2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix

George Russell smashes F1 rivals but Max Verstappen defies expectations

George Russell is an obvious pick for Australian Grand Prix winner after he dominated qualifying in Melbourne — but Max Verstappen has received unexpected backing!

RacingNews365 Staff

8 March 4:38AM

0 comments 0

Article

To news overview © XPBimages

A strong plurality of F1 fans believe George Russell will win the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, where he starts from pole position.

The Mercedes driver leads team-mate Kimi Antonelli off the line, ahead of the Red Bull of Isack Hadjar and Charles Leclerc.

McLaren locked out the third row, with Oscar Piastri pipping world champion Lando Norris in the second MCL40, with Lewis Hamilton having to settle for seventh in the second Ferrari.

However, remarkably, it is Max Verstappen down in P20 who F1 fans feel is the second-most likely driver to triumph in Melbourne.

The Dutchman crashed during Q1 at Albert Park, but a significant number of fans have still backed the four-time F1 drivers' champion to carve through the field.

Check out the full results from the latest poll by RacingNews365 below!

Grand Prix

Australian GP

News Results Winners

Don't miss out on any of the Formula 1 action thanks to this handy 2026 F1 calendar that can be easily loaded into your smartphone or PC.

Download the calender

Most read

LIVE: 2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix

Oscar Piastri suffers shock crash before Australian GP

Fernando Alonso retires from Australian GP - but then mysteriously returns

Add the 2026 F1 calendar to your agenda with one click

Nico Hulkenberg suffers Audi disaster as F1 rival placed under investigation

Valtteri Bottas becomes fifth retirement from chaotic Australian GP

Isack Hadjar suffers Red Bull failure debut heartbreak

Franco Colapinto slapped with major Australian GP penalty

George Russell smashes F1 rivals but Max Verstappen defies expectations

Adjusted starting grid for 2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix after Oscar Piastri crash

In this article

Join the conversation!

Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.

Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar

A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..