Schumacher responds to Hamilton dig as Honda provides F1 2026 engine update – roundup
Lewis Hamilton has had an underwhelming start to his Ferrari career
Saturday’s fast-paced F1 news includes Ralf Schumacher responding to Lewis Hamilton’s dig at F1 television pundits as Honda issues an update on its F1 2026 engine.
With the FIA set to hold a meeting with F1’s power unit manufacturers, here’s today’s roundup…
Ralf Schumacher responds to Lewis Hamilton pundit dig
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher says ” a little more self-reflection would do him good” after Lewis Hamilton took aim at former F1 drivers criticising him in the media.
Hamilton argued that “none of them have done what I’ve done” when the opinions of pundits like Schumacher and Nico Rosberg were relayed to him at the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton added: “They’re not even on my level.”
Read more: Lewis Hamilton ‘not even on my level’ comment draws Ralf response
Honda issues new F1 2026 engine update ahead of Aston Martin AMR26 launch
Koji Watanabe, the president of the Honda Racing Corporation, has conceded that “not everything is going well” with the development of the Japanese manufacturer’s F1 2026 engine.
Yet he insists that “nothing fatal has happened that we can’t overcome” ahead of the arrival of the Adrian Newey-designed AMR26 car.
Honda has entered a new technical partnership with Aston Martin after parting ways with Red Bull at the end of last season.
Read more: Honda boss opens up on progress amid denial of ‘fatal’ struggles
FIA to hold meeting with ‘technical experts’ over F1 2026 engines
The FIA is set to meet with technical experts later this month to address matters related to the F1 2026 power units.
Rumours emerged last month that two manufacturers, thought to be Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains, have identified a loophole in the 2026 engine rules.
The FIA previously launched its ADUO (Assisted Development and Upgrade Opportunities) scheme last October, designed to help struggling power unit manufacturers to catch up in 2026.
Read more: FIA to hold F1 2026 engine talks ahead of Barcelona pre-season test
Audi F1 drivers react after F1 2026 shakedown
Audi F1 drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have given their first reaction after the team held a shakedown with its 2026 car.
Audi became the first team to take to the track with its 2026 car in Barcelona on Friday, with the R26 car appearing in an all-black livery.
The car will be officially launched at an event in Berlin on January 20, six days before the team returns to Barcelona for the first pre-season test of 2026.
Read more: First Audi F1 reaction emerges as Hulkenberg and Bortoleto break silence on shakedown
Former McLaren engineer tells Fernando Alonso tale from 2007
Former McLaren engineer Mark Slade has revealed that Fernando Alonso presented his crew with envelopes containing €1,000 each during the 2007 season.
However, the team members were threatened with the “sack” when McLaren’s senior management found out about Alonso’s act of kindness, with those involved forced to hand back the envelopes.
Alonso spent a single explosive season as Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren teammate in 2007 as both drivers missed out on the title to Kimi Raikkonen by a single point.
Read more: How Alonso’s 2007 act of kindness saw McLaren staff threatened with the ‘sack’
