Formula ReportFormula Report

Search

Franco Colapinto's main sponsor disappears at Alpine
racingnews365.com·

Franco Colapinto's main sponsor disappears at Alpine

Mercado Libre, one of Franco Colapinto's main sponsors which has played a key role in the driver's F1 career in recent years, has disappeared from Alpine's sponsorship portfolio.   Although Alpine has extended the Argentine driver's contract until 2026, this year's A526 race car was unveiled without the e-commerce giant's logo.  The company, which remains in close alliance with Colapinto, is not listed among the team's partners on its website, and its disappearance is surprising and raises questions. When Alpine renewed Colapinto's contract, all signs pointed to a guaranteed continuation between the team and the company that strongly supports the driver.  The importance of the partnership was also illustrated by the fact that the team dressed its race car in special colours on three occasions last year: at the US Grand Prix, the Mexican Grand Prix, and the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Regarding Mercado Libre's disappearance, sources have informed RacingNews365 that the Argentine company is currently rethinking its partnerships and its entire F1 presence.  The company has changed its strategy and is working on diversifying its sponsorship activities to increase its visibility in Latin American regions outside Argentina.  In line with this, they are no longer focusing exclusively on one driver, and the first signs of this are already visible. On January 19, the company's Brazilian subsidiary, operating under the name Mercado Livre, announced that it would be joining Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto as a sponsor.  The Mercado Libre logo also appeared on the helmet of Sergio Perez, who is returning with Cadillac, at the Barcelona test. The Mexican driver already featured the company on his non-final helmet design for the test period, and according to our information, the announcement of the agreement could come in a matter of days. Alpine partnership still possible RacingNews365 understands that a continuation between the company and Alpine is still possible.  Behind the scenes, negotiations are slowly but surely underway for Mercado Libre to remain a partner of the team, which will now be powered by Mercedes and, based on the Barcelona shakedown, is looking at a much better season than last year.  It is not yet known when an agreement will be reached, but it is clear that the issue is becoming increasingly pressing in Argentina. Since Colapinto made his debut in F1, it has become very clear just how passionately Argentinians support their local driver and the sport itself.  Fans are present in large numbers all over the world, and the Argentine soccer jersey has become an indispensable accessory at F1 grand prix races - so it is not surprising that the situation surrounding the driver's main sponsor and team is causing serious concern among Argentine fanatics.  The Latin American country's press and social media have been in turmoil over the issue for days: fans fear that the current situation could adversely affect their favourite driver, just when the team needs stability as it targets progress up the grid.

Barcelona 2026 pre-season test update: F1 awakens from hibernation, surprise with Red Bull shakedown
racingnews365.com·

Barcelona 2026 pre-season test update: F1 awakens from hibernation, surprise with Red Bull shakedown

The first pre-season test of 2026 is officially underway in Barcelona. Although the track is open for five days this week, the teams are allowed three days of running, all of which is behind closed doors as fans and media are excluded. The test is necessary to evaluate the new cars, sporting new power units and associated aerodynamics. Two further three-day tests in Bahrain follow in February. So what do we know about the first day of testing so far? Isack Hadjar gives RB22 the spurs Red Bull immediately completed its first laps with the RB22. The Milton Keynes-based team chose to test day immediately, with, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Isack Hadjar at the wheel. The Frenchman drove the first installation laps around Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. Max Verstappen is looking on for the time being, but will, of course, be given plenty of opportunity to put his new car through its paces. For Red Bull, the test is crucial, especially since it has built its own engine, developed in collaboration with Ford, for the first time. Williams and Aston Martin woes While most of the teams are already in Barcelona or starting their program from Tuesday, that is not the case for Williams and Aston Martin. RacingNews365 has previously reported that Williams is skipping the entire test, related to crash test failures on a new nose box, whilst Aston Martin has opted not to run for now. It is unlikely the Adrian Newey-led team will start its programme until Wednesday. Different program for Ferrari and McLaren In addition to Williams and Aston Martin, Ferrari and McLaren are also running a different program. Ferrari indicated at the launch and shakedown at Fiorano on Friday that it will begin its test week on Tuesday. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both conducted a shakedown last week after the car's unveiling, providing them with an early feel. McLaren will appear at the Barcelona circuit on Monday, but only for a short shakedown/filming day, allowing no more than 200km of running, and on special Pirelli tyres for such an event, rather than the regular rubber. F1's defending drivers' and constructors' champions will start its week of testing on Tuesday or Wednesday, dependent on weather conditions - with rain expected on Tuesday - and how the shakedown goes. New teams eager to join Beyond Williams, Aston Martin, Ferrari and McLaren, all the teams were in action on Monday, including Audi and Cadillac. Audi took over Sauber and is appearing as a factory team for the first time in F1, while Cadillac is new to the sport. It was, therefore, a major coup for both teams to be out on track on the first day. Racing Bulls, Mercedes, Haas and Alpine also started the closed test on Monday morning. Kimi Antonelli took a seat behind the wheel of the new Mercedes, widely regarded as the favourite for this year. Mercedes flew out of the starting blocks when the V6 engine was introduced in 2014, going on to dominate the sport for years. Has it again built the best power unit this year? What fans can expect How private is a private week of testing? F1 has promised that it will share some photos and videos during the test. The teams also have permission to take limited videos of the cars in the pit lane and on the track. So here and there, footage will appear. Fans are also reliant on spy shots. Although the Barcelona circuit is secure, some know how to find secret spots and take images of the cars. So no live footage, but certainly some nice pictures.

McLaren unveil F1 livery for Barcelona shakedown test
racingnews365.com·

McLaren unveil F1 livery for Barcelona shakedown test

McLaren has unveiled the livery it will use during the Barcelona shakedown test this week. The test offers teams a chance to gather some initial data on their new 2026 cars which have been built under a brand new set of technical regulations. McLaren enter the year looking to defend its double championship success from last year, triumphing in both the drivers' and constructors' standings. The Woking-based squad is due to reveal its season livery on February 9, ahead of the following test in Bahrain. In Barcelona, McLaren will run a black-inspired livery, offering little hints into what its true design for the year ahead may look like. However, it is once again likely to be papaya coloured, which has become traditional for the team in the modern F1 era. McLaren will field Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for a fourth consecutive year, making it the joint-longest uninterrupted line-up on the grid alongside Aston Martin. The MCL40 car will hit the track for the first time in Barcelona this week, although McLaren is yet to confirm its run plan as teams are required to select three out of the five available days to operate the car. View images of the McLaren test livery below!

Lewis Hamilton eyes first 2026 F1 test after making winter break changes
racingnews365.com·

Lewis Hamilton eyes first 2026 F1 test after making winter break changes

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he is "massively excited" for next week’s first official test ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season, after making several changes during the short winter break. The seven-time world champion enters the new power unit regulations on the back of a disastrous first campaign with Ferrari — the worst of his incredible F1 career. It left the 41-year-old in desperate need of the winter break, despite it being one of the shortest in the history of the sport. During his time away over the winter, Hamilton focused on completely resetting and ensuring he has the "right energy" around him, even if it meant "removing things." In addition to making changes himself, Ferrari recently announced that Hamilton would have a new race engineer for the upcoming season with Riccardo Adami moved into a different role. He drove Ferrari’s new SF-26 at its Fiorano test track on Friday following the car’s unveiling earlier in the day, with the veteran very much ready to get his 20th season underway. Looking ahead to the Barcelona test, Hamilton told F1 : "I mean, if you probably look at all my other interviews over the years, I’d never say that I get excited, but I’m massively excited — and I think it’s okay to say that, yeah, I’m excited for new beginnings. "It’s been such a focus on resetting and having a good break. Even though it was the shortest break we’ve ever had, I would say it was just what was needed.  "Yeah, I think it’s about undoing, learning new patterns, undoing old ones, removing things that don’t serve me or bring the right energy, and making sure you’re showing up in the right way. "So I’m excited about the first test. Obviously, in the shakedown I don’t get to push it, but it feels cool at Fiorano. Next week, we’ll start to try and stretch the legs and see what this new generation of car is going to bring to all of us. "And then it’s kind of like not knowing what other people have — what cars, what tricks other people may or may not have, and what concepts, all those sorts of things. I think for us, it’s just about keeping our heads down and focusing on our job."

