It was not the fact that they secured the first two starting spots that worried the fans, but the big advantage they had.
Before the very start of the race, we lost two drivers. Home hero Oscar Piastri (McLaren) spun on the exit lap on the track and did not take part in the race. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) arrived at his starting place, but was sent back to the garage due to problems with the car.
Oscar Piastri has crashed and is OUT of the Australian Grand Prix before it begins #F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/5prGby7dNC
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 8, 2026
There was a lot of talk during testing about the starts, how great Ferrari is in that segment, and the first start of the season showed exactly that. Charles Leclerc led the race from fourth place already in the first corner, and his colleague Lewis Hamilton, who came from seventh place to third, had an equally good start. The tragic start was Antonelli, who dropped to seventh place, and debutant Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), who jumped from ninth to fourth place, also impressed.
This is how the frantic race started unfolding in Albert Park! #F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/2vRc65bD7d
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 8, 2026
The first laps of the race were marked by a battle between Leclerc and Russell. We had the opportunity for the first time in history to see how racing will work with the help of the “overtake” button, which drains the battery for extra speed on the straight. The race lead changed several times, but still Leclerc came out ahead in that first battle during the opening laps.
All the way around the outside for Charles Leclerc!
He currently retains the lead after re-taking P1 from George Russell#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/eZbtolNKyd
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 8, 2026
In the ninth lap, Russell attacked Leclerc, but made a mistake and that fight between the two completely involved Hamilton in the fight for the top. At the same time, after a bad start, Antonelli also joined the leading three, so we had as many as four cars within three seconds. In the 11th lap we got the first retirement during the race when the Red Bull-Ford engine in Isack Hadjar’s car failed and the first Virtual Safety Car (VSC) of the season came out. Mercedes decided to pull both of their cars to change tires, while Ferrari did not react and both cars remained on the track. During that VSC, Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) went into the pits and ended his performance.
After only three rounds of racing, the new VSC because Valtteri Bottas retired. Those who did not change tires a few laps ago took advantage of a new opportunity. In the 19th lap, only the leading Ferrari duo did not change tires. After all those tire changes, four-time champion Max Verstappen, who started 20th due to a crash in qualifying following car problems, made it to sixth.
In the 25th lap, the move was made by Ferrari: Leclerc was the first to go to change tires, exactly as planned, and he came out in fourth place, 17 seconds behind the first place, but also with fresher tires than Mercedes with 13 laps. Three laps later Russell overtook Hamilton on his fresher tires and returned to the lead, with the Briton in the Ferrari going for a tire change that lap.
Russell gets back into the lead!
Could this be the move which decides the race for the Mercedes driver? #F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/sBvZkbysGe
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 8, 2026
On the 34th lap, there was another short break in the race: the third VSC was caused by Sergio Pérez’s Cadillac, which had a part of the car fall off and remained on the track, and at the top we had a “game” in which we watched the times to see if the two Ferraris could catch up with the two Mercedes with younger tires.
Except for some fights in the middle of the order, we didn’t have too many events on the track. Oliver Bearman in Haas overtook Lindblad to take seventh place, and Verstappen continued his hunt for Lando Norris (McLaren) in the fight for fifth place after both went for their second tire change. In the end, the Dutchman failed to overtake the reigning champion and finished in sixth place after starting 20th, but was awarded the driver of the day award according to the audience’s vote.
At the top, too, nothing has changed. Mercedes calmly cruised to a double victory after they outwitted Ferrari with a strategic decision to go for a tire change during the VSC. Russell turns the best starting position into his first win of the season, his sixth of his career, Antonelli bounced back well after a terrible start, and Ferrari will have a lot to regret as they once again lost the potential for a better result due to bad decisions. However, they showed that they will still have something to say in the fight for victories in future races. We should also praise Audi, which in its first race ever, with its debut engine, got the first points with the ninth place of Gabriel Bortolet, writes Sportske novosti.
Final standings:
1. Geroge Russell (Mercedes)
2. Kimi Antonell (Mercedes)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
8. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
9. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
11. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
12. Alexander Albon (Williams)
13. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
14. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
15. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
16. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
Opted out: Valterri Bottas (Cadillac), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
(Vijesti.ba)
