Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Former F1 team boss warns of “outliers” at start of 2026 car era.
“In the beginning, there will be some outliers — some very fast cars, and maybe somebody will get it completely wrong and be slow for a year or two.” Guenther Steiner.
25 Dec 2025
Lewis Duncan
Crash.Net

Former Haas Formula 1 team boss Guenther Steiner believes there will be “outliers” at the beginning of the new car era in 2026, which someone “will get completely wrong”. “The aerodynamic rules, the chassis rules are changing, the cars get smaller and get completely different new power units,” he told Lottoland. “There is changeable aerodynamics — on the straight, you can take downforce away, so you reduce drag and go faster.”

“I have no idea who will be good, who will be bad. It’s a completely new game — nobody knows, not even the teams, because the teams only know their own car. Some people will get it right, and some people will not get it so right. The people not getting it right will need to catch up. Formula 1 always needs a change in regulations, because otherwise all the cars end up the same and you stop developing technology.”

“With the next generation of cars, sustainable fuels are being developed for the combustion engine. That could be huge for normal people on the road. Combustion engines will change, but with better, sustainable fuels, they can still have a future. Change is good. People reinvent themselves, put a lot of effort in it, and it keeps it interesting.”

“Outliers”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108822...t-2026-car-era


F1’s 2026 Reset: Ocon Predicts Rally-Car Mayhem
January 1, 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com

Esteban Ocon isn’t dressing up what’s coming. With Formula 1’s next rulebook set to rip up the playbook in 2026, the Haas driver says the new cars will feel so different it’ll be like “jumping from an F1 car to a rally car.” That’s more than a line for effect. The 2026 chassis and power unit overhaul will dial back ground-effect dependence, layer in moveable aerodynamics, and lean harder on electrical energy deployment. Expect higher straight-line speeds and a hit to mid-corner performance, with energy management pushed right to the heart of racecraft. It’s a new game, not just a new level.

“It’s like if you jump from an F1 car to a rally car next year, pretty much, it’s that different,” Ocon told media, underlining just how far the pendulum is swinging. The move away from floor-driven downforce should soften the brutal ride that’s defined this ground-effect era, but it’s also likely to reshape how drivers approach every phase of a lap. The honest answer, though, is that nobody truly knows yet what the racing will look like. Teams are deep in their simulations, each working in isolation.

Those single-team models can’t replicate how a whole grid of rival concepts interacts once the lights go out. That uncertainty is a breeding ground for bold design bets—and early gaps. History says a fresh ruleset can scatter the pack. While the last cycle eventually compressed the midfield, 2026 opens the door for someone to nail a concept first and bank points while everyone else reverse-engineers the idea. Equally, the field has never been quicker at spotting and copying what works. Expect winners and losers early; expect convergence later.

‘Rally-Car Mayhem’;

https://fastestlap.com/news/f1s-2026...ly-car-mayhem/


Major F1 2026 design change prompts rally car comparison
1 Jan 2026
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com

Esteban Ocon likened the difference between the ground effect generation of cars and those set to be introduced for F1 2026 to like jumping into a rally car. That will be complemented by a different style of racing, with energy management predicted to play a far more significant role.

Such a significant change in the shape of the on-track action has generated strong opinions from the drivers. “It’s like if you jump from an F1 car to a rally car next year, pretty much, it’s that different,” he told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media.

However, it’s also likely any such discoveries will quickly be made by their rivals, while the pack will take time understanding the nuances of their new machines. “There are going to be much bigger issues than that, I think, to tackle initially,” said Ocon, referencing a braking issue he struggled with in the latter stages of F1 2025.

‘F1 2026… …jumping into a rally car’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/major-...car-comparison


Mercedes are ‘bothered’ by one emerging doubt about George Russell’s 2026 F1 car in the simulator
2 January 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

According to FunoAnalisiTecnica, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is striving to lower the expectations about their car for the new rules. Despite the widely held belief that Mercedes will create the best engine for the 2026 F1 regulations, questions remain about their chassis. In particular, Mercedes’ simulator tests with their 2026 F1 regulations car have revealed one question about the handling of their new challenger that is now ‘bothering’ the team.

