MOTORSPORTS

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The simmering tension between Ford and General Motors is set to play out on one of the biggest stages in global sport. While both companies have at times downplayed the idea of a direct rivalry in Formula 1, recent comments and strategic moves suggest otherwise. As the 2026 season approaches, the competition between the two American automotive giants is becoming harder to ignore.

At the center of the conversation is Ford’s partnership with Red Bull Racing and the launch of Red Bull Ford Powertrains. On the other side stands General Motors, backing the new Cadillac F1 Team project. Although the two efforts differ in structure and timeline, both represent serious commitments to Formula 1’s new era.

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Formula 1 champion Lando Norris says pre-season favourite George Russell is hungry to take his title and “giddy” at the prospect.

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Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso said on Monday he planned to enjoy every second of the new Formula 1 season and had still not decided whether it would be his last.

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Australian Jack Doohan will be a ‍reserve driver for the Haas Formula One team this season after his split from Renault-owned Alpine.

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Formula 1 design icon Adrian Newey believes Aston Martin has taken one of the most daring approaches to the sport’s latest technical regulations, describing the team’s new car as an extreme and distinctive interpretation of the rules introduced for this season. Speaking after Aston Martin’s official launch, Newey made it clear that the team has chosen a path that sets it apart from several of its rivals, while accepting that only performance on track will determine whether the concept is a success.

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Formula One champion Lando Norris said he’d enjoyed a “decent day” in his new McLaren after completing 77 ‍laps at the Barcelona shakedown test on Wednesday.

The Briton will hand over the MCL40 to Australian teammate Oscar Piastri for Thursday’s session before getting back in on Friday for the team’s third and final day at the Circuit de Catalunya.”It was just nice to be back, nice to see a number one on my car, pretty cool and pretty surreal still. It’s a good feeling,” said the 26-year-old after lapping in cold temperatures at the Spanish Grand Prix track.

“Our first day on track, first time everyone gets to see the car in one piece. It’s literally not been built until this morning… nice to ⁠see it all come together.

“And then I go and have some fun driving it which turned out to be a decent day. Today was really just a first understanding of the whole car, understanding just how it works really, going through the manual.”

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Oscar Piastri accepts McLaren gave him a “fair shot” at the Formula 1 title last season and expects the same this year against champion teammate Lando Norris.

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Lewis Hamilton hailed an “amazing” amount of mileage on a productive morning ‍for Ferrari on day four of Formula 1’s pre-season shakedown at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.

Ferrari failed to win a race last year, dropping to fourth overall, and seven-times world champion Hamilton suffered his first season without a single podium appearance. They are hoping to be far more competitive this year, the start of a new engine era with the biggest rules reset that any of the drivers have ⁠experienced, although Mercedes are already looking ominously reliable.

“When you come to the test you always want to get a lot of mileage,” said Hamilton in an interview with Formula One television on Thursday. “Like, today I did 85 laps in the morning which is amazing.

“Last year we had a worse start to testing. So this, considering it’s a completely new band of rules, it’s better than we’ve experienced in the past. So I’m really hopeful that continues.” All teams must choose ⁠three of five days to run their new car in the behind-closed-doors test in Barcelona, with Ferrari opting for Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.