A brand new era of Formula 1 begins this weekend with the traditional season-opener - the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne.
Lando Norris is riding high, having claimed his first F1 world championship last season, pipping four-time champion Max Verstappen by two points in a tense season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Yet with new engine and chassis regulations, and a new team in Cadillac, McLaren are not the frontrunners ahead of the new campaign. Instead, Mercedes’s engine prowess puts them top of the list, with British driver George Russell the favourite with the bookies.
And what about Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton? The seven-time world champion endured a terrible debut year at the Scuderia, failing even to register a podium. However, the 41-year-old and teammate Charles Leclerc looked strong in pre-season testing and are right in contention this weekend.
Follow live coverage of the Australian Grand Prix with The Independent
Read MoreMeet the new George Russell - the F1 title favourite ready to become a champion
Aston Martin reveal shock ‘permanent nerve damage’ risk to Fernando Alonso at Australian GP
Lewis Hamilton implores people of Africa to ‘take back’ their continent in impassioned speech
F1 2026 new rules: How does overtake mode work and what is active aero?
F1 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- The new F1 season begins in Australia this weekend
- Qualifying on Saturday is at 5am (GMT); the race is at 4am on Sunday
- George Russell quickest in FP3; Hamilton 2nd; Leclerc 3rd
- INTERVIEW: Meet the new George Russell - F1 championship favourite
- Adrian Newey doubles down on Aston Martin’s F1 mess: ‘I feel powerless’
Jenson Button on Antonelli's crash:
04:31 , Kieran Jackson“It happens so quickly, it just snaps. The rear of the car is probably off the ground for a moment in time and it just goes - it’s amazing how quickly it snaps.”
VIDEO: F1 season preview in Melbourne
04:20 , Kieran JacksonKimi Antonelli sustains massive crash in FP3
04:10 , Kieran JacksonKimi Antonelli escaped unharmed after experiencing a nasty crash in practice at the Australian Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old lost control of his Mercedes car at turn one, driving over the car and spinning violently into the wall before being launched back onto the circuit.
Antonelli stated he was “OK” but the medical car was deployed, given the shunt was bigger than 25G.
Full story below:
Mercedes teen Kimi Antonelli sustains violent F1 crash at Australian GP practice
Qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix
04:00 , Kieran JacksonWelcome to our live coverage of the first qualifying session of the season!
George Russell set the fastest-time by some margin in FP3 - and the title favourite looks to bt the No 1 contender today.
But it’s tight. Ferrari have impressed - what can Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton do?
Don’t count out the McLarens and Red Bulls, either.
It’s a brand new qualifying format with an 11th team on the grid. Six out in Q1, six out in Q2 with the top-10 battling for pole in Q3.
Expect plenty of drama this morning!
What time is qualifying on Saturday?
03:55 , Kieran Jackson in MelbourneTime GMT
Saturday 7 March
- Free practice 3: 1:30am
- Qualifying: 5am
Sunday 8 March
- Race: 4am
Adrian Newey doubles down on Aston Martin’s F1 mess: ‘I feel powerless’
03:45 , Kieran JacksonAdrian Newey says he feels “powerless” after Aston Martin’s issues with power unit provider Honda continued on Friday.
Two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso did not even take to the cockpit for first practice at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday, with a “suspected power unit” problem meaning he was left on the sidelines.
Aston team principal Newey detailed the myriad of problems the team are facing, not least the drivers being susceptible to “permanent nerve damage” if they run a certain number of consecutive laps. As such, their participation in Sunday’s 58-lap race remains highly doubtful.
Speaking in the FIA press conference on Friday, Newey doubled down on the issues Aston faces and detailed the toll the saga is taking on the team.
More below:
Adrian Newey doubles down on Aston Martin’s F1 mess: ‘I feel powerless’
F1 pecking order after testing - TOP FOUR:
03:30 , Kieran Jackson4th – Red Bull
It’s probably been the toughest of the three tests this time around for Red Bull, who shone last week with their straight-line speed and engine reliability.
