Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Russell stunned after crushing rivals by colossal margin at Australia GP.
Russell stormed to pole with a lap time nearly eight-tenths faster than the fastest non-Mercedes competitor, a margin that even he found unexpected at Albert Park.
7 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

George Russell admitted he was surprised by the gap he created over the first non-Mercedes car during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. Speaking at the post-qualifying press conference, he highlighted how the weather conditions played a role in the impressive lap times. “Definitely, I think the conditions also came into our favour. We know we're better in these cooler conditions, and as the track temperature dropped, we always seemed to find more lap time,” Russell began.

The 28-year-old went on to praise both the engine and the overall car developed by the Mercedes team. “I think we've got a really great engine beneath us. However, I also think we've got a really amazing car beneath us, which probably hasn't been highlighted enough in the press these past few weeks. From me and Kimi’s [Antonelli] perspective, the car felt great to drive. We're enjoying the smaller, lighter cars, and they’re a perfect way to start Melbourne,” Russell concluded.

‘Crushing rivals by colossal margin’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/russe...t-australia-gp


Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying results
07/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

2026 Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:19.507s 1:18.934s 1:18.518s
2 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:20.120s 1:19.435s 1:18.811s
3 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 1:20.023s 1:19.653s 1:19.303s
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:20.226s 1:19.357s 1:19.327s
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:19.664s 1:19.525s 1:19.380s
6 Lando Norris McLaren 1:20.010s 1:19.882s 1:19.475s
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:19.811s 1:19.921s 1:19.478s
8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:20.491s 1:20.144s 1:19.994s
9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 1:20.409s 1:19.971s 1:21.247s
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:20.495s 1:20.221s

‘Qualifying results’;

https://f1i.com/news/560344-australi...g-results.html


Mercedes-AMG tops F1 Australian Grand Prix qualifying, Piastri beats Norris
7 Mar 2026
Alex Misoyannis
Drive

George Russell will park on pole position in tomorrow's Formula One Australian Grand Prix, leading team-mate Kimi Antonelli in second for a dominant one-two start for the Mercedes-AMG team. Melbourne-born Oscar Piastri qualified fifth in his McLaren – ahead of team-mate and reigning World Drivers' Champion, Lando Norris, in sixth – in an eventful qualifying session that saw multiple red flags for crashes and mechanical incidents.

Isack Hadjar is due to start third in his first race for Red Bull, the highest qualifying result for a debutant with the team since Daniel Ricciardo qualified second at the 2014 Australian GP. In contrast, a crash for his four-time champion team-mate Max Verstappen at the start of his first flying lap will see him start near the back of the grid. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari qualified fourth, to complete the Top Five.

‘Predictions placing Mercedes-AMG as the favourites on the 2026 F1 grid have been realised’;

https://www.drive.com.au/news/merced...-beats-norris/


Russell storms to pole position for season-opening Australian GP as Verstappen crashes out
7 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Q3 – Russell outpaces Antonelli to secure Mercedes 1-2: Q3 got underway with a bang as Lindblad suffered a near-miss at the pit entry, locking up and nearly colliding with those near him. That was followed by a technical issue for Bortoleto, who was ultimately unable to set a time in Q3 and caused a short delay to the session start as he was wheeled back to his garage.

Key quote: "It was a great day," said Russell. "We knew there was a lot of potential in the car, but until you get to this first Saturday of the season you never know. It really came alive this afternoon, especially when the track temp cooled – we know we sort of tend to favour those conditions.”

"I’m also really happy to have Kimi here next to me as well because it’s been such a hard job from all the team to deliver this car and they did an amazing job in the garage as well today, so all in all a really good day."

‘George Russell was the man to beat’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...cQVqXUSKPp5KzG


Russell leads all-Mercedes front row as Verstappen crashes out in Q1
7 Mar 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Russell regained his position at the top of the times when the session resumed, though his 1’19.084 was slightly slower than his best from Q2. But Antonelli abandoned his first lap after locking up at turn three and running wide. Despite his damage, Norris got closest to matching the Mercedes, though he was over half a second shy. He pipped Hadjar by just two hundredths of a second.

Piastri fell to fifth place behind Leclerc after the first runs. Neither Ferrari driver was able to get within a second of Russell initially, Hamilton taking sixth place. Antonelli tidied up his final effort and beat his team mate’s time with a 1’18.811. Russell was not far behind however and reclaimed the top spot with a 1’18.518.

Piastri temporarily took third place but was shuffled down the order by Leclerc and then Hadjar. Norris was unable to beat his team mate’s time, meaning the McLarens will occupy the third row of the grid. Hamilton stayed seventh while Lawson pipped Lindblad to eighth place with his final lap.

‘All-Mercedes front row’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/03/07/...hes-out-in-q1/


Verstappen taken to medical centre after serious crash in Australia
7 Mar 2026
Kada Sárközi
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen has been taken to the medical center after his crash in Q1 at the Australian Grand Prix. The four-time world champion lost control of the rear of his Red Bull on his first run and shot through the gravel into the wall. The impact was heavy, prompting race control to immediately wave the red flag to stop the session. Footage showed Verstappen shaking his hand briefly after the crash, possibly because he took a hit there on impact.

Possibly due to pain in his hand, the Dutchman was taken to the medical center for precautionary checks. However, nothing has been officially confirmed regarding the reason. Verstappen has since returned to the paddock. There does not appear to be any serious damage to his hand. According to Verstappen, something went wrong at the rear of his car. When race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase asked over the radio if everything was okay, he responded cynically. "Yeah, the car just ******* locked on the rear axles, fantastic.”

‘Verstappen taken to medical centre’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...-in-australian


‘I’ve never experienced something like that before’ – Verstappen explains cause of his Q1 crash in Australia
7 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Quizzed on how the incident unfolded after the session, Max Verstappen said: “I just hit the brakes and suddenly the rear axle just completely locked out of the blue. I don’t know why that happened or how that happened. “I’ve never experienced something like that before in my career. The rear axle just completely locked on, then of course you can’t save that anymore at that speed.”

“The barrier hit was not that bad – the wheel just snapped out of my hands and that’s why I had to go to the medical centre, but all good. I think it already went wrong before the downshift because I hit the pedal,” he added in an interview with Sky Sports F1. “As soon as you hit the pedal, you quite quickly downshift, but it already immediately locked on the peak of the brake pressure. Something very weird, that’s for sure. There are so many unknowns of course at the moment that we still need to get on top of. We’ll see tomorrow what we can do.”

“I just hit the brakes and suddenly the rear axle just completely locked out of the blue”;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...OMzOukBufgeOPo


Max Verstappen ‘caught out’ by Red Bull engine tech in Australian GP crash, claims Marc Priestley
7 Mar 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Marc Priestley thinks Max Verstappen crashed as he was ‘caught out’ by Red Bull’s energy harvesting. The Dutchman may have had a gearbox issue that caused him to spin, but Marc Priestley thinks it was a mistake.

Priestley feels Verstappen crashed in qualifying for the Australian GP as he got “caught out” by the energy harvesting that is now needed with F1’s 2026 regulations, for which Red Bull have even built their first-ever in-house engine after Honda left them to join Aston Martin. “Max Verstappen locked the rear wheels under braking going into Turn 1,” Priestley said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I think what happens is he gets caught out by the massive energy harvesting, the braking that is being done on the rear axle alone by the electric motors. A lot of people have been caught out by this in the new cars.”

“Caught out by the massive energy harvesting”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...arc-priestley/

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff makes 'donkey' claim after Kimi Antonelli 'Lego' crash.
The team was not going to conclude repairs in time until Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 1 in Q1, giving the team precious extra minutes and managed to get Antonelli on track.
7 Mar 2026
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Toto Wolff has reiterated his claim that you 'can't make a donkey fast' after Kimi Antonelli's huge Australian GP practice accident nearly ruined his qualifying. In the closing stages of FP3, Antonelli crashed heavily at Turn 2, destroying the Mercedes, which Wolff described as looking like a "Lego F1 car", leaving the team in a race against time to repair the W17 for qualifying.

