RUSSELL WINS SEASON OPENER IN AUSTRALIA AS RELIABILITY ISSUES STRIKE

Formula One is back in 2026 after a shorter than normal winter break and it was the pre season favourites who showed why they are the ones to beat as Mercedes come home to finish 1-2 with Russell taking his sixth career victory ahead of team mate Kimi Antonelli with Charles Leclerc crossing the line in third for Ferrari.

Two drivers didn't make the start of the race with home hero Oscar Piastri crashing on the out lap to the grid with Nico Hulkenberg not making the start in his Audi.

It wasn't plain sailing for Russell with a poor start off the line which gifted Leclerc the lead of the race momentarily. The Mercedes driver regained the lead on lap two.

Australia 2026 was defined by the reliability issues which struck across the grid. Hadjar on his debut for the Red Bull team was the first to go on lap eleven when his engine gave up forcing him to be the first race retirement of the new era.

On laps fifteen and seventeen Alonso and Bottas both retired from the race with Alonso being called in by his Aston Martin team in what was a very tricky weekend for the newly lead Aston Martin side. Valterri Bottas stopped on track in his Cadillac on lap seventeen.

It was then on lap thirty nine when Stroll retires in the second Aston Martin - a weekend that ended in a double DNF but far better than any had predicted coming into the weekend.

The next race is the Chinese Grand Prix.

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