A Beginners Guide for the 2026 Formula 1 Season

F1 Drivers and Teams

Things are a little different for the 2026 season.

The grid will feature 11 teams and 22 drivers, with Cadillac to make their first appearance in Formula One.

To contrast last season's transfer craze, this season only two teams (Red Bull and Racing Bulls) have made changes to their driver line-ups. Sadly, Yuki Tsunoda lost his seat in Formula 1 as a result of these changes, after Red Bull made the executive decision to replace him with Isack Hadjar and Racing Bulls welcoming rookie Arvid Lindblad.

Arvid Lindblad will be the only rookie to make his F1 debut, after setting the record as the youngest-ever race winner in both Formula 2 and Formula 3.

The arrival of a new American team, welcomes two returning faces to the grid. Valterri Bottas will return for his 13th season, following his run as Mercedes' Reserve Driver in the 2025 season. He will be partnered with Sergio Perez, who makes his comeback into F1 after leaving the grid for the 2025 season.

The Full 2025 Line-Up:

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri - McLaren

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes

Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar - Red Bull

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari

Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon - Williams

Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad - Racing Bulls

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll - Aston Martin

Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman - Haas

Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto - Audi

Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto - Alpine

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez - Cadillac

F1 Race Calendar

The 2026 F1 Race Calendar will have 24 races throughout the year, expanding over five continents and 21 countries.

The season will begin a week earlier than the previous year in Australia (6-8 March), before continuing as a double header in China (13-15 March) for the opening F1 Sprint weekend of the season.

It welcomes some changes, as Imola will no longer feature in the line-up and a second Spanish Grand Prix will call Madrid its home.

In addition to the standard race weekends, throughout the season there will be six F1 Sprint weekends. China and Miami will host the first two sprint races, with both of them making it their third consecutive year as hosts. Silverstone returns to the hosting list for the first time since 2021 and Montreal, Zandvoort and Singapore are geared up to host their first sprint weekend.

The season will once again conclude in December in Abu Dhabi.

The Full F1 2025 Race Calendar:

Mar 6-8 - Australia - Melbourne

Mar 13-15- China - Shanghai (Sprint)

Mar 27-29- Japan - Suzuka

Apr 10-12 - Bahrain - Sakhir - cancelled

Apr 17-19 - Saudi Arabia - Jeddah - cancelled

May 01-03 - USA - Miami (Sprint)

May 22-24 - Canada - Montreal (Sprint)

Jun 05-07 - Monaco - Monaco

Jun 17-19 - Spain - Barcelona-Catalunya

Jun 26-28 - Austria - Spielberg

Jul 03-05 - Great Britain - Silverstone (Sprint)

Jul 17-19 - Belgium - Spa-Francorchamps

Jul 24-26 - Hungary - Budapest

Aug 21-23 - Netherlands - Zandvoort (Sprint)

Sep 04-06 - Italy - Monza

Sep 11-13 - Spain - Madrid

Sep 24-26 - Azerbaijan - Baku

Oct 09-11- Singapore - Singapore (Sprint)

Oct 23-25 - USA - Austin

Oct 30-Nov 01 - Mexico - Mexico City

Nov 06-08 - Brazil - São Paulo

Nov 19-21 - USA - Las Vegas

Nov 27-29 - Qatar - Lusail

Dec 04-06 - Abu Dhabi - Yas Marina

F2 and F3 Calendar

The Formula 2 Calendar will have a total of 14 rounds beginning in Australia and ending in Abu Dhabi, mirroring F1 in a smaller scale.

F2's weekend schedule contains two races, a sprint race and the main feature race, giving a total of 28 races across the season.

The Full F2 2025 Race Calendar:

Mar 6-8 - Australia - Melbourne

Apr 10-12 - Bahrain - Sakhir - cancelled

Apr 17-19 - Saudi Arabia - Jeddah - cancelled

Jun 05-07 - Monaco - Monaco

Jun 17-19 - Spain - Barcelona-Catalunya

Jun 26-28 - Austria - Spielberg

Jul 03-05 - Great Britain - Silverstone

Jul 17-19 - Belgium - Spa-Francorchamps

Jul 24-26 - Hungary - Budapest

Sep 04-06 - Italy - Monza

Sep 11-13 - Spain - Madrid

Sep 24-26 - Azerbaijan - Baku

Nov 27-29 - Qatar - Lusail

Dec 04-06 - Abu Dhabi - Yas Marina

Following the cancellation of the Sakhir and Jeddah, rounds two and three of the calendar will be hosted by Miami and Montreal.

The Championship will head to Miami May 1-3 and then Montreal on May 22-24 before returning to the original calendar in Monaco.

Whereas the Formula 3 Calendar will only have a total of 10 rounds, kicking off their season in Australia but concluding it earlier in the season in Madrid.

F3's weekend schedule contains two races, a sprint race and the main feature race, giving a total of 20 races across the season.

The Full F3 2025 Race Calendar:

Mar 6-8 - Australia - Melbourne

Apr 10-12 - Bahrain - Sakhir - cancelled

Jun 05-07 - Monaco - Monaco

Jun 17-19 - Spain - Barcelona-Catalunya

Jun 26-28 - Austria - Spielberg

Jul 03-05 - Great Britain - Silverstone

Jul 17-19 - Belgium - Spa-Francorchamps

Jul 24-26 - Hungary - Budapest

Sep 04-06 - Italy - Monza

Sep 11-13 - Spain - Madrid

F1 Race Weekend Layout

A standard race weekend takes place over three days, usually Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Las Vegas is the only exception with sessions starting on Thursday to Saturday) with practice sessions, qualifying and the feature race spanning across them. However, the race weekend layout can change if it is scheduled as a sprint race format.

Free Practice - Across the race weekend, there are three Free Practice sessions, abbreviated to FP1, FP2 and FP3. Friday, normally features two practice sessions lasting 60 minutes each, designed to help teams to prepare their cars and make any necessary changes to the car before the race. The third Free Practice session normally falls on the Saturday before Qualifying begins.

Qualifying - On Saturday after FP3, drivers participate in the Qualifying session that has three stages, abbreviated to Q1, Q2 and Q3. Each stage has a designated amount of time, where the drivers place assigns their positions on the grid.

The first qualifying session, Q1, lasts 18 minutes, eliminating the five drivers with the slowest lap time, occupying positions 20 to 16 on the grid.

The second session, Q2, decides driver's positions from 16 to 11 after a 15 minute session.

Qualifying concludes with a final 12 minute segment that decides the top 10 grid slots. All these positions are prior to any penalties that a driver may receive.

Grand Prix Race - The Grand Prix is usually on a Sunday where drivers race across a specified number of laps to earn points for both the Driver and Constructor Championships - only the top 10 positions can score points.

Sprint Race - A sprint race is a short version of the feature race that covers 100km, usually lasting 30 minutes. Drivers are awarded points for finishing in the top 8 positions of a Sprint race.

In a typical F1 season there are six Sprint race weekends spanned across the season.

The Sprint weekend still spans across the three days with Sprint Qualifying replacing FP2 and the Sprint race replacing FP3. Qualifying and the Grand Prix run as normal.

Drivers' and Constructors' Championship

Drivers' Championship - Otherwise known by its full title FIA Formula One World Championship for Drivers, is a title that is claimed by the F1 driver with the most championship points at the end of the season. This Championship has existed since 1950 as before that each Grand Prix was a solo affair.

Points for the Drivers' Championship are available for the top 10 finishers at each Grand Prix with more available in Sprint races.

Constructors' Championship -Otherwise known by its full title FIA Formula One World Championship for Constructors, is the title claimed by the F1 team with the most championship points at the end of the season. This Championship was created in 1958, eight years after the Driver Championship.

Its had many scoring systems since then but the current system has been in place since 1991 - whereby each team has two cars in each race with the point accumulated by each are added together to create the Constructor's total.

Championship Points for Grand Prix Race:

1st - 25 points

2nd - 18 points

3rd - 15 points

4th - 12 points

5th - 10 points

6th - 8 points

7th - 6 points

8th - 4 points

9th - 2 points

10th - 1 point

Championship Points for Sprint Race:

1st - 8 points

2nd - 7 points

3rd - 6 points

4th - 5 points

5th - 4 points

6th - 3 points

7th - 2 points

8th - 1 points

F1 Rule Changes

Power Units - As of this season, the motorsport will introduce a new power unit system which will operate to focus more on the electrical side of the hybrid unit.

Half of the power used by the cars will be electrical, with the other half coming from internal combustion.

Electrical System - The electrical system will have limited energy, making it more important when a driver chooses to activate it. Meaning that the charging of the battery will be just as important and tactical.

Recharge Mode - Available to drivers for quieter moments when electrical energy can afford to be conserved.

Under the new regulations, cars will have to harvest energy to charge the battery under braking, on part throttle, when lifting off the throttle too early or when 'super clipping' (harvesting at the end of a straight when the car is still at full throttle)

Most of the cars recharging will be done automatically through the Electronic Control Unit with the exception of lifting off, allowing drivers to have direct control if they lift off the throttle pedal. But this will disable Active Aero devices.

Boost Button - the boost button will enable drivers to manually control energy deployment when attacking or defending on track.

It can be used at one time or spread across the lap.

Overtake Mode - Brand new to the 2026 season, overtake mode will replace what was formally known as DRS (Drag Reduction System) giving cars extra power when attacking.

It will apply when the car gets within one second of the car in front at a designated point and enabling the driver to use and harvest more electrical power.

Active Aero - The 2026 season will be the first season to see full-time active aerodynamics in F1, meaning cars will dynamically adjust the angle of rear and front wings at different sections of each circuit.

It will see 'Straight Mode' with the flaps 'opening' to engage a low-drag mode and the wings flattening to increase speed and 'Corner Mode' where flaps will remain in a 'closed' position to maintain downforce and grip.

Car Structure - This season the cars will be smaller with a maximum wheelbase of 3.4m and the width of the floor reduced to 1.9m.

The tyres have also narrowed and the weight limit of the car will be 768kg instead of 800kg.

Tyres

Pirelli is Formula One's sole supplier for tyres with their contract running out at the end of the 2027 campaign.

But with the change of regulations for this 2026 season, comes a change within the tyres. This comes in the form of the tyres' tread widths as the front has been reduced by 25mm and the rear by 30mm.

Tyre Compounds - Pirelli's range of 18-inch tyres for the 2025 season includes five 'slick' compounds (hardest to softest - C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) along with 'intermediates' and 'full wets' to prepare for weather conditions.

In the 'slick' tyre range (C1 is the hardest to C6 the softest), Pirelli will choose three tyre compounds to be used at each Grand Prix depending on the track characteristics and climates. This creates the colour coordination of the tyres throughout each race weekend.

The highest-numbered slick tyre is marked with red and referred to as the soft tyre, the middle number is marked with yellow for the medium tyre and the lowest number is marked with white for the hard tyre. Alongside these will be the greens for intermediates and the blues for full wet tyres.

The soft tyre is normally set to have the most grip but a much shorter time period before degradation begins - a perfect use for qualifying or short stints throughout a race, the hardest tyre has the least amount of grip but lasts for a longer amount of time making it perfect for long race stints. However, the medium tyre is a mixture of the two offering grip and longer time frames.

Tyre Allowance - Each Grand Prix weekend, drivers are given 13 sets of dry weather tyre, five sets of intermediates and two sets of full wet tyres. An extra set of softs is reserved for those who reach Q3 in Qualifying.

Drivers must also use two different sets of slicks during a race providing that the weather conditions remain dry.

However, the allocation of tyres at Sprint races drops from 13 to 12 sets, where drivers get two sets of designated hards, four sets of mediums and six sets of soft tyres. In addition to this, drivers are given six sets of intermediates and two sets of full wet tyres.

Flags

Green Flag - A green flag is used to indicate that the track is clear whether that be at the start of a session or immediately after an incident has occurred that needed one or more yellow flags.

Single Waved Yellow Flag - A single yellow flag signals to drivers that they need to reduce their speed, can't overtake any driver and must be prepared to change direction due to a hazard beside or partly on the track.

Double Waved Yellow Flag - A double yellow flag signals that drivers need to reduce their speed significantly, can't overtake any driver and must be prepared to stop or change direction due to a hazard blocking the whole track or marshals working on or beside the track.

Red Flag - A red flag is waved at the start line and at each marshal post around the circuit when officials have decided to stop a race session due to a serious incident or weather conditions.

During Practice and Qualifying, all drivers are required to reduce their speed and proceed back to their pit garages whereas during the race all drivers are required to reduce their speed and return to the pit lane, lining up at the exit and await instructions.

Yellow Flag with Red Stripes - A motionless yellow flag with red stripes is shown to inform drivers that there is a deterioration in grip levels on the track ahead because of oil or water on the surface.

White Flag - A white flag informs drivers that there is a slower vehicle ahead and is occasionally seen at the end of practice sessions whilst drivers perform practice starts

Blue Flag - A blue flag indicates to the drivers that they are about to be overtaken, this meaning translates differently across the different weekends race sessions.

At all times, if a blue flag is waved as a driver is exiting the pit lane it indicates that there is traffic behind them so should be cautious about re-joining the track.

During Practice or Qualifying, a blue flag indicates to drivers that a faster car is behind them and about to overtake. This is particularly used in Qualifying, especially if one driver is on a 'cool-down' lap whilst the other car is on a fast lap. This flag helps to prevent other cars from impeding opposing teams laps.

