Formula 1 racing resumed this weekend with the traditional Australian Grand Prix, the first race of the 2026 season, which saw George Russell win for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
The 2026 Formula 1 World Championship got off to a spectacular start on Sunday in Melbourne. On the Albert Park street circuit, George Russell gave Mercedes a convincing opening victory by winning the Australian Grand Prix, the first race of the season.
The Briton finished ahead of his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, giving the German team a one-two finish, while Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari.
Russell gets his season off to a perfect start
Starting from pole position, George Russell dominated the Australian race to claim the first victory of the season. The Mercedes driver crossed the finish line in first place after a solid race ahead of his young teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has already secured a second podium finish in his young Formula 1 career.
This one-two finish marks an ideal start for the German team : both Mercedes cars took advantage of the Virtual Safety Car periods to make their pit stops at the right moment, a strategic decision that allowed them to maintain their advantage over Ferrari.
Behind them, Charles Leclerc saved the Scuderia‘s honor by finishing third, while Lewis Hamilton, now the Monegasque driver’s teammate at Ferrari, finished fourth.
Ferrari showed promising pace throughout the Australian weekend, but some strategic decisions cost the Italian team dearly. While Mercedes took advantage of the neutralizations to pit, the Scuderia chose to stay on track, losing an opportunity to compete for the win.
Nevertheless, the overall performance of the SF-26 suggests a potential duel with Mercedes as the season progresses. Lewis Hamilton, in his first full race with the Italian team, showed encouraging signs with his engineers, an essential factor in the development of this new sporting project.
New rules already controversial
This first race of the season also marked the introduction of new technical regulations in Formula 1 : the 2026 single-seaters are based on a major evolution in hybrid engines, with a much greater share of electric power, now equivalent to that of the combustion engine. The MGU-H system, in use since 2014, has also been abandoned, and teams must now use entirely sustainable fuel.
In addition, the cars have been redesigned to be more compact and lighter, with active aerodynamics designed to improve performance during different phases of the race. These changes make the sport more sustainable while enhancing the spectacle on the track, although their real effects on strategies and overtaking are only beginning to be seen in the first races of the season.
However, several drivers have already been quick to criticize these new racing dynamics, with some believing that the speed differences generated by the energy systems make the competition artificial and potentially dangerous. The number of overtakes has also increased significantly, with around 120 maneuvers recorded, compared to 45 in the previous edition.
And as is often the case, the first round of a championship marked by new technical rules has led to retirements, such as Oscar Piastri, who was involved in an accident during the formation lap in front of his home crowd, and Nico Hülkenberg, who was unable to start the race due to a technical problem with his Audi. Unfortunately, French driver Isack Hadjar was also forced to retire on lap 12 after his engine failed.
The next race is next week at the Chinese Grand Prix, where Mercedes will attempt to confirm its dominance after Melbourne.
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