Russell wins action-packed Australian GP from Antonelli

George Russell secured a dominant victory at the 2026 season-opening Australian Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes 1-2 finish with teammate Kimi Antonelli close behind. The Silver Arrows outmanoeuvred Ferrari with a successful one-stop strategy in an eventful race. Initially, Charles Leclerc surged into the lead from fourth on the grid, engaging in an early battle with Russell. However, Mercedes capitalized on Virtual Safety Car periods to pit both cars, while Ferraris opted to stay out. Despite their aging tyres, Russell and Antonelli maintained their lead as Ferrari's strategy of longer stints failed to close the gap, securing Russell his sixth career win. Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished third and fourth respectively. Lando Norris, McLaren's sole representative after Oscar Piastri's pre-race crash, took fifth. Max Verstappen staged an impressive recovery from 20th to finish sixth. Other points scorers included Oliver Bearman (Haas) in seventh, rookie Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) in eighth on his debut, Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) in ninth in Audi's first race as a works outfit, and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) in tenth. The race also saw Sergio Pérez complete Cadillac's maiden Formula 1 race.