Overview
- George Russell won the Australian Grand Prix with rookie Kimi Antonelli second, as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished third and fourth.
- The new Overtake electric boost, which replaces DRS under the 2026 regulations, produced frequent passes and made battery management decisive.
- Mercedes pitted both cars under an early Virtual Safety Car while Ferrari stayed out, and the shift in track position proved race‑defining.
- Reliability and operational issues marked the opener: Oscar Piastri crashed before the start and did not take the grid, Nico Hülkenberg’s Audi failed with telemetry problems, and several cars retired mid‑race including Isack Hadjar, Valtteri Bottas, and both Aston Martins.
- Max Verstappen recovered from 20th to sixth after a qualifying crash, and Audi salvaged debut points with Gabriel Bortoleto in ninth.