George Russell and Kimi Antonelli delivered a stunning Mercedes 1-2 finish at the Australian Grand Prix, kicking off Formula 1's new technical era with a commanding performance at Albert Park. The Silver Arrows duo managed to escape an early challenge from the Ferraris to secure the team's first victory of the 2026 season.
The race results showed Russell taking the checkered flag with a 2.974-second advantage over his rookie teammate Antonelli, who impressed in his Formula 1 debut. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc claimed the final podium position just ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton, with the scarlet cars finishing third and fourth respectively.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris brought his McLaren home in fifth position, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen recovered from a qualifying crash to finish sixth. Verstappen's performance demonstrated remarkable resilience after his Saturday incident threatened to derail his weekend entirely.
The race saw several notable retirements and incidents that shaped the final classification. McLaren's Oscar Piastri failed to even start the race after crashing on his way to the grid, a devastating blow for the Australian driver competing in his home grand prix.
Aston Martin suffered a double retirement with both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso failing to finish, while Valtteri Bottas' Cadillac also joined the list of retirements. Red Bull's Isack Hadjar was listed as Did Not Start, adding to the team's challenging weekend.
Further down the order, Haas rookie Ollie Bearman scored points in his debut race with a seventh-place finish, followed by Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad in eighth. Gabriel Bortoleto delivered a points finish for Audi in ninth, while Alpine's Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten.
The results mark a significant shift in the competitive order under Formula 1's new technical regulations, with Mercedes appearing to have mastered the new package from the outset. Ferrari showed promising pace but ultimately couldn't match the Silver Arrows' race performance.
Attention now turns to the next round of the championship as teams analyze their performance data from the opening race. The early indications suggest Mercedes has established itself as the team to beat in this new era of Formula 1 competition.
Source: the-race.com