New (old) names in the premier class - Ford, Cadillac and Audi
While Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri battle it out for the 2025 title in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, there is a lot of upgrading going on in the background. With Ford, a familiar name is returning to F1. After all, the company with the blue oval built the most successful of all F1 engines with the Cosworth DFV (Double Four Valve).
It achieved 155 GP victories in 16 years, the Ford V8 debuted in the Lotus at Zandvoort in 1967 with a win and ended its presence in the Tyrrell in Detroit in 1983.
In 2026, it will hopefully not disappoint Max Verstappen and Red Bull, but whether it can repeat the maiden victory of its predecessor remains to be seen.
Cadillac, never previously represented in the premier class, enters the Grand Prix scene for the first time under the guise of Michael and Mario Andretti. They had already competed at Le Mans in 1950 with the "Le Monster". The car, which looked just as it was called, finished 11th overall after 24 hours. The Americans returned to Le Mans in 2000 in the then LMP900 class, but were massively outclassed by their Audi rivals, who won the series from 2000-2002. The next comeback was more successful in 2023, when the Americans entered three LMDh prototypes in the 100th anniversary of the classic race. Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook finished the race in 3rd place.
After consistently good results in the WEC and IMSA, the premier class is now the next and final major challenge on the ladder of their track record. With Sergio Pèrez, they are certainly well served in terms of experience, but Valtteri Bottas is a matter of debate. A young up-and-coming talent or the reigning Indy Car champion Alex Palou would probably have been better. But the suspense over their performance now remains open.
Europe is certainly paying the most attention to Audi's entry. Before the war, they were already successful in Grand Prix racing with the Auto-Union racing cars and after the war they won pretty much everything except the premier class. Whether at Le Mans, Pikes Peak, Formula E, IMSA, DTM or the Dakar Rally and the World Rally Championship, they dominated everything. Naturally, their expectations are correspondingly high, especially in these oh-so-damn difficult times in the European automotive industry. Success could certainly help, but it remains to be seen whether success will come as set out in the business plan. The competition is certainly not sleeping, and even with the many interesting people who have been poached, the new team still has to find its feet. With Sauber, they have at least bought a base that has already been through two major German manufacturers in different colors. It started with a star in black livery, then with a propeller in white - and now, with the "red" four rings, it will also be a Silver Arrow, albeit only half of it, because the second will be red and (carbon) black.
It will certainly not be down to the two drivers, Nico Hülkenberg and the young Gabriel Bortoletto, if the results fail to materialize at the first attempt. The Audi F1 works team is now based at three locations: Audi Formula Racing GmbH, which was founded specifically for the project, develops the power unit in Neuburg an der Donau. Hinwil in Switzerland is home to the development of the chassis, as well as the planning and execution of the racing events. The technical office in Bicester, UK, also creates a presence in the so-called "Motorsport Valley" with access to F1 talent and strategic partners.
The new Formula 1 regulations will come into force in 2026 with the aim of making the racing series more sustainable and cost-efficient. The new regulations focus on greater electrification and the use of more sustainable fuels. The electric drive will then deliver almost as much power as the combustion engine, which has an output of 400 kW (544 hp). The more powerful electric motor allows more energy to be recovered through recuperation. The combustion engines are highly efficient 1.6-liter turbo engines. The existing cost cap for Formula 1 teams has also applied to power unit manufacturers since 2023.
Not only will the powertrain be completely new, but the cars will also be cut down in size and aerodynamically modified, which of course means the sport will start from scratch again. Seen in this light, the moment is perfect for a new entry and the cards will be reshuffled. One team will certainly do a better job again and come out on top. Everyone else will once again have to look to catch up.
In this respect, we can't wait to see what surprises the next season has in store for us.
