Motoring News

We round up the best social media from the second day of the Barcelona Shakedown.

Newly promoted Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar crashes his car in wet conditions on the second day of Formula 1 pre-season testing.

The second day of Formula 1’s secretive ‘shakedown week’ at the Circuit de Catalunya proved much quieter as only two teams took to the track. Ferrari, like McLaren, had signalled its intention to miss the opening day but the reigning constructors’ champion also did not appear on the second.
Each team is permitted three days of running during the five-day ‘shakedown’, and these do ...Keep reading

The World Rally Championship making a return to the USA next year is a step closer, with a candidate test rally planned later this year.
The WRC has long held an ambition to return to the USA for the first time since the 1988 Olympus Rally, with the project a key part of its plan to grow the category. In 2024 the championship announced a “clear roadmap” to achieving a USA event in 2026 that ...Keep reading

Isack Hadjar crashed Red Bull’s RB22 car on the second day of Formula 1’s first pre-season test at Barcelona.
A five-day test is taking place behind closed doors at the Catalan track this week, as teams get to grips with new machinery meeting the overhauled chassis and engine regulations for 2026, with each outfit allowed to run on three of those days.
Red Bull is the only squad that ...Keep reading

At first glance, two worlds that seem to have little in common are coming together in an unexpected way. Why would a space agency be interested in racing cars that are engineered to stay glued to the track through massive aerodynamic effort? But when you consider the technological parallels between the two, the cooperation quickly makes sense. American space agency NASA has formalised its ...Keep reading

F1 goes into the 2026 season with an entirely new chassis philosophy. The cars will be lighter, more nimble, and better able to overtake… but what does it all really mean for racing?

Charles Leclerc says “everything went properly” during Ferrari’s first morning of 2026 Formula 1 testing at Barcelona.
As F1 moves into a new technical era with new chassis and engine regulations, the world championship is having a five-day test behind closed doors at the Catalan track this week, though teams can run on only three days each.
Ferrari unveiled its new SF-26 on Friday in ...Keep reading

When new rules come into force in Formula 1, it's natural to see many different interpretations across the grid, especially on those components that define the car’s overall concept. From tail to tip, from the sidepods to the suspension, all the way to the front wing, changes have swept the 2026 cars in line with the new philosophy this season.
The FIA has sought to limit the outwash effect ...Keep reading

The Williams Formula 1 team has partnered with Sparco ahead of the 2026 season on a multi-year deal.
Sparco joins the Grove outfit as its official racewear and technical apparel supplier, providing race suits for drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, as well as the team's F1 Academy driver, and members of the Williams F1 Team Driver Academy, Williams Heritage, sim racing drivers and the ...Keep reading

AF Corse has announced that Robert Kubica will remain in its Hypercar team as part of an unchanged driver line-up for the 2026 World Endurance Championship.
The ex-Formula 1 driver will once again team up with Ye Yifei and Phil Hanson in the #85 Ferrari 499P, the privately-run satellite car campaigned by AF Corse.
This means all three Ferrari Hypercar entries will contest the 2026 WEC with ...Keep reading

Pedro Acosta is expecting several riders to jump ship ahead of the start of MotoGP’s new era in 2027, but admits the upcoming regulation changes leave a “question mark for everyone.”
MotoGP’s silly season is in full swing heading into the first test of the year in Sepang, with the majority of the grid out of contract at the end of 2026.
Acosta finds himself at the centre of the rider ...Keep reading

Formula 1 and F1 Academy have announced today, 27 January 2026, a partnership with Standard Chartered.
The bank has joined F1 as its official wealth management and corporate and investment banking partner in a multi-year deal from 2026, and will extend its partnership to the all-female racing series.
The new partnership will result in new fan experiences across the F1 calendar, with ...Keep reading

Isack Hadjar cut an upbeat figure after completing his first proper day as a Red Bull Racing driver at the start of the Barcelona Shakedown, describing Monday’s running as “pretty productive”.

Gabriel Bortoleto is preparing for his second season in Formula 1. While his rookie year is now behind him, the Brazilian driver has confirmed he has not changed his approach in his preparations for the upcoming season.
Bortoleto finished 19th in the 2025 drivers' championship and is eager to start another season with the Audi F1 team, which has taken over Sauber.
"To be honest, the same way ...Keep reading

KTM and its satellite squad Tech3 unveiled their 2026 MotoGP machinery in a joint online launch on Tuesday, confirming they will once again run identical liveries for the upcoming season.
As was the case in 2025, Tech3 will effectively serve as an extension of the factory KTM squad, giving KTM a unified four-bike line-up on the grid.
All four KTM RC16s will be painted in the brand’s ...Keep reading

The first serious test for Red Bull Ford Powertrains – following an earlier filming day for Racing Bulls at Imola – has gone largely according to plan. Liam Lawson caused a red flag at the start of the lunch break, but still completed 88 laps in his Racing Bulls.
Max Verstappen was not behind the wheel on Monday, but saw his team-mate Isack Hadjar lap the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 107 ...Keep reading

George Russell says he has been impressed by the amount of running completed by several rival teams, including Red Bull and Haas, during the opening day of Formula 1’s 2026 Barcelona shakedown.
The first day of running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya proved productive for a number of teams, despite the major changes introduced for the new regulation cycle covering both chassis and power ...Keep reading

Corey LaJoie will be a busy man in the coming weeks. He has already announced plans to fill-in for an injured Brad Keselowski in the pre-season Clash at Bowman Gray, and he will also be driving the No. 99 RFK Racing open entry as he attempts to qualify for the 68th running of Daytona 500.
On Monday, it was announced LaJoie will be driving the No. 75 Henderson Motorsports entry in the NASCAR ...Keep reading

Charles Leclerc has reached a milestone away from Formula 1 after his personal YouTube channel surpassed 1 million subscribers.
The Ferrari F1 driver has now reached a total of 1.47 million subscribers on his channel, where he shares behind-the-scenes looks at race weekends, his piano music, what he gets up to during the winter and summer breaks, and insights into his personal brands, such as ...Keep reading