Australian Grand Prix 2026: George Russell wins in Melbourne as Mercedes secure 1–2 finish

George Russell won the opening race of the 2026 Formula One season at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, guiding Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team to a commanding one-two finish ahead of Ferrari.

The race began with a strong start from Charles Leclerc, who surged from fourth on the grid to take the lead at the start. His Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton also gained positions early, climbing from seventh to third by the end of the opening lap.

Leclerc and Russell then engaged in an intense early battle for the lead, exchanging positions multiple times in the first ten laps as drivers managed the new energy systems introduced under the 2026 regulations. Russell suffered a lock-up at Turn 1 on lap nine while attempting to retake the lead, allowing Leclerc to remain ahead temporarily.

A key moment in the race came when Isack Hadjar retired his Red Bull near the high-speed Turn 9/10 complex, triggering a virtual safety car. Mercedes reacted quickly by pitting Russell and teammate Kimi Antonelli, while Ferrari kept both drivers on track.

The strategy ultimately proved decisive. When Ferrari eventually brought Leclerc and Hamilton in for their pit stops more than ten laps later, both drivers rejoined behind the Mercedes pair. From that point onward, Russell controlled the race and led Antonelli across the finish line to secure Mercedes’ first one-two result since the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Leclerc finished third after defending his position from Hamilton in the closing stages, leaving Ferrari to settle for third and fourth places.

The race also featured early drama for the home crowd, as Australian driver Oscar Piastri crashed out before the race started during a reconnaissance lap. That left Lando Norris as McLaren’s only competitor, with the British driver finishing fifth more than 50 seconds behind Russell.

Max Verstappen produced a recovery drive from 20th on the grid to finish sixth for Red Bull. Haas driver Oliver Bearman finished seventh to lead the midfield battle.

Rookie Arvid Lindblad impressed on his Formula One debut by finishing eighth for Racing Bulls. Gabriel Bortoleto secured two points for Audi with ninth place, while Pierre Gasly completed the top ten for Alpine.

Further down the order, Sergio Pérez finished 16th for Cadillac on the team’s Formula One race debut. His teammate Valtteri Bottas retired after stopping near the pit entry, triggering another virtual safety car earlier in the race.

Both Aston Martin drivers failed to finish, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll retiring after limited running.

The result gives Mercedes a strong start to the 2026 championship as teams continue adapting to the sport’s major technical regulation changes introduced this season.