Haas first F1 team to reveal images of 2026 car

Haas VF26: First Look at a New Era

What Haas Revealed

• First team to release digital renders of a 2026 car.

• The VF26 showcases:

  • A narrower front wing.

  • An engine-cover fin, echoing features spotted on the new Cadillac F1 car.

• These changes align with sweeping 2026 regulation updates.

• Livery: Bold new white-and-red theme reflecting Toyota’s involvement.

What’s Changing in 2026?

Cadillac’s 2026 drivers are F1 race winners Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez

Car & Engine Overhaul

• Smaller, lighter, narrower cars.

• New aero philosophy to improve racing dynamics.

• Engines: Still 1.6L V6 turbo hybrids, but:

  • Electrical components now provide ~50% of total power.

  • Powered by fully sustainable fuels (waste biomass or synthetic).

Energy Management Revolution

• Electric power tripled compared to 2025.

• Energy will deplete and recharge several times per lap.

• Managing battery regeneration is central to both lap time and strategy.

Haas’ Challenge as a Smaller Team

Team principal Ayao Komatsu:

• Admits every team faces unknowns, but especially Haas due to limited resources.

• Believes the aero development race will be rapid and decisive.

• Says energy management is the biggest technical hurdle heading into testing.

“I don’t know if we all understand the full extent of the challenge because we don’t know what we don’t know.”

Driver Reactions

Oliver Bearman (UK)

• Enters his second season alongside Esteban Ocon.

• Describes the 2026 shift as:

  “The biggest [changes] in the history of Formula 1.”

• Expects early unreliability, constant changes, and chaos in pecking order.

What’s Next?

Key Takeaways

• Haas’ VF26 is the first real glimpse of the 2026 grid, ahead of a regulation revolution.

• Teams are racing not only on-track but in energy recovery and aero innovation.

• Expect a wild first half of the season as teams adapt, fail, and iterate.

• Reliability and flexibility will be just as critical as raw pace in the opening races.