Gary Anderson's take on F1 2026 engine compression bombshell
The more tightly any set of regulations is defined, the more it tempts people to search for solutions to gain an advantage - or, as those who don't come up with such ideas would call it, exploit "grey areas". It's a bit like if you tell a kid not to do something - it's offering them an invitation to do something they would never otherwise have thought of.This new controversy over Mercedes and Red ...
Read more: 
The more tightly any set of regulations is defined, the more it tempts people to search for solutions to gain an advantage - or, as those who don't come up with such ideas would call it, exploit "grey areas". It's a bit like if you tell a kid not to do something - it's offering them an invitation to do something they would never otherwise have thought of.This new controversy over Mercedes and Red ...
Read more: The Race
Gary Anderson's take on F1 2026 engine loophole bombshell
Our F1 tech expert Gary Anderson offers his view on the news a potential engine loophole could swing the balance of power in 2026
Unreliability always adds a frisson of excitement to a race. It’s a feeling that’s become increasingly uncommon in Formula 1 in the 21st century, to the point where mechanical failures are vanishingly rare. But the introduction of the 2026 engines might change that, albeit only temporarily, with Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin suggesting there will be “more jeopardy” thanks ...
Read more: 
Alpine had a terrible 2025 Formula 1 season on track, but the true extent of its failure can only be fairly judged next year.There's a chance - and so lacking in credibility has the team become in recent years thanks to its poor performances and revolving-door leadership that this cannot be taken on trust - that 2025 might even go down as a success when you consider the big picture.Seeking the pos...
Read more: 
Formula 1 looks to be heading for its first showdown over the new 2026 rules, with a potential engine loophole at the centre of a growing controversy between teams. Just weeks before the new F1 cars hit the track for the first time, it has emerged that at least two manufacturers may be exploiting a grey area in the rules that could help them eke out a decent performance advantage.High-level source...
Read more: 
Every second of development time is crucial for Formula 1 teams right now and it will be especially so during the opening months of 2026.The cars that turn up to the first pre-season test at Barcelona will be very different from those that the teams develop them into once they’ve seen what the competition has come up with. That’s why the aerodynamic testing restrictions (ATR) - a sliding scale of ...
Read more: 
Williams has revealed the winner of its fan vote to decide the livery of its 2026 Formula 1 car when it hits the track for the first time next month.Williams gave fans a choice of six different liveries, the winner of which would be on the Williams FW48 during 2026's pre-season, starting with the Barcelona test on January 26-30. The 'flow state' livery - the name is a reference to "the state of p...
Read more: 
Formula 1's governing body the FIA has released the official entry list for the upcoming 2026 season.The entry list features driver numbers and the official names of the teams, their chassis and power units and the registered companies behind them.There are three driver number changes compared to 2025: Max Verstappen takes the #3 - having previously used #33 as his permanent number and #1 as the d...
Read more: 
Ferrari has revealed plans to launch with a basic "spec A" version of its 2026 Formula 1 car to help prove out reliability in early testing.The team will launch its new design on January 23 – most likely at its own Fiorano test track where it will then be able to get some first mileage done as part of a filming day.This running can be completed either under the rules relating to demonstration even...
Read more: 
The 2026 rules overhaul marks arguably the biggest reset in Formula 1 history, with both the chassis and engine regulations changing at the same time.And that means plenty of intrigue about what those challengers will look like in particular.Here's what F1 teams have confirmed about their launch plans so far:Red Bull + Racing Bulls - January 15 (livery only)Red Bull and sister outfit Racing Bulls ...
Read more: 
Formula 1 stewards, as well as those in other world championships plus Formula 2 and Formula 3, will have new powers in 2026 to better review incidents and make more timely decisions.As part of a comprehensive refresh by the FIA of its International Sporting Code (ISC), some tweaks have been made to extend stewards' powers in the hope of improving the review process.One of the most interesting cha...
Read more: 
Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has switched his personal race number to the number previously used by his former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.Ricciardo was the sole holder of the #3 since the permanent driver numbers were introduced in 2014, when Ricciardo was already on the grid and about to make a very fruitful step up to the senior Red Bull team.Verstappen joined the grid a yea...
Read more: 
Carlos Sainz’s biggest impact at Williams was felt far greater than scoring two podiums in his first season with the team. Sainz had a tricky start on-track with Williams after joining from Ferrari, but by the end of the year he and team-mate Alex Albon had very similar seasons, just in reverse - and with Sainz enjoying the higher peaks in terms of results. Those podiums were greatly enjoyed by dr...
Read more: 
Formula 1 has moved to simplify the names of core elements of the new 2026 rules in a bid to help avoid fan confusion.As first reported by The Race, the FIA and F1 management had been concerned that the complicated 2026 regulations risked leaving those watching unclear about what they were seeing if there was not a well-defined approach to explaining things.This came in the wake of F1’s research h...
Read more: 
Ever since it emerged that Christian Horner’s exit deal with Red Bull allows him to return to Formula 1 team action early next year, speculation has swirled about just where he might end.There have been discussions along the way with a host of squads – some of which approached him rather than it being the other way around – with the strongest links in recent weeks involving Aston Martin.Yet despit...
Read more: 
As Formula 1 resets go, they do not get much more seismic than what Max Verstappen will face when he starts the 2026 season.Compared to where things lined up just 12 months ago, Verstappen will have a new car, new engine, new team bosses, new team-mate, new garage crew and added influence from Red Bull’s Austria-led management above him.It has been well documented already that out of the frame are...
Read more: 
Cadillac has cleared a “big milestone” on the way to its Formula 1 track debut in January, which will be a critical moment in preparation for its first season.Earlier in December, Cadillac passed the mandatory FIA homologation tests for the “whole rear end of the car and the monocoque itself,” team principal Graeme Lowdon told The Race.The FIA technical regulations detail more than 20 areas across...
Read more: 
Fresh from Formula 1's title decider, Max Verstappen is already back in a GT car this week. In September earlier this year, he completed his Nordschleife permit, before taking part in his first official GT3 race two weeks later at NLS9. A race he won in a 296 GT3 Ferrari shared with Chris Lulham.So where does this all lead in 2026? What lies ahead for Verstappen.com Racing, and with which manufact...
Read more: 
Honda will provide what is likely to be the first look at a 2026 Formula 1 engine with an unusual launch event for its new power unit in January.While car reveals are obviously a well-established and popular part of the build-up to a new F1 campaign, the engines have become a footnote in teams’ launch plans.Next year heralds a major change to both car and engine regulations, though, and F1 is know...
Read more: 
Just how secure is the long-term future of each of the 24 grands prix on the 2025 Formula 1 calendar?We've wrapped up when each race's contract expires, from the shortest to the longest deal.Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - 2025Imola is one of only three F1 venues without a deal beyond the end of the 2025 season.The Italian circuit made a shock return to the F1 calendar in 2020 as a substitute for race...
Read more: 
Portimao will make a shock return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2027, as a replacement for the outgoing Dutch Grand Prix.The circuit hosted an F1 race for the first time in 2020, a replacement event amid a string of COVID-influenced cancellations elsewhere. It marked the first Portuguese Grand Prix in 24 years, after Estoril had hosted F1 races from 1984 to 1996. Portimao then hosted a second race...
Read more: 