Whether it’s Lando Norris beginning his first title defence or the historic arrival of Audi and Cadillac on the grid, the F1 2026 season opener will launch a campaign where every team is starting from a Given that uncertainty, here are five drivers carrying high stakes and worth watching closely in Melbourne.
Five Drivers To Watch Out For at the Formula 1 2026 Season Opener Australian Grand Prix
1. Oscar Piastri
For Oscar Piastri this is more than just the season opener, it’s his home race. Last year in Melbourne, he started from P2 but a late rain shower on lap 44 forced him into a costly spin at Turn 13, dropping him down to 9th on the grid and ending hopes of his first podium on home soil.
After finishing third in the 2025 Drivers’ Championship behind teammate Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, Piastri would look for a clean weekend at home to make the perfect response to last year’s disappointment.
2. George Russell
The Mercedes ace George Russell wil begin the season as one of the pre-season favourites. The Silver Arrows appeared the most comfortable in adapting to the new regulations, and Russell particularly maneuvered the revised overtaking system and active aero concepts introduced this year that replaced the traditional DRS.
Russell finished third in Melbourne last season, benefiting from late-race drama including Piastri ahead of him. If Mercedes’ early promise translates into race pace, he could be firmly in contention from the outset.
3. Max Verstappen
After losing the 2025 title by just two points, Max Verstappen comes into 2026 on a mission of redemption. It will be interesting to see how the Red Bull performs as it debuts the first-ever Red Bull-Ford power unit.
Under the completely new technical regulations, Verstappen’s technical mastery will also be on watch in Melbourne. If the new engine proves competitive, expect him to be the most aggressive man on the grid.
4. Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton will be entering his second year with the Italian manufacturers after finishing the 2025 campaign without a win or podium for the first time in his career. However, the 2026 regulation reset offers a fresh opportunity, that has already satisfied the seven-time world champion in the preseason tests.
Early indications from testing suggest the SF-26 is the biggest threat to the rivals, in power unit performance and overall engineering. Hamilton also two victories at the Albert Park, making him the most experienced hands capable of capitalising if Ferrari start well.
5. Charles Leclerc
Another player to watch out for will be Charles Leclerc, who enters 2026 with a new perspective, racing for the first time as a married man following his off-season wedding to the long-time partner Alexandra Saint Mleux.
Leclerc finished eighth in the 2025 Australian Grand Prix after starting seventh. He began strongly, dragging the car up to fifth place, but a late rain shower combined with poor tyre management ultimately made things difficult for him.
However, this time, with a completely revitalized Ferrari car which showed its brilliance in Bahrain Test with Leclerc setting the fastest lap of the entire 2026 pre-season on the final day, clocking a 1:31.992, he is one of the favourites to win the Australian Grand Prix.
Lando Norris, the defending champion
Apart from the above mentioned name, the reigning World Champion Lando Norris remains the main man to watch out for. He ended McLaren’s long championship drought in 2025, but this season resets the playing field.
Pre-season testing suggested McLaren may not have had the outright edge at all times, though Norris showed flashes of pace topping the opening day of the second test in Bahrain and finishing fourth overall on the final day.
The Australian Grand Prix will unfold on March 8. In India the live streaming of the race can be found on the FanCode app and website.