Starts reshuffle F1 pecking order

Formula 1’s 2026 start changes are already moving cars around before Turn 1, with Ferrari-powered teams gaining places and Mercedes giving some back off the line. (motorsport.com) The basic issue is turbo lag, the delay between pressing the throttle and getting full power. Formula 1’s new power units dropped the Motor Generator Unit-Heat system that used to keep the turbo spinning, so drivers now have to build revs before the lights go out. (formula1.com) To help with that, the new start routine gives drivers a five-second pre-start warning with the grid panels flashing blue before the normal light sequence begins. Formula 1 said the change was introduced from the Australian Grand Prix after testing in Bahrain showed how different the getaways had become. (formula1.com) Motorsport.com’s review of the first three rounds found Ferrari-powered cars have been among the strongest starters under that system, while Mercedes has tended to lose ground in the launch phase. The same report said the pattern was visible across the Ferrari customer teams as well, not only at the factory squad. (motorsport.com) That has not stopped Mercedes from leading the championship after Australia, China and Japan. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile classifications list Mercedes on 135 points, Ferrari on 90 and McLaren on 46, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli leading the drivers on 72 points ahead of George Russell on 63. (fia.com) The race results show both sides of the story. Charles Leclerc jumped from fourth to the lead at the start in Australia, and Lewis Hamilton briefly took the lead away from the front-row Mercedes cars at the start in China. (formula1.com, formula1.com) Japan showed the same weakness from the other angle. Antonelli started from pole at Suzuka, lost places off the line, then recovered to win and become the championship leader after the race. (formula1.com, fia.com) The governing body is still adjusting the wider 2026 package. On February 28, 2026, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile said amendments to the technical, sporting and financial rules had been approved after Barcelona and Bahrain testing, and said further evaluation on energy-management issues was ongoing. (fia.com) Those broader car and power-unit choices are also shaping who can live with the new rules over a full race distance. GrandPrix247’s early-season report said Aston Martin’s AMR26 has been off the pace and physically punishing, with Fernando Alonso facing enough cockpit discomfort to risk nerve trouble in his arm and hand. (grandprix247.com) Three races is a small sample, but the opening month has already split two questions that used to overlap. Mercedes has built the quickest all-round package so far, while Ferrari-powered cars have made the new start procedure one of the first places where 2026’s reset is visible to everyone. (motorsport.com, motorsport.com)