After two intriguing races to open up the season amid the regulation overhaul, the F1 circus heads to Japan, before a month-long hiatus takes place due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.

Mercedes continued with their dominance at the Chinese Grand Prix as George Russell took the first sprint race victory of 2026 before Kimi Antonelli impressed hugely with his maiden Grand Prix win.

However, Ferrari will be hot on their heels with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, showing themselves to be Mercedes' main rivals early in the season.

Another race in the Far East means European fans will have some late nights and early mornings in store to catch all the action.

After the Chinese Grand Prix, there was some discussion about whether some refinements needed to be made to the brand-new regulations.

However, according to Auto, Motor und Sport, no changes were introduced to racing after a virtual meeting of the team principals.

An entertaining Chinese Grand Prix convinced all team bosses that no short-term changes will be made, but for qualifying, the goal is for drivers to be able to push flat out again, rather than lifting early to manage battery recharge.