The FIA has revealed Formula 1 cars will be more environmentally friendly and smaller from 2026 in an attempt to produce closer racing.

The sport's governing body described the key concept in the new rules as a "nimble car".

The cars will be 10cm narrower and 30kg lighter, with an even split between internal and electric combustion power, while running on 100 per cent sustainable fuels.

Active aerodynamics, in the form of moveable front and rear wings, will also be used to optimise the new engines.

The Drag Reduction System (DRS) is set to be replaced by a Manual Override Mode – technology that will give the driver an electrical boost of power to get past a close rival.

There will also be a focus on improved safety through stronger structures and tougher tests.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: "The key features of the 2026 F1 Regulations are advanced sustainability, technology and safety.

"Our aim, together with Formula 1, was to produce a car that was right for the future of the sport's elite category. We believe we have achieved that goal."

The new hybrid engines have attracted Audi and Ford, who will be joining forces with Red Bull Powertrains, to join F1, while also persuading Honda to reverse its decision to quit the sport. There will be a total of six engine manufacturers in the sport in 2026, including Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault.

The rules are part of F1's pledge to go net-zero carbon by 2030.

Sergio Perez has secured a two-year contract extension at Red Bull, keeping him at the F1 World Champions until the end of the 2026 season.

The Mexican joined the team in 2021 and has been a part of their recent success that has seen them dominate F1 in the last two years, alongside team-mate Max Verstappen.

Perez has claimed five of his six F1 career wins since joining Red Bull, though he is still waiting for his first victory in the 2024 season.

He said: "I am delighted to be staying here to continue our journey together and contribute to this team's great history for two more years.

"Being part of the team is an immense challenge, and one I love. We have a great challenge this year and I have full trust in the whole team that the future is bright here, and I am excited to be part of it.

"We have a great challenge this year and I have full trust in the whole team that the future is bright here, and I am excited to be part of it.

"I want to thank everyone for all the trust they are putting in me. It is a lot and I want to pay it back with excellent results on track and off track. I think we have a lot of work to do, we have a lot more championships to win together."

Meanwhile, team principal Christian Horner backed Perez to get stronger after a tough start to the season after making the announcement.

"Continuity and stability are important for the team and both Checo and Max are a successful and robust partnership, securing our first ever one-two finish for the team in the championship last year," he said.

"Checo has had a strong start to 2024 with second places in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan and then his podium in China," added Horner.

"The past few races have been tough, there is convergence on the grid, but we are confident in Checo and look forward to his return to proven form and performance that we so often see."

Red Bull will be aiming to hold onto their lead at the top of the F1 standings at the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend. 

Esteban Ocon will leave Alpine at the end of the 2024 Formula One season, the French manufacturer has confirmed.

Ocon joined Alpine in 2020 and achieved the team's first race victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, but he finished 12th in the drivers' championship last year after managing an eighth-place finish in 2022.

He is currently languishing in 16th position and there has even been talk of him being replaced for this week's Canadian Grand Prix following a collision with team-mate Pierre Gasly at the recent Monaco Grand Prix.

Ocon released a statement condemning the "abuse and negativity" he was subjected to after the crash, and he has been linked with a move to Haas with the 2025 driver market wide open.

Alpine team principal Bruno Famin said: "We would like to firstly thank Esteban for his commitment to the team for the past five years. 

"During his time, we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which coming at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with a memorable race win.

"We still have 16 races to complete in 2024 together with a clear objective: to continue to work tirelessly as a team to push for the best on-track results. We wish Esteban the very best for the next chapter of his driving career when that moment comes."

In a social media post, Ocon said: "The Enstone-Viry family has played a significant part in my life, dating back to my Lotus junior programme days. 

"I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to have achieved the things I did with this team, from my first podium to my first win. These achievements truly were dreams come true.  

"Like many drivers this season, a lot has been said about my future beyond 2024. News will be announced in due course."

Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen both blame each other for the huge crash that forced a restart in the Monaco Grand Prix.

The pair came together during the opening lap of the race as Magnussen attempted to squeeze through a tight gap on the inside of Perez on the exit of Turn One.

The Red Bull was destroyed during the incident, while the Dane’s Haas team-mate Nico Hulkenberg also got caught in the chaos.

All three drivers were unharmed, though were ultimately forced out of the race when it restarted.

Perez was adamant following the race that the blame should be placed firmly on Magnussen’s shoulders.

He said: "It was an immense crash, one I'm disappointed about. I think it was totally unnecessary at that point of the race and there was no need for that.

"At some point, you have two options: Lift or have a contact, and I think it was too unnecessary with the speeds we were doing, and it was a massive contact.

"It was important to take things a little bit calmer."

The incident compounded a disappointing weekend for both teams, in particularly Haas after both drivers were disqualified from qualifying and sent to the back of the grid due to a technical infringement.

