Despite being called the winter ‘break’, there is hardly any rest for teams during this period. If anything, the weeks between the season finale and pre-season testing are some of the most intense.

For aerodynamic and engine-focused personnel alike, the next few months are a race against time to prepare the first F1 2026 machines.

At surface level, pre-season testing will provide the first glimpses of next year’s challengers. Crucially, however, it is reliability – not outright performance – that will be most representative.

Reliability first, performance to come later

After this season’s conclusion, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur gave a series of declarations about F1 2026.

Some of his most interesting commentary focused on pre-season testing and the opening rounds of the year. According to Vasseur, the 2026 hierarchy will be impossible to predict until later in the season.

The Frenchman predicts most teams will focus on reliability in the early months of 2026.

This sentiment is clearly prevalent, with Cadillac, Audi and even Mercedes suggesting they will bring relatively basic packages in Barcelona testing – with more sophisticated iterations to arrive in the subsequent months.

For some teams, this will be out of necessity.

Due to limited wind tunnel hours and financial restrictions, some teams are at relatively early stages in their 2026 development.

Consequently, there will be some assembly lines still producing the first components to be used in pre-season testing. In some cases, only after the first few rounds will more serious upgrades be in the pipeline.

This is not to say all teams will be conservative in their rollout. Those who started early on their 2026 challengers, such as Williams, are already finalising their a-spec and b-spec cars.

Still, even in these cases, reliability will be the first order of business in testing. From hydraulics to suspension to engines, teams must ensure they have avoided any massive blunders when the cars first take to the track.

The near-faultless reliability F1 has become accustomed to will not be present in 2026. Much like at the start of the hybrid era in 2014, some outfits could be in serious trouble with their chassis and powertrains.

Because of this, it will be easier to spot the teams struggling in pre-season – whilst those in a stronger position will be more understated.

A game of cat and mouse to start F1 2026

As previously assessed on LWOS, teams began working towards 2026 at different times. This means some teams will be several steps ahead in terms of how they plan to evolve next year’s cars.

Others, meanwhile, will be trying to make up for lost time.

However, regardless of when teams made 2026 their development focus, there could be a dramatic range in how teams approached the new regulations.

In some cases, this could manifest itself in more obvious differences in visible parts of the car. In others, more disguisable areas – such as engine power – could be critical in separating teams.

Because of this, those who believe they have found something others have overlooked will avoid drawing attention to themselves with flashy lap-times.

This was Brawn’s approach when they first tested their title-winning 2009 car. Jenson Button recalls that after his first lap in Barcelona testing, he went six tenths faster than anyone else – much to the team’s surprise.

At that point, Brawn did not complete another low-fuel run. This was integral in keeping the team under the radar in pre-season, and meant rivals only began to emulate their game-changing double diffuser several months later.

Though an extreme example, this case study is relevant for the coming months. Teams that are struggling will have less to hide, and can work on testing their cars with slightly more freedom.

However, whichever engineering department has nailed the 2026 regulations will spend much of pre-season testing trying to avoid attention from elsewhere on the grid. After all, teams naturally protest to the FIA when someone else introduces an innovation they missed.

READ MORE: Lawrence Stroll says “patience” necessary for Aston Martin project

Main photo: Steven Tee/LAT Images (McLaren Racing Media Centre)

While one family feud over the future of a multibillion-dollar local company played out in Delaware last week, another one came to an end in Massachusetts.

In the Delaware Chancery Court, all eyes were on a trial that involved recently deposed Market Basket chief executive Arthur T. Demoulas, and his fight with the supermarket chain’s board and his sisters to get his job back. The Demoulas family was left hanging once the trial wrapped up: A decision from the Chancery Court judge isn’t expected until sometime next year.

Back in Massachusetts, however, there was a more definitive ending for the Croatti family and UniFirst, the Wilmington-based uniform supplier that’s publicly traded but controlled by family members. A hostile campaign by New York hedge fund Engine Capital to put its founder as well as a son of beloved former CEO Ron Croatti on UniFirst’s board fell short of the votes it needed.

That’s not to say shareholders didn’t like the idea. Most did, judging from the fact that Engine Capital founder Arnaud Ajdler and Michael Croatti received more common-stock votes. But the slate of two incumbent board members, chief executive Steven Sintros and Joseph Nowicki, prevailed. That’s because key Croatti family members, including Michael’s mother Carol Croatti and brother Matthew Croatti, own preferred shares that carry much more weight in the voting, and they supported the Sintros-Nowicki ticket.

Michael Croatti rose through the ranks of the uniform company over three decades working under his father, who died in 2017. But in 2024, the son’s role changed from executive vice president to consultant, while Kelly Rooney was brought on board to be chief operating officer.

Then, in January of this year, larger rival Cintas made an unsolicited bid for UniFirst. That bid was ultimately rejected, and the UniFirst stock tumbled. Ajdler and his firm then showed up, buying shares, and eventually allying with Michael Croatti with an effort to get on the board and potentially put the company on the market.

Ajdler knew it would be tough, because certain Croatti family members control 70 percent of the voting rights. He appealed to them to change their minds, saying the company has struggled since Ron Croatti’s death and even more so since Michael Croatti’s departure from the executive ranks. But it was not meant to be.

After the vote, the board issued a brief statement portraying the proxy fight in positive terms, saying it appreciated the “active dialogue” with UniFirst shareholders, and that it looks forward to “further constructive engagement.”

Ajdler was less diplomatic in his statement, saying the shareholder vote “represents an unequivocal rebuke” of UniFirst’s “value-destructive standalone strategy” and sends a message that the board should put the company on the market and meet with potential buyers — and, at the very least, eliminate the shares’ dual-class structure. He said UniFirst is struggling and needs to team up with a competitor to flourish again. “Selling the Company,” Ajdler concluded, “is the best path to achieving Ron’s goals and honoring his legacy.”

Then on Monday, Cintas announced that it has submitted another bid for UniFirst for just over $5 billion, the same price that it offered nearly a year ago.

Maybe the saga isn’t over after all.

This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston’s business scene.

Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him @jonchesto.

Calicut (Kerala) [India], December 21 : The Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL) Season 2 concluded in spectacular fashion with a historic Grand Finale at the EMS Corporation Stadium, Calicut. Megastar and ISRL Brand Ambassador Salman Khan was present on ground, adding star power to an electrifying night of high-octane racing and live entertainment, as per a release.

The finale witnessed a record-breaking turnout of over 32,000 fans, marking the highest-ever attendance for a motorsporting event in India and reinforcing Kerala’s strong connection with motorsport and large-scale live sporting experiences, the release said.

Amid roaring crowds and intense on-track action, Team Bigrock Motorsports were crowned ISRL Season 2 Champions, capping off a fiercely competitive championship that unfolded across Pune, Hyderabad and Calicut. The season showcased a compelling blend of international excellence and emerging Indian talent.

The Calicut round delivered thrilling racing across all categories. Matt Moss from team BigRock Motorsports (Australia) claimed victory in the 450cc International class aboard the Kawasaki KX 450, while Calvin Fonvieille from team Apollo Indewheelers (France) dominated the 250cc International category on the Yamaha YZ 250. The 250cc India-Asia Mix class was won by Delvinator Alfarizi (Thailand) riding the KTM 250 SX – F, drawing thunderous applause from the packed stadium.

Megastar Salman Khan, Brand Ambassador, ISRL, said, “Watching the Grand Finale in Calicut was truly special. The passion of the fans and the intensity of competition show how far Indian motorsport has come. ISRL is creating a platform where Indian riders can compete confidently alongside the world’s best,” as quoted from a release.

Reflecting on the season, Veer Patel, Managing Director, ISRL, said, “Season 2 reflects the growing belief in Supercross across India. From Pune to Hyderabad and now Calicut, the record-breaking fan response shows the sport has truly found a home here, while we continue building strong pathways for Indian riders alongside world-class racing.”

Over the course of Season 2, 36 international riders from 21 countries, including Australia, France, the USA, Germany, Thailand and South Africa, competed alongside India’s top riders such as Rugved Barguje, Ikshan Shanbhag, Prajwal Vishwanath and Shlok Ghorpade, highlighting ISRL’s growing global stature, as per the release.

Beyond the races, the Reise Moto ISRL Fan Park transformed EMS Corporation Stadium into a complete motorsport festival, featuring live music, racing simulators, interactive brand zones, food experiences, merchandise and rider interactions, creating an immersive fan experience for families and enthusiasts alike.

With Season 2 concluding on a historic high, the Indian Supercross Racing League now looks ahead to expanding its footprint, strengthening grassroots development and further positioning India on the global Supercross map.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

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The Hakone Ekiden is a race with a tradition spanning more than 100 years, dating back to its founding in 1920. Toyota began providing certain operational vehicles in 2003 to help nurture the next generation of young athletes and has supported the event as a sponsor since 2011. Throughout its involvement, Toyota has continually considered how to reduce vehicle emissions to make the race more athlete- and planet-friendly.

Toyota is advancing its multi-pathway approach, offering electrified vehicle options tailored to diverse energy circumstances in each country and region and to varied customer needs. Accordingly, the company felt that its diverse lineup of vehicles, including BEVs and FCEVs, could contribute to the Hakone Ekiden.

In total, 40 electrified vehicles will be provided for the race.
The joint camera truck filming leading runners and the Century serving as a race headquarters vehicle will be provided as original FCEV models. These vehicles are equipped with fuel cells instead of engines and powered by motors that generate electricity through the chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. They are extremely quiet and emit only water.

Vehicles transporting people and equipment for the race will also be electrified. e-Palettes will serve as emergency response vehicles for all situations, while FCEV Coasters will transport related personnel.

Each university team operations vehicle will be an HEV used in combination with low-carbon E10 gasoline, which contains 10% biofuel. ENEOS Corporation will provide E10 fuel made from ethanol derived from non-edible sorghum plants produced through the Research Association of Biomass Innovation for Next Generation Automobile Fuels^*. These initiatives will reduce exhaust gases and carbon dioxide emissions from these vehicles.

Sports give people courage and touch their hearts. Toyota, which has supported athletes through various activities since its founding, will continue to help make the Hakone Ekiden a sustainable race that is both athlete- and planet-friendly through these initiatives.

FOX Sports paid a touching tribute to the NASCAR icon Greg Biffle during the Carolina Panthers’ win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On Sunday, the Panthers took a significant step toward winning the NFC South by securing a 23-20 victory over the Buccaneers, improving to 8-7. Bryce Young completed 21 of 32 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns in a crucial win.

But coverage of the showdown was interrupted as FOX decided to pay tribute to Biffle. The NASCAR favorite tragically died on Thursday in a plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport. FOX paid tribute during its live NFL coverage, after Terry Bradshaw was forced to duck for cover in a chaotic moment during Saturday’s special show. 

Biffle, along with his wife, Cristina, and two children, perished in the horrific crash. During the Panthers game, broadcaster Chris Myers honored Biffle by highlighting his fine work off the track as well as his fine career.

“Greg Biffle, a NASCAR legend who had career success at all three levels of the sport, did great humanitarian work, died this past Thursday in a plane crash with his family,” Myers said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him, the NASCAR family, and all friends.”

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Biffle raced for 16 seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series. He earned 19 wins competing in an era with the likes of Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson.

The 55-year-old was supposed to fly with his family to the Bahamas, although a stop was scheduled in Sarasota, FL. The plane instead was attempting to re-land at the Statesville airport in North Carolina, around 40 miles away from Charlotte. The crash occurred around 10:20 AM ET.

The mother of Biffle’s wife, Cathy Grossu, told PEOPLE magazine what her last texts with her daughter, Cristina, were. Cathy revealed: “She texted me from the plane, and she said, ‘We’re in trouble.’ And that was it. So we’re devastated. We’re brokenhearted.

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“To think that they would be killed on a birthday trip, that was just such a fun time for the family. And to see the horrific way that it ended, it’s just, it is so hard to bear. I cannot believe they’re gone.

“I don’t remember what the last words that I said to my daughter or to Greg or to my precious Ryder (her granddaughter). I don’t remember. I know we hugged, but I don’t remember those last words, and that’s going to haunt me. But they were happy.”

Not many NASCAR drivers can say they retired on a win — but the Late, Great Greg Biffle can. Biffle made his NASCAR debut in the Busch Series in 1996, driving part-time before moving to the Truck Series in 1998.

He later progressed to full-time Cup Series competition, building a highly successful career across all three national series. Biffle won titles in the Truck and Xfinity series and nearly completed the Grand Slam in 2005, finishing second in the Cup. The North Carolinian won a total of 56 races across NASCAR’s three national series during his career: 19 in the Cup Series, 20 in the Xfinity (Busch) Series, and 17 in the Craftsman Truck Series.

He retired from full-time competition after the 2019 season, but won his last-ever NASCAR race, the Truck event in Texas at the SpeedyCash.com 400. It was Biffle’s first Truck win in 15 years. On Thursday, Biffle, his wife Cristina, and two of his children, Emma, 14, and Ryder, 5, were four of seven killed in a tragic plane crash in Statesville, NC.

A preliminary report is expected within 30 days from the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation. Three of the people on board, including former stock car racer Biffle, had their pilot’s license.

Collection and documentation of the crash will take place, and investigators will begin to piece together what went wrong. A central focus of the investigation will be locating and analyzing the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which captures all sounds inside the cockpit. Once recovered, the device will be sent to a laboratory in Washington, D.C. for examination.

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