We’re just under a month away until it’s lights out and away we go in Melbourne. We have one new team, one new driver, and one new season of intrigue as the 2026 Formula one season begins. 2026 marks the biggest reset in 14 years. There are major regulation changes, car structure changes, and an 11th team joining the grid. Here’s everything you need to know in the 2026 F1 season preview.
Explaining Formula 1’s new regulations
F1 cars are undergoing major changes this year. The cars are smaller, lighter, and more nimble, which should make for better racing. Here’s what you need to know.
Power Unit changes
Before this year, F1 cars ran an 80/20 combustion-to-electric hybrid system. This year, it has become a nearly 50/50 split. This means that the electric portion jumps to produce 32kW of energy, while the combustion engine drops to about 400 kW. The total power production is over 1000 horsepower.
Electric motors regenerate energy through breaking, and drivers will do this through under-braking, lifting-and-coasting, and other means. This forces drivers to manage their energy supplies through the race.
Goodbye DRS
Instead of the DRS system, drivers will have a system called Active Aero. In this system, drivers can open and close both front and rear wing flaps to increase speed. This will be available in designated areas, and it works regardless of whether a driver is within one second of the car in front of them.
This system reduces drag and decreases electric usage in the new system.
Overtaking mode and boost mode
When drivers enter a detection point within one second of the car in front of them, they get an extra 0.5MJ of energy to use the following lap. They can spend it all in one go, allowing them to his up to 337 km/h or use it over the course of the lap. The typical F1 speed tops out at around 290km/h.
Boost mode, meanwhile, gives all drivers the ability to toggle their battery to attack or defend, but this works if they manage their battery well and can deploy it effectively. This is going to be a learning curve for all drivers.
2026 Formula one car size and speed
Cars are going to be smaller and faster this year, which should make for more overtaking in 2026. The wheelbase decreases by 200 mm while the width is down 100 mms. Cars are 30 kg lighter in 2026 than in 2025, and the ground effects tunnel that made Mercedes so effective is now removed entirely.
This is going to be a big adjustment for engineers and drivers as they get used to the new system.
The 2026 Formula one Calendar
24 races are on the calendar for 2026, with nine races in Europe, six in the Americas, four in the Middle East, four across the rest of Asia, and, of course, opening in Australia at Albert Park.
Once again, Africa is the only continent without an F1 race this year.
For fans in North America, this is actually a very good year to watch the sport. We broke down the best and worst race times here.
Six of the 24 races will host a Sprint Race this year, with China, Miami, COTA in Austin, Qatar, Belgium, and Brazil being tapped to host the speed race.
Fans of F1 Academy, Formula 1’s all-female series, will see the 14 races over seven weekends this season. This year’s races will take place in China, Jeddah, Montreal, Silverstone, Zandvoort, COTA, and finally in Las Vegas for the finale. There will be a new champion in F1 Academy, now that Doriane Pin has completed her two years in the championship.
Predicting the 2026 team standings
It’s always hard to predict the standings with little data, but let’s give it a shot. What would an F1 season preview be without 2026 rankings of course! Here’s what we think will happen in the 2026 season:
P1: Mercedes
Two strong drivers in George Russell and Kimi Antonelli should push Mercedes to the top of the grid. Their car should not only be fast, but start faster than others on the grid. Put together, they will be top of the grid.
P2:McLaren
While they do have arguably the best duo on the grid, I feel that their car will struggle off the start as they transition to the new engine. Their driver talent will keep them competitive, but will force them to second.
P3: Red Bull
Another year of Verstappen dominance will push them up to third, but Hadjar’s first year in the new car, mixed with a new Ford engine, raises questions of reliability. Verstappen will power through, but Hadjar’s struggles will push them down to third.
P4: Ferrari
It’s Ferrari. They will invariably mess it up and fall to fourth. Even if Hamilton returns to form, it’s hard to see Ferrari doing any better.
