Oscar Piastri out of the race after crashing during installation lap
Incredible drama in Melbourne, as the hometown hero Oscar Piastri, the subject of so much attention during the build-up to the race, is out of the Australian Grand Prix after crashing out in the warm-up lap.
Coming out of turn four, the Australian’s car lost grip as he looked to accelerate, causing him to lose control and watch on helplessly as he went nose-first into the wall.
Key events
Here is Giles Richards’ race report from Albert Park. Thanks for following along and see you next time.
But that’s about all from me this afternoon. Stay tuned for reports from Giles Richards and Jack Snape from on the ground at Albert Park.
For all you petrolheads, I’ll see you next week for the Chinese grand prix. For all the Aussie sporting fans, I’ll see you in a few hours for the Matildas’ Women’s Asian Cup clash with South Korea. Thanks and success.
How it finished in Melbourne
As preseason form suggested, a one-two from Mercedes opens the season, with a Ferrari duo following in third and fourth.
1. Russell Mercedes
2. Antonelli Mercedes
3. Leclerc Ferrari
4. Hamilton Ferrari
5. Norris McLaren
6. Verstappen Red Bull
7. Bearman Haas
8. Linblad Racing Bulls
9. Bortoleto Audi
10. Gasly Alpine
11. Ocon Haas
12. Albon Williams
13. Lawson Racing Bulls
14. Colapinto Alpine
15. Sainz Williams
16. Perez Cadillac
17. Stroll Aston Martin
RET Alonso Aston Martin
RET Bottas Cadillac
RET Hadjar Red Bull
RET Piastri McLaren
RET Hulkenberg Audi
Antonelli is now chatting with Jensen Button on the broadcast.
“Was not the best start we could have wished for, I lost a lot of places and I had to recover. But overall, it was a good race, the pace was really strong especially at the end.
It was really good fun at the beginning!”
Our race winner Russell is speaking on the broadcast.
“It was a hell of a fight at the beginning! I made a bad start, and some really tight battles with Charles at the start; just really glad to cross the finish line.”
While Audi finish in the points through Bortoleto, a nice little moment for new boys Cadillac, too, as while Bottas recorded a DNF, Perez has crossed the line in the American team’s first race – just over a year on from being given the greenlight to field a team in 2026.
A neat little stat on the broadcast. With his win today, Russell has taken the lead in the World Championship for the first time in his career.
George Russell wins the Australian grand prix
Lap 58/58: It’s a Mercedes one-two to open the 2026 Formula One World Championship, as Russell takes the chequered flag in Melbourne, followed by his teammate Antonelli.
‘Wooo! Very nice! Very nice! I like this car, I like this engine!”
Leclerc edges out Hamilton for third – the gap ended up at 0.6 seconds – with Norris holding off a determined charge from Verstappen to take out fifth. Berman finishes seventh while Racing Bulls Lindblad will finish eighth in his debut race.
Audi, meanwhile, will pick up points in their first race as a team as Bortoleto crosses the line in ninth, with Gasly picking up a point for Alpine as he finishes tenth.
57/58: The penultimate lap is done and Russell continues to lead from Mercedes teammate Antonelli.
Leclerc’s gap over Hamilton is shrinking but he should have enough for third. Norris is fifth, Verstappen, sixth, with Berman, Lindblad, Bortoleto, and Gasly also in the points.
Lap 56/58: Hamilton has the gap to Leclerc down to 1.6 seconds but he might just run out of time in his efforts to get on the podium. Bortoleto is less than second back of Lindblad as he looks to jump up to eighth.
Lap 55/58: Russell leads Antonelli by 4.6 seconds, with Leclerc’s lead over Hamilton in third down to two. Norris has very slightly widened the gap between himself and Verstappen, too, as the heavyweights jostle for position.
Lap 54/58: Hamilton has closed the gap between himself and Leclerc to less than three seconds now – regardless of what happens through the remainder of this one, it’s an auspicious start to the season for the Brit after his morose debut season with Ferrari.
Russell continues to lead from Antonelli, followed by Leclerc, Hamilton, Norris, Verstappen, Bearman, Lindblad, Bortoleto, and Gasly in the top ten.
