Reverberations from the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix continue to be felt across the grid and the wider F1 fandom, with the new cars and rules proving divisive as well as intriguing. Drivers were kept on their toes, adapted to the “new way” of racing with varying degrees of success. Here are the winners and losers from the F1 Australian GP.
George Russell: 10
Grid Position P1, Race Result P1
Russell was utterly flawless in Australia, qualifying on pole and increasing his advantage over the rest of the field. Completely at one with the W17, it was a case of driver and car in complete sync and harmony.
Come race day, he lost the lead at the start due to a battery issue, but this led to a battle on track that fans and pundits alike adored. Switching positions with Charles’ Leclerc’s Ferrari over multiple laps, Russell bided his time until he could clear the Ferrari in the pits.
Once he was out front, he never relinquished his iron grip on the lead. Instead, no doubt with a smile on inside his crash helmet, he began to push and extend the gap to the chasing Ferraris once they pitted under the VSC. His reward is leading the Drivers’ Championship for the first time in his career. Expect Russell on current form to be almost unbeatable in coming races.
Kimi Antonelli: 8
Grid Position P2, Race Result P2
There are characters in life that somehow always seem to exist inside people’s shadows. Antonelli found himself in the current F1 seat, the W17 clearly capable of race wins, yet fell under the radar throughout the weekend. Moving on from a faux pas in FP3, he lined his car up in second for the race, a strong recovery.
Like his teammate, Antonelli also bogged down at the start, dropping places and needing to use the seemingly more powerful factory Mercedes engine to move up the order. Once back in second place following pit stops, his pace continued to be strong, if not spectacular. He showed no real turn of speed to challenge the in-form Russell and was forced to settle for the runner-up spot. But Antonelli will want to prove that he can win in F1’s current best car. Whether he can or not however, remains to be seen.
Charles Leclerc: 8
Grid Position P4 Race Result P3
Ferrari initially looked all at sea during practice, Leclerc’s yo-yoing more than a teenager torn between buying his first Xbox or PlayStation. One minute the SF-26 looked like it could deliver a result for the Scuderia, the next it looked as hopeless as asking the same teenager to do homework. But fourth on the grid was an achievement.
Leclerc proved once and for all the power of Ferrari’s small turbo at lights out, jumping into the lead by Turn 1. His battle with Russell was spirited, fair and intense, giving hope to the Tifosi after a year of complete desolation. Ferrari’s inept ability to deviate from its strategy wheel of fortune cost the Monegasque a chance of second at best, but Leclerc fought hard to bounce back. He will win multiple races this season, if Ferrari improves operationally.
Lewis Hamilton: 8.5
Grid Position P7 Race Result P4
Hamilton returned from the doldrums of his downward performance spiral at the Australian GP. Qualifying seventh masked the seven-time world champion’s harmony with the SF-26, a car more in tune with his driving style.
Taking advantage of Ferrari’s turbo at lights out, he shot up the order to find himself in third. Opting to remain on the periphery of the duel between Russell and teammate Leclerc, Hamilton showed a glimpse of the driver who is aching to take an eighth title. Hungry for victory, he aired his displeasure at Ferrari for failing to pit him under the Safety Car, and drove like a man possessed in the second half of the race to close the gap to Leclerc and the top three. If the stars align, Hamilton will return to the winners circle in 2026.
Lando Norris: 5
Grid Position P6 Race Result P5
How the mighty have fallen. Reigning champions Norris and McLaren were a shadow of their former selves at the Australian GP, over a second off the pace of Russell in qualifying using the same power unit. The MCL40 looked undramatic, Norris seemingly unable to tap into the car’s speed, as McLaren attempts to understand its deficit.
Race day proved to be a disaster; Norris was dropped by Mercedes and Ferrari faster than a boy band by its manager once its members hit 30. The one crumb of comfort for Norris and McLaren was that he could keep Max Verstappen behind him in the closing stages. Even the TV afforded the McLaren driver only the briefest of glimpses. Norris and McLaren have work to do to become competitive.
Oscar Piastri: 0
Grid Position P5 Race Result DNS
Piastri’s crash on the way to the grid is the stuff of nightmares of every F1 driver. A basic mistake that not even junior drivers make, it sent a wave of depression into the papaya-covered grandstands. Multiple causes were responsible: cold tyres and an unexpected surge of power. But whichever way you look at it. Piastri crashed on his way to the grid. Not even the likes of 1990s pay drivers Jean-Denis Delétraz or Taki Inoue have managed such a feat. Like a one-night stand to forget, the Australian GP will quickly be erased from his memory.
Max Verstappen: 7.5
Grid Position P20 Race Result P6
Crashing out in qualifying, caused by a locked rear axle, Verstappen faced an uphill climb on race day. But given Verstappen’s calibre, an astonishing comeback drive was all but a given. Carving his way through the field (largely unseen by the TV cameras), his ascent ended in the closing stages behind the McLaren of Norris. Continually scathing of the new technical regulations, Verstappen will need to work hard to win with Red Bull in its current form.
Isack Hadjar: 7.5
Grid Position P3 Race Result DNF
Hadjar proved that the second Red Bull seat can (at last) be competitive. Qualifying a stunning third, he dropped behind the fifth behind the fast-starting Arvid Lindblad. but quickly regained fourth. From there, he held his own once Antonelli past him, not quick enough to challenge those ahead but with enough speed to hold up those behind. His power unit failure robbed fans of watching a driver entering an exciting phase of his career.
