The 2026 Formula 1 season began with a sense of renewal - a new era for the sport and a new chapter for Ollie Bearman. No longer one of the rookies on the grid, Ollie arrived in Melbourne for his second full season ready to build on the experience of his debut year and embrace a dramatically reshaped Formula 1.
This year introduces sweeping regulatory changes designed to transform not just the cars, but the sport more broadly. The cars are shorter, narrower and lighter, powered by Advanced Sustainable Fuels and equipped with new boost and overtaking modes, in a move that replaces the DRS zones on track.
With a new team and two additional drivers joining the grid, a total of 22 drivers now battle it out each week, making the fight through the midfield even more competitive. As teams were still adjusting to the new machinery, the Australian Grand Prix quickly became a weekend packed with incidents, retirements and plenty of racing drama.
Practice
While teams had spent winter testing, nothing quite replicates the intensity of a race weekend. Drivers across the grid used the practice sessions to understand how the new generation of cars behaved on track, gathering data and experimenting with setups.
Boasting skyline views in expansive parkland surroundings, the 5.278km circuit twists around Albert Park, Melbourne. Ollie steadily built momentum in the initial sessions, adapting to the new characteristics of the car and working closely with his team to refine the balance. By the final practice session, Ollie was P10 heading into qualifying.
Qualifying
Running on soft tyres and firmly in the midfield battle, Ollie pushed to maximise every opportunity when an early red flag, caused by a crash from Max Verstappen, temporarily halted the first session.
Once the track was clear, the fight to improve positions intensified. Ollie navigated the interruption and secured a place in Q2, determined to improve on last year’s Melbourne start position.
In the second session, he immediately showed his pace. An early lap briefly placed him in P4 and, as the session progressed and margins tightened, Ollie remained a midfield contender throughout the session, securing P12 for the Grand Prix.
The Race
Sunday’s race quickly proved just how unpredictable the opening round of a new regulation era can be. Starting from P12, Ollie slipped briefly to P14 as the field jostled for position. But it did not take him long to begin moving up the field. By Lap 5, he had climbed into P11, and just a few laps later was into the top ten, on medium compound tyres.
The new cars, running with significantly less drag than last season, created intense wheel-to-wheel battles across the grid, and Ollie thrived in the action. On Lap 12, drama struck when Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull burst into flames, triggering a Virtual Safety Car (VSC). As several drivers headed in for their first pitstop, Ollie stayed out and climbed up to P7.
Another VSC followed on Lap 19, prompting Ollie to pit for Hard tyres. The stop was clean, costing him only a single position and keeping him firmly in the points battle. By Lap 23, Ollie was locked in a close duel with this season’s rookie, Arvid Lindblad, with the pair trading pace as they pushed for position. Securing the overtake a few laps earlier, by Lap 48, Ollie had managed to build a 3.8-second lead over Lindblad, sitting in P7, where he crossed the finish line, ten laps later.
Looking Ahead
Calm and controlled, Ollie’s P7 finish meant he collected six valuable points for himself and the team. The season quickly progresses as Ollie heads to Shanghai next for the Chinese Grand Prix, which will feature the first Sprint race of 2026, with additional points up for grabs.
