The new season of Formula One (F1) is back now that the F1 winter break is over. Usually there would be 24 races this season, spanning from March to December. However, due to the conflict in the Middle East, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will not take place in April. The first race of the season started on March 7, 2026, at the Australian Grand Prix. The last race of the season will be on Dec. 6, 2026, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
This time there are 11 teams on the grid with 22 drivers. The newest team is the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, with drivers Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas. Last year’s Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber was changed to Audi Revolut F1 Team. The rookie of this season is Arvid Lindblad, who is driving for the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team. Former Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar was promoted to Oracle Red Bull Racing, replacing Yuki Tsunoda.
This year many regulations have been changed. The teams’ cost cap for team operational expenditures was increased from $135 million to $215 million, and a cost cap for power unit manufacturers was increased from $90 million to $130 million. A key change was the removal of the Motor Generator Unit-Heat and the increase of the Motor Generator-Kinetic output. The power units have been implemented to use fully sustainable fuel. The drag reduction system was also removed and replaced with manual override mode. The cars this year are smaller and lighter and have a 15% reduction in downforce.
The teams had three preseason tests in Spain and Bahrain in January and February of this year. The first test was private, where all teams ran except for the Atlassian Williams F1 Team. The second test occurred from Feb. 11-13, where Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time across three days. The third test occurred from Feb. 18-20, where Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the fastest time across three days. Fans of the sport are eagerly awaiting the next race weekend.
