In a reflective review of his debut F1 season with Haas, Oliver Bearman admits he failed to adequately adjust his driving for the car's unpredictable "knife-edge" handling, leading to mistakes. Despite this, he scored a podium-worthy fourth in Mexico and ultimately outperformed teammate Esteban Ocon in the standings.
The 2026 F1 season kicked off with a dramatic Sunday at the Australian Grand Prix, where the new-generation cars made their racing debut. A gallery of photos captures the historic moment, the intense on-track action, and the electric atmosphere at Albert Park, alongside the supporting Supercars race that started the day.
McLaren's Andrea Stella has backed Oscar Piastri to recover mentally from his pre-race crash at the Australian GP, attributing the incident to cold tires, a curb, and a spike in power unit torque. Stella emphasized Piastri's resilience as the team looks ahead to the next race in China.
Charles Leclerc says his race-winning start in Australia was far from perfect, revealing a widespread battery issue made the launch chaotic. He gained the lead simply because his Ferrari had the 'least issues' compared to others on the grid.
Cadillac Racing made its Formula 1 race debut at the Australian Grand Prix, with Sergio Perez finishing 16th and Valtteri Bottas retiring early. The team celebrated the operational milestone of completing the race but faces a significant task to close the performance gap to the midfield.
Juan Pablo Montoya slammed Ferrari's choice to not pit under Virtual Safety Car conditions in Australia, labeling it a familiar strategic blunder. Despite Charles Leclerc's lead from a great start, the call allowed pitting rivals to gain an advantage, though Ferrari still finished 3rd and 4th.
Isack Hadjar's highly anticipated debut for Red Bull Racing ended prematurely in Australia when his car suffered a power unit failure. The French driver reported hearing a 'terrible sound' from the engine early on and was also hampered by a battery issue at the start, which cost him a potential lead. Despite showing strong pace, his race was over after just 10 laps.
Williams F1 chief James Vowles says his team was surprised by the performance gap Mercedes found in its own 2026 power unit in Australia. While the hardware is identical, a significant "knowledge gap" in software and energy management has left customer teams like Williams, McLaren, and Alpine struggling to match the works squad's pace.
Max Verstappen compared his midfield battle at the Australian GP to "Mario Kart" after recovering from a back-of-grid start to finish sixth. While praising Red Bull's new in-house engine, he revealed ongoing struggles with severe tire graining and braking issues, highlighting the team's broader performance deficits.
Liam Lawson claims Sergio Perez raced him with excessive aggression during the Australian GP, suggesting Perez is still resentful over a fierce battle in 2024. Perez countered that it was simply "a bit of fun" racing in a slow car, highlighting a personal rivalry that persists in F1's midfield.
The new 2026 F1 regulations have increased overtaking but sparked controversy by making battery energy management more decisive than driver skill in duels, leading to criticism of "artificial" racing from stars like Verstappen and Norris.
Max Verstappen erupted over team radio after being forced to brake hard to avoid Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad in the pit lane during the Australian GP. The furious Dutchman accused Lindblad of "brake-checking" him during his charge from 20th to a sixth-place finish on a tough day for the reigning champions.
