HAAS SHOWS OFF BRAND NEW LOOK FOR 2026 FORMULA ONE
The smallest team in Formula One, Haas, unveiled their new look for 2026 on Monday. They anticipate a season of quick progress and drivers adjusting to a new style of racing.
"It feels almost a bit surreal to be unveiling a new car this early in the year," stated team principal Ayao Komatsu in a team Q&A. The US-owned team, in their eleventh season with Toyota Gazoo Racing as title sponsor, posted digital renders of the VF-26 car to be raced by French driver Esteban Ocon and British driver Ollie Bearman.
"It’s been a monumental effort from everyone on the team to work with such a tight turnaround time from the end of last season to putting cars on track in January."
With a new engine and an era of aerodynamics, the sport is starting what may be its largest technical transformation to date.
"I think we can forget everything that we've learnt since go-karts on how to go fast, but it will be interesting to learn a new driving style and hopefully find speed with it," Ocon stated. "We'll need to consider all of our senses and emotions more when driving in order to accelerate."
With narrower tyres, a 50/50 internal combustion engine, sustainable fuel, and electric power, the future generation of cars will be lighter and thinner. While overtake mode replaces the previous Drag Reduction System (DRS), drivers will be able to engage boost mode for maximum engine and battery power anywhere on the track at the touch of a button.
"A pecking order may get established in the first four races pretty quickly, but I think it’s going to be a very dynamic season."I anticipate that the latter races of the year will be completely different from what you saw in races one and two."
According to Ocon, the Haas had good grip and balance in the simulator, and he anticipated that the engine management and hybrid aspects would provide the largest obstacles. As a rookie the previous season, Bearman acknowledged there were advantages and disadvantages to venturing into the unknown.
"On one side, I feel like we can really have an impact straight away, but also it's horrible not knowing," said the twenty-year-old. Until we qualify in Australia, we have no idea how we stack up. Even yet, I believe that reliability will play a significant role in the first few races. "There will be teams and individuals making mistakes with these new regulations." Establishing a real hierarchy will be difficult.