Their simulator cannot sufficiently replicate the physical sensations when their car begins to slide. Mercedes hope George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli can start to give them ‘important’ answers about the handling of their 2026 car when pre-season testing begins behind closed doors in Barcelona on January 26-30, before testing in Bahrain on February 11-13 and 18-20.

Mercedes’ questions about their 2026 F1 rules car could encourage McLaren. Mercedes are in the final stages of designing their car for the 2026 F1 regulations, which the Brackley crew will only truly know whether it is a title-challenging package when the season starts in Australia on March 6-8. Qualifying in Melbourne will see the first real pecking order.

‘Simulator cannot sufficiently replicate the physical sensations when their car begins to slide’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...the-simulator/


Ferrari set for radical multi-version 2026 F1 car approach
RacingNews365's technical analyst Paolo Filisetti takes a look at the two versions of car Ferrari will introduce at the start of the 2026 F1 regulations.
29 December 2025
Paolo Filisetti
RacingNews365

Ferrari has confirmed that its 2026 Formula 1 car will be unveiled on 23 January, as the Scuderia aims to leave behind the limitations that plagued the SF-25 last season. Across the paddock, teams have committed substantial resources to interpreting the revised regulations, with each constructor seeking to exploit every available performance opportunity from the outset.

However, this aggressive development approach carries inherent risks given the fundamental nature of the changes. The regulatory overhaul effectively requires teams to start with a near-blank canvas, with limited carry-over knowledge from the current generation of machinery.

This challenge is compounded by reduced development time, particularly affecting the implementation of unconventional solutions across multiple car systems, from internal fluid dynamics to comprehensive aerodynamic packages. Fred Vasseur has confirmed that Ferrari's launch-spec car will differ substantially from the machine that takes to the grid in Melbourne.

‘Radical multi-version 2026 F1 car’;

https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-se...1-car-approach


Toto Wolff makes a ‘fascinating’ prediction after seeing Mercedes’ 2026 F1 rules car in the simulator
21 December 2025
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

During the Mercedes team principal’s end-of-year review on the team’s official YouTube channel, Wolff was asked for his expectations on the new season of racing… He said, “We had a very successful spell over those years. We won eight championships, but we had difficult years that followed. One era ends, an era that we will be looking back on with a lot of positive memories. But now we are starting in the real hybrid era. We are driving 50% electric engines with sustainable fuel. And that almost gives it one notch of innovation more.”

“And I just came out of the simulator watching the car drive. It’s going to be fascinating.” Then asked to elaborate, Wolff added, “It adds a completely new dimension, of which you don’t lose that real racing. But energy deployment will be playing a massive part, and the intelligence of a driver, the driver who puts a lot of work into the preparation for the weekend. Just talk to them, they like it.” In response to a statement that says Mercedes will be strong, he replied, “Well, I would very much hope so, but I’m a notorious pessimist. The glass is always half empty, rather than half full.”

“And we’ve set ourselves targets on the power unit and the same on the chassis. Whether those targets were ambitious enough, whether we have missed the trick, whether our execution is going to be as faultless as it should be. I don’t know. We’re going to see some glimpses of performance balance in testing late in January and then in Bahrain, obviously. But I think the name of the game is going to be the constant development of the tools throughout the season.”

“Energy deployment will be playing a massive part, and the intelligence of a driver”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/tot...the-simulator/

[Fortitude]

McLaren have found a 2026 secret weapon that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will both benefit from.
Mercedes are being touted as having the best power unit next year, but whether that’s actually the case will only be known once all 11 teams take to the track.
31 December 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

If the Mercedes-powered teams do have an advantage, then McLaren will need to find an extra edge over Mercedes, Williams and Alpine. A piece of business they did at the end of the season could prove to be the difference after signing Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli. Fornaroli has been tipped for an F1 seat, and while that’s not going to arrive immediately with McLaren, he could be essential to Andrea Stella’s team returning to the top of the standings.

