Another season of Formula 1 has come and gone. While some teams are entering 2026 on a high, others are definitely trying to manifest their way into better results next year.

Big changes are coming with new regulations being introduced next season, and everyone on the grid is looking to make an impact. In the spirit of the new year, we’ve put together New Year’s Resolutions for all 11 incoming teams.

Cadillac

Don’t finish last in the Constructors’ standings.

For the first time in 9 years, a new team will be joining the grid next year. The new Cadillac F1 team also has two familiar faces in their lineup, with veterans Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas leading the team in its debut season.

However, despite experienced drivers, Cadillac is not expected to make a huge impact in 2026. Cadillac will have more resources than a typical new team, but all the money in the world can’t eliminate growing pains.

Cadillac should expect to be near the back of the grid for much of the season, but not finishing last in their debut year would still be a net positive.

Alpine

Score literally any points.

Alpine only scored 22 points this year. To make things worse, all of their points were scored by Pierre Gasly. Franco Colapinto will be looking to score his first-ever F1 points in 2026, and failure to do so might mark the end of his career in the sport.

For a consistently mid-tier team just a few seasons ago, Alpine’s last-place finish in this year’s Constructors’ championship is honestly a bit embarrassing.

Alpine needs to find a way to score points more consistently if they want any hope of making gains next season.

Williams Racing

Finish top 4 in the Constructors’ Championship.

Williams jumped up four spots in the standings in just one year, finishing in fifth place in this year’s Constructors’ Championship. After years of struggles, they made massive strides this year with Carlos Sainz securing Williams’ first podium in years.

McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari have firmly been at the top of the standings year after year, but the new regulations in 2026 may be the opening that a team like Williams needs. They’ve proved they have the driver talent and a competitive car, and it feels like this team is on the cusp of something great.

Finishing top 4 might be a lofty goal, but if there’s any midfield team on the grid best positioned to break into the top standings, it’s Williams.

Ferrari

Make Lewis Hamilton love the sport again.

Death, taxes, and another brutal year to be a Ferrari fan. 2025 was somehow made even worse by the expectations attached to Hamilton’s debut year with the team, which turned out worse than anyone could have ever expected.

As a Ferrari fan myself, I can think of at least 20 things that this team can improve on, but making Lewis Hamilton miserable is truly unforgivable. This man is arguably the greatest driver of all time and has so much love for the sport. It feels like Ferrari is wasting away the rest of his career.

Ferrari, I beg of you, please get your act together and deliver a competitive car in 2026. If not for yourselves, or for the fans, please do it for Lewis.

Aston Martin

Start fresh and make a big impact in 2026.

Aston Martin had high expectations in their earlier seasons, but after a disappointing seventh-place finish this year, the team has fallen quite short of their initial goals.

However, the team has been focused on the 2026 season for quite some time and is hoping to capitalize on the new regulation changes. They’re also making some notable changes, with Adrian Newey taking on the role of team principal, and the team partnering with Honda for the first time for their power units.

Coming into the new season, Aston Martin should be looking to put their previous struggles behind them and start fresh. The team needs to be ready to capitalize on every opportunity they can to move up the standings.

Red Bull Racing

A second driver consistently in the points.

It’s no secret that most of Red Bull’s success is owed to their superstar driver, Max Verstappen. Time and time again, Verstappen proves that nobody can ever count him out, and he singlehandedly kept his team in the mix despite a year of struggles.

However, if 2025 taught us anything, it’s that Red Bull cannot rely on Verstappen’s dominance alone to win a title. They need their second seat to be scoring points every week, which means Isack Hadjar will be facing immense pressure from the very start of the season.

Red Bull has yet to figure out how to balance the needs of their star performer with their second seat drivers. Here’s hoping they can finally figure it out (and don’t ruin Hadjar’s career just like every other second-seat driver they’ve had in the last 8 years).

McLaren

Have a strong technical and strategic approach to stay competitive.

2025 was the year of McLaren, with a title sweep in the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. Despite all of their success, the team faced some notable struggles throughout the year, including some poor strategy, devastating disqualifications, and overall questionable team decisions.

McLaren managed to stay on top thanks to their rocket ship of a car and talented driver lineup, but new regulations mean it’s anyone’s game.

Not every team can have the fastest car right out of the gate, but McLaren can keep their momentum going with sound technical and race strategy to help them stay competitive.

Kick Sauber

Run it back.

Despite finishing in ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship, this year was a huge step in the right direction for Sauber. They experienced some incredible highs this year, including Nico Hulkenberg’s first-ever podium finish at Silverstone,

Although the standings don’t really reflect it, Sauber earned 70 points this year, which is a massive improvement from 2024, when they finished dead last, scoring only 4 points.

Sauber has the potential to move up to the midfield and should be ready to capitalize on mistakes made by other teams. Another year of consistently scoring points would be a very encouraging result for the team (and another Hulkenberg podium wouldn’t hurt either).

Racing Bulls

Keep a consistent driver lineup all year.

Racing Bulls is no stranger to chaotic driver lineups. Thanks to their senior team of Red Bull Racing, 2025 saw three different drivers in the mix, competing for a seat. The previous year was similar, with four drivers fighting for three available seats between the two teams.

With Hadjar getting promoted to Red Bull in 2026, a new face is joining the Racing Bulls team. Arvid Lindblad is making his F1 debut, but if he fails to perform, team executives won’t waste any time replacing him.

It’s clear that the culture at Red Bull is sink or swim, and they have very little tolerance for underperformers. Unfortunately, this means Hadjar and Lindblad must deliver immediately if they want to hold on to their seats.

Haas

Don’t become irrelevant.

It wasn’t a particularly impressive year for Haas, nor was this year a total disaster. Haas’ performance was largely lacklustre this year, with the exception of a few standout performances from their rookie driver, Ollie Bearman.

Although Haas improved this year in total points scored, the midfield is getting increasingly crowded. Haas is in danger of slipping into bottom-of-the-table territory once again. They spent two dark years in last place, and they certainly don’t want to go down that road.

At a time when the sport is reaching new levels of popularity, Haas should focus on making fans excited to root for them by holding nothing back in 2026. Fans love an underdog, and Haas has the potential to be that team to root for, but they need to start by delivering consistently on track.

Mercedes

Win the Constructors’ championship.

Obviously, this is the goal for every team, but let’s face it – some teams are just not realistic championship contenders. Mercedes has been fighting their way back to the top ever since 2021. Next year’s new regulations might be exactly what they need to win another title.

Mercedes’ power unit is strongly rumoured to be in the best position to capitalize on the 2026 regulation changes. Their power unit is one of the most popular on the grid, supplying several other teams as well. They also have one of the best driver lineups on the grid, with George Russell regularly in the mix for an individual title year after year. His teammate, Kimi Antonelli, is also coming off one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory.

This team is extremely hungry for a title win, and they may be one of the best-positioned teams on the grid to lead the grid in 2026.

Looking ahead to 2026

The upcoming season of Formula 1 is sure to be a fiery one, with new teams, new regulations, and new drivers. Pre-season testing will be the earliest indication of which teams are best positioned for success in 2026. Until then, it’s anyone’s guess as to which team will come out on top.