Motor Sport Magazine Specials

The authoritative voice of motor racing since 1924 covers the entire motor racing scene. In these Special Editions, the team digs into the archives to give exclusive insight, rare photographic footage, detailed race reports, and a unique take on the subject matter; from world-class drivers through to iconic car marques, and also how some of these real-life stories have been adapted for the big screen.

F1 26

Motor Sport Magazine Specials

REVOLUTION, NOT EVOLUTION • This year grand prix racing enters a brand new technical area of the era, with sweeping changes to virtually every Pablo Elizalde runs the rule over the new regulations

CHASSIS CHANGES

ENGINES

WHICH ENGINE EVERY F1 TEAM WILL USE IN 2026

CARS WILL BE SLOWER

OVERTAKING REBOOTED

‘SPEED CHESS’ AND THE NEW DNA OF F1 RACING • F1’s new ‘50/50’ power units bring the fiendish problem of how to deploy and harvest electrical energy. It’s the ideal scenario for AI, writes Mark Hughes. F1 is on the brink of a significant evolution

FEARS ON THE NEW RULES

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THE CAST AND CREWS • An 11-team field, the biggest for a decade, plus sweeping regulation changes promises this could be one of the most unpredictable seasons in years. Take a deep dive into how each squad is shaping up

McLAREN

McLAREN SET OUT 2026 F1 BATTLEGROUNDS - they’re just 200mm long • F1’s 2026 regulations severely restrict designers, says McLaren. But the reigning champion has identified small areas where there may be a chance to find the ‘performance honey’.

McLAREN’S BIG FEAR: WHY FACTORY POWER COULD PROVE CRUCIAL IN F1’S 2026 RESET • With more factory-backed teams than customers and a ruleset that rewards integration, 2026 could mark Formula 1’s return to a manufacturers’ championship

MERCEDES

CAN MERCEDES REPEAT 2014 F1 DOMINATION ALL OVER AGAIN IN 2026? • As Mercedes enters F1’s new era, the question is whether a fresh rules reset can once again place it a step ahead, as it did in the hybrid age

ADVANTAGE MERCEDES? BEHIND THE F1 RUMOURS FOR 2026 • Will Mercedes-powered F1 teams really have an advantage this season? The hearsay is almost certainly true, says Mark Hughes

RED BULL

‘A lot of noise about nothing’. Red Bull’s power gamble • The political whispers between engine manufacturers are already rising ahead of the start of the 2026 F1 season

WHY RED BULL HAS TO REASSURE ITS CHAMPION • Red Bull’s revealed more than just a new car this year: this is a test of the team’s first in-house engine project and a statement designed to convince Max Verstappen that his future still lies in Milton Keynes

FERRARI

Ferrari’s long road to F1 redemption ends: there’s nowhere to hide • This is the season when last year’s sacrifice, its vast resources and renewed ambition must finally translate into a championship-capable car

‘Hamilton chose to fight after 2021 F1 injustice. I sometimes wish he’d retired’ • Can Ferrari give Lewis Hamilton an F1 car worthy of his greatness or will his career peter out in the midfield? It’s our gain that the soon-to-be 41-year-old is still racing, says Matt Bishop, but retiring in 2021 would have been a fitting way to go

WILLIAMS

Williams: serious contender or just a feel-good story? • Three years into James Vowles’ tenure, Williams’ 2026 F1 car is no longer about recovery, but about whether the rebuild is capable of going any further

RACING BULLS

WHO IS ARVID LINDBLAD? • Red Bull Junior Team’s latest is far from a household name, but has earned his spot on the grid this year, says Pablo Elizalde

ASTON MARTIN

‘Never been done before’: Newey on Aston Martin’s aggressive...