OFFICIAL GRID: Who starts where in Australia

Mercedes has asserted its dominance early in the 2026 F1 season, securing an all-Silver Arrows front row for the Australian Grand Prix. Polesitter George Russell led the charge, with teammate Kimi Antonelli brilliantly qualifying P2 despite heavily damaging his car in a final practice crash. Red Bull Racing saw an impressive debut for Isack Hadjar, who clinched P3 ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, marking a strong start to his career with the team. In stark contrast, four-time champion Max Verstappen endured a disastrous qualifying session, crashing out in Q1 without setting a time and consigning him to start from P20. Reigning champions McLaren showed solid form with local hero Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris locking out the third row. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson will start from P7 and P8 respectively, with Racing Bulls' sole rookie Arvid Lindblad also making a strong impression in P9. Newcomers Audi made a remarkable Q3 appearance thanks to Gabriel Bortoleto. Further back, the new Cadillac team faced a challenging start, with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas lining up P18 and P19. Williams' Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll also failed to set a qualifying time but were granted permission by stewards to start the race, joining Verstappen at the very rear of the grid.