George Russell delivered a commanding performance to win the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, leading a historic one-two finish for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team ahead of rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli in a thrilling start to the new Formula One era.
The British driver controlled the closing stages at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit, crossing the line 2.974 seconds ahead of Antonelli to secure the sixth victory of his Formula One career and give Mercedes a perfect start to the 2026 campaign.
The race unfolded as a tactical battle between Mercedes and Scuderia Ferrari. Ferrari initially looked strong after Charles Leclerc stormed from fourth on the grid to take the lead into Turn 1, sparking an early duel with Russell.
The pair exchanged positions several times during the opening laps, with Lewis Hamilton also closing in to make it a three-way fight at the front.
However, the race turned during two Virtual Safety Car periods triggered by retirements for Isack Hadjar and Valtteri Bottas. Mercedes seized the moment by pitting both Russell and Antonelli early, while Ferrari kept their drivers out on track.
When the Ferrari duo eventually made their stops, Mercedes reclaimed control of the race — setting up a tense strategic gamble.
Ferrari appeared poised to pressure Mercedes by running longer, but the Silver Arrows opted to commit to a daring one-stop strategy.
Despite running on tyres that were more than 35 laps old, Russell and Antonelli managed their pace perfectly while maintaining a comfortable gap over the Ferraris.
With Leclerc unable to close the distance and Hamilton just behind his teammate, Russell calmly brought the car home to claim the opening victory of the season.
Leclerc secured the final podium place in third, while Hamilton finished just 0.625 seconds behind in fourth.
Reigning World Champion Lando Norris finished fifth for McLaren, holding off a late charge from Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman staged one of the drives of the race by recovering from 20th on the grid to sixth place for Red Bull Racing.
McLaren’s hopes were dented before the race even began when home favourite Oscar Piastri spun on his way to the grid and damaged his car, forcing the Australian to miss his home Grand Prix entirely.
Several young drivers also impressed in Melbourne. Oliver Bearman finished seventh for Haas F1 Team, while rookie Arvid Lindblad scored points on his Formula One debut with eighth place for Racing Bulls.
Gabriel Bortoleto finished ninth in the first race for Audi F1 Team as a full works outfit, while Pierre Gasly completed the top ten for Alpine F1 Team.
The race also marked a milestone for the Cadillac F1 Team, with Sergio Perez finishing the team’s first-ever Formula One race.
Meanwhile, it was a difficult day for Aston Martin F1 Team, with both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll encountering technical issues and failing to be classified at the finish.
Other retirements included Bottas and Hadjar, while Nico Hulkenberg was unable to start the race for Audi due to a technical issue before the formation lap.
The Australian Grand Prix marked the start of a new regulatory era in Formula One, introducing sweeping technical changes across the grid.
Mercedes’ early dominance suggests they could be a major force in the championship battle, but with Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren showing flashes of speed, the title fight is already shaping up to be fiercely competitive.
Credit Photo : AMG
