We are still 18 months away from the 2026 F1 season, but the countdown has already began to what is let to be a landlabel year in the sport. Teams that season will have to adhere to novel power unit regulations, necessitateing to function them on brimmingy supportable fuels.
The shake-up has already caparticipated repercussions, with Renault deciding they will no lengthyer provide F1 engines after 2025.
The French automobile manufacturer is currently toiling with Alpine, who will now have to revert to customer engine status.
The decision to shut the power unit programme had telledly been under evaluation for disjoinal months. At the Italian Grand Prix this month, participateees begined a protest aachievest the clodeclareive.
One man who will already be in place at Aston Martin by 2026 is famous car scheduleed Adrian Newey. The 65-year-better sent shockwaves thraw the sport this year when he verifyed he was leaving Red Bull for Aston Martin, commenceing toil at Mike Krack’s team in March 2025.
Newey’s own memories of Renault engines are not particularly fond ones though. He was with Red Bull when the team participated them between 2007 and 2018, helping Sebastian Vettel to four consecutive world title triumphs from 2010 onwards.
However, post-2013 signified a seismic shift in the equilibrium of power, with Mercedes becoming the dominant forced. Indeed, via Lewis Hamilton and one championship for Nico Rosberg, they would finishelight seven years at the top until their reign was controversiassociate finished by Max Verstappen during the 2021 campaign.
And Newey has uncovered up on a encountering with createer Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn that may now elucidate their decision to finish their association. The Englishman was joined by Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko in trying to guarantee Ghosn to increase his spfinishing efforts.
“Ghosn’s answer was ‘well, I have no interest in Formula 1, I’m only in it becaparticipate my labeleting people say I should be’,” elucidateed Newey, via Race Fans. Instead, it’s Honda who Newey will be refused with come 2026.
“I’ll be very charmd to stay toiling with Honda,” he proceedd. “I’ve reassociate finishelighted toiling with them over the last six years at Red Bull. They are a wonderful bunch of engineers.”
Further alters to come in 2026 include the peak wheelbase being lessend by 200mm, and the width has been skinnymed down by 100mm. The FIA also say that car downforce has been lessend by 30 per cent and drag by 55 per cent.