The 2026 Australian Grand Prix, the season opener for Formula 1’s new regulation era at Albert Park, saw George Russell secure a statement victory in a dominant 1-2 finish for Mercedes alongside teammate Kimi Antonelli.
The weekend was packed with drama, starting with Max Verstappen crashing out in Q1 and having to start from the back of the grid. On race day, local favorite Oscar Piastri heartbreakingly crashed his McLaren on the warm-up lap, making it the first Australian Grand Prix without an Australian driver in the race since 2001.
Despite an early lead and a strategy gamble from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc – who ultimately rounded out the podium in third – Mercedes maintained absolute control to seal the win.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Tyre | Best | Last | Gap | Int | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George RUSSELL RUS #63 | Mercedes | H | 1:22.670 | 1:23.351 | LEADER | — | — |
| 2 | Kimi ANTONELLI ANT #12 | Mercedes | H | 1:22.417 | 1:22.653 | +2.974 | +2.974 | — |
| 3 | Charles LECLERC LEC #16 | Ferrari | H | 1:22.579 | 1:23.317 | +15.519 | +12.545 | — |
| 4 | Lewis HAMILTON HAM #44 | Ferrari | H | 1:22.423 | 1:22.637 | +16.144 | +0.625 | — |
| 5 | Lando NORRIS NOR #1 | McLaren | M | 1:22.358 | 1:23.046 | +51.741 | +35.597 | — |
| 6 | Max VERSTAPPEN VER #3 FL 1:22.091 | Red Bull Racing | H | 1:22.091 | 1:23.533 | +54.617 | +2.876 | — |
| 7 | Oliver BEARMAN BEA #87 | Haas F1 Team | H | 1:24.020 | 1:26.649 | 1L | +33.509 | — |
| 8 | Arvid LINDBLAD LIN #41 | Racing Bulls | H | 1:24.182 | 1:24.689 | 1L | +7.223 | — |
| 9 | Gabriel BORTOLETO BOR #5 | Audi | H | 1:23.257 | 1:24.821 | 1L | +0.959 | — |
| 10 | Pierre GASLY GAS #10 | Alpine | H | 1:24.486 | 1:24.837 | 1L | +16.252 | — |
| 11 | Esteban OCON OCO #31 | Haas F1 Team | H | 1:24.424 | 1:24.573 | 1L | +0.823 | — |
| 12 | Alexander ALBON ALB #23 | Williams | S | 1:24.375 | 1:26.268 | 1L | +26.225 | — |
| 13 | Liam LAWSON LAW #30 | Racing Bulls | S | 1:23.783 | 1:26.317 | 1L | +1.098 | — |
| 14 | Franco COLAPINTO COL #43 | Alpine | S | 1:22.926 | 1:23.621 | 2L | +37.631 | — |
| 15 | Carlos SAINZ SAI #55 | Williams | S | 1:23.590 | 1:24.823 | 2L | +28.399 | — |
| 16 | Sergio PEREZ PER #11 | Cadillac | S | 1:26.070 | 1:28.957 | 3L | +55.787 | — |
| 17 | Lance STROLL STR #18 | Aston Martin | S | 1:25.410 | 1:25.919 | 15L | 12L | — |
| 18 | Fernando ALONSO ALO #14 | Aston Martin | S | 1:25.713 | 1:28.082 | 37L | 22L | RETIRED |
| 19 | Valtteri BOTTAS BOT #77 | Cadillac | H | 1:27.364 | 1:31.330 | 43L | 6L | STOPPED |
| 20 | Isack HADJAR HAD #6 | Red Bull Racing | M | 1:25.239 | 1:25.363 | 48L | 5L | STOPPED |
| 21 | Oscar PIASTRI PIA #81 | McLaren | — | — | — | — | — | RETIRED |
| 22 | Nico HULKENBERG HUL #27 | Audi | H | — | — | — | — | RETIRED |
