F1 2026: winter transition, development and pre season events

[GuidoK]

So now that the 2025 season is over and the dust has settled a bit, this topic should bridge all the news about development, events, gossip and other predictions before the new 2026 season starts (first race: Australian GP Melbourne - march 8th 2026)

[Killed by Death]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

So now that the 2025 season is over and the dust has settled a bit, this topic should bridge all the news about development, events, gossip and other predictions before the new 2026 season starts (first race: Australian GP Melbourne - march 8th 2026)

Thanks for the start.

Now, what's it gonna be for Ferrari? or

My fear is

[Killed by Death]

"Frankenstein mule cars are giving us our first taste of the new 2026 regulations.

Williams team principal James Vowles admitted these test cars are "just too far away" from reality to be useful.
Yet every team showed up. Every team ran up the laps, getting a feel of what's to come.

Why?
Because in January, when real 2026 testing begins in Barcelona, there's no room for error.
Teams will be burning through multi-million dollar budgets trying to understand cars that break every rule they've learned (while complying to the new regulations).

But here's where it gets interesting...
Ferrari showed up with a sleek, refined aero system that looked a step up from the competition.
The front wing literally changes shape on straights now, backing off to reduce drag, then snapping back for corners.
It's active aero on steroids."

[M5Rick]

The whole thing sounds barmy to me, as MAX has said. It will be a disaster from start to finish and I can't understand how the idiots in Paris who made up these entrant rules got away with pushing it through.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

So now that the 2025 season is over and the dust has settled a bit, this topic should bridge all the news about development, events, gossip and other predictions before the new 2026 season starts (first race: Australian GP Melbourne - march 8th 2026)

Great job as usual . Thank you GuidoK

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

So now that the 2025 season is over and the dust has settled a bit, this topic should bridge all the news about development, events, gossip and other predictions before the new 2026 season starts (first race: Australian GP Melbourne - march 8th 2026)

Fantastic as usual with the F1 thread starts GuidoK

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

Fantastic as usual with the F1 thread starts GuidoK

Very

[Rono63]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Very

https://twitter.com/i/status/1999578503415759023

It’s nice Max sent his congratulations.

Is Max having health problems?

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Rono63

It’s nice Max sent his congratulations.

Is Max having health problems?

Yes . A severe flu virus took MAX down.

He also had an important sim race planned, but he had to cancel that too..

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

Fantastic as usual with the F1 thread starts GuidoK

The FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem screwed it up again at the 2025 FIA Prize Giving-Ceremony.
He looked drunk again . But actually he wasn't drunk .

Finally I think his behavior always looks drunk

[Artemis]

Lando Norris introduced at the 2025 FIA Awards Ceremony:

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Rono63

It’s nice Max sent his congratulations.

Is Max having health problems?

Also cancelled another event (sim racing):

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

The FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem screwed it up again at the 2025 FIA Prize Giving-Ceremony.
He looked drunk again . But actually he wasn't drunk .

Finally I think his behavior always looks drunk

DUI again ?

[M5Rick]

Oh and glad to be back online BP

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Yes . A severe flu virus took MAX down.

He also had an important sim race planned, but he had to cancel that too..

There is a flu epidemic in GB now, older people need to take extra care.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Lando Norris introduced at the 2025 FIA Awards Ceremony:

He's seing if Lando has dandruff

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

There is a flu epidemic in GB now, older people need to take extra care.

Yeah. I saw it in the news about the flu epidemic in GB (increasing with 55%)!
MAX was last week in Milton Keynes , probably he got the flu virus in GB.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

He's seing if Lando has dandruff

The FIA idiot is manic and completely nuts .

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Yeah. I saw it in the news about the flu epidemic in GB (increasing with 55%)!
MAX was last week in Milton Keynes , probably he got the flu virus in GB.

Time to dig out the face masks, I always keep a supply in the car.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

The FIA idiot is manic and completely nuts .

Ben should be told to go, F1 is enough of a joke now with the pointless expensive espresso machine PU's from March without this character ridiculing it more.

[Artemis]

2025 FIA Awards Ceremony.

• 1:11:57 - 1:16:05: Enzo Ferrari / Ferrari tribute
• 1:33:46 - 1:34:04: F1 Action Of The Year
• 1:46:52 - 2:07:30: F1 Awards (1:47:17 - 1:53:16: F1 2025 season summary + McLaren tribute)

[Straykiwi]

Originally Posted by Killed by Death

"Frankenstein mule cars are giving us our first taste of the new 2026 regulations.

Williams team principal James Vowles admitted these test cars are "just too far away" from reality to be useful.
Yet every team showed up. Every team ran up the laps, getting a feel of what's to come.

Why?

Because F1 is data driven, and the teams need to gather validation data to prove/disprove any development avenue they are evaluating. Investing into the wrong concept will cost tens of millions in wasted time and effort not to mention playing catch up is even more expensive.