Lewis Hamilton has followed Max Verstappen into retirement at the Australian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver has endured a difficult weekend, describing his Friday running as 'one of the worst' of his career before failing to reach Q3 in qualifying at Albert Park. Brackley-based Mercedes opted to start Hamilton on soft tyres, giving him strategic differential compared to those around him, yet it was impossible to discover whether that would have worked as he ground to a halt on lap 16. Hamilton slowed on the run from Turn eight towards the fast nine-10 chicane, pulling off to the side of the race track shortly after - the seven-time world champion reporting a power unit failure. It triggered a short virtual safety car period - the first stoppage of the race. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen had already retired after his right rear caught alight in the opening laps.
Most read
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..
