McLaren enter the new Formula 1 season as the hunted for the second consecutive year, especially after Lando Norris won his maiden world championship last December. However, based on recent preseason testing sessions in Barcelona and Bahrain, the Papayas might face stiffer competition this time around.
According to the Formula 1 2026 odds, Ferrari and Mercedes are among the early challengers for McLaren’s constructors’ title, while it would be unwise to count out Red Bull. Cadillac, entering their first year, are hoping to make a solid first impression with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas in tow. Meanwhile, Aston Martin might not do well this year, based on their preseason struggles.
From a technical standpoint, it’ll also be interesting to see how teams will adapt to the new Formula 1 rules this season, as this is the sport’s biggest shake-up for more than a decade.
Without further ado, here are some of the top storylines, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Which teams can challenge McLaren?
It was mission accomplished for McLaren last season, as they won their second consecutive constructors’ championship, with Lando Norris finishing first and Oscar Piastri finishing third. The Papayas accumulated 833 points, which is almost more than half of second-placed Mercedes (469 points) and third-placed Red Bull (451 points).
However, despite coming into the new campaign as the prohibitive favourites, team principal Andrea Stella believes it will be a closer fight, with Ferrari and Mercedes doing well in preseason tests. At one point, the Silver Arrows were even accused of sandbagging, although the W17 has had its share of reliability concerns. On the other hand, Charles Leclerc was the fastest on the final day of Bahrain preseason testing, almost one second ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, despite not having the fastest car on paper.
Norris recently admitted he has struggled with his new car, the MCL40, amid the league’s sweeping rule changes. The British driver also expects his teammate, Oscar Piastri, to “make his life hell” this year. Last season, Norris won the Australian Grand Prix, and he hopes to commence his title defence on a positive note next week.
How will the Verstappen-Hadjar tandem look in Red Bull?
Red Bull went through different drivers to pair with Max Verstappen last season, as they struggled to find a suitable replacement for Sergio Perez.
At first, the Milton Keynes outfit went with Liam Lawson. But they immediately demoted him to RB after poor performances in his opening two races – a DNF in the Australian Grand Prix and finishing P12 in the Chinese Grand Prix. Red Bull replaced Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda, but the Japanese international didn’t do well either, finishing 17th in the drivers’ standings, with only seven points finishes under his belt.
Isack Hadjar eventually took Red Bull’s No. 2 seat after the Frenchman did well in his maiden Formula 1 campaign. Hadjar finished P12 on the grid, with his P3 finish in the Dutch Grand Prix being his standout performance.
According to the Formula 1 2026 news, Hadjar praised Verstappen for being a good teammate. His move to Red Bull also reunited him with Laurent Mekies, who was leading the Racing Bulls team in 2025.
“The work with Max has been very good – he’s been very open so far, so it’s good to have him by my side,” Hadjar said of Verstappen.
“I made my debut in Formula 1 with him – stepping into my second season with him is good, so it’s been very smooth. I’m very lucky,” he added about Mekies.
Can Hamilton bounce back in his second year with Ferrari?
Lewis Hamilton’s debut season with Ferrari didn’t go as planned, as he finished sixth on the grid. And for the first time in his 19-year career, the seven-time world champion never had a single podium finish. There have been murmurs about his retirement since he just turned 41 last month. However, Hamilton has promised fans that he’s “not going anywhere.”
“I’m re-set and refreshed. I’m not going anywhere, so stick with me. For a moment, I forgot who I was, but thanks to you and your support you’re not going to see that mindset again,” Hamilton said in his social media post. “I know what needs to be done. This is going to be one hell of a season. I’ve given everything to be here today. Let’s go team!!!” The Scuderia enjoyed a productive test during the second week in Bahrain, as they completed 324 laps on top of Charles Leclerc’s 1:31.992s on Friday afternoon.
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