During the Grand Prix, a blue flag indicates that drivers are about to be lapped by the faster cars, so are falling a lap behind. When this is shown in the race, the driver must allow the faster cars to pass through at the earliest opportunity - if 3 warnings are ignored then the driver will be penalised.

'Code 60' Flag - A Code 60 flag is a purple flag with a white circle containing the number 60 in the middle, this sets a 60km/h speed limit around the track

Black Flag - A black flag is used to disqualify drivers and orders them to their pit garage at once. The decision for the flag rests solely with the stewards but is a rare occurrence.

Black Flag with an Orange Disc - A black flag with an orange disc is used to inform a driver that their car has mechanical problem which may be likely to pose a threat to themselves or other cars, meaning they must stop in the pits as soon as possible.

If and when the mechanical issues have been rectified to the satisfaction of the Chief Scrutineer, the car can re-join the race otherwise it must remain in the pits.

Black and White Flag - A black and white flag that is diagonally divided is shown as a warning to a driver after being reported for unsportsmanlike behaviour, indicating that if this continued it would result in punishment. It is usually accompanied by the driver's race number.

Chequered Flag - A black and white chequered flag is waved from above the pit wall and marks the end of any racing session whether that be Practice, Qualifying or the Race. It is waved until all the competing cars have reached it.

Penalties

Formula One is a motorsport that relies heavily on the rules and regulations created by the FIA each season, if any of these rules or regulations are breached by a driver or team then they will be penalised. Penalties are often given after breaches on the track although they can still be given for behaviour off the track.

The penalties given can vary on the offence committed and its severity.

Warnings - FIA stewards will sometimes give drivers or teams warnings before issuing a penalty, this is often seen with exceeding track limits during a race (all 4 tyres across the white lines). Drivers are often warned about this, if the offence is committed a further 3 times then it may result in a penalty.

Reprimands - A reprimand is a step up from a warning, where if a driver receives more than 4 in a singular season they will be handed a 10 place grid penalty.

They are issues for sporting and non-sporting offences, with the grid penalty only applied if all 4 previous reprimands were issued for driving offences.

Fines - Drivers can be fined for sporting and non-sporting offences, these can be issued on their own or may be given alongside another penalty.

Time Penalties - Time penalties are issued as either a 5 or a 10 second penalty. These are generally served during pit stops where the car will remain stationary and untouched by the mechanics for the length of the penalty.

However, if a driver does not pit again after receiving the time penalty, then the time will be added onto their finishing time, potentially dropping them down the order of positions.

Drive-through/Stop-go Penalties - A drive-through penalty requires a driver to drive through the pit lane maintaining its speed limit before returning to the track.

A stop-go penalty is one of the most costly penalties as it requires drivers to stop in the pit lane for the majority of the penalty before re-joining the race, without the mechanics being allowed to work on the car at any point during the stop.

When a driver is given one of these two penalties, they have 2 laps to serve the penalties from when the team were notified - the exception of this is when a Virtual Safety Car or a Safety Car is deployed

Grid Penalties - A grid penalty will result in a driver dropping a number of grid positions at the next race they participate in. These penalties are usually a result of changing engine components more than allocation.

Disqualification - Some serious cases may result in disqualification from the results of a race session, typically given for a technical infringement.

Suspension - Suspension is a step up from a disqualification penalty and results in the driver being suspended from the next event. This is a rare occurrence but can occur if a driver reaches over 12 penalty points or if the stewards deem it as an extremely serious breach of the regulations.

Penalty Points - The FIA has the ability to issue penalty points to a driver's Super Licence as part of a punishment. These remain on a driver's licence for 12 months, if a driver accumulates for than 12 points within a 12 month period then they will receive a 1 race ban.

F1 Terminology

Double and Triple Headers - Historically, F1 race schedules were designed to have a weekend on and a weekend off approach, but the increasing popularity has led to the creation of double and triple headers across the season. This allows for more races in a 52 week year.

A double-header is two back to back Grand Prixs on successive weekends. Similarly, a triple-header is three successive race weekends. They are normally grouped together by location, making transportation of equipment easy between closer races.

DRS - DRS stands for Drag Reduction System and is a tool used by drivers to increase the top speed of the car, making overtaking easier. It can only be activated at specific detection points when within one second of the car in front. DRS works by opening an adjustable flap on the rear wing of the car.

Flyaway Race - Since F1 is a global event, equipment and resources need to be transported between each race. European races allow all teams to transport all equipment, including the cars, by truck. However, events in different continents or across seas need to transport them in other ways such as flying or shipping.

This is what generates the term flyaway races. For some races, supplementary equipment is sent by sea months in advance.