Why Leonardo Fornaroli could be so important to McLaren next season. The Italian has proven to be incredibly consistent, and if his feedback is as impressive as believed, then he could be crucial to the development war that’s set to play out in 2026. Many teams believe that the rate of improvement next season is going to be rapid, with all 11 teams quickly learning from each other. Having someone as detail-focused as Fornaroli in the simulator, constantly testing new parts and configurations, could end up being the secret weapon that McLaren need to win a third consecutive championship.

‘Find an extra edge’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mcl...-benefit-from/


F1 world champion Lando Norris has shockingly been snubbed by King Charles as tradition broken
31 Dec 2026
Christopher Durning
Give Me Sport

The dust has settled on a historic Formula 1 season for Lando Norris after victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw the British driver crowned world champion following a dramatic win in the final race of the campaign. Following victory in Abu Dhabi, however, Norris hasn't had a great deal else to celebrate after missing out on BBC Sports Personality of the Year, which ended up being won by golfer Rory McIlroy after securing the elusive fifth Major of his career at Augusta in The Masters. Norris would end up placing third in the public vote behind second-placed England Women's rugby star Ellie Kildunne.

It wasn't just SPOTY where Norris was snubbed, though, as a tradition has seemingly been broken by none other than King Charles. Now, the 2025 New Year's Honours List has been revealed with one notable absentee from those in line for a gong from Buckingham Palace. Norris has sensationally been left off the list following his dramatic victory in the hotly-contested final race of the season that saw the British driver secure the title by the finest of margins.

‘Tradition broken’;

https://www.givemesport.com/f1-world...dition-broken/


Norris 'Royally' snubbed as British crown keeps him out of prestigious list
30 Dec 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com

It is customary for British F1 champions to appear on the Royal New Years Honours list. However, Britain's most recent Formula One champion, McLaren driver Lando Norris' name was absent. It was customary that after a British driver won their first Formula One championship they would be awarded an MBE or an OBE, as marked more recently by Damon Hill in 1996, Hamilton in 2008 and Jenson Button in 2009, with Hamilton being knighted in 2020 after services in diversity and motorsport.

‘Norris 'Royally' snubbed’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/norri...estigious-list


Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri told the simple reason McLaren could be ‘a step ahead’ in 2026
2 January 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

McLaren’s ‘good group of people’ will put them ‘a step ahead’ under F1’s 2026 regulations. Mercedes are widely expected to develop the best 2026 F1 rules engine, which could be key for the new era owing to the increase in electrical power from a 20/80 split with combustion up to 50/50. F1 is even introducing active aero for the first time to aid the new engine rules.

Mike Hezemans also feels McLaren will “especially” be a “step ahead” of their rivals like Red Bull and Ferrari in 2026, as the Woking natives showed in 2025 that they have built a strong team. So, Hezemans is already backing Norris or Piastri to win the first Grand Prix in 2026. Hezemans told RacingNews365: “I think McLaren will win the Grand Prix in Australia. I think Mercedes can also reach the podium with Russell, or even with Antonelli.”

“After that, I think Ferrari and Red Bull are a bit behind… I think Mercedes and McLaren are simply a step ahead of the rest. McLaren, especially, because they currently have such a good group of people who work so well together. They built such a good car that I think they can continue that into next year.”

‘A step ahead’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lan...ahead-in-2026/


Norris assesses F1 future: ‘It’s all downhill from here!’
30/12/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Three weeks after the champagne dried in Abu Dhabi and the reality of a first Formula 1 world title began to sink in, Lando Norris has had time to reflect on a 2025 season that delivered everything at once. And with the perspective that only hindsight (and a gold trophy) can provide, the newly crowned champion has reached a typically Norris conclusion: it’s all “downhill from here.”

Looking back in an interview with BBC Sport on a season that delivered just about everything at once, Norris summed it up with a grin: “They're really the best runs,” Norris said of his British Grand Prix, Monaco Grand Prix and championship wins. “Just downhill from here,” he added with a smile. The man waited years for this moment – and immediately joked himself into retirement.