Mercedes logs onto new F1 era with new trillion-dollar company partnership
racingnews365.com·

Mercedes logs onto new F1 era with new trillion-dollar company partnership

Mercedes has announced a brand-new F1 partnership with technical behemoth Microsoft ahead of the 2026 season.  As the team prepares to launch its W17 machine later on Thursday, it was announced that the company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen would be joining forces with the eight-time constructors' champions ahead of the new era. Explaining the deal, Mercedes said that it was "partnering with Microsoft to harness the power of its trusted cloud and enterprise AI technologies across the business from the factory to the racetrack." According to a report from Sky News, the deal could be worth up to as much as $60 million per year, making it one of the largest F1 sponsor deals on the grid.    "Our sport is driven by those who lead through innovation," explained Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.  "We are delighted to partner with Microsoft, one of the world's foremost technology leaders, whose name is synonymous with groundbreaking innovation. "This partnership also reflects our commitment to staying at the forefront of performance and progress. By putting Microsoft's technology at the centre of how we operate as a team, we will create faster insights, smarter collaboration and new ways of working as we look ahead to the next generation in F1." Microsoft's CEO of commercial business , Judson Althoff, explained that the "cloud and enterprise AI technologies" would be "at the heart of racing performance where milliseconds matter and data determines outcomes." In July 2025, Microsoft passed a market cap of $4 billion USD for the first time.  The striking new livery for the 2026 W17 was unveiled, with a full photo gallery available by clicking on the link.

Audi braced for rollercoaster as F1 debut looms large
racingnews365.com·

Audi braced for rollercoaster as F1 debut looms large

Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley is bracing himself for a wild rollercoaster ride this year as the team prepares to embark on its debut season in F1. The German manufacturing giant launched its maiden car, the R26, in Berlin on Tuesday, unveiling a silver, red and black design, as witnessed in a pre-launch show in December, but on this occasion with the car adorned with sponsors. In taking over Sauber's old Hinwil factory in Switzerland, and constructing its first power unit to the new regulations from a new facility in Neuberg, these are tense times for the organisation as it goes head to head with the established names in F1. Although targeting a championship by 2030, former Red Bull sporting director Wheatley knows the upcoming maiden campaign is going to be full of ups and downs, twists and turns, as the team grows accustomed to the new rules and beds itself into F1. Assessing the target, speaking to RacingNews365 in a select media gathering ahead of the launch, Wheatley said: "Everyone is starting with a car that you're racing that year, so you set a target internally. You decide that. "There are times when you track to that target very tightly, and you start to think you'll beat the target, and then there are other times when you have everything - good weeks and bad weeks as you get to understand your development process. "For us now, it's about maximising the testing that we have before the first race, to try to understand the car as well as we can, and listen to the drivers and make sure our development goes in the right direction." Audi to play wait and see Like every team, it has been a quick turnaround to prepare for the regulations, which include the new power unit and associated aerodynamics, and which were only handed to the teams on January 1 last year. Throughout last season, the majority of the teams quickly stopped development on the 2025 cars to focus on the 2026 rules, with Sauber naturally one of those. For Audi, however, there was considerably more work involved as the team had to evolve, in tandem with integrating the new PU. As to how he feels Audi will fare, Wheatley added: "Time will tell. There's some novel technology on the car, which the engineering group have been developing and looking at implementing for a while, but you just never know. "Nobody's going to know where they are really until qualifying in Melbourne, and nobody's really going to start to know for sure until we're two, three races into the season as to just who has the package that can work everywhere. "There are so many different elements of it, but still, you have a chassis, a powertrain and a driver, and it's about getting the best out of all of that."

