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New rules, same old suspects as Formula One revs up for 2026 season

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McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri drives on the third day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on February 20, 2026. [Giuseppe CACACE / AFP]

The start of any Formula One season is a game of smoke and mirrors: this one, which gets underway in Melbourne on March 8, has the added intrigue of sweeping changes that could shake up the established order.

For all the pre-season testing, the finger-pointing, the accusations of 'sandbagging' and loopholes in the new regulations, the guessing games have left us nowhere closer to predicting how the 24-race 2026 season will pan out.

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