“I would have loved to make my life a bit easier, winning earlier next time. But it's always more exciting when it goes down to the final race, final few laps. It's more exciting for everyone, for you guys, most of all. But I won ones that people have dreamt of winning. They are some of the most incredible ones.” Among those dream victories, Monaco stood out—not just for the prestige, but for what it unlocked emotionally. “The lap I did in Monaco in quali was the only other time probably in the last 10 years that I cried a little bit over something. Because there I proved myself wrong.”

‘Typically Norris conclusion’;

https://f1i.com/news/556934-norris-a...from-here.html

[Fortitude]

Mercedes “on track” to meet 2026 targets – Toto Wolff.
Mercedes pleased with 2026 trajectory, downplay chances of dominance. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has spent the last few weeks doing expectation management.
02 Jan 2026
Last Word On Sports

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has spent the last few weeks doing expectation management. Not for the first time, Wolff’s Silver Arrows are viewed as the team to watch heading into a new set of regulations. Primarily, the anticipation for Mercedes in F1 2026 stems from their power unit development. The overwhelming consensus is that the Mercedes engine will be superior to its rivals. This includes new manufacturers like Audi and established ones like Ferrari or Honda.

When discussing the team’s 2026 development, Wolff admits key objectives are being hit. Still, he denies that Mercedes are in a position to dominate. Speaking to the media at the end of 2025, Toto Wolff outlined his outlook on the upcoming season: “It is super difficult to predict, because we set ourselves targets that we are on track to meet. But whether those targets we set were ambitious enough, and whether those targets have been set in the right place in terms of priorities, only the future will show…”

“In 2014, I had the feeling already in the winter. When we were the first ones running a full car dyno, the engine was more reliable than with others. And on day 1 of testing, nobody did the laps we did – and it was the same on day 2. So it is not comparable, I would say that the grid is just much more competitive than it was in previous years.”

‘Expectation management’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...ts-toto-wolff/


Why Mercedes went from F1 dominator to four years of failure
Jan 3, 2026
Edd Straw
The Race

Mercedes is tipped by many to be back on top in Formula 1 for the start of the new regulations era in 2026… However, there are also doubts. That’s because Mercedes failed to conquer the ground-effect regulations of 2022 to 2025. It will only be by avoiding the mistakes that blighted the past four years, when it was only the fourth-most-successful team in terms of results, that it can live up to its prodigious potential.

And everyone in the team knows that, as the difficulties of the past four years leave no room for complacency. “I’m never confident,” said team principal Toto Wolff. “I’m a glass-half-empty person, so we’ll just do everything we can that is in our power to come out with a car, with a power unit that is competitive enough to fight for a world championship.”

“We got off to a wrong start,” said Wolff of Mercedes' problems under the 2022-25 rules. “We tried to solve it problem by problem and while peeling off and sorting these problems, new problems occurred and we were never able to correlate and understand.”
Mistake 1 - Making a bad start
Mistake 2 - Tricked by false dawns
Mistake 3 - Development errors
Mistake 4 - Not copying others

“I’m never confident,” said team principal Toto Wolff. “I’m a glass-half-empty person…”;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...rs-of-failure/


Antonelli reveals dream scenario amid promising Mercedes verdict
2 Jan 2026
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Kimi Antonelli has revealed his hopes for a 2014-style introduction to the new Formula 1 regulations, which would be the “dream” scenario for him. Testing will provide the first indicator of how the field may stack up heading into the Australian Grand Prix, but Antonelli, heading into his sophomore season in Formula 1, admitted his team getting the jump on the rest of the field would be the ideal scenario for him.

“I mean, hopefully it would be like 2014 – will be the dream,” Antonelli told PlanetF1.com and others. “But you never know. I think these are even bigger regulation changes than 2014 because, also on the chassis side, aerodynamic side, everything is changing – but I have full trust in Mercedes, in the work they’ve been doing.”

“I’ve been spending quite a lot of time at the factory, seeing the progress in the wind tunnel, also going to HPP [High Performance Powertrains], seeing the progress on the dyno. So definitely, it looks promising, but we don’t know what the others are doing, and I think the most important [thing], when we go for the first test in Barcelona, [is] having a reliable car, being able to put the laps in, and then make the most learning.”

‘The “dream” scenario’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/kimi-a...dream-scenario


The FIA have accidentally given one F1 team a ‘head start’ over Mercedes for the 2026 season
3 January 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Aston Martin were given a ‘head start’ on the new regulations through their fuel supplier, Aramco. According to a report from Grada3, Aramco provided data from initial tests that were commissioned by the FIA regarding the new synthetic fuel that will power Formula 1 engines in the new era of regulations.

Aramco is the sole supplier of Aston Martin and has been providing their fuel in F1’s junior categories, Formula 2 and Formula 3, since 2023. In one example given in the report, the boost could compensate for ‘the advantage’ that Mercedes and Red Bull have gained through their compression ratio tweak. Ferrari have already brought this ‘loophole’ to the attention of the FIA.

Given Honda’s recent experience of being the benchmark for F1 engine manufacturers through their success with Max Verstappen and Red Bull, they reportedly have ‘many areas’ in which they can make up for the deficit that is posed by the Silver Arrows’ ‘trick’. The report concludes by saying Aramco’s fuel is Aston Martin and Honda’s ‘ace up their sleeve’, which bodes well for the title hopes of the British constructor and the man who has been eluded by a third world title since 2006, Fernando Alonso.

‘Ace up their sleeve’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/the...e-2026-season/


Mercedes hasn’t missed Hamilton in the car since his move to Ferrari
31 Dec 2025
Tim Kraaij
GPblog.com

Mercedes has shown little sign of suffering following Lewis Hamilton’s departure in 2025. Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin explained why the team believes Kimi Antonelli is a worthy successor to the seven-time world champion.

Mercedes absorbed losing Hamilton. However, Shovlin explained that Mercedes’ development process is far less dependent on driver feedback than many might assume. "I mean to be honest, with George, it’s fine," the Briton said in response to GPblog’s question. “The bigger point is we don't really develop a car predominantly on what the driver is telling us. Most of it will come from simulations, you're searching for downforce, you're searching for certain balance characteristics that you know will deliver lap time, you're trying to reduce drag.”

"You're developing suspension characteristics that can put the car in a better aerodynamic window. So the vast majority of it isn't the driver saying ‘I need this’ and us rushing off and trying to find it. It's very, very helpful that you have the consistent element of George in the car. He's known these cars through this regulation set. So there was never really any worry of would we lose our way from a development point of view. And as I said, Kimi's great at telling you what the car's doing. So there's no bit there that needed work on.”

‘Mercedes absorbed losing Hamilton’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/features/m...ove-to-ferrari


Juan Pablo Montoya explains why Toto Wolff may lose interest in bringing Max Verstappen to Mercedes
2 January 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

During the height of Red Bull’s turmoil in 2025, it looked like Max Verstappen would potentially leave Milton Keynes for greener pastures at the Austrian constructor’s fierce rivals, Mercedes. Rumours of Max Verstappen holidaying in the vicinity of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff sent the links into overdrive, which was later debunked by Red Bull sources.

However, speculation of a potential partnership between the two parties is ever-present, but former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes the Austrian executive may start to lose interest in a move in the coming months. On a recent episode of the MontoyAS podcast, he said, “I think so, but the complicated thing is that George and Antonelli are both starting to do a very good job. If they both do a good job, they won’t need Max.”

Now, it does beg the question of whether Verstappen’s talents deserve more than what an in-form driver can offer. On the other hand, Antonelli is still only 19 years old, and it is all still possible for his talents to potentially usurp those of Verstappen in future years, albeit being very unlikely. Aston Martin is also a potential option for Max Verstappen if he opts to depart Red Bull.

‘Toto Wolff may lose interest’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jua...n-to-mercedes/

[Matthew]

Former Red Bull Head of Race Strategy, Will Courtenay, has completed his long-awaited switch to Formula 1 rivals McLaren as Sporting Director.

Courtenay, who has held various roles at the Milton Keynes-based squad since its inception, was announced to be moving as far back as September 2024.

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...ch-to-mclaren/