Overview
- Max Verstappen confirmed he has previously held conversations with Mercedes and Toto Wolff about his future, while Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff said he expects Verstappen to stay and finish his career with the team under a deal running to 2028.
- Alpine released video of Franco Colapinto’s seat fit for the 2026 car and is retaining the Gasly–Colapinto lineup as it transitions to Mercedes power, with the A526 due to be presented on January 23 in Barcelona.
- Preseason testing is scheduled as three closed sessions — January 26–30 in Barcelona and February 11–13 and 18–20 in Bahrain — ahead of the season opener in Melbourne on March 6–8.
- The confirmed 24‑race 2026 calendar runs March 8 to December 6, features six sprint weekends (China, Miami, Canada, Great Britain, Netherlands, Singapore), and replaces Imola with Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix.
- New regulations shrink the cars and add active aerodynamics with power units targeting a much larger electric contribution and sustainable fuels, though one report’s claim of a 65/35 ICE‑electric shift conflicts with other coverage citing a 50/50 split; Lewis Hamilton cautioned the new cars could be very difficult to drive in the wet.