Charles Leclerc (left) and George Russell (right) engaged in a fierce battle. © ANSA / JOEL CARRETT

Mercedes and Ferrari are in a league of their own.

Mercedes achieved a commanding one-two finish at the start of the new rule era in Formula 1, with Ferrari close behind.

March 08, 2026

From: apa

World Championship favorite George Russell won Sunday's Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, finishing ahead of his teammate Kimi Antonelli. The Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were the second strongest force, finishing third and fourth respectively. World Champion Lando Norris finished fifth in his McLaren, while Red Bull star Max Verstappen moved up from 20th on the grid to sixth.

Oscar Piastri experienced a huge disappointment. The local hero lost control of his McLaren on his way to the starting grid and, just like Verstappen had done the previous day in qualifying, crashed into the barriers. A race start was out of the question, and the more than 100.000 fans at the track had to do without their favorite driver. "The moment I crashed, I had more power than I expected," explained last year's third-place finisher in the World Championship. "This is obviously a disappointment; it hurts a lot."

Lightning start and questionable strategy at Ferrari

Ferrari delivered the expected lightning start. Leclerc took the lead from fourth on the grid and then battled with pole-sitter Russell for several laps. Both drivers clearly used the additional electric power from the new power units in different sections of the track, resulting in numerous lead changes. Hamilton also briefly joined the fight.

Ferrari overtook everyone at the start. © APA/afp / MARTIN KEEP

The race ended when Isack Hadjar's Red Bull, in his first race as Verstappen's teammate, gave up the ghost on lap 11. Russell and Antonelli used the subsequent Virtual Safety Car for a tire change, while Ferrari surprisingly kept both drivers out on track. "At least one of us should have come in," Hamilton criticized over the radio.

Two top teams in their own league

The record world champion was proven right: the chance of victory was gone because Ferrari had to make their pit stops mid-race, by which time the two Mercedes had already closed the gap on fresh tires. A further virtual safety car after Valtteri Bottas retired was unusable because he had to park his broken-down Cadillac next to the pit lane entrance.

Kimi Antonelli (left) and George Russell (right) are delighted. © ANSA / JOEL CARRETT

Leclerc pitted first, briefly putting Hamilton in the lead. In the second half of the race, Mercedes controlled the pace. Russell and Antonelli were consistently around six seconds apart, finishing just under three. "I love this car, I love this engine," exclaimed Englishman Russell over the radio after his sixth career Grand Prix victory. Leclerc and Hamilton, close behind, posted similar lap times to Mercedes in the closing stages, but the competition was already significantly behind the two leading teams. Norris finished 51 seconds back, Verstappen 54. All other drivers were lapped.