With three races down and 19 to go, the 2026 F1 season has had an admittedly slow start. Due to the conflict in the Middle East, the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix were cancelled. This took the season down to 22 races and left the F1 world with a month break after only three races. During these three races, three teams in particular have disappointed.
McLaren’s 2026 F1 season
After winning back-to-back world constructors’ championships, McLaren’s 2026 F1 season start has been rough to watch, especially concerning Oscar Piastri. On the one hand, it is not surprising, given the time it took them to improve under the previous set of regulations. However, nobody expected the season to start with a double DNS.
The one saving grace for McLaren was that they did manage to get both cars started and stand on the podium at the Japanese Grand Prix. McLaren uses a Mercedes engine and Petronas fuel, the same as the works squad, which is currently leading the championships on both sides. It begs the question of what happened to McLaren? Will this season be a repeat of 2023?
Williams’ 2026 F1 season
Another team that is a Mercedes customer one is Williams. One stark difference between McLaren and Williams is that Williams stopped developing its 2025 car early on. The team said this was to shift its focus to the 2026 F1 season. Before the season was able to kick off with testing, Williams was already experiencing issues. This caused them to miss out on the first round of pre-season testing in Barcelona. For the Williams fans riding the high of two podiums in the last campaign, this was a blow.
The best result Williams has managed to get so far is ninth with Carlos Sainz at the Chinese Grand Prix. If Williams had not prioritised this new 2026 F1 season so heavily, being 12 points away from eighth in the constructors’ table would not be such a big deal.
The car is overweight and slow. James Vowles faces his first big test as Williams boss.
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing dominated the last set of regulations with Max Verstappen. Even when they were obviously struggling, they were never far off the mark. Now, they are down in sixth place in the constructors. The start of the 2026 F1 season has left them tied with Alpine and 119 points down from Mercedes.
If rumours are to be believed, it is not the power unit that is their problem. And with constant changes in their leadership, Red Bull Racing have been fairly underwhelming this season. Their lack of stability and an ever-changing second driver is now coming back to bite them. While Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers on the grid, there is only so much he can do with what he has. As it stands, the Dutchman is ninth in the drivers’ championship with Isack Hadjar in 12th.
The Miami Grand Prix could be where it all changes for the 2026 F1 season. Many teams are bringing in intense upgrades, and with an extended FP1 session, they will have more time to test them.
