Formula 1

Who won the Australian GP? F1 results and World Championship standings

A dramatic start to Formula 1’s new generation of cars produced early battles, strategic chaos and a clear opening statement from Mercedes.

A dramatic start to Formula 1’s new generation of cars produced early battles, strategic chaos and a clear opening statement from Mercedes.

George Russell opened Formula 1’s new technical era in emphatic fashion, leading a dominant Mercedes one-two in the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, with rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli finishing second and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completing the podium ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

The British driver controlled the race in Melbourne once the opening phase settled, ultimately winning in 1:23:06.801. Antonelli crossed the line 2.974 seconds behind, sealing a powerful start to the season for Mercedes under the sport’s new regulations. Leclerc finished 15.519 seconds back in third, while Hamilton placed fourth in his Ferrari debut season.

Behind the leading quartet, Lando Norris brought his McLaren home fifth ahead of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. Oliver Bearman secured seventh for Haas, with Arvid Lindblad eighth for Racing Bulls and Gabriel Bortoleto ninth for Audi. Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten for Alpine.

Further down the order, Esteban Ocon finished 11th for Haas, followed by Alex Albon’s Williams and Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls. Franco Colapinto ended up 14th for Alpine, while Carlos Sainz struggled to 15th in the Williams after losing two laps to the leaders.

Sergio Pérez finished 16th in the Cadillac entry. Lance Stroll came home 17th for Aston Martin, 15 laps behind, while Fernando Alonso retired on lap 21. Valtteri Bottas also failed to finish after retiring on lap 15 for Cadillac, and Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull race ended on lap 10.

Two drivers never took the start in Melbourne: McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg.

2026 Australian Grand Prix results

  1. George Russell (Great Britain/Mercedes) – 1:23:06.801
  2. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Italy/Mercedes) – +2.974
  3. Charles Leclerc (Monaco/Ferrari) – +15.519
  4. Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain/Ferrari) – +16.144
  5. Lando Norris (Great Britain/McLaren) – +51.741
  6. Max Verstappen (Netherlands/Red Bull) – +54.617
  7. Oliver Bearman (Great Britain/Haas) – 1 lap
  8. Arvid Lindblad (Great Britain/Racing Bulls) – 1 lap
  9. Gabriel Bortoleto (Brazil/Audi) – 1 lap
  10. Pierre Gasly (France/Alpine) – 1 lap
  11. Esteban Ocon (France/Haas) – 1 lap
  12. Alex Albon (Thailand/Williams) – 1 lap
  13. Liam Lawson (New Zealand/Racing Bulls) – 1 lap
  14. Franco Colapinto (Argentina/Alpine) – 2 laps
  15. Carlos Sainz (Spain/Williams) – 2 laps
  16. Sergio Pérez (Mexico/Cadillac) – 3 laps
  17. Lance Stroll (Canada/Aston Martin) – +15 laps
  18. Fernando Alonso (Spain/Aston Martin) – retired, lap 21
  19. Valtteri Bottas (Finland/Cadillac) – retired, lap 15
  20. Isack Hadjar (France/Red Bull) – retired, lap 10
  21. Oscar Piastri (Australia/McLaren) – did not start
  22. Nico Hülkenberg (Germany/Audi) – did not start

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