Round-up: F1’s new rules risk a car ‘going over the fence’ warns Norris, and more
Also in Monday's edition of the RaceFans round-up, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur claims F1's new rules have succeeded […]
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Juan Pablo Montoya spots one thing in Arvid Lindblad’s Max Verstappen fight that surprised him
Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya praised Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad after the Briton earned points on his debut in the championship.After starting from ninth on the grid, Lindblad finished eighth, earning four points.While Montoya applauded Lindblad's aggression and clean weekend, he pointed to a battle with Red Bull's Max Verstappen that saw Lindblad defend for a couple […]
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Toto Wolff goes viral after hilarious Australian Grand Prix paddock mishap
Footage of Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has left Formula 1 fans in stitches as it has taken over social media.Wolff was scooting through the F1 paddock at the Australian Grand Prix and misjudged the height of an archway. As he clipped his head, he swiftly continued, turned towards where he knew cameras would be sat pointing at him and laughed it off."He always knows where the […]
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George Russell wins as F1 reacts to first race of 2026 season – round-up
The 2026 Formula 1 season is officially underway and George Russell is the first winner of the new campaign […]
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Andrea Stella praises “very tough” Oscar Piastri: He will come back ‘more determined’
Oscar Piastri’s Formula 1 season got off to a rough start in Melbourne, where he crashed his McLaren before the race had even begun – but team boss Andrea Stella believes the Aussie will bounce back from the upset.Piastri was undertaking his reconnaissance laps around 40 minutes before the start of the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park when he crashed his MCL40. The contact with the […]
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Stella backs Oscar Piastri to respond after heartbreaking Australian Grand Prix crash
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella details the cold tyres, kerb and torque factors behind Oscar Piastri’s Melbourne crash […]
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F1 dodges a bullet or two
Though it appeared safety concerns had been overstated, F1 rode its luck at Albert Park this weekend […]
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Liam Lawson jokes Sergio Perez ‘two years later, not over it’ after on-track battle resumes
Liam Lawson joked that two years later Sergio Perez was "not over it" after the two drivers resumed their battle on track […]
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How Cadillac fared on its Formula 1 debut
468 days after its Formula 1 entry was approved on 25 November 2024, Cadillac took part in its maiden Formula 1 race, the Australian Grand Prix, on Sunday.Sergio Perez drove the Ferrari-powered MAC-26 to 16th place, three laps down on race winner George Russell, while Valtteri Bottas retired on lap 16.F1’s first new team since 2016 had a slow but steady start to life in the world […]
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Charles Leclerc likened new F1 racing to "Mario Kart" after Australian GP
The season-opening Australian Grand Prix weekend was the first real opportunity for drivers, teams and fans to see the reality of the new Formula 1 regulations.Interestingly, during and after the race, multiple drivers likened the racing to a video game, with Charles Leclerc claiming a similarity to Mario Kart.Ferrari had an impressive start. Leclerc went from fourth on the grid to take […]
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Juan Pablo Montoya fumes at Ferrari Australian GP VSC strategy: "Surprised but not surprised"
Juan Pablo Montoya vented his frustration over Ferrari's decision not to pit under the virtual safety car conditions during the Australian Grand Prix.After a strong start from the Maranello outfit, Charles Leclerc took the lead from George Russell after starting from fourth, while Lewis Hamilton moved from seventh to third at the race start.The tense battle between Leclerc and Russell […]
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From “artificial” to “awesome” – how drivers rate the racing under F1’s 2026 rules
Formula 1 kicked off its new season in style at the Australian Grand Prix, which featured a frantic start, battles for the lead and a handful of retirements. George Russell won for Mercedes in a race that was dominated by talk of the new cars, which have divided opinion in the paddock.For 2026, F1 rolls out new regulations that mandate for smaller, lighter cars that are powered by new hybrid […]
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Arvid Lindblad left "speechless" after points on F1 debut at Australian GP
Arvid Lindblad was left “speechless” after his “pretty nuts” Formula 1 debut where he scored points at the Australian Grand Prix while battling the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.The Racing Bulls driver climbed one spot to finish eighth at Albert Park, but at one stage was even running in third following a brilliant getaway for the 18-year-old Briton at race start. It […]
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Williams surprised by what Mercedes can extract from 2026 engine
Williams was 'caught off guard' by what the works Mercedes team has been able to extract from its engine, compared to its customers […]
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Verstappen accused Lindblad of “brake-checking” him in the pit lane
Max Verstappen accused Racing Bulls' new driver Arvid Lindblad of "brake checking" him in the pit lane during the Australian Grand Prix […]
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Unbroadcast clip shows Charles Leclerc making ‘Mario Kart’ comparison of new F1 2026 feature
Charles Leclerc described the new boost button in his Ferrari as “like the mushroom in Mario Kart” during his battle with George Russell […]
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Drivers remain critical of F1 2026
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris remain critical of the sport following rules overhaul […]
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Liam Lawson: Bitter Sergio Perez fights me ‘like it’s for the world title’
Liam Lawson has claimed Sergio Perez fights him “like it’s for the world championship”, after the pair aggressively battled in Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix.Lawson dropped from eighth to 18th on lap one after failing to deploy his engine’s power for five seconds, which caused a frightful near-miss with Franco Colapinto; he then pitted under the first virtual safety car but ended […]
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George Russell tells Charles Leclerc rivals ‘screwed up Q3’
George Russell offered a blunt theory to Charles Leclerc about why Mercedes dominated qualifying in Australia […]
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Ferrari pair at odds over strategy
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton disagree over whether Ferrari should have pitted them at the time of first VSC […]
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“It was just very dangerous” – Franco Colapinto’s scary near-miss with Liam Lawson at start of F1 Australian GP
Alpine’s Franco Colapinto expressed unabashed relief after narrowly avoiding a colossal accident with Liam Lawson’s crawling Racing Bulls at the start of Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix.The race start was a point of concern amid F1’s switch to new power unit rules, with the removal of MGU-H making it harder for drivers to spool up the turbo.Several competitors endured slow […]
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Winners and losers from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix (Albert Park)
George Russell, unsurprisingly, tops PlanetF1.com's list of Winners from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, but who else features? […]
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“It’s a big advantage to be second”: Russell and Leclerc’s radio from their lead battle
Charles Russell and George Russell's radio messages from their fight for the lead in Melbourne show the influence of Formula 1's new power units […]
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Liam Lawson and Sergio Pérez rekindle F1 feud at Australian Grand Prix
A two-year-old rivalry between Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez was rekindled at the Australian Grand Prix after the pair found themselves fighting for position at the season opener […]
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McLaren offers frank summary of F1 2026 performance with 0.5-1s gap to Mercedes
McLaren boss Andrea Stella admitted that it’ll take time to catch Mercedes in the 2026 Formula 1 campaign with the gap up to “one second” per lap after the Australian Grand Prix.George Russell led a Silver Arrows 1-2 in the Melbourne season opener after beating team-mate Kimi Antonelli to pole, while being at least 0.7s ahead of the other 10 squads. Mercedes therefore backed up the […]
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Who were the biggest winners and losers from F1’s 2026 Australian GP?
Crash.net picks out the biggest winners and losers from the 2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix […]
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F1's new rules create 'Mario Kart' racing in Australia season opener
F1 preseason has been dominated by criticism of its new rules, and while Australia's season opener boasted lots of passing, the critiques didn't stop […]
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Isack Hadjar calls on Red Bull to do better: ‘I would’ve taken the lead easily but had no battery’
Isack Hadjar called on Red Bull to “do better” after his lightning-quick getaway in Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix failed to pay off.Starting from third on the grid after narrowly outqualifing the Ferraris and McLarens in Melbourne, Hadjar’s excellent reaction time meant he challenged polesitter George Russell for the lead within seconds.However, that challenge was short-lived […]
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Leclerc went from fourth to first at start despite ‘very low battery’
Charles Leclerc said he "thought I would end up ninth" instead of first as he started more slowly than he expected […]
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Charles Leclerc downplays talk Ferrari got strategy wrong at Australian GP
Charles Leclerc downplayed suggestions Ferrari's strategy cost him victory at the opening round of the 2026 season in Australia […]
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Toto Wolff counters Mercedes domination fears: 'We have a fight on our hands with Ferrari'
Mercedes dominated the 2026 Australian GP weekend, but Toto Wolff feels Ferrari is a huge threat […]
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Near-misses expose big safety concerns with F1 2026
Some F1 drivers believe fortunate near-misses in the Australian GP have further exposed two safety issues that need addressing […]
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Winners and losers from F1's chaotic Australian Grand Prix
Winner: Mercedes - Toto's great revengeToto Wolff's grin as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli coasted across the finish line said it all. Mercedes is back with a vengeance, and its years in the doldrums have only meant revenge tastes sweeter.As F1 switched to the bouncing ground-effect cars 2022, Mercedes's reign stuttered to a halt, powerless to see first Red Bull and then McLaren take […]
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Lewis Hamilton "loved" 2026 F1 cars in "really fun" Australian GP
Lewis Hamilton has spoken out in support of the 2026 cars following the Australian Grand Prix […]
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First-lap near-miss with Lawson was “scary moment” for Colapinto
