George Russell made the perfect start in the season opener of the new 2026-spec Formula 1 world championship with pole position at Melbourne. It’s a Mercedes front row with Kimi Antonelli taking P2 followed by Isack Hadjar in the Red Bull.

Russell dominated all three segments of qualifying and led teammate Kimi Antonelli by three tenths in Q3, with third-placed Isack Hadjar eight tenths slower. Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri made up the top five.

Max Verstappen’s qualifying session ended early when he spun out on his very first flying lap.

Q1 was red-flagged when Verstappen’s crash occurred, with less than eight minutes remaining. The four-time world champion spun at high speed when braking for Turn 1, with his rear wheels presumably locking.

At that moment, Russell led the classification by nearly four tenths with a time of one minute, 19.840 seconds. His Mercedes teammate Antonelli was in the drop zone after his FP3 crash, joined by Verstappen, Carlos Sainz – who had a technical issue in FP3 – and Lance Stroll, despite Aston Martin’s terrible engine nightmare.

None of the four had a lap time on the board. They were led by the Cadillacs, which were also at risk in P17 and P18, and were one second slower than Aston’s Fernando Alonso in P16.

As Russell improved with one minute, 19.507 seconds, Antonelli easily made it to Q2, leaving Franco Colapinto on the edge of elimination. However, a last-minute improvement by the Alpine ended Alonso and Aston Martin’s session.

Russell set the pace in Q2 again with the first one minute, 18 seconds lap of the weekend, namely a lap in one minute, 18.934 seconds, leading Piastri by 0.648 seconds. With five minutes remaining, Pierre Gasly, Oliver Bearman, Alex Albon, Nico Hulkenberg, Colapinto and Lewis Hamilton were in the drop zone. The seven-time world champion had gone fastest in the first sector but backed out of his lap.

Russell went on to set the only other one minute, 18 seconds lap in that segment, though he was unable to improve on his benchmark by half a tenth. He still led everyone else by four tenths. Further back, Hamilton jumped to seventh, while Esteban Ocon’s lack of progress saw him drop down to P13. Gasly and Albon also unable to improve, with the Williams driver running wide in Turn 1.

Gabriel Bortoleto narrowly made it through for Audi, but he stopped with a technical issue at pit entry, meaning only nine cars took part in Q3 – the Mercedes, Ferraris, McLarens, Racing Bulls, and Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull.

The top ten shootout was red-flagged early on after cooling fans were left on Antonelli’s car. One flew away in the Turn 1 braking zone, the other on the straight towards Turn 3. Lando’s left-hand wheel ran over the latter, and it disintegrated. Antonelli is under investigation over his car being released in an unsafe condition.

Russell’s first Q3 attempt was slower than both his Q2 run, a time of one minute, 19.084 seconds, but he still was half a second faster than Norris and Hadjar, with Leclerc, Piastri and Hamilton more than a second off. Antonelli ran wide into the Turn 3 gravel trap and backed out.

The Mercedes driver, however set a time with one minute, 18.811 seconds on his last lap – but Russell was supreme and went three tenths faster in one minute, 18.518 seconds.

Hadjar took third for Red Bull in one minute, 19.903 seconds but was nearly eight tenths away. He narrowly outpaced Leclerc and Piastri, with Norris and Hamilton just under a second off pole position.

Racing Bulls duo Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad battled for eighth position, with the Kiwi coming out on top as the rookie lost a second in sector two.

So the sandbags are finally off from the Silver Arrows after a solid pre-season test. The true pace of the Mercedes is finally revealed in this qualifying session with a front row lock out. It will be interesting if the car is reliable in the race next.

