Mobil 1 has unveiled a special mural to celebrate the conclusion of Red Bull Racing's successful partnership with Honda, which after 2025 will see the team switch to its own Ford-backed engines while Honda moves to supply Aston Martin.
Audi has confirmed it will launch its first Formula 1 car on January 20-21, 2026, in Berlin, with a public event on the second day. The team will officially be named the Audi Revolut F1 Team, racing with drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.
The FIA admits it attempted to tweak F1's current rules to reduce aerodynamic turbulence ('dirty air') but was blocked by a lack of team support. Officials gave the 2022-2025 ground-effect era a 'B or C' grade, praising the cost cap but noting teams exploited regulatory weaknesses, harming close racing.
McLaren's narrow 2025 F1 title win, secured by Lando Norris, wasn't a collapse but a deliberate strategic play. The team chose to halt development on its dominant car early to focus entirely on the 2026 regulations, allowing a resurgent Red Bull to close the gap and create a tense finale. The success of this high-risk, long-term gamble will only be judged next season.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says managing Kimi Antonelli has taught him patience, as he must remind himself the 19-year-old rookie is "still a kid" despite his professional driving. Wolff admits to being "brutally honest" but tempers his approach, impressed by Antonelli's maturity in handling immense pressure and a season of highs and lows, which culminated in a seventh-place championship finish.
Sergio Perez has openly discussed the challenges of being Red Bull's clear number two driver to Max Verstappen, admitting the team's project was built around the Dutchman. He called the experience "extremely demanding" but stated that leaving was the best outcome for his career, as he looks ahead to a new chapter with Cadillac.
Red Bull's 2026 car, the RB22, is rumored to feature a double-pushrod suspension on both ends, marking a major design shift from their current philosophy. This change is a direct adaptation to the new technical regulations, prioritizing mechanical simplicity and power unit packaging over pure aerodynamics.
Max Verstappen reflects on a 2025 season where he came within two points of a fifth title, calling it a "rollercoaster" with his Red Bull but having no regrets. He credits a mid-season upgrade for a late surge that made the fight enjoyable and believes the team's positive momentum is perfect for the upcoming 2026 rules revolution.
Juan Pablo Montoya argues that while Max Verstappen was formidable in the final races, he was not the best driver over the entire 2025 F1 season, crediting McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for superior performances in the earlier phases.
Helmut Marko asserts that Red Bull's delayed dismissal of Christian Horner directly cost Max Verstappen the 2025 Formula 1 championship. In a candid exit interview, Marko detailed a bitter internal power struggle he claims diverted focus and hurt on-track performance, arguing that acting sooner would have allowed a recovery in time to secure the title.
Lando Norris reflects on proving his own early-season doubts wrong after clinching his first F1 World Championship in Abu Dhabi. In parallel, F1 has amended its 2026 technical rules to allow a partial active aero mode in wet weather, addressing teams' concerns over potential disqualifications due to excessive skid block wear.
The FIA has modified the 2026 active aerodynamics rules, permitting a partial mode to prevent skid wear in wet weather. Separately, Red Bull's Laurent Mekies explains he left Ferrari for the opportunity to become a team principal, a career step he couldn't refuse.
