McLaren's Oscar Piastri seized the first proper pole position of his Formula One career at the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday with the fastest lap yet around the Shanghai International Circuit.
Formula One's 2026 season opens at the Australian Grand Prix with sweeping chassis and power unit changes, new overtake modes and sustainable fuel ushering in a bold but uncertain new era.
F1 leader Oscar Piastri seized pole position from teammate and title rival Lando Norris by a hefty margin as dominant McLaren locked out the front row in Spanish Grand Prix.
Here's a look at some key moments which helped decide the championship fight.
Norris last led the standings in April, a gap of 189 days, and had not won a race since Hungary in early August. Sunday was his sixth victory of the season, one less than Piastri, and career 10th.
The two McLaren drivers were ruled out for excessive skid plank wear hours after the race had ended and the podium champagne been sprayed.
Lando Norris secured pole position for the Miami Grand Prix sprint race, outperforming Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri. This victory marks a significant upgrade for McLaren, boosting their confidence for the main race.
Oscar Piastri won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and sent McLaren top of the constructors' standings in a race that finished with a virtual safety car after a penultimate lap collision between Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Red Bull's Sergio Perez.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri celebrated pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, his 50th Formula One race, while dejected championship-leading teammate Lando Norris qualified sixth and said he had been "clueless on track".
The Briton goes into Sunday's title decider in Abu Dhabi 12 points clear of Red Bull's Max Verstappen with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri a further four behind.
George Russell seized pole position for a race that could snap teammate Kimi Antonelli's winning streak while Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton split the Mercedes pair in Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.
Lando Norris won the Austrian Grand Prix and revived his Formula One title bid after fending off championship-leading McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri under race-long pressure on Sunday.
McLaren's Lando Norris won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix to surge 24 points clear in the Formula One championship on Sunday.
Four times World champion Max Verstappen said he had nothing to lose and would go all out to win.
George Russell held off the fast-starting Ferraris to win the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race for Mercedes on Saturday.
Defending champion Norris slams 'worst' F1 cars
Max Verstappen seized pole position for Sunday's US Grand Prix while Formula One leader Oscar Piastri qualified sixth after a costly sprint race collision with his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
George Russell secured pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix, narrowly beating teammate Kimi Antonelli in a thrilling qualifying session. Lando Norris will start third, while Max Verstappen expressed frustration with his car's performance.
The aftershock of Sunday's double disqualification in Nevada hangs over champions McLaren ahead of a sprint weekend in Qatar that could hand Lando Norris his first F1 crown -- or erode his lead.
George Russell is aiming for a comeback at the Canadian Grand Prix with car upgrades and a renewed focus on fundamental racing skills after teammate Kimi Antonelli's strong performance.
Kimi Antonelli secured his second consecutive pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes front-row lockout. Max Verstappen struggled, starting 11th.
Formula One will crown its champion in Abu Dhabi on Sunday with McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both seeking to dethrone Red Bull's Max Verstappen and deny the Dutchman his fifth title in a row.
McLaren, who secured the constructors' championship in October for the second year in a row, won both titles in the same season for the first time since 1998.
George Russell led every phase of the session at the Shanghai circuit to take his first career sprint pole in a time of one minute, 31.520 seconds.
Lewis Hamilton will launch his bid to win the drivers' championship at a third F1 team when he makes his much-anticipated debut for Ferrari in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
George Russell wins F1's Singapore GP as McLaren secures constructors' title
McLaren are leading the constructor's championship but are only 29 points ahead of Ferrari, with Leclerc an obvious threat and team mate Carlos Sainz qualifying fifth and Mercedes' George Russell sixth.
Lando Norris celebrated his first Monaco Grand Prix win from pole position on Sunday.
Verstappen wins in Qatar to ensure three-way title showdown
A fired-up Max Verstappen ended his barren run as he outclassed the McLarens to register a dominant victory at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza on Sunday.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualified fourth with Mexican Sergio Perez, Verstappen's closest title rival and team mate but a massive 151 points adrift after 15 of 22 rounds, fifth and 0.773 off his team mate's pace.
Mercedes's George Russell lapped the circuit in one minute, 18.518 seconds to win the Australian Open F1 Grand Prix qualifying.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner said the 2025 F1 season was turning into a two-horse race between the McLaren drivers after his team had a home Austrian Grand Prix to forget on Sunday.
Kimi Antonelli claimed his first Formula One victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, becoming the second-youngest race winner in history as Mercedes secured a one-two finish.
Four-times World champion Max Verstappen was given an aerodynamic tow by teammate Yuki Tsunoda to go top on his first flying lap.
F1 champion Max Verstappen revelled in McLaren's strategy horror show at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday.
Max Verstappen celebrated Red Bull's 400th Formula One race with a fourth win in a row at Imola on Sunday.
Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Formula One driver to take pole position for a full Grand Prix after qualifying fastest for Mercedes in China on Saturday.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday but McLaren's Lando Norris had one hand on the Formula One title after finishing second and stretching his lead over teammate Oscar Piastri to 30 points.
George Russell put his Mercedes on pole position in Canada for the second year in a row on Saturday with Red Bull rival Max Verstappen alongside on the front row.
