George Russell, Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team made a strong impression during qualifying for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, the first round of Formula 1’s new technical era.
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The two Silver Arrows drivers will lock out the first row of the starting grid tomorrow morning at Albert Park after dominating a tense qualifying session.
The Briton took pole position with a two-tenth lead over his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli and seven tenths over the second row consisting of Isack Hadjar and Charles Leclerc.
Russell: “the car came alive”
After the session, Russell showed great satisfaction: “It was a very good day, we knew there was performance in the car but you never know how much. The car came alive this afternoon, especially with the cooler temperatures. “
The pole-sitter was also delighted to see his young teammate on the front row despite a complicated weekend: “I am happy that Kimi is there, it has been a huge job for the team to prepare his car, it’s a great day. “
Russell also acknowledged that the new cars are particularly tricky to exploit on a fast lap: “It’s not easy to drive, it’s not easy for the fans to understand, but I am looking forward to the race tomorrow. I think we’re going to put on a good show and I am happy to do it for the fans here, it’s always great to come to Melbourne. “
The start, the great unknown
Despite pole, several unknowns remain for the race. The reliability of the Mercedes engine remains under watch and the start could prove decisive, especially against the Ferrari known for being very strong in this area.
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“Like many simple things in the past, starts and pit stops have become difficult. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but it was good to have a good session to start from the best possible position”, Russell explained.
Antonelli saves a chaotic day
For Antonelli, the front row is almost a miracle after a particularly eventful Saturday. The Italian crashed in FP3 before his mechanics rebuilt the car in time for qualifying.
“It’s been a very stressful day, says Kimi. I hit the wall in FP3 but my mechanics were heroes to fix the car. We didn’t even check the settings, we just went out on track, and being on the front row is incredible. “
Even if his preparation was compromised — notably with a cooler left on his sidepod in Q3 — Antonelli remains optimistic for the race: “It wasn’t easy. I need to have a clean weekend next time because it still compromised my qualifying. But we have a race waiting for us tomorrow and a good result is possible. “
With an all-Mercedes front row and several rivals lurking behind, the Australian race is already shaping up to be a major first test to understand the true hierarchy of this new generation of F1.