Defending champion Lando Norris has been listed as only the sixth favourite to retain his Formula 1 crown as the expanded 11-team grid prepares for the season opener in Melbourne.
The 2026 campaign begins this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix.
Norris claimed his maiden world title in 2025 following a tense battle that went down to the wire against Max Verstappen and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Despite entering the new era as the man to beat, bookmakers have priced the Briton at 10/1 to lift the trophy again.
McLaren face sceptics despite 2025 triumph
The Woking-based outfit enjoyed a dominant spell last year.
However, expectations have tempered significantly ahead of the new regulations.
Norris sits behind rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli, who is priced at 8/1, in the pecking order.
Oscar Piastri is listed further back at 14/1.
Ferrari impressed during pre-season testing, leading to slashed odds for both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Max Verstappen remains a formidable obstacle at Red Bull, now joined by 21-year-old Isack Hadjar (100/1).
Hadjar replaces Sergio Perez and faces the daunting task of matching the Dutchman’s pace in the same machinery.
Cadillac and Audi enter the fray
The 2026 season marks a significant shift in the sport’s landscape with the arrival of two major manufacturers.
Cadillac join the grid with a wealth of experience in their cockpit.
The American marque has signed veterans Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez to spearhead their debut campaign.
Bookmakers remain cautious regarding their immediate impact, pricing both drivers at 1000/1 for the championship.
Audi also make their long-awaited entry, fielding Nico Hulkenburg alongside Gabriel Bortoleto.
The Brazilian youngster impressed during his rookie season in 2025, while Hulkenburg finally secured a career-first podium last year.
Both Audi drivers are rated as 500/1 outsiders, alongside Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.
Veterans and rookies aim to upset odds
Fernando Alonso continues to defy his age at Aston Martin.
Despite technical concerns raised by designer Adrian Newey, the Spaniard is the eighth favourite at 28/1.
Further down the grid, Carlos Sainz is entering his second year with Williams.
The Spaniard recovered from a slow start against Alex Albon in 2025 to finish just nine points adrift of his team-mate.
Sainz is priced at 100/1, significantly shorter than Albon’s 250/1.
Pierre Gasly is hoping for a resurgence with Alpine at 150/1 after a difficult previous campaign.
Haas pairing Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman are both listed at 400/1 as they look to break into the top 10.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has insisted he will not retire from Formula 1 until the sport adds an African Grand Prix to the calendar.
The Ferrari driver has been lobbying executives for the past seven years to secure a return to the continent, asking bosses why the championship continues to bypass the region.
“I don’t want to leave the sport without having a grand prix there, without getting to race there,” said Hamilton.
“I’m chasing them – when is it going to be?”
Hopes for a continental return
Despite the Briton’s persistence, there is no imminent prospect of a race appearing on the schedule before the end of the current decade.
Talks regarding a return to South Africa’s Kyalami circuit or a potential venue in Rwanda have recently stalled.
F1 has not visited the region since the 1993 South African Grand Prix, leaving Africa as the only inhabited continent without a World Championship round.
“They’re setting certain dates,” Hamilton explained.
“I’m like, damn, I could be running out of time, so I’m going to be here for a while until that happens, because that would be amazing, given that I’m half-African.”
Concerns over exploitation
The 105-time race winner also voiced strong concerns regarding the historical and continued exploitation of African nations by Western powers.
Hamilton urged leaders across the continent to unite and reclaim agency over their resources.
“It is the most beautiful part of the world, and I don’t like that the rest of the world owns so much of it and takes so much from it and no-one speaks about it,” he said.
“Take it back from the French. Take it back from the Spanish. Take it back from the Portuguese and the British.”
“It’s so important for the future of that continent. They have all the resources to be the greatest and most powerful place in the world.”
‘Rediscovering’ form at Ferrari
Speaking ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton revealed he has reset mentally following a challenging debut campaign with the Scuderia in 2025.
The veteran driver admitted to feeling “useless” during a dip in form last year but has spent the winter cultivating a fresh mindset.
“The break was really positive,” he added.
“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.”
“But I always talk about cultivating a positive mental attitude. And that’s what I focus on the winter doing.”
Mercedes driver George Russell has identified Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc as his primary challengers for the Formula 1 drivers’ title ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
The Briton enters the new campaign as the bookmakers’ favourite following major regulation changes for the 2026 season.
Mercedes appear to have mastered the new power unit rules, echoing their immediate dominance from the hybrid era’s beginning in 2014.
Verstappen and Leclerc lead the chasing pack
When asked to name his biggest threats for the Drivers’ Championship, the 28-year-old was decisive regarding the competition.
“I would say Max and Leclerc.”
Russell later expanded on his prediction, acknowledging that Red Bull’s new engine package has exceeded paddock expectations.
He also refused to completely rule out seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
“Charles looks very strong but you can never discount Lewis,” Russell added.
“As it stands, those are the other drivers that are on the radar, who I think will be in the mix.”
Testing times vs race reality
While Ferrari topped the timesheets in Bahrain testing, the Silver Arrows impressed during crucial race simulations.
