Why 2026 F1 race starts are a problem waiting to happen
The removal of the MGU-H from Formula 1's 2026 power units has turned race starts into one of the most technically treacherous moments ahead of the first race, and the paddock is bracing itself
Submit your questions to our next Royal Automobile Club Talk Show guest, legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey

Adrian Newey will join Motor Sport at Royal Automobile Club in April for a Talk Show, and we need your questions for the renowned Formula 1 designer and current Red Bull F1 chief technical officer.
Over a period of nearly four decades working in motor sport, Newey has won 10 Formula 1 constructors’ championships and helped a number of drivers win titles.
His career began with March in the IMSA championship while Newey also designed an Indianapolis 500 and title-winning machine – the March 85C – in the 1980s. His F1 career began on the Leyton House-liveried March 881.
Then Williams came calling and, with Patrick Head, Newey helped Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve win drivers’ championships.
From the Archive: How to build a Racing Car Designer
Mika Häkkinen also benefited from his expertise at McLaren and then, when Red Bull entered the scene, Newey helped build a team that would go on to win F1 championships.
Newey also worked as a consultant on Sir Ben Ainslie’s America’s Cup sailing team – of which former McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh is CEO – and is working on Aston Martin’s latest crop of supercars.
His 2017 autobiography, ‘How to Build a Car’, was widely acclaimed, with our review stating: “The dark arts of downforce, efficiency and grip are seldom explained this effectively… the next Formula 1 designer to write about their craft has a pretty high benchmark to hit.” It also won the Royal Automobile Club’s 2018 Motoring Book of the Year Award.
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