However, Magnussen stood by his belief he had every right to go for the gap and was forced into the barrier by the Mexican.

"From my point of view, I had a good part of my front on Perez's rear and when he went to the wall I got pushed to the wall and made contact with him," Magnussen said.

"I trusted he was going to leave space for me since I was there. It's not a corner where you're braking into it, it's a bend on the straight, so you have to have a car otherwise you leave the other guy no option.

"From my point of view, I was there, and I got squeezed to the wall."

Max Verstappen reflected on a "really boring" Monaco Grand Prix during a "weekend to forget" for Red Bull.

The world number one failed to improve on his sixth-place start, after struggling to catch George Russell as he failed to finish on the podium for just the second time this season.

Verstappen fared better than team-mate Sergio Perez though, as the Mexican was involved in a huge crash just seconds into the race, forcing him out of it after an already poor qualifying.

Despite being underwhelmed by their performance in Monaco, Verstappen said there were still positives to take from it.

After the race, he said: "This has been a really tricky challenging weekend with a lot of damage [to Perez's car]. Probably a weekend to forget, but also one to learn a lot from.

"The only positive to come out of this weekend is that we understand what our big weakness is and that's what we really have to work on. I think if we can solve that and make it decent, we can gain a lot of lap time and we need to do that.

"We finished where we started. The strategy got ruined with the red flag, so we had to back it up on the medium [tyre]. From lap one on the restart, it was driving four seconds off the pace. Just really, really boring.

"Naturally we will [see more excitement in Canada]. It still won't be the easiest weekend because of the curbing - our cars aren't very good at that. They've resurfaced the track though, so that might bring something unexpected.

Charles Leclerc says he has fulfilled his dreams after winning the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time.

After claiming pole for the third time on home soil, Leclerc was able to hold onto first and finish on the Monaco podium for the first time.

Despite an early red flag forcing a restart, the Monegasque was in control throughout, finishing seven seconds ahead of second-place Oscar Piastri.

It is Leclerc's first win of 2024, and Ferrari's second of the season after Carlos Sainz’s victory at the Australian Grand Prix in March.

Speaking after Sunday's victory, he said: "No words can explain that. It's such a difficult race. I think the fact twice I've been starting on pole position, and we couldn't quite make it makes it even better in a way.

"It means a lot, obviously. It's the race which made me dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver one day.

"Fifteen laps to the end you're hoping nothing happens, and the emotions are coming.

"My dad has given everything for me to be here, and it was a dream of ours for me to race here and win here, so it's unbelievable.

"A huge thank you, the parade laps were special and seeing so many of my friends and people I know in the balcony, it was just very special. This one means a lot."

Piastri put in an assured drive to finish second, holding off Sainz to prevent a Ferrari one-two and was pleased with the way the race turned out.

"Thanks to the team. It's been a great weekend all-round. Nice to put a result on the board. I've been strong the last few weekends but didn't have the result to show for it. Nice to have a podium," he said.

"Charles has been mega all weekend. They have been quick from the very first lap.

"I'm happy with P2. A good result for the team. Very, very happy."

Charles Leclerc secured his first win at the Monaco Grand Prix, cruising to victory on home soil despite a first-lap red flag.

A huge crash between Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Perez seconds into the race saw the early red flag come out after the Dane tried to squeeze through a narrow gap but flipped the Red Bull instead. Both drivers were unharmed but unable to continue.

Having claimed his third pole in Monaco on Saturday, Leclerc followed that up with his first podium finish here, crossing the line seven seconds ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc's Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz held off a charging Lando Norris to claim third, even after a tangle with Piastri during the initial start, though it did not affect his restart position.

George Russell rounded out the top five, holding off Max Verstappen – who was not able to improve on his sixth-place start – capping a disappointing weekend for Red Bull. 

Data Debrief: Curse-breaker

Leclerc is the 35th driver to win at his home Grand Prix. He has claimed pole three times in Monaco (2021, 2022, 2024), and has finished on the podium for the first time in his sixth Formula 1 race there. 

The Monegasque had already created history in qualifying, earning Ferrari's 250th pole in Formula 1 history, while claiming his 24th for the Italian team in the process.

Lando Norris believes McLaren can open up the F1 title fight when they head to Monaco for Sunday’s Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old finished in the top two of the previous three grand prix, claiming his maiden victory in Miami.

He threatened to finish ahead of Max Verstappen for a second time at Imola last Sunday with a late charge, but finished within one second of the Red Bull driver.

Looking back at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Norris said while he is sure he could have done things differently, he sticks by his choices.

"I did everything I believed was right at the time," Norris told Sky Sports.

"When it's so close you always think 'What really could I have done that little bit differently,' but you always could have done something a little bit better or a little bit differently. I'm sure Max could have reviewed things and said the same thing.