Australian Grand Prix, qualifying positions:
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:18.518
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:18.811
3 Isack Hadjar Red Bull-Ford 1:19.303
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:19.327
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes 1:19.380
6 Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 1:19.475
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:19.478
8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls-Ford 1:19.994
9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls-Ford 1:21.247
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:20.221
11 Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:20.303
12 Oilver Bearman Haas-Ferrari 1:20.311
13 Esteban Ocon Haas-Ferrari 1:20.491
14 Pierre Gasly Alpine-Mercedes 1:20.501
15 Alexander Albon Williams-Mercedes 1:20.941
16 Franco Colapinto Williams-Mercedes 1:21.270
17 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin-Honda 1:21.969
18 Sergio Perez Cadillac-Ferrari 1:22.605
19 Valterri Bottas Cadillac-Ferrari 1:23.244
20 Max Verstappen Red Bull-Ford No time
21 Carlos Sainz Williams-Mercedes No time
22 Lance Stroll ston Martin-Honda No time

Aston Martin becomes the eleventh and final team on the 2026 Formula 1 grid to present their livery for the upcoming new season.

As in tradition, the British Racing Green is on the AMR26 with the car powered by Honda. This is the first racing car to be led by Adrian Newey, who is also the new team principal.

The Silverstone squad has retained its British Racing Green colour scheme using a matte finish, at an event at the Ithra cultural centre in Dhahran, near Dammam.

In a powertrain partnership, the AMR26 carries Honda’s new logotype. Title sponsor Aramco, which has developed the team’s fuels for the new season, commands the majority of advertising space.

Under the supervision of Newey, who has assumed the team principal role at Aston Martin, the car ran for the first time across the final two days of the Barcelona shakedown.

The reveal of the AMR26, as it left the garage for the first time at the shakedown, gathered much interest – specifically with many of its aerodynamic solutions and placement of its suspension.

It also makes use of additional fins around the halo and the central air intake, plus inlets on the sidepods, which caught the attention when the car was first seen.

While the Newey-led design has proven to be intriguing, the team’s fortunes will also rely on the Honda powertrain as the famous car brand makes its full return, having officially departed Formula 1 after the 2021 season, but remained in place to develop and maintain the power units for the two Red Bull-owned teams through its HRC subsidiary.

While Honda’s Formula 1 project leader Tetsushi Kakuda had earlier stated that “the electrification side is progressing as planned,” he added that it was “not necessarily the case for the internal combustion engine”.

Hopefully the reliability of this Honda-powered car will be a non-issue and it will be fascinating how competitive this car will be considering it is designed by the legendary Adrian Newey.

The McLaren Formula 1 racing team has revealed their livery for the upcoming 2026 season with an increase sponsorship with Mastercard.

The drivers’ and constructors’ champions presented their MCL60 at the Bahrain International Circuit, which will be the track for the pre-season test.

There’s an increase in the papaya orange for the MCL60 as well as branding from the lead partner Mastercard.

The main sponsor has an increased presence after upgrading its deal with the team to a title sponsorship, McLaren’s first such deal since the Vodafone days over a decade ago.

New Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris will race in car number one and is out to defend his title this season. Oscar Piastri is determined to beat his teammate after missing out on the big prize last year.

“It’s fantastic to reveal the livery for our 2026 challenger, the MCL40, as we reach an important milestone in our team’s incredible work and dedication before we begin racing this year,” team principal Andrea Stella said.

“While we have the benefit of the lessons learned from our success in the past few years, the whole grid is restarting from zero and our past achievements count for nothing. Our objective is to hit the ground running, and we have the best combination of team, driver pairing, collaboration with Mercedes HPP, partners, and fans to be able to do this.”

The Cadillac Formula 1 team have unveiled an unique two-sided livery during an advertisement break in the NFL’s Super Bowl.

The American brand’s Ferrari-powered challenger, whose chassis name is yet to be known, will sport a two-sided look. With the left revealing a grayish white, while its right is in black.

The design is similar to British American Racing’s livery in the 1999 season, which featured red and white on the left side with blue and yellow on the right side to accommodate different sponsors.

Few partners can be seen on this livery thus far. On the sidepods, TWG is the team’s owner, and the IFS logo on the rear wing endplates. The bargeboards feature bourbon whiskey brand Jim Beam as well as telecommunications company Claro, a longtime sponsor of Sergio Perez. Telcel, also linked to Checo is in front of the cockpit. Clothing brand Tommy Hilfiger is among several logos featuring on the nosecone.

“This livery represents far more than a paint scheme; it represents who we are and what we bring to Formula 1,’” CEO Dan Towriss said. “Every detail is intentional: bold, modern, and unmistakably American, while respecting the heritage and precision that define this sport.

“Choosing to reveal our first race livery during the Super Bowl and in the heart of Times Square is a way to introduce our identity to the world at the intersection of performance, culture, and entertainment, and to connect with fans in places far beyond the paddock.”

Both Perez and teammate Valtteri Bottas are returning to the grid this year after spending the 2025 season on the sidelines. They have won a combined 16 Grands Prix, taking 23 pole positions from 106 podiums – with Bottas scoring the main share of all these during a five-season stint at a dominant Mercedes outfit.

This is the new livery that Williams will run in the upcoming 2026 Formula 1 world championship featuring a vibrant glossy blue and a new sponsor with Barclays.

The team announced that the British bank corporation would be its “official banking partner”, while Komatsu, a Japanese construction equipment manufacturer, has been sponsoring the outfit since the 2024 season.

“2026 is the next step on the path back towards the top for Atlassian Williams F1 Team as we enter a new era for the sport, and we are excited about the season ahead,” team principal James Vowles said.

“We have a great driver line-up, some fantastic new partners, an ever-growing fanbase and want to build on the success we tasted last year, but we are not naïve about the challenge ahead of us. Nobody quite knows what will happen at the first race but we are looking forward to finding out, and hope our fans will love cheering us on with this great new livery.”

The team’s journey “back towards the top” got off to a tricky start as Williams missed the Barcelona pre-season test, making its FW48 the only 2026 car yet to appear publicly – which remains the case as this is just a livery reveal.

The team owned up to “delays in the FW48 programme”, but Vowles subsequently insisted Williams “could have made it to Barcelona”, though he admitted this would have put the outfit on the back foot in terms of spare parts.

The team missed out in running an early shakedown test at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona due to manufacturing issues but will take part in the following Bahrain pre-season test in preparation for the new season.

Hopefully this new car will get decent laps at Bahrain after missing Barcelona. Despite the recent testing set back, the Mercedes power unit did run meaning it has recorded some solid reliability thanks to the other teams especially the main factory outfit.

“We have the power unit provided by Mercedes, the gearbox provided by Mercedes, so the learning that they’re going through this week in Barcelona will carry over into us, into Bahrain,” Vowles said last week.

“It’s not that I want to be resting on their hard work, but also it is worth stating that that is still an advantage for us that falls out of it, or a disadvantage that’s negated. I’m confident with six days in Bahrain, we will run through the programme that we need to and it’s why we’re on the VTT [Virtual Test Track] now.

“What I wanted to do is to make sure from the outset in Bahrain, we have a reliable car ready to go so that we’re not sitting there doing what a lot of individuals and teams are trying their best to do in Barcelona, but not leave the garage. We’ve got to be there ready to go.”

Alpine became the seventh Formula 1 team to unveil their livery in the upcoming Formula 1 season.

The Enstone-based outfit hosted its season launch on a cruise ship off the Catalan coast near Barcelona, celebrating the team’s partnership with MSC Cruises.

The new design is not that much different from its predecessor, with Alpine’s blue associated with title-sponsor BWT’s pink.

Alpine are planning that this season’s new technical era with revamped chassis and engine regulations will improve performance.

By focusing on the 2026 car following a disappointing tenth position in the constructors’ championship, lead driver Pierre Gasly is hoping for better machinery after committing his long-term future to the outfit. He will team up with Franco Colapinto, competing in his first full campaign.

Designed under executive technical director David Sanchez, the new car was shaken down at Silverstone, ahead of the opening pre-season test at Barcelona.

“The last year has been truly extraordinary in Formula One terms,” Sanchez said, delving into Alpine’s new car – which wasn’t on display in the event. “With such big changes in the regulations, this project has been a very interesting challenge and one we have really given our all towards.

“Ultimately, the car is shorter and narrower than recent years with some aerodynamic freedom to explore. We have the return of active aero where we have the ability to have movable front and rear wings, something the vast majority of the drivers on the grid will not have experienced before. The reduction in downforce and drag is expected to bring better racing, which I am sure all fans will be intrigued to watch.

“Then, of course, we have more electric power in the power units since we have partnered with Mercedes-AMG for 2026. It has been fantastic to work closely with our new colleagues from Brixworth in recent months and weeks, as we all work together to understand how best to maximise the package.

“In addition to the power unit challenge and the new 100% sustainable fuels, we will also have some new terminology for us to get used to with overtake mode, boost mode and recharge all set to enter our vocabulary this year.

“All of us at Enstone look forward to getting started in Barcelona next week where we have much to learn and understand on the A526.”

Scuderia Ferrari became the latest Formula 1 team to unveil its 2026 car, the SF-26, in a short video presentation ahead of a shakedown at its Fiorano test track.

The Italian outfit will conduct a shakedown at Fiorano, with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on hand to complete the first laps of Ferrari’s new race car for the upcoming season.

The Scuderia is aiming to recover from a disappointing 2026 championship, in which it dropped to fourth in the constructors’ standings, with the main focus of its season being Hamilton’s struggle to adapt to Ferrari as he was unable to pick up a Grand Prix podium for the first time in his impressive career.

That left Leclerc to lead the battle for Ferrari, who took seven podiums across the year, to finish in fifth position in the drivers’ championship – just one spot ahead of Hamilton.

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur set an “aggressive” approach to development of the 2026 Formula 1 car, with final assembly planned to be completed on the eve of the launch and shakedown.

With the weight of expectation at an all-time high, it means it is set to be a make-or-break season for Ferrari and for Hamilton, who made the bold move to join the famous motor racing team twelve months ago.

Hamilton heads into the new Formula 1 season without the identity of his race engineer announced, after the recent news that Riccardo Adami will no longer serve in that role as he takes up a new position in Ferrari’s young driver programme.

To be honest, not keen on that white part on the engine cover for the sponsor HP and yet it pays the bills. Fingers crossed the SF-26 is competitive for Charles and Lewis to fight for the championship.

Mercedes have revealed the first images of their 2026 race car, which features a revised livery in their iconic silver and black colours.

The W17 meets Formula 1’s new technical regulations on the chassis and engine sides, featuring active aerodynamics and a near-50:50 split between internal combustion and electric energy.

The new Mercedes has a mostly unchanged black and silver design, with turquoise accents to reflect the everlasting sponsor Petronas.

A notable addition to the livery is the Microsoft logo on the airbox and the front wing endplates, with Mercedes snapping up Alpine’s longtime partner.

“Formula 1 will undergo significant change in 2026, and we are prepared for that transition,” team principal Toto Wolff said. “The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus across every area of performance. Our work on the new car, and the long-term development of the power unit and advanced sustainable fuels with Petronas, reflects that approach.

“Releasing the first images of the W17 is simply the next step in that process. It represents the collective, sustained effort of our teams in Brixworth and Brackley. We will continue to push hard in the months ahead.”

Like its predecessor, the new Silver Arrow will be raced by George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who finished fourth and seventh respectively in last season’s drivers’ championship.

Mercedes took the runner-up spot in the constructors’ standings, narrowly holding off rival Red Bull Racing, but was never a real title contender against a dominant McLaren.

The W17 will take to the track at the first pre-season test at Barcelona from 26-30 January, ahead of the team’s season launch event on 2 February.

Do like the stripes at the back of the car. Very nice detail. Reflecting the Adidas branding, which is one of the team’s major sponsor.

Will be be fascinating if the W17 is the car to beat this season as early rumours that the Mercedes power unit is the new benchmark in this new rules changes for the upcoming season.

The Audi Formula 1 team became the fourth outfit to reveal their livery for the forthcoming 2026 season, with a presentation event in Berlin.

The R26 features an unique branding, celebrating Audi’s rich heritage in motorsport especially the WEC, with a split livery. The front part is classic silver which used to be the national colour of Germany. While the back part is the use of orange and black, with the famous Audi rings logo on the rear wing and engine cover.

Audi, who have enjoyed immense success in other motorsport series, unveiled the R26 that featured a striking titanium, carbon fibre and lava red livery first teased last year.

This team is a rebrand of Sauber, meaning Audi are entering its first season of Formula 1 racing following big, new change in the regulations. It will be interesting how Audi will compete against another German manufacturer rival, Mercedes.

Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will be the drivers for the upcoming championship, with the former scoring a popular podium at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone with P3.

Audi CEO Gernot Dollner reiterated the team’s goal to compete for the Formula 1 world championship by 2030.

“Today marks more than a launch; it marks the public declaration of a new era for Audi,” said Dollner. “Formula 1 is the most demanding stage in the world of motorsport, and we are here not just to compete, but to define the future of ‘Vorsprung durch Technik.’

“This project is a catalyst for our entire company, a symbol of our transformation towards a more performance-driven, efficient, and innovative culture. Our philosophy is one of absolute, long-term commitment.

“We understand that success in Formula 1 demands relentless perseverance and Audi Revolut F1 Team is not here to make up the numbers; we aim to be fighting for the World Championship by 2030.”

The manufacturer has taken over the team formerly known as Sauber. While its chassis was built at the Swiss team’s base in Hinwil, Audi developed and constructed its all-new Formula 1 power unit in Neuberg.

The Haas Formula 1 team became the third outfit to reveal its livery for the forthcoming 2026 season, with an increase in sponsorship with technical partner Toyota Gazoo Racing.

Both parties entered a technical partnership at the end of 2024, but the relationship has been strengthened for this year with the official name becoming ‘TGR Haas F1 Team’.

That has been reflected in the team’s new livery: Toyota has received branding across the engine cover, front wing and the front of the halo for the season which introduces widespread regulation changes.

The US-based outfit comes into it having finished eighth in last season’s constructors standings with Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon, who will remain as drivers this season, giving Haas its best points total of 79 points since 2018.

“Like all teams, we’ve faced the challenge of competing in 2025 while looking to design and now build these new-regulation entries for the 2026 season,” said owner Gene Haas, whose team has joined Red Bull and Racing Bulls in already launching their new design.

“The pre-season will be crucial to understand what these cars are capable of and how the drivers, engineers and teams in general adapt to them. We at least have continuity in terms of the drivers, with Ollie and Esteban, as well as in our design and engineering teams.

“Last season’s competition in the midfield was of an exceptionally high standard, it was tough, and we need to go out again and continue to develop – both on- and off-track. Personally, I’m going to be very interested to see how the competition shakes out across the grid and what these new regulations bring in terms of performance.”

The new livery features a lot more white than last year, with it replacing the previously black engine cover and front halo plus additional red to represent Toyota branding.

Haas also unveiled its design through a simple online event, rather than a big media presentation at Detroit like the Red Bull-owned teams.

And through the images provided, it is clear that Haas has gone for a pushrod front suspension and has opted for a pushrod setup at the rear as well. The renders also feature wide winglets on its front wing.

“It feels almost a bit surreal to be unveiling a new car this early in the year, but it’s not any less exciting venturing into a new F1 campaign – especially one with such a change in regulations,” said team principal Ayao Komatsu.

“We’re fully focused on being ready for shakedown week in Barcelona. It’s been a monumental effort from everyone on the team to work with such a tight turnaround time from the end of last season to putting cars on track in January.

“It goes without saying that after so much talk, we can’t wait to see how these cars will perform and what we’ll face as we then progress through our test programs ahead of Australia.

“Track time is going to be crucial through Spain and Bahrain and while we know there’s going to be challenges along the way, we do this because we’re passionate about Formula 1.”