The team was not going to conclude repairs in time until Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 1 in Q1, giving the team precious extra minutes and managed to get Antonelli on track. The Italian ultimately claimed second place on the grid behind his team leader George Russell as Mercedes bulldozed the opposition at Albert Park, with Russell ending just under eight-tenths faster than third-placed Isack Hadjar for Red Bull.

"I am so happy that these ground effect cars are gone, and finally, we can do what we're best at," Wolff told Sky Sports F1. "I'm feeling relieved for the hard work that was put in by everyone, and the car looked like a Lego Formula 1 car that was thrown on the floor literally two hours before. I said five minutes before the start of the session that we wouldn't make it, and then Max went off, and that gained us the minutes to put the car out.”

‘Until Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 1 in Q1’;

https://racingnews365.com/toto-wolff...lli-lego-crash


Max Verstappen Australian GP qualifying crash cause revealed
Max Verstappen crashed on his first run during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. Paolo Filisetti, RacingNews365 technical expert, explains what happened.
7 Mar 2026
Paolo Filisetti & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Team principal Laurent Mekies described what he witnessed as "very brutal", with the team to investigate what unfolded. What was initially evident was that Verstappen was downshifting when the car violently spun out of his control. At first, your initial suspicion would turn to a mechanical problem, such as a gearbox failure, that had caused the locking. In reality, the problem was related to energy recovery.

The software began to glitch when reading the engine speed and the motion transmitted to the rear axle during downshifting. Essentially, in combating an abnormal number of revolutions, the system went into safe mode. This caused the engine brake to intervene, in turn immediately causing the rear axle to lock. As is well known, braking on the rear axle is controlled by the brake-by-wire system. In this instance, however, that system was not responsible for the crash.

It was due to modes in the ERS system that immediately locked the system, leaving Verstappen with no way to regain control of the car. This is a clear example of how current Formula 1 power unit energy recovery technology is still in its early stages of development, where teething problems can even lead to a driver being eliminated prematurely in qualifying, as was the case with Verstappen.

‘In reality, the problem was related to energy recovery’;

https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...cause-revealed


Max Verstappen's x-rated team radio message emerges after huge crash during Australian GP…
Joshua Waite
7 Mar 2026
Give Me Sport

The four-time world champion has rarely gone into a qualifying session not being the one favoured to set the pace. But his session came to a sudden and deeply strange end, when his rear axle locked up without warning at Turn 1, sending him spinning through the gravel and into the barriers, dooming him to the back of the grid tomorrow.

“Yeah, the car just f****** locked on the rear axles, fantastic,” was his message on the team radio, a short and clear assessment of an incident he appeared to have no control over. Verstappen himself seemed just as confused as anyone in the grandstands. Speaking afterwards, he admitted he had not yet had the chance to sit down with his engineers or go through the data, but made clear that nothing in his considerable experience had prepared him for what he felt in the cockpit.

"I think it already went wrong before the downshift because, as soon as I hit the pedal, because you quite quickly downshift right, it already immediately locked on the bit of the brake pressure. Something very weird, that's for sure."

‘X-rated team radio message’;

https://www.givemesport.com/max-vers...lifying-crash/


Mercedes' Australian GP speed so good Charles Leclerc thought it was a mistake
Charles Leclerc admits Mercedes' speed at the Australian Grand Prix so far has been impressive
7 Mar 2026
Adam Cooper
Crash.Net

Charles Leclerc says Mercedes' pace at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix has been so impressive that he thought data from FP3 he saw was a mistake. Mercedes stunned its rivals on Saturday during qualifying in Melbourne, as George Russell led a team 1-2 by almost eight tenths to third-placed Isack Hadjar in the Red Bull.

Charles Leclerc, who was fourth for Ferrari, said he was given data on Russell’s lap that topped FP3 that surprised him so much he thought he’d uploaded it incorrectly. And he now admits that the advantage of the Brackley team in qualifying was even bigger than he anticipated. “I think yesterday when we spoke I said half second,” he said when asked by Crash.net about the gap.”

“Now it's eight [tenths]. So it's bigger than what I expected, for sure, but it was a very significant gap yesterday already. So I was very, very impressed this morning with the FP3 power that they've shown. It was just crazy, in the last lap of George especially, I looked at the data for the first time, and I had to re-upload it because I thought there was a problem on the things I was seeing. But apparently not. So it's very, very impressive.”

‘Thought data from FP3 he saw was a mistake’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109093...it-was-mistake


FIA gives Aston Martin permission for Stroll to race
7 Mar 2026
VALENTIN KHOROUNZHIY
The Race

Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll has received the permission to take the start in the Australian Grand Prix - but it required a "compelling" case from the team. Stroll fell short of the required 107% laptime threshold in every session in the troubled Aston Martin AMR26. His tally of laps for the weekend stands at 16, none of them on Saturday, and his best lap was seven seconds slower than George Russell's eventual pole time.

In the F1 of recent years, getting dispensation to start the race after a qualifying problem of some kind has forced a 107% rule breach has usually been no problem at all. Indeed, this was the case with Carlos Sainz and Williams and Max Verstappen and Red Bull - who set no time in Q1 like Stroll but had been fast enough in practice to be granted a start.

But the stewards' verdict on Stroll indicates getting him on the grid took some convincing. According to the stewards, Aston Martin presented a three-part argument for Stroll to be granted the right to start. The first was team-mate Fernando Alonso qualifying within the 107% threshold in the more functional of the two AMR26s.

‘Getting dispensation to start the race’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/h...australian-gp/


Lance Stroll allowed to start Australian GP, but Aston ‘can’t risk big damage’
The FIA has confirmed Lance Stroll will be allowed to start the Australian Grand Prix
7 Mar 2026
Lewis Duncan , Adam Cooper
Crash.Net

Lance Stroll admits “there’s concerns” still about being able to start the race due to the AMR26’s problems over the weekend. Fernando Alonso, who was 17th in qualifying and in play for a Q2 spot, also noted that the lack of spare Honda engine parts means Aston cannot risk serious damage to its power unit in the race with the Chinese Grand Prix taking place next week.

“I mean, we will be flexible,” Alonso said. “Every lap we will monitor the situation. I think, as Adrian said yesterday, we are short on parts. So, there is no secret on that. China is next week, so hopefully we can do as many laps as possible, hopefully we can do nearly the whole race. The mechanics have been flatout in the garage, changing parts on the car and changing power units day and night the last six weeks.”

“Even on the other side of the garage, with Lance being so unlucky in FP3 and qualy with zero laps, when you go on track and you are in the mix with a few cars, it’s a bit better than when you are dead last, as we were yesterday. So, maybe it is enough to ignite a little bit of motivation in everyone in the garage. And that’s probably part of our job now as drivers, to keep the morale of the team high in difficult moments.”

‘Can’t risk big damage’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109093...isk-big-damage

[Fortitude]

George Russell resists Charles Leclerc fight to score F1 Australian GP triumph.
The Brit and teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli fell back at the start, as Leclerc stormed through to lead, and provided a stern test for the Silver Arrows along with Lewis Hamilton, but a strategic error amid a Virtual Safety Car saw the Ferrari challenge fall away.
8 Mar 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

George Russell resisted an early challenge from Charles Leclerc to open the 2026 Formula 1 season with victory in the Australian Grand Prix, heading a Mercedes 1-2. Arvid Lindblad, becoming the fourth-youngest debutant in F1 history, completed a stupendous weekend’s work with eighth place.

Before the cars lined up on the grid, Russell complained of his battery not being sufficiently topped-up, putting him at risk of being overtaken on the opening lap. It was far worse at Audi, however, as Nico Hulkenberg suffered problems on the grid, and despite trying to start from the pit lane, the German’s race was, like Piastri’s, over before it began.

At the start, Russell squirrled away, and with Antonelli experiencing low battery, Hadjar got between both of them, looking favourite to get into the lead. But, as was the case in Bahrain testing, Ferrari rocketed forth, and Leclerc stormed into Turn 1 in the lead. Hamilton got past Norris, but the biggest winner of Lap 1 was Lindblad, who swept past Hadjar for third at Turn 11. Hamilton swiftly dispatched him, but nevertheless, a sensational start for the rookie.

