Russell wins Australia season-opener as Mercedes deny Ferrari

George Russell won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix to get his championship bid up and running as Mercedes overcame a gripping early challenge from Ferrari to finish first and second in Melbourne.

Polesitter Russell had lost out to Charles Leclerc and was under pressure from Lewis Hamilton too during an incredible opening phase of the first race of F1's new rules era after the Ferraris had, as widely expected, catapulted off the line from fourth and seventh on the grid.

Leclerc seized the lead from Russell by turn one - the first of an incredible seven changes of lead between the pair in the opening nine laps as they traded positions with amazing regularity as F1's new racing tactics and energy deployment modes played out in gripping live style.

• Australian GP race result | F1 Gossip Column
• F1 2026: Calendar, line-ups, new regulations, how to watch on Sky Sports
• Download the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more📱
• Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

Leclerc emerged at the end of that action-packed early phase still in lead from Russell and Hamilton but the race turned on lap 11 when Isack Hadjar's Red Bull broke down on track to initiate a Virtual Safety Car period.

Mercedes took the chance to pit both of their cars - including Antonelli, who had dropped backwards from second on the grid at the start with deployment issues - but Ferrari stopped neither of theirs.

The Scuderia's cars went all the way to lap 26 and lap 29 respectively before changing tyres but, despite their tyre advantage for the rest of the race, Mercedes' pace on older rubber was such that Russell and Antonelli were able to stay ahead and crucially avoid having to make another pit stop.

"What Ferrari gave up was track position and they lost control of the race," said Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle.

"That was the critical thing."

With Russell beating Antonelli by 2.9s, Leclerc finished 15 seconds behind the leading Silver Arrow - although only just ahead of Hamilton, whose wait for a first Ferrari podium just remained tantalisingly out of reach as the seven-time champion caught his team-mate in the race's closing laps to offer encouragement for a better second season in red.

With Mercedes and Ferrari clear of the pack in race trim - as had been expected after pre-season testing - McLaren and Red Bull had to settle for a battle for fifth between reigning world champion Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

Norris won out, although Verstappen could still be content with his recovery drive from 20th on the grid after qualifying in qualifying.

While Hadjar retired when running well from third on the grid early on, McLaren's Oscar Piastri did not even make the start as the Australian suffered home heartbreak when he crashed on the way to the grid before the race.

There were four Britons in the top eight with Haas' Oliver Bearman and 18-year-old debutant Arvid Lindblad finishing seventh and eighth respectively.

More to follow..

Formula 1 heads to Shanghai for the first Sprint weekend of the 2026 season at the Chinese Grand Prix from this Friday, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime