Australia, Mercedes restarts strongly: Russell ahead of Antonelli, Ferrari third with Leclerc

The unexpected scene arrives before the traffic light: as the crowd at Albert Park rubs their eyes, Oscar Piastri's McLaren crashes into the barriers on the way to the grid. In the pit lane, the new blue pre-start panels appear, the countdown at five seconds imposes silence, then it's go: the Ferrari springs forward like a rubber band with Charles Leclerc, starting from P4, burning George Russell at the first corner. It's the first frame of a Sunday that kicks off 2026 with new rules, hierarchies to be rewritten, and a tactical plot that, at the finish line, rewards the clear-headedness of Mercedes. Russell restores order, Andrea Kimi Antonelli fights back after a difficult start, and the Reds, despite being very fast, get lost in the maze of pit calls. Numbers in hand: victory for George Russell ahead of Antonelli; Leclerc third, Lewis Hamilton fourth less than a second behind the Monegasque. A photograph that speaks volumes about where Formula 1 is heading in the zero year of the new regulations.

The specific weight of a start: Leclerc takes off, Russell responds

The traffic light extinguishes the wait and ignites instinct. Leclerc transforms traction into leadership at Turn 1, but Russell does not wait: counter-overtake on the next lap, then another turnaround with the Monegasque's “Overtake mode.” It's an elegant yet rough head-to-head, while Hamilton stays there, within DRS range, like a metronome ready to dictate the Mercedes cadence if something goes wrong. However, the turning point does not happen on the track: it is triggered by two close Virtual Safety Cars, first for the stop of Isack Hadjar's Red Bull, then for the exit of Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac. Mercedes takes advantage: double pit stop in sync and hard tires to go long. At Ferrari, they bet on the opposite, staying out. It's the move that, in hindsight, frames the outcome.

The move that decides: a single stop, a lot of management

In the paddock, the eve brought a certainty: at Albert Park, the fastest strategy, with mild temperatures and tire wear under control, was the one-stop. Mercedes executed it at the right moment thanks to the two VSC, finding themselves in front when the Ferraris returned to the pits under green flag conditions. From there, the equation is perfect: consistent pace, preserved tires, no hesitation in battles with lapped cars. At the finish line, Russell closes in 1:23:06.801 with +2.974s over Antonelli and +15.519s over Leclerc; Hamilton is also glued to the top 3, +0.625s from the Monegasque. For the Englishman from Mercedes, it is the sixth victory of his career, sealed with a team leader's performance; for Brackley, it is a double victory that has been missing in a World Championship opener since Melbourne 2019.

Antonelli, adult debut: there’s personality under the helmet

The lights betray Andrea Kimi Antonelli: complicated start, positions lost down to P7. But the nineteen-year-old from Bologna keeps his foot and head steady. He capitalizes on the call to the pits under VSC, digs clean laps in traffic, and, above all, does not waste tires in the anxiety of recovery. In the second half of the race, he consolidates P2 and, in the final laps, stays within three seconds of his teammate: a strong signal, without frills. It’s a second place that carries weight for what it tells Toto Wolff and the rivals: Mercedes has found not only speed but also balance between two drivers capable of bringing home valuable points with different styles.

Ferrari, speed is there: victory slips away in the details

In the opening battle, Leclerc shows that the Ferrari 2026 has sharp claws. The pace in clean air is real, as is the feeling that, without the inertia dictated by the VSC, the Red could have built a controlling race. At the end of the race, Leclerc is honest: stopping at the first Virtual? "I don't think it would have given us the victory," he admits. The SF-26 shines on a single lap and in the middle stint, but pays in the overall overcut. Hamilton, on equivalent tires and with the same one-stop strategy, arrives less than one second behind: a numerical detail that tells how the Mercedes had that extra bit of consistency in pace. For Maranello, however, it is a substantial podium and a P4 with Hamilton ahead that captures a tighter top balance compared to recent past.

Hamilton, silent directing and final pressing

Far from the spotlight of the duel ahead, Lewis Hamilton builds a professor-like race: tire economy, timing reading, psychological pressure in the final on Leclerc without pushing beyond the risk threshold. The reduced gap of 0.625s indicates that the W15 2026 has traction, stability in entry, and, above all, a convincing energy-tire management in the last third of the race. In the long Championship of 24 Grands Prix, these are the points that often count more than an occasional victory.

Verstappen and Norris, different chess games

The variables of Saturday weigh like lead. Max Verstappen brushes the wall in Q1 and starts from the back; the Sunday progression is surgical up to the final P6, glued to Lando Norris, fifth with a fast McLaren but almost one minute behind the winner. This is the other news of the day: in the first significant confrontation, Norris's 2025 title is not (yet) able to replicate the brilliance of last season's finale. The feeling is that, in race pace, he lacks a few tenths with a full tank and in long stints.

Rookies scoring points and "new entries" learning quickly

The 2026 brings new faces and new emblems to the grid. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) impresses positively, scoring points on his debut with a courageous P8; Oliver Bearman (Haas) also performs well, finishing P7 with maturity in pace and management. Among the institutional debutants, the first smile for Audi: Gabriel Bortoleto finishes P9, entering the top-10 in the debut race for the Ingolstadt manufacturer as an official team. Chapter Cadillac: a bittersweet Sunday, with Sergio Pérez finishing at the back of the pack and Valtteri Bottas halted under VSC; for a newborn eleventh team, the goal now is to rack up kilometers and data. These are pieces that explain why this championship promises intertwined technical and sporting narratives like we haven't seen in years.