F1 confirm 2026 live launch decision after Horner and Verstappen controversy

Verstappen, Horner, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 2026

F1 confirm 2026 live launch decision after Horner and Verstappen controversy

F1 celebrated the 75th anniversary of the sport with a live launch in February

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 11 June 2025 19:28

F1 have decided whether they will host a live car launch in 2026 after the success of the F175 event to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the sport in February.

All 10 F1 teams presented their 2025 liveries live on stage at the O2 arena in London earlier this year, which attracted 7.5 million viewers in total across various platforms and allowed fans to see their favourite drivers and team principals on stage.

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However, when it was Red Bull’s turn to unveil the RB21 Christian Horner and Max Verstappen were greeted with boos from the British crowd, with the four-time world champion reportedly not interested in attending an event of its kind again.

According to Autosport, F1 have decided against hosting a similar live launch to F175 in 2026, although the reasons for abandoning the show are unrelated to the booing controversy.

The commercial rights holder Formula One Management (FOM) decided that the event will not be repeated in 2026, after exploring options with teams and stakeholders.

Why has F1 abandoned a live launch for the 2026 season?

FOM stated that February’s event was designed specifically to celebrate the 75th anniversary of F1, and it would not make sense to hold an event annually, rather they would host a live launch to celebrate other key moments in the sport’s history.

The 2026 regulation changes were also named as reason for abandoning the event, with concerns the launch would prove a distraction for teams as they get to grips with the new cars and power units.

All 11 teams will take part in a trio of three-day tests in Bahrain and Barcelona at the start of 2026, with the first of these taking place in Spain at the end of January and when a likely launch would have been.

However, FOM are not ruling out a live launch happening again in the future, with the sport keen to explore other venues around the world to host the major unveiling.