Australian Grand Prix Takeaways: The battle of the batteries
F1 OpinionTuesday, 10 March 2026 at 07:30
Takeaways is back as we now put the first race of the 2026 Formula 1 season, the Australian Grand Prix, behind us as the sport ushers in a new set of regulations.
We have a new formula this year that runs until the end of 2030, with new chassis and power unit regulations. While we always eagerly look forward to a new era in F1, this time it was a bit different.
Our anticipation was plagued with worry after initial signs of how the new cars will perform, from the power unit side, that is. On the chassis side, the smaller cars look brilliant both stationary and in motion.
However, and sadly I have to admit, there is nothing positive to be said about the new power units that deliver power from an Internal Combustion Engine and an electric motor equally.
So let's head into our first takeaways this season, from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.
What we feared was realized
Before the start of the season, during preseason testing, when we started finding out more about the new cars, I wrote an Editor's Desk questioning whether Formula One Management (FOM) and the FIA had dug themselves a hole with the new rules.
While I maintained that I was keeping the faith in our sport finding a way out of this hole, I also voiced my concerns, and sadly they were realized in Melbourne last weekend.
It is not F1 when:
- A driver has to lift and downshift on a straight to charge the battery.
- A driver is not allowed to go through a corner on the limit to save battery power.
- A driver has to lift and coast, instead of late braking, to charge the battery.
- A driver has to decide on his overtake based on his battery charge and not his skill or bravery.
I don't care how fast the car is on the straights. That is not F1; that is drag racing. It does not take a genius to know that these cars will be fast out of the corner. This is what an electric motor does: deliver torque instantly.
But when you do not have enough battery charge to do so all the time, it is pointless no matter how many times Juan Pablo Montoya shamelessly points that out while standing trackside giggling every time an F1 car passes by.
This is not Formula 1
Ever since Max Verstappen voiced his first concerns, he has been under attack from the FIA and a few of his peers, both claiming that he needed to give the new formula a chance.
The sport's Spin Doctor, Stefano Domenicali, also insisted things are dandy with nothing to worry about and that the racing will be brilliant reiterating all was done to attract new car manufacturers who will drop F1 like a hot potato when it suits them.
Stefano, please sell that to your Drive to Survive fans and not the real fans who have followed F1 all their lives and will know the difference when they see and hear the new F1 cars, on TV or live on track, how rubbish they are.
Brazenly, just after the race in Melbourne was over, F1's X account posted a graphic bragging about the number of overtakes in the race as if that were the thing that matters only.
Action EVERYWHERE you looked 😍#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/rTlBSlkzAc
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 8, 2026
Also, what caught my attention is that most F1 Team Principals, in their post-race press releases, toed the line and hailed the new regulations. Good boys!
Let's not forget the commentators' attempt to show how great the racing was, but sadly, for those who know, their performance was more artificial than the racing was.
Expect more ridiculous statistics and nonsense being shoved down our throats as FOM and Liberty keep their heads in the sand, trying to sell us a defective product.
Video games, Mario Karts
Most of the drivers—even Lando Norris, who changed his mind—blasted the racing, while naturally Melbourne winner George Russell remains the only one asking for patience, and it is quite understandable as he sees this season as his best chance to win the championship (he deserves that, by the way) with the rocket ship Mercedes delivered—good on them.
Of course, the way in which each driver delivered his message was different, but it appears none of them is happy with how the new cars have to be driven.
Norris said these cars weren't his cup of tea, while Ollie Bearman likened driving the new cars to playing video games.
Even Russell slipped and said the Australian Grand Prix was good TV drama, while not fun to drive.
But the best reaction has to be from Verstappen, who was asked again about his opinion about the cars, and he said: "I mean, if you enjoy that, ok, but that's what I do at home when I play Mario Kart."
Do we need to say more?
Australian Grand Prix Quick hits
- Despite many now lamenting Mercedes' dominance, we have to applaud them for the job they have done. It is enough the FIA succumbed to the pressure of Mercedes' rivals and changed the engine compression ratio test procedures.
Ingenuity in F1 should be celebrated not suppressed because someone missed a trick. - Ferrari seem to have a decent package but qualifying showed it was a bit inconsistent. Maybe deployment issues.
Their turbo trick is a stroke of genius. Charles Leclerc taking the lead from fourth was probably the highlight of the race in my opinion.
But then they messed their strategy in classic Ferrari fashion but at least Lewis Hamilton is cheerful and looks like the Lewis of old. - A decent start of Isack Hadjar with Red Bull Racing. Shame his car couldn't make it till the end of the race.
- An impressive performance by Arvid Lindblad on his F1 debut. A decent farewell gift from Dr. Helmut Marko to Red Bull Racing.
- Despite his error in FP3, Kimi Antonelli bounced back in style in qualifying and after his sluggish start in the race, he managed to finish second. Russell should be wary.
- Cadillac managed to get one car across the finish line and three laps down but their bosses celebrating their start.
Well they did not have a disastrous starts like Marussia and HRT for example, but this is GM we are talking about, and the standards should be higher. - The curse that follows Australian drivers in Melbourne hit again with Oscar Piastri but his explanation to what happened needs explaining.
- Verstappen's crash in qualifying was also weird and it meant we couldn't see the real pace of the Red Bull. Sorry Isack.
- A decent job by Audi scoring points on debut.
- Aston Martin and Honda... What a joke.
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