‘Mercedes 1-2’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...an-gp-triumph/


Australian GP 2026 Race Results: Full Classification and Winner
8 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

2026 Australian Grand Prix Race Classification
Here is the full race classification from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, including gaps, laps completed and status.
Pos Driver Team Gap Pit Stops
1 George Russell Mercedes Leader 1
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +2.974 1
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +15.519 1
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +16.144 1
5 Lando Norris McLaren +51.741 2
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +54.617 2
7 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team + 1 Lap 1
8 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls + 1 Lap 1
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi + 1 Lap 2
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 1 Lap 1

‘Full Classification’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/aus...-race-results/


George Russell and Mercedes dominate Australian Grand Prix
8 Mar 2026
The Straits Times

MELBOURNE, March 8 – Mercedes driver George Russell struck the first blow in the Formula One championship as he claimed an emphatic victory in the
season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Having dominated qualifying, pole-sitter Russell's first win at Albert Park underlined Mercedes’ promising pre-season form while giving the team their first Melbourne victory since Valtteri Bottas claimed the 2019 race. “Great job everybody, it’s been a long time since we've been here,” Russell said over the team radio.

Russell engaged in a thrilling early duel with Leclerc as the racers swopped the lead seven times in the opening nine laps. “It was a hell of a fight at the beginning,” said Russell. “I made a bad start, and some really tight battles with Charles at the start – just really glad to cross the finish line.” The Briton finished nearly three seconds ahead of Italian Antonelli, with Leclerc more than 15 seconds behind on a cloudy afternoon at the lakeside circuit.

It was a tough day for McLaren, with home hero Oscar Piastri’s race over before it begun with a crash during a reconnaissance lap some 40 minutes before the start. His teammate and defending champion Lando Norris finished fifth, one place behind seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari. Four-time champion Max Verstappen was sixth for Red Bull after starting 20th on the grid following a crash in qualifying on Saturday.

“Great job everybody, it’s been a long time since we've been here”;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ian-grand-prix


Oscar Piastri reveals ‘not insignificant’ factor behind heartbreaking Australian GP crash
8 Mar 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets in Melbourne: “We had a couple of things going on. “I think the first part I want to stress is that there is certainly a big element of that was me. Cold tyres. I have used that exit kerb every lap of the weekend, but I didn’t have to.”

“At the same time, I had about 100 kilowatts extra power that I didn’t expect, which is not insignificant. I think the difficult part to take is everything was working normally. It’s just the function of how the engines have to work with the rules.”

“It’s that part that’s difficult to accept. It would almost be easier in some ways if we just said there’s cold tyres and I was optimistic, but when you add in another factor like that it always is more difficult to take.”

‘Not insignificant’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-...crash-reaction


Was that real racing or just Overtake Mode? Lack of data leaves us in the dark
8th Mar 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

On the face of it, Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix provided the tonic Formula 1 needed after a doubtful start to its new era of technical regulations. The Ferraris scorched off the line to make trouble for the Mercedes. George Russell and Charles Leclerc swapped the lead, sometimes more than once in the same lap. The drivers were still clearly lifting and coasting significantly from corner to corner as they were in qualifying. But the increased power and flexibility of their electrical systems gave them new scope to attack.

But just as was the case after qualifying yesterday, it’s important not to draw conclusions too hastily. The picture we’ve seen at one particular circuit may not be repeated elsewhere. Aside from that, there is also one significant question mark over the authenticity of the racing F1 provided on Sunday. This was the first race since F1 replaced its Drag Reduction System with the new Overtake Mode. The two systems work on similar principles: when a chasing car gets within a second of another they can deploy a speed boost. DRS delivered that by allowing drivers to lower their rear wings.

However now drivers have adjustable aerodynamics at the front and rear of the car, the new Overtake Mode instead delivers a burst of extra power. How much of a difference did that make? On the face of Sunday’s race, it’s impossible to tell. When a driver made a pass with DRS, fans could see the rear wing dropping. But aside from an early message from race control stating ‘Overtake Mode active’, viewers received no information about the system. The crucial information about when drivers were using Overtake Mode was entirely absent.

‘Australian Grand Prix provided the tonic Formula 1 needed’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/03/08/...s-in-the-dark/


Max Verstappen warns of sudden F1 exit amid frustration after Australian GP
8 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen has not ruled out the possibility of walking away from Formula 1 amid his dissatisfaction with the current regulations. “I think what they should worry about is the rules. Just focus on that. They ask questions, and I give my opinion on what I would like to see and what I think is better for the sport because I do care about it. I do love racing, and I want it to be better than this, right? So let's see what we can do,” Verstappen said.

“I hope that even during this year, maybe we can come up with some different solutions, so it becomes more enjoyable for everyone,” he added. Pressed further on whether he could suddenly walk away from racing, the four-time champion, basing his response on the decisions of the FIA added: “No, like I said, I love racing, but you can only take so much, right? I think they're willing to listen, FIA and F1, but I just hope that there is some action.”

“It’s not that I'm the only one saying it; I think a lot of people are saying the same. Whether it’s drivers or fans, we just want the best for the sport. It’s not that we are critical just to be critical. We are critical for a reason. We wanted it to be Formula 1, proper Formula 1, not on steroids. Today, of course, again, that was not the case," he concluded.

‘Frustration after Australian GP’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/max-v...-australian-gp

[Fortitude]

F1MATHS: Telemetry shows where Mercedes' enormous advantage comes from under the new engine rules.
Mercedes appear to have arrived with a power unit and energy deployment package that is visibly superior to the rest of the field, (in) The first qualifying session of the 2026 Formula 1 season (which) had already delivered a striking storyline…
9 Mar 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

F1Technical's senior writer Balazs Szabo looks back at some key learnings from Saturday's qualifying session. Across the speed comparison, Mercedes consistently reached the highest top speed, topping the charts at 327 km/h, a figure that none of the other manufacturers could match. Even in sections where drivers typically lift slightly to manage tyre temperatures or balance, the Mercedes car maintains momentum, suggesting a chassis that complements the engine’s strengths.

This early telemetry snapshot suggests that Mercedes have not only built a strong internal combustion engine but have also achieved a highly effective integration of the hybrid systems—an area that becomes even more critical under the 2026 regulations. Their battery pack appears to deliver energy more efficiently, their MGU K deployment lasts longer, and their overall power curve is smoother and more robust than those of their competitors.

‘Power unit and energy deployment package that is visibly superior’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28300


Data show how Verstappen was still able to match Mercedes pace in Melbourne
8 Mar 2026
Shanna Lutgert
GPblog.com

Mercedes impressed on Friday in Australia with their very consistent long runs. After the first race weekend, many—everyone except Max Verstappen—were surprised by the German team's advantage. However, by the end of the race, the Dutchman actually wasn’t that far behind at all. Friday’s long runs already predicted that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli would head into race day with the best hand. They were by far the fastest team and clearly had their act together. In the second free practice long runs, it’s still difficult to get a clear picture of race pace, as engine modes and fuel loads are unknown.

Mercedes’ Friday pace is reflected in the race pace the team showed on Sunday in Melbourne. Over at Red Bull, the mood was gloomy due to the deficit to Mercedes. In the first half of the Grand Prix, the gap was indeed still quite large. The most consistent stints of all drivers began roughly around laps 20–23. For the race pace analysis, we took the two most consistent stints from the drivers of the four top teams. First, we will look at Verstappen vs. Russell and Antonelli. The stints are marked in the table as S1 and S2.

Red Bull decided to go for a two-stopper with Verstappen, while Mercedes ran a one-stop strategy for both drivers. In the first half of the race, Verstappen recorded a stint average of 1:23.527, while Antonelli and Russell were significantly lower: the Italian averaged 1:23.090, the Brit was slightly slower at 1:23.190. The four-time world champion was therefore about four to five tenths short on race pace in the first stint, but towards the end of the race he managed to close the gap. He was even a bit quicker—with an average of 1:22.984. Russell averaged 1:23.080, Antonelli 1:22.932.

