F1's new era demands a new driving style as 'big four' seek opening victory in Australia

Chaotic starts, tricky overtaking, lifting off the gas on straights. Formula 1's new era of regulations could upend the series in unexpected ways when the season begins with the Australian Grand Prix next week.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, the two most successful drivers on the grid, were critical in testing of cars whose electrical hybrid systems promote unusual driving styles and make racing more strategic.

Four-time champion Verstappen branded the cars “no fun” and suggested they might be a factor in considering retirement, while seven-time champ Hamilton suggested the rules are too complex for fans to grasp.

It's a crucial season for F1, which expanded rapidly over the last decade by putting drivers' personalities center stage and not focusing on technological detail.

"We need to stay calm because, as always when there is something happening as a new regulation, there’s always the doubt that everything is wrong,” F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said last week at testing.

Despite big changes, the top four teams are the same after Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all showed promise in testing.

The “big four,” as McLaren boss Zak Brown calls them, seem broadly similar on pace, with Mercedes and Ferrari perhaps having a slight edge in race simulations in testing.

At the final test, Ferrari revealed a rear wing that turns upside down for straight-line speed and an innovative mini-wing behind the exhaust. It also stood out as the fastest in practice starts after other teams, especially Mercedes, were sluggish off the line.

Rivals have praised Red Bull for mastering the electrical power technology, while champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri seem consistently strong again for McLaren, which uses a Mercedes engine.

Mercedes’ mix of power and reliability could make George Russell a true championship contender. There's extra attention on Mercedes' engine, which was fast in testing following weeks of speculation from rivals about its legality. Mercedes says the design is perfectly legal.

Some teams sacrificed the 2025 season to seek big gains in 2026. It hasn't worked.

Even with star designer Adrian Newey in charge, Aston Martin was late to testing, unreliable, and often slower than new team Cadillac. Williams and Alpine have also struggled but Haas may be able to challenge the top teams.

The push by the FIA for a 50-50 split between power from the engine and from electrical hybrid technology means driving in 2026 is all about compromise.

Drivers in preseason testing were revving the engines hard on the grid for a fast getaway, lifting off the gas on straights to charge the on-board battery and shifting down aggressively to first gear in corners. The FIA could intervene to tweak the regulations if the first few races throw up bizarre scenarios.

Standing starts off the grid required a tricky procedure in testing because the hybrid system doesn’t kick in until 50 kph (31 mph). After some sluggish practice starts, tweaks have been made to the procedure, but that might not stop Ferrari, which identified the issue early and designed its engine to be quick off the line. Hamilton delivered one of the most eye-catching moments of preseason by blasting past four cars in a practice start in Bahrain last week.

Fast starts might be extra important if overtaking is as hard as some drivers suspect. Get ready to hear about 2026 cars being “energy-starved” on certain tracks, including Australia, which doesn't have as many heavy braking zones where the battery can charge.

If cars can't make full use of the hybrid system, the new “overtake mode” with extra power might be a waste of limited energy if it needs several laps to hit full charge and still leaves the overtaking car a sitting duck afterward.

There's a new team, a renamed team, a new track and a new broadcaster in the United States.

Cadillac joins as the 11th team with veteran race winners Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas, but faces a year of learning after being consistently slow in preseason. Even the Super Bowl ad revealing its eye-catching asymmetric black-and-white livery hit trouble in the form of a lawsuit from Hollywood director Michael Bay.

Sauber is now Audi after a takeover by the German automaker, which is producing its own engines.

The Spanish Grand Prix leaves Barcelona after 35 years for Madrid's new Madring street circuit. Italy's second race at Imola makes way and Barcelona stays on as the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

Apple, whose studio helped to make last year's “F1” movie, takes over the U.S. broadcast rights after the end of ESPN's contract.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands prepares for the Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain steers his car during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)