Author Profile: Leopold Pleijsier

Leopold Pleijsier

Leopold Pleijsier

F1 Journalist

30356 published articles
16 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: Court order pulls Mercedes into Antonelli's contract fight

Schumacher already picks Tsolov ahead of Lawson

Ralf Schumacher believes Red Bull should hand Nikola Tsolov the Racing Bulls seat over Liam Lawson next year, and rates Arvid Lindblad above both...

3 comments  | 
25 Sep 2026

Fornaroli set to stay at McLaren as Haas decides

Zak Brown's comments suggest McLaren expects to keep Leonardo Fornaroli in its reserve set-up, even as Haas edges closer to naming Esteban Ocon's 2027...

1 comments  | 
25 Sep 2026

Schumacher urges Aston Martin to dump Honda now

Ralf Schumacher says Aston Martin should ditch Honda for Mercedes power after a chastening Baku practice session exposed a huge straight-line speed deficit.

4 comments  | 
25 Sep 2026

Second Free Practice Report & Results 2026 Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix

Event: Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix Track: Baku City Circuit Weather: Sunny & dry  29°C / 85°F Tarmac: Dry  48°C / 119°F Humidity: 56% Wind:...

2 comments  | 
24 Sep 2026

First Free Practice Report & Results 2026 Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix

Event: Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix Track: Baku City Circuit Weather: Sunny & dry  30°C / 85°F Tarmac: Dry  51°C / 124°F Humidity: 60% Wind:...

1 comments  | 
24 Sep 2026

Hamilton still wants the Middle East finale to go ahead

Hamilton wants to race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi and trusts Domenicali to make the call, but he saves his sharpest words for the...

3 comments  | 
24 Sep 2026

Ocon calls himself a free agent for the first time

Ocon has finally said it out loud: no contract for 2027, talks with other teams, and a Haas squad auditioning replacements. He wants to...

1 comments  | 
24 Sep 2026

Montezemolo says Ferrari are not even close to winning anymore

Losing titles is no longer what hurts Montezemolo most. Ferrari not even being close does, and he points at the top of the organisation...

0 comments  | 
24 Sep 2026

Briatore: Colapinto stops talking to Argentine TV if abuse continues

Online abuse after a late Madrid pit stop reached Pierre Gasly's family. Colapinto wants it to end, and Briatore is now threatening to cut...

0 comments  | 
24 Sep 2026

Verstappen's 2027 plan: Nurburgring return & then Spa

The 2027 calendar leaves room for the biggest 24-hour races. Verstappen wants the Nurburgring and Spa, while Hulkenberg and Alonso think the schedule is...

0 comments  | 
24 Sep 2026

Alonso takes his 2026 car fix straight to Ben Sulayem

Alonso wants less peak electrical power spread over a longer stretch, and he is taking the idea straight to the FIA president. Verstappen agrees,...

0 comments  | 
24 Sep 2026

Hadjar back in Baku & unsure how long his deal runs

Hadjar returns with a healing fracture, a small brace and a new Red Bull deal whose length he neither knows nor cares about. Liam...

1 comments  | 
24 Sep 2026

Dürksen makes history with maiden Mercedes F1 test

Joshua Dürksen has completed his first Formula 1 test with Mercedes, becoming the first Paraguayan driver to get behind the wheel of a modern...

0 comments  | 
23 Sep 2026

Komatsu rules out a pink car & not a new sponsor

Ayao Komatsu jokes he will not run a pink Haas car next year, but confirms serious sponsor talks as the smallest team on the...

4 comments  | 
23 Sep 2026

Leclerc already imagines a future in driver management

Charles Leclerc says he can already picture a life in driver management alongside Nicolas Todt, though for now he stays fully focused on winning...

0 comments  | 
23 Sep 2026

Wolff skips Baku as Antonelli's lead becomes untouchable

Wolff will skip Baku as Mercedes enters a punishing run of races, leaving Antonelli to defend an ever-growing points lead almost entirely alone this...

4 comments  | 
23 Sep 2026

F1 Commission cuts 2027 race distance as V8 debate continues

The F1 Commission has trimmed 2027 race distances to offset the new power unit rules, as Audi's Mattia Binotto says manufacturers are already converging...

3 comments  | 
22 Sep 2026

Hadjar returns to action in Baku after wrist recovery

L'Equipe reports Isack Hadjar has been cleared to race in Baku this weekend, ending a wrist-injury absence that cost him three Grands Prix and...

1 comments  | 
22 Sep 2026

Abu Dhabi still pushing to save 2026 finale

Juan Pablo Montoya says Abu Dhabi will fight hard to keep its December finale, even as ticket sales continue and Imola waits as Formula...

2 comments  | 
22 Sep 2026

Ralf Schumacher senses new coaching behind Norris' confidence

Ralf Schumacher thinks Lando Norris now sounds coached as he demands equal pay with Verstappen and Hamilton, while Piastri's slump draws very different explanations...

0 comments  | 
22 Sep 2026

Barrichello, 54, still loves speed since his Le Mans return

At 54 and a decade removed from top-level karting, Rubens Barrichello finished 15th at Le Mans and used the return to reflect candidly on...

0 comments  | 
22 Sep 2026

Mercedes Brings Free F1 Fan Hub to Austin

Mercedes will take Formula 1 beyond the Circuit of The Americas in October, with the championship-leading team opening a major free fan experience in...

1 comments  | 
21 Sep 2026

Vettel and Barrichello drove Schumacher’s Ferrari F2002 at Monza

Rubens Barrichello returned to the Ferrari F2002 before Sebastian Vettel took over the championship-winning car, as Monza celebrated Michael Schumacher’s extraordinary legacy. Formula 1’s...

0 comments  | 
21 Sep 2026

Should You Ship Your Car to US F1 Races?

The United States hosts three Grands Prix on the current F1 calendar, and attending all three offers fans three very different experiences. There is...

0 comments  | 
21 Sep 2026

Wolff admits he cannot explain Russell's fade behind Antonelli

Wolff cannot explain why Russell has faded so badly behind Antonelli, and Ralf Schumacher has a blunter theory: Mercedes' rookie is simply the better...

1 comments  | 
21 Sep 2026

Hadjar remains Red Bull's long-term choice for 2027

Doornbos and Mekies both point the same way: Hadjar keeps his Red Bull seat for 2027 while Lawson's form quietly secures his own future...

1 comments  | 
21 Sep 2026

Fresh lawsuit puts new legal pressure on Cadillac owner

A class-action lawsuit against Cadillac co-owner Mark Walter's insurance empire puts fresh scrutiny on the ownership behind F1's newest team, weeks after a sale...

1 comments  | 
21 Sep 2026

Madring's own designer doubts big changes are coming

Madring's own designer Jarno Zaffelli says the changes now being discussed were largely in his original plans, but warns the final result will still...

2 comments  | 
21 Sep 2026

McLaren brings its reworked H-wing back for Baku

McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Williams and Red Bull are all taking different Baku approaches, split between chasing 2026 points and banking work for 2027.

1 comments  | 
21 Sep 2026

Bortoleto confesses a growing fear of flying around the world

Gabriel Bortoleto admits flying has become harder for him with every passing year, but his idea of a perfect weekend off is far simpler...

2 comments  | 
21 Sep 2026