‘Verstappen was still able to match Mercedes pace’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/d...h-the-mercedes


‘No regrets’: Ferrari stands firm on Australia strategy call
Ferrari insists it has no regrets over the strategy that cost it a shot at victory in the Formula 1 season opener in Australia.
9 Mar 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe

Despite the scrutiny that followed the call, team principal Fred Vasseur insisted the strategy itself was not the defining factor in the result. “We have to be realistic with this, they were eight tenths faster than us yesterday,” Vasseur said. “We fight like hell at the beginning. Now I think at this stage of the race, nobody was expecting to be one [pit] stop. We targeted the optimum for us, and the optimum was to extend.”

“We were also surprised by the life of the tyres. I think we could have done 300 laps today! But it is like it is, I think they still had, during the race, a delta of performance with us. “The issue is not the strategy or the core, it’s just the pure pace.” Vasseur also rejected suggestions that mirroring Mercedes’ early stop would have put Ferrari in position to win the race.

“I think the pace of Mercedes was better than us,” he admitted. “Even when they pitted they were there or four tenths faster than us and they kept this pace all the stint. Ok, probably we were able to fight a little bit more at the beginning but perhaps pushing a bit more on the tyres and I have no regrets on the strategy, no regrets on the pace of today. We did a decent step compared to yesterday and let’s be focused on China.”

‘No regrets’;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-a...ewis-hamilton/


Deployment becomes the defining skill, claims Hamilton
9 Mar 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Hamilton explained that the biggest challenge of the new regulations is managing the energy deployment system, which now dictates lap time far more than in previous eras. The seven-time world champion said, “The deployment is the biggest part. The rest of it is all kind of similar and familiar, but the deployment is so challenging and it’s different from track to track.”

The Briton warned that drivers will only fully understand the complexity once racing begins. “We probably also won’t know until we’re thrown in the deep end in the race to understand, when we overtake someone, how it’s going to affect us coming out of that corner,” he said, adding that managing deployment in wheel to wheel situations “is going to be difficult.”

Piastri: “A lot of the things we have to learn are not intuitive” Oscar Piastri echoed Hamilton’s assessment, emphasising that the 2026 cars require a fundamentally different approach to driving and setup. He explained that “all the driving, car set up, everything is kind of optimised around getting the most out of the power unit.” While this has always been part of Formula 1, he said it is now “by far the biggest element.”

‘Deployment becomes the defining skill’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28287


F1 highlight surge in Australian GP overtakes despite fierce driver backlash
9 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Formula 1 was quick to highlight the sharp rise in overtakes during the 2026 Australian Grand Prix compared to last year. Between a qualifying session heavily influenced by super clipping and a race largely dictated by energy management, one statistic nevertheless stands out: the number of overtakes.

The Albert Park race produced as many as 120 overtakes compared to just 45 last year - nearly three times as many and a clear boost to the on-track spectacle, even if many have dismissed it as artificial racing rather than genuine wheel-to-wheel battles.

‘120 overtakes compared to just 45 last year’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/f1-hi...river-backlash


Australian GP: A closer look at the Ferrari's ROCKETING start off the line!
9 March 2026
Sky Sports

Ride on board with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as they both get a rocketing start off the line in Australia

‘Rocketing start’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/video/3...t-off-the-line


Australian GP talking points: Mercedes are back, Hamilton hope, Verstappen vents
9 Mar 2026
Mina Rzouki
The National

Mercedes back in business: On the radio after securing pole, Russell was unambiguous: “Very nice, very nice. I like this car. I like this engine!”
Mixed emotions at Ferrari: Ferrari arrived with the second-quickest machine, a rocket off the line, and genuine ambitions. What they lacked was the strategic nerve to capitalise.

McLaren's crown slips: In his home race, Oscar Piastri did not even make it to the start line.
Lindblad living the dream: Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad produced arguably the performance of the weekend…

Long road ahead for Aston Martin: Two cars, two retirements, twice over. Newey's team have a very long road ahead.
Verstappen calls for action: Max Verstappen provided the race's most compelling subplot, surging from last on the grid after a Q1 software failure, all the way to sixth place at the finish.

‘Talking points’;

https://www.thenationalnews.com/spor...stappen-vents/


How the 1 per cent do the Australian Grand Prix: The money-can't-buy experiences A-listers got in Melbourne - and the insider access worth $7000 per person
9 Mar 2026
LAURA HOUSE
MailOnline

After almost 15 years in the lifestyle media space, I've visited my fair share of VIP marquees and supposedly 'exclusive' hotspots – and it's certainly not lost on me how lucky I am to be able to say that. But after what I experienced this past weekend at my very first Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne, I can confidently say nobody does high-end quite like the F1. And with this as my debut, I fear nothing will ever quite compare.

‘$7000 per person’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...00-person.html

[Fortitude]

Ted Kravitz ‘puzzled’ by how Zak Brown reacted to Oscar Piastri’s Australian Grand Prix crash.
Ted Kravitz has questioned McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s reaction to Oscar Piastri’s heartbreaking crash that ended his Australian Grand Prix before he had even reached the grid.
8 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Speaking on Ted’s Notebook from inside the Melbourne paddock, Ted Kravitz shared his reaction to the incident and how Zak Brown explained away Piastri’s error. He said: “I can only just feel so sorry for everybody, all the Oscar fans out there and for him and his family. It just really hit me hard that did, the Oscar thing. It really did. I was just gutted about it. I’ll tell you what was happening, actually. And what did you think of Zak Brown’s reaction?”

“He was like, ‘OK, you know, yeah, I’m unhappy about it, but we’ve got to dust ourselves off.’ I was a bit puzzled about it before. I thought that it was obviously a sort of coping mechanism. He was kind of OK, but I think it was a coping mechanism when Oscar went out. That he was like, ‘Well, you know, we got to pick ourselves up and carry on with the other car that we’ve got.’”

‘Puzzled’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ted...nd-prix-crash/


The first Ted's Notebook of the season! | Ted's Qualifying Notebook | Australia
Mar 7, 2026
Sky Sports F1
Ted Kravitz shares his thoughts on the 2026 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying session.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3dhNAqk-_g


Ted rounds up a hectic season opener ���� | Ted's Notebook | Australian Grand Prix
Mar 8, 2026
Sky Sports F1
Ted Kravitz gives his thoughts and insights on the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybF6pd0sxOc


Andrea Stella: Oscar Piastri Australia crash shows extent of ‘aggressive’ new F1 power units
9 Mar 2026
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

McLaren’s Andrea Stella says Oscar Piastri’s “unfortunate” crash in Australia is indicative of the aggression of the new F1 power units. Piastri’s wasn’t the first crash of the weekend in which a driver was caught out by unexpected behaviour. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli smashed his W17 in a crash during FP3, leaving his team up against it to get the car repaired in time for qualifying. During qualifying itself, Max Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull RB22 on approach to Turn 1 and flew off into the barriers, leaving him facing a back-of-the-grid starting position.

Such incidents, Stella said, show that the F1 teams all have work to do to fully get to grips with the power units and ensuring predictable behaviour of the cars. “Here, I may be speculating a bit because the information I have is only related to Oscar, and I can’t necessarily infer that the incidents – uncharacteristic incidents, I would say, especially for Verstappen – I’m not sure if it has to do with the power unit or not,” he said. “Certainly, when it comes to Kimi Antonelli, he also lost the car in a place in which there’s a lot of torque coming while the car is still subject to lateral load.”

“I think it requires a little bit of attention in terms of associating it with the regulations, necessarily. Certainly, these power units can be quite aggressive when they release all the power. We talk about 1000 horsepower coming all together, and when the tyres may be a little bit on the cold side, or if this power comes in an unpredictable way, as it happened to Oscar, then it can become very tricky. So I don’t want to be here saying I have an easy solution. But I’m here saying we should look into the regulations. These accidents were not a near miss. They are very material indication that there’s work to do. So we should do this work as the F1 community.”

