George Russell dominated the first qualifying sessions of the 2026 Formula 1 season in Australia. The session was notably marked by a spectacular accident for Max Verstappen in Q1.
Read more Scare in the pit lane: Lindblad narrowly avoids a collision with Lawson
The 2026 F1 season officially began with qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix on the Albert Park street circuit in Melbourne. Despite overcast skies, rain ultimately did not disrupt the session, which was held in relatively stable conditions with around 20°C air temperature and a track temperature of around 37°C.
This inaugural session also featured a peculiarity: the grid now counts 22 cars, a first in over a decade. As a direct consequence, six drivers had to be eliminated at the end of each of the first two phases.
At the end of this first battle for pole position, it was ultimately George Russell who struck hard by giving Mercedes the first pole of the year.
Verstappen eliminated after a spectacular crash
The first part of qualifying quickly turned to chaos for Max Verstappen. The Red Bull Racing driver waited until mid-session to start his first flying lap… but it ended abruptly.
Approaching the first corner, the Dutchman lost control of his car after a violent rear-wheel lock-up under braking. The car spun before heading at high speed towards the run-off area.
The Red Bull ended its run in the barriers after crossing the gravel trap, immediately triggering a red flag. Verstappen got out of his car unaided, but seemed to be suffering slightly in his left hand after the impact.
This interruption offered a precious reprieve to the Mercedes team, which was still working on the car damaged earlier in the day by Kimi Antonelli. The team finally managed to get the car back in condition just in time to allow him to participate in the session.
At the same time, Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll were never able to leave their garage and were eliminated without setting a time.
Read more Mission accomplished for the Mercedes boys who atomize the competition in Melbourne
Russell already impresses in Q2
During Q2, George Russell confirmed the excellent form of Mercedes. The Briton set the fastest time with a lead of more than six-tenths over his pursuers, a gap particularly impressive at this stage of the season.
Behind him, the fight intensified for the qualifying spots in Q3. Charles Leclerc managed to slot in between the Mercedes while Lewis Hamilton had to wait until the final minutes to secure his place in the top 10.
The session also saw a strong performance from Gabriel Bortoleto, who briefly placed his Audi in Q3 before suffering a technical problem in the pit entry lane, forcing several drivers to avoid him.
Mercedes untouchable in the fight for pole
Q3 left little suspense. After an interruption caused by a pit lane incident involving Antonelli’s car, the session finally resumed with just under ten minutes remaining.
Russell immediately took the advantage by setting a very solid first time. No one really managed to get close to the Mercedes.
During the final attempts, Antonelli briefly took the lead, but Russell replied immediately with an even faster lap of 1’18″518, confirming the W17’s dominance.
Behind the Mercedes duo, Isack Hadjar caused a surprise by taking third place on the grid. Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri complete a top 6 already more than eight tenths behind the pole-sitter.
A show of force from Mercedes that sends a clear message to its rivals from the very first qualifying session of the season.
Read more Flawless for Isack Hadjar after Verstappen’s crash for a first top 3 in Q3
2026 F1 Australian GP Qualifying Classification:
