A brand new and controversial components with main regulation modifications – and the same old dose of F1 politics hooked up. Two new producers groups on the grid, Honda’s recent begin with Aston Martin. Drivers with lots to show and expectations to verify.
There is no such thing as a scarcity of compelling storylines for F1 followers to comply with this season. Our journalists decide those they’re most intrigued to look at unfold.
Phantasm or delusion? The possibilities of a four-way struggle
I do know, I do know. The possibilities of Mercedes, Ferrari, Purple Bull and McLaren all converging to an identical efficiency degree instantly after a recent laws overhaul is…optimistic. However to this point, we have now but to see clear indicators that it will not be potential, and we additionally have not seen any concrete proof of a brand new Brawn GP situation with one staff using off into the sundown. The one caveat is Mercedes, which some rivals suspect is using so many sandbags it may very well be tapped as much as assist out with flood reduction.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photograph by: Steven Tee / LAT Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
The 4 groups in query have wasted few alternatives to raise one another right into a pre-season favorite position. Mercedes got here out of the gates swinging, however final week it pointed to Purple Bull’s excellent vitality deployment, just for Purple Bull to label itself the fourth-fastest staff the very subsequent day. McLaren chief Andrea Stella will not be recognized for actively deceptive folks over his staff’s efficiency, and he positioned Ferrari on a par with Mercedes and forward of McLaren and Purple Bull.
What makes all this extra fascinating is that the character of the 2026 energy models, whereas a lot maligned proper now, may provide loads of alternative for extra track-to-track variance. Is Ferrari’s reportedly smaller turbo serving to it in some circuits and hurting it in others? Are groups who’re struggling to reap as a lot as their friends going to be stronger at locations like Monaco and Singapore, the place vitality will not be a limiting issue? Will circuits like Jeddah, Baku and Monza be so excessive that deployment trumps outright chassis efficiency?
Naive? Possibly. Because the fog of struggle will get lifted over the second Bahrain take a look at and into Melbourne, we could but get some solutions that can shatter this phantasm of a four-way struggle. However proper now, this era is the probably the most thrilling components of being a System 1 fan. The not-knowing.
– Fil Cleeren
Russell with a title favorite tag
For the second yr in a row, an F1 season begins with, on paper, a driver and not using a championship on his CV because the title favorite. Lando Norris crumbled below that stress at instances final yr and virtually let the chance slip, regardless of McLaren’s dominant kind early within the season and a comparatively inexperienced team-mate as his foremost contender. But he ultimately managed to get his act collectively and withstood the late problem from Max Verstappen. Nonetheless, you’d assume Norris made the duty a lot more durable for himself with some unforced errors at first of the marketing campaign.
George Russell, Mercedes W17
Photograph by: Mercedes AMG
George Russell’s favorite tag nonetheless must be confirmed – as a result of regardless of all of the pre-season hypothesis, Mercedes first has to show it deserves that standing too. Russell’s efficiency final yr suggests he should not have any points on the execution facet, however having one of the best automobile on the grid comes with a price ticket of added stress.
Can he deal with that?
– Oleg Karpov
Finish of the street for Hamilton and Alonso?
The 2026 season may mark the tip of the street for Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The 2 world champions have crossed paths a number of instances over time, although their careers have adopted very completely different instructions. Their exits from System 1 could come on the identical time — however for very completely different causes.
If Alonso does resolve to name it a day, it’s prone to be right down to one more technical setback from the staff he selected to again — one thing that has develop into a well-recognized story in latest seasons. Questionable selections have adopted him deep into his forties, and along with his forty fifth birthday approaching, time is not on his facet. Even for somebody as pushed as Alonso, the clock doesn’t cease.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Photograph by: Andy Hone/ LAT Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
Hamilton’s state of affairs seems very completely different. Lewis is coming off a 2025 season during which he was clearly outperformed by Charles Leclerc. The staff pointed to the problem of adapting to a totally new setting as a key issue behind the efficiency hole. That clarification is not going to carry the identical weight this time round.
With a brand new technology of vehicles arriving, each driver will successfully be ranging from scratch. By now, Hamilton is anticipated to really feel totally settled in Maranello and able to ship.
For Hamilton, 2026 is big. A revival in crimson can be an ideal fairytale chapter in an already outstanding profession. If it doesn’t occur, nevertheless, it may flip right into a troublesome final dance – nonetheless deserving of respect, however removed from the ending he would have wished.
– Roberto Chinchero
F1’s excessive improvement price behind the scenes
The primary indicators in regards to the new laws haven’t been equally constructive from all drivers. Reactions have ranged from “System E on steroids” to Fernando Alonso joking that even a chef may drive the automobile. It stays to be seen what sort of racing we are going to get, however one factor is evident: the speed of improvement will probably be extraordinarily excessive.
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Group
Photograph by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
And though the pure racing could not be ‘peak F1’, in response to Alonso, this side nonetheless very a lot represents ‘peak F1’. No matter how good or unhealthy the laws turn into, the event curve of groups below a brand new ruleset stays extraordinarily spectacular. In 2026, that applies on many fronts: not solely aerodynamics, but additionally the facility unit and vitality administration.
Groups will collectively be taught to get a greater grip on vitality administration, whereas on the aero entrance they’re all “shameless plagiarists”, as Alpine’s Steve Nielsen put it. It’s significantly fascinating for tech fanatics, very similar to the gradual convergence in sidepod ideas from 2022 onwards.
