Daijiworld Media Network – Melbourne
Melbourne, Mar 8: George Russell secured victory in the opening race of the 2026 Formula One season as Mercedes outperformed Ferrari at the Australian Grand Prix.
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton made impressive starts to the race. Leclerc surged from fourth on the grid to take the lead, while Hamilton climbed from seventh to third by the end of the opening lap.
Leclerc and Russell then battled intensely for the lead, exchanging positions multiple times in the first 10 laps as drivers adjusted to the season’s energy management requirements.
On lap nine, Russell locked up at Turn 1 while attempting to retake the lead from Leclerc. At that stage, Leclerc led the race with Hamilton and Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli completing the top four.
The race strategy changed when Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull Racing car stopped near the high-speed Turn 9/10 section, triggering a virtual safety car. Mercedes took advantage of the situation by pitting both Russell and Antonelli, while Ferrari kept its drivers on track.
Ferrari eventually brought their drivers in for pit stops, but the delay proved costly. When Leclerc and Hamilton rejoined the race, they were behind both Mercedes cars.
Russell maintained his lead comfortably and crossed the finish line ahead of Antonelli, giving Mercedes its first one-two finish since the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Leclerc held off a late challenge from Hamilton to finish third, leaving Ferrari with third and fourth places.
The race saw disappointment for Australian driver Oscar Piastri, who crashed his McLaren during a reconnaissance lap before the race began. His teammate Lando Norris finished fifth.
Max Verstappen recovered from 20th on the grid to finish sixth, followed by Oliver Bearman in seventh for Haas F1 Team.
Rookie Arvid Lindblad impressed on his debut by finishing eighth for Racing Bulls, while Gabriel Bortoleto secured two points in ninth place for Audi in its debut season.
Pierre Gasly finished tenth for Alpine F1 Team to claim the final point.
Elsewhere, Lance Stroll managed to complete 43 laps for Aston Martin despite a pit-lane stoppage, while teammate Fernando Alonso retired after 21 laps.
Sergio Perez finished 16th for Cadillac on its Formula One race debut, while teammate Valtteri Bottas retired after stopping near the pit entry, bringing out another virtual safety car during the race.