Is the new Gen4 the most powerful single-seater?
Shift Happens #5 | Weekly pivots where motorsport collides with tech and culture.
Thank you for being here. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to Idée Fixe, the newsletter for curious minds. I’m Toni Cowan-Brown, a tech and F1 commentator. I’m a former tech executive who has spent the past five years on the floor of way too many F1, FE, and WEC team garages, learning about the business, politics, and technology of motorsports.
⏳ Reading time: 5 minutes
Shift Happens, weekly pivots where motorsport collides with tech and culture. Essentially, a roundup of the headlines in and around motorsport you should be aware of. I’m introducing this alongside my weekly deep dives. I hope you enjoy this new curated format.
The lead lap
First of all, the fact that I am writing and pressed publish on this newsletter from my Qatar Airways flight without any issues whatsoever is wild to me - impressive doesn’t even begin to explain my delight. I’m on my way to the Autonomous Racing League race in Abu Dhabi this weekend - a trip I’ve been waiting to do for over a year.
Formula E unveiled last week its groundbreaking Gen4 race car, set to debut in the 2026/27 season, and it represents the most significant leap forward in the championship’s history. Before we go into just how insane this new car is, let’s focus on the stark new look and design. It looks a lot more like an F1 car - wider, longer and overall bigger. The Gen4 delivers 50 percent more power than the current Gen3 Evo machine, with 600kW (equivalent to 815 horsepower) available in Attack Mode and qualifying, increasing to 700kW with regenerative braking. Speak to any driver who’s sat behind the wheel of this car and you can hear the joy and delight in their voice as they describe the sensation to you. This is a dramatic jump from the current generation, which maxes out at 400kW. To put this in perspective, Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds has indicated that qualifying laps could be around five seconds faster than with the current cars.
What makes the Gen4 particularly exciting is its permanent all-wheel drive system -Formula E is going all-wheel drive with the front motor activated during the full race, another feature that got FE drivers excited and talking already last year. The car also features an active differential and enhanced aerodynamics with two distinct configurations: high downforce for qualifying and low downforce for race conditions. The battery capacity has been increased to 55 kWh - 43 percent more than in the Gen3 cars - and the cars can harvest as much as 700 kW of power using regenerative braking, with up to 40 percent of electrical energy used during a race supplied by the regen system.
Beyond pure performance, the Gen4 represents a major step forward in road relevance and sustainability. The car is designed to be more road-relevant than any previous Formula E car, serving as an ideal testbed for manufacturers looking to develop EV technology for their road-going products. This feels important as some big names have recently left the championship. From an environmental standpoint, the construction of the Gen4 features 100% recyclable materials, making it the world’s most sustainable motorsport race car. With manufacturers like Porsche, Nissan, Stellantis, Jaguar, and Lola already committed to developing their powertrains for the new platform, the Gen4 promises to deliver both spectacular racing and meaningful technological advancement for the electric vehicle industry. I for one, am excited what this means for the championship and the on-track battles.
The number of the week
22 drivers and 11 teams for 2026. This is just your friendly reminder that we will have 22 drivers on the F1 grid next year and this is going to bring about lot sof tiny logiticla changes and hiccups alongs the way. We already barely have room in Monaco for the existing 10 teams and 20 drivers, so I’m excited to see how things will be updated/shifted for next year.
Three stories that need to be on your radar
I cannot believe Heineken actually went and did this. For years, I’ve been frustrated by Heineken’s lack of storytelling in Formula 1. They sold the drink, not the dream. But this time… they nailed it. F1 just announced that Heineken is extending and expanding its global partnership after nearly a decade together, and they’re putting fans at the heart of it. They’ve launched something called Heineken Star Fans, a campaign celebrating the best fans across the season with an online content series and… wait for it…the world’s first F1 Season Ticket.
One fan (plus a guest) will get access to every Grand Prix on the calendar - travel and accommodation included. And the first ticket holder? Brandon Burgess - an everyday legend on a mission to attend all 24 races in 2025 while juggling a full-time job. It’s genius. A campaign that doesn’t just promote a product - it celebrates what makes this sport so addictive: connection and the thrill of seeing an F1 race up-close. As Heineken points out - his journey reflects something every F1 fan understands - that the sport is more than a competition; it’s connection.
Apple’s ambitious move into sports streaming is gaining momentum. Their 10-year, $2.5 billion MLS partnership has eliminated blackouts and introduced innovative features, positioning Apple as a serious disruptor in sports media. As we’ve spoken about here before, the tech giant’s interest in Formula 1 isn’t subtle - they backed the Brad Pitt F1 film that grossed over $629 million and they’ve recently acquired the broadcast rights for the US. Interestingly, MLS executives point to F1’s hybrid model as ideal: maintaining traditional TV presence while offering a premium streaming option without blackout restrictions. This approach has proven more successful than MLS’s near-exclusive streaming strategy. Apple’s proven willingness to invest heavily in sports content and their philosophy of fixing broken broadcast experiences (multiple subscriptions, blackouts, travel access issues) makes them a potential game-changer for how we watch sports in the future.
Barilla’s Formula 1 sponsorship perfectly illustrates how geopolitics can blindside even the most carefully planned global marketing strategies. Now this is certainly a niche story and maybe it’s top of mind solely because I just worked with them in Austin. The Italian pasta giant became F1’s official partner in April 2025 through a multi-year deal that included trackside signage, pasta bars in the paddock, and activations at races across the globe - a clear signal of their ambition to leverage F1’s massive American audience, given that the US accounts for nearly 30% of F1’s series-wide sponsorship deals. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Just months after Barilla invested in F1 to penetrate the lucrative American market, the US Commerce Department hit 13 major Italian pasta exporters with a combined 107% tariff - a 91.74% anti-dumping duty stacked on top of Trump’s existing 15% EU tariff - which could take effect in January 2026. The tariffs affect roughly 50% of Italy’s $780 million in annual pasta exports to the United States and Italian producers are warning they may stop selling to the U.S. market entirely, potentially triggering pasta shortages. There is. silver lining, much of Barilla’s pasta output in North America is manufactured in the US which may insulate the brand somewhat.
One video worth your time
World Rally definitely doesn’t get the love or respect it deserves. I’ve set myself a goal of attending at least on rally race next year and I think I may have decided which one that will be. Stay tuned.
One [event] that caught my eye
I was invited by the Petersen Museum and Alfa Romeo to join their inaugural California rally, and it was truly unforgettable. Not only because the US Alfa Romeo team graciously provided me with a Giulia Quadrifoglio for the day - more on that in a moment - but because I had the privilege of hosting a panel with some extraordinary women who are transforming the industry for the better. There’s something magical about rallies like these: the sense of community, the camaraderie, and the pure thrill of pushing yourself behind the wheel of new and different cars. As for the Alfa Romeo Giulia? She’s absolutely spectacular, with a captivating split personality. She’s simultaneously the perfect daily driver and an exhilarating, powerful machine in dynamic and race mode where her twin turbo V6 really shines. Thank you again to both Alfa Romeo and the Petersen Museum for bringing us all together.