2026 Australian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

The lights went out on a new era of Formula 1 at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, and for once, the hype was justified. The opening round of the 2026 F1 World Championship arrived not just as another season curtain-raiser, but as the launch point for sweeping technical regulation changes that promised to redraw the competitive order. New power unit architecture, revised aerodynamics, and a reset in car philosophy meant that Melbourne wouldn’t simply reveal who was quickest; it would offer the first real clues about who had interpreted Formula 1’s future most intelligently.

Few venues carry the weight of tradition quite like the Australian Grand Prix. First staged on the streets of Adelaide in 1985 before relocating to Melbourne’s Albert Park in 1996, the race has spent almost four decades shaping the tone of entire seasons, sparking title fights, delivering shock debut wins and producing chaotic, red-flag-strewn dramas that still echo through the sport’s lore. On March 8, Melbourne hosts its 40th Australian Grand Prix, once again opening the championship and now ushering in a fresh chapter of F1.

Race Guide

Season: 2026 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 6 March 2026 – 8 March 2026
Race date: Sunday, 8 March 2026
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Albert Park
Laps: 58
Circuit length: 5.278km
2025 winner: Lando Norris

Pole position
Driver	George Russell	Mercedes
Time	1:18.518
Fastest lap
Driver	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Time	1:22.091
Podium
First	George Russell	Mercedes
Second	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes
Third	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari

Since joining the calendar in 1996, Melbourne’s Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit has become Formula 1’s ultimate tone-setter, a semi-permanent street track that rewards confidence, punishes complacency and rarely delivers a predictable script. At 5.278km, with 14 corners blending high-speed sweeps and heavy-braking zones, it’s a circuit that has evolved in recent seasons to encourage closer racing, yet still retains the unforgiving walls that give an opening round its edge. Pole position matters here, but so does racecraft: Safety Cars are common, red flags are no longer a rarity, and strategy calls under pressure have defined more than one championship narrative before it’s properly begun.

Albert Park Circuit Stats

Albert Park’s history reads like a highlight reel of Formula 1’s modern eras. The inaugural Melbourne race in 1996 saw Martin Brundle famously sprint back to the pits after a first-lap flip, while Damon Hill claimed victory. In 2002, a dramatic Turn 1 pile-up launched Ralf Schumacher’s Williams over Rubens Barrichello’s Ferrari before Michael Schumacher prevailed. 2009 delivered one of the sport’s great fairytales as Brawn GP stunned the paddock with a debut 1-2 finish, setting up a championship run few saw coming.

Date	Session	Local Time
6 March 2026	Free Practice 1 (FP1)	12:30 pm – 1:30 pm local time
6 March 2026	Free Practice 2 (FP2)	4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time
7 March 2026	Free Practice 3 (FP3)	12:30 pm – 1:30 pm local time
7 March 2026	Qualifying	4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time
8 March 2026	Race	3:00 pm local time

Championship background

The early signals from pre-season testing were clear: this was no one-team era. The reset ushered in by Formula 1’s sweeping 2026 regulation changes appeared to have compressed the field rather than stretched it, with lap times in Bahrain hinting at a genuine four-team contest at the front. Mercedes and Ferrari emerged from testing with the strongest long-run consistency, and if Melbourne mirrored those trends, the first chapter of the 2026 F1 World Championship could be decided between silver and red.

That put George Russell and teen sensation Kimi Antonelli firmly in the frame for Mercedes, while Ferrari’s formidable pairing of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton arrived with quiet confidence, especially if their eye-catching single-lap pace from testing translated into Albert Park’s crucial qualifying hour. But writing off the reigning powers would have been premature. Lando Norris began the season as defending world champion after his breakthrough 2025 campaign, with McLaren expected to be firmly in contention. Red Bull, meanwhile, rarely started slowly, and four-time world champion Max Verstappen remained the benchmark driver. Add in home favourite Oscar Piastri to the mix, and Melbourne looked to deliver one of the most competitive season openers in years.

