Stealth mode: F1’s first 2026 test to run under wraps, Super Formula drama for Rovanperä and Doohan, and Hill wades into Norris debate
The sport’s next big rules reset is coming fast, and F1 wants the first act to play out in low light. Teams have been asked to show up to January’s behind-closed-doors Barcelona shakedown in either camouflage or plain black liveries if they haven’t revealed their 2026 designs by then. With sweeping regulations about to redraw the grid, the private session is a chance to debug early without giving away shapes, secrets or sponsor looks before the real show starts.
There’s a fan-facing logic to it too. The first public sighting of the new era is meant to happen in Bahrain, with two tests following shortly after Barcelona, and the series would rather the global reveal comes under desert sun than through a long-lens snap at a chilly circuit on a Tuesday. So if you’re expecting full paint, forget it—January will be all matte, all cloak-and-dagger, and quite possibly all black.
Moneyball, but make it F1
Forbes’ annual pay list has done the rounds again, with Max Verstappen narrowly ahead of Lewis Hamilton in reported 2025 earnings. That headline always draws clicks, but the more interesting number is value delivered for the spend—who’s turning wage into points most efficiently?
Stacking reported salaries next to points scored this season throws up a familiar tension. Top earners carry top expectations, and Verstappen and Hamilton are judged against titles, not tidy cost-per-point ratios. It’s the drivers further down the pay scale who often look like the accountants’ darlings: consistent scorers punching above contract weight, the sorts who quietly build Constructors’ tallies while the stars hog the spotlight. It’s not a perfect metric—teams don’t pay for points alone—but it’s a neat snapshot of where money and output meet.
Rovanperä’s single-seater start hits a bump
Kalle Rovanperä’s first serious toe in the single-seater water didn’t go to plan. The two-time World Rally Champion cut short his debut Super Formula outing at Suzuka after developing balance and vision symptoms in the morning. Over lunch he was diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), an inner-ear condition that can cause sudden dizziness.
It’s a frustrating hitch for a prodigy plotting a switch towards open-wheel racing from 2026, but the key word here is benign. BPPV is treatable and commonly manageable. The bigger picture for Rovanperä is still enticing: absurd car control, a talent ceiling you can’t see, and a discipline change that could be one of the sport’s most fascinating experiments in years. He’ll regroup; Suzuka’s Degners will still be there when he’s ready.
Doohan’s Degner double
Jack Doohan’s own Suzuka visit was bruising in a different way. The Alpine reserve, eyeing a route back onto the F1 grid via a Super Formula programme, suffered crashes on consecutive days at the Degner complex. Suzuka has that old-school bite—narrow margins, high reward—and the Degners, in particular, punish hesitation and over-exuberance in equal measure. It’s not the showcase he’d have wanted while making his case for 2026 opportunities, but it’s also the kind of hard lesson Suzuka has been dishing out for decades. Expect him back on the horse quickly.
Hill backs Norris after TV jab
Damon Hill couldn’t let a gag slide. After UK satire show Have I Got News For You poked fun at Lando Norris’ so-called “underdog” story on account of his well-resourced upbringing, the 1996 World Champion pushed back on X, calling the bit “pathetic” and pointing out that Norris’ life has been racing-first since childhood. The broader point isn’t new—motorsport isn’t exactly a budget sport—but Hill’s defence taps into something current: Norris’ rise, graft and ongoing title tilt carry their own legitimacy, whatever the starting line looked like. The paddock has room for plenty of origin stories; it tends to compress them all to one truth anyway—are you fast enough on Sunday?
What to watch next
– Barcelona’s black ops. The private January running is a tease, but read between the lines. Sound, stance, and the odd silhouette tweak will still leak through. If you’re measuring wheelbase by eyeball on grainy photos—welcome back, you’re among friends.
– Bahrain’s big reveal. That’s when the 2026 cars meet the world in full colour. Expect a few aggressive interpretations of the new rules and a heavy dose of “nothing to see here” bodywork that changes quietly before Round 1.
– Value plays. As the 2025 championship picture evolves, the cost-per-point conversation will sharpen—particularly for teams making hard calls on 2026 pairings.
– Rovanperä and Doohan rebounds. One medical reset, one confidence reset. Both stories have time, and both are worth keeping an eye on.
Hamilton’s Ferrari move and Verstappen’s title defence dominate the 2025 headlines for good reason, but the sport’s subplots are already setting the table for 2026. The next era won’t sneak up on anyone—but, for at least one chilly Barcelona test, it will try.
