The Australian Grand Prix will kick off the 2026 Formula 1 season on March 8. The season is expected to be very exciting because of big rule changes. The new cars will use an equal mix of petrol engine power and electric power.
The electric motor has become much stronger, increasing from 120kW to 350kW (around 470 horsepower). At the same time Formula 1 has removed the MGU-H heat recovery system.
Cadillac joins the grid as the 11th team. The American team will race with experienced drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez using Ferrari engines at the start. Another big American story is the return of Ford to Formula 1 for the first time since 2004. Ford will help develop the new Red Bull power unit together with Red Bull Racing.
Honda has ended its successful partnership with Red Bull and will now work officially with Aston Martin. Meanwhile Alpine has stopped using its Renault engines and switched to customer engines from Mercedes.
At Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton starts a new chapter with the SF-26 car. The seven time world champion will try to end his recent run without wins and fight for a record eighth world title. His teammate Charles Leclerc will also be aiming for his first championship.
McLaren began the season as defending champions after winning both titles last year with Lando Norris. Mercedes looked very strong in pre-season testing and seem ready to take advantage of the new active aerodynamic rules which replace traditional DRS with adjustable wings.
However, Red Bull are still a major threat. After Max Verstappen missed the championship by just two points last season the team returns highly motivated now backed by their new partnership with Ford.
Dates & Weekend Structure
The Australian Grand Prix weekend will take place from Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8 2026. Practice sessions start on Friday giving teams their first proper track action of the season. Qualifying happens on Saturday and the main race is held on Sunday.
2026 Australian GP: Full Schedule
Here are the session times converted to Indian Standard Time (IST):
Friday, March 6
- Free Practice 1 – around 7:00 AM IST
- Free Practice 2 – around 10:30 AM IST
Saturday, March 7
- Free Practice 3 – around 7:00 AM IST
- Qualifying – around 10:30 AM IST
Sunday, March 8
- Race starts at around 9:30 AM IST
So for viewers in India, the sessions will take place in the morning.
How to watch the Australian Grand Prix 2026 live telecast in India?
In India fans can watch the 2026 Formula 1 season, including the Australian Grand Prix live on FanCode. It has the exclusive streaming rights for Formula 1 in the country which means it is the official place to watch the races live.
Fan can also use the FanCode app on Android and iPhone, or watch through its website on a laptop or tablet. It also works on some smart TVs and other streaming devices.