Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in dramatic Australian Grand Prix qualifying

George Russell claimed pole position for the opening race of the Formula One World Championship season after a dramatic qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix, leading a front-row lockout for Mercedes alongside teammate Kimi Antonelli.

Russell delivered a blistering lap of 1:18.518 in Q3 to secure the top spot on the grid, finishing 0.293 seconds ahead of Antonelli, who mounted an impressive recovery after crashing heavily during final practice earlier in the day.

The result marked a dream start to the 2026 season for Mercedes, while defending champion Max Verstappen suffered a major setback after crashing in the opening qualifying segment and will start from 20th on the grid.

Verstappen crashes early as Q1 brings drama

Qualifying drama began in Q1 when Verstappen, driving for Red Bull Racing, lost control at Turn 1 during his first flying lap. The rear axle of his RB22 locked under braking, sending the car spinning into the barriers and bringing out a red flag.

When the session resumed, Russell immediately set the pace, topping the segment ahead of Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, and reigning world champion Lando Norris.

Antonelli, whose car had been heavily damaged in a practice crash, benefited from the stoppage as Mercedes completed repairs in time for him to return to the track. The Italian rewarded the team’s effort by finishing sixth in Q1 and progressing to Q2.

Drivers eliminated in Q1 included Lance Stroll (22nd), Carlos Sainz (21st), Verstappen (20th), Valtteri Bottas (19th), and Sergio Pérez (18th). Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso also missed out on Q2 after being edged by Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto.

Russell dominates Q2

Russell continued to dominate in Q2, setting a benchmark lap of 1:18.934, over four-tenths quicker than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Antonelli maintained his strong comeback by placing third, ahead of Piastri and Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar, who delivered an impressive performance for the Milton Keynes team.

However, Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg failed to progress to Q3, narrowly losing out to teammate Gabriel Bortoleto. The Brazilian later stopped at the pit entry after his final Q2 lap and could not take part in the top-10 shootout.

Antonelli briefly tops Q3 before Russell responds

The final session was briefly halted when cooling fans were accidentally left attached to Antonelli’s car as he exited the pit lane. One fan came loose at Turn 1 while another flew off down the straight and was struck by Norris’ car, prompting a red flag. Antonelli is under investigation for an unsafe release.

When the session resumed, Russell immediately set the pace with a 1:19.084, half a second clear of Norris and Hadjar.

Antonelli initially made a mistake on his first attempt but produced a stunning 1:18.811 on his second run to briefly take provisional pole. Russell responded moments later, going three-tenths quicker to seal pole position with a 1:18.518 lap.

Hadjar impresses as Ferrari and McLaren chase

Hadjar secured an impressive third place for Red Bull, though his time of 1:19.303 was more than seven-tenths behind Russell.

Leclerc qualified fourth for Ferrari, ahead of home favourite Piastri in fifth. Norris and Hamilton lined up sixth and seventh respectively.

Liam Lawson placed eighth for Racing Bulls, just ahead of rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad, while Bortoleto is set to start 10th despite not running in Q3.

2026 Australian Grand Prix – Qualifying Results