Australian Grand Prix: Race Preview

The 2026 season will be TGR Haas F1 Team’s eleventh in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, with Esteban Ocon (29) and Ollie Bearman (20) once more forming the team’s driver line-up. Ocon has started 180 grands prix, with four career podiums and one victory, taking 483 points. Bearman has contested 27 grands prix, scoring a career best result of fourth, and 48 points.

Australia will open Formula 1’s season for a 24th time, marking the start of a record-equaling 24-event schedule, as per 2024 and 2025. TGR Haas F1 Team will again contest three grands prix on home soil in the United States, in Miami (May 3), Austin (October 25) and Las Vegas (November 21), while there will once more be six F1 Sprint events, and a new event to tackle around the streets of Madrid’s Madring in September.

The Albert Park Street Circuit is celebrating its 30th anniversary, having first featured on Formula 1’s calendar in 1996. The leafy parkland circuit, a short distance from downtown Melbourne, features a swathe of high-speed curves and heavy braking zones, with the gravel traps and walls lurking close to the circuit edge. Albert Park’s temporary nature means there is high track evolution through the course of the weekend, and a high probability of a Safety Car or race stoppage.

Formula 1 enters a new regulatory era in 2026, with wholesale changes having been made to the chassis and power unit rules. That includes narrower and lighter cars, featuring revised aerodynamics, and greater electrical power from the engine. Following a three-day shakedown in Barcelona, TGR Haas F1 Team accrued 794 laps of the Bahrain International Circuit across six days of pre-season testing, equating to 4297.12 kilometers (2670.22 miles), gaining valuable knowledge of the VF-26, a learning curve that will no doubt continue through the year. 

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal:

“Everyone is excited for this first race in this brand new era of regulations, and the midfield is going to be very competitive. I don’t think anyone knows exactly where they stand, but for me, we've had very good pre-season preparation. Reliability was good, we kept learning about the car, understanding the regulations, and how to manage the energy. However, it’s a completely different ball game completing six days of testing at one circuit, to going to Melbourne and hitting the ground running in FP1.

“What we were doing for half a day in Bahrain, we’ve essentially got to do in two runs in FP1, that’s the big challenge this year. Even going from Barcelona to Bahrain, you can see how the different circuit demands will make a big difference in how you prepare for qualifying, compared to previous years.

“Melbourne as a circuit, in terms of energy recovery, which is critical this year, is going to be much more challenging than Bahrain. I think we all expect a huge challenge, but we’re preparing as well as possible.

"In Q1 of qualifying, that’s going to be a huge challenge with 22 cars, managing the traffic on the out lap and traffic in general. I do believe with what we’ve done in pre-season testing and the car performance we have, if we can cover the basics and execute well, we should be able to compete where we want to, which is at least in the midfield, hopefully towards the front of the midfield.

"There’s lots of excitement, but also anticipation. For sure, we’ll find something we haven’t thought about, or a surprise, but as always, we’ll just need to react quickly – it’s going to be a huge test.”

Ollie Bearman:

“Although it’s been a short off-season, it now feels like a long time that we’ve been eagerly awaiting to see the true performance of this new generation of Formula 1 car. For the team it’s been a mammoth job, many have been away from home for multiple weeks already, working all hours across multiple time zones to ensure that our testing program was smooth and valuable – and for that, I wholeheartedly thank them. Pre-season testing provided answers to many of our questions, and while there is a lot more to be learned, I believe we’re working from a strong foundation.

“I arrived over the weekend in Melbourne to beat the jetlag early and to also have the chance to see some of this amazing city. The Albert Park Circuit is a phenomenal track that is going to really push all of us, and it’s imperative we remain reliable and consistent through these early races. Last year was a learning experience from start to finish for me, but after 12 months I feel I’m fully equipped for the weekend ahead – bring it on.”

Esteban Ocon:

“The first race of a new season is always an exciting time for everyone. The many months of hard work will finally be put to the test, and I’m personally very excited for this fresh challenge and to get back to the racing. It’s been a monumental effort from the entire team to get the car ready for Fiorano, Barcelona, and then for Bahrain. We had a successful couple of weeks of testing, and the team can be very proud of themselves.

“Starting the season in Australia is always a challenge with the long travel and the time difference, but it’s such a great event and Melbourne is such a cool city with amazing energy. The track at Albert Park is a unique street circuit, bumpy and tricky, which will be interesting with this new generation of cars. I can’t wait to get going in Melbourne and to see how we perform against the competition. In a tight midfield battle, consistency will be key, so we’ll aim to keep the momentum going and have a good start to the season.”