Red Bull and Racing Bulls are kicking things off on January 15, with McLaren and Aston Martin following suit in the weeks after. The 2026 regs are a genuine reset—new power units, aero philosophy shifts—so these reveals actually matter beyond the usual launch theater. Teams are finally spreading announcements instead of bunching them all in one week.

Audi's new F1 powerplant got its first track time at Barcelona in the R26 test mule. The shakedown hits before the manufacturer fully commits to the grid in 2026, when the sport's hybrid engine regs shift again. Early data matters here—this is where hidden problems surface or confidence builds.

Audi's new hybrid V6 turbocharged power unit for the 2026 F1 season has completed its initial test run across three continents of development. The real story isn't the ceremonial first start—it's whether Sauber's chassis can actually leverage whatever gains Neuburg and Hinwil have engineered into this thing. Late to the party, tight timeline, and the grid's already moving.