Motorsports
McLaren signs mammoth deal with Audi
A day ahead of the Volkswagen Group board meeting set to ratify Audi and Porsche’s entry into Formula 1 in 2026, German reports are writing about a mammoth agreement between the former and McLaren.
What he will do after leaving office is not yet known. However, more recent rumors that Audi wants to enter Formula 1 in 2026 as a manufacturer and not just as an engine supplier seem to be true.
The opposite will happen, according to multiple sources, in the case of Porsche, which is said to be participating in the sport as a supplier of engines for Red Bull Racing and possibly Alpha Tauri. Another rumored event is the takeover of Alpha Tauri by the Volkswagen Group.
According to German media Automobilwoche, McLaren’s deal with Audi is worth $650 million – an astronomical sum even by Formula 1 data – it’s a team’s budget of almost five years. According to Bloomberg, the preliminary agreement of the agreement can be signed from earlier this week.
Schiddle: “We don’t have enough speed”
In any case, 2026 seems a long way off and McLaren has to cope with its unexpectedly bad start to Formula 1 this year. The England team didn’t even make the top ten from the start and their match director Andreas Siddle says: “We just don’t have enough speed. There is no specific reason for this. The car works well and its base is good. We just don’t have traction.”
Schindl, a former Porsche race director, added: “We know we have a performance issue and we are addressing it. Our development over the past three years has been very good, but now we’re doing a test. We are currently conducting a comprehensive analysis of all our aerodynamic performance.”
Ricciardo: “We’re not missing 3-4 tenths, but 1 second”
Despite the fact that the McLaren MCL36 is the 8th fastest car in F1, out of 10, and only 6 points this year with the 7 the car’s capabilities) and said he wouldn’t be impressed if McLaren win an F1 race this year would.
“When it comes, it will come a little slower than we originally hoped.” said Ricciardo. “But without moving on, if we won sometime this year I wouldn’t be surprised because I still believe in the team and the processes we have in place and the people who can get the job done. I have 100% faith in people like Andreas [Σιντλ].
In Bahrain we are facing a crisis. I think we got away with it, but it’s true that we need to change the course of this ship and he’s one of the best people to make that happen. So ask me again in six months and I might not be surprised at where we are.
The Australian concluded: “If we can get a top five finish in two games, we’ll take that as a bonus. But in order to stay calm and think clearly and logically, we must realize that we are not looking for three or four tenths.
It’s more than a second if we want to fight for wins. I doubt this will happen overnight so we must be patient. “Every placement in the top ten is like a small victory for us at the moment.”
Source: sport 24
Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.
Max Verstappen has said he does not pay much attention to rumors that some teams may have possible technical advantages in their new Formula 1 power units.
It has recently been claimed that Mercedes and Red Bull have found a way to further increase engine power, while other teams are trying to eliminate this possible advantage. The FIA will meet with power unit manufacturers on January 22 to discuss the issue before the season starts.
Rumor has it that such optimization could produce around 15 hp, which is a significant figure at the beginning of a new era in technical regulations.
When asked whether Red Bull had an advantage in the pre-season, Verstappen replied:
“It’s impossible to know. Everyone is trying to do the best they can and I, especially me, have to focus on driving the car. I’m not here to be an engine engineer and explain all the details. Ultimately, this is a matter between the FIA and the engine manufacturers. I drive the car and I believe we always do everything we can to get the best out of the engine.”
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Red Bull Formula 1 team president Laurent Mekies believes the Bulls will be behind their rivals at the start of the 2026 season, given the production of their engines and new aerodynamic rules.
“We know it will be difficult for us, especially at the beginning of the season. I think we will fall behind our rivals, but we need to hold on for a few more months.”
“I hope we come back to the top, but it would be naive to think that Red Bull will be ahead right away. We will be behind at the start,” said Mekis.
Bulls will produce its engines in collaboration with Ford from 2026.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
After several significant personnel changes in the team, Max Verstappen has finally learned who he will be working with in the Red Bull pits for the new season.
At the end of last year, it became known that three key members of the four-time world champion’s headquarters had left. According to De Telegraaf, Jeff Ayton replaced Verstappen’s vehicle control engineer Michael Manning, who left the team after the 2025 season. He has previously worked with other Red Bull drivers and worked temporarily with Verstappen in Manning’s absence last year.
Verstappen’s former engine mechanic David Mart has moved to Audi and his replacement at Red Bull has not yet been determined. Performance engineer Tom Hart is also leaving the team; He will join Williams but will continue to work with the Milton Keynes-based team for a while.
Changes also occurred among mechanics. After Matt Culler moved to the position of Audi’s chief mechanic, Verstappen was replaced as his first mechanic by his twin brother John Culler. He is well known to Max, who has previously held a similar position on the other side of the Red Bull pits, working alongside Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.
Despite rumors about the winter break, Gianpiero Lambiase will remain Verstappen’s race engineer for another season.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
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