George Russell secured a commanding pole position for Mercedes at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after teammate Kimi Antonelli achieved a front-row lockout for the Silver Arrows.
Russell, who unleashed his pace in Saturday’s final practice, which many Mercedes thought had been held back, produced an exceptional result at Albert Park, finishing nearly three tenths clear of Antonelli, with Isaac Hajjar a further half-second behind him in third place, making it an impressive Red Bull debut.
The Italian teenager’s participation in the session was heavily doubted after a huge crash in final practice, but Mercedes repaired his car in time for him to return to track at the end of Q1.
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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen crashed into the barrier during Q1 of the Australian Grand Prix.
The team is under investigation for putting Antonelli at risk during the third quarter and are anxiously awaiting confirmation of the results. The mechanic apparently forgot to remove the cooling system from his car, which subsequently fell onto the track and McLaren’s Lando Norris hit it, resulting in a red flag.
Russell said: “It was a great day. We knew the car had a lot of potential, but you don’t know until the first Saturday of the season, but this afternoon it really came alive.”
“As the track temperatures drop, we tend to like those conditions. Also, the team has worked extremely hard to deliver this car, so I’m really happy to have Kimi here. They’ve done a great job in the garage as well.”
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George Russell and his Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff were thrilled after taking a commanding pole position in the opening race of the season.
Mercedes repaired Antonelli’s car after suffering a shunt in practice, but was helped by Max Verstappen’s early qualifying crash that brought out a red flag, delaying Q1 and leaving the four-time world champion 20th on the grid.
Hajjar’s fourth place ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was at least a consolation for Red Bull, but Lewis Hamilton was forced to settle for seventh place as the Italian team’s impressive one-lap pace at the start of the weekend was lost when it mattered most.
The Ferraris were split between McLaren’s pairing of Oscar Piastri and Norris, with the reigning world champion falling behind his team-mate after suffering a rolling problem during the session.
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During Q3 in Australia, McLaren’s Lando Norris ran over Kimi Antonelli’s sidepod cooler, knocking him out of the Mercedes.
The Racing Bulls finished second to the ‘big four’ teams, with Liam Lawson and British rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad taking eighth and ninth place, with Audi’s Gabriel Bortleto missing Q3 after breaking down on the way into the pit lane at the end of Q2.
There was some respite for Aston Martin after a nightmare start to the season, with Fernando Alonso finishing 17th, at least ahead of the two rookie Cadillacs.
Alonso’s teammate Lance Stroll was unable to take part due to a problem with the team’s highly problematic Honda power unit, while Williams’ Carlos Sainz also sat out after suffering a technical issue in final practice.
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Arvid Lindblad almost crashed into Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson during his pit stop after Q2.
Hulkenberg, who finished 11th behind teammate Bortleth, suggests Audi will start the season at the front of the midfield with Racing Bulls, an impressive move since the German brand took over the former Sauber team over the winter and built its own engines.
Mercedes and Russell justify pre-season favorite tag team
In F1’s extended pre-season following significant regulation changes, each of F1’s big four teams discussed increasing the pace of their expected leading rivals, but the consensus in the paddock always remained that Mercedes had the car to beat.
Much of the confidence in Mercedes was based on the fact that it had won eight consecutive constructors’ titles the last time F1 introduced a new engine in 2014, but strong results from Ferrari and Red Bull in testing have raised some doubts.
That trend was further reinforced when Ferrari and Red Bull set the pace in first practice in Melbourne on Friday, but Mercedes issued an ominous warning with long-run pace in the second session.
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George Russell took the season-opening pole position for Mercedes at the Australian Grand Prix.
Then, towards the end of Saturday’s final practice, Russell bounced back and Mercedes finally showed what they are capable of, but their strength was somewhat overshadowed by Antonelli’s hard collision with the barriers as he tried to follow his teammate’s lead.
It was a very confusing day for Antonelli, which was actually the only reason there was any doubt about the front row lockout. Antonelli, 19, also crashed into the gravel in qualifying, leaving the team understandably in a frenzy and facing two separate investigations for pit lane gaffes.
Mercedes clearly have the pace advantage at Albert Park, but the first race with the 2026 car’s new power unit and chassis will create new challenges for all 11 teams.
Russell spoke of the dangers of pit stops, but the fairly hot conditions expected on Sunday will likely push the new power unit to its limits, and reliability is always a big question mark in the early stages of new rule-setting.
Sky Sports F1 Australian GP Schedule
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Grammy-nominated Tate McRae’s ‘Just Keep Watching’ will be the new title track of Sky Sports’ F1 coverage from this season onwards as F1 enters a new era
Sunday, March 8th
12:20am: F2 Feature Race*
2:30am: Preparation for Australian Grand Prix: Grand Prix Sunday*
4am: Australian Grand Prix*
6am: Australian Grand Prix reaction: Checkered flag*
7am: Ted’s Notes*
7.55am: Australian GP race replay*
10am: Australian GP Highlights (also on Sky One)*
*Also held at Sky Sports Main Event
Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix this Sunday. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
