The new Audi Formula 1 team has beaten all the opposition by giving its new R26 car an initial run at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last Friday, representing the first time that we had seen a new generation car ontrack, even if with little detail on show at the private test. All 11 F1 outfits are permitted to choose two filming days per year for promotional purposes, with a mileage limit of 200 kilometres. Audi’s race drivers, Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, were understandably keen to be behind the wheel again after the short winter break.

The German team will host its official season launch in Berlin on 20 January before all F1 entrants will undertake a five-day test at the Barcelona venue starting on 26 January, giving them all a behind-closed-doors opportunity to get to know their new cars, which will feature active aerodynamics and a significantly increased level of hybrid electrical power.

Audi has publicly underplayed its chances of being competitive during the early stages of its arrival on the F1 grid after completing its purchase of the long-time Sauber team, and it has stated that it only hopes to fight for world championships come the 2030 season. In contrast, Red Bull and its new power unit partner, Ford, certainly feel the need to hit the ground running this season, as their success or otherwise will impact their potential retention of the lead driver, Max Verstappen, beyond 2026.



In other related news, Gianpiero Lambiase is now set to remain as Verstappen’s race engineer and Red Bull’s Head of Racing for the forthcoming season despite offers from other teams, although it remains unclear as to what the position may be from 2027 onwards. There’s always a regular flow of staff between teams, but this tends to attract little publicity, other than when it involves drivers, team principals, or senior technical staff.


Elsewhere, just days after leaving his 2025 role as a reserve driver for Ferrari, Zhou Guanyu has taken up the same job with Formula 1’s new team for the forthcoming season, Cadillac. The move at least keeps the Chinese pedaller very much within the F1 paddock, giving key decision-makers a regular reminder that he still exists.

However, this apart, being a reserve driver can also be something of a poisoned chalice, as you start the season knowing that you are unlikely to be called upon to fill a race seat for your team at any stage unless something untoward happens to one of the two drivers sitting above you in the team’s pecking order. Regularly testing an F1 car in a simulator is certainly better than not participating at all, and it can make you feel valued as you contribute to its improved performance; however, it is not at all comparable to being on a real track, especially on race days when adrenaline surges through your body as you line up to compete in front of packed grandstands. At such times, your reward will feel so much more satisfying, too, if you perform well and end up on the post-race Grand Prix podium, creating worldwide headlines.



Lewis Hamilton’s father, Anthony, has revealed his intention to start a new global single-seater racing series in 2027 or 2028 featuring hybrid V10 and V8 single-seaters, aimed at being a rival to Formula 1. The hope is to attract 24 teams and 48 drivers, but this is a massive challenge, particularly financially, as Hamilton wants to attract quality, if underfunded, competitors. We can but wish him well and wait to see if his ambitious plans ever reach reality or fall quickly by the wayside, as often evidenced with other new but doomed racing projects over the years.