Lights out, and away we go! With the return of Formula 1’s season at the Australian Grand Prix, spectators noticed a few changes in the competition. This year promises to change the automobilism universe like never before. The rules are different and the teams are new. Can too much change all together bring outrageous disadvantages to the sport?
20 cars in the grid? Wrong! 22!
The 2026 season started with a huge surprise during the 2025 season. After a decade, we stop recognizing only 10 teams in the grid, and start seeing 11 teams and 22 cars in the 24 races this year holds.
Not only the news of a new team in the grid, but a team that was bringing back two former F1 drivers: Sergio “Checo” Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Both drivers that once competed in grand teams like Red Bull Racing and Mercedes AMG Petronas were marked to come back and continue writing their history in the Formula 1 world in the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. According to the team: “Together, Bottas and Perez bring an unmatched blend of experience, leadership and technical acumen, positioning the Cadillac Formula 1® Team to hit the ground running as it joins the world’s most elite racing series. With more than 500 combined Grand Prix starts, over 100 podiums and deep development expertise, the pair will play a central role in shaping the team’s competitive foundation from day one.”
With the team’s debut in the Melbourne GP, the expectations were growing and apparently didn’t deliver what was expected. With Perez arriving at the 16th position in the grid, and Bottas DNF’ing, the new team started the season last position on the Constructors Championship, not making any points in the year’s first race.
Cadillac wasn’t the only new team joining the F1 grid for this new season. The once named Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber has now changed their whole identity, giving life to the Audi Formula 1 Team. Keeping their original pilot lineup, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, Audi was already able to score points in the first race of the season, with Bortoleto arriving at 9th, consolidating his best result in his F1 career, and managing to leave the team at 7th place in the constructors championship.
According to the Brazilian pilot, Audi is one of the biggest promises for motor construction inside Formula 1: “I can’t say when we’ll get there, but I can guarantee that we will. Whether it will be this year or next, I don’t know, but I have full confidence that we will be one of the leading engine manufacturers in the future.” Let’s see if the team will really deliver all the promises they are making until the end of the season.
New regulations
The new teams weren’t the only surprises of this season. A brand-new set of cars are about to emerge in the grid and enter Formula 1 history. Firstly, the new regulations contributed to a change in the cars dimensions, making them smaller and “safer”. Cars that once weighed 800kg are now weighing 778kg, almost 25 kg lighter. The changes in regulations aim to emphasize the electrical side of the hybrid system of the engine.
Since 2014 the Power Unit (PU) of the cars were 80% Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and 20% Electric Energy. With the new changes, the cars must contain a 50/50 percentage of power split. These changes were possible because of the complete elimination of the MGU-H (Heat Recovery System), and a total focus on the MGU-K (Kinetic Recovery System). The system recovers kinetic energy that is wasted during the brakings, converting it into electrical energy stored in the battery. Consequently, the power went from 120kW to 350kW. These changes aim to obtain a carbon-neutral car by 2030.
The exit of the MGU-H turned out making the turbocompressor depend entirely on the energy of the exhaust gases, creating the need for the pilots to accelerate longer before race start. As a solution for that problem, after the start of the season trainings, FIA implemented an extra 5 seconds before the traditional red lights go on. Those 5 seconds are marked by a blue light.
With new engines, comes new sets of wings. The onced new DRS’s are completely gone, substituted by the new Active Aerodynamics. Separated between Straight Mode and Corner Mode, the pair of wings are now allowed to be used in the entire race. The Straight Mode has the purpose to open flaps on front and tier wings so the air passes with less resistance, making the car faster, while the Corner Mode maintains the flaps closed, guaranteeing maximum and safe grip.
The Big 3: Boost, Overtake Mode and Recharge
Since the surprises never end, the new Formula 1 cars also have three new buttons, each one for a different occasion. The Boost is a type of power storage for the pilot. They can activate the mode to liberate energy such to defend or attack the position in the grid. “The boost could, in theory, either help them defend from a car behind or attack a car ahead providing they have saved enough charge.”
The Overtake Mode is the replacement for the DRS.“It’s a performance aid designed to deliver closer racing and boost overtaking opportunities. It can only be activated when a driver is within a second of the car in front at the detection point, which is nominally the final corner. It allows a driver to recharge an extra +0.5MJ (megajoules) and generate an additional electrical power profile to allow them to sustain a higher speed for a longer period”
On the other hand, the Recharge button makes it possible for the drivers to recover energy during the braking when part throttle or “supper clipping”, when at the finish of a straight, the car is still full throttle. “Most of the time, the Recharge will be automated by use of selectable Recharge maps and targets so braking, part throttle and super clip will all be automated functions controlled by the ECU.”
What do the drivers think about Formula 1’s new chapter?
After the first Grand Prix of the season, opinions have been charred, indecisively bouncing between good and bad reviews. The race was protagonized by the incredible amount of times Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell switch positions. In total, a race that used to contain 45 overtakes was marked with 125 in this year’s edition.
