Bernie Ecclestone confirmed a three year contract extension for the Monza circuit to host the Italian Grand Prix, although signing the contract hasn’t actually taken place yet for geographical reasons. Bernie said: “Regretfully we cannot sign it here legally, but more importantly we have reached an agreement after a few months of negotiations between the lawyers.” He also added that he’d prefer the race to have a century’s worth of contract but will settle for three years for now.

It’s no surprise to see Mercedes ahead on pace at a track that is notably reliant on power units for good performance. Nico Rosberg was the fastest man for the first session, beating his teammate and then the Ferraris who were a second off the pace. Fernando Alonso had a gearbox problem during the session, whilst Felipe Massa picked up an energy recovery issue. Jenson Button, Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez all ran the halo concept device at one point or another, and Nico Hülkenberg sat out the session in favour of Friday driver Celis Jr.

The FIA have given Magnussen permission to race in the Italian Grand Prix, as the Danish driver passed all the medical tests required. The Renault driver was involved in a high-speed crash in Spa, hitting the barriers heavily at the top of Eau Rouge. He escaped from the crash remarkably unscathed, although did limp away from the car and was later taken to hospital for checks.

Williams called a special press conference today with Felipe Massa and deputy team principal Claire Williams present, announcing the Brazilian’s intention to retire from Formula One at the end of the current season. Having spent fifteen years in the sport, the last three with Williams, Massa has had highs and lows, successes and struggles, and is ready now to take a step back.

All eyes were on Max Verstappen at his substitute home grand prix this past weekend in Belgium, and the pressure was on the young driver to make a good impression in front of a passionate crowd. Unfortunately, a first corner incident with two Ferraris and subsequent jostling for position with Kimi Räikkönen has dulled his reputation somewhat.

The Belgian Grand Prix kicked off with a chaotic first lap that saw Max Verstappen drop back to battle with the two Ferrari drivers into the first corner. The three were squeezed together, with contact which saw Sebastian Vettel spin around, and Kimi Räikkönen pick up some damage. Kimi’s car later caught fire in the pit lane, but the Finn continued racing, had yet more incidents in combat with Verstappen, and he got to the end of the race in the top ten.

Nico Rosberg took pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix after a fight to the top against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, and Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen. The top five in the final top ten shoot-out were split by less than half a second, proving how competitive this weekend has been so far.

Free Practice at Spa began in the more traditional fashion, with Nico Rosberg leading the first session. He ran for a handful of laps with the new halo device on, as did Nico Hülkenberg, Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo, all testing out the cockpit protection for a lap here and there. During the day, teams were also running prototype tyres for Pirelli, with the Italian manufacturer hoping to provide stronger compounds to withstand the new F1 kerbs better.

It’s been on the cards for a few months now, but Lewis Hamilton has confirmed he’ll be taking an engine penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend, as he has run out of usable engines. Now in the lead of the championship, Hamilton has been expecting this moment and hoped to take the penalty at a track you can overtake more easily on, and you could argue Spa fits that bill.

It’s not the ideal news to get during your summer break, but Rio Haryanto has had to accept a demotion to reserve driver at the Manor Racing team. The squad confirmed they were terminating their contract with the Indonesian driver after his sponsors failed to come through with the funds required to keep his seat. In an effort not to destroy the racer’s dreams, Manor offered him a reserve driver role, which he has accepted.