The 77th season of the Formula 1 World Championship, the most intense and acclaimed motoring competition in the world, begins this weekend in Australia. There will be two practice sessions at Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit on Friday, before another practice and qualifying session on Saturday and the race on Sunday. The competition is televised in Romania, just like last year, by Antena 1, Antena 3 CNN, Antena Stars and Antena Play.
After winning four seasons in a row, Max Verstappen was stopped in the previous season by Lando Norris, who came out by a whisker as world champion. However, neither of the two are favorites to win the competition this year. According to the bookmakers, George Russel is credited with the first chance (odds 3.00), followed by the flying Dutchman (4.00), Charles Lecrerc (6.00), Lewis Hamiton (7.00), Kimi Antonelli (10.00), the title champion being only on 6th, with an odds of 10.00. In the teams, Mercedes is seen as the favorite for the world title (2.20), followed by Ferrari (3.50), McLaren (3.50), Red Bull (8.00) and Aston Martin (50.00).
The 2026 Formula 1 season begins with the Australian Grand Prix
In 2026, the Great Circuit has scheduled 24 Grand Prix and 6 sprint races. Some of them are expected to change, given the conflict in the Middle East. For now, the new season will start under good auspices. Tickets for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix have sold out quickly, marking the fastest three-day sell-out in the event’s history, organizers announced on Wednesday. And the attendance will be huge, considering that last year’s race in Melbourne attracted a record crowd of over 465,000 people. In addition, the Bureau of Meteorology predicts that there will be no showers on Sunday, and the maximum temperature will be 26 degrees Celsius.
Changes to increase spectacularity
In 2026, the organizers decided to make several changes to increase the spectacularity of this sport. The floor of the cars will be simplified and performance will be increased through the use of sophisticated aerodynamics. The DRS system is also dispensed with, and the driver will benefit from extra power from the battery when he is less than a second behind an opponent. This is because the 1600 cc V6 engines are being abandoned and will be switched to hybrid propulsion units.
Also introduced this season are two modes, X and Z. The first will minimize drag on straight lines, while the second will provide more downforce for drivers to enter corners at higher speeds. The single-seaters will be lighter by about 30 kilograms, weighing up to 768 kg.
The composition of the teams starting the new F1 season
11 teams fight, in the new season of Formula 1, for the constructors’ world title. Here is their composition.
Alpine-Mercedes:
Pierre Gasly (France), Franco Colapinto (Argentina).
Aston Martin Aramco-Honda: Fernando Alonso (Spain), Lance Stroll (Canada).
Atlassian Williams-Mercedes: Alexander Albon (Thailand), Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spain).
Audi: Gabriel Bortoleto (Brazil), Nico Hulkenberg (Germany).
Cadillac-Ferrari:
Sergio Perez (Mexico), Valtteri Bottas (Finland).
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc (Monaco), Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain).
Haas-Ferrari:
Esteban Ocon (France), Oliver Bearman (Great Britain).
McLaren-Mercedes:
Lando Norris (Great Britain), Oscar Piastri (Australia).
Mercedes: Kimi Antonelli (Italy), George Russell (Great Britain).
Racing Bulls-Red Bull Ford: Liam Lawson (New Zealand), Arvid Lindblad (Great Britain).
Red Bull Racing-Red Bull Ford: Max Verstappen (Netherlands), Isack Hadjar (France).
Australian race schedule
Training 1 – Friday, 03.30 Romanian time (Antena Play)
Training 2 – Friday, 07.00 (Antena Play)
Training 3 – Saturday, 03.30 (Antena Play)
Qualifiers – Saturday, 07.00 (Antena 3 CNN).
Race – Sunday, March 8, 06.00 (Antenna 1)
Schedule of the new Formula 1 season 2026*
March 6-8:
Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne)
March 13-15:
Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai)
March 27-29:
Japanese Grand Prix (Suzuka)
April 10-12:
Bahrain Grand Prix (Sakhir)
April 17-19: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Jeddah)
May 1-3: Miami Grand Prix (United States)
May 22-24: Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal)
June 5-7: Grand Prix of the Principality of Monaco (Monte Carlo)
June 12-14:
Spanish Grand Prix (Barcelona)
June 26-28:
Austrian Grand Prix (Spielberg)
July 3-5: British Grand Prix (Silverstone)
July 17-19:
Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps)
August 24-26:
Hungarian Grand Prix (Budapest)
August 21-23:
Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort)
September 4-6:
Italian Grand Prix (Monza)
September 11-13:
Madrid Grand Prix (Spain)
September 25-27:
Grand Prix of Azerbaijan (Baku)
October 9-11:
Singapore Grand Prix
October 23-25:
United States Grand Prix (Austin)
October 30-November 1: M. Prize of Mexico (Ciudad de Mexico)
November 6-8:
Brazilian Grand Prix (Sao Paulo)
November 19-21:
Las Vegas Grand Prix (USA)
November 27-29:
Qatar Grand Prix (Losail)
December 4-6:
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Yas Marina)
*The calendar may undergo changes, taking into account the current international context:
Where will the sprint races take place in 2026
China (Shanghai) – March 14
USA (Miami) – May 2
Canada (Montreal) – May 23
Great Britain (Silverstone) – July 4th
Netherlands (Zandvoort) – August 22
Singapore – October 10
