Check out the full 2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying Results, Albert Park, round 1 of 24.
George Russell secured the first pole position of the 2026 Formula 1 season with a blistering lap time of 1:18.518, beating his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli by just 0.293 seconds.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar grabbed third, salvaging what was a nightmare qualifying for the Milton Keynes outfit after four-time world champion Max Verstappen crashed out in Q1.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc slotted into fourth followed by McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in fifth and sixth, respectively, with Lewis Hamilton taking seventh in the second Scuderia.
Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson benefited from a tow in the final sector to lead his teammate Arvid Lindblad, while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto advanced to 10th without a timed lap in Q3 after encountering traffic.
F1 Australian GP Qualifying: As it happened
2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:18.518 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | + 0.293 |
| 3 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | + 0.785 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | + 0.809 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.862 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | + 0.957 |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | + 0.960 |
| 8 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.476 |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +2.729 |
| 10 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:20.221 |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:20.303 |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:20.311 |
| 13 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:20.491 |
| 14 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:20.501 |
| 15 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:20.941 |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:21.270 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:21.969 |
| 18 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:22.605 |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:23.244 |
| 20 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | No time set |
| 21 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | No time set |
| 22 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | No time set |
READ MORE:
Russell tops F1 Australian GP FP3 as Antonelli crashes Mercedes at 17G
Piastri paces second practice for Australian GP amid disruptions, Aston Martin struggles
