George Russell seals win as Mercedes claim top 2 in 1st race of F1 2026

Mercedes driver George Russell raced to triumph, finishing 2.97 seconds ahead of his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the opening race of the Formula One 2026 season at Australian Grand Prix. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton sealed third and fourth positions. Notably, Max Verstappen who had started from P20 after crashing out in Qualifying, finished sixth.