Whether that superiority continues this weekend remains to be seen, but there are also lots of talking points throughout the grid following the first two rounds.<\/p>\n
So, here are five things to look out for at Suzuka, which\u2019ll be the final race before Miami in May as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were both cancelled due to the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Is Kimi Antonelli a genuine threat to George Russell? George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes<\/p>\n Photo by: Guido De Bortoli \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n When Mercedes came out of the blocks firing during pre-season testing, George Russell<\/a> instantly became the heavy favourite for the 2026 F1 title and with good reason. The 28-year-old is now in his eighth season, so has built up a lot of experience. And, if the Silver Arrows do dominate, Russell\u2019s biggest competition would be his teenage team-mate Kimi Antonelli<\/a>, entering year two in F1.<\/p>\n So by all metrics, Russell should have the better of his stablemate and he backed that up at the Melbourne opener by dominating the Australian Grand Prix from pole in a Mercedes 1-2. But then the script flipped in Shanghai with Antonelli claiming his maiden victory in another 1-2, and it was impressive how the Italian calmly managed everything from the front, streaking clear of the competition.<\/p>\n Read Also:<\/p>\n The only question now is whether he can deliver on a consistent basis and actually challenge Russell for the championship. There are no question marks over the Briton, who clearly showed that he\u2019s ready for a title charge last season, it\u2019s just whether or not Antonelli is ready himself.<\/p>\n Suzuka will be a good place to find out if he has improved on the inconsistency he showed as a rookie, or if in fact, Russell does still have supreme dominance over his team-mate and will likely romp towards his first crown.<\/p>\n How strong will Ferrari\u2019s challenge to Mercedes be? Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, George Russell, Mercedes<\/p>\n Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Although Mercedes claimed a 1-2 in both grands prix this year, it didn\u2019t come without a threat from its nearest challenger Ferrari<\/a>. Charles Leclerc<\/a> took the lead at the start of the Australian GP as Russell was slow off the line and the two engaged in an early to-and-fro before the Scuderia failing to pit under a VSC resigned it to third and fourth.<\/p>\n Then in Shanghai, Lewis Hamilton<\/a> replicated Leclerc\u2019s efforts, though dropped back within five laps and Antonelli was left unchallenged. So, the opportunities have been there for Ferrari and if it is to actually make a genuine attempt at winning the title, it needs to make the most of them and fast, otherwise Mercedes will just streak clear.<\/p>\n That begins at Suzuka, where the flowing, medium-to-high speed corners should actually favour the SF-26, which has impressed with its cornering speed. It means there might finally be a genuine multi-team battle for pole, though achieving that this weekend is probably of less importance than in previous years due to how these nimbler cars have caused \u2018yo-yo\u2019 style racing with overtakes in places never seen before.\u00a0<\/p>\n So even if Ferrari beats the Silver Arrows to pole, holding it off on Sunday is another matter as that Mercedes engine is highly efficient with its energy and it isn\u2019t exactly easy to harvest battery power at Suzuka.\u00a0<\/p>\n Third time lucky for Oscar Piastri? Oscar Piastri, McLaren<\/p>\n Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n The early season dominance from Mercedes and Ferrari shows it\u2019s not been a great start to the title defence from McLaren<\/a>, which has crashed back down to earth so far in 2026. The Woking outfit is third in the standings with 18 points – 80 behind Mercedes – eight of which came in the Shanghai sprint as it\u2019s only had one car start a grand prix.<\/p>\n That was Lando Norris<\/a> in Melbourne with the reigning world champion finishing fifth, as the opener saw his team-mate Oscar Piastri<\/a> crash out on the reconnaissance lap. The Aussie failed to start again a week later as part of a double DNS for McLaren; an electrical problem ruled Norris out of the Chinese GP, while Piastri\u2019s MCL40 simply failed to fire up.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read Also:<\/p>\n So hopefully, Piastri will finally get to start a grand prix this weekend and if he does, it\u2019ll come with a base expectation of squabbling Norris for fifth in the order as McLaren is comfortably third in the standings. That means the Woking outfit needs to take any positives it can at the moment, and that is especially true for Piastri after the way in which he lost the 2025 title.<\/p>\n It feels like a lifetime ago that he actually had a successful weekend, arguably Zandvoort in August, so this is a rot he needs to stop and show whether or not he has improved upon last year and can once again be a match for his team-mate.\u00a0<\/p>\n Same problems to persist for Red Bull and Max Verstappen? Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing<\/p>\n Photo by: Lars Baron \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole weekend we\u2019ve been off,\u201d said Max Verstappen<\/a>. \u201cThe car is completely undriveable. I cannot even put a bit of a reference in. Every lap is like survival.\u201d<\/p>\n Those were the words of the four-time world champion amid a disastrous Shanghai weekend for Red Bull, which until then had enjoyed a relatively positive start to 2026 showing signs of challenging McLaren.<\/p>\n But then reality struck in China, as the Austrian outfit suffered a double non-points finish in the sprint before claiming four measly points via Isack Hadjar<\/a> on Sunday, as Verstappen retired after a sudden loss of power.<\/p>\n His thoughts on the new regulations are well documented, but it obviously doesn\u2019t help the Dutchman that the RB22 is failing to match his talents with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff even claiming that Verstappen is in a “horror show\u201d<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The problems were all over in Shanghai, but there is one that keeps cropping up, and that is race starts. The procedure under the 2026 rules is now more complex, as the removal of the MGU-H means drivers must rev their engines high for at least 10 seconds to spool up the turbo for a smooth getaway.<\/p>\n But both Red Bull drivers are yet to enjoy a good start this year, as they\u2019ve suffered from a lack of battery power for lights out leading to Verstappen losing a combined six spots on lap one this year. So that\u2019s obviously a big problem which needs fixing, otherwise achieving fourth in the standings might not be easy as it seems.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read Also:<\/p>\n How will Audi cope after Jonathan Wheatley’s exit? Jonathan Wheatley, Audi F1 Team<\/p>\n Photo by: Andy Hone\/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n Everything was looking rosy at Audi<\/a>. The German marque is making its F1 debut this year and was competitive from the off with Q3 and points for Gabriel Bortoleto<\/a> in Melbourne, before his team-mate Nico Hulkenberg<\/a> qualified and finished 11th a week later. So although there were no points in China, the pace was still there.\u00a0<\/p>\n It has therefore shown signs of fighting the likes of Haas, Alpine<\/a> and Racing Bulls<\/a> at the front of the midfield with the Audi power unit being particularly impressive, especially as it is its debut and the German outfit hasn\u2019t got customer teams to collect data from.<\/p>\n But the squad has since hit a bump: Jonathan Wheatley announced his resignation as team principal with his former boss Mattia Binotto assuming the role. Wheatley only joined at the beginning of last year, when it was known as Sauber, but was instrumental in turning around the operational side of the team allowing it to go from just four points in 2024 to 70 in \u201825 – which included a podium for Hulkenberg at Silverstone.<\/p>\n What Wheatley also represented was a settled management structure, something the team was previously lacking, and had Audi going in the right places, but his shock exit now threatens to undo all of that terrific progress. It does feel like the German marque is back to square one, so there\u2019ll be questions about it this weekend and it\u2019ll be interesting to see how Binotto copes.<\/p>\n Read Also:<\/p>\n We want your opinion!<\/p>\n What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?<\/p>\n
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