F1MATHS: How does the drivers' championship look like after the season-opening Australian Grand Prix?
The 2026 Australian Grand Prix delivered an immediately intriguing shape to the early championship standings, with Mercedes emerging as the strongest force after the opening round.
George Russell claimed victory from pole position, giving him a total of 26 points and placing him firmly at the top of the standings. His teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli followed him home in second, scoring 18 points in a hugely impressive debut that confirmed Mercedes’ strong adaptation to the new regulations.
Behind them, Ferrari also showed competitive form: Charles Leclerc secured third place and 15 points, while Lewis Hamilton, now in his second season with Ferrari, finished fourth and added 12 points to the team’s tally.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris opened his title defense with a fifth‑place finish for McLaren, earning 10 points and keeping himself in the early mix even if McLaren appeared slightly behind Mercedes and Ferrari on raw pace.
Max Verstappen finished sixth for Red Bull, collecting 8 points plus an extra point for the fastest lap, though the result suggested that Red Bull may face a more challenging start to the season than in previous years.
Haas driver Oliver Bearman delivered a standout performance with seventh place and 6 points, while rookie Arvid Lindblad impressed on debut for Racing Bulls, finishing eighth and scoring 4 points.
Gabriel Bortoleto added 2 points for Audi with ninth place, and Pierre Gasly completed the points scorers with a single point for Alpine in tenth.
Several drivers failed to score due to non‑finishes. Lance Stroll was classified as not finishing for Aston Martin, while his teammate Fernando Alonso retired from the race even earlier. Valtteri Bottas also retired in his first outing with Cadillac, and Isack Hadjar suffered a retirement on his Red Bull debut weekend.
Two drivers did not start the race: Oscar Piastri, who was unable to take the grid for McLaren due to his crash on the installation lap before the race, and Nico Hülkenberg, who suffered technical issues