Race entries

Of the 2025 teams, only two had driver changes. Red Bull Racing changed one driver, with Isack Hadjar stepping up from Racing Bulls to replace Yuki Tsunoda for 2026. Red Bull Racing Junior and British driver Arvid Lindblad filled the vacant seat, left by Hadjar, at Racing Bulls. The only rookie driver on the grid.

With Cadillac joining the grid for 2026, Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas returned to F1 to spearhead the team’s debut season.

Tyre choices

The technical reset for 2026 didn’t stop at the chassis and power units. Pirelli’s tyres had evolved too. While the 18-inch wheel rim remained, the tyres now featured a reduced overall diameter and a smaller contact patch, subtly reshaping the cars’ mechanical balance. There were still five slick compounds ranging from C1 (hardest) to C5 (softest), supported by the green-banded Intermediate and blue-marked Full Wet for variable conditions. For Albert Park, Pirelli opted for the three softest compounds in the range — C3, C4 and C5 — mirroring the selection from the previous two seasons and opening the door to aggressive strategy calls if degradation remained manageable.

Melbourne’s 5.278km semi-street layout, wrapped around Albert Park Lake, traditionally places modest stress on tyres compared to permanent circuits. The surface — made up partly of public roads — is smooth, and degradation tends to be governed more by surface wear than thermal overload. Graining had appeared in recent years, though typically at low levels, and the reduced contact patch in 2026 could alter how quickly that phenomenon developed across a stint.

From the first laps of Friday practice, teams would be studying how best to manage temperature distribution across both axles — particularly given the increased energy delivery to the rear axle under the new power unit regulations, which could create balance asymmetries. Adjusting tyre blanket preparation or adding a build-up lap before a qualifying run could prove decisive.

Strategically, Melbourne remained a circuit where track position is king. Overtaking exists, but in the past, it was far from straightforward, even with the smaller 2026 cars and the introduction of the new Overtake mode. That raised the question of pit stop numbers: would teams risk running the softest C5 in race conditions on what was, in theory, a low-severity track? The answer would depend on individual car-load characteristics and real-world degradation data gathered over the weekend. And then there’s the weather — early autumn in Melbourne is notoriously unpredictable. The 2025 race was shaped by intermittent rain, with Lando Norris mastering conditions on Intermediates. Another swing in temperature or a passing shower could once again turn tyre strategy from a calculated science into a split-second gamble.

FIND OUT MORE

Free Practice

Ferrari started the 2026 Formula 1 season strongly as Charles Leclerc topped FP1 at Albert Park with a 1:20.267, finishing ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The session was the first on-track run under the new technical regulations and included early disruptions, with Oscar Piastri experiencing a brief power issue, Arvid Lindblad stopping near the pit exit, and Alex Albon triggering a Virtual Safety Car. Performances from Isack Hadjar and Lindblad stood out, while reigning champion Lando Norris lost track time to precautionary gearbox checks.

Oscar Piastri thrilled his home crowd by topping FP2 at Albert Park with a 1:19.729 lap, beating Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell as teams continued learning the new-generation cars at the start of the championship. The session featured multiple incidents, including a pit lane clash between Russell and Arvid Lindblad, Verstappen stalling early and later damaging his floor, and Sergio Perez stopping on track to trigger a Virtual Safety Car. Mercedes showed strong one-lap pace with Antonelli the first driver into the 1m19s, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished just 0.001s behind Russell.

George Russell set the fastest time in a dramatic final practice session at the Australian Grand Prix with a 1:19.053 lap, finishing ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The session was interrupted twice by red flags after Carlos Sainz stopped near the pit entry and later when Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli crashed heavily at Turn 2. Oscar Piastri briefly led during the closing stages, while Lance Stroll did not run due to engine issues.

