F1. La grille de départ du Grand Prix d’Australie: Russel en pole, Hadjar en embuscade et Verstappen en fond de grille Le Britannique George Russell (Mercedes) a remporté la pole position du Grand Prix d’Australie, première manche de la saison de Formule 1, après avoir réalisé le meilleur temps des qualifications sur le circuit de l’Albert Park à Melbourne. Le Français Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) a terminé en deuxième position, tandis que le coéquipier de Russell, Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), a pris la troisième place. Le Monégasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) a occupé la quatrième position, suivi des pilotes McLaren Oscar Piastri (Australien) et Lando Norris (Britannique). Le Top 10 a également vu le retour de Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), septuple champion du monde, ainsi que des pilotes de Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson (Néo-Zélandais) et Arvid Lindblad (Britannique), et du Brésilien Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi). La première surprise de la saison a été le crash de Max Verstappen (Red Bull), quadruple champion du monde, lors de la première phase des qualifications (Q1). Le Néerlandais a perdu le contrôle de sa monoplace à la fin de la ligne droite des stands, avant de traverser un bac à graviers et de heurter un mur de protection. Cette incident a entraîné son départ depuis la voie des stands dimanche, en position de fond de grille. Le pilote néerlandais, qui venait de réaliser un tour rapide, a été contraint de quitter la piste après avoir perdu le contrôle de sa voiture.#charles_leclerc #max_verstappen #george_russell #isack_hadjar #kimia_antonelli
George Russell Claims 2026 Australian Grand Prix Pole Position George Russell secured the first pole position of the 2026 Formula 1 season during the qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. The British driver, driving for Mercedes, outpaced his teammate Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar to claim the top spot. Max Verstappen, who crashed during the first qualifying session (Q1), will start from 20th place after his Red Bull spun out at the first corner due to a rear-wheel blockage. Esteban Ocon (Haas) finished 13th, while Pierre Gasly (Alpine) came in 14th. The first qualifying session of the season marked a significant shift with the new regulations, which forced teams and drivers to adapt their strategies and car setups. The session was highly anticipated, as it provided an opportunity for competitors to showcase their understanding of the updated rules. Notably, Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Carlos Sainz (Williams) were unable to take to the track, with Stroll’s absence expected due to vibration issues in his car and Sainz’s situation less anticipated. Verstappen’s crash highlighted the challenges of the new regulations, as he failed to complete any timed laps. Russell’s pole time of 1 minute 18.518 seconds was 3.5 seconds slower than Lando Norris’s 2025 pole time of 1 minute 15.096 seconds. The gap between Russell and Antonelli was 29 hundredths of a second, while Hadjar lagged behind by 78 hundredths. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), the best-placed Ferrari driver, finished fourth at 80 hundredths, followed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri (5th, 86 hundredths) and Norris (6th, 95 hundredths). Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) managed to stay within the second of Russell’s time, finishing 7th at 96 hundredths.#red_bull #mercedes #george_russell #isack_hadjar #kimia_antonelli
Russell Fastest in Final Practice as Mercedes Teammate Crashes Out Mercedes driver George Russell secured the fastest time in the final practice session for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, while teammate Kimi Antonelli crashed heavily during the session at Albert Park. Antonelli lost control at turn two, skidding into a barrier and causing a front wheel to detach. The incident prompted a red flag, halting the session temporarily. Team principal Toto Wolff was seen visibly concerned in the garage. Antonelli reported he was "OK" over the team radio before the session resumed for the final minutes. Russell’s time of one minute, 19.053 seconds edged out Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by 0.616 seconds, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari finishing third. The result marked an improvement over McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who set the second-fastest time in Friday’s practice. Piastri’s lap was a full second slower than Russell’s. The session had already faced delays, including a 20-minute stoppage due to a crash in the preceding Formula 3 sprint race and an eight-minute red flag when Carlos Sainz’s Williams stalled at the pit lane entrance. Teams used the final practice window to refine car setups and gather data ahead of the qualifying session, which will introduce Formula One’s new power unit regulations. The updated hybrid engines emphasize electrical energy deployment and regeneration, presenting a challenge for drivers. Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion, finished sixth, just behind his Red Bull teammate Izack Hadjar. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad, the youngest British driver to compete in a Formula One season, placed 11th. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso completed 20 laps for the struggling team, whose drivers face limited run times due to vibration-related nerve damage concerns.#mercedes #george_russell #albert_park #kimikimia_antonelli #toto_wolff
F1 Australian GP Qualifying: Russell Claims Pole, Verstappen Crashes Out George Russell secured pole position for the Australian Grand Prix after a dominant performance in qualifying, while Max Verstappen crashed out in the first session. The Mercedes driver set a time of 1m18.518s, outpacing Ferrari’s Antonio Antonelli and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, who finished second and third respectively. The result highlights the competitive nature of the grid, with Ferrari and McLaren showing strong pace in the early stages. Russell’s performance was described as “untouchable” by commentators, with his advantage over the rest of the field reaching as much as 0.785 seconds. The Ferrari-powered cars, however, struggled to match the Mercedes’ pace, with Antonelli’s time of 1m18.811s leaving him 0.293 seconds behind Russell. McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo, who finished fourth, acknowledged the challenge posed by the Mercedes duo, stating, “It’s going to be a tough race tomorrow.” Verstappen’s crash occurred during the first qualifying session, with the Red Bull driver losing control at Turn 3 and skidding into the gravel. The incident left him unable to continue, and he later described the situation as “a bit of a nightmare.” The crash added to concerns about the reliability of the Red Bull’s powertrain, which had been a recurring issue throughout the weekend. Antonelli, who finished second, credited his team’s mechanics for their efforts, stating, “We didn’t even have time to set up the car. It was not easy, and I had to dig deep.” The Ferrari driver’s performance was marred by a pitlane infringement penalty, which cost him valuable time in the final moments of qualifying. Hadjar, who finished third, reflected on the difficult weekend, noting that his team struggled to match the pace of the leading teams.#ferrari #mercedes #f1_australian_gp #george_russell #max_verstappen
