Key changes to FI Chassis Regulations for 2026

The regulatory changes being implemented in the sport from the 2026 season onwards are some of the most significant in recent times, redefining the role of the chassis alongside the all-new, incoming power unit. The new approach to design signals an intent to promote more agile and closer racing, with the intention of creating a more exciting sport for spectators.

Key changes to the chassis include a reduction of the wheelbase by 20 centimetres, the width of the car by 10 centimetres, the minimum weight by 30 kilograms, and the removal of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) in favour of active aerodynamics. In addition, the new power units, that featured in episode two, come with three new key modes – BOOST, OVERTAKE and RECHARGE – all of which are detailed within this final episode.

The fourth episode, The Chassis: The Next Generation of Racing, is available now, rights-free, across all Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and PETRONAS digital platforms.

A Darwinian Business -- Personnel Changes at Mercedes-Benz

The Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG has decided on several new appointments within the top management of Mercedes-Benz to strengthen the consistent execution of the company’s strategy. At the same time, highly respected colleagues – Gorden Wagener (Chief Design Officer), Torsten Eder (Head of Electrified Powertrain Systems) and Thomas Hellmuth (Head of Body & Safety) – are entering a new chapter in their lives or continuing their careers along new paths.

“I look forward to working with the top executives who are now assuming new responsibilities in key positions at Mercedes-Benz. This further sharpens our shared focus on customer value, technological excellence and operational efficiency. At the same time, strong personalities at Mercedes-Benz are taking new paths – leaders who have shaped the company and its products over many years. On behalf of the entire Board of Management, I would like to thank Gorden Wagener, Torsten Eder and Thomas Hellmuth for their outstanding contributions, their commitment and their loyalty to Mercedes-Benz. I wish them all the very best for the future.” 
Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG

Personnel Changes in Mercedes-Benz Top Management

Effective 1 February 2026, Bastian Baudy, currently Head of Design AMG, will succeed Gorden Wagener as Head of Design. Gorden Wagener will leave the company on 31 January 2026 at his own request.

Effective 1 January 2026, Yanni von Roy-Jiang, currently Head of Operations Supply Chain, will assume responsibility for Procurement and Supplier Quality, succeeding Gunnar Güthenke. Until February 2026, Gunnar Güthenke and Yanni von Roy-Jiang will jointly ensure an orderly transition of the function Procurement and Supplier Quality. The company will provide further information on Gunnar Güthenke’s future role in due course. Effective 1 April 2026, Stefanie Choritz, currently Head of Finance & Controlling Top-End Vehicles & Mercedes-AMG GmbH, will succeed Yanni von Roy-Jiang as Head of Operations Supply Chain.

Torsten Eder, Head of Electrified Drive Systems, will leave the company at his own request effective 1 May 2026. He will be succeeded by Jörg Bartels, currently President & CEO of Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd. (BBAC). Jens Bühler, currently Head of Production Kecskemét and Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Hungary, will succeed Jörg Bartels as President & CEO of BBAC.

Effective 1 January 2026, Rosa Maria Conde Diez, currently Head of Corporate Research, Sustainability & RD Functions, will assume responsibility for Body & Safety. She succeeds Thomas Hellmuth, who will leave the company at his own request at the end of December. Ida Wolf, currently Head of Chief of Staff & Corporate Office, will succeed Rosa Maria Conde Diez as Head of Corporate Research, Sustainability & RD Functions effective 1 February 2026.

As part of the upcoming personnel changes, some department names will be modified.

Mercedes-Benz in the Branded Real Estate Business -- Dubai

• Multi‑tower development to unite luxury residences, community amenities and innovative mobility solutions to a ‘city within a city’
• Second joint project with developer Binghatti extends Mercedes‑Benz Places into the Meydan district in Dubai
• Expands Mercedes‑Benz Places offering from a single landmark in Dubai and a community-focused development in Miami to a masterplanned district in the Meydan area

Mercedes-Benz and Dubai-based developer Binghatti announce their second branded real-estate collaboration: Mercedes‑Benz Places | Binghatti City. Planned in the Meydan area of Dubai, the project marks Binghatti’s first masterplanned community and extends Mercedes‑Benz Places into a multi‑tower district of 9 million square feet. The development will bring together residential towers within an integrated urban ecosystem focused on design, mobility and community.

