George Russell won the season-opening 2026 Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, leading a dominant one-two finish for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team at the Albert Park Circuit.
Russell started from pole position and controlled much of the race to secure the victory in the first round of the Formula One season. Teammate Kimi Antonelli finished second in an impressive performance in his first full season, giving Mercedes an early lead in the constructors’ championship.
Charles Leclerc finished third for Scuderia Ferrari, while teammate Lewis Hamilton placed fourth. Lando Norris completed the top five for McLaren Formula One Team.
The race followed a competitive weekend that began with practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, as teams worked to understand the new 2026 technical regulations governing aerodynamics and power units. Ferrari and McLaren showed early pace in practice, with Leclerc and Norris posting some of the fastest laps as teams experimented with setups and tire strategies around the 5.278-kilometer (3.28-mile) street circuit at Albert Park.
In qualifying Saturday, however, Mercedes emerged as the team to beat. Russell secured pole position with a strong final lap in Q3, while Antonelli locked out the front row for Mercedes with the second-fastest time. Leclerc qualified third for Ferrari, followed by Hamilton in fourth and Norris in fifth.
Qualifying also produced drama for defending champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing, who crashed late in the session and was forced to start from the back of the grid. Verstappen delivered one of the race’s standout drives Sunday, climbing through the field to finish sixth while setting the fastest lap.
The weekend also brought disappointment for home favorite Oscar Piastri. The McLaren driver struggled during qualifying and his weekend ended before the race after a crash prevented him from taking the start in front of his home crowd.
Leclerc briefly challenged Russell early in the race and at one point took the lead before Mercedes regained control through pit strategy and pace. Russell maintained the advantage through the closing laps to claim the victory and take the early lead in the drivers’ standings.
The 58-lap race marked the beginning of a new era for Formula One with sweeping technical regulation changes affecting car design and power units. Mercedes’ strong performance in Melbourne suggested the team may have adapted quickly to the new rules.
Russell’s win gives him an early lead in the drivers’ championship while Mercedes leaves the opening weekend atop the constructors’ standings as the season heads to its next round.