Australia GP: Mercedes' Russell Takes Pole Ahead Of Teammate Antonelli, Verstappen Suffers Crash

Last Updated:March 07, 2026, 13:49 IST

Russell outpaced his rivals with a lap time of 1 min 18.518 sec on soft tyres, 0.293 seconds ahead of Antonelli, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen faced a setback after crashing out.

George Russell secured pole position for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Saturday, ahead of his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli, while Max Verstappen faced a setback after crashing out.

On a fine day at Melbourne’s Albert Park, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar qualified third in a chaotic session, which clarified the pecking order after the sport’s biggest regulation shake-up in years.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will join Hadjar on the second row, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and world champion teammate Lando Norris starting from fifth and sixth.

Russell outpaced his rivals with a lap time of one minute 18.518 seconds on soft tyres, 0.293 seconds ahead of Antonelli.

“A great day. We knew there was a lot of potential in the car," said the Briton. “Really happy to have Kimi here next to me as well, as the team did an amazing job in the garage today."

Amazingly, Antonelli appeared after crashing heavily in final practice earlier in the day, severely damaging his car. The 19-year-old’s mechanics managed to repair the vehicle just in time for Q1, allowing him to continue.

“It has been a very, very stressful day. The mechanics today were the heroes. We couldn’t even set up the car, we just went out," said the Italian. “It was not easy, I needed to dig deep."

Four-time world champion Verstappen, the 2023 and 2024 pole sitter, crashed into the barriers at Turn 1 during his first flying lap in Q1.

“The car just locked on the rear axle. Fantastic," said the Dutchman, whose hopes of a second win in Australia following his 2023 victory seem dashed.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton will start seventh, alongside the Racing Bull of Liam Lawson. Rookie Arvid Lindblad in the other Racing Bull and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto complete the top 10.

Bortoleto’s car stopped in the pit entry after Q2, preventing him from participating in Q3, which was red-flagged with only Piastri on the track.

Antonelli’s car was released with the cooling fan still attached, which fell off, and Norris ran over it, scattering debris across the track. Antonelli will likely face a penalty.

This was the first qualifying session under the sport’s new engine and chassis regulations, which place greater reliance on electrical energy in hybrid power units. Drivers had to manage their batteries more effectively.

Albert Park’s long sweeping straights deplete batteries quickly, while its few twisty turns offer limited opportunities for recharging.

“It was a very smooth qualifying," said Hadjar. “We built up to it, and it was a very good last lap. I want to keep my position, as a second podium would be good."

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly, Williams’ Alex Albon, and Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman, along with Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, failed to advance past Q2.

Alongside Verstappen, Williams’ Carlos Sainz was also eliminated in Q1. The Spaniard’s car broke down during third practice, preventing him from participating in qualifying.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was another no-show as the team continued to deal with extreme vibration issues in their Honda power unit. His teammate Fernando Alonso also went out in Q1, finishing 17th, along with Cadillac drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez in the team’s maiden Grand Prix.

(With Inputs From Agencies)

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