MOTORSPORTS

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George Russell said on Thursday that being considered the favourite to be world champion this year was a compliment, but the Mercedes star was adamant that anything could happen in a 24-race season.

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Formula One is keeping a close eye on the situation in the Middle East, and any decision on races scheduled for Bahrain ⁠and Saudi Arabia next month will be guided by safety, the sport and governing body FIA said.

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AFour-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen is no ⁠fan of F1’s technical reset but believes it is here to stay.

During off-season testing, the Red ‌Bull driver was critical of the more electrified engines, which ‌put more onus on drivers to be tactical ‌with energy deployment and regeneration, describing it as “Formula E on ‌steroids” and “anti-racing”. Other drivers have also expressed concern in ‌the lead-up to Sunday’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix where they will contend with the changes under race conditions for ‌the first time.

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The 2026 Formula 1 season has been flagged up as revolutionary because of the sweeping changes to chassis and power unit regulations, designed to create more overtaking opportunities and improve the sport’s eco-sustainability.

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Lewis Hamilton vowed there will be “no holding back” as he bids to improve on a bitterly disappointing debut year with Ferrari in what will be his 20th season on the grid.

The 41-year-old Briton, who has won a record 105 Grand Prix, will line up this weekend where it all began for him in Melbourne with McLaren in 2007 for what will be his 381st race. The seven-time world champion failed to muster a single podium last year for the

first time in his legendary career as he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings with the Scuderia.

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Formula 1 World champion Lando Norris said he had been amused by ⁠the reaction to his declaring the new 2026 cars fun to drive after Red Bull rival Max Verstappen stated the opposite.

Four-time world champion Verstappen told reporters during pre-season testing in Bahrain last week that his car, the first of a new engine era for the sport, was like “Formula E on steroids” and not a lot of fun.

McLaren’s Norris, who ended Verstappen’s run of four titles in a row last year, had taken a contrary stance and suggested the Dutch driver could “go and ⁠find something else to do” if he was not happy.

The rivals’ comments fuelled an already lively online debate about what racing will be like this season and how fans and drivers might react

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Aston Martin chief Adrian Newey on Thursday revealed Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll fear permanent nerve damage from extreme vibration in their cars and are unlikely to complete the Australian Grand Prix.

The Newey-designed car suffered issues through torrid pre-season testing, including an unreliable Honda power unit and a lack of spare parts. They were the slowest car with the fewest laps, completing a total of just 128 over three days in Bahrain – the equivalent of what many teams did in one day.

Matters have not improved as they prepare for the season-opening race in Melbourne this weekend.

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Formula One fans in the United States are about to experience championship racing in a completely new way. Beginning in 2026, select races from the FIA Formula One World Championship will be screened live in Imax theaters across the country. The initiative is the result of a collaboration between Imax and Apple TV, bringing the speed, precision, and spectacle of Formula One to some of the biggest screens available.

Through the partnership, five major Grands Prix will be shown live in at least 50 Imax locations nationwide. The featured races include the Miami Grand Prix on May 3, the Monaco Grand Prix on June 7, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 5, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 6, and the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 25. These events represent some of the most prestigious and widely followed stops on the Formula One calendar.