Motorsport

McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

By Khris Bharath – September 06, 2026

Kimi Antonelli Charges From 19th to Become First Italian Since 1966 to Win the Italian Grand Prix

Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli charged from 19th on the grid to victory at the Temple of Speed, becoming the first Italian to win his home Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti drove a Ferrari to victory at Monza in 1966. Scarfiotti won that race ahead of Ferrari teammate Mike Parkes, but no Italian has repeated the achievement in the six decades since. Antonelli could hardly have started Sunday’s race from a more difficult position. Power unit penalties dropped the championship leader to 19th, while Pierre Gasly started from a surprise pole alongside George Russell. Antonelli immediately began working his way forward, reaching 12th before Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc’s early crash on Lap 2 brought out the red flag. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FORMULA 1® (@f1) Once racing resumed, the Mercedes driver continued his charge. He quickly moved into the top 10, passed McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and then Lewis Hamilton, and was up to fourth before passing Max Verstappen on Lap 16. Just two laps later, he was fighting teammate George Russell for the lead. On Lap 18, Antonelli completed his charge from the back by taking first place into Turn 1. What followed was a fierce wheel-to-wheel battle between the two Mercedes drivers, with Russell and Antonelli repeatedly trading the advantage through Monza's chicanes. At a circuit defined by immense speed, slipstreaming and heavy braking, the pair put on a show worthy of the occasion. A Virtual Safety Car around lap 29 later reshuffled the order. Mercedes split its strategies, leaving Russell out on used hard tires while Antonelli stopped for a fresh set of mediums, dropping the Italian back to sixth. Antonelli responded by carving his way through the field once again, passing Hamilton and Piastri as he closed back in on his teammate. There was one final scare on lap 49, when Antonelli ran through the gravel while attacking Russell with five laps remaining. He recovered, caught the Mercedes again and made the decisive pass on lap 50 with just three laps to go. From there, Antonelli pulled clear and crossed the chequered flag, with Russell completing a Mercedes one-two and Max Verstappen taking third. The victory adds another historic achievement to Antonelli's rapidly growing resume. During his rookie season in 2025, Antonelli broke Sebastian Vettel's record to become the youngest driver to claim pole position in any Formula 1 format, taking Sprint pole in Miami at just 18 years, eight months and seven days old. His Monza triumph, the seventh victory of his 2026 campaign, also strengthens his grip on the championship after Round 13. F1 heads to Spain next, with Antonelli leading with 267 points, 66 clear of Russell on 201, while Lewis Hamilton sits third with 191. Mercedes also leads the Constructors' standings with 468 points, ahead of Ferrari on 346 and McLaren on 287. Images: Formula 1

By Khris Bharath – February 11, 2026

Aston Martin Unveils AMR26 as 2026 F1 Grid Takes Final Shape

Aston Martin formally unveiled the AMR26 livery at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with title partner Aramco. The presentation marked the final livery reveal of the 2026 Formula 1 grid and signaled the British team’s full commitment to Formula 1's new regulatory era. The AMR26 is the first Aston Martin developed entirely under the 2026 regulations, which introduces all-new power units, revised aerodynamics, and different tire specifications. Supported by Honda, Aramco, and Valvoline, the program also integrates power unit development, mandatory sustainable fuels, and advanced lubricants. That status expands integration between chassis and power unit architecture from inception. This is also the first car produced from the completed AMR Technology Campus in Silverstone, including correlation work conducted in the team’s new CoreWeave AIR wind tunnel and advanced simulator. Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll has overseen the transition to full works status and the expansion of the Silverstone campus. Adrian Newey leads the technical direction of the project and will assume the role of team principal. With championship-winning experience at Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull Racing, Newey joins Aston Martin at a pivotal moment in Formula 1. "2026 is a rare moment because, for the first time, the chassis and engine regulations have changed simultaneously. When there are completely new rules, the best philosophy is never immediately obvious, and understanding evolves as the car develops. With the AMR26, we took a holistic approach because there isn't a single component that stands out; we want the entire package to work together. The focus was on a solid foundation and development potential to provide Lance and Fernando with consistent performance." - Adrian Newey, Team Principal, Aston Martin F1 Chief Technical Officer Enrico Cardile, formerly Ferrari’s Technical Director, will support the program’s technical restructuring alongside Newey. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll return for a fourth consecutive season, bringing a combined 614 Formula 1 starts. Jak Crawford will serve as the third driver and full-time reserve. The AMR26 has already completed an initial shakedown in Barcelona and will enter official pre-season testing in Bahrain before its race debut at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 8th. View All Aston Martins For Sale Images: Aston Martin F1

By Khris Bharath – February 09, 2026

Cadillac Reveals 2026 Formula 1 Race Livery

Last month, Cadillac unveiled a purpose-built testing livery at the Detroit Auto Show, ahead of early running at Silverstone and subsequent Barcelona shakedown. Now, that sequence reaches its conclusion with the final race livery revealed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cadillac Formula 1 Team (@cadillacf1) GM agreed to join F1 back in 2024, and since March last year, when Cadillac Formula 1 Team gained official FIA and Formula One Management approval to join the grid, the organization has laid serious groundwork. Backed by TWG Motorsports and General Motors, the team now operates with over 300 engineers across key hubs in Indianapolis, Charlotte, Warren, and Silverstone. Leadership under Team Principal Graeme Lowdon and powertrain development directed by Russ O’Brien has moved the program forward at pace. The reveal in Times Square ties this momentum together. The final race livery evolves from what was first seen in Detroit, one that was devoid of sponsors. The black and silver palette carries over with the bold new Cadillac logo featured on the nose, the halo, and sidepods. From above, the central stripe runs cleanly from the nose through the cockpit and into the engine cover. Cadillac’s racing partners like TWG, IFS, Tommy Hilfiger, Gainbridge, Tenneco, Core Scientific, and Tommy Hilfiger now prominently feature on the car’s body. White Pirelli lettering features on the tires, while Claro and Jim Beam sit along the flanks. As for the driver lineup, Sergio “Checo” Perez and Valtteri Bottas will launch Cadillac’s first Formula 1 season, bringing more than 500 combined race starts and decades of experience between them. Perez arrives with six Grand Prix victories and proven race-winning pace. Bottas brings technical clarity and consistency developed at the sharp end of the grid. For the 2026 season, Cadillac will use customer Ferrari engines. IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Champion, Colton Herta, will serve as test driver. Looking further ahead, Cadillac’s own GM Performance Power Units division is developing a fully FIA-approved F1 power unit for introduction in 2029. All of this unfolds against the backdrop of the 2026 Formula 1 regulation reset. New rules place greater emphasis on ground effect aerodynamics, simplified bodywork, sustainable fuels, and a rebalanced hybrid formula. With that, attention turns to the F1 season opener on March 8th at Albert Park, where Cadillac’s Formula 1 journey officially begins. Watch this space. View All Cadillacs for Sale Images: @cadillacf1

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