McLaren unveiled its livery for the 2026 MCL40. The team retains the papaya orange and black colour scheme that it has been using in recent years. The livery remains relatively unchanged compared to the 2025 version, with the only notable change being that the cockpit behind the driver is now orange. The team’s Google-coloured wheel covers have been adjusted to feature more blue as Google is now advertising its Gemini AI instead of Google Chrome.
Aston Martin became the final team to showcase its 2026 livery. It’s virtually unchanged from last year’s livery, keeping the matte British Racing Green colour scheme, accented with black and trimmed with a lime green stripe. The rear wing is now green instead of black. The team has also done away with the seven green dashes on the wheel cover, making room for a CELSIUS energy drink sponsorship.
Renault has been slammed by Viry-Chatillon mayor Jean-Marie Vilain after scrapping plans to repurpose the former F1 engine factory. The 2026 season marks the end of the Renault F1 engine programme, with the team now becoming a Mercedes customer. But the French automaker did reveal plans to use the factory in Viry-Chatillon for developing Alpine supercars, researching electric car technology, and supporting the company’s other racing programmes, including WEC and Formula E. The company has since abandoned these plans. The future of the factory is now unknown, with rumours that Alpine will end its World Endurance Championship programme at the end of the year.
Cadillac has recruited Marc Hynes as its F1 chief racing officer. In this role, he will work with the team’s drivers and boost collaboration between the sporting and technical departments. Additionally, he will oversee the team’s driver programme. He has a business relationship with Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon, with the duo having worked on Manor’s F1 and WEC programmes. Hynes also has a history with Lewis Hamilton, having managed Project 44 between 2016 and 2021.
Kimi Antonelli was involved in a single-car accident in Italy. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver crashed his car into a guardrail near his San Marino home, but was uninjured. The car was a limited-edition Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+, delivered earlier this year. The car sustained damage during the accident.
Former F1 driver turned commentator, Ralf Schumacher, has announced his engagement to Etienne Bousquet-Cassagne. The couple have been dating for more than three years, having shared their relationship with the public back in July 2024. Schumacher, the younger brother of Michael Schumacher, raced in Formula One from 1997 until retiring in 2007.
Netflix published a trailer for the eighth season of the Drive to Survive docuseries ahead of its February 27 launch date. The trailer gives us a hint of the storylines that will be highlighted in the season, including the tension within the McLaren team as they fight for the championship, Lewis Hamilton’s growing pains at Ferrari, Alpine’s driver lineup shuffle, Max Verstappen’s attempted title comeback, and the shocking departure of Christian Horner.
The producer of the F1 movie, Jerry Bruckheimer, has confirmed work is underway on a sequel. Speaking to the BBC, Bruckheimer said, “We’re working on a sequel.” The movie has been a success, amassing more than $630m in the box office since its release in the summer of 2025. The movie, starring Brad Pitt, follows the story of a former F1 driver who returns many years after a career-ending crash to help save his friend’s struggling team. The movie was filmed with heavy collaboration from the sport, having filmed at many actual races throughout the season.
The first pre-season test of the season began on Wednesday, with Lando Norris setting the fastest time of the day in his McLaren. Of course, pre-season testing is not really about pure performance, but more about getting to grips with the new machinery. Max Verstappen was the driver with the most laps under his belt, with an impressive 136, as he ran in the morning and afternoon. Esteban Ocon also pulled double duty for Haas, as did Lance Stroll, although he only managed 36 laps in the Aston Martin before parking in the garage with an issue with the new Honda power unit. Alpine also suffered a stoppage in the morning, hindering his running, and Audi briefly brought out the red flag when Nico Hulkenberg stopped on track. Williams accumulated the most mileage in the day, with both drivers running an impressive 145 laps, making up for missing the private shakedown in Barcelona.
Charles Leclerc set the time to beat on day two of testing, outpacing Lando Norris. Norris did record an impressive 149 laps, being behind the wheel of the McLaren for the entire session. Mercedes suffered some power unit gremlins, with Kimi Antonelli only managing to drive three laps. The team was able to get the car back on track in the afternoon. Isack Hadjar also had a setback in the morning, couped up in the Racing Bulls garage with a hydraulic leak in the morning. The afternoon saw three red flags. The first happened when part of the mirror from the Cadillac fell off on the circuit. Shortly after, Pierre Gasly ground to a halt in the Alpine. The final red flag was planned as a procedural test.
Mercedes concluded the first pre-season test in Bahrain by setting a 1-2. The team has been the topic of much discussion around the power unit regulations, with some teams accusing the team of bending the rules. Both drivers were behind the wheel and were the only ones to lap quicker than 1m34s. Cadillac didn’t manage to complete as many laps as planned, with Valtteri Bottas suffering a cooling issue that left the car in the garage for two hours in the morning. Aston Martin also had further mechanical issues that prevented Lance Stroll from completing much of the afternoon running. Finally, Lewis Hamilton parked his Ferrari in the closing minutes of the session with a mechanical issue. McLaren continued to clock good mileage in the final day, with Oscar Piastri setting a high of 161 laps.
Pre-season testing action continues this week, with an additional three days of running at the Bahrain International Circuit. This will be the final chance for the teams to prepare for the upcoming season, which gets underway next month in Australia.
The final graph aims to show how much each team has improved relative to the rest of the teams using a statistical measure called z-score. This analysis was conducted using the fastest overall time of each team in 2026 and 2025. The average fastest lap in 2026 was slower than in 2025, which is to be expected as a result of the regulation changes. Zero marks the average that all teams have improved relative to other teams. Teams with a positive value indicate that the team has improved more than the average, while a negative value indicates the team has progressed less than the average. However, many factors can impact this measure, since teams rarely push their cars to the true limit during testing. Because of this, this measure may not accurately reflect the car’s true performance during the season.
* Audi participated in the 2025 as Sauber
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.
