Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Max Verstappen’s prediction has already come true after Racing Bulls’ first lap with Red Bull engine.
Verstappen predicted at the Red Bull launch in Detroit just last week, suggesting that testing will be about spending more time in the garage than on track.
20 January 2026
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer

Max Verstappen’s ‘more time in the garages’ prediction has already come true at Racing Bulls. “I think that during the first tests in Barcelona starting on 26 January, we’ll be spending more time in the garages than out on the track,” Max Verstappen said. “None of us have any idea about the new car or the engine. Hopefully, we’ll all be a bit wiser after the two tests in Bahrain in February.”

Racing Bulls’ very first day of running with the new engine hasn’t quite been as successful as it could have been. After completing just one lap, they were stuck in the garage for a while, trying to fix gremlins with their car before completing the rest of their 15km shakedown.

‘Max Verstappen’s prediction has already come true’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...d-bull-engine/


Racing Bulls immediately hit problems with Red Bull’s 2026 engine at Liam Lawson’s Imola shakedown
20 January 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Racing Bulls immediately hit problems with Red Bull’s 2026 F1 regulations engine amid their shakedown with Lawson at Imola. According to Motorsport.com, Racing Bulls’ faced a delayed start to the track action as they had ‘some start-up problems’ with the RBPT DMO1.

Racing Bulls hired Imola for the day to put the VCARB 03 through its initial paces ahead of a filming day at the now-former home of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Wednesday. The session eventually started at 12:26 in Italy, with Lawson completing three installation laps.

‘Delayed start’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/rac...ola-shakedown/


Round-up: Racing Bulls’ new F1 car for 2026 runs at Imola, and more
21st January 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Racing Bulls 03 first shakedown with Lawson and Lindblad (YouTube)

‘Racing Bulls’ new F1 car’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/01/21/...-january-2026/


Gary Anderson's verdict on the real 2026 Racing Bulls
Jan 20, 2026
Gary Anderson
The Race

Tuesday’s running at Imola is the first time the DM01 power unit, designed and built in-house by Red Bull Powertrains, has run on track. We can see a very small Ford logo (red ellipse) on the nose and the sidepod just above the body stay. I’m pretty sure that is, in reality, about the size of Ford’s technical involvement in this project!

Starting with a look at the front suspension, it’s pushrod operated (red highlight above). The top wishbone (forward leg dark blue, rearward leg light blue) has a lot less anti-dive than used last year.
The rear suspension is also pushrod-operated (red highlight) inboard suspension. The rear top wishbone (front leg highlighted in dark blue, rearward leg in light blue) and lower wishbone (rear leg highlighted in dark green, rearward leg highlighted in light green) have retained a reasonable if not increased amount of rear anti-lift.

Around the middle of the car, we can see a fair amount of change with a body stay (highlighted in red below) supporting that large flat area of underfloor. I expect this flat floor area will be one of the first areas where we will see developments flooding in. The final question is whether, as Racing Bulls is the junior team, this car we’ve now seen for real is close to what Red Bull Racing will actually hit the track with?

‘Gary Anderson's verdict’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/g...-racing-bulls/


First images of 2026 Racing Bulls revealed from Imola shakedown
Jan 20, 2026
Jack Cozens
The Race

The Race can reveal images from Racing Bulls' 2026 Formula 1 car's first on-track running during a shakedown at Imola. Alongside sister team Red Bull, Racing Bulls took part in the first launch of 2026 last week when its livery was revealed at an event with Red Bull Powertrains' new partner Ford in Detroit.

But as this was displayed on a showcar - different from the FIA and F1's models, and the one used by Red Bull - Tuesday's shakedown images offer the first representative sight of the 2026 Racing Bulls car, which has a particularly distinctive airbox.

What will be known as the VCARB 03 - the chassis name derived from its Visa Cash App sponsorship - completed its first laps just before lunchtime local time on Tuesday at a cold and wet Imola. It's understood Racing Bulls plans to do just its 15km 'demonstration' day running allowance today then the longer 'promotional' running on Wednesday. Liam Lawson was at the wheel for the car's track debut.

‘Distinctive airbox’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/r...ola-shakedown/


Rookie Lindblad spins during Racing Bulls shakedown
Racing Bulls gave its 2026 Formula 1 car a first taste of the track at Imola, with a brief shakedown interrupted by a spin for rookie Arvid Lindblad.
21 Jan 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe

During his run, the F1 newcomer lost control at the Villeneuve chicane and slid into the gravel, bringing the shakedown to an early halt.
#ArvidLindblad’s car after he spun at Variante Villeneuve earlier today.#F1 #VCARB #test #Imola pic.twitter.com/RBpD78r5VH
— Jacopo Rava (@JacopoRava04) January 20, 2026

The car appeared to avoid significant damage and was recovered back to the garage, with Racing Bulls still able to complete its remaining laps from the demo allowance. The VCARB 03 was sporting the livery unveiled last week and featured several design elements in line with the new regulations, including a distinctive airbox, narrow sidepod inlets and pushrod suspension at both ends.
lo lindo que suena el motor del racing bulls pic.twitter.com/hJffaFv4e1
— Tino (@TinoCLeclerc) January 20, 2026

Racing Bulls will remain at Imola on Wednesday for a 200km filming day, where Lawson and Lindblad are set to complete up to 40 laps on demonstration rubber. The running will allow the team to gather further data and mileage before the car heads to Barcelona for the private pre-season test from January 26–30.

‘Spin for rookie Arvid Lindblad’;

https://speedcafe.com/rookie-lindbla...lls-shakedown/

[Fortitude]

Ferrari insiders worried Lewis Hamilton is still ‘chasing’ what he had at Mercedes.
It’s believed that Lewis Hamilton still seeking what made him so successful while racing for the Silver Arrows, rather than trying to adapt to what’s already going on in Maranello.
20 January 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Ralf Schumacher told Lewis Hamilton is not ready to change his driving style at Ferrari. Schumacher was speaking about how the most experienced drivers on the grid will adapt to the upcoming regulation changes on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast.

Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are going to be two of the most interesting case studies, and Schumacher explained: “It’s impossible to say in general terms, as every driver deals with it differently. “Based on my gut feeling, I would say that Fernando Alonso, even though he is getting on in years, has proven that he can handle the situation quite well. I would trust him more at this point. When I look at Lewis Hamilton, I would say that it has to work out.”

“If not, then he has a bigger problem changing his driving style. You can hear from the team that he is always chasing after things he used to know and is somehow not really ready to change his style. If not, then he has a bigger problem changing his driving style. You hear that from the team, too, that he’s always chasing things he used to know and somehow isn’t really ready to change his style. So I’m curious to see how that plays out.”

‘Lewis Hamilton is not ready to change his driving style at Ferrari’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...d-at-mercedes/


Has Lewis Hamilton spearheaded Riccardo Adami’s demotion at Ferrari?
19 Jan 2026
James Phillips
Motorsport Week

Given its surprise yet complete inevitability, is the demotion of Riccardo Adami at Ferrari the first step towards change at Formula 1‘s most historic team, spearheaded by Lewis Hamilton? An unusual failure for Adami and Ferrari. Demotion from race engineer to one of the most successful drivers in F1 history to manager of both its Driver Academy and Testing Previous Cars programme is similar to switching your car from a Mercedes E Class to a Dacia Sandero. It’s going to get noticed.

Announced just weeks from pre-season testing, Ferrari has, once again, chosen to act and make changes in the face of criticism and adversity. While Adami’s demotion is not as dramatic, it is still significant. It indicates a team that is beginning to listen to a driver it paid a blockbuster sum to secure, vital given Adami’s poor season. Whether Hamilton was involved is debatable, but this decision felt as inevitable as a harsh British winter extending into spring.

Listening to radio exchanges between the two, the issues are laid bare. Hamilton asks a specific question, while Adami either gives the wrong information back or ignores it entirely. One could almost see the script he has to studiously follow on the Ferrari pit wall, unable and or unwilling to deviate from it.

‘An unusual failure for Adami and Ferrari’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...on-at-ferrari/


Ferrari have just dealt Lewis Hamilton yet another challenge that could set him up to fail
20 January 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari risk setting Lewis Hamilton up to fail by not naming his new race engineer ‘anytime soon’. But while Ferrari will give Hamilton a new race engineer, Corriere della Sera reports that the Scuderia will not name Adami’s replacement ‘anytime soon’. Instead, Ferrari are set to make Bryan Bozzi pull double duty during the first pre-season test in Barcelona on January 26-30.

