Amid reliability issues, Mercedes Power Unit shocks, and inexplicable spins, the 2026 regulations are already in chaos: what will the FIA do?
The start of the 2026 season has been a pure shock. The long-awaited revolution by the FIA and F1 has finally arrived in the circus at Melbourne, bringing with it truly ambiguous and controversial results.
The first qualifying session of the year, dominated by the two Mercedes of Russell and Kimi Antonelli (with an astronomical gap of a full 8 tenths over third-placed Hadjar), caught everyone in the paddock off guard, clearly including the drivers (click here for Hamilton’s comments).
Here is a brief summary of what Melbourne has left us with so far. Yes, so far, because the race is tomorrow and surprises are certainly around the corner.
Mercedes Dominance: A Repeat of 2014?
2014, 2022, 2026. The three years that marked massive regulation changes for F1 cars have all been catalyzed by a dominant car acting as the hare for the pack, often leaving them trailing far behind.
And 2026, a full twelve years after the start of the 2014 Championship, seems to be replicating the exact same script: Mercedes lightyears ahead of everyone, with the Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull pack fighting over the “crumbs” of a decidedly bitter third place.
The driving ease displayed by Russell and Antonelli (the latter certainly aided by the red flag triggered by Verstappen in Q1) was disarming for everyone: without a doubt, Mercedes holds the best car on the grid from every perspective.
But the truly “alarming” front for the competition is the Power Unit: alternating between electric and combustion from this year onward, Toto Wolff’s team’s PU seems unreachable for anyone, peaking at over 10 km/h faster than Ferrari and Red Bull.
Ambiguous or not, this is the reality, and the shock of the two red cars and the two McLarens at the end of the session, upon seeing the gap from pole, fully demonstrates it.
The First Plot Twist: Verstappen and an Inexplicable Spin
That Max Verstappen is entirely uncomfortable (and above all, does not like these cars) in the new RB22 is a certainty. What is absolutely not certain, however, is the nature of his spin at Turn 1.
Mid-way through the first chicane, Max completely lost control of his RB22, crashing into the barriers. The impact, fortunately cushioned by the gravel, was violent, but (again, thankfully) not excessively so.
However, understanding the dynamics is crucial: was it a simple rear-axle lock-up under braking, or something still tied to the battery?
The aggressive exit of these single-seaters is certainly not new; in fact, already in the Bahrain tests, many drivers complained about braking issues (before re-accelerating in traction) with the electric system, leading to sudden car shut-offs. Here too, as with everything else, absolute clarity is urgently needed.
Aston Martin’s Chaos and Cadillac’s Debut
The sore points certainly do not only concern the front-runners. Quite the opposite. The award for the biggest disappointment of 2026 undoubtedly goes to Aston Martin: the highly anticipated first creation by Adrian Newey, powered by Honda, is a total flop.
Undrivable, slow, lacking horsepower, and even dangerous: in short, Alonso and Stroll will have to perform miracles. Assuming they even get the chance, of course, since Lance didn’t even take to the track. Fernando, on the other hand, fought like a lion as usual, but the gap to Colapinto’s Alpine in Q1 was simply embarrassing: a massive 7 tenths.
Certainly flying under the radar was Cadillac, making its F1 debut with a result that is nothing short of catastrophic—perhaps far beyond even the most pessimistic forecasts. An eighteenth and nineteenth place for Perez and Bottas, two veteran drivers forced to drive a car that requires immense development, given the gap of nearly 5 seconds to the leader Russell.
Such a gap hasn’t been seen since 2019, when Williams was by far the backmarker, racing entirely in a league of its own. And for the Grove-based team as well, the workload ahead is immense, especially concerning reliability (Sainz, in fact, did not take part in qualifying), with yet more issues dragging on since the very first day of testing in Bahrain.
Many cracks, wider gaps than ever, and numerous flaws in a set of regulations that, apparently, is showing its first signs of crumbling right out of the gate. But let’s wait for tomorrow, the first (and hopefully last) race under these racing modalities. If we can still even call it racing.
Photos: Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team, Scuderia Ferrari HP, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