Full Free Practice Reports

Free Practice 1 Classification

FP1 of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix was held on 6 March 2026 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:20.267	33
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.469s	30
3	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.522s	27
4	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	+0.820s	24
5	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.046s	22
6	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+1.075s	21
7	63	George Russell	Mercedes	+1.104s	26
8	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+1.109s	24
9	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.429s	23
10	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.702s	21
11	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+1.894s	28
12	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+2.056s	30
13	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+2.346s	28
14	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+2.415s	25
15	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+2.863s	24
16	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+3.058s	26
17	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+3.755s	24
18	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+3.768s	27
19	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	+4.124s	7
20	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+4.353s	14
21	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+30.067s	3

Free Practice 2 Classification

FP2 of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix was held on 6 March 2026 from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:19.729	26
2	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.214s	31
3	63	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.320s	28
4	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.321s	32
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.562s	30
6	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.637s	13
7	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.065s	29
8	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.193s	30
9	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	+1.212s	28
10	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+1.450s	29
11	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+1.597s	31
12	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.622s	34
13	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1.629s	29
14	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.939s	28
15	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+2.118s	32
16	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+2.438s	16
17	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+2.524s	10
18	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+2.890s	27
19	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+3.931s	28
20	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+4.933s	18
21	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+6.087s	13
22	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac		2

Free Practice 3 Classification

FP3 of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix was held on 7 March 2026 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:19.053	23
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.616s	22
3	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.774s	20
4	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+1.034s	17
5	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	+1.084s	15
6	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+1.144s	15
7	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+1.271s	18
8	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.390s	22
9	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.406s	19
10	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+1.725s	18
11	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.785s	15
12	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1.837s	13
13	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+1.930s	19
14	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+2.014s	22
15	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+2.018s	26
16	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+2.360s	22
17	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+2.611s	17
18	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+3.667s	20
19	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+4.461s	12
20	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+5.344s	21
21	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams		1

Lance Stroll did not run due to engine issues.

Qualifying

George Russell produced a dominant performance to secure pole position for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, setting a stunning 1:18.518 lap to lead a Mercedes front-row lockout alongside team mate Kimi Antonelli. The Silver Arrows looked competitive throughout the session, with Russell consistently topping the timing screens before delivering his decisive lap in Q3. Behind them, Isack Hadjar impressed on his Red Bull debut to qualify third, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the top five.

Full Qualifying Report

2026 Australian GP Qualifying: Mercedes Front Row Lockout

Qualifying Classification

Qualifying for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix was held on 7 March 2026 from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:19.507	1:18.934	1:18.518	22
2	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:20.120	1:19.435	1:18.811	18
3	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	1:20.023	1:19.653	1:19.303	19
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:20.226	1:19.357	1:19.327	24
5	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:19.664	1:19.525	1:19.380	26
6	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:20.010	1:19.882	1:19.475	26
7	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:19.811	1:19.921	1:19.478	25
8	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:20.491	1:20.144	1:19.994	24
9	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	1:20.409	1:19.971	1:21.247	25
10	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	1:20.495	1:20.221		14
11	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	1:21.024	1:20.303		18
12	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	1:21.247	1:20.311		18
13	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	1:20.759	1:20.491		18
14	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:21.138	1:20.501		18
15	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:21.051	1:20.941		19
16	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:21.200	1:21.270		18
17	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:21.969			10
18	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	1:22.605			7
19	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	1:23.244			8

Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll did not take part in the session. Max Verstappen crashed out during Q1.

2026 Australian Grand Prix Starting Grid

The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2026 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying session.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time
1	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:18.518
2	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:18.811
3	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	1:19.303
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:19.327
5	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:19.380
6	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:19.475
7	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:19.478
8	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:19.994
9	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	1:21.247
10	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi
11	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	1:20.303
12	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	1:20.311
13	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	1:20.491
14	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:20.501
15	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:20.941
16	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:21.270
17	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:21.969
18	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	1:22.605
19	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	1:23.244
20	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
21	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams
22	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin

Note – Stroll, Sainz and Verstappen given permission to start after failing to set a lap time within 107% of the fastest Q1 time in Qualifying.

What happened in the 2026 Australian Grand Prix?

