Meet the 2026 Formula One Challengers

The first of the 2 pre-season tests held from February 11-13, a few weeks after the Barcelona shakedown where 10 out of the 11 teams, Williams could not make it,  took their cars to track for the first time as teams try to adapt to a new set of regulations that has been called the “biggest technical overhaul” in the sports history.

The second pre-season test continues this week in Bahrain as the teams aim to learn more about the new regulations ahead of the season opener in Australia on March 8.

These new regulations are slated to be in place for the next 5 years, and it is imperative for the teams to start strong to prevent falling on the back foot.

In the new regulations, the chassis, i.e., the body of the car, is now lighter and more agile, with the wheelbase reduced by 200 mm to 3400 mm and the width reduced by 100 mm to 1900 mm. The car's overall weight has also dropped from 798 kg/800 kg to 768/770 kg.

The power units have also seen a change with more reliance on electrical energy and will see an almost 50-50 split between electric power and the internal combustion engine, with a 300 per cent increase in electrical power. The cars will be fuelled by advanced, sustainable, carbon-neutral fuels as F1 aims to meet its target of achieving net zero carbon by 2030.

As the drivers test the cars on track in Bahrain, all of the teams have released their livery for the season as they aim to gain ground over their competitors on the grid. In no particular order, meet the 2026 challengers.

The reigning World Champions unveiled their 2026 challenger, the MCL40, on Feb 9, just ahead of the first Bahrain testing, retaining their iconic papaya shade as they aim to defend both championships.

Lando Norris, who won the 2025 Driver’s Championship, was joined by his teammate Oscar Piastri as well as the Team Principal Andrea Stella and the team’s chief executive, Zak Brown, who said the team did not see a need to change what had worked so well in previous years. 

As the defending world champion, Lando Norris will look to defend his title with hopes that the team will deliver a strong package to compete on track. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, who came close in 2025, will also aim to challenge for the Championship.

The 2023 World Champions' primary goal will be to get back into the title equation as they start their first full season without legendary Team Principal Christian Horner, who was sacked mid-last season. 

They were the forerunners at the start of the previous regulation change in 2022 and will be hoping to start the new regulation cycle with an advantage.

The Milton Keynes team unveiled their 2026 challenger, the RB22, on January 16, paying homage to their first-ever F1 car with its blue livery, a departure from the red of the past seasons. The RB22 will also be their first F1 car with a power unit by Red Bull Ford Powertrains.

4-time Driver’s Champion Max Verstappen will be paired with Isack Hadjar, who got a promotion after an impressive rookie season in Racing Bull last year, his 7th teammate in 10 years.

Verstappen will take up the number 3 after rescinding the 1 he has driven with these past 4 years to Lando Norris, while Hadjar will continue with number 6.

The most successful team during the turbo-hybrid era will look to get back to leading the pack with the new 2026 regulations. 

They struggled through the regulation change in 2022, unable to win a championship, and will put that behind them as a new era begins in F1.

They unveiled their 2026 challenger, the W17, on January 22, with their iconic black and silver livery covering the car.

Their drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, will have the numbers 63 and 12, respectively, on their cars as Russell aims to get his first Driver’s Championship.

The Tifosi will seek to put the woes of the 2025 season behind them and hope the SF-26, revealed on January 23, does better than its predecessor, which did not win a single race.

With the driver pairing of 7-time World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton and golden boy Leclerc, they will go into this new regulation cycle looking to gain an early advantage as they look for their first Constructors Championship since 2008.

Hamilton had a disappointing first season, not getting a podium finish for the first time in his F1 career, so he will hope this season bodes well for him. He continues with number 44, while teammate Leclerc is 16

After finishing the 2025 season 5th, their highest finish since 2017, the iconic Williams team have started this new season on shaky feet, missing out on the Barcelona shakedown due to their car not being ready on time.

They will look to put that behind them as they unveil their 2026 challenger, the FW48, with team principal James Vowles optimistic they will be able to catch up with the rest of the grid.

Their driver pairing of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon continues for the second year running as they seek their way to the top of the pecking order. 

The American team was the first team to release its livery, unveiling the VF26 online just ahead of the Barcelona shakedown. Previously the youngest team on the grid, they have been usurped by Cadillac and head into their 11th season in F1.

While they are rarely one of the frontrunners, their major goal this season will be to improve on their 7th position from last season as F1 heads into a new era.

Team Principal Ayao Komatsu continues to head the operation with the driver pairing of Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman returning for their 2nd consecutive season together.

It is no secret that Lawrence Stroll, team owner and father of driver Lance Stroll, wants to compete at the highest level in Formula One and has made investments into the team to make that a reality. 

This new season is their first step towards what they hope will be long-term success with the AMR26, their first car designed by F1 engineering great Adrian Newey, who will also serve as the team principal, unveiled on Feb 9, 2026.

It is also their first car with engine partner Honda, who found great success with Red Bull these past few years.

The driver pairing of Lance Stroll and 2-time World Champion Fernando Alonso continues for the 3rd year running

The Enstone-based team has faced turbulent times in recent years but will hope to leave that behind as they enter the 2026 season. They will aim to get back to challenging for podiums and wins in this new regulation cycle after struggling during the last regulation period

Their 2026 challenger, the A526, was unveiled on January 26; it marks their first F1 car without the Renault engine and their first with a Mercedes engine.

They continue with Pierre Gasly paired with Franco Colapinto – Colapinto returning for his first full season in F1 after joining the team mid last season when Jack Doohan was dropped.

The Faenza-based junior Red Bull team has gone through many changes these past few years, from driver changes to name changes, but it remains the ideal place for Red Bull junior drivers to cut their teeth in F1 before transitioning to either the senior Red Bull team or other teams on the grid.

They released their 2026 challenger, the VCARB03, on January 15 alongside the senior Red Bull team with a white and red livery.

Liam Lawson continues with the team for his 3rd year in Formula One, while junior driver Arvid Lindblad joins for his rookie F1 season, with Team Principal Alan Permane continuing in the role.

After running under the Kick Sauber moniker for 2 years, the team returns to the sport with Audi, in what will be the German manufacturer's first foray into F1.Under the tutelage of team principal Jonathan Wheatley, formerly of Red Bull, and team head Mattia Binotto, formerly of Ferrari, they will look to get to a strong start to their F1 life.

Under the tutelage of team principal Jonathan Wheatley, formerly of Red Bull, and team head Mattia Binotto, formerly of Ferrari, they will look to get to a strong start to their F1 life.

The team unveiled their 2026 challenger, the Audi R26, to much fanfare in Berlin on January 20 with a striking titanium, carbon fibre and lava livery.They return with experienced driver Nico Hulkenberg, who got his first podium last season, and Gabriel Bortoleto, who gave a strong showing after a difficult start to F1 last season.

The American-owned Cadillac team joins the F1 grid in 2026 to extend the number of teams that compete in F1 from 10 to 11. They are the first team since Haas, their fellow Americans, to join the grid and will be hoping to hit the ground running.

They couldn’t have started their F1 journey at a more challenging time, with the new regulations meaning they have to practically start from scratch with nothing to look back on and will aim to start their inaugural season competing at a fair level with more experienced teams.

They released their 2026, and first-ever, challenger during the Super Bowl weekend, and with a strong driver pairing of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, they can be confident of a strong showing when the season kicks off in Australia on March 8.