Stroll, meanwhile, has resumed driving after looking as though he’d retired at one point.
Lap 53/58: Antonelli has closed the gap on Russell to five seconds but he almost certainly doesn’t have the laps remaining to overhaul him. Hamilton, meanwhile, on fresher tyres, is just three back from Leclerc.
Lap 51/58: It’s increasingly looking likely that Hamilton’s query as to why one of the two Ferraris didn’t pit during the virtual safety car looks increasingly prescient. The Mercedes remain well, well out in front.
Lap 50/58: Russell’s lead over Antonelli is just under six seconds, while Leclerc is nine and a half back of the sophomore Mercedes driver. Hamilton, for his part, trails his teammate in third by three seconds, with a gap over thirty seconds then existing to Norris in fifth.
Lap 49/58: With less than ten laps remaining, Russell, who is going to go all the way through to the finish on his tyres, leads from Antonelli. The Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton are doing their best to close the gap, with Hamilton in fourth place also trying to move in on Leclerc in third.
Norris continues to defend fifth from Verstappen, while Bearman has opened up a bit of a gap on Lindblad. Bortoleto’s Audi is in the points in ninth, while Gasly’s Alpine rounds out the top ten.
Lap 48/58: The battle between Norris and Verstappen continues, with the Dutchman less than a second back of his rival in the McLaren. Further ahead, Hamilton continues to close the gap on Leclerc while Antonelli is creeping a bit closer to Russell.
Lap 47/58: Hamilton has started to close the gap on Leclerc in third – the Brit’s Ferrari now less than four seconds behind his teammate’s.
Lap 46/58: Verstappen is pushing Norris with everything he has, which the defending champion’s garage get on the radio to let him know.
Word, meanwhile, is that Russell is going to try and push to the end on the hard tyres he had put on during the race’s first virtual safety car. A high-risk, high-reward strategy.
Lap 45/58: Verstappen is putting his new tyres to work, setting a new fastest lap as he closes back in on Norris and looks to resume that battle. Ahead of them, Russell leads the race still from Antonelli, Leclerc, and Hamilton, while behind them, Bearman, Lindblad, Bortoleto, and Gasly round out the top ten.
Lap 43/58: Verstappen pulls into the pits, now confirmed to be on a two-stop strategy. He emerges in sixth position on hard tyres.
Lap 41/58: Russell continues to lead the Australian grand prix, with his teammate Antonelli trailing in second. The Ferrari of Leclerc rounds out the podium, with the Monégasque driver’s teammate Hamilton in fourth. Verstappen has come from the second-last row of the grid to occupy fith place, with defending champion Norris behind him. Bearman trails them in seventh, followed Lindblad, Bortoleto, Gasly in the top ten.
Lap 40/58: Two more retirements, with the Aston Martins of Stroll and Alonso waving the white flag. Bearman and Lindblad are tussling fiercely for the seventh spot, with the former taking the position and then defending an aggressive re-take attempt by the latter.
Lap 39/58: Leclerc has set a new fastest lap as he looks to close the gap on the two Mercedes that lead the race. Bortoleto has moved past Ocon and taken a place in the top ten, with Gasly not too far ahead.
Lap 38/58: Bottas, Hadjard, Piastri, and Hulkenberg remain our only four scratchings, thus far. Norris, meanwhile, has gone past Bearman and has now set his sights on Lindblad.
Lap 37/58: Russell is going hell for leather at the front of the pack. Perhaps the signal has come through to flog the tyres as they’re going to need to execute a two-stopper?
After pitting for the second time, Norris is all over the back of Bearman, trying to move into seventh.
Lap 36/58: Norris emerges in eighth as the only driver in the top ten to have pitted twice.
The Mercedes lead, followed by the Ferraris. Verstappen is fifth, trailed by the Racing Bulls of Lindblad, the Haas of Bearman, Norris in his McLaren, Gasly’s Alpine, and the Haas of Ocon.
Lap 35/58: Verstappen is monstering the back of Norris now as he looks to move up into fifth and then… Norris pits, giving the position to the Dutchman. The McLaren garage had been on the blower asking the defending champion how far he could push his tyres and let’s just say, Norris wasn’t enthusiastic.
