Great AUSTRALIA PRICE (CARRERA)

Chronicle of the race - Australia Grand Prix 2026
Albert Park Circuit - 58 laps

Red lights out. Lando Norris starts clean from the pole and keeps the first position in the brake of curve 1. Max Verstappen immediately sticks to his tail, while Oscar Piastri defends the third square in front of Charles Leclerc. The start is clean, no serious incidents. Lewis Hamilton takes George Russell on curve 3 and gets sixth.

In the first turns Norris leads with a solid rhythm and maintains a gap of approximately 1.2 seconds over Verstappen. McLaren is betting on a two-stop strategy (medium-hard-hard), while Red Bull is choosing a more aggressive three-stop strategy with Verstappen. In turn 14, Norris goes into boxes. Verstappen stays out one more turn, marks a very high pace and comes out ahead of the British. First strategic advance of the day.

The race stabilizes until the 27th round. A touch between Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon in the area of curve 11 forces the exit of the Safety Car. Most of the grill takes advantage to make its second stop. Norris, who had regained the lead after the first stage, again left second behind Verstappen. Piastri is placed third, followed by Leclerc and Hamilton.

After reboot (turn 31), Verstappen controls the rhythm and makes no mistakes. Norris presses, but he can't find the hole to attack. In round 38, Hamilton takes Leclerc to curve 3 and places fourth. Ferrari asks his two pilots not to block each other. Later, Fernando Alonso makes an excellent career and advances Russell and Carlos Sainz in the same sector to get solidly into the points.

In round 46, Norris launches a determined attack on curve 1. Verstappen defends inside and Norris is slightly out of track, losing half a second. From that moment on the Dutch manages the tyres and opens a gap of about 4 seconds. Piastri tries to approach his teammate, but McLaren asks him to maintain the position and protect the partial fold.

The last turns go without a break. Verstappen crosses the goal in first position, followed by Norris and Piastri. Hamilton ends fourth ahead of Leclerc. Alonso is a valuable seventh place. Leaving: Oliver Bearman (motor problem in turn 19) and Jack Doohan (accident at curve 6 under the Safety Car).

Final result:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) + 4.187 s

3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) + 8.944 s

4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

Quick turn: Max Verstappen (1: 17.401 in turn 52).

World Cup General Classification (after Australia)

Verstappen leads the championship after the first race, with McLaren very close in second and third place.