For those who populated the podium, there wasn\u2019t a whole lot of disappointment that tinged the outcome of the 2026 Australian grand prix. But there is no hiding from the fact that what Formula 1 showed in the first race of the new season has evoked a lot of intense reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s start with the positives. It could not have gone any better for George Russell. The Brit showed up in Australia full of confidence and added some genuinely impressive performances to that mix. It netted him pole position by some distance and a race win that wasn\u2019t too much of a struggle either. The start from pole can\u2019t be checked off as perfect, but his ding-dong battle with Charles Leclerc ultimately settled, and from there, the Merc driver didn\u2019t have too much to be concerned about. Kimi Antonelli made it a Mercedes one-two and has to be commended for an impressive comeback. He\u2019d smashed the Mercedes to pieces in Saturday morning\u2019s free practice but still managed to go second-fastest just a few hours later in quali. Similarly, he struggled off the start but recovered to finish second overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
READ MORE HERE: The great unknown: F1 Returns with new rules and high Stakes<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Leclerc rocketed off the line, and the Ferrari was soon swapping P1 with Russell. And here is where some of the negatives start to rear their head. In any other F1 season, the swashbuckling fight for P1 between Russell and Leclerc would have been racing nirvana. But in 2026, it fell desperately flat. Many online fans dubbed the dice between the two as artificial, given that it wasn\u2019t bravery on the brakes or an audacious dive down the inside that was making the moves happen. Instead, it was moves being made due to mismatched battery capacities. When one driver ran out of deployment, the other could simply drive by. No matter how much you squint, that is not racing. And this was the case up and down the field. Add to this that the viewer had no idea about a driver\u2019s battery level, and there was no way to know if an overtake was genuine or battery-induced. It was, in a word, disgraceful. It is shameful that Formula 1 has been reduced to what is little more than a mockery of true motorsport. F1 has always been revered as the pinnacle of racing, for the skill and commitment it takes, and for the utter bravery it demands from drivers. There was none of that on display in Australia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One down. Full focus on what lies ahead \ud83d\ude24 pic.twitter.com\/6RC94ssCnc<\/a><\/p>— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 9, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>