Formula 1 is finally back this weekend as the Australian Grand Prix will kickstart the 2026 campaign, which introduces widespread regulation changes.
The new chassis are approximately 32kg lighter with significantly less downforce, while the power unit is more reliant on electrical energy with a near-50:50 split against the internal combustion engine.
Such drastic changes, arguably the biggest in F1 history, therefore, make the 2025 pecking order redundant and presents the opportunity for many to start from scratch – some may need that more than others.
It is also an estimation game as to who comes out on top in Melbourne, with nine days of testing across Barcelona and Bahrain offering the only information fans have to go off when it comes to picking the pecking order.
But everything should finally become clearer this weekend, so here are five things to look out for at the Australian Grand Prix.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team, Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
First chance to properly assess the F1 2026 regulations – Ed Hardy
There has been a lot of controversy around the 2026 regulations given how much more technical they are than before, plus how the power unit features more electrical energy. This has led to talk about drivers having to downshift on straights to preserve battery, lift and coast into corners and rev their engines for longer to spool up the turbo for race starts.
Max Verstappen certainly isn’t a fan, slamming the new rules as “Formula E on steroids”, while Lando Norris had the opposing view, claiming the 2026 machines are “a lot of fun”. But quite frankly, proper assessments of the new regulations and whether they’re better for F1 or not can only be given from this weekend onwards, as the new cars have not been seen in race trim yet – or even quali.
It is only from Melbourne that we will be able to see what the racing is actually like, and whether it backs up a suggestion from Norris that wheel-to-wheel combats will be “more chaotic”, with drivers “yo-yoing” due to the different technical aids and active aerodynamics.
There is also the suggestion by some that overtakes will occur in locations not witnessed before due to battery harvesting but, again, only in Melbourne will this potentially come to light.
It will also be interesting to see how drivers do harvest their battery, particularly at Albert Park which has been dubbed as an ‘energy-poor’ circuit. This is because it is harder to recuperate energy at the venue due to its high-speed corners, so efficient harvesting will be key for success.
George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Sona Maleterova / Getty Images
Will Mercedes, led by George Russell, deliver on promise? – Ed Hardy
The bookmakers’ favourite for the 2026 F1 constructors’ title is Mercedes with its star George Russell leading the drivers’ odds, something that has been the case since before the Barcelona shakedown even began.
In large part that was because of how Mercedes dominated the last engine switch in 2014 when it went on to win the next eight championships and the German marque continued its tag of having the best power unit through the ground effect era – even if its factory team didn’t claim any titles.
A lot of that was only talk for 2026, however, without having seen cars on track – but then Mercedes duly delivered in testing. The way it was able to complete its long run programme was impressive, with Kimi Antonelli comfortably logging times in the 1m36s-1m37s bracket on C3s in Bahrain; the Italian teen having also conducted a full race sim on only day two of Barcelona.
So, the early signs are positive, but now is the time for Mercedes to deliver – especially Russell, who must feel the most confident he’s ever been for an F1 title push. It shouldn’t come easy though, because while Mercedes impressed with its long runs, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the quickest lap time of Bahrain testing.
It’ll therefore be interesting to see if the Scuderia does have that edge over the course of one lap, considering Mercedes never really pushed its W17 to the very limit on low fuel. So, in other words, it was sandbagging, but to what extent?
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Ferrari
How will Lewis Hamilton fare with the 2026 F1 cars? – Ed Hardy
If Ferrari does give Leclerc a car that is capable of challenging for the title, there is no doubt that the 28-year-old can contend for his maiden title. The questions, however, linger around the Italian outfit’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who endured an incredibly disappointing debut campaign with Ferrari last year.
The Briton finished sixth in the championship, 86 points behind Leclerc and without a grand prix win to cap off a torrid four years of racing ground-effect cars. Now aged 41, the prospect of retirement is ever-present and if things don’t improve for him in 2026, there is a good chance that he could ride off into the sunset.
But the off-season saw a rejuvenated Hamilton, who claimed “I generally feel in the best place that I’ve been in a long, long time”, adding that “this is a car that I’ve been able to be a part of developing on the simulator for the last 10 months, eight months, and so like a bit of my DNA is within it”.
He isn’t the only one to believe in himself for this new era, with Williams driver Alex Albon picking out the world champion as somebody these lighter cars could favour.
It’s one thing saying all this though, but another is actually delivering and this weekend should give a good indication as to which Hamilton F1 will see in 2026: the one of recent years, or the one who established himself as a legend?
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
How much running will Aston Martin actually do? – Ben Vinel
Going into the 2026 season opener, Aston Martin is in deep, deep trouble.
Lawrence Stroll’s outfit gave up on Mercedes powertrains to get a works deal with Honda, but the Japanese manufacturer’s new power unit has serious issues as vibrations from the internal combustion engine are causing the battery to repeatedly fail.
As a consequence, the AMR26 has covered just 2,115km in pre-season testing – the least of all teams. Cadillac is closest on 3,935km, with Mercedes the benchmark on 6,202km. Performance-wise, the Adrian Newey-designed machine was slowest of all, a whopping four seconds off the pace.
Honda has openly been self-critical about its new powertrain’s flaws, but the situation is so dire that the manufacturer is lacking spare parts following several failures in pre-season testing, and Aston Martin considered skipping the Australian Grand Prix by invoking force majeure.
In the end, the team will be in Melbourne, but it is already expecting to struggle in practice and not to finish the race. It will be a remarkably steep learning curve back to the midfield – let alone the owner’s loftier ambitions.
Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Two huge car manufacturers to make their F1 debuts – Ed Hardy
For a very long time F1 fans were hankering for an 11th team to enter the championship, with 20 spots not deemed enough to have all the world’s best drivers in one series. Whether that’s now the case or not is a separate debate, but the time has finally come for Cadillac to make its debut after its entry was formally approved in March 2025.
Not a lot is expected of the American outfit though, which’ll probably be in a battle against Aston Martin to avoid the wooden spoon, but it is still a landmark moment as Cadillac progresses towards its factory project from 2029.
The key early on is to enjoy solid reliability, ensuring that it looks like a constructor that is capable of adding to the championship, rather than repeating the unfortunate events of the early 2010s when the likes of HRT, Virgin and Lotus (not the original) entered F1. That is especially important after it didn’t enjoy the smoothest of testing programmes, completing relatively low mileage with mechanical issues striking pretty much every day.
It can only improve from here, but one small step at a time. So, for Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez to not be too far off the pace in Melbourne while completing a solid portion of the race would be a good start. But Cadillac isn’t the only manufacturer making its F1 debut in Australia, as German giant Audi will do so after completing a takeover of the historic Sauber squad.
More is expected of Audi considering it still largely boasts the same personnel and facilities that Sauber did, plus is enjoying continuity of the Nico Hulkenberg-Gabriel Bortoleto pairing which powered the Swiss outfit to 70 points in 2025. Both drivers reaching Q2 at Albert Park would be an encouraging start.
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