George Russell converted pole into victory in the season-opening 2026 Australian Grand Prix, leading home Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli to seal a commanding 1-2 finish for the Silver Arrows. Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari, holding off Lewis Hamilton, who finished fourth after failing to find a way past his teammate in the closing stages. Lando Norris and Max Verstappen followed in fifth and sixth, respectively, while Oliver Bearman led the midfield for Haas’ charge in seventh, ahead of rookie Arvid Lindblad, Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly, who rounded out the top ten.

Which F1 Team Has the Most 1-2 Finishes in Formula 1 History?

Esteban Ocon finished just outside the points in 11th, followed by Alexander Albon, Liam Lawson, Franco Colapinto, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez completing the classification. After taking the chequered flag, Russell guided his Mercedes towards the pit wall to celebrate with the team, declaring over the radio: “Very nice, very nice. I like this car. I like this engine!”—a fitting reaction as the Brit secured both his and Mercedes’ first win of the new season.

Russell wins dramatic Australian Grand Prix as Mercedes secure dominant 1-2

The Briton converted pole position into victory after a gripping race that saw multiple lead changes early on and a strategic gamble that ultimately swung the race Mercedes’ way. Russell crossed the line in 1:23:06.801, finishing 2.974 seconds ahead of Antonelli to claim the sixth victory of his Formula 1 career and hand the Silver Arrows an ideal start to the new era of regulations.

Early duel between Russell and Leclerc sets the tone

The race began in spectacular fashion when Charles Leclerc made an aggressive launch from fourth on the grid, sweeping past Russell into Turn 1 to grab the early lead. The Ferrari driver immediately found himself under pressure from the Mercedes driver, with the pair trading positions over the opening laps in a fierce battle at the front of the field.

Strategy soon became the decisive factor. A Virtual Safety Car was deployed after Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar pulled off the track, prompting both Mercedes drivers to dive into the pits. Ferrari chose the opposite approach, keeping Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton out on track in an attempt to gain track position.

A second VSC followed shortly afterwards when Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas retired, once again forcing teams to reassess their strategies. Ferrari still elected not to pit, committing to a longer first stint, while Mercedes had already completed their stops.

When Ferrari eventually made their pit stops later in the race, Russell and Antonelli regained the lead, setting up a fascinating strategic showdown between the two teams.

Mercedes strategy gamble pays off

With Mercedes appearing to have pitted earlier than ideal, there were questions over whether the Silver Arrows would need to stop again before the finish. Ferrari’s plan appeared to be a long one-stop strategy, leaving the Scuderia duo theoretically on fresher tyres for the closing stages.

But Mercedes committed to the gamble and kept both cars out on track. Despite their ageing tyres, Russell and Antonelli maintained a strong pace, preventing Ferrari from closing the gap sufficiently to force a second pit stop.

The strategy proved decisive. Russell held his advantage to the chequered flag, sealing victory with a margin of 2.9 seconds over Antonelli, while Ferrari’s challenge faded in the closing laps.

Leclerc ultimately finished third, ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton in fourth.

Norris salvages strong result as Verstappen charges forward

Behind the leading four, reigning world champion Lando Norris delivered a solid recovery drive to finish fifth for McLaren.

The result came in difficult circumstances for the team after Oscar Piastri’s home race ended before it even began. The Australian spun off track while heading to the grid ahead of the start, preventing him from taking part in the race.

One of the standout drives of the afternoon came from Max Verstappen, who climbed from 20th on the grid to sixth place. The four-time world champion benefited from a clean race and strong pace, though he was the only Red Bull car to finish after Hadjar’s earlier retirement.

Haas enjoyed an encouraging start to the season, with Ollie Bearman finishing seventh, while Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad scored points on his Formula 1 debut in eighth place.

Points finishes for Audi and Alpine

Audi celebrated a successful debut race as a works team with Gabriel Bortoleto finishing ninth, scoring points in the manufacturer’s first official Grand Prix in that capacity.

The final point went to Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who completed the top ten ahead of Haas driver Esteban Ocon in 11th.

Further down the order, Alex Albon finished 12th for Williams ahead of Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, while Alpine’s Franco Colapinto came home 14th.

