03:25
The McLaren has suffered very heavy damage and while Piastri is OK, that is the end of his home race well before it has even begun
Start of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix
F1 Australian GP as it happened
Lap-by-lap coverage of the 2026 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix
KEY MOMENTS
- Leclerc, Russell battle hard early on for lead
- Hadjar retirement brings out VSC on lap 12
Bottas stops on lap 18, brings out second VSC - Piastri crashes on sighting lap
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.
08 Mar 2026
03:24
Oscar Piastri crashes on the sighting lap!
Woah, Oscar Piastri has crashed on the sighting lap - the lap that takes the drivers from the pits on the way to the grid!
It has happened in the T4 left-hander, catching the kerb on the outside on the exit and spinning straight into the wall.
Wow!
03:21
George Russell starts on pole, leading a Mercedes 1-2 in what was a dominant showing from the manufacturer that appeared to confirm rivals' worst fears that it does indeed have a noticeable advantage over the pack.
Its front row lock-out was so commanding - despite Antonelli having a very up and down day - that few are looking anywhere else to predict how the race will turn out.
But this is the opening round, so if anything untoward is going to happen, it's likely to be here...
03:06
F1 2026 begins here!
A very good morning, especially those who are up bright and bushy tailed in the wee early hours reading t his, and welcome to Crash.net's coverage of the 2026 F1 season opener, the Australian Grand Prix.
Lights out is a little less than an hour away as we build up to what is - at the very least - going to be a very intriguing curtain raiser from Albert Park.