P5: Williams
The 5–6 spot is going to be one of Williams and Aston Martin, but I think Williams sneaks in just ahead. They missed Barcelona testing, but their driver pairing showed their potential last season. It will take them a couple of races, but their curve back to the top of the midfield will come quickly.
P6: Aston Martin
Testing has been a disaster for Aston Martin, but you have to trust Adrian Newey will figure it out. There is too much engineering talent not to get back to the top of the midfield. They will take longer than Williams to get there, but once they do, they’ll push up the grid quickly. Naturally, it will be Alonso leading the way.
P7: Audi
Sauber quietly put up relatively good qualifying times at the end of last season, but managed to mess it up in the race. Radical new changes, new money, but the same two drivers should lead them to the middle of the midfield.
P8: Racing Bulls
It’s hard to know what to make of Arvid Lindblad, but if he and Liam Lawson can get used to the car, they could be even higher. There are just too many what-ifs with both drivers and Hadjar’s future at Red Bull to put them any higher.
P9: Haas
Ollie Bearman makes the most of this car, but it will struggle as the season wears on. Esteban Ocon will be fine as well, but it’s hard to see this car, even with the Ferrari engine, punching above Racing Bulls.
P10: Cadillac
Despite a flashy livery reveal, the car is likely to struggle hard to start the year. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas can make the most of it, but they won’t be able to overcome everything. A tenth-place finish is honestly decent for the newcomers.
P11: Alpine
Early signs are positive at Alpine, but it’s also Alpine. Neither driver inspires much confidence, and even if the car is reliable, it’s hard to see them finishing better than the bottom of the grid.
| Team order | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes |
| 2 | McLaren |
| 3 | Red Bull |
| 4 | Ferrari |
| 5 | Williams |
| 6 | Aston Martin |
| 7 | Audi |
| 8 | Racing Bulls |
| 9 | Haas |
| 10 | Cadillac |
| 11 | Alpine |
The 2026 top-10 drivers predicted:
While our preseason power ranking model has Max Verstappen running away in first place, here’s how we think the season will end:
P1: George Russell
This feels like Russell’s year. The British driver has both the technical skill and the car to be able to pull his way into first in the World Drivers’ Championship.
P2: Max Verstappen
Of course, for Russell to win his first WDC, he will have to beat Max Verstappen. Red Bull is always a threat, but with questions around the car, Verstappen fights his way to second but no further this season.
P3: Lando Norris
Norris had an outstanding 2025 season, but was highly inconsistent. Papaya rules and challenges within the team cause him to drop to 3rd in 2026.
P4: Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton will start slowly and will make his way to the podium a number of times this season. However, Ferrari will make errors that cause him to drop to fourth.
P5: Charles Leclerc
Leclerc is a fantastic driver, but will end up just behind Hamilton on the grid. Ferrari will do what they can for Hamilton, and that will come at the Monegasque’s expense.
P6: Kimi Antonelli
Finishing sixth in your second year in F1 is outstanding, and that’s where Antonelli will end. A few podiums this season in a very good car, but outside the top five.
P7: Oscar Piastri
This will be a forgettable year for Piastri. After leading the grid in the front half of the season, he won’t return to form in 2026 and will drop to 7th.
P8: Carlos Sainz
The Williams driver will struggle at the start of the season, but will figure it out quickly to help his team finish fifth again this season. The car hasn’t started well, but you trust Williams to get there/
P9: Alex Albon
Just like Sainz, Albon will find his way to the top-10 this season after a slow start. The Thai racer has the skill to do it, but the car will be a work in progress.
P10: Ollie Bearman
Bearman was one of the best rookie drivers last season, and will get ahead of Isack Hadjar for 10th on the grid. Despite driving in the Haas, Bearman will force that car up the standings. Ocon will have a forgettable year.
| Position | Driver |
|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell |
| 2 | Max Verstappen |
| 3 | Lando Norris |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc |
| 6 | Kimi Antonelli |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri |
| 8 | Carlos Sainz |
| 9 | Alex Albon |
| 10 | Ollie Bearman |
Key Formula one storylines to watch in the 2026 season
- Who can recover from early challenges?
- With the amount of regulatory changes this season, the pressure is going to be on all teams to figure out how to make a competitive car for 2026. Everyone will struggle, but how they come out of that will be critical. Early on, we are seeing Aston Martin really falling behind, but whether they can recover is the key question. You likely feel that Newey will figure it out, but is the same true for teams like Cadillac, Haas, Red Bull, and Mercedes?
- How do the cars hold up in wet weather on the track?
- The electric power in the car relies on breaking and coasting to recharge, and while the testing in the heat of Bahrain shows them holding up well, will the same be true in a wet-weather race like Belgium, Brazil, or Budapest? Wet weather will lead to more slipping at breaking points. Will the cars be able to recover effectively?
- What will Cadillac be in 2026?
- The American team walks into 2026 with a bold promise to be America’s team. New fans want to follow a winning team or a good storyline- can Cadillac deliver the latter if they cannot deliver the former this season? And if they cannot win on the grid in 2026 or 2027, what does the future hold for the GM-backed side?
- Is this the last dance for some drivers?
- Fernando Alonso is 45, Lewis Hamilton is 41, Nico Hulkenberg is 39, and Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are both 36. All five are reaching the end of their respective careers, with the latter two not even on the grid last year. Max Verstappen is just 28, but has been very coy about his future in the sport. With many contracts up at the end of the season, will this be the last year for a few F1 drivers?
- Will we see a gap between the works teams and the customer teams?
- Five teams have built their own engines this season, while six have purchased from other suppliers. Red Bull, Racing Bulls (we count them as a works team under Red Bull), Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin are the only teams to have built their own power supply units this year, and will have an advantage with the regulatory changes. Will this have an impact on their performance on the grid?
Five bold F1 2026 predictions for 2026
- Isack Hadjar struggles at Red Bull- is demoted to Racing Bulls mid-season
- The French driver has been moved up to the big club this season, replacing Yuki Tsunoda in the seat for 2026. However, that seat has a long history of being difficult for any driver who takes it. Hadjar will not be able to overcome the challenge and will struggle next to Verstappen. Red Bull will demote him to Racing Bulls and will call up Liam Lawson again.
- Cadillac will surprise in one of the American races
- Cadillac knows it needs to make a splash this year to gain a foothold in the sport, and with its push to be America’s team, you will see the team massively prioritize winning at home over anything else. They will end up on the podium just once, and it will be in one of the American races. I’d bet that happens at COTA.
- This season does NOT come down to the final race
- Unlike last season, where there was drama right to Abu Dhabi, this season will not be as intriguing. The final race will be a formality, and George Russell will have clinched the WDC in Abu Dhabi. The Constructors’ will be wrapped up even earlier.
- Fernando Alonso finds his best form in years, retires at the end of 2026
- This is Fernando Alonso reborn. He drags the Aston Martin up the grid, finding his way onto the podium twice, but with Lance Stroll struggling, Aston Martin finishes sixth in the Constructors. It’s not enough for him to finish top-10, with the Aston Martin struggling, but he makes a valiant effort. This is his final season in the sport.
- The grid is chaotic for the first three races before renormalizing
- The grid in Australia won’t just be abnormal; it will be downright different. With the regulation changes, you will see teams like Haas, Alpine, and Aston Martin ahead of Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull to start the season. The points scoring will likely be similar, but the grid order will be baffling. This will all renormalize over the season, but the first three races will hook us all in.
2026 promises to be a wild year on the grid. It’s anyone’s year in both the Constructors Championship and Drivers’ Championship. You will see teams succeeding who maybe shouldn’t and teams struggling who really shouldn’t be.
While it feels like it should be Mercedes’ year, anyone, literally anyone (except probably Alpine), could come in and surprise. The 2026 F1 season preview is a best guess, but it comes down to what happens on the track.
How did we do with our 2026 F1 season predictions? Let us know below or on social media.
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