Melbourne: Mercedes driver George Russell has struck the first blow in the Formula One championship by claiming victory in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli, overcoming an early challenge from Ferrari.
According to Ghana Web, Russell's first win at Albert Park on Sunday affirmed Mercedes's preseason form while securing the team's first Melbourne victory since Valtteri Bottas in 2019. The British driver, who dominated qualifying, expressed his satisfaction over the team radio, stating, "I like this car. I like this engine. Great job. Great job, everybody. It's been a long time. It's been a long time coming to have this car beneath us."
Taking advantage of an early change of tyres, Russell finished nearly three seconds ahead of Italian Antonelli, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc more than 15 seconds behind after the team's tyre strategy faltered. It was a challenging day for McLaren as home hero Oscar Piastri's race ended before it began with a crash during a reconnaissance lap about 40 minutes before the start.
Defending champion Lando Norris, Piastri's teammate, secured fifth place, one spot behind the Ferrari of seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, but more than 50 seconds after Russell crossed the finish line. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen ended up sixth for Red Bull after beginning 20th on the grid due to a setback in Saturday's qualifying. His teammate Isack Hadjar faced an early retirement.
Russell engaged in a thrilling early duel with Leclerc, with the lead changing seven times within the first nine laps. "I made a bad start and had some really tight battles with Charles at the start - just really glad to cross the finish line," Russell remarked. The retirement of Hadjar marked a turning point, with his Red Bull car halting on lap 12 due to smoke, triggering a virtual safety car.
Mercedes strategically called both drivers into the pit, swapping medium tyres for hard compounds, which they used effectively for the remaining 45 laps. Ferrari's decision to stay out drew complaints from Hamilton, who believed an earlier stop could have been advantageous. Leclerc expressed skepticism about Ferrari's chances of victory even with an earlier pit stop.
Leclerc had an impressive start from fourth on the grid, taking the lead at the first corner. With Piastri out, Hamilton advanced from seventh to third, placing Russell between Ferraris. Intense racing unfolded as Leclerc and Russell battled closely, with Russell experiencing a near mishap after locking up during a skirmish on lap nine.
Leclerc pitted on lap 26, followed by Hamilton a couple of laps later after relinquishing the lead to Russell. Confident that one stop would suffice, Russell maintained his lead with Antonelli close behind, ultimately securing a decisive win for Mercedes.
Haas's Oliver Bearman finished seventh, achieving the best result among the minor teams. Rookie Arvid Lindblad, the youngest-ever British F1 racer, scored points in his debut race for Racing Bulls, finishing eighth. Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto and Alpine's Pierre Gasly completed the top 10.
New entrant Cadillac had a disappointing Formula One debut with Bottas retiring early and teammate Sergio Perez finishing 16th. Aston Martin's former world champion Fernando Alonso retired after 21 laps, while teammate Lance Stroll completed 43 laps but was not classified. Audi's Nico Hulkenberg was scratched before the race due to a reliability issue, leaving only 20 of the 22 cars to start.