The World’s Most Dramatic Sport

The Formula One Season So Far

Photo by Mark Kleen on Unsplash

The first quarter of any Formula One (F1) season is always full of anticipation and determination, which is especially true in the 2026 season. Following the win for first-time world champion Lando Norris and team McLaren, teams like Red Bull and Mercedes have competitive aspirations going into the 2026 season.

Red Bull’s senior driver and second-place winner of the 2025 Drivers’ Championship Max Verstappen was looking forward to jumping into a new car under Laurent Mekies, who was promoted to team principal halfway into the 2025 season following Christian Horner’s departure. Team principal of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team Toto Wolff is ready to make a comeback with a competitive start now that 2025 rookie Kimi Antonelli has more confidence on the track.

Before any F1 races occur, the Bahrain International Circuit hosts pre-season testing to allow teams to test and tweak their cars before the first race of the season in Australia. There are two weekends of testing,which each contain three days of testing. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc led the timetable in two separate days, and Mercedes drivers Antonelli and senior driver George Russel showed speed throughout testing.

Though Russel and Antonelli showed success during testing, many questioned the reliability of the Mercedes car, especially with Verstappen and Norris hunting them down in Bahrain. March 5 marked the start of the Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, which concluded in a Mercedes double podium with Russel in first and Antonelli in second. If there were any doubtful questions on the excellence of the Mercedes car, they were answered in Melbourne, with Leclerc getting third, being a whole 15.519 seconds behind Antonelli.

The Chinese and Japanese Grand Prix followed suit with more Mercedes domination. Only in his second year of F1, Antonelli has dominated on the track, winning both races and becoming the world championship leader going into the first break of the season with his teammate Russel in second.

“This is my goal,” Russel said. “This is what I'm confident in achieving over the course of the championship. Consistency, good results on the bad days, victory on the good days and that is going to continue to be my goal every single weekend.”

Other drivers, however, have struggled in these first three races. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri did not complete a race until the Japanese Grand Prix, as he crashed out in his home race in Australia during the formation lap due to cold tires mixed with an unexplained power surge on his back wheels, which spun him into a wall. Verstappen has also had a rough start and is now ninth in the drivers’ championship standings, which is unlikely for a four-time world champion.

Racing is not the only source of drama in the world of F1. Off the track, recent rule changes and the addition of new teams have sparked speculation about an early retirement for Verstappen. Although he has spent 11 years in F1, he also competes in sim racing and even won his debut race in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) in a Ferrari 296 GT3. He is also scheduled to compete in the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours. Two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso, also indicated that 2026 will likely be his final season in F1 following rule changes. 

With the addition of Cadillac, a new American team in the world of F1, fans have been perpetually entertained with exciting team changes throughout the grid. Ex-Red Bull driver Sergio Perez teams up with ex-reserve driver for Mercedes Valtteri Bottas to make up the drivers of Cadillac. 

The biggest news that has been released so far has been Audi’s announcement that team boss Johnathan Wheatley will leave the team with immediate effect. Wheatley joined the Kick Sauber F1 team, now owned by Audi, in April last year after leaving his position as sporting director at Red Bull. He led the team to a remarkable podium finish alongside Nico Hülkenberg, which marked Hülkenberg’s first-ever podium despite his 16 years in F1.

 “I would have loved to have continued racing and I know that wasn't possible in the Middle East, and it wasn't practical to go anywhere else,” Russel said. “But I've just used this time to good use, spent a lot of time with the team. I'm going to have numerous days on the simulator prior to Miami, to try and iron out some of these unexpected issues that have caught us out.”

Even though the F1 season is only three races in, there have been continuous top news stories regarding the sport. From races to firings, and even an unexpected five-week gap in the calendar after the cancellations of two races in the Middle East in April, the 2026 F1 season has started in a very strange way and is likely to continue to be an exciting season. Tune in to round four, which takes place in Miami on May 1-3, which is sure to be an exciting race.