Other than a few short filming runs, day one of Barcelona’s five-day shakedown was the first real opportunity for Formula 1 drivers to put the brand-new 2026 generation of cars to the test.Seven of the 11 teams made it out on day one, with Williams forced to skip the weekContinue Reading
Formula 1’s shakedown week began on a crisp but chilly day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with Mercedes’ W17 emerging from the garages first in the hands of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, followed in short order by Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.Both Bortoleto and Colapinto would later be delayedContinue Reading
The Aston Martin Formula 1 team has announced its “intention is to run Thursday and Friday” at Barcelona’s 2026 shakedown, which means it will not take up at least one of its three days of running.F1 heads to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend for a five-day pre-season test, dubbedContinue Reading
Aston Martin is set to skip the opening two days of the first 2026 Formula 1 pre-season test in Barcelona, Autosport understands. F1 is currently hosting a five-day shakedown at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (26-30 January), ahead of further tests in Bahrain (11-13 and 18-20 February) before the forthcoming campaign. This season willContinue Reading
Audi has signed reigning Formula Regional European champion Freddie Slater as its Driver Development Programme’s first member.Audi has taken over the Sauber Formula 1 outfit after completing its acquisition in 2024 and announced on Friday it was launching its own academy, managed by former F1 driver and three-time Le MansContinue Reading
Red Bull has lifted the covers off its RB22 Formula 1 car for the 2026 season.The Milton Keynes-based outfit previously revealed its livery on 15 January at an event in Detroit, Michigan, where its new engine partner Ford is based, but its actual machinery remained to be seen.The first pre-seasonContinue Reading
McLaren has unveiled the car tasked with mounting a successful Formula 1 title defence in 2026, as it unleashed renders of its new MCL40 in a testing livery ahead of the behind-closed-doors Barcelona test.The Woking squad claimed both world championship titles last year and had sewn up the constructors’ championshipContinue Reading
Caution is always required when analysing Formula 1 launches – especially with the introduction of new regulations. A few years ago, Red Bull played games with its sidepod inlets by showing different designs at the launch in Milton Keynes and on renders. During the subsequent test days in Bahrain, theContinue Reading
The human brain is hard-wired to greet changes and unexpected circumstances with a stress response: the amygdalae, biochemical arbiters of the fight-or-flight instinct, flag the change as a threat.This is just one deep seated explanation for the orgy of negativity that has surrounded the 2026 Formula 1 regulations and theirContinue Reading
The 19-year-old Connor Zilisch is already a class winner in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, winning on debut in LMP2 two years ago. This weekend, he is making his GTP debut with the Whelen Cadillac squad and having a blast s they contend for a podium spot.But just aContinue Reading