The drama began in Australia even before the race could start as Oscar Piastri found the barriers early, and Nico Hulkenberg’s car stopped before reaching the grid. But as soon as things got underway, the Ferrari showed why they are a serious contenders this season.
Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton got off to a fiery start. While Ferrari #16 took the lead right away, the seven-time world champion gained three places to move to P3. The only rookie on the grid, Arvid Lindblad, also surged to P4 in the first lap.
Kimi Antonelli, who started P2, didn’t have the dream outing as he fell to P7 by the time the pack reached the second corner. However, the second-year driver joined the leaders a few laps later. Carlos Sainz moved up six places in the first few laps while Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon gained five places.
Hadjar’s race weekend came to a heartbreaking end on lap 11 as smoke erupted from the Red Bull car, forcing the virtual safety car. The incident caused multiple drivers to head into the pit lane for tyre changes.
The Battles in the Midfield
Fernando Alonso was the fourth driver to leave the track, as his Aston Martin retired after 15 laps due to car issues, as expected.
Before the Australian Grand Prix could take a breather, Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac stopped on the 19th lap, forcing another Virtual Safety Car. However, before the Ferraris could pit, the pitlane entry was stopped as the malfunctioned Cadillac was being carried off.
A “Bull-battle” took place on the 21st lap as Verstappen went toe-to-toe with Linblad, with the four-time Formula 1 champion taking the lead.
The Moment Ferrari Gave It Away
Surprisingly, Ferrari gave up 10 seconds of race time, pitting Charles after the 25th lap rather than waiting for another VSC. Hamilton led two laps before giving up the lead to Russell and eventually pitting.
The 2025 championship battle was on the track in the first race of the 2026 season. Lando Norris and Verstappen battled it out for fifth place after 30th laps. The battle ended with the reigning world champion going into the pit lane for his second tyre change.
The third VSC was deployed after Sergio Perez’s Cadillac dropped some debris. However, it lasted only a few seconds. Ollie Bearman moved up to seventh place with a swift move to overtake Lindblad. The two drivers fought it out, but the Haas driver held his nerves to keep the position.
The grid finally held its shape in the final third of the race. While Hamilton tried to push for a podium, the British could not find enough pace to beat his teammate.
The Final Standings of the Australian Grand Prix 2026
The Silver Arrow took home the laurels, replicating their qualifying positions to finish 1-2. Charles completed the podium with Hamilton following closely behind, just over two seconds.
Norris defended his fifth place to the checkered flag with Verstappen on his tail the entire second half. Bearman, Lindblad, Bortoleto, and Gasly finished with points. Ocon, Albon, Lawson, Colapinto, Sainz, Perez, and Stroll completed the grid.
