THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
The opening month of the 2026 Formula One season has gone largely according to the expectations that were set out before the start for the American-based teams. It was always going to be a learning curve for Cadillac, and one of how far they can improve for the Haas setup. Results on the track were going to be a mixed bag, given the new rule changes, the biggest shake-up for engines for a long time, that has proved to be a headache for some.
The season had to take an enforced break in April; the ongoing war in Iran caused by the joint Israel/USA attacks has led to much unrest across the Gulf states and the Middle East in general. This caused the FIA and Formula One governing bodies to postpone both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix that were due to take place in the middle weeks of April. It was their only real option. The logistics of moving cargo into the area in the weeks leading up to and across the race weekends was too risky, and the safety of all concerned – the staff and support teams, and the many thousands of fans who come into the area to follow the sport – is always the most important. At first, there was talk to replace the two races with other venues, but due to the tight turnaround and availability, it was quickly realized that the season would have to be shortened to 22 race, from the 24 set in place.
This means that the next race will take place in Miami on the first weekend of May. It will, of course, suit some teams as they look to make improvements and upgrade their cars, and give the drivers a chance to reset after what has been a tough opening three races of the campaign. On the other side of this will be the teams that have started well and will want their momentum to continue. Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren (after a slow start) have all started brightly, so they will be disappointed that they cannot continue to rack up the points before the rest of the field catches up.
It will be a long time before the new boys Cadillac feel they are catching up, but that was to be expected. They will not be too disheartened by the start they have had. In fact, they are in an unexpected tussle each race with the Aston Martin team, who have failed to live up to some heavy investment over the last year or so. This means that even though they are not competitive, to gain points in the top ten finishers they have a marker to put themselves against. Experienced drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are extracting everything they can from the cars, and in doing so have produced some good racing, even if it is from the back of the grid. In Australia, Perez finished 16th, but this was out of 17 that actually finished the race, Bottas being one of the three that didn’t bring their cars home. A week later, both nursed their cars home, 13th and 15th, but again that is a little false in the overall placing, as five cars failed to finish the race. Nevertheless, the fact that both cars were running was an improvement. Then in Japan, it was another case of bringing the cars home, which they did in 17th and 19th. Meaning no points on the board yet.
“Today [Japan] was our strongest race so far this year. We’ve made a lot of progress in a short space of time and we can be happy to get two cars past the finish yet again.” Perez said after the race. “We were clearly faster than Aston Martin and we can see our pace is getting stronger. Hopefully the upgrades we bring to Miami will put us into the mix a lot more.” The upgrades will also boost Bottas, who said “Another double finish is really good for the team. I was lacking a bit of performance which meant I struggled to challenge the Aston Martins today, so it’s something we need to look at. We’ve learned a lot that we can use to improve for the next race. We now head into this gap in the calendar after our first three races with the opportunity to analyze everything learned so far and spend more time developing the car. The mood is good in the team as we fully focus on preparations for our first home Grand Prix in Miami.”
Oliver Bearman is certainly one to watch in the future. The 20-year-old British driver has managed to boost the Haas F1 team this year with a seventh-place finish in Australia, while French teammate Esteban Ocon placed just outside the points in 11th. Bearman backed this up with a solid drive in China to finish in fifth. Haas has been slowly improving in recent seasons, and it seems they now have a young driver who is fearless but also has the racing savvy to elevate their car. Bearman suffered a painful exit in Japan as he crashed out and was left limping away to the medical section for X-rays (which gave the all clear) but Ocon did claim a point. This helped the team move up to fourth in the constructors' standings. "First of all, everything is fine and I’m good. It was a scary moment out there, but everything is okay, which is the main thing. There was a massive overspeed – around 50kph – which is a part of these new regulations, and we have to get used to it. We have a month to reset and come back strong in Miami – that’s the goal now," the Brit said after his setback that caused a safety car situation. "Overall, it was a positive weekend on our side and we got the maximum out of the car in every situation. It could've been a few positions better, but we can't control everything."
The Miami Grand Prix in early May sees a chance for all teams to reset after the war-imposed break. This is the fifth time that the race has been held, with the Hard Rock Stadium being the centerpiece of the Miami International Autodrome, to give it its official name. In May of 2025, the contract was extended until 2041, so there will be plenty more races on the East Coast to come. Later in 2026 the F1 circus comes back to the United States for two more races. In late October, the Circuit of the Americas in Texas will be used, and it is now the home of the USA race until 2034. Then a month later, the Las Vegas Strip will host its third race in its current format, and when it was introduced in 2023, it marked the first time since 1982 that three races were held in the USA. The current contract runs out in 2027, but it is widely known that this will be extended for at least a further five years.
