A new Formula 1 era begins with Russell's pole position.

Mercedes driver George Russell stormed to the first pole position of the new Formula 1 era in a turbulent qualifying session. It was the 28-year-old's eighth career pole.

March 07, 2026

From: dpa

In qualifying for the first Grand Prix after the rule changes in Australia, the Englishman set a time of 1:18,518, relegating his teammate Kimi Antonelli (+0,293 seconds) to second place. Max Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar (+0,785 seconds) will start third in Sunday's opening race (5:00 AM CET). World Champion Lando Norris finished only sixth in his McLaren, just ahead of record champion Lewis Hamilton in his Ferrari.

After Mercedes driver Antonelli lost parts of his fan while driving on the 5,278-kilometer Albert Park Circuit, the final qualifying lap had to be interrupted. Norris then drove over one of these plastic pieces in his McLaren. The incident with Antonelli, who A heavy crash during the final training session The incident was investigated by the stewards.

The podium with Isack Hadjar, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. © APA/afp / WILLIAM WEST

The unfortunate Verstappen failed to set a timed lap. The four-time world champion retired with his Red Bull after a spin Completely unexpectedly, they were eliminated in the first qualifying round at the end of the start-finish straight.

New rulebook

Formula 1 is experiencing what is arguably the biggest rule revolution in its history this season, with new engines and new cars. Since almost 50 percent of the power comes from a battery, drivers are required to constantly manage their energy. Supported by the software in their cars, they must calculate the most advantageous times to recover energy.

Qualification in Melbourne, the result: