George Russell secured victory in the opening race of the 2026 Formula One season, leading Mercedes to a 1-2 finish.
Team-mate Kimi Antonelli completed the result in second place, while Charles Leclerc finished third for Ferrari.
READ MORE: Oscar Piastri crashes on reconnaissance lap before Australian GP start
Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in fourth position after a competitive race at the front of the field.
Leclerc produced a strong launch from fourth on the grid and moved into the lead at the first corner.
Russell, who had started from pole position, traded the lead with Leclerc several times across the opening 10 laps as Formula One’s new battery deployments came into play.
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The early exchanges between the pair set the tone for the opening phase of the race before the order stabilised.
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Lando Norris finished fifth for McLaren after holding off pressure from Max Verstappen in the closing stages.
Oscar Piastri’s race ended before the start after the Australian crashed during a reconnaissance lap on the way to the grid.
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The Melbourne-born driver struck a curb which sent his McLaren into the wall and left the car too damaged to take the start.
The result marks Mercedes’ first 1-2 finish since Lewis Hamilton departed the team just over a year ago.
It is also the first time Mercedes has achieved a 1-2 result without Hamilton in the line-up since 1955.
The previous occasion came at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio took victory ahead of team-mate Piero Taruffi.
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