Franco Colapinto said he "almost went straight into the back of" Liam Lawson when the Racing Bulls driver made a poor start […]
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Australian Grand Prix: Post Race press conference
Today's post-race press conference with George Russell, Kimi Antonelli and Charles Lecelrc […]
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Lando Norris brands F1 2026 cars ‘even worse’ in races after Melbourne opener
A despondent Lando Norris has said the new F1 2026 cars are "even worse" in race spec than in qualifying […]
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Max Verstappen casts Red Bull F1 verdict after Australian GP recovery
Max Verstappen believes Red Bull's Formula 1 pace deficit comes half and half from the chassis and power unit […]
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Charles Leclerc insists Ferrari ‘couldn’t have won’ F1 Australian GP regardless of strategy
Charles Leclerc doubts a win was ever on the cards for Ferrari in Melbourne […]
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Ridiculous or really fun? F1 drivers divided on 2026 after first race
F1 drivers are divided on the new style of racing after the Melbourne opener […]
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F1 has become like Mario Kart with new rules, say Verstappen and Leclerc
Two of Formula 1's top drivers said the racing in the first race of the new season reminded them of Mario Kart […]
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Australian Grand Prix: Race team notes - Audi
Gabi delivered an outstanding drive today. It was a very mature performance from start to finish […]
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Why Ferrari didn’t pit under VSC in F1 Australian GP
Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Fred Vasseur has explained why neither Charles Leclerc nor Lewis Hamilton pitted under the VSC in the Australian Grand Prix, after losing victory to Mercedes.Leclerc’s lightning getaway earned him the lead of the Albert Park race from fourth on the grid, and he traded first place with George Russell on several occasions over the first 10 laps.However […]
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Australian Grand Prix: Race team notes - Cadillac
Even this early on, we're hungry for more […]
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Lando Norris warns of 'big accident' which could put drivers and fans at risk
Lando Norris fears Formula One is on the brink of a "horrible" accident which could put both drivers and spectators at risk […]
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Australian Grand Prix: Race team notes - Red Bull
With such a radical change to the technical regulations, some retirements were inevitable and it's unfortunate that one of those was Isack […]
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Lewis Hamilton plays down Ferrari VSC strategy call after Melbourne P4
Lewis Hamilton does not hold a bad feeling after Ferrari did not pit him or Charles Leclerc during Virtual Safety Car periods in Melbourne […]
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'That guy f***ing sucks' - Australian GP revives old feud
Liam Lawson has claimed Formula 1 returnee Sergio Perez is “not over” the pair’s previous on-track incidents following their most recent clash at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix […]
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'No regrets' - Did Ferrari miss chance to win Australian GP?
Ferrari do not think they had the pace to beat Mercedes, regardless of their strategy decisions at the Australian Grand Prix; Formula 1 heads to China for a Sprint weekend, live on Sky Sports F1 from this Friday […]
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Australian Grand Prix: Race team notes - Mercedes
To see us take a solid 1-2 in race one with the season ahead hopefully means we can try and fight for a world championship […]
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Franco Colapinto praised for "cat-like reactions" after avoiding Liam Lawson crash in Australia
Former Formula 1 driver Anthony Davidson and 2009 champion Jenson Button have reacted to Franco Colapinto's "scary" near miss with Liam Lawson at the start of the Australian Grand Prix.Colapinto, who started from 16th on the grid, quickly gained on Lawson at the start of the race as the New Zealander struggled to launch. Lawson had barely moved from the P8 grid box, forcing the Alpine driver […]
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Mercedes: “We have a fight on our hands with Ferrari”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says “we have a fight on our hands with Ferrari” following Formula 1’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, which initially was closely contested.Polesitter George Russell was eight tenths faster than the quickest Ferrari, driven by Charles Leclerc, in qualifying, but that advantage didn’t translate into race dominance.Leclerc snatched the lead […]
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Sainz warns F1 Straight Line Mode is ‘dangerous’ fix for engine issue
Carlos Sainz says Formula 1’s new Straight Line Mode is only masking deeper engine deployment problems […]
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Australian Grand Prix: Race team notes - McLaren
We finished some distance behind the leader, so it is clear we have work to do […]
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Ferrari’s gamble not to pit in Virtual Safety Car period was right call – Leclerc
Charles Leclerc said Ferrari made a tactical decision not to pit during the first Virtual Safety Car because they expected more would occur […]
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Hamilton: Ferrari 'right in the fight' with Mercedes in 2026
Ferrari finished third and fourth in Melbourne after early duel with race-winning George Russell; Lewis Hamilton takes heart from SF-26s speed; Formula 1 heads to China for a Sprint weekend, live on Sky Sports F1 from this Friday […]
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