"But nice to know it wasn't an easy one for him. It's about time someone put him under pressure, and he felt a bit of nerves again because I'm sure he hasn't felt it for a while.

"I don't want to be overconfident - that's never been me - but we want to come into races now and be confident in racing against the Red Bull, racing against Ferrari because we are in the mix with them."

Before the race at Imola, Norris said he believed McLaren were not quite ready to challenge Red Bull for the title this year.

The Briton currently sits fourth in the standings, 60 points behind Verstappen, but he now thinks they can count themselves in the running this year.

"We're a third of the way through so we have a very long way to go, so I think many, many things can happen," he added.

"But also, Monaco is a place where anything can happen. So, I would never say 'no' anymore.

"I've got fed up of myself kind of underestimating what we can achieve as a team. So, we're going to come in, we're positive, we've had a very good run of results - second, first, second - and there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to continue that here in Monaco.

"It's not known to be our best track but, at the same time, anything can happen."

Lewis Hamilton would choose Andrea Kimi Antonelli to take his Mercedes seat when he makes the move to Ferrari next year.

In February, Hamilton stunned the Formula One world by announcing he was exercising a break clause in his contract with the Silver Arrows and would join Ferrari from 2025. 

Several drivers have been linked with the upcoming vacancy at Mercedes, including world champion Max Verstappen, though he is thought likely to stay with Red Bull for next season.

Carlos Sainz – who will lose his Ferrari seat to Hamilton – has also been tipped as a potential candidate, but Hamilton thinks 17-year-old prodigy Antonelli deserves a chance.

"Carlos is a great driver, so wherever he goes I think he would be a positive for any team," Hamilton said of Sainz. 

"Honestly, I have no idea what Toto [Wolff]'s plans are, but for me, taking on a youngster, I would probably take on Kimi."

Antonelli has been part of Mercedes' junior team since 2019 and currently competes for Prema Racing in Formula Two, sitting sixth in the drivers' championship standings after four rounds of the 2024 season.

Speaking at Sunday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, team principal Wolff hinted the teenager was under serious consideration for next year.

"I guess for the Italians it's super exciting to have Lewis Hamilton in red next year. We will get used to the outfits, but we have got to look at ourselves," he said.

"Maybe there is an option where we can shine more with an Italian in our car, so we're pushing back hard."

George Russell will not "sulk" after giving up sixth place to team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where Mercedes failed to arrest their slide.

Hamilton and Russell finished sixth and seventh respectively as Max Verstappen held off a charging Lando Norris for his third successive victory at the Imola event.

Russell was ahead of Hamilton as his tyres began to wear late in the race, leading Mercedes to call him in for a pit stop and bring him out ahead of eighth-placed Sergio Perez.

That ensured Hamilton finished above his team-mate for a second straight race, having failed to top him in any of the first five races of 2024.

Russell refused to criticise the team's strategy after the race, though he lamented their continued struggles with their W15 car.

"You're never going to be happy with P6 and P7," Russell told Sky Sports.

"At the end of the day, as a team we scored an extra point. I lost my position to Lewis but I'm not going to sulk over losing a P6."

Asked to explain the decision, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: "[Russell's] lap times were getting slower and slower, and our forecast saw he was not going to make it to the end and we didn't want to lose the position to Perez.

"Lewis would have probably taken him anyway. The point being that we are racing for P6 and P7 and wanted to keep the Red Bull behind. It was a safety call."

Russell is currently seventh in the drivers' championship standings with Hamilton in eighth, with neither driver managing a podium finish so far this year.

McLaren have emerged as the foremost challengers to Red Bull and Ferrari in recent weeks, leaving Mercedes marooned in a disappointing fourth place in the team standings. 

"This is where we are right now, a little bit in no man's land behind the Ferraris and McLarens but ahead of the midfield," Russell said of their struggles.

"Everyone is still super motivated, the morale isn't dropping at all, which is quite inspiring to say. Everyone is trying to make this work and improve it."

Lando Norris is excited to see McLaren emerging as the foremost challengers to Red Bull, after he narrowly missed out on a second straight win at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Norris started second at Imola on Sunday as a grid penalty dropped his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to fifth. 

It initially looked like Norris might face a battle for second as Charles Leclerc closed on him, but he found extraordinary pace late on as leader Max Verstappen started to struggle.

Verstappen complained of grip problems over team radio as Norris drew within 0.7 seconds of the world champion by the final lap, but he was just unable to pass him in a tense finish.

"It hurts me to say it, but one or two more laps and I think I would have had him," Norris told Sky Sports. 

"It's tough. I just lost out too much to Max in the beginning. He was stronger in the first stint.

"We are at a point now where we can say we are in a position with Ferrari and Red Bull. We have to get used to it. We are fighting for first and second now.