Oliver Bearman: 8
Grid Position P12 Race Result P6
Bearman’s race showcased why he is tipped to succeed Hamilton at Ferrari. Qualifying 12th looked possible, if only in a remote scenario. Instead, an aggressive race from the young Briton landed him a fantastic sixth place at the chequered flag. Demonstrating patience and attacking skill, the Australian GP could be the first of a season-long audition for the famous red cars in 2027. Race one very much passed.
Esteban Ocon: 6.5
Grid Position P13 Race Result P11
While his teammate is now effectively auditioning for Ferrari, Ocon is auditioning to keep his Haas seat in 2026. Lining up 13th on the grid, his race was a bit like a reality TV contestant that gets voted off in the first few weeks. He performed well and battled on the fringes of the points but could not make an impact. Comfortably outperformed by Bearman once again, Ocon needs to bounce back in China to prevent the start of a downward spiral.
Arvid Lindblad: 8.5
Grid Position P9 Race Result P8
Britain’s youngest F1 driver announced his arrival in the sport with a bang at the Australian GP. Reaching Q3 at his first attempt, he finished qualifying directly behind teammate Liam Lawson. Enjoying an attacking start, he ran has high as fifth, jumping big names like Norris and Antonelli. Although slipping back as faster cars got up to speed, eighth at the chequered flag was quite an achievement. Battling Bearman and Verstappen also ensured rivals know he will not be easily intimidated. China will prove if this pace was one off or the start of a glittering career.
Liam Lawson: 5
Grid Position P8 Race Result P13
The Australian GP became a case of what could have been for Lawson. Starting in eighth, Lawson simply failed to launch and plummeted down the order, all but wrecking his chances of a good result. Renewing his grudge battle with Sergio Perez, he crawled back to 13th by the chequered flag. He will look to bounce back in China after an eventful and disappointing first race of the season. Losing the first race of 2026 to Lindblad will hurt.
Gabriel Bortoleto: 9
Grid Position P10 Race Result P9
Bortoleto was an unsung hero at the Australian GP. Starting in tenth, he enjoyed spirited battles with Ocon and Gasly, never leaving the fringes of the top ten. The Brazilian looks to be at one with his R26, and received justifiable plaudits from Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley after the race for securing ninth: Audi’s first points in F1. Confident, competitive and consistent, he was a midfield star in Albert Park.
Nico Hulkenberg: N/A
Grid Position P11 Race Result DNS
Hulkenberg became a victim of the new power units’ unreliability. Lining his car up on the grid, his R26 developed a technical problem and was wheeled back to the garage, never to appear on track again.
Pierre Gasly: 7
Grid Position P14 Race Result P10
Gasly rescued a result for Alpine following the A526′ dramatic drop off in pace during qualifying. Shooting up the order during the race, a solitary point was a scant reward following a competitive afternoon.
Franco Colapinto: 4
Grid Position P16 Race Result P14
Colapinto’s score is saved by his unbelievable reflexes and car control demonstrated at lights out when he had to almost invent a gap to prevent crashing into the back of Lawson’s Racing Bulls. A disaster averted, he failed to match Gasly’s pace and ended up four places behind his teammate. The A526 is an improvement over its predecessor, and Colapinto must show improvement in China to prevent the wrath of Flavio Briatore.
Alex Albon: 7
Grid Position P15 Race Result P12
Moving up to 12th. from his 15th-place grid spot at the start, Albon operated mostly under the radar. The new Williams FW48 is still a compromised package, so the fact that Albon was able to get a sniff of a top-10 result was impressive. Comfortably having the edge over teammate Sainz all weekend, he will look to capitalise as the team looks to lift itself out of a compromising position.
Carlos Sainz: 4
Grid Position DNQ Race Result P15
Technical issues hampered Sainz from the get-go at the Australian GP, hindering track time. That he could not take part in qualifying only compounded his issues, leading to a difficult afternoon. Although he made meaningful progress during the race. Far from happy at the chequered flag, he admitted Williams has too many issues with the FW48 at present. The opening races will be a challenge for the former race winner.
Sergio Perez: 6
Grid Position P18 Race Result P16
Perez gave Cadillac something to smile about with his grudge match battle with Lawson, before parts started flying off his Cadillac. That said, he navigated his new team to their first classified F1 race finish, albeit three laps down.
Valtteri Bottas: N/A
Grid Position P19 Race Result DNF
Bottas was ahead of Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin in the opening stages, embarrassing their much larger, more funded rival. His race ended on Lap 18, as his car ground to a halt at pit entry. But this was an encouraging start to 2026 for the returning Finn.
Lance Stroll: N/A
Grid Position DNQ Race Result DNF
Stroll finished the Australian GP 15 laps down, having retired once, only to rejoin the circuit once the issue with Aston Martin was fixed. A rating is impossible to give either Aston Martin driver, as both were in a similar position to someone attempting to kick a football into a goal, while blindfolded and hands tied behind their back, with the goals on wheels moving at 50mph. Stroll’s weekend was compromised with so little track time before qualifying, a bad race, but from his own doing.
Fernando Alonso: N/A
Grid Position P17 Race Result DNF
Alonso had a fantastic start, running as high as tenth before slipping down the order. Like Stroll, he retired twice during the race. Honda faces an uphill climb to rescue a disastrous situation, with China looking set to be a repeat.
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