There’s as soon as once more lots to select from this yr: Newey’s excessive design, the distinctive Audi sidepods, Purple Bull – and little question extra rabbits will probably be pulled out of the hat earlier than Melbourne. What works and what doesn’t? For tech fanatics, it is going to be an intriguing yr in any case.
– Ronald Vording
Will Cadillac’s moonshot break freed from Earth’s orbit?
As the primary genuinely new entrant in a decade, with the backing of one of many world’s most influential carmakers, Common Motors, Cadillac is about to seize loads of consideration when the 2026 season begins in Melbourne. Followers, rivals and media alike will probably be watching intently to see what the staff is able to.
Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Photograph by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
Cadillac has even framed the problem forward as akin to reaching the Moon, drawing inspiration from US President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 “We select to go to the Moon” speech for its automobile’s livery reveal.
Contemplating that Apollo 11 didn’t land on the Moon till 1969, and that america’ moonshot started nicely earlier than JFK’s deal with, the magnitude of the duty going through Cadillac – and its ambition to achieve the head of System 1 – is hanging.
It’s clear the staff is enjoying the lengthy recreation, and Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss has said that specializing in factors in ’26 can be “each arbitrary and symbolize short-term considering”. In fact, success this yr alone is not going to outline its journey, however it is going to be fascinating to see whether or not Cadillac has really damaged freed from Earth orbit…
– Federico Faturos
Who has achieved a greater job forward of the season?
A few of these vehicles aren’t like the opposite ones.
It’s develop into a cliché in motor racing, however no much less true for being oft-repeated, that when the flag drops, the bullshit stops.
From the very first set up laps in the course of the Barcelona ‘shakedown week’, some followers have been asking what the pecking order of the groups could be. For his or her half the opponents have been desperately attempting to keep away from giving freely their secrets and techniques, improvements, and hard-fought benefits… whereas sowing innuendo that their rivals are doing so significantly better than them, or are in some way dishonest.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photograph by: Steven Tee / LAT Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
A lot of that can conclude once we get to Australia, the racing begins in earnest, and we see who has what. Sure, it’s a sequence of lights going out somewhat than a flag dropping, however the you-know-what will definitely cease.
– Stuart Codling
Will Aston Martin ship on expectations at any level this yr?
The perfect designer in trendy F1 historical past, all the cash on the earth, probably the most superior services and infrastructure, an engine producer that turns them right into a works staff and is aware of what it takes to win (even just lately), the most important oil firm on the earth as a accomplice, and a two-time F1 world champion driver. What may presumably go mistaken?
The 2026 season, with new aerodynamic and engine laws, has not began the best way Aston Martin – or the world – anticipated, and the query is whether or not a restoration is feasible.
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Photograph by: Peter Fox / Getty Pictures
With Adrian Newey on board, there’s justified hope that the aerodynamic points will probably be resolved, however the brand new Honda engine is probably not prepared till, on the earliest — and because of the ADUO system — a number of races into the season. Fernando Alonso has expressed actual confidence that the second half of the season will probably be higher for Aston, and that they could ultimately even have one of the best automobile.
Due to this fact, the massive query for the 2026 season is whether or not the Silverstone-based staff can obtain a comeback just like McLaren’s in 2023 (which Alonso additionally referenced), or whether or not the good alternative introduced by the primary yr of such a serious regulation change will finally be misplaced.
– Jose Carlos de Celis
F1 2026 will see one of the best model of Norris
Changing into System 1 world champion must be the making of Lando Norris. It might sound unusual to say given he’s already achieved his childhood dream, however to many, that was an underwhelming title marketing campaign.
They are saying he made more durable work of it than he ought to have, Max Verstappen was undoubtedly the stronger driver and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri successfully handed it to Norris in the course of the remaining third.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photograph by: Mario Renzi – System 1 – Getty Pictures
However to provide Norris his credit score, there have been instances when he stored his cool and delivered within the high-pressure moments when wanted – in Mexico, he was unstoppable – and that went towards any prior repute the 26-year-old had constructed up. That he lacks the psychological capability to develop into champion.
He has confirmed that he does, and Norris heads into this season trying like a person who has an enormous weight lifted off his shoulders. This author has been extremely impressed by his calmness in media classes this yr, and there’s no doubt 2026 will see one of the best model of him now that the stress is barely off.
The one query is: will Piastri sustain? As a result of that was a dangerous option to lose the title battle.
– Ed Hardy
Hadjar and Purple Bull’s second-seat curse
For fairly a while now, the second Purple Bull seat has been surrounded by a particular aura. Some speak of a “curse”, whereas others merely level out that it isn’t simple to exist alongside one of many biggest drivers of his technology in a staff constructed round him.
Isack Hadjar arrives with this preliminary burden on his shoulders, as others earlier than him have failed, typically spectacularly. What’s extra, the Frenchman joins Purple Bull with little expertise in F1, having simply accomplished his rookie yr.
It was actually a really fascinating season, marked by a podium, however one that also must be confirmed, which is all the time a troublesome process. This affirmation will subsequently have to come back each within the shadow of – and within the highlight surrounding – Max Verstappen.
Isack Hadjar, Purple Bull Racing
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / System 1 by way of Getty Pictures
Nonetheless, it is troublesome to outline expectations, as regulation modifications and the problem of the Purple Bull Ford engine are sufficient to reshuffle the deck and blur the Austrian staff’s goals and our expectations…
That is undoubtedly the place Hadjar’s alternative lies: in arriving with a recent perspective in a staff that’s altering, at a time when all drivers, even one of the best, have to assessment their “inside software program”. That is undoubtedly his greatest probability to keep away from the destiny of his predecessors.
– Fabien Gaillard
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