Plenty of changes as Formula 1 drives into 2026 season

The GIST: Start your engines because Formula 1 (F1) is back, with a record-tying 24-race season on deck. From new car numbers to shiny new regulations, plenty has changed ahead of tomorrow’s 11 p.m. ET Australian Grand Prix. Buckle up.

👏 Cadillac makes F1 debut: This year’s grid will feature 11 teams for the first time in a decade as the U.S.–based constructor joins the paddock, and it’s been a long time coming. Cadillac will feature a pair of fan favorite drivers for their debut season: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, who boast 27 years of experience between them.

• When “new” teams join the fold, they’re often rebranded preexisting teams (like Kick Sauber becoming Audi this year), but Cadillac isn’t that: They’re an entirely fresh entity, meaning new infrastructure, faces, and facilities…and a highly-complex car built from scratch.

🏆 Which team will win?: It’s hard to say. F1 just underwent its biggest regulation change ever with 2026 rules affecting power units, aerodynamics, tires, and fuel — every single team had to reinvent themselves. Mercedes controversially showed promise in testing, but don’t count out the best to ever do it: four-time champ Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and a locked in Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari).

• If we know one thing though, it’s that Aston Martin is down bad, like really bad. Their car’s engine vibrations are so severe that completing the 58-lap Australian Grand Prix could cause their drivers permanent nerve damage. Not exactly the electric opener they were hoping for.