The British George Russell achieved victory in Australian Grand Prix 2026first race of the season Formula 1, leading a resounding 1-2 for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team with his partner Kimi Antonelli.
The race held at Albert Park Circuit had a decisive moment during a virtual safety car period, when Mercedes executed a double pit stop that allowed it to strategically overtake Charles Leclerc, who had taken the lead at the start.
This result marked the 61st one-two in Mercedes’ Formula 1 history and the first since the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Ferrari took the lead at the start
Russell started from pole position, but had a difficult start that allowed Scuderia Ferrari driver Leclerc to take advantage of faster acceleration to take the lead into the first corner.
During the first laps, the Monegasque driver and Russell engaged in an intense battle for the lead, exchanging positions until Isack Hadjar’s stopped car caused a virtual safety car on lap 12.
Mercedes reacted quickly and called its two drivers to the pits in a double stop that was key to changing the course of the race.
Antonelli climbs back to second place
The Italian Antonelli also had a difficult start when he fell to seventh position after the start, but managed to come back with aggressive overtaking to place second.
The young driver thus completed a great result for Mercedes in the first race of the championship.
Leclerc finished third and scored his first podium with Ferrari since last season’s Mexican Grand Prix, although he acknowledged that his team’s strategy prevented him from fighting for victory.
His teammate, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, crossed the finish line in fourth position after putting pressure on him in the final laps.
Piastri abandons and Verstappen comes back
The start of the weekend also left a blow for local fans. Australian Oscar Piastri abandoned before the start after suffering an accident on the way to the grid, apparently caused by a problem in the power unit of his McLaren Racing car.
His teammate Lando Norris finished fifth after recovering from a bad start.
For his part, the Dutchman Max Verstappen staged a great comeback by advancing from position 20 on the grid to sixth place at the end of the 58 laps.
First points for Audi in its debut
Britain’s Oliver Bearman finished seventh for Haas F1 Team, while rookie Arvid Lindblad was eighth in his first race in Formula 1.
Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto finished ninth and scored the first points for Audi on his Formula 1 debut, while Pierre Gasly completed the top 10 for Alpine F1 Team.
With this result, Russell begins the season as the first leader of the 2026 Formula 1 world championship, while the teams are already setting their sights on the next race on the calendar, the Chinese Grand Prix.
