George Russell claimed pole position in the first qualifying session of the 2026 Formula 1 season in Melbourne. The Mercedes driver posted a fastest lap of 1 :18.518, cementing the team’s status as the favourite.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli rounded out the Mercedes front‑row, qualifying second with a time of 1 :18.811. Behind them, fellow Mercedes‑driver Isack Hadjar secured third place.
Red Bull’s rookie finished third in a strong debut, just ahead of Charles Leclerc who had to settle for fourth. The McLaren duo followed in fifth and sixth positions, while Lewis Hamilton in the second‑placed Ferrari ended up seventh. On the Racing Bulls team, Liam Lawson out‑performed rookie Arvid Lindblad in the internal duel.
The session was not without incidents. A red flag was shown when a radiator component from Antonelli’s car lay on the track. Max Verstappen was forced to abandon his session after a crash in turn 1. Additionally, Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll were unable to participate in qualifying due to technical problems, so they will start the race from the back of the grid.
