All-new rules, all-new driver combinations and an all-new team — there’s plenty to look out for when Formula 1 hits Albert Park for the first race of the season this weekend.
But this won’t be the first time we’ve seen the cars on track.
Three weeks of pre-season testing was more than enough time to get a sense of the F1 vibe in 2026. Expectations have been set.
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Will they be matched or beaten, and which teams will fall short when the pressure is on?
McLAREN
Drivers: Lando Norris (1), Oscar Piastri (81)
Car/engine: MCL40, Mercedes customer power
How it looks
McLaren prefers not to change liveries when it’s in a title-winning cycle, so it was no real surprise to see a broadly unchanged paint scheme during pre-season testing. There’s some welcome additional orange around the cockpit, but some random presumably sponsor-influenced colours have also made an appearance which, combined with too much black, makes the whole thing a little underwhelming. Bonus points, though, for the Google-branded rainbow colours on the wheels.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How it’s been going
McLaren behaved like the reigning championship-winning team in testing, never lunging for headline-grabbing times and sticking to the program. It arrived at the latest possible moment to test with a well-developed car it says will change little in Melbourne. The team thinks it’s behind its there frontrunning rivals, and while that’s also the general vibe externally, there’s nothing obviously concerning on the car either.
Summary: No cause for alarm.
How it will go
We’re past the days of having trust issues with McLaren. This is a team and a driver line-up that has proven it can do the business, and the team exudes confidence it’s on the right track. That said, it expects to start the season with a defensive posture before major updates arrive later in the campaign, so a big result in Australia will likely be more about opportunism than dominance. There’s also the open question of how much and for how long McLaren will suffer for being the only non-works team among the frontrunners.
Prediction: Off the podium in Melbourne but a title contender by Abu Dhabi.
MERCEDES
Drivers: George Russell (63), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (12)
Car/engine: W17, Mercedes works power
How they look
Mercedes has been stuck between its traditional silver and more contemporary black designs since 2020. In 2026 the team has finally nailed the compromise — remarkably, it seems, in a nod to sponsor Adidas’s famous stripes. Silver on the top until it strobes into black at the back, the team has finally made its two monochromatic colours — plus the obligatory Petronas turquoise — blend into a formidable looking machine. Five stars, no notes.
Rating: ★★★★★
How it’s been going
For a year the paddock rumour has been that Mercedes was best prepared for 2026, and after setting the most laps of testing and sticking close to the top of the time sheets, we’ve seen nothing to dispel that notion bar perhaps a few reliability niggles during the first week in Bahrain. But it came home strong to retain its tag as favourite heading into the season.
Summary: The rumours were true.
How it will go
Mercedes is exuding the quiet confidence of a team that’s been here before and knows how it ends. With George Russell having proven last year he can lead the team, the stars feel like they’ve realigned for the Silver (and Black) Arrows. It would be a surprise if Mercedes didn’t have at least one car on the podium in Melbourne and wasn’t in with a shot at victory.
Prediction: Victory in Melbourne, championship by Abu Dhabi.
RED BULL RACING
Drivers: Max Verstappen (3), Isack Hadjar (6)
Car/engine: RB22, Red Bull works power
How it looks
After introducing matt paint in 2016 and triggering several other teams to follow with flat, non-reflective colours, Red Bull Racing has returned to its full-gloss, multi-coloured roots with the new rules. The white outline around the Red Bull logo is back. The bright blue is back — enhanced, even, by the Ford partnership — for a paint scheme that pops again, bringing the energy back to the energy drinks brand.
Rating: ★★★★☆
How it’s been going
The success of Red Bull Racing’s pre-season is all in how well its first-ever in-house power unit project has been pulled off. Strong enough early enough that Mercedes could briefly credibly claim the newcomer was ahead of the curve, the engine is at a minimum in the ballpark, which is far better than other new power unit entrants and well beyond paddock expectation. Paired with a chassis that looks typically effective, it’s hard to say testing gets anything other than a big tick.
Summary: Proved the doubters wrong.
