F1 LIVE | 2026 season kicks off as drivers face media day in Melbourne

After nearly three months and three rounds of testing that kept fans company over the winter break, F1 is finally ready to fire up again for what promises to be an unmissable 2026 season — one whose outcome is far from a foregone conclusion. With sweeping regulation changes coming into force, the pecking order is expected to be reshuffled, effectively wiping out any advantages teams may have built up.

Pre-season testing in Bahrain has already offered a few intriguing clues about what to expect in Melbourne, although the real picture will only begin to emerge on Saturday when qualifying gets underway. There is plenty of anticipation to see who will ultimately come out on top in the opening Grand Prix of the season, after Ferrari set the fastest overall time across all six days of testing, while Mercedes impressed with the remarkable reliability of its power unit. There is also growing curiosity over the real impact of the engine compression ratio ‘trick’, a debate that only came to an end a few days ago following the FIA’s final ruling.

Friday’s first two practice sessions will be preceded by the traditional drivers’ press conferences, where the grid — split into two groups — will share their first thoughts with the media ahead of the race weekend. It will be the final chance for the drivers to speak before climbing into the cockpit and letting the stopwatch do the talking.

The action on track begins early for European fans, with the first free practice session scheduled for Friday at 02:30 CET, followed by FP2 later the same day at 06:00 CET.

Saturday will feature the final practice session at 02:30 CET before qualifying takes place at 06:00 CET, setting the grid for the season opener. The race itself is scheduled for Sunday at 05:00 CET, marking the official start of what promises to be a highly anticipated 2026 championship.