2026 Australian GP Review

Going into this weekend, I was a little worried about what would actually happen over the weekend, and if we’d even make it through. Stories from before the weekend through pre-season testing really created some concern that these new regulations would be a disaster, including quite a few comments from drivers.

Practice

Watching a bit of FP1, then watching just the highlights from the other sessions, it became clear that this season was going to be very track specific, determining how the racing would play out. For instance, this weekend at Albert Park there aren’t many heavy breaking zones, and quite a lot of flowy high speed sections, which do not go hand in hand with these regulations. Practice did reveal that Mercedes, Ferrari, and RedBull were at the top of their game, whereas last year’s championship winning team McLaren still has some work to do to catch up.

Qualifying

Qualifying at the Australian GP got off to a dramatic start in Q1, with Max Verstappen crashing into the barrier, bringing out a red flag that, ironically, bought Mercedes just enough time to get Kimi’s rebuilt car out after a heavy FP3 crash.

Both Cadillacs failed to set fast enough times to move into Q2, with Carlos, and Stroll failing to set times, making it a tough session for several teams. Notably, Q1 times were around two seconds off last year’s pace.

Bortoleto made it to the top 10, and into Q3, however he was forced to stop in the pitlane, putting an early end to his qualifying.

Into Q3, the session was briefly red-flagged again when cooling equipment left in Kimi’s car was struck by Norris, spreading debris across the track. On pace, Mercedes and Red Bull looked to be ahead of Ferrari, with standout performances from Russell, Kimi, and Hadjar the latter impressing in what looks like a strong RedBull debut season.

A recurring concern through qualifying was the cars’ rapid battery drain and the resulting need to heavily manage energy, a problem that figures to be especially punishing on low-braking circuits like this one.

Race

The race got off to an eventful start before it had even really begun, with Oscar Piastri finding the wall before he could make it to the formation lap, ending his afternoon before it started. Off the line, Charles Leclerc made a stunning start to snatch the lead from George Russell, and the two engaged in a lengthy and entertaining battle, though Russell’s complaints over Charles’ defending came across as a bit whiny. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen was quietly carving his way through the field, reaching as high as tenth by lap 10. Hadjar, who had looked so promising through qualifying, was unfortunately forced out with mechanical trouble on lap 11, triggering a VSC. Ferrari’s strategy was a recurring frustration throughout the race, as they twice failed to bring their drivers in under VSC periods, and were then caught out a third time when the pit entry was closed entirely to recover Bottas’ stricken car. A further VSC around lap 34 came after debris from Perez’s car littered the track, with marshals on track while cars were still passing, causing a bit of concern for their safety. Despite all the chaos, the racing itself was actually fairly compelling, with close lap times and decent wheel-to-wheel action suggesting the new regulations aren’t as damaging to the racing as qualifying had implied. The reduced slipstream effect on the straights is noticeable though, and the extra pit stops created gaps that the raw pace alone couldn’t bridge.