Motoring News

George Russell's road to F1 2026: In pictures

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 18:00
Mercedes driver George Russell is now entering his eighth season in Formula 1 and his fifth with the Silver Arrows. But this year, he goes into the season as one of the favourites for the 2026 title, provided Mercedes has delivered a strong package in line with F1’s new regulations.
Ahead of the season opener in Australia, here is a look back at the Briton’s career and the defining moments ...Keep reading

Apple and Netflix join forces to distribute F1 2026 content

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 16:28
Formula 1's new US broadcaster Apple TV has reached a deal with Netflix to carry the latest season of Drive to Survive on its subscription service, with the 2026 Canadian GP set to stream live on Netflix in return.
Apple took over the US broadcasting rights from ESPN for 2026 onwards, in a five-year deal believed to be worth just south of $150m per annum.
Read Also:


Formula 1Apple ...Keep reading

New Toyota WRC car breaks cover in testing

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 15:57
Images and videos of what appears to be Toyota’s all-new 2027 World Rally Championship car have emerged on social media.
Toyota is the only mainstream automotive manufacturer that is known to be developing a new car that adheres to the WRC’s new technical regulations that will come into force from 2027.
The images, that are said to have been captured during a test in Portugal, feature a ...Keep reading

The big 2025 lesson Alex Marquez will apply in 2026

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 15:00
After a 2025 season in which Alex Marquez defied many of his critics with a strong run to second place in the world championship aboard a year-old Ducati, the Spaniard knows backing it up this season will be a tough challenge.
While most of those critics have melted away following his impressive season, the fact remains that the same level of performance may not guarantee a similar ...Keep reading

David Croft: George Russell "looks at home" but under personal pressure ahead of 2026 title chance

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 14:54
Sky Sports Formula 1 lead commentator David Croft claimed that Mercedes driver George Russell looks comfortable and at home from the outside, but will be under immense self-imposed pressure ahead of the 2026 season.
2026 could be one of the biggest opportunities Russell gets to achieve a drivers' championship title as Mercedes is understood to have a potent power unit for the new ...Keep reading

Bernie Ecclestone hypes Gabriel Bortoleto for Audi’s first season: "Potential future world champion"

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 14:17
Former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone believes Audi F1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto "will be a threat" to his experienced team-mate Nico Hulkenberg as the German brand begins its first season this year. 
Audi's entry into the championship this year has been highly anticipated by fans since the takeover of the Sauber team. While the four rings of the brand have been seen in a number of promotional ...Keep reading

Will Buxton: Ferrari could qualify on the back row and be leading by Turn 1

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 14:12
Former F1 TV presenter Will Buxton has applauded Ferrari for its innovative rear wing that flips 180°, adding that the Maranello outfit "could qualify on the back row of the grid and be leading the grand prix by Turn 1."
During pre-season testing in Bahrain, Ferrari turned up with a rear wing that caught the paddock's attention, as instead of simply opening and closing, it flips 180°. As ...Keep reading

"This is the American dream": Inside Haas’ shock F1 debut 10 years on

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 14:00
Come to Formula 1, they said. It's going to be fun, they said.
"Honestly, the first car build in 2016... that was hell," Ayao Komatsu, who was one of the first Haas hires, joining from Lotus ahead of the team's first season, exclaims. "It just completely destroyed all of us. I remember driving from Dallara factory to the airport in a van with a bunch of mechanics.
"It felt like we'd done ...Keep reading

Why KTM's MotoGP challenge may no longer be a one-man Pedro Acosta show

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 13:36
KTM’s MotoGP attack appears better balanced heading into 2026, with Brad Binder and Maverick Vinales in particular looking far closer to their true potential.
The Austrian factory had grown overly reliant on Pedro Acosta last season, who scored almost double the points of the next-best RC16 rider in the standings. Although the Spaniard wasn’t arguably the fastest KTM rider at the start of ...Keep reading

Ralf Schumacher questions whether Honda underestimated F1’s 2026 power unit rules

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 13:28
Ralf Schumacher has questioned whether Honda has underestimated the scale of Formula 1's power unit regulations after a tricky bout of testing for the Aston Martin F1 team in Bahrain. 
The Silverstone outfit has put a lot of trust in its works Honda partnership for 2026. Pairing it with Adrian Newey's first complete chassis for the team and substantial investment from its owner Lawrence ...Keep reading

Mario Isola to leave Head of Motorsport role at Pirelli

Formula 1 - Thu, 2026-02-26 13:13
Pirelli have announced that Mario Isola will leave his role as Head of Motorsport at Pirelli, with Dario Marrafuschi confirmed as the Italian’s replacement.