“Creating extraordinary experiences for our customers is at the core of who we are. With our next branded real estate project ‘Mercedes-Benz Places – Binghatti City’ in Dubai we are taking this promise to a new level – shaping destinations where our brand becomes something you can truly call home.” 
Mathias Geisen, Member of the Board of Management Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Marketing & Sales

“To partner once again with Mercedes‑Benz is a testament to our shared philosophy of excellence, precision and timeless design. ‘Mercedes‑Benz Places – Binghatti City’ is envisioned as a world-class urban experience, a place where luxury and innovation converge to create a complete city within a city. This masterplan will become one of Dubai’s most distinguished destinations and a true symbol of elevated living.” 
Muhammad BinGhatti, Chairman Binghatti Developers

Mercedes‑Benz Places | Binghatti City is conceived as a “city within a city”. The masterplan is set to combine luxury residences with cultural and leisure areas, retail boulevards, parks and green corridors, mobility hubs, wellness and sports zones as well as dining, entertainment and community spaces. The intention is to provide daily needs within walking distance and to create a coherent living environment that connects architecture, services and mobility.

From automotive to architecture – the role of branded real estate

The announcement follows the global roll‑out of Mercedes‑Benz Places: it launched first with the initial joint project with Binghatti, a 65‑storey residential tower in Downtown Dubai, now under development. It then expanded to Miami in collaboration with JDS Development Group, Mercedes‑Benz’s first U.S. real‑estate project, where construction is progressing and sales are active. Building on these projects, the continued collaboration with Binghatti evolves the concept from a single landmark to a connected district in Dubai, continuing to translate the Mercedes‑Benz design philosophy of Sensual Purity from automotive into architecture.

A “prime mover” in a Chop Shop Business Sentenced in Dayton, Ohio

 7 Years is not enough for this miscreant! The operation spanned Ohio, Kentucky Tennessee and Alabama. 

For more on this topic, see my book, Stealing Cars: Technology and Society from the Model T to Gran Torino.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/man-accused-of-running-dayton-chop-shop-multi-state-car-theft-ring-sentenced/K47WJ4WD4VFQTFBO2QONYV3Q3A/#

Significant Mercedes-Benz Anniversaries in 2026 (In German)

• 140 Jahre Innovation seit der Geburt des Automobils: Benz-Patent im Jahr 1886
• 130 Jahre Transport: 1896 erscheinen sowohl der erste Transporter wie auch der erste Lastwagen
• 100 Jahre Mercedes-Benz: 1926 fusionieren Benz & Cie. und die Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft
• 50 Jahre Premiere der Baureihe 123: Meilenstein in der Tradition der Mercedes-Benz E-Klasse
• 20 Jahre Mercedes-Benz Museum: beliebtes internationales Besuchsziel seit 2006

Mercedes-Benz Classic feiert 2026 zahlreiche Fahrzeugjubiläen sowie Jahrestage von Motorsporterfolgen und Unternehmensereignissen. Über diese und weitere Themen informieren das ganze Jahr über Presse-Informationen, die „Mercedes-Benz Classic Notizen“ und der „Mercedes-Benz Classic Motorsport-Newsletter“.

Informationen und Material zur gesamten Mercedes-Benz Historie bietet die Multimedia-Datenbank Classic M@RS. Sie ist hier zu finden: mercedes-benz-archive.com/mars/login/login.xhtml. Einfach registrieren und online in den umfangreichen Archivbeständen recherchieren

DER AUTOTEST -1971 Mercedes 350SL R107

Most R 107 fans consider the 1986-1989 560 SL as the most desirable models. However, I believe the early 350s with 4 speed transmissions to the best of the cars. True, these early cars do not have airbags, nor the most advanced KE-Jet fuel injection. But a manual transmission, European bumpers,  and less weight make this my choice.