Russell leads Mercedes-AMG 1-2 to open new era in Melbourne

George Russell led Mercedes-AMG teammate Kimi Antonelli to a dominant Silver Arrows 1-2 finish at the FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026. The first race of Formula 1®’s new era delivered intense action, though the local crowd was silenced early when Oscar Piastri crashed on the formation lap.

A suspected sudden torque spike from his hybrid Power Unit caused Piastri to lose the rear of his McLaren-Mercedes, ending his race before the lights went out. Once the race began, fans witnessed a thrilling back-and-forth battle for the lead between Russell and the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.

The contest was settled when Russell and Antonelli utilized a Virtual Safety Car on Lap 12 to swap tires. While this handed the lead to the Ferraris, the Mercedes-AMG drivers managed to make their tires last for the remaining 46 laps.

Leclerc finished third, less than a second ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton in his Scuderia debut. The Italian team showed impressive pace, emerging as the only outfit capable of staying within striking distance of the leaders.

Lando Norris secured fifth for McLaren, narrowly holding off a charging Max Verstappen. Starting from the back of the grid, the four-time World Champion sliced through the field to finish just 2.8 seconds behind the Brit.

The battle for the final points featured the next generation of talent, with Oliver Bearman taking seventh for Haas. He edged out Arvid Lindblad, who enjoyed a composed debut for Racing Bulls that included a stint running as high as fourth.

Gabriel Bortoleto scored two points for Audi in ninth after teammate Nico Hülkenberg failed to start due to mechanical issues. Pierre Gasly claimed the final point for Alpine after a race-long duel with teammate Esteban Ocon.

Reliability proved a major factor, particularly for the new Red Bull Power Trains unit. Isack Hadjar ran in the top five early on but retired in a cloud of smoke on Lap 7.

With his sixth career victory, Russell leads the World Championship as the paddock heads to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix next week. The schedule will feature the first Sprint weekend of the season, starting with qualifying on Friday.