Episode Overview
The 2026 Formula One season brings the biggest rules overhaul in over a decade — and we have the perfect guest to break it all down. Host Diane Bortoletto is joined by Simone Scanu, co-founder of real-time F1 data and telemetry app Formula Live Pulse, and co-host Ciara Gillan for a deep-dive pre-season debrief covering Bahrain testing, Ferrari's jaw-dropping engineering innovations, the new hybrid power units, and who's already in trouble before lights out in Melbourne.
Whether you're a die-hard fan or still wrapping your head around Active Aero and Overtake Mode, this episode has everything you need to know heading into the 2026 season.
In This Episode
- Ferrari's secret weapon — the revolutionary exhaust-mounted wing and why other teams can't just copy it
- Bahrain testing results — who impressed, who struggled, and what it actually tells us
- Honda & Aston Martin's testing nightmare — battery vibration issues and a troubling mileage deficit
- The 2026 power unit explained — 50/50 hybrid split, the removal of the MGU-H, and what Lift & Coast means for racing
- Boost Mode vs Overtake Mode — what's the difference and how will drivers use them strategically?
- Is the Adrian Newey era at Aston Martin already over?
- Cadillac's debut season — the only team alongside McLaren and Ferrari to field two race-winning drivers
- Max Verstappen — why you can never count him out, no matter the car
- Williams — missed Barcelona but showed up in Bahrain. What should we expect?
- Rookie watch: Isack Hadjar vs. Arvid Lindblad — from six rookies in 2025 to just one in 2026
- Drive to Survive Season 7 — is it getting too staged? The team shares their honest take
- Australian Grand Prix logistics — Middle East conflict, freight rerouting, and what's at stake for the season opener
- AGPC shoutout — the corner named after Laura Müller and Hannah Schmitz to celebrate International Women's Day
- Creator shoutout: ☕ Coffee Corner Motorsport on YouTube and Instagram — Terry Widdows is using Formula Live Pulse telemetry data for his analysis this season. Go follow him!
Key Stats from Testing
Team and Estimated Test Mileage
Ferrari / Mercedes: 20,000+ km
Red Bull (4 power units): 10,000+ km
Audi: ~5,000 km
Honda / Aston Martin: ~2,000 km ⚠️
The Ferrari Innovation Breakdown
Ferrari showed up to testing with two standout engineering moves:
- The 180° Rear Wing — Instead of tilting open a few degrees like a traditional DRS flap, Ferrari's rear wing rotates a full 180 degrees, creating a dramatically larger gap to reduce drag. They've confirmed it won't appear in Melbourne but is likely targeted at low-downforce circuits like Baku and Monza.
- The Exhaust Wing — A small piece of bodywork positioned just behind the exhaust redirects exhaust gases through the rear wing to manage airflow. A similar concept was used in 2010 before being banned. Ferrari's implementation is nearly impossible to replicate because it's intrinsically tied to the dimensions and positioning of their bespoke gearbox differential. Other teams would need to rebuild their entire gearbox — a 2–3 month process — to attempt it.
According to Motorsport.com, Ferrari may have as much as half a second advantage over the field.
The 2026 Power Unit & Energy System — Simply Explained
The 2026 regs bring a 50/50 split between combustion and hybrid power, making energy management more critical than ever before.
What's gone: The MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit – Heat), which recovered energy from exhaust gas flow. It was highly effective but enormously complex.
What's staying: The MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic), which recovers energy under braking.
The result: Drivers must Lift and Coast (ease off the throttle before braking zones) more than ever before to recharge the battery. This could paradoxically increase on-track battles, as drivers lifting early will allow following cars to close up on the straights.
Boost Mode — A traditional engine map that's always been in F1. Drivers can deploy extra power whenever they choose, at their own risk of draining the battery.
Overtake Mode — New in 2026, this replaces DRS. It can only be activated when within 1 second of the car ahead and provides an additional 0.5 megajoules of electrical power. Strategic deployment is everything — use it at the wrong point on a circuit and you'll arrive at the next straight with zero battery support.
As Simone puts it: "It's like Fast and the Furious — pressing two buttons for a huge boost. But use both at once and you'll have nothing left to defend."
Team-by-Team Snapshot
Ferrari — Strong reliability in testing (same engine used in both Barcelona and Bahrain). Engineering innovations hint at a genuine title challenge. Ferrari fans, it might finally be time.
Red Bull / Max Verstappen — New in-house Red Bull Powertrains engine. Max ran 10,000+ km across four power units. Never write him off. As Zach Brown once said, he's the horror movie villain who just keeps coming back.
Mercedes — Top of the mileage charts at 20,000+ km. Reliable, prepared, and watching everyone else carefully.
Aston Martin / Honda — The biggest concern heading into Melbourne. Only 2,000 km completed due to battery vibration issues causing failures. Adrian Newey's car also appeared aerodynamically unstable on track. The team has admitted the problem exists; whether it's solved by Australia is unknown.
Audi — New to the grid as an independent power unit supplier. Completed around 5,000 km in testing — significantly more than Honda but with visible battery depletion issues (watch the Audi onboard: mid-straight RPM drops are alarming).
Williams — Missed Barcelona entirely as the car wasn't ready, but showed up well in Bahrain. Simone expects a performance similar to 2025, when Williams finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship with two podiums.
Cadillac — Complete unknowns, but they arrive with the only driver pairing outside McLaren and Ferrari that features two race winners. Watch this space.
Racing Bulls — Home to the grid's only true rookie in 2026, Arvid Lindblad. Paired with Liam Lawson. Racing Bulls has shown it knows how to develop rookies (see: Hadjar, Lawson). Expect growing pains, flashes of brilliance, and a steep learning curve.
Drive to Survive Season 8 — Worth Watching?
The team has watched several episodes and the verdict is mixed. The consensus: it feels increasingly orchestrated and less spontaneous, with key moments either missing or staged. Ciara notes that the Williams-focused episode leaned heavily on Carlos Sainz's storyline at the expense of other narratives. Di is frustrated that as a real fan, she already knows what happened — and Netflix's retelling doesn't always match reality.
Still worth a watch for newcomers to the sport. Just don't expect season one.
🌏 Australian Grand Prix — Status Update
The Australian GP is confirmed to be going ahead as scheduled. Due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East (Dubai and Qatar airports disrupted), Formula One freight and personnel are being rerouted through Asia and the United States. Logistics are complicated — keep an eye on updates closer to race week.
Australian GP Corner Named After Two Women in F1
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has named Turn 6 at Albert Park after Laura Müller (Race Engineer, Haas / Esteban Ocon) and Hannah Schmitz (Head of Race Strategy, Red Bull Racing) — a first in Formula One history, timed to coincide with International Women's Day on race day. Australia also gave us Grid Kids (replacing Grid Girls). The innovation never stops.
Tools & Resources Mentioned
- Formula Live Pulse — Real-time F1 telemetry, sector times, tire strategy, and driver-engineer radio transcripts. Available for F1, F2, F3, and F1 Academy. 7-day free trial — download it for Melbourne. Also features Pulse Predictions (predict fastest lap, pole, race winner, safety car, DNFs and more — no paid subscription required).
- Away We Go Melbourne Grand Prix Guide — Updated with F1 activations, driver appearances, pop-up stores, and merchandise recommendations (Sections 6 & 12).
- Away We Go Podium Prediction Tracker — Simple 1-2-3 podium prediction game with a leaderboard. Register and play along each race.
- Win tickets to see Crofty & Ant live at the Regal Theatre, Subiaco (Perth) — the night after the Australian GP. Check the pinned post on @awayweGo Podcast Instagram to enter.
Creator Spotlight
Coffee Corner Motorsport — Terry Widdows is one of the most exciting F1 content creators to watch in 2026. His channel is growing fast, and this season he's partnering with Formula Live Pulse to bring telemetry-backed analysis to his videos. Find him on YouTube and Instagram.
👤 About Our Guest
Simone Scanu is the co-founder (alongside Ciara Gillan) of Formula Live Pulse, the real-time F1 data and telemetry app that transforms how fans watch every session. Simone brings an engineering and data-driven lens to everything from power unit design to race strategy.
Connect with Away We Go Podcast
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Away We Go Podcast is hosted by Dianne Bortoletto — a travel writer and long-time Formula 1 fan based in WesternAustralia.
Until next week — and until lights out. 🏁
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Are you going to Melbourne for the Grand Prix? Everything you need to know in my Melbourne Grand Prix Travel Guide here
Includes insider tips at the track, best places to eat, a list of great roof tp bars and awesome day trip suggestions and reasons to stay longer - download it here (free).
