Australia-2026: Weekend guide

The long-awaited 2026 Formula 1 season gets underway this weekend at the Albert Park circuit. The main reason for such anticipation is undoubtedly the sweeping regulation changes, perhaps the most significant in Formula 1 history.

How the balance of power will look, who will move forward and who will fall behind remains a major question. Of course, winter testing has offered some clues about the competitive order. Still, as always, the first race usually reveals much more.

In this guide we bring together the key elements of the weekend — from the weather forecast and circuit facts to bookmaker odds, potential race scenarios and the press conference schedule.

Autumn has just begun in Australia, but the opening race weekend will take place in summer-like conditions.

Friday will be calm and sunny. A light southerly wind is expected, with daytime temperatures reaching 24°C. The chance of rain is no more than 15%.

Saturday will be slightly cooler — cloudy conditions with temperatures around 21°C. Rain probability drops to 10%.

Sunday should be the hottest day of the weekend, with temperatures around 25°C, partly cloudy skies and no rain expected.

Last year’s race in Melbourne was held in wet conditions, while all other sessions took place on a dry track.

The circuit runs around the lake and nearby sports facilities, but the organisers have modified it several times in recent years to make racing more exciting. Three years ago the track was significantly updated — becoming about five seconds faster — while new grandstands were also built.

Two of them were named after world champions:

• Jim Clark Grandstand (between Turns 8 and 9)
• Niki Lauda Grandstand (at Turn 12)

Last year the kerb at Turn 6 was modified following several heavy crashes. Despite the changes, the circuit’s character remains the same — it still punishes mistakes.

The Australian Grand Prix was first held in 1985, making this season the 40th edition of the race. Albert Park will host the event for the 29th time.

The race was originally held in Adelaide for 11 years, usually as the season finale, before moving to Melbourne in 1996.

In June 2022, the organisers extended their contract with Formula 1 until 2035.

As grandstand capacity continues to grow, attendance numbers are rising as well. In 2025, the Australian Grand Prix weekend attracted over 465,000 spectators, second only to the Silverstone round.

Even larger crowds are expected this year, and further redevelopment work is planned after the event.

Circuit Characteristics

Albert Park is a relatively fast track and not overly demanding aerodynamically. Like most street circuits, grip levels change significantly during the weekend due to dust and dirt on the surface, which makes car setup more challenging. The asphalt is also fairly bumpy.

For engines the circuit is quite demanding — only Monza places greater stress on power units. Drivers spend about 66% of the lap at full throttle. Strong traction is crucial because slow corners frequently lead to immediate acceleration zones. Engines also need to deliver stable performance across a wide RPM range.

Teams usually run medium-to-high downforce setups. In terms of configuration, Melbourne resembles Sepang or Silverstone, meaning engineers must constantly balance downforce and top speed throughout the weekend.

The best overtaking opportunity is at the end of the start-finish straight, where drivers reach around 300 km/h before braking into Jones Corner.

One of the most challenging sections is Turn 12, taken at roughly 250 km/h while attacking the kerb before immediately entering a fast sequence. Even a small mistake here can cost significant time.

Melbourne also features one of the shortest pit lanes on the calendar — only 281 metres, which drivers pass through in about 13 seconds.

Tyre Compounds

Pirelli will bring the softest compounds to Melbourne — C3, C4 and C5, which will be used as Hard, Medium and Soft respectively.

One set of Soft tyres must be reserved for Q3. Drivers who reach the final qualifying segment must return that set to Pirelli after the session.

Additionally, one set of Medium and one set of Hard tyres must be reserved for the race. Unless the race is officially declared wet, drivers must use at least one of those compounds during the race.

Driver Statistics in Australia

Among current drivers, Fernando Alonso has the most starts in Australia with 20 races. He also holds the record for most laps completed — 1076.

Lewis Hamilton leads the field in poles (8), wins (2) and podiums (10) at this circuit. The British driver has also led the most laps here with 158.

Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad will both make their Australian GP debut this weekend.

Predicting the first race of the season is often difficult. In a year with major regulation changes, winter testing remains the only real reference point.

Based on the testing results, bookmakers see George Russell as the favourite for victory in Australia. Max Verstappen is considered the most likely challenger, while Charles Leclerc is ranked third.

Last year’s champion, Lando Norris, and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, are rated slightly lower.

George Russell — 3.50
Max Verstappen — 4.33
Charles Leclerc — 5.00
Lewis Hamilton — 7.00
Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris — 9.00
Oscar Piastri — 15.00

The predictions for the end-of-season championship are largely the same as those for the race. The only difference is the odds.

George Russell — 3.00
Max Verstappen — 4.00
Charles Leclerc — 5.00
Lewis Hamilton — 7.00
Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris — 11.00
Oscar Piastri — 15.00

Mercedes is considered the main favourite for the Constructors’ Championship. The top four teams are not expected to change, although interestingly Aston Martin — one of the least convincing teams in testing — is still placed fifth.

Mercedes — 2.20
Ferrari — 3.00
McLaren — 3.75
Red Bull — 9.00
Aston Martin — 51.00

On Thursday, six drivers will attend the FIA press conference in two groups.

Group 1

Nico Hülkenberg (Audi)
Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
George Russell (Mercedes)

Group 2

Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)

On Friday, the team principals’ press conference will feature:

Adrian Newey (Aston Martin)
Graeme Lowdon (Cadillac)
Toto Wolff (Mercedes)

As usual, the top three finishers will attend the press conference on Saturday and Sunday.