For the next three weeks until the cars hit the Circuit de Catalunya for pre-season testing, the Formula One news will be dominated by speculation over which team has aced the all new engine and chassis design regulations.
Mercedes is persistently everyone’s favourite to build the most competitive power unit, but much of that opinion is based on their efforts last time an new era of F1 power was ushered in. The Brackley/Brixworth combination went on to dominate the sport, with the Mercedes team winning a record eight consecutive constructor championships together with seven consecutive driver titles.
Yet Mercedes this time around are restricted like all the manufacturers in terms of the amount they can spend on research and development unlike in 2014 when they outspent the field. Further, other resource restrictions are in place which also level the playing field like bench testing time allowed.
One F1 fuel supplier is going fully synthetic
The FIA has also initiated a ‘catch up’ programme to prevent long term domination by one new power unit manufacturer, but there are other variables in play which Mercedes do not control.
In the autumn of 2025 a report circulated in Germany that one of the suppliers of the all new bio fuel was in trouble, having been the only one to elect to create a completely synthetic product. The requirement for Formula One for the coming season does not require fully synthetic fuel and the other manufacturers have erred on the side of caution creating bio based fuels from agricultural waste and other non-food based products.
Fully synthetic fuel would be created from a combination of green hydrogen and carbon capture but as yet there is no deadline in Formula One for this transition to occur. Formula Two, which has been running 100% sustainable fuels in 2025 will move to fully synthetic in 2027.
In F2 and F3 there is a single fuel supplier which is intended to drive costs for the teams down. The supplier is Saudi oil giant Aramco who have been developing synthetic based fuels for F2 and F3 for three seasons. Of course Aramco are Aston Martin’s fuel supplier and named sponsor and many F1 analysts believe their role in the lower Formula racing series this year may give them an advantage.
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Aramco’s head start for Aston Martin
The fuel for F1 is to be designed as a ‘drop in’ product, meaning it should work as a simple replacement for the 10% ethanol based product used until the end of 2025. Yet in F1, there are few true ‘drop in’ aspects to the cars, given the teams design a racing prototype for each season.
By ‘drop in’ we mean the fuel in F2 can be used with the Mecachrome supplier V6 engines, without them being modified or re-tuned in any fashion. Of course the requirements for a Formula One engine are significantly different in terms of its fuel, yet no-one can argue that Aramco have used the F2/F3 programmes as a valuable testing ground.
The F1 fuel will demand a specification optimisation beyond that of F2/F3, however the feeder series has provided the Saudi oil giant with invaluable insights and practical experience in scaling up sustainable fuel production and performance, giving Aramco a head start over other fuel manufacturers.
A report from Grada3 now states that Aramco have the “most advanced” formula of fuel of all the lubricant providers to the teams and also that Ferrari’s exclusive supplier Shell is in trouble. According to Motorpasion Moto the Scuderia’s fuel supplier is currently developing the ‘least advanced’ calibre of bio fuel in line with the new regulations.
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Honda committing to supply only Aston Martin
With bio fuel being a whole new piece I the F1 2026 puzzle, there could be a significant performance gap between those who nail to recipe and those who do not. Aston Martin will partner with Honda exclusively from this year. Honda made a shocking effort of their return to F1 power unit production in 2015 and their association with McLaren was a disaster.
Yet since their switch to supplying the two Red Bull owned F1 teams, the Japanese manufacturer has racked up another six championships in just over half a decade.
Honda’s Racing Corporation President Koji Watanabe in a recent interview with the team said: “For the moment, we’re not considering supplying any other teams. We want to concentrate on winning with Aston Martin Aramco. In the future, if there are benefits to supplying multiple teams, in terms of the feedback that provides, then yes, of course, it is something we would consider.”
There is always a debate amongst F1 analysts as to whether there is an advantage to having more than two cars to supply with engines. More teams means more data to collect, yet Toto Wolff recently suggested Mercedes wished to reduce their list of F1 power unit customers going forward.
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Of course they are committed for this cycle of F1 power to supplying McLaren, Williams and now Alpine, but Wolff claimed the lead times to produce upgrades to their power units are far longer than for Honda who have just two cars to produce for whilst Mercedes have eight.
Honda will be hoping their fuel advantage will outweigh that of Mercedes and Red Bull who have been accused by Ferrari of exploiting a grey area in the design of the engines. The Scuderia have raised the issue of the FIA standard compression tests, which will be conducted with the car stationary and at ambient temperature.
Mercedes and Red Bull allegedly have found a neat way to exceed the FIA’s compression restrictions by deigning components within the internal combustion engine which expend when running hot. This would allow the pistons to travel further than the competition creating a potential extra 15 horse power.
Until the teams hit the track in anger, much of the reported pecking order expected is mere guesswork, but in just three weeks time the manufactures, fuel suppliers and chassis designers will all know where they stand.
Verstappen confession: He speaks to ousted Christian Horner ‘every race’
Verstappen stuns with Horner confession – Max Verstappen surprised fans by revealing just how close he remains with Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal for many years, who was dismissed in summer 2025. Until recently, it was widely thought that their relationship had been strained, or even broken, but Verstappen’s latest statements tell a very different story.
In an interview with Viaplay, the 28-year-old Dutch driver confirmed that he still speaks to Horner “every race”, despite the dramatic changes within Red Bull over the past year.
“Things weren’t going particularly well for the team,” Verstappen reflected, recalling Red Bull’s period of weakness before Horner’s exit in July 2025…. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
