George Russell opened the 2026 Formula 1 season with victory at the Australian Grand Prix on March 8 at Albert Park in Melbourne, leading teammate Kimi Antonelli home to secure a commanding Mercedes one-two finish.
Russell held off Antonelli by 2.974 seconds after 58 laps in a tense race shaped by strategy and two Virtual Safety Car periods. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished third and fourth, while reigning world champion Lando Norris came home fifth for McLaren.
Mercedes built its win around a one-stop strategy that proved decisive. Both cars pitted during an early Virtual Safety Car and then stretched their tyres to the end of the race. The gamble paid off, giving Russell his sixth career victory and handing the Silver Arrows the early advantage in the first race of Formula 1’s new regulations era.
The result also set the tone for the season ahead. Mercedes showed strong pace and calm strategy in the opening round of a 24-race championship.
As it happened in the Australian Grand Prix
The race began with immediate drama. As the cars lined up on the grid after the formation lap, George Russell complained that his battery was already out of charge.
As the lights went out, Leclerc launched from fourth on the grid and swept into the lead ahead of Russell at the first corner.
The two drivers traded places over several laps, running wheel-to-wheel around Albert Park and setting the tone for a close fight.
Strategy soon shaped the race. A Virtual Safety Car appeared when Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar stopped on track with smoke from the rear of his car. Both Mercedes drivers used the moment to pit, while Ferrari kept Leclerc and Hamilton out.
Another VSC followed when Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas retired. Ferrari again stayed out, hoping to run deep into the race before making their stops.
When Leclerc and Hamilton finally pitted under green-flag conditions, the Mercedes pair returned to the front. Ferrari seemed ready to attack late, but the gap never closed enough to force Mercedes into a second stop.
Russell crossed the line first after 1 hour, 23 minutes and 6.801 seconds. Antonelli followed close behind to seal the one-two.
Leclerc finished 15.5 seconds behind the winner in third, with Hamilton just behind in fourth. Norris secured fifth place for McLaren.
Max Verstappen produced a strong recovery drive from 20th on the grid to finish sixth. Haas rookie Ollie Bearman took seventh.
Another debutant impressed as Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad scored points with eighth place. Gabriel Bortoleto finished ninth in Audi’s first race as a works team, and Pierre Gasly took the final point in tenth for Alpine.
Australian GP kicked off a dramatic start to the 2026 rules era
The weekend also brought several dramatic stories away from the front of the field.
Oscar Piastri suffered the most painful moment of the event. The Australian crashed on the reconnaissance lap before the race even began. The incident ruled the McLaren driver out of his home race before he reached the grid.
Red Bull faced a mixed weekend. Verstappen spun into the barrier at Turn 1 during his first flying lap in qualifying, which forced him to start last. He fought back through the field to finish sixth, showing strong race pace.
His teammate, Hadjar, was less fortunate. The French rookie retired on lap 11 with smoke pouring from his car after starting third on the grid.
Audi also faced early trouble. Nico Hulkenberg could not start due to a technical issue before the race. That left Gabriel Bortoleto to carry the team’s debut as a works entry, and he delivered ninth place.
Cadillac marked its Formula 1 race debut as well. Sergio Perez finished 16th and became the first driver to bring the new American team to the chequered flag, though Bottas retired.
Aston Martin endured a difficult race weekend. Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso both retired at different stages before returning to the track later. Alonso had started only 17th after missing the final stage of qualifying.
What the top 3 said after the race
The three podium sitters shared their thoughts after an intense opening race.
Charles Leclerc said Ferrari expected a tough contest.
“It was a very, very tricky race. None of us knew what to expect. It has been quite challenging; it was a fun first part of the race. It looked like Mercedes had a bit more pace than us today, but not as much as yesterday, so that is a good thing.”
Kimi Antonelli admitted the race did not start smoothly for him.
“[It] was not the best start we could have wished for, lost a lot of places, and I had to recover. But overall, [it] was a good race; the pace was really strong, especially at the end. It was really good fun at the beginning!”
Russell focused on the early battle with Ferrari.
“It was a hell of a fight at the beginning! I made a bad start, and some really tight battles with Charles at the start, just really glad to cross the finish line.”
The three drivers watched the opening laps together in the cooldown room. Russell admitted he briefly forgot to press his overtake button during the fight and joked about the mistake while the replay played on screen.
Final result – 2026 Australian Grand Prix
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:23:06.801 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +2.974s |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +15.519s |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +16.144s |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +51.741s |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +54.617s |
| 7 | Ollie Bearman | Haas | +1 lap |
| 8 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +1 lap |
| 9 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +1 lap |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1 lap |
| 11 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1 lap |
| 12 | Alex Albon | Williams | +1 lap |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1 lap |
| 14 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +2 laps |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +2 laps |
| 16 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | +3 laps |
| 17 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | Classified |
| DNF | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | Retirement |
| DNF | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | Retirement |
| DNF | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | Retirement |
| DNS | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | Pre-race crash |
| DNS | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | Technical issue |
Next up: 2026 Chinese Grand Prix weekend schedule
Formula 1 now moves to China for the second round of the season. The event will also host the first sprint race weekend under the new rules.
The race takes place at the Shanghai International Circuit from Friday, March 13, to Sunday, March 15, with times listed in local China Standard Time (GMT+8).
| Session | Day | Time (CST) |
|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Friday, March 13 | 11:30 – 12:30 |
| Sprint Qualifying | Friday, March 13 | 15:30 – 16:15 |
| Sprint Race | Saturday, March 14 | 11:00 – 12:00 |
| Qualifying | Saturday, March 14 | 15:00 – 16:00 |
| Grand Prix (56 laps) | Sunday, March 15 | 15:00 |
The weekend will give teams their first sprint format test in the new rules era. After Mercedes’ strong start in Melbourne, rivals will look for answers before the championship momentum grows.
