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McLaren
Car MCL40 Engine Mercedes Principal Andrea Stella Debut Monaco 1966 GPs 994 Constructors’ titles 10 Last season 1st. Held their nerve to close out the constructors’ and drivers’ double last season, albeit with the latter going to the wire as they rather tied themselves in knots trying to be fair to both drivers. Enter this year a little off the front but in a season likely to be marked by a fierce development battle, will expect to exploit their huge strengths in bringing the car on with alacrity and be in the mix in no short order.
Drivers
Lando Norris (GB, age 26) car No 1 Debut Australia 2019 Wins 11 Poles 16 Titles 1 Last season 1st. After sealing his first title last year, Norris is enjoying a confidence in his own abilities like never before. Has stressed the need to prove himself in winning the title and having done so, especially after such a fearsome fight, is buoyant, fired up for a title defence and can be expected to push McLaren hard for the tools to do so.
Oscar Piastri (Aus, 24) No 81 Debut Bahrain 2023 Wins 9 Poles 6 Titles 0 Best season finish 3rd Last season 3rd. Suffered a severe blow last season having dominated for so long only for a series of poor results to cost him his title tilt in the final third. Still gaining experience and acknowledging he learned from the setback, is determined to emerge even stronger and having improved every year thus far will be in any fight.
Mercedes
Car W17 Engine Mercedes Principal Toto Wolff Debut France 1954 GPs 329 Titles 8 Last season 2nd. Struggled throughout the previous ground-effect era but now enter the new regulations as pre-season favourites. The car is quick, well-balanced and most importantly performing exactly as prescribed with the engine positively throbbing. If they have a real advantage in Melbourne can be expected to exploit it ruthlessly, with two drivers more than capable of doing so. On this form, the team to beat.
Drivers
George Russell (GB, 28) No 63 Debut Australia 2019 Wins 5 Poles 7 Titles 0 Best season finish 4th Last season 4th. Experienced and a proven winner, Russell can be expected to take most advantage of a strong car and dominate from the front from the off. Wants nothing more than to mix it with Norris and Max Verstappen and given the opportunity has the control and judgment to return on his promise. Unsurprisingly the bookies’ favourite.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (It, 19) No 12 Debut Australia 2025 Best race finish 2nd Poles 0 Best qualifying 2nd Best season finish 7th Last season 7th. Enormously promising, the youngster showed flashes of brilliance last season but also errors that might be expected in a rookie season. If he can exert more control, with a good car has the chance to return on team’s faith in him and will have no fear in taking the fight to Russell if a championship is on the line.
Red Bull
Car RB22 Engine Red Bull Ford Principal Laurent Mekies Debut Australia 2005 GPs 417 Titles 6 Last season 3rd. Finished last season very strongly, a testament to new boss Mekies’s determination to get to grips with their car. Fears over the first engine the team have built themselves have proved unfounded and the whole package is formidable, with particular strength in energy recovery and deployment. Mekies believes they trail their rivals but will doubtless have more to come.
Drivers
Max Verstappen (Neth, 28) No 3 Debut Australia 2015 Wins 71 Poles 48 Titles 4 Last season 2nd. Gave his all to drag the title fight to the wire last year, in a car that was off the pace for over half the season. Will expect to be in the fight from the off this time and much as he does not like the style of driving required by the new regulations, has the undoubted ability to master it. Cannot be ruled out for a fifth title.
Isack Hadjar (Fr, 21) No 6 Debut Australia 2025 Best race finish 3rd Poles 0 Best qualifying 4th Best season finish 12th Last season 12th. Hugely impressive on his debut last year, including a podium at Zandvoort, Hadjar now has to take on the arduous task of partnering Verstappen. Just holding his own and returning good points would be an achievement. The feisty Frenchman will expect no less and will surely be entertaining to watch vying in the big four teams at the front.
Ferrari
Car SF-26 Engine Ferrari Principal Frédéric Vasseur Debut Monaco 1950 GPs 1,122 Titles 16 Last season 4th. Another team that never conquered the ground-effect era, they ended 2025 with a whimper. The long title drought – stretching back to 2008 – continues but this year they look to have a real handle on the new regs. A quick car, which is lightning off the grid and out of corners, bodes well and they might finally be in the fight with two drivers more than ready to stake their claim. However, if the car is there Ferrari must also deliver operationally.
Drivers
Charles Leclerc (Mnc, 28) No 16 Debut Australia 2018 Wins 8 Poles 27 Titles 0 Best season finish 2nd Last season 5th. Has repeatedly proved he has all the qualities to fight for a title, Leclerc has been frustrated at being unable to do so. He is one of the best qualifiers on the grid, which may prove vital this season and has confidence and strong racecraft. Racing in a good car against Hamilton would be the acid test and a fight to be savoured.
Lewis Hamilton (GB, 41) No 44 Debut Australia 2007 Wins 105 Poles 104 Titles 7 Last season 6th. Endured a torrid debut for Ferrari last year, from which which he could not wait to move on. He returns once more fired up after a winter reset and with a car much more suited to his driving style. His touch is still there, as is his judgment and the command and race pace that comes with a wealth of experience. If Ferrari have the car, Hamilton remains in the hunt for an eighth title.
Williams
Car FW48 Engine Mercedes Principal James Vowles Debut Spain 1977 GPs 858 Titles 9 Last season 5th. Punched way above their weight with a superb performance last season, all the while targeting this year for a real step forward. Vowles has made great strides forward but the car not being ready for the first test was a major blow. They are lacking mileage and will open playing catch-up from the rear of the midfield. Not where they want to be and face a real struggle.
Drivers
Alexander Albon (Thai, 29) No 23 Debut Australia 2019 Wins 0 Best race finish 3rd Poles 0 Best qualifying 4th Titles 0 Best season finish 7th Last season 8th. Has enjoyed solid progress at Williams but last season was outqualified by his new teammate Carlos Sainz, despite the Spaniard taking time to adapt to the new team. Will be under real pressure this year to prove he is in the same class and that he can deliver if Williams are to make the step up.
Carlos Sainz Jr (Sp, 31) No 55 Debut Australia 2015 Wins 4 Poles 6 Titles 0 Best season finish 5th Last season 9th. Took some time, self-admittedly, to adapt to Williams after Ferrari but in the final third really found his feet with a reminder of his genuine talent. His third place in Qatar was as gritty a result as any he has scored. Will expect to be on top from the off this time and be invaluable in bringing Williams forward.
Racing Bulls
Car VCARB 03 Engine Red Bull Ford Principal Alan Permane Debut Bahrain 2006 GPs 399 Titles 0 Best finish 6th Last season 6th. Permane’s first full season in charge having taken over from Mekies last year will be a challenge but he has a good car and that strong Red Bull Ford engine. They are in the fight in the front of the midfield with Haas and Alpine where it will likely be nip and tuck. How the drivers respond will be key but Permane has a cool head and a wealth of experience to draw on.
Liam Lawson (NZ, 24) No 30 Debut Netherlands 2023 Best race finish 5th Poles 0 Best qualifying 3rd Titles 0 Best season finish 14th Last season 14th. Recovered well after the shock of being demoted from Red Bull during the opening of last season and put in some solid runs, not least a third on the grid in Baku, which he converted to fifth. But he remains prone to poor decision-making and must consider this season a showcase to retain his seat, not least by beating his rookie teammate.
Arvid Lindblad (GB, 18) No 41 Debut Australia 2026 Best race finish N/A Poles N/A Best qualifying N/A Titles N/A Best season finish N/A Last season N/A. Enormously promising teenager from Virginia Water makes the step up as part of the Red Bull junior programme in what will be a baptism of fire in his rookie year. New cars, engines and tyres make for a steep learning curve but he has experience in F1 machinery, including outpacing Yuki Tsunoda in practice in Mexico and should at least return some points. Beating Lawson would be a major statement.
Aston Martin
Car AMR26 Engine Honda Principal Adrian Newey Debut Netherlands 1959 GPs 119 Titles 0 Best finish 5th Last season 7th. Adrian Newey’s first car for Aston Martin has not enjoyed an auspicious start, nor has the Honda engine in its return to F1. Aston missed time in testing, Honda have admitted their engine is off the pace and it appears unreliable. Moreover the car, while typically innovative, is far from where they want it to be. Have a long way to go drag themselves from, on practice form, the back of the grid. Melbourne may well be painful.
