Formula 1 has been radically overhauled for the 2026 season opener in Australia. The cars are shorter, narrower and lighter, and about 50% of power now comes from the battery rather than the combustion engine. Aerodynamics have been revised, the usual DRS has been replaced by a “boost” button to unlock extra power in the race, and tires have become slimmer.
The underbody is now flat rather than curved, and both front and rear wings can be adjusted by drivers between a “corner mode” (more downforce) and a “straight mode” (less drag). These changes collectively have altered car behavior significantly.
The powertrain still centers on a 1.6-liter V6 turbo, but the energy split has shifted from the engine providing roughly 80% of power last season to an even 50:50 balance with the battery. That elevates the battery’s role: it’s continuously charged and discharged while driving, and drivers can deploy stored energy with a button to accelerate or overtake.
On-track this means constant energy management in coordination with race engineers. Drivers harvest energy under braking, by lifting and coasting, or via engine braking when downshifting. A single charge won’t power a whole race stint, and drivers cannot stay at full throttle for an entire lap on battery alone.
Not all drivers are pleased. Four-time champion Max Verstappen complained during preseason testing in Bahrain: “It actually has nothing to do with Formula 1. It feels more like Formula E on steroids.” Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton called the energy management “ridiculously complex” and warned fans would struggle to understand why drivers sometimes aren’t at full throttle.
Aston Martin faces acute problems: their new power unit produces severe vibrations, raising concerns that prolonged driving could cause nerve damage in drivers’ hands. The team plans to limit laps in races until the issue is resolved. “We will have to severely limit the number of laps we complete in the race until we have gotten to the bottom of the vibrations and made improvements,” team principal Adrian Newey said.
New teams and driver moves
Four years after announcing a return, Audi finally joins the grid after completing a gradual takeover of Sauber, becoming the fourth German manufacturer in F1 alongside Mercedes, Porsche and BMW. Audi’s experience has been stronger in rally and touring cars than in single-seaters, but the manufacturer aims to win a world championship by 2030. “You also have to be humble in the face of the challenge ahead,” team boss Jonathan Wheatley said.
The US brand Cadillac has also fought to join as the 11th team and will race with a Cadillac chassis and a Ferrari engine, fielding Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. The only genuine rookie on the grid is 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad, who will race for Racing Bulls, replacing Isack Hadjar—promoted to Red Bull and taking Yuki Tsunoda’s seat.
Title contenders and testing
With new cars and regulations, predicting the pecking order is difficult. Early testing pointed to Ferrari as a strong contender: Charles Leclerc set the fastest time overall in Bahrain on the final day, with defending champion Lando Norris (McLaren), Max Verstappen and Mercedes driver George Russell close behind.
Calendar changes
The 2026 season will again feature 24 races, beginning March 8 in Melbourne and ending December 6 in Abu Dhabi. The Madrid street circuit debuts on September 13, replacing Imola as the Spanish Grand Prix venue. Barcelona remains on the calendar in June but is now called the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix; with the circuit contract expiring, 2026 may be the last time Barcelona hosts F1 for a while. The Dutch Zandvoort track is also expected to leave the calendar in 2027 after organizers withdraw for financial reasons, meaning Max Verstappen’s home race may be on the calendar for the last time for the foreseeable future this year.
This article was adapted from German.