George Russell converted Mercedes’ pre-season promise into the first pole position of the 2026 Formula 1 season after producing a stunning late lap in Australian Grand Prix qualifying. The Briton clocked a 1:18.518 to go quickest at Albert Park, beating team-mate Kimi Antonelli to secure a Mercedes front-row lockout in Melbourne.
Antonelli briefly looked set to take a shock pole after jumping to the top in the closing stages, but Russell responded immediately to underline Mercedes’ early advantage under the new regulations.
Behind the dominant Silver Arrows, Isack Hadjar delivered a huge statement on his Red Bull debut by taking third, ending the session nearly eight tenths off pole but comfortably ahead of the chasing pack.
McLaren could not match Mercedes’ pace, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris unable to break up the front-row sweep, while Ferrari endured a more difficult session as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were left off the pace in the fight for pole.
Hamilton could manage only seventh, capping a dramatic qualifying hour that had already seen Max Verstappen knocked out in Q1 and several incidents and investigations add to the chaos.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Laps | Best Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell RUS #63 FL 1:18.518 | Mercedes | 22 | 1:18.518 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli ANT #12 | Mercedes | 18 | +0.293 |
| 3 | Isack Hadjar HAD #6 | Red Bull Racing | 19 | +0.785 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc LEC #16 | Ferrari | 23 | +0.809 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri PIA #81 | McLaren | 25 | +0.862 |
| 6 | Lando Norris NOR #1 | McLaren | 25 | +0.957 |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton HAM #44 | Ferrari | 24 | +0.960 |
| 8 | Arvid Lindblad LIN #41 | Racing Bulls | 24 | +1.453 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson LAW #30 | Racing Bulls | 23 | +1.476 |
| 10 | Gabriel Bortoleto BOR #5 | Audi | 14 | +1.703 |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg HUL #27 | Audi | 18 | +1.785 |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman BEA #87 | Haas F1 Team | 18 | +1.793 |
| 13 | Esteban Ocon OCO #31 | Haas F1 Team | 18 | +1.973 |
| 14 | Pierre Gasly GAS #10 | Alpine | 18 | +1.983 |
| 15 | Alexander Albon ALB #23 | Williams | 19 | +2.423 |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto COL #43 | Alpine | 18 | +2.682 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso ALO #14 | Aston Martin | 10 | +3.451 |
| 18 | Sergio Perez PER #11 | Cadillac | 7 | +4.087 |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas BOT #77 | Cadillac | 8 | +4.726 |
| 20 | Max Verstappen VER #3 | Red Bull Racing | 2 | +23.507 |
| 21 | Carlos Sainz SAI #55 | Williams | 0 | No time |
| 22 | Lance Stroll STR #18 | Aston Martin | 0 | No time |
