LONDON, March 2 : The new 24-round Formula One season starts in Melbourne this week with 11 teams on the grid and the biggest technical changes in decades. The following looks at some of the big talking points.
WHAT WILL THE RACING BE LIKE IN THE NEW ERA?
A big question, one that has caused some concern with drivers having to coast to gather energy and then manage deployment in the new engine era. That could see differences in speed and more overtakes as a result of strategy.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has compared the new way of racing to “Formula E on steroids” but what will fans make of it? Will it excite or be a turn-off?
Testing can be misleading also. How much have the top teams been “sandbagging”, hiding their real performance in testing?
MERCEDES AND FERRARI THE FAVOURITES?
McLaren are chasing a third consecutive constructors’ championship but the vibe from testing was that Mercedes and Ferrari look a step ahead of the rest.
Mercedes’ George Russell is the British bookmakers’ title favourite at this stage and it certainly looks the best chance yet for the Briton.
Could Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton end Ferrari’s 19-year wait for a drivers’ title? Can Hamilton fight for a record eighth world championship or, at the age of 41 and after a 2025 season without even a podium finish, has that prospect gone for good?
WILL PIASTRI TURN THE TABLES ON NORRIS?
Unflappable Australian Oscar Piastri looked like he was heading for the title last year after an early run of success only to suffer a sudden loss of form and end up third overall, with teammate Lando Norris getting his act together.
Will he get another shot at the crown this time around or will Lando Norris move to another level after taking his first championship? How will the generally friendly relationship between the Mclaren pair hold up?
RED BULL’S NEW ENGINE AND NEW DRIVER
Red Bull bet big on building their own engine, a gamble that could have been catastrophic but now looks like paying off. We know it is reliable but how does it really compare to rival power units?
How will Isack Hadjar fare in the hot seat alongside Verstappen as the latest teammate to the four-times world champion? Will Red Bull finally start scoring big points with both drivers after relying mostly on one side of the garage?
Will Hadjar or Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli be Formula One’s next new race winner and how soon will it happen?
WHO WILL BE BRINGING UP THE REAR?
Newcomers Cadillac would have been most people’s favourites to be last but Aston Martin’s testing woes, with engine partners Honda struggling and the new car getting in very few laps, suggests that may not be the case – at least initially.
The new Aston Martin was one of the most eye-catching designs when the covers came off but even Adrian Newey’s genius cannot compensate for a lack of reliability and engine and gearbox problems.
Could this also prove a nightmare last season for Aston’s double world champion Fernando Alonso?
