The 2026 Formula 1 season gets underway properly with the 58-lap Australian Grand Prix.
The new campaign is one of the most eagerly anticipated in years, as a major regulations overhaul sets up one of the most unpredictable seasons in F1 history.
Mercedes and George Russell have stunned its grid rivals, after a dominant display in qualifying saw the Briton lead a team 1-2 and leave its nearest competitor almost eight tenths behind.
As such, Mercedes starts the 2026 Australian Grand Prix as favourite to win.
Isack Hadjar has made a promising start to life as a Red Bull driver, as he took third in qualifying with the team's new in-house Ford-backed power unit.
The Frenchman's performance was a boost to Red Bull, after four-time world champion Max Verstappen crashed out during Q1 having not registered a lap.
Verstappen, who has been one of the most vocal critics of the new generation of cars, will go from the back of the grid.
Ferrari will line up fourth with Charles Leclerc, after a small issue in the final segment of qualifying hindered his charge. Ferrari engines proved rapid during practice starts in testing, making the Scuderia one to watch when the lights go out.
Team-mate Lewis Hamilton will launch from seventh on the grid, with reigning world champion Lando Norris sixth after suffering front wing damage due to striking debris during Q3.
The sister McLaren of home hero Oscar Piastri lines up fifth, while the top 10 is completed by Racing Bulls duo Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad, and Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto.
Russell thinks the one-stop is viable, so this could be it for Mercedes and they'll go to the end.
Russell leads Antonelli. by 7.4secs, who has a 7.6s lead over Leclerc in third.
Meanwhile, if these hards can go to the end, Norris has worked himself into closer contention, 3.7s behind Hamilton in fourth
Russell is on Hamilton's rear wing and he wastes no time in surging through on the run to Turn 11
Hamilton responds by pitting at last just as we hit the mid-way point in the race
Alonso is back on track! Only 15 minutes behind the driver ahead, who happens to be his Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll.
The Canadian is soldiering on despite not turning a single lap on Saturday
Hamilton doesn't follow his team-mate into the pits on the following lap
He cracks on, but Russell is now getting to within range.
Leclerc is unlikely to pit again - will Mercedes have to bite?
The dreaded yellow exclamation mark litters the leaderboard graphic
Gasly and Ocon being investigated for some fisticuffs into Turn 3 as they dispute tenth place and a point. The Alpine makes a deep dive into Turn 3, contact (front-left to sidepod) sends Ocon wide on the exit
Similarly, Lawson and Perez are being assessed for a clash at the same corner.
Leclerc pits from the lead - Hamilton takes over out front
The Ferrari driver resumes in fourth place, comfortably behind Russell and Antonelli, hard tyres on his wagon
It's worth pointing out that Verstappen - who started on hards - is now on mediums amid a sea of white walled rivals as he plays out an inverse strategy from 20th on the grid.
He is making gains on Norris in fifth.
Speaking of Norris, this has been a dispiriting race so far for McLaren - even beyond Piastri's shock exit before the race, the world champions have not been competitive at all.
Big up to Ferrari, while they were tipped to do well, this is better and stronger than many expected before the race.
So, both Ferraris at the front are yet to pit, Leclerc leading Hamilton by just over one second.
Russell is looming, now 5.8s behind Hamilton, while Antonelli hasn't recovered ground to his team-mate after the double-stack in the pits. He is a lonely fourth, 6.7s behind Russell, 13.8s ahead of Norris.
Norris now has Verstappen behind him, just under five seconds behind.
Lindblad, Bearman, Bortoleto - shining in the Audi - and Gasly complete the top ten right now
Verstappen finally gets past Lindblad into sixth place, but he was made to work hard for it - the Briton is having a stonking maiden race!
Disappointment for Bottas, but Cadillac at least gets some good airtime with Perez in his battle with Lawson - he doesn't give up position without a fight, it's like the Mexican driver has never been away
Pit-lane entry is closed as marshals recover the Cadillac.
Potential frustration for Ferrari if they were planning to make that stop. They have to stay out.
Lindblad, Verstappen, Bearman and Bortoleto pit - despite the awkward entry
Lindblad comes in with Verstappen right on his rear wing, but the Briton gets back out ahead of his fellow Red Bull stablemate
Valtteri Bottas has come to a stop in his Cadillac, in a slightly awkward place on the grass right on the edge of the pit-lane entry
VSC deployed
Things have calmed down a bit since Mercedes pitted.
Leclerc leads Hamilton by 1.5secs, while Russell is closing the gap down to the Ferraris ahead.
However, while right now it looks good for Mercedes with its pit-stop in hand, it is unclear if they - even with hard tyres - can go to the end on them
Antonelli gets back up to speed and dispatches Lindblad, who has joined the Ferraris in not pitting during the VSC
Russell is just over 10secs off Leclerc in the lead with pit-stop in hand
Well, Aston Martin had predicted 15 laps for its car in this race and that's the lap Alonso has pitted to retire.
He becomes the fourth retirement in this race already, along with Hadjar, Piastri (who crashed on the sighting lap) and Hulkenberg, who never got underway in the end.
Well that's a shame, the split of the pit strategies has robbed us of what was a scintillating battle between Russell and Leclerc
Some thrilling racing - and several changes of lead - are a much needed positive indictment of these new regulations it seemed.
Whether Ferrari have made the right call on strategy (not always its strongest suit, as history has shown) remains to be seen
Odd moment, Ferrari mechanics come out ready to receive the drivers, but both continue to circulate
VSC ends
Disappointing start for Hadjar on his Red Bull debut. No word yet on what the issue might have been.
Russell and Antonelli both pit, but Ferrari keep its drivers out
The Mercedes' file back on track in third and fifth, split by Lindblad, who also hasn't pitted.
Hamilton complains that at least one of the cars should have come in.
If they come in now, they'll have to double-stack
Hadjar stopping on track between Turn 10 and 11 triggers the VSC and also the first wave of pit-stops
The VSC comes just too late for the leaders to dive in, so Norris is the first of the leaders to dive in.
He is joined by Ocon, Gasly, Sainz, Lawson and both Aston Martins
Hadjar is slowing in the Red Bull and has pulled off the track - bitter disappointment for the Frenchman, he was running a comfortable fifth
Superb racing from the leaders. Good start for the new rules!
Elsewhere, Haas' Ocon and Alpine's Gasly are eighth and ninth, behind Norris - who is fighting with Lindblad right now.
Verstappen, meanwhile, is already in the points in tenth place place and wearing hard tyres in an effort to go long in this first stint.
Alonso - who briefly tenth - has been shuffled back to 16th