Drivers
Fernando Alonso (Sp, 44) No 14 Debut Australia 2001 Wins 32 Poles 22 Titles 2 Last season 10th. Hopes that he might enjoy a last hurrah in a resurgent Newey-designed Aston Martin appear all but dashed for Alonso, who without doubt can still make the best of a good car. Instead he faces, for the moment at least, trying to drag the best out of another lacklustre Honda engine, an unedifying sight for a great driver who must be considering whether he is ready to call time.
Lance Stroll (Can, 27) No 18 Debut Australia 2017 Best race finish 3rd Poles 1 Titles 0 Best season finish 10th Last season 16th. Stroll, who has been blunt about the failings of the new car already, must bring more if the team are to salvage the season and make an advance. He cannot match Alonso but needs to remain motivated and try and turn in more than some of the indifferent performances that characterised last season if he is to prove he is there for more than just making up the numbers.
Haas
Car VF-26 Engine Ferrari Principal Ayao Komatsu Debut Australia 2016 GPs 214 Titles 0 Best finish 5th Last season 8th. Komatsu’s efforts to push the team forward remains impressive and this year they have made another real advance. In testing they were in with a shout of being the best of the midfield, the car quick and reliable with both drivers comfortable from the off. A strong opening to the season is to be expected and watch out for some explosive starts as they exploit that Ferrari engine.
Drivers
Esteban Ocon (Fr, 29) No 31 Debut Belgium 2016 Wins 1 Poles 0 Best qualifying 3rd Titles 0 Best season finish 8th Last season 15th. The more experienced of the two drivers, Ocon nevertheless endured a patchy season last year. Signs of his undoubted skill were evident but not often enough. If Haas have the car they will need more from the Frenchman, with consistency vital if they are to make hay in a close-fight and if he is to retain his seat.
Oliver Bearman (GB, 20) No 87 Debut Saudi Arabia 2024 Best race finish 4th Poles 0 Best qualifying 8th Titles 0 Best season finish 13th Last season 13th. Expectations were high for the rookie Brit last year but he took time to adjust and while there were flashes of his undoubted talent there were also far too many unwarranted errors. He did settle however, with five top 10 finishes in a row towards the end of the season, including a superb fourth in Mexico. Potentially just the weapon Haas require, if he eliminates the misjudgments.
Audi
Car R26 Engine Audi Principal Jonathan Wheatley Debut Australia 2026 GPs N/A Titles N/A Best finish N/A Last season N/A. Making their F1 debut by taking over the former Sauber team – who finished ninth in the constructors’ standings – and manufacturing their own engine, Audi have grand ambitions. The team is rebuilding and expanding its facilities but it is a work in progress and they are keeping expectations low-key. Their engine is at least solid and the car put in decent miles. Wheatley is a strong leader in what must be considered a learning year for the Ingolstadt marque.
Drivers
Nico Hülkenberg (Ger, 38) No 27 Debut Bahrain 2010 Best race finish 3rd Poles 1 Titles 0 Best season finish 7th Last season 11th. Finally claiming his first podium last season was an achievement for the Hulk welcomed by all and his task at Audi is to bring experience and strong feedback as team leader in what is a development period. Has all the abilities to do so but may well be eclipsed in pure pace by his very quick teammate.
Gabriel Bortoleto (Bra, 21) No 5 Debut Australia 2025 Wins 0 Poles 0 Best qualifying 7th Titles 0 Best season finish 19th Last season 19th. Showed real promise in his rookie season, as expected after winning titles in F3 and F2 but was also a little erratic. Nonetheless he put in some of the best drives by a newcomer last year, including his sixth place in Hungary. With a season under his belt more is expected and Audi believe he will develop as they do. Could well be their best shot at points.
Alpine
Car A526 Engine Mercedes Principal Steve Nielsen Debut Bahrain 2021 GPs 114 Titles 0 Best finish 4th Last season 10th. Coming out of a woeful 2025, Alpine, the perennial underperformers simply had to do better. Their poor car and engine was not helped by the instability around the team but this season a more settled atmosphere prevails. They have taken a Mercedes engine and the car might be their best for years. With the team at the sharp end of the midfield expect Christian Horner’s efforts to come on board to intensify.
