IN NUMBERS: Who has gained and lost the most places at race starts so far this season? F1.com digs into the data after the first four rounds in Australia, China, Japan and Miami… Race starts under F1’s new-for-2026 regulations have been a hot topic across the opening few rounds of the campaign, with a greater variety in rapid, average and poor getaways adding to the drama on the first lap of a Grand Prix. After the Australian, Chinese, Japanese and Miami Grand Prix weekends, F1.com digs into the data to see who the early winners and losers are – our data showing some huge differences between the best and worst performers… Why are race starts different in 2026? Before looking at the numbers, it is worth a re-cap on how race starts have changed in 2026, with F1.com technical expert Mark Hughes explaining in a pre-season feature what the drivers are now facing when they line up on the grid. “Because of the way the new cars’ power units are configured, the sequence of actions performed by the drivers as they approach the grid, wait for the start and then accelerate away has become a little different,” he wrote. “Without the previous MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit – Heat) electrical motor to help quickly spin the turbo up to speed, the Turbocharger – which delivers its maximum boost when running at around 100,000rpm – is now relying totally on the energy of the exhaust gases. “The higher the engine is being revved, the faster the exhausts flow, and the faster the turbo spins. When the turbo is not running with maximum boost pressure, there will be a delay between pressing the throttle and getting the full power delivery being requested. “This is turbo lag – a phenomenon which wasn’t really present