Corriere della Sera adds that Hamilton and Adami met for dinner before Christmas to try to improve their understanding of one another. FunoAnalisiTecnica also claims Ferrari ‘worked hard’ through the winter in the hope of keeping Adami as Hamilton’s race engineer in 2026. But it became clear that they could not continue working together, so Adami stepped down and he will now manage the Ferrari Driver Academy and their testing of previous cars (TPC) programme. Yet Ferrari are leaving Hamilton even further on the back foot entering 2026.

Hamilton is set to go into the new season facing an additional hurdle compared to his rivals by not having a permanent race engineer in place to replace Adami. Although it is thought that performance engineer Luca Diella is the favourite to be Hamilton’s new race engineer. There have been widespread fears since the 2026 F1 regulations started to take shape that drivers could run out of energy on high-speed tracks or long straights due to the increase in electrical power. F1 has increased the electrical share of power from a 20/80 split to 50/50.

‘Not naming his new race engineer anytime soon’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...im-up-to-fail/


Gary Anderson thinks ‘confused’ Ferrari might already have a ‘problem’ with their 2026 F1 car
20 January 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Gary Anderson has now been speaking about a fundamental part of the car that can often be overlooked by fans: the suspension. According to MARCA, Ferrari are rumoured to have switched from a pull-rod front suspension to a push-rod system. Gary Anderson concerned about Ferrari’s suspension ahead of the 2026 F1 season. Anderson was speaking about the situation on The Race F1 Podcast and explained: “It’s a difficult decision, really, to make.

“I personally, if I were making it, would be going for the pull-rod because I think it’s more complicated to package, being that it’s down in the bottom of the chassis. But you can package it in such a way that it’s sort of forward of the pedals, I suppose you might call it, or down the side of where the pedal pivots are. I think the initial decision of a lot of them going to push-rod at the front would be packaging and ease of setup.”

‘Ferrari might already have a problem’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gar...r-2026-f1-car/


Mattia Binotto just told Ferrari why they are already doomed in 2026 battle with Mercedes
21 January 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

It has been reported that Ferrari could protest the results of the Australian Grand Prix, the first round of the season. They feel Mercedes are breaking the spirit of the rules. However, speaking to The Race, Audi boss Mattia Binotto questioned whether this approach is viable, because they can’t pinpoint exactly which feature of the car is illegal. “You can protest if you know what you’re protesting,” Binotto, the former Ferrari team principal, said.

F1 teams will meet to discuss the issue on Thursday, but Binotto says this won’t lead to a ban. Instead, Audi are pushing for the introduction of a real-time measuring device, but this would take time. “I don’t think there will be clarity or compromise,” he said. “The meeting, which has been set for the 22nd of January, is more to continue to discuss how can we improve or develop a methodology for the future to measure the compression ratios in operating conditions.”

‘Can’t pinpoint exactly which feature of the car is illegal’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mat...with-mercedes/


Ferrari are ‘in danger’ of missing Q3 at the Australian Grand Prix due to horsepower issue
20 January 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari could be F1’s fifth-fastest team at the Australian Grand Prix. F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher believes the 2026 Ferrari will be a ‘disaster’ based on the early rumblings, but that theory will only be put to the test during the first public testing in Bahrain next month.

Mercedes finding a ‘loophole’ in F1’s new engine rules. Rivals say they will exceed the maximum fuel compression ratio on track, but comply with FIA checks when the car is stationary. It’s believed that Red Bull are also using the trick, but not to the same extent. As newcomers to the engine scene, they aren’t expecting to be on the level of established manufacturers straight away.

Mercedes, and the three teams they supply (McLaren, Williams and Alpine), could conceivably gain up to 13 horsepower through the higher ratio, equivalent to around four-tenths per lap. According to Top Speed columnist Umberto Zapelloni, this puts Ferrari at risk of being F1’s fifth-fastest team when the season begins in Australia. If so, the drivers will have to nail their laps to even reach Q3, with P9 and P10 potentially their ceiling.

‘Ferrari could be F1’s fifth-fastest team at the Australian Grand Prix’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...sepower-issue/