The Australian became only the second driver to commit to a team for that season after Max Verstappen, whose arrangement with Red Bull runs to 2028.
For all other drivers on the current grid their deals end in 2024 or 2025, and thus 2026 is a blank page for them.
The significance is that the ’26 season will see a major chassis rules package introduced, and more importantly, a new power unit formula. And that inevitably triggers memories of 2014, the last time we had a big change.
On that occasion, Mercedes got a huge jump on rivals Ferrari and Renault, achieving an advantage that lasted for several seasons. And when newcomer Honda came a year late in 2015, having had to start an F1 programme from scratch, its dire initial performance showed just how hard it was to get it right.
This time around the change is perhaps not as huge as that from V8s to the hybrid V6, but nor is it insignificant.
In theory, Honda, Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault have a head start thanks to the knowledge they’ve gained over the past decade, while for newcomers Audi and Red Bull/Ford, the task is more daunting.
At this stage, no one has any idea about how the six power units will compare when they sit on the grid for the first race under the new rules in March 2026.
Source: Autosport