Formula 1 is finally back, so I’m kicking off my 2026 season reviews with the very first race of the new regulations: the Australian GP. I go through the whole weekend—practice chaos with cars losing power left and right, a genuinely wild qualifying (including Max putting it in the wall), and then a race that somehow managed to be both spicy and… kind of nothing. I also talk about the FIA’s new start procedure, the absurdly fast lights-out, Ferrari’s rocket-ship launch with Charles Leclerc grabbing the lead, and the early “straight-line passing dance” that looked fun but also a bit forced. Then I get into the stuff that actually shaped the race: multiple VSCs, engine issues everywhere, and Ferrari doing Ferrari things by refusing to pit during key VSC windows. Mercedes ends up looking way too comfortable, with George Russell taking the first win of 2026 ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Leclerc. I wrap it all up with my superlatives—Ace of the Race to Max for going P20 to P6, a massive rookie shoutout to Arvid Lindblad, and a full-on disgrace-of-the-race moment for Aston Martin because… I mean, you watched that, right? Overall, I rate it 2/5 stars: some fun unpredictability, but I’m still concerned about these new regs and the whole energy/recharge situation.