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And they'd better not just re-skin the FIA renders!!
I'd be surprised if any teams do not do that!
I just hope a few teams run their real cars in the private test and that we get a little glimpse 🙂
The suggestions from the media point towards everyone not wanting to show their cards early so I think re-skin FIA renders is exactly what we're going to get.
I hope someone does some trolling and produces some wacky design just to get the other teams stratching their heads 🤡
I just hope a few teams run their real cars in the private test and that we get a little glimpse
I don't think they've got much choice - they haven't got time to muck about with half arsed mule cars. And they can't run the previous seasons car with a livery tweak.
The private test is only really to avoid public embarrassment should a teams car be a total turd or not be able to run a few laps back to back.
They won't be the cars that turn up in Australia of course!
I don't think they've got much choice - they haven't got time to muck about with half arsed mule cars. And they can't run the previous seasons car with a livery tweak.
The private test is only really to avoid public embarrassment should a teams car be a total turd or not be able to run a few laps back to back.
They won't be the cars that turn up in Australia of course!
What I meant was, I think they will all run very basic versions of their cars, and anything remotely spicy will be revealed very late. 🙂
The suggestions from the media point towards everyone not wanting to show their cards early so I think re-skin FIA renders is exactly what we're going to get.
I hope someone does some trolling and produces some wacky design just to get the other teams stratching their heads 🤡
THat would be fun especially as part of the livery launch so its only playing in illustrator rather than build anything. Maybe use on of the dead ends they no doubt went down, that might scratch some heads as I suspect many teams have experimented down similar paths.
There's talk of a revolutionary flexible suspension from Ferrari. Is this new, or do all teams do this to some extent already?
"Technical director Loic Serra decided that Ferrari should explore having levels of flexibility in their front suspension arms in 2026.
Serra worked with various departments in Maranello on their new front suspension set-up, which should limit the movement of the floor but can still generate downforce. Ferrari have found an ‘intelligent’ way to layer the carbon skins so the suspension arms can flex at speed.
The FIA only conducts static tests on the flexibility of the upper front suspension wishbones, which Ferrari’s fix should meet. Serra gave Ferrari an ‘extremely complex’ task to design the suspension in a way that satisfies the FIA’s checks but deforms when a load is then applied"
That’s an interesting one. I’m no suspension expert but in my head this must be for adjusting camber, like a passive variation on Mercedes’ DAS system…?
Is this new, or do all teams do this to some extent already?
Until we know if Ferrari actually have flexy suspension, we won't know.
Asymmetric bushes in road cars are nothing new - they flex differently depending on how the suspension is loaded, to alter toe in/out under cornering loads, for example. My guess is that whatever Ferrari are doing won't be as radical as the online clickbait stories are saying.
Ah, yeah, DAS was toe rather than camber, wasn’t it
I'm sure Charles and Lewis are thrilled at the prospect of suspension that flexes!! Especially a Ferrari designed version! 🤣
🤔 I wonder if that's real, or if it's supposed to throw others off the scent of whatever their real spicy sauce is.
Given the aero changes, I would have thought the suspension was less critical than in '25.
I would have thought the suspension was less critical than in '25.
My guess is that tyre temperature control will still be a major thing. DAS was used to get the front tyres up to temperature during qualifying. Ferrari have really struggled with long-run pace for years, they could qualify well because they could get the tyres up to temperature fast, but that killed them in races. Red Bull often had the opposite, they struggled more in qualifying but had incredible long-run pace. McLaren somehow managed to do both well. I suspect that will be what Ferrari are chasing.
In the context of everything that’s wrong with F1 and the FIA, this reads like a breath of fresh air… wonder if it’ll be as good as it sounds?
As much as I want that to happen it's kinda been done and failed with A1 GP.
And the F1 chatter is for a return to V8s with synthetic fuels after this current engine cycle, so that IMO, would kill this Hamilton series immediately.
If it was a choice between watching spec cars and F1 manufacturers battling it out I'd choose F1 everyday. F1 isn't just about the drivers.
Who's going to pay for it? Why hybrids, why not just do an F5000 type thing with production based engines? Nascar V8s put out 700 hp or so with restrictor plates, I think 900 hp would be simple enough.
This is what a F5000 field would sound like. Not the same as V10s revving to 18,000 RPM, but they would probably be about 10% the cost and make a lot more noise than turbos.
Audi hitting the track tomorrow!...
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/audi-to-become-first-team-to-debut-2026-f1-car-on-track/
I would have thought the suspension was less critical than in '25.
My guess is that tyre temperature control will still be a major thing. DAS was used to get the front tyres up to temperature during qualifying. Ferrari have really struggled with long-run pace for years, they could qualify well because they could get the tyres up to temperature fast, but that killed them in races. Red Bull often had the opposite, they struggled more in qualifying but had incredible long-run pace. McLaren somehow managed to do both well. I suspect that will be what Ferrari are chasing.
According to one article, and a video from the Slipstream stories channel on YouTube, Serra has made tyre management the priority for the 2026 car, whereas it was always an afterthought from Ferrari in the past.
The Slipstream stories is a weird channel, it's full of super positive Lewis and Ferrari videos along the lines of "just wait, next race/season is going to be amazing"
It's narrated by an AI bot but whoever is behind it seems to have some insider knowledge from the Ferrari garage..?
whoever is behind it seems to have some insider knowledge from the Ferrari garage..?
Or is just dredging up rumours from online and repackaging them. Most of them will be wrong, but will be forgotten. The few that turn out to be correct are trumpeted as evidence that the person really does have insider knowledge.
Audi have apparently made it onto the track for their 'filming' (shakedown) day. Well done to them.
(i did have a video here but I've removed it as somebody posted in the comments that it was faked)
In the (I’m sure 100% legit) video I’ve seen it seems to have a blown diffuser. Well done Audi 😉
In the (I’m sure 100% legit) video I’ve seen it seems to have a blown diffuser. Well done Audi 😉
10 YEARS OF AUDI WCC + WDC INCOMING
I know these are only based on FIA renders but I do like the look of the 2026 cars. Front and rear wings are a big improvement.
VCARB is a bit of a dogs-dinner though! And I still don't know if we are getting wheel covers or not. They are on the VCARB but not on the Red Bull!...
And I still don't know if we are getting wheel covers or not. They are on the VCARB but not on the Red Bull!...
My understanding is that they are partial covers/fairings. The Red Bull has them too, but you need to look closely as they are black against black
Yay, gloss paint is back! That livery looks great to be honest.
Potentially the end of entertaining radio messages from the 44 cockpit.
Maybe they should get Gunther to do it. Ferrari strategy via Steiner to Hamilton, it’d sure get the viewers in.
Did anyone else notice that Ferrari are the only ones using biofuel? Everyone else is using eco-fuel. I'm guessing the bet is that the eco-fuel is more consistent, and the biofuel may have too many variables in it. Having said that, Ferrari still has the strategy team in place, so I don't think the fuel is going to make a flying monkey's difference.
Potentially the end of entertaining radio messages from the 44 cockpit.
Maybe they should get Gunther to do it. Ferrari strategy via Steiner to Hamilton, it’d sure get the viewers in.
Good stuff but will it be out of the frying pan into il fuoco ?
Haas render - looking good!...
Haas looks cracking! Hope it stays like that. Toyota have done well to get that massive GR logo on the most prominent part of the car. Nice.
Engine Porn!... 🤩 🤩 🤩
Toyota have done well to get that massive GR logo on the most prominent part of the car. Nice
Except that Gazoo Racing is no longer their factory motorsport brand. Next year they will rebrand to Toyota Racing. I don't understand why they didn't rebrand this year, everyone knows what Toyota is, only nerds know what GR means.
There's a good explanation about that here - Gazoo Racing still exists - the F1 involvement isn't about advertising Toyota...
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/what-makes-new-toyota-haas-f1-look-an-oddity/
There's a good explanation about that here - Gazoo Racing still exists - the F1 involvement isn't about advertising Toyota...
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/what-makes-new-toyota-haas-f1-look-an-oddity/
Until next year, when it will be rebranded Toyota Racing.
But Gazoo Racing is still part of their motorsport branding. Which you stated it wasn't.
And it's the WEC team that will be renamed Toyota Racing this season.
The F1 team is still TGR because they don't build the cars or the engine (unlike WEC), so they don't want to give the impression they do by branding the team as Toyota...
"That would create a false impression of Toyota's involvement and also its long-term intentions, which have been scrutinised since the deal was first done in October 2024."
Their WRC team still competes as Gazoo Racing...
https://www.wrc.com/en/teams/toyota-gazoo-racing-world-rally-team
Except that Gazoo Racing is no longer their factory motorsport brand. Next year they will rebrand to Toyota Racing. I don't understand why they didn't rebrand this year, everyone knows what Toyota is, only nerds know what GR means.
I didn't know what it meant (all that Gazoo Racing stuff).
I just saw it & immediately thought oooooh, Yaris GR. Is that not the point of branding and making some kind of motorsport connection?
I'd say only a nerd would know.....that Gazoo Racing is no longer their factory motorsport brand. Next year they will rebrand to Toyota Racing. 😉
The cooling configuration on the Racing Bulls (the real car, not the livery mule) looks interesting, with what looks to be a very large (and certainly interestingly shaped) overhead intake. I guess until we see more cars it’s not clear at all whether it’s (a) a tradeoff to sculpt the sidepods more aggressively, (b) an increased cooling requirement for the new PU spec, or (c) just the RBPT PU that’s going to need a lot of cooling. If it’s (c) then there goes Max for 2027…
I guess we'll know once the Red Bull launches if the big airbox is required by the PU layout or just an RB thing.
Am I the only one who keeps forgetting that Red Bull are now Ford and AM are Honda?
That airbox is a whopper!! 😳
That VCARB livery is a right mess though - looking forward to Audi showing them how to do coherent livery at their launch later today.