Which drivers qualified in the top 3 for the 2026 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix?

George Russell secured pole position for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, the top qualifying spot for the race. Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar also qualified in the top three, showing strong performances for Mercedes and Red Bull respectively.

Russell's fastest lap was 1:18.518, with Antonelli just behind at +0.293 seconds. Hadjar's impressive debut placed him third, +0.785 seconds from pole. Charles Leclerc qualified fourth, while Max Verstappen did not set a time due to an early crash in Q1.

George Russell was on pole position with a time of 1:18.518
Kimi Antonelli qualified second, just behind Russell
Isack Hadjar impressed by qualifying third in his debut
Charles Leclerc ended up fourth after a strong Q3 effort
Max Verstappen crashed out early, failing to post a time

These qualifying results set the stage for an exciting race, with Mercedes drivers starting at the front and new talents making strong showings.

References: the-race.com; formula1.com; racingnews365.com

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Can Formula 1 teams copy successful designs legally?