Wednesday\u2019s fast-paced F1 news includes Christian Horner weighing in on rumours that two F1 2026 engine manufacturers, Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains, have identified a loophole in the new regulations.<\/p>\n
With Adrian Newey accused of missing a trick with the new Aston Martin AMR26, here\u2019s today\u2019s roundup\u2026<\/p>\n
Christian Horner defends manufacturers at centre of F1 2026 engine loophole claims<\/p>\n
Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has dismissed the suggestion that the manufacturers said to be exploiting a loophole in the F1 2026 engine rules are \u201ccheating like wildcats.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains have been named in reports over recent months claiming that two 2026 manufacturers have identified a loophole in the new regulations for F1 2026.<\/p>\n
Horner co-founded RBPT in 2021, the year Honda \u2013 Red Bull\u2019s engine partner at the time \u2013 withdrew from F1.<\/p>\n
Read more:\u00a0Christian Horner defends F1 2026 power unit strategies amid compression ratio debate<\/a><\/p>\n Adrian Newey confirms Aston Martin AMR26 upgrade plan ahead of Australian Grand Prix<\/p>\n Adrian Newey has teased that the Aston Martin AMR26 will be \u201cvery different\u201d when the Australian Grand Prix kicks off the F1 2026 season in Melbourne next month.<\/p>\n Aston Martin\u2019s 2026 car caused a stir when it broke cover at last week\u2019s shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.<\/p>\n The AMR26 is the first Aston Martin F1 car to be produced by Newey since he completed his high-profile move from Red Bull last year.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0Adrian Newey: Aston Martin AMR26 will be \u2018very different\u2019 for Australian Grand Prix<\/a><\/p>\n Williams splits with long-term Carlos Sainz sponsor Santander<\/p>\n Williams and Santander, a long-term sponsor of Carlos Sainz, have parted ways ahead of the F1 2026 season.<\/p>\n Williams announced a multi-year partnership with Santander on the day Sainz carried out his first test with the team in December 2024.<\/p>\n The deal saw the Spanish bank effectively follow Sainz to Williams having partnered Ferrari between 2022 and 2024.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0Williams parts ways with long-term Carlos Sainz sponsor ahead of F1 2026 season<\/a><\/p>\n Ferrari signs former Racing Bulls engineer<\/p>\n Ferrari has appointed former Racing Bulls engineer Guillaume Dezoteux to the role of head of performance operations.<\/p>\n Dezoteux recently announced his departure from Racing Bulls after an 18-year stint with the Faenza-based team, where he most recently served as head of vehicle performance.<\/p>\n Ferrari has confirmed to PlanetF1.com that the Frenchman started work at Maranello this week.<\/p>\n