“These power units can be quite aggressive”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-...f1-power-units


McLaren reveal cause of shock Oscar Piastri crash
It was a shocking start to the new season for Oscar Piastri. Here's why.
8 Mar 2026
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has revealed the "three factors" that led to Oscar Piastri's shock Australian Grand Prix crash even before a wheel had turned in anger. As to what unfolded with Piastri's crash, Stella added: "When it comes to the circumstances, what we observe is fundamentally three factors: [first], the cold tyres, and when the wheel spin starts, it starts in a very sudden way.”

"[And] These compounds, with them being on a kerb - a kerb that he has used pretty much every single lap - they don't make this easier, though, when the tyres are cold. And this further compounds, with an element that doesn't make it easier again, which is the fact that with these oscillations and following the shift, there's extra torque, let's say, that when we look at the behaviour of the power unit.”

"It is not something that you would do unless, and which I understand is the case, there are some requirements that you need to meet in terms of how you deploy your torque. In testing, we might have seen some similar circumstances, but we didn't have the combination of cold tyres and the kerb, which aggravated the fact that you may have these inconsistencies from torque deployment in grip-limited phases."

"Three factors";

https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-re...-piastri-crash


52s adrift: Where McLaren is lacking the most
9 Mar 2026
JON NOBLE
The Race

McLaren's admission to being "a little puzzled" about why it was so much slower on the straights in Australia than the works Mercedes team has fuelled talk of a new reality for customer teams. We have just come off a rules era in which McLaren showed you could still win Formula 1 titles by buying an engine off somebody else. As downforce levels, ride control and tyre temperature management defined the pecking order, McLaren's mastery in these areas helped it win the constructors' crown in 2024 and the championship double last year. Things have changed now though. In the wake of F1 2026's rules revolution, McLaren is on the hunt for answers as to why in Australia it was 0.8 seconds off Mercedes in qualifying and finished the race more than 50 seconds behind.

Mercedes and customers in Australian GP
1 George Russell (Mercedes)
2 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +2.974s
--
5 Lando Norris (McLaren) +51.741s
10 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1 lap
12 Alex Albon (Williams) +1 lap
14 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +2 laps
15 Carlos Sainz (Williams) +2 laps

Part of the explanation comes from the car, as the McLaren was not the best through the corners - and the front graining that was a problem at times in the past appears to be back. But it has not gone amiss that GPS data showed a big chunk of the time it lost was coming on the straights - where the works Mercedes squad appeared to be able to deploy more power. And, with identical engines, there is no obvious explanation for that discrepancy.

‘52s adrift’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...1-2026-factor/

[Fortitude]

Mercedes shocks engine customers with F1 Australian GP performance.
Mercedes-powered teams such as Williams, McLaren and Alpine had a relatively major gap in performance to the works car.
9 Mar 2026
Tiana Soans
Motorsport Week

Under the regulations, customers must receive identical equipment and engine modes. However, it is up to each team to decide how their power unit is utilised, namely with their energy management systems. Whilst Mercedes has mastered its own systems, their rivals have found themselves falling behind.

Mercedes stunned its Formula 1 rivals at the Australian Grand Prix, by appearing to extract significantly more performance from the new power unit than its customers. The opening race of F1’s new era could not have provided a better result for the British-based team. George Russell led Kimi Antonelli to the team’s first 1-2 finish since the 2024 Las Vegas GP.

‘Mercedes shocks engine customers’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...p-performance/


Mercedes’ engine dominance has teams confessing frustration after Australia GP
8 MAR 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Both Williams and McLaren team principals, James Vowles and Andrea Stella, have echoed their sentiment about the Mercedes power unit after observing its performance at the Australian Grand Prix. Both teams, who are customers of the Mercedes engine, have hinted at being largely reactive to the engine’s behaviour rather than operating from a position of control.

While Mercedes celebrated a one-two finish at the Australian Grand Prix, McLaren managed only a fifth place for Lando Norris after teammate Oscar Piastri suffered a crash. Williams, meanwhile, saw Alex Albon finish 12th and Carlos Sainz 15th.

‘Teams confessing frustration’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/merce...r-australia-gp


Mercedes HPP director says they have an F1 engine ‘advantage’ over McLaren in 2026
28 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

When McLaren resumed their Mercedes partnership in 2021, they were still a midfield team. It wasn’t until the second half of the 2023 season that they started scoring regular podiums. But since the start of 2024, a resurgent McLaren have outscored Mercedes by over 500 points (1499-937). They have also scored nearly four times as many wins (20-6). There are apparently some insiders who want Mercedes to ‘get rid’ of McLaren as an engine customer, which would weaken a direct rival.

Martin Brundle suspects Toto Wolff is ‘desperate’ to beat Zak Brown this year and reassert his team’s superiority. Hywel Thomas says there’s a clear ‘benefit’ to Mercedes’ works status. Speaking to The Times, Mercedes HPP managing director Hywel Thomas explained that they have a ‘natural’ advantage over McLaren, Williams and Alpine this year.

There was talk that Williams could become a dark horse this season with the highly-rated Mercedes PU, but they appear to have dropped into the lower midfield. McLaren remain the only genuine threat to Wolff’s squad. If Mercedes and McLaren have different views on the relationship between the chassis and the engine, then it will always be the former who take precedence. Counterparts at Woking will be forced to compromise.

‘Mercedes: F1 engine ‘advantage’ over McLaren’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...laren-in-2026/


McLaren call out Mercedes for 'hiding' engine data as statement issued
The world champions are not happy.
9 Mar 2026
Tom Jenkins

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has hit out at Mercedes over a lack of engine information following the Australian Grand Prix. Despite Mercedes' engine giving them an advantage over Ferrari, there was a monumental gap between supplier and customer when it came to the Mercedes power-unit. After back-to-back constructor titles McLaren's pace is nothing short of disastrous, and Stella has been left unhappy after recent dialogue with Mercedes.

"The discussion with HPP (Mercedes High Performance Powertrains) about having more information has been going on for weeks because, even in testing, we were pretty much going on track, run the car, look at the data, 'oh, that's what we have. Good, now we react to what we have'", Stella said via Sky Sports. "That's not how you work in Formula 1. In Formula 1, what happens on track, you simulate, you know what is happening, you know what you are programming, you know how the car is going to behave.”

"So, you also have your plans as to how you evolve it that you have figured out before because you know what you are expecting from the car. I have to say, since we are a customer team [of Mercedes], this is the first time that we feel we are on the back foot even when it comes to the ability to predict how the car will behave and the ability to anticipate how we can improve the car." Stella suggested the performance of Mercedes in Melbourne show his team have significant work to do in order to extract maximum performance, but admitted he isn't sure where to start.

‘The world champions are not happy’;

https://www.sportbible.com/f1/mclare...15745-20260309


Williams surprised by what Mercedes can extract from 2026 engine
8 Mar 2026
JON NOBLE
The Race

Williams has admitted to being "caught off guard" by how much Mercedes could unlock from its own engine at Formula 1's Australian Grand Prix, as customer teams faced some learning difficulties. As the Mercedes works squad secured a comfortable 1-2 on the grid and followed that up with George Russell leading home Kimi Antonelli in the race, Mercedes' other outfits had a more challenging time. Defending champion Lando Norris at McLaren came home fifth, more than 50 seconds adrift of Russell at the chequered flag, with Alpine's Pierre Gasly scoring a single point in 10th. Williams's best finisher was Alex Albon in 12th place.

Speaking ahead of the Australian GP, Vowles said: "What Mercedes are doing on the power unit is something that caught us off guard. "It took a qualifying for us to really see just how off the pace we are. In that regard, that's probably three tenths [of deficit on the engine side] - something in that ballpark." Vowles has no doubt that Mercedes is supplying it with equal equipment and opportunity. However, he suggested that there is not a free flow of information being made available to customers like his squad when it comes to extracting as much out of the Mercedes engine as the works team is.