Perez and Albon offer Hadjar advice on second Red Bull seat

Formula 1 - Thu, 2026-02-26 13:13
Former Red Bull drivers Sergio Perez and Alex Albon have given advice to Isack Hadjar as he prepares to step into the second Red Bull seat, encouraging him to make the most of the “massive opportunity”.

Pirelli's head of motorsport Mario Isola steps down

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 13:04
Pirelli has announced Mario Isola is leaving his role as its head of motorsports, which includes managing its Formula 1 programme, with Dario Marrafuschi his replacement.
Isola had been in his role as Pirelli's F1 programme manager since 2017, when he took over from Paul Hembery. In 2021 he became the overall motorsports director for the Italian manufacturer. But on the eve of the 2026 season ...Keep reading

Jake Dennis signs new Andretti Formula E deal after ‘seriously considering’ other options

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 13:01
Jake Dennis will remain with Andretti at the start of Formula E’s Gen4 era after signing a new multi-year deal with the American squad.
Despite ‘seriously considering’ other options amid interest from rival manufacturers, the Briton has committed to the team with which he won the 2023 Formula E title.
The contract extension will see him continue at Andretti until at least the 2027-28 ...Keep reading

Arvid Lindblad opens up on "special moment" he found out he would drive in F1

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 12:47
Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad has opened up about the "special moment" he found out he would be a Formula 1 driver.
The 18-year-old is the only rookie of the 2026 Formula 1 season and will race alongside Liam Lawson at Red Bull's sister outfit. After Isack Hadjar replaced Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull for the upcoming season, Lindblad secured the open spot alongside the New Zealander.
"Since ...Keep reading

Marc Marquez lacking same strength as last year after “no joke” Indonesia injury

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 12:27
Marc Marquez admitted he does not yet have the same physical strength as last year, as he continues to recover from the shoulder injury that cut short his title-winning MotoGP campaign in Indonesia.
The Spaniard begins his title defence in Buriram this weekend as one of the favourites, having shown strong pace throughout pre-season testing. But his winter preparations have been far from ...Keep reading

Why Esapekka Lappi was so happy at WRC Rally Sweden 

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 11:08
Two years ago at Rally Sweden, there was a beaming smile on Esapekka Lappi’s face after successfully ending a victory drought that stretched six and a half years. However, after this year’s run to sixth you could argue Lappi’s smile was even broader. 
Granted, Lappi was incredibly satisfied to be immediately on the pace on his World Rally Championship return, a comeback he thought ...Keep reading

Bernie Ecclestone sends major F1 warning ahead of 2026: 'Danger is we lose the fans'

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 11:03
Former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone has warned that the championship could lose fans with the new regulations. 
2026 brings in a new wave of regulations to F1. The major changes include an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power, smaller, lighter cars and the introduction of active aerodynamics, which replaces DRS. These changes mean there will be a bigger emphasis ...Keep reading

Aston Martin handed hefty blow as Ralf Schumacher brands 2026 start as "massive disaster"

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 10:06
Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports Germany reporter Ralf Schumacher has branded Aston Martin's start to the 2026 season a "massive disaster and a total surprise".
The Silverstone outfit heads into the 2026 season with a new Honda power unit partnership and the first Aston Martin F1 car designed under Adrian Newey, who is now also the team principal. Needless to say, expectations were high ...Keep reading

"Class act" Carlos Sainz showered with praise after "feel good" Williams F1 fan moment

Motorsport - Thu, 2026-02-26 10:03
Carlos Sainz has received high praise after he met the young fan behind his lucky Sparkles helmet sticker, Thea.
To celebrate Thea's seventh birthday, she took a tour of the Williams headquarters in Grove and met team principal James Vowles and Sainz. This all started when Sainz and his team-mate Alex Albon answered fan questions in a social media video in September 2025.
Thea asked Sainz if ...Keep reading

Pages

Subscribe to North East Kit and Classic Car Club aggregator