The Formula 1 season has lived up to the expectations of chaos as new regulations have caused teams to adapt to radically different engines.
Only 20 out of 22 drivers started the opening race in Australia after local favorite Oscar Piastri crashed out on the formation lap after an engine surge, meaning McLaren, the reigning constructors’ champion, were left with one car for the race.
Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg also missed out on starting the race after mechanical issues. New team Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas was unable to finish his first race back in F1 due to mechanical issues and Isack Hadjar retired due to an engine issue, cutting his Red Bull debut short.
There was much pre-race speculation about Aston Martin and what they would accomplish in this race. Their pace was drastically slower than anyone else during practice, and vibrations making the car difficult to drive were going to be a challenge for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Both drivers retired midway through the race, with Alonso’s retirement associated with the engine vibrations.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding which team would dominate the race weekend, Mercedes solidified their dominance during qualifying. Teammates George Russell and Kimi Antonelli locked out the front row.
However, Ferrari put up a fight against the Silver Arrows. Charles Leclerc quickly took the lead from Russell in the opening lap. Lewis Hamilton added to the pressure when he started closing the gap and was in contention for the lead.
The battle for the lead proved that Ferrari is going to be a threat this season. Despite the efforts of the “Scudetto,” they were no match for the pace set by Mercedes. Russell came out victorious with teammate Antonelli in second, and Leclerc rounded out the podium.
Mercedes’ success continued into the second race in China. The first of the season’s sprint races went to Russell and Mercedes locked down the front row for the feature race.
Antonelli earned his maiden pole position, becoming the youngest driver to achieve the feat. He lost the lead to Hamilton at the start, but quickly recovered to take it back and win the race. He became the second youngest driver to win a race at 19 years old.
Teammate Russell joined him at the second step of the podium and Hamilton finished in third for his first podium finish since November 2024 and his first for Ferrari.
Mercedes and Ferrari have had outstanding performances in the era of new regulations. Meanwhile, it looks grim to others. Both McLaren drivers were unable to start China’s race because of power unit issues. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen retired due to a coolant leak. Verstappen has voiced criticism of the regulations, saying the Red Bull car is difficult to drive.
The third race in Japan saw all 22 drivers start on the grid for the first time.
Mercedes continued a front-row lockout with Antonelli taking pole position and Russell in second. However, both of them had poor launches from the start as McLaren’s Piastri took the lead from Antonelli, who fell to sixth place.
Piastri took an earlier pit stop and Russell was quick to climb through the standings and fight him for the lead. However, Russell was losing pace, and he took the risk to pit on lap 22, before his teammate Antonelli, who was behind him.
Shortly after Russell’s stop, Haas driver Oliver Bearman crashed into the barriers, bringing out the safety car. This shook up the race action. Pitting under a safety car ensures a driver loses less time and position on the racetrack and Antonelli, who was leading when the safety car was deployed, took full advantage. He able to maintain his lead after pitting and took the win in Suzuka, becoming the championship leader. He is the youngest driver to ever lead the championship.
Battles ensued to join Antonelli on the podium, but McLaren’s Piastri and Ferrari’s Leclerc prevailed.
Stroll’ retirement continued Aston Martin’s bad streak.
Following Bearman’s crash, concerns were raised over the safety of the new regulations. The engines require time to recharge the hybrid batteries after maximum expenditure of energy, which causes the cars to slow suddenly and dramatically. Bearman was in boost mode and came quickly up on Alpine’s Franco Colapinto who was in recharge mode, causing Bearman to lose control.
The FIA, F1’s governing body, and the teams are meeting to discuss possible regulation changes ahead of the next race.
Following the cancellation of the Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia because of the conflict in the Middle East, F1 is in the midst of a five-week break.
Will Mercedes continue their dominance or will tweaks to the regulations change their fate? We shall see when the lights next go out May 3 in Miami.