"It is not an open door, as you would imagine, because that's where the performance is found," he said. "So it is down to us to try and work around it. We have to acknowledge that we, as Williams, do not have the sophistication that they have in other technologies, and definitely that's on us. I would say the converse is that there's some inherent knowledge they have which we don't. And that's down to us to figure out." Asked by The Race if he had expected knowledge of a performance advantage to flow a bit more freely, Vowles said: "I had expected it to a certain extent, yes. That's why I said I was caught out yesterday."

‘Williams, do not have the sophistication that they have in other technologies, and definitely that's on us’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...026-f1-engine/


McLaren team boss Andrea Stella reveals discontent at lack of information being provided by engine supplier Mercedes
McLaren were well off the pace as Mercedes secured a one-two at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix; the Silver Arrows appear to have a crucial advantage over their engine customers
9 March 2026
Sky Sports

Mercedes were expected to have an advantage as a works team manufacturing their own engine, but Stella admitted McLaren are surprised by the extent of the advantage their supplier appears to have in terms of energy deployment with F1's all new cars for 2026 following a major regulation change.

Stella said: "The discussion with HPP (Mercedes High Performance Powertrains) about having more information has been going on for weeks because, even in testing, we were pretty much going on track, run the car, look at the data, 'oh, that's what we have. Good, now we react to what we have'.”

"That's not how you work in Formula 1. In Formula 1, what happens on track, you simulate. You know what is happening, you know what you are programming, you know how the car is going to behave. "And definitely, the result of this analysis seemed to direct to the fact that we have work to do as a team in collaboration with our HPP engineers. We have work to do to exploit the potential of the power unit, which, once I see the potential that HPP is extracting, looks like there's more that is available.”

‘McLaren were well off the pace as Mercedes secured a one-two’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...plier-mercedes

[Fortitude]

‘Mercedes are back’ – Wolff ecstatic with Australia 1-2 but admits ‘we have a fight on our hands’ with Ferrari.
“When it comes to Ferrari, before the race people were saying, you're going to disappear in the distance, looking at your long runs.” Team Principal Toto Wolff.
9 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Team Principal Toto Wolff was eager not to downplay Ferrari’s potential as Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who was instrumental in the team’s previous run of success, crossed the line in P3 and P4 in Melbourne. They executed much better starts on the opening lap and looked strong on the first stint, but elected to go for an alternative tyre strategy which limited their chances to continue challenging Mercedes for the win. Asked whether he believes their rivals would have been a step closer had their strategy been different, Wolff replied:

“When it comes to Ferrari, before the race people were saying, you're going to disappear in the distance, looking at your long runs. We knew that they were strong on the starts and that's what happened. It was an out and out battle between Charles and George at the beginning. Kimi was a bit unlucky that the battery wasn't on the level that it should have been, on either car actually to a certain degree. It was a three-way fight at a certain stage between the two Ferraris and George and eventually Kimi caught up.”

“For me, the prevailing feeling is now we have a fight on our hands with Ferrari. The worry that we had was that it wasn't exciting in terms of the fighting, and the boost and the overtake modes made it actually quite interesting to watch on a track that is particularly difficult for energy. We'll see how that goes in Shanghai, but most of all is being to a certain degree of contentment that Mercedes are back.”

‘Mercedes 'have a fight on our hands’ with Ferrari – Wolff’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...JM5CZWxuTbUT3W


Juan Pablo Montoya thinks there’s ‘nothing’ Mercedes can do to replicate Ferrari’s F1 starts in 2026
9 Mar 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Juan Pablo Montoya ‘highly’ doubts Mercedes will be able to replicate Ferrari’s quick F1 starts. During an appearance on F1’s Australian Grand Prix post-race show, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya doubted whether Mercedes would be able to introduce a similar sort of element into their own engine to replicate the rocket-like starts from Ferrari.

Montoya predicted Mercedes’ dominance at the season-opener, previously theorising on the extent of the German constructor’s sandbagging during pre-season testing. On the topic of the smaller turbo element, the Colombian was asked if Toto Wolff will be worried about their slower starts, to which he replied, “Yes, because they’re not as easy to get right. It is incredible because they have made studies about it. They have done a lot of preparation, and this is what they got. So now they need to start looking at how we can get more power.”

“But when you start putting more power, you start spinning the tyres. Why can the Ferrari get the extra traction? Back in the day, in my time, was the Renault. Fernando Alonso used to do those blinding starts, and there was nothing you could do. And sometimes it’s just the nature of the car. There’s a chance they’re going to suffer with this for the whole year. They’re going to get better, but are they going to get as good as Ferrari? I highly doubt it.”

‘Rocket-like starts from Ferrari’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jua...tarts-in-2026/


PALMER: Why the season opener in Melbourne convinced me Ferrari will win soon
It might have been a Mercedes 1-2 in Melbourne, as George Russell underlined his championship credentials with a straightforward drive, but I thought the Grand Prix was a real cause for optimism for Ferrari’s chances this season too.
10 Mar 2026
Jolyon Palmer
Formula One - Official Site

It might have been a Mercedes 1-2 in Melbourne, as George Russell underlined his championship credentials with a straightforward drive, but I thought the Grand Prix was a real cause for optimism for Ferrari’s chances this season too.

Lewis Hamilton was very upbeat after the race – despite the fact he saw another potential maiden Ferrari podium slip through his fingers – because there were plenty more positives than negatives for the Scuderia after the season opener.

‘Ferrari will win soon’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...nyAuRJ7idAyNo5


Jolyon Palmer tips Lewis Hamilton to replicate Chinese GP heroics after ‘rocket start’ in Melbourne
9 Mar 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Jolyon Palmer thinks Lewis Hamilton could replicate his 2025 Chinese GP heroics. Despite their inability to take the chequered flag in first, Jolyon Palmer praised Ferrari’s encouraging start when looking forward to the upcoming races on a recent episode of the F1 Nation podcast.

He said, “It wouldn’t surprise me if they win the sprint because what they’ve got is a rocket start in their locker. And if they can qualify third and fourth, by all accounts, they’ll be first and second at the end of the first lap. This circuit (Albert Park) is an outlier in the calendar. It’s really difficult to recharge your battery, overtaking can be difficult because have you got any more battery to spare?”

“But if you’ve got pace, you can be tactical with it. Play that game of chess. There’ll be some circuits where overtaking is actually really difficult. Reliability will get better, so we’ll see less safety cars. If Ferrari can then get to the front, and you’re having less variability with safety cars, and harder tracks to overtake on, you don’t even need the fastest car to win races at that point. I think they’re in a really great spot.”

‘Rocket start’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jol...-in-melbourne/


Ferrari fast-tracks striking 'Macarena' rear wing concept for Chinese GP
10 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Ferrari is set to bring the 'Macarena' rotating rear wing that caused a stir during pre-season testing in Bahrain at the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, GPblog can confirm. Italian outlet Autoracer recently reported that Ferrari has fast-tracked its plans, deciding to ship the new rear wing - updated from the experimental version - in time for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.

After investigating the matter, GPblog understands that three different specifications of the concept seen in Bahrain will be shipped to Shanghai, even though the element was already part of the team’s available pool. However, the timing of its introduction is not the most convenient, given the limited track time available during the first Sprint weekend of the season. With just 60 minutes of practice scheduled, teams will have only a single free practice session before heading straight into sprint qualifying.

For now, it remains unclear what Ferrari’s plan is. The Scuderia could choose to run the wing during FP1 and then decide whether to carry it through the rest of the weekend, or alternatively shelve it for the time being in order to gather more data before introducing it properly at upcoming rounds.

'Macarena rear wing concept’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferra...for-chinese-gp


Adrian Newey inspects Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-26 at Australian Grand Prix
10 Mar 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Aston Martin boss Adrian Newey was spotted inspecting Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-26 on the grid ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, it has emerged. As reported on Monday, Newey – who is renowned for studying the designs of rival teams on the starting grid – was spotted by PlanetF1.com taking a close look at Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi R26 ahead of the race in Australia. And it has emerged that Hamilton’s Ferrari also caught the 67-year-old’s eye as the start approached

‘Adrian Newey inspects’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian...f-26-australia


Adrian Newey spent 15 minutes ‘stuck’ to Ferrari’s car on the Australian Grand Prix grid
10 Mar 2026
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey was seen studying Ferrari’s SF-26 for an extended period of time before the Australian Grand Prix. Journalist Julianne Cerasoli notes that the 66-year-old was studying the Ferrari for ’15 minutes’ before the Australian GP.

