George Russell took a commanding pole position for Mercedes at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, with team-mate Kimi Antonelli completing a one-two for the Silver Arrows.
Russell, who had shown strong long-run pace in final practice, was nearly three-tenths clear of Antonelli, while Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar impressed on debut to take third, half a second further back. Antonelli’s participation in qualifying had been in doubt after a heavy crash in final practice, but Mercedes repaired his car in time for him to return to track in the closing stages of Q1.
Mercedes were fined €7,500 (£6,500) after Q3 for releasing Antonelli’s car in unsafe conditions; cooling devices were left on and later detached on track, triggering a red flag when McLaren’s Lando Norris ran over one. Antonelli avoided a grid penalty.
Russell said it had been “a great day”, praising the team’s work and saying the car “felt more like the Mercedes of the good, old days.” He added that cooler track temperatures suited them and paid tribute to the garage’s effort to repair Antonelli’s car.
Qualifying had been disrupted early when Max Verstappen crashed in Q1, causing a red flag and leaving the four-time world champion 20th on the grid. Verstappen later confirmed he was cleared to race after X-rays on his wrists showed no breaks. “(I’m) all good,” he said.
There was some consolation for Red Bull as Hadjar beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to fourth, while Lewis Hamilton could only manage seventh after Ferrari’s one-lap pace faded when it mattered. McLaren split the Ferraris with Oscar Piastri fifth and Norris sixth; Leclerc was fourth despite deployment issues during the session.
Racing Bulls put in a strong midfield showing, with Liam Lawson eighth and rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad ninth. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto was 10th but did not set a time in Q3 after breaking down entering the pit lane at the end of Q2. Nico Hülkenberg was best of the Q2 eliminations in 11th, followed by Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto also missed out on Q3.
Knocked out in Q1 were Fernando Alonso (17th) — a small respite for Aston Martin amid early-season problems — followed by Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas and Verstappen. Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll did not set times after technical issues; Stroll could not take part due to problems with the team’s Honda power units, while Sainz suffered a fault in final practice.
The session underlined Mercedes’ status as pre-season favourites after a disrupted winter of regulation change. While Ferrari and Red Bull had shown speed in testing and on Friday, Mercedes’ stronger long-run pace in practice and Saturday’s qualifying suggested they may have the initial advantage at Albert Park. Antonelli’s crash and the team’s subsequent frantic repairs were the primary reasons a Mercedes front row had seemed uncertain at points during the day.
Teams now face the first race for new power units and chassis in 2026, with pit-stop risks and the hotter conditions forecast for Sunday likely to test reliability. Russell warned of pit-lane perils and teams will be watching how the new units cope in higher temperatures.
Australian GP qualifying timesheet
1) George Russell — Mercedes — 1:18.518
2) Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — +0.293
3) Isack Hadjar — Red Bull — +0.785
4) Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — +0.809
5) Oscar Piastri — McLaren — +0.862
6) Lando Norris — McLaren — +0.957
7) Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — +0.960
8) Liam Lawson — Racing Bulls — +1.476
9) Arvid Lindblad — Racing Bulls — +2.729
10) Gabriel Bortoleto — Audi — no time set in Q3
Knocked out in Q2
11) Nico Hülkenberg — Audi — 1:20.303
12) Oliver Bearman — Haas — 1:20.311
13) Esteban Ocon — Haas — 1:20.491
14) Pierre Gasly — Alpine — 1:20.501
15) Alex Albon — Williams — 1:20.941
16) Franco Colapinto — Alpine — 1:21.270
Knocked out in Q1
17) Fernando Alonso — Aston Martin — 1:22.969
18) Sergio Perez — Cadillac — 1:22.605
19) Valtteri Bottas — Cadillac — 1:23.244
20) Max Verstappen — Red Bull — no time set
21) Carlos Sainz — Williams — no time set
22) Lance Stroll — Aston Martin — no time set
Sky Sports F1 coverage reminder: Sunday’s schedule includes support races and build-up, with the Australian Grand Prix airing in the early hours; viewers can stream Sky Sports via NOW.