If you recently dropped out of Formula 1 because it felt like dirty air was being talked about more than the Vortex, then it might be time to rekindle the love. This 2026 season represents a new chapter. A factory reset for both the powertrain and aerodynamics, with the focus now shifting to smaller, lighter cars.
More than anything else, this year will be a battleground for the world’s biggest automakers. For the first time in decades, most of the logos on the grid will match the logos on our driveways.
With that, we wanted to fill you in on who’s joining, who’s staying, and who could be a power player as the F1 undergoes its biggest transformation in recent history.
Alpine: The only way
While one of the best Alpine road cars I’ve ever driven, its F1 project leaves a lot to be desired. After a run of poor results, including a bottom finish in 2025 that didn’t even have half the points of Sauber, which finished second last time out, the Renault group decided to shut down its French engine program.
It comes as the organization looks leaner, focusing on what really matters: the chassis. Because of this, Mercedes-Benz will be filling the void behind the driver, and its power unit is expected to be impressive this year.
Led by controversial character Flavio Brettore, the old girl still has potential, but without the real backing of Renault, it feels like what it used to be. Fortunately, it boasts two very talented drivers in the form of veteran Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto.
Audi: The new heavyweight
Photo by: Audi
If you’ve ever driven an RS model, you know how good Audi performance cars can be. When Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoletto joined Sauber, I asked them what their company’s cars looked like. The answer? An RS6 – something Bortoletto was particularly pleased with.
But this is the Volkswagen Group’s first real foray into F1. Audi has had success in rallying, Le Mans, and touring cars in the past, so F1 becomes the last checkbox. The company is backing this effort with considerable resources, evidenced by the fact that it has even built its own engine.
Audi’s management is proven, its drivers are talented, and the company is hoping that changes in regulations will flatten the field enough to give it a chance. This could be one of the teams to watch this year.
Cadillac: The American Dream
Photo by: Cadillac
Red Bull’s challenge is nothing compared to Cadillac, which is entering F1 for the first time as the championship’s 11th team. This is a huge step for the United States, fully confirming the country’s rightful place in what used to be a European dominant sport.
With the help of General Motors, there is no shortage of resources. But 2026 will be a year of discovery for the team, which is building its own chassis from scratch. The power unit will come from Ferrari – likely this year – but Cadillac is working on its own powertrain and should introduce it around 2028.
With motorsport legend Mario Andretti on the board of directors and plenty of other talent behind the closed doors of its Silverstone headquarters, it’s a promising team. I was one of the few journalists invited to the opening of the headquarters, and the atmosphere was thick with confidence.
Experienced drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas lead the team in what will be an exciting year for them.
Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz: Business as Usual
Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari’s F1 car
Photo by: Ferrari
Remaining championship titans, Ferrari and Mercedes have supplied a number of other teams with their powertrains and components. In a hybrid world, the Silver Arrows are power unit favourites, but the Scuderia’s strength in the motorsport ranks should never be doubted.
Both teams have some of the best drivers on the grid. Mercedes has already proven the value of George Russell, and young up-and-comer Kimi Antonelli is quickly growing into his role after his rookie season last year. For Ferrari, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton offer an unparalleled level of experience, and their records speak for themselves.
Unfortunately for both teams, since the beginning of the ground effect era, they have both failed to establish worlds. They will hope that having experienced working teams will give them the opportunities they need to succeed, rather than a complex change in regulations.
Ford: Return of the Blue Oval
Photo by: Ford
Ford is returning to the F1 for the first time since 2004. In partnership with championship giant Red Bull, the automaker’s powertrain division of the team, Red Bull is providing a lot of support in the development of the powertrains. The American marque has plenty of experience with hybrid and fully electric powertrains, but is eager to use the series as a testbed to improve its road cars.
It’s fair to say that this is a huge step for both Red Bull and Ford. The team relied on Honda for their powertrains in the years leading up to this change, so managing this successful transition is no small feat. 2026 will therefore prove to be a difficult year for the Milton Keynes outfit, but new team principal Laurent Mackies is set to steer a well-engineered ship through these troubled waters.
Max Verstappen leads the driver line-up, with the promising Isaac Hodger sitting alongside him for the first time in 2025 after a successful rookie year.
Honda: A promising powerhouse
Honda had been planning to drop the F1, but with the sudden surge in popularity and focus on hybrid technology, the Japanese brand would be foolish to burn its bridges. Leaving Red Bull at the end of 2025, it now joins Aston Martin under the reign of team owner Lawrence Tahlney.
Honda is a tried-and-tested championship winner with some of the best powertrains on the grid, and with an almost unremarkable investment in its outfit, the stars could be aligning for the Silverstone-based squad.
He joins Honda legend Adrian New, with brand new infrastructure and the latest in wind tunnel technology, as well as two-time champion and F1 stalwart Fernando Alonso. There’s no shortage of talent here, and apparently very little that Stroll intends to hit the running asphalt this year.
McLaren: Reign of Champions
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
McLaren is sticking with a partnership that has served it well over the past two years. Hot on the heels of an incredibly successful 2025, where it won the constructors’ and drivers’ championships, the Woking outfit will maintain its power unit partnership with Mercedes.
As it turns out, McLaren-Mercedes itself was able to build a better car around the Mercedes powertrain, and with the German unit sounding strong in the coming year, McLaren will certainly be one of the favourites.
Reigning champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastre make a formidable duo, and McLaren Racing’s American CEO, Zach Brown, is a financial powerhouse. He has been able to cobble together enough money to pull the team from the back of the grid. Team principal Andrea Stella? He is a proven team chief.
The only thing that can get in the way are team orders. The less I say about it, the better.
