Australian Grand Prix: George Russell wins F1 2026 season opener for Mercedes after gripping early Charles Leclerc battle

George Russell received the season-opening Australian Grand Prix to get his world championship bid up and working as Mercedes overcame a gripping early problem from Ferrari to complete first and second in Melbourne.

Polesitter Russell had misplaced out to Charles Leclerc and was underneath strain from Lewis Hamilton too throughout an unimaginable begin to the primary race of F1’s new guidelines period after the Ferraris had, as broadly anticipated, catapulted off the road from fourth and seventh on the grid.

Leclerc overtook Russell into Flip One – the primary of an unimaginable seven adjustments of lead between the pair within the opening 9 laps as they traded positions with wonderful regularity as F1’s new racing ways and power deployment modes performed out in dramatic stay type.

Leclerc emerged on the finish of that action-packed early section nonetheless in lead from Russell and Hamilton however the race turned on lap 11 when Isack Hadjar’s Pink Bull broke down on observe to provoke a Digital Security Automobile interval.

Mercedes took the possibility to pit each of their automobiles – together with Antonelli, who had dropped backwards from second on the grid initially with deployment points – however Ferrari stopped neither of theirs.

In addition they selected to not pit throughout a second temporary VSC when Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac stopped close to the entry to the pit lane.

The Scuderia’s automobiles as a substitute went all the way in which to lap 26 and lap 29 within the lead respectively earlier than altering tyres in regular racing situations however, regardless of their tyre benefit for the remainder of the race, Mercedes’ tempo on older rubber was such that Russell and Antonelli had been in a position to keep forward and, crucially, keep away from having to make one other pit cease.

“What Ferrari gave up was track position and they lost control of the race,” mentioned Sky Sports activities F1’s Martin Brundle.

“That was the critical thing.”

With Russell beating Antonelli by 2.9s, Leclerc completed 15 seconds behind the main Silver Arrow – though solely simply forward of Hamilton, whose await a primary Ferrari podium simply remained tantalisingly out of attain because the seven-time champion caught his team-mate within the race’s closing laps to supply encouragement for a greater second season in crimson.

With Mercedes and Ferrari away from the pack in race trim – as had been anticipated after pre-season testing – McLaren and Pink Bull, the quickest automobiles on the finish of final season, needed to accept a distant battle for fifth between reigning world champion Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

Norris received out, though Verstappen might nonetheless be content material together with his restoration drive from twentieth on the grid after qualifying in qualifying. Each drivers made two pit stops.

Whereas Hadjar retired when working effectively from third on the grid early on, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri didn’t even make the beginning because the Australian suffered residence heartbreak when he crashed on the way in which to the grid earlier than the race.

All 5 British drivers within the 2026 subject completed within the prime eight and due to this fact scored factors.

Haas’ Oliver Bearman was seventh whereas 18-year-old debutant Arvid Lindblad capped a stellar debut weekend in F1 with a wonderful eighth for Racing Bulls.

Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto – whose team-mate Nico Hulkenberg didn’t take the beginning on technical grounds – was ninth forward of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in tenth.

Extra to observe..

Components 1 heads to Shanghai for the primary Dash weekend of the 2026 season on the Chinese language Grand Prix from this Friday, stay on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime