The Athletic

The Race is on, and with the big talking point heading into the Australian Grand Prix,

the impact of F1's energy star of new power units, we ask how the on-track action could

really play out this year

and how that will impact the competitive order this season. I'm Ed Struhe and joining me for part

two of our 2026 season preview are Ben Anderson and Glenn Freeman. Right, Glenn, this is one of the

most eagerly anticipated season openers. I think any of us can... It's a laugh at one. Well, even more eagerly. Every year it gets more eagerly anticipated. That's just the way

hype works. But are you excited about it or a little bit nervous about it given all those

unknowns and the talk and the regs and the energy and all this kind of thing?

I'm genuinely both. I'm always excited about a new F1 season.

However, I have massive apprehension about these rules.

I think the way this formula has been put together

has the potential to just be completely wrong

and to borrow a phrase that was chucked around

from a few drivers during testing,

not necessarily what F1

should be about.

Now, Ben, you've got a chance to be contrarian. You think these rules are great, don't you?

I wish I could say that. The thing is, I was genuinely excited. Before we saw any of it,

I thought, oh yeah, it's loads changing, you know, the biggest, it's talked up as the biggest change ever because of how much on the chassis and engine side simultaneously was being done. Well, it is. It is. I think it's an accurate character. And I thought, well, that's great. And much as I enjoyed the end of the last rule cycle, the like compressing of the competitive order and the amazingly close qualifying session is brilliant.

I was like, great. Huge change means that everything's ripped up. There could be like completely

different teams and drivers in with the chance of winning. I got swept up in that. And then I saw

...