This time next Sunday, we will finally have a good idea of what to expect in this new era of Formula One.
By then the first grand prix weekend of the season in Australia will have passed the chequered flag in the early hours Irish time.
Due to the radical overhaul in regulations, 2026 was always billed as the starting gun for a revolutionary era.
The 11 teams have had three tests to throw the shackles off, with the first one in Barcelona followed by back-to-back run-outs in Bahrain.
But starting with Friday practice, Melbourne will offer the first true indication of the lie of the land.
The radical new regulations
The last major change in regulations was introduced at the start of the 2022 season. But it pales in comparison to 2026.
The new regulations see major shifts when it comes to aerodynamics and the power units, among other areas.
There is a move towards active aero, with drivers able to move the front and rear wings in certain areas of the track.
Power units will be more reliant on electrical energy than ever before and how efficiently that is deployed across laps will be decisive.
There was controversy during pre-season in regard to the Mercedes power unit which is used by the eponymous works team as well as McLaren, Williams and Alpine.
Mercedes had found a way to supercede the maximum compression ratio limit of 16:1 in their engine and get to a ratio of 18:1 when in operating temperatures.
Rivals considered that would give the Mercedes-powered teams extra horsepower. But that loophole will essentially be closed from 1 June as confirmed by the governing body, the FIA.
Among other changes, DRS (the Drag Reduction System) is no more and an overtake mode providing extra electrical energy comes in to replace it.
The cars will also look different to the previous regulation cycle and will be lighter and narrower and that's just scratching the surface.
The changes haven't been to everyone's liking, with Max Verstappen dubbing the new regs as "Formula E on steroids".
That's not a compliment.
The potential pecking order
Mercedes had been tipped to return to the front end of the grid for 2026 and they looked strong in testing. Indeed, there's a sense that they might not have shown their hand fully across the three test weeks - or to use F1 parlance, they may well have been "sandbagging".
Hence, George Russell is seen as the early favourite for the drivers' title, particularly given his teenage team-mate Kimi Antonelli will only be into his second season in F1 and had a mixed debut year.
Ferrari also impressed in pre-season after a forgettable 2025. They appear to have been innovative with how they have interpreted the new rules and have been tipped to be up there with Mercedes.
That will be music to the ears of the uber-talented Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, the latter who especially struggled last year in his first year in red overalls.
Verstappen can never be counted out as he showed last year when he almost surged to a fifth drivers' title in a row. The indications are Red Bull are in decent shape despite the challenge of having to produce their own engines for the first time in partnership with Ford.
McLaren were the dominant force last year with Lando Norris ultimately winning the drivers' crown ahead of his team-mate Oscar Piastri and runner-up Verstappen.
They round out a top four that is expected to be very closely matched which sets up an exciting battle for glory in both the drivers and constructors' championships.
Below that quartet, the midfield looks tight. Haas and Alpine would be happy with how their pre-season went, while Williams missed the Barcelona test entirely so could be on the back foot initially. Audi and Racing Bulls - Red Bull's sister team - will also be in the mix.
But things have been disastrous for an Aston Martin led by the sport's most successful designer, team principal Adrian Newey, and they look set to start the season towards the back alongside F1's newest team.
It's certainly unfortunate for veteran two-time champion Fernando Alonso, whose wait for what would be a 33rd race victory dates back to 2013.
A new face, an 11th team and minimal seat swaps
For the first time since the end of the 2014 season, 11 teams will line out on the grid, with Cadillac joining the fray.
The American outfit, who are using Ferrari power units in their debut season, will have an eye on the long term.
To aid development, they have gone for race-winning experience in their driver line-up, with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas returning to the grid.
There will only be one new rookie after Arvid Lindblad's promotion from F2 to form one half of the Racing Bulls line-up alongside Liam Lawson.
Lindblad is taking the seat vacated by Isack Hadjar. The Frenchman had a decent debut season in 2025 but will now look to end the Red Bull second-seat curse after his own promotion to the senior team.
Previous incumbents having floundered in the wake of undisputed team leader Verstappen. Otherwise, the grid is unchanged.
The Irish corner
The wait for an Irish-licensed driver to feature in Formula One for the first time since 2003 continues but there are real prospects in the feeder series.
Alex Dunne needs no introduction. The Offaly man won two feature races in Formula 2 last season and is back for more with the Rodin team again.
The 20-year-old, who did take on opportunities to drive for McLaren in two F1 free practice sessions in 2025, has since joined the Alpine driver programme.
Having grown his profile throughout last year, he will have an eye on pushing his case for a full-time F1 seat in 2027.
And just like buses, while you wait for one Irish driver to appear on the scene, then a second arrives on the horizon.
Fresh from winning the British F4 Championship last year, Derry native Fionn McLaughlin will be lining up on the Formula 3 grid where he will race for Hitech.
The 18-year-old Red Bull junior will be chatting in depth to this writer during the week to come before he makes his F3 bow in Melbourne.
As ever, the paddock will have some Irish accents behind the scenes. Fermanagh's Bernie Collins - a former strategy engineer for Aston Martin - is among the most knowledgeable and well-regarded pundits and she is a regular on the Sky Sports coverage.
Plus, Carlow man Thomas Maher is also a visible presence on race weekends among the written press.
The 2026 F1 calendar (Weekends featuring either F2 and F3 support races or both in italics - and sprint weekends in bold)
8 March - Australian GP
15 March - Chinese GP
29 March - Japanese GP
12 April - Bahrain GP
19 April - Saudi Arabian GP
3 May - Miami GP
24 May - Canadian GP
7 June - Monaco GP
14 June - Barcelona-Catalunya GP
28 June - Austrian GP
5 July - British GP
19 July - Belgian GP
26 July - Hungarian GP
23 August - Dutch GP
6 September - Italian GP
13 September - Spanish GP
26 September - Azerbaijan GP
11 October - Singapore GP
25 October - United States GP
1 November - Mexico City GP
8 November - Sao Paulo GP
21 November - Las Vegas GP
29 November - Qatar GP
6 December - Abu Dhabi GP
