Winners and Losers from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit

F1 Features
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1. George Russell & Mercedes

  • Pole position by almost 0.8s over his nearest rival.

  • Dominant in race pace despite a tricky battery situation at the start.

  • Managed to maintain top pace on hard tyres 17 laps older than Leclerc’s, highlighting Mercedes’ superior energy management.

  • Now leads the world championship for the first time, though he remains focused on the long season.

2. Lewis Hamilton & Ferrari

  • Climbed from P7 to challenge the lead early in the race.

  • Displayed relative comfort and speed, especially compared to teammate Leclerc.

  • Hamilton’s improvement suggests adaptation to the 2026 regulations, showing his raw pace isn’t gone.

3. Oliver Bearman & Haas

  • Smart energy management and strategy during VSC periods helped him climb to P7.

  • Benefited from switching to hard tyres under VSC on Lap 18, turning a rookie season reputation into points-paying consistency.

4. Gabriel Bortoleto & Audi

  • Despite Q2 issues and teammate Hulkenberg DNS, scored P9, a strong result for a new power unit.

  • Audi confirmed their car’s debut points finish as a “historic moment,” signaling progress for the team.

5. Arvid Lindblad & Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Powertrains)

  • Lindblad made a great start from a difficult battery situation, running P4 briefly and scoring points.

  • Hadjar showed promise before his mechanical issue, indicating he can compete near the front.

  • RBPT scored points in its debut season, a major achievement for a new power unit project.

Losers

1. Aston Martin

  • Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll spent much of the race in garages due to power unit issues.

  • Despite Alonso showing initial pace (up to P10), the team’s mechanical struggles left them far from scoring points.

  • Honda reliability is improving, but the AMR26 hasn’t reached its potential yet.

2. Williams

  • Poor weekend after promising Bahrain testing.

  • Albon finished P12, Sainz struggled with a front wing issue, highlighting both pace and aero deficiencies.

  • Needs half a second per lap to consistently challenge the midfield.

3. Oscar Piastri & McLaren

  • DNS at his home GP due to a pre-race crash at Turn 4, caused by cold tyres and unexpected torque delivery.

  • A heartbreaking start to the season for one of the grid’s most popular drivers.

  • McLaren’s overall pace and reliability gaps make instant recovery challenging, but Piastri is backed to bounce back.

4. The New F1 2026 Regulations

  • While enabling closer racing at times, the first weekend exposed energy management over raw driver skill.

  • Overtaking is heavily dependent on battery deployment rather than bravery or late braking.

  • Drivers like Leclerc and Norris noted strategic thinking dominates, with speed being secondary.

Summary:

  • Mercedes dominated with a 1-2 finish; Ferrari showed pace but faltered strategically; rookies and new power units like Bearman, Lindblad, Hadjar, and Bortoleto impressed; while Aston Martin, Williams, and McLaren had tough starts.

  • The 2026 regulations are shaping racing more around battery and strategy management than traditional wheel-to-wheel skill.