Formula 1 kicked off its new season in style at the Australian Grand Prix, which featured a frantic start, battles for the lead and a handful of retirements. George Russell won for Mercedes in a race that was dominated by talk of the new cars, which have divided opinion in the paddock.
For 2026, F1 rolls out new regulations that mandate for smaller, lighter cars that are powered by new hybrid engines with a near-50:50 split in power between electrical energy and internal combustion. The cars bring with them a new way of racing, as F1 adds active aero on the front and rear wings, a new boost mode to replace DRS, and racers are changing the way they drive in order to keep their battery packs topped up.
