Motorsport

The Formula 1 grid is split on how much it expected Mercedes to dominate qualifying for the 2026 season-opening Australian Grand Prix after George Russell led a Silver Arrows 1-2. 
Russell took his eighth career pole after beating team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 0.293s, with third-placed Isack Hadjar close to eight tenths off the pace on his Red Bull debut. 
It therefore backed up the ...Keep reading

After Mercedes outpaced rival Formula 1 teams by eight tenths in Australian Grand Prix qualifying, Lewis Hamilton expressed concern about the German constructor’s engine advantage.
George Russell was dominant on Saturday in Melbourne, topping all three segments of qualifying as Mercedes’ gap to its competition increased throughout.
Russell ended up taking pole by 0.293s over team-mate ...Keep reading

Lance Stroll has been given special dispensation to take part in Formula 1's Australian Grand Prix despite not setting a competitive lap time all weekend, with Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz also placed on the starting grid.
The three drivers all failed to set a lap time in qualifying, with Verstappen crashing out in Turn 1 and Sainz coasting to a halt in the Williams on his out-lap in FP3 ...Keep reading

Kimi Antonelli labelled his Mercedes mechanics as "heroes" for fixing his car in time to make qualifying for Formula 1's Australian Grand Prix after his hefty FP3 shunt threatened to derail his weekend.
The Italian had taken too much kerb at Turn 2 during the final stages of FP3 while attempting to start his qualifying simulation run, and careened into the outside wall as a result. His car came ...Keep reading

Broc Feeney continued his winning ways in a shortened third Supercars race at Albert Park on Saturday evening.
The Triple Eight Ford Mustang driver qualified on pole for the second time this season – Feeney’s seventh at the lakeside circuit – and won the start, holding out the similar car of Aaron Cameron (Blanchard Racing Team).
Feeney held onto the lead and, even when a safety car ...Keep reading

McLaren's Lando Norris says Formula 1 has "gone from the best cars ever to probably the worst" as he lamented the huge emphasis on energy harvesting, while Australian Grand Prix polesitter George Russell defended the new rules.
Russell qualified on pole ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli as Mercedes confirmed its pre-season favourite status in Melbourne, the pair comfortably leaping clear of ...Keep reading

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted his relief after a strong Saturday from his drivers as he celebrated the end of the ground effect era. This comes after a commanding pole position from George Russell for the Australian Grand Prix.
Following a dominant Saturday session in Melbourne where Russell placed his Mercedes at the front of the grid ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli, Wolff ...Keep reading

Red Bull Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen emerged unscathed from his accident in Australian Grand Prix qualifying, which an X-ray performed on his hands confirmed.
Verstappen was on his very first flying lap in qualifying when the RB22’s rear wheels locked as he braked ahead of Turn 1, sending the four-time world champion into a high-speed spin.
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Mercedes has been fined €7,500 for sending the car of Kimi Antonelli out on track in an “unsafe condition” during qualifying for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver caused an early red flag in Q3 after a duct cooling fan was left on his W17, with one piece flying away in the Turn 1 braking zone and another part coming off approaching Turn 3 at Albert Park.
It was ...Keep reading

Fernando Alonso reckons Aston Martin must retire from the Australian Grand Prix the moment any slight issue appears to avoid compromising the forthcoming rounds in the 2026 Formula 1 campaign. 
The Silverstone outfit has been the talk of the paddock at this weekend’s Melbourne season opener, because problems have continuously struck the AMR26.
Its Honda power unit is perhaps the biggest ...Keep reading

George Russell took a dominant pole position at Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix, with nobody competitive enough to challenge Mercedes in Melbourne.
Russell topped all three segments and led team-mate Kimi Antonelli by three tenths in Q3, with third-placed Isack Hadjar eight tenths slower; Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri made up the top five.
Max Verstappen’s qualifying session ended ...Keep reading

The Formula 1 2026 ruleset has been surrounded by question marks, controversy and political sabre-rattling – it is F1 after all. The season's first competitive session in Albert Park hasn't given us all the answers just yet, but it has slowly been lifting the veil on what is set to be an intriguing campaign ahead.
The rules are far from perfect, but not a complete disaster
Amid fears from ...Keep reading

Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix has been red-flagged after four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen crashed into the barriers at the first corner.
As he hit the brakes, the rear axle locked, leaving the Dutchman helpless as the car spun before it skidded over the gravel and crashed into the wall. Thankfully, the Red Bull driver was able to exit the car unassisted.
"Yep," he ...Keep reading

2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button has backed George Russell to be able to mentally deal with the pressure of the 2026 drivers' championship fight as the Mercedes driver heads into the season as a favourite.
"From the outside, yes," Button told Sky Sports F1, when asked if Russell has everything he needs to win the 2026 drivers' championship. "But he's not been in that position to fight for ...Keep reading

Joe Gibbs Racing on Friday night outlined to the Western District of North Carolina its legal reasons for believing an expedited fact discovery against Chris Gabehart and Spire Motorsports are necessary.
Typically, the discovery process begins after both parties participate in a Rule 26(f) conference, where all parties involved in litigation meet to discuss settlement options and negotiate the ...Keep reading

Mercedes' George Russell is heading into Formula 1's first qualifying session of the year with the fastest time as he topped a derailed FP3 session at the Australian Grand Prix.
Russell and Mercedes finally showed their hand with a brutal last-minute flyer to head Ferrari duo Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
The start of the session was delayed by 20 minutes due to barrier repairs ...Keep reading

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli crashed during the third practice session ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
With just over 10 minutes remaining in the final practice session at Albert Park, the Italian driver crashed into the barrier at high speed after switching onto soft tyres. Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff confirmed to Sky Germany that the intensity of the crash measured at ...Keep reading

The general consensus is that it will take a top-three seed to contend for the NASCAR Cup Series championship come the start of the Chase for the Championship so is William Byron the least bit concerned with 13th through three races?
Drivers talk about it.
“Yeah, it’s funny. (Christopher) Bell and I were talking about this at driver intros last week,” said Byron during a Friday press ...Keep reading

Formula 1 fans have lost it after Lewis Hamilton revealed that he now owns a cow called Max. While the seven-time champion insisted that he did not name the farm animal, fans have branded the moment as "gold".
"Oh yeah, this is my cow," Hamilton said when a photo appeared on the big screen behind him and his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc in front of the fans in Australia. "His name is ...Keep reading

The FIA will now hold off on removing the straight mode between Turns 8 and 9 at the Formula 1 Australian grand prix amid pushback from the teams.
For 2026 F1 has introduced active aerodynamics, with cars lowering both their front and rear wings on predetermined straights. That measure is aimed to help alleviate the drastic energy harvesting requirements of the new power units, which rely much ...Keep reading