Race Week Preview: Australian Grand Prix
The 2026 season begins at Albert Park. Here is your F1 Fantasy watchlist for the season opener in Melbourne.
THE SETUP
The 2026 season begins here. New regulations, new cars, and — for the first time in years — genuine uncertainty about who the front-runners will be. Preseason testing at Bahrain gave us clues rather than answers. Mercedes looked composed across long runs, Ferrari showed strong one-lap pace, and McLaren's tyre management appeared to be a step forward over 2025. Red Bull arrived with questions still unanswered about their power unit partnership. For F1 Fantasy managers, the season opener is the hardest week to call — and the most important not to get wrong.
THE CIRCUIT
Albert Park is a street-circuit-style layout built around a park lake in Melbourne's south. It rewards outright pace over tyre management, with most races settling into a one-stop strategy when the safety car stays away. The circuit is quick and flows well in sectors one and two, but the final sector is tight and technical, which produces overtaking opportunities — particularly into Turn 13. Safety car probability is higher than most permanent circuits, so keep that in mind when assessing value-for-money picks.
THE WEATHER
Melbourne in early March typically brings warm, dry conditions — temperatures in the low-to-mid 20s are expected across the race weekend. There is a small chance of an afternoon shower on Saturday, but the forecast currently favours a dry race. A clean race weekend at Albert Park tends to reward the fastest car cleanly, so pick accordingly.
THE CHIPS
The Autopilot chip is the standout option for Round 1. With so much uncertainty heading into the season opener, nobody truly knows how the pecking order will shake out in race conditions at Albert Park. Autopilot removes the guesswork entirely — it automatically reassigns your 2x Boost to the highest-scoring driver in your team across the weekend, meaning you cannot pick the wrong driver. Testing pointed to Mercedes and Ferrari leading the way, with Russell, Antonelli and Leclerc all standout options, but Albert Park has a long history of producing surprises. Let Autopilot do the work.