2025 vs 2026: The Big Team Check After the First Four Races | Part 1 of 6

Four races have been completed, the spring break has arrived – and that makes it the perfect time for a first real assessment. In our big team check, we compare each team’s development to where they stood in 2025. In Part 1, however, we first turn our attention to two of the new names on the grid: VEGA and Horizon Motorsport.

VEGA: The strong newcomer still waiting for that first win

What VEGA have delivered in the opening four races deserves the highest respect. 58 points, four podiums and second place in the championship – for a new team, that is no longer just a pleasant surprise, it is a real statement. VEGA do not look like a newcomer still trying to find their feet. They look like a team that understood from day one what it takes to run at the front in VFC.

What is especially impressive is the way those results have been achieved. Five top-five finishes and six top-10 results point to a team that delivers week after week. No wild swings, no complete rollercoaster, just consistently strong performance. That is exactly what defines top teams, and it is precisely why VEGA are far more than just an early-season surprise.

And yet there is still that one final step missing. The first win has not arrived yet. VEGA have come close, very close on more than one occasion, but in the end they are still missing that one decisive moment that turns a strong top team into a genuine winner. That is exactly what makes their current position so fascinating: VEGA have already proved that everything is there. Pace, structure, consistency, presence – the foundation for a major breakthrough is already in place.

That is why this team may become even more dangerous in the coming weeks. If VEGA manage to crown their already impressive foundation with a first race win, the step from outstanding newcomer to serious title contender will be complete.

Horizon Motorsport: Raw, explosive – and already showing winner’s credentials

Horizon Motorsport are telling a slightly different story after the first four races. 36 points, third in the championship, one win, a best race result of P1 and pole positions to go with it – this is not a quiet arrival, this is an entrance with real impact. Horizon may not have VEGA’s stability yet, but they have already shown something that may be just as valuable: genuine race-winning ability.

This team have already proved that, on a good weekend, they can do far more than simply keep up – they can beat the field. That is what separates Horizon from many other new projects. A win does not happen by accident. A pole position does not happen by accident. It takes substance, courage and the ability to deliver when it matters most. Horizon have already shown all of that in flashes during the opening four races.

But that is also where the other side of their start comes in. As strong as the highlights have been, the numbers also show that not every weekend has come together cleanly. Three top-five finishes and four top-10 results are strong, but they are not yet at VEGA’s level of consistency. On top of that, two DNFs have stopped Horizon from sitting even closer to the front in the standings. So even at this early stage, both sides are visible: the enormous potential and the areas where this project still looks a little more raw than its fellow newcomer.

Yet that is exactly what makes Horizon so interesting. Right now, this team are not living off flawless routine, but off real punch. When everything clicks, Horizon are immediately at the front. And if they can turn that explosiveness into greater consistency, this strong new team could very quickly become a permanent winner.

Two new teams, two clear signals

After four races, one early conclusion is already clear: VEGA currently look like the more mature and more consistent overall package. Horizon Motorsport, on the other hand, look like the more unpredictable team, perhaps with a wider spread in performance, but with equally huge potential. VEGA are closer to becoming a permanently established front-running force, while Horizon have already proved that a major result is always within reach.

For VFC, that is a very positive development. Both teams have shown in a very short time that they are not here simply to fill out the field, but to shape it. VEGA are doing it with consistency and composure, Horizon with courage and peak performance. And that is exactly why these two new names are already far more than just a footnote – they are a genuine factor in the 2026 season.