George Russell won the 2026 Australian Grand Prix after a more closely contested race than expected against the Ferraris. Mercedes secures a one-two finish to open the new regulatory era.
Read more Oscar Piastri gutted after his crash in Melbourne: «I received 100 kW of unexpected power»
The 2026 Formula 1 season opened in an unprecedented context. Between a major technical revolution and the numerous criticisms voiced by drivers regarding the new single-seaters, this first race was particularly anticipated.
It was therefore at the Albert Park circuit that the 22 entered drivers met to compete in the inaugural round of the championship, on the occasion of the Australian Grand Prix.
The heavy favorite after taking pole position, George Russell ultimately confirmed expectations by winning at the end of the 58 laps of the race. But the Mercedes driver’s victory was not as quiet as expected, especially at the start of the event against the resistance of the Ferraris.
Piastri eliminated even before the start
The day began dramatically for the Australian public. A few minutes before the start, Oscar Piastri lost control of his car during his reconnaissance lap.
The McLaren driver, who was set to start from fifth place, slipped on a curb at the exit of turn 4 before spinning and hitting the barriers. Unharmed, he was nonetheless forced to retire even before the lights went out.
Another withdrawal reduced the grid: Nico Hülkenberg’s car, entered by Audi, encountered a problem during the formation lap and was unable to join the grid.
Ferrari surprises Mercedes at the start
When the lights went out, the hierarchy established in qualifying was immediately shaken. Starting from pole, Russell had a difficult start, giving Charles Leclerc the opportunity to take the lead from the first corner with his Scuderia Ferrari.
Behind them, the fight was intense. Lewis Hamilton quickly moved into the lead group, while Isack Hadjar tried to maintain his position in the chasing pack.
Read more Aston Martin in great difficulty: double retirement at the Australian Grand Prix
The opening laps offered a spectacular duel between Russell and Leclerc, with the two drivers swapping the lead several times. This battle also allowed Hamilton to stay in contact, forming a very tight trio at the front of the race.
Strategies and the VSC reshuffle the deck
The race turned on the 11th lap when Hadjar was forced to retire after a technical failure on his Red Bull Racing. The incident triggered the intervention of the Virtual Safety Car.
Mercedes took advantage of this to make their pit stop, unlike the Ferraris who chose to stay on track. This strategy temporarily placed Leclerc and Hamilton in the lead, but the balance shifted later when the two Maranello drivers finally made their pit stops.
At the halfway point, Mercedes had regained control of the event with Russell ahead of his teammate Kimi Antonelli. Once in the lead, Russell gradually widened the gap. Despite several neutralizations and some incidents in the pack, the British driver maintained a comfortable lead until the finish.
Behind him, Antonelli secured second place, allowing Mercedes to record a one-two finish for the season opener. Leclerc completes the podium ahead of Hamilton, while defending world champion Lando Norris resisted Max Verstappen’s comeback to hold onto fifth position.
Mercedes strikes hard to open the season
With this victory, Russell becomes the first winner of the 2026 Formula 1 era. The Mercedes one-two also confirms the competitiveness of the German team’s new car.
But despite this convincing success, the race showed that Ferrari remained a serious opponent. The battle for the championship could therefore quickly intensify over the coming rounds.
One thing is certain: the 2026 Formula 1 season starts with a clear message — Mercedes is the team to beat.
Read more Unstoppable Mercedes one-two in Melbourne: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in control
2026 F1 Australian GP Classification:
