Formula 1 teams are gearing up for the first tests of the 2026 season, which include a closed test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in January and two tests at the Bahrain International Circuit in February.
They will need to ensure at least one car is fully operational to gather data before the first race in Australia in March, while also building up an inventory of parts to ensure there are no shortages and spares if needed on race weekends.
This is a key challenge ahead of the 2026 season, which was highlighted by Oracle Red Bull Racing chief engineer Paul Monaghan.
“It’s going to be quite a struggle to get to Barcelona,” explained Monaghan. “If you think we’re going to turn up with two versions of a top body – one is real and one is fake – no.
“If we get there in good shape and the car runs, fine. We’ve then got something to build upon, rather than trying to confuse ourselves with multiple options of it.”
Red Bull is among teams advertising for roles relating to car builds, with an opening for a Composite Assembly Technician that requires the candidate to “perform detailed trimming, bonding and assembling of components to the highest standards” and follow engineering drawings.
F1 cars take around five months to build from concept to real life, and of the 14,500 individual components, only a handful are standardised. With the sweeping new regulation changes for 2026, teams have been working on their cars as early as January last year.
Although parts shortages are uncommon in F1, the chances of it occurring at the start of a new regulation cycle are increased. Teams typically take enough parts to rebuild a car if needed, including spare chassis, bodywork, and power unit components.
If we get there in good shape and the car runs, fine. We’ve then got something to build upon, rather than trying to confuse ourselves with multiple options of it.
Paul Monaghan
These are tied to the cost cap, plus teams are also time-limited on race weekends, depending on the amount of damage caused.
The Atlassian Williams F1 Team suffered from a parts shortage after five major crashes in the space of 10 days in 2024, which included their crash-ridden MSC Cruises Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend.
Some teams revert cars to older specifications if drivers incur damage, as was the case with Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull last season following his big crash during qualifying for the AWS Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Things are complicated in 2026 as the start of the season takes place in Australia and China, where parts need to be shipped out weeks in advance. Teams are currently advertising for various roles relating to car assembly on the run-up to the new season.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team is currently advertising for a Composite Design Engineer, which involves working on “major composite projects that define race-day performance” under strict cost and time constraints.
TGR Haas F1 Team is also advertising for the same position at their Italy base, as well as a Senior Composite Design Engineer, which includes “design support for a variety of composite components and assemblies.”
Below are the job listings currently in F1 teams in car assembly:
Red Bull
Composite Assembly Technician
Project Engineer
Mercedes
Composite Design Engineer
Lead Composite Design Engineer
Scuderia Ferrari HP
Mechanical Supplier Quality Engineer
Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team
Mechanical Inspector
Mechanical Inspector Nights
Composites Inspector
Mechanical Inspector
Laminator
BWT Alpine F1 Team
Machinist (Weekend Days)
Machinist (Weekday Nights)
Haas
Composite Design Engineer
Senior Composite Design Engineer
Visa CashApp Racing Bulls F1 Team
Senior Suspension Design Engineer
Senior Stress Engineer
Cadillac
Senior Composite Design Engineer
Concept Design Engineer
Production Delivery Lead
Composite Designer
Senior Mechanical Designer
