The Australian Grand Prix kicked off the 2026 Formula 1 season on 8 March at Albert Park, Melbourne, providing fans and the paddock with their first glimpse of the new regulations.
While it is early in the season, the new regulation cars have so far received a mixed reaction from within the paddock. Mercedes and George Russell are understandably fairly happy after the 1-2 finish for the Brackley outfit, but others have likened the new overtake mode and the use of the boost button to racing in a video game.
The GT4 European Series took the opportunity to poke fun at the new regulations. “Racing. With no battery boost or active aero in sight. Just saying,” it wrote on X with a video from the series.
Chip Ganassi Racing also posted: “‘Super-clipping’, ‘downshifting on straights’, ‘battery management’ [Yawn]. Yeah, we don’t do that here. We race.”
During the race, which featured 120 overtakes, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc likened the overtake mode to Mario Kart. “This is like the mushroom in Mario Kart,” the Monegasque driver said over the team radio.
Haas’s Oliver Bearman was also asked about comments like Leclerc’s after the race. “Yeah, a little bit,” he told the media. “It was like I was in F1 and everyone else was in F2. But then, of course, you have to recharge the battery again, because otherwise you’re dead into the next straight.
“So, it’s a lot of stuff to think about, which is complicated, but the fact that I finished P7 means that I’m happy, even if the car has not been the most fun to drive this weekend.”
While it will take some time to adjust to the new regulations, the season-opening grand prix saw an exciting battle between Russell and Leclerc in the opening phase of the race, Verstappen making his way from the back of the grid to finish in sixth and a points-paying finish for rookie Arvid Lindblad on his debut.
The paddock now heads to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix.
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