This week has been less straightforward. Isack Hadjar missed a host of time on day one, while Max Verstappen was third on the timesheet despite a full day in the cockpit on Thursday.
However, the margins between the top four seem extraordinarily tight. Second on the list last week, fourth now. On the Melbourne street circuit? We shall see.
3rd – McLaren
The world champions do not have the dominance they held throughout most of the last two years. But they’re in the fight.
Of course, the papaya are using the Mercedes power unit, deemed to be the strongest on the grid. The mileage racked up by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – who interestingly split all three days this week – was also strong and both were consistently in the top-three throughout their sessions.
McLaren proved how strong their development window was over the last few years and that’ll be a crucial element through the early months of the season.
2nd – Ferrari
This week was Ferrari’s week. And that’s something we’ve not said about the Scuderia for a long time.
They brought new parts to Bahrain, including a radical flip rear wing that rotates itself upside down on Lewis Hamilton’s car on Thursday.
Charles Leclerc set the fastest time of the whole testing period on Friday, the only man in the 1:31s, while Hamilton’s practice race starts on Thursday, surging to the front from a midfield spot, were eye-catching. Optimism is slowly building.
1st – Mercedes
The favourites at the start of testing, Mercedes remain the team to beat.
Consistently at the top of the timesheet, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have completed a host of laps – 157 in total on Thursday – and while murmurs off track about their engine and fuel-use continue to rumble, they look the best all-round package at the moment.
“The gaps between those at the front are already incredibly small,” Antonelli said. “And down to a matter of hundredths.” If that remains, we’re in for a hell of a season.
Why Aston Martin has warned its drivers of ‘permanent nerve damage’ at F1 Australian GP
03:00 , Kieran JacksonAston Martin have sparked panic after the revelation that their drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, are at risk of “permanent nerve damage” if they drive too long during the Australian Grand Prix.
Team principal Adrian Newey underlined that there is a limit of 25 consecutive laps and exceeding that number could leave the Spanish driver with lasting damage in his hands.
While the 44-year-old’s teammate, Stroll, maintains his limit is set at 15 laps due to the same issue.
It has created concern over the team’s potential in 2026, despite huge investment from Canadian billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll, and the eye-catching hire of Newey to mastermind the team’s rise to championship contention.
So why would Alonso and Stroll be at risk and how has it come to this point where Aston Martin has fallen so far behind their rivals already?
Why Aston Martin has warned its drivers of ‘permanent nerve damage’
F1 2026 season predictions: World champion and a mid-season retirement?
02:15 , Kieran JacksonIt’s that time of the year again and it’s Formula 1 pre-season predictions time!
A new era is dawning in 2026 with new cars, new regulations and a new team in Cadillac. While Mercedes are the favourites - with George Russell the pick for the bookies - nobody truly knows what’s going to happen come the first race on 8 March in Melbourne.
Lando Norris won his first F1 world championship last year, but McLaren look to be a tad short of pace compared to Mercedes and Ferrari, who are full of optimism after a winless 2025 and a podium-less campaign for Lewis Hamilton.
We have a rookie on the grid in British 18-year-old Arvid Lindblad, driving for Red Bull’s junior team. And what about Max Verstappen? The Dutchman is chasing a fifth world title in six years, at a team who have built their own power unit for the first time alongside Ford.
Ahead of the season-opener in Melbourne, these are my predictions for 2026:
F1 2026 season predictions: World champion and a mid-season retirement?
Lewis Hamilton opens up
01:30 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton admits he “lost sight of who he was” amid a chastening first year at Ferrari but promised on the eve of the 2026 F1 season: “You won’t see that person again.”
Detailing his pre-season activities, the Briton said: “The break was really positive. It was my surroundings, it was the people that I was with. It’s not my first rodeo, so it’s understanding how to flip things.
“It’s not that easy to do each time, but I always talk about cultivating a positive mental attitude and that’s what I focus on in my winter.
“A lot of it came from training. I was training hard from Christmas Day. Also, knowing that I believe in myself, that I’ve put more work in than anyone around me, and I believe in myself. Rediscovering myself was a big part of it as well.
“As I said in one of my [Instagram] posts, I kind of lost sight for a second of who I was, and that person’s gone, so you won’t see that person again.”
Fernando Alonso after a tough day:
Friday 6 March 2026 12:43 , Kieran Jackson"Not much learning to be honest, unfortunately the Honda issue in P1 and some Honda issues in P2 as well a little bit limited our number of laps today. That was not needed again because we need to recover a little bit in terms of understanding the car and the window where this car operates.
"We brought a completely new (aerodynamic) package into this race and we need to understand where to run it. Hopefully more laps tomorrow.
"Obviously I feel disappointed to not have more batteries in stock, only supplying one team but it is more a question for them."
Charles Leclerc on practice:
Friday 6 March 2026 09:41 , Kieran Jackson"P1 looked positive but then in P2 the teams are showing little by little a bit more and unfortunately we seem to be on the back foot especially compared to Mercedes, who look very strong.
"I don't think they showed everything on low fuel but on high fuel it was very impressive. It is the first time probably we see how much (of a gap) there is to them and it is a bit more than I would have liked."
Kimi Antonelli after going second-fastest in FP2:
Friday 6 March 2026 08:20 , Kieran Jackson"Massive learning every time we go on track and we understand more about the track. It looks like it is a close fight with the top teams. It is not going to be easy. Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, they all look strong."
Oscar Piastri after going fastest:
Friday 6 March 2026 07:53 , Kieran Jackson"If you can operate the car roughly how you expect it to, then you find a huge amount of lap time.
"I think we have been there or thereabouts. don't think we ever thought we were a long way behind Mercedes and Ferrari. I think we thought we were just a little step behind.
“And I am optimistic that if we get everything in a more optimal place, maybe we don't have the outright performance if everyone's at 100% but the biggest thing is how close you can get to 100% at the moment."
New rules, new hope? Why Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 season is F1 legend’s final roll of the dice
Friday 6 March 2026 06:45 , Kieran JacksonFor Lewis Hamilton, bouncing vigorously into this weekend’s season-opener in Melbourne once again, there is another record to add to the collection. At 41, Hamilton is about to embark on his 20th consecutive Formula 1 season. In overtaking Rubens Barrichello’s tally, the seven-time F1 world champion is now out on his own. Of course, currently tied for titles with Michael Schumacher, that is the one leaderboard which continues to define his existence and motivation in the sport.
Hamilton posted about his 20 not-out record, with typical effervescence, on Instagram this week. And one thing is for certain: if Ferrari can produce a car as inspiring as Hamilton’s invigorating wave of pre-season social media posts, maybe the Briton really can challenge for that elusive eighth championship. “I’m still here, 20 years on, still standing, still hungry, still focused on the dream,” he said. “No holding back.”
Full piece below:
New rules, new hope? Why Hamilton’s 2026 season is his final roll of the dice
FP2 RESULTS - TOP-10
Friday 6 March 2026 06:20 , Kieran Jackson1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 1:19.729
2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.214
3. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.320
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.321
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.562
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.637
7. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.065
8. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +1.193
9. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +1.212
10. Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1.450
Oscar Piastri stays on top
Friday 6 March 2026 06:04 , Kieran JacksonThe Australian fans will enjoy that!
Oscar Piastri keeps P1 with a 1:19:729, two-tenths ahead of Kimi Antonelli and a further tenth clear of George Russell in third.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc complete the top-five.
6-10: Verstappen, Norris, Lindblad, Hadjar, Ocon
Oscar Piastri fastest
Friday 6 March 2026 05:56 , Kieran JacksonWill the home hero keep P1?
He’s top with five minutes to go with a 1:19:729 - two-tenths clear of Kimi Antonelli.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc goes across the grass at turn 1. The drivers are finding it tough to find their range in these new cars...
Max Verstappen hits the gravel
Friday 6 March 2026 05:53 , Kieran JacksonThe Dutchman loses control at turn 10 and goes across the gravel!
That’ll be a damaged Red Bull floor...
Mercedes find some time
Friday 6 March 2026 05:36 , Kieran JacksonSuddenly, Mercedes have found pace!
