By Max Drinkwater
F1 is back!
F1 is set to enter a new era this weekend with the first Grand Prix of the 2026 season. The biggest set of technical changes the sport has ever seen paired with a track that entices action and we have all the ingredients for a perfect season opener.
A new dawn and a new day
The Albert Park circuit will host the opening round of the 2026 season this weekend. The Australian Grand Prix is no stranger to opening the Formula 1 calendar and has seen some fantastic Grand Prix in years gone by none more than last years chaotic opener. The 5.278 km circuit will see the drivers take battle over 58 laps come Sundays Grand Prix.
This year sees a new look to the grid with eleven teams taking to the track for the first time since 2016 with new comers Cadillac set to take part in their first Grand Prix. Audi also will race their first Grand Prix under the German outfit’s name after switching from the Sauber name for 2026. But what does another team change to the Grand Prix weekend?
Qualifying Shake up
The Saturday qualifying session is the only session that changes due to the addition of another team and the change is one older F1 fans are familiar with. Instead of the usual five drivers eliminated in Q1 and then five more in Q2 with their being two extra cars Q1 will see cars 22nd to 17th eliminated and then 16th to 11th eliminated in Q2. So not a major change but still good to know so you don’t get an early morning panic seeing your favourite driver towards the drop zone.
The weekend picture
Last years Grand Prix was an absolute barn stormer mainly due to the wet and wild conditions mixed with a field heavy with rookies but don’t expect that this year. The weather forecast is painting a much clearer picture mirroring what teams faced in the most recent testing session in Bahrain.
Whilst this will provide cleaner racing and less disruption it could also be an early test for the teams power units to see how they cope at temperature under race conditions, so don’t count out early reliability issues even more so with it being a new engine regulation.
Who could be at the front?
Many point to testing front runners Mercedes and Ferrari to be the pace setters in Melbourne and it’s hard to argue against that so expect both teams fighting for top spot. Other than that Red Bull are expected to be towards the front but lacking in pace and McLaren will likely still be a strong package.
Who could struggle?
Aston Martin come into the weekend likely to not complete full race distance due to technical issues and driver safety. Both drivers have come out and said they won’t complete more than 25 laps with Fernando Alonso saying anymore laps than that and he risks permanent nerve damage to his hands due to the immense vibrations from his car.
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