WATCH! Pole Position podcast - Mercedes vs Ferrari, Australian GP and Chinese GP madness, and more

The latest episode of the Pole Position Podcast, powered by Sports News Blitz, reflects on the thrilling start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, following the conclusion of the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix.

Exciting openers

Sports News Blitz F1 writer Henry Eccles and deputy content editor Nicole Powell kicked off the conversation by sharing their opinions on the new regulations as F1 ushers in a new era.

Powell and Eccles talk about the spectacle of racing seen throughout Melbourne and Shanghai, with more overtakes and closer racing, with overtake mode replacing DRS (Drag Reduction System), and boost mode.

Mercedes vs Ferrari

The conversation shifts to Mercedes and Ferrari starting their seasons off strong.

Mercedes have more pace under their car, but Ferrari are not far behind.

In Australia, the Silver Arrows enjoyed a one-two finish with George Russell crossing the line first, while the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished the race in P3 and P4, respectively.

Come the Chinese GP, Andrea Kimi Antonelli saw the chequered flag first with Russell behind him securing yet another Mercedes one-two finish, with Hamilton taking the final podium place, and Leclerc crossing the line in P4.

Another talking point was that the Prancing Horses need to not only rely on the fast launches off the track.

With Mercedes’ history of developing their cars well, and Ferrari being underdeveloped across a season, Ferrari will need to provide upgrades that will bring them even closer to Mercedes consistently throughout the season. They will also need to be on their A-game when it comes to strategy.

READ MORE: F1 analysis: Italy rejoices as Kimi Antonelli makes history in Shanghai

Is Lewis Hamilton back?

Eccles and Powell pointed out Hamilton’s mood shift, with the seven-time world champion looking more like himself and finally stepping on the podium for the first time in red.

The pair discussed how, towards the end of his Mercedes career, and in his first year at Ferrari, we would see glimpses of the ‘old Hamilton’ occasionally, but in 2026, at pre-season testing, and during the two opening races, there is a confidence in the way the Ferrari driver has carried himself both on and off the track.

A favourite moment for many F1 fans in China was when Hamilton stepped on the podium alongside first-time race winner Kimi Antonelli, Russell and race engineer Peter Bonnington ‘Bono’. It was a beautiful representation of the past, present and future of Mercedes.

Can Antonelli put up a fight against Russell again?

Powell and Eccles discussed the strong pairings that both Mercedes and Ferrari have, which not only indicate a tight fight for both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles, but also strong intrateam battles throughout the season.

Powell was of the belief that it would be almost similar to what we saw between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in 2025, when the McLaren pair would juggle the wins between them, only it would be that much harder for Antonelli, given his age and lack of experience in F1.

Eccles, meanwhile, believes that it will be more like 2024, when Piastri had promising pace all season long, but only occasionally truly challenged Norris, before finally matching up in the next season.

McLaren’s poor start to the season

Speaking of McLaren, the SNB team couldn’t help but move on to discuss McLaren’s fall from grace.

At the Australian GP, McLaren couldn’t get near the pace of the Mercedes or Ferraris up ahead, with reigning world champion Lando Norris finishing the race in P5 nearly a whole minute behind race winner Russell.

Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, wasn’t able to start his home race, as he crashed out during the formation lap.

Eccles classified Shanghai as a ‘disaster,’ which was no understatement. Neither McLaren driver started the race, with two separate issues tied to the electrical side of the power unit.

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Redbull’s woes

Eccles shifted the topic to Red Bull, who just like McLaren, have had an unideal start to the new F1 era.

While their issues may not be as dire as McLaren’s, Powell and Eccles noted how concerning their situation also is.

Isack Hadjar retired from the race at Albert Park, while Max Verstappen battled in the midfield to cross the finish line in P6. At the Chinese GP, Verstappen was slow off the line in both the sprint and the main race, where he retired with an energy recovery system (ERS) coolant failure. Hadjar finished the race in P8.

Aston Martin’s other-worldly issues

Powell ushered the conversation into Aston Martin, a team she described as having ‘a whole other world of problems.’

Eccles agreed, pointing out that it’s not emotional pain, but also physical, with the vibrations of the car actually causing harm to the drivers, leading them to not be able to finish races.

The conversation raised the question of whether the FIA would let Aston Martin compete in Japan, and how soon the Silverstone-based team would be able to find a solution, and allow the team and the sport as a whole to truly see Adrian Newey’s first project with his new team.

The letdown of Williams

In multiple - if not all - episodes of the Pole Position Podcast throughout the 2025 F1 season, Eccles, Powell and Alexandra Whyte constantly talked about how, with 2025 practically being a write-off for Williams, they would be a team to watch in 2026.

However, Eccles and Powell have been disappointed by Williams’ broken promise in the first two races of the season - P12 (Alex Albon) and P15 (Carlos Sainz) in Australia, P9 (Sainz) and DNF (Albon).

Eccles is still holding out hope for James Vowles, though!

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Alpine surprising - But in a good way!

Powell and Eccles moved the better surprise, which was Alpine having a complete turnaround, from being dead last in 2025 to scoring double points in just the second race of the 2025 F1 season.

Pierre Gasly was 10th in Australia, with Franco Colapinto’s chances of a points finish not by his own error, while in China, P6 for Gasly and P10 for Colapinto had Eccles predicting that they would be ‘best of the rest’ this season, especially after their battles with Red Bull.

Bearman vs Ocon

Another talking point was the contrasts between the two Haas garages.

Esteban Ocon finished 11th in Australia and 15th in China, while his much more inexperienced team-mate Oliver Bearman was 7th in Australia and 5th in China.

Powell and Eccles praised Ollie Bearman, but acknowledged that Ocon’s experience and proven talent may eventually emerge as the season progresses.

Predictions for Japan

Eccles and Powell agreed that it would be a battle between Mercedes and Ferrari again.

For their bold predictions, you’ll just have to watch the episode!