At the halfway stage of the session, Kimi Antonelli is top with a 1:19:943 - 0.106 secs ahead of George Russell in second.
Lewis Hamilton is third, 0.176 secs off, with Charles Leclerc fourth and Oscar Piastri fifth.
6-10: Lindblad, Hadjar, Verstappen, Ocon, Bearman
Fernando Alonso back in the pits
Friday 6 March 2026 05:29 , Kieran JacksonJust two laps for Alonso before heading back to the pits... slowly.
Meanwhile, George Russell enters the gravel at turn 3. Not smooth sailing for Mercedes so far today...
Fernando Alonso out on track
Friday 6 March 2026 05:15 , Kieran JacksonThis is not a drill.
Alonso leaves the garage in his Aston Martin car - and so far is away all smoothly!
Max Verstappen has an issue
Friday 6 March 2026 05:10 , Kieran JacksonLike Arvid Lindblad in FP1 (using the same Red Bull-Ford engine), Max Verstappen’s car just sparks out at the end of the pit-lane.
He can’t get it going again - and is wheeled back to the garage by the marshals and then the Red Bull mechanics.
A lot going on...
Hamilton weaves to avoid Colapinto
Friday 6 March 2026 05:07 , Kieran JacksonGosh - Lewis Hamilton almost crashed straight into Franco Colapinto!
Colapinto was going slow on the racing line on the pit straight - and Hamilton saw him so late!
“There was a car going crazy slow on the pit straight” he says. That was scary...
Lindblad and Russell clash
Friday 6 March 2026 05:04 , Kieran JacksonBit of a moment between the two Brits in the pit-lane!
With Lindblad in the fast-lane, Russell hesitates and then drives, clipping his front-wing on the RB!
He’s wheeled back in. Simply a misunderstanding...
FP2 underway!
Friday 6 March 2026 05:00 , Kieran JacksonThe second session of the season gets the green light treatement - and we are a go.
Five minutes from FP2
Friday 6 March 2026 04:55 , Kieran JacksonFerrari led the way earlier - what about this afternoon?
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were clear of the field in FP1, followed by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
What about Mercedes? The 2026 favourites struggled earlier - do they have more performance to unlock?
We’ll soon find out!
Lewis Hamilton implores people of Africa to ‘take back’ their continent in impassioned speech
Friday 6 March 2026 04:50 , Kieran JacksonThe seven-time world champion, embarking on his 20th consecutive season and second with Ferrari, has previously backed the staging of an F1 race in Africa, the only habitable continent the sport does not hold a grand prix. South Africa, Rwanda and Morocco have all declared an interest in recent years.
When asked about which African city Hamilton would like to see an F1 race in, the 41-year-old responded uninterrupted for three minutes straight as he spoke of his adoration for the continent and hope for change in the future.
More below:
Lewis Hamilton implores people of Africa to ‘take back’ their continent in speech
VIDEO: F1 2026 season preview
Friday 6 March 2026 04:30 , Kieran JacksonStart times in Australia this weekend:
Friday 6 March 2026 04:05 , Kieran JacksonAll times GMT
Friday 6 March
- Free practice 2: 5am
Saturday 7 March
- Free practice 3: 1:30am
- Qualifying: 5am
Sunday 8 March
- Race: 4am
A new season of Formula 1!
Friday 6 March 2026 04:00 , Kieran JacksonA brand new era of Formula 1 begins this weekend with the traditional season-opener - the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne.
Lando Norris is riding high, having claimed his first F1 world championship last season, pipping four-time champion Max Verstappen by two points in a tense season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Yet with new engine and chassis regulations, and a new team in Cadillac, McLaren are not the frontrunners ahead of the new campaign. Instead, Mercedes’s engine prowess puts them top of the list, with British driver George Russell the favourite with the bookies.
And what about Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton? The seven-time world champion endured a terrible debut year at the Scuderia, failing even to register a podium. However, the 41-year-old and teammate Charles Leclerc looked strong in pre-season testing and are right in contention this weekend.