Data suggests the Brackley-based outfit may be hiding their true pace over a single lap.
Russell’s team-mate, Kimi Antonelli, agreed with the assessment of the grid’s competitive order.
“We think Red Bull is very strong, so for sure Max is going to be in the mix,” said the Italian.
“Ferrari look very strong in Bahrain, both in long runs and on a single lap… but I wouldn’t write off Lewis as well.”
McLaren, by contrast, appear to be starting the season on the back foot compared to their immediate rivals.
A career-defining opportunity
Russell is yet to mount a sustained title challenge after four seasons often hampered by inconsistent machinery.
He views the 2026 technical reset as a “huge opportunity” to finally claim his maiden crown.
“I’m going about it the same as everyone in the season, which is to get the absolute maximum from the package,” Russell concluded.
“I think we have delivered a strong car at the moment.”
Lewis Hamilton has set his sights on winning the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship as he looks to bounce back from a challenging debut campaign with Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion is preparing for his second season with the Scuderia as the sport enters a new era of technical regulations.
Hamilton endured a frustrating 2025, failing to secure a single podium finish for the first time in his illustrious 19-year career.
Renewed optimism for new era
However, the 41-year-old cut a buoyant figure ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Having spent a year integrating into the Maranello team’s culture, Hamilton insists they are ready to leave their recent struggles in the past.
“We’ve learned a lot from last year. We’re leaving behind the bad and moving forwards with the good, and we’re just sharp,” Hamilton said.
“We are prepared, and we know what we need to do. We also know there’s massive challenges for all of us with the new rules and regulations.”
Ferrari pace and championship rivals
Ferrari showed promising signs during winter testing in Bahrain, with team-mate Charles Leclerc setting the fastest times.
While the Italian outfit impressed with their long-run pace, the Briton remains wary of the threat posed by his former team.
“The goal is to win. That’s what everyone’s working towards,” Hamilton added.
“Mercedes looks particularly quick, and I’m not really sure whether we have seen the full unleashed Red Bull yet, so it’s really, really exciting.”
Adapting to regulation changes
Hamilton struggled to adapt to the ground effect era introduced in 2022, but the overhauled 2026 technical regulations offer a fresh start.
The new generation of cars is expected to suit the veteran driver’s preference for a vehicle that can be controlled while sliding.
With the paddock consensus split between Ferrari and Mercedes as early favourites, Hamilton feels revitalised by the support system around him.
Aston Martin chief Adrian Newey has revealed the team may be forced to retire from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix due to severe vibrations posing a risk of permanent nerve damage to their drivers.
The technical mastermind admitted it is unlikely either car will see the chequered flag in Melbourne on Sunday.
Concerns centre on the new Honda power unit, which is plagued by vibration issues so intense they threaten the physical safety of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Drivers facing physical threshold
Newey, who joined the Silverstone-based outfit ahead of the 2026 regulation changes, delivered a stark assessment alongside Honda executive Koji Watanabe.
The designer stated that two-time world champion Alonso believes his hands can only withstand 25 laps of punishment.
“Fernando is of the feeling that he can’t do more than 25 laps consecutively before he will risk permanent nerve damage to his hands,” said Newey.
“Lance is of the opinion that he can’t do more than 15 laps before that threshold.”
With the race at Albert Park scheduled for 58 laps, completing the full distance appears physically impossible under current conditions.
Honda struggles with new era
The issues first emerged during pre-season testing in Bahrain, marking a difficult start to the team’s exclusive works partnership with the Japanese manufacturer.
Watanabe confirmed the power units cannot be run at full capacity as the vibrations have previously damaged battery-related components.
“I think there’s no point in not being open and honest in this meeting on our expectations,” Newey added.
“We are going to have to be very heavily restricted on how many laps we do in the race until we get on top of the source of the vibration.”
Race against time
Honda engineers are introducing countermeasures this week, though their effectiveness on a street circuit remains unproven.
“Based on extensive testing, we will introduce countermeasures, what we believe to be the most effective solution at this stage, starting this week,” said Watanabe.
“However, its effectiveness cannot yet be fully guaranteed under the real track condition.”
Aston Martin finished fifth in the constructors’ championship last season and had hoped the arrival of Newey would propel them toward the front of the grid.
Ollie Bearman has insisted his focus remains entirely on Haas despite speculation linking him with a move to replace Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.
The 20-year-old addressed the ongoing rumours during an appearance on the High Performance Podcast.
When asked how much attention he pays to reports regarding a potential return to the Scuderia, Bearman was unequivocal.
“Zero. Nothing,” the English driver told host Jake Humphrey.
Bearman acknowledged that speculation has followed him since his cameo for the Italian team two years ago.
“Because I think I’ve been lucky in a way to have gotten that call two years ago and to do the race. And ever since then there have been those rumours and those things coming out, so it’s kind of just normal.”
He emphasised that he avoids seeking out media reports to maintain his concentration.
“First of all I don’t even see them because you have to go on Autosport or whatever to find them,” he added.
“My focus is not on those, it’s on the current project and hopefully we can do good things in 2026.”
Rapid rise at Haas
Bearman is coming off an impressive campaign with Haas, having finished 13th in the drivers’ standings last season.
The Chelmsford-born racer notably finished ahead of his experienced team-mate, Esteban Ocon.
His standout performance came at the Mexico City Grand Prix, where a fourth-place finish equalled the American team’s best-ever result.
Bearman originally made headlines in 2024 when he debuted for Ferrari in Jeddah as an 18-year-old, becoming the youngest points scorer in the team’s history while deputising for an unwell Carlos Sainz.
Hamilton’s difficult start
Speculation regarding the Ferrari seat has intensified following a challenging debut season for the seven-time world champion.
Hamilton, who turned 41 in January, finished sixth in the championship and failed to record a single podium finish.
It marked the first time in the veteran’s illustrious career that he has gone a full season without a top-three result.
The former Mercedes driver also trailed team-mate Charles Leclerc by more than 80 points in the final standings.
Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz suggested in November that it was “clear as day” Bearman would eventually take the seat.
That sentiment was echoed by former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, who labelled the youngster as the “obvious candidate” for the Maranello outfit.
Formula 1 chiefs are monitoring the situation in the Middle East following an explosion near a US base in Bahrain, raising concerns over upcoming races in the region.
The 2026 season begins in Australia this weekend, but attention is already turning to the scheduled double-header in the Gulf next month.
Drivers are due to travel to Sakhir for the Bahrain Grand Prix on 12 April, followed by the round in Saudi Arabia one week later.
There are currently no official plans to remove these events from the calendar.
However, the sport’s governing body maintains a history of altering schedules when faced with significant regional conflict or civil unrest.
Historical cancellations in Bahrain
The Bahrain International Circuit has previously been the centre of calendar controversy due to political instability.
Organisers were forced to postpone and eventually cancel the 2011 edition of the race amid widespread anti-government demonstrations.
Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, was a vocal critic of the initial attempts to proceed with the event during the unrest.
“If Formula One agrees to race in Bahrain, it will forever have the blight of association with repressive methods to achieve order,” Hill said at the time.
“The right thing to do, in my view, is to not race in Bahrain until these doubts have been removed.”
Despite further appeals from human rights campaigners to remove the fixture the following year, the Grand Prix returned to the schedule in 2012.
Security protocols in Jeddah
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, a more recent addition to the sport, has also faced security threats since its debut in 2021.
During the 2022 race weekend, Yemen’s Houthi rebel group targeted an oil facility located just over 10 miles from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Max Verstappen, the current world champion, reported smelling smoke to his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase during a Friday practice session.
The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association held lengthy meetings regarding the incident but ultimately received assurances that allowed the race to continue.
Formula 1 officials will continue to assess the safety of all personnel as the championship prepares for its Middle Eastern leg in April.
Formula One has confirmed the season-opening Australian Grand Prix will proceed as planned following a scramble to reroute personnel affected by airspace closures in the Middle East.
Organisers are confident the curtain-raiser at Albert Park will run without issue despite significant logistical disruptions.
However, serious doubts have emerged regarding next month’s back-to-back races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to the escalating security situation.
Emergency travel arrangements
The sport’s governing body has worked urgently over the past 48 hours to ensure drivers and essential staff could reach Melbourne safely.
Large sections of Middle Eastern airspace have been closed following military activity involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
Approximately 1,000 members of the paddock have been forced to alter their travel plans, having originally intended to transit through major hubs in the region.
Alternative routes include a British Airways flight via Singapore and a dedicated business-class service routing through Tanzania.
Personnel from 10 of the grid’s 11 teams are currently en route to Australia along with key officials.
Australian Formula 1 chief Travis Auld said: “The drivers will be here, the engineers will be here, the team principals will be here. They’re the ones that have been prioritised, so you won’t see any surprise drivers under a helmet.”
Crucially, freight containing the cars and technical equipment arrived in Victoria following pre-season testing before the airspace restrictions came into force.
Middle East rounds under threat
While the action in Melbourne remains secure, attention has quickly turned to the viability of rounds two and three of the championship.
Contingency plans are currently being drawn up for the events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia should the conflict necessitate a postponement.
US President Donald Trump has indicated the conflict could last longer than initial projections of four to five weeks.
Safety concerns are paramount for F1, particularly given that Bahrain is among the nations that have intercepted drone strikes recently.
A spokesperson for the sport said: “The safety and security of everyone in F1 will always be our priority. We monitor any situation like this and work with relevant authorities.”
Previous calendar disruptions
Formula One is no stranger to altering its schedule due to geopolitical instability or safety risks.
The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled entirely due to civil unrest in the country, reducing that year’s calendar to 19 races.
More recently, the sport was forced to completely rebuild its schedule during the Covid-19 pandemic, relying heavily on European venues to fill gaps left by cancelled fly-away events.
It remains to be seen whether the upcoming Middle East fixtures will be rescheduled for later in the year or replaced by standby hosts.