Australian Grand Prix - Grid results 2026

The qualifying session for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park circuit was dramatic and highlighted Mercedes’ strong pace. George Russell secured pole position with a dominant lap time of 1:18.518, putting him almost three‑tenths of a second ahead of his teammate Kimi Antonelli, giving Mercedes a front‑row lockout.

The session saw early chaos when Max Verstappen crashed in Q1, locking up the rear axle on his Red Bull and hitting the barrier, which meant he failed to set a competitive time and would start from the back of the grid. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Behind the Mercedes pair, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar impressed by qualifying third on his debut, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and home favorite Oscar Piastri in fifth. Other notable performances included strong runs from McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, while several drivers were eliminated in earlier sessions.

Qualifying showed that Mercedes had the edge early in the season under the new technical regulations, with Russell and Antonelli setting the pace and Red Bull and Ferrari looking to close the gap before the race.