Honda reveal F1 power unit in Aston Martin 'works' partnership celebration
racingnews365.com·

Honda reveal F1 power unit in Aston Martin 'works' partnership celebration

Honda and Aston Martin have celebrated the start of its 'works' partnership in launch event in Tokyo, where the Japanese manufacturer's power unit was revealed.  After several years with Red Bull, Honda has switched to Aston Martin for the start of Formula 1's new power unit regulations, which feature a 50/50 split between electrical power and internal combustion.  It is a significant step for Aston Martin, who after only ever being a customer team now hold official 'works' status, due to the nature of its partnership with Honda.  The event in the Japanese capital was attended by Aston Martin CEO Lawrence Stroll, Honda President Toshihiro Mibe and F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali. "I am delighted to celebrate the start of our partnership with Honda here in Tokyo today," said Stroll. "Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team and Honda share many values, and those values have brought us together for 2026 and beyond. "The strong collaboration between the AMR Technology Centre at Silverstone and Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) in Sakura demonstrates the depth of our partnership. We are confident that we have all the elements required to fight for victory in the future and we have tremendous faith in Honda’s Power Unit and the engineers behind it.  "Our journey won’t always be easy and challenges inevitably lie ahead, but winning is what drives both companies forward and together we look forward to many successful years of partnership." As part of the event, Honda's newest F1 power unit – the RA626H – which will only be used by Aston Martin was unveiled.  The brand has been working with Aston Martin and its key partners Aramco and Valvoline ahead of the new season, with key input from chief strategy officer Andy Cowell. "Honda’s participation in F1, the pinnacle of automobile racing, has been the embodiment of the spirit of the company founder, Soichiro Honda, who inspired Honda engineers to commit to becoming No.1 in the world and to take on the most difficult challenges," said Mibe. "In 2026, F1 will undergo a major change in regulations for both the chassis and power unit. Honda sees F1 as a symbol of challenge and innovation, and HRC, the global racing arm of Honda, has developed the RA626H, the new power unit for the 2026 season, to meet those challenges. Striving to become number One in the world, Honda will continue to take on challenges together with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. "Today we also launch a new H mark with a refreshed design, which Honda has adopted as the new symbol representing its automobile business. This new H mark symbolizes the transformation of Honda ‘s automobile business so it is an important moment for us."

Aston Martin make shock decision on F1 safety car deal
racingnews365.com·

Aston Martin make shock decision on F1 safety car deal

Aston Martin's contentious chapter as Formula 1's co-safety car supplier is to end, with the British manufacturer choosing not to renew its contract for the upcoming season. Since 1996, Mercedes has held the prestigious role of providing F1's safety vehicles. From 2021, the German marque was forced to share duties with Aston Martin. The two manufacturers alternated responsibility for Bernd Mayländer's safety car at each grand prix, marking the end of Mercedes' quarter-century monopoly. Yet Aston Martin's tenure proved problematic from the outset. The Vantage F1 Edition, as the safety car was officially designated, suffered from a significant performance deficit compared to its Mercedes rival, being both heavier and considerably less powerful. The shortcomings were stark enough to draw pointed criticism from within the paddock. Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen was particularly scathing in his assessment, dubbing the machine the "green turtle" in reference to both its Aston Martin livery and sluggish performance. Recognising the deficiencies, Aston Martin introduced a substantially revised Vantage for the 2024 season. The updated model featured significantly enhanced power output, bringing it much closer to parity with Mercedes' offering.  The manufacturer went further still during last year's Dutch Grand Prix, unveiling a third iteration in the form of the Vantage S, equipped with a V8 engine delivering even greater performance. Despite these considerable investments and improvements, Aston Martin has elected to withdraw from safety car duties entirely. The manufacturer is expected to release a statement outlining the reasoning behind this decision in due course. Mercedes will resume sole responsibility for providing both safety and medical cars from the 2026 season onwards. This means the familiar sight of the AMG GT Black Series will continue, now sporting the distinctive red livery of Mercedes sponsor CrowdStrike rather than the traditional silver. In the future, it is not out of the question that F1 will again look for an additional supplier.