Melbourne [Australia], March 5: The 2026 Formula One season starts after a 91-day break with the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
But there is uncertainty like rarely before in many areas ranging from sweeping rule changes to the geopolitical situation before practice on Friday and qualifying Saturday.
How is the situation
in Melbourne?
Australia is far away from the Middle East but the Israeli-American air attack on Iran and Iran's retaliation against neighbours in the region has made getting there complicated.
With air traffic all but stopped hundreds of team members and F1 staff had to rebook via Singapore and Hong Kong, or use quickly arranged charter flights, as Dubai and Doha were no longer an option.
"F1 are experts at moving people around the world," Australian race CEO Travis Auld has said. "Everyone will be here ready for the race and fans won't notice any difference."
F1 has said that it is monitoring the situation and will hope the hostilities will have ended before its first Middle East races on April 12 in Bahrain and April 19 in Saudi Arabia - with both countries targeted by Iranian missiles and drones.
What's new this season?
A lot. F1 has made one of the biggest rule changes in its history and the balance of power could shift towards a team that manages to implement them in the best way. The last team to do so were Mercedes when the hybrid era started in 2014.
The new cars are shorter, slimmer and lighter. The engines are powered to 50% by sustainable fuels and the other 50% are electric.
Aerodynamics is also different because the underfloor is flat again.
There is one new driver on the grid in British teenager Arvid Lindbald who has been promoted from the Red Bull academy to their sister team Racing Bulls.
Veterans Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez return to F1 as drivers for Cadillac who debut as the 11th team in the sport. In addition, Audi make their debut as a works team having taken over Sauber.
There is a new race on a Madrid street circuit on September 13 and it will be the Spanish Grand Prix. That used to be held in Barcelona, where racing continues, this year on June 14, now as the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Who is the favourite?
If you ask each of the four top teams McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari who the favourite is the answer is always the same: The others.
Looking at pre-season testing, which doesn't give a full picture, Mercedes with drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli looked strong and fast.
Red Bull with four-time world champion Max Verstappen also appear strong with their first own engine in partnership with Ford. But Ferrari with freshly-wed Charles Leclerc and record champion Lewis Hamilton also impressed towards the end of Bahrain testing.
McLaren meanwhile want to stay ahead as they bid for a third straight constructors' title and their Lando Norris will aim to defend his drivers' crown. Team-mate Oscar Piastri is also a factor, having led for long parts of the past season before being overhauled by Norris and Verstappen.
Is there still a German factor?
Germany has no more race and the winning days of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian vettel are long gone.
But the nation has a top team in Mercedes which wants to return to its dominance 2014-2020. There is now also Audi who with the takeover of Sauber gain decades of F1 experience.
Audi have the only German driver left on the grip in veteran Nico Hulkenberg who has said it is exciting "to experience the first race of a completely new era and the debut of the Audi team." Team principal Jonathan Wheatley hopes for an incident-free opening weekend and possibly the first championship points right away.
How long is the season?
Like in the previous years the season consists of 24 grand prix weekends until the December 6 finale in Abu Dhabi.
There will be six sprint races again, in China, Miami, Canada, Britain, the Netherlands and Singapore, and the regular four-week summer break from late July until late August.
The Canadian GP has been moved forward one month to May and comes after the Miami race. This means F1 stays in North America for both races and the European season then starts in early June with the pushed back Monaco race and runs uninterrupted until September.
The Azerbaijan GP takes place on a Saturday, September 26, upon a request from local organizers and the government because September 27 is Remembrance Day in the country.The Formula One season starts after some of the most sweeping rule changes in the sport's history.
The curtain-raiser in Melbourne will give a first
indication who has adapted well and who hasn't.
Source: Qatar Tribune
