F1 guide 2026: Everything you need to know

- More than one race in Australia this year?

Formula One is back in Australia this week and it's Melbourne to open the 2026 season.

Oscar Piastri and McLaren teammate Lando Norris will pick up where they left off in a fierce intra-team battle for glory.

Pre-season testing suggests there is reason for some genuine optimism at Ferrari after a dismal 2025, Mercedes looks the goods, as do Red Bull and McLaren, but none of the top dogs want to admit they're in good shape.

Heading into the first race, Mercedes probably has the edge.

At the other end of the spectrum, Aston Martin don't look to have yet been blessed by the magic of Adrian Newey, and Williams couldn't even get their car ready for the opening test weekend in Barcelona. Don't expect much.

What do you need to know for this weekend in Melbourne?

Who is driving where?

Alpine: Pierre Gasly (10), Franco Colapinto (43)
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso (14), Lance Stroll (18)
Audi Gabriel Bortoleto (5), Nico Hülkenberg (27)
Cadillac: Sergio Perez (11), Valterri Bottas (77)
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc (16), Lewis Hamilton (44)
Haas: Esteban Ocon (31), Oliver Bearman (87)
McLaren: Lando Norris (1), Oscar Piastri (81)
Mercedes: Kimi Antonelli (12), George Russell (63)
Racing Bulls: Liam Lawson (30), Arvid Lindblad (41)
Red Bull: Racing Max Verstappen (3), Isack Hadjar (6)
Williams: Alexander Albon (23), Carlos Sainz Jr (55)

What time is the Australian Grand Prix in my state?

• 3pm AEDT: Victoria, NSW, ACT, Tasmania
• 2:30pm ACDT: South Australia
• 2pm: AEST: Queensland
• 1.30pm ACST: Northern Territory
• 12pm: AWST: Western Australia

Weekend schedule (AEDT)

• Free practice 1: 12:30pm-1:30pm, Friday, March 6
• Free practice 2: 4pm-5pm, Friday March 6
• Free practice 3: 12:30pm-1:30pm, Saturday, March 7
• Qualifying: 4pm-5pm, Saturday March 7
• Grand prix: 3pm, Sunday March 8

Are there new rules?

You betcha. New chassis and new engine regulations dominate a huge overhaul for 2026. When we say the cars you will see this season are totally different to last year's, don't underestimate what we're saying.

Watch carefully what happens to the front and rear wings of cars when they're on a straight and on a corner. Big changes here to reduce drag. this means FASTER CARS!

These changes also means it's RIP DRS after 14 long years.

This season also brings with it new engine regs meaning the hybrids will allow for much greater electrical power (50% now as opposed to 20% previously).

A new overtake mode comes in (similar to DRS). When drivers are withing one second of a rival they can deploy an additional 0.5 megajoule of power.

Not a rule change but two additional cars on the grid will impact how things run. Cadillac come into the sport with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as their drivers.

It's the first time since 2016 the grid has had more than 20 cars.

Sprint races in 2026?

Six of the 24 rounds will host a sprint race:

Shanghai, Miami, Silverstone, Montreal, Zandvoort and Singapore.

Calendar:

Round 1: Australian Grand Prix Australia, March 8
Round 2: Chinese Grand Prix, March 15 (sprint March 14)
Round 3: Japanese Grand Prix, March 29
Round 4: Bahrain Grand Prix, April 12
Round 5: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, April 19
Round 6: Miami Grand Prix, May 3 (sprint May 2)
Round 7: Canadian Grand Prix Canada, May 24 (sprint May 23)
Round 8: Monaco Grand Prix Monaco Circuit de Monaco, Monaco June 7
Round 9: Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, June 14
Round 10: Austrian Grand Prix, June 28
Round 11: British Grand Prix, July 5 (sprint July 4)
Round 12: Belgian Grand Prix, July 19
Round 13: Hungarian Grand Prix, July 26
Round 14: Dutch Grand Prix, August 23 (sprint August 22)
Round 15: Italian Grand Prix, September 6
Round 16: Spanish Grand Prix, September 13
Round 17: Azerbaijan Grand Prix, September 26
Round 18: Singapore Grand Prix, October 11 (sprint October 10)
Round 19: United States Grand Prix, October 25
Round 20: Mexico City Grand Prix, November 1
Round 21: São Paulo Grand Prix, November 8
Round 22: Las Vegas Grand Prix, November 21
Round 23: Qatar Grand Prix, November 29
Round 24: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, December 6