Del Pino secures maiden victory in truncated Melbourne Sprint Race

Bruno Del Pino led a dominant Van Amersfoort Racing 1-2 finish at the FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026. He secured his maiden victory ahead of teammate Enzo Deligny and Rodin Motorsport’s Brando Badoer.

The race was red-flagged and ultimately called early following a high-speed collision on Lap 8. The incident involved PREMA Racing teammates James Wharton and Louis Sharp at the entry to Turn 6.

It was a perfect start for the all-Van Amersfoort front row as Del Pino maintained his lead into the first corner. Badoer also made a strong move, jumping ahead of Noah Stromsted to take third place.

For home favorite James Wharton, the start was far more difficult. Having started fifth, he dropped to eighth by the end of the first lap after running deep into Turn 1 to avoid a collision.

By Lap 6, Del Pino had established a 1.3s lead over Deligny, while the top four drivers built a two-second buffer to the rest of the field. Further back, Ugo Ugochukwu showcased his pace by moving up to ninth for Campos Racing.

The race reached a dramatic conclusion on Lap 8 when Wharton and Sharp went wheel-to-wheel through the opening sector. The two PREMA cars made contact and crashed into the barrier, requiring extensive repairs to the circuit.

Because more than 25% of the race distance was completed, points were awarded to the top five finishers. Stromsted took fourth for TRIDENT, while ART Grand Prix rookie Taito Kato secured the final point in fifth.

Del Pino now leads the championship standings with five points, followed by Deligny with four. In the Teams’ Championship, Van Amersfoort Racing holds the lead with nine points.

The FIA Formula 3™ field will return for the Feature Race on Sunday morning at 8:50 am local time. This will provide another opportunity for Wharton and fellow Australian Patrick Heuzenroeder to chase points on home soil.