Formula One teams returned to the track last month to prepare for the 2026 season. With the American team Cadillac making its debut, the field is fuller than it’s been in a decade. Teams will battle for the front row when the season begins on March 5 at the Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne.
This season, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile is mandating higher floor height minimums, narrower tires, and simplified front wings. The FIA’s goal is to improve overall aerodynamics while minimizing the risk of the chassis scraping the road.
Perhaps the biggest changes for drivers, though, are the removal of the Drag Reduction System and increased output from electrical motors. DRS was introduced in 2011 when rapidly improving technology made cars faster and overtakes rarer, and it was received with mixed emotions: some fans found races more exciting, but others thought that the defending cars had an unfair disadvantage.
Fourteen years later, the FIA is replacing DRS to improve the overall efficiency of cars throughout the race. The new system, called Active Aerodynamics, has a straight mode for a higher top speed and a corner mode for more road grip. By opening front and rear flaps, drivers can reduce drag on straights, and by closing them, they can increase downforce on turns.
The augmented electrical motors help promote sustainability and shift drivers’ focus to continuosly monitoring battery levels.
Some drivers, like four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, find the new engine difficult to adjust to.
“A lot of what you do as a driver has a massive effect on the energy side of things,” Verstappen said. “For me, that’s just not Formula One. Maybe then it’s better to drive Formula E, right? Because that’s all about energy, efficiency, and management.”
Teams tested their 2026 cars at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain in February. If Mercedes can fix the power unit and suspension issues they faced in Bahrain, their durable engine could make them fairly more competitive. Other teams to look out for are McLaren and Red Bull, who set competitive times and mileage during testing and dominated the 2025 season.
Cadillac is also an interesting team to follow, with experienced drivers and a Ferrari engine that could help earn them some points. However, given their lack of time on the track, it’s likely they’ll be competing with noncompetitive backmarker teams like Audi, Williams, and Alpine.
Cadillac driver Sergio Pérez told reporters that despite their inexperience, the team is hopeful for their debut.
“We ran without any big problems, got a lot of laps in, and had good reliability in general,” Pérez said. “We will only find out next week where we really are in terms of pace, because of over testing, we don’t get to see the full picture.”
Personally, I’m excited to support a team based in the United States. In past years, I’ve rooted for Aston Martin because of their tie to the James Bond franchise, but representation of my home country will be a more emotional connection. I’m also hoping that the new regulations this season will allow the pecking order to shift, giving new teams a chance like Cadillac at the championship.
With the addition of a new American team and Apple TV’s F1 streaming deal, F1 is looking to have one of its most highly viewed seasons yet. As Australia approaches, it’s lights out, and away we go!