Drivers
Pierre Gasly (Fr, 30) No 10 Debut Malaysia 2017 Wins 1 Poles 0 Best qualifying 2nd Titles 0 Best season finish 7th Last season 18th. Frequently outperformed the car last year in what was a trying season, including a superb sixth in the wet at Silverstone. Without Gasly’s heroics Alpine would have looked even more forlorn. In a decent car more can be expected and he can be trusted to execute with flair and steel and might be the differentiator in the midfield scrap.
Franco Colapinto (Arg, 22) No 43 Debut Imola 2024 Best race finish 8th Poles 0 Best qualifying 8th Titles 0 Best season finish 19th Last season 20th. Drafted in May last year to replace Jack Doohan, the Argentinian came with high expectations. The poor car did not help but he was let down by several errors that left him and Alpine’s decision look wanting. A mid-season reset followed and he showed composure with better form. Enough to keep his seat but the pressure will be more intense in a good car where he will have no excuses.
Cadillac
Car MAC-26 Engine Ferrari Principal Graham Lowdon Debut Australia 2026 GPs N/A Titles N/A Best finish N/A Last season N/A. Having only gained their entry at the end of 2024, Cadillac have done a tremendous job in building a team from scratch just to reach the grid. They have done so with composure and amassed no little talent but have a long way to go. The car is at the back but they completed all the testing days well and are looking at simply making progress in their debut season. Making the flag is the first goal and then points.
F1 broke audience records in 2025
ShowFormula One recorded its biggest total audience in five years last season with a surge in live viewing, according to a report released by Nielsen Sports on Wednesday.
The report, ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this weekend, registered a total cumulative audience of 1.83bn, up 6.8% on 2024.
The average audience per grand prix (excluding YouTube) was 76.1m and the highest since 2020. Race live audiences were up 19.8%, with live qualifying showing a 22.8% increase and practice 24.9% up.
McLaren won both titles last year with Lando Norris ending Red Bull rival Max Verstappen’s run of four in a row in a battle that went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.
“Formula One delivered the largest audience in five years,” said Nielsen’s market lead for sports in the UK and Ireland Andy Milnes. “Data also highlights that modern sports valuation is no longer simply about reach. It is about harmonising feeds, platforms, formats and exposure density in a way that ensures global totals are both accurate and commercially meaningful.“
Nielsen said linear broadcasters still accounted for more than 75% of total audience but the share delivered by Over-The-Top (OTT) sources online had nearly doubled over the past five years.
It added that the average amount of time sponsors were visible during race weekends had increased by more than 90% since 2020, with almost 600 different brands having exposure during an F1 broadcast in 2025. Formula One remained the most watched motorsport series globally, with an average audience per Grand Prix 3.1 times greater than its closest competitor MotoGP, also controlled by Liberty Media.
Italy, Britain and Germany were the three largest individual markets and accounted for more than a quarter of global audiences. Mexico was replaced by Canada in the top 10 after local hero Sergio Perez sat out the season following his departure from Red Bull. Perez is returning this year with the new Cadillac team.
The top 10 audience markets accounted for two-thirds of global audiences (67.7%), roughly the same as 2024 (68.0%) Reuters
Drivers
Valtteri Bottas (Fin, 36) No 77 Debut Australia 2013 Wins 10 Poles 20 Titles 0 Best season finish 2nd Last season N/A. Cadillac have unsurprisingly gone for experience with both their drivers. Bottas knows too well how a top-end team functions from his time at Mercedes and brings a renewed enthusiasm for F1 to the project. A proven pair of hands who will make the most of any machinery, Bottas will be invaluable for the task ahead.
Sergio Pérez (Mex, 36) No 11 Debut Australia 2011 Wins 6 Poles 3 Titles 0 Best season finish 2nd Last season N/A. A veteran similar to Bottas but with something still to prove after the Mexican’s time at Red Bull ended poorly in 2024. He is fired-up and also brings the knowledge of how a championship-winning team operates. At his best, Pérez will make the most of the car especially if, as it appears, it suits his style, which will be exactly what Cadillac require for development.