How it will go
Red Bull Racing is the frontrunning wildcard. The team didn’t set a breathtaking number of laps, and nor did it look outright quickest, but it looked lively in Max Verstappen’s hands, and we know last year the Dutchman didn’t need the best car to almost pinch the title. Isack Hadjar’s potential to one side, Verstappen — as unhappy as he is about these rules — will make or break the year.
Prediction: Expect wins. The title? Don’t bet against it.
FERRARI
Drivers: Charles Leclerc (16), Lewis Hamilton (44)
Car/engine: SF-26, Ferrari works power
How it looks
It’s red! Ferrari has again proved right the boring Drive to Survive refrain that it’s the only team that sticks religiously to its national racing rosso corsa. Less evident is whether it can prove right the maxim that red cars should be faster. Points awarded for making the giant HP logo on the engine cover look less ridiculous, perhaps triggering the return to the white top, which has a title-winning history for Ferrari — if you go back far enough in the record books, at least.
Rating: ★★★★☆
How it’s been going
After last year’s serious disappointment, Ferrari has understandably kept its head down during pre-season testing, getting on with its program to try to ensure it at least bursts from the blocks looking worthy of its massive annual spend. By the end of the test, though, it was impossible to ignore the red car, which set the fastest time of the pre-season, set a strong number of laps and looked quick and lively on the track.
Summary: Do Ferrari fans dare to dream?
How it will go
Ferrari has a history of winning in Australia and then doing not much else of note for the rest of the season, so we should be cautious about drawing any conclusions from this weekend. But it’s hard not to feel at least a little bit optimistic that Ferrari can wield its works advantage this year. The car is clearly creative — an underrated strength of Maranello — and could spring a surprise.
Prediction: Back to winning races, Charles Leclerc finally gets a title chance.
WILLIAMS
Drivers: Alex Albon (23), Carlos Sainz (55)
Car/engine: FW48, Mercedes customer power
How it looks
Modern Williams has delivered a long line of forgettable liveries, but this year’s mostly blue effort, including some lighter hues, is effective. The sponsor-driven sidepod split doesn’t really work, but any disappointment there is offset by the continuing greatness of the Duracell battery colours at the top of the airbox.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
How it’s been going
Not great. Williams missed the first week of testing with development delays, and when the car did arrive in Bahrain for the second of three tests, rumour had it that it was seriously overweight. The good news is it was reliable, allowing the team to get its program underway quickly, but it ended the pre-season with a big experience deficit that will take time to close.
Summary: Embarrassing after putting all its 2025 eggs in the 2026 basket.
How it will go
Williams looks like the slowest of the four Mercedes-powered teams, which is understandable given its reported weight and its lack of pre-season mileage. It will have to devote time to putting the car on a diet when it should be developing aerodynamics. Nonetheless, the team proved last year it’s on a positive trajectory. If the car is fundamentally good, it should be able to end the season at the head of the midfield — below expectations, but it would be a reasonable save.
Prediction: No points in Melbourne but competitive by the mid-season break.
RACING BULLS
Drivers: Liam Lawson (30), Arvid Lindblad (41)
Car/engine: VCARB03, Red Bull customer power
How it looks
You might have missed Racing Bulls launch its car given it was added as an addendum to Red Bull Racing’s all signing, all dancing Ford partnership launch earlier this year. It’s a shame because, not for the first time, the junior Red Bull team has rolled out one of the grid’s better-looking cars. Incorporating Ford blue into last year’s mostly white car had worked a treat, looking somehow both modern and retro in the best possible way.
Rating: ★★★★★
How it’s been going
Racing Bulls has the advantage of what looks like a competitive Red Bull motor but demonstrated a lack of polish during testing. It completed roughly as many laps as the senior team but never looked like a real top-midfield threat in the way recent cars did during testing. A perfectly find but perfectly unspectacular few weeks for the energy drink brand’s second team.
Summary: If only things looked as good as the livery.
How it will go
Racing Bulls has a natural limit given its B-team status that has seen it perpetually fall short of its eternal target of finishing fifth in the championship. It’s difficult to argue this could be the year. The midfield looks tighter than ever and perhaps more serious than ever. Liam Lawson has a full season under his belt now and could make the difference, but Arvid Lindblad still has to prove he’s ready to step up.
Prediction: Occasional scorer but sixth at best in the championship.
ASTON MARTIN
Drivers: Fernando Alonso (14), Lance Stroll (18)
Car/engine: AMR26, Honda works power
How it looks
Aston Martin’s prerecorded live stream of its launch event crashed, which seems indicative of how its season is going. It’s easy to study the detail of the Aston Martin livery given it’s so often stopped or moving slowly. The team has stuck to its metallic green paint scheme, albeit with some cut-outs for various sponsors. Lifeless in studio imagery, on track it appears to look better — brighter, louder and more impressive. Like it or loathe it, it’s the best part of the AMR26.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How it’s been going
Oh boy. Fewest laps of any team in testing. Slowest time of any team in testing. Honda’s power unit is so unreliable that it ran out of parts before the end of the test, having discovered unexpected vibrations are killing the battery. But the car itself has problems too, with a clunky first-effort gearbox doing it now favours and the car having generally looked difficult on the rare occasions it was on track.
Summary: Pretty much the exact opposite of the team’s ambitions for the year.
How it will go
Aston Martin is in such bad shape that it reportedly was considering not turning up at all to Australia, being short on engine parts and believing it won’t be able to complete the race anyway. It’s contractually obliged to turn up, but it appears deeply unlikely to finish the grand prix, if in fact it can complete a qualifying lap on Saturday to get onto the grid. Given it’s unlikely to finish in Melbourne and even the first few races, it’s obviously won’t be scoring, and when reliability fixes do eventually arrive, it seems destined to be battling newcomer Cadillac to avoid last in the championship — grim, grim grim.
Prediction: Things could still get worse before they get worse.
HAAS
Drivers: Oliver Bearman (87), Esteban Ocon (31)
Car/engine: VF-26, Ferrari customer power
How it looks
You wouldn’t think a fairly plain white livery could look so good, but Haas has refined its minimalist design to just about perfection. The new title tie-up with Toyota has resulted in a livery with bolder, more effective red highlights and reduced the amount of featureless black bits, and logo placement flows without being intrusive. It looks like both a Haas car and Toyota car while being both be instantly recognisable on track — a rare nailing of a complex brief.
Rating: ★★★★☆
How it’s been going
Haas under team boss Ayao Komatsu is religiously low-key during testing, preferring to accumulate laps and a deep understanding of set-up and car behaviour over attempting to bother the top of the time sheet. It came within 84 kilometres of beating Mercedes to the top of the mileage chart, but it was also a fixture in the middle of the pack by lap time, giving the entire team a deeply decent vibe.
Summary: Thoroughly workmanlike.
How it will go
That said, the team had the same approach last year and looked similarly well configured only to find the car was woefully off the pace in Melbourne — though, then again, its deep understanding of the car meant it bounced back surprisingly quickly. It’d be surprising to see Haas struggle as much in Melbourne as last year. The American team should be in contention for points — its starts certainly looked electric during testing — and if it can find some consistency relative to last year, it’s an outside shot of fifth in the standings.
Prediction: Dependable, unspectacular and an outside shot at leading the midfield.
AUDI
Drivers: Nico Hülkenberg (27), Gabriel Bortoleto (5)
Car/engine: R26, Audi works power
How it looks
A livery the team believes is so good that it launched it twice, Audi’s paint scheme is perhaps the most polarising the sport. Silver at the front and characteristic ‘lava’ red at the back, the designers didn’t both coming up with a clever transition between the two, favouring a straight, bold, no-nonsense vertical partition. It isn’t to everyone’s tastes, and the addition of boring black on the engine fin muddies things somewhat, but you can’t say it isn’t a decisive look.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
How it’s been going
Audi has been hard to get a handle on during pre-season testing. Its engine looks fine, but Red Bull Powertrains has raised the bar considerably for a new entrant. Reliability improved by the end of the test, and dividing mileage by team, the Audi motor was in the ballpark, which is heartening. It shouldn’t be forgotten that the car, meanwhile, is built by the same team that constructed last year’s nine-placed Sauber machine, and so it’s not surprising to see it looking like a lower midfield entry.
Summary: A decent but unspectacular start under a new name.
How it will go
Audi is perhaps the biggest unknown quantity early in the season but also has the biggest room to improve given the team is still expanding under new ownership. Nico Hülkenberg is a dependable performer who’ll return a good baseline, while Gabriel Bortoleto proved sizzling over a single lap last year. It might be a battle to escape Q1 regularly at first, but it would be surprising to see the team remain there all year.
Prediction: Realistically near the back but with optimism for progress.
ALPINE
Drivers: Pierre Gasly (10), Franco Colapinto (43)
Car/engine: A526, Mercedes customer power
How it looks
Alpine has stuck largely with what it knows, delivering a car that combines French blue with the pink highlights of sponsor BWT. The combination isn’t terrible, but the execution is unimaginative, and the car lacks identity as a result. Were it not for the pink, it would be just another forgettable blue car.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How it’s been going
You can’t blame Alpine for not touching its livery when 100 per cent of its focus has been on ensuring its 2026 car is a massive step forwards on its woeful 2025 challenger. With Mercedes power in the back after the ditching the homegrown Renault motor, the car was reliable and, in the hands of Pierre Gasly especially, surprisingly lively. Fifth by time and sixth by kilometres driven, Alpine looks set to comfortably execute a return to the midfield.
Summary: First target achieved after steep recent decline.
How it will go
Alpine will, remarkably, start the season as the best Mercedes-powered midfield team, having enjoyed a far better pre-season than rival Williams, which you’d expect to be its most important competitor this season. Gasly is the sort of driver you can depend on to get the most out of a qualifying laps nine races from 10, so Q3 appearances will be the goal every week, from where regular minor points could see the French-owned squad establish an early midfield lead.
Prediction: Alpine will score in Melbourne and be in the hunt for fifth in the standings to the end of the year.
CADILLAC
Drivers: Sergio Pérez (11), Valtteri Bottas (77)
Car/engine: MAC-26, Ferrari customer power
How it looks
Does Formula 1 need another monochromatic car? Cadillac has argued the black-and-white livery is reflective of the GM brand’s high-end automotive line-up, but considering the team raced in gold, red and black colours in the World Endurance Championship, fans weren’t misguided in hoping for something more lively. Its launch video was also something of a let-down, appearing not during the Super Bowl halftime but later in the match, and its CGI-heavy delivery was nothing to write home about.
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
How it’s been going
Despite the livery let-down, on track Cadillac is exceeding expectations — a far, far cry from F1’s hyperbolic claim when rejecting the team’s bid as Andretti on the grounds that it would be shambolically slow and underprepared. The team was the first to shake down its car in a private test, and it was among the first to hit the track on the very first day of the pre-season. It’s been hampered by reliability niggles and other bugs, but it studiously worked through them to arrive in Melbourne in decent shape and looking like a thoroughly competent and genuine Formula 1 team.
Summary: More than ready for its first season.
How it will go
The team is probably in a better place than it would have expected after testing, but that doesn’t mean it’s not likely to finish most races at the back of the pack and remain similarly adrift in the championship. Starting an F1 team from scratch — and Cadillac only got its entry little more than a year ago — is a massive undertaking, and the team is battling not just other cars but decades of institutional knowledge. Still, given how well put together the team looks, don’t be surprised to see it capitalise on those sorts of wacky races we’re liable to get where a bit of weather or some other interruption shakes up the field, opening the door to rare points. And given the state Aston Martin is in, there’s a chance it might not finish last in the standings.
Prediction: An honourable last in Melbourne and the standings but with strong forward momentum.
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