F1: Chequered Flag Australian Grand Prix Preview
Mar 5, 2026
Pre-race paddock gossip and whether Mercedes really have the edge. Lando on life after winning the title and adapting to new cars. Deep dives into Aston Martin’s engine troubles and Audi and Cadillac’s F1 plans. Rookie spotlights, team weight woes, and who might lead the early championship fight.
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McLaren Position Themselves As Top Four Contenders
- McLaren expect to be in the top-four fight but deliberately downplay outright favouritism to manage expectations.
- Lando Norris says McLaren are “in the mix” with Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes after Bahrain tests but order remains unclear.
Mercedes Quietly Look Strong After Fixing Their Car
- Mercedes combine a strong new engine with the belief they've finally fixed their car problems, creating quiet confidence.
- Andrew Benson notes no testing bad news and Mercedes' car now looks right for the first time in years, making George Russell favourite.
Max Verstappen Calls Preseason Decent But Says There's Work To Do
- Max Verstappen says Red Bull had a decent preseason with lots of laps but expects more development is needed to return to the front.
- He frames preseason as learning and says there's still work to do on performance.