George Russell won the opening Australian Grand Prix of the season to get his world championship bid up and running as Mercedes overcame a gripping early challenge from Ferrari to finish first and second in Melbourne.
Polesitter Russell had lost out to Charles Leclerc and was also under pressure from Lewis Hamilton during an incredible start to the first race of F1’s new rules era after the Ferraris, as widely expected, were flung off the line from fourth and seventh on the grid.
Leclerc overtook Russell into Turn One – the first of an incredible seven lead changes between the pair in the first nine laps as they swapped positions with astonishing regularity as F1’s new racing tactics and energy utilization modes played out in dramatic live style.
Leclerc emerged at the end of the action-packed early stage, still leading from Russell and Hamilton, but the race stayed on lap 11 when Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull broke down on track to initiate a Virtual Safety Car period.
Mercedes took the chance to pit both their cars – including Antonelli, who had fallen backwards from second at the start with installation problems – but Ferrari stopped neither.
They also chose not to pit during another short VSC when Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac stopped near the entrance to the pit lane.
The Scuderia’s cars instead led all the way to lap 26 and lap 29 respectively before changing tires under normal racing conditions, but despite their tire advantage for the rest of the race, Mercedes’ pace on older rubber was such that Russell and Antonelli were able to stay ahead and, crucially, avoid having to make another pit stop.
“What Ferrari gave up was track position and they lost control of the race,” said Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle.
“That was the critical thing.”
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton’s Ferraris rocket away at the start of the Australian GP
With Russell beating Antonelli by 2.9s, Leclerc finished 15 seconds behind the leading Silver Arrow – though only just ahead of Hamilton, whose wait for a first Ferrari podium remained tantalizingly out of reach as the seven-time champion caught his team-mate in the closing laps of the race to offer encouragement in red for a better second season.
With Mercedes and Ferrari clear of the pack in race trim – as expected after pre-season testing – McLaren and Red Bull, the fastest cars at the end of last season, had to settle for a distant battle for fifth place between reigning world champion Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
Norris won, although Verstappen could still be pleased with his recovery drive from 20th after qualifying in qualifying. Both drivers made two pit stops.
While Hadjar retired when running well from third early on, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri didn’t even start as the Australian suffered heartbreak when he crashed on the way to the pre-race grid.
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Home hero Oscar Piastri crashes on his way to the Australian GP network
All five British drivers in the 2026 field finished in the top eight and therefore scored points.
Haas’ Oliver Bearman was seventh, while 18-year-old debutant Arvid Lindblad managed a fantastic debut weekend in F1 with a fine eighth place for Racing Bulls.
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto – whose team-mate Nico Hulkenberg did not start for technical reasons – was ninth ahead of Alpes’ Pierre Gasly in 10th.
More to follow..
Formula 1 heads to Shanghai for the first sprint weekend of the 2026 season at the Chinese Grand Prix from Friday, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime