What has changed for the 2026 Formula One season?

Formula One is set for its most radical transformation in decades as the 2026 season roars into life in Melbourne on 8 March with the Australian Grand Prix. A new champion, revolutionary car designs, and significant shifts in the driver lineup and race calendar promise an exhilarating new era for the sport.

McLaren’s Lando Norris will proudly display the number one on his car, having clinched the 2025 world title and brought an end to Max Verstappen’s dominant run of four consecutive championships with Red Bull.

The technical regulations have undergone their most substantial overhaul in decades. Cars are now smaller, shorter, and lighter, featuring a near 50-50 split between electric power and combustion engine. Crucially, they will run on 100 per cent advanced sustainable fuel, while Pirelli tyres have also been narrowed.

The controversial Drag Reduction System (DRS) has been abolished, replaced by active aerodynamics, including adjustable front and rear wings, alongside new driver-operated overtake and boost modes.

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford in the Pitlane during day three of F1 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit Getty

In a significant move, former champions Red Bull will debut as a power unit manufacturer, producing their own engines for the first time and supplying their sister team, Racing Bulls. This shift sees their former engine partner, Honda, enter an exclusive deal with Aston Martin.

The grid welcomes just one rookie: Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad. The 18-year-old Briton, of Swedish and Indian heritage, becomes the youngest British F1 driver, surpassing Oliver Bearman’s record set in 2024. Lindblad also ranks as the fourth youngest Formula One driver ever, behind Verstappen, Lance Stroll, and Kimi Antonelli.

Lindblad’s arrival at Racing Bulls follows Isack Hadjar’s promotion to Red Bull, where the 21-year-old Frenchman becomes Verstappen’s fourth teammate since late 2024, succeeding Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda. Hadjar, who debuted in Australia a year prior, impressed last season despite a formation lap crash in Melbourne, securing a third-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix to become the fifth youngest F1 podium finisher.

General Motors-backed Cadillac joins the grid as the 11th team, marking the first all-new outfit since Haas in 2016. The Ferrari-powered team boasts an experienced lineup with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, both returning after a year’s absence, bringing six and 10 career wins respectively. Cadillac’s entry also prompts a tweak to qualifying, with six cars now eliminated after the first and second phases, up from the previous five.

Isack Hadjar of France and Oracle Red Bull RacingGetty

Swiss-based Sauber has officially transformed into the Audi factory team. While retaining last year’s management and drivers, Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg and Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto, they will now be powered by Audi’s own engine. Sauber finished ninth overall last year, with Hulkenberg notably securing a surprise third place in Britain.

The long and illustrious history of Renault as an engine manufacturer concludes, as Renault-owned Alpine switches to Mercedes power.

The race calendar sees changes too, with Spain hosting two races. A new street circuit in Madrid, dubbed "the Madring", will debut around the IFEMA exhibition centre as the Spanish Grand Prix host, featuring the banked "Monumental" Turn 12. Italy, which hosted two grands prix last year, loses Imola from a calendar that remains at 24 races.

Sprint weekends are expanded, with the Canadian, Dutch, and Singapore Grands Prix joining Shanghai, Miami, and Silverstone as sprint venues for the first time. However, the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Verstappen’s home race, is scheduled to drop off the calendar after this year.

The Baku City Circuit, celebrating its 10th anniversary, will join Las Vegas as a Saturday race.

Finally, Apple, creators of the hit F1 Movie, takes over from Walt Disney’s ESPN as the exclusive US broadcaster of Formula One.