Tech

The self-learning algorithms inside F1 2026 power units can behave unpredictably, surprising even world champions. Here's why Piastri says "the computers are doing stupid things."

The 2026 Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps could be the first truly wet race for the new-gen F1 cars. Rain forecast all weekend raises questions no simulator has answered yet.

Red Bull brings a second upgrade package to Spielberg, and Verstappen admits the hardest step is still ahead. Here's why this weekend could shape his contract decision.

The FIA has approved the Rally2 WRC Kit at 7,500 euros, letting existing Rally2 cars compete at WRC27 pace in 2027 and 2028. Here's what it means for the championship.

The FIA triggered its contract option and Pirelli stays F1 tire supplier through the end of 2028. The deal covers F2, F3 and F1 Academy, with the next tender set for 2029.

Gazoo Racing confirms a mid-engine sports car with a new G20E 2.0L turbo aiming past 400 HP and up to 600 HP in race form. Production no sooner than 2030.

F1 V8 engines are set to return in 2030-2031, confirmed at the Miami GP. Ben Sulayem explains the vote mechanics and why minimal electrification is coming back.

F1 2026 brought a 50/50 hybrid split, but drivers call it 'Formula E on steroids'. Viewership fell 43% in France while CEO Domenicali insists there is no problem.

McLaren arrives in Miami 89 points behind Mercedes with a completely new MCL40 aero package — the first of two major rebuilds Stella planned for Miami and Canada. After two DNSs and one podium from three races, the upgrades have to land.

Three rounds into 2026, the FIA rewrote the rulebook. Super clipping is out, dual-zone MGU-K is in, and Miami gets a new start procedure. Honda is under pressure, McLaren arrives as championship leader, and Verstappen still wants more.

Teams rely on precise tire compound choices, exact pit stop timing, and tactical moves like the undercut or overcut to gain track position and outsmart rivals. Understanding these mechanics helps motorsport enthusiasts see exactly how a Grand Prix is won or lost on the pit wall, often turning a midfield car into a podium contender.

Elite F1 pit stops run under two seconds because 20-plus mechanics each own a single task — wheel gun, jack, tyre carrier — rehearsed until muscle memory takes over. Pneumatic wheel guns, automated traffic-light release systems, and real-time telemetry eliminate every avoidable delay.

The 2026 Aston Martin and Honda partnership had the entire paddock watching, but the team has been fighting severe engine issues instead of wins. While the new Adrian Newey-influenced chassis looks promising, early power unit vibrations and reliability problems have turned front-running ambitions into a battle just to finish races.

F1 pre-season lap times are unreliable: teams run heavy fuel, sandbag pace deliberately, and stage fast laps for sponsors. The real signals are long-run consistency, tyre degradation across stints, and how well track data matches the simulator.

Pre-season testing at Bahrain is a data-gathering exercise, not a performance ranking. Lap counts, long-run pace, tyre management, and how well track data matches simulator predictions tell more than any single headline time.

Audi enters F1 in 2026 as the full factory successor to Sauber, building its own hybrid power unit in Neuburg, Germany. The team targets steady progress through the 2026 regulatory reset before competing for championships by 2030.

The 2026 F1 rules scrapped DRS and replaced it with Active Aerodynamics - a system where every driver, leading or chasing, can reduce drag on the straights. Combined with a 350kW electric motor and new Overtake Mode, every pass in 2026 is a question of energy management as much as raw pace.

The 2026 F1 power units run on a near 50/50 split between a 1.6-litre V6 turbo and a massively upgraded 350 kW MGU-K - three times the electric output of the previous era. The MGU-H is removed, all cars run on 100% advanced sustainable fuel, and combined peak output tops 700 kW. Audi, Honda, and Red Bull Powertrains/Ford join Ferrari and Mercedes under the new regulations.

The 2026 F1 regulations cut car size and weight, introduce active aerodynamics that open automatically at speed, and mandate a 50/50 split between combustion and electrical power. Sustainable fuel becomes compulsory, and all manufacturers must supply identical battery hardware.

That trail of sparks beneath a Formula 1 car is one of the most dramatic sights in racing - especially under the floodlights at night events. The answer: titanium blocks on the underside of the car scrape the track surface when the car runs close to the ground, burning off tiny particles that glow white-hot at racing speeds.

Since 2014, Formula 1 cars have used 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 hybrid power units, combining a petrol engine with two electric recovery systems — MGU-K (kinetic) and MGU-H (heat). The result is a unit producing well over 1,000 horsepower at thermal efficiencies exceeding 50%, among the most advanced in any form of racing.

McLaren uses Mercedes-AMG power units in Formula 1. The Woking team has run Mercedes engines since 2021, with that partnership extended through 2030 to cover both the current and incoming 2026 power unit regulations.

DRS — Drag Reduction System — is a movable rear wing element that reduces aerodynamic drag and boosts top speed, helping drivers overtake on straight sections. It can only be used within a detection zone when a driver is within one second of the car ahead.

Modern Formula 1 cars represent the heaviest generation in the sport's history, with current regulations mandating a minimum weight of 800 kilograms for the 2025 season. This figure includes the driver and all equipment but excludes fuel, creating a baseline that teams must meet to remain compliant with FIA technical regulations.

A modern Formula 1 car costs between £10 and £16 million to build. That figure covers just the car itself - teams also operate under a $140.4 million annual budget cap (2025), which excludes driver salaries, marketing, and senior staff pay. Before the cap era, top teams spent over £320 million a year, so the regulations have fundamentally changed F1's financial landscape.

F1 drivers regularly endure G-forces far beyond everyday life — over 6G under hard braking and up to 5G through high-speed corners. Understanding these forces reveals just how physically demanding Formula 1 really is.

F1 cars combine extreme straight-line speed with cornering performance no other racing car can match. On the longest straights they reach 220 mph (354 km/h), while advanced aerodynamics, powerful hybrid engines, and specialized tires let them set the fastest lap times around twisting, technical circuits.

Formula 1 cars are purpose-built racing machines, capable of extraordinary speeds and unmatched grip on smooth circuits. Taking one onto a public road is not just impractical - it is illegal in every jurisdiction.

F1 cars are not manual in the traditional sense. While road cars use a clutch pedal and gear lever, Formula 1 cars use semi-automatic gearboxes with paddle shifters on the steering wheel - a system built to change gears in milliseconds without interrupting power to the rear wheels.