F1 Australian Grand Prix 2026 results: Final classification with penalties applied

Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Mercedes, Australia, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Australian Grand Prix

F1 Australian Grand Prix 2026 results: Final classification with penalties applied

It's George Russell's world, we're all just living in it

Originally written by Sheona Mountford. This version is a translation.

Monday 9 March 2026 00:30

We've had our first race weekend of the 2026 F1 season and the brand new regulations, and the winner of the Australian Grand Prix has been officially confirmed by the FIA.

After an early tussle between George Russell and Charles Leclerc, Mercedes pitted during a virtual safety car and the Brit cruised to a race victory on the hard tyres.

Russell was followed in second by team-mate Kimi Antonelli, with Leclerc representing Ferrari on the podium in third.

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Max Verstappen managed to convert a P20 start into a points finish, romping up to sixth by the time the chequered flag was waved, in a weekend of bitter disappointment at Red Bull.

New team-mate Isack Hadjar was forced to retire from the Australian GP due to a technical failure, despite starting the race in an impressive third.

F1 Results: Australian Grand Prix 2026

Australian Grand Prix results
Position	Driver	Team	Gap
1	George Russell	Mercedes	WINNER
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+2.974s
3	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+15.519s
4	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+16.144s
5	Lando Norris	McLaren	+51.741s
6	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+54.617s
7	Oliver Bearman	Haas	+1 lap
8	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1 lap
9	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1 lap
10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1 lap
11	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+1 lap
12	Alex Albon	Williams	+1 lap
13	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1 lap
14	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+2 laps
15	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+2 laps
16	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+3 laps
17	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+15 laps
18	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	DNF
19	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	DNF
20	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	DNF
21	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	DNS
22	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	DNS