Mercedes stamped its authority on the 2026 season-opening Australian Grand Prix as George Russell converted pole into victory and the Silver Arrows secured a dominant 1–2 finish, with rookie Kimi Antonelli classified about 2.9 seconds behind. Russell’s win — his sixth career victory — came after Mercedes set the weekend tone with roughly seven-tenths of a second qualifying advantage, and team principal Toto Wolff declared “Mercedes is back.” The result vaulted Russell to the top of the drivers’ standings and handed Antonelli a standout debut haul of points.

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