Australian GP Results: George Russell leads Mercedes to one-two victory in Melbourne

Formula 1’s bold new technical era is officially underway with a silver car crossing the line first.

George Russell converted pole to victory on Sunday, March 8, claiming a historic victory at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, leading home teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli to secure a perfect 1-2 finish for Mercedes-AMG.

While the Albert Park circuit was bathed in autumn sunshine, the race was a chaotic introduction to the new 2026 power units and active aerodynamics.

The race turned on Lap 14 when Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull ground to a halt at Turn 11, triggering a Virtual Safety Car (VSC).

While Ferrari's front-row starters Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton opted to stay out to maintain track position, Mercedes rolled the dice, double-stacking Russell and Antonelli for fresh hard-compound tires. The gamble paid dividends.

As the Ferraris struggled with tire degradation in the latter half of the race, Russell and Antonelli used their fresh rubber to carve through the field. Russell seized the lead from Leclerc on Lap 38 with a daring move into the high-speed Turn 9 chicane, never looking back.

Despite the result, technical data suggests Ferrari may have the most competitive car for the 2026 season. Analysis showed the Italian outfit had the highest minimum corner speeds, carrying roughly 12 km/h more than Mercedes through medium-speed turns.

Lando Norris finished 5th in the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, over 50 seconds behind race winner Russell. Despite entering as the reigning World Champion, Norris struggled with the McLaren MCL40's pace relative to the front-running Mercedes and Ferrari cars. 

Meanwhile, four-time champion Max Verstappen finished 6th on Sunday, executing a strong recovery drive at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit after a disastrous start to the weekend. 

Verstappen’s weekend began with a shock Q1 exit after he crashed during his first flying lap on Saturday. He was forced to start the race from 20th (the back of the grid). Despite the poor starting position, Verstappen showcased his characteristic racecraft to climb through the field. Although he moved forward, the Red Bull appeared to lack the outright pace of the Mercedes and Ferrari under the new 2026 regulations, finishing over 54 seconds behind race winner George Russell.

The day was a mix of triumph and heartbreak for the grid’s newest faces. 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli justified the hype with a poised drive to P2 in his debut race.

Further down the order, Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) both secured points on their debuts, with Bortoleto scoring Audi’s first-ever championship points.

However, the local crowd was left silenced before the lights even went out. Oscar Piastri, Australia's great hope, lost control of his McLaren on the damp grass during the reconnaissance lap, hitting the wall and ending his race before it began.

As he crossed the finish line, Russell's initial celebration was directed toward the new W17 and its power unit. "Very nice, very nice. I like this car, I like this engine!", the 28-year-old driver said.

Russell also highlighted the difficult start and the strategic nature of the new 2026 regulations. "Feeling incredible. It was a hell of a fight at the beginning... I got on the grid, I saw my battery level, I had nothing in the tank, made a bad start, and then obviously had some really tight battles with Charles."

During the official press conference, Russell remained grounded about leading the World Championship for the first time: "It just feels like another race win, to be honest. I mean, we're race one into a very long season... if we want to do that [fight for the title], we still need to raise our game because there were a lot of areas today that we underachieved."

When asked about reigning champion Lando Norris calling the new cars "the worst" to drive, Russell dismissed the comments as "selfish," suggesting Norris wouldn't be complaining if he were winning.

• 1. George Russell - Mercedes

• 2. Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes

• 3. Charles Leclerc - Ferrari

• 4. Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari

• 5. Lando Norris - McLaren

• 6. Max Verstappen - Red Bull

• 7. Oliver Bearman - Haas

• 8. Arvid Lindblad -Racing Bulls

• 9. Gabriel Bortoleto - Audi

• 10. Pierre Gasly - Alpine

• 11. Esteban Ocon - Haas

• 12. Alex Albon - Williams

• 13. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls

• 14. Franco Colapinto - Alpine

• 15. Carlos Sainz Jr. - Williams

• 16. Sergio Pérez - Cadillac

• 17. Lance Stroll - Aston Martin

• DNF: Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin (Retired)

• DNF: Valtteri Bottas - Cadillac (Retired)

• DNF: Isack Hadjar - Red Bull (Retired)

• DNS: Oscar Piastri - McLaren Technical/Crash

• DNS: Nico Hülkenberg - Audi Technical