Mercedes will begin the season with a decisive early advantage after the team secured a one-two finish that reshapes the opening standings. 10: 28 a. m. ET — George Russell won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix with teammate Kimi Antonelli second, producing the f1 results that put Mercedes on top immediately.
Mercedes’ 61st one-two cements immediate gains for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes’ one-two is the team’s 61st such finish and its first since the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, a stat that delivers a concrete boost in team momentum and constructors points potential. That 61st one-two is a new fact for this weekend and signals a quick return to form for Russell and Antonelli after both drivers struggled off the line earlier in the race.
F1 Results: Leclerc’s missed pit call and an Isack Hadjar stoppage altered podium opportunities
The race’s strategic turning point came on lap 12 when a virtual safety car covered the stopped Red Bull of Isack Hadjar while both Mercedes cars stopped, a sequence that Ferrari failed to match by not mirroring Mercedes’ quick pit stop. Charles Leclerc — who used a smaller turbo for a faster getaway and briefly led into turn one — finished third, his first podium for Ferrari since Mexico last year, and the 28-year-old was left frustrated after missing out on a potential win.
Max Verstappen cleared after qualifying crash, will start 20th on the grid
Max Verstappen was cleared by Formula 1’s medical team following X-rays on his hands and will start 20th after a surprise Q1 exit seven minutes into the session. The four-time world champion triggered the red flag when he lost control under braking for turn one, skidded across the gravel and into the barriers; he said the rear axle “completely locked up. ” The X-rays showed nothing broken, and the clearance allowed him to maintain a place on the grid for Sunday’s race.
Earlier disruptions also affected local interest: Oscar Piastri crashed on the way to the grid at the exit of turn four, an incident attributed to a likely energy spike in his power unit that ruled him out of his home race before the start. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, and the chain of events — from qualifying incidents to strategic calls under the virtual safety car — produced the weekend’s definitive f1 results.
Still, the balance of advantage can shift quickly: Mercedes’ one-two gives the team immediate breathing room, but strategic errors like Ferrari’s missed stop show how rapidly positions can flip when safety-car periods or stoppages intervene.
If Max Verstappen’s X-rays remain clear, he will race from 20th on Sunday and could pressure the front-runners during the remainder of the event; if his condition had required withdrawal, Mercedes’ early advantage would have had a clearer path to consolidation this weekend.
