George Russell fires 'be less critical' message as Max Verstappen losing patience – International Media reacts

George Russell converted pole position into victory in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as F1's new power unit regulations truly got underway.

Mercedes secured a feared one-two with relative ease in the end, largely due to Ferrari's surprising decision not to pit either of its drivers during two virtual safety car periods.

It was a weekend in Melbourne's Albert Park full of major talking points, mostly surrounding the widespread unhappiness among the drivers with the new regulations.

There was a terrifying near-miss as the lights went out, while Max Verstappen and Lando Norris also voiced their complaints.

Here is how media from around the world reacted to the opening round of the F1 season, the Australian GP.

🇬🇧 The Times - "Australian Grand Prix: Mercedes on top as George Russell eases to victory"

Starting our first trip around the world for 2026, we begin in the United Kingdom with The Times, which reported on Russell's victory.

As reported by the British newspaper, it ended up being a comfortable win for the Mercedes driver following Ferrari's bizarre decision not to pit under two virtual safety cars.

Mercedes pitted both of its drivers during the second VSC, handing Russell a healthy gap in the lead once Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton had pitted.

Despite its strategic blunder, Ferrari showed plenty of promise in Australia, with Hamilton having been extremely positive.

🇳🇱 De Telegraaf - "George Russell calls on Lando Norris and Max Verstappen to be 'less critical'"

In the Netherlands, De Telegraaf focused on George Russell responding to complaints about the new rules from the likes of Norris and Verstappen.

Norris and Verstappen called for the FIA to make changes, while Russell insisted they would not be making as much noise had they won in Australia.

As quoted by the publication, Russell said: "If they'd won, they would have said something different.

"Last year we had the same engine as McLaren and they did better. Now McLaren has the same engine as us and, so far, we've done better. That's just how it goes in motorsport."

🇪🇸 El País - "Mercedes has plenty of energy for the F1 opener; Verstappen is running out of patience."

In Spain, El País wrote about its belief that Verstappen is losing patience with the pinnacle of motorsport and is edging closer to an exit.

Since Bahrain testing, the Dutchman has been openly critical of the new power unit rules but stressed in Australia that he is not doing it to be difficult, but because he wants F1 to remain the best.

"I love racing, but everything has its limits," said Verstappen. "I think the FIA and F1 are willing to listen, and I just hope action is taken. It’s not just me saying this; many people feel the same way.

"We, the drivers and the fans, want what’s best for our sport. We’re not criticising for the sake of criticising; we’re doing it for a reason: we want this to be authentic F1 again."

🇮🇹 La Gazzetta dello Sport - "Ferrari's show of strength: in Melbourne, they beat Mercedes at the start. And here's why".

In Italy, La Gazzetta dello Sport has analysed the remarkable starts made by both Leclerc and Hamilton, as was widely expected.

In Bahrain testing, Ferrari aced every practice start, something that continued in Australia. Leclerc went from fourth to first by the first corner, while Hamilton went from seventh to fifth.

Crucially, as explained by the Italian publication, Ferrari has a smaller turbocharger than its rivals. As a result, while the likes of Mercedes' turbocharger take longer to fill, Ferrari's is ready to go in a shorter period of time.

This results in sharper acceleration off the line, as was seen in the Australian GP.

🇦🇺 Herald Sun - "Fans fume at Australian Grand Prix ‘farce’ as spectators share horror stories"

In Australia, where the season-opener took place, the Herald Sun shared shocking stories from fans who attended the Grand Prix.

In one account, fans revealed that they paid upwards of $1,000 AUD to watch the race, only to discover they had been allocated a patch of grass behind a fence, rather than a proper seat.

Others reported that the organisers of the race had over-sold tickets, leaving some unable to access the stands for which they had purchased tickets.

🇺🇸 The Washington Post - "Lando Norris says F1 cars gone from best to 'probably the worst'"

And finally, in the United States, The Washington Post highlighted Norris' comments regarding the new regulations.

The reigning world champion endured a disappointing opening round, finishing over 50 seconds behind Russell—a rare position for McLaren to find itself in.

Norris enjoyed fighting for wins over the past two seasons in dominant machinery but stressed after the race that the sport had gone from "the best cars ever made in Formula 1, and the nicest to drive, to probably the worst."