The new Formula 1 season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix this week, launching a new era for the championship. With it, the new season brings changes up and down the grid in terms of the teams, cars and drivers that will contest the 24-round calendar.
New regulations bring active aerodynamics to the front and rear wings, and F1 power units now rely on a near-50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power. Then there are the new teams and drivers that have joined the grid, meaning there’s an awful lot to catch up on if you weren’t glued to every minute of the Bahrain testing coverage.
Everything you need to know to follow along with the 2026 Formula 1 season is right here.
McLaren
Car: MCL40
Drivers: Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri
Team Principal: Andrea Stella
Engine supplier: Mercedes
McLaren comes into the 2026 F1 season as the team to beat after claiming back-to-back world constructors’ crowns in 2025 and 2024, and driver Lando Norris is the reigning world drivers’ champion.
Despite bringing on Mastercard as a title sponsor in 2026, the team’s car sports a familiar black and orange look that McLaren proudly calls papaya.
| Driver | Race Number | Helmet Colour | T-Cam Colour |
| Lando Norris | 1 | Yellow/Black | Yellow |
| Oscar Piastri | 81 | Yellow/Orange | Black |
Mercedes
Car: W17
Drivers: George Russell & Kimi Antonelli
Team Principal: Toto Wolff
Engine supplier: Mercedes
After fumbling F1’s last regulation overhaul in 2022, Mercedes has a lot to prove with its W17 in 2026. In testing, the car looked strong and the Silver Arrows left Bahrain as favourites for the title this year – and driver George Russell could also be the driver to beat.
For its 2026 racer, the team unveiled an evolution of its black and silver look with a tweak that cleverly incorporated the Adidas stripes of its team kit provider.
| Driver | Race Number | Helmet Colour | T-Cam Colour |
| George Russell | 63 | Blue | Black |
| Kimi Antonelli | 12 | Blue/Red/Green | Yellow |
Ferrari
Car: SF-26
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton & Charles Leclerc
Team Principal: Fred Vasseur
Engine supplier: Ferrari
Formula 1’s most famous team is another outfit that will be looking for redemption in 2026 as it has now been 18 years since Ferrari last picked up an F1 title. The team has packed several innovations into its SF-26, including an intriguing rear wing that was trailed in Bahrain and features a mechanism that lets it rotate 180 degrees.
The car features a familiar all-red look in 2026, but Ferrari has mixed the design up with a white area around the cockpit and a return to the gloss finish that it last ran in 2018.
| Driver | Race Number | Helmet Colour | T-Cam Colour |
| Lewis Hamilton | 44 | Yellow | Yellow |
| Charles Leclerc | 16 | Red/White | Black |
Red Bull
Car: RB22
Drivers: Max Verstappen & Isack Hadjar
Team Principal: Laurent Mekies
Engine supplier: Red Bull-Ford
Red Bull rolls out a first with its 2026 F1 car as it will be the first racer from the Milton Keynes-based team to run with its own power unit. The RB22 will be powered by the DM01, a new power unit developed by Red Bull-Ford powertrains, and named in honour of the founder of the energy drink brand.
The car itself features a refreshed version of Red Bull’s iconic look, which returns to a gloss finish and a lighter shade of blue to contrast its red and yellow logos.
| Driver | Race Number | Helmet Colour | T-Cam Colour |
| Max Verstappen | 3 | Red/White/Blue | Black |
| Isack Hadjar | 6 | Yellow/Black | Yellow |
Williams
Car: FW48
Drivers: Carlos Sainz & Alex Albon
Team Principal: James Vowles
Engine supplier: Mercedes
The FW48 had a tough start in 2026, with the Williams team electing to skip the Barcelona shakedown in February and only running in the two Bahrain tests instead. Still, team boss James Vowles argued this was not cause for concern, and the team had a solid few days of driving in the desert.
For its 2026 challenger, Williams has stuck with the blue look of recent years, but adds more splashes of white on the sidepods and a lighter shade around new sponsor Barclays bank.
| Driver | Race Number | Helmet Colour | T-Cam Colour |
| Carlos Sainz | 55 | Red/Yellow | Yellow |
| Alex Albon | 23 | White | Black |
Haas
Car: VF-26
Drivers: Oliver Bearman & Esteban Ocon
Team Principal: Ayao Komatsu
Engine supplier: Ferrari
Haas had a strong pre-season testing programme with its VF-26, which looks to be one of the midfield cars to watch in Formula 1’s new era. The Ferrari power unit that sits under the engine cover is also rumoured to be strong this year, so this could be a big year for the Haas team.
Thanks to its new tie in with Toyota, the VF-26 features a refreshed look in 2026 with branding for the Japanese marque’s performance division dominating the engine cover. The red of Toyota pairs perfectly with the white and black that’s become familiar on the Haas cars to create a strong look in 2026.
| Driver | Race Number | Helmet Colour | T-Cam Colour |
| Oliver Bearman | 87 | Blue/Yellow | Yellow |
| Esteban Ocon | 31 | Red | Black |
Aston Martin
Car: AMR26
Drivers: Fernando Alonso & Lance Stroll
Team Principal: Adrian Newey
Engine supplier: Honda
There was a lot of excitement around Aston Martin going into 2026, as it had famed designer Adrian Newey at the helm and a works partnership with Honda for its power unit. However, a delayed arrival at the Barcelona shakedown and engine troubles in Bahrain have tarnished that sparkle somewhat.
Still, at least the car looks cool, right? With a design that packs in a whole host of innovative design flourishes, the AMR26 is finished with the team’s distinctive green look – which has a matte finish for the first time.
| Driver | Race Number | Helmet Colour | T-Cam Colour |
| Fernando Alonso | 14 | Blue/Yellow | Yellow |
| Lance Stroll | 18 | Black | Black |
Racing Bulls
Car: VCARB03
Drivers: Liam Lawson & Arvid Lindblad
Team Principal: Alan Permane
Engine supplier: Red Bull-Ford
Red Bull junior team Racing Bulls is the only other team on the grid to use a Red Bull-Ford power unit in its VCARB03, which this year will be driven by Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.
A shakeup at the top in 2025 sees Alan Permane lead the Anglo-Italian team, which runs a refreshed white livery on its 2026 racer.
| Driver | Race Number | Helmet Colour | T-Cam Colour |
| Liam Lawson | 30 | Pink/Blue | Yellow |
| Arvid Lindblad | 41 | Blue | Black |
Alpine
Car: A526
Drivers: Pierre Gasly & Franco Colapinto
Team Principal: Flavio Briatore
Engine supplier: Mercedes
Alpine is a team looking for reinvention in 2026. After a torrid season that saw it finish last with less than a third of the points scored by the next team in the standings, Alpine has thrown its weight behind F1’s reset this year.
As a result, the A526 features several eye-catching details on its aerodynamic surfaces, and is also the first car from the Enstone team to be powered by a Mercedes engine. On the outside, it features a recognisable blue and pink look thanks to its partnership with BWT.
| Driver | Race Number | Helmet Colour | T-Cam Colour |
| Pierre Gasly | 10 | Blue | Black |
| Franco Colapinto | 43 | Blue/White/Pink | Yellow |
Audi
Car: R26
Drivers: Nico Hulkenberg & Gabriel Bortoleto
Team Principal: Jonathan Wheatley
Engine supplier: Audi
German automotive giant Audi has taken over the historic Sauber team to create its works entity. The team’s first car, the R26, runs the manufacturer’s own power unit – developed at a specialist facility in Neuburg in Germany.
The livery on the new car has divided fans, somewhat. It features a matte silver look at the front with red and black details on the engine cover – as well as red trim on other surfaces.
| Driver | Race Number | Helmet Colour | T-Cam Colour |
| Nico Hulkenberg | 27 | White/Silver/Red | Black |
| Gabriel Bortoleto | 5 | White/Yellow/Green | Yellow |
Cadillac
Car: MAC-26
Drivers: Valtteri Bottas & Sergio Perez
Team Principal: Graeme Lowdon
Engine supplier: Ferrari
All-new team Cadillac joins the championship in 2026 with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas bringing the number of cars on the grid up to 22 for the first time since 2016. The team initially launches as a Ferrari customer outfit and will run its power units until its own engine programme comes online in 2029.
Cadillac showcased its first F1 livery in a Super Bowl advert, and it features a unique two-sided design with white highlights on one side and black on the other. There are also chrome details across the car to echo Cadillac’s logo.
| Driver | Race Number | Helmet Colour | T-Cam Colour |
| Valtteri Bottas | 77 | Black/Blue | Yellow |
| Sergio Perez | 11 | Yellow/Black | Black |
