F1 fans spot major issue with coverage minutes into first 2026 practice session

F1 fans quickly spotted an issue with the live world feed and F1TV broadcasts during practice for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.

FP1 and FP2 were both eventful in Melbourne, as drivers and teams got their first taste of the new 2026 regulations during a live race weekend.

Charles Leclerc topped FP1 ahead of Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton, while McLaren driver - and home hero - Oscar Piastri was fastest in FP2.

Aston Martin's struggles were made clear early on, with Fernando Alonso failing to emerge for FP1 before both cars were then comfortably off the pace in FP2.

Team principal Adrian Newey stated on Thursday that excessive vibrations from their new Honda power unit risks causing permanent nerve damage to the drivers' hands, and the team will not complete full race distance in Australia as a result.

Alongside the new regulations, the TV presentation has undergone a slight revamp for this season, with a number of graphical changes implemented.

But one of those adjustments has caused a major issue for fans following the action live - and it is directly related to the team changes for 2026.

Cadillac has entered the sport as its 11th constructor, while Sauber have been rebranded as Audi.

Audi's colour scheme is silver, black and red, and they have been assigned a red colour on the live minimap which shows where the drivers are on the circuit.

The problem is, of course, that Ferrari are also assigned as red - meaning it is exceptionally difficult to tell the two cars apart on the minimap.

There is a similar issue with the Racing Bulls and Red Bull cars, with the Racing Bulls assigned a more light purple colour compared to the Red Bull, which is shown in blue.

The Williams, meanwhile, also appears similar to the Red Bull.

The problem is present on both F1TV and the core Formula 1 international feed, which is picked up by broadcasters around the world.

And while driver captions appear on F1TV, the same cannot be said for the live feed, given the increased amount of other information that is needed to be displayed.

Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix is scheduled to get underway at 5am on Saturday morning, with lights out for the race itself at 4am on Sunday.

There was a small percentage change of rain for the race earlier in the week, but the Met Office now rate the chance of rain in Melbourne on Sunday as being under five per cent.

Last year's race was significantly impacted by rain, with a number of crashes in the early laps - and, in Isack Hadjar's case, on the formation lap - due to the slippery track conditions.