Why drivers are braced for chaotic start to F1 2026 at Australian GP

Formula 1 drivers are bracing for “chaos” as they step into the unknown at this weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix and the start of the new rules cycle.

With the new-for-2026 power units featuring a near 50-50 split between internal combustion power and electrical energy, greater emphasis will be placed on energy harvesting on the straights. 

Drivers will have to do this both on qualifying laps and during the races through a series of techniques including super clipping, which has emerged as a new F1 buzzword over the winter. 

The drivers are anticipating this to be a huge challenge at Melbourne’s energy-sapping Albert Park, which could result in “spectacular moves” and “chaos”. 

“Because this track is so demanding on energy the overtake mode can give you six tenths in one straight over the car in front - it can even give you up to eight tenths," said Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli. 

"There are places where if you deploy full battery, obviously it's not maybe efficient if you look at the laptime optimal, but it can be a place where the other car is not deploying and saving battery and if you press the overtake boost you gain basically 400bhp compared to an optimal lap and you can gain massive amount of lap time and you can make a move in a corner where the other one doesn't expect.

"When I talk about this, it's more start of the race, safety car restart, and even last lap if obviously you're in a scenario where the cars are close to each other. Then of course, during the course of the race when it's stabilised, of course it's going to be a bit more difficult. 

“Here, you have an incredible amount of super-clips, so you do slow down on those straights and the overtake is extremely powerful because you don't super-clip, so the speed either stabilises or keeps increasing. The first stage of the race can give a lot of spectacular moves and eventually some chaos.”

Drivers will have various new tools at their disposal within the cockpit of their F1 car, including an ‘overtake’ and ‘boost’ mode. 

Unlike overtake, which has effectively replaced DRS, boost mode can be used at any point around the track to aid with attacking or defending position. 

But using these tools comes with an energy trade-off, meaning drivers will have to be calculated and tactical in how they deploy the modes. 

"The overtake mode is incredibly powerful, and that can give a bit of chaos [on] lap one, especially if everyone jumps on the overtake mode,” Antonelli added. "I think straight mode, even in the little kink, shouldn't be a problem because it's both axles, so it actually balances quite a bit, you just have less load.

"The race start is going to be another big thing. With the blue panel, it's a bit easier, but still getting the timing right, building the boost in the right moment, is going to be crucial because if you don't do so, then you can have a really bad start. Ferrari looks in a very strong place on that side, so it's going to be important to keep working because in Bahrain we did struggle a little bit.

“But then, we don't know, maybe in Australia in the first race on Sunday we're going to have a mega start. But I think this race can be a bit of chaos...a little bit of chaos.”

‘Drive slower to be faster’ 

Williams’ Carlos Sainz believes the new rules will benefit “complete” drivers who are “adaptive”, admitting that in some situations it will be a case of “driving slower to be faster”. 

Drivers who can outsmart their rivals could benefit massively. 

“It takes quite a lot of brain space and time to think. It’s a lot more finding compromise and balance,” Sainz explained. 

“Sometimes going faster through a corner doesn’t mean faster lap time, which is very counter-intuitive for a racing driver, because it depends how much energy you’ve spent or harvested prior to it or in the corner. 

"So it’s not easy. You are having to think twice before going faster through the corner. You need to understand how, also. It’s very challenging and very difficult to anything we’ve been used to.”

Williams team-mate Alex Albon added: “The cars themselves are lower priority in terms of set-up than what comes first, which is the deployment of the car and the tyres. 

“I think the tyres are tricky because the deployment is tricky, but the deployment rules everything. We’ve seen in Melbourne for example, from all the simulation tools running, the new collaboration for FP1 is completely different. All the stuff you do on the simulator is valid to a point, but then also not valid. 

“It’s the same for everyone, it’s just about being adaptable. As a driver, you have to be so open-minded towards your driving style and your approach to weekends, having this efficiency focus at the back of your mind.” 

There is a consensus within the paddock that Melbourne could prove to be one of the trickiest circuits on the calendar this season. 

Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson described Albert Park as “one of hardest tracks that we go to”, while Haas driver Ollie Bearman fears it could end up being “the worst-case scenario of these regs”. 

“Melbourne I would say is one of the hardest tracks to go,” Albon continued. “For it to be the first race of the year is going to be a bit of a shock for everyone. 

“Also for the fans, you will see just how much management or battery deployment cutting, super clipping, that we will be doing.”