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Red Bull want 'gloves-off' fight as new engine rules come into play
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Red Bull want 'gloves-off' fight as new engine rules come into play

Red Bull Powertrains technical director Ben Hodgkinson has asserted he would rather a “gloves-off” approach to developing the new power units. This year sees the introduction of fresh power units, which see dramatic changes compared to the predecessors - including a boost in electrical output that puts it level with the combustion engine. However, in a bid to ensure one single manufacturer does not run away from the rest of the competition, F1 has introduced the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) system. This will see a review conducted after the sixth, 12th and 18th races of the year - a scheme that Hodgkinson is not a fan of. “I would personally love just to get rid of homologation, have a gloves-off fight, that's what I'd really like. “But we are where we are, we have a cost cap and we have dyno hours limits, so I think there's enough limits in place without this.” The last time F1 introduced a major power unit change in 2014, Mercedes emerged as the pick of the field and dominated for the next several years. Despite the ADUO measures in place, Hodgkinson asserted it will not be easy for trailing manufacturers to catch up. “Does it sufficiently reward the people that get it right? I think so,” he said. “The bit that I don't think is fully understood amongst the rule makers is the gestation time of an idea in power units is much longer than it is in chassis. “So if I need to make a change, firstly, I've not just got two cars to update, I've got a whole fleet of engines in the pool, so I could have 12 engines that I need to update, and so that takes time. “But also, because we're homologated, you can't really take a flyer on something that isn't well proven because you could be signing up to a world of pain. “So we've got a minimum number of durability that we'd want to achieve on our new part and our new idea. “Our parts normally are very, very high-precision metal bits that just take time to manufacture, so we can have a 12-week manufacturing time on some bits.  “And then it will take a similar length of time to prove it all out, and then a similar length of time to get it all furnished in the race pool.” “If a team has an advantage on the power unit in race one, it's going to take some time before anyone else can catch up. “A way to peg them back is kind of what's necessary, which the ADUO does offer in some respects, but I think after six races it's assessed, so technically the seventh you can introduce the update. “I think that it's quite challenging to come up with an update in a couple of weeks – if I had 20 kilowatts to bolt on the engine right now, I'd do it.”

Red Bull eager to build on vital 'first moment' after crash setback
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Red Bull eager to build on vital 'first moment' after crash setback

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has hailed the spirit inside the team as it commences a new era. The Milton Keynes-based squad's Barcelona shakedown event took a knock on Tuesday when Isack Hadjar collided with the barrier late in the day. Up to that point, Red Bull had been enjoying a positive test with no major issues seemingly appearing with its new power unit. Red Bull has built its own engine for the first time this year, leaving Mekies proud of the work that has gone into making the situation possible. “In terms of what we were expecting from the power unit on these first couple of days, I can only repeat how proud we are of everybody back at base to have managed to give us something that we could actually run with,” he said. “Of course, it's very early days and nothing is perfect but we could start to learn and work as one team. “That was a huge satisfaction. It doesn't change the size of the journey in front of us, but certainly it's the first moment that everybody in Milton Keynes should be proud of.” Red Bull has not yet confirmed when it will return to the track, but has to choose between today [Thu] and Friday as it has just one day of running remaining this week. Despite the setback of the crash, Mekies asserted the team is operating with a positive attitude as it prepares for the new season. “So early days, but great energy in the team,” he said. “Great spirits between Max, Isack and the whole team. “We just can't wait to have the next possibility to run. It's something we are trying to analyse now and hopefully we get some answers a bit later on.”

2026 F1 Barcelona Pre-Season Test - Day 2 results
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2026 F1 Barcelona Pre-Season Test - Day 2 results

Max Verstappen set the second-quickest lap on a quiet second day of testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. After a busy opening day, only Red Bull and Ferrari took to the circuit on Tuesday; however, only the first couple of hours were completed in dry conditions. Rain struck Barcelona mid-morning and remained for the rest of the day, with Verstappen's 1:19.580 in the dry being the fastest lap of the day. Charles Leclerc drove for Ferrari in the morning session and was second-quickest, before Isack Hadjar and Lewis Hamilton featured in the afternoon. Leclerc completed the most laps of the four drivers, circulating Barcelona 64 times. Unfortunately, in Hadjar's final session of the week, he crashed heavily at the final corner, causing major rear damage to the RB22. Check out the second day results below! 2026 F1 Barcelona Pre-Season Test - Day 2 results

Ferrari downplay F1 2026 expectations ahead of development rush
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Ferrari downplay F1 2026 expectations ahead of development rush

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is expecting F1 teams to undergo a “huge rate” of car development this year as more is discovered regarding the 2026 regulations. The challengers this year have been built under a fresh set of rules, with major changes being made to both the aerodynamics and the power unit. Ferrari enter the season hoping to challenge at the front of the grid and improve on a disastrous 2025 season from which it emerged winless. Having launched its car last week, Vasseur noted it is too early to rate Ferrari's chances ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix in March. “Honestly, it's far too early [to talk] about expectations,” Vasseur said. “We are there to work, to develop, to improve. We'll see where the situation is in Melbourne. “But it's a very long way until Melbourne. It was an important milestone to put the car on track without any issue. This is good, but we have a long way. “The rate of development will be much higher this season [from] what you saw last year or the year before. “It means that nobody knows what the situation will be in a couple of weeks. We have to do our best to continue to be able to collect data, to develop the car and to be focused on ourselves.” The Barcelona shakedown test this week marks the first chance teams have to collect data from their new cars. Vasseur asserted the pecking order at the season-opening round in Australia will not tell the full picture of the season as he anticipates teams will dramatically improve their cars over the course of the year. “We'll see about the performance when we're in Melbourne,” he said. “But Melbourne won’t be the end of the championship. “We’ll have a huge rate of development. On aero, we are still doing an important step each week, and this is true for us, it’s true for everybody. “Let's keep the focus on ourselves. Let's try to do a good job to develop the next couple of weeks and over the season. “But it's too early for expectations.”

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