F1 team forced to change 2026 plans after Ferrari announcement

Haas have changed their 2026 car launch date, thanks in no small part to those pesky, pesky Ferraris.

The American team were all set to reveal their challenger for the coming season on January 23, before it became clear that they'd have to share the spotlight that day with Alpine (not so much of a problem) and the Scuderia (much more of a problem).

The team confirmed on Tuesday that they will be moving up that launch to January 19, four days earlier than scheduled – quipping on social media that they were 'going out early to avoid the traffic'.

A number of media reports have confirmed that the team were indeed influenced by the crowded release schedule, wanting the VF-26 to get its own spot and media attention.

Haas still long shots for 2026 title

The sport's oddsmakers don't seem to think that the VF-26 will be the challenger that Haas are hoping for though, pricing only brand new team Cadillac at longer odds to take this year's constructors' championship.

The American team are sitting at odds of around 100/1 (or +10000, as they'd say back home) to lift the hardware at the end of the season. And for those who are new to gambling, that means if you bet £100 on Haas winning the championship, you will lose £100.

As things now stand, only the Red Bull/Racing Bulls combo (January 15) will launch before Haas, with a massive gap between the Americans' launch and the last one currently on the calendar – Aston Martin, three whole weeks later.

Teams are expected to try and cover up their performance levels through per-season testing, aiming to throw their rivals off potentially productive development paths for as long as possible.

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