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Audi to Join F1 in 2026, But It Is Unknown With Who

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image: Audi   This announcement from Audi is the first acknowledgment from the team on its intentions to join Formula 1. Sauber appears to be the front runner for Audi to look at. Audi is joining F1 in the 2026 season, after more than a year of rumors the team announced its plans but has not said which team they will partner with. Audi contributes the continued rise in popularity of the sport and its focus on being environmentally conscious as reasons to join F1. Audi also helped shape the future powertrain regulations with Porsche, who is also joining F1 in partnership with Red Bull in 2026. Audi Sport's facility in Neuberg, Germany will serve as the team's home base for the power unit development. Hiring and investments into the team are under way, this according to a press release from the company:    The power unit will be built at Audi Sport’s state-of-the-art Competence Center Motorsport in Neuburg an der Donau, not far from AUDI AG’s company headquarters in In...

Daniel Ricciardo would take a break from F1 if 'stars do not align' on new deal for 2023

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Daniel Ricciardo says he is willing to walk away from F1 for a while if the right opportunities do not present themselves for the 2023 season. Although his future is up in the air, Ricciardo is proud of his time with McLaren. It has been less than 24 hours since Daniel Ricciardo announced his split from McLaren, a decision that was not a surprise based on the past few weeks of "silly season" 2022. Ricciardo was notified that Formula 2's Oscar Piastri was taking his seat, however that has not been finalized as Alpine feels they have the rights to Piastri's contract for 2023. When asked if he would consider time away from F1 if the right offer does not come along, Ricciardo told reporters that F1 is the only racing he is interested in at this point in his career. Not having Daniel Ricciardo in Formula 1 would be a big change for the sport, as he has been a huge part of the growth and expansion of Formula 1 in the United States. Formula 1 legend Sebastian Vettel has been...

2026 F1 Power Unit Regulations Finalized

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 This week, the FIA has ratified the 2026 power unit regulations.  These new regulations serve two main purposes, the first of which is improving sustainability and the second reducing costs.  Following the ratification of these regulations, we now know the means by which the FIA intends to meet these targets. The current power units are 1.6 liter turbocharged V6s with two hybrid components.  The first of the hybrid components is the MGU-K which is an electric motor that sits alongside the engine block and is connected by a gear to the crankshaft.  The MGU-K recovers heat generated from braking.  This energy is then stored in the battery and available for deployment. When energized, torque is directly applied from the MGU-K for immediate and significant acceleration.   The other hybrid component is the MGU-H.  This is a small electric motor that sits on the shaft between the compressor and impeller of the turbocharger.  Heat from turboch...

Sources: Oscar Piastri to replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren

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  Sources: McLaren has informed Daniel Ricciardo it plans to replace him with Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri next season. According to multiple reports, Ricciardo was informed of the decision by team boss Andreas Seidl following the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday evening. The two parties are now discussing a financial settlement to leave his contract a year early. ESPN has reported from information from multiple sources that McLaren and Piastri have signed a deal for next year. On Tuesday, Alpine surprisingly made an announcement that Piastri would replace Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso. Piastri tweeted an hour later stating he would not be racing for Alpine in 2023. Alpine's appeal to the FIA contract recognition board would be the only thing stopping Piastri joining McLaren. If McLaren's contract with Piastri is upheld, Ricciardo appears to be the frontrunner for the Alpine seat the fellow Australian did not want for the 2023 season. Ricciardo raced at Alpine when...

Silly Season

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If you are new to the F1 experience, you my have heard of "Silly Season".  This term refers to a time, generally halfway through the season, when the driver market heats up as teams find extra motivation to find their pairings for the next season. This year's Silly Season has been rumbling in the background through the last few races with the nonchalant confirmations of Gasly remaining at AlphaTauri and Ricciardo's and McLaren's continued commitment to each other.  However, Sebastian Vettel's surprise announcement this past week has truly signaled that Silly Season is in full swing.  Aston has made a surprise announcement of their own this morning, stating that Fernando Alonso will leave Alpine and join Aston for a multi-year contract starting next season.  This surprise move leaves one seat open at Alpine, which is likely to be filled by Alpine rising star Oscar Piastri.  The reigning F2 champ had been previously tied to Williams pending and expected extensio...

Leclerc disappointed with P6 finish in Budapest...''it was a disaster'

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  Charles Leclerc was happy with the race pace, and was in a position to win mid-way through the race. He blames the team's decision to switch him to hard tires as the turning point in the race. Another weekend to forget for Charles Leclerc... Ferrari appeared to be in prime position to steal some points from Red Bull, as Carlos Sainz started in P2 and Leclerc in P3.  Leclerc showed great pace early in the race, taking the lead on lap 31 of 70. A second pit stop and a switch to hard tires appeared to be what undid all of his hard work as he struggled to warm up the tires and maintain good pace. Calling the hard tires "S***" before losing position to eventual race winner Max Verstappen, Leclerc hit the pit lanes again to change to soft tires. He managed a P6 finish. "I'm very, very disappointed obviously," Leclerc stated. It is unknown why Ferrari felt hard tires were the best option at that point in the race. The few drivers that had switched to hard tires e...

Max Verstappen wins the Hungarian Grand Prix despite spinning out

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  The reigning world champion wins the Hungarian Grand Prix from P10 to extend his championship lead to 80 points over Charles Leclerc. It was a Qualifying to forget for Max Verstappen and the rest of the Red Bull team, as he finished in P10 and teammate Sergio Perez finished P11, their worst combined start of the year. Both drivers received new power units following the poor qualifying results. Neither were required to serve grid penalties as they had not yet reached the maximum number of power units allotted per season.  Although damage control was the intent, Verstappen quickly drove through the field and found himself amongst the race leaders. Despite a spin mid-race after over taking Leclerc for P3, Verstappen overtook Leclerc once more due to a poor tire strategy from Ferrari. With 3 laps to go, Afla Romeo's Valtteri Bottas had a power unit failure causing a virtual safety car to take place. The race resumed with 1 lap remaining that forced drivers to use extra caut...