Russell wins as Mercedes seal dominant 1-2 but Piastri falters at home – it’s our Australian GP review

George Russell got his 2026 Championship charge off to the perfect possible start with victory in Melbourne, but Kimi Antonelli ran him close and Ferrari were also in the mix.

The Australian Grand Prix was the first time the fans got to see the new regulations play out in race conditions, with Russell and Charles Leclerc thrilling the crowd by exchanging the lead a handful of times in the opening 10 laps.

The pecking order was also firmed up, with Mercedes and Ferrari battling for the podium, while McLaren and Red Bull were half a step behind.

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer and Channel 10’s Richard Craill join Tom Clarkson in the paddock to discuss all the events from a thrilling season-opener.

Oscar Piastri endured a miserable Sunday in his home city, the Australian crashing out on his way to the grid before the race had even started. That left all eyes on Lando Norris for McLaren, but the World Champion could only come home fifth.

Max Verstappen put in one of his usual impressive recovery drives to make it from 20th on the grid to sixth at the flag, while Ollie Bearman wound up topping the midfield for Haas.

But there were reliability concerns out on track too, with Isack Hadjar parking up for Red Bull, while Valtteri Bottas did not see the chequered flag for Cadillac.

As for Aston Martin, Lance Stroll did complete the race, but he was a number of laps down having briefly retired midway through. His team mate did not see the flag, Fernando Alonso retiring from the opening race after making a blistering start.

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