The final classified finishers were Carlos Sainz in the Williams and Sergio Perez in the Cadillac, whose result marked a milestone as the American team successfully completed its first Formula 1 race.

Difficult race for Aston Martin and others

It was a challenging afternoon for Aston Martin, with both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso retiring during the race before later rejoining at different stages.

Elsewhere, both Valtteri Bottas and Isack Hadjar failed to reach the finish following the incidents that triggered the race’s Virtual Safety Car periods.

Two drivers never started the race. Oscar Piastri’s pre-race spin ruled him out before the formation procedure had even properly begun, while Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg was wheeled off the grid due to a technical problem before the start.

With the opening race complete, Mercedes left Melbourne with maximum momentum in the early stages of the 2026 championship.

2026 Australian Grand Prix race results

The 2026 Australian Grand Prix was held on 8 March 2026 at 3:00 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	63	George Russell	Mercedes	58	01:23:07	25
2	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	58	+2.974s	18
3	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	58	+15.519s	15
4	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	58	+16.144s	12
5	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	58	+51.741s	10
6	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	58	+54.617s	8
7	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	57	+1 lap	6
8	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	57	+1 lap	4
9	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	57	+1 lap	2
10	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	57	+1 lap	1
11	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	57	+1 lap	0
12	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	57	+1 lap	0
13	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	57	+1 lap	0
14	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	56	+2 laps	0
15	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	56	+2 laps	0
16	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	55	+3 laps	0
NC	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	43	+15 laps	0
NC	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	21	DNF	0
NC	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	15	DNF	0
NC	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	10	DNF	0
NC	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	0	DNS	0
NC	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	0	DNS	0

2026 Australian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	43	16:06:43	1:22.091	231.46
2	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	53	16:20:29	1:22.358	230.709
3	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	57	16:25:13	1:22.417	230.544
4	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	55	16:22:41	1:22.423	230.527
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	38	15:59:08	1:22.579	230.092
6	63	George Russell	Mercedes	21	15:35:04	1:22.670	229.839
7	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	49	16:15:25	1:22.926	229.129
8	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	45	16:09:49	1:23.257	228.218
9	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	54	16:21:29	1:23.590	227.309
10	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	48	16:13:20	1:23.783	226.785
11	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	22	15:36:57	1:24.020	226.146
12	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	21	15:35:32	1:24.182	225.71
13	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	37	15:57:40	1:24.375	225.194
14	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	25	15:41:20	1:24.424	225.063
15	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	57	16:25:37	1:24.486	224.898
16	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	9	15:16:26	1:25.239	222.912
17	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	51	16:17:25	1:25.410	222.465
18	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	26	15:43:10	1:25.713	221.679
19	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	49	16:15:04	1:26.070	220.759
20	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	8	15:15:24	1:27.364	217.49

2026 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.

2026 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	George Russell	GBR	Mercedes	25
2	Kimi Antonelli	ITA	Mercedes	18
3	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	15
4	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Ferrari	12
5	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	10
6	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	8
7	Oliver Bearman	GBR	Haas	6
8	Arvid Lindblad	GBR	Racing Bulls	4
9	Gabriel Bortoleto	BRA	Audi	2
10	Pierre Gasly	FRA	Alpine	1
11	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Haas	0
12	Alexander Albon	THA	Williams	0
13	Liam Lawson	NZL	Racing Bulls	0
14	Franco Colapinto	ARG	Alpine	0
15	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Williams	0
16	Sergio Perez	MEX	Cadillac	0
17	Isack Hadjar	FRA	Red Bull Racing	0
18	Oscar Piastri	AUS	McLaren	0
19	Nico Hulkenberg	GER	Audi	0
20	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Aston Martin	0
21	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Cadillac	0
22	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin	0

2026 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	43
2	Ferrari	27
3	McLaren	10
4	Red Bull Racing	8
5	Haas	6
6	Racing Bulls	4
7	Audi	2
8	Alpine	1
9	Williams	0
10	Cadillac	0
11	Aston Martin	0

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Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.