"It is still a surprise to say we are disappointed not to win, but it is what we should start to expect."

Norris has now managed four podium finishes in the last five races, and he sits fourth in the drivers' championship standings, six points behind Sergio Perez in third.

He finished second at the Chinese Grand Prix last month, then beat Verstappen to claim his first race win in Miami in early May, benefitting from effective upgrades to McLaren's MCL38 car.

"Hopefully, it continues like that because it's exciting, it's tough, and it gets you excited every weekend, so I'm looking forward to the next few," he said.

"We also had a second in China, so we've had second, first, second, and I think that’s a good sign."

Max Verstappen held off a charging Lando Norris on the final lap to get back to winning ways at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday.

Having equalled Ayrton Senna's record of eight successive pole positions on Saturday, the three-time world champion initially looked set for a comfortable victory.

It looked like third might be the best Norris could manage, but the Briton found great pace late on and ultimately challenged for the win, as Verstappen expressed frustration over Red Bull team radio, saying he was struggling for grip when turning.

Norris pulled within 0.7 seconds of Verstappen on the final lap, but he was ultimately unable to follow up his win at the Miami Grand Prix last time out as the drivers' championship leader clung on.

Charles Leclerc captured third for Ferrari in front of an enthusiastic Italian crowd, with Oscar Piastri finishing fourth after his grid penalty meant he started the race fifth instead of second.

Carlos Sainz was fifth ahead of Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez only managing eighth, meaning he now trails Leclerc in the standings.

Data debrief: Verstappen follows Schumacher 

On Saturday, Verstappen became the first driver with back-to-back poles at Imola since Michael Schumacher in 2002 and 2003. One day later, he became just the second driver to win on three successive visits to the track, after the German achieved that feat between 2002 and 2004.

Verstappen is also into the top six in the all-time F1 charts for podium finishes, his 104th here moving him ahead of Kimi Raikkonen outright in the rankings.

Oscar Piastri insists he is still targeting a podium finish, despite receiving a grid penalty ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver had initially qualified in second place behind Drivers' Championship leader Max Verstappen, with the Australian's teammate Lando Norris in third.

However, Piastri has since been handed a three-place grid drop after he impeded Kevin Magnussen while exiting the pits during Q1.

The 23-year-old admitted he could not see Magnusson at the chicane at Turns 2 and 3, and tried to get clear of the Dane as quickly as possible, though the steward's review highlighted McLaren's failure to give him sufficient warning that a faster car was approaching.

Nevertheless, Piastri did not let the penalty detract from a generally positive display during qualifying, which subsequently sees Norris take second place on the grid, with the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz leapfrogging him to third and fourth respectively.

"I'm really happy with the performance today," he said. "We were so close to pole on track.

"I've been really comfortable with the car from the moment we put it on track yesterday, and I am enjoying my first GP weekend here. We've definitely been on the pace all weekend and confidence is high.

"It is a shame to lose the front row and having to start from P5 as it’s not the easiest track to overtake on. However, we will try our best to recover some positions and fight to finish on the podium."

Max Verstappen takes pole position at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, equalling Ayrton Senna’s record in the process.

It is Verstappen’s eighth consecutive pole in Formula One after he recorded a best time of 1:14.746 around the track in the final qualification session for Sunday’s race.

The Dutchman will share the front row with Oscar Piastri, though he may receive a penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen in Q1.

Piastri’s McLaren team-mate Lando Norris finished just behind him in third, while the two Ferraris, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, rounded out the top five after failing to build on their strong starts.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez failed to make it past Q2 after dropping to 11th, while Fernando Alonso was forced to pit before the end of Q3, finishing last. 

Lando Norris says McLaren still need more time if they want to challenge Red Bull consistently after taking his maiden victory in the Miami Grand Prix.

Norris was helped by a well-timed safety car that allowed him to jump ahead of Max Verstappen in Miami to become just the third different driver to win a Grand Prix this season.

The 24-year-old currently sits fourth in the F1 drivers’ standings after three podium finishes, and he expects another competitive race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday.

"I'm confident we can make steps forward, but I've made it clear we're not going to be there every weekend," Norris said.

"We need more if we are to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari more consistently.

"We definitely took a step forward, but other teams have upgrades, too. So, we're not getting ahead of ourselves.

"I still think we’re the third-best team at the moment, but that could change if we have another good weekend here, and I'm confident with our rate of development that by next year we can challenge a lot more often for wins and, in the big picture, challenge for the title."

Norris’ victory in Florida followed a major aerodynamic development to the McLaren, and he believes it will be an even better match to the track on Sunday.

"We are just better suited for Imola, potentially the upgrade a little bit as well,” he added.

"Imola has generally been one of our more successful tracks - and for me as driver."