Formula One News — January 2026

Photos of various launch photos

While Mercedes has now completed a full 200-kilometre shakedown at Silverstone and is widely viewed as the early favourite, reigning world champions McLaren are taking a notably different approach to the start of the 2026 season.

The much-anticipated FIA engine summit has come and gone - and for all the noise surrounding it, the immediate competitive picture for 2026 remains unchanged.

Doriane Pin says she hopes her new role as a development driver at Mercedes will lead to a real Formula 1 test later this year.

Nico Hulkenberg says he would welcome the return of a German Grand Prix, but admits he does not expect Formula 1 to race in his home country in the near future.

Formula 1's push into Hollywood has landed on the sport's biggest cultural stage, with the F1 movie receiving multiple nominations for the Academy Awards.

Helmut Marko has pushed back against Sergio Perez after the Mexican driver publicly criticised Red Bull's internal culture ahead of his Formula 1 return with Cadillac.

Microsoft is set to become a major sponsor of Mercedes from 2026, underlining Formula 1's growing appeal to the world's biggest technology companies.

The legal and financial troubles surrounding former Formula 1 driver Adrian Sutil have deepened, with a luxury car company closely linked to him now declared insolvent.

Max Verstappen's long-term future is again under scrutiny just days before the first group test of the 2026 cars, with fresh reports suggesting his Red Bull contract could open the door to a departure as early as 2027.

Honda has openly acknowledged it may start the 2026 Formula 1 season on the back foot, despite high expectations surrounding its new works partnership with Aston Martin and the arrival of Adrian Newey's first car under the new rules.

Ferrari will not immediately appoint a new race engineer for Lewis Hamilton, with Charles Leclerc's engineer expected to oversee both cars during next week's first on-track running of the 2026 machine.

Mattia Binotto has warned that unresolved questions over how Formula 1 measures engine compression ratios could hand rivals a decisive early advantage, on the eve of a crucial FIA meeting with power unit manufacturers.

Nico Hulkenberg's new contract with Audi is set to pay off handsomely as the German transitions with the team from Sauber into its full factory era.

Fernando Alonso has emerged as an unlikely early favourite for the 2026 Formula 1 world championship, with a growing number of paddock voices pointing to experience - and Mercedes power - as decisive factors under the new rules.

Helmut Marko says his time in an official Formula 1 role is over for good, despite what he describes as ongoing interest following his departure from Red Bull.

Aston Martin will no longer supply Formula 1's safety and medical cars from 2026, ending a five-year arrangement at a moment when the team itself is ramping up ambitions under the new regulations.

Ferrari has ended the strained relationship between Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer Riccardo Adami, confirming the Italian has been moved out of a trackside role ahead of the crucial 2026 reset.

Assen has taken concrete steps toward becoming a potential future Formula 1 venue, as the Netherlands prepares for life after Zandvoort.

Kalle Rovanpera's first full race weekend in formula cars ended abruptly in New Zealand, but senior figures close to the Finnish star are playing down suggestions of early trouble.

Former Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich says he was dismissed by the FIA without explanation, describing his sudden removal as "the disappointing truth" of how senior officials are treated under the governing body's leadership.

Alex Dunne has played down speculation surrounding his shock decision to leave McLaren's driver development program last year, insisting the move was a calculated step toward his ultimate goal of reaching Formula 1.

Toto Wolff says Mercedes is shutting down its diversification experiments and returning to a single-minded focus on Formula 1, as the team prepares for a decisive reset under the 2026 regulations.

Audi's all-new Formula 1 project could take its first tentative steps onto the track as early as Friday, according to a report in Germany.

Ferrari is planning an unusual split approach to the opening phase of its 2026 preparations, with two different car specifications set to be run before the season begins.