She said via her YouTube channel after the race: “And then something very surprising happened. Ferrari has a good car. Even Lando Norris was saying this weekend that they see McLaren in the telemetry data, that Ferrari is clearly the team that has the best car at the moment.”

“Adrian Newey [on the] grid from the Australian Grand Prix, he spent a good 15 minutes stuck to the Ferrari car, noting everything about the Ferrari car. So he also thinks that there are many lessons to be learned from this car.”

‘Studying the Ferrari for 15 minutes’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...and-prix-grid/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen reveals Red Bull's focus for the Chinese Grand Prix.
"We will continue to collect data and work on improving the car; we are still learning and we want to go into this week and be more in the fight." - Max Verstappen.
11 Mar 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen reviewed the areas Red Bull Racing needs to focus on ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. Reviewing their last race, Verstappen said: "It was good to be back racing again and it was promising to see us have a good comeback in the race. The Team did a great job to get to where we are but there is still a lot to do and a lot of learnings that we can take on from that race."

He concluded by discussing the challenges of a Sprint weekend: "We will have less time to work on the set up of the car, so we need to make sure we hit the ground running. The circuit is pretty unique, with quite a challenging track layout with a variety of different corners but with plenty of opportunities for overtaking."

“Be more in the fight";

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...ese-grand-prix


Untelevised Max Verstappen team radio emerges after ‘super frustrating’ Australian GP
10 Mar 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other media outlets, Verstappen branded his race “terrible” and reiterated his criticism of the new F1 2026 rules. He said: “I do love racing and I want it to be better than this. Let’s see what we can do. I hope that, even during this year, maybe we can come up with some different solutions so it becomes more enjoyable.” Untelevised team radio footage has revealed the extend of Verstappen’s frustrations over the course of the Australian Grand Prix, with the four-time world champion conceding at the end of the race that the cars are “super frustrating to drive” at this stage of 2026.

The full exchange with Lambiase went as follows:
Verstappen: “Mate, my battery is almost empty. It just doesn’t charge.”
Lambiase: “Yeah, copy.”
Verstappen: “Ah. The battery, mate. F**k’s sake.”
Lambiase: “Yeah. Copy, Max. Keep your head down. Today it’s not gonna matter.”

During the virtual safety car period following the retirement of his Red Bull teammate, Isack Hadjar, Verstappen had to be given a rundown of the restart procedure with the new machinery for 2026 on Lap 12.
Verstappen: “When VSC ends, I have to use the boost button?”
Lambiase: “Sorry, Max. Repeat.”
Verstappen: “When VSC ends, do I have to use the boost button?”
Lambiase: “Ah, yes please. Yeah.”

‘Frustrations’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...026-team-radio


Red Bull must help Max Verstappen succeed in Chinese Grand Prix if they want him to stay beyond 2026
12 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

Max Verstappen’s struggles in Australia were there for all to see, and the four-time world champion knows Red Bull need to bridge the gap. Verstappen and Red Bull struggled for pace compared to Mercedes and Ferrari. And it looks like that could be the case for the rest of the season. Given what Max Verstappen said at media day ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Red Bull may have no choice but to provide at least a temporary fix. Verstappen admitted that he sees strong potential in the car, but even with that, Red Bull aren’t at the level of Mercedes and Ferrari, which he wants to try and chip away at in China.

“There is a lot of potential, it’s just going to depend on if we can extract that throughout the year. The gap was quite big, and also in the race, I think if I would’ve started a little bit up front, I think the best that I could have done was one spot higher because we didn’t have the pace of the top 4 cars… It is clear at the moment that we cannot fight with Mercedes and Ferrari. Hopefully, we can close the gap a bit, and the gap here in China is certainly no greater than last week. But we’ll see what happens in the coming races.”

‘Red Bull must help Max Verstappen succeed’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...y-beyond-2026/


Max in Shanghai: 'A lot of potential in RB22'
12 Mar 2026
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl

“There is a lot of potential”, refers Max Verstappen to the new RB22. “It’ll depend on how much we can extract. Of course, the gap last week was pretty big, also in the race. If I had been able to start higher up the grid, fifth would’ve been the best result possible. Mercedes are in a good position for the whole season. In qualifying, Ferrari was where they wanted to be, but in the race it became clear we didn’t stand a chance against them.”

“We didn’t have to pace to match the top four and we suffered a lot of wear and graining on the tyres. But we’ll see over the next few races if we can close the gap a bit.” With the new regulations only a race old, it is difficult to gauge how the season develops and how track characteristics, like Albert Park’s, influence the pecking order. “It’s impossible to tell. It’s like a jungle out there. I hope we are closer than in Melbourne but it’s clear we can’t take the fight to the cars in front.”

'Potential in RB22';

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6100/


Max Verstappen deal 'on the table' in move that would rock F1
Max Verstappen's future has been the talk of the town.
12 Mar 2026
Marcus Chan
SPORTbible

There could be another twist in Max Verstappen's Formula 1 future with an offer potentially 'on the table'. Heading into the 2026 season, one of the major talking points has been the future of four-time world champion Verstappen. Due to Red Bull's sudden drop in form in the back end of the 2024 season and last year, Verstappen has been linked with a move away. The likes of Mercedes, Aston Martin and even Williams have all been linked with the 28-year-old.

However, the Dutchman committed his future to Red Bull and produced a brilliant recovery drive from P20 to finish P6 at last weekend's Australian Grand Prix. Looking ahead, Verstappen's future has become a topic of conversation again. Recently, F1 commentator Mark Gallagher claimed that there could be an offer on the table for Verstappen to join Mercedes. He also stated that George Russell's deal would not have an impact in Toto Wolff's desire to sign the Dutchman.

He said to The Express, via Betway: "I think the speculation is driven by several factors. First of all, the media love to speculate. Secondly, when you see someone like George Russell on a shorter-term arrangement at Mercedes, you can only assume there may be something on the table for Max if the Red Bull proves uncompetitive this year. For me, Max is the most complete driver in Formula One. The fact that he lost the championship by just two points to Lando is incredible, especially considering he didn’t always have the fastest car."

‘Deal on the table';

https://www.sportbible.com/f1/max-ve...71361-20260312


Verstappen’s ‘conflicting’ F1 feelings and why he needs distractions
12 Mar 2026
SCOTT MITCHELL-MALM
The Race

Max Verstappen says entering races like the Nurburgring 24 Hours is a positive distraction from not enjoying driving the 2026 generation of Formula 1 cars - which he admits is a “conflicting” feeling. The four-time world champion has been a vocal critic of the limitations of this year’s ruleset and the impact that the excessive energy management demands of the new engines have had. Verstappen dislikes the requirement to charge the battery with techniques that slow the car down at the end of straights, even in qualifying, and means it has to be driven in counterintuitive ways. He will dovetail his 2026 season with Red Bull with a first entry into the 24-hour race on the Nordschleife, driving for his own GT3 team, which creates a clear juxtaposition between what Verstappen wants and what he feels he gets from F1 at the moment.

Verstappen’s chances of winning a fifth world championship in 2026 already look slim as his Red Bull team is running its own engine for the first time and the package is not as competitive as Mercedes or even Ferrari. “It's a bit conflicting, because I don't really enjoy to drive the car, but I do enjoy working with all the people in the team and from the engine department as well,” said Verstappen. “It's almost like a bit of a mind...I can't swear! But anyway, you know what I mean. So, no, I don't want to leave. But I also hope of course that it gets better. “And I've had discussions with F1 and FIA, and I think we are working towards something hopefully and hopefully that will improve everything.” Verstappen would not elaborate on what that could be, but it is known that F1’s stakeholders will meet after this weekend’s China race to discuss potential changes to the rules to improve the energy management demands.

Big swings in battery usage made for a chaotic Australian GP at time with lots of place-swapping several drivers called artificial as they could just drive by others very easily if they were using more electric power in different places on different laps. Verstappen alluded to that when, answering a question about the benefit of simulator usage with these rules, he joked: “I found a cheaper solution. I swapped the simulator for my Nintendo Switch. And practice a bit of Mario Kart, actually. Finding the mushrooms is going quite well. The blue shell is a bit more difficult, but I'm working on it. The rocket? Still not there, the rocket. It's coming!”

‘Entering races like the Nurburgring 24 Hours is a positive distraction’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...-distractions/

[Fortitude]

Ralf Schumacher has seen a worrying change in McLaren boss Zak Brown since the end of last season.
Yes, they know full well that it’s not working, that they’ve unfortunately taken a wrong turn and are obviously too far behind over the winter.” Ralf Schumacher.
12 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Ralf Schumacher thinks McLaren have been a ‘negative surprise’ at the start of the 2026 season. Schumacher was speaking about McLaren and Piastri’s crash in Melbourne on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast and said: “Well, you could see that he drove over the kerb, and then I think he just didn’t expect that battery performance or the overall performance, and then, just like that, like a little schoolboy, it happened to him.

“Honestly, it can happen to experienced drivers, but it shouldn’t, no question about it. I feel a bit sorry for him. Maybe he could have shown that the McLaren is capable of better, because Lando Norris didn’t have an easy weekend, it has to be said, he was behind in his performance, he was never satisfied with the McLaren. I also think that this relaxed attitude, which you saw last year with Stella, OK, he was always a bit determined, but still had a smile on his lips, Zak Brown in particular, I think you can see the difference.”

Hardenacke replied: “He was very tense, wasn’t he?” Schumacher continued: “Yes, they know full well that it’s not working, that they’ve unfortunately taken a wrong turn and are obviously too far behind over the winter. “Then, I have to say, it’s a negative surprise when you see that Mercedes, Ferrari and, I would say, Red Bull are the strongest, with Ferrari and Red Bull behind Mercedes, and then there’s a big gap.”

“They know full well that it’s not working”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ral...f-last-season/


McLaren need to 'step it up as much as possible' in China, says Norris
After finishing more than 50 seconds behind race winner George Russell in Australia, Lando Norris has called for McLaren to do more.
12 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Despite there only being a week between the first two rounds of the season, Norris claims McLaren have been working hard to reduce the gap. "It’s been a busy week for the whole team, both the team that are here travelling but also the team back in MTC [McLaren Technology Centre], trying to step it up as much as possible," said Norris during Thursday's media day in Shanghai.”

"[It has been] full of learnings – some good things, some not so good things, but all things that we need to [and] we want to improve on... Learn what we could from others, learn what we could from ourselves, and do a much better job all-round here in Shanghai. It’s understanding of the power unit – we haven’t done as good of a job as we should have done, so our own understanding is not to the level we want it to be at and the team have worked very hard to improve that," said Norris.

"But I also said, the chassis is not to the level that we want it to be at. It’s certainly not bad and we’re certainly not miles away – I think we’re not as far as it almost looked in Melbourne. We need to improve it more, but we know that – we know where we’re stronger, we know where we’re weaker.”

‘Lando Norris has called for McLaren to do more’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...475KTSElMZ9X86


Reigning Formula 1 Champ Lando Norris Makes Hypocritical Claim About New Regulations
12 MAR 2026
CLAY SAUERTIEG
BroBible

Reigning Formula 1 world drivers’ champion Lando Norris has done a complete 180 on his view of the sport’s new regulations, and it comes just weeks after he criticized rival Max Verstappen over the same complaints. Verstappen, a four-time world champion in his own right, said that the sport’s current engine regulations, which divide power supply evenly between the car’s internal combustion engine and battery power, are “Not a lot of fun, to be honest…I would say the right word is management. As a driver, the feeling is not very Formula 1-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids. But the rules are the same for everyone, so you have to deal with that. And that’s also not my problem, because I’m all for that. Equal chances, I don’t mind that.”

Now, the McLaren driver says he’s not a fan of the new regulations prior to this weekend’s race in Shanghai. “You’re driving the power unit, you’re not driving the car to the same limit,” Norris said on Thursday. “It’s not like, ‘go and drive the car the quickest way possible.’ That’s not how it works. It’s a very different style of driving that’s needed. It’s basically forget everything you’ve ever done and reset.”

Norris noted that the current rules and regulations are nothing like what he dreamed of racing as a kid. “It’s just that’s not what any of us have ever grown up doing. Probably not something any of us grew up wanting to do either, but that’s the way it is now,” he said. Norris clearly isn’t enamored with the current state of Formula 1. But something tells us he won’t be stepping away from the sport anytime soon as he urged Verstappen to do.

‘Lando Norris Makes Hypocritical Claim’;

https://brobible.com/sports/article/...w-regulations/


Guenther Steiner suggests George Russell wasn’t even using Mercedes’ full potential in Melbourne
12 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

George Russell’s dominance at Albert Park was impressive, but we might not have seen his Mercedes’ true power just yet. Guenther Steiner believes George Russell was ‘monitoring’ during Australian GP, didn’t take any risks Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, Guenther Steiner was asked whether he felt George Russell was ‘managing’ his Mercedes en route to a win at Albert Park.

Without hesitating, the former Haas team principal explained why Russell did not break a sweat during the race, as his car and the system had everything under control to fend off any potential threats. “Yeah, for sure, he was monitoring. He didn’t need to do anything to take any risk as long as the distance stays the same. Why would you overuse anything? Why would you overuse your systems?”

“He gets the proper information. This is my data to him. It stays stable. The guy cannot catch me. He lapped everybody except six cars.” Outside of an entertaining battle in the first few laps, George Russell was never really threatened by either Ferrari or Kimi Antonelli after he took the lead in Australia. Even with a strong win at the Australian Grand Prix, George Russell has not managed to turn all his detractors into believers just yet.

‘Monitoring’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gue...-in-melbourne/


Ecclestone predicts crash as fears over new regs grow
MARCH 11, 2026
GrandPrix.com

Bernie Ecclestone has warned that Formula 1's new regulations will eventually cause a serious accident, joining a growing chorus of voices - from drivers to team principals to former champions - expressing alarm about the safety and sporting character of the 2026 cars.

The 95-year-old former F1 supremo told Swiss newspaper Blick he was already convinced after just one race. "There's going to be a real crash soon. The speed differences during battery charging - braking on the straights - will eventually surprise the driver behind, and then we'll have a big accident, said Ecclestone. "I just hope I'm wrong this time.”

"There's going to be a real crash soon”;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/eccle...regs-grow.html


Adrian Newey accused of exaggerating Aston Martin issues to get ‘preferential treatment’ from FIA
12 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Adrian Newey may be overstating the extent of Honda’s problems to prompt a reaction from the FIA, according to a report. Newey has made some remarkable statements about Aston Martin’s engine supplier in the past week or so. The latest rumour is that Newey is seeking early access to the ‘Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities’ (ADUO) afforded by the FIA. The scheme, introduced for the start of the new regulations, doesn’t kick in until after the first six races. Newey may hope that the FIA will offer ‘preferential treatment’ to Honda if the situation demands it, which gives him an incentive to ‘deliberately exaggerate’ the crisis they are facing.

Mercedes may already be manipulating the ADUO system. F1 engine suppliers have access to varying degrees of ADUO depending on their gap to the leader. There are two separate thresholds – 2-4% and over 4%. Honda are almost certain to fall into the latter category, but with the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs likely to be cancelled, round six won’t arrive until the Monaco GP in early June. Until then, they will face the same restrictions as Mercedes.

One could argue that this is unfair and it would be in the interests of the championship to help Honda, raising the overall standard. But Mercedes are already gaming the ADUO system, according to a recent report, by keeping Ferrari and Red Bull within the 2% barrier. In such a competitive environment, it’s difficult to see the other four manufacturers making Honda’s life any easier.

‘ ‘Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities’ (ADUO) afforded by the FIA’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...ment-from-fia/