Melbourne: Mercedes driver George Russell celebrated an impressive victory at the Australian Grand Prix, praising the team’s hard work and describing the result as something that had “been a long time coming.”
The 28-year-old delivered a dominant performance throughout the weekend, securing pole position during Saturday’s qualifying session. Russell finished three-tenths of a second ahead of his teammate Kimi Antonelli, while his nearest rival Isack Hadjar was another half-second behind.
However, the race start proved challenging for Russell. Charles Leclerc made a strong launch from fourth on the grid and overtook Russell at Turn 1 to take the lead, setting up an intense battle between the two drivers. Over the opening 10 laps, Russell and Leclerc exchanged the lead multiple times before the action eased slightly following a Virtual Safety Car caused when Hadjar ran onto the grass.
Reflecting on the race afterwards, Russell said:
“I’m feeling incredible. It was a tough fight at the beginning and we knew it was going to be challenging. When I got on the grid, I realised the battery level was very low, which led to a poor start. Then I had some really tight battles with Charles, so I was very happy to cross the finish line.”
During the Virtual Safety Car period, Mercedes opted to pit both of their cars, a strategic move that ultimately worked in their favour. Ferrari chose to stay out and extend their first stint on medium tyres, but the Silver Arrows’ strategy proved more effective.
Russell was confident about attempting a one-stop strategy, which eventually paid off. After overtaking Lewis Hamilton on track, he maintained control of the race and crossed the finish line 2.9 seconds ahead of Antonelli, securing a Mercedes 1-2 finish.
“Honestly, thank you so much to the whole team because it’s been a long time coming to have a car like this,” Russell added. “We couldn’t have started the season in a better way.”
He also explained that the battle for the lead was particularly difficult due to the car’s balance in certain modes.
“We suspected there might be a bit of a yo-yo effect. As soon as one of us got in front, it felt very difficult to hold that position. With the Straight Mode, we lose some front-end grip and the car understeers through the corners. It was a bit tricky, but I managed to bring it home.”
Russell’s victory marks a strong start for Mercedes in the 2026 Formula 1 season, with the team now looking ahead to build on their momentum in the upcoming race in China.
