2027 rules shift toward combustion engine power

The FIA has confirmed significant changes to its 2026 power unit framework, tilting the ICE/electric balance from 53–47 to 60–40 by 2028. Honda says...

4 comments  | 
11 Jun 2026

Verstappen holds Salzburg summit with Red Bull amid Mercedes whispers

Days after Monaco, Verstappen boarded a plane to Salzburg for talks with the Mateschitz heir and Red Bull's inner circle. The 2027 exit window...

1 comments  | 
11 Jun 2026

Red Bull furious as FIA names them F1 engine benchmark

The FIA's ADUO engine benchmark has landed on Red Bull's desk, not Mercedes, who have won every race in 2026. The team are furious,...

5 comments  | 
11 Jun 2026

Trulli tips Antonelli for 2026 title after Monaco triumph

Jarno Trulli was the last Italian to win Monaco before Antonelli did it on Sunday. He watched, and he's now backing the 19-year-old to...

1 comments  | 
11 Jun 2026

De la Rosa stays quiet on Alonso farewell speculation

Fernando Alonso's contract runs out at year's end and the Spanish GP may not return to Barcelona for years. Pedro de la Rosa's answer:...

1 comments  | 
11 Jun 2026

Ferrari's Antonelli regret deepens as title charge gathers pace

Helmut Marko calls it Formula 1 at its finest; Italy's papers are counting down to Verstappen's record. Ferrari is left explaining why it let...

1 comments  | 
10 Jun 2026

Brown plays down McLaren fears over customer Mercedes engines

Andrea Stella keeps flagging the limits of customer status in F1's new engine era. Zak Brown's response is firm: Mercedes power until 2030, and...

1 comments  | 
10 Jun 2026

Danner backs 'crystal clear-headed' Russell to bounce back

Sixty-eight points adrift, George Russell is getting backing from an unlikely corner - and a reminder from Toto Wolff that F1 runs on physics,...

1 comments  | 
10 Jun 2026

Honda open to F1's 2027 engine tweaks and V8 talks

Reports cast Honda as the blocker of F1's 2027 engine revisions. HRC president Koji Watanabe says the opposite is true - and even a...

5 comments  | 
10 Jun 2026

Newey breaks silence as Aston Martin promises summer overhaul

Weeks of silence, a struggling AMR26 and rumours about his absence: Adrian Newey resurfaced in Monaco with a promise - a proper upgrade package...

2 comments  | 
10 Jun 2026

How F1 Fans Followed Races Without the Internet

Try to picture it. It is Sunday afternoon in 1988. Ayrton Senna has just driven the qualifying lap of his life around the streets...

0 comments  | 
9 Jun 2026

Wolff cools Verstappen talk as Antonelli lights up Mercedes

Toto Wolff can't imagine a better pairing than Russell and Antonelli, and with his teenager running away with the title, a Verstappen deal looks...

8 comments  | 
9 Jun 2026

Leclerc brake row runs deeper than Brembo blame

Charles Leclerc blamed Brembo for his Monaco crash, but Italian analysis points to a subtler culprit: cold rear discs and a 2026 energy-recovery system...

0 comments  | 
9 Jun 2026

McLaren told to 'sort issues' as reliability bites

Two retirements in three races have Mark Webber sounding the alarm and Andrea Stella conceding the truth: McLaren's title defence is undermined by unreliability...

3 comments  | 
9 Jun 2026

ADUO engine ruling ignites fresh F1 political row

Leaked ADUO assessments would hand Mercedes and Ferrari engine concessions while freezing out benchmark-setter Red Bull-Ford, and the paddock already smells politics.

1 comments  | 
9 Jun 2026

Bottas digs in at Cadillac and rules out 2027 exit

With Sergio Perez ahead of him and Colton Herta waiting in the wings, Valtteri Bottas is unmoved: his contract is solid and he says...

1 comments  | 
9 Jun 2026

Renault commits to F1 'for a long time', says Provost

Amid stalled stake talks and BYD whispers, Renault CEO Francois Provost is planting a flag: Alpine is here to stay, Gasly and Colapinto are...

2 comments  | 
9 Jun 2026

Hamilton reveals Ferrari's ADUO engine concession

Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari has been told it qualifies for F1’s new ADUO engine assistance, but with Red Bull setting the pace, he warns...

2 comments  | 
8 Jun 2026

Alonso insists Aston Martin's season is not lost

After scoring Aston Martin’s first point of 2026 in Monaco, Fernando Alonso says an Adrian Newey-led upgrade can rescue a season that has so...

2 comments  | 
8 Jun 2026

Brembo hits back at Leclerc's public brake attack

Charles Leclerc’s furious ‘I have no brakes’ verdict after crashing out at home has drawn a rare public rebuke from Brembo, and pushed him...

9 comments  | 
8 Jun 2026

Race Report & Results 2026 Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix

Event: Monaco F1 Grand Prix Track: Monaco Circuit Weather: dry  23°C / 74°F Sunny Tarmac: dry  31°C / 89°F Humidity : 66% Wind : 0.8 km/h...

16 comments  | 
7 Jun 2026

Photos of Saturday before the 2026 Monaco F1 Grand Prix

Photos third free practice and qualify session driven on Saturday before the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco  Street Circuit. ✅ Check out...

1 comments  | 
7 Jun 2026

Antonelli's surge stokes Verstappen-to-Mercedes talk

Kimi Antonelli’s 43-point lead and Monaco pole have the paddock asking the obvious question: if Russell keeps slipping, does Toto Wolff finally move for...

2 comments  | 
7 Jun 2026

Even Verstappen's liked the 2026 cars at Monaco

Monaco flattered the cars Max Verstappen has spent all season attacking. He admits he enjoyed it, but Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso aren’t buying...

0 comments  | 
7 Jun 2026

Verstappen already has his next race engineer picked

Gianpiero Lambiase is heading to McLaren, but Max Verstappen says his ideal replacement is already inside Red Bull, and the gradual handover has quietly...

0 comments  | 
7 Jun 2026

Ferrari boss Vasseur in hospital but ‘doing well’

Ferrari confirmed Frédéric Vasseur went to hospital for checks on a difficult Monaco Saturday, with deputy Jérôme d’Ambrosio insisting the team boss is ‘doing...

0 comments  | 
7 Jun 2026

Starting Grid 2026 Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix

Event: Monaco F1 Grand Prix Track: Monaco Circuit Warm-up lap starts at: 15:00 Local | 15:.00 CET | 14:00 UK | 06:00 LA | 22:00 Tokyo...

1 comments  | 
6 Jun 2026

Qualifying Report & Results 2026 Monaco F1 Grand Prix

Event: Monaco F1 Grand Prix Track: Monaco Circuit Weather: dry  23°C / 73°F Tarmac: dry  33°C / 92°C Humidity: 57% Wind: 4.3 km/h North Pressure: 1018...

10 comments  | 
6 Jun 2026