Red Bull unveiled its new livery for the 2026 season at a launch event in Detroit. This year’s livery is the biggest change for the team over the past decade, with the previous livery having been relatively unchanged during that time period. Although core elements of the design, such as the Red Bull branding on the engine cover and nose, remain, the car now features a blue and black colour scheme, as the team prepares for its first season running a Ford power unit. The team has also opted for a glossy finish, ditching the matte that’s been used by the team since 2016.
The 2026 Racing Bulls livery was revealed, with the team opting to retain the much-loved white livery from last season. There are some changes over last year’s livery, with the team deciding to add more black to the sidepod, nose, and shark fin, replacing the blue checkered pattern that was present on last year’s car. The biggest change is the team’s wheel covers, which are now white.
Lewis Hamilton will get a new racing engineer for 2026, as Riccardo Adami moves to a new role at Ferrari. For his first season with the Italian team, Hamilton was partnered with Adami, who had been the race engineer for Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz. The duo appeared to lack chemistry, with some heated team radio messages being broadcast throughout the difficult season, although both have repeatedly downplayed the severity of the messages. Adami will move out of the team’s trackside operations, now overseeing the testing of previous cars programmes for the Ferrari Driver Academy. Ferrari has not announced who will be replacing him as Hamilton’s race engineer.
Jack Doohan has parted ways with Alpine, the team for which he raced only seven races. After participating in the Alpine Academy in Formula 2, Doohan’s F1 chance came in 2025, when he was signed to replace Esteban Ocon. But his F1 career was already in doubt before the season even started, as the team signed multiple reserve drivers, the most notable of which was Franco Colapinto, who had made a strong impression at the end of 2024 when he replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams. After only seven races, Doohan was sidelined in favour of Colapinto, serving as the team’s reserve driver for the rest of the year. He will not continue this role for 2026, with a potential Super Formula campaign with Kondo Racing on the horizon.
Williams has signed Luke Browning as its reserve driver. The team does not typically have a reserve driver, usually relying on its strong partnership with Mercedes if needbe. Browning, who has been a part of the Williams Driver Academy since 2023, completed his first season of Formula 2 last year, finishing P4 in the championship. Throughout 2025, he also participated in three free practice sessions with the Williams team. Alongside his F1 commitments, Browning will make his Super Formula debut, which will include some races that conflict with the F1 calendar.
McLaren has signed Leonardo Fornaroli and Pato O’Ward as its reserve drivers. Fornaroli is the reigning Formula 2 champion and was 2024’s Formula 3 champion. He joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme last year. O’Ward has an established IndyCar career, having made his series debut in 2017. He joined McLaren’s IndyCar team in 2020, finishing runner-up in last year’s championship. He has participated in an assortment of F1 free practice sessions since 2022, but will continue a full IndyCar schedule alongside his new reserve driver duties at McLaren.
Cadillac was at the Silverstone Circuit this week to perform a shakedown of its maiden car. After a hard-fought battle to gain entry to F1, the team will make its F1 debut this season with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas behind the wheel. Decked out in a black testing livery, the car, which will officially be revealed in a Super Bowl ad next month, made its first laps around the damp circuit. There were reportedly some early issues with the car in the morning.
Alex Albon announced his engagement to long-time girlfriend Lily Muni He. Born in China, Muni He’s family moved to America, where she became a professional golfer, currently playing on the LPGA Tour. The couple have been dating since 2019.
Philippe Bianchi, the father of Jules Bianchi, confirmed that his son’s stolen kart has been found. Bianchi took to social media last week after thieves stole nine karts from their family home. One of the karts was raced by Jules Bianchi, who tragically died from injuries sustained during an accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Although the item with the most sentimental value has been returned, not all of the missing property has been recovered.
The Imola Circuit is undergoing a major improvement of its facilities despite being dropped from the F1 calendar. The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari initially hosted the San Marino Grand Prix between 1981 and 2006. It returned to F1 under the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix banner as part of the sport’s emergency COVID-19 calendar. The circuit didn’t renew its contract after 2025, but still hopes there is an opportunity to return to the calendar on a rotating basis. The circuit will undergo renovations, which include an upgrade of the paddock area and improvements to the road network that provide access to the venue. Additionally, the house on the inside of the Tosa hairpin will be demolished and replaced by the new “Casa degli Eventi” hospitality building.
Mercedes-AMG has submitted a request to postpone the start of the NLS season, potentially improving Max Verstappen’s chances of racing in the Nurburgring 24 Hour. The first round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie is set for March 14, which clashes with the Chinese Grand Prix. The other two races and qualifiers ahead of the Nurburgring 24 Hour also clash with the F1 calendar, although the 24-hour race itself does not. Postponing the opening round of the season by a week would allow Verstappen to get a race under his belt ahead of his potential participation in the Nurburgring 24 Hour in May.
It can be challenging for even the most avid fans to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One. The Weekly F1 Recap is a series published each Monday that breaks down the action, both on and off the circuit, into bit-sized pieces. It's perfect for casual and experienced fans alike.
