The Formula One fires up its engines on the first weekend of March 2026, marking the start of a new era with plenty of stories to tell: fresh car designs, new power units, new teams, and the return of veteran drivers. Here’s your complete guide to what’s coming.
After a scintillating end of the 2025 season, which saw Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen all still have a chance to win the World Drivers’ Championship in the final race in Abu Dhabi, the biggest motorsport spectacle on earth returns for a 77th season, starting on Sunday, March 8th, in Melbourne, Australia.
With a host of new regulations, one brand-new team, a new defending champion, and completely different cars, the 2026 Formula One season is set to provide even more entertainment, shock and sensation across the 24-race calendar.
Flashscore takes you through all the new rules, changes, and necessary info ahead of the upcoming 2026 Formula One season.
The New 2026 Formula One Regulations
The governing body, FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), confirmed a host of new regulations for the Formula One cars in June 2024. It is, with right, considered the biggest overhaul in the sport’s history.
From 2026, the cars will feature new designs, making them generally lighter, shorter, and narrower. Tires will also be slimmer, offering less aerodynamic resistance. Similarly, the wings will be more dynamic, and the familiar DRS system will be replaced by a new format called ‘Active Aero’, which features active front and rear wings that adjust the angle depending on where they are on the track.
DRS has officially vanished from the sport, but lives on vicariously through ‘Overtake Mode‘, which provides the driver with extra electrical energy to deploy when they’re within one second of the car in front.
The biggest change, however, is in the power unit, which is set to deliver nearly 300% more electric power. Mercedes appears to have found a loophole in the regulations, sparking significant controversy that has been temporarily resolved pending further updates.
Teams and Drivers: The Newcomers
Further down the pack, the line-up has been shaken up by the addition of an eleventh team: Cadillac, which will debut in Formula One. Former Red Bull ace Sergio Pérez and former Mercedes star Valtteri Bottas have joined the American team after short hiatuses from the sport.
The historic Formula One team Sauber has been acquired by Audi, whose name will appear in the sport for the first time in the company’s rich automotive history.
Formula One will see just one driver make his debut in the premier class of auto racing: the Swedish-British Arvid Lindblad has come through the famed Red Bull ranks and will race for Racing Bulls alongside Liam Lawson.