F1 2026 vehicles: How new rules fared at season-opening Australian Grand Prix with drivers break up on racing

System 1’s new period started with 120 overtakes together with a feisty battle between George Russell and Charles Leclerc within the early section of the Australian Grand Prix.

Russell went on to win the season-opener in Melbourne from Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli with Leclerc in third and Lewis Hamilton in fourth, however there was loads of paddock chatter concerning the new fashion of racing.

New power-unit rules have led to extra emphasis on electrical output utilization, which brought on various straight-line speeds going into corners, as Russell and Leclerc confirmed by swapping the lead seven instances in 9 laps.

Whereas Russell was capable of blast previous Leclerc a number of instances, the Ferrari driver would re-pass him on the subsequent lap because of having Overtake Mode – an activation which permits for a better velocity tolerance over a lap when the motive force is one second behind.

“Honestly, the first 10 laps of the race, I’m not sure that I saw something like this in the last 10 years,” stated Ferrari staff principal Frederic Vasseur.

“We’ve to maintain this in thoughts however it’s not a given how it is going to be like this on the weekend. It is an excellent begin for the game, an excellent begin for the present.

“The fans, they enjoy probably a lot of the opening stage, but let’s continue like this. If we have to react at one stage after a couple of races, we will react, but it would be a mistake to do it too quickly.”

However some drivers have been important of the racing on Sunday together with reigning world champion Lando Norris and Haas’ Esteban Ocon, who each labelled it “artificial”.

Mercedes staff principal Toto Wolff stated: “How the regulations are at the moment is that in a close fight, close proximity to other cars, it’s very difficult to break free.

“Subsequently, performances converge, which makes it thrilling if it was actually to proceed like this. Upon getting a free air, then the tempo reveals.

“But both components are part of a great race. And the race pace at the end was very encouraging from our side. But at the beginning, there was nothing between Ferrari and Mercedes.”

Verstappen, Norris amongst drivers to criticise rules

Max Verstappen has voiced his issues over the brand new rules since they have been first introduced in 2022, and stated throughout pre-season testing that it felt like “Formula E on steroids”.

Verstappen is referring to the “lift and coast” or “superclipping” parts the place drivers cease accelerating in direction of the top of the straight so their batteries can recharge they usually can use extra electrical power popping out of a nook.

“I love racing, but you can only take so much,” he stated after the Australian Grand Prix, the place he got here from twentieth to sixth after a weird crash in qualifying.

“I know that they’re, well, I think they’re willing to listen, the FIA and F1, but I just hope that there is some action because it’s not that I’m the only one saying it – a lot of people are speaking the same.

“If it is drivers, followers, we simply need the perfect for the game. It isn’t that we’re important simply to be important. We’re important for a cause, we wish it to be System 1, you realize, correct System 1 on steroids. In the present day, after all, once more, that was not the case.”

During pre-season testing, Norris countered Verstappen’s comments and quipped “if he needs to retire, he can retire”. Nonetheless, the McLaren driver seems to have modified his stance following the season-opener.

“It’s a shame, it’s very artificial,” he stated.

“Depending on what the power unit decides to do and randomly does at times, you just get overtaken by five cars or you can just do nothing about it sometimes.”

Hamilton ‘liked’ new racing and Russell requires persistence

Hamilton, who overtly disliked the earlier ground-effect vehicles that F1 had from 2022 and 2025, had an ideal view of the lead battle and was probably the most constructive driver about Sunday’s racing.

“I personally loved it. The race was really fun to drive. the car was really, really fun to drive. I watched the cars ahead and there was good battling back and forth,” he stated.

“It was awesome. With 20 cars ahead of you it may have seemed different. But from my position I thought it was great.”

Russell and Leclerc each referred to as it “different” with the Mercedes driver stating Albert Park is among the difficult tracks by way of power deployment.

“The interesting thing with these regs is every track we go to, they’re not always going to be like this,” stated Russell.

“We will Shanghai subsequent the place you’ve got obtained one large, lengthy straight, so the vast majority of drivers will probably be utilizing their power on that one straight. You needn’t divide it up between 4 such as you do right here in Melbourne.

“Everyone’s very quick to criticise things. You need to give it a shot. We’re 22 drivers. When we’ve had the best cars and the least tyre degradation and when we’ve been happiest, everyone moans the racing’s rubbish.

“Now drivers aren’t completely blissful and everybody stated it was a tremendous race. So, you’ll be able to’t have all of it, and we should always simply give it an opportunity and see after just a few extra races.”

Perhaps Wolff summed it up best when he said the opinion of the fans should be taken into account and whether, as Russell puts it, the Australian Grand Prix “made for some fairly good drama on TV” despite driver complaints.

Formula 1 heads to Shanghai for the first Sprint weekend of the 2026 season at the Chinese Grand Prix from this Friday, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime