George Russell led a commanding Mercedes 1-2 finish in the opening round of the Formula One World Championship, taking victory at the Australian Grand Prix ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli after an action-packed race in Melbourne.

Russell controlled the closing stages of the race to cross the line in 1:23:06.801, finishing 2.974 seconds ahead of Antonelli as Mercedes began the 2026 season in dominant fashion. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the podium in third, while teammate Lewis Hamilton finished fourth.

The race also featured early heartbreak for home fans as Australia’s Oscar Piastri crashed on his way to the grid, ruling him out before the race even began.

Piastri crashes before race start

Drama struck even before the lights went out when Piastri lost control of his McLaren at Turn 4 during his laps to the grid and hit the barriers, preventing the Australian driver from starting his home race.

Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg also failed to start after encountering a power unit issue on the way to the grid.

When the race finally got underway, Leclerc made the perfect start for Ferrari. Launching from fourth, the Monegasque driver surged past both Mercedes cars into Turn 1 to grab the early lead.

Russell quickly recovered to second, while Antonelli dropped behind Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad also impressed with a strong start, briefly challenging for a top-five position.

Russell and Leclerc battle for the lead

The opening stint saw Russell and Leclerc repeatedly swap the lead as Formula 1’s new energy recovery, Overtake and Boost modes came into play, creating intense strategic battles at the front.

Further down the field, defending champion Max Verstappen produced one of the standout drives of the race. After crashing in qualifying and starting 20th, the Red Bull driver surged through the field and was inside the points within 10 laps.

However, teammate Hadjar’s race ended early. After reporting issues with energy recovery, the French driver suddenly lost power on lap 11, parking his RB22 with smoke pouring from the engine.

Virtual Safety Car swings race toward Mercedes

Hadjar’s retirement triggered a Virtual Safety Car, which Mercedes used to execute a perfectly timed double pit stop for Russell and Antonelli, switching both drivers to hard tyres.

Ferrari chose to keep both Leclerc and Hamilton out on track, a decision that would ultimately cost them track position as the Mercedes pair gained time through the cheaper stop.

The strategy began to pay off when Russell closed rapidly on Hamilton after Leclerc’s eventual pit stop on lap 25. Two laps later, Russell overtook his former teammate to reclaim the race lead.

From that point, Mercedes controlled the race.

Mercedes cruise to victory in Melbourne

Russell steadily extended his advantage while Antonelli secured second place to complete a dominant Mercedes 1-2 finish, with Leclerc finishing 16 seconds behind the race winner.

Hamilton followed his Ferrari teammate home in fourth.

Behind them, reigning champion Lando Norris successfully defended fifth place from Verstappen despite sustained pressure late in the race.

The pair finished more than 50 seconds behind Russell, highlighting Mercedes’ pace advantage in the season opener.

Rookies shine as Bearman and Lindblad score points

Haas driver Oliver Bearman finished seventh after a consistent race, while Racing Bulls rookie Lindblad impressed on his Formula 1 debut to take eighth place and four points.

Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto finished ninth, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly claimed the final point in tenth.

Further back, Cadillac’s Sergio Pérez finished 16th in a difficult race for the American team.

Aston Martin also endured a tough weekend, with Fernando Alonso retiring early and Lance Stroll completing the race many laps down and not classified.

2026 Australian Grand Prix – Full Race Results

Retirements / Did not start

• Lance Stroll – Aston Martin (retired)
• Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin (retired)
• Valtteri Bottas – Cadillac (retired)
• Isack Hadjar – Red Bull (retired)
• Oscar Piastri – McLaren (did not start)
• Nico Hülkenberg – Audi (did not start)