Australian Grand Prix 2026: Russell takes pole
George Russell took pole for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, beating Andrea Kimi Antonelli by 0.293s as Mercedes locked out the front row.
George Russell took pole position for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit with a Q3 lap of 1:18.518. Andrea Kimi Antonelli qualified second for Mercedes, 0.293 seconds behind Russell, as the team locked out the front row in round one on 8 March 2026.
Qualifying
Isack Hadjar qualified third for Red Bull with a 1:19.303 in Q3, placing him ahead of Charles Leclerc, who took fourth for Ferrari on 1:19.327. Oscar Piastri secured fifth for McLaren with a 1:19.380, while team-mate Lando Norris followed in sixth on 1:19.475.
Lewis Hamilton qualified seventh for Ferrari with a 1:19.478, 0.003 seconds behind Norris in sixth. Liam Lawson put the RB F1 Team car eighth on the grid with a 1:19.994, and team-mate Arvid Lindblad took ninth after posting a 1:21.247 in Q3.
Front row
Mercedes filled the top two places with Russell first and Antonelli second after both drivers improved from Q2 times of 1:18.934 and 1:19.435 respectively. Russell had also led Q1 with a 1:19.507 before lowering the benchmark in each segment he completed.
Grid impact
Behind the front row, Hadjar gave Red Bull third on the grid at the opening round, while Leclerc led Ferrari's challenge in fourth. Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top 10 for Audi after reaching Q2 with a 1:20.221 and recording no Q3 lap.