It's lights out and away we go: Racing into the 2026 season

Formula 1 kicked off its first race of the season in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday with some expected changes from last season's car and some unexpected driver issues.  

Since last season, we have seen two new teams added to the grid, Cadillac and Audi, with Audi replacing the former team Sauber. This increased the number of teams to 11 and the number of racers to 22.  

Not only that, but there are new engine adjustments taking place. One of those engine adjustments is in the power unit which shifted to a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power. 

Before the race even began, Australian native, Oscar Piastri, driving for McLaren, lost control of his car during the reconnaissance lap. While going around turn four, he got too much power and spun out, hitthe barrier and shredded his front wing.  

“It’s a shame,” Piastri said, “Things like that shouldn’t be happening anywhere, especially at my home race. It’s obviously even more disappointing.” 

Nico Hulkenberg, driver for Audi, also did not start the race due to an unreliability issue with his car. This left the race to begin with only 20 drivers. 

George Russell, driving for Mercedes, started in pole position, but was quickly overtaken by the Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, off the starting line.   

Those positions were up in the air for roughly the first 20 laps, as we saw two virtual safety cars. 

"Today was frustrating,” said Isack Hadjar, a driver for Red Bull. “I was confident that we could challenge for the podium so this result is a shame.  

Hadjar had a strong start, beginning the race in third. At lap 13, he unfortunately had an engine failure which caused him to pull off the track. 

“The car was making a funny sound and I knew that we weren't going to make it to the end,” Hadjar said. 

Most drivers were able to pit for fresh tires under the safety cars without having the time counted against them. Under the two safety cars everyone but the Ferrari's pitted. 

Unfortunately for Hamilton and Leclerc, a pit stop was not available, as Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas was brought in through the pit lane. 

This forced the two Ferraris to stay out and pit later in the race. With their times now counted against them, they ended up back behind the Mercedes.  

Russell and Kimi Antonelli, the second driver for Mercedes, were able to hold their positions (first and second) with a one-stop strategy. Russell crossed the finish line first, followed by Antonelli and Leclerc.  

Mercedes currently leads the championship with 43 points.  

“We feel a lot of contentment coming away from Melbourne today,” said Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsports. “It is great to see Mercedes back at the front of the field at this opening race of the season. 

Wolff expressed his congratulations to the drivers, as well as the team. He continued saying that a 1-2 finish in the first race of the season is the perfect start for winning a championship title.  

The next race weekend will be at the Shanghai International Circuit March 13-15. Catch the races on ESPN+, Apple TV or the Formula One app.