Formula 1 descends into an 'EV hell' as electrical failures plague the top teams
Every edition of John's members-only weekly email — industry news, reader letters, and the stories that didn't make the Saturday column.
There are financial scandals, and then there are financial scandals with six Ferraris, three Rolls-Royces, three Aston Martins and two Mercedes-Benzes. At that point, it stops being a banking matter and becomes a casting call for a Guy Ritchie film.
Formula 1 — after a decade of telling us complexity equals progress — is now quietly admitting it might have got it badly wrong.
From Buddy Holly’s coral-pink Impala to Ayrton Senna’s first Formula One car, this week’s car world is a glorious collision of nostalgia, speed, money and stupidity — with F1 scrambling to fix its over-clever 2026 rules, Avis turning into a meme-stock circus, Volkswagen shrinking its future, and Florida thieves proving that even a Lamborghini is vulnerable if Trevor leaves the keys inside.
Formula One has managed a rare trick in 2026. It has produced a season that is both compelling and faintly absurd. Three races in, the championship is alive, the storylines are rich, the kids are not waiting their turn, and the sport's governing body is already hosting a mini constitutional convention because the new rules are not behaving quite as advertised.
The new F1 is fast, dramatic and often terrific television. It is also increasingly synthetic, political and strangely detached from the old idea of grand prix racing.
Want the latest edition delivered to your inbox?
Read the latest editionWe use cookies
We use essential cookies to keep you logged in, and optional analytics cookies to understand how the site is used — no personal data is sold or shared. Privacy Notice · Terms
