Overview
- Teams lock in staggered unveilings: Red Bull and Racing Bulls on January 15 in Detroit, Audi’s Berlin event and Honda’s power‑unit launch on January 20, Ferrari/Alpine/Haas on January 23, Cadillac’s Super Bowl livery on February 8, and Aston Martin’s full car reveal on February 9.
- The rules overhaul introduces active front and rear wings, removes the MGU‑H and DRS, adds a proximity‑based extra‑power system, targets a near 50/50 combustion‑electric split, and trims car size and weight.
- The grid expands to 11 teams as Cadillac joins with Ferrari customer engines for Bottas and Perez, Audi takes over Sauber with a Neuberg‑built works power unit, Honda returns exclusively with Aston Martin, and Red Bull begins its Ford powertrains era.
- Pre‑season running concentrates in a closed Barcelona shakedown at the end of January and two Bahrain tests in February before the March 8 opener in Melbourne.
- Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur underscores that 2026 will be decided by in‑season development rather than Australia’s result, reinforcing uncertainty over early pecking order.