Motorsports
Rings on the Grid
German carmaker Audi has revealed its first Formula One car ahead of its full factory entry under the sport’s new 2026 rules, laying out a long-term target to fight for titles before the decade ends.
The car, called the Audi R26, was shown in Paris and introduces the brand’s first-ever single-seater. The livery carries a mostly grey finish, with Audi’s four rings highlighted in red on the rear wing. The team said the design aims to stand out visually while keeping a clean and restrained look.
Audi enters Formula One after taking over the Sauber operation, which will run under the Audi name from 2026. The transition keeps continuity on the driver side, with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto staying on after racing for Sauber last season.
Project head Mattia Binotto said the incoming technical regulations offered the right entry point for the brand, allowing Audi to build its programme around a clean-sheet rule set.
Team principal Jonathan Wheatley described the car as the product of years of work across Audi’s facilities, while stressing that the unveiling marks only the beginning. He said the focus now is on building habits, systems, and a competitive mindset that improve with every race weekend.
Like the rest of the grid, Audi’s new car will not make a public debut straight away. Initial running is scheduled for closed tests next week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where teams will begin early validation work ahead of the 2026 season.
Audi becomes the latest major manufacturer to commit fully to Formula One, joining the championship at a time when new engine rules and sustainability targets are reshaping the sport’s long-term direction.
Max Verstappen arrives at Red Bull’s home Austrian Grand Prix looking for a season reset, with the team bringing a major upgrade package to the Red Bull Ring this weekend.
The four-time world champion has not won since last year’s Abu Dhabi season finale. A strong result in Spielberg would help revive his title bid and give Red Bull a clearer read on whether its latest updates can address the performance issues that have slowed the team this season.
Verstappen has a strong record at the venue. He won the Austrian Grand Prix in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023, and also took the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix at the same circuit during the pandemic. No other driver has more than one Austrian Grand Prix victory.
“Austria is a home race for the team and it’s been great for me in the past,” Verstappen said. “We have good memories there. It’s an interesting challenge. All the corners are quite different so balance is really important.”
He said the Red Bull Ring demands a car that works across different conditions, from high-speed sections to slower corners. Verstappen also pointed to traction, energy management and power deployment as key factors.
“We have a new package this weekend so I’m hoping we can be closer to where we want to be,” he said.
The short and fast circuit in the Styrian Alps is expected to produce close racing. It could also extend a run of changing fortunes in the championship after Lewis Hamilton ended Mercedes’ six-race winning streak with his first Ferrari victory in Spain.
Hamilton’s win in Catalunya was the 106th of his Formula One career and strengthened his bid for an eighth drivers’ title. He sits 41 points behind Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli, who remains on top of the standings despite recording his first retirement of the season in Spain.
Mercedes will also bring upgrades to Austria, where George Russell won in 2024. Ferrari is set to introduce an engine update as it targets a historic 250th Formula One victory.
McLaren is also expected to contend. Defending Austrian Grand Prix winner Lando Norris won from pole last year, while the team will test an experimental rear wing during Friday practice.
Hamilton says renewed belief powered his first Ferrari win
Lewis Hamilton said a rebuilt mindset helped carry him to his first Grand Prix victory with Ferrari, ending a winless run of nearly two years at the Barcelona-Catalunya Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday.
The 41-year-old British driver was visibly emotional after crossing the line at Montmeló, where he delivered his first win for the Scuderia since joining the Italian team last season.
Hamilton, a record seven-time world champion tied with Michael Schumacher, said the result came after months of doubt, criticism and personal work to regain the belief that made him one of Formula One’s most successful drivers.
He said the key was learning not to second-guess himself.
“The thing I know is to never second-guess yourself, never doubt yourself, you’ve got to continue to believe in yourself at the core,” Hamilton told reporters.
He said he had worked to restore that mentality after a difficult first year with Ferrari.
“Those are the things that I’ve managed to re-implement into my mentality. And I’ve rebuilt my mind to this point, to get myself back to where I was,” he said.
The win lifted Hamilton back into the title picture, although he remains 41 points behind Mercedes’ teenage championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Hamilton said he never lost faith in his decision to move to Ferrari, even as pressure grew around him last season.
“I truly believed in my decision in joining Ferrari, I truly believe what this team could achieve, what we could achieve together,” he said.
He admitted the early excitement around his move was soon followed by doubt and negativity, but credited his family, friends and supporters for helping him through that period.
“I really feel like my fans really rescued me last year. My family, also friends, stuck with me through it all,” he said.
Hamilton said he had to shut out outside noise and focus on people who knew him best.
He described the process as unplugging from the “Matrix” and spending more time with family, friends and “real people” who had never doubted him.
The turnaround, he said, began during the holidays.
“I just went on the mission from Christmas Day, the training that I put in, was harder than I’ve ever experienced,” Hamilton said.
The Barcelona win also carried history. Schumacher claimed his first Ferrari victory at the same circuit in 1996.
Hamilton said he remembered watching that race as a child, sitting at home with a plate on his lap and wondering what it would be like to sit in the red car.
Nearly three decades later, he stood on the top step of the podium in Ferrari colors.
“It was really amazing to witness and to see,” Hamilton said. “I nearly passed out… my heart was exploding with joy.”
Kimi Antonelli’s rapid climb in Formula One has left even the Mercedes driver trying to process the speed of his own rise.
The 19-year-old Italian enters this weekend’s Catalunya Grand Prix chasing a sixth consecutive victory, a feat only five drivers in F1 history have achieved. His latest win came in Monaco, where he strengthened his grip on the drivers’ championship.
Antonelli now leads the standings by 66 points over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes teammate George Russell.
“Definitely if you would have told me two years ago, I would have told you that you were crazy,” Antonelli told reporters Thursday in Montmeló.
The Mercedes driver credited the team’s car for helping put him in title contention, saying the package has been “incredible” this season.
Antonelli said the back-to-back races in Monaco and Barcelona mark the start of a European stretch that once tested him heavily. He admitted he struggled through the same period last year, but said the experience helped shape his confidence.
“I did doubt myself after that difficult period in Europe,” he said. “Last year I got to know myself better.”
Despite his widening championship lead, Antonelli said he is not focusing too much on the title fight.
“I know the opportunity that is on the table, and of course I want to make the best out of it,” he said.
Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen joked last week that their advice to Antonelli would be to wait a couple of seconds at the start.
Antonelli said both champions have been supportive since he joined F1, but added that their help has limits.
“We are still competitors at the end of the day, so they don’t want to give too much away,” he said.