For the Mercedes team the car felt great. Race winner George Russell stated: “Everyone’s very quick to criticise things. You need to give it a shot, you know.{…} And I think we should give it a chance and see after a few more races.” As for the Mercedes prodigy Kimi Antonelli, “But I think today was much better than what we all anticipated, so I think, yeah we need to just wait a few more races before actually commenting on this new regulation.”
As for Charles Leclerc the race was difficult and most certainly different:“Before, it was more about who is the bravest at breaking the latest.{…} But it’s a different way to go about racing for sure.” As registered by F1TV the driver, during the race, made a joke on the radio comparing the new modes to the Nintendo Switch game: Mario Kart. “When I press the button, it looks like the mushroom from Mario Kart.”
Charles wasn’t the only one to make this comparison, the 4 time World Champion, Max Verstappen, also criticized the new modes and equated it to the videogame. When asked by RacingNews365 post-Australian Grand Prix, the driver answered: “Chaos. Honestly, I don’t really find the right words for it I think.We just want the best for the sport. It’s not that we are critical, just to be critical. We are critical for a reason. We want it to be Formula 1, you know, proper Formula 1 on steroids, but today, again, that was not the case.”
The most critical driver on the grid when asked about the new regulations was most definitely Lando Norris. After finishing 5th place, when answering the media, the current World Champion stated: “It’s chaos, you’re going to have a big accident, which is a shame that you’re just driving, and we’re the ones just waiting for something to happen and something to go quite horribly wrong. That’s not a nice position to be in. There’s nothing we can really do about that now”
The only driver that seemed genuinely satisfied with the new set of cars in the F1 was the 7 time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, who demonstrated his satisfaction post race. “You’d have to ask them. For me, I thought it was awesome. But again, they’re all further down the line. With 20 cars ahead of you, it may have seemed different, but in my position, I thought it was great.“
THE CHINESE GRAND PRIX
The Chinese Grand Prix, that took place March 15th was a new perspective on how Formula 1’s new chapter is going to develop during the 2026 season. Mercedes was once again the big winner of the weekend. After a great win for George Russell in Saturday’s Sprint Race, Kimi Antonelli stole the spotlight on Sunday, converting his pole position into his first victory in Formula 1. At just 19 years of age, Antonelli became the second youngest driver to be a Grand Prix winner, and the first Italian racer to win a Formula 1 race after 20 years. Finishing ahead of Russell, they were able to secure a 1-2 for the Mercedes team.
For the Ferrari driver, Lewis Hamilton, the race was incredible. The 105 races winner conquered his first pole-position since he changed teams and arrived at Ferrari. For his teammate, Charles Leclerc, who first stated his bad reviews for the new car, remarked that “I enjoy it and it doesn’t feel so artificial from inside the car”. Apparently the only two teams enjoying the new regulations are Mercedes and Ferrari, once other drivers and teams continued alleging that the driving is extremely artificial and the new modes aren’t as natural as it was before.
Max Verstappen was one of the drivers that are still criticizing the new rules, commenting that the ones that enjoy it truly don’t understand racing, or that the category is transforming into “Formula E on steroids”. For the current Constructors Champions McLaren team, things continue to be out of hand, once both drivers fail to start on the Chinese Grand Prix, not competing nor scoring any points.
How the war is affecting the 2026 Formula 1 season
Because of the escalating conflicts in the Middle East involving the United States, Iran and Israel, the Bahrein and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix were cancelled by FIA. For a matter of safety, the season will count with a five week “gap” during races. Both Grand Prixs that were taking place after the Japanese Grand Prix won’t occur on the planned date, making the season return only on May 3rd, in Miami.
Because of the escalating conflicts in the Middle East involving the United States, Iran and Israel, the Bahrein and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix were cancelled by FIA. For a matter of safety, the season will count with a five week “gap” during races. Both Grand Prixs that were taking place after the Japanese Grand Prix won’t occur on the planned date, making the season return only on May 3rd, in Miami.
The season that originally counted with 24 races downgraded for 22, not having a certainty that the cancelled races can happen at the end of this year. Through statement, Formula 1’s CEO, Stefano Domenicali stated: “This was a very difficult decision to make, but unfortunately, it’s the right decision at this time, especially when we consider the current situation in the Middle East.”
Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrein’s International Circuit Executive Chief demonstrated his agreement with FIA’s decision. “We fully support the decision by Formula 1, and we are grateful for them and to the FIA for their support and enduring partnership. We look forward to welcoming fans from all around the world back to Bahrain when F1 returns.” The same goes for HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, who stated: “Fans across the Kingdom were once again looking forward to the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah this April, but we understand the considerations behind this decision and remain close partnership with Formula 1”
It’s an extremely unfortunate situation for the sport, but definitely undeniable necessary for safety and protection, such for fans as well as for the drivers and crew members of the teams. We can’t normalize cancelling events because of war, the sport has the opportunity and the need to use this cancelling to bring recognition to such an important and present topic in current affairs.
Clearly, it’s too soon to form a straight and solid opinion about this new chapter in Formula 1’s history. Different doesn’t mean good or bad directly. There are still 20 races to go and a whole road ahead of us. Let’s see how the cars perform at the next stop at the Miami Grand Prix.
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The article above was edited by Camilly Vieira.
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