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Carlos Sainz: Even without extra weight, Williams is “not where we promised we’d be”
motorsport.com·

Carlos Sainz: Even without extra weight, Williams is “not where we promised we’d be”

After Williams finished fifth in the Formula 1 constructors’ standings last season, team principal James Vowles described that position as a “new baseline” on the journey towards being a genuine world championship contender. But now, less than halfway through the 2026 season, even maintaining that position seems a distant prospect since the team is currently languishing in eighth – and ...Keep reading

McLaren address questioned car development approach after Max Verstappen title fight
racingnews365.com·

McLaren address questioned car development approach after Max Verstappen title fight

McLaren chief designer Rob Marshall has addressed the development approach of last year’s Formula 1 car, insisting it did not suffer from the team switching focus to 2026. The Woking-based outfit dominated the first half of the F1 season last year, on its way to a second consecutive constructors’ title and Lando Norris becoming world champion. Despite both championships being secured, Max Verstappen and Red Bull made staggering strides on McLaren in the latter stages. Due to its dominance, McLaren switched complete focus to its 2026 car before Red Bull, while the latter introduced major upgrades to the RB22 late in the season. This saw McLaren’s huge performance advantage completely disappear, to the extent that Verstappen reduced his title deficit from 104 points to just two in the closing rounds. As a result, questions arose over whether the British squad had aborted development of its 2025 car too early, in favour of preparing for the new power unit regulations. Marshall has insisted that this was not the case and that McLaren is confident it chose the right approach for the final year of the ground-effect era. Asked how its 2025 title pursuit impacted development of the MCL40, Marshall told select media including RacingNews365 : "In terms of the development of last year’s car through the season, obviously it gets to a stage where you need to tail off the design and think about the new car. "And that probably started earlier than it would have in a normal year because of the regulation changes. But equally, we had started this car so much earlier than we normally would that a lot of the initial prep and groundwork was already done. "So yeah, we lifted off on last year’s car to focus on this. But I wouldn’t say it suffered. I think clearly there was an interesting race at the end of last year. "You could argue that others maybe kept pressing on with its ’25 car longer than we did, but I think we probably did the right thing in the end."

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton 'heavily involved' in Ferrari 2026 F1 car development
racingnews365.com·

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton 'heavily involved' in Ferrari 2026 F1 car development

Charles Leclerc has confirmed that he and Lewis Hamilton have both been “heavily involved” in the development of Ferrari’s 2026 F1 car — the SF-26 — from the “early stages”. Ferrari took a huge gamble last season, ending development of its 2025 car at the end of April to focus fully on the new power unit regulations. The new engine regulations, which feature a 50/50 split between electrical power and internal combustion, represent the biggest changes in the history of the sport. Given the scale and importance of the changes, Leclerc and Hamilton have both been key players in shaping the direction the Maranello-based outfit has taken with its new car. A repeat of last year cannot happen for Ferrari, who slumped to fourth in the constructors’ championship and failed to claim a victory. "The 2026 regulations demand an even higher level of preparation, particularly for us drivers. There are many new systems to understand and optimise, which is why we have been heavily involved from the early stages of the project’s development.  "During my time with Scuderia Ferrari we have already experienced major regulatory changes together, so we know how complex this challenge can be, but we are working with a lot of motivation to arrive on track as well prepared as possible.  "Energy management and the power unit will be among the most significant aspects - a fascinating challenge which will require us drivers to adapt quickly, relying more on instinct to begin with, and then increasingly on precise data.  "The support of the fans will be especially important this season: it is what makes Ferrari so unique and pushes us to give our very best."

Racing Bulls explain Yuki Tsunoda 'respect' decision before Red Bull seat axe
racingnews365.com·

Racing Bulls explain Yuki Tsunoda 'respect' decision before Red Bull seat axe

Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane has revealed how the delay in naming the 2026 driver line-up was out of "respect" for Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda struggled at the senior Red Bull team, and towards the end of the 2025 season, it became clear he was not going to be retained alongside Max Verstappen, with Isack Hadjar replacing him.  However, Tsunoda was a contender for a return to Racing Bulls, with incumbent Liam Lawson and F2 rookie Arvid Lindblad pushing for a seat. Ultimately, the final decision was announced after the Qatar GP, with Lawson and Lindblad selected for Racing Bulls with Tsunoda demoted to third and reserve driver duties for both teams. Permane, who is starting his first full season as a team principal has explained how the decision was delayed, from a planned initial announcement in Mexico. "It [was] a case of, honestly, pushing back, we started off by saying the announcement was going to be after Mexico, and then we wanted to just calm things down a bit," Permane told Motorsport Week. "That’s largely because Red Bull were in a tight battle for the constructors’ championship. "[Racing Bulls was] in a tight battle for the constructors’ championship, so we just didn’t want any more noise about it. "Then by the time we got to Qatar, we’d made our decisions, and that’s why we announced it and out of respect for Yuki. "Honestly, [it was] so that he can have a final race with Red Bull Racing, and I’m sure it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s his final race in Formula 1."