Charles Leclerc came from fourth on the grid to lead the 2026 Australian Grand Prix before ultimately finishing third, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton fourth, as Scuderia Ferrari collected 27 points on the opening weekend of the new Formula 1 season.
George Russell took victory for Mercedes at Albert Park on Sunday, leading home team-mate Kimi Antonelli in a 1-2 for the Silver Arrows. Leclerc crossed the line 15.5 seconds behind Russell, with Hamilton a further 0.6 seconds back in fourth. Lando Norris finished fifth for McLaren, Max Verstappen sixth, and Haas rookie Ollie Bearman seventh. Arvid Lindblad scored points on his Formula 1 debut in eighth, with Gabriel Bortoleto ninth for Audi and Pierre Gasly tenth for Alpine.
Leclerc into the lead, then a duel
Leclerc’s start was one of the moments of the race. Launching from fourth, he swept into the lead through Turn 1 ahead of pole-sitter Russell, while Hamilton — starting seventh — had moved up to third before the end of the first sector. What followed across the next ten laps was a sustained battle between Leclerc and Russell, the two swapping the lead repeatedly as the Monegasque driver refused to yield. Russell passed on lap two; Leclerc responded immediately to reclaim position on lap three. That exchange set the tone for an opening phase that team principal Fred Vasseur described as the most compelling racing he had seen in a decade.
“There were some pessimistic comments about this new Formula 1 going into the season,” Vasseur said. “I think today’s race start and then the first ten laps were the most exciting we have witnessed in the past ten years — and not just because we were in front.”
Leclerc’s assessment
After the race, Leclerc pointed to the learning value of the weekend while noting the gap that still needs to be closed. “We were quite strong, which was a positive given that our expectations yesterday were not that high,” he said. “I had a good start and learned a lot on those opening laps. There are lots of things to manage at the same time — energy deployment, tyres, overtakes — and I’m happy with how I handled the situation from inside the car. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the pace to hold onto first place later on. We’ve got to be on it in terms of development and push to the maximum to reduce the gap.”
What’s next
The Formula 1 season moves directly to Shanghai, where the Chinese Grand Prix takes place from 13th to 15th March — the first Sprint weekend of the 2026 campaign.
Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre