The 2026 F1 Season Is Finally Back and the Australian Grand Prix Was… A Lot
Formula One is officially back, and honestly, I missed it more than I realized.
The 2026 season kicked off in Melbourne at the Australian Grand Prix, which also marked the beginning of a completely new technical era in F1.
New cars, new power unit rules, new strategies.
And after watching the first race, I think it’s safe to say we’re all still figuring out what this new version of Formula One is going to feel like.
The result.
George Russell won the race for Mercedes, leading teammate Kimi Antonelli home for a Mercedes one-two finish, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc taking third place.
That alone already set the tone for the season. Mercedes clearly arrived prepared.
Meanwhile, the race itself was chaotic in places, strategic in others, and occasionally just confusing.
The New Cars and the “Mario Kart” Feeling
The biggest talking point from the weekend wasn’t just the results. It was the new cars and regulations.
Drivers now manage far more electrical energy during races, with new overtake modes and battery deployment strategies that can drastically change speed differences between cars.
And honestly… from a fan perspective, I kind of understand the criticism.
Max Verstappen compared the racing to Mario Kart, which initially sounds dramatic, but once you watch some of the aerial shots, I sort of see what he means.
From the drone view especially, the cars sometimes look like they are almost being guided through the circuit. I caught myself thinking the same thing during the broadcast.
The movement looked very smooth, almost mechanical, like the cars were on rails.
It gave me a strange “wheels on rails” vibe, particularly in the overhead shots where the cars appear to glide through the corners in a very controlled way.
Now, this is only race one of the season. New regulations always need time to settle in. But at the moment I do share Verstappen’s criticism to a certain extent.
The new cars still need to grow on me a little.
A Really Rough Start for Oscar Piastri
The part of the race that genuinely made me sad was Oscar Piastri.
His home Grand Prix ended before the race even really started after he crashed on his way to the grid due to technical issues with the car.
That’s brutal for any driver.
But especially brutal when it’s your home race in Melbourne.
And I’ll say it plainly. I really hoped this would be Oscar’s season.
After everything that happened last year, I felt like 2026 could be the moment where he truly steps forward and claims his place as a championship contender.
So seeing his race end before the start was honestly heartbreaking.
Verstappen’s Recovery Drive
On the other side of the grid, Max Verstappen had one of those quietly impressive races.
After starting all the way at the back of the grid following a qualifying crash, he fought his way through the field to finish sixth.
That kind of recovery drive is easy to overlook when the spotlight is on the podium, but it’s still the kind of performance that reminds everyone why he remains one of the most formidable drivers on the grid.
Even if he clearly isn’t thrilled about the new era of cars.
Something About the McLaren Dynamics Feels… Off
Now, this might just be me being overly observant, but something about the McLaren dynamic after the race caught my attention.
I wasn’t particularly amused by how Zak Brown addressed Piastri in one of the interviews after the race.
It might just be my paranoia acting up, but the way he referred to Oscar using a pronoun instead of directly addressing him felt… distancing.
Language can create psychological space between people, even subtly.
Maybe I’m reading too much into it.
But it did give me the sense that there might be something going on behind the scenes.
And while we’re here, I’ll just say it.
I’m not a huge fan of the favoritism that sometimes seems to surround Lando Norris.
Yes, he is the reigning champion, and that deserves respect.
But I’m not entirely convinced yet that he is the dominant champion that some people are already treating him as.
That’s just my humble opinion though, heavily mixed with preferences. The difference is I’m not part of the team.
And Still… I’m Just Happy F1 Is Back
Criticism aside, I’m genuinely happy the season has started again.
Formula One has become a bit of a high fixation for this blog, and there is a lot more coming this season.
I’ve already written a few pieces about F1 here, and I even made a little bingo game to play while watching races, which I might share soon.
So if you enjoy a mix of racing analysis, fangirling, and probably a bit of chaos along the way, stick around.
This season is going to be interesting